His & Hers – Lynx Dark Temptation and Attract for Her Reviews

I love that Lynx now do a female version of Lynx, I’ve always loved the men’s smells and this one is my husband’s favourite. I really hope Lynx bring out more female scents soon although this one is lovely.

For him

Lynx Dark Temptation is meant to smell of chocolate and it does to a certain extent but it isn’t too sweet either. It’s still manly! It’s probably why I love it so much though. My husband always smells scrummy and this keeps him smelling sweet throughout the day at his job in a kitchen and he still smells tasty after a run too.

For her

I love Lynx Attract for her. It says its limited edition but its been around a while so I hope they don’t take it away too soon! It too has a sweet but fresh scent, it smells almost powdery. It’s performance is also outstanding. The only thing I find is that it really stings the under arms right after shaving.

I’ve got a few of my husbands after shaves to review soon too, cue lots of sniffing!

Check out the new page on this website too, it’s all about The Fearfully and Wonderfully Made Challenge and don’t forget to enter the giveaway too!

Pretty in Pink

Happy Saturday!

So my brain has been bombarding with ideas to try out lately, the list is growing so fast I can’t keep up but this is what I love about blogging. As quick as you do one idea another springs to life. I’ve decided to do a series of colour themed posts on Saturday’s over the coming weeks. I am going to showcase my favourite products from each colour. Today is PINK.

I love pretty pink colours, I’m so girly yet for some reason I don’t own that many pink items, clothes or makeup. Sure, plenty of things have pink packaging but I don’t own that many with pink product but these are the favourites of what I do own.

Pink is so versatile, it look as natural o as out there as you want it to. Pale pinks are pretty and flirty whilst more vibrant pinks are playful and can me a luscious statement. Without further a do, here’s my best pinks.

Avon Speed Dry Nail Polish in ASAP Pink – I love the gorgeous shade of this nail polish, it’s like candyfloss. It’s super girly and summery.

M.A.C Powder Blush in Mocha – This is a dark pink, it’s warm tones and matte finish provide an elegant result and a deep flush. It;s one of my favourite blushers.

Avon Colour Trend Lipstick Pen/Crayon in Gone Pink – I love the shimmer on this product, I’ve nearly used it all up now but it’s really soft and easy to use and it’s a beautiful floral shade.

Rimmel Exaggerate Full Colour Lip Liner Definer in Eastend Snob – This is a grown up pink liner and works well under darker pink lipsticks and on its own. It is very moisturising and it twists up rather than needing sharpening. I’ll do a full review of this at some point.

Avon Colour Trend Lipstick in Amethyst – I usually equate amethyst to the purple colour group but this is most definitely a pink lipstick. It is highly pigmented and again it moisturises well too. It’s a dark pink, perfect for every day wear and a gorgeous Autumn shade.

Rimmel Colour Rush Eye Shadow in 030 Siren – This is a very vibrant pink, perfect for when you want to make a statement. It lasts well and is very pigmented.

What are your favourite pink products?

The Body Shop – Vanilla Body Mist Review

I prefer light-scented body mists over body sprays. They’re lighter on the skin and let’s face it deodorant is painful enough without the addition of a body spray after. This is the first TBS mist I’ve tried and I love it.

Vanilla is my favourite flavour and favourite scent, so naturally it was the one I opted to try. It smells really sweet and you can certainly smell the fact that it contains vanilla extract. I know I am going to love this scent over the festive season, it reminds me of home baking and cosy evenings by the fire.

It also lasts well, I could still smell the sweet aroma of vanilla on my clothes and skin hours after I sprayed it. A little bit of this really does go a long way so you don’t need to spray too much and it’ll last forever, nearly.

I love it so much that I’m considering doubling it up as home scent too and spraying a tad on my cushions. It’s a brilliant everyday mist that smells homely and delicious. I love having the choice not to use a full perfume every day.

Try it: £7.50, The Body Shop

Benefit Bad Gal Lash Mascara Review

I received this sample of Bad Gal Lash Mascara when I purchased Rockateur weeks back. I’m so in love with They’re Real that it’s taken me this long to try it out.

Naturally, I am going to have to compare it to They’re Real, it’d be weird if I didn’t. (Pssst, links to reviews of Rockateur and They’re real are at the bottom of this post).

I don’t feel that this mascara is in the same height of heroism as They’re Real but then again it has been out much longer and Benefit have certainly progressed since then. That said, it is still a fantastic Mascara. It lasted well all day and had a more subtle and natural result than They’re Real.

It was quick to use and speedy to dry, brilliant for those mornings when you just can’t get out of bed and end up rushing around like headless chicken, yeah that’s me most mornings if I’m honest. It has a lovely big brush that coats every single lash in one small swoop.

It didn’t clump or smudge either, so by time I get to the school gates after my hectic morning, I look like the primed and organised mum I’m supposed to me, thank goodness for Benefit!

I’d still go for They’re Real above all else as I do like my lashes to REALLY stand out but this is a product that we be part of my handbag hero group while I have the sample size.

Try it: £17.50 http://www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk/

Rockateur – https://nakedbeautyblog.wordpress.com/2013/07/28/benefit-rockateur-cheek-powder-blush-review-and-launch/

They’re Real – https://nakedbeautyblog.wordpress.com/2013/07/03/reach-for-the-stars-benefit-theyre-real-mascara-review/

MUA (Makeup Academy) Lipstick in Red Shade 1 Review

I go through so much red lipstick it’s unreal. I cherish red lipstick above all other colours, I love that it is striking and beautiful. It makes a statement and that suits me just fine.

I am loving MUA at the moment, for the bargain basement price the quality is outstanding. I recently discovered their lipsticks and I plan on purchasing the whole collection now, at £1 a pop you really can’t go wrong.

They all also have a handy little pot attached to the base of the lipstick containing the same colour ready to be used with a brush. Perfect for when you want to show the colour off on a friend hygienically.

Now onto this colour, I have tried A LOT of red lipsticks and they just don’t stick around that well. My biggest problem is they aren’t kiss proof and both my son and husband get annoyed with red smudges across their face. I only had to reapply this once in a whole day and I only half bother with the Lipcote sealant that I use too. For me this is incredible.

It is a sexy shade, not too bright, it’s a deep red that looked fantastic with my current red hair. It has a wonderful sheen to it that looks elegant. I originally just bought this for day use but it would be incredibly suitable for night time too.

If you haven’t already tried MUA I recommend getting your butt to Superdrug pronto!

No7 Stay Perfect Metallic Eye Pencil Review

I’m a great lover of No7 products so naturally when I needed a new eye pencil I went straight to them. They’re a little more expensive than other highstreet brands but no where near as pricey as makeup counter brands yet their performance is outstanding.

I liked the look of this one as soon as I saw it, I got in ‘Blackest’ as I needed an everyday wear pencil and I tend to stick to black. It has a lovely glitter to it which is quite subtle when it is on but still adds a bit of glamour. It also has a very handy smudging brush at the end which is perfect for smokey eyes.

I am so impressed with this eye pencil. I used it yesterday and I got a bit tearful at church and was terrified it’d run down my face but true to it’s name it stayed perfect. I then watched a soppy film (Now is Good, if you haven’t seen it, do!) and I sobbed, literally sobbed but guess what? Stayed perfect!

It was also really easy to use and came out really well, it didn’t smudge unless I wanted it to and then it did that well too. It was really precise to use too which is great for me seeing as I’m so clumsy. It was also really soft, don’t you just hate those ones that scratch at your eyes?!

Here’s the results!

It was also a really reasonable price at just £6.50. Think I may have to get it in a couple of different colours! I am also going to award this one with the Naked Beauty Seal of Approval, well done No7, another stonking product!

Newspaper Nails

I’m a total newbie when it comes to nails but when I saw this tutorial on My Life Through the Eyes of the Web this morning I just had to give it a go and I love it. It’s one of the easiest nail art looks I’ve seen.

I selected a news piece about some of my favourite artists from the paper and cut them pretty roughly into 10 nail size pieces.

I then done 3 coats of Avon’s Speed Dry Nail polish in Prompt and Pearly, any light colour will work though. This nail polish is fantastic, it is so quick to dry that it took me the same amount of time to do 3 coats as when I do one of some other nail polish’s.

Then one nail at a time I soaked a piece of newspaper in mouth wash although any alcohol-based product (even vodka itself) will work and then I placed it gently on my nail and held it down. Carefully lift it up after a few seconds and your done! Awesome!

My nails now have Bruno Mars and Ellie Goulding all over them!

Facebook Giveaway

I’ve had this giveaway going for a while but I’ve had lots of new wordpress followers since then so I decided to repost it.

When I get to 200 likes on my Facebook page I will be giving away this bundle of The Body Shop products worth £33.50.

How to enter:

1. LIKE Naked Beauty Blog on Facebook
2. Share the photo
3. Comment on the photo

You will get an entry for every time you share the photo. Especially for my WordPress followers I am also offering an extra 2 entries if you share the giveaway on your blog or Facebook page.  Just let me know you’ve done it.

You can find out exactly what is in the prize here. 

Thank you for all your entries, let’s get it to 200 likes!

T&C’s

Open internationally, prize must be claimed within 48 hours of announcement on the Facebook page or it will be offered to a new winner. Winner will be selected at random using a random number generator. I paid for this prize with my own money and it was not sponsored by The Body Shop in any way.

It’s in the Bag – Show-stopper Edition

Hannah is a busy lady indeed. She’s used to going from every day wear to show-stooping performances and therefore needs a loyal kit that won’t let her down on the stage.

At first glance Hannah has a plethora of good quality products, from Estee Lauder to MAC and Benefit and I was excited to see how she gets a look that won’t melt under the bright stage lights. Today we showcase the top 3 as selected by Hannah.

Estee Lauder Deluxe All-Over face compact

This product is a total life-saver for Hannah. As she does go from a hectic schedule to a performance in very little time it’s so important that she has a good compact in her life, and this is it.

It is long-lasting and resists the heat of the stage without any problems. I love the shades in this compact, they will give a rosy but bronzed look for a natural healthy glow, perfect for energetic and passionate performances.

It’s a great size to fit into a handbag with a thousand other things Hannah will need throughout the day. These can easily be used as eye shadows as well as the blusher and bronzer’s they are meant for.

MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation

Hannah gushed about this foundation, she loves it. It’s so light the she doesn’t even feel like she’s wearing foundation, fortunately this doesn’t stop it giving a full coverage. It lasts all day and has saved Hannah during pre-show photo-shoots on a number of occasions. It covers all break-outs and gives a flawless finish.

It comes in an amazing 39 shades so there really is one for every skin tone. I’m personally dying to try this product and have been a while, hearing Hannah’s thoughts has made me even more eager to splash out on it.

The coverage is buildable so you can use as much or as little as required and it provides a matte finish. Perfect for those of us with oily skin.

MAC Studio Fix Boldblack Lash Mascara

This is an everyday go-to item for Hannah. It doesn’t clump and it’s waterproof. Perfect for beautiful natural-looking lashes that will survive when the going gets tough mid performance. Hannah says she can go from subtle natural lashes during rehearsals to bold and striking lashes for a night out in just a few extra coats.

This is always in Hannah’s bag, simply because it takes her look from day to night in seconds. Hooray for our Handbag Hero!

Hannah looks amazing all the time anyway but it’s always fun to see how other people achieve their makeup look and I’m excited to try al of these products at some point. Thank you Hannah for letting us take a peak today!

I do need a volunteer for next weeks edition, if you’d like to volunteer either comment on this post, email me on tams.watt@hotmail.com or contact me on Facebook!

If you’re a blogger or have a website I will link back to that in the post too.

 

Juicy Couture – Viva La Juicy Noir Eau de Parfum Review

I received a sample of this in my Glossybox this month and loved the scent so much that I went and bought it, even though it was pretty pricey!

First up, I need to get the bottle out-of-the-way. I hate it, I hate it so much that I nearly didn’t buy it, I was still considering taking it back once I’d returned home. It is far to ‘blingy’ for me and it looks cheap and tacky, what’s with the diamond thing on the top too? It looks remarkably like that Katie Price one from years back, see where I’m headed with this? The bottle so isn’t me but oh the scent so is.

I got a whiff of it again in the shop and it was also Happy Hour (20% hour between 12pm and 2pm) and I remembered how much I love the smell so I decided to let the appearance slide.. see I’m not shallow really! I’ve not adored a perfume as much as this in a very long time.

It smells like berries, I am in love with fruity and sweet smells right now and this one is absolutely divine. It also has amber and bright gourmand accents which gives it a more grown up scent than a perfume that smells of fruit alone. It gives it an extra kick.  It also has a hint of honeysuckle and sandalwood, these all combine for a very sexy but sweet scent. The smell makes me go ‘Mmmmm’ out loud every time it breezes past my nose, it’s simply gorgeous.

It was around £40 before the money off for just 30ml which I feel is quite expensive but when it comes to perfumes you pay for quality. I can’t rave enough about the scent and although the bottle looks cheap and nasty (to me) it is pretty weighty and feels like you have something substantial in your hand. I’m also sure that the bottle would suit other people more, I just like clean and simple designs. It is only a bottle and it probably sounds like I’m making a huge deal out if it but I like to display my perfumes on my dressing table, this one I feel the need to hide to save my friends thinking I’ve changed some how, ha! Not that I’m dramatic or anything.

You don’t need to use a lot and it last for ages on the skin so I’m hoping it will last a while, I’m going to save it for special occasions as I have some cheaper ones for every day use and I REALLY do not want to run out of this so soon, will probably be a while until I can afford it again!

Summary: Hate the bottle, adore the scent. Long-lasting and strong.

Try it: Around £40 from perfume retailers.