Topshop Lipstick Inhibition

I posted a review on another recent Topshop lipstick (Oh La La) purchase the other day, in the same little haul I picked up Inhibition, a dark plum colour. With autumn on our doorstep I have desperately been searching for some vampy shades to rock and with Topshop having a 2 for £12 offer on their lipsticks I though what the heck.

Described as a velvet matte finish it actually initially feels a little waxy and moves around the lips when applying it, I found it best to apply and buff into the lips with my finger. 

I'm still on the bench with this lipstick. I like the finish however it sits on my lips a little weirdly and the natural colour of my lips peeps through. The colour is a little more purple toned than I was expecting and quite bold so it will take a bit of getting used to! 

Topshop Lipstick Ohh La La

I do love a Topshop lipstick and whilst shopping for some essentials online last week I spotted an irresistible offer of 2 lipsticks for £12 so of course I obliged and chose two, one of which was the beautiful Ohh La La. Ohh La La is described as a 'Coral Blush'and has an ever so slight pearly finish. 

When I initially opened it it looked very orange, I wasn't sure I could pull it off however on it is an extremely wearable and beautiful peachy coral.

Excuse the grainy photo, but you get the gist...it's gorgeous right?! This shade is a velvet finish lipstick, it can be a little hard to wear on the lips because of the texture but I found it works best if you apply directly to the lips and buff in gently with your finger. Boy I wish I had bought this shade earlier in the year, I know this would have been worn all spring/summer!

Trial-Sized Tuesday's - BareMinerals BareSkin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation Review And Swatch

A couple of weeks ago I received a sample of BareMineral's newest foundation BareSkin Pure Brightening Serum. I was really excited to try it as I've not really tried a lot of products by BareMinerals and the hype surrounding this foundation is quite big, so here's how I got on with it.Described as 'an ultra-thin silky texture' I couldn't agree more. I was surprised at how much coverage it provided for such a light foundation, it did glide on like a serum. 'One to two weightless drops transform, soften and smooth the appearance of your complexion' yes and no. For someone like me who has a bit of redness on the cheeks and quite a bit of acne scarring you'd definitely need more than one to two drops of foundation. It did look great on the areas of my face that need little coverage but I found I couldn't layer the foundation very well, due to it's serum type texture I ended up just moving the foundation underneath rather than layering it.I received a sample in the shade 'Bare Ivory' which was quite a good match, a little on the orange side (I'm off the self tan now we're stepping into autumn). My main bug bare with this foundation was the fact that anything I tried to layer on top of it be it my concealer or blusher just seemed to move the foundation underneath, it just wasn't settling into my skin! I don't suffer from dry skin, it used to be terribly oily however nowadays, blemishes aside, it is quite normal but after a few hours of wear the foundation went all weird and blotchy around my nose and mouth as if stuck to dry skin.As you probably can tell from my review I'm not a fan of this foundation. This foundation would be suitable for someone with normal skin who needs very little to no concealer for blemishes (in which case if that were me I wouldn't be wearing any foundation!). Foundation for me is a case of 'better the devil you know'...every time I get a little bored or something new comes out and I try it I'm usually disappointed and always turn back to my trusty MAC Studio Fix Fluid.

September's Birchbox Contents And Review

September's Birchbox has the theme 'Happy Days'...a celebration of new beginnings and reminiscing about our school days and well, just the things that make us happy. So here's what I received in my box this month...

Benefit It's Potent! Eye Cream

First up is Benefit's It's Potent!  eye cream (3g sample). I'm currently trialling this eye cream after receiving it in another beauty box recently so it's great to have a little back up as I'm enjoying using it. It's potent is a very thick, almost balm like cream that is packed with active ingredients including cocoa extract and apple extract to help microcirculation and collagen count. As well as being an awesome eye cream the packaging is so cute and looks great on your dressing table!

Agave Healing Oil Treatment

A product that tames frizz and helps heal damaged hair is something that is always welcome in my hair routine. Agave Healing Oil Treatment (4ml sample) is said to help build resiliency and boost radiance and shine. As well as being an intensive hair treatment it also doubles up as a body oil. I'm looking forward to trying this next time I wash my hair!

Korres Citrus Showergel

Showergel is always a product that I'm a bit blah about receiving in my boxes, but they are a practical item and I often do enjoy using them. Korres Citrus Showergel (50ml sample) has a lightweight formula and a refreshing citrus scent, perfect for an early morning pick-me-up!

Premae Mild Pro Dermabrasion

Anyone that reads my blog regularly will know that I love Premae's products! I already own the full size version of their Mild Pro Dermabrasion and love it. I received a 20ml sample which will be perfect to keep aside for nights away from home, this scrub has worked wonders (as part of a routine of Premae's products) for me blemish prone skin. Premae's products only include natural ingredients which I love and as a result of this have really noticed a difference with my skin.

Model Co Lip Lacquer Viva

A couple of weeks prior to despatch Birchbox subscribers were contacted to guarantee and choose between 3 products to go in their box (Model Co Lip Laquer in Viva or Morocco or their Power Lash Mascara) and I chose Model Co's Lip Lacquer  in the shade Viva. To be honest I only went for this product as I presumed it was going to be a matte or velvet product and was a little disappointed to find it was actually a gloss (I haven't done gloss since I was 14!). I'll give it a go, but I'm pretty sure this will go to my sister.

Also in this month's box as lifestyle extra's was a little clip photo holder and a bag of Urban Fruit (I received Strawberry). Not a bad box, but not the best either...after seeing the contents on various social media platforms I really wasn't that enthused when it arrived today. As with all beauty boxes you are going to get your not so great month's, fingers crossed for a better box next month!

Max Factor Lipfinity Review

I was thrilled to be selected by Product Testing to receive and review Max Factor Lipfinity lip colour in the shade 340 Essential Natural (I believe this shade is discontinued, however there currently are 20 other gorgeous shades to choose from).

Described as 'a revolutionary 2 step lipstick system that gives long lasting colour plus moisture' this lip product has some serious staying power, I'm talking so serious I struggled to remove it completely at the end of the day!

First off I will say prep your lips before applying, just a gentle exfoliation and a smidge of balm a few minutes before applying works wonders as this product can be a little drying and cling to any dry patches. After prepping lips simply swipe the wand across your lips, I found you need to work fast as it dries quite quickly and can look a little patchy if you go back over the area again.

The 'shine boosting' topcoat is a must to apply over the top to give your lips some moisture and sheen. The balm isn't at all sticky, it has more of a solid Vaseline feel to it. 

I really like the colour, it's a  nice subtle rosy pink, however looking online I believe it has been discontinued as I can't find this shade available anymore. Like I said previously this product really did live up to it's long lasting claims...I had to try 3 different make-up removers before I could get all of it off! It did last right from morning (7am) until the evening when I took my make-up off (around 8pm) but I did find I needed to keep applying the balm throughout the day as my lips would start to feel a bit dry. The fact the lip colour and balm are separate is good but not good in my opinion, great as you can just carry the balm around with you but not so great if you want both products in one place, they do have some products in their range that include colour plus gloss in one wand.

If you're looking for a really long lasting lip product I would definitely recommend this...and a good make-up remover!

Daniel Sandler Casablanca Lipstick & Cherub Watercolour Blush Duo

Daniel Sandler's Watercolour blushers have been something I've wanted to try for a while now and whilst shopping around for an autumnal berry shade lippy the other day I came across a bargain lipstick and blusher duo from ASOS, saving you 30% on the rrp.

The Watercolour blush in the shade Cherub is a richly pigmented lightweight liquid blush that gives a gorgeous wash of colour to your cheeks. You only need to squeeze the tiniest dot onto your finger, apply to cheeks and then blend with a buffing brush and the result is a natural glow. What I love about this liquid blush is you can build up the intensity of the colour without disturbing the make-up underneath. This blush claims to be waterproof...I am yet to put this claim to the test as I tend to avoid a downpour when I have a full face of make-up (who doesn't?!).

L Casablanca Lipstick
R Cherub Watercolour Blush

Casablanca is a deep berry shade of lipstick that compliments the blusher perfectly. Although this lipstick is matte it's not at all drying on the lips due to some lip-loving ingredients such as Shea Butter, Jojoba Oils and Vitamin A, C and E.

You can pick up this bargain duo from ASOS for only £20, these shades will take you from autumn to winter perfectly, I must restrain myself from buying all of the Watercolour shades as the formula is divine!

The Glamour Beauty Power List 2014 Box From Latest In Beauty

I absolutely adore Latest In Beauty's collaboration boxes with Glamour magazine, they are always excellent value and packed with a great variation of branded products that would each get used. Needless to say when they emailed me two weeks ago releasing a new box 'The Glamour Beauty Power List 2014' I ordered it straight away and waited impatiently for it to be delivered. When it arrived on Thursday although I already knew what the contents were I still let out a little shriek as I unboxed it. With a whopping value of over £80 but yours for £15.99 here's the contents...

• Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish  (30ml with muslin cloth) rrp £5.50
• Eyeko Mascara Off Wipes (10 wipes) rrp £6
• Philip Kingsley Daily Damage Defense  (60ml) rrp £7.50
• Laura Mercier Foundation Primer (30ml) rrp £19
• James Read Sleep Mask Tan (25ml sample) rrp £12.50
• Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara (fullsize) rrp £9.99
• Maybelline Coloursensational Lipstick (fullsize) rrp £6.99
• Annual subscription to Glamour magazine (digital version for iphone/ipad) discounted by 62%

I'm already a huge fan of Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish (although I can't use it everyday due to my temperamental skin prone to hormonal break-out's) and I adore everything by Eyeko. The products I've most wanted to try from this box were the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer and James Read Sleep Mask Tan, the concept of an overnight mask that gives you a gorgeous glow in the morning is a winner for me.

I've purchased a few of the Glamour collaborations with Latest In Beauty and this has to be my absolute favorite as I genuinely will use every product! I imagine these boxes will go quite quickly so head on over to Latest In Beauty and buy yours today...you wont be disappointed!