I've been wanting to do a series of mini reviews for a while as I use a lot of things that are worthy of mention so here is 'four things I am using right now #1'.
First up is the Kat Von D Immortal 24 hr Lash mascara. I love the packaging-ok so it is that horrible, 'attracts all dirt and fingerprints' rubberised packaging but it has a red foiled pattern on it that happens to match my nail polish exactly! The wand is really unusual-it's a flexible silicone wand with a spiked, spiral stem and then a rounded spiked ball tip. The spiked, spiral stem is ingenious for getting to the root of the lashes and really coating them from root to tip. I'm not a huge fan of the round spiky tip but I haven't spoken highly of other mascaras with this ball mechanism like the Givenchy Noir Couture. But this mascara delivers volume, length and separation and doesn't smudge or flake. What I really like is that it is so buildable-you can really ramp up the effect by layering without fearing it will go clumpy or you'll end up with a monolash. If you're debating between this and the NARS Audacious mascara then I rate this one much higher than the NARS. The brush also doesn't scratch my lashes like the NARS mascara does. I bought mine in the US but KVD is a brand that Sephora will ship to the UK and if you're in Dubai, the brand has just launched here.
It's been well documented that I need a another perfume like a hole in the head but when Jo Malone releases one I go weak at the knees. Enter Mimosa and Cardamon-the newest launch. I won't say too much because my perfume reviews are about as useful as a chocolate fireguard given my sense of smell is null and void but from what I can smell, I love. I have always loved Tonka Bean which is the base note and what I smell on myself is warm and comforting yet fresh at the same time. I love 'creamy' scents when we move into Autumn and Winter and this fits the bill nicely. I believe this layers well with Wood Sage & Sea Salt, Nectarine & Honey Blossom and English Pear & Freesia-all of which I own. The major complaint I have seen online seems to be the longevity of this fragrance but layering fragrances can definitely help.
Onto skincare-first up the cult Omorovicza thermal cleansing balm. I am really on the fence about it-I love it as a cleanser but I think it's very expensive considering how fast I have gotten through it and it's also bugger to remove. The cleanser itself is a black Hungarian Moor Mud oily balm, enriched with thermal waters and minerals such as copper, zinc, magnesium and calcium. I feel that the quality of the ingredients mean this should be a great, skin benefiting second cleanse in the evening but actually it's also a very effective make up remover that cuts through heavy make up easily.
The texture is the most bizarre thing-in the pot it feels light and oily and applies to dry skin it massages in easily. It's 99% smooth but very occasionally I feel little tiny scrubby bits in the formula. When you add water though the balm thickens and feels like a gel and it really sticks to the skin. You cannot rinse this off. It's genuinely impossible. You must gently rinse this off with a wet flannel-you'll be amazed at the colour of your flannel and how much makeup this takes off. But I do find you really have to be careful not to leave a residue on the skin and to really take the time and effort remove it properly. I find it slightly easier if I dampen my hands first before applying it to my skin. But afterwards my skin is so soft-the softest I have ever felt after cleaning. The clays keep my skin clear and calm but at £46 for 50ml I just think there are other things that are just as efficient at removing make up-although admittedly I have never found anything that leaves my skin as soft.
Last up the Oskia Bedtime Beauty Boost*. I haven't met anyone who doesn't love the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Balm-this was in my Holy Grails of 2014 post and I recently bought another one. I had a little wishlist of Oskia products to try so I was thrilled when this landed on my doorstep. I feel like overnight booster creams/masks have become quite popular over the past year or so-products that work hard whilst you don't. I love the packaging-it's heavy glass and really luxurious. The cream looks quite heavy in the jar but on the skin it's actually very light. I love rose scented products and the scent of this is very calming-especially as a last step in my evening routine.
There is a luxurious cocktail of skin boosters in this cream-Oskia's patented MSM Regen-Complex, Milk Peptides, vitamins A, B3 and E, Swiss Apple Stem Cells, Hyaluronic Acid, Phytosterols and Omegas 3, 6 and 9. They all work together to plump out fine lines, boost hydration and improve tone and texture. It absorbs immediately with no residue. I've been using it every other night (with the Sarah Chapman Overnight Exfoliating Booster on the other nights). If you have slightly drier skin you will love this and want to slather your face in it! I feel like I walk up with plumper and better hydrated skin-meaning my makeup is sitting better on my skin the next day.
Have you tried any of these products?
*contains a PR sample. All thoughts are, of course my very own.
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