L'oreal Color Riche Lipstick in Doutzen's Nude

                                     

While I was browsing the makeup aisle in Superdrug, I decided to buy a new lipstick, as I recently finished my last one, and I was getting a bit sick of glosses. I first thought I might buy a budget-range lipstick, but after having a look at L'oreal's wide colour range, I decided to buy a mid-ranged one that was a little more expensive.

I am drawn to the paler pinks and nude lipsticks, as they are more wearable and suited to lots of different everyday looks. After looking at Loreal's Color Riche lipsticks, I noticed that they had done a collaboration with some famous models, to create a range of shades called 'Exclusive Nudes'.

Doutzen's nude is a shade carefully chosen and inspired by Doutzen Kroes, a Dutch model and actress who worked for American Lingerie company, Victoria's Secret. She is now on contract with L'oreal and also models for H&M. 

Before I bought this lipstick, I hadn't heard of Doutzen Kroes, and I was not influenced to buy this lipstick based on who was promoting it. I bought it because I was a fan of the colour, and the packaging was very nice too.

The colour of this lipstick is a soft, nude pink, with the slightest iridescent sheen. It is a fairly glossy finish, yet it is a shade which I feel could be worn everyday, even on light makeup days. It doesn't have a very high colour payoff, so if you are looking for a more pigmented pink, you may want to look elsewhere. It is the perfect nude-pink shade. Often nude shades can look a little beige-y, and like you have used foundation on your lips, but this has got enough pink pigment to help it look more natural. This lipstick feels creamy and can be applied smoothly without any dragging. 

Unfortanately, my lips are not in great condition generally, and as with all pale lipsticks, if applied on chapped lips, this can really highlight the peeling and cracked areas. However, this can be remedied by using a lip scrub and balm beforehand to prime your lips prior to wearing it.

The packaging of this lipstick is a matte, cuboid shaped tube, with a cold band round the middle imprinted with the L'oreal logo. On the black tube it reads 'Exclusive collection by Doutzen', and Doutzen's name is printed in (I assume) her handwriting, which gives it a luxury feel. 

The gold band has a little clasp on the back, which clicks into place when you shut the lipstick. This means that the lid of this lipstick can only be put on one way, but it helps it feel a little more secure than regular lipstick lids. Finally, a R in a circle is printed on the top in gold. I am not sure what this represents, so anyone who has any insight, feel free to comment on the guestbook. 

I am a fan of the soft touch, matte packaging- for me i makes the lipstick look a little more luxurious and high end. I also love the Doutzen's Nude shade, and it will be my staple everyday go-to lipstick.

The price of this lipstick is £6.99, and although it is a little more than what I would normally pay for lipstick, the L'oreal brand has reguarly got special offers, especially in stores such as Superdrug and Boots.  It is also a high quality lipstick for the price and I wouldn't hesitate buying it again, and trying out a few of the different shades.

I would recommend L'oreal Color Riche lipstick in Doutzen's Nude to those who prefer more muted nude tones, or maybe those who are used to using lip balms, and want to venture into trying lipsticks. It would also make a good lipstick for teens wanting to buy makeup for the first time, as it isn't too bright and is great for everyday use.

8.5/10

Original Source coconut shower gel

After trying Original Source Lime shower gel, and finding it distinctly average, I decided to give some of the other scents in the range a go to see if I could find one that suited me more.

Original Source coconut shower gel was actually recommended to me by my friend Tez, who made lots of positive comments about it.  And after having a look for it in the shops, I found it in Tesco on special offer. I contemplated picking up a couple of bottles, but I have so many different shower gels to review and I am trying to 'cut back' on how many I buy, so I stuck with one.

Before I review anymore, I have to admit that I am not really a fan of coconut scents. I don't hate them, but I would always favour most other fruit scents over coconut. However, I will give this shower gel a fair review based on what it is.

Original Source shower gels have particularly distinctive packaging, which helps differentiate their products from other ones. The bottles have their caps on the bottom, and are designed to be stood this way up, which avoids any product wastage. I am a big fan of this type of bottle, and I wish upper-end companies would take note.

Flicking open the cap, natural coconut scent is pretty faint, and you have to really put your nose up to the bottle to be able to get a smell of it. Alternatively, you could decant a little onto your palm (which I did), and quickly wash your hands with it to get a quick smell of the shower gel before you use it in the shower or bath.

For me, the smell was a little disappointing. It has the obvious creamy coconut element, and a slight-but almost unnoticable-floral undertone, which helps give the scent a little something extra and pads it out a bit. But the scent is unfortunately faint, yet a little sickly- and doesn't elevate at all under the heat of the water. This is ideal if you don't want a strong scent, but I imagine it would be disappointing if you are expecting a tropical coconut hit. 


The texture of this shower gel is medium thickness-which I think is ideal for a shower gel.It's not so watery you will drop half of it down the drain, but it's not so thick it isn't pourable. Original source coconut shower gel is creamy, and lathers up averagely- it doesn't provide the best lather I have tried, but I suspect it would lather up better using a shower puff. It also feels a little oily on the skin while using.

Unfortunately, whether it was due to the lack of lather, or that this shower gel was oily (though I feel this is due to it being marketed as a moisturising shower gel), I didn't feel particularly clean or comfortable after using it. I have dry skin, so I was hoping that the shower gel would moisturise as well as cleanse my skin, but unfortunately it didn't do a great job and I ended up topping up with Lush's So White shower gel to make my skin feel washed properly.

I have heard of people using this shower gel in their hair, however as my hair is heavily dyed and dry and needs shampoo for colour treated and problematic hair, I decided to avoid trying this so can't report on it's results. It  may work well on dry hair, though, as it isn't drying on the skin.

I will definitely try using this shower gel as a bubble bath, and see if I get any positive results, but for now, it's definitely not one of my favourites to be used in the shower and has been pushed to the back of my pile of shower gels.


I would say with the practical, plain packaging and the non-overpowering scent, this shower gel is pretty unisex and could be enjoyed by men and women alike. Although my review seems pretty negative, I didn't hate this product- there is just many I have tried which I have enjoyed a lot more and have yielded more positive results for me, and as coconut isn't a scent I am particularly a fan of, I was feeling pretty pessimistic about this shower gel from the word go. 

However, if you have very dry skin, and enjoy fainter, non-overpowering scents, give this a go- it may work for you, and is cheap at the £1.10 I paid for it. 

I'm interested in trying the original source body butters and shower scrubs,  so I will definitely pick up a couple more products when I go out again and see if I can find something that works better for me. If you have any product suggestions, comment below.




4/10

Calcot Manor 'The Lazy Evening' salt scrub

Seeing as it's now spring, I wanted to try something that would help get rid of any dry skin I had got over the winter. So I decided to try a salt scrub, and I was very surprised at some of the prices in stores, for what is essentially salt mixed with oils. Infact, you could probably make a pretty good salt or sugar scrub at home for not much money at all.

After looking in supermarkets for a cheaper alternative, the packaging of the Calcot Manor salt scrub drew me in. This scrub comes in a large, heavy plastic (although at first glance it looks like glass) tub, with a metal clasp closure. This tub is visually appealing, and looks professional, as if it might be something you would see in a spa. However, the metal clip is terrible, it is extremely difficult to open and shut and you have to handle it with a lot of force. I am unsure if I was just unlucky with my tub, but it is definitely something you have to watch out for, especially if (like me), you will be handling this product in the bath or shower.

After opening it, the scent of this salt scrub is quite nice. It is a fresh, fruity scent. Pretty generic, but unoffensive. For something that is called 'the lazy evening', I expected a lavender/chamomile scent, however the more uplifting citrus scent was a welcome surprise.

The texture of this scrub is like a thick paste, with fine granules of salt stirred in to give it a good scrubby texture without being overbearing and painful to use regularly. It feels quite oily to touch, so I am guessing it has been designed with dry, flaky skin in mind.


You can use this scrub in several ways.

Firstly, you can apply the scrub to dry skin, blending into your skin with a exfoliating-gloved or bare hand, then rinse off quickly afterwards. This is the most abrasive way of scrubbing, and can potentially be the most effective if you have really dry, problem skin, however-it can be a little harsh and painful for those with sensitive skin.

Secondly, and this is my favourite way, you can hop in the shower and apply it under the stream of the water. This is less scrubby and painful, and as you rub it in, it will provide an effective exfoliation without hurting your skin. After it is rinsed off, the oils in the scrub remain on your skin which help moisturise your skin and make it feel smooth.

You could also use this as a facial scrub, or  hand or foot scrub as part of a manicure or pedicure, and it would last for ages.

After it is rinsed off,  my skin was left feeling smooth from the oils contained in it and from the exfoliation. As the salt granules weren't too big, I had no redness either. However, I think this scrub may be a little to rich for people with oily skin as it does provide a lot of moisturising due to the large amount of oils contained inside and could make you break out. Obviously I can't confirm this for sure as I have dry/sensitive skin, but I would advise you try a little bit out before you start using it all over.

The price of this salt scrub is very low, and I picked up the large tub for £3.99. I believe the Calcot Manor range is on special offer at the moment, so this low price might not last, however I would be willing to pay around £7 for this as it worked very well for me.

Please note that the Calcot Manor is a range exclusive to Tesco, so you will only be able to pick up their products there. They do a range of scrubs, masks, bubble baths and lotions, in several different scents suitable for different skin types. I will definitely be checking out more of the range when I am next in store, and picking up a few different bits to try out.


For a large scrub at a low price, try this one out. Unfortunately it loses marks for it's packaging, but overall, I would buy again. Do you know any good salt or sugar scrubs? Comment below and let me know.

7.5/10

Phoenix Rising bath bomb

For someone that visits Lush Cosmetics so much,  I don't normally buy very many bath bombs. This is because I usually like multiple-use products, and unless you chop a bath bomb in half (which I think somewhat dampens the 'experience' of using it, even though it is more economical), you are getting a one-time-use product. Nonetheless, it is nice to pick up one for a treat to enjoy now and again.

Pheonix rising is a cinnamon scented bath bomb, that is in Lush's regular range. Although rumours have floated around that it's being discontinued, Lush staff and HQ have made no comments regarding this, and it continues being sold in all the Lush shops I go to.

This bath bomb is very visually appealing to me, it is a deep, luxurious purple, topped with gold glitter and flakes of cinnamon stick. It seems a little more heavy and 'solid' than Lush's other bath bombs- if that makes sense. It is less powdery in texture, and feels a little more like a bubble bar.

Using a bath bomb is simple. Run a hot bath, then drop it in the bath and get in.

When this bath bomb is dropped into the bath, you will notice it sinks to the bottom of the tub, rather than floating on the surface like most other bath bombs. This is not due to the freshness of the bath bomb, as I have bought several of these fresh, and the same thing happens every time.



As the purple fizzes away, it turns the water a magenta colour with slight gold lustre. There is also a small amount of white foam. 

The cinnamon stick flakes don't really do anything much to the water, and can be easily fished out and thrown away if need be.

As the purple bath bomb fizzes at the bottom of the water, it becomes lighter, and floats to the surface. Inside the purple 'shell', is a emerald green core, which fizzes and spews soft, dark green foam all over the surface of the water. 

Once the Phoenix rising bath bomb has finished dissolving, your bath will be a stunning visual display of gold-laced magenta water, with green and white foams. The water is fairly moisturising, although not the softest I have ever had from a Lush bath bomb.

The scent of this bath bomb is a sexy, strong blend of cinnamon, with a slight faint undertone of apple. It is definitely a scent that would be appreciated by both the male and female audience, and is long lasting enough to stay with you for more than a few hours.

Overall, for £3.35, you are getting a pretty visual bath display, nourishing water, and a unique but lovely scent offering that lasts. Phoenix rising is one of my favourite regular bath bombs, and one which I will return to using time and time again.

Score: 8/10

Haul!

Today and on Sunday I went into town and bought a few things which I will be reviewing in the coming week. I thought I would post a couple of pictures below to give you an idea of what I will be writing about. Apologies for the picture quality, as I was using my phone camera which currently has a cracked lens cover.

-Bomb Cosmetics chocolate ballotin collection**

-Calcot Manor salt scrub 

-The Pointless book 2 by Alfie Deyes

- F&F striped basic tee

-LUSH Wiccy Magic muscles massage bar (I have previously reviewed this when I bought it a few years ago,  but since the massage bar formulation changed, I bought another and have completely changed my opinion on this bar)

-LUSH Phoenix rising bath bomb

-Collection Eyes Uncovered palette in Nude

-Marks and Spencer Collection batwing striped scoop neck jumper

Sidenote: everything will be reviewed with the exception  of the nutella and the heartshaped notes, for stockists of these please refer to Google or send me a message.

**Gift or sponsored item

(Clockwise- Nutella (stockists nationwide), M&S Collection batwing striped scoop neck jumper, Collection Eyes Uncovered palette in Nude, LUSH Phoenix Rising bath bomb, and LUSH Wiccy Magic Muscles massage bar)

(L-R Heart shaped sticky notes, The pointless book 2 by Alfie Deyes, Calcot manor salt scrub and F&F Basic striped long sleeved tee)

(Above: Bomb Cosmetics chocolate ballotin collection**)

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Lush items for sale

Sample Lush kits

At the moment I have some brand new Lush products, that I am going to be splitting up and selling in 'starter sample packs' for those who want to try out a few different items at once without paying loads for the full product.

Each sample pack comes with 10-12 large samples and is £4 including postage.

I am aware that Lush shops also offer samples, however the ones I am selling are a substantial size and include products such as shampoo bars, dusting powders and others which Lush don't generally give out as samples.

I post to UK only and payment is through PayPal.  I aim to get your parcel to you within 7 working days.

If you are interested, tweet me, or facebook me.

Www.twitter.com/xocoughsyrupxo

Www.facebook.com/coughsyrupxo

Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Lip Care

Winter weather and wearing lipstick means I often get pretty dry lips, so when I went shopping recently, I wanted a lip balm that didn't have gimmicks such as a tint of colour or a fancy flavour. I just wanted something that would work and that wouldn't be too heavy to use.

So after having a look, I noted this Neutrogena balm. It caught my eye because I am a fan of their hand creams, and their Norwegian formula is pretty heavy-duty and designed for chapped skin on lips. Although it was one of the more expensive choices and didn't have particularly pretty, eyecatching packaging, But I thought I would try it out anyway and report back on the results after a couple of weeks.

It is designed pretty much like every other lip salve, in a wind up applicator which can easily be applied across the lips without mess. It goes on easily and smells quite nice. The scent is pretty fresh and clean, not a sweet scent or anything. I guess it is sort of medicinal, but not in a bad way. It's in no way unpleasant, and (along with the plain packaging) is very unisex, so guys would be comfortable using this too.

Right away, your lips feel moisturised and soothed. The lip balm feels immediately cooling, although it doesn't contain menthol, so it isn't too 'cold'. It doesn't add any sort of gloss or shine, and unless you over-do it, you can't tell you are wearing it.

However, unfortunately for me, the soothing effect was pretty short-term, and an hour later, I needed to apply it again as my lips felt dry. I was a little disappointed by this, as I thought it might give a few hours usage. It is something that is easily popped into a handbag, so it's not too much of an issue to reapply, but I've definately tried other lip balms that lasted longer than this.

I gave the balm a couple of weeks to see if it changed my mind, but it stayed pretty much the same. My lips are in slightly better condition, but I feel if I'd used another balm, they would be much more improved by now. 

I am not going to waste this balm and will keep it for a spare. I think it'll also come in handy when the weather is warmer and I don't need such a heavy duty lip salve. I would recommend it to people who don't have problem chapped lips, and maybe just need something a little moisturising. But for now, I am still on the hunt for another balm. If you have any suggestions, comment below!

6/10