Our First Ever Vlog!

In the future we plan to do some videos about our monthly favourites, what's going on in our lives and just general vloggy stuff, however we decided that for our first video we would let you see a little bit of what we are like when we're together and so here is our first ever vlog, all about;

How Smekah Met!

Although we are aware this isn't the most professional video, we hope it gives you the tiniest insight into who is behind the blog, so give us a thumbs up, leave us a comment telling us we're idiots, whatever.

Keep an eye out for future videos, give us a subscribe if you're feeling kind!

Sammy xo (and Bek)

Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Cleanser

My love for Nip + Fab knows pretty much no bounds, I went shopping to buy their Sheer Make Up Fix (has this been discontinued, does anyone know? I can't seem to find it anywhere...) and came away with this cleanser, something I didn't particularly need in any way at all. Having said that, I've fallen in love with this Glycolic Fix Cleanser.

This is definitely an in shower cleanser as opposed to a removing make-up cleanser. It's a cloudy gel that smells like grapefruit (absolutely lush) and foams up literally the minute that it hits water. I've swapped my OXY for this, and in terms of having major breakouts (touch wood) this seems to be keeping them at bay just as much as the OXY was, only it's much softer feeling on my skin. According to Nip + Fab this cleanser contains glycolic acid to exfoliate and retexture, apple amino acid to cleanse and purify and olive oil to hydrate and smooth. I literally have no idea if all that is true, but it does definitely leave my skin feeling smoother, cleaner and just as exfoliated as if I had used a much more gritty product.

This isn't the cheapest face wash in the world, I bought it from Sainsbury's for £7.99 (/150ml) but I'd definitely say it's a nice smelling, softer feeling alternative to much harsher spot reducing products on the market and, for me at least, it seems to give a similar effect.

Have you used glycolic fix? What products do you use to prevent breakouts?

Sammy xo

Bourjois Cream Blush

I know, I know, like you haven't seen enough of these reviews already. I'm sorry, but I feel like after trying it I have to review Bourjois Cream Blush.

It's no secret that I'm often dubious about cult products, but this is one I feel like I'm right to be dubious about. I have this blush in 002 which is called "Healthy Glow". The packaging for this is adorable, it's in a little round pink pot (each shade is in a different coloured compact) which open to reveal a tiny mirror and the blush itself. This is a really odd texture, I'm not sure that I would have used the word "cream" I'd say it was actually almost balm like in it's texture, but that's all technicalities. 

This isn't a colour I'd normally go for, it's a lot more coral looking that the usual flush of pink that I choose, but regardless I was willing to give it a go. Applied without blending, the colour is amazing (the swatch to the right above), a rosy coral colour that's exactly how it's described, a healthy glow. However, when it's blended in (the left swatch) it's literally barely noticeable on my skin, and to get the healthy glow look it takes a lot of building up.

This blush isn't one I'd ever repurchase, I'm not a huge fan of the colour once it's blended or of the texture. For a similar colour, I'd definitely stick with The Balm's Instain in "Swiss Dot".

Have you used Bourjois cream blush? What did you think? Any nice alternatives?

Sammy xo.

Soap and Glory Archery

Behold; I'm about to talk about a skincare brand who have done beauty, and done it well. That's right, I'm about to delve into the make-up range presented to us by Soap and Glory.

Although I own a couple of different pieces of make-up from their brand, today I'm going to talk about their Archery brow tint and precision pencil. Before this I used Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil which I liked but was far too dark for my newly lightened hair. Colour choice is one of the reasons that I picked Archery, they do a colour really close to my (artificially) light blonde hair called "Love is Blonde". This is a product that isn't actually similar to any other on the market that I'm aware of, one end is an almost paintbrush looking eyebrow tint and the other is a slightly darker pencil tip.

The tint is to be used first. I draw around the shape of my eyebrows using the precision tip that it offers, then fill them in as a base. This gives precise shape and an all over colour, so far so good.

Then step two is the pencil. This is to fill in spaces and build up the colour to the level that you need it at. After both steps my eyebrows are neat, fairly precisely shaped and still a natural colour that is fairly close to my own.

I do think that for an eyebrow pencil this is quite expensive (£10 just seems a little steep for what it is) and I have to say, if I still had my dark hair I think I'd still favour my rimmel pencil over archery, but for those of you out there with lighter hair using pencils too dark because that's the lightest pencil you can find, I highly recommend swapping over to Archery for a much neater, much more natural look.

Have you ever tried Archery? What eyebrow pencils have worked for you in the past?

Sammy xo

Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Gel Mask

After me sending them an email Elemis sent me some sample sachets through the post, including two sachets of their Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Gel Mask. I tried it and absolutely loved it and was devastated when I used both sachets up. I always meant to get a bottle and completely forgot, but then in an odd turn of events when I was cleaning my wardrobe out this weekend I found a tube in the bottom I'd obviously acquired somewhere along the way and thrown at the bottom of a pile without trying. Yay for unexpected surprises!

Finding this has had me falling in love with it all over again. It comes out as a clear gel that smells sweet and almost citrus-ey. You need very little to cover your entire face (excluding mouth and eyes) then you leave it on for ten to fifteen minutes (consider this time an excuse to lie back in the bath and flick through our blog...). When on the skin this has a really weird feeling, it tingles as it dries and it feels for all the world like when you breathe in cold air after eating a mint, which isn't a bad thing given that it really reassure me that it's working. After this simply wash off (use a flannel, if you use your hands it seems to just re-moisten the mask), then do whatever you normally would do.

I'm usually pretty dubious about face masks, I've had ones that make me break out, ones that smell horrible and ones that literally just don't work, but this smells lovely and seems to leave me with clean, shiny, fresh skin. At £48 this isn't a cheap product, but given that it's a once a week ritual I'd say it's definitely worth the money, I'll be repurchasing when I've used up all the samples I can get my hands on!

Sammy xo

Purity Made Simple Cleanser

I'm not entirely sure how I came across this cleanser, I think perhaps it was in my British Beauty Blogger edit box, but I was aware of it as a product before hand. Philosophy Purity Made Simple is a cult cleanser which seems to have no limits, it's a cleanser that is - in my opinion - for beginners.

I'll be the first to admit that cleansers aren't really something that I'm well versed in, I use them (obviously) but I've always gone back to my very cheap, very basic Garnier. I really wanted this to change my mind, having heard a lot about philosophy as a brand, and actually it really has swayed me. It's a yellow lotion that borders on being a cream, which struck me as odd from the very beginning. I'm adverse to using cold creams to take my make up off and that's exactly what this felt like. It's a personal choice but for me, I always feel like I should have taken my make up off with something else prior to using anything that comes out with a texture like Purity does. It does smell amazing though, like an old fashioned lavender (actually, not unlike STEAMCREAM), and it's applied to damp skin so I hoped that the lotion-ey feel wouldn't last too long, so even though I was put off by the consistency I decided to give it a chance.

Applied onto a damp face you really don't need much at all, the website suggests "the size of a twenty pence piece" and that's probably more than enough. It needs to be massaged in for a while and then washed off with warm water and patted dry. I was impressed in its ability to remove my eye make-up, and although it didn't take all of my foundation off first time around, I'm yet to find a cleanser that does.

All the above sold me on the product but there was one thing that made sure it beat out any competitors ; the lazy girl factor. This is a 3-in-1 so not only is it cleansing, but toning and moisturising too, so in one easy step you're set for a full skincare regime. For 240ml this is around £17.50 which is about average for a higher end product and I'd say that it's definitely worth it, especially for beginners and lazy girls because this is a one stop product that gives you the benefits of a three step system.

Sammy xo

MUA Heaven and Earth Palette

This is a palette that needs very little in the way of introduction, I'm sure many of you have read review up on review of the brand (their undressed palettes are particularly popular) even if you haven't stumbled across one of these palettes yourself. Having said that, I'm going to give you a quick review of their Heaven and Earth Palette because it's my favourite nude palette at the moment by far.

I haven't swatched these because there are thousands upon thousands of swatch photographs if you google the palette. I have to say I bought this at the same time as my Sleek "Oh So Special" palette (I commented on that in my July/August favourites) and the packaging on this MUA palette just seems cheap in comparison. There's no mirror like in Sleek's palette and the outside is a clear panel showing the colours of the shadows inside, as opposed to the matte black front of Sleek. Although it doesn't stand up quite as tall next to my Sleek palette I have to say, you get what you pay for on packaging here.

If the packaging let me down next to Sleek, it was more than made up for by the colours themselves. In my opinion, the top left palest colour is a dud, I can swatch over and over and literally it seems like I'm getting no colour at all, however the rest are lovely and really blendable. The range of colours itself is really pleasant, and they blend perfectly together to create new colours to suit anyone. It's not a top of the range palette and the packaging lets it down, but I have to say, whilst you're saving up for an Urban Decay palette (and nearly everyone is saving up for Naked) buy one of these, because for £4 the quality of the colours is outstanding, you really can't go wrong. 

Sammy xo

Dainty Doll Powder Blush

Recently I stumbled across Dainty Doll powder blush in 001 "Hippy Shake" on fragrance direct. Although it wasn't a colour I'd normally go for (a light, barbie pink) I decided I'd buy it seeing as it was £1.99. When I arrived I have to say, I was excited, but when I opened it... I don't even know where to begin. The packaging is gorgeous, really classic a black compact with the brand name printed in gold across the top. I don't like that underneath Dainty Doll it declares "Nicola Roberts". I'm not saying don't be proud of what you've done by any means, but it just makes me feel like the whole brand is a little less serious than I might like, her name blazoned across the front makes me think of cheap celebrity make up brands in the past (Mary Kate and Ashley, anyone?). I absolutely love that it has a full sized compact mirror insider though, instead of me struggling over a tiny one trying to inconspicuously reapply blusher halfway through my work day.

For those of you who don't know Dainty Doll is a make up brand by Nicola Roberts (as mentioned above) from Girls Aloud. It's specifically targeted at pale skin, although some of their eye shadows and lipsticks are gorgeous and definitely suited to a much wider audience.

I struggled to take, or find, a picture that really does the colour of this blush justice, but I guess this is pretty close. The colour is, in a word, repulsive. It's a pastel fluorescent pink (if you don't think this is possible, you've never seen this blush) and in some lights it literally looks almost violet-ey. I put off using it forever because I couldn't imagine the colour ever suiting me (or anyone). However, I have to say on skin this blends to a really subtle, close to translucent pink with gives almost a shine rather than colour, which is actually really lovely, and will make a nice blush for winter when my natural red cheeks are shining through and need little help. The texture of this is beautiful, it's a really clean powder that goes on with as little fallout as you're going to get from a powder blush and leaves the skin really soft, it feels a lot more luxurious than I had imagined.

I wasn't expecting to like this blush at all, but having given it a fair chance I have to say it really is a lovely colour, definitely more suited to pale skin than tanned and so Nicola Roberts, to give her all the respect due, has done a really good job (some of her other products are to die for too, lipsticks being the top of that list). I've heard a rumour these are getting harder to get hold of so if you see any around, they're definitely worth snapping up.

Sammy xo

Garnier Moisture Match

Sorry about the lack of posts lately, I've taken on extra shifts at work and so finding the time has been a little bit tricky, but I'm trying to plan ahead so hopefully the blog won't go so long without a post again any time soon!

Onto the product(s) in hand, Garnier Moisture Match moisturisers. If you haven't heard about these (seriously? Their advertising campaign was massive, to have missed it you must literally not own a television) this is an assortment of moisturisers- 5 in total - that are each tailor made to suit a certain skin type. The five tubes are really similar to look at, but each a different colour. When I picked these up a few weeks ago they were on offer in Asda, so I managed to pick up three out of the range "Wake Me Up" for dull skin (the orange tube), "Protect and Glow" for normal skin (the yellow tube) and "Shine Be Gone" for combination to oily skin (the green tube). You'd be forgiven for thinking that these would contain similar products, each matching the colour of the tube, but I was surprised when I tried them out because this actually isn't the case. Wake me up is a sheer slightly peach tinged gel, Protect and glow is a glossy yellow cream and Shine be gone is a lovely matte green lotion.

As their marketing campaign promised, it seems like each really is tailored to a different skin type, and perhaps more surprisingly each one genuinely seems to do a brilliant job or at least certainly in the three that I picked I can't find a dud. Wake Me Up is for dull skin, and I can see how this would work really well for someone targeting that specifically. It goes on as a gel and settles as a sheen on the skin, too much for my oily skin but for someone who lacks moisture and natural shine, this would almost definitely give a lovely dewy finish. Protect and Glow is a weird one, it's a standard moisturiser as far as I can tell and it's smell is identical to wake me up. It's not unpleasant, and it's nice that it has an spf 20 but I'm just not as blown away with it as I feel like I am with the other two. Having said that, I'd still happily repurchase it as a Summer moisturiser.

My favourite out of the three is by far Shine Be Gone, though. This is a personal preference definitely, a dewy glow is something I will take off running from and I would always pick a matte finish. This is lovely, you only need a tiny bit for your whole face and although it has the texture of some primers (l'oreal studio secrets resurfacing primer springs to mind as the closest comparison for texture) I feel like it doesn't sit uncomfortably on top of the skin but sinks in nicely instead, and it does keep shine away for a decent length of time.

I'd recommend these three moisturisers in a heart beat, but if you're not sure which one is right for you and you're not willing to pay out for a few, you can do a quiz to find out which is probably the closest match to your skin. I'll definitely be trying out the other two when I get the chance, especially at £3.99/50ml.

Sammy xo

Nars Sheer Glow

Hi guys! Let me please start of by saying I’m really sorry for the lack of blogging on my part lately…It’s been a crazy few weeks! What with starting a new job and some other things going on I’ve barely had time to blink. But I’m back on this now, I promise. If I slip up again, no doubt Sam will let me know about it!

Right, now we’ve got that out of the way, let’s kick off with what we’re here for. Nars Sheer Glow. I had heard an awful lot about this product lately. As a big fan of youtubers Tanya Burr and Zoella, along with many more, there really has been no escape from people raving about how good Sheer Glow is. I, of course, made a mental note to look into this more. And the more I heard about it, the more I wanted to try it out. I’ve never had a nars product before. As I’ve previously mentioned, I’ve only recently got back into high end makeup, so the whole Nars craze is new to me. I did a bit of research online, and found out that contrary to what I thought, there actually is a Nars counter not far from me. This, of course, is extremely dangerous (sorry, bank balance!). So when I went into the Harvey Nichols Beauty Bazaar, I made a beeline straight for Nars. My intention was to just have a little look around, get a feel for it all, and enquire about samples. This didn’t exactly pan out.

Everything on their counter looked sooo beautiful, and the sales assistant was super lovely. She told me that the only way they could give me a little sample would be if I took my only little bottle in for them to give me some. Not knowing this, I obviously didn’t have a sample bottle with me. I asked the lovely sales assistant about colour matching, and she told me that she could match me then, and try it out on me if I wanted. This was when the real trouble started. The lady told me that at Nars, they don’t tell you what shade to wear, it’s all about what you actually want to wear. If you don’t know anything about Nars: they split their foundation shades into 4 catagories. So the lady sat me down and showed me a card with the 4 colour categories on it, and asked me which one I thought would best suite me. I originally said number 2, so she showed me all of the colours in that group. I looked at the lightest shade, but when the sales assistant put it on my skin, we both agreed this was too dark, and ended up in the lightest category. I asked to look at mont blanc (I believe this is the shade that Zoella uses).

The lady tried it on my forehead – and I can honestly say that I have never had such a good colour match, in any make of foundation. She applied it to a large area of my forehead, and powdered it for me. Of course, I fell in love with it straight away. Yes, I did end up buying it there and then, oops! It must be said, I didn’t take much persuading. My experience at the nars counter was really lovely. The sales assistant was so helpful and I came out of there feeling like I’d bought the perfect product. Since then, I have used the foundation, a lot. It is amazing. Definitely the best foundation I have ever had. It is so so nice to finally have a foundation that is the right colour for my skin. As someone with combination skin, I admit that I was worried about how the “glow” element would sit with my skin. I had no need to be. The lady at Nars said they recommend the foundation be applied with fingers. This, of course, depends on what kind of finish you would like. I tend to put it on  my skin with my fingers, and then use a real techniques expert face brush to blend it in. Using small, circular motions with this brush gives an absolutely flawless finish.

This foundation really does apply so nicely. You don’t need a lot of product (always good when something is £30.50!) The finish is really beautiful. It really does make your skin look as though it is glowly. However, magically, it doesn’t make you look oily, and it sits really well on patches of your face that get oily anyway. I also have some dry areas and it glides over them really well. The staying power is also good. If you prime and powder it lasts all day with no need for top up. If you don’t prime and powder, it will still stay, but by 5pm the finish won’t be as gorgeous as when you left the house. I really cannot recommend this product enough. I absolutely love it, and there is no doubt in my mind that it is worth the high end price tag. Will definitely be repurchasing when I run out. Happy girl!

July Glossybox vs. July Birchbox

This month I couldn't resist, I was getting the Birchbox anyway (as some of your might know I'm attempting to try and find the best beauty box by trying each, our June Glossybox post is here) but when I saw this month was a limited edition Glossybox the shopaholic in me took over and I was entering my paypal password before I had the chance to box her back up. This does allow me, however, to pit the boxes against each other (baring in mind this is based on one month, on the products that I received, and so results and opinions may obviously vary). This is quite a long post, I'll write about the Glossybox and it's stand out products, then do the same for Birchbox then pit them against eachother properly, feel free to skip to the bottom.

 I'm going to start with the Glossybox

First of all, the packaging. I'm a sucker for pretty things and I have to say that I really think Glossybox nailed it with this month's box. It's summery without being in your face girly, and it's nice enough (and most importantly subtle enough) to use again. I also liked the fact that even the tissue paper inside was coral themed, and it was nice to see the trademark black paper/pink ribbon combo swapped for a much more suitable white paper/blue ribbon. Inside, I received a Ciate paint pot in "Island hopping", Coola Rose essence tinted moisturised (mineral sunscreen), Bamboo Style Boho Waves tousled texture mist, Anatomicals "spray misty for me" facial spritz and Nip+Fab Shine Fix. I have to say, I was really disappointed to not be amongst the lucky lot that got two Sleek pout paints to play with this month, but beggars can't be choosers. 

I definitely didn't like this box as much as my June Glossybox, however I do think the Ciate and Nip+Fab are lovely stand out items. The Ciate paint pot is a gorgeous red/orange shimmer that is lovely and eye catching in the sun, but will transfer really nicely into Autumn too. It's exactly the quality I've had from ciate in the past, lovely sheen, no bubbling and stands the test of time without chipping, cracking or flaking off. Nip+Fab never seem to let me down, and shine fix is a mattifying gel that does exactly as it promises (it also doesn't have a horrible chemical smell like some gel fixes I've had in the past) and I've been using it as a primer to tone down a shiny T-zone in this hot weather.

Onto the Birchbox

This is my first Birchbox but my, oh my, am I impressed. The packaging is much more basic than the glossybox and I was uninspired to look at it at first, but the classic design has come to grow on me, and I absolutely love their inclusion of a lovely little drawstring bag inside instead of the crumpled up paper and tissue that Glossybox have opted for. The whole box feels a little bit more grown up than the Glossybox, and I feel like that might just give it the edge in terms of design. I received all manner of delightful little treats in this box.I got Blanc Cachemire Creme De Jour Protectrice, Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle, theBalm cosmetics InStain Powder Staining Brush, Weleda Skin Food, Laura Geller Inkwell Gel Eyeliner and Some Chia Seeds from The Chia Co. I absolutely loved the inclusion of the chia shots, which just seemed like an extra added little bonus. I also like that you can find most things in their boxes in their online shop.

Standout products in this box were definitely theBalm cosmetics inStain, Laura Geller Inkwell Gel Eyeliner and (of course) Weleda Skin Food. theBalm inStain is one of my favourite products of the year, no exaggeration. I got "swiss dot", which is a quite deep pinky coral and suits my skin perfectly. This is a powder stain, which I struggled to get used to but have found quite easy to blend out even though it stays put all day. This gives a lovely flush of colour that doesn't need reapplying throughout the day and it has adorable packaging (a magazine cover that you open to reveal the blush). I've already ordered a full sized one of these, I honestly can't recommend it enough. The Laura Geller Gel Eyeliner I received is actually a deep shimmery purple, it applies really neatly using the brush and stays put, or can be smudged out gently for a softer look. The colour is a really nice change to black and doesn't look as harsh, and the texture of the gel is much better than quite dry ones I've tried in the past. When my own liquid eyeliner runs out I'll be considering buying the black as well. Finally Weleda Skin Food... There's not much to say about this, it's a product that speaks for itself (and has celebrities speaking for it). It's amazing, literally a miracle cure - as long as you can get past the...ahem...distinctive smell.

So which is better?

This is a really hard one. Although I really enjoyed the special edition Glossybox box, I still think the Birchbox has a sophisticated edge, and is also more size appropriate for what's inside, plus their use of a reusable bag instead of paper and tissue just seems to be a more practical idea, and saves me throwing the insides of the box out every month. I also love the amount of literature that comes with the Birchbox, I feel much more supported through my use of the products than I do with the Glossybox.

For exactly the same price (£10 + £2.95 p&p) I feel like the Birchbox is just beating Glossybox to the post. It seems more grown up overall, and although both have stand out items, I feel like there are some things in my Glossybox I won't ever use again, something I don't feel with my Birchbox. It's definitely a toss up, and it's all about preference of course, but I would definitely recommend the Birchbox over the Glossybox (sorry, Glossy), although I will be continuing to get both !

If you actually read through this whole thing, give yourself a pat on the back (and go and order yourself a Birchbox... or a Glossybox)

Sammy xo

Sammy's Monthly Favourites (July/August)

This month has all been about beauty and skincare for me and so you lucky lot get 4 beauty favourites and 1 skincare. I've tried to make these as summery as possible, but I don't want to just list beauty items that are summer appropriate because I want these to actual be my favourite things, so, here they are.

Sleek i-Divine "Oh So Special" Eye Palette

This is a really lovely little palette that I just couldn't resist picking up when I saw it in Superdrug, especially at only £7.99. The colours are really pigmented (I'll do swatches in a later post dedicated to this palette) and the only dud I found was "Bow" the palest pink, but this might just be that it's difficult to see on my pale skin. I normally stick to nude palettes, but I've found these to be really wearable, both during the day and on a day out. I've found sleek palettes to be worth their cost, and they really hold their own up against some much more expensive palettes.

Melvita Apicosma Body Balm

This is described as an "Ultra-nourishing body balm" and that's really fitting to what it is. It's a thick, creamy balm that soaks in quickly with a really lovely smell (it smells exactly like refresher sweets). I ended up owning this as it was part of my British Beauty Blogger edit box, but a 15ml version will only set you back £4 and it's well worth it. Currently I'm using it for my knees and elbows before fake tanning, but in the winter I'll be using it on my cracked hands and any other dry patches of skin. This is a cheap, all year round beauty staple that I'll be adding to my make-up bag.

Collection "No Clumps" Definition Mascara

I'm really fussy about mascara, I like my eyelashes to be perfectly separated, jet black and with absolutely no clumps. I've used mascara that's set me back well over £10 that I've thrown away after just a few uses, but this is one that is definitely in my top five. The cost? £2.49. It does exactly what it says, defines eyelashes with no clumps, and in this colour "Ultra Black" it really is a perfect jet black colour. The plastic brush is a nice touch, as well, I much prefer the plastic brushes in terms of separating eyelashes. This might be a short lived craze, but for now this is definitely my one and only.

Barry M Nail Varnish in "Bright Pink"

I'm pretty sure everyone that comes across this will have tried a Barry M nail varnish at some point, and for the price I feel like they're really worth stocking up on a variety of colours (especially when they're on offer, they're quite often on 3 for 2). I got this as my third colour in a 3 for 2 deal, so all three cost me £5.98. This isn't a colour I'd usually go for, I opted for "grey" and "raspberry" as my other two colours, but I've actually been wearing it quite often. It's a bright, Barbie pink. perfect for a pop of colour and I'll definitely be keeping this near the top of my nail varnish box through the rest of Summer.

George Ultra Sheer Liquid Foundation

I don't tend to use liquid foundation, I have quite oily skin so I tend to find it makes me look really  shiny, but I ran out of make-up and saw this in Asda so bought it for £4. I've actually been really impressed with the new George. cosmetics (you can see me talking about their lip tints here), and this didn't let me down. It settles nicely into skin without exaggerating imperfections and has a light coverage which lasts most of the day even in hot weather (I have been using benefit's porefessional underneath, though). The thing I'm most impressed with though? Colour match. This is the first foundation I've been really pleased with the colour match of, and you can see why on the photograph on the right, above the swatch is the applied product. It's literally invisible on my skin. I'm loving George. products at the moment, if you haven't already tried them, I highly recommend picking some up next time you're at your local Asda.

If you try any of these, make sure to comment and let me know what you think! 

Sammy xo.

Shiro Pigment Swatches

I've loved Shiro cosmetics for a really long time. Like other tumblr users, I was first attracted by the witty, relatable names ("bitterly cyberstalking your ex" is a personal favourite) but, although I'd read some views that suggested to the contrary, I really worried this would be novelty make-up as opposed to good quality. Still, a few weeks ago I decided to bite the bullet and order 5 sample baggies of different pigments from Shiro.

The top photograph is with flash and the bottom is without (both have my gross microdermal in, sorry about that...). I feel like the bottom show the colours closest to their true selves, the shimmer in the pigments isn't as pronounced as the top photograph, they're just a nice added bonus when you find yourself standing under a strong light .

From left to right these swatches are for "eye contact", "lingered in twilight", "huntress", "chimera" and "star crossed"

Out of the five, I was least impressed with eye contact. All five were applied slightly damp and I still found eye contact, although well pigmented, really sheer and difficult to build up. This might suit some people but it's left me with a colour that's not subtle enough for every day wear, yet not in your face enough for special occasions. The hot pink shimmer isn't unpleasant but I feel like it might be difficult to make it effectively wearable. Next is lingered in twilight, a really pretty colour not unlike smash cosmetics "absinthe" (a sort of black with a really deep forest green shimmer). In contrast to eye contact, this is highly pigmented AND super easy to build up. Although dark, the green gives it a wearable edge, and the colour spectrum in the pigment means it can be worn alone. Next is huntress, a really gorgeous pigmented silver shade that can be built up, but doesn't need to be. It's more grey than white, giving it the edge over a "traditional" silver. Personally I'll be using this as a base, but it's a lovely blendable pigment so it has a whole range of possibilities. Finally chimera and star crossed. Up close and personal, these colours are actually pretty similar. They're dark bronze colours with a gorgeous, subtle shimmer, although chimera has silver undertones whereas star crossed is more gold, both are really lovely autumn colours and, again, really pigmented.

The pigments do have a fair amount of fallout, but even taking the fallout into consideration, you need the tiniest bit for a real shot of colour, and so you really do only use a the tiniest bit at a time. These are only the $1 1/4 tsp sample baggies and I don't see myself running out any time soon, so I expect that the full sized pots would last you months.

On one last note I have to say I absolutely love their website. It feels personal to Caitlin herself, and that makes it a delight to browse and buy from. There are little parts of her personality everywhere from the collections themselves (based on things ranging from the hobbit to pokemon) to the little notes about delivery on checkout (if you order make sure to actually read these because they really tickled me). All in all, the pigments are lovely and the site is one of my all time favourites to browse through. They're definitely a company I will undoubtedly be buying from again in the future, this is both make-up and geekery at their best. 

Sammy xo

Figs & Rouge Cherry Blossom

Anyone who read our June Glossybox post will know that I tried Figs and Rouge lip balm in Coco-Rose and I just... despised it. I love the packaging, I loved the colour and the shimmer and the way it made my lips taste but I could not get over the taste which was just like biting into paracetamol and it literally made me heave.

However, I wanted to love the company and so I found myself ordering the Cherry Blossom version of the lip balm. I thought all that needed to be sorted was the taste, so logically the Cherry Blossom would have everything I loved about Coco Rose only with a nice taste, but I was a little disappointed. The taste is ten million times better and tastes for all the world like red powerade, but there is no sheen to the lip tint, one of the things I loved about Coco Rose. The packaging is sweet, but not as retro as Coco Rose and the texture is a lot more like jelly, making it much harder to apply especially using the tube straight onto the lip.

I will be trying the Mocha Orange version, because I really want to find one of these products that I love everything about, but I can't help feeling like between these two I have to pick between the look and ease of use of the products and the taste, because neither product has all three aspects, at least not in my opinion.

I love this company, but none of their lip tints so far have captured my heart quite like I wished they would. Watch this space, I'll review the mocha orange version as soon as I get the chance to try it.

Sammy xo

Vaseline Spray & Go Body Moisturiser

I'm a moisturiser junkie, no doubt about it. I tend to buy any that are on offer, and that means that I usually have drawers and drawers full of bottles I've used literally once. Having said that, I couldn't just walk past when I saw Vaseline Spray & Go (£4.99/190ml and only available in Boots for the time being.) There are three different types Essential Moisture, Cocoa Radiant and Aloe Fresh. I tried Aloe Fresh and Cocoa Radiant but I wasn't keen on the smell of Aloe Fresh, so I settled for Cocoa Radiant instead.

I quite like the can, the whole design and idea makes it seems much more extravagant than the original moisturiser designs (which are still available). I wasn't entirely keen on the whole idea of the product though, I was worried getting the right amount of product would be difficult and it would either leave parts of me unmoisturised or it would be greasy and much too thick. I needn't have worried though, the spray distributes fairly evenly and goes on quite thin and watery (see the above right picture) and can literally be rubbed in straight away to leave no grease or residue (bottom right picture). It definitely lives up to the idea of spray and go, because although I can still feel it on my skin, it just feels soft and not "sticky" like other moisturisers (even the bottle version of this moisturiser, in fact.)

All in all, this is a call between whether you'd rather have ease or more money in your pocket. In my mind, there's absolutely no doubt that this is a more convenient product, after your shower you can spray and put your pyjamas straight on, in fact you could even do it before leaving to go out without worrying about your skin uncomfortably sticking to the residue, however it is more expensive than the traditional bottle version (which is £2.99/200ml), however I'm more than willing to spend that extra £2 just for the convenience.

Sammy xo

OXY

Ok, I'll say it; I'm a spotty teenager. Not so much now that I've started taking better care of my skin, and making sure I actually take all my make up off at night, but I still have more breakouts than I care to admit to. A few weeks ago, I felt like literally nothing was helping to get my skin clear, and so I emailed OXY asking if they had any samples I might be able to try to see if they'd help me get celebrity skin (or, I'd settle for just non-spotty). They very kindly sent me back some of their products, much to my delight.

Let's start with the Clear Pore Exfoliant. This is great, and like I've said before, I absolutely love a gritty exfoliator and this is definitely one. It comes out quite liquid-ey with a sand like texture, it's rough on the skin but it does really clear away any dead skin. It's too rough to use every day, but I've been using it every other day which seems to be working for me. I've then been following this with the Fresh Skin Wash. This is much more if a gel formula than the Clear Pore Exfoliant, but it does also have exfoliating beads in. This is soft enough to use every day, and it almost buffs my skin to a soft shiny level. Finally, the Deep Calm Balm, a moisturiser that again includes exfoliating beads.

Essentially, I've been swapping between a three step routine and a two step routine every other day (the exfoliant definitely isn't gentle enough to use every day) and it really seems to be having a positive effect. Whereas I've had some issues with clean and clear and clearasil in the past (I literally felt like I'd had a chemical peel with some of the products from the former), OXY's range is gentle enough that you can use at least one of the products every day, but effective enough that (touch wood) it actually does seem to be keeping breakouts at bay. Although there are 2 other products in the range (The Emergency Spot Treatment Gel and the Clearlight -Light Device) I would say just buy the three mentioned above if you're unsure, they work perfectly together and at £5.99 a piece you definitely aren't breaking the bank.

My one criticism would be I've been using the Calm Balm much more than the exfoliant, and so it irks me a little that the Calm Balm is in a smaller bottle. Admittedly though, I do probably use less of the balm each time so it evens out quite nicely. 

If you're looking for a spot treatment I can't recommend OXY enough, I'd even say buy it and use it as a daily routine, I've never had skin so soft and shiny. Plus, it's "natural skin science", which is never a bad thing.

Sammy xo

P.S. Although I received these products free as samples from OXY they were not in return for a review, the opinions above are mine and mine alone and were in no way influence by OXY, swear down.

Lush Volcano Foot Mask

Lush is one of those shops I seem to go in not looking for anything in particular and yet I still come out with at least £10's worth of products the staff convinced me that I couldn't live without. To clarify, their Volcano Foot Mask was one of these products. I love face masks, and so the idea of a foot mask intrigued me and the staff member helping me pick which foot product was best for me couldn't give it high enough praise (really, it was like she was being paid for it or something...). In the end, my curiosity won out and I ended up walking out of the shop with a pot that I had convinced myself that I simply needed in my life. In my defence it was only £5.75 (for 125ml) and I have paid more for worse products in lush in the past.

 

Amongst an array of natural ingredients the foot mask boasts pumice, papaya, china clay, tomatoes and potatoes. It's gritty to the touch (presumably the pumice) and when applying I found there to be tiny pieces of red peel (presumably the tomato). It's quite thick in texture, easily thick enough to cover the tattoo on my foot to the point that you can't see it with just one layer. The packaging says to cover your entire foot and then wrap it in plastic, the girl in the shop told me sandwich bags are enough to keep it from drying out so that's what I used. Granted, I looked stupid for the ten minutes I left it on, but it gave me a hell of a lot of amusing snapchats to send to people.

The sensation of the foot mask is something I can only compare to eating a mint and then breathing in winter air, that tingly, cold type of feeling. I used a pumice stone on my feet first and the gritty texture of the mask really got rid of all of the dead skin, so when I washed it off my feet were smooth, and stayed tingly for a good half hour afterwards.

Overall, this probably is something I could have lived without, but it's really nice to use and I love the feeling of it, both during and after use. It's a nice luxury to have there after a hard day at work, especially if (like mine) your work involves you being on your feet and running up and down stairs all day, and knowing all Lush products are animal testing free is nice for your conscience. I'd definitely say buy this, even if it's just to amuse your friends with photos of you with grey feet tucked neatly into sandwich bags. 

Sammy xo.

Lipcote

First of all I feel like I should say, I tend to favour lip stain over lipstick mostly because I am horrendously lazy and I really hate the idea of constantly reapplying to maintain a decent coverage. This is primarily the reason I'm so obsessed with lipstick sealer, and so when I came across lipcote for £1.19 I couldn't resist (It's normally £3.99)

 

I've also managed to pick up a couple (more like 5. Or 7.) of lipsticks lately, and so I couldn't have bought lipcote at a better time. First things first, the tube. It's fairly nice, if a little cheap looking with a plastic gold cap and the name blazoned across the front. I don't hate the packaging, but the product inside is a weird cloudy colour instead of being crystal clear, and I think I'd like the whole idea of lipcote better if I couldn't actually see that (it's just a bit... dirty looking). You get 7ml for £3.99, and in fairness I don't think that's a bad price seeing as you can seal both lips using just the amount on one "dip". I have to say this though; it smells and tastes like nail varnish remover. I know that looking back through my posts I come across as a little anal about smells and tastes but if it's something I'm putting on my face, or more specifically my lips, I want it to taste like something I could eat. The nail varnish remover taste is disgusting but it does wear off pretty much as soon as the product has dried, so small mercies. Whilst drying, the product suggests you don't press your lips together, so you can look a bit weird and your lips feel sticky but it dries after about 10 seconds, so it's worth dealing with; especially if it will stop me having to reapply lipstick in some skanky club toilets in Liverpool city centre at three in the morning.

 Does it work? Well this entirely depends on whether or not you plan to eat whilst you're wearing it. It works in the sense that if I rub my lips it takes much more to remove my lipstick (although it's still pretty easily removable) and it doesn't really leave a lipstick mark on the side of my glass, but if you eat? Everything goes rapidly downhill. I found after eating my lipstick kind of... clumps, and flakes off in tiny pieces. It looks even worse wearing off than if I hadn't worn anything over the top of my lipstick in the first place. I think this is a really helpful make-up tool to have, especially if you plan on going out only to drink (it also stops lipsticks coming uncapped in your bag and smooshing itself all over your phone and purse), but if you're eating, best just to back away and stick with a lip stain. If you do use it and go eating, expect to be reapplying lipcote just as much as you usually reapply lipstick. 

 Sammy xo

Spanish Haul

It seems not even taking me to a foreign country, where they don't sell make-up except in big towns and where I don't speak the language, can stop me from getting some beauty steals! So, here's my Spanish haul.

Lips

Excuse my less-than-blemish-free skin.

I managed to pick up both flormar supermatte lipstick in "202", a creamy orangey coral colour, and Catrice colour infusion lip stain in"Meet Mrs Roosevelt" a gorgeous raspberry coloured lip stain that has some serious staying power (and tastes delicious!)

I paid €3.70 for the flormar lipstick in their sale and €4.49 for the lip stain. As far as I'm aware neither of these brands are available in England (although pretty please inform me if you know otherwise!) but both are definitely worth a gander at if you're off to Europe this Summer, especially at such cheap prices ! 

Eyes and Cheeks

I also managed to snag some eyeshadows, Catrice's "Absolute Nude" Eyeshadow Palette and their limited edition Mountain Baked Siberian Call eyeshadow in "Rose's Wood".

Siberian Call is a gorgeous marbelled eyeshadow, a bronze coloured base with glittery deep brown veins. The swatch is the brown on the bottom left picture. It goes on darker than I'd imagined, but the pigment is good and I can't really complain for €4.29. I don't even have words for how pleased I was to buy the absolute nude palette. It's not unlike a smaller version of MUA'a "Heaven and Earth", you can see my swatches on the top right of the photo collage above. The colours range from a soft peachy nude to a dark brown, all are slightly glimmery (even though some are supposed to be matte), pigmentation isn't great but the whole thing cost me €4.99, so I'm far from disappointed. It also comes with a handy little two sided applicator in case you, say... I don't know... go on holiday and accidentally forget all your make-up brushes.

I also got essence's ballerina backstage blush soufflé in "prima ballerina". It's soft and smooth rather than the mousse I expected but the colour is really sweet, easy to build up and stays put all day. The swatch is the final pinky colour in the bottom left. Again I don't think essence is available in England but if you can find one of these €2.99 blushes, I suggest you stock up.

Nails

Finally, I managed to pick up some gorgeous nail varnishes , all of which I got for €2.

The flormar nail varnishes in "359" and "LS07" are gorgeous, but a lot lighter than I'd imagined, LS07 is a lot more orangey in my swatch than it looks in the bottle and 359 definitely seems more like a top coat than the shimmering white I had expected. The NYC is "Perfect Day", not far from "Park Ave" which you can pick up in England, but I couldn't resist for the price. I fell in love with the colour and it's opaque in two coats.

All swatches are on plain white paper, I wanted to do them on my nails but there was no way I was painting over my acrylic tips!

It's pretty frustrating I can't get these brands at home, particularly Catrice (I can't get over how long lasting their lip stain is) and essence (their blush soufflé is to die for) but these are definitely brands to look out for when you visit Europe.

Not a bad haul considering I spent less than €25!

Sammy xo

Sammy's monthly favourites (June/July)

Being a self-confessed sucker when it comes to new beauty products (or rather new anything), my favourite things change regularly , but here are a few things I've been really impressed with this month.

Milka Chocolate With Tuc Biscuits 

That's right, deliciously creamy milka chocolate encased between two biscuits that normally have a soft cheese filling. I know, it sounds so disgusting, but please stay with me here. With salted caramel being the new designer dessert component to be seen eating, salt and sweet have never been such a good pairing and this weird chocolate is the perfect balance of salted crunchy biscuits and sweet milky chocolate. Although milka can't tell me when this will be available in the uk, it's worth keeping an eye out for (and getting people to bring back as a present from Europe). Just give me the benefit of the doubt here!

Pond's Cold Cream

A classic, favoured by such stars as Kylie Minogue. It's available in about 4 different types but I'm currently using the hydronourishing version. This would be lovely for dehydrated skin but does make my oily skin quite shiny (but this problem is my fault for assuming they only do one type and grabbing it off the shelf without checking). Having said that, it has a lovely, fresh smell to it and it great to use as a cold cream to take your make-up off, or just as a thick night moisturiser. A pot can literally last about 6 months and they're really reasonably priced (£4.49 for 50ml). So go on: consider it an investment in your skin.

Andrex Washlets

These are one of those washlet things that have recently appeared in armies on our supermarket shelves. I hate the idea of using them as they're intended but I have been using them for cosmetic reasons. After I ran out of makeup wipes the night we arrived in Spain I used one to take off my makeup. I wouldn't reccomend them for that, their ability to take off waterproof mascara is essentially non existent however if you run them over your skin after you take your makeup off they leave your skin lovely and smooth (and they take off any makeup you might have missed in your laziness, not that that's something that's ever happened to me). Plus they're cheap, available everywhere and they smell really fresh and lovely.

"Before I Go To Sleep" by SJ Watson

One of the best books I've read this year (and then reread this summer). It's a thriller about a woman with amnesia, and it puts the reader in the odd position of knowing more than the main character. Definitely worth a read, I was captivated until the very end! Download it for your ipad, kindle or buy a hard copy and take it on your holidays (or just read it at home, in bed!)