Free Benefit Make Up With Glamour Magazine

Hi everyone :)

I was super excited to hear (via Martin's Money Tips) that this months issue of Glamour magazine comes with one of three Benefit freebies. 

Being the make up junkie I am, I bought three magazines so that I could get one of each products.

The products are as follows:

"the POREfessional"

You will already know of my lust for this if you have seen this post. I couldn't believe my luck when I saw it came with the magazine.

7.5ml worth £10.

"that gal brightening face primer"

I have never actually heard of this primer but I'm super excited to give it a go, especially if its anywhere near as amazing as the POREfessional.

7.5 ml worth £15.

"BAD gal lash mascara"

This has possibly the biggest brush I have ever seen and I can't wait to give it a go- it looks like it will give super voluminous lashes.

4.0g worth £10.

I am so impressed that each magazine is only £2 yet you get such high quality make up, together worth £35, for free. Also, there are three different covers available this month: Fearne Cotton, Eva Longoria and Kylie Minogue which I think is a nice touch as it gives a bit of variety for those who want to collect all three. 

I completely think this months issue is worth the money so if you haven't already got yours, go! Run and get it before they all go, which I expect will happen very quickly.

I'll perhaps do individual reviews on these products in the coming weeks, let me know how you get on with yours!

Garnier Intense Seven Days Challenge

Well hello!

Its been a while hasn't it? I have been so busy with my exams and all that hoohaa but its all finally over- woohoo! I can now enjoy a simple life of blogging and sun- well at least until I have to go back to school or this lovely weather ends!

So a while ago I signed up to receive a sample of Garnier's Intensive7days. I was so excited when it came through the post because I never get mail! The challenge is to use a sachet of the lotion on your legs every day for a week and test to see if at the end you have less dry skin. The little pack came with two Garnier skin readers, one for before the challenge and one for after.

I found this lotion light on the skin (which is great in this heat) yet it was also quite oily which I could see my skin liked as it became very smooth very quickly and was soaked in quickly upon application. It had a light, fresh scent of what reminded me of oranges mixed with a bit of fake tan. The amount in the sachet covered two legs which I was pretty impressed with.

So, the big question is, did it work? Well here are my skin readers, so see for yourself:

Before & After

As you can see, although both have dry skin cells (more white = more dry skin), there seems to be a significant amount less on the second. 

I was very happy with this result and when buying body lotion in future this will be a definite possibility!

Have you tried this before?

Review | Bourjois Little Round Pot Blush Shade 34 Rose D'Or

Hi Everyone :)

Hope you're all having a good day! I've only got three exams left and this is my last few days of intense study-argh! Anyway, onto the review of Bourjois Little Round Pot Blush Shade 34 Rose D'Or:

Price: £5.49 from Boots (£2 off deal on at the moment). I got mine in the 2 for £13 deal in Superdrug a while ago.

Claims: "The baked texture transforms when applied to the skin into an ultra-fine pressed powder, which is easy to apply and blends impeccably. One stroke of the brush reveals the irresistible aroma of the rose scented powder."

Packaging: I love the packaging. It is very cute, girly and compact yet holds a lot. There is also little mirror and angled brush inside the pot so you can touch up your make up throughout the day. 

Application: I apply this with an ordinary powder brush instead of the brush supplied as I think it turns out too severe with that. The blush is so pigmented that it only needs one or two dusts on the cheeks.

Results: A gorgeous bright yet warm pink. The blush is easily buildable, so you can create a faint glow or a dramatic flush easily. I prefer a natural tint for everyday use. 

Fun Fact: This blusher has been around for almost 150 years! Who knew people even wore blusher then?

Rating: 8/10 - This blusher has become my go-to; I love it!.

So that's my thoughts on Bourjois Little Round Pot Blush Shade 34 Rose D'Or. Do you own any Little Round Pot Blushes?

Review | Bourjois Flower Perfection Foundation

Hi Everyone!

I bought this foundation slightly frantically because my Clinique was going to run out and I was determined to find a cheaper alternative. I had initially intended to buy the new Healthy Mix after hearing such good things about it on different blogs but the sales assistant said that it was quite drying and since my skin does have the tendency to misbehave I thought I would be different and buy Flower Perfection instead. It was on the 2 for £13 deal so I got this and the Little Round Pot blush (review coming soon!).

Claims: "A youth extension foundation giving a velvety smooth finish, for up to 16 hrs."

Packaging: It has really simple, cute packaging. The 30g bottle is made of plastic-y glass and there is a great little pump dispenser. I have noticed that the bottle actually stays really cool which is quite impressive as I think that will keep the foundation fresh and make it last longer. It comes with a little sponge in the lid and I used this a couple of times but I'm not very fond of sponge applicators as I feel they're a bit unhygienic and a nightmare to wash (especially as this one is glued in). I also think that sponges aren't the easiest to spread or blend with.

Usage: For daily make-up, I use half a pump, and apply with my Real Techniques Stippling Brush and when I want a bit more coverage I use a full pump. I find that it's really buildable and blends well.

Consistency: This is a lovely smooth liquid- not too runny and not too thick and sinks into the skin perfectly.

Smell: I like this smell but only faint whiffs as it's a bit overpowering smelling it straight from the bottle! Its a mix between flowers and the traditional foundation smell.

Results: It gives a great coverage that really evens out my skin tone. The bottle says it has a matte finish but I personally find that it is more of a dewy finish, which I actually prefer as I feel it's more natural. As for the 16hrs staying power, I don't think it would last that long on me, instead it lasts a good eight to ten hours which is really all I really need. Possibly with primer or setter this would increase though.

Final thoughts: I love this foundation! It is perfect for younger skin (the wild azalea is apparently a youth cell protector) and is exactly what I'm looking for. 

Rating: 10/10. This is my favourite drugstore foundation that I have tried so far. It is fast becoming my holy grail foundation especially at this price and the perfecting effect it has on my skin.

Phewww that was a long post! Well done if you got to the end of that! Have you tried this foundation? Do you get as good results? 

Tuesday Tip | Get The Most Out Of Your Product

Hey Everyone!

Just a quick post tonight as I need to get back to biology!

Do you ever finish a tube of lotion, shower gel or even shampoo and know there is just that little bit more in there that you can't get to? This always seems to happen to me and I am quite resentful to throw out something that isn't quite done so when I was approaching the end of my Simple Kind To Skin Face Wash, I had a fab idea:

All you have to do is get a pair of scissors and snip off the top et voila! You get that last use that makes the product worth it!

Have you ever done this before? Do you like these kinds of posts?

Internaçionale OOTD

Hi Everyone!

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend. I thought I'd share my outfit of the day with you since its all still available.

The top is a plain white number which flares at the bottom with a cute little pocket. I thought it would be great for summer as its floaty and was only £2.99. Also, 10% student discount is available since it's full price.

I was on the hunt for a good pair of plain jeans since I had a big clear out the other day and realised that all my current jeans were too big! So they're all off to new owners who bought them on ebay (yay!) but I thought I'd check internacionale for jeans because I love the stripy ones I bought. I found these in the sale and I absolutely love them. They're such a nice fit and were reduced to £9.99. Check out this post for my thoughts on the bag.

This OOTD is alot plainer than my usual but I actually really like it- simple and chic :) And you can never have too many jeans and white tops!

Who knew you could find such cute, wardrobe staples in internaçionale? Do you ever shop there?

Saturday Shopping 4: Backpacks

Hey Everyone :)

Recently I have been absolutely loving backpacks- they're fab for school, day trips and much more. I have always liked the comfort of backpacks but I've only started getting into them recently as every shop seems to be offering many styles. Sadly out of the 3 I've bought so far, 2 have broken. In general I don't think backpacks rip or break very easily I think its just a combination of Primark's 'iffy' quality and my huge pile of heavy books that get squeezed in everyday! So I'll start with ones I've bought:

This is my first backpack and its from Primark. It was the most gorgeous soft brown faux leather with the lovely floral lining you can see below. Sadly the strap on this broke after a few months of daily use. For £10 (or thereabouts) I don't think that was too bad. I would definitely buy this again if it was still available.

This is still available in Primark for £8. I wouldn't recommend this for school, uni or college as it's quite small in comparison to the others and this started to rip within a few weeks of purchase. I do however love the colours and it also comes in navy and orange.

This is the backpack I'm currently using. Its a really good size and its more of a traditional backpack rather than the cute modern interpretations above. This seems so sturdy and after a week or so of use it seems to be coping well with my heavy load! It doesn't have a compartment inside for my phone, though there is a zipped pocket on the front but I'm a bit paranoid and don't like to use those as I feel my stuff might get pinched! This also actually came with a charm on the front pocket zip but I thought it looked very cheap and ruined the bags look so I just took it off.

And here are some bags I've spotted online which I love the look of:

1. Striped Denim Backpack £34 from Topshop. I think this looks so summery and cute.

2. Blue Acid Wash Backpack £34 from Topshop. I also love this as it would be big enough for all my books!

3. Shiny Pack Cloth School Bag £40 from American Apparel. This is my favourite- its so jazzy and attention grabbing.

4. ASOS Ice Cream Backpack £35 from asos.com . I think this is super cute and looks good enough to eat. I don't know if I would be brave enough to wear it though as its so 'out there.'

Which is your favourite? Do you have a backpack?

I Lurve My New Bag

Hey Everyone!

I had a little shopping day last Saturday and I found myself really loving what is in Internaçionale at the moment. Amongst other fab finds (coming up in my next OOTD post!), I got this gorgeous bag:

It was on a special 'WOW' offer- reduced from £14.99 to £9.99 which I think is great. I have been looking for a bag for ages and now I have found the perfect one. It has a gorgeous chocolate brown textured faux leather finish (that was a bit of a mouthful wasn't it?). It will go with all my clothes, it is a great size and has lots of compartments inside. 

I think I've found the perfect high street alternative to a designer bag, which is great if like me you're on a budget and don't particularly like the thought of parting with hundreds of pounds for the real thing. Not too bad eh? 

What do you think of my new bag? Have you found any designer inspired treasures on the high street lately?

Soap & Glory - Dr. Spot Review

Hello Everyone :)

As you will all know, I absolutely love Soap & Glory, so when I heard they had a spot treatment I thought I'd give it a go.

Claims: Dr Spot Invisible Spot Fighting Gel says it is "A light, clear spot fighting gel with clog-clearing salicylic and lactic acids." and "Improves spots without drying out the skin."

Packaging: Like all the other Soap & Glory products it has quirky, fun and brightly coloured packaging. The shiny mirror like box is sleek yet youthful. However, when I opened the box I found that the liquid had leaked out and had dried in all yellowish around the silver tube. It was quite a disappointing initial set back but I still had high hopes for its spot fighting abilities.

Usage: I put a small droplet of the gel onto my fingertip, dabbed it onto the spot and left it. As it claims, the gel is invisible which was good as you could wear it out without being noticed.

Effectiveness: I am sad to say that I was pretty disappointed in this treatment. After leaving for a few hours however I noticed no difference at all to my skin. 

As you can see, my skin looks the exact same after use.

The only positive I can give is that it did not dry out my skin, which is an achievement as my skin tends to dry out easily. Though its spot fighting abilities for me were non-existent.

Rating: 2/10. Sadly I didn't get on well with this product and would definitely not buy it again. I was especially disappointed as I always expect so much from Soap & Glory products.

Dr Spot is available in Boots or online. Have you ever tried it? Did it work for you?