Brilliant Brunettes

Today's post is an extension of my monthly empties and appropriately so before I say goodbye to a full head of brunette hair and make some changes for Summer. Three products I'm sharing are three that I've used for a long time, on and off over the years and will be recognised by you if you're a regular reader.

John Frieda's Brilliant Brunette range has been used by me for years and I often purchase the travel sizes for holiday, knowing it's a shampoo and conditioner that works for me. When I used to colour my hair I would dabble in the other colour ways, blonde in Summer to bring out lighter tones and even the red head version when I had highlights. Whether it was physiological or not I don't know but I felt it worked a treat.

When I had shorter hair I was a big fan of the Sheer Blonde Spun Gold wax which is sadly now discontinued and it's quite possible I may need to explore more from the range after today with my newly coloured and cut hair.

If you're a brunette and looking for a shampoo and conditioner duo made with crushed pearls and sweet almond oil to bring out rich tones and add shine without grease then seek these out.

And another mention and can of Batiste Brunette Dry Shampoo bites the dust this month. Its usually just habit that I reach for the brunette version, especially as lately I've been using the 'regular' versions and whilst there's an initial obvious powder it is quickly brushed out and doesn't cause me any bother but there's nothing wrong with good habits.

What products do you reach for that are specific to your hair type?

Art Deco Arctic Collection Review

It's Spring and I'm fully aware that I should be sharing products from Art Deco like their Field of Flowers Blush or their new bronzing collection but it's rather grey and wet in London today so it seems almost appropriate.

The Arctic Collection from ArtDeco was released for Winter 2015 and I was lucky enough to receive products from there range and as there are still some available and my sister in law is still raving about the range I thought it was worth a post.

Starting with getting the blurb out of the way, ArtDeco is Germany's no.1 selling make up brand and it's slowly making waves in the UK and deservedly so. The Arctic Collection drew its inspiration from the arctics ice crystals, auroras and glacial landscapes. To me if feels and looks like it's a grown up Frozen make up line so if you're looking to channel your inner Queen Elsa then look no further.

Diving straight into the range with four nail colours. I've used ArtDeco nail lacquers before and these are all pearly, icy shades which I would not really be drawn to wearing. My SIL on the other hand loves them and has even found layering on darker shades create some wonderful effects so they're worth experimenting with.

Shade 04, Couture Crushed Ice* is a pearlescent, shimmery shade, as is 08 Couture Frozen Land* but in a silver tone. If you're into a nude nail with a pink overtone then the milkier coloured 608 Couture Pearl* or 955 Couture Ice Flower* might be for you and one I'm going to return to using these as I do like a nude nail when wearing falsies.

ArtDeco nail lacquers are great in opacity, even in these lighter shades, although not so forgiving on natural nails which have damage such as ridges etc. I'm using a top coat from ArtDeco at the moment which is working well and worth trying out.

The stars of the range for me are undoubtedly the Arctic Beauty Blush* and Highlighter*. Perhaps understandably so I was using the Highlighter incorrectly at first and explains why I was a little disappointed. I assumed it was for the face and lets be honest, grey does not work well as a highlighter, certainly on my skin, although interestingly the pink worked well if I could angle my brush appropriately. In fact this highlighter is in fact eyeshadow and I can totally see how this would work and I will be diving back into my pile to use it as such.

The blush on the other is simply a blush and is right up my street by way of colours. I do enjoy a blusher that has a mix of tones to swirl your brush in and liven up the face. The sun may be attempting to show its face but I'm still demonstrating the paler skin of winter so will take all the help I can get.

Moving onto the Arctic Beauty Lipsticks* which on first glance I thought were going to be a little dated for me and perhaps ageing but aside from 103 Cool Coral* which is in fact a pale shimmery shade better suited for the younger make up lovers amongst us but both 101 Cool Orchid* and 105 Cool Peach* (I must say the names don't match the colour you're seeing in my opinion) have remained to hand and are creamy texture which feel comfortable in the hand and are ideal for a natural look.

Similarly the Arctic Beauty Glam Stars Lipglosses*, which of course work well alongside the aforementioned lipsticks are a bit hit and miss shade wise for me. 31 Frozen Orchid is a perfect accompaniment to nudes when you want a little depth or worn alone if your preference. 35 Frozen Flower is a very pale, milky shade with the shimmer evident across all the range. It can be worn over lipsticks but along it's not something I'm a fan of. Again my younger friends might be more inclined.

The final products to share from the collection are where we get into full on glitter and sparkle territory. I'm not a fan but again my sister in law is wearing these constantly. As usual when I commented on her eye makeup whilst in Florida she responded 'it's the make up you gave me' (I was lucky enough to receive duplicates of the range).

The Glam Vintage Shimmer Cream* and Glam Stars Liquid Eye Liner* are fun products but not onces I can make work for me. The Shimmer Cream can be used across the body or simply on the eyes and it's wet texture makes it ideal to pat over matte shades to add some depth although it's a little too chunky for my liking. The ship has sailed where glittery eye liners are concerned but I did enjoy having a play around with it as a liner or adding a touch of sparkle to my lashes. 

And lastly a product I loved and whilst unlikely to use again, I'm rather taken with the beautiful packaging is the Arctic Beauty Dust*. Make no mistake one pump from this and you'll be sparkling so it's certainly fun for any parties or perhaps children would love a dusting of this in their hair.

Are you a fan of glitter and sparkle?

*this post contains press samples

Vichy LiftActiv Serum Review

There has been a lot of skincare testing going on at home over the past couple of months and today I'm talking about a favourite brand, Vichy and two products from their LiftActiv range which for arguments sake we'll say is for the 30+ bracket.

Vichy's LiftActiv range includes Rhamnose which is a natural derived anti-ageing active ingredient to address wrinkles and loss of firmness. If I could claim to have a 'favourite' skincare ingredient it is of course Hyaluronic Acid to tackle my dehydrated skin as a smoker and one of the newest serums to the Vichy LiftActiv Serum 10 Supreme* contains this in abundance.

As with all Vichy serums you'll recognise the familar luxe bottle style, although in this instance you have a dropper to dispense the product. I found this didn't work particularly well for me, and interestingly had the same experience with a similar serum type which I'll share with you another time.

Luckily this is a thin, lightweight serum so it was easy to use the dropper to pick up the product but simply wiping off what was in place. How I'll get on towards the end of the bottle I'm not sure but that's no different than any product in this style of bottle which cannot be cut in half.

I found that I could apply Vichy LiftActiv Serum both day and night, one or the other and my skin would always look fresher and more hydrated. It doesn't interfere with make up, absorbing into the skin quickly and I found that any fine lines were less noticeable. Skin felt so hydrated I felt as if I could forgo moisturiser - although  I didn't of course.

Well into my thirties now this is a great stepping stone product to souping up skincare regimes and if you're in the 30+ bracket it's well worth giving it a try. It's not one of the Vichy's best selling products for nothing.

An interesting product from the range is Vichy LiftActiv Serum 10 Eyes & Lashes* which I've also been testing out. Its my first time using a serum specifically for this area and you can use alongside your regular eye creams depending on your needs. I was happy to just use this alone and swapped being using day and night.

Again you have some nice packaging and it's always a plus for me when an eye cream has a pump or tube dispenser rather than a pot. There are some instructions on how to use the Vichy LiftActiv to ensure that you cover off both the eye area and lashes which I don't follow too strictly.

It's a bit of a tricky one as to when I prefer to use this product. I've dabbled both day and night and find that the pearlised finish helps brighten the eye area which can be needed after a night out yet won't cause my concealer to crease so it's perfect for mornings. Using on the lashes feels like it should be a night time activity, whilst I wouldn't say it causes any issue with mascara that I've noticed but I do worry it will.

Once again another great serum from Vichy. Have you tried it?

*this post contains press samples

Setting Sprays and Matte Lips

Firstly apologies for the less than inspiring post title but sometimes imagination escapes me and why not just say what it is. Moving on... Once again my friend in the US sent over a parcel of goodies for my birthday and included some treats from the US Drugstores.

Wet n Wild have joined their peers with the PhotoFocus Setting Spray and at $4.99 it's certainly one of the cheaper ones available. I'm going to go in straight off the bat and say that this smells horrendous. Literally like spraying alcohol on your face and as such it's not something I'd recommend and send you to the L'Oreal or Maybelline counters. I'm never sure how well setting sprays work as a standalone product, between the skincare regime, primer, foundation and all the other products I apply by the time I get to setting spray I wonder if I'm just enjoying the layering process. That said I do enjoy using my Urban Decay and L'Oreal Setting Sprays and do find that they make a difference. I think I'm unfortunately prejudiced against Wet n Wild because of the scent although it does dissipate quickly and it does seem to do no more or worse job than it's high street cousins.

Moving on to a product I love it's another Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid in Rebel Red.  I already own two of the Vivid Matte Liquids in Nude Flush and Orange Shot which I shared in my Maybelline Haul. Rebel Red is ironically more pink than red, just like they're not as matte as they claim. Nonetheless I really like this lip product and find them to have a nice pigmentation, are none drying and wear for a long time. I'm looking forward to wearing this shade more as Summer hits. Who knows, we may even get the Vivid Mattes in the UK some time soon!

Products I've used up | March 2016

I have a healthy collection of empties this month so I'll dive straight in with a bath time favourite, MOA Fortifying Green Bath Potion*. Aside from the packaging speaking to me on many levels and whilst it might not be the most cost effective product at the mere hint of a sniffle I'd be running myself a bath with this herbal blend of peppermint, fennel, fir needle and birch. All ingredients that would help detoxify, calm, relax and ease aching muscles but most importantly, it was the scent. This is the only contender to Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir to fill my bathroom with such an amazing scent which lasts long after my bath water has run away.

I won't dwell too much on the sample of Chanel Les Beiges Foundation as I was lucky enough to receive it for my birthday and anticipate a review coming soon but if you're impatient perhaps read my introductory post on the foundation and obtaining product samples here.

Mascaras for me either seem to last forever or disappear very quickly, and in the case of the Covergirl Star Wars mascara it was the latter. A thin brush that worked to lengthen lashes and worked a treat on my bottom lashes it become quite a favourite and obviously it's frequent use saw it's rapid decline.

Philosophy's Hope in a Jar in this smaller size was a handy TK Maxx find which I'd always been keen to try. I'd heard Neutrogena's Healthy Skin Moisturiser was a dupe and had picked it up on one of my US trips and whilst I did attempt some comparisons and I found both great to use I did find them worthy of a dupe comparison post.

It always seems when I travel I have a Soap & Glory Righteous Butter available and this was one I took to Florida. With a little left in the tub I wasn't going to leave it behind. We all know by now how good the Soap & Glory Body Butters are so I won't bore you with another rave review.

I was quite excited when this sample of Ren Revitalising Night Cream came my way and rather than save for a trip away I decided to pop into my bedside cabinet. Unfortunately I wasn't blown away by this night cream at all. There was nothing about it that made it feel luxurious which is what I look for from my evening skincare products.

The sun is starting to show it's face and soon more and more skin will be on show and I'm trying to get into the habit of tanning. I've moved onto other products now but the past months I was using Tantruth The Ultimate* which I shared with you here.

And then there is Eloquence Beauty Firming and Moisturising Eye Gel* a product I''ll be missing come hayfever season. This was a great eye product and worked a treat during my long haul flights and easing jetlag. Don't forget to check out more of the Eloquence Beauty range in my review post.

Oh yes the empties continue and first of all is a disappointment in the form of Secret Deodorant, a US purchase. I don't know why I even bothered to a) waste dollars on a deodorant and b) take up valuable suitcase space on one when I know how much I love Sure Maximum Protection but we'll blame the blogger in me wanting to try something new. It wasn't a bad deodorant and didn't perform too badly it just wasn't a match for Sure.

Gilette Satin Care Shaving Gel* is another product I remember from years ago and was a constant in my bathroom. These days I have enough revolving products in my bathroom without using shower gel to wash and shaving gels to shave. That said it is a great product and if you have sensitive skin and shower gels aren't cutting it when you're shaving your legs then its definitely a worthy purchase.

I'm not the biggest liquorice fan but I did enjoy trying Organii Liquorice Shower Gel* and it was a worthy companion to my shower routine. And after the shower my body lotion of choice was Bomb Cosmetics Cherry Pie*. The scent of this was delicious and whilst it wasn't the most thick lotion for really dry Winter skin it worked well for me.

Finally is Batiste Stylist Smooth It Frizz Tamer* which is not a product I really need as I don't suffer from frizzy hair and instead passed on to my mum to try and she's been enjoying it. I'm slightly regretting the choice as I may want it back once we hit Summer and humidity kicks in.

What have you been using up this month?

*this post contains press samples