First I have to be honest I lost the card so the prices I quote will be the ones I can find on line, I am behind with these and did consider skipping this one but I really liked one of the products and wanted to share that…
My initial response was disappointment, especially reading comments on line which suggested one product was actually been given away in store for free at that time anyway but not all was doom and gloom…
The Body Shop Oils of Life Intensely Revitalising Facial Oil
This was the one that courted controversy by the fact Body Shop were giving it away with purchases in their store at the time of the box, I think personally that this being the case it should have been an extra not one of the five but regardless I received it so I tried it but sadly did not really like it, it did not really work with my skin, and at £28 for the 10ml bottle it is rather pricey. However there was one redeeming feature which I did like and that was the pipette…
Serums/oils can be quite tricky to just get a small amount out and I would like to see more companies consider this packaging for these types of products.
Next up…
H & O Skincare Skindulgence Cleanse and Hydrate Balm
I have to be totally honest this is a product I barely tried, I did try it but there was nothing about it I liked, the texture on my face felt terrible and took ages to sink in, it was like I had accidentally used a lip balm instead of moisturiser but the thing I really do not like is the smell, I just do not like Frankincense and maybe the smell put me off giving this a fair try but I will not be parting with £42.50 for this in fact I would not pay the 50p for it.
But then things started to look up…
Studio 10 Brow Lift Perfecting Liner
I am not usually one for using pencils to do my brows, I find it easier to create a nicer shape with a brush and powder, however the fact that they donate one of these liners for everyone one bought to the Look Good Feel Better charity is a wonderful thing, women with cancer undergoing chemo obviously are at risk of losing their brows, something which can be an extra mental hurdle to over come, at £22 it is a little pricey but if you think of it as £11 each one for you and one for a woman or girl fighting the evil that is cancer than it is a wonderful gift to give so much so that I am giving the link to it it here.
The pencil itself is actually really good and fairly soft, it is double ended with a shade and highlighter which does allow for blending the colour a little more…
The shade works well with my blonde hair but would also work equally well through to mid brown, darker hair colours may need to blend it with other products. While I will not need another liner for a while I will be keeping an eye on this company for other products supporting this charity.
Next up one I was skeptical about…
Leighton Denny Miracle Mist
I am really suspicious of quick dry sprays I have fallen foul of them several time where you think your nails have dried when you touch them but the minute something rubs against them they smudge so I was not expecting much from this one, however I have to say this works far better than many. I will point out that its effectiveness does seem to vary from one type of polish to another so you need to be careful the first time you use it with a new polish but the ones it works with it works really well and it does not leave the end of your finger feeling like it has been plastered in hairspray, the down side is the price, £12 is a lot to pay for the sake of waiting a few extra minutes. Will I use this up? Hell yes, will I buy more? Probably not.
And finally…
Next Make Me Beautiful Matte Lip Colour
When you think of Next you think clothes, maybe at a push even home furnishings but make up is not something that springs to mind or to mine at least but it is certainly something now I will check out next time I go in store. I really like this, it is a little drying but then all matte lipsticks generally are, but the colour lasts really well and it looks equally good with a coat of gloss over the top. This peach/nude shade is great for summer and can also be used with different lip liners to create an ombre look, I love the packaging as well which makes it look far more expensive than the £8 they ask for it, the only slight negative was when mine was accidentally wound too far up it snapped very easily but I will just resort to a lip brush as it gets lower. This may very well be my signature lip colour for this summer.
Paula Acton 