Favourite Lip Balms - Carmex, Blsitex & Nuxe

Today is my birthday so I hope you don't mind a scheduled post on my favourite lip balms! I won't be able to reply to comments until tomorrow but you can always catch me on Twitter @Leer31 have a lovely day! x 

Carmex moisturising lip balm and Lanolips have long been favourites of mine for hydrating lip products. Recently however I’ve found a new gem to add to my favourite lip balms, the Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip Balm which you can find a full review of here. I cannot stand having dry lips so I’ve nearly always got a balm of some kind in my bag. Here are the three that are most likely to feature in my Lily bag.

1.    Lanolips

A slick of this every evening before bed ensures I hardly ever get cracked or chapped lips. I suffer from coldsores on the odd occasion and this stuff helps no end. Beyond hydrating and an absolute must have in every girls make up bag. I also love that it's got a beautiful berry tint to it. 

2.    Carmex Moisturising Lip Balm

Although I don’t feel this balm has any moisturising properties whatsoever I do find it to be a great barrier balm for when it’s cold out. The one thing I love about this balm is the smell. It smells of gorgeous fruity strawberries albeit synthetic ones. Again, you can pick this up for a couple of quid from Boots/Superdrug etc.

3.    Nuxe Reve De Miel

A newcomer to my balm collection. So many people have raved about this product and when I first received it I couldn’t really understand why. Yeah, it’s a really hydrating balm with shea butter and sweet almond oil but was it really worth a tenner? One morning I applied it before a lipstick and noticed how it made my lips matte (something that the other two don’t) which means it’s perfect if you want to hydrate your lips but apply a matte lipstick over the top. I picked mine up from Salon skincare for around £9 plus free delivery. It’s a nice balm which looks like it’ll last forever so I can’t see my repurchasing it anytime soon.

I won’t be without a lip balm or some kind. I think it’s true what they say, you can become a bit addicted to them. A favourite tip of mine is to get a cotton bud and massage one of the balms into my lips to take away any bits of dried up skin. It leaves them feeling silky soft and smoochable!

Rebecca x

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Top 5 most indulgent holiday beauty treatments

Today I have a sponsored post from the lovely Rosie. It's all about the most indulgent beauty treatments that can be found from around the world. I have to admit I wouldn't say no to the champagne bath and argan oil massage!!

We’ve selected some of the most outrageously indulgent treatments available at some our favourite holiday destinations. Book flights and hotels to the destinations listed with www.directline-holidays.co.uk for unbelievable prices.

Caviar Facial

In Rome, the Cavalieri hotel offers a caviar facial or caviar body treatment, which enhances your skin to make it firm and radiant. A package at the hotel including the decadent caviar facial, fitness lesson, Pilates lesson as well as access to the sauna, Turkish bath, hydromassage pool and fitness centre costs EUR335.

Cactus Massage

The Hakali cactus massage uses prick-free cactus paddles to massage all the goodness from the inside of the plants into your skin. For $245 you can remove toxins and rehydrate your skin. The cactus is in the same family as the healing plant aloe vera and the oil inside helps heal sunburn and quench dry skin.

Champagne Bath

Save money on flights and head to London to, quite literally, bathe in Champagne. Frivolous to most, but desired by a few, the Cadogan hotel now offers this truly indulgent experience for guests staying at the hotel. The baths require 120 bottles and your bath can vary in price from the ‘super saver’ £4000 Louis de Custine Brut bath to the Dom Pérignon Vintage, at a whopping £25000.

Argan Oil Massage

This Moroccan treatment uses the fruit from the Argan tree to create an oil high in Vitamin E and fatty acids perfect for hydrating skin. Not only is the Argan oil brilliant at restoring skin’s acid mantle, it has anti-ageing and anti-inflammatory qualities and generally protects against moisture loss and acne. Argan oil massages, scrubs and treatments in various forms are available widely throughout the country.

Gold Facial

The Four Seasons in Florence, Italy offers a truly decadent facial wherein gold is worked onto skin to reduce wrinkles and bring a golden glow to the face that is immediately visible. The price reflects the nature of the treatment and sets beauty seeking individuals back EUR410

My Favourite Glycolic Acid Products

Glycolic acid is my best friend. Ever since I incorporated it into my skin care regime about a year ago I haven't looked back. It was my boyfriend's Aunt (and skincare expert) that first introduced me to the ingredient in my beloved MD Formulations Cleanser. Using this twice a day and removing it with a hot flannel has been the single best thing I have ever done for my skin.

What is glycolic acid?

Glycolic acid is a natural ingredient that derives from sugar cane although nowadays it is usually made synthetically. It falls under the umbrella of ingredients known as AHAs, or, alpha hydroxy acids. Essentially glycolic acid is a chemical exfoliant. It safely and effectively helps to break down dead skin cells (and the glue that holds them together) to reveal new, brighter and more radiant skin. For this reason it's fantastic for treating a number of skin concerns including: anti ageing, acne prone skin, discolouration etc. As a side note, if you do decide to incorporate glycolic acid into your skincare regime then it's an absolute must to protect your skin during the day with a high factor SPF. This is because AHA's make your skin more receptive to sun burn.

MD Formulations Cleanser

My all time favourite cleanser that I will continue to use for the foreseeable future. It's a cloudy white gel-like cleanser that has no smell whatsoever. I think it has like 6 or 7 ingredients in it altogether meaning that it's not pumped up with unnecessary chemicals, just the ones to do a good job and thoroughly cleanse your skin. It's not a cheap cleanser coming in at just over £20 but it's now something I wouldn't ever be without. I like to pre-cleanse with something like Avene's gentle milk cleanser then follow with the MD cleanser for my second cleanse.

Alpha-H Liquid Gold

As I was already a convert to glycolic acid I absolutely jumped at the chance to try out the Alpha H Liquid Gold. Basically, it's a glycolic treatment you use on your skin every other night. Simply cleanse your skin and pat it dry then apply the alpha h on a cotton wool pad and gently sweep it all over your face and neck area. You get that well known glycolic tingle when using this and after a couple of days you will definitely notice an improvement in your skins brightness and soon after that, just how much blemishes appear reduced. This personally has been amazing for my skin and it very much deserves a full length review.

MD Formulations Daily Peel Pads

I did a full review of these last week and mentioned how my boyfriend’s cousin recommended them and how she has the most amazing skin ever. I use these on the days where I'm not using the alpha-h and then follow with my regular serum, moisturiser and eye cream. To read my full review of them and why I think they are so amazing click

here.

You'll have probably gathered by now that I'm a bit of a glycolic acid nut. All of these items have worked wonders for me but if you're new to the AHA I recommend you just starting off with one. What works well on my skin won't necessarily work well on others.

Have you tried any of the mentioned glycolic acid products? Do you have a favourite AHA? Let me know by leaving a comment below and as always, if you have a particular recommendation then please do let me know!

Rebecca x

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NUXE Rève de Miel Lip Balm Review: The holy grail of lip balms?

Just about every blogger and their mum has been raving about this stuff recently. Usually I’m pretty good at not succumbing to the product hype (I still haven’t bought the Caudalie Elixir, am I missing out?) but I couldn’t resist what with my current lip product obsession...

Packaging

It comes in a frosted glass jar that’s quite heavy and looks really pretty on your dresser. It looks very posh sat there all glassy and what not.

Application/Result

I’d say that it definitely smells citrusy. Lemon if I had to put it down to an exact smell. The texture is a bit, well, gritty which I’m not sure I’m a fan of to be honest but once you’ve rubbed it into your lips the grittiness fades and you’re left with a matte finish. This is great for if you’re wearing a matte lipstick and don’t want to apply a balm that will leave a shiny finish.

The best thing about this product is how long it lasts on your lips. I’ve started to put a dab of it on before bed and in the morning I can still feel it. I think that because of this it will work as a fab barrier balm in the winter months. For those of you that go skiing, I would definitely make sure you have a pot of this.

Price

Mine cost me around the £9 which is very expensive for a little pot of lip balm. That said, a little bit of this stuff goes a looong way and I can’t see me running out of it any time soon.

Overall, this is a very pretty looking jar of top quality lip balm that’s sure to keep your pout perfectly hydrated and free from chapped lips. After trying this, I’m keen to see what the rest of the products are like from the Nuxe range.

Rebecca x

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The Kim Kardashian 5 Draw Acrylic Storage Landing at MUJI August

Ever since Kim Kardashian featured a set of storage boxes for her make up on an of the episodes of Keeping Up With The Kardashain’s I've had a love affair with clear, acrylic storage. I bought some a while ago which you can read about here but I always wanted the 5 drawer set that Kim and her sisters had in the series. I love that you can see everything you own without having to rummage through your entire make up collection. They're stackable too meaning you can create a makeup tower if you wanted!

I'm delighted to tell you all that MUJI will be offering a very similar style very soon! A limited number are available in the first week of August priced at £24.95 both in store and online but you'll have to quick as I'm sure they are bound to be a sell out! 

How do you store your make up? Will you be purchasing one the Kim K style MUJI storage boxes? 

Rebecca x

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MD Formulations Daily Peel Pads REVIEW

I’ve made no secret about my undying love for my MD Formulations cleanser and, as a brand in general, I think they’re pretty much up there with my favourites. The daily peel pads from MD Formulations were a recommendation by my boyfriend’s cousin who has the most. Amazing. Skin. Ever. Literally, it’s flawless so I thought I’d give them a go.

Application

I like to use these after double cleansing my face and gently patting it dry. I swipe them all over my face and neck (avoiding the eyes and lips) a couple of times. The pads have 2 sides to them; one with perforated bumps and one that’s smooth. I use the rough side first followed by the smooth side. In terms of smell, they don’t smell great but then again, I’ve often found that some of the best beauty products aren’t masked with fragrance.

Result

My skin has been playing up at the moment anyway (down to stress) but they’ve definitely been helping. They leave you with that well known glycolic tingle (glycolic is the third ingredients on the list) and make my skin feel extra clean and prepped ready for serum and moisturiser. I’m a tad worried that using these with my new Alpha-H Liquid Gold may be a bit too much so I don’t use them on the same night I’m using the Alpha-H.

Price

You can pick them up from Feel Unique and they do cost you a pretty penny. It’s £31.45 for 40 pads which last me well over a month. Will I buy them again? Absolutely, but I’ll be looking to find them for a cheaper price so if you happen to know where you can buy them, let me know by leaving a comment below.

Overall, I’m impressed with these little pads and give them a healthy 8/10

Have you tried anything from MD Formulations? Anything I’ve not mentioned that you’d recommend?

Rebecca x

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Benefit That Gal Brightening Face Primer Limited Edition REVIEW

Up until a year ago I’d never used a primer. Never. Strange for a beauty blogger you might think but it’s because I’d never got what all the fuss was about. I set my foundation with powder when I use it which usually does the job. Then about 9 months ago (or there about) I tried the No7 primer and was amazed by how much longer it made my make up last throughout the day so at that point, I was utterly and completely hooked.

Since then I’ve become a slight primer junkie and, so far, my favourite has got to be the Murad Matte Primer (review coming soon) I’m also keen to try out their primer for blemish prone skin. Most recently however, I’ve been using the Benefit That Gal Brightening Primer.

It’s a nice primer, it definitely peps up your complexion and god knows I need that at the moment. It comes in a weird tube that you twist then the product comes up through the hole on top of it. I’m not sure I’m such a fan of this application. I prefer to apply it like I would a moisturiser, like I do with my Murad one.

Overall, I think if you’re looking for a brightening primer with a slightly dewy finish then you’d like the Benefit That Gal Brightening Primer. Plus, they’ve gone all patriotic with this special edition so what better excuse to help celebrate the Olympics?!

Have you tried that gal? Have your found your favourite primer? Let me know by leaving a comment below! 

                                                                                                     *Product provided for review purposes

Rebecca x

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Japonesque Go Curl Pocket Lash Curler VS Shu Uemura Eye Lash Curlers

Eye lash curlers. There are literally hundreds of different types out there all claiming to offer the best curl to your lashes. Perhaps one of the most famous set of eye lash curlers come from Shu Uemura. I’ve currently got these my make up kit but do I think they are anything special? Not particularly. They do give you a decent curl but did I need to spend £20 on them? No, absolutely not.

I recently received a pocket eye lash curler from the good folks over at Japonesque. On first impressions they looked very small and in all honesty, I didn’t have high hopes. However they did come in very cute packaging and the curlers themselves are a very fetching baby pink colour  (stop trying to make fetch work Gretchen!)

I decided to give them a go one morning instead of reaching for my Shu Uemura pair and was really quite impressed with them. They gave a beautiful curl that, when set with mascara, lasted all day. They do just as good job, if not a little better, than the famous Shu Uemura ones. I love that it’s so compact and can easily slip into your purse or bag for on-the-go touch ups. Beautiful lashes all day - guaranteed!

Whilst we’re on the topic of eye lash curling, it’s the single best thing you can do to your eyes to make them look wider and much more awake. I’ve never understood why people don’t use them as they make such a massive difference to your eyes!

So if you’re looking for a new pair of eye lash curlers, or are considering having a go for the first time, I highly recommend the Japonesque Pocket Lash Curlers that are available from HQ Hair for half the price of the Shu Uemura ones!

*Product provided for review purposes

Rebecca x

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Benefit Sun Beam Golden Bronze Complexion Highlighter REVIEW & Swatches

Sun Beam is the newest sister to Benefit highlighter collection and is hailed as a complexion highlighter designed to give you a healthy looking glow. I’ve been dying to try this ever since it launched in the UK so after seeing some beautiful swatches of it I was over the moon when it dropped through my post box last week.

Packaging

The box it comes in is typical of Benefit; beautifully done, gorgeous graphics and bang on trend. The bottle itself is designed in the same way as the moon beam, high beam, cha cha tint etc in that it’s designed almost like a nail varnish bottle which I quite like for application purposes.

Application

I use it as the last step in my make up routine.  A few drops from the nail bottle-like applicator on the cheekbones is enough to give you gorgeous looking complexion. I gently pat this in with my fingertips to get the desired look. The product itself is a thick liquid/cream that’s very versatile and can be applied in a number of different ways.

Result

The result is beautiful. It gives a gorgeous warmth to the face that is absolutely perfect for injecting a bit of holiday fresh faced-ness! It’s the perfect addition to your every day make up and doesn’t allow you to look over done due to its super fine micro shimmer particles. It’s definitely not a bronzer so don’t worry that it’s going to make you look super tanned, it’s actually quite subtle and just gives you a hint of colour with lots of golden shimmer.

Price

Only the smallest amount of product is needed to get a healthy fresh faced look so I can see it sitting on my beauty dresser for quite a while before needing to re-stock. It retails at £18.50 and can be picked up from any Benefit counter or from their online website.

From the looks of things I’d say it’s very similar to the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector and the MAC Strobe Cream but, from the swatches I’ve seen I'd say you get a nicer colour with the sun beam.  I can see this working on a wide range of skin types, particularly on darker skin tones where traditional highlighters can wash you out slightly.

Overall, I’m very impressed with this little bottle of joy and give it a big thumbs up!

Have you tried sun beam or any of the other Benefit high lighters? Let me know by leaving a comment below!

*Product provided for review purposes

Rebecca x

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Xen-Tan Dark Lotion Weekly Self Tan REVIEW + Exclusive Discount For Be Beautiful Readers!

We all search for those holy grail products that make us look and feel better about ourselves. For me, fake tan most definitely falls into this area. When I look back at pictures of me in year 10/11 I absolutely cringe at how pale and pasty I look. Don’t get me wrong, I hate the overly bronzed look i.e. TOWIE style but there’s nothing that makes you feel better than having a radiant, healthy glow.

I mentioned last week that I attended Xen Tan’s first ever bloggers event in Manchester and what a huge success it was. When it comes to Xen Tan’s products I’ve previously used their Mist Intense, which I was quite fond of. However I wasn’t such a fan of their mousse; I found it to be quite sticky and I wasn’t a huge fan of the smell either. As a result I had no idea what I was going to think of their dark lotion. Thankfully though, it was a hit!

Application

I used the deluxe mitt to apply the lotion to my upper half to start off with. The instant colour was a brilliant guide and ensured I didn’t end up looking like a piece of streaky bacon the next morning. I noticed that it’s quite a hydrating self tanner as my skin felt silky to touch, almost like I’d slathered it in moisturiser.

At the event one of the pro tanners explained that Xen Tan limits the use of alcohol in their formulations because it can also be quite drying on the skin. A lot of ‘quick dry’ tans have a high alcohol content which means that whilst they dry super quick and you can get dressed relatively sooner after application, it tends to dry your skin out and deprives it of hydration.

Smell

Delicious. Utterly and completely delicious. It’s scent was just like my favourite L’occitaneAlmond Shower Oil. I didn’t find it to smell at all ‘biscuit-y’ and I didn’t have one single complaint from Mr BB which is the ultimate test surely, non?!

I didn’t realise until the night of the event but Xen Tan actually make their self tanners smell of different types of food. For example, the dark lotion of scrumptious almonds. I also had a quick whiff of one of the other tanners which had a gorgeous chocolate scent. No word of a lie, it was absolutely divine!

Result

I’m really pleased with the result. I have a natural-looking, healthy glow that makes me feel a whole lot better about my appearance. In terms of fading you don’t get that dreaded patchy/snake skin look. I think this may have something to do with the whole alcohol/moisturising ingredients ratio I mentioned earlier.

Price

I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to fake tans. Although the initial colour of some of the cheaper tanners (i.e. St Moritz) is, I personally cannot STAND the smell and hate how it fades into a snake scale pattern across my skin. Subsequently I’ve always gone for more expensive brands that contain more moisturising ingredients. Depending on where you buy it from it retails roughly between £21-28.

Currently BB readers get a super social discount code which you can apply at the checkout. Simply enter BBTAN20 to receive your money off!

Overall, I’m super impressed with this fake tan from Xen Tan and will be promptly buying another bottle of the stuff when it runs out!

What are you favourite tanning brands? Have you ever tried anything from Xen Tan that you loved/hated? Let me know by leaving a comment below! 

*Product provided for review purposes

Rebecca x

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Current Lust Haves! July Wish List!

I’ve not done a wish list post for such a long time that I thought it was well overdue. When compiling this list I started to notice I’ve got expensive taste which is doing absolutely no favours for my bank balance! Thankfully my birthday is at the end of this month so I might get to treat myself to a few of these! So without further adieu, here’s my current wish list!

1.    Illusion D’Ombre ‘Illusoire’ Long Wearing Eye Shadow

I’ve made my love (and slight obsession) about these little beauties perfectly clear. I already have emmerveile and epatant which I adore but ever since seeing some stunning swatches of Illusoire, it’s found a space onto my current wish list. I love the grey/purple colour which was apparently the hardest shade to come by when they first came out.

2.    Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector

I’ve been quite a fab of the glow-y luminescent look recently so I thought I’d go for the daddy of all shimmers with the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector. It’s loved by make up artists and beauty bloggers so there must be something special about it. I’m going to try and see if I can get a sample first before I take the plunge. If you’ve tried this which shade did you get? I think moonstone looks awesome.

3.    NARS Sheer Lip Treatment in Angelique

Yes, Lisa Eldridge has done it again and managed to persuade me to find a place for the NARS sheer lip treatment in Angelique on my wish list. From the swatches I’ve seen online it looks like a beautiful everyday shade but for now I’m going to have a look at it in the flesh at a NARS counter to see if it tickles my fancy!

4.    NUXE Lip Balm

So this really shouldn’t be on my wish list as I’ve kind of already bought it... This is what happens when you know your card details off my heart without even looking at it. Bad, I know. Anywho this little pot of loveliness should be making its way to my doorstep any time soon. Once I’ve given it a good go I’ll get a review up on BB.

5.    Alpha-H Liquid Gold

Ah the countless recommendations of this product meant that I splashed out on this yesterday so it should really be in a haul video as opposed to a wish list post but ah well! At the moment you can get a 200ml bottle of the stuff off QVC for around £35.00 plus free P&P and a 30 day money back guarantee. Cannot wait to try the stuff when it comes later this week!

What’s on your wish list at the moment? Anything special you’re savings up for?

Rebecca x

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