What I Bought Today

Hello! Hope you all had eventful weekends, I certainly didn't. First just a little message to explain some issues in my blogpost today - Some of these pictures and throughout this blog post will look different because halfway through taking pictures my camera died, so I had to use my boyfriends Iphone, bearing in mind this was about 8 at night the lighting wasn't very good as it is.

Now, lets move on and as I said in my previous post I got paid on Thursday, so on the Friday me and my boyfriend went into town to get him a new phone, and while all that was being sorted I sneakily got away and went into Boots and Superdrug, where I bought these...

Rimmel Apocalips 
So, the first things I'm going to talk about are the Rimmel Apocalips, which I'm sure every blogger and their dog knows about. The colours I got are Apocoliptic, Nova and Luna (They were 3 for 2 at Boots and Superdrug)

 

(L-R Luna, Nova, Apocoliptic) (Opposite on other picture)

These feel on the lips like a creamy lip gloss, and once that wears off your left with a lovely tinted lip! I've been wearing Nova for work and haven't had the chance to properly wear the other shades for other than the lip swatches I've done (see below). I'm not too sure how much I'll wear Luna because it is a very nude, nude? If that makes sense! But I think if I do a very heavy eye look I might be able to pull it off, but we'll see! 

Luna

Apocoliptic

Nova

These pictures don't show how shiny the lip glosses actually are because they are lovely. Also, Luna is a lot more nude in real life, its just that I stupidly swatched that one last so my lips were pretty red raw from wiping the other lip glosses off and the stain they left behind. The colours are very opaque with every colour I've picked, even with Luna it was only the outline of my lips which showed the tint through from the other lip glosses. 

Apocalips

Nova

Luna

Bourjois Rouge Edition

I also bought these two lipsticks after seeing them on 'Birds Words' [Link] . So, I bought Rose tweed and Fuchsia Graffiti. These lipsticks feel so creamy and I have fallen in love with Rose Tweed, I think its just the perfect everyday lipstick. Fuchsia Graffiti is not as opaque as I thought it would be, but it still has really good pigmentation. 

With Flash

Without Flash

Fuchsia Graffiti

I don't have any pictures of the Rose Tweed because it the pictures just weren't showing how beautiful the lipstick is, so I chose not to include one.

Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover

In Superdrug all Bourjois products were 3 for 2 and as I didn't see any shades that really caught my eye other then the two lipsticks I did buy, I bought this which was on my pay day wish list anyway. I used is as soon as I got home to remove the heavily chipped nail polish I had on and oh my god! I wouldn't say it takes 1 second, but its is seconds - like 5 max and all my varnish was gone and my fingers smelling gorgeous! Now I literally cant wait to take my nail polish off just to use this.

All I did is stick my finger into the little hole in the sponge, twist my finger left and right a couple of times and that was it, all varnish gone! If there were little scraps left right at the sides of my nails all I did was repeat the process, maybe with more twisting to get the sponge right into that gap and the polish was gone! 

Rimmel Stay Matte

As I mentioned in my previous post, I've needed some powder for months, so I decided to go back to my trusty Rimmel Stay Matte, it keeps my skin matte for hours and at the worst dewy. Love it! I got the colour Translucent.

(Colour looks different from the first picture because flash was used in this shot)

Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment

I'm not planning on using this until I've had my hair cut, and I know a lot of you will be thinking 'Why you getting your hair cut just to try and grow it again?' Well its because I know when I go to the hairdressers I'm going to need quite a bit cut off because of my pretty bad dead ends, and I want to grow it back as quickly as possible but hopefully in better condition. If any of you have any Heat protection sprays you would recommend - leave a comment! :)

Technical difficulties - If anyone could tell me why when I uploaded the lip swatches they turned on their side when the originals are facing the right way? or even better if there is a way to turn them back the right way round :) Thank you.

Pay Day Wish List

For those of you that don't know, I work at The Co-operative Food, and for us lot pay day is on Thursday! Now, I'm one of those people that doesn't have a penny to my name about 2 weeks after getting paid, so pay day is a big deal for me! After starting my job properly in November of last year I haven't had a lot of money to myself because there was Christmas and then my boyfriends 18th Birthday, and any spare money I've had has stupidly gone on food :( this is one of the reasons why this pay day wish list is so big (that and the million extra hours I've been doing). So, I'm going to stop babbling on and get on with it!

 1. Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser - Starter Kit - £14.75
I've seen this for a good while here and there on shopping channels and a couple of blogs, and never really took much notice because I just thought it was for old people! (sorry) but after paying more attention and looking around for things to try for my skin after Clinique's Anti-Blemish Solutions 3-Step System didn't work for me - review here [Link] . So, after looking through a few blogs and youtube video's and seeing how well this has worked for some people's skin, I thought I'd give it a go. So, look out for a short review as soon as its delivered and then a more thorough one when I've given it a good test run. (fingers crossed it works)

2. Liz Earle Instant Boost™ Skin Tonic - £13.25
The Liz Earle website recommended this for me to use in conjunction with the Hot Cloth Cleanser, and to be honest I need a new toner because the one I'm using at the moment from Dermalogica (Clean Start) it feels like I'm just spraying scented water over my face. If you have any other toners you would recommend for my acne prone skin leave me a comment and it may be in my next pay day wish list! I haven't read any reviews for this, and I suppose I should so after I've done that, I may or may not get this when I get paid.

3. MAC Studio Fix Fluid - £20.50
This is a re-purchase after I got my first bottle for Christmas, but I thought it deserved a mention. I used to use Revlon's ColourStay foundation and loved it, and heard that MAC's was very similar, so with a bit of Christmas money I took the plunge, and I'm glad I did because I do believe it is better than Revlon's although both have their cons. I think that Revlon's ColourStay has better coverage, but doesn't last as long and turns a more 'orangey' and patch colour later in the day. On MAC's website it claims that the foundation is medium coverage but buildable. For me the coverage is medium, but I would not say its buildable, but then again that's what concealer is for! The most impressive thing about MAC's Studio Fix Fluid is that is does last me all day! I can't believe the staying power considering I dont use a primer, it just looks great all day so now I can honestly say I trust it that much I only look in the mirror at the most 3 times in a day! Definitely worth the money - one of my Holy Grail Items (HGI).

4. Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder - £3.99
I have bought this many times, and I think I underestimate it, especially considering the massive disappointment I had from MAC's Prep and Prime Finishing Powder - NEVER AGAIN - but that's for another day. I haven't worn powder in a couple of months, not that I haven't needed it, but when I have money I just forget about it, and as I mentioned above after 2 weeks there's no chance in me affording the little amount that it is, but I am determined to remember it this month, especially as there should be warmer weather which means my face = its own mirror. Disgusting!

5. Benefit Porefessional - £23.50
As the website suggests, this is supposed to be the UK's No.1 Primer. I have seen absolutely RAVE reviews about it, and even though I find the price tag very expensive, I'm going to treat myself and take the plunge. I have never had a primer before so I dont really have anything to compare it to and I didn't think I really suffered with visible pores (then again I don't really like looking at my bare skin) but clearly I do because of the state of my skin, and this will hopefully help with that issue too and will serve me well. If you have tried this leave a comment telling me how you found it and if it lives up to it's name???

6. Benefit They're Real - £18.50
Again this is a repurchase after getting it for Christmas after seeing all the hype about it on the TV and in stores, etc. It was the first time I had heard of the brand Benefit (I was a very ignorant 16 -17 year old on the whole make-up brand front) but I was scared about parting with nearly £20 for a mascara when usually I try not to spend over £10, and it was a last minute 'oh what the hell' purchase. I am so glad I did! This is the best mascara I have ever used, it literally does everything it claims to do. I dont use eyelash curlers but I couldn't even begin to imagine how my eyelashes would look using both together. This mascara is totally worth the hype and I believe I will be repurchasing this for many months to come.

7. Benefit High Beam - £24.50
I am one of those people who used to think when it came to highlighters 'whats the point?' but after watching Hollies Pampur Lounge on youtube [Link] I realised how much of a difference a good highlighter can make to your face and whole make-up look. I know this highlight has also had a lot of rave reviews and even though I think its very expensive for a little bottle, hopefully it will be worth it, and again I'm treating myself!

8. HD Brows - £25 (prices differ)
I have wanted these ever since I first saw them (about 2 years ago?), and when I could afford them I just forgot! For those that haven't heard of them, they are a 7-step eyebrow shaping process which give you the best eyebrows you can possibly get! There is a video on youtube which goes through the whole process and shows you some before and after shots - [Link] I will be doing a before and after and review when I get mine done, so keep an eye out!

9. Benefit Hoola  - £23.50
I have been after a decent bronzer for  months, after always using bronzing pearls which I found just weren't pixilated enough for the look I wanted to create. But after seeing this again on Hollie's Pampur Lounge on youtube and how she loves it, I thought I would again treat myself and add it to my wish list.

10. Moroccanoil - £30.45
If you haven't heard about this I would be very surprise, however not everyone it into hair oils so, some may have not. Its basically meant to be the very best hair oil available that all celebrities use and its supposed to leave your hair absolutely beautiful! I do think it is expensive, but for healthy beautiful looking hair after having my hair dip-dyed, I think it's worth it and that is why it is on my wish list.

11. Bourjois Rouge Edition Lipsticks - £5.99 (at the moment in Boots)
The only way I heard of these is by seeing a review of them by 'Birds Words' [Link] my favourites were Rose Tweed and Fuchsia Graffiti and I will be getting them!

12. Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment - £7.99
Ive seen so many reviews about this, some hating on it and some loving on it, but I think if it does work £7.99 is not much to pay for longer beautiful hair. I don't really need this at the moment, but when I get paid I am planning on getting my hair re-dip-dyed and cut, but because it has literally been over half a year since I last got my hair cut, I know I'm going to need quite a bit off so, if this helps me get my hair back longer quicker, its worth it for me!

13. Rimmel Apocalips - £5.99 (or 3 for 2 in Boots at the moment)
Do I really need to explain why I want these? They have been literally everywhere recently and they are so beautiful! For those of you who don't know, they are a lip gloss come lipstick come lip stain. I usually hate lip glosses, but I recently realised that it was probably because all the ones I had when I was younger were cheap and sticky! I don't even know what colours to choose, so I will have to wait and see when I get into the store but I am so exited to try these, probably more than anything else on this list.

14. Glossy Box - £10 (per month)
I think these boxes are a great way to try new things without paying a massive amount for you to find them to be crap. If you haven't heard of these types of boxes, in this box you get 5-6 some sample and some full size products for you to try. It allows you to decide if you like them and if you think they're worth it - buy the full size! I think they will be especially useful for when I haven't bought any new products or dont have any inspiration to just do a Glossy Box review blog.

15. Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Luscious Long - £4.99
I've heard a lot about these 3 Minute Miracle hair treatments and was going to just get the original one, until I saw this one for people with long hair who may need that extra bit of moisture. I also think the price is really good for the amount of amazing reviews it has, so why not.

16. HD Brows Palette - £19.96
I don't think I need to explain why I want this, but I will. I just thought it would be a great way to compliment my HD brows and purchase a brow palette from the same brand so they can advise me best on how to use it.

17. Bourjois Magic 1 Second Nail Polish Remover - £4.99
I've been wanting this ever since my boyfriend started buying me various OPI nail polishes and I just think its a great, easy, quick and simple way to remove nail polish without all the mess of cotton pads and a bottle of polish remover.

18. MAC lipstick in Chatterbox - £14
I can't remember who's blog I saw this lipstick on but I instantly wanted it, I love the colour and just think that it would be a great everyday lipstick.

Thank-you for reading my post. If you have any tips on how I could improve my blogging, or anything you want me to do a review about, just leave a comment and I will get back to you asap.

Ciate Caviar Manicure - Mother of Pearl

I got this and the 'Black Pearls' for Christmas off my boyfriend. Am sure 99% of you looking at this post will have already heard of/seen the craze brought forward by Ciate and their 'Caviar Manicure'. I also know that these were discovered before and there are less expensive versions available by high street brands such as MUA's Nail Constellations [Link].

I did originally want the 'Mother of Pearl' Colour but also really liked the 'Black Pearls' shade, so my boyfriend got me both :) (lucky girl) but now after trying them both out (look out for the 'Black Pearls' review in the future) I think I do prefer the 'Black Pearls' shade over 'Mother of Pearls' although they are both really pretty. You can buy Ciate's Caviar Manicures directly from their online website [Link] or from Selfridges [Link] who strangely have more shades available! They are £18 each which is a bit expensive especially as MUA do a version for £2-3 (just the beads) however they will last you ages! Especially the actual beads because you use that little for each manicure and have a funnel which allows you to easily pour the excess beads back into the bottle.

 

I'm not the best at applying nail polish as it is (and as you can see by the photo's), so it is a bit messy on my nails but with practice I hope I should get better, however applying the beads is the easiest thing in the world, I've attached a photo of the instructions given with the box and it really is as simple as it makes out! You apply one coat of the Paint Pot on all nails, let it dry and then individually for each nail apply another coat of the Paint Pot and while the nail is still wet, pour the beads over your nail making sure your nail is over the plastic 'bead catcher' provided (so you can pour the beads back into the bottle once your finished). And that's it! If you want you can also apply a thin layer of top coat to the end of your nails.

*Instructions taken from the Ciate website

These nails depending on what your doing will not last long, a couple of days max. They are meant for a special event or if your a bit different and like to change your nails regularly.

Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions 3-Step System

Can't believe its been around 5 months since I started this blog, and I've only posted 1 thing. I blame it on the fact I had my A-Level exams and then it was Christmas so funding was low for new things to review/blog about, and to be honest i completely forgot all about this! So I apologise and am going to move swiftly along onto my view of the Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions 3-Step System.

 I got this for Christmas off my mum from Debenhams, but used it as soon as I got it because I've always had problems with my skin ever since I was around 14-15. So I wanted clearer skin for Christmas when I got the rest of my presents. It cost me around £42, should of been £50 but Debenhams had a 15% sale on.

This is what Clinique say about the Anti-Blemish Solutions Cleansing Foam: "Step 1 of Anti-Blemish Solutions 3-Step System. Mild cleansing foam helps clear and prevent blemishes. Removes dirt and excess oil. Unclogs pores. Calms, soothes, reduces the look of redness. Skin feels soft, smooth, comfortable."

I think it was a really good cleanser, it would remove make-up and any dirt or oil quite easily. I used 2-3 pumps and would repeat if I had any make-up just to be sure it was all off. My face felt really fresh and clean after using this but, once dry if you didn't follow the other 3 steps it would feel quite tight, However my skin didn't look red or irritated as some cleansers can leave my skin.

This is what Clinique say about the Anti-Blemish Solutions Clarifying Lotion: Step 2 of Anti-Blemish Solutions 3-Step System. Gentle, effective formula exfoliates to clear dead surface cells and reduce excess oil that can lead to breakouts. Unclogs pores. Oil-absorbing powders eliminate shine. Soothes irritation, redness.

This was very weird, because there was powder at the bottom of the bottle and before you use it you had to shake it vigorously. I just applied it with a cotton pad and swept it all over my face. It's meant to be exfoliating and to be honest, even though you couldn't feel it exfoliating it definitely worked as I had no dry skin as long as I used this lotion. The lotion did reduce my excess oil and eliminate any shine. 

 This is what Clinique said about the Anti-Blemish Solutions Clarifying Moisturiser: Step 3 of Anti-Blemish Solutions 3-Step System. Lightweight, soothing formula helps treat existing blemishes, prevent future breakouts, control excess oil. Creates a barrier against blemish-causing agents. Lightly hydrates to minimize dryness, peeling.


This is my favourite of the 3! I love love love it! It feels so nice when when you rub it into your skin, it has a kind of powdery feeling to it, as a moisturiser I don't think it's that great, it does the job but I think if I had really bad dry skin it wouldn't cover it completely. However, I think this moisturiser is one of the main reasons I no longer had to top up on my powder half way though the day, it literally stayed matte for the whole day! I can't give enough praise, it is definitely one of my holy grail items! 


Although I have said a lot of good things about this system, there is one major criticism I have left out, and that is the fact that it didn't clear my skin! I was so upset because my skin felt amazing but there was still loads of blemishes everywhere with no sign of them leaving :( . I used the system for around 5 weeks and on the leaflet I was given it near enough guaranteed results after 4 weeks and I just didn't want to purchase everything again for there still to be no improvement. This may just be my skin as it has a lot of reviews saying it does work, but for me that just wasn't the case. As a cleansing system it is fantastic and I will repurchase the moisturiser separately as I loved it that much and does not compare to the Dermalogica Stay Matte moisturiser I'm currently using. So, on that basis, I will not be purchasing the Anti-Blemish Solutions 3-Step System again.

All images from Clinique's website.