Disappointing products #9

The following products just didn't work for me but we all have skin that responds differently to others when we're trying out different products, so these are just my own experiences. I have combination and sensitive skin on my face and the rest of my body is sensitive too.

Boots Botanicals Micellar 3 in 1 Cleansing Solution All Bright  
Initially I was hesitant to try this because of the 'All Bright' brightening effect of the hibiscus AHAs. AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) clear away old, dull skin cells revealing glowing skin underneath. However general skincare advice for sensitive skin is to avoid AHAs and BHAs as they can be harsh and damage the skin barrier which is already thinner than those with normal skin. But the concentration of AHAs in this product is low and is mild on the skin, way more gentle than something like Pixi Glow Tonic. It did have a warming effect on my skin but it didn't feel uncomfortable or that it was burning my skin. Since it contains AHAs it will make your skin more sensitive to the sun so it's recommended to apply SPF (moisturiser or sun cream) during use and for one week afterwards.

I'm not a big fan of micellar waters in general because you just end up soaking more and more cotton pads and it doesn't feel that effective. But I felt that this was the one! I fell in love with this product because it felt like what a micellar water should be: it only took two pads to clean the skin, it didn't leave a film on the skin and my skin felt really clean because it was excellent at removing all traces of make up. Plus it has a mild, inoffensive scent.

So where did it go wrong? Well after about 6 weeks I started to develop a red patch on my cheek along with a spot that just wouldn't go. It was immune to witch hazel, niacinamide and salcylic acid. Eventually it went after 7-8 weeks of constant application of tea tree oil. During this time I cut out different products in my routine in order to find the culprit. When I switched cleansers it went but when I started using this micellar water to remove my makeup again I found that I got a red patch and a spot that refused to go away on the other cheek. Again 7-8 weeks later the spot finally went. So if your skin is sensitive or acne prone I would avoid this.

The Body Shop Pina Colanda Body Butter
I really, really wanted to like this because the smell is heavenly! It's smells of pineapple and coconut. It does a good job of moisturising but unfortunately it makes me itch. I'm brokenhearted as I love this the smell of this so much. It's also the first Body Shop body butter I've had this reaction to, I've tried coconut, strawberry, mango, olive, shea butter, Vineyard peach and blueberry in the past and have been fine. I think I'm going to try the Virgin Mojito instead to get that exotic summer scent.

Freedom Pro-Studio Strobe Cream Highlighter. 
Once you applied this it sinks into the skin and the highlight effect pretty much disappears. You can see my full review here 

Boots Fragrance Free Eye Makeup Remover Pads
I used these when I had to pack an overnight bag and didn't want to take a bottle of makeup remover. These pads are in a small pot that is great for travel. However they are incredibly greasy and therefore messy to use. They do remove waterproof eyeliner and mascara but it's not a pleasant experience using these because you end up spreading grease everywhere.

Marks & Spencer Sun Smart Sensitive Moisture Protect Sun Lotion  SPF50
Despite having sensitive skin I've always been fine using any old sunscreen. Usually I just pop into Boots and grab any ones on offer at the time. I got this in a beauty box and was happy that I didn't need to buy any sunscreen for this summer. However after I applied this to my arms I ended up with a red bumpy rash all over them. Thank god I didn't apply this everywhere. After a week or so it cleared up. In the past I've stuck to well known brands rather than store branded ones and although this might just be a one off, I'll probably stick to the big branded names that haven't caused any reactions in the past. So if you have sensitive skin be wary of this.

Shay and Blue Blood Oranges Perfume Review

Shay and Blue London are an English boutique perfumery established in 2012 and has gone from strength to strength, wining Best Artisan Fragrances in 2012 (Monocle) and the winner of Best New Fragrance House in 2014. Founded by Dom De Vetta and Julie Massé, Shay and Blue specialise in modern, artisan, natural fragrances using real flowers, fruit and spices. Their products are paraben and phthalate free. They do not test on animals and they are certified by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.)

Blood Oranges is a citrus, unisex perfume launched in 2012 and created by Julie Masse. The scent is very fresh as it should be with the 100ml bottle containing three pounds of real fruit. The scent won Best Classic Fragrance in 2016 by Wallpaper Magazines.

This was in my Marks and Spencer Beauty Christmas Calendar and now it's summer it's the perfect time to wear it as it's very fresh and summery, though it would be a good to wear during spring too. I have had another orange scented perfume before Manderine Therapy by The Healing Garden which I liked it and wore it as an everyday perfume to work.

This is a 10 ml bottle with a spray nozzle which I prefer over a roller ball as I find that you get more projection with a spray. The nozzle is strong and emits a rather powerful spray. I like the look of the simple 10ml bottle, although it looks a bit like a room fragrance bottle or aftershave. The perfume is unisex though so looking paired down or like an aftershave matches the brand and the unisex fragrance.

I don't know why but the 10 ml and 30 ml bottles are blue and the 100 ml is in a green bottle. However I know everyone seems to fall in love with the design of the largest bottle. To me it's fairly attractive, has a old fashioned pharmacist vintage vibe but I don't think it's very special or innovative compared to Ghost's crescent moon bottles, Gallop d'Hermes stirrup bottle, Kenzo leaning poppy bottle and DNKY Be Delicious apple bottles.

The perfumery is very much like Jo Malone, producing unisex, modern, natural scents focused on real fruits and flowers and both are based in London. The branding is similar with simple bottle designs and labels and the larger bottles presented in similar boxes. The Shay and Blue box has a clean, classic Breton stripe, bow and of course a blue box, it's pretty but still unisex.

 Shay and Blue 

Courtesy of  Shay and Blue

In this perfume the immediate, bursting top note is blood orange. Blood oranges are a cross-breed of exotic pomelo and clementine. The middle note is leather and the later bottom notes or dry down  contains musk, wood and amber. It is quite a simple perfume with only five notes. I can smell orange, leather, a bit of pine trees though it's very subtle and some musk towards the end. The orange note smells like fresh orange juice and tangerines, natural, fresh and invigorating. Initially it's full on fresh and sharp and then mellows to slightly sweet and and then slightly bitter. This is the first fragrance I've tried with leather as a note and initially I though it was odd to use in a fragrance. However leather has been used for centuries and Hermes are well known for using leather and and the note is also used in Dior Fahrenheit, I just haven't come across it before as I usually go for fruity floral perfumes. However it surprised me as it complements the orange, making the scent warmer, enhancing both notes and bringing a sense of comfort. Shay and Blue's website describe the bottom note as charred wood but to me it's not smoky at all but fresh pine and very, very light and subtle.  There is a slightly musky note towards the end which gives it a hint of sexiness but it's very close to the skin so I can imagine a die hard orange fragrance fanatic could wear this at night as the smell is intimate but it would probably not be musky enough for most people to wear as evening scent. This is mostly a linear perfume where the orange scent remains throughout with only very subtle changes as it wears. This is not a sweet, candy scented orange so some people may find this too masculine a scent.


On me Blood Oranges lasted around 5 hours (on hot days) and wore close to the skin for the last 3 hours. I think the longevity is slightly below average. Shay and Blue also sell Blood Oranges body and hand washes, body and hand lotions and hand creams so you can layer the products to extend the longevity of the fragrance. You can wear this fragrance to work as it's not very overpowering, the projection (perfume trail) is moderate.

The largest bottle of Shay and Blue Blood Oranges contains 100ml and is priced at £55 which is good value for a such a generous bottle. While a 10ml bottle doesn't sound like much it's good for travel and for trailing a scent. The price isn't that bad considering it's a luxury perfume on a price level with Clinque Aromatics Elixir which also sells for £25 for a 10ml bottle.  Comparing it to Jo Malone, the starting price is lower with the smallest Jo Malone bottles containing 30ml which sells for £45. Shay and Blue also sell combination gift boxes and samples on their website. If you're a big fan of the scent they also sell Blood Orange candles to scent your home.

To sum everything up, this is summer in a bottle and reasonably priced. I can see it being  popular as a daytime scent and suitable for pretty much all occasions and ages.

Stocked in Marks and Spencers, QVC UK (which has lower prices) and on the Shay and Blue website (they offer international delivery.) 

MAC Cosmetics False Lashes Extreme Black Mascara Review

I wrote this post during my hiatus. Unfortunately these mascaras are now too old to wear (they should be replaced every 3 months to avoid eye infections) so I couldn't take pictures of my eye lashes wearing this mascara but just so you know I have long black straight lashes.

MAC Cosmetics describes this mascara as "Fashionably false in look but honestly real, this mascara's key benefits of volume and curl are matched by a dramatically exaggerated end look... The result is incredibly magnified and multiplied lashes that are thick, long, curled and feathered." They claim this mascara is the blackest of them all - carbon black. It is ophthalmology tested so should be fine for contact lens wearers, but it's not waterproof, although there is a waterproof version available.

The reality- I'd describe this mascara as a natural look or daytime mascara because it doesn't give lashes a dramatic full on false lash effect as the name implies. The brush is a bristle brush (rather than a plastic one) which MAC Cosmetics describe as being 'a unique double lush brush' that pushes up eyelashes. When I use it doesn't push up lashes and I fail to see why there's anything unique about it. This could be because I was testing the smaller sample brush but the full sized brush pictured on the website looks just like any other brush. However the wand is great for separating and fanning out the lashes. It's a wet formula which MAC claim is 'ultra thickening' but I don't think it made my lashes look thicker or have more volume.  I found it does lengthen lashes but it didn't give my lashes any volume let alone the 75% increase MAC claims. It does hold a curl though even on my straight lashes. Despite the claim of 100% increased curl it would not be my first choice, I think Benefit Cosmetics Roller Lash Mascara is better for that. However the good thing is that this mascara doesn't smudge or flake and I had no problems wearing it with my contact lenses.

Two layers of this mascara produces a natural look rather than a ' va va voom' glam false lashes look. Apart from the colour which could be described as 'extreme black' this does the opposite of what is claims. This is a very natural looking mascara about as far away from 'False Lashes' as you can get. MAC Cosmetics claim that this mascara gives 75% increased volume, it gives 0%. It claims to give 100% curl more like 60%.

In my opinion I think MAC Cosmetics has wrongly marketed this mascara, yes it's a very dark black but the emphasis on the false lash look doesn't really match up with my experience of it. In all honesty I think there are much better mascaras out there for way less money.

MAC Cosmetics False Lashes Extreme Black Mascara MAC Cosmetics £20

12 Spring /Summer 2018 Nail Polish Trends

1. Red Nails
Red nails never go out of style. Get summer ready nails by going bright red with a hi shine finish. At Adam Selman models had oval nails painted with Orly's Scarlet Breathable Treatment + Colour in Love My Nails. Similar nails were also spotted at Armani and models at Sonia Rykiel wore a warmer orange-red nail polish.

2. Neon Nails
Nothing says summer more than bright neon nails. Miss Pop, the head nail technician at Jeremy Scott, used CND Shellac colours in Electric Orange and Hot Pop Pink Creative Play Shades and painted silver glitter on the fingers for a comet trail effect. Neon pink, orange, yellow and blue nails were also seen at Fenty Puma.

 

3. Abstract Nails
Nail artist Lauren Michelle Piers working for House of Holland created a negative space wave pattern on the nails that looked a little like the Pepsi logo. Red waves were also seen at Tanya Taylor inspired by ribbons of fabric, using Essie nail polishes in Allure, Between the Seats and Fifth Avenue. Nails at Novis had sea wave designs created with Christian Loubotin nail polish in Barbaboum. Over at Byblos models wore a bright graffiti pattern consisting of dots and circles. While Manish Aurora went for purple Kaleidoscope nails. At Christian Siriano six different nail polishes were applied with a striping brush to create a bright tweed/abstract pattern.

 

4. Metallic Nails

Roland Mouret used four different metallic shades on his models but the stand out green shade pictured below is Christian Louboutin nail polish in Miss Mars. Oscar De La Renta used a gold Essie polish on models nails while at The Blonds they were decorated with a silver 3D diamond pattern. 

 

Libatore painted nails in gold leaving negative space at the moon of the nails. Metallic cat eyes using Essie nail polish in Girly Grunge  and Essie Dressed To The 90s were seen at Rebecca Minkoff. Michael Costello used a variety of Essie polishes in Penny Talk, Buy Me a Cameo and Imported Bubbly  to create a gold ombre look.  

 

5. Floral  Nails

Over at Rodarte manicurist Traceylee applied Essie's Topless Barefoot nail polish and then glued real flowers onto the nails. Next she hand painted flowers along the nails and fingers using dots and a Swarovski crystals for the centre of the flowers. At Michael Costello nails were accented with a hand painted rose using Essie Penny Talk nail polish. Over at Creatures of Comfort abstract flower petals were painted on model's nails using Deborah Lippman nail polishes. 

6. Gems

Gina Edwards working for Nadeem Khan created these 'crystal swan nails.' She painted salon acrylic nude nails in an antique silver polish, added jewel accents and finished using AB real crystals.  At Area NYC a vertical line of Swarovski gems decorated blue and red metallic nails. Over at Philipp Plein nail artist Mei Kawajiri used jumbo 3D gems which contrasted against the black nail polish.

7. Nude Nails 

Nude nails were spotted at Mugler and over at Berardi where the hands were also decorated in patterns. At Teatum Jones the nude was opaque rather than sheer with two coats of  Christian Louboutin's Nail Colour in La Favorita. 

 

8. Minimal Nails

A single black line or two paired with a nude base was used for maximum effect at Kate Spade, Philip Lim and Tibi. At Kate Spade nails were painted with Deborah Lippman Shape of My Heart nail polish and Fade To Black was used for the line. At Philip Lim the black stripe was painted across the nail moon while at Tibi the thin stripe was accompanied by a thicker stripe both vertically or on some models horizonally. JINsoon Dew was used as a basecoat and then JINsoon purple or black nail polish was applied with a striping brush to draw the lines. Then a coating of JINsoon Top Gloss created a hi shine finish. 

 

9. Modern French Manicure

A bright teal French manicure was seen at Alice+Olivia using Essie nail polishes. Alice+Olivia also had nails with a very precise thin blue-green french tips. French nails were given a futuristic metallic makeover at Sachin and Babi where nails were painted with Dermelect Nail Colour in Sophisicate (a cool grey taupe) with silver leaf pressed onto the nail tips. 

 

10. Glitter Nails
At Anna Sui chunky silver glitter nails matched the silver eye make up. While Tom Ford nail artist Mei Kawajiri was inspired by Rihanna and mixed gold and pink glitter for the base and airbrushed the tips black. Francesco Scognamiglio went for an avant-garde look covering the entire hand and nail in silver glitter.

11. Spell it out
While nails at Helmut Lang bore the name of the brand at Preen they spelled out 'Life Force', 'Dark Child' and 'Mercy Me.' You can apply Rimmel's New Romantic nail polish as a base and buy alphabet nail decals from Amazon. Then seal them by applying a gloss top coat.

12. Embellishments
Time for some seriously over the top nails, Libertine led the pack with their theme of rebellion, artistic uprising and haute hedonism. Working with CND, pave Swarovski crystals were used for smiley faces, skulls and dollar signs. Pill capsules were stuck onto nails that were opened to reveal 'a dose of fabulousness spilling out' hinting at the illicit. While Small hidden blades 'warn that dangers lie under the nail surface.' Nail artist Jan Arnold brought a tropical look to model's nails using CND floral embellishments for The Blonds runway.

 

Soap and Glory Rushower Scent-Sational Dry Shampoo Review

After the disappointment of Aussie Miracle Dry Shampoo (reviewed here) I decided to buy the travel sized 50 ml version this time instead of the full sized can. I love the fact that Soap and Glory named their dry shampoo as an abbreviated pun on rush-hour / rush shower (although maybe I'm just easy to please. My dream job would be to invent lipstick and eye shadow names!)

Soap and Glory emphasise the scent of the product by naming it 'Sent-sational' with a 'friction-activated TOUCH-RELEASE™ technology to give your hair a gorgeous burst (of scent) whenever you run your fingers through it.' The scent is substantial but not overpowering but you may want to make sure your perfume harmonizes with the dry shampoo. The scent is not as strong as the Collab New York dry shampoo which verges on body spray territory. The formula contains mandarin rose and bergamot. I would describe the scent as a typical hair product scent, pleasant but not unusual. To me this smells like a fresh but floral hair mousse, as if you're at a hairdressers with a bouquet of flowers beside you or fresh out of the shower after using a floral shower gel.

The directions tell you to shake the can before using it and hold the can upright 15 cm away from the hair and spray liberally, focusing on the roots. Afterwards massage the roots with finger tips until the grease it gone. If you want to refresh the fragrance then just ruffle your hair during the day. Other dry shampoos recommend holding the can 20 or 30 cm away so 15 cm is easier to hold and doesn't seem to affect the performance of the product. I used Scunci's ceramic Volume brush from Primark alongside the dry shampoo to build volume at the roots and distribute the product. Although any brush with backcombing bristles would work.The mist is fine and it's not sticky either. It doesn't leave white marks on my brunette hair.

It absorbs grease well but the true test is whether it's long wearing. My hair usually gets greasy on day 2 hair and I wash it every other day with Pantene's Classic Care Shampoo. When I use other shampoos I find that I have to wash my hair every day. The first time I used this was on day 4 hair and it made my very lank hair look in acceptable enough condition to leave the house. It did itch a few times in the first 20 minutes afterwards and then it was completely fine. I don't know whether this was because I may have been a bit trigger happy spraying it onto my hair. It lasted about 6 hours before needing a refresh spray. To some people it may seem that 6 hours isn't a product with a great performance record but for me this is the only dry shampoo that has lasted more than an hour on my thick hair and oily roots. The dry shampoo is easy to wash out. I have been using this over a few months mostly once every 7-10 days on hair that's gone without washing day 3-7 day hair. It initially itched once or twice on application but doesn't anymore. It gives volume to lank hair and does absorb some of the grease. It is a lifesaver as it makes my hair look good and clean. However I've used  this on at least 10 occasions and 3 of those occasions it didn't do anything, so the success rate is about 70%. The three times it didn't do much may have had something to do with my technique.

To sum up Soap and Glory's Rushower Scent-Sational Dry Shampoo gets a thumbs up good review but not a glowing review. It's definitely worth checking out especially if you don't have thick hair. I will be buying the bigger sized can and will happily keep using on using this.

Poundland Nail Polish One Coat Wonders & Fearne Capri Body Lotion Review

After being impressed by Poundland's Makeup Gallery nail polish in Midnight Black (which you can read about here) I decided to pick up a couple more nail polishes. I actually get really impatient when doing my nails so i'm glad that both of these red polishes are opaque in one coat (my favourite kind of polish!) Each polish contains 10 ml and costs £1.

Poundland Make Up Gallery Well Polished Ridge Base
I picked this up because I have deep ridges in my nails at the moment. The formula is thinner than I expected it to be but it wasn't runny. It took around 9-10 minutes to dry. I noticed that it doesn't protect against stained nails so dark colours would need another base coat as well to prevent staining. I wore the red nail polishes twice without the Well Polished Ridge Base and just used Bourjois base coat by itself and noticed no difference. In short, this base coat doesn't really do anything so it's not worth buying.

Poundland Make Up Gallery Pillar Box Red 15 is a bright but classic warm red and because it's a bright and cheerful it's perfect for summer! It's so bright and shiny it could be mistaken for a gel polish, Poundland's Makeup Gallery Time to Shine range definitely delivers on the shine! The brush handle is short but it has a long and wide brush which makes it easy to apply. It also claims to be 'Quick Dry,' it took about 4-6 minutes to dry which isn't very quick, it's probably the average or just under average drying time. Then I applied Butter London's Hardwear PD Quick Top coat on the fingers that I wasn't using the matte coat. The first time I applied Pillar box red nail polish it lasted around 3 days but the second time I used it it lasted 4- 5 days. I also applied this over a thick and gloopy base coat (that I'm trying to use up) and it didn't affect the smoothness of either of the red polishes, they still looked great.

Poundland Make up Gallery Ruby Red 16 looks very similar to Pillar Box red but is a shade or two darker and took longer to dry as well around 7-10 minutes. I just applied one coat but obviously two coats would produce a darker shade. It is just as shiny as Pillar box red and has the same brush. I wore this earlier without any topcoat and it lasted about 2 days before chipping. This time around I used a topcoat and while the polish is showing signs of wear on the tips it still looks presentable 5 days later.

Poundland Makeup Gallery Matte Top Coat. I have never used a matte top coat and I'm pleased to say that it works, turning Poundland's super shiny Time To Shine nail polish completely matte. The consistency of Poundland's Matte Top Coat is fairly thick and you have to be careful not to apply too much as it gives the nail a puffy look that takes longer to dry. During application it's sometimes hard to see where you have applied it because it's transparent but that issue would be the same across all matte top coats. It's best to apply this over a top coat that's good at preventing chips to make your manicure last longer.  I applied the matte top coat over Butter London's P.D. Quick Topcoat (which is glossy)  and it made them matte. The matte finish wears off after 5-6  days but by then you would have to take the polish off anyway.

Out of all the polishes I'd recommend the Matte Top Coat, it stays matte at least for 4- 5 days and compared to the price of a lot of matte nail polishes it's a bargain! Both of the red polishes didn't seem to last as long as Poundland's Time To Shine polish in Midnight Black but 4-5 days is pretty good in my book (especially as they're not gel polishes.) Overall I think Poundland's Makeup Gallery Time To Shine nail polishes are good value for money and I look forward to trying more from them.

Ferne Capri Body Lotion

I am a big fan of the reality show 'The Only Way is Essex' and Ferne Mccann's down to earth character with her foot-in-mouth tendency grew on me. She now has a range of body skincare in Poundland along with fellow ex Towie member Mario Falcone's mens range. Ferne's range includes body washes and body sprays in Capri and Blush Oud. Capri is also available as an EDT and body lotion. There is also a Sorento body spray as well as false nails and false lashes.

Ferne wanted to 'design a luxurious product range for everyone, that shows off the scents I love in beautiful packaging.' The packaging is really pretty and elegant. For just a quid you get a generous 150 ml for your money and the low price point makes it accessible for everyone. The body lotion contains shea butter to provide hydration and aloe vera juice to soothe skin. It does contain parabens though (Methylparaben and Ethylparaben.) The lotion is white and is thicker in consistency and feels more like a cream. Although it feels a bit greasy on application it soon goes away which I was really surprised about, leaving the skin well moisturised.

While the packaging and price is great, the scent?  In my opinion Capri smells.....like Cif Lemon cleaner. It has a sharp lemon note to it. I guess Capri is inspired by the citrus plants in Italy but to me it smells like a bathroom cleanser. If you are in love with citrus scents you may like this better than me.

It's not a bad product it's very moisturising and leaves skin feeling soft I just wish it came in another scent. I think this is going to be my hand cream as it's thick, non greasy moisturiser which would will come in handy during winter. Ferne also has two other body sprays in Sorento and Blush Oud which I may check out in future.

Primark Beauty Haul Part 2

This is the second part of my Primark beauty haul which is mainly  comparing  three brush cleaners/ brush mats as well as a brush and nail polish.

Primark's Lips Shaped Brush Mat has five different textures to work your brushes into as you clean them. The wavy lines and semi circle nodules are very effective for cleaning bigger thicker brushes such as foundation brushes while the dots are good for fine, small eye brushes. It doesn't have any suction pads to stick to the basin so initially I used it near the lip of the basin but it gave me back ache. Instead I found it much more comfortable to hold it vertically in one hand while holding the brush in the other. For £1.50 this is a bargain and actually works very well.

Primark Pink mini silicone brush cleaner. You're supposed to pop this on a finger or two and use the other hand to swirl the brush on it. Although I have slim fingers it felt like a squeeze to fit more than one inside and it felt more comfortable to hold in the palm of the hand instead. The long grooves are best for the bigger brushes and the smaller dots for eye brushes. This is the one I think you can skip- the other two brush cleaners are better and easier to use.

Primark Heart shaped 2 in 1 brush cleaner & Brush wiper (£2)  I've seen these brush wiper sponges on ebay but when I got this I didn't realise this is actually a 2 in 1 brush cleaner!  You can use the black sponge to wipe your brush clean before you use a different eye shadow and if you take the sponge out you can use the patterned silicon base as a brush cleaner! It's like a tray with a raised polka dot texture inside and the back of has a ridge pattern for bigger brushes. This is the most comfortable to use as it fits nicely into the palm of the hand. This is a brilliant multi-tasker!

Primark PS. Blue Eye Makeup Brush
Another 2 in 1 brush from Primark, one end is a slim and pointed pencil brush which is good for running eye shadow across the lash line and precise enough for highlighting the inner eye. The other end is a small flat brush good for applying eye shadow. It's smaller than the other Primark double eye shadow brushes I've bought (16cm vs 19cm) with much smaller heads, the pencil end is 0.8cm in length and the flat brush is 1 cm long. This makes it easier to create detailed eye makeup looks. I don't think there's been a Primark brush I haven't liked, so if you're after cheap but good quality make up brushes I'd recommend them.

Primark PS Satin Matte Nail Polish in Postbox Red (£1.50)
This nail polish is a thin but pigmented formula which requires a thin smooth base coat underneath. It will show any uneven strokes and you have to be careful to have enough polish at the tips so that  brush stroke marks won't appear. The brush is wide and fairly short and in two strokes will often cover a nail. It is opaque in one coat and dries fairly quickly which makes up for a fussy application. This is the first polish I have that is a satin matte finish which reminds me of a ribbon, it has a sheen to it so it's not completely matte. The staying power is pretty good, I painted my nails on Thursday and now it's Sunday, there is some slight wear along the tips but otherwise my nails look in good shape.