Gone in November...

So the title of this post is inspired by this song by Wyclef Jean 'Gone 'Til November', it's quite a chill tune for a monday night!

So these are the products I have used up in the last month or two, I have been trying to 'shop my stash' I just seem to have a lot more in my 'stash' than I realised! Ooops!

There is a bit of variety here, some I will repurchase others I will not.  I make it sound so complicated eh?!

So, the hair...

Batiste Dry Shampoo for dark and deep brown hair.  I posted about this waaaay back in March, here, and this is me just finishing up the can! I won't be repurchasing this which is a shame as the shade is great for my dark hair but the fallout is not a good look.  Also, I find this seems to make my scalp feel quite itchy and irritated, not something I usually have a problem with.

Percy & Reed  Totally TLC Hydrating Mask.  I used up some Percy & Reed products in my September empties post, here, and my opinion of the Totally TLC hydrating mask is similar.  It is a bit too hydrating for my fine hair so I use it before shampooing.  It contains marshmallow and coconut oil to nourish and moisturise.  As with the other products, I feel this is overpriced for what it is, it has a subtle, clean smell but no coconut.  It is easy to apply, it's not thick like alot of other hair masks.  I didn't notice much a difference in my hair.

Finally, KMS Hair Play Makeover Spray from my recent birchbox, here.  This is nice, my boyfriend sniffed my head and told me I 'smelt like fruit' thanks to this little nugget! I do like it, the powder is quite white unless you do it from a good distance.  I would repurchase but £10+ for a dry shampoo is a bit on the steep end for me. 

The face...

Rimmel Match Perfection Loose Powder in Transparent.  Rimmel are pretty dependable and I would say this powder has never completely blown me away but it sets my make up well enough, doesn't oxidise (get yellower/darker) throughout the day like the Clear Complexion one, doesn't cake and isn't too yellow.  I think I would repurchase this as it is good for the price and it does last quite a while.  It doesn't really do much in the way of minimising pores though. 

Elizabeth Arden All Gone Eye and Lip Make up Remover, phew, that's a mouthful! I got this deluxe sample size as a gift with purchase last year and it has lasted me for quite some time.  I Like the duo-phase make up removers, I think oil is much more efficient at removing mascara whilst still being gentle to the eye area.  You just shake this up so the liquids mix and put a dash on some cotton wool and apply to eyes, simples. I would repurchase this but would like to explore other varieties from other brands - I have heard the body shop camomile one is really good.

The Bod... 

Soap & Glory Heel Genius.  I think this is my third tube of this and I have a fourth waiting to take its place.  This is best applied after you have given your feet a bit of a pamper and finished off with some cotton socks or booties overnight and you will wake up with lovely, soft feet.  It has a slightly menthol smell to it and is lovely and cooling on hot feet after a days work.

Soap and Glory Mist You Madly fragranced body spray.  As much as I love Soap & Glory, I am actually glad this is finished.  This is a rather heavy floral, I didn't think it was a fruity floral as it claims on the bottle and a few minutes after spraying this on my body or my clothes, I couldn't really detect any scent.  This has been living in my work locker for the last year and a half trying to be used up!  I won't be repurchasing this I'm afraid.

Lastly, Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream Intensive body moisturiser.  If you don't like the smell of the original 8 hour cream, chances are you won't like this.  I found this easiest to use on my hands and arms, it is a very thick cream and it felt quite 'stiff' to rub into my skin, almost like using a shower gel without being in the shower... Was great on my hands though.  I think this would be best for targeted areas such as knees, elbows and shins but as an all over moisturiser, it just requires too much elbow grease.

And that's that! 

Scary to think the next time I do one of these posts will be 2014!

One point I will mention, I  cut the ends off most of my squeezy tubes etc as there is often a few more uses worth left in the tube.  I got another 5 applications from the Elizabeth Arden!

Have you tried any of these products?

What scents do you like in your lotions and potions?

Hugs,

Jodi

xxx

Weekend Mani #15

Pinch, Punch, it's the first of the month!

December, seriously?!?  I was feeling a little bit Christmas-y this weekend and so this weekends mani definitely reflects that.  I was also at a a wedding and was wearing a berry coloured dress and so this colour complimented my dark hair and dark outfit quite well. 

Meet 'Honey Ryder' one of the delectable Bond Girls released this year as part of a six piece liquid sand collection by O.P.I. 

Love it. I applied this on a minibus, in the dark, going up some country roads to my chums wedding venue (we were going for the evening reception as we had both been working all day.) This went on like a dream, you could pretty much get away with one coat of this, similar to the other liquid sand, 'Get Your Number' , here.

The colour was more of a metallic sandy gold and dried down well.  It wasn't too gritty but the texture definitley gave it an extra dimension and gave a twist to what could have been a very safe mani.  Did I mention I love it?! I have a wee tutorial coming up involving this which would be great for christmas ;-) 

It doesn't have a multitude of different glitter particles, it does just appear to be a proper 'suits any skin tone' gold.  It doesn't lean too warm, too bronze or too cool, it's just right. I fear I may be starting to gush a little! 

The one problem that I'm finding is that it seems to be sold out on a lot of sites, what I would recommend is to keep an eye on sites such as nailpolishdirect, asos etc in case they restock (it is gold and it is christmas so we can hope!).  You can also get it on the likes of Amazon and ebay but always be wary that there are quite alot of fakes going around nowadays.  Also be aware that polishes sent from the states may never reach you as there are a lot of restrictions in place regarding posting polishes now. Phew.

In this picture, I'm trying to show that although it is a textured polish, it doesn't leave nails looking all bumpy and uneven.  I don't mind the texture of the Liquid Sand polishes but I know for some people it's a big no-no, that is something to keep in mind if you are thinking about buying it for someone else.

The colour doesn't change much in different light sources either.  As I mentioned, it applies easily, even on a minibus, and it has the typical O.P.I pro-wide brush.  It dries super duper quick and after 36 hours I had no chips and that was with no base coat *gasp* and no topcoat.  I didn't get round to trying it with topcoat to see if that changed it much. 

Ideally I would have used the foil method, see here for that, to remove this polish but it's going to be another one of those walking to work whilst removing my polish mornings tomorrow.  Pretty much dragging the weekend out as long as possible!

Also, there is a facebook group called 'Nail Sale' where a lot of lovely ladies buy and sell polishes, I think this is where I got this one.  Some polishes may be brand new, some may be swatched once or twice but for brands such as O.P.I and Nails inc, you can sometimes get them at half price.

Have you tried any Liquid Sands?

Have you got an Advent Calender this year??

Hugs,

Jodi xxx

Maybelline 'The Rocket' - Did it blow me away?

Happy Friday Peeps!

Recently, I went out to meet some chums and in my haste, I completely forgot to put on mascara!  I don't know how it happened but luckily once I got into twon, there was a boots still open.  As I was running late, I prettty much grabbed the first mascara off the first make up stand!

As a result, I got 'The Rocket Volum' Express' by Maybelline in the shade 'Very Black'.  I should also point out that this is the waterproof version.   

Maybelline claim that lashes will have 8x more volume or Volum'(?) using their Jet Glide brush with Felxi-Fine bristles which prevent clumps forming.  The Brush is one of those plastic spoolies and it is rather fat.

My lashes with no mascara

My lashes curled with these eyelash curlers and one coat of Maybelline 'The Rocket' at 8.30am

With the fat brush, I do find it hard to not get mascara on my eyelid when applying.  This is fine for during the day when I don't bother with eye make up for work but if I had just spent ages doing a smokey eye, I would be a bit miffed!! 

This is my lashes at 10pm.  I have not applied anymore mascar nor have I curled them again.

My first impressions of this mascara were that it was absolute rubbish! It gave no lift to my lashes, it barely looked like I had even put mascara on and it was not improved with two coats.  However, when I applied it after curling my lashes first, my opinion has gone full circle to really rating this! Once my lashes are curled, I find this really helps them to hold a curl like no other mascar I have tried before, I don't know if it is because the formula is waterproof but it definitely holds its own and a curl.  As for the water proof part, it does the job, I managed to walk to work in the rain without having mascar all down my face, always a bonus! It does make it a bit more troublesome to remove though but just go gentle and try and use an oi based remover.

I would recommend this mascara if your lashes are long enough to be curled, otherwise I didn't feel it offered much definition itself.

Have you tried Maybelline Mascaras before?

Have you tried any coloured mascaras lately?

Hugs,

Jodi

xxx

Birchbox take two!!

I mentioned on my previous Birchbox post, here, that I used a code which allowed me to get another, free, box.  I was under the impression that the free box would be another October one but alas, it was Septembers! Not entirely the products I would have went for but can't complain really as it was free after all!!

Again, the box is packaged in the sturdy cardboard box, which is now currently storing some candles, the birchbox emblazoned bag, some info cards and a magazine giving you a more in-depth guide to the products included in the box.

So here's the menu, this box is geared towards London fashion week and how to recover from it! It also tells you which products are available in the Birchbox e-shop.

First impressions when I opened the box, before even opening the bag was that there was some sort of aromatherapy type product in and I wasn't wrong! The Aromatherapy Associates 'Revive' Body Gel is very strongly scented! So much so that the little teeny bar of Green and Blacks white chocolate (lifestyle extra) was inedible! My waist says that is not a bad thing! Again, a good mix of skincare and make-up products are included.  Molton Brown is a brand that I have never really gotten to grips with but am hoping this will change after using the 'Ylang Ylang' Nourishing Body Lotion.  Bioderma Sensibo H2O is a micellar water that is raved about on almost every blog out there so I'm interested to see if it's worth the hype.

Also included in the box were a ModelCo. Lipstick in the shade 'Kitty' and a lovely purple nail polish from  Révérence De Bastien in shade 'No 11'.  I can't wait to try the nail polish, it looks like a lovely autumn bright.  The lipstick smells like sweeties! I'm going to go out on a limb here and say I don't think the colour is for me but I will try it out. If all else fails, I know my boss will suit it! 

And there you go, September's Birchbox.  A good range of products and many names that I have heard of so I am excited to get to try them out.

Do you get Beauty Boxes?

Have you tried Bioderma, does it live up to expectaions?

Hugs,

Jodi 

xxx

Argh! I got me some Lime crime!

**This is quite a long post with many pictures! Just an FYI**

A few weeks ago, I decided that I was going to order myself a few Lime Crime lipsticks.  I had put it off for so long as I don't wear lippie that much and they are relatively expensive but the lure of the unicorn proved too strong and I bit the bullet *pun totally intended*.

I ordered directly from the website, here and they arrived all the way from the US in about 8 days, not bad!

First off, the packaging!  Even the box was super colourful and really cute.  The lipsticks themselves were well wrapped in lilac and lime green tissue paper.

Even the invoice was lilac!! Also included was a Lime Crime badge, which was a nice touch.

Here is the sole reason for me doin' the deed and purchasing these badboys - HOLOGRAPHIC UNICORNS!!!!! Amazing, although I'm getting totally OCD about having them lining up now. 

The three shades I bought were, 'Babette', 'Geradium' and 'Centrifuschia'. Each one of these cost $16.50, I think (the website is currently down so can't check but they certainly were not more than this).

I had originally ordered 'Great Pink Planet' but then discovered I had meant to order 'Centrifuschia', I sent off an email to their customer services as soon as I had realised my mistake and I got a reply within 24 hours to let me know my order had been changed! Big points to Lime Crime's customer service dept. for that! 

Poor 'Babette' arrived ever so slightly scuffed but she had travelled quite a distance so I let her off.

Nude usually isn't ma thang as my lips are naturally quite pigmented and with my pale skin, I'm aware I can look quite 'moon-faced' if my make-up doesn't bring out my features.

'Babette' isn't like all the other nudes out there though, she is an apricot based nude and so brings a bit of warmth to the features without making teeth look too yellow.  I wore this with a daytime smokey eye but I think I would love to try it with a full blown smoked out look. This was opaque in one swipe, I would like to find a lip liner to go with this.

 

'Geradium' is the most perfect pinky coral I have ever had the joy of holding in my hand! 

Making lips look full and juicy, the beautifully pigmented 'Geradium' goes on opaque in one coat and is just lovely, lovely, lovely! 

Please excuse the flaky bit in my top lip, that is not the lipstick, merely me chewing my lips whilst having a cold and missing a bit whilst exfoliating my lips!

'Centrifuchsia' is the diva of the group.  Again, superbly well pigmented, it goes on nice and smoothly with a nice sheen to it which after a few hours of eating and drinking is still firmly in place albeit slightly less shiny.

This picture is from the morning AFTER the hen night that that I wore this to, amazing staying power as I had taken my make up off when I got home!  Defo two thumbs up for this one if you need something that's going to last.  

A few more swatches, again, these were done with just one swipe of the bullet.

I would really recommend these, 'Babette' was probably the least long wearing out of the three, needing topped up after two hours with no eating and drinking.  These are superbly opaque and would be great to pop in your handbag for a quick burst of colour.  

I would love to see Lime Crime take out lip liners to compliment these shades.

*** Lime Crime are having a Black Friday sale where you can get 30% off from 9am EST on 29th Nov until 11.59 EST on 30th Nov.  This could help sway you if the $10.95 delivery is putting you off!

You can also get Lime Crime cosmetics from Cocktail Cosmetics, here.

I have a few more on my wish list, one being 'Poison Berry' and another 'Glamour 101', not bad for someone who 'doesn't really do lipsticks...'

Have you tried Lime Crime Lipsticks before?

What are your 'go to' shades? 

Meet the Infamous Mary-Lou Manizer

Ooooh, I love me some cheeky packaging! Benefit, Soap & Glory and now theBalm cosmetics.

Wanted for being too pretty, meet Mary-Lou Manizer. This is a golden honey hued highlighter that is rather multi-talented. 

Love the packaging! I'm all for the cheeky, retro pin-up style so this is right up my street, so kitsch it hurts!!

The compact itself is a sturdy silver job complete with mirror and weighs in at 8.5 grams of product.  For £15 this is slightly more expensive than Soap & Glory's 'Glow all out' luminizing powder, which retails at £11 for 7.5 grams.  I got this as a pressie fromThe Boy, it was in the feelunique sale and he got 10% off too as a first time customer (he bought my Caudalie Eau Fraiche that I posted about here at the same time). 

The highlighter itself is a golden champagne colour, usually I would go for a more pearlescent type such as Benefit high beam but I find this actually adds a really lovely warmth to my face.  

It can be used as an eye-shadow, an all over shimmer or as a highlighter on cheekbones, brow bones etc.  I particularly like a really light dusting of this down the centre of the nose.  

Look at how pigmented it is! 

It has a buttery soft texture although there is a little fall out.  Personally, I feel the shimmer would be too much all over the face but as a highlighter, this really is lovely. it is also great as a shimmery base for a smokey eye as it really helps brighten up the inner corners of the eye.

I use my Real Techniques blush brush or contouring brush for this along with a very light hand.

I have got my eye on several other theBalm cosmetics offerings, first on my list is the Nude'Tude palette.

Have you tried theBalm cosmetics before?

Do you like gimmicky packaging?

Hugs,

Jodi

xxx

Cuticura, caring for your hands and health

As it is Monday *sigh*, the nail polish came off last night, okay this morning on the walk to work and my hands are now requiring a bit of TLC for the working week.  

I spend 70% of my day gelling my hands with the bog standard, 'is it just vodka?' hospital hand gel and it can really take it's toll on my hands.  Especially now the temperatures have definitely dipped here. 

 Sidenote:  One day, I will do a post where I DON'T mention the weather...one day!

This is where this handy little chap comes in...

Cuticura have been a brand I've known of for years.  It is one of those brands that are just 'there' like Atrixo or Pond's.  It's almost like, they do what they do and get on with it.  The fact that the company has been around for years and years without spending a bundle on flash adverts and celebrity endorsements, shows that their products must be doing something right!

The scent I have is 'Passion Flower and Mango' which is definitely a lot nicer than the plain stuff and makes me less fearful that my patients will think I have been drinking on the job!  It is a nice, fresh fragrance and the gel itself dries in really quickly, great if I need to put gloves straight on.  

It claims to kill 99.99% of bacteria, which again is great for this time of year in particular.  I have had my flu jab but that doesn't protect you from everything and so such anti-bacterial claims are very welcome.

It doesn't leave my hands feeling dry and tight either.

This comes in two sizes, 50ml and 100ml.  I like the 50ml for my uniform pocket, it fits perfectly.

They have a great range of products, more than I realised and I'm intrigued by their hand serums and the black pepper and pomegranate handwash sounds lovely for winter washing!

You can pick these up in Boots and Superdrug and they are only about £2 for the 100ml.  Alternatively, you could order it online with your grocery shopping if you shop at Tesco, here.

Have you tried Cuticura products before?

Do you carry hand sanitisers around or is that a bit OCD for you?

Hugs,

Jodi

xxx