SOAP & GLORY - DRAMA CLEAN MICELLAR CLEANSING WATER

I am a big fan of Soap and Glory as a brand. I have tried many products from their Bath & Body and Cosmetics line, but not so many from their skincare range. I do love their Off Your Face Face Wipes and The Ultimelt Hot Cloth Cleanser though. Soap and Glory have recently redesigned the packaging of their skincare line, bringing in new products and discontinuing older ones.

 The Drama Clean 5 in 1 Micellar Cleansing Water is the newest product in the ever growing Soap & Glory range. Micellar water’s seem to be the newest product hitting brands since the success of Bioderma. As well as bioderma, I have also used Loreal's, Ren's and Garnier’s offerings. I like to use them to take off the bulk of my makeup with a cotton pad before cleansing properly. They can be used on the face, eyes and lips and are so gentle, cooling and effective, removing make-up, dirt and impurities.

The Soap and Glory formula is oil free, non-drying and leaves skin feeling fresh and smooth. All of these waters pretty much do exactly the same thing but the cute pink packaging is a winner for me, although I don’t feel it fits in with the new sleek packaging and reminds me of what it used to look like. The formulation contains vitamin A and C, rich peach and goji berry extracts, cool cucumber water juice, botanical cornflower extract, aloe vera leaf juice and is suitable for all skin types.
The scent is nice and fruity, but still subtle and not overpowering like the Peaches & Clean Cleanser from the brand. This hasn't stung my eyes or broken me out at all, and I have enjoyed using this as part of my skincare routine. I am faithful to my Bioderma micelle solution, but if I did run out and didn't want to order online, I would definitely choose this from the drugstore picks. A 200ml bottle is priced at £6.00, which is a little cheaper than the Bioderma version.

Will you be picking this up?

BOOHOO BOUTIQUE COLLECTION - SUMMER 2014

Boohoo Boutique is the limited edition range of Women's fashion available alongside the main range. The latest collection involves a lot of edgy, high-fashion pieces with an affordable price tag. This collection is inspired by Festival trends and Bohemian styles which are really on trend this Summer season. Lots of Maxi dresses and Kimonos with lots of embroidery detailing, colourful prints and bold pops of colour. My favourites pieces from the collection have to be this Cobalt Blue Lacy Lace Trim Strappy Narrow Leg Jumpsuit, this Finola Floral PVC Biker Jacket and this Vera Floral Georgette Shirt Dress.

What are your favourite pieces from the collection?

*Exclusive Images Supplied By Boohoo

ESSIE NEONS - GLOW GET 'EM NAIL POLISH SET

Essie has to be one of my favourite nail polish brands to use lately. Since they have become easier to get hold of in drugstores, my collection has built up quite nicely. For Summer 2014, Essie have introduced a Neon Range which contains six bright, stylish shades which look awesome on every nail. I have bought a few nail polish sets in the past and have found a use for every shade. Essie have brought out two sets of four nail polishes, this one which is called Glow Get 'Em and Paradise is Calling, both perfect for summer! 
The Glow Get 'Em contains four shades; Blanc, Sittin' Pretty, Vices Versa and Serial Shopper. Essie's Top Tip is to use the shade Blanc which is the white one, underneath your neon shades to make the colour pop. Sittin' Pretty is a vivid lavender, Vices Versa is a juicy neon lime and Serial Shopper is a florescent fire coral. I think Sittin' Pretty has to be my favourite, I will definitely be taken these shades on holiday with me.
In the photos I have used Essie's Top Tip and the colour appeared a lot more intense and colourful, than when I just used them alone. The first time I used them, I made the mistake of layering up too many coats so that the formula took ages to dry, but with practice I have found that one coat of Blanc underneath your neon shade is just enough. The formulations are glossy, long lasting and the shades are so pretty!
Essie polishes are normally priced at £7.99 per bottle, so at £24.99 for the set you are saving yourself £6.97, which is nearly one bottle free! I might have to go back for the other set. Boots are currently offering £5.00 off when you spend £25.00 or more online on selected items. I might have to go back for the other set. 

Will you be picking up any Essie polishes this Summer?

AUGUST PREMIUM BEAUTY WISH LIST

Bobbi Brown Surf & Sand Palette, £48.00 - I am a big fan of eyeshadow palettes, I love the diversity and convenience of them - especially neutral palettes. When I saw this product from Bobbi Brown I had to add it to my wish list. At £48.00 it is pricey compared to other palettes on the market but the shades are so wearable, I know I will get my moneys worth. I can only find this in stock on the Debenhams website now, so the limited edition factor makes me want it even more. I have heard some reviews commenting that the pigmentation is not that great, but I have really enjoyed using Bobbi Brown make-up in the past that I want to give it a go for myself. Not sure of the packaging but the 8 shades inside do this palette justice. 
Charlotte Tilbury's Magic Cream, £70.00 - I have heard a lot about this wonder cream. Again, another pricey item, but having used two items from Charlotte Tilbury's make-up range (see review here) I know you are paying for the quality. It contains an SPF15, with ingredients like frangipani, damask rose water, organic aloe vera, rose hip oil, sodium hyaluronate, camellia oil and wild pansy. It claims to cheat the appearance of 8 hours sleep, transform tired skin and rehydrate.
Nars Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows, £21.00 - Nars eyeshadows have to be one of my favourites recently, they are so buttery and easy to blend. They have recently released 12 shades of dual-intensity eyeshadows, I am in love with the shades Callisto and Phoebe.  These luxury shadows can be applied dry or wet for dramatic impact and high shine finishes. Totally lusting...
Bumble & Bumble The Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Trio, £19.5o - There is currently lots of hype around this shampoo and conditioner, following the success of the original Hairdresser's Oil. I haven't tried the oil myself, but I'm so eager to try this set - especially for the primer. The products are sulphate free and help to soften, de-frizz and detangle the hair. The set is currently on offer on escentuals.com so this might be the ideal time.
Benefit They're Real Remover, £14.50 - I tried a little sample of this when I recently purchased the They're Real Push-Up Liner. It really lifts eye make-up, even waterproof make-up and is really gentle on the area. I like to apply this on a cotton pad and wipe over lashes and it removes every mark of They're Real mascara which I struggle to get off with certain make-up removers. I will definitely be repurchasing the full-size.

What are you lusting over this month?

AUGUST UK MAGAZINE FREEBIES - PRODUCT REVIEWS

August was the month of magazine beauty freebies. I managed to get my hands on a few, but there were so many more to choose from. Here’s what I thought of the ones I picked up.

Instyle - Neal's Yard Remedies Geranium & Orange Hand Cream – I don’t get overly excited when I see hand cream freebies as I have so many hand creams to use up but it’s nice to try something else from the Neal Yard’s brand. I have really been enjoying orange scents lately, my love for this came from The Body Shop’s Satsuma range and Soap & Glory’s Orangeasm range. This hand cream nourishes, moisturises and softens skin, like any hand cream should. I like to apply this after washing my hands or as a refresher throughout the day.
Glamour - Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion+ – I picked this moisturiser as I could only find the mascara or the cream with magazines instores. Two different coloured chubby sticks are also available but every store I have been in hasn't had them available. I have used this moisturiser before, so I know I get on with it. It’s great as a morning base, it has a silky texture and keeps my skin refreshed and hydrated until my night time skin routine.

Marie Claire - Balance Me Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm – I am a big fan of Balance Me products. You could get this product or a moisturise rich face cream from the range. I picked this as I knew I already liked it and it’s a great cleanser to travel with. I love the natural scent and the glossy balm texture. It’s great for most skin types and really polishes and adds radiance to the skin. It’s 100% natural and a great sized sample.

Enhancing the natural radiance of normal to dry skins and balancing normal to oily skins.

Key benefits: Revolutionise your daily cleansing routine with our calming cleanse and smooth face balm. This deliciously fragrant balm is perfect for normal, dry or sensitised skin. It’s packed full of powerful anti-oxidants such as Arctic cloudberry and fine oat powder to soothe, smooth and add radiance to skin, without irritating. The sophisticated mix of pure active extracts such as camellia, kukui nut and rosehip oils with cocoa, mango and shea butters will dissolve daily grime and make-up to leave skin soft and clean, whilst a bespoke blend of English camomile and red mandarin essential oils soothe and soften.

Enhancing the natural radiance of normal to dry skins and balancing normal to oily skins.

Key benefits: Revolutionise your daily cleansing routine with our calming cleanse and smooth face balm. This deliciously fragrant balm is perfect for normal, dry or sensitised skin. It’s packed full of powerful anti-oxidants such as Arctic cloudberry and fine oat powder to soothe, smooth and add radiance to skin, without irritating. The sophisticated mix of pure active extracts such as camellia, kukui nut and rosehip oils with cocoa, mango and shea butters will dissolve daily grime and make-up to leave skin soft and clean, whilst a bespoke blend of English camomile and red mandarin essential oils soothe and soften.

Elle - Malin & Goetz Beauty Travel Kit - Grapefruit Face Cleanser, Lip Moisturiser and Vitamin E Face Moisturiser – I am subscribed to Elle, so it was nice to see a little extra in this month’s issue. The cleansing gel is gentle it purifies without drying and leaves skin balanced, hydrated and blemish-free. I really like to use this with my Clarisonic as it’s great at deep cleansing and leaving my skin feeling fresh. The lip moisturiser helps to keep my lips hydrated throughout the day, it’s great underneath lipstick and also worn on its own as it gives a glossy look. The Vitamin E face moisturiser is suitable for all skin types, its gentle and balances the skin without blocking pores. I like to use this in the morning as it wakes up my skin and is lovely and light underneath foundation.

Also available this month was; Rodial Stemcell Super Food Galm Lip Balm from Red Magazine, one of three Lip Crayons or Black Mascara from Cosmopolitan and a choice of four L'Occitane fragrance samples from Harper's Bazaar.

Did you manage to pick any Beauty Freebies up?