Review: Barry M Coconut Infusion Nail Paints

Now I know you're probably fed up of my Barry M Nail Polish Reviews but I can't help myself. Barry M is one of my favourite nail polish ranges on the high street and I can't help but pick up every new range they release. And their latest release is a very interesting release as well.

These are the Barry M Coconut Infusion Nail Paints. They are infused with Coconut Oil and Water to help hydrate the nail whilst you're wearing the polishes. There are nine shades in total ranging from brights to neutrals and of course I just had to get them all. 

First up you have the five bright shades in the range. The bright shades in this range are called Laguna, Bikini, Flamingo, Aloha and Surfboard. These shades are probably my favourite out of the range especially now the weather is warming up and people are starting to embrace brighter nail colours. Surfboard is the most interesting shade out of the five in my opinion as it's a beautiful purple lilac shade that looks almost neutral in the bottle but does actually gives a pop of colour on the nail. Laguna and Bikini are the two I've worn the most as I'm a girl who like greens and blues but I'm sure I can find a way to work Flamingo and Aloha.

And then you have four of neutral shades. Yes I know they all look very similar but really there are differences between them when you put them on the nail. You have Starfish, Tiki Hut, Sunkissed and Skinny Dip. Tiki Hut is probably the most interesting shade out of the four of them, it's a mixture between a caramel shade and a chocolate shade that is going to look beautiful on the nails. And if you're looking into doing white nails this summer but not sure if they're going to work on you then Skinny Dip is that perfect off white shade that will ease you gently into that trend.

When it comes to formula these are pretty interesting. There is no need for a basecoat with these colours not because they're certain not to stain but because apparently it helps the ingredients nourish and hydrate the nails more. Surprisngly these are very thick in formula, even the lighter shades which can sometimes be thin and somewhat streaky when applied. They come with the new flat square ended brush that Barry M are putting in all their new polishes. It means they cover the nail in one sweep and makes doing your nails quicker and easier.

Once dry, nails have opaque colour and a high shine. I know a top coat is necessary to keep the lenght of a manicure but if you don't have time or can't be bothered to apply one then these colours have enough shine to give the look of wearing a top coat. I did find that if you use thicker consistency top coats then these do peel/chip on the nail quicker but with thinner top coats they last a lot longer.

Overall I really like these polishes. However I know these won't be to everyone's liking due to the shade range but if you're a big fan of brights or of neutrals I really recommend you check these out.

Have any of you tried these? Did you like them? Or were they not your cup of tea? Let me know in the comments.

Top 3: Body Scrubs

When it comes to exfoliating my body then I'm all for those full on scrubs that you can practically feel removing your skin. But it doesn't mean I'm not for those that are gentler on the skin and less likely to rub you raw. And in my body scrub collection I have a mixture of both so today I thought I'd take you through my Top 3 Body Scrubs.

My ultimate favourite body scrub has to be the Soap And Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub. Firstly it smells divine; for those who haven't smelt it, it smells like lime. It's a very addictive smell, I always spend a good five minutes smelling this before even applying it to my body. And secondly it is a bloody good scrub. Literally after the first use of this scrub my body felt smoother and softer than I've ever felt before. It feels almost like a gel when you first apply this to your body but when you start to rub it over your skin it loses it's gel like consistency leaving all the exfoliating beads on your skin. This can be quite a rough scrub if your a bit rough when it comes to scrubs but I'm sure with a gentler hand it can be less abrasive on the skin. Once this is washed off the skin you're left with smooth, soft skin that will easily absorb moisturiser and stays looking moisturised for longer.

Up next is another scrub that smells divine. It's the Palmer's Cocoa Butter Body Scrub. It's a lot less abrasive than the Sugar Crush Scrub but gives you the same results. Packed with cocoa butter, shea butter and vitamin e, this scrub not only exfoliates the skin but nourishes it at the same time. It's a lot creamier in consistency compared to the first scrub and a little bit does go a long way but because it comes in a smaller tub I find I use more of this compared to my Sugar Crush Scrub. The smell alone drew me into this product, the strong cocoa sent fills the bathroom well after you've closed the tub. I also like to mix this scrub with the Sugar Crush Scrub so that my skin gets that nice exfoliation but also gets some nourishment at the same time. Plus the two combined is drool worthy scent wise.

And the third scrub I find myself reaching for quite a bit is the Boots Extracts Brazil Nut Scrub. This is the most gentle of the three scrubs but you still get a good result with it. It's perfect for people who have slightly sensitive skin or who's skin are irritated by harsher scrubs. More of a cream consistency than the others this is very easy to rub over the skin. Yes, it doesn't leave arms feeling as smooth as the Sugar Crush Scrub does but if you're in a rush and don't mind if it's not perfect then this is the scrub for you. It smells lovely and if Brazil Nut isn't your kind of scent then no worries as these come in a variety of scents ranging from Strawberry to Cocoa to Almond (it smells like marzipan).

So that's it for my Top 3 Scrubs. How do they compare to your favourte Scrubs? Are any of them the same as mine? Or do you have one you think I'd like? Let me know in the comments.

Review: Loreal Lip Liners

A little while ago I went on a bit of a lip liner binge and have been trying them out ever since. I love lip liners to help keep a colour in place or just wearing all over the lips as my look for the day. And of course lip liners are a big thing and every brand has their own variation of them of the market but it can still be difficult to find a good lip liner. Some I've tried have been too hard, dragged across the lips and one even scratched my lip to the point of bringing the blood to the surface.

And then I discovered the Loreal Lip Liners. I'd seen them in shops for ages but not being that interested in liners then I didn't pay them any attention. However as soon as I started to really look into lip liners in shops I noticed these ones. Before I tried these lip liners from Loreal I avoided wooden pencil style liners completely purely because they were all ridiculously hard and were hurting my lips rather than helping my lips. So you can probably understand why I was wary to try these.

I was impressed by the feel of these liners when I swatched them on the back of my hand but was completely blown away when I applied these to my lips. These were even creamier to apply to the lips than some mechanical lip liners I've tried. They glided right onto the lips and didn't drag when I filled in my entire lip. When they set they were slightly drier than other lip liners but in the long run it didn't effect the way my lipstick wore over the top.

My only problem with this range is the lack of colours. There are only about six shades in the range as well as a transparent liner. The two I have are Intense Plum and Scarlet Rouge. Intense Plum is my favourite of the two shades as it goes well under the majority of my berry toned lipsticks. Saying that doesn't mean I don't like Scarlet Rouge, I just happen to have another red lip liner I prefer more.

Have any of you tried these? What did you think? Do you have any lip liners you'd recommend trying? Let me now in the comments. 

Review: Garnier Ultimate Blends Hair Treatments

Haircare isn't something I talk about a lot on here but I've been giving these a go lately and thought you all deserved to know the greatness these pots contain. These are the Garnier Ultimate Blends Hair Treatments, each one is specifically designed to treat a problem you could have with you hair. There are pots for dry hair, coloured hair, dull hair and normal hair. The two I have are aimed at taming frizzy hair and treating fragile hair.

I chose these two pots for a multitude of reasons. Firstly they were exactly what my hair needed/needs. Secondly they smell amazing and lastly if they were as good as my shampoo and conditioner combination then they were winners. And I can safely say that they are even better than my shampoo and conditioner combination. I use the The Honey Treasures Range from Ultimate Blends, it's aimed at damaged and fragile hair. It's really helped strengthen my hair and I can't see my hair agreeing with another combo as much as it does this one. That's why I picked in the hair treatment. Theoretically it should help strengthen my hair and give it that nice shine that I sometimes lack.

The second pot is The Sleek Smoother. As well as having slightly damaged hair, I have very thick hair that goes quite frizzy once it's washed. Well not anymore. Ever since I started using this treatment my hair has been sleeker and easier to work with after washing. It contains coconut oil and cocoa butter to help smooth the hair particles as well as nourish and give it that sleek soft look.

When it comes to using these products they're some of the most simple products to use. Once you've washed, shampooed and conditioned your hair then you pop a scoop of this into your hair and leave it in for three to five minutes before washing it out and styling it as you wish. Personally I like to put this through my mid lengths and ends and then pop it up into a top knot. During the five mintues I leave it in for I usually just potter about the house and do the odd chore.

You don't notice anything whilst your hair is still we but once you put the hairdryer on it then you see how well this treatments worked. I always advise blow drying your hair upside down to give it a volume boost and whilst your drying your hair if it normally becomes very frizzy and unmanagable then it won't with this product. It will look smoother and sleeker and will even feel softer to touch. You can even run a brush through and it won't leave hair static or fly-away. Definitely a winner for me.

Overall I do prefer the sleek restorer more than the honey treasures pot purely for the fact that it makes my hair more managable for every day. However that doesn't mean it's not a good treatment. There are so many to choose from for different hair types then it's really down to you to decide what is good for you hair and what isn't. But if I do advise something it would be to go and smell them all, they're divine.

Have any of you tried these? What did you think? Let me know in the comments. 

What's In My Everyday Make Up Bag

When I first saw this make up bag in Primark I had to have it. And to begin with I just popped the odd product I had lying around but then it turned into putting my daily make up in there so it was all in one place. And since then I've just used it day in, day out to keep my make up together and today I thought I'd share what I have in my everyday make up bag.

Before we start I must say that I keep an excess amount of the same product in this bag. And the first product I like to have options with is foundation. The two I keep in this bag are the Maybelline Dream Velvet and the Miss Sporty Instaglow. The Dream Velvet is a good foundation if you want a buildable coverage that lasts all day long. A soft gel formula foundation this is perfect for people with oily skin and people without aswell. I did a full review which you can find here. The Instaglow is a light to medium coverage foundation that blurs skin into looking like it has an instagram filter applied to it. It's not the best foundation on the market but I was testing it out for work and it just took it's place in my bag. A full review of it will be going up at some point.

Next up is concealers and this is one where I do go a bit extreme with. I don't just have one, I have four. I do admit that I do use these all on a regular basis. There is the Maybelline The Eraser Eye, Collection Lasting Perfection, Barry M Light Reflecting and Rimmel's Wake Me Up. The most used of the bunch are the Maybelline and the Collection. I use them both under my eyes and around my face on a daily basis. They are by far my favourite concealers on the market as they give great coverage, don't crease and don't wear away as the day goes on. Barry M's and Rimmel's concealers are both light reflecting concealers and whilst they're nice and work well on the skin they can leave skin looking glittery, something you don't want all over your face.

When it comes to pressed powder or powders of any kind I only keep one in my bag. This is the Rimel Clarifying Powder in Translucent. It's an okay powder and works to set my make up but it's not one that I think I'd purchase another one when this runs out. Before this I did keep my MUA Hydro Powder in this bag but it unfortunately met a dusty end when it fell off my bed and shattered.

If you thought I kept too many concealers in my make up bag then my mascaras will be totally over the top. Yes I keep five different mascaras in my bag but in my defence I do use them all on a regular basis. They're all aimed at what I'm feeling make up wise that day. The Maybelline Go Colossal Leather Black and the Barry M Showgirl mascaras are my two go to mascaras when I want a fluttery, volumised every day lash. They both have tapered bristle brushs that really fan lashes out. And then if I want something more dramatic I go for either the Maybelline Push Up Drama, Maybelline Lash Sensational or the Pur Minerals Volume Vixen. They all have plastic bristle brushes that give a more defined, volumised look that is usually more suited to the evening. However if I'm feeling a bit more dramatic with my make up during the day I opt for one of these. And of course with my mascaras comes my eye lash curler. This is just a simple Primark eye lash curler that really does give my lashes a good curl that doesn't droop during the day. Plus I like how the handles don't feel like they're going to slip out of my fingers when I'm giving my lashes that extra oomph.

Surprsingly when it comes to lip products in my make up bag there are only a few. The ones I reach for the most are the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipsticks. They are the best liquid lipsticks I've tried and I'm definitely going to be purchasing some more shades as soon as possible. I have a mini set that includes the shades Beso, Baci and Ricco. Beso is my most worn shade being a bright red that dries down to a beautiful matte finish. To go along with Beso I have the Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner in Red Diva. This can be worn by itself or under lipsticks, most of the time I wear it on it's own as they are so creamy and easy to apply. My other lip combo that I keep in the bag are my Gosh Lip Liner in Raspberry Dream and the Kate Moss for Rimmel lipstick in 107. This is my favourite plummy/berry toned lip shade and I'm constantly reaching for these.

And now it's onto the tools I keep in my make up bag. Before I got my bag I used about ten brushes everytime I did my make up but now I've narrowed it down to 5. My first two brushes are my two most used brushes. One is from H&M and is an angled buffing brush and the second is the F103, a stippling brush. These I use on a daily basis to attempt to give myself a flawless base. The angled buffing brush is a brilliant brush and didn't cost nearly as much as some of my others. For powder I use either my Real Techniques Cheek Brush or my B Powder Brush. And of course I have to have a spoolie for my brows. Yet again this is from H&M and I'm so impressed with the quality of their brushes.

And of course I wouldn't be a beauty junkie if I didn't have at least two beauty blenders in my bag. Please excuse the fact they're dirty, I did use them to get ready this morning. I have two and neither of them are from the actual Beauty Blender Brand. The top one is from B and the second one I picked up reduced from Cosmopolitan. I like my Cosmopolitan blender to use under my eyes as it has a bit more shape to help really blend in concealer or any product that you put under there.

The last thing in my make up bag may shock some of you as I'm so against using facial wipes but these are here not for my face. These are in there to remove any excess foundation from the back of my hand or lipstick if it doesn't look right. I've tried a few different brands but I've found I can only get along with the Simple Facial Wipes or the B Quick Facial Wipes. At the moment I've not got any Simple Wipes so I'm working my way through this pack of B Wipes. But don't worry, I'm not using them to cleanse my face.

So that's what's in my everyday make up bag. What's in your everyday make up bag? Do you have any of the same products as me? Let me know in the comments. 

Review: B Essence Lotion

When B Beauty released their Essence Lotion I was slightly confused as to what it did and therefore just passed it off as another way to make money. But I've soon found myself well beyond wrong. After having kept looking at it for a while I took the plunge and brought it. And I'm so glad I did.

If you don't know what an essence is, it's a thin fluid that's designed to be used after you're cleanser and toner to give skin that extra boost of moisture and allows serums and moisturisers to sink better into the skin afterwards. Yes they seem like a faff and add just another step into what is probably a long already routine but it can seriously change your skin.

This essence lotion from B is a thin semi clear liquid designed to give skin a moisture boost after cleansing. Packed with Allatonin, Algae Extract and Hyaluronic Acid, this essence helps soften, smooth and retexturise skin as well as giving skin a radiance that can sometimes be lacking in skin.

Intially this did nothing for me skin and actually broke me out but after a month of use I can safely say that I can't go without using this product now. After I've double cleansed my face both morning and evening I pour some of this onto my hands and pat it gently over my face, repeatedly patting until it's soaked in. Now I say patting as you can not rub this in, it has to be patted in otherwise it will dry your skin out and you'll end up back at stage one.

When it came to seeing results from this product it took a while but when I finally saw them I was astounded. I've always struggled with some texture along the bottom of my cheeks and my jawline that no amount of mask, peel or exfoliator could get rid off. But this essence lotion managed to diminish to begin with and now with an added step of Glycolic Acid in my daily routine has helped to completely get rid of any texture on those parts of my face. It has also helped with my skin's radiance and redness. My redness is diminished and easier to cover with make up and my skin looks healthier with or without make up. I seriously can't see myself going without this anytime soon.

If you have extremely sensitive skin then I would advise being a bit wary with this product. If you did want to try it then I'd say use it only once a day more preferrably at night than in the morning. Just because it broke me out once and then worked in harmony with my skin doesn't mean it's going to do the same with your skin. Everyone's skin is different and if you can throw anything at your skin then go for it but if you're skin is sensitive to new products then I'd say approach this with caution.

Overall this is a fantastic product and if you're feeling that your skincare is missing something then definitely give it a go. I can safely say I'm going to go through a lot of bottles of this.

Have any of you tried this? Did you like it? Or did it not agree with your skin? Have you any other essence recommendations I should try? Let me know in the comments.

Review: Revlon Volume and Length Mascara

It's still only the beginning of the year but brands have already been inundating us with new launches, especially with mascara. And as much as I'd love to try them all out I only have two eyes so I cut it down to two. I've already done my Maybelline Push Up Drama Review which you can find here but I thought it time I write my review on my other new release masacara choice.

It was quite hard to choose one of their mascaras as they've released five that all aim to do something different to your lashes. Whilst the lengthening mascara appealed to me because it's green packaging and length is what my lashes need, I knew that mascara alone wouldn't suffice my needs. So I went with the blue lidded volume and length mascara which I hoped would give my lashes that long fluttery look I love. 

What first appealed to me with this mascara was the thick curved bristle brush that looked a lot like my Maybelline Go Colossal Leather Black Mascara. However I found it to be very disappointing as a brush. Instead of gripping my lashes and pushing them upwards to help hold the curl they left them looking flat and spiky. I also found that the brush malted every other use, there would be fibre looking bits stuck to the end of the lashes that needed to be removed as they had a habit of flaking off onto the cheeks. Normally a malting brush wouldn't be a bother but because it wasn't working how I hoped it would work, this one was very disappointing.

When it comes to formula, it doesn't get much better really. What was advertised as a lengthening and volumising formula was really a thin, practically non exisitent formula that barely coated lashes. But what did coat the lashes was ridiculously hard to remove and would appear under the lower lash line the next morning no matter how hard you tried to remove it. I'm not entirely sure if there are fibres in this mascara but it does look like that on the lashes from certain angles.

Overall this mascara has been nothing but disappointing. I'm not sure if the other mascaras in the range are as bad as this one but for me the volume and length mascara is a big no no. I  much prefer the Maybelline Push Up Drama Mascara and my old time favourite Maybelline Go Colossal Leather Black Mascara.

Have any of you tried this? Did you find it as bad as I did? Are any of the others as disappointing? Let me know in the comments.