No7 Make Up Brush Cleanser

I used to be a big fan of the MAC brush cleanser, and used it to spot clean my brushes over anything else, I was in Boots a while back with one of those £5 off No7 vouchers and loving a bargain I was desperate to use it however nothing was really jumping out at me, I was looking at the brush section when I noticed they had a brush cleanser which was £8 so with the voucher was £3... Bargain!

To be really honest I wasn't expecting much from this so was pleasantly surprised when I found it actually cleaned my brushed better than MAC's version! This cleans my brushes so well, double wear is extremely difficult to remove from foundation brushes it's quite water resistant, because this is alcohol based it helps to breakdown the makeup, and brushes that I once thought were stained forever are now like new. 

I use this to spot clean my brushes, and I still deep clean my brushes with baby shampoo every 2 weeks. 

This is a great product and if you get the £5 off vouchers you get it at such a bargain. I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a good and affordable brush cleanser.

Thanks for reading guys! 

Hannah -ox

Soap and Glory - Smoothie Star

I'm a huge S&G fan, every year at Christmas it is literally the theme of a large proportion of my presents... and I aren't complaining!

I've always been a fan of the Righteous Butter and for body moisturisers it's always been my go to, however I got two of the really big gift sets for Christmas last year which had the Smoothie Star body milk lotions.

I pretty much started using it straight away, I have rather dry skin and some eczema on my body (not my face, that makes up for everything in oil) so moisturising is a complete must particularly after a shower/bath.

Although it says 'body milk' it is actually fairly thick and luxurious and a little goes a long way, I'm onto my second bottle now since last Christmas so it does last a good while!

 It doesn't take long to settle into the skin either which is a definite plus for me as there's no awkward waiting around naked before putting your clothes on. 

I'm really finicky (if you haven't already noticed) about scents, this weirdly reminds me of shortbread, it's a definite milky sweet smell, which I do like, but it doesn't mix well with every perfume, so be warned!

I think my favourite thing about this is the pump, I love most things with a pump, it's hygienic, and there's no forgetting to put the lid on and the product getting a skin on top (trust me I've fallen prey to this a lot).

Overall I highly recommend this, it's really amazing for dry skin, and doesn't irritate my eczema, it's priced £10.00 for 500ml which is fairly reasonable particularly for how long this lasts, definitely a must try if you're looking to try something new!!

Thanks for reading!

Hannah -ox

AS London Candle

I got this candle in my Beauty Advent Calendar last Advent, I took it out sniffed it, wasn't overly keen, so it has sat on my dresser ever since.

As of recent I have been trying to burn up some of my candles that I've had for a while to make room for some new fragrances I'd like to purchase. I picked this up and gave it a sniff and still wasn't overly keen, but decided to light it anyway to see what it was like.

Before I received this I have to admit I'd never really heard of AS London nor tried any products before, but was intrigued by their write up which said they use all natural, organic and fairly sourced products. I love companies that have good ethics.

I have no idea what the scent is supposed to be but it generally just smells like a mix of essential oils, which personally I have never been drawn to, when burning though they are not as over powering as I thought they might be and leave a fairly subtle fragrance in the room. 

The candle itself burns really clean because it is soy wax, and I do like this, it reduces the amount of soot which can mark walls and furniture, (also if you see the damage a candle can do to some things, think about the effect it has on your lungs! -Scary).

These candles retail for £36.00 per candle, and when looking on AS London's website there doesn't seem to be any clear indication at what size this is, the description of the scents are also pretty cryptic.

Overall, I love the ethics and the background to AS London, but the candle just doesn't hit the mark for me, I know the brand also has a range of skincare and bath products and I would probably try them out. But I feel £36.00 for a candle that doesn't appeal to me in scent or price, I wouldn't purchase full size. 

Thanks for reading! 

Hannah -ox

Review: Schwarzkopf Bonacure Oil Miracle.

In my quest to repair the damage I have done to my poor over bleached hair, I was recently given this by my hairdresser. I've never really tried much from Schwarzkopf apart from the new 'oilicious' styling oil (blog post to come soon) so I was quite keen to try this. 

I'm really on the fence with this one, even though I've been using it a good few months I neither love nor hate it. To be honest I have never loved any hair oils, I find them slightly 'faddy' and they really have never done a great deal for my hair apart from weigh it down and make it feel greasy.

The product itself is an emulsion (where one liquid is dispersed in tiny droplets within another liquid) and needs to be shaken well before use.

I do like the fact it is a spray, it means it can be evenly distributed through my hair, and doesn't leave my hands greasy from having to physically run in through the hair strands.

My hair does feel much softer and is much easier to manage, and over the past few months my hair has become a lot stronger but I really feel this is down to Keratase Ciment Thermique rather than this product. This is mainly due to the fact that I can't use this if I'm going to style my hair with any volume, as even though it is lighter than most oils, it still completely weighs my hair down, and by the end of the night it looks flat and greasy.

Overall I don't think I would recommend this product to anybody who has fine or bleached hair, it is nice when first applied but will just make you look a hot mess by the end of your day. However if your hair is quite thick and dry I think this is a great alternative to traditional hair oils that you have to disperse with your fingers. 

It is available on Feel Unique at £9.22 for 150ml which is reasonably priced, obviously I didn't pay for this product but I personally I wouldn't buy it for myself.

Still I am steering clear of the hair oil bandwagon. 

Thanks for reading!

Hannah -ox

Review: Mac Dollymix Blush

I got this blush last Christmas and I have to admit, I was so in love with an Estee Lauder blush I never really gave it a chance. Blush is one this I tend to not change up very often, I'm not sure why, as for everything else on my face i regularly swapped and changed!

Recently I pulled this out of my drawer and decided to try it, in the pan it is super scary, and is literally a bright redish pink. 

However this does not really transfer as bright onto the cheek, but is very buildable depending on how much of a statement you really want to make with your blush.

Much to my surprise I have really fallen in love with this blush, it has the perfect shimmer to it, and gives a really healthy glow, which I feel is much needed in the recent change in weather (we even put the heating on this week brrrrr it's cold).

Previously I have never really been wowed by the typical 'cult' Mac blushes such as 'well dressed', but I feel this is definitely going to be a staple in my Autumn/Fall Makeup. 

I'd definitely recommend to anyone who like me has been let down in the past by Mac blushes, I am yet to find a cheaper dupe for this as it is pricey at £18.00 but Mac blushes do last for ages, and I would re-purchase!

Thanks for reading!

Hannah -ox

Review: Sleek Rose Gold Blush

I'm just going to come out and say it... I really, reaaaally didn't like this blush.

I'm quite fussy when it comes to blushes, I prefer coral and peach tones.

 I was in Superdrug a while back looking for some drugstore blushes.

I was drawn to the sleek stand as I know it's quite a raved about brand in the beauty and blogging world. I  swatched Rose Gold in the shop and it seemed really pretty on the back of my hand and definitely a colour I would usually be drawn too, so I decided to buy it.

I know a lot of blogs suggest that this is a dupe for Nars Orgasm which I love, but personally I think it is much more coral toned.

Now...for the reasons I dislike this. When I apply this too my cheeks I'm left with nothing but a slight bit of colour and a lot of sparkle, don't get me wrong, I love a bit of sparkle but this just really didn't suit me. 

I feel that the sparkly bits in the blush, are not as finely milled as those that are in Orgasm, and instead of giving a healthy glow to my cheek just made me look a bit disco ball like.

I really have tried to like this blush, I've changed how I apply it, the brush I apply it with, and even tried layering it. Still with no avail this is definitely a fail in my opinion.

It really did surprise me as SO many people seem to love this. 

I think I may give it to my best friend and see what she thinks.

I wouldn't tell you to not buy this as I feel there are a large amount of reviews that suggest this is a really great blush. 

Being priced at £4.49 I don't feel that it was a huge loss.

However this is one Beauty Bandwagon I will not be riding on.

Thanks for reading

Hannah -ox

Review: Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Bronze

So a few weeks back I found this in my Mum's make-up drawer being very unloved and unused. Obviously being the good Samaritan that I am I offered to take it off her hands and use it. Previously I did own the Shimmer brick in the colour Rose, this was all very pink toned and really really beautiful! Unfortunately it met it's untimely end when I dropped it and it smashed.

I love this product and I use it as a highlight, it is similar to Dior Amber Diamonds although I don't feel that it is as finely milled. 

I tend to steer towards the lighter end of the pan as I am fair skinned anyway, but I love the fact that there are some darker shades in there, I have used these on the eyes before, and on my friend who is more olive toned than me.

(this picture is without flash.)

As you can see there is not a huge ton of colour pay off, so if you are actually looking for a bronzer this is definitely not for you. 

(this picture is with flash)

However if you are looking for a really pretty bronze toned highlight, I would definitely recommend this.

I think if I was repurchasing the Bronze or the Rose, I'd pick the Rose, simply because I feel it works the best on my skin tone and it is similar to Rose Diamonds.

I think that now the autumn months are drawing in and I'm turning away from the bronze colours, I will be definitely putting it on my wish list. 

Overall this is one of my favourite items from Bobbi Brown, and one I'm sure I'll be repurchasing. 

This item is available at Bobbi Brown counters in the majority of department stores retailing for around £32

It does come in a variety of shades (Bronze, Rose, Nectar, Pink Quartz, and Beige) so I am sure that there is something to suit everyone!

Thanks for reading! 

Hannah -ox 

Estee Lauder's DayWear Advanced Multi-protection Anti-oxidant Creme

I am a huge fan of Estee Lauder, if I had to pick one brand to use for the rest of my makeup days, I think Estee Lauder would definitely be it (that's quite a bold statement for me haha). 

I recently got a sample of this day cream and instantly fell in love. 

My skin is combination and fairly oily through the t-zone so I tend to be really fussy when it comes to moisturisers as I have had some disasters in the past including breakouts and makeup meltdown.

I use the normal/oily version, although there is also one that is aimed at dry skin as well.

I love the packaging in particular as it is a nice weighty jar and looks quite pretty sat on my dresser. 

It's a fairly rich cream, with the typical 'DayWear' range scent of cucumbers which I find really nice and refreshing first thing in the morning, however I can imagine some with quite sensitive skin may find this an irritant. Some of the 'DayWear' line in the past has also irritated my eyes but so far I have had no problems.

I also love the fact it has an spf of 15 as I always struggle to find spf's that do not irritate my skin!

The only time I do not reach for this is if I am planning to go foundation free as I have found that by the middle of the day you can start looking quite oily. 

When buying moisturiser I always try to find something that will hydrate my skin without breakouts, and major oiliness. I feel that this works perfectly along side my double wear foundation, which can sometimes be quite drying when wearing it for a full day. 

I feel the main downside to Estee Lauders DayWear cream is the price as many would probably not want to fork out £40 for a face cream.

However they are always very helpful at counters with giving samples and this product regularly features when a counter is on 'gift' (free products given when you buy two or more items). 

Personally I will definitely continue to purchase this as I'm a huge fan, and I would recommend to any body looking for a new high-end face cream.

Thank you for reading.

Hannah -ox