My thoughts on... Models Own

After seeing lots of reviews and blog posts on Models Own Nail Polishes, I decided that I had to see what all the fuss was about.

Each polish is priced at £5.00 and they have a wide array of colours, so you're bound to find a shade for every outfit and occasion. Although I have to say the swatches on their website are not the easiest to tell what the colour is like in real-life so I would recommend you do some blog / Google image searching for the colour your interested in and you're definitely going to find a better photo.

I am more of a dark / nude / pink polish kind of girl, I don't do blue or green and definitely not neon yellow! 

Mixed Up, Champagne, Dusty Mauve, Nude Beige and Purple Grey
.

In terms of wear, I have found that these do last just as long as OPI for me, and they dry just as quickly. I am not overly fond of the brush, it's not quite to my liking, it's a little too round whereas I prefer the OPI brush which is a bit flatter and wider but I can live with it! The main pro for this range of nail polish is the colour range and also the price. The delivery is super quick and I love getting an email to say my order has been dispatched, that only makes it more exciting!

What's your favourite nail polish brand? Have you had experience with Models Own?

So I caved...

... and in celebration of completing Project Ten Pan (I wont bore you with the details, but I did it!) I went shopping last weekend to Tunbridge Wells and hot footed my way to the YSL counter in Fenwicks, I knew what I wanted, their Ombres Duolumieres Eyeshadow Duo in Golden Pink / Precious Bronze for £27.00.

They had the duo displayed in their Spring Colour Collection, so I am not sure if it is limited edition (the useless sales assistant didn't seem to have a clue).

I have been really loving Precious Bronze this week, Golden Pink on the other hand I am finding not to be so pigmented, it is swatched above, I challenge you to find it! But it is a super pretty colour in the pan.

Formulation wise, the shadows are quite a lot less powdery than other shadows I own and blend really nicely, but I have to say I am not sure if I would purchase a YSL duo again. 

Have you tried any YSL shadows? What do you think?

Andrew Collinge : Illuminating Blonde Shampoo and Conditioner

This honestly could not have come at a better time. I am nearing the end of my Redken Glam Blonde Shampoo and so I am in need of something new to try.

In celebration of 100 years of Hairdressing in the Collinge family, Andrew Collinge have brought out a new improved range of shampoos and conditioners, which they are also using in their Salons. The formulas have been completely revamped and new luxury ingredients added, as well as an improvement to the scents.

The range has been split into four sub-categories including, Moisture and Protect, Smooth and Shine, Lustrous Brunette and Illuminating Blonde. Understandably I was sent the Illuminating Blonde range to try and review.

My first impressions of the range are very good, I did not quite realise the heritage of the Collinge family and that they have been in Hairdressing for almost 100 years, which obviously gives me some reassurance that they know what their talking about when it comes to haircare!

I am very impressed with the sizes of the bottles, being half a litre of shampoo and conditioner and having a rrp of £4.99 when they are released in April of this year, which is a really reasonable price I think. I also like the flip caps on the bottles as this makes it easy to squeeze the right amount of product out and not waste any, and I just can't be doing with screw caps when I am in the shower (who can!).

Another really good selling point is that every shampoo and conditioner in the range boasts UV protection, which is normally only something found in products specifically for coloured hair. 

Some of the things I look for when choosing a new shampoo are:

1. That it enhances my colour.

2. A nice clean smell.

3. A good lather.

4. The product rinses clean from hair leaving no residue.

And for a conditioner:

1. That it's moisturising without weighing my hair down.

2. Detangles nicely.

3. A good scent.

4. Doesn't leave a build up on my hair.

I tried both shampoo and conditioner for the first time yesterday morning and was quite impressed. The consistency of the products is quite thin so I was hesitant, but the shampoo lathered really nicely and rinsed away with ease. The conditioner de tangled well. After blow drying my hair felt light and healthy but nourished where I need it (ahem split ends!). It also made my colour a lot more vibrant.

I am hoping that this ranges ticks all the boxes in the long run, and I will do a full review when I have had time to fully test these out, and I will also get my mum (who is also blonde) to see what she thinks too.


* As previously mentioned, I was sent these products to try, but this will not effect in any way the outcome of my review.

Korres Lip Butter : Review

This is going to be a very honest review. I am sure that you are all familiar with Korres Lip Butters. They are available in quite a few flavours; there may be a few more, but the ones I am familiar with are Rose, Quince and Guava. Guava is the favour that I have. I had asked for it for Christmas. They are quite reasonable to buy priced at around £6.00, and I have seen them in my local Boots so they seem quite easy to get a hold of.

The Lip Butters are supposed to not only moisturise but give your lips a sheer hint of colour, which is what I would imagine the Rose or Quince flavours would give you as they are reddy pink toned. Guava on the other hand gives you more of a milky wash to the lips, which is nice if you prefer to tone down your natural lip colour, but I don't find it lasts that long on your lips.

The Guava has quite a thick and sticky consistency, it's not like a lip balm, it definitely is a butter texture. The scent is so so, it's not overly perfumed like say one of the Body Shop lip butters, I actually think it has a slightly odd smell to it, which is probably due to all of the natural ingredients, and it not been stuffed with synthetic fragrances. Which is one of  the objectives of Korres as a brand.

Packaging-wise, I have to say that I am not overly impressed with the pot. It feels very cheap and plastic, I was expecting the lid to be made of metal (more like a pot of Carmex) but it is cheap thin plastic, which I really don't like and for fairly high end brand, I feel that they could have done a little better on this aspect.

I also don't like how I have to apply the product, having to stick my finger in the little pot to apply it to my lips. I have got quite long nails at the moment and it's quite tricky as I end up getting lip butter underneath my nails which is not pleasant. I think that it's because of the size of the pot being quite small, because in comparison my Mac Lip Conditioner is fine to apply but the pot is quite a bit wider and I don't have to dig about so much.

Formulation-wise, I am not sure whether it actually makes my lips feel drier in the long term. It feels nice when I've just applied it but it doesn't seem to last. This is probably because it is made of natural ingredients and so it does not contain petroliaum and the like to act as a barrier, but it does not seem to last very well on my lips and I find myself applying it more frequently than say Carmex or the Mac, and so I don't think that it's very good value for money if I have to apply it quite frequently.

All in all, my honest opinion is that I would rather stick with my Mac Lip Conditioner. I prefer the scent, how it applies and the long lasting moisturisation.


Apologies if this sounds like a complete product bashing, but it is just my opinion. I really like the Korres brand as a whole, I like their philosophy and the fact that their products are natural but I think that this is only a good thing if the product works for you and in this case, I really don't think the Lip Butters live up to the hype for me, but obviously everyone if different, and have different expectations from a product.

Have you tried any Korres Lip Butters? What are your thoughts? 

Boots Original Formula Cuticle Oil

I had to share with you all a product that I stumbled upon recently in Boots. It's from their Original Formula range, the cuticle oil. It was only £3.98 which I think is a complete bargain, as I am used to buying OPI's Avoplex Oil which is so much more expensive.

Boots say "Our Original Beauty Formula Cuticle Oil is a lightly conditioning blend that will help ease cracking and peeling, leaving cuticles softer and smoother." and I have to say I completely agree. It smells lovely, it contains Rose oil, but just enough that you don't smell like an old lady, and it's really rich and nourishing on dry cuticles. It's also easy to apply with a little dropper.

It's a much better buy than any of the more high end oils, I think it's actually better than the Avoplex, it's definitely cheaper and easier to get hold of. Plus the packaging is so cute! 

Have you tried anything from the Original Formula range?

Mac Zoomlash : Review

Mac Zoomlash - £12.50 avaliable in Zoomblack (I have the black) and Lofty Brown.

This is the first mascara by Mac that I have tried. In the past I have been put off by the bad rap they get from many other bloggers and MakeupAlley. I received a small tube of Zoom Lash in a holiday kit and used it apprehensively for the first time about a month ago.

After a thoroughly disappointing experience with YSL Singular, I really didn't have high hopes. However, I was pleasantly surprised.

The formulation of this mascara is what I would call very wet, and therefore it easily gets all of your lashes coated in one easy swipe, separates and my word does it lengthen and curl! It gives me very long fluttery eyelashes and I love it! It hasn't clumped on me, nor do I look like I have tons of mascara on, it just looks like I am naturally lucky and have long luscious flirty lashes!

(Photos taken at the end of a long day so please excuse any smudges).

I would say that I don't apply it how I apply a drier mascara say like L'Oreal Voluminous (ie. back and forth from the roots of the lashes) I just sweep it through from root to tip, making sure I catch all the little lashes and voila.

It really makes me what to try Plush Lash to see how that performs but at the moment I am more than happy with Zoom Lash and i would definitely go back to get a full size tube. The reviews for this mascara are so varied however, so i would suggest getting a small tube or sample of this before committing to a full size tube, if your dubious.

(Photos taken at the end of a long day so please excuse any smudges).

I have already got a full size tube of this on standby but the mini tube is lasting me very well!

What's your favourite mascara of the moment? Tried any Mac mascaras before?