March favourites

This post has come around way too fast. I know we all say it about every month but March has whizzed by, so of course what would the end/beginning of a new month be without me sharing with you what my most loved beauty products were throughout the month?

March has been a great month for me. This is the month I kicked off all this blogging shizz and I haven't regretted it one bit. It's something I've always intended to do but never quite got my act together in doing until now - so I must say, if you're thinking about doing something that you know you'll enjoy, do it. Don't think twice about it, just get on with it!

That's my advice for the month, time to crack on with these favourites.

Seventeen Cheek Stamp Blush in Made You Look - £4.99

Ah, the product that kicked my backside into blogging. It's special to me for that reason but sentimental stuff aside, I've really enjoyed using this. Applied with no thought, you will look insane and I don't mean that in the 'insane, sick good' way - you will look like Aunt Sal if you don't blend it in properly. However, applied correctly this will give you a delightful pop of colour. I use my Real Techniques Stippling Brush with this and they make an excellent team. I bought three shades of this blush but this shade is my favourite by a country mile. I love the bright pink blush and fair skin pairing. Made You Look certainly lives up to its name. This blush still shows up on my cheeks come the end of the day, which I think is excellent for the price you pay for this. Click here for my for my initial thoughts on the product.

Real Techniques Stippling Brush - £11.99

This isn't just a March favourite, it's a 'until the end of time favourite' but this month in particular it's served me well. I only ever use this for applying blush. As I mentioned previously, this and Seventeen's Cheek Stamp Blush make a good team but this brush works fantastically with all blush products of mine, powder or cream formula. Bright pink blush signifies the beginning of spring for me and this brush has enabled me to create the 'spring bright' look effortlessly.

L'Occitane Shea Butter Subtle Violet Hand Cream (30ml) - £8

This little beauty's habitat is my desk at work. I've been using this for the past month or so and it's really improved the general condition of my hands. The harsh winter months took their toll on my hands, making me look as though I worked outside all day, doing manual labour! This isn't me saying there's anything wrong in undertaking some hard graft by the way but when you're a young woman who doesn't do manual labour, it isn't exactly the look you strive for. Anyway, enough of me rambling on about manual labour stricken hands. Basically, this product is rich and moisturising but without being greasy, plus the scent is lovely. It's not too overbearing at all. Just gotta put this out there: the best hand cream I've ever tried.

Avene Soothing Hydrating Serum - £17*

Since being sent this product for review, it's become a staple part of my skincare regime, providing my skin with a welcome boost of moisture. Post use, my skin is left feeling soft and supple, without feeling greasy. So far this has been a joy to use. Click here for my initial review on the product.

Bourjois 10 Hour Sleep Effect Foundation in 71 Abricote Clair - £9.99

This foundation is probably a blast from the past for some. This foundation isn't one that many Bourjois stands stock now but when I stumbled across this a while back something gravitated me towards it. I never got to try it back in the day, so I felt like I'd missed out in some ways I suppose. I've been using this throughout the month, as my previous everyday foundation (Rimmel's Wake Me Up Foundation) is running low. So far, I'm thoroughly enjoying it. It stays on my skin all day, the coverage is quite light, leaving me with a non-cakey looking face. I think this product could revitalise the dullest of complexions. A product that lives up to its name in my opinion - 10 hour sleep effect indeed.


Hope you've all had a wonderful March and have an even better April. I have a feeling April will be a cracking month (no Easter pun intended) but seriously the nights will be lighter and the chocolate eggs will be aplenty - what more could you ask for really?

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Bath time with Lush's 'Buttercup' gift set

I enjoy a bath as much as the next person but unfortunately I find them so time consuming. I shower daily but baths tend to be more of a bi-monthly occurrence for me (seriously)!

So when I do set aside time for a bath I really make an occasion out of of it - that's where Lush's 'Buttercup' gift set came in.

After 'Lush-ting' after a 'Lush bath' for ages, I decided to pay a visit to one of my local branches, and after a great deal of 'umm-ing and arr-ing', the 'Buttercup' set was what I came away with.

Priced at £7.95, you get a Butterball Bath Ballistic and 100g of Honey I Washed the Kids Soap.

My friend, Clare told me I needed to try a Butterball. She said having one in my bath would save me moisturising afterwards. If I can ever cut a corner in my beauty routine, trust me I will and this little wonder enabled me to do so!

Once dissolved the Butterball left me with a creamy, vanilla scented bath. My skin felt extremely soft post bath, due to the chunks of cocoa butter in it. The Butterball wasn't your typical Lush bath bomb spectacle, it didn't create any bubbles but the fact it allowed me to skip moisturising left me satisfied with it overall.

Honey I Washed the Kids was also lovely, not heavily scented and it lasts a while - I've still got a chunk of it left.

The set is brightly and beautifully packaged - overall one of Lush's less "showy" combinations but left me feeling and smelling good.

How the Butterball leaves your bath looking.

The Butterball dissolving.

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No7 Spring 2014 Collection

As we're finally bidding farewell to the dark, cold winter months, Boots' No7 line has launched a number of beautifully bright spring products which are sure to give us all a welcome boost.

This new season collection features plenty of on-trend brights, pastels and shimmers.

Recently Boots had 3 for 2 on pretty much EVERYTHING (make up, skincare, haircare, etc) and No7's spring collection happened to grab my attention at that time and I simply could not leave without making some naughty purchases.

I opted for the limited edition Peony Petals Blush Palette, the limited edition Stay Perfect Nail Colour in Spring Meadow and the Pop and Glow Cream Blush in Rose Blossom, which I believe isn't limited edition (YAY).

Peony Petals Blush Palette - £12

There was no chance I was going to leave Boots without picking up this gorgeous Blush/Highlighter duo. This has a pretty blend of pinks and highlighting petals, which will help you achieve a radiant looking complexion. This is a fairly shimmery product but applied lightly, this guarantees to brighten up your look, rather than make you look like a disco ball. It's not overly pigmented but it is buildable. I couldn't wait to use this but at the same time I didn't want to touch it, as it sits far too gorgeously in the pan to be ruined! It saddens me that this is limited edition.

Stay Perfect Nail Colour in Spring Meadow - £6

This is a lovely, glossy nail colour formula and it's what I'm wearing on my nails at the moment. It goes on fairly sheer, so you do need two coats of this. I think this looks a minty green shade in the bottle, whereas on my nails it looks somewhat turquoise-y green (but that could be my eyes?). Nonetheless, a great springtime shade. This is one of the two limited edition Nail Colours No7 have brought out for spring, the other being a pastel pink called Pink Blossom.

Pop and Glow Cream Blush in Rose Blossom - £9.95

This 'chubby stick-esque' packaged wonder is beautiful. This cream formula Blush gives you a real pop of colour and with it being highly pigmented, a little really does go a long way, so apply carefully or risk looking like Aunt Sally! I opted for the shade, Rose Blossom as this bright pink shade compliments my fair skin well. This also comes in two other shades, Mango Sorbet and Classic Rose. An added bonus is that this isn't limited edition (I think but correct me if I'm wrong).

I believe the limited edition products will be in Boots stores and online at www.boots.com until around May time, so I suggest you pick them up fast to avoid missing out on such loveliness!

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Avene Soothing Hydrating Serum

Being new to this whole blogging lark, I was extremely excited to have been sent Avene's Soothing Hydrating Serum  (£17) from Escentual to try out and review.

Firstly I've got to say I've never used a serum before, nor have I ever considered using one, so I have nothing to compare this product to. However, I've used this product for a week and a half now and I'm thoroughly enjoying it so far.

This silky feeling serum sinks into my skin right away and doesn't feel greasy at all. I use this morning and evening after I've cleansed my face. I leave it for a few minutes before applying La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+] - expect a review of that soon.

How the serum looks.

Post use, my skin feels so supple and soft! If I had used this product during the colder months, my dry, winter ravaged skin would have been banished for sure.

The product, which is highly concentrated in Avene Thermal Spring Water, aims to soothe and moisturise even the most sensitive of skin. It also contains glycerin which improves the skin's hydration and suppleness.

Overall, despite never considering using a serum before, having been pleased with the results of using one so far, this will continue to make up part of my daily skincare routine. I can't wait to see the long term effect this serum has on my skin, I shall keep you updated on that.

In the meantime, while I'm raving about this product, why not try it out for yourself by visiting www.escentual.com, Escentual is the go to place to get your hands on a variety of French skincare brands including Avene, La Roche-Posay, Vichy and Bioderma, to name a few. What's more, Escentual are currently offering up to 1/3 off French Pharmacy brands until the end of March - so I suggest you have a browse now if you fancy mixing up your current skincare routine!

NB - The box arrived dented.

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Empties #1

My first empties post, a real blogger feat indeed!

I find empties posts interesting and I enjoy reading them, for two reasons:

1. I feel they provide you with the most representative review of a product. If you've used up a whole bottle/tub/tube (etc), during that time you will have surely come to some sort of conclusion about the product.
2. Empties posts tend to reveal whether someone intends to repurchase a product again.

I've used up quite a few products since January and being the hoarder that I am I have kept them for my own blogging pleasure.

I did intend to start this blog in January, hence the backlog of products but as my blog name suggests... Better Ni than never. (Insert wink emote here)

So here's what I've used up:

Lush Angels on Bare Skin Fresh Facial Cleanser - £6.35

I enjoyed using this cleanser, I used it most days for around three months until it ran out and it always left my skin feeling extremely soft after use. It promises to "even out skin tone, reduce redness and improve the health and appearance of your skin, giving a natural glow". I found it did improve the health and appearance of my skin, however I didn't notice it reducing any redness. The product contains chamomile blue and lavender oils, which promise to calm and soothe the skin. Soothing it sure is. I never used this cleanser to remove my make up, I'd always use it on bare skin (no pun intended there). As instructed on the tub I would use a pea sized piece of this, put it in my hand, add some water, before mixing to a paste like consistency. I would then apply it over the face, then rinse it off with warm water, revealing baby soft skin. Yay! Another plus is that it smells good, in an earthy kind of way.  Would I repurchase this again? Yes but not urgently.

L'Oeal Lumi Magique Concealer in Light - £8.49

This was nice... however I must say, that I use the word 'nice' to indicate that something isn't amazing but it's a tad better than okay. I wasn't blown away by this product. It made for a fairly good, brightening under eye concealer but it didn't do much in the way of covering up any blemishes. The product blended well and I enjoyed the brush applicator. It was also a good colour match for me. I also liked the look of the packaging, however it didn't last me long at all, I don't think it even reached the two month mark and I wasn't slapping this stuff on heavily either! Personally, I prefer Collection's Lasting Perfection Concealer by a country mile. The coverage is better, it lasts longer AND costs an amazing £4.19. Would I repurchase Lumi Magique again? No.

VO5 Smoothly Does It Tame and Shine Spray - £3.89

I repurchase this stuff time and time again. I'm not a massive haircare expert and I must admit I do kind of neglect my hair for the most part. I would walk over hot coals barefoot to maintain my fringe but the rest of my hair doesn't always get the TLC it needs really. Shame on me. However, I do use my hairdryer and straighteners and totally recognise the importance of a good heat defence spray and this is a good heat defence spray! I spray a small amount on dry hair after blow drying and before using my straighteners and I always find it protects my hair from the heat and keeps my hair smooth and fairly frizz free. I don't even need to ask whether I would repurchase this because I do and will, time and time again!

No7 Quick Cover Blemish Stick in Fair - £7.50

When my skin wasn't suffering from drier spells, this stuff was okay. However, it would cling terribly to any dry patches. The coverage was okay but generally I think there are better concealers out there. This took me ages to use up and I believe (correct me if I'm wrong here) that it's now been discontinued. I think its equivalent now is No7's Match Made Concealer. I doubt I will try that based on my experience with this product.

Balance Me Balancing Face Moisturiser - £24

This was a joy to use. This is one of the best moisturisers I've ever used and I was sad to finish this. I think I got this sample free with a magazine. I haven't got round to purchasing a full size of this. The price does put me off a little as I've used good moisturisers for much less BUT it was something special, so maybe one day... The product claims to "soothe, calm and hydrate", I can definitely say it does. I applied this to cleansed skin and it always left my skin extremely hydrated and soft. The product is of 99 per cent natural origin and is formulated with meadowfoam, moringa, rice bran oils, vitamins and anti-oxidants, as well as pure neroli, bergamot, frankinense (AND MYRRH - jokes), petitgrain, lemongrass and spruce knot. Overall a lovely product. I must add, it did have a slight earthy smell but it wasn't offensive at all. Would I purchase a full size of this? Mmm, maybe, like I say the price puts me off a tad though.

L'Oreal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution - £4.99

I was a bit of a latecomer to the micellar water party but I'm glad I showed up in the end! This is L'Oreal's 'Bioderma dupe/micellar water offering'. I'm yet to try Bioderma as it's fairly difficult to get hold of in the UK, so of course seeing this dupe in the shops was exciting. This was my second or third bottle of this, which does indicate I like the product and I do. The product is supposed to act as a make up remover and toner in one. It removes all traces of make up, even mascara, however I do tend to use a separate eye make up remover now. You need to bear in mind this is a good make up remover but it shouldn't be your only cleansing step! To use this, I apply a cotton wool pad onto dry skin, hold over the skin for a few seconds then I just sweep away. One plus point is that this stuff is on offer ALL the time, so look out for that. Would I repurchase this again? Yes, however I'm looking to try other drugstore brands' micellar water offerings soon to see how they compare to this, that could result in a micellar water blog post soon so keep your eyes peeled for that!

L'Oreal Absolute Make Up Remover Eye & Lip - £4.99

This stuff is okay. This is my second bottle of this and I'm starting to feel unsure, I will use it up but I have realised this formula is quite greasy, despite its claims of being 'non greasy', and doesn't remove make up as swiftly as it should. Just like the micellar water except you have to shake this product well before use, I apply a cotton pad onto my eye this time, hold over for a few seconds then I gently sweep away. However, it does take a few cotton pads before my eye make up is totally removed. Would I repurchase this again? Hmm, no, I'm now looking to try a different eye make up remover.

L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic Mascara in Magnetic Black - £10.99

This stuff is absolutely excellent. This mascara proved to me that you don't need to spend £20+ for a good mascara. Big praise indeed but its my all time favourite mascara. L'Oreal says this mascara has 'infinite length effect fibers', meaning this mascara provides more length than it does volume but I don't mind that at all, as it doesn't give the type of length that screams 'spider lashes'. It separates my lashes well and the curl holds all day. My eyes can be quite watery and this stuff does not budge, which means no panda eyes, always a plus. Would I repurchase this again? Yes, yes, yes!

After thought: If this blog post was an episode of Friends, it may well have been called: 'The one with all the L'Oreal products' - totally unintentional, of course.

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February favourites

As we are now well and truly into March, what would the beginning of a new month be without a blogger telling the world what products they enjoyed using and reached for the most during the past month?

My February favourites.

Urban Decay Naked Palette - £37

Usually I get the most wear out of this palette during the evenings. However, during February I used this palette a few times during the day, opting for a subtle daytime look using two extremely pretty shades, 'Sin' - a pale, champagne shadow, and 'Toasted' - a warm, bronze-y, pink(ish) shade. I wore 'Sin' all over the lids and 'Toasted' in the outer crease and I must say, they make a good shadow team! The look wasn't too heavy for the daytime and certainly brightened up my eyes. I adore this palette and I feel that I subconsciously went for the two pinkier shades in this palette because I'm (still) dying to get my hands on the third Naked Palette, which is all about the pinks and rose gold shades.

'Sin' - a pale, champagne shadow. 

'Toasted' - a warm, bronze-y, pink(ish) shade.

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Porcelain Bisque - £18.50

This little beauty served me well during the past month. For those mornings when I woke up having not quite had my solid eight hours of sleep, this worked wonders in tackling a dark under eye. The product has a slight pink tint to it, in order to cancel out any darkness. I feel this product works better than a standard concealer for me as the consistency is so creamy, it blends in extremely well, doesn't crease and really brightens my under eye area.

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Porcelain Bisque.

Sleek Blush in Pixie Pink - £4.49

A monthly favourite it certainly is, but I could go as far as to say this is one of my favourite blushers of all time. That's a big statement, as I LOVE blush. I reached for this pretty much everyday during February. It may look slightly daunting as it is very pigmented but applied with care and the Real Techniques Stippling Brush, it looks lovely on a fair complexion. A gorgeous, soft pink that makes for the perfect springtime shade and an added bonus is it's a great drugstore dupe for Nars' Gaeity, which retails at a pricier £21.50.

Swatch of Sleek's Pixie Pink.

Bourjois Color Edition 24h Eyeshadow - £6.99

Another pink(ish), bronze eyeshadow here. I'm not 100 per cent sure but I think I have the shade 'Petale de Glace'. These are a cream to powder texture, which is what drew me to purchasing it. During a few days in February I wore it and it made for a lovely, neutral daytime eye look. The product is shimmery but not too shimmery for the day. The colour pay off is good and I didn't find it to crease at all. I am tempted to try a few other shades in the range, however they look deeper than this, so will probably work best in the evenings.

(nb -I NEED to say: product is spelt 'color', I haven't made an error :P)

Swatch of Bourjois' Color Edition 24h Eyeshadow.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo - £12

This is my second tube of this stuff and I must say I'm still enjoying it. I stopped using this for about a month but got well and truly back into it during February and if used everyday, does work wonders for my skin. I don't have particularly terrible skin but I find using this everyday does keep my skin pretty clear. You don't need much of it at all. It's a corrective and unclogging treatment that I find to be gentle on the skin. On the back of the tube it says it 'reduces the appearance of imperfections and unclogs sebum-blocked pores', and I think it does. The only downside for me now however, is this product has been discontinued... but fear not, La Roche-Posay have brought out Effaclar Duo [+] Plus. I believe the only difference in the revamped version is that it helps to reduce and prevent scarring, as well as what it already does. (Correct me if I'm incorrect here someone.)

Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask - £22

Wow. Wow. Wow. This stuff. What a superb product. Sorry to sound over the top here but I cannot sing this mask's praises enough. I have never used a product that is so effective in such a short space of time, it makes a real difference right away. I never in a million years would have thought to have picked up this product, however I was perusing the Origins stand in Boots not so long ago and was given this sample by a lovely sales assistant. I didn't really pay it any attention and didn't use it until recently. However, a little while ago my skin was having lets just say 'a bit of a moment' and on reading up on this mask, I decided to take action fast. Many said the active charcoal in the mask draws out impurities right away and that it did! The charcoal acts as a magnet and brings those pesky impurities right to the surface. Prior to application you have to open up your pores with warm water. I apply it fairly thickly to any impurities, which mostly occur on my t-zone, I leave it 10 minutes, then rinse off with warm water. Right away my skin feels very clean and any breakouts are greatly reduced. When I eventually run out of this sample, I will certainly be purchasing the full size product. 

Stella McCartney Lily Eau De Parfum - £43.50

I had a 30ml bottle of Lily for Christmas and it's the only fragrance I've worn this year. My signature scent has been Chance by Chanel for years but I think this may well have stolen that title. I don't want to get the notes incorrect so here is how Ms McCartney herself describes it: "Top notes evoke the rich, mineral freshness of truffle. Heart notes of green and luminous lily of the valley create an irresistible addiction. Base notes reveal the earthy warmth of oak moss." For a woman's fragrance, it has a masculine sort of smell to it but in an extremely pleasant way. I tend to prefer a lot of male scents and this kind of explains that. It's a fresh, earthy yet slightly floral scent. I love it, worn day or night it lasts ages on me. Stunning.

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Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

If somebody asked me to sum this foundation up in two words, it would have to be 'dewy goodness'.

Rimmel's Wake Me Up Foundation was a real chance purchase for me during the middle of last year. I decided to give it a go as I'd heard a lot of beauty bloggers sing its praises and also due to the fact that I had started to shun drugstore foundations, and for two reasons, the first being:

1. I'm a firm believer in the old saying: "you get what you pay for" and I can be a bit of make up snob.
2. Plus, I'd had some negative experiences with drugstore foundations in recent times, Bourjois' Healthy Mix foundation didn't last more than four hours on my face. The patchy look was not a good one.

Rimmel claims that the product gives an "anti-fatigue effect and radiant glow", which I totally agree with. The foundation is said to contain "radiance pearls" which aims to illuminate the face, with peptides and SPF 15.

On application, the foundation goes on seamlessly giving my skin a natural looking glow. I prefer to apply the product with my fingers, rather than using my trusty Real Techniques Expert Face Brush.

This is a medium coverage foundation and I find it lasts me all day (10 hours) when applied with powder, which is excellent considering the £8.99 price tag.

My initial two word description of 'dewy goodness' may frighten some but please don't be alarmed because I've never found it makes my face look shiny. However bear in mind, my skin type is normal to dry.

I use the shade 100 - Ivory.

Overall, an excellent everyday foundation that has restored my faith in drugstore brand foundations.

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Seventeen Cheek Stamp Blush

What a superb gimmick. The moment I saw Seventeen's Cheek Stamp Blush in Boots I was head over heels - and can you blame me?

Boots' own brand, Seventeen have had a bit of an overhaul in recent months, however they hadn't really managed to reel me in... until now.

I have never seen a product like these before, and it demonstrates it's not just the high end brands that can bring out wonderfully innovative products.

The product, which is encased in a round compact, has a mirror on the top of it.

Personally I don't feel the mirror adds anything but it is a nice touch for those constantly on the move.

Inside the compact you get a sponge applicator, which is mounted on a spring and the blush is in the cap.

Once the product is closed, the applicator is stamped/pressed onto the blush and when you open it, the applicator has a good smattering of product on it - voila, a healthy looking flush.


I feel there is enough product on the applicator to give you a decent pop of colour.

The powder is blendable, giving your cheeks a natural flush.


The blush is also pigmented, but not too pigmented - the walloped cheek look is not for me.

At £4.99, these stamps are a steal and a super way to give you a pretty flush this spring.

I bought three... How could I resist Boots' brilliantly lethal 3 for 2 offer on at the moment?

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