Tanya Burr Cosmetics – Kiss Me On The Lips

May 23, 2014August 2, 2017 - Vicki 10 Comments

I always shy away from lip glosses, I’m not sure if its my age & I feel a little too old to wear them or if the ones I used to wear were so sticky that the texture annoyed me enough to stop me wearing them. But how could I pass up the opportunity to try out two of lovely Tanya Burr’s glosses. There are currently 12 glosses in the range, a mixture of 5 shimmers and 7 Cream. You can pick from a really nice range of colours from baby pink through to a vibrant red. I’ve seen some mixed reviews and like most people & fellow bloggers I do like to make my own mind up & so It was time to give gloss a 2nd chance.

I have been testing out two colours the first is Champagne Toast* which is a lovely Apricot Peach with a hint of shimmer. This is a really pretty sheer gloss, so if you’re like me and don’t always like to wear a bold lip, this gives your lips just a touch of colour but nothing OTT. I have worn it a few times over the top of a nude lipstick and that looked really nice too. On its own this is a sheer pretty gloss but don’t expect too much pigment as this shade is quite subtle. I do think its a pretty summery lip colour as it has a slightly orange hue to it & what says summer more like a touch of shimmer. If I was going to a festival (sadly I’m not) I would wear this gloss as you don’t have to worry about it bleeding, its easy to apply, the colour will go with everything & you’ll look fresh and effortless.

First Date* is my favourite of the two shades and that surprised me as I’m not a baby pink kind of girl and never reach for those colours. This is the sweetest shade and it make me look really healthy and added a really nice pop of colour to my lips. I was impressed by the pigmentation of this, and it really translates on to your lips. It looks like there is shimmer when in the tube but that didn’t translate to the lips. Its a shade that makes your complexion look bright and having quite a dull complexion I need all the radiance boosting I can get.

Both of these glosses wore quite well on me and although they’re quite thick in texture they’re in no way sticky or uncomfortable on my lips which was great. The packaging is nice, I can see that they are more targeted at a younger market with Tanya’s photo & signature on the packaging & tube. That aside the packaging is quite nice and simple, you’re able to see the product in the tube and it feels well made. The applicator is quite stiff with a little flexibility and I found this made applying the gloss easy and precise, it picked up just enough product as not to overload the lips & you can build up the gloss if you like. I have to say these smell incredible & sweet and you can smell the scent the whole time its on your lips. Fruity goodness!!

These glosses have a high shine finish and keep your lips feeling moisturised and not greasy, it has a slight tacky finish but that just makes me know my gloss is still on & in place. I know that when the tackiness has faded I need to reapply, its not uncomfortable and I think they wear really well over lipstick too. I need to experiment with a few more lipstick combinations & try to be slightly more adventurous.

I have to say I’m now a lipgloss wearer and fear I’ve been missing out for all these years by dismissing them, I have some catching up to do. So Thank you Tanya for rekindling my love for glossy lips, this could be the start of an expensive addiction (buys ALL the lipglosses).

I’m excited to see what Tanya releases next in to her collection, if the quality of these glosses is anything to go by she is set to do very well & I wish her all the very best. What an exciting journey (I want her to release a line of eyeshadows). If you have tried anything from Tanya’s range let me know what you thought & what colours you would recommend.

Tanya Burr Lipglosses £6.99 currently come in 12 shades and are available in select Superdrug Stores & online from www.superdrug.com and www.feelunique.com

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own

Summer Glow With The Body Shop

May 21, 2014August 8, 2017 - Vicki 6 Comments

I like to use bronzers as we get in to the warmer weather and being quite fair bronzers often fill me with dread. I don’t like to look overly tanned or look like I’ve applied my bronzer with a heavy hand. When this Brush on Bronze* arrived from The Body Shop I was a little afraid. In the pot it looks quite orange and I thought they were going to give my skin too much colour but once I applied it, it actually looked quite pretty.

If you lightly sweep your brush over the bronzing beads and tap off the excess powder you can apply just the right amount of colour to your skin. I like to apply this over the top of my forehead, across the tops of my cheeks and down the bridge of my nose, all the places the sun would naturally bronze. I used the pretty Bronzing Brush & did experience a little shedding from this brush at first but I washed it after the initial application and that seemed to do the trick, no more shedding. The Bronzing Brush is very soft and didn’t pick up too much product, Its dense enough to sweep on just enough colour and I was able to blend it out so it looked natural and glowing.

This wears well on me, I do get quite oily skin throughout the day & always spray my Urban Decay Setting Spray so that helps everything stay in place. After a long warm day this was still where it was meant to be looking bronzed & glowing so thats a thumbs up from me.

The Brush on Bronze has a slight highlight quality to it too, as there is a subtle shimmer running through it (nothing too disco ball). Its nice during the day but this also looks so pretty as a night time bronzer, I just applied a little more product & I also took it across my chest area for a warm bronze glow. If you’re looking for a warm bronzer thats not muddy at all this gave my skin a glow without looking orange (no one needs that look). This bronzer is one of The Body Shop’s Best Sellers & I can see why, I know that these are going to be a staple in my Summer makeup bag. I don’t like to tan so bronzers are a great natural way for me to put a bit of colour on my skin!

I do find these bronzing beads to be a little bit messy so keep that in mind if you have a cream carpet or are wearing light coloured clothing, make sure you have a tissue handy & tap off the excess product, also be careful not to knock the beads out as they are pigmented and will get bronzer every where. Although saying that if you look after these they will last you a really long time, a little product goes a long way. I really want to try a few more makeup brushes from The Body Shop I always forget they have such a great selection & quite affordable too.

Brush on Bronze* – £14.00

Bronzing Brush* – £16.00

What is your go to summer bronzer?

Best of British #1

May 19, 2014August 15, 2025 - Vicki 11 Comments

I’ve been planning this series for a while, I wanted to celebrate the incredible and diverse beauty brands that are home-grown and proudly British. There are so many British brands that are sold internationally as well as many smaller lesser known brands. I have 50+ brands to share with you, I’m excited to discover some new brands and share with you quite a few brands that I love. I hope you enjoy this series of posts & let me know if you discover any brands that you didn’t know were British.

The Bathory*

Launched this year by Laura out of her love of a good bath, she wanted to share that love with the world & so The Bathory a cute little British brand was born. With their HQ in London & their small factory in a barn in rural Berkshire, they let you invent your own blend of bath soak. This is a luxurious way to enjoy a bath and its such an exciting concept for bath lovers everywhere. Their jars of bath soak are £18 so quite pricey but if you like to relax in the bath then these are perfect for that. From their website to the final product, this brand has excellent attention to detail and I really like that. I’m excited to see what’s next from this brand.I have written a full review of them here.

Soap & Glory

This is a brand that almost all of us know and love, it was founded by the creator of Bliss Spa, Marcia Kilgore back in 2006, its eye-catching packaging and tongue in cheek names are what most people notice first. Soap & Glory are a fun, fresh, affordable British brand that have gone from strength to strength. They now have a product range including skincare, haircare makeup, bath & body care. We all have our favourites and mine include The Righteous Butter, Sugar Crush Body Scrub and Hocus Focus Highlighter. This is a brand that is now sold internationally, and they always seem to be releasing something new and exciting. I’m secretly hoping they do a line of nail polish. Let me know what your favourite S&G product is. I want to try their new Make Yourself Youthful Sunshield Superfluid SPF50+as I am all about the facial SPF.

Rimmel

It was founded in 1843 by Eugene Rimmel and was originally a perfumery on London’s famous Regent Street. They’ve always been well known for their Mascara & Rimmel actually means Mascara in many languages. Rimmel is such an iconic British Brand that is sold in more than 40 countries and is Britain’s best-selling cosmetic brand. They have a great range of affordable products and are still to this day most well known for their mascaras, although I think they have added more to their range. I personally like their Wake Me Up range and their Scandaleyes Waterproof Khol Kajal are a great budget friendly eyeliner – these come in 7 shades & 5 of these shades are a staple in my makeup bag. What are your favourite Rimmel products?

Jo Malone

Was founded in 1994 by Jo Malone, ‘who began her career as a facialist, soon becoming one of London’s most sought-after skin care therapists. To thank her original 20 clients, she hand-mixed her own Nutmeg & Ginger Bath Oil. One client ordered 100 bottles as table favours for a prestigious dinner. Instantly, 86 guests wanted more. The Jo Malone London brand was born.‘

It’s now seen as a quintessentially British brand, their stores are a pleasure to shop in and it’s so hard to leave empty-handed. They’re best known for their selection of fragrances but they also have candles, skincare and body products. They package them up beautifully with a cream box and a silky black bow, so if you needed a gift, these are the ultimate & look luxurious. I had a candle as a leaving gift from a job & I treasured it for months. Let me know what your favourite Jo Malone scent is, mine has to be the classic Lime Basil and Mandarin and their Amber & Patchouli. I could spend hours in their stores testing them all out.

Nails Inc

Was founded in 1999 by then fashion editor Thea Green MBE (Services to Beauty Industry) she loved how easy it was in America to get a Manicure and felt there was a huge gap in the market for aUK based fashion forward nail bar, her first salon was started in London. It was famous for the 15 minute mani & demand was high. Nails iNc grew very quickly and can now be found in department stores nationwide. Nails Inc is known for their affordable, luxurious nail care, that’s catwalk inspired and gives you professional quality. True to its British roots, the shades are named after London destinations like Spitalfields and Notting Hill Gate. Nails Inc has grown to be Britain’s most successful and popular nail bar chain, and they employ 400 people throughout UK & Ireland.

Their products are sold internationally, and you can now find Nails Inc nail bars in Sephora in the USA and Canada. I adore Nails Inc polishes & think their formula is so good, the colour range is stunning, They are always at the forefront of new effects and finishes, and it is exciting every season to see what new textures and shades they come up with. Among my favourite shades are Basil Street (gorgeous subtle nude) and St James Park (pretty pink). They have an extensive selection & I need to add a few more shades to mine. Let me know what you recommend. Nails Inc not only sell nail polish but also hand-care, foot-care and false lashes.

STEAMCREAM*

It is an Anglo – Japanese brand, but the product is produced in the UK. STEAMCREAM is an all-in-one natural moisturiser that is light and gentle enough to be used on your face, body and hands. STEAMCREAM is produced using a STEAM process, The force of the STEAM fuses the ingredients instantly – holding them together in a very gentle and loose emulsion. When it touches your skin, the naturally moisturising ingredients and pure, calming essential oils are released from the light emulsion so they can sink past the surface, reaching the areas they are needed fast. Your skin will feel intensively moisturised and softer for longer’.

STEAMCREAM is also a very ethical brand, with focus upon its packaging being environmentally friendly and recyclable. It’s also Vegan Friendly, freshly handmade every day and STEAMCREAM use a minimum amount of preservatives so that the skin’s natural balance of flora can be protected. Low preservative levels also help STEAM CREAM to biodegrade easily. I love using this multipurpose product & have a collection of their cute tins on my vanity. I have written a full review on this here.

Illamasqua

It is a British makeup brand launched in 2008, it is a brand which encourages individuality and freedom of expression. Drawing much of its inspiration from the 1920s Berlin theatre scene and the many alternative scenes that we have seen since. It is a brand that’s popular with makeup artists and beauty lovers alike, not conforming to the norm Illamasqua has a flair for the vivid, pigmented and adventurous they never shy away from pushing the boundaries of makeup. I like that it feels quite dark and edgy, and that you’re part of a movement and not just a brand. It’s quite exciting. Illamasqua are known for using colour and being bold. I have only tried a few products from them, but I was pleased with the quality and their customer service, if you get a chance to visit one of their shops or counters you must, their staff are very friendly, helpful and passionate about the brand. So nice to see. Please let me know what products you use & love from them.

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However, if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.

Beauty Box Swap

May 17, 2014 - Vicki 14 Comments

The lovely Tales of a Pale Face organised an international beauty swap a few months ago & I was paired with Penny a lovely lady from Greece. We set a budget of 20 euro & I was excited when my box arrived. I really like doing swaps with other beauty bloggers all over the world, they’re a great way to be introduced to new brands & products. I will link Penny’s blog below incase she blogs about what I sent over to her. My box did include some British brands like Liz Earl, MUA, Soap & Glory and BarryM to name a few. This is what Penny picked out for me.

A girl can never have too many lip balms & this Forever Living Aloe for Lips lip balm is lovely & soothing. Also in my box was the cutest bottle of Bioderma, I will be saving this for a weekend break I have coming up in July.

Rilken Cromatics black eyeliner, I haven’t used this yet, but I do like wearing black liquid liner so this is I’m sure will work well for me.

Korres Pomegranate Cleansing Scrub for oily to combination skin. Looking forward to using that I like a good facial scrub. Penny also sent me this Korres Silver Glow 4 product makeup set. The lipgloss in this set is a gorgeous peach pink. There is also a black eyeliner and a pretty silver eyeshadow. You also get a small perfume sample.

So many skincare samples, quite a few Greek branded ones & the Michael Todd ones which I have wanted to try for the longest time. I’m sure this stash will keep me going for quite a while.

Im very pleased with my Greek Beauty Box & I’m hoping to do a few more swaps in the future. Let me know if you have tried any of the products that Penny sent. Or if you’ve done a beauty swap leave a link to your posts so I can have a look.

Thanks Penny & I hope you enjoy what I sent over to you x

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Tanya Burr Cosmetics – Kiss Me On The Lips

Summer Glow With The Body Shop

Best of British #1

Beauty Box Swap