Bourjois Délice de Poudre Bronzing Powder // Review

This bronzing powder from Bourjois claims to 'give an immediate boost to your complexion'. Being quite pale it is nice to have a product that gives me an extra bit of colour and glow without it being too dark or looking too obvious.

The product itself is shaped like chocolate and has a distintive sweet chocolatey scent - pleasant but perhaps not suited to those with sensitive or easily irritated skin. The powder is finely milled so feels light, easy to apply and blends evenly into the skin. When looking at the product in the pan there are tiny shimmer particles visible, but this does not translate onto the skin. Instead you are left with a warm sun-kissed glow, that is not sparkly or too obvious.

The bronzing powder comes in two shades 51 and 52. I have the lightest shade which is suitable for those of us with paler complexions as it warms up the skin without looking orangey or too dark. 

Bourjois Délice de Poudre Bronzing Powder is £6.99 for 16.5g and is available from Boots and Superdrug stores as well as online. 

Superdrug Naturally Radiant Hot Cloth Cleanser // Review

I was on the hunt for a hot cloth cleanser and came across this range that I hadn't heard of before. The naturally radiant range from Superdrug consists of a hot cloth cleanser, day and night creams, a scrub, a balm, an eye cream and a face mask. 

I've been using the hot cloth cleanser for a few weeks now and I have to say I'm very impressed. I massage the product into my face, rinse the muslin cloth (provided in the box) under a hot tap and remove the cream in circular motions. It successfully removes all traces of makeup and leaves my skin looking and feeling really clean and refreshed. Plus it a nice subtle scent too, nothing too overpowering.

The cleanser contains kiwi fruit and mulberry extracts 'to help revive skin's radiance and even out skin tone'. It also contains 'nourishing cocoa butter' which helps to soften the skin. Best of all the cleanser is paraben and cruelty free and also suitable for vegetarians and vegans - hoorah!

I think that this product will become a staple in my skin care routine. The hot cloth cleanser is £5.99 for 150ml available from Superdrug stores and online. There is currently a half price deal available on all the naturally radiant range, so I will definitely be stocking up and look forward to trying more of their products! 

Collection Lasting Colour Gel Eyeliner in Brown // Review

Only a few years ago it seemed that gel eyeliner was exclusive to higher end brands... but not anymore! High street brands including Maybelline, Revlon, Rimmel and Barry M have all recently brought out a gel eyeliner, as have Collection (formerly Collection 2000).

I was looking to buy a brown gel liner for everyday wear for a change to my usual black. Whilst browsing I discovered that Collection had a range of gel liners - available in black, brown, teal and gold. 

At £4.99 I thought I'd give it a whirl. So what do I think? On their website Collection claims that the eyeliner gives '12 hours lasting wear', although I did not wear the liner for precisely 12 hours it certainly lasted throughout the day. The colour, a dark but-not-too-dark brown was a perfect change from black and suitable for daytime.

The only downside to this product is the brush that it comes with. The brush is far too small and fiddly to use so I would recommend using another eyeliner brush with this product. 

Overall I really like this eyeliner and I would repurchase. I think this product is as good as gel eyeliners from much more expensive brands so well done Collection! Collection products are available in both Boots and Superdrug stores as well as online.

Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne EDP

I have only recently discovered this fragrance and feel as though I'm a bit late to jump on this bandwagon. Parisienne launched in 2009 with a campaign headed by Kate Moss.

On the Yves Saint Laurent website this fragrance is described as...

'A sensuous bouquet to the woman whose heart belongs to Paris…even if home is elsewhere. A voluptuous floral accord of violet, damask rose and blackberry seems to tell the whole story, but then comes the fullness of sandalwood, deepened by musk and brightened by peonies, tying the endnotes to the ones beginning.'

Fragrance is always a difficult thing to describe, and varies from person-to-person due to personal taste. I would however agree that this description sums up the product nicely. It's floral, mainly rose scented (but not heavily and so avoids being at all grandma-ish!). The floral notes are complimented by a hint of musk, vanilla and berries, and not quite like any other perfume that I have smelled or owned. 

This perfume is very feminine and personally I love both the packaging and the bottle. The perfume itself is a very pale lavender colour encased in a sculpted glass bottle with gold cap. It's chic and girly whilst giving the sense of being classic - definitely one for the dressing table! I also love the 80s style font on the packaging, it's a nice touch that  definitely adds to the classic feel of the product.

Overall I would recommend this fragrance if you like florals. It has a decent staying power and isn't too overpowering for daytime wear. YSL Parisienne EDP is widely available and retails from £39.50 for 30ml. 

NIP + FAB Dry Skin Fix Body Butter // Review

I recently discovered the NIP + FAB brand whilst browsing my local Boots store and was instantly drawn towards their body butter range. Currently they have four different scents in the range; Mango Smoothie, Coconut Latte, Pistachio Sundae and the newest addition to the family, Cherry Tarte.

The packaging claims -

'Indulge your senses with this intensive, nourishing body butter to help repair dry + de-hydrated skin with a subtle comforting scent.'

*Avocado oil repairs + leaves skin with a healthy sheen

*Honey conditions + smoothes

*Aquaxyl 24hr moisture + shine

Firstly, I'm a big fan of body butters. I prefer them to ordinary moisturisers as I like the thick texture and find them much more moisturising and luxurious in comparison to ordinary moisturising lotions. I've also found that the variety of scents available tends to be more diverse, something that the NIP + FAB range has catered for. 

These body butters certainly deliver on intense moisturisation, when used I found my skin to feel both soft and hydrated. The hydration lasted all day and even into the next! 

I have to confess that I am now obsessed with the pistachio scent! It is the first time I've seen a pistachio scented product on the high street and it is reminiscent of the luxurious (and rather expensive) Laura Mercier Creme de Pistache body souffle. Although a slightly different product it's nice to see a pistachio scent at a fraction of the price! The product itself is a thick green cream, perhaps not the most aesthetically appealing, but this is easily counteracted by the divine scent. The scent reminds me of sweet nutty macaroons, not to everyone's taste, but to me it is simply heavenly. The scent of these products lingers on the skin which I found an added bonus. 

The NIP + FAB body butters retail at £9.95 for 200ml. I think this is rather pricey for a high street body butter, however I would pay this for the unique pistachio scent. Boots tend to have the NIP + FAB body butters on half price deals so keep a look out if you're interested in trying the range.

Personally I look forward to trying more products from the NIP + FAB brand and hope they bring out more body butter scents soon.