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Tuesday 30 July 2013

Becoming Beauty Guest Post | Drugstore Favourites

best_of_high_street_makeup, Bourjois cream blushers, Revlon lip Butters, Revlon Nearly Naked,17 Foundation

*And Superdrug...

Hello! My name's Lauren and I chat about beauty on Becoming Beauty and today I'll be taking over Amie's blog to talk about one of my favourite subjects - bargain makeup! I personally can't afford to be spending £25 on a lipstick too often (seriously how do some people do it?!) so I do love finding a great product that doesn't cost the earth.

In Summer I like to keep my base quite light; reaching for 17's BB cream on 'no make-up' days. Although it doesn't last as long as I'd like, I prefer the coverage of this to some of my more expensive lighter bases and it is such a bargain I don't mind reapplying. To improve the texture of the skin, 17;s Photo Flawless primer is worth a try - although it's silicone base, I prefer it to many of my high end primers for finish. Two totally underrated base products in the beauty world if you ask me. When I get oily, I like to use a bit of the Revlon Nearly Naked Powder. It doesn't look at all cakey and it comes with a nice big mirror and a sponge for on the go. 

Moving onto cheeks, I'm currently obsessed with the new Bourjois cream blushes. They seem to last well on my skin and look totally natural as they blend so easily. I just wish there was more shades available! If I fancy a powder, I really like the Fashionista palettes, I have the shades Juicy Apricot and Butterscotch. I also have a bronzer and highlighter for if I'm going away. 

For eyes there's only one thing that has wowed me in a long time- the Maybelline Colour Tattoo eye shadow in On and On Bronze. I know, I know, everyone and their dog loves this but with good cause. The shade is perfect for any skin tone and the formula is lovely - particularly in summer when your eyelids can get a tad oily.

Finally, for lips you can't tear me away from my Revlon Lip Butters. I now have 4 vibrant shades and I don't leave home without one in my bag. Although they melt in the sun (which can get super messy) the shades are so smooth and pigmented they're almost foolproof.

There we go; my favourite budget products for summer! What do you recommend from the High street? If you've got any hidden gems let me know!

Thank you Lauren for such a lovely post on drugstore makeup! I'm a huge fan of Revlon Lip butters and the Bourjois Cream Blushers - I would highly recommend them too. Please do go check out her blog Becoming Beauty!

What are your drugstore beauty favourites?

Sunday 28 July 2013

Diary Of A Student Guest Post | Fashion Wishlist

Hello everyone. My name is Rebecca and I blog over on Diary Of A Student. I'm a lifestyle blogger - mostly focusing on what's happening in my life and on my journey to University, with a bit of everything thrown in for good measure. I contacted the lovely Amie a while ago about writing a guest post and when she said yes.. I jumped at the chance! Her blog is so lovely!

I'm going on holiday to Tunisia in August, so I decided to write a wish list of clothes I would like to take with me.

Black Button Through Belted Mini Skirt - River Island £15.00
This skirt is perfect for going on holiday. The colour allows you to put almost any other colours with it and jazz it up. It could also be worn at dinner, or on a stroll around the local market or town. The lightweight material also means that you wouldn't get super hot whilst wearing it - something nobody wants on holiday.

Black Floral Print Sleeveless Maxi Dress - £22.99
I adore maxi dresses! On a tall girl like me, they slim you down and just make you look and feel amazing. The flower detail on this dress is so pretty, and for the price - it's definitely worth it! Maxi dresses are a must for holiday, whether worn formally or over a swimming costume. Maxi dresses are also good in countries such as Tunisia, where it is sometimes appropriate to cover yourself up. Maxi dresses not only suit tall people, but people of all sizes and I think that's the best thing about them.

Asos Playsuit in Festival Print - £28.00
Lastly, I've always wanted a playsuit and I think this is the perfect one. The print is beautiful and would link perfectly to the culture of Tunisia. The lightweight material, again much like the skirt, would be perfect for the hot climate of forgein countries. This outfit would also look good dressed down with a pair of flip-flops or converse for travelling in the airport. Although £28 may seem expensive, with free shipping/ returns and student discount on Asos - it's really not an opportunity to turn down!

So there you have it! These are the three items of clothing I have put on my holiday wish list. All three are good quality and great prices and are really not an opportunity to miss. I hope you've enjoyed reading my guest post and if you'd like to read more, you can over on my blog Diary Of A Student.

Thank you to Rebecca for sharing her holiday fashion wishlist (isn't that playsuit just gorgeous!?) Be sure to check out her blog Diary Of A Student!

What clothes are on your wish list at the moment?

Friday 26 July 2013

Blush & Bunting Guest Post | Cleansing Oils

When I saw Amie asking if anyone wants to guest post on her blog, I jumped at the chance! Belle-Amie was one of the first beauty blogs I started reading regularly and I love all her posts, so thanks for having me!


I’ve recently discovered cleansing oils and I love them, but after suggesting them to my friends I found that they’re the kind of product you need to be convinced into using. If you’re anything like my friends and me, the thought of putting oil on your face sounds absolutely disgusting. But cleansing oils have been a cult beauty product for over 40 years - they’ve been a staple in Asian skincare for years and a must-have for skincare experts in the UK, but they’re slowly filtering down into the high-street.



Before I started using oils, I thought they would clog my pores and leave my skin a greasy mess, but actually, oil dissolves any residue that may be lurking on your skin so it helps to unclog pores. The oil which you produce naturally (sebum) can harden and get trapped in your pores, along with dirt and other residue – but oil dissolves oil, so a cleansing oil will get rid of all that!



The problem with a lot of cleansers is that they contain ingredients which can strip the skin of its natural oil, like alcohol, which makes your skin dry. So then your skin overcompensates and produces too much oil, so your skin goes through a cycle of being too dry, then too oily, which can cause breakouts.



The other great thing about cleansing oils is that they remove every last trace of makeup, even waterproof stuff, and are gentle enough to use or your eyes as well. So when I first discovered how awesome cleansing oils are I went a little bit crazy and tried quite a lot, so here are my top 3:

 

L’Oreal 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil, £8.99 | Link


This is a great one for oily skin – unlike other oils, you only need to have it on your skin for 15 seconds for it to work its magic. It’s also very light, so it’s a little more pleasant to use if you’re reluctant to use oil on already oily skin. It has a light fruity scent which isn’t too strong and it’s quite nice as you’re rubbing in the oil.


 

Miracle Makeover Facial Oil by Una Brennan, £14.99 | Link



This one recommends you use it slightly differently, wiping off the excess rather than rinsing like with other cleansing oils, which makes it a lot more hydrating and great for dry skin. It’s rich in sunflower, avocado and sweet almond oil which are very gentle, and has a gorgeous rose scent.


 

Origins Gentle Cleansing Oil, £19 | Link


This is an all-natural cleansing oil which contains no alcohol, perfume, or mineral oil, so it’s great for sensitive skin. It has some lovely ingredients like grape, sweet orange and lemon oil, and has a delicious naturally sweet smell. £19 does sound like quite a lot, but you get a whopping 200ml and that goes a long way.



I really love cleansing oils and hope that after reading this you’ll give them a go! And if you enjoyed this I’d love you to come along to Blush & Bunting and say hi!

Thank you to Harriet for doing such a lovely post on cleansing oils and being my first ever guest poster! Please do take the time to check out her very pretty beauty blog Blush & Bunting.

What are your thoughts on cleansing oils?

Tuesday 23 July 2013

Nails Of The Day | Cascade Cool

Nails Of the Day Essie Nail Lacquer Cascade Cool Belle-amie UK Beauty Fashion Lifestyle Blog
Nails Of the Day Essie Nail Lacquer Cascade Cool Close Up Belle-amie UK Beauty Fashion Lifestyle Blog
Nails Of the Day Essie Nail Lacquer Cascade Cool Brush Belle-amie UK Beauty Fashion Lifestyle Blog
Nails Of the Day Essie Nail Lacquer Cascade Cool Bottle Belle-amie UK Beauty Fashion Lifestyle Blog
Nails Of the Day Essie Nail Lacquer Cascade Cool Swatch Belle-amie UK Beauty Fashion Lifestyle Blog

Hi everyone, I hope you're all well and enjoying the sunny weather we're having! So in a couple days I will be going on holiday which means this will be the last post from me for just over a week. Don't worry, there will be some amazing guest posts popping up on my blog over the next week so there will be new posts (and hopefully new blogs) for you to read! Today's post is about my new Essie polish in Cascade Cool which I was kindly sent by Half Price Perfumes. I've been lusting after this shade ever since I started buying Essie polishes and I'm so excited to be reviewing it for you all!

Cascade Cool is a gorgeous bright dusty pink and is one of those shades that every girl needs in their nail polish collection. It's definitely a perfect shade for summer and it looks amazing against a lot of skin colours! It hasn't got any shimmer in but it does leave a very glossy finish to the nails.
With most Essie polishes I have tried, the formula has always been very thick and becomes opaque on the nails in just a couple of coats. However, I do find Cascade Cool is a lot thinner and needs around 3 coats to be completely opaque (this is what I have done in the picture). This doesn't bother me too much as I've never been the type of person to do 1 coat of polish and leave it at that, but it may mean you need to spend a little extra time painting your nails to build up the colour. As Essie polishes come with a wide brush, it makes painting your nails quick and easy as you can cover your nail in just a couple of strokes. It also means you can get right down to the cuticle to create a perfect finish every time! As for the drying time, I found it dried pretty quickly and kept its glossy, smooth finish. My one issue with this polish is that it did chip and peel on a couple of nails within a 1-2 days when I didn't wear a top coat, so I think you do need to wear a good top coat with this polish to make it last longer!

Other than that, Cascade Cool is a gorgeous nail polish that I know I will get a lot of wear out of. I do love wearing bright colours during the summer and this shade is perfect for doing so! Essie Nail Lacquers are now just £1.99 on Half Price Perfumes!

What are your thoughts on Essie's Cascade Cool?
Which Essie polish is your favourite for summer time?

Saturday 20 July 2013

Summer Essentials

Summer Beauty Essentials Belle-amie Beauty UK Fashion Lifestyle Blog
Summer Beauty Essentials Dr Jart Dove Summer Glow Macadaia Oil John Frieda Barry M Bourjois Soap And Glory Belle-amie UK Beauty Fashion Lifestyle Blog
Summer Beauty Essentials Dove Summer Glow Macadaia Oil John Frieda Barry M Bourjois Soap And Glory Topshop Belle-amie UK Beauty Fashion Lifestyle Blog

Hello everyone, I hope you're all well and having a lovely start to your weekend! Today I thought I would talk about some of my summer beauty essentials and what products I like to use in the warmer months. You may remember I did a Winter version of this post last year which was based on keeping my skin and hair hydrated during the cold months. For me, summer is all about keeping a healthy glow and looking your best!

Dr Jart+ Water Fuse Beauty Balm | LINK
In the summer time my skin is usually at its best as it has more exposure to sunlight, so I usually only need a minimal base for my makeup. The Dr Jart+ Water Fuse Beauty Balm is the nicest BB cream I have ever used and whilst it gives me a bit of coverage, it's also lightweight so allows my skin to breathe. It also contains SPF 25 which is really important to have in your makeup all year round, but especially in the summer when there is more sun light and UV rays. I have a makeup routine where I use the Dr Jart+ Water Fuse Beauty Balm which you can read HERE.

Dove Summer Glow Gradual Tan | LINK
As my skin is naturally very fair and prone to burning, I usually rely on a fake tan to give my skin a bit of a glow! My favourite gradual tanner I've been using is the Dove Summer Glow in Medium to Dark skin. Yes, I know my skin isn't dark but I feel that using darker gradual tanners help speed up the tanning process. I've never found this tanner to go orange or streaky and it always leaves me with glowy looking skin! It also keeps your skin soft and moisturised as it is a tanning lotion.

Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment* | LINK
Hair oils are my favourite hair care product and I don't think I'd be anywhere without my Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment! Hair oils keep your hair nourished and healthy which is great when you're out in the hot sun all day. As well as this, the Macadamia hair oil provides a UV protection to your hair which minimises your hair colour fading! You wouldn't think that your hair needed UV protection, but think about it, your skin needs protection so why shouldn't your hair? I think hair oils are such an essential product for summer and I highly recommend the Macadamia one!

John Frieda Sheer Blonde Colour Renew Tone Correcting Shampoo | LINK
As my hair is ombre (which isn't as noticeable now it's been cut!) I need to use products to maintain it's brightness and prevent it from going ginger. The John Frieda Tone Correcting Shampoo is tinted a lavender colour which is great for neutralising any brassy tones and helps keep your blonde looking brighter! It also contains UV filters which again will protect your hair colour from fading. If you have blonde, highlighted or ombre hair and want to keep it bright this summer, definitely try out John Frieda's Colour Renew range.

Barry M Nail Paint in Pink Flamingo | LINK
During the summer I love wearing bright and colourful nails! One of my favourite nail polish brands is Barry M and this shade Pink Flamingo is perfect for the summer time! It's a gorgeous pink/ coral that looks amazing against a tan or on your toes. I find the quality of Barry M's polishes to be great for how cheap they are and their huge selection of colours and effect are amazing.

Bourjois Cream Blush in 02 Healthy Glow | LINK
I've mentioned quite a lot on my blog that I love wearing cream blushers during the summer time. You may have seen the Bourjois Cream Blush in Healthy glow pop up a few times as well and I for one think it's the perfect blusher for summer! Healthy Glow is a very pretty peachy orange that gives a gorgeous glow to the cheeks! The formula is really nice, pigmented and blends out easily with my Real Techniques Stippling brush. It's very natural looking, which is what I like for the summer, but you can build it up for a bolder colour.

Topshop Lips Lipstick in Ditsy | LINK
Again, like my nail polishes, I love wearing bold and bright coloured lipsticks in the summer! One of my favourites is Topshop's Lips Lipstick in Ditsy which is a gorgeous hot coral shade. This is pretty much my go to lipstick for the summer as I think the colour suits my skin tone really well, whether I'm pale or have a bit of colour to my skin. The formula is very creamy, soft to apply and have a lovely colour pay off. Topshop lipsticks are by far my favourite brand of lipstick and I would completely recommend them to anyone!

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub | LINK
My final summer essential is my all time favourite body scrub which is the Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub! I got this at Christmas and I'm really determined to make this last because I love it so much. It contains brown sugar and macadamia grains which gently exfoliate your skin leaving it soft and smooth. It also has sweet line and almond oil in which makes it smell absolutely amazing - it's the perfect sweet summer time scent! I use this a couple times a week and it keeps my skin soft and smelling amazing.

So these are some of my summer beauty essentials. I hope you enjoyed this post and if there are any products you would like to see a full review on, then please let me know in the comments below!

What are your summer beauty essentials?

Wednesday 17 July 2013

What I'm Taking On Holiday | Hair & Body Care

What I Am Taking On Holiday Summer Belle-amie
What I Am Taking On Holiday Hair Care Boots Hairspray Toni And Guy Sea Salt Spray KMS After Sun Rescue Belle-amie
What I Am Taking On Holiday Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo And Condition Batiste Belle-amie
What I Am Taking On Holiday Body care NSpa Body Polish Soap And Glory Clean On Me Righteous Butter Belle-amie
What I Am Taking On Holiday Impule Dove Maximum Protection Skinetica Belle-amie
What I Am Taking On Holiday Nivea Sun Lotion Aftersun Belle-amie

Hello everyone! So in just over a week's time, I will be jetting off to sunny Mallorca for a week with my boyfriend. Since planning the holiday a few months ago, I have done quite a bit of shopping  and collecting up some products to use whilst I'm away. This has actually given my the opportunity to pick up some products that I've wanted to try out for quite a while now and I'm very excited to test them out! I thought this would be a (kind of) useful post for those of you who will be going on holiday soon and wanted to know what sort of products you could take with you!

| Hair Care |
I've wanted to try the Toni & Guy Sea Salt Texturising Spray for a very long time and thought this holiday would be a great way to try it out. I love curly, beachy hair on holiday and I've heard that this is a great product for doing that! For my hairspray, I opted to pick up a cheap can of Boots Extra Firm Hold Hairspray just to add more texture and volume to my hair at night. I mainly use hairspray at my roots to give a bit of lift, so I'm sure this will work just fine! Next up, I recently picked up this box of KMS California Sol Perfection After Sun Rescue tubes that are meant to reverse the damaging effects of the sun, sea and pool water. I thought these would be perfect for holiday to keep my hair healthy and I'm excited to see how well these work!

 I picked up the Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo and Conditioner as they are meant to be great for dry and damaged hair. When I'm in the sun, my hair is prone to going dry and frizzy and I thought these products would be great at dealing with this problem. They also contain Macadamia oil which is amazing at nourishing and repairing damaged hair! Next up you may have seen in this haul that I picked up the Batiste Dry Shampoo Wild Party Trio. Out of the 3 different scent, these are the 2 I've decided to take with me: Savanna and Wild. They will be great at refreshing my hair between washes as well as giving my hair some extra volume and texture!

| Body Care |
First up for my body care products is my NSpa Jojoba & White Jasmine Body Polish*. I really like this body polish as it leaves my skin very soft and it removes any drier patches of skin I may have. This will be great for keeping my skin looking glowy and even as well as leaving my skin extra soft. For my body wash, I have my mini Soap & Glory Clean On Me shower gel. I love this shower gel and it leaves my skin soft and clean, plus the scent is just lovely! Next I decided to take my mini Soap & Glory Righteous Butter to use as my body lotion. Keeping your skin moisturised is really important if you're spending a lot of time in the sun and this body butter leaves my skin soft and smelling great! I think it works really well with the Clean On Me shower gel too.

Now, I'm really not going to risk taking a perfume on holiday with me. I'd be too afraid it would smash in my suitcase plus a bottle of perfume is pretty heavy! I decided to pick up my favourite Impulse scent to use whilst I'm away instead. This is Into Glamour which is a really nice vanilla scent which I find lasts well on the skin. Next up is Dove's Maximum Protection Deodorant in the Pomegranate & Lemon scent. I know this a pretty boring product but I wanted to bring a stronger deodorant with me as (fingers crossed) it's going to be very hot on holiday! I really like the scent as it's fresh and clean plus Dove products never seem to dry out my skin! The final body care product is my little bottle of Skinetica* - I love this stuff as it leaves my skin so clean and clear! I recently reviewed Skinetica, so you can read more about it HERE.

| Sun Lotion |
Last but by no means least are my sun lotions and after sun. I chose to go with Nivea Moisturising Sun Spray in SPF 30 and also the matching after sun. Sun lotion is pretty much the most important product to take with you on holiday and it's better to get a higher SPF to protect your skin from sun burn and premature ageing. I bought my Nivea sun lotions from Home Bargains and they only cost me around £3-£4 each. Sun lotion prices are ridiculous in most places like Boots and Superdrug, so I would definitely recommend looking in your nearest Home Bargains - it's the cheapest place I've seen them!

So these are a selection of products that I'm taking away with me on holiday. If you enjoyed this post and would like some similar ones to this such as what makeup, clothes, swim wear etc I'm taking with me, then do leave a comment below!

What are your essential products to take away with you on holiday?

Saturday 13 July 2013

Review | Skinetica Anti-Blemish Treatment

Skinetica Anti Blemish Treatment Review Belle-amie
Skinetica Anti Blemish Treatment Full Sample Size Bottle Review Belle-amie
Skinetica Anti Blemish Treatment Directions Ingredients Review Belle-amie
Skinetica Anti Blemish Treatment Bottle Dispenser Review Belle-amie

Hello everyone, I hope you're all having a lovely start to your weekend! I remember a few months ago, there was a lot of talk about a skin care product called Skinetica after it had appeared in one of the Glossy Boxes. I remember reading endless reviews on this product, but had never got round to actually trying it for myself. A few weeks a go, I was contacted by the lovely people from Skinetica asking whether I would like to try out a bottle. Of course as I had seen all the rave reviews about it I jumped at the chance! I'm always looking to try new skin care products as my skin can be very temperamental so I'm constantly on a mission to help combat my breakouts. Just so you know, my skin type is slightly combination (more so dry than oily) and very sensitive.

Skinetica is a skin and blemish clearing treatment that also acts as a toner. It claims to soothe, calm and clear skin within 2 - 3 days. The words soothe and calm really attracted my to this product as my skin is very sensitive and can react to products really badly if they're too harsh. Skinetica only contains 4 ingredients and doesn't have any nasty chemicals that can upset the balance of your skin. This means it's non-allergenic as there are no sides effects, plus it doesn't dry our your skin or leave it feeling greasy. It literally feels like you're applying water to you skin it's that gentle!

To use Skinetica, you need to pour a a fair amount on to a cotton wool pad and then apply to clean dry skin. I do this after I have toned my face with my Simple Skin Soothing Toner. Skinetica also works as a "super" toner and will remove the last traces of makeup, cleanser and dirt left on your face. I wipe the cotton pad across my face and focusing on any oilier areas and blemishes such as my nose and chin. You can also apply Skinetica to your chest and back if you do suffer with blemishes/ acne in these areas. Once applied, you need to leave your skin to completely dry before you apply your moisturisers and makeup. This only takes a few moments and doesn't make my skin feel dry or tight whilst it dries. Skinetica will continue to work underneath your moisturisers and makeup for 12 hours so it's recommended to apply it morning and evening. I find that straight after using Skinetica, my skin feels very clean and refreshed and it's never left my skin feeling dry or uncomfortable. The scent of Skinetica is fairly strong and not extremely pleasant, but once it's dried on your skin it doesn't leave any smell behind.

Over the past few weeks, I've found Skinetica has definitely helped to improve my skin. Small blemishes have healed up pretty much over night which is great! However, my larger blemishes have seemed to take the same amount of time to heal as normal, but they don't seem as red. I rarely suffer with these larger breakouts, I mainly get small pimples, so Skinetica has definitely helped keep my skin become a lot clearer. The main improvement I've seen is with blackheads, especially around my nose/ chin area - they're pretty much clear now!

Overall, Skinetica is a really good blemish treatment and I think it does an amazing job considering how gentle it is on the skin! I will definitely keep using this product as it has become a new step in my skin care routine that I enjoy doing. I'm also really grateful that I received a sample/ travel size bottle as I can bring this with me on my holiday to help keep my skin clear! You can order the sample size off the Skinetica website (HERE) for just £1 which is an amazing way to try it before you purchase the full size. Full sized bottles are also available off the website as well as from pharmacies.

Have you tried Skinetica before? 
What are your thoughts on it?

Wednesday 10 July 2013

Review | Benefit Big Beautiful Eyes

Benefit Big Beautiful Eyes Packaging Review Belle-amie
Benefit Big Beautiful Eyes Shades Palette Review Belle-amie
Benefit Big Beautiful Eyes Palette Close Up Review Belle-amie
Benefit Big Beautiful Eyes Step By Step Lesson Review Belle-amie
Benefit Big Beautiful Eyes Swacthes Boi-ings 02 Concealer Review Belle-amie
Me Wearing Benefit Big Beautiful Eyes Eye Shadow Palette Review Belle-amie

Hello lovelies! I hope you're all well and having a lovely week. Now, I'm the kind of girl who loves a natural eye look as I've never been confident enough to pull off bold and bright colours - I much prefer a bright lipstick! A few months ago after having my makeup done at a Benefit counter, I decided to pick up yet another natural eye shadow palette to add to my collection. This is the Benefit Big Beautiful Eyes kit that contains 3 neutral pink and brown eye shadows and a Boi-ing concealer in shade 02. I thought this would be a perfect little palette that would give everything you need to create and effortless yet very pretty eye look!

Base - a shimmery light pink/ nude
Crease - a shimmery pink/ brown
Liner - a matte medium brown

So as I said, you get 3 gorgeous pink and brown toned eye shadows in this kit that all work very well together to create a very pretty and natural eye look. Each shadow is labelled and shown in the step-by-step guide where you can apply it, so this kit is perfect for people who are just starting out with eye shadow. For me, I apply the Base colour all over my lid and into the inner corners of my eyes. I then apply and blend the Crease colour into the crease of my eye lid, just above the Base shadow, which adds definition to your eye. Finally I apply the Liner colour along my upper lash line to work as a powder eye liner and makes my eye lashes look fuller. I love how these shadows look on my eyes and I think they all work really well together. As the Base and Crease colours have a slight pink tone to them, I find they suit my brown eyes very well. However, I do think all of these shadows would suit every eye and skin colour as they're so neutral and flattering. The shimmery eye shadows are extremely pigmented, soft and easy to blend which makes them both work very well together. As the Liner is a matte shade, it isn't as pigmented but is still easy to work with along the lash line. I'm really impressed with the quality of the shadows in this kit and it's definitely one of those products you could use every day.

As for the Boi-ing concealer, unfortunately the shade is way too dark and orange for my skin tone and I can't really use it. I do have this concealer in shade 01 and I find it works a lot better for me. This concealer offers a lot of coverage and is very easy to blend into the skin. I do think they should offer a light, medium and dark version of this palette so that more people can get use out of the concealer instead of it going to waste!

The packaging of the Big Beautiful Eyes kit is so cute and I love how small and compact it is. Along with the shadows and concealer, you do also get a couple mini brushes which makes this kit easier to use whilst travelling! I don't actually use these brushes as I much prefer my own, but they aren't bad quality and you could definitely get away with using them! There is also a little mirror inside the palette which is always handy for using on the go. Finally, you also get a little lesson card which shows you how and where to apply the shadows and concealer to achieve your big beautiful eyes look. It also has a couple tips and tricks to make application easier just in case you are new to makeup!

Overall this is a lovely little eye shadow kit and is the kind of product everyone needs in there collection as it's so compact and perfect for everyday use! I also think the shadows can be used to create a day to night look just by intensifying the liner and crease colour - so again it's a very versatile product. I highly recommend Benefit products and if you're thinking of trying the Big Beautiful Eyes kit, then definitely try it out!

Have you tried Benefit's Big Beautiful Eyes eye contour kit?

Monday 8 July 2013

Review | BiOrganics Salon Secret Range

BiOrganics Hair Therapy Salon Secret Range Replenishing Shampoo Treatment Elixir Hair Perfecting Oil Review Belle-amie
BiOrganics Hair Therapy Salon Secret Range Replenishing Shampoo Treatment Elixir Hair Perfecting Oil Close Up Review Belle-amie
BiOrganics Hair Therapy Salon Secret Range Replenishing Shampoo Treatment Elixir Hair Perfecting Oil Bottle Review Belle-amie
BiOrganics Hair Therapy Salon Secret Range Replenishing Shampoo Treatment Elixir Hair Perfecting Oil Ingredients Directions Review Belle-amie

Hello everyone, I hope you're all well and enjoying the gorgeous weather we've been having recently! Today I have a few products to review from BiOrganic's new hair care line; the Salon Secret range. This new range is a designed to help dry, damaged and frizzy hair which has been caused by heat, colour and the environment. My hair is pretty damaged, mainly from heat and bleach, and I can find it goes frizzy has it has a natural curl to it. I thought this range would be perfect for me and I was very excited to see how the products left my hair!

BiOrganics is a luxury hair care brand that uses natural and organic products to deliver salon like results. They are also a cruelty-free brand and all of their products are suitable for vegetarians and vegans! In this range there is: a shampoo, a treatment (which acts like a conditioner) and a hair oil. All of the products contain Argan oil and Ylang Ylang which work together to soften hair and reduce frizz. Finally, they are all free of SLS, parabens, perfumes and artificial colours making them gentle and all round good for your hair!

Salon Secret Replenishing Shampoo | £11.50 for 250ml | LINK
The first product from the Salon Secret range I tried was the Replenishing Shampoo. This shampoo is designed to help repair and moisturise damaged hair whilst protecting it from further damage by strengthening it. You only need to use a small amount of the shampoo and it comes out as a clear liquid which doesn't lather up when massaged into wet hair due to it being SLS free. The Replenishing Shampoo does leave my hair feeling soft and clean, so despite not looking like it's cleaning your hair, it actually is! My one issue with this shampoo is the scent - it's a very strong lavender smell which won't be to everyone's taste, but I do find the smell doesn't linger on the hair after being washed out. I find that the shampoo washes out very easily and doesn't leave any product or residue on your hair, leaving it weight-less and very soft! This is a great shampoo that works really well and I love the fact it's free of all the unnecessary chemicals that you find in other hair products!

Salon Secret Replenishing Treatment | £15.50 for 250ml | LINK
Next up I tried out the Replenishing Treatment. I think this is a great products as you can either use it as a normal conditioner and leave it on for a couple minutes, or use it as a deep-conditioning treatment/ mask and leave it on for around 10 minutes. Again, the treatment is designed to  help add shine and moisture to your hair and make it more manageable. It also uses Sunflower seed extract to provide UV protection which helps protect colour treated hair! The treatment comes with a pump which I really like as you can control how much product you use. As my hair's quite thin I use half to 1 pump of product and apply it to the lengths of my hair. Like the shampoo, I find the treatment very easy to wash out and it leaves my hair so soft and smoothe. It has the same lavender scent as the shampoo, but again it's hardly noticeable once you've washed the product out. I've really enjoyed using this treatment and think it's done wonders for my hair as it's a lot stronger than other conditioners I have used!

Salon Secret Elixir Hair Perfecting Oil | £13.00 for 50ml | LINK
The final product I tried from the Salon Secret range was the Hair Perfecting Oil which contains the Argan oil and Ylang Ylang to smooth and improve your hair! It can also speed up blow-drying time and protects from heat styling so is a great multi-tasking product! I'm a huge fan of hair oils and I have to say this is one of the nicest oils I have tried. The formula is quite thin so doesn't weigh down my hair plus it is absorbed very quick so doesn't leave my hair feeling greasy. I like to use this when my hair is wet and I apply just under a pump of product to the lengths of my hair. I find this leaves my hair so soft, defined and shiny! I also like that the bottle is plastic and has a pump so this will be perfect to take with me on holiday as it's not as prone to breaking. I've really enjoyed this hair oil and it has made my hair so much healthier in the past few weeks of using it - I would highly recommend people with damaged hair to give it a go!

So these are my opinions of the new BiOrganics Salon Secret range. I've really enjoyed using these products together over the past few weeks as they have made my hair feel so much stronger and healthier. If you're looking for a higher end hair care brand that is free from chemical nasties and is cruelty-free, I would definitely recommend you trying BiOrganics! You can also buy the Salon Secret products in bundles which will save you money by doing so! You can but the full range for £35 HERE or just the shampoo and treatment for £25 HERE.

Have you tried BiOrganics products?
What are your thoughts on the Salon Secret range?

Friday 5 July 2013

Latest In Beauty Little Beauty Box | June

Latest In Beauty Little Beauty Box June Review Caudalie Amie Aveda Belle-amie
Latest In Beauty Little Beauty Box June Contents Caudalie Amie Aveda Review Belle-amie
Latest In Beauty Little Beauty Box Amie Spring Clean Clay Mask Sample Belle-amie
Latest In Beauty Samples Amie Caudalie Aveda Belle-amie
Latest In Beauty Little Beauty Box Caudalie Aveda Samples Belle-amie

Hello everyone! I hope you're all well and looking forward to the weekend just as much as I am. Tomorrow I am going to my first ever blogger meet up and I am so excited to meet everyone! We're all meeting up in a little cafe for tea, cake and a good chat and I think it's going to be so much fun!
So the other day after reading a blog post, I came across a website called Latest In Beauty that offers a range of samples that you can try either for free or for a very small cost. They offer two types of services: the "Little Beauty Box" which is where you pick 3 free samples, and the "Luxury Samples" where you pick and choose a range of samples that you pay for. Me and my mum decided that we would like to try out a Little Beauty Box together and we chose a few samples that interested us. I wanted to write a review on the service and experience as well as showing you what samples we picked out!

So when you first set up an account on Latest In Beauty, you need to fill out a little questionnaire which is full of questions about you, where you buy your makeup, what skin type you have and more. This gives them an idea about what sort of samples you would like to try out! Once this was done, I simply went into the "Little Beauty Box" tab and started choosing my 3 samples. There was a huge range of products and brands to choose from, some high end and some high street. The first sample we picked out was the Caudalie Vinexpert Eye & Lip Serum for my mum. I've heard a lot of good things about this brand and my mum loves trying out products like this, so this went straight into our basket! Next up I chose the Amie Spring Clean Cooling Clay Mask. I've wanted to try Amie skincare for a while now, especially their face masks, so this was a perfect way to give one a go before buying the full size! Finally, we both chose to go for the option of a "Mystery Sample" which basically meant Latest In Beauty would make our third option a surprise! I think this is a great idea as it made me really excited about what we were going to get. The mystery sample we received was the Aveda Invati Exfoliating Shampoo & Thickening Conditioner which both came in little tubes - perfect for travelling!

Now when I first went to order a Little Beauty Box, I did actually think the whole service was completely free, but it's not. Once you go to the checkout to fill in your shipping address, there's a space for you to fill in a unique code which you get by texting a number. The text does cost £1.50 and I think I'd much prefer them to simply charge postage and packaging as I don't always have credit on my phone! Apart from this small cost, the rest of the service is free and you can order a Little Beauty Box once everyday 30 days. The package arrived a few days later in a small, sleek black box and inside were all of our samples.

What I love about this service is that it's like getting a mini beauty box every month (if you choose to order one every 30 days) but at a fraction of the cost - plus you get to choose which samples you'd like to try! I am very tempted to try out the "Luxury Samples" option as well as there's so many amazing brands to choose from such as: Nails inc, Mavala, St Tropez and more all at very low prices (some are even full size products)!

What are your thoughts on Latest In Beauty's Little Beauty Box? 
Would you like to give it a go?
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