Review: Superdrug Naturally Radiant Brightening Eye Cream

This is just a quick post. It was supposed to be my New At The Drugstore post but with work being busy this week and having been ill as well, I haven't been able to get that post ready. But instead I thought I'd review a product that has quickly become my favourite.

I picked up the Naturally Radiant Brightening Eye Cream a couple of weeks ago as something new to try in my battles against the dark circles. I didn't have high expectations as I've tried brightening eye creams before and been disappointed but this has really impressed me.

Containing Kiwi Fruit Extract, Mulberry Fruit Extract and Sugar Beet Extract, this small tube helps eyes feel youthful and revitalised as well as brightened and protected. The Kiwi Fruit Extract is the key ingredient as it contains a lot of Vitamin C which is needed around the eye area and not only evens skintone out but helps protect against any nasties that get near your eyes.

The three ingredients combined are like a powerhouse of product and give brilliant results in a short amount of time. Before I used this my dark circles were extremely visible, sometimes even through my concealer and the skin under my eyes all looked puffy. Only two days after I started using this did I see a difference. And I was blown away. My dark circles while still there were not as bright as before and the skin around them looked less puffy and felt smoother to the touch. A little bit of this goes a long way and I find the a pea sized amount does both under my eye and over my eyelid. I love how after every application my eyes look brighter and more awake, it makes putting my make up on a dream.

If you're on a budget and you're looking for something to give your eyes that extra oopmh then I recommend you check this out. It's purse friendly, good for the skin and a product you actually see results from. It's definitely going to be joining my holy grail products.

Available from Superdrug

Review: Barry M Midnight Gelly Polishes

When Barry M releases a new collection I know I'm just going to need it in my collection. And I was right about their latest release. The Midnight Gelly collection is a range of four polishes that in my opinion are meant to look black in some lights and their actual colour in others.

The four shades in the range are perfect for autumn/winter and I know I'm going to get a lot of wear out of these colours. There is Black Currant, a very dark purple. Black Pistachio, a very interesting green shade. Black Grape, a dark navy shade and Black Cherry, a brown toned red.

My favourite thing about these polishes isn't the formula or the finish. It's the brush. Barry M have redesigned the brush so it's no longer that very thin brush that barely coated your nail to one of the wider flat brushes that can actually cover my nails in one go.

However I am really impressed with both the formula and the finish. As I expected with these, they are a thicker consistency that means they are opaque in one coat. All except Black Pistachio which can look streaky on the nails after one coat. I'd advise doing two coats on all the shades anyway as I find this gives a bit more depth to the colour and gives them a nice shiny finish. Another thing I would advise is a base coat, I have tried these on my bare nails and they didn't stain but I wouldn't risk it.

When it comes to finish, these are another set of Gelly's that don't let you down. Once dry they have a stunning shine which is only enhanced further once a top coat is added. I can find the shine to be decieving though. The Gelly Polishes have a fair amount of shine no matter if they've just been applied or if they are completely dry and sometimes that shine can be deceiving and leads to smudging. I found this happened with all four shades in this range and I smudged a few nails as they had a dry shine instead of a newly applied/still wet shine.

Overall I really really like these polishes. They're right up my street colour wise, they have a newly designed brush and they give off that expected shine when dry. I do wish that they would dry a bit quicker though but apart from that I would highly recommend checking these out when you're next at a Barry M stand. Especially if you've got a Halloween party coming up soon.

Have any of you tried these? Did you like them? Or did you not? Let me know in the comments.

Top 3: Mascaras

If there's one thing I'm always looking for something bigger and better from it's mascara. As a girl with the straightest lashes ever I always find it hard to find a mascara that actually holds a curl and makes my lashes look somewhat okay. However after trying multiple products I have narrowed it down to my top three mascaras. All of these are available from the high street as mascara is something I don't care to pay loads for.

My first mascara is my all time favourite mascara. It's Maybelline's The Colossal Go Extreme Leather Black. Packed with a mixture of longer and shorter bristles, this brush is tapered to fit the contour of the eye. It has a double pump wand which claims to help add volume but in fact this mascara could do without them as it gives enough definition and volume without double pumping it. I found that when I first opened this mascara I didn't get along with it as was a very wet mascara and did nothing for my lashes. However once it had dried out a little bit I found this gave my lashes beautiful definition and held a curl a lot longer than most mascaras I'd tried. It can be built up to give an extreme dramatic look but for everyday it does fluttery well curled lashes perfectly.

My second pick is the L'Oréal Volume Million Lashes Feline. This would have come top on the list but the formula lets it down. The curved brush has longer bristles on one side and shorter on the other side to give a perfect clump curl to lashes. The ideal use of this brush is to start of with the longer bristles to push the lashes up into the curl and help create volume, then flipping it over to the shorter side to get rid of any clumps and adding that extra oomph if needed. I love the results this mascara gives, it holds my curl even longer than the Maybelline Leather Black and my lashes still look as good at the end of the day as they did in the morning. However the formula lets this product down for me. Whilst it doesn't clump, this formula is very much a wet formula that easily transfers onto my eyelids. If it was slightly drier like my Maybelline Leather Black this would be my ultimate holy grail mascara. Alas it's not but I still love the finish it gives my lashes. 

 And the last pick on my list is Rimmel's Wonder'Full Wake Me Up Mascara. This has another brush that fits to meet the contour of the eye, however this one flares out at each end so it catches even the tiniest of lashes. The shape of the brush gives lashes volume and curl but unfortunately doesn't hold them for long. I like this mascara on it's own but it would work better if partnered with a mascara that does hold a curl better. This one smells like cucumber and really gives the eyes a wide awake feeling. It's a wet formula but unlike the L'Oréal Volume Million Lashes Feline it doesn't transfer onto my eyelids. Definitely one to try if you're looking for more natural lashes. 

So that's it for my top three mascaras. Are any of your favourites on there? Do you have recommendations for me to try? Let me know in the comments.

Review: Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liners

Until very recently I couldn't understand the hype with lip liners. Then I tried one and now I'm obessesed. One of my favourites is Rimmel's Exaggerate Lip Liner in Eastend Snob but it can be so hard to get and none of the other Exaggerate Shades stood out to me. Until Rimmel released some new shades at the end of last month.

I believe they released five shades in total but only two of them stood out to me. Under My Spell and You're All Mine were the two that caught my attention straight away. Under My Spell is a deep purple toned berry shade and You're All Mine is a mid/bright toned pink. I have to admit that You're All Mine doesn't suit my skintone, but if you have more of an olive toned skin then it would be perfect on you.

Apart from You're All Mine not suiting me, I'm really impressed with these lip liners. Unlike other lip liners I've tried lately these are ultra creamy which makes application so much easier. They don't drag on the lip or feel scratchy as you're using them. If like me you fill your entire lip in with liner you'll understand the benefits of these liners. With a angled nib, you can line your lips and fill in your lips in at the same time.

Even though these are creamy to apply, they can be very unforgiving on the lips. They do set on the lips after a few seconds of wear and afterwards they don't budge. However if you have dry or chapped lips they can be very uncomfortable to wear and I personally found they didn't dry down to the matte finish they usually do. A little bit of lip balm underneath would be a good idea if you plan on wearing these for a long period of time.

If you're lip liner obsessed or are just getting into them I recommend you check these out. I also recommend checking out the matching Lipsticks Rimmel have recently released as well. Most of the lip liners have a coordinating lipstick that claim to be the only ones you'll need. I will be reviewing the lipsticks in a couple of weeks after I've tested them out.

Have any of you tried the new shades? Do you like them? Do you recommend any other lip liners to try? Let me know in the comments.

My Pampering Routine

When I've had a extra long day at work there is only one thing I have on mind and that is pampering myself. Nothing beats giving myself a treat after a long day so I'd thought today I'd share my routine with you.

The first thing I do after making myself a cup of tea is run myself a bath. There's nothing like a long soak in the bath to help relax at the end of the day. I always make sure I put in a generous amount of bubble bath when I pamper myself. My favourite is Imperial Leather's Paradise Island Bath Cream, it smells like peaches which automatically makes me smile and the scent lingers well after I've had a bath. Once I've run my bath I usually chuck a bath bomb in to give it a little something extra. My favourite is Butterball from Lush but I don't have any at the moment so I just chuck in a chunk of The Comforter.

The other two products I always have to have with me when I pamper myself is my Soap And Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub and my Imperial Leather Fruit Salad Shower Creme. My Sugar Crush Body Scrub smells like chocolate limes and mixed with my Fruit Salad Shower Creme, my bathroom smells somewhat like a cocktail. All the scents from my bubble bath, body scrub and shower creme instantly relax me.

 And while my bath is running I wash off my make up. The last thing I want on my skin after a long day at work is a layer of make up. Keeping my eye on the bath I fill my tap with warm water and squirt four pumps of Soap And Glory's Peaches And Clean Deep Cleansing Milk into the palm of my hand. Four pumps is enough to do my face and my eye make up. Once I've washed it off my face with a damp flannel, I slather my face in Sanctuary's 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask. This mask is my holy grail mask as it pulls all the crap out my face and leaves it feeling refreshed and soft.

Once I'm in the bath and I've used my body scrub and shower creme, I remove my face mask with the same damp flannel I used to wash my make up off. And once that's all done I like to use a pore strip on my nose to pull any crap my mask has missed out of my skin. I find using these in the bath is better as the warmth from the bath opens up the pores and they sit better on the skin. I used Superdrug's Deep Action Pore Cleansing Nose Strips. I find they work just as well as others but only cost a fraction of the price. My favourite bit of using these is taking them off and looking at all the crap it's pulled out of my skin.

Once I've gotten out of the bath I dry myself off and wrap myself up in my Rosie For Autograph Dressing Gown. And then I move onto my evening skincare routine. I always go for a massive overdose of hydration in the evening as there are days when my skin feels dry from my days make up. Now my skin is cleansed and refreshed I spritz my face with the Vitamin E Refreshing Toning Mist. I love how it gives my skin a quick boost of hydration whilst leaving it feeling soft and soothed. Once that's settled into my skin I move onto my serum. My favourite is the Clearly Youthful Hydrating Day Serum as it really leaves my skin feeling hydrated after every use. I pop three pumps of this onto my fingertips and pat it gently into my skin, rubbing in any excess left on my skin.

Once I've rubbed that in I move onto my night cream. Sleeping Creams/Masks are my favourite type of night time moisturiser as I see geniuine results after every use. My favourite is the Garnier Miracle Sleeping Cream. It's a very thick formula that bounces back into shape after every use. It's a lot like The Body Shop's Drops Of Youth Bouncy Sleeping Mask, thick in textire but sinks into skin quickly. I love how I put this on in the evening and in the morning my skin looks refreshed, my redness is diminshed and my dark circles look less prominent.

Once every thing is scrubbed and moisturised I settle in with something good to watch and paint my nails. First off I paint my tootsies and for that I've chosen to go with Barry M's Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Mustard. I absolutely love this colour but can't wear it on my nails as I know it would look horrendous but on my toes it looks beautiful. I love how the shade is bright but not too over the top. And for my fingers I chose one of the new Barry M Midnight Gelly Hi Shine Polishes in the shade Black Pistachio. I love how this polish looks black in some lights but in others you can see how deep the green is. Both of these polishes are opaque in one coat but I always go in with two coats to add a depth to the colour.

So that's it for my pampering routine. Do any of you have a particular routine you pamper yourself with? Or has this helped you think of creating one? As always let me know in the comments.

Review: Barry M Daylight Curing Autumn Releases

When it comes to nail polish releases there is only one brand I care for. And said brand didn't disappoint. If you've been reading my blog for a while now then you'll know my number one go to nail brand is Barry M. They never fail to deliever brilliant ranges of polish every season. And this Autumnal release doesn't disappoint either.

The new Daylight Curing Nail Paints are exactly the kind of colours I look for in an Autumn nail. There are four shades in the collection but only three of them jumped out at me. The shades I picked up are Vengance is Wine, Plum On Baby and Dark Side of The Shroom. My favourite of the three is Dark Side Of The Shroom, a dirty mauve shade that screams neutral nails with twist. Vengance is Wine is also a nice shade but I find that the darker shades are slightly harder to work with when applying them.

I've tried the original Daylight Curing Shades and wasn't very impressed with them but with these new releases I am. It's as if they've changed the formula so that the shades are more opaque and take less coats to apply. Dark Side of The Shroom whilst my favourite shade was the one I found to chip the quickest, I'm not sure if it's because my job is very hands on or if it was the formula but I also found this with the paler shades in the original releases.

After trying Dark Side of The Shroom I was prepared to be disappointed by the other shades as well. However Vengance is Wine completely changed my opinion and I can already tell I'm going to get a lot of wear out of it. I put Vengance is Wine on last Tuesday and it's only just started chipping as I write this post on Sunday. I'm amazed, usually my nails only last about two days before chipping but this has managed to last five days and only chipped now. As I said before I'm not sure if it's because they've changed the formula but I'm very impressed by the lasting power of this shade. Let's just hope Plum On Baby gives me the same result.

If you're looking for a new Autumn Nail Polish or just a massive fan of Barry M, I highly recommend checking these out. It can be a faff having to buy the seperate top coat but once you've got it, you're free to buy as many of the colours as you want. I'm looking forward to seeing what future shades the Daylight Curing Range releases.

Have you tried these? What did you think? Did you like them or not? Let me know in the comments.

Drugstore Haul

Most months you can guarantee that at least one brand on the high street has a new release or two. This month though, quite a few brands have brought out new shiny products that immediately caught my eye. And of course I just had to share them with you.

The first thing I had to pick up were these new releases from Barry M. The first lot I picked up was their new Midnight Gelly Hi Shine Range. These are four off black shades that are perfect for the upcoming seasons. They have Black Cherry, Black Grape, Black Pistachio and Black Currant and all four are stunning. Each one looks black in the bottle but when you put it against the light, you can see the hint of each colour. I'm really looking forward to wearing Black Pistachio and Black Cherry as I don't have anything like them in my collection.

The next two new releases I picked up from Barry M are what I believe to be their two glittery limited edition seasonal releases. And I'm in love with them. There are only two shades and naturally I had to pick up both. The one on the left is Sparkling Amethyst and the one on the right is Sparkling Ruby. Both are thick formula glitter polishes that once on the nail are bumpy or patchy like some glitters. These are smooth and opaque, only one coat gives a bright glittery finish. And the best bit, they're not impossible to remove like most glitter polishes. I highly recommend checking these out if you like to break out the glitter around this time of the year.

And as I spent more than £7 pounds on Barry M in Superdrug I got a free Showgirl Mascara. I've already tried the Extra Volume Showgirl Mascara and loved it so I thought I'd go for the Extra Lengthing version this time. And so far I like it. The brush fits nicely to the contour of my eye and gives me a fluttery finish to my lashes that I prefer over some of the more volumising mascaras. However if you want both volume and length I suggest using the two together to get the best of both worlds.

And finally for this haul I picked up two new lip liners from Rimmel. These are two out of the five new releases that came out at the beginning of last week. I picked up the shades Under My Spell and You're All Mine. Under My Spell is a beautiful purple toned plum and You're All  Mine is a stunning pink shade that doesn't run to bubblegum pink on the lips. I like that they are easy to apply, giving a creamy opaque colour but I did find that they were a bit creamy than the original shades and I found they did smudge ever so slightly throughout the day. Under My Spell is my favourite of the two shades and I can see myself wearing this quite a lot over the next few months however I do find it can be very unforgiving if you don't have perfectly exfoliated/moisturised lips.

So that's it for my haul. I know it was only small but these were the only new releases that really jumped out at me. Have you tried any of these new releases? Do you have any recommendations of new products to try?  Let me know in the comments.