Asda Nail Varnish Remover Pads Review

I've been doing a lot of Konad nail art, partially down to wanting to experiment with my new OPI Shrek polishes. So, it's no surprise that I ran out of nail varnish remover, unfortunately so had Asda, which meant that I ended up buying this little pot of 25 (the picture says 20, I know) polish pads for £1.


I've used similar pads for removing make up, so I was fairly positive that these pads would do an okay job,and for a £1, they didn't seem too expensive.


Packaging: Well, purple is my favourite colour, so I'm always going to say nice things about packaging that is purple. It's neat and small, so it fits easily into a handbag (you honestly never know when you might need varnish remover!). You can't really fault it, because it serves it's purpose, without being excessive.


Scent: The first thing that quite literally "hit" me, when I opened the pot up, was the fact that it doesn't smell like ordinary Remover, which I'm sure everyone knows, is infamous for being overwhelmingly strong and not particularly nice. This smells more fruity than I'm used to, and that was definitely a pleasant surprise, because I absolutely detest the smell of normal Removers.


First Use: I'd briefly read reviews for this product, claiming that it gets even dark shades off in one  wipe....what a joke! One sweep of these wipes didn't even smudge the nail art, and typically it doesn't take much to get those off, even before a slightest bit of normal polish goes. So, I scrubbed a little harder...nope, still wasn't budging. 


I had to rub really hard to get most of my polish off, which meant that the wipe practically disintegrated, and it didn't last more than a couple of fingers, which was incredibly infuriating. What's more, it still had real issues removing the polish around the edges.


That wasn't the end of my problems though, because I just ended up getting the liquid from the pads all over my hands, which left them feeling quite disgusting.


Using with Konad: Anyone who uses Konad Nail Art, will know that during the stamping process, you need to clean the scraper and image plate in between each use, which is simply done using nail varnish remover. Doing this with normal remover, on cotton wool works fine, except I always seem to get cotton wool stuck on the scraper, so I was really keen to see if these pads were a better option.


Was it the Better Option? Good grief, no!! In fact, it was actually worse. Instead of wiping away the excess polish, it washed it away, leaving a huge pool of remover behind on the plate. This then meant that I had trouble getting the stamper to pick up the next image, because the new polish was practically floating in remover!


Overall: These pads are a nice idea, that smell great, but are absolutely useless and unnecessarily messy. I know they were only £1, but I actually want my £1 back please!!

Read More

OPI Shrek Mini Collection

Follow my blog with bloglovin

OPI and Me: Up until a few months ago, I had never even heard of OPI, and up until recently I definitely didn't know that OPI products were available to buy in the UK!


I was initially going to buy this from the Lena White website, because I had a 20% off voucher, but when the price after the reduction has been taken off, and the delivery charge has been added, the price came to more than the original price, which was just ridiculous. I didn't even save enough to cover the delivery, and I already have huge issues with extortionate delivery charges! So, I bought it cheaper, and delivery free, from Ebay.


What Drew me to this Collection? I think what really drew me into this collection, was the fact that none of the shades were pink, brown or red! I already own what I intend to own in those colours, and I never wear the ones I have anyway! I also liked that I didn't own any colours even similar to the ones in the set, and I don't think I've ever owned a green!


What colours are in the Collection? I should first point out that this is a "Mini" Collection, and they really are mini! But, there are four mini's included, all of which are opaque colours:

• What's with the Cattitude - A pastel blue shade
• Fiercely Fiona - Write-ups describe this as a light "green", but personally, I think it's more yellow, than green
• Rumple's Wiggin' - A pastel lilac shade
• Who the Shrek are You? - This is a green shade, that looks exactly the colour you'd expect Shrek to be

All of the colours are absolutely gorgeous, although Rumple's Wiggin' appears to be my absolute favourite colour, which is no surprise since lilac is my favourite colour!

I love that they're all so bright, thanks to being so opaque, it really adds to a superb overall look, that I've never experienced with any other range of colours.

How I Wear the Colours: I'm really into Konad nail art at the minute, so I just had to pair these up with some pretty design too, but I have two favourite ideas:

I paired Who the Shrek are You?, with a Green Konad Special Polish, and stamped the butterflies from image plate M36 onto each nail. I loved this look so much.

I didn't have a Special Polish to use with Rumple's Wiggin' so I improvised and used Rimmel's Blue My Mind (not recommended, the polish smudged like crazy and the Stamp didn't always pick up the product!) to stamp the hearts from image plate M3. Although a little messy-looking, this looks quite cute!

Read More

Urban Decay Preen Box Review

I've been meaning to write this particular review for absolutely ages, but every time I sit down to do it, something always seems to get in the way, which is really annoying, because I have another Urban Decay palette to review, but I'm determined to do this one first! Well, I've only had it since last October!

This Palette and Me: I bought this palette on a Hull to Rotterdam P&O Ferry, where I got it it from the "Duty Free" Shop (apparently it'snot actually called "Duty Free" anymore -who knew?!). I bought it because I was looking to buy a new Zero 24/7 eyeliner, since mine was dwindling, and this one can with one, so I thought I'd give it a try. On first glance, the colours looked fantastic, so I was really exciting about getting this palette.

Packaging: The packaging of this palette is so cute. I love the peacock design,and think that it's so eye-catching. No one could fail to be drawn in by the simple colours and design. The actual peacock is like a foil kind of material, that's really shiny (ooh!)

The design of the actual palette is simple and it comes with a handy little mirror, always good for applying make up! Plus, it'snot one of those flimsy "Crazy House" mirrors that contorts with every movement!

What Colours come in the Palette? There are six pretty colours, some of which are quite bright, whilst others are quite neutral. At first glance, it's easy to think that some of the shades just aren't going to look good together, but experimenting proves that it is possible!

The shades are:

• Snatch, which is a peachy/pinky shade, with gold glitter in it, it's a very sparkly but subtle colour. My only issue with this shade is that I always end up with glitter down my cheeks when I wear this...I'm not really a glitter type of girl to-be-honest, so not a fan of that!
• Mildew, a dark green colour
• Flash is a lovely purple shade
• Painkiller is another gorgeous colour, it's a kind of turquoise colour, and ironically complements Flash perfectly!
• Smog is a goldy-brown shade that is quite dark and rich
• Toasted is a lighter golden-brown

Which Shades do I use the Most? I'm a huge fan of bright colour, so I tend to wear Flash all over my lid, with Painkiller swept across my crease quite a lot.I sometimes wear Smog by itself with a little liquid eye-liner too.

What really Bugs me about this Palette? The Urban Decay website claims that some of the shades of unique to this palette, however the palette is far from being completely unique. Since this came out, UD have released a Show Pony Shadow Box which is virtually identical, with exactly the same shades, with the exact same names, and the only thing that is actually different, is the different artwork on the palette's packaging.


The really annoying thing is that UD's write-up for the Show Pony Palette states: 

"2 [colours are] exclusive to this set: Snatch (peachy-pink with glitter) and Painkiller (turquoise shimmer)"

 Which is the exact same write-up as the Preen Box, and evidently the colours are NOT exclusive to either palette! And, what's more, experiments and comparison'shave shown that Painkiller is incredibly similar to the Peace shade that features in the Deluxe Shadow Palette!!

Read More

Batiste Dry Shampoo Blush Review

My Problem Areas: Hair that gets greasy really, really quickly. And I mean, in the space of hours, depending on what I do in the day, and how I style my hair.


What I was Looking For: Something that would refresh my hair, in between washes, because I'm trying, on advice, not to wash it every single day! I'd heard about Batiste in the past, because my mum used it whilst she was in hospital a few years ago, and it appears to be everywhere at the minute, because everyone seems to be reviewing it, and it's winning Beauty Awards, so I figured that it was time to give it a try.


Why Did I Pick Blush? I'd like to say that there was a really big, special reason for picking Blush, but to be completely honest, I bought it because it was the one that I'd heard the most about in the press.


My mum had used the Original one, which was expectedly cheaper than the others, but I'd wanted to try one of the newer ones. But, when I say "one of" I did not expect to find as many as I found! I had no idea that they had ones for brown and blonde hair! Which, was no use to me anyway, since my hair is currently dyed reddy-brown!


Beside, Coloured Dry Shampoo and the Original one, I had Blush, Tropical, Boho and Diva to choose from. I'd attempted to pick one by the smell, but well, without looking like I was trying to get high on them, they were a little difficult to smell. So, as I said, I just went for the one "scent" that I had actually heard of!


I've also, this very minute, discovered that they also do Travel-Size editions...well, who knew??


How it Works: From roughly 30 cm (how exactly we're supposed to know what 30cm looks like I'm not sure, but I didn't think that getting my ruler out would be at all practical!!), spray the product into your hair, giving as even a coverage as you can manage.


Massage the product into your hair and scalp, and leave for a few minutes, before brushing out completely. This part is really important, unless you want, as my boyfriend put it "two-tone hair", that would apparently be "good for a night out"...not quite sure about that one, but I'll just smile, nod and agree, just because that's easier!


What's it Supposed to Do? Quite simply, "refresh" your hair, so that it doesn't look greasy, feels cleans whilst giving it lots of body and smelling great!


What does it actually Do? Hmm, well it smelt....interesting. And yes, it didn't look greasy. But, it didn't "feel" clean, as it claimed, and it certainly didn't add any kind of volume to my hair either. 


Maybe I'm weird, but I don't think I could go out in public with hair that felt greasy, even if it looked generally all right. I just wouldn't feel confident, and I think that paranoia would just take over. 


Regarding volume, I can understand why they would say this (on their website, they promote using Batiste Dry Shampoo for big Bouffant-type hairstyles), because when you consider that you're spraying it "mostly" into your roots, it would be expected to give at the very least a little boost, just like if you were spraying the roots with hair spray. However, my hair is really fine, and because there was still a little bit of greasiness underneath (no matter how much I sprayed, this greasiness did not want to go away...I think I ended up using nearly half the tin...so, not really good value for money in that sense!!) 


Would I use it again? Generally, no. I think that if I'm going out in public during the day, I just wouldn't feel right not having washed my hair.


I would, however, consider using it when I go swimming in a morning, because it's annoying to have to wash my hair before I go, and then to wash the chlorine out afterwards as well. So, I think I could manage to get to the swimming pool having used it.


But, I think that's all I'd use it for, and only because getting to the swimming pool isn't really that long a journey, but enough to not want to do it with greasy-looking hair!

Read More

Dictionary: Salicylic Acid

Salicyic Acid - Salicylic Acid causes skin cells to shed quicker than they were doing naturally. This causes the pores to unclog and cleanses the bacteria inside them. As a result this prevents the pores from clogging again in the future, whilst shrinking them in size. In turn, this allows the new cells to grow, promoting healthy skin.

As a result, Salicylic Acid is often used in products aimed at remedying oily or spot-prone skin.

The Acid is also known to be an anti-irritant, antibacterial product that fights acne, and has been "certified" as a safe product by Paula Begoun, in her Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary. Here's what she has to say about Salicylic Acid:

"Referred to as beta hydroxy acid (BHA), it is a multifunctional ingredient that addresses many of the systemic causes of blemishes (Source: Seminars in Dermatology, December 1990, pages 305–308). For decades dermatologists have been prescribing salicylic acid as an exceedingly effective keratolytic (exfoliant), but it also is an anti-irritant This is because salicylic acid is a derivative of aspirin (both are salicylates—aspirin’s technical name is acetylsalicylic acid), and so it also functions as an anti-inflammatory (Sources: Archives of Internal Medicine, July 2002, pages 1531–1532; Annals of Dermatology and Venereology, January 2002, pages 137–142; Archives of Dermatology, November 2000, pages 1390–1395; and Pain, January 1996, pages 71–82). Another notable aspect of salicylic acid for treating breakouts is that it has antimicrobial properties (Sources: Preservatives for Cosmetics, 1996, by David Steinberg, Allured Publishing; and Health Canada Monograph Category IV, Antiseptic Cleansers, www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/). It is also well documented that salicylic acid can improve skin thickness, barrier functions, and collagen production (Sources:Dermatology, 1999, volume 199, number 1, pages 50–53; and Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, volume 175, issue 1, pages 76–82). As an exfoliant, in concentrations of 8% to 12%, it is effective in wart-remover medications. In concentrations of 0.5% to 2%, it is far more gentle, and, much like AHAs, can exfoliate the surface of skin. In addition, BHA has the ability to penetrate into the pore (AHAs do not), and thus can exfoliate inside the pore as well as on the surface of the skin, which makes it effective for reducing blemishes, including blackheads and whiteheads."

**Updated by Kat M 01/05/2011** 

Read More

Michelle Phan Lip Scrub Review

I've never actually done a review of Michelle Phan's YouTube Channel (I don't think - I know someone will tell me if I'm wrong!), but I'm a huge fan of her home made beauty products, and I've actually tried a couple before. So, when she put up a video showing you how to make a lip scrub, I thought "heck, why not?"

Before viewing this video, I didn't even know that you needed to exfoliate your lips. I mean, I exfoliate my face and my skin, but my lips? That just sounds really, really weird! But, I said that I would give it a try, so I will.

What I used: 

• Sugar. One large sachet.
• Vaseline Michelle used a tube of Vaseline, but I used the kind that comes in a tin.
• Michelle used Honey, but recommended Olive Oil for people who don't have/like honey. I didn't have either, but I've used Aloe Vera Gel for similar things in the past, so I used that instead.
• Wilkinson Sword Razor Tub for holding the mixture. As you can see in my brand new Tips page, the tub is perfect for re-using to hold home made mixtures, mainly because it has a good lid!
• Cotton bud. This was for mixing the mixture together, although Michelle appears to use a stick, this was all I had, since a spoon was far too big.

Putting it Together: To cut a long drawn-out story short, I mixed it all together and applied it onto my lips. It tasted kind of weird, and the thought of accidentally "licking" off dead skin from my lips is really gross, but it wasn't too bad. It didn't really smell of anything, and I question how good the sugar was at exfoliating, since regular sugar just seems to be to fine (in the past I have used Demerara Sugar, instead, because the grains are bigger, but nevermind!)

Afterwards: I wiped the scrub off using a dry, clean towel and my lips felt incredibly strange that's for sure. But, I'm not sure that I'd say the scrub made them feel any softer or silkier. Maybe the problem was the fact that my lips weren't exactly dry to start with, which is what  this scrub is really for!

I actually reapplied the scrub a couple of hours later, and it had a completely different result. Whilst the first time, my lips had felt odd, which I'm assuming was down to the fact that I'd never used it before. I added a little Vaseline just to get rid of the "grit", and I found that my lips do feel quite soft after all.

Overall: Even though I didn't use a lot of ingredients, I get the feeling this this little pot of goodness is gonna last for a while, and I fully intend to continue using it, whether it works or not!

Read More

Barry M Extreme Black Waterproof Mascara

Mascara and Me: To be fair, Mascara isn't something that I put a great deal of effort into choosing. I wear it, and that's about as far as I go emotionally. As long as it doesn't clump, I'm not really too bothered.

In the past I've bought Rimmel ones because when Rimmel release new mascara's they always seem to sell them cheaply for a limited time, but when my Rimmel Sexy Curves ran out recently, I was a bit disappointed to discover that Rimmel didn't have anything cheap, and I really was not willing to pay over £7 for something that, to me, isn't a big deal.

Black mascara is my staple that I wear 95% of the time, but I also own blue and green BarryM ones, for when I want something different. So, with that in mind, I took a look at their black ones, saw that this one was relatively cheap and boasted that it "Volumises. Lengthens. Thickens." I'd like to say these three words had me sold...but actually the word "cheap" rings truer!

Packaging: It's okay, I guess. The pink is quite pretty, but compared to the packaging of a lot of other brands, it's a bit same-old and not really very inspiring. There's nothing about it that grabs my attention, and I doubt it would jump out at me in a line up of mascaras.

The Brush: When I think of mascaras that claim to be "volumising", I automatically think of wands with large brushes, with long bristles, or like the Sexy Curves wand, has bristles of varying lengths. This one however, is really quite small, with very short bristles, which I initially couldn't imagine would be able to add any kind of volume. The product on the brush also seemed quite clumpy, so I didn't really have much hope that it would do much better for my eyelashes.

Also, when you compare the brush to other recent mascara wands, it looks quite dated, again especially next to the Sexy Curves' rubbery and curvy brush, which just looks more creative and "modern".

What did I think: When I was applying it, I was still a bit sceptical about it's ability to do what the packaging claimed, because it just didn't tick the boxes of others. However, it definitely appeared to prove me wrong. My lashes weren't exactly any more volumised than with any other mascara, but then I'm not really convinced that any mascaras are really capable of achieving them. I didn't, however, clump at all, and remembering how clumpy the brush looked, I was amazed! I didn't really thicken the lashes either, but the lashes certainly seemed to "seperate" nicely, which surprised me, because this is something that I usually get from mascaras with longer bristles. I'm assuming that the advantage of the small bristles is that it reaches the shorter lashes that a lot of other mascaras miss, by having longer bristles.

Would I buy it again: Probably not. I liked that it didn't clump, but it didn't achieve anything else that it promised. Plus, the Waterproof"ness" was appealing, except when it came to taking it off. I seriously had to scrub really hard to get the mascara off with my normal Eye Make Up Remover, and I just looked like a Panda. I've never had trouble removing any other waterproof mascara, so not really sure what the deal was with this one!

Read More

Simple Oil Balancing Exfoliating Wash Review

My Problem Areas: Oily skin. Breakouts. Irritated skin, especially by harsh face washes. I actually used a Face Wash yesterday that I bought some time ago from Lidl, and I know I hate my oily skin, but this one just dried it out so much that it felt absolutely awful, even after I had moisturised. 

What I was looking for: Over the past few months, I've become very aware of oil-free products that are non-comedegenic, meaning that they won't clog my pores with crap/oil/harsh chemicals etc. So, I've been browsing the market to find out what different types of oil-free products there actually are out there, and I have to say that I've been amazed at how much there is. 

Ultimately, I want to move towards changing my Skin Care Regime completely, so whilst I already have a Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturiser, which I reviewed back in April, I was looking for a Face Wash, Cleanser, Toner and Eye Make Up Remover that were all oil-free, ensuring that my skin is looked after, rather than clogged up by products that don't suit my skin type.

Why I chose the Simple Range: Well, as regular readers of my blog might remember, on my quest to find the best Oil-Free products for my skin, I picked up some Simple Oil-Balancing Cleansing Wipes (for more details about why I chose Simple more specifically, check out the review for the Wipes!), and following that discovery, I loved the wipes so much, that I decided to try out something else from the range, and since I needed a Face Wash, I ended up buying this one!

How it Works: You just massage a small amount of product into your wet skin, and then rinse away. The Zinc PCA "gently absorbs excess oil" so eradicating shine, and that horrible feeling of greasy skin, whilst the natural Antibacterial qualities help to "reduce blemishes". Since the product contains no oils, soaps or any kind of harsh and unnecessary chemicals, it will moisturise your skin in the perfect balance, ensuring that whilst it's removing excess oil, it won't dry your skin out, like so many Face Washes do (and boy, do I know it!)

Did it Sort out my Problem Areas: Funny thing really. After I first used this product, a couple of weeks ago, I turned to my boyfriend and said: "Wow. So this is what it's like not to have greasy skin..." I should probably also have said "...or really dry skin", since with nature and harsh products, there never appears to be a suitable middle ground. But, this Face Wash left my skin feeling absolutely amazing, and I just couldn't believe it.

I never thought that I'd ever be able to find a Face Wash that would be consistently good, because so many Face Washes in the past, have been great on first use, but seem to lose a certain quality after a while. With Simple's Face Wash, however, every time I use it, I seem to get the same result. So, I am very happy to say that yes, it did sort out my problem areas: My skin is not greasy, I haven't had any major breakouts, and my skin definitely doesn't feel irritated.

Any Downsides: As usual. The price. It's £3.99 in most places, although Simple seem to always be on offer somewhere or other, if you're willing to shop around. I actually bought this from Boots, but I've since found it in a 3 for the price of 2 offer in SuperDrug. But, most of the best Face Washes are around this price, so it's not really a huge deal.

When it comes to Simple products, a lot of people complain about the price, and I think it really is a case of shopping around. ASDA appear to be cheaper than most places for getting products like this, but I recently found a lot of Simple products being sold for around £1 in a branch of Savers, in Sheffield. In fact, my mum bought some Oil Balancing Cleansing Wipes for £1 from that Savers, so I was pretty impressed. I haven't seen if my local Savers sells them cheap, but fingers crossed!

Read More

Konad Special Set Review

Hey guys, I know it's been a while since I've done a blog, things have been so busy lately, and finally ended with my being ill just when I found the time to do some blogging...typical, I know! But, anyway, I thought I'd start with this awesome Nail Art set from Konad. 

I'll be upfront here, and admit that this set was sent to me to try out, but I hope that by now you all know that I will always give my 100% honest opinion. 

What comes in the set?

• 5 Large Special Polishes in White, Green, Red, Black and Pink.
• 1 Large Clear Top Coat
• Stamper and Scraper 
• 5 Different Image Plates, each including seven designs
• 1 Pack of 30 Rhinestones
• Image Plate Holder
• Instruction DVD, so that you know exactly what to do!

Is it really that easy to use? Before I tried this set, I'd read and heard about how easy Konad Nail Art is to "master" compared to other types of finger art, which can be fiddly and practically require an Art Degree. But, I was still sceptical, because I have absolutely useless hand-eye coordination. 

However, I didn't find it too hard to master, although practice definitely makes perfect,as I learnt how to do things better.

A Few Helpful Pointers

1. You don't have to use the special polishes for these designs. I used a regular polish and they turned out just fine. Although they certainly seemed more prone to smudging, the special polishes smudged almost as much!
2. Scrape across the image plate, with the Scraper,in one firm movement, in order to ensure as much excess polish is removed as possible.
3. Don't hold the stamp down for more than a second, otherwise the polish will be transferred back onto the image plate.
4. The best way of applying the design is in a sideways rolling motion. This is where practice makes perfect, in getting them exactly where you want them,and so that they don't smudge.
5. Allow the designs to dry,just as you would any other polish, before applying a Top Coat. Applying the Top Coat too soon, could cause smudging.

Overall: Overall, I found this set to be a heck of a lot of fun to play with, and with 35 different designs across the five included Image Plates, I was seriously spoilt for choice. I'd never tried nail art before, because I bite my nails, but rest assured that this set made even my short nails look really cute, with my favourite look at the minute being black with white stars! I definitely intend to use this a lot in the future, and I feel so privileged to have been given the chance to try it out for myself!

Read More

Dictionary: Non-Comedegenic

Non-Comedegenic - Say what now? To me, this sounds like my foundation doesn't come with comedians in it...which I am actually quite grateful of! Non-Comedegenic basically means that the products does not contain any kind of oil. This is specifically good for anyone with oily skin, or who is prone to break outs (Perfect for me then). The fact that the product isn't oily, means that it won't block your pores. Blocked pores produce comedomes, or black- and white-heads to you and me, so comedomes are definitely not a good thing!

Read More