Review: Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant

Well hello there,

Today I am going to review a product that I have just repurchased - Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream. I initially received this as a present at Christmas - I came in the set which contains the eight hour cream skin protectant, the eight hour hand cream and the eight hour lip balm and as you can see the skin protectant is now looking a little worse for wear. 

What they say:

A product which is suitable for all skin types it can help with the temporary relief of chapped lips, rough skin patches and softening tough skin. 

What I think:

Honestly as a general moisturiser I am not a fan, it's very heavy and sticky and doesn't soak in well, however, what I do love this for is my lips. I didn't like the actual stick lip balm that came in the gift set so started using this instead and quite frankly have never looked back! I have a terrible habit where I bite my lips and as a result my lips were really dry and sore until I started using this. Now lips feel healthy and properly moisturised and look so much better! I tend to use this at night as an overnight treatment for my lips and wake up in the morning with lovely soft lips ready for whatever lip product I feel like using. I do also like this as a deep treatment for really dry areas so for me it's totally worth the money. 

The one I have is the scented version as I don't find the scent as overpowering as others do, I'm fact I actually think the unscented version smells worse!

This is £25 for a 50ml tube. I think the packaging looks great and even if I don't the product inside would more than compensate!

I know for many this is a beauty essential and I have to say I wholeheartedly agree!

What are your beauty essentials?

Claire

Disclaimer: The original tube was given to me as a present by a family member and the second tube was purchased by me with my own money and I am not affiliated with any brands mentioned. Links are for reference only and I am not affiliated with any companies linked. 

http://www.boots.com/en/Elizabeth-Arden-Eight-Hour-Cream-Skin-Protectant-50ml_9783/

Review: L'Oreal Glam Shine Stain Splash Colour 300 Juliet

Well hello there,

Today I am doing to do a review on the fairly new Glam Shine Stain Splash by L'Oreal. They are priced at £7.99 (through currently at Boots there is a two for £15 promotion on L'Oreal cosmetics) and come in a range of 6 different colours. The one I have is number 300 Juliet. 

What they say:

It's a water based formula which creates long lasting colour whilst giving shine. Easy application with it's unique wand. Colour can last up to six hours without drying out. 

What I think:

Firstly I think the packaging is great, they look great and seem way more expensive then they actually are. The wand is quite large but not too cumbersome and the product goes on smoothly. At first it feels quite watery but soon feels more like a normal gloss on your lips. The colour is really buildable - I myself put two coats on for maximum colour saturation, and the pigmentation is really great.  As it's a stain your lips stay a lovely colour for hours after the product has worn off so it's perfect for those busy days were you don't have time to be constantly reapplying your lipstick. This is a great dupe for the Yves Saint Laurent Rogue Pur Couture Glossy Lip Stains. The finishes are pretty much identical so at £23.50 each the L'Oreal version is my clear winner. The only downside to the L'Oreal versions is that there is a rather limited colour selection and to be honest the one I purchased was the only one that really appealed to me so I wasn't too wild about the colour selection. Compare this to the YSL version and they have a huge 22 shade colour selection meaning there will be something for everyone!

Bare lips - before application. 

Two coats of colour number 300 Juliet after application. 

Colour number 300 Juliet after several hours wear with a little lip balm on top. 

Pros:

Great pigmentation and staying power. 

Super cheap. 

Great feel on lips and very moisturising. 

Buildable colour. 

Great dupe for the YSL version. 

Looks great even once the gloss has worn off and only the stain is left. 

Cons:

Limited colour selection. 

The big decision:

This is a bit of a two parter for me... Will I buy this product again - yes but not for a while, as the answer to the second part, will I buy any of the other colours is a no. I did't really like any of the other colours available so I will be buying this again but only once this one has run out which I doubt will be any time soon!

Claire

Disclaimer: I purchased these products with my own money and I am not affiliated with any brands mentioned. Links are for reference only and I am not affiliated with any companies linked. 

http://www.boots.com/en/LOreal-Paris-GlamShine-Stain-Splash_1309088/

http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Yves+Saint+Laurent+Rouge+Pur+Couture+Glossy+Lip+Stain/D323308,default,pd.html

Review: Lush Lip Scrub Popcorn

Well hello everyone!

Today I am going to be looking at another product I have been using for a little bit. 

It's one of Lush's lip scrubs, they come in three 'flavours' bubblegum, mint julips, and popcorn for £5.25 for 25g. 

The reason for me buying this is that I have a terrible habit of biting my lips, it's one of those things that I have always done (my sister does it too) and it's an infinite circle of biting and making my lips uneven and then biting more as my lips felt uneven.  In order to try and stop myself doing this as I know it is really bad for me, I got this scrub hoping that if my lips were smooth it would remove one of the main temptations for biting them.  

What they say:

The ingredients create a perfect mix to leave your lips smooth and moisturised once you have buffed them to perfection. 

What I think:

I really like this, at first I was unsure about the flavour, it came off as tasting just salty but once you get used to that it's great. I use it before I shower and just take a small amount out and rub it into my lips then as it is edible I lick it all off. My lips are left smooth and looking fab, creating a great base for any lip products I use during the day. 

Pros:

Works great

Tastes really good

Perfect for scrubbing any dry skin away before applying lip products

Cons:

It is a tad on the expensive side for what it is

I find that you can't leave it in the bathroom as the damp air can get into the container

You can make a bit of a mess as the grains tend to fall off when you are rubbing them into your lips

The big decision:

Would I buy this again? Yes, absolutely. I find it one of those addictive products that once you have felt how soft and smooth it make your lips feel you are never going to want your lips to feel different again! I might be tempted to dry one of the other flavours next though. 

How do you feel about lip scrubs?

Claire

Disclaimer: I bought this product with my own money and am not affiliated with any brand mentioned. Links are for reference only and I am not affiliated with any brands linked. 

Popcorn scrub: https://www.lush.co.uk/product/6080/Popcorn-Lip-Scrub

Review: Nuxe Reve de Miel Baume Leveres Ultra Nourrissant Ultra Nourishing Lip Balm

Well hello there,

I am going to tell you something, it's about difficult but here is goes. I am obsessed. Lip balms I hoard them, entirely addicted. So when I hear lots of people raving about a particular one, well there is an inevitable result...

Nuxe Reve de Miel Baume Leveres Ultra Nourrissant Ultra Nourishing Lip Balm. 

What they say:

A repairing and nourishing lip balm creating comfort for chapped lips. 

It comes in quite a heavy glass pot and costs £9.50 for 15ml. 

At first I must say I was a bit unsure about this, it's got a really waxy finish to it and so feels quite heavy on the lips unlike a traditional lip balm. It also means if you put too much on it kind of congeals at the corners of your mouth (not the best look). 

But it does what it says on the tin (glass pot) - my lips feel soft and nourished and I find myself now reaching for this when my lips are really dry instead of my Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream (which I never thought would happen). 

Pros:

Works great - can see this being my go to product in winter. 

Looks lovely. 

A little goes along way. 

Cons:

Quite waxy, easy to over apply. 

Not really handbag friendly. It's surprisingly heavy for a lip product. 

£9.50 for a lip balm... Enough said really.

The big decision:

Yes I think I will buy this again. I really like it as almost a deep conditioning mask for my lips, left on overnight you wake to find wonderfully moisturised lips and I find the waxy finish actually really helps with it's staying power so it's not all over your pillow 10 minutes after you get into bed. Yes £9.50 is a lot for a lip balm but I have been using this for over a month now and as you can see from the photo have barely made a dent in it so I am kind of justifying it in that I am sure it will last an awfully long time before I even need to think about buying another one.

What is your beauty obsession?

Claire

Disclaimer: I purchased this product with my own money and I am not affiliated with the brand mentioned. Links are for reference only and I am not affiliated with any companies linked. 

http://www.feelunique.com/p/NUXE-Reve-de-Miel-Baume-Levres-Ultra-Nourrissant-Ultra-Nourishing-Lip-Balm-15g