Beauty in the eye of the beholder

So it's been a while since I have done a beauty post and thought it was time to share my recent trials and tribulations with some honest reviews. Being a mother to a busy toddler can leave you with very little time for make-up and accessorising so it's important to have a beauty routine and to have reliable products.

I recently got my hands on some samples of Garnier B.B miracle skin perfector, sold as a "daily all-in-one B.B cream". First thing I wanted to know was what did B.B stand for? It's short for Blemish balm and apparently this product evens, covers, illuminates, hydrates and protects - this seems like a big ask for one product. I am always weary when something appears to be a jack of all trade and master of none, so I was not sure what to expect from B.B

Pro's - Made my skin feel hydrated and it felt like I had applied a moisturiser rather than a foundation product. It has a really nice smell, in fact John commented on it saying it smelled lovely. I did feel like my skin has a little glow to it.

Con's - I don't know if this is because the samples are of the "light B.B" but it didn't give me any coverage at all so I felt like I was simply applying a nice smelling moisturiser, although it did give me a glow but offered no coverage which is an issue for me, not that I wear heavy make-up at all but it literally didn't work as a base or cover my pours what so ever. Saying that however I am keen to try the medium cover version to see what that has to offer because it does make my skin feel nice.


One company I have always had a soft spot for is E.L.F (eyes, lips, face) makeup, simply because it offers professional quality makeup at very reasonable prices, which is important to me as I am on a budget, especially since the little one arrived. A product that I am particularly found of is the Mineral eye brightener which is a life saver when you have been up all night (whether out on the town of up with a baby) and want to look fresh in the morning. It diminishes the dark circles and is filled with natural ingredients such as Chamomile, Green Tea, Mulberry and Vitamins C and E which help to fight those lines, tighten and leave you looking as fresh as a daisy.

E.L.F are also running an amazing competition at the moment "Beauty for All Ages" which is celebrating what is says, that you can be beautiful at any age whether it be in your teens or in your forties, whatever your style and whatever works for you why not show it off at E.L.F and have a chance to be the face of E.L.F 2012 among other amazing prizes

So it's been ages since I have had the time to paint my nails and try some new colours so I took the chance tonight as Arthur went to bed early. I saw the Max Factor Mini bottle in boots the other day and thought that it looked really handy for carrying around in your handbag and since I have always been impressed with Max Factor in the past I thought I would give it a go. I chose the colour - red carpet glam and it went on a dream, really smooth with a nice sheen finish, I am impressed for such a small bottle, I think it will go a long way.

I rotated this with a peachy nail varnish from boots Natural Collection, I simply loved the colour and thought it would be a nice and easy twist to combined the two colours. The antique coral as it's called didn't go on as smooth as the max factor and even after two coats is a little thin. Since I had never tried this brand before, as much as I love the colour I am not sure if I will try it again as it's a bit watery.