It's all in the eyes...L'oreal Telescopic

The L'oreal telescopic mascara has been around for some time now so forgive me for being slow on getting in on the act. It was only recently that I heard the hype surrounding this, ever since the more recent false eye effect mascara had been released by L'oreal. Having only recently invested the best part of £20 on the Benefits They're Real mascara (and being far from impressed) I really had to justify purchasing this, and boy am I glad I did!

When your boyfriend notices your lashes then you know you are onto a good thing right? Not only did this extend my lashes more so than any other mascara has done in the past but it actually held the curl all day, yes all day. 

The waterproof version comes in a metallic blue packaging, not the prettiest of packaging but hey its  a mascara. I did notice that after a couple of days the writing started to wear off the packaging onto my hands which was a little annoying but nothing I could not deal with :)

I prepped my eyes with eyelash curlers, no fancy shu uemura ones here I am afraid just standard drugstore and slapped on the mascara and I was good to go. 

The wand is a lot smaller than I usually opt for. I tend to favour the larger Benefit Bad Gal type wands but to my surprise I actually enjoyed using the smaller wand. This is not your typical mascara wand either in the sense that it is plastic with 4 ridges around it, the design of the wand allows you to be accurate with your application whilst also reaching those annoying hard to get to lashes which larger wands tend to miss. 

I will admit it is not the most volumising of mascara in my opinion. It needed a couple of coats but being  the waterproof version did not budge at all, nope not even slight fall down/flakes which I can sometimes experience with non-waterproof mascaras.

When it came to removing it I was expecting it to be a little more stubborn compared to its non waterproof counterparts and I was right. I used my usual Bioderma makeup remover and it took copious amounts and several cotton pads to remove the entirety of the product. Even after removing what I thought was all of it I still awoke to some residue in the morning. But having said that, it is a small price to pay for what has perhaps become a holy grail product. 

Have you tried this? Also, do you have any recommendations for good waterproof makeup remover?

Becky x

February Faves

I see the monthly favourites post floating around the blogosphere quite a lot however despite always enjoining reading these posts I have never really joined the bandwagon so I thought with Feb being a busy month for me (I made a few purchases) and what with it being a leap year (no I didn't propose) I would start! So here goes...

1. Bahoma London Candle in Eau De Mer 

A gorgeous fresh scent which burns for hours, in love with these candles!

2. Bioderma Makeup Remover 

This has been hyped up quite a bit in the beauty community and I am in love with it. You can see my full  review here. 

3. MAC eyeshadow in Espresso

I thought I had found my perfect eyebrow supplement in the form of Clinique superfine pencil which you can see here however this works perfectly along side it as my perfect brow colour. 

4. Dove Hair Therapy

This has fast become a staple in the shower and I now use this as my everyday conditioner. Leaves my hair feeling soft yet not weighed down. You can see my review here.

5. L'oreal Telescopic Mascara

When your boyfriend notices your lashes you are getting something right. I know a lot of people have raved about this product and it is definitely worth all the hype, the closest you will ever get to falsies in a mascara! I love it! Expect a full review soon :)

6. Jemma Kidd Light as Air Foundation 

This was sold out when I went to Space NK however I matched my colour and purchased it from Feel Unique. I have only used this once (its hard to apply makeup after jaw surgery :)) however I can sense immediately that this is going to be a good foundation. 

7. The Naked 2 Palette

This was my bargain of the month from BuyaPowa which I know a lot of other beauty bloggers went for. I know its a cliche but this was waiting for me when I returned from hospital and cheered me up no end!

8. Real Techniques Buffing and Contour Brush

What can I say? Believe the hype when it comes to these brushes, I love Pixiwoo and their brushes do everything they promise to do. I now own almost the entire set. 

9. Vaseline Lip Therapy in Creme Brûlée 

This is just a token item I guess, but since my surgery this has been a vital product since my lips are now a crusty mess! 

Well thats it for this month, I actually really enjoyed picking my faves although it does highlight how much I actually buy per month (naughty me!) I hope to make this a regular thing, what do you think?

Becky 

Fighting The Red - L'Oreal Primer

If you suffer from redness of the face or rosacea then you will be familiar with the on-going struggle to camouflage it without looking like we have trawled on the make-up. Now don't get me wrong I don't generally suffer from a red face as such however can tend to get some redness around the nose area. Hence why I use a green based primer to counteract the redness under my usual foundation. 

These types of primers have been around for sometime, however I have recently been trying the L'oreal Studio version which is a very lightweight primer to be worn under makeup. 

If you have read my past posts then you will know that I am quite partial to a pump action applicator so I like the fact that this is just that. For approximately £10.29 you get 20ml of product and considering that the tiniest amount goes a long way then in my opinion this is good value for money. 

A tiny, weeny amount really does spread a long, long way. It is a very light formulation and absorbs right into the skin, so those turned off by the bright green colour, don't be. It really does absorb to nothing and acts as the perfect base for your foundation. 

First applied from bottle

Partially blended

Fully Blended

As you can see from the smallest amount this spreads really well. There is a slight tinge of green left at the end but further blending and foundation or tinted moisturiser over the top would counteract this. 

I cant say this kept the redness at bay all day, as my foundation wore throughout the day so did the primer and of course my nose was left a little red. The good thing about this product is that you could even use it without foundation and just use as a primer alone just remember not to go too heavy on it though or you may end up looking like Shrek :)

Origins Super Spot Remover Gel Treatment Review

Hey Everyone, 

Boy, am I glad to be back. I am far from recovered and the last few days have been bleak as I have dealt with the pain of jaw surgery but today I feel tons better despite having a very swollen head :). I can't wait to get back into my usual blogging routine and am even more excited that I have gained a few new subscribers over the past week, so welcome aboard :) this also means that I am getting nearer to my target of 200, so thank you all again for your support! 

Now onto the post...this is going to be about Origins Super Spot Remover. Although personally I would not say I had particularly spot prone skin, I am prone to the odd pimple and blemish at certain times of the month and in stressful periods.

When it comes to spot removers I have tried a lot and have accumulated a plethora of treatment gels and creams over the years. I thought I had found 'the one' in Skin Drs however having used it for so long my skin had adjusted to it and it no longer had the effect it first had. So it was time to break off the relationship and go in hunt of a new spot fighting product!

I have never tried any of the Origins range so when I heard good reviews on this little gem I was intrigued to try. Priced at £12.00 for a 10ml bottle it is fairly pricey in comparison to some drugstore spot removers. I purchased this on-line with the delivery being approximately £2.95 so I would strongly advise purchasing this in-store if you can unless you plan on buying several products to make the delivery  charge worth while. On a plus side though, they do offer reasonable sized free samples to choose from when buying on-line which was handy for me having never tried the brand beforehand.

The gel formulation spreads well meaning that you only need the smallest amount of product. Its absorbs into the skin without feeling too drying, although there is a very slight tightness to the area applied after the product has dried so it is important only to apply to the blemish and not the surrounding area to avoid drying out your entire face. 

This smells more antiseptic than most spot removers I have tried. Its almost a medicinal smell. Like most spot removers the key ingredient is salicylic acid, yet it also has caffeine and red algae known to fight redness of the skin.

When I initially applied this to a blemish I could feel a tingling sensation. This to me is usually a sign the product is doing something so I had no complaints about this. I used this overnight and although the blemish had not completely gone overnight it had considerably reduced in size and redness and a further night of this treatment saw the little blighter off for good.

Although you do not get a huge amount of product for £12, the consistency of it means that it will last a long time. I would definitely buy this again in the future and although it did not instantly remove my spot(s) it did dramatically reduce the appearance and after only a couple of applications the blemishes were entirely dried out :)

Have you tried this and what other Origins products would you recommend?

A Personal Journey

URBAN DECAY Naked 2 Palette...£26?

When I find a good deal I want to share it with you guys, as I did with the Clarisonic Mia when it was going for a fraction of the retail price over at BuyaPowa. 

At the moment they are selling the Naked 2 palette which retails for the best part of £40 in the shops. For as  low as £26 you can get this from BuyaPowa.  

Just click the link http://www.buyapowa.com and it will take you straight to it :) then tweet it via BuyaPowa for your chance to get it for absolutely free.

Look what I bought today!

Hey Everyone 

Its been a little while since I did a haul post. I have had the week off work to use up my annual leave and have spent a majority of it having a good sort out but today I was a little bored and fancied going into town for a little browse. What started out as a little window shopping turned into an entire shopping trip (sorry bank balance). So with this in mind I thought I would share with you a few of my purchases today...

I already own the Real Techniques stippling brush which has now become my most reached for brush in my ever growing collection, so when I heard that they were selling in Boots from this month I was keen to get some more. I didn't think that my local smaller Boots would sell them but they did. I picked up the Blush brush and the starter kit. I got the starter kit as it includes the deluxe crease brush that you can't buy separately - if you watch Pixiwoo then you will know that this is an excellent brush for concealer!

Now this is what I actually went to town for, a new candle (exciting hey). I used to be a Yankee candle girl through and through however a few months ago my mum and I were traipsing through TK Maxx and I discovered Bahoma London candles. These last for absolutely ages and smell divine. They are pretty pricey but I picked them up at a very highly discounted price, I also picked up the reed diffuser too as my last one ran out. I love the packaging, so simple and elegant and they look pretty on my dresser.

The first thing my dad said when he saw this was 'not another bloody bag'. Yes, I do have a little obsession with bags and chop and change regularly as I get bored easily and just love the excitement of filling a new bag. There are a lot of the Berkin style bags floating around at the moment. I like the fact this not too big but big enough to hold a lot. It also has compartments which I like and it was only £35 from Oasis. Granted its not real leather but it feels pretty sturdy and lasting and fulfils my bag fetish whilst I lust over the Mulberry Hobo...

I actually got these jeans in red a while back before Crimbo and I loved them, the style, the fit, everything. I'm a strong believer that if you find a pair of jeans you love then invest in more, so it was only fair that I got these in Navy! Love them!

I have been looking for a new facial wash to use with my Clarisonic Mia for a while now and wanted one that really foamed and felt like it was getting deep into my pores. Someone recommended on twitter the Philosophy Purity but I could not get hold of it in my town so whilst I was in Boots I picked up one from Botanics and the oil free moisturiser too. Expect a review soon! I am still determined to try purity though and perhaps compare them? What do you think?

Finally I got a couple of tops from Zara. I love Zara for their simplicity, yet elegant clothing which does not break the bank. This first top is just a casual tee with an edge which I plan to wear with either leggings or black jeans and boots. Its long enough to cover my booty and cover my modesty :) The second is a little more dressy but can still be worn casual. Again i'd wear this with skinny jeans, its not quite long enough to wear with leggings without showing a little too much though. I love the longer sleeves as Im not one to love bearing my entire arms...

What have been your recent purchases?

REVLON Just Bitten Lipstain/Balm

A few months ago I was browsing through Boots, as you do and spotted a sign for the Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain/Balm. I was quite intrigued as I have never really tried an actual lipstain prior to this bar the odd tinted lip balms and so off I went to investigate! There are 15 shades available however there were only a selected few in my branch of Boots with the exception of those that had bee opened and tampered with so in the end it was a choice between a really shocking pink and this one called 'forbidden' which is almost a brown/red colour. This was the most natural shade I could find considering I planned to use this as an everyday colour therefore did not want anything too shocking :)

The product is double ended with a felt tip like applicator one end and a balm on the opposite. 

Lipstain's in general I assumed to be quite drying so the fact that this is double ended with a stain on one end and a balm on the other added to its appeal, even though I  am not usually too fussed about the double application lip products, I'm more of a one swipe of colour and go kind of girl (the quicker the better).

The colour end is basically a felt tip pen. I thought that it would be soft, but its not. Its actually quite dense and as you paint the colour on you can feel it pulling at your lips slightly. Being someone that does suffer from some dryness of the lips this did intensify those areas and made them a lot more apparent in the light. Perhaps this was the colour I chose? Not one to give up I used the balm and whilst this gave some moisture to the otherwise drying colour it made no difference to the appearance on my lips.

As you can see just by swatching on my hand the colour bled significantly, but to be fair this was not the case when applied to the lips and I did not see any bleeding at all from initial application.

 In fact I was so let down that I actually removed the product. Not one to want to waste a product as such the balm could easily be used on top of another lipgloss or lippie but as for the lip stain I don't think I will be returning to it any time soon.

Personally speaking I like the idea of this plus the fact that there is such a vast range of colours available, but this just wasn't a product for me. 

Have you tried these and what did you think?

A Night of Therapy

Hair therapy that is...

When it comes to my hair it can be a law unto itself, due to my excess dying, and applications of heat appliances etc. It tends to be a tad on the dry side at the ends although can get greasy after only a day so I have to wash it everyday to maintain the 'clean' feeling which can be a pain in the behind! Recently, however I discovered Dove Hair Therapy Nourishing Oil Care Treatment. 

I was a little sceptical at first as the Dove shampoo's did nothing for my hair and I gave up after a couple of uses but I was open to giving this a go so when I saw it in my local supermarket I picked up a 180ml tube for a few pounds. 

Dove describes this product as the next generation of conditioner with a golden ribbon of treatment inside which claims to give instant deep nourishment. I was intrigued by the word instant and therefore felt it fair to be able to have my view on this product after only a couple of uses in the shower. 

Starting with first impressions, the tube is fairly generic packaging, nothing fancy but does the trick. I used this as instructed in leu of my usual conditioner. What I always pick up with hair care is the scent. If I don't like the scent then it is a no go but this one was actually a really nice clean smell. Although it did not linger for long after, it was pleasant enough in the shower. 

The product expels from the tube a little like the striped toothpastes whereby there are 2 products, one golden yellow and 1 white. You can definitely feel the oils yet it was of a thick consistency that spread easily and evenly over my hair. It is designed to be left for 1 min, so I continued to wash, shave legs etc and then rinsed off. 

Although I did not notice a dramatic difference in the texture of my hair, it did allow a comb to go through a lot easier than usual and my hair definitely had more of a shine than usual and I did not have to straighten it as much to get rid of the frizz. I'm not too sure this had instant dramatic effects but it has definitely given my hair some life to it.  I would not go as far to say this was a miracle product but based on the price this is a nice little pick me up for your hair without breaking the bank.

Have you tried this and what did you think?

Coastal Scents Go London WINNER

Happy Valentines Day Everyone,

A while ago, I announced a small giveaway to win a Coastal Scents mini Go London Palette. The response was amazing and thank you to all those who took the time to enter, comment and subscribe as it really does mean a lot. 

In order to pick the winner, all the entries were put onto a spreadsheet and the winner was finally picked via random.org. 

So without further ado, the winner is....

Big congratulations goes to...

MISS L  from http://eisaamitte.blogspot.com

Note to winner - I have sent you an email requesting your details. Please send them within 48 hours and the prize can be sent ASAP. If the prize is not claimed within 48 hours then another winner will be generated! 

Thank you to everyone that entered!

Estee Lauder Double Wear - Desert Beige 12

When it comes to foundations I can be a little fickle to say the least. What might be my favourite one week won't necessarily be the next. Due to this my foundation collection has grown somewhat over the past year. 

With so many types available ranging from light to full coverage, sheer to matte finish, its hard to find the perfect type whilst meeting all your skin needs . Having combo skin, with an oily T-zone its hard to find the perfect match. Oil free ones tend to dry my skin out and moisturising ones leave me looking very oily to say the least. Whilst I love the whole ‘dewy’ look, its not for me. I guess you have to have near perfect skin to pull it off. And although my skin isn’t awful, its not as even as I would like and I am prone to the odd break out during that time of the month. 

The main things you need to know when choosing a perfect foundation is your skin type, and the type of coverage that you want i.e. light, medium full etc. For those that have near perfect skin (oh how I envy you) can probably get away with a tinted moisturiser and concealer tops but for me I like a fuller coverage which is the reason behind my current favourite foundation - Estee Lauders Double Wear in Desert Beige 12. 

Firstly, I want to talk about the packaging. Its not personally my cup of tea but I can understand others love for it. It is a glass, heavy duty bottle with a gold screw top lid. I dislike the fact that it does not have a pump, nor are they readily available to purchase. This was a little bug bear of mine with the MAC studio fluids, you pay 20 odd pounds for the product only to have to buy a pump. Whilst you don’t need a pump as such, I find it would be easier in terms of controlling the amount of product. I am sure I have wasted a lot through pouring too much out at a time.

This product doesn’t come cheap, priced at around the £26 at most department stores, but this is quite average for a high end product. Given the price and the coverage I have only been using this for nights out when I want a completely flawless complexion. It does have SPF10 in it, and although this is relatively low in comparison to others, it does mean that in photo’s you can get a slight white cast. 


It definitely gives a full coverage, without being thick and uncomfortable to wear. You do get transfer with this, so if you are considering wearing this on Valentines and smooching with your man then you may want to re-think as this will transfer :). I also found that I needed to touch this up when worn throughout the day as it did have a habit of slipping into creases but nothing that a little touch up couldn't sort!

I am a NC20 in MAC so this colour could be used in comparison to an extent yet as the summer months come and I am a tad darker then I would need to up the shade. 


All in all though, this has been by far the easiest foundation to apply, and does what it is meant to do by covering my flaws rather than highlighting them :)


Would I purchase this again? Yes definitely! Do I think it is worth the price? Yes and no, I think if you are willing to shop around then there are plenty of drugstore comparisons at more affordable prices however in terms of colour match and application this one ticks all the right boxes.

A-MAZING Giveaway at heartkristel.blogspot.com

Hey Everyone 

This is just a quick post which I wanted to share. Being a lover of MAC Makeup can get expensive so can you imagine my excitement to see a giveaway for a bundle of MAC goodies at http://heartkristel.blogspot.com. It truly is a great giveaway and I urge you all to enter by clicking the image below! 

BIODERMA Sensibio H20 Make Up Remover

When Anna from Vivianna does Make Up mentioned the Bioderma  Sensibio H20 I was intrigued to say the least and a little excited! I just knew I had to get my hands on some, and so I did...not 1 but 2 bottles of the 250ml version. 

Aimed at sensitive skin this little gem cleanses, removes make up and soothes. It is basically water in a bottle that actually does remove make up, even stubborn eye makeup without irritation! Unlike conventional make up removers this removes it via micro emulsion meaning that it dissolves the products as opposed to moving them around your face until you rinse. This does not have to be rinsed off so you just basically use a cotton pad to remove your make up until the pad is clear, I used 3 until all scraps of makeup had been removed. 

 The product is fragrance free and feels so refreshing on the skin however dispite being aimed at sensitive skin my skin did feel slightly tight/dry after use but once I had used my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish and moisturised I was good to go! 

I purchased mine on eBay for roughly a tenner, I know it is much pricier in the shops. I would not say this is my fave product of the month so far, but time will tell :) but it definitely hits the spot for removal of make up thoroughly!

NYX Nail Polish NOTD

Hey Everyone, 

A few weeks ago my boyfriend and I came across a beauty shop near where we live and low and behold I should find that they are selling NYX makeup. Now I know this may not come of a great surprise to some of you however in the UK its not hugely available and I have been dying to get my hands on some of their polishes after reading some excellent reviews!

I purchased 2 at the time as it was buy one get one free for the bargain price of £2.95. I love budget nail polishes and whilst I love nail polishes I begrudge spending a fortune. Especially considering that I rarely finish a bottle :(

 This one is called Sheer Pink on the bottle although I suspect this was wrongly marked up. This could be why they are selling at such a low price. None the less it is a beautiful icy blue colour with a silver shimmer. I love it! When I buy a brand of polish I am not familiar with, the first thing that concerns me other than the colour of course is the application. Many a times I have bought a polish only to find it is either too runny, too clumpy or the brush is too large or too small. I needn't have worried with this one though as the polish was of just the right consistency and only needed 2 coats to obtain a truly opaque colour. The brush is your average brush yet small enough to ensure you have complete control and get a perfect edge. As for lasting this lasted 2 days before significant chipping was apparent but nothing that a quick touch up couldn't fix! 

 Apologies in advance for the state of my nails...:)

Now i'm just planning my next shopping trip to stock up on some more! What are your thoughts on NYX polishes and do you have any colour recommendations?

RITUALS...Yogi Flow Foaming Shower Gel Sensation Review

I know a lot of people have had mixed reviews about their Glossy Box's this month hence my reluctance to post a review. All I will say is that it definitely was not my favourite to say the least and I just wish that their attention to detail on the packaging extended to the products sent out. Anyway, enough on that! On a good note, I was suitably impressed with their December Christmas box which included a full sized bottle of RITUALS...Yogi Flow Shower Gel in Indian Rose and Sweet Almond Oil. 

 This retails at £6.50, so I guess you could call it mid range and is a price which I would be happy to pay since trying the product itself. 

I love the bright red/pink packaging and this would look stylish in any bathroom. It looks like a luxury product and for £6.50 for a shower gel alone I think Glossy Box did good with this one! Anything that feels like a 'treat' in the shower is right up my street :)

This product does not expel like your ordinary tube shower gel, it has a spray top and releases somewhat like the gel shaving creams you can buy in a compressed container. You only need the smallest amount, which I discovered when I first used this as a tiny amount really does go a long way! I used this with my Soap and Glory exfoliating mitts and it created an incredible lather which felt and smelt luxurious which lasted for ages in the shower! 

The scent could be described as floral and fruity and definitely has a clean, even spa-like aroma about it. After using my skin definitely felt clean without feeling drying. I would not say this was the most moisturising of shower gels but it definitely felt more luxurious to use compared to my usual Supermarket ones. 

Having tried this I will certainly be buying again, which I have seen in most department stores such as John Lewis and House of Fraser.

Have you tried this from your Glossy Box yet and what did you think?

Elle Magazine FREE Soap and Glory Mascara

If you have not got your hands on the latest March Elle mag then I suggest you do sharpish! Now, I never read Elle, the price of £3.90 generally puts me off and this is coming from a magazine lover! Yet when I saw that they were giving away FREE, yes FREE a full size tube of Soap and Glory mascara I HAD to have it. 

Ever since Soap and Glory announced their cosmetics range last year I have been dying to purchase some and try for myself. Having now seen this mascara, I have good feelings about the range and although I have not 'tested' the mascara yet, just the look and feel of it is right up my street! Both the large brush and packaging is very reminiscent of the Benefit Bad Gal mascara and considering the Soap and Glory mascara retails at £10.00 a piece you are already quids in, so head to your nearest newsagents quickly before they all sell out :).

Current Skincare Regime and Favourite Products

Current Skincare Regime and Favourite Products 

Over time my skin care regime has changed and will probably continue to do so as I discover new products and techniques however with this in mind I thought I would share with you my current routine and favourite products at the moment! My evening and morning regime is pretty much the same although I tend to be more relaxed about it in the morning and may skip certain aspects if I am in a rush for work :)

I got my Clarisonic about 6 months ago or more and I have been in love with it ever since. I tend to use this in the evening with my Liz Earle Hot Polish Cleanser which I then rinse with a clean muslin cloth. In the morning I tend to skip the Clarisonic and just use the cleanser with a muslin cloth. The Clarisonic comes with a sensitive brush head although I invested in the deep pore brush head which is a lot deeper cleansing. 

 After cleansing, I tone. I tend to get dry/oily skin but if I allow it to get dry then it really notices so I use a moisturising toner such as ROC dry skin toner which I apply with a cotton pad. This also ensure that any last dregs of cleanser is removed. 

After toning, I use a pore perfecting serum which claims to minimise pores and blemishes. I love The Body Shop Seaweed Pore Perfecting range which is a light weight serum which sinks into the skin with out feeling greasy.


Moisurising is a must, even though the serum can be used alone it doesn't feel right not moisturising! I Iike to use an oil free moisturiser which allows me to hydrate my skin without causing it to look oily and shiny. This does both by mattifying the skin and hydrating at the same time. This is my first time using a facial product from The Sanctuary and I have to say I am loving it so far!

Finally I use an eye cream. I never used to use an eye cream yet since I started I have noticed a huge difference both when I wake up and in the mornings makeup sits so much better when the under eye area is hydrated. As I get older I realise that it is vital to start now :)

Have you tried any of these products and what is your skin care regime?