August Beauty Favourites

Thursday 31 August 2017

August Beauty Favourites
Can you believe that it's September tomorrow?! The time is flying by! Which is why I need to press pause for a moment and reflect on my August Beauty Favourites before another month rushes past. This favourites edit includes an awesome foundation and concealer, a frizzy hair fighter, a self-tanning facial product that won't make you look like Donald Trump, a fab new lip plumping gadget, and an incredible budget skin care dupe. Phew!

PMD Kiss Lip Plumping System review
PMD Kiss Lip Plumping System review
PMD Kiss Lip Plumping System review
PMD Kiss Lip Plumping System* (£125, link)

If you like the look of fuller lips, but are way too squeamish to get anything as extreme as lip injections or fillers done, PMD's Kiss Lip Plumping System is the best alternative for those who are after a bigger pout without the needles. This clever, new-to-the-beauty-market gadget uses a 'pulsating vacuum' in conjunction with a topical serum (that's included), to plump up the lips in a painless and non-invasive way. To use it, you simply charge the PMD Kiss beforehand, apply the minty serum to clean and dry lips, choose the setting you want (there are two; a quick one and a longer one) and then place the device over your lips in sections. It's easy to do, doesn't hurt at all, takes less than 5 minutes and it's safe to use as often as you like.

I was sceptical about this at first because the device wasn't pulling on my lips as much as I thought it would be (you do feel some suction of course, but it's certainly not as strong as I imagined), but looking in the mirror afterwards, I did see a noticeable difference, especially with my thinner top lip. The results lasted for about 3-4 hours for me, and PMD say that with daily use, you can achieve longer lasting results.

It's not going to give you ridiculous Kylie Jenner style lips (cus we ALL know those are fake!), but it certainly helps to plump them up which is great if your lips are uneven or you have very thin lips to begin with. This device also helps to boost collagen production with long term use, as well as helping to smooth out lip lines, so it can be useful for older women who are want to get back some of the fullness that can be lost through ageing. It's certainly not cheap, but if you fancy a splurge, it's one of the best pain-free lip plumpers that I've tried so far.   

Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic
 Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic* (100ml, £5.99, link)

I've been a big fan of Superdrug's own brand skin care ranges for a long time now, mainly because they work incredibly well, are super affordable, vegan-friendly and cruelty-free. But they've really hit the ball straight out of the park with an amazing new dupe for one of my favourite skincare products, the infamous PIXI Glow Tonic. 

Superdrug's version contains the same magical ingredient of 5% Glycolic Acid that's in the PIXI Glow Tonic and also has extra natural botanical extracts in it to further boost the skin. It's a brilliant liquid exfoliating toner to add to your skincare routine if you don't already use one, or simply pick it up to try out and compare if you're a PIXI Glow fan. An absolute steal at just £5.99 and one of the best beauty bargains that I've come across all year.

Tropic Sun Drops Gradual Tanning Facial Serum
Tropic Sun Drops Gradual Tanning Facial Serum* (30ml, £22, link)

Facial self-tanners can be really hit and miss and I've used my fair share of 'duds' over the years. The problem seems to lie in how they work as some can turn the skin too dark or with a hideous orange tone, and there are some that I've tried which don't give any colour to the skin at all! My go-to has always been James Read's Sleep Mask Tan, but this product from Tropic has been giving it a run for its money over the past month.

Tropic's Sun Drops look very scary and dark in the bottle, but they're designed to be added to your regular daily facial moisturiser for a streak-free and natural looking glow. As you're essentially mixing a gradual tanner pigment into your moisturiser, you can easily control how dark you want to go - add 2-3 drops for a light and subtle colour, whereas 4-6 drops will give you a more tanned and sunkissed glow. The colour will continue to develop over a couple of hours, and you can use more in the evening if you want a darker result. I've really been enjoying using this serum and it smells great!

Joan Collins First Base Foundation & Concealer review
Joan Collins First Base Foundation* (30ml, £25, link) & Fade To Perfect Concealer* (5ml, £17, link)

Joan Collins' makeup line continues to impress me after I fell in love with her gorgeous lipsticks earlier this year, so I've been keen to try out some more products from her brand. I decided to test out the First Base Foundation after seeing only positive reviews online and I love it! It comes packaged in a luxurious glass bottle with a gold coloured pump, and I have the shade Warm Medium which is a perfect match for my post-Summer skin tone right now. This foundation has a lightweight and silky feel to it, blends easily and offers light to medium coverage with a very natural looking finish. One pump is usually all I need for a nice and even base, and it does a great job of blurring imperfections and any fine lines, without clinging to dry areas.

To compliment the foundation, I tried the Fade To Perfect Concealer which is like a love child of YSL's Touche Eclat and NARS Creamy Concealer. It has the consistency and light reflecting power of the former, yet provides more coverage to help cover up dark circles. It goes on smoothly, stays put all day and doesn't settle into fine lines, plus the packaging feels really high-end and luxury.

Swell Ultimate Protect & Renew Serum
Swell Ultimate Protect & Renew Serum* (50ml, £20, link)

As I've probably mentioned a million times, my hair is naturally very dry and frizzy, so I rely on a range of styling products to keep it in check. I've been particularly loving this Ultimate Protect & Renew Serum from Swell recently because it really helps to tame frizz during hot and humid weather. It's a lightweight serum that isn't sticky, and it doesn't weigh down my fine hair either (the whole Swell range is designed for fine hair so it's a good brand to look into if you have the same hair type). In addition to its frizz-taming abilities, it also protects hair from heat styling, adds shine and helps to keep dry hair hydrated for longer. This serum is 97% natural, free from silicones, cruelty-free and vegan-friendly too which is brilliant!

What are your beauty faves this month?

August Empties: Products I've Used Up

Wednesday 30 August 2017

August Empties: Products I've Used Up
It's Empties time! I have quite a lot of products here that I managed to use up, so I'm just going to jump straight into everything; here are my overall thoughts about each one and whether I'll be repurchasing or not.

Tisserand Sweet Dreams Body Oil*
I'm a big fan of Tisserand's bliss-inducing Sweet Dreams range and this Body Oil was such a pleasure to use. It feels really luxurious and pampering when you apply it, but it's the scent that I love the most. Super relaxing and perfect to use before going to bed for a restful night's sleep. Repurchase? Yes.

Aveda Beautifying Radiance Polish*
For some serious luxury pampering, you can't beat Aveda's Beautifying line which smells amazing and so uplifting. This Radiance Polish is a fantastic sea-salt based body scrub that's infused with Sunflower, Olive and Safflower Oils to leave your skin silky smooth and hydrated afterwards. It's also great for removing old fake tan with. Repurchase? On the wishlist as it's pricey!

Green & Spring Relaxing Shower & Bath Foam
I've used a couple of these travel size bottles up before and love the scent of this Relaxing Bath Foam from Green & Spring. This was from a recent GWP and it's so lovely! Creates a large amount of bubbles without the need for SLS which is awesome. Repurchase? Tempted!

Caudalie Divine Oil
This is one of my all-time favourite multi-purpose dry oils and I've gone through a number of bottles of it over the years as I always have to have one in my stash. If you haven't smelt this before, you really need to - it smells like pure luxury! I use this everywhere - on my hair and all over my body - it's heavenly! Repurchase? Already have some smaller bottles on the go.

This Works Energy Bank Skin Glow*
If you have dull skin that needs a glowy boost, this multi-tasking serum is a must-try. It has tiny light reflecting golden mineral particles in it to illuminate the skin and there's also a powerhouse of natural ingredients such as Green Algae and Vitamin C to hydrate and brighten the complexion. I love using this as a morning serum before moisturiser, or as a primer - works equally well both ways. Repurchase? Yes.

August Empties: Products I've Used Up
Tabitha James Kraan Golden Citrus Organic Hair Cleanser and 4-in-1 Conditioner
I've also used these before and they are amazing. The shampoo is perfect for balancing fine hair and the matching conditioner moisturises dry hair without weighing it down. Organic, SLS and silicones-free - just gorgeous! I also love the Golden Citrus fragrance which is heavy on the Neroli front - mmm! Repurchase? I have lots of haircare to get through at the moment, but I'd definitely consider picking up these again in the future.

NUXE Reve de Miel Hand and Nail Cream*
Despite being a massive fan of NUXE, this hand cream was a bit disappointing and 'meh'. Don't get me wrong, it's nice and does the job, but there are others that I simply love using more than this one. Repurchase? No.

Evolve Organic Beauty Nourishing Hair Elixir
This 10ml travel size bottle has lasted me absolutely ages! You only need to use 1-2 drops each time, and I tended to treat my hair to it about once a fortnight so it's lasted me months! It's a brilliant all-natural hair oil and is great for using pre and post styling if you have dry hair. Repurchase? I have some similar products to use up first, but I'd pick this up again for sure.

Bee Good Honey & Wild Mint 3-in-1 Cleansing Water
I think this is my third or even fourth bottle that I've used up, so you can tell that I like it a lot! It's a really effective and gentle cleansing water that I mainly used for removing eye makeup but it works well at removing foundation and everything else too. Repurchase? Yes.

S5 Calm Serum*
Another long-standing favourite of mine is S5's wonderful Calm Serum which has rescued my skin many times. I like to reach for this when my skin is playing up and I have a lot of redness or eczema patches, as it really helps to soothe and calm down any irritation. Brilliant stuff. Repurchase? Will do!

What beauty products have you used up this month?

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Trying Out LOLA Makeup by Perse: Review & Swatches

Tuesday 29 August 2017

Trying Out LOLA Makeup: Review & Swatches
New in my makeup bag this month have been an array of products from British makeup brand, LOLA. Let's have a swatch and play!

If you're a fan of M&S' ever expanding beauty departments, you may have spotted a brand called LOLA Makeup by PerseLOLA has been specially designed by a creative team of British make-up artists and beauty experts to give consumers high-qualitycruelty-free products that are just as good as any of the other makeup brands that are used by the pros in the beauty industry. The brand has been on my beauty radar for a while now since I tried some of their fantastic nail polishes, but this is the first time that I've tested out their proper makeup range. The packaging is nice and sleek with heavy glass bottles for their foundations and black rubberized NARS-esque casing for their powders and lipsticks.

Below are some of LOLA's best sellers that I've been trying out:-

LOLA Perfect Base Smooth Base Primer* (15ml, £14.95, link)
If you have oily or combination skin like I do, you'll love this primer as it offers a matte finish and helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and large pores. It has a velvety texture to it, which perfectly preps the skin for makeup by creating a nice smooth base to work on. At first, I was slightly alarmed by the fact that the tube is very small and you only get 15ml of product, but you only need to use the tiniest amount to cover a full face. This primer has managed to keep my makeup in place throughout the recent heatwave that we had over the Bank Holiday weekend, so it gets a thumbs up from me!

 LOLA Picture Perfect Liquid Foundation and Primer
LOLA Picture Perfect Liquid Foundation in Medium Beige R004* (25ml, £19, link
This foundation looks incredibly luxurious with its satisfyingly heavy and frosted glass packaging, so I was really looking forward to testing it out and I'm pleased to say that it didn't disappoint. LOLA's Picture Perfect Liquid Foundation aims to give you an 'airbrushed and front cover ready' finish and features an innovative pearlescent powder in the formula which helps to hide imperfections by reflecting the light. It's free from parabens and alcohol, and the inbuilt pump is one of the best I've tried as it dispenses just the right amount of product each time.

I found that this foundation blended into the skin well with both a Beauty Blender Sponge and a Buffing / Foundation Brush, but it does have a tendency to cling to any dry bits, so make sure that you moisturise or prime your skin properly before applying to get the best results. The finish was lightweight, very natural looking and you can achieve a really good level of light-to-medium coverage without it looking cakey. Does it give me airbrushed skin? Kinda - the light-reflecting tech certainly helps to give the skin a glowy/radiant look, but you will need some extra concealer to completely mask things like dark spots and acne scars. For my skin though, this foundation is really great and I've been enjoying using it - the coverage is just right for me as I prefer a more natural finish and I love how lightweight it feels on the skin.

LOLA Highlighter review swatches
LOLA Highlighter in 001* (3g, £10.95, link)
Highlighters fan will love this gorgeous peachy champagne shade that adds an instant glow and really helps to brighten up your complexion. It feels like creamy powder in the pan and applies effortlessly onto the skin, blending like a dream. The formula contains light-reflecting and light-diffusing particles for a natural looking pearlescent sheen. I love this and it's compact enough to pop into your travel bag.

LOLA Satin Eyeshadow in Pale Grey 015* (2.5g, £7.50, link)
These single eyeshadows are slightly smaller than the highlighters, but they share many of the same qualities. The texture is very similar, as they're silky soft to the touch, blend easily and this shade Pale Grey has a lovely delicate shimmer to it. I'm not the biggest fan of single eyeshadows personally, as I prefer to splash out on a palette instead, but if you love your mono shadows, be sure to check these out as they are great quality.

LOLA Makeup by Perse: Review & Swatches

LOLA Intense & Longlasting Lipsticks
LOLA Intense & Matte Longlasting Lipsticks* (4g, £12 each, link)
LOLA have a range of lipsticks in different finishes and I've been playing with these three. They all come in sleek black packaging and the shade range is pretty impressive, as are the formulas. The Intense Lipsticks are super pigmented and give you an opaque colour with just one easy swipe on the lips (with the exception of Strawberry Fields which required two coats below), and the Matte Longlasting Lipsticks deliver the same ultra-rich colour but with a semi-matte finish. Best of all though, they feel really comfortable on the lips thanks to a formula of Hyaluronic Acid, Peptides, Antioxidants and Plant Extracts to nourish and plump. Brilliant stuff!

 LOLA Intense Colour Lipstick in Strawberry Fields 007
 LOLA Intense Colour Lipstick in Strawberry Fields 007

The sheerest of the three, Strawberry Fields is light but still offers opaque colour in two coats. This blue-toned, pale pink with a pearlescent shimmer to it, really makes the lips look much plumper! A great everyday shade if you like a subtle shine to your pout without wearing a lipgloss.

LOLA Matte Longlasting Lipstick in Pink Martini 116
 LOLA Matte Longlasting Lipstick in Pink Martini 116

Pink Martini is one of LOLA's Matte Longlasting Lipsticks and it's a bright hot pink shade that glides on smoothly in just one coat. As mentioned earlier, it doesn't feel drying at all and has a semi-matte finish to it, plus it lasts for a good couple of hours without smudging or transferring.

LOLA Intense Colour Lipstick in Raspberry Red 008
 LOLA Intense Colour Lipstick in Raspberry Red 008

If you're after a new red lippie, try this one! Raspberry Red is a sizzling hot, pink-toned red which tends to suit me more than most straight-up reds. It's intensely rich and pigmented and gives you full coverage colour with one easy coat.

LOLA Lipstick swatches

LOLA Ultra Shine Nail Polish in Prom Queen 039
LOLA Ultra Shine Nail Polish in Prom Queen 039* (11ml, £8, link)
When you're shopping at the LOLA stand, make sure you don't skip pass their Ultra Shine Nail Polishes because they are really good and not to be missed. I have a couple of shades in my collection and all of them have fantastic formulas with a mega-glossy finish. I'm currently loving this shade called Prom Queen which is a gorgeous pinky coral - looks pretty on toes too!

LOLA Makeup is available at selected M&S stores and you can shop the full range online at lolamakeup.com

Have you tried anything from LOLA Makeup by Perse?

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Bank Holiday Fun Makeup: Glitter & Gems with Urban Decay & Lottie London

Monday 28 August 2017

Bank Holiday Makeup Fun: Glitter & Gems with Urban Decay & Lottie London
Hope everyone is enjoying the Bank Holiday weekend! Today's post is all about fun makeup to make the most of those late Summer nights when the heat is still on - Summer's not over yet!

 Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow Palette
 Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow Palette
 Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow Palette* (£36, link)

Are you missing a badass colourful glitter eyeshadow palette in your makeup collection? If you are, Urban Decay's Moondust Eyeshadow Palette will keep your lids looking awesome for every single festival you're planning to go to for at least the next ten years! The packaging is seriously amazing for this palette, with a sparkly and textured granite-esque casing. Open it up and you'll find a large mirror in the reverse lid and eight pans of glitter eyeshadow heaven.

These eyeshadows are insanely glittery and pigmented, and you can use them dry for a sheerer look or wet for a proper intense, full-on festival-ready finish. I've swatched with just two dry swipes below to give you an idea of what these beauties can do and I love the range of colours. They wear well with minimal fallout and look even more mesmerizing on the lids. If you enjoy experimenting with your makeup - this is a must-have!

Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow Palette swatches
Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow Palette swatches
Swatches! Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow Palette

Urban Decay Razor Sharp Long-Wear Liquid Eyeliner in Goldrush
Urban Decay Razor Sharp Long-Wear Liquid Eyeliner in Goldrush* (2.3ml, £17, link)

To amplify your makeup further, a colourful liquid eyeliner can really pull the whole eye look together and I've been having fun trying out one of Urban Decay's Razor Sharp Long-Wear Liquid Eyeliners. These have a super fine tip which makes applying the liner much easier as you can get a really precise skinny line and they stay put all day, with incredible pigmentation. You do have to shake the tube a couple of times to ensure that the formula is thoroughly mixed, but when you get it right, the colour and payoff is worth is the wait! These liners come in a range of shades and I have Goldrush which is a killer metallic gold colour.

Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner in Spandex
Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner in Spandex* (7.5ml, £15, link)

If you only want a smidge of glitter on your eyes, try one of Urban Decay's hugely popular Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliners. The wand tip is very fine so you can easily achieve a skinny sliver of glitter or build it up for a thicker line which I've done in the swatches below. As you can see, the glitter is in a clear base, so these can be worn on their own or you can layer them over a black liner or shadow to really make them pop. They stay on all day and night (basically until you want to take them off), so you can see why they are such a coveted product in many a makeup artist's festival beauty bag. Available in a number of shades, I have Spandex which is an explosive mix of iridescent glitter with blue, black, silver, green and fuschia particles.

Urban Decay Vice Special Effects Lip Top Coat in Reverb
Urban Decay Vice Special Effects Lip Top Coat in Reverb* (4.7ml, £15.50, link)

Glitter lips continue to be a big trend, especially during the Summer months and holiday/festival season. Urban Decay have these cool Vice Special Effects Lip Top Coats which you can layer over your favourite lipstick for a completely different and unique look. You can also wear them on their own, but I find that they look much better layered over a lip colour, especially a darker one for an intense and vampy lip. They feel a little drying on, so make sure that you use a lip balm underneath. I have the shade Reverb which is a black, purple and silver glitter mix.

Swatches! Urban Decay Razor Sharp Long-Wear Liquid Eyeliner in Goldrush, Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner in Spandex and Urban Decay Vice Special Effects Lip Top Coat in Reverb. 

Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray
Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray* (30ml, £10, link)

For makeup that is going to stand up to the heat and last all day/night long, a high-quality setting spray is an absolute must. I've been using Urban Decay's All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray for years and I've yet to find anything that works as well as this bad boy does. A quick spritz done twice all over the face will ensure that your makeup is put on lock down until you want to take it off. This 30ml travel size bottle is also perfect for holidays and handbags.

Lottie London Gems Unicorn Tales
Lottie London Gems Off Duty Mermaid
Lottie London Gems Queen Of Hearts
Lottie London Gems in Unicorn Tales, Off Duty Mermaid and Queen Of Hearts* (£3.99 each, link)

To finish everything off, why not pick up a pack of these new Gems from Lottie London? These self-adhesive jewels will add some instant bling and festival fun to your look, plus they'll stay on all day and are reusable for your next festival adventure (just add a dot of lash glue to the back of them when re-using and you'll be good to go!). There are lots of different designs available, but I think Unicorn Tales may have to be my favourite!

Have you tried any of these?

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Currently Loving: Lord & Berry Timeless Kissproof Lipsticks - Review & Swatches

Thursday 24 August 2017

Lord & Berry Timeless Kissproof Lipsticks - Review & Swatches
Calling all my fellow liquid lipstick lovers! If you haven't tried these Timeless Kissproof Lipsticks from Lord & Berry, you need to!

It's always exciting to receive #bloggermail of any kind, but it's even more exciting when you get a package of matte liquid lipsticks in a range of interesting, on-trend shades. This parcel of joy arrived from Lord & Berry a couple of weeks ago and I've been having a lot of fun experimenting with these colours.

Lord & Berry Timeless Kissproof Lipsticks - Review & Swatches
These Timeless Kissproof Lipsticks have a fantastic matte liquid lipstick formula that dries quickly and feels comfortable and velvety on the lips. The pigmentation is pretty insane and you only need one coat to achieve a truly opaque finish (bar the shade Knockout which is a little trickier, but I'll come to that later). Each one has an angled doe-foot sponge applicator which makes applying them much easier than some of the other similar liquid lipsticks that I have in my makeup stash, and once they're on, they really do stay on!

The first time that I swatched these on my arm, I had to really scrub at them with a range of different makeup removers to get them off - they would not budge at all, and I'm happy to say that these are incredibly long lasting on the lips too. I can eat and drink and they won't smudge or fade for about 8-9 hours, plus they live up to their Kissproof name as they don't transfer onto anything. I highly recommend using an oil based makeup remover to take these off at the end of the day.

The shades that I received are Knockout, Noblesse, First Lady and Blossom, which you can see swatches of below:-

Lord & Berry Timeless Kissproof Lipsticks - Review & Swatches
Lord & Berry Timeless Kissproof Lipstick in Knockout
  Lord & Berry Timeless Kissproof Lipstick in Knockout

Knockout was the most difficult of these four shades to work with and apply as the colour was a little uneven with just one coat, so it required another coat on top once the initial layer had dried down. Being a deep berry-red shade, it does have a tendency to bleed around the edges as you can see above, so you will need a good quality lip liner with this one. That said, this is a gorgeous shade and with a little extra effort, it's a great vampy lip colour for an evening out and one that will last all night long.

 Lord & Berry Timeless Kissproof Lipstick in Noblesse
 Lord & Berry Timeless Kissproof Lipstick in Noblesse

If you're after an on-trend, darker brown liquid lipstick, Noblesse is the perfect shade to pick up. It pulls a lot darker than I was expecting on my lips as it looks lighter in the tube, but I've been warming to it as I don't own many shades like this in my makeup collection. This is a good one to go for is you want to try a darker lip but aren't a fan of the more vampy shades above, or simply want to try something different.

 Lord & Berry Timeless Kissproof Lipstick in First Lady
 Lord & Berry Timeless Kissproof Lipstick in First Lady

Want to try a 90s-esque lip, but don't want to go as dark brown as Nobelesse? Choose First Lady instead. This warm-toned, reddy-brown is incredibly flattering on and has just the right amount of attitude and grungey vibes to it, without being too in your face. I've been getting a lot of wear out of this one and it's been receiving a lot of compliments! Applies smoothly in just one coat. 

Lord & Berry Timeless Kissproof Lipstick in Blossom
Lord & Berry Timeless Kissproof Lipstick in Blossom

Blossom is my favourite shade out of these, simply because it's so easy to wear and goes with pretty much everything. It's the perfect neutral pink with a tiny hint of coral brightness to it. I can't get enough of this colour and it's been my current go-to lipstick for much of the past month!

If you're a fan of Kat Von D's Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks, these Timeless Kissproof Lipsticks from Lord & Berry will be right up your street as they're very similar and just as gorgeous!

Lord & Berry Timeless Kissproof Lipsticks* (7ml, £15 each) are available from various stockists including LookFantastic.com 

Have you tried these?

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Beauty Box: LoveLula Beauty Box - August 2017 review

Monday 21 August 2017

LoveLula Beauty Box - August 2017 review
After seeing a couple of spoilers, I was excited to receive this month's LoveLula Beauty Box as it contains some new, just launched products and tea!

Here's what I found inside August's box:-

PHB Natural & Organic Eye Liner in Brown
 PHB Natural & Organic Eye Liner in Brown (full size, RRP £10.95)

Last month, LoveLula included a fantastic mascara from PHB (reviewed here), and this month they've added a full-size eyeliner pencil from the brand. This is the product that I'm the least excited about in the box as I don't tend to use brown eyeliner very often, so I'll be passing this onto my mum who will get more use out of it than I will.

 Balm Balm Organic Chamomile Floral Water Hydrosol
 Balm Balm Organic Chamomile Floral Water Hydrosol (30ml travel size, RRP £8.50)

You guys know how much I love multi-purpose products, and this Chamomile Floral Water Hydrosol from Balm Balm is totally up my street! You can use it as a facial toner mist, a soothing spray for irritated skin areas all over the body, and as a relaxing spritz for pillows and linens. It's 100% natural and kind enough to use on a baby.

Glossworks Nail Polish in Name Of The Rose and 3-in1
Glossworks Nail Polish in Name Of The Rose and 3-in1
Glossworks Nail Polish in Name Of The Rose and 3-in1 (full sizes, £12 each)

Recently launched on LoveLula is the brand new range of Glossworks nail products and I was really excited to try these out as they're vegan-friendly, cruelty-free and have a 9-free formula (they're free from Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, Toluene, DBP, Camphor, Paraben, Xylene, Ethyl Tosylamide and Lead). 

The 3-in-1 is a base coat, top coat and hardener product and the nail polish that I received is in the shade 'Name Of The Rose', which as you can see, is a beautiful hot pink shade that's perfect for Summer. This nail polish applied smoothly in two coats and has a lovely gel-like finish and shine to it.

Beauty Brews Verve Organic Rooibos & Orange Tea
Beauty Brews Verve Organic Rooibos & Orange Tea (full size, RRP £9.50)

Lastly, I found a tin of Beauty Brews Organic Tea in Verve - a Rooibos and Orange blend. I absolutely love the Beauty Brews loose leaf teas and have reviewed them in the past here, but this is the first time that I've tried the Verve flavour. This is a really delicious and tasty tea with strong fruity notes of Orange, Apple and Blackberry, in a Rooibos base. Yum!

LoveLula Beauty Box* is a monthly subscription box priced at £13.95 with free postage in the UK. Visit lovelula.com to find out more.

Have you subscribed to LoveLula's Beauty Box?

Luxury Home Style: Charlotte Rhys Home Fragrance Range review

Sunday 20 August 2017

Charlotte Rhys Home Fragrance Range review
Looking for some new scented treats for the home, that smell as good as they look? These luxury home fragrance products from Charlotte Rhys tick all the right boxes.

Living with two pet dogs means that my house can smell a little, well, doggy at times, so I'm a huge fan of scented candles and room sprays, to help keep things nice and fresh. I also like to keep a stash of what I call 'fancy' home fragrance products around, to bring out when guests come around. There's nothing like a quick spritz of a nice scent to create an instantly more welcoming atmosphere, and it can help to hide the fact that you might have missed dusting the top of the TV if people are too busy complimenting you on how good your home smells!

I've recently been introduced to Charlotte Rhys, a luxury bath, body and lifestyle brand from Cape Town. They're one of South Africa's leading homegrown luxury brands and they've now spread their wings to the UK. The brand are very much focused on sustainability and eco-friendly practices, and all of their products are vegan-friendly, cruelty-free and have biodegradable formulas. They kindly sent me a package of some of their best-selling home fragrance products to try out, including a scented candle, a room spray and a pillow/linens spray.

Charlotte Rhys Perfumed Candle in No.17* (£31, 200g, link)
Packaged in a high shine black glass with a silver lid, this candle looks beautifully chic and stylish wherever you place it in your home. There are a range of scents available and I received No.17, a fresh, woody and quite masculine fragrance, with top notes of Bergamot, Lemon, and Tarragon, heart notes of Lily of the Valley and Reseda, all nestled in a base of Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Vetiver, and Musk. The scent throw is excellent and within half an hour, my entire living room smells like an expensive hotel room.

Charlotte Rhys Atmosphere Room Spray in Under The Leaves(£18, 50ml, link)
If you prefer to fragrance your home with a room spray, Charlotte's Atmosphere range is exquisitely packaged in glossy black glass bottles that look more like luxury colognes than your typical room sprays. They come in a variety of scents to suit different rooms and moods, and I have Under The Leaves which is a warm and uplifting fragrance featuring Orange, Tomato Leaves, Hyacinth, Lily of the Valley, Musk and Cedarwood. It's perfect for living and dining rooms - anywhere that you like to entertain guests.

Charlotte Rhys Pillow Spray in St. Tomas* (£17, 300ml, link
I have to admit that I was a little disappointed when I opened up the Pillow Spray as it's packaged in a much cheaper feeling plastic bottle compared to the luxury glass housings of the above products, but the sheer size and quantity of fragrance that you receive certainly makes up for this. Like the other products, the Pillow Sprays are available in a range of fragrances, and St. Thomas is a wonderfully fresh and crisp scent with its unique blend of Mint, Birch Leaf, Grapefruit, Green Apple, Geranium, Lavender, Vetiver, and Patchouli. It's ideal to spritz onto bed sheets, sofa throws, linens and pillows, to instantly refresh and revitalize, whilst helping to scent the room at the same time.

To shop the full range of Charlotte Rhys products, visit charlotterhys.uk.com

Do you love luxury home fragrance products?

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