30/09/2013

Wishlist #2

WISHLIST Sept

Whats on your payday wish list? 

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27/09/2013

“Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick.”





“Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick.”  - Gwyneth Paltrow

I have to be honest and say the words daring, bold & bright don't really come into the agenda for me and lipstick. Now don't get me wrong I've tried my fair share of chubby sticks, lip crayons, stains and lip glosses. Ive ventured into plums and corals but for some reason a good true red lipstick is still missing in my collection. Theres something a little daunting about full on Red lips for me.

Anyway as you can see above im easing myself in slowly (baby steps Rinica baby steps) 

In the above picture, I layered two lip colours and I love the results. I'm after MAC's 'Driven by love' a lovely bright red lip gloss, in the meantime I decided to search my stash to find a combo that could give me a red glossy lip.

I used the Bourjois chubby stick in 'Red Sunrise' with Revlon Super Lustrous lip gloss in 'Fatal
Apple' over the top.

Do you have any favorite lip colour combos, do you like mix up lipsticks/chubby sticks with gloss?



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25/09/2013

NUDE.




Nude was not a brand I was to familiar with before my blog reading days began. Since then a few of there products have earned cult status in the blogging community (Nude miracle mask anyone?) I checked out what NUDE had to offer, and a toner was a stand out product aimed at combination/oily skin, with ginger extract and cinnamon this product claims to reduce congestion and balance oily skin...


I'd read the reviews and done a lot of research on this product as I always do with skincare. Sadly this was rather disappointing, this felt like glorified water. This was just really meh, in my opinion a toner is meant to remove any bits of dirt and grime that your cleanser didn't quite get rid of but this well, this just didn't do anything. It didn't brighten, it didn't remove make up. Take a cotton wool dampen with tap water and you'd pretty much get the same effect this toner gives! Owee...harsh moving on.


Not pictured here as I've used it all up I actually got quite a generous amount of this I used my sample for around 4 weeks. And within that time I noticed a huge difference in my skin. This can be a little to rich when my skin was leaning more towards oily, but for the times when my skin was a little more dry I was super impressed my skin was nourished, and looked a whole lot brighter this is definitely on my wish list when my Origins Ginzing runs out...


My oh my, my world will literally end when this runs out (drama queen much) my skin absolutely loves this stuff. My previous experience with facial oils hasn't been to fab, most seem to break me out. I think there's some apprehension for people with combo or oily skin about using facial oils, but I can honestly say its one of the best things I ever incorporated into my routine. My skins actually been looking a lot less oily. I occasionally use this in the day time I mix a tiny bit with my Origins Ginzing (see review here) and this leaves a lovely radiant (not greasy!) look to my skin. At night I use this as a treatment. This diminishes flaky skin, has helped to lighten up my hyper pigmentation and my once dull skin is so radiant. When this runs out I truly will be gutted as the price of the larger bottle is just madness! 

Have you tried anything by Nude? Does anyone know of any good dupes for the Nude pro genius oil?  
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21/09/2013

Beauty With A Good Cause




Beauty with a good cause. I love using products from brands who have great ethics. Lush is always there flag high promoting natural products free from animal testing, naturally sourced ingredients  promoting fair trade and this lovely tub of goodness promotes all the ethics Lush stand for.

Lets talk a bit about the product, this body cream is lightweight and provides your skin with so much hydration. If you love coco butter or the Palmer's range you will love this. It just smells a-amazing! Don't believe me, next time your in Lush take a quick sniff and I'm sure you'll love this as much as I do!

My only negative, this can be a tiny bit watery at times, and I personally think this would work better in a bottle (the ones they package shower gels in would do the trick)  but apart from that tiny bug bearer I adore this moisturiser, plus 'Charity Bottle' doesn't quite have the same ring to it.

For a bit more information on this product worded better then my ramble click here

Have you tried this moisturiser? What are your favourite Lush products? 
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Sheffield Food Festival 20-22nd September



I love beauty, skincare make up and fashion but another huge love of mine is food. All types of food. I love trying new food, eating out, cooking and baking. Although this post is unrelated to anything beauty I hope you won't mind me sharing.

Every year Sheffield holds a free urban food festival, the festival is spread over 3 days it showcases local and seasonal produce  and promotes food culture.

It unites people through out the city, it's makes for a lovely weekend especially when the weathers as glorious as it has been this weekend. The vibe is great, there's music and tons of food stalls.

Western Caribbean, Mexican to Japanese you can get just about any type of food your heart (or stomach) desires. For the sweet tooth lovers (a la me) there are amazing cupcake stalls, crepe stands, Turkish sweet stalls and all kinds of sweet goodness.

I am rather sad that I didn't take my camera with me as I would have got snap happy, but on the other hand I'm  glad as it meant I got to stuff my face more- thoroughly enjoyed my food day! I feel extremely stuffed now though...

Definitely something to look out for and check out next year if you find yourself in the North or if you live locally.

I do love living in Sheffield as there seems to be such a buzz and some thing's always happening...the scary thing is that the Christmas markets will be next eeep are we that close already?
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18/09/2013

The Body Shop Colour Crush in 'Hot Date'



The Body Shop, as soon as I say that body butters and bath time goodness springs to mind. But make up? I always seem to overlook the make up section in Body Shop, I'm not entirely sure why as they have quite a good selection going on.

On a recent trip I decided to check out the new 'Colour crush lipsticks'. They have some amazing shades (and a few dodgy ones too for that matter) so choosing one was a challenge. I went for 'Hot date.'

In the bullet this looks an almost berry shade, just what I've been after with Autumn approaching but on my lips this has more of a pinky kind of shade. The shade is actually very similar to my natural lip pigments which creates that 'my lips but better' look (Oh dear I vowed I'd never use that phrase on the blog but there it goes...moving on swiftly.)

First impressions of these so creamy, I absolutely adore the finish of these so glossy! But in a good way, I just really loved the look. There so moisturising as well, so no need for lip balm underneath as these pack a good bit of moisture. There quite pigmented not as pigmented as other lipsticks I have tried (MAC.) Might just be me here but with my experience with lipstick the more pigmented a product the more dryer it seems to be? Sure there's some science behind that but I'm yet to find a truly wow pow pigmented lipstick that's also really moisturising. Bit of a ramble there for you. But back to the product, I do adore the finish the only downside is that there not very long lasting at all! These dry down to a stain and this does stay all day, for me this was a bit of a disappointment as if I want a stain I'll usually just go for a lip crayon/chubby stick. Overall though this is a lovely lipstick to add to my collection, but if your after staying power these just aren't packing.

Have you tried any Body Shop make up?

Has anyone got any recommendation for a bright (truly pigmented) lipstick that's also super moisturising?

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14/09/2013

Autumn Trends

Autumn Trends


What are your favourite Autumn/Winter trends? 

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13/09/2013

Review: Smashbox Photo Matte Anti Shine






My purse did weep a little at the price, £17 for 15ml, but rest assured I was convinced that you only need a teeny tiny amount of product per use, so far so good.

Now, as were approaching Autumn shine/oily skin may not be a priority for most of you girls and boys out there. But having blotting sheets or mattifiers in my bag are an all year round essential for me. Summer consists of oil slick days (nice visual image for you there) and winter consists of dry tight shiny skin days. Either way there is always some form of shine going on. Hands down I can honestly say out of all the mattifiers, primers and potions I've tried this has to be the best. I've come to the realisation that there is no 'magical' product out there that will combat shine all day, but this little tube of goodness comes so close. 

This is a lovely alternative to caking on powder throughout the day, ill take a pea size amount of this and put it directly on my t zone (leaving out the chin as it can dry me out) and my skin looks completely matte. This is a universal product one shade suits all, this doesn't leave a white cast, or chalky finish on my skin like other mattifiers I have tried. When applied mid day, this lasts, I don't feel the need to blot or powder. 

This product does what it says on the tin or tube in this case, this completely mattifies your skin and even though the price is a little steep I can see this lasting some time. This is the first product I have ever tried from Smashbox, but I'm super impressed I definitely can see another trip to the Smashbox counter coming on.... Anyone have any recommendations for products from this brand?
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10/09/2013

The Review: Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask

Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask 



Manuka Honey has some lovely properties,antibacterial, healer (burns/cuts), provides hydration, long term use can even see the improvement in skin texture. If I'm entirely honest I'd only previously used Manuka honey on toast (don't knock it before you've tried it, it's seriously yum!)

The Antipodes Manuka Honey mask some how fell into my basket on Feel Unique (this seems to be a common occurrence, items accidentally falling in to my basket haha)

Described as a 'A deeply moisturising, cleansing and anti-oxidising treatment' do I agree? Completely.

This mask is just lovely, on first impressions I was slightly surprised as I expected this to have a gel/marmalade sort of texture (I guess you see the word honey and assume!) but this is a cream texture. The smell is incredible, lemon, and honey real yummy, but if your not fantasising about eating it like myself this product performs seriously well. I applied the mask using an old foundation brush, after 15 minutes I removed with a hot flannel. I  have to be honest and say my first impressions were is that it? No miraculous difference, this isn't like a clay mask (you can see all the gunk with a clay mask eek.) The real noticeable difference was the next day my skin had never looked so radiant and healthy, it felt ultra soft definitely bordering on baby's bottom territory. 

I can imagine with long term weekly use, this mask will have lovely benefits on my skin as its just so nourishing an hydrating. 

For reference I have combination skin, by no means am I a dermatologist  but if you have oily or combination skin I seriously suggest giving this a whirl. I think sometimes when you use harsh products with salicylic acids and acne fighting ingredients it's nice every once in a while to use products such as this to counteract all of the stripping properties and give your skin a little hydration. I have to say since incorporating hydration products such as this, and the Origins day cream/overnight mask into my skin care routine the oiliness definitely seems to have reduced, sometimes stripping the skin can cause it to produce more oil in my experience, so giving it some hydration every once in awhile is a good thing! 

I'm really loving this brand at the moment, I have recently started using the Antipodes Nourishing Pear Night cream (review coming soon) so far it's love, but more on that later

Has anyone tried this mask, or anything from the brand Antipodes?

Rinica 
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07/09/2013

Una Brennan: Mattifying Moisturiser

Superfacialist Tea Flower Mattifying Moisturiser

Superfacialist Tea Flower Mattifying Moisturiser £12.99 is aimed at troubled, oily skin and contains salicylic acid. This is almost like a cream/gel hybrid, but the texture does work well on days where my skin is more oily. 

I honestly don't think there has ever been a skincare product that I've been more 'on the fence' about I'd say this product for continued use (every single day) is probably not a good idea as it can be quite drying. But for times when your skin is looking a little spotty and needs a quick pick me up, this one will certainly help to clear everything up. 

My skin was recently having a little crazy moment and decided to break out on me after a quick panic I reviewed my skincare and stripped it back to basics (Cleanser & moisturiser bye bye oils/serums) all of the moisturisers I currently own are aimed at dehydrated skin I wanted something aimed at troubled skin que a quick scrambled in my basket of unloved/unused products. When I first  purchased and used this product it did sadly get a thumbs down. I discontinued it, in search for a moisturiser that would provide more hydration. 

But boy did this clear my skin! This helped clear up the spots and also stopped the under skin spots (eek). Within a week, my skin seemed to have calmed down an awful lot, and the only product I changed was moisturiser so i do feel the credit is down to this. 

Downside to this? Oh man the smell is bad (I am pretty particular with smells)  this has a pollen smell (hay fever suffers will get me on that one) for none hay fever suffers think nettles (nettle,flower extract & watercress are all on the ingredients), grass,leafs I sound like a mad woman but this really does smell dodgy. Thankfully the smell doesn't linger. If you can get past the awful smell this really is a great moisturiser. 

Have you tried any Una Brennan products? 
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04/09/2013

Liebster Award


Hi Guys,

I have been nominated for a 'Liebester Award' by the lovely Emily Bunker from Handful Of Emily (if you've not already checked out her blog what are you waiting for!)

I am really grateful for all of the people that have commented, liked my posts, and followed me on bloglovin so far, through people following and commenting I've discovered some great new blogs. The Liebester Awards are a fantastic opportunity for new up and coming bloggers (like myself) to network with others in the blogging community.

The Rules

Link to the blogger that nominated you Handful Of Emily (thanks Emily! :))
Answer the 10 questions your nominator has asked.
Keep the chain growing by nominating 10 of your favourite bloggers who have less than 200 followers, let them know you've done so.
Create 10 brilliant questions for your nominees to answer.
Below are my answers to Emily (and anyone else who may be interested)

1. What do you like the most about yourself?

Now this ones easy, I have to be super cheesy and say my smile *Grins at computer screen*

2. Which of your blog posts did you enjoy writing the most?

'Haircare Goodness' I've raved about these products to just about everyone I know and quite frankly everyone I know is fed up less intrested in hearing about them. I got the most comments on this post, these products seem to be loved by lots of people!

3. If I gave you three wishes what would you wish for?

Oooh this is always a hard question 3 wishes, first things first I'd wish for unlimited wishes-is that allowed? I think that's cheating the question haha.

4. Favourite film and why?

Moulin Rouge, this manages to be dramatic, emotional, funny and silly and some how manages to keep me glued to the screen every time even though I know what will happen (I always cry at the end). Quite a unique favourite film as not many people like it.

My Nominees (4)


My five questions

1. What makes you laugh?
2. If you could go anywhere on holiday where would it be & why?
3. What is your one holy grail product that you cannot live without?
4. Summer or Winter?
5. Youtube or TV?

Rinica.


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WOMN-What's On My Nails


Rimmel 'I love lasting finish' in Double Decker Red & Ballet Pump Perfection
Creative post name Rinica (NOT) haha moving on... 


Every once in awhile I put down my beloved Essie polishes and try different brands offerings. Below are some of my favourite brands for nail polishes-

Essie- I just love the brushes,formula, and finish. Essie is the only nail polish I use that doesn't smudge and has a long staying power. I also never need to use a top coat with this brand.

Models Own- Brush is a bit naff, and these can run a little on the streaky side but the shade range certainly makes up for it

Barry M

Rimmel

Anyway, Boots recently had an offer on Rimmel polishes they were like £1.99 (cheap as chips or what!)

Photographed these look pretty similar but one is more of a pinky shade (think Essie Watermelon) and one is a Red shade. As autumn/fall approaches my yearly hunt for a good red nail polish begins does anyone have any suggestions? I love this one but I'm still after something slightly darker...a true red shade.

Rinica. 
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02/09/2013

Lush Stepping Stone


Let's talk feet. Now I by no means like them but a girl certainly needs to take care of them. Every year when winter comes around they tend to get neglected and I'm sure this is probably the same for most people out there....enter Lush Stepping Stone.

Now don't be fooled this ain't no pumice, this fizzes when it comes in to contact with water almost like a bath bomb. The idea is to break a bit of at a time (hence why my toes are missing on this one!) this works super duper well, and smells lovely. It's refreshing and leaves your tootsies super soft.

By no means am I saying this will replace your good old foot file, but it's certainly worth a shot if like me the thought of filing puts you to sleep-feet are such a chore

What are your favourite Lush products? 

Rinica. 
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01/09/2013

Bourjois Lip Crayon: Red Sunrise



I ummed and awweeed about writing a review on this as there already seems to be a ton of reviews on these lip crayons...but I'm sure one more won't hurt.

Pigmented, creamy, long lasting, three words I would use to describe the  Bourjois colour boost lip crayon.

Now I have to be honest here and say I was kind of over the whole chubby stick/crayon phase but I just couldn't resist trying the Bourjois offering. 

The most popular shade in the blogging community seems to be Peach on the Beach, I swatched this and didn't really find it suited my skin tone, but this shade definitely was more me. 

I was also very impressed by the SPF 15 as other lip crayons I have tried did not contain any SPF.

Has anyone tried these? 

Rinica. 
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What I Wore #1


















Top River Island 
Leggins American Apparel 

My shirt is from the Rihanna for River Island collection - I loved this as soon as I saw it even though the back is a tad too long, but this shirt can be dressed up or down and well if you haven't already guessed I love it. 


I pared the shirt with my American Apparel leggings to me these are super expensive but I can report since buying them I have practically lived in them. The fit and quality are so worth it! I've still not found anything that compare to these.


I finished off the look by chucking on my Nike Blazers (the only trainers I own that I have managed to keep clean!) these are super duper comfy. They look great with skirts, dresses, jeans just an all round great trainer and I got them for the bargain price of £45! (They retail at £70) 


What do you think of this outfit? Does anyone own the American Apparel leggings...I'm always looking for new ways to style them.

Is anyone excited for the AW Rihanna for River island collection? After seeing the preview I certainly am 


Rinica.
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