Latest in Beauty & YOU CEW Beauty Awards Box Review

My CEW Awards Beauty Box (minus the Mont Blanc Legend eau de toilette)

Exciting times! You may have seen my brief post last month after the CEW Awards winners were announced? Well, the fabulous Latest in Beauty and YOU magazine released a fantastic themed beauty box for the occasion, featuring sample sized products from some of the awards finalists! This was released Sunday 29th April and soon sold out of the 4,500 available boxes, so I was so pleased to be able to order one!

For only £8.95 (plus p&p) this was a complete bargain (I called my mum straight away and advised she order one too!) as the contents are worth in excess of £50!

4 days later, this box was sitting proudly on my desk at work. There was no way I wasn't opening it there and then!

I haven't reviewed the Mont Blanc Legend eau de toilette as I gave it to one of the boys I work with - I have no use for it!

So here's what I thought of the products:

L'Occitane en Provence - Immortelle Brightening Hand Cream with SPF15
Winner - Best New Hand, Foot and Nail Care Product

I love this! Hand creams are my weakness (and lip balms!) and I have dozens lying around, so I was very keen to try this and it was the first product out of the box! It smoothed beautifully into my hands and left them smelling amazing, and super soft! I have been wanting to try L'Occitane products since I saw a demo of their Shea Butter range and I will definitely be buying their products again. I can't comment on the anti-ageing properties of the Immortelle range as I have 26-year olds hands but from what I've read online, this has gone down a treat! A beautiful product which leaves my hands looking and smelling great.

Elie Saab - Le Parfum
Runner Up - Best New Women's Fragrance

This... is... divine. Apart from hand creams and lip balms, perfume is my next biggest fetish and I'm always looking to try new ones. I am in love with this scent. It's exactly what I look for, sophisticated and spicy, rather than sickly sweet. I hate sweet smelling perfumes (I have yet to find a Chanel I like for this reason!) and often the spicier scents are too strong for daytime wear. This hits just right. It is one of those perfumes that can become your signature scent. The only downside is, I don't find it lasts very long - and at £55 a bottle (for £50ml) it is expensive to keep topping up! Still, I would definitely buy this!

Nails Inc - Porchester Square
Runner Up - Best British Brand

I love Nails Inc, they have the most amazing range of colours! This, however is not my favourite shade. The product itself is fantastic, goes on beautifully and dries quickly. Colour, though, is just so personal. I don't think this shade suits me - I feel like a corpse with it on if I'm honest, however my mum applied it right away and loves it! So not much to say really. Maybe I will wear it again. I would definitely buy more from their range though.

Elemis Sp@home - Pro-collagen Body Cream
Runner Up - Best New Bath and Body Product

This reminds me of the L'Occitane Immortelle hand cream. They both have similar, natural scents and help brighten the skin. The Elemis cream has little bits of shimmer particles. It's a fairly thick cream and I think a little goes a long way, so the 50ml tube that comes in this box is fantastic. Again, I can't really comment on the collagen and anti-ageing properties because I don't think this will make much difference to me just yet. I have, however, applied this to my legs before gym classes and it does make them lovely and soft.


Percy & Reed Hair - No Fuss Flawlessness Dry Conditioner
Runner Up - Best New Haircare / Styling Product
Dry conditioner.. I am still a little unsure on these dry hair products. I have only recently forayed into the world of dry shampoo and I'm still not sure what to make of it. I mean, my hair is still dirty, right? Underneath the powder and scent, it still needs a wash? Well... yes and no I guess. My hair isn't dirty. I haven't just rolled around in mud. What my hair is, is greasy, which weighs it down. I wash my hair every day, without fail - I just don't feel clean otherwise. However, it was stripping my (rather expensive) dye job too quickly, so I went to washing every other day and dry shampooing in between. lasted about a week before I was back to lathering up every day. Anyway, to the dry conditioner at hand! This is actually pretty good. I don't use this instead of usual conditioner, but I use it later on in the day, or even after washing and styling, to give my hair a boost. It smells great and leaves it silky soft. I prefer this to dry shampoo. The size you get in the box is fantastic (a 50ml can). I'll definitely use this up.

Benefit - The POREfessional
Runner Up - Best New Make Up Product - Face
There were a lot of comments on Facebook about the inclusion (or not) of this in the box. It was a random choice whether you got the POREfessional, or Weleda Pomegranate Firming Day Cream. It seems the POREfessional was the most wanted choice. I actually already own this product so I know how good it is! I wear it most days under my make up to help my foundation appear smoother. Still, having a little 7.5ml tube to keep around with me is rather handy! It's smooth, silky and smells divine. It's a great product and worthy of it's nomination.

Liz Earle - Naturally Active Skincare, Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser
Winner - The Most Revolutionary Beauty Product in the Past 20 Years
The last but by no means least - this has to be my favourite out of the whole box! Liz Earle, like L'Occitane, is a product I have heard of only through seeing demonstrations on TV. It never occurred to me that there was this whole, huge world out there that were using these products daily. However, I have repented and I now know. I also know why. I am in love with this cleanser. I have been using it twice a day since I got it (and there is still some left - fab sizing in this box again!). I can see why it's become such a cult favourite. It cleans my skin so well, and the muslin cloth is fantastic at removing any dry skin. Once this has run out there is a definite chance I will be ordering the full sized 100ml bottle. It removes make up so quickly and gently, and my skin is glowing afterwards. If you, like me, have managed to get a blind spot as far as Liz Earle is concerned, then no more! Don't finish reading this, just order some!

And there you have it - another fantastic box from Latest in Beauty. The box is, sadly, sold out. However I would highly recommend signing up to LiB and ordering yourself some other samples now!

Stay pretty!

Em x

Gradual Tanning Body Moisturisers - A Tale of 3 Lotions...

Fake tan... it's just one of those things that I can't live without. When I was a little girl I was constantly out in the sun and I'm lucky to have that skin type that just goes bronze, so I was always tanned. My mum, who is blonde and fair and does a great impression of a lobster if she even looks at the sun, is constantly jealous. However, getting older and a job and various other commitments means I rarely get to lounge about in the sunshine and rarely go on holidays abroad any more so I look more and more like Casper's anaemic sister. This is most noticeable when I teach gym classes in my white MMA shorts - ghastly!

Not any more. I adore spray tans, I am a huge fan of them, but don't very often get the chance to go and get one done, unless it's for a special occasion. I tried the standard 'instant' at-home fake tan (I have Fake Bake Airbrush) but I don't apply it very evenly myself and I'll use too much or I miss spots and look like I'm trying to camouflage myself. So then I discovered these moisturisers with self tan.

The first to become available to the masses, I believe, was Johnson's Holiday Skin. I was in my late teens when this came out and if I remember rightly, it was like gold dust to find on shelves. It simply sold out everywhere. Luckily for me, my grandmother actually managed to get hold of a bottle and, like everything, decided she wouldn't use it, so gave it to me.



I'd never used any kind of fake tan back then and I can remember looking awful after applying this! It streaked and left marks where I'd not rubbed it in properly - I had a perfectly straight line separating my wrist from my hand, my ankles and feet were orange, my palms and fingers were stained and I generally did not get on with it at all. However, over the years I persevered and got it out every now and then to use and got a little better with the application - but I despised the smell. Somehow, almost 10 years later, I still have a bottle knocking around although I don't ever remember buying any!

Johnson's Holiday Skin, around £5.10 for 250ml or £7.15 for 400ml - not my favourite gradual tan moisturiser! The colour is too orange and the smell is dire and overpowering. I could never use it during the day!

Moisturiser number 2 - Palmer's Cocoa Butter Natural Bronze Body Lotion. This is one of my favourites so far. I bought this on a recommendation from a friend (who always looks tanned and gorgeous!). It comes in a 250ml pump bottle and is about £5.35 from Boots. This is great. You get a good colour, no streaks (but I think this has a lot to do with application) and the smell, although not great, is better than Johnson's! The colour also develops fairly quickly. I only generally need 2-3 applications for the colour I want. The downside of this moisturiser is it doesn't seem to last long. If you are full-body tanning you might get 5-6 applications out of this. I think this is due to the pump, as there always feels like there's more left in the bottle. However, I have used this very happily for a while now and would recommend it. I often use this after epilating my legs and the cocoa butter formula and vitamin E helps to soothe the post-epilating rash fairly nicely - it's always gone the next morning.

Palmer's does stain clothes and bedding though and I regularly end up washing my sheets and duvet cover because they've gone a little off colour. It also makes them smell of self tan which I don't like. Still one up on Johnson's though.

And to number 3, and my newest find - Garnier Body Summerbody Moisturising Lotion, £5.10 for 250ml or £7.15 for 400ml The first thing I have to note about this, I have read a LOT of reviews and comments on this. This seems to have famously given a lot of people quite a nasty looking, long-lasting rash after using it. I don't mean one or two people, I mean A LOT of people. So take some serious consideration before using this. On the flip side, even more people have fallen in love with this one and believe the other issues were just a bad batch. The most recent post from someone who had a reaction was posted about 6 months ago, and Garnier were still using the 'old style' packaging. This new one is a curvy bottle with an indented 'waist'. For the record, I have not had a reaction to this but I have only used it once (I bought it yesterday).

Now, to my experience. The best thing about this lotion? The smell. It's heavenly. It's fresh and fruity apricotty loveliness! It smells more like a body butter you would buy from The Body Shop. Can't fault the smell! Like I mentioned, I have only used this once. I'd not used a self tan for a few weeks and was looking milk bottle white, and seeing as my legs needed doing I thought it was a good time to get another bottle. I went into Boots intending to buy the Palmer's as usual but ended up buying this instead as it was half price and thought it couldn't hurt to try a new one. I bought the 400ml bottle for £3.57.

So I went about my usual routine - bath, exfoliation, epilation, self tan and once that was dry (ish) - bed! This morning? Well I'm not 100% sure yet. My feet and knees look darker than the rest of my legs, which still look quite pale. I'm not sure if this is because I've only used it once, but I feel like running another bath and giving my knees a good scrub! There was also still a bit of redness left over from the epilating. The beautiful apricot smell has faded to that familiar 'biscuit' self tan smell too, although it's not as noticeable as the Johnson's and Palmer's. As for an actual moisturiser it's pretty good, my skin is really soft and smooth. Sometimes I forget these are actually supposed to be moisturisers!

My leg this morning after first use of Garnier Summerbody

So the tl;dr version? Don't bother with the Johnson's - bad colour and worse smell. Best for colour? Palmer's, but don't expect the bottle to last long. Best for smell and moisturising? Garnier Summerbody although I need to use this again tonight to get a fairer review.

Keep smiling, my bronzed beauties!

Em x

CEW: The 2012 Beauty Awards

The results are in!

Find the CEW 2012 Beauty Awards winners here!

These were announced on Sunday and I was so excited to read the list. Some products I have, some I've been dying to try and I can't wait to get my hands on them! I have also ordered the YOU & Latest in Beauty CEW Beauty Awards 2012 Box and am looking forward to trying out some of the products!

Enjoy!

Em x

Barry M Magnetic Nail Paint

A fan of the now slightly dated crackle effect nail paint, which I believe was pioneered by Barry M, (who introduced it to the masses and then sat back while they were overtaken in the colour and variety stakes) I was intrigued by their newer range of magnetic nail paints. The first time I saw them I was interested but couldn't imagine they'd be up to much. The colours were all a bit dark for me as well which put me off slightly.

However, one day something bought it back to my attention and I decided to do a quick Google to see if I could find any reviews - and more importantly, photos! What I did find looked pretty encouraging, so I decided to try it out, and...

...I'm in love! I bought the burgundy with diagonal stripes and  blue with a kind of 'cracked' design. Plus a new Andrea Fulerton Triple Action Undercoat and Gloss Up Overcoat to use with them. I did one nail quickly in burgundy and instantly couldn't wait to get home and do them properly, I absolutely love the effect and the colour, once the magnet has been applied there are so many deep sparkly red/pink shades. Just stunning. My picture doesn't do it justice really!

It's amazingly easy to achieve too. Apply your preferred base coat (as mentioned, I used Andrea Fulerton Triple Action Undercoat today as a quick fix because it was available, however I love OPI Nail Envy and CMD Toughen Up), once that has completely dried, paint a normal to thin layer of Barry M magnetic Nail Paint and allow to dry too. Next apply your second coat a little thicker and immediately hold the magnet above the wet polish, fitting the groove over your cuticle area. Et Voila - instant awesomeness. Leave to dry and seal with a top coat of your choice.

At only £4.99, these are fab - and you'll find it hard not to want to try them all. Luckily, both Boots and Superdrug are offering £1 off when you buy 2 Barry M Nail paints right now!

Have fun!

Em x