essence multi-action mascara

Meet the Essence Multi Action mascara. This little tube promises to curl, lengthen and give volume to your lashes - pretty bold claims for a product whose price tag is next to nothing.
And yet it delivers, making my eyelashes go from barely noticeable to looking like I've applied falsies. In the comparison photos I've curled my lashes, have two coats of mascara on and brown eyeliner, but my eyelashes seem to be drooping a little in the outer corner whilst wearing my old favourite, the Covergirl Lashblast 24HR mascara - so in terms of curling Essence is on top. I'd say they're on par with the amount of length they give as both manage to make my eyelashes long enough to touch my brows; as for volume, well, I don't know what's in that Essence mascara but oh jeez does it work. The formula is also an intense black, darker than any of my other mascaras and it makes a surprisingly large difference in how much it makes my lashes stand out.

Negatives are that it can flake slightly if I've had a very long day that was filled with constantly rubbing my eyes and falling asleep on public transport. A little bit of smudging is inevitable as well (but really all non-waterproof mascaras smudge on me).

The main problem is Essence aren't sold anywhere in the UK that I know of, and their online presence might as well be nonexistent for the amount of good it does us UK makeup hoarders. I'm going to be a little upset once this tube runs out, and will probably have to seek out some cheap flight to Spain in order to get my mascara fix. So next time you're in country abundant in Essence makeup stands, keep an eye out for the Multi Action mascara. This little guy will no doubt give your favourite mascara a run for its money.

notd | dotty brights

Nails Inc Floral Street | L'Oreal Flashing Lilac*, Banana Pop*, Acid Watermelon* and Wasabi Hint*

As promised, here's some nail art using the L'Oreal Neon Pop collection I reviewed a while back. I was planning on doing french tips in all the different colours, but I got a bit lazy and opted for some simpler dots instead. I used a dotting tool to create the dots, placing about six or seven on each nail. This was also the first time I tried out my mini Nails Inc Kensington Caviar top coat (not pictured) from the Latest In Beauty Ultimate Summer Nails box (IT'S BACK IN STOCK HERE'S THE LINK GET IT NOW GO GO GO) and look how shiny my nails are - even if they are ever so slightly pink-tinged. I think I'm going to have to buy the full size.

My Nails Inc Floral Street has gone a bit gloopy, so I've had to add some nail polish thinner and as a result it's not as opaque as it used to be. I had to layer three coats to get the white to full coverage, and the drying time took so long that I had to wait at least half an hour between applying them - I think it's about time that I went back on the hunt for the perfect white nail polish. Seche's offering looks pretty good, has anyone tried it?

*PR sample.

the haircare heroes

L'Oreal Elnett Satin Hairspray Diamond Hold | Macadamia Natural Oil Control Hairspray* | Lush Coconut Deodorant Powder 
 Schwarzkopf got2b Guardian Angel Heat Protectant | Fudge Urban Sea Salt Texturising Spray | Anti-Frizz by Yuko Leave-In Conditioner*

I'm no haircare expert. My hair is usually the last thing I do before I'm out the door, and more often than not you'll find it in a messy bun or a side braid. That said, when it comes to hair products I know what I like, and that's this lot.

I'm not fussy with my shampoo and conditioner, the Naked shampoos are great for when I can be bothered to seek out SLS free products and the Lush shampoos and conditioners are a firm favourite - especially the honey shampoo, it smells amazing. However when it comes to dry shampoo I get so picky, I really dislike Batiste as it makes my hair feel almost chalky when I touch it and the same is true for the few other dry shampoos I've tried. My alternative is the Lush Coconut Deodorant Powder, which although it's awful at being an actual deodorant, it's rather good at absorbing any excess oil that makes my hair feel greasy without giving that chalk-like texture. I guess it works the same way talcum powder does (but coconut scented, never forget that it's coconut scented).
Leave-in conditioner used to be something that I shied away from, but since trying Yuko's offering my views have changed and I cannot get enough of the stuff. It's heat-activated, so I use it before blow-drying (My heat protectant of choice is the got2b Guardian Angel. It's cheap, cheerful and has a halfway decent spray nozzle, which is all I ask for.) and spray it onto the ends of my hair. As soon as my hair is dry I can see the difference. It leaves my mane feeling so soft, it feels like I've just dipped the ends in a vat of silicon - except my hair doesn't feel weighed down at all. Gold is listed as one of the ingredients too, so uh... that's interesting.
I use the Fudge Urban sea salt spray for when I want my locks to have texture and volume, spraying it in when I'm halfway through blow-drying my hair. It also stops my hair going greasy as quickly when I use it on my roots, which can be a lifesaver if I've got a busy week ahead of me as it means I can go an extra day or two without washing my hair. This works equally well when used on straightened and natural hair for me, on straightened hair it gives the effect of backcombing and used on my natural hair it enhances the slight wave my hair has.

As for hairspray, I have two that I turn to. If I want an extra-extra-extra firm hold, like on the rare occasion that my hair is curled I use the famous L'Oreal Elnett hairspray. But if I just want to tame any flyaways, keep my hair straightened throughout the day or simply if I need a bit o' volume, the Macadamia Natural Oil hairspray works wonders. It doesn't leave my hair feeling crunchy, adds shine and that huge bottle will last me a lifetime. And just look at the packaging.

Do you have a hair product that you can't live without?

*PR sample.

july favourites

Let me introduce you to my new favourite mascara. I wasn't expecting great things when I first tried the Essence Multi Action Mascara out, but it was great things I got. With two coats this does things to my lashes that I didn't know could be done - not only does it lengthen and curl them, but the volume it gives is astonishing. It's like I've put on a pair of falsies. I'll have a full review of this with comparison photos to my old favourite, the Covergirl Lashblast 24HR mascara within the next month.

And no, it's not available in the UK. Sorry.

The Dainty Doll Eyeliner Pencil in Goody Two Shoes has been my go-to eyebrow pencil for a good while now, but recently I've been employing it for its intended purpose (who would've thought it?) and lining my eyes with the pencil. I apply it right inbetween my eyelashes so it gives the effect of full lashes, but isn't at all visible and still looks natural.

I've been stepping away from my everyday blush, theBalm's FratBoy and trying something new, in the shape of this Blink + Go Brights palette. I don't use the eyeshadows (if you're wondering what happened to the purple shade, it smashed on account of encountering a sink at a rather high speed) but have been using the blushers daily, and they're surprisingly good. There's a light dolly pink and a darker coral colour, both of which are highly pigmented. Love 'em.

Foundation has taken a back seat now that we're in summer, and for days when concealer just isn't enough the Dr Jart+ Water Fuse BB Cream comes in handy. It's got a fair amount of coverage and SPF 25 as well as only being one or two shades darker than my skin tone so it blends in seamlessly. Also, it actually looks better when applied with fingers rather than a brush so there's no faffing around when all I want to do is pop on a pair of sunglasses, a lipstick and go outside. 

Which lipstick is that, I don't hear you ask? None other than MAC's Insanely It, a beautiful hot pink. It has been getting so much use solely because it's practically the only one in my collection that's hydrating enough to not have to sandwich inbetween layers of lip balm. There's a lip swatch in this post, cause y'know I'm far too lazy to take another one.

Last of all is the Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream. I've made efforts use this daily before, but when I don't get instant results I just let things fall by the wayside and forget about them. What I really look for in an eye cream is for it to make my dark circles vanish, which is never going to happen but I've found another use for this eye cream. If I apply this in the morning after moisturiser and let it sink in, my under-eye concealer blends so perfectly you'd think that I haven't even applied concealer. Before, any concealer that I would blend in under my eyes would cling to non-existent dry patches, not blend into my foundation and overall look a bit crappy. I thought that it was the concealer I was using, but this eye cream has solved everything. Wooo.

What have been your favourites for July?

little london haul

I've just come back after a few days away (guess where, the clue totally isn't in the title), and er... a bit o' shopping happened.
I just had to see what was in the Zara sale and oh my, was I not let down. I easily could've bought half the shop but restrained myself and only got one item; a grey scarf with tiger faces and distressed edges. It doesn't look like anything special when it's all scrunched up like in the photo, but when worn it hangs so beautifully and the colour will be perfect for autumn. The only other clothing item I picked up was a white tshirt with neon pink and yellow specks from Forever 21. Trust me, I went into the changing rooms there armed with the maximum amount of items allowed but nothing seemed to suit me apart from the tshirt as it's a) not entirely see-through and b) not unflattering and clingy around the belly area which is pretty rare for such a light coloured top. The scarf was £8 and the tshirt was around £12.
The Muji pen pot was an impulse purchase as I needed another pot to house my makeup brushes (they've been living in another pen pot with my cotton buds for too long), and at around £2 I wasn't going to say no, was I? You can see how I organise my makeup here, although I'm no longer using the Sigma brush set so just replace that in your mind with the RT brushes.
You may have noticed the Selfridges bag, yes? I did go into Selfridges - purely for the air conditioning, it was far too hawt outside - but then I stopped by the Origins counter, drawn in by the free samples (I got the GinZing Eye Cream) and ended up walking away with a mini of the Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask. I'd wanted to try this mask ever since I'd heard how amazing it was for dry patches, but the price had always put me off. The mini was a much more affordable £11, and seeing as I'd never even knew that Origins did these baby versions of their products, I caved and bought it. Right after I remembered the huge amount of face masks sitting at home. No matter, I'll get through them all... eventually.
I stumbled across a pharmacy that sold Bioderma products (it was on Baker Street, I think it was called NVS Pharmacy or something like that), so I eagerly popped in to stock up on the famous micellaire water. I got the mini size (£4.50) as I was only taking hand luggage on the flight back home, and I'm also trying out the red Sensibio version for the first time. Hopefully it'll be just as good as the green Sebium one I usually get; the lovely cashier popped in a sample of a sunscreen too.

Technically this isn't part of the London haul, but I thought I'd share what was waiting for me in the mail when I came back home - the Latest In Beauty Ultimate Summer Nails box. It's seriously the best box Latest In Beauty have done, and it's no wonder that it sold out so quickly as it was only £15 for ALL OF THIS NAIL-RELATED GOODNESS.

Ahem. *composes self*

I'm not going to go on about exactly how perfect every single detail about this set is as, well, it's out of stock and it really isn't fair on you. So I'll just list the contents instead. Don't say I'm not kind.
In the box are two 4ml mini Nails Inc nail polishes in Notting Hill Gate and the Kensington Caviar Top Coat, The Vintage Cosmetic Company emery board, Essie Sleek Stick nail stickers in 03 So Haute!, a full size 11ml Butter London (I know, I know, that thing is basically worth the price of the whole box) nail polish in Yummy Mummy, the Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover, a 30ml L'Occitane hand cream and a Rituals Nail Varnish Corrector Pen.

I'm still not sure if I like doing haul posts or not, do you enjoy them?

ootd | what a life

blouse: La Redoute | jeans: Forever 21 | scarf: Bershka | backpack: Primark 

shoes: ASOS | socks: Topshop | lipstick: MAC Insanely It

  

The backpack makes another appearance. Completely clashes with the rest of the outfit, but I needed something to tote my SLR about (why is the damn thing so heavy?) so I could pretend to be a photographer for a bit. My dad and I took a bus down the coast to a little village and walked to a restaurant to have lunch there - I say lunch, I had an ice cream sundae. The table next to us hadn't been cleared away and a bird was eating up all the crumbs off the plates. Cheeky bugger.

I treated myself to a new pair of shoes last week - let's face it, I can't wear boots all summer - and I chose these nude brogues (they're still in the sale, go go go), they look adorable combined with frilly socks and cuffed jeans. I don't think I've ever worn the blouse when I've not been on holiday before, it's the only thing I own from La Redoute and it's rather good quality. The exact cut is no longer being sold but the La Redoute website has a surprising amount of very similar styles - this one and this one are the closest I can find. I love the coral accents on this one too. Speaking of bright accents (pro segue there) I wore my pink american flag scarf cause 'MURICA, and I wore my current favourite bright pink lippie, MAC's Insanely It because I can't leave the house without lipstick.

Listening to this. Well, the whole album really.

july birchbox

theBalm InStain Blush in Swiss Dot | Blanc Cachemire Creme De Jour Protectrice | Laura Geller Inkwell Gel Eyeliner in Purple

Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle | Weleda Skin Food | The Chia Co Shots

And here's the obligatory Birchbox post. My box is a little different from what most people received this month due to me unsubscribing and resubscribing a couple of weeks ago as I was having problems with my debit card, meaning that Birchbox now see me as a new member and gave me some of the popular products from past boxes. I don't mind though, from looking at other people's boxes I don't seem to be missing out on that much.

I had received both the Weleda Skin Food and Beauty Protector leave-in conditioner in previous boxes, and although I don't mind having a backup of the Skin Food as I've almost finished up my old sample, I haven't even started using my first bottle of the leave-in conditioner! The Laura Geller eyeliner also was in a past box, but not one that I had received so I'm rather pleased to see it as I was kicking myself for not signing up to Birchbox sooner when I saw this in other blogger's reviews a few months ago. The purple colour looks gorgeous too.

Also in the box is a moisturiser by Blanc Cachemire, which according to the Birchbox magazine is absolutely wonderful. The sample is a decent size and I'm looking forward to seeing how it fares, but the price for the full size is something wicked so it's really going to have to bowl me over to convince me to even consider buying it. I'm not entirely sure what the the Chia Shot is, my first thought was that it was a sample of coffee but my understanding is that it's some kind of superfood. I think that I'll just chuck it in a smoothie or sprinkle it over a salad and be done with it.
The mini blusher by theBalm is definitely the star of the show here. Mine is in the shade Swiss Dot, which is listed as a peach colour and looks lovely and summery. My go-to everyday blush is theBalm's FratBoy and the quality of it is amazing so I'm expecting great things from Swiss Dot! I'm so chuffed that the Birchbox shop is now selling theBalm products as I've now got almost enough Birchbox points to get something for free. I was saving my points up to get one of the expensive moisturisers in the shop, but I want a goddamn new blusher more than a £50 pot of cream.

If you like what you see, you can sign up to Birchbox here for £10 a month (+£2.95 P&P). Next month's box sees Birchbox teaming up with InStyle magazine, so it looks to be a good 'un!