It is nearing the end of the month, so it is that time where I talk about a collection of items I have been loving in the month of February.
1. Notting Hill
My first February favourite is my all time favourite film - Notting Hill. This romantic comedy set in Notting Hill stars Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant. It is about a normal English boy who falls in love with a Hollywood Actress, what could go wrong with that? I adore this film, it makes me laugh, it makes me cry and it is an all round 'feel good' film.
2. Lush
My next favourite is the shop 'Lush'. Lush recently introduced their new Easter products and I am obsessed! I used the 'Fluffy Egg' bath bomb in my bath last week and it was incredible, I think I would even go as far as saying it is my favourite bath bomb from Lush. It turned my bath a deep pink colour and it smelt amazing! If you are a fan of the Snow Fairy shower gel, then this is the bath bomb for you!
While I was in Lush, I also picked up the 'Unicorn Horn' bubble bar. This is a multicoloured bubble bar infused with scents of Lavender, perfect for making you feel relaxed! I have not used this product yet, however, I have heard a lot of great things about it so I am very excited to try it out!
Make sure you pop over to your local lush store and have a browse of all the products, new and old!
3. Max Factor Miracle Match Foundation
I am fast becoming a huge Max Factor fan! I think their products are high quality and do exactly what they say on the tin! My latest Max Factor purchase is the 'Miracle Match' foundation, this retails at £12.99. Yes it is expensive, but 100% worth the money. The foundation is medium to high coverage and is perfect for all skin types. I really like this foundation, as there are a huge range of shades to choose from, making it a lot easier to find your correct skin tone - something that other foundation companies lack! A great buy!
4. Babylips by Maybelline
I love Babylips lipbalms as I think they are all so unique and give your lips a lot of moisture. My current favourites are the Dr Rescue range, these are made specifically to soothe dry lips with long lasting moisture. This makes them absolutely perfect for the cold winter months. I really like Babylips as they also leave your lips with a hint of colour, finishing any make-up look well.
5. End of the Day - One Direction
My favourite song this month is End of the Day by One Direction. This is off of their latest album title Made in the A.M. It is very upbeat and easily to sing along too, I love it!
Thanks for reading!
Ellie xxx
Mascara is one of my favourite make-up products, if you find a really good one, it will make your eyes pop and finish off any make-up look perfectly. I am always on the lookout for new mascaras to try and add to my favourites list.
Recently, Maybelline have released a new mascara called "The Falsies Push Up Drama" it is supposed to add a push up false lash effect. Due to this, I thought I would do a side by side comparison with the Max Factor "Velvet Volume False Lash Effect" mascara. Both products are supposed to achieve the same thing with your lashes, I wanted to find out which one was better.
Packaging
To help persuade you to buy a product, the packaging has to look attractive and appealing. I think that both of these mascaras do that very well! The Maybelline mascara has a red/pink packaging with a black stripe in the middle, this contrasts very well with the brighter colours. The packaging has a shiny effect which I think is very pretty. Unfortunately, this is where the positive points about this product end.
The Max Factor mascara is completely different with its packaging, it focuses on black and gold. These are the Max Factor colours and are interlinked with all their products, I really like this as it connects all products and makes them immediately recognisable. Unlike the Maybelline mascara, the Max Factor packaging has a matte finish. I like both the matte and shiny finish as I think it works well for both.
The Brush
The brush is a vital part of mascara, it can make or break the product in my opinion. The Maybelline mascara has a very short bristles, this makes it hard to separate your lashes, instead, it immediately clumps them together, giving you a 'lovely' five spider legs effect. If you are into thick clumpy dry lashes then this is definitely the mascara for you! The substance is sticky which sticks your lashes together and also makes it difficult to remove the product at the end of the day. Personally, it is the worst mascara I have ever bought! It does not achieve the false lash effect that it says it does, I am very disappointed!
The Max Factor Velvet Volume is my favourite mascara! I bought the Maybelline mascara to try something new that was slightly cheaper as I assumed it would have the same effect on my lashes. I wish I just replaced my Max Factor mascara instead. The brush head on this mascara has a lot more bristles that are also a lot longer. This gives it the ability to brush through your lashes and separates them to achieve the perfect false lash effect. It does not clump your lashes and is definitely worth trying out!
The Price
I have taken my prices off of Boots.com so you may find the products cheaper else where.
Maybelline "The Falsies Push Up Mascara" retails at £7.99, I was able to get this at £5.99 due to an offer going on at the time. In my opinion, I think the mascara is not even worth £5.99.
Max Factor "Velvet Volume False Lash Effect Mascara" retails at £11.99. This is quite expensive for a mascara, and you can easily find some cheaper alternatives. However, if you want to get a really high quality product that does exactly what it says on the tin, then it is 100% worth the price.
Overall, I think the Max Factor mascara is a better quality product that is definitely worth the money. I am disappointed in Maybelline as I have had so many amazing products from them, I feel very let down.
This is just my personal review, you may think different.
Thanks for reading!
Ellie xx
Recently, I was sent some samples from a company called AEOS to try out and review. They are a skincare company who take pride in using organic and environmentally friendly ingredients. AEOS stands for Active Energised Organic Skincare.
The products come in a polystyrene box which protects each bottle and stores them very nicely. The box is covered halfway with a cardboard sleeve, this also includes the instruction manual. The set consists of 10 products, all used for different things. The instruction manual tells you whether you are supposed to use the products in the evening or first thing in the morning, using their 3 phases; renewal, rebalance and replenish.
Cleansing Oil De-Maq - To be used in the evening
This cleansing oil is supposed to be used to remove any make-up or excess dirt on your face, you pump some of the product onto a cotton pad and wipe all over your face. I personally don't like this product as it was far too oily for my skin, it didn't remove much of my make-up and made my skin feel very slimy. I had to use my micellar cleansing water to remove my make-up and then wash my face afterwards. Although, my skin felt oily when I applied the product, it did make it very smooth and soft afterwards.
Dew Facial Wash - To be used in the evening
To use this product, you need to wet your face, pump some product onto your hands and spread all over your face, making sure to get it foaming. It is just like a normal face wash but it does smell like lemons and Mr Kipling Cakes! It cleans your face very nicely but does come out of the bottle slightly watery.
Refreshing Hydrating Mist - To be used in the morning and evening
I love this product! You can spray this onto your face to instantly refresh and awaken you, it smells very clean and makes you feel clean too! The mist is very similar to the Liz Earle Skin Tonic which is one of my favourite products, so I am in love!
Realive Serum - To be used in the morning and evening
This product is applied near the end of your skincare routine and aims to replenish your face. The product is very moisturising and doesn't leave your skin with any dry patches which is always a good thing! I have found that if you put too much on, it can make your skin very oily. Overall, a very nice product!
Enriching Moisturiser - To be used in the morning and evening
The moisturiser is the last product you apply in your skincare routine, it finishes everything off and leaves your skin very soft. I am quite particular with the type of moisturiser I use on my face as my skin can feel quite sore when it is dry, however, this product did not let me down! I used the moisturiser before bed, like I always do, and my skin still felt very soft and moisturised when I woke up the following day - very happy!
Gentle Cleansing Lotion - To be used in the morning
This cleansing lotion is very similar to the enriching moisturiser, it is too be used first thing in the morning to instantly refresh your skin and wake you up. If feels very soft on the skin and smells a bit herbal - in a good way!
Beauty Body Shower
This is a normal shower gel, so you can use it whenever you wish too. I like that you are able to use the same healthy skin care products you use on your face, on the rest of your body too.
Gentle Exfoliant - To be used in the morning
The exfoliant is to be used after the Gentle Cleansing Lotion. This product has got tiny little exfoliant beads in it to lightly scrub your face and cleanse your pores. I like that the exfoliant is not too harsh on your skin and leaves your skin incredibly smooth and reduces the appearance of pores.
Energizing Conditioner - To be used in the morning and evening
I have never used a conditioner on my face before, so I was uncertain about what to expect. The product itself is quite runny but does soak into the skin well, making it look slightly shinier and feel so much softer.
Beauty Body Lotion
This is another normal body lotion but similarly to the other products, it is very nice!
Overall, I really like AEOS skincare! I think the packaging of the products are also very nice, they look smart and professional.
If you would like to check out AEOS for yourself, then head over to their website http://www.aeos.net/
Ellie x
