Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip Balm

Lip balms, so many to choose from including all varieties of flavours, tints, fragrances, with SPF, without SPF the list goes on. What I want from a lip balm however, is one that sinks in and repairs my lips. A balm that I don't need to keep re-applying to stop them feeling dry. The kind of balm where I apply it at night and wake up in the morning with soft, smooth lips.

I know I expect a lot from my beauty products, but fortunately Nuxe's Reve De Miel Lip Balm fulfils all my requirements. It's a balms that sinks into your lips and keeps them moisturised for the majority of the day. It's a great base for lip colour as it helps any gloss or lipstick glide on smoothly and stops it from catching on any dry bits. The best part is, I picked it up from Marks & Spencer for about eight quid in a sale! It's a steel really for what I think could easily sit in with high end beauty product lines.

Texture-wise it's quite dense, you may feel like you have to work it into your lips but I quite like that. Despite that it's super nourishing and soothing so great if you suffer with dry, chapped lips. Definitely a 'must have' skincare item. No other balm that I have comes close to this one so it's definitely a keeper, and I have loads of lip balms!

Just love

Rina xoxo

Norton House Hotel & Spa Review



As I'm getting closer to 30, I've noticed that my love of a good night out is slowly being replaced by more love for a good spa break. You can't beat them really. You get to lounge about in a fluffy robe and slippers, you can have a nice nap, you can even take a nap in a hot tub if you wanted to (I don't recommend this). So given that my visit to Norton House Hotel & Spa was my third spa break in less than 6 months I kinda feel like I've been to enough to know what a good spa break should look like.

The hotel is part of the Handpicked Hotels group and is located in Edinburgh by the airport. My friend and I booked a spa break which included a one night stay at the hotel, a three-course meal, breakfast and £75 towards a spa treatment plus full access to the spa facilities.

Hotel

The hotel itself was lovely. It's surrounded by beautiful, spacious gardens and fields which really does make it feel like a proper getaway. The old Georgian building sits in the middle and looks pretty impressive amongst the scenic backdrop. The exterior was like a postcard picture and was one of my favourite features of the hotel. This is definitely the kind of place to go to if you like the outdoors, so if you're a fan of running or long walks, I highly recommend it.

Spa

The spa was good but not the best spa I've been to. It had a large pool, steam room, sauna, experience shower, hydro therapy pool, gym facilities, treatment rooms and a relaxation area. It had some great facilities but I just didn't get the same kind of relaxing ambiance that I've experienced in other spas before. Perhaps this is because it's quite a large spa and maybe it takes away from the cosy, peaceful feeling you get in smaller spas. There were also families who were staying in the hotel so the pool did get a bit noisy at times. My main dislike was the fact that the spa was in a separate building to the rest of the hotel, which meant that you either had to get dressed or you had to walk outside in your robe and slippers to get to your room. I prefer the kind of spas where you can stroll out of your treatment room and glide straight to your room...

Food/Service

This was probably the best part of my stay. I've been to hotel/spa breaks before and food options have always been limited with small portions. At Norton House they had a good slection of starters, mains and desserts at the The Brasserie restaurant. The main dish was the most stand out part of my meal. I ordered the Roast Chicken Breast with Leek Dauphinoise Potato, Fondant Carrot and Sherry Wild Mushroom Sauce and it was absolutely delicious. The chicken was succulent and tender and it was complimented by the sauce perfectly. The carrot had just enough bite and the mushrooms added an earthy depth to round off the dish. I would definitely eat here again. The service was fab, all the staff were polite, friendly and were always on hand to help if we needed anything, like an emergency beans on toast!

So, the overall verdict - I'd give it a 7 out of 10. It was really good value for money and would be a nice relaxing excursion if you're in Edinburgh for a few nights.

Click here to go through to the hotel website.

I'm always on the lookout for new spa's to visit. Can you recommend any good ones?

Just love

Rina xoxo

Pastille Beauty Bar Celebrates It's 1 Year Anniversary!

I can't believe I’ve only just discovered this gem of a place recently. I have walked past Pastille on numerous occasions on my way to work admiring the pastel décor and airy, cute interior and thought it was time to lose my Gel Mani virginity!

The salon is located in the Granary Wharf area of Leeds neighbouring coffee shop, Out In The Woods and restaurant, Fazenda. What I love most about this place is the distinct neighbourhood atmosphere which a lot of chain nail bars struggle to achieve. You go in and everyone is so friendly and down-to-earth. It’s easy to understand why appointments are always booked up and most of the local residents and city slickers come here for their Mani Pedi’s on their lunch breaks.

The girls of Pastille definitely have a lot to be happy about. They were celebrating their 1^st Birthday and to as a thank you, customers got a goodie bag including treats and vouchers from many supporting local businesses. Showing their support for other local businesses is what has helped Pastille become the ‘neighbourhood beauty bar’ it is today and as a big supporter of Leeds I definitely recommend a visit to this place.

The Gel Mani is most definitely the most popular treatment here and they can also do some pretty awesome nail art too. Check out their Instagram page for ideas and inspiration. I played it safe on my first go but i'm definitely considering something a little bit more exciting for my next foray.

On this visit I had a Gel Manicure and was inspired by a post all about the white mani by Bustle. I opted for a pearly, white colour in ‘Snow Bunny’ by Gelish and I absolutely loved it! It’s as bad-ass as red but in a completely different way and makes my nails look fresh and really healthy. My favourite reaction to them so far was by my friend Maddie at work – ‘I f***ing love your nails!’ Says it all really…

Pastille do all kinds of nail treatments as well as lashes and brows. Full list of treatments and prices can be found on their website.

What do you think to my white mani?

Just love

Rina xoxo

Illamasqua Matte Veil Review

So I've taken a bit of time before gathering my thoughts on this one by actually trialling it for a couple of weeks. I'm a big fan of Illamasqua products and when I first tried Hydra Veil I thought it was an amazing, innovative product. It hydrates skin, smooths out texture and gives foundation a great base and last. What I really loved the most about Hydra Veil is that it worked on pretty much all skin types and has since become a staple in my freelance kit.

So when I heard about Matte Veil, I was instantly sold. With my normal to oily skin gradually getting more and more shiny as the weather gets somewhat warmer, I didn't want, I needed this product!

As the title suggests, this primer is designed to mattify skin and reduce shine. The first thing I noticed is that it smells a lot like Palmer's Cocoa Butter! It's texture is less jelly-like than Hydra Veil and more like custard. Unlike Hydra Veil, it doesn't set in the jar either. Instead it keeps like a lotion in the pot.

There are a lot of things I like about Matte Veil; It feels instantly hydrating, it doesn't leave the skin dry or tight like some mattifying primers do, it's easily absorbed, helps foundation glide and blend onto the skin and with it, make up sits better and lasts longer. I also like the fact that it doesn't make skin look lacklustre after applying this product.

Unfortunately I just didn't find that it kept my skin matte for very long. I do have quite an oily T-zone and even when I wear powder based foundations I still seem to have a shine on by midday, and this product didn't do much to improve that. I trialed it for 2 weeks using more of it, then less. I tried applying it with a brush and then another time with my fingers. I even tried it with different foundations including Mac Studio Fix Fluid which is normally very matte but I still didn't feel that it kept my base shine-free for long enough.

It might just be my skin type but I was a little bit disappointed as Hydra Veil worked so well for me. However, as I never write off any product I will still keep it in my kit for it's use as a great pre-foundation prep product.

Have you tried Matte Veil? Did it work for you?

Just love

Rina xoxo

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation

Okay so I have to admit, I was really looking forward to using this foundation. So many good reviews about it, on the favourites lists of many other make up artists and beauty bloggers so I was expecting something good.

NARS describes this as a buildable sheer to medium coverage foundation with a glowing, natural, radiant finish. It's also supposed to leave the skin more hydrated, luminous, softer and smoother and if used everyday it claims to improve the skin's brightness and texture. It's recommended for those that have a normal to dry skin type.

Given all this, I expected the foundation to look really radiant and glowy especially on my normal to oily skin type. However I couldn't help but feel that the foundation felt and looked a little bit flat and cakey. I applied it with my fingers as recommended and really warmed it into the skin. The coverage was very good but if you like sheer coverage I'd steer clear. This version of 'sheer' is completely different to my understanding of sheer which is that of a tinted moisturiser or my favourite sheer foundation, Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation.

I bought it in the colour Tahoe which was the closest match to my skin. So the closest equivalent to Bobbi Brown's Golden or MAC's NC44. I liked the tone of the foundation but it was just a smidge too light. However, the next shade was far too dark so I compensated by using a bronzer to warm my complexion up and to avoid me looking like my face was a completely different colour to my neck and chest.

On another occasion though I applied it with an Illamasqua Highlighter brush and buffed it on over Illamsqua's Hydra Veil Primer and it went on so much better. Still I felt it was a little bit matte looking but as I was going to a party I didn't mind looking more made up. It's great as an under eye concealer though. Used with a full bristled synthetic concealer brush, this formula builds up really well under the eyes and there was minimal creasing as the night went on.

So I guess my conclusion is that for me this foundation should really be called something else. The words 'sheer' and 'glow' don't come to mind when I have it on. However I never write off a foundation as I believe there's always a use for any foundation. If not now then maybe later. I'd say it's good for people that want a bit of coverage and want to make more of an effort to get that flawless look. It doesn't have an SPF in it either which I like. It means that for photography it prevents you from looking 'white' in pics so a good option for wedding days. I must admit, it photographs incredibly well.

In the picture of me I'm wearing it with a Bobbi Brown Bronzer in Golden Light and Laura Mercier Highlighter 01. So out of 10, I give it a 7.

Let me know if you've used NARS Sheer Glow Foundation and what you thought of it.

Just Love

Rina xoxo

Topshop Orion Eyeshadow Palette

I've been kind of obsessed with this little buy since I picked it up while I was snooping around Topshop on Oxford Street during my last visit to London. Purple eyeshadow always catches my attention and mettalic ones even more so. So when I came across this for just £12 I couldn't resist.

I don't usually rate eyeshadows from companies that aren't originally dedicated to make up but these shadows aren't too bad for their price. Obviously the purple shade is my favourite but the cool bronze colour is great as a mid-tone shade for the lower lid and the pale gold shade is fab for highlighting.

The best thing about these eyeshadows is the great colour pay off. The texture is really velvety and rich in pigment and so you don't need a lot of product to get a good, solid colour. The metallic texture really packs a punch, no wincy looking sheens in this palette. I find these best applied with a finger for depositing maximum colour. The purple one especially, smudged on the lid and lower lashline and with some black khol along the waterline makes for an easy, rough and ready smokey eye.

The packaging is sleek and trendy in it's little black, matte, round compact style package. The only downside is that I think that the shadows are a bit too small. I'll probably run out of the purple one soon enough and then I'll end up putting the compact in the depths of my make up kit somewhere. But for £12 I guess I can't complain, not a bad price for what will be a short term crush on a new product. Keep your eyes peeled for the next one that takes my fancy...


Just love

Rina xoxo

My Favourite Foundation Brushes

'Your make up is only as good as your brushes' or so the saying goes. But when it comes to foundation it's definitely important to use the right tools. The right brush not only makes sure that your make up looks good but it can also save you time and prevent you from overusing or wasting your foundation.

I have used many foundation brushes and as a make up artist I'm obsessed with adding to my collection but as of late I have settled on a couple of new favourites.

I've noticed that recently foundation brushes have moved away from the flat paddle brushes that used to be the trusted applicator for all mediums of foundation. These are still great and I love my Bobbi Brown foundation brush below, I have 3 in my kit. These brushes are great for application. Unlike sponges, flat paddle foundation brushes were synthetic and so didn't soak up liquid foundations, saving us from wasting our favourite foundation formulas.

Then there was the stippling brush. The MAC small duo fibre brush was a favourite for a lot of beauty junkies including myself. I did buy this brush for the purpose of applying foundation but I found that with liquid formulas, the tips on the brush sometimes just moved the formula round in circles on my skin. I didn't ever feel like it blended the product very well and often went over my face with another brush or my hands. It is, however, great for applying loose powder products and for blending powder blush.

Brushes are always improving though and a lot of companies are able to produce good quality brushes with synthetic fibres. Synthetic brushes have always been a must for liquid and cream products and for a while it seemed that synthetic brushes were always flat so not great for getting around the contours of the face. But now I've noticed that synthetic brushes are being produced for the use of all products which means we now have access to a variety of shapes and sizes of brushes for applying foundation.

Currently my favourite brushes are the Illamasqua Highlighter Brush and the Bobbi Brown Full Coverage Brush.

The Illamasqua Highlighter Brush although designed for it's namesake is also perfect for blending liquid foundation onto the skin. Small in size and shaped into a dome, this brush gets product around areas like the nose and mouth evenly. It's also my absolute favourite for applying cream blush as I feel like it practically blends the product for me. No harsh lines or blotches of extreme colour when I use this for cream blush.

The Bobbi Brown Full Coverage Brush is an absolute dream for applying and blending liquid foundation. When I first used this brush for foundation I thought 'where have you been all my life!' Of course it's made from synthetic fibres but it feels like velvet. It's great not only for applying foundation but it blends make up onto the skin flawlessly and with minimum effort. For those of you who aren't so great at blending, this brush does all the hard work for you! You just pick up a small amount of product and buff it onto the skin. You'll even find that you will probably use less product as the brush clings on to hardly any of the foundation meaning that what goes onto the brush, goes onto the face. Minimum product is wasted and so your foundation goes further. And best of all it's quick. It blends as you go along so you don't have to keep going over and over your face until the product blends away.

So there you have it, my current favourite foundation brushes. And I say current as make up companies are always bringing out new and wonderful brushes so no doubt I'll have a new list of favourites eventually. I hope so anyway :)

Have you used any of these brushes? Let me know what you think of them and what your favourite foundation brushes are.

Just love

Rina xoxo

I heart Kiehl's

Anybody that knows me well will be laughing at the title of this post because I go on about this brand all the time! I absolutely love this skincare brand and the reason is simple - it works!

I have tried quite a few skincare products by Kiehl's but I just wanted to talk about a couple of products that have made the biggest impact on my skin; Kiehl's Centella Skin Calming Facial Cleanser and their Calendula Herbal Extract Alcohol-Free Toner.

For months I had been having trouble with reoccurring spots on one side of my face. I could never understand why I had such terrible, bumpy skin on the right side of my face when the other side was absolutely fine. It was brought to my attention that some people often sleep on one side which can affect the skin on that side and coincidentally I did sleep on my right, often with my face cradled in my hand too! But I can't exactly help which side I sleep on so I was always looking for remedies to my problem when I decided to try Kiehl's. 

It was recommended to me by a guy interestingly enough. So after visiting a Kiehl's store and having a short skin consultation I was told that my skin was actually 'stressed' and 'irritated' rather than having too much oil in it which I always thought was the issue. And the fact that I was using an exfoliating scrub everyday was probably making it worse because I was irritating it even more. So I bought both the cleanser and the toner that the consultant recommended for me. 

The cleanser did take me some time to get used to. I've always preferred foams and soapy cleansers that make your skin feel really clean but this had more of a gel texture and it didn't really lather up. It's not the best for removing make up either. I like my cleansers to take everything off so I found it a bit of a chore removing my make up first and then cleansing my skin. But I was more than happy to compromise for the results I was getting. It includes tiger herb extract which is an antibacterial that helps to heal wounds and it was definitely healing my bumps.  

Toners, I've never really understood the point to them to be honest. I started using it about 2 weeks after the cleanser but I did notice a difference. It's formulated with real calendula flowers. You can see the petals inside the bottle! After using this my skin felt really fresh and it was good to know that it was getting rid of any make up residue that I had missed during the cleansing stage. The preparation is developed to balance out normal to oily skins without drying it out, while the calendula extract helps to soothe problem areas.

I can't stress how much of an impact these products made on my life let alone my skin! I feel confident not to cover up with as much foundation now and I am often getting complimented on how much my skin has improved. 

I know a lot of people suffer from similar skin problems. Red, lumpy, almost acne-like skin that just keeps flaring up no matter what you do. If this sounds familiar I urge you to give it a go and most importantly - stop exfoliating! It might seem like a good idea because you feel like you're scrubbing the dirt off your skin but you're actually making it worse. I've learnt that exfoliating actually stimulates oil production so if you have normal to oily skin, go easy with the scrubbing. I haven't exfoliated for 4 months now and my skin's never been better! 

I have since used many other Kiehl's products and I will be doing more reviews of their products soon :)

Just love                                             

Rina xoxo

Kiehl's Centella Skin Calming Facial Cleanser is priced at £26.50 for 200mls and the Calendula Herbal Extract Alcohol-Free Toner is £34.50 for 250mls. Products are available in Kiehl's stores across the UK and online.

www.kiehls.co.uk 

Have you tried any Kiehl's products? How did you find them?