Selfridges Summer Beauty Box 2013

Today my Selfridges Summer Beauty Box arrived and I was so excited to share it with you. The value of the box is £70 but you can get it for only £25 - what a bargain!

Selfridges Summer Beauty Box - £25

Aqua Splash Tangle Teezer - £13

You probably have heard of the original Tangle Teezer which many people have raved about, but this unusual looking thing is actually the Aqua Splash Tangle Teezer for wet hair. It's the latest innovation from Tangle Teezer and it has an upright design with unique drying feet which allows water to drain quickly after use. I'm actually really excited to try this out, as you know wet hair is a pain to brush. It actually is hollow in the middle which makes it really lightweight - perfect for travelling! It has revolutionary convex teeth for pain-free detangling and distributes conditioner and treatments evenly. I'm so happy that I finally have a Tangle Teezer and even though this one is for wet hair, it also works just as well on dry hair.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir - £11.50

I was super ecstatic to see the Caudalie Beauty Elixir in this beauty box because I have always been intrigued to see how it works because this is one of the cult beauty products. It is perfect for all skin types and is a powerful plant-based skincare which smoothes features, tightens pores and gives a burst of radiance to the skin. Not only is it for women but also men can use it too for after shaving.

St Tropez Instant Glow Face Lotion - £10.50

This face lotion adds a velvety smooth tint and an all-over glow to your face. It deeply hydrates the skin and leaves it feeling soft, smooth and radiant. It is non-transferable and can easily be washed off with a cleanser. I have been wanting to try this product because when I use St Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse, my face is always lighter than my body because of cleansing and using my Clarisonic Mia 2 which takes off the fake tan, so I thought this would be perfect for making my face match the rest of my body!

Models Own Neon Nail Polish - £5

I'm really excited to try this neon pink nail polish because I've never owned a neon nail polish before and it is perfect for summer coming up. The shade of this nail polish is called Bubblegum. I'm also interested to try out the formula of Models Own nail polishes and to see how they live up to my all time favourite OPI nail polishes.

Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray - £8.50

I have super straight hair so I think that this product will be perfect for me because it recreates the tousled beach hair and adds texture. It contains extracts of sea kelp which adds shine and manageability. 

Erborian BB Cream - £13

This BB cream is a 3-in-1 formulation that combines a moisturiser, sun protection and foundation. It contains Korean Red Ginseng which is a natural element known for its regenerating and energising properties. This BB cream gives your skin a soft, flawless, no makeup look that last throughout the day and provides perfect coverage that is often better than foundation. I'm really looking forward to try this out because I've always been intrigued by BB creams but they usually don't have enough coverage to cover up scars, but this one claims to have really good coverage and healing benefits. 

Lancaster After Sun - £9

This is a lightweight, fast-penetrating after sun for the face and body which gives a soothing sensation while intensifying melanin production, naturally enhancing tanning by 50% to 80% for the perfect tan. It leaves the skin soft and makes your tan more radiant and long-lasting. It has active hydrating properties which re-moisturise dehydrated skin and reduces the risk of peeling. I'm looking forward to trying this out, because I have never used such a high-tech after sun before, so I'm interested to see how it performs.

 Molton Brown Blissful Templetree Bath and Shower Gel - £8

 This is one of Molton Brown's exotically fragranced bath and shower gels that gives you a taste of island life with plant extracts that help to hydrate the skin. It has templetree flower with jasmine and patchouli which smells incredible!

Jane Tran Hair Clips - £8

These clips have a beautiful summery design and the set contains three large clips and two bobby pins. I love the design of these clips so much and the gradient effect makes them more interesting. I don't often use clips in my hair when I'm out but I always use clips to pin back my hair when doing my makeup.

As something extra they included this St Tropez exclusive in-store offer card which you can receive a limited edition beach bag with any spray tan treatment. Sadly I don't live near a Selfridges so I can't use this but it's a nice extra for the people who do have access to Selfridges.

Have you bought the Selfridges Beauty Box? If not do you think all these goodies have convinced you to?

Urban Decay Naked Basics Review and Swatches

I've been a fan of the original Urban Decay Naked palette so when I heard that they had a Naked Basics palette I just knew I had to get it. 

Urban Decay Naked Basics - £20

The palette is much smaller than I imagined however the eyeshadows are the exact same size as the original Naked and Naked 2 palette (1.3g). I find that it is quite hard to open and that I need to use my nail which I am always worried about chipping my nail polish, but thankfully it is always fine.

I love using Venus in the inner corner and as a highlighter on the brow bone and tear duct, Foxy and Walk of Shame all over the lid, Naked 2 and Faint in the crease and Crave as a liner or in the outer corner for a more smokey look. Recently I have been obsessed with using Naked 2 in the crease because it is so natural and looks perfect with any look.

The eyeshadows are very smooth and almost creamy which is to be expected from Urban Decay and they also apply really well onto the lids with a good longevity. I must admit that I do still prefer my Naked palette because of the wide range of colours and finishes but also the eyeshadows compliment my skin tone more. 

From left to right: Venus, Foxy, Walk of Shame, Naked 2, Faint, Crave

Venus - soft off-white demi-matte

Foxy - cream bisque matte

Walk of Shame - very light nude matte

Naked 2 - taupe matte

Faint - warm dusty brown matte

Crave - darkest brown/black matte

Have you got the Naked Basics palette, or want to get it? Are you more of a matte or shimmer girl?

John Frieda Frizz-Ease Review

Today I'm going to be reviewing a few John Frieda Frizz-Ease products which I have been trying out for a while now. So first of all I think I should tell you about my hair; my hair is long and naturally straight and not frizzy at all, however I do get a hair bit of fly aways as does everyone else. I really like using hydrating and nourishing hair products in my hair to restore the moisture which is lost from washing and blow drying my hair every day.

Frizz-Ease Miraculous Recovery Intensive Masque* - £5.89

This intensive hair mask has to be my favourite product that I tried from the John Frieda Frizz-Ease range. It is used as a conditioner that you leave in for a minute, which is what I typically do with ordinary conditioners however this honestly leaves my hair feeling ultra soft and silky. It also makes brushing my damp so effortless rather than having a battle with my hair and worrying about breaking the strands. It says to use this daily however I don't have the need to use it daily because it leaves my hair feeling nourished for a few days so I use this every other day.

Frizz-Ease Straight Fixation Smoothing Creme* - £5.89

This smoothing creme can be used in damp and dry hair, but I tend to apply it to damp hair then blow dry it. I must admit that I never use a heat protectant for when I blow dry my hair everyday, which you would never think that blow drying your hair can be that damaging but in fact it is and I'm so bad at realising that it actually is so I never bother using anything to prevent the damage. I discovered this smoothing creme that contains ThermaGuard® Complex which helps protect against damage from heat tools as well as smoothing frizz and helping block humidity. This product helps tame my fly aways throughout the day and also would be perfect for the summer or countries with humid climates. It also claims to keep hair silky-straight for up to 24 hours which I can't really test because my hair is straight already, however when I use this product my hair doesn't become as kinky which it tends to get when it is windy. An added bonus is that it also contains sweet almond oil and milk protein which smoothes and conditions the hair leaving it silky and healthy.

Frizz-Ease Secret Agent Perfecting Creme* - £5.49

This perfecting creme is perfect for my hair as it replaces the natural oils lost through blow drying and helps with camouflaging split ends. I don't get a lot of split ends but I do get a few and this perfecting creme makes my ends look really healthy and nourished. It also adds shine without looking greasy which I love, even though my hair is naturally silky, I still love using products that give my hair a healthy glow. It also has a UV filter which really appeals to me because it will help prevent my hair becoming really dry in the summer. I apply this to dry hair after blow drying it, concentrating the product on the ends and working the excess up the hair to the roots. 

Frizz-Ease Moisture Barrier Firm Hold Hairspray* - £5.59

I love using this hairspray for smoothing down fly aways. I spray the top of my hair from a distance then smooth the fly aways with my hand and they seem to stay put for most of the day. I also love how it doesn't make the hair feel hard and crispy which is a hairspray pet peeve for me. It also contains a UV filter and barrier against humidity which is perfect for summer and hot humid countries.

Overall I'm really enjoying using these products and they are great value for money. I can't really tell you how they perform at keeping your hair straight throughout the day, however they are definitely good at controlling fly aways, so if you're looking for some affordable hair care then I'd recommend these especially for taming your fly aways and hydrating your hair from the loss of moisture caused by heat tools.

You can check out the whole range of Frizz-Ease products here.

They also have a YouTube channel which has videos of expert hair styling tips, which you can check out here.

Have you ever tried any John Frieda products before?

Bourjois Healthy Glow Little Round Pot Cream Blush

You may have seen in my previous post that Bourjois have launched four new cream blushes and they are now officially sold in Selfridges and Boots nationwide. 

Bourjois Little Round Pot Cream Blush* - £7.99

I have shade 02 Healthy Glow which is a beautiful vibrant peach with a pearl finish. I also love the look of the other three shades so I may have to get my hands on them! Although they only have four shades, there is definitely one which will suit your skin tone.

Bourjois have reinvented their powder blushes which a new innovative cream to powder technology which I think is a brilliant idea because they have realised that not everyone likes the heavy, sticky masked feeling normal cream blushes have. The new technology also makes it easy to apply and blend without the harsh edges. The blush feels super silky and luxurious which glides effortlessly onto the skin for the perfect natural blush.

Healthy Glow has a slight gold shimmer which adds a beautiful glow to the skin without being too dramatic. It applied onto the skin with almost a matte finish and feels really light. It has a really delicate rose scent which isn't overpowering or noticeable when wearing.

Overall I'm really impressed with the performance of this blush and I love the innovative cream to powder technology because it feels really light on the skin with no sticky feeling! 

I also checked on the Boots website and they have a £1 off offer on, so the blushes are only £6.99 at the moment!

OPI Euro Centale Spring/Summer 2013 Collection Swatches

Today I'm going to share with you OPI's Spring/Summer 2013 collection, Euro Centrale. I have five of twelve gorgeous polishes and they are perfect for spring. Like all OPI nail polishes they are all highly pigmented and a treat to work with. 

OPI Nail Lacquer - £11.50

OPI also have a Euro Centrale Mini Collection set which is perfect for if you want to try out some of the colours for a fraction of the price!

Polka.com

Polka.com has blue, teal, violet and pink glitter suspended in a clear base nail which has both large hexagonal glitters as well as small. It looks beautiful layered on top of another colour, especially a dark purple but can also be built up, which I think looks quite like a disco ball. 

A Woman's Prague-ative

A Woman's Prague-ative is a gorgeous orange copper with gold shimmer. I think that this colour will definitely attract attention and would be great for transitioning into fall. It also has good pigmentation and only two coats is needed for full opacity.

Hands Off My Kielbasa!

Hands Off My Kielbasa! is a bronzy tan which is one of my favourites from the collection. It has almost a slight metallic sheen and is really flattering on pale skin. I think that this nail polish almost has a milky look to it which I think is really unusual for a shimmery polish. The pigmentation of this one is excellent and you can probably get away with only one coat.

You're Such a BudaPest

You're Such a BudaPest is a periwinkle purple and has a beautiful creme finish with a hint of shimmer. The pigmentation of this is very good and only needs two coats for full opacity. This is definitely one of the prettiest light purple nail polishes that I have come across.

Can't Find My Czechbook

Can't Find My Czechbook is a dusty aqua. It is the perfect shade of blue and is a bit different from others that I have seen. The formula was really opaque and easy to apply, which only two coats needed for full opacity.

OPI Liquid Sand Swatches - The Impossible and Get Your Number

OPI have introduced Liquid Sand which is their new innovative nail polishes with texture. They dry to a matte finish infused with reflective sparkles. 

OPI Nail Lacquer - £11.50

OPI have partnered with Mariah Carey to launch 8 new limited edition shades and I have two to show you.

The Impossible

The Impossible is a matte fuchsia with glitter and star confetti. The photo hasn't picked up the beautiful fuchsia colour and is coming across red, but in person it is absolutely stunning. It applied glossy but dried to a matte concrete finish and only two coats is needed for full opacity. I find that the star confetti sometimes tends to not stick down fully and has a bend corner, which makes it snag on some fabric. I think that it is fine if you put another coat on top of the stars or even a top coat for a glossy finish.

Get Your Number

Get Your Number is a matte blue with sparkles. It's such a gorgeous shade and is super sparkly and fun. It only needs two coats for full opacity and the formula is really easy to work with. The concrete finish has a slight gritty finish, but isn't majorly rough that it clings to fabric.