Les Délices de Nina, Nina Ricci

Hi there! I thought I'd do a little post on this beautiful looking perfume that I have been loving. The limited edition perfume called Les Délices de Nina by Nina Ricci. I'm not too sure on how to pronounce the name of it so I've just been calling it the Pink Apple perfume (it doesn't smell like apples).

Firstly, I have to ramble on about how lovely the bottle looks! It is shaped as a bright bubble gum pink apple with the top part covered in gold which represents caramel melting on the apple. It looks so delicious, it almost looks edible! 

Ok, on to what it actually smells like. From the bottle itself, you can probably guess that it has a sweet and fruity scent. Once you spray it, it's like an explosion of candy. It opens with fresh citrus notes which include lemon, tangerine and raspberry. Once it settles, the hints of strawberry and caramel comes through which is what I love most about this fragrance. The base notes are praline and white musk.  

With your eyes closed, it almost makes you feel like you've just entered a huge candy store, full of colourful boiled sweets, striped candy canes, lollipops and all the different types of candy you can imagine! It does last for a good few hours and by the end of the day, I can still smell the strawberry and caramel notes that linger nicely on my skin. 

I have to be honest here, I am more obsessed with the actual bottle rather than the scent itself! It looks like something out of a fairy tale. It's as if I have taken it from Cinderella's dressing table and have placed it on mine! I love it!

Soap & Glory: One Heck of a Blot

Could this possibly be the best powder ever?

Don't you just hate oily skin? I mean of course I like radiant dewy skin that looks healthy and glowy but it's a different story when your face just looks greasy, as if you've just moisturised it with cooking oil. Well, I think I may have just found the best powder! Soap and Glory's One Heck of a Blot!

I have been using Rimmel's Stay Matte powder for ages and don't get me wrong, I still love it and occasionally use it, but there's just something about One Heck of a Blot! I have been using it for around four months now after my friend recommended it (thank you, you know who you are!) and it has become one of those products I can't live without!

I have an oily t-zone and my face tends to get quite shiny during the day especially during the summer. It's quite frustrating when you think your make-up looks fine but then a few hours later (sometimes even less than that!) it starts to slip and slide. I have to say this powder is truly amazing as it really does the job of controlling shine and absorbing oil. 

It really does give your skin a 'traceless, smooth velvety finish'. It is a very lightweight powder so you can't feel it on your skin. It doesn't settle into dry patches and pores so it doesn't make you look cakey. The worst thing is when you have dry skin and an oily t-zone so you apply powder to take away the shine but you later end up with cakey patches on your face!

It comes with a small sponge applicator which I find useful so you can press the powder on to lock in your makeup. However, I also like to use my Real Techniques powder brush which also does a great job.

The lasting power is really good, I usually just have a touch up or two during a long day. What's great is that it doesn't build up and go cakey even after a few touch ups.

There is no need to worry about which shade to choose as it is translucent so it would suit all skin types. 

I think the packaging is cute and the mirror is the perfect size too. It is something that I definitely need to keep in my handbag! I have enjoyed using it so much that I recently bought a second one as a back up so I always have one in my handbag as I sometimes tend to leave it at home.

Overall I guess at £12, it is quite an expensive powder considering it is a drugstore product but from my point of view, it is definitely worth it! The good news is that it is often on offer in Boots, either on the 3 for 2 offer or the buy one get second half price offer so definitely check it out! 

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream Review

I bought this BB cream by Maybelline quite a while ago, used it once and threw it back into my drawer. A few months later I decided to give it another shot, and I haven't stopped using it since.

My skin type is combination so I would sometimes get dry patches around my cheeks which happens more during the winter, but then I would also get oily on my t-zone too. But most of all, I have really sensitive skin so it is hard to find products that wouldn't irritate my skin. I am going to dive straight in and explain why I have enjoyed using this BB cream so much. 

It is fragrance-free so it doesn't irritate my skin. I always prefer make up products that don't have perfume in the ingredients. I don't really see why it would be necessarily.

It is really natural looking and perfect for everyday use. It doesn't give you that cakey look but blends nicely into your skin tone making it look like you're not wearing much makeup.

It's quick and easy to apply and is very blendable. I just apply it with my fingers, the same way as I would apply a moisturiser, but you can use a brush if you prefer to. Using this BB cream saves so much time, I literally just slap it on my face and go! (Ok, that's a lie, I do my brows, and eyes and then go! I would look lost without my brows!) 

The consistency is thin and watery so it feels nice and light on the skin. It feels hydrating and it's got SPF 30 so you don't need to worry about being in the sun. It lasts all day and doesn't dry up.

However, after a few hours it can get a bit greasy, it makes me look shiny but I guess a dust of powder on top can easily solve that. I've been using a really good powder which I will be posting about next!

Since it is a BB cream, it doesn't give you heavy coverage but it does lightly cover blemishes, redness and those small annoying marks that are left from spots. It brightens up your skin giving it a healthy glow. If you want more coverage you'll have to apply a second layer. I'm always happy with one layer as I don't like the feeling of thick makeup on my face, especially during the summer when it's just an everyday look. I just use a concealer to cover any spots and dark circles.

I think BB creams are a nice alternative if you're not a fan of using foundation but you want some coverage.

In the UK, it's available in two shades, light and medium in Boots and Superdrug for £7.99.

If you are a fan of BB creams, which one are you currently using?