Bourjois Java Rice Powder Review

I’ve been a fan of Bourjois products for years now and it’s probably my favourite budget beauty brands. I own lots of their products from lipsticks to blushes to foundation and I’ve never been disappointed.

Most recently my favourite product from Bourjois is the Java Rice Powder (or Poudre de Riz de Java) and since it’s now summertime (apparently) this product is perfect for a pretty summery glow.

The Poudre de Riz is a lightly scented powder with a shimmer and a ‘radiant and velvety finish’ to create a ‘youthful glow’. What’s really cool about this is that this product was original created by Bourjois in 1879 as a setting powder. It was discontinued some time in the 1930’s but in celebration of their 150th anniversary they have reinvented it and it’s back! Check out the original poster!

The Java powder only comes in one shade but claims to be ‘universal’ and to ‘light up all skin tones’

I LOVE the packaging of this product so much! In keeping with the reinventing of the vintage product Bourjois have given the new powder a vintage look. The new packaging is very similar to the original one, but with a slight modern edge.

The powder is a pink colour and the shimmer is obvious when you look at it, plus it smells amazing! So if your looking for something a little different from your plain powder then you need to give this a try! I would use sparingly though if using it to set as it is quite sparkly.

I really love this powder and would definitely recommend it to all of you!

If you fancy giving it a go you can get it from Boots for £9.99 and it is currently in the 3 for 2 offer!

Have you tried this powder? What are your other favourite Bourjois products? 

How To Get Rid of Dry Hair

Dry hair can happen for a number of reasons, but whatever that reason it’s never a good look and something that I’m seriously battling with! I’ve tried so many products trying to restore my previously bleached hair and I’ve finally found something that works for me!

My new find is the Ogx range, and I LOVE it!! There are quite a few choices with this brand and I did struggle to pick which one to get. After standing in the aisle for a long time I went with the Coconut Milk Shampoo, Macadamia Oil Conditioner and Argan Oil of Morocco. I wanted to mix it up a bit instead of getting all the same.

My favourite thing about this shampoo is the way it feels when I put it on! My hair is dry and coarse and usually when I put shampoo on my hair still feels dry, this shampoo feels like I’ve put conditioner on! This isn’t liquidy like a normal shampoo, it’s more of a gel, I’ve read a few people saying they don’t like this and it’s hard to lather but I’ve not had this problem. If you feel like your not getting a good lather just pop your head back under the water then put a tiny bit more shampoo on and you’ll get a good lather.

The key ingredients in the shampoo are: Coconut Milk, Whipped egg whites and coconut oils. These ingredients work to nourish the hair, add strength and elasticity and provide hydration. It also smells amazing, who doesn’t love coconut!?

I almost got the Coconut Milk conditioner to go with my shampoo but I really wanted to try all of the products! So I decided to try the Macadamia Oil Conditioner. This conditioner is quite thick but I like it because you don’t have to use loads. Once you’ve used the shampoo as well your hair is already really soft so it’s really easy to apply the conditioner all over your hair. It suggests you leave it on 3-5 minutes but I always like to leave conditioner on for about 10 minutes to let it really work!

The key ingredients in the conditioner are: Macadamia Oil, Sugar Can Extract and Bamboo Extract. These ingredients work to hydrate, smooth, soften and reduce the appearance of split ends.

There was a 3 for 2 offer on when I got my shampoo and conditioner so I decided to try the Argan Oil Penetrating Oil for Dry and Coarse Hair. This is a really nice oil that helps stop any frizzyness caused by dry hair and helps your hair to look really smooth. To use this you apply a small amount to your palm and rub your hands together, then work through towel dried hair. It’s nice because it’s not too greasy and doesn’t leave your hands feeling really oily after.

The key ingredient in this is: Argan Oil of Morocco which helps to revive,smooth and restore damaged dry and coarse hair.

Overall these products have really made a huge difference to my hair, I’ve only been using them for a couple of weeks but have noticed such a difference. They are a little pricey at £7 each but they are really worth it and they are sometimes on offer so keep a look out.

If you want to buy them you can get them here:

Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo – 385 ml

Ogx Macadamia Oil Conditioner 385 ml

Organix Moroccan Argan Penetrating Oil – 100 ml

What Causes Dry Hair?

Dry hair can be caused by a number of reasons, here are the most common:

• Over-washing your hair can strip away your hair’s natural oils
• Blow drying your hair too often
• Too much heat – blow drying, straighteners, curlers
• Chemical treatments – hair dye, perms, and bleach

Simple Fixes

• Wash your hair less often
• Use a shampoo made specifically to help dry hair
• Use hair products that don’t have alcohol, because it is drying.
• Follow the shampoo with a moisturising conditioner. It will keep cuticles lying flat so they hold in natural oils.
• Massage argan oil into your scalp to replenish moisture.

I’d love to hear if anyone has tried this brand of if they have their own tips for dry hair?

Wilko Haul

I’ve never actually been in Wilko before today so I wasn’t really sure what it was about. I’ve seen it advertised on TV before and I was passing today and thought I’d pop in. It’s kinda like another B&M Home Stores with some really cute home ware, which I had to be dragged away from!

Then I found myself in the beauty aisle! There wasn’t much make-up wise but I did stumble across the ‘Essence’ stand which I’ve noticed a lot of people talking about. I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t any of the Cinderella range which I really wanted all off!! But I did get an eye shadow and a lipstick.

I then came across the bath and shower range and I almost bought it all! They have some really amazing stuff!

Here’s what I picked up:

Essence Eyeshadow – Tiffunny

I couldn’t resist buying this gorgeous eye shadow! I am a little obsessed with anything glittery so this had to be added to my collection. It’s a very light silver with glitter through it and it goes on so well, a really nice glitter to add to your eyes for a night out look! It was only £1.60 as well which is a steal!!

Essence Longlasting Lipstick – Cool Nude

If you’ve read any of my other posts you’ll know by now that nearly all my lipsticks are pink. Along with glitter by other obsession is pink! So this time I decided I would branch out a little and since I was really keen to try a nude lipstick I went for the Cool Nude shade. It’s such a beautiful colour and feels really silky on the lips, stays on for a good time as well considering it was only £2.30

Wilko Fruits Body Scrub – Passion Fruit & Melon

I think this stuff might be my favourite ever it smells absolutely amazing! I am seriously so glad I found this and have it in my life! It’s a beautiful purple colour which I love and it’s perfect for exfoliating in the shower! This is definatley going to be one of my regular buys! It was on a ‘Try Me’ offer at only 95p but will be £1.60 I would happily pay £1.60 for this just for the smell!

Wilko Fruits Body Scrub – Coconut & Vanilla

After finding the body scrub I had to try the shower gel as well. Again this is has an amazing smell! I love the smell of coconut and this is amazing in the shower. I come out the shower feeling and smelling so fresh and clean. It really leaves your skin feeling soft and refreshed! Again this was on a ‘Try Me’ offer at only 95p but will be £1.60 and it’s another product I’ll be regularly picking up now!

You can find your nearest Wilko store here: http://www.wilko.com/page/storelocator or you can buy online at the Wilko website.

I would love to hear if anyone has tried any of these products? Comment below! 

Baby Shampoo: Eye Make-Up Remover

Now I know your thinking this must be a joke? Baby Shampoo as eye makeup remover!? Trust me!

So a few weeks ago I had really itchy stingy eyes and after a visit to the Optician I was told I had a condition called Blepharitis, which is basically bacteria which causes an infection along the lashline.I was advised by the Optician to put baby shampoo on a cotton bud and gently wipe along my lashline.

Once my eyes were better and I started wearing make-up again I kept this practice up and realised baby shampoo made an amazing eye makeup remover!

How to Use

• You are supposed to dilute it in water, but I found if you are careful you can put the shampoo directly onto the cotton bud
• Close your eyes and very gently brush downwards along your lashes

What is it like?

Using the shampoo as a makeup remover reminded me of when used the YSL Top Secrets Cleansing Oil in Gel, which is an oil based make-up remover designed to melt of eye make. The baby shampoo does exactly the same! With the YSL makeup remover coming in at £24 a tube I’m going to stick to my 89pTesco Baby Shampoo!

If you want to give this a try you can get it in any Tesco store or online.

I’d love to know if anyone else has had an experience with this? 

6 Must Have Products For Spot Prone Skin

WeWe all want perfect skin (well I do) but unfortunately sometimes things don’t always work out the way we want them too. I am always seriously envious of people with really clear skin that can flaunt it and feel confident with no make-up on. If only we were all so lucky! I have seriously spot-prone skin and often break out in spots, if your the same try out these tips to getting cleaner smoother skin.

Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Liquid Makeup

The Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions foundation is great if your suffering with breakouts and blemishes. It works to clear blemishes as well as covering them up with medicated ingredients to help treat existing breakouts – and keep them from coming back!

This foundation is lightweight and oil-free that helps neutralise redness, while the providing a good coverage that is soothing to the skin.

The thing I love most about this is that it doesn’t dry out your skin like some other anti-blemish products can do. I’m a huge fan of Clinique so can’t recommend this enough!

It’s £24.50 for a 30ml which I think is really reasonable for a good foundation.

You can buy this from a Clinique counter or online at Boots and it comes in around 17 shades.

Beta-Hydroxy Acid 2% Acne Wash

My favourite thing about this wash is that it really doesn’t contain much! It’s free from oil, dyes, fragrances and alcohol which is what I’m always looking for in skin care products, especially when I want something to help tackle my spots – less is more!

This wash helps tackle breakouts by removing excess oil and bacteria, and penetrating deeply into pores. If your wondering what on earth the 2% acid is all about, it is Salicylic Acid which is an acne medication that loosens the oily substances within the pores to prevents future breakouts.

Unfortunately one of the cons of this wash is that it can cause excessive drying of the skin. Always begin with one application daily, to see how your skin is affected, the you can use up to 3 times a day depending on how your skin reacts.

Want it? Get it here

La Roche Posay Effaclar H Compensating Moisturiser

I’m a huge fan of the La Roche Posay brand, and have already tried some of their products.

This moisturiser helps provide skin with the essential moisture it needs while helping to build a barrier against aggressions.

It will leave skin feeling soothed and intensely moisturised and most importantly is paraben free!!

Need this? Get it here.

Origins Super Spot Remover

I LOVE this stuff! Now it is quite expensive at £15 for a 10ml bottle, but with this a little really does go a long way!

This stuff contains Salicylic Acid, which sounds scary but it’s amazing for helping treat Acne. It also contains caffeine which is really helpful as it helps calm and brighten the skin.

I found it immediately reduces redness, swelling and spot size. My favourite thing about this is that it actually forms a film seal over the blemish to protect it from the environment.

It also smells amazing!! Minty fresh!

Need to try this? Get it here

Vichy Dermablend Foundation

This is my favourite product EVER!! I’ve already written a review about this which you can read here so I’m going to keep this short.

This foundation has amazing coverage without looking cakey and is literally the best thing you will find to cover up spots and blemishes. Read my review for full details!

Want to buy? Get it here

Freederm Gel

I wasn’t going to include this at first as I’ve heard some really mixed reviews about this stuff, but I figured, it worked for me so maybe it could work for someone else too.

I suffer from mild Acne on my chin and this stuff worked amazing for me. I didn’t use it everyday, only ever second day and it cleared most of my spots. It says on the box that you should expect it to take 6 weeks before you see a difference and not to stop using if you don’t.

I noticed a major difference after about 2 weeks of every second day use.

I’ve heard a lot of people aren’t fans of this, saying it’s too drying. I only use this on my chin, which does dry up after, but I moisturise after. I can imagine if you used this on your whole face it wouldn’t be very comfortable.

If you fancy trying it get it here

What kind of skin do you have? Have you had any luck with any of these? 

Lipstick Addiction

I recently decided to have a clear out of my make-up and try and organise it a bit better, I don’t know if anyone else is like me but I swear I lose stuff all the time! I’ll remember buying something but haveno idea what I’ve done with it!! So a tidy-up was well needed! I realised over time I have accumulatedALOT of lipsticks. They are definatley my beauty guilty pleasure! I wear lipstick every day so I like to have a good selection! I picked out my favourite from my collection and here they are:

YSL Rouge Volupte

Peach Passion

You’ll see I have two of these in different colours! These retail at around £26 but I was lucky enough to pick it up for £7! There is a shop called Luxury Beauty Store near me in a designer outlet that sells overstock or discontinued products really cheap. I really like this lipstick, mainly because I’m a big YSL fan, but also because the colour is beaautiful! It’s really light and you really don’t feel like your wearing any lipstick at all. It has a really nice smooth, creamy finish and I LOVE the gold case!

Seventeen Lasting Fix Lipstick

Poncho Pink

I’ve actually just found out this has been discontinued which is a real shame! I love this colour so much, it’s my favourite lipstick for when I’m feeling adventurous! I usually stick to paler pinks but I love this one for when I want something brighter. It’s just the right brightness where I can get away with wearing it to work. In terms of lasting, for a cheap brand it stays on really well but it’s not great for when your drinking lots of tea in the office!

Loreal Rouge Caresse

Rose Mademoiselle

I took a punt of this one! I’m not usually into glossy lipsticks but I thought why not? I’ll give it a go! This literally just glides on your lips and gives a nice subtle colour. My favourite thing about this lipstick is it makes my lips feel so soft and silky. This only costs £7.99 and is definatley giving the premium brands some competition!

NO 7 Sheer Temptation Lipstick

Pretty Please

You know when you go to Boots and they ALWAYS give you those NO 7 vouchers!? Well I decided for once I was actually going to use it! I was actually buying foundation and mascara and they had an 3 for 2 offer on so I thought I’d get a lipstick. I won’t lie, this was a panic buy. I was on my lunch break and hurrying to get back but I was technically getting something for free so I just quickly grabbed this and guess what? It’s another glossy lipstick!! I was pleasantly surprise by this lipstick, in comparison to other glossy lipsticks this is something different. It has that sticky feel of a gloss, but not so glossy that when it’s windy your hair sticks to it! It gives a really good colour without being too heavy.

Lancome L’absolu Rouge

Rose Nu

This is an ‘advanced moisturising’ lipstick and I LOVE it!! I’m pretty obsessed with Lancome, it’s hands down my favourite brand. The majority of my make-up, skincare and perfumes are from Lancome. I bought this as my staple everyday lipstick. It’s a kind of pinky/brown and is always in my handbag. It really does live up to it’s claim and leaves lips feel really moisturised and it lasts most of the day with very few top ups required!

YSL Rouge Volupte Perle

Celestial Mauve

For writing this I was looking it up to find out the name of the colour and turns out although it looks exactly the same as the other YSL lipstick I have, apparently it’s different! I think it’s pretty much exactly the same but this one is meant to contain ‘soothing ingredients combined with pearls’…whatever that means. This is a slightly paler colour than I would usually go for but like I mentioned before I love this lipstick for it’s creamy smooth texture.

I’d love to hear if you have any of these and what your thoughts are? Or do you have a favourite lipstick I should try? Please help me feed my addiction by commenting below! x