Girl time ~ Femfresh ~ On the go & at home

Now here's a topic that is normally 'hush hush', well not any more. We're all girls here so let's just get to it.

Feminine hygiene is just as important as getting your eyeliner flicks symmetrical and it all adds up to feeling perfect, Femfresh  have it all covered.

Super affordable with simple yet lovely packaging, femfresh offer a range of intimate hygiene products including washes, wipes and deodorants.

In all honesty this is a brand I'd never considered trying, choosing to stay with my ordinary body washes instead, however I was lucky enough to be sent 2 products from the range, the Triple action soothing wash & the Feminine freshness wipes & can honestly say they are life changing & need to be tried to realise just how much of a difference they can make.

First up lets talk about the feminine freshness wipes.

Just to be clear, these are not like the 'wet wipes' some companies are offering us to 'change what we mean by clean'... They are not to replace 'loo roll' and they are not big sopping wet towels like them either. The packaging is just bigger than the palm of my hand making them perfect to throw in your bag, they are discrete and subtle. The wipes themselves are the perfect size and have a wonderfully fresh scent that is not over powering - just right, and wont leave you feeling (excuse the wording here) soggy and uncomfortable. They are perfect for every day use, when travelling and especially good for that dreaded time of the month as they really keep you feeling clean and soothed. For £1.59 I really can not say enough good things about them and will now always have a pack handy. Purchase here

Now for the Triple action soothing wash.

As you can see the bottle is pretty yet still subtle and for a bargain £3.69 you get so much product. Instead of rambling on about the goodness of the product I've tried to get a decent picture of the info on the bottle itself so have a read and believe me when I say it really is just as amazing/simple as it says. Like it says, 'soothes.cleanses.cares', It's another product you need to try to believe how drastic the difference is when using this compared to a regular body wash.

You can purchase this here.

Check out the entire range at femfresh.co.uk

Good Enough to Eat - Birchbox April 2014

This month Birchbox have taken inspiration from the kitchen to create this box titled 'Good Enough to Eat'. Let's have a look what was inside....

TheBalm Cosmetics How 'Bout Them Apples? Cheek & Lip Cream - LOVE THIS SAMPLE!! It is sooo adorable and I love TheBalm as a brand so I was super happy to see this in my box. In fact, after having a play with this I'm tempted to buy the full palette which retails for £26

Lord & Berry Couture Kohl Kajal Pencil - A good eyeliner is a staple in every make-up bag and this one fits the bill nicely. This retails for £10

Colour Club Gala's Gems Nail Polish - This is part of Birchbox's collaboration with London based Spanish blogger, Gala Gonzales. This colour is perfect for Easter and it is actually a Birchbox exclusive shade meaning you won't find this anywhere else! You can purchase this range for £15 for a set of 4

Yes to Cucumbers Facial Wipes - I've seen this brand around before and I've always been tempted by it so I'm happy to be able to try these out. These retail for £4.99

Campos De Ibizi Almendra Body Milk - A light almond body milk to hydrate your skin. I love the smell of almonds, its one of my favourite scents in the whole wide world but unfortunately this did not smell like almonds. It wasn't bad, but it could have been so much better. This retails for £16.55

And this month's little Lifestyle Extra was this Sweet Coconut & Vanilla Propercorn which I haven't eaten yet but it looks good. This retails for 90p

Let me know what you think of this months box in the comments below!

Linda x

Big Bank Holiday Beauty Blow Out!

Well this weekend I decided to treat myself to a few new summer make up bits. I was armed with a £10 Debenhams Vouchers and £20 on my Boots Card along with my wages! I was ready to spend. 

I went the Trafford Centre and knew 2 of the things I had to get were a new Bronzer and a new Blush! And they both had to be completely different to what I've used before and obviously because I was looking to treat myself, price wasn't a problem! 

First port of call was Debenhams.  I was originally going to get a Lancome bronzer but £33 seemed a bit too much for the tiny bronzer I liked. So I shimmy'd on over the Clinique to have a little look and saw Fresh Bloom allover colour in 12 Almond Blossom Blend (£26) and fell in love. It's a beautiful colour, not too dark and the packaging couldn't be nicer. 

Next I went to Boots, now here's where I went a little wild! Searched for half an hour for a good blush, I wanted one with lots of colour, needed to be really pinky with a promise of stayability* (*I'm looking in to getting that into the dictionary!) When this one on the Smashbox counter caught my eye, Halo Long Wear Blush in In Bloom (£23) the girl said it's really good and because it's quite pigmented and because it's mineral based, it's really light to wear. I have got to say though, I deffo need to do a FotD with this bad boy to show you the lovelyness of it.

Also at the Smashbox counter, I was looking for a new mascara. I told the girl that my lashes are quite long and thick as it is but I'd love something that would give them that perfect amount of fan and curl and she recommended Smashbox's Photo Op Eye Brightening Mascara (£18). It's really lovely and the formula looks fab. I really hope this doesn't let me down! 

So driving home I read a blog which had 3 fave foundations on and one of them was Hello Flawless which I also love but hate using it too much and Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation was on the list, Kimberley who's blog it is made it sound like a really good cheaper option if you're looking to save your more expensive foundation. I'd tried the powder version of this before and it is really nice to use. So we pulled in to my local Boots to make the purchase. It's also only £6.99 and I got it on offer 3 for 2!

Can't just not get 1 product when it's 3 for 2. I was looking for some new brow products so I was recommended Maybelline Brow Drama (£4.99) sculpting brow mascara and I loved the look of L'Oreal's Brow Artist Superliner (£5.49) as my 3rd product. I think they will both help me to achieve the strong brow look I am planning on working this Summer. 

 

Can't wait to do a little look using everything here. I will be back with a follow up post with hopefully a FotD and a little review of my faves. (I already know the blush is definitely going to be a little fave!) 

OH WAIT... I FORGOT! The boyf got me a little beauty treat as an Easter gift. He bought me this little Benefit set from Boots and it's sooo cute. It's 3 mini's from Benefit: Porefessional, Posie Tint (Which I love anyway) and BadGal Lash. (£9.95) it's a great little gift set and the price is amazing if you're looking for a little treat for yourself. 

Thanks for reading and for more of the latest news and reviews from the Beauty Hot Squad please follow us on Blog Lovin' 

Bath Time Newbies

Another name for a little Lush haul! You know I love a good bit of LUSH, and if you don't where have you been!?! (Haha Only joking, if you're a first time reader, welcome!) 

Went the Trafford Centre in Manchester and decided I would have a bit of a blowout because I had saved so much money on other items I bought (keep a little eye out for a Bank Holiday Beauty Blowout post coming soon...) I spent just under £30 and also bought a few little items for my sis which aren't featured here.

First up is one I've wanted for AGES, Dorothy £3.25, it's a bubble bar and it's obviously named because of the little rainbow design on top of it. I literally cannot wait to use this one. I'm looking forward to a little pamper tomorrow. It smells gorgeous, little bit citrussy with a hint of flowers! 

Next is Sweet Soap of Mine £6.95, this actually was a duo with The Godmother and Rockstar. I gave my sister The Godmother and kept the Rockstar for myself because you know I love it loads! It's great for the price though, 2 100g wedges of lovely soap! 

I decided to try a bath melt, which I don't usually do but this one looked a little too nice and with a name like Mmmelting Marshmallow Moment £3.95, I couldn't leave it! This smells like heaven, like if heaven was a sweet shop. It's also really good for young or sensitive skin so perfect for me! 

Last on my list for me was some Mask of Magnaminty £5.25. Now this is something I haven't used in a long time but I've been stressing a lot lately which means I've been breaking out so decided I should give my skin a treat and remember this being great for my skin when I was a teenager. I also love the smell, it smells good enough to eat!

So there we have it, my LUSH Haul! Have you bought anything lately in LUSH that you love? There are so many lovely things out there, my bank balance best beware haha. 

Thanks for reading and for more of the latest news and reviews from the Beauty Hot Squad please follow us on Blog Lovin' 

Denman Brushes - Where Have You Been All My Life?

Now my mum knows Denman, she says they are classic brush brand, timeless, some may say. I couldn't have said I knew what they were when I first got told about them. Luckily, I do now! I got sent two of these amazing brands hair brushes, which couldn't have came at a better time after a little bit of a change and coloured my hair because it was looking quite dull!

The first of these brushes is the Classic Styling Brush from £5.54. Denman Say: 

"An absolute all-rounder, this brush is a master styling tool for keeping hair under control. Smooth nylon pins are hair-friendly and easy-on-the scalp."

I've got to say they are spot on! It's a great brush, absolutely fantastic. It doesn't pull, it's very sturdy, easy to control and a brush that can get through this mane of hair is great! It's definitely one I will be keeping in my handbag and have it on me at all times. I love the way it just glides through my hair! 

Secondly but by no means any lesser wonderful, the Natural Boar Bristle Grooming Brush £15.13. Denman Say: 

"Natural 100% boar bristle is perfect for smoothing, polishing, and adding condition and shine to the hair. The lightweight, perfectly balanced handle provides excellent grip and control."

This might be a little bit more expensive but it's soooo worth it! This brush has definitely made my hair looking so lovely, soft and shiny. Again a really sturdy, easy to control brush. The great thing about this brush is that you can use it whilst using the hair dryer as it's resistant to heat and chemicals. This is just great, great, great! 

My hair feels so spoilt! It's gorgeous and shiny and wait for it...(if you haven't guessed already)...BRUNETTE! I've decided to join the darkside and I really love it :) 

As you can see my hair looks lovely and shiny and I really think the Boar Brush has added to this! 

Denman have a large range of brushes and some that even smell tropical and fruity! Something for everyone, give them a go their website is: www.denmanbrush.com/

Thanks for reading and for more of the latest news and reviews from the Beauty Hot Squad please follow us on Blog Lovin' 

Kate's Product of the Week - Soap & Glory's Daily Double Liner and Shadow

Hi guys! Sorry it's been so long since my last PotW, thanks to Becky to took the helm last week! Whatta Babe Ey?! 

My product this week is a little gem that I got on a 3 for 2 in Boots. It's Soap & Glory's Daily Double ALL-DAY LID SHADOW COLOUR & LINER STICK in Ultra Violet and Plum Plum. (RRP £8.50) It's a fantastic little item which I can only find 1 single fault with...But I'll get to that in a little bit! 

First off let's look at the liner end, it's a deep plum and gives off a fantastic pigment! It glides on really easily and I would highly recommend this for people who tend to have a little bit of trouble with liners and also if you're like me and love a good hue of purple haha. You can make the line as thin or as thick as you want which is great whether you're a more of a subtle eye look lover AND if you love a good dramatic eye! 

The shadow end is a lovely violet! The colour this gives off is truly tremendous because it's so richly pigmented and you can build it up for a fantastic bold colour. This is great too because it's oil based so it's not shimmery and glittery like most shadows are and leaves a great matte look. I think it would be immense for a little 60's look. (Can you tell how excited I am about this product??)

Here's how it looks like all together: 

Now time for the one downside, the staying power of this product is absolutely phenomenal, maybe a bit too phenomenal. It doesn't budge at all and takes a good eye make up remover to get it off. But other than that it's perfect! 

Pro's: 

• Pigment in both ends is flawless
• Can create a range of looks
• You don't need to use a primer! 
• It's a product you can just pop into your handbag because it's not bulky
• It's not too dear at £8.50 I'd definitely mark this one down as a bargain
• Staying power goes above and beyond

Con's: 

• Requires a good eye make up remover to get off. 

So there you have it, my return to PotW with a fantastic product with so much potential!

Thanks for reading and for more of the latest news and reviews from the Beauty Hot Squad please follow us on Blog Lovin' 

Sheer Cover Studio Line

Now I've been meaning to write this post for a long time. A few weeks ago I was sent some very beautiful new make up. I was sent Sheer Cover, now if you're up as late as I used to be you will have heard of this. It's the make up that Emma Forbes is the face of. It's all mineral based make up and are set to give you a flawless look.

I received the Conceal and Brighten Trio (RRP £22.95) it's pretty pricey for what it is. It's a pretty basic concealer but it does the job it's meant to do. The one thing I will say that's a little bit better than other concealers is that you get an under eye brightener and a highlighter which is really handy to have especially if you're prone to a few dark circles like I am. This looks like a great product but it's slightly a little greasy so if you have oily skin then I'd stay away. I'd give it a: 6/10

I also received a beautiful bronzer. It's Sheer Cover Studio Sun-Kissed Bronzing Minerals and it's retailing for £23.95 but unlike the concealer, this is definitely worth the price tag. It's glides on like a dream and it felt like I wasn't wearing any bronzer at all but was left with a lovely subtle sun-kissed look. There are 3 different shades and the lightest shade can be used on it's own as a highlighter. I would definitely give this a 8.5/10

The Sheer Cover Studio range is available from the Sheer Cover Website: SheerCover.co.uk. There's a lot to the range and the majority of it is mineral based. I'd advise anyone who is always looking for something new and a bit different to give this a go. 

Thanks for reading and for more of the latest news and reviews from the Beauty Hot Squad please follow us on Blog Lovin' 

Batiste ~ Fuss free, fresh, clean hair in seconds!

This product needs no introduction, Batiste is every girls best friend.

However, if you've never heard of it, (where have you been?) allow me to introduce you to the life saver that is 'Batiste Dry Shampoo', the best of the best.

Going to a festival? Rough/long day? Late for work? Been to the gym? Need some extra volume/bounce? Need some added grip?

You name it, Batiste solves it all.

Simply shake it up and spray onto roots/any areas that are looking a bit greasy or simply need a little lift, rub it in with your finger tips and bam, your hair looks freshly washed with body and bounce, it also smells amazing!

Top tip : Girls with bleached or highlighted hair can use this to blend roots when you can't quite afford that full head of foils. "You're welcome" ;)

I'm obsessed with the Strength & Shine, but honestly love every single one I've tried... and I've tried nearly all of them. They come in numerous scents and have one to suit every need/hair type, they even have a selection for brunettes so you don't have to worry about white powder residue, all for a bargain price.

The before and after pictures below were taken after a long day at the Safari Park, by the end of it I had a big, tangled, soggy, greasy mess on my head. You can see for yourself how drastic the change is after using the dry shampoo, and that's before styling.

LEFT ~ BEFORE            RIGHT ~ AFTER

You can find them in  most stores including, Boots, Superdrug and all supermarkets.

Which is your favourite? Or have you just been inspired to try them, let me know! 

Liberty Haul

Being a Londoner I'm lucky enough to have the world famous beauty hall at Liberty on my doorstep. I recently took advantage of an offer they have running where you can save £30 when you spend £150 so I finally purchased a few things that have been sitting on my wishlist for sometime. Here's what I bought...

Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 perfume - This has been raved about by so many bloggers I thought it was about time I jumped on the bandwagon. What makes this perfume special is the fact that it consists of only one ingredient. It's also meant to smell different on everyone who wears it making this a totally unique fragrance. I bought the 30ml travel size refill as it's the cheapest option at £27. 

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate - I have wanted this for the longest time but hadn't got around to buying it mainly because Kiehl's counters aren't that easy to come by. This product claims to give you younger, healthier looking skin by morning which to me makes it well worth the £36 price tag

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye Cream - As you will see I went a little Kiehl's crazy. This claims to give you younger looking eye's by morning and let's face it, I'm not getting any younger so I'll take all the help I can get. This was £24.50

NARS Radiant Concealer - NARS is one of my all time favourite make-up brands and this is a product I had wanted for agesssssssssss! Again NARS counters aren't easy to come by so I took my opportunity to purchase this concealer in the shade Chantilly (the lightest in the range). I'm already in love with it! This was £22

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler - Now I never actually curl my eyelashes, nor do I feel the need to so maybe this was a bit of a silly purchase. But I've heard such amazing things about these curlers so I just got a little curious. They're apparently the best of the best when it comes to eyelash curlers but I haven't even opened the box yet so I can't judge. These were £20

Kiehl's Ultra Light UV Defense SPF 50 - The most justified of all purchases. I'm super pale with Irish freckled skin and when the sun comes out I need protection. I wanted something that wouldn't feel too thick on the skin so I could still wear make-up on top of it and after a bit of research online this seemed to be my best option. This was £31

And there we have my Liberty beauty haul. It certainly made a dent in my bank balance but I had wanted these products for ages so I'm happy to finally have them in my stash! What do you think of the products I bought? Let me know in the comments below...

Linda x

P.S. We currently have a GIVEAWAY running to win a MAC lipstick of your choice! Enter HERE

POTW Estee Lauder Limited Edition Zodiac Compact

Hey! Becky here, bringing you our product of the week this week as Kate has got a full on week at work. My makeup collection has expanded quite a lot recently, so I um-ed and ah-ed a lot about which one to choose!

In the end I decided to pick the product that has made it's home in my handbag and I use everyday...

Say hello to my beautiful limited edition zodiac compact from Estee Lauder!

This super cute compact encloses a translucent setting powder, which is refillable from any Estee Lauder counter, meaning you really can keep it for life. It's got a lovely weight to it; it really does scream quality when you hold it, and it's a pleasure to pull out of my bag! I'm a proud Libra, and I think this compact represents us beautifully! If you want to check out the other designs the link is here to the Estee Lauder website. My other favourites are the Capricorn and Cancer designs. These compact is £38.50 and refills range from £15-£18. The powder sets makeup beautifully, reducing shine and creating a smooth finish, so the product really is an all round winner! The only thing I would say is it is a small compact as you can see in the pictures where I'm holding it, the only thing I would change would be to make it a slightly larger pan so it lasts longer!

Have you tried any Estee Lauder compacts? What are your favourite setting powders?

Becky x

Dreamy eyeshadow quads for summer nights ~ Maybelline

(Left) Big Eyes ~ Luminous Brown (right) Diamond Glow quad ~ Coral Drama

Buy them for £6.99 here

Hey beautiful ladies, are you ready for summer? I know I am!

I'm sat at my vanity writing this post, looking out the window at a beautiful, fresh, clear blue sky and it's 7.15pm... It's true, the sun makes everything better.

So when the sun started making an appearance I may have got a little carried away thinking about long, hot days and warm summer nights, which led to the purchase of these two beautiful quads.

I'd never tried Maybelline's eyeshadows before as I'm normally a bit hesitant to use anything other than high end for shadows but I saw these, strategically placed, catching the sun, twinkling away and couldn't leave without them. 

Both are very similar, I realise I probably only needed one or the other, but in a bid to justify both I can pick out minor differences... The pictures don't do them justice but the diamond glow palette works to a more burgundy shade and has gem-like sparkles. The big eyes palette has more of a shimmery finish, not so much 'sparkle' and works to a chocolate brown shade. Both are absolutely perfect for creating a sort of 'sunset' effect on the eyes. They are so pigmented, the picture above is a single swipe of each colour. They are buildable so can be used for subtle to dramatic looks... They are basically the perfect 'do it all' palettes.

5 stars!

See them in action in my favourites video here.

Hope you are all well and looking forward to the summer as much as I am!

The Beauty Hot Squad is ONE!! MAC Lipstick GIVEAWAY!

Just over one year ago, More! magazine stopped publishing, and a lovely group of 100 girls who had been picked to help contribute and add their opinions to the magazine no longer had a role to play in the published world of fashion and beauty. Some of the girls in the original 100 decided to set up a group beauty blog where we could continue to post and publish our ideas and opinions and The Beauty Hot Squad was born. One year ago today, our first post was published!

A whole year on, we would have never thought we would have such a lovely little following and some really loyal readers, so thank you! Organising a group blog isn't always the easiest, but the girls on this blog have become best friends, daily catching up on each others' gossip and news. This blog to us is more than just a place for us to post about our favourite products, its given us a group of girls who are always there to be in our corner when we need some support! We wouldn't have been able to keep our blog going without the lovely support of all of you who read our blog, soooo......

As a thank you to all of our lovely followers, for loyally reading and commenting on all of our posts, we're giving away a MAC lipstick of your choice to one of YOU! Just enter our rafflecopter below...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway is open internationally and will be open for one month!

We really look forward to our next year of blogging, we have some really exciting reviews on the way shortly, plus if you have any suggestions on anything else you'd like to see from us let us know!

Lots of Love

The Beauty Hot Squad xxx