Carmex Moisture Plus - Berry Tinted Lip Balm Review

There is nothing worse than chapped flaky lips. It can be both uncomfortable and unflattering, and as we approach the winter months the colder weather draws out more moisture from our skin. To tackle the issue of dry lips I always carry a lip balm with me. I have tried numerous brands over the years, but Carmex is one that I have always found  to be extremely effective.

Rather than repurchasing the standard Carmex in a pot, I thought that I would try the Moisture Plus Tinted version instead. These 'ultra hydrating' lip balms come in a handy tube and are available in four shades - Clear, Peach, Pink and Berry. I opted for the berry shade as I thought it sounded the most autumnal. I found the shade to be more red than berry, but nonetheless a lovely colour. The pigmentation is sheer so ideal for day-to-day wear and adds just a hint of colour to the lips. The finish is slightly glossy, but not as glossy as a lip gloss.

As for moisturisation, I found this product to be incredibly hydrating and tackled any stubbon dry patches. When using this lip balm, my lips were kept hydrated for a few hours before having to reapply. Pretty good going for a tinted lip balm! According to the packaging the balm is formulated with Vitamin E, Aloe, Shea Butter and SPF 15. The balm was easy to apply and is very convenient as you do not need a mirror. It has a pleasant scent - the traditional Carmex smell with a hint of vanilla. Noticeable, but nothing too overpowering.

Overall I have really been enjoying this lip balm and have been reaching for it whenever I feel that my lips are getting a bit dry. I think that this product will quickly become a winter handbag essential! The Carmex Moisture Plus Lip Balms retail for £4.49 and are available from Boots, Superdrug and Feel Unique.

Do you have a go-to lip balm for the colder months? Let me know your favourites!

Fudge Urban Iced Raspberry & Vanilla Hairspray Review

There is something that you should know about me, I'm fickle. I very rarely repurchase the same product as I am always eager to try new things. I am also a sucker for nice packaging, and appreciate well thought out graphics and designs (thanks GCSE Graphics!). On the search for a new hairspray, I came across this little beauty in the aisles of Superdrug. Fudge is a brand that I have a limited experience with. Before using this hairspray I had never used a Fudge product, and only knew of the brand as my boyfriend used to use a Fudge hair wax a few years ago. I really did not know what to expect from this purchase, but was enticed by the pretty packaging (well done Fudge design team).

The packaging, oh the packaging. A brightly coloured pink and orange affair, it should scream tacky but it doesn't. Somehow the packaging manages to retain a grown-up feel, perhaps due to the lovely brushed metal tube that adds a (literal) touch of class. All in all the packaging is eye-catching and fun, and makes a welcome addition to my dressing table.  

The product itself claims '...soft to touch hair and 24 hours of hold. Anti frizz properties smooth and seal loose ends leaving your hair feeling natural while keeping your style in place all day.' In terms of performance this hairspray is a strong hold. I tested the staying power by using this product on an up-do, and the results were fantastic! My hair stayed in place all day and with minimum frizz. The bottle claims that the hairspray is 'soft touch' which I do not necessarily agree with as I found that when applied liberally this hairspray does create the dreaded 'crispy hair' effect. However, this could be easily remedied as the product was incredibly easy to brush out, leaving my hair feeling soft.

The scent, Iced Raspberry and Vanilla, is pleasantly sweet, not too overpowering, and lingers in the hair throughout the day - a huge bonus! I usually avoid trying to use hairspray as I detest the smell, but this Fudge hairspray scent is so lovely that I find myself using the product for the scent alone.

I am very impressed with this Fudge Urban hairspray and will definitely be repurchasing it. I liked this product so much that will also be looking to purchase more products from the Fudge brand in the near future - I currently have my eye on the Raspberry and Vanilla styling mousse! The Fudge Urban Iced Raspberry & Vanilla hairspray retails for £4.99 is available from Superdrug.

Have you tried any Fudge products?

A Soap & Glory Love Affair

Last month it was birthday and I was lucky enough to receive some lovely presents from my family. Knowing that I have a great love for the Soap & Glory brand, they bought me some lovely goodies from the range. 

The Daily Smooth Body Butter - £9.00 for 250ml

This Daily Smooth body butter is fragranced with Bergamot, Blackcurrant, Magnolia, Freesia, Vanilla and Musk - which equates to a lovely feminine scent. The body butter itself is a reasonably thick cream that lives up to its promise of being an 'amazingly-effective dry skin formula'. I find this body butter incredibly moisturising and lovely to apply after a shower. The scent lingers throughout the day and my skin is left feeling soft and supple.

The Breakfast Scrub - £8.00 for 300ml

The Breakfast scrub is made from oat, shea butter and sugar with organic cupuacu bio scrubs, bananas, almond and honey extracts. With these ingredients you could assume that the scrub smells like honey or banana, but it does however smell like maple syrup. The scent is so deliciously sweet that I found myself sniffing this product non-stop. I have a personal preference to sweet smelling products, however I know that not everybody will want to smell like a walking pancake, so some people will find the scent of this scrub far too sickly. Scent aside, this is really lovely scrub to use and is very effective at smoothing the skin. I can also see this tub lasting me a long time as you only need to use a small amount of product per shower.

Clean On Me Shower Gel - £6.00 for 500ml

This shower gel has the 'classic' Soap & Glory signature scent - very reminiscent of Dior's Miss Dior Cherie. I found the gel to be a very creamy and luxurious consistency and lovely to use, especially in conjunction with the scrub gloves! It claims to also have the addition of a built-in body lotion, and I can certainly say that after using this product my skin felt soft and moisturised without having to use a separate lotion. As with all Soap & Glory products I adore the cute retro packaging, and the pump makes it easy and mess free to use in the shower.

Smoothie Star Body Milk - £10.00 for 500ml

A relatively new scent to the Soap & Glory range, the Smoothie Star Body Milk contains Almond, Cocoa, Yogurt, Oat and Honey and smells like Almonds, Brown Sugar and Oats. I adore anything sweet or edible smelling, so this is probably my favourite Soap & Glory scent. The lotion itself is incredibly moisturising and claims to feature a 'waterlock' moisture trapping matrix - although I'm not sure exactly how this technology works, this lotion certainly left my skin feeling super soft and moisturised all day long.

Scrub Gloves - £4.00 for one pair

These cute scrub gloves are a great way to exfoliate without the need to use a scrub. They are lovely to use in conjunction with the Clean On Me Shower Gel and they leave my skin feeling really cleansed and soft - fabulous for dry knees or elbows! 

Soap & Glory products are available to buy from Boots stores and online. I would recommend all of these Soap & Glory products, and they make lovely gifts! Do you have a favourite Soap & Glory product?

Autumnal make-up trends for 2013

The deep, berry lip

Deep berry shades were very popular last autumn, and they are back and in full-force for 2013. This look can be daunting for some, but berry shades needn't be scary. If you are not confident enough to pull off a full on dark lip, options such as tinted balms and stains can enable you to achieve this trend in a more subtle and wearable way. One of my favourite products for the berry trend is the Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in Crush. This product is a balm stain so is easily build-able from a lighter coverage to a more dramatic colour. The wonderful thing about using a stain is that they have fantastic longevity - I find the Revlon Balm Stain to last throughout the day, even when eating and drinking! Another favourite of mine is the Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick in 107 (reviewed here). This lipstick is more on the red side of berry, and has a matte finish which not only increases the longevity but is a key  textural trend for autumn 2013.

Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in Crush - applied lightly

Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in Crush - applied heavily

Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in 107

The neutral, nude eye

Simple eye makeup compliments a dark berry lip and is incredibly easy to create! You could simply apply mascara alone, or apply a light coloured eyeshadow across the lid first. For a sheer amount of colour and shimmer the Maybelline Color Tattoo cream eyeshadow in Pink Gold can be used to create an easy neutral look. To warm up a simple eye look, apply a light amount of bronzer through the eye crease with a blending brush, this ties the look together nicely and prevents a dark lip from washing out the complexion.

Neutral eye look using mascara alone

Nude eye using the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Pink Gold

Another upcoming trend for autumn 2013 is the berry coloured eye. Much like the dark lip, a berry eye can seem daunting and difficult to wear. I am currently experimenting with a few new products to create the perfect smokey berry eye look, so keep an eye out (excuse the pun) for an upcoming post on the berry eye trend! 

What are your favourite makeup trends or products for autumn 2013?