Nailtiques Formula 2 Protein Treatment - Update Part 2

Hey Everyone, finally the second part of my nailtiques treatment update is here! After initial reservations in part 1, check out what I now think of the product after further use.

Here's a link to part 1 if you haven't caught that yet:
http://sleepybeautyblogger.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/nailtiques-formula-2-protein-treatment.html

Thanks for watching, and I hope you enjoy.

Battle of the Lip Balms: The Quest for the Ultimate Balm

Today's a big one! I've actually been planning on writing this post for probably over a year. For real. But what possessed me to finally put fingers to keyboard for this post was that I think I have actually found it - a new holy grail lip balm.

Perhaps you have been through a similar hardship in your life. I had been addicted (and I'm sure many of you out there will know I mean that literally - once you start on balm there is often no going back) to my holy grail lip balm since my mid-teens. My mum used to just fill up my Christmas stocking with this lip balm in the hope it would last me through until the following Christmas. But after a few empty shelves and cold sweats in the night, I finally had to admit the fact that one day, it was gone. After years of addiction, my favourite balm had been discontinued in the UK and so began the search for a new holy grail balm.

It has truly taken me years to find another one that I am happy with. And if you want the low-down, keep reading.

Today I will compare 7 lip balms for you in the hope I can point a few of you who are struggling along the same quest to an answer.


1. Nivea Essential Care Lip Balm (with shea butter and jojoba oil) £1.65

To me, this is a pretty staple lip balm, and one that I'd be willing to bet most of you have tried already if you don't have one laying around the house somewhere. It's the kind of product I would pick up at the airport when I've forgotten to pack the lip balm I actually wanted. 

Pros: It's cheap and as far as I am aware, it's ingredients are genuinely moisturising for your lips and not the sort that will dry them out dramatically in the long run while giving temporary relief which can often be the case with this sort of price range.

Cons: It has a funny, chemically smell which I don't like and the formula feels kind of dry to me. Don't get me wrong, it's not drying because it's a moisturiser, but comparatively, this balm feels very thick and dry on the lips as opposed to more oily formulas. I also have to re apply this extremely frequently.

2. Nuxe Reve de Miel Ultra Nourishing Lip Balm with honey £9.50

Heading to the other end of the price scale, is this potted formula by Nuxe. In general I prefer sticks of balm as they are so much more convenient but I love this one. It has a similar consistency to Vaseline but none of the drying ingredients in Vaseline.

Pros: Very hydrating and doesn't have to be re applied for HOURS. Great to hydrate your lips overnight, just put some on before you turn out the light. Pleasant smell from the honey ingredient. Long lasting in every sense.

Cons: The pot isn't so easy to carry around and it's messy to apply and perhaps even a little unhygienic. The formula gets quite hard in cold temperatures. Pricey.

3. Nuxe Reve de Miel Ultra Nourishing Lip Stick with honey £5.50

This stick version of the Reve de Miel balm is much more convenient than the pot and feels nice on the lips. While it's almost half the price of the pot version, it's worth noting that while you get 15g of product in the pot you only get 4g in the stick, so you aren't getting more for your money with this in reality.

Pros: More convenient packaging and a nice to apply formula. Cheaper than the pot (but you get a lot less product).

Cons: Not long lasting at all. I find myself re applying this very frequently unlike the pot version. Also I found myself getting through the stick itself very quickly.

4. Caudalie Lip Conditioner £5.50

The same price as the Nuxe stick, this lip balm also has a similar formular. It feels just as nice to apply but lasts longer than the Nuxe stick.

Pros: Convenient stick packaging, long(ish) lasting, nice to apply formula and feels nice on the lips.

Cons: It has that typical lip balm scent and is a little on the pricey side for the amount of product.

5. Arrow Boost Colour Enhancing Lip Balm £11.00

I have to admit, I'm still unsure about this one. Unlike the other products mentioned, this one is tinted so it's nice for adding a little bit of colour to the lips especially on a busy day.

Pros: Nice, convenient packaging, tinted (if that's what you're after), lovely minty smell!

Cons: Very pricey at £11 for 4g of product, and I'm not sure how hydrating all that minty perfume can be for your lips.

6. Agent Provocateur Titillation Lip Balm (and Nipple balm set) £23.00

Please excuse the wear of this product first of all! I've had it a while. This lip balm is part of the 'Titillation' set from Agent Provocateur and as far as I am aware isn't available separately however I wanted to throw it in here. This is a tinted balm and has that slightly stingy feeling on your lips that some lip products do. It has a Vaseline-like texture. It comes in a set with an identical pot of 'nipple balm' and the price varies greatly so shop around. The price I included here was just the most expensive price I came across. I like this one.

Pros: A nice tinted balm, long(ish) lasting, cute packaging with a mirror inside (insert shocked face), lovely smell and that 'lip plumping' tingle.

Cons: Part of a set, packaging is a little inconvenient, pricey.

7. Lanolips Golden Ointment £17.99

We made it! Through the battle to the holy grail. While this product seems on the expensive side, and sure it's a large payout, it actually works out as one of the cheapest as you get 50g of product in this large tube for £17.99. Also, it's not solely a lip balm but intended to nourish severely dry skin of all kinds. I put this on the back of my boyfriends dry knuckles in the winter months. 

Pros: Value for money in terms of amount of product for the price, smells lovely (thanks to the manuka honey), lasts for AGES (the most long lasting of all of these), more convenient packaging than a pot and a nice formula. A little goes a long way, for a long time.

Cons: A high payout when you buy it although it will last a long time, and you have to use your fingers to apply.

So here's my final ranking of these 7 lip products from favourite to least favourite:

1. Lanolips Golden Ointment  £17.99  50g

2. Nuxe Reve de Miel Ultra Nourishing Lip Balm with honey  £9.50  15g

3.  Caudalie Lip Conditioner  £5.50  4g

4. Agent Provocateur Titillation Lip Balm (and Nipple balm set)  £23.00  10g + 10ml

5.  Nuxe Reve de Miel Ultra Nourishing Lip Stick with honey  £5.50  4g

6. Arrow Boost Colour Enhancing Lip Balm  £11.00  4g

7.  Nivea Essential Care Lip Balm (with shea butter and jojoba oil) £1.65

Thank you if you made it this far!

I also want to note that I like all of these lip balms mentioned in this post. The idea of this was to help you find one that you like, there are none featured here that I would say don't try. I have tried plenty of others that I didn't like, but this is all about ones that I do. So I hope if you are searching for 'the one', that this post gave you some ideas of what might work for you.

I hope you enjoyed this, and please, please let me know if you have your own holy grail balm - I'm eager for suggestions!

Makeup Revolutions Swatches Part 2: Mermaids VS. Unicorns Palette

Hey everyone,

Today's just a quick one as I'm afraid I'm pretty poorly this week, which is also why there was no YouTube post on Thursday. Just sharing with you some swatches of the colourful Mermaids vs. Unicorns palette from Makeup Revolution. Swatches of the Flawless Matte palette are still to come, but there are so many shadows in that one I didn't manage that this week.

First, a few images of the palette itself:

And then on to the swatches. Unlike the Mermaids Forever palette, the shades in this palette are unamed:

A few notes on this palette:

• These shadows are of a nice quality. While you only get 12 in this palette as opposed to 32 in Mermaids Forever, my opinion is that this palette has a more universal quality and is less hit and miss than Mermaids Forever.
• All the shadows are pretty highly pigmented, the strongest being those bright blues and turquoises.
• There's a fair amount of fallout from some of these and they take some building but not tonnes. 
• As I said in my previous swatch post - I REALLY RECOMMEND USING A PRIMER.
• It's a STEAL at £4.00 and personally I would say well worth the money.

Bioderma Hydrabio H2O Micelle Solution Review: Cleanser for dehydrated/dry skin

Today I'm really excited to be telling you about one of my absolute favourite products I have been using recently! It's the Hydrabio Micelle Solution cleanser from Bioderma and it looks like this:

Now, I have been using the Philosophy Purity cleanser for a few years now and while it didn't blow me away, I liked it enough to re-purchase a a few times and stick with it. However, I recently received a sample of the Bioderma Sebium Micelle Solution cleanser in my Birchbox a little while ago. I'll be honest - I was almost determined to hate it. First of all I was irritated that once again, Birchbox had sent me a product that was unsuitable for my skin type as I have dry skin and Sebium is for oily skin. Secondly I just really didn't like the idea of a cleanser that you didn't rinse off afterwards. It was unsettling to me. 

So I used it once because I like to try everything I get once (unless I'm pretty sure it's going to bother my skin) and went 'eh' and shoved it in a draw for a cleansing emergency.

However, a curiosity was ignited and after a little while I noticed I was running out of Purity I decided to purchase a bottle of the solution for dehydrated skin, along with some other Bioderma products.

I LOVE THIS! It's half the price of the Purity cleanser at just £10.20 for a 250ml bottle (I also got a couple of pounds off in the sale) and it feels lovely and hydrating on my skin. Now that I am used to it, I love the fact I can just put a few drops of this on a cotton pad and remove my make up or cleanse my skin and I can do it anywhere. I also feel like I am getting my face SO clean with this but it doesn't feel harsh at all. 

WARNING: THIS MAY BE A BIT GROSS

But I wanted to share this photo with you. This is the result of the cotton pad after cleansing my face IN THE MORNING after already removing my make up and cleansing my face before bed the previous night:

I just feel like it's getting all of that dirt and oil out of my face without leaving me dry and dehydrated afterwards. Now obviously this is a cleanser and so not a super hydrating product but as far as cleansers go, it's the best I have come across. I even honestly believe that my pores have stayed clearer than they usually would after using a pore remover strip and then continuing to use this cleanser.

So as you can tell, I am so impressed. If you suffer from dry or dehydrated skin (I realise these are not the same thing but think it would be beneficial in both cases) I cannot recommend this enough and for only £10 a bottle, I think it's great value. 

I'll be keeping an eye on other Bioderma products after this one.

Have you tried any of the Bioderma Micelle Soltuions or maybe an alternative brand? What did you think? 

I hope you enjoyed this somewhat excitable review.

Spectrum Collections Brushes Review

Wow, it feels like this video has been a long time coming! I had to reshoot it a bunch of times, but fortunately that meant I had more time to play around with the brushes and get to know them a little better.

If you're looking for clearer images they are below, I hope you enjoy!

 From left to right: Flat definer, A16 Precision Crease, B04 'Atlantis' Tall Angled Blender, A13 Short Smudger, B06 Tall Tapered Blender, A02 Angled Foundation, Tapered Finishing Brush

Sugarpill 'Trinket' - Sugarpill's first liquid lipstick (Review)

Today is going to (hopefully) be a quick one! A review on the first liquid lipstick from Sugarpill Cosmetics in the shade 'Trinket'. Now this product was limited edition and sold out in minutes however, Sugarpill have hinted that they might possibly be re-releasing the lipstick itself but if they decide to it won't have the same sexy packaging design by Bei Badgirl.

Now on to the review! I tried this product on as soon as it arrived in the mail and firstly, the colour is BEAUTIFUL! No really, I am obsessed. To me it is a nudey-rosey-mauve with stunning gold shimmer. Glitter doesn't seem like the right word, although it does glitter, it has so much glitter in it, and the glitter is so fine, that it almost just looks like an incredible golden shine. The shimmer intensifies as the lipstick dries after application. Now I have quite fair skin so it looks a little darker on me than it might on others, however it also seems like that nude-mauve colour that I have been searching for (and think I have finally found in a matte version - tune in for that soon) and it's super flattering.

The finish is unique and you can't quite capture it in photos although I think it photographs beautifully. Not only is the shade stunning, I think this is also honestly the most comfortable liquid lipstick I have ever worn and not drying at all. Because of the shimmer however, it does highlight those cracks and signs of dry lips so make sure you exfoliate and moisturise first.

Lastly, it is very long wearing. I wore this out to a 3-course Lebanese meal and only topped it up once, after desert, but it was still holding up pretty well to be honest. I was eating creamy cheese sauce, balsamic vinegar, ice cream... and this baby, although worn a fair amount in the centre, was still going impressively strong.  

I had to include some pictures of the super cute packaging. Look at it!

So as you may be able to tell, I am in love with Trinket. I think it ranks as my second favourite liquid lipstick but may well edge it's way up to first position with a few more wears. It is easily the most comfortable. A beautiful formula and I cannot wait for more liquid lipstick releases from Sugarpill coming this year. 

When those babies hit the store, all I can say is BUY, BUY, BUY!

REVIEW + DEMO: Unbranded Straightening Brush from Amazon

Hey Guys! Today I have this review and demo of a very cheap straightening brush that I grabbed on Amazon. This was my first time trying out the brush so take a look if you are curious about these. Also, apologies, this was meant to go up yesterday but I had some internet connection trouble. I am trying to get in to a regular posting routine which should include a video every Thursday and a written post on Saturdays!

 I hope you enjoy.

LA SPLASH Studioshine Lip Lustre Aurora Review

(Side Note: Apologies for my absence and lack of responses over the past few months. I've been dealing with a lot of changes in my personal life lately and haven't had the time/energy for blogging. Consider this my hopeful return.)

Today I'm reviewing one of the new shades of LA Splash's Studioshine Lip Lustre range, inspired by Disney's female characters. When I saw the internet going crazy over these new lip shades, I admit I was weak. All they had to do was stick the name of a few Disney princesses on these and I had to have at least one lipstick from the range.

I went for Aurora as I loved the dark pinky/red tone it seemed to have and it was a shade I didn't have already as I usually go for straight up, bold reds. I ordered it from ebay in the end, as the postage if ordered directly from LA Splash's website to the UK was pretty extortionate (I wasn't paying £30 for this baby).

First things first: This can be one messy product when applying. My first time wearing this to my friend's birthday dinner, I applied it in the bathroom at work in a huge hurry which was a BIG mistake. There were pink smears all over my face and hands and in the end I had to use my Dolce and Gabbana trusty lipstick over the top to try and cover up the horror underneath. So essentially, probably don't try wearing this on a day you are late for work.

However, when applied calmly and carefully and in half-decent light, I love the result. As I've mentioned before, the more matte a lip colour, the better as far as I'm concerned as like most liquid lipsticks, it doesn't get more matte than this. It can feel a little dry, but I don't really expect anything else from a liquid lipstick like this. It stays put through kisses and drinking but can slide off a bit if you are eating oily food. I use Johnson's moisturising face wipes to get it off at the end of the day which contain oil and therefore work like a charm. 

I find the colour surprisingly flattering on my pale skin and I'm sold, despite the fact that I'm not usually a pink lips person. It reminds me of Rimmel's Kate 107 lipstick which is a favourite, but this is slightly brighter and more pink. 

So, I say, if you fancy a bit of princess in your life, go for it. It's a shame these are so difficult to come by in the UK at the moment, I've now ordered Evil Queen too (couldn't resist as I love a bit of Once Upon a Time) which I shall review shortly!