Essence Pure Nude

The Essence Pure Nude foundation and concealer are a great go to for a no fuss makeup look, super easy to apply with a natural look and feel. Perfect for a radiant, dewy look that can be achieved on the run.

The Essence Pure Nude foundation is a light weight makeup that gives a flawless yet natural finish with a no makeup feeling. It has moisturizing glycerin and vitamin E and is suitable for all skin types. I love how convenient it is, I just rub it on as I would do with a face cream, it has a light weight formula that absorbs quickly and is thin in consistency. This product does not dry out skin at all and keeps it looking healthy and radiant.

The Essence Pure Nude concealer works so well with the foundation, I use it on my under eye area and cheeks to give extra coverage to those uneven areas. Its beyond easy to apply, you just draw lines where you need extra cover and blend in and cover with the foundation. It’s also nice to carry around in your bag for touch ups during the day. I use both the foundation and concealer in shade 10 Pure beige.

The perfect no makeup look and feel! great with a nude shade of lipstick and a touch of blush! Affordable and good quality. Available at Clicks and Dischem stores.

 

Garnier Micellar water

This post is a must read if you have been searching for a new best friend makeup remover and skin cleanser. The Garnier Micellar water hype was huge, it still is, and all with reason! This really is a truly fantastic product! Everyone that wears any kind of makeup should have a bottle of this and also a back up bottle just in case you run out! Micellar water comes in the pink bottle for sensitive skin or the Blue pure active version, I have been using the pink one so my review is based on it.

So what do you do with Micellar water.. It is a cleansing water that removes makeup and dirt as well as cleanses and soothes skin. I use it daily for many different uses, In the mornings when I put on my makeup I use it on a cotton bud to correct my eye-liner line and clean up mascara or eye shadow smudges, I can not stress enough how fantastic it is for this job because unlike the usual makeup remover it is non oily and leaves no residue so it does not mess with your other makeup for the day or leave your eye area looking shiny. The product is hypoallergenic and fragrance free.

In the evenings I either use it on its own on a cotton ball to remove my makeup before falling asleep on days I am most deadly tired and cant even wash my face (Jip pregnancy can do that to you) and because Micellar water is non greasy you don’t even have to wash it off your face, it will not annoy you and you wont wake up looking like an oil slick. Or if I shower and wash my face in the shower I then use the Micellar water afterwards on a cotton ball to take off stubborn mascara and liner that didn’t come off in the shower, it removes even the most stubborn makeup with a breeze of ease! I also use it on a cotton ball to clean off my makeup containers and foundation bottles that sometimes get a bit dirty with makeup residue.

Now these handy little babies sell for only R79-99 and the bottles are generously big 400ml and when it says you get up to 200 uses out of it they are not kidding cause it really does go a very very long way! Bargain alert! They have also brought out Micellare wipes now, how cool is that?! I haven’t tried them yet but will let you know when I do because I am sure to progress to a lazy stage of pregnancy where I need loads of wipes.

New Essence Lip favorites!

Essence is always coming out with beautiful new ranges and lip products that are totally affordable and easily available. There is a wide range of shades so there is something there for everyone. Here are 4 of my new favorite lipsticks from Essence.

The new Essence liquid lipsticks are great, they have intense color and coverage with a stunning gloss shine. They have a very comfortable to use applicator that applies the product perfectly. The two shades I tried are 06 make a statement and 04 show off, they are both fantastic shades but my favorite of the two has got to be make a statement. I love its beautiful berry shade.

Next up are the Essence Sheer and Shine lipsticks, These are the most buttery, kissable lipsticks ever! They feel amazing on lips and feel like they are moisturizing almost like a lip-balm but they have such beautiful sheer color and shine. The packaging is beautiful with the translucent lids being the same color as the lipstick it contains in a classy silver tube.  The range has a variety of shades from nudes, browns to pinks. The two I tried out are shades 01 My first love and 04 Hidden secret. My favorite of the two being My first love as it is a lovely light nude color that is subtle yet brings out lips with a natural look and feel.

I will just let the pictures speak for them selves further cause these are so beautiful!! I think the pink shades from the Sheer and Shine will be stunning.

A Look at my life behind the blog -My exciting start to 2016

I have never written a personal post on my blog before, up until now I have never felt the need to or possibly just had nothing personal to write about that I felt was worth mentioning. I have always kept a clean blog focusing on Beauty products and reviews but here is a bit of a personal update on whats happening my side lately.

So as some of you know I have a 3 year old daughter and me and my husband have always planned to have our children close together so that they would grow up together with not too big of an age gap. I didn’t fall pregnant easily the first time and also suffered two miscarriages. I never gave much thought to my first struggle to fall pregnant cause it did eventually happen, now looking back I wonder if it was just luck. When my Daughter was 6 months old we decided to start trying for our second child and I never thought it would drag on so much. I just couldn’t fall pregnant, I felt like it was never going to happen.

If you have never struggled to fall pregnant then you will never know the massive emotional roller coaster it is, it can feel like the end of your world and months can feel like years with waiting and bad news after bad news while watching all your friends fall pregnant and have bundles of joy, it is a pain you will never know unless you have suffered it. I found it was easy for people to tell me to relax about it and forget about it then it will happen but this advice just frustrated me because it is not something you simply forget about, I mean how?!  After a few Dr’s appointments and tests I eventually ended up in hospital for a Laparoscopy surgery to remove Endometriosis tissue and make sure everything was clear with no problems on the inside of the womb. The operation went well but I have to admin it was more painful and unpleasant than the dr made it out to be. In the end it was all well worth it because here I sit 3 months after the operation and I am now 9 weeks pregnant!

I never thought I would start my 2016 year with such great news but when my visit to the gyni confirmed that I am pregnant and I could see my little miracle with its beating heart on the screen I just felt complete again. I am only 9 weeks and 5 days pregnant so not completely out of the danger zone yet but I do have faith that this baby is going to be just fine 🙂 , I also now sit with emotions that I am not sure about, it is like I struggled for so long that now that it finally happened I am not sure how to feel. I know I am over the moon excited and happy but it half feels unreal or too good to be true, its been a good few weeks of emotionally adapting to my new pregnancy.

I will still be blogging fully as usual 🙂 so I am not at all going anywhere! over the last year my Blog has become my other little baby that I have put all my love and creativity into and I am definitely planning on doing great things with the blog this year!!!!!

I am considering doing a pregnancy post or two on the blog over the next few months, or maybe a mommy post here and there to adapt to my current situation lol, let me know what you guys think of this idea? My blog will still remain mostly a beauty blog with maybe a different post here and there.

The Test Box – December Treats

Three little bottles that are magical for hair! These are some of the best that Kevin Murphy has to offer and these cute little sample size bottles are perfect for you to try out the product or if you are already addicted then these are great for traveling.

This little Test box of goodies is just what I needed for the holidays, a good hair refreshing treatment session and some super fantastic styling. I like to spend time over the holidays relaxing with face masks and hair masks and just catching my breath again before the new year starts. Just Cant get enough of The Test Box , it has been a fantastic year of trying out new products!

So lets get down to whats in the box, The Kevin Murphy Maxi wash , Kevin Murphy Born again treatment and the Kevin Murphy Motion Lotion! They are 40ml bottles and this sounds small but these go along way cause you use very little product.

This is a well thought out box as the Maxi wash and Born again treatment go so well together, When used together they become a power packed make over for hair, think of it as like a facial for your hair. The Maxi wash is  a detoxifying shampoo that contains AHA’s (fruit acids) that break down fatty acids for a clean, clear scalp. It helps remove build-up of unwanted products and chemicals, giving it a new clean refreshing start! So go ahead and give hair a great wash with the Maxi wash, it helps prepare hair to absorb nutrients so its perfect to then follow up with the Born Again Treatment

The Born Again Treatment Is designed in a way that the molecules are so small that they are instantly absorbed into hair and get to work right away. This treatment gives hair a boost and protects it from future damage while repairing hair , leaving it vibrant and shiny. It is the perfect partner for the Maxi wash! Then the third little bottle, The Motion Lotion, Is a great finishing product to define waves and curls. The Motion lotion is super easy to use and you just rub a tiny bit into wet hair and scrunch, it does not leave hair feeling sticky and is weightless on hair so you don’t feel like you have rubbed something on hair. Plus it helps control frizz so bonus 😉

These Lovely Kevin Murphy Products and tiny tester bottles are available to buy on The Test Box site so go check it out and do some Christmas shopping! They also have a stunning special running that all orders for December receive a free Test Box!!!! You do not want to miss out on that one.  www.thetestbox.co.za

 

Panasonic Wet & Dry Epilator

The New Panasonic wet and dry Epilator has fast become my new go to for hair removal. I have been testing it out for two weeks now and I am falling more and more in love with it. Now I have to mention that first the little gadget actually scared me lol and it was painful at first but after a few good attempts and a glass of wine, now that I have the hang of it, it has turned out to be a blessing! I was lucky enough to receive it from Beauty Bulletin to review, you can also go sign up to the Beauty Bulletin site and stand a chance to review items for free!

With summer here it is now time to keep up with all the shaving and looking like a well groomed person on the beach, Bikini season means shaving all the little hairs to avoid the embarrassment of being caught with hairy arm pits. This is such a handy little thing and the fact that you can use it in the bath or shower makes it even better! Would be better for first time users to try it out in the bath first cause the hot water does heat up the skin and make it easier for the hairs to come out and using it with some shower gel for foam makes sure that your skin is left smoother and less dry.

 

The Panasonic wet and dry Epilator is cordless and rechargeable and has a nice compact size that fits perfect in the palm of your hand making it super easy to use. You can even throw this baby into your hand bag and take it with you to make sure you don’t get stuck in a situation with hairy legs, Like those unplanned summer trips to the beach! This is also serious value for money in regards to once you have purchased it then you have it. It is not like waxing or shaving that you constantly have to buy new products or pay to have it done and because it is rechargeable you do not even have to buy batteries. So you know I am gonna be looking after mine so we have a nice long run together 🙂  Another Bonus of it is that it wont interfere with your spray tan like shaving does! meaning you can remove hairs without it taking your tan off.

The Panasonic Epilator works with 24 little tweezers that rotate super fast and pluck out the hair from its root. It has the power to remove even the shortest fine hairs and results in hair growing back slower, thinner/softer and less hair growing back so your second use is much easier. it is recommended to Epilate once a week but with regular use hairs should grow back slower and then you can move to using it less regular or as needed for touch ups.

The Epilator comes with a charger and a little cleaning comb and retails for R599. If you are looking for Christmas presents then this would be great for yourself as well as for your friends, really an item that will be well used.

xxx

Beauty Blogger – South African Beauty Blogger – Beauty Reviews

 

Golden Glossy hair using Kevin Murphy products & The Glampalm curling wand.

This golden summer hair look is easy to achieve using a few great Kevin Murphy Products and The Glampalm magic wand.

I have done reviews before on the Kevin Murphy shimmer shine spray, It is a golden shine spray for hair that strengthens and repairs hair while giving it fantastic shine. I have paired this spray with the Kevin Murphy Shimmer Color bug , this is a non permanent hair color that rubs on easy and washes out. The shimmer bug shines golden goodness!! It is truly beautiful. Also a little trick I have learnt with the Shimmer bug is that it doubles up well as a skin bronzer and even an eye shadow!!!

With this you obviously need a product to hold your style and also to help give the Color bug something to stick to when rubbed onto hair. I have been playing around with the New Kevin Murphy Free Hold styling creme. The Free Hold Is a new product launched with the new Kevin Murphy men’s range, I  obviously needed to test it out. It gives hair a great medium hold while still looking natural, feeling soft and giving an amazing glossy shine to hair.

So down to the simple basics of how to get this look going..

1. Gather your products and switch on your curling wand
2. Divide your hair into sections by pinning the top up and starting at the bottom.
3. Use a small amount of the Free Hold and rub it between the palms of your hands and then smooth/ massage it into a section of hair. Seriously the smallest amount is good enough, u don’t need to over do it.
4. Use your color bug and rub it in firm stokes from top to bottom over the strand of hair. I divided my section into pieces big enough to curl and then color bugged the pieces one by one as it works better on smaller sections.
5. Use your curling wand to curl the hair or just add waves.
6. After you have worked your way through all your hair you can finish it off by spraying a good amount of Shimmer shine spray on.

It is actually so easy to do and the results are beautiful, I struggled to catch the exact shimmer of the hair on camera once it was done, but in the light it shines like gold!! I feel like this is great for a summer party look, beach party, new years dress up.It is an Impressive hair look that you can do yourself at home. The golden look on my dark brown hair gives it a nice golden brown/highlighted appearance with intense shimmer. Like I said, I struggled to capture on camera but imagine that hand swatch but on hair. With a brilliant glossy shine from the Free Hold.

I will have more Info and a nice review of the Free Hold going up on the blog soon as well as the details on the other New Kevin Murphy Men’s products launched now cause I think they would be good for Christmas presents for the men in your life! I know my hubby has taken too much of a liking to my KM shampoo lol, I have to hide it away from him!!!

Remember I shop for all my Kevin Murphy and hair care products on the Test Box site , www.thetestbox.co.za And they are having a special for December where you get a free test box with all orders! So go shop!

Xxxxx

Beauty Blogger – South African Beauty Blogger – Beauty Reviews