If there’s one thing I associate with the Czech Republic (other than beer), it’s the country’s long and distinguished history of working with glass. Czech glass is world renowned for it’s quality and craftsmanship.
I took delivery of a sample nail file a few weeks ago from Mont Bleu, a company based on the outskirts of Prague who produce tempered glass nail files by hand.
It arrived in a substantial leatherette mock-croc gifting box.
The nail file itself is tucked inside, housed in a velvet pouch and arrived with an authenticity card. All these little extra touches really single a product out as being gift-worthy!
I received the Red Medium Nail File with Swarovski Crystals in a ‘marbles’ design which you can view online here.
It’s a well-made product as one might expect and is comparable to my Leighton Denny file in both size and quality. I’ve used it daily to give it a thorough wear test and so far, the surface has remained as pristine as the day it arrived.
My one distinction in the quality between them would be that the Mont Bleu file feels ever so slightly “grittier” when filing than the Leighton Denny. I’m not 100% sure on this and have been wavering and asking everyone who visits to weigh in with an opinion. It’s divided everyone!
The Mont Bleu files are available in a variety of designs and can be bought online in the UK through their distributor BestCrystalNailFiles.
Priced at £10.99 for a medium size, it’s a lovely gift choice for Mothers everywhere this Mother’s Day.
I’m generally quite sold on Eyeko polishes… and for the money, since the reformulation last year they’ve been a good bet. I’m particularly a fan of their pastels which can often be hit or miss from all brands thanks to streakiness, thickness of formula to overcompensate or just downright chalkiness.
Eyeko Pastel polish is a pale blue that isn’t chalky! It’s almost creamy infact…
Not only that but the formula is easily spreadable. The only area this polish fails a little for me is patchiness. Whilst not horrific, you can see that after two thick coats… it could do with a third. There is uneveness and a bit of streakiness going on here.
The pale blue has a gorgeous vivid flash of metallic blue pearl which stops it from looking flat. If you’re willing to go with three coats on this shade, it’s a total winner in my book.
Eyeko Pastel Polish is available to buy online priced at £3.50 from PowderRooms or £4 direct from Eyeko.
L’Oreal Color Infallible* are a newly released set of 8 eyeshadows that pack one hell of a pigment punch!
Housed in squat screw-top pots… are they creams, pigments or pressed powders? Well… they’re a bit of everything. A hybrid eyeshadow with the texture of a cream, the density of a pigment and convenience of a pressed powder!
Sounds great right? Well… they’re fairly awesome but as is usually the way, not without fault.
The lid unscrews to reveal a plastic ‘press’ which keeps the powder compacted inside the well of the pot.
The pigment under the press is a little tricky to reach with fingers (especially if you have nails!) because it’s located a little way inside the pot rather than level to the edge. If you use a brush, this obviously wouldn’t be an issue but does make for a sheerer application.
The colours are strong and true with a blendable almost creamy texture. Shimmery without being too metallic, they make for some really easy looks. Infact, I can blend this easily with just my fingers for a super-quick morning pick me up!
Unfortunately, I found lasting power to be a little disappointing as these had a tendency to disappear from my lids after about 3 hours… congregating firmly in the crease in a strong, greasy line. They fared better with primer but I still only achieved around 5 hours wear from them on my normal (not hugely oily) lids.
Having said that, some of the shades look amazing in the promo pictures and I’ll still be picking up All Night Blue from the range (a midnight blue shade).
Talking of shades, here are the current available tones:
All Night Blue (a midnight blue) Purple Obsession (smouldering purple) Endless Chocolate (brown shade shown in my swatches) Time Resist White (luminous, delicate white) Burning Black (incandescent black with purple shimmer) Flashback Silver (metallic silver) Permanent Khaki (green shade shown in my swatches) Eternal Black (true black)
I do love reading about the things that people pick up in their lunch breaks, so hope mine is somewhat interesting too! This wasn’t a lunch break… more of a ‘coffee’ break with the lovely Ally.
Since getting my Clarisonic, I’ve turned into a bit of a cleansing freak and there’s nothing I like more now than experimenting with all manner of different cleansers in conjunction with the gadget! Honestly? I don’t know how I didn’t get the crap beaten out of me at school.
Not only that, but despite having found a total JOY in the new Elemis Melting Cleanser, I *still* can’t resist picking up these ‘just incase’. This is my problem though… by the time I’ve finished experimenting to see if I can find a cheaper alternative, I will have spent what it costs to go and by the Elemis twice over! Please tell me I’m not alone in that kind of nonsense!
So after that rambling… what did I get?
Well, there’s currently a rather tempting 3for2 across skincare lines in Boots at the moment so that’s where I indulged! I picked up the Boots Botanics Organic Cleansing Balm (£6.63) after reading the on-site reviews.
One last stop near the haircare and I grabbed the new Batiste dry shampoo for brown hair. I’m not sure if this is reformulated or just repackaged from this one. I’m secretly hoping this can will get me through those days where it takes you longer than it should to realise that you seriously should go buy some more hair dye. Like now.
I’m in London today and I’ll be doing my best to avoid ‘popping’ into Boots for another look before the offer ends. Honest!
After promising myself that I would attempt the next Red Lip with a bit more complementary colour on my eyes instead of a rudimentary streak of liquid liner, I failed.
Revlon Fire & Ice is a re-release of a shade that first saw light of day in 1952… this makes it an absolute perfect option for those wanting to recreate a retro red look! Fire & Ice has that hint of orange that places it firmly in the 50s.
I’m looking forward to doing the swatch comparisons for the last 7 offerings because this one will contrast nicely to the cool-toned reds that I favour without being in the same ‘orange’ family as shades like Chanel Coromandel.
The formula is creamy and glossy, I tend to apply and blot before slicking on another layer. Not hugely long-wearing but it fades cleanly. This is a great shade if you want to dip your toe into warmer reds without going all out.
Plus, at £7.49… it makes for a good budget choice!
Despite her tender age, Leila is becoming quite the discerning shopper. Not that she has access to my debit cards or Paypal account you understand… but she does have access to the three bottom drawers of my Ikea Helmer (when I’m not looking).
It’s the sheep you see… Lady Lamb has captured her imagination and her heart, everytime I try to steal a squeeze… my attempts are met with tears.
I’ve been using the Lanolips 101 ointment on L since she was a tiny one to dampen the eczema on her face and because she was always swaddled at night as a babe, the thick lanolin used to work wonders at taking the edge off the itch. Perhaps something in her subconscious recognises this lanolin-based counterpart, the only other beauty product to have awoken her magpie tendencies was a Beauty Blender – and I don’t really blame her for that one.
Still, at such a tender age (and with no offers to do the washing up on the table) she has no need for my Rose Balm Intense, which afterall.. is for very *dry* hands. Not very *little* hands.
…nor very little teeth. Grrr.
For the five consecutive nights that I was able to apply the handcream… I formed the opinion that it was certainly softening on my rough bits but not a product that I’d want to use during the day. It’s heavy and sits on the skin in the way I love my Lanolips 101 to do… but I just don’t love the same feeling on my hands.
It’s strongly rose-scented and you only need the smallest amount to get good coverage. After 4 days, it was beginning to heal my sore cuticles before it was rudely snatched from my routine. I’d recommend it for when your usual cream isn’t cutting it. Combined with a pair of cotton moisture gloves, I think it would make for an intense and quick-fix overnight treatment.
Or yano, a great addition to your toddler’s handbag.
Lanolips Rose Balm Intense is priced at £8.99 for 50ml and available online or instore in Boots.
A quick heads up incase you’re planning on heading into town over the weekend, the new Sandstorm Spring Summer trends collection from Topshop should now be instore for your makeup purchasing pleasure.
The premise of the collection evolves around the theory of warm tones contrasting with washed out neons and there’s a couple of pieces I’m keen on taking a close look at (local store permitting!)
Check out these swatches on RougeDeluxe for a closer look… I’m really taken with the look of the Creme Lipcolour in Daze (£7.50) and the Crayon in Zephyr (£8.50).
Also, if you can’t get into store, Topshop are currently offering free UK standard delivery for all orders until Tuesday 22nd February.
Palmolive have released a new duo of handwashes with a little twist of vintage flair. Admittedly not the most exciting of purchases but definitely one of those that I spend a little time on when in the supermarket.
If I’m going to be washing my hands X amount of times in the day… I want the process to not be too drying and above all, I want it to smell awesome.
I’ve been using a sample of the Bergamot & Verbena variety over the past few days which holds a lovely, zingy scent. Bergamot is a real favourite of mine (lavender, not so much) and Palmolive has captured the aromatics of the fruit nicely.
Ok, so it doesn’t quite lift me from the kitchen sink and place me in Southern Italy… but it does make scrubbing my hands an enjoyable experience!
The vintage styling touches on the bottle are cute without being twee and with both scents priced at £1.99 each for 250ml, they’re not asking me to pay through the nose for these extra touches of luxury.
The Palmolive Authentics Liquid Hand Soap range is currently available in Sainsburys and Waitrose.
A few of you asked what nail polish I was wearing in this post, so I thought I’d put up a proper NOTD post to show it properly.
Following conversations with some of you U.S. girls, I’m thinking that this particular line of L’oreal polishes might not be available over the pond.
Maroon Sorbet is such an odd name for something so dark and vampy… sorbet always makes me think of summer! The shade itself is a blackened purple with ‘hidden’ shimmer. You may be able to make out a speck of the shimmer on my middle fingernail but it’s really quite subtle which is a shame as a little more visibility would have given this shade the lift it needs.
No complaints here about wear or application – it’s a solid high street polish that won’t break the bank!
The thought of dying my hair is genuinely one of the dreariest prospects I encounter every couple of months but for me and my grey hairs, it’s a necessary evil. It smells, it stains and it’s a downright chore.
When I first heard about the new foam hair dyes entering the market late last year, I thought “oh hai new gimmick, I’m still going to hate using you”. I was right. Just not entirely…
It’s more money than I normally pay for a home colourant but I’m sure it’s one of those that will eternally be on special offer somewhere. Having said that, it’s freakin’ fantastic. It dispenses a rich, creamy foam from start to finish with crystal clear instructions, great packaging (and awesome gloves that fit properly!)
You can tell when thought and careful planning has gone into the details… and here, the quality is apparent even down to the fact that the dye wipes off skin beautifully without compromising on potency!
However…
The available shades for brunettes suck. They’re all fairly warm-toned and if you’re a pink-faced girl with a penchant for ashy tones, this isn’t good news. Would I buy it again? Only if I want gingery grey bits when the dye fades. So, um… probably not.
.
The second one I tried (and I’m sat here with freshly dyed hair now) is the Clairol Nice n’ Easy Colour Blend Foam* which normally retails at a more palatable £6.99.
Props to Clairol for a stonking range of shade availability. Everything from cool to warm tones, darkest to lightest… However, I got beef with this brand.
The instructions included in the box are terrible and led me to over-mix the formula thus producing crappy foam. The instructions state: “Shake bottle until completely mixed”.
Watch this…
Now, to my mind… “Shake bottle until completely mixed” is a truly rubbish way to communicate to your customers “give it three firm shakes and then leave it alone for 30 seconds”. No?
I followed the pack instructions, held the bottle, closed my eyes and shook vigorously for about 10 seconds until I was convinced that the products would be nicely mixed.
The result was a runny foam that applied nothing like the creamy John Frieda formula.
This stuff also stains like a four year old running around with a plate of spaghetti. As a home hair-dye veteran, I’m used to wiping the backs of my ears, that pesky patch where a strand inevitably drops onto your shoulder and the annoying bits on the temples where you want to cover the baby greys but not the skin. I usually do a grand job of it too.
Unfortunately, I’m sat here now with pretty bad skin staining on my temples. Do I risk applying a barrier cream and not getting the coverage I need on those greys? I don’t know… All in all, it’s a disappointing performance from the Clairol.
I’m genuinely upset about this because the colour selection is fabulous, the end result is good (though not as glossy as the John Frieda) and in theory, I love the foam formula which makes it almost impossible to ‘miss’ bits. I don’t have to faff about parting my hair to get into the roots… I just treat it like I’m shampooing with a creamy lather and the formula does all the hard work for me. Foam hair dyes have truly been a revelation.
Not only that, but in both instances, the dye has rinsed down the plughole like a dream with the water running clear after only a minute or two at the most.
.
Which should you buy then?
If you’re looking for red tones, buy the John Frieda and do it now, while it’s on offer.
If you’re wanting a cooler-toned shade… go for the Clairol but beware the misleading pack instructions and be sure to use a barrier cream such as vaseline on your hairline.
I do love these retro reds… they always make me feel a little ‘pin up’… it doesn’t matter how much the rest of my body lets me down on that score, a quick peep at my tips is enough to convince me I am Bettie Page personified!
Is it the ratio of orange to red that does it? It’s something that this shade, Eyeko Saucy and Models own Red Alert all seem to have in common. I should do a swatch comparison to see if they’re as simillar in the flesh as they are in my head.
Anyway, rambling aside… All Fired Up is a neat-o shade. It applies a little more sheerly than I anticipated and took three coats to remove all traces of VNL (two if I’d layered it on with a trowel). It dries fairly slowly so would always use a quick dry top coat… I do anyway, so this isn’t really an issue for me. It scores big points for long-wear, it lasted a full 3 days before tip wear became noticeable.
I really haven’t checked out many Revlon polishes, I kinda jumped straight from not digging polish into my OPIs and Essies… infact, I’m sure there’s some sick part of me that just loves the chase of a good product.
Giving this some wear over IMATS weekend has convinced me that I need to delve into the lower shelves of my nearest Revlon stand to investigate further, I like the bottle design and the brush which was a pleasure to use.
Revlon All Fired Up is priced at £6.29 and exclusive to Boots.
If you haven’t succumbed to the lure that is Urban Decay’s liner set… then may I gently steer you in the direction of this New Cid Eyes Lips & Cheek Palette.
I wasn’t sure quite how much of a bargain this palette was when I spotted it on ASOS a couple of weeks ago, but since having a closer look at the one that I was sent… I have to say, it’s a very good bargain indeed. And at £12? It’s a freakin’ steal!
Of course, you’re going to need to like neutrals to feel any joy in this palette – but if you do… or if you’re just looking for a palette that would fulfill your needs for when you get overtaken by an urge for a polished day look. This is the palette for you.
The palette includes: 4 eyeshadows (3 shimmer, 1 matte), 2 lipsticks (round pans – the 2 on the left), 1 lip gloss (the 1 on the right) and a blush.
The eyeshadows are generously sized at 5.4gm apiece.
The set also includes a brush but it has no shape… it’s next to useless. I don’t know why they even bothered. Horrible thing. Gah.
The shadows are a dream. They’re smooth, pigmented and blendable. The shades are spot-on and IMO particularly suited to cooler/neutral skintones. Simply some of the prettiest I’ve come across, and I’ve seen a few!
As for the lip and cheek ‘tray’… it’s also delightful. I’m not a big fan of lipsticks and glosses in pans like this… particularly when combined with powders. One would have to ensure that they swipe the blush in the opposite direction to the lip pans to prevent a big old mess of product cross-contamination.
The blush is swatched on the bottom and the lips from left to right as ordered in the palette.
I do also find the palette a little bulky. Whilst still completely portable for a weekend away, it’s not particularly slimline. I’m nit-picking… and at a cost of £24, that’s fair enough.
But for £12? For 4 beautiful shadows… a popping blush and lip colours that aren’t shit?
I’ve just bought one to give as a gift – it’s a cracking bargain and I suggest snapping it up while you still can!
