Health Conscious Beauty- Nailberry

Recently, I was very kindly sent these two beautiful Nailberry nail polishes to have a play with. Nailberry was founded by Sonia Hully following the success of her Knightsbridge nail salon. Sonia noticed that theere was a huge gap in the market for a health-conscious nail brand. Nailberry prides itself on its guarantee never to test on animals and its "4-free formula"- free from formaldehyde, camphor, tolulene and phthalate (DBP). In essence its a healthy beauty product. I'm one of those people who will buy anything if it promises to be healthy. Wheatgrass shots may be the most disgusting tasting drink known to man but if it's going to help my health i'm all ears! It makes sense to take this mantra over to my beauty products and i've recently started looking at brands using much more natural ingredients.

Unlike wheatgrass, Nailberry polishes come in the most beautiful colours. I opened up my little parcel like a child on Christmas morning and was greeted with the gorgeous "Young and Fabulous" and "Nut cracker". They're perfect for the transition from summer into autumn and are perfect for me as I tend to stick to neutrals or rich berry shades in the winter. I've had a mooch around the website and they really do have some gorgeous shades! I have my eye on "Mystere" and "Noir Berry" for my next additions.

On to the polishes! I found that I needed two coats for Nutcracker and although two were okay for Young and Fabulous I preferred using three for the full opacity. As I expected with a salon brand, the polish didn't chip as quickly as my drug store nail varnishes and probably would have lasted the full week I tested each one out on anyone else but me! A few people actually asked me if I'd had my nails done at a salon which was a lovely compliment. 

"Nut cracker".

"Young and Fabulous"

The polishes are a little pricey at £13.50 a pop but I do think the quality speaks for itself. If you happen to be around Knightsbridge, prices are between £12 for a mini manicure and £55 for a Nailbery Mani and Pedi. 

What do you think about Health Conscious beauty brands? Should we be seeing more of them? Who are your favourites?

Kate A x

Racinne Skincare

For the past few weeks I've been trying out some new skincare from the brand Racinne.

"Racinne is a company that seeks to help people feel beautiful in their own skin, no matter their appearance, age, or level of affluence. This purpose is derived from our conviction that feeling beautiful is never just about how one looks. More importantly, it is a matter of how one sees him- or herself in relationship with the world. With these principles at its heart, Racinne offers products and services aimed at helping our customers discover, foster, and celebrate their love for their own skin"

After doing a bit of research into the company I was eager to put these to the test. The two products I was sent to try out are from the 'Ultimate Hydra Perfection' range

First up is the 'Essentialift Supplement Serum' - I love a good serum and it's one of my favourite steps in my skincare routine. This serum is lovely and made my skin instantly feel smoother and look more radiant. However, my one seems to have a dodgy pipette on the top making it really difficult to get the product out. You can even see in the picture above it doesn't fill to the top and when I squeeze it again the product doesn't come out. So instead I have to turn the bottle upside down and tip it into my hand which isn't ideal and means I have no control over the amount of product I get out.

That being said I really do love the serum - it is suitable for all skin types and can be used day or night. I personally prefer using it in the morning as it gives my skin a lovely glow and leaves my skin well nourished for the day ahead.

After the serum I apply the 'Ultimate Defense Illuminating Cream'. The texture of this is really difficult to explain, its a very rich and thick cream but it feels really light on the skin and it sinks in instantly. It is incredibly smooth, has a very subtle 'spa like' scent and it is the perfect base for make-up. I don't use a primer when I use this moisturiser as there is simply no need for it. 

This cream also claims to 'activate the skin's natural regeneration of collagen, reduces fine lines and dark spots' which can never be a bad thing if you ask me! Again like the serum it gives a lovely radiant glow which I absolutely love and I've been really enjoying using this in the mornings. This also states that it should be used 'twice daily' however I only use it as day cream just for personal preference, I like to have separate daytime and nighttime skincare routines. 

Overall I really do love these products, they work really well together and are perfect if your skin is in need of a radiance boost! My only issue was the pipette on the serum but I'm sure that's just my bad luck and I got a dodgy one. 

You can view the full range of Racinne products here

What do you think of Racinne?? Let me know in the comments below...

Linda x

LDN: SKINS Gradual Fake Tan Review.

Hi beauties. If you’ve followed the blog for a while, you’ll know one of my biggest passions is fake tan. It’s possible I’ve tried all of the, what I would call, ‘well known’ brands, so when the opportunity arises to try out a brand I’ve not heard of, I jump at it!

I was very kindly sent the LDN : SKINS Gradual self tan lotion, in tone 2; medium, a self tan which offers me a golden yet natural looking tan, which is infused with organic benefits. Also included was the most amazing tanning mitt.....!

The packaging is quite simple, yet looks expensive and luxurious.

The lotion itself is an almost caramel coloured, thick lotion which smells absolutely divine, subtle hints of lavender and not in the slightest fake tan smelling at all, infact if I didn’t know different, I’d have thought it was a lavender scented moisturiser! The list of organic ingredients infused into this tan is absolutely immense...

Aloe Vera - A succulent moisturiser & natural healer. 

Avocado Oil - A rich source of Vitamin A & E, softens, moisturises & nourishes skin. 
Seaweed - Packed with vitamins & minerals to nourish & protect skin. 
Melon - Contains sugars, minerals & vitamins for intense skin conditioning. 
Orange Flower Oil - An excellent skin tonic - detoxifies & conditions skin. 
Grapefruit Peel - Stimulates circulation, tones & rejuvenates skin for a more youthful appearance. 
English Lavender - Promotes healthy, refreshed & flawless skin.

So, the application of tan. 

The tan, as mentioned comes with a tanning mitt. A VELVET tanning mitt. And let me tell you, it is amazing. My palms are kept safe from being dyed as it is waterproof, but to apply the tan with this mitt is heaven. It is the softest, smoothest, most luxurious mitt i’ve had the pleasure of using...and i’ve used a fair few. 

The lotion claims to provide a colour guide. This for me was probably the only dissapointing feature, as it DOESN'T have a colour guide at all. It is completely transparent when spread onto the skin. For this reason, I would be inclined to say that this particular self tan would be better suited to girls (and guys!) who have experience in self tanning and are comfortable in using a gradual tan lotion. Luckily, I'm used to self tanning so was positive I could provide myself an even tan without missing any areas!
The tan is left to develop over a period of 8 hours, I tanned around an hour before bedtime and left it overnight. 

Upon waking, I was pleasantly surprised with the results. It wasn't as deep as I'd usually go for, however I was a very natural looking, golden brown, which if you'll remember, is what the brand claims to give! It is very buildable and can provide a lovely dark tan, if you're patient enough to layer the tan over a few days for required results!

This photo was taken a week or so later where I tanned one arm, one layer, and left overnight for comparison purposes....I tanned the second arm not long after!

The biggest positive for me - does anyone else suffer with 'spotty legs' after shaving and then tanning, in which the tan seeps into open pores leaving your legs looking dotty?! My biggest pet peeve with fake tans! This one, DOES NOT do that! Hallelujah! 
I also noticed that the infused ingredients had helped soften my skin massively; a small patch of dry skin I suffer with on my arm had completely vanished! 

The only let down for me was the lack of colour guide, otherwise this tan is fantastic if you're looking for a natural tan suitable for daytime wear without being over the top and overly fake, with the option to build into a deeper, darker looking tan. 

LDN:SKINS Tan is available to buy here, ranging from £22 to £28 and is available in a lotion or mousse, instant and gradual! It is also available in salons, and may be available to purchase near you! You can check for local stockists here.

Have you tried this paticular brand before? Interested in trying it? I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

xxx

The 'AnarKitty' Goldie Brush and Pixie Lott Dry Shampoo Review

Recently I was sent 2 brand new products to review. Denman have teamed up with cult modern artist ‘AnarKitty’ to produce the ‘Goldie’ Denman D3 Classic Brush. And the UK’s No1 dry shampoo brand, Batiste, are proud to announce Pixie Lott as the official face of their 2014 campaign.

Tanya Burr Lipgloss

When I first heard that Tanya Burr was bringing out a Lipgloss and Nail Varnish Collection I was so excited, a bit too excited in fact! I was more excited for the Lipgloss' than the Nail Varnishes though as I do prefer Make-up over Nail Varnish, anyway enough of my rambling.. So when the range first came into my local Superdrug I went their instantly to go and have a look and fell in love with the Lipgloss' instantly! I picked up the Lipgloss in the shade 'First Date' (love the name) as it was really the only shade available at the time that I knew I would get my wear out of.  A few weeks after I ordered 'Picnic in the Park' off of Feel Unique as they had a offer on where so many products where £5 each so I used that opportunity to grab another of the Tany Burr Lipgloss'. I must say, although Picnic in the Park is a lovely colour I'm not a fan of how it looks on me, it a tad too bright for my liking.

I was then given the opportunity to review one of the Tanya Burr Lipgloss' and obviously I jumped at the chance to be able to try another shade. I decided to go for 'Afternoon Tea' which is a lovely glossy peach colour, I say peach but it does have a dark pink undertone to it too, it's actually quite hard to describe the colour it is. I hope by the photo that you can get an idea of the beautiful colour that it is.

'Afternoon Tea' is a slightly darker colour than pictured but no matter what lighting I used I could not seem to get the true colour to show. I find this gloss in particular to be of a thicker consistency than the other two that I have and the pigmentation is amazing. I have just teamed the gloss with my everyday make-up which I think it works well with and is perfect for the summer and the early stages of autumn.

You can purchase Tanya Burr's Lipgloss' and Nail Varnish range from superdrug and also feelunique. The lipgloss' are £6.99 but sometimes Superdrug do have them on 3 for 2 and Feel Unique currently have 35% off the lipgloss' so be quick and grab them whilst the offers are on! You wont regret it.

If you do try any of Tanya Burr's range or already do have some of the products then please do leave a comment letting me know what you think of them, I'd love to know what your faves are.



Chantelle

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