Review: Rimmel - Wake Me Up Foundation

Ahoy my lovely blogerinos!

I can't believe how amazing the weather has been for the past couple of days, it's like summer has come early. I spend my days gazing out of my office window wishing I was laying in the park soaking up some rays! I hope you've all been enjoying it more than me & making the most of it. I'm also finding these lighter evenings really deceiving, I lay on the sofa thinking it's 5.30pm to look at the time and see it's actually more like 8.00pm! Oops =]

Anyway onto the point of today's post, a review of the new Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation...

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

Rimmel say: 'Introducing Rimmel Wake Me Up, our first makeup that instantly reawakens skin with a healthy, radiant glow and minimizes premature skin ageing.

A light, smooth texture for natural, 100% poreless coverage instantly eliminates signs of tiredness and lifts skin from fatigue. Radiance pearls illuminate for a healthy, radiant glow. Flawless natural finish. Peptides increase elasticity so skin recovers and bounces back more quickly. SPF 15 protects.

Wake up and glow!'

My Thoughts:

I picked this foundation up over a month ago after reading alot of hype over it on blogger/twitter and I've used it on and off since.

One of the first things I have to comment on is the packaging. IT HAS A PUMP! If drugstore brands can include a pump in a foundation that costs under £10 why can't a high end brand include one on a foundation that costs £25+?! I know some bloggers don't like the orange packaging but I actually like it, it stands out in my collection and brightens my morning up.

I grabbed this foundation when I was running late for a train and actually picked the wrong shade. I picked Classic Beige which is probably 1 or 2 shades darker than I should wear.  This foundation is only available in 6 shades and I would say they are all in the medium skin tone range. Ladies with fair skin may find it hard to find a match because even the ivory shade is leaning towards beige. I know brands such as Rimmel only have a limited space in which to promote products but I still feel 6 shades is a little stingey.

I really like the formulation of this foundation, it's a liquid foundation that almost feels gel like. I use my Real Technique's stippling brush to buff this into my face and I find this works really well. The coverage is light to medium but is certainly buildable. I still have to use a good helping of concealer to cover imperfections but this isn't a foundation's job anyway.

Part of me really likes the finish of this foundation and part of me doesn't. I like how it looks & feels on the skin, it leaves a fresh dewy look without looking cakey or heavy. In order to create this finish the foundation has 'illuminating particles' and in all honesty I did not notice these when applying my make up in the mirror. I only noticed them standing under harsh artifical light and it worries me they may be noticeable in bright sunshine. 

I find this foundation lasts around 6 hours on me before I need to powder to keep the shine at bay. I have oily/combination skin so this may last longer on people with more normal/dry skin.

It's hard to say what my overall impression of this foundation is. The finish on my skin is nice, it's nice to work with and it's affordable compared to my other foundations. Maybe I should give this another go in my true shade but there are so many other foundations I want to try out first. The jury is out on this one I'm afraid!

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation is priced at £8.99.

Have you tried this foundation yet, if so what did you think?

Sarah xx

MAC Watch Me Simmer - Swatch & FOTD...

Good evening my lovelies =]

How can it be Monday again already?! The week seems go to so slow & the weekend super quick =[ I am however enjyoing the warmer weather and lighter evenings!

A couple of weeks ago now MAC released the 'Shop Mac Cook Mac' collection and I had my eye on a couple of products, this being the main one...

MAC - Watch Me Simmer

How beautiful is this colour?!

It's a very weird colour to describe, in some lights it's pink/coral, sometimes it can look almost raspberry and occasionally it can look orange. I think it's the perfect shade for spring/summer & I can't wait to wear it on holiday =]

Being an amplified finish it's very bright and vibrant. It can be a tad drying so I would suggest wearing a balm underneath. I find the colour lasts for a couple of hours before I need to re-apply.

When I got home from work I quickly slapped this on to show you a FOTD, please ignore the rest of my make up - I'd been wearing it for 8 hours!

 As you can see in this light it looks different to the swatch, I can only recommend swatching it instore! 

I really want to pick up Innocence Beware next time i'm at a MAC counter so fingers crossed they still have some in stock =]

What are your favourite spring/summer lipsticks?

Sarah xx

Deal: 3 for 2 offer at Boots...

Hello my lovelies, I hope you're all enjoying the sunshine! It's amazing here & sucks to be stuck in the office =[

I just wanted to write a super quick post to let you know about an amazing offer Boots are currently running.

It's currently 3 for 2 mix & match on cosmetics, haircare, bathing, vitamins & No.7!

I for one will be stocking up on lots of goodies & have my eye on a few Real Techniques brushes!

I hope you all have a lovely weekend =]

Sarah xx

Image from weheartit

My Top 5: Soap & Glory Products...

Hello my lovelies, I hope you're all ok and having a good week.

Whilst having a clean out in my room I discovered just how many Soap & Glory products I have and I've decided to show you my top 5 products. *drum roll please*

Pulp Friction, Clean On Me, The Righteous Butter, Soap & Glory Perfume, Hand Food.

Pulp Friction:

"Get fresher, smoother and softer skin with fig powder, pumice, peppermint oil, lemonade tree liquid, orange waterjuice and vitamin balls."

This was part of the Hey Big Splendor set I got for Christmas and I have used it ever since! It leaves my skin feeling super smooth after every use and it is perfect for scrubbing off tan. When this runs out I will certainly be repurchasing it.

Clean On Me:

"Soft, smooth, sexy skin whenever you want it. Contains natural mandarin peel extract and bonus built in body lotion."

This is probably my 4th bottle of this showel gel and I still LOVE it. It has the classic Soap & Glory scent and leaves my skin feeling lovely after every use. Because it contains a body lotion built in it really leaves my skin feeling moisturised and soft, the built in pump is also very handy!

The Righteous Butter:

"Award winning body butter with softening shea butter and aloe vera. Smooth on a handful after your shower and you might swear you're wearing velvet."

This is a cult classic and has to be one of Soap & Glory's most raved about products. I have had countless tubs of this amazing body butter and I can't imagine not having a tub or 2 of this in the cupboard. I love using this body butter at night before bed, giving it time to sink in & in the morning my skin feels amazing. I don't need to say anymore about this product because I'm sure you all love it just as much as me!

Hand Food:

"Contains shea butter, macadamia oil and marshmallow. The most astonishing hand cream ever? You decide!"

The really is the best hand cream I have EVER tried. It's super moisturising without feeling greasy at all and it smells amazing. I have a tube of this on my desk at work, a tube in my bag & a tube on my dressing table, I love it so much! If you try one product from Soap & Glory this has to be it, the small travel sized tube costs just £2.50, what a bargain!

Soap & Glory Original Pink Perfume:

"A fresh fruity citrus with notes of bergamot, summer rose, peach, strawberry, gardenia blooms, jasmine, patchouli warm amber and lush musks."

This is basically the original Soap & Glory scent bottled. I have to apologise for the state the bottle is in, I keep it in my bag and it seems to have got rather grubby. The lovely Louise over at Sprinkleofglitter is also a fan of this perfume and it's easy to see why. It's a great every day perfume and It's perfect for keeping in your bag because the bottle is made of metal & not glass. I would certainly recommend giving this a whiff next time you're in Boots!

Soap & Glory Pulp Friction is available here & is priced at £8.00 per 250ml

Soap & Glory Clean On Me is available here & is priced at £5.50 per 500ml

Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter is available here & is priced at £10.50 per 300ml

Soap & Glory Hand Food is available here & is priced at  £5.00 per 125ml

Soap & Glory Original Pink Perfume is available here & is priced at £16.50 per 50ml

Soap & Glory have to be one of my favourite brands and one of my favourite things about Christmas has to be the gift sets they bring out each year. The packaging is often adorned with vintage images and it looks lovely in my bathroom.

What are your favourite Soap & Glory products?

Sarah xx

My First Nars Product - Nars Gina Blush...

Good evening lovelies =]

Up until very recently I did not own a single Nars product. I'd picked them up in Space NK many times but never ended up buying them, partly due to the £20.50 price tag. This was until the gorgeous Yinka over at Vexinthecity recommended Nars Gina during Buyapowa blogging week and I knew I had to buy it!

Please excuse the grubby packaging, I'm sure anyone who owns a Nars product will sympathise! The packaging is beautiful but picks up finger prints & product like nobody's business!

As you can see Gina is a beautiful matt peach shade, leaning slightly towards coral. Being a matt shade I was worried it would look a little flat but it actually adds a glow to my complexion without making me look like a discoball! Gina is very pigmentated and you only need the smallest amount for it to give a lovely flush of colour or it can be easily built up for a more dramatic look. I've been reaching for this blush every morning since it arrived, it makes me look awake and radiant in the morning & it lasts all day.

Here is me with the Gina applied...

Overall I'm really impressed with Nars Gina and I can't wait to pick up more Nars products, Laguna is next on the list!

Nars Gina is normally priced at £20.50 & is available here.

I paid £15.50 on Buyapowa, a saving of £5.00!

What are your favourite Nars products?

Sarah xx

Glossybox March 2012 - The Harrods Edition...

Good evening my lovelies, I hope you all had a fab weekend.

I feel like such a bad blogger recently and I know I need to pull my finger out & post more! All I've wanted to do is sleep after work recently but I'm going to schedule a few posts & get into the swing of things this week I promise =]

I've been away visiting the boyfriend this weekend and when I got home earlier my glossybox was waiting for me, perfect ending to a great weekend!

I had already heard it was going to a Harrods box from various blogs but I was still excited when I tore open the cardboard box to find this...

As you can see the box is absolutely beautiful but I expected nothing less from Glossybox. The box itself is white, another colour to add to my collection! The contents is tied with a beautiful Harrods ribbon & sealed with a Harrods sticker, what a lovely touch!

Contents:

As you can see Glossybox really upped their game for this box & every product is a luxury brand. Here is what I received...

Clarins - Extra Firming Body Cream: 'A formula rich in regenerating and firming plant extracts which immediately helps to lift and tone, for firmer and a younger looking body.' I really was happy to see this in the box, I love Clarins as a brand and the 30ml size feels like you're getting a good amount of product. I probably don't need to use this all over my body but I will certainly be giving it a go on the thigh/bum area!

Molton Brown - Heavenly Gingerlily Moisture Bath & Shower: 'Vitamin-rich fruit extracts boost the skin and invigorate the senses.' A MOLTON BROWN PRODUCT, EEEEP! I was so happy when I saw this! It smells absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to try it in my bath later. Again, this is a 50ml size so even though it is sample size I think it's a really good sample size.

YSL - Forever Youth Liberator Serum: 'A powerful serum enriched with 3 glycans to help increase youthful activity in skin cells.' I probably don't need to start using a product like this considering I'm only in my early twenties but I'm going to give a go and see how I get on. I might not need the anti ageing properties in this product but I have read it can also help with skin luminosity and adding radiance, sounds good to me!

Narciso Bodriguez - For Her: 'For her is Narciso Rodriguez's  first fragrance. A tribute to women's grace and power of inspiration.' Errrr, what? Ha. This was probably the product I was least excited about in this box. It smells really nice and I find perfume samples really handy to keep in my bag but it's really just another perfume sample to me. 

Burberry Beauty - Miniature Lip Mist Copper No 202: 'With a balmy lip loving formula, lip mist offers sheer colour with an irresistible gloss shine.' I was over the moon when I found this tucked away in my box, the design of the lipstick is beautiful and I can't wait to show it off to my friends. I thought the colour looked a little brown for me but when swatched & on the lips it's alot more wearble and glossy, almost like a lim balm. 

This has to be my favourite box to date and overall I'm really impressed with the quality of the products in this box. Every time I think of cancelling my subscription Glossybox release a box like this that makes me want to stay! 

Glossybox is available here priced at £10.00 per month + P&P.

What did you think of this months Glossybox?

Sarah xx

Review: Four Reasons Haircare Range...

Hello my lovelies, I hope you're all well. 

I was recently contacted by the people at Four Reasons Haircare and they very kindly offered to send me a few products from one of their ranges. I have very fine hair and I'm forever struggling to create volume so asked for some products from the volume range.

So who are Four Reasons?

Launched in Finland by KC Professional in 2010, Four Reasons is the fastest growing professional hair care range in Scandinavia now stocked by over 3,000 salons.

The Four Reasons range includes over 30 professional shampoos, conditioners and styling products with a number of products being unique in the UK.  The brand was awarded Best Hair Products 2011 by Cosmopolitan readers.

I have been using the products for over 6 weeks now so feel I really given them a good road test so I'm able to tell you exactly what I think of them.

Four Reasons Volume Booster:

This has to be my favourite product out of the three that were sent to me. After washing my hair I spray around 7-8 sprays directly to the root area then continue to blowdry as normal. This creates big bouncy hair without making it feel sticky or weighed down like alot of products tend to with my fine hair.

 

Four Reasons Volume Mousse: 

I've never really been a big mousse lover. For some reason it always reminds me of my Mum back in the 90's with her big perm, don't tell her I said that! I use this in the same way I use the volume boost spray but obviously not at the same time for fear of weighing my hair down. It works really well at adding more volume to my hair and I feel that my hair holds it's style more when I've used this product. I'm still not totally sold on mousse but I will persevere and see how I get on!

Four Reasons Hair Powder:

When I first received this, I wasn't sure if it should be used as a volumising powder or as a dry shampoo. It turns out it can be used as both! I'm a big fan of dry shampoo, I'd rather have half an hour extra in bed than get up and wash my hair! My normal dry shampoo choice is Batiste so it was refreshing to try a new brand. I really like this product, I think it hides the oily roots well whilst creating volume in the crown area. The only thing I think is missing is a scent but this is only because I'm used to the lovely smelling Batiste range.

My favourite thing about the range has to be the packaging, I LOVE it! It's really refreshing to see a brand that isn't afraid to be a little different and the products really stand out in my bathroom. As you can see above Four Reasons have taken the lyrics to some famous songs and changed a word to hair, I spent ages reading them all and working out what songs they were from!

Overall I would really recommend this brand. If you're like me and get bored of using the same brands over and over again or you're just on the lookout for a few haircare products I would certainly check them out.

The entire Four Reasons haircare range is available here, prices start at £8.95 and they offer FREE UK delivery!

I'd love to hear what products you use to create volume, It's my biggest hair issue.

Sarah xx

*PR samples

Review: L'Oreal - False Lash Telescopic Mascara...

Good evening dolls, hope you're all ok and having a good week =]

A few weeks ago now I picked up a new mascara after being won over by the rather gorgeous Cheryl Cole advertising it on TV...

 L'Oreal - False Lash Telescopic Mascara.

L'Oreal say:

'Get a lengthening false lash effect with False Lash Telescopic. The innovative lengthening fibre formula builds intensity. Lashes look elongated as if beyond their tips. The New Telescopic brush stretches every lash for an intense look.'

My thoughts:

I really really like this mascara. I have to agree with everything L'Oreal say above. Mascara is probably one of my favourite make up products and I never go a day without using it. This has to be in my top 3 'drugstore' (god I hate that saying!) mascara's of all time and believe me I've tried them all!

As you can see the brush is the artifical brush type which I'm not usually a fan of, I normally prefer the natural, bristle type brush. I find the comb works a treat by seperating and grabbing the lashes & it's small enough to use on the smaller lashes and even the bottom lashes. Onto some picture proof...

Before: 

After:

As you can see (or at least I hope you can!) the mascara really defines my lashes and makes them look alot fuller. The colour is super black and whilst not being the most voluminous mascara I have ever used it certainly lenghens and curls my lashes really well. 

Overall I cannot recommend this product enough, if you're on the lookout for a new mascara I would certainly give this a go. It may not be the cheapest drugstore mascara (there I go again!) but it is certainly one of the best I have tried.

Available from Boots & Superdrug priced at £10.99.

What is your favourite mascara?

Sarah xx