Essence Haul

essence make up

Playa den Bossa in Ibiza is not known as a shopping destination but I managed to track down an Essence concession in the local pharmacy on the strip. Whilst we can get Essence in the UK I've yet to visit a Wilko store and have a hands on look at the range. This was the perfect opportunity to treat myself to one or two items to try and so far I haven't been disappointed.

After tweeting for some advice the overwhelming response was their mascaras so I picked up two to try. The first i love extreme crazy volume mascara is amazing. The first day I tried it I couldn't believe how long and thick it made my lashes. I have never seen anything like it. I feel like I'm wearing false eyelashes and I'm in danger of them hitting my eyebrows as I flutter!

To give a well rounded opinion as mentioned this is a thick formula and as such it's better served when you wipe off any excess onto a tissue as things can get messy but otherwise this mascara after only a few uses is well on it's way to becoming a favourite.

With so many mascaras on offer from Essence I couldn't resist picking up a second, get BIG! lashes triple black mascara. I'd call this the younger sister of the previously mention 'i love extreme' as whilst it gives long lashes once again it's more of a softer look. This is a great day mascara for those that want to have length to their lashes but aren't interested in anything too heavy. That said I do prefer the other out of the two.

I'd had my eye on the blush up! powder blush in Heatwave for some time if only for aesthetic reasons as I just loved the colour. With one solitary compact sitting on the shelf it was meant to be. Aside from my having some difficult with opening the palette which has resulted in my nail scratching across the surface and ruining it's pristine condition this is a fantastic blush which is comparable to Tarte. Heavily pigmented this gives a a perfect flush of colour to cheeks. Matte it may be but I find it doesn't appear flat and more importantly it stays in place all day. I adopt the approach of swirling my brush amongst the palette to get the desired effect that works for me but if you're more attentive than I you might want to target the specific colours on each side. I'm definitely keen to try more blushes from Essence. 

My final pick was i love stage - eyeshadow base. Usually I use Mac's Painterly Paint Pot as a base or if I'm looking for real longevity Urban Decay's Primer Potion so I was keen to see how a cheaper product would fair. The eyeshadow base from Essence is extremely creamy and feels like concealer compared to my other options, especially as Painterly is now at the dryer end of it's life. It can feel a little greasy on the eyes but for someone with oily eyelids and at this time of year it's working well to keep eyeshadow in place. It's definitely not going to replace my other options but it's a good option to choose when looking to save a few pennies.

Having tried these four products with success I'll definitely be making sure I seek out a Wilko store to see what else is on offer. Have you tried Essence before?

Sephora Z Palette & Mac Eyeshadow Collection

Sephora Z Palette

Way before I knew beauty blogging was 'a thing' I loved Mac eyeshadows. Above are some of my first Mac eyeshadow purchases and yes I was pretty bold - no neutrals here. I used to purchase them as singles until deciding to depot them and store in large Mac compacts.

When I was heading to Dubai I wanted to take some of these bolder colours away to play with but the Mac palettes aren't the most travel friendly and larger than I would like. Then I remembered the Sephora Z palette I had purchased and was sitting unused in a drawer.

I have the smaller sized palette which in comparable Mac terms would house four eyeshadows but the trusty Z palette holds nine which is pretty amazing in my mind. I have often found that I always seem to want just one more shadow to play with when using my Mac palette and the Z palette clearly knows this.

Z palettes are slim, magnetic palettes which allow you to put any combination of products, be they blushes or eyeshadows as you chose. I'm now very tempted to start depotting all my eyeshadows and blushes and putting them in Z palettes.

If you're interested to know how I initially depotted my Mac eyeshadows it was pretty easy but must be done with care. You can see plenty of YouTube tutorials online but in short you heat up the item you want to depot (I used hair straighteners) to loosen the glue and using a pin or similar ease the shadow out of it's holder. Be very careful at this stage as the metal of the product will be hot!

The Sephora Z Palette even comes with what looks like a cuticle pusher to help you and magnetic strips for adhering the products to the palette, although at the time I used magnetic strip I brought from a local craft shop.

What I particularly like about the Z palette in comparison to the Mac versions is that you can easily remove eyeshadows at any time. With the Mac palettes because they fall into their individual slots, removing them is difficult and I've damaged colours along the way just trying to move about.

For those interested the colours in the palette are; Swimming, Wondergrass, Chrome Yellow, Orange, Creme De Violet, Parfait Amour, Freshwater, Bang on Blue and Jewel Blue. Some I think may have been discontinued but I know quite a few are still available.

Have you used a Z palette before?

Summer Holiday Essentials

Two holidays and sunshine in the UK here's the line up of must have items you need whilst enjoying or suffering (for us underground commuters) warm weather.

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Tinted Moisturiser*
Having made an appearance in my June Favourites post it's no surprises I'm highlighting this as a Summer must have. In fairness whilst I'm a big fan of the Caudalie tinted moisturiser and it is my current favourite it's symbolic of all lighter bases. Other favourites of mine include the Erborian BB Creme and Manuka Doctors ApiRefine CC Cream. No one wants to feel suffocated by their base at this time of year or certainly not on holiday and these lighter choices are the way to go.

Benefit The Porefessional
A primer is a must have whilst the sweat is on and if you're not against those with a silicone feel Benefit's Porefessional is the way to go. I have used other primers in the past but this remains my favourite and will be repurchased. I wouldn't go so far as to say that it makes pores disappear, as we all know that's not really possibly but I do find it gives me a smooth base to being applying my make up.

Percy & Reed Eau My Goodness Shine & Fragrance Spray*
This is a complete vanity product which I'm sure some will look at and ask themselves, Fragrance for the hair? Is this a step to far. I'm not going to disagree but I have to say I really enjoyed using this on my holidays particularly during the day. This would be when I'd pull hair up on to my head without washing and sitting round the pool I wouldn't be using perfume so a spray of Eau My Goodness would help me feel like I wasn't a completely mess.

Scissors
Random it may be but scissors are an absolutely necessity for me, and I don't mean fiddly little nail scissors either. From cutting tags off clothes to getting into difficult packaging a 'proper' pair of scissors always accompany me on holiday and this pair sits in my dressing table to be used as needed.

John Frieda Beach Blonde Range
Firstly I'm not blonde so anyone put off of using this range for that reason, cast your doubts aside. I'd seen the Beach Blonde range popping up on blogs of late and was intrigued how the Beach Blonde Sea Waves Salt Spray would fair against my favourite Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray. I have to say it's a pretty good and more affordable competitor - and the smell is holiday in a bottle. For coconut lovers this is one for you. I'm really into letting my hair dry naturally at the moment and a few sprays of this and I'm left with gently tousled hair that's office as well as beach ready.

I'm less enamoured with the Beach Blonde Cool Dip Purifying Shampoo and Beach Blonde Smooth Seas Detangling Conditioner although that isn't to say they're not good products. I rarely get excited about a shampoo and conditioner unless they leave with me with big bouncy hair and the these two products are designed to cleanse your hair and as such this can often leave things a little flat and therefore a frown on my face. This aside I realise the importance of using these two products when hair is piled with products, exposed to the sun and pool water and for that purpose they leave hair clean and in a far better condition.

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray
I was pleased to receive a small travel sized edition of this setting spray many moons ago and was pleased to give it a try. Whilst I used to use for nights I rarely picked up on a daily basis so I never quite got to grips with it's worth. It really stood the test of time in Dubai when I experienced heat like no other. I couldn't believe how well using this setting spray kept things in place (with of course my primer and trusty Chanel Les Beiges powder). As such I repurchased prior to heading off to Ibiza and am using daily for work and finding my make up is staying in place far longer than it ever had. This is very much becoming a daily essential.

What products must you have to hand throughout the Summer?

Bratz Are Back

#bratzareback

Last week I was invited down to The Sanderson Hotel to see the relaunch of the Bratz dolls which hit Argos website to buy this morning. The original line up of Cloe, Yarmin, Jade and Sasha have been joined by a new friend Raya as well as embracing the digital age with lots of online content such as an app and a series of websiodes on their YouTube Channel.

With the new range of dolls and playsets Bratz wanted to ensure that all girls would find a doll they can relate to and empower them to create their own Bratz world whether through the online content or the range of fashion accessories available to them.  

Starting £14.99 is the core collection of dolls 'Hello My Name Is'. Each dolls comes with an outfit to compliment their personality - all Bratz are different in their own way - and a number of accessories so that just one doll gives your child everything they need. I know my niece would have hours of fun with them. 

For older Bratz fans there is the #SelfieSnaps collection priced at £16.99 which includes items such as a phone cases and selfie sticks or if you're more of a fitness fan and prefer a more natural look on your Bratz doll then maybe the Fierce Fitness range is for you. You have Yasmin the yoga fan including her own yoga mat or maybe hiking with Cloe is your preference in her camo cargo trousers. 

At £24.99 you have the Study Abroad range, join Sasha in the UK with her tartan outfit and plate of fried eggs or maybe you'd prefer to visit Mexico with Raya and a suitcase I'm rather jealous of. 

Whilst you may not be ready for Winter the Bratz girls are ready with the SnowKissed range at £32.99 including sledges, ski's and snowboards. 

Finally there is the more expensive, larger gifts sets which would make the perfect Christmas presents. My favourite was the Sleepover Spa and Hair Studio - even the sink will really work! You can also find a remote control car or Photo Booth for your Bratz friends. 

Its a fantastic range and the new addition of online content means that it encourages children to embrace their creativity without ignoring the fact that we live in a world where children enjoy playing with iPads and watching YouTube videos. With dolls that can be enjoyed by young and older siblings alike it's fun for everyone. 

I know what my niece will be getting for Christmas, it might just make up for her disappointment that I didn't take her along to the launch! For now the full range is available at Argos but from 31st August you can find it in all your usual retailers. Can you see yourself being a Bratz fan?

Nailbox Subscription Service

Nailbox Subscription Service*

If beauty boxes have never made you want to sign up to the subscription service because you're more of a nail lover than nailbox* might be just the thing for you. Launched in April and following the usual format  of these services, every month you will receive a box of five nail items delivered directly to your chosen location. These five items will be comprised of three or four nail polishes and one or two nail tools or treatments from as little as £13.50 per month (depending on your subscription choice). 

Each box is a surprise and will contain on trend colours. You will never receive the same products twice so there should be something new for your to try each month. Also unlike other subscription services your items arrive in regular cardboard boxes to ensure that the money you pay is put towards products rather than packaging.

I received the June nailbox which contained three nail polishes from Essie, Tanya Burr and Nails Inc. Also included was blogger favourite Seche Vite Top Coat and Elegant Touch Cuticle Nippers. The value of this box is approx £45 so you're certainly getting value for money. So you might have a pair of cuticle nippers at home but I'm pleased I've received a second set as I can pop a pair into my make up bag in the office, something I've been meaning to do for some time. 

If were to express concern it might be that for example April's box contained a nail file and I'm loyal to my Leighton Denny crystal file so this might remain unused. That said the April nailbox contained four nail polishes so still proved value for money - and who doesn't need a spare nail file?

Back to the contents of this months nailbox  and I'm very keen to try the nail polish from Tanya Burr as this will be my first opportunity too try something from the range and whilst I've not been overawed by Seche Vite in the past I will be more than happy to give it another chance. Sometimes the beauty of these services is your pushed out of your comfort zone to try something new or give a product another chance. The orange might not necessarily be a colour I would choose for myself but I can't deny it's perfect for the time of year.

Unfortunately this is a UK only service but if you're keen to sign up I think it's well worth it. July's nailbox has the theme 'Tropical Treats' so I can't wait to see what is delivered to my door.

Furthermore if you are a subscriber to nailbox you are entitled 15% off every order at nailpolish.co.uk   

*PR Sample