SensatioNAIL Gel Colours

 

 

I never had amazingly long nails but since I've been using the SensatioNAIL system by nailene they've started grow and harden up which is a miracle. I think being a busy mummy does take its toll on your fingertips. Constantly washing up and tidying up! I reviewed the SensatioNAIL Gel Starter Kit earlier this Springtime. 

Nailene have launched a nice selection of shades, I've been very lucky to try out 3 shades. I opted for everyday shades, Taupe Tulips is a beautiful nude shade which is great for all year round. Heirloom Lilac reminds me of Springtime which is one of my favourite times of year and Pink Bouquet is a stunning girly pink which looks amazing on the nails. The size of the individual shades are 7.39ml, you hardly use any when you apply them. They retail at £15.00 each which I think is great value, this is much cheaper than the cost of going to a salon and having a gel treatment. I love how you can do this in the comfort of your own home.

Being a busy Mummy I don't have time to paint my nails and often find they chip after a day, so having the SensatioNAIL kit at home really works for me. I've even been roped into giving my mum a few manicures and she loves the results.

I wanted to add a quick snap shot of the starter kit, this is everything you need to set up and start pampering your nails. 

 

 You can purchase the starter kit and individual shades from Boots.com.

Boots currently have the SensatioNAIL range on offer- 3 for 2 so be quick!

This would make a fabulous Christmas gift, would you use the SensatioNAIL system?

Sherrie xo

John Frieda / Full Repair Range

 

John Frieda Full Repair Shampoo* £5.89

John Frieda Full Repair Conditioner* £5.89

John Frieda Full Repair Heat-Activated Styling Spray* £5.99

I'm always trying new shampoos and conditioners, the most recent duo which I've been using and testing is the new Full Repair Shampoo and Conditioner. I've not tried John Frieda for years so it's been nice to try the brand again. I want to start off my saying I really prefer shampoo and conditioners in tubes like the Full Repair ones. I hate bottles, you can never get everything out of them, so the tubes mean less waste.

Both the shampoo and conditioner have a lovely scent to them, they both contain Inca Inchi which is a lightweight oil. Hair is deeply nourished helping repair overworked hair.

I've enjoyed using the Full Repair Shampoo, it lathers up nicely and cleanses well. I normally have to wash my hair every other day but since using the Full Repair Shampoo and Conditioner I've managed to go three days between washing which is really good! My hair type is normal, whilst my hair isn't overly thick I do have a lot of it. The shampoo helps detangle any knots preventing any breakage or snagging when combing. 

The Full Repair Conditioner looks lighter in consistency but when I used this I was surprised. The texture is between a lotion and a cream. It's not overly thick like you would associate with a mask but it's not as light as some conditioners. I enjoyed massaging the conditioner into my hair paying extra attention to the ends of my hair. I also use a wide tooth comb to make sure the hair has an even amount. Plus I like to know all my hair is being treated.

The last product which I've been putting to the test is the Full Repair Heat-Activated Styling Spray. I don't use a lot of styling tools on my hair but when I do I tend to reach for my ghds or my Enrapture Totem Styler for curls. The great factor about this styling product is the benefits, no only acting as a protector but also treating the hair. Like the Full Repair shampoo and conditioner the styling Spray also contains the Ina Inchi Oil.The spray is helpful, you can target certain areas or spray a fine even mist all over wet/damp hair.

I would gladly repurchase these products again and would like to try the Deep Conditioner Mask. 

You can purchase the John Frieda Full Repair range from www.boots.com

Have you tried the John Frieda Full Repair Hair Care Range?

Sherrie xo

Origins Plantscription | Anti-Aging Foundation & Concealer

 Plantscription Foundation* £28.00 / Plantscription Concealer* £16.00

I have been trying a few different foundations lately, the new Origins Plantscription Foundation SPF15 has made a lasting impression on me. I am a big BB cream fan as you know but recently I've wanted to try something different and found myself reverting back to my liquid foundations for the Autumn. I think I need a little extra coverage. The Plantscription Anti-Aging foundation is surprisingly light, when I first applied it I was a little disappointed and expected the consistency to be thicker/heavier. However...how wrong was I? Despite the formula being lighter the coverage is very good and it seriously lasts all day even on my combination skin. This is certainly buildable and looks so natural and flawless on the skin, it feels like you don't have anything on. Another deciding factor is the anti-aging part, seeings as I'm not getting any younger I like to know my skin is being protected. I have been wearing the shade 02 light-neutral which is perfect for my skin tone. I thought the shade selection is great, there's 12 shades which are either neutral/cool/warm. I think this is great because most people know if their skin is a neutral/warm/cool tone. My skin feels hydrated and doesn't look shiney as the day progresses which is another big thumbs up in my books!

The matching Plantscription Anti-Aging Concealer is also a good product, I don't think it's enough coverage for my bluey-tinged under eye area. Having said that, I think if I used my colour corrector underneath  this would work better for me. But if you don't have any under eye circles like mine then this concealer would be great for you. Like the foundation this also lasts all day, it doesn't feel cakey or dry on the eyes. Nor does it crease, the formulation is light and easily blendable. The shade selection is also good especially for a concealer. There's 6 shades to pick from and they start very pale and end up very deep which is great. It's really good to see companies launch such a good range of shades so everyone can enjoy using and trying the products.

What do you think of the Plantscription foundation & Concealer?

Sherrie xo

Who knew LUSH was a big softy?

 

Fun / £5.00 each 

Lush have many products which I love but I think their latest new found product ticks all the boxes! Play dough, being a busy mummy I have my hands full and often find bath times a bit of a chore. However since these FUN sweet smelling slabs of play dough landed on my doorstep I knew they would entertain the little ones. They smell sooooo good I have even been taking off little chunks to shower with. You can play with the dough as you would with regular playdough, you can wash yourself with it, crumble it in the bath for lots of scented bubbles and even use the dough as a hair wash! 

If you're travelling with little ones or even big ones for that matter one chunk of this would be enough for all the family to wash you for a good week head to toe!

My children have been testing out the red FUN which smells of mandarin and orange essential oils. I broke off a little chunk for each of them to play with in the bath and then they both used it as a body wash and thought it was great fun watching the red/orange wash layer on their skin. I used a small chunk of the yellow FUN to wash their hair with. I could still smell the scent on my sons hair the following evening. So I will be testing this out next time on my hair for sure. The yellow FUN smells of

If you want your little ones or your big ones to enjoy bathing then I highly recommend you pick up a chunk or two of the new FUN dough!

Plus Lush will donate 10p from every FUN sold to support children affected from the Fukushima disaster.

What do you think? Is this something you would buy your children? 

Sherrie xo

Favourite Hair & Body Oil / Caudalie Divine Oil

 Caudalie Divine Oil* £25.00 / 100ml

Just when you thought the Caudalie Beauty Elixir was the product of 2012 I think the Divine Oil could be up there alongside it. Divine Oil simply is Divine, the scent, the texture and the packaging are all Divine. I have tried many body oils and this is the first body oil I've tried with a pump applicator. It makes so much sense? There's no wastage and no messy fingers or spillages on the floor.

The glass bottle looks very decadent in the bathroom or on the dressing table. I love the chunky wooden lid and gold spray nozzle, very swish! I don't think you can label this as a body oil because it's so much more, it can be used on the hair, on the face, on nails and even in the bath! The unique blend of 4 vegetable oils: grape, extra virgin hibiscus, sesame and extra virgin argan oil enhance, nourish and moisturise the skin. I think the scent has a really positive smell which makes you feel better just by smelling it, the dry oil works well to lock in moisture straight after you've stepped out the bath or shower. This is how I like to use it, I also like to use this on the ends of my hair and on my face as an evening treatment. I have also used this in the bath and it leaves a veil of golden goodness just waiting to nourish your body!

The scent is a soft floral/woody scent which smells so good on the body and in the hair. I look forward each and every time I know when I am going to use Divine Oil. The signature note is rose, both the Moroccan rose and Bulgarian Rose are used together with a burst of Grapefruit and sparkling spicy pink pepper. Then add cedar, vanilla and white musk to the mix and then you have Divine Oil! Can you see now, why the oil is so divine?

Have you tried Divine Oil? Do you want to?

Sherrie xo

bdellium Tools | Green Bambu 957 & 959 review

 

bdellium 957* £12.99 / bdellium 959* £12.99

bdellium Tools is becoming a popular brand amongst beauty bloggers, the brand has a huge collection of brushes depending on your needs. I have only tried their Green Bambu range which is  vegan friendly and eco-friendly. The handles are made from sustainable bamboo making them kind on the environment. So if these two factors are really important to you I would say this would be the ideal range for you to have in your makeup brush collection. I am happy to say I'm impressed. The quality is great, they wash lovely and dry moderately quick. They haven't shed any hairs as of yet and keep their shape well. 

The 957 Precision Flat Top Kabuki brush feels amazingly soft yet dense, I've used this brush for both powder and liquid products. I tend to use this for foundation application and buffing. I can acheive a flawless finish using this brush. This is also great for applying BB Creams.

The 959 Powder Blending brush also feels amazingly soft, the tapered shape which is great for pin pointing blusher on the apples of your cheeks and then blending in creating a blushed seamless finish. I have used this for both powder and cream products. I find this is great for acheiveing a lightweight flush of colour on the cheeks. I have been using this with my strong pigmented blushes which only need a gentle tap of product on the brush. I LOVE this for blush!

I'm keen to try the bdellium Maestro range next, I particurlay like the look of 958, 965 and then 985 brushes, I don't have many duo-fibre brushes and I love the look of their tapered heads! Has anyone tried them?

You can purchase the brushes mentioned above as well as other bdellium tools from- www.beautychamber.co.uk

Have you tried bdellium Tools?

Sherrie xo

Benefit | How To Look The Best At Everything

 

Benefit 'How To Look The Best At Everything' Kit* (LIGHT) £24.50

Following on from my previous review of the gorgeous Benefit feelin' Dandy Lip & Cheek Kit I have another exciting Benefit Beauty Kit to share with you all today. This time the kit focuses all on the face and base. How To Look The Best At Everything comes in three different colour options depending on your skin tone. The kit I have is Light and comes with the hello Flawless Oxygen wow foundation in the shade- 'cheers to me' along with the heavy duty boi-ing concealer in shades 01 & 02. To set everything there's also a cute pressed powder in the shade 'me vain?'. If the Light colour option is not suitable you can take your pick from the Medium kit or the Deep kit.

The kit is a great way of trying a selection of their products without committing to buying them all full size. The Porefessional is a very popular product and one which I often see on blogs, this is a great travel size to carry around with you or take on holiday.

Again the packaging is super cute and great for travelling with, the boi-ing concealer duo is going to be coming with me in my travel makeup kit for sure! All the complexion kits come with the Tips & Tricks step by step guide which opens up to reveal a lovely sized mirror. Seriously what's not to love about these kits? 

I think the next big cool thing for benefit to do would be a customisable kit! Wouldn't that be amazing?? I mean walk in pick up a gorgeous box and then select from an array of generous deluxe samples to fill up your box. It would be like a sweetie shop, your very own bespoke Benefit Beauty kit! Now that would be amazing! 

The Benefit Beauty Kits would make excellent Christmas presents.

Have you seen the Beauty kits? What to you think of the complexion kits?

Sherrie xo

Neom | 'Happiness' Organic Reed Diffuser

 

 

 Neom Happiness Organic Reed Diffuser* £35.00

Neom is my favourite luxury brand for the body and home. I have been lucky enough to try their beautiful luxurious Harmonise Candle and their decadent organic Bath Foam but today I am sharing my thoughts with you on their Organic Reed Diffuser. Neom have recently added another two amazing scents to their Reed Diffuser range: Sensuous and Happiness. Happiness is the scent which I have been testing and enjoying! It truly does make you feel happy.

Neom really know how to make each of their products look and feel magical, I love the frosted glass bottle. The scented oil is full to the top and waiting for you to plunge the natural reed sticks in, to start diffusing the fresh and uplifting scent. The scented oil can take up to 48hrs to absorb and diffuse your home with the fragrance. Happiness is such a beautiful scent, containing mimosa which is good for relieving tension (yes please!). Lemon for extra perkiness (oh...hello?) and white neroli to promote a feeling of euphoria. I have the happiness Candle on my Wish List! 

I much prefer the idea of using Reed Diffusers rather than having plug-in scents around my home, one they don't look as attractive and appealing as the reed diffusers but two I have little children which like to poke and prod things! 

The Organic Reed Diffusers are made using 20% natural ingredients and 80% certificated organic. Their price reflects their high quality ingredients and packaging, I think with Christmas around the corner the reed diffusers would make a gorgeous treat for someone special. There's some amazing Christmas Gift Sets available now on the website so pop over and have a drool or two lol! Neom are very meticulous when selecting the right choice of botanicals making the product and the whole experience as close to perfect as possible.

How do you like to scent your Home? 

Sherrie xo

Benefit / Feelin' Dandy Lip & Cheek Kit.

Benefit feelin' Dandy Lip & Cheek Kit* £24.50

Benefit is a brand which I've always admired and enjoyed, their products look fun and quirky and great quality to! I've tried a few products from Benefit over the years and I'm sure you'll agree Benefit are famous for their cheek tints. I remember trying Cheek Tint all those years ago, so when I saw they've released these amazing Lip & Cheek kits I started to drool. Benefit is a high-end brand and for them to have made mini-kits is amazing. Rather than you paying the price for one full product you get to try a few products for the price of one full one. This is such a good idea not just for someone who is new to the brand and interested to try a few products but also for the keen Benefit devotee these kits are great for travelling. I love the mini tints, lip glosses and powder.

Today I am very excited to share with you one of the kits which is feelin' Dandy. Let's all take a minute to appreciate the gorgeous packaging, I love the packaging and think the kits will make the ideal Christmas Gifts. feelin' Dandy is the perfect kit for me, I know I will put all these deluxe samples to good use. I Love the Dandelion face powder for days when I need a little 'Perk me up'. 

The kits have a Tips & Tricks section which is neatly concealed in the lid, great for people who may need a little direction and some tips on how best to use and apply the products. There's also a very generous sized mirror making it even better for travelling with!

There's another two different options for the Lip & Cheek Kits, Sugarlicious which has the beautiful Sugarbomb Blush which I am now craving! And the other kit is Go Tropicoral which has the Coralista products in, another blush which I am craving after!

What's your thoughts on the kits? Will you be adding them to your Xmas list?

Sherrie xo

Favourite Face Brushes

 

 

Makeup brushes seem to have become my latest obsession. I have a nice collection of face and eye brushes which I reach for regularly. I enjoy reading blog posts and reviews about makeup brushes so thought it would be good to blog about my favourite ones which I enjoy and trust using.

 bdellium 957 / Adesign Flat Top Foundation / Adesign Flat Top Kabuki

One of the newest face brushes to my collection is from bdellium. The bdellium 957 Precision Kabuki looks the part but most importantly works! It is a bigger brush compared to the Adesign flat top foundation brush but it gives a very natural flawless finish. It feels super soft and works well with liquid or powder products. I love the green bamboo handles!

Adesign is a new brand which I've recently been using. The Adesign Flat Top Foundation Brush is perfect for buffing hard to reach areas, around the nose and along the jaw line and around the mouth. The diameter of the brush is small and one of the smallest I probably own for foundation. It's nicely packed and feels dense which is key when buffing and applying liquid foundation. The small size means you can pay extra attention to certain areas of the face where you may need to layer foundation. I've washed it and I'm happy to report it didn't shed and dried in quick time.

Adesign Flat Top Kabuki Brush reminds me very much of Sigma's retractable Miss Taylor F80 Kabuki brush. The size and the shape of the brush is very similar, but for some reason I've been reaching for the Adesign one and enjoying the feel and finish better. Plus it comes in a very chic faux black croc travel pouch. I can't help but think they do remind me of a gents traditional shaving cream brush? Do you know what I mean? I would love to try more of their brushes, I've been really impressed.

Mac168 / SigmaF82 / Japonesque Travel Blush / SigmaF40

The Mac 168 Large Angled Contour brush was my first ever proper makeup brush. I use this to apply powder blush and it's also a great contour brush. It's roughly 11years old!! This goes to show that sometimes it does pay off when you spend a little more on your brushes. Having said that- this is my only my Mac brush lol! There's just so many great brands out there which sell brushes for such great prices.

The Sigma F82 Round Top kabuki Brush is possibly my MOST favourite brush right now. The synthetic bristles makes this perfect for mineral and cream application. The domed shaped brush is works well to give a soft polishes look. I use this mainly for cream blush. It's a lot more densely packed than the bdellium 957, so you need to be careful when applying a bright cream blush. I have used this as a foundation brush and it works just as well but for me it works best for applying cream blush. I am yet to try this with a mineral foundation so I will report back to you on that one!

Japonesque Travel Blush Brush is perfect for applying powder blush and also doubles up as a great contour/highlighter brush, because of its paddle like shape. I use this to apply a dusting of powder over the apples of the cheeks. Normally if I'm using a cream blush I try to match it up with a powder blush just to help seal the colour. This is brush I use for that.

For highlight I like to use the Sigma F40 Large Angled Contour Brush, this has been compared to the Mac168 but in my opinion they are miles apart. mac being the better brush out of the two. This brush is great for applying powder highlight.

 Japonesque large powder Travel / Sigma F30 / Sigma F25 / bdellium 959

The biggest brush I own is the Japonesque Large Powder Travel Brush. I LOVE the size of it, the quality is amazing. I've washed this brush many times and it does not shed a hair. I use this to apply my loose and pressed powders but mainly loose. I also use this for bronzer, it's a must for me and I use this brush on a daily basis.

Sigma F30 Large Powder I'm not actually sure why I have featured this brush because I have a love/hate relationship with it! It HATE the fact it sheds like a beast, but having said that it's a great size and shape to apply pressed/loose powder to certain areas of your face. Sometimes you want a smaller brush to apply powder and I reach for this, when I love it lol!

I don't always contour but have been contouring a lot more recently for some reason. It's probably because I have the Sigma F25 Tapered Face Brush. This brush is perfect for contouring the large tapered end means it will give a very natural buffed finished. I've washed this brush and it's not shed and kept it's shape well. Thumbs up!  

Another great powder brush is the bdellium 959 Powder Blending Brush. New to my brush collection and it's probably one of my favourites along with the Sigma F82! It's perfect for applying blush on the apples of the cheeks and blending. Giving a natural seamless finish which is how I like my blush to look at the moment. I will be reviewing the bdellium brushes more in depth shortly!

Japonesque Safari Chic Bronzer Brush

I use the Japonesque Safari Chic Bronzer Brush to apply bronzer all over and to also help buff in my loose/pressed powder. Sometimes I have a tendency of applying too much and them my skin looks a little cakey, so I always finish off with a sweep of this brush to help buff in the powder and seal everything together.

I also enjoy using the Sigmax brushes to apply my foundation, the F84 & F80 are both great and whilst they've not been photographed they're both still great brushes.

You can purchase the Adesign brushes mentioned above from www.cocktailcosmetics.co.uk

You can purchase the Sigma & bdellium brushes mentioned above from www.beautychamber.co.uk

 The only brushes which I need now to feel complete are the Real Technique brushes!!!

I hope you enjoyed this post, if you have any of these brushes I would love to know what you think and of course what are your top face brushes?

Sherrie xo

Carmex Launches 75th Birthday Facebook App!

 

 Carmex are famous for their amazing lip care products, they've been around a long time and know what they are talking about! A new Facebook App has just launched to celebrate the iconic brands 75 years milestone ,with amazing prizes to be won till the end of the year. So make sure you pop over and join in the fun, the main prize up for grabs is the Carmex Birthday Cake! Take a peak below to see what you could win!

You can LIKE the page and join in the fun here.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARMEX

Sherrie xo

Korres / Pomegranate Foundation & Concealer

 

Pomegranate Foundation* £19.00 / Pomegranate Concealer* £19.00

 

Pomegranate is one of Greeks classic skincare ingredients, the pomegranate fruit is known to contain three times the amount of antioxidants found in red wine/green tea. The high levels of antioxidants means the skin is protected against free radicals, this is the main cause of premature skin-ageing. Because of the high Tannin content the fruit acts as a natural astringent making it perfect for oily/combination skin types. I'm in my late 20's and I mean late 20s soon to be joining the 30s club ;) lol. So when it comes to skincare and foundation, I'm really aware of the ingredients now and they're benefits. My skin use to be dry but has changed over the past 6 months, it has become more oilier so I've had to change my normal foundation routine.

The Pomegranate Foundation gives a full coverage which I'm after and also a lovely matte finish with an SPF15 to top it off. I couldn't be happier! 

The formulation is lovely, not heavy or thick which you may expect from a full coverage foundation! I love the tube packaging, this means I can get every last drop of the product out. Also great for carrying in your makeup bag and travelling with. The foundation comes in four shades, I'm the second shade which is perfect for my skin tone. 

The Pomegranate Concealer has actually knocked the boots off my all time favourite concealer. If you're a follower then you'll know I am a true devotee to the Dirty Works Under eye concealer and have been singing it's praises for a long time now. I still love it but for me the Korres Pomegranate concealer seems to cover my dark circles better at the moment, plus the formulation means it lasts longer without having to set the area with powder. The concealer comes in three shades, I'm shade 2 which again is perfect for me, it even has a slight peachy tone making it perfect for correcting blue tones.

I couldn't recommend or rave more about both of these products, I've been using them both together and love how my skin looks and feels when I've applied them both.

You can purchase the Pomegranate face products as well as their skincare range online from www.bathandunwind.com

Have you tried any of the Korres foundations/concealers? What do you think?

Sherrie xo

Roger & Gallet / NEW Rose Imaginaire

Rose Imaginare Fresh Fragrant Water* £32.00

The new Rose Imaginaire Fragrance is the second fragrance I've tried from Roger & Gallet, I love the simplicity of the packaging and the shape of the bottles. The bottle has been given a soft blush of rose colour which really adds to the whole experience, it looks beautiful on my dressing dressing table. Very feminine and delicate looking.

Being a huge rose fan I did have high expectations for Rose Imaginaire, some rose scented products are a little too heavily scented but this scent has the perfect balance. When ever I smell anything rose scented I am quite critical, but love this for day time and evening.

The scent was inspired by the wonders of nature, taking you on a journey through 3 exquisite gardens around the world. Sicily, Nile Valley and the last stop is a garden on the shore of the Timor Sea! The fragrance is a beautiful blend of  fruits, flowers and woods! My perfect combination of notes!

 
Top Notes
Wild Strawberry & Mandarin from Italy

Heart Notes
Jasmine from Egypt & Violet from Nile

Base Notes
Patchouli from Indonesia & Sandalwood from Oceania

The new Rose Imaginaire fragrance is exclusive to Marks and Spencer's, plus they currently have 10% off!

Are you a rose fan? What is your signature scent?

Sherrie xo