Products I'm trying to use up #2

Last month I gathered another pile of beauty products that sit somewhere between being on the cusp of being finished or half used. The intention is simple to add them to my everyday rotation and help them on their way to the 'empties' bag that sits in my airing cupboard.

The first product I added to this pile was the No 7 Stay Perfect Superlight Foundation. As I look through my blog to see when I first purchased this foundation I note it was 2014 and think perhaps rather than use up I can have a pass to throw it out? Use by dates aside and no obvious worries with formula or smell I was happily working my way through this foundation and remembered why it was one of my foundation favourites at the time, even including it in my travel make up bag due to it's travel friendly plastic packaging.

I remember being shade matched in store and using some of those No 7 vouchers it seems I'm given with every other Boots purchase. The coverage is light-medium and wears well throughout the day. It claims to be non-pore blocking, which as someone who can be lax with evening skincare can vouch for as I don't suffer any breakouts when wearing this foundation. As it claims it's a lightweight foundation that sits nicely on the skin giving a luminous finish whilst evening out the complexion.

At the end of last year I was able to try some products from The Body Shop Oils of Life collection and the least favourite of those I tried was the Oils of Life Intensely Revitalising Bi-Phase Essence Lotion* or quite simply, to me at least, a toner. That criticism aside and it's perhaps excessive £15 price point I do rather like this product. I am currently using in the mornings as refresher and imagine I'll work through this quite swiftly although it's a sizable bottle.

Once again I'm reminded how old a product is with the Jelly Belly Lip Balm*. Perhaps this shouldn't be Products I'm trying to use up but Products I need to throw away! Nonetheless I'm determined and what you can see in the picture is all that is left and there is nothing like the sense of achievement at using a product to it's very end. I wrote a full review of these balms way back when. Where I have lip balms hidden all over my flat and desk at work this offering does what it should with a fun twist.

Spoiler alert I can confirm I have successfully used up Nip+Fab Viper Venom Micro Blur Fix* even before I had an opportunity to post about it. To be honest I was cheating a little to include it as it hadn't moved from my dressing table since my initial review of the Viper Venom range so it was inevitable that I would use it up quickly.

As I said in that initial review this is a pleasant primer to use, and whilst it did work to 'blur and mattify' the skin I didn't find it as obvious as Benefit Porefessional for example although this offering is more expensive than Nip+Fab Viper Venom Micro Blur Fix and if you're not a fan of the silicone this where you should be looking.

You will have seen Essence's I Love Extreme Mascara in my monthly favourites so it's safe to say I'm being diligent in using this product and enjoying it. I can already feel it's drying out a little so it'll be time to move onto something new soon, I'm thinking a waterproof version for my holiday so please leave your recommendations.

And finally another product on the list is Xen-Tan Dark Intense Weekly Tan. This was a blogger inspired purchase and was what Bondi Sands is today. That said I was actually introduced to it by a friend who popped it on me before we headed out for a night on the town and I still to this day look at the photos from that night and admire how bronzed I'm looking. Other tans have come and gone and I find I work much easier with mousse but practice makes perfect. With the weather being what it is lately (cold!) a rare occasion to get my legs out whilst also enjoying the luxury of still wearing tights means popping this on in hurry works well for me.

Keep an eye out for these products appearing in an empties post soon and feel free to give me a telling off if I happen to buy replacements before that happens!

You can read my previous post on products I'm trying to use up here and let me know what you're trying to finish.

*this post contains press samples and affiliate links

Book Review | The Honeymoon Hotel by Hester Brown

The Honeymoon Hotel by Hester Brown was a return to my chick lit roots and I knew how it would end a matter of pages from starting but I still enjoyed the journey.

The Bonneville Hotel is the best kept secret in Mayfair. It's art deco suites and glittering ballrooms a former home away from home for royalty and film stars alike. Recent years haven't been kind, bit thanks to Events Manager Rosie, the Bonneville is reclaiming some of its old cachet as a chic retro-glam wedding venue. While Rosie's weddings are the ultimate in romance, Rosie herself isn't; she's focused on the details, not the dramas. But when the hotel owner appoints his eccentric son Joe to the Bonneville staff, Rosie finds herself up against an unprecedented challenge; a rival whose predilection for the unconventional could derail not only Rosie's own career, but the most elaborate, high-profile wedding the Bonneville has ever seen.

I've read all of Hester Browns book, and particularly recommend her Little Lady Agency series. If you're a fan of vintage glamour all Hester's books have a touch of that. Female characters that may be flawed but not overly weak that I'm left frustrated.

There are no surprises in this book but if you're looking for a warm and fuzzy easy read on your holidays then this is worth the time.

*this post contains affiliate links

May 2016 | Beauty Favourites

Another month passes and it seems to have gone by so quickly that my favourites have been more of a case of products I could reach for without thinking about them. So much so that in my hungover state yesterday I have picked out two products that featured in last month's favourites post! You'll also see an empties post later this week that shows how I'm still working my through my stash to streamline it rather than add to it.

I am dreadful at dragging out mascara's far long than necessary and as I try to whittle them down I've rediscovered Essence's I Love Extreme Mascara. I forgot how much I love this, long, thick and voluminous lashes appear after a few coats of this high street favourite. I know Essence have an extensive range of mascara's so I think I need to visit a counter and investigate some more of their offerings. And stock up on another of these.

During one of my spring clean sessions last year I put aside a make up bag of 'Summer' nail polishes which I rediscovered hunting through a cupboard. Straight away I reached for Barry M nail polish in Greenberry and my toe nails were painted. I've been relying on my nudes and reds on nails a lot lately so it was nice to find something a little more fun to play with.

Revlon lip products have have been my go to of late, similar colours but very different formula. The Revlon Lip Lacquer in Rose Quartz compliments any outfit when I want a glossy finish. For days when I want to play things down a little it's Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lip Colour in Devotion. Once an almost every day red lip wearer I'm enjoying changing things up a little with these two favourites.

Blogging allows me to test a lot of skincare so I love it when I can settle with a product long enough that it's used in it's entirety. F.O.Y Moisturising Day Cream* has been a surprise hit with me. Initially judging the packaging and thinking it was 'nothing special' I can only say that my skin has loved this moisturiser and I feel like my skin is really good shape at the moment. I find that my make up applies evenly and skin isn't crying out for hydration. If further prove that I was a fan of this product is need, often I'll rotate products as I get bored but it wasn't the case here.

Finally the two base products I've been reaching for on a daily basis, a second appearance for Bourjois Radiance Reveal Concealer and Natural Collection Tinted Moisturiser*. Really I should've included the Natural Collection Bronzer* too as its those three products and the aforementioned mascara and lipsticks that allow me to get out of the door in the mornings, quickly and with minimal effort.

You can read a full review of the Natural Collection range but in short this is a product that once again proved my preconceived ideas wrong. I cannot believe for £1.99 I have found a product that rivals my 'holy grail' Chanel Healthy Glow Fluid and again, the fact that I haven't immediately swapped out after testing and am reaching for it daily shows that it's a product I'll be using again and again.

What have you been loving this month?

*this post contains press samples

Natural Collection Beauty Review

Natural Collection, despite 25 years on the shelves of Boots seems to be very much an underrated and overlooked brand. Even in today's beauty blogging peak it's a brand you don't often hear crop up, compared to the others such as Seventeen and No 7. I vaguely remember seeing one of the eyeshadow colours recently featured on one or two blogs being a great transition shade but otherwise it's tumbleweed.

I too haven't given the Natural Collection range so much as cursory glance in store as in honesty it's not the most enticing of brands with it's simple packaging and its 'natural' appearance, is it perhaps too boring for today's beauty fans? This said I did used to use their clear mascara for my eyebrows 'back in the day'.

Luckily for me Boots got in touch and asked if I'd like to try some products from the range and I thought it was a great opportunity to see if I was missing out on Natural Collections offering or was it perhaps right that they have been so overlooked?

When I first glanced inside the box of Natural Collection products I made some typical judgements. The packaging isn't exciting inoffensive although there's something about the products that's a little beige. This in itself is a ridiculous statement as I'm hardly rocking blue lips and bright pink eyeshadow on a regular basis.

I have to say I need to eat my words and learn not to judge a book by it's cover because I've been enjoying the products I've been able to test. Did anyone else know that everything in the range is priced at £1.99. That's amazing. I think the thing that is missed with Natural Collection is that they're all about creating a natural make up look by keeping things simple. Even us beauty bloggers struggle wondering is it bronzing or contouring and what the difference between highlighting and strobing is?

First up is the Natural Collection Tinted Moisturiser* which is available in 3 shades; Natural, Fair and Beige. I have Natural. Packaging is a clear tube, with the simple Natural Collection Daisy, perfect for travel and knowing how much product you have left. Natural Collection say it will give your face 'a natural glow and sheer coverage' and for those who want to look natural and not overly made up. I was surprised at how thick the tinted moisturiser was and actually found I was wiping more off my hand than needing for my face so I imagine this tube will last some time. In texture it reminded me surprisingly of my favourite Make Up Forever HD Foundation. For me I found it applied seamlessly and was a fuller coverage than I expected although medium, one of those your skin but better. In fact I was quite impressed and once I went in with my concealer I felt like I had a normal base on. I've been wearing this daily and find it's perfect for 'every day' and saves some of my more affordable foundations whilst not compromising on quality and appearance.

It wore well throughout the day and it was only a little shine that came through towards the of the day. Thankfully I had Natural Collection Pressed Powder* in Warm to hand. I did use this once or twice to set my concealer and I do prefer my Chanel Les Beiges but this is a worthy and far more affordable alternative. Available in three shades; warm, neutral and cool you this is such a silky powder and not at all what I expected. If you're a fan of Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder and want to find something even cheaper than that check your Natural Collection counter.

Again there were more pre-conceived ideas with Natural Collection Suntint Bronzing Powder* in the shade Suntint. Drugstore bronzers are often known to be on the orange side and filled with sparkle and it is true to say there is a glint to Natural Collection's offering hence my assumption I wouldn't like it. It's certainly not one for contouring as such but as I applied it made a lovely bronze look and I can forgo wearing blusher for the more natural look that Natural Collection are aiming for.

Finally is the Natural Collection Blushed Cheers Blusher* in Pink Cloud which is a pretty inoffensive pink to wear. I'm something of a blush addict so I'm not sure it's going to compete with those I favour, nor is it swaying me from bronzing powder at the moment but that is more personal preference than issue with the product.

Without a doubt, and if were not obvious, my two favourite products are the Tinted Moisturiser and Bronzing Powder which will definitely remain in my make up collection. I'm enjoying the ease of applying, not having to reach for multiple bronzers and blushes as I really like the warmth the blusher gives me.

There's very little we can get for £1.99 these days and the fact that there is this unsung brand on our doorstep I'm kicking myself. I think I might have to explore the Natural Collection stand next time I'm in Boots and see what other gems I can find.

Have you ever used Natural Collection cosmetics?

*this post contains press samples

Travel Essentials | Apple World Travel Adapter Kit

One of the best purchases I've ever made is my Apple World Travel Adaptor Kit. It literally takes the hassle out of travelling, well ok maybe that's a stretch but when it comes to charging my iPhone and other Apple products it's so handy.

If like me your are fully immersed in the Apple bubble with your iPhone, iPad and Macbook and take them on your travels then the World Travel Adapter Kit is for you. Containing a set of seven plugs to fit wherever you may be in the world from Europe to American and even further afield like Australia and Hong Kong never do you need to worry about being unable to charge your phone. I mean god forbid we're unable to Instagram the sunrise on the beach.

You might rightly wonder why you need this in addition to a regular adaptor plug but the beauty of these plugs designed for Apple products is that you plug directly into the power socket of whatever destination you find yourself in using the regular USB port cable linked to your device.

I picked this kit up in the airport when travelling abroad a few years ago and fearful that I would suffer the repeated fate of my US adaptor plug not working properly with my usual charger and it's been well used ever since.

I actually rarely take a separate plug adaptor now as it is often only my Apple products that require charging during my trips which cuts down on luggage - anyone else find normal travel plugs so bulky?

If you're an Apple user and travel a lot I think £25 for this kit is a bargain, even if like me so far you've only used the US and European adaptors.