Hair & Beauty

(*Disclaimer: No ads or affiliate links on this post. I purchased this with my own money)

The scent is very minimal, I had to sniff so hard to smell this product and it only slighty smells like orange which is gone after about 10seconds of applying. Its great to wear on its own or you can wear it as a base for foundation. My personal favourites at the moment is doing my brows and applying some blusher after the spf or applying the Elf Coconut Dewy setting mist for that extra dewiness for my skin.

Its also become a staple product for when I need to run errands for the day and head to the gym afterwards. My skin is left super hydrated and my makeup sits perfect throughtout the entire day.

I decided to pick up the Normal To Combination Skin bottle, mainly because my skin tends to get oily sometimes during the summer time.I also like to have that extra moisture in a bottle as well, especially since I wear a matte finish foundation quite a lot.The other two bottles in this range for other skin types are: 

Its been a very long time since I've purchased a beauty box and it normally takes something that I really like to purchase one.Over a week ago, an advertisement popped up on my Instagram showing this box, and I remember thinking "no way it can't be real", but after inspecting the website and the instagram feed, I purchased one.I actually had no idea what was going to be inside my box, apart from the rose gold mirror, as it was avoidable to not see it on the page.A link was also available to show you what would be inside your box if you couldn't wait to find out.There is also a "Beast" box available too, which I would of happily purchased and reviewed, but the box contains two beard type products, which of course wouldn't work for me as I don't have a beard.Both of the boxes cost £20 each, however the beauty box contains products worth over £80 and the beast box contains products worth over £100.

"Instantly clean, extend your blowout and prevent damage with our transformative dry shampoo.Absorbs product buildup, oil and impurities with translucent powders while soothing scalp and restoring strength and softness.Fragrance-retention technology means our signature scent stays with you all day"

This was the first product that I decided to try, because normally dry shampoo's don't work for me and my thick curly hair.Depending on how my hair wants to be for that week, I sometimes use products that tend to cause a lot of buildup, to keep my hair in certain styles and to have it presentable.I was worried that the translucent ingredient in this bottle, was going to leave my hair with white residue, but surprisingly it didn't.It left my hair extremely soft and manageable, not leaving that sticky feeling that most dry shampoo's do.I don't agree that it restored strength in my hair, because I don't see or feel much of a difference for that, but it has left my hair really soft.The scent is absolutely gorgeous and for me personally its not too overpowering, but it does leave the smell in your hair for at least 5-6hours.I'm going to continue using this dry shampoo to see how well it works alongside my other one, because so far I prefer this one and it would be worth to invest in a bigger bottle if my hair continues to like it.

Next are these 3 skincare products, which I'll start with Gatineau first and then with the two other products

GATINEAU Paris Radiance Enhancing Gommage:

"This gel exfoliator with a luscious pearly orange texture turns to liquid during massage to release its exfoliating ingredients enzymes and AHAs and gently lift off impurities.Your complexion appears brightened and your skin radiant "

I pretty much have normal skin, but when it comes to exfoliators, I have to be super careful as my skin can break out sometimes.I've only ever used 3 exfoliators and one of my favourites was discontinued, so I was really intrigued to see how my skin reacted to this.Firstly the texture of this product that was described as "pearly orange" is very accurate and has little glitter particles inside as well.It smells so amazing too, like sweets in my opinion and I didn't want to take it off as it just smelt too good.It instantly turned to a liquid texture once I massaged it into my skin for 1minute and I left the second minute for it to sit on my face.It was super easy to wash off and left my skin feeling refreshed and looking radiant.I was genuinely surprised on how it actually left my skin so radiant, but for the RRP £35 price tag, then you really are getting what you paid for.I also didn't even need that much to use for the whole of my face, just a small amount that was no bigger than a 5p piece for it to work wonders.I've used it 5times in total now, and not once has it caused my skin to react in any way, so it would be perfect for sensitive skin types.

Caudalie Vinosource Moisturising Sorbet:

"Thanks to its "quick break" technology, this gel-cream turns into water on contact, helping soothe, moisturise and strengthen the skin"

I was really looking forward to reviewing this product but was unable to review it properly due to the amount of product that was inside.The sample bottle states that its 10ml, but I was only able to squeeze/cut out about 3-4ml, so I just used it on my face.This gel/cream does turn to water once you start massaging it onto the skin and smells amazing.It did leave my skin soft, but didn't moisturise my skin as much, but I feel this was due to not having enough product for the whole of my face.I can't really blame Latest In Beauty for this, as its not really there fault, its just a shame that I'm unable to review it fully to let you know my thoughts on this gel/cream.

Roses et Reines Hand and Nail Cream:

"Give your hands a royal treatment with our Roses et Reines Hand & Nail Cream.Enriched with shea butter and vitamin E, this light cream helps nourish, soften and protect the hands while helping to strengthen the nails.Skin is left delicately scented with the velvety, floral fragrance of Roses et Reines, which combines extracts of roses from Grasse, Bulgaria, Morocco and Turkey with a unique rose extract from Haute-Provence

The Roses et Reines collection uses rose extract derived through enfleurage, a traditional process made innovative by the L'OCCITANE research team.The freshest of rose petals are steeped in oil, allowing it to become saturated with the natural fragrance of the rose, resulting in a fruitier scent"

Roses are my favourite flowers, so when I saw the packaging and that it could potentially smell like roses, I was super excited.I'm glad to say that it smells exactly like roses and I found myself constantly smelling the bottle, because I didn't want to waste any cream.Being someone that had never worn false nails, I decided to purchase some to try and to go along with my nail routine.The first lot that I purchased that I got my mum to do for me, ended up leaving my nails really dry.The cheap glue that it came with was peeling, nails kept pinging off and it just left my nails not in a good condition.After removing the majority of the dry glue, I applied a little amount of this cream for my hands and nails, and it left them feeling extremely soft.This time, I decided to try a different brand of false nails to try the next day and of course do them myself.After 30minutes of applying them, I applied some of the cream, mostly focusing around my nail area so it didn't end up like last time.I know my nails aren't "perfect" because it was my first time doing them myself, but you can see how happy my skin looks around the nail area.I'm going to continue to use this, every time I do my nails from now on.

Burt's Bees Blush Basin Lipstick:

"Intense colour meets conditioning 8-hour moisture with our natural lipsticks.Full-coverage, vibrant colour in 18shades made with 100% moisturising ingredients like moringa and raspberry seed oils to help soften and condition your lips all day long"

I'm obsessed with lipsticks, and I'm always purchasing at least 2-3 a week to try out.I'm a massive fan of Burt's Bee's, because there products would always help with my dry lips during the winter period.I wasn't even aware that they done lipsticks, so when I saw this in my box, I was shocked and excited to try it out.You get either the shade Sunset Cruise or Blush Basin in your box, depending on stock levels and the little information page about yourself that you fill out.I'm not a huge fan of satin lipsticks, but because these are more based on keeping your lips moisturised for a long period of time, I'm super ok with that.This lipstick is super creamy and I just love how easy it was for it to glide onto my lips.With just one swipe, there is a lot of colour, but you can of course build it up if you want it to be more intense.Depending on what you eat, the colour does begin to fade, however the moisture is still retained on the lips.It smells pretty nice but the scent fades after about 5minutes, but I'm more or less happy with the amount of moisture that it gives you.I upload a picture of me wearing it, its just the lighting hasn't been that good to me recently and I want to show the colour as best I can to you.

SOIGNÉ Betteraves Rouges Nail Lacquer

"Deep and sultry red, this aphrodisiacal colour is the perfect accompaniment to an elegant and stylish wardrobe for the intellectual woman.The men will be falling at your feet" 

Firstly before I go into my review on this nail product, I want to apologise for the state of my short nails.As mentioned earlier on, I tried false nails for the first time, so I had to cut all of my nails extremely short, but anyway back to this nail lacquer.I'm really impressed on the high shine that it gives off and the fact that it hasn't chipped yet, but applying it was a bit annoying.I can't speak for the other shades, but the formula for this shade was quite liquidy and it was hard to apply to the nails without making a mess.Thats the only issue that I have with it, but other than that I love the deep red high shine colour.

Latest In Beauty Gold Compact Mirror:

"This gorgeous limited edition gold compact mirror is an absolute must-have for any glamorous girl's handbag.Ideal for fixing your makeup on the go, it features normal and magnified mirrors on the inside and an elegant rose design on the outside"

This is the first product that I saw on the website, and I remember looking at it thinking "wow thats so pretty, I want one".I love anything rose designed, and this fits perfectly for the Beauty And The Beast theme.The quality of this mirror is pretty good and its already been put in my bag to use when I need to check that I don't have any food around my mouth, because lets be real here, I eat like a horse.On the back of the mirror it has Latest In Beauty, but you know that I mainly use it for the rose design.

I'm extremely impressed with this beauty box and it would make a perfect gift or to treat yourself to some goodies.This has me even more excited for Beauty And The Beast now, and its being released this Friday which I'm so excited for.Let me know if you're going to pick one up and also what you think of them too, I would love to hear your thoughts :) 

I want to apologise firstly on how awful those bags under my eyes look.I got zero sleep because of my anxiety and I was generally just feeling "blargh".The toner does feel lovely and gentle on the skin, despite the really strong perfumed smell.When I first used it, I decided to try it with some makeup that I had on to see how it removed it, but the results weren't that impressive.The second time round, I used it on clean skin and I was really surprised on how much dirt that it removed.My nose area tends to be quite sensitive, and it did feel like it was a little bit irritated, but this is normal for me, so just carried on with my morning routine.To moisturise my skin, I used my L'Oréal Skin Perfection cream, which I 100% swear by as one of the best face creams and finished off with a light foundation.My skin started to feel quite irritated around the nose again later on in the day, but I just decided to ignore it because it wasn't bothering me that much.

The next morning, I touched my face and felt a really horrible pain around my nose area.I looked in the mirror to find a massive boil like spot, and the image above of it was the day after, because it was too ugly to show the full on spot.Although spots are horrible to pop up on the face, I felt this was good because this toner had done its job by removing the "impurities".I'm not joking, the first day that spot popped up, it was extremely painful, like it really did feel like a boil that was ready to explode.I've somehow resisted popping it, because I wanted to see how it went down by itself, and if the toner would aggravate it in any way.I used it again this morning and the although the spot is still sore, its gone down quite a lot.L'Oréal recommend to not use this around the eyes, but of course I didn't see this as I was in a hurry to use it, and surprisingly, it didn't irritate my eye area.I think this is mainly due to how perfumed this is and it wouldn't be a good idea as it could easily irritate the eye area, but in my experience I didn't get any irritation at all.

I removed my makeup last night with the Nivea Double Effect Eye Makeup Remover and removed any dirt with the L'Oréal Micellar Water.My skin was clean and clear, so I was shocked to find this on the cotton pad this morning when I used the fine flowers toner.My skin felt so clean after using it and it was kinda disgusting seeing that dirt on the cotton pad, despite cleaning my face the night before.I know its possible to pick up dirt on your skin while you sleep and it can't be avoided, but I was still surprised on how much dirt was on that cotton pad.

To finish off, I went in with my Skin Perfection cream to add that extra moisture and protection to the skin.I've also decided to not wear any makeup today, just so I can give that spot some breathing space, but I did apply some on the day it was a "raging spot" and makeup didn't seem to aggravate it.I'm actually really impressed with this toner, because it really does remove the impurities of the skin and any dirt that you may of thought that you removed.This toner only made me break out with one spot, but I'm ok with that because I'm prone to getting dirt buildup in the pores around my nose area, that anywhere else.Its currently on sale at Superdrug and Boots for £3.99, but I'm still very happy with the £5.99 that I paid for it.If I see any change in my skin, good or bad, I'll make sure to update this blog post to let you know :)

I came across the brand Kiko Milano last month, and it was perfect timing too as they were offering free express shipping.Kiko Milano is an Italian professional cosmetics brand, that specialises in makeup, face and body treatments.What makes it unique is that they've developed products to suit all skin tones and skin types, whilst being at a very reasonable price.For animal lovers, none of there products are tested on animals. YAAAAAAAY!

I was so happy with everything from my first order, I placed a second one straight away.This time I wanted to try out there skincare range, as everything looked very promising.They have 6 ranges for different skin types, so there is something for everyone.I decided to go for the Hydra Pro range, because not only is it designed for moisturising and protecting your skin, but also giving your skin that beautiful natural glow.I purchased 2/5 of this range to start off, to see how well I got on.

The first product I tried was the Hydra Pro Glow, which is a brightening moisturising cream, that protects your skin from oxidative stress and leaves your skin with a healthy glow.The texture is described as pink on the website, but its more of a medium beige colour.This doesn't affect the change of colour on the skin, it mainly gives your skin that glow/shimmery complexion.When applied, my skin soaked up the cream, making it a good base to apply my NARS foundation.My foundation blended in so much better with my Real Techniques Expert Brush leaving me with a smooth and natural glow finish.To finish up the look, I took the champagne eyeshadow I mentioned earlier, and applied a small amount on my eyelids.To highlight my cheekbones slightly, I used the Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit in the shade Summer.For the lips I used MAC's Russian Red for that perfect bold red lip.

This is hands down my favourite moisturiser cream to create that summer/natural glow look, and I only needed two small pumps for my face.Its beautifully scented with musk and rose, which isn't overpowering at all.Its non-comedogenic, which means it won't cause blocked pores and is also paraben free.This cream is currently retailed at £20.90, but is 100% worth every penny and will be lasting me for a very long time considering that I only need two small pumps to moisturise and protect my skin.

Lastly (and I so apologise for this scary mask photo) is the Hydra Pro Mask.This is a lot cheaper, selling at £8.90, which I thought was a pretty good deal.The only other face mask I've used in the past year is Superdrugs own which retails at 49p-89p, so this mask really had to do something amazing for me to repurchase.As with all the Kiko products that I've purchased so far, I'm in love with the packaging with it being very sleek and easily accessible.What attracted me to this mask is that it states it leaves your skin highly luminous and I've never found a face mask in my life that achieves this.I used it for the first time today, using 3pea sized amounts for it to cover my whole face.My face instantly had that cooling sensation and I could feel it working its magic straight away.I kept it on for 15minutes, before removing it with a soaked cotton pad.My entire face was left refreshed, soft and slightly radiant.I haven't felt the need to apply a moisturiser or anything because my skin feels so moisturised, that I don't want to overdo it.The prickly pear extract and shea butter work great together by leaving your skin incredibly soft to touch.This mask is also non-comedogenic and paraben free, whilst also scented with musk and rose too.Although I've had a fairly good result with using it for the first time, I think I need to try it out a few more times until I begin to see a difference as stated on the packaging.

My experience with Kiko Milano has been very positive so far and they're definitely a brand that I'll be recommending to everyone.I love the fact that there products work so much better than other brands that are much more expensive, and the results are fantastic.The customer service is great too (especially on twitter), as they respond fairly quickly and go that extra mile to sort out your problems.The delivery is very quick (even just the standard), and although its stated on there website that standard delivery isn't tracked, I can confirm that it is indeed tracked.Is it worth paying the extra £7 for express delivery?Yes if you want to receive your parcel within 3-5days, but they sometimes do both deliveries free, so its always worth looking out for that offer.Other than that, I'm very happy with Kiko Milano, and cannot wait to purchase more items.If there are any products that you'd like me to review by them, let me know :)