Concealer Explained

Recently, I found myself discussing foundation with a friend, and she was complaining about how her foundation didn't cover up her blemishes very well, and that she didn't want to use one that was heavier, because it caused her to get outbreaks (by this I mean breakouts, which for some reason, I seem to always subconciously call "outbreaks"...why? I have absolutely no idea)! Which is fair enough. But, the common problem here was that she had this set of multi-coloured concealers that she used "occassionally", and she didn't know what they all did.

I have to admit that I'm no expert either, and I very rarely wear concealer at all. But, it made me realise just how confusing concealers are. I mean, it wasn't until early 2009 that I even knew purple and green ones existed, and at the time of purchasing one from Virgin Vie, I too had absolutely no idea what they did.

So, I decided to offer a little guidance, to try to fathom out (partially for myself, partially for my friend, and of course, for you guys too!) what they all do!


Concealer

Concealer is probably the easiest to distinguish, and is most commonly known to come in stick form, although other varieties also exist, such as wands. It is used to literally cover up all those horrible blemishes that we hate, such as spots, light scarring, redness etc.

However, Concealer gets complicated when you start looking at the different types:

Skin Tone: This is the most well-known concealer available. It comes in a variety of shades designed to match your skin tone similar to a foundation. These can be applied before or after foundation, and are usually applied straight onto the blemish disguising it. A lot of people also use this type of concealer to hide dark circles.

Green: Green Concealer is becoming increasingly popular amongst Rosecea sufferers and anyone with red cheeks, chin and/or forehead. This is mainly because the green colouring counteracts any redness in the skin, so that the redness is far less distinct. Green concealer is applied directly onto the red areas and blended in. This is always done before Foundation is applied, because the green colour makes your skin look too pale. So, it's fair to say that if you use green concealer, then you will definitely need to wear foundation too!!

Purple/Lavendar (some people also consider this one to be pale pink!): To be honest, this is the concealer that I can almost never remember what it does, even though I own it. But, it is typically used to brighten up skin that is looking yellow, grey or particularly sallow.

Orange: I've never actually owned an Orange Concealer, or even found one in the shops (haven't really looked that hard!!), but I have seen Make Up Guru's use them, and they seem to be used for combatting dark circles under the eyes. I also wonder if this concealer would be ideal for covering bruising?

See. That's pretty simple isn't it? Even I might remember that! I do think that it's amazing how many different concealers there are, and what they can potentially do to make your skin look absolutely flawless.

So, if your foundation isn't doing a good enough job, try experimenting with concealers to target your blemishes, redness and dark circles!!

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Jergens Naturals Ultra Hydrating Hand Cream Review

Naturally, I have quite oily skin, but when the weather starts turning cold, my hands always seem to suffer, and I find them drying out quite quickly. This is even more true, when I'm handling paperwork and books, which I often do. So, I decided to buy myself a Hand Cream, and to be honest, I didn't go in there, with any intention other to buy one that was reasonably priced. And, effectively, I only chose the Jergens one (initially) because it was reduced in Boots (by 89p, I believe), and I knew that Jergens was considered to be a good brand.

First Impression: I opted to buy the Ultra Hydrating Moisturiser since my hands were really dry, and I was instantly impressed by the packagings claim to contain "96% natural ingredients", and on further examination of the ingredients list, it was so refreshing to actually know what the majority of the ingredients are, instead of being overwhelmed by the scientific name of weird and wonderful(?) chemicals, that I have absolutely no idea what they are, or what their purpose even is. I definitely support products that aim to use natural products, because I strongly feel that we need to seriously move away from the chemical-culture that the beauty industry has sunken into, as much as possible.

Packaging: Weirdly, I quite liked the packaging, even though it's not really any different to other types of Hand Cream. I just liked the lack of colour except for the leaf that representing the range that the Hand Cream came from (in this case Ultra Hydrating, so the leaf was green). It was simple, and the addition of the "96%" information to the front was a good move, because it inevitably draws people in for all the right reasons.

Initial Thoughts: When I first used this product, I actually thought that is was going to be a bit too greasy for me, but for a product that claims to be ultra hydrating, it does make sense to be quite greasy. However, despite being a little too greasy initially, I was impressed at how quickly the product absorbed into my skin, drying almost instantly, and sorting out my dry skin pretty much straight away.

Smell: The Hand Cream smells absolutely divine. I really loved the smell, and I found myself smelling my hands because I liked it so much. There isn't really much else you can say about smell!

Overall: I've been using this Hand Cream for nearly two weeks now, and I have to say that I am very impressed with this product. I'm finding that I'm not needing to use the moisturiser very often, as it keeps my hands hydrated for a really long time. I've also noticed that my hands feel a lot softer than they did with my previous hand cream.

I would definitely recommend this Hand Cream to anyone who suffers from really dry hands, especially during these really cold months. My boyfriend suffers from exceptionally dry skin, thanks to working with Frozen Food in the past, and I mean so bad, that he has to get special cream from the Doctor. But, he's been using the Jergens Hand Cream for me, and whilst it obviously doesn't clear up his skin like his Prescribed Hand Cream, it really soothes his skin better than a lot of other "off-the-shelf" Hand Creams, so he was quite impressed.

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Rimmel Vinyl Gloss Review

NOTE: I received this as a Sample from Rimmel.

I'm not really a fan of lip glosses, in fact, I don't even wear lipstick either. I usually opt to just apply a little lip balm and that's about it! For me, lip glosses always taste and smell like plastic, make my lips feel heavy and are just icky sticky and messy. But, when Rimmel have their Giveaways, I can't resist, and thought that I'd give their Lip Gloss a try, opting for "Cosmic".

Packaging: The packaging of this lipgloss is pretty standard, although maybe a little sleeker than other brands. It's nice to get back to the tube and wand style of lip gloss, as so many other companies (including Barry M and ELF) have moved other to squeezable tubes.

Nothing about the packaging particularly jumps out and hits me, but it serves a purpose I guess.

Application: The wand is the typical "teardrop" shape, and it applies quite nicely. What I instantly noticed after the first application is how this lip gloss didn't feel as "heavy" or "sticky" as other lipglosses. It seemed somewhat lighter, and nicer to wear.

Overall Look: The colour was fantastic, I have to say, and amazingly, I actually opted for a shade that actually suits me. I don't know if it made me lips look "40% curvier" as the Rimmel London website claims, but it does looks great, and it certainly is shiny.

I am definitely considering using this when Party Season hits around Christmas, and you may just find this product in my handbag instead of my boring lip balm. I've even found myself experimenting with a lipliner, that is something that I haven't used for about ten years, because, well, I've never really taken to the "Jacqui McQueen" look!!

So, this is evidently a very quick review, but I'm actually in the process of moving to a brand new flat, so hopefully when I'm fully moved (at the end of the month), I will have more time to dedicate to my blog. And I'm really keen to get blogging again, because with flat-hunting, and now moving, alongside doing real paid work, I've been struggling to find the time to get down to blogging. So I hope you'll all bear with me, just for a little longer :)

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Bourjois Bio Detox Organic Foundation Review

These days, the majority of us are very aware of the "smart" language that a multitude of different companies use to try to manipulate us into buying their products. So, when I came to be in Superdrug looking for a new liquid foundation, now that the cooler weather has hit, I was instantly weary of this new foundation from Bourjois.

I've had some great experiences from Bourjois when it comes to Foundation, but I don't know, this one just screamed "I'm using fancy language, but really I'm just shit!" I just could not move away from this feeling of being taken for a ride by the words "Bio", "Detox" and "Organic". The words just sound too good to be true.

Nevertheless, I was desperate for a liquid foundation, I found a shade that suited my skin tone (just about), and the foundation had a promotional offer, so I decided to give it a whirl, if only for the sake of this blog!

Packaging: A while ago, I read a blog claiming that companies provide a set budget for the production of a product, which means that they either put all of their cash into the product, leaving a little for the packaging, meaning that you can't expect everything to be perfect about a product.

This definitely appears to be the case with this product. If the declaration of this product being organic etc is true, then they have most definitely sacrificed on the packaging. For a start, the packaging is plastic (not glass, like I'd expect from this type of foundation) and flimsy plastic too. The lid is just boring, and the bottle just has no really personality or oomph to it.

I can't help feeling that the packaging has also fallen foul of Bourjois choosing to dedicate too much attention to that fancy language that I mentioned before.

Application: Applying this foundation is pretty easy, with either your fingers, a foundation brush or a sponge. The only issue I had was that it really is possible to apply too much product, and if you do it can feel really disgusting, especially if, like me, you have naturally oily skin. For that reason, I think that this is probably more suited to people with dry or combination skin.

Smell: Perhaps predictably from something that claims to be organic, this foundation smells really, really....weird. I would honestly like to believe that this is because it has natural ingredients, however, whilst some of the ingredients on the packaging do *sound* natural, about 75% of them certainly don't.

Overall: I want to believe that this is a natural product, but as I've said, I honestly don't. Personally, I find this product gimmicky and sub-par compared to other foundations, especially Bourjois ones. And, I definitely feel that this is definitely not the best foundation around, and I am doubtful that I will ever buy it again.

Bought from: Superdrug
Price I Paid: £7.99 (Launch Offer)

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Is this Britain's Most Elusive Nail Polish?

A couple of weeks ago I received a promotional email from Barry M, as I'm sure many of you guys did. And, it was advertising their new range of Nail Polishes, including the very interesting "Instant Nails Effect" polish, which you apparently paint over a base colour and as it sets, sets into a funky looking pattern (I'm still in awe over that video!!)

So, as you can imagine, I was incredibly excited to try this new polish out, and I desperately want to know how the heck it works. But, after visiting several branches of Boots and Superdrug in my daily travels, I've come to the conclusion that this has got to be the most elusive nail polish in Britain!

Everywhere I have looked, the polish has been sold out, and none of the shops I've visited seem to be very quick at re-stocking the empty spaces...either that, or the minute they're re-stocked they're emptied again!

The reason that I find this interesting, is because struggling to find a product is something more frequented by the larger price ranges of cosmetics from Urban Decay to NARS. Barry M, is instead a lower budget cosmetic range aimed at High street shops, so it's interesting to see how big an impact this brand has.

Even more interesting, is the fact that this is actually the second time in the past few months that I have had trouble finding a nail polish. Last time it was Rimmel's Matte Top Coat, which following rave reviews from other fellow beauty bloggers appeared to have been snapped up everywhere I went as well. I eventually found it of course!

But, doesn't it just frustrating when you really want to give something a try, especially when you have heard so much about it, and yet you just can not find it anywhere?

Has anyone else experienced trouble trying to find a must-have product? What lengths have you ever gone to, to get it?

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The Eyeshadow Primer Dilemma

Happy Monday everyone,

I went to Newark with my mum a few weeks ago, and she was on the look out for a new Eyeshadow Primer, since the mini-sized one from Urban Decay that she has is starting to run out. The only eyeshadow primers that I know of are of course Urban Decays, and the Too Faced Shadow Insurance, of which I had never tried, but as expected, the Newark Boots is tiny, so we didn't expect to find either. But, the plan was to find out if any of the cheaper brands offered a cheaper substitute. The answer? No. But, they do have a Clinique one for £20 if that's any good? £20? Are you serious?

In the end, I ended up ordering a Too Faced Shadow Insurance for my mum from Asos.com for £10.77 since it was her birthday. But, it made me wonder why so few companies offer eye shadow primers? Maybe they do, and we're just missing them. Maybe they're so popular they're always sold out. Or maybe they don't think we need eyeshadow primers, which is weird. A few brands do Face Primers, and several brands of Mascara come with double-ended ones with a white primer on one end, so why are eyeshadow ones so exclusive?

I guess the lack of competition explains why the ones available are so expensive, but then, the brands that do sell the primers are expensive brands anyway. It just seems weird to me.

We haven't actually tried the Too Faced Shadow Insurance yet (expect a review in the future), but it seemed like a natural progression to move onto the Too Faced alternative, because although both my mum and I agree that we don't know how we lived without eyeshadow primers, the bottle shape is just such a nightmare, and the stopper that prevents you taking out too much product seems like an annoyance too, in the sense that it makes you think there's no product left when actually there is.

For packaging, I was very impressed with the squeezable tube and funnel, so I'm fairly confident that this product is going to score highly in that sense, but only time will tell if the actual product inside the handy tube will live up to its main competitor of Urban Decay, so we shall see.

Oh, and on a different note. You might have noticed that this is the first time that I've used photos that I've actually taken myself, woohoo! That's thanks to my very early Christmas present from my Mum (thanks mum), of a Nikon Coolpix L22, which I am really chuffed about. The quality of close-ups is amazing, and in the space of four days, I've taken roughly 107 pictures! So, you can expect lots more pictures on my blog from now on. And, I'll hopefully be updating more frequently again :)

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Tag Challenge: Day 23: A YouTube Video

Day 23: A Funny Video and a Cute Video

The first video I wanted to share, was one I discovered purely due to my love for the Kingdom Hearts games (currently kicking ass in Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep...completed Ventus' story, working through Terra's and then will eventually get to Aqua!! LOL). The song that they are playing is the main theme that plays through the Opening Menu, and is an absolutely gorgeous tune.

The video features Kyle Landry and Matt Roy playing the tune on Keyboards...you HAVE to watch it to the end..TRUST ME, it is really worth it...and will have you in stitches!!



The second video that I wanted to share was one that Leesha (XSparkage) put up on her Discodollies channel recently. The reason this struck a chord with me, was because I was recently telling the boyfriend about the time that I tried to teach my cat Patch to play fetch....yeeeeeah, that didn't go so well! Until I saw this video, I never would have believed that it was possible to get a cat to do it...proven wrong :)

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Tumbleweed

Hey guys,

You might have noticed that my blog has been a little quiet recently, and that is quite simply because on Monday my laptop went to the little Laptop Repair Shop in the Sky, and was going to cost way too much to repair (as in, more expensive than the price of a new laptop). So, for the time being, I am back on my old Dell desktop PC (complete with Windows XP...I have never felt so out-of-date!!) And hopefully, the blog will be back up and running more consistently from Monday (fingers crossed!)

Anyway, I thought I'd turn this blog into a big of an Update, because there's a few things that I've bought or wanted to tell you guys about, in order to catch up :)

Well, you might have noticed that I've added a Blog Sale page on the Top Bar. I've decided to have a clear out of things that I don't need/use, and have put them up on Ebay. The Blog Sale page has full details of anything currently on offer, and includes a link to the item. I'm planning on updating this page regularly, so check back often!


On Wednesday, I travelled to Newark with my mum, to visit an elderly Aunt, and whilst there, I picked up a few lovelies, which I thought I'd share.

Last week, I received a £10 voucher for Boots, so obviously, I headed into Boots to see what I could snag, and here what I picked up:

• Cotton Wool. I ran out of Cotton Wool about a fortnight ago, and have only just got round to actually buying some. This might not sound very rivoting (and let's face it, it isn't!!) However, in Boots I picked up a HUGE bag of the pleated kind (the kind I prefer to use) for £1.19. I was really impressed because it wasn't that much more expensive than what I normally buy from Superdrug, but literally twice the size!! I know where I'm buying my Cotton Wool from, in the future!
• Boots Mango and Orange Blossom Hand Wash. I'd decided that I wanted to try something a bit nicer for a hand wash, since I had this voucher, so I opted for this fruity one, and boy does it smell divine! The only problem is that it appears to have dried my hands a little....hmm, better break out the moisturiser :)
• Vaseline for Men Roll-on Deodorant. The boyfriend has had issues with deodarant, for around about as long as I've known him (and beyond). He constantly moans that they don't work, and he has to have anti-perspirant because he needs it for the gym, but that never works either!!. I've been trying to get him to use this Vaseline one for ages, because I use the Aloe Vera one and have always been impressed with how long it lasts, but whenever he goes out and buys a roll-on, he'll always come back with the cheapest brand that Wilko's sell, of which, he of course, moans about. So, when he asked me to get him some deodarant, I decided he was going to use this one whether he liked it or not!
• Boots Lavendar Shampoo and Conditioner. These were actually for my mum, and she swears by them! She first bought them when we were in Leeds at New Years, because she'd just wanted a cheap shampoo, and at 89p each, these really are a bargain. I have to admit, that sometimes when I go home, I'll use the shampoo and it really is nice. Definitely recommend this for anyone wanting to pick up a fairly cheap shampoo.
• Pantene Aqua Light Lightweight Nourishing Mist. You might remember that I bought the Aqua Light Shampoo and Conditioner a while ago, and I think they're amazing, especially for my fine hair. So, when I ran out of spray to help detangle my hair, I thought that I would give this a go. At £3.99, it's a tad *cough cough* more expensive than my normal Schwarzkopf alternative, but since I had a voucher, I wasn't too fussed. I haven't had chance to use it yet, but I'm fascinated by the actual product, with the clear liquid at the bottom, and the shimmery blue stuff that floats at the top until you shake it up. I dunno why it's like that, but it looks so purdy!!

 I also ventured into Barnados Charity Shop, which is usually a haven of good beauty products, and I managed to pick up a Botanics Clay Mask, for 49p, unopened. Bargain I tell you :)

BTW, the boyfriend loves the Vaseline Deodarant ;-)

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Tag Challenge: Day 22: A Website

Day 22: A Website for Kat...why is it so hard?

I have to admit, that I've been avoiding this Tag for the past few days, mainly because the majority of the websites that I frequent are the bog-standard every-visits-those websites, and I didn't want to say Facebook, Twitter or YouTube, because they're just boring aren't they? I mean, yeah, we all visit them practically every single day, but what is there left to be said about them, that hasn't been said a million times before?

So, I thought I'd talk about my own website (this might sound like self-promotion overload, but bear with me, because it really isn't!)

I registered my self-named domain over a year ago now (and boy, has that year sped by), but in those twelve months, I'd be amazed if the domain hasn't begun to feel a bit travel sick. My problem is that I want a self-promoting website that tells everyone who I am, what I do, and to encourage them to hire my services as a writer. That sounds really simple, doesn't it? And I can imagine a lot of you are thinking "you're a writer, it's what you do for a living", but it's actually not what I do for a living. I promote other people, other things, other services, I don't promote myself, and I have to say that promoting myself is not an easy task.

It's probably a self-confidence issue, hmm, no, it is definitely a self-confidence issue, but I just can not promote myself in a way that I feel happy with. I don't want to feel like I'm bragging about anything, but I don't want to play down on anything either. And then there's the question of what to include and what not to include. Do I write it from the first person, or the third person? Do I keep it 100% professional, or do I write it a little more casual and fun?

As a result, I have created more websites for that domain than I care to remember, never entirely happy with one, but I keep it until something better come along, and then I create another one that still just doesn't quite click with me.

A few months ago, I actually gave up trying, and the domain has been leading people to my Tumblr account instead, which is like a big compilation of several of my blogs. This, of course, doesn't feel right.

I just want to create a website that I've done for myself, and that I am 100% (okay 75% will probably do) happy with, and that just suits a need and a purpose, and that I don't feel the need to edit other than to keep it upto date.

Apparently, for me, that is too much to ask :)

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Sunday Tips: Brush the Grease away

Do you find that your hair seems to be getting greasy during the day, quicker than normal? Frustrating isn't it, when you can't even go out for After-Work drinks without worrying about your oily roots? Well, before you grab your Batiste or Tresemme Dry Shampoo products, you should consider what could be causing your hair to suddenly be growing greasy so rapidly!

Amazingly, the most common cause isn't necessarily your diet or stress-levels (although these are both important factors that you should always investigate!). It is in fact, the common household....

Hair Brush!!!

Think about all the products that you use on your hair:

• Hair Spray
• Styling Gel/Creams
• Straightening Products
• Hair Serum
• Hair Mousse

And think about everything that your hair comes into contact with during your daily routine:

• Cigarette Smoke
• Vehicle Exhaust fumes
• Perfumes
• Air Fresheners
• Etc, etc

It might be hard to believe, but all of these things that cling to your hair, are potentially being transferred to your hair brush, every single time that you brush your locks. Together, these will all transform into "nasties", bacteria and one great big oil-slick which will then be returned to your head the next time you apply it to your hair, making it...yep, you guessed it...greasy!

 What can you do to stop this?

The solution is actually incredibly easy to combat. Simply make sure that you regularly clean your hair brushes and combs, removing everything that could be on them. Using your normal shampoo should be perfect, as you use that to clean your hair anyway, so once or twice a week, make sure to give it a quick wash.

If, however, you still find that your hair still seems to be getting greasy quicker, it is always useful to consider altering your diet, or perhaps even taking a break, if you are feeling particularly stressed.

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Simple Oil Balancing Moisturiser Review

When I started out this blog, one of my main focuses was controlling my oily skin, and I've been keen to try lots of different products, from a wide range of brands, that are aimed specifically at tackling this issue. From past experience, I've become quite fond of Simple's Oil Balancing Range, having tried their Facial Wipes and Exfoliating Facial Wash, so when I ran out of my trusted Neutrogena's Visibly Clear Oil Free Moisturiser, despire being really quite fond of it, I decided to give Simple's Oil Balancing Moisturiser a shot.

 

What Simple Say:

Active ingredients Zinc PCA and Natural Antibacterial. After cleansing, no matter what your skin type, it needs daily moisturising to keep it nourished.

Eliminate shine and maintain moisture levels with our Oil Balancing Moisturiser which keeps your skin looking fresh and healthy.

• Active benefits.
• Zinc PCA gently absorbs excess oil.
• Natural Antibacterial helps reduce blemishes.
• 100% Shine Free mattifies all day long.
• Dermatologically tested & approved.
• Experts in sensitive skin.

What I Say:
One thing that I always appreciated about Neutrogena's Moisturiser, was the fact that it has a thin nozzle for distributing the cream. The nozzle meant that I didn't squeeze too much product out (which I often accidentally do). Unfortunately, the Simple Oil Balancing Moisturiser doesn't have such a small nozzle, and I find myself unwittingly putting too much product into my hand. As a result, I find that the moisturiser doesn't really balance the oil on my skin, but seems to make it worse, making my skin look shiny and feel disgusting.

As a result, I've taken to rubbing the cream in my hands before applying it to my face, which is a little bit annoying. But, it leaves me missing the nozzle of Neutrogena's.

Another issue that I've had with this moisturiser, is that it smells really bad. I didn't actually notice it, until I started using it after another product, that smells of oranges, which seemed to bring the foul scent out even more, but now I've noticed it, it really bugs me.

Price:
£3.99 isn't too expensive, and it does seem to last a long time.

Would I buy it again?
No, but only because I've found myself preferring Neutrogena's moisturiser, which is unusal since I normally choose Simple over any other brands!

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Veet® Hair Removal Cream Review

It's just typical isn't it, you go on holiday and as you walk out the front door, you are absolutely convinced that you have forgotten something. You've double/triple/quadruple checked that you have the essentials (railcard, money, keys, underwear), however, sod's law says that you will have forgotten something, but anything else you can buy when you get there if necessary. It is not a problem.

So what did I forget when I went away last week? My Razor. Resulting in a stop-off at Tesco in Porthmadog to buy some Nair. I like to buy Nair because it saves money on having a buy a razor and then buy shaving foam as well, plus I usually manage to buy it from ASDA for around 99p (and keeps my legs smooooth for around three or four uses!) So, imagine my annoyance when Tesco not only does not stock Nair, but the only similar product is Veet, with the cheapest option costing me around £3.50!! It is fair to say, that I was not an amused Kitty Kat!

Nevertheless, with walking on the agenda, which meant that I wanted to wear shorts, I didn't really have much option. I was forced to buy the overpriced Veet (well, until my mum found the same product in the Reduced Box for just £1.50...so, I really can't moan, can I!!!)

 Packaging

When I buy Nair, all I usually get is the tube, nothing else. But, for some reason, Veet seemed to think that I needed my tube to come in a box. Why? This seemed incredibly waste-full. And, I know that the tube came with a spatula, which Nair does not. However, other products in the same range, by Veet, had the spatula's attached to the tube using a plastic wrapper, so I'm really not sure why this one came in a box. It just felt really unnecessary.

Smell:

I have only ever had one real gripe with Nair's Hair Removal Cream, and that is the smell. The actual cream doesn't smell of much, but when it is applied to the legs, it always smells really, really bad. Not unsurprisingly, this smell, that kind of resembles burning, is still evident with the Veet alternative, however, it has been masked slightly, making the smell much more bearable, by the fact that it has Lotus Milk and Jasmine in it, which gives a nice aroma.

Ease of Use:

I have to admit, that although these Removal Creams are so much more convenient that using razors, I do tend to find them quite messy, and I almost always manage to get at least one splodge on the floor (luckily, our cottage had laminate flooring, so it was easy enough to clean up, however, carpets send me into a mad panic, as I always worry that they'll leave a mark!)

It was quite easy to apply, although I actually used my hand to do it, not quite liking using the spatula for this purpose, but I guess that is just a personal preference.

The packaging says to leave it for 3 to 5 mins, 6 mins at the most, but I am an incredible impatient person, and the first time I used this (just on my underarms), I think I tried to take it off far too early, as no hairs appear to have been removed. However, on my second attempt (underarms and legs this time), I was much more successful, and my legs felt wonderfully smooth.

This was actually the first time that I have ever used a hair removal cream on my underarms, so having to wait around before removing the cream was a bit annoying, especially when it is such a small area and with a razor is typically over with fairly quickly. For that reason, I don't think that I would bother using this method for underarms in the future. It's just to much messing around.

For legs on the other hand, I'm experienced using these creams, and I'm still confident that this is the absolute best method for me.

Price:

I think it's already clear that I am definitely not impressed with the price. £3.50 for the same size tube as Nair, that I can get for 99p, well, I'm willing to sacrifice the nice smell for the cheapness, I'm afraid. Maybe, I'm tight, or maybe I'd rather save that £2.50 and buy a nail varnish ;)

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Eye Roll-On Review and Comparison

Garnier Eye Roll-on and Body Shop Vitamin C Eye Reviver
I've been trying out both of these for the past two weeks, using the Garnier one first thing in the morning, and the Body Shop one before bed. My main hopes for both of them were:

• Tackling dark circles
• Tackling fine lines beneath eyes
• Reduce dry and sore eyes
• Refresh eyes, especially in the morning, reducing tiredness
• Brightening eyes up

General Results: Ultimately, I still have fine lines, but although they are still visible, my dark circles are a little less obvious.

Packaging:

Garnier: I love the curvy design, which is chunky and makes it easy to grip. The colour fits in with the Garnier skin care range.

Body Shop: The packaging was a little bland, and I wasn't really keen of the colour. I did however, like the fact that it was double-ended, which made it feel more value for money.
Image via WikipediaI definitely preferred Garnier's packaging, in both style and colour.


Application:

Garnier: The roller ball was a good size, and applied easily. It was really cooling, and made my eyes feel quite refreshed and alert. Perfect for first thing in the morning.

Body Shop: This one comes with two applicators. The roll-on, which is ultimately a smaller version of Garnier's, and this is it's downside. The smaller ball made it less refreshing, and most times, I wasn't convinced that any product was coming out. Well, except for one time when I managed to get product in my eye, and despite rinsing it with cool, clean water, it took a long time for the stinging to calm down. I also found that because the ball was so much smaller, it felt like it was pulling at my skin in a rough, and potentially damaging way, that left my skin feeling a little sore.

The under-eye wand was a little more successful, and did feel quite moisturising.


Pricing:

Officially, both Garnier and Body Shop's eye roll-ons are priced at roughly £10, and it is debatable which one is most cost-effective at this price, because whilst the Body Shop one has two products in one, they're both relatively small, whilst the Garnier roll-on is just a single product at twice the size of the Body Shop roll-on (if that makes sense!)

Despite that, shopping aroundrecently, I've actually found Superdrug and Wilkinson's have been selling the Garnier Eye roll-on for half price!

Price aside, Garnier was always going to win this with me. It was a huge amount more refreshing and didn't pull at my delicate under-eye skin the way the Body Shop one did. I'm not overly bothered that I still have dark circles, because dry and tired eyes were a bigger issue for me.

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Tag Challenge: Day 21: A Recipe

Day 21: A Beauty-Based Recipe


For a long time, I've been intending to post about home-made beauty products using things that most of us already have already the house...an easy and cheaper alternative to buying stuff, but I've just not got around to it (bad kitty, I know!!), so this is the absolute perfect excuse to do one!



Egg Face Mask and Moisturiser

This recipe was initially inspired by a video tutorial by Michelle Phan, but, as with a lot of recipes, hers didn't suit me or things that I had in my cupboards, so I tweaked it to suit my needs and such:


What you'll need:

Image via Wikipedia
• One Egg 
• Sugar (any kind, although I prefer Demerara)
• Aloe Vera Gel
• Two small bowls
• Spoon

Egg White makes up the Face mask
Egg Yolk makes up the Moisturiser

1.  Crack open the egg, and carefully seperate the egg whites from the yolk, placing both in two different bowls.
2. Take the egg whites, add a dollop of Aloe Vera Gel and a couple spoonfuls of Sugar. I use Demerara rather than typical sugar, as I found that the most commonly used sugars tended to dissolve in the mixture, defeating the purpose. Demerara has larger granules, that don't dissolve, making it perfect for getting into pores.
3. Mix the ingredients together with a spoon or whisk if you prefer
4. Once mixed together, apply to your face, focusing on the nose, forehead, cheeks and chin.
5. Leave for 15 mins
6. Wash off with tepid water, and pat dry with clean towel
7. Lightly whisk the egg yolk (you could also add a little milk to the yolk if you want to)
8. Apply the yolk to your face the same way that you would ordinarily apply a moisturiser
9. Wash off, and again pat dry.

Admittedly,the egg doesn't smell very nice, whilst on your face, however, your skin should be left feeling refreshed, soft and clean.



I highly recommend using this once a week.

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I'm Back!!

Afternoon my Lovelies,



Some of you might not have noticed, since the blog has been nicely updated pretty much all week, but I've actually just returned from a week's holiday (thank heaven for Blogger's Scheduling!), but I spent the past week in a part of Wales with no signal. I thought that it would be tough without my mobile phone or internet access (I didn't even bother taking my laptop at all! But, it was actually really refreshing.


This must be the longest I've gone without my laptop since I started the move into Freelance Writing (June 2009), so this holiday was a big deal for me.


My laptop and internet weren't the only things that I managed without either! I actually took my hair straighteners and make up with me, but I managed the whole week without using any heat on my hair, for which my hair is truly grateful, and I only wore make up once, which my skin is probably grateful for.


I did keep up my skin care routine, as I tested out my Body Shop products, which I'll be reviewing sometime in the next week. I've had some pretty mixed feelings towards each of the products, but I won't say anymore until then.

The day I left to go on holiday, I actually received a Rimmel Vinyl Lip Gloss that I've been sampling and will hopefully have a review of that heading this way very soon. And whilst I was away, I was forced to buy some Veet and a new Rimmel nail polish (both purchases, of course, have stories behind them), so you can expect more reviews on those.


So, the holiday is over, and I have plenty to keep me busy!

In other words, reviewing service will resume tomorrow :)

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Tag Challenge: Day 20: A Hobby of Yours

Day 20: My Hobby

After this blog, and my writing, you might have guessed, but playing Video Games is one of my favourite hobbies. Despite that I'm actually quite a fussy gamer. My boyfriend and my brother are both HUGE gamers, and love everything from racing, to first person shoot-em-ups etc and they have collections of games that are practically sky high. Me,on the other hand, well, I'm only really a fan of RPG's...I must save so much money being so picky hehe, but boy did it make it difficult to write a top ten favourite game list...but, here it is, in no particular order!

Persona 4

Kingdom Hearts 2

The World Ends With You

Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core + Special Edition PSP (all mine :D)

Final Fantasy X-2

Final Fantasy VIII

Final Fantasy XII

The Secret of Monkey Island

Star Ocean: First Departure

Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales

 

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Guest Blog: Beauty - A Man's Point of View

My first guest blog post comes to you from the very talented Chris, a budding animator, who has battled with his own body image issues in the past, and wanted to share his thoughts on the way that the media portrays body image in an unhealthy way. Find out more about Chris, and check out his blog / portfolio, right here.

The need to look good is very much a mainstay of the modern world fuelled in part by the media’s obsession with perfect bodies. In a world of lipo-suction and gastric bands there are still people who decide to lose weight and get in shape by exercising. The gastric band is perhaps a more commendable method of losing weight compared with liposuction but these methods of losing weight should only be considered if an individual’s health is in danger. Liposuction just seems like such an easy way to lose weight; it doesn’t teach anyone about the value of healthy living. So what’s to stop them from putting the weight back on?

Weight training is a good way to burn fat and build-up muscle but like any form of exercise it can be taken too far. If you look at American TV shows such as One Tree Hill and 90210 you’ll find that most of the characters have the kind of physique that is more of a rarity in the “real world”. There are people out there who aspire to build these kinds of bodies who will go to any lengths to achieve the perfect look. But they fail to realise that the actors in these TV shows (and films) go through strict training regimes with a personal trainer and have carefully planned diets. Of course supplements might just play a part in there exercise routine.

I’m not saying there is anything wrong with wanting to look good but it should be more down to feeling good. In today’s body conscious world we are bombarded by messages of beauty from TV, adverts and magazines so it’s no wonder we are confused as to what is deemed to be the correct way to lose weight. So for the sake of sanity I think I’ll choose to do what I think is right and ignore the media.

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