So, in my ~real life~, Valentine’s Day makes me a little queasy. But in my “blog life”, I welcome the occasion with open arms and whilst I get some strange and questionable Valentine’s Day press releases come through to my inbox, most of them have been pretty darn cute this year! And I’m not going to lie, I have received some really nice blogger parcels lately (YAY FOR FEBRUARY!) which makes me feel very giddy!
One of the parcels was from HQHair.com who selected some beauty products for me to use on date night. I love a mystery box of beauty goodies* so I thought ‘sure! WHY NOT!?’. Now, I don’t have a date planned for Valentine’s Day (or ever. Because cba.) but it just so happens that it’s my birthday on Valentine’s so I always have something going on. Date or not, I’ve been testing these products and here are some thoughts:
L’Oreal Paris Superstar Mascara
£10.99
I’ve always thought that L’Oreal mascaras (or any high street brand mascaras) are too expensive for what they are. But when they’re dual-ended, it seems more value for money. I’ve always loved these two-step mascaras, they are my favourite as it features a primer which you first apply to elongate and thicken your lashes followed by a couple of coats of mascara. What I notice about using an eyelash primer is that it eliminates clumping, which is a big factor for me when choosing an eyelash product. I have short eyelashes so they really benefit from mascaras like L’Oreal Paris Super Mascara. I wouldn’t say that it gives that really fuller false lash look that it claims on the packaging, but theis mascara does a great job to lengthen and volumise lashes for a flirty but natural look.
Lord & Berry Bronzer Powder in Toffee
£19
This is the lightest shade of bronzer I’ve ever used that actually flatters my skintone as opposed to giving that sculpted contour look. It’s a really lovely and sheer powder to sweep all over the face for a natural-looking sun-kissed glow but it’s a bit too light for my skintone to use it as a contour powder. I’m going to use this as a matte-finish powder as a blusher too as it will be great for the “no make-up” make-up look for the upcoming Spring which is just around the corner (OMG HURRY UP, SPRING!!). I haven’t got a blush that is as natural-looking as this – most of my blushers are either bright pink or a vibrant peach, so it makes a nice change from rosy cheeks!
Jane Iredale PureGloss Lip Gloss
£19.95 for the full size version
Lip gloss isn’t my idea of the perfect lip product of choice in every day life and it probably isn’t the one I’d go for if I was going on a date, especially if you’re going for dinner or drinks. However, if your going to opt for a lip gloss, why not try Jane Iredale Puregloss? All of the shades in this range are suitable for vegans, and are cruelty-free! The one I received it a cute little pocket sized tubes which I can’t find on HQHair’s website or any where else online. Maybe this is a tester sample? The full size version looks just like other lip glosses with the tube and the doe-foot applicator. The formula features mooring butter and avocado oil for it’s nourishing and moisturising properties.
Inhibitif Hair-Free Body Serum
£18
This Hair-Free Body Serum is a treatment that limits visible hair regrowth and to be honest, I am always skeptical about products like this but that never stops me from giving it a go, though! I’m up for anything like this to buy me more time before my next wax. Apparently, by applying the serum over waxed skin twice a day for two months or until body hair nearly invisible. Interesting. I’ll report back and let you know how this goes in a few months time.
Sun-Believable Accelerate Me
£11.50
I didn’t even know this type of product existed but if you can’t wait to get tanned, you can try this tan accelerator to get your tan on quicker! It’s a clear gel that doesn’t contain any self-tan – it simply stimulates the skin’s melanin production so it increases the body’s natural tanning ability. Not sure how this would work prior to going on a date – unless you’re both heading off to somewhere sunny? You’re supposed to apply twice a day for at least 10 days prior to sunning so it would be worth a try if you’re going on holiday.
Versace Eros Pour Femme
£37.50
Never judge a book by it’s cover! Well, ermmmm, never judge a perfume by it’s bottle design – which is what I tend to do (oops!). When I looked at this Versace Eros Pour Femme perfume, I thought that this was going to smell really heavy and spicy, but actually, it’s quite light and fruity which was a pleasant surprise!
It has notes of Sicilian lemon, bergamot and pomegranate with a floral hint of jasmine and peony. So far, so good! Loving the lemon and floral combo! There are also notes of sandalwood and musk but that’s pretty standard! I can’t remember the last time I didn’t use a perfume that has sandalwood and musk in it! It’s a very lovely perfume and judging from the style of the packaging design, it isn’t one that I would normally go for but I like the fragrance very much, it’s lovely!
Kiss The Moon After Dark Bath Oil
£38 for full size bottle
Last but not least, I have here a little bottle of bath oil. I can see from the branding why this was included in the parcel, but it’s just an innocent little bottle of bath oil! I like bath oils, I use a lavender one from Holland & Barrett which helps me sleep better but I’m looking forward to trying the After Dark bath oil by a brand called Kiss The Moon.
When I was looking at the packaging and the product instructions (because it’s important to know how much oil to use, sometimes you can use a lot but most oils only require 5 or 6 drops). Anyway, I noticed that their address and postcode was rather familiar. They’re only from the town where I grew up! What are the chances! I’m surprised because it’s a tiny Yorkshire town and I would never have guessed that a brand like this originates from there.
I received a small bottle of their After Dark bath oil which I can maybe make it stretch to 3 bath uses, but it is normally sold in a 100ml bottle with a pipette dispenser for £38.00. The bath oil encourages an uninterrupted, good night sleep but the oil also benefits skin in stimulating circulation for a more youthful look and feel.
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Loved this post! The Versace bottle looks rather intriguing.
Have a great weekend! xx
http://www.aimeroseblog.com
Very intrigued about that hair-free body serum! Like you I'm very skeptical about these kind of products, but how nice it would be to find one that actually worked, would give anything for an extra bit of time between painful waxes ha ha 🙂 xx
That perfume looks amazing !
Sara,
http://www.thecrimeofashion.com
I'm a bit obsessed with the look of that Versace bottle, so slightly tacky but utterly fabulous? Hope you have a lovely birthday!
Claire | Stylingo.co.uk xx
Aww I live kiss the moon especially their face oils! Love how they are a uk local business too!
Love, Lucy
Lucy Loves