Clarins Moisture Rich Body Lotion: Review

So after having such a great experience with the Clarins cleanser, I decided to invest in the body lotion. Much more pricey than what I usually spend on moisturiser (I'm usually a palmers cocoa butter kinda gal) at £30, I was again anxious. Clarins says: "Soothing comfort every body loves! Clarins’ moisture-replenishing lotion—with Peach Milk, Shea, Candlenut Oil and Orange Blossom—visibly minimises the signs of ageing caused by sun, cold, heating and air-conditioning. Helps smooth dry, rough patches and improve skin tone. Gently removes dull, flaky cells for a youthful, all over glow. Quickly absorbed. No need to wait before dressing." I have pretty dry skin, and I also fake tan so I always need a good moisturiser before applying that, and at £30, my expectations were high. The lotion itself is rich, and a little goes a long way, perfect as I moisturise twice daily, and have a fair amount left after around 6 weeks of use. It sinks in pretty quickly and doesn't feel sticky like some moisturisers do, and keeps my skin hydrated. This lotion does what it says on the tin, what impressed me most was the firming factor. I've never really bought into the idea of firming lotions, but I definitely notice my thighs aren't so jiggly when using this. All round it's a great product, I'm slowly becoming a loyal Clarins fan!

Clarins One-Step Facial Cleanser: Review

A skincare fanatic with a meticulous routine, it takes a lot for skincare product to impress me. I am always cautious about my buys as not to be disappointed since I spend a fair amount of my little money on keeping my skin ship-shape and (not) shiny. Clarins is a brand that comes with a good reputation, but history has taught me that the brand is not a guarantee on the quality of a product, so as usual I was skeptical. Clarins says: "A cleanser and toner in one time-saving step! Clarins’ dual-action, anti-pollution formula—with gentle Orange and Moringa Seed extracts - removes every last trace of make-up, impurities and skin-dulling dry cells, while reviving skin’s natural radiance. So pure and refreshing, there’s no need to rinse." Usually I steer very clear of products promising a two-in-one, but I continued with the purchase regardless, even though I was a tad nervous. After one use, I was kicking myself for not getting it sooner! I'm not one to jump to conclusions based on one or few uses of a product but this seriously impressed me! Every scrap of make up was removed, my pores looked better than usual and my skin actually didn't look dull for a change. Since then I have used this product religiously and I've never been let down, it's around 2 months down the line and I still have a good third of the bottle left, another plus! 

L'Oreal Wrinkle Decrease Collagen Lip Filler: Review

This product may be aimed at an older market than my mere 20 years, but I love a perfect pout à la the beautiful Lana Del Rey, so I was willing to buy into this product. I've toyed with lip plumping glosses and sticks, and every tip trick I could find on the web for years, but nothing has ever had dramatic results (perhaps I expect too much?) so I thought there was nothing to lose and gave this a go. L'Oreal says: "L'Oreal Wrinkle De-Crease Collagen Filler Double Action Lip inspired by advances in dermatological science designed to rejuvenate lips; the L'Oreal Laboratories have combined 2 specific creams to visibly rejuvenate appearance of lips and the lip contour.
Step 1 - To smooth wrinkles and redefine the lip contour area, apply the lip contour smoothing cream with collagen biospheres around the edge of the lips.
Step 2 - Apply the lip plumping cream with the hyaluronic acid to both the upper and lower lip for increased lip volume." 

So, after using this product, I'm by no means making Lana Del Rey envious of my pout, but I did actually notice a plumper result than with other brands and methods! The plumpness lasts for a good part of the day or all night on nights out, which is perfect because that's when I use it! I can't really comment on the wrinkle decreasing claim but for plumping purposes this is perfect for me! At under a tenner at Boots, I'll definitely being investing again. 

Credit: Blush Cosmetics

Rimmel London Apocalips

I've had this product pretty much since the day it debuted but haven't got around to throwing my 2 pence in, so here it is. Rimmel says: It's the End of Colour as you know it! The intense rich colour of a lipstick, enhanced by a satin smooth shine. It's neither a lipstick nor a gloss... It's BIGGER than both! 
I was so excited to get this product as I'm always looking for lip colour that packs a punch and has staying power. I got it in number 400 'Big Bang', a sultry red perfect for nights out. Whilst I wasn't overly impressed with it, Apocalips has it's pro's and con's. The colour is definitely vibrant, even with with one coat, which is where a lot of lipsticks and glosses fall down. It definitely has staying power, in fact it's quite difficult to remove completely which can be a pain in the backside! I find it a little sticky at first, not exactly how a gloss is sticky, but certainly a stickiness. This also makes it prone to transferring so if you're planning on kissing anybody, the rest of the world will know! Bearing all this in mind, I would rate it a 6/10. It is a good compromise between lipstick and gloss, worth buying if you like colour like myself, but best to avoid if you're a lipstick die-hard who hates the stickiness of glosses.

                                                                                    

Budget Bonzing

If, like me, you are painfully pale and not brave enough to bear it, fake tanning is high on your agenda. With a plethora of tanning products available, finding the perfect one for you (at a reasonable price!!) is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Thankfully, and finally, I can say I've found mine! St. Moriz Instant Self Tanning Mousse. Firstly, the mousse is great as it glides on and is pigmented so you can see where you have and haven't tanned - no more zebra stripes yay! Secondly it actually develops into a natural looking tan, not an orange mess, and finally, it lasts for days. This makes it a winner in my book (and Cosmo's Beauty Awards 2012). The huge bonus as well, it won't break the bank. Available widely for less than a fiver, if you're a constant tanner like me this product ticks all the right boxes.