Island Girl Neon

The weather has been amazing over the weekend so I thought to fit in nicely with the summery theme I would do my nails in neon pink, the colour I chose is by Island Girl and is a colour changing polish, my nails are so short at the moment that you never really see the colour change but I love the bright neon pop of colour anyway.

No7 Nail Glitter Top Coats

Yesterday, again thanks to the Boots No7 £5 vouchers, I picked up the two new glitter top coats from No7.  They're part of the new, limited edition summer collection for 2012.

I'm looking forward to trying these two out, I think they'll be perfect for jelly sandwiches!

They seem to have the new version of the No7 brush which is good, it's thicker than the old version and I find it great for coverage on my nails.



No7 Temptress with Barry M Gold Foil stamping

Ginvera Marvel Gel (Zero Blackhead Gel)

I'd read a few reviews of Ginvera Marvel Gel (Zero Blackhead Gel) online so I thought I would give it a go, any product which claims all this is definitely worth a shot in my books: 

10 Amazing Efficacies

1) Removes blackheads painlessly
2) Softens the cornified layer and gently removes dead skin cells
3) Refines pores and reveals finer, smoother skin
4) Fades pigmentation spots and acne scars
5) Removes oil seeds around eye area
6) Regulates and balances oil secretion, prevent pimples
7) Evens out skin tone to give skin clarity
8) Dull and rough skin becomes smoother and fairer
9) Stimulates skin metabolism, skin becomes younger
10) Allows rapid and instant penetration of skincare products applied subsequently

Whether it lives up to all these claims remains to be seen, I'm not sure I even want to think about having a cornified layer on my face!

It comes with these directions:

Before cleansing, squeeze an adequate amount and apply onto dry face and neck, focusing more on the T-zone area. Gently massage in circular motions until small flakes appear which is the dead skin cells and dirt from the skin. After massaging, wet your fingers and gently massage again, and wash off with water afterwards.

 I gave it a try on my hand and these are the results, firstly the gel:

Now the flakes appearing, whether they're dead skin cells or just the product pilling up is hard to tell:

And then my skin afterwards, it definitely looks clear and smooth and possibly a little better but it's very hard to tell:

I've now tried the product on my face a few times and it definitely does seem to be removing something, there is quite a lot of flaking and pilling as you massage it into your face, again, I am sceptical as to how much of this is actual dead skin and nasty stuff but I'm sure in time the results will speak for themselves.

My skin is looking a little clearer but I have had some blemishes spring up, whether this is just my skin behaving naturally or due to the product I don't know, it does feel nice and smooth after I've used the gel so for now I am happy to continue and see how I get on as I've had no adverse reastions to the product and it seems gentle enough on my skin.

And finally, here's a shot of the back of the box with even more of their claims:

BeauBelle Snail Cream

Recently I have been reading a few bits and pieces online about how snail cream is good for your skin, particularly for treating acne and red marks, even the Daily Mail have cottoned on, so I thought I would give it a try, especially since I am on the look out for something to help with the scarring and red marks on my face.  

I didn't really fancy shelling out £30 for one of the brands mentioned (cheap, I know) so I decided to give BeauBelle's version a go, it makes some rather big claims online:

Beaubelle Highly concentrated Snail cream (it contains 80% of snail extract)

The most powerful snail gel on market, diminishes wrinkles, vanishes spots.

Due to its regenerative action, helps to diminish keloid scars, firming and anti-sagging action on skin.

Dermatologically tested. Results can be seen since the first application.

I ordered from eBay where the seller also had more praise for the cream:

My packaged arrived within a few days, although sadly the box wasn't in the best condition.

The bottle inside the box wasn't really what I expected either, it looked a bit cheap and homemade, possibly to be expected when buying a cheaper version though.  

It remains to be seen whether trying out the bargain version of snail cream from eBay was in fact a massive mistake, sometimes spending that extra £10 or £12 can make all the difference, one day I might learn.  Although, I've had some great beauty bargains when hunting down cheaper dupes of top end products so I doubt the bargain hunter in me will be put off just yet. 

On the skin the cream is definitely more of a lotion, and does look a bit like snail slime...

It feels like a very lightweight lotion and not at all slimey when applied to the skin though, after rubbing it in my skin felt quite soft and relatively well moisturised but there was no dramatic difference in either look or texture.

I've only tried it on my face once so far and although felt relatively nice and didn't have any immediate adverse effect on the skin it didn't seem like a wonder product either.  I also found that I needed a moisturiser over the top as my skin felt slightly tight after application. 

So, overall, I'm happy to keep trying it out (and will report back) but no snail slime miracles so far and the packaging leaves a lot to be desired!

Kiko 296 with Barry M Silver Foil Stamping

No7 Poppy King Lip Crayon - Raindrops Collection (Smiling & Skipping)

As suspected, the lure of a 3 for 2 and the No7 £5 off voucher was too much, I had to go back for the other 2 Crayons in the Raindrops collection.  You can see my first post on them here.

This time I picked up Smiling and Skipping; a bright, blue based red and a very sheer berry colour. Skipping is definitely the least pigmented from the collection and leaves just a hint of subtle colour on the lips whereas Smiling is as punchy and bright as the previous 3 I've tried.

Not much more to say on these other than to echo what I said in my last post about them.  I really like the texture and wear of the Crayons and after having tried them out some more over the weekend I am really pleased with them, they're very wearable colours, look great on the lips and last surprisingly well for this sort of product.

Finally, here are a couple of swatches of my two newest editions:

Zoya Adina, Kiko 347 & Barry M Silver Foil Stamping

Over the weekend I decided to try out Zoya Adina, it's a polish I have had for a while but only worn once so I thought I should give it an outing. 

After I applied it I decided it was a bit dull and I wasn't overly impressed with it on it's own on my newly short nails so I thought I would stamp over the top with Kiko 347.

Unfortunately, my stamping skills were clearly not up to par yesterday and it all looked a bit smudged, patchy and messy. 

Rather than take it all off and start a again I decided to try and save it by stamping again over the top with Barry M Nail Foil in Silver.

 

 

While it's still not perfect, and a bit of an odd combination, I do think the stars make the whole design look a bit more cohesive, and more the the point you can't tell that I smudged the zebra print underneath quite so badly.

I do like the double stamp look so that's something I will definitely be doing again, as for the colour combination, probably not.

New Stamping Plate Collections - Bundle Monster & Cheeky

Both Cheeky & Bundle Monster have recently announced a new collection of plates to be release late May / early June this year.  I'm currently trying to decide which I need to purchase, although I suspect the answer might be both.

Both companies have been revealing previews of some of the new plates on their Facebook pages, here are the designs they've shown so far.

CHEEKY:

BUNDLE MONSTER:

No7 Poppy King Lip Crayon - Raindrops Collection (Singing, Dancing & Playing)

I seem to be utterly obsessed with buying lip products at the moment.  The Poppy King Lip Crayons for No7 are the latest thing to be added to my collection.

Previously I purchased some Stila Lip Glaze Sticks as I liked the idea of a lip gloss in pencil form, unfortunately I never really got much wear out of them as I found them too sheer and, more annoyingly, very glittery.  I am really not a fan of glitter on my lips and the Stila version has glitter through pretty much every colour.

So, when I saw the No7 versions, which looked a lot more glitter free, I decided to give them a try.  I almost picked them up on Tuesday but decided to hold off as I was sure we must be due another £5 No7 voucher soon, and I was right, I went back in yesterday and, not only were the £5 off No7 vouchers back on, it's 3 for 2 on No7 too.  So I bagged three of the Lip Crayons for £18!

I chose Singing, Dancing and Playing (although I am very tempted to go back for the other 2).  Singing is a bright fuchsia leaning pink, Dancing is a more subtle pink shade and Playing is a peachy coral.  All three colours I have are lovely and very wearable.

The Lip Crayons feel great on, they're pretty long lasting and non sticky.  Although you can feel them on your lips they are not annoying and feel nice and light.  They have quite a high end feel to them, as they should retailing at £11.50 each, and I was pleasantly surprised at the length of time they lasted on my lips - longer than the Rouge Caresse lipsticks I have been wearing a lot lately.

They also appear to have a slight staining effect so even once the more obvious glossy colour has worn off you are left with a tint to your lips which I rather like, it prolongs the wear and makes them feel more practical than something like the Stila Lip Glaze Sticks which disappeared in a matter of minutes leaving only sharp glitter behind.

One slight downside to the Lip Crayons is that they seem rather soft, especially when warm, Playing's tip broke / got very smooshed as soon as I tested it after getting it back from Boots and I wasn't particularly rough with it.  This may be in part due to them having been stored under the hot lights in store, it remains to be seen I they behave better out and about.

I love that there is a sharpener included in the cap of each pencil, another downside of my Stila Glazes was that you had to carry a sharpener with you if you were going to be topping up your lips during the day.  With the Poppy King Crayons you simply use the lid of the pencil to sharpen them, so handy!

The sharpener is covered by a lid so won't catch on anything in your make up bag or leave product over everything else, this is definitely a huge bonus with these Crayons.

I am really pleased with the Lip Crayons, enough to be considering going back in to buy the other two colours very soon, however, the chances of me paying £11.50 for one is slim. 

That seems to be the case with almost all No7 products I have tried.  I love their quick dry top coat and nail varnishes but I would never pay £7 for them which means that all my No7 purchases happen during the £5 off voucher offers.  I know a lot of people are the same and I'm also sure No7 are aware of this, I'd love to see the leap in their sales figure when the vouchers come out, I bet it's substantial!

I'll leave you with a final couple of (bad, must get a decent camera) photos.

Chanel Quartz

This is my first ever Chanel polish, it was a gift from a friend.

It applied beautifully, so smooth and even, and the colour is lovely.  It's a sort of minky beige with an almost blue shimmer to it, in very bright light you can see tiny particles of glitter through it too.

Would I buy another Chanel polish?  I don't know, the formula is certainly excellent judging by this bottle, although I've heard that's not always the case, but I think unless they come out with something totally un-dupable I probably couldn't justify the cost.  I'm utterly delighted to have been given this one though, it's so pretty. <3

Revlon Lip Butters VS L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipsticks - The Comparison Post.

My ever growing collection of Lip Butters & Rouge Caresse Lipsticks.

I've blogged fairly extensively about both these products of late, they are definitely my most recent obsession.  I really like both products but I think that they are both suitable for different times and looks, they're not quite as similar as their descriptions might lead you to believe so I thought I would do a round up and comparison post now that I have bought pretty much all of the colours I want to try, for now.
First off, here are all the individual posts in case you want to have a look at them in detail, there are swatches and product pictures on each post.

Revlon Lip Butters: Part 1 & Part 2
L'Oreal Rouge Caresse: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 & Part 4

Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple & L'Oreal Rouge Caresse in Rebel Red

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

The Lip Butters are generally a good deal more opaque in their coverage and a slightly more dry, less glossy consistancy.  I would definitely put them at the lipstick end of the spectrum rather than the balm or gloss end although they are lighter feeling and less opaque than a regular lipstick.

I think they're ideal for trying out darker or bolder colours which you might not be brave enough to try in a full blown lipstick, the sheerer coverage of the Lip Butters means that although they give a relatively strong pop of colour in most shades they don't give you that full on I AM WEARING BRIGHT LIPSTICK look that can be a bit intimidating, at least for me.

One slight issue I have found with them is that due to slightly drier texture they can tend to higlight dry lips a little (if that's an issue for you) and don't apply nicely if your lips are very dry or chapped, tending to clog up in the dry patches.  Also they can wear off in a slightly uneven way and and leave a line around your lips which isn't the best look.

The Rouge Caresse lipsticks are definitely NOT lipsticks, they are definitely more towards the balm or gloss end of the scale.  Compared to the Lip Butters they are glossier and feel a bit more more moisturising to wear, they also have a lighter feel on lips and tend to wear off in a more even way without leaving a line, although this could be due to the fact the colours are not as strong as the Lip Butters.  I also feel as if they wear off faster than the Lip Butters although, again, that may be due to pigmentation.

The range of Rouge Caresse colours, although larger than the Lip Butters, is not so bold or bright.  Although there are some colours which seem quite bright and vivid in the tubes they are not really as bright or opaque as their Lip Butter equivilents.  They are however a bit better on slightly dry lips, they don't tend to cling to the dry areas quite so much and they feel a bit more moisturising.

Neither product lasts particularly long and they do need to be re-applied fairly regularly.  One way I love to wear them is over one of my many lip stains, they add an extra pop of colour and / or gloss over the top of the lip stain and stop them from feeling so drying with the added benefit of the lip stain making the colour seem more opaque and long lasting.
Scent wise the Rouge Caresse have an almost fruity hint to them and a bit of vanilla, the Lip Butters are more vanilla and smell slightly more like I would expect a lipstick to, a sort of cosmetic, waxy kind of hint.  Neither are offensive but I prefer the Rouge Caresse personally.

Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple & L'Oreal Rouge Caresse in Rebel Red

Direct Colour Comparisons

There are similar colours in each range but very few direct dupes, especially due to texture, shine and opaquness.  Here are a list of the colours I have with what I consider to be their closest comparison colour / almost dupes.

Candy Apple Lip Butter - Rebel Red or Aphrodite Scarlet Rouge Caresse
Candy Apple is much more opaque / darker (see comparison photos)

Tutti Fruit Lip Butter - Dating Coral Rouge Caresse
Similar colours but the Rouge Caresse is very sheer and peachy toned whereas the Lip Butter definitely leans orange and is much more opaque.

Raspberry Pie Lip Butter - Sweet Berry Rouge Caresse
Considering these both have berry in the name they are very diffirent, Sweet Berry is what I would call a mum shade, it's pretty but very neutral, a berry shade that leans towards the browny end of the solur spectrum.  Raspberry Pie is a very dark, bold berry shade and probably the most opaque of all the Lip Butters.

Lollipop Lip Butter - Impulsive Fuschia Rouge Caresse
Similar in colour, both bright pinks with a blue hint / shimmer to them, again the Rouge Caresse is much more sheer.

Sweet Tart Lip Butter - ? Rouge Caresse
Sweet Tart is a gorgeous bright, Barbie pink, none of the Rouge Caresse shades I have are a good match.

Strawberry Shortcake Lip Butter - Lovely Rose Rouge Caresse
These are similar in that they are both light, frosty pinks, Lovely Rose is the lighter of the two and slightly more sheer.

Creme Brulee Lip Butter - Nude Ingenue Rouge Caresse
Very similar colour-wise, the main difference again is opaquness and coverage, the Lip Butter is far more opaque.

? Lip Butter - Tempting Lilac Rouge Caresse
I don't have anything similar to Tempting Lilac, it's a blue leaning lilacy pink, pretty and quite different from all my Lip Butters.

Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple & L'Oreal Rouge Caresse in Rebel Red

The Winners?

Overall, I really like both products, for me the Lip Butters allow me to wear bright, bold lip colours without fully comitting to an proper lipstick, I love them for nights out and days when I want it to be obvious I have colour on my lips or fancy a stronger look.

The Rouge Caresse I prefer for everyday looks, they're a little more subtle and more like a wash of colour and they also have the benefit of feeling nicely moisturising while they're on. They're ideal for chucking on with a simple make up look when I want to feel more done up but don't want to spend time applying lots of lip products.

I tink it very much depends on what you are looking for from the product, for me I really like having both in my make up bag for different occasions but if I had to choose I would probably lean a little towards the L'Oreal Rouge Caresse just because they feel a little better on the lips and are more wearable every day.