First Impressions: UD Naked Skin One & Done Hybrid Skin Perfector

Hey Everyone, Today's post is a video featuring my first impresssions on the new Urban Decay Naked Skin One & Done Hybrid Skin Perfector (what a mouthful!). In this video I not only speak about what I think of the new foundation/tinted moisturiser hybrid but also decide what works better: brush or blender?

I hope you enjoy it.



On a side note: I wanted to apologise for the lack of written content on my blog lately! I realise it has been heavily video based lately and so I'm going to be trying to balance things out a bit more. Thanks for you patience.

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.

Benefit New Launches 2016!

Hey everyone! I'm really excited to be sharing this huge Benefit haul with you today! I wanted all of their new releases SO BAD and I managed to shop around and find deals good enough for me to justify buying almost the entire collection.

My plan is to hopefully share a first impressions video with you all over the next couple of days, but for now I just wanted to share some photos for those of you looking around online trying to figure out if you need these products in your life. One thing is for sure - they sure are pretty!

First up is this cute little Hoola set! Now I realise Hoola is not a new product and I have to admit I have never used it before even though everyone raves about it! However, Benefit have just released this special set where you get a min Porefessional Primer and Watt's Up! highlighter for the same price as the bronzer on it's own which is £23.50.

The first of the new range is Dew The Hoola a liquid matte bronzer with a pump, a liquid version of their Hoola powder. This is actually a sample that I got in my Birchbox this month, the full size bottle if you haven't seen it already is beautiful! I'm both excited and nervous to try this as liquid bronzers are really not my thing and I am so fair! Full size £22.50

I hate it when people say 'this is everything' but honestly... this Hoola Bronzing and Contouring Brush  is so gorgeous! It's incredibly soft but also dense and the design is stunning. It's feels wonderfully weighted in the hand. £17.50

One of the products I was most excited about, the Hoola Zero Tanlines body bronzer. This is a 12 hour self tan without the horrible smell and with this great applicator in the lid to avoid streaks. £19.50

My final product to share with you is this new matte liquid highlighter from the Dandelion range Shy Beam. I think this will work beautifully with the other products from the Hoola range even though they weren't strictly from the same set of products although I'm a little unsure about that nail-polish-style application. £19.50

Couldn't forget the free bag!

If you are interested in seeing this products in action please check out my next first impressions video which will be shared a couple of days after this! Let me know if you are tempted by any of the pretty new releases from Benefit.

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!

SWATCHES: Lime Crime True Love Set

Hey Everyone, Today's post is just a quick video featuring the True Love Set by Lime Crime.

You can currently still buy these liquid lipsticks as a set or alternatively they have just been made available individually!

Check out the video below for a better idea of the shades.

First Impressions - Freedom Makeup London Pro Artist Pad in Black Arts

Hey everyone,

Today's video is on my first impression of the Freedom Makeup London Pro Artist Pad in Black Arts.

I am really enjoying this palette!
Check it out for my thoughts and there's some photos below.

Revolution Birthday: Makeup Revolution's 2nd Birthday Party GOODY BAG HAUL

Hey Everyone!

So sorry for my recent absence across social media of all kinds lately, I was working very last minute and was rushed off me feet!

However I'm back now with a few exciting posts and videos lined up for you.

Today's one is about last week's Makeup Revolution 2nd birthday party which they kindly invited me to.

As well as great cocktails, a great venue and some exciting new product launches and announcements, I received this giant goody bag on my way home!

There were more products than this included in the bag but they were less exciting to me (things like shower gel and makeup wipes) and I left them at my boyfriends house as they are of more use to me there. BUT I am going to share with you some pictures and quick thoughts of the products.

(As a side note, just because these products were freebies, doesn't mean you won't be getting my honest opinion. One of the things I like about Makeup Revolution as a brand is that they respect that!)

First up is the Makeup Revolution Ultra Flawless Powder Brush

• It's pretty!
• I believe it's £9.99 and available at Superdrug or on the Makeup Revolutions website
• It's VERY soft and fluffy.
• I used this to apply loose powder all over my face and it did a great job!
• Too big for setting my concealer under my eyes.

Next is the Makeup Revolution Pro Hygeine Anti Bacterial Blush Cleaner

• It's a huge bottle!
• It's one of those 'spray on to your brush and wipe with a cotton pad' cleaners
• It cleaned my brushes just fine
• It has a strong scent which smells nice but remains on the brush when it's dry - Do I really want that much perfume on my face/around my eyes?
• Great value at £5.00 for 200ml at Superdrug or Makeup Revolutions Website

Next is the Freedom Pro Studio Strobe Cream

• I was so excited to try this as I wanted to try a few similar products including Makeup Revolutions version.
• It smells so strong! Like biscotti or something... the strong scent, again, worries me as fragrance is an irritant for the skin so I don't really like putting this all over my face.
• I used it for two days and started to break out slightly in spots and a little rash around my nose which I would guess comes from the strong fragrance.
• The effect wasn't very noticeable at all, especially once it had dried. Applied to the back of my hand, the product appears to completely sink in to my skin after a couple of minutes.
• Available from Superdrug and the Freedom Makeup London website for £8.00.

Almost there! Next up are Superdrug's Volume Edition Lashes in 21

• I haven't actually had a chance to try these yet, but they look a little fake and OTT for me as I like a more natural false lash.
• However they look nice in the picture so I will definitely give them a try at some point and report back!

FINALLY! The Freedom Makeup London Pro Artist Pad in Black Arts

(Cue heavenly choir)

• I don't want to say too much about this as I have a full on first impressions coming in a couple of days however: I LOVE THIS!
• Good quality eyeshadows with lots of pigment.
• Lots of fallout too.
• 48 shadows in the palette.
• Neutral based but with lots of variety.
• Available at Superdrug and Freedom Makeup London's website for £15.00

So that's it for now, please check out my regular video post for this Thursday which will be a full first impressions on the Freedom Makeup Black Arts Palette and I will have more photos for you then.