Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Hair Mist Review

This isn't really a review of Chanel Hair Mist because there isn't actually an awful lot to ponder besides this; it's beautiful, it's Chanel and I love it.
I was very kindly given the Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Hair Mist on my birthday and since then there's barely been a day when I haven't spritzed it into my hair.

My first thought when I unwrapped this was 'Oooooh how lovely!' swiftly followed by ' ...but what's the difference between hair mist and standard perfume? Yes you can spray perfume in your hair (does everyone do that? I always have) but perfume can be extremely drying on the hair strands, which is where this is different.
The Chanel Hair Mist contains silicone derivatives - like you find in many shampoos. I know some people take issue with silicones but they do leave hair shiny, soft and healthy looking (notice how shampoo companies use the phrase 'healthy looking' rather than just 'healthy').

So while the hair mist might not include ingredients that are actually good for your hair, it does contain ones that at least make it look good.

The scent? Well this just smells exactly the same as the perfume - floaty, floral and fresh. But here's the kicker: It's £15 cheaper. A 35ml frosted bottle of Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Hair Mist is £44 while 35ml of the Eau de Parfum is £57 (prices from Boots Nov. 19).
Yes, the perfume would have better staying power but it is worth mentioning that the hair mist is the slightly less expensive way to get your hands on some Chanel fragrance.

Charlotte Tilbury Wonder Glow Review

From watching Charlotte Tilbury YouTube videos and reading interviews, she just seems like such a warm, genuine woman that I almost feel like buying her products is simply the right thing to do!

I would love to try every single one of CT's products but for now I'm sticking with one- Wonder Glow Instant Soft-Focus Beauty Flash. 

This is a real magpie product- it's shiny, quite new and is packed full of shimmery goodness so it's only natural that people (me) would be drawn to it. Looks aside, this stuff is called Wonder Glow, which just instantly gave me images of walking casually down the street with a perfectly luminous, healthy complexion that had the potential to trick people into thinking I was so glowy I must be with child. 

While it doesn't quite have that effect on me, it is still a lovely product. Here's why.

Charlotte Tilbury Wonder Glow is part skincare, part makeup and designed for use under makeup for that coveted 'lit from within' look or over it for added dewyness and a touch of shimmer. I've been mixing a little blob of Wonder Glow in with my foundation and find that it does make my makeup look fresher, healthier and just better in general.

Wonder Glow contains collagen boosting peptides and patented wrinkle-preventing ingredients to treat the skin while the light reflecting micro-spheres with fluorescent core scatter light around the face, blurring imperfections and filling in wrinkles.

Much like a lot of primers, Wonder Glow has the consistency of a creamy gel and it leaves skin seriously soft with a very subtle wash of shimmer. When I first squeezed a little out of the tube, it looked pretty sparkly but I soon discovered that it blends out to a far less scary finish, making it ideal for younger and older skins alike. Packaged in a plastic tube with a rose gold coloured lid (not as beautiful as the packaging of other CT products, but still very nice), it has a gentle rosehip and camelia scent that is a lovely finishing touch that makes using it even more pleasant.

Wonder Glow is fantastically multi-use and a little really does go a long way, if that's any consolation for the £38 price tag. I haven't got a lot of experience with any similar products so I can't really compare it to a more purse-friendly product, though I'm sure there would be something comparable out there. You can find Charlotte Tilbury Wonder Glow at online at Charlotte Tilbury.

The Blanket Wrap Cardigan

I bought this Blanket Wrap from New Look last week and I've pretty much been living in it ever since.

A little blanket with arm holes and pockets - it's like the fashionable version of the snuggie. It goes with me to the shop, hangs out with me while I'm working and snuggles up with me on the couch.

This particular one is 100% acrylic (no cashmere here) but it's soft, warm and cosy. I chose this one because black and grey are pretty much my staple colours and I wasn't keen on a really busy pattern, though apparently I do look a bit like Clint Eastwood in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly when I've got this on.

Blanket Wrap Cardigan - £24.99 New Look

Even though they're essentially bat-winged cardigans, I think blanket wraps are going to be a big deal this autumn - they're the perfect transitional item for weather that doesn't quite know what it's doing but it's chilly enough for a cover up.

While the personalized Burberry Poncho (as seen on everyone from Cara to Olivia P to Suki) may have provided major inspiration for the blanket wrap, I reckon it was this guy who really kick started the trend (If you have a sec, please go and look at his post titled How to Wear a Wool Blanket as a Coat, it's amazing - Link)

Anyway, New Look have a pretty big selection of blanket wraps with plenty of designs to choose from so if you're into the blanket/cardigan hybrid, I suggest you check them out.

*Photos- Richard Godden

Billion Dollar Brows Hint of Tint - A Brow's Best Friend?

If you follow me on Twitter you may have noticed my constant tweets declaring my love for Billion Dollar Brows Hint of Tint. I've tweeted and Instagrammed about this stuff to the point that I now feel like some kind of voluntary eyebrow ambassador for Hint of Tint. I'm not though. Not officially anyway.

Hint of Tint may not be a particularly new concept - a tinted eyebrow mascara so to speak, but it seems that Billion Dollar Brows have the formula, packaging, colour and brush completely spot on, which is a rare feat when it comes to virtually any product out there.

I actually won my dinky little tube of Hint of Tint in Billion Dollar Brows' #Browfie Twitter comp a few months back and have used nothing else on my brows since. That's not even a lie.

I have Hint of Tint in 'Taupe' - an ideal shade for anyone with a medium to dark hair colour but there is also a lighter shade for blondies and redheads.

Here's what Billion Dollar Brows have to say about Hint of Tint:

Colour and Control - All in One

'This bold blend of brow colour and hold comes in an easy-to-use tube. Perfect for when you are on-the- go and don’t have time to apply powder and gel. For a hassle-free, natural look, Hint of Tint brow Gel turns barely-there-brows into WOW Brows in an instant.'

I concur! The gel formula of Hint of Tint is really, really easy to apply with the mascara wand-like brush and it is very buildable. I either swipe it on quickly for a bit of hassle free grooming or spend a bit more time with it, shaping the brows and filling them in for a bit more of a dramatic look.

Overall it is a fantastic product. At £20, it's more expensive than a lot of the high street buys but it's worth mentioning that the little tube is still going strong and I've had it since Spring!

If you want a closer look at Billion Dollar Brows, visit them here.

What's your go - to brow product?

Rodial BB Venom Skin Tint Review

That awkward moment when you find something expensive that you would definitely repurchase? Yeah that happened. I went to the Space NK Beauty Anthology shopping event on Wednesday evening and spent a bit of time with a particularly lovely Rodial rep who introduced me to some fabulous bits and pieces including this - the Rodial BB Venom Skin Tint.

Touted as a flawless complexion beauty balm with active peptides, and packaged in a slightly sinister looking black tube, the skin tint is just like any other BB cream at first glance, but look a little closer and you'll see it's got a playful little twist. The ingredient that makes it a little difference is the presence of SYN-AKE- a potent dipeptide designed to smooth fine lines and plump up skin. Truth be told, the concept of SYN-AKE kind of freaked me out a bit, as did the claim that it gives a freeze like effect. This just conjured up images of me walking around with what looks like a bad Botox job, though if it had been potent enough to actually make such a huge difference I would have been both impressed and terrified.

I needn't have worried though because no such black magic occurred when I tried it out.

The first thing I noticed is that this seems to be a 'proper' BB cream, not one of those BBs that's so heavy that it's pretty much foundation in disguise. You know the ones. In fact, the BB Venom Skin Tint blends out easily and becomes one with the skin, giving a light to medium finish with zero oxidization. It feels sufficiently moisturizing when applied and has a slightly matte finish which, despite me having generally dehydrated skin, does not attach itself to dry bits.

I'm enjoying using the BB and acquired a few more Rodial products on Wednesday which I'm also loving. The Rodial BB Venom Skin Tint is available in 3 shades for £35. I got mine at Space NK as part of a gift with purchase promo.

My Little Box UK Review- the First Box September 2014

Another day, another subscription beauty box right? Wrong! My Little Box is a French beauty and lifestyle subscription (the French version has 80, 000 subscribers) that is available in the UK for the first time this month. I signed up to My Little Box UK a few weeks ago and it arrived today so here's a peak at what's inside:

Every box is themed and it's only fitting that for the UK début it's themed as My Little Parisienne Box

The beauty bits - Laura Mercier Foundation Primer (these are everywhere lately!), a little bottle of Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse and the brand's own Stylo Lumiere twist - up highlighter/ concealer

The Lifestyle Bits - A decent sized, thick notebook, some very kitshy stickers and a laptop/ tablet case

I'm writing this up very quickly before I start work today and haven't had a proper play with everything included in the box but I think it's an impressive new monthly subscription offering with contents that I'm actually likely to use (including the oil from Nuxe!) and not a sachet in sight!
What do you think of My Little Box? You can sign up here for £11 a month + 3.95 postage.

Max Factor False Lash Effect Fusion Mascara Review

You know when you come across a mascara that stays put all day but then comes off in seconds when you want it to? Yeah me neither. Well until now. The Max Factor False Lash Effect Fusion Mascara is one of those mascaras but it has plenty more to offer other than awesome staying power and ease of removal.

The wand features the award-winning IFX brush

The false lash mascara claims to deliver volume and length in one fell swoop offering up to 100% more volume and 100% more length. While I'm not entirely convinced of these percentage claims I have to admit this is one seriously nifty little wand of black gunk.

Max Factor also claim that the mascara does not flake or smudge, making it ideal for those of us who wear contact lenses. If we're still talking percentages, I 100% agree with this claim and I for one have extraordinarily smudge-prone eyes. If that's even a thing.

This mascara is pretty transitional as you can wear one or two coats for a subtle daytime look or build it up with loads of coats (just wait until the first coat is slightly tacky before applying more). I bought this the day before we went to Scotland last week and it saw me through windy beaches, sweaty trips in the car, rain, toothless goats (that's another story) and even tears (we got briefly lost).

If I were to compare the mascara to an offering from a high end brand it would be Chanel Inimitable Mascara. I actually have a miniature of the Chanel Inimitable and was contemplating purchasing the full size but I think I'm going to sick with Max Factor for now (plus I'm in no position to be buying Chanel anything).

I have the Max Factor False Lash Effect Fusion Mascara in Black but it's also available in Brown. You can find it at Boots, Superdrug and anywhere else that peddles Max Factor for £11.99.

L'Oreal Age Perfect Extraordinary Facial Oil Review

Facial oils only really started appealing to me four years ago when I moved to the UK. Before that, I lived on the sunny east coast of Australia that has an average temperature of 30 degrees for most of the year so the idea of putting oil anywhere near my face didn't really entice me.

Now however, not only am I older (29 in 3 days!) but my skin is subjected to cold winters and rather drying weather all round so facial oils are now a pretty important part of my skin routine. I love the indulgent aspect of using facial oils and feel like there's something a bit special about pressing beautiful oils into a freshly cleansed and exfoliated face.

My latest facial oil purchase happened a few months ago now in the form of L'Oreal Age Perfect Extraordinary Facial Oil and after using this 3 or 4 nights a week since June I think I'm ready to share a fair review. 

Firstly, this facial oil smells gorgeous. It's packed with essential oils - lavender, orange, geranium, rose, lavandin, chamomile, marjoram and romarin and therefore has a lovely, comforting scent that's perfect for use in the evening. 

The Extraordinary Facial Oil is supposed to 'replenish, smooth and brighten' and I have to say that I've found it effective in contributing to all 3. 

Though I mainly use this after I've washed my face before bed, I will occasionally pat a drop of the oil into my skin before foundation application as I find it gives quite a smooth base.
After using this at night, I wake up to smooth, soft, glowing skin with no oil slick in sight and I can genuinely feel the difference. What's not to like about that?
Due to the fact that this is a 'dry oil', the formula absorbs quickly to a non-greasy finish and you only need 2 or 3 drops per application.
You can find L'Oreal Extraordinary Facial Oil at Boots, Superdrug and pretty much anywhere that stocks L'Oreal products. RRP £19.99