Molton Brown Global Heroes

--What does the promo say?--

"London via the World
Our star performers return from exotic climes to celebrate in London, our home. Including five of our bath & shower gel stars all wrapped up in the colours they deserve.
Unite. Energise. Celebrate.
Contains 100ml sizes of:
Re-charge Black Pepper Bodywash
Relaxing Yuan Zhi Bath & Shower
Vitalising Vitamin AB+C Bath & Shower
Paradisiac Pink Pepperpod Bath & Shower
Warming Eucalyptus Bath & Shower"

--Packaging--

Each of the shower gels comes in a hard transparent plastic bottle, with a raised design towards the top of the bottle. Writing on the bottle is kept minimal, with the shade varied according to the shower gel colour. The screw-top lid is decorated with a nice silver effect that's sure to add a touch of sophistication to any bathroom. The 100ml sizes are perfect for travel - you can voyage safe in the knowledge that they won't leak on the way. They are together presented in a gold, silver and bronze gift box (although the set I was sent by Molton Brown's PR didn't come with this).

--Usage instructions--

Lather onto wet skin under the shower, or run under a flow of hot water for a sumptuous bubble bath. Relax, then rinse.

--Appearance--

Each of the gels is a different colour in keeping with its theme and ingredients. Harmoniously, the Vitamin AB+C gel is a cheerful yellow, while the pepper version is a dark brown, almost verging on black. The pink pepperpod version speaks for itself, while the eucalyptus shower gel is green. None of these leave any visible residue on the skin after rinsing off the white lather that's created.

--Scent--

The gels smell exactly as would be expected from their ingredients, and are rich, high-quality, and natural incarnations of these to boot. The only perhaps less known scent - the yuan zhi root, for the "London via China" shower gel - smells, rest assured, deliciously fragrant, striking an ideal balance between sweet and musky, and is more intense than its body cream counterpart, which I also tested recently. The Vitamin AB+C gel and eucalyptus gel are to be commended for their vibrancy, and the pepper gels for their spice. With the exception of the black pepper gel, which smells decidedly masculine, all are quite unisex and can be used by the whole family.

--Texture and consistency--

I have already mentioned the fine yet luxurious white foam that's created by lathering up under the shower (I don't have a bath enabling me to test it in this form, though - boo hiss). Neither too runny nor too viscous, and definitely not sticky, the gels make it easy to get a good lather going and deliver a consistently pleasant performance as a result. Easy to rinse.

--Value for money--

At £36 for 5 shower gels, you have a convenient travel product that allows you to try out 5 different scents for £7.20 each. Such prices are on a par with high-end brands as diverse as Hugo Boss, Green People and Korres, which I feel is a good price point in the sense of reflecting the quality of the ingredients used and overall product result. However, as all of these gels are available in 300ml formats at £18 each, it's clear that the full sizes are better value (at the travel/gift rate of £7.20 per 100ml, you'd be paying around £21.50 for a 300ml bottle instead). It's easy, though, to see why the premium is there: the extra packaging involved in gift or travel sets has to be paid for somehow, and consumers are usually willing to pay extra for the luxury of choice or convenience. This kit fulfils those functions easily - but once you've chosen the scent you prefer, definitely go for the full-size bottle for optimal value and keep your eyes open for Molton Brown's sales.

perfect partners

Women's Stowaway 2012, £46

Women's Traveller 2012, £40 

Frequent Traveller 2012, £40

Radiant Lili-pili Hairwash, currently £9 in the sale

Barbie Loves Stila Paint Pot

RRP: $40, €35

# of variants: 4 (1959, 1971, 1980, 2000)

contains: essentially what you get in every pot is a three-shadow eye palette, a lip product, and an eye product, with the lip and eye products being from Stila's usual catalogue and with the eye palette being an exclusive.

(shown left-right, top-bottom: 2000, 1980, 1959, 1971)

--What does the promo say?--
"In this collection created to celebrate Barbie's 50th birthday, each paint can features the look of an iconic Barbie doll from the past five decades, and inside each can is everything you need to get that beautiful Barbie doll's signature look. The Barbie Loves Stila paint can also includes a "Barbie Look Book" that includes a history of each top-selling Barbie doll over the last five decades."

--Packaging--
The pink paint can is a little difficult to open, but is enticingly decorated, with a picture of the relevant Barbie for the year concerned (you can have a Dita von Teese style for 1959, a Malibu Barbie pot for 1971, a pot for Halle Berry style complexions for 1980 [think it's the big hair that does it for the decade] or a more modern Barbie for the year 2000). The lip product and eye product in the pot (from hence I refer to the 1971/Malibu Barbie pot) are of Stila's usual packaging standards, with the lip gloss being operated by a plastic twist-syringe style mechanism (see-through so that you can see how much you've used) and the mascara being in a chic silvery tube. My one complaint was with the eye palette box. While nicely designed with a Barbie picture and magnetic closure, I was horrified to discover (when I tipped the open box upside down to see the product information on the back) that the pan shadows are not glued or stuck down in any way. This meant that two of my shadows sustained slight damage when they fell out of the box. Great. Poor showing really - even EyesLipsFace, a much cheaper brand, sticks its shadows inside its palettes.
Lamentably, my pot also did not come with a Look Book, though perhaps it's just the American ones that do.

--Application--
Nothing tricky about this. Apply the mascara and lip gloss as usual. The lip gloss doesn't take long at all to appear at the end of the pen, even on the first use - just twist and go. Helpfully, the bronzer that comes with the two shadows can also double up as a liner or even as an eyeshadow itself if used carefully.

--Appearance--
The 1971 and 2000 pots are likely to be the ones that suit most complexions, with the 1959 and 1980 pots being slightly more niche. The blue eyeshadow in the 1971 pot is a bit daring, but is fine when used sparingly, and the nude shadow is great for any occasion. The mascara is wonderful - highest quality mascara that I've used in ages. The lipgloss is very subtle and will suit just about anyone.

--Texture/consistency--
The lip gloss is slightly sticky, but not too bad. The mascara is completely clump-free and the eyeshadows only crease minimally, if at all.

--Scent--
The lip gloss smells and tastes like bubble gum, which I was initially taken aback by, but I know that I would always rather have this than a lip gloss that tastes and smells like soap (cheers, Clarins...).

--Longevity--
The eyeshadows put in a fairly good performance, though they're not always completely crease-free. The mascara holds almost too well, with it being difficult to remove; by contrast, the lip gloss does not stand up brilliantly, with reapplication definitely being needed after eating.

--Value for money--
I admit to being slightly foxed by this. When I bought mine, it was in the sale, so I got it for €5 (bargain!). The original price label said €14, so I was surprised to log onto the French Sephora website and find it retailing for €35. Part of me thinks that I wouldn't pay the full RRP for it, but when you add up the normal retail prices of the original items, it soon surpasses the price of this kit (the lip glaze alone is €19, with the mascara coming in at €12, and with the Stila mono shadows costing €14 and quads costing €32). It therefore seems that you do get rather good value after all, and given that this is coming out in the UK (I don't know when, but I know it is), I'm guessing it will retail at about £20-£25, which seems reasonable enough. I do wish, though, that they would stick those damn eyeshadows into the palette. Come on, Stila. You know it makes sense.

perfect partner
Barbie Loves Stila Talking Palette, $40

Tarte Cosmetics "We Wish You Health" limited edition travel set

RRP: $30

--What does the promo say?--
During the holidays we want to look our best! And that means beginning our healthy beauty routine with a clean slate™. This skinvigorating™ 4-piece discovery set includes all the tools for looking better, naturally. Whether you keep it for yourself or give it as a gift, it’s the perfect start to a new year!

--Packaging--
The kit contains one face primer, one mascara, one eyeshadow duo, and one lipgloss. I'm currently in the process of reviewing all the products in this pack individually, so I won't go into detail on that, but suffice it to say it's all very cute and dinky, with tops that won't fall off and send eyeshadow (or whatever) everywhere (the eyeshadow packaging in particular is ingeniously designed; go to my Lock and Roll review and you'll see me extolling its virtues). The sizes of the products are perfect for travel and so won't have the customs officials staring at you with their death-rays-for-eyes; and it all comes in an adorable purple faux-snake-skin casing with a little see-through window. Nice.

--Application--
For the facial primer, you don't really need an applicator - just smear it on your face with your fingers. For all other products, applicators are pretty much included (apart from the rollerball eyeshadow, which is somewhat self-explanatory, non?).

--Appearance--
Facial primer: none, as it's a translucent, colourless gel.
Mascara: visible thickening of lashes, with minimal clogs and clumps. Hoorah.
Eyeshadow: powder shadow needs a bit of coaxing along, as it's the subtlest of all subtle shadows I've owned (apart from possibly one that I own by Guerlain, but that's another story), but it gets there. The cream is rather stronger, but can be blended to suit, and can also be used as a liquid liner.
Lip gloss: Shiny. Ooooh so shiny (and with a hint of glitter too).

--Scent and taste--
Only the lipgloss has a scent and a taste, and I'm sorry to say it's bad. It's strawberry. Kind of reminds me of some really dodgy 'strawberry' candy floss I had at Thorpe Park once. Still, could be worse. Earwax-flavoured lip gloss, anyone?

--Texture--
Fine by all accounts. Mascara not claggy (and they actually use a REAL picture of someone's eye on their website before/after pics, not a Photoshopped picture of an actress wearing falsies). Primer smooth. Lipgloss not sticky. Eyeshadow appropriately creamy/powdery without going everywhere. Once again, hoorah.

--Longevity--
All good. The mascara in fact probably works a little too well, in fact - I can barely remove it at night and invariably wake up with panda eyes in the morning (and this is their non-waterproof version!).

--Value for money--
For a mere fifteen of our English pounds, you get to try all of these wonderful products (which all seem to retail at $30-ish each for their full-size versions), as well as the carry-case, which can be kept for future travels. As I said on my review of Too Faced's portable makeup kit, many kits are crap value for money in comparison.

--Other comments--
While Tarte don't deliver internationally from their own website, www.beauty.com and www.amazon.com seem happy to ship worldwide.
Go on, let's get another thoroughly British "hoorah" in there for good measure :)

Too Faced Little Pink Book

RRP: £22.00
Contains: 2 concealers, 1 blush, 2 eyeliner shadows, 2 brow shadows, 1 applicator, 3 eyeshadows, 2 glosses, 1 mirror

--Packaging--
In a lot of the pictures I saw on the internet, the outside of the little pink book looks kind of fabric-like, so I was surprised when mine arrived and it was all shiny and sparkly. I didn't know whether to be disappointed because it wasn't what I'd expected, or happy because it was pretty anyway. Inside the little pink book, everything is quite concisely and neatly laid out. Good start.

--What does the promo say?--
"A must-have makeup book/palette that holds all your naughty little secrets. This version of a Too Faced girl's little black book is filled with every beauty essential required to melt the hearts of any man, and make other women "pink" with envy. Slip it into your pocket for touch-ups on the town!"

--Application--
The book provides you with one applicator - one end is an eyeshadow sponge, the other end is a lipgloss brush. This is fine in itself but they could do with providing at least one more applicator for the eyeliner/brow stuff. I'm fine to use my fingers for the blush and concealer but using your fingers for the eyeliner and brow stuff just looks really messy and lame. There should be room for me to stick another little brush in there though.

--Appearance and scent--
No scents to speak of, but to be honest I was a little disappointed with the appearance of the concealers and lipglosses at the outset. They looked a bit greasy/oily and a bit cheap, kind of like the free makeup you get with teen magazines and definitely not what you expect for £22. However, they were fine on application, though I'd warn that a little of the lipgloss goes quite a long way.

--Texture--
Everything fine except the lipgloss, which feels a bit overpowering and heavy on your lips if you apply too much. Just limit your application and you should be OK though.

--Longevity--
Pretty good, actually, even the lipgloss. I was impressed - I wore the lipgloss while eating and it definitely stood the test.

--Coverage--
The concealer is OK, but I personally prefer to wear a foundation as well. I have a mini foundation that I can carry about with me though, and I can appreciate why they couldn't include one as the differences between shades of foundation are so important. If you have clear skin (unlike me...sob) then you'll be fine with just having a concealer.

--Removal--
Easy to remove.

--Value for money--
It is a bit expensive, but I was looking for a makeup palette for a very long time before buying this one, and this is the only one that doesn't include a ridiculous number of shades of lipgloss and eyeshadow and (more importantly) it was the only one I found that actually had a concealer. When you consider other products on the market, such as the Bourjois Petit Guide de Style (which incidentally only has 2 eyeshadows and nothing else for your £7), you get an excellent range of products for the price. Ultimately I would say it is worth the money paid (particularly if you buy off ebay, hehe).

--Other comments--
The only thing I would recommend that they include is one more applicator and also a mini mascara - if Estee Lauder can give away mini mascaras with every order I think Too Faced can manage to fit one in there for your £22. Despite this tiny criticism, I would still emphasise that it is a fabulous concept - I liked it from the first time I saw it and it's really quite different to other palettes on the market. It would make a lovely gift for anyone who feels the need to look good while on the move.