Review: Lavera Range...

Hello my lovelies.

Long time no blog! I had a manic week last week celebrating my 21st but I'm back on full form now & have lost of blog posts lined up =]

I was recently contacted and asked if I wanted to try a range of products from a brand called Lavera, I'd never heard of this brand before and as you know I'm always up for trying new things so thought I'd give them a go.

Here's a little bit about Lavera the brand...

'A multi award-winning brand championing natural, honest products.  Available in over 40 countries world-wide, lavera has three main brand principles; effectiveness, naturalness and skin tolerance. Using these principles it has created more than 230 certified natural products containing sophisticated blends of active ingredients.'

When it comes to beauty products in my opinion the more natural the product can be the better so this sounded right up my street. Here is what I received...

Lavera Mineral Sun Glow Powder, Lavera All Round Cream & Lavera Glossylips Lipgloss.

Lavera Mineral Sun Glow Powder*:

'Lavera Trend Sensitive Organic Mineral Sun Glow Powder 01- Sun Light gives a light bronzed affect and radiant appearance. Recommended for fair skin.
Lavera Trend Sensitive Organic Mineral Sun Glow Powder is perfect for all year round use to keep that naturaly tanned look.
Apply over face or highlight cheek bones and brows using the soft pad provided.'

This is described as a bronzer/highlighter for the face but it's a little too light for me to use as a bronzer so I prefer to use it all over as a pressed powder to combat oil and add a little colour. I've really enjoyed using this, the formulation is silky smooth and it leaves a lovely glow to the skin. 

Lavera Mineral Skin Glow Powder is available here priced at £13.90 per 6.1g.

Lavera Organic All Round Moisurising Cream*:

'Lavera Basis Sensitive Organic All Round Moisturising Cream is an indispensable rich moisturising cream with organic nourishing and moisturising ingredients of organic jojoba, organic almond and organic shea butter to protect and care for your skin.'

I've recently been suffering with really dry knees & elbows and this cream has been a god send. I slather this on any dry areas after my shower at night and wake up to super soft skin. This cream also smells amazing, it really reminds me of lemon cheesecake and I must refrain from eating it! If you're looking for a fairly inexpensive cream that is great for really dry skin then I cannot recommend this product enough. 

Lavera All Round Moisturising Cream is available here priced at £6.95 per 150ml.

 Lavera Organic Glossy Lips - Magic Red*:

'Highlight your lips with Trend Sensitive Organic Glossy Lips Lip Gloss in Magic Red. This two in one Glossy Lips lip Gloss gives your lips nourishment from organic jojoba and olive oil plus shimmer.'

As you can see above the packaging for the Glossylips lipgloss isn't anything fancy but this has to be one of the most hydrating and wearable lipglosses I have ever tried. I'm not a huge gloss fan, I much prefer to slap on lipstick as it tends to last longer but I've really been enjoying using this. If you're afraid of colour but want to inject a little into your makeup routine this gloss would be a great introduction, it adds a subtle hint of red without being too bold or overpowering. If I was into gloss more than I am I would certainly look into purchasing a few more shades of this gloss.

To celebrate their 25th Anniversary Lavera are offering complimentary products worth £25 when you spend £25 or over on the 25th day of each month, throughout 2012!

Sarah xx

Review: Nars Laguna Bronzer...

Hello my lovelies, I hope you're all having a great weekend so far!

I'm going out for my 21st tonight, my birthday isn't until Tuesday but I'm having an early celebration. I can't wait!

I recently purchased Nars Laguna & I thought it was about time I posted a review.

What Nars say:

'Diffused powder with golden shimmer to create an all-over warmth and contour for the entire face.Bronzing Powder creates a natural looking glow which enhances or creates the look of tanned skin'

What I think: 

Nars Laguna is somewhat of a cult product in the beauty community and it's easy to see why. The packaging is sleek, the powder itself is finely milled & great quality and the colour is perfect.

Product:

As mentioned above the product itself is great. The powder is finely milled and great quality. Laguna is a medium brown with gold shimmer, the shimmer is beautiful and in no way glittery or chunky. I normally use a matt bronzer to contour but I find Laguna perfect for the job and have used it every day since purchasing it. I also use Laguna all over the face to add some warmth to my complexion, it leaves a lovely natural finish and can easily be built up if you prefer the darker look.

Packaging:

Laguna comes in the standard black Nars packaging. As anybody who owns a Nars product will know, Nars packaging may look nice brand new but it attracts product and finger prints like nothing else! I love the fact that Laguna is a large bronzer with a mirror included, this makes it really easy to use and it's perfect for on the go touch ups.

Price & Availabilty:

Nars Laguna costs £25.00 per 8g. It is available from the Nars website and Nars stockists worldwide.

Overall Opinion:

Overall I'm very impressed with Nars Laguna and I feel the hype surrounding this product is much deserved. If you're look for a high quality bronzer that will last ages Nars Laguna is for you!

Benefit Hoola & Soleil Tan De Chanel are next on my bronzer hitlist.

What are your favourite bronzers?

Sarah xx

Origins Trade In Day - Receive a FREE Full Size Origins Moisturiser!

Good evening my lovelies, I hope you're all ok!

April is 'Earth Month' and to celebrate this Origins have an amazing offer. On April 21st 2012 simply take any empty skincare product from any brand to an Origins stockist and you will receive a complimentary full size of either 'Starting Over' age erasing moisturiser or 'A Perfect World' SPF 25 Age Defense Moisturiser. Starting over is priced at £36 and A Perfect World is priced at £32 so you are getting an incredible deal.

Besides this amazing offer for every product purchased within the 'A Perfect World' range between 15th-28th April 2012 Origins will plant a tree in an area damaged by wildfire. 

One thing I will say is that the complimentary products are on a strictly first come first serve basis so I would get to an Origins stockist early to avoid disappointment. 

I personally cannot wait to get my hands on 'A Perfect World' moisturiser and I will of course pop up a review once I've tested it.

Will you be partaking in this unbelievable offer & supporting Earth Month?

Sarah xx

Origins is available at Boots, Selfridges, House Of Fraser & John Lewis.

My Barry M Nail Paint/Polish Collection...

Hello my lovelies, I hope you've all had a good start to the week. This is my last week as a 20 year old, eek!

It occured to me over the weekend just how many Barry M nail polishes I own and I thought it was about time I showed you my collection.

*drum roll please*

Ta-da!

You would not believe how many times this tower fell down before I finally captured it!

Time for some swatches...

 L-R: Grey, Mushroom, Dusky Mauve, Mint Green, Red Black, Raspberry, Red Glitter, Coral, Pink Flamingo, Strawberry Milk, Peach Melba.

My top 3...

Peach Melba:
I love this shade! This is my second bottle and I very rarely repurchase the same nail colour. This is a perfect spring polish and just wearing it gets me in the spring mood!
Raspberry:
I know this isn't very spring like but this is the perfect red polish for everyday and it goes with any outfit. I would recommend this if you're afraid of bright red, I will certainly be repurchasing a bottle of this when it runs out.
Mushroom:
This is probably my most worn nail polish, it literally goes with any outfit and seems to last on my nails forever. I love you Mushroom <3

I found it so hard picking my top 3, Barry M is without a doubt my favourite nail polish brand and I can't wait to check out the new collection that has just been released.

What are your favourite Barry M nail paint/polish shades?

Sarah xx

Life Through My iPhone Lense... #1

Hello my lovelies, I hope you all had a lovely weekend <3

It occured to me the other day that I take hundreds of photos on my Iphone but never do anything with them so I've decided to start posting a few on here =] here is the first few...

Nutella on crumpets, nom! \ Me messing around with a backcomb brush \ My fat cat Dottie \ My new favourite drink, strawberry cider! \ My two Thorton's eggs, one decorated with the nickname my boyfriend calls me \ Jamie's in Bluewater \ A full Nando's card, free chicken! \ My tickets from seeing Titanic 3D \ A sneaky GBK before Titanic =]

As you can see my life really isn't that interesting, haha!

If you liked this post & would like to see more please just let me know.

Toodlepip,

Sarah xx

P.s - TOWIE is back tonight, yeeeehaaaaa!

Review: Primark Candles...

Happy Friday my lovelies! I hope you all have the Friday feeling & have exciting weekends ahead!

I'm off up t'north to see the fella, I can see plenty of lounging around occuring & the new Pizza Hut pizza with a hot dog stuffed crust has my name on it! I know it sounds dirty but I can't wait to try it!

Whilst having a mooch around Primark recently I spotted these and couldn't resist buying 4!!!

 How cute are these tins?!

Strawberries & Cream, Vanilla Pod, Wild Berry and Orange & Mango.

A closer look at the candles...

Wild Berry:

This has to be my favourite candle out of the four, it smells lovely in the tin and lovely when burning. It smells super fruity and I've certainly used it the most out of the four.

Strawberries & Cream:

The candle smells lovely in the tin but sadly when burning it isn't that strong. I can faintly smell it but I wouldn't say it's obvious that it's Strawberrie's & Cream. I'll just stick to sniffing it in the tin instead!

Orange & Mango Smoothie:

This is probably my favourite smelling candle out of the four in the tin but again I don't feel that when it's burning the scent is really that powerful. I would say it's stronger than Strawberrie's & Cream but still not strong enough to really notice it.

Vanilla Pod:

This is without a doubt the strongest scented candle out of the four when burning, it engulfs the room with a gorgeous vanilla scent. The only reason I didn't pick this as my favourite is because Vanilla isn't the most exciting scent and I do prefer the Wild Berry scent over Vanilla Pod.

Overall I do like these candles but I feel they can be a little hit & miss. Some smell strong and you can really smell the scent when they are burning whereas some smell lovely in the tin but the scent just doesn't come through when burning them.

I think the tins are super cute, I know they don't exactly look expensive but they still look sweet sat on my windowsill.

The best thing about these candles has to be the price, they cost a mere £1.50 each! 

These might not be on par with Yankee Candle in terms of packaging and strength of scent but if you want a good everyday candle at a fraction of the cost I would recommend trying these out, especially the Wild Berry & Vanilla Pod!

What is your favourite brand of candles?

Toodlepip,

Sarah xx

Fashion Haul... Picture Heavy!

Good evening lovelies!

As promised here is part 2 of my recent haul and this is the fashion part! I'm going on holiday to Turkey in June so alot of the items are for that, I love buying clothes for holidays =]

Here is what I bought...

 Boat Shoes - Primark

£6.00

I looooove these! I can't wait for the weather to warm up again so I can wear them =]

Multiway Black & Gold Sandals - Primark

£2.50

Variations of these sandals are released every year & I think I own about 8 pairs in different colours! They look lovely on & they are a real bargain.

Coral Chiffon dress With Cutout Panel - Missguided

£25.99
Available here

I fell in love with this dress & just had to have it! I'm going to wear it on my 21st & will get plenty of use out of it on holiday.

Beige Textured Skirt - River Island

£15.00
Available here

I love these kind of skirts, they look great when worn to work for a smarter look or dressed down with sandals, I can't wait to wear it!

Navy & White Striped Dress - Primark

£5.00

I know this doesn't look like anything special but it looks pretty on and will be perfect for holiday =]

White Cutout Dress - £6.00

Primark

The pictures really do not do this dress any justice, it looks lovely in person. I know a few bloggers who own this dress and I can see why it's popular. I really want the green one but it's always sold out in my local store =[

Mint Green Bandeau Top - New Look

£2.99

Available here

I wanted a mint green bandeau top to go under the above dress but couldn't find one anywhere! When I saw this in New Look for a bargain £2.99 I couldn't believe my eyes! I will certainly be going back for a few in other colours.

Striped Bikini - Primark

£7.00

I LOVE this!!! There is a bikini that is almost identical to this one selling in River Island for £25.00! I love Primark swimwear & I can't wait for wear this on the beach =]

Flower Ring - New Look

Earrings - New Look
Flower Ring - £5.99 & Earrings- FREE!
New Look currently have BOGOF on all jewellery and hair accessories so I picked up a couple of bits. I love the ring, I have real trouble buying rings because I have tiny fingers but this has an adjustable band so fits perfectly!

PHEWWWW! My fingers are hurting from typing!

I love Summer clothing & I can't wait to get on that beach and get a tan =]

Have you started shopping for Summer yet?

Sarah xx

What's In My Bath/Shower...

Good evening my lovelies, I hope you're all ok =]

I have to admit thay nosey posts like these are some of my favourites, I love seeing what people keep in their bag/shower/etc! I thought I'd show you what I keep in my bathroom and reach for when having a bath or shower...

L-R: Fat Hair Thickening Shampoo & Fat Hair Thickening Conditioner, Dove Intensive Therapy Conditioner, Soap & Glory Pulp Friction, Philip Kingsley Elasticizer, I Love... Strawberries & Milkshake, Lush Snow Fairy, Molton Brown Heavenly Gingerlily, Rituals Yogi Flow, Aussie Take The Heat, Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo & Miracle Moist Conditioner. Phewwww!

A closer look at the products...

Body Products:

Soap & Glory Pulp Friction Body Scrub:

I love this body scrub! I'm a big fan of Soap & Glory and this is one of my favourite products of theirs. I use this a couple of times a week and it leaves my skin feeling fresh and clean.

I love... Strawberies & Milkshake Bubble Bath:

I only bought this today so I don't know what it's like but it smells beautiful and I can't wait to have a bath with this later!

Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel:

This is my favourite Lush product and I buy a couple of bottles of this every Christmas as it's only available then. It smells beautiful and the gel itself is pink & glittery, what more could you want?!

Rituals Yogi Flow Foam Shower Gel:

Another shower gel I hear you ask?! Yes, I like to switch it up! This came in my Glossybox back in December and I've loved it ever since. It feels like a luxury product and it smells gorgeous. I will be picking a few of these up when I've used up my other shower gels!

Molton Brown Heavenly Gingerlily Shower Gel:

The last shower gel I pinky promise! This came in my Harrods glossybox and as you can see I am yet to use it. I always forget about it being a little bottle but I will use it tonight & see how I get on.

Hair Products:

Samy Hair Hair Thickening Shampoo & Conditioner:

I bought this after Zoella recommended it & I'm really impressed. This shampoo & condioner leave my super thin hair feeling clean and they also add oodles of volume! I'm coming to the end of these now & will buy them again when they are on offer.

Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo & Conditioner:

As you all know I'm a big Aussie Fan. I use these 2 products when my hair is feeling dry or I just want a change from the Fat Hair. These products smell gorgeous and doing a really good job of adding moisture to my hair. I've got my eye on the big bottles now!

Aussie Take The Heat 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner:

This is somewhat of a cult product on the blogsphere and It's easy to see why. This is hands down my favourite deep conditioner and I always have a bottle of this in my bathroom. If I could recommend one Aussie product this would be it.

Dove Intensive Repair Conditioner:

I've had this is my bathroom for ages after I got it as a freebie in a magazine and I've never got around to using it. I will give this a go soon, promise!

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer:

This is another product from Glossybox and I have to say I'm not sure about it. I probably haven't given it a fair trial as I've only used it a couple of times but a pre shampoo treatment is just a hassle for me. I will persevere with it and see how I go.

Wow, I never knew I had so many products in my bathroom! I reallllllyyy need to stop buying shower gel!

If you would like a full review of anything above please just let me know.

As I said before this is one of my favourite kind of post so if you have done one similar please leave me a link in the comments!

Sarah xx

April Beauty Haul - Featuring Nars, MAC, Etc...

Hello my lovelies <3

I hope you're all enjoying the easter weekend. I dragged my boyfriend to see Titanic 3D last night, he wasn't impressed! I've seen it at least 10 times and I still spent the last half an hour sobbing like a loser. 

I haven't blogged a haul in quite a while and now I need to split my recenty haul into 2 posts! I've decided to split this haul into one beauty post & one fashion post, here are the beauty products I've bought recently...

It doesn't look like much when I look at like this, it felt like more when I was buying it! Here's a closer look at what I bought...

Nars Laguna:

Now when I say I bought this I actually got it for free! Don't worry, I haven't taken to a life of crime just yet. I actually got it for free from Buyapowa, I recommended the most co-buyers and received Nars Laguna completely free of charge. I'm actually going to write a full post about Buyapowa as it's become somewhat an addiction of mine. I wanted Laguna FOREVER and was so happy when it popped up on Buyapowa for £18.00, I was even happier when I got it for free!

MAC:

MAC Paintpot in Painterly, MAC Eyebrow pencil in Stud & MAC Lovelorn lipstick.

I went to the Mac counter in Bluewater intending to buy an MSF Natural & MSF Soft & Gentle and they had neither of these in stock so naturally I got 3 completetly different products instead. This is my first paint pot and I've really enjoyed using it so far. The eyebrow pencil is a lovely dark grey/brown colour and looks really nice on my brows. I actually wanted to buy Mac Hue but again they didn't have this is stock so went for Lovelorn instead.

Drugstore products:

Revlon Colorstay foundation, Rimmel Lasting Finish in Misty Jade & Apricot Punch and L'oreal Carress in Dating Coral.

Boots currently have 3 for 2 on all cosmetics so it would be rude not to participate and buy a few things!

I've been a fan of Revlon Colorstay for a few years now & always like to have a bottle in my collection, I  bought this when I bought my giveaway prizes and actually got this bottle for free.

I really wanted a mint green mail polish but my Boots had sold out of nearly all Barry M polishes so I opted for Rimmel intsead, Apricot Punch also looked like a lovely spring colour so I picked this up too. I had my eye on L'oreal Caresse for a few days and kept popping in until my Boots finally had it in stock, I'm really impressed with it so far and will be posting a full review soon!

Overall I'm really happy with everything I bought, if you would like a full review of anything I've bought please leave a comment below.

Sarah xx

These Are A Few Of My Favourite Things - March...

Hello you beautiful lot <3

I'm so happy we have a four day weekend, it's a lovely feeling knowing I don't have to be up at stupidoclock for work tomorrow =] I don't actually have much planned but it'll be nice just relaxing!

I know I'm a couple of days late posting my favorites from March but I wanted to get my 800 follower giveaway up first, if you haven't see that post then click here. 

March was a really boring month for me in terms of beauty products, I hadn't bought many new products and my skin was playing up so I was wary about using too many products. Never the less here is what I was enjoying in the month of March...

Simple Kind To Skin Replenishing Moisturiser:

As I said before I had a major breakout in March and this was the only product I trusted not to make the situation any worse. I often deviate from using this product in favour of other brands but always come back to this when I need a moisturiser that won't let me down or make a breakout worse. 

L'Oréal False Lash Telescopic:

I've already posted a full review of this product which you can read here but this is simply the best mascara I have ever used and I will be repurchasing it very soon! 

OPI Nail Envy:

I bought this from Buyapowa at the beginning of March and have been using it ever since. It's a little too early for me to post a full review just yet but my nails have felt alot stronger since using this and I've been able to grow them for once! I'll be posting a full review in a few weeks when I've given the product time to really work.

MAC Watch Me Simmer Lipstick:

I posted a FOTD with this lipstick that you can see here. Although I don't use this everyday as it's a little bright it's been my lipstick of choice for nights out. When we were having warmer weather (where has it gone, booooo!) it looked lovely. I will certainly be using this alot over the coming months & summer, we just need more sun now!

Real Techniques Stipple Brush:

I've been meaning to post a full review of this brush for ages but I simply haven't got round to it! I love this brush for applying liquid foundation and cream blush. It's really good quality and hasn't shed at all, if you want to try a real techniques brush I certainly recommend starting with this one!

I told you I hadn't been using anything very exciting so if you made it this far I applaud you!

I hope you all have a great Easter weekend and eat your own body weight in chocolate! I'll be posting a recent beauty haul in a couple of days so look out for that =]

Sarah xx

800 Follower GIVEAWAY! Featuring Real Techniques, OPI & Tangle Teezer... **NOW CLOSED**

Hello my lovelies, I hope you're all well =]

I'm on the cusp of reaching 800 followers and I thought it was about time I hosted a giveaway for my lovely followers. Many of you have stuck with me for over a year & I wanted to say a big thankyou to each and every one of you <3

Here is what is up for grabs...

Original Pink Tangle Teezer

OPI - Nice Stems Mini Collection

Real Techniques Core Collection

I was at a loss of what to offer as prizes so I thought I'd feature some of my favourite products!

A closer look at the prizes...

How to enter:

♥ Make sure you're a follower of this blog via Googe Connect (top right)

♥ For one entry leave a comment on this post with your email address.

♥ For one extra entry tweet about this giveaway & make sure you mention me when you tweet so I can see it, my twitter ID = xbeautygeekx please also state that you tweeted when you leave your comment.

♥ For one extra entry write a blog post about this giveaway and provide the link to the post in your comment.

The boring bit (the rules)

♥ You must be a follower of this blog via Google Connect.

♥ You must be 16+ or have your parents permission as I will need your address to send the prizes. 

♥ This giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY!

♥ All qualifying entries will be entered into random.org and a winner selected at random.

   

This giveaway closes on Sunday 29th April 2012 18:00GMT.

Once again I just want to say a massive thankyou to my lovely followers, you've stuck with me through thick & thin and I wish you all luck =]

Sarah xx