Mascara and Maltesers | UK Beauty Blog

Toni & Guy Casual Sea Salt Texturising Spray


Toni & Guy Casual Sea Salt Texturising Spray

Toni & Guy Casual Sea Salt Texturising Spray

I am normally the girl at the beach trying desperately to avoid getting any of the salty sea in my hair so when sea salt sprays came on to the market, surprisingly I avoided like the plague. Then I caved, once I actually realised how I wanted my hair to look would be done to the sea salt everyone was raving about. Annoying, I do hate being wrong...

I picked up the 75ml travel bottle which was about £2, purely as I didn't want to spend loads and end up hating it. The packaging is simple, a small greenish spray bottle. First I will say the main bug bear I have with this product is the spray isn't very fine. If you spray this directly onto your hair you may find you may just soak it, especially if like myself you have thin hair. However I tend to spray two sprays on my hand a scrunch it through my hair and that works perfectly, part from the sticky hands. 

I experimented with using the Sea Salt Spray on both damp and dry hair and found it worked best whilst my hair was still slightly wet. After a quick blow dry my hair instantly had volume without looking dry or matted. I was also really impressed at how well the spray performed on dry hair. In the morning if I’m pushed for time (which is everyday) I give my hair a good spritz through focusing on the roots, running through with my fingers and scrunching the ends up slightly to create some texture. In the picture above, which I must apologise for the awful quality as it is a iPhone snap, I just sprayed some in and left it to then air dry in a plait, hence why it is a tad more wavy.

Like I mentioned before, I can't believe I actually shunned this little beauty of a hair trick for so long. Well, maybe if I had been less stubborn...You can pick up the travel size for £2 and the full size 200ml bottle for £7.19, which is still considerably less that the famous Bumble and Bumble salt spray.

Have you tried any salt sprays before?




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Max Factor Wild Mega Volume

Max Factor Wild Mega Volume

Max Factor Wild Mega Volume

Max Factor Wild Mega Volume

Oh yes, a mascara review, back in my comfort zone. Max Factor is one of my favourite high street brands for mascara. They is just something in their mascara that works well with my lashes, Masterpiece Max being my ultimate favourite. So when I saw that the new-ish Max Factor Wild Mega Volume on offer for £4.99 there was no way I was not buying one, regardless of the mixed reviews I have read. Not sure I have ever seen such spilt views in the beauty blogging world before.

Immediately I did start to question it, Max Factor mascara is normally around the £9/10 mark so why have they got a mascara retailing for £4.99...is it that bad it needs a reduction? Oh ever the optimist me. I was very willing to try it out though, can't be throwing around judgements without it even touching my lashes.

First impressions? I really don't like the packaging. Max Factor are the masters of simple packaging, but that works and their products rarely look cheap or childlike, yet the Wild Mega Volume manages to capture this in one little tube. I know its a clever little marketing ploy by some companies to use bright packaging to catch peoples eye and its personal preference but I just don't like it. A bright green tube has managed to tarnish Max Factors classic image quite nicely, and stand out for all the wrong reasons.

Max Factor Wild Mega Volume

Onto the brush, it a ‘bristle’ style brush, so isn’t a plastic one and more of a fibre one, and this one has a slightly hourglass shaped bristle brush to create the 'wild mega volume' and is designed to hold more of the product on the wand. I found the formula much better than I expected, for the first use it wasn't too wet as some mascaras could be but not too dry that it was complete rubbish. I found it coated my lashes nicely and I was able to build some volume into my lashes. Max Factor claim this mascara will give your lashes 3x more volume, and I am not quite sure that the mascara does that, however it is good as my lashes had more volume but no clumps left behind. Plus this stayed put all day, no flakes or crumbs throughout the day.

Overall? I do like this mascara, admittedly its not a amazing best product ever mascara that is going to overtake my favourite YSL or Benefit They're Real, or even beat the other Max Factor mascaras. But it is a good every day mascara when you want a easy application of volume with a bit of length, and for £4.99 it was a good buy of mine and I found it much better than some of the Maybelline and Rimmel mascaras.


Have you tried the Max Factor Wild Mega Volume? Love it or hate it?


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Dirty Works Banish the Bags Eye Cream


Dirty Works Banish the Bags Eye Cream

Dirty Works Banish the Bags Eye Cream


If your anything like me you might be struggling getting older. I know I know, I am hardly past it at all, but there is something about your early 20's where every year just seems like a huge gap. Anyone else find this? I turn 23 a month before Christmas so therefore in my eyes I am nearly in my mid 20's. Logical yes? Maybe not, but even still I want to start using an eye cream as prevention is much easier than trying to fix them. I didn't want a heavy anti-wrinkle one just yet but just a little pick me up for my eyes to help with bags/dark circles/any cheeky wrinkles. A Google search later and I found the Dirty Works Banish the Bags Eye Cream stocked in Sainsburys for a bargain of £4.99. 

Dirty Works Banish The Bags Eye Cream claims to reduce the appearance of under eye circles and bags. This is a fragrance free cream that would be perfect for people with sensitive skin. It also claims to tighten and brighten the eye area. Perfect.

For the price this cream is a complete steal, its super hydrating and even contains one of my favourite ingredients; Shea butter but is completely fragrance free being suitable for my little sensitive eyes. This really has really helped brighten up my awful dark circles and puffy tired eyes, whilst not leaving a greasy residue, nor leaving my easy puffy in the mornings as some eye creams have done before. I find as well this has great light reflecting properties making it feel like a high end eye cream. Total winner here.


Have you tried this or any of the Dirty Works range?


  


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What is on my face?

Benefit, Benefit Dallas Bronzer, Benefit Porefessional Primer, Illamasqua Brow Cake, L'Oreal Flutter Lash, MUA Undress Your Skin Foundation, No.7, No7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream, Seventeen Phwoarr Paint,

As I often post about quite a few products it may seem that I wear them all on once, which I don't. Could you imagine? I would be the ultimate 'How not to wear makeup' poster girl. So I thought I would show what I wear on my face on a 'typical' day...

No7 Essential Moisture Day Cream | Still on of my favourite day creams

Benefit Porefessional Primer | Not sure I suffer from larger pores but I love the texture of this regardless.

MUA Undress Your Skin Foundation | As I posted last week, best high street budget foundation.

Seventeen Phwoarr Paint | My new concealer addition to my makeup family.

Benefit Dallas Bronzer | I don't suit blusher, at all. Bronzer is much better and Dallas is my ultimate choice.

L'Oreal Flutter Lash | My everyday mascara, my favourite YSL Shocking is a evening

Illamasqua Eye Brow Cake | Eyebrows are a must, and so is this.

What is your daily makeup? Any of these make your list?




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Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Limited Edition Skin Protectant

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Limited Edition Skin Protectant

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Limited Edition Skin Protectant

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Limited Edition Skin Protectant

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Limited Edition Skin Protectant


This is without a doubt my most random purchase in a while. I popped into my local Factory Store to buy a Pepsi Max and a bag of chocolate (well it was the weekend) and the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Limited Edition Skin Protectant caught my eye. I have wanted to try the original infamous Eight Hour Cream for a very long time, just never got round to purchasing. Even my mum said back in the 70's when she used to read Vogue (and she will kill me for giving her age away slightly) that the Eight Hour cream was pretty much the holy grail of creams. End of.

Although the ‘Eight Hour Cream’ is part of Elizabeth Arden’s permanent range of skincare products, the packaging seen here was created as part of the New York Beauty Limited Edition Collection I found, and features metallic silver and red exterior design along with a 'unique art deco 8 pattern design', apparently inspired by New York City’s 'legendary' art deco styles...whoever they might be.

First thing I noticed was its gel-like amber colour, bizare. In my eyes creams are white or white. Despite the colour, the scent is a deep resin-lemony scent with just the slightest hints of camphor – although I don’t note that as an ingredient in the label but that is what the website said. Obviously as if I know what 'camphor' is? Its also highly emollient, this long-lasting and deeply nourishing cream goes on almost sticky-feeling (sounds horrible, but it isn’t…trust me) which quickly turns to an intense soothing sensation. The Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream may be too heavy for some as it does leave a bit of grease, this does quickly soak up and is very much worth it. I have been applying mine at night and this has been working well so far! I am in love with this cream, can't believe I picked this up a discount store too. Well my hometown is known for a pensioners heaven so maybe that is why? I'm not complaining...

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Limited Edition Skin Protectant £25 from Boots, or £12 from The Original Factory Shop.

Have you tried Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Limited Edition Skin Protectant?



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Barry M Nail Paint Haul


A quick post today just to show off my latest Barry M purchases, seriously drugstores need to stop with there offers. Did I really need 3 new nail polishes? Of course not. Oh well, I have brought them now, and I am just too much like a magpie and can not resist anything with sparkle so unsurprisingly these 3 little gems caught my eye.

Barry M Marshmallow Confetti Nail Paint.

First off is the gorgeous and completely girly Marshmallow Confetti Nail Paint. This is a clear varnish with baby pink sprinkles, this looks really lovely on its own and defiantly reminds me of marshmallows. This looks gorgeous with two coats but it also makes a fantastic top coat too. See so this one is practically two polishes in one...I'll try explaining that one to my bank don't you think?

Barry M Nail Textured Effect in Duchess


Second is the just as girly Nail Textured Effect in Duchess from the Royal Textured Collection. Maybe the Duchess of Cambridge wears this? Doubt it but I still love it as this a solid pink/silver glitter polish. Its a real girly sugar coated colour, with just the right amount of sparkle without being too 'bling'. I love how the light catches on this too, a real stand out!

Barry M Nail Textured Effect in Purple Countess


Lastly I opted for another Nail Textured Effect in Purple Countess, this is very much a evening colour and I just love it. Its a deep purple with gold and silver little flecks. All these polishes are actually pretty good after just the one coat but after two they are so gorgeous. All for £3.99 each or I think Boots is currently still selling these on promotion. Careful though, you will leave with twice the amount you intended to buy. 


Will you be picking up the new Barry M colours?


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MUA Undress Your Skin Foundation


MUA Undress Your Skin Foundation

MUA Undress Your Skin Foundation

MUA Undress Your Skin Foundation

MUA Undress Your Skin Foundation

MUA Undress Your Skin Foundation

So, my new favourite foundation the MUA Undress Your Skin Foundation. Sorry Benefit. I picked this last week and haven’t even so much glanced at any other foundation since. We all know MUA can be fantastic but I must admit I wasn’t expecting much from this, I assumed it would be too dark, cakey and gone by the time I had gone downstairs to leave my house but given that I got it on offer for just £3 I am feeling smug.

Coming in a squeezy tube and available in three shades, don't worry I won't start my colour rant but seriously 3 colours? Hmm. Anyway beige was just right for my skin tone and isn't as dark as it sounds at all. The lighter shade is very pale. This foundation is just seriously amazing, semi-matte finish but does illuminate my skin somehow. MUA said this has 'light diffusing particles' but as you can see from the above swatches if they’re present they’re not obvious in the least so don’t let that put you off. The beauty of this foundation is that it just doesn’t budge.

I actually can not believe that this is currently £3, and it is only £5 off promotion, so this just feels like you are practically stealing it. If you do have a lighter skin tone I highly recommend you go right now to Superdrug and get this beauty while it has the £2 off. Go go go. You might just see me dashing there to pick up the rest of the Undress Your Skin range!


Have you tried the MUA Undress Your Skin range yet?



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My Beauty Commandments...How did I do?



Not a particularly interesting post today, more of my thoughts rambled out on my blog...you have been warned. So at the beginning of September I blogged my 'My Beauty Commandments' that I was hoping to keep up for one month. That was all, not forever as I do have commitment issues that would make any promises highly unlikily, plus only keeping these up for one month gives me more of chance of success. So how did I do?

'Not to pluck my eyebrows' This one I did not have high hopes for, I pretty much thought I would have a monobrow by day two. But guess what? I DID IT! And I have still not plucked them, it is weirdly addictive as now I just can't bare to touch them. They are like a bushy work of art, and admittedly not too messy (or so I have been told), I will tidy them slightly this week but I am on a serious growing mission with these bad boys now. Watch out Cara...

'Wear less mascara'. Again, not much hope held for this. I didn't really have much optimism did I? But I have done fairly well, yes to look at me I would still be classed in most peoples 'Spider Eyelash' category but I would say I am less Tarantula and more Moneypenny spider now. And this is the only eye makeup I wear everyday so give me some credit!

'Remove makeup with cleanser not face wipes'. Easy, completed without fail and I am actually enjoying this little routine now, plus my skin looks way better. Seriously someone should of told me to do this sooner...ahem.

'Sort out my makeup draw'. Errr how can I say this? Total and utter fail. I haven't even so much looked into sorting this one out. Although on the flip side, if  'Sort out my makeup draw' somehow translates to 'Add lots of makeup to a already over crammed draw' then I did excellently!

'Have fun with my makeup'. Well if you saw my last post on the MUA Power Pout Lip Crayons then I think you'll agree I did do well here, I have gone from wear only nude, even pink was 'out there' for me. I have now gone to wear a deep berry red on my lips everyday, and I love it. Darker next please!


Phew, not too bad! Did anyone else do anything similar in the past month?



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