Review: Tara Smith Straight Away - WORST Hair Products Ever!!!

Image Source: splodzblogz.co.uk

I usually don't hate many makeup/skincare/body/hair care products, if they don't work me I usually just toss them away and get on with my life. But not with this one, oh no. Ok let's start from the beginning, about two months ago I was in my local 99p store and saw the Tara Smith Straight Away Shampoo and Conditioner, did a quick search on my iPhone just to make sure that its a legit(is that a right word?) brand. I admit, I wasn't looking for a new hair care products, but I couldn't resist a bargain, they normally retail about £6-9 each. So after a quick read of few positive reviews and discovering that Tara Smith is a international hairdresser and all that blah blah I decided to investigate this duo in more details...well I read the ingredients and notice that there isn't even a trace of SLS or Silicones in them. When I bought this duo my hair were extremely oily because for some reason I thought it would be a good idea to use Aussie 3 Minute Miracle everyday for two months, it wasn't. So anyway, after the first use I notice that my hair were really smooth. I was using this duo for about 3 weeks when I noticed that my hair started to be really dry and unmanageable so I thought its time for a trim, but that didn't help. Few days later I bleached my hair, which meant I had to change my haircare routine, I started using shampoo and conditioner for blonde hair with purple pigments. I continued using them for about two weeks, but I notice my hair were way too silvery/grey so I switched back to the Tara Smith Shampoo and Conditioner and it started all over again, my hair were dry, dull and unmanageable. I thought its time to give up on it and I switched to different hair care brand and with it just few days my hair were back to normal. So in the end I figured out that it was the Tara Smith Straight Away Shampoo and Conditioner that caused my hair to be dry and unnamable. I think it was due to the fact that the shampoo was too stripping and the conditioner wasn't conditioning enough. Also another thing I really dislike about the duo was the smell, it smelled like a cheap citrusy air fresher mixed with ginger. I’m not gonna talk about the packaging or the brand overall just because I think its pointless. So in summary...I suggest you stay away from the Tara Smith Straight Away as far as away as you can even if you find it at your local poundshop at great price. It's not worth even a penny, total waste of money.

Review: Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation.

I have to admit that I’m not a huge fan of Rimmel or any other drug store foundations in fact. It mainly due to the fact that I struggle to find a foundation that matches my skin tone. But when I heard about this particular foundation I was really excited to slap in on my face ASAP, probably due to the fact that Kate Moss was the face of this foundation.

Rimmel Wake Me Up is currently available in 6 shades. 100 Ivory is the lightest shade with a hint of a pink and since most pink based foundation make me look like a little piggy, this actually suits my skin tone very well.

It comes in a really nice looking pump-action glass bottle with an orange cap. The coverage is medium buildable, however its not a full coverage foundation, so if you suffer from acne or have lots of discoloration you might have to use a concealer or try another foundation. It gives a very fresh, dewy/awake finish, but thats what you would expect since its called Wake Me Up, right? To be honest, I’m not a fan of foundations that give dewy finish simply because I have a combinations skin, but I’m acutely in love with how this foundation looks on my skin, as I mentioned its a dewy finish, but not shinny dewy, more like a satin dewy finish. It contains “illuminating radiance pearls”, well its just a fancy name for a very fine glitter which actually is really hard to notice. On some days I don’t even set this with a powder and it looks fine throughout the whole day. Rimmel claims that it contains peptide formulation that helps to increase skin elastic and also that it contains vitamin moisturizing complex which leaves the skin looking healthy and fresh. Lets be real, most of the time this kind of claims are nothing but a pile of crap, but I have notice something very strange, when I use this foundation for few days, my skin actually looks so much better and clearer, I’m not sure wherever its due to the magic formula or the fact that this is a very light formulation and doesn't clog the pores so it lets my skin breath. There were few occasions where my skin needed the extra boost and this foundation made me look really awake and gave me this healthy glow. Even that it contains SPF 15 it photographs beautifully. Another this I absolutely love about this foundation is the smell, it kind of smells like my favorite bronzer; Chanel soleil tan de chanel. Rimmel claims that it lasts up to 10 hours and yes it can last up to 10 hours, but you have to make sure your skin is not too oily and that you set it with a powder. Also if you suffer from bits of dry skin, make sure you exfoliate before using this foundation, because it will make them really visible. When it comes to application, I either apply it with my fingers or Real Techniques buffing brush.

Review: Real Techniques Core Collection

If you have any interest in make up at all then you probably heard about two extremely talented make up artists and stunning sisters Samantha and Nic Chapman also known as Pixiwoo. About a year ago Samantha has released collection of make up brushes called Real Techniques. I wanted them brushes since they first came out, however let's just say that I'm not a big fan of online shopping and I have to look and feel before I buy. However about two months ago Sam has announced that they will be available in Boots in UK. Basically I had no excuse not to buy them. So I walk into the store and go straight to the make up brushes section and what I see, one last set, the Core Collection, looking at me and screaming: buy me buy me!!! Ok maybe I'm exaggerating but I got the last set. You can imagine my excitement. So I got home, opened the box and thats when it hit me, those are the softest brushes I ever touched, and I'm not talking MAC 109 or MAC 150 or even MAC 187 soft, but 1000 times softer.

The whole set is very easy on the eye, the brush ferrell is made out of yellow/gold looking metal and rest of the handle is black rubberised plastic, similar to NARS eyeshadows and blushers/bronzers packing. The set comes with a brush case/stand which I don't use, but I think it would be perfect for traveling. I have to admit that since I got this set I practically stopped using other face brushes that I own.

The Core Collection consists of four brushes:

Detailer brush: I have to say that this is the smalles and most precise concealer brush ever, its just amazing for very precise spot concealing or defying and shaping eyebrows with concealer.

Pointed foundation brush: I'm not a big fan of classic foundation brushes, but this is an exception due to the size of it, again it's much smaller than other brushes of this kind. Personally I love using this brush to apply concealer under my eyes and around my nose/mouth.

Buffing brush: Best foundation brush I ever used. I love love using this brush to buff liquid and powder foundations into my face. You literally get a pixel perfect finish with this brush with any foundation or powder. Also its perfect for applying and blending bronzer, both cream and powder. I can do my whole face make up with this brush, right from base, foundation to blush and bronzer. It's my favourite brush from the whole set. I really like the fact that it doesn't absorb any product which means that you don't waste anything and its easy to clean.

Contour brush: Love love this brush for applying both cream/liquid and powder blush but also its perfect for blending concealer under my eyes.

As you can see, I absolutely love this brush set. I have tried many different brushes before(Mac, Dior, ELF, EcoTools, etc) and since I'm really hard to please when it comes to brushes I always find something that I don't like about specific brush, but I just can't say a bad word about Real Techniques brushes. And it gets even better, the Core Collection set is only £21.99. That works out about £5.50 for one brush. B-A-R-G-A-I-N!!! Let's be real, theres no way you gonna find similar quality brushes at this or lower price anywhere else.

More informations:

http://www.realtechniques.com/

UK and international Stockists:

Boots

love-makeup.co.uk

cocktailcosmetics.co.uk

beautychamber.co.uk

BB Creams

There seems to be this BB Cream craze going on around. It seams like every week a make up company is brining out another amazing BB Cream that claims to get rid of wrinkles and cure ance. Let's be real, none of this is true. So what is a BB Cream? Basically its a repackage tinted moisturiser with a bit more coverage and in some cases higher SPF. At least thats what the Western BB Creams are, I can't really say anything about the Asian once, since I haven't tried them. Ok straight to the point, I absolutely freaking love BB creams, I think they are amazing just for an everyday wear. Personally they give me just enough coverage, evening out my skin tone and covering minor imperfections. Also they are great for the days when I need to leave house really quickly and I don't have even a minute to do my make up. Days like this I literally spray my face with some toner, apply my BB cream, fill in my eyebrows with a pencil and I'm good to go. I find that on days when my skin feels normal or bit oily I can use just the BB Cream without using any moisturiser under it or powder over it and my skin looks flawless. I have to admit that I only tried three BB Creams.

The first one was the Garnier BB Cream however I only tried it out in the store on the back of my hand and decided to stay away from it as far as possible. Why? Because of the horrible orange colour and the weird scent. No thank you!!!

17 BB Creams has to be one my favourite make up products of all times simply because it gives a very nice medium but very natural coverage. Also unlike other BB Creams or tinted moisturisers I find that it has a very nice thick texture, but not too thick, its really easy to apply and it actually sits on the skin rather then absorb completely, however it still looks like I have nothing on and it gives this blurred smooth effect on the skin. Its really hard to explain but it just makes you look flawless.

No7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream for Dry Skin...hmm, I have used this for about 3-4 months now and I still have very mixed feelings about it. One day it just looks amazing and the next day it looks very oily in my t-zone and dry and chalky everywhere else. I think thats due to the light creamy texture. If you have any dry skin bits this will make them show which can be very annoying. Coverage wise, it gives a very natural medium coverage, like it covers any redness on my cheeks but it dosen't cover my post ance hyperpigmentation. Also this comes in three versions for Dry/Very Dry, Normal/Dry and Normal/Oily skin

Just one more thing, both the No7 and 17 BB creams will flash back in photography because they have SPF 15 in them.

Garnier BB Cream £9.99 Available from Boots and Superdrug
17 BB Cream £6.99 Available from Boots
No7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream £12.95 Available from Boots


So thats just my ramble on BB Creams, I hope this helped you somehow and let me know what you think about BB Creams, are they your must have or are going to pass on them. Let me know below :-)

The night when I met Marilyn Monroe and OOTN

Yesterday I attended a private viewing of exclusive collection of photographs ranging from Marilyn Monroe’s early years as an aspiring actress through to her rise to international stardom. The event took place at Getty Images Gallery at Westfield Stratford City. It was an amazing evening, filled with glamour, great wine and great music. Also there was even a chance to meet a Marilyn look alike. Below are some photos from the event.

Dress code for the night was glamorous. I decided to keep it simple with a classic white shirt and a bow tie. I also added purple scarf for a bit of colour. Since it was bit chilly I had to wear a coat. 

With coat.

Without coat.

I also wore my favourite watch of all time by Accurist.

Shoes.

  

Shirt and blazer - H&M

Trousers, coat and shoe - Primark

Scarf - Hugo Boss

Bow tie - Tiger

Watch - Accurist

TAG:Seven Deadly Beauty Sins

GREED

Most Inexpensive and Expensive Product?

Most inexpensive products has to be an MUA eyeshadow in shade 19 which I love and their two brow pencils, they are a £1 each from Superdrug, the pencils are really soft and very waxy so they fill in and set my eyebrows at the same time. 

Most expensive? It would be either Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel Bronze Universal or MAC 187 brush.

WRATH

What products do you have a love/hate relationship?

Has to be anything thats from MAC, one day I love their foundation and the next day I hate it. But I think that depends on what my skin is like, I find that they MAC foundations don't adapt to a certain skin texture. Same with the brushes one day they work like a charm, next day they shed like crazy.

What has been hardest to find?

I generally don't have a problem with finding the products I want and since I live in UK I have access to all of the major brands and products. But if I have to pick one product that has been hardest to find it would probably be Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation, and it wasn't the foundation its self that was hard to find, but the lightest shade, I went into five different stores before I found one that had my shade in stock (100 Ivory).

GLUTTONY

What are the most delicious beauty products?

I have no idea because I don't eat beauty products.

SLOTH

What beauty products do you neglect due to laziness?

Face masks, body scrubs and body lotions/butters.

PRIDE

What beauty products gives you most confidence?

Foundation, its just covers any imperfections that I want to cover and creates an blank canvas for make up.

LUST

What attributes do you find attractive in the opposite sex?  

How is this question even related to beauty?!

ENVY

What item would you most like to receive as a gift?

Perfumes, especially Prada Infusion D'Hommes or one of the Tom Ford fragrances.

Prada Phone by LG

As I'm due to upgrade my phone really soon I have started by looking at all different smartphones that are available on the market at the moment, but this one in particular caught my eye. Why? Simple, its Prada baby! This is the third time that Prada has collaborated with LG to create a phone. At first when I heard about this phone I just said to my self; yet another nice looking phone with crapy features. But oh boy, I was wrong, this baby is running the latest version of Android Gingerbread (I love that name; Gingerbread) Let's have a look what Prada claims about this phone:


"Prada and LG unveil a new smartphone
The Prada Phone by LG 3.0 boasts a 1.0GHz Dual-Core/Dual-Channel architecture for high-speed performance, and dual-band wi-fi for high-speed surfing. Prada Phone by LG 3.0 comes equipped with an 8MP camera and up to 8 GB of user memory for user enjoyment.
The Prada Phone by LG 3.0 boasts a package of desirable features.
The device has the LG’s High Brightness NOVA Display at 800-nit, with a 4.3inch screen.
The device is amongst the slimmest at 8.5mm.
Equipped with Android’s Gingerbread OS, with an upgrade to Android’s Ice Cream Sandwich, users will enjoy full access to Android’s Marketplace.

Design
A simple sketch was the inspiration behind what has become an elegant concept, story and product.
Prada has worked hand- in -hand with LG to deliver the world’s most stylish smartphone, tailored to a discerning, fashion-conscious audience.
Details are important and the Prada Phone by LG follows a long tradition of aesthetic codes and craftsmanship that is at the heart of all Prada products. The Saffiano leather on the back cover of the phone is reminiscent of Prada’s leather goods and provides a stunning contrast to the chromed metal present on the phone’s frame and camera."
  

As you can see from the pictures this is very Prada, its simple and elegant. I really like how theres no buttons under the screen, just touch buttons. My main concern is the Black and White interface, its nice but as far as I know theres no option to switch to a colour version of the interface if you want to. Overall I think that  this is a very nice smartphone. Will I get it? I'm still not sure.

All images and description comes from:

www.pradaphonebylg3.com