Sigma Beauty at HQHair

- Vicki 5 Comments
Sigma Makeup Review

I have never tried any products from Sigma Beauty but I always hear American YouTubers and Beauty Bloggers talking about this brand. You can purchase Sigma products from HQ Hair if you’re in the UK and they have a small selection of both makeup & brushes.

I have been testing out two products from them so I thought i’d let you know how I got on.

Sigma Beauty

First up the packaging of both makeup products is lovely and simple, I really like this minimal but bold style.

Sigma Power Stick in Sigma Pink* 

Hold on to your hats this is one heck of a bold pink – its POW in your face bold. Its pigmented and the colour is intense after just one application. Its a true magenta pink and its such a pretty shade. The formula is creamy and feels lovely on the lips. I thought with it having quite a buttery texture that it wouldn’t have great staying power but I was wrong, this stays put for hours and although the colour does wear down a little its still a lovely bright pink.

Sigma Pink Lipstick

The packaging is a gorgeous bold vibrant pink and the lipstick feels luxurious & quite weighty. It has a magnetic close which is very satisfying and means its not going to come undone in your handbag. It has Sigma embossed on the actual lipstick and a pretty holographic Sigma Pink logo on the outer pink packaging. It feels lovely in your hand and I think its up there in terms of quality. If you like that full coverage bold lip look then this Sigma Pink Power Stick is one you need to try.

I’m smitten and I now want to try a few more shades & there are 6 shades to pick from.

  • Sigma Pink: Signature magenta pink
  • Clover: Soft, wearable pink
  • In Spades: Earthy, natural lip color
  • Nancy: Soft peach
  • Bloody Good: Heirloom tomato red
  • Stamina: Electric, bold plum

Pink Sigma Lipstick

Sigma Makeup at HQ Hair

Sigma Line Ace Liquid Eyeliner* 

I do love an intense black liquid liner & love trying out new brands, they always have a lot to live up to if they are to beat my beloved Charlotte Tilbury. This Sigma eyeliner offering is in the shade Legend and its so jet black, as intensely black as it gets. It does have a glossy finish which I  personally do not mind. It dried down quite quickly and stayed put throughout the day, no transferring or smudging.

It has a very precise brush applicator, which was quite easy to use and I was able to get a very neat finish but I just prefer a nib rather than a brush. I find that is easier to achieve more of a bold liner look and I can control it better. I am going to practise a little more & see if it can win me over, because the colour is the blackest liner I have used.

This Line Ace comes in some beautifully vibrant shades & I think the purple looks amazing.

  • Sigma Pink: Signature magenta pink
  • Legend: Classic black
  • Inscription: Bold purple
  • Endorse: Bold white
  • Robust: Deep olive green
  • Monogram: Warm deep brown

Sigma Makeup Swatches

Have you tried anything from Sigma Beauty or do you like the look of the two products I have been testing out?

New Miller Harris Fragrance

- Vicki 1 Comment
Miller Harris Perfume

Miller Harris Perfume

Miller Harris was founded 15 years ago by expert parfumer Lyn Harris who spent five years training in Paris, then in Grasse at Robertet, the world’s leader in natural aromatic ingredients. Whilst respecting tradition, Miller Harris strives to push the boundaries, creating exquisitely crafted fragrances that are innovative yet timeless. Miller Harris perfumes are beautiful, luxurious and timeless.

I have been trying out two new upcoming releases, Étui Noir and Lumiére Dorée – both are rich, sophisticated and perfect Spring / Summer scents. They both come packaged in the signature, elegant Miller Harris style with the outer cardboard packaging being simple but stylish and the perfume themselves are in beautiful weighty glass bottles with elegant floral detailing. They feel and look so nice.

New Miller Harris Perfume

Miller Harris Étui Noir eau de parfum*   

If you like rich complex more masculine scents then you just might fall in love with his new Miler Harris fragrance. It has notes of,

  • TOP: BERGAMOT, TANGERINE, ELEMI GUM
  • HEART: IRIS BUTTER, INCENSE, CASHMERE WOOD
  • BASE: PATCHOULI, VETIVER, LEATHER, AMBER, BIRCH

I adore fragrances with Bergamot & Patchouli and Étui Noir is quite a dark, sophisticated scent. It’s a little heavier than Lumiére Dorée. My husband loves this one in particular, and I think it smells incredible on him. It’s so rich and the mix of zesty citrus, smoky vetiver and rich patchouli make this my favourite Miller Harris scent to date, it’s intense and beautiful.

This would make a really special Father’s Day gift.

Miller Harris New Release 2016

Miller Harris Lumiére Dorée eau de parfum*

This is a more light, warm romantic scent. It’s a gorgeous scent to wear daily and one that you won’t grow tired of because throughout the day you pick up different notes, and they all smell so sophisticated. It has notes of,

  • TOP: BERGAMOT, PETIT GRAIN BIGARADIER EO, ORANGE BIGARADE
  • HEART: NEROLI BIGARADE MOROCCO EO, SAMBAC JASMINE, ORANGE BLOSSOM WATER
  • BASE: CASHMERE WOOD, VETIVER, CRISP AMBER, WHITE MUSKS

This is a lovely rich scent, it’s not overpowering or heady. I think it smells zesty, quite sweet and the musk makes it a little sensual and warm. It’s an easy scent to wear, I think it’s because it’s a little more fresh and daytime friendly.

These are two beautiful new additions to the Miller Harris range and their scents are such incredible quality and both fragrances are unisex.

Its always so hard to describe fragrance and recommending scents is so hard, but I urge you to seek out your local Miller Harris retailer so you can explore their range for yourself. They have a very wide selection of scents and I just know you will fall in love with at least one.

RRP:100ML £95 – 50ML £65

LAUNCH DATE: 2nd JUNE

*PR Sample

 

Cheerz X Polaroid 3000 Instagram Prints

- Vicki 2 Comments

Cheerz Polaroid Prints

Cheerz is French company who love nothing more than to bring your digital pictures to life. Their products are a great way of printing your photos and they have so many fun and creative ways of doing that. I think its nice to have photos as a memory and if you’re like me I hardly ever get them printed these days. I tested out a couple of their products last year & really loved the quality & just how easy it was to turn my digital images into something a little more fun.

More excitingly they have now teamed up with Polaroid to give you that classic, retro and pretty cool Polaroid vibe to your digital photos.

The Cheerz Polaroid 3000 instant prints are developed using stiff, glossy, embossed paper and look just like the real thing. There’s is even a special filter to give your prints an authentic “Polaroid” look.

Cheerz and Polaroid

New Cheerz Instagram Prints

All you need to do is select the Polaroid 3000 option,

  1. Select 18 of your favourite photos
  2. Add text (if you want to)
  3. Add to cart & checkout

You can upload digital images from your computer, Instagram, Facebook or your Google Account.

Its that simple. I didn’t add any text on my Polaroid Prints because I wanted to use some Washi Tape and add my own little DIY notes on the bottom. I think it adds a personal touch, I also used some small pegs and brown parcel tape to clip the photos to and I have hung them in in office.

My Cheerz Polaroid Instagram Prints

Cheerz Polaroid Photos

The quality of these prints is so good and they feel just like the instant Polaroid Prints. Its so cool that Cheerz have collaberated with Polaroid and are keeping the brand alive & current. So if you are looking to have some of your digital photos printed then why not treat yourself to a box of these. In a world where all of our images are digital its nice to have few memories that are tangible and there is nothing like looking back over old photos. These are great if you like to do scrapbooking & project life.

My prints arrived very quickly, within a couple of days of ordering.

You can use the Cheerz app via the App Store or Google Play Store I used the Cheerz website which was easy to navigate & very quick to use.

Why not print some of your memories & have them to keep. I think photos always make such a beautiful gift too, no matter what time of year and Cheerz have some really creative options for you. I have a discount code for you that will give you £4 off your first order. Use the code VICITK at checkout or just follow this link

*PR Sample

Exante Diet Vegan Meal Options

- Vicki 1 Comment

If you are someone that likes to have a plan when loosing weight then Exante might be a great option for you. Exante Diet is the UK’s leading online, diet and weight-management service offering a huge range of meal-replacement products, including diet soups, diet shakes, diet bars and more.

They offer a great range of flexible, easy-to-follow, weight-loss and weight-management plans to suit you. All their meals come prepared, individually portioned and with 100% of your recommended daily intake of vitamins and minerals. So if you follow your plan you won’t have to count your calories, as it is all worked out for you.

Exante Diet Meals

I was sent a few of their Vegan options to try out. I’m not trying to loose weight but healthy eating is very important to me and I often struggle to think of quick and easy meals which are both nutritious & tasty. Also portion control is not my strong suit so these meals were ideal.

Exante Diet Chocolate Orange Bar

Exante Diet Toffee Nut Raisan Bar

Chocolate Orange Meal Replacement Bar & Toffee Nut & Raisin Meal Replacement Bar*

Both of these bars are substantial and much bigger than your average ‘cereal bar’. They both had the consistency of a rice crispy square, a little sticky and they felt light. So a good option for breakfast, especially if you are someone that tends to skip breakfast. I thought they both initially tasted good but I think they are a little too sweet and I was left with a slight powdery after taste. If you have a sweet tooth then this may work for you. I was skeptical about them being meal replacements but although these bars were light they actually left me feeling full. These are good if you’re in a bind and want something quick, nutritious and quite low in calories but high in protein.

Curried Sweet Potato Soup

Curried Sweet Potato Soup*

This was delicious although it could have had a little more of a curry kick but it was still a great lunch option. It had quite a thick creamy texture and I was impressed by how nice it was. I would have this again & if like me you find soups a great way to get in your vegetable intake you may find these work for you. I like that they’re quick to cook when you don’t have a lot of time

moroccan style couscous exante

Moroccan Style Cous Cous*

I wasn’t holding out much hope for this as you just add water and leave to stand for a few minutes & I have never had a pot noodle style meal that had any flavour but …… this was actually pretty good. The cous cous fluffed up nicely and the moroccan spices made it really tasty. You get more than enough for this to be a lunch option & I would recommend this too

5 Bean Stew Exante Diet Meals

5 Bean Vegetarian Chilli*

This is totally up my street, I love this kind of hearty meal & I find beans so filling. This smells lovely and had a real kick to it. It was spicy and full of flavour, I thought it was a good sized portion. I cooked it in the oven but it can also be microwaved.

I would recommend all the lunch & dinner options I tried & the Moroccan Cous Cous & Vegie Chilli in particular. Both we very filling and full of flavour. I wasn’t so keen on the two meal replacement bars, they were a little sweet for me & left a weird after tatse.

Make sure you check out Exante if you’re looking to kick start your weight-loss or need a little guidance with portion control and healthy meal options. I have only tested a very small selection of meals & snacks that are available on their plans so I am sure if you haven’t seen anything that takes your fancy that they will have lots of options you will enjoy.

They also have a great selection of recipe ideas too, so even after you finish your plan you can continue to eat a healthy, balanced and calorie controlled diet.

*PR Sample