Nailberry Spring/Summer 2014 Collection

I quite literally dipped my toe in Nailberry polishes last year when I experienced a Classic Pedicure and Japanese Manicure at the Nailberry Salon in South Kensington. This year however I've been dabbling in the new Spring/ Summer collection of colours, a handful of which I've got to show here.

Nailberry won Best Nail Polish Brand in the Beauty Shortlist Awards this year for very good reason. Completely cruelty-free, the polishes are marketed as '4 Free', meaning they don't contain Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP (a binder)  and Camphor. They're basically one of the least toxic nail polishes around, which is obviously a good thing. They also offer a pretty stunning collection of colours ranging from deep reds, to barely there nudes through to bright Brazilian green (in celebration of the World Cup of course.)
The colours I've been playing with are part of the recent Spring/ Summer releases and include Young and Fabulous - described as a '1950's' pink, Lush- a light greyish blue, Lait d'amande- a light champagne nude and Noisette - a warm nutty brown.

Call me a traditionalist, but Young and Fabulous is my pick of the bunch. The bright girly pink looks very pretty against (fake) tanned skin and is definitely a winner for me.

It's worth mentioning that the formula of the Nailberry polishes is quite thin. Richly pigmented, yes but a little on the thin side, probably due to the lack of yucky chemicals in the ingredients which I think is a fair compromise. Though each of the polishes I tried were of a similar consistency with decent colour pay off, the most opaque of the four is definitely Noisette - only one coat of the rich brown colour is required whereas the other three need two to achieve full coverage. All in all, a nice little taste of the latest colours from Nailberry and I look forward to seeing what they come up with for the next collection. Nailberry 4 Free Nail Lacquers retail at £13.50 each.

*This post contains samples

NUXE Reve De Miel Ultra-Comfortable Face Cream Night Review

I've been contemplating the NUXE Reve De Miel Night Cream for months and now that I have it, I wonder what took me so long to order it.
In a nutshell, this extremely nourishing, rich night cream is nothing short of an absolute delight. The decadent formula features a whole load of oils and butters that combine to make one very delicious pot of night cream that I'm certain will become a permanent fixture on my bedside table.

Designed for dry and sensitive skin, the Reve De Miel Night Cream contains sunflower oil, safflower ceramides (oil) and precious plant oils to restore lipids, barley, argan oil and shea butter to soothe and of course honey to repair the skin.

While I can't comment on long term effects (I've only had it a couple of days) I can say that the cream is rich, thick and feels like a lovely treat on my skin after a night time cleanse. Not only does it smell delicious, I've found that this cream absorbs relatively quickly for such a rich formula and I can understand why it's labelled as 'Ultra-Comfortable' because it does feel undeniably comforting and soothing. Two thumbs up from me.

You can find NUXE products at Space NK and M & S but I recommend ordering online from NUXE because you receive a free miniature and samples with every order and they often have lovely little gifts with purchase for added incentive! The NUXE Reve De Miel Face Cream Night is £23 for a 50ml pot.

Clever or Just Plain Crass? Risque Branding in Cosmetics

I know it's 2014 and I know I'm pretty crass myself ( I am Australian after all!) but I want to know what you think about the influx of increasingly sexual product names and ad campaigns adopted by a vast amount of beauty brands. Personally, I can see the funny side and I totally appreciate a cheesy pun (I'm looking at you Soap and Glory) but I can also appreciate how marketing strategies can put consumers off just as easily as they can drive product sales.
For instance, my mum saw my newly purchased tube of S&G 'Glow Job' the other day and let out a little tut and it got me thinking - product names are often enough to convince a person to buy something so by the same token are they also enough to scare people away?

Soap and Glory are well known for their punny ways and Glow Job is one example of cheeky marketing at it's finest, but then there's also Sexy Mother Pucker - a range of tingly, lip-plumping products.

Then of course, there are the rudely named world-famous shades by NARS - Orgasm, Super Orgasm, Striptease and the cringe-inducing Deep Throat.

I certainly can't imagine someone's Nan approaching a Nars counter and asking for some Deep Throat as she can't find her Orgasm and wants to try something different to go with her Striptease...

Urban Decay sell shadows called S&M and Booty Call while Illamasqua sell a nail polish in shade Phallic. Ehehehehe.

Too Faced Cosmetics are another brand that don't mind a bit of naughty branding as they sell products such as Better Than Sex Mascara and Juicy Melons Lipstick.

I've recently come across a US brand named 'B**** Slap Cosmetics' that have definitely taken the concept a little overboard as they sell questionably named products such as B**** A** Baby Daddy eye pigments, an eye shadow in shade Sperm Donor and a lipgloss simply named 'F*** Your Ex Boyfriend'. This brand also sell a range of penis shaped lipsticks though so I think that explains a lot.

I've really only skimmed the surface here - there are a lot of rudely named products on the market. Do risque names appeal to us because they're suggestive of a very basic human instinct? Do you as a consumer even pay attention to what a product is called or do you think you focus solely on the colour and formula? Have you ever not bought something because it was called something rude? Let me know!

Avene Soothing Hydrating Serum Review

The Avene Soothing Hydrating Serum* is my first foray into Avene as a brand and going on first impressions alone, I think it's probably a good introduction to the cult French Pharmacy skincare brand.

Developed for sensitive skin, this serum contains a high concentration of Avene Thermal Spring Water (which is available to buy as a spray) and therefore is extremely soothing and anti-irritating.
The serum features a patented liposome delivery system that basically means that the concentrated thermal spring water is released slowly to keep skin hydrated for longer. Not bad.
The Soothing Hydrating Serum also contains Glycerin which is known for its intense moisturising and comforting properties.

In terms of texture, the serum is quite thick and gel like and sinks into the skin pretty quickly, leaving things feeling soft and even a bit velvety which is always nice! As expected, the fragrance of this is barely there but ever so slightly baby-powder-esque which only adds to the soothing, comforting factor of the serum.

As I only received this a few days ago, I can't comment on effects of long term use but I can certainly say that first impressions count and this product has impressed me. As a side note, the Soothing Hydrating Serum provides a good base for foundation as I discovered last night having used it under my Nars Sheer Glow.

You can find Avene Soothing Hydrating Serum online at Escentual where it is currently on sale for £12.75 instead of £17.00 so it's a great time to try it out for yourself!
If you're a French Pharmacy lover like me, definitely pay a visit to Escentual as for the month of March they are offering up to 1/3 off French Pharmacy brands.

• Vichy, La Roche-Posay and Nuxe are 33% off RRP
• Avene, Klorane, Rene Furterer and Pierre Fabre are 25% off RRP
• Caudalie are 20% off RRP
• A-Derma are 10% off RRP

L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau De Teint Foundation Review

The L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau De Teint is not exactly a new product but I only got it myself very recently (thank you Boots 3 for 2) so thought I'd put forward my two cents.

The Eau De Teint is touted as a feather light foundation that feels as light and fresh as water and instantly fuses with the skin blending seamlessly to leave a silky, second skin effect. 

The foundation has been compared to Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion thanks to the unique oil formula that sort of evaporates, leaving a veil of pigment on the skin.

The application technique for Eau De Teint is pretty unusual too as it's advised that you tip a little on your fingertip then apply directly to your skin. I used about three 'fingertips' of the foundation on my skin and found that it provided pretty good coverage (though the shade I chose is a little dark for me) and certainly felt lovely- virtually weightless really.

I have a pretty complicated relationship with L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau De Teint. We haven't been together long but it's already clear that we only really get on when I'm having a good skin day.

I'm hopeful that things will improve in the coming months when it warms up a bit and my skin stops being so dry because I really feel that this is a foundation that requires a pretty smooth canvas in order to really work its magic. In other words, this stuff clings to any dry bits it can find and that's rarely a good look.

While I'm not completely crazy about the L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau De Teint, I'm going to hang in there and see how we get along come summer. You can find it at Boots or Superdrug for £9.99.