February 2017 Empties

This empties video seems to have winged around pretty quickly but this could be to do with the fact that we are having the bathroom redone and I have no idea where I am going to store everything so I'm frantically trying to use stuff up. It's not going to work. Send help

Cowshed Grumpy Cow Shampoo
Le Petite Marseilles Hand Soap
L'Oreal TechniArt Volume Architect
Liz Earl SuperSkin Concentrate - this has now been split into day and night versions with more active ingredients. I'm not sure which one is most similar to this. You can see them both here
Batiste Dry Shampoo
Coconoil
Daniel Sandler Intense Volume Pro Mascara
Eyeko Fat Brush mascara

Lancome Artliner

I try and be organised and do have a sort-of system to make sure that new products are photographed, tested and reviewed in a certain order. I'm pretty good at it by now and it's rare that things fall through the net, but some do and when this happens it always ends up being a great product. I think that's because they just get so easily absorbed into my make-up routine that it doesn't cross my mind that they couldn't have been on the blog.

So it was with the Lancome Art Liner which I have been using on and off for years and which I see has never been reviewed here. This liner has become one of my go to products, I bought it, tried it and it did exactly what it needed to. So it has been cruelly neglected.

In some ways it's hard to fault this liner. Lovely and black and though not a matte finish it's not particularly shiny either. It's incredibly long-lasting and wears well. It's not difficult to remove either despite its good colour payoff. If you are a someone who regularly does a flick liner this is a great one to try. it will stay put and the lovely tip makes it really easy to use. Once you get the hang of it then this is a really quick way to get a precise line.

Make-up Shopping Guide

It has been a long time since I've felt so cross about something that it's compelled me to write about it. How times have changed from when this was Little Miss B 10 years ago and basically built from rants. But I keep hearing from people who have had horrible experiences getting in-store make overs so here's my guide to make-up shopping. I'm also setting up a whole page on Where to Shop which you can find here - it's a work in progress so bear with me. 

Before I start I would like to state that I do not work in retail (I have done) and have a great respect for those that do. It is a demanding job where you are on your feet all day and dealing with members of the public who can be difficult.  That being said, as with any job, you will get people who are terrible and for something as personal as make-up this can have repercussions. One of my friends had an awful experience recently* - badly done make-up, terrible, rude service and being forced to purchase products she now hates the sight of (and is returning next week - hurrah).

Probably my favourite bit from Pretty Honest by Sali Hughes is the 'Managing Counter Staff' chapter. If you have this book read this section every time before you go make-up shopping. Every time. Despite the existence of this comprehensive guide I'm writing my own - partly spurred on by my rage at my friend R having such a horrible experience on her birthday.I'm hearing about it to often and it really is unnecessary. Shopping for make-up should be fun. Always

Urban Decay Perversion Mascara Quick Review

You can read my full review of this in the link below. This is a great mascara, I just can't put my finger on why I don't love it.


Urban Decay Perversion Mascara
You can read my full review here
 

Amelia Moss Oils

Confession time. I got sent these absolutely ages ago and, as with everything, they made my face turn red and I thought with my skin reacting as it was, it would be unfair to review them. However, I became so frustrated with how my skincare had deteriorated and the redness still not improving that I thought I was going to carry on using things that, on paper, should be helping.

Rosehip Oil is proven to reduce the appearance of redness, wrinkles and scarring and I've been using this in the evenings three or four times a week to massage my face and it has been lovely. I've used it before but only on my bumps when pregnant. My face is definitely smoother and I am less red after using it so hopefully my skin is getting used to it. I can see a noticable improvement in the way my skin looks - much less dull.

There are two sizes of Rosehip Oil available - 30ml for £20 and 60ml for £35. They are in dark dropper bottles so though light exposure won't be too bad the product will be exposed to oxygen when the bottle is opened. I'm not scientific enough to know the exact effect this will have on the oil. It is sustainably grown for Amelia Moss in Chile and cold-pressed ensuring high-quality.

New Products First Impressions January 2017

This is the first time I've done a first impressions - and maybe the last if you're not keen - but quite often I find my first impressions are pretty good, though I will use everything for at least a month before reviewing. Links below as usual

 Ilia Cosmetics UK stockist
Ilia Silken Eye Shadow in You Spin me round
Louise Young Essential Eye Palette
Lancome Art Liner
MAC Eye pencil in Smoulder
Bobbi Brown Eye Opening Mascara
Dr Jart Beauty Balm
Pixi Correction Concentrate in Brightening Peach
Eyeko Fat Brush Mascara
Ilia Multistick in Tenderly 
Ilia Illuminator in Sway and Polka Dots & Moonbeams
Ilia Lip conditioner in Nobody's Baby
Ilia Lip Stick in Femme Fatale

Pretty Iconic; A Personal Look at the Beauty Products that Changed the World

Sali Hughes' first book Pretty Honest: The Straight-Talking Beauty Companion (you can read my review here) was a no-brainer purchase for me. Writing down my knowledge on beauty and make-up was why I started this blog and Pretty Honest is basically every thing you need to know whether you wear make-up every day or not (thanks a lot Hughes). But half this blog is product reviews - some which we won't remember in a years time and some that are real icons and nostalgia triggers and that's the genius idea behind Pretty Iconic: A Personal Look at the Beauty Products that Changed the World.

And yes I know. A book of reviews doesn't sound that great, which is why I didn't feel the need to rush out and buy this. But then I got my hands on a copy at a friends house and I absolutely loved it. Let me clarify, I feel like my knowledge of make-up and skincare products is pretty comprehensive especially 1980s and '90s when there wasn't the sheer glut of products that we have now. But why this book works is that for those of us who wore Lulu in their teens, who know that bloody YSL Touche Eclat is not a concealer and spend their working life listening to people saying 'I can't wear red lipstick. Ruby Woo looked awful on me' Sali's writing on these products is so spot on that I actually shouted 'yes' as some bits of it. And for those who don't know so much it's all you do need to know - it's historical, cultural, and for a lot of us incredibly nostalgic. My mother wears two of the scents mentioned (Rive Gauche and Chanel No 5) neither of which I can carry off (though god knows I've tried) and both which immediately take me back to watching her get ready to go out, the fascination at this ritual mixed with the dread of the babysitter still palpable.

January 2017 Favourites Video

This month is a pretty eclectic group followed by one of the few times you'll see me speechless.

Lancome Artliner
Clothes, Music. Boys by Viv Albertine
Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Palette
Louise Young Blusher in May
Waitrose Ginger and Clementine bath

Waitrose foam bath review
Blue Liner using Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Palette

Waitrose Foam Bath

Every now and again Waitrose really knock it out of the park. Their baby bottom butter is still one of the best moisturisers you can get and now they've come up with a great, reasonably priced foam baths I've tried.

And I tried them by accident. We were tightening our belts before Christmas and when looking for something to go in my bath I decided to go for the cheapest thing I could find and these happened to be on a 3 for 2 offer. So I ordered 3 for £3 and they are great.

Firstly, the choice of smells is really well thought out and quite unusual. No coconut or vanilla (or Lavender sadly as I was trying to find something soothing but anyway) but Ginger and Clementine (not overpoweringly orange or ginger which was unexpected), Fig Leaf & Sandlewood and Amber & Bergamot. Now these smell incredible in the bottle and are quite a lot less strong once they are in the bath but they do smell, and they smell good which for £1.50 is fantastic.

London is a hardwater area and the majority of bubble baths I try the actual bubbles are slim to none but this actually gives you bubbles. So you have smell and bubbles and it's not budget breaking. I should also mention that it has not dried my skin out, something which has happened in the past with foam baths, particularly the cheaper ones.