Mini Review Mondays: L'Oreal Color Riche in Goldleaf

Hello fellow nomads,

This week's mini review is of the L'Oreal Color Riche top coat in Goldleaf. I got this as I was intrigued by the thought of putting gold leaf on my nails, and I thought it was a slightly different take on the straight-up glitter nail which I'm not normally a huge fan of. This is a little review for you in case you might be interested in picking it up, too.

I found this polish quite easy to apply. I did have to redistribute the gold leaf particles a little, but I found that two thin coats were the best way to go for a decent and even distribution. Initially I tried glooping it on to try and get more flecks all at once, but that way madness lies. Even though this is sold as a top coat, I found it wise to wear a normal top coat over it as well because the gold flecks can sometimes stick up and catch on things which is annoying, and can decrease the longevity of your nail polish. For the same reason, I'd also be careful when applying this polish not to let any gold flecks go over the edges of your nails as they can be fairly sharp. Alternatively you could just file your nail edges after application to get rid of them. In terms of wear length, I found this lasted very well and I didn't notice the gold leaf falling off as time went on.

Initially I wore this as an accent nail along with Essie's Bobbing for Baubles. I liked this look, but found it a bit difficult to do a winter appropriate nail with this which didn't look too Christmassy. So I decided to try a whole variety of shades to see what worked the best. Disclaimer: I painted these nails solely for the purpose of this post and they are a little messy! But seeing as I never planned to wear them out of the house, let's let this one slide ok?? Here goes:

The Neutrals

First up I tried some of my neutrals and wintry shades.

From left to right:

• Nails Inc - The Serpentine
• Essie - Recessionista
• Butter London - Yummy Mummy
• L'Oreal Color Riche - Rive Gauche Green
• Essie - Power Clutch (showing up a bit dark in this photo, it's more of a grey in real life)

So these did tend towards the Christmassy, even when I tried to use less obvious Christmas type shades. My favourite from this line up is Yummy Mummy from Butter London, again I'd do this as an accent nail. I also liked it with Rive Gauche Green, a khaki shade also from L'Oreal (handy), as I think the khaki-and-gold look is quite smart. I really piled it on to this nail just to see how it would look, and I have to say I don't love it - I prefer the level of application on the Yummy Mummy nail a lot more.

The Brights

Then I tried some of the brighter, more spring and summer ready shades.

From left to right:

• Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine - Pomegranate
• Nails Inc - Hampstead Gardens
• Essie - Mint Candy Applie
• Revlon - Siren
• Nails Inc - Notting Hill Gate

Overall I found these were a bit more successful, perhaps because they were slightly less conventional pairings. My favourites were Hampstead Gardens from Nails Inc and Mint Candy Apple from Essie. But really, when does Mint Candy Apple look bad?! I found Pomegranate looked too Christmassy even though it isn't by itself, and Notting Hill Gate was too Barbie like. I think this shade probably looks super cool by itself, or with a matte top coat, but if you put glitter anywhere near it (even classy glitter like this) it just looks like a 7 year old's nails. Sorry Nails Inc...

The bottom line

I really like this polish as I think it's a classy take on a glitter top coat and is something a bit unusual. You could have a bit of variety in how you apply this - as an accent nail, on every nail, using a gradient, sparsely applied, super densely applied... Ok that's about as imaginative as I can manage on a Monday. I got this for £4.99 from Superdrug but it's also available in Boots or Asda, for a whole penny less. I think that by itself it is ever so slightly on the pricey side for a top coat which you're not going to use every time (unless every day is glitter party day where you live - in which case, can I come and live there too?!), but if it's on a 3 for 2 then I think that improves things vastly and I would definitely pick this up.

Have a spangly Monday everyone,

-Rachel

The Bin Diaries Part III: Products I'm Throwing Away

Greetings fellow nomads,

Once again my bin has been heavy laden for the past few weeks as I try to use up lots of products before we might need to move house. Here's what has bitten the dust recently.

Benefit Bad Gal Lash

Thoughts: I picked this up on the recommendation of a friend and initially enjoyed it, but then They’re Real! came into my life and it was game over for Bad Gal Lash. Despite the name, I think this gives the lashes a fairly natural look, and it has good staying power and doesn't travel around your face. It's fine, but quite expensive and I've found other products I prefer.

Would I repurchase? Probably not, I think I’d go for They’re Real! Or Miss Manga instead.

Dove Pro Age moisturiser

Thoughts: I scraped every last teensy bit from this pot. I found this to be a brilliant, thick moisturiser which kept my skin hydrated when nothing else would. I first started using this 4 years ago when I had super extra dry skin, and this was the only product I found that managed to put enough moisture into my skin. I used nothing else until just over a year ago, when I started to branch out. I think my skin has changed in the past 18 months, so I don’t need the rich moisture that I once did. So it’s taken me a while to finish my last pot, but I still love it. I can’t comment in its anti ageing properties as I don't really have too many signs of ageing on my face yet – although maybe it’s responsible for my Babyface??!?! *revelatory moment*

Would I repurchase? Yes, if my skin needs a drink.

Aussie 3 mintue miracle

Thoughts: This worked to tame my hair when it was in horrible condition, and for that I will be eternally grateful. Following some ill-advised colouring that just about massacred my poor hair,  I would use this almost every day and it was amazing.

Would I repurchase? Yes, I already have, in a couple of other varieties (which I don’t think makes any difference to the results whatsoever, hey ho, as long as it keeps being amazing).

Wilko Fruity Berry Shower Smoothie

Thoughts: If you read my last empties post, you will have seen that I absolutely hated the previous purchase to this, the same product but in the Rhubarb flavour. I have no idea why I hated the rhubarb so much, but I loved this berry one. Makes no sense, hey! Of course it was just as good value as the before, at 2 for £1.50, but I actually enjoyed using this one which made all the difference. You can find it on their website here.

Would I repurchase? Yes, good value, gets you clean, job done. 

Philip Kingsley One More Day

Thoughts: This was a dry shampoo that I got in a Glamour Beauty Edit box and was excited to try. I was hoping it would give me a change from the smell of Batiste and also that it might not leave white patches. Well, success on the former but not so much on the latter. Never mind, it did a good job nonetheless and was pleasing to use. Also a good travel size.

Would I repurchase? This is quite pricey at £5.95 for the travel size of 50ml or a whopping £13.50 for 200ml. At that price, I think I will stick to Batiste.

Body Shop Moringa Scrub

Thoughts: This smelled pleasantly floral and with nice chunky bits of scrub, suspended in a body butter type scrub which didn't foam at all. It was quite different and moisturising, but there wasn't quite enough scrubbiness in it for me. I did enjoy using although the scent probably isn't one I’d choose again.

Would I repurchase? Probably not. There are scrubs out there which suit me more.

Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2

Thoughts: This large bottle took me such a long time to finish, and I was so happy when I did because I was keen to try something else. I've been using Clinique toner for years and have generally been happy with it, but I had FOMO on other toners and wanted to give them a try. So I had a few sample toners from boxes to work through and experimented with those first. Well. My skin was NOT happy. So I had to rush out pretty sharpish and get myself a replacement bottle. Luckily it happened to be bonus time and the rest is history. I haven’t found another toner that leaves my skin feeling as clean and fresh as this one does, and I love it.

Would I repurchase? Yes. It’s pretty expensive but if you can get it on bonus time that does soften the blow a little.

Has your bin been feeling the strain recently? What have you been throwing away?

-Rachel

Mini Mani Kit

Hi fellow nomads,

I have a miniature manicure kit which I've created for when I need to do my nails away from home. You may think this is a pretty niche requirement but I've actually used this in a variety of scenarios, for example: 

• At a work conference as an evening activity (what else are you going to do with the half an hour free time you get in the evening when the wifi is dodgy?!)
• Taken in my handbag round to a friend's house for the evening so I can redo my nails while we catch up on each others' lives  
• On holiday when I know my polish won't last the entire trip

So without further ado, let me show you the contents of my pretty comprehensive yet surprisingly compact kit:

Sephora Instant Nail Polish Remover

This is to take off my existing polish quickly and easily; no mess, no fuss. It’s even the correct size to be taken on a plane, if necessary.

If you can’t get hold of the Sephora one, Bourjois sell an extremely similar product available in Boots and Superdrug which is also decent, although I find the formula leaves behind a greasy residue which I'm not so keen on. 

Essie Nourish Me base coat

I'm not sure if this base coat does nourish my nails to be completely honest, but it at least makes me feel like I'm doing something worthwhile. I got mine from Fragrance Direct for £2.99 which I'm quite happy to pay for an Essie polish, but I think full price this is pretty expensive.

If I'm going for the natural look I’ll just put on a coat or two of this and leave it at that.

Colour of my choice

Today I've gone for the L'Oreal Color Riche nail varnish in Majestic Green but I would substitute this for whatever colour I feel like wearing. I don’t put too much thought into this, I just go with what I feel like at the time - bearing in mind work-appropriateness where relevant. I don't tend to try to match to my outfits because firstly I'm not that organised, and secondly I don’t like the matchy-matchy look too much. Happy accidents do happen sometimes but on the whole my nails just march to the beat of their own drum.

Essie Good To Go top coat

This top coat is speedy to dry and makes nails wear a lot longer than normal. I think this is a brilliant polish and I would pay full price for it, even though I got mine for a bargain £3.99 at TK Maxx. However, for my next top coat I think I may try something different, just to ring the changes.

Nail varnish corrector pen, Rituals

Normally I don’t bother with this as I'm fairly neat when doing my nails, and when I am not, I usually just let it come off in the shower the next morning (such a lazy girl thing to do, I know). But sometimes I do need the use of this pen (for touching up awkward cuticle smudges for example, or if I need to go somewhere right after I've painted my nails). I think this does a good job and is so much more precise than using a cotton bud soaked in acetone.

Nail cuticle treatment pen, Rituals

This pen is wonderful. It really helps my cuticles come back from the brink of utter raggedy disgustingness. I love putting this on and seeing the instant difference in the condition of my cuticles. This was a little pricey but has lasted me for ages so I think I will keep on buying this. It’s also perfect for on the go as you’re not faffing round with oils or tricky applicators.

Nail file

I actually really hate nail files, they give me the shivers. Is that totally weird? Still, they do have their uses so I carry one in the back of the pouch for emergencies. This one is looking pretty tatty now but originally it looked very pretty. It's from Paperchase and it was gift from a lovely friend, so that makes using it a bit more bearable.

Hand cream

And finally, of course, some hand cream. This is from L’Occitaine and it is nourishing and conveniently sized. I don’t love the smell but I do love the results it has on my hands so I will keep carrying it round until the tube is used up. Not long to go! Then I've got to decide what to move on to….

So that’s what I take in my Mini Mani Kit. Here it is all packaged neatly into this little pouch from Ecotools which came with a brush set, which holds it nicely and lets me see at a glance what I've got going on.

Do you carry any mini kits with you? What's in yours?

-Rachel

No7 Fanomenal Lash Serum || A Review

Has anyone ever heard of lash growth serums? Well I certainly hadn't, but there was one included in the bumper No7 Christmas set which I got in the January sales (got to love a bargain). Along with a set of perfectly normal items like a nail varnish, lip gloss, full size primer, eye palette, lipstick, etc was this intriguing tube. The No7 Fanomenal Lash Serum had the daring tag line "For a fuller lash fan in 8 weeks".

No7 Fanomenal Lash Serum by Boots

Well, I'm a science gal and there's nothing that irks me more than wild, unsubstantiated claims. I find there's a lot of these in the beauty world, preying on our insecurities and the wish to try something, anything that works. Seeing as this product came along with a set of perfectly lovely other products, I thought well, let's give it a go.

So I did. I applied this, as per the instructions, every night for at least 8 weeks. You take off all your make up and then apply this using the little brush. It sinks into the skin and has vanished by the next morning.

No7 Fanomenal lash serum - the applicator is quite neat; no messing around required

I actually ended up using this for more than 8 weeks, just to give it a fair go. Here are some before and after comparisons. Do you think I have a "fuller lash fan" in the after pictures?

The results of the Fanomenal Lash Serum - can you see a difference?

Also special bonus spot- I also used it in the inner corner of my eyebrow in the eye pictured, as after one particularly zealous threading lady I am now missing the beginning of that eyebrow. Do you think the serum helped it grow back a bit? I left my eyebrows completely untouched for the full 8+ weeks (yikes) so you can see the natural regrowth (with no serum) under the arch for comparison.

Can you see a difference here? Other than some really eyebally eyeballs?

As ever, apologies for the bad lighting/bloodshot eyes/stray hairs/odd angles, but that's just how it is. They're illustrative. Let's move on to the summary:

Good things

• This didn't sting or irritate my eyes after application, even when I was particularly clumsy with the little brush.
• The applicator made putting it on pretty quick and easy.
• It sunk into the skin fairly quickly, meaning I didn't end up smearing it all over pillows or clothes.
• It is quite a viscous liquid so it stays exactly where you put it and doesn't run off down your face.

Less good things

• It is one extra thing to incorporate into your evening routine and even though it only takes a few seconds, some nights even that felt like too much.
• If I did bodge it into my eyes by accident, it didn't hurt but did make my vision blurry. Not what you want at the end of a long day.
• And the final kicker, I don't think it made a noticeable difference to the appearance of my lashes.

The verdict

Ultimately I don't think it made a difference to my "lash fan" and as such, no matter how quick and easy it is to apply, I just don't think it's worth it. I just went to look up the product for sale in Boots and was pretty surprised to see it retailing for £22.50 - that is a lot for something that makes little to no visible difference to my lashes.

Instead, I'd recommend going and getting a lash tint (or doing it yourself at home). Cheaper, instant and very noticeable results. Sorted!

-Rachel

What's in my travel toiletry bag?

Good morning fellow nomads,

I thought I’d do a follow on from my “What’s in my travel make up bag?” post and let you know what I took away with me last weekend in my toiletry bag.

L’Occitaine shampoo and conditioner duo – This is a new sample set for me and one I was keen to try out. First impressions were very good but I'll wait a bit longer before I form a proper opinion. They are the perfect size for travel and I'm glad to use something in miniature size that’s better than hotel quality.

Rituals Zensation Organic Rice Milk & Cherry Blossom Foaming Shower Gel Sensation – Long name, small product. This is gorgeous, I love it, and it’s a great treat to take away with you when travelling. I was very happy to receive this in my latest Glamour Beauty Edit box, and I do wish that Rituals sold their products in this size because it’s just so handy. And I love Rituals products, so, any excuse.

Gillette razor – This razor is new to me, as I discover rather upsettingly that it's usually cheaper to buy a new razor than new blades, due to constant promotions of Gillette's latest product. This is the Venus & Olay Sugarberry scent. It has 5 blades and 2 Olay moisture bars which are supposed to minimise dryness.

Toothbrush and Colgate travel sized toothpaste – Whilst at home I use an electric toothbrush, but when I travel I just take a normal manual toothbrush. I don’t bother with travel sized toothbrushes as I've yet to find one that does a good job, and actually a full sized one doesn't take up significantly more space or weight than a travel one. This travel toothpaste is from Boots travel section and is super handy.

Bioderma Créaline H20 Solution Micellaire and Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2 decanted into a travel bottles – These bottles are from a travel set from Wilkinson's (amazing – watch out for a post coming soon) and one contains some of my Bioderma whilst the other has some Clinique toner in it. I don't need to take very much as I don't want my bag weighed down, and the Wilko pack came with some handy stickers so you can label what is in each bottle. Also, the tops of these bottles allow you to dispense just a small amount at one time.

LJH Tea Tree 90 Essence –  This is a sample from my Memebox and I love it. I'm using it every evening after I use my toner and before I moisturise, and it’s beautiful. It’s a perfectly serviceable size for travelling, although it is glass which looks very pretty in your bathroom but isn't ideal for travelling. I wouldn't take this on a plane or anywhere it might shatter, but luckily this weekend that isn't an issue.

Holika Holika Good Cera Super Cream – I normally use a different moisturiser but it’s not very travel friendly so this time I will be taking my Good Cera cream, another of my Memebox samples. This is nice and rich to give my skin a good drink as it tends to get extra dry when I travel.

Sure Maximum Protection deodorant – This is the stuff. I discovered this fairly recently, completely by chance, and it’s brilliant. I will keep on buying this until they stop making it (please don’t stop making it Unilever).

Cotton rounds and cotton buds – I take mine in a small plastic bag so they don’t get leaked on or damp if I put bottles back into my washbag straight from the shower. The cotton rounds are for my cleanser and toner, the cotton buds for correcting any makeup disasters that happen when I'm in a hurry.

Nail clippers – Because you never know. There are a million and one uses for nail clippers whilst travelling, my particular favourite is for tag removal on new clothes (spot the shopaholic).

Tweezers – See above. I got an obnoxiously bright pair as I seem to lose tweezers like odd socks in washing machines. No chance of me misplacing these!

It's all kept in a bag which I got with a Clinique bonus time a last year. I really like this one, the green and purple are cheerful colours and it's got a purple waterproof lining too. It's a great size for fitting everything I need in, but it's not so big that it encourages me to take heaps and heaps of products.

Notable omissions:

Face wipes – this would probably be the easy choice, instead of taking separate decanted bottles of cleanser and toner, however I find that face wipes can sometimes irritate my face and when it’s already a little upset from travelling, that’s the last thing I want. So I play it safe with my travel skincare, taking the things I use every day that my skin knows and loves.

Body lotion – I will decide whether or not to take this depending on the type of trip I'm going on. For last weekend's trip, I was only going away for one night so I thought it would be ok to skip it. I also knew the bathroom I was visiting tends to be on the chilly side, and I needed to get ready quickly on the Sunday morning. All factors pointed to a big ‘no’ on the body lotion front on this occasion.

Perfume – Again, depending on the trip this will get included or excluded. This time, we weren't going anywhere smart and didn't need the extra weight so I left this behind.

That's all for this trip, what do you normally take away with you?

-Rachel

Memebox: An Update, An Obsession, A Confession

Hi fellow nomads,

I have a confession. I have been nurturing a secret obsession. There is a large hint in the title of this post - it's about the Korean beauty box company Memebox which I ordered from back in January and absolutely loved to death. I was so happy with all the products in the box, the packaging, the surprise samples, the lot. I'm still loving using the very generous sized samples and many of them have become firm favourites of mine. So I've been following the progress of the company with interest ever since I bought my box, to see whether I should buy any more.

To follow on from my first post, I should mention that I unfortunately got hit with £20 of customs charges when I bought my first box. This was more than I actually paid for the box and, as such, made it a pretty expensive purchase. This was the main thing stopping me from buying any more boxes, to be honest. So I kept an eye on a very informative thread on Makeuptalk, seeing what everyone else had experienced in the way of taxes and charges, and what the contents of subsequent boxes were therefore whether it would be worth it. For a while, I restrained myself from making a purchase because I just couldn't justify the expense, even though apparently UK Customs had stopped charging import tax on the boxes.

It's pretty difficult to get Korean beauty items here in the UK, unsurprisingly, yet they seem to be at the forefront of new developments in the beauty world (see: BB/CC creams) and have some pretty crazy inventions (see: silk cocoon balls). It's just so different to what we have in the UK, and that's why I find it so exciting. The only other options we have here is to order things blind off eBay, or try websites like sasa.com where shipping tends to be on the expensive side.

Well, at the end of last month Memebox revealed that amongst many other changes (new website, no more points system, random tax charges (later removed), shipping changes, and many more) they would no longer take orders shipping to anywhere outside the USA, Canada and Japan after the end of March. Well I was bereft. Despite not having ordered another box, I was biding my time and saving my points for a box I really wanted, because I loved my first box so very much. 

So since then, I've gone a little Memebox crazy. Seeing as I won't be able to order anything from them at all after the 31st March, I felt like it was my last chance to indulge in my obsession. After a pause, they have released a few more boxes and I'm ashamed to admit I've bought quite a few of them. Now, I have a Luckybox, a Faceshop Superbox, and I also went ahead and pre-ordered boxes 11-16 for good measure... But they worked out at less than £15 each and it's genuinely such an exciting treat for me that I don't feel quite so bad. Also, this is really the end of it for me as I can't buy any more after the end of the month anyway!

I think I have a problem!

Do you have any beauty compulsions? Please let me know so I can feel less bad about this!

-Rachel

What’s in my travel make up bag?

Hi fellow nomads,

We’re away visiting this weekend, and I'm packing tonight in readiness. I’m always a last minute packer, if I have to pack any sooner I tend to get annoyed that all the things I need to use are in a suitcase and not where I need them. Then I will invariably forget something because I thought I’d packed it but hadn't, or more usually, I had packed it but had then unpacked it in order to use it.

Anyway, packing woes aside, here is what I will be taking away with me this weekend in my makeup bag. I don’t need to take very much because it’s just a short visit (only one face application needed) and there are no special occasions to pack for; just one regular day face.

The contents of my travel make up bag. If only they could travel so neatly.

Products: 

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer – I don’t love this but it comes in a tiny tube which is perfect for travelling, and I'm trying to use it up.

Une 100% Mineral Foundation in M03 – This is my go-to, tried and tested face base.  It gives light but buildable coverage and a natural finish, and matches my skin tone wonderfully. Devastatingly, it's no longer available in the UK but I've bought all the stocks I can from Fragrance Direct and in the mean time I'm trying to branch out to try and cushion the inevitable sad day when I finally run out.

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat – Sometimes when I travel, my skin can look a little bit lacklustre. This pen adds a touch of radiance and covers up any bags should I not get a perfectly restful night of sleep in a strange bed.

Elizabeth Arden Advanced Eye-Fix Primer – Another great sized tube for travel, I do actually really enjoy this product – see my review here.

L’Oreal Miss Manga mascara – This made it to my February favourites and I have worn it every day for the past month. Love. It.

Nyx Butt Naked Eyes palette – I love this palette for travelling. It has 15 subtle eyeshadows to choose from in a range of finishes, 4 blushes, 2 highlighters and a bronzer. I can do the majority of my face in this, and I love all the shades. It’s rare you can say that about a palette! See my review here.

No7 Moisture Drench lipstick in Plum Beautiful – this is a gorgeous shade that is just slightly more bold than a nude but also doesn't stand out too much either. This is quite new to me but I've been wearing it a lot recently.

Tools of the trade:

Ecotools retractable kabuki brush

Ecotools large powder brush

Ecotools blush brush

Ecotools highlighting brush

Ecotools angled eyeliner

H&M eyeshadow brush

Clinique brush

Have you got any travel plans for the weekend?

-Rachel

Percy & Reed Quintessential Quick Fix

Greetings fellow nomads,

I've noticed quite a few Percy & Reed products floating around the blogosphere recently, as I think they have been present in a few beauty boxes including my own Glamour Beauty Edit. I enjoyed their Volumising Mousse a lot, particularly the scent, so when I found the Quintessential Quick Fix set on sale I snapped it up.

Percy & Reed Quintessential Quick Fix

The set contains a bumper 6 products all designed to help you out when you're in a hurry. They are:

Texturising Spray: I usually use dry shampoo to give my hair volume, but the white patches it leaves behind in my hair really annoy me. So I'm hoping this will add texture to my hair without leaving me looking like a granny!

Dry Shampoo: As above, I'm always on the lookout for a dry shampoo that a) doesn't leave white patches in my hair and b) smells nice but not overpowering (sometimes I find the Batiste scents a bit much). I have high hopes for the latter, based on the beautiful smell of the Volumising Mousse which I previously tried.

Session Hold Hairspray: I don't use hairspray very much, because I personally find that all it does is make my hair sticky or wet-looking, and then doesn't even hold the style. So we will see how I get on with this!

Dry Conditioner: This is apparently all the rage now - a dry conditioner?! Crazy. I'm not sure how this is different from a Tigi Finishing Spray for example, but I will see what all the fuss is about.

Bodifying Cream: A what now? The description says it gives "bountiful body" and "a gorgeously glossy, shiny finish". You apply it to towel dried hair before styling, with extra at the roots for a boost - now how is this different to the volumising mousse, I wonder?

Finishing Polish: I think this is sort of a cross between a serum and a wax or gel. It gives a small amount of hold whilst making your hair glossy. This sounds good to me, as my hair can tend to the unruly side.

They're all a great size for travel, needless to say, because they're exactly the kind of products you'd want with you when you're on the move. I'm really looking forward to trying these out!

Have you tried any of the Percy & Reed products? What did you think?

-Rachel

Sneaky Boots Shopping- feat. No7, Bourjois, Rimmel and more

Hi fellow nomads, 

Last night I did a quick after-work-dash to Boots and managed to pick up a surprising number of things. The reason for my trip was actually to exchange some items I’d bought at the weekend, but while I was there, I took an accidental detour via the makeup section. I then thought that seeing as I had some points on my Advantage card, it would be a shame not to use them. Here's what snuck itself into my basket:

L-R, standing up: No7 Pop & Glow Cream Blush; No7 Instant Radiance Highlighter; Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon; Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain; No7 Extreme Length mascara; Collection Lasting Perfection concealer; Rimmel Stay Matte powder; lying down: Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal

These products are all items that I've had on my list for a while (you know, that list you make on your phone whilst reading other peoples’ blogs. We all do it!) and were therefore mostly based on recommendations from other people. 

In vaguely photo order, I picked up:

No7 Pop & Glow Cream Blush in Classic Rose – this is fairly new to the No7 line up, a range which I personally feel is generally underrated. I’ve seen a couple of people post about these and really enjoy them so I thought I’d give them a try. There were three shades available, so I got the most 'classic' shade although I'm quite tempted by the very pale pink.

No7 Instant Radiance Highlighter – see above. Everyone loves a good highlight, and I currently only own powder ones. I thought I’d expand my makeup repertoire and see if this is any good.

Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon in Peach on the Beach – I love my Clinique chubby stick so very much, so I thought I’d try a couple of other chubby stick type products. This sheer shade is quite different to anything else I own and I’m hoping that by wearing it, I will encourage the onset of spring (and preferably a beach! Now we’re talking...).

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey – again, see above. This looks a bizarre shade on the tube and I’d never have even picked it up to swatch it if I hadn’t seen a glowing review about it. I’ve tried this one already and I pretty much love it.

No7 Extreme Length Waterproof mascara in Black – I wrote about No7 Extreme Length mascara in one of my previous empties posts, and I needed a mascara with a fairly natural finish that's also waterproof (because we are entering Wedding Season!) so I thought I’d give the waterproof version a go.

Collection Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer in Light – I needed a concealer (just had to throw my old one away - look out for it in an upcoming empties post, there's a fairly shameful story behind it) and this has been raved about by all quarters so I felt it was finally time to give this one a whirl. It’s so reasonably priced that it would be a shame not to! 

Rimmel Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder in 001 Transparent – I don’t own any finishing powders (I know, what am I) but felt in need of a translucent powder for setting things. This didn't look particularly translucent in the pan but I read good reviews of it so I will persevere.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in 005 Nude – there are numerous uses for a good nude eyeliner, and this will mostly be going in my waterline to make me look awake when I am not. I'm looking forward to seeing how waterproof this really is!

As you can see I was on a “my face but better” kick; I've already tried out some of the products this morning and they did wonders on my tired Wednesday face.

Full reviews to follow, no doubt! Let me know if there’s anything you are particularly interested in, or have tried yourself.

Until then, I'm off to play with my new toys...

-Rachel

The Bin Diaries Part II: Products I'm Throwing Away

Hi fellow nomads,

Welcome back to The Bin Diaries. It's been a pretty full few weeks for my poor bin so here are all the products I've used up and what I thought of them.

nSpa melting cleansing gel

Thoughts: Initially I was taken with the novelty of this product, as it’s a gel which turns to a foam when mixed with water. So you put it on to your face as a gel and then when you wash it off, it turns to a foam. After the initial excitement had worn off, however, it did get a little boring. I didn't notice this cleanser doing an outstanding job on my face – just average. 

Would I repurchase? Probably not, because I think there are products on the market which do more than this. They do tend to be more expensive however, so if my budget was really stretched I’d consider getting this again.

Bioderma mini

Thoughts: I got this in Paris back in September and have been saving it for travel. It got used up pretty quickly because I've been travelling around a fair bit since then, plus this is such a great product. It already made my November favourites so of course I loved it. This removes all my makeup and doesn't irritate my skin at all, or dry it out. I love this so much.

Would I repurchase? Yes, always, every day. It’s a bit pricey but I got two giant bottles for €19.90 (approx. £8.20 per 500ml, what a steal) from Paris which I'm still working through. When I go back to Paris next, I will be restocking!

Clinique Sparkle Skin exfoliator

Thoughts: This was part of a bonus time long ago, and I kept using it a bit and then getting bored and moving on. This is fine as exfoliators go, with a reasonably pleasant, if slightly clinical, scent. The grains are very fine and it foams ever so slightly. However, I feel that I've tried other exfoliators that I've enjoyed more, partly because of better exfoliation powers or a more enjoyable scent.

Would I repurchase? Given the price point of a full size of this, probably not. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn't worth £22.50.

Wilko Zingy Rhubarb Shower Cream

Thoughts: Normally I'm a huge fan of Wilkinson's own brand shower gel, because it’s inexpensive (2 for £1.50!) and gets the job done. I usually get the mint or the lime flavour, but recently decided to branch out and try this rhubarb flavour. Well, I should have stuck to what I know because this was just so weird! I found the rhubarb scent so strange; it was like washing in pudding. I don’t know why it bothered me so much, because I wash in fruity or herby scents all the time but I just couldn't get on with this at all. I mean, it did a fine job with the washing, but it was just… pudding. Even my husband didn't like it and he will wash with pretty much anything.

Would I repurchase? Noooooo

Lacura lip balm

Thoughts: This is Aldi’s own brand of lip balm. It’s extremely good value (of course it is, it’s from Aldi), but they do keep changing what flavours they sell so I'm not sure whether this is available for purchase any more. This was your standard plain lip balm. It did a good job of moisturising my lips and keeping everything under control. You can get much more exciting products, but this does a good job and is a great price. It’s also in a stick form which I much prefer to pots or squeezy tubes. 

Would I repurchase? Yes, if it’s still stocked

Batiste dry shampoo

Thoughts: I think most people will have tried Batiste at some point so I’ll keep this brief. A travel size container of this beauty bloggers’ staple, this was invaluable whilst out and about. The smell did get a bit boring by the end and there’s the perennial white-patch problem but other than that, great.

Would I repurchase? Yes, I just found 2 full size and 1 travel size cans of Batiste in my cupboard so…

Ananya spray

Thoughts: Retro! I don’t think The Body Shop even sell this any more! Does anyone else remember getting those gift sets for Christmas which came in a wicker basket, filled with tissue paper with a shower gel, lotion, soap and spray nestled in?! Those were the days.

Anyway, this spray bottle was embarrassingly old, and I rediscovered it whilst cleaning out some things at my parents’ house. I sprayed a little to test and I think it has gone off so in the bin it goes, sadly.

Would I repurchase? If it was still sold, maybe! Reminds me too much of being a teenager though so I might skip it in favour of a more grown up scent.

Those are the products I've thrown away this month. Have you tried any of them? What did you think?

Until next time bin,

-Rachel