Topshop Eyeliner Brush and Blush in Morning Dew

I went to Westfield in Stratford last Friday armed with a Topshop gift voucher from Christmas (I know, hoarder) and every intention to buy a nifty little piece of clothing.

But what do larger Topshop stores have...? Make up.

The range in the Westfield store isn't even that extensive, but like the little make-up magpie I am, I managed to find something to buy (well...two things).

But one of them I am in LOVE with, and need to share.  Immediately.

As you may (or may not) be aware, I am a gel eyeliner convert.  I love gel eyeliner.  I'd never consider liquid liner ever again.  However my one issue with gel eyeliner is that you need a really good brush.  Up until now I have been using an Eco Tools eyeliner brush from Boots, which is the best I have found on the market for a reasonable price (about £8-9 I believe).

But look at this little beauty I found in Topshop for FOUR POUNDS!

For a start, it's pink.  And this is enjoyable.  Call me a predictable girl if you wish, but it looks nice.  However the real appeal of this brush is how tapered it is.  It manages to taper to an impressively slim point, without being too fine bristle-wise.  I tried to take a photo but as per usual my camera didn't quite want to focus...but I think you get the jist of it...?

I've already used it a couple of times to apply my eyeliner, and I'm really impressed with it.  I

t produces a really even but thin line, which is a 'must' for me and my teeny tiny eyes.
It is also quite small (shorter than a normal pencil) but not small enough to make it fiddly.  The size actually makes it easier to use in my opinion.

And it is £4!  Lovely. 


My other purchase was a bit of a dabble into blusher territory - and I don't normally wear blusher.  I am a firm bronzer girl and proud, but I have always hankered after that really pretty pink-cheek make-up look some girls can pull off really well (e.g. below)

I think it is difficult to find a pink blusher where the colour 'pops' on your cheeks without being overwhelming or staining the skin unevenly (like Benefit's Posie-Tint).

Topshop do these cream blushers which are £6 each, and they come in a range of bright, colour pop shades such as pink, coral and poppy red.

I bought the shade "Morning Dew" which is a peach-pink type of tone.  It is a really nice fresh colour, and when I swatched it on my hand it seemed suprisingly blendable and subtle.

The packaging is cute, and typical Topshop.  I like it though. It looks good and it is compact and functional.  It comes with a mirror in the lid and it is a fair size for the price.

I've used this product a couple of times already and have had compliments when I am wearing it.  It is a little out of my usual make-up comfort zone, just because I am not used to playing up my cheek area with colour.  Having said that, it is a really pretty shade and is so easy to use.  You really do not need a lot - I literally dot my finger on the cream and then rub it into the apples of my cheeks.  I like how easy it is to blend though, and it is a very even finish, which you don't often get from 'colour pop' shades like this.  It gives a really nice fresh vibrant colour, but still manages to be quite subtle.

You also cannot feel this on your skin, which I often find to be a problem with cream blushers.  They can feel heavy and sticky and 'sit' on top of the skin, but this literally blends away to nothing.

I haven't exactly tried many cream blushers before so I can't do much of a comparison, but I can say it is much lighter and less sticky than the MAC cream blusher I own, and it is much more hydrating and blendable than the Maybelline dream matte mousse blusher in Dolly Pink. 

Overall it is a really nice cream blusher, and the colour range is really pretty and punchy.  I can't rave about it because I am still a bit unsure as to whether I can pull off the look generally, but if you are looking for a decent priced cream blusher, then you could do a lot worse than this offering from Topshop.

No.7 Gel-Look Nail Colour - NEPTUNE

Regular readers of my blog will know I have recently had a bit of an interest (obsession) with high street, gel-finish nail varnishes.

I'm a huge believer in a shiny nail...and the gel nail varnishes promise exactly this.

No.7 have very recently broken into the gel nail polish market, with a tentative offering of 7 'gel-look' shine nail varnishes.  This 'dip your toe in the water' approach has been seen by most of the high street cosmetic companies, which either suggests they think gel-nail varnishes are a flash in the pan, or they aren't sure how the public will react to them.

The colour range on offer is a pretty typical palette of colours - a baby pink, a fuschia pink, a red, a deep wine (you get the idea....) and normally I probably wouldn't have even given the range a second thought, as I am definitely not a fan of No.7's normal nailvarnishes.  However, one colour caught my eye, and that was this deep grey/denim blue....

I hadn't really seen a shade like it before, and something about it really appealed to me. Sooo....as per usual out came the debit card and £6.50 later I was the (somewhat dubious) owner of No.7's new gel look nail colour in Neptune.

The blurb on this is that it not only offers high shine, but it also claims to only need one coat.  Bold.  I've never had a successful experience with "1-coat" nail varnish before, but hey ho.

After one coat

So above are my nails after one coat.  The flash on my camera definitely exaggerates the 'streaks' in the colour, as they weren't that obvious in reality.  In fairness to No.7, I'd say you could probably get away with just one coat of this nail varnish, if you were in a hurry and weren't looking for an ultra-groomed finish.  The depth of colour was really impressive, and the consistency was thick but still really easy to apply.  The brush is slightly flatter and wider than their usual nail varnishes which definitely aids application.  I could cover my whole nail in one 'swipe' of the brush and the finish was nice and even.

Width of the brush (apologies for the poor quality of my camera!)

Anyone who has read my nailvarnish posts before though will know I am a sucker for depth of colour, and I am therefore never going to be a girl to settle for a one-coat wonder.  And in honesty, I think this nail varnish comes into its own in the second coat.  The consistency is so nice to work with and the second coat delivers a much stronger, fuller, solid colour, and you really notice the 'gel shine'.  I haven't got any top coat on in the photo below, and I think the shine is really impressive.

With regard to the colour, I am a little in love with this shade. It is a deep denim / blueberry blue with grey undertones and I think it looks quite unique.  I haven't come across a colour like it before - definitely not on the high street anyway.  The unique shade, coupled with the rich colour this nail varnish offers, makes for a really impressive product. 

It's a shame that No.7 haven't got any other shades that immediately take my eye...I've already got a red gel nail varnish by Barry M, and the other colours don't really appeal to me.  However I would say this is the best high-street gel nailvarnish I have tried.  It beats the Barry M one hands down on both application and richness of colour, and for £6.50 it doesn't exactly break the bank.  I''d recommend looking out for No.7 offers, as they are always running 'money-off' vouchers or 3 for 2.

Charles Worthington Intense Rescue Melting Balm - Review

I heavily bleach my hair which means I am always on the hunt for a good product that will put moisture back into my hair, and stop it being so dry and brittle.

I read about this product on several blogs, and everyone seemed to be giving it rave reviews, so despite it being a little outside my usual budget, I thought I'd give it a go.

The product is Charles Worthington's Intense Rescue Melting Balm, and it comes in his new range of Salon Secrets products, which appear to be a more luxurious line of 'salon-worthy' treatments.  Of the entire range, this seemed to get the most hype in the blogging world.

I'll be honest, I bought this product over 3 months ago and have been putting off posting a review, purely because I just cannot make my mind up about it.

It is designed to be an intense moisture treatment for dry, thick hair, and it stood out for me in the blogs because people were saying it didn't weigh the hair down, which for me is a massive bugbear with moisturising treatments.  It is one of a new generation of 'pre-wash' treatments, which you apply to your hair before you shampoo it rather than after.

The product itself comes in a wide pot, and when I first opened it I was like "oh my god I just spent £17.99 on this and it is TINY".  I was really concerned that I'd use it all up in one go -and nearly £20 for a on-off at-home treatment is quite a lot.

The product inside is a hard, solid wax which looks really similar to solid coconut oil.  As soon as your finger makes contact with it though, it immediately starts to melt enough for you to easily scoop some out.  When I've used solid coconut oil in the past I have really struggled to scoop it out, but this scoops like a dream.  The consistency is really nice, almost like semi-melted candle wax.

Once you have a 'lump' in your hand, you rub it between your palms and it immediately melts into a light oil.  I was impressed with how much oil was produced by quite a small amount of the solid wax.

You then wipe the oil over your dry hair - I'd recommend just the ends at this stage.  I applied it on my own hair from about 2/3rds of the way down.  The oil coats the hair quite liberally and easily and leaves you with 'wet-look' hair.

The smell of this balm is a-mazing, really gentle but a really pleasant scent.  I can't put my finger on what the scent is, but it is gorgeous, and it stays on your hair after you've rinsed the product out. 

The instructions say you can leave the balm on for anything from 15 minutes to overnight.  The first time I used it, I just left it on for the obligatory 15 minutes, but on subsequent uses I have been leaving it longer (up to an hour).  I've not tried an overnight treatment yet.

One of things I prefer about these "pre-wash" conditioning treatments is that you can pop them on and then carry on with doing other stuff.  I just clip mine up in a bun and leave it to work its magic.  It means you skip the awkward 15 minute loiter in the shower that you get with the post-shampoo conditioning treatments.

With regards to the results, this is where I get a bit stuck.  Up until then, the application/consistency/scent etc are all really impressive.  It feels like a high end product when you are applying it, and the application is practically foolproof.  After I'd rinsed it out, washed my hair and dried it all off, I just wasn't sure what I thought of the results.

You can definitely feel a difference, there is no doubt in that.  To touch, the ends of my hair felt silky.  More silky than if I'd used a decent conditioner? Hmm, not sure.  There is a certain lightness to the silky effect which I will admit is nice.  It doesn't feel in the slight bit greasy, which is surprising bearing in mind the consistency of the actual product.  Visually though, I didn't feel I noticed a massive difference.  My hair didn't look any different, it didn't look silky or nourished any more so than after I've used my regular conditioner.  It did, however, smell divine and as I said before, it felt nice to the touch.

One thing I will say is don't get put off by the size of the pot.  I used this much on my whole hair:

I barely made a dent in it (in my opinion).  It has lasted me about 3 months but I have only used it about 5 times.  Having said that, I still think this is impressive.  Splitting the price across the number of times I have used it gives it an average cost-per-wear of £3.59, which is reaaalllly good.

Having said that, I still don't know whether I love this or not.  I don't think it helps that it has received such rave reviews everywhere else - I was literally expecting a miracle.  This is a really nice product but it isn't a miracle product.  I think its strengths lie in the scent, the application and the fact it gives a really silky but light feel.  I'll be honest, it does make your hair feel like it has had a pamper, but for some reason something is holding me back...it just didn't blow me away, but that might be because it had so much to live up to.  I also haven't tried leaving it on overnight yet, which might give better results.

I'm not sure if I'd re-purchase this.  Although it works out cheap per use, the initial whack of £17.99 is a bit ouchie, although most people seem to have bought this on a 1/3rd off offer so I 'd probably consider buying it again if they ran another one of these offers.  I think it will end up being a product I revisit whenever my hair is feeling particularly ravaged, but I just can't fight the fact that under the gorgeous scent, there was just a tinge of disappointment for me.

Models Own Hed Kandi Hedonist

With the sun fiiiinally making a cheeky appearance, it inspired me to want to try something more Spring-appropriate with my nails...I've definitely been in a dark-nail comfort zone for wayyy too long.  So I went extreme and debuted the new Models Own nailvarnish I got for my birthday...

It is from their Hed Kandi range and is a BRIGHT neon red-orange. I've not tried Models Own before, but I've wanted a bright neon nail varnish for aaages.

I was quite impressed with the depth of colour from the first coat, but then this is quite a thick varnish, it's more of a nail paint and it reminds me of the nail varnishes by Barry M.  Like I find with the Barry M nailvarnishes, the brush was a bit too thin and I didn't find the application very smooth - it didn't glide on like higher end varnishes like OPI. 

After first coat - impressive colour depth!

After second coat - there's barely much difference, it's just a bit thicker and even

Another thing...this nailvarnish has a semi-matte finish which I TOTALLY was not expecting. I'm not the biggest fan of matte varnishes and feel they work better in neutral, muted colours. I ended up putting a couple of coats of clear top coat on, and I definitely prefer this finish with it.

With two top coats (and no flash)

Having said that, I LOVE the colour and I'd definitely stick with it for that reason.  It is BRIGHT...very neon/fluorescent - it's a level of bright neon that I haven't managed to achieve with other bright nailvarnishes (e.g. OPI big hair big nails). The colour literally pops and it draws a lot of attention to your nails. For this reason I think you need to ensure your hands and nails are in good condition when you wear it. It will look amazing with a natural tan, but I think it could look a bit chavtastic with a fake tan...

I haven't been inspired to rush out and buy more Models Own nailvarnishes, because it is only the colour that sells this for me. I love it, but I'm a little scared of the brightness, I'm not gonna lie!

Barry M Gelly Nail Paint - Blood Orange

The latest buzz trend in the manicure world is undoubtedly the rise of the gel manicure. Guaranteed for over 2 weeks, safe for your nails and with a high gloss finish, gel manicures offer a new (and arguably low maintenance) way of keeping your nails ultimately groomed. Hot on the heels of this trend came the high street version, gel nail varnishes.  I think they were meant provide an 'at home' option which is cheaper than buying the proper gel manicure kit (with UV lamp etc).  The high street nailvarnishes dry like any normal nail varnish but are said to offer a high gloss, gel finish.

One of the first companies to bring out a gel nail varnish was Barry M. Their 'Gelly Hi-Shine' nail paints cost just £4.99 for a standard 10ml size.  The color range (in my opinion) is a tad restricted at just nine colours, suggesting this is more of a 'testing of the waters', or (dare I say it..) a gimmick?

But what the hell, I'm a sucker for a gimmick..

I got the 'blood orange colour for my birthday and I'm quite pleasantly surprised!

I found the consistency of the varnish a tad on the gloopy side - I get the impression this might quickly go reeallllyyy gloopy and be unuseable, but we'll see.  The first thing that struck me though was how rich the colour was after just one coat.  You could easily get away with just one coat if you're in a mega rush. I'd say it's worth doing a second coat though, as it still gives a noticeably improved even-ness and depth of colour. I've put photos of the first and second coat below and you can see there isn't much between them, but the second coat makes the colour 'pop' a bit more.

First coat

Second coat

I did find the brush a bit thin...this is a common complaint I have about Barry M nail varnishes. Their brushes always seem thin and rigid making it tricky to get a nice even sweep of colour.  Having said that, this gel formula is quite thick so the brush is not as annoying as with their normal varnishes.

Colour-wise, I do enjoy this. It's quite a rich, classic red - although it's more of a pinky-red rather than an orangey-red like the name suggests. It is also slightly on the darker side - it definitely isn't an fluro bright red, it's more of a classic, rosebud red.

Colour without the flash (more accurate)

Colour aside, the winner with this is by far the finish.  I'd say it definitely lives up to its 'gel' heritage as it has a nice glossy finish. You don't need a top coat, which for lazy people like moi, earns it a bonus point.  Don't get me wrong, it isn't in-your-face, mirror-shine gloss, but it does have a much shinier finish than your bog standard nail varnish.

Overall, for the price and the finish, I like this range.  But unfortunately the red is the only colour I like. If Barry M persevere with this range and bring out more colours then I'd definitely purchase more, but none of the current range excite me much. I quite like 'grapefruit' but can't find it aaaaanywhere.

If one of the colours do catch your eye though, I'd say do it. It's a quick little nailvarnish which has a finish that suggests you spent a lot more time on your nails than you actually have...and that's always a winner.

---UPDATE-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Barry M have now brought out some new shades in this range.  I say some..I mean 4..but that's four more than the 9 they originally had!

Hopefully though, this tentative release of 4 colours is the sign of things to come, and suggests the 'Gelly' range is doing well. The range could do with a deep, dark colour but I guess they'll probably wait until Autumn to bring out those kind of shades. 

The new shades are all tutti-frutti type colours, with a coral, an aqua, a very pale taupe and a barbie pink.  None of them appeal to me massively colour-wise, although if I was going on holiday I'd probably purchase the aqua as it seems a really vivid colour that would look gorgeous with a tan, and generally this would make a perfect, low-maintenance holiday nail varnish.

Herbal Essences Bee Strong Strengthening Intensive Mask - Review

Look what I found in Tesco! 

I'm quite a fan of the Herbal Essences range, mainly because it is affordable and it smells A-mazing.

Their new range is designed to strengthen dry and damaged hair, and my hair is definitely both of those.  It was on offer for £2, so I figured it was worth a shot.  And typically of Herbal Essences, it smelt SO good.

 

I was pleasantly surprised by this product. The cream is thick and gloopy - it applies easily to the hair and (crucially) stays on the hair. I've used conditioners in the past which seem to absorb to nothing when you leave them on the hair for 2-3 minutes. 
 

 

When I rinsed the product out, I could immediately feel my hair was softer.  I always think this is a sign of a good conditioning product, if you can feel the difference when the hair is wet.  I'm probably totally wrong, and this means something bad like it has coated the hair, but I've always enjoyed that feeling of rinsing my hair and feeling it all soft.

Styling-wise, I'd say my hair was easier to comb when it was wet.  It wasn't a significant "wow the brush is gliding through my hair", it was more of a gentle improvement.  My hair felt a little less vulnerable to the brushing and I definitely had less tangles.

The results after I'd dried my hair were similar in that my hair felt soft and nourished, but not in a mind-blowing way.  There was a definite improvement in my hair though, and one of my favourite things about this mask was that it didn't weigh my hair down or make it greasy.  For this reason I would definitely purchase this product again.  I think it smells amazing - sort of honey-scented (obviously) but with fruity undertones that keep the fragrance fresh.  I also think it does a good job for the price tag, which I think is its key strength.  It wouldn't stop me buying more expensive versions when my hair needs a bit more pampering, but for weekly general use I think it is perfect.  It is also the best of the Herbal Essences masks I have tried. 

OPI I Brake for Manicures - Review

My Mum, sisters and I decided it was girly spa day time last Friday.  Our local spa had an amazing offer on, so we spent the day in fluffy robes and oversized slippers, hopping between the sauna and the jacuzzi....beats a day in the office for sure!

One problem with the spa is that they have a rather large, rather conspicuous OPI tester stand just loitering outside the restaurant.  What started as a casual stroll out of the restaurant after lunch, ended in an absolute OPI-fest.  My sisters, Mum & I are terrible when we're all together, we can talk each other into purchasing ANYTHING.  We left the restaurant area 6 nail varnishes and 1 Avo-juice hand lotion later - and believe me, this was restrained.

The nailvarnish I purchased was "I Brake For Manicures" and continues my love affair with dark OPI nail colours.  I've made no secret in the past of my obsession with "Lincoln Park after Dark", and I do firmly believe that you need to spend that bit more on dark nailvarnishes, as the finish is a lot more noticeable. Right, excuses made.

"I Brake For Manicures" caught my eye as it was dark, but had a really unusual slate-grey/plum tinge to it.  I can't say I have seen a colour like it before, although it is one of those colours where you find people calling it different things.  I would call it plum/grey, my sister couldn't see any plum in it at all, and the beauty lady we bought it from said "ah it is my favourite brown". BROWN!? Anyway...

 The application is typical standard OPI...good consistency, good pigmentation of colour and good staying power.  I did have to put three coats on to get a really thick, glossy coverage but I think this is partly due to my nails being extremely dry following the removal of a gelish manicure (lots of acetone, never ideal).

I have to admit, I'm a little in love with this colour.  I think it is a much edgier version of "Lincoln Park after Dark".  Lincoln is definitely a classy, well groomed type of dark nailvarnish, which looks wicked with a high gloss finish.  This is definitely a more grungy colour, but the plum tones add a pretty, luxe finish.  I'm not grungy by any means, but it lets me dip my toe into that kind of look (plus I did buy biker boots the other day...) 

I think you can tell it is OPI, because something OPI do really well with their dark colours, is add colour depth and dimension. There is a richness to the colour which keeps shades like this (which might normally look a bit dull) looking full and luxurious.

This is the colour in sunlight with no flash (for info)

I sense I am going to be wearing this A LOT...mainly as I think it offers a slightly softer alternative to Lincoln, which will carry me through Spring better. 

Oh OPI I do love you and your bloody brilliant dark nailvarnishes!!