InstaNatural Haul

I just wanted to share i few products i will be trying out over the next few weeks from InstaNatural. I got these from Amazon UK and i will try my best to link the sellers below where i can. I will be doing more in depth reviews on each item once i have given them a good test. They all state they are cruelty free. 

Firstly i have the InstaNatural Hyaluronic Acid Serum.
I already have a review of this HERE. 

So far so good with this, i am still using it and its very moisturising. I use before makeup in the morning and at night after cleansing. This is available to buy HERE.

Next up is the Retinol Serum. This is available HERE.

 This is supposed to be youthful, radiant skin. Contains 2.5% Retinol, 20% Vitamin C, 10% Hyaluronic Acid. A lot of other ingredients too and the details will be on the link above. It says its age defying and has a blend of antioxidants that nourish the skin. Im excited to try this after hearing good thins abut retinol.

Next is the Eye Serum. This is available HERE.

This is  for dark Circles & Puffiness. Reduces Bags, Wrinkles, Fine Lines, Sagging Skin and Puffy Eyes. With Vitamin C, Caffeine, Plant Stem Cells, Astaxanthin and Kojic Acid. It says its designed to restore the youthful appearance of the eye area.

Next is the Skin Brightening Serum. This is available HERE.

This is only one that didnt come with a box, they are all glass bottles. It did come with a ton of bubble wrap though. They also all come with a plastic seal and a use by date. This one has 25% Vitamin C and 20% Hyaluronic Acid. A lot of there serums seem to have similar ingredients just different amounts depending on what the serum is for. It says this one is good for acne and even claims to reduce it along with fine lines to give a more radiant appearance. This is the one im most exited about as i have slightly sensitive skin and get a few break outs.

Next up is the Eyelash Enhancing Serum. Available HERE.

This comes in lovely sleek packaging and has a 10ml tube. A little pricey but if it works it will be worth it. This says it is a clinically proen formula that can give brows and lases a longer appearance. I will be using on both as i have quite sparse brows and have to fill them in every day. Its says it thickens hair follicles. Recommends twice daily use.

Finally is the Aloe Vera Gel. Available Here.

This is a massive 16oz bottle (480ml) for a fair price. I have had aloe gels in the past from my local chemist and pay around £5 for a 100ml tube. This literally has 4 ingredients. Its very watery. What i like about this is it comes with a screw lid but has a pump attached.

More in depth reviews will be posted in the next few weeks. 

Disclaimer: I did receive these free or at a reduced price for reviewing on Amzreviews.

Luxe Elixir Beauty Sponge Blender Review

I have never tried the original beauty blender so i cant really compare this to that but i have tried other makeup sponges in the past. I have tried the regular wedge or round sponges that are available in most supermarkets/chemists but i feel that these tend to soak up a lot of product or wipe the makeup off the face when applying so i am only left with a very sheer coverage. I have also tried one that i purchased on ebay which was really soft but cracked and fell apart after 3-4 washes. This one looks nice, it came in great packaging that looks expensive and well worth the price.

Its available to purchase HERE for £7.99.

I have not used this to apply skincare as i much prefer to use my fingers for that so this has been used for foundation and then to blend out concealer and cream blush/bronzer. Its the perfect shape for getting around the nose and under the eye. Leaves a nice streak free finish.

I always use a sponge like this damp so i cant say how it would work dry, i imagine you wouldnt get the best result as they are made to be used wet. The directions on this say to dampen the sponge and squeeze out excess water and then dab the sponge in your product before bouncing and pressing it onto skin. It does also say not to drag across the face as i imagine again this will remove more product than it puts down. I washed the sponger before using it and was surprised how much it grew, it almost doubled in size and became a lot more soft and bouncy. It has a weird texture a bit like a stress ball only it keeps its original shape. It also advises to wash after 1-2 uses with a cleanser. I used baby shampoo and this seemed to work well and cleaned the stains out. I guess over time it will probably stay a little stained due to every day use.

I have tried this with cream and liquid foundation and its AMAZING! It blends a lot better than a brush or fingers, it also gave me a nice even coverage. I didnt have to use as much concealer when using this. My foundation didnt seem to catch as much on my dry areas and it seemed to cover my pores a little better. Overall for foundation application it is what i will be using in future. I have also used it to blend out cream blush and bronzer and it works great for that too. I did use it with my powder to set my makeup and again no complaints. I think it gave a lot more coverage with powder than a brush would and in doing that my face was shine free for a lot longer without looking cakey. Another thing to mention is when i dipped it in products it didnt seem so absorb much into the sponge, the product just sat on top so in the long run it will save on product as i noticed with cheaper sponges that they seem to soak up a lot of the product before it gets to the skin.

 

 Overall its a great sponge and i will deinitely repurchase. 

Disclaimer: I was sent this for free via AMZReviews.

My opinion is 100% honest and if i didnt like the product i would say so regardless of if i paid for it or not.

Wilkinsons Skincare Haul

I picked these up from my local Wilkinsons store last week and just wanted to give them a quick mention.

 

I have been using the face wipes for around a year now and absolutely love them.  I usually use them to removemy makeup at night before cleansing. I find they remove everything really quickly and dont leave a greasy film on the skin. At only 50p for 25 wipes they are amazing. 

 

I also picked up the gentle facial scrub for sensitive skin for 95p. They do other ranges such as tea tree and a spot one i believe for the same price. They also do a normal face wash if you dont like the scrub. I much prefer scrubs and i have used this a couple of times now and its very gentle, not rough and gritty and its a cream formula so doesnt leave skin dry and tight. Bargain for 95p! 

The light hydrating moisturiser is another product i love so i grabbed another. I have fairly oily skin in my t zone so prefer a light moisturiser under makeup and this is great. I think this is £1 from the travel essentials section but they usually have it on 3 for 2. 3 tubes of moisturiser for £2 is a steal. I have found these products dont break me out also so thats another plus. I do usually use a thicker face cream a night but for day time or travel this is great.

Finally i picked up the tea tree overnight calming serum for 95p. I haven't tried this yet but will update once i have. I know tea tree is good for spots so i might wait until i have a breakout to put it to the test. 

Hope this has helped. I think these are great for the price and i will definitely be repurchasing. If you have tried this range yourself please let me know what you think of it.

Amazon Reviews and Hyaluronic Acid Serum

I received this in the mail today. A few days ago i joined an Amazon review website in which you can receive free or reduced items for an honest review. All you have to do is apply for the things you would like to try and the seller emails a voucher code for the full or part amount of the product. I will link the review website at the end of the post.

I understand some people dont like people posting about things they have been sent for free so please dont feel you have to read this or the future review of the product.

I picked the Hyaluronic Acid Serum which originally £14.97 but i got a full reduction so i got it completely free.

I have never tried a serum before so i was so happy when i was picked to try it. It says it contains Hyaluronic Acid along with a perfect blend of antioxidents such as vitamin C plus jojoba oil plus green tea. It says to apply on clean skin after toner and wait for it to dry. Can be used morning or night and under makeup on a daily basis.

I will be posting a more in depth review once I have used it.

AMZReviews

Where I Find Beauty Bargains

I just wanted to share with you a few of the places that i have found really good bargains when it comes to beauty and skincare products. Some of the places are online and some are actual shops (sorry if you dont have these in your area but they are pretty well known so i hope most of you will find one).

First off i will mention the obvious one that is all over blogs and youtube and thats the pound stores. I also want to mention the 99p store as the one in my area is best for branded skincare and nail products. Its also worth mentioning that all these shops stcok the usual branded shampoos, conditioners and styling products. A lot of them are the same in them all.

99p Store

I usually get most of my nail products from the 99p store - I have found they stock a lot of the duo packs with Sally Hansen and Maybelline being some of the best branded ones. I have found the odd Revlon polish too but these are a bit harder to come by. Obviously all stores have different products so its best to shop around if you can. I also pick up the odd hair dye from here if they have my colour. The Live ones are the only branded ones  have had from here.

PoundWorld

Another good place for nail products and i believe they also now stock the £1 beauty range which i have tried a few products from and love. I have had some Clairol Perfect 10 hair dyes from here also. They dont stock a lot of well known products in my local and i tend to come here just on the off chance.

Poundland
These also stock the £1 beauty range and this is the first place i picked any of them up. I am currently trying out a mascara and foundation from this range. I will review them if anyone wants me to. I have never found a branded hair dye from here and lately they dont seem to be stocking as much named brand beauty in mine. I have seen online people were finding Maybelline Colour Tattoos in their locals.

Another few to mention are Home Bargains, Bodycare (not in every town/city) and Bargain Buys. I have found some good bargains in these shops but not always under a pound.

Here are a few of the online places i have used.

Cosmetics Fairy
I shop from here a few times a year and often treat myself for birthdays or christmas etc. They offer free delivery in the UK if you spend over £10 and usually a free gift if you spend over £5. They also have a 99p or under section. This s full of name brand nail products and a lot of good makeup. I have had bourjois, loreal, sue moxley and maybelline from this section of the website. Current bargains are Essie nail polishes for 49p, Loreal nails for 99p and Sally Hansen Nail Strips. There are loads more but although im not 100 sure i have a feeling a lot of this is discontiued stock but its also a good place to find a product too.

Fragrance Direct
I have used this website a couple of times and it has a lot more too offer product wise than CosmeticsFairy but the Free Shiiping threshold is a lot higher, i believe around £40. Other than that the shipping is around £3 which is still not too bad. I purchased all of my Fashionista blushes and bronzers from here for 49p each. They came just in the pans but if you have a palette you can put them in then its a bargain. Still for the price its a great deal.  They also currently have the Sue Moxley Eyeshadows as mentioned n my last post for 50p each. They Currently have a good selection of MAC.

I hope all this has been of some help to those of you who love a good bargain. I have tried to link products where i can too :)

Sue Moxley Single Eyeshadows

Im just writing a quick post today about some single eyeshadows im loving this month! I was going through all my makeup and changing it out when i came across these that i had picked up and never used. I have now been using them off and on all month and they are amazing.

Bearing in mind I picked these up in the pound shop and a couple online. They have amazing pigment and lasting power for the price. They dont all have the shades on but if you want to know i can look into it if you message me. 

They are soft and buttery. They dont crease and last all day. Obviously they will last longer with a primer but I don't usually bother. All the swatches are on clean skin without a base.

--- Sure Maximum Protection Anti-Perspirant ---

​​SLXL

 I just wanted to share my thoughts about this product. I know its not makeup but i want to cover all aspects of beauty when writing on here. I want to say firstly i dd receive this product to test and give feedback on. Writing about it on here wasnt why i got it free, i have chosen to do this myself because i liked the product so much. I wasnt sent this by the company but instead from a website called BzzAgent which is free to sign up to for anyone HERE.

First off i love the packaging and how the product comes out. It looks quite bulky but its actually pretty light so would be good for travelling. When you pull off the lid there is a foil covering to stop leaking etc. Once removed the bottom twists and the product comes out of the holes in the top.

​​SLXL

The product itself is a new consistency to me a far as deodorant goes. Its a bit like a dry gel, cream sort of formula. This is a plus point when it comes to applying because it dries immediately and i can get dressed straight away with no white marks. It does seem a little moisturising too.

On the back it says to apply atnight because while resting the formula works better. I have done this but apply morning too as i feel a bit odd if i dont apply deodrant in a morning. I chose the clean scent but there was an option of quite a few, i want to say 5 or 6 different scents. The clean scent is a very manly, musky kind of scent and i wonder if i picked a male one by mistake.

Overall its a great poduct, does the job, scent lasts a long time. I dont usually have to apply any deodrant more than once a day anyway but feel this locks in any moisture. This retails for around £5 from popular chemists so its a bit pricy but i think it will last a long time. Im a couple of weeks in and here is still loads left which is easy to see through the side of the packaging. I would say this would last around 3 months.

--- Dove Derma Spa Goodness Hand Cream ---

I thought i would do my first post of the year about a new hand cream i bought before christmas. I have been trying it out for about a month and really like it. Its from the Dove Derma Spa range and i believe they have quite a few products in this range. I will post a link HERE if you want to take a look. I love Dove products anyway and spotted this in my local Asda.

I picked up the Goodness 3 One

Product Claims - on the packaging
Spa Experience - Goodness hand cream is our first spa-like treatment to blend omega oil and cell-moisurisers. This fast-absorbing hand cream transforms dry skin in 3 beautiful ways, for even looking luminous skin that feels velvety soft. Specially created for dry skin.

Do i agree?
Firstly it is a luxurious cream, it smells nice but is quite strong and i would say a kind of musky floral scent. If you dont like strong scents this may not sit well with you as it does last a long time. It has defenitely helped my dry skin. I wouldnt say fast absorbing it takes a few minutes to fully sink in and in the meantime has a slight silicony feel like a face primer does. Once absorbed it leaves a very slight, almost unoticable glow.

Price and Availabilty
This is widely available in the UK and is reasonably priced starting around the £2-£3 mark if you can find on offer. (At time of writing its £2.50 from Asda online).

Pro's
Smells amazing if you dont mind strong scents
Makes skin feel soft and silky
Nice amount of product for the price
Little goes a long way

Con's
Very oily when applied and takes a whle to sink in

Overall i would recommend this product if you have really dry skin on your hands. I would also say as a tip i have found is this cream is best used overnight and i usually apply before bed since it takes a while to sink in. Also great to use at night since hands arent being washed and it gives it chance to work.  

Also dont forget to check out my competition post!

---------- St Tropez Goodies ----------

I was lucky enough to be picked to try some St Tropez products. I filled a questionnaire out on their website last year and received the items this week!! Im so excited to try as im a bit of a tanning novice. I have the gradual tan products plus a tanning mit. I will start using them in spring and update when ive tried them all.

Also don't forget to enter the competition to win an eyeshadow palette!!! :)

Ebay 10 Piece Brush Set

So i though i would make my first post about this 10 piece brush set i have just received in the post today. I believe this was around the £4-£5 mark for the complete set so i wasnt expecting anything special but they look pretty decent quality for the price. This was definitely a youtube made me buy it purchase because i was watching a beauty guru i follow and she mentioned this set and that it was a possible dupe for sigma brushes. Im no pro with makeup so for me i thought these would be perfect. They are exactly as described, they are not as dense as the more expensive brushes would be but from today's test of blending on my hand they seem to do the trick. They did have a slightly funny scent when i opened the box but thats probably from the packaging as the were individually wrapped on plastic. I have washed them and the scent has completely gone. They also didnt shed at all. The handles arent loose and they have no chips or marks on them etc.

The face brushes are slightyl shorter and fatter and they eye brushes longer and thinner. The eye brushes could be used for buffing in concealer too i would think as they are big enough.

This is the difference in size between the face and eye brushes.

These are the five face brushes and as you can see there is a good variety, two flat top, one more pointed, one more rounded and one slanted. As mentioned above they arent as dense as some of the same brand named ones i have seen.

These are the eye brushes, again i think a couple would be big enough for concealer, there is a nice dome shaped one that fits well into the crease of the eye and a nice fluffy buffing brush. Again with these there is flat, round, slanted etc.

Overall for the price i think there is a good variety of brushes. These are available from a range of sellers on ebay. I paid around a pound more to get them from the UK instead of China because i wanted them quicker. Keep an eye out for an update on each brush as i test them out :)