Review & Swatches: Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara

New mascaras seem to launch into the shops every week, but the latest release from Bourjois seems to be the one that everyone's currently raving about.  Always eager to experiment and put hype claims to the test, I obviously had to try it out myself.

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July Empties / Products I've Used Up

Empties time!  You all know the drill by now; here are the products I've finished off this month, my thoughts on them, and whether I'll be repurchasing them in the future.

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Currently Using: Nail Products for a DIY Manicure

Lazy Saturdays in my house usually mean two things; tackling a mountain of chores that I've let stack up over the week, and then treating myself to a bit of a DIY manicure.  These are the nail products that I currently like to use:-

Boots Acetone Free Nail Polish Remover & Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover (review)
First things first, I remove any existing nail polish and use either Boots' own brand acetone free version or Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover which is also acetone free.  

Gwdihw Nail Wizard Balm* (review)
Next, I'll apply a tiny bit of this nail balm to the cuticles and leave them for 10 mins or so to soften them up, then I'll wash my hands.  This makes it a lot easier to do the next step if needed.

Leighton Denny Remove & Rectify Cuticle Remover  (review)
Usually once a week, I'll treat my cuticles to a little of this twin action remover and conditioner.  It's a lot gentler than some of the more rapid removers on the market because of the conditioning element it has, but it still does a good job.  I then simply use an orange stick to make everything look neater.

Mont Bleu Glass nail file 
To shape the nails, I use a glass nail file.  Since I've switched to using just glass, I've noticed an improvement in the strength of my nails, especially around the edges where they tended to be very weak in the past.  Would highly recommend getting one and they apparently last for years too! 

OPI Nail Envy & Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat
For a base coat, I mainly use OPI's Nail Envy which helps to strengthen the nails and provides a smooth base.  To add a glossy finish, I'll then just apply a coat of goold old Seche Vite.  Done!

What nail products do you use for a DIY manicure?

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Best of 2012: Part 1 - Make-Up

I'm back from my internet-free festive break and I hope you all had a lovely Christmas!  As we're in the very last days of 2012, it seems only right to have a beauty recap of the year.  There were so many products that I wanted to include, so I've split my 'Best Of 2012' into two parts; one for make-up and one for general skin/hair/bodycare.  So without further ado, below are some of my favourite make-up products that I enjoyed using in 2012:-  

2012 saw the much anticipated UK release of Revlon's Colorburst Lip Butters.  I loved the hype across the blogosphere for these lip balm/lip stick hybrids and rushed out to purchase a handful like everyone else.  You can see swatches of my favourite top 5 shades here.  I also began to grow my little collection of Korres Lip Butters!

Out of all the make-up related purchases that I made throughout the year, my best investment was definitely getting two sets of Real Techniques brushes.  I received the Core Collection for my birthday and soon purchased the Your Eyes / Enhanced Starter Set afterwards.  I use these brushes virtually everyday and couldn't imagine being without them now! 

One make-up collection that really stood out for me in 2012, was the release of Liz Earle's full capsule collection.  Everything that I have tried from this range, I've just simply loved, and I already have my eye on a few more bits that I'd like to try in 2013!  You can read my reviews of Liz Earle's make-up here. 

Aside from the Lip Butters mentioned above, Revlon also released their amazing Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains, my favourite shade being Honey (pictured above).  Another big 2012 hyped product came in the form of a pink pot of magic nail polish remover by Bourjois which I reviewed and raved about here.

I also discovered lots of products for the first time in 2012 that quickly made my coveted Holy Grail list.  Some of these include bare Minerals Original Foundation, MAC Sheertone Blush in Blushbaby, MAC Powder Blush in Harmony and Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Cherub.  Other mention-worthy favourites were MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Shy Girl, Essential Care Mineral Lipstick in Praline and terre d'Oc Sublime Lip Gloss in Rose Ubud. 

I'm sure that there are many more make-up favourites that I've forgotten to include, so check out my general favourites tag for more fab products that I loved throughout 2012.  Will post part 2 tomorrow!

What make-up items would feature in your Best of 2012?

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Tag: I Love Drugstore / Highstreet Make-Up

I spotted this tag over on Beth's blog recently and thought it would be a great idea to do it.  I have to admit that over the last few months, my tastes have been veering towards more high-end make-up, so I hope this tag inspires me to rekindle my love for all things highstreet/drugstore.  There are a lot of beauty bargains to be had out there! 

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What's in my Make-Up Travel Bag?

I've packed all of the above in my Make-Up Travel Bag.  A lot of these are old trusted favourites as well as a few new things:-

Brows: A La Carte Brow Ink in Taupe
Eyes: Urban Decay Naked Palette, UDPP, Urban Decay Double Eyeliner with Zero and Whiskey, Talika Lipocils Expert, Blink & Go Long Lasting Mascara in Black.
Face: bareMinerals Original Foundation with SPF 15 in Medium Beige, Benefit The POREfessional Primer, Everyday Minerals Mint Color Corrector, Bourjois Healthy Mix Correcting Concealer in 52, Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in 3 Medium, The Body Shop Lightening Touch Pen in 03, Barry M Translucent Powder.
Cheeks & contour: Bourjois 'chocolate' Bronzer in 52, MAC Sheertone Blush in Coygirl
Lips: Revlon Lip Butter in Sugar Plum, MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Shygirl, Clinique Superbalm Moisturising Gloss in Grapefruit.

And my brushes ( don't worry, all of these were deep cleaned yesterday and only used again this morning!).  I've packed them into the Real Techniques holder that came with the Core Collection, which is so useful:-

From L-R: Ecotools Blush Brush, Everyday Minerals Long Handled Kabuki*, Everyday Minerals Dome Blush Brush*, Urban Decay Eyeshadow Brush, Everyday Minerals Concealer Brush, Real Techniques Contour Brush, Real Techniques Detailer Brush, Real Techniques Buffing Brush.

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*PR samples

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Review: Bourjois Healthy Mix Correcting Concealer in 52

I'm always on the lookout for new concealers to try, and this one has been recommended to me by so many fellow bloggers that I decided to finally pick one up earlier this week.  It's the Bourjois Healthy Mix Correcting Concealer and my shade is 52 (Medium Radiance).  I was a little apprehensive because I have tried the Healthy Mix foundation in the past, but found it much too heavy for my oily/combination skin.  Plus I've never much liked the scent of the Bourjois range as I generally prefer my make-up to be fragrance-free.

I'm happy to report that the concealer works a lot better for me than the foundation.  It has a yellow undertone which makes it ideal for use under the eyes and the 'anti-fatigue' formula helps to brighten up those areas.  The formula is quite a thick one, so because of those pesky little lines underneath my eyes, I do have to use a little UDPP under it to keep it in place, and always set it with a bit of translucent powder over the top.  When I do all of this, I don't have any issues with creasing and it stays put for around 8-9 hours.  This concealer is also really good for covering up any blemishes with and provides light-medium coverage, which can be built up to a full medium finish.

I do have one major bugbear with it though, and that's the packaging*.  Although it's more hygenic than the doe-foot sponge applicator of my Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer, it simply dispenses far too much product each time, so I always feel like I'm wasting loads of it every time I use it!  Packaging it in a similar tube but with a small pointed tip would be ideal.

Summary: Overall, it's pricey for a highstreet concealer at around £7.50, but if you can get to grips with the slightly annoying packaging, then it's well worth checking out if you're looking for a concealer that will cover blemishes and undereye circles.

*ETA: I've just been informed that Bourjois have recently repackaged this concealer in a Touche Eclat style pen with a brush applicator which sounds a lot better!

Have you tried this?  Do you use Bourjois products?

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May Favourites

I decided to just pick make-up items for my beauty favourites of May because these are all new additions to my make-up bag that I have been reaching for constantly.  All links go to my reviews and show swatches where applicable:-

Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover - I'm guessing that this is going to be in a lot of people's favourites and it really is a fab product.  I'm renaming it my 'glitter slayer' due to its magical powers that makes removing glitter polishes super easy!

MAC Sheertone Blush in Blushbaby - This has been virtually the ONLY blush I've been wearing all month.  Blushbaby is a pretty beige-pink that is great for neutral/less is more make-up people.  Simple and understated, it's ideal for everyday wear.

Burts Bees Lip Shimmers in Watermelon and Rhubarb - Perfect for hot summer days, these lip shimmers are blissfully cooling on the lips and are really easy to wear.  Nicely moisturising too as you'd expect from Burts Bees.

Blink & Go Long Lasting Mascara - My favourite go-to waterproof mascara that simply does not budge or smudge at all.  Another summer make-up staple for me, plus it lengthens lashes like a dream.

Shiseido Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Frame Plus Mascara - New HG mascara discovery!  If you can find this in the UK anywhere, I highly recommend picking one up to try out, you won't be disappointed.

Terre d'Oc Gloss Sublime Lip Gloss in Peche Panji - Have been wearing this gloss on sunny days as it looks fantastic against sunkissed skin.  Very impressed that this is an all natural product too.

What have been your beauty favourites recently?

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Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover

Finally got my paws on one of these!  Seems like I've been looking for it for forever!  It is of course the much hyped and much raved about Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover.  It comes in a hot pink fat tub and is acetone and paraben free.  The big claim with this is that it removes regular nail polish in 1 second (per nail), simply by dipping said nail into the sponge inside and twisting the tub, eliminating the usage of cotton wool.  Apparently, it's also supposed to have some kind of 'red fruit and vanilla fragrance', but I certainly wouldn't recommend deeply inhaling this.  OK, it's not as potently whiffy as most nail polish removers, but it doesn't exactly smell of strawberry fields either. 

I wasn't that obsessed with finding it when I first saw this being mentioned, until I saw a couple of bloggers commenting on its amazing super powers of removing glitter nail polish.  After that, I was like, YEAH I NEED THIS!  Being a NOTD junkie and general lover of all things sparkly and shiny, I wear my fair share of glitter polish, and like everyone else, I find removing it to be a pain in the ass.  Yes, the tin foil wrap thingy works fine, but I'm lazy, and it's fiddly and time consuming.  Anything that will take it off in less than ten minutes without dissolving my nails is obviously going to appeal to me.

Before I go through my experiment and try this out, I thought I'd quickly point out that I don't think this remover is actually meant for getting rid of glitter nail polish.  By this, I mean the 1 second per nail claim isn't going to apply to glitter, so bear that in mind.       

I picked four of my favourite glittery (and stubborn to remove) nail polishes.  Deborah Lippmann - Razzle Dazzle, Revlon - Facets Of Fuchsia, OPI - Teenage Dream and Barry M - 150 Red Glitter.   I applied two coats to each nail.

You put your nail one at a time, into the sponge inside and twist the tub.  I assume that 1 second = 1 twist?  For my experiment I first did 5 twists per nail, the results being...

 ... OK.  You can see that it has taken off a good portion of Facets Of Fuchsia (second nail) and has probably taken off one coat of Teenage Dream (third nail).  I think it took a lot of Red Glitter (last nail) because of the way my little finger angled itself in the sponge.

I then did another 5 twists per nail...  

... HELLO!  Here you can clearly see that practically all of the glitter has come off, with just a tiny bit left (there's more left of Teenage Dream (third nail) as it's a very chunky glitter).  My nails were a little oily after using this, but I always wash my hands after using a remover and apply cuticle or hand cream, so this wasn't an issue for me.

I'm very impressed with the results overall and will definitely continue to use this for removing glitter nail polish.  I'm not sure how long a tub of this will last for and because it's on the expensive side of things (this is £4.99 for 75ml and my regular acetone free remover is £1.25 for 150ml), I'll probably only use it for glitter removal, but it's certainly very handy to have if you wear a lot of nail polish.

Have you picked one of these up?

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April Favourites

Only four new favourites for April, mainly because I've been trying to use up a lot of other products at the moment.   But four's better than none right?  And they're good ones too:-

(1) Pure Fiji Nourishing Exotic Coconut Oil - Love this little sample bottle to bits  Have so far tested out its multi-purposeness and can happily say that it works wonder on the hair as a pre-wash conditioning treatment,  on the body as a moisturiser, and in the bath!  And yes, it really does smell incredible too.

(2) Bourjois 'Chocolate' Bronzer in 52 - My favourite budget bronzer for contouring and giving an overall healthy/summer glow look.  Review & swatches here.

(3) Simply Argan Oil - I have really been enjoying using this since it arrived in an Amarya box.  It absorbs into the skin so well without any greasy residue and leaves it looking supple and toned.  Also fantastic when used on hair lengths and ends too for conditioning and de-frizzing.

(4) Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator* - I've also been using this in my skincare routine this month, and it's helped to clear up some blemishes and make my face lovely and smooth.  Excellent product for getting rid of any stubborn dry patches too.

What are your current beauty favourites?

*PR sample

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Budget Beauty: Bourjois 'Chocolate' Bronzer in 52

I remember when the famed Bourjois 'Chocolate' bronzer first came out because virtually every woman I knew rushed out to buy it.  I missed the hype big time on this though, because at the same time of its release, I had purchased Benefit's Hoola Bronzer and that was me sorted on the bronzer front!  I haven't tried out many other bronzers, since I love Hoola so much, but I saw this chocolate bronzer on offer at Boots at the weekend (£4.99 instead of £6.99) and thought I'd give it a go.  Firstly, other than it looking like a bar of chocolate, I didn't pick up on the scent of chocolate that a lot of people seem to love this product for.  To my nose, it smells a little like some kind of sweet perfume?  It's not strong enough to bother me, but it doesn't smell like chocolate to me!  

Anyway, this bronzer is finely milled, not chalky at all, and application is a breeze.  Looks great with a light hand to add a bit of a glow/definition to the face, and also looks equally good if you want to build it up and use it as a contour.   It has little flecks of gold in it which look quite glittery in the pan, but once it's applied to the face, it looks pretty much matte. 

I swatched both of the two shades that it's available in and decided to get 52 so that I could use it as a contour.  The paler shade 51 seemed much too orangey on the back of my hand for some reason, so I'd certainly recommend swatching it in store first if you're pale and think that 52 might be too dark.  Wear time is another plus that this bronzer has.  On my oily/combination skin, it lasted all day and I didn't need to reapply once. 

Bourjois 'Chocolate' Bronzer in 52, applied with a light hand as a subtle contour.

Do you have the Bourjois chocolate bronzer in your make-up bag? 

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March Empties

Thought I'd post my empties a few days earlier than usual as the recycling is being picked up tomorrow and it would be good to get these out of the house! Here's what I've used up this month and whether I would repurchase them or not:-

James Brown London Scandalous Intensively Glossy Rescue Treatment - A very good hair mask for weekly treatments. Only thing I didn't like about it was the highly perfumed scent which put me off using it for ages. Repurchase? No, I think it's been discontinued now. Korres Quince Body Butter - Loved this, fantastic for dry skin and soaks in immediately, gorgeous subtle scent too. Repurchase? Yes. Purity Facial Wash* - Used this as my in-shower foaming cleanser for a few months, stopped using it as it dried out my skin too much, but then started using the rest of it up these last couple of weeks due to the change in weather. Repurchase? No, doesn't really suit my oily/combo skin, would be better for very oily/sensitive instead. Lush Ultra Bland - Amazing cream/oil based cleanser that removes makeup quickly with no scrubbing. You only need the tiniest amount to do your whole face with so a little definitely goes a long way with this. Repurchase? Not at the moment as I'm happy with my Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish, but it might be something I come back to at some point.

Laura Mercier Eye Shadow in Vanilla Nuts - I've had this for such a long time but it took me forever to hit pan on it, and I've finally only now used the whole thing up! Repurchase? Not sure if they do this shade anymore and I wouldn't really need another neutral eyeshadow due to UD Naked Palette, but Laura Mercier eye shadows are really good, wonderfully soft and pigmented. Blistex Raspberry Lemonade Blast Lip Balm - This was a nice change but it got a little too sickly for my liking when I used it a lot. Repurchase? No. Lush Sweet Lips Scrub - Love this, lasted me a good couple of months. Repurchase? Yes, though I may try a DIY version. The Body Shop Hemp Foot Protector - Got this travel size pot from a gift set at xmas. I do like it but I like my usual Lush Fairtrade Foot Lotion more. Repurchase? Probably not. BareMinerals Original SPF Foundation in Medium Beige - I really liked this sample and think it's a great foundation, though the coverage is on the sheer side, it's very good for people with oily skin. Repurchase? Yes, will buy a full size once I've used up some of my other foundations.




Caudalie Quenching Sorbet Creme - This was OK, but had a really strong floral scent which I wasn't keen on. Repurchase? No. Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque - Can't really vouch for the 'agesmart' properties that this claims to have, but it was pleasant to use and I got about four uses out of this 15ml sample. Repurchase? Maybe in the future. Crabtree & Evelyn Lavender Bath & Shower Gel - This was a little on the artificial side for me scent-wise, think there are much nicer lavender products on the market. Repurchase? No. L'Occitane 20% Shea Butter Hand Cream - Seriously the BEST hand cream ever, I always seem to have a travel size one of these around. Repurchase? Yes! Westlab Himalayan Bath Salts - I asked around to see if anyone wanted these and I got a resounding "NO!" so I ended up using them myself last week. They did nothing for me, had virtually no scent and it was like sitting in a bath of plain hot water. Only positive thing I can say is that they didn't irriate my skin. Repurchase? No.

Clinique Redness Solutions Makeup SPF 15 - Liked this a lot, all of the Clinique foundations I've sampled in the past have been great so I'll definitely look more into their range when I need a full size. Repurchase? Yes. Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation in Soft Beige - Still umming and ahhing over this. The shade was a perfect match for me right now (would probably need one a touch darker for summer) and I liked the formula a lot but you need a lot of powder on top of it if you have oily skin like I do. Repurchase? Not sure. Bourjois Organic Bio Detox Foundation - Hands down one of the worst foundations I've ever tried! It was patchy, stuck to my face like glue and refused to blend. Awful! Repurchase? No! Avon Advance Techniques Frizz Control Lotus Shield - This is pretty good, reduced frizz by about 50% and made my hair a lot more manageable. It also didn't make it look greasy which is always a bonus with these products. Repurchase? Yes.

What products have you used up this month?

*PR sample

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Everyday Make-Up Routine

Whilst clearing out some old magazines, I came across an article which stated that the average woman uses, on average, over 20 different make-up products on a daily basis. Over 20 different products?! That seems like a huge amount, but is it really? I decided to look into this theory by compiling my own list of make-up products that I personally use for an 'everyday look'. Below are some of my regular favourites, as well as one or two new items which I'm testing out.



For everyday I tend to stick to a neutral look, so I start with applying a bit of
(1) Benefit's Lemon Aid over my eyelids with my fingers. I've used this product rather religiously over the last couple of years because it instantly makes me look more awake and one little pot lasts a long, long time. Next, I'll dab on a little of (2) Urban Decay's Primer Potion and whilst that dries, I'll fill in my brows with (3) Korres Eyebrow Pencil in 1/Dark Shade. Under my eyes, I'm currently using (4) The Body Shop's Lightening Touch concealer pen in shade 3, which is their version of YSL's Touche Eclat. It's a decent concealer which does the job, but if you apply too much or don't properly blend, then it has that annoying habit of settling into fine lines. I'll probably try out a different brand once this one has been used up.



On my eyes, I'll probably use two shades of eyeshadow; (5) an overall lid colour and then (6) a darker one for the crease. Urban Decay's Naked palette is still the best thing ever. I mainly use Virgin, Sin, Naked, Buck, Smog and Toasted for everyday looks.



I always wear some form of (7) eyeliner and was given Bourjois' Liner Feutre felt-tip eyeliner pen in 11/Noir recently by a friend. I haven't decided whether I love or loathe this yet. It's amazingly pigmented, a 'proper' black and doesn't smudge at all, UNTIL it gets wet and then it's one great big mess. Hmmm. I'll probably stick to my old faithful Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliners. As with eyeliner, I always wear (8) mascara and am currently using up a small tube of Clinque's High Impact mascara, which used to be my favourite until I discovered bareMinerals. Next, I'll dab on a bit of this (9) Witch Concealer stick in 01/Natural onto any spots I might have. I think this concealer stick is discontinued now which is a shame because it's blended with Tea Tree Oil and gives excellent coverage.



I don't tend to wear foundation for everyday, so I've been trying out (10) The Body Shop's Vitamin E Tinted Moisturiser which gives a light coverage and lasts a decent amount of time too. It's a little too greasy feeling for my oily/combination skin on its own so I use (11) Benefit's Hoola Bronzing Powder all over to mattify (I've got olive coloured skin, so Hoola works well as a normal face powder for me). To cover up any red areas, usually around my nose, I apply a tiny bit of (12) Clinique's Redness Solutions, which is a thick green coloured cream which counteracts the red and equals it out. A fab product which also has SPF 15. I finish up by applying a (13) blusher, my current favourite is MAC's Wonder Woman powder blush in Mighty Aphrodite. And lastly, I put on a little slick of a neutral coloured (14) lipgloss such as ELF's Conditioning Lip Balm in Nice and Natural. All done!

So, I clocked up 14 products! Other products that I might use if I had extra time or just fancied it, would be:- a clear mascara if I felt my brows needed a little tidying, a translucent powder for setting everything if I didn't want to use Hoola, and an inner corner highlight for my eyes if I needed that extra illusion of looking more awake.

How many make-up products do you use on a daily basis?

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