Lush Bare Naked Lady Dusting Powder

RRP: £5.95 for 3.5 oz

--What is it?--
A natural alternative to talcum powder, with far fewer chemicals.

--Ingredients--
Key: Black = Safe Synthetic Products; Green = Natural and/or Organic Products

Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Magnesium Carbonate, Calamine Powder, Perfume, Golden Glitter (Polyethylene terephthalate and FD&C Yellow No.5), Rose Absolute (Rosa centifolia)

--What does the promo say?--
"Like all dusting powders, this is best applied when bare naked, Let the sparkling, rose scented powder fall on and get in between your nooks and crannies. Fight the urge to remain nude for the rest of the day - go out and seduce someone instead."

--Packaging--
The image shown above is from the USA Lush website (the UK Lush website is down at the moment) and the packaging is only slightly different - in the UK it's a sort of shocking pink colour pot with a black lid, but all other details remain the same, with the name of the product and the Lush logo on the front of the pot, and all other information going round the label. The top is slideable so that you can sprinkle just a little on your body, or stick your fingers right in there for something more full-on. Packaging seems secure and not something that would send dusting powder all over your suitcase or bottom drawer.

--Application--
After a bath or shower, towel yourself dry thoroughly and then sprinkle a little powder wherever desired on your body and rub in. Not recommended for face.

--Appearance--
The powder is white with tiny sparkles. When rubbed into the body, there is no white residue (unless of course you use too much) but the sparkles remain (though not enough to make you look like a Vegas showgirl!). There will be no white residue on your clothes from this product as it seems to rub onto the skin easily.

--Scent--
They claim it smells of roses, but I don't know enough about botany to know if it really does smell of roses. Smells nice and floral, anyway. The scent is light and not overbearing.

--Texture--
The powder is soft and not at all claggy.

--How does your skin feel?--
Very soft and smooth, doesn't irritate the skin, and of course it looks nice and sparkly too! Bonus!

--Longevity--
This product will in all likelihood rub off throughout the day. However, it seems to bear up quite well as far as talcs/dusting powders go.

--Value for money--
Excellent - you don't need to use much of this product per application and even though I've used my pot many times, there's still plenty left. However, I'd agree with some reviewers on the US site that a free dusting pad or puff would be nice with this product. This is an excellent natural alternative to talcum powder and I'd definitely buy it (or any other Lush dusting powder) again.

No7 Shine-Free Makeup Base

RRP: £9.25/40ml
--What does the promo say?--
"No7 Shine Free Make-Up Base stops shine for a matte finish. All day matte... keep shiny skin under control all day long, with this mattifying oil-free base. Light-reflecting particles help disguise fine lines and flaws, while oil-absorbing Biopol helps minimise blemishes and blot away shine without blocking pores. With watermelon and cucumber extracts to help soothe and cool your skin. Hypo-allergenic."

--Packaging--
Comes in a white, square-ish tube with the No7 logo and basic product information on the front in silver font. Doesn't stand up on the base as the lid is quite slender. Nice simple packaging.

--Application--
Squeeze the tube gently until a small amount of the product appears at the tip of the tube. Apply all over face (though I don't know that I'd recommend putting it on your eyelids - there are more specialist eyelid primers available that are probably more sensitive) and rub in.

--Appearance--
The primer is a white lotion with a vaguely pearlised appearance. On the face, it blends perfectly with the skin, leaving no residue. It does exactly what it says on the tube, combatting shine before applying makeup. I've even used this when I'm not even going to wear any makeup at all as it does its job so well.

--Texture--
It is a lotion, but it errs more on the side of stiff than runny. It might sound a bit strange but it really does work very well.

--How does it feel on the skin?--
Light and refreshing. Doesn't weigh your skin down at all or make you feel like you're wearing more makeup than you actually are.

--Value for money--
It is perhaps a little on the expensive side - there are probably other primers out there that are cheaper while being just as good. However, Boots do good deals on their No7 stuff quite often (3 for 2 etc) so you may be able to save some money. I'm open to experimentation, though, for the purposes of comparison if nothing else.

Bourjois Khol and Contour

RRP: £4.20
# of shades available: 13

--Packaging--
As you see it on the screen is how you'll find it in the shop. Just a simple pencil in the colour of the liner, with the Bourjois logo and the name of the product, ingredients etc embossed onto it in silver, with a lid to keep the nib of the pencil protected. The pencil itself is about 12cm long including the lid, and weighs 0.04oz or 1.14g.

--What does the promo say?--
"Blend and shade to define the shape of the eye or apply to the inside rim of the eye for intensity. Available in a delectable palette of shades, from pearly pastels to dramatic darks."

--Application--
Depends how you want to use it. You can follow the line of your upper lashes on your top eyelid, or you can follow the waterline just above your bottom lashes, or both if you're going for the gothic look. I personally opt for the waterline. Make sure the pencil is sharp (but not too sharp, unless you want a trip to Accident and Emergency...) so that your application is precise. Taking your time is probably the most important bit!

--Appearance--
It's hard enough to create a good line, but not so hard that you can't smudge it a little bit if you want. Answer: it looks however you want it to look...

--Texture--
Perfect. No need to even keep this one in the fridge.

--Longevity--
Obviously it's going to last longer on your upper eyelid than on your waterline, but there's nothing you can do about that.

--Value for money--
Excellent. This little baby will last you AGES, and the range of colours is amazing too.

perfect partners
Bourjois Pump Up The Volume: ultimate volume for your lashes, £7.95
Bourjois Suivez Mon Regard: shimmering loose powder eyeshadow with a built-in brush, £6.50

Estée Lauder High Gloss

RRP: £13.00/15ml

# of shades available: 14

--Packaging--

A transparent, slender tube c.8-10cm high with a gold-effect lid and with the Estée Lauder logo and the product name on the tube in gold writing.

--What does the promo say?--

"All you really need to shine.Love this gloss. Now you can wet your lips with luscious supershine, minus the heavy, sticky feel of traditional gloss.High Gloss gives you irresistible colour and brilliance, as it caresses with feel-good conditioners.Lips look moist, plump and smooth.What's not to love?"

--Application--

The end of the tube is cut at a slight angle for easier application - but then again, other, cheaper brands, such as the Maybelline gloss that I reviewed in my very first post, also manage this. Squeeze gently until enough gloss appears at the end of the tube and apply by moving the end of the tube around your lips. Simple stuff.

--Appearance--

I ordered my gloss off the internet, and while I like the shade I chose (Ivory, #2: a nude shade with tiny particles of glitter), the website swatch makes it appear pinker, so while I got lucky, I'd plan on going into a shop first where you can have a look at the different shades before you buy online. (For the record, it is worth buying from the Estée Lauder website, if you're like me and a sucker for those millions of 'free' samples they give out.) On my lips, I'm satisfied with the effect. The Ivory shade would probably suit any complexion, and my pale one is no exception. It appears a slightly darker colour on the tube than on my lips, and the effect of the glitter is nice when my lips catch the light. It doesn't appear too thick or overdone, and it also looks excellent in photographs.

--Texture--

Smooth, as opposed to the stickiness of some cheaper glosses, so they've ticked that box. However, a gloss is a gloss, and hairs will always stick to a gloss when it's a bit windy outside, regardless of how much the gloss is (obviously. Don't think for a moment that I bought the gloss thinking it would be some magical product that wouldn't do this).

--Longevity--

Pretty good - some glosses will rub off even if you're not doing anything like kissing or eating, whereas this gloss lasts for hours when you refrain from these activities.

--Value for money--

It seems smoother than some cheaper glosses, a little goes a long way and you seem to get quite a lot in the tube, so thumbs up there. However, I'm not totally convinced that this is a better option than some cheaper glosses - it doesn't offer any special qualities (it claims to offer extra moisturisation, but I'm not convinced), and nobody's going to look at you while you're wearing this and go 'wow, she must be wearing a really expensive lip gloss'. Equally, nobody's going to look at you while you're wearing a Maybelline lipgloss and go 'wow, she must be wearing a really cheap lip gloss'. Such is the nature of gloss. Hoorah! Happily for us all, style is about attitude and fashion sense, not necessarily the money you spend on getting it.

Atrixo Enriched Hand Moisturising Cream

RRP: £2.49/100ml

--Packaging--
A small, turquoise and pale yellow plastic tub that's just the right size to pop in your handbag. The Atrixo logo and the basic product information is on the lid in dark blue. Simple design that all ages would find appealing.

--What does the promo say?--
"Atrix is the handcare specialist with highly effective products. Atrix offers products for different needs, e.g. to protect your hands, repair chapped hands and to intensively moisturise dry hands."

--Application--
Using your fingers, extract a small amount of cream from the tub and rub into your hands. Repeat throughout the day as often as needed.

--Appearance--
The cream itself is pale yellow. When it's rubbed into the hands, there is no visible residue.

--Texture--
The cream is the perfect consistency - not too runny, not too stiff. When rubbed into the hands, there is no greasiness, only softness.

--Does it do what it promises?--
It promises to soothe and soften your hands, and it definitely does that. I first tried it on my housemate's recommendation when I mentioned my dry hands last winter. The dryness that had unexplainably appeared (though I assume it had something to do with the cold weather) disappeared and stayed away within a couple of days, and it felt lovely on my hands during the winter, so I used it throughout the season.

--Value for money--
Fab - you only need a small amount, it works very well and is affordable. It's also available everywhere, perhaps most notably in Boots, so no need to faff about paying delivery charges online :)

Essence Cosmetics Hand and Nail Tabs

RRP: under £5 for 4 tabs


--Who?--
Essence Cosmetics is run by a German company called cosnova. The Essence brand ethos is reflected in the playfulness of makeup and seems aimed at teenagers, while cosnova's other brand, Catrice, seems more sophisticated and seems aimed at women aged 20-45. The current countries and branches of distribution are: Germany (Budnikowsky, Combi, dm-drogerie markt, Galeria Kaufhof, Famila, Globus, Ihr Platz, Jibi, Kaufland/markt, Kloppenburg, Muller, Rossmann, SBK, Schlecker, tegut, Wal-Mart), Austria (dm-drogerie markt), Switzerland (Co-op, Co-op City, Manor, Muller), the Netherlands and Belgium (Kruidvat), Italy (Billa), France (Galeries Lafayette), Slovenia (A. S. Watson Slowenien), Bulgaria (Dodis), Ireland (Eurosales), Malta (Genesis), Russia (Grand Cosmetics), Lithuania (Kosmelita), and Poland (Sense and Body). Unfortunately this does not yet include the UK, but the reason I'm including this product in my reviews is that on their website http://www.essence-cosmetics.com/, they say that an online service may become available in future. Plus, you can always buy this product if you're visiting any of the shops in the countries detailed above.


--The promo says...--
"Your hands deserve a tingling care experience! The gentle care bath cleans hands and nails while at the same time nourishing them with the beneficial active ingredients found in aloe vera, almond oil and lecithin."


--Packaging--
One sheet of cardboard, with a sheet of transparent plastic over the top holding each of the tabs in place individually in little pockets. The tabs look quite small - probably no more than 5cm in length, if that. Very pink and all recyclable, yay!


--Application--
Dissolve one tab in water and then bathe your hands for as long as you want. Unfortunately the instructions given are not very specific, and you're more likely to need a washing-up basin full of water rather than the piddly little finger bowl I was planning on using as part of a pre-manicure hand treatment. I put one tab in the water and it started to froth quite quickly. As the marshmallow-pink froth started to rise up the sides of the finger bowl I started to worry, as it showed no signs of stopping. I asked my boyfriend to bring a washing-up basin so that I could pour some of the foam away. It calmed down quite quickly, though, but there was still rather a lot of foam. I ended up using the foam all the way up to my elbows as well as on my hands. Because it didn't totally dissolve, some particles were left in the bowl which served as a rather nice exfoliant. When you're done you just wash it all off.


--Appearance--
Oh so pink and fluffy.


--Texture--
The tabs are quite hard and small so it's a bit of a surprise when they fluff up as they do. The foam is very very soft and light.


--How did your skin feel afterwards?--
Extremely smooth - I noticed the difference straight away.


--Value for money--
Excellent. They're cheap as it is (definitely under £5 if not under £3 for 4 tabs) and given the effects I described when they were just put in a small amount of water, you could probably afford to bash them up and use one tab for 2 or even 3 hand baths.


--Would I buy them again?--
Absolutely, now that I know how to get hold of them (if you're in Paris, go to the main Galeries Lafayette building and go down the the very ground floor, the Version Originale, which is the teen section, and you'll find them there).

17 Lasting Fix Nail Polish

RRP: c. £2.99

--What the promo says--
"Nail Varnish. 17 Lasting Fix Nail Polish, one colour. All week, no chips, promise. Hard Working nail polish that stays put, no matter what you get up to. Shake Well and apply 2 coats for maximum coverage."

--Packaging--
Small, slightly squat glass bottle, measuring no more than 5-6cm in height. The lid of the applicator is black, and the 17 logo and the name of the product appears on the front of the bottle in silver.

--Application--
Same as any other nail polish. After applying a base coat, I'll apply the main nail colour using one streak in the middle of the nail and then one either side; after leaving to dry for 5 minutes, I'll repeat this step again, before leaving to dry and then adding the top coat. However, this takes soooo long to dry that perhaps 5 minutes for each coat is a bit optimistic. It smudges easily and it's difficult to get it on the nail in thin enough layers.

--Texture--
Gloopy and runny. Not good news.

--Appearance--
The first coat of colour looks very weak, so you have to apply a second. To be fair, they do say in their promo description that 2 coats looks best. However, I'd say it still looks streaky even then even though the colour itself is strong.

--Does it do what it promises?--
Frankly, no. It chips after a day or two, even with a top coat. 'Lasting fix' my backside.

--Value for money--
Poor, especially considering the smallness of the bottle. While I liked the colour I chose (white with a sort of peacock blue sheen to it when it caught the light), I wouldn't buy this again. It was a last minute purchase (I bought it from the airport Boots when I realised I was off on holiday for 2 months but hadn't packed any nail varnish) and I wouldn't bother with this brand again.

Benefit Dandelion

RRP: £22.50 for 10g

--What is it?--
Contrary to popular belief, Dandelion is not a blusher. To the contrary, it's intended to be used as an all-over face powder to 'set' your makeup or just to give you an English-rose glow on the days when you don't want to wear makeup. Benefit describes it as "soft, pink, perk-me-up powder for instant radiance and a youthful appearance".

--Packaging--
As per Benefit's usual trend, it's gorgeous. The pale olive green box is c. 5cm square and 2-3cm deep, and it has a simple 50s-style line drawing of a dandelion, tinted pink, on the lid, with the word 'dandelion' written in white and the Benefit logo written in black. They also give you a free brush to apply the powder with, that sits neatly on a plastic tray inside the box on top of the powder. The brush has a black handle and the bristles on the brush are pretty soft for a freebie. However, the box is made from cardboard, and I've heard from others who have had their Dandelion for longer that the box soon falls apart.

--Application--
Simply use the brush provided (or your own brush, whichever) and sweep the powder all over your face, starting with the apples of your cheeks.

--Appearance--
In the box the powder looks very pink, which is possibly why people have mistaken it for a blusher in the past. However, on your face it's very subtle with tiny particles of glitter. As a blusher it would have very little effect as it's so pale. On my pale skin this powder works well, but if you have darker skin you may prefer Georgia or Hoola from the Benefit powder range.

--Texture--
Soft, silky and with very fine particles. On the face it also feels very smooth.

--Longevity--
Not bad, but you'd benefit (ha, ha, see what I did there?) from another application around lunchtime, just to keep your glow looking even.

--Value for money--
Excellent. There is more powder in the box than there first appears and I've heard of people who have had theirs for 1-2 years. However, I'm sure there are other products on the market that do the exact same thing, and I'm very cynical about this brand generally: I've found cheaper alternatives that are just as good in almost all cases, and I'm sure you're just paying for the funky packaging most of the time.

--Does it do what it says on the box?--
I'd say so, yes. I feel and look fresher when I'm wearing it and it definitely helps to keep any other makeup that you're wearing in place.

Maybelline Define-A-Lash Mascara

RRP: £5.49
# of shades available: 2

--Packaging--
As you may have noticed, this mascara tube is bright green, and I don't really know what to make of that. On the good side it's funky, young, and stands out among the many black, brown and navy blue mascara tubes. On the bad side it's a bit too acidic-looking and retro for me, but that could just be me being old-fashioned. Anyway, Maybelline's main selling point with this mascara is due to the unique brush - it's made of rubber, meaning that it works with the curve of your lashes more, and it has a rollerball technology just inside the neck of the tube, which is meant to eliminate clumps from the brush every time the brush slides out of the tube (allegedly).

--What does the promo say?--
"Fancy sexier, more defined lashes?
NEW DEFINE-A-LASH lengthening zero-clump mascara.The unique shaped-to-the-lash brush is ultra flexible, designed to reach and accentuate each and every lash. NEW DEFINE-A-LASH mascara has a lightweight formula and unique built-in clump remover leaves zero clumps on brush for zero clumps on lashes."

--Application--
Same as any other mascara on the market. No tricks there.

--Appearance--
On the brush it appears to live up to its promises. No clumps the size of a small island here. Again, when you apply to your lashes, no clumps. So technically it does what it says it does. However, despite the rubber brush, I found it didn't truly separate my lashes, so while there were no clumps, a few of my lashes did cling to one another, meaning I still had to get out my eyelash brush and go through them once the mascara was dry, which rather defeats the point of the exercise really. It also only comes in two shades: black and brown. I usually use black, so this isn't exactly a problem for me, but come on, most mascara ranges can manage better than this.

--Longevity--
Impressively, it doesn't budge, even in the rain, despite not being advertised as waterproof, and yet there are no problems removing it. Good work.

--Value for money--
Perfectly fine, all things considered - it's in the same price range as most other high street mascaras. However, I've not had mine very long, so we'll see.

--Other comments--
I was intrigued by this mascara as I'd never seen anything like it. However, while it's a nice mascara in its own right, and Maybelline have made a pretty good effort with the concept, I'm not sure it totally does what it says on the box. Next time I'll probably just stick with their years-old classic, Maybelline Great Lash.

Too Faced Extreme Lip Injection

RRP: £17.00 (also available in the US and in Europe, though it's only marginally cheaper) for 6g/0.2oz.

--Ingredients--

Mineral Oil (Paraffinum Liquidum), Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Butylene/ Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Simmondsia Chinesis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Ethylhexl Palmitate, Tribehenin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Palmitoyl, Oligopeptide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Benzyl Nicotinate, Capiscum Frutescens Resin, Pentaerithrityl Tetraisotearate, Silica Dimethyl Silyate, Sodium Chondroitin Sulphate, Atelocollagen, Propylparaben, Flavour (Aroma). May contain iron oxides.

--Packaging--

The box is white with pink stripes, with all information and the Too Faced logo gracing it in black. While the majority of the writing on the box is in quite a neutral, professional font, the 'Lip' in 'Lip Injection' and the Too Faced logo provide a refreshing amount of girliness with the trademark curly writing that's quite synonymous with the vintage image that the company projects in all of its products. The gloss tube itself is c. 7cm long, 2cm of that being taken up by the applicator lid. The applicator lid is black and clear with the Too Faced logo in pink; the tube itself is transparent.

--What does the promo say?--

"Want a permanent plump?Lip Injection Extrême is a lip plumping serum that gives long term results based on four of the most scientifically proven and advanced lip plumping technologies. Increase lip volume and plumpness permanently with continued use! This serum is to be used in the morning and evening along with your normal skin care routine. Apply a generous amount of Lip Injection Extrême on clean dry lips. Wait one minute before applying lip color or balm to allow the unique formula to penetrate your lips. Use the original “Lip Injection” during the day between applications to prolong and increase your plump!"

--Application--

Easy peasy, just unscrew the lid and apply a very thin layer to your lips before rubbing in.

--Appearance--

On the lips it appears as a regular clear gloss, even though through the bottle there appears to be a slight pink iridescence to it.

--Scent--

Slightly fruity, though not overbearingly so. I was quite surprised by this - seeing as Too Faced promote it as a cosmetic alternative to Botox, I had expected it to smell more clinical.

--Sensation--

Too Faced warns you on the box that the product contains collagen and "instant blood vessel dilators", and that as such, you will probably experience a "slightly intense tingling sensation" on your lips that lasts between 5 and 10 minutes. They're not wrong - it's similar to the feeling you get if you've eaten some citrus fruit and you forget to wash off some of the juice from around your mouth. It's uncomfortable rather than painful, and as they point out, it passes quickly, but I can understand how people would find it unpleasant. Still, they do warn you, so if you're still daft enough to buy this knowing that you won't like the feeling...After the 5-10 minutes, your lips feel totally normal again.

--Does it do what it says on the box?--

Yes. I noticed a difference in my lips immediately (my lips aren't as thin as some people's, but they certainly benefit from this product), and while Too Faced recommend applying the product throughout the day to prolong and maintain the plumping effect, I don't think it's really necessary - you could get the effect you want for an evening out with just one application, in my view, and there's certainly no need to use for a minimum of 30 days, morning and night, for maximum long term effects, unless you have REALLY thin lips.

--Value for money--

If you're just going to use it from time to time, then I'd say excellent. However, if you're planning on applying it every day as they suggest to achieve long term results, I probably wouldn't recommend it unless you were really insecure.

--Other comments--

It does what it says on the box, and it's not a bad price either. However, my boyfriend did look visibly concerned at the prospect of me putting collagen onto my lips, and the list of ingredients certainly makes interesting reading, so I would be wary of using this stuff on a regular basis.