XXL.

Batiste -

XXL Plumping Powder

I love it when a company spreads its wings and releases a new product, Batiste have just bought out their own XXL Plumping Powder and I thought today I would share with you my thoughts of it.

Here is a little information about the Batiste XXL Plumping Powder…’Batiste XXL Plumping Powder is perfect for creating an instant amplified effect for roots and big styles. A light shake of this weightless powder works in texture and adds maximum volume to give your hair perfect body without backcombing! Hair looks catwalk ready in an instant and will last as long as you do!’

To use it you simply sprinkle a little at a time into roots or style (a little goes a long way!) Gently work through with fingertips and style as desired. I’ve read many a review of this type of product where people don’t like it. I often wonder if it’s down to the fact they are using it wrong, or more the case, using too much. You see with a powder like the Batiste XXL Plumping Powder, a LITTLE really is all you need! Too much and your hair is sticky, messy and you can’t do a thing with it. So, bare in mine a light tap or dusting is really all you will need from this product to create volume.

Its amazing at giving your hair a boost!!

Overall, the XXL Plumping Powder really is a pot of gold in my books. Its inexpensive and will last ages, so a really good product to have in your collection. If you want more volume in your hair that does last, this is definitely a product I would recommend trying. It can take a couple of attempts to get used to working out how much you need, but once you have it, its brilliant!

In addition, Batiste have gone one further and launched two more new products to the range; Smoothing Conditioning Mist and Strength & Shine Dry Shampoo. The conditioning mist is designed to act as a “dry” conditioner, to help tackle frizz and give back some shine. Especially useful if you’ve used dry shampoo and your hair is looking similar to the Sahara. The Strength & Shine Dry Shampoo contains L-Arginine, which should nourish your hair as well as freshening it up.

Drink Up.

Origins - 

Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask

My skin type has always been oily-combination, but lately it's been feeling really dry. I'm not sure if it's the really warm weather we've been having recently, or perhaps some of the products I've been using in my skincare routine, but my foundation just hasn't been sitting as nicely on my skin as it used to. I knew I needed to invest in a product that would put some moisture back into my skin and stop it feeling so dehydrated.

This is where the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask came to my rescue!

The Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask is a face mask you use once or twice a week as an intense moisturising treatment. It contains the natural ingredients apricot kernel oil, avocado oil, Japanese seaweed and mango butters, which intensely moisturise the skin and also help prevent signs of premature ageing.

This product is so easy to apply. You massage a small amount into your face before you go to bed and let it work overnight as you sleep. Then in the morning you rinse it off. It couldn't be simpler!

I love the smell of the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask. It's got a fresh peachy scent that’s really lovely.

One thing that had worried me about using an overnight mask was how it would feel on my skin. I didn't particularly fancy going to bed with a face that felt sticky because I've put a treatment on it, but I needn't have worried! The mask absorbs quickly into the skin, so it doesn’t feel like you've got a layer of product on your face when you go to bed. If you do feel you've applied too much (I did the first few times) or if it feels sticky on your skin, Origins advise that you can tissue off any excess. It also doesn’t leave a greasy feeling at all!

Now to the most important part; Has the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask made a difference to my skin?

I can honestly say that it has! I've been using this product once a week for about 3 weeks, and my skin is feeling a lot better already! My cheeks, which were the main concern, are not so dehydrated anymore and feel so much softer. It's made a noticable difference in quite a short space of time, and I can easily see why this is one of Origins best selling products!

With it being summer, a lot of us are off to hot and sunny places for our summer holidays soon, I would say this product is really worth investing in, especially before and after your holiday. This is mainly because the sun and too much drinking can really dry out and age our skin, so it's important to keep our skin healthy, hydrated and moisturised. That way, it will hopefully stay looking younger for longer!

The Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask retails for £20.00, which might seem quite pricey, but you do get pleantly of product for your money (100ml to be exact). As this is a treatment you're meant to use once or twice a week depending on your skin type, one of these should last you ages as well.

Have you tried the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask?

Too Faced.

Too Faced -

Primed & Poreless Primer

What it says it does; ‘our one-of-a-kind makeup primer was scientifically formulated to wear under bronzers and foundation powders or alone to achieve the look of flawless skin without makeup. Vitamins A & C, Mulberry Extract and a powerful dose of Retinol virtually banish pores while tired skin is left hydrated, firmer, and detoxified. Primed & Poreless creates the perfect canvas to allow powders, bronzers and foundations to airbrush onto the skin seamlessly and perfectly blended. Skin appears brighter, fresher and younger. Colour stays true and in place all day. Vegan Friendly. Paraben Free.’

When I first got this I was super excited. I did want the Pure version, however it seems to have disappeared and is no longer available…not over here anyway. I’ve been using this for a few weeks and to be truthful it wasn’t my favourite primer in world. I was somewhat disappointed. HOWEVER, then I re-read the instructions on their website and it turns out your supposed to use a ‘nickel sized amount for your face’. Which is certainly more then what I have been using originally.

So, with this in mind I doubled the amount I used. YES, this does tend to mean I will no doubt fly through the bottle, however it’s AMAZING! My make-up stayed put all day and even though my pores were beginning to poke through, it hadn’t slipped of.

Even though this is a pink-y beige color, it blends out completely colorless. If you're much darker with yellow undertones you might end up with a faint grey cast so I would recommend trying to get a swatch of it before actually picking it up. It also has no describable scent, which is a big plus in my book since I get migraines from perfume. And it made my skin feel so soft and silky, I could've spent my whole day petting my face. Joys of silicones right here babe. The joys of silicone!

Packaging wise it's pretty perfect. It comes in a pink squeeze tube so you can get every last drop of product out and you don't have to worry about contaminating the product with your germy fingers. The text is printed on the container instead of being a sticker you don't have to worry about it peeling off and looking raggedy as time goes by.

My one concern about this is the amount of product you need to use and the amount of product you get in the tube. If you need a nickel sized amount to get the effects advertised, that 1oz is not going to last you very long. Even if you just focus on the parts of your face that need it, you're going to blow through this if you use it every day. And that's just not fair.

Overall, I do really like this. I don’t always use it all over my face; sometimes I just focus on the areas where my pores are more noticeable. However, if you want a primer that’s going to help hide your pores, keep your make up looking flawless for the day, then this is the primer you need!

Zephyr.

Urban Decay -

Eyeshadow in Zephyr

Currently I’ve been on the hunt for a really good white eye shadow. I want to use it on the inner corners of my eyes to really brighten up my eyes and add a really beautiful added effect. I haven’t really seen on which, up until now took my fancy and which I thought could do the job.

Whilst walking around my local Debenhams I stopped by the Urban Decay stand, and explained to the woman working there what I was looking for. She showed me this shade, Zephyr and another shade; Polyester Bride. At the time thought they were both white, however when you put them next to each other, Polyester Bride appears much more beige, therefore I went with Zephyr.

Zephyr is a lovely, warm white with a golden sheen. It has good colour payoff, but it is a tiny bit powdery. This shade was originally limited edition, only found within the Urban Decay Book of Shadow palette, however not its been released with the permanent collection.

Overall, I really like this colour. It’s bright and it does a fantastic job of highlighting the corners of my eyes, but also the brow bone. It can be applied delicately, with only the softest touch of colour, or much heavier to create a very dramatic, more intense payoff. Both ways are amazing, and I think its definitely a colour every needs to have in their collection.