Sienna X Express Tanning Mist

Whilst on holiday in Malia I picked up an English mag from the overpriced shops over there! It was the Company issue with Nicole Richie on the front. I was reading through there holiday ready tips and they mentioned the Sienna X Express Tanning Mist as the easiest most full proof tanning product! So naturally I had to purchase it...

I had a look to see if there were any reviews online, I think I came across one via Google! So I bought it pretty much based on what the magazine said which isn't very like me, I like to read reviews first. I used it first off as a whole body tanner, I know risky! I found the application incredibly easy, the product didn't even require me to rub it in, just an effortless airbrush application. The great thing about this tan is that you notice development in 2-4 hours! It fully develops after 8 hours but after waiting four you will definitely notice your skin to be more bronzed! Great for last minute resorts on nice out!

The smell of this products is gorgeous, kind of coconut like and fresh. It dries instantly on the skin so no pottering around naked until your no longer tacky!

I was left with a beautifully even, deep bronze colour! I was so impressed and my hands and feet had never had such an even and easy application! The only down side was that I felt I used a hell of a lot of the product for one body application, so I would set this aside for legs or just hands and feet in the future.

The tan lasted a good week on my skin which I was very impressed with, I noticed that the deepness of the colour only started to fade after 3 days so my tan stayed pretty dark for a while! I would highly recommend this product, I really have come to become a fan of the Sienna X tanning products, I purchased the gel tanner after using this and have been seriously loving it! I'd also like to note that the price is pretty reasonable in my eyes for what it does! As long as you don't use it for full body application too much it will be well worth your money!

Lots of love, Caterina xo

Fashionista £10 Custom Palette & FREE Mascara

Fashionista Custom Palette £10

I've never really been too much of a blush person but the other day I threw on a random peachy shade whilst at work and really loved how it picked up my complexion! The brand Fashionista has been around for a while now with there custom blush/bronzer/eyeshadow palettes but I'd never really delved until now!

I was in Superdrug on Oxford Street (opposite Primark) and noticed that for £10 you could have the palette and fill it with four blushers, bronzers or eyeshadows of your choice! I took this as an opportunity to branch out in the blusher world without forking out £80 for 4! I chose the shades (from top right- bottom left order) Butterscotch, Cinnamon, Juicy Apricot & Glow. All the powders are gorgeously pigmented and soft and the shade range is fantastic! I used Juicy Apricot for the first time yesterday and absolutely loved it and cannot wait to give the other shades a whirl!

As well as the offer of £10 for my whole palette, they had another offer that if you filled a palette you could receive a free mascara! I chose the Maxi Big Lash Impact Mascara which alone costs £8, such a good deal! I am yet to give the mascara a proper whirl but for free I'm not complaining!

I think the idea of the Fashionista palettes is a really neat idea especially for those who love the idea of MAC palettes but cannot afford them, this can give you that custom palette taste without the expense. Next time I will be eyeing up the bronzers!

Lots of love, Caterina xo

Bioderma Sebium Micelle Solution Combination Or Oily Skin

eBay £10.25

Ever since it was discovered that Bioderma could be purchased from UK sellers on eBay it has taken over the UK blogging community! Bioderma is a water like Micelle Solution cleanser which eats away your make up (not literally!!) instead of smearing it all over your face. I've tried the regular solution and really enjoyed using it so I thought I'd give the Combination/Oily skin one a whirl.

I really enjoy using Bioderma as a make up remover, it's so quick and simple with minimal fuss required. I find it removes my eye make up in seconds and my face make up disappears in one swipe. I mainly wear powder on my eyes though so if your a liquid eyeliner lover it may be a different story. I tried using the Bioderma Sebium as a cleanser and if I'm honest after about 3 days I was begging for my Origins Zero Oil (holy grail) cleanser back! I really didn't find it did a lot and even though it was super quick and easy in the morning I found by the end of the day my skin felt more on the greasy side and spots were occurring... not a good look! One extra thing to note is that I found this one to have a scent which the regular Bioderma does not have. It smells like the Garnier Summer Body Tanning Moisturizer, that really "holiday" like scent.

Overall I would really recommend the Bioderma, although the Combo/Oily skin version is definitely not a must. I've found that Bioderma only works as a make up remover for me and thats as far as it goes. I wish it worked as a cleanser because it's so quick and easy! It is on the pricier side compared to your regular Boots/Superdrug make up remover but I do prefer it. I find regular make up rmeovers leave my skin quite tight and sensitive however this glides on nicely gets the job done leaving my skin smooth.

Hope you're well!
Caterina xo

Caudalie Beauty Elixer

Caudalie Beauty Elixer 100ml @ FeelUnique.com £28.80
(excuse the yellow looking oil in the bottle, I didn't shake it up before photographing!)

When it comes to the Caudalie Beauty Elixer I feel like I woke up one day having never heard of the product and the next day BOOM it is bloody everywhere! Unless you have literally been hiding under a rock over the past couple of weeks you will know full well about this big beauty buzz product.  I've dabbled in a few Caudalie samples such as the body and face moisturizers but never actually purchased a product from them till now, and how could I not with all this hype?! I purchased it from Space NK a few weeks back and remember bringing it home and thinking wait a second what does this actually do? I journeyed back in my brain trying to remember why I bought it and all I could think of was "the smell is amazing" and at £32 (Space NK price) and this not being a perfume thats a bit of mental splurge. So again for this review after using the product for around a month I ask myself "what does it actually do"?

The product sprays out in a lovely fine mist which sinks into the sink immediately unlike some water gun spritzing toners! I use the product kind of like a toner, after my cleanser but before my moisturizer and if I feel my make up looks a little cakey I'll spritz some on my face. I do have to note the smell, it's amazing! It really instantly makes you feel relaxed and calm  and like all you want to do is smell it. After the product has sinked in I feel instantly more awake and rejuvenated and my skin appears so much fresher and in a way enhanced? The skin is left soft and supple before moisturizer. Ever since I started using this I've had nothing but compliments on my skin. My mum of all people just doesn't shut up about it! It looks super healthy and alive, no more sleepy skin days! Not only that but I haven't found myself with break outs and the tiny pimples that re occur on my chin are not existent which is amazing considering they haven't been since I went on a tinted moisturizer over foundation kick in the summer. I even feel where my skin is slightly more red it has calmed down, the product has just overall improved my skin in every way possible, never did I think I would receive compliments on my foundation-less skin! I also like to spray the product when my foundation or powder is looking a little heavy to give it a more fresh look.

So it really does seem that the mental investment was worth it! I am beyond pleased with the product and would repurchase in a heart beat, I can really see why it's taken the blogging world by storm. The product does come in a smaller bottle if you don't think the plunge of the 100ml is quite worth it, the cheapest I've found it is at FeelUnique.com (linked above). 

Thanks for reading!

Caterina xo

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation

Available @ Selfridges £29.50

As I mentioned in my previous post I absolutely ADORE NARS! I had been umming and ahhing over purchasing a foundation from them for almost 2 years and finally in Selfridges the other week I took the completely impulsive plunge! My friend I was with actually ended up purchasing it after seeing it being applied to my skin the lady at the counter. I purchased shade Santa Fe for when I have tan on as I've heard Sheer Glow is exceptionally gorgeous on tanned skin!

The first thing to note is that the foundation does not come with a pump which is annoying to some people but I however do not mind! Just a heads up though you can purchase the pumps in John Lewis as I was offered one in the Oxford Street store. The shade is perfect when I have tan on (I like to use St Tropez Bronzing Mousse) it's such a lovely tan colour. The foundation glides onto the skin effortlessly and almost melts it's way down onto the skin it really is truly gorgeous to apply. The finish is beautiful it's not "dewy" it's just glowy, kind of like that "lit from within" look but still a bit matte!  You don't need too much product I've found that a tiny amount really does cover well. 

The coverage is a good medium I'd say. You could probably easily get it to full but I really love medium coverage and find thats just enough for me! You can probably see that so far I was really digging this foundation, it was truly ticking all the boxes! The ultimate test was how long it would last. A foundation will DEFINITELY not make it as an everyday staple if the lasting power is not good. I as always applied my Laura Mercier foundation primer underneath which may have helped with the longevity of this foundation. However I can happily say it lasted all day on my skin! It did wear a little in places but very nicely and didn't look patchy or awful just still gorgeous on the skin. 

I do apologize for this crazily long post but I am a bit of a foundation geek so when I get into one about one I REALLY get into one. I would highly recommend the NARS Sheer Glow foundation it has crept it's way up to being one of my all time favorites. For reference my skin is combination-oily so this may work for me but depending on your skin type it may not be brilliant for you! I'd definitely say pick up a sample though because it's always worth giving ago especially at such a high price tag!

Hope you've enjoyed this post!

Caterina xo

NARS Kalahari Eyeshadow Duo

I don't know if I've mentioned this on my blog before but NARS is my favorite make up brand of all time. I am yet to be disappointed by a product I've purchased from NARS, I love them! I really wanted a new duo from them as I was so impressed by the other one I had previously purchased. I opted for Kalahari as the colour screamed "WEARABLE" "EVERYDAY" "ESSENTIAL".

The colour pay off from these eye shadows is impeccable and the finish is gorgeous, If I HAD to compare them to a MAC finish it would be Veluxe Pearl but in my opinion these really cannot be compared. The gold on the left is a beautiful light shade with slight browny, gingery tones to it. The right shade is similar to satin taupe but a little warmer and in my option is a lot nicer for definition.

I really cannot fault the NARS duos they are incredible. If you find the perfect shades for you and your eyes you will honestly use them everyday and they will be a staple in your make up bag. They are a little on the pricey side compared to MAC but I seriously think they are worth it and I'd highly recommend branching out into the world of NARS shadows.

Thank you for reading!
Caterina xo

Topshop Coy Lip Stick

The Topshop make up range has just grown and grown in popularity since it begun but for some reason I never ever branched out to it! Up until purchasing this a few weeks ago I'd only ever owned one of their cream blushes which I've got to say is probably an all time favorite but never encouraged me to purchase more.

I'd heard quite a lot of hype surrounding the Coy Lip Stick and seeing as we are closely reaching the summer months (not you would even know with the weather in the UK at the moment!) I thought I'd give it a try. It's one of those pale, neon, bright lipsticks. The colour is gorgeous a really true peachy pink that in no way reflects orange on the lips. The consistency is more on the Matte side which I really like. I could see how this could be drying on someone with dryer lips but if you pop a bit of lip balm underneath you should be good to go!

I've used this when I've had tan on and when I'm at my palest (NW15 MAC) and it looks gorgeous against both. I do get quite apprehensive over these more "pale brights" against my pale complexion as I think it might look a bit too clown like, however I've found this to be perfect!

I would really recommend the shade and the product itself! I'm actually going shopping later so maybe I'll pick another up but to be honest I really do not need anymore lip products!

Hope you're all well!
Caterina xo

No7 Lift & Curve Eyelash Curler

No7 Lift and Curve Eyelash Curler £7.25

  
 

I have never used eyelash curlers, I've just never really got them! When I was a lot younger and wanted to put on a bit of make up to feel grown up, but never really saw crazy difference! Plus I would do it after applying mascara which is unheard of now! I bought this eyelash curler on a whim with a £5 off voucher. I've heard so much about the Shu ones but they are a crazy investment.

I have been really pleased with the results with these No7 curlers. I can see a noticeable difference in the curl and "flutter" of my lashes. The curl does last and I feel like I need to put in a lot less effort with my mascara as they've partly done the work for me!

If I was to rate these out of 5 I'd probably say 3.5. I do enjoy using them but I can help but feel there's better ones out there. Maybe because I've never been wowed by eyelash curlers I never will be but for now these are doing the trick.

Hope you're well!
Caterina xo

John Frieda Full Repair Deep Conditioner

John Frieda Full Repair Deep Conditioner £5.99 @ Boots

I am a complete hair care obsessive! If something is on the radar that is claiming to work miracles I need to own it! When the new John Frieda line came out I knew I had to trial the products. I have already done a review on the Deep Infusion Ends Treatment which I really love using! The other product I picked up was the mask which claims to restore my over processed hair.

My hair has been bleached, dyed and heat damaged so it needs a treat. I use hair masks sometimes 2-3 times a week which may seem mental but I have CRAZY thick hair so it can handle it. The Full Repair mask is thick but rather runny in constancy which is new for a mask. I really loved the results, my hair was left so silky even silkier than when I use my Moroccan Oil mask (10x the price!). It's so easy to manage and style, just a real dream to work with. My ends look replenished and my hair looks no where near as damaged as it should!

I really am impressed with the new John Frieda Full Repair line and can see myself repurchasing and purchasing more products! I have my eye on the styling spray next! If your on a budget but want some really great quality products if definitely head for this range.

Thank you for reading!
Caterina xo

Bourjois Healthy Balence Unifying Powder

My Laura Mercier Loose Powder is on it's lasts legs and has barely any product left. I have a few powders which need using up but none of which I enjoy using. I'm not a big fan of MAC MSF Natural and I find it barely lasts an hour on my skin! Whilst in Boots purchasing some essentials I thought I'd take advantage of the 3 for 2 and purchase the Bourjois Healthy Balance Unifying Powder. I really love Healthy Mix foundation and have got through a hole bottle of it in the past so I thought the accompanying powder may possibly be a winner!

The powder claims to last 10 hours which we all know is a BOLD claim for any powder! However I was pleasantly surprised with the longevity of the product on my skin and found most of it still in tact by lunch time! The powder itself is super silky, almost cream like and glides gorgeously onto the skin. You are left with surprisingly a matte yet healthy looking finish. I found it did actually boost the radiance of my make up a bit and wore on the skin really nicely! I have combo skin and really enjoyed using this product.

Another thumbs up for Bourjois from me! I'm also a massive fan of their Volumizer mascara which has almost ran out and I think I will be lost until I repurchase it! I would definitely repurchase this powder however powder to me is one of those things I like to dabble in. I rarely repurchase the same powder again I like to try different ones and I personally don't find powder to be a crazily important step in my make up routine.

Thank you for reading!
Caterina xo

Soleil Tan De Chanel Bronze Universal

Soleil Tan De Chanel Bronze Universal @ Debenhams £29.00

I'd first of all like to apologize for these photographs as they really do not do the product justice if anything they make it look DREADFUL, but these were taken on my old camera and are all I have of the product unused. On to the actual product and the purpose of this post! For ages I lusted after the Chanel Soleil De Tan and when I finally had convinced myself I needed it, it had completely fallen off the radar and wasn't available at any make up counters, I did a post here about what happened as a lady at the Selfridges London counter explained to me. Finally in early months of the year it had come back in stock and I ordered it off the Debenhams website without even thinking about it!

The product is a gorgeous cream bronzer that sets to more of a powdery finish. In the tub the product does look ever so slightly orange toned but when transferred to the skin just looks bronzey and glowy. When I have tan on I use this product to mix with my lighter foundation to darken it up a little bit and it works perfectly. When I have my paler skin I use this as a contour and it looks so natural looking especially for the summer months coming when it's brighter outside. 

A lot of people find it hard to find the perfect brush to apply this with. Personally I love the Real Techniques Core Collection brushes which are nice and affordable and if I'm going for a really super light look I'll use a MAC 188 brush. I think you do need to go through a bit of trial and error with this product but once you find out how using it works for you it really is a fantastic product. 

The price tag is on the steep side but you do get a wopping 30 grams of product and I've been using it at least 5 times a week for the past 2 months and there's barely a dent in it! If I was to use a regular powder bronzer as much as I use this it would go down a hell of a lot faster. So in a way the price is justified but I'd say have a bit of a swatch and play at the counter whilst looking and don't commit until you're certain!

Thank you for reading!
Caterina xo  

John Frieda Full Repair Perfect Ends Deep Infusion Serum

John Frieda Full Repair Perfect Ends Deep Infusion Serum £6.99

 Recently the new John Frieda Full Repair range aimed at completely restoring dry/damaged hair has been circulating the internet. I picked up a few products when they hit the shops and can honestly say I've been really enjoying using them! I have previously bleached, dyed and heat abused my hair so it could be in better condition! I chose the deep infusion treatment as it seemed right up my street! I haven't bleached my hair in over a year now so I'd say most of my hair is none bleached re-growth however my ends are what I get most self conscious about! They are dry and look really coarse without any product, so anything to improve them I'm willing to give a wizz!

On the back they recommend you use only one pump of the product on your hair and apply to the mid lengths and ends. The consistency of the product is quite different in my opinion, it's like a really runny serum! I apply the product in my hair once it's about 40% dry after washing and then proceed to heat style it. My ends are left really supple and sleek with no visible split ends! This product is especially gorgeous when straightening your hair as it looks so sleek as if you've had a salon blow dry and straighten!

I really recommend the John Frieda Deep Infusion Treatment it's a wonderful and easy product to work with, with no fuss! The price is pretty good as the product will last you ages as you only need one, tiny pump.

Hope you're well!
Caterina xo

Origins Zero Oil Deep Pore Cleanser

Origins Zero Oil Deep Pore Cleanser

I had been using the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish for just over a year and felt like it was time to break out into a different cleanser. To me changing skincare is scary as it might not work out for you and you could end up with blotchy, uneven and spotty skin just through a cleanser change! I opted for something aimed at an oily skin seeing as mine is combination (a bit of an oily t-zone with normal cheeks). The Origins Zero Oil is aimed at a oilier possibly more blemish prone skin and helps to over time reduce the oils in your skin.

I wouldn't recommend this if you have normal/dry skin but are prone to break outs as this will dry your skin out that bit more. I use the cleanser in the morning and evening. I splash cold water onto my face then work the cleanser into the skin until it foams up slightly and then splash water on my face again to remove the cleanser. My skin is left feeling so fresh and the smell of the mint makes you feel really awake and rejuvenated. The cleanser itself is a gel like constancy which foams up quite easily when applied to wet skin.

I've been using this cleanser for just under a month now and have really noticed a difference in my skin, it is so much less oily and practically break out free. It's made me a lot more confident in my own skin to the point where I'm looking into light tinted moisturizer for spring/summer! I really recommend this cleanser and will definitely be repurchasing it along with possibly some more products from the Zero Oil range!

Thank you for reading!
Caterina xo

MAC Clear Brow Set

Me and my eyebrows do not tend to get on very well. I'm far from a professional at plucking and shaping them, I always over pluck and I'm left with sparse misshaped brows. I do religiously fill them in everyday I feel it makes such a difference to the whole appearance of your make up (unless your lucky and blessed with naturally beautiful brows!). I do have crazy bush brows which get all misplaced throughout the day and generally just look a mess! So I resort to Brow Gel to keep them in place. About 8-10 months ago I purchased a brow gel from GOSH and really enjoyed using it but the longevity of the products was a little on the useless side and I would have to keep retouching, so I invested in a MAC one when it finally dried out.

The MAC Brow Sets come in tinted and clear, I was tempted to buy a tinted one for days when I'm being lazy but ideally I'd get the most use out of the clear. Effectively looks like a clear mascara but for the brows, but I've tried clear mascara to keep my brows in place and they just don't work on my beastly brows! You need one dip in the product to cover both brows with the perfect amount of product to keep them in place. I found the product to feel a little thicker in consistency compared to the GOSH one and immediately noticed my brows looked a lot more defined and neat. By the end of the day the product had kept my brows in pretty nifty shape! The hairs weren't all over the place and my brow powder had stayed in tact! I was highly impressed.

If you do have brows that have a mind of their own I really do think it's worth investing in a nice brow set, when you first get into brows it really doesn't seem necessary but if you want to keep them neat all day I really do think they work! I really do rate the MAC brow set and would repurchase, I've heard great reviews about the Illamasqua one so maybe that will be next on my list!

Lots of love,
Caterina xo

Maybelline 24 Hour Color Tattoo In Eternal Gold

Maybelline 24 Hour Color Tattoo In Eternal Gold

Finally the UK have been graced with the Maybelline 24 Hour Color Tattoos! As you can see I was so excited I couldn't wait to swatch it! These have been highly raved about over in the US so all UK beauty bloggers have gone mad for their release. 

I swathed a few of the more neutral shade (had to step away from the amazing blue shade I would never wear). I chose Eternal Gold as I thought of it as the most "me" shade. Before I even got it home I was thinking up eyeshadow combos in my mind! I love this shade with MAC's Expensive Pink blended through the crease it's become one of my favorite eye combos over night! As far as long wear goes these definitely don't budge! I love my MAC paint pots but they crease and look awful on there own by the end of the day. These stay put and still have that nice creamy look to them. I applied the product with my finger and quickly blended it over the eye, it made my eye make up so easy and I can see myself buying the taupe or bronze shade to blend into the gold for lazy days! I apply the shadow at around 7:30am and when it hits home time from work it is still completely in tack and the color is still strong, seriously impressive for a cream consistency eyeshadow.

I am beyond impress with the Maybelline Color Tattoos and will definitely be purchasing more, they're perfect for my lazy days! They are so inexpensive and really live up to their name and are a fantastic product. I would love for Maybelline to maybe branch out into some more shades maybe a nice peachy/golden color?!

Hope you're all well!

Caterina xo

No7 Spring Collection Vital Enlightening Highlighter Powder

No7 Spring Collection Vital Enlightening Highlight Powder £13.00 @ Boots

The No7 five pound vouchers are back and how could I resist not purchasing something from their spring collection! I have to admit I'm not the biggest No7 fan but this product really caught my eye, it's such a gorgeous colour! The new spring collection also includes some really gorgeous cream blushers and lipsticks I might have a look at next time I'm in Boots.

The powder is really soft and easy to apply and on my pale NW15 complexion it leaves a gorgeous golden glow. It isn't too stark on the face like some highlighters come across but it gives a really gorgeous glow to the cheeks. I could see this looking stunning dusted along the collar bones if you were really going "out there". The packaging is really cute and feels very chunky and sturdy. I apply the product with a MAC 188 brush for a lighter effect as I do think you can go a bit highlighter mad if your not careful!

The only thing that gets to me is the price! At £13.00 in my opinion thats an expensive product! With the voucher it came to £8.00 which is reasonable but still a bit on the steep side for a drugstore highlighter! I would say I probably wouldn't have purchased it without the voucher however they are running at the moment and it's definitely not a purchase I regret, I'm really enjoying using it.

Caterina xo