2013 So Far: Post Round-Up

2013 has gone by quickly so far and due to university work, I've felt like my blog posts haven't been as regular as I wanted. Therefore I thought I'd compile a list of posts from 2013 so far in case I have any new readers or current readers have missed any of these posts. Now I'm finished with university I finally have more time to dedicate to blogging!

Reviews/Demos/Swatches:

Rimmel BB Cream 9 in 1 Skin Perfecting Super Make Up

MUA Professional Eyeshadow Trio in Innocence: Review, Swatches and Looks

Kimberly by Elegant Touch Body Products for 99p!

17/Seventeen Peep Show Mascara

Primark Natural Look and Sultry False Eyelashes

Gucci Guilty Black Pour Femme Eau de Toilette: Fragrance Friday

The Products That Saved My Skin: Dry/Dehydrated Skincare Routine

Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Suede Lipstick in Backstage

Nail of the Days/Nail Polish Reviews and Swatches:

Models Own Grey Day and W7 Cosmic Blue

Nails Inc Nail Polish in Piccadilly Circus

Barry M Pale Green/Mint Ice Cream Nail Paint with Gosh Rainbow

Models Own Pink Fizz with Accessorize Fudge

Sinful Colors have arrived at in the UK! Nail Polish Haul, Swatch, First Impressions and Review

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Prickly Pear

Face of The Day/Night:

Mac Viva Glam Nicki and Matte Neutrals: Face of the Night 27/4/13

Hauls:

Primark Haul: A Few Essentials? 30/1/12

Boots, Debenhams and New Look 31/1/13

The Body Shop and Boots 22/3/12

Misc:

My Favourite Fitness and Health Channels

Love Georgia xxx

Mac Viva Glam Nicki and Matte Neutrals: Face of the Night 27/4/13

I feel like I've hardly been out the house in 2013 so I was ready to let loose for a work night out. I bought the dress I'm wearing just after New Year as a treat for finishing two essays but I never got round to wearing it. I wear a lot of black especially when I go out because... I love it? I always like to perk up a black dress with a bright lipstick so I went with Mac Viva Glam Nicki and toned down my eyes using matte neutral and brown tones. As always for a night out in Newcastle, eyelashes and lots of bronzer and highlighter were essential.

crazy pout

Face:

Revlon Colorstay Normal/Dry in Buff

Rimmel 25 Hour Foundation in Ivory

MAC Cream Colour Base in Pearl

NYX Pot Concealer in Orange

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer in Sand

Rimmel Clear Complexion Powder

Sleek Contour Kit in Light

Sleek Blush By 3 in Pumpkin - Squash (Pink shade)

Eyes:

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden

Sleek Ultra Matte 2 Pallette (Browns and Neutrals)

Maybelline Gel Liner in Black

Maybelline The Falsies

Eyelure 100 Lashes

Lips:

Mac Viva Glam Nicki

Dress: 

River Island - £32

Also available in orange, blue and pink in-store.

Love Georgia xxx

Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Suede Lipstick in Backstage: Review, First Impressions and Swatches

Revlon lip products are held in such high regard by the beauty community that their new offering will surely excite many. The Colorstay Ultimate Suede Lipsticks claim to offer both 'moisture and wear' and a velvety soft texture. The colour I was sent to try was Backstage, a dark, berry red. Firstly I noticed this shade contains some shimmer which translates on the lips sparsely but is still quite large gold shimmers and personally I hate shimmer or glitter in lipsticks. I don't know if this shimmer is in any of the other shades but it doesn't make any sense for there to be shimmer in a 'suede' effect lipstick.

The packaging is similar to other Colorstay products with the plastic casing but to me this looks kind of cheap for £8.99. However the mechanism to turn the lipstick bullet up clicks which is snazzy.  I do like that the packaging is the same colour as the product so you know which colour is which though.

I wore this throughout the day to see how it faired on my lips. I didn't reapply or add any balm/gloss.

First application: Lipstick went on ok but the application is difficult especially with this darker shade, as it's hard to get the outline of your lips perfect with the round shape of the lipstick bullet. Also the creamy texture means that the lipstick feels very slippery on the lips so you have to watch in case it bleeds or smudges. The formula is pigmented so one application is needed to get the colour in the tube.

After 15 minutes: After the creamy formula had set to a matte texture, I noticed it had sunk into the lines of my lips and gone darker on drier patches. Also where my lips must have rubbed together or rested, the colour had faded from the inside half of my lips leaving the outside noticeably darker. The lipstick had also smudged slightly before it was dry because of the creamy formula.

After 2-3 hours: I ate a packet of crisps and was surprised to see this still in place, just a slight fade in colour. It didn't feel too dry at this point. I'd probably reapply again around this time if I wanted to freshen up.

After 5-6 hours: Eating my tea seemed to have made the biggest difference. The colour has faded especially from the inside of my mouth and once I'd had it on for quite a few hours it was starting to feel really dry. Around this time is when I'd want to completely remove and reapply if I still wanted this lip colour on.

After 7 Hours: It was definitely time to remove this as it felt really uncomfortable and I desperately wanted to pick or bite the remaining product off my lips (yum - I know). Mostly just the stain remained but some of the lipstick formula stayed behind making my lips look really patchy dry. The top lip doesn't look too bad though.

I noticed when swatching this colour on my arm how pigmented it is because even just applying it for less than a minute left a stain on my arm. The same happens if I apply this and remove after a couple of minutes so there's definitely a powerful stain within this formula, but the stain may be less powerful in the lighter shades.

Overall I liked the way this lipstick looked when I first applied it the best. After it set it did look smooth and matte but when worn for longer than 4-5 hours it became really dry and uncomfortable. The original colour didn't last well as the deep berry tones were lost after a few hours and just became a stain. I also didn't like how the lipstick faded patchy on top of the stain instead of fading evenly and leaving the stain. I love the colour but I hate the gold shimmers which are still visible even when the lipstick fades and are absolutely pointless.

Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Suede Lipstick in Backstage* - Boots - £8.99

Love Georgia xxx

*DISCLAIMER: I received these products as I am part of the Boots product testing panel. Some products are sent for me to try as they fit the profile I have given, and others I can apply to try. Boots receive these products from brands that are available or about to be available in Boots stores so for the panel members to try and review on Boots.com. Panel members do not receive financial compensation or incentives for reviewing the products online. I have chosen to share these products on my blog as I feel the reviews for products I post on Boots.com would be relevant for readers of this blog. I started product testing for Boots before I started my blog. Being sent a product for free doesn't change my opinion of it or of the brand. I was asked to join the testing panel after I posted a number of reviews on Boots.com.

The Products That Saved My Skin: Dry/Dehydrated Skincare Routine

My skin has always been mostly normal with dry/flaky patches on my nose and in between my eyebrows but at the beginning of this year I noticed it had worsened. The dry patches were worse in the usual places and some were emerging in random places like around my mouth and combined with my skin instantly absorbing all the moisture out of foundations when first applied, my skin looked awful. After trying a couple of solutions for eczema on my face and having no luck, I decided to overhaul my skincare routine. I started by not exfoliating my skin so I wouldn't irritate or flake my skin while it was repairing itself. I also introduced some new products to help hydrated and moisturise my skin while keeping it clear and clean.

Bioderma Sensibio H20 - Micelle Solution - Escentual - £9.99

I had to try the famous Bioderma after hearing so many good things and seeing the many emerging similar cleansing waters. Bioderma is a make up remover and cleanser which emulsifies make up and removes dirt easily without the need for rinsing. I use a small amount of Bioderma on a cotton pad to remove my make up before using a typical wash off cleanser but if I'm feeling lazy (or a bit worse for wear) I'll repeat until all make up is removed. I can understand why some may feel underwhelmed by Bioderma after all the hype but it doesn't claim to revolutionise your skin. I included it in this post because it's very easy to use and gentle at removing make up so it's perfect for most skin types but especially drier or more sensitive skin. After this bottle is finished I'm going to experiment with other similar products to see what else is available and possibly at a cheaper price but I would definitely buy this again.

N Spa Melting Cleansing Gel - Asda Stores or Asda Online - £6

I've already gone through a small size of this which I got in this gift set for Christmas and I actually missed using this before I bought the full size. This is an interesting product as it starts out as a gel with an oily texture, which increases when massaged in, and then changes to a cleansing milk when rinsed with water. Even after rinsing my skin still feels really soft and hydrated. I use this after Bioderma if I'm wearing make up so I don't have to double cleanse. I love how affordable this is at £6 a bottle or the range is typically two for £8! The formula and the scent of neroli makes this feel like a luxury spa product and if I had blind tested this I would've thought it was a lot pricier.

Hydraluron - Boots - £24.99

After reading many reviews of Hydraluron I realised that my skin was dehydrated. Hydraluron is pure concentrated hydralonic acid, which naturally occurs in the skin and helps hold on moisture. By using this product as a serum before a moisturiser, it supposedly helps the skin absorb the moisturiser better so it's not meant to be used alone. Since using this my skin has definitely looked more hydrated especially when I'm wearing foundation. It may be pricey but one tube should last a while if you use a pea sized amount daily. The real test will come when I finish this tube, to see if my skin really misses Hydraluron and if it's a daily essential.

Yu-Be Moisturising Skin Cream* - Boots - £19.50

This product is really popular in Japan and has only recently been stocked in Boots. When I was sent this I was excited to see if it lived up to its claims. On first use it's a strange product: smells a bit like Vicks Vapour Rub and feels thick and greasy like Vaseline. For the last three months I've used this as a night time face moisturiser and my skin has felt more plump, moisturised and less sensitive. I would think that a cream like this would be too heavy for everyday use on my face but I haven't had any adverse effects. The greasy formula also means that this doesn't instantly absorb into your skin so it's not the best to use under make-up unless you have really dry patches but I love that a couple of hours later I can still feel the moisturiser on my skin. If you don't have really dry skin you could use this on smaller areas on the body as well as the face that need repairing or hydrating. I've also found it works great on my lips so I slather some on before bed when I'm applying to my face and wake up with plumper, soothed lips. 

If anyone has any recommendations for dry/dehydrated skin or something which works amazing for them then please leave it as a comment.

Love Georgia xxx

(Smugly written from my garden in sunny Newcastle)

*DISCLAIMER: I received these products as I am part of the Boots product testing panel. Some products are sent for me to try as they fit the profile I have given, and others I can apply to try. Boots receive these products from brands that are available or about to be available in Boots stores so for the panel members to try and review on Boots.com. Panel members do not receive financial compensation or incentives for reviewing the products online. I have chosen to share these products on my blog as I feel the reviews for products I post on Boots.com would be relevant for readers of this blog. I started product testing for Boots before I started my blog. Being sent a product for free doesn't change my opinion of it or of the brand. I was asked to join the testing panel after I posted a number of reviews on Boots.com.

Gucci Guilty Black Pour Femme Eau de Toilette: Fragrance Friday

I love perfumes, body sprays and even the occasional men's fragrance so I thought I'd start a new feature to encourage me to review some of the ones I have. Opinions on fragrances are subjective and personal but I like hearing out new releases, bargain buys and all-time favourite fragrances so hopefully these reviews will be helpful and interesting. 

This week I'm starting with Gucci's newest release: Gucci Guilty Black.

Pretty bottle and box: impossible to photograph

I remember smelling the original, which is in a similar gold bottle, and liking it initially but finding it too floral. I was excited to receive this variation of the original scent as Gucci Black is described as sweeter and more sensual. Like the original, I like the scent but it doesn't captivate or excite me in the way that my favourite scents do. Also fragrances with strong floral notes can smell overwhelming to me as I wear them so I've got to be in the mood to wear a scent like this. Gucci Black also has notes of red berries and raspberries, which the original does not and helps give it a sweeter smell. It also has the original notes of pink pepper, peach and patchouli so it's still similar for fans of the original. I don't find this scent as sexy or sensual as the branding and product description suggest but that could be down to the lack of notes that I associate with these feelings: typically musk, vanilla and woody smells.

However although I find this quite strong when first applied, the lasting time is poor (2-3 hours) and the sillage isn't as strong as I'd expect, which is disappointing for a £40 perfume from a high-end brand like Gucci. I know Gucci brought out an intense version of the original guilty scent but it's disappointing when a scent doesn't seem to last.

The bottle is gorgeous, similar to the original but in black gloss with contrasting red glass so the liquid inside appears red. Although the outside glossy coating feels like plastic, the bottle itself is weighty and glass and doesn't feel flimsy or cheap. However because the scent doesn't last a long time it is annoying that the bottle is so heavy because even this 30ml bottle would significantly weigh down my bag if I wanted to carry it for top-ups.

Overall this is a sweet, fruity and floral scent in a gorgeous bottle but for the price I'd expect better lasting time. Because this scent is supposed to be sexy and sensual I would expect it to be more like an EDP and have sweeter notes that last longer on the skin. I definitely prefer it to the original Gucci Guilty and the appearance and branding of the product is pretty stunning too.

Gucci Guilty Black Eau de Toilette 30ml* - Boots - £40

Also view more information on this perfume at Fragrantica, my favourite place to find information and reviews for fragrances.

Love Georgia xxx

*DISCLAIMER: I received these products as I am part of the Boots product testing panel. Some products are sent for me to try as they fit the profile I have given, and others I can apply to try. Boots receive these products from brands that are available or about to be available in Boots stores so for the panel members to try and review on Boots.com. Panel members do not receive financial compensation or incentives for reviewing the products online. I have chosen to share these products on my blog as I feel the reviews for products I post on Boots.com would be relevant for readers of this blog. I started product testing for Boots before I started my blog. Being sent a product for free doesn't change my opinion of it or of the brand. I was asked to join the testing panel after I posted a number of reviews on Boots.com.

Primark Natural Look and Sultry False Eyelashes: Review and Demo

If you shop a lot in Primark you might have seen these on displays in the queue for the till. I thought for £1 I'd give them a try to see if they could be a cheaper alternative to Eyelure or Ardell fake lashes. 

They come with adhesive but I found that it didn't stick as well as the one that comes with Eyelure lashes so I used that instead. The lashes have a more plastic like texture than more expensive brands but are better than lashes I've bought on eBay for around 10p a pair. I usually go for lashes with an invisible, thin band because I don't like the band to take up a lot of lid space and need to be covered with thick black eyeliner, however these do have black bands. The bands are quite thin though so they don't require too much covering over. With eBay lashes I'd always find the bands didn't bend easily so it was difficult to get the lashes to fit the eye contour but these have especially bendable bands. However I did find that both of these pairs sat heavier on my eyes than the typical brands I use, which can be irritating as you wear them, especially if you wear contact lenses or have sensitive eyes. 

Like with any false lashes, it's always best to measure them on your eyes to see if any lashes need to be trimmed from the outside ledge but these also require the loose edges trimmed where the lashes haven't been finished off properly (you can see this on the natural lashes as they new but the Sultry had been worn before - but they're definitely reusable).

I applied each set of lashes on my eye with one thin coat of mascara and black gel eyeliner and then added some eyeshadow to try and show what they'd look like on a more finished eye.

Products Used:

Maybelline Gel Liner in Black

Seventeen Peep Show Mascara

Seventeen Wild Mousse Cream Shadow in Wild Nude

The Natural Look lashes are a mixture of longer and shorter individual lashes to give a separated, lengthened look without looking too dramatic. I like this style to make my eyes look larger without overcrowded my eyes and making them appear smaller. 

The Sultry lashes have groups of thin individual lashes, getting longer towards the outside of the eye to create a wispy but voluminous look. Initially I thought these kind of resembled the Ardell Demi Wispies. I don't think these flatter my eye shape as much though because they seem to shorten my eye vertically and flick out quite dramatically at the outside of my eye, which never looks quite right on me. I think these would look better if I applied them more into the inner corner of my eye to stop them flicking so far out.

And here's the Sultry lashes when I wore them for a night out.

Overall I think these are great for £1 especially if you go through lashes quite quickly or need to save a bit of money. I do see the difference in quality between these and Eyelure for example but in the end they still look good and give a similar effect. I'd definitely buy these again, especially if I saw more natural pairs or ones with invisible bands.

Natural Look Lashes and Sultry Lashes - Primark - £1 a Pair

Love Georgia xxx

17/Seventeen Peep Show Mascara: Review and Demo

This mascara is totally an Ultimate Addiction: one of my favourite products. I'm currently on my second tube! I was initially drawn in by the claim of 'lengthening fibres' and I'm so glad I was because I love the effect. My lashes always look longer and separated when I use this. I also find that this doesn't clump as easily as other mascaras and doesn't smudge or flake either, which is always a good thing.

The brush is a simple bristle brush works with the formula really well and isn't too big for my eyes. I much prefer doing a coat of this on my lashes to get them all lengthened and separated and then adding a thin coat of Maybelline The Falsies to give a bit of extra drama, which I find a lot harder to work with. The only downside of this is something I have a problem with when using a lot of mascaras: the brushes pick up too much formula. I always scrape off the brush on the rim of the tube or else it's mascara overload for me!

Bare Lashes

One Coat

Two Coats

I've finally managed to get my hands on the new Seventeen mascara called Dolled Up which I had a voucher to get for only £2 so I'm excited to try that out once The Falsies and Peep Show both bite the dust. I have high hopes.

Seventeen Peep Show Mascara - Boots - £6.29

I finally got round to having a little fiddle with the design of this blog: rejoice!

Love Georgia xxx