Are Expensive Lip Balms Worth The Money? My Review of Affordable Right Upto High-end Products.

Howdy,

Like most people, I am a massive fan of lip balm and I use it multiple times a day, every day. I prefer to just use a basic chap stick or balm over a colourful lipstick any day. I keep them in every bag I use, in my car, on my bedside table and even on my coffee table in the living room.

These are all in my collection and I have listed them in price order and added a link to where they can be purchased from.

Affordable range

Burt's Bees - £3.99

Burt's Bees lip balm is made with 100% natural ingredients, so this is the kind of balm I have used on my cuticles or even if I've had a dry patch on my face. I know there are no ingredients in here that will irritate my skin, it's a very good all rounder. I find these chap sticks perfect for your hand bag and I use them for work. You never have to dip your finger into a pot, which is perfect and more hygienic when you are at work or out and you may not have the cleanest of hands. 

Infused with beeswax, a natural skin conditioner, and Vitamin E to moisturise.

Natural lip balms made with 100% natural ingredients.

Contain no parabens, phthalates, petrolatum or SLS.

SportFX Moisturising Lip Balm - £4.99

I am surprised just how much I love this lip balm, it does not leave your lips with a film on them and once it has soaked in it is gone and you are fine to apply more. I have read a review saying the tops are not super sturdy and a few have broken. I do now have a slight crack in my lid but as I just keep min in the house and not my bag, this has not been a big problem.

• Paraben free 
• Dermatologically tested
• SPF 15
• Natural oils
• Shea Butter
• Vitamin C, E and F

La Roche-Posay Nutritic Moisturising Lip Cream - £6.00

Another good one for your bag, I don't think I have tried a La Roche product that I have not enjoyed. This applies really well and is not greasy. I find this to be longer lasting and perfect to help stop your lips getting chapped in this cold and windy weather, this is perfect if you are planning on being outside in the cold for a long period of time. You won't feel the need to constantly reapply it.

• 100% hypoallergenic skincare
• Non-comedogenic (means it won't clog up your skin/ block pores)
• Made with minimal ingredients and little fragrance 

Mid-Price Range

Clarins Instant Light Natural lip perfector - £18.00

My favourite all rounder. If you want a little colour, hydration and long lasting moisture this is it. Perfect all year round, the packaging is fun and not fussy. The balm applies without needing a mirror, you can wear it alone or over a lipstick. It gives a little shine to the lips but without looking like a gloss, so is fantastic for going from day to night. Perfect natural shine for an evening look.

• Lips are left looking smooth, shiny and plump
• Hydrated
• Long lasting
• Can be used alone or over a lip stick/ liner

High end Range

Dior Crème de Rose Lip Balm - £20.00

I hate to say this but I think this is the worst balm of this whole bunch. That doesn't mean I hate it, I am just not a fan. For the price you are paying you would expect a lot more. I dislike the occasional white film you are left with on your lips, you apply it and rub your lips together and I feel like I am just moving around the product. I will use this up for sure (look at the cost) but it will remain on my bedside cabinet and be used at night where nobody can see the odd colour it gives my lips.  Lucky husband. ;-)

• Contains shea butter, rose oils and vitamins A and E
• moisturising
• Gives a fullness to the lips

By Terry Baume de Rose Lip Care - £39.00

This is lovely and has a hefty price tag to go with it. You could swap a pot of this for a full sized eye shadow palette and to be fair I think that would be a better way of spending that amount of money. I won't lie, I do like this balm and have loved using it, it coats the lips without leaving them feeling caked up with product. It is effective when used at night I have added it into my night time routine and my lips have been feeling fantastic. A little goes a long way so if you were "feeling a little spendy" (anyone catch the Amelia Liana quote there?), then this is a lovely balm to have. I would welcome a full sized tub of this into my collection any day.

• Soothing rose wax. 
• Nourishing and emollient floral oils.
• Hydrating, anti-aging and smoothing Bio-ceramides .
• Anti-free radical and protective UV filters. 

The verdict, which one is best?

So with all these lip balms on the go the real question is, are the high end ones worth the hype and the expense. In my opinion... no, this is probably one of the times where you don't have to invest a lot of money into a product like this. So do I have a favourite form all of these? Yes I do, a clear winner for me has to be the Clarins Instant Light Profector. I keep one of these in my car and I just love it. I put some on every time I am in my car, it is so incredibly moisturising and gives the perfect amount of shine and colour to your lips. You do not need a mirror and no matter the condition of your lips this will always help. If you have been out in the cold and your lips are chapped this will bring them back to life. One thing I love (which some might not think is a good idea, even though I have done this for years) it is that you can keep this in your car no matter the weather. My car can be frozen and the lip product is fine, in the heat of summer exactly the same. No melting as its not a chap stick and the product stays in its tube, no leaking or mess and no need to use your fingers. It has a sweet scent that does not leave a funny taste in your mouth and as it wears off it leaves not a single mark or streak on your lips. It really is worth the little splurge and it will last you months.

So whats your favourite balm to use at the moment? Find me on IG and Twitter @kara1818 and let me know.

Thanks for reading
Kara xx

Mulberry Sample Sale, March 2018

Howdy,

When I saw an instagram post that Mulberry were having another sample sale (follow ldnsamplesales on instagram for all the latest sample sales happening in London) I originally decided that I wasn't going to go. I had previously had such a good time going to the one last October, but this time I didn't need a bag and I was concerned I'd be tempted to spend a lot of money. On my last visit I purchased a medium quilted Cara in black. However, my husband was heading into London for a business meeting and I had the day off work anyway, so thought I would go to the sale and make a day of it. I could go check out what Mulberry had on offer and then meet him later for a meal and a few drinks.

So after deciding I would go I followed the email instructions that ask you to choose a day that you wish to attend, everything is clearly linked on London sample sales instagram page. I booked myself to go down on the Thursday, the sale was running from Monday - Friday like before. Last time I went around 10.30 on the Monday so really had the pick of the bags. Here is my previous post if you're interested in seeing how it all looked last time as a different venue.

This sample sale was held at a building called Adam House on Adam Street which is just off The Strand, I found this location not as easy to get to compared to last time, which was held in Mayfair. I turned up just after 12.00 and walked straight in, there was no queue and this time I wasn't asked to show my confirmation email. I paid my £2 and went down stairs to check in my bag and coat, I always keep out my card and my phone. Luckily I never got asked once to not take any pictures, so I tried to take a few to show the bags available and the layout of the building, which this time around was very different to the last.

The room was underground and VERY dark, there were spot lights on the ceiling in various places which only lit up a single area that they pointed too. It felt like I should have been coming here for a cocktail not to look at a sample sale. There were three rooms in total, one room that consisted of two archways which allowed you to walk from one room into another. The bag selection was very large this time and I would say they had more bags than before. There were bags of every colour and a few exotic skins too. Even the most popular bags like a Bayswater or a Lily came in a good selection of colours. These bags are very popular and the discounts didn't seem to be as high as some. But still, savings of a few hundred pounds could be had. This time there was a larger selection of coats, lots of thick winter coats. As we are now heading into spring the winter stock has obviously been discounted. They felt like amazing quality but still were pushing £900 an item.


The leather jackets and the shoes were kept in the third room and this is the room where the tills were, to pay for your items. I looked round the rooms a good few times checking out all of the bags, the amount people there at my time of visiting made the rooms busy but with a little patience I got to look at everything. There were many bags I loved but nothing that I thought that I must have. If you have read my previous post you will have seen the medium Cara bag I own and I am just enjoying that bag so much.

My last scan of the room lead me to the SLG's (small leather goods) where I came across a small pouch, it was from the Cara collection and matched my bag. I never saw these last time and as I do use a pouch in my bag I thought this was perfect. I was chatting to a member of staff who told me there were only a small number of these pouches available and they were hard to find now. One thing I did not love about this sale was that having such poor lighting, you could not check out your items thoroughly. All sales are finally so I didn't want to pick up an item and find it was scratched or damaged. I collected a couple of good looking pouches and headed to the payment room, where the lighting was better, to inspect the pouches. This may sound a little OCD, but with the pouch being made of lamb skin, I wanted to be sure I was getting an undamaged pouch. At the till I asked if I could have a dust bag or a box to store the pouch in, I 

was given a box lined with tissue paper in to store it. The box was green and from the new collection which this pouch is not from, I am not worried at all as I now have the perfect place to store this item when I am not using it.

So what were the pros and cons to this sample sale compared to the last

Pros:

     - More bags available to purchase.
     - The staff were very friendly and helpful

Cons:
     - So badly lit
     - Location is harder to get to

Overall, would I go again? I really would. If you are able to attend I really would recommend going, It is always a good idea to go with an idea of what you would like to buy and a budget you have to spend. You do not want to be sucked in to buying something just because it is "on offer" and end up spending your money in the heat of the moment. The items were again of very good quality, seals on locks and all came with dust bags. I do think this will be a sample sale I will always get excited about and want to attend, you never know when you might hit the jackpot like I did last October and come away with an amazing deal. It has given me the bug to want to attend more, next time I would like to try a clothing sample sale. Follow me on instagram to see what I get up to, its kara1818

Here is what I purchased to go with my bag, it feels and smells amazing. It is the Cara Delevingne small pouch in quilted nappa (lamb) I purchased this for £75, the RRP £250

Let me know if you have attended any sample sales that you loved, I would love to hear how other people got on at these sales.

Thanks for reading

Kara xx

Boscia Luminizing Pink Charcoal Mask

Howdy,


I LOVE the black charcoal mask that Boscia brought out many years ago, it has remained a staple in my skincare collection. I have also managed to get a friend addicted to it, which I don't think is too bad for a product that I can't even buy in the country I live in. I recently spotted a pink version of this mask so had to purchase a tube, I was lucky enough to have my husband travel to American not long after the Sephora VIB sale, so I ordered a tube.
This mask is fun to use if nothing else, if you are totally suckered in by packaging then you will be sucked in by this. Good thing is I think the hype is totally worth it.

I cleansed my face and used this mask all over, one thing to note is don't go to close to your eyes or anywhere that you have hair. Even the finest hairs on your face will be pulled or removed by using this mask. I left it on for around 30mins till it was fully dry all over. During this process the mask just got tight as all peel off masks do and I did not feel any irritating sensations whilst this was happening.

Once I pulled the mask off, taking a hair or two I'm sure, my face instantly felt smooth and my skin appeared brighter, I do feel that this mask is very like the black version (ingredients are different). With the black mask I find it to be more of a detoxifying mask, one to pull up and out the impurities in your face. The pink mask I felt it help to lift away dead skin cells but brightened the skin more.

I used this mask in the evening, so applied a night cream and went to bed. By morning my skin was still very bright and happy from using this mask and I did not break out with any spots. Which I sometimes do from clay or charcoal masks.

I will be using this mask up for sure, it is a wonderful pick me up for the skin, especially this time of year when we all have a little too much to eat and drink. Way to go Boscia another awesome mask that I will enjoy using. I do recommend this mask, its pink, its fun and most of all it works. Big thumbs up from me again, it can be purchased from Boscia or Sephora. Boscia please come to a shop in the UK so I can purchase you here.


My ratings:  8.5/10

Recommend/ worth the money: Yes it's $34 for 2.8oz or 80g for us UK folks.

Pros: Results after first use, brighter looking skin, skin felt soft, no sulphates, phthalates or parabens

Cons: Sticks to any hair even the finest, quite a strong smelling mask (not enough to put me off), not sold in the UK.

Thanks for reading
Kara xx























Here is my last review on the black charcoal mask that I made some time back

Moonstruck 3D Fiber Lashes V Moonstruck Epic Mascara by Younique

Howdy,

I have had the chance to try out some fabulous products by the brand Younique, I was lucky enough to be sent the whole starter kit. I will do a blog post of my overall thoughts on this kit and what I think about it as a whole very soon. I love mascara and could not wait to try these out, good skin and big lashes are the biggest confidence boost, I find. So here are my thought on these two mascaras, just a little FYI all opinions are my own on any Younique products I review, I am not being paid to write anything. If you see a product you would like to try I will leave a link at the end to a lovely lady Danielle who works with Younique and can help you with any orders. There you can check out all the products available and ask any questions,
Danielle is lovely and make the transaction quick and easy.

Right on to these mascaras, first the 3D fiber lash

3D Fiber Lash Mascara on my left eye

I have always wanted to try a fiber lash mascara and wondered if they really made a difference or is it just a faff. With this mascara you must first use the transplanting gel, which feels just like a very basic mascara, it coats all of your lashes and helps to separate them and get them ready for the fibers. Next you apply the fibers, I found this very odd as to me it looked like I had a wand of tiny fluff that I was going to place near my eye. I applied a couple of coats of these fibers and you can see it darkens and builds up the lashes, the idea is then to do the same to the other eye and then go back with the clear gel on the first eye to seal the fibers in.
So was this easy to do? Yes and actually quite fun. The only downside to this mascara was that the fibers flaked over the day, maybe I am not sealing them well enough but I have had a few fall outs over the day. Which is one thing I try to avoid especially when I am at work and can't get in front of a mirror often, I don't want to have panda eyes. If you are not prone to fall out or it just doesn't bother you then I think you would love this mascara, my lashes felt dark, thicker and separated.

Now the Moonstruck Mascara

Moonstruck Epic Mascara on my right eye

I loved this mascara from the very first use, it is very buildable and you can achieve both a natural look or one that is more dramatic. It is very black and gives you not only length but it it helps to build up your lashes making them appear thicker and fuller. I have really enjoyed using this mascara as it is easy to use first thing in the morning when running out the door to work. I can wear it and not have to worry a few coats and I am good to go for the whole day. It is not waterproof but can be removed very easily at the end of the day with a cleanser, you won't need to be there soaking or rubbing your eyes.

So if I had to choose just one mascara it would have to be the Moonstruck, for its fantastic results
even from the first use and how it is very long wearing. This is a mascara I would go out and purchase, you will have it for a good few weeks it is not going to dry out on you in a month. It really is worth it.

If you are interested in any products I mention that are from Younique, please click here and you can have a chat to the lovely Danielle and she will help you with any purchases you wish to make. 

Thanks for reading
Kara

Ways to Avoid the Post-Christmas Blues

Howdy,

Most people I know love Christmas, I being one of them, but Christmas starts in the shops right after Halloween and we have a good 2 months solid of it constantly being pushed in our faces. Christmas advertisement is everywhere so you will never be able to avoid it and what is with the UK taking on the American tradition of Black Friday sales, I think if we are going to have these sales then we should at least have the Thanks Giving dinner etc as well haha why not?

So after potentially 8 weeks plus of it being everywhere, it is all over in a day. It is a massive build up of buying presents, food and preparing for travel etc. So after all the build we then have these few days between Christmas and new year before we hit January. Or as I think of it, the month of nothingness. January stays dark, cold and quite possible the most miserable month of the year. So we basically need to bugger off to a hot climate or maybe do one or two of the things listed below. Lets wash away these post-Christmas January blues, here are the few things I shall be doing.....

Have a lovely hot bath - The weather is cold, snow has fallen, why not relax in a lovely bath. Maybe light a few candles and put on your favourite film. We all must do a balancing act with a tablet device of some sort in the bathroom? Why not chuck in your favourite bath bomb or bath product, sit back, relax and enjoy the treat.

Hit the sales -  I know Christmas is a very expensive time of the year, so I am sure we don't all have bags of money floating around. My favourite way to shop the sales as always is from home, well to be exact I shopped from bed this year. There were a few items I had hoped would go into the sales so I bookmarked them on my laptop and waited till boxing day. I may have purchased a pair of half price Russell and Bromley shoes, now that helped my post Christmas blues haha.

Plan a day out - To me the most depressing thing in life is not having anything to look forward to, so whilst the nights still draw in pretty quick, why not plan a day out with a friend. Maybe go out to your favourite restaurant, bar or have afternoon tea. I also quite like just having lunch at a friends house, it gets you out of your house and if you offer to bring lunch, how can they say no. Lots of cups of tea, a little lunch and a good old catch up *cough cough* (GOSSIP) really is good for the soul. I find just having something to look forward to will take then edge of going back to work after the Christmas period.

Go through your wardrobe/ have a clear out - I love having a clear out, there isn't usually much to clear out in my wardrobe as I don't really have that many clothes. I always think by having a clear out of clothes, skincare or make up is a great way to rid any products that have expired or that you just wont use. The less clutter around the better you feel. Clear house, clear mind. If you have any unused products you can share them with family or friends and clothing you can donate as long as it is in good condition. So its a win win situation, clear house and donating things to help a good cause.

Plan an evening in -If you are thinking but I spend most of my evenings in, well treat this one differently. Don't do your usual evening routine, jazz it up and plan something different and a little fun. Make your favourite meal, use a face mask, a hair mask etc. I am sure some of you must have lots of these sample/ deluxe size products that need using up. (If you have cleaned out your draws I am sure you found something) Light that candle you were saving and open that lovely bottle of your favourite tipple/ or put the kettle on if that is what you'd prefer. Why wait for that special occasion, when keeping yourself in good spirits is more important. Kick the arse of the winter blues and enjoy the little things in life that make you happy.

I wish you all the best for 2018 and thanks to everyone that reads my blog, I want to try and post more regularly like I used to. This year has been tough in parts so my blog has taken a back seat, fingers crossed this is our year.

Thanks for reading

Kara xx