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Tuesday 30 July 2013

Barbara Daly Cream Colour Lipstick in 'Port' Review & Swatch


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I do appreciate I'm reviewing A/W lipsticks in S/S. LFW is in a month, therefore the season changes in a month - that's my excuse. This was completely an impulse buy and I still to this date have no idea what possessed me to buy it, but I'm glad I did.

barbara daly cream colour lipstick port red wine dark red matte creamy lipstick

This time last year Barbara Daly, not a brand I've ever bought from, released a line of 'cream colours'. The line is full of matte brights to suit every skin tone. With most matte lipsticks follows the horrid drying effects, however, with these 'cream colours' this isn't an issue. The formula is so buttery soft it glides on the lips so easily and doesn't budge. Another observation I made is that with such a creamy formula, the colour doesn't tend to bleed much at all. Having said that I do choose to use a lip liner with every bright lipstick I wear, bleeding or no bleeding. I should add that the lines in the bottom of the swatch are where I didn't build the colour up, not smearing or bleeding.


Overall I'm very impressed with the Barbara Daly Cream Colour lipstick in Port and will definitely keep my eyes peeled for more shades next time I'm in Tesco, where the line is exclusive.

Barbara Daly Cream Colour Lipstick in Port £9 Tesco


Monday 29 July 2013

New Vaseline Spray & Go Body Moisturiser Review

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I'm a sucker for new products and after seeing a pr about the new Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturiser I knew it was something I would definitely buy when it came to market. It seems the beauty industry is obsessed with speeding daily routines up at the moment - dry shampoo, in-shower moisturisers and now spray on moisturisers, I'm not complaining. The idea is that you spray this fine mist over your limbs and rub in like any other moisturiser. It seeps in to the skin very quickly, in fact the whole moisturising process takes less than 5 minutes for the full body. The product comes in 3 variations - aloe, original? and cocoa. I picked up cocoa purely because I didn't want aloe and I liked the colour of this can more than the original can - #bbloggers LOGIC! Cocoa scents are very hit and miss for me so it wasn't the most sensible decision. However I find this scent is no issue for me, and is in fact more sweet and vanillary. Even better is that it is still detectable on the skin hours later. Don't you love it when you smell good without perfume?

My only negatives with this product is the way its dispensed and the cost. It boasts a 'continous spray' which is all good and well until you have double the product you need dispensed. This means not only a lot of waste product but also it takes longer to seep in. The Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturiser retails at £5, I'm not sure whether that's reasonable or not. £5 is pretty average for a moisturiser but in comparison to the rest of the Vaseline line and when taking in to consideration the wastage it does seem slightly steep. If I was to continue you repurchasing it would work out much more expensive than my favourite Garnier moisturiser which works just as well, if not better. I'd be happy even if they knocked 50p of the price. Maybe its just me.

Have you tried the Vaseline Spray & Go?

Sunday 28 July 2013

Elegant Touch Nail Polish Remover & Rapid Dry Nail Polish Spray

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Removing my nail polish is up there in the list of things I absolutely hate doing. The smell, time taken and feeling of having wet cuticles makes me want to curl up in a corner and cringe at everything. Second to removing nail polish is another thing I hate - waiting for nail polish to dry. Smudging nail polish 10 minutes after applying it has me running for the hills. And so, in true Rachael fashion, today's post is on two of these things.

When in Boots, it is customary to buy things you don't particularly need, especially if said things are on offer. Recently a buy one get one half price was running on Elegant Touch and I had been eager to try the Rapid Dry Nail Spray to ease my weekly distress, so I decided to buy both the nail spray and the nail polish remover.

I'll start with the nail polish remover, which has quickly become a staple in my stack of beauty products. No exaggeration at all here - this stuff completely removes nail polish in less than 3 swipes. No scrubbing, soaked cuticles or ridiculous time taken. Reading through the list of ingredients theres nothing that really stands out as being the secret ingredient to Elegant Touch's success. I even used this to remove the shellac nails I had put on for prom, naturally, it was a little more difficult than normal nail varnish, yet it still came off much easier than with any other remover. I was tempted to buy the SensatioNAIL polish remover at over £6 a bottle, yet this worked out at less than £2 and did the job perfectly. A definite repurchase!

Moving on to the product I was most excited about - the Elegant Touch Rapid Dry Spray which claims to dry nail polish in less than 60 seconds. It works quite like the OPI Drip Dry solution but faster and causing much less mess. I cant complain with this product at all, it does exactly what it says on the tin can! Dries nail polish is no time, making it perfect for layering nail polishes when using glitters or nail art - another definite repurchase!


Have you ever tried a nail polish drying spray?

Saturday 27 July 2013

July Favourites

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I find that favourites posts always take the longest to write, I always have far too much to say about the things I love. Its because of this that I haven't done a proper favourites posts in quite some time. After realising this, the stacks of products I love but haven't featured yet became apparent. As a result, this is the favourites post of all favourites posts, because these products have been my overall favourites for the past couple of months!

Nivea In Shower Body Moisturiser
I bought this after briefly seeing the advert one time, something I do way too often with body products. I was pretty sceptical as to how well this could work with the process being so fast. You apply this after shower gel and wash off moments later. Although not as penetrating as applying moisturiser to dry skin, the benefits are almost as good. I love that its much faster, easier and mess-free.

Liz Earl Hot Cloth Cleanse & Polish
I won't say too much as every blogger and their dog had heard about or tried this. In the morning, it refreshes my skin and in the evening, removes every scrap of makeup without feeling harsh or irritating.

Soap and Glory No Clogs Allowed Face Mask
Purely because of the amount of additives Soap & Glory add to their body products, I was hostile in trying any of their skincare for a while. Not reading the packaging properly then lead to the fright of my life when It turned my skin blue! I'm only presuming the product had separated in the tube meaning that at first use a thin, blue food colouring-like liquid was spread across my face which stained my face momentarily. I'm surprised I tried it again after that, but once a few issues had been smoothed out I found that the self-heating mask worked rather well and did leave my skin feeling and looking really nice.

Gucci Flora Perfume
I have posted about this in the past and so I'll keep it short and sweet. Flora by Gucci is quite strong and an 'older' perfume which can deter some people from trying it. However, once worn off a little bit it leaves a lovely musky floral scent that sticks around all day.

Essie Nail Polishes in 'Muchi Muchi' & 'Ballet Slippers'
Finding the perfect french manicure shades is like finding your shade of a drugstore foundation, absolutely impossible without buying 40 different shades. At first I discarded Muchi Muchi for being too pink but knew Ballet Slippers was the perfect shade for me. After getting a bit of colour to my skin recently I feel like Muchi Muchi really suits me. The two combined is my ultimate match!

Bare Minerals 2-in-1 Face Brush
This brush is designed in a way that you get a standard fluffy powder brush with a small, dense concealer brush on the inside. Its perfect for travelling or touching up your makeup throughout the day without carrying too much. I've recently found that Rimmel Stay Matte Powder applied on top of foundation with this brush looks absolutely flawless! Doesn't it just make you so happy when you find combinations that really work?

Natural Collection lipstick in 'Autumn Sunset'
A lot of this post has been about finding perfect shades, which continues on to lips. Again, when I first bought this I passed it off as being a nice lipstick but an unusual shade. I couldn't pick out what tones of the lipstick weren't working - I still can't to this day. However, once again after having a play around with this, I've found that applying then blotting off leaves a lovely natural shade that compliments my skintone (yellow-olive) and eye colour (blue-green) really well. It also brings out a slight pinkiness in my skin that makes me look really healthy, I've well and truly fallen in love and will be returning to Boots to bulk buy in fear of it being discontinued!

Smashbox Photo Flawless Primer Light
If you follow me on Twitter or see me post in the #bblogger chat on a Sunday night you'll already know how much I rave about this primer. Photo Flawless tends to get a bit of negative press as the 'original' version caused a lot of problems for people with oily skin. However, working on the formula Smashbox brought out the 'Light' formula, an oil-free formula. It smooths on really really well and provides a perfect base for makeup. You can read more about this in my 'Whats In My Summer Makeup Bag?' post.


What have been your favourite products this month?

Friday 26 July 2013

Lifestyle #1 - Answering a popular question

 




How much does this remind you of The Returned? :o

I always feel like I want this blog to be about more than just beauty. I occasionally do Month In Photos posts, personal updates and share my holiday photos but I feel like I don't talk much about me, what I'm doing or where I live. I don't have the typical life of most bbloggers - I'm not in university, I don't live in London and I don't work in the industry. Reading that back I realise I'm probably the most boring person ever to a bunch of bbloggers but lifestyle posting is something I've wanted to do for a while.

I get lots of Tweets asking where I'm based and the best reply I can come out with is 'inbetween Manchester and Leeds'. For those who aren't from the North West, you should probably know, Manchester and Leeds are miles apart. That's why I figured I'd do a few posts about the place I'm from and what I get up to. Of course, not giving away too many details, that's just silly. Despite the connotations, Lancashire and Yorkshire are some of the prettiest places around and quite a lot does go down. I'll look forward to sharing a bit more and hopefully proving that life isn't so dead outside of the cities after all.


Featured Blogger #11: July



I've gone international this month to find my 'Featured Blogger' for the month of July! Christine's blog about beauty and fashion, Little Red Bow, is one of my favourites as its always interesting (from my point of view at least) to compare products and trends from other countries. Even more exciting is that Christine also features lots of products from the UK, as well as Canada and the US, she's much more relateable than you first might think! Below Christine has answered some questions so you can all get to know her a little bit better!

In less than 50 words tell us a little about yourself and your blog
I'm a 26 year old beauty obsessed blogger from Toronto, Canada.  I have tried a lot of beauty products in my time and I like to share which ones I think are worth buying and which products to avoid.

When and why did you initially start blogging
I work as a medical secretary and although I'm grateful to have a good job I was a bit bored.  I've always liked makeup and I don't really have many friends who share my interests so I thought I'd start blogging about beauty products as a hobby. Oddly enough my step dad was the one who pushed me to start blogging.  He now wants to start a blog about our dog haha.

Do you have any tips or ideas for someone wishing to start a successful blog?
Don't worry if your blog doesn't look perfect right away!  You learn as you go and you will get better with writing and photo taking with time.  It's also important to take note of what you enjoy reading and seeing in other blogs.  For me I like seeing how beauty products look on so I've always strived to show that in my own blog.

Do you feel you've taken anything out of being part of the blogger community
As I've been out of school for a long time it has re-taught me time management.  The best thing about the blogging community is that I've met some great local bloggers at events and have made some international friends too.

What are your 5 favourite products right now?
Maybelline The Rocket Mascara, Wet N' Wild Purty Persimmon Lipstick, Sleek Blush By 3 Trio in Sweet Cheeks, MAC Impassioned Lipstick, and MAC eyeshadow in Gleam.

Where can we find you? (twitter, lookbook, bloglovin' ect.)
 I'm not very active on Twitter but I have a Facebook page you can visit by clicking here!
My Bloglovin link is: http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4299481

Any final words of wisdom?
If you're just starting out in the blogging world it may feel like you're talking to yourself at first.  Just keep writing and commenting on other blogs and your blog will take off in time.
I couldn't agree with those 'words of wisdom' any more! If you've enjoyed reading this snippet of Christine's story why not have a wander off to her blog Little Red Bow now?

Thursday 25 July 2013

OPI Nail Envy Matte Nail Strengthener Treatment Review

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I feel like I've done so many review posts on the different variations of OPI's Nail Envy Treatments, it really highlights to myself just how much I spend. However, time and time again in these posts I reiterate that in my opinion Nail Envy polishes will always be worth the money. I've tried various cheaper alternatives, such as the  popular Sally Hansen treatments and in reality none have worked as well as OPI's offerings.

OPI propose an application routine to produce the best results. Apply two coats on the first day, one every day after that, remove on the 7th day and repeat. Admittedly I suck at keeping up routines so I applied slightly less than the routine recommends, however I still noticed great results as my nails were harder than ever. Its a pretty big deal to myself because as you may know I was a nail biter for the best part of a decade so although my natural nails grow very very quickly, they grow through weak and prone to snapping while still very short. Nail Envy hardener has meant that my nails snap much much less (once in a month!) and I can now enjoy having and maintaining long nails!

I'd definitely recommend OPI's Nail Envy for those suffering the knock-on effects of nail biting or wearing acrylic nails. Also, because of its strictly matte formula its undetectable on the nails and so perfect for school or workplaces that don't allow nail polish.

On a quick side note, I've heard from some commenters that they find OPI difficult to source in the UK as it is, but the treatments even more rare. A few variations are exclusive to some stores in the UK. This matte (or matt, whichever side you're on) version is more widely available, I'm pretty sure this one came from either Debenhams or John Lewis (sorry, I get my sides of the Trafford Centre mixed up!). I've also seen them frequently in Boots. QVC and Amazon are popular for finding the less popular ones too.

Nail Envy @ BootsAmazon and QVC

Apologies

Just a quick note to apologise for the slight drop in quality of photos at the moment. The size setting had automatically changed when I changed to natural light profiles meaning that all photos in natural light pixelate when they're sized down. The only way around this is reshooting but at the moment I dont have the time nor the light and so I apologise, I hope its not too terrible! Normal photos should hopefully resume soon!

Wednesday 24 July 2013

Rimmel Lasting Finish Blush in 'Live Pink' Review & Swatch


The Rimmel Lasting Finish Soft Colour Blush in 'Live Pink' is a simple, baby pink blush with gold shimmer. Applied normally, its very subtle on the cheeks but can easily be built upon to give a rosy pink flush. The pigmentation is very good for a high street blush, I'd say its almost up there with Sleek blushes. The formula is very soft and smooth and blends out nicely. Of course, one of the only downsides to a soft formula is its tendency to crack in the pan. Generally, I use the Real Techniques Contour Brush, part of the Core Collection to apply blush as you can get really nice, precise application to the upper apples of your cheek.



Many people tend to jump on to the Nars Orgasm blush comparison bandwagon as soon as they see gold shimmer in a pink blush. However, having used it for a while I wouldn't seriously compare the two, the shades are different in a few ways and for that reason I think there are better 'dupes' for everybodies favourite high end blush. Having said that its a lovely blush in its own right, especially for the price, which is pretty average for a drugstore blush.



Whats your favourite drugstore blush?

Tuesday 23 July 2013

Bare Minerals 'Prime Time' Foundation Primer Review & Swatches

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In my opinion, Bare Minerals is one of the only brands you can really 'trust'. I appreciate they don't offer as many different products as for instance, MAC or Illamasqua. Bare Minerals base their products and formulas on what will achieve a good look and be as beneficial to the skin as possible, rather than current fads and trends in the cosmetic industry. It is because of this, that I always go back to them when other brands have failed me and I'm looking for something I know will work.

On a recent trip to the counter, I realised that really I only have one primer, the Smashbox Photo Flawless Light, and yes, it does the job perfectly and its one product I couldn't live without. However, it is translucent and it does reek of glue. The Bare Minerals Prime Time Foundation Primer is tinted, and therefore doesn't give a white cast and instead adds initial colour to your skin before foundation. I should highlight the fact that a tinted primer is perfect for days when you don't want to wear foundation, and therefore may be lacking in colour. It's only subtle, and blends down to match most skin tones. Get the idea of an orange tinted moisturiser out of your mind now.

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Its thicker in consistency compared to the Smashbox offerings, but is more of a cream than a gel. Because its thicker, you can noticeably feel it on your skin. Not usually a problem unless you get quite agitated having layers of makeup on your skin. In terms of doing what its supposed to, Prime Time does a perfectly fine job. It improves the appearance of fine lines, creating a smoothing base to withstand wind, rain and oil, keeping your makeup perfect for a prolonged length of time. On me, it lasted the full day but I did notice my base darkened towards the end of the day, presumably because it had oxidised or the oil finally breaking through had altered the colour, a pitfall of tinted products.

Overall, Bare Minerals Prime Time Foundation Primer doesn't rival my Smashbox Photo Flawless Light, but its a great product that lives up to the standards set by a great brand. I definitely recommend to those who favour cream, tinted primers rather than gels. I'm happy to have it as part of my makeup collection and I'll enjoy using it for speciality makeup, just maybe not my everyday routine.

Sunday 21 July 2013

My High School Prom 2013 (Ft. Me Complaining)


one of my favourite dresses of the night!

I apologise this post has come late. My prom was actually on Friday the 28th June. To it make up, I've written you all a rather long wordy post, just in case I didn't talk enough as it were. Writing this I feel so vain with so many pictures of my face knocking around, apologies for that but later in the post you'll realise why choosing pictures that respresented my actual makeup and outfit was so difficult.

The build up to prom was so huge and in many ways its the one thing you, as a year 7 look forward to. Really, it was hardly the best night of my life. Half of my year group sat sulkily in corners staring other girls up and down - bound to put a dampner on the atmosphere. Personally, I had somehow 'fallen out of love' with both my dress and my shoes, so much so it pains me to look at the photos. In my mind It had somehow gone from pretty Grecian to maternity wedding dress. Truth be told all throughout prom I couldn't wait to go home, get the thing off and change in to my after prom outfit.

My prom was actually themed, a 50s-rock-and-roll-American sort of thing. Rather than the traditional prom sit-down-meal we had American snack food like hot dogs and cake pops. Not to mention the popcorn hut and candyfloss machine, which might I add I have recently added to the list of things I need in my bedroom. There were huge cutouts of duke boxes and Cadillacs and in general the prom would have been really quite good had the attendants been slightly less miserable. The weather wasnt great too. That awful "quick its not raining lets go out and get 3 pictures" weather.

Below are a few of my prom photos. I didn't take too many as I was in a pretty bad mood for most of the evening having had someones drink chucked down one side of my dress and a great big patch where my moisturiser had seeped through on the other. Naturally, I've blocked out the faces of my friends but left their bodies in as I know lots of people enjoy looking at all the dresses and hair ect. On the whole they all looked GORGEOUS leaving me feeling somewhat drab and disgusting. Being the top blogger I am I've left you natural and artificial light photos so you can see my makeup a bit better, beauty blog and all.


My dress was from the bridal section at Monsoon and my shoes which you cant really see here, but I did mention in a post are from Marks & Spencers. My bag was a careless decision and I absolutely detested the thing, can't you tell from the photos? I had my nails done in a taupe-y colour with glitter accents. I'll do a separate post on my makeup. For some unknown reason I had my glasses on half the night and forgot I was wearing them during a few photos, hence the switching! A friend eventually took my glasses home with her leaving me running around the venue like Velma from Scooby Doo crying "My glasses! Where are my glasses?!". A stressful evening, no?

p.s the guy in the paisley was my 'date', not this one! oops!

I can say that I did massively cheer up as soon as we left to get ready for after prom, which was one of the strangest nights I've ever had to say the least. I'd like to say we all got a little bit merry but in hindsight I think it was just me. Thank the Lord I have no photos of that but I did wear a simple LBD, darkened up my prom makeup a bit and threw on a nude stiletto (which stayed on my feet for aprox 25 minutes during the entire night). Is it really that wrong to have enjoyed the after party more than the prom itself?

I've absolutely loved reading all your prom and leavers ball posts recently, feel free to send me any links to yours, I love reading about other peoples proms. I hope yours were all a much better experience than my own!


Friday 5 July 2013

Featured Blogger: June



For this months featured blogger I am delighted to bring you Emma from I Am Emma Wilde. Her blog is a mixture of all the things we love - beauty, fashion and lifestyle. Its taken me a while to feature Emma here on A Is For Ayla but regardless of that, her blog has been one of my favourites ever since I discovered it. As with all my featured bloggers, below is a short blog interview so you can find out a little more about the lady herself.

In less than 50 words tell us a little about yourself and your blog.
I'm Emma, a fashion journalism student about to enter my final year of studying with the hopes of then getting an internship at a fashion magazine. My blog is a mix of fashion and beauty with a few lifestyle posts put in for good measure. 

When and why did you initially start blogging?
I started blogging in my first year of university on and off but really dedicated myself to my blog fully at the start of this year, after being a avid blog reader for some time before that. I felt it'd really help me to develop my own voice, especially considering the journalistic career I hope to have. 

Do you have any tips or ideas for someone wishing to start a successful blog?
I couldn't really say that my blog is 'successful' as such. I like to think that it's always a work in progress and there's always something I can do to make it better, That being said, just make sure whatever you're writing you believe in yourself and would want to read yourself and also, try not to compare your blog to those more 'successful' blogs out there. 

Do you feel you've taken anything out of being part of the blogger community?
I've definitely learnt a few fashion tips here and there that I would have never thought of trying! But also I've got to see genuine opinions from genuine people like myself about beauty products, which outside of the blogger community is a rarity. 

What are your 5 favourite products right now?
Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Eclat foundation, Benefit High Beam, Topshop nail polish in Hidden Treasure, L'Oreal Elnett Satin Heat Protect Styling spray (that stuff is genius!) and MAC lipstick in Syrup. 

Who are you 5 favourite bloggers right now?
Lily - LLYMLRS, Lily - What I Heart Today, Abby - Un-Observed, Alix - I Covet Thee, Emma - Milkteef.

Where can we find you?
I'm always on twitter @iamemmawilde
Instagram: iamemmawillde
or even tumblr: http://salmonscrubsinseattlegrace.tumblr.com (don't ask!)

Any final words of wisdom?
Wow, I've never been asked to give words of wisdom before, I don't feel qualified?! I'd say in terms of blogging, just be yourself, don't worry about followers and just enjoy what you're doing because the minute you stop enjoying it, you need to stop and do something else! 

Wednesday 3 July 2013

Life Update: School, Jobs, Prom, Blogger Events And The Future

Hello! It's a Tuesday night and for some unknown reason I'm really in the mood for sitting down and right a really long, wordy post. I know some people absolutely detest reading wordy posts, so this might be one to skim read. However, of course, if you are a fan of sarcasm, wit and Northern charm shining through a blog post then read to your hearts content!

As you'll probably know (I've mentioned it enough) I recently left school. I finished my last exam on the 17th June and since then my life has changed rather unexpectedly. My exams were fine and I don't think results day will be a day for shock and tears, happy or sad. Towards the end I started slacking a lot and really couldn't be bothered any more. I stopped revising full stop and went blindly in to all of my triple science, maths and English exams - not a good idea. The other subjects I was comfortable with 'winging' as I had myself in a comfortable position. However, with the more 'serious' subjects I'm anticipating results day. I think it will be a case of opening the letter and being disappointed that I let myself fall from an A to a B in a few subjects because of my pure laziness. I'm learning from the whole thing but looking forward to Sixth Form, I can assure you I won't get this complacent in my AS year.

I'm planning on going to a specialist Grammar school for languages (something that's very important to me) that's a little further away from my house than I'm used to, in fact its in a whole other valley. I'm looking forward to the change and being around new people in one of my favourite places to visit. So much so, I think I'll look forward to leaving my valley (which is tragic, let me tell you) and starting again in somewhere much nicer where I feel like I fit in a lot better. Of course I'll miss a few people from my current high school, but my gosh am I glad to see the back of some of them. I probably shouldn't be saying that as I know quite a few people from my high school will be reading this! hahaha ooooooops! A few people I know are planning on going to the same school, I think we'll call ourselves the 'It-takes-us-2-hours-to-get-to-school-are-we-dedicated-to-our-education-or-what?' club. Its quite weird that I anticipated the paragraph on school would be much smaller than this. I guess I have a lot more to say about school than I thought I did?

I recently had my prom but in fear of this post being astronomically long I'll do it separately.

Basically my biggest hope for this Summer was granted above and beyond as I was offered 3, yes, THREE jobs. All were in retail, either beauty or fashion. One was at a local department/outlet sort of store and the other 2 at a global fashion chain. I took up one at the fashion chain but surprisingly chose the store furthest away from my town. I think it's becoming apparent I can't wait to leave home. I know how difficult it is for a lot of people to find jobs at the moment so I couldn't believe my luck!

I was also rather kindly invited to quite a few Blogger events recently, I'm afraid I can't make the earlier ones but towards the end of the Summer some of you may finally gt the chance to see me! I'm still trying to work out the logistics of getting to the various cities as living in such an isolated place surrounded by greenbelt (and therefore an apparent lack of train lines) can be both annoying and expensive. Also a big thank you to the many bloggers, companies and publications that have recently reached out to me. I always enjoy speaking with bloggers and its been lovely having lots of emails from new bloggers, you're all always making me smile! A few things have gone a bit wrong recently, I had a bit of a negative experience with a well-known publication (can I get a "BOOO" for some peoples complete lack of due respect for bloggers trying their best?) but I'm moving on forward! You may have noticed these few occasions of useless distractions did momentarily put me off blogging for a while but I can assure you I'm back!

I hope you're all well. As always I'm keen to find out what you've all been up to. If anybody has any exciting stuff to share or fancies a general chat my Twitter is @aisforaylablog I feel like I haven't had a good chat with you guys having missed a few #bbloggers evenings during my break.

Monday 1 July 2013

Bare Minerals Marvellous Moxie Lipgloss Review & Swatch



My favourite lip gloss EVER came from the Bare Escentuals brand and so ever since purchasing 'Destiny' from the Buxom line I've been keen to try more. When I placed a huge bareMinerals order not so long ago, I spoke with a friend thought bought many of her Bare Minerals products on QVC, the television shopping channel. I had no experience of teleshopping as the stigma had well and truly put me off, but regardless, she offered to place an order for the 'Feel The Love' collection and a week later it landed on my doorstep. The Bare Minerals Marvellous Moxie line is one you may have seen a lot of on blogs recently as the brand have recently launched tons of new shades. 'Starlet', the one pictured is an exclusive to QVC. I appreciate that it may be slightly more difficult to get this shade as its not sold on counters, however this review will also cover the general formula ect. of these glosses.

As you can see in the swatch, the consistency is on the thicker side, but this adds to the glossy shine it leaves on the lips. It has a very subtle yellow-toned shimmer and the occasional speck of glitter. I have to say I'm not a fan of the larger particles of glitter as they can be a little irritating on the lips. I LOVE the applicator and it's probably one of the best I've tried. In fact, I prefer this one to the one used in the Buxom glosses. Its very thin, long and sturdy meaning you can get a really precise application. The packaging is what you'd expect from a higher-end lip gloss. You get 4.5ml of product encased in an acrylic tube with metal top, which can stand the test of time and bashing in a handbag. My absolute favourite thing about the Marvellous Moxie glosses is their scent! It reminds me of peppermint candy cane. Although I can see how some people may find the scent a little too reminiscent of those cheap lip glosses you got as a child, I love it!

Overall I'm 'Feeling The Love' (oops) with this Bare Minerals gloss and I'm keen to look in to the other shades. Have you tried any?

bareMinerals Marvellous Moxie Lip gloss in 'Starlet' £16 RRP