Latest Reviews

The essential oils in this are very relaxing. This looks very good on the bathroom shelf. I don't use a cleansing milk and this was sent to me for trial. I tried it and thought it was a great product but it doesn't fit in my skincare routine. It really is a milk and is the same consistency. You couldn't use this as a hot cloth cleanser. It's not for removing make up either and can't be used near the eyes.

Mascaras all smudge on me and this was no exception. I let this dry out a little and tried again and was still bad to I binned the product. This gave me long, clumpy lashes, which looked great. It's a false lash effect mascara. The packaging does look cheap but I like the rubber insert on the handle to make it extra easy to hold. It has a curved, fluffy brush.

I really liked using this. It kept my skin calm and rosacea at bay. I have very dry and dehydrated skin and this kept it well hydrated. The packaging is functional and easy to use. It is a pump.

I love this serum from Superdrug. It's very cheap but this is reflected in the ingredient list. I have very dry and dehydrated skin and this does a good job of helping to hydrate my skin with a night cream. The pump and packaging is very functional.

This is a mask that rubs off. I think it's supposed to be your own skin that is rolling up into rubbery balls of peel. It feels more like it's just the product itself. I couldn't see any results at all so I stopped using it immediately.

I really like this liquid lipstick. It is easy to apply and lasts a very long time, especially through meals.

This AHA was far too strong for my skin and I don't have sensitive skin. It is a clay mask, which you apply for 1-5 minutes "as you can tolerate". The first time I used this I did the full 5 minutes and it stung like crazy and left my skin almost burnt. The next time I did one minute and my skin still felt burnt. Then I binned it. The packaging is functional in a little tub and has a sponge applicator.

I was so proud of owning these once upon a time. However, times move on and I feel they are far too sticky now. I'm not much of a gloss wearer anymore. This is thick and coats the lips and all the different scents are lovely. It also has glitter in it rather than being a more natural shine. The packaging was practical but now looks cheap for a high end brand. It is functional though, as a plastic tube with lip applicator.

This does make your lipstick last longer. However I'm not happy to pay the price of how horrible the product is to use. It dries your lips and feels like you are applying a very harsh chemical product. It feels and smells more like something you would use with woodwork. The packaging is retro chic although the glass bottle isn't always practical.

I have a travel version of Bumble & Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil (30 ml) and this cutie is indispensible if you are into dying your hair, frequent styling and/or exposing it to the harsh sunshine (like on the beach without a hat). The texture of the item is reminiscent of a runny conditioner. The oil has a sturdy applicator with a transparent cap that holds fast. 5-6 spritz of the oil is enough to cover middle length hair. The oil is easily distributed, without making hair greasy (like icicles) or weighing it down, its soapy scent is not lingering. I would even say that if you have a fluffy hair this oil will make it more manageable and sort of ‘organise' stray locks into thicker curls (like in my case since I have a wavy hair). This oil also extends the life-cycle of a dye - the colour stays more vibrant for longer. The only disadvantage of the item, that it is rather pricey.

So Eco Konjac Face Sponge Charcoal is 100% natural and suits even sensitive skin owners. It comes in a plastic package in a wet condition, which makes it available for instant application. The Sponge has a shape of a giant drop, and designed in a way so that its sharpened end may be used for T-zone, while its rounded end - for cheeks. It exfoliates very gently and diminishes the blackheads. It is a good solution for those who have combination or oily skin and who use face make up extensively (foundations, primers etc.) since the sponge cleanses all the residues that stuck in the pores. Once dry the sponge gets as hard as rock, bacomes flatter, and is easily stored until next time (the only thing you need to "activate" this beauty item is to saturate it with water). It could be hung by a thread that is attached to it in the bathroom. This sponge is a really nice cleansing beauty treat that I can safely recommend!

I am sincerely impressed with this hand mask. Two hand gloves with a solution inside is neatly placed within lightweight packaging. The application is as easy as pie - the gloves are to be put on for 20-30 minutes. Each glove is marked with a letter (L and R respectively) and next to it is a sticker tab that, once fastened, helps to perfectly fix the glove in place. The feeling of having your hands inside such gloves is quite interesting (a bit cooling sensation) though I wouldn't say that it is unpleasant. The solution inside the glove is in generous amount, but to my surprise, it absorbs quickly and the skin of the back of my palms resembled those of a newborn baby! The after-effect is amazing - hands stay hydrated enough for three solid days even in cold season and with exposure to dry air and regular soap without any additional creams or lotions - it is truly a record for my dry skin. Totally recommend the mask!

This is a nice natural sweet smelling hair oil that doesn't weigh my hair down but gives it a nice sine and stops the hair being frizzy but it is expensive.

This is a nice natural body lotion with pearl powder which gives a nice sheen to my skin

These are nice mineral-based eye shadows and have a good variety of colours in the palette but made in China

Presented with classy graphics, this rich textured shower gel has a delicious fragrance. The product lathers well and only a small quantity is required for each use. It provides a relaxing experience for the senses at shower or bath time. The product is non drying to those with dryer skin types and I found it suitable although my skin is slightly eczema prone. The bottle is hard plastic and may need to be turned upside down to extract the last drops. Enjoyable to use but little is available regarding the contents of the product. Although slightly expensive it provides good value as it will last a long time due to effectiveness of the product.

This product comes in a glass bottle and is beautifully boxed. The scent is almost floral and very light. The oil is easily smoothed from fingertips to face, hair and body. The consistency of the oil is light. A few drops works well to moisturise dry hair and smooth frizz, leaving a pleasant, fresh scent. For facial use it produces a light, dewy appearance on skin and is absorbed fairly easily and is good for daytime use. Users with very dry skin may find the oil quite light.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse® Riche is a nice multi-functional product for dry skin as well as for dull hair. The oil is as greasy as any other similar oil, but is absorbs rather fast (although the greasy sheen will still be visible for some time). My personal experience with the product is rather successful. As for the skin (face and body), I, even having a dry skin, must admit that the oil is better to be used after the evening shower and at least 30 minutes before bed (to avoid transfer of the product). The oil has buildable effect, hydrates the skin and keeps it well-moisturised and its aroma lingers on the skin for some time, acting also as a calming scent. As for the effects on the hair (and I like those even better), following the application hair becomes softer, more obedient, easier styled, shines and smells heavenly. Two drops of oil spread between the palms are enough to cover the shoulder-length of my hair without making it look like greasy icicles. I can recommend the product, it is indeed a nice one, despite its price and the feeling that it may be substituted with a cheaper similar item.

Espa Smooth & Firm Body Butter is not as dense as a regular body butter and fast absorbing, which is good in terms that it can be used daily even in the morning. The butter has a texture of a dense white cream infused with lavish patchouli and mandarin scents. It may leave a slight shiny residue following the application but this effect is short lived. The bitter works wonders on dry skin hydrating and revitalising it. I am also glad of having a travel-sized tube of it which is handy in terms of taking the butter on a short trips. The product would best serve the needs of dry skin and due to its richness is better be used in cold season.

I have tried two high street lash serums and I preferred the KIKO offering. This was okay but I felt it wasn't as effective as the KIKO one. This comes in a very thin tube and the lid cracked. The wand is soft and doesn't have any bristles, I felt it didn't coat the lashes well.

This brand and cleanser have a cult following. I only tried a sample, which I was glad of as it didn't suit my skin type. I have very dry skin and I felt this dried it out further and left my face feeling tight. The price point isn't too high, as you can only purchase it through Glossier's website. The texture is nice and it isn't heavily fragranced. It is an effective cleanser and removed eye make up including mascara. It is a simple, easy to use product.

I really liked these eyelash curlers. They are strong and firm and curled my eyelashes very well. The give a pronounced curl. The design is very simple and sturdy and they have lasted a very long time. Now that you can no longer get them and the rubber inserts in the UK, I have had to move on to a new product. I went for the Kevin Aucoin ones, as he designed the Shu Uemura ones!

I usually use a balm or oil cleanser but I picked this up as a change. I used this as you would a hot cloth cleanser, massaging in to dry skin and removing with a hot, wet flannel. I enjoyed using this product. It worked on mascara and eye make up and cleansed skin well. My very dry skin didn't feel tight after and felt refreshed. The scent is quite strong and some people might find this off-putting. The large tube packaging is chic but I probably didn't get all the product out.

This was as good a conditioner as you can get. However, I believe you can better for cheaper.

I don't use brow gel but this would be a contender if I did. It didn't show in my brows or go dry and crispy. I prefer an opaque tube, so I don't have to see how grim the inside is getting! But the packaging is chic.

I have tested a travel 30 ml version of Dr. Botanicals Hemp Infused Natural Nutrition Moisturiser and found it quite a nice pick for daily skin hydrating routine. The cream is light-textured and non-oily of a pleasant pistachio hue (which disappears instantly upon application). It absorbs instantly creating a short-lived 'mask' effect (or matte effect). The cream indeed is a perfect moisturiser, it does not clog pores yet insures the healthy look of the skin. Due to its quick absorption and texture, it may be used before application of make up. It does not have SPF though, thus I'd wager that this cream is better solution for the cold season where sunny days are few and far between. It is also economical in use, thus the tube volume may last for ages. In general, I like the cream and can recommend it.

This is a nice high quality hand cream that smells subtly fruity but pleasant and not too sweet.

L'Occitane Jasmin & Bergamote Body Milk is a nice, although a bit expensive daily moisturising body product. It has a branded l'occitane packaging with a flip top, which is handy in use although due to the rigidity of the bottle once the milk is at its end it will be difficult to get its remains from the bottle. The product has a light runny texture; it is easily spread and quickly absorbed into the skin, leaving it soft and smooth. The effect is buildable to some extent. The milk smells of bergamot, however, the scent is not lingering. This product is available as a travel version of 30 ml, which is great, although it is not so easy to come by, especially in such a volume. In general, I like the product and can safely recommend it.

I had redness around my nose and over my cheekbones, which was persistent. I wanted to use something to reduce this and this product was recommended by Sali Hughes. It was very easy to use and I didn't notice any adverse effects from stopping using my usual hydrating hyalauronic acid serum. It took several weeks to clearly see and difference but it did reduce areas of redness.

I really didn't enjoy using this eye cream. I found it to be too thick, with an almost paste-like texture and it sometimes left a white crust around my eye. It didn't feel very moisturising.

I have enjoyed using other Garnier masks. This mask is marketed towards enlarged pores and is purifying, hydrating and pore-tightening. I found that it didn't do anything to change the appearance of my pores.

I tried this as an alternative to other body lotions containing AHA/BHA acids to act as an exfoliater. The exfolilating quality was decent although it only contains AHA where others contain both. It was non-greasy and easily absorbed. The packing is basic and you have to do quite a lot of shaking, although you can stand it upside down. I found the scent to be off-putting. It might have been the olive oil ingredient but it was quite vegetative.

This is a high-quality hand cream that does make my hands look less lined almost instantly and that effect lasts some hours but it is expensive.

This is a decent priced face moisturiser but not sure it does all it claims.

Hand and Nail Cream is one of Caudalie's bestsellers and it really lives up to its fame. The cream is neither dense, nor runny, just of medium density. It is easily distributed on the skin, without leaving an oily film in its wake. The cream has a subtle scent, not a perfumed one, but more a natural one, reminiscent of a sweet grapefruit. The cream absorbs in 1-2 minutes. It deeply nourishes and what is even more important has a buildable effect - once a day is enough to keep the skin on my hands hydrated, well-cared for and velvety to the touch. I would say that it has a bit of anti-age effect to it, since the minor wrinkles on the back of my hand is barely visible now, following a month of its use. It is a bit pricey but totally worth it.

L'Occitane Milk Shea Butter Extra Gentle Soap is a love at first sight. I have a mini-version of 25g (great for travel) and that is probably the rare bar soap that does not dry the skin. The soap produces a gentle lather so reminiscent of the foam of boiling milk. It cleanses well leaving a subtle floral scent on the skin. It also deals efficiently even with a moderate make-up and is still easy to come by in l'Occitane stores in different sizes (50g, 100g, 250g). The only thing that dampens the virtues of this soap is its price, but I can recommend it as a good cleansing item.

I do not have a sensitive skin around the eyes but somehow la Roche-Posay Hydraphase Intense Eyes gel has managed to irritate it. The gel is light-textured but sticky. It is transparent and odourless. A little bit goes a long way, but even such a little bit has an adverse effect for the eyes in terms of slight burning. At the same time, following the application I have not witnessed any specific lessening of puffiness or of dark under-eyes circles. This gel has proved to be a wishy washy item for me. I can't recommend it.

Being a fan of more citrus- and floral-scented hand creams I nevertheless found this herbal product compatible with the needs of my dry skin. It has a slightly off-putting scent that does not linger once the cream is applied. The cream has indeed a rich dense texture that is not very easily absorb, and thus will not do for a hydration-on-the-go procedure, however, it works wonders to dry skin making it supple and velvety to the touch. This product may easily be acquired in any Body shop and is still widely available at a moderate price which is another plus to its advantages. I'd say it is best used in the evening 1 - 1.5 hours prior to going to bed (in that way it will absorb completely and will not create an impression of oily hands).

Maybelline Puma x Maybelline Smudge-Resistant Mascara comes is a tube of girly shade of violet. It is very conventional in terms of shape and the applicator - no surprises, which makes it an easy and familiar product. The mascara is a rich shade of black and nicely compliments my natural eyelash colour. It is not runny and gets the job done with one swipe. However, if used in two or more layers, it tends to glue the lashes a bit and leave crumbs in its wake. This mascara is more a volumising product, than an item contributing to the length of the lashes. It is also of moisture-resistant sorts that is great to be worn in mists or slight drizzles, but it is not completely water-resistant. In general, this mascara is an OK product with its pros and contras and I can recommend it for an everyday use.

Despite that the producer claims that Melvita Organic Argan Oil may be used on face, body and hair, I mainly applied to the latter, namely, to the ends of my hair which are extremely dry and lifeless. The oil has a relatively thick texture and 100% organic. That means it has a peculiar oil scent with a whiff of bitterness, no artificial perfumes; the scent is not a pleasant one, but once applied I couldn't smell it at all. The oil absorbs quite fast and it is very economical in use - barely two-three drops is enough to cover the entirety of the ends of my hair. After application the hair looks glossy and less damaged, at the same time without looking greasy or dirty. In general my experience with Melvita oil has been successful, and although the oil has not solved all the issues with my hair, but it has much improved its condition.

Avon True Colour SuperShock Volume Mascara is a disappointment of the year in mascara's domain for me. Apart from good packaging and well-defined lashes after the application it possesses everything that good mascara should not: its spiky applicator-brush is not convenient, the mascara once applied easily transfers to the lids, and it lacks volume. If you try applying the mascara in 2 layers, the lashes look like curved stalagmites - mascara sticks to them in clumps. On top of that all the mascara dried our completely in a tube after only a month of its use. Do not recommend this one.

I have indulged in using Paese Blush with Argan Oil in shade #51. It is a mix of peach and pink colour and look very natural on the apples of my cheeks. The blush is packed into a neat packaging with a sturdy seal and had never once opened of its own accord in my purse. Once applied, it stays up to 5 hour without further re-application. The texture of the blush is not chalky, it has just a very tiny shimmer to it, small reflective particles, and has a slight creamy scent. The blush is non-comedogenic and does not clog pores, it looks very natural and the shade can be built from barely visible to a rather dramatic one (f.e. for a party look). I have been using this beauty product for 8 solid months and still have enough in the box. It is a great beauty item that I can recommend!

I have Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid Hot Lacquer Liquid Lipstick in shade 62 Charmer. This lip gloss repeats the majority of similar Maybelline products in its packaging and applicator design, which is handy and utilitarian. The substance is a different story, I'm afraid. The gloss is sticky and it takes a real effort to apply it without staining the teeth. The best solution for me after rather painstaking trials was to keep the mouth firmly shut while applying the product and to blot the lips with a soft napkin immediately after application. The lipstick has a chemical confectionary scent and looks nice on the lips, but it lasts barely several hours. Moreover, if you have a long hair that you wear loose and there is any gust or wind outside, the hair immediately sticks to the lips and then transfers the gloss all over the face. In a nutshell, I have not gone crazy for this product in the slightest.

I have got hold of a Chezmoi Puru Lip Pack as a bonus to the main deal, and to date still can not tell for sure whether it is a lip mask or a lip tint. The substance is contained in a simple white tube with a slanted edge. The product looks like thick resin-textured gel with an awfully acid shade (mine is an acid pink one) and strongly smells of rubbing alcohol. It takes a few squeezes and swipes to cover the entire lip area and the sensation is not pleasant. After 15 minutes the gel morphs into a thin film which is to be peeled of like a face mask. After the procedure the lips gain a rosy shade (and it looks natural I must admit) which stays intact for several hours (great news for pale-lipped girls), BUT, the texture of the lips (in my case at least) is a disaster - I felt like the mask had opened up all the crevices, the lips felt chafed and raw... I doubt that a lasting tint is worth such an ordeal.

La Roche-Posay Hydreane Light Thermal Spring Water Cream is best suited for normal to combination skin and it will deliver poorly in terms of a dry one. The cream is packed conveniently into a plastic tube, the amount of cream to be squeezed is easily adjusted by pressing the tube, no excess volume. On the other hand, it is not very sparingly used due to its short-lived effects and low viscosity. The cream is very quickly absorbed, it literally melts into the skin, very well distributed on the skin, this is one of those options when it takes less than a few seconds to apply. It also does not clog pores and can be used as a night moisturizer (actually, due to the absence of SPF protection, I wager it is to be used only before sleep). Designed as to be sensitive skin friendly the cream has a few nasties such as silicones, stabilizers and thickeners, which is not very good, but in all my deals with this cream it has never once surprised me with any adverse effects. I can recommend it for people with oily skin as well as to be used in hot season - the cream lacks a bit in terms of deep nourishment in cold season.

Melvita Pulpe de Rose Plumping Radiance Duo combines moisturizer and serum in one item. I really like this concentrate for its rather light texture and outcome it presents. I believe the more dry skin you have, the better results you'll see after the application. The oil has to be well-shaken before use and than sprayed onto the palms and only then applied to the skin with tender rubbing motions. The oil has a magnificent rose-infused scent with a fruity notes and is well-absorbed into the skin. Within mere days upon daily use this oil visibly improves the skin condition and overall complexion. Due to its volume it can be used as a travel companion as well (and in this case you'll have no need of several other beauty products). It is also a lasting one - just 2-3 spritz will do for covering the entire area of your face. In general, I am very satisfied with this item and can recommend it.

I've got a travel size version of bi-phase Yves Rocher Pur Bleuet Express Eye Make Up Remover as a part of package deal with two other YR items, otherwise I wouldn't have looked its way. This remover as well as other removers of the brand somehow sting the eyes and leave unpleasant burning in their wake. Nice looks, light-texture and pleasant scent all pale beside this disadvantage. In addition, this cleanser does its job poorly, i.e. you have to swipe the sodden cotton pads over your eyes repeatedly to remove all traces of a non-waterproof liner and mascara... Not recommend this one for sure.

I was really pleased to receive this as a gift as I have the full size Wet Brush and really rate it. It does glide through wet hair and can be used on dry hair. This mini size is not uncomfortable to use but not quite as good as the full size. The weight and size difference is not so different that this one is really necessary. However it will be put to good use - I shall have one in the bathroom and one in the bedroom.

I was gifted this shadow and was very excited to try a product from the rated The Balm. It is also very on trend, both the shade Red Handed and the foil effect. It applies well and looks good as a topper to other shadows and on it's own. However it didn't last very long. It didn't crease and there wasn't any fall out but it just didn't stick about. I will keep trying it with primers and other products to see if I can improve that as I love the look. The cardboard packaging is very practical and I think you could decant it to a magnetic palette.