A small KIKO haul

Oriflame Blush Review

Hello everyone,
I've been meaning to do this post for a while, and I've had it stored away for ages.

When i attended the Scarlett London bloggers meet up a few weeks back, i was introduced to a new brand, Oriflame, i have already wrote a review on their eyebrow palette kit, which you can find here, and i now have a blusher review from them.

This blusher in the shade "Fresh Pink" has become one of my favourites and it it has come all the way with me on my holiday to Portugal. Its such a pretty pink shade, and when you rub the brush into the palette you pick up just the right amount of product so you are not wasting lots of it away.

There is no shimmer in this colour and it generally lasts me through out my whole day, I've also noticed that if you are like me and have really defined cheek bones, then this pretty pink shade stands out so much more. I've had a fair few compliments on it and i love wearing it.

This is the second product i have used from Oriflame, and i have to be totally honest when i say, they are surprising me in every aspect and i can not wait to purchase some more from them.

I have greasy skin, but this blusher manages to stay on and not bring back any of my shine,
would i recommend this blusher for anyone?  the answer is Yes defiantly. You could wear this colour during the day or mix it up with a darker eye for an evening look!

You can buy this product directly from the Oriflame website and at £8.95, i realise that may seem a little expensive for only a blusher, especially compared to some other high street ones but as a firm favourite of mine now, i would defiantly repurchase! You also have the choice of three pretty pink shades to choose from.

Oriflame Blush

Have you tried an Oriflame product or a blusher of theirs?

Ana
xx

Oriflame Eyebrow Kit Review

Firstly Hello all, and wow, its been ages, it actually feels like a lifetime since i last posted. Work has been pretty manic and as its nearly the end of term (2 days to go, not that I'm counting or anything) we have been mad busy trying to get everything ready!

I am back today however, with a post about a make up brand that not a lot of people may have heard about, but a brand that has been around for years, over 40 years in fact. It sells in more than 60 countries worldwide, but the base of it is founded in Sweden. I'm talking about a make up brand called Oriflame! You can find out more information about Oriflame by clicking here.

I was unaware of this brand until i attended the Scarlett London meet up a few weeks back, (read about the post here.) There i met the lovely Joanne who was representing Oriflame, i got a chance to sit down with her and ask her some questions based on the brand, she was really helpful and managed to answer all the questions i had, she also asked me to sample some of the make up she had bought along with her. I tried and swatched some of the blushes and i also had a go at their eyebrow kit, as it looked pretty impressive. I always fill my eyebrows in with an eyebrow pencil, but i have recently been wanting to branch out and try a powder, so the Oriflame eyebrow kit appealed to me!

During the meet up, Joanne asked us to write down any products we were willing to test and would like to sample. I wrote down a blusher i had grown fond of and the brow kit. A few days after the event i received the products plus a catalogue so i was able to see some of their other products.

Its been a few weeks since i first started using the brand and it has quickly made its way into my everyday make up look, its now permanently in my make up bag and it has even made its way into my Travel make up kit, which i will be doing a post on before i go away in less than 2 weeks! :)

The packaging on this kit is very sleek, with a shiny black finish, it has a little mirror for you to apply on the go, as well as a hidden compartment underneath the product for you to store your brushes, PERFECT! It also comes equipped with a little chart that explains how the shape of your eyebrows should be and where to start from and finish.

This brow kit is actually a dream to use too, i use the Dark Shade 1, but you can totally mix the two browns to create the correct shade, i am yet to use the setting wax over the brows as i just don't see the need for it, and as for the brushes, even though they do work well enough, i always prefer a full size brush instead of the little travel brushes so i have opted to use the Eco Tools Angled Eye Liner brush and found that it does the job perfectly. The product lasts all day for me, i literally put it on at 7:30am and by 6pm its still in tack and in place, its not too dark to make the eyebrows look tattooed on (Nothing worse, then those tattoo brows that look drawn in like a colouring book), in fact the shades are very subtle. Even in this heat its lasted through out. I am actually in love with this product and it has fully converted me from a eyebrow pencil girl to a powder girl.

You can purchase the Eyebrow kit from the Oriflame website located here and its priced at £7.95. I know that this is a product i will be re-purchasing as i love the finished look it gives me.

Have you tried anything from Oriflame?

(p.s, Keep a look out for the Oriflame Blusher review coming soon).

Ana

xx

Deborah Milano Lipstick Review

Hello all,

I feel like I'm so behind on some of my posts, but i also know that when i have some free time to do some blogging i choose to read a book or something. At the moment I'm currently into the book "Before i die" (meh, i will do a little review of how it turns out).

Anyway, on to today's post. LIPSTICKS.
I think a girl can never have enough, lipsticks and mascaras. I also think they don't have to be designer pieces of make up to be amazing, high street ones work just as well.
I was contacted by the people at Deborah Milano to see f i wanted to try and test a lipstick of theirs, they allowed me to choose the shade i wanted and they told me if they didn't have it in stock they would send over one that was almost the same. I emailed them with the shade of my choice and then waited. I received my package so quickly and to be fair its been in my house waiting for a review for way longer then i first expected.

The colour i got wasn't the one i asked for, but i was aware of that as the colour i wanted was no longer in stock as i had been emailed about it. I got sent Shade 7 Rossetto Shinecreator (which was the tester lipstick, they wanted me to test) and they were kind enough to include another lipstick which was shade 532 Ilrossetto. They also sent a little card with the shade of the colour i received, however, i received Shade 7 and the piece of card had Shade 8 Fuchsia Bolero written over it. I, didn't receive that shade so cant review it! Sorry.

Shade 7 Rossetto Shinecreator                                                                           Shade 532 Ilrossetto

(Didn't receive this shade)

Lets start with the one i was sent to review Shade 7 Rossetto Shinecreator, to me when i first got it i fell in love with the packaging, it was red and quite a fat tube, once opened, its a thin tube of lipstick and the lipstick had the Deborah Milano Logo on it which i thought added that little extra bit. I did however think that the colour was like so many of my other lipsticks, but i wanted to give it a fair try. It applies quite easily and smooth, it does however feel every thick once on the lips, almost like when you are wearing lip gloss, (which is something i hate, and its the main reason i don't wear gloss). I liked the look it gave me in photos but i just felt like it was one of those lipsticks that i wont go grabbing purposely for, but will reach for it when in a rush and want a reddish type colour. (It just didn't wow me, like i was hoping)

The second one Shade 532 Ilrossetto was a bright pink colour, the kind of colour i avoid buying in the shops, as it reminds me of barbie make up which in turn reminds me of the make up sets you buy for kids on Christmas. The packaging was a little less plain than the other lipstick, and it made it have the feel of a cheaper lipstick. Again this lipstick applied easy enough and smoothly, and this one didn't make my lips feel all clumpy or weighed down, in fact, this lipstick felt a little moisturising on the lips and once it was fully applied properly i preferred the colour much more. Even though this lipstick had the feel of a cheaper lipstick, its still the one i would want to grab when I'm looking for a light subtle pink.

Overall, both shades are pretty and cute, but the main lipstick i was sent felt far too caked on and almost like lip gloss, wheres the second one felt a little lighter. Both are good coloured lipsticks but they are not my go to lipsticks of choice. I would recommend going on the Deborah Milano website as there are lots of different types of lipsticks to test, not just shinecreators but also Matt ones too. I am thinking of going back to the website and having another browse, as maybe the shinecreator just didn't agree with me, but i may find a slightly cheaper one in a different shade to the barbie pink that does agree with me. Also, did i mention its not just lipsticks that the website has but stuff for your eyes, face, nails and even a whole men's section. Why not go check it out and see what you think!

Have you ever tried any Deborah Milano products!?

Ana

xx

Benefit's Flawless Oxygen WOW Foundation Review

Hello my lovelies,

Today i thought i would do a little review post on the Flawless Oxygen WOW Foundation that i was kindly given in my goody bag at last weeks Benefit event. I wrote a post about the event here. I thoroughly enjoyed the event and was super excited to try the goodies. I thought i would do separate posts on them, and i thought i would first off start with the foundation.

I was super anxious to try this foundation as I've heard a lot of good things about it. I've tried this foundation with the Stay Flawless Primer and without. Today I'm speaking about the foundation on its own, without the primer.

The first thing i noticed was the foundation was really runny, and very orange based when it went on to my hand, but after i blended it into my skin the orange seemed to disappear and it was the correct shade for me. However, with my skin being oily, almost all the time, this foundation did not agree with me. It blends in really nicely, and after 10 minutes or so of having it on my face i loved the result, i gave it another 20 minutes and the result was not so great. You could practically see the make up smudging off my face, whenever i put my fingers to my face for an itch or to move some hair from my eyes, i would rub off a part of the foundation, which in turn, left a very visible smudge mark for all to see.

If like me, you have oily skin, or you touch your face every so often, this foundation is not the best for you. I also work in a school with little people, so hugs and cuddles become a part of my every day life. Imagine my surprise, when a little boy from year 1 came over to me and gave me a great big hug and as he pulled away, i could see that his head had lots of cream like texture on it, when i asked him what was on his head, he had no idea.. so i started rubbing it off, and then imagine my surprise even more as it started to blend into his head. Worse still, was when i took a trip to the toilet and checked the mirror, my left cheek had a BIG patch of foundation missing. It's like this foundation just literally falls off your face by the touch. It passes from the face to anything it comes into contact with.

I like my foundations to have good coverage all over, except maybe in the summer time when i will opt for a BB cream with less coverage, (as i like that its lighter), this foundation had little coverage and didn't last for long periods of the day as it just rubbed off on to anyone and anything it touched. I was really surprised as a lot of bloggers had got on so well with this product and as i had read some great reviews based on it. However, at £25.50p i just cant justify the price for what the product does to me and my skin. I felt like i was constantly checking to make sure the foundation was still in place, (this could be because i didn't use a primer.. however i have also tried this foundation with the Stay Flawless Primer, and i shall have a review up on that very soon).

There are some good things about this foundation though, i liked the fact it gave me DEWY looking skin, (if i didn't touch it) it gave me a little glow. This product would be great for the summertime, when you want less coverage, as it doesn't feel caked on (perfect for hot weather). Again though, with hot weather comes SWEAT and something tells me this foundation wont last long with sweat.

Overall, i loved trying out a new foundation, and even though it hasn't worked for me, that still hasn't put me off Benefit products. If you have dry skin, i think this product will be amazing on your skin, if however, you have oily skin..i would avoid it. At £25.50p a bottle, its not exactly cheap and for that price i think i may stick to my Revlon Colour Stay.

Have you used this foundation and do you have oily skin? how did you find it!?
Ana
xx

Stay Flawless Benefit Event

Lisahh and her cushion..

Kimberley and the huge house.

Me, Ellie, Lisahh, Kimberley, Photo taken by Becky

BeautyBloggers Freezing...

BBBRRRRRRRRR....

Hello my little beauties,

I'm sorry for the super heavy photo post (I'm lying, I'm so not sorry, HA). I thought i would do my little blog post on the Stayflawless event in London hosted by the gorgeous Bene Girls and the whole Benefit team! :)

I attended the event on Monday. I was super excited as it was my first major event (if you don't count meet ups as events). I was of course nervous to enter a room totally alone, so i arranged to meet up with a few girls. I met up with Lisahh and Kimberley and together we decided to try and find where the event was being hosted. This was no easy job, it required me asking for directions in shops and me and Lisahh listening to a man playing guitar for a while. We were looking for The Icebar, in London, which is tucked away in one of the side roads near Oxford Circus. When we finally found it, we were signed in on the guest list and were given a complementary glass of prosecco to quench our thirst. We were also given wristbands to allocate our time slots within the actual IceBar. Ours were black and meant we were the second group going in and some of the other girls had white ones meaning they were first. We were then joined by Ellie and last to join us was Becky.

The Benefit girls who joined in on our night, were all super friendly and they came over to mix and chat with us, it was lovely to meet so many of them and take so many different business cards away. Also joining the Benefit girls was Lisa Potter Dixon who is Head Make up & Trend artist (& Brow Expert) for Benefit cosmetics. It was so lovely to meet Lisa, she is so funny and down to Earth and she shared some great tips with us.

The evening started off with an introduction into the world of Benefit and the cosmetic brand, and then we had a little pop quiz, to see who had been paying attention and listening to all the information. Who ever got the questions right, won little goodie prizes. Then we had a demonstration of the Stayflawless 15 hour primer which was be available to purchase in stores from the 29th of June, and maybe as soon as the 13th of June online, It will retail for £24.50p. Lisa showed us how its all about the circle motion in which you apply the primer and then one of the Benefit girls came round and circled our hands with some of it, for us to get a feel for the primer. Once the demonstration was finished, it was time to mingle.. get to know other bloggers, enjoy the munchies being passed around and also get coloured matched, by one of the Benefit girls. We took this time to chat some more amongst ourselves, drink some more, and reject all bits of nibbley foods that were shown to us. haha. I also ventured off to talk to one blogger i recognised from her blog..Georgina. We waited until the first set of girls with white wristbands had been taken into the IceBar and then we went to get colour matched to the Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW foundation. Lisa colour matched me and said i was "Champagne, Cheers to me" but she also noticed that i had yellow undertones, and she asked if i tan easily, to which i replied i did and she then said "So you don't go red?" and i said nope, i just go brown, so she told me to get the colour "Honey, I'm so money" which would be particularly good on holidays.

When the first set of girls came out of the IceBar it was our turn to go in. A giant massive cloak type thing was chucked on us and we were given a free cocktail slip. We then entered through the doors and were instantly amazed by how cool the whole bar was. Everything was so pretty and made of ice, and yes it was absolutely freezing. We went up to the bar and ordered our cocktails, i had an Apollo and it was served in a square cup made of, yep you guessed it.. ICE! :) We then took photos together, looked around and generally froze to death. The cloak had some huge gloves attached if they were needed, which indeed they were. We were in there for a total of 15 minutes, and then we came out and all gathered together for another little pop quiz and for the Benefit girls to say their thanks and their goodbyes. We then had to go up and collect our lovely goody bags which included the Stay Flawless Primer, The Flawless Oxygen Foundation, a foundation brush and some cute magnets.

When going up to collect our goody bags we just had to state which shade we were matched with and they could give us the correct bag, i asked for the shade "Honey, I'm so money" but was told they didn't have it with them at present so i opted instead for the "Champagne, cheers to me" which is my natural shade anyhow. I can not wait to test the products out and do some reviews on them for you!

I just want to say a HUGE Thank You to the Benefit girls and team, for being brilliant hosts, and a big Thank You to Benefit for sending me out my first event invitation. I had a brilliant time, met some lovely girls and LOVED the experience of the IceBar.

Have you ever gone to a Benefit event?
Were you at this one and i missed you?!

Ana
xx

Betrousse Beauty Box - An Introduction

Hello Lovelies,

I have been wanting to try out a beauty box for some time but just never actually got round to doing it, i thought about Glossy box and about Birch box and even about Lux box, but there was something about it that just didn't do it for me. Maybe its just me, but i think i prefer spending my money on some products that i know I'm going to use up, or that i like, or that I'm going to be able to use time and time again. I guess, to me, it just seems a tad weird to spend so much money on what i would call a "Tester" box. Inside these beauty boxes you get 5-6 products of sample sizes, (literally like travel sizes) for you to see if its something that interests you and if it is, then that's when you would then go out and spend yet more money on the full size product!

Don't get me wrong, i think, if you like testing products or trying out new and different brands you might not have heard of, then beauty boxes are defiantly something that you will enjoy, for me, however, I'm still on the fence about them and unsure weather they are really worth it in the long run.

However, saying all that, i recently got contacted by a company called Betrousse, I had never heard of them before and had to do some background research into who they are and what they do.
Betrousse is a beauty box from France, and up until recently, they were unavailable in the UK. The idea behind them is that, there are different "Kits" that you can purchase, the price range starts at £10 plus postage and stems all the way up to £19 plus postage, while i think, that £19 may be a bit steep for some to pay, you are yet to hear the best bit about this little beauty box and what makes it so different from the others.

Not only do you get to choose the "Kit" you want, so in a way, you can see what is coming inside your box and you will know if its actual products that you would want to try out, (nothing worse then receiving a box with all products that you can't use, or that you just don't generally like.) The best bit is that inside, the products are all full size, yep, you heard me, FULL SIZE! Theres none of the little sample pouches floating around, you get a full bottle of Shampoo or cream instead of a travel size one.

Betrousse, sent me a box/kit to review, they sent me the "Glitz & Glamour Kit" which normally retails for £10 but the products inside are worth up to £70. I received 5 full size products, in a box roughly the same size as a shoe box, with lots pretty pink paper to wrap up the products and keep them safe. Inside there was also a little note which explained a bit about the box and there was another little note that had a description of what each product was and how much they retail for normally.

I received..  Mango and Safflower Body Moisturiser Rosewater and Chamomile Shampoo. G 1 Exfoliating Facial Cleanser. Enhance Shimmer Lip gloss. Tulecos Tonifying Oil.

I am super excited to try these out, and then do separate reviews on them, They all look really good, and i am well happy that because they are full size, i can use them for a number of weeks instead of only a few times.

Another good thing about this box, (just one more), is that some of the products will inevitable come from France, (as that's where the box is from), so if like me, you're a little unsure about beauty boxes because of the size of the products and would it really be worth your while, then i suggest having a look on the Betrousse website and seeing if any of their "kits" appeal to you. Or if you are a blogger that loves to try and experiment with new products, especially products that may be hard to find in the UK but may be easier else where in Europe, then again, i would recommend having a look on the Betrousse website to see if there is anything that takes your fancy there.

Betrousse Website

Betrousse's Facebook

Betrousse's Twitter

Have you tried a beauty box before? Whats your thoughts on them?
*This beauty box was sent to me to review, but the opinions are that of my own and i have been 100% truthful.*

Ana
xx