No7 Colour Calming Primer

Firstly, can I apologise for the bad photographs in this review this morning? It's early in Sophie time, and not a fantastic sunny morning :( Ok, this product is one that I am fiercely loyal to. I must emphasize the word 'fiercely' as I've used this product now 5 times consecutively, and each tube lasts me about 5/6 months, so I've been re-purchasing this product for at least 2 years. My skin is an annoying plateau between pale and olive, so when I wake up I'm a horrendous victim to redness and uneven skin tone.


It claims to be a primer, but in all honestly, I've never really used it as a main primer. As this product has been a main contender in my make up regime for years, it's seen a lot of changes. Nowadays, I will use a proper primer (see Witch Anti Blemish Primer below) then apply this, then apply my foundation. Seem a lot to you? It honestly depends on what products you must,must,must use in your make up application. For a less heavy feel, try mixing it in with your moisturiser/primer, or mixing it with your foundation. It's really a case of trial and error.


It's currently £11 in Boots, but I always buy it with the £5 off No7 voucher, which appears several times a year. No7 is exclusive to Boots, so you won't find it anywhere else. (If you do, do not hesitate to contact me) .
Here are some before and after shots, as modelled by my face:

I'll give you a couple of minutes to make jokes about my face, then ask if you see a difference?


Thing it says it is/does:

• Beautifully soft to apply - True. It's very slick and creamy. Not too thick, but not runny either. You don't need a lot though remember, just a little bit at a time, then apply more if you need to. Otherwise you will end up looking like Shrek.
• Easily blendable - Like I said, yes, but if you're mixing it with other products, you need to just have a go with it and see what happens. Some moisturisers are a pain in the neck to blend with this, so stick to a moisturiser with the same consistency for optimal results. I recommend Philosophy Pure Grace Body Lotion.
• Neutralises/conceals redness - Well I can definitely agree with this, but you'll have to judge from the photos/try it yourself!
• Soothing and non-drying - True. Doesn't harm your skin at all.
• Contains Vitamins A and E to condition and revitalise skin - Yay!
• Contains Liquorice Extract to help soothe skin - Ok, a bit weird, but it works!
• Non-pore blocking - I can't actually say I know if this is true, as I use a pore-reducing face mask regularly anyway, but after 2 years of using, I don't think my pores have ever looked bad!
• Hypo-allergenic - Just when you thought it couldn't get better! Isn't this product just your best friend?! Most No7 products are hypo-allergenic anyway, so you can rely on them if you have skin that can't deal with anything less than super-sensitive products.

So to summarise, this is an utterly fabulous product. I simply can't big it up enough, it's by far my most favourite facial beauty product ever! But I will point out that it really is ideal for pale/olive skin tones that are prone to redness, but it has a sister product that is aimed at giving your skin a boost if you're prone to yellow/dull skin, you'll find it here.


Enjoy!!

Burts Bees Honey Lip Balm

As I admitted in my 'welcome' post, I'm a diagnosed lip balm monster. I'm so in love with them, I have ones for different needs for my lips. I have anything from tinted, to SPF care, to medicated to gorgeously scented. However, this may be one of the only (maybe THE only) lip balms that I have ever used up, then re-purchased.


It's not the cheapest of lip balms, but not the most expensive either. You can get it in Boots, or Holland and Barrett where I got it, for £3.60ish. (I'm a loyal customer to Boots, and Heaven knows I wanted dem loyalty pointz, but I wanted the honey variety first and Boots had just one...opened). 


However, if ever you were going to spend this amount of money on a lip balm, it is totally worth its salt. For those of you who like the smell of honey, you will adore this. It's very easy to apply, it's got just the right amount of thickness, it goes on clear, and it's not sticky! Also, in my opinion, the packaging is very appealing to me. It's always nice to take out a lip balm when you're with people, and for them to go 'Oooh what's that?'. It's (ironically) a hearty shade of honey, with little teeny bumblebees, just for that little extra 'buy me' factor. (Totally worked on me).


Things it says it is/does:

• Moisturises/hydrates/nourishes - Definitely. Particularly in harsh weather conditions. I suffer badly in cold/windy weather, and this has served me well in recent nastiness. 

That's pretty much its promises to you, what more could you expect from a lipbalm?? (It could make you lose 10lbs from your legs, but that's irrelevant)

In short, this lip balm is brilliant. It lasts ages on your lips, smells and looks good enough to eat, and afterwards, your lips literally are asking to be kissed. No wonder Burts Bees is such a popular, trusted brand if even it's smallest products are producing miracles....

Witch Anti Blemish Skin Clearing Primer

Firstly, I have to say that I seriously have loved using this product over the past sort of 4 weeks. I saw an advert in a magazine a few weeks beforehand that Witch were bringing out this new range of cosmestic-y goodies for the likes of me to relish in. The range includes tinted moisturisers and a matte face powder, but the primer was the first thing my heart longed for.

Cost me about £6ish in boots, and you only need about a pea sized amount to cover your face, so it's well worth your hard earned pennies. The consistency is luscious. Really soft, and like most good primers, just glides on your face and leaves it feeling airbrushed (if there is such a feeling). The amazing twist to this product, is the fact, not only has it done what it said on the tin by clearing up my recent cluster of ugly spots on my chin, but it also has reduced the redness I get on my cheeks in the morning.

It also honestly does help your make-up stay in pristine condition all the live long day. The smells a bit odd, but that is most likely the nourishing witch hazel that zaps your zits. 

Things it says it is/does:

• Fragrance free - this is true, it's not over-powered by medical/tangy scents that ruin a lot of products, but as I said, it does have it's own distinguished smell, but that's good! *thumbs up*
• Oil free - Yay! 
• Dermatologically tested - Double yay!
• Prepares skin for foundation - Triple yay? I think so! Definitely helped my make-up glide on, and stay on. Usually I'd slap on some moisturiser to act as a primer (I still do, but I now don't need to use a spatula) but by about 2/3pm, the oil would be breaking through, like Houdini in a box. You could almost hear the oil cheering for freedom.
• Protect your skin from the aggravation that make-up can cause, and create spots - Also true, as I said, my skin is so much more eye-friendly now. 

Definitely would recommend this to someone with oily skin that's affecting the life of make-up on their face throughout the day, and double recommend it to those who need a boost to rid of annoying spots.

Enjoy!

Hello!

...and welcome to my new blog! I know that there isn't a high demand for online updates about beauty and hair products, but I use so many, new and existing, that it would literally be criminal to not put them to use! I'm guilty for being a bit of a product-aholic, and admit that I'm not an extremely loyal user to a lot of the products I buy.


Most people liken me to a walking-chemist. And admit to owning over 20 unfinished lip balms. There's just so many lovely things to try out there, and it's a constant battle to find the perfect product for your skin and hair type (and so little time!). My skin/hair type is posted on my profile information, as you may wish to know what product ranges I usually aim at.


I'll write a new post for the first product I'll have a good bash at talking about, so I don't spoil the serenity of the gorgeous welcoming message :) Here's to hoping I stick to this blog better than I do with products!


Sophie x