New | Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Blusher

Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Blusher, £9.00 (Image from Boots.com)

While browsing the Boots website this evening I came across 
these pretty little blushers, a new release from Soap and Glory. Described as "a long lasting, vibrant cream blusher that glides effortlessly onto the cheeks with intense colour and a creamy finish", they sound just dreamy.

They look very similar to the No7 blushers which have become quite popular. With the current buy one get one half price offer on Soap and Glory make-up, I'm tempted to hunt down the Onomatopeacha shade! Also the colour names are cute - Pinker Belle and Berry Jamm.

I've not seen these in Boots stores yet and I can't find any reviews online, has anyone tried these? 

New Favourite | Clinique Cheek Pop Blush

Clinique Cheek Pop Blush in Berry Pop, £16.50

First of all just look at how beautiful this blush is - I absolutely adore the flower design! I thought it might fade after use but due to the texture it has kept the design almost perfect.

This was a bit of a post-exam treat that I bought, after finally deciding on which shade I wanted I managed to find Berry Pop in House of Fraser. Boots and Debenhams were sold out completely, even House of Fraser only had this and Plum Pop in stock. The sales assistant mentioned that very few of each colour were actually sent out to stores, explaining why it took so long to find one! All four colours are available on Clinique's website and they offer free delivery. I must say that Peach Pop is looking pretty tempting!

The texture is quite unusual for a blush - it is solid not powdery, without being creamy. A quick sweep of my Real Techniques buffing brush picks up just a little product. While it looks very bright in the pan, once applied it is much more subtle though it can be built up for more colour. I can't get enough of it, the pop of colour looks perfect and really natural. I didn't use blush on a daily basis until I bought this, it is definitely a firm favourite!

Although it is small and you only get 3.5g, a little bit goes a long way and it will last a long time. I just love that it's so quick and easy to use.

Has anyone else tried these? Any recommendations on shades?

So What's The Deal With Co-Washing?

Images: Ojon, Head and Shoulders

There has been a lot of talk over the new idea of co-washing, where you use a "cleansing conditioner" every other day in place of your regular shampoo and conditioner. Has anyone else thought that this sounds just like a 2in1 shampoo/conditioner?! I'm not sure if this we need a new product for this purpose, it appears that brands are jumping on the hype of co-washing to get a product out that pretty much already exists.

Now reverse-washing I can get on board with - I'm certainly not averse to trying out something new, especially if it is free! This is where you condition, leave for a minute, rinse, then shampoo and rinse again. I've read mixed reviews on this, I think it completely depends on your hair type. For me it keeps the clean feeling longer and makes my hair smooth and soft, meaning that it falls into place much easier after styling.

Anyone else tried co-washing or reverse-washing? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Quick Tip: Pressed Powder

After a crazy two weeks of work, revision and other events I have finally had time to sit down and write a blog post! It is good to be back! Anyway, onto the make-up related goodness..

Have you accidentally bought a pressed powder that's one or two shades too dark for you? After a hasty swatch in Superdrug last week I ended up with a MUA pressed powder that just doesn't work for me. Even though it's only £1, I still won't let it go to waste.

I was about to push it to the back of my drawer when I had an idea. I have discovered that instead you can use it as a subtle contouring product. Using a small brush such as the Real Techniques Contour Brush to define my cheekbones ever so slightly, and add a little highlighter (current favourite being the MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighting Powder).

I think it's a great use if you aren't too confident with contouring or if you're worried about being too heavy-handed with regular contouring kits. I really don't like products going to waste so I'm glad to have found a different use for it!

Has anyone else found this with any other products that initially didn't work out?

Revlon ColorStay ShadowLinks

Revlon ColorStay ShadowLinks, £2.99 each

I admit that I was drawn to these by the novelty factor of making up your own palette. You simply buy as many of the individual shadows as you want and click them together to form your own customised palette. You can switch them around so easily it would be great for travelling as they are compact.

I chose three light spring-themed colours as they were on 3 for 2 at the time: Lilac, Petal and Oyster. There are plenty of shades in the range so you could make a great collection for yourself.

The shadows themselves are soft and easy to blend. On their own they last quite well, but much better with a primer.

Has anyone else been tempted by these?

You Beauty Discovery Box April 2014

So April's You Beauty Discovery Box is here already! The theme this month is  organic and natural, you can see which products are available to choose from here.

The theme meant that there was only one make-up item, an eyeshadow from Inika, but seeing as I have so many eyeshadows already I didn't want another one. The other options were all skincare.

I was immediately drawn to the Steamcream (75g full size worth £12.95) as I've read so many good things about it but I didn't want to pay full price for it in case I didn't like it. First impressions are that it smells amazing and sinks into my skin really quickly. For my second choice I decided on the Melvita Moisture-Replenishing Night Nectar (15ml sample worth £10.50) as I'm looking for a new night cream at the moment.

The extras in this month's box were a cereal bar (which I ate as soon as the box turned up!) and a sachet of The Organic Pharmacy Antioxidant Face Cream.

The value of the box is pretty good at £23.45 so again excellent for only £6.95 including delivery. This is still my favourite beauty box, though you do have to be pretty quick to order what you want. The menu goes live on the 1st of each month and I have noticed that within a week the most popular items are already out of stock.

Did anyone else get the You Beauty Discovery box this month? Let me know what you chose!

New Discovery: Stila Convertible Colour

Stila Convertible Colour, £16

When Stila had a 25% off code I immediately ordered a Stila Convertible Colour in Lilium, a lovely dark pink shade. I love multi-use products and thought that a blush and lip colour in one sounded amazing.

To be honest, I've never worn blush regularly so it might seem a little strange that I bought a blusher for £12 - not the cheapest option I know! However, I have used it everyday since it arrived in the post and my make-up routine has now changed.

I use a small brush to lightly dab it across my cheeks and blend it a little with a large blusher brush. It has a dewy finish that provides a really natural healthy glow, I can't believe how much difference it makes.

It's safe to say that I'm officially converted to cream blusher, I will definitely be considering the other shades in the range which also look gorgeous. The fact that it doubles up as a matching lip colour is just brilliant.

Is anyone else a fan of the Stila Convertible Colour? Any recommendations for other shades?