Hunting For The Best Face Moisturisers, Drunk Elephant, Sunday Riley & Kate Somerville. Part 1

Howdy,

I was lucky enough to order a quench your skin set from Sephora, which I am SO excited to start using. I love skincare a lot and am really eager to see what ones I like and if I would repurchase any of them. The set retailed for $48 originally costing $88 and I got an extra 10% off for being a VIB member. I am now a silver card member in a shop that isn't even in my own country, for being a regular spender, I'm not sure if I should be ashamed or proud? Lets go with secretly proud haha.

I have picked 6 creams out of the box that I am most eager to try and I shall review 3 in this post and 3 more in a post later on. As with a lot of products I love, they seem to only be available in the US which is a pain for us gals in England, Sephora does now ship to the UK but there are restrictions. I will try and list a UK website if I find one, in case you want to try any of these products yourself.

For years I have wanted to try some of these so here is what I thought.

1.  Drunk Elephant - Lala Retro Whipped Cream

 

This cream is unfortunately only available in the US and retails for a 50ml/1.69oz tub its $60. Here is a link if you wish to read up more though, and if you visit the US pop into Sephora when you can try out the cream yourself.
This cream smells like salt and vinegar crisps unfortunately but it worked very well and was very hydrating. It has a very thick consistency and needs to be warmed up in your fingers first before applying. As it is so thick I found I could only use this at night time (which I don't mind, I use La Roche most mornings) by morning my skin felt smooth and plumped up. 

My rating: 6.5/10

Recommend/ worth the money full price: Although this cream worked really well the smell alone was enough for me to not want to purchase this again which is a shame. Rating has been lowered due to the smell. It is not worth the money.

2. Sunday Riley - Tidal

  

This cream is available at SpaceNK for a 50ml tub it is £60.

I like the gel like consistency of this cream a little goes a long way and even this tiny tub lasted me a couple of weeks. This cream again like the one above smelt horrible, like cooked greens and not in a spa like way which tends to be nice. It was not pleasant and according to my husband my face smelt like pee! not really want you want to hear from your husband. Even though the consistency was gel like I again needed to use this cream at night as it was too heavy for day time, my skin would of greased up over the day.

My rating: 6/10

Recommend/ worth the money full price: I liked how my skin felt the next morning but again the smell was enough for me to not want to purchase this cream again. Shame, I had high hopes for this one especially. It is also not worth they money.

3. Kate Somerville - Goat Milk Moisturizing Cream

 

I have wanted to try this for years (literally years), I'm even drawn to the packaging you have in the larger tubs, you push down the lid and out comes some product. I like it ;-) Unfortunately I can not find this product here in the UK but you can pick it up from Sephora if you ever get to go onto a store? Sephora does have stores round the EU not just America but none in the UK for some VERY strange reason! Only good thing about that is I am saving money, kind of. Slightly off topic but I do find the Sephohras in America do stock the most products, so I would prefer to shop there if I had the choice. The selection there is huge!
This cream comes in a 1.7oz (just under 50ml) tub for $65
Now this cream does not have a smell, its very hydrating but  not necessarily one that has to be used at night time. I could get away with using this during the day, The cream has more if a runny texture and is absorbed quite quickly into he skin. 

 My rating: 8/10

Recommend/ worth the money full price: Yes, I have really enjoyed using this cream each night. I still like to add in an acid to encourage cell turn over but this is a really nice all round cream, that my skin has enjoyed and soaked up well. As it does not contain any acids etc I wouldn't be willing to spend much more than this as I just said it is a pretty basic cream, but it works.

Thanks for reading
Kara xx

5 Things You NEED! Dior, Johnsons, Clarins, Sephora & Laura Ashley

Howdy,

I have 5 things that you need in your life, ok maybe you don't need them. Lets just say I highly recommend them, let me tell you for why..... ;-)

Diorskin Star Concealer

If you are lacking in sleep and have rather large under eye circles that need covering then this concealer is pretty good at doing that. I do find that you might need a second coat of it but if you set it with a little powder after, it is going to last all day. I can do a ten hour shift at work and avoid creasing. I love how hydrating it is too, I was worried about the colour not quite matching but I went to a Dior counter and got matched and it blends into my skin and looks like skin. I love it for under my eyes, its quite brightening and blends easily. Thumbs up for this awesome product!

Johnsons Baby Naturals Cream 

 

Now this I purchased just because it was on a reduced end cap in Boots, I paid the large sum of 37p. It is so moisturising and is one of the least greasest creams I have ever tried, my favourite non greasy cream is usually L'Occitane but this soaks in just as well. It smells just like all johnsons products, so nothing strong or overpowering. This would be perfect in the car or in your hand bag, being that it is so quickly absorbed. I would happily pay full price for this and I just hope it has not been discontinued like most products do when they are so heavily reduced. I like that you can apply after a shower and get dressed straight away, its a lovely cream to appply straight after shaving too as it is not highly scented so will cause no irritation.

Clarins Wonder Perfect Mascara

 

I think this may be my new favourite mascara, over taking my Tarte lights camera lashes and my Marc Jacobs velvet noir! I love tarte for the lasting power especially as this one is not waterproof, but I dont seem to get as much volume and I love the Marc Jacobs for the incredible volume but I do have to check my eyes regularly for any flaking. With this Clarins mascara I can get length, volume and I honestly dont get a single flake of fall out. It will last you all day, no joke. I had someone ask me if I had had lash extensions when I have worn this mascara. I am using this mascra at the moment and it is starting to run out, I will for sure be buying another one but not just yet as I have a Marc Jacobs and a Tarte to use up first. Also another thing I love about this mascara is how you have amazing lashes from the first use, you dont need to use it for a week for it to become good like most mascaras and when it starts drying out you dont get clumps the formula just becomes dryer. This really is worth the money.
FYI, I am now onto the Marc Jacobs mascara and the smudging/full out is too much so its dropped from being a favourite! Shame really as it gives huge full lashes.

Sephora Pro Featherweight Brush 

 

Where to start with this brush, it honestly is the best brush I have ever owned. It is so soft, the softest I have ever felt, even softer that the new Real Techniques Powder Bleu range. It is quite a weighty brush and comes with a good handle length so I dont find it a bother, it washes a treat, doesn't shed and goes back to its normal shape after everywash. You can pick up minimal product or have a more heavy hand if you are after a fuller coverage. I found this brush gave me a more air brushed finish on my skin, better than any other brush I have in my collection. No cake face here, I really do recommend the whole Pro range from Sephora. They are totally worth the money and Sephora does ship to the UK now, I would 100% buy this brush again. I have just purchased the concealer brush and its just as good as using your finger, in terms of no streaks and blends out your concealer seamlessly. I might end up buying another brush when the next VIB sale starts just to save a few dollars as they are not the cheapest but are totally worth the investment.

Maddox Silver Floral Vanity Case

 

I have looked for a vanity case of a decent size and quality for such a long time and had not luck, I got really fed up of travelling and having to take so many little pouches full of products I wanted one that could at least take the bulk if not all of my items. I do take quite a few products when I travel, I have 6 for my hair alone. You trying having this hair and you would have that many too lol, just in case you wonder what they were I take, shampoo, conditoner, leave in conditoner, hair cream, mousse and spray. Now you know where a lot of my weight allowence goes when I travel.
Anyway back to this case, it is from Laura Ashely and has elasticated sections at the backwhere you are able to stand up bottles and padded dividers so you can dived your products into sections or just take them out these dividers and just fill the bugger up ;-)
 This case is square and remains upright, it doesnt slouch and would hold a lot of products, it will also fit into your suitcase nicely. The sides of the case are not solid so I would pack clothes around it for protection. But again as everything will be in just one case it shouldnt be a bother at all, there are two zips down each side and a magnetic button closure that secures all of your things. The handle on top is padded and very comfortable to carry, at the moment this case is just £18 and to me is totally worth it. The pattern and colour of this case is so pretty and looks so much better than any picture will show.

Have any of these items taken your fancy? What are your favourites of the last few months? I would love to know, come find me on instagram @kara1818 come and say hello. You will find more pictures of this items on my IG page too.

Thanks for reading 

Kara xx 

GlamGlow GravityMud Firming Treatment (Sonic Blue)

Howdy,

As I have mentioned many many times before I am a BIG fan of GlamGlow, I always have a large jar of Thirsty Mud in my collection and lately I have discovered a love for the Supermud Clearing Treatment. They both are just so effective and really do work. I have tried a few other products from this brand but there are no others that make me feel I need these in my constantly in my collection as much as these two.

Let me know if you'd like to see a full review of the whole of my Glamglow collection?
Click here for a review of the Thirsty Mud and click here for a review on the Super Mud Clearing Treatment 
I have around 6-7 products that I own right now from Glamglow.

Right back to this new Sonic mask, this mask came out earlier this year I believe and as far as I am aware only got sent to those on PR lists or online influences. A few months back GlamGlow sold this product to the public for a very short amount of time and as much as I would of loved to have tried it then, the shipping to the UK would have been expensive or impossible I'm sure. So I just waited and as of the last few weeks Glamglow released three limited edition tubes on Boots.com, I really wanted to try this mask out, plus who doesn't want to look like Smurfet? You have a choice of 3 characters, who will be appearing on your packaging, the choices are Sonic, Tails and Knuckle's, I chose to have Sonic. It brings back memories of playing Sonic with an old school friend on her Sega megadrive hahaha, collecting all those coins, we loved it.

So before I put on this mask I cleansed my face and then applied the mask with my fingers, I do own a couple of the brushes I got with other masks by GlamGlow but I don't like them. I find them to be scratchy so I just prefer to use my fingers.

This mask has a slight citrus scent to it and applied easily, a little goes a long way! Whilst I had this mask on I felt no adverse effects so just let it work its magic and dry. After a good 20 minutes the mask was completely dry and I was able to easily peel it off. It was not uncomfortable nor did it pull any hairs on my face, I was sure to avoid my eye brown area. There were tiny pieces of these mask left on my face so I just used a little micellar water and they came away with the first sweep. My face straight away felt very clean and smooth, I wouldn't say it was very firming. I honestly didn't think I was going to see much of a difference but I did and love the results it gave my skin. Also the child in me loved having a blue face, it was great fun.

My ratings: 7/10

Recommend/ worth the money: £14 for 15g is a lot of money, so I feel you are buying this because you either fell into the hype or because you are a GlamGlow fan. I will hold my hands up and say I fell because of both of those reasons. If you got more product for your money I would consider buying this. As I have products in my collection that do the same and that also work out far cheaper, I shall just stick to them. Its sold online in Boots if you are interested.

Pros: Left my skin very soft and feeling clean. It's great fun to use, its a peel off mask with no pain.

Cons: Amount of product you get for £14.

Thanks for reading

Kara xx