Nivea Creme

During a recent shopping trip with my friend, I suddenly remembered that I had run out of moisturiser that very morning. In a frantic hurry to arrive home quickly, I picked up literally the first moisturiser I recognised as a familiar brand, and paid at the check out. When I arrived home, I was ashamed with myself. I am not one to make purchases on a whim, and was worried about the thick texture that was so diverse compared to my current moisturiser (Garnier Essentials Day Cream). 

The 'creme' felt extremely sticky as I blended it into my face, but as I began to blend faster, I could feel the moisturiser becoming more versatile on my face. This Nivea Creme is amazing. I have extremely oily skin, and I did not notice my skin becoming any more oily than it does normally. Admittedly, I would prefer a moisturiser that made my oily mess of a skin more manageable, but most moisturisers that come with the promise of this do nothing but dry out my skin until it is gasping for a drenching. I applied my foundation seconds after application, and noticed no streaking or patchiness in my finished result. My foundation glided into my skin smoothly, and I am certain my pores looked minimised. Not only that, but the moisturiser does its job pretty well too. I tend to be cursed with the burden of dry patches on my face (which is why my skin type is neither 'combination' or 'oily'), but the first time I applied the product to my face at night, the next morning my face felt hydrated and 'new'. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone, regardless of skin type or tone. 

Gifts for Her: Beauty Gifts for Younger Girls

It can be hard around the festive season to really take time out to concentrate and think about what that niece, cousin, sister or daughter really wants – no, please don’t reach for socks again! Ignore the sales ladies and read on to discover part one of this series of Gifts For…Younger Girls.

The first gift, which is by far my favourite, is the Liberty Hello Kitty Brush Set. I just cannot get over the high quality of the bristles, and the brushes are just so soft. I cannot see these shedding any time soon, and let’s not forget the adorable clutch/roll that it comes in: gorgeous! I have to admit, once I had purchased this for a friend, I was tempted to splurge on two, so that I would have one forever more! It also strikes me how professional the brushes are. I guess this could be seen as a disadvantage, as not many younger girls who are beginners in make-up are able to identify an eyeliner and blending brush (or maybe that’s just me with my stupid assumptions?). 

Quality: 10/10

Appeal: 10/10

Value for Money: 10/10

Average Age Appeal: 11-15

Next up is the Trevor Sorbie Professional Beautifully Moisturised Mini Collection. I have to admit, I have been slightly disappointed with Mr Sorbie in the past, for his claims that his Beautiful Brunette shampoo would guarantee to make my hair darker were ill lived. However, I am willing to wipe the slate regarding our little disagreement after stumbling across this little treasure. With their full sized bottles setting you back £5.10, this set is quite a little gem when it comes to perfect Christmas gifts. Although this set is in the gifts for young girls post, it would still be great for aunties, nans and mums. I absolutely love how the use of this bag is so versatile, seeing as it could be used as a make-up bag, travel bag, or just a handy bag to store odds and ends.  The products themselves are extremely generous, with 75ml of shampoo and conditioner in each bottle. The value for money you receive from this package is strengthened furthermore by the beautiful professional clips you receive; perfect for all avid curling tong addicts! Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who has a fetish for healthy, shiny hair: or just hair in general!

Quality: 10/10

Appeal:  10/10

Value For Money: 8/10

Average Age Appeal: 12-infinite

Lastly, I'd like to introduce a fairly small stocking filler to conclude this gift guide. It would be fair to say that the hype for NYX cosmetics was just about dying down: until now. YouTube beauty gurus have successfully re-introduced the hype for NYX Jumbo Eye-shadow Pencils to the world of cosmetics. I cannot say I am disappointed. Out of the many hundreds (yes, literally, hundreds) of types of shadow I have trialled and evaluated, NYX Jumbo Eye-shadow Pencils have to be among my top five best quality products. Not only is the pigmentation of their products impeccable, but the unique way the pencils slide onto the eyelids is incredible. The pencils are amazing in an incredible 28 shades, and a vast majority of them are wonderfully wearable. My personal favourite shade out of the collection is 'Yogurt', a shimmery pink shade, with a slightly golden iridescent. These Shadow Pencils are the perfect addition to a make-up addicts collection, or an amazing gift for girls just beginning to show an interest in make-up. 

Quality: 10/10

Appeal:  10/10

Value For Money: 10/10

Average Age Appeal: 9-infinite

I hope this gift guise was helpful to all of those last minute shoppers (I salute you!), happy shopping!

Make It! Bronzer (Calling All Vegans!)

Ever heard of a ‘one shade suits all’ bronzer? That’s because they just do not exist! However, how would you react if I told you that you could make one using just two common household products? Don’t lie…you’re jumping around screaming right now.

The two things you’re going to need are talcum powder (preferably ‘shimmer’ talcum powder) and cocoa powder. I opted to use Avon Soft Musk Shimmering Body Powder, because of its gorgeous shimmer which makes an amazing combination along with my Green & Blacks Organic Cocoa Powder. Not only is the powder wonderfully dark (which leaves you with a discrete but noticeable bronzed complexion), but its organic quality makes with make-up recipe 100% vegan!

Begin by dropping two heaped table spoons of cocoa powder into your container. You’ll need a large pot, or use an old lid off of a container (approximately two inches deep). Now, taking your talcum powder, tip one half of a tablespoon into your cocoa powder. Use the end of the table spoon to mix your powder combination, as this will minimize waste clinging onto your spoon.

This is where the ‘one type suits all’ label jumps into play. If you consider yourself to be DARK skinned, add another one and a half teaspoons of cocoa powder to your mix, and stir. If you believe you are of a MEDIUM tone, simply add another teaspoon of cocoa powder to your solution. If you are FAIR skinned, add another half tablespoon of cocoa powder to your mixture. If you enjoy the thrill of defying the rules, simply add varying amounts of cocoa power and talc until you reach a shade of your contentment.

When you apply the bronzer to your face, you will immediately notice that the mixture is very, very sheer. If you wish to intensify the powder into a creamy solution, carefully add a tablespoon sized amount of Sudocrem, Vaseline or Johnsons Baby Lotion. This will not only turn your bronzer into a cream based product, but double up your product as a beautiful highlighter for the body and face. When the bronzer is in it's power form, I like to apply with a giant brush, and simply sweep it over the total diameter of my face. When applying the bronzer in liquid form, I like to apply it with a foundation brush (be sure to keep your bronzer foundation and foundation brushes separate. Never use the same brush for both jobs). 

I hope you enjoy making this bronzer as much as I did! Unfortunately, my Blogger doesn’t allow me to comment (must be something to do with my broadband). But please do comment about how your bronzer experiment went!