30 July 2012 / NAILS, PRODUCT REVIEW, revlon
~ Worst nail polishes i've experienced ~
Revlon colorstay nail polishes, with a vast range of colours displayed in an amazing shelf in boots. I fell for the new sleek straight bottle packaging as opposed to their original packaging with the wider bottom. Also, the offer of 3-for-2 tempted me to try these out. So, these nail polishes are sold as being 'long-wear nail enamels' and also free from alot of harmful chemicals which is stated in a really tiny small print at the back of the bottle. At £7.99 each, i took advantage of the 3 for 2 offer and picked 3 colours that i do not already own a similar one to. I got home and i was so excited to try them out and have a new colour on my nails. I must say that the colours look amazing in the bottles but i do not think the formulation adds up to the sleeker and sophisticated packaging.
Firstly, i noticed that the nail polish was too thick and it was extremely difficult to work it. It was streaking like crazy and the nail polish itself did not allow me to apply a smooth layer onto my nails. Ok fair enough, it was difficult to work with, but seeing that it was a 'long-wear nail polish' i thought that the longevity would pay off but to my disappointment, it chipped within a day of wear even though i used a topcoat. Regretting getting all 3 of the colours because they are all the same and so difficult to apply and achieve a nice finish. It also took forever to dry and sometimes the final effect was so horrible that i had to remove it right after i applied.
For so many years i have experimented with nail polishes from different brands, i have to say that this is the worst nail polish ever. I do own a couple of the original Revlon nail polishes and although they did have a tendency to form bubbles, they were manageable during application and has a average lasting power. Maybe because i have a high expectation from Revlon which is why i am so disappointed with these! But i think i should stick to BarryM and Rimmel drugstore nail polishes because i know that they are really good quality and wear.
Have you tried Revlon Colorstay nail polishes?
23 July 2012 / Garnier, origins, PRODUCT REVIEW, SKINCARE, The body shop
~ A handful of empties + Reviews : July ~
Moving back from university accommodation to back home has made me realise just how much products i have and i am on a mission to use up some of my products to clear up some space..or you could say 'shop the stash' as i am aware of a tag that is quite popular around the beauty community. I must say that within around a month, i have done quite well and cleared out quite a few products and i always get that satisfaction when i use the last blob of product in the tube or container. On top of that, i have also been trying to not buy as many products that i don't actually need in order to try not to counteract the fact that i am trying to clear out my beauty drawers. So here are the empties that i have collected so far and i am going to give a brief summary for them and also whether i would repurchase or not.
- Chi Keratin Mist: Bought this from 'Sally's beauty' a while ago but because of the great amount of product in this, i found it quite hard to finish. Made my hair feel stronger and healthier but not too sure if it is placebo although my mum did comment that my hair was shinier when i used this. Repurchase? Nope, simply because there are many more good haircare products available that i would like to try out.
- The Body Shop cocoa butter hand and body lotion: This cute travel size cream was great to carrying around with me when i am out just incase i need that extra moisture when i am on the go. Smells great but i find the consistency to be a bit thinner than i would like. I am glad that i got this in a travel size and not a full size because i feel that this left a slight greasy finish to my skin after application. Will i repurchase? Nope, because not thick enough and left a greasy film.
- Garnier Simply essentials 2-in-1 make-up remover: By far the best make-up remover ever to get rid of my stubborn waterproof mascara! I used to use the MAC eye make-up remover, but this just so much better and i cannot believe that i did not discover this sooner. Removes my make-up with ease and this inexpensive bottle lasts for a long time. Will i repurchase? definitely yes because of the reasonable price and the good quality of the product although i am still on a hunt for a less oily make-up remover that does the job well.
- Dove Original deodorant: This has been my go-to deodorant for a couple years now and i have been using this back to back. However, this one time that this was out of stock, i delved in the 'Sure' brand. I prefer the smell of sure and my boyfriend also commented and said that he preferred this smell too. Will i repurchase this? Possibly, although i am leaning more towards the Sure range now.
- Soap and Glory Breakfast scrub: Oooooh, thinking about the smell of this just makes me want to give this a sniff. Soap and Glory does the most amazing products with the most divine scents ever! I cannot stress enough how much i love this pot of wonder. It exfoliates well, smells yummy and does not leave that greasy layer after. Very enjoyable to use and makes you smell lovely. I would say that the only downside to this is the price-tag, hurts my purse every time i make a purchase and even the 3 for 2 offer doesn't help much. Would i repurchase? Yep i will eventually, when my bank account is healthier.
- Origins Zero oil pore purifying toner x2: Favourite toner for a year now and have used up a total of 3 of these already. However, my skin has taken a turning within these few months and i don't even know why. I have started to acquire dry skin and i feel that this toner no longer benefits me and dries out my skin even more. I absolutely love the distinct peppermint smell of this, but i am quite sad that i cannot continue using this as it is too dehydrating for my newly developed dry skin. However, i have found a new toner which i absolutely love, but i will feature in a post in due course. Will i repurchase? No because it is unsuitable for my skin type now and i honestly do find it being a bit too harsh and i prefer something a little bit more gentler for my skin nowadays.
- Vo5 Miracle mist: I bought this alongside the infamous hair oil also by Vo5. This smells great but i didn't find it that effective on my damaged hair. I also felt that it was quite heavy on my fine thin hair so it was definitely a thumbs down for me. Regardless, i use this mostly on the ends of my hair and i have finally finished this! Was quite difficult to use up in my opinion. Will i repurchase this? No because i think it doesn't cut out as a miracle mist and i am quite disappointed with Vo5 as i usually love their products.
What are some of the products your trying to use up?
14 July 2012 / Liz Earle, PRODUCT REVIEW, SKINCARE
~ Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask REVIEW ~
As part of the Liz Earle skincare try-me-kit, the deep cleansing mask was what i looked forward to the most because i thought that it would benefit my skin removing deep impurities and balancing my oils like it said in it's description. The product itself states that it contained many 'naturally active ingredients' which was clearly shown on its packaging emphasising the pureness of their product. The set also came with two sponges for you to clean and wipe away the mask when it was time to rinse the product off which i thought was a great idea and very convenient.
So when it got to me using it i was actually quite disappointed with it. I squeezed out the product and realised that the formulation was very runny, not like other masks that i have. The thin consistency meant that it was difficult to apply and it took longer than anticipated to apply evenly onto my face. The product's scent was very strong and overpowering too which i didn't like seeing that i was expecting a gentle natural product. The worst thing about this product was how it felt on my skin. After i have applied it, within a few minutes my skin felt it was like burning and had a stinging feeling. I knew that my skin had always been sensitive and maybe the burning sensation was just the product working deep down into my skin, but it was so uncomfortable that after around 5 minutes i washed it off. My skin felt alot tighter and firmer, but i did not notice anything different about it appearance wise. The product claims to leave skin looking calm and clear, but instead i was left a little tender and red for the following hours. The next day, i realised i broke out with a few blemishes and i am sure that it was this product which caused it because i hadn't changed any of my skincare products except for trying this out.
I did not enjoy using this product and i am glad that i got to try out the travel sized product first because i know for a fact that i would not be purchasing this ever. Maybe it was just my skin type that was unsuitable for it and it may work wonderfully for you. If you have experienced this mask, please let me know what you thought of it as i am interested to know.
What is your favourite facial mask?
12 July 2012 / fragrance, jo malone, Perfumes, PRODUCT REVIEW
~ My beloved Jo Malone Fragrances ~
Jo Malone Cologne: Grapefruit 100ml
Jo Malone Cologne intense: Dark Amber & Ginger Lily 100ml
I've always lusted over the Jo Malone fragrances but they are really expensive so it has been remaining on my wish-list for quite a while rather than in my perfume collection. However, one shopping trip with my amazing boyfriend changed this! I have always been going on and on about Jo Malone fragrances and how much i really wanted to own one so one day when we walked past the counter at Selfridges, he actually told me to sit down and try them out. The lady that served me was very friendly and informative. I got sat down and i was given a little cute black Jo Malone pouch for me to put any of my jewellery that i was wearing in so that i can test out the products properly on my arms.
On the desk was nice clean fluffy towels laid out and i was really excited to start my experience. She started off by asking me what kind of scent i preferred and what kind of scent i was after that day. I told her that i am usually a fresh-florally kind of girl but i want something a bit more grown up and different.
After telling her that, she grabbed several bottles of their colognes which included 2 black bottles and 2 clear bottles.
She first told me to smell the fragrances individually and although they smelt quite nice, they were really nothing special and i was embarrassed to tell her that the scents were not really spectacular. But then, the magic happened, she started mixing the perfumes together.She allowed me to smell the two combinations and to my amazement, they smelt totally unique and not anything that i smelt before. She applied the combined fragrances on both my arms to try and depict which one i preferred more and after discussing with my boyfriend (to try and involve him in the process i suppose) i chose this combination because although the other combination smelt nice too, i felt that this scent was unique to what i already have in my perfume collection.
Overall, i enjoyed learning about perfume layering and the whole experience was very fun and relaxing choosing my personal fragrance. However, my heart sank when i asked about the price.....the clear bottle cologne i chose was £76 for 100ml and for the dark bottle which was a cologne intense was £95 for 100ml. I did really loved it and after trying it out on my skin, i felt that this scent was really what i needed but it was too expensive...way too expensive for fragrances so i asked her to write the products down so i can purchase it at a later date. But, my boyfriend told me that he will treat me and buy it for me as a graduation present and a 5 years anniversary present! The lady was boxing up the perfumes while i was just shocked and felt awful that my boyfriend spent so much money on me. She also gave me a small pot of one of their body cremes in pomegranate noir which consisted of a generous amount of product in it. My Boyfriend spoils me so much and i am very grateful. I have been using these colognes non-stop since i brought it and have received many compliments from friends and family :)
What do you think about Jo Malone products?
9 July 2012 / FASHION, shoes, vivienne westwood
~ My new Vivienne Westwood shoes :) ~
Vivienne Westwood for Melissa - Skyscraper Chain Strap Shoe - Black
"High heels in black by Vivienne Westwood for Melissa. Part of the Anglomania collection. Skyscraper heels in glossy, eco-friendly plastic with a gold toned chain strap featuring the iconic Westwood orb charm. 13cm heel."
It is only a couple of weeks away until my formal graduation day and i have purchased my dress and now a pair of shoes which i think will go well with it. I went to Oxford street Topshop the other day and i was browsing their shoes sections because i always adore their shoes there and also because the sales were on and i was determined to find myself a bargain. I was amazed when i saw a rack that were selling my ever-lusted Vivienne westwood shoes! There were so many to choose from which included, flip-flops, pumps and heels. I dived straight into it and picked as many pairs that i liked as possible. After trying on a few and realising that some didn't look quite right on my feet, i settled with this one which i found to be quite simple and unique. It was just a plain black mid-heeled shoe thats made out of its trademark gummy material and it had a detachable chain on it which gave it that extra edge.
Originally they were £190 but these beauties were on sale down to £115 so i just have to buy them no matter what. These are in a Size 3 and they fitted snuggly into my feel and were very comfortable which was surprising, seeing that i am usually a size 4 or 5 in heels. These shoes also came in a nude colour too which i really liked but it was a whole different story when i tried them on since it looked like i wasn't wearing anything and it was just too weird. The size of the heels are manageable and i think that it is perfect for my graduation to give me some height and sophistication to match with the event. I cannot weight to wear these out! They have amazing grip too so i am not afraid of slipping and falling over which is great as some new high heels i am so scared on the first wear because they tend to have minimal grip. Overall, i am extremely happy with the quality and style of these and i will be posting an outfit post soon wearing these. These are my favourite heels so far because they are so comfortable :)
What do you think of these? Would you buy them?
The sun was out and i felt like adding a bit of colour to my make-up as opposed to sticking with my beloved neutrals. I tried to put an emphasis on the eyeshadow colours and my eyelashes so i didn't use any liquid of gel eyeliners on my eyelids. I did however, tightline my upper waterline to make my eyelashes appear to be thicker and less sparse like they already are. I have listed below the product that i have used :)
- Face -
- Benefit Porefessional Primer
- Chanel Perfection Lumiere 20 beige
- E.L.F High Definition powder
- NARS laguna bronzer
- M.A.C Fix+
- Eyes -
- Rimmel eyebrow pencil 004 black brown
- NARS pro prime smudge proof eyeshadow base
- M.A.C eyeshadows (Goldmine || chrome yellow || Newly minted)
- YSL waterproof eyeliner
- Lancome hypnose waterproof mascara
- Lips -
M.A.C lipstick in 'Speed dial' cremesheen finish
What do you think of this look?
Hello my lovely readers. Today i have decided to make a big change! As you may or may not know, this blog used to be under the name of 'Beautypicknmix' and i have stuck by it for around a year now. However, as much i loved the name, i felt that it wasn't personal enough for me and i wanted to incorporate my own name into the title a little bit more. I've changed the appearance of the blog too in order to make it more simplistic and easy to navigate so you guys can enjoy reading my posts without having too much going on in the background.
I have thought long and hard about this change and i will miss my old Blogspot name, but i guess i will have move on and get used to this new name which i feel more connected to. So no more of Beautypicknmix.blogspot.com unfortunately, but hello to www.Yingcbeauty.blogspot.com. Thank you for all the support you guys have given me and i do enjoy writing on my blog. I also love reading all the lovely comments you leave, which i think from now on i will try and reply to all of them! I am also planning on a giveaway for when i reach 200 followers so stay tuned.
I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend and i will continue to upload posts regularly for you all to read. Please give me feedback for my blog and also leave in the comments below what kind of posts you would like to see more of :)
Thanks again, and stay beautiful <3
7 July 2012 / clinique, favourites, Lancome, MAKE UP, OTHERS, SKINCARE, The body shop
~ June Faves ~
This month has passed by so quickly and many things have happened during this month for me since finishing university and moving back home from my flat. Packing from my flat made me realise that i have so many products that i need to use up and many make-up products that i have neglected, therefore for the month, i have dug up some products that i haven't used for a while in a hope to finish them and rediscover my love for them.
+ E.L.F high definition powder: I love this powder for setting my make-up because it is so finely milled and leaves a nice soft finish to the skin. It is also very affordable too seeing that it is ELF, but not very portable due to its large container size.
+ The Body shop Cocoa butter hand and body lotion: This is a small bottle that i purchased a while back thinking that it would be handy in my handbag, but instead i realised i just neglected it when i purchased my Soap and Glory Handfood. However, this month i have used this constantly and i have loved it so much because it is so moisturising and non-greasy.
+ The Body Shop Body butter - strawberry: Another body shop product. As you can tell, i am a big fan of body shop products because i feel that their pricing are reasonable and their products are always great quality. This strawberry body butter smells divine and the product absorbs into the skin very quickly and leaves you smelling nice throughout the day!
+ Mac Paintpot in Rubenesque: This is a new purchase for me and i have love it ever since. Sometimes i just use it alone for a quick pop of colour for when i am on the go or just running errands, and sometimes i layer on eyeshadow on top to enhance the colour and make it more long-lasting. Amazing colour and amazing formulation.
+ No 7 Shine Free primer: There were a few hot days during the month of july and sometimes i feel that my Oily skin makes look like a grease ball within a few hours of my make-up application. However, i feel that with this primer it helped with the longevity of my make-up and stops me looking too shiny as quickly. Worth the purchase if you have a No7 voucher from boots too.
+ The Body Shop Vitamin E face mist: As with before, in the humid and hot weather, skin can easily be dehydrated, therefore this comes in handy to prevent the skin from drying out. Also, it is very refreshing to spritz on your face when your really hot and bothered to liven you up and cool down. Affordable and can probably be a cheaper alternative to the expensive facial mists in the market.
+ Lancome Tonique Douceur: I've been using my beloved Origins zero oil toner for the past year and recently i have noticed that it is a little bit too drying for my skin. I received this toner as a sample and i have been loving it. It is gentle and smells great without it being too overpowering like the Origins one. I can safely say that i will be purchasing the full sized product when i finish this travel sized one.
+ Clinique moisture surge extended thirst relief: I have been suffering from a few dry patches from the humid weather these days. I needed a richer moisturiser since most of my light moisturisers made for oily-skin wasn't enough. I enjoyed using this so much at night. It is non-greasy and had the right consistency with it neither being too thick or too thin. This didn't break me out and i was happy with how my skin felt the morning after.
+ Garnier eye make-up remover: Not much to say about this product apart from it does its job very well. It is very gentle and not greasy as all. I use this on days where i have minimal eye make up and this just removes all traces thoroughly. Inexpensive and extremely kind to around the delicate eye area.
+ Samsung Galaxy S3: My contract ended for my iphone 4 so i upgraded to the samsung galaxy s3. I am loving the phone so much and it is much more lighter in weight despite of its larger size compared with the iphone. Still getting used to the interface though as it is quite a bit different from the iphone.
3 July 2012 / Chanel, NAIL, NAILS, PRODUCT REVIEW
~Chanel les vernis: Holiday REVIEW~
This is my second Chanel nail varnish purchase with the first being the amazing Peridot shade. I fell in love with this shade ever since i saw it alongside the summer collection which included another two shades which were limited edition. This 'Holiday' shade is fortunately in their permanent line now so it is always available for purchase. I have always wanted to find a reddish colour to wear on my nails that will suit my skin-tone as many reds out there either makes my skin look really horrible or it just looks like my nails are bleeding. Either way, this vibrant shade i guess is on the borderline of a bright tangerine and a red. It compliments my skin-tone very well and makes it look much more brighter which i like very much.
Not only is the colour amazing, it applied like a dream! Literally i fell in love and wondered why not all nail polishes would have the same formulation and ease of application. The formula was just the perfect consistency whereby it wasn't too think nor too runny which made the application process very smooth and entirely streak free. The product was highly pigmented and one coat was definitely enough to achieve an opaque finish (shown in picture). I wore this nail polish for just over a week now and it wasn't prone to chipping even without a top coat. This nail varnish is really impressive and it really lives up to the standards you expect seeing that the product is so expensive. I will sure be purchasing more shades to add to my collection soon because i love Chanel nail polishes so much <3
What is your favourite nail polish?
2 July 2012 / Chanel, HAUL, L'Occitane, Liz Earle, NAIL, revlon
~My Mini July Haul~
It has been a while since i did some shopping...but since i received an offer for the postgraduate course i wanted to do, i decided to spend some money to treat myself. I sort of went a little overboard with the nail polishes which i knew fully well that i didn't really need but i really liked the colours! So without further ado, lets see what i bought:
- L'occitane Cherry princess Hand cream
- Revlon Colorstay 240 Amethyst
- Revlon Colorstay 200 stormy night
- Revlon Colorstay 050 Passionate Pink
- BarryM 333 Black Multi Glitter
- Chanel Nail colour: 617 Holiday
- Liz Earle Skincare try-me-kit - Combination/oily
What did you purchase recently?
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