The simplest and most effective hair treatment routine

Caudalie Divine Oil
This ONE Replenishing Treatment £3

I think I spend the littlest time on caring for my hair but I wish I had been more patience with them though.  My hair history is that, I started dying/ bleaching my hair when I was 16/17 for a good 5-6 years, the damage had been done and it's kind of semi-permanent.  Then I went on having my hair permed and straightened for a few times in the past few years until I stopped doing anything to them in the past 2 years.  The condition of my hair hasn't deteriorated but it is still not in its best condition.  Last year, I had it chopped quite a bit and I started to see a real difference - gone with the old, grow with the new!

However, this doesn't mean that I've stopped looking after my hair.  

When it comes to hair treatment, I'm either a lazy person or I would only look out for 'well-known' brand such as Toni & Guy, Charles Worthington, etc.  They are a bit expensive to my liking.  I'm yet to try other more expensive brands like Bumble & Bumble and Ojon which I have heard soooooooo much hypes about them but they don't come with a cheap price tag.

I'm glad I found something on the cheaper side but effective.

I went to Superdrug 3 weeks ago and saw a brand called This ONE on promotion, £3 for a tub of 150ml Replenishing Treatment.  I thought I would take the plunge and give this not-so-well-known hair treatment cream a whirl.

It's amazed me, it works on me!  It contains Cocoa & Shea butter and Black Oat extract, perhaps it's the black oat which does the trick?  I've used products which contain cocoa and shea butter, it works on my skin to put my moisture back but not on my hair, it would either make it greasy or just not effective.  However 'This ONE' conditioned and gave my hair treatment, without making them greasy even I am being generous with the amount I put on my hair, and I put it all over the head, not just the tips of my hair.  Now that I have fairly short hair I want to keep the whole thing conditioned!

The instruction is to use this weekly but I've been using it almost 5 times a week.  I would put them on dampened hair and leave it on for about 15mins whilst I step into the steam room after a great workout in the gym.  Rinse it off and you can really feel the difference.

It smells nice but it doesn't smell as 'chemically' as other hair treatment products.  I will definitely be repurchasing these.  They are still on sale for £3 but will go back up to £5.99 from 8 May.

To team up with my simplest and most effective hair treatment, I have a slightly more expensive product to share with you but it is worth every single penny.

It is the Caudalie Divine Oil for body, face and hair.  I first bought this which came in a set of 5 products of Caudalie kit, which I have done a review on, click here for refresh of memory!

Caudalie Divine Oil 15ml

It feels like a really luxury product.  It suggestive use is on face, body and hair but I'm not a fan of pouring (I'd prefer spraying) oil down my body nor does on my face.  So I thought, hm... interesting idea I can also put this product on my hair so I gave it a go.  OMG, the difference made was felt by me the very first time I used it.  Normally when I put oil on the ends of my hair it becomes very greasy and weighs my hair down but this Divine oil is truly divine - it puts the moisture that my hair needs and conditioned them at the same time in my very humble opinion.

I cannot describe the scent of this oil, but I would say it's an acquired taste.  Caudalie has once, twice and three times lived up to my expectation and standard!  First I love their Beauty Elixir which I still love and will love for the rest of my life, then it was their lip conditioner, now it is the Divine oil.

I am definitely going to purchase a full size bottle of this Divine oil (which is going to cost me a dear £24.30 for 100ml).  This oil and the This One hair treatment cream are the perfect combo for my hair, yay I'm so glad I found them!

What's your hair tricks?

Nail Collection Episode 5: Maybelline Color Show

Welcome again to have a look into my nail collection, can't believe this is episode 5 already!  But this isn't the end yet - more to come.  I hope you have enjoyed my sharing to-date on my nail collection!

This episode I wan to dedicate it to Maybelline Color Show!

Left: 150 Mauve Kiss/ Right: 183 Speeding Light

I've never tried any nail polish from Maybelline and I must say I was attracted by the price tag more than anything when I bought my first one.  Each of these little bottles cost only £2.99!  Crazily inexpensive.  Once again it proved that you don't have to pay for expensive nail polishes to get an amazing results!

It seems like the 'gel finish' on nails are a real hit recently.  There is no exception with the Color Show range because these provide a 'gel finish', too and it looks shiny on the nails.  They are also long-lasting and chip-resistance.  It comes in 40 shades, too!

 I really like 183 Speeding Light - it's a lovely cross-breed between Fuschia and Pink with a metallic blue running through it.  It's more of a weekend colour I would say.  It's so just nice and makes you happy after you put them on!  The other 150 Mauve Kiss is also highly wearable, too - a bit business like if you want to keep your look simple but sophisticated.  It makes you look put-together!

Are you tempted to try these out?

April Empties

I wondered how quickly you would finish a beauty product?  As April is drawing to a close soon, I thought I would share with you some of the products I have finished this month!

It often takes ages for me to finish one, in all fairness, I think an average lifetime of a skincare product lasts for about 3-4 months (variable).  For makeup products it take even longer and some have a shelf life up to 30months or so.

This month, I've managed to use up a few products and it's given me a real sense of achievement - I have actually used up my purchases!

Here they are....

 

From back to front
Soap & Glory Endless Glove 2in1 Moisture Mask & Hand Cream £6.50
No.7 Protect & Perfect Intense Day Hand Cream £10.50
Klorane Soothing eye make-up remover lotion £6 (£5.40)
Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye cream (£24.50)

I have enjoyed using all these products and they have all lasted me for quite a while especially the Kiehl's eye cream and Soap & Glory hand cream.

Not only am I a blush and nail polish junkies, I am also a handcream junkie.  This explains why there are 2 hand products in April's empties entry.

My first Soap & Glory product was their Hand Food.  It is a deliciously fragranced product smells of marshmallow.  It's a light-weight hand cream, it doesn't feel greasy at all.  It was only natural when I ran out of my hand food, I went straight back to Soap & Glory, then I came across this new product called Endless Glove 2in1 Moisture Mask & Hand Cream.  It continued to wow me with the amazing smell and it lasts (contains 8 oil include macadamia & grapeseed oils).  I feel that this product is moisturising and yet not greasy (again like the Hand Food).  Although I don't feel that it acted like a 'mask' as it were and that it says on the tube that it works for 12 hours after you apply it.  I'm not entirely sure about it   I think this hand cream is good for daily/ day time use especially those who care about hand care.  I use this every time after I wash my hands and I found it does the job well.

The No.7 Protect & Perfect Intense Day Hand Cream (the packaging must have changed as it looks different on this link to the one I have in my photo) is a great product in the Protect & Perfect line to my opinion.  It feels 'intense'.  It's more on the 'moisturising' side than the one from Soap & Glory.  I tend to switch between this one and the Soap & Glory one in the evening.  It also smells nice, it doesn't smell as sweet as Soap & Glory's.  

I would say I'm quite experimental when it comes to makeup remover.  I am a contact lens wearer and occasionally I remove my makeup when I still have my lenses on and I have had times when the makeup remover solution irritated my eyes.  Ever since then I was on the hunt for the mildest makeup remover formula.  Also I am a very impatient person so I want my products to work/ show signs that they work efficiently and effectively.

Anyway, I bought the Klorane Eye Makeup Remover Lotion a while back on escentual.com.  They are still on offer!  It is another French product so I didn't really think about it that much before purchasing it.  It has the word 'lotion' on the product name but it isn't a lotion, it's just a liquid form makeup remover.  It wasn't magical but it does the job.  I say it is quite effective.  You soak a bit of these makeup remover on your cotton pad (it comes out blue) then you pad it on the surface of your eyes for about 30 to 60 sec dependent on how heavy your make up is.  No rubbing is involved.  Then your eye makeup would come off, quite easily.  I used it for all over my face, too.  It doesn't cause any irritation to my skins unlike some other products.  This little bottle is only 100ml so I went through it really quickly, just under 4 weeks.  I found it a little bit pricey based on you are paying for only 100ml of these products.  I probably wouldn't re-purchase it again not because the product wasn't good..... it just wasn't spectacular.

I'm going to write a post about different makeup remover I've tried so watch this space!

Finally it's my Kiehl's Midnight Recover Eye Cream.  Inside this deep blue tube it contains only 15ml of the goodies but it has lasted me for 5 months, so even though it cost me a dear £24.50; it's worth the money for the length of time I got to use it.  Also, I feel that it is a good product to have.  The problem with me with eye cream is that I can't quite judge whether or not it works or not.  I don't have problematic under eye areas, apart from occasionally it's a bit puffy (if I drink too much water just before I go to bed) and I suffer from mild dark circles.  Thank god I don't have fine lines round my eye areas just yet.  I found this product moisturising, it is absorbed by my skin amazingly quick and it isn't greasy.  I don't feel the next morning when I wake up my under eye areas are dry.  So all in all I think this is a great product.  Would I re-purchase this product again?  Hm.... I think I will but not immediately.  At least not until I have tried a few more other eye products!  However, would I recommend this product to others?  Oh yes I would.

I'm working my way through all the products I've bought (new or old) and been using for ages.  What have you used up this month?

Nail Polish Collection Episode 4 - Accessorize Nail Polish

Disappointing Products #1....(sad face)

Have you tried them before?

From left to right

50 Cinder Rose, 55 Khaki Folly, 53 Tuscan Clay, Heart Beat

All priced at £4

I first got my hands on these about 2 years ago.  I bought them with excitement as I truly am a fan of Accessorize.  I love all their jewellery, handbags, shoes, scarves, wallets..... So when Accessorize launched their makeup collections, I was like wow!  And as a nail polish junkie, I thought I would start from the nails.

BUT

I am really sad to say that after trying for 4 bottles, (actually 5 but the 5th one got so bad I had to throw them away) I think I made up my mind that I'm not giving them another go nor will I buy more from their range.

First of all, let's look at how they look on nails...

Actually they have some really nice colour range (over 50 shades available) also it came out fairly nicely, agree?  And there is no problem with the brush and I don't remember it particularly tricky to apply.

I just don't get on with any of them..... they chipped extremely easily.  One of the bottles I threw away because whenever I applied the colour on my nails, it turned matte instantly...... but that wasn't a matte formulation.  Furthermore, the nail polish tends to separate into layers inside the bottle, i.e. it has residual on the bottom of the bottle and you really have to shake it before applying them.  The colour also just doesn't last..... and they ended up looking very 'dull' on my nails....

Perhaps they have already improved their formula so I'm not doing any justice to the brand.  However there are nail polish which are cheaper than Accessorize's, e.g. Rimmel, Barry M, Natural Collection and even the latest brand I tried, Sinful which I already did a review on, they are all much stronger competitors to Accessorize's nail polish.

My guess is, by the time this post is up, I will have said my farewell to these pre-loved but disappointed products.....

Perhaps you had different experiences with them?  What do you think of them?

Coming up Roses - The Day I met Cath Kidston

With much anticipation for over a week, I finally got to meet Cath Kidston in person.  Although, she didn't see me, nor did we talk; I was there as a little fan of hers for over 5 years.  The chance to see Cath Kidston in person was simply too good to miss.

To celebrate Cath Kidston's shops being around for 20 years, I believe she released her first autobiography, Coming up Roses.  To make things even more exciting for her 'die hard fans', she held a book signing event at Selfridges today from 5.30pm to 6.30pm.

 When I arrived at Selfridges, I could already see a long queue waiting just outside the Cath Kidston shop area.  I didn't count the number of people on the queue but it could have been 100 people there easily.

The shop assistants also handed out pink roses for each of those fans in the queue to get their books signed.  Such a lovely touch, and totally in Cath Kidston's style.

Without further ado, let me show you a couple of pictures I managed to capture of Cath Kidston!

There were so many people around her and I was so nervous I couldn't even get a glimpse of her!  I'm so pleased I met her, saw her.  She looks like such a lovely woman, appeared a bit shy but I think anyone could easily be warmed to her.

Cath Kidston, Happy Birthday - long may your shops continue to flourish!

A fresh look, thanks to Becca Resurfacing Primer

I think I've found my holy grail face primer and I cannot wait to share with you all my latest discovery of the best product on market - Becca Resurfacing Primer.

Becca is coming back to the UK, and in fact it is back 'online' and available from Space NK.  Becca is a brand which I have heard about it more and more gradually and I have not taken serious notice until Kate (also known as gh0stparties) raved about it a few times in her recent blogposts and that the Becca's Resurfacing Primer that she had a strong feeling about.

Finally, after somewhat I feel a rather long (probably only for a week) waiting, my Becca's Resurfacing Primer has finally arrived.  I used it almost soon after.  OMG, the result is stark, shocking and overwhelmingly impressive.  It's rare that I saw, felt, touched and in sync with a result that a product can do to my skin.


When I first tried it on my hands before applying it on my face, I thought, the texture felt nice and soft but it didn't make the skin of my hands look any different so I thought, ok I would wait until I put it on my face and observe the difference.

 Here we go - bare face and after a thin layer of the primer + my Chanel Vitalumiere Foundation...... I hope you can see an improvement on the complexion of my skin.

Bare Face

With Becca's resurfacing primer and Chanel Foundation on

I applied the primer first and waited for about 3-5 mins to let it settle, I observed really closely to the mirror but couldn't figure out how it has differed.  Then I applied my foundation on, and I noticed a difference - the complexion of my skin looks clearer, fresher and more awake.  It's smoothened out my skin tone in such a natural way - I didn't feel as if I looked 'made up' but full of natural glow. It's like magic but it was true - NOT A SINGLE WORD OF LIE.

The total look - happy face!

I then continued to put my makeup on and I think it made my total 'no make up makeup' look presented natural and clean.

I wore this for over 6 hours and it has helped my makeup to stay on and didn't move - what a great primer!  I also felt that my skin was breathing and didn't feel that by wearing the primer, it blocked my skin at all.

I'm already thinking about buying a second tube just in case it gets discontinued then I'll be left with not knowing what to do!  This product is 'THAT" good!

It contains 40ml costs £32.  Every penny worths in my very humble opinion.

What are you waiting for?  Go and grab some!

I'm definitely going to try out more of Becca's products when it's available in store in Space NK - I want to get my hands on them and play around with them a little bit.

Nail Collection Episode 3: Pastel Violet

Violet (Purple) is my favourite colour, pastel violet is my true favourite colour on nails and to me it can never go out of fashion! I want to share with you three pastel purple colour that I own.  Whenever I haven't wore this colour for a long time or I run out of idea what colour I want, I always go back to a violet colour.

From left to right:
Revlon 250 Flirt £6.49
Nails inc. (freebie came with InStyle magazine)
Max Factor Max effect mini 08 Diva Violet £3.99

All three colours came out almost the same, let's have a look at how it actually looks when painted:

To my eyes, the Revlon and Nails inc ones are identical, the Max Factor shade is a little bit darker in shade than the other two.  

So if they are that similar, which one should you choose?  Let's compare the brushes and formulations....

For me, the Max Factor's brush is the easiest for application.  The brush is a bit more sturdier than the other two so it holds the polish a bit better when it is applied on your nails.  Then I would choose the Revlon one as the colour is longer lasting, and the brush is also easy to apply.  Nails inc would come the last.  I have used a few other of their colours, as much as they have got such a large range of colours; when it comes to ease of application and lasting power, it often disappoints me.  Especially there are better ones and less expensive ones out there.

So, if I were to choose one, I would go for Revlon one and their nail polish is slowly becoming one of my favourite nail polish brands!

Is violet nail polish one of your favourite colour, too?  Perhaps giving this a try before switching your nail colour today?

Under £5 Spring/ Summer beauty products series 2: key items

Spring is a time when I struggle a little bit to be creative to inject some new styling products to my wardrobe.  Having gone through a deep long and cold winter, I feel exhausted and am often in shock when Spring sprung.  In the UK, Spring can still be on the chilly side even the Sun may shine.

However, I'm determined to get into the mood of Spring quicker than everyone else would.  So here we go, a few products to share with you to add some colour back in your look and outfits without breaking your bank!

Zara pink knitwear £9.99

Top: Zara
Skinny Jeans: H&M £9.99
Scarf: Zara £19.99
Ballet Pump: Accessorize £20

I've become a bit of a Zara mania recently - I'm loving a lot of their simple but colour fashion items!  This baby pink knitwear only costs £9.99 (Sorry have to include in this blog even though it's about under £5 beauty products).  But getting a top from Zara for just £9.99 is pretty breathtaking.  The quality is so soft and there are a few colours in the range, too - royal blue, coral, black, white.

Second come in the line is....... the following;

Pastel nail colours are really popular this Spring/ Summer.  Sinful Colors Professional has definitely become one of my recent favourite nail polishes - I have done a blogpost about them so check it out.

Next come is the Lasting Finish Soft Colour Blush by Rimmel 050 Live Pink, priced at £3.99.

The colour of the blush is so cute and it's exactly what it says on the tin - live pink.  It gives my cheeks a healthy pink glow without turning me into a clown!  Also the blusher is quite pigmented so you have to be light-handed.  I'm definitely going to try other blushers by Rimmel.

Rimmel Blusher, Rimmel Brown eyeliner, Lipsticks by 17 (Beehive)

Then comes another lip product...

LG142 Pinky Taupe

NYX cosmetics is an American brand so it isn't easily available on highstreets in the UK.  However, they do have an online shop available for UK customers so we are not to be disappointed!  Original price is £7 but these are on sale for only £4!  They smell like cherry but doesn't taste funny!  They are so glossy but not sticky.  You can see it comes out quite glossy and it's natural on the lips too.

Finally, it's a brown soft kohl eye liner pencil by Rimmel.

This brown eyeliner can be your great substitute for a black eyeliner which sometimes could be harsh on the eyes and a bit too much during the Spring/summer season.  They are only priced at £2.99!  It still does the job by making your eyes look 'wake up'.  This eyeliner pencil is so soft and easy to apply.  The colour stays on and doesn't smudge on me like some other black one from other brands do.

So this is it, my series 2 for Under £5 beauty products for Spring/Summer is completed!  I hope I'll come back for more for these amazing find!

What's your favourite budget beauty products for Spring/ Summer?

This is not just an ordinary jelly, this is Lush's Whoosh shower jelly!

Lush is a brand I have mixed feeling about.  Whenever I walk pass the shop, it smells so nice and it's usually very colourful inside the store.  Also most of the times it is full of staff who are head-to-toe extremely enthusiastic and friendly!  The experiences I had so far in shops have been pleasant, much better than other beauty/skincare brands I have to say.  I don't feel pushed to buy anything whenever I'm inside the shop.  However, that said, every time when I go into Lush, I usually am there for a purpose.

I've used a few Lush products now but none of them have had me 'fallen in love' with them.  I don't know why but I kind of see this brand as exclusively for toiletries.

I got these as a part of a big giftbox as my birthday present last year from my sister Forksandbrushes.  Inside the massive colourful box, it contains a bunch of different products mostly toiletries stuff.  I loved it as a present because it is such a practical gift idea, and I get to try a range of Lush's products.  I remember I enjoyed using most of the products but none has left me a strong impression as this Whoosh shower jelly I'm going to talk about!

I started using Lush's Whoosh shower jelly a few days ago at the gym, usually after a vigorous workout in the morning.  This is the 'last product standing' in my giftbox and it's my mission to finish using all the products before it expires.  If you are familiar with Lush as a brand, they are well-known for its use of natural ingredients in all their products.

Anyway, back to the shower jelly.

I have never used any shower products in any other forms apart from lotion/ cream.  So the idea of using a wobbly jelly smear all over my idea is an alien one.  When I first open this little tub, the first thing I notice (with my nose) is the smell - it's a gorgeous, pungent but extremely refreshing 'LIME smell.  It's so nice that I feel 'awake' all of a sudden, and I feel re-energised already before actually used it.

£3.50/100g

You can see it looks like a darker ocean-green jelly.  You just need to grab a tiny bit of these jelly and start smearing your body with this as if you are using a soap.  No joke, a tiny amount is all you need and that it would just start to 'soap up' on your body, crazy, ha?

On the sticker it says, 'Whoosh was named after the sound of deadlines whizzing by.  Useful for renewed focus when tired, jet lagged or revising for exams.  Fortunately I don't have deadlines to meet these days as such but it definitely wakes up a tired body and helps to renew focus!

This jelly also contains all the natural stuff such as fresh organic lime juice, fresh grapefruit juice, fresh organic lemon, grapefruit oil and rosemary oil, etc.  I think this is probably why my body doesn't feel dry out at all after I've had my shower.

I'm definitely going to try their other jelly called Sweetie Pie 

Thanks Lush, this jelly is so special and it's definitely got the wow factor!

This is not just an ordinary jelly, this is Lush's Whoosh shower jelly!

Under £5 Spring/ Summer beauty products series 1: Lipsticks by 17

Hello guys!  I wanted to share with all you some of my recent discovery of new products suitable for Spring/ Summer season.  Hopefully this will give you some ideas to some va va voom to your style without having to splash out on a load of cash!  Because all the products I'm going to talk about in this series (not sure how many series I will be doing for yet but I shall give it a best shot to keep them going!) is only going cost under £5 each.

From Left to right
Flirtini, Beehive, Love Note
Each priced at £4.79

These are one of my latest beauty products discovery - Seventeen Mirror Shine Lipsticks.  I have to come clean because I have never tried anything from the line Seventeen because I feel that they are targeted at teenage girls and I have gone way pass that age.  Also their packaging of products are particularly appealing.  However recently I have heard a couple of Youtubers (@gh0stparties and @essiebutton) mentioned about these lipsticks so I thought I could give it a try.  They are not expensive so if anything goes wrong, I won't feel as guilty or a waste of money.

Seventeen Mirror Shine Lipsticks, you have completely taken me by surprise!  I'm falling in love with your products just by using it for one day, then I bought another two of your lipsticks, and even my mom is a fan now!

First of all, it's the price tag, it's only £4.79 and comes in a whooping 17 shades - I mean what more can you ask for?!

Secondly, the design of the packaging is so clever.  You thought it's just a ordinarly black tube looking lipsticks?  Well, perhaps you should stop and give it a try.  When you slide the lipstick open, an in-built mirror would just slide open itself as a result of the lipstick part being slided open....

I mean, how clever is that!  The hassle of having to bring an extra mirror out to reapply your lipsticks when you are on the go has completely been taken care of.  So CLEVER!

The texture of the lipsticks is soooo moisturising.  Seriously, I have the driest lips on earth but I could get away with wearing it without having to wear a lip balm underneath.

The colours I have picked are quite natural.  They are not like lip stain, colours are very subtle which I am more of a fan.

From Top to Bottom:
Beehive, Flirtini, Love Note

Beehive definitely comes out the palest and it is more of a nude colour which gives a very natural look. Flirtini is an easy to wear pink colour if you are a bit worried about wearing bright lipstick colours.  Love Note is definitely more on the red tone but I would say it is a muted red with a hint of coral.

Top to bottom
Flirtini, Beehive, Love Note

You can see what I meant by looking at the swatches above - they give a 'lip shine' finish without staining your lips.  If you are the kind of gal like me who like a natural colour finish on your lips and the moisturising quality, this one is worth a try for sure.

What's your favourite Spring/ Summer lipsticks or are you still in search for one?

Wearing makeup whilst sleeping?

It's bed time!  It's time to wear make up!! You must be wondering.... 'what are you talking about?'

You may also be puzzled at what this little bottle contains?

Here's to review!

The Pure Transformation Night Treatment powder isn't the latest product by bareMinerals.  It is the first product I tried from this brand.  Last year my skin was starting to look dull and lacking of the 'glow' that it used to have, as I was shopping in Harvey Nichols; I stopped by bareMinerals and was sold on this product.  

I was slightly skeptical about it and wasn't sure 'how' to use it exactly.  What you are supposed to do with this product is:

• Cleanse and moisturise your face at night as usual
• After moisturising, wait for the product to absorb in your skin
• Apply this powder all over the face

Does it sound OK to you so far?

It does feel quite weird applying a powder, almost like wearing a foundation to go to sleep.  However, the next morning when I get up, all the powder has been absorbed by the skin and I can't see any powder left on my pillow cases, etc.  I've been using this for over 4 months and it has improved my skin - reduced pores, made it glow again.  I think it is because of the Active Soil Complex that this product contains.

This little jar of powder costs £45, it is expensive.  However it feels like it is going to last for absolutely ages.  There are still plenty of it left in the jar, I'm not sure if I'm ever going to be able to finish it all!

It also comes in 4 shades: Clear, Light, Medium, Tan.  So if you feel a bit weird wearing powder on running round the house at night, the Clear one might be good for you?  I chose the light one because it suits my skin tone.  I suppose if you are at home, it isn't going to be problematic whatever you wear on your face, right?  

Perhaps you want to try something new like this?

Nail Collection Episode 2 - Crazy about 'nude'

From Left to Right
Barry M Gelly Hi-shine nail paint 305 Lychee £3.99
Nails inc. Limited Edition Balmoral £11
Ciate mini (5ml) 058 Cookies and Cream
Revlon Colorstay Cool Beige £7.99
Rimmel 60 seconds 500 Caramel cupcakes £3.69

You guessed it right, the second episode of my nail polish collection is all about 'Nude'.  'Nude' seems to have come back on trends for nails aside from all the spring pastel colours.

Last month, I was on the hunt for the perfect nude colour for my skin.  It proved to be not an easy task. These five nude shades have become my favourite.  Each of them have their own strengths and are pretty much similar in shades.

Here is a closer look to how it actually look on my hands (my skin tone is pretty pale with a slight yellow undertone)

As you can tell (or can't), 4 out of the 5 shades are VERY similar.  The Rimmel one (on my thumb nail) has got more of a pink shade to it which I actually really liked when I first wore it.  

Here's another angel to the 5 shades:

When they are applied on my plastic nail bars, they come out a bit differently.  

From my observation, in the order of the intensity of shades are as follow:

• Ciate 058 Cookies & Cream
• Barry M Gelly Hi-shine Lychee
• Revlon Colorstay Cool Beige
• Nails inc Balmoral
• Rimmel 500 Caramel Cupcake

In terms of formulation and lasting power, they are also very similar.  The Barry M and Revlon one appear more 'gel like' as they have got a slightly thicker texture compared to the rest.  In terms of prices, the Rimmel one is the cheapest, followed by Barry M; and the most expensive one goes to nails.inc!

So I guess it depends on your favourite brand in nail polish, there must be something out there for you to choose!

Are you crazy about nude this season?  Which one would you choose?

Quick review on La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo cream

I want to share with you a great product by a French brand La Roche-Posay.  It is its Effaclar Duo cream.

Original price £13, available on Escentual.com at £11.05

This 40ml tube has received a lot of hypes amongst beauty guru.  La Roche Posay's products are also famous for its effective skin treating nature.

I like it, although I have to say it does not do 'magic' like other youtubers have said.  I say it provides more of a gradual effect to your skin.  So you really have got to be patient with the product and your skin.

Occasionally I have 'bumpy' forehead which annoys me slightly.  I have been using this cream for over 2 weeks and I am gradually seeing some results.  It seems to have calmed the skin on my forehead and smoothen out the 'bumpiness' on it.  I apply it in the morning after I cleansed and toned my face before I apply my usual moisturiser on.

Texture of the cream

The texture of the cream is light which I really like.  It feels like water-based.  According to the Esecentual website where I bought the cream from, it contains active ingredients that tackle imperfection prone skin.  Escentual also says, 'Niacinamide and Piroctone Olamine to fight against a build up of bacteria which lead to imperfections, and LHA and Linoleic Acid which unclog blocked pores.'  I do think it does do what it says on the tin.  You really need to be patience to see the results.

What's your favourite skincare product to treat slightly congested skin?

Nail Collection Episode 1 - Sinful Colors Professional Nail Enamel

To launch the first episode into my full nail colour collection review, I want to introduce to you the newest members to my nail polish family!

The Sinful Colours Professional nail enamel, I believe they are a recent launch in the UK and are available in Boots.

Left: 954 Verbena, Right: 947 Mint Apple

This line contains about 70 shades and have mainly bright colours, just in time for anyone who is looking to wear something brighter on their nails for Spring/ Summer!

The colourful Sinful Colors Stand at Boots in Oxford Street

Each of these little beauties only cost about £1.99!  I wasn't skeptical about it at all when I bought it, I just wanted to try them!

Here's how they look like on my nails:

947 Mint Apple, Candle £5 from M&S

954 Verbena

I love them instantly and I think I'll go back and buy a few more colours and let you guys know how I get on with them!  The formulation of these nail polishes are great - you need two coats but the texture is quite thick.  The applicator is easy to use so there was no issue applying them on my nails.  There is no single bad thing about them to be said so far.

Girls out there - I think you should definitely give them a whirl.  It's only £1.99 and it can't go wrong, and it didn't!

Biggest discovery is that I was told this brand is made by Revlon.  So, you know what I'm going to say, if you are a budget beauty queen, Sinful Colours Professional definitely ticks the box!

Why wait any longer - check them out at Boots today!

My Nail Polish Collection

Nails, nails, nails!  I am so excited about this post because it is all about nail polish!  I am going to spend the next few months posting about different categories of the nail colours that I own.

First of all, this is an overview of ALL the nail colours I have so far (since taking these pictures, I have recruited a few more to the family!)

I consider nail polish as one of the most 'guilt-free' beauty products that in my beauty products collection.  OK, apart from some brands which ARE expensive but mostly they are pretty inexpensive.

Here we go, here's a glance of all the nail colours I own....

This is all the nail colours I have!

Here's another closer look to my collection....

Many of the colours are quite similar though!

I am planning to do a series of review of my nail polish collection by brands and by colours.  So, for you all nail polish lovers out there, watch this space!