Spring Scented Beauty Finds

I don't know about you, but I am always sucked into a beauty product by it's smell. If I don't like the smell, I generally refuse to wear the product(Elizabeth Arden 8hr Cream, anyone?). However, if I love the smell of a beauty product, it always makes the 'experience' of putting on and wearing the product so much more enjoyable, doesn't it?

These four products are my favourite spring smelling products, and if you've ever smelt any of them, you'd know why. They all smell so fresh! (Also, sorry for the bad lighting in the picture.)

Garnier PureActive Daily Energising Gel Scrub
I actually picked up this face scrub on a whim, and because my Clean and Clear one had just run out(and because it was half price!), and I love it. It lathers up a lot, and it smells like 'grapefruit and pomegranate . I love the smell- it is really bright(I know, a retarded way of describing scents, but you know what I mean).

The Body Shop Born Lippy Lipbalm in Pink Guava
This lipbalm smells amazing! Literally, whenever I put it on, anyone in the close area asks what the smell is, and then begs to smell my lipbalm(not kidding, this does happen!). Not only does it smell like spring(so fresh and fruity), but it is also very moisturising, and it leaves you lips with a ice shine without being sticky.

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Blush
While I am still deciding whether I like this product or not, I cannot deny that it smell like Spring. It smells like a mixture of your Gran's floral perfume and smelling a bunch of garden flowers, but in a good way! Love the smell of this, and it does last in your hair all day, which is a bonus!

Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Facial Wash
Everything that has 'grapefruit' in the title automatically pulls me in, and I need to smell it. This face wash smeels AH-Mazing, and I love the feeling that it gives my skin; a really fresh and clean face. Love this product for Spring!

What are your favourite smelling products for this Spring?
Jennifer xx

L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipstick in Rebel Red

I know, I know- I am so behind the times with this one. The L'Oreal Rouge Caresse lipstick have been going strong for around 10 months now, but I wanted to feature them in a post because I am really loving sheer lipsticks for this Spring(trend forecast alert!).

I got the colour Rebel Red, and I love the packaging! It looks(as with all L'Oreal products) very sleek, and much more expensive than it actually is. The lid snaps on shut, and pretty tightly too, so it will not fall off if you chuck it into your bag for a day out.

In all Superdrug stores, there is a section that sells discounted goods because they are damaged. I am not ashamed to say that I picked this little lippy up in the discounted section. As you can see from the picture, the lipstick looks pristine  except from a dent in the product. However, this will easily be rubbed off, on application. I paid £3, but the regular retail price is around £7.99(depending on where you buy).

 Top; without flash, bottom; with flash.

As you can see from the 'with flash' pictures, the lipstick is super shiny and moisturising. It is sort of a lip salve but more pigmented.

The top swatch shows the lipstick lightly swatched, and the bottom one shows it heavily swatched.

Here it is on the lips.

What do you think? Also, how are you liking my attempt at better swatches?

Jennifer xx

L'Occitane Mango Hand Cream

I got this hand cream from a magazine(I think it was Marie Claire) about a month ago, and I have been loving it. Believe it or not, this is only the second L'Occitane product that I own, the first being a lipbalm, and I can't fault the quality of their products. Both the hand cream and the lipbalm are very moisturising. The hand cream is made with 20% shea butter, which contributes to the moisturising effect. Also, the smell? It lasts for ages.

My one vice with this product is that I feel like I have to put a lot on, in order to make my hands feel truly moisturised. However, this hand cream has lasted for longer than I was expecting, especially since the tube is quite small.

Overall: this cream is the perfect handbag essential- it's small, smells ahmazing, and looks cute, too!

Have you been loving any new hand creams recently?
Jennifer xx

February Favourites

It's favourites time again people, and I know that February is the shortest month, but seriously. Did it even last five minutes? At least the end of another month means another favourites post! This month all of the items are beauty related. This is simple because I haven't had time for much else. I have been enjoying the TV show How I Met Your Mother(the new season), but apart from that, I haven't even read one book!I need to get a grip! 

Without further ado, lets commence into the world of Feb favourites.

First up is the Soap and Glory Hand Food hand cream. After borrowing(ahem, stealing) this hand cream from my sister, I quickly became addicted to it. I told myself that I wouldn't, but sadly I did. This product really doesn't need bigging up anymore than it already has been, but this hand cream moisturises my hands without leaving them feeling greasy and sticky.

Next up and keeping with the skin care theme, is Sudocrem. I know that you're probably wondering why a nappy rash cream is included in a favourites post of someone who most definitely doesn't wear nappies, or have any children whatsoever. I have been trialling  it as a spot treatment, and I have to say that I have noticed some improvement in the redness of my skin around blemishes and such. It actually does say on the packaging(albeit in small letters) that Sudocrem is effective at treating acne, and a thin layer over any spots before bed has been working a treat this month. 

Moving swiftly on, next we have makeup. I have included two lip product favourites this month, the first being the Rimmel Apocalips in Celestial. These pigmented and luxurious glosses were released at the back end of January, and I have been wearing them a lot during February, the first month of them being on my beauty shelf(well, duh). I did a full review a couple of weeks ago, and I mentioned that they seemed to transfer a lot, which I wasn't a fan of. However, I have found that applying a layer and blotting it with some tissue, then applying a second, thinner layer and patting it onto my lips has kept the gloss in place quite nicely. The colour of Celestial is gorgeous, too.

The second lip product is not one that I have ever heard anyone talk about in the blogosphere, which surprises me considering the quality of the product. The Topshop makeup range has received a great response in the blogging world, however this gloss was part of a set of three that I had never seen on the internet before(and I read A LOT of blogs). My favourite colour is this gorgeous sheer gloss with lots of gold specks and sparkle running thought it. Childish, and kids-sticky-gross-makeup-set as this colour may sound, it looks unbelievably sophisticated on the lips, but with just a hint of youthful sparkle. And the best part? It's not sticky at all(oh the burden of a sticky gloss).

Onto the face, and this month I have been in love with contouring/bronzing. I lightly contour my face everyday, and it does make such a difference. I use the MUA Bronzing Powder, as I like the matte quality, and this Real Techniques contour Brush. This contouring brush is very good at what it does- it applie the perfect amount of product on the face, but it small enough that you don't get it seared all over your cheeks. I like to use this brush to apply the product, and then blend/buff it out with a bigger, fluffy brush. This is simply because I don't have time to buff it with the smaller brush, and in this case, bigger works better.

No blush other than the Louise Gray for Topshop cream blush duo in Up In The Air. Although this was released months ago, I have recently started re-loving it. It provides two options for cheek colour, however, I like to swirl my blush brush in both colours for a natural look. The formula is very creamy, and nice to use as well. This blush stays put for a couple of hours, which is ok, but the colours are truly gorgeous on the skin, and I have really been enjoying using this duo. 

Nivea Extreme Resist Mascara in Brown has been my favourite mascara for the month of February. The mascara itself has practically run out, and it is getting a little dry and clumpy now, but in its prime, his mascara was fantastic. It lengthened like no other, and it was a softer, more natural alternative to the sometimes harsh black mascara(my favourite mascara of all time is Benefit's BADGal Plum, so maybe I've got a thing for coloured eyelashes?). The wand is also angles upwards, which makes the application a lot easier. I have loved using this with curled eyelashes, as it makes the look even longer, and more dainty.

My last favourite of February is a nail polish. But not just any nail polish, a UV polish that is so bright I'm pretty sure that it glows. My sister actually bought this nail polish in Camden before going to see Coldplay's liv tour last Summer(so that the UV in their set would make her nails glow), and I hadn't tried it out until this month. It looks lovely and bright on the nails, shocking almost. But with Winter dragging on, and the cold weather refusing to shift, wearing this colour on my nails really brightened my mood. It is a neon yellow(it looks a bit weird in the photos), and unfortunately I have no idea where you can buy this from! However, Models Own has just released a new range of neons, and American Apparel's neon polishes are rumoured to be great, so try them as a dupe.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my Febuary Favourites. Do you have any favourite of this past month?

Jennifer xx

Weekend Manicure; Moody Mink Look & Review

So the other day I picked up a new nail varnish- kind of a spur of the moment thing, because I really don't need to be buying anymore nail varnish, but oh well. And to justify my unnecessary spending, I thought that I would write a post for you guys about it.

Please excuse the state of my nails in these photographs- they have recently started breaking really badly, and I just can't seem to leave them alone- any tips?

The nail varnish that I 'splurged' on was, in fact, carrying a mere £1 price tag. It is by MUA, a Superdrug own brand make up line that sells dirt cheap and remarkably good products. I bought the shade Moody Mink. It is a beautiful colour, but so hard to describe. I would say that it was a neutral taupe-y mauve, but that sounds disgusting! It looks really nice on the nails; it stands out, but at the same time, is neutral. I would class this as the perfect colour if you we're going to work or school, and bright colours are looked down upon. However, you could probably dress up this colour with a little glitter topcoat- I think a gold glitter would work really nicely.

For my manicure I simply painted two coats of Moody Mink, and had my ring finger as an accent nail. Having an accent nail is a really easy way to jazz up a plain manicure, and can look great with similar colours or contrasting ones! For the accent nail I used a Claire's Accessories nail polish.

This look is so budget, but still manages to look sophisticated and glamourous!

What do you think?

 MUA Moody Mink, Claire's Accessories Polish

Have a nice weekend!

Jenny xx

Rimmel Apocalips

Rimmel Apocalips, Top:Stellar, Bottom:Celestial

The plenty raved about Rimmel Apocalips landed in my Boots basket a few weeks ago(who put them there?) and I have been loving trying them out. The colours are very bright, but I think that's a good thing-so many high street beauty brands are crap at pigmenting their products. The range contains numerous colours for all skin tones and preferences, and the packaging is pretty cool. The lid looks a bit like a black ice-berg! although, they did steal Illamasqua's  Apocalips teal lipstick with the name, and I can't say I like that very much.

The shades I picked up were: 501 Stellar, and 101 Celestial. Stellar is a bright, brighter than a fire engine red, but oddly enough it looked quite pink in the tube. On the lips it is a true red, and really stands out on the face. Celestial is a dusky rose colour, perfect for many skin tones, and all seasons. This colour is my favourite of the collection(I also liked Nova, but I really didn't need another bright barbie pink).

The packaging includes a little suction near the top(where you pull the wand from). This means that there is barely any product on the wand, as it is all concentrated on the doe-foot. This is great as the top of the lip gloss doesn't get all gross and dirty.

The doe-foot applicator allows for full coverage on the lips with minimal effort. I have really been loving this applicator, and the actual plastic wand bit is quite bendy, so it is even easier to work the product into the lips.

 L-R: Stellar, Celestial

 Swatches in daylight/sunset.

 Swatches from after I removed the lip lacquer with a makeup remover that removes waterproof mascara.

Apocalips in Celestial

Overall, I really like these lipsticks. My only vice being that they transfer like crazy. I was expecting more of a glossy stain, but true to the branding, this product really is a lipgloss, and a tranfer-prone lipgloss in such bright colours will surely not end well. Apart from that, I would definitely like to purchase more from this collection, and I think that these products were of a great quality.

Have you tried the Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquers?

Jennifer xx

Also, what do think of my swatches, as promised in my Blog Resolution?

Real Techniques Kabuki Brush

This kabuki brush by Real Techniques is packed full of the softest bristles. The angle of the brush means that it is great for contouring as well as all-over-powder. I like to use this with my favourite face powder, Rimmel Stay Matte, down the centre of my face. 

 The clever thing about the brush is that it is split into two, connected by a middle hinge. The pars are held together by a magnetised centre, and when the brush opens you get an even bigger area to apply procut with. This is such an innovative idea , and definitely something that I could see being cool for powder o blush brushes in the future.

A real techniques brush for £2.75? I knew that they were cheap, but when I saw this unbelieveable deal in Superdrug(not online), and I simply couldn't pass it up. I am not sure if this deal is on at all Superdrugs(they have only recently started selling the Real Techniques brushes), but compared to the £11.99 that Boots are charging, I think that I may have to go back and stock up!

Do you think you'll be picking on up? 

Jennifer xx

Hair Routine; Styling Appliances

I rarely use anything other than my GHD's and my Andrew Barton hairdryer to style my hair(except products). I have had my GHD's for about 5-6 years now, and they are just as good as they were when new. They heat up in 10-15 seconds, and get truly hot(not medium hot like most straighteners). I own the original Gold IV Styler, and I find that it is the perfect size for straightening large amounts of hair, or small baby hairs. I also like to use the straighteners for curling my hair. Being the most expensive item in my 'beauty collection', I can see why this would be a no-go purchase for some people, but I literally could not see me styling my hair without them.

My hairdryer is essential to my styling routine, and even though I do not use it everyday, my Andrew Barton hairdryer is the best one that I have tried. This is actually my second hairdryer of this model as the first one broke(but after a year and a half), and it shows how much I love it as I purchased this exact one again . My mum even has the same one! I like that there are multiple setting on this hairdryer; heat settings, strength of blowing settings, and a cool setting. It also came with a diffuser and nozzle attachments  There are many options for this hairdryer, and it is easy to achieve the look that I want.

What electricals do your use to style your hair?

Jennifer xx

January Favourites

Hi everyone!

I've decided to jump onto the bandwagon of monthly favourites posts. I did a November Best and Worst, and a 2012 Favourites post, but this is a bit different. Beauty bloggers such as myself can talk all day about products that they like, or even love using, but when a product makes a 'monthly favourites' post, you know it's the best, especially if you've heard about it from a blogger whose opinion you trust. The monthly favourites will feature the 'Creme de la creme' of beauty items, and the items most used, and loved from that month. But as this is A Sprinkling Of Euphoria I will be including books, and other little 'favourites' of the month.  Since it is the beginning month of the new year, a new year of opportunities, I thought that I would try my hand at monthly favourites.

Rimmel 'Princess Pink' Polish: This has been my go-to polish for the month of January. I like the sheer tones for thhe beggining of a new year, especially since I am still having flashbacks of all of the berry nails from the back end of last year. This stuff lasts for ages too, so I can forget about my nails, but trust that they look good.

L'Occitane Mango Flower Hand Cream: This stuff has saved my hands from many hours of cold British weather. It smells AH-MAZING too. Unfortunately, mine has nearly run out; I will definitely repurchase.

Blistex Daily Lip Conditioner: I bought this after Estee from essiebutton.com reved on about it in the mad way that only she can! I am not a fan of other medicated lip products(uurgh-Carmex), but this Blistex is really moisturising, and it doesn't smell too bad!

MUA Undressed Palette: After buying this palette, I have worn nothing else on my eyes. I normally wear a very neutral eye, but jazz it up on the weekends. My absolute favourite colours to wear are shades 3, 9 and 10(shades Naked, Toasted, Hustle from the Naked Palette). This is definitely my favourite eye shadows of the month.

Clean and Clear Morning Burst Skin Energising Daily Facial Wash: I have really been enjoying skincare this month, and I have been loving this Clean and Clear face wash. The little beads in the wash burst on your face, giving you a radiant glow. I have actually been using this at night before bed, and it works a treat then, just as good as in the morning.

Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4 App: I have been obsessed with this app during January- it's such a good procrastination tool(oops). I literally completed Years 1-3 in the space of two days with a little help from my sister and Google! Definitely get this if you want an app that you can't stop playing.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins: I recieved this book for Christmas, and started reading it a few days afterwards- I had finished it by the end of the afternoon. This book is so sweet, and it really captures the romance of Paris, and it has given me a list as long as my arm of places to visit in Paris! I love this book, and I have already re-read it three times!

Do you have any January Favourites?
Jennifer xx

Hair Routine; Styling Products

In my previous 'hair routine' post, I talked about my in-shower products, but what to do when you get out of the shower? Use styling products! Here are five of my most used styling products for sleek, shiny and healthy looking hair.

L-R Schwarzkopf Supersoft Detangling Spray, Charles Worthington No Frizz Relax and Unwind Cream, TRESemme Finishing Spray, Schwarzkopf Heat Protection Straightening Spray, GHD Obedience Cream


Schwarzkopf Supersoft Detangling Spray
Childish, I know, but I hate brushing my hair after coming out of the shower, especially since my naturally curly hair is at it's knotty prime. And what better to fit my immature problem than a kids detangler. I picked up this Schwarzkopf detangler on a whim, and I don't regret it. It smells amazing, too- like milk and strawberries. And the best bit? It actually works!

Charles Worthington No Frizz Relax and Unwind Cream
I have been using this product for a while now, after purchasing the 'travel-sized' version. I apply this stuff to the ends of my hair on days when I want frizz control, but less of a polished look, and I plan to 'messy-style' my hair.

TRESemme Finishing Spray
This finishing spray has made such a difference in my haircare reigeme. I spray on when my hair is damp, brush through, and by the time my hair is dry, it looks shiny and smooth. Gorgeous!

Schwarzkopf Heat Protection Straightening Spray
Obviously, we all need a heat protectant in our haircare routine(even if we don't use it everyday, or much at all), and my favourite is the Schwarzkopf one. I have tried the
well-reviewed TRESemme heat defence spray, but it just weighed my hair down, and I am much happier with this one.

GHD Obedience Cream
I purchased this from my hairdressers about three months ago, and it has been a life-saver for when I want a super sleek and very polished hair look(for example, when doing a sleek ponytail, or straightening my hair to perfection.) I use literally a pea-sized amount of this stuff(it goes a long way), rub it between my fingers, and kind of tousle it through my hair. After applying, I brush my hair straight, and wash or hand-sanitize my hands as this cream is very sticky on the hands. I highly recommend this product.

What do you use to style damp hair?

Jennifer xx

Hair Routine; In the Shower

Hi guys! Today I am going to be starting a mini-series(you know how much I love my mini-series') all about how I do my hair! 

Apparently blonde hair is not reflective. This is very confusing to me as I always thought lighter colours reflected, and dark colours absorbed, but whatever. Ever since that day when I found out about the reflecting hair thing, it has become my mission to get my hair looking shiny and sleek. While I know that getting nice hair isn't all about the way you style it, great products definitely help me on my mission. 

Here is what I use in the shower;

L-R; Soap and Glory's Clean On Me, Men's Gillette Disposable Razor, TRESemme Deep Cleansing Shampoo, The Body Shop Mango Body Scrub, TRESemme Deep Cleansing Conditioner

MUA Undressed Palette

I bought the MUA Undressed Palette! This has been on my wishlist for some time, but I was yet to buy it until a couple of days ago. I bought this for to reasons. 1. I obviously(not) need yet another neutral palette, and 2. I was sucked into the 'Urban Decay dupe' marketing of this product.

 The MUA palette is supposedly a complete dupe of the Urban Decay Naked palette. The Naked palette is one which has been on my lustlist radar for about a year now, but at £36, there is no way. However, the purse friendly MUA alternative comes in at 9 times less, a very cheap £4. From what I can tell, the matte shades in the MUA palette are of a lower quality than those in the Naked palette, but the metallic shades are obviously very pigmented, and sometimes even more so than in the Naked palette(e.g. Gunmetal).

 Urban Decay on the left, MUA on the right; shade names and swatches.

Would you buy the MUA Undressed palette?

Jennifer xx

The swatches are gratefully used from Miss Budget Beauty blog, and annotated  by moi.

2012, where did you go?

2012, where have you gone?   Literally filing a missing persons report.

I cannot fathom how fast 2012 went by. I can still remember what I was doing on certain days in 2011! But I must accept that the year is nearly over, so I thought that it would be great to document what I've been doing. Who knows, I might want to know this stuff in the future?!



I am going to share my favourite things about this year with you guys;
FAVOURITES
Beauty;
underdog beauty product of the year
Mua plumping gloss in 'Candy Pink'. These lip glosses are not really talked about a lot, but they really do plump your lips, and at £2 each, these are definitely an underdog that I've been loving.
favourite hair product discovered this year
GHD Obedience Cream for Frizz-Free Styling. I'm pretty sure that this product has been discontinued no, but I did buy it this year. I put it on my hair when it's damp, and it prevents my hair from going completely frizzy and spastic- total lifesaver!
best magazine freebie of the year
Benefit's Cha Cha Tint. This was such a bargain from a magazine, and it is the most beautiful coral tint for your cheeks. It stays for hours too!
overall favourite nail polish of the year
Nails Inc nail polish in St. James.

Life;
best thing you've done
Started this blog! I started this blog at the end of February, and wrote my first post on the 26th. I love writing on my blog soo much, and honestly don't know what I'd be like wihout it. Bored, probably.
what are you most proud of completing this year
In England, people from the ages of 14-25 have the opportunity of completing their Duke of Edinbourgh Award. This is basically an award which challenges yourself, and provides 'rewarding opportunities for personal development'. Some friends and I did our D of E in July, but we worked really hard at it for 9 months before then. It was really hard, but I'm glad I did it(looking back-I wasn't so happy during it!)
most proud of this year
In June I took some exams with my college, and I got result which I am sooo proud of. I worked hard, and I was thrilled when I finally got them and they were that good!
favourite trip
In July I went to the Warner Bros Studios to see the Harry Potter set with my family. Having visited the Harry Potter World at Universal Studios in Orlando in 2011, obviously the set tour couldn't compare. However, it was amazing to see how they filmed some of the scenes. I had a great time!

Pop Culture;
favourite tv show of the year(english)
Downton Abbey, Series 3. Call me an old bat, but this show has twice as much drama than about 10   episodes of Hollyoaks combined, and about a million times more class.
favourite tv show of the year(american)
90210. Aired in January, and I can't wait for the next season to start. Hunks and backstabbers are so entertaining, and Naomi is just hilarious.
film that you saw in the cinema that you liked the best
American Reunion. This film made me laugh soo hard! Hunger Games was a close second though.
best book you read this year
Divergent. This book is sheer brilliance; enough said.
favourite album released this year
Do I even need to say this? Red by Taylor Swift. Obviously.


And, just because good should be balanced by bad, I thought that I would include some of my 'hated' things about this year. Only a few though, so you don't get too depressed!
HATED
beauty product I spent lots on, then regretted buying
I paid about £10 on a Soap and Glory 'Thick and Fast' black mascara, but when I started using it, it was super clumpy and way too thick to use. I even tried heating the bottle with my hairdryer to make the mascara more fluid, but it was useless. I totally regret buying this product.
event that was way overrated this year
London Olympics. I am sick and tired of hearing about what heros all of the athletes are. Sports is not the only place where people can excell, you know.
tv programme 2012 would have been better without
Without question, X Factor. The hype and publicity around this show is completely out of control now. Whatever happened to people wanting to win because they were passionate about music?

How has your 2012 been? Tell me what your favourite thing about this year was in the comments!
Jenny xx

MUA Eyeshadow Review; Shade 24

I cannot tell you how long I have wanted a colour like this! Too long.

It's so pwwetty...

Anyway- back on planet Earth again- today I am going to review a new MUA eyeshadow that's I recently purchased. It is in the shade 24, and I would describe it as a beautiful metallic dusky pink colour wih a hint of everybody's favourite: plum.

My Favourite Lipsicks; December

I love wearing lipstick all year round, but there are so many opportunities to wear lipstick in the Winter that I thought I would let you know my favourite picks. I have chosen two lipsticks for this December, one for Christmas, and one for New Years Eve. 

Clothes Show Live 2012; Part 2

As I mentioned in my last post, on Tuesday I went to the CLothes Show live and picked up a few items. All of them are beauty related, and they came from various 'goody bags' that companies had put together. Most of the goody bags were comprised of that companies products, or samples, and I thought that you guys might want to see them! I literally went with £20 in my pocket, and I got so much stuff- I was laden with bags. I wish I had taken a bit more, but I am pleased with what I bought, especially when you consider how much I would have spent if I had paid full price for everything in a shop. Reviews of my favourite/least favourite products are likely to follow in a subsequent post.

Here is what I bought, bearing in mind that I only spent £20;

When we left the Clothes Show Live, we got given a FREE goody-bag, and it contained lots of samples.
-I got a Lady Gaga Fame perfume sample
-A Colgate whitening toothpaste sample tube
-A small tube of Dove conditioner
-And two samples of Britney Spears perfume.
-I also got a Bounty bar, but I ate it...

Lipstick Review; Kate Moss Rimmel 107

Hi guys! So, the other day I popped into my local Boots and picked up one of the uber-hyped Kate Moss lipsticks in the matte collection.

I have wanted one of these for a while, ever since the line was launched, really, but somehow I never actually got round to buying one. But now I have, I can finally say that they do indeed live up to my expectations.