Soap & Glory Make-up Review

Spoiler - it's a mixed bag!

A couple of weeks ago, I headed to Boots to replace my mascara. I had tried the Soap & Glory Thick & Fast mascara in a gift box I had for Christmas and loved it.  When it dried up (the downside to thicker mascaras, I've found this with more expensive alternatives too) I was happy to repurchase. I was  delighted to find that all Soap & Glory make-up was on a 3 for 2 offer, so I took full advantage and tried out some other talked about products....

Thick & Fast mascara

As I mentioned, this was a repurchase, and I haven't be disappointed. It's very similar to the Benefit mascaras, I'm a big fan of a thick brush and thick consistency, as I like a lot of volume to my lashes, but anything too lengthening makes my eyes look too dark and over done. It's a really great mascara, at a really reasonable price (£10) The packaging of all three items I bought is really great, much more than I would expect from this brand, and this mascara is better than the freebie I had in the first place. I'm really pleased I chose to buy this again, and I don't see any reason right now why I wouldn't buy it again. For such a thick mascara it doesn't clump, and it dries quickly enough not to smudge. I would recommend!

Sexy Mother Pucker Lipstick - Man Trap

I'm really impressed with this lipstick! For a start, the colour, 'Man Trap' is gorgeous. Red lipstick is a long time favourite of mine, and I very rarely stray from my trusty Mac Red, this however is more subtle. I've found its a great way of wearing a brighter colour for a more day-to-day look. I work in a fairly casual office, so heavy make up tends to look a little out of place, so it's great to find something I feel comfortable wearing but that still feels stylish. Its a really moisturising consistency, very "cremesheen" but it lasts really well. (I'm wearing this in the outfit photos on my "Denim Love" post.) £9 is a little more to pay for a drug store lipstick but this is definitely worth the few extra pounds. I will make sure I take a look at the other colours (although I don't think there are many) next time I'm looking for a new lipstick.

Anarchy brow tint & pencil

I was really keen to try this product as I'd heard a lot about it on other blogs. I have naturally very dark, thick eyebrows but they're a little untidy, so I find filling in helps to neaten them up. As they are so dark I usually need to use a pencil to match the shade but there' always a fine line between neat and too much! I thought this product could be the answer. One end is felt tip like, to draw individual hairs in, and the other end a soft pencil. I bought the colour 'Brownie Points' (they also do a blonde), however, I wouldn't say it was brown! It's very light, so looks totally out of place on me. Not only that but I feel like the felt tip was "running out", even though the box had been taped so I knew it hadn't been tested, you just don't get much product from it at all. On top of this, the pencil end is actually really hard. I had to press pretty hard on my skin to get any mark, and it was still not particularly great. I was really disappointed by this as I think it's a great idea for a product, to a achieve a bit more of a natural brow look, but it wasn't for me. I'd be interested to see if it works better for someone with lighter hair though?...





Have you tried any of the Soap & Glory make-up products? Which are your favourites and are there more I should try?

Jessica h x

LFW Street Style AW'15

Like many others, we've spent the last week drooling over shiny, perfectly shot snaps of bloggers, celebrities and the odd lucky sod (who just happened to look cool enough) on the streets of the capital for London Fashion Week. Street Style is now as much a part of the shows as the catwalks themselves, giving great style inspiration that you can get your hands on right now.

Pintrest, Twitter, Instagram, Blogs and fashion pages are full of gorgeous images, some completely bizarre, others that make you want to rush out to the shops that instant to buy the full outfit. I love to see the trends that are emerging on the streets, it definitely gets me excited for a new season of shopping!

I've gathered a few of my favourite looks from across my internet browsing below.

My tips for Spring? Midi skirts, faux fur and socks!

Which is your favourite look?

jessica h x

Benefit Skincare Review

I began January on a quest for better skin, as I do quite often. As someone that suffers with problem skin, I have tried many many products which claim to tame it, even fix it. Some work for a while, some not at all, others send my sensitive skin into a frenzy the moment I put it on my face. I really hoped Benefit would be different...

It is worth mentioning that these purchases were a bit of an impulse buy. I needed a new moisturiser and had been browsing the beauty counters in Boots when the girl working at the Benefit stand asked me if she could do my make up. I had some time to kill and fancied trying the brand so I agreed. She talked me through a whole range of products from skincare right through to mascara, she was fantastic and my make up looked great (a good bit of customer service obviously goes a long way!) Eventually I decided to purchase two skincare products 'Triple Performing Face Emulsion' and 'Boo Boo Zap'. I've now been using them for about a month so now seems like a good time to share my thoughts.

Triple Performing Face Emulsion (£21.50)

This product is above all, a moisturiser. It claims to 'hydrate, protect & comfort the skin with an oil-free, lightweight formula'. On the whole, I would agree with this statement, it is most definitely a lightweight moisturiser, and it leaves my skin feeling really fresh and bright. It has a really fresh smell, which is great in the morning, and it is a great base for make up, it really does feel like an 'emulsion' without feeling heavy. The product goes a long way, you don't need much for you whole face & neck. Also, the packaging is beautiful!
My main issue with this product is that I don't really find it very moisturising. Considering I have troublesome skin, it can be very dry so I feel like I always need a strong moisturiser but I always avoid anything too heavy. (Not an easy balance to find!) With this product I feel like I still need a moisturiser first, then apply this on top as it gives such a great finish. This is just a little disappointing as I expected much more from the brand. However, if you do not have dry skin, I would really recommend giving it a go.

Boo Boo Zap (£13.50)

This is a 'specialist' product from Benefit's skincare range for acne and spots. As with many spot treatments it aims to dry out the spot, reduce redness and purify the area to stop new spots from forming. The great thing about this product as different from others is that it is a clear liquid- meaning you can apply it under or over your makeup, and can re apply it multiple times throughout the day.

This appealed to me as I have found products in the past that have worked to really dry out spots (PanOxyl, Freederm) but they are only really for use under make up so not great if you're out all day. 

Boo Boo Zap seems to be doing the job so far, though maybe not quite as well as some stronger products I have used before. I also don't feel like it will last long for the price. Even so, applying it throughout the day has helped to keep pesky spots getting worse. 

Have you tried these products? Or do you have any products you could reccomend?

Until then, the quest continues...

Jessica h x

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