Review: Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick

Firstly, I would like to apologise for the lack of posts recently. I was going to wait until my camera was fixed before I posted again but it looks like that is going to take a while so I decided to post anyway and make do without my camera :(

I grabbed Sexy Mother Pucker because I had fancied a berry shade lipbalm and had heard good things about the Soap & Glory lip range, so I went for the shade Plum Jam as it was a lovely purple colour but wasn't too pink.

First impressions were mixed. I loved the packaging for a number of reasons; the black tube with pink writing looked slick and sophisticated, so you don't mind showing it off to everyone else and the name retains that playfulness which we love Soap & Glory for. Also, the applicator is a good shape (like a large crayon) and when you wear it down you simply twist the bottom to get more, so it goes a long way. However, I found that the product itself didn't last very long and created these weird solid lumps of product on my lips. Not good.

I really liked the colour though, so decided to give it a wipe and see if that helped. Miraculously it did and I haven't had a problem since! Admittedly you do have to reapply it fairly often but since it's a balm that doesn't really matter, plus it really does keep your lips moisturised. I tend to get quite dry lips but since that initial problem it has been absolutely fine and hasn't dried them out at all!

Might have to get a few more shades...

You can pick it up from Boots for £8 and they currently have an offer on. The other shades are Nudist, Fushia-Ristic, Bashful and Raplumsel.

Much love,
Sasha Monday x

Review: Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

I am always searching for a good foundation for pale skin and until quite recently drugstore foundations were a no-go, always too yellow or dark. But since Rimmel brought out their new shade "Light porcelain" I have been trying out every kind! My most recent purchase was their Wake Me Up Foundation because I already have and love their Wake Me Up Concealer. Here are my thoughts…

I have to admit that I was put off by the bright orange lid. This is probably because being pale I have a natural dislike of the colour but I got over that pretty quickly. The pump gives a good amount of product and doesn't squirt it too far either.

The consistency of the product is lovely and creamy and it blends into your skin really easily. The colour also blends fantastically well, not too pink or yellow and it doesn't sit heavily on the skin. It gives a medium coverage but it can be built up and it gives your skin a natural healthy glow, which is good for people like me who have dry skin. One thing I would say, is that if you have dry patches it does sit in them and make them a bit obvious, so make sure you put on plenty of moisturiser before applying it.

As for it's staying power I have taken it on a very hilly walk on a sunny day (it is SPF 15, woo hoo!) and it didn't budge! At the end of the day my skin still felt soft and had a nice glow to it, without getting oily, and my blush had stayed in place as well.

Conclusion

Really pleased with this product! It's fantastic for pale skin in terms of colour and that all-important SPF and it wears really well as a foundation too. You can currently pick it up for £8.99 from Boots.

Have you tried this foundation? What is your go-to drugstore foundation?

Much love,

Sasha Monday x

Battle of the Drugstore Dry Shampoos

I don't know about you but dry shampoo has been a bit of a lifesaver for me because I insist on having a fringe. I don't wash my hair everyday because I find it makes it less manageable (I have curly/wavy hair) and I have heard that it isn't good for it. Sadly, fringes tend to require maintenance after about a day and a half, thankfully dry shampoo comes to my rescue at that point. I have tried out a few drugstore brands (all bought from Boots) and here are my findings!

Batiste Dry Shampoo XXL Volume - Big and Bouncy 

This was the first dry shampoo I ever tried because Batiste were originally the big dry shampoo brand in drugstores. Back then I had a few issues with it and sadly, it would seem that Batiste haven't done anything about them. I do find that it absorbs any oil but it also leaves a slightly white powder in my hair and makes it look a little dull and grey. Also, after a few hours it gets oddly sticky and stiff… Not attractive in a fringe. I have tried a few varieties of Batiste but I have found none which solve the issues. Then again, it is the cheapest option I have tried, at £3.99, so there is that.

TRESemme Instant Refresh Dry Shampoo 

This is the most expensive dry shampoo I have tried (£5.25) and it is definitely better quality than the Batiste. It doesn't leave my hair feeling sticky and stiff and there is very little (if any) greying of the hair. The only issues are the smell, which is like a cross between talcum powder and hairspray, and that it makes my hair a little flat. If you can get over the smell and you have straight hair then these wouldn't really be issues but if you have curls or waves it might weigh them down.

Dove Style + Care Dry Shampoo 

I had heard a fair bit of hype about this dry shampoo and once again, you guys were right! I have used this a few times now and have had no problems with it at all, I even used it two days in a row and there was no weird stickiness, no white powder, it didn't make my hair all flat and it smells really nice. It's quite a sweet smell but as long as it's not that typical dry shampoo smell I don't really care. Oh and it does absorb any excess oil whilst keeping my fringe cheerfully swishy. You can get it for £4.49 from Boots and they have a 2 for £5 deal on Dove hair products at the moment. Woohoo!

Have you tried any of these?

Much love,

Sasha Monday x

My Essential Perfumes

Whilst I don't own that many perfumes (except for all of the samples I've hoarded!) I have always found that three is all you really need. One for the summer, one for the winter and one which you can wear anytime, anywhere which makes you feel fantastic! So here are my perfume picks...

My Summer Perfume

In the summer I like to wear a perfume which is light, fresh and delicate and just adds a hint of scent without being obvious, for me the perfect summer perfume is GHOST Sweetheart. I have used this perfume for years because I just don't get bored of it. I am useless at describing scents but according to The Perfume Shop it has an oriental floral scent with heart notes of lemon, pineapple, spearmint, white flowers and sensual woods. Now I think "oriental floral" sounds quite heavy but it's really not, if I wear it people tend to say "Oooh, you smell nice" instead of "Oooh, what's that perfume?" which is exactly what I'm aiming for.

My Winter Perfume

This has got to be Jimmy Choo by Jimmy Choo, I absolutely love this perfume! It's a little heavier than my summer one but when I first tried it I just couldn't stop smelling my sample, it makes me feel warm and cosy, which is exactly what I want for winter. The notes include pear nectar, orange and toffee, making it distinctive but also giving it that warm, wintery feel. I like that it is a little stronger than my summer one, on the basis that normally it has to make it's way through a lot more layers of clothing! I sometimes use this one in the evening during the summer but generally it’s a winter day perfume.

My All-Year All-Rounder!

I only recently discovered this perfume, as it's new, but I am already totally in love with it (as is my boyfriend) and wear it all the time. It's Agent Provocateur Fatale and if you buy a 50ml bottle from House of Fraser, they currently give you a pair of Agent Provocateur hold-ups with it! This perfume is ideal for so many reasons, like Sweetheart it blends so naturally with your own scent that it doesn't smell like you are wearing perfume, you just smell lovely! My boyfriend is really picky about perfumes because they tend to be too strong but he can't really tell I'm wearing this one. When you first spray it on it smells quite citrusy and fresh but then slowly the base notes come through and you get a very sexy musky vanilla and chocolate smell, heavenly! I have found it works well during the day or the evening and I'll be wearing it in winter and summer whenever I want to feel special.

I hope you have enjoyed this post, which are your three must-have perfumes?

Much love,

Sasha Monday x

Beauty Haul Review

Okay, so last week I was out shopping and ended up in House of Fraser which is always a dangerous situation for my bank balance! I also picked up a few things from LUSH and Boots so I thought I'd share my haul with you and give you my thoughts so far.

Estee Lauder Haul

I arrived at the Estee Lauder counter looking for lipstick. I came away with lipstick, eyeshadow, eyeliner and an enormous gift bag of samples which House of Fraser were giving away if you bought three things (I'm weak!). The lipstick is their Signature Hydra Lustre Lipstick in the shade Cocoa Rose which is absolutely gorgeous! It has a nice deep colour but is still subtle enough to be worn in the day and it feels lovely on, not at all sticky or drying. Admittedly it does need topping up over the day but that's the same with most lipsticks, so I'm not too bothered about that.

 I also picked up Pure Color Five Color Eyeshadow in Surreal Skies. I love the natural colour palette and find it absolutely ideal for the day with the central dark colour being good for lining or creating a smokey eye for the evening. I do find that the powder dusts a lot in the palette although that may be a problem which lessens the more I use it. The eyeliner is their Double Wear Stay-in-Place Eye Pencil in Coffee, I have used their eyeliners before and always find their staying power to be unbeatable for a pencil and I like to use brown eyeshadow during the day as black can look a little harsh on fair skin.

LUSH Haul

I like to go to LUSH about once a month and stock up on a couple of bath bombs, I like to treat myself to a pamper evening with a bath once in a while and LUSH bombs are always my go-to. This time I opted for Twilight for when I need to relax a bit, Brightside Bubble Bar for when I need perking up and Sex Bomb just because I fancied something a little musky as well. 

So far I've only used Sex Bomb, which turned the bath water a lovely pink colour and smelt absolutely gorgeous. The Brightside Bubble Bar has quite a strong citrus smell which I adore but I know can be a bit much for some people. The difference between the bubble bars and normal bombs is that bubble bars are designed to be crumbled under running water, so if you like you can only use half of one at a time and save some for another day.

Boots Haul

Having heard really positive reviews of Rimmel's Wake Me Up Concealer and Scandaleyes Mascara I thought I would give them a go. I had tried the Wake Me Up concealer and foundation before but found the colour to be far too yellow for my skin tone but they seem to have either changed the colouring or added a new one because the Ivory concealer and (I think) True Ivory foundation blended perfectly on my quick test in the store but I decided to only grab the concealer for now (partly due to the "buy one get one half price" deal they had on) although I will definitely be going back for the foundation! The concealer has been pretty good so far, it is perfect for under-eye circles and covers up redness as well. The only slight niggle is that it has a slight sparkle in it which over the day really shows up unless you top it up. So far the Scandaleyes Mascara has been pretty good, it really does make your lashes longer and gives a good coating without being clumpy. It is sometimes a little sticky and the mascara tends to stick to the end of the wand, sometimes making it a pain to apply but it's nothing a quick wipe won't solve.

Sadly, one of the products I picked up has been a massive disappointment. I have curly hair which I'm currently growing out, making it quite difficult to manage, so when I saw John Frieda's new Frizz Ease Go Curlier Heat Activated Spray I thought I would give it a go. It claimed to create salon smooth curls but even though I followed the instructions, all it did was gave me dry frizzy curls which looked very messy and felt sticky. I decided to try using less the next time and all it did was make the bottom half of my hair fluffy with no curl at all! Sorry John Frieda but I won't be buying this again.

Phew, that was a bit of a rant! Hope my thoughts on these new products have been helpful, let me know if you have tried any of these or had any hauls yourself recently.

Much love,

Sasha Monday x

Review: bareMinerals Pure Transformation Night Treatment

I have always been really sceptical about products which claim to reduce the size of your pores. I had never found one which had any effect on my pores (perhaps they are particularly stubborn?). Anyway, I had read several glowing reviews for bareMinerals Pure Transformation Night Treatment but didn't really want to splash out on something which I wasn't very optimistic about, but I put my faith in my fellow bloggers and took the plunge... Happily I was proved very wrong! Even after one use I could already see an improvement to my pore size and my complexion, my skin looked healthier and felt lovely and soft. Now this is a product which I couldn't be without anywhere in the world.

Who knew that putting makeup on before bed was good for your skin? I was a little concerned that it might stain my nice white pillows but  that hasn't been a problem. There is also something therapeutic about putting it on. Using a brush which is built into the lid, you gently buff the powder into your skin.

You can buy bareMinerals Pure Transformation Night Treatment here and it comes in four different shades: Clear, Light, Medium and Tan. I use Clear but the other shades are available in case you want a little bit of coverage after your nightly cleanse (perhaps after going to the gym in the evening) and you can use this without having to worry about it clogging up your skin. If you do have fair skin and are worried about the colour match it's probably best to start with the Clear version as I have found that even that one provides a little coverage. When you wake up in the morning your skin feels softer and has a lovely natural glow to it.

A product I highly recommend!

Much love,

Sasha Monday x