An Ode to Peony and Blush Suede

Oh how I underestimated your beauty, I love you Peony and Blush Suede.

I really didn't know where to start with Jo Malone scents as they have strange fragrance combinations, like Sea Salt and Wood Sage and Earl Grey and Cucumber. I don't have a counter near me and buying a scent online would be very risky, but I finally got the opportunity to peruse the counter at Manchester Airport Terminal 1.

The counters themselves are beautiful, the black and white chic packaging is reflected in the decor and the staff were lovely. I sampled their signature scents but one in particular caught my attention; Peony and Blush Suede.

It's incredible, honestly it is. It's a light, classic floral scent, which I imagine would suit everyone. It's an instant mood booster for me when I smell it too.

I really underestimated the quality of the fragrance, it's very long lasting and I can smell it on myself, unlike most of my perfumes.

I've kept the precious glass bottle in it's box for safe keeping, a 'best' perfume to be brought out on those special occasions or when I'm feeling down.

I thoroughly recommend treating yourself to a Jo Malone fragrance. well worth the price!

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Disappointing Products from Eye of Horus - Goddess Eyeliner, Mascara and Brow Pencil

When I opened the package of Eye of Horus goodies I was super excited, it was filled with liners, a mascara and a brow product - staples in my make-up bag. I love the sleek black and gold packaging and was super impressed with how long the eye liner pencils were, giving you plenty of product.

I trialled the Goddess Pencil Eyeliner, £17 first, they are their signature products. I have the classic black, teal and bronze shades. I was hoping for super pigmented creamy formulas but I was disappointed. The colour just didn't want to transfer on my waterline even after I went over it a few times. As for lining the lash line, they were okay but I much prefer my Rimmel Eyeliners, as they are softer and don't drag as much.

The Goddess Mascara, £19 sadly was another disappointment. It did nothing to my lashes, which is a shame as the wand and brushes look really good. I had to quickly stick another mascara over the top to save my lashes before I left the house. I'll be binning this!

The only product I liked was the Dual Brow Perfect, £15, it's an EXACT dupe for the new Soap and Glory Dual Eyebrow Pencil - same packaging just a different logo. The pencil is a slanted perfect for creating those defined angles and the brow gel doesn't leave your brows crispy. Would I repurchase? No, I'd get the Soap and Glory one, as I can just pop to Boots.

If you did want to try Eye of Horus products they are available on Beauty Bay.

As you can see my reviews are always honest, even when the products are press samples!

*This post contains PR samples

EDIT: After chatting to Georgina (foxonthahunt) on Twitter, she loved t the products, I decided to sharpen the pencils to see if that improved the pigmentation. It actually did!!! I'm not sure if mine had a funny film over the top layer to prevent the colour coming through but they seem better now. As for the mascara I still think there is no hope for that product.

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Kiko Haul - Eyeshadows, Eye Pencils, Eyeshadow Sticks and Modern Tribe Blusher Brush Review

I haven't spent any money on new make-up in ages. You'll all doubt me on this as I'm always posting new products but I get sent a lot of items, so I don't actually purchase much myself. Of course, I repurchase my favourites but I haven't splurged on any new items in a long while.

Kiko sent me an email stating they had a sale and before you know it I had items in my basket; ready to check out. Please note any prices that I quote are from their sale, I'm looking at my order to see how much I paid at the time, these may go back to full price after the sale period.

The first things that slipped into my basket were the Long Lasting Eyeshadow Sticks. I'd heard that they were excellent dupes for the By Terry Ombre Black Stars, which are priced at £29; where as the Kiko ones are priced at £6.90, a bargain!  The shades I choose were 37 Burgundy and 05 Rosy Brown, which is meant to be an exact dupe for the Ombre BlackStar shade called Misty Rock, Vivianna Does Makeup and Lily Pebbles are both fans. 

The quality and blend-ability of these eyeshadow stick is fantastic and they don't crease once they have set. I usually blend the edges of the colour with my MAC 217 brush and just apply mascara and eyeliner for an effortless everyday look.

I thought I'd give their powder eyeshadows a whirl too. I picked out another burgundy shade, which is called 137 Pearly Copper. I know that red shades work well with green eyes, hence the two burgundy shades in this haul. I also purchased 116 Pearly Forest Green, again good for green eyes and 166 Satin Midnight Blue, which was inspired by Amelia Liana. She created an amazing blue smoky eye look a few months back. These only cost £2.00 with discounts, I was tempted to get more but I'm tight on storage space.

The Kiko Water Eyeshadows are phenomenal, very smooth in formula and they glisten beautifully. You can also use these shadows wet and pack them on like pigments. I went for the shade 209 Olive Green, it's a beauty!

Two Glamorous Eye Pencils found their way into my order as they were just £2.90. I have plenty of black liners, so I wanted some eye colour enhancing shades, (can you see a theme here). I choose 403 Burnt Sienna Earth and 404 Plum. These aren't as creamy as I would have liked, they are a hard pencil, which does take some work to get colour pay off. I'm not super disappointed as they were so cheap. An alternative would be Maybelline or Rimmel's coloured liners, these are both more creamy and pigmented.

My haul is very eye make-up oriented isn't it? I did pick up a the Modern Tribe Tri-bal Soul Baked Blush in 03 Wild Mauve but this sadly smashed in transit, hence it's not in the photograph. Luckily I managed to get one while in Barcelona. I had to buy the matching Modern Tribes Blush Brush, it's an interesting shape, which is why I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. The super soft bristles are cut into curved shape intended to hug the contours of your cheek. The blush is domed so it's a perfect fit, but with flat pan blushes you do have to angle and push it into the pan to make sure the whole curve is covered. Blends blusher like a dream!

The Kiko sale is still on, I love the quality and price point of these items, so well worth putting in an order!

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DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, Liquid Eyeliner, Double Protection Mascara, Velvet Skin Coat Primer and Cotton Swabs Review

The beauty world has been inundated with Japanese beauty products and inventions in the last year. Did they know spend an average of 20 - 30 minutes on their skin care routine and 5 minutes on make-up? We are the opposite, more focused on make-up than skincare. Perhaps we wouldn't have to spend so much time on make-up if our skin was better through a more intense routine.

One of the Japanese brands which has made it's way to the UK is DHC, available on Feel Unique's website. I was kindly sent their best selling items to review and see whether they were worth the hype.

DHC Liquid Liner, £16

I judge an eyeliner on the brush and the intensity of the black and this one scores points in both. I love that the nib is super thin but firm enough to get a good line. As for the pigment it's one of the blackest liners I've tried. I hate this crappy grey black shades you sometimes get with cheaper brands. This liner has a nifty lid that will stop it drying out too quickly, it has a springy top that you have to push hard to lock which means you can never leave it half opened.

A must buy from DHC!

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, £21.50

I've seen their infamous Cleansing Oil mentioned on a few skincare blogs and always wanted to try it out. I'm very into my cleansing at the moment, using oils and creams to softly take off my make-up and then second cleansing to refresh the skin.

To put this oil to the test I tried to remove all of my make-up including their own tubing mascara which they asked me to test. I pumped a few drops into my hand and massaged into the skin, working it in and also soothing it over my eyes to remove make-up. You could instantly see my foundation melting away but my mascara was a little harder to remove.I would recommend a few drops for your face make-up, a rinse with a flannel and then another pump over the eyes again. It's a gentle formula so doesn't sting your eyes, which is a huge plus point for me as I have sensitive skin around my eyes.

It also doesn't have a fragrance, which makes it very gentle on the skin and eyes. It is very liquidy, so you do have to massage in quickly to avoid it dripping.

Overall really impressed with this oil, it's simple and kind to skin in it's formula. It leaves your skin feeling soothed and moisturised, ready for the next skincare step you choose.

DHC Velvet Touch Primer, £17

I'm always on the hunt for the perfect primer, I have oily skin, so keeping my make-up in place is a nightmare. I would describe this primer as somewhere between the L'Oreal's Infalliable primer and the Max Factor Facefinity All Day primer; it's like half silicone, half cream formula.

I try and avoid silicone ones for everyday use as they can block pores, I'm happy this DHC one isn't overloaded with the ingredient. It leaves a smooth base for my make-up and doesn't feel heavy.

As for longevity, this primer makes my make-up last all day but I do have some serious oil on my T-zone by 4pm, which I have with most primers and foundations.

DHC Perfect Pro Double Protection Mascara, £14.50

I'm not loyal to mascaras, I try a new one as soon as one has run out, normally what's on offer. I've tried plenty but have never used a 'tubing' mascara before. It coats the lashes with the formula which then creates tubes around your lashes to keep the curl for longer.

I loved how this made my lashes look, they were so long and fluttery! The brush isn't too big and it manages to grab every lash.

The downside to this mascara is the removal. As it has a tubing formula you can't just rub it off with a make-up wipe. The best way to remove is soaking  a cotton wool pad in the Cleansing Oil and then pressing it down over the eye for a few seconds and then sweep the pad in a downward motion. Most of the tubes come off with this technique.

DHC Olive Virgin Oil Cotton Swabs, £5.50

These little cotton buds are infused with olive oil, perfect for fixing any make-up mistakes. I often mess up my liquid liner, or my flicks end up uneven, rather than removing all of my eye make-up, these swabs are perfect just to quickly remove the mark. This packet of 50 will last me ages and I would really recommend them for make-up artists. They even come in their own plastic wrap to keep them fresh and hygienic.

Overall I'm super impressed with DHC, the products are simple, yet hard working and do not leave you disappointed.

*This post contains PR samples.

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Daniel Wellington Sheffield Rose Gold Watch - Plus 50% Off Discount

You can't scroll through Instagram without spotting a Daniel Wellington watch. I've been looking for a plain, but stylish watch that I can wear everyday and the woman's Sheffield watch in Rose Gold is perfect for this.

Shopping around paid off, I found this watch was nearly half price on Amazon, it was about £85 instead of £159 on their website. What a bargain! 

The rose gold finishes on the face and sleek leather black strap are the reasons I love this watch. It's very simiplistic which means I can wear it with anything.

Here is a link to the Amazon seller, if you want a Daniel Wellington watch for yourself.

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Libbie Club - July Box - Becca, Bio Effect and Skin and Tonic - Plus Exclusive Discounts

Imagine a free box of new products each month to try out for your blog - like a subscription to a PR company! Well Libbie Club, created by Latest in Beauty is just that! Bloggers can apply to recieved a free box of goodies each month. Buy signing up you also recieve exclusive discount codes and offers to share with fellow bloggers and friends.

This is July's box, filled with exciting goodies, it contains a Beeca Beach Tint in Watermelon, Skin & Tonic Steam Clean Cleansing Balm and cloth and a Bio Effect Volcanic Exfoliator. I've trialed and tested these products, so here are my thoughts.

Becca Beach Tint in Watermelon (£20)

Becca is a high end brand loved by American beauty bloggers, their Beach Tints and Highlighting Powders and Creams have been raved about so I was excited to try something from the brand. The pigment is quiet bright when you squeeze it from the tube but once you blend it out it sheers to a lovely soft tint. You do have to be careful what foundation you use with it, if it's something heavy like Estee Lauder Double Wear it will tend to move the foundation underneath. It would be perfect over a lighter foundation which isn't so heavy and powdery. I love that this is a multi-use product, you can also use it on your lips to add a touch of colour.

Skin & Tonic Steam Clean Cleansing Balm and Cloth (£27)

I was expecting this to be similar to the Elemis Cleansing Balm but instead of being like a creamy gel in the tub it's more like a hard wax that melts. You literally need to scoop out the smallest amount and soothe over the face. It melts and warms as you rub it into the skin. The directions on the jar recommend you dampen the cloth with warm water and cover your face with it while breathing in the clearing eycaluptus scent. The cloth is a little more rough than the Liz Earle Muslin one. I don't think this balm would take off all your make-up and mascara so I've reserved this as a second cleanse product.

Bio Effect Volcanic Exfoliator (£30)

I've been eyeing up some Bio Effecr products online and was glad that this item was in the box so I could see what the quality was like. I adore the striped boxes, and the white packaging looks so stylish and sleek. This is a traditional exfoliator, not a chemical one; it's a gel with tiny beads in. I'm loving exfoliating at the moment as my skin is very bumpy, this product just effortlessly buffs away dead skin. My skin feels instantly more smoother.

*This post contains a PR sample

Would you like to try these proucts out? I have exclusive codes and discounts just for my readers which can be viewed on my Libbie Club Page.

You can choose from:

• Free Lip Gloss worth £18 with your Becca Beach Tint
• 30% Off your Skin & Tonic Clean and Scrub Duo
• Free EGF serum worth £22 with your Bioeffect Exfoliator

If you want to know more about how Libbie Club works, tweet me! @cherriesbeauty

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#YOULOOKDISGUSTING - My Pale Skin / Em Ford's Acne Awareness Campaign & My Personal Struggle with Acne

'You look disgusting', words you should never hear from a stranger but I know all too well what it's like to hear those words, just like Em Ford. She has just produced a ground breaking video called '#YOULOOKDISGUSTING'.

If you haven't read Em's blog or watched her Youtube Channel you are missing out. Em recently got a lot of negative comments on pictures and videos which she posts. She never hides her acne at the beginning of tutorials, which I think is amazingly brave. She shows how make-up can transform you but in turn she received horrible comments suggesting that she was fake and disgusting.

I couldn't believe people's ignorance! Acne is very debilitating mentally, I can't believe people actually find acne as an excuse to bully and say negative things. Acne is something that happens hormonally and cannot be just be controlled by just washing your face, if anything people with acne probably wash their face more times than the average person.

Acne ranges from a few spots to painful sores and cysts, neither should an excuse to bully someone. I fought long and hard with my acne and my self esteem.

My Acne Story

If you've been a long time reader, you'll know I suffered from horrific acne since I was very young. People in school would joke that they could play dot to dot on my face and would stare and talk about me in the corridor. School wasn't a great time for me, I was very self conscious of my skin and from a very, very young age I started wearing make-up to hide my flaws.

A strong course of Accutane/ Roaccutane was suggested, it was a horrific experience, which caused depression and mental health issues, as well as the more obvious side effects like skin peeling off in sheets, dandruff and dry, coarse hair. Looking back I was so desperate to find a fix, I was willing to put my mental health on the line. After the treatment finished I was left with clear skin but the long term effects of depression and anxiety have stayed with me.

'I wish I could be pretty, I wish I could have clear skin, I wish I could go without make-up, I wish I didn't feel so self-concious', these are all the thoughts that have come from this skin condition. A feeling of self-doubt is always with me. I adore my boyfriend and feel comfortable with him but I still feel awful not wearing any make-up around him. I feel like he shouldn't have to look at my horrible scars. Of course, he is 100% supportive and likes me both with and without make-up. I just can shake off the self-doubt.

Nearly 10 years down the line after that treatment, I still have horrific acne scarring. For 80% off the time my skin is clear but occasionally I will get incredibly painful cystic spots which take weeks to heal.

My battle with acne is still very current and Em's video resonated with me. I know how soul destroying nasty comments can be. We shouldn't be judged on our looks, we should be judged on our merits. It's shameful that people can't look past a few spots and see the real person behind it.

Em's video has really opened my eyes, we should empower each other no matter what we look like. I shouldn't have to hide behind make-up and fear what people will say about my skin.

Time to change you ignorant bastards, judge people not on their skin but their personality and merits!

Well done Em, you've raised so much awareness and I know some many people have been touched by your campaign.

You can watch Em's video below. Warning though, you might feel a little weepy, it's incredibly moving.

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