Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

Ever since Bioderma rocked the beauty world, micellar waters have been a big thing. Gone are the days of faffing with make-up wipes and creamy cleansers that left our skin feeling tacky and gave us a host of blemishes in the morning. With Bioderma being such an expensive, pain in the bum to get hold of, the UK market has seen it's fair share of competitors jumping on the gap in the market. I decided to give Garnier's offering a whirl and here are my thoughts.

 

 

The micellar water is hosted in a generous 400ml bottle which claims to give you 200 uses of product. I wouldn't say that's too accurate and you will go through a couple of soaked cotton pads to remove a face of make-up. Although it lasted me a good few months with everyday use. The bottle is plastic with a flip cap to prevent leaking, I carry mine around in suitcases weekly to and from university and have yet to experience any spillage despite getting bashed about! So how does it work? Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water contains micelles which act like magnets, gently lifting away makeup and impurities from the skin, without the need to rub or rinse.  The formula is suitable for the face, eye area and lips, has no perfume making it suitable for sensitive skin; although more recently they have developed an additional combination and sensitive formula. It retails at £4.99, although it's almost always on offer in most supermarkets and drugstores.

 

 

The product works a dream, even with my daily war paint, a few cotton pads soaked in this gets almost everything off. The formula feels soothing and refreshing on the face, it's hard to believe this isn't just wiping water on your face. It has a slight scent to it that I'm not the biggest fan of, although it's nothing too strong to bother anyone. It doesn't irritate my sensitive skin or cause me to breakout even without cleansing afterwards. This has quickly become my go to make-up remover for those nights where you just don't have the energy to do the whole cleansing routine at the sink but don't want to undergo the dreaded sleeping in your make-up sin. However, on a daily basis I like to also freshen things up a little more by using a facial wash after just to make sure absolutely everything is removed. My first bottle lasted me around 3 months using it everyday and I'm into my second bottle now. A repurchase from me means definitely gets the seal of approval from me and has become part of my staple skincare routine.

 

 

Which micellar water has won over your cleansing routine?

 

L'oreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara

Mascara is easily my favourite piece of make-up. If I could only have one type of make-up for the rest of my life, it would definitely be mascara. A good mascara can completely transform and frame your eyes but the right amount and the right type is different for everyone and can make things tricky. Therefore I'm always on the hunt for a new one, to see what's better in the market. Recently I've been trying out the L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes mascara.

 

 

The mascara comes in four shades; brown, black, extra black and waterproof black. Here I'll be reviewing the black version. It retails for £10.99 in most drugstores. The tube holds a generous 10ml of product which is always pleasing when you wear lashes of mascara daily. The packaging is a gold and black tube, simple but practical in shape and size.

 

 

The mascara wand itself is made out of tiny plastic spikey bristles. L'oreal call the brush 'The Millionizer Brush' which has a multitude of bristles which separate lashes for a fanned-out effect. The Excess Wiper removes excess mascara so that it doesn't overload the lashes and leave clumps. The elastomer applicator is ultra flexible with both long and short bristles to coat each lash evenly from root to tip. I'd say the brush is a medium size which I work with well, too little can take too long to apply and too big can cause mishaps and clean ups.

 

 

The mascara applies lightly due to the filter hole being quite small so one coat will give you naturally fuller looking feathery lashes. However you can also layer up coats to achieve a more dramatic effect. I prefer to use 2 coats on my top and bottom lashes for perfect everyday fuller looking lashes.

 

Overall this is has become a firm favourite in my mascara collection. The brush makes sure clumping isn't an issue at all, the tube seems to hold product well and I haven't experienced the product drying up at all even after several weeks of use. I did however that the mascara worked better once it had been used for a few days first, it can be quite runny and once the tube has been exposed to air through pumping the wand, it does thicken up a little and apply like a dream. I experienced very little fall out throughout the day compared to most other mascaras and no smudging at all despite it not being a waterproof mascara. It still looked as good as it did at the end of the day as it did when it was applied in the morning. Oh and it removes fairly easily too, impressive.

 

 

What are your favourite mascaras from the drugstore?

 

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation

I'm very loyal to my foundation choices and when I finally find something that works with my skin type, I stick to it for months on end. Recently having returned to university, my funds are a little lower than when working full time and when my beloved Clinique foundation came to and end, I thought I'd try out a drugstore alternative. The last time this happened I think I was about 16, so I obviously felt very lost amongst the make-up shelves.

 

Having tried Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation and being left feeling like my face resembled a Edward Cullen in the sun, I was reluctant to try the little glass bottle with the blue top sitting next to it that everyone raves about so much. Rimmel Match Perfection foundation is a light perfecting radiance foundation, promising dewy, traceless coverage which adapts to your skin tone under any light. I usually stay clear from anything remotely dewy and stick to matte formulas as my skin is super oily and most foundations slide after a few hours.

Let's start with the packaging. The little glass bottle gives it a high end feel and is nice and sturdy too. Once you've removed the blue plastic top you are greeted by a lovely blue pump which disperses the foundation easily and mess-free (glorious!) It doesn't look too shabby for drugstore and I'm happy to have it sit on my dressing table. The product comes in the standard 30ml offering and for £6.99, it's reasonably priced, I should expect this to last me a good few months too!

The foundation itself is quite a runny consistency but a little goes a long way, one and a half pumps is enough to cover my whole face. I found it a little sheer on first application but after using it again I found it could be built up to a medium coverage too. I've been lucky enough to have some good skin days recently so it's looked pretty good so far although if you suffer from irritated blemishes often, I probably wouldn't recommend this unless you're armed with a heavy duty concealer too. It applies so easy and effortlessly with or without a brush, it really is seamless and so much easier to work with than other foundations. It is quite a dewy foundation and being oily skinned, I had to powder quite a bit. It also has an SPF of 18 which is a bonus as my moisturiser doesn't have any in it. My shade is 100 ivory which I feel is perfect for me, this is the second lightest shade of the 10.

 

Overall I really do like this foundation, it obviously isn't a match for some high end alternatives but for those on a budget with dry/combination skin, I'd say this was perfect for you. Not the worst foundation for us oily girls as long as your armed with a powder throughout the day although it did last a good 8 hours on a night out recently so it won't be left at the bottom of my make-up bag anytime soon.


Have you tried Rimmel Match Perfection yet?
 

My Burberry

 

Every year for Christmas I dabble in a new fragrance on my wish list. This year's choice was actually my Mom's, after she came home from a shopping trip with a sample of this stuff, I was in love. Without even seeing the price tag or the hype around the stunning and iconic Cara Delevingne and Kate Moss campaign, I already wanted it.

 

 

 

Let's start with the price tag, it's pretty hefty. At £65 for a 50ml bottle it gets put on the 'I love this stuff but will treat it like gold dust and never be able to repurchase it myself' shelf. However, being a Eau de Parfum makes it much more intense and long lasting meaning a few sprays will see you through the whole day and still be sitting happily on your skin in full song by the end of it. It is very beautiful combination of floral with a warm earthiness. Inspired by the classic Burberry trench coat and it's heritage of British design and craftsmanship, it's designed based on the scents of a London garden after rain. The scent is described as a grand floral with an expected edge. I prefer to wear the fragrance on special occasions due to it being pricey and quite dense but I'd happily say it's suitable for any age and time of day.

 

Top Notes: Sweet Pea, Bergamot

Heart Notes: Geranium, Golden Quince, Freesia

Base Notes: Patchouli Rain-Tipped Damask, Centifolia Roses.

 

 

The bottle is also beautiful, very simple but classic and tasteful. The bottle itself resembles the Burberry trench perfectly. The little square glass bottle is hosted with gold lettering and a gold spritzer is classic yet effective. The hand tied, taupe English woven gabardine and bottle horn finish cap represent the fabric and buttons on the Burberry trench. Overall everything about the design, scent and aim of the fragrance is perfect and completely representative of the brand. This has quickly became my favourite all time scent and I'm forever receiving complements when wearing it.

 

 

Have you had the pleasure of catching a whiff of the iconic My Burberry fragrance?