Soap & Glory Sexy Motherpucker Gloss Stick - worth the hype?

These lovely little things have gotten massive hype on blogs and Youtube with a ton of people. I had to jump on the balm-stick-glossy-tint thing wagon as I didn't own any, these seemed like a good start! However now i've fallen in love I fear for my bank balance.. I.need.more.  I adore easy wear lip products, the sort of low maintenance colour you can stick on anywhere without needing a liner and lip brush and all that jazz. I put these at the top of my Christmas list and, much to my delight, Santa did not dissapoint.

 

 I got these in the little Christmas gift set of three which came in a tin and it worked out cheaper than buying the three individually but you buy these individually on boots - here. They retail for about £8 each which isn't the cheapest out there but it certainly isn't the most expensive either. Boots tend to have offers on so I'd recommend keeping a look out and picking one up then or using your cherished Boots points always softens the blow. 

These are extremely glossy and I love it, it probably sets these apart from the other balms on the market. They also smell delicious, they have that MAC lipstick vanilla scent about them - a bit like sweeties - I love it. The sort of pointed tip makes them easy to apply precisely although I imagine they'll become blunt as you use them more, they almost melt onto your lips they're that creamy (which makes them seriously comfortable to wear). The three shades I own are: Nudist, Fuchsia-Ris tic (love a good product name pun) and Plum Jam.

Time for swatches. . 

Left to right: Nudist, Fuchsia-Ristic and Plum jam.

Nudist

Does exactly what it says on the tin. This is a beautiful nude shade which is entirely unoffensive and great for those of you terrified of bright, bold 'look at my lips now' kinda colours. To use the complete cosmetic cliche, it is a 'your lips but better' and glossier shade. I reckon I'll get the most wear out of this one.

Fuchsia-Ristic 

This is definitely a tad more daring and less everyday wear, unless that's just your style. It's a bit brighter than this in person but it's generally a very flattering colour and easier to wear than a straight up bright pink lipstick as its a tad sheer-er. You can really build this sort of balm glosses up to whatever kind of intensity you'd like which is always great. 

Plum Jam

  Probably the most sophisticated of the bunch and a bit deeper than its showing up in the photo, its got slightly more dark berry tones but it's also beautiful. Probably again less likely to be worn everyday but I really love it. I love them all lets just be honest. 

If I had to suggest just one I'd probably say Nudist.. although that's just the most wearable out of the bunch. A bit of my heart is with them all and I will pick up the last two shades if I get the chance. I really hope they expand the range and bring out more colours. These are one product actually worth the hype.

Have any of you tried these? what do you think? 

Much Love, 

               Natalie x

Maybelline Baby Lips - worth the hype?

I'm sure you're all more than fed up of hearing about the notorious Maybelline Baby Lips, especially if you're in the UK given we got them much later than the US. But I gave in and decided to try one out, and I'm completely split on my review. It's both worth it and not worth it at the same time.. it's a strange one. 

I bought the shade 'Cherry Me' and I have to say it smells delicious - if you're really into that sort of fake cherry sweetie smell. I think whilst when you first put it on it really does moisturise and makes your lips feel relatively soft. But after a while I feel like my lips are even drier than they were to begin with. It's very much artificial 'moisturising' and a quick fix product with a sort of instant gratification. I  can't speak for all the range, perhaps the plain 'hydrate' one is much better at not drying on the lips but this definately did me no favours in the long run. What I do love about it, however, is how easy it is to grab and use for the subtle hint of colour. 

 It adds a really nice tint to the lips (Especially lovely for this time of year) which is reasonably buildable as you can see below.

 For that alone I do think this product has a purpose. But overall I just wasn't as impressed as I expected to be given all the fuss, what can you really expect from a £3 lip balm is the question afterall? For the price point, it's good and certainly has a purpose as a nice tint of colour.. but for its moisturising properties alone I probably wouldn't buy it again.

What do you guys think? are any of the other shades different? 

Much love, 

                   Natalie xx

Boots Botanics - A mixed bag

Hello there! I recently decided to delve into the Boots 'Botanics' range.

I think the general ethos is that it's all to do with the 'power of plants' and this intrigued me.

The line is totally reasonably priced across the board and if you're looking for low-cost, but totally natural, skincare this could be for you. The line is broken down into a number of categories: 

- All Bright (Brightens all skin types)

- Radiant Youth (Protects all skin types)

-Organic (Nourishes all skin types)

-Ultra Calm (Soothes sensitive skin)

-Shine Away (Mattifies oily skin)

-Hand and Body (Intensively moisturises)

I only sampled two things; one from the 'All Bright' range and one from the 'Organic' so I can't advise you on everything!

*Please excuse the shoddy camera work in this post.*

I tried out the Soothing Eye Make Up Remover (£3.99) and the Rosewater Toning Spritz (£4.99)

As you can see they're both reasonably priced. But one outshone the other rather drastically...

 Firstly, the least impressive (and that's putting it politely), of the two. The Soothing Eye Make Up Remover. The packaging  reads: "The clear oil phase effectively sweeps away impurities and make-up, including waterproof formulations. The aqueous phase is given it's colour by hibiscus, and helps to soothe the eye area and condition lashes"

As you can see from the description and the picture below the product is by-phase, so you have to shake it really well to mix both the oil and water layers and then it's good to go. 

My main problems with this product are the promises it simply doesn't live up to. I have to scrub at my eyes with the cotton pad to get it to break down the makeup effectively - something I thought would come with ease due to the oil. The oil leaves my entire eye area feeling particularly greasy and unpleasant. The smell is also VERY off-putting. It's hard to describe but it smells slightly medicinal and just horrible..

The hibiscus is supposed to act as a natural brightener but I can't say I've seen any difference at all. 

Something which also caught me off guard was how much it stings if you get it in your eye... god it packs a punch. I know you're not supposed to get it in your eye but it happens!

I flapped around my bathroom fearing I'd lost my eyesight for a good 2 minutes.

I ended up going back in with a face wipe straight after I used this anyway so I thought to myself, "What's the point?". 

I VERY rarely actually decide to stop using something after I've paid good money for it (I'm stubborn like that). But this I will not be picking up again.

Secondly was the rose toning spray and I was pleasantly surprised by this product!

The packaging reads: "Enliven your sense and refresh your skin with this revitalizing organic Rosewater Toner. Spritz generously after cleansing to visibly tighten pores and remove the last traces of make-up. Skin feels smoother, fresher and prepared for moisturising."

I bloomin' love this toner. Now I will confess I do not actually use this for its intended purpose. 

In my skincare routine post I made clear my love for the Liz Earle Instant boost tonic toner and I remain faithful to that for my day and night use. However.. for refreshing and perking up my skin throughout the day this is wonderful. I find myself grabbing it when I walk past and giving my skin a nice spritz. 

The liquid mists out as opposed to just soaking your entire face which is lovely. It's cooling and smells absolutely divine (if you're a lover of rose scents like I am). 

I have also noticed that, like it promises on the bottle, my skin does infact feel smoother since I started using this. This gets a definite 'thumbs up' from me! :) 

Have you guys tried anything from this range? impressed or not impressed?

 let me know in the comments bellow! 

Thanks for reading as always :)

Much love, 

                          Natalie xxx

L

Bargain Beauty

 My newest obsession. For all you ladies who, like me, have a major sweet tooth and love nothing more than digging into a decadent dessert - your time has arrived.

I first heard about these beauties through missglamourazzi on YouTube. She raved and raved about them and I couldn't help but be a bit cynical: "All that over a lip balm? really?"

But right now I eat my words.

I cannot even begin to convey to you how AMAZING these are. Every time I whap out one of these little tins of deliciousness I get that little bit happier, they are sumptuously sweet.

The formula is creamy and wonderfully moisturizing. I would note however that strangely the Caramel Cream seems to be the most moisturizing. 

I don't even know how to begin describing the different scents, they're just beautiful. They even taste great.. I know. And priced at £2.25 a tin at boots I just couldn't say no. 

They were also on a 3 for 2 offer when I got mine so I got one free! wooohoo! The only version I didn't buy was the plain ole' original, who wants to be boring right?

Here's a LINK

I think i'd have to say the Caramel Cream is my ultimate favourite. But I love them all and change them up depending on my mood. If you haven't smelt these you're seriously missing out, pop down to boots and take a whiff; you won't regret it. 

Any of you tried out these new balms? Do you love them as much as me? 

Much love, 

                      Natalie xxx