Amazing Face - Zoe Foster

This post is a bit of a special one, because it is my first beauty book review!

I stumbled across this when I was reading a magazine - in tiny print down the bottom of the beauty page was a mention of 'an awesome beauty book full of things every girl needs to know.' Hmmm, I thought, I'm a girl and I like awesome beauty books. I came to the conclusion that this sounded like the book for me!

Months passed and I forgot about it, until a friend recommended it to me. Fate? I think so! Thanks to my local library, Amazing face is currently in my room full of some amazing secrets for my brain to soak up as much as possible!

I'm going to go through this book step by step, to give you a good taste of what it's all about. I shall begin with the front cover (and back cover just to make life easier for me!)

I love the front cover  - who wouldn't?! It's just great. It's fun and it's beauty related (kind of) and it reminds me of being in primary school and doing finger painting! Fun!
I like the design on the back and I like the blurb, however I do think it could have been much better.

Open the book up and you are greeting with pages so full of happiness and joy - they're bursting with energy! Most of the pages are AMAZING, however some just make me want to cry (page 122, uh, yuck!). Still, Zoe's hilarious writing style makes up for every little bad bit, and I spent so much time giggling at all the names she came up with - my favourites including, 'you loved up little lamington' and 'you naughty little porcupine!' I also loved her quotes, like, 'I like that brand of topsy turvy, lateral thinking. That's why I prefer to pour milk into the milo tin, instead of the more common Milo-into-milk technique,' 'One question I am asked a lot is "Which do you prefer: Peaches or crocodiles?"'and 'Are you crazy like a coconut?' Hilarious!

Some crazy things I learned:
- A gloss that matches the exact colour of your gums will be the most flattering shade of 'nude' for your lips
- To find the shape of your face, pull your hair back and trace the outline of your face, with a lipstick, on the mirror (okay....)
- Sleeping on a silk pillow prevents you from getting wrinkles (not sure how much I believe this one...)

Some new (and great) ideas:
- Keep roseship oil/rosewater mist handy when you need to freshen up, it works wonders!
- Use a translucent powder to keep your makeup on your face for the whole day!
- If you use bronzer and blush together (it takes skill) you can make it look half decent (I must admit, I cannot do it)

Stuff I am proud to say I already knew/do:
- Applying white eyeliner/shadow in the corner of your eyes open them up and make you look instantly awake - as though you've had a full nights sleep when really you've only been asleep two hours!
- Flaky/Dry skin does not necessarily mean you have to get out the heavy moisturiser - it may just mean your skin needs a drink of water
-Exfoliation is important, but not when you end up ripping the skin off your face instead of removing dead skin cells
-Sunscreen is the most important thing when it comes to skin protection. Wear it everyday, no questions asked!

Stuff of no relevance to me whatsoever:
- Everything about people over the age of 30

- Stuff about deep wrinkles

- The four pages about covering a cold sore (yuck)

And totally random stuff I learnt:

- Don't eat chicken that has been out of the fridge for twelve hours

I won't tell you any more because you should go out and get this book for yourself!

I really liked this book - even if it was a little crazy at times! I would give it 8 out of 10.

* I won't be posting for about 5 days, so this is a special post!

Avon Naturals - Strawberry and Cream

 

Ahhh, strawberries and cream. Yum! Yes, whilst this may not be one of the 'top of the line,' most popular, 'coolest' of lipbalms, it is fairly good.

It smells like strawberries and cream (what a surprise!) and has a similar taste. It can feel a little greasy at times and may take a while to 'sink in', but it's not too bad. It's not too thick and is easily applied. It has no tint or colour to it and is good for purely moisture purposes.

I've been using this lipbalm for a long time now, and I'm pretty pleased with it, especially considering the price.

The packaging isn't all that appealing, but I suppose it doesn't matter all that much.

It's a good product...I might have to look out for more in the 'Avon Naturals' range!

I give this product 8 out of 10.

Innoxa Foundation

I was on holidays and I hadn't packed any makeup because I wasn't planning on doing much...until we bumped into family friends and decided to go out to dinner at this posh restaurant. Great. Well, I made my way up to the chemist in the hope that they would have some cheap (but quality) makeup I could get. I was in luck. Up on the counter was a basket marked 1.50. Yes, I know, I know, you have to be careful about bargain bins with prices so low, but seriously, it was amazing. There were no smushed fluro green lipsticks, nor were there busted yellow eyeliners, it was incredible. I ended up buying 3 lipbalms, 2 lipglosses and 2 foundations. Yes, I may or may not have gone a little crazy!

Anyway, back to the Innoxa foundation. As I mentioned, I got two - Buttermilk and Sandstone. They are the best foundations I have ever had. *Note that I haven't really had all that many foundations before!* The Buttermilk matches my skin perfectly in winter, and the Sandstone in summer, and boy do I get some compliments on my skin!

They're in these little frosted glass bottles and are a great size. I looked them up on the Internet and couldn't find them, so I'm using them incredibly sparingly and treasuring them. I do not want to run out! I wonder how much they are supposed to cost...I would pay a lot for them!

They soak right and in feel great. They don't look cakey but give you a nice, smooth glow that evens out the skin tone. Beautiful!

I give them 10 out of 10!

SoftLips Lip protectant - Orange Sunrise

First of all I am very pleased with the name of this lipbalm. Maybe it's because of my fascination with all things sun related (He-llo Summer!) but whatever it is, I really am fond of the name 'Orange Sunrise.'

Getting past all that, what a cute little lipbalm this is! It's unusually skinny (a little smaller than the thickness of a pencil) and I'm not sure if I like this or not. It means that it takes me longer to apply it, but it is definately more accurate, that's for sure. Another good thing is that it fits in the tight spaces in your bag. Hmmm, I think I prefer normal lipbalms still...

It has a menthol kind of smell, with a hint of orange. Yeah, I would have prefferred it to just be an orange smell, but it's not up to me, is it?!

True to its name it did allow me to be the proud owner of a pair or softlips and I was rather impressed. It soaks in right away and kept my lips smooth and supple. I liked it best when I was wearing it under a gloss, and by itself it didn't really do much in the looks department - just the feel department.

I did need to reapply it several times throughout the day, but it was worth it.

A very good lipbalm I must say, at an impressive price.

I give this product 8 out of 10.

Impulse - London

Normally I wouldn't really be drawn to this kind of scent, however I quite like it and it is a nice change my usual scents.

It is described as having a 'blend of sandalwood, vanilla and grapefruit scents,' however I think it smells a bit like the smell at my local hairdressers.

I must mention that I do love how the can looks - purple with red and black objects arranged in the shape of a love heart - a record, telephone box, umbrella, sunglasses and tea cup to name a few. Cute!

I found that it lingered on me longer than my other Impulse sprays did which was nice.

You can definitely smell the grapefruit.

Not my usual scent, but I did quite like it!

What it smells like to me: Grapefruit, grapes, oranges, the hairdressers, a whiff of vanilla

Where I would wear it: On a rainy day outing in my most stylish winter outfit
Who would wear it: Someone classy and sophisticated who carries an umbrella

Season and time to wear it: Winter during the day (a rainy day!)

I give this product 7 out of 10.

Sorry!

Right, I know this blog may look a little different to when you last visited.
Since I'm new to blogger, I haven't really found out about all the rules, but I expect there's some unwritten rule that you are never to change your blog appearance. Yes, well, I suppose I have just gone and broken that rule. And I'm still not happy with how my blog looks. Agh!

Well, since I only have two followers (shout out to you!) I am going to cross my fingers that they don't mind too much.

Sorry guys!

Hopefully I don't end up changing it yet AGAIN! Still not happy....

Loreal Paris Lipgloss - 6 hr colourstay, Tempting Pink

I tried to make the sparkles show up, but you
know how it is!  Never looks as good in
a photo!

I think this lipgloss should be renamed...

Yes, if you've read my other post, "Very Pink," you would be aware that I am not the best at naming beauty products, but I'm going to give it a shot anyway!

Loreal Paris Lipgloss - 6 hour colourstay in Tempting Pink should be called 'Sparkle Party' or 'Disco ball lips' or 'A thick coating of insane bling for your lips!' Alright, I'll stop for your sake (you shouldn't have to put up with my dodgy naming skills!).

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that this lipgloss is the craziest, sparkliest lipgloss I have ever come across and should have a warning sign plastered all over it, to prevent innocent people from accidentally wearing to formal events (*cough cough*). Yep, I may or may not have done that!

It is a lovely pink colour - not that you notice because you are blinded by blinking lights (otherwise known as sparkles!). It's smooth on the lips and long lasting. I wouldn't call it all that moisturising, actually it feels drying, but it's not too bad.

A very fun lipgloss, but I would recommend wearing it to parties, not important meetings...

I would give this product 7 out of 10.

*Thankyou Nivedita for your comment (I couldn't figure out how to reply back using a comment!) I have added photos to all of my older posts, and will continue doing so from now on! Thanks for the advice!  

Ulta 3 Nail Polish - Watermelon



I've posted a review on Ulta 3 Nail Polish before,but I recently bought a new colour so I thought I may as well do another.

I got the colour 'Watermelon'  after much consideration (the lady at the counter was completely sick of me digging around for the right colour) and I am very pleased with my choice.

Like the colour 'Plum Violet' it's lovely and bright and goes on beautifully. It's one of those colours that is good for more than one season - I would wear it during Summer, Autumn or Spring.

It only needs one coat, but for the best look I apply two.

I don't think it's correctly named - it's a peachy, pinky, orangey kind of colour, not at all the colour of a watermelon!

A good indication of the colour - thankyou camera!

I give this product 9 out of 10.

BYS - Liquid Foundation, Nude

The BYS Liquid foundation in Nude is exactly what it says it is - nude!

I don't think it did ANYTHING to my skin, and it certainly didn't act as a good foundation, I couldn't see any visible difference at all.

It didn't even out my skin or reduce redness, it just literally did nothing. It didn't feel greasy although it didn't really soak into my skin either...what an odd product.

Well, I certainly wouldn't recommend it...even though it is dirt cheap and there is nothing bad about it, it's just such a nothing kind of product.

I would give it 2 out of 10.

Chapstick - Strawberry and Ultra SPF 30

Strawberry

The strawberry chapstick is so well known that there probably isn't any point in me doing a review on it, but I'll do one anyway, just for fun.

Well, the smell is fairly good, however it is a tad artificial and when you really get a good whiff it is a little bit to chemical smelling for my liking. The taste is similar, in small doses it's alright however you don't want to sit there licking your lips. It is easily applied to the lips although it can feel a bit thick/waxy. It is slightly tinted, but barely noticeable, in fact, I personally think that it just brought out the colour that I naturally have in my lips. It's moisturising and stays on your lips for a long time.

It's nice and cheap, so it is definitely worth buying. I give it a 9 out of 10.

Ultra SPF 30

The Ultra SPF 30 chapstick has exactly the same texture as the strawberry one - thicker than the ones I usually use but not too thick that you feel gross. I don't think it is supposed to be flavoured, but it almost has a kind of lemony smell and taste to it. It has no colour, but if you put too much on it can look a little whitish on your lips. It is very moisturising and fixes up damaged lips within a few days, however I have come across better lip balm that are equally good at fixing chapped lips.

It would be good for sports our outdoor activities where you don't care much for how you look, rather whether you are going to get burned or not.

I give this lip balm 6 out of 10.