Five products that didn't live up to the hype for me

Hyped up products are tricky ones because expectations are high and it is easy to get carried away with "the next best thing". After some disappointments, I try not to jump on the hype bandwagon and purchase products as soon as they are released. My cynical head says that some products are hyped because the brand behind them has a large marketing budget and know how to cause a stir but, of course, there are some products that deserve the hype around them because they are genuiely amazing products. Before I get into this post, which I know may be a little divisive, I want to remind you that beauty is subjective - what works for me, may not work for you and vice versa.  Also, I am not saying that these are bad products - it's more  a case of them just not living up to the hype for me. Some of them I will still use, they just aren't my favourites and others I will pass on to others who might enjoy them more than I do.

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By Terry, Hype, Make Up Forever, Make Up Geek, Mario Badescu, Ole Henriksen, review

Hair styling game changer: Kérastase L'incroyable Blowdry

Kérastase is one of my favourite haircare brands and has been for years. I have used a number of their shampoos, conditioners, heat protectors and oils and there have only been a few products that didn't hugely impress me so I had high expectations for their latest styling release: Kérastase L'incroyable Blowdry. This is not just a heat protectant, but is also a styling product that promises to retain the style/shape for a number of days after use. Because I only wash my hair twice weekly, I was intrigued by this claim and also hopeful. So does it live up to its claims? Well, I guess the title of this post gives it away but keep reading for my full thoughts!

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Hair Styling, Haircare, Kérastase, Kérastase L'incroyable, review

My favourite all matte eyeshadow palettes featuring Viseart, Kat Von D & more!

Whilst I love a good shimmer eyeshadow, on a day to day basis it's matte shadows that I use most frequently. I find that I can achieved a polished look more quickly with mattes, although this was not always the case as I used to find that matte shadows were chalky/powdery and stiff. Fortunately, formulas have changed over the last few years and now mattes can be as buttery soft and easy to work with as shimmers and satins. Today I am sharing my favourite all matte palettes - I have some really beautiful mattes in other palettes that also contain shimmers and satins but the four palettes here today are all matte so if you are on the hunt for the perfect palette, I hope that you will find something here.

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cruelty free, eyeshadow, Eyeshadow palette, Kat Von D, Matte Eyeshadow, Naked Ultimate Basics Palette, Neutral Matte Palette, Shade & Light Eye Contour Palette, Too Faced, Urban Decay, Viseart

Rediscoveries #3 featuring Too Faced, Smashbox & more!

I've been shopping my stash a bit more recently because I honestly have so many beautiful makeup products that are being neglected. I want to try to actually use more of the products that I have already bought rather than just constantly adding more products to my collection. Today I want to share the old products that have made their way into my top drawers in recent weeks.

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Blush Palette, Eyeshadow palette, Gwen Stefani, Marc Jacobs, Matte Eyeshadow, Rediscoveries, Smashbox, Too Faced, Urban Decay

Empties & Speedy Reviews #32 featuring Korres, Glamglow, Mario Badescu & more!

Another month, another empties post! I actually don't have as big a pile as normal but I have really focused on finishing products that have been hanging around for a while, which is something I will continue to do as my skincare cabinet is fit to burst! I have quite a few products that have around 1/3 left in them so I am going to prioritise using those first and I am being quite strict on not purchasing a product if I have a similar one open. On to this month's empties & speedy reviews!

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conditioner, E45, Elixir Ultime Oil, Empties, Face Oil, Galore Cosmetics, GLAMGLOW, Hair Oil, John Frieda, Kerastase, Korres, Mario Badescu, Nude, Oils of Heaven, skincare

Cleansing Oils currently on rotation featuring Dermalogica, Nude & Tatcha

I love taking my makeup off almost as much as I love applying it (actually maybe a bit more!) and I always double cleanse in the evenings to be sure that every scrap of foundation/blush etc has been removed from my face. Sometimes I will use a micellar water for my first cleanse but I often find them to be a little too drying on my skin so instead I alternate them with a cleansing oil and today I want to share my thoughts on the three that I currently have on rotation.

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Cleansing Oil, dermalogica, Double Cleanse, Nude, One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil, Perfect Cleanse Nourishing Cleansing Oil, review, skincare, Tatcha

A nail polish for every budget featuring Benecos, Maybelline, Essie, Burberry & more!

I recently downsized my ridiculously large nail polish collection and in doing so, realised that it is one of the few parts of my whole beauty collection that I tend to favour budget/mid-price products rather than high end. Today I want to share my favourite nail polishes for all budgets with you and I would love to hear your favourites and also if you prefer budget or high end brands.

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Beauty, Benecos, Budget, Burberry, cruelty free, Essie, Essie Gel Couture, Guerlain, Luxury, Maybelline, nail polish, Nails, review, Vegan

Why I have a love/hate relationship with Xen-Tan Moroccan Ultra Tan

I don't know that I would quite describe myself as a tanorexic, but I do love a good tan and feel more like myself when I am tanned. I wear fake tan all year round and at this stage consider myself to be quite the fake tan aficionado because I have tried most brands (but Bellamianta and Loving Tan are still on my "to try" list!). One of my favourite tans is Xen-Tan Moroccan Tan because it applies very evenly, doesn't dry my skin out, gives a really golden tan and fades evenly. The only 'con' I can think of is that the tube is small at only 148ml and because I apply fake tan once a week, it really doesn't last very long. I have tried most of the other tans in the Xen Tan range and this one was always my favourite.

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Fake tan, False Tan, Morrocan Tan Ultra, review, Xen Tan, Xen-Tan

Burberry Liquid Lip Velvet No. 21 Primrose

I'm not the biggest fan of liquid lipsticks because my lips are prone to being dry, plus I find that a lot of them look too flat. That being said, I have a few that I like (post here) and when I saw that Burberry were releasing a range of lip velvets, I decided that I'd take the plunge and order one. There are 14 shades available - nudes, pinks, berries and reds so I think there is something for everyone. I chose No. 21 Primrose, which is a beautiful mid-pink, although I really wanted 09 Fawn Rose but it was out of stock. I ordered directly from Burberry & received my order within 3/4 days with free delivery.

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Beauty, Burberry, lipstick, liquid lipstick, Luxury, Makeup, Matte Lips, review

GIVEAWAY: Win Ferragamo Signoria Misteriosa - the ultimate Valentine's Day gift for her with Debenhams #foundit

I mentioned in my Valentine's Day Gift Guide here that perfume is one of my favourite gifts to both give and receive - for any occasion, and today I have a very exciting post to you in collaboration with Debenhams! You have the opportunity to win a bottle of Ferragamo Signorina Misteriosa, which features in their Valentine's Gift Guide for her. Of course, if fragrance isn't your or your partner's thing, Debenhams have a huge selection of gifts to suit all budgets, which you can check out here to find your ultimate gift! 

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Debenhams, Giveaway, Perfume, Salvatore Ferragamo, Signorina Misteriosa, Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day Gift Guide for her featuring Dr Botanicals, Viktor & Rolf, Burberry & more

Are you a Valentine's Day lover or hater? I think I fall in between the two categories - it's not the most important day to me but my husband & I always acknowledge it with a card and sometimes a gift or a meal out. Actually, who am I kidding? On Valentine's Day, restaurants are packed so we would always choose a takeaway at home over eating out! Given a choice, I would always choose something beauty related over flowers as a gift so today I want to share my top picks with you and if you like any of the products, you can share this post with your other half as a not so subtle hint! I also have a discount code for one of the products if you are interested in buying it and a mention of an upcoming giveaway, so let's get started!

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Burberry, Charlotte Tilbury, Chloé, discount, Dr. Botanicals, Gift Guide, Hourglass, Jo Malone, Korres, lipstick, liquid lipstick, Too Faced, Urban Decay, Valentine's Day, Viktor & Rolf