Mario Badescu Drying Lotion & Silver Powder Review

Hey Ladies,

This has been requested a few times so I thought instead of waiting to do it on YouTube I'd pop it on here instead, believe me when I say it'll be more to the point & much less random off topic rambles.

First up the Drying Lotion

Quite a strange looking product, one which shouldn't be shaken up as there is alcohol on top of the formulation for sterilisation purposes and below the alcohol the actual treatment. You just dip a cotton bud/Q-tip down to the pink stuff & apply to a developing spot or spot. (I am currently covered in the stuff after a reaction to some Lush toner, cheers!)

What I think

There have been miracle tales told about this being able to make a spot disappear over night, I found this isn't true exactly. If you can feel a spot forming & you get this stuff on immediately the spot never forms, excellente I think you'll agree.

When you apply this to a fully formed spot it certainly doesn't make it disappear what it does is speed up the life cycle of the spot, so if a spot took say 4 days to form & leave totally I found it took about half the time with the drying lotion! again excellente!

What I will say is I don't get many spots (apart from my current situation) so I think this is an occasional spot kind of product not one I'd recommend for acne as you'll need something stronger, the claims that you can wear it under makeup & its a bit of a concealer are a pile of crap, if you apply foundation or any liquid over it it basically wipes away no matter how long you've left it to dry, so I use this as a night treatment.

There's one thing with this product I have a problem with & that's the ingredients; when you apply it it smells & looks just like the stuff you put on chicken pox when you were a kid; calamine, the third main ingredient ... calamine of course, the main ingredients are alcohol (the stuff on top) & aqua (you know water) so essentially the main ingredient that makes the difference is the calamine. If you pop into your local boots a whole bottle & we're talking 200mls of calamine is 99p! Making this what you would call a rip off, now i can't say I've been all scientific & bought some calamine applied it etc etc because I keep forgetting, if i do I'll be sure to let you know. Of course there is salicylic acid contained in the formula which is know to help spots but you can get higher potency salicylic acid much cheaper over the counter at boots again making this a rip of.

Would I buy it again? Hell no, I shall be buying a bottle of calamine ... & some Mario Badescu buffering lotion which you can wear under makeup & is better!

Silver Powder

They lie! This is white powder! It claims to be an absorbent powder which helps unclog congested pores, and remove stubborn blackheads promoting a healthier complexion.

What I Think

Ok first of all the instructions for this are very vague -

'dip a water dampened cotton ball into the powder then press on clogged area, wait 10 minutes & remove with toner or astringent'

Sounds simple enough, yet depending on the dampness on the sponge you get a different consistency when applied, so you don't know whether to apply it like a thick paste or in a thin layer. Either way I found it did remove very light blackheads but didn't touch stubborn ones. The removing of it is also quite difficult, I don't use a toner (I got the Lush one in London on Friday & I can say I will continue to not use one) so I couldn't remove it with a toner so I attempted to remove it with water & it was difficult & it left a white tinge to my skin which isn't very attractive. I have heard this from other people who have used a toner to remove it so it's not just the water!

Overall I wouldn't recommend this for people with very clogged skin but if you have a light blackhead patch this will help to remove it & keep it in check when used twice a week. Its about £11 & will last you a long time! But I certainly won't be repurchasing it, I have a face mask that does wonders compared to this, a review will be fast approaching!

I got both these items from www.beautybay.com I found them the cheapest & the delivery times are amazing well worth the £2.95 shipping (not promising anything but every time I order before 1pm it arrives the next day without paying for next day delivery)

Thanks for reading & I hope you're having a lovely week, let me know if you've tried any Mario & what did you think, or even better get recommending products for blackhead removal!!

The Body Shop Event!

Hey Ladies,

I know you'll have heard about The Body Shop event a squillion times but i'll get mine out of the way now. My day was extremely tiring but lovely, I met up with Caroline & Zoe before the event and had a mooch round Mac Pro where we bumped into the lovely Kelly. After a quick scoffing of a sandwich we went into the event, which was held at a very posh hotel.

We were taken through the new haircare line, the new additions to the Vitamin C skin care range & then the new Baked To Last makeup range.

The Hair Care

It is basically an eco friendly range that has minimal impact on the environment (something which i never even considered) so when you've washed your hair with it after 28 days when the water has reached the sea there is no trace of the shampoo/conditioner. A great concept which i haven't seen before i'm just wondering if the econess will affect the formulation time will tell.

There's is a separate range for a few different hair types and then a deep conditioning mask which i want to try as I use them once a week & don't bother with conditioner the rest of the time. The shampoo & conditioner are going to be priced at £4 each which isn't too bad.

The Vitamin C Range

This is the most exciting for me as I love skin care, there are 4 new products, a microdermabrasion scrub, a vitamin c powder treatment, Vitamin C capsules and Vitamin C eye duo roll on & brightener.

So far i am loving the microdermabrasion as its so fine & smells lovely, the powder treatment I haven't used so far but I do own a similar product from Philosophy so have a comparison to measure it against, I didn't receive the capsules so can't give any opinions of that but if i hear good things I will probably purchase them at some point. I do like the vitamin C range from the body shop as the smell is just lovely, so will be enjoying testing these products.

The Baked To Last Range

This range consists of two bronzers, two blushers and eight eyeshadow duos. So far I love the bronzers, the shade golden bronze is a great overall bronzer for my skin & the warm glow shade is a beautiful highlight. The blushers look very similar to me & i probably will be giving them away along with the majority of the eyeshadows as they're just shades I would never wear apart from the copper shade so i've given a few to friends & family.

Finally we had a talk about the ECPAT campaign which I talked about after the last body shop event, it is a charity to help stop the trafficking of children & young people. The last campaign involved customers purchasing a hand cream which is still available in a smaller handbag friendly size, with all profits going to the charity. The new campaign involves the signing of a petition for the government to give children greater protection against trafficking, you can sign the petition at www.thebodyshop.com/stop . It'll take two minutes of your time so i say get it done ... that wasn't a request!

Me, Caroline & Zoe. Photo stolen from Zoe's Facebook!

So that was my day, after the event me, Zoe & Caroline headed to Westfields for a bit of shopping & you'll see the results in my next haul video. Overall a lovely day with friends & a very enjoyable event! & Chase Aston is as camp as camp can be! He said a phrase at one point & I swear i nearly peed myself laughing!

Thanks for reading & i'll see you soon

June Favourites

Hey Ladies,

I know we're not quite in July yet but i thought i'd get ahead of the game & post my favourites from this month, I would film a video but i'm being extremely lazy & have an over due haul to film first, so thought i'd write it instead!

L'oreal Studio Secrets Primer

I bought this when Boots were having one of their £2 off L'oreal promotions and I have to say i'm glad I got it, normally I stay away from brands like L'oreal as I think their prices are far too high for 'drug store' makeup but this product is worth the £11. It makes my foundation glide on my skin, fills in pores and really makes the foundation last, I am definitely repurchasing. If you're not a fan of silicone primers i'd avoid this but I have to say I prefer it to my Makeup Forever HD and Smashbox Photo Finish primers.

Nars Pleasures of Paris Palette

This is just a lovely palette and I cannot recommend it enough, all the eyeshadows are beautiful & you can create so many looks with it, the one i've been wearing constantly since i got it is using Fez and Nepal which are on the left of the palette, Nepal is a beautiful champagne pink with a gold shimmer and Fez a bronzed brown which is similar to Galapagos without the glitter, as strange as it may sound I will be buying the full sized version of these two even though I have them in the palette.

Essie Turquoise & Caicos

Such a gorgeous green turquoise, lovely to apply and long lasting. Whenever i've worn this I always get asked what colour it is as it is very unique, you can wear one coat for a lovely sheer colour or layer it up bringing the brightness of the shade, lovely for summer!

Nars Turks & Caicos Tube Tint

This is just gorgeous, enough said. However I will elaborate as you know I never shut up, they look so scary in the tube but once you apply them with either your fingers or straight on to the skin its really sheer and buildable, this colour in particular is beautiful peach once on your skin it definitely reminds me of Mac Ripe Peach in many ways.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair

This serum i've heard a few reviews on some good & some bad, the bad i've seen basically says the user could see any difference in their skin when using it. Well I certainly can whenever I use this, not only do you see the short term benefits, in my case I don't have my monthly spell of dryness around my chin & nose but the long term benefits is that it repairs the skin.

Topshop Tunics

These are just brilliant, they are £12, available in a few colours and whats great is they are long enough to go past your bum which means they are great with leggings, i've got a few of them and i wear them with leggings & then a shorter top over them which is great when you have a top that isn't long enough to cover a potential camel toe! Very glad I found them & I certainly will be buying more!

Cynthia Vincent Luella Zip Wedges

These are just amazing shoes, not only are they unbelivably beautiful they are so comfortable, I wore them for a wedding a couple of weeks ago & had them on my feet for about 12 hours I was stood up for most of it & my feet were absolutely fine! The support they give your ankles is amazing too it certainly stopped me going arse over tit when drunk wearing them which is always a bonus, these are my new favourite shoes!

So there's this months favourites, i'm sure once my next haul is done they will feature in next months favourites as i'm loving them so far. If you want any reviews just let me know.

Thanks for reading & hope you're having a lovely weekend.

Essie Comparison, Haute as Hello, Tart Deco & Van D'Go

Hey Ladies,

I wanted to show you a little comparison of the 3 Essie nail polishes that has been requested, two of them are in the same family & one is noticeably different but all really lovely colours.

The Swatches

As you can see Tart Deco & Haute As Hello are quite similar, Tart Deco is more tangerine and Haute As Hello is a bright Pinkish Coral. Both gorgeous colours, do you need them both? Yes if you care about nail polish which i clearly do! but if you're a normal human then you could probably live with just one of the two.

As for Van D'Go it is a very light peachy pink, I seriously think i got a dud bottle because mine isn't like any online swatches i've seen & applies like a nightmare compared to the other two above! Not impressed, I may have to order another ... just in case!

Remember I have an Essie giveaway here! get entering & good luck

Thanks for reading & hopefully this has been useful to someone & I hope you've had a lovely weekend! I've had a cracking one! Full of sleep, House (the tv show), boyfriend, naps & nothingness! Heaven on a plate!

My Top 10 Favourite Nail Polishes & Essie Giveaway!

Hey Ladies,

I just wanted to let you know about a video i've made on youtube with a giveaway attached so you can all enter!

I've disabled comments on here so you have to do it via youtube so just make sure you're a subscriber & get entering!

You can see the video here

Thanks for reading & good luck if you enter & hope you're having a lovely weekend

Mascara Tried & Tested Overview!

Hey Ladies,

I’ve been meaning to do this post for ages! I’ve tested out so many mascaras recently so I wanted to give you my opinion, I know I should do before & after pics but that would be pointless really as my lashes are so blonde. Plus I have quite long lashes naturally so can make most mascaras work for me but I can definitely tell you the good from the bad!

First up

Number 17 Mascara

I got sent a tube of this & basically i’m not even going to waste my bandwidth by writing about it, do not get it it is shit! Crispy, tarantula leg lashes are the result! ... & not in a good way

Next

Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara

This mascara promises;

'Staggering length & black patent shine, 70% longer sleeker lashes'

I got this when I attended the Maybelline event in London (told you this review was overdue) Now I don’t quite know how the brown shade this is available in achieves black patent shine so i’d like to test that out! Anyway, this mascara although I didn’t notice the patent leather effect did lengthen my lashes & separated them well. However if you’re looking for volume which i am this is pants!

Price – 7/10 - £7.99 I’d say is about average for a drug store mascara these days so can’t grumble at the price i guess

Performance – 5/10 – all length no volume!

Overall – 6/10 – Not a bad mascara but certainly would purchase it with my own money!

Max Factor Lash Extension Effect Mascara

This mascara promises to;

'Transform your lashes into a dramatic fan of length, for extreme dramatic length'

I got this when I attended the Aussie Party in Leeds and just as above this does lengthen & separate nicely but with the plastic wand gives you even less volume than the Lash stiletto. A very natural mascara if you like that look.

Price – 3/10 - £10.99 this will cost you which is ridiculous for a drug store mascara! & the reason I hate Max Factor!

Performance – 4/10 – All length & no volume in the slightest

Overall – 3/10 – Don’t waste your money I know i certainly wont on this!

Maybelline The Colossal Volum’ Express mascara

This mascara boasts;

'A collagen enriched formula that loads lashes one by one delivering up to 7x more volume'

I got this mascara at the Maybelline event, this is a great mascara if you’re looking for volume & not needing any lengthening to your lashes, a couple of coats is all you need to achieve it however i found it can get really clumpy so you need a mascara wand to brush through after & then you’re good to go. Would I purchase this myself? No, its a nice mascara but not great.

Price – 8/10 - £6.99 i think is a great price, it lasts well & doesn’t dry out quickly.

Performance – 5/10 – the reverse of the stiletto all volume no length

Overall – 7/10 – not a bad mascara at all just not my cup of tea. I'm looking for perfection this requires work!

L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara

This mascara is;

'Designed to make your lashes look visibly thicker, longer & yet still natural looking,can be easily removed & the formula included Ceramide R which works to make lashes strong, smooth & full & Panthenol conditions & protects the lashes.'

This statement from L’oreal is complete lies, this mascara does not look natural, ok it may do with one coat but with two or more makes your lashes incredible, long & thick (which is the best) not only that as soon as i took it off the first time I noticed how soft the mascara was ie not crispy like a lot. It doesn’t flake or transfer but i do find that when applying it doesn’t dry quickly so there is risk of smudging across your face ... which i do ... often. Totally worth it for the effect it gives! I actually bought this one myself & have repurchased it which i only have ever done with my Rimmel Sexy curves!

Price – 10/10 - £7.99 for a mascara this effective after 2 coats is an amazing price!

Performance – 9/10 – Just the smudging is the only negative

Overall 9.5/10 – I really recommend to everyone I think this just may be my favourite mascara now!

I found with the 1^st three if i combined either of the lengthening ones with the volume one i got a lovely effect, the effect i get from the L’oreal but the L’oreal is quicker, easier & much cheaper than buying 2 mascaras. So my obvious recommendation, I do have another mascara to do a review on which is possibly the oddest mascara i’ve ever used. But more on that at a later date once i’ve tested it out more!

Thanks so much for reading & if you’ve got any recommendations to top the L’oreal please let me know! I think i’ve probably tried the majority of mascaras now so your mission is to recommend to me a untested one!

Hope you've had a lovely weekend, i've had one filled with birthdays & weddings & lots of Pimms! its been lovely!

NOTD Essie Haute As Hello

Hey Ladies,

I've not done a NOTD post in ages! Mainly because my nails have suddenly decided to be difficult & peel & break & I know why! I ran out of my Mavala Nail Shield Strengthener! It's amazing the difference it makes in preventing peeling & breaking! Any hoo now that I've sorted that out I can wear some of my new polishes by Essie (will be featuring in a haul soon so you can see the ones I've bought)

So here's the polish I'm currently sporting!

Essie Haute As Hello

Now my camera really cannot capture the brightness of this polish, its this shade but kind of neonish, I love it!

Now I'm not the biggest Essie fan, at times their polishes are just too difficult to apply & I end up just screaming & removing it & replace it with OPI (I've never had a difficult polish with them). With Essie it's pot luck, sometimes you get good Essie, sometimes bad! (just ask if you want recommendations of what to get/not to get etc!)

This polish is actually a bit of both, if you're really careful it's good Essie, if you're a little slap dash then it will not be pretty! So a polish to apply when you're calm & patient!! But totally worth it, such an amazing colour for the summer.

Thanks for reading & hope you're all having a lovely weekend, the weathers totally pants in the UK today! ah well its not like i ever sit out in my garden, I have far too many things to do! Like sit on my bum all day with my new Macbook Burt! :)

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Cloud Nine Straightener Review!

Hey Ladies,

Little update on my dog for you, he’s getting better & seems to be back to himself thank god, his name is now Super Snuff! It’s brought me peace & my stress levels have plummeted thank god!

Now that bit of housekeeping is taken care of I wanted to write my full review of the Cloud Nine Straighteners, I got sent these from Cloud Nine a couple of months ago & have been merrily testing them out since.

If you saw my YouTube video demonstrating how to curl & wave the hair you will know this is the main use I get from straighteners as my hair is naturally frizz free & straight so using straighteners on them would just cause unnecessary damage.

First of all the packaging you get these straighteners is great, a really lovely presented box which protects the straighteners perfectly, something you would expect from the price (but not something I remember getting with my GHD’s but I could be wrong). In the box there is the straighteners (obviously), a guard for the plates and a little manual.

*Image totally half inched from MizzWorthy (hope you don't mind Jen)

My first impressions were how great the cord length is, its so long which is always great for electrical products and I was impressed with how sturdy the straighteners feel in your hands which really helps when curling & waving.

I then experienced probably the only flaw that I found in the Cloud Nines, where the two halves of the straighteners meet you trap your finger/thumb/flesh in it & it hurts ... really hurts, I found after experiencing this 2 or 3 times I learnt how not to do it so once you get used to the straighteners its not a problem, just wear skiing gloves the first few times of using them! Problem solved.

Overall I think these are the best straighteners I’ve ever owned (& so they should for the selling price) I am comparing them to GHD’s because its a natural thing to do, they’re round about the same price & made by the original designers of the GHD’s. But i have to say there’s no comparison;

The Cloud Nine kicks my GHD’s arses! Once you’ve used them on the hair they leave it with a shine that I’ve never experienced with my GHD’s, the temperature control is invaluable in the fight against damage something GHD’s to my knowledge have never cottoned on to, the guards that come with the straighteners give you piece of mind that you’re not burning your carpet as does the straighteners turning themselves off automatically after 10 minutes. They’re a much more Zen straightener than the rock & roll ‘I don’t care about damage to your hair or rugs’ GHD’s.

Now onto the price, a nice touch from Cloud Nine is that the wide & regular plated straighteners are the same price – £130 which is a great thing if you have long or thick hair (why must we pay more right girls?) They also come in a travel size for £45 which is a great way to test out if you are suited to the brand before investing in the full sized. They also come with a 2 year warranty which again is great as most electrical items only are guaranteed for 12 months.

The question I always ask myself is would i buy these with my own money? & my answer is No! There’s no point in me owning such an expensive pair of straighteners as I don’t straighten my hair so a curling iron would be sufficient for me, however if you straighten your hair daily I would definitely recommend these as the temperature control will prevent so much damage than a GHD for example as you will be able to achieve the look you like at a lower temperature.

So there’s my thoughts on the Cloud Nines, think of them as investing in your hair both in the present i.e. the shine they create but also the future i.e. the lack of damage they will cause compared to other brands.

If you ever need to justify a purchase talk to me on twitter & I’ll be able to twist it so you’re saving money ... in your head! 

Thanks for reading & I hope you all having a fantastic weekend, I had a great package delivery day which you'll see soon in a haul video i'm sure. If you've got any requests for videos let me know & i'll be happy to get them done!!