Christmas with Clarins - The Essentials Eye Palette

Hey Ladies,

I hope you are all well! I have a little something special to share with you today. The Essentials Eye Palette, limited edition from Clarins this Christmas! Clarins have to be one of my all time favourite brands for seasonal collections. Every new offering, no matter what the time of year is guaranteed to be absolutely stunning and include something for all tastes. This palette is no exception with its beautiful packaging, high quality shadows and creamy formula. Lets have a little look shall we?!

Lets talk about the packaging first, the recyclable palette is made from sturdy cardboard, with a plastic overlay to protect from spills, wears and tears. It has an elasticated band to secure it when its closed, which is fantastic. Once you open this little beauty, it will reveal a mirror in the lid, and a double ended Clarins brush as an extra perk! The palette itself is completely removable which I love! Clarins seem to have thought of everything with this palette!

 If you have ever tired the Clarins quads that are normally released with seasonal collections, you will already be familiar with the beautiful quality, pigment and longevity of Clarins shadows. The everyday shades in this palette are just stunning and there is bound to be numerous looks to be put together for even the choosiest makeup connoisseur! The wearable shades and soft textures such as satin and pearls will take you seamlessly from day to night!

From Left to Right - Peach Satin Nude, Golden Pearl, Rose Gold Pearl, Deep Rose Satin, Taupe Pearl, Golden Taupe Pearl, Deeper Brown Pearl, Warm Taupe Pearl, Deep Rose Gold Pearl, and Dark Brown Pearl. Not the official names, more descriptions of the shadow colours. Whether you prefer a simple wash of colour or a dramatic smokey eye, you can do it all with this wonder palette!

A little look to give you an idea of what this little beauty can do! This is a must have for me, whether you plan on purchasing it for yourself or for someone special, they certainly wont be disappointed. From the packaging to the high quality of the shadows, this palette is sure to become a staple in your every day routine, I know it has in mine!

That's it for now ladies,

I hope you enjoyed!

What are your thoughts on this gorgeous palette?!

Will you be indulging?

As always,

Let me know below!

Until next time

xoxo

Aundrea

Max Factor vs. Covergirl Mascara - Is There Really a Difference?

Hello Ladies,

I hope you're all well. Today I thought I'd ask the age old question that plagues beauty addicts across the country, and pond. Max Factor vs Covergirl Mascaras, are the products the same? Aren't they just owned by sister companies? Same product, just packaged differently and renamed?! Watching YouTube as much as I do and having friends in the U.S. I tend to hear big things when new Covergirl products are launched, especially when it comes to mascara's. Now I have always said that my favourite affordable brand for mascara is Max Factor, you really cannot go wrong with their mascara, they're fantastic. Recently I did a swap with a good friend of mine in America and requested 2 Covergirl Mascara's to do this comparison post and find out once and for all, 'are we missing out?'.

It's common knowledge in the beauty community that we always want what we cant have. Countless brands in America that we just cannot get here and vice versa. When I first heard about Covergirls 'Clump Crusher' mascara, the reviews were epic, I had to have it. Then I spotted Max Factors 'Clump Defy', likewise with LashBlast/False Lash Effect. So, lets have a look and see, if there really is a difference.

Clump Defy vs. Clump Crusher: Straight away you can spot the similarities, the wand, the packaging, the scent (yes, I smell my mascaras). The only difference apparent to me is the choice of colour for the packaging. Bright green for C.G and burgundy for MF. Both formula's are excellent, which is what I have come to expect from MaxFactor, and now CoverGirl. Both lengthen, separate, and coat the lashes completely clump free. In my opinion, apart from the obvious packaging differences, these two are exactly the same product.

False Lash Effect 24 vs. LashBlast Volume: Again obvious similarities. Bright orange for CG, and black for MF. The wands are exactly the same, they apply very well with little to no clumping, again they smell the same, and both give my lashes good length. Both formula's were excellent again and easy to work with, which is always a plus on my part. They're both 13.1ml and have a 6 month shelf life, just another comparison to note.

My final thoughts? Well, these are indeed the same mascaras, just packaged a little differently. So, rest easy on whatever side of the Atlantic you hail from knowing that we're not missing out on anything here. If I had to choose a winner? Max Factor of course! It's so widely available here, and to be honest I think the packaging is a little less obnoxious. I don't really have anything else to add other than I hope this helped to ease your want and need for CoverGirl here, and MaxFactor if you're in America. If nothing else, you'll sleep a little easier knowing you're not missing out.

Luxury Yule Indulgence with YON-KA

Hey Ladies, 

I hope you are all well! Some of you may think it's too early to mention the 'C' word, but in terms of Christmas shopping it's never too early to start. So as a special treat today, I have one or two pieces from the YON-KA Christmas Collection to show you! By now, you are all more than aware of my absolute obsession with all things YON-KA. I adore the brand and honestly cannot speak highly enough of it, so when I saw what they had on offer for Christmas, packaged beautifully, in a way that only YON-KA can, I knew I would have to share it with you.

Today we'll be looking at the Softness & Vitality pouches, with the brand new Neroli Massage Oil Candle, lets have a little look shall we?

The Neroli Massage Oil Candle, one word... Perfection. When I first opened the box I wasn't really sure what to expect with this, I mean obviously I knew it was Neroli, but would it have more depth to it than that? First of all Neroli oil has anti-depressant properties which drives away sadness and invokes a feeling of joy, uplifting your general mood. It's also a tonic which works to safeguard all aspects of good health, but it's most popular property is it's ability to care for the skin. The scent is beautiful, not overpowering of cloying, just delicate and soothing. You can use this on yourself or your significant other to beat the Winter blues. The little spout gives you control over how much you use at any given time, it leaves the skin feeling nourished and smelling divine! 

The Vitality Kit comes in a beautiful pouch, perfect for travel, or for use as a makeup bag. It contains YON-KA's Phyto 58 and Pamplemousse, with a sample size of the Masque No. 1. Phyto 58 is an ultra penetrating phyto-aromatic formula that offers protection against free radicals and oxygenates the skin, it works to erase signs of fatigue, clarify, de-stress and purify the complexion and restore a glow to the skin! Perfect for the party season! Pamplemousse protects from environmental aggression and helps regulate the skins moisture level, and the fruit extract works to tighten pores. A perfect addition to keep your skin happy and healthy this Winter.

The Absolute Softness Set again comes with a beautiful pouch, the Lait Corps Body Creme and Nutri Protect Hand Cream. This is a great little gift to look after your body and hands, things we often tend to neglect during the colder months. The Lait Corps which you can read a full review on here is perfect for keeping the skin hydrated and nourished, it smells beautiful and it really doesn't feel like a chore to apply, you really feel like you are doing your skin some good with this. The Nutri Protect Hand Creme is another winner in my book, you can check this out here if you want a more in depth look.I carry this everywhere with me, its a staple in my routine, it really is vital in my opinion that you look after your hands all year around, not just in Winter as your hands are one of the first areas to show signs of ageing!

I think these gift sets are ideal for even the most hard to impress recipients on your Christmas gift list, YON-KA have something for everyone this year and I am in love with all of them, you really cant go wrong with these. I know I will be stocking up on a few of these for the Aunts, friends and mother in law. They have the wow factor, and are sure not to disappoint!

That's it for now ladies,

I hope you enjoyed!

What are your thoughts on these Christmas offerings?

Has anything caught your eye?

Whats on your Christmas list?

As always, let me know below,

Until next time

xoxo

Aundrea

The Bees Knees - Honeymania from The Body Shop

Hey Ladies,

I hope you are all well! Honeymania, a new collection from The Body Shop which hit shelves recently, had me in two minds. I am not a huge fan of honey, and I am terrified of bees. Seriously, I cant even talk about it, plus I'm extremely allergic to bee stings, none of this has anything at all to do with the Honeymania collection, just some useless information for you, unless of course you plan on killing me and want to make it look like an accident... in that case, bees are the way forward.

I'm a big fan of The Body Shop's products and while I was up in Dublin waiting for a friend to get her eyebrows threaded, the golden shimmer of the collection pulled me toward it. It smelled nothing like I thought it would, which was a good thing! The products are made with Ethiopian Fair Trade Honey from thousands of wildflowers make this scent, a little bit perfect.

The Honeymania Shower Gel, is gorgeous. I use this as bath foam and shower gel, the scent is just lovely. Fresh yet sweet, and to be honest, it feels very luxurious! Once you've dried off after your bath/shower, the scent lingers on your skin, and it's hard not to have a little sniff every so often!

The Honeymania Body Butter is a dream to work with, it's creamy, rich, and a little goes a long way. The sweet scent makes this a treat to use and it leaves the skin feeling hydrated and soft. This is one I will repurchase again and again!

The Cream Body Scrub is another favourite of mine, I love a good body exfoliator, it's something I cant live without. This has shot to the top of my scrub list, and I reach for this more than anything else! Its creamy yet, decent scrubby texture, really makes you feel like your replacing some of the moisture you're stripping away whilst exfoliating! I think, this is a real winner for me, I just adore it.

So, my final thoughts on the Honeymania range? I'm very taken with it, which in all honesty, kind of shocked me. My advice to you if you are on the fence about it, would be to pop in store and have a sniff for yourself, I'm pretty sure that it's not going to be what you expect, but that's not a bad thing!

That's it for now ladies,

I hope you enjoyed!

What are your thoughts?

Have you tried it yet? If not do you plan to?

As always, let me know below!

Until next time 

xoxo

Aundrea