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