Review: Faith in Nature Coconut Shampoo and Conditioner

My habits when it comes to shampoo and conditioner are pretty simple - if it's on offer that week, it's going in the basket. (Although I had a particularly bad experience with the Fibrology range from L'Oreal - put simply, DO NOT BUY. It made my hair brittle, frizzy and dull and I wouldn't recommend it to my worst enemy) Other than that, I always rely on my trusty Tresemme heat protectant spray to prevent my locks getting too frazzled while heat styling (which, let's be honest, I do very little of.) Despite my fickle purchasing patterns, I've started developing a preference for products with more natural ingredients, and will try to buy certified cruelty-free products when I can find them.  Because of this, I jumped at the chance to review some haircare from Faith in Nature - a company which prides itself on creating environmentally friendly products that are both affordable and high quality. The lovely Nikola who works for Faith in Nature gave me my pick of the entire range. It was a fairly obvious choice for me - their award winning coconut shampoo and conditioner* would be just the thing to transport me to the Caribbean holiday I could never afford. Ahh, bliss.

The products come in two sizes, 400ml for £5.50 (I genuinely think that's very reasonable, and this is coming from a frugal student) and a whopping 5 litre bottle for £50 - perhaps a good option for mobile hairdressers and start-up salons? It's an idea. The bottles themselves are a simple, functional design and the cap is easy to open (does anyone else really struggle with irritating caps in the shower? I'm looking at you, Radox shower gel) and close.
The scent is pretty darn glorious. Exotic, holiday coconut. I'm happy to announce that it subtly lingers for days afterwards in your hair - much to my pleasure.
The consistency of the conditioner is a little thinner than what I'm used to. I'm guessing this is because it has fewer chemical than other brands? Not entirely sure. The shampoo foams up beautifully though and leaves my hair - literally - squeaky clean. I've been using them together now for about two weeks and I'm so happy to report that my hair is looking so much brighter and silkier than it has in a while. That vile Fibrology stuff really did a number on it (I saw so many positive reviews...why?) so I think this was just the thing to get it into a more natural, soft state.

I can wholeheartedly recommend these products and am really looking forward to exploring the rest of the brand. Pineapple and Lime shower gel is next on my hit list (can you tell I need a holiday? Boohoo.)

So, looking for vegan, organic and cruelty free haircare? Faith in Nature has you covered. With 15 gorgeous natural scents to choose from, you're bound to find something you love.

They also have a 3 for 2 offer on gift packs at the moment which would be a great way to sample lots of their products!

Final Verdict: Well worth a try. Beautifully scented and excellent quality from a great ethical company.

Lauren

Review: Nanshy Luxury Makeup Brush Set

As you may know I discovered Nanshy when they were advertising for some bloggers to review their face brushes which it turned out I full on ADORED. They literally revolutionised my makeup application (you can read my review here) and I can't recommend them enough to any novices like me. As time passed Nanshy have been hard at work and have produced a couple more collections; one of which is the Luxury Makeup Brush Set* which is a set of 13 brushes of all different types which come in a pretty ivory carry case. I've been lucky again and have had the opportunity to review them here!

As aforementioned, the set comes in a silky, ivory, check-stitched, tri-fold carry case. Every brush has it's own little slot and comes with a protective plastic cover. I really love all the attention to detail in here, particularly the textured lining material. It also has a slightly plastic feeling to it so it can be easily wiped clean which is handy.

If you've seen my previous Nanshy review post you'll be able to tell that these are much slimmer than the face collection and the shape of the handle is different; they are more ergonomically designed and have a pearlised coating which extends over the ferrule. I think this design is even prettier than before and I love that they've kept everything white, it's so clean and crisp looking and a nice change to the usual black of most brushes.

These really are just ridiculously soft to the touch. The face brushes in particular are so gentle and densely packed with bristles. They blend powder and cream products effortlessly. One of my favourite brushes is the slim angled face brush which is ideal for using in the hollow of your cheeks for contouring or even for precise blush application. Admittedly the eye brushes are slightly stiffer which can sometimes scratch the surface a bit too much on pressed shadows so there is occasionally some wastage. I'm happy to report that this doesn't affect their use on the lid though - they still feel very soft and blend beautifully. As an added bonus, these brushes are PETA approved and are 100% cruelty free and vegan, woo!

This collection is the same price as the previous one at £29.95 and can be bought here if you like the look of them!

Final Verdict: Another hit from Nanshy and an ideal kit for travelling with. There are some slightly better eye brushes on the market but not by much!

What do you think to this set? Do you have a favourite brand for makeup brushes and accessories? Let me know in the comments!

Lauren

Review: Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

Rather than have an entire post dedicated to the fact that I've been M.I.A for the best part of two months I decided to jump in with a big ol' review and have just a smidge of exposition as an introduction...

I am officially now a resident of LONDON! I'm at the University of Westminster and am a whole week into my BA Journalism. I've been a total whirlwind of emotion and activity recently and it's so good to finally sit down and just breathe. Right up until the moment I left my little East Midlands town I was working as an Assistant Manager at Coral. I was literally doing 40-45 hour weeks in a desperate attempt to save as much money as possible for university and whilst it has really helped me financially, pretty much everything else fell by the wayside. I hardly saw my boyfriend or my family and organising and packing was left until the last minute (much the aforementioned boyfriend's irritation.) Needless to say I all but abandoned my little corner of the internet and it's looking very sorry for itself at the minute. But! I have a ton of time to myself now so I shall be getting creative with my new frugal student lifestyle and start producing some fun content in the very near future.

But for now...

As a celebration of my new freedom and the beginning of what should be the best time of my life I decided to take a wander to the Debenhams on Oxford Street to see some Urban Decay products in real life, something I'd never been able to do before. In a total contradiction to my insistence that I wasn't going to be spending any money I ended up walking out with the truly lovely Naked Basics Palette. Shout-out to Rickie who served me at the Urban Decay counter as you were super sweet and helpful. Go you.

First things first, I do love the packaging and presentation of this palette. It's neat, sleek and a great size for just slinging in your bag for top-ups during the day. The design and colours are sophisticated, grown-up and seem ideal for a whole host of simple, neutral looks. 

I genuinely wanted to adore this. I mean I spent £20 on it! But I think I may have expected a bit too much. No matter how I tried, I just couldn't get the pigmentation I'd seen elsewhere in my swatches. I don't think the variation between colours is great enough and the fall out is substantial in the darker colours. 

The above is a single, dry swipe on clean, bare skin without primer. I found that the shades could be built up with two or three heavy swipes but that's not how I usually do my swatches and I wanted a fair representation of what I was actually getting. Don't get me wrong, this is by no means a bad product. The pigmentation is fair and I think with a really good primer I could get a much better colour pay-off. However, I personally feel that when it comes to £20 for six shades, I shouldn't need to buy a great primer just to get the shade in the pan. The fact that these are matte shades (bar Venus which has a light shimmer) was always going to mean that they were a little dryer but I still can't help but be a touch disappointed.

It's not all doom and gloom though, as I say, these can be built up to produce better pigmentation and they do work well on the lid. They blend easily and the shade range means that you can pretty much put anything together and it won't look ridiculous. They're ideal for a range of daytime looks and the deliciously dark Crave can smoke out any look for a gorgeous night transition (but do have some tissues/wipes on hand to deal with fall out!) These also wear extremely well, no creasing or migration and easily 8+ hours of wear so they're ideal for a busy working day.

Final Verdict: A compact, neutral palette that may require a bit more effort than expected. Great if you're looking specifically for more matte shadows, but by no means essential.

I would LOVE some advice about how to work with this palette and please let me know if I'm doing anything wrong! What did you think of the Basics? Do you agree that it may have been a touch over-hyped and therefore a touch disappointing like me?

Lauren

Review: Deborah Milano Shine Creator Lipstick in 6

I've reviewed a couple of pieces from this brand before and have generally found their products (so far) to be of a really fantastic quality. Deborah Milano are the leading cosmetic company in Italy and are currently breaking into the UK market. I really recommend a browse around the site which you can find right here. A couple of weeks ago they got in contact with me about their line of lipsticks and asked if I'd like to review one. I requested a pretty pink and got exactly what I asked for! 

Deborah Milano often has this curvaceous feminine shaped packaging (also present in my favourite mascara, review here) which I really love. It's so unique and makes the products easy to find amongst my modest but still somehow overflowing stash. The colour of the packaging is another plus for the same reason. I love when lipstick packaging diverges from the usual black tube and this translucent magenta plastic is no exception. The packaging itself feels solid but not heavy and closes securely. I've left this rolling around the bottom of my bag on more than one occasion (oops) and it's in perfect condition.

Engraved cosmetics are usually left just to high end companies so I was pleasantly surprised to see the cute flower insignia of Deborah Milano etched onto the tip on this lipstick. I find it's little touches like this that really elevate cosmetics into one of life's little luxuries and makes the act of purchasing and wearing them that touch more exciting. So shallow but I love it!

I imagined the colour of this lipstick to be a little deeper in tone but I'm not at all disappointed in the shade choice. This pale, creamy pink is a perfect day time shade to add to almost any look. I'd liken the texture to that of the Revlon Lip Butters (think more creamy Raspberry Pie than shimmer-loaded Peach Parfait) and as such, it doesn't last an enormous amount of time but does glide on smoothly and is extremely comfortable to wear. As an extra plus it's hypo-allergenic and has an SPF of 15 which has certainly been a benefit in these past weeks. This lipstick has all the shine of a thin gloss with none of the stickiness and so I find it perfect for slicking on before bolting out of the house in the mornings!

Deborah Milano Shine Creator Lipstick £8.50*

Final Verdict: Creamy, shiny, fuss-free colour that doesn't last forever but goes with everything.

What do you think to this lipstick? Have you tried Deborah Milano yet?

Lauren

Review: Melt Candle in Joy

I love scented candles and usually try to keep a few around the house for relaxing evenings. Since my life has been turned upside down this month I've really been craving one of those nights! Starting a new job and moving home are so ridiculously stressful and doing both at the same time have left me with zero down time. Luckily I was sent a gorgeous handmade scented candle from Melt* and finally now have the time to tell you all about it!

I really love the modern monochromatic packaging. It goes with everything and lends an elegance to the candle. The pattern even matches my current quilt cover which was an unexpected but pleasant surprise! I also love that it comes in a box - many candles don't. It's a bit shallow but I appreciate the "high end" feel I get from boxed items. For me personally, a huge plus of Melt candles is that they're handmade in England. This means that we get to support our economy and reduce the harm done to the environment that's caused by importing which makes me feel a little bit better about spoiling myself!

Joy is described as "A sparkling citrus floral on a complex woody and musk base, over a rich, floral heart of iris, rose and lily" which is pretty accurate! I mostly picked up on the rose and wood scents which are some of my favourites. I actually have Lancome's Midnight Rose perfume which is a similar sort of fragrance with the addition of blackcurrant so it's definitely a winner for me. This size of tumbler will burn for up to 25 hours and the fragrance really fills up a room. Besides the gorgeous fragrance, my favourite thing about this candle is how evenly it burns. The entire width of the candle melts which means nothing is wasted. One of the worst things about larger candles is how they can leave such an enormous amount of wax around the edge. It feels like such a waste having to cut it down!

This size candle will set you back £21 which to be honest, I don't think is too bad. Other brands charge a lot more for very similar products and I think the quality and longevity of this one makes it worth it. I would definitely be up for trying another of the 30 scents. I currently have my eye on Violet and Black Pepper! Perhaps a cheeky first pay day treat.

Final Verdict: A beautifully scented candle handmade in England. Definitely worth a try if you love brands like Neom and Jo Malone.

Have you tried any of Melts candles? Which fragrance should I try next?

Lauren

Review: Lush Oatifix Fresh Face Mask

Oatmeal, bananas and almonds. Perfect for breakfast and apparently also fabulous for your face. I had my first ever visit to a Lush store in Cambridge during my birthday weekend and I have to agree with the majority of beauty bloggers in that it's gorgeous and smells lovely. The displays are beautiful and really draw you in for a tactile shopping experience. Sadly, as lovely as my boyfriend is he couldn't cope with more than 15 minutes of me mooning over lumps of soap so he offered to buy me anything I wanted so long as I promised to make it quick! Seemed like a fair deal to me. Enter Oatifix, the sweet, lumpy face mask that promises soft, moisturised skin for the even scaliest of ladies (or gentlemen for that matter.)

75g of product is packaged in a neat, black, (recycled) plastic tub with a screw top lid. It's not the most beautiful thing in the world but it's certainly very functional and secure and I love that it's eco-friendly. I also adore the scent of Oatifix, it's light and sweet and you can really smell the fresh ingredients - it's something akin to a fruity flapjack with a hint of vanilla. As an added plus, it's preservative free and suitable for vegans.

It's definitely a bit of a pain to put on but a little goes a long way. I only used a dab more than shown above for my entire face and it was really well covered. When you first scoop it out it's fairly solid and a bit intimidating but as I went on I found that the best way to do it is apply in small circles so that the oils within warm up and help to spread it more easily. This has the added benefit of lightly exfoliating the skin with the ground almonds for a brighter complexion. I still had to catch a few stray lumps though!

It was definitely a bit of trial and error for me as I've never applied a face mask like this one before but I don't think my coverage was too bad. I'd appreciate some advice in the comments in regards to application and the amount I should use if you have any!

After letting it do it's thing for 10 minutes I rinsed it off and was left with, I kid you not, baby soft skin. My skin has never felt this smooth I swear! It appeared brighter and more radiant than usual - simply lovely. I don't think it did much for my redness but perhaps with a few more uses? Who knows. I think with the amount in the pot I could get another 3 uses at least so I shall update if anything special happens! I didn't experience any sensitivity or breakouts but I've read some reviews saying that it can do for those with oily skin so do bear that in mind. For £5.95 I wholeheartedly recommend this for people with dry skin, I loved it.

Final Verdict: Fiddly but worth it. Leaves dry skin smooth and radiant.

Have you tried Oatifix? What do you rate most highly from Lush?

Lauren

Review: Maybelline Color Sensational Popsticks

Ahh my first review after a whole month! And it's not going to be pretty. I'll be honest straight away and say that these products are the worst that I've ever tried from Maybelline which is usually a brand that I rely on for high quality drugstore makeup. Luckily I bought these Color Sensational Popsticks from Wilkinsons where they were only £3 each in a little bargain box. I'd be a lot more upset if I'd paid the usual £7.99 for them. I imagined that these were going to be something akin to a more waxy version of the Clinique Chubby Sticks. In theory this is great, a little sturdier and less prone to melting but still imparting sheer, shiny colour with a moisturising balm texture. Sadly these actually do nothing. I feel like Maybelline were relying on the gimmick of the translucent bullets to sell these and forgot to make them do anything.

One of the few praises I have for these products is the cute neon pink packaging. It's similar to what Maybelline uses for their other lipsticks but really fits in well with the bright translucent theme of the product. It also has a slight fruity scent which I personally don't like - it's very acrid and fake smelling. The colours themselves seem very vibrant and I loved the idea of a solid lip balm for Summer. However, if I'd wanted a clear lip balm, I would have bought one.

I don't even know if this is Citrus Slice or Crystal Pink as they are literally identical. There was really no point putting more than one swatch up. I wouldn't have been quite so heartbroken if it wasn't for the fact that these aren't even that moisturising! The only thing I can liken them to is very cheap children's lip balms. Waxy, thin and short-wearing. Just disappointing all round.

Final Verdict: It's pretty clear, I am very unhappy with these. If you're looking for moisturising colour I'd definitely recommend the Revlon Balm Stains or Lip Butters or even better, the Clinique Chubby Sticks. If it's just lip care you're after, save your pennies and get a Nivea lip butter - they're awesome!

Lauren

P.S. Thank you so much for all your kind and supportive words on my last post. I really appreciate your patience and understanding and am very happy to be back! I hope you liked this (particularly scathing) review!

Joules Leather Clutch

I've always been someone who's a total pain for carrying things. If my boyfriend tries to make me carry more than a single bag of groceries I will whine all the way home about how awful my life is. Bizarrely it doesn't seem to affect me when shopping for make-up, jewellery and skincare though... 

I do find that the one thing that really softens the blow of hauling around my essential items is something truly gorgeous to haul them in. I've been keeping an eye out for a gorgeous clutch for a little while now. I'm having a weekend in Cambridge at the start of May and I've spent longer than I'd like to admit fantasising about looking totally chic and heritage-cool with a new clutch bag. Imagine my surprise and delight when an email popped into my inbox asking if I'd like to try out a clutch from Joules. I'll admit that I'm not overly familiar with Joules. I was aware that they were a British brand that sold toiletries (thanks Boots Christmas 3 for 2) and I had a vague idea that they probably sold other things too. I wasn't told exactly what style or colour I was getting so I decided to leave it a surprise for myself.

And this is what I got:

I so love the Joules hare! Such an adorable logo.

I was immediately in sweet dreamy love. I mean really, I don't even know if heritage-cool is a term that should ever be used in real life but I genuinely think this is the epitome of it. It's exactly what I had in mind when I imagined myself strolling by canals and lounging in cafes (I can dream.) The clutch is a tan leather envelope which seals with a magnetic "popper". It contains three separate compartments including a zip-up centre compartment ideal for storing money and other valuables.The lining is a beautiful, floral printed, silky material which I'm assuming is polyester but I can't be sure since it isn't listed on the website nor on the label. It's an ideal size for carrying around essentials like money, a mobile phone and a few cosmetic items but obviously, there isn't an enormous amount of space. I also have to say that I love the colour pop of the pink strap and think it acts as a perfect contrast to the neutral clutch! But... it was £70. My jaw nearly hit the floor when I turned the ticket over. I'm a girl of limited means and I know that hand on heart, I wouldn't really have been able to afford this for myself. However, after having fully examined it and after using it for a couple of weeks, I completely agree that it's worth it. It's a timeless piece that will age with you and the craftsmanship is impeccable. There isn't a stitch out of line and the leather feels soft and supple. The colours are beautifully rich and vibrant and the lining pattern is stunning. I'd have no qualms about ordering anything from Joules in the future and am tempted for a duvet set as a post birthday-money treat! (So long as my long-suffering boyfriend will chip in!)

Some handy tips for leather care that were included! So cute.

Final Verdict: Absolutely beautiful and wonderfully made but certainly not cheap.

Joules Tan Leather Clutch £70*

This particular clutch is no longer available online but may be in stock at your local store. You can still get it in a pastel pink shade (yay Spring!) here.

Have you ever shopped at Joules? Know of any gorgeous handbags I should be looking at?

Lauren

Review and Swatches: Rimmel Apocalips in Apocaliptic, Celestial, Stellar, Big Bang and Nude Eclipse

Pretty much everyone has heard of the Rimmel Apocalips by now. Hailed as a revolution in lip colour, these super pigmented lip lacquers exploded onto the market and onto a ton of blogs very, very quickly. I know a lot of people got bored very quickly of reading about these and I'll admit that whilst I'm not a fan of seeing the same products over and over, I just can't help myself clicking every single post that features them! I must be mad. It took me a week after release to finally track some of these down since my woefully poor local Boots and Superdrug simply didn't stock them. It's enough to drive a beauty blogger crazy! But eventually I had a nice little collection of the colours I "needed" (wink) and wanted to share my thoughts on them.

 

It's been said a hundred times but the packaging really is super cute and very functional. The clear base is ideal for displaying the colour and the meteoric lids fit wonderfully with the apocalyptic theme. As do the fabulous names. A* for marketing. The lids fit nice and tightly and I'm not at all worried about it coming undone. The wand itself works as an almost perfect applicator for this product and the well inside the doe-foot catches just the right amount for one full application. I've read some reviews saying that the applicator felt clumsy and applied too much product but I have to disagree. I work from the back of the applicator and begin applying to the centre of my lips. It's then just a case of flipping it over to add more product and smooth it over bit by bit. It's very easy to add too much if you don't go slowly and applying anything other than a thin layer will make a total mess (trust me. Oops.) The colours are undeniably beautiful but I do wish they had included a strong orange colour because Luna looked a little pale for me personally. Just think of the awesome names they could have for an orange! The only real negative I have at this point is the rather bizarre scent. A plastic/watermelon hybrid which does nothing for me. I really do hate melon.

Apocaliptic

 

Celestial

Stellar

 

Big Bang

                                 

Nude Eclipse

Nude Eclipse was such an enormous disappointment for me. It was just so wrong for my skin tone and for some reason it felt much drier than the others. you can see in the photo how it settles into my lip lines and just looks awful. As if I needed any more proof, the first time my boyfriend saw me wearing this he said "Why do you look like a chav?" Yes that's right, he thought I'd done concealer lips. Kill me now. However, I do quite like using this to blend with other lipsticks to create more of a pastel tone so it's not all doom and gloom.

The other colours however are just total dreams. Mega pigmented, smooth and non drying. I think my favourite is Apocalyptic - it's similar to Revlon's Raspberry Pie on me but even brighter. The darker colours do have a slight tendency to bleed (particularly if you apply them as poorly as I do)  as seen on the Big Bang swatches. They have a gorgeous glossy finish which does matte down over time but I don't find that it becomes uncomfortable at all. They also transfer onto EVERYTHING, even when blotted. You absolutely have to check your teeth before leaving the house with these. They do last wonderfully though provided you don't eat. One sandwich later and you will definitely be rocking the heavy lip liner look so do top up after meals! I've worn Stellar out to drinks though and whilst my straw looked pretty butchered my lips were still practically perfect after 2-3 hours.

Final Verdict: Beautiful colours that look fantastic but will transfer onto everything. Try at least one if you can, you might just fall in love!

Love them or loathe them? Do you have a favourite colour?

Lauren

Review: Sleek Face Form in Light

I've been wanting to try one of Sleek's contouring kits for an absolute age. I'm lucky to have fairly pronounced cheek bones but my chubby face kind of obscures them! I always thought that a bit of help from contouring would do me a world of good and this particular product was recommended to me by a whole host of knowledgeable beauty bloggers. Luckily I had a 25% off voucher so I popped in an order a few weeks ago. See what else I bought here.

The packaging is very typical of Sleek. They're cute little black palettes with a matte coating and shiny logo. They also come in their own box which is always a nice touch and gives a product more of a "high end" feel. It closes very securely and I'd be happy to travel with it if it was well packed but definitely wouldn't want to risk dropping it; the product is so soft I'm almost certain it would shatter. As with all Sleek Palettes, this contains a large mirror which is always handy. Face Form comes in 4 different shades, Fair, Light, Medium and Dark. I plumped for Light which seems to be a good match for most pale skinned girls. Light contains a matte brown contouring powder, a champagne coloured shimmer highlighter and the famed Rose Gold shimmer blush (a supposed dupe for NARS Orgasm.)

Every powder is extremely soft and blendable and feels lovely to work with. I swatched heavily above to show the colours and the contouring powder looks a little chalky but I assure you it isn't. The pigmentation is fantastic so you really need to go slow and build up when applying; the great news is that it'll last forever.

I am new to contouring so I'll admit that my application is far from perfect (also I apologise for the wonky eye liner, whoops) but I was really happy with how the products looked on my face! The colours are very rich but look so natural and pretty when applied with a light hand. I think this is such a versatile palette and could easily be used all year round for a variety of purposes. The shimmer isn't too heavy at all and I love how multi-faceted Rose Gold is. The base is a warm coral-pink which works beautifully with the gold shimmer. I think this is a shade that could work for all skin tones - just build it up for darker skin. Wear time is really good but I do have dry skin and it seems like hardly anything disappears on me.

Final Verdict: Fantastic product for a very reasonable price. Very versatile and well pigmented. Another hit from Sleek.

£10 from Sleek or large Superdrug stores.

Have you tried this product? Have you tried contouring? What products do you use for it?

Lauren