Summer Perfume Picks

I don't really talk about fragrance too much on here as to be honest with you I am pretty pants at describing scents.
I have taken the plunge to write this post about my summer scents as I have discovered some gorgeous one recently and had to share them.

First I have two little samples of perfume I have been testing. One is the Liz Earle Botanical Essence No100* (£47 - Liz Earle) which has created in partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society. This is a fresh, floral fragrance with notes of Damask Rose, Orange Flower and Indian Jasmine that is entwined with Sandlewood, bourbon vanilla, mandarin and Bergamot.
This is one of my favourite scents at the moment and I can't wait to pick up the full size. It is quite a strong scent and a little goes a long way but to me it just shouts summer.

The second sample Vial is Lacoste Eau De Lacoste (£32.50 - The Perfume Shop) is a feminine, floral scent with notes of Pineapple Flower, Rose, Orange Flower, Jasmine Sambac, Juicy Pineapple, Sparkling Mandarin, Bergamot, Sandalwood, Vetyver, Vanilla and Peru Balsam. It is quite a simple scent that isn't over powering. I really enjoy wearing this in the day time when I am wearing a floaty skirt or dress as its quite girly.

An old favourite of mine is Mac Turquatic. (£21 - Mac Cosmetics) This is my second bottle and I will soon be on my third. There is just something about this scent that gets me excited. It is quite a crisp, fresh, zesty scent with notes of Anemone, Lotus, Orris and Corsican Blue Cedar.

Lastly is Rihanna Nude* (£19.50 - The Perfume Shop) which is quite fruity, sweet smell with notes of Orange Blossom, Gardenia Petals, Velvet Jasmine Sambac, Guava Nectar, Mandarin, Pear Sandalwood, Second-skin Musk and Vanilla Orchid.I find a little goes a long way with this and the scent stays all day.

I would love to know what your favourite perfumes are, let me know in the comments?

*PR Sample

Smashbox Heat Wave Collection.

 Top Row

Bottom Row.

This is the new Smashbox Heat Wave Summer 2013 Collection that launched on the 1st of June. It contains a gorgeous eye shadow palette and 4 juicy glosses. 

I have only been trying The Heat Wave Eye Shadow Palette since Thursday but I am already smitten. It contains 10 eye shadows, which range from pinks, browns and blues but still has a neutral feel to them. The shadows are velvet soft, extremely pigmented and you can use the shadows wet or dry to create so many different looks. For me this palette just screams summer with its golden hues. 

The palette has a huge mirror in it so it's perfect for on the go. It also contains a double ended brush, which I can see becoming a staple of mine. It is a standard eye shadow brush one end and you get more of a pointed brush the other. The bristles are soft and apply the eye shadow well.

I don't own the Heat Wave Glosses but tried one on at the launch which was gorgeous. They come in a set of 4 and are all really vibrant colours. They are very pigmented for glosses and silky smooth, no stickiness in site.

You can pick this collection up at counters or at boots.com. 

The Palette is £36 and the Lip Gloss Set is £22.50. 

*PR Sample

HD Brows Does Brushes

I am sure most of you have heard of HD Brows, they are known for there infamous brow palettes. They were established in 2008 and now are recognised as the UK’s No1 market leading brow treatment.

Well they have now branched out and have added some fab new products to their range. 
I have been testing out three brushes from their new brush collection. They have also brought out blushes and powders. 

Starting with the Eye Shading Brush, (£12.95) this is a pointed eyeshadow brush that reminds me of the Mac pencil brush. It is perfect for getting precise application and great for applying colour to the bottom lash line. 
My favourite brush out of the three is the Blusher Brush. (£14.95) This is a slightly domed, tapered blush brush that is the perfect size for applying blush to the cheeks. 
Lastly the Contour Brush, (£14.95) which as the name suggests is perfect for contour. It fits perfectly in the hollows of my cheeks and gives me the perfect contour without looking like I have a line of bronzer on my face. 

I really like these brushes, they apply my make up well and are fairly soft. I do find the face brushes shed ever so slightly but it has only happened on a couple of uses, so that is something I can live with. 

You can pick these up from hdbrows.com

*PR Sample

L'oreal Color Riche Neon Pop Collection

When these arrived I wasn't too sure if I was going to like the colours but once applied I fell in love. The L'Oreal Neon Pop Collection is perfect for the summer, it is bright and colourful. There are 4 shades tin the collection, starting from left to right we have Flashing Lilac, Banana Pop, Acid Watermelon & Wasabi Hint.
There is a shade for everyone and they are all vibrant and give that Club Tropicana vibe.

All four polishes applied easily and opaque with one coat though I did find that Banana Pop and Acid Watermelon looked better after two coats. They have a semi matte finish but I applied a top coat as I always do. I think I will try them with a matte top coat next as they do look just as nice with a matte finish.
The brushes on these are quite wide which make application a breeze, no streaks in sight.
I also found these stayed on the nails well, only after 3/4 days did I start seeing wearing on the tips of my nails.

Overall I am really glad I got to try these, they are perfect for the summer months (if the sun shows its face again)

You can pick these up from Boots or Superdrug for £4.99

Which colour is your favourite? Will you be checking out the L'Oreal Neon Pop Collection?

*PR Sample

Malin & Goetz Essential Kit

I love it when brands do travel packs or starter kits as I think it is a great way to trial the brand before splashing out on some full size products.
This Essential Kits from Malin & Goetz is perfect for if you are going away this summer as it contains all you need for hair, face and body. All the products are perfect for all skin types.

The kit includes:

Grape Fruit Face cleanse

Vitamin E Face moisturiser

Bergamot Body Wash

Vitmin B5 Body moisturiser

Peppermint Shampoo

Cilantro Conditioner

These are all 29ml bottles so perfect to take in your hand luggage and will last you a good few days.

The stand out product for me is the Vitamin E moisturiser. It is light but nourishing and is a perfect everyday moisturiser. I am meant to be saving this kit for when I go out to Portugal to see my brother but I have been using the face moisturiser most days. oops!

This is a fantastic kit and has definitely made me eager to try out more from Malin & Goetz. I have heard great things about their detox face mask.

This is £20 from Space Nk.

*PR Sample

Top 3 BB/CC Creams

A couple of weeks ago I did a post sharing my thoughts on BB & CC creams and had some great feedback from you guys. A lot of you were asking me which one was my favourites, so I have decided to do a post on my Top 3.

Without a doubt the Ginvera Green Tea BB Cream (£18 - Ginvera) is my all time favourite, you are all probably sick of hearing about it. This is just has the perfect coverage that last all day without making me look oily. It has SPF 30 and when I use it for a long period at a time I do think it make my skin look better and more even. Basically you all need to try it, its just wonderful.

A close second is the Supergoop CC cream*. (£31 - Space NK) This is new found love and again a fantastic product. It has a light coverage but enough to even out the skin tone and cover redness. I have this in Light to Medium and its a tad too dark for me but perfect for when I have faked tanned. It contains a high SPF of 35 which is always a bonus and last on the skin all day.

Lastly is the Rimmel BB cream.(£4.99 - Boots) This is the best budget friendly BB cream I have found. It is quite a high coverage for a BB cream but still on the lighter side compared to a foundation. It leaves a smooth texture to the skin and covers all the parts we want to cover. It has a satin finish and doesn't slide of the skin by lunch time.

I would love to hear what your top 3 BB/CC creams are and if there is any more I need to try?

*PR Sample

B.liv by Cellnique - Immerse Me Sheet Mask.

Before I get into the review I just wanted to say I never thought I would happily put a photo up of myself looking like I do above. That's proof to me on how much my confidence has grown over the years, I am happy to share a picture of me looking a little silly.

Onto the review and I have been trying some products out from B.Liv by Cellnique. One of which is this Utmost Moisture Immerse Me Japan Silk Mask.
Cellnique is a brand from Singapore that has various skincare lines, one which is the B.liv line. B.liv contains lots of different products that cater for different types of skin concerns.
 
The Utmost Moisture Immerse Me Mask is a sheet mask packed with Hyaluronic acid and cogongrass extract to give dehydrated/dry skin a boost. It provides instant hydration, helps skin preserve its optimum moisture balance and provides long lasting hydration. 

 I have never really got on with sheet masks until I tried this one, and now I can see what everyone is raving about. It is a funny experience and a little messy to apply. 
The mask is very wet and a little fiddly to apply but once its on you can just lay back for 20-30 minutes and let it revive your skin. 
It feels quite cooling and soothing on the skin so great after a long day or to help wake your skin up. 

Once the mask has been removed you a left with a residue of serum that I just massaged into the skin which felt very soft. You don't need to put anything else on the skin after this as the mask acts as a moisturiser as well. 
The next morning my skin was so plump and looked really healthy. This mask gave it the moisture boost it needed. 

Overall I am really impressed with this mask and I look forward to using it every week. 
These retail $25 for a pack of 10 on the Cellnique website. They provide free international shipping and a 30 day money back guarantee if the product is not up to the standard you were expecting. 

Have you tried anything from this range before?
 
*PR Sample 




This moisturizing mask covers your skin with a generous boost of hydration! Immerse me acts like a balm for parched and dry complexion as it gets absorbed in a blink of an eye and makes sure your skin’s longing hydration will never turn tail. Its nourishing essences shoo away the dryness and replenish moisture into the deeper layers of your skin. So, why not make it an everyday affair?
 • Provides instant hydration
• Helps skin preserve its optimum moisture balance
• Improves skin water retaining ability and provides long lasting hydration