SEPTEMBER EMPTIES

So here are September's empties! I've got quite a lot here to show you- sorry about the not-so-great photos that have been on my blog so far. I've actually just bought a new camera so that from next week onwards I can post better photos. 

THIS WEEK'S MOST REACHED FOR: Fudge Urban Texture Blaster

I've always found myself being let down by hair sprays and can literally track my hair's deflation across the photos taken on a night out. So when I saw this, and believe me when I saw it's hard not to with its bright orange packaging, I thought I could give it a try as a sort of super strong hair spray. 

REVIEW: Pearl Drops Beauty Sleep

I recently picked up Elle magazine at my University's Fresher's fair and in the Beauty section there was an article highlighting how many of us, even those who take thorough care of our skin or hair, neglect our teeth. I for one always thought I was doing enough to take care of my teeth but it really highlighted that I could do more. So when I was emailed last week and asked if I would like to test out Pearl Drops' new overnight teeth whitening product I jumped at the chance to give my teeth some pampering.

FRIDAY FACEMASK: Flatmate edition

Josie

Tom

Tom

Josie

Me (Angelica)

NOTD: Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint

So this is the Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Watermelon. I only just got this little beauty in the post this morning but as soon as I saw it I knew that I loved with the colour, its a very dark teal / a dark green with a touch of blue.

REVIEW: Lush- Bubblegum Lip Scrub

I love it when my skin feels super soft, it makes me confident and sexy. My lips are no exception to this, when I know that my lips are super-soft I feel more confident. This is where Lush's lip scrub comes in handy, I actually discovered this product at the beginning of the year when I bought a product and got a free lime flavoured lip scrub with it. As soon as I tried it I was hooked and used it all up in the last 8 months. Now I'm onto my second pot and this time it's Bubblegum flavoured.

Sleek's i-Divine Respect Palette: Swatches

This is just a short post to let you know that I picked this up from Superdrug yesterday and that I already really love it.

BUDGET BEAUTY #2: Herbal Essences- Seductively Straight Heat Protection Intensive Cream

Last week, with my debit card freshly loaded by my Student Loan, I went shopping for odds and ends (it always amazes me how much stuff you need whenever you move house) and during the course of the day I found myself in the 99p shop in the city centre. Although I only found one thing I wanted that one item has actually turned out to be surprisingly good. 

AWESOME FREEBIES #2 Soap and Glory Thick and Fast Mascara

So up here in Leeds last week was freshers' week and I managed to blag myself quite a few freebies, but my only beauty related freebie came from the Elle stand which was outside my Student Union last Wednesday. I didn't really know what was going on at the stand but when I went over I found out that they were selling this month's issue of Elle for just £1 (which is great because I hadn't bought it yet) and along with the magazine they were giving away a full size  Soap and Glory's Thick and Fast Mascara which has an RRP of £10 .

REVIEW: Ren- Vetiver v7 Body Cream

A while back I got a little 15ml sample of this product with a magazine and I didn't really give it any thought at the time but my oh my how I wish I had! 

Ren is a company that produce what they call 'Clean Bio Active Skin Care'. They don't include parabens, petrochemicals, synthetic fragrances or synthetic colours in their produtcts, which makes them a great choice if you're looking to clean up your beauty regime and reduce the number of chemicals that you use on your skin.

The ever popular Moroccan Rose Otto Body Cream

The Ren body cream that I hear the most about is the Moroccan Rose Otto Body Cream (which I have to admit is very lovely indeed) but there seems to be a sad lack of interest in this other, and in my opinion anyway, equally nice moisturiser. 

Vetiver v7 is more lightly fragranced than the Moroccan Rose Otto Body Cream and has a scent that is quite difficult to explain, it has a slight citrus edge but isn't really sweet. I personally really like it as the scent very gently lingers on the skin so doesn't overwhelm you and because it doesn't smell like anything else I own so its a nice addition to my overflowing collection of body creams and lotions. 

The texture of the cream is very similar to the Moroccan Rose Otto Body cream but it is just a tad thinner and less rich. It absorbs into my skin very very quickly and leaves no greasy residue whatsoever. It leaves the skin with a texture that no other body cream that I've tried does, its like a moisturised matte texture; thanks to the Shea butter and Jojoba oil my skin feels really soft and incredibly smooth after use. 

As for the packaging, the Vetiver v7 only comes in 100ml plastic bottles which might be too small for some people's liking. I personally like the size as it makes it a perfect product for travelling with and it sometimes even ends up in my handbag as I have a naughty habit of using this as a hand cream (naughty because I have endless hand creams to use up as it is). The plastic is thick and durable, and as the bottle indicates that it is recyclable which is another plus.

Overall, I really do love this Body Cream and if I finish this bottle before Christmas I will without a doubt be putting this on my Christmas list.

Ren's Vetiver v7 Body Cream is available online for £9 here.

Do you have a favourite Ren product?

Angelica

REVIEW: Lush Sultana of Soap

Lush Sultana of Soap Sample*

I popped into Lush recently to give all of their products a good sniff, because I for one love that overwhelmingly stinky Lush store smell, and one of the lovely shop assistants gave me a couple of soap samples to take home with me. So far I've only had the chance to give Sultana of Soap a good try and I'm surprised at how much more I like it than I thought I would.

I've never really gotten into solid soaps but I have to say that if there was a shop that could convert me, it would be Lush.

Dry Soap

Wet Soap

Sultana of Soap has a very gentle fragrance and is supposedly one of the more moisturising of Lush's soaps. These were the soap's two selling points for me as I was looking for a new hand soap and I didn't want it to dry my hands out or overwhelm me on a frequent basis with a strong scent. As you can see in the photos above when wet this soap doesn't foam up too much but I found it adequate for washing my hands (it wouldn't be enough for me if I was looking for something to use in the shower though). 

The soap sample I got was quite small compared to the 100g slabs that cost around the £3 mark but nevertheless my sample lasted just over a week with frequent use, so goodness knows how long a whole 100g would last! 

I'm going to try out my other sample before committing to a full size slab but so far I'm really impressed by the quality and value of Lush's soaps and I can see these replacing my usual liquid hand soap.

Do you have a favourite Lush product?

Angelica 

THIS WEEK'S MOST REACHED FOR: Rimmel Wake Me Up Instant Radiance Shimmer Touch

Rimmel Wake Me Up Instant Radiance Shimmer Touch in Shimmering Sand

The Friday before last I went a little bit nuts in Superdrug (I justified this as a 'back to Uni essentials' haul) and just by chance I happened to pick this product up. I've seen quite a few mini-reviews of Rimmel's Instant Radiance Shimmer Touch by bloggers who were sent products to review in-line with the new Rimmel products launching at the beginning of October. But what I haven't seen is a review by someone who really loved it, so this is what this week's most reached for post is going to be all about.

FACEMASK FRIDAY: Etat Pur Express Purifying Mask

I recieved this face mask in a JolieBox over the summer and I've nearly used it all up, I think today's face mask will be the last that this little tube has to offer. I've really enjoyed using this face mask, it doesn't have an overpowering smell or unpleasant texture and as it feels like a cream it is very easy to apply and remove. 

RAVE: Rose Water

FREEBIES: What's In My Handbag

This post is exceedingly late in the making, but I really do think better late than never! About 6 weeks ago I was greeted with a special little gift from the website What's In My Handbag. I signed up to 'try' the Yves Saint Laurent mascara (why not, eh!) pictured above and a couple of weeks later, completely out of the blue, I recieved a little black box in the post that had the above sample in it.

BUDGET BEAUTY #1: Collection 2000 Cream Puff

Collection 2000 Cream Puff Lip Creams in Angel Delight and Fairy Cake

I only discovered these in the last month or so and they have been getting some serious love. These lip creams apply like a thick lip gloss and as they dry they transform into a matte lip stain that really doesn't budge. I love using them for easy day time lips as they don't need regular touch ups (I hate the thought of flaky lip colour, or colour on my teeth. Just ewww!). If like me you're starting up again at University and you've got seminars or tutorials coming up then these little beauties will save you worrying about if you're looking silly in front of your new class mates!

BLOGGING STATIONERY: the cutest notebook in the land

(front)

(back)

Okay, so this isn't exactly a 'beauty' post but I thought I had to show you what I found when I popped into Paperchase the other day (I can never resist!). As soon as I saw this notebook I knew that I had to have it- just look at all the glitter! I'm justifying buying it by telling myself that I'm going to fill it up with lots of blog ideas, so it might be empty right now but hopefully it won't be for long.

Available in Paperchase shops for £5.00.


Have you found any cute stationery lately?

Angelica

REVIEW: The Body Shop- Foundation Lip Butter

                                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                                                          

As a fan of the lip butters already I was excited when the new Dragon Fruit flavour was released and actually hurried out to buy it as soon as I could. Sadly, however, after about 24 hours of excitement and love it was thrown into the depths of my handbag and only rediscovered a week ago.

MINI MUST HAVE #1: L'Occitane Delice des Fleurs Hand Cream

I recently finished a full size hand cream (took me forever!) and I filled the hand-cream shaped hole in my life with this handbag friendly size tube from L'Occitane. With Winter coming up and my dry skin crying out for moisture the criteria of my hand cream search was a rich formula but also fast absorption so that I can use it on the go. This little tube of gloriousness ticks both these boxes and does more; not only does it absorb quickly leaving my hands silky smooth but it smells like parma violets and rose gardens, it makes me want to close my eyes and go mmmmmmmm... Don't get me wrong, it isn't sickly sweet or overpoweringly floral, but it lingers delicately on my hands and is a scent that I personally can't get enough of. The fragrance is evocative and it reminds me of my mother eating parma violets in the car and rose water, which I love. This hand cream is going to be a permanent fixture in my handbag and most likely a repurchase (although I have another L'Occitane hand cream to use up when I finish this one).

HAUL: Greek edition

So last week I got back from a week long visit to Athens with a few of my friends (holidaying somewhere sunny in September is a real treat) and while I was away I picked up a couple of goodies. I didn't go too crazy as there is quite a lot of stuff already on my wishlist, but I did take the opportunity to pick up some Greek goodies.

SUNDAY PAMPERING #1

So I've officially left London and have returned up to Leeds for my final year at University, it totally could be a freak out moment if I wasn't in the middle of a serious pampering session! In order to chill me out I've arranged to have the most scrumptious smelling bath imaginable courtesy of the Body Shop's Raspberry Ripple Bath Gel. I've used this before and it foams up just the right amount and the sweet smell of raspberry really does linger.

While I'm soaking in the tub I'm also going to be pampering my hair with a good healthy dollop of Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends Split End Protection Intensive Mask (what a mouthful!). This is a product which I always buy when I see it on offer because its a good cheap staple and it really does leave my hair very glossy and moisturised.

To top it all off, once I'm all nice and relaxed from all of this, I'm planning on painting my nails with a varnish which I actually got as a freebie with a purchase I made on Friday. I've been almost exclusively wearing muted toned nail varnishes (greys and light pinks) so to change things up a bit I'm going to attempt to rock this bright blue shade from MaxFactor. I think its perfect for all the freshers' week parties coming up this week.

What do you think about wearing bright varnishes in Autumn? And how are you pampering yourself this week?

Angelica

THIS WEEK'S MOST REACHED FOR: L'Oreal Nude Magique BB Cream

 L'OREAL NUDE MAGIQUE BB CREAM in light.
(you can tell its gotten a lot of love from the state of the packaging!)

Until I used this BB cream I just didn’t think that BB creams were for me. I’d tried a number of other brands and they’d all been too dark, too thick or greasy and just hadn’t given me the coverage I was looking for. But in the midst of summer I decided that I wanted and needed an alternative to foundation (which I just don’t enjoy wearing when the sun comes out in all of its glory) as I’m not one of those girls who feels comfortable going bare faced on a daily basis. Driven by my urge to find some middle ground I picked this up on a whim from a train station Boots store and on that one particular occasion I feel as though I struck gold.

Since buying this cream it has been a firm staple in my make-up bag, I’ve actually used it nearly everyday for the last month (even when I went on holiday last week). This BB cream feels a bit weird when you first apply it as it is very white initially and full of tiny beads and only when applied to the skin do they release their colour.

The white section is what the cream looks like when first applied, the skin above it has had BB cream blended in. It looks a little dark for my hand but I'm quite tanned (for me) at the moment and the colour it gives is perfect for my face.

The colour that the Light BB cream leaves me with is perfect for my lightly tanned post-summer skin tone and the cream sinks into the skin quickly and evenly. The coverage it gives is light but not so light as to not even out my pigmented cheeks and to smooth over light blemishes and dark under-eye circles. Its perfect for lazy days (which I’ve been having a lot of lately) where you can’t be bothered to apply a full face of foundation and also for days when you don’t feel you need anything more than light coverage.

This cream served me well in the hot climate of Athens as well as in sunny (but not overly hot) London and I’m pretty sure that now I’m back in the cooler North of England for University that I will still get a lot of use out of it. Selling for only £.9.99 in Boots I think it is not only affordable but a bargain and I’m definitely going to pick up another tube soon. I urge you to try it out as you never know if it might just end up being one of your most-reached-for products!

Available online here.

Do you have a BB cream that you love?

Angelica

First post!

Recently I admitted to myself that I was completely hooked on reading beauty blogs; I loved the photos, the articles and the friendly community feel that they evoke through comments and guest-blogging etc. My reading of beauty blogs could no-longer be classed as a form of procrastination, it was becoming a hobby; I was becoming interested in the marketing aspect of products and in the journalistic aspect too. I love reading and I love writing (as an English Literature undergraduate this comes in handy) and this summer I finally decided that I was going to find a way to participate in this community that had me so enthralled. That’s how this blog came into existence, I was inspired to get involved by all the blogs I was reading and I owe a massive thank you to all the bloggers whose creativity spurred me on.

 My One Little Vice is definitely my interest in beauty and this blog is where I’m hopefully going to transform this passion of mine from a vice and into something interesting and creative. So here it goes, let the blogging begin!

Angelica