REVIEW: Vichy's Normaderm Tri-Activ Anti-Perfection Hydrating Care Moisturiser

What is it?

To simplify the title (which is a bit of a mouthful), it's a new daily moisturiser by Vichy's that has been designed to help problem prone skin.

How is it different to other daily moisturisers?

Hydra-peel technology – a unique association of acids in a highly hydrating care:

•       LHA, a L’Oréal patented acid helps micro-exfoliate the surface of the skin for a smoother surface and a uniform complexion.

•       Salicylic acid targets the pores helping to break down blackheads and whiteheads by gently micro-exfoliating the top layer of skin and clearing blocked pores. Salicylic acid also has antiseptic properties to cleanse the skin to help stop recurrence of blackheads.

•       Glycolic acid, the most common of the AHA’s is an all-natural derivative of sugar cane. Glycolic acid naturally exfoliates the skin and helps reduce the bacteria causing imperfections.

These three acids work in conjunction to target blemishes, black heads and open pores.  

Why was I excited to try this moisturiser?

When I get stressed...I get spots! From there, everything goes downhill. I get blackheads, blemishes, excess oil... and the list goes on! 

When I'm suffering from a breakout, my skin tends to become very sensitive to products I put on my face. This of course makes the situation worse, so there's just no winning! I think it's safe to say I was excited to give this moisturiser a go and see what it could do for me.

As for what the moisturiser contained, I'd previously read alot about Salicylic acid and it's benefits, so I was looking forward to seeing the results.

What's my verdict?

I used this moisturiser once a day(as recommend) for a week before I saw any results, but the results I did see were positive.  I found that the texture of my skin was alot smoother and my face would stay matte for longer throughout the day. Little bumps and blackheads around my nose has smoothed out and disappeared, which in turn helped even out my skin tone.

I didn't see a reduction or notice any fading of the blemishes on my face which was slightly disappointing as it's probably my biggest problem, but it certainly ticked the boxes for everything else.

Due to the texture of the cream being almost like a serum and not at all greasy, this moisturiser was perfect to use underneath foundation and so doubled up as a makeup base. As soon as applied, it left a smooth, matte finish.

Would I recommend it?

Yes I would. it helped me achieve a healthier appearance to my skin and it wasn't at all greasy or thick.

You can find the Vichy's Normaderm Tri-Active Anti-Perfection Hydrating Care Moisturiser in Boots and it retails for £11.50.

Disclaimer: I was sent this product for consideration to review. All opinions given are my honest opinions.

ROSA X

Models Own Nail Polishes

As many of you will already know, Models Own recently had a 50% off sale on their website to celebrate reaching 10,000 likes on facebook. Having read alot of reviews on their nail polish, I was eager to try them out for myself and get my hands on some lovely and unique colours! 

I decided to pick up five nail polishes...

From left to right:

GUN GREY 

IN THE NAVY 

PURPLE GREY

NUDE BEIGE

SLATE GREEN

They arrived yesterday, so I've had a bit of time to play around with them.  I did initially find the application a little difficult. I found that the handle to which the bristles are attached to seemed to pick up too much polish. So whilst I was painting my nails, it would slowly run down and land on my nail, resulting in a bit of a mess. Once I realised that was the constant problem, it was no bother to wipe the handle aswell as the bristles on the bottle before I started painting.
This problems only occurs with two out of the five polishes, the others were great, and all five of them left a lovely finish with no streaking.

  On a slightly more positive note,I'm really happy with all the colours I picked and I know I will definitely be picking some more up in the near future :)

Sometimes it can be difficult to find a drugstore brand (Models Own nail polishes and cosmetics are sold in Boots) that have a large range of unique and interesting colours. I've been looking for a deep, dark, glossy navy shade with a creme finish for ages and I think I've finally found it in the shade 'In the Navy'

I would absolutely love Models Own to come out with a dark forest green shade. Something Similar to ORLY'S 'Enchanted Forest' or American Apparel's 'Hunter'

Having said that, for now I have a long list of existing colours I want to get my hands on!

What is your favourite nail polish by Models Own?

ROSA x

Barry M Nail Paints and my second Sleek Palette!

My Barry M nail paint's collection is growing fast!  Since I blogged about the shade 'Mushroom' a couple of weeks ago, I've got my hands on two more shades. Superdrug had a 2 for £5.00 offer, what was I supposed to do?!

The two shades I picked up were 'Racing Green', a colour that I've had my eye on for ages, and 'Vivid Purple'

I'll post pictures once I've had a chance to wear them :)

Whilst sorting out my makeup storage, which is still a mess by the way, I can across my Sleek Storm Palette. I had really forgotten how much I loved that palette. The shadows are so soft and pigmented, I'm definitely going to start using it more often. Anyway, so whilst in Superdrug I decided to pick up the original palette, It was between that and the sunset palette, but the original had a greater variety of colours. I'm sure I'll end up picking them all up soon enough!

i decided not to do swatches, only because they can be found on many blogs already. But if you do want to see swatches, just let me know.

I'm really excited to use the greens. I think they will look really lovely when creating a green smokey eye.

I wish sleek would bring back some of their limited edition palettes such as safari and jewel, I 'd love to get my hands on them!

Whats your favourite eyeshadow palette by Sleek? and what else do you recommend by them? I'm really interested to try some other makeup items by the brand.

ROSA X

Neutrogena Skincare

Two skincare items by Neutrogena:

1.Visibly clear 2 in 1 wash and mask

2.Visibly clear triple action lotion.

Are both staples in my skincare routine. Not that I have a set routine, because I'm still searching for new products that truly work for me. These however I always find myself coming back to time and time again.

I mainly use the first one as a mask only, as a prefer to use a face wash that contains exfoliating beads. When used as a mask, I find that it really helps to clean out my pores and leaves my skin glowing and feeling clean. I try to apply this mask to my face once a week, and in doing so, I have really noticed a reduction in black heads and just a generally improvement in the way my skin looks and feels! This products retails for around £3-4... completely worth it in my opinion!

To date, I have probably gotten through 6/7 bottles of the triple action cleansing lotion. I use it to take off my make up, re freshen up my face, clean out my pores etc. etc. etc.
I just love this thing! It leaves such a clean feeling on the skin and on top of that it retails for about £2.99! You can't go wrong!

What skincare items do you love?

The Obsession Continues...OPI

I recently went ahead and ordered some more OPI nail polishes.

Seriously

I'm obsessed!

I want to own every single bottle! Too bad the retail price in the UK is so high (£9.95 per bottle), I'll just have to settle for purchasing a couple of bottles now and again! Just so you know... I didn't pay retail price for these, I ordered them for a slightly cheaper price online. I don't think I can quiet justify 10 pounds on a nail polish yet!

Anyway back to the point... my recent purchase consists of:

1.Here Today, Argon Tomorrow...SUEDE (new shade for fall/winter)

2.Catch Me In Your Net (Summer Flutters Collection 2010)

3.My Private Jet (Night Brights 2007)

4.Holiday Glow (Holiday Collection 2009)

4,3,2,1

1. The finish on this one is sooo cool! Seriously. Google it! I'll definitely blog about it when I have it on again, it's just not that summery. I'll be getting more use out of this in winter. I'm really interested in trying a couple of the other shades in the suede finish... I like!

2.This is amazing! you can't help but stare at your hands when this is on your nails. I'll have to show you to explain it properly, but it has tiny glass flecks that reflect the light in an array of colours....like blue, green and yellow. It reminds me of a mermaid :)

3.The famous My Private Jet...There are supposedly 4 different versions of this. The original being the best and very hard to find. The original is described as a charcoal grey with a holo finish. The other 3 lack the holo finish, and instead have one colour shot through it. Mine has a bronze shade shot through it. It would be nice to get the original, but I love this one too.

4. I was really excited to get my hands on this one because it's really hard to find as it was limited edition a while back. It's a really pretty brown/dark burgundy shade with tiny particle of gold and red glitter.

 

Just in case your interested, Here's a recent NOTD using an OPI polish. I first painted my nails with 2 coats of 'mushroom' by BarryM and then i added a coat of 'Wing It' by OPI which is also from the new Summer Flutters 2010 Collection.

See what I mean about the little glass fleck particles? Very cool!

 

What is your favourite OPI polish?

ROSA x

Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liners

I recently purchased two Creaseless Cream shadow liners by Benefit and thought I'd do a little review on them. The two shades I got were Stiletto, a cool maroon/burgundy shade and Pre-nup, a shimmery, corally pink shade.

 

L-R: PRE-NUP, STILETTO

I've used both as a wash of colour on the eyelid by themselves, but also underneath eyeshadow to help intensify the colour and make my eye makeup last all day. The texture of these cream eyeshadows is so lovely. Both are buttery smooth and glide onto the skin. Once applied, they dry very quickly, leaving a satiny finish and a great base for eye shadows to grab onto.

I like the versatility of the product. Even though I havent tried it yet, I'm sure Stiletto would look lovely when used as an eyeliner! *makes a note to try that soon!*

 

The first time I wore Stiletto, I was really pleased with how it made my eye makeup last. It stayed intense and didn't crease all day! However on other occasion's when I've used pre-nup, which is a more wearable, everyday colour, I have noticed creasing after about 2 hours. 

I then realised that these have to be applied in a specific way if you want them to be used as an eyeshadow base. It's best to apply a fine layer of product onto the eyelid, rather than loading on the cream shadow. I found that using a brush rather than my fingers helped to distribute the products finely and evenly over my eyelid and helped my eye makeup last alot longer.

The down side about this product is the price. They retail for £14.00 per pot. For me thats definitely a little on the pricey side, especially considering that a paint pot by MAC is cheaper than that. Having said that, I haven't ever tried a paint pot by MAC, so these may well be better quality.

I also think that the colour range of the creasless cream shadows is quiet limited. There are a couple of standout shades such as stiletto, but the majority seem to be similar neutrals.

I would love to try more creaseless cream shadows by Benefit, but as I said, if one thing puts me of it's the price. 

I think I might just try a paint pot by MAC next and see how that compares.

Have you tried the creaseless cream shadow/liners by Benefit? What do you think?

ROSA x

HAUL: Smashbox, L'Oreal

I only own a couple of Smashbox products, but so far I've loved everything I've tried by the brand. I wanted to try a couple more things, so recently placed an online order. I also wandered into Boots last week... and failed to come out empty handed.

From Smashbox I got:

A Travel size foundation brush

 Softlights Blush Duo in 'Casting Filmmaker'

 I havent had a chance to use this properly yet,  but from swatching it, the colours seems really pretty, and the texture is so soft and smooth.....buttery smooth :)

Eye and Cheek Fusion in 'On in 5'

I love multi-purpose products. This can be used as individual eyeshadows, or swirled together as a blush/highlighter. The colour on the picture above doesn't really show up, but in reality it's a lovely peach/bronze shade. I've used this a couple of times, and it's really lovely. Definitely a 'go to' blush for me.

from Boots I picked up the new mascara by L'Oreal.

Now I like this mascara, but I don't think it's amazing. The brush can feel quiet harsh on my eyes, so after a while I sort of give up applying it. I'm trying to keep in mind that most of the time I change my opinion on mascara's. For example, when I first purchased Maybelline's false lash effect I hated it, but now I love it! So I'll let you know what I think in a couple of weeks.

Have you tried this mascara? What do you think?

THANK YOU for reading :) 

ROSA X

Little BarryM Haul

I recently popped into boots and came away with a couple of Barry M goodies. Being a big fan of the nail paints, I was keen to try other talked about products by the brand, and so I decided to pick up a lip gloss in the shade coral (11). Even though I hadn't heard much about this particular shade ( I think it's new) after swatching it ( and smelling it, it reminds me of ice lollies!) I new it had to be mine.

What's great about this lip gloss is the consistency. It has a jelly like formula which makes it non sticky and super shiny. At £4.25 per gloss, it's definitely worth a try! I know I'll be picking some more up in the near future.

The next thing I picked up was a Kohl eyeliner in a really pretty purple/lilac shade. I'm really liking adding a bright colour just below my lower lashes. It's a quick and simple way to make my eye's stand out with minimal effort. This shade really suit my dark brown eyes, and was completely worth it at only £2.95.

Like I said, I'm already a huge fan of Barry M nail paints, so I decided to add another one to my growing collection. I've always liked the dirty/ murky brown nail polish trend, but I've never tried one out for myself. I got home and applied 'mushroom' to my nails and guess what? I love it! I think it looks really sophisticated and is a shade that suits my skin tone. I hate it when a polish looks lovely in the bottle, but horrible again my skin colour!

What products have you been loving lately my Barry M?
Rosa x

JAZZED vs. NYX Pumpkin Pie

I know everyone has been talking about Jazzed from the recent 'In the Groove Collection' by MAC, but I haven't had my say on it yet! Basically, I love it! :) I didn't initially pick it up when I went to my local MAC counter to have a look at the collection. Then I only came away with Stereo Rose (I think I've mentioned stereo rose in almost every post I've done since I got it! What can I say! I like it!). However, I was lucky enough to get my hands on Jazzed before I went on holiday at duty free.

Believe it or not, this is my first MAC lipstick. I've never really been big on lipstick and therefore have never had the desire to spend £12-13 on one. Let me tell you, that has now changed! After loving the finish, texture, scent, quality etc. of Jazzed, I've now got a list as long as my arm of MAC lipsticks I want to try!

So we've cleared up that I'm a fan of Jazzed, but like I mentioned, a MAC lipstick is somewhere between £12-13. That's certainly not cheap, so I thought I'd compare it to a couple of other lipsticks I already have in my collection.

L-R: NYX PUMPKIN PIE, JAZZED BY MAC, APRICOT BY SMASHBOX

Let me start of by saying that pumpkin pie is definitely not a dupe, however I do think it's a good, cheaper alternative if that's what your looking for. The finish is more matte and it has a browner undertone than jazzed, but on the lips I find that it gives a somewhat similar appearance.

As you can see from the pictures the smashbox lipstick is in the same family, but it's alot more intense. This was my 'go to' colour on holiday.

What's your favourite MAC lipstick? I might just added it to my ever growing list! 

ROSA X

Temporary Make up Storage

I've never had a nice, organised way to store my makeup, but as my collection has steadily grown over the year, I've wanted to find a way to get it all organised, making it easier to find products etc.

I picked up three of the little white drawers pictured above for £1.99 each. Even though I'm okay with the way it looks for now, I know I'm going to have to change my set up very soon.

One because all the drawers are full and I still have a bunch of stuff I need to store away! 

and two because I don't like them very much! I picked them up without thinking about it much... big mistake.

So, I guess this is my new 'temporary' make up storage. I have to say...It's much better than having everything just piled into a shoe box!

That was a nightmare!

On top of the mini drawers, I keep products that I use alot but can't fit in the drawers on the left. My brushes are in the middle, and all my nails inc. nail polishes on the right.

The first drawer on the left contains mainly face/base products. The first section has all my bare minerals products, the middle sections has bronzers, concealers and a tinted moisturiser, and the last section has cheek products in it.

The middle drawer contains eye products. the first and middle section house my eye shadows, eye bases, eye pencils, eye liners and pigments. The last section contains mascaras.

The last draw on the right contains mainly lip products. The first section consists on lipsticks, the middle sections consists on lipglosses and the last section contains palettes and random items that couldn't fit any where else!

Like I said, these drawers don't hold all of my makeup, so I've just stored items that I use.

I would really like it if you could link me to your make up storage posts if you've done any, so I can get ideas on how to next store my makeup  :)

Rosa x

EGYPT Sharm El Sheikh

For the past week, I've been in Egypt (hence the quiet blog) and to be more specific I went to Sharm El Sheikh.

To cut to the point, I had an amazing time and I already want to go back! On our last day it was around 47 degrees, but since I landed back in England it's been raining non-stop! Good old English weather hey! I hope it brightens up soon.

Anyway, I guess this is sort of an update post, I'll do a 'proper' one soon, showing you what I bought and pictures etc..

Have you ever been to Sharm? What did you think?

ROSA X

OPI Summer Flutters Collection 2010 - WING IT!

After wanting to try OPI nail polishes for a while, I finally took the plunge and order two bottles. So far I love them! The brush makes the application really easy, and the formula of both are really lovely.

One of the polishes I picked up was from the new  OPI Summer Flutter Collection called 'Wing it!'

It's a shade that's just perfect for summer! However my picture doesn't capture the true beauty of this polish, in person it's alot brighter, and looks more shocking pink than red (something I was a little disappointed about). It's shot through with a blue and gold duochrome which looks amazing when it catches the sun.

I now want to get my hands on the blue/green polish from the same collection... It has the same sort of finish, but alot more intense... check out swatches and you'll see what I mean!

Anyway, that's it for now... let me know what you think! What's your favourite OPI nail polish? I seriously want them all!

ROSA x

STEREO ROSE Comparisons

Before the long awaited Stereo Rose was re-released, the shade I thought it would be was completely different to what it actually is.

After looking at online swatches, I was convinced it would be just like a Blush and Brighten by Laura Geller in the shade Apricot Berry. Like mineralized skinfinishes, blush and brightens are baked products, starting their life as a liquid which are then baked for 24 hours on a terracotta pan.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the two products were completely different in both shade and finish/ texture. However, after swatching Stereo Rose when I got home, the finish reminded me of Coralista by benefit.

So I thought I'd do a comparison of all three side by side. It proves to me that stereo rose was worth the money and it's nothing like any other product that I own in my collection. Actually, I believe that it would be a good addition to anyone's make up collection. It is truly a unique product in my eyes.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: MAC STEREO ROSE, LAURA GELLER APRICOT BERRY, BENEFIT CORALISTA

 

L-R: LAURA GELLER APRICOT BERRY, MAC STEREO ROSE, BENEFIT CORALISTA

As you can see, Apricot Berry is by far the deepest darkest shade, and it's finish is more matte compared to the other two. Stereo Rose and Coralista have a similar finish, but they are completely different in shade. Stereo rose is more of a true coral shade, whereas Coralista is more pink with coral undertones. Either way I love all three products, but I can definitely see Stereo Rose getting alot of love this summer!

If you would like to see more swatches of Stereo Rose, check out this post (HERE)

Do you think stereo rose is similar to anything you have in your make up collection?

Rosa x

STEREO ROSE - MAC In The Groove Collection

I'm sure you've all heard by now that the famous Stereo Rose mineralized skin finish by MAC, has been re-released in their new collection called In The Groove. Having originally been released in 2005, I'm sure it's been on many wishlists for quiet some time now.

 I don't own alot of MAC products, but when I saw swatches of this particular MSF, it did indeed get me a little excited. I was debating whether to get stereo rose, petticoat or by candlelight, all very popular MSF's that have been released previously.

So I made my way to my local MAC counter yesterday, still undecided on which MSF would be coming home with me, but as soon as I swatched Stereo Rose, I new it was the one I was going to get! It's so pretty!

It's a lovely coral with a slight pink/rose undertone, shot through with shimmery gold and bronze tones.They help leave gorgeous sheen on the face, not glitter or chunky shimmer, but just a nice glow. It's prefect for achieving that glowy/dewy/ healthy look, and it's perfect for the summer.

Here's some swatches... there's quiet a few because I wanted to try and show the true colour. Before this was released, I found that alot of online swatches didn't represent the true colour, so I've tried to take pictures that give a true representation of the product.

I LOVE it and I cant wait to wear it!

I think the MAC In The Groove collection is very impressive, with quiet a few standout products.  I've still got a mini list of items that I want to go back and pick up. they include:

'Jazzed' lipstick (this looks amazing!)

'On the Scene' Cremesheen lipglass

'Fashion Whim'  Cremesheen lipglass

'By Candlelight' MSF

'Petticoat' MSF

Did you pick anything up from this collection?

If I was to get another MSF, which one would you recommend, 'petticoat' or 'by candlelight'?