Max Factor LipFinity Lip Tint Pen

Time for a little product review.

I actually bought this a good few months ago when it was first launched, but Max Factor are doing the ad campaign for it now alongside their new mascara and eye products (which I shall review at another time). I have had 3 friends comment that they want to try this and I have warned all of them away! Oh dear!

I'm a big fan of the Max Factor mascaras, so I was expecting a similar quality of product from the lip pen. Alas, I was very much disappointed, and I hate that, especially when you are so excited by a new product. Bourjois actually did a similar product to this a few years ago which I thought was much better, but it disappeared from the shops rather quickly and is now discontinued.

Here is the blurb from Max Factor:

Lipfinity Lip Tint Pen has a non-transferable water based formula that doesn't just sit on top of your lips but permeates the upper layers for a stunning kiss-proof effect. And its nifty pen applicator is perfect for precise application so you can build up the colour as much as you dare or keep it light and simple – you're in control!

One of the things I have to say that is going for this product is the smell. It has a lovely blackcurrant scent and a slight taste too which is nice. However thats about as far as I can go with positive comments.
I picked up No. 3 Pink Princess, the swatch of colour on the website and the colour it comes out are completely different to the colour of the pen, so if your basing your choice on the pen colour be open minded about your final result!

Here are my lips naked of any product:

Now, following the instructions, I drew around the contour of my lips with the tip of the pen:

I then filled in my lips with the side of the pen:

Ta Da! Well....that was a bit of a let down. Also based on the fact that I filled in my lips with about 5 coats of the stuff and this is as much pigmentation as I got. It looks natural, but almost too natural, like I've not actually done anything. It also feels really dry. One of the selling points of the product is that it moisturisers...not in the slightest! If I use this I have to wack a load of lip balm over the top to make my lips feel like they still have some moisture in them. I then look like I've put on a nice tinted lip balm, which all in all, isn't too bad for a day to day minimal make up look. But if I wanted that I'd buy a nice tinted lip balm for a fraction of the price.

This is also one of those products that having used it once feels like its running out, that annoys me. 

So not a great review, there are much better lip tint products out there. I may start a campaign against Bourjois to bring theirs back. 

Have any of you tried this? What did you think?

Cheap Chocolate!

Good Evening fellow bloggers and followers.

I gave up chocolate and crisps for lent (I actually started a week early on the 1st March) and I have managed to stay off of crisps....including spending 4 hours at a 1st birthday party where there were pom bears, which i love. But as hard as I tried, I just can't do without chocolate!

So I treated myself yesterday to some rather good deals at Tesco. I love this time of year when supermarkets start competing to get us to buy their Easter eggs, and this year Tesco have done well. They are currently doing buy 1 get TWO free on their medium Easter eggs. So for the crazy price of £2.50 (the price normally of 1 egg) I got 3! I'm a cadbury fanatic so I picked up Buttons, Creme Egg and Flake.

The Buttons come with a bag of Buttons, the Creme Egg with 2 Creme Eggs and the Flake with 4 treat size Flakes. I managed to demolish the entire Buttons egg while watching Glee and ANTM last night, and after a few weeks without chocolate I felt very happy!

Has anyone else given in to Lent?!

Holiday Wardrobe

It is 3 weeks today until I go on holiday to Thailand *lots of jumping around in excitement*, we booked the holiday about a year ago and I've been counting down ever since.

Since Xmas I have been keeping an eye out for any good holiday pieces to add to my wardrobe. This was quite important being as the majority of my wardrobe is only suitable for British summers (read 'not warm') and it is meant to be at least 30 degrees, and some, in Thailand, so what better excuse do I need to treat myself to some lightweight summer goodies!

This is my holiday collection so far, its unlikely to get much bigger to be honest. I can probably get away with wearing bikinis for most of the day!

Most of my new items have been pretty bargainous and I'm really quite pleased with myself that I have managed to bulk up my holiday wardrobe at relatively little cost to my student bank balance. I'm not going to list all of my holiday haul, but here are the new ones that are yet to be worn!

Sunglasses

The top pair I actually bought at the end of last summer so although they are not new they have had little wear. I was lusting after them all summer on the Accessorize website but didn't want to order them until I had seen them on me in 'real life', at the end of the summer I finally found them in a shop, loved them and made a purchase! Turquoise is a favourite colour of mine and I love the idea of having a pair of sunglasses that aren;t your usual black or gold/silver. These are my sunglasses of choice still. They have a pink pair this season which I would also like amongst many, many others, but I've been told by the boyfriend that I don't need anymore...that is never true...

The second pair I picked up last month in River Island for £14, i liked the detailing of the little bow on the side, my two key styles of sunglasses are aviators and oversized so these tick the second box.

The third pair are from New Look, I really wanted a pair of wayfarers and very almost bought a floral pair from Accessorize but then found these in New Look for the lovely price of £4.99 plus student discount, I thought the navy floral print on the inside was lovely...even though noone else will see it!

Bikinis

I do not know why but the first image keeps going upside down, hopefully you get the idea!

I found these two little numbers in Tesco and New Look, respectively. I'm not normally a big bold print kind of gal, but the purple Tesco bikini jumped out at me, I am also favouring bandeau and strapless bikinis at the moment (optimum tanning!) but the shape of this bikini top is really flattering. 

close up of pattern

I love the pattern on the  bikini, I'm a big fan of florals, and the ruffles are so cute! The ruffles are quite flattering on the top if you have an average/small bust, but not so good for the more well equipped ladies. 

close up of detail

The only issue is that I went up a size in the bottoms and they are still slightly on the small side, but I generally struggle buying bottoms...pants/bikinis/jeans etc as I'm quite narrow hipped but with a 'generous' curvy bum (my boyfriends calls it my 'bold curve'...thanks) and a small waist. 

Sandals

Every year for the last 3 years I have bought a pair of New Look Sandals. As far as I'm concerned they are a staple of any girls summer wardrobe. For £12 for leather sandals I think these are great, especially when leather sandals would set you back £20-£25 if not more in most other places. These are listed as £14.99 on the website, but they were £12 in store.

My newest pair are on the left through to my oldest pair on the right (as you can tell by the ware on the soles!) but other than a bit of superglue on one of the soles which came apart a bit, they are still very much wearable. I'm generally a 'silver' person but I have been venturing into gold with some of my accessorise so this years pair are a pale gold. I'm looking forward to wearing them.

Dresses

The first of my bargains is this little number from Tesco, it cost me all of £8 and I love it! It's so pretty and girlie. As mentioned before I'm a big fan or floral and ditsy prints so this was a winner for me, it also came in a few other patterns and colours and I was tempted to buy more than one. Here is a close up of the print

A lot of my florals are pink/pale colour based and I was drawn to the red and bold blue here. The rouched elasticated top means it fits well and has a bit of stretch and also means that I can tuck in the straps and it will stay up on its own if I want a strapless look. It also has some really pretty broderie anglaise detailing along the bottom. 

The next two dresses I picked up in H&M with some vouchers I was given for my birthday, so they were technically free *woo* but they still cost less than £10 each.

The first image is a dark 'denim' blue lightweight maxi dress with small silver buttons down the front. I'm 5ft 9 and often find that maxi's are too short, especially cheaper ones, and this sits perfectly on the floor when I wear flats. I think it will look great with my sandals and a straw hat. 

The second is a coral jersey dress with a pretty crochet detail around the waist/rib cage (depending on your height) A friend of mine also has this in the two patterned versions they have done which are also really pretty and great versatile pieces for the summer, very easy to wear. They can be worn during the day but also dressed up with a few accessories and slightly more glam hair and make up. 

detailing on dress

This last dress I got in the sale on ASOS. It is a Mango dress and I was in reduced from £40 to £19. I'm not usually a fan of muted/natural colours as they tend to wash me out, this has a naturally beige base colour but the brighter colours in the print mean it doesn't wash me out as badly. It has a button down front and elasticated waist, pockets (I'm a BIG fan of dresses with pockets, don't ask me why!) and two little pockets on the bust area. The straps are also detachable so you can change it up a bit. This doesn't look all that much on the hanger but I LOVE it when it is on. This will be a key dress in my summer wardrobe this year.

Well they are all my new purchases, sorry, I've just realised how long this blog has turned out! I hope you have managed to reach the end without getting bored. I will try and get some OOTD while I'm on holiday so you can all see them to their full effect. 

Have any of you got any holiday plans that you are looking forward to? Or just getting excited by the prospect of new summer clothes?

Happy, Happy, Happy Monday!

Happy Monday fellow bloggers and followers!

I am in a very good mood for a Monday, first off, it is another glorious sunny day! Sun always makes me happy, without fail. I'd much rather a day that was cold but clear skies and sunshine than a bit warmer and cloudy or raining.

Secondly, I have been with my boyfriend 2 years today, so tonight we are going out to one of my current favourite places to eat the Sausage Tree. It specialises in sausages (apparently Englands largest selection) and beer (a vast selection-keeps the boyfriend happy). They also do Black Rocks, which is what I shall be having this evening. These are slabs of piping hot granite where you get to cook your own meat, you can have standard steaks but they also do 'exotic' meats such as kangaroo and springbok. I'll probably go for an exotic surf and turf this evening (2 exotic meats, squid, scallops and king prawns) yum yum.

my dinner tonight should look a little something like this

Third, as its our anniversary I got presents! I have been a very lucky girl and been given Imelda Mays album and a pair of shoes!! I had been lusting after them for a little while in Next and pointed them out to my boyfriend a couple of times, he told me he didn't like them, so that was a lovely surprise. I think I'll wear them out this evening. I've been told that I also have something else to look forward to later, lucky me!

my new shoes

Last but by no means least. Yesterday, I spent the day in London looking at galleries for Uni. It was meant to be a 'no shopping' day, but I was walking past a Zara and saw some maxi dresses hanging up which reminded me of a maxi that I completely fell in love with in October. I had been into Zara countless times trying it on but really had no reason to wear it and therefore justify the £50 price tag. It went into the sale in January and was reduced to £30, but with Christmas just gone and birthdays I didnt have the money so I accepted that it would be one of those loves that I would have to live without. I've always kept a look out for it but have seen none since January, so when I saw these new season maxis in the shop, something told me I should go in and have a little look. You can imagine my joy when I got to the back of the shop and there hanging on the sale rail was a solitary dress....my dress! Now I'm thinking to myself, it's going to be either a ridiculously large or tiny size, but no, it was my size....that never happens and to top it all off....it had been reduced to £6!! Well, you just can't say no to that, so I didn't, it is now sitting very happily in my wardrobe waiting for an occasion to be worn.

my new dress-the top is black and the bottom is a dark petrol blue, the back has tiny little black buttons going about 1/2 way down the back

I hope that everyone else has had lovely weekends and are enjoying the start of the week!

In Bruges

...well technically Brussels. During the last weekend in February I had a long weekend in Brussels with 5 of my girlfriends. Even though the weather was appalling we had a lovely weekend.

We were picked up my taxi at 5.30am on the Friday and taken to St Pancras to get the 7.35 Eurostar. It only took 2 hours and by 11am we had arrived at our Hotel. We stayed in the Hotel Bloom which is next door to the Royal Botanical Gardens and about a 15/20min walk to the main areas of Brussels. As there were 6 of us we shared 2 family rooms. The rooms were large, 2 kingsize beds in each, plus a very large desk, TV, armchairs, fridge (this was empty for storing our own things, but also had 2 free bottles of water in every day) and a standard sized bathroom.

Free water

 Total cost for two nights each was 54Euros. I certainly felt that we got our moneys worth. There was a slight mishap at the beginning where we were given keys to rooms that were not clean/empty, but after explaining all to reception we were given a voucher for a free glass of wine each (large red please!) and within 25 minutes they had found us two new empty and very clean rooms.

Our room...please excuse the unmade bed...someone was having a nap!

We spent Friday looking around the main tourist areas of Brussels, the Grand Place and the Mannequin Pis (that little fella is everywhere!) the Grand Place had some lovely old impressive buildings, some quite gothic looking. 

Grand Place by day

  We went back in the evening to a very old pub where I had my first Beer of the holiday, Belle-vue Framboise (I more less only drank this for the rest of the weekend as it was really rather tasty). The Grand Place looked even more impressive to me at night as all the buildings were lit up.

Grand Place by night

The building to the right is the pub

My drink of choice for the weekend

On Saturday we ventured to Bruges for the day, it took about an hour on the train and was 13Euros for a return ticket. I loved Bruges. It poured with rain all day, but I still loved it. I will be going back here for longer when the weather is warmer and sunnier as there was still lots that we didn't see. To make up for the rain we drank more beer, ate lots of delicious chocolate and did a bit of shopping. 

slabs of chocolate

We didn't get back to the hotel until about 8.30 and we asked reception for a hotel recommendation. It was suggested that we go to a place called Skievelat. This turned out to be a great recommendation. I had 2 beers, and one of the best steaks I have ever eaten and it came to 25Euros with tip. I was sufficiently full after and very happy. 

On Sunday I visited my 3rd museum of the trip, the Rene Magritte museum (I had also gone to the textiles and lace museum and the chocolate museum in Bruges) it consisted of 3 floors of his works. It was a very good collection and contained a lot that I had not seen before, it will also give me brownie points with my tutors at uni. Our train home was at 8.30pm and everyone was well and truly shattered after a busy weekend trying to see as much as possible. 

If anyone is planning a trip to Brussels I would highly recommend both Hotel Bloom and Skievelat. I would also suggest that you spend longer in Bruges than in Brussels, by far a more beautiful city. 

It's beginning to feel a lot like Springtime

On Monday afternoon, my boyfriend and I went to Oxford for a wonder around before seeing Bombay Bicycle Club. It was another gloriously sunny day and while walking along the road we spotted a tree with the first few buds of blossom on it. The first blossom of the year! My driveway is also now decorated with lovely sunny daffodils. It's amazing what a few days of sunshine will do. The weatherman says that it is going to get rubbish again, but this little glimpse of spring has made me hopeful that lazy afternoons spent in pub gardens and flip flops are not all that far away.

Bourjois Rose Exclusif Lipgloss

I picked this up in Boots a few weeks ago when I had some time to waste while my boyfriend bought my Valentines Day card in the card shop next door! It is never a good idea for me to go into Boots when I don't have some specific to buy as I will aimlessly wonder around the make up counters mentally putting things into a shopping basket that I don't need and cannot afford! I could have very easily come out with 6 new nail varnishes, 4 lipsticks and 3 glosses, but was very restrained and bought this one little item, and i also got to use my points so it was actually free, this always makes me happy.

Here is a picture of the product, courtesy of the Bourjois website:

And this is their accompanying blurb:

ROSE EXCLUSIF LIPGLOSS

CLEAR LIPGLOSS THAT SELF-ADJUSTS INTO A UNIQUE AND PERSONALISED PINK WHEN APPLIED TO LIPS!

Because the pH of your lips is unique, this lipgloss enriched with pH reactive pigments will self-adjust into a bespoke pink to suit your skin tone!

Its non-sticky texture also brings shine and volume to your lips, as well as maximum confort.

And it's good for your lips:

- Anti-oxidant vitamins E and C

- 8 hours moisture

So, what will be your pink?

I hadn't heard anything about this when I saw it in the shop, and there wasn't a great deal of information on the display so I was a tad confused when it looked to be a pink lipgloss but when I took out the tester the gloss was clear (when you wipe it off after wearing it, it wipes off pink). After some closer investigation I found out what it was all about. Obviously for hygiene reasons you can't go putting the tester directly on your lips, so you can't see what your 'individual pink' will be. It sounded exciting though so I bought it and have been using it ever since. 

I'm quite pleased with the colour, it starts of quite subtle but eventually turns quite a deep pink which is very complimentary to my skin and colouring (as it should be, being based on my natural lip pigment). It claims to be non sticky, which I have to disagree with slightly, however it isn't really sticky and goes on quite smoothly. 

before applying

immediately after applying

a few minutes after applying

The last photo hasn't come out quite as vivid as the colour is in real life, but hopefully you can see that the colour does change. I'd say that it takes about 1o minutes for it to reach its true shade.

I was telling some of my friends about it on an afternoon in town and they were intrigued so they tried some of mine, and we did indeed all have different shades of pink! One of my friends was so impressed we went straight to boots and she picked up one for herself. 

For £6.99 I'm pretty pleased with this little number. It's good during the day to add a bit of colour, but also good in the evening if you don't want too much for your lips. Boots also have 3 for 2 on Bourjois products at the moment, so you can pick up a few extras!