NOTD: Pop Fiction

The Miss Sporty stands in Boots aren't usually ones that I linger by, but I was intrigued by this bright cobalt blue shade, which looks quite similar to Nails Inc's Baker Street. The polish was really easy to apply. The formula wasn't too thin or too thick and I found the colour was generally opaque with one coat. I did two anyway, partially out of habit and to make sure all the colour was even. The nail polish is part of Miss Sporty's quickdry range and I found that it dried fairly quickly, which is great as I hate hanging around for nail polish to dry! I loved the brush of this! It's quite reminiscent of the new Essie diffusion line brush or the Rimmel 60 Seconds range brush and I really like that it's wide and flat, making painting the nails quicker and easier. The polish lasted well on my nails. I removed it after a few days for work, but I did not experience any chipping during those few days.

I have been seriously impressed by Miss Sporty Pop Fiction, especially as it only costs a measly £1.99 for 7ml. I recently popped into Boots in my lunch break and picked up a pretty yellow one, which I think will be lovely for summer. I'm sure you'll see it pop up in a NOTD soon!

Has anyone else used any nail polishes by Miss Sporty before?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

REN Summer Skincare Masterclass

I went to a REN Skincare Masterclass at Liberty on Thursday and I've never been to anything like this before, so I thought I'd share my experience with you. It was held in the gorgeous Heritage Suite on Floor 3 in Liberty. Liberty is seriously the prettiest shop ever. Sigh. The room had pretty displays focussing on the Radiance range and had oranges dotted around in bell jars, which I thought was a nice touch. In conjunction with this, there was juice, probiotic chocolate and alkaline orange cupcakes laid out for everyone. The class began with skin expert David Delport informing us about the background of the brand (Did you know REN is a British brand? I didn't!), before telling us about the Radiance line and the Anti Aging products that REN have. I really liked that we had the chance to learn more about the products in depth and feel the texture of each product as they were discussed.

Afterwards, we gave ourselves mini facials... That meant taking off my makeup in front of strangers - Something I definitely wasn't expecting to do! We got to try the products that an evening skincare routine would consist of and also the new BB Cream. Along the way, David gave us little tips about the best ways to use the products and how to give yourself a shiatsu facial massage. I'm glad I was able to try the new BB Cream. Apparently it sold out within two weeks! When I first pumped some out, it looked scarily orange but it somehow blended into my skin seamlessly and left my skin looking more even and dewy, without looking cakey.

Before we left, we were given a cute black canvas tote and a pack of mini samples, which I thought was a nice touch and I was excited to see a mini sample of the BB Cream, which I am looking forward to trying over an extended period of time!

After the class, we were taken back downstairs to the Beauty Hall to pick some products. The class cost £35, which was redeemable against any products bought on the day, so I decided to get the Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Face Mask (£30), which I have been dying to try for ages and the Clarifying Toning Lotion (£18).

I had a lovely time at the masterclass. I would definitely recommend it to anyone that wants to know more about REN or skincare. Keep an eye out on the beauty events on the Liberty website, as that's how I came across this masterclass and I assume they might do more in the future.

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipsticks

From L-R: Sloane's Plum, Berry Queen, Nude Delight, Notting Hill Nude, Aubrun Breeze

Rimmel's Moisture Renew Lipstick in Nude Delight lipstick is one of my favourite nude lipsticks and I have repurchased it twice already. As I love Nude Delight so much, I decided to buy up a few more of the Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipsticks on Fragrance Direct as they were a bargainous 99p!

I really like the formula of these lipsticks. They are easy to apply and are not drying on the lips. I find that they're not the most long lasting lipsticks, but I don't mind too much as I usually expect moisturising formulas to last a shorter time on the lips. The lipsticks have a strange smell. It's not that unpleasant, but it definitely isn't as nice as the vanilla-y MAC Lipstick scents. I am not a big fan of the packaging... While purple is my favourite colour, I find the packaging to be a little garish and quite bulky. That being said, the bright packaging does make it easier to find the lipsticks once they've been thrown into the abyss that is my handbag.

When I first opened Sloane's Plum, I was thinking that it would be a shade that would be relegated to the back of my makeup drawers as the purple hue of the bullet scared me! But on the lips, it becomes a really pretty plum colour. If you want to see what it looks like on the lips, I'm wearing it in my latest Youtube video. Berry Queen is your typical blue toned red. It's a lovely shade, which I think would suit all skin types and it also makes your teeth look super white! As I mentioned before, Nude Delight is a gorgeous peachy nude, which I looove. While I don't usually like pink toned nudes, as they make me look a little dead, Notting Hill Nude has the right amount of pink and brown mixed in to create this gorgeous 'my-lips-but-nuder' colour. It's fast becoming a contender for my favourite nude lipstick. Auburn Breeze looks different on the lips to the bullet. It's a nice 'my-lips-but-better' colour,  but isn't my favourite as it has a bit of a glittery sheen to it.

Have you ever tried any Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipsticks?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Review: REN ClearCalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser

I bought this REN ClearCalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser (Longest alliteration cleanser name ever?) a few weeks ago, as my skin was feeling a little temperamental and was breaking out left, right and centre. This cleanser is marketed by REN as a "purifying, antibacterial cleanser formulated to combat and help prevent breakouts and blemishes" (From RENSkincare.com) - which sounded like something my skin needed. I have been using this cleanser for the past few weeks and I thought I would share my thoughts on it.

The ClearCalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser is clay based, as the name suggests, but it is surprisingly creamy. I usually use one pump and massage it all over my face after I have cleansed with the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm. It spreads around the face nicely and is easy to massage. The product has no fragrances, which I like as I don't like using perfumed products on my face. I've found this super gentle to use and I've put it around the eye area without any irritation. After washing it off, my skin doesn't feel dried out or tight. It leaves my skin feeling refreshed and clean. With daily use, this has definitely helped clear up my breakout and helped to balance out my skin, which I am so happy about. This cleanser costs £18 for 150ml, which I think is reasonable as you get a large amount of product. I bought mine from Salon Skincare, as they were selling it for 10% off (making it £16.20).

I really like REN, as their skincare is 'clean' and does not contain things like parabens, sulphates, mineral oil, synthetic fragrance and colours, etc. I don't know that much about deciphering ingredients, but you often hear that you should avoid products with parabens, mineral oil, etc, and my theory is the less, the better. I am definitely going to look into more of their products and I even came across a REN Skincare Masterclass, which is at Liberty tomorrow and managed to get booked onto a session, which I am super excited about.

Have you tried any products from REN?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

NOTD: Pistachio Ice Cream

3 coats of Makeup Academy Nail Polish in 'Pistachio Ice Cream'

Hello everyone, how are you all? It's been a while!

I picked up this Makeup Academy nail polish from Superdrug for the bargain price of £1. I was drawn in by the new packaging, which has a similar resemblance to Essie packaging and I loved the look of the pretty minty green colour, which is one of my favourite colours to wear on my nails during the Spring and Summer.

The colour looks slightly more green in the bottle, but the nail polish is a really pretty pastel mint. The colour is very similar to American Apparel's Office, which is one of my favourite mint nail polishes. The formula of this nail polish was quite thin and runny. It applied very streakily on the first coat and became generally opaque with a few sparse patches on the second coat. I found applying three coats gave perfect opacity. The brush is very small and thin, which is not my favourite type of brush as I prefer the wider brushes which are easier to use. I found that each coat dried quickly and the polish has lasted well on my nails (even without a top coat). I've had it on for 3 days now and I only have a little tipwear.

Have you tried any nail polishes by Makeup Academy?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy