NYX Matte Bronzer - MBB03 Medium Review

For the majority of 2013 I have really loved contouring. It's a religious everyday routine that I cannot live without now. 

When you have a oval face shape, tying up your hair for work everyday is very unflattering so contouring is a must!!

Along my contour journey the NYX Matte Bronzer wandered into my path and said "oh hello, I'm completely Matte, and I'm affordable! Try me!"

The Bronzer comes in 5 shades - MBB01-05, Light, Deep, Medium, Dark Tan & Deep Tan.
My skin ranges from NW20 to NC/W30 throughout the year and this shade Medium has served me well.
I can't remember why I didn't go for Deep and went straight for Medium, I believe that some of the bronzers have more of a pink tone to them.

There sis 9.5g of product for GBP8.00 (but I got mine at IMATS London for around £5/6 I think?) which really I couldn't pass!

The colour is a little too warm for me in the winter when I have lighter skin. It comes off a little orange if you apply too much. So you can use a softer bronzer and then this on top if you want more definition. Otherwise its great when my skin is a little warmer.

The texture can be a little chalky and heavy but with a good blending/blush/contour brush it does the trick. Just make sure you don't apply this straight onto liquid foundation! It's so hard to blend out afterwards! Make sure you set your liquid foundation with a setting powder first and this blends beautifully.

I can also use this for a soft contour when I have false tan on for a night out. It doesn't show much but the intensity is buildable.

Below are pictures of before and after in daylight. I am currently Mac NW20 skintone.

*Skin with just foundation*

*With NYX Bronzer to contour cheekbones*

It actually looks harsher close up in pictures from the side than it does face forward. After using this I feel like my face is so much slimmer!

I love this bronzer for the price but the ONLY downfall it being that sometimes it's the minutest bit orange but then I guess I need the lighter shade for those lighter skin days.

For £8 a pop you can't really go wrong with this. I am hitting pan now which doesn't happen often with me. I would give it a try but find the right shade for you!

Have you tried this? Can you recommend any other drugstore matte bronzers? x

The Body Shop Almond Hand & Nail Cream Review

Body Shop are a worldwide brand yet not many beauty bloggers or youtubers 'rave' about Body Shop products. Many love their body butters and when they go on offer (which is like, all the time!) they're a bargain!

This time I have something else for you, The Body Shop ALMOND Hand and Nail Cream. 

This cream is a medium texture cream. Not as rich as some, quite lightweight in fact. It rubs into a more watery consistency and sinks into the skin very quickly.
This cream to me is more like a scented moisturising water, kinda like what face mists do for your face. A little in the long term, not much straight away. I can use this every 2 minutes and my hands still feel the same. It doesn't give any immediate effect to dryness so I skipped using this large version (I had the mini handbag version before). It smells very lightly of almond nothing too overpowering but the smell doesn't linger too long. *sad face*

The packaging is also a total hate relationship in my eyes. The mini one is made of the same packaging and it's a soft aluminium foil like material. When you bend it too much, holes appear and the metal somewhat snaps, then the product leaks. Made a mess in my handbag. Now I'm just trying the large size up for the sake of it.

This is one of my least favourite hand creams of alot that I've tried.

Have you tried this before? What do you think? x

New Nude Love - Loreal Collection Privee Cheryl

I'm not really a fan of nude lipsticks. My old time favourite was Mac's 'Faux' likpstick for a wearable everyday colour.

I have found a new fave! Loreals Collection Privee Lipstick - Cheryl's colour. 

At first I saw swatches and reviews online but the colour swatches never tempted me! But the packaging however.....phwoof! Matte black and shiny gold together is just so sexy! All this black and gold trend towards the end of 2013 was so me! The only other things I can think of black and gold (lipstick wise) were Chanel and Tom Ford. Who could resist hey? =) *smirk*  It's also kinda cute that they have all the celebrities signature on the fronts of them too!

The limited edition collection are tailor made nudes that each of the L'Oreal models wear. The models were - Julianne Moore,Freida Pinto, Doutzen Kroes, Eva Longoria, Cheryl Cole, and Liya. Each of the models have different skintones and are of different ethnicities so I figured, hey, I should be able to find something for me, and I did!

Originally I thought that the Eva one would suit me better because I am not extremely pale but I'm not overly dark either. But noooo it was a bit too browny purple toned for my skin. This was the best pink nude for me (currently NW20 in Mac).

Escuse my used lipstick marks, but how can you ignore the posh markings on the inside of the lipstick. They also smell like the good old soft sweet smell that Loreal lipsticks have. What would you describe it as? I dunno but it's beautiful!

The lipstick itself is very sheer but buildable which is great. On the lips it gives that little bit of colour without it being too overpowering. You also won't get your lips cracking with this at all it's so moisturising! Staying power is not the best but for me to find a nude that doesn't wash me out is like the best thing ever! I guess the sheerness and hydration factors are what make the lipsticks so universally attractive.

These are still currently on sale at Boots still for £8.19 here.

1 Year On - Clinique 3 Step System Review

During my quest to find my new favorite skincare range after finishing my Dermalogica set the Clinique 3 step system came into my path.
After attracting me to their counters with their fancy lights and magnifying glass things to "look closely at your skin" they persuaded me to try their range. So I bought the whole lot!
(Dumbass me thought they had a fancy magnifying glass with a microscope and a computer system. Turns out it's just a big ring magnifying glass with a light on it!)
Anyhoooo.. enough of that!

 They have 4 sets altogether:-

• Set1 - Dry to very dry 
• Set2 - Dry Combination (mine)
• Set3 - Oily
• Set4 - Very Oily

To begin with, I think they should have had a set for sensitive skin types or dry/sensitive instead of 2 oily kits and a combination. My sister is oilier than me and we always thought that she had oily skin and me dry, but we both got classed the same (Dry combination) at several Cliniqe counters.

All kits include a cleanser, "toner"(more on that later), and a "moisturiser" (again, more on that later!)

I have never used Clinique before this. At the counter I was told that the moisturiser in the kit would not be enough for my dry cheeks so it would be more beneficial to invest in a more intense cream. I also wanted to invest in an eye cream so I took one of theirs too.  I ended up splurging over £160 on the whole set which was like a smack in the face for me. BUT, if I use everything as they suggest I figured, it should work perfectly right?

*A makeup remover was also recommended to be used before the cleanser as the cleanser alone wouldn't do the trick*

Step 1 - Liquid Facial Soap

This is one of those cleansers that you rub onto bare skin first (as in after using makeup remover), then use water to rinse away. This cleanser works great purely as a cleanser and nothing else. Clinique were right in saying that it won't remove all makeup, just dirt on the surface of the skin. It doesn't sting or irritate the skin at all when my skin was very slightly oily on t-zone during summertime but do not go near this one if you are any less than normal skin type.

Step2 - Clarifying Lotion

I was told that this was not an original toner. It acts more as an exfoliant, or even a 2in1. Whilst using this I was advised that I would not need a seperate exfoilater because the use of this once a day just on my t-zone and just a little over the rest of my face in downward swiping motions on a cotton pad would do the trick .

This was great whilst my skin was a little oily during the warmer months however I found that using an exfoliater once a week made a difference to my skin. It was a lie to say that you don't need one. Now that my skin is very dry in these winter months I have stopped using this completely. It also has a very strong alcoholic smell to it and can sting the skin and irritate the eyes if you use it anywhere near the eyes. 

Step3 - Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion

This is a lightweight moisturiser that is supposed to leave skin feeling soft and glowing. The  yellow tone gives the skin a healthier glowing complexion. Or does it?

In the summer months my skin is dry and slightly oily in the t-zone. In the winter my skin is dry all over. So generally quite dry. This moisturiser did nothing for my skin. I used this alongside the Moisturesurge intense as a night cream and in the morning and the Superdefense SPF25 as a daytime moisutriser. Sometimes I would skip this yellow step completely and it didn't make much of a difference.
It's very comfortable on the skin to wear and sinks right in and not sticky at all, but for any extra benefits to my skin I didn't find anything.

OVERALL THOUGHTS
The products overall are good for specific use. They were good together alongside my "extra necessities" but really I don't think it's worth the splurge. There are too many products to use all in one go. I count 6. NO THANKS. And it only works well when my skin is actually combination.
I would rather invest in a really good cleanser and moisturiser than exfoliate twice a week like I used to, rather than use a makeup remover AND a cleanser AND toner AND moisturiser And another moisturiser (you get the drift right?)

Out of the 3 products the cleanser is OK (5/10) but the other 2 I wouldn't repurchase again. I need to move on with my life again now.
Any suggestions for some good cleansers/toners/moisturisers for me to try in 2014 for my dry skin? x