Revlon Fire and Ice Lipstick

I heard of this when Lisa Eldridge did a video on red lipstick.  She said it is a loud, neon, bright, 'in your face' red. This is something which is totally out of my comfort zone and not something I would have expected myself to like so much!

I don't know exactly why I bought it...but I'm super happy that I did. It is meant to have both warm, orange, fiery undertones and cool, blue icy undertones and thus meant to suit a wide variety of skin tones - hence the name, Fire and Ice. It's been around since 1952, and it's an iconic, glamorous red. I have seen some tubes of this in vintage packaging flying around online and I am absolutely desperate to get my hands on a tube! It looks so retro and glamorous. This is the first red lipstick that I have put on where I actually feel like a grown up, and not just a young pre teen trying on my Mum's make up whilst she's downstairs. (This was a favourite past-time).

I think this is my new favourite. Perfect for spring...if it decides to put in an appearance, that is.

My skin looks best when it has very little coverage on as my skin it freckled and quite translucent, and coverage looks unnatural and obvious on me. I am a little tanned in this picture (hard to believe right?), and I think having a little extra glow and colour makes this red a little easier to wear. I have enjoyed wearing this with Origins VitaZing all over the face for some glow, Chanel Bronzing Base (Soleil de tan de Chanel) used where the sun would catch me for even more glow, Revlon Photoready cream blush in Coral Reef to help bring out the coral tones in the lipstick, as that is the colour it leans towards being on me, and lashings L'Oreal Beauty Tubes Mascara piled on. I also use the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer to pinpoint conceal my blemishes, as like I said, coverage can look really unnatural on me. Under my eyes I used the Lacura Light Reflecting concealer - this stuff rocks. Totally luxury, heavy, silver, glossy packaging that gives a satisfying click shut, very reminiscent of Burberry packaging, that feels way more expensive than it is. It feels very light and is reflective so good at detracting from blue under eye circles but doesn't have super coverage - but it never claims to! Since my eyebrows are very blonde and practically non existent, I also run Mudhoney eyeshadow from the Soap and Glory What's Nude Eyeshadow Quad palette through them for some subtle definition. I love it because it's a really ashy grey brown and not at all warm so I won't get orange brows - score. The formula of the lipstick is very creamy, moisturising and lovely to apply. I always slick on a lip moisturiser or balm that soaks in (as opposed to Vaseline or something which will create a barrier on your lips) when I start to do my make up so it has time to sink in, then I wipe off the rest that hasn't sunk in before I apply. This makes sure I don't have and dry patches for it to cling to, or rather it lessens the risk of that happening. I apply this with a lip brush to perfect the shape of my lips and work up a bit of a stain then tap on directly from the bullet and pat my lips together to amp up the colour intensity. If you want a powerful colour but not a shiny finish, try patting the lipstick to remove the sheen and this will have a slight mattifying effect. I have pink, cool undertones in my skin and a lot of redness in my cheeks. In person on me, this looks quite coral. An orangey, pinky, red. However it seems to photograph quite like a true red. I went a bit snap happy to try and show you the wide variety of shades it can look like. 

I like to wear this with a really casual outfit, it looks very confounding, throw away,  and effortless yet put together. Lisa mentions in her video how sexy a red lip looks when paired with a casual outfit. The epitome of glamour, confidence and sexy. Make up is a huge passion of mine, and I feel like a different person when I wear this. Everything about me just seems a little perked up and more cheerful. I love that something so simple can have such a substantial effect on the way I feel and behave. That is part of what I love about make up!

In these pictures I have a bit of an orange tint around my my cheeks/nose area, especially in the second picture - I have no idea what this is. I hope I didn't walk around with it all day, but I didn't notice it on myself at all. Who knows - I guess it is one of life's little mysteries.

This picture below is showing more accurately how it looks in person on me.

This last picture is taken after about 4 hours wear after I had drank and eaten. Stuck around pretty well but could do with a touch up in the centre, so would be a good idea to take it with you if you're going out.

The colour looks pretty accurate in this picture as well.

Rather large collective makeup, skincare and haircare haul!

Please don't judge me. I thought I'd gather together the things I have bought in the past few months for a post. I honestly didn't realise how much stuff I've been buying and not noticed it gathering up until I piled it together. This is about 2 months worth of stuff. But hey, I'm a working girly and this is something I enjoy spending my money on. I'm doing well in other financial areas of my life so at the moment it's not a problem but this just gave me a little nudge to be keeping an eye on my spending habits! As a bit of a forethought, I am not posting this to show off or brag, and I purchased everything with my own money.

I also buy most things when they are on offer. I tend to keep my eye on them and just wait until they are on sale, so the majority of these were bought on offer or for cheaper than their retailing price. I will include some little mini reviews for the ones I have used already.

Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends Split End Protection Intensive Mask - got this for around £2.50 from Sainsburys as it was on offer and I remember trying it a few years ago and liking it.

Percy and Reed Hair Really Rather Radiant Colour and Shine Shampoo and Conditioner, Quite Frankly Flawless Finishing Polish and the Smoothed, Sealed & Sensational Volumising No Oil Oil for fine hair - all currently come with April's edition of Glamour magazine so I got all 4 freebies for £2 a pop.

Happy Hair Days Rosemary and Mint Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner. Love this stuff for a gentle everyday wash that won't strip but leaves my hair feeling cleansed. SLS free = bonus! 2 for £5 at Sainsburys.

The L'Oreal Shine Caresse Stain AKA Glossy Stain dupes in Lolita, a shimmery pinky mauve, Princess, a gorgeous orange coral, and Juliet, a bright red. £7.99 each from Boots, was on a 3 for 2 and I got them with my advantage card points.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains in Romantic, Crush and Honey. On offer at Boots for £5 each.

YSL Glossy Stain in Shade 2, I think it's called brown red or something.. don't quote me. Got it as a late Christmas present.

Maybelline Colour Sensational lipstick in Pink Brown. think it's about £8 from Boots.

Revlon Lipstick in Really Red, a matte, bright red, and Black Cherry, a deep glossy berry shade. Also bought for £5 when Revlon was on offer.

Revlon Photoready cream blushes in Coral Reef, a gorgeous orange coral and Pinched, a nudey, peachy pinky and shimmery colour. Pinched reminded me of Penny Lane by Nars, never owned it but always admired. These are very silicone-y to the touch and remind me of Chanel Bronzing Base which I LOVE and I think these will blend and suit each other really nicely in the spring/summer time. Were about £7.99 in Boots I think, on a buy one get one half price deal. Hoping Coral Reef will look amaze with the L'Oreal Shine Caresse Stain in Princess in the summertime (think Thirsty Merc - In the Summertime, BRING ON THE SUNSHINE :D)

Revlon Nearly Naked in 110 Ivory and 150 Nude. I bought the two palest pink toned shades, Ivory is a good match but I thought it would be good to have a slightly darker shade to mix in some summer and holiday time when I am a little bit tanned, and I don't want to have a super pale face as Ivory is a very pale shade. The two shades in between these are yellow toned, Shell not so much but I think yellow toned foundations look too obvious on me, which is unfortunate as a lot of brands who make great pale foundations make them in yellow toned shades, ahem, Bourjois. Nearly Naked was £8.99 at Boots and buy one get one half price.

Clarins Instant Smooth Self Tanning, got this when it was £17.50 but I believe it is now £18.00, naughty Boots.

MAC Soba eyeshadow, a golden light brown that reminds me of demerara sugar! Looks amazing all over the lid and blended out, a la Vivianna Does Makeup. £14 at MAC shops/counters.

Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Pink Gold, a gorgeous rose gold shimmery colour, but makes you look slightly pink eye ish/ill. I've luckily never had that, thank god=odness but it can make you look a bit ill. Patted in the centre of the lid over Permanent Taupe it looks fab though. If you have it and can't make it work on its own try blending with a brown to make it more wearable. Also looks incredible used as a highlight on cool toned skin. Use sparingly and blend quickly as it sets fast, but by jove, when it's set, it stays put. Try adding a little to your foundation or TM for instant radiance. LOVE! £4.99.

Giorgio Armani Face Fabric Foundation in shade 1. Love this. A light feeling, light coverage foundation, also very silicone-y and works great with the Chanel bronzing base. A word of warning though, as with all foundation but silicone based ones especially, make sure you really cleanse this off at the end of the day because of the silicone base I find it can clog pores. Not too sure how much this is as I was given it as a gift by my equally obsessed by make up friend. What a good pal.

Collection 2000 Illuminating Touch Concealer - £4.99 at Boots. I like it, more illuminating than covering though, good for light under eye bags but you might want to try mixing with the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer if you want radiance boosting and covering properties. A great combo for heavier bags though, it stops the Lasting Perfection from looking cakey or being too drying.

Origins Drink up Intensive Overnight Mask - £20 at Boots. Smells lush. I use weekly, sometimes less often as a treat but warning as it's very rich, hence the name, duh. I can get away with using this on my cheeks regularly though as the skin there is normal.

Ren Vita-Mineral Day Cream, Rosa Centifolia Cleansing Gel, Frankinsense Revitalising Night Cream and Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask - came as a set for about £13 I think, from John Lewis. Nice to try some little minis to get a feel of the brand before buying a full sized product. Like dipping your toe in. I only bought this so I could get the Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask! Ha!

Glycolic Formulations Therapy Cream 25% Glycolic Acid. - £6.99 TK Maxx. This stuff is. Seriously. Strong. I started using a tiny layer every other night as recommended but this was too much for me and I went all peely. I am used to glycolic in my skincare but this is too strong for me to be using every other night so have stopped using at the moment. Might donate to Mumma B or try using less often. Remember your sunscreen!

Super by Dr Nicholas Perricone brightening activator. I use this like you would use Alpha H Liquid Gold (never tried that though). It smells like melons (main ingredient I think) but also like that sweet smelling liquid stuff you put in horses hay, so whenever I use it I am magically transported back to my horsey days at the stables. Yum. £12.99 from TK Maxx.

Laidbare Spot the Difference Problem Skin Treatment Cream. Smells lush. A great non drying spot treatment to help balance oil. The brand themselves remind me a lot of Ren in their packaging style and brand ethos. £3 from TK Maxx, bargain.

L'Occitane toning face mist. I got this from TK Maxx as well as I love the Immortal water toner thingy, this is a bit more refreshing though and smells quite spearminty.

This Works Fresh Skin toner - £7.99 TK Maxx. Love. This. Brand. I'm obsessed. I'm collecting everything. Smells like neroli which I LOVE.

L'Oreal Age Perfect Refreshing Toner. About £4 from Sainsburys I think. I went on a bit of a toner spree, as you can see. This one is nice too. Plus it has the BeautyMouth approval (the reason I bought it!)

This Works Active Serum, £8.99 from TK Maxx. Love this. Quite tingly upon application and it stinks to high heaven but leaves me looking very radiant and glowing.

La Roche Posay Effeclar Duo. Got this in Paris for a good price, can't remember exactly how much, about 9 euros I would say. I don't have a euro symbol on my keyboard. #firstworldproblems

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Lift and Scuplt Moringa Cleansing Balm and Rosehip Exfoliating Seeds. Love it. Smells like a sweet herbal savlon, and gets rid of make up and grime. I like the cleanse with Clinique's Take The Day Off balm first and then use this afterwards because I like to double cleanse but I don't want to use all this up and I tend to use more to remove make up with as opposed to just cleansing the skin. Comprenez vous?

My dog Meg wanted her picture taking. She told me so.

So that's all folks. Lol, as if there wasn't enough!

Dr Jart Regenerating BB Cream review

I really love the Dr Jart Water Fuse BB cream, I have a review on it here. So I was interested to try the Regenerating version to see how it fares in comparison.

Shade wise it is a lot lighter, so if you have tried the WaterFuse and it was too dark for you then this might be a good alternative. I'd say it will suit light to lighter medium skin tones. The colour when blended out does not oxidise or get any darker on me, and I don't find it has a grey cast, which is what many people complain about with BB creams.

The finish is natural, leaning towards matte. It is thick and feels really nourishing on the skin, and has more coverage than the Water Fuse, which makes sense as the regenerating is aimed at covering blemishes. It also has high SPF, activates skin rejuvenation and contains Dr Jarts exclusive Berry Cocktail antioxidant system. Snazzy. I was worried about it being heavy on the skin but it feels light, which is odd given the coverage it gives and the nourishing skincare factors. I seem to break out easily by heavy products but I haven't found this to give me any extra spots. It's nice to find a product which gives good coverage without feeling cakey or heavy. This leaves me looking natural and fresh faced, whilst covering spots and redness. If you have any bad spots you might find you need to use a concealer as well, but I haven't found myself reaching for one. I also haven't been using eye brightening concealers when I use this as I find this is really lifting if you use it under the eyes. It's nourishing, hydrating and brightening, but not too heavy which is perfect for under the eyes. A bit of an all in one.

I have enjoyed using this in the winter when my skin has been slightly less oily. The light colour means that it suits me well when I am not tanned which has been ideal through the colder months.

Dr Jart BB creams are available at Boots, I bought mine whilst it was on offer for half price at £10.50, but it usually costs £21.00.

Dr Jart Water Fuse BB Cream review

For my base, I definitely fall into the natural/light/sheer category. I hate looking cakey. I am freckled as well, which means using a heavier coverage product will look obvious as my freckles look half heartedly covered, and peek through as a grey-ish colour - I don't want them to be covered up, I quite like them!

I would rather use a light, natural base and use concealer on any spots or slight redness. A couple of my favourites are the Thisworks Perfect Look Skin Miracle and Origins VitaZing. 

You all know the claims that BB creams make so I'm not going to bore you. If you don't, (have you been hiding under a rock?) then google them. Dr Jart is one of the more well known Asian brands, and I kind of foresaw this as being a TM with amped up skincare, SPF and coverage. I feel like that's pretty accurate. They are thicker than your standard Tinted Moisturiser and whilst still being sheer to light coverage do an excellent job at covering redness without being totally obvious and looking like you're wearing make up. The Water Fuse is aimed at oily/combination skin types and will help skin retain moisture without being heavy or oily. I agree; it feels like it's letting my skin breath whilst still offering coverage which is lovely.

There are these little water beads that pop up when you blend it in with your fingers which appear and then disappear, which is quite interesting. See the half blended last picture. It's like they get sealed into your skin. Strawberry Blonde Beauty has a great picture on her blog of these little beads. I pretty much agree with everything she says in her post, go and have a look at her blog because she's lovely!

 I don't use this every day as I have a lot of other bases I enjoy so can't tell you about the skincare benefits as I feel like I'm not ready to give a well rounded opinion, I like to use things regularly and daily so I can get a real feel for them before I tell you whether it has worked for me or not. That said, I can say it hasn't broken me out and I do suffer with reactions to certain products, especially rich or heavy ones. I usually get red painful bumps when I react badly to a product but haven't had any of that, thankfully.

Finish wise, I don't like shimmer. Fullstop. Sheen - yes, Shimmer - no. This is a natural leaning towards sheeny finish. I like it. It doesn't last all day for me, but I think that's more my lifestyle and skin type's fault rather than the products. If I blot my skin twice or three times a day before the oil can start to break the product down then it lasts a lot longer and has a more natural finish, as opposed to shiny face. I hate shiny face. I don't like the finish of powder but this will help it to last longer if you have oily skin all over your face so it might be something to consider, but I always think that an overly matte finish looks less natural and kind of ruins the healthy glow that this gives, which is one of the main things this BB cream has going for it! Shade wise... options are limited to one colour. I am pale and pink toned, but I can just about make this work - it's not too orange on me though it does look it on my hand as they are a lot paler than my face. It has also settled into the lines in my hand but that's because they are very dry. I thought I would include the pictures anyway so you could see the colour and finish, and please bear in mind that this is the middle of winter when I am my palest, and I used quite a bit of product so it would photograph well. My skin suits tanned and glowing - I do tan well but not easily - I go brown eventually. If you are darker medium skin tone to to dark skin tone this probably won't work for you. Sadly. But for a light to medium skin tone I can see this working if you blend it well. With most light and sheer products it's not too blindingly obvious if you have not got the perfect shade for your skin as they tend to be more forgiving.

I can see it will be good for everyday use as the SPF25 will offer you good protection, definitely going to be a favourite in the summer when I want a natural easy glowing base with minimal effort required - a perfect holiday base!

I hope you found this helpful!

Ojon volume advance Volumising Shampoo and Conditioner

I am currently loving the Ojon volume shampoo and conditioner. My hair is very fine and easily weighed down. I like shampoos that cleanse well but don't strip my hair, and a conditioner that will nourish and stop knotting but not weigh my hair down making it looks 'lank' and flat.

I wash daily, because honestly? My hair looks awful if I don't! Greasy, flat, thin and stringy. Needs must! However I like my hair to feel nice as well as looking nice.

Ojon volume uses ammonium laureth sulfate, which is a lot less harsh than its cousins sodium lauryl and sodium laureth sulfate. It foams well. I use less than a 10 pence piece and I have mid length to long hair. I only wash my actual head, if that makes sense? I don't pile my hair to the top of my head or shampoo the lengths, because as I rinse, this is sufficient to clean the rest of my hair. I find this stops the ends drying out. It it smells quite herbal, wheat-y and fresh, a pleasant clean smell. Then I take a 10 pence piece blob of the conditioner through the mid length and ends, steering clear of my roots. The conditioner is creamy and thick which I like because it's easy to work into the hair without spilling a handful on the floor. (Please tell me I'm not the only one that happens to?) My hair feels soft after using, and almost plumped up, perhaps the wheat has something to do with this? It stays relatively grease free until late evening, however my hair only seems to stay completely grease free when I use a really stripping detox type shampoo, which ends up drying the lengths and ends out so isn't ideal.

I'm really pleased with this combination, though the price makes me wince when I think about how much they cost. Click here to see the whole range. I have the volume advance Volumising Shampoo (£18.00) and Volumizing Conditioner (£19.50). There are also some relatively new additions which has been re-released; the Ojon volume advance Hydrating Thickening shampoo and conditioner. I haven't tried them yet but I am interested as they sound right up my street.

I think this duo are brilliant, luxury products and I am pleased to have tried them, but I am unsure whether I would repurchase them due to the price. I don't hesitate to splash out on products if they are worth it, but I have found another duo of products which have very similar results for a lot less moolaa. I have a review/comparison of the Happy Hair Days Rosemary and Mint shampoo and conditioner which I originally compared to the Ojon full detox detoxifying shampoo as it smells very similar and has the same volumising effects, but I find they are more suited to everyday use. I now think that they make an excellent alternative to the Ojon at a snippet of the price tag. I do still like my Ojon though, and reserve it for days when I want to spoil myself a little! And there's nothing wrong with that!