Bourjois Le Smoky Palette & Rouge Edition Lipstick Review

If you like shimmer and glitter this Bourjois palette will be right up your alley. I love, love the design of this Boujois Le Smoky palette, it has eight shades, a cool swivel mirror and is small enough to hold in the palm of your hand.

Eye Shadows (from left to right)
White Pearl shade- Lasts the longest on my lids.
Silver Pearl shade- Lasts the longest on my lids.
Dark Grey with silver glitter shade- silver glitter is quite subtle.
Dark Blue Grey Matte shade
Dark blue/Indigo with blue glitter shade
Dark Purple with lilac and gold glitter shade
Black with Gold glitter shade- Has the most glitter & the glitter will always show up
Black Matte shade.

In my swatches they tend to all look grey-black, some with glitter and some without. But when I used a wet flat brush they look like jewels on my eye lids. The white and silver shades weren't as easy to swatch but applying them to the eye was just as easy as using the other shades.

BOURJOIS LE SMOKY PALETTE PROS 

• The colours can easily create a smoky eye.
• You can definitely see the glitter on the eyelid when using a (wet) flat eye shadow brush but unfortunately they don't swatch as well in photos.
• One of the claims this product makes is being long wearing for up to 12 hours. The satin eye shadows are definitely long wearing and hold up 9 hours easily without primer. By 12 hours it's still on but because of my oily eye lids doesn't it look perfect and needs retouching. If you don't have oily eyelids this will probably last 12 hours even without primer. 
• The palette contains different finishes- four glitter shades, two pearl/shimmer shades and two matte shades.
• The eye shadows are soft.
• The palette is compact and comes with a mirror. I love the swivel design and picture of the girl on the top.
• Price is reasonable.

BOURJOIS LE SMOKY PALETTE CONS

• While the glitter shades are really glittery and catch the light, the pigment behind the glitter is sheer and all blend to a brown/black smokey colour.  Good for smokey eyes though.
• The glitter shades don't wear as well as the satin colours. They fade into a dark grey shadow but the glitter still remains on the lid. I would recommend using a primer to keep the original colour and tomake sure the glitter stays on your lids to limit any fall out /glitter migration while wearing them.
• There are no mid range colours between light silver and dark grey/blue such as a light grey, a pink or a light gold.
• Sometimes you get some fall out from the glitter eye shadows. 

I would use this as a glitter topper that you pat ontop of other matte/shimmer shades to add or enhnace the glitter look. The palette has a narrow shade range which can limit the types of look you can do (there are no bright greens, burgundies, brown, pinks or light gold shades.)
Bourjois palette has a much cheaper price point (£11.99). If you love glitter and are after more than a sheer smokey look then this palette is not for you. There are better glitter shadow palettes out there.

Available at  Feel Unique £11.99  and Superdrug £11.99

Bourjois Rouge Edition Lipstick In Rouge Jet Set (13)

Bourjois Rogue Edition lipstick in Rouge Jet Set 13 is a warm red. Initially I thought it would be too warm for me but it actually looks pretty good on. The finish is satin/glossy. Bourjois has added orchid blossom extract to these lipsticks to ensure that your lips feel hydrated and smooth for up to 10 hours. This lipstick is very moisturising with lots of slip and it feels comfortable to wear.

The shade indicator at the top is pretty accurate match to the shade inside. The lipstick case is oblong shaped to match the rest of their lip products (apart from the lip crayons.) I love the fact that Bourjois have their name imprinted on the bullet as it makes it feel more luxurious. The lipstick smells slightly perfumed, perhaps orchid scented? The smell is really subtle. It also tastes slightly scented and sweet but again it's very subtle.

It will transfer onto cups and glasses. However for such an emollient lipstick it stays put during snacking which surprised me. You do need to reapply if you're eating a full meal though. I can't go 10 hours without eating a proper meal so I can't really test the 10 hours hydrating claim but my lips always feel hydrated and comfortable when I wear this and afterwards my lips feels smooth. If you want to give liquid matte lips a break then this is the perfect lipstick to reach for.

Superdrug £7.99 

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lip Colour Review

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lip Colours are a cheaper alternative to YSL's  kiss and blush.
Bourjois state that they are of 'light texture, extreme comfort, (with) 24 hour hold.' Continuing the liquid lipstick matte trend Boujois have launched their version in bright colours for the summer season. I bought a blue based pink ole' flamingo 05, the perfect name for this colour!
The packaging looks very sleek and compact (3 inches long/ 7.5cm) with 6.7ml of product. The formula is thicker and creamier than other liquid lipsticks. The wand is shorter than average with a soft but thicker doe foot applicator which feels like velvet...excuse the pun.  For precision It's worth drawing the outline with a thin lip brush especially as it's so bright.

The formula takes awhile to dry compared to other mattes lip colour such as MUA Luxe, it took about 5-7  minutes to dry The smell is ever so slightly like a cardboard car air fresher but doesn't really taste of anything. This is comfortable  on the lips it's non drying and feels thick and smooth when applied. This survived a meal and drink which really impressed me but when I ate a nectarine the colour transferred and wiped off. Generally it  wears off  evenly which is good.

I've compared this to MUA Luxe Funk- ole' Flamingo is brighter, lighter and bluer in hue

To sum up,  despite the fact it takes a while to dry I like this, particularly as it survived a meal and doesn't smell or taste of  anything. I have my eye on 07 Nudist, the only nude liquid lipstick I have is Rimmel's Apocolips which to me tastes horrible so it would be nice to have something else in my collection.

Here are some other shades in the collection.

Boots Invigorating Foot Scrub Review and Summer Pedicure Polishes

With summer come sandals, so it's time to pay attention to the more neglected areas of our body: feet! So I have a Boots foot scrub review for you and my favourite pedicure shades to follow.

Boots Invigorating Foot Scrub contains mint, calendula and apricot seed. I bought this because I have eczema on my ankles and read on boots.com reviews that it was fine to use for eczema sufferers. It claims to stimulate circulation and soften rough dry feet.

Directions: Wash and dry area to be treated. Using fingertips gently rub in the cream until the surface flakes. Wash and dry the skin.

This has a fresh clean scent which I like, though it does smell a bit herbally, a scent which I generally don't like (think Neal's Yard.)  This is gentle and non-irritating and it did make my feet feel softer and smoother after use. The the creamy consistency was easy to spread, the granules are very concentrated but because they are fine/small the scrub is not abrasive or harsh. However I don't think it's abrasive enough to scrub away hardened callouses you will need a pumice stone or loofah for that. I didn't find much of the flaky effect either. I didn't think it stimulated circulation very much but I do have particularly bad circulation.This is dermatologically tested but does contain parabens (Methylparaben and Ethylparaben.)

The packaging is fairly basic being Boots own brand but I like the fact that the tube is transparent so you can see the product inside. The flip open tube is also hygienic and it closes properly.

While Boots invigorating foot scrub did smooth and soften my feet it could benefit from bigger granules. I appreciated that it was gentle and did not  aggravate my skin and does seem to be suitable for all skin types as it claims. However it didn't deliver on the promise of stimulating circulation.  I would say this is an adequate basic foot scrub that smooths and softens feet but doesn't do anything extra. On the whole this is  not the best nor the worst,  I would give this a rating 3 out of 5. Boots invigorating foot scrub is £3.49 for 100ml at Boots.

You will like this if...

• You have sensitive skin /expect this to be gentle and non-irritating 
• You find it budget friendly
• Like the transparent and hygienic packaging
• You just want a scrub to make your feet soft.

You may not like this if

• You expect to scrub away callouses
• You want improved circulation

Summer Pedicure Polishes: My picks

As a base coat I've been using Bourjois So perfect base coat to prevent any polish staining nails.

I like bright colours for summer so my current colour choices would be Bourjois So Laque Ultra Shine in Fuchsia Hype: feminine but because it's bright stands out from pastel or barbie pink or Corals such as Nails Inc Copacabana Coral (Exclusive to Instyle magazine but available on Ebay) or alternatively Barry M Gelly Nails in Passion Fruit would look good with tanned feet.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation Review

"16 hours radiance-boosting, even revived complexion. Vitamin rich fruit therapy. Instant anti-fatigue. Undectable coverage.  This gel formula foundation with a treatment serum contains 3 super-fruits: lychee, goji and pomegranate. The vitamin and anti-oxidising super-fruits erase signs of fatigue, even out the complexion and revive its radiance: +69% more radiance after 4 weeks of use! Its instant melting effect and semi-matt finish blend in with the skin colouring, even skin tone naturally and erase blemishes.Hypoallergenic, non-occlusive, it respects the skin’s balance"


Product- 30ml/ 1 fl.oz No. 53 Beige Clair/Light Beige £10.99 (6 shades)

This foundation, if not all of Bourjois foundations lean towards the yellow tones, although it would be nice to see more than 6 shades available (the healthy mix foundation is 8 shades.)
It is also lightly perfumed and smells sweet although it is very subtle, I have asthma and am very sensitive to perfumed products especially on my face but this was fine.

Packaging- This should have a red cap but unfortunately I lost it. Generally I think having a red cap stands out (I think it's supposed to match the berries pictured on the front) and I think the bottle is heavy duty plastic, it's transparent so that you can see the colour of the foundation you're buying. The best thing is that it has a pump which gives as much or as little as you need and so is more hygienic.

Performance- This liquid foundation gives light coverage and dries to a semi-matte finish. It looks a little dewy. The 'gel foundation' feels smoother and silkier on hands than Bourjois 10 hours sleep effect foundation but it is not watery. Its fairly lightweight on the skin.It covers red areas and small blemishes but I'm not sure that it would cover acne or acne scarring.
As well as being hypo allergic this foundation seems to be non-comedogenic (does not seem to block  pores) although it is not labelled as such. I feel confident putting this on and around my nose which tends to attract spots and gets congested and it's fine, it never makes spots worst or create new ones, no breakouts. It lasts about 8 or so hours on my skin without powder.

However I'm not sold on the 16 hours radiance boosting or the 69% more radiance in four weeks- where did they come up with these numbers? Perhaps they did carry out tests, but I did not see any radiance on my skin or feel any benefits from the vitamins and the lychee, goji and pomegranate. However I guess it's nice to know that it contains these healthy ingredients which you're putting on your skin.


I've used this for at least two summers (I've gone through two bottles) and have realised that this doesn't match my skin colour! It's more orange and darker than my skin, I guess this might be okay if I wore fake tan and it would match but I don't. The colour makes the foundation really obvious and fake, but perhaps if it was the right colour it wouldn't. It also often cakes and clings around dry areas like around the nose, so a primer would be good. (I used E45 a nourishing moisturiser but this wasn't enough.) I mainly apply this with my hands.

Conclusion
I've decided to use this up by wearing it for evenings when the colour is not so obvious. I love the fact that it never blocks my pores. However I won't be repurchasing this as I feel there are better foundations out there. Also I've realised that you can use a cream foundation throughout the year changing the coverage by how you apply it e.g. with a damp sponge or brush.

This foundation is good for those with yellow skin tones with combination/normal skin seeking out a drugstore/high street foundation and want a light coverage. If the right colour is chosen it can be good for summer months when you want a lighter foundation.

This is not for you if you have bad acne/acne scarring or want a heavier coverage. If you have dry skin I recommend a primer before hand as well as a very good moisturiser. If you have oily skin this may not last the whole day without powder and you may suit a different foundation.