Disappointing Products #2

Hey! I don't mean to get all negative on you guys, but sometimes ya gotta get real. Know what I'm sayin'? But seriously. You can't love every product ever, and I think it's refreshing to see honest, negative reviews every once in a while.

The first thing is this Timotei Organic Delight Health & Nourishment Conditioner. In my January Empties post (here), it featured a fair amount of conditioners - well this is the culprit. I applied it to my hair once, and left the shower with hair that felt like straw. Not really what conditioner is meant to do. I gave it another chance, but again hair that felt like I had just bleached it, burnt it and backcombed it for good measure. (Okay, maybe I'm being a bit dramatic but still.) Just to rub salt into the wound, this smells unpleasantly like herbs. I'd get over that, if the product worked, but it doesn't.

The second thing is the Beauticology Strawberry Sundae*. Not sure how I feel about saying bad things about PR samples, but I feel I need to be honest. This doesn't lather. At. All. I contacted the company who tested a sample from this batch, and reported that theirs was fine. Maybe I have a dud, but I do know someone else who received this at the same event had the same problem. Who knows? I'm now using this in my bath to add a nice smell.

Finally, is the Anti Blemish Skinetica Toner*. For something that claims to be anti-blemish, I personally didn't find that to be the case. That's not to say it won't work for others; I've read many great reviews online, which I guess has further fuelled my disappointment. My main issue here though, is that it claims to have "no harsh chemicals" and then lists the second ingredient as alcohol. What?

What do you think of negative reviews? Promise my next one will be happier!

xxx

January Empties

Hey! Since I quite enjoyed writing about all the things I used up at the end of last year, I thought I'd attempt to do more empties posts! There's a few things missing I used up nearer the start of the month, but no-one's perfect right?

As you can see, there's a fair few hair products! So, let's start with those.

First up is the TIGI Bed Head Sugar Dust: such a weird product to apply, it is literally like putting icing sugar into your hair. I massaged this into the roots of my hair to add a bit of volume boost, and then proceeded to wash my sticky hands. Despite the sample size, I wouldn't suggest travelling with it - IT GOES EVERYWHERE. Repurchase? Nah, a bit messy for me!

I opened up the Hask Argan Oil Deep Conditioning Hair Treatment*, as an emergency conditioner because I bought a conditioner that was literally the opposite of conditioning for my hair, and smelt awful. This on the other hand, smells great and is super duper conditioning. Using this with the accompanying hair oil from the range, has left my hair feeling so sleek I can't help but keep running my hands through it! Repurchase? I would if I could find it in the UK!

Then we have the Neal & Wolf Ritual Daily Cleansing Shampoo* and Conditioner*, which I also got in a goodie bag back at the East Mids Meet Up in November. These did the job they said they would, but I won't be trading in my cheaper shampoo/conditioner combo for these. Repurchase? Nope.

I've talked about Paul Mitchell's Super Strong Liquid Treatment before here, so I won't waffle on and on, but I have very much enjoyed using this. Repurchase? Maybe, I'm seeing if a heat protection spray alone is sufficient at the moment.

The Philip Kingsley Hair Elasticizer was a miracle for my hair. Talked about here, I would recommend this to anyone with dry or damaged hair. Repurchase? If my hair is ever feeling really bad again, yes.

Okay onto the non-hair products!

First, Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Foaming Cleanser. Once upon a time (when I was about 15/16) this worked wonders for my skin. While I was going through a bad breakout phase towards the end of last year, I returned to this for help. My skin has obviously changed somehow, and this just didn't do anything to help. I used this for about six weeks until it ran out, with basically no difference. I have since changed my skincare, which I will post about at a later date, which is working much better. Repuchase? No.

Similarly, the Origins Super Spot Remover (which I've heard many a blogger rave about) did nothing to help my breakouts. One thing I will say, is that this lasted a fair while. Repurchase? No.

Something which did work however, was the REN Clearcalm3 Clarity Restoring Mask. I've got a separate post on this (and some other REN goodies) coming up soon, so I'd rather not go into too much detail and repeat myself. What I will say: repurchase? Yes.

And finally, is the Body Shop Body Butter in Shea Butter. This was part of a gift set I got for Christmas, and I love all the Body Shop Body Butters (who doesn't) but this one especially was particularly moisturising! Repurchase? Yep!

What have you used up this month?

xxx

The Winter Tag

Hey! Back in December (which seems so long ago now!) I was tagged by Francesca from The Francesca Diaries to do the Winter Tag! 

This is my first official tag, that I haven't invited myself to, so I couldn't resist! I had a pretty busy December though, and then exams happened, so I haven't gotten round to it until now... (bad Charley). Because of this, I've omitted the questions about Christmas - it's definitely a tad early to be getting excited just yet, but if you do want to read some similar answers I did the Christmas tag here.

Okay, time for the tag!

The Rules:

Share 12 Random Facts about yourself.

Answer the 12 Questions from another Blogger.

List 12 Bloggers you want to tag.

Let the Bloggers know they have been nominated.

The Facts:

I'm in my third year of an Electronic Engineering degree.
I will be turning 21 this year!
I have two dogs called Bailey and Coco.
I have never broken a bone (had a couple of fractures though).
My favourite card in the deck is the 8 of diamonds.
I hate mushrooms, because they squeak when you eat them.

I've been to Egypt 3 times but never seen the pyramids.
In the past I've had my hair blue, purple and red (but not at the same time!)
I still bite my nails; a habit I really want to kick.
I used to be afraid of wolves (because of this film) but I'm not any more.
I once tweeted a joke to Dara O'Briain during one of his shows, which he made me tell to the audience.

One day I would like to live abroad - preferably somewhere warm.

The Questions:

What are your favourite things about winter?

Christmassssssssss! Also New Year's Eve. Most definitely not the cold weather though, brrr.

What is your favourite winter outfit?

Oversize jumper, leggings and cosy boots! This is pretty much the kind of thing I wear daily (more on that in a future post), I find it more difficult to branch out and be more 'fashionable' in the colder weather.

What is your favourite winter food?

Roast dinners! My favourite is roast pork (mmm crackling and apple sauce) and it is always essential to have roast potatoes in my opinion!

Favourite winter drink?

Generally, lattes! I've been pretty addicted to Starbucks Toffee Nut Latte, but they've disappeared with the festive season being over (boo). I love most flavours of latte though, which are thankfully available all year round!

What is your dream way to spend a winters day?

I don't think I really have one to be honest! There's something lovely about having a relaxing bath with bubbles and a face mask when the weather has been miserable though.

How do you like your make up in the winter?

By current daily sort of makeup is a heavier base, neutral eyes with winged liner, bronzed cheekbones, and a dark red lip. (Keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming post!)

What is your favourite winter song?

I don't really vary my music by season, but I am currently loving Skulls by Bastille and Odd Look by Kavinsky.

What is your favourite winter memory?

During first year of uni, during the heavy snow, we borrowed some dinner trays from our hall and used them as makeshift sleds down one of the hills on campus. It was so much fun, despite getting absolutely drenched in snow!

What is your favourite winter scent?
I don't really switch up my fragrance depending on season, but my current perfume is Nina by Nina Ricci.

The Bloggers:

I'm not actually going to tag anyone for this (such a rebel), because we are getting towards the end of winter now but if anyone does really want to do it, feel free!

xxx

NOTD: Dreamcatcher Nails

Hey! Just a quick cheeky post today, because I wanted to share my first post-exam nail art! Lately I've been loving mint green so I wanted to use that as a base colour (although photos are showing up more blue) and I've gone for cute little dreamcatchers to practice my line work.

Products used (left to right): Essie Help Me Grow, L'oreal Colour Riche in 602, Ciate Ditch the Heels, Models Own Nail Art Pends, Essie Good to Go.

Apologies for the lack of tutorial, I forgot! Having said that, I paint my nails way more often than I post on here, and I'm tempted to share more often, sans tutorial. What do you think?

xxx

Makeup Storage

Hey! I'm baaaaaack! January exams are over (something I am very happy about) and I can get back to blogging, and man have I missed it!

I've decided to do my 'returning' post on my makeup storage, as it has been requested quite a few times!

So I've got this desktop acrylic drawer (that I've had for so long that I can't remember where it's from!), which houses all my makeup - lip products in the top drawer, eye products in the middle, and base products at the bottom! I've been tempted to switch to MUJI drawers, but I like the fact that these have nice deep drawers and a bit of colour.

Then I keep all my brushes (except one kabuki brush) in a me to you tin pencil holder, including my nail art brushes and there's also a pair of tweezers sneaking in there too!

And finally, and the most recent addition to my makeup storage, is a letter rack from Asda that holds all my palettes. Before I bought this, I just sort of had them all stacked up next to my drawers, but this makes my palettes more accessible and looks nicer too.

Of the owls you can see in the picture, one is a trinket box I'm currently storing cotton pads in, and the other is a vanilla candle I got for Christmas. So cute! 

How do you store your makeup collection?

xxx

PS. My 50 follower giveaway ends tonight, enter here!

Guest Post: Top Natural Product Picks

Hey! As you read this, I'm being a busy bee studying under a mountain of books and lecture notes for my exams. Thankfully they finish at the end of this week, but in the meantime here's a guest post from the lovely Amber!

Hi! I’m Amber and I write a blog over at Amber’s Beauty Talk all about natural & organic beauty. I recently made the switch to natural products after discovering how many chemicals and nasty ingredients were in mainstream products and I knew that I would prefer to treat my skin better. Since then I have seen huge changes in my skin and I’d love to share some of my favourite products with you all if you were thinking of going greener with your skincare or simply want to add some new skincare products into your routine!

Neal’s Yard Remedies Frankincense Cleaner – This is similar to the beloved Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish that has been raved about however that product never really worked for me or my skin. It’s a gorgeous scented cream cleanser that you rub over a damp face then use a muslin cloth or a hot flannel to remove the product. Since using this cleanser, I have noticed less redness on my cheeks, softer and smoother skin as well as clearer, less blemish prone skin. It’s a wonderfully natural product with no harsh ingredients so it would be perfect for sensitive skins.

Indie Lee Squalane Facial Oil – I would say this is my favourite product of 2013. It is a facial oil that only contains one ingredient. Yes you read that right, one! It’s squalane oil that is derived from olives. It is a clear, odourless oil that sinks into your skin so quickly yet your skin looks dewy, radiant and feels so smooth afterwards. The best thing about this oil for me is that I can apply my foundation literally a minute after using this oil so there is no waiting around for it to sink in! The change in appearance of my skin has been brilliant and I would highly recommend this oil – I even caught my boyfriend using it!

Nourish Cooling Toning Mist – This is a lovely product to use if you need a bit of a ‘freshen up’! It’s a great toner too but my main use for this is if I’ve just had enough or am feeling fed up – the refreshing citrus scent just lifts you up and leaves your skin feeling fresh and smooth. The whole Nourish range is very purse friendly too – it is all natural yet the majority of the products are under £10. I actually got this mist free when I bought their cleanser on Big Green Smile (link www.biggreensmile.com) which is a great website to check out for some great green bargains.

Peppy Galore Vanilla Ice Cream Mousse – This is a whipped body mousse that smells divine! It has a wonderful vanilla scent to it and it honestly smells good enough to eat. It contains only five ingredients; mango butter, avocado oil, Vitamin E, Madagascan Vanilla pods and Sunflower Oil.  How amazing is that? No chemicals, preservatives, parabens, nothing! And it works a treat! I’m actually going to be making my own DIY Body Butters in the next couple of weeks so if you want to see how to make your own make sure to follow me!

Kris D’Amour Soothing Body Oil – This body oil smells just heavenly. It contains loads of oils to help regenerate and moisturise your body and it also works great as a massage oil! You skin feels super smooth and it smells lovely. This is ideal if you suffer from skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis. I’ve almost ran out of this product already and I never run out of products haha!

I hope you all enjoyed reading this post and would love if you popped over to my blog to have a read! Thank you so much to Charley for letting me guest post on her blog!

Blog: http://www.ambersbeautytalk.com

Bloglovin: www.bloglovin.com/blog/6739181

Twitter: amber_felce

Instagram: amberfelce

2013 Favourites

Hey! Happy New Year, and hello 2014! I personally haven't bothered with resolutions, don't really feel the need for any changes (and I don't believe a change of date should be the inspiration for change anyway).

Today I thought I'd put together a collection of my favourites from the whole of 2013! Products I've used consistently and some I honestly couldn't live without!

So I've chosen 13 products for my 2013 favourites, and in no particular order, let's talk about them!

1. Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette
I bought this spring last year, and as you can see from above, I've now hit pan on 5 of the shadows! The quality of these is amazing, and the colours are so wearable and blendable. I dropped this earlier (sad times) and one of the catches broke, but all the shadows remained intact, how's that for durability?

2. MAC 168 Large Angled Contour Brush
Bought back in October, I've used this to apply bronzer nearly every day since - the shape makes application so easy! I've already talked about this in my October Favourites, but I felt it deserved another mention!

3. Real Techniques Expert Face Brush
Another brush I've used nearly everyday since I bought it! This applies my foundation so much more evenly and smoothly than my previous one (RT Stippling Brush), and at £9.99 you can't fault the price for such a decent brush!

4. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
It's very rare that I'll wear eyeshadow without first applying this. It literally makes my eyeshadow last all night if I'm going out, and it lasts absolutely forever! My only tiny issue, is that I have the old packaging, and when I cut up an old tube I had thought ran out, there was still 80% product inside!

5. Kate Moss Lipsticks
This year I have been introduced to the Kate Moss lipsticks (both matte and normal finish), and subsequently bought 3 (110, 016, 107). These have such a lovely texture/finish and great lasting power for the price!

6. Ted Baker Balloon Dog Necklace
I bought this cute pendant back in the summer Ted Baker sale, it's rose gold plated, utterly adorable, and goes with everything! So I've basically worn it most days, and despite not really being a beauty product, I couldn't not include this!

7. Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray
This stuff is fantastic. Forget primers for making your makeup last; this is so much quicker and easier! A few quick spritzes and voilà, your makeup isn't going anywhere for a solid 6-8 hours (depending on what you're doing).

8. Nina by Nina Ricci Eau de Toilette
The perfume I got last Christmas, this smells divine and has quickly become one of my favourite fragrances. It works well all year round, day or evening, I would super recommend this to anyone! (Okay, maybe not guys...)

9. TIGI S Factor Body Booster Plumping Spray
This could have been featured here based on smell alone. I've raved before about how the strawberries and cream scent of this is amazing here, but also how good the product itself is. As well as adding volume to my roots, this leaves my hair super soft and silky.

10. Models Elite Professional Detangling Hairbrush
This beats the infamous Tangle Teezer any day. I never knew I could get so excited about a hairbrush, until I tried this! Hairbrushing, transformed into a pain-free experience I've talked about this more here. The fact that it was only £3 from TK Maxx is a great bonus too!

11. Essie Matte About You Top Coat
I love me some nail art, and nail effects! Using a matte top coat really transforms some nail looks, and it helps to mix things up a bit! I've yet to try mixing matte and glossy finishes on the same nail, but I'd really like to give that a go!

12. Mavala Nail Polishes
Mavala is my absolute favourite nail polish brand. Their quality, cute size (which means you can actually use up all the product before it goes gloopy!), brush application, wear-time, and colour range are all impeccable.

13. Thalgo Biodepyl 3.1 Gel
I don't know of any other products like this, and feel this needs a bit of a mention! It's basically a gel you apply after shaving/waxing to stop ingrown hairs. And this really does the job!

What have you been loving this year?

xxx

PS. This is my last post for a couple of weeks while I concentrate on exams :( in the meantime don't forget to enter my 50 follower giveaway here!