THE MEGA SUPER DRY SHAMPOO SPRAY REVIEW for limp, greasy, flat haired humans (budget brands)

Hi there humans!

One of the bane's of my life has always been my hair. It's thin, it's flat, it's straighter than straight, and cannot hold a style for any length of time. Throughout my life I have spent HOURS and much moneys on trying to get it pouffy and luxurious, and the struggle has felt for many years like a thankless battle. In the 90's there was a great shampoo that was sold in Superdrug that I cannot remember the name of, but it basically turned your hair into wool, but really thick, easily styled hair that needed no product. AT ALL. My dreams came real, until they stopped making it. Next, it was Batiste as my nan had tons of cans of it in her pharmacy-like bathroom cupboards (I cannot possibly describe how weird my nans hoarding was when it came to new products, but I myself have carried on this tradition to the horror of my purse strings and the people around me). Anyway, in the mid to late 2000's, dry shampoos started morphing and multiplying into uber mega dry shampoos, and me, well, my job seems to have been to buy THEM ALL FOREVER FROM EVERYWHERE.

So i'm here to help. With dry shampoo choices that is. Warning, this post will be freaking HUGE.

First up.....

CHARLES WORTHINGTON STYLE SETTER DRY SHAMPOO

They say....

The ultimate styling products keep every strand in its place without losing any of the hair’s natural beauty and movement. Impossible? Not with this professionally formulated collection that has been designed to deliver optimum hold and texture on all hair types, ensuring maximum, red-carpet glamour all day, every day. And, to match the high-end style, the products all boast a high-end fragrance, composed of a subtle blend of green apple blossom, daisy and violet, with white cedar and musk.

Infused with Sweet Blue Lupin Peptide, this dry shampoo absorbs oil to freshen up your hair and revitalise your look.

I say....

I bought this as it promises hair healing qualities as WELL as sucking up your oily ways, and imbibing a lovely scent into your hair. It also promises hold which is useful when you want to go out of a night and not be pouffing up your style in the bathroom every five minutes.

To make this a less painful read, i'm going to give each feature a mark of out ten across the breadth of sprays I regularly use.

Volume created: 5

Hold: 4

Fragrance: 8

Lack of powdery appearance: 8

Lack of gritty feel: 7

Price: 9

Overall: 6

Conclusion

I appreciate very much the conditioning benefits this product boasts, but in all honesty, the actual purpose of this product is to make my hair big. It doesn't really do that, and it doesn't hold particularly well on my head. It does do a good job of making hair feel fresh and clean, which is the main goal of a dry shampoo, obviously, but for the purpose that i'm using it for, this isn't a winner. However if you want your hair smelling fresh and grease free, this is a good, cheap option. 

You can buy this direct from Charles worthington for £5.99

UMBERTO GIANNINI GLAM HAIR MORNING AFTER DRY SHAMPOO

They say....

Umberto Giannini Glam Hair Morning After Dry Shampoo revives and refreshes lank, lifeless hair and gives that second day feeling that keeps hair perky and poised all day.

I say....

They're short and sweet, and this range is aimed at a youthful 'undone' kind of market, and I do enjoy the packaging, as it does feel like it's made for a party girl, and despite my age, that's what I am mofo. It's cheap, and it's cheerful, and not only does it come in 200ml size, it comes in a handbag happy mini size which you can chuck in your make up bag and use to give yourself a literal, morning after perk up in whoever's bathroom you've woken up near. You know what the biggest HOOPLA about this product, it's the fact that no matter how badly you apply this stuff, there are ZERO white marks. NONE. This is a big plus mark for girls who don't have 360 degree mirror vision in their house, because I have gone out before with a ridiculous white splodge on the back of my head. 

Volume created: 6

Hold: 5

Fragrance: 5

Lack of powdery appearance: 10

Lack of gritty feel: 8

Price: 9

Overall: 6

Conclusion

This is a great budget product, the no white marks at all give it bonus points as it's a rarity in these type of products. It absolutely works for the grease busting thing, and the smell is pleasant, if a tiny bit musty, in a 'i'm wearing vintage clothes and the smell is in my hair a bit so i'm trying to cover it up' way, if you can imagine that. I think that is kind of what they're going for here so....thats okay. There isn't a massive whomp of volume, but a good amount, and it's an all round good performer for the price.

You can purchase this from Boots for £6.00

ALBERTO VO5 PLUMP IT UP DRY SHAMPOO

They say....

This dry shampoo has been developed with collagen to give instant body to tired, lifeless hair & banish greasy roots.

Boost body & grip whilst refreshing your style

For fine, flat or oily hair

I say....

DRUM ROLLLL! This is one of my FAVOURITE budget dry shampoos. I love it. I LOVE IT. It doesn't matter how many others I buy, I keep coming back to this one and discarding the rest in favour of this (however the new aussie one is competing, stay TUNED with your EYES). This beast though, this lovely beast, it gives mega volume, it literally does plump everything up to a good healthy volume with minimal white marks. It keeps the volume for a reasonable amount of time as long as you're not sweating and dancing, it smells inoffensive, and it is a BARGAIN. Bear in mind there are two types you need to purchase the one for flat, fine and oily hair. 

Volume created: 8

Hold: 7

Fragrance: 6

Lack of powdery appearance: 7

Lack of gritty feel: 7

Price: 9

Overall: 8.5

Conclusion

This is a great budget dry shampoo that does exactly what it promises and for a bargain price. I recommend picking this up if you suffer from lank locks. It gives you volume, pliability and grip aplenty! 

Available in Boots and Superdrug for £3.59

FUDGE URBAN CRISP PEAR AND SWEET VANILLA DRY SHAMPOO

They say....

Revitalises locks when you’re short on time. Hit the roots & brush through to remove powder. Special micro powders get rid of dirt and oils. Boost & refresh your style on the move.

Spray on roots then blast excess away with a dryer for a fresh feel when you’re short on time. Spray all over glossy hair & brush through to give a matte finish.

I say....

So fresh and new there's barely anything about this on the internet yet, even on Fudge Urban's own website. However I spotted this in my local Boots and i'm a sucker for the Fudge Urban range, due to it smelling super sweet, having awesome packaging (I am a simple soul, I am attracted to shiny things), and being aimed a market who like to express themselves and achieve more outlandish styles whilst being friendly on your purse....so basically, teenagers, but sod it, i'm 35 but i'm 18 in my head....and, er, a little bit outside given the amount I get ID'd buying alcohol. Now, this doesn't give you much in the way of volume, but it doesn't claim to. However, it DOES whip the oily muck out of your hair, and does not leave white powdery marks, and it smells FANTASTIC, so if you suffer from second day oily scalp mustiness, this is a lovely thing to pop in your bag to make you feel fresh again. I really do recommend it, and it's CHEAP.

Volume created: 4

Hold: 4

Fragrance: 9

Lack of powdery appearance: 7

Lack of gritty feel: 7

Price: 8

Overall: 7

Conclusion

I would recommend this for the purposes of actual mucky hair as opposed to making it big. You can spray this on your pulled back into a ponytail hair and it transforms the grease into matte clean looking hair, and gives your hair grip and a little bulk to style with. It smells nice, and it does what it claims. 

You can purchase this from Superdrug or at Boots where it's currently on offer for £3.99 as opposed to the usual £5.00

AUSSIE AUSSOME VOLUME MIRACLE DRY SHAMPOO

They say....

Low on volume? Short of time? Meet the next big thing. No shower necessary. A quick blast from Aussie Aussome Volume Miracle Dry Shampoo cleanses from the root for an instant boost of volume and texture (and incredible fragrance!). It is the quick fix for a between-wash burst of volume!

It contains Jojoba Seed Extract that was used for centuries by the indigenous Australians as it was believed to naturally condition hair.

I say....

DING DING DING DING JACKPOT!!!! We have another winner in our midst. Again, extremely new on the shelves, I picked this up when I was replacing yet ANOTHER Aussie Aussome Volume Deep Treatment Mousse Light (here's a little tip for you, if you want to spend four quid on a product that you use once, which then explodes in your shower, you replace, and it repeats the same behaviour, then go buy that, if not, don't bother), and I saw this cheeky new stranger, sat on the shelves promising VOLUME and CONTROL, whilst also doing all the other stuff that dry shampoos do, AND smelling nice. I was sold! 

Now, I dye my hair blue, and it's bleached, but recently I had a major allergic reaction to hair dye and until I know what i'm allergic to, I can't dye it, so it's currently a very washed out greeny bluey yellow mess. Therefore I don't want to wash it much, so I got in and used this on my five day old greasy flat mop. IT WORKED LIKE A DREAM. Seriously, it gave a very impressive boost of volume, no white marks, and my hair smelt as new as five day old hair could hope to. I WAS IMPRESSED. So much so I even went clubbing and didn't feel self conscious at all (I never go partying without washing my hair ever usually). My hair didn't look dirty or gritty, just fashionably texturised. 

Volume created: 8

Hold: 8

Fragrance: 8

Lack of powdery appearance: 8

Lack of gritty feel: 8

Price: 8

Overall: 9

Conclusion

 I highly highly recommend this to you, I actually would say go buy both this AND the Vo5 offering, and see which you like best, because it's hard to pick between them. However, this is pretty darn amazing and does exactly as it promises and more. 

You can buy this from Boots or Superdrug for £4.49

BATISTE DRY SHAMPOO XXL VOLUME - BIG AND BOUNCY

They say....

Batiste Dry Shampoo Big and Bouncy XXL Volume revitalises hair, banishes oily roots and gives you so much body and texture, your Up-Do takes no time.

A quick burst with our unique formula gives dull, lifeless hair the volumising makeover it needs. No water and no backcombing - just big-style glamour and a great clean, fresh feeling. No need to worry about skipping a shampoo.

I say....

Some people love this. I am not one of them. If I wore updo's, then I imagine I might really like it, but alas, I used this three times before tossing it into the bin yelling 'BE GONE THY DEMON'.  It made my hair feel DISGUSTING. Honestly, I couldn't get my fingers in my hair, and once I started getting a bit sweaty (as is my wont), oh my goodness, it was REPULSIVE. My roots turned into a vicious sludge, I was itching, and my hair did NOT look nice. If you're into the whole rockabilly thing, I reckon you'll adore this, but me, I was offended by it. Yes, batiste hurt my feelings. Big time. 

Volume created: 8

Hold: 8

Fragrance: 8

Lack of powdery appearance: 3

Lack of gritty feel: 1

Price: 7

Overall: 4

If you want this muck, you'll find it at Boots for a reasonable, if you like that sort of thing, £3.99


So thats my round up of the budget brands. Stayed tuned, or whatever people do in the internets, for my high end round up of dry shampoo's PLUS low and high end backcomb sprays.

I am flat haired. Make me big. MAKE ME HUGE.

NEW: MUA Velvet Lip Lacquer - ENTIRE COLLECTION SWATCHED

MUA LUXE VELVET LIP LACQUER 

Now, I am a lover of high end make up, and have my fair share of expensive products, from Becca, to Kevyn Aucoin, to Eve Lom, Hourglass. I love luxury, despite my very empty pockets, I seem to be able to find a way to own things I really haven't the funds too. 

However, MUA, like Sleek Make Up, are one of those brands that aren't just budget, they're SUPER budget, and despite this, they keep coming up with FANTASTIC products that I opt for time and time again despite owning much pricier alternatives. The velvet lip lacquers are just one example of this. I own matte liquid lipsticks from Lancome, BITE beauty, Stila, Lime Crime and many more. However, when i'm going on a hardcore, sweaty and long night, I always opt for MUA velvet lip lacquers. They're a million times cheaper, and offer much more it seems. How can we complain!?

You may not have heard, and not even I had heard, and I am a total cosmetics geek, so I should have by now, but they have released a few new shades of lip lacquer for the summer. I found them in my local superdrug, which was a surprise given their lack of stocking ANY products that someone would potentially desire, so I snapped them up quick as a flash, and here I am to share them with you!

These are the original shades released last year....

L-R Atomic, Reckless, Funk and Kooky

L-R Kooky, Reckless, Funk and Atomic

Bottom to top - Atomic, Funk, Reckless and Kooky

And here are the NEW ones for summer! STUNNING as the old! 

L-R Criminal, Aflush, Halcyon and Tranquility

L-R Criminal, Aflush, Halcyon and Tranquility

Bottom to top - Criminal, Aflush, Halcyon and Tranquility

Firstly, please excuse my skanky arm. I have had a major allergic reaction and am covered head to toe in hives due to, what seems to be, my hair bleach that I have used on me. This sucks, because I have a full head of blue hair. I'm not sure what my options are but I am ANNOYED.

Secondly, I cannot praise these formulas enough. Not ONE other liquid lip, except for the Stila one, which is five times the price, will stand up in the same way. If you apply a lipliner that is also long wear, like the Sleek Eau La La Liner (£4.99 from boots and superdrug), then apply this on top, you will be able to get through about six hours smudge and budge free. Quite the performance no!?

So I suggest you pick these up QUICK. They always seem to be sold out, so if you find them, make them yours. They are summer and party nights in a tube!

Available from MUA online, and Superdrug exclusively for the paltry sum of £3.00.

Come, dive in, and swim in the delicious waters of MUA lip lacquer! 

REVIEW: Bourjois One Second Mascara - quickie RAVE.

I love mascara. I mean, thats an understatement. I LOVE MASCARA. There are two things I am very passionate about in my make up life, that save my soul from crying forever, and they are foundation and mascara. Mascara distracts from many facial sins I find, making things instantly prettier. I don't generally trust in drugstore mascaras, and I don't know why, because i've had some crackers, but I always end up running back to Diorshow or YSL, or some crazy imported Japanese insanity.

So the other day, I read about, and promptly saw this guy in my local superdrug, and I was entranced. I mean, one second, what the hell, how good could this be.

The answer. VERY GOOD INDEED. 

This is what they claim etc....

1 Second Mascara by Bourjois

• Volumising brush with wraparound spherical bristles
• Designed to coat lashes from root to tip in one second 
• Formula to last up to 16 hours
• Rich, pigmented finish

So there isn't one thing I could argue with here. Lets look at a crappy blurry photo of my usually short, stubby, straight and rubbish lashes with this on.

So ignore my shiny forehead, and my rubbish everything else. Just concentrate on the lash. I promise you, my lashes are pointless. They have nothing. However, after two quick coats of this mascara. they were curled, volumised and happy as larry. I can't emphasize how good this stuff is. The applicator just grabs every lash and curls, whilst giving volume and ease of separation. 

I can't say enough good about this....but i'll stop now, because it's my birthday as of an hour ago and i'm a little drunk.

BAM!

Pick this up from Superdrug or ASOS for £9.99. It's great!

REVIEW: Rimmel Stay Blushed - Pop of Pink and Sunkissed Cherry

I've been really bad at updating haven't I? I have good reasons, other than sheer unadulterated laziness and desire to eat as much cake as possible to soothe my broken heart. Here's a tip, cake doesn't actually fix your heart, but it does mean that those PVC trousers you purchased mid breakdown one day make you look like a zeppelin strapped into a bin bag two sizes smaller than your thighs. Good lord.

Anyway, i'm here, Its saturday night, and i'm licking my friday night hedonism wounds in front of the tv with Bridesmaids on the tv to cheer me up. And why not?

Rimmel Stay Blushed in Pop of Pink and Sunkissed Cherry

What does Rimmel say then?

"Perfect for any occasion: the blush blends instantly and seamlessly to create a long lasting, natural-looking flush of colour that lasts up to 24 hours.
Ultra lightweight, won’t feel heavy.
Lasts all day."

I have many liquid, creme and gel type blushers in my collection. Maybe all of them, except the By Terry one that I CANNOT EVER IMAGINE BEING ABLE TO AFFORD. One thing that I tend to get annoyed by is that I put a lovely flush of colour on my cheeks, and within three hours it's all gone and its hateful to me, for I am nothing without blush. The idea that this lasts 24 hours is something i'm a big fan of, but I feared the Benefit Benetint effect, you know, the streaks you get with a liquidy formula that only give you seconds to blend. So what did I think?

First. Le pictures.

Pop of Pink and Sunkissed Cherry

Pop of Pink and Sunkissed Cherry blended out. 

So as you can see, the streaking issue is absolutely not a problem. I used my fingers to blend the arm swatch, but I use a stippling brush to blend the colour onto my cheekbones and it creates a lovely flush of colour, with a glow. On top of this, it lasts absolutely all day, applies really easily and I seriously cannot fault it. I highly recommend you pick these up, I just hope that they expand the colour range to more than two shades! 

Pick this up for £4.99 from Boots and £4.49 from Superdrug. It's great! 

REVIEW: Rimmel EXAGGERATE undercover shadow primer

Rimmel Exaggerate Undercover Shadow Primer

I'm not messing about with this one. BAM. BANG. INFO AND DID!

What do they say about it?

Rimmel introduces Exaggerate Under-cover, our first primer base that will reinvent your eye shadow!

The lightweight silicone formula preps and smoothes lids: say goodbye to lines & wrinkles! Then get ready to maximise your shadow intensity, all day long!

What does it do?

FUCK ALL.

Seriously. The only thing it does is slightly intensify my eyeshadow and prolongs wear a tiny amount. I have oily lids, and I can't afford to replace my NARS Pro Smudge Proof Primer which I use on my mega oily lids daily. I needed a good replacement and when I saw the words 'all day long' I was sold. It doesn't do anything all day except let your eyeshadow crease, and if anything, my lids were MORE greasy. What an achievement!

So thanks Rimmel, but no thanks. I'll just have to save my pennies for quality.

If you do want to bother, it's £4.99 from Boots and Superdrug 

REVIEW: Nivea In Shower Body Moisturiser - DRY SKIN

Nivea In Shower Body Moisturiser

I am lazy. Really really lazy. SO lazy in fact, that until finding the wonder of spray moisturisers and oils, I just didn't bother, and suffered with itchy flakey miserable legs. I also can't bear rubbing anything into myself, since I gained weight it's just NOT a lovely feeling, seeing a reverberation that lasts way after you stopped rubbing. Woe is me.

Anyway, I saw this in Superdrug recently and saw that is was virtually zero effort. Get in the shower, wash, rub this all over yourself, rinse, and your skin will be soft, supple, and glowy. How can you complain at that? Not having to get dressed over clammy creamy skin that takes ages to soak in, it's invaluable to me, because I live in a state of almost constant lateness, so I need to do stuff quick as possible, and this, this helps A LOT. 

There's not much more to say, it gives you a super boost of moisture, does exactly what it says it'll do, and I can't find anything bad about it, except you can't use it in the bath. 

You can purchase this at Superdrug and other chemists for £5.09

REVIEW: MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer in Reckless vs Topshop Velvet Lips in Velveteen Ribbon

MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer in Reckless

Now. Let me tell you something about me (because that's obviously why you're here), I am an obsessive creature. When I find something that I want, I will obsess and obsess till I get it. Not a lot of things actually meet the needs I have to become obsessed with them. However, when I heard that MUA were launching a more upscale line of products, I was intrigued. When I heard that they were releasing some long wearing, matte, liquid lipsticks that were like Lime Crime Velveteens. I WAS RAVENOUS.

I put the date on my calender of their release. Went to Superdrug to pick them up and....nothing. They weren't there. I logged on to the website. All sold out. I went to the superdrug website. Not there. So I contacted MUA and asked where I could get hold of them. They told me central london. So I went to central london. Every BLOODY STORE. NOT SODDING THERE.

Anyway, one colour came back into stock last week on the superdrug website, which I was directed to by a very kind reader of my blog, and I arranged for speedy delivery, and finally got my hands on my matte dreams! 

However, when waiting to find the elusive product, I dropped into topshop and they had their new Velvet Lips on the display, and the shade seemed to be a lovely vampy rich matte red, so, why not I thought!? 

TOPSHOP Velvet Lips in Velveteen Ribbon

So lets look at a swatch etc...

L-R MUA Reckless and TOPSHOP Veleveteen Ribbon

So as you can see, the MUA shade is a much pinker red, whereas the topshop is darker and more vampy. Both are sumptuous and give completely opaque pigment heavy colour in one swipe. They both dry down super true matte, and they both look awesome.

So where are they different?

Well price for one. MUA is £3, a true bargain, whereas TOPSHOP is £10 in comparison. 

Also in wear time. The MUA one lasts big time, through eating, drinking, kissing cheeks. It lasts mofo! However, it will start to wear after a few hours towards the center of your lips. Also, if you decided to eat anything oily it'll come right off, I discovered this after a cheeky mcdonalds trip after a rather messy all nighter at a mates birthday party. The topshop one wore off after about two hours. Seriously, TWO. It flaked off and crumbled mega quickly and it was pretty annoying seeing as it costs over three times the price! 

So if you were trying to choose between the two, I would go for the MUA every time.

However, the direct comparison, and obvious one, is the Lime Crime Velveteen, and I would say MUA isn't quite as good, but pretty close, and for the price difference, I would definitely invest in this first.

I should be getting hold of the rest of the shades this week, and i'll go crazy with a swatch party for your lovely precious eyes as soon as I do. I AM EXCITED! 

GO BUY THE LIPS!

HERE

REVIEW: Swarzkopf Got2b Oil-liscious Tame and Shine Styling Oil

Continuing on the hair theme, i'm chucking this review out too. My ends are BEYOND dry. I have spent so many years bleaching, colouring, stripping, and straightening my hair, without properly conditioning, because of the desire for volume, that my hair is broken to hell, and beyond a mess. When I got these extensions courtesy of the lovely guys at South Kensington Toni and Guy in London, I was told that extension hair needs constant nutrition to stop it becoming a ratty matted mess of gunk.

Full disclosure, I am poor right now, really poor, I haven't even got enough to have my daily subway sandwich. Thats what happens when you get your heart stamped on sadly, you lose your work and you end up a rotten mess rambling about hair oil. 

Sorry....back to the review....

So a year or so ago, I would have treated myself to Kerastase Ultime Elixir, which is AMAZING, and I can't knock it, regardless of it's stupid price. However, I don't have any money so I can't really be buying hair oil for thirty plus quids. So to superdrug I went and searched for the cheapest hair saviour I could find...

This is what it says. 

"Got2b Oil-licious tame & shine styling oil is enriched with Argan oil and designed for everyday use. Say goodbye to frizzy, flyaway hair and hello to sleek, glossy styles, without leaving residue on the hands."

And thats what it does. I put two pumps through my damp hair and blow dry, and I get a much sleeker frizz free finish. Once i've finished, I pop another pump in my palm, and smooth it on the ends and over the myriad of flyaways I have from my very broken bleached hair, and it gives me SHINE (my hair hasn't shone in two years), it looks nourished, and it smells nice.

What more do you want?

You can get this from Superdrug for £4.05, it's a bargain, it'll last you ages and it's works hard for you! Yay! 

REVIEW: Head and Shoulders Extra Strengthening Tonic Thick & Strong.

Head and Shoulders?! The child in me has always been totally turned off ever having ANYTHING from Head and Shoulders, because all it screams is DANDRUFF. However, when I saw a little box nestling on the H&S display in Superdrug, I was intrigued. 

So what enticed me to buy this? Well, there's eff all about it on the internets, but basically there are two tonics, one is called Extra Strengthening Thick and Strong, and Extra Thickening Thick and Strong. So, basically, you look at the box blurb, and they say exactly the same thing on the back. They're are leave in treatments, that you can use on wet OR dry hair, and they thicken every strand of hair, whilst also improving strength and preventing breakage by conditioning and moisturising your scalp, whilst poofing up your barnet. 

I didn't really know whether I needed it or not, but since i've had extensions (don't label me Katie Price, it's a full head of blue messy hair because my hair is so weak and pathetic it doesn't get past chin length) I have no idea how to get volume in it at all, so the top, which has no extensions in it, sits flat and makes my chubby face look rounder. NO THANKS.

So in comes this tonic to save the day, and it REALLY DOES HELP. Now, I cannot vouch for the strength it imparts quite yet, but I do know that the moment it hits my hair, I get a very obvious boost of volume. Now, if I was using my usual volumising regime, I think you could get some real massive volume out of it. The fact that it's helping my very broken hair is frankly a cheeky bonus. My hair is so desperately damaged on my crown area that parts are barely two inches long, so I can do with the help!

So if you're interested in a results before your eyes volumiser that also treats your hair and scalp, I say give this a go! It's a lot cheaper than Kerastase Initialiste, so if it works, you've saved yourself a load of quids. Also, it smells like sunshine!

Available from Boots online and in superdrug stores for £9.99.

NEW: Bourjois Happy Light Foundation, Luminous and Matte Primers (swatches)

Bourjois are one of my favourite high street brands. They really are. Their products always seem to perform in a way that competes with the higher end brands and at half the price. I have been a lover of the Healthy Mix foundation on and off for years, so when I heard that there was an even more luminous option coming out, I was thrilled!

BLURB.

Foundation - Happy Light Foundations velvety formula blends effortlessly for a luminous, undetectable and natural finish. It contains translucent pigments to enhance your inner glow and correct imperfections without masking. And, what's more, it lets skin breathe thanks to its lightweight feel and moisturising ingredients.

Sounds awesome no? Well yeah....but if you're a pale girl like I am....actually, NO. What the hell happened to their colours? I mean, 51 in Healthy Mix was always a little too yellowy and a bit dark, but what the hell, the finish was so awesome I could deal with it. When I saw there was a 50 shade, I was blown away, I counted the days till release, thinking it'd be a touch paler, and thus perfect for me. Sadly not, 50 is the most PINK shade ever. I mean, seriously, it looked like a rash on me! The 51, my usual too yellow shade, has amped up the yellow to such epic heights that with a full face, I looked like I had jaundice.

Woohoo!

However, it's not the worlds problem that I am pale and vaguely interesting, so what about the actual formula? Well it's beautiful. It's luminous, and moisturising, but not greasy. It covers really well but still lets your skin show through minus all the red bits. I really desperately wish it was pale enough for me but alas, Bourjois don't want me as part of their Happy Light gang...

Primers -

"With its melting, lightweight texture, Matte Serum Primer mattifies complexion whilst maintaining skins radiance. Wear alone or under foundation for an airbrushed look in any light. Apply before foundation or alone. One shade suits all skin tones." "For normal to dry skin, an illuminating, moisturising version. With its light-as-air texture, Happy Light luminous primer leaves the skin soft, comfortable, moisturised and replumped. The complexion is immediately illuminated! And, it’s good for skin: moisturising, non-occlusive, non-comedogenic formula" And they're great! I have oily skin, but I like to look luminous, so I bought both and went combo crazy, using the mattifying one on my oily bits and luminous one on my cheekbones and nose, and any other bits I want a glow on. I absolutely love them both. I highly recommend investing.

L-R Matte primer, luminous primer, Happy Light Foundation in shade 50

My skin is, in Mac terms, an  NW10. Can you see how damn yellow that is on my arm?? It's insane! Please Bourjois, hear my pleas, make foundation pale enough for ME!

Bourjois Happy Mix is available to buy at Boots for £11.99 or Superdrug, currently on offer, for £7.99, as well as being on a 3 for 2 offer, and the primer is on offer for £6.99, so you could get all three for super cheap! Bonza!

MUA Pro-Base Make Up Fixing Mist Review

So I mentioned a week or so ago that I had purchased MUA Pro-Base Make Up Fixing Mist from Superdrug to add to my already pretty bustling arsenal of fixing spray products. I think i've given it enough usage and time now to give you a proper review. 

So, this is what the website claimed on this product....

‘Makeup Setting Sprays are used to create a luminous finish after you have applied your makeup. Not only do they allow your skin to remain hydrated, but they work as a moderate sealer, preventing your makeup from making a mess ‘- Karla Powell, MUA’s Head of Make-up Artistry

So no crazy over the top 'holds make up for a WEEK' claims here. I may have mentioned before, but I really like MUA as a brand. They aren't quite up there with Sleek for product quality for the price point, but they make a good quality product for a bargain price, making things such as a setting spray accesible to all budgets. But does this product perform....well, given its claims....yes!

So I use this product in two ways. Firstly after my primer and BEFORE my foundation, which means I can buff my foundation in and it'll glide over my skin and give me a longer dry down time to adjust coverage, whilst giving an extra luminosity. Secondly, after my foundation, and powder, which I roll into my skin to fill pores and fix my foundation with a powder puff from No 7, and then to stop that awful hyper matte look you get from the powder rolling, I apply the setting spray. 

The joy of this spray is it truly does give you a luminosity back, and it does help with the longevity of your foundation. What I would say is, ideally, this would suit a dry skin down to the ground, as it has hydrating properties, which, as an oily skinned lady, isn't particularly welcome. This isn't a spray I would use for a big sweaty night out, but it has become part of my daily routine, and it does do what it says it does, and it costs very little for the amount of product you get and also for how well it works. Okay, it's not up there with Skindinavia in quality, but it costs quarter of the price, so you can't complain really!

If you want to give this a go, it's now available at Superdrug or direct from MUA's website for £5. 

Sleek Make Up False Lashes...and my thoughts of falsies

So this happened a little while ago, but I only just started writing this blog guy recently so I didn't mention it. Sleek have started, in their wisdom, to add to their arsenal of low priced BRILLIANTLY performing products some false lashes, which I will be showing you below.

I have a weird relationship with false lashes. I basically only wear them when I do my own club. Never, ever anywhere else. No matter how big or special the gig, no lashes will be worn, but if I do my own night without, I feel naked and piggy eyed, and I shy from the camera, I truly become 'photosensitive' (ba doom tish).

I started with Mac side lashes, in my less expressive times, and progressed to using Girls Aloud Cheryl lashes every single week, to the point that I had piles of used ones stuff in drawers with the idea i'd reuse them. I never did. Then eyelure decided to be EVIL and discontinued the Cheryl's, replacing them with some wispy nonsense, and a nation of girls who liked cheap plasticy lashes wept together. For a while I used Sarah, and she was okay, but lacked in comparison. Then I found, with glee, that Hed Kandi, for some god forsaken reason, had moved into false lashes, and were doing a pair called Disco Heaven which were perfect for a wide eyed, Twiggy/Jean Shrimpton-esque babydoll mod look. Then, yep, eyelure decided to break my heart AGAIN. and discontinued these. Seems odd when they're happily churning out tons of really rather lame Katy Perry coloured lashes that look so unflattering!

So, to stop rambling, Sleek Make Up have decided to get in on the lashes game. Paying homage to feline beauty, which makes sense given the popularity of the 'cat eye liner' flick right now, there are eight different sets of lashes called Bengal, Burmilla, Persian, Ragdoll, Russian Blue, Savannah, Siamese and Sphynx. See image below....

Click to enlarge image

I myself invested in Bengal and Russian Blue, which are pretty similar to the Disco Heaven and Cheryl lashes I was mourning so. There's only one downside......the price. They are much more expensive than I would have ever expected from Sleek, especially as these aren't real human hair or anything approaching that. The most i'd paid before for lashes was £5, but these come in at £7 PLUS postage, as they're not available in Superdrug yet. However, the designs were spot on, so I couldn't say no! 

Bengal

Russian Blue

So i'm a big fan. If you would like to join me in the fanclub, you can purchase these direct from the wesbite here for £7 plus postage. 

Review - Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick = MY FAVOURITE NEW LIPSTICK

Ladies and gentleman, I am in love. I thought i'd been in love before, but this is the real thing, for I have met Stila Stay All Day Lipstick in the shade of Fiore. I am a creature of habit when it comes to lipsticks, for years I went for the nineties-esque nude, which involved either using Urban Decay Naked 24/7 Lip Pencil (the best nude EVER) with Nars Pure Matte Lipstick in Tonkin (again, the best nude shade EVER). It basically makes your lips look massive and is universally flattering. I lacked in confidence to go for brights unless I was slim, and slim is a thing of my past, sadly, so I ignored them for a while.

However, in a brief sojourn in my life on one of those internet forums about make up when I was particularly looking for various reasons to avoid a real life (ha) I was introduced to my favourite of all time lipsticks, Cherries in the Snow by Revlon, which is the perfect balance between pink and red. However, if I want it to last all night, it takes ten straight minutes of lipliner, blot, powder, lipstick, blot, liner, powder, lipstick, blot blot blot blot, and then lipcote, and I want it to be matte not lustrous.

Who has that time!? Also, I know people say that reapplication is joyful, but when people are taking photos of you all the time, you don't always want that shot of you looking like a scruffy lush with patchy red pink lips....so I want something that'll LAST.....

However, move over guys, for my BFF for nights out FOREVER is going to be Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Fiore. See BELOW.

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in shade Fiore

Swatched on my delightfully pale wrist

On my lips. Please don't be mean about my face! It's for info purposes only....

So as you can see, it's beautifully matte, and i've teamed it here with my most favourite lip pencil of all time, Sleek Eau La La Liner in Dragon Fruit. Those Sleek pencils are amazing, although I go through at least four a month because they ALWAYS break, they're actually so cheap it doesn't matter (that much). This picture of my big wide face was taken after two hours, plus having eaten dinner and drunk many glasses of lucozade and diet cola (it's what I do when i've got a migraine). Pretty good no??

So if you're looking for a fantastically electric pink, that will stay on for ages, be properly matte, not pretend (Models One Super Matte Brights i'm looking at YOU!) matte, BUY THIS NOW.

I bought this, with my own money, as always, from the Stila website HERE for £15

Sleek Eau La La pencil in Dragon Fruit was purchased from Superdrug for £4.99, but you can also get it from the website direct HERE.

Go forth. Enjoy some perfection. 

New! MUA Pro - Base make up fixing mist

If you've read any of my previous posts on foundation etc, you'll know that one thing I need is for my make up to last ALL night in the most horrendously humid conditions, through sweat, hot lights, aggressive chemically smokey atmosphere's and heat. Lots of heat.

I have bought many make up fixing sprays in my time, including Urban Decays recently repackaged (thank goodness, the old packaging was hella ugly) range of fixing sprays - All Nighter and De-Slick. I also own the Make Up For Ever Mist & Fix which I purchase from one of the few UK stockists of this brand, the make up junkies we dream Guru Make Up Emporium, as well Model In A Bottle, Model Co. Setting Spray, Collection (2000) Fix Me Up Spray, Mac Fix +, and finally Shu Uemura Deep Sea Water Mist and the original and one of the best i've used, Skindinavia Make Up Finishing Spray.

So you see, I own a lot of this stuff. I'd 'almost' call myself a bit of an expert. I shall, if anyone is interested, do a mammoth review of each if you wish!?

So today I picked up this guy above. I always love buying stuff from MUA, it's cheap as chips, and as a company, they listen to their customers and try and produce what we need. I'm going to give it a go this friday as i'm in islington at an all nighter situation. I read the blurb and it says this -

"Fixes your makeup in place all day long. Protects against heat, humidity, cold and windy conditions; whatever your day throws at you - your makeup will hold in place!"

I checked the ingredients at the back, and there's certainly a lot less in comparison to Urban Decay, but i'm willing to believe the blurb. Application is as follows - 

"Apply makeup as normal.
Shake your fixing mist and then hold at arms length and spray in a horizontal swishing motion until you have your desired cover. Avoid direct contact with eyes Moisterises and hydrates skin Micro-fine mist for easy application Up to 8 hours fixing time."

So it doesn't make any grand 16 hour promises like others, but it cost £4, as opposed to £20, so i'm okay with that. I mean, the blurb does have spelling mistakes in it so you can't really expect miracles from a budget company. 

I purchased Make Up Academy Pro Base Fixing Mist from Superdrug for £4. 

Review coming soon. 

Do you want to see a shit manacure??

If that's what you're looking for, I am the woman to show you just that. I am a woman in her early mid thirties (yep, i'm at that age when I want to specify exactly where I am in that decade of my life) and I have never, ever EVER had a manicure, and pedicure, to me, is the most insane waste of money I could think of. When it comes to manicures, basically, I rip my nails off once they start annoying me when i'm dj'ing. Have a look at my dry handed (I mentioned I have OCD didn't I? I'm a handwasher par excellence) , unpainted nails below.

My nails, yesterday, looking rubbish.

So as I said the other day, I found via MUA in Superdrug these FUR EFFECT NAILS that give the texture of a syvanian family doll, or that lovely bit on the front of a cats nose. Sign me up for that! So yes, I bought them all, and they conveniently didn't arrive till after NYE, when they were released in the shops anyway, but I paid postage for that convenience. Whoop. Anyway, I painted my nails with various colours of nail polish from MeMeMe (Carefree), Revlon (Cherries in the Snow) and Barry M (np306),  and then applied MUA furry nails in Fluffy Bobbin and Boo Boo Fluff on one hand....

Yep, it's not a great job, but look at the vivid and the furry!

And the other hand was Fuzzy Fluff and Boo Boo Fluff.....

This hand is probably a bit better.

So, yes, there's my messy crappily done manicure. I told you i'm rubbish at being a girl. However, this stuff looks cool. As I said, I don't tend to buy into the whole culture of manicured perfect nails, I have too much shit to do to mess about spending money on have claws, not that I deny anyone the right to have them. If I accidentally scratched a record or accidentally paused one due to having long talons I'd feel like a total gimp, so I choose not to. 

Here's the downside of the cool nails though, the furry ones that is. They are a two day thing at most. They do get a bit mucky, and they wear thin quite quickly, and obviously you can't put a topcoat on because it'd look like misery. 

All in all tho, this stuff is great. It's vivid colour wise, and looks like a toy squirrel. 

Sylvanian family texture nails FTW!!

Okay, I will admit it, I fail as a woman on many many levels. I am not girly, although I am told by my nearest and dearest I am because I 'like make up', I don't think that qualifies me as a proper girl. I have never waxed my legs, I wouldn't know where to start (obvs I shave though, i'm not a hippy), the first time I got anything done regarding beauty that wasn't me was getting my brows threaded in the thoroughfare of my local shopping center two years ago for a fiver, I never have had a bath with candles, the idea of it bores me, and how on earth do people not get insanely BORED!? I don't get the concept of fake tan, and hair extensions seem like fraud to my mind.....so yes, as I say, i'm not your average girly girl.

So what was this preamble about. Well, nails, I don't really do nails. The only time i'm proud of my nails is if they look like they'd be at home in Tron, the below 1982 version I mean.

Anyway, when I do pain my nails they're holographic, or clashing and matte with Nike ticks or some other bollocks shoved on to stop them looking girly. So when I saw the opportunity to own the below, I got rather excited. Ladies and whoever, I present furry nails!

MUA fur effect nails 

It's a pretty simple concept. It's a strongly coloured fur substance, and you paint your nail in a corresponding colour, then press the nail into the fur, wait thirty seconds, brush off the excess and you are left with something like the below. 

MUA fur effect nails in Boo Boo Fluff. 

They are available in five shades, Fluffy Bobbin (Purple), Fluff and Cuddles (Magenta/Red), Fluffy Puff (Baby Pink) and Fuzzy Fluff (Pink) as well as the already pictured shade above. Apparently the effect lasts from 2-3 days in total, because of the nature of the material, they do actually attract dirt and fluff, which sounds a little rank, but I myself would happily put up with it to have those furry friends for a night out. 

They will be available in Superdrug stores around the country from January 3rd, but are online HERE NOW for a bargainous £3.00 each. I myself have ordered three, and I cannot wait to try them!!