Laura Geller - Lace Illuminator

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Laura Geller – Baked Gelato Lace Illuminator

I am generally a huge lover of Laura Geller products and love the baked formulations as they leave my skin feeling smooth with a lasting coverage. I couldn’t wait to try the new illuminator/highlighter as I use Laura’s highlighter in French Vanilla and is one of my favourite pieces of make up I use; so to have this huge 11g highlighter in my hands was like all my Christmases coming at once.

I will start off with the packaging; I don’t know if Laura Geller is changing over to a new style of packaging that this illuminator comes in but I have a few products in similar styles so I think it may be the case. The new style of packaging is lovely in my opinion, a sleek black base upon which a large clear dome sits with simple font and the synonymous red lips. The lid is a nightmare to open and has chipped my nails already, I hope over time it will loosen up and make it easier too get into it. Overall I love the feel of the packaging in my hands; it sits nice when using it and is a lot lighter in weight than the last packaging.

The illuminator itself on first appearance looks like a basket weave with a chequered and lace top finish. The colour reminds me of a bronzer, it is slightly peach in tone but is a lot darker than the French vanilla highlighter I already have. Also rather than being a matte texture there is most definitely sheen that reflects in the light.

On application it is like all Laura’s products it goes on smoothly and evenly, and is lovely to use however on my pale skin the illuminator looks rather orange so I will not be using this like I use other highlighters. I ended up using this just under my eyebrows with a neutral toned eye pallet as it gave a lift and blended in nicely but was to much for me to use on my cheek bones and as an all over face highlighter. Maybe in the summer I could use it as well as a bronzer but for the winter months I will just use it as a brow lift.

Overall I wouldn’t buy this product again as for a fair skin tone like me I feel the colour is too intense. However like all Laura Geller products it is lovely to use and would probably look great on a tanned to Mediterranean skin tone.

Bye For Now

Nicola 

Leighton Denny - Jailbird & Devil Dust

For Christmas day this year I wanted festive nails that would last longer than one day, so I went for Leighton Denny’s Jailbird. As I have gone into before my opinions on LD’s formulation and packaging I won’t go into it again I will just focus on the colour in this post.

Jailbird is a greeny/blue metallic; the best way I can describe it is as a mermaid’s tail. It is beautiful shade that I would class as transitional, it will work in any season but for Christmas it looks like a bauble on my finger tips. I decided to add a single coat of Devil Dust, Devil Dust is very small red glitter fragments in a clear top coat. This allowed me to have extra detailing and making Jailbird slightly more festive in a subtle way that works throughout the festive period not just on Christmas day.

In the pictures you can barely see the glitter but in person it is so beautifully subtle it is just as the light hits my nails that you catch the red. Overall I love this combination; however it will just be a festive option. I cant wait to wear Jailbird in the summer where it will really catch the light.

Bye for now

Nicola

Laura Geller - Gloss Cafe Au Lait

Laura Geller – Colour Drenched Lip Gloss (Café Au Lait)

I usually wear my lips bare and focus more on my eyes; so for me lip glosses are not worn very often. However I received this gloss as part of a kit I ordered from Laura Geller a while ago and thought I would give it a fair chance. The packaging is ok, it is very functional and I do like that you can see the whole colour in the tube rather than a small window so at a glance you know which shade you want. The wand and sponge tip applicator is the same as most conventional lip glosses and allows you to apply the gloss quickly and efficiently with or without a mirror.

The gloss itself smells amazing; the aroma of coffee fills your senses as you apply which I liked. The colour is a dusky, pinky brown that is very true to life and is very much what you see in the tube, I personally find this to be a sign of a good product as the pigment is infused throughout the product and not just on the surface. The staying power was ok lasting roughly 1-2 hours which for a gloss is pretty good going but you would definitely need to take it out with you to re apply. Unlike most glosses I found this one to be non-sticky and cloying; as a non gloss wearer this was important to me as the sticky feeling is what turns me off about most lip products.

Overall I liked the gloss I just wouldn’t wear it everyday; the colour is great and wearable I just personally don’t like the feel of lip glosses and the faff of having to reapply through out the day is not convenient with two young kids. (picture one  is of my lips in artificial light and second is of the gloss itself)

Bye for now

 Nicola

Benefit - They're Real! Push-Up Liner

I am useless with eyeliner; I can’t put it on full stop. I have always loved the sleek look and the benefits of eyeliner, the way it opens and defines your eyes and can give the effect of more lashes but no matter how hard I have tried I have always failed at getting that thin straight line just above my lashes. So with my uselessness in mind I try and get as much advice as possible and product recommendations from the people in the know. I asked Rachel France who is the regional training manager for Benefit for any tips and advice for people like me who struggle; she was lovely and gave me loads of suggestions such as using grey or brown shadows with a hard brush to create a softer look or using a metallic shade and blend it out for those who don’t like the intense dark look.

As I want so desperately to crack the eyeliner look with one product I took her recommendation of the Benefit They’re Real liner which has an Accuflex tip and matte gel which is softer than stick eyeliners and is supposedly easier to create that slim smooth line. This eyeliner is not the cheapest option at roughly £18 a go but if it works what an investment as the amount of eyeliners I have thrown away as they make my eyes itchy and sore just from the application adds up very quickly; I managed to get my hands on a trial size for £4 which gave me the opportunity of trying out the liner and the applicator without the hefty investment.

All I can say is WOW; I managed to create a very thin line just above my lashes. The tip allowed me to smooth the product easily in one go with no dragging or pulling at my sensitive eyes. The tip bends and flexes as you glide the liner, now for someone who struggles with shaky hands to create that look in one go amazed me. On the first eye (my right) I managed to get the look I wanted first attempt; however with the left eye it all went a bit wrong, as I was doing it all cack handed my line is thicker and less smooth but still given me a full un broken line. I think with practise this could be my miracle liner. Thank you Benefit I will definitely be buying the full size. (Pictured is my right eye and the sample size)

 Bye for Now

 Nicola

OPI - Gold Shatter

When your hands are in and out of water as much as mine are a manicure barely lasts 3 days before it chips, so to find a product that can extend the length of my manicure to 5 days is major. The shatter effect can be applied of any dry nail varnish in a thin layer which then cracks ‘shatters’ revealing the dried base colour underneath.

I love the Gold Shatter in particular at this time of year as it creates a festive look with the subtle glitter within the gold. I have applied it over Leighton Denny’s Undercurrent (picture below) which has turned the gold into what I would class as a vintage gold; almost muted. I applied it slightly too thick on my thumb and index finger so the ‘shatter’ is less effective than on my other fingers but I now know for future uses that a very thin layer is all that is needed.

Overall I love this product, the brush was easy to use and wider than Leighton Denny brushes allowing me to cover my whole nail in two strokes rather than three and the pot itself fits very ergonomically in my hand which made home applying simple.

Bye For Now

 Nicola

Leighton Denny - Undercurrent

I am a huge lover of LD’s products; in fact it is very rare for me to use anything else. The ease of which you can paint your own nails is helped by the brush that glides the colour on effortlessly in a smooth simple action. In the winter I love using dramatic colours, with my fair skin tone it’s hard for me to use dark colours with make up or in my clothing as it washes me out but with nail varnish you can create that drama instantly and remove it just as quickly.

Today I have chosen Undercurrent which is a rich dark green that looks almost black but in the light the green shines through. It is a solid colour; so no shimmer or glitter just a beautiful winter shade. I highly recommend this colour as a different take on black and red in the Christmas season.

To make my colours last I always use a base coat preferably LD’s under coat and always finish with a top coat to keep that glossy look. If I am in a rush I will always use Leighton Denny One for all as it works as a base coat and a top coat making my life a lot simpler when in a hurry.

Bye For Now

 Nicola

NIvea Lip Butter - Original

At this time of year my lips really suffer, I have mild eczema that attacks my lips especially leaving me normally with cracked, sore, red and split to the point of bleeding every winter; so for me finding a lip product that can take on the winter months head on is essential. Nivea Lip Butter is the first form of lip butters I have tried, I normally go for a balm or a Vaseline based product which works as a barrier against the elements but I have to say butters may be the way forward.

The smooth texture you first feel on your finger as you remove from the tin stays as you apply on to your lips; a soothing, comforting barrier is created which left my lips feeling almost hydrated and most definitely protected. Once on my lips I found that the butter was in no way sticky or tacky and no shiny finish, just a silky smooth appearance; this is great as I gave a tin to my husband who works outside and I can use it on my son who also needs to protect their lips.

The packaging is simple yet effective; I love tin lip products as they slip easily into your pockets so are always available to apply that extra protection on the move. The tin itself fades from dark blue to white; so is a perfectly unisex product, branding is simple with the Nivea logo placed top and central. On first appearances I thought the tin was very shallow especially if you compare it to Vaseline tins but due to the very small amount you need I can imagine it will last you all through the winter months.

 Overall this product for me is a new love and easily a winter must have for those who suffer like I normally do.

Bye For Now

Nicola

Collection - Doest It All Mascara

This mascara is amazing; I have fallen in love with it. It does everything I could ever ask for in mascara and is an incredible price at just £4.99 from boots. It separated and defined every lash in an even thick black coating making my eyes look perfectly framed; it also gave my lashes a great curl without using a curling tool. On top of all that the mascara is waterproof, I have showered with it on and come out with a perfect set of lashes; what more can a girl ask for.

The wand is different from others that I have used as it is very thin; I am used to having a fat wand that catches all the individual lashes so to have a thin wand is going against the tide. The wand has small rubber bristles that vary in length to coat all the lashes, there is also a small ball covered in bristles at the end of the wand which is perfect for getting into all the corners and all those lashes that you can’t see but are so important for giving you a full set of lashes.

Packaging is a rich shade of purple and has a strange clear section at the top of the lid that has no use at all, the writing is in a comic book style which grabs your attention in the shocking yellow to contrast the vivid purple.

Overall if you look passed the packaging you are in for a treat as the mascara and wand is now an essential in my make up bag I highly recommend.  The pictures show my eyes one with and the other without the mascara and the product itself.

Bye For Now

Nicola

SBC Cucumber Gel - Part 1 6/12/2014

On first appearances a neon green gel with bubbles would not be my first thought as a moisturiser but I am willing to try anything. The gel promises to leave my skin cool, moisturised and hydrated, but the main reason I want to try it out is for the promise of reducing the dark circles around my eyes. My dark circles are hereditary so are a nightmare to cover with foundation so hopefully this gel will help reduce the colour making it easier to cover with make up.

Packaging of the product is a clear plastic bottle and white pump, simple rather cheap in appearance. However I have been told that all money goes on the product within as a salon brand packaging is of less importance.

First Time Use

Texture is strange, a thick gel that once on skin made me feel sticky and gloopy but after a couple of seconds it was quickly absorbed in the skin. I rubbed half a pump (more than enough for my face and neck) between my fingers on both hands and massaged quickly over my whole face using my ring fingers to massage the product around my eyes. Once absorbed my skin feels smooth, moisturised and matte so will work great as a make up base. I will continue to use every morning for 30 days and update my blog once a week with my results if any.

Bye for now

Nicola