Friday 20 November 2015

Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer Review


The Bourjois healthy mix concealer is one of my favorite concealers of all time, the formula is creamy, moisturizing and it blends so nicely. I got mine from Boots for £7.99 and I use it all the time! I have the lightest shade and I use it to brighten my under eyes and on spots (Its not too different from my foundation shade), the formula is great for both as long as you remember to set it with a powder as it is so creamy.

On days when my cheeks are super red (thanks rosacea!) I will dab a bit of this on my cheeks and blend it with the Real techniques miracle complexion sponge to help cover the redness. Basically its a great all-rounder concealer, I would definitely recommend you pick it up.

Let me know what you thought of this if you have tried it? Is there anything you would really like a review on?

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TJ's Cloth Nappies Cloth Pad Review


These pads were the first ever editions to my cloth pads 'stash', I found them one day whilst hunting for cheap pads to try. TJ's Cloth Nappies has a range of these cloth nappies (or diapers if you're american) and they also sell a range of cloth pads. These pads look similar to the Precious star's pads, which are manufactured in China, I think it is likely that these also came from China as the prices are so similar. The 'regular' 10 inch pads are priced at £3.49, the 'heavy' 12 inch pads are £3.99 and the 'postpartum' 14 inch pads are £4.49.
A 'Regular' and a 'Heavy' pad

The width of the pads snapped up, the heavy pad is on the top
These pads are topped with a charcoal microfleece layer, the core is microfibre and all of the pads have a PUL waterproofing layer. I found the regular pads worked fine, I never had any leaks and they were pretty comfortable. However one thing to bear in mind is that these are very wide pads when snapped up, The 'regular' style are 8 cm (3.15 inches) wide when they're snapped up and the 'heavy' pads are a whopping 11 cm (4.33 inches)! I had bought 3 'regular' and two 'heavy' pads but when I wore the first heavy pad it was so wide and there was so much 'wing droop' that it was irritating and uncomfortable. I don't know why the heavy pads are so much wider than the others but it is a tad ridiculous, the extra fabric hangs between your legs and makes you feel like you are wearing a nappy. I contacted the company and mentioned the width of the heavy pads and the owner, Jackie, kindly offered to give me a refund for the heavy pad I hadn't used if I sent it back to her.

If you are looking to switch to reusables and are on a budget then I would definitely recommend these, they are comfy and absorbent. Just be warned that the heavy pads are super wide!


Have you tried these pads out? Are there any cloth pad makers that you would like to review?
Let me know in the comments!

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Friday 13 November 2015

Gaia Moon Pads Thong Liner Review


Gaia Moon Pads is a UK based seller, she sells a range of handmade cloth pads, liners and pad wrappers. I had been searching for a UK seller to buy some thong liners from for a while, there were a few sellers in the US whose thong liners looked nice, but I'm so impatient I couldn't wait for them to be shipped over. 

When I found Gaia Moon Pads on Etsy I was so happy to see her selection of thong liners! I bought 3 of her 6" thong liners and couldn't be happier with them, they are topped in flannel and backed with anti-pill fleece. These liners are only £3 each, nice and affordable. They are super thin and discreet and the shape really sits nicely in thongs, with some liners I find they slide around but these stay exactly where you put them. 

The stitching on these is really neat, I am definitely one of those people who is grated by ugly or wonky stitching but there are no worries of that with these. Gaia Moon Pads also has a nice selection of prints, some really cool gender neutral prints included. I think a lot of cloth pad makers can forget that some menstruating people don't identify as female, it is a nice to have a wide selection of prints for people with slightly less 'girly' taste. 

The liner shape when snapped up
What I love about these liners in particular is that they are backed in fleece. I use these for menstrual cup back-up and on the odd occasion that my cup leaks, I want to know nothing is going to soak through my liner! Fleece is moisture resistant and so helps prevent leaks, unlike some liners that are just cotton or flannel backed. When I wear these liners I feel just that extra bit secure that I'm not going to have any catastrophic leaking disasters. If you are in the market for some thong liners I would definitely recommend Gaia Moon Pads, the postage was super quick and I love them! I have since bought two more that have glow in the dark stars on the print!

Have you tried these? Let me know in the comments below!

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Fleur De Force Lip Gloss Review



Fleur De Force is one of my personal favorite beauty Youtubers, I've always loved her personality in her videos and found that we liked a lot of similar products when it came to beauty. When Fleur posted a video on her channel announcing that she had released a her own make up line, I couldn't contain my excitement. Fleur's make up range includes a selection of lip glosses and eye-shadow palettes. Since my addiction is lip products I ordered two of her lip glosses, from Feel Unique, in the shades 'Seeing stars' (above on top) and 'Written in the stars' (above on the bottom). All of Fleur's products have star related names as she has such a love of stars, I can definitely relate.


These lip glosses are priced at £6.99 and come in 6 shades, ranging from nude to dark purple. I chose two of the more nude shades as I prefer my darker lip shades to be matte. 'Written in the stars' is a lovely mauvy-pink shade, perfect for an everyday gloss, They are very pigmented for glosses, you can build them up for a complete lip, or wear a thinner layer as more of a hint of colour. The second shade I purchased, 'Seeing stars', seemed like more of a peachy shade on Fleur, however on me it is very orange. I still like the shade, but I don't think I will be wearing it everyday.

'Written in the stars' and 'Seeing stars'
These glosses have a small doe-foot applicator, which works well for application, however it picks up hardly any product. This isn't a huge problem, it just makes it a tad annoying that you have to dip the wand into product and apply 2-3 times to get a decent amount of gloss. The formula of the glosses is really lovely, it is thick enough to be long wearing but isn't sticky. I also found these super moisturizing, similar to Tanya's lip glosses, sometimes I just apply these instead of lip balm as I've found they moisturize more than most of the lip balms I've tried! Overall these are great lip glosses, I am definitely going to be adding a few shades to my Christmas list, the red looks like it would be amazing for Christmas parties! Fleur definitely did a great job and she should be proud!

Have you tried these? Let me know in the comments! Also if there are any other products you would like to see reviewed then don't hesitate to leave a comment or send me an email,  I'll see what I can do!

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Tuesday 3 November 2015

Max Factor Creme Puff Blush Review


When I saw these blushes I was immediately taken by how similar they looked to the popular Milani baked blushes available in the US. I have had my eye on the Milani blushes for months now but the only way you can get your hands on them in the UK is by buying on Amazon and I was always too worried that they would arrive smashed. The Max Factor Creme Puff blushes have the same gorgeous marbling and shimmer to Milani ones, although the range of colours of the Milani blushes is more diverse. There are 6 shades to choose from of the Max Factor blushes, where as Milani have 9 different shades. I picked up the shades 'Lovely pink' and 'Gorgeous berries' for £8.99 each at Boots.

'Lovely pink' and 'Gorgeous berries'

I love these blushes, 'Lovely pink' is such a nice subtle everyday shade and I have been wearing it almost everyday. The formula of these blushes is really soft and blendable, whilst still being super pigmented. The shade 'Gorgeous berries' is beautiful but definitely requires a light hand, I use my dual fibre brush from Real Techniques for this and you still only need to dip your brush in the powder once to get a nice hint of plum colour to your cheeks. Personally I think these blushes are great as a highlight and blush in one, they leave a subtle shimmer and make you look fresh and healthy (even when you've been up all night writing assignments! The uni struggle is real!).


I can't definitively say that these are a dupe for the Milani blushes as I don't own any, but from hearing what the Milani blushes are like, I would say they sound pretty similar. Either way I would definitely recommend that you give these a go, there are a few more shades that I might just have to pick up.

Have you tried these out? Let me know in the comments.

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Ruby Menstrual Cup Review


Menstrual cup basics

Now if you don't know what a menstrual cup is then here are the basics. Menstrual cups are the alternative to tampons, you fold them up to make them smaller, insert them into your vagina and then they pop open and create a seal. This seal then allows the menstrual cup to sit up in the vagina and collect your flow, then after 12 hours (yes you read that right, 12 hours!) you remove the cup, empty it, clean it and then reinsert it. These things are game changing when it comes to your period, you can literally put the cup in in the morning, then forget about it for the whole day, then empty it out at night and reinsert. Lets have a quick look at the pros and cons.

Pros

  • They hold around 3 times what a tampon will hold! Most women can wear the cup for 12 hours before needing to empty it.
  • They're healthier! There is no risk of toxic shock syndrome with menstrual cups as there are no fibers. Tampons also dry out the vagina and contain trace amounts of a toxin called dioxin (Pads do too!), which is a carcinogen (it causes cancer). Menstrual cups are carcinogen free and much safer.
  • They're reusable! Once you have your menstrual cup you are set for a long time, if treated well menstrual cups can last 5-20 years!
  • You'll never run out! No more wondering if you have enough tampons or when you'll need to buy more. 
  • They're comfortable! Once you find the right cup for you and learn to put it in correctly, you can't feel it at all.
  • They'll save you money! It will only take a few months for a menstrual cup to have saved you money in pads and tampons you no longer need.
  • You can sterilize them! Menstrual cups can be boiled or soaked in sterilizing solution to completely sterilize them, if you are prone to vaginal infections these might be the perfect thing for you.
  • You can swim! You can go swimming with a menstrual cup in and it is actually more comfortable than using tampons as they don't become waterlogged like tampons do.
  • They're eco friendly! No more filling up landfill with pads and tampons.

Cons

  • They can be expensive initially. Menstrual cups range in price from about £10 (Around $15) to £25 (Around $38) depending on what brand you choose.
  • There is a learning curve. Menstrual cups are easy once you get that hang of using them, but at first it can be tricky to get it inserted and popped open.
  • There are so many different sizes and shapes- Which do I choose? Menstrual cups come in a variety of sizes and shapes, which can be a good thing, but it also means its hard to pick one when you are starting out.

The Ruby Cup

The Ruby cup is a menstrual cup made from 100% medical grade silicone, it comes in 3 colours (Pink, blue and purple) and a clear version. The Ruby cup comes in a small and a medium size and both are priced at £21.95, I opted for the medium as I have a high cervix. The cup itself is 51mm long and the stem is 17mm, the diameter of the cup is 45mm. The small sized cup holds 24ml up to the rim and the medium size holds 34ml. The cup comes with a really nice organic cotton bag with their logo on and a pink pull closure.

The Ruby cup in Medium
Most menstrual cups have small holes near the rim of the cup called suction release holes, these allow you to break the suction when you want to remove the cup. The Ruby cup has 4 equally spaced suction release holes just under the secondary rim, these are pretty small suction release holes compared to my other cups but I didn't find that it made any difference to the function of the cup. 

The Ruby cup stem and grip rings on the base of the cup
The stem on this cup is nice and flexible and soft, it has lots of little bumps which make it easy to grip. The stem is also hollow so when you grab it it flattens to make more surface area for you to grip onto, this really helps when removing the cup. The grip rings on the base of the cup are smoothed over and less pronounced than some of my other cups, but still help with gripping.

This cup is one of my favorites, it is just the right level of firmness so that it pops open super easily but is soft enough that it is really comfortable to wear. With some of my softer cups I have had trouble getting them to open up once inserted but this cup was great. After inserting I just pinched the base of the cup and twisted and it popped open straight away. The Ruby cup is very easy to remove, especially if you don't cut the stems off your cups. I kept my stem on and it is just amazing for removal, the bumps make it super grippy, even when wet. I haven't had any leaks at all with this cup and it forms a nice firm seal. I wish this had been my first cup as it is really easy to use, I started with a medium soft Meluna cup and it almost put me off cups because, no matter what I tried, I could not get it to open.

The Ruby cup is also a great option because of their social mission, the Ruby cup company has a 'Buy one give one' strategy where for every Ruby cup bought, they donate a cup to girls in Africa that don't have access to menstrual products. It is estimated that these girls miss around 20% of their school time every year because they are on their periods (UNICEF, 2013) and are afraid of leaking at school. Having a menstrual cup allows these girls to stay in school, get educated, get better jobs and provide for their families. This is an amazing project and there is no doubt that it is doing a lot of good.

I would definitely recommend this cup, especially to anyone new to menstrual cups. The medium size has a great capacity and would be great for women with heavy periods and the small size is perfect for women with lighter periods. This cup was so easy to use and the ethics of the company are amazing.

Have you tried this cup? Or have you never even heard of menstrual cups? Let me know in the comments.

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