B. Pure Micellar Water

I'm familiar with the B. range and the various different products available but I've never taken much notice about them. I've mentioned before that I'm sceptical about using toners and cleansers because of my sensitive skin, but when the B. Pure Micellar Water was on promotion recently, I sat up and took more notice of what they claim to do with my skin.

MicellarWater

"Quick and easy 3-in-1 cleanser that dissolves impurities in a single sweep, no water required. Ideal for all skin types even the most sensitive."

B. Pure Micellar Water - £4.99 £3.32 - 150ml

Described as a "super water", the micellar water:

Cleanses by removing impurities and makeup, Tones by restoring the pH balance, Refreshes with cucumber juice extract and is Ophthalmically approved and Dermatologically approved.

Front

Back

I'm not overly familiar with high-end products but the way the B. Pure Micellar Water is packaged screams 'high end product' to me. One feature that I rarely see on beauty products these days is the 'Cruelty-Free' logo on the back of the product - a positive feature and a feature that stood out for me. For a cleanser, the bottle is a simple design (which might be the reason why I like it so much!) - clear, approximately 6.5" tall with a pale grey screw top which is decorated with a simple silver band. The screw top isn't as fiddly as you'd expect and the small hole which the cleanser is dispensed from helps prevent unnecessary waste.

The bottle is embossed with a circular design, B. logo and text. The circular design in my eyes symbolises the 'water' feature of the product which I thought was a nice touch! The B. logo is noticeable as it's in colour although the text size is quite small. I had trouble reading it and I have very good eyesight however the text on the back of the product was easier to read, probably because it was printed on a white label. The overall design of the cleanser is neat and minimalistic. It's easy to hold, use and store.


The cleanser is clear and doesn't smell of anything - just like water. But you know it's not by peeking at the ingredients on the back! Directions for use state that there's no need to rinse with water, just apply to a cotton pad and sweep over the face - so that is what I did! I've only been using B. Pure Micellar Water for a week but using the cleanser on my skin was easy. My skin hasn't become irritable, flare up and hasn't left my skin dry like a lot of products, although I accidentally spilt a few drops on my bed sheets and it has left a light stain :-(. I've heard it's a great dupe for Bioderm although I cannot comment because I've never tried it! I will continue to use it until it's finished and will most probably repurchase it too!

RATING

Price; 4 STARS I purchased this when is was on promotion in October at £3.32. I think that's reasonable considering the prices of other products. I would even  be  tempted at £4.99 as you can get student discount at Superdrug!

Promises; 4 STARS After using the B.Pure Micellar Water, I noticed how healthy  my skin  felt. It didn't leave me skin feeling tight or dry which is what I was worried about. 

Ease of Application; 5 STARS The Micellar Water was really easy to use. The small hole at the top of  the bottle helps prevent unnecessary waste on the cotton pad.

Would I Recommend to a Friend?; YES I think the B. Pure Micellar Water is worth a  try,  especially for those with sensitive skin like me!

LINKEDIN | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN'

NEW Wonka Chocolate Nice Cream

Nestle have released NEW Wonka chocolate bars! There are 3 variations - Nice Cream, Creme Brulee and Millionaire's Shortbread which are all available in small 35g bars priced at 65p and 100g bars priced at £1.35.

NEW Wonka Chocolate

"Smooth vanilla creme topped with chocolate sauce ... Scrumdiddlyumptiously shareable"

The Wonka Chocolate bars caught my eye not only with their shiny wrapping and branding but with their unusual combinations. I have blogged about similar products resembling the Wonka branding CLICK HERE, although I've never come across Wonka branded products and was quite excited about trying one!

Wonka Chocolate Nice Cream - 100g - £1.35

All 3 variations are branded with the iconic metallic magenta wrapping and icon Wonka font which is accompanied with the small Wonka Hat icon. I purchased Nice Cream because it was the most appealing to me out of all 3 and it took me back to the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movies and the chocolate river and candy garden! A great feature the bars is the re-sealable strip to the bar. When opening, you peel back the strip to get to the bar and when you want to save it for later, you can reseal the sticky strip! It's a nice feature that I don't come across often and added to the look and use of the bar.

Nice Cream mainly consists of 30% creme and 15% chocolate sauce. The chocolate bar itself is decorated with raised images of what looks like icecream and the trademark 'W'. It's interesting rather than having just a plain bar underneath the rather extravagant wrapping.

The bar was a little flimsy - when holding the bar it melted quite quickly and the pieces broke away very easily so I wasn't surprised a lot of the bars on the shelves were broken! The overall taste was very sweet. I wouldn't be able to eat a lot of it compared to other chocolate bars which I wolf down a lot of the time! The vanilla creme inside didn't taste very much of vanilla although was a nice consistency - not too hard or soft. Again, the chocolate sauce reminded me of the chocolate river in the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movies! The chocolate sauce was very gloopy and stick, it oozed out of the bar and at times was quite messy and for someone who is very clean - this wasn't a nice experience.

RATING:

Price; 5 STARS The bars are all very good value for money considering the overall product offering. The small bars are 65p and the bar featured in the post was purchased at £1.35.

Promises; 4 STARS The bar lives up to what it says on the packet. Even though I found the sauce very gloopy and sticky and bar itself quite sweet, it was a nice treat!

Ease of Eating; 3 STARS The bar broke very easily so I was disappointed when trying to find an unbroken bar on the shelf! The bar was also very sweet and the chocolate sauce was very sticky and gloopy making it quite messy to eat and handle.

Would I Recommend to a Friend?; Yes. This bar is worth a try! Just because it didn't suit my pallette 100%, doesn't mean others won't like it! I haven't tried the other 2 variations, although I'm sure all 33 are worth a try just for the thrill of eating a Wonka Bar.

LINKEDIN | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN'

NEW MUA Matte Lipstick

MUA have released a New Matte Range, currently consisting of a palette and 5 lipsticks.

Matte Lipsticks

"Everything from nudes to bolds, MUA's matte lipsticks are available in 5 wearable shades that glide smoothly over lips to give a beautiful non-glossy finish."

MUA Matte Lipstick: Totally Nude, Peachy Keen, Pouty Pink & Wild Berry - 3.8g - £1.00

Another MUA product review, but these lipsticks are the NEW Matte Lipsticks which come in 5 lipsmacking shades. They're priced at £1.00 just like MUA's other range of lipsticks and look pretty much the same except for the colour of the shell.

The lipsticks are barrel shaped which means they're quite easy to hold whilst applying. Compared to MUA's other lipstick range which are black in colour, the new matte lipsticks are packaged in white shells - making them easy to tell apart from other ranges. They still have the silver band around the middle and transparent gloss at the bottom so they keep in style with the main MUA range.

There are 5 different shades in total, although I'm reviewing 4 of them - Totally Nude, Peachy Keen Pouty Pink and Wild Berry. There's bound to be a shade that suits you within the 5!

MUA Matte Lipstick Swatches

Totally Nude: Exactly what it says on the label - nude. I love my nude shade lipsticks and this one is a great shade! It's perfect for making the eyes or cheeks pop on a night out or to create a natural look with minimal makeup.

Peachy Keen: This shade is very similar to MUA's Double Take Long-Wear Lipstick in Nectar. The pigment is strong although I wasn't too keen on Peachy Keen as it seems a bit 'too much' and comes across more of a Summer shade rather than an Autumn/Winter look.

Pouty Pink: This shade is a Barbie pink. Again, this shade was also quite bright when opened but was surprisingly light when swatched! It's not too 'in your face' but again I think it's more a shade for Summer than for AW2013.

Wild Berry: Purple/Aubergine shade. When opened,Wild Berry is really dark and I was a bit scared at first to try it. When swatched the colour has a warm pigment to it and unlike some of the matte shades, Wild Berry looks great for this season!

The pigment of all 4 lipsticks are surprising considering they're matte. I wasn't impressed with the application. The lipsticks didn't glide on very well and made my lips feel uncomfortable although this could be the change in weather causing excess dryness. They lipsticks did stay on for a while until they started to bleed so they would be good for a night out or for work until lunch when you could re-apply! Overall I wasn't totally sold on the matte look. I much prefer MUA's other range of lipsticks which give the impression of a glossy look.

RATING:

Price; 5 STARS Even if you're just curious about the shade and want to experiment with different looks, a £1 is definitely worth it considering other lipsticks available on the high street.

Promises; 4 STARS The matte lipsticks are exactly that, matte. No gloss, just flat.

Ease of Application; 3 STARS None of the lipsticks went on very well. They didn't glide

smoothly over my lips which made it slightly uncomfortable. It could be the weather causing excess dryness on the lips but either way the lipsticks didn't glide on well.

Would I Recommend to a Friend?; YES The lipsticks come in great wearable colours, especially Wild Berry which is great for this Autumn Season. The matte look is also quite desirable throughout Autumn/Winter although I personally didn't get on very well with them.

LINKEDIN | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN'

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Be the Breakthrough

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Website: breakthrough.org.uk
Facebook: facebook.com/breakthroughbc
Twitter: @BreakthroughBC

I haven't been directly affected by breast cancer, although all of us at some point will be affected directly or indirectly by cancer. In the UK, 1,000 women die from breast cancer every month. Awareness is being raised about breast cancer through many different ways this month and everyone can get involved!

#ShopPink

Breakthrough have some exclusive pink products which you can view by CLICKING HERE that are available this October. Each item carries a minimum 10% donation and brands include GHD, Avon, GlamGlow, Warehouse, Debenhams, Sainsbury's and many more! I personally love the Viva Pink polish (which you can see below) and the GLAMGLOW Youth Mud looks very indulging! 

  



AVON Nailwear Pro+ Nail Enamel - Viva Pink - 12ml - RRP: £4

The swatches above are to illustrate fab pink shades. I've specifically picked Avon's Nailwear Pro+ Nail Enamel in Viva Pink because Avon are donating 25% to Breakthrough Breast Cancer! 

1. NYC Expert Last Nail Polish - Long Time Lavender - RRP: £1.79

2. Sinful Colours Professional - Glass Pink - RRP: £1.99

3. MUA - Natural Days - RRP: £1

4. MUA - Strawberry Crush - RRP: £1

5. MUA - Bright Pink - RRP: £1

6. Collection lasting Gel Colour - Think Pink - RRP: £3.19

7. AVON Nailwear Pro+ Nail Enamel - Viva Pink - RRP: £4

GLAMGLOW is raising at least £7,000 from sales of this product through Breakthrough Breast Cancer! Marks and Spencer will also donate an additional 10% of their sales of GLAMGLOW Youth Mud to Breakthrough Breast Cancer, available in store and online. It's also available in Space NK stores and online.

GLAMGLOW YouthMud - RRP: £49.50



#GreatPinkBakeOff

On Friday 18th October, Breakthough are urging everyone to get involved with the Great Pink Bake Off! It's very simple to get involved to help raise money and awareness, simply ask friends, family or work colleagues to bake some homemade treats, bring them altogether, make a donation and decide whose bake is the best! It's a great way to get everyone together but it's a great opportunity to raise awareness and knowing that the money raised will go towards Breakthrough Breast Cancer's vital work.

To get involved, simply call 08080 100 200 or visit pinkbakeoff.org



#MoreThanALump

This October, Breakthrough are urging women to text SIGNS to 70500 to receive a free booklet the size of a credit card that details key signs and symptoms of breast cancer and what you should do if you find anything unusual. The handy small size means that it's a great size to fit into your purse or handbag - we all have one, there's no excuse!



TLC Booklet - Approx Size: 5.5cm X 8.5cm



The earlier breast cancer is detected, the better the chances of beating it! This means women need to regularly check for any change or irregularities, it's very simple! I'm nearly 21 and although I'm young, we should all still check and become aware of what is 'normal' for us and what to look out for.

There are 3 simple steps;

TOUCH - Can you feel anything unusual?

LOOK - Can you see any changes in the shape or texture of skin?

CHECK - anything unusual with your GP/Doctor

 

Breakthrough Breast Cancer ambassador D Hilary Jones, Comments:

"Many women don't check their breasts either because they don't know what signs and symptoms they are looking for or they simply forget to do it. I'm supporting Breakthrough Breast Cancer's TLC Campaign to encourage as many people as possible to text SIGNS to 70500 to get their free handy guide that could save their life. The guide includes five common signs and symptoms of breast cancer and is handy enough to slip into a purse to serve as a reminder to make regular checks."

Breakthrough Breast Cancer ambassador, singer and fitness presenter, Michelle Heaton, says:

"Since finding out I carry the BRCA1 gene, breast cancer risk is something I have been extremely aware of. Even though I've had preventative surgery and a reconstruction, I am still very careful to check my breasts on a regular basis. I follow Breakthrough breast Cancer's Touch Look Check (TLC) routine and I tell all my friends and family to do the same. What's more, I'm encouraging everyone to get their own free TLC guide which explains what to look out for when you check your breasts.All you need to do is text SIGNS to 70500 to get your free handy guide today; it could save your life."

If you're supporting Breakthrough Breast Cancer I'd love to know what you're doing! Drop a comment below or contact em via Twitter!

LINKEDIN | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN'

Savvy Student Thrifty Tip: NUS Extra Card

NUS Extra Card

  

"Hundreds of discounts exclusively for students from just £12 The NUS extra card gives you amazing discounts"



 If you really know me, you'll know that I am a total bargain hunter! I am very familiar with eBay, and carboot sales and I love an offer or promotion! Since earning my own money a few years ago, I've realised how precious money is and therefore I'm always looking to save!

With the NUS Extra card, you have access to various discounts to major high street and online stores. There's always new ones being added and some discounts are increased for limited periods of time.

Categories include; Food and Drink, Leisure and Entertainment, Beauty, Fashion, Study Essentials, Travel, Tech, Music and Gadgets and many more! Take a look at all discounts available by clicking here!

However, I would advise that you read the terms and conditions in every participating store as some do not offer the use of the NUS Extra card in conjunction with any other offer, discount or sale items. Although some stores do, so always check before using it!

Your NUS Extra card can be purchased through their online site and it is then sent to your school. sixth form college or University. If you re-apply for the card the next year, NUS Extra give you the option of home delivery, which is more convenient than fighting your way to the Student Union or office at lunchtime.

If you purchase your NUS Extra card online, it will be valid for 12 months from the date purchased, however, if you purchase it from your place of study, your card may only be valid until the end of September. Check online or with your place of study for more information on your card validity.

Now, you do need to weigh up the worth of the card. It costs £12, therefore you need to spend £120 a year (if you receive 10% off each time) to pay off the purchase amount of the card. If you're unsure about whether the card is financially beneficial, check out the Savings Calculator online to see how much you could save!

The NUS Extra student discount card has become one of my student essentials over the past 5 years. Unfortunately this is my last valid year as a student, so I'm trying to use it as often as I can to make the most of it!

LINKEDIN | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN'

Enrapture Extremity Heated Rollers

A couple of months ago I won a set of Enrapture Extremity Heated Rollers from Sophia's July giveaway! I never really style my hair so I was really excited to try them out and learn how to style like all you lovely ladies out there!

Extremity Heated Rollers

"Effortlessly create glamorous volume, defined waves and root lift. Innovative duo heat technology ... emit heat from the core, leaving your curls bouncier for longer."

Enrapture Extremity Heated Rollers

The Extremity Heated Rollers include the Extremity Heated Roller case, 20 rollers which come in two sizes; medium and large, 20 butterfly clips and a style guide to help with each step.

Firstly, the packaging is pretty eyecatching. The metallic colours catch the light and it looks the part of a high class hair styling product. The Extremity Heated Roller case easily stores and simultaneously heats all of the rollers and clips. When not in use, the cord is folded and packed away in the base of the case for easy storage which helps keep the cord tidy although it is quite short! It takes just 2 minutes to heat the rollers and clips which is indicated by the LED front display panel. The rollers are divided into 10 large rollers for volume and waves and 10 medium rollers for smaller and tighter curls.

Enrapture Extremity Heated Rollers



Large and Medium sized rollers

The Unique Duo Heat Technology means that the rollers emit heat from the core and the butterfly clip simultaneously. The butterfly clips are unique because they emit heat from two metal plates which help firmly lock the curls in place. The Extremity Heated Rollers are special because they are flocked. This is a velvety coating which grips the hair better than rollers that do not have this coating. Once in place, the rollers take approximately 10 minutes to cool. 

Butterfly Clip Metal Plates

I'm a total stranger to styling my hair - I have only straightened it (which I have stopped doing the last few years) so curling it was a totally new world and experience to me. It was tricky getting to grips with the Heated Rollers, but practise makes perfect! At first, I didn't use any product on my hair as it has a natural shine and I try to avoid clumping it up too much although, because my hair is quite thick and long - the curls did fall out. Various products have been recommended to me and although I'm not the best at curling my hair, I am getting better! Like stated by Enrapture, you can do your makeup whilst they're cooling which makes great use of your time if you're in a rush or running late.

Unfortunately I haven't got anyone to teach me or help me out so the learning process is ongoing and therefore this is why I have no 'suitable' pictures to show the results! Fortunately, Sophia - a very well known and very nice and down to earth blogger offered to help me - she gave me loads of good tips and used a combination of dry shampoo and hairspray to oomph it out a bit! I personally love using both sized rollers. The larger rollers add volume and a bit of shape which can be used for a day to night look whereas the smaller rollers can be used to create a tighter curl look for a glam night out!

I'd love to try Enrapture's Amplify Jumbo Waver next! The way it styles the hair is so pretty and effortless and I am totally in love with the Rock Wave look!

RATING

Price; 4 STARS Enrapture Extremity Heated Rollers retail at around £59.99. I find this a bit expensive myself, but I have never owned any other styling products other than straighteners!

Promises; 4 STARS The Enrapture Extremity Heated Rollers create wonderful waves and defined curls. With the right products the curls stayed in. The storage and heating case is beautiful and stores everything really well. All rollers heat up efficiently and well.

Ease of Use; 3 STARS I have never styled my hair properly and therefore I found using the Enrapture Extremity Heated Rollers quite difficult at first. I did need a lot of practise. But I assume that if you are accustomed to styling your hair with tongs, rollers and other styling equipment you would take to it like a duck to water.

Would I Recommend to a Friend?; YES The product and packaging is beautiful. The product uses innovative technology to curl the hair in a fast and effective way. 

LINKEDIN | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN'