Lord & Berry Lip Crayons

Whilst sorting through my make up the other day I realized I was seriously lacking in the lipstick department. I found 2 I really disliked, 1 I like, 1 lipstain I love and discovered my perfect red lipstick has gone for an adventure somewhere unknown. So onto Asos I went, (student discount and free postage - what's not to love), and an hour later I had decided on two Lord & Berry Lip Crayons, in Cherry and in Lust. When first applied they had a lovely sheen to them, however as time went on they looked a lot more matte.

Pros - Both crayons were really easy to apply and  just glided on. They were really pigmented and gave a lovely coverage. It is very light to wear and didn't smudge too much once on, apart from when I ate a tortilla wrap for lunch! They didn't dry out my lips and I love the even colour it gives me.

Cons-  I would say the colour lasted between 2 - 3 hours and then needed a top up, which isn't great, but after that time there was still some colour on my lips, it has just faded a little (one of my friends thought even then that it still looked better than her lip stain). 

Overall - Although it didn't last as long as some lipsticks, it was so easy to touch up that I can't really complain and I could of carried on for a few more hours, with just a more muted shade of the same colour if I really didn't have a spare 5 minutes to fix it.  I think they are totally worth the £8 pricetag and I just found out they come in a lot more colours than I realised! My christmas wishlish has just got a bit bigger...

Update: woke up in the morning after committing a skin sin and forgetting to remove my lip colour before going to bed and still had a fair amount of colour, confusingly even though i  reapplied it in the morning, 3 hours later after my lecture, the colour hadn't held as much. I blame my water bottle... 

Cherry is a gorgeous vintagey blue toned red, looking a bit more matte after an hour on.

I look a bit messier, because its the evening and my hair just likes to do its own thing by the end of the day.

Lust is a pop arty pink.

Lust looking shiny when first applied.

Has anyone tried any of the other colours? What do you think?

My Gorgeous rottie definitely thinks I should be paying attention to him, so I'm off to fuss over him. Night!

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream Review

When BB's really hit off, I wasn't really sure what they were about and what the fuss was about. However lots of free samples could be ordered online, so I tried a couple of different ones out and this is the one I ended up liking most.

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB makes these claims -

Your 8-in-1 Skin perfector :

* Imperfections look blurred

* A Natural Looking Glow

* Fresh Feel

*Compliments skin tone

*Skin looks smooth

* Hydrates

* Protects with SPF 30

*Oil-Free, Non Greasy

Now what particularly took me was that is has SPF 30,  I burn easily. Really easily. Skiing holiday with factor 50? Still burnt.  So being able to put this product on and then not worry as much about my face burning in the rare glimpses of english sun/ever present UV rays is a bonus - no premature wrinkling or leathery skin for me please. However I wasn't convinced that BB creams were anything more than glorified tinted moisturizer. 

However it was much more pigmented than a tinted moisturizer and therefore gave more coverage. I liked how it blended onto my skin easily and that it left my skin feeling soft. Compared to a liquid foundation, which can sometimes feel heavy on the skin, this was just like putting on some moisturizer and it soaking in. It leaves your skin looking a bit dewy and like you haven't got much/any make up on. 

The only problem was that although the coverage was good to start with, covering blemishes and redness, that after a little while, the few spots I had (urghhh my skin drives me mad!) , were visible again. Also the BB creams come in a limited number of colours, so whilst this colour matches most of my face, where I am extra pale around my jaw line, you could see a colour difference.

It retails for around £7 which really isn't that bad and you can get it at Boots, Superdrug, large supermarkets etc. so it is pretty easy to get your hands on. 

Pros - Left skin feeling soft and moisturised, protects skin with SPF 30, gives a light - medium cover without a heavy make up feeling.

Cons - Doesn't offer heavy / all day coverage for spots or darker blemishes. May need topping up as the day goes on. Limited colour options.

Overall - 7/10.   If used alongside a little concealer, or if your skin is fairly clear but maybe just a little uneven, then this product is fab. A great multipurpose cream, that makes your skin look just that bit better without heavy make up. Mine has definitely been my summer saviour and even on a student's budget it's affordable (mine seems to be endless!).

   

What do you think of BB creams? Which is your favourite?

   

Lush Henna Review

My hair is brown, in the summer it looks a tiny bit more multi-tonal, however it is still brown. Now i like being a brunette however i get a little bored of my hair sometimes, especially recently as it seems to have lost its shine and looks very dull. I have tried normal dyes before but hate having it grow out when I want my natural colour back, plus my hair is often pretty dry at the ends and dyes usually make this worse!  So when I came across a big bar of smelly green stuff when wandering around Covent Garden Lush I was intrigued. Henna works differently to hair dye, it doesn't penetrate your hair but rather sits on top of the hair. So after a quick discussion with one of the assistants, I decided on a block of caca marron (and yes it means poo … apparently they chose it to light heartedly point out that it is all natural), as i was too chicken to try caca rouge, a much brighter red apparently . Upon returning home I was pleased when i read the label to see that the ingredients are all natural, which again made it even more appealing – being bought up by a mum who loves organic and natural products does rub off on you a bit!

Admittedly the lighting was a lot brighter in the second photo, so my hair does look more reflective, but the colour difference was pretty shocking.

Now i must admit i wrote this post ages ago and didn't publish it, as i was saving it for this new blog. However this allows me to give some perspective into what my hair was like over the following months. I would say the henna lasted 6 weeks at its optimum, though this may vary on your routine; how often you wash it and what products you use. I tried to reduce the amount of  shampoo and conditioner I used as i was surprised how red the water was when i washed my hair. I also found more natural shampoos/conditioners worked best. Also because it actually takes far more effort to get the henna that hasn't dyed your hair off , than it does to wash a normal dye out - some henna may continue to come off in the next few washes/the colour may fade a little. What I liked though that instead of having to grow it out, it eventually faded, but even then i was left with much nicer looking multi-tonal hair.

Pros - At £7.75 for a block i was able to dye my hair twice and have over three months of gorgeous looking hair and even after this my hair remained shinier and nicer than before the henna. I have also had loads of compliments about my hair looking so healthy and shiny. Even my split ends don't look so bad!

Cons - Henna stains everything... your clothes, your towels, any surface it touches - so stockpile those old newspapers. Be careful and henna proof your house! Also you have to leave it on for quite a while (minimum of three hours, with some recommending you leave it overnight). You also have to chop/grate, mix into hot water etc... it takes more effort and time than a usual dye. There are also limited colours and you can never be 100% how it will come out on your own hair as condition can affect the colour - so do a few test strands first!

 Overall I give Henna 8/10, it gives your hair amazing shine and you get a vibrant colour as well as improved condition, without chemical damage to your hair. However I would recommend dedicating at least 5 or 6 hours to hennaing (preparing, colour developing and cleaning!), which isn't as convenient as other dyes.

P.S. Don’t skimp of plastic gloves, i have looked like an oompa loompa from the wrist down for two days now.

 This is after a lot of scrubbing and washing… and the henna was only on my hand for about 6 minutes!

   

Let me know if you give Caca Marron or any of the other colours a try - and if you manage to avoid making a mess.

Hello World

Hello World!

She wore sparkles is a new blog, covering beauty, fashion and lifestyle

run by sisters - Maddy & Gem.

With impartial reviews, recipes and lots of other bits and bobs, we hope you enjoy!