BeautyStat review: H2O Plus 'Sea Pure' natural review.

Hey :)

This is my very first review for the BeautyStat Blogger Network. I hope you enjoy.

To get it out of the way these products were sent to me for review by the BeautyStat Network, I am receiving no monetary compensation for this review and it will be my 100% honest opinion.

Right, thats that out of the way :)

psst, there's a coupon code near the bottom of the page!

H2O Plus is a company that uses mainly sea sourced products with a blend of natural ingredients in their skin care range. Their products are all 100% vegan and biodegradable which makes them a great company for anyone who is trying to be more environmentally friendly.

The 'Sea Pure' range, which is what I am reviewing claims to 'naturally stimulate yourskin's cellular renewal cycle to fade age related imperfections' in other words, it claims to have anti aging properties.

The full range consists of a 'creamy facial cleanser', a 'refining polish', 'renewing prep tonic', 'perfecting eye cream' and 'deep moisture cream'.

So what we have is a full skin care routine plan aiming to reduce the signs of aging which I am going to go human ginuea pig and try out for you!

I am 18 and so Im not really in any need ofanti aging treatments. My mother however is in her early 50s and has agreed to try them out with me.

Therefore I'll be talking about the feel of the products and how they work out just as skin care. My mother will be taking care of the anti aging side of things.

Every week I will give a small update on how me and my mum are finding things and in 5 weeks give my final verdict. \

Right now Im just going to give you my first impressions of the range which I used last night and this morning, going in the order I used it:

Gentle Refining Polish:

This was the first part of the skin care range. I found that while it wasn't really that 'gentle', the granules were very fine. The scrub exfoliated very thoroughly and made my face feel really soft if a little red.

It contains bamboo extract and sea moss and a little research tells me that bamboo extract is a natural exfoliant and is also a rich source of silica, which is helpful in plumping up the skin and making it look fresher.

Sea moss is known for its' soothing properties and improving the circulation, help skin be more resilient.

Creamy Facial Cleanser:

The first thing I noticed about this cleanser was that it had quite a lemony scent. Not overpowering or sharp, just a buzz of lemons, which gave a really refreshing wake up to me in the morning.

It did cream up really nicely on the skin and I didnt have to use very much to get a lovely lather all over. What I didn't like was that when I washed it off, I got a stiff feeling on my skin, similar to when I use soap to wash and it was uncomfortable.

This cleanser contains amino acids and apple proteins which both are used in skin care to stimulate the skin and can help improve skin that has been scarred or has stretch marks.

Renewing Prep Tonic:

I really liked this product, it had the same citrus smell and the bottle had a pump which I loved. I didn't have to tip the bottle onto a cotton pad, I just squirted it on. It felt fresh and lovely on my skin especially in the morning when I was half asleep. Its alcohol free and contains amino acids and sea moss along with natural lactic acid, which helps get rid of dead skin cells and hydrates the skin. So a very useful ingredient.

Perfecting Eye Cream:

Neither of the creams had that same fresh citrus smell that the rest of the products did. Instead they had a strange plasticky smell which I didn't like. They eye cream contains jojoba seed and coconut extracts which both help the skin feel more soft and supple, so great for sagging skin around the eyes. It also contains 'Atlantic sea flora' whatever the heck that is, which is apparently good for making the skin appear brighter so its tackling dark circles too.

I wasn't a massive fan of the eye cream as I found it greasy however I do suffer from dark circles so if it helps with that I will be singing its praises.

Deep Moisture Cream:

This was quite a light cream with a nice silky feel but it made my skin feel greasy after a few hours so its probably best passed on if you don't have dry skin. This contains the same stuff as the eye cream but is less thick. It also sank better into my skin than the eye cream. A good night cream but I found it didn't do very well under my foundation it also doesn't contain any spf, which for me is a disappointment as I think that UV protection is vital for any moisturiser, especially one focused on anti ageing.

Other stuff:

I liked the packaging of everything. It was simple and clean and really goes with the concept of the brand. Fresh natural and simple.

All of the products are 98% natural, aside from the toner which is 96% but thats still a good step. Every product is free of synthetic fragrances, parabens and sulfates. The company is also cruelty free. So in terms of being earth friendly they do a pretty good job. I also really love how they provide a little description of the most important ingredients on the boxes of the products and its benefits.

The price is quite high, with the moisture cream going for $40 for 50ml, thats currently £25, which is more than MACs moisturelush cream which has the same amount. SO its not cheap, but whether its worth it will be revealed in the next few weeks.

also if you want to save a bit there is a coupon code for the products: Just enter 100275 at the checkout.

I hope you enjoyed this review and stay tuned for more info in the coming weeks :)

thankyou for reading xx

Review: Harajuku Lovers perfumes

From left: Love, Lil' Angel, G, Music, Baby

When my Grandma amazingly bought me a good present last Christmas, the HL fragrance in Lil' Angel, I made it my mission to collect them all and finally through months of forgetting and being strapped for cash and generally having other things to spend my money on, I finally bought music and the collection was complete.

So I thought I'd save other people the trouble and say what I think about all of them so maybe you will only have to go out and buy the one you'll like best... or mybe Im just very excited and need to share my thoughts? ;)

LOVE: Love to me is definitely the easiest to wear of the bunch. Very floral and pretty it falls nicely into that inoffensive but then not very bold category. Great for daytime though after the fresh start it simmers into a bit of a stale fake smell, which is a shame.

LIL’ ANGEL: Is VERY fruity. It smelled quite demure in the bottle but when it went on my skin it reminded me of childrens bubble bath, a little synthetic. Fortunately it loses the synthetic twang eventually and becomes a cute shopping trip type fragrance.

G: Gwen herself, this for me is exactly how summer should smell, just like a big elaborate cocktail with a dry feel. It even reminds me of sunscreen...though really yummy sunscreen. And thankfully it smells just as nice on my skin as in the bottle and has a pretty good staying power. It’s not exactly delicate but it’s certainly a really good one for a burst of summer.

MUSIC: Music is much more grown up than all the other giggly flirty scents. It’s much more torte and wouldn’t be out of place in the evenings. I hate how it starts on my skin, smelling like soap, but it quickly becomes a dense musky number.

BABY: Possibly my favourite for every day, very different from the other fruity smells, despite smelling disgusting when it first gets to my skin, it dries to a lovely dusky vintage smell which is really nice all year round and for any occasion. Cute yet sophisticated...like a bunny with a monocle?

The bottle aren’t really what you want to get out and show anyone if you’re over the age of 16 but on your dresser or shelf they look really adorable with their little outfits and hair. During January I had to keep myself from buying all of the snow bunnies’ collection which were all the same scents. But with the new Sunshine cuties which have altered scents...let’s just say I’ve already got Baby and G sitting unopened on my shelf.

Thankyou for reading xx

MAC Haul and Review

Hey everyone :)

As per the usual I went and blew most of my January paycheque on makeup, including a nice little MAC haul. Most of it was really just essentials I had run out of, but I also got two new eye shadows and a nail polish from the Lilyland collection. Also included in the haul is some MAC that the boyf got me for Valentine ’s Day....after WEEKS of hinting XD

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in ‘Light’.

My Holy Grail powder foundation. Honestly I’ve never found anything that quite matches the fine consistency and smooth application of this. £18.00 isn’t what you would call a bargain but really, it lasts forever (well about 3 months if you’re me) and is such a great powder. It’s easy to apply and apply well. I tend to use the SS134 kabuki brush to buff it in and I get a flawless finish without any caking or flaking. I do have to reapply probably about once a day, twice maybe if it’s very humid but I love it. My only issue is that when it’s pretty new the powder on top is quite loose and has a tendency to fly around a bit, so careful with your clothes!

MAC Brush Cleanser.

I didn’t actually know anywhere else even really DID a brush cleanser. I knew Estee Lauder has one but Estee Lauder owns MAC and it looks and smells exactly the same...It’s also a few quid more expensive for a bit less product so I’m perfectly happy sticking with this. I decant it into a spray bottle bit by bit as I go through it as I find this so much easier to handle. I also don’t get that annoying bit that drips down the side when it’s still in its bottle. Brushes are clean within a minute and it doesn’t take too long to dry either. Obviously with a brush such as the SS217 from Sigma it’ll take longer than a filbert brush due to more bristles, a wider shape and general extra fluffiness. I’m not the keenest on the somewhat overpowering alcohol smell but aside from that it’s excellent.

MAC Prep + Prime Skin Base Visage.Minus the fancy name: Face primer. I used to use Boots No 7 Shine Free Make-up Base as a primer, but it wasn’t much fun. I found it very stiff and I had to mix it with my moisturiser to be able to use it. This is SO much better! The pump is easy to control and I can do my entire face with just one or two pumps of pea sized product. It is silicone based so it leaves a lovely smooth slippery feel to the skin and I find that foundation looks a lot more even and smooth and generally gives a more professional finish. Also the packaging is glittery, which for some reason just makes me happy. Definitely a new favourite.

MAC Nail Lacquer in ‘Coconut Ice’.

My first nail polish from Mac, as I was always a bit dubious about paying £8 for 10mls of product. But I’d seen review on this and knew I had to have it. It’s limited edition from the ‘Lillyland’ collection (and no I don’t know who Lily Pulitzer is either) It’s a beautiful pink... like peachy, corally and baby pink all rolled into one. Its sweet and sugary and really does make me think of spring. Honest, Im pretty sure I’m going to have to get me another one of these to even last me through spring, I just cannot stop wearing it!

I'll update this review with swatches and reviews of the eyeshadows and lipstick once I have new batteries for my camera, as now its in a coma.

Hope you enjoyed this review :) xx

Review: Illamasqua Nail Polish ~ Velocity and Strike

I confess that for a long time I had no real interest in nail polish. I used to bite my nails. *horrified gasp from nail loving readers* It’s true, I’d knaw them constantly, when I was nervous, when I was bored, even if I got a tad peckish. And for that reason I never wanted to paint them, that and the fact that the right hand ALWAYS looked terrible.

However over the past few months I gradually started getting back into them. And then of course obsessed with them, and it all started with my first Illamasqua nail polish.....

I was in the Trafford centre in Manchester with my mum, with some money I’d earned from some chore or another and I was on my way to the MAC counter, but I was suddenly struck as I realised that right next to it was an Illamasqua counter!



I had never seen an Illamasqua counter before. I didn’t own any at that point but had drooled over blogs and youtube reviews and the stuff on their website that all looked so gorgeous. So clearly MAC would have to wait as I squealed and skipped up to the counter.

I won’t bore you with the details of the rest of the trip but suffice it to say that I came away with possibly my favourite ever nail polish. It’s called ‘Velocity’





Velocity. (is actually a little lighter than shown)



It is from the dystopia collection that came out in autumn of 2009. It is truly gorgeous. I always think that lilacs and soft purples look beautiful on any skin tone, because they reflect light and look colourful but soft. To be honest I’m not sure why people don’t wear it more often instead of the usual garish blues or girly bright pink, it’s much more flattering and looks both elegant and youthful.



Like most Illamasqua products the packaging is shaped in a cut-off corner square style, I love their packaging because it’s simple in colour, all black and MAC like, but the shapes are just so much more edgy and interesting. Its stuff I want out on my dressing table because it looks so nice!



But packaging aside, let’s look at the product itself. Velocity is a dark lavender cream. I adore cream nail polishes. I like shimmery ones too, but creams are just so clean and demure looking. And as I have said, light purples are wonderful colours for nails so I was expecting to like this, and I REALLY did.



It went on smoothly and I didn’t find it to be stringy or goopy. Very easy to apply and the brush was a good size too, if a tad small if you’re in a rush and capable of doing your thumbnail in one stroke. It’s staying power wasn’t anything impressive, similar to that of a Barry M nail polish but, like all nail polishes, if a top coat is added it can last up to a whole week and if a topcoat is reapplied maybe 3 days after first application it could potentially go even longer.


Its £14.00. So it’s by no means cheap, it’s more expensive than MAC and far more pricey than Barry M’s nail polishes, which are very highly rated by everyone I know who’s tried them...including me. But for some of the colours I would say it might just be worth it. You’re also paying for around 15ml. A MAC nail polish is 10ml as are the Barry M ones. So it’s not as if you’re paying more for less, but it’s still not what you’d call a steal.



I also have another nail polish from Illamasqua, my boyfriend finally got the hint with me leaving the page open constantly on his laptop, and talking loudly to various people about it with him in earshot and sure enough for Christmas one of the little packages contained the Illamasqua nail polish in ‘Strike’ which I have to say is also absolutely beautiful. It’s like a deep shimmering turquoise, and it’s rare that words like ‘glamorous’ and ‘elegant’ can be applied to anything described as shimmery turquoise, but this definitely fits the bill.

It has the same lovely packaging, consistency and brush as velocity and the colour is so bright, but again not overpowering. The shimmer isn’t obnoxious either; it’s an almost iridescent finish, where various blues and greens all catch in different lights.



The nail polishes are lasting quite a long time too, I’ve had Velocity for months and Strike since Christmas, but of course I’ve had to wear it every few times I see my boyfriend. As you do. And I cant even see a gap between the lid and the product. And just to clarify, I usually change my nail polish every two days...sometimes one, so I get through my polishes.

All in all I love these nail polishes, they’re wonderful to apply and I always love the way they turn out. The only downside really is the price, that and that they’re quite hard to get hold of outside the UK. But if you can get them and don’t mind the price they’re fantastic. All the other colours I’ve seen on blogs etc look very interesting and unique too, so I think as a treat, for a really pretty and unique colour £14.00 would definitely be worth it.

*conclusion*

Good points: Gorgeous selection of colours, cute packaging, goes on smoothly and is long lasting.

Bad points: The price tag can make your credit card wince.

Overall rating 8/10

I hope you enjoyed this review xx

Review: Givenchy Phenomen'eyes Mascara

I actually bought this on an aeroplane trip a few weeks ago, Id

seen it before and it looked interesting but like most other people I was dubious about putting something that looked like a medieval weapon near my eyes. But on the trip it was that or the Urban Decay Book of Shadows Volume I...and they were out of those.

But anyhoo, I got it and once Id gotten to my destination I naturally went straight onto the internet to see if I'd made a saving....and found it on cheapsmells.com for about £4 cheaper. Ugh but ah well, I had it and was now intrigued as to how it would fair on my, very stubby, though thick, lashes.

I must warn anyone thinking of getting their hands on this that it is not the easiest mascara to use, I mean yes the little spiky ball means that its easier to reach into the inner corners of your eyes and if you just want to flick it along the tips its very convenient. But it does take some serious getting used to. My first attempt had more of a giant panda look going on but once I'd figured it out I discovered the benefits.
The awesome top:

In the box is a little leaflet with diagrams supposed to help you with applying the mascara but honestly I found them pretty useless. For me it just took practice to get used to manouvering something shaped similar to what knights used to club enemies to death with from the back of a horse.

Once I'd found out how to use it without looking like I'd been punched I could see that in many ways it was a very good mascara, the length it gave to my lashes was pretty damn impressive and it was very black which added a look of volume.

However, for all the awesome length, it clumped like hell. I literally looked like I had about 4 sticks of liquorice stuck to my lids, but this was easily remedied. I simply layered a good separating mascara over the top, namely Rimmels 'The Max Volume Flash' mascara, though I would also recommend Boot's no' 17 'Lasting Fix' mascara too.

Another interesting point about this mascara is how short the wand is, it's about three quarters of the length of most of my mascara's including the lid, which is very wide. In some ways this is good, as it lets you get it right to the inner corners of your eyes, and also makes lower lashes less tricky than with many other mascaras, but in other ways it makes it quite hard to move it especially if you're used to the conventional long thin lids. The short wide engraved lid can actually be very uncomfortable to hold.

All in all, I actually like this mascara, I wouldnt ever use it on its own, but underneath a good separating mascara it makes my lashes look miles longer and very black. I would recommend it to anyone who wants ridiculous length but doesnt mind taking a bit of time to practice and figure it out. If not...well honestly, Max Factors 'Masterpiece' mascara does it very well, and for a lot less money....and you dont feel like you should be wearing a suit of armour.

Pictures: Bare lashes / Lashes with Givenchy mascara / Lashes with Givenchy mascara layered with Rimmels 'The Max Volume Flash' mascara.

*Conclusion*

Good points: lengthens like a dream, very dark, looks cool when you use it in front of people XD

Bad points: clumpy....VERY clumpy, can be awkward to use and takes practice.

Rating: 7/10

I hope you enjoyed this review :) xx