TANWORX by Monu skincare fair-medium self tanning foam

Tanworx fair-medium self tanning foam - £20 *PR sample

I was a little bit apprehensive about posting the pictures of my legs as i'm not a slim girl by far, but hey-ho who cares, right? we're all beauty lovers and need to see this sort of stuff! Monu skincare is a brand that are very ethical and believe in using natural ingredients as it is more beneficial for your skin and the environment, not only that they do not test their products on animals so that's a major plus in my eyes. they believe in the phrase 'bringing out the best in you, using the best of nature' which I thought was a lovely phrase that fit in well with the brand. I was kindly sent the Tanworx fair-medium self tanning foam to review by monu skincare, and thought I would share my thoughts on the product.

with this product you apply it to your skin using a tanning mitt and it will develop and intensify over a 3 hour period, you must wait a total of 8 hours before washing it off to benefit from the full effects of this tan. I like to apply my fake tans at night and sleep on them then hop into the shower in the morning as that way you're not walking around getting darker by the hour and smelling a bit funky. for me self tan has to be quick drying and fuss free as there's nothing I hate more than applying tan and standing around naked for a good half hour until the product dries, after using this product a few time's i'm certainly impressed by how quickly the product dries, my skin was touch dry within 5 minutes and didn't feel tacky in the slightest, as you can see I sat on my white bedsheets after applying the tan and there was no residue left behind on the sheets, hoorah!

The self tanning foam is paraben free, which means that there are no nasty preservatives in there and I found the application to be easy and streak free when using a tanning mitt no one likes fake tan hands and when it's first applied it has a fresh baby powder scent, but this does in fact fade to the typical 'wet biscuit' smell that fake tans tend to have after a couple of hours so be sure to wear baggy, older clothes that you don't mind smelling of soggy biscuits. this tan does give you that natural, sunkissed bronze tan that I personally love, as you can see from the swatch that the tan itself isn't extremely olive toned, but it also isn't orange in the slightest it's a happy medium between the two.

I'm not a fan of really dark fake tan and prefer something a little bit more subtle, this tan is aimed towards fair-medium skin tones and I agree that this tan will not look too dark or 'off' on pale skin tones, because once it's washed off it reduces in intensity to a medium, glowy sun kissed look, they do in fact sell the same foam tan but in the shade 'dark to very dark' which I personally haven't tried so can't comment on how dark it is in comparison to the fair-medium shade. one slight negative I will say about this product is that is does cling to really dry skin, it isn't drying on the skin in the sense that it will leave your legs dry like the sahara desert once it's dry, but it will cling to any patches of skin you haven't properly exfoliated, I have a bit of a problem with dry elbows and It really clung to that area so make sure you prep you skin beforehand by exfoliating and moisturising extremely dry ages of your skin which is typically your elbows/knees. to maintain the tan it's recommended that you moisturise daily, this is so that when the tan does fade it fades evenly. the tanworx self tanning foam retails for £20 which you can buy from their website here and if you're not a fan of foams they also sell the same tan in a lotion.

I found that this product lasts a good 5 days with regular moisturising and does indeed fade evenly, I cringe when I see patchy fake tan where it's been scrubbed off! I have got my eye on a few other products by monu skincare as I'm very impressed with this tan, it's definitely taken over St.Moriz medium tan as my new favourite!

Taylor swift wonderstruck perfume

The Taylor swift wonderstruck perfume has quickly become one of my favourite everyday perfumes, it's a sweet but not sickly sweet perfume that's perfect for everyday wear. first of all, lets address how beautiful the packaging is, the iridescent purple bottle is gorgeous and looks beautiful on my dressing table, the gold detailing gives it an extra pretty look to it and it generally looks different to the standard perfume bottles that you see. now i'll be honest, notes in perfume baffle me but from the sources i've checked these are the notes that are in this perfume - top notes: freesia, apple blossom and raspberry - middle notes: Vanilla, honeysuckle and white hibiscus - base notes: golden amber, sandalwood and peach. as you can imagine from the sweet notes that this is a really girly perfume and apparently this was inspired by Taylor's favourite memories and scents. the note that stands out to me the most is raspberry but the sandalwood is also a definite standout. this perfume does last a fairly long time but it does fade after a few hours to a barely-there scent. I do love this perfume and will be repurchasing it when it's finished, you can get a 50ml bottle from boots here for £28 but it goes on offer a lot of the time for half price.

Dr.Jart+ Regenerating beauty balm SPF 30

Dr.Jart+ Regenerating beauty balm SPF 30 - £21

Excuse my scruffy appearance but some times you just need to throw your hair up and wear a baggy t-shirt. I've been slightly more confident in my skin lately and have been venturing into the land of BB creams. The Dr.jart regenerating BB cream is a moisturiser, sunscreen and treatment serum all rolled into one product, it claims to hide uneven skin tone to reduce the need for foundation and concealer.

My sister in law gave me this Dr.Jart Regenerating BB cream because she didn't like it after using it a couple of times so when she offered it to me I took it, yet I normally wear medium-full coverage foundations so this little tube scared me a little bit. When I tried this I was really surprised by the amount of coverage it offered, when I hear the words BB cream I think extremely light coverage but the Dr.Jart one is a light-medium coverage which is lovely. Dr.Jart claim: "This Dr Jart+ BB Cream provides strong coverage for redness and spots which won't rub off as easily as traditional cosmetics. Skin will look brighter, whilst still suitable for problem and sensitive skin."I completely agree with what they say, I feel as if my face has a certain glow to it after I apply it yet covers most imperfections on my skin.

After I have worn my foundation for a couple of hours I normally can't wait to get it off my face as it just feels disgusting, yet this BB cream feels so light on the skin that I forget i'm even wearing makeup and I have even started reaching for this over my other foundations. I think that this is going to be perfect for the summer time when you don't want to be caked in makeup as it  offers an SPF of 30 and has great coverage. The formula is thick to apply but you can't feel it once it's on the skin, I apply it with a Real techniques buffing brush it sort of stippling motions and blend out any areas that need to as I don't like the feel of applying products with my hands. This product is very long lasting and doesn't rub off patchy through out the day which I love. For me this product is my 'lazy day' base where I don't want to faff around as it's quick and easy to apply, I will repurchase it again yet probably only in the warmer months where I want a lighter base.

Bioderma Hydrabio Light Moisturising Cream 40ml

Bioderma Hydrabio Light Moisturising Cream 40ml

When browsing the Escentual sale back in early January I was looking for a new light moisturiser because mine just weren't that fabulous, to my surprise I found that they stocked Bioderma and got a little bit excited so I decided to pick up the Bioderma Hydrabio light moisturising cream (40ml) here which retails for £14. I can't quite remember how much of a discount I got off mine but Escentual often do some brilliant deals so be sure to keep an eye out for those! there are two variations of this product, the light cream which I have and the rich cream which can be found here, the rich cream is meant to be more hydrating and for dryer skin types, and the light cream is aimed at people with an oilier skin type. I don't particularly have oily skin but I can get a little bit shiny in my t-zone during the day and I don't like the feel of rich moisturisers on my skin all the time which is why I opted for the light variation. I apply this every morning after cleansing my skin and it sinks in extremely quickly, the product has a thin cream consistency and doesn't feel tacky on my skin. my skin feels plump and moisturised every time I use this and I liked that it's tailored for dehydrated skin, because there's a difference between dehydrated and dry skin so a thick moisturiser won't make a difference to dehydrated skin, just dry. now I can't tolerate highly fragranced moisturisers and this product has such a light, fresh smell that isn't offensive what-so-ever, it's really pleasant and you can't smell it once its on your skin. This product is aimed towards sensitive skin which mine can be sometimes and I have had no problems with it irritating my skin at all. I love that the packaging is hygienic and there's no dipping your fingers into pots and all of that nonsense, but whenever I go to dispense the product out of the pump it can shoot out so be aware of that and dispense it against your fingers and not from a bit of a distance. Overall, I really like this product yet have never stayed faithful to a moisturiser before so I may not repurchase this straight away but i'm pretty certain I will go back to it in the future, possibly in the summer time because that's when I feel it'll be the perfect day moisturiser.

Lush Bombardino bath bomb

I know this is a christmas limited edition lush bath bomb, but I thought i'd give my thoughts on it anyway. first of all, in the packet this smells really strongly of cocoa butter and it kind of made me feel a bit ill, you know when a scent just goes straight to the back of your throat and makes you feel a bit queasy? yeah that's what this bath bomb did to me... the strange thing was that I actually liked the scent! It's very warm and slightly sweet, perfect for the winter time. Lush say "Sit back and relax in a bath of creamy Alpine indulgence. With skin-softening cocoa butter and uplifting Sicilian lemon oil." This bath bomb left the water a lovely shade of urine, it was actually quite a disgusting colour but what else did I expect from a yellow bath bomb, flowers and rainbows? moving aside from the rather gross colour, this bath bomb was actually really lovely, once it had dissolved into the water it didn't smell too strongly anymore and was nice and calming, floating around in the water were little bits of what i'm assuming are cocoa butter, like body butter? I rubbed them into my skin and it made me feel so beyond soft I couldn't believe it, i'm lazy when it comes to moisturising so I praised the lord when I got out and didn't need to apply body lotion, booyah! the water was very softening and the light smell lingered on my skin after I got out of the bath, I'm actually quite gutted that I didn't pick up a few of these, but I definitely will this year! I have a whole lot of bath bombs/melts and other goodies to get through, i'm well and truly stocked up from christmas!

The Balm Nude'tude palette

The balm nude'tude palette has been on my wishlist for the longest time, and Aaron decided to pick it up for me at christmas, the palette contains 12 eyeshadows which are mostly neutral shades apart from the shade sexy which is a dark maroon. the eyeshadows come in a sleek, hard palette with a big mirror. there are 9 glitter shades and 3 matte shades in the palette. I think that the top row of colour are more cool toned, and the bottom row is full of warm toned eyeshadows. This did come with a dual ended brush which I lost the first day I actually got it... oops! This palette is available here from Feel Unique for £26 and this product was the first time i've dipped my toes into the brand that is TheBalm, I want to try a few other products from this brand but that'll have to wait!

Sassy is a white shade containing silver glitter, it's perfect for brightening up the inner corner or adding a bit of light or glitter to a darker eyeshadow. 

Stubborn is a peachy pink shade, this reminds me of all that glitters but more on the pink side and it's great for an all over wash of colour on the eyelids. this shade also has silver glitter running through it.

Selfish Is a pretty cool toned taupe with glitter, this is also a really nice all over the lid colour or the perfect base for a smokey eye. 

Sophisticated is a rich chocolate brown with gold glitter, this is one of my favourite shades from the palette, I personally love a good brown smokey eye and this is the perfect shade for deepening up an eye look.

Sexy is a matte deep maroon, in the palette there's a few flecks of glitter on the pan but that's just where glitter has fallen from another shade onto it, I've always been a bit scared to add colour to my eye makeup and this is a nice subtle colour which I love putting in the outter corner to add that little something extra to my makeup.

Serious Is a matte black shade, I love it when neutral palettes add a black shade into them, I feel that's when a palettes complete, because you can use this shade to turn your eye makeup from day to night, or use it on the lash line as eyeliner, or to give the illusion of thicker, darker lashes. 

Snobby is a very yellow toned gold, even though it's very yellow I think it's an exremely wearable shade and looks really pretty on. 

Stand-offish Looks a lot like the shade 'kitten' by Stila and this is my favourite colour from the palette, it's a more warm toned alternative to stubborn, 

Sultry is a medium matte brown which is perfect for the crease, this isn't a very unique colour as it's seen in a lot of other palettes from other brands, but none the less it's the perfect colour to have in a palette because it will always be a colour that's handy or needed. 

Seductive is a shade I can't get enough of, and it reminds me of one of my all time favourite eyeshadows 'woodwinked' by mac so if that's a shade that you want to try but can't justify the £10ish for 1 eyeshadow then I highly suggest getting this palette, because you get 12 beautiful eyeshadows for the price of just nearly 3 mac eyeshadows... say what? 

Silly doesn't have the best colour pay off in comparison to the other shades, and it's got a lot of chunky glitter running through it, it's a gorgeous colour in the pan but it doesn't transfer like that onto the eyelids. 

Sleek is a very dark verging on black, rich brown with slight glitter running through it, it's an almost matte finish as it has very slight glitter running through it, I think this is a good alternative if you don't want to deepen up your makeup look with a black, but have something slightly softer instead. 

Only when I was writing the names down in this blog post did I actually notice that all of the eyeshadow names begin with S... I've been too distracted by the beautiful colours to even notice the names. All of the shades have brilliant pigmentation and are buttery smooth to apply, apart from Silly which lacks colour pay off slightly, the glitter doesn't transfer onto the eyes which is slightly disappointing when it's cram packed with glitter in the pan. The thing I love the most about this palette is how versatile the colours are, you can create so many different looks from the eyeshadows whether it's a simple day time look or a feisty smokey eye.

I have used this Everyday since christmas and I'm in la-la-love with it, it was well worth the year wait to get it and I will probably be taking this palette when I go to Canada in August... planning my makeup bag already, that's not weird is it? probably...

What's your favourite eyeshadow palette?

L'oreal Miss manga mascara

One coat of L'oreal miss manga mascara

First of all, I'm finding it quite hard to believe that these photos were taken in my bathroom, in natural light on my plastic window ledge?! Looks like I have found a new place to photography products! ...and lets just excuse the dirty finger marks all over the product, shall we?
I usually like plastic bristled mascara wands and I find they grip my lashes better and give them some length that they need, although with this mascara I have found that even though the brush is made of that soft fibre material it's still capable of lengthening my lashes which I was pleasantly surprised by. On the second image, nearly half way down the wand you can see that the material is a little different, that's because that part of the wand is actually flexible and moves, so it's not solid... something which I wasn't too sure if I would like but when I'm actually applying the product I haven't really noticed it, I think it's just a gimmick the whole "flexible wand will make your lashes look better". one thing I do like about this mascara wand is that it's tapered, meaning that it starts off thick and thins out nearer the end of the wand, which is do find helps coat all of my lashes evenly and stops me from getting product on my eyelids when i'm applying it.

The formula is black and very long lasting, I haven't had any flakey bits fall down onto my cheeks and I haven't had any experiences with smudging around the eyes, because the whole panda look isn't a good one, yet I do find that if I'm not careful this mascara can my lashes can look clumpy. Overall, I do think this is a good mascara but not the best on the market and I will probably won't repurchase it in the future, I've never really stayed faithful to a mascara before as i'm always up for trying out new products.

Hydraluron

So I'm pretty sure we've all heard of Hydraluron now, right? I picked it up a couple of months ago when it was 1/3 off from boots as I couldn't justify spending the whole £24.99 on a product I wasn't sure I would even like, but as always curiosity got the better of me. The whole point of this product is that you apply it prior to your moisturiser and it holds 1000x it's weight in water, pretty impressive! It's capable of doing this from it's high levels of hyaluronic acid which is an ingredient which is really well known for retaining water and having high moisturising capabilities. When you first apply it, it sinks into your skin and leaves behind a tacky feeling which isn't pleasant what-so-ever but this goes as soon as your pop your moisturiser on top of it.

I started using Hydraluron and began to get annoyed as I wasn't seeing a difference, everyone was claiming it does amazing things to your skin yet I was noticing nothing, had I really spent so much money on a useless product? oh no... how wrong I was, after a month of constant use I noticed that my skin didn't feel dehydrated at all or lack lustre, it looked plump and healthy. To put hydraluron to the test, to definitely make sure it was this product that was making my skin look so good I stopped using it for 2 weeks, during that time I noticed I had a bit of flakey skin on my forehead and my skin's texture felt more rough rather than the baby smooth skin I was now used to! Now that i'm back to using this product everything's back to normal and I'm happy. I do think you have to take a break from it to notice the amount of good it's doing for your skin, will I purchase it again? yes, of course but I think I'll wait until it's on 1/3 off again before I do!

Lush brazened honey fresh face mask

"Exfoliating, stimulating and nourishing mask for tired skins. Fresh fruits are blended with warming Ayurvedic herbs and spices, ground almonds to polish and moisturising honey. leaves your skin vibrant and revitalised" This is what the Brazened honey mask (£5.95) claims to do. I don't have a lush store close to me, so I can't just pop in and grab some lovely bath bombs or face masks whenever I need them, I originally popped into lush to pick up the Catastophe cosmetic face mask as I was given a sample of it and loved it! but the last two times I've been in there they don't have it in stock... I was about to walk out and then the brazened honey mask caught my eye, this is one of the masks I hadn't yet tried so I picked it up on a whim... boy am I glad I did!

I think I would go as far as saying that this is my favorite face mask I've tried so far... SAY WHAT? what I love the most about this face mask is that when I wash it off my skin looks radiant and my pores look clear, Usually I don't notice immediate difference after using a face mask, I have to test it out a few times but I noticed results straight after I used this. Oh did I mention that this mask didn't break me out unlike some other face masks? I'm looking at you cupcake! Okay there's one downfall about this product... why does it have to go out of date so quick? I can never finish a whole pot before the expiry date! I have used this mask so many times but it seems to be never ending! I understand it's fresh but ah, it's frustrating... but good on you lush for not using any preservatives in your masks.

Don't forget to save your empty lush face mask packaging! when you take back 5 empty pots you get a free face mask!

Soap And Glory One heck of a blot

So i've been faithful to the rimmel stay matte powder for as long as I can remember and I wasn't really too bothered about trying anything different, I've heard several youtubers and bloggers talk about this powder but put it off for too long incase I was let down by it... until I went shopping with Lucy and Jayne which was incredibly damaging to my bank account may I add! The soap and glory one heck of a blot (£12) is a transparent pressed powder, so it doesn't have any colour in it yet keeps you matte! I have found that this powder keeps me matte all day and I'm one to get an oily T-zone, I often found I needed to touch up throughout the day when I was using the Rimmel stay matte yet I don't feel like I have to with this powder!? I like that the finish of this isn't too matte either, it doesn't look cakey and still allows a little bit of radiance through so it looks really flattering on the skin. This is the perfect little travel companion as it has a large mirror and comes with a little powder puff (which I don't use!) the packaging feels sturdy and as if It won't open up in my bag because no one wants to find their beloved powder crushed to pieces do they? I'm so glad Lucy made me pick this up, it's such a lovely powder and I will be repurchasing it over the rimmel stay matte... gasp!

Review | La roche-posay effaclar mat

I tend to get an oily t-zone and often find that my makeup slides off the tip of my nose and chin by the end of the day, I thought this was due to my day moisturisers being too thick for my skin during the day so I decided to change it up and brought the la roche-posay effaclar mat because this product is aimed at people who have oily and spot prone skin. la roche-posay say that this product will keep oily skin is moisturised and the mattifying properties help to control shine all day, and your skin will feel smoother.

I have noticed that my t-zone has been less oily during the day since using this product and it sinks into the skin effortlessly, so you're not sitting around for 10 minutes to apply your makeup afterwards, I like the fact that it doesn't feel thick or heavy on my face which is a plus considering I hate that tacky feeling some moisturisers can leave behind.

I have changed a couple of products up in my skincare routine in the last couple of months, I have added in this and the trilogy certified organic rosehip oil and I haven't had a single breakout on my face since using them, I definitely feel that the effaclar mat has something to do with that as the products from the effaclar range claim that with Daily care, helps to limit the appearance of pores and shine by reducing excess sebum, and yes I have noticed a dramatic difference in the size of my pores, they're much smaller now and i'm finding that my skin is less oily, I have used other products from the effaclar range and this is my favorite by far, I'm in love with this product and I will continue to repurchase it.

What's your favorite la roche-posay product?

Review | Trilogy certified organic rosehip oil

A couple of months back I was searching the internet for a product that will help reduce some scarring on my face, and one of the products that kept popping up that the Trilogy certified organic rosehip oil.
the brand trilogy claims that the Certified Organic Rosehip Oil helps improve the appearance of scars, stretchmarks, fine lines and wrinkles. I ordered a 20ml bottle for £13.72 off amazon, a bit expensive for such a little amount of product, but I can say now that it's worth the money. for a start I love the packaging, instead of a pump you dispense the product from a pipette which is easy to control and you don't end up wasting the product.

since using this product I have noticed a huge improvement in my skin, my scarring is less visible and my skin tone is more even. I always noticed I had slight wrinkles under my eyes, which for someone who's only 19 obviously wasn't something I wanted, i've noticed that they've reduced slightly since using the rosehip oil and less concealer creases into my "wrinkles". I have become more confident in my skin since using this product and I don't feel as if I have to use a full coverage foundation anymore, but I don't feel as if this hydrates my skin as much as other people claim it does, and the product doesn't smell too great either, but that isn't a big issue for me as the smell disappears once it's been massaged into the skin.

do you use any skincare oils?

Review | Maybelline eyestudio lasting drama gel eyeliner

An eyeliner pencil was the first beauty product I ever brought, a cheap little kohl liner from boots when I was 12 and since that day, eyeliner has become a staple in my everyday makeup routine. I have tried practically every eyeliner from boots since i've been wearing makeup, as my typical everyday makeup look includes winged out eyeliner, and I can hands down say that this is the best eyeliner I have ever tried. I personally don't think it's worth splurging out on a gel liner such as the bobbi brown gel liner, or mac fluid line when there's a perfectly good drugstore gel liner which only costs £7.99!

I have had a water balloon thrown in my face, had a nap, rubbed my eyes and this stuff hasn't budged or smudged, and a pot has lasted me an entire year without drying out... I know you're not supposed to keep eye products for longer than 3 or 6 months, but there was nothing wrong with it and it worked perfectly fine. although the eyeliner doesn't budge throughout the day, it's easy to take off at night with makeup remover and it doesn't leave you with panda eyes which you can't scrub off. it's the blackest eyeliner I've used and it's easily to apply, it comes with a small eyeliner brush in the kit too which is useful for beginners. I will definitely carry on repurchasing this product in the future.

What's your favorite eyeliner?

Review | MAC Fix +

Throughout the beauty community I have heard wonderful things about the makeup finishing spray MAC Fix + and thought I would give my 2 cents on the product.
I have found this spray to be wonderful when you've accidentally applied too much powder and start looking like someones chucked you into a pack of flour, rolled you into dough and baked you in the oven for 10 minutes. A couple of spritz's on your face and it makes your skin look dewy and fresh and not cakey at all. People have claimed that it has prolonged the staying power of their makeup but I don't feel that this is true, I haven't noticed that my makeup has stayed on longer than usual. I would say that do not spray more than 3 spritz's as i've noticed it can make my face look greasy. This product is lovely on those hot days where you just need something to cool your face down, without ruining your makeup! Overall, I really like this product because it makes my base makeup look more natural, but I don't think I'll be repurchasing it straight away.

Have you tried this product? what are your thoughts on it?

Review | Nars sheer glow foundation

*Picture of foundation after 5 hours of wear*

Nars claim that the sheer glow foundation is "A glowing, satin-finish foundation with a sheer and buildable coverage that immaculately evens out skin tone" and I would just like to say that Nars have hit the nail on the head with that statement, apart from the fact that I do feel like the foundation is definitely a higher coverage than sheer, more of a medium - buildable (which I 100% prefer)

I got this foundation because I was having a look on Unidays and noticed that ASOS had a 20% off  deal, including beauty products with free delivery which knocked down the price down from £30.50 to  £24.40... even though it's only a few pounds, I seemed to justify the price in my head and brought it instantly! I've never been matched to this foundation at a counter, I went onto the "findation" website and it matched me to the shade "Deauville" and this is the PERFECT foundation shade for me, I have never found a foundation that has matched my skin tone better than this! to test out the staying power I went to work for an 8 hour shift, with no primer or fix+ spray on and by the end of my shift, it still looked almost perfect, I was seriously amazed! usually my foundation rubs off on my chin/nose at work due to having a slightly oily T-zone, but nope not from this little beauty! now... one thing I would like to have a moan about is the packaging, why does this foundation not come with a pump? I know you can buy one separately but considering the price you would think that Nars would include one? I'm not a fan of pouring straight from the bottle as I feel like you use way more product than you need to! 

At the moment, I would go as far as saying that this is one of my all time favourite foundations, as I look forward to that subtle healthy glow that this gives me everyday!

have you tried this foundation? what are your thoughts on it?