Beauty Must have: La Roch-Posay Effaclar Anti Blemish System*

If you are looking for a 3 step system to get your skin in really good condition, then look no further. 

The La Roch-Posay anti blemish system has three products, the first step is the Gel Cleanser, the second is the Clarifying toner, and the final, my favorite, is the Effaclar Duo+ Corrective cream.

Im going to mention the dreaded C word... but this would be an awesome set to give to someone for christmas. It is currently £32.50 in boots, and if your not happy with it you can get y0ur money back! 

This set gives you a 6 week supply which i think will give you a good indication as to whether the product is going to work for you. Its suitable for sensitive skin, and specially for people with Acne. Its also Parabin free, which is a bonus!

I love the Effaclar Duo+ cream, i use it every day on my forehead... yes thats right. My forehead. I used to get these horrible little spots along my hair line. Since i started using this product the have completely gone. I went through a few weeks where i stopped using it, and they came straight back. So i've been back to my usual routine and they have gone again! woo.

*I was perked with this product, all comments are honest and opinions my own.

You Beauty Discovery Box: Sept 2014! + Video!

This months YBD box was their 1st anniversary Birthday special!

As usual you can choose two items from their monthly list, this month they also threw in a birthday extra. It was a full size pot of the Tony & Guy Glamour volume plumping whip. (Which costs more than the whole box put together!)

I was a bit late to select my items this month as i was in France and forgot to make my selection... All the 'Good' stuff was taken, but i like to pick some random things i wouldn't otherwise try. So my selection was the MAVADRY (drys your nail polish super quick) And the Eyeko hydrogel eye patches. They put two packets of the eye patches in, which was a surprise!

They also threw in a few extras, this month was a make up sponge, and 2 Crabtree & Evelyn teabags. I love that they put some well-being products in as well as beauty.

I have used the eye patches and they were really soothing to your eye area. They definitely make them less puffy. The MAVADRY is ok, it does what it says by drying your manicure quickly, but i found that it was very chippy. I didn't use a top coat over my OPI polish so that's probably why.

You can check my other posts about this subscription box by clicking here.

I did a quick video to go through what i received in the box..

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You beauty discovery box: August 2014

I know it wasn't that long ago since i posted about the July box, but here is the August selection:

I chose two items that would be good for my holiday, one is the Eucerin SPF 30 sun fluid, the other was the Peggy Sage nail varnish in pink. 

The extra goodies they put in this months box were;

Buffing block, Face D cream sachet, and a his and hers Jimmy Choo perfume samples.

I cannot say how much i love this box, its only £6.95 which is an absolute bargain!

CODE Beautiful volumising mascara review

I was very lucky to be given a mascara from CODE when i went to the Dowal Walker xmas event. I had never heard of the brand prior to going to the event;

HOW DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT IT?!?!?!

The Brush

I have honestly never worn a mascara that makes my eyelashes feel nice after. I dont get that cruddy dry lash feeling when i remove it. Its makes my lashes look natural and not clumpy.

I wasn't given this to write a review, i genuinely love it. I had a little read up on their website and it says that the formula has vitamins, and wax to help encourage lash growth.  It has little teeny fibres in the mascara which really makes a difference in the length of my lashes. In the photo above im wearing one coat of the mascara... can you image if i layered it up! 

I also noticed on the website that it sells for just short of £20... now i have to admit i would not pay this for a mascara, i begrudge paying for my Maybelline Rocket mascara... so when this runs out it will have to go on my xmas list.

You Beauty Discovery Box: July 2014

So...  this is a bit late seeing as its now August and my new august box will be arriving this week.

But, i did type the post up mid July and accidentally pulled the cable from my laptop and POOF it turned off.

So i gave up.. and haven't blogged since as it pissed me off.

But im back with a fresh head, and want to show you July's box as it came with some nice beauty products!

There was a good selection in the July box, as always you can select two items and then you get a couple of extra's to try out.

I selected the L'Oreal Miss Manga mascara, which is full size and in black. I have used this a few times and i really like it. It has a very flexible brush head, and good bristles to get a nice voluminous coverage on your lashes. I like the way the brush tapers off on the end which  makes it easier to get to your inner lashes.

Next product i chose was a set of L'Occitane repairing Shampoo and conditioner, they are 75ml which is a decent size. I haven't used them yet as im saving them for holiday but ill be sure to report back. They smell nice though, i can tell you that much. They smell of Ylang Ylang, geranium, lavender, and angelica... no idea what Angelica is, sounds like a rugrat.

The extra's included in this months box were a sample of the Egyptian magic cream, Dove mens shave cream, and Agent Provocateur perfume. I wont be using the shave cream, but im passing it onto a man in my family who can make use of it.

Once i receive August's YBD box ill show you what i picked!

You Beauty Discovery Box - June 2014

This months Discovery box was good, there was quite a good few choices of products to choose from i decided on the following...

On the left: Beauty Hero's magazine

Inside the box

 In this months box the items which were standard were a pink heart shaped flannel, you know them Magic flannels you got as a kid. Well its one of those!!! 

Im keeping it until i need a replacement, i use a flannel every day to get my make up off so i cant want to use this one. 

We also got a Montagne Jeunesse face mask, its a sheet mask with Dead sea mud on it. I haven't used it yet as im saving it for a pamper evening, but i love me a facemask. This brand is one of my favourites as its been around ever since i can remember. There so cheap to buy yet so affective!

I then chose two of the products from their June selection, the two i chose were;

Loreal Paris Infallible 24H Lip colour in Timeless Rose - This is one of those lip products where it applies like a lipgloss. It kind of dries with a bit of shimmer, then on the other end of the stick is a clear balm which is to give it some shine. It claims to last 24hours. Its a nice product, however im not 100% sure i like it. But who can complain when it costs more than the whole box normally!

Urban Veda Daily Purifying facial wash - The size of this product is 20ml which is not bad to get an idea of what the product is like. It is really nice, and smells minty when its on your face. It has a gel like texture but foams up well to get rid of the days grime and make up. It has Neem in it which is meant to get rid of blackheads, excess sebum, and clear your toxins. I really want to get the full size of this product which i have found online and is £7.99 for 150ml which isnt bad! (mental note to put that on my must buy list)

I hope you like my selection, i cant wait for next month, best £6.95 I've ever spent!

You Beauty Discovery Box - May 2014

I received May's Discovery box from You beauty, and i love it!

I am so glad i kept this subscription its such good value for money at £6.95 with free postage.

I opened the box to see the magazine that explains all the products, and gives you a lot of discount codes for each one! Bonus :)

I lifted the magazine, and i saw this... ta daaaaa

I love that you not only get beauty items like lotions and hair treatments, but you also get food items that help you to be healthy.

 So a run down of what i chose this month, thats right, You can choose two of your items in the YBDiscovery box! 

- Lola Make up finishing Brush  - I chose this as i have seen people using the real techniques one and it gives a brilliant finish of foundation. So i gave this one a go, it does give a nice finish, however it leaves bristles all over your face. I'm going to wash the brush and see if i can get rid of some of the loose bristles, then see how i go.  (I believe this is a Marks and Spencer brand and the brush retails for £17.00)

- Percy & Reed Shine and fragrance spray - 50ml Spray. This spray is really lovely, it has a rosey type scent but its not flowery... if that make sense, its kind of fresh smelling. It gives your hair a nice shine too. This costs £22 in full size, and the full size is 100ml.  

Now for the Bonus items in the box!

- Caudalie Divine Legs - This was a sachet of the product which im not sure if it will cover both legs.... but i will give it a go and report back! It says that the product is for giving your legs an enhanced look without sun exposure or self tan. its a light tinted lotion that gives the skin an ultra polished finish!

-Charles Worthington - Moister seal hair healer leave in conditioner - This again was a sachet of the product. Its came with a £2 off voucher though which is good!
Its a sample of the leave in fel conditioner which is rich in Argan Oil and has super conditioners. Its supposed to leave hair smooth an healthy looking. We will see how this goes.

The final item that was a packet of Lizi's Granola, its a single portion that you just add milk to. I received the original flavor which im yet to try. They sent out a few different flavors to people to try, im kinda bummed that i received original as my friend received the chocolate one! Im yet to try this but tomorrow's breakfast will be Granola, im excited to try this out!

You Beauty Discovery Box - April 2014 Edition

I carried on with the Discovery box as its really good value at £6.95 a box, and i love the fact you can choose a product!

I recieved my email on the 1st of April showing me what was on offer to choose from for the month, i decided to go with two skincare products.

The Magazine that tells you about the products, and gives you discount!

This is my discovery box upon opening it, EXCITING!

The products i picked were the Melvita moisture replenishing Night nectar, im in the market for a new night cream, so thought i could give it a go. I was sent a 15ml sample which should last a few nights, so ill report back if its any good.

Next i chose the Steam cream, i have heard about this before but never tried it myself. Its basically a natural cream thats for hands, face and body. Its made in the UK and Japan, so no wonder why i like it! :) 

I also LOVE the tin it came in, its so cute! (Their website has TONs of tin designs too)

Its a full size too, which sells for about £10 a pot, so considering i spent £6.95 on the whole box, its an absolute BARGAIN!

I also recieved two more products that we're ones which they pick out, i had a sachet of Organic pharmacy Antioxident face cream, which im yet to try. And there was also this..

9 Bar Fruity... I was quite happy to be sent food. I mean who wouldnt be?

Its a gluten freem wheat free snack bar. It had a chocolate coating on the top, and the bar itself is made up of lots of different seeds, and nuts, and fruits. It was different to what im used to eating. I have to admit i ate half and then got bored of the seeds, but if your into this then i recommend trying it. I just think that if im going to have chocolate, i want CHOCOLATE, not seeds with it!

I have yet again really enjoyed the discovery box, and i cant wait to see what next month has to offer.

Beauty Blog Sale - Nails inc, Mac, Rimmel, and lots more!

I have had a clear out of some beauty products i no longer need, or bought in error. So i thought it was about time i posted my first blog sale!

If you are interested in any items then please give me an offer, whats the worst that can happen! :)

____________________________________________________________

Postage to the UK is £2.90 per order no matter what you buy. I will obtain proof of postage, however i will not accept refunds or be responsible for damage caused in transit.

 I will post overseas just ask and ill find out the postage costs for you prior to purchase (Leave a comment with your overseas location and your email address)

I am NOT able to post Nail Polish overseas due to postage restrictions. (I can post them within the mainland UK only)

Payment to be made by PayPal. I will email you an invoice.

All you need to do is Comment below with the item/s you want and leave your email address!

For sale:

 

 Stila Positively cheek palette - Brand new unused - £6

Rimmel Shimmering Maxi Bronzer - Brand new unused - £3

Stila Skincare Light source spot correcting & brightening serum RRP £32 (50ml full size) - Used once - £10

The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous cleansing butter with muslin cloth 90ml (Full size)- Brand new Unused - £6

Simple Radiance Brightening moisturizer SPF10 50ml- Used a few times 75% left - £3
Korres Citrus little body milk 50ml - Brand new unused - £2
Purity conditioning cleansing lotion make up remover 150ml - Used a few times 90% left - £2
Benefit triple performing facial emulsion 8.9ml (Mini glass bottle) - £2

1. 17 single eyeshadow in Statuesque - used once - £1.50
2. Maxfactor single eyeshadow in Ombretto - Brand new Unused - £2
3. Vie ready to wear eyeshadow Collection Quad -Used a few times,Mirror inside is cracked- £3
4. 17 Smokey Eyes palette - used a few times - £2
5 - Revlon CustomEyes palette - bought from a previous blog sale - Used but LOADS left - £2
 

 

1 . Soap and Glory 'The Daily Double' All day colour lidshadow & Linerstick pencil - Used a few times - £4

2.Sephora Outrageous volume dramatic volume mascara - Used once - £6

3. Miss sporty pump up booster mascara - Used once - £2

4. Loreal Glitter top coat mascara - Used once - £3

 5. MaxFactor Max effect dip in eyeshadow - Brand new unused (Sticky residue on the lid from the security sticker) - £3 

(From left to right) No. 7 Beanie, Vivid Violet both 10ml used a couple of times - £2 each No.7 rose truffle 4ml 50p
NYC water street blue Quick dry 9.7ml - unused - £1
NYC Raindrop 9.7 ml Quick dry - Unused - £1
Miss Sporty metal flip 7ml - £1 
Collection Hot looks quick dry Desert Rose - 8 ml - £1

 

(From Left to Right)

Ciate Full size 13.5ml - Kiss chase - £7
Nails inc 10ml Bruton Mews - Brand new Unused -  £5
Nails inc 10ml Concrete effect Marble Arch - Used once - £5
Nails inc 10ml Special Effects Sprinkles Sweets way - Used once - £5
Bourjois Ultra Shine - 10ml - Brand new unused Bleu Asphalt - £3
MUA Nail constellation in Libra - Used on one nail -  £1 

 

MAC Liquid eyeliner - 2.5ml in Boot Black - Used a couple of times - £7

MAC Pro longwear paint pot in Vintage Selection- Used twice- £9

Close up of the paint pot

Last but not least a Paul's Boutique Bag charm (Came with a satchel but i took the charm off and never wore it) - £5

 

If you have any questions please leave them below, or tweet me @georowe

Thanks!

Battle of the Budget Beauty Sponges!

For a while now i have wanted the Real Techniques miracle complexion sponge, i mean its cheap at £5.99 isn't it...or is it?

I went on the hunt to see if i could find another beauty sponge that was even cheaper, and i did it peoples!

On good old trusty eBay i found a sponge for the grand old price of £1. Click here to see a similar one to the one i bought.

Apologies for the marks on the sponge, i had to test them! :)

The sponge on the left is the eBay £1 special, sure it took about 3 weeks to arrive, but for £1 with free postage who am i to complain. The pink sponge feels firmer than the Real Techniques sponge, and it had more a plasticy scent to it. For coverage its good for concealer it easily blended my Benefit fake up under my eyes.

I really like the base of the sponge as its quite round and bulbous which made it good for dabbing on cream bronzer, or blusher. 

So on to the Real Techniques sponge... it has a versatile shape. You get a pointed end, a flat end and rounded sides. Perfect for blending in concealer or BB cream.  

This sponge is alot softer than the eBay one, it didn't have a stinky plastic scent to it.

The verdict on these two... I like both. I like the shape of the eBay one (Pink) and i also like the shape of the Real techniques one. The only big difference to me is that the real techniques one is alot softer, so its nicer to dab under your eyes for concealer. 

If i knew what i know now, then i probably would just buy the cheap £1, as it works well for the price. So overall price wins the battle here.

Birch Box March: Lulu Guiness edition

I know its nearly the end of March, but i wanted to show my Birch box which i received a week or so ago.

This is my first ever Birch Box, its the Lulu Guinness edition and i love the box its so cool with the stripes and the Lips!

I have to say my whole experience with Birch box was a lot smoother than with Glossy box. I ordered the box, and it arrived by Courier. No problems, it arrived on time and to my designated safe place.

I really like the box the products come in, it feels a bit more up market than Glossy Box, and i think the draw string bag inside is a really nice touch. It again makes it feel a bit more 'expensive' and useful!

There was a good selection of products, things i wouldnt have ever tried before, but will probably give them ago in the future.

Here is the low down on what i recieved;

- Korres Body milk in Citrus scent - Im not a fan of this it smells very masculine which im not very keen on, but its a good sized sample at 50ml.

- Molton Brown Rhubard and Rose hand cream - This has the most amazing scent, it reminds me of rhubard and custard sweets! The sample is about 10ml, and its priced at £10 for full size of 40ml, which is quite pricey but its worth it for the scent even if it isnt that moisterising. (compared to my soap and glory hand food!)

- Dr Brandt Pores no more refiner - This is basically the same as the benefit porefessional, but this is ALOT more expensive, this is £39 in full size, and full size is 30ml. I didnt think much of this if im honest it just dried my skin out.

- Benefit stay dont stray primer - I LOVE love love this, and im so glad i recieved a sample!
I have used a sample of this before but didnt buy the full size as i thought it was expensive. However after using a different cheaper primer for a while i realise i do love this and i think ill invest in the full size!

- English Laundry Singature for her EDP Spray for her  by Christopher Wicks - The final sample is a perfume, it has top notes of rose geranium and creamy white flowers set against its backdrop of woody spicy and musky notes. Thats what the website says anyway, its a very uplifting scent thats girly. I noticed the musk scent later in the day too.

The Verdict!

I really enjoyed this birch box and the extra treat of a stick of rock, it has a nice selection of products and is the same price as Glossy box. However i think the products are a bit too up market for me. I did prefer the selection of products in Glossy box as the samples were bigger. So i feel Glossy Box is better value for money, even though their customer service sucked!

I would definitely get Birch Box again in the future if they have a special edition box, so this isn't the end!

If you want Curls, then check out John Frieda!*

I love having a good hair day, I also love having voluminous hair with a curl so i thought these would be very useful for ladies who like to have big bouncy hair!

I you want floral styled curls then check out this tutorial...

)

 Or if you want Big Beautiful curls then check out this amazing tutorial... 

I know whats going on my next boots shopping list... John Frieda products!

)


*This is a sponsored post, please see my disclaimer in my PR/ contact me tab.

Beauty Monday: Maybelline Super stay Gel colour polish

I had some vouchers for Superdrug so decided to try out some new Nail polishes, this one caught my eye as its a nice deep Pink/maroon colour called Divine Wine.

These bottles are a decent size at 10ml, the brush is curved so its really easy to apply. I have been wearing this for 8 days now and have barely any chipping to my nails. (That is with 2 coats, and a Sally Hansen topcoat)

The colour is really shiny, and a bargain at £4.09 (in superdrug) I picked up two more colours to try out which were from their new 'Spring' range which will be in a shopping Haul later this week! 

I think these will be perfect for the summer when i can paint my toes and have them in flipflops, i doubt ill need to do many touch ups for a week or two!

Glossy Box February 2014!

I didn't think you were going to be reading this, as i have been feeling so ill, i've had a viral bug and literally felt like crap for the past week. So without further a do, here is my thoughts on the latest Glossybox.

 ______________________________________________________________

I have been thinking about ordering a Glossy Box for about a year now. I finally decided to bite the bullet and ignore everyone who was slating the items they received. I ordered the Valentines box this February as the box is pretty awesome.... Look it.

Looook at it, B-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l.

 I had a few issues with the Glossy box website when i signed up. It had an option for flat, and house number. So as i have both, i filled them both in. Apparently the website didn't like that and omitted out my Flat number. After a few calls to customer service, one successful call, and one which left me thinking the guy there was a bit of a Sassy pants... the box arrived 7 days after they shipped it. Glossy box basically blamed me for the address problem, which it was not. But... they are defending their Brand i guess.

The outer box was a little bit damaged and mushy from the rain, But the inside was perfectly fine. On opening the box there is a Glossy magazine, and a card which lists your products. I threw this to the side, i didnt want to ruin my suprise.

The good products:


I received the Toni & Guy Stick it up gum, which is full sized and retails for £7.90. A lot of people are complaining about receiving this, however i have very long hair and its hard to get volume and texture sometimes. This is good for working into the root, or using it to texture the ends. Also its good for sticking down those fly away hairs when you put your hair into a Pony, or a high bun. I'm excited to try this!  
I also received a full size Ciate paint pot in Kiss Chase, the full size pots are £9 and are 13.5ml, which is a big size bottle! 

I was really pleased to see i received the Maybelline Kajal eyeliner in black, i had been eying this up in Boots a while ago. Its on sale for £5.99, its basically a long crayon that you use on its side to draw a nice slick cat eye.

 

The MEHHH products:

There was two things i received which were not really my taste, these being the Nougat London body shimmer, and the Eldora Lashes.  I cannot stand to be shimmery, i mean I'm not one of the cast of twilight, or a spice girl, or 15 anymore. Not my taste at all but I'm passing this to my friend who does like to be shimmery :)

The Lashes are not something i would wear, i generally like my lashes as they are and haven't ever needed to wear false ones, so i have swapped this with another fellow glossy boxer for the Maybelline big eyes mascara. (Ill review this at a later date!)

Final Thoughts:

Value for money - The products in this box are worth in excess of £20, so for a cost of £10 per box + £2.95 P+P this isn't bad. I would prefer free postage, and for it to be sent by royal mail though.

Product Variety - There is a selection of good known brands in this box, which i liked nearly all of them including the free chocolate!!

I will give Glossy box another go just to see if this was a fluke, then ill make my final decision as to whether ill carry on with my subscription, as i like the way you can earn extra 'glossy dots' to get a free box.

Click here to read about other subscriptions i have..

Elf Nail Polish Review: Mod Mauve

I decided to try out a nail polish from Elf (Eyes Lips Face)  i picked out the colour called Mod Mauve, it cost £2.50 and is 10ml which is a nice size bottle for the price!

I used a base coat and then two coats of the polish, it has a nice shaped brush which is really easy to apply and it glides on quite nicely.

The colour is a really nice dark reddish brown colour, i topped it off with Sally Hansen's quick dry top coat which gave it an almost Gel like look.  

I painted them on a Sunday night, and saw a tiny bit of chipping on the Monday which was due to me doing some Housework and walking the dogs.  However the rest of the nails lasted really well. 

The Verdict:

After wearing the nail polish for a week it lasted well, a few chips on the ends of my nails, but then i do a lot of typing at work. The chips were different to other brands I've used as they literally just chipped off. Usually a chip turns into strips of pain peeling off, well not with the Elf nail polish!

For the price, this is good stuff and i will definitely be getting some more! 

MUA Review: Undress your Skin Shimmer Highlighter

I have a review today of the MUA highlighter, i bought this from Superdrug and it was really cheap at £3. You can also buy it on the MUAstore website.

 

The only reason i bought this is because i wanted that dewy fresh faced look, and i couldn't get it from my usual make up routine. Since wearing this i have had people comment on my skin and how it looks radiant... ooooh how lovely!

 

It has a Pink two tone colour to it, and a little goes a long way, as i have discovered a few times when looking like a disco ball after sweeping too much across my cheek bones.

I wear it over BB cream and it has a really nice look to it, makes your skin look very dewy and fresh.

This is not a very good representation of the highlighter, but its the best i can do as my DSLR is broken. *Sob*

You can see how its lightened up my cheek bone, in the day light its really, really nice!

Hope you like my mini review. :)