Beauty. Fashion. Lifestyle.
Posts tagged Superdrug
NOTD: Barry M Glitterati ‘Fashion Icon’
0
7 years
When it comes to nail products, Barry M are one of my favourite brands, so when they announced a flurry of new shades for Autumn/Winter 2014, I was incredibly excited! As well as adding new colours to their Gelly, Silk, Classic and Aquarium ranges, and releasing some gorgeous Christmas glitters, Barry M have also launched the new Glitterati collection. Glitterati features six ‘blinging’ glitter paints, and they really caught my eye when I first saw them on Instagram.
So far I’ve only picked up three shades from the new selection – Rockstar and Fashion Icon from Glitterati, and the new Aquarium Glitter, Atlantis. I’ll be posting about each shade individually over the coming weeks, plus any more that I end up buying, but today’s NOTD is Fashion Icon.
Blue and purple are two of my favourite and most worn colours, so I was immediately drawn to this beautiful shade. Fashion Icon has a purple base with a blue duochrome effect, and is packed full of micro glitter, some of which is holographic. I find this shade so mesmerizing as it looks different every time I look at it. It goes from electric blue to grape purple to bright violet in one movement, whilst all the time remaining strikingly sparkly.
All of my swatches show three thin coats, with no base coat or top coat, which I think looks great, but I bet it’d look just as gorgeous layered over a deep purple shade.
I’ve also found Fashion Icon to be impressively hard-wearing. Despite spending the whole day cleaning, unpacking boxes and generally being busy, my nails look just as good as they did when I first painted them.
I can really see this wonderful shade becoming one of my all time favourite glitters, and I can’t wait to swatch Rockstar to see if it’s as stunning as this one.
Barry M’s Glitterati nail paints cost £3.99 each, and are available in store and online from Superdrug and Boots, and online from Barry M.
Naomi x
Summer Saviour: Superdrug Buzz Off Mosquito Bite Relief
0
7 years
Over the next couple of months I’ll be publishing a series of short posts about my ‘Summer Saviours’ – those absolute essentials that make summer’s little niggles that little bit easier to deal with.
Today’s post is about Superdrug‘s Buzz Off Mosquito Bite Relief, which doesn’t leave my side during the summer months. Unfortunately for me, I am really prone to insect bites at this time of year, especially as I tend to spend a lot of time outdoors in nature. Mosquitos, spiders, horseflies – you name it, they love me, and boy do their bites itch! Every time I get bitten I end up with a massive, swollen, red, itchy bite that lasts for weeks and usually scars, and up until this year I hadn’t found anything to stop the itch. I tried pretty much everything on this Wiki; ice packs, hot water, ointments, hot spoons, toothpaste, deodorant. But nothing worked, until I tried Superdrug’s little contraption…
To use the Mosquito Bite Relief, you have to press the end directly onto the bite, and press the button five times to administer five tiny zaps. It may sound painful, and it does feel slightly uncomfortable, but it’s no way near as bad as the discomfort caused by a bite, so it’s definitely worth it! And surprisingly, those little zaps are a miracle cure, as they localise the poison in the bite, and prevent the release of histamine, which causes itching. It’s best to use the Bite Relief as soon as you can after being bitten, and if you do it can even stop the swelling, and it truly works!
Superdrug’s Mosquito Bite Relief can be used on any kind of insect bite, and can treat up to 1000 bites, without the use of batteries. It’s also completely safe, non-allergenic, and free of chemicals, so is perfect for use on any skin type. I carry mine with me wherever I go, and it’s been an absolute blessing. A summer must at just £4.99, especially if you’re going travelling!
Naomi x
*This Superdrug Buzz Off Mosquito Bite Relief was sent to me by Superdrug for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
Limited Edition British Summer Barry M Nail Paints
1
8 years
by Naomi in Nails
To celebrate the slow but sure arrival of the British summer, Barry M have launched two limited edition nail paints, exclusive to Superdrug. Both shades have a pastel bright colouring, which is very on trend this season, and a shimmer finish which looks stunning in the summer sunshine.
Promenade is a gorgeous pink shade, which is reminiscent of the candyfloss and sticks of peppermint rock that you find adorning the British prom. It’s such a happy colour, and really gets you in the mood for a fun day on the seafront!
Seaside, my favourite shade, is a glistening blue that brings to mind the sea and skies of a hot day in July. It’s so pretty, and I can just imagine a mermaid wearing this one.
As with all Barry M nail paints, Promenade and Seaside both apply like a dream, and dry incredibly quickly, which means more time outside enjoying the sun!
Barry M’s British Summer nail paints will be available in Superdrug, whilst stocks last, between 4th June and 1st July, and you can choose one for FREE when you spend £6! Which colour will you be snapping up?
Naomi x
*These Barry M Nail Paints were sent to me by Superdrug for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
NOTD: GOSH ‘Frosted Plum’
5
8 years
by Naomi in Nails
You may remember that at the beginning of January I swatched and reviewed a gorgeous glitter varnish from GOSH’s Frosted Sand collection, called ‘Frosted Purple‘. Well, it officially became one of my favourite varnishes of all time, and I couldn’t wait to add more frosted shades to my collection. In particular I was trying to get hold of ‘Frosted Plum’, but the only bottle in my local Superdrug for months was a damaged one. Then, earlier this week, I noticed that they had a few more in stock, and luckily for me all of GOSH’s varnishes were on offer for £1.99 each! Obviously I bought it straight away and applied it when I got home, so today I thought I’d share the swatches with you.
Like its purple counterpart, ‘Frosted Plum’ is a pleasure to apply, looks opaque in just one coat (although I applied two), and dries really quickly. It’s also rather hard-wearing, and stays put for a good few days without chipping, even without a base or top coat.
The best thing about it though is the colour. The base shade, as you’d expect, is a beautiful deep plum purple, but throughout it are flecks of gold, bronze and bright pink, which give it a brilliant depth. It looks absolutely amazing in the sun, and even indoors it still looks impressive. The glitter in this one is a lot more consistently sized than in ‘Frosted Purple’, and I think it looks a bit like a caviar manicure.
Indoors (with flash)
Outdoors
I’ll stand by my previous statement that GOSH’s Frosted Sand glitters are honestly the best glitters I’ve tried, and I will continue to add to my collection! I have my eye on a couple of their spring pastel shades, ‘Soft Blue’ and ‘Soft Green’, which are also currently £1.99 in Superdrug (reduced from £3.99).
Will you be buying any of GOSH’s frosted glitters?
Naomi x
Collection Gothic Glam Lipstick in ‘Revenge’
3
8 years
by Naomi in Lips
After seeing a few reviews of Collection’s new Gothic Glam lipsticks popping up on other blogs, last weekend I decided to nip into Superdrug and pick one up so I could give it a try myself. I’ve always loved a dark lipstick, ever since my teenage Goth days, and the Gothic Glam range features three beautiful deep shades that are just my thing, so I had high hopes from the start.
The three shades are 1 Seduction, a lovely pinky red, 2 Scorned, a dark purple, and 3 Revenge, a deep berry red, which is the shade I went for, and they’re all perfect for Autumn/Winter. All three lipsticks have Collection’s signature black packaging, but rather than pink it is embellished with gold, which I think gives it a more luxe look.
The lipstick itself has a very creamy texture, so it glides on easily and evenly. It’s also quite moisturising, however, I would still recommend using a lip balm underneath, or exfoliating your lips before use, as after a while it tends to show up darker on any dry patches/creases. Not ideal in winter I must say!
‘Revenge’ is a stunning, vampy, almost maroon red, and is very highly pigmented, or as Collection says, ‘deeply intense’. The colour lasts well on the lips and it stays bold for several hours after application, but it does eventually start to wear off, and needs touching up every now and then. But I tend to expect that of dark shades anyway. I have noticed that it acts almost like a lip tint though, as even after I’ve removed it my lips look slightly stained with a hint of berry red.
Collection’s Gothic Glam lipsticks retail for £2.99 each, which is just so affordable, and for a budget product ‘Revenge’ is really quite impressive. The colour and staying power could even rival some of my more expensive lipsticks! It reminds me a little bit of Dainty Doll’s 001 Couture, which is another of my favourites. So, if you love dark shades and are willing to moisturise/exfoliate before applying lipstick, then Collection Gothic Glam Lipsticks could be for you. You can find them in Superdrug and Boots!
What are your thoughts on this range?
Naomi x
Interview Review: Superdrug Colour Rewind Hair Colour Remover
4
8 years
by Naomi in Hair, Interview Review
Unlike myself, my younger sister Freya is extremely experimental with her hair colour. She’s been every shade of red and brown you can imagine, but a couple of months ago she dyed her hair a shade she now regrets – black. At first she loved it, but when her roots started to show the problems began, and no amount of touch ups would cover them properly. So, after being told about Superdrug’s Colour Rewind Hair Colour Remover by a friend, she decided to give it a go and get rid of the black for good. Colour Rewind is designed to remove permanent and semi-permanent dark hair colours but, quite unusually for products such as this, it does not contain any ammonia or bleach. I personally find the product intriguing and have been wanting to know whether it works for a while, so I’ve decided to do something a bit different for this post and review it in the form of an interview with my sister.
Unfortunately I didn’t get a picture of the contents of the box, but it contains a 60ml bottle of activator, a 60ml bottle of remover, a 60ml bottle of after treatment buffer, a pair of gloves and an instruction leaflet. The instructions, in brief, are as follows:
- Empty the contents of the activator bottle into the remover bottle and shake for 30 seconds to mix.
- Separate the hair into sections with a comb and apply the mixture evenly, section by section.
- Leave the hair to process for 60 minutes.
- Rinse out the mixture with warm water for 5 minutes (10 minutes for longer hair). Apply half the buffer, massage in for 1 minute then rinse for 5 minutes. Apply the rest of the buffer and rinse for a further 5 minutes.
- Dry hair thoroughly.
I spent the afternoon last Friday watching and helping my sister use the product, and afterwards I asked her about the experience, and here are her answers…
How easy to use was the product?
Colour Rewind is just as easy to use as a home hair dye kit, but takes slightly longer. However, I think it is better to get someone to help with the application if you find it difficult to separate your hair into sections around the back!
How long did the whole process take?
Including the application, I reckon it took an hour and a half. The main solution has to stay on for one hour and the rinsing process takes a good 15 minutes, but it’s all needed to get the best results. I don’t think it took too long… all I can say is make sure you have something interesting to read or watch during the wait though.
What did you like about the process/product?
Firstly, I liked the fact that this product actually exists! I thought the only way to get rid of unwanted colour was to spend loads of money at a salon getting it stripped! The product itself is not only affordable at £7.99 on this occasion, but does not contain ammonia or bleach, which reduces the chance of hair damage. I also liked the fact that I got to wear a hat made out of a plastic bag (not necessary, but keeps the solution warm for better results).
What didn’t you like about the process/product?
I can honestly say that the only thing I did not like about the product and process was the eggy smell. Saying that, I was expecting a full on volcanic sulphur eruption when opening the bottle, but it was bearable! I may have smelt like an omelette for a bit, but there were no other negatives. No burning, no itching, no hair loss like some may expect.
Are you pleased with the results?
I am so impressed with the results! I thought my hair may turn out quite ginger, since I have dyed it red numerous times and had read that it could affect the results, but it turned out pretty much the natural colour… maybe slightly darker with a slight copper tint, but that doesn’t bother me at all. To be able to get rid of the black has made me happy enough!
Have the results lasted?
Well the black has certainly disappeared, but I’ve noticed that since washing and drying it a few times, it has darkened quite a bit! Initially it was a light brown, slightly copper colour (almost natural), but now it’s a dark brown/dark mahogany colour. I don’t particularly mind as I’ve dyed my hair a similar colour before, but I think that it’s important to know that the initial colour after the process does not stay as light. I don’t know whether this has anything to do with the heat from the hairdryer or if the initial results just seemed lighter because of the dramatic change. Either way, the unwanted dye has definitely been ‘rewound’.
How many out of 10 would you give it?
At first I would have said 10 out of 10, but after a few days I will now give it 8 out of 10. It is a rather magical product, but the fact that my hair has darkened slightly takes the points off.
Would you recommend Colour Rewind?
Yes, definitely, especially if you can’t afford to go to a salon for treatment. I would consider using it again myself.
And now for the moment you’ve all been waiting for… before and after pictures!
BEFORE
AFTER
Pretty good, right?
My thoughts…
Having been there when my sister used the Colour Rewind kit, I must say that it is fairly fuss-free and easy to use. At £9.99 (currently on offer for £7.99) it is also extremely affordable and a lot safer than using ammonia or bleach to strip your hair. It might smell, but it is still an impressive product, and is BUAV approved which is also important. I have noticed that Freya’s hair has darkened slightly over the last few days, but it still looks a lot lighter than it did when it was black.
Superdrug’s Colour Rewind Hair Colour Remover can be purchased in store or online.
Have you ever tried this? What did you think?
Naomi x
PS. You can check out my sister’s art blog here!
Miss Sporty Metal Flip Nail Varnish in Beetle Wings
12
9 years
by Naomi in Nails
Today’s featured nail varnish is another that I was gifted for my birthday, this time by my partner’s sister Rachel (thanks Rachel!), and it comes in the form of Miss Sporty Metal Flip in the beautiful shade ‘Beetle Wings’.
Before Beetle Wings I had never tried a Miss Sporty varnish before, and I must say I am very impressed with the formula. It has a smooth, creamy consistency which applies evenly, and gives opaque coverage in two coats, and it dries quickly too. In the time it takes to paint ten nails the varnish is dry to the touch and ready for the next coat, so there’s no waiting around for ages in between coats! Also, the brush is lovely and wide and covers the nail in one sweep, which lessens streakiness, but I do find the lid a bit too small to grip easily, which can make application tricky.
Beetle Wings is a classic duochrome shade, combining gilded green and copper brown, and the colours alter fluidly according to the light. The green is actually the more dominant colour in the mix, but for some reason the brown shows up more in pictures. Though I haven’t used Chanel Peridot myself, Beetle Wings looks like quite a decent dupe from what I can tell. It’s also reminiscent of Models Own Golden Green, which I do have, although Beetle Wings is slightly more tinged with orange.
The varnish has a stunning metallic shimmer finish which looks incredible in sunlight, and stops the colour ever looking dull, but unfortunately it does show up any imperfections quite a bit.
Here is how the varnish looks on the nail… Excuse the messy edges!
Isn’t it pretty?
One of the best things about this varnish is how long it lasts. After three days and no top coat, Beetle Wings still looks excellent on most of my nails, although it has chipped slightly on a couple. I imagine it would last even longer with a top coat though, which is great is you want a manicure that lasts!
Overall, I really like this varnish. The colour and finish are incredibly pretty, and the formula and lasting power exceed what I’d expect of a budget range. If you like metallics, duochromes and affordable dupes then this is definitely for you. Miss Sporty Metal Flip varnishes are available from Superdrug and come in three shades. Look out for my review of Aurora Borealis, coming soon!
Naomi x
Bewitchery featured on Superdrug’s Look at Me Blog
7I have something very exciting to share with you today… Bewitchery has been featured on Superdrug’s Look at Me beauty blog!
The article, called ‘Beauty Bloggers We Love: Bewitchery‘, features a little Q&A with myself, including beauty tips and Superdrug product recommendations, as well as a few pictures. Of course, my beloved MUA get a big mention! You can read the feature here.
What do you think of Bewitchery’s feature?
Naomi x
Superdrug Tea Tree Foaming Face Wash and Cleanser & Toner
1Hi everyone!
Firstly, allow me to apologise for being so elusive lately… I have been really quite busy with work and preparing for Christmas, so I haven’t had much time to blog. Friday was my last day at work until January, however, so I should have quite a few posts coming up over the next few weeks!
Today I will be reviewing two items from Superdrug’s Tea Tree range. Towards the end of summer (doesn’t it seem ages ago now??) I started to get some rather nasty breakouts on my face. I took those horrible red pimples as a sign to change my skin care routine, so I stopped using oily moisturisers and went out to look for some new facial products to try. Tea Tree oil is well-known for its use as treatment for acne, so I thought Tea Tree based products would be a good place to start. There were quite a few Tea Tree products out there, but I settled for Superdrug’s own brand for several reasons… 1) I’ve used Superdrug’s own brand of products before and they were pretty good, 2) They are affordable, and 3) Superdrug are animal friendly.
The two products I chose were the Tea Tree Foaming Face Wash, and the Tea Tree Cleanser & Toner, with the intention of using one in the morning and one at night. I can’t remember exactly how much they cost me, but I know they were on offer at the time and they are currently being sold at 2 for £3.99, so it must have been something around that mark. Individually, they cost £2.99 each.
Here are my thoughts on each product…
Tea Tree Foaming Face Wash (160ml)
Superdrug’s Foaming Face Wash is green liquid in the bottle, but as soon as you press the pump spray it expands into a creamy white foam. The above photo shows one pump of the face wash, which is plenty enough for one use, so as you can imagine one bottle lasts a very long time. The foam itself really is lovely and soft, and massages nicely into the skin (the instructions say to massage gently all over the face in small circles, which is what I do). I usually use it during my morning shower, and it is also easy to wash off.
The Tea Tree and Peppermint Oils in the wash feel amazing on the skin. After every use my skin feels SO clean, tingly and fresh, and the feeling lasts, but unlike some tea tree products it doesn’t sting. However, after a couple of weeks of use I found the face wash to be quite drying, as I was using it alongside some medicated gel which my GP prescribed – bad idea I know! I was starting to get sore, itchy patches on my skin which seemed to disappear when I stopped using it. As such, I now use this a lot less than I did when I first bought it (around once a week rather than once a day), which seems to be suiting me fine for now, but I may increase my use again now that I’ve stopped using the medicated gel.
It’s hard to tell whether this has helped my breakouts, but I am now clear of spots and I definitely noticed it reduced the angry redness of my skin when I first started using it. I like to use it on my neck, shoulders, back and chest as well to help prevent spots in those areas too. I’m not 100% sure I would repurchase this, but I’m glad that I tried it and it does give you a good clean.
Tea Tree Cleanser & Toner (200ml)
Like the Foaming Face Wash, Superdrug’s Tea Tree Cleanser & Toner looks green in the bottle, and that’s how it stays. To apply, I squeeze a generous amount of the liquid onto a cotton wool ball, and use it to remove my make up and cleanse my skin every evening before I go to bed. I have been using this every day for almost four months now, and as you can see in my photos, the bottle is still more than half full! That’s excellent value in my eyes.
As with the face wash, the oils used in the product feel fantastically refreshing on the skin, and the aloe vera extract it contains calms and soothes the skin after a long day. The cleanser does a brilliant job at removing all traces of make up and dirt too… You just have to look at the cotton wool ball after use for the evidence. It might look shocking, but at least you know it’s doing its job!
I haven’t had any trouble with this at all. It doesn’t make my skin feel sore or dry like some cleansers have in the past, rather, it is actually quite moisturising for what it is.
I like Superdrug’s Tea Tree Cleanser & Toner a lot more than their Foaming Face Wash, and it has officially replaced my previous cleanser. I will be repurchasing this when it runs out (which probably won’t be for a while!), and it is worth every penny.
You can view/buy the full Tea Tree range on Superdrug’s website here. Have you already tried anything from the range? What did you think of it?
Naomi x
Nivea Express Hydration Primer (Dry & Sensitive Skin)
17One of the latest additions to Nivea’s huge range of skin care products is their Express Hydration Primer; a moisturiser which also acts as a make up primer, and which comes tailored for two different skin types – Normal & Combination skin and Dry & Sensitive skin.
The skin on my face is fairly dry and easily irritated, especially in winter, but it can also get quite oily in places if I use heavy moisturisers, so as you can imagine it can be quite difficult for me to find primers and moisturisers which strike the right balance for my skin. When I first heard about Nivea’s new Express Hydration Primer I was very excited and highly hopeful, especially as there was one suitable for Dry & Sensitive skin, so I nipped off down to Superdrug to pick some up. Unfortunately, my local Superdrug store was only stocking the Normal & Combination Primer at the time, so I had to order it from their website and it arrived earlier this week.
The primer is packaged in a fairly large box, which is somewhat deceptive as the pot itself is a lot smaller, and contains 50ml of product. However, at £3.99 I’d say you get a reasonable amount of product for your money, and the pot is made of glass and very sturdy so a lot of care has been put into nice presentation.
The primer itself is light and smooth, almost like a gel, but also very creamy and white. It has a lovely fresh scent to it too which isn’t overwhelming, but leaves your skin delicately scented.
For the last few days I have been using the Express Hydration Primer in place of my usual moisturiser and I have noticed a big difference already. It glides onto the skin effortlessly and you need to use very little at a time so, despite its small size, the 50ml pot should last a fair while. Unlike my usual moisturiser, Nivea’s Primer absorbs almost instantly leaving no greasy residue behind, however, it does create a smooth base for easy make up application, and because it dries so quickly make up can be applied straight away, which is brilliant when you’re in a rush!
So, ‘Does it work?’ I hear you cry! Well, yes, yes it does. As mentioned before, the primer leaves a smooth, non-greasy base on the skin, and since I’ve been using this I have found that my foundation smooths onto my skin far more easily and evenly than usual, without going patchy on any dry bits. The primer keeps my powder and blusher in place too, so on the whole my make up lasts a lot longer, which I think is down to the lack of greasiness. The primer is extremely moisturising and hydrating so my skin stays soft all day without any dryness, but it isn’t oily so my face doesn’t get shiny like it used to with my old moisturiser. This means that there’s no need for blotting paper! In fact, my make up stayed looking fresh until 6pm last night, almost 10 hours after I first applied my make up, with NO touch ups throughout the day!
Thankfully, the Dry & Sensitive formula is perfect for my skin type. So far it hasn’t caused any irritation, and it seems to be working wonders on the dry areas of my face, which is highly impressive for a primer as, in my experience, primers tend to be quite drying. I have also noticed that my complexion has been somewhat clearer and brighter since I started using this primer. Due to the oiliness of the moisturiser I was using before I had been getting a few breakouts, but they seem to be calming down now.
I really can’t recommend Nivea’s Express Hydration Primer highly enough, especially if you suffer from dry, sensitive skin like I do! I think I have found my miracle product and I will be stocking up whenever I get the chance. I hope you believe me when I say that it truly works, but if you don’t I urge you to try it and experience for yourself this amazing moisturising primer!
Naomi x
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