Avon Arabian Glow Eyeliner

RRP: £4
no. of shades available: 3 (emerald, gold and turquoise)

--What does the promo say?--
"Glides on easily for a gorgeous glow. Lines eyes with waterproof, smooth colour."

--Packaging--
Just as you see it in the picture - a simple but glamorous gold pencil, with a clear lid and the Avon logo and product name written on the pencil in white.

--Application--
I normally apply my kohl eyeliners on the waterline, but I found that this didn't go on the waterline too well at all - probably because it's so smooth. However, the upside of this is that it doesn't drag on the upper lash line, and it's easy to apply below the lower lashes too.

--Appearance--
Gives an excellent line (well, except on the waterline, but I've already explained that), and because of the metallic colours in which it's available, it actually looks lovely when applied on both the above and below lash lines, not looking too Gothic or over the top. Plus, despite the fact that there are only 3 shades available, there should be one here to suit any eye colour. However, they're definitely shades for younger makeup wearers, or at the very least, older makeup wearers would need to wear the eyeliner differently, perhaps as an enhancement to eyeshadow rather than being worn alone.

--Texture--
Smooth, but not too soft. Could do with being a little bit harder for waterline use, but this looks so lovely when applied on the lash lines only that I'm prepared to make that sacrifice.

--Longevity--
Brilliant, except near the outer corners of the eyes, where it tends to smudge.

--Value for money--
Despite being essentially a budget brand, the quality of Avon's products is generally brilliant, and at £4, this eyeliner is far cheaper than its high street competitors, as well as challenging (and in some cases exceeding) them in terms of excellence.

perfect partner
Avon Arabian Glow Embossed Eyeshadow, £5

No7 Essential Moisture Foundation

RRP: £10.00 for 40ml
No. of shades available: 6

--What does the promo say?--
"Beauty made simple. Keep your skin feeling comfortably moisturised all day long with this easy to wear medium coverage foundation. The rich creamy formula blends easily to cover minor imperfections, giving an even, dewy finish with a wonderfully lightweight feel. Enriched with vitamins A & E and SPF12 to care and protect for your skin. It is hypo-allergenic and fragrance-free."

--Packaging--
It's a squeezy black plastic flip-top bottle which stands on its lid and has the No7 logo and all product information written in a metallic gold, easy-to-read font. However, from the Boots website picture, it now appears that they no longer place the sticker detailing the shade on the front of the bottle. It is a shame if this is the case as it enables you to see the shade clearly and the skin-coloured sticker really stands out from the otherwise plain design. However, it could be that they've merely removed this for the purposes of the picture. The flip top is secure and easy to open and close.

--Application--
Simple really - open the lid, squeeze some foundation onto your fingertips, a brush or a sponge, and apply all over your face.

--Texture--
Creamy, with an absolutely perfect consistency - not too runny and not too hard. On the face it feels smooth and light.

--Appearance--
On the skin the effects are obvious without you looking like you've plastered the foundation on with a trowel. The overall effect is dewy and matte with exactly the right amount of coverage.

--Longevity--
This foundation doesn't rub or slide off as the day goes on, though I'd say that dry patches and blemishes become more obvious, so you may benefit from regular touch-ups throughout the day (though of course if you have perfect skin then this will be irrelevant!).

--Coverage--
Pretty good - I'm happy with it so far at least.

--Value for money--
For an own-brand range, I've always found No7 to be of excellent quality (even though I think 6 available shades of this foundation is quite a paltry selection). It is cheaper than brands of similar quality and I'd say it's even better than brands that are widely perceived to be of higher quality, such as Max Factor. One tube of this also lasts quite well, even if you wear makeup every day, so for this price, I'd definitely recommend it.

Tresemme Heat Defence Styling Spray

RRP: £3.99 for 300ml

--What does the promo say?--
"Contains a heat activated complex to help protect hair when drying and straightening."

--Packaging--
A professional, slim black spray bottle, with a striking white and purple colour scheme used for the company logo and product information. It's also of a good portable size, measuring in at 23cm/9 inches tall. In keeping with Tresemme's image, it really does look like it's come straight off the shelf in a professional hairdresser's. If it isn't TRULY used by salons as their advertisements claim, then they do a pretty damn good job at faking it.

--Application--
There's a plastic clip on the spray action part of the bottle, which they recommend using as a clamp between uses if you have young children. Since I don't have young children, I threw the clamp away. If you keep it, though, you need to remove the clamp before each use. When you've removed the clamp, simply spray the product onto wet hair before drying. In a way it's difficult to apply as it doesn't emerge from the bottle in huge clouds like with a hairspray, but rather, in short bursts, more like a cleaning spray. Consequently it can be difficult to tell where you've applied it, so there's a real possibility of wastage.

--Appearance--
The spray appears to be clear and there's no visible residue on the hair after use.

--Scent--
It smells fruity but not too sweet, and again, the scent wouldn't be out of place in all the sounds and smells of the hairdresser's salon. The smell also lingers on your hair for a reasonable amount of time. While the spray could easily be used by women and men, I don't know if men would find the scent too girly.

--How much do you need to use?--
Earlier I spoke about the risk of wastage - however, this can be avoided, as just a few quick spritzes is easily enough to protect your hair, particularly if you spread it through your hair with your fingers.

--Washing out--
No need to wash out the spray - leave it in while your hair dries.

--How does your hair look and feel afterwards?--
Definitely de-frizzified. It looks and feels much smoother and less dry. Even a day after using the spray on my hair and being rained on, my hair still felt smooth the next day, even without washing. It doesn't feel at all claggy, gluey or sticky before or after use.

--Effects throughout the day--
As mentioned, the effects of this spray seem pretty constant. With continued use over the weeks and months, things can only improve.

--Value for money--
Excellent, particularly if you catch Superdrug on a day where they're selling them on a Buy One Get One Free deal.

--Other comments--
Tresemme has also recently released a new range of sprays, in its Thermal Creations range - the Heat Tamer Spray and the Curl Activator Spray.

Glow by J-Lo Limited Edition Shimmer Eau de Toilette

RRP: £26.00 for 50ml

--What does the promo say?--
"This fragrance from Jennifer Lopez is fresh, sexy and clean. It has top notes of orange flower, grapefruit, and citrus, middle notes of rose, sandalwood, and amber and bottom notes of jasmine, vanilla, musk, and orris. And for the fragrance's 5 year anniversary, it will be available for a limited time with body shimmer built in. With this limited edition comes a personal touch from Jennifer - a new wearable charm made from CRYSTALLIZED - Swarovski Elements."

--Packaging--
A gorgeous, curvaceous bottle - much like the lady herself. It's got a pinky, bronzy glow to it that should attract paler and more tanned girls alike, and a small, sophisticated silver spray top. Hanging around the main body of the bottle is the aforementioned Swarovski 'Glow' charm. It's all very attractive and feminine without being so girly as to alienate a whole subset of women.

--Application--
Just spritz wherever you desire - cleavage, wrists, neck...however, I'd advise doing this while you're still naked/in your underwear to avoid getting glitter all over your clothes.

--Appearance--
Unlike most perfumes, this leaves a beautiful subtle bronze shimmer wherever it's sprayed which can be easily blended. I greatly approve, as this is quite unusual for a perfume. The only brands I can think of that possibly also do this are Cacharel and Ralph Lauren, neither of which are especially affordable in comparison. The shimmer is also long-lasting, which is encouraging.

--Scent--
Part of me wonders if perhaps there are too many scents in this for them all to be individually discernible, but they all blend beautifully and the overall result is a musky, sophisticated, sexy scent that goes against the usual fruity, cheap-smelling trend of celebrity perfumes. This is clearly aimed at women rather than tweenagers!

--Longevity--
Both scent and glitter lasted excellently. Only needs reapplication once a day at most.

--Value for money--
Pretty good, especially given that it's limited edition and you have the added appeal of the shimmer as well. Top marks - especially seeing as should you want to test the scent, the original Glow gift pack contains shower gel, body lotion and 30ml of the perfume for just £21.

Clinique Superfit Foundation

RRP: £17.50 for 30ml
no. of shades available: 12

--What does the promo say?--
"Long-wearing, constant comfort makeup. Doesn't streak or fade. Lightweight, oil-free formula allows skin to breathe; skin feels comfortable and looks fresh. Natural finish, moderate coverage. Advanced technology uses a high-performance blend of ultra-fine fibres to soak up perspiration and absorb oil without disturbing makeup. Volatile silicone and treated pigments provide long wear and colour trueness. Lightweight, oil-free formula."

--Packaging--
A nice size bottle that's pleasantly styled in keeping with the Clinique brand. However, the sloped nozzle looks great but is in reality impractical. It's very difficult to control how much foundation is dispensed and it often just sends excess foundation everywhere. They could really do with changing this.

--Application--
Assuming you haven't managed to spill foundation everywhere by now, just apply to your face in the normal way - using a brush, sponge or your fingers - to create a good base for makeup.

--Texture--
Very smooth and feels nice on the skin, though it's quite runny.

--Appearance--
I was amazed that Clinique could get colour so wrong. I bought this foundation as part of a job lot on ebay, and I assumed that 'healthy' would suit most complexions. I was therefore shocked to find that it streaked orange onto my face. I initially thought that it was merely too dark for my skin tone, so I passed it on to my sister, who has a slightly more olivey/yellowish skin tone than I do. She, however, also found it was no good, and her pronouncement was that "it's actually orange...NOBODY has skin that colour." It's possible that going through to the paler shades would make things better, but I would think that this would get worse as the foundations become darker - and the 'healthy' shade only falls midway in the range.

--Coverage--
Highlights what you want to hide, and is quite difficult to blend. Not great at all.

--Value for money--
For that money, you expect better. Buy No7 or Elizabeth Arden instead. Strangely, though, Clinique's Airbrush Concealer is excellent - which suggests that Clinique's products should only be used in moderation on your face.

perfect partners
Clinique Airbrush Concealer, £15.00 for 1.5ml
Clinique Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder, £16.50 for 7.6g

Lush Buffy Body Scrub Bar

RRP: £4.25 for 90g; £8.75 for 200g

--What does the promo say?--
"For larger expanses of skin. You asked and so we granted your wish for an extra large helping of Buffy Bar. It`s not just for large backsides; it`s for several helpings of scrubbery all in one bar! Here`s a bar you can grasp firmly and use to wage war on wobbly bits."

--Ingredients--
Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao) , Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii) , Ground Rice (Oryza sativa) , Ground Almonds (Prunus dulcis) , Ground Aduki Beans (Phaseolus) , Perfume , Lavender Oil (Lavandula hybrida) , Lemon Oil (Citrus limonum) , *Citral , *Limonene , *Linalool

* Occurs naturally in essential oils.

--Packaging--
A huge perk of Lush products generally is that they are hugely environmentally aware and their products tend to have minimal or no packaging. On the whole, this has no packaging, but if you ask nicely, Lush will wrap it in some paper or a little plastic bag should you so desire. You can also buy body bar tins from Lush which are exactly the right size for any size of Buffy, and can of course be used again for any future body bars that you buy.

--Application--
While in the shower, rub the body bar all over your body, particularly on any stubbornly cellulite-y wobbly bits. When you're done scrubbing, rinse off.

--Appearance--
Buffy is a sandy coloured, squareish block that softens slightly when you rub it on wet skin. On your skin, it leaves grains resembling sand. Any residue left on the skin after rinsing is invisible.

--Scent--
The overwhelming scent is that of lavender.

--Texture--
While you're scrubbing, it feels nice. However, a residue (albeit an invisible one) is left on the skin afterwards, which to me feels oily and seems to take a long time to sink into the skin.

--How does the skin feel?--
I wouldn't say my skin feels any softer than usual after using Buffy. However, if you suffer from dry skin then you may well see an improvement.

--Does it do what it says it will?--
This product probably moisturises very well and I expect that if you have dry skin then it will be a success for you. However, it is pitched as an anti-cellulite product and I didn't find it had any effect on my cellulite. Shame.

--Longevity--
Seeing as it had little/no effect in the first place, I think this part of the review is somewhat redundant. The scent does linger really nicely though.

--Value for money--
Not great. While one bar lasts a long time, there is a lot of wastage as the bar is messy to use: lots of sandy stuff is left in the shower when you're done (so you have to hose down the shower tray after each use) and if any water gets into the tin, it mixes with residue from the bar and solidifies into a waxy layer at the bottom of the tin. It's easily scraped off, but still. It's also quite expensive for what it is. However, there are cheaper body bars available from Lush, so I wouldn't be averse to trying one of those.

--Other comments--
I can appreciate that part of the problem with this product is the fact that it's an exfoliator and thus contributes to the mess accumulated during its use. However, I'd guess that a more moisturising bar such as Schnuggle might be less messy, and I'd definitely be up for trying a cheaper, more moisturising bar that didn't make ludicrous promises about cellulite disappearance. I also like the fact that the body bars are square and thus easier to keep hold of in the shower (the Body Shop does a Buffy equivalent, but it's ovular). When I've tried another body bar, I'll let you know...


Other body bars
Schnuggle - lavender, ginger, sandalwood and jasmine
Aqua Mirabilis - almond, rose and sandalwood
King of Skin - cocoa, shea, coconut, bananas, jojoba, avocado, and oatmeal
Running To The Embassy - spearmint and peppermint
The Soft Touch - coconut, beeswax, cocoa butter and vanilla
You Snap The Whip - blackcurrant and bergamot

* prices vary from those quoted for Buffy.

Body Shop Cocoa Butter Lip Care Stick

RRP: £4/4.2g

--What does the promo say?--
"Next time you're hit with a chocolatey craving, try smoothing on this lip luxury. With Community Trade organic beeswax, plus moisturising olive, coconut and sweet almond oils."

--Packaging--
A very appropriate cream-and-brown colour scheme is used for this dinky little lip care stick, with all of the information you need on the label without things looking too crowded. The lid is a translucent cream colour and you twist the bottom of the tube to make more of this creamy lip butter appear at the top. The tube is a nice size as well at just 6cm long.

--Application--
No surprises here - just pull off the lid, twist the bottom of the tube, and apply directly to lips.

--Appearance--
The lip butter is a matte cream colour, and on the lips it takes a slightly off-white colour that surprisingly doesn't look at all unnatural, though it does have a tendency to highlight any dry bits of skin.

--Texture--
Luxurious, conditioning, and smooth without being sticky or slippy.

--Scent--
Smells like milk chocolate. Yummy.

--Taste--
Sadly not as strong as the scent, but that's OK.

--Longevity--
For a lip product that isn't marketed as being long-lasting, it lasts a surprisingly long time. It even lasts for a limited amount of time after eating before you need to apply more.

--Long-term and short-term effects--
With the weather getting colder, this is a total Godsend. After a cold bike ride back from today's lectures, I put some of this on and my lips immediately felt better. Long-term, lips become visibly smoother and softer.

--Value for money--
While this lip care stick is more on the expensive side than other lip care sticks on the market (Nivea's sticks, for example, start from just £1.68 for 4.8g), I'd say it's worth it for the luxuriousness alone, whereas Nivea's lip care range seems more for everyday use rather than being something to make you feel special. Everything has its place and all that!