Products I've used up | April 2016

A small selection of products to talk through today starting with the Scruples Pearl Complete Recovery Treatment Masque*.  A treatment to be worked into clean damp hair and left for between 1 - 10 minutes before rinsing or 1-10 minutes depending on how intensive a treatment you would like.

It both smells lovely and will aid dry and dull hair. Ironically I used this prior to colour treating my hair so I can't speak for how well it would work on that. But as a regular hair treatment even on my natural colour ensured that hair was in a healthy condition.

GLAMGLOW Youthmud Tinglexfoliate Treatment was one of my first 'blogger influenced' purchases and reviewed way back in 2013. Whilst this mask has a cult status and is a great product I'm still not sure, as I was three years ago whether it's worth the huge price tag. GLAMGLOW share a list of fantastic benefits for it's use, 'glowing complexion in just 10 minutes' to 'tighten, tone and lift the skin' and I can't deny that it does provide those. That said I find similar results from many of my clay masks, not least the more affordable Mask of Magnaminty from Lush. Complaints about price point aside the biggest bug bear for me is the 'debris' in this mask that just slips of skin and makes a mess everywhere.

Two perfumes climbed into my empties pile this month, Britney Spears Rocker Femme Fantasy* and Chanel Coco Mademoiselle. Britney's fragrance was a surprise hit as I had the usual judgements in advance of using it. The perfect scent for summer with it's fruity mix with a musky edge it's worth having a sniff if you come across it. You'll also find it on The Fragrance Shop half price at the moment and with a free gift as well.

It's oh so cliche but Chanel Coco Mademoiselle is one of my favourite and signature scents which I won't apologise for. I often have moments when I want to 'try something new' but it's always this I return to this. Will I repurchase? I already had one on standby!

Next is not so much an empty as a dried up. Often the case with these gel type top coats I went to use eyeCANDY Gel Top Coat* one day and the lid came off but the rest was set in stone in the bottle. Often you don't find out how good something really is until you use other products (I previously claimed it was better than Seche Vite) and the topcoats I've turned to recently have made me miss this. The others don't seem to have the same shine nor the extra added wear I need constantly typing in the office if not at home on the laptop. I think I'm lucky enough to have another in my stash but otherwise I will repurchase.

A product I'm sad to see reach it's end was the Limited Edition Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish in Sweet Orange and Mint. Why oh why did I not buy more of these or at least this in it's larger size? Regrets, I've had a few... melodramatic of course but it was a favourite to use. My 'use what I have mantra' for 2016 means I must first use the cleansers I already own but I know I will be returning to Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish one day soon.

Ending with another skincare item, Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+* a lovely oil to fit into your skincare that's certified organic an 100% natural. Plenty of ingredients that do wonderful things for the skin and if you're worried about sunspots try this out - especially if they're telling on the hands. Find out more in my original review here. 

*this post contains press samples

Nail HQ Base & Gel Top Coat Review

Nail HQ

I would be lying if I said that I didn't have my nail care favourites as you saw in my recent nail kit post but that doesn't mean I'm against trying other brands. Also having such favourites means I'm able to pit them against one another to see if they will sway my allegiance.

Nail HQ are a brand that can you can find on the high street and your local Tesco and there's nothing more I love than a brand I can find in the supermarket. How easy is it to justify or forget the cost of a beauty product when it's lost the for bread and toilet roll.

Using cutting edge ingredients such as Hydrolyzed Collage and formulations which are traditionally associated with hair and skincare such as Argan Oil and Keratin they are certainly a brand worth exploring.

I was sent Nail HQ Gel Top Coat* and Base Coat* to try in my manicure regime and I was pleased with both. Base coats won't really excite me as I tend to put my pressure on top coats to perform but recently whilst testing other products I realised how much of a difference the right base can make.

Nail HQ Base Coat is specifically to assist nail polish adhering to your nails with a sticky cushioned finish. And help adhere it does. As a frequent red nail polish wearer I'm also keen to pay attention to base coats preventing staining to my natural nail and the NQ base coat creates a barrier to do this.

Everyone wants to have glossy gel like nails without the requirement of UV lamps or more importantly the effort of removing them and Nail HQ have just the thing with their Gel Top Coat. A formulation to provide the required glossy finish from optical brighteners. Sealing in your colour this top coat works well against chipping the most important factor for me and I find that unlike Seche Vite or my favourite EyeCandy Top Coat this is not a formula that thickens as time goes on, thus extending its life.

Whilst the price point of Nail HQ products at approx £5.99 is comparable to the EyeCandy Duo the difference is that you can purchase the products individually. Naturally this appeals to me as it avoids you having to buy a set when you only want one or the other product.

Have you spotted Nail HQ in your local supermarket?

*This post contains affiliate links and PR Samples

My Nail Kit

Whilst I had a visit from Heaven & Gel last night so my nails would withstand my trip to Ibiza as a general rule I am relying on my own skills as a manicurist. Today I thought I'd talk through 'my nail kit' and the products I reach for at home.

Formula X Delete Nail Polish Remover
The first and most obvious step is of course nail polish remover. I'm fairly fickle about my nail polish remover choices and the Formula X Delete was picked up in Las Vegas last year when I needed to tend to chipped nails - not the most exciting of Sephora purchases. I can't deny that I was drawn to the pump bottle and will certainly be refilling this when the time comes. The lock system works surprisingly well and I managed to transport it to Dubai without any spillages last month.

Next I would step in with my Leighton Denny Crystal Nail File which I have spoke enough about for you to get the picture. I love it, wouldn't use anything else and it is always by my side.

Emjoi MICRO Nail Electric Nail Polisher*
My latest nail gadget is the Emjoi Micro Nail Electric Polisher. Firstly this will not magically polish your nails with colour (when will this be invented though I ask myself?) but specifically the condition of your nails. I'm not a lover of nail care and painting my nails always feels like such a commitment of time. Buffing and polishing nails seems such a faff especially when I'm only going to cover them with a bright polish. That said we all know that nails have ridges and none more so than mine so they do benefit from a buff and polish. The mjoi Micro Nail Electric Polisher does this in a matter of seconds. Literally, it says to do it no more than that or you will damage your nails.

Of course using such a gadget might be reminiscent of those nail salons with the drills but this is a very different beast and you are in control a. Smooth rollers rotate and ridges are smoothed instantly and the Shine Rollers polish up a treat it's almost a shame to add colour.

If you're after saving time during your manicure process you can find the electric nail polisher with £10 off at Boots right now.

Cuticle Nippers and Nails Inc Vitamin E Cuticle Oil Pen
I hate my cuticles, if only my nails grew as fast as they seem to. The plus side is I have something of a love affair with my cuticle nippers. There's nothing more satisfy than nipping away at them and leaving a clean base for my nail polish. To treat them I swipe some of Nails Inc's Cuticle Oil Pen which is handy compared to the typical bottles you see. It's obviously nourishing them too well at the rate they seem to grow.

MICRO CELL Nail Repair*
I have be raving about Micro Cell to anyone who will listen for sometime. One of Germany's top selling nail brands it's new to the UK market and so far seems to be under the radar. I came across it at a press event and listened intently to the press spiel thinking how amazing can it be. Well the answer is pretty amazing.

Micro Cell has been developed for those of us with soft and brittle nails. Designed to recover protein molecules on the outer layer of the nails it helps strengthen and protect your nails. I used to suffer from splitting of my nails which has been non existent since applying Micro Cell.

As with most products of it's type Micro Cell should be applied and removed and reapplied daily to set the process in action. You are able to paint colour on top but should still follow the daily removal process. I admit I'm not always as good at doing this but it's more frequent than it ever has been and still seems to be working well for me.

eyeCANDY Top Coat*
I never truly got the Seche Vite hype, nor found it was any better for adding longevity to my nail colour. I put this down to me but since using the eyeCANDY Top Coat I can say it wasn't and I was just using the wrong product for my nails. Another brand that is little heard but easily found in your local supermarket this is an amazing product. It does everything that Seche Vite will do and more. My full review of the eyeCANDY Top Coat is here.

Leighton Denny Miracle Mist*
Finally with have another one of the products where I ask does it actually work or do I just think it does? Having just mentioned amazing fast drying top coats and often using nail polishes with similar claims does the Leighton Denny Miracle Mist do the trick? Honestly I can't say definitively but I do know that I am using it as part of my routine and as far as my amateur eye can see, or touch it appears to.

What tools do you keep in your nail kits?

*Press samples

February 2015 Beauty Favourites

It wasn't difficult to highlight favourite products this month. Everything list below has been in regular use, relied upon and/or made a major impact on my regimes so let's dive in.

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara link
I only posted about the latest Benefit release last week - read the post here - and it's become a favourite. Especially when I took it out of my make up bag and tried others in my stash and they just didn't occur. I mentioned in my review post how I had never jumped on the They're Real bandwagon (although I own it and am going to be giving it a fair crack of the whip shortly) so my expectations of this mascara were not high. I was proved wrong by a fantastic formula this curling mascara provides - especially to someone who doesn't often bother to manually curl lashes. Have you tried it yet?

Bourjois Smokey Stories Eyeshadow Quad in Good Nude* link
The Good Nude eyeshadow quad from Bourjois is something of a perpetual favourite for me. If I'm ever in doubt of what eyeshadow to wear or need to ensure I have something to rely on in my make up bag this is what I reach for. Yes above and beyond many of my high end options. The eyeshadows are wonderful pigmented, apply and blend like a dream and their lasting power is long. I have to consciously remove this quad from my make up bag to ensure others have their chance to shine as I could happily make do with this on a day to day basis. If you like to see my original post and swatches, you can do so here.

eyeCandy Gel Top Coat* link
You may have already read my rave review of the eyeCandy Gel Top Coat here but the love keeps going. Last week I wanted a specific shade of pink which I had in my old Chanel collection I had cast aside to sell (due to chipping; read about that here). I decided to give them another try using the eyeCandy top coat - was it good enough to give more life to my Chanel nail polish? Other than a nail I used when picking a label off of something all others are chip free - I cannot believe it. Whilst I wouldn't necessarily buy a Chanel nail polish in the future at least I can now use and enjoy those I already own.

007 Fragrance for Women* link
The 007 fragrance for women has now earned its place alongside my bottles of Chanel and rightly so. As I mentioned in my original post here I fully expected to turn my nose up at this affordable and 'gimmicky' scent. I was proved very wrong and am reaching for this scent above my Chanel's on a regular basis.

Braun Facial Epilator* link
The Braun epilator received a glowing review last week - read it here - and I claimed it had changed my life. Over dramatics aside I am still using with great frequency and there was major panic one night last week when the batteries ran out and I feared I had none spare. Rarely a day goes by when I do not give some area of my face a once over with this fantastic product. I know some commented they find epilation on the face too painful so I hope to have a review of an alternative coming up in the next couple of weeks - stay tuned.

A-derma Nutrialba Rich Nourishing Cream* link
In January I reviewed this cream in a post about how I'd switched to a heavier moisturiser during Winter to treat skin that was on the drier side. You can read that post here. Since then I had switched it out for other products but then I was struck by a cold and the associated sore nose from constant blowing. I reached for the A-derma cream knowing that in a matter of day any evident soreness and dry patches would have disappeared - a real saviour.

What have been your favourites the past month?

*PR Sample

Don't forget to enter my US  drugstore beauty giveaway here

Better than Seche Vite?

eyeCANDY Gel Wrap System*

I had been rather indifferent to the eyeCANDY Gel Wrap System* when it landed on my doorstep and wasn't in any particular rush to test out and review. I don't get that excited about nails/nail products. Yes I love a good red nail polish but my nails aren't fantastic as I've discussed regularly and I'm not diligent enough with taking care of them despite the hefty stash of products I have on hand - pun intended. 

I do paint my nails on a somewhat regular basis but despite using various good quality top coats I don't seem to get the extreme, no chipping wear everyone else experiences. Laziness means that when chipping occurs I don't rush to repaint and then a nail breaks and the whole cycle begins.

That could all be due to change due to the fantastic eyeCANDY Top Coat please let me tell you more.

I'd taken the necessary 'blogger photos' and then added the set to my 'test' pile and went about my business as normal till I was having a declutter of my nail polish collection. Last Summer I'd picked up the Maybelline Super Stay Colour in Hot Salsa and remember being thoroughly livid with it because despite it's rave reviews from bloggers everywhere it chipped almost immediately on me reminiscent of Chanel Nail Colours. The colour also wasn't what I expected for one called 'Hot Salsa' but I digress.

I decided to give it one last try before I moved it into my ditch pile and took the opportunity to test out the eyeCANDY products. Unfortunately I cannot get the lid off the base coat so note this review is solely for the top coat and it's performance alone. For info I used the Nails Inc Base Coat instead. 

As we know gel manicures are the thing right now and unlike many other nail systems in the past it's a look we can achieve at home although as I mentioned in this post they can cause weakness to nails after repeated use. We are now seeing a flurry of gel top coats which do not require UV lamps so cutting down the costs/equipment required yet still providing the longevity of a gel manicure - or so they say.

Let's just say I'm amazed because the eyeCANDY gel top coat is one of the best I've used of late. I'm excited if I can make 2 - 3 days out of my nail colour and I can report I am on day 6 and we're still going strong and that's with the nail polish I was ready to bin for chipping. Yes there is some signs of wear and a small chip on the nails I'd refer to as tools i.e. the thumb that's picked at something but otherwise if you were to look at my hands today you could be fooled into thinking they'd just been painted.

I've never been particularly wowed by Seche Vite apart from it's ability to speed up the drying process and whilst the eyeCANDY Top Coat is a similar consistency it's prevention of chipping far outweighs it and for a more affordable price tag.

Obviously due to my such rave review I want to explore this product even further and test with some other nail products and I'll report back on removal etcetera in a later post for completeness but either way I'm sold on this product that you can throw into your trolley during your supermarket shop.

*PR Sample