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Posts tagged Mineral
My Budget Beauty Swap Parcel
9
Early last month I launched my Budget Beauty Blogger Swap. The budget for the swap was £10/€12/$16, and the aim was to buy your swap partner as many beauty products as you could within the budget – quite a challenge, but not impossible! So far, I have already seen quite a few posts from bloggers sharing their swap parcels, and everything sent and received has been brilliant.
Today it was my turn to receive my parcel all the way from Beverly Hills in LA. My swap partner was the lovely India, a US beauty blogger who runs beautynthbrains. I answered the door to the postman this morning to see him holding a box with the US postal logo on it, and I knew what it was straight away. As I’m sure you can imagine, I was really excited to see what was inside the parcel so I opened it in a hurry, and was met by this pretty pink, spiralled package, packed full of amazing products.
When I saw this little haul I was over the moon! Everything India sent is exactly my colour, and I was really happy to receive products from so many brands that we don’t have in the UK. I will be reviewing each of the products separately in the coming weeks once I’ve had a chance to use them properly, but here are my first thoughts on everything…
Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Collection in Shimmer The Night Away
I was incredibly happy to receive a Wet n Wild eyeshadow palette, as I have heard a lot of good things about them and they are highly sought after in the UK. The palette I received is Shimmer The Night Away, which features eight shimmery shades – four suitable for a smoky eye look, and four pinks and purples which are my go-to colours – perfect.
Everyday Minerals Stay Cool Matte Eyes Eyeshadow
Everyday Minerals isn’t a brand that I’m familiar with, and I don’t own many mineral eyeshadows, so I’m really looking forward to experimenting with this. The colour is a deep grey with a lovely violet undertone, which will incorporate well into my usual colour palette.
Sephora Nano Eye Pencil in Midnight Black
India and I told each other a few items that we had been lusting after, and Sephora Nano Eyeliner was one of mine. I adore bold, black eyeliner looks so this is ideal for me. I’ve swatched the liner on my hand and, as the Sephora website says, it is highly pigmented and glides on easily as it’s enriched with shea butter.
Sephora Ultra Vinyl Lip Pencil in Fuchsia Pink
Sephora’s Ultra Vinyl Lip Pencil in Fuchsia Pink was another of my requests, and it hasn’t disappointed. I wore this today and it applies smoothly and lasts a very long time. The bright pink shade is absolutely stunning, and the micro-glitter finish gives incredibly shine. I think it’s reminiscent of Barry M’s Lip Lacquer Crayon in Party Pink. Gorgeous!
Sephora Pencil Sharpener
I’ve been meaning to buy a new pencil sharpener for ages now as my old one is on its way out, so this was a great little accessory to find in my swap parcel. India must have read my mind!
Model Co Lip Gloss
Model Co is another brand that I’ve never used before. The gloss doesn’t have a name or colour labelled on it, but it’s a bright shimmery pinky red with a sheer finish. I didn’t find the gloss overly sticky when I tried it on earlier, and it has an intense strawberry scent and flavour which I love. The mirror on the tube is so handy too. I’ll definitely be using this gloss on a regular basis.
Beauty So Clean Cosmetic Sanitizer Wipes
India also sent me four cosmetic sanitizer wipes which are for cleaning cosmetics before or after use. Another nice little addition which will be carried in my make up bag for cleansing on the go.
Overall, I couldn’t be happier with what I received in my swap parcel. I imagine India went over the budget with her buys, so thank you India for being so generous and sending me so many fantastic treats. I feel well and truly spoilt today! Unfortunately, I forgot to photograph everything I sent, but hopefully India will share everything in a post of her own when her parcel arrives. I posted almost two weeks ago so fingers crossed it will reach the US soon!
I plan on linking to everyone’s swap parcel posts in a blog post very soon, so if you’ve received your parcel and have blogged about it please let me know!
Naomi x
Zoya and BM Beauty from Lucy Rose
12
8 years
As a vegetarian with sensitive skin, I am always looking for beauty products and retailers who specialise in products which are suited to my needs, and that means ethical, natural companies with high quality products. A couple of months ago during one of my searches, I came across a fantastic online organic beauty boutique called Lucy Rose, which stocks only the best organic skin care products and natural cosmetics. Their range of products is pretty impressive, covering everything from hair and skin to make up and nails, and they feature some brilliant collections too, including Inika, Faith In Nature, Burts Bees, and as mentioned in the title, Zoya and BM Beauty.
A few weeks ago, the lovely folks at Lucy Rose were kind enough to send me two wonderful products from their range, which go together for a festive look like bread and butter – Zoya’s ‘Rina’ Nail Polish, and ‘Emerald Showers’, a stunning mineral eyeshadow from BM Beauty. After getting to know the products and sampling Lucy Rose’s service for myself, I have decided that they’re too good not to share, so here are my thoughts on Lucy Rose and their products!
Zoya Nail Polish in ‘Rina’
When I first opened my parcel from Lucy Rose and found Zoya’s Rina inside, I literally gasped. I had been looking for a green glitter polish for a while and this one is just perfect, and so unusual. The green shade is a rich, bright emerald green, made up of small glitter flecks and bar glitter, some of which has an icy blue holographic undertone, giving it a 3D texture when on the nails.
I applied Rina over a navy blue polish to give it a deeper appearance, and as you can see, it worked incredibly well. It only took two coats of the Zoya glitter over one coat of the base colour to create a completely opaque glitter look. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Rina dries VERY quickly. Within a minute it was dry to the touch, and because it doesn’t need a top coat I could be on my way without worrying about it denting or smudging.
What I love about this glitter is that it doesn’t feel rough like other glitters when on the nails – it has a lovely smooth finish, but it still has incredible depth and catches the light really well for breathtaking sparkle and shine.
Zoya’s Rina is also extremely hardwearing. I’ve had it on for around three days now and the wear is minimal, but what else would you expect from a range which are said to be ‘the longest wearing natural nail polishes available’?
Rina is ideal for this festive season, and is available from Lucy Rose for just £10.50. All of Zoya’s polishes are vegan friendly and free of the big three toxins, and Lucy Rose also stock many other shades, which can be found here.
BM Beauty Mineral Eyeshadow in ‘Emerald Showers’
I have used BM Beauty mineral eyeshadows before and have always been impressed by their amazing quality, so when I received this I was a very happy bunny indeed. BM eyeshadows are oil-free and consist of 100% natural ingredients. They are also completely cruelty free, and as such are approved by BUAV and are suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Don’t you just love it when you find make up which is ethical AND high quality? I know I do!
As with all BM Beauty packaging, the eyeshadow comes in a sleek and simple 2g pot, which allows for mess-free, easy application. The shade I was sent is Emerald Showers, which you can see below.
Emerald Showers is exactly what it says on the tin… A gorgeous shower of emerald shimmer soft mineral powder. In the pot it looks quite dark, and it does have a grey undertone to it, but once on the skin it really comes alive with sparkle and bold, deep green colour. The powder is extremely highly pigmented, so a little goes a long way. It only takes a little dab and a sweep over the eyelid for a striking shadow look, which is represented in this swatch:
I wanted to try something a little different with Emerald Showers, to see whether it can be used as more than just an eyeshadow, and I was pleased to discover that it can! All I did was mix a little bit of powder with a few drops of water to create a gel eyeliner, which I then applied above my top lash line with an eye liner brush. This was the final result…
The gel dried very quickly which meant I had to make up a small batch for each eye, but that didn’t bother me as I only used a tiny bit anyway. I found it really easy to mix the right consistency, which made it even easier to apply. It glided straight on like any gel liner, and it went on really neatly as well so it was easy to create a fine flick at the outer corner of each eye! It didn’t smudge either because of the quick drying time.
I must admit, I was slightly worried that it wouldn’t last that long, but I was proven wrong. The eyeliner looked just as bold and neat after ten hours as it did when I first applied it, and only when I took my make up off (after fourteen hours of wear and no touch-ups) did I notice any fading. AMAZING! Using this as an eyeliner is a great look for the day time when you want a burst of colour, but not a daring shadow look, and I will definitely be trying this again!
You can view Lucy Rose’s full range of BM Beauty mineral eyeshadows here, and they cost £7.00 each, which is great value. Lucy Rose also stock many other BM Beauty make up products, which can be found on the make up section of their website.
Lucy Rose won the ‘Best Retail Website 2011′ award at the Natural Beauty Awards last year, and I’m inclined to agree that they really are the best online natural beauty product shop that I have ever come across. Not only do they sell top quality products, but they also provide outstanding customer service which goes above and beyond what you’d expect. They love their freebies, and you get great deals left, right and centre on their website! They offer FREE postage on all UK orders, FREE samples with every order, FREE live help and expert beauty advice, and you can even join their beauty club to earn reward points with each purchase. I also noticed that they’re currently offering free gifts with some items, and 5% off your first order if you sign up to their newsletter too, which is also a bonus.
If you want to discover Lucy Rose’s wide range of products for yourself and put together a beautiful festive look, you can have a browse of their website here.
Happy Shopping!
Naomi x
*I was sent the above two products by Lucy Rose for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed are honest and my own*
Bellápierre Lash Building Mascara
5
9 years
by Naomi in Eyes
I recently purchased this Bellápierre Lash Building Mascara from a blog sale for just £1. Before I saw this in the sale, I hadn’t really heard anything about Bellápierre, but I did some research and discovered that the brand are an ‘all natural cosmetics line’, specialising in ‘Organic mineral make up’. Since I try to be as environmentally friendly as possible in my make up choices, I decided to snap this up and try it out for size (quite literally, seeing as it’s a ‘Lash Building’ mascara!) The mascara usually retails for £19.99 so I definitely got myself a bargain!
My first impressions of the mascara when I received it were mixed. The tube is averagely sized, containing 10ml of product, and though the black and silver packaging looks quite sleek and classy, I didn’t think it was anything special. It wouldn’t stand out from the crowd on a display anyway. The tube also feels fairly cheap, but I didn’t lose heart. After all, as the old cliché says, you should never judge a book by its cover.
When I first saw the brush I was quite pleased. I’m not a fan of bulky brushes and though this one is large, it’s a lot narrower than a lot of other brushes which is just right for me. I always find it much easier to apply mascara to the difficult corner lashes with smaller brushes and this was no exception. Application was brilliant – the mascara is very smooth in consistency and not too thick, and the brush holds just the right amount so you don’t have to worry about making any mess. It doesn’t clump either! I did get a couple of small blobs on my upper eyelid but I blame being distracted by my sister talking to me at the same time 
The Bellápierre website claims that this ‘Lash Building’ mascara is long lasting and ‘was formulated to help create thicker and fuller lashes’, so I put this to the test. The pictures below show my eye before application (top), and after one coat of mascara (bottom)…
As you can see, the mascara makes quite a bit of difference. The deep black colour make the lashes really stand out, and the brush curls the lashes upwards slightly too, opening up the eyes. Considering this is only one coat, I’m quite impressed. I’d say my lashes definitely look longer and a bit fuller, and after a couple more coats they’d be even better. I also really like how the lashes stay separate and don’t stick together as they stay looking really natural. They also remained soft and supple which is great as stiff lashes are an uncomfortable no-no!
Oh and in terms of lasting power, Bellápierre mascara has it… When I wore this yesterday it lasted a good 12 hours and didn’t need reapplying, and it didn’t smudge either, but it removed really easily.
I really, really like this mascara – it does everything I want a mascara to do and more, but at £19.99 it’s a bit steep… Maybe I’ll keep it for best! If you want to see what else Bellápierre have to offer, you can visit their UK website here, and their international website here.
Naomi x
My First GlossyBox! February 2012
1
9 years
Over the last few months I’ve been hearing a lot about GlossyBox, both positive AND negative (but mostly positive), so when I discovered a 50% off voucher online earlier this month, I decided to order a box so I could see for myself what all the fuss was about! The voucher meant I could get my first GlossyBox for just £5 (with £2.95 postage), compared to the usual subscription price of £10 per box. As I kept seeing on Facebook and Twitter, the February boxes were posted last Friday, so I was very excited when I heard the postman at the door this morning! And indeed, he had my box for me 😀
My initial thought was that the box was very pretty, with its trademark pale pink outer and fancy inner packaging – even the postage box that the GlossyBox came in was cute! I couldn’t wait to open it up and find out what goodies I had been sent, and this is what I found…
L-R (Top)
Dr Bronner Magic Liquid Soap 59ml (Full Size – 59ml – £1.99)
Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Relaxing Balm 25ml (Full Size – 200ml – £15.25)
Como Shambhala Invigorate Body Lotion 50ml (Full Size – 300ml – £20.00)
L-R (Bottom)
DuWop Venom Gloss in Buttercup 5ml (Full Size – 10.4ml – £16.00)
BM Beauty Pure Mineral Eyeshadow in Storm Cloud 1g (Full Size – 2g – £7.00)
At first I wasn’t that impressed by the contents of the box, but I decided to give them all (but one) a try this morning and my opinion soon changed about some of the products…
Dr Bronner Magic Liquid Soap
This was the only full size item in the box and the only item that I haven’t tried so far, mainly because I’m not 100% sure what to do with it! The bottle says the soap is an 18-in-1 soap and I’m looking forward to researching this and finding out how it can be used. The soap sample I was sent is Citrus Orange scented and it smells really lovely and vibrant. The product is a mix of organic oils and essential oils, and the natural nature of this soap really appeals to me as I have fairly sensitive skin so harsh chemicals are a no-no. I’ll definitely be using this one in the not too distant future.
Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Relaxing Balm
The Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Relaxing Balm (does anybody else keep accidentally saying ‘Phil Mitchell’ or is that just me?) is designed to smooth wavy, frizzy hair, which is great for me as mine has a slightly natural wave to it. The balm is quite thick and smells a little bit like Calpol, which I think is quite nice but others may argue otherwise! I used a few pumps of this on my hair this morning whilst it was still damp, then dried and straightened it as usual. The serum definitely made my hair easier to straighten and left it looking a little sleeker, but I think next time I’ll use a bit more product as I have quite long hair. Hopefully over time it will help even more.
Como Shambhala Invigorate Body Lotion
This is by far my favourite item from February’s GlossyBox! I used this after my shower this morning instead of my usual moisturiser and it is luscious! The lotion is infused with natural oils (Eucalyptus, Geranium, Lavender and Peppermint), and has an amazingly powerful, fresh scent. The peppermint shines through which really wakes you up. The lotion is gorgeously thick and sumptuous and rubs in like a dream. Seven hours later, my skin still feels as soft as it did when I applied the lotion and the scent is still lingering. This is such a great product and I may invest in the full size version.
DuWop Venom Gloss in Buttercup
DuWop’s Venom Gloss combines their famous lip venom with a tinted gloss to create a lip plumper which looks pretty. I was slightly reluctant to try this as I have had reactions to lip plumpers in the past, but I went for it anyway (and I wish I hadn’t!). The ‘Buttercup’ shade is nice and naturally pink and the gloss smells absolutely yummy, almost like sweets with a hint of cinnamon! The gloss is quite thick but applies well, but this is where my love for this product ends. The ‘tingling’ sensation the GlossyBox flyer warned about was more of a cold sting. I thought it would pass after a few minutes but it actually got worse to the point that it was painfully unbearable and I had to wash it off! I don’t think I’ll be using this again, unless I rub a little over lipstick for a slight shimmer (although it will be coming straight off again if I have the same reaction).
BM Beauty Pure Mineral Eyeshadow in Storm Cloud
I’d been wanting to try some more mineral eyeshadows for a while so I was quite pleased to receive this, even though the sage green/grey shade isn’t really my colour! The shadow applies very smoothly and you really don’t need much to build a bold look. I really like the shimmer in this eyeshadow as it is quite subtle and adds a little depth to the darkness of the colour. I may try and create some looks with this that suit me as I don’t want to give up on it.
Overall, I am fairly happy with my February GlossyBox as the hair and body products are right up my street, even if the make up ones aren’t. I don’t think I’ll be getting another GlossyBox, but it was nice to see what all the hype was about. What did you get in your Glossybox this month?
Naomi x
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