Superdrug Mini Haul

Last week, I was browsing in Boots and Superdrug and weirdly enough I couldn't find anything exciting to buy... still, I managed to pick up two things from Bourjois.

Bourjois Intuitive Liner

Intrigued by the Clarins 3-Dot Liner which came out recently, but no way I was going to spend 20quid on it; luckily enough Bourjois came out with a dupe in a matter of weeks.

umm, not sure - it, definitely, has some cons and pros.

Let's star with the cons: it's not a really deep dark black and it's very wet liner.

In fact, it takes a while to dry but it doesn't bleed as much on the eyelid, compared to the swatch on my hand.

Pros: it's very easy to use and definitely faster. It's just perfect to line the inner upper lashline and the lower lashline.

I like the effect - it adds depth and definition to the eye but at the same time is subtle.

It is worth a try, in my opinion, for this price... personally, I wouldn't spend the £20 but then again, I haven't tried the Clarins one so I don't know how they compare.

Bourjois 10 Day Nail Polish in #17

I don't need another nail polish for sure and I wasn't looking for one but then this colour caught my eyes because it looked pretty similar to Chanel Suspicious that just came out - yeah, definitely close enough for me!

I hadn't tried this range before and I thought the brush was a bit tricky to use (the square cap is not the easiest to grab) but the colour did last well for a whole week and the coverage is pretty amazing too; the swatch below is only 1 coat (pardon my cuticles, I had just finished the dishes :))

Any suggestion on what to use my points in Boots?? :)
xxx

Delivery / Asos

I placed a cheeky order on Asos.com few weeks ago... well, not that cheeky after all since everything was on sale.

Yeah, I kinda of trained myself to avoid the website, otherwise I would order something every bloody week - still, I let myself indulge during the sales... good compromise, right?! ;)

ASOS Lula Ballet Flats with Colour Block

I've been wanting a pair of pastel flats for few months but couldn't decide on the colour... so I went multicolour - yay - and I like the metallic inserts, too.

These were pretty affordable at normal price (£25) but I got them for 13quid which I'm very pleased with. I wear a 7Uk and the shoes are a bit on the large side but the 6 was too small... oh the joy of being an half size, NOT!!!

They didn't come in a box but they sent them in a dust bag, at least.

 Oasis Pearl Flower Stretch Ring & Earrings

That's a lovely wee set for under a tenner! The earrings were £6 (down from £10) and the ring only £3 (down from £12).

The rose gold caught my eyes, at first... and then I thought that the pearl and the black enamel combo were kinda of Marc Jacobs-esque, too.

 I just wish the earrings thingy on the back was central but they are small enough that the flower doesn't actually hang off the earlobe (am I making any sense here??!)

 Nice detailing of the metal, tho and the ring is stretching so is very comfortable and no issue with the size there.

 Ted Baker Raspberry Ring

There's a whole series of jelly fruits from Ted Baker... I've also seen a yellow lemon and green apple; you can get the matching pendant, too but I actually got the ring to wear it with an Hobbs necklace that I already got (just realised that I never featured it on the blog so I'm gonna post a pic below).

I wanna bite it!!!

 As always, every detail is perfect - there's an engraving with the brand and the size on the inside of the ring and the packaging per se is outstanding.

Hobbs necklace

Did you hit the Asos sale? :)

Introducing / Astalift

Astalift is a Japanese brand - developed by Fujifilm - and they successfully applied the same technology used to protect photographic films... well, to preserve skin!

I was super excited to receive these samples since I'm a photography fanatic and I, actually, studied photography at university; whilst I appreciate the comfort of digital, I'm most definitely an analog lover and my natural habit is the darkroom.

Anyway, even if you don't know anything about films you must be aware that you need to protect them from the light and it's just as much important to barrier your skin from harmful UV rays.

Key ingredient of the whole line is Astaxanthin, a high powerful antioxidant found in micro-algae; this micro-particle, combined with collagen and ceramide, is an high effective anti-aging combination that shields the skin from environmental aggressors and promote firmness and elasticity.

At the centre of the range is the Astalift Aquarysta*. This brigh red jelly is an high concentration of this anti-oxidant which is apparently 1000 times greater than CoQ10 in fighting free radicals.

You would use this product as a serum, before day and/or night moisturizer; you scoop a little bit and work it in the palm of your hands, before apply to the face.

I read people complaining that it felt sticky but you just need to read properly as the directions clearly state to stop rubbing when this happens.

I enjoyed using this product very much - love the science behind it and my skin felt smooth and plumped on application.

I found the Astalift Replenishing Day Cream* and Astalift Regenerating Night Cream* being very similar in consistency.

They are a light salmon colour - pink tone coming from Astaxanthin.

The Day cream helps to retain moisture and it's ideal both for dry skin and dehydrated skin; at the same time, Royal Jelly helps improving the appearence of fine line.

The Night cream is slightly richer and aims to encourage cell renewal during your sleep.

night cream

day cream

 Unfortunately, these samples were too small to really notice any difference but at least I had the chance to have a feel of the products and decide if I like them or not.

The verdict is that I really like this brand, especially Jelly Aquarysta; all products felt comfortable and they didn't upset my skin, most importantly.

The price is not bad, too - a small jar of Jelly Aquarysta is £26 and let's not forget that this is high tech anti-aging skincare with years of research behind it... I think it's pretty affordable.

Also, I jut noticed that Debenhams is running a promotion where you can get a free full size 15gr Jelly Aquarysta jar with any 2 Astalift purchases... if you wanna try it, this is your chance! :)

WIMH / Oskia Renaissance Mask

I received another sample to try from http://www.whatsinmyhandbag.com

If you haven't discovered this website yet - you can read more in my previous post here.

Personally, I don't sign up for every single trial every week but only for the products that I'm actually interested in - and I was lucky enough to be picked for a second product, last week.

Actually, now you also have the possibility to pay and guarantee your sample which is a good option, in my opinion.

Oskia Renaissance Mask

I didn't know much about this brand, apart from the fact that is very luxurious and I'm always looking forward to try new masks and face treatments.

 The opulence of the brand totally reflects in the packaging too: glass jar in a cotton pouch.

The mask itself looks like a sticky balm in the jar but it's actually not sticky at all on application.

It transforms into a white cream when worked into the skin and there's a slight foam action due to the AHA's eating out at the skin surface, I reckon.

It's still very gentle and not uncomfortable at all; the mask has a delicate and natural scent that reminds me of Monu products (which I love).

 I think this is a fantastic mask!

It left my skin very smooth and deeply cleaned.

The full size 50ml costs £48.50 which I don't think it's that out of this world; in fact, a little goes a long way and I reckon I could get 4/5 applications from the sample.

Have you tried Oskia before? Any product you'd recommend?

xx

FlavrBox

Few days ago, this delicious box landed on my doorstep!

I've been looking forward for it to arrive for the past couple of weeks and my tastebuds were pretty excited with anticipation, too.

FlavrBox* is the latest subscription that give you the possibility to discover food and drinks from UK makers.

FlavrBox aims to deliver better quality products that taste amazing (of course) but also made with integrity; it's your chance to try producers that maybe are not exactly from your neighbourhood and you wouldn't come across, otherwise.

In September' Box you'll find:

Peter's Yard Artisan Swedish Crispbread Original:

Peter's Yard is an artisan bakery, based in Edinburgh and these crackers are so good that they have been awarded two gold stars by the Guild of Fine Foods in 2010.

I can't stop eating them: they are delicious on their own or topped with cheese or smoked salmon.

Eat 17 Chilli Bacon Jam:

My favourite item from the box so far...

I couldn't resist and I popped it open within minutes - of course, it marries beautifully with the crispbreads.

It just tastes deliciously homemade! The smoke of the bacon and the kick from the chilli... still not too spicy, don't worry. ;)

 The Relish in Spice Company Wasabi Mustard:

Mark Strachan, a Michelin star trained chef, is the mind behind this company.

I tried the mustard but unfortunately, I don't like wasabi; shame but it's only personal taste... I have donated this jar to a friend that will enjoy it, I'm sure!

 Gusto Secco Elderflower Rice Pudding & Spanish Garden Paella:

 We got 2 offerings from Gusto Secco - a range of dried ready-meals with Mediterranean roots... I'm in my comfort zone here.

I'm saving these - after all I've a whole month before the next box! - and they're going to be super-easy to make. I'm planning to get some fresh king prawns to add to the paella since I love fish... and I've actually never tried rice pudding (or elderflower) so I'm excited to give it a go, too.

Bonny Confectionary Marshmallow Pop & Dipper:

Finally, something sweet to complete the box.

 This company is only a year old but they have been busy coming up with different combinations... from fruity to covered in chocolate wee sugar squares.

 The mango and chocolate dipper works so well as an afternoon snack, dipped in early grey tea.

 There's also a brochure with an introduction to the different producers... which is appropriate and in keeping with the box ethos.

If you're interested in trying this box - or the next one - visit  http://flavrbox.com/

Apart from subscribing to the box, the shop is a highly recommended stop - especially with Christmas approaching (cupcakes in a jar!!! Should I say more??!)

Buon Appetito! ;)

***Quick update: you can also use the promo code: HALFPRICE2012 to get 50% your first box, when you sign up***