NOTD - KIKO Violet Orchid Nail Polish

As I was talking KIKO yesterday I thought I would carry on today and show you another lovely nail polish from the Italian brand. 

I own around 7 KIKO nail lacquers now and have to say they are one of my favourite nail polish brands along with Revlon and Models Own, oh and Barry M... and also China Glaze (I have a lot of favourites! They just apply so well, are quite opaque within 2-3 coats, they dry quickly, last well and most important don't cost the earth! 

Also I find they have quite a lot of unique shades and a vast range which is good to see for the price. 

KIKO Violet Orchid Microglitter can be found on the KIKO UK website (here) or in-store at Westfield Stratford priced at £3.90.

As you can see in the sunlight this is such a lovely deep slightly duo chromed shade! On the KIKO site this is listed as a micro glitter polish (here) however I would say it has a more a metallic/duo chrome finish. Just so pretty for wearing on the nails in winter.

The nearest shade to this on the UK high street would be Gosh Gasoline which I haven't actually done a post on yet! However it is such a lovely deep shimmery purple shade. 

Fee xo.  

Ordering with KIKO Online & Reviews!

After discovering KIKO around two years ago in an Italian makeup swap I have been in love with the brand. However until recently KIKO wasn't available at all in the UK, but lucky for Londoners the first KIKO store opened up in Westfield Stratford City shopping centre (oh, how I was jealous!). 

But last week whilst lusting over some products I discovered KIKO now have a UK website - with free shipping o your first order!! 

Now before I get into what I purchased I thought I would get the few downsides out of the way... the main one being that there is a minimum order of £25 - so no snapping up a few cheap-y nail polishes and bagging free delivery! Also delivery is from Italy however I only realized this once I had received my order and it is slightly on the slow side (around 10 days) especially as it is stated as 'express delivery' which I didn't mind as it was free delivery for my 1st order, but I don't think I would be impressed if I was paying the normal £5.90 delivery charge. Though maybe I am being slightly harsh as I was expecting delivery in a few days and to be shipped from somewhere in the UK for some reason - I guess it would of been nice if they had stated shipping was from Italy.

Small glitches aside, if you are interested in KIKO I would highly recommend you either visit their store if you can or place an order online as you won't be disappointed as the brand is just such amazing quality! 

Even though I already own quite a few products from Kiko it definitely look me some time to decide on what to purchase from the website as they do have quite a wide selection of products and I wanted to be sure I chose well. Which consisted of lots of Google searches when I found a product I liked the look of  to see swatches and reviews. Which I must say paid off as I love all the products I purchased!

KIKO Mixing Solution 50ml - £3.90 (available here)
This is described as a mixing solution for pigment loose powder eyeshadow to make eyeshadow creamy to ensure the highest blendability and hold. I decided to purchase this for purely practical reasons as I own quite a few Barry M Dazzle Dusts and NYX Pigments that I just do not use, as I highly dislike the mess when using them and the fallout. So I purchased this in hope it would help me get some use of of the loose eyeshadows. However I have been thoroughly impressed with the mixing solution and the results it gives and it has definitely gone beyond what I though was just a pratical purchase! 

As you can see in the image above when the mixing solution is used with a loose eyeshadow (Barry M Dazzle Dust in a shade I have forgot, sorry ) it becomes a lot more pigmented and even. Also using the solution is very easy as you just place one drop into the brush you are using and then pick up the eyeshadow, which actually removes the mess and spillage involved as the solution really grabs the pigment. Also the solution gives loose eyeshadows such staying power! So pleased with this - with definitely have to write a full review in the near future. 
 

KIKO Nail lacquer 270 Aqua Sequins  - £1.50 was £3.90 (available here)
After already owned quite a few Kiko nail polishes and being so impressed with them I knew I had to get a couple more to add to my collection. Of course I had to include one glitter polish in there but sadly on trying this out it is very similar to Maybelline's Flash Cosmic nail polish, which you can see on the nails in this post on my favourite glitter nail polishes here. However the Kiko polish is slightly nicer as when it doesn't catch the light it doesn't look like yellow flecks unlike the one from Maybelline. So sadly this won't be getting as much love as I would of hoped! But for only £1.50 I really cannot complain and I am sure my niece will enjoy using it!
 

KIKO Nail lacquer 349 Light Olive Green - £1.50 was £3.90 (available here)
When I placed this into my online basket I crossed my fingers in hope that is would be a dupe for OPI Skull & Glossbones (from the Pirates of the Caribbean collection) and oh, I haven't been disappointed in the slightest! I had been looking for a dupe for the OPI nail polish for quite a few months now without much luck as after all it is quite a unique shade, so I cannot explain how pleased I am with this and for only £1.50 as well! 
 

KIKO Double Glam Eyeliner in 09 Plum and Wood - £4.40 was £8.90 (available here)
This was one product that I didn't need to do any research on as I already own a lovely Double Glam Eyeliner from Kiko in a gorgeous brown and gold shade. These without a shadow of a doubt are exactly like the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on eye pencils which retail for £16 each. Think creamy, pigmented, waterproof eyeliners that just don't budge and last on the eyes all day. I'm sure there are a lot more dupes than this but I instantly thought Plum was a really good dupe for UD 24/7 glide-on eye pencil in Rockstar and the Wood also seems a good dupe of Whiskey. 

This is just a super duper product is you like creamy eyeliners that are that waterproof it takes you multiple attempts to remove it fully at the end of the day!
 

KIKO Lip Volume Plumping Lip Cream 15ml - £6.90 (available here)
This was the wild card of my order as I didn't do any research on the product and for just under £7 it wasn't the cheapest of products that I could of purchased. However I do like trying out plumping lip products and I also liked that it also softened the lips like a lip balm at the same time. Now this is no miracle worker however it is free from that 'tingle' you get with a lot of lip pluming glosses and treatments but instead you get a more warming sensation, but this does give some effects with the lips looking that tiny bit more plumped up, as it you have been eating something spicy maybe!

What I like most about this product is that is really does soften the lips and kind of works are a primer/base before applying lipstick which I didn't except to see in the product. This isn't my favourite product out of the order but I am still pleased none the less.

KIKO Pencil Lip Gloss in 09 Light Beige - £3.90 (available here)
I decided to try this out as I have never tried a lipgloss in crayon format, I have quite a few lipsticks crayons from various brands though and I have always been impressed plus I know the whole lipgloss pencil is a more European product as Essense do quite a few as well.  As you can see from the swatch above this is just a subtle beige/nude shade that is great for daytime wear. What I like most about this is that is has a nice glossy but non-sticky finish and is non-drying which is always important for me. Would really like to try more shades, maybe something light pink or even a deeper shade.
 

Kiko Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in 06 Golden Brown - £6.90 (available here)

Another favourite of my order! But after reading so many great reviews on these I knew it would be love at first sight. With most reviews I read on the Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadows they all compared them to MAC shadesticks... now never trying them I really cannot say. But what I can say is that swatch definitely doesn't do the shade any justice at all and that I just love this product. Once applied on the lids you have a bit of time to blend the shadow and then once it has dried this doesn't move and stays just as pigmented all day with no creasing (I do always apply UD Primer Potion though) I even find at the end of the day this is hard to remove. The stick literally just glides onto the lids and just looks so pretty and shimmery. Really just such good quality! 

If you love pigmented cream eyeshadows than I really do urge you to try this out as it's just a perfect product that cannot be faulted and also the packaging looks really sleek as well. 

As you can see I have been thoroughly impressed with all the products and don't think I could of been any happier with my order - well except for the delivery time. 

KIKO really is such high quality for the price and I would actually compare the standard to be up there with the likes of MAC! 

Fee xo. 

Lifting the Lid... December Boudoir Prive/Jolie Box

I'm back rambling about monthly Beauty boxes again! 

This time Boudoir Prive, which has recently joined hands with leading french beauty box subscription service - Joliebox. Now I was really enjoying the Boudoir Prive box.. with brands such as - Korres, Zoya, Rahua and Rose & Co to name a few. 

So I really do hope that the Jolie Box carry on along the same lines with quite popular brands and not more niche french brands that aren't as well known. However based on this box alone it seems that we don't have anything to worry about... though only time will really tell. 

The Price
The Jolie Box contains 5-6 deluxe samples and is priced at £12.95 including delivery. The box is of course monthly and if subscribed to this month you will receive your first box in February. Like all the beauty boxes you can cancel at anytime but it does work on a direct debit basis. You can view more info on the box here.
 

The Packaging 
The Bourdoir Prive box for me had some nice features such as the magnetic close lid and the cute mirror sticker however on the whole I thought the entire appearance of the box was a little bland. So I must say I'm much preferring the new look to the box - from the vibrant fuchsia ribbon to the chic black box that is slightly more compact.

The Products  
 The first JolieBox contained - OPI Gold Shatter Nail Lacquer, Mitchell and Peach Shower Wash, New CID Cosmetics i-gloss, Jane Iredale 24-Karat Gold Dust, Yon-Ka Vital Defense. 

Bonus products - Kusmi Detox Tea and a Jolie Box Concealer Brush. 
 

OPI Gold Shatter Nail Lacquer (full size - worth £10.50)

I was really surprised to see a full sized OPI nail polish in the first Jolie Box as after all the polishes do retail for over £10 and it is also quite a recent release for OPI. Plus I had previously purchased this for my sister as I thought it was such a lovely polish. I personally don't love the crackle/shatter trend but without a base nail polish the OPI shatter doesn't actually shatter and looks just like a normal nail polish so I have used this quite a bit. 

Jane Iredale 24-Karet Gold Dust in Rose Gold (full size - £11)

I'm not a huge fan of loose shimmery products however I instantly fell in love with that rose gold shade and also how it was more of a multi-purpose product that could be used on the eyes, checks, shoulder and apparently in the hair according to the Joliebox website (I'm not convinced). This is just a lovely quality product that has led me to look at other Jane Iredale products. 

JolieBox Concealer/Eyeshadow brush (exclusive to box)

I found this such a nice touch to the box and would personally love to see more of these in upcoming boxes to collect a set of them. Maybe a lip brush when a lip product is featured in the box, a blush brush for when a blusher is featured and so on. I have been using the brush for packing eyeshadow onto the lids as I personally don't like to use larger concealer brushes but more precise ones. As an eyeshadow brush this is really good quality, flexible and soft. 

New CID Cosmetics i-gloss in Babydoll (full size - worth £16)

As a lover of New CID products this product was amazing to see in the JolieBox - especially as it is a normal wearable shade as well! Sadly this wasn't all a bed of roses for me, the reason you may see in the image and in my negatives below. But that aside this is a lovely gloss that isn't sticky and is such a nice shade, however I can't say I love the scent to it, subtle but a bit plastic-y. I know I couldn't purchase a New CID i-gloss for £16 however it is a lovely product to receive in the box. 

Mitchell and Peach Shower Wash (50ml sample) 

Samples of high end shower gels really don't float my boat so this was a bit of a 'meh' product for me so will probably just sit in a box until I decide to cast it off to someone. However even if I was into pricey shower gels I don't really get this product as this is actually a totally natural fragranced product (it definitely smells all organic) but then it goes and contains Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate which I wouldn't be wanting on my skin at all! 

Yon-Ka Vital Defense Intense Hydration cream (5ml sample)

Another rubbish-y sample here as I don't know anyone who would sample something that was only 5ml in size and then spend £40 on the full product. As this didn't suit my skin type I used this on the backs of my hands as a nice anti-ageing, hydrating treatment. So at least I got something out of it! 

Kusmi Detox Tea (20g miniature tin)

I'm never really sure why these beauty boxes think that organic/detox teas can come under the beauty category, but they do! This smells very lemon-y but nice. I will probably try it at some stage even though I don't drink teas but not something I would class as a 'deluxe beauty sample'.

 

Positives 

Like previous Boudoir Prive boxes I have been impressed with the main bulk of the content and definitely think it is worth £12.95. I'm glad to see it's staying mainly cosmetic based as I find makeup a lot more fun compared to skincare as I just don't think these types of boxes can cater for so many different skin types. Also I really did like the addition of the Jolie Box Concealer brush as it was just a nice touch and I really do hope they keep that up even if it's just in every few boxes! 

 

Negatives

The only real negative falls with the New CID i-gloss which isn't the fault of the beauty box, however as it is a negative I thought I would ramble about it here! As you can see in the above image this is how I received the lip gloss with quite a rubbish brush and it doesn't seem I am the only one from talking to others on Twitter and reading reviews. The reason for this happening is that the opening of the tube is too small for the actual brush so it's basically a design flaw. Which when you are paying £16 for a product you really don't expect to happen.

Other than this I can't say I really have any negatives about the box expect for that I really don't love seeing 5ml samples in a box that states it provides 'deluxe beauty samples'. 

 

Overall I am hugely impressed by the first ever UK Jolie Box and hope they can keep this level of content up! 

Fee xo. 

Yes Love Nail Polishes!

A bit of an annoying tease post today I'm sorry to say as these two lovely nail polishes where purchased whilst on holiday in Spain and aren't even available on eBay or anywhere online in fact - how annoying! So sadly this blog post is a little pointless if I'm honest.. unless you are going abroad or live in Spain.

However I just couldn't not share these with you as I really didn't expect to like orange glitter nail polish! I mean really. Orange glitter should not work... but oh, it does!

Okay, so it's not very wintry, but ahhhh just look at it. It reminds me of glittery orange jelly shoes from when I was a child! The only down side has to be the smell though.. oosh this is seriously strong, think nail polish remover strong. 

I have a feeling it is one of those very cheap-y nail polishes that has a wonderful concoction of different chemical in, but ahh well!

When I actually purchased this shade (Yes Love 631) in a strange little shop in Lanzarote one part of me was saying 'oooo glitter nail polish' and the other part was saying 'no, it's orange and tacky looking'... but the glitter side won and I'm glad it did as now I'm thinking I need to seek out some other orange glitter polishes!

As for application it is a normal three-coater but did take forever to dry as I did slap it on, however I was impressed with how neatly it applied. 

The other nail polish (Yes Love 89) I purchased was another I was a little unsure about as I'm almost sure it has gone off a bit as that black in the glitter was once clear I am sure!

However this was only 3 euros and I plan to wear it over a black polish anyway, which I am sure will look really pretty! Over a nude or pale shade though I just don't think this would work as the clear polish just looks too murky and would discolour the base polish. 

On a side note... I think because I own quite a lot of nail polishes I have now started to get a bit bored with brands such as Revlon and 17. Which is why my eyes literally light up when I discover a new brand of nail polishes like this. My other recent discovery was the amazing Saffron glitter polishes that can be found on eBay (or on market stalls or so I have heard). But I now have my eyes on a few interesting looking shades on eBay by Etude House. 

If you can recommend any unique/international nail polish brands please let me know in the comments as I would love to start building up a more unique collection. 

Fee xo.

The Big Skincare Mystery?

Well, well, well, it's not everyday I receive an unbranded PR sample that intrigues me like this!

Meet the new high street 2-in-1 cleansing facial wash and 3 minute mask that will be revealed on March 1st.

Now I must admit it's no big mystery as after 5 minutes of searching online I'm 99% sure I know what the product is and I'm please to say it's well under the £5 mark. But unless you really want to know and beg me via twitter I'm keeping schtum as there are prizes to be won via the Big Skincare Mystery Facebook page (here). So I don't want to ruin it! Though ask me and I may give in as I HATE surprises and also hate keeping secrets! 

Anyway, onto the daily cleanser/mask which I actually tried out today as a face mask...

The product itself seems on smell and appearance quite nice... no nasty synthetic/chemical smell unlike a lot of cleansers for spot prone/oily skin but quite a fresh, aloe vera/cucumber scent...which is rather pleasant.

As instructed I applied the cleanser/mask to wet skin and left it for 3 minutes. I was glad to see it wasn't a mask that set as I just cannot be doing with no speaking or smiling, even if it is only for three minutes! Plus I don't love that unnecessary tight feeling. However even though it didn't set at all, I could feel it slightly firming up and becoming more mask-like if that makes sense. After washing the mask off, my skin definitely felt clean (zero residue), with no redness and VERY smooth.

All in all quite a promising, non-over powering product that does seem quite suited to oily/problem skin with ingredients such as Kaolin and Salicylic acid (always good for the ol' spots!). 

If you do want to sample this product you can actually request a sample over on the Facebook page and there is also a chance of winning some lovely Topshop vouchers! 

Fee xo.

After Christmas Spending!

So it is just after Christmas (kind of) and I received everything I wanted and more, but for some reason January has been a month of me treating myself for some reason! 

However I'm not going to dwell on this or feel any guilt as it is just bad for the soul and done already! Well that is what I like to tell myself. So as I have accumulated a few nice items and some re-purchases I thought it was time for a bit of a 'haul' post. 

First, my star buy at only £2.50...

... A miniature Denman hairbrush keyring!

Just what everyone needs. Okay, to be fair I wil probably NEVER be brushing my hair with this, I mean really, who would brush their hair with a bunch of keys hanging from it, tempting to get tangled in your hair - the idea was flawed to start with. But in emergencies I may resort to using it... who knows! 

But for me it's all about it being miniature! This isn't something I openly share with many people but I do have a love for anything small/miniature. You name it - if it's small I am bound to love it... Sylvanian Families, teeny tiny designer chairs, Monopoly pieces, dolls houses, the inside of snow globes and of course mini beauty products and perfumes. I could go on all day! So when I spotted this in Boots my eyes just lit up and I didn't even think about if I would use it as an actual brush or not.

Now I know not many Boots will stock this as I found it in a rather large store but you can purchase it from Denman on Amazon for only £2.50 with free p&p - here. 

Next up was a bit of a naughty splurge but in my defence both items were in the sale, so I was being savvy! 

Now I will admit I'm not really a lover of lip gloss or lipstick (I say this yet own over 80 lip products!) however there is something that always draws me in. I think it must be a combination of most lipsticks having nice packaging and always wanting to find that perfect nude shade. 

I only own one Guerlain lipstick and love both the packaging and the shade, so when I saw a nice little clearance tray on the Guerlain counter I had to have a look and to my amazement the only products that haven't been mushed up or used were these two beauties. Okay, I'm now started to sound like I love lip products - though I guess my definition of not being a fan is still pretty obsessed to the average person!

I must say the Guerlain Kiss Kiss Gloss Extreme Shine in Pomme Du Desir 806 (£16.00 - Debenhams) does look like an odd choice/shade, however this is just such a different product for me. The shade is just so dazzling and unique and definitely doesn't apply with that green hue that is looks in the tube. I think this will look best over a bold red lip just sparingly dabbed along the cupids bow and also the middle of the bottom lip to really make the lips stand out. 

The Guerlain Kiss Kiss Baby Nourishing Lip Balm in Romantic Nude 260 (£21.00 - Debenhams) on the other hand is definitely a nice safe product that would suit anyone. This is actually more nude than it appears in the image and applies quite sheer as it is a lip balm after although it can be built up and is quite like a lipstick. You can definitely feel this is a high end product as it just apply so so well and keeps the lips from drying out. Really pleased with this! 

 

As for re-purchases, I caved in and bought a new can of Batiste Brunette Dry Shampoo which even though it does the job it feels on a par with buying face wipes - but sometimes washing your hair can seem too much like a chore. I know it's not a product that is going to add any benefit to my hair and is only going to increase my laziness! 

Having said that, this is my favourite Batiste Dry Shampoo (£2.99 - Chemist Direct here or Boots/Superdrug) and cannot be faulted - except for the smell! 

I also purchased another bottle of Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in 01 (the palest shade) as this really did impress me in 2011, as all Bourjois foundations do. I won't go into raptures about this as I really do think this deserves a full review but what I will say is that it is such a good quality foundation that performs more like a high-end foundation for a fraction of the price. You can find the foundation at Boots for £9.99 (here) and at the moment you receive a free full sized Bourjois mascara!

Last but not least I had to include my new favourite shoes! My first ever pair of Melissa Ballet Flats. I'm so pleased with these and love that they are scented (they smell of cupcakes!) like all the other Melissa shoes and have a lovely white heart at the back. I just know they will last me ages unlike so many other flats I have previously owned that have just worn down on the backs so quickly. For anyone interested here is the link to the shoes but I'm sure they will be on sale somewhere online!

Hopefully this hasn't been too boring and if you want to see swatches or a more detailed review on anything feel free to ask in the comments below. 

Fee xo.