Review - L'Occitane Verbena Cooling Hand Gel

One of my favourite brands is L'Occitane. I've used pretty much something from each product area (make- up, skincare, bodycare, haircare) and my favourite fragrance is verbena! Last summer I wanted a handcream which was light in texture instead of the richer, more intensively moisturising products. So along came the verbena cooling hand cream gel.

As I'm now at the end of this tube I haven't got any to show you but it was a light green colour (the same as the tube), it has a slightly chalky texture but it also is exactly what it's meant to be: a cooling hand gel!

This was a perfect product for summer as it sunk into the skin quickly and didn't leave my hands sticky. It moisturised well, not as well as a more intensive product but I was still pretty impressed. I have used this on and off since last summer and it's only just ran out. I like the easy screw cap dispenser but as it doesn't come off it was hard to get the last bits of product out.

This is £13 for a 75ml tube and is available from L'Occitane boutiques and L'Occitane online.

PTD - Challenge 48

This weeks challenge at Pear Tree Designs is spring! So simply create a card or project related to spring. I tried to use bright colours but think it could have done with something more to take the harshness of the white away on the card the digi image was printed onto.

Entries to be in by 4pm Sunday. 

Good Luck!

The week that was....

You know what they say "you wait for a bus and then two turn up at once" or something to that effect. Well after graduating from uni two years ago I have finally got myself a job and then this week I have been asked to go to two interviews. Annoying much? Yes. But they're both either temporary or part time which is no good. A little consolation there.

So back to my job, I still haven't got a start date which is slightly annoying, I just want to know and then I can start getting stuff sorted.

But this week I've only been at work one day as I've had lieu time so have been spending it sorting out my stuff, well mainly my clothes. If you follow me on Twitter you may be aware of the shear amount of ironing I had to do. Six loads of washing and a basket full of stuff to re-iron. This took almost two days to get done because 1) I hate ironing and 2) I'm basically rubbish!

So all in all a boring week was had! So to leave you until next week some piccys from weheartit which are quite fitting to me at the moment:

P.S. Hope you're all liking my new blog design!

Book Review - Katie Price: Crystal and Sapphire

I have previously read and review Angel, which was Katie Prices's first novel, which can be found here. It's probably an understatement to say that I loved Angel and the follow up Angel: Uncovered and I read then in mega fast time, a couple of days for each. At the same time as I bought these I bought Crystal and pre-ordered Sapphire.

Instead of writing about what happens I'm just going to write the blurb and then say if I enjoyed it or not. This way I won't ruin it for anyone.

Crystal

"Crystal is beautiful, talented and ambitious. All her life she has dreamed of making it as a singer. After years of trying to break into the music industry her chance finally comes when her girl band enters a TV reality show contest.

But Crystal has a secret. She's fallen for the wrong man and this one mistake could cost her everything - her friendships, her fame and her chance of ever finding love again...."

I read this one last as it didn't really grab me with the whole singing contest plot but I was soon gripped and couldn't put it down. Crystal well and truely falls for the wrong man which comes back to bite her in a bad way but all along I was routing for her and wanted her to find her true love. Which she does. But alas nothing ever runs smoothly.....

Overall: 8/10

Sapphire

"Sapphire Jones doesn't believe in relationships any more - not since she caught her husband in bed with another woman.

Now Sapphire only sees men on her terms, which is why her current lover is young, good-looking, and great in bed. What more does a girl need?

Sapphire puts all her passion into making a success of her lingerie and hen weekend business, and life seems pretty good. Until she meets a charming businessman who is more than a match for her. And then a hen party organised by Sapphire ends in disaster, and she becomes front-page news for all the wrong reasons.

Suddenly her business is in jeopardy, her private life is falling apart, and in the middle of all this Sapphire realises that she is not immune to love after all. But has she left it too late?"

When I started reading this I was gripped straight away. Sapphire seemed like abit of a bitch for how she treated Jay, her boyfriend, but I have to admit I didn't like him. As the book went on Jay grew on me and in then end I was really wanting things to work out for them even though the charming businessman sounded like a perfect match for her.  I would love to read what happens next to Sapphire in another book.

Overall: 9/10

For both of these books it is would be an advantage to read Angel and Angel Uncovered first as some characters out of these turn up in these books too.


Have you read any Katie Price books? What did you think to them? Surely I can't be the only one who loves trashy novels?!

Save vs Spurge - Face Primers

Face primers see to be everywhere at the moment. You apply over your moisturiser to create a smooth base for your make up so it lasts longer. There are a number of different products on the market which all vary in price. I've chosen three which are widely available to test.

17 Photo Flawless Skin Primer

£4.99 - 15ml

This comes in a tube with a screw on top (hygienic as you're only touching the amount of product you need) and is a creamy coloured lightweight cream. It glides on easily, dried quickly and leaves you skin silky smooth. I use mineral make-up which can sometimes go on cakey but after using this it went on really really well but..... it didn't last all day. When I'm at work I apply it at 6.45 and sometimes don't take it off until after 10pm and on my sponge there wasn't alot which came off which means it came off during the day. I think if I was applying my make up for only a short amount of time this would be perfect but for a long day then it wouldn't be my first choice.

Witch Anti-Blemish Skin Clearing Primer

£6.99 - 30ml

Full review can be found here. This has a pump dispenser which is good as if you have spots you don't want to be touching them then putting your fingers in a pot to get your primer and spreading bacteria. I use just under one pump for my face and smooth it on. It is slightly creamy in colour and dries really quickly. My make up goes on smoothly and really does look flawless all day. It's not often that when I take my make up off at night my sponge is covered in foundation as normally it's come off!

L'Oreal Studio Secrets Smoothing Resurfacing Primer

£14.29 - 15ml

This was one of the first primers on the market, well it was certainly one of the first I remember seeing. I bought this after alot of deliberating as it is quite pricey but I had a money off coupon so put it to use against this. The texture is a cross between a putty, mousse and rubber, I find it weird! It's a baby pink colour and is in a screw top pot. I have only used this a few times mainly because I prefer pumps or squeezy tubes, the fact you have to put your fingers in the post is abit unhygienic. It did leave my skin feeling lovely and silky but it took a little bit of time to dry and if you put too much on it does go cakey and then peels off.

Overall thoughts:

1st: Witch Anti-Blemish Skin Clearing Primer

2nd: 17 Photo Flawless Skin Primer

3rd: L'Oreal Studio Secrets Smoothing Resurfacing Primer

Have you used any of these what did you think to them? Or have you tried any others which you would recommend?

All Things Sparkly and Glittery is now.....

Beauty and Beyond....!

Yes as you can see my blog has been given a make-over: new name, new layout (kind of), new fonts, new colours, new buttons etc!

I hope you like, if you do click the 'like' button at the bottom of the post or leave me a comment!

Review - Dr Nick Lowe Spot Gel

I don't get many spots, just the odd one on my chin, nose or on my hairline but when I do get them they're stubborn little things! They also take ages to go so I like to have a product in the house specifically to reduce the look of them and to help speed up their disappearance. 

I'm abit dubious as to how well products designed to do this work. Normally I use tea tree oil or cream but it doesn't have the most appealing smell so when I found this little product from Dermatologist, Dr Nick Lowe, I decided to give it a whirl.

Anti- Blemish Spot Gel is a clear gel with a light formulation which can be applied to the skin up to 4 times a day to help keep blemishes under control. It is anti-bacterial so it also helps to fight the underlying cause of your spot/s.

It contains tea tree, willow bark, thyme (all anti bacterial), salicylic acid (specifically for blemish prone skin), vitamins A, C and E, and arnica (to soothe and reduce inflammation).

Recently my skin is super confused as I have my usual eczema patch on my face but a million spots. Normally this wouldn't really bother me but as I'm a bridesmaid soon I really want to get my skin sorted ASAP so when a huge spot sprung out of my cheek I headed straight for my Dr Nick Lowe Spot Gel and slapped it on. It is scent free which is great especially if you're putting it on throughout the day, it doesn't show up on the skin as it is clear and it doesn't leave a coating like some products do.

I first tried this at night and when I woke the next morning my spot was definitely looking less red and angry but it didn't make it completely disappear, I think my spot needed something industrial strength! On smaller ones it did help and they did practically go.

As you only need a tiny amount the 15ml tube would last a long time. It is priced at £9.18 and is available online from Dr Nick Lowe. I did buy mine from Boots but it isn't on their website anymore but a lot of his other products still are and available in store. It was also a winner of a 2010 Cosmopolitan Beauty Award. Must be good stuff then!

I would purchase this again and when used in conjunction with other products in the Anti-Blemish range I would imagine it would really help someones skin who had real problems with blemishes. My friend was using the whole range on her skin as she suffers from blemishes really badly and she loved it.

Has anyone tried this or and other Dr Nick Lowe products? What would you recommend?