Bourjois Volume Fast And Perfect Rotating Mascara Review

Before I begin, I have no clue what has happened to my pictures but when I rotate them they just stretch out like a clown mirror so I'm giving up on them.

Right. I had this mascara on my last wishlist that I posted (read that here) after seeing it used in a video on YouTube. I am a complete sucker for a gimmick and like anything that has a quirk to it. My wonderful man bought this for me for my Birthday and I used it straight away. 

Firstly, I dig the wand. I have a dislike for plastic brushes (bristles?) because I find them too plastic feeling on my lashes. Plus I like volume and a bit of gentle clumping really helps that. I think I'm probably one of five people that hates Benefit's They're Real. 

The mascara features a battery operated rotation to essentially take the work out of using mascara. It rotates two ways - one for each eye. Now, this part could be improved on by the manufacturer in my opinion. It's hard to actually turn the rotation off as there's not enough give so it kind of just slides over the middle section. Very annoying. I'm sure all of us re-dip the wand into the tube for each eye so doing that while it's rotating will end up stirring the product and kind of whipping it and I'm not sure that will turn out well. It's fiddly but manageable and you have to get a pretty good grip on the switch. 

A warning - check the rotation before putting it near your lashes. I made the mistake of having it rotating the wrong way and it just destroyed the look - my lashes got pushed back on themselves and melted together. I've also heard some people take the battery out when storing it in a makeup bag as it can turn on. I never take mascara out the house so I don't need to worry about this but do bear that in mind. 

Apologies about the bad photo quality but this is the outcome of the mascara. I didn't use any liner so the full effect of the volume could be seen. I really love it but if you're not keen on faffing around with things I don't think this is the product for you. I think if they did a few modifications to the switch a lot more people would be keen on it. 

As far as the rotation goes it's not insane and it doesn't drag on your tightline. If anything it sort of just dried mine out a bit but it was by no means a painful or scary experience. I definitely would purchase this for myself as it gives me the volume I desire and it's so easy to use. I literally hold it to my lashes and let it do all the work for me. 

It's definitely going into my top three mascaras. 

This product is available at Superdrug here for £11.99 and is currently part of a three-for-two offer. 

Losing My MAC 'V' Card

I've never owned a MAC product in my life because the prices are just so steep. However, I was lusting after the MAC 217 blending brush for about a year and unable to justify £17 myself, I threw it on the Birthday list. I also wanted a warm-toned brown shadow as I figured if someone was going to shell out on a MAC shadow it better be one I can use daily. 

I didn't do too much research into what eye shadow shade I wanted. I sort of watched a makeup tutorial on YouTube, saw one being used that I liked and went for it. Being a MAC virgin as it were I didn't put too much thought into the different finishes available - it's all a bit complicated without visiting a counter to actually see in person. I definitely think I'm more of a Frost girl though. 

Mulch is a velvet finish and isn't completely matte but isn't as shimmery as I normally go for. I guess that's better for work and whatnot though so I'm not too disappointed. It's a lovely warm toned brown that really makes blue eyes pop. To sort of see me wearing it look out for tomorrow's post. As far as the quality? I have to say I definitely expected more. 

It's not as soft or pigmented as I thought but it's nice. I think I probably had very high expectations as everyone seems to love MAC shadows so much. For me though I definitely favour Jemma Kidd. They're just much softer and pigmented. Maybe I'd get on with Urban Decay shadows more as they carry the reputation of being really soft. 

Finally, I got the brush I've been lusting after. I haven't used this yet. Does anyone else get that thing where you finally get your hands on something you've wanted for ages and then you're scared to ruin it? First world problems. I need to experiment with how to use this effectively but I'm excited to own it so I can play around with blending my shadows and creating some intense looks. 

And that's it - my small venture into MAC. I'm pleased to have finally tried a few bits and FINALLY own a 217. I think my next experiment will definitely have to be Urban Decay. Until then I will enjoy using Mulch and loving my Jemma Kidd shadows until they run out and I cry because they're no longer available. 

New CID i-glow Review

Yesterday I posted about the i-gloss from New CID and I also received the i-glow shimmering powder in the same package. I've been really loving this so thought I'd share it. Beware - it's stunning. 

It's basically a marbleised gold and pink blusher. It reminds me of the MAC MSF powders but is a little more pricey. It's really pigmented - you have to be so careful with using it or you end up looking like a clown. It's got quite a shimmery finish but it's not "hey you have glitter on your cheeks" style shimmery. 

It's perfect for the summery months because it just gives you a really lovely glow. Aside from that, it's bloody gorgeous looking. I actually swooned when I opened it. The shade I have is "Coral Crush" and I didn't think it would look that good with my cool-toned skin but I actually quite like the outcome. It warms up my face and just adds a bit of colour and glow to my cheeks. 

Excuse the lighting, it's one gloomy day in England today.

The packaging is a little intense - it's very blocky and quite large but the product is domed so I suppose it couldn't be a smaller size. I love it, but I think I'd opt for the MAC MSF instead as it is cheaper than this if only by a few pounds. I think the MAC MSF looks slightly more subtle and therefore works better but I do really like this and will continue to use it. 

Sigh. So arty... Hahaha!

New CID i-glow is available here. 

Let me know what you think if you own this or the MAC MSF. I'm interested to hear how the two compare seeing as I don't own the MAC one. 

New CID i-gloss Review and Swatches

I received two New CID products with my subscription to cosmopolitan magazine and have really been enjoying them so I thought I'd share my thoughts on them. The i-Glow review will be up tomorrow but for now, we're talking gloss. 

I received the coral shade which isn't something I'm a huge fan of with my skin tone but luckily it's not too opaque and is working out okay. I have to say, it's really quite sticky but it's the only gloss I've worn that seems to be quite moisturising on the lips. It lasts fairly long but you definitely need to re-apply. I like that it doesn't seem to leave that weird white line on the inside of your lips. 

As we can see, the gloss comes with a mirror on the side which is always handy if you take it out and about. It also has a light but I have a real issue with the light. It's far too bright and far too white. It's just way too intense - you can't really see what you're doing with it. It washes everything out and even in the dark it's just way too much. I wish there was a way you could turn it off. I'd say that and the stickiness are the only things I have a problem with. 

Above are pictures of how it looks up close and then a shot of my whole face because I had makeup on and was feeling fly and vain. I like this gloss and find myself using it pretty much daily whenever I want a glossy lip because it's the glossiest gloss I've ever laid my eyes on (how many times can I say gloss, right?). 

New CID i-gloss in coral as well as other colours is available here.

Let me know if you've tried any New CID products and what you thought of them. 

Sharpening Your Razor With Jeans

We all know how pricey razors are if you get the non-disposable ones. Even so, those disposable ones last two goes before they become no more effective than a butter knife at de-fuzzing. I was moaning about how expensive razor blades were the other night when my glorious man remembered a tip he'd come across randomly one day. Using denim to extend the life of your razors. 

We looked it up, tested and sure as hell my butter knife turned into a knife Gordon Ramsey would be proud of.

All you need is some form of denim and your razor. It takes less than two minutes and it's honestly like having a brand new razor. I suggest hard denim rather than soft. We used male jeans because it was that traditional stiff denim rather than my jeans which are basically as thick and sturdy as leggings (but super comfy). 

What you need to do is run your razor along the jeans WITH the direction of the blade. So don't go about it like you're shaving your jeans, go backwards. Repeat this ten times and then turn your razor around and go back over that patch the opposite way (again, don't shave the jeans, go backwards). This won't damage your jeans (it didn't damage J's) and it actually felt sharper than it did when I first bought it. 

There we go - super easy and a handy tip if you're sick of shelling out on razors or have a date and forgot to pick up some razors ;). 
 I thought this was pretty cool and useful so many thanks to the boyfriend for knowledge. 

Happy Birthday To Me!

Well today I turn 21. I never really have understood the importance of this Birthday in the UK but we'll roll with it and call it special regardless because who DOESN'T want to feel special?

In England, this age isn't actually a big deal. We're adults at 18 so I'm not entirely sure why it's made such a fuss over. We can't actually do anything different at 21 that we haven't been able to do at 18. Well, now we can travel to America and drink but I couldn't care less because I cannot afford a holiday. 

I guess for me it's the end of university and time to step out into the real world so that kind of sucks as well because that's bloody terrifying. This wasn't meant to be a depressing post, I promise. I've just always hated my birthday. Bring on the anti-aging products!

Maybe next year I can go on holiday or something and take my mind off the fact that I am getting old and "wiser". 

Anyways! Hope you have a smashing weekend - I'm spending mine mostly looking like that picture above. Classy. 

Products I've Used Up - The Mostly Miniatures

Before I start - I apologise about the image quality. I'm not so sure my camera is in love with blue backgrounds but I've already chucked the products so you'll just have to excuse it. Let my smooth and soulful words do the talking instead :).

Well it's been just under two months since my last "empties" post and it's already time for a new one. I've been trying to make a conscious effort to use up all my mini-products and samples as well as stuff I've just had sitting around for a while. I'm the worst person at buying new things before I need to - I just get excited about using my new stuff so I end up with tonnes of halfway-done products. 

Anyway, there's quite a lot to get through so I'll just crack on...

Kicking off with hair as it is the most logical - being at the top of every human.

Batiste Dry Shampoo - I've had this spray for absolutely ages. I believe it was a limited edition can and I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume it was for the Olympics. I didn't like it. I don't often use dry shampoo but I really hated the smell of this. It was too old lady-ish and kind of thick if that makes any sense at all. Didn't like it, wouldn't buy it again thanks to the smell. 

John Frieda Sheer Blonde Shampoo & Conditioner - I bought these around the same time as Mother's Day because I was picking up some Sheer Blonde products for my mum and these were on offer for £5 each. Still extortionate in my world BUT I was feeling sentimental as my mum always used to use these. I like them a lot - they don't do anything for my hair because I don't dye my hair but they clean it and make it soft. I would recommend them but they're definitely more suited to dyed hair rather than natural blondes. At time of writing John Frieda is currently 3-for-£12 which is a pretty good deal if you're into this line. 

Moving on to body and face products...

L'Oreal Perfect Clean Foaming Gentle Scrub - I couldn't find the actual product but found the gel wash instead so that's what is linked. I'm going to be totally honest, this isn't empty. I'm just sick to the back teeth of using it. It's lasted me since August and I'm ready to move on from it now. It's taking forever to finish which is a plus but I'm bored and want to go back to my Clean & Clear face scrub now. I liked it though - it was nice. I rarely used the little scrublet thing that's with it but it was nice to use occasionally. I wouldn't buy it again - it didn't blow me away and I can't stand how long it took to finish. 

L'Occitane Fleur Cherie Bath & Shower Gel* - I was given this at a store opening and actually really enjoyed using it. It foamed nicely and filled the room with this really nice, sharp, fresh floral scent. The scent lasted well on the skin as well. It's nice but I wouldn't buy it personally. I just feel like £7.50 for a tiny bottle is a bit steep. It would make a really nice gift though - it's just a shame it's so expensive. 

Body Shop Satsuma, Wild Cherry & Pink Grapefruit Bath & Shower Gel - I couldn't find the cherry scent on the website so I don't know if that has been discontinued or whatever. I'm sure everyone knows the Body Shop - great products and great scents. I didn't like the cherry but that's because I'm starting to realise I'm definitely a citrus girl when it comes to showers. I wouldn't necessarily rush out to buy these again but I didn't hate them. Satsuma was definitely my favourite though. I love the satsuma line. 

Crabtree & Evelyn Tarocco Orange Bath & Shower Gel* - long-time readers will know I did a review on this product a little while back (read here). I liked using this - it was really refreshing and especially nice in a bath as the scent just filled the room nicely and it foamed into a rich and thick foam. I wouldn't buy this for me with my financial situation but I do think it makes a lovely gift. The scent is really nice and a proper "grown up" scent without being too mature. 

Finally - the last step, moisturisers. This is a big deal for me, guys. I'm slowly getting into the habit of moisturising so using these up is a positive step in the right direction. 

Nip + Fab Mango Smoothie Body Butter - I received this in a GlossyBox fairly recently and was so disappointed. I hate the scent of mango in products especially when it's like a milky mango scent. It ends up smelling like rotting fruit to me. I'd have been miles happier with the Pistachio scent. As a moisturiser though it's really good - it sinks in quickly and definitely does the job. It's just such a shame about the scent. These are half-price on the website currently if you're interested.

Crabtree & Evelyn Tarocco Orange Body Lotion* - I received this along with the shower gel above (read review here) and really enjoyed using this. It sinks in really quickly and feels luxurious. Again, the scent really lingers and makes you feel fresh. However, just like the shower gel, I can't justify the money on this one. I do think it would make a lovely gift though. 

Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter Body Butter - I got this as part of a gift set for Christmas and was putting off using it for the longest time before finally giving in. It's got the "pink" scent of Soap & Glory and is really thick but it's far too sweet for me. I also don't think it's worth the price it's sold at. £10.50 is a little too steep for something that isn't a miracle worker and has that cheap smell to it. I didn't really get on with it to be honest but loads of people love it. The brilliant thing about Soap & Glory is that they sell mini versions of pretty much all their skincare line so you can pay £2.50 and see how you feel about it before splurging on the full-size. 


And that's it! Well done if you got this far. I hope this has been interesting and my little mini reviews have been helpful. I find these posts really interesting as the novelty of the product has worn off so you're able to see a real review of the product after long-term use.