Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defense SPF50

There once was a small Clinique pot filled with Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defense SPF50:

And then it was empty and I was sad. But then I made a visit to Selfridges and purchased a full size one and all was right with the world.

Ok so the tale didn't happen quite that way. First of all I did some research, which is always a great place to start with any proposed purchase. As you are aware from my rant about sun cream, me and the sticky white stuff aren't the best of friends, so I did a bit of Googling and blog reading - it was a hardship but I slogged it out ;0)

Then, after reading some really good things about this product I wanted to take my research to the next level - clinical trial, otherwise known as getting a tester and trying it on my mush. So I hotfooted it down to the Kiehl's counter at Manchester Selfridges and the lovely, and I mean LOVELY, lady on the counter gave me a tester. Now you may be wondering why my tester was in a Clinique pot. This was because the lady didn't have any normal testers of this product (normally they have pre-packaged testers) and she also didn't have any empty tester pots, so she asked the Clinique counter for one. You know what I call that?! Going above and beyond! Its what great customer service is made of. And you know what else?! Once I tried this product I found out that I loved it! Which resulted in me going back to the same Kiehl's counter at the same Selfridges to buy it. The moral of this story - brilliant customer service breeds loyalty, and also happy customers - just saying. Just a side note, the second lady I spoke to at the counter was just as lovely as the first.

So why do I like Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defense SPF50? Well its factor 50 first of all. Which I do believe is the highest factor on the market. Remember the SPF is the UVB filter only. However this baby also has PA+++ which is also the highest PA rating (thats one of the ratings used for the UVA protection). So its safe to say that when wearing this I am pretty well protected. Aside from this, the consistency of this product is quite nice compared with other sun creams. Its not oil-slick central like some (I'm looking at you Benefit Dream Screen) and not too heavy like you've left a face masque on all day, which is as much as I can hope for with a sun cream. I mean it doesn't feel as nice as just wearing a moisturiser, but then I have to remind my self that I am not just wearing a moisturiser and if I want this kind of protection there has to be some compromise. So what else do I like about this product? Well the packaging is nice. Its sleek and minimalist cool, so it would look good on both boys and girls shelves. Sun protection aint just for the ladies you know! Also the packaging feels nice in my hands. Its smooth and a bit squishy. Also did I mention the customer service?!

And the cost? Well...its not the cheapest thing I've ever bought, £35 for a 60ml tube, but its worth it to get some serious skin protection and not feel absolutely minging all day. So there you have it, a bit of nice sun screen. Who would have thought it ?!

Stacey x x

Ciate nail polishes

Check these babies out! This is my Ciate nail polish collection (In the front, the back are OPI). Straight from the 2013 Ciate advent calendar. Now I know when first reviewing this calendar I said that I probably wouldn't pay full price for it and I probably wouldn't buy it again next year. Well...I might have had a small change of heart. I love these nail polishes! The formula is great, goes on easy and smooth, and east to take off. No chipping. The colours are lovely and it must be the only time that I would buy the mini size over the full size. Every other brand where I have tried the mini size I have hated them, finding that they have dried out too quickly and the lid (where the brush is) hasn't been easy to use - which means messy application. These do not have any of those faults. Also they look like they were made to fit my shelves and I can't tell you how much that makes me happy. Soooo I'm thinking about buying the Ciate calendar again this year. You know if it's on the cheap, or maybe even if it's not. You will have to wait and see.

Foundation for pale faces

L-R: Urban Decay, Cover FX, Illamasqua skin base, Bare Minerals, Illamasqua powder foundation. 

As I'm sure you know by now I am distinctly lacking in the colour department when it comes to skin tone. And because of this I also struggle in the foundation department. You see even though it rains 90% of the time in the UK and the other 10% of the time its over cast, the foundations on offer do not accommodate pale ladies like my self. So I have had to hunt, and I'm still hunting actually, to find foundations in a whiter shade of pale.

Primark cosmetics bags

This is just a quick post to say that if you are going on your hols or just fancy updating your cosmetic transportation, take a trip down to Primark, you might be pleasantly surprised. In the Manchester Primark, which as you would imagine is a fair sized store, they have a whole section dedicated to cosmetic bags. I mean WOW. They have little ones, big ones, patterned ones, plain ones. Loads. And the price? What you would expect from Primani, cheap and cheap. The ones in the pic above were £4 for all of them (pack of 3), bargain. A word of warning. don't be expecting Ted Baker quality here, because if you want Ted Baker quality you need to be paying Ted Baker price, that's just how it works. But if you are looking for a quick, cheap update, then come-on-down and take a peek. Not on a Saturday though, seriously that shop is manic on a Saturday and I would be worried for your safety. I have actually found that the best time to attend Manchester Primark is between 8-9am. The store is dead and everything is in it's correct place, it's heaven.

(oh just to let you know as well, I am not sure if these are a seasonal thing. So my advice would be to get them while you can).

See you there.

Stacey x x

The minefield that is sun cream

(products above will be reviewed separately)

A little heads up before we begin. This is a very wordy post, so much so that the only picture you will find in here is the one above. Also it's a bit ranty, more than a bit ranty actually. Mentally prepare yourself. *deep breath in...and out*  

Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Colour

It's safe to say that I am an Urban Decay fan. You've seen my UD palettes post already so here is my Super-Saturated lip colour collection. 5 lip crayons ranging from natural to this-lip-crayon-couldn't-be-natural-if-it's-life-depended-on-it. But, hold the phone, I have just had a look on both UD's UK website and Debenhans website and something strange is going on, a lot of these crayons seem to be out of stock. So I am thinking either, people have been nulk buying these for the Zombie apocalypse, they are discontinuing them, or they are revamping them. I mean the first thought is most likely, but it could be either of the other two at a push.

Luscious Lips - Lush lip balm and lip scrubs

Lush you wonderful people, you have made a lip fanatic very happy! If you want moisturised, smooth lips with a side order of fun and delightful aromas you need to try these!

Urban Decay makeup palettes

I am a fan of things that look beautiful and Urban Decay makeup palettes definitely fit that bill. They look amazing! I am a palette fan in general, I like the concept of a selection of eyeshadows, blushers etc all in one place. They are easy to store, no faffing about looking in your makeup stash and they are easy take with you wherever you need to go, no bags upon bags of loose makeup. So I thought I would show you the beauties that I have in my makeup collection.

My first Disney princess tattoo - by Bex Lowe

About a year ago I had the pleasure (and pain) of having the loveliest tattooist I have ever met draw the most amazing picture on my skin that will last forever, and today I would like to share my experience with you.

My first Birchbox

Today I would like to show you my first ever Birchbox. Now you have all seen my post about Glossybox and this is very similar, just by a different company. Why have I changed companies? Well I was bored. You see I go through stages, sometimes I really enjoy Glossybox, and then sometimes (generally when I have got a collection of products mounting up that I haven't managed to try yet) I get bored. So this is what happened with Glossybox. Then, like I always do, I start to miss it. I miss getting a box of surprises every month. So when the thought came over me this time I had a look online and found Birchbox. Like I said this is the same premise, just by a different company.

London shopping

Yesterday myself and hubby took a trip to the big city. This was to celebrate hubby's birthday (he is knocking on a bit now) but I managed to squeeze in a spot of shopping as well. As you do.

Beautiful skin - Specialised products

Hay you guys!! Your here, at the specialised products post. So you want your skin to look gawjus? Well you've come to the right place. Also a tiny secret, so do I!

Beautiful skin - Advanced products

So you've got your basics down and you are looking to up your skin care game, well don't worry I have got you covered. This section includes your scrubs, masks and night creams.

Is it always good to change up your beauty regime?

So I did it. I changed my beauty regime. You should know that this was not done by choice alone, it was actually done under duress. You see I was going to buy my normal cleanser and toner - Avene extremely gentle cleanser and Avene cleanance toner. However when I went to look in 3 different Boots stores I was confused. I couldn't find my normal products on the shelf. So I had a look online and I think what they have done is changed the packaging. I know its only a little change, it shouldn't have affected me at all really, but for one I am not a missive fan of change, and for two it doesn't take a lot to confuse my tiny mind. So what do you do when you cant find the thing you are looking for? Well you buy something else of course!

Beautiful skin - Basic products

This is part 2 of the Beautiful skin series (or part 1 if you count the first as the prequel, which I'm not doing, just to let you know), and just as a side note it sounds like I'm an author and I am writing a series of books called Beautiful skin, which I'm not doing either, just to let you know. And back to the point - This is part 2 of the Beautiful skin series and this post is about your bread and butter products. In my opinion this is what everyone should be using on a daily basis, and if you skin is not looking good and you are not using these products then shame on you ;0)

Tattoos and me

So I'm sure you all know by now that this little ol' blog is about all things beauty. And with that in mind it would seem inappropriate not to include permanent skin artistry - you know, tattoos. The statement above is completely true for me. I love tattoos, actually I adore tattoos. The idea of having art drawn on my body for me to show off forever appeals to me no end. I like to think this love has come from seeing my dads tattoos as a child, my favourite being the obligatory naked lady (she wasn't completely naked, just the top half). My dad was in the military you see and it was the thing then, as I am sure it still is now, to get Inked. Maybe it was to show you were a man *flexes muscles*, maybe it was because it was a thing you did when you were wasted, maybe a little bit of both lol. But it's been a military tradition for a very long time. And I loved those drawings on my dads arms. They weren't weird to me, they were perfectly normal. There were no negative connotations that came with them. I don't think anyone looked at my dad and thought 'naughty person'. Well who knows what another person thinks, but I definitely didn't think that way. 

Beautiful skin (wedding skin) - Pre products

Good looking skin for me is a must. I spend time and a good portion of my wage on making my skin look good. And by good I mean clear of blemishes, line and wrinkle free, plumped and hydrated and luminous and well rested. My personal goal is to stay looking young for as long as possible - Peter Pan style. With this in mind I thought a static section of my blog all about making/helping skin to look good would hopefully be beneficial to you guys. I also thought this would be helpful for those special occasions, weddings included, where you want to look your very best. And I am secretly hoping that once you enhance your skin care routine you will become a convert, because I believe that everyone deserves beautiful skin.

Benefit gift sets

Like most people, when it comes to spending my hard earned cash, I like a bargain. And when it comes to makeup and products I generally like to trial them first, and Benefit's gift sets tick both boxes for me.

Lush Christmas gift boxes from the M-I-L

So Christmas happened, 4 months ago and my lovely mother-in-law bought me some gift boxes from Lush, along with other things. She bought me these because she loves me (well I should hope so I took her son off her hands) and because she knows I love Lush. They are ethical, no animal testing, home grown, semi-natural products (check their website, all ingredients are listed), what's not to like! And I thought I would show you what lovelies you could get, either for a loved one, or just for a treat for yourself.

This first is the purple one with the green ribbon and Christmas trees. I think it's called Merry Christmas, but that's literally a guess because the labels for these could be anywhere now. Christmas was 4 months ago people! And I know I need to be writing blog posts a little quicker. So what did it have in it? Well you can see from the pic that it had Rub, Rub, Rub shower scrub in it. Santa's lip scrub, and an ombre blue and green soap (who knows which soap that is but it sure looks pretty). It also had in it So White shower gel and I think but I really can't be sure, that it may have had a small Million Dollar Moisturiser in it. I mean I have it so it must have come from somewhere.

The other is the one with the fruit all over it. This is called The Whole Fruit and I know this because not only does it say it on the box but it's also still on Lush's website. And this has in it The Comforter bubble bar, D'Fluff strawberry shaving soap, Avobath bath bomb, The Olive Branch shower gel, I Love Juicy shampoo, American Cream conditioner, Miranda soap, King of Skin body butter (which is lovely by the way) and Magnificent soap. And so the Lush website say's, it should have had You've Been Mangoed bath melt in it, but mine didnt *sad face*. But what you going to do ay?! I have enough to keep me going for a while without it.

As with all Lush gifts the bath bombs and bubble bars are the first to go. You guys know I adore baths and there is nothing more that I adore than having a little summat summat to go in my baths, which is why the bombs, creamers, melts, bubble bars etc get used up first. Then it will be all the other products with the soaps being last to go, this is because soaps last so long. Has anyone else noticed this? or is it just me?

So Santa M-I-L did good! As she always does really. And if you are reading this The Mother-in-law...thank you and love ya's x x x x x x x x

Stacey x x

Lip crayons

When it comes to makeup, people usually have a 'thing'. A type of product that they love, or maybe a certain area of their face that they like to accentuate; their best features. For me, it's lips, I think my lips are my best feature. I have hooded eyes which are alright but not the best, and I don't have model cheek bones, so they are out, but I do like my lips. They are a nice fullness and a nice shape, so I like to show them off.  And from this comes my love of lip products. I have an array of balms, stains, gloss, pencils, lipsticks, and I'm sure they will all make an appearance at some point on here.

Face and body scrubs = bad for the environment

I am on a mission, to save the environment like a cosmetics collecting Captain Planet.

Kat Von D Everlasting liquid lipstick review and Kylie Jenner lip?

As you know, when hubby came back from America he had some make-up goodies for me and Kat Von D's Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita was one of them. 

Glossybox - is it worth the price?

This is another of those REALLY OLD blog posts that i have been meaning to share but have never got around to, until now. Today's post is about a little something that cosmetic lovers may enjoy.

American makeup haul

Is 'haul' the word I should be useing for this? Maybe the word 'spree' would be better. Although it's a bit of a girly word so I'm not sure my husband would like it, and he was the one that did the shopping for this post so I suppose his opinion matters - a little.

Flormar nail polish

Today is the start of something a little different. Out there on the big wide interwebs there are thousands upon thousands of beauty blogs, some of them I read, some of them I have not had the pleasure of finding yet. But what I have noticed (when searching for reviews my self) is that the most well known brands have A LOT of reviews. They are REVIEWED! It's safe to say they are well and truly covered in the blogging review stakes. So in light of this revaluation I am going to work on reviewing some cosmetics that I hope will be a little bit different. Don't get me wrong I'm not completely moving away from the favourites, I mean I am currently obsessing over some of the Benefit gifts, and I'm sure you will all get to know about them, however  I am going to be reviewing some cosmetics that may be slightly less well known.

Mermaid Nails.

It was brought to my attention the other day (the other day meaning months and months ago. This is another post that has been sitting in my account, gathering dust), that it has been ages since I have had a nail theme (Easter in fact). So while I was watching a cake making show on TV the other day – yes I do watch some rubbish on the Telly Box! -  they were making a mermaid themed cake. This cake was beautiful. It had blue sparkle, shimmer, bubbles, an octopus (ok that didn’t make it on to the nails), and with this as my inspiration, the mermaid nails were born.

Ciate and Benefit advent calendar reviews

(benefit and ciate advent calendars) 

Fine Dining.

This blog post was actually written May 2013, and has been sitting in my account ever since. So today as i am going through my blog, trying to get everything in order i have decided, 'no more sitting around doing nothing for this little post, its time to show it to the world'. So here it is, i hope you like it.

Not only was last weekend Hubby’s birthday (making him the grand old age of 26!), it was also a weekend of new experiences, and this began with a visit to Northcoat.

Does skin colouring matter with crazy coloured hair?

I was in the hair dressers the other day, or the place where colourful hair dreams come true - as I like to call it. And while i was in there I was discussing this very same topic with my hair dresser. He believes that when it come to crazy hair colours, skin colouring doesn't matter. Ahhhh he's an idealist, and that's what I love about him. But unfortunately (for me at the moment) I don't think he's right.