29 September 2013

Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip Balm // REVIEW


Hey guys! This is a review I've been meaning to do for a few months now, hence why I took the photos in about July (where has time gone?!), so apologies if the photos lighting is a little dodgy.

The Nuxe Reve De Miel Baume Levres Lip Balm, which I must say has an extremely long name, has became somewhat of a cult product earlier this year, although I haven't actually seen many people talking about it recently. It has a very thick, waxy texture which makes it very moisturising, whilst still being un-sticky. Even though it may look tinted, when applied it has no colour pay off, it just mattifies your lips.

The lasting power is fairly good, it lasts about 2 hours, even though drinking and eating. You need to reapply it about 4 times a day when it's cold, but within the first few days of me using it I instantly saw a huge improvement in my lips' condition, they weren't flaky anymore and felt very soft. I could see an enormous difference between the effects of a mediocre, cheaper lip balm and this. My only negative would have to be that it doesn't work very well under lipsticks, I'm not sure if it's to do with the waxiness possibly so I would advise using it about half an hour before using a lipstick.

This is on the more expensive side, at about £9.50 for only 15ml, however it really is an amazing lip balm (the best I've ever tried) and it is without a doubt worth the money! Plus I have had this pot since roughly April and I have only used around a quarter of the pot, making it pretty cost effective.

Have you tried the Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip Balm?




25 September 2013

The Autumn Tag


Hey guys! Today I am doing the Autumn tag (wow my third Autumn themed post this month), which was created by the lovely Georgina from Makeup Pixi3. Technically I wasn't specifically tagged to do this, but when I heard that Georgina had tagged everybody, I had to do it! Autumn is one of my favourite seasons, so it only seemed fair that I did this tag.

1.  Favourite thing about it?  Apart from the shopping, probably seeing all the pretty golden leaves covering the floor and the noise they make when you walk on them. Gets me all excited for Winter and Christmas haha!

2.  Favourite drink?  Honestly I don't have a favourite drink for Autumn, I am a huge fan of sparkling water all year round! Although, if I did have to pick one, it would most likely be coffee or hot chocolate, with cream, cinnamon and marshmallows of course.

3.  Favourite scent/candle?  I love anything that is spicy, especially cinnamon or nutmeg. They just remind me of Autumn and Christmas! Breaking that trend, I bought a grapefruit & lime room spray from Sainsburys (not a great Autumn scent I must admid) but I absolutely love it. 

4.  Best lipstick?  I'm not the sort of person who only uses a lipstick at certain times of the year, as I tend to play it safe and stick to my peach shades. The past few weeks I have been slowly moving over to darker shades, like my Chanel lipstick in Esprit, it's a gorgeous deep raspberry shade and it is perfect for Autumn! 

5.  Go to moisturiser?  I love the Nuxe Creme Fraiche De Beaute for the evening (it doesn't settle very well under makeup during the day), it is so moisturising for the dry skin months. For the daytime it has got to be the Balance Me Moisture Rich face cream, it really is a lovely moisturiser and makes my skin feel so soft and hydrated! 

6.  Go to colours for the eyes?  Bronzes, browns and neutrals have got to be my go to shades for Autumn. They look simple but really pretty! 

7.  Favourite music or band/singer to listen to?  Ah this is a hard question, I'm a big fan of Gabrielle Aplin, Jasmine Thompson and Birdy. I don't have a specific favourite band/singer as such but these are some of my most listened to!

8.  Favourite outfit to wear (i.e. boots & a scarf combo)?  I seem to wear either jeans, a jacket, boots/Converse and a scarf, or jeans, a jumper, boots/Converse and sometimes a scarf (see a recurring occurrence here?) This year I may try to change over to wearing dresses and thick tights/leggings a little bit more, guess we will have to see!

9.  Autumn treat?  I would love to buy some more boots and I've just ordered some new Converse a couple of days ago! Another thing I'd really like to buy is a nice bag, maybe a leather satchel or a Zara City Bag?

10.  Favourite place to be?  I can't wait to be laying in bed, cuddled up in a blanket, watching Vampire Diaries (I have a small obsession and it starts on the 3rd of October ahh), with the heating on, whilst it is dark and cold outside.

I really enjoyed doing this tag, it has definitely got be ready for full-on Autumn! I tag the following people to do the Autumn tag, and anyone else who would like to do it.

Kathryn from Effie
Tolly from Tolly Dolly Posh
Molly from What Molly Loves (she has THE cutest Griffon Bruxellois puppies)

I hope you all enjoy doing this tag as much as I did!


22 September 2013

Chanel Autumn 2013 Collection (Superstition) // REVIEW


Hey guys! As it is now officially Autumn, I thought I would review the Chanel (extremely pretty) things that I was sent a little while ago. I have reviewed some bits from the Spring & Summer 2013 collection in the past, so I was really happy when I was able to try some of the Autumn collection, because lets face it, who doesn't love the shades of makeup at this time of year?!

This season's collection is called the Superstition collection, and I absolutely love it! There are a range of shades, from deep plums, subtle pinks and lovely corals, so there is something for everyone.

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Hydrating Sheer Lipstick - Instinct (86) - £24* The Rouge Coco range has got to be one of my favourite lipstick ranges, they are ridiculously moisturising, which for me is pretty essential during Autumn/Winter! You can even wear them when you lips are all flaky and horrible, they are definitely one of my go-to lipsticks. 

The formulation is a lot like a lip balm which is really nice! It is not drying what-so-ever and lasts about 2 hours, which honestly isn't tremendously great, but it is a light shade so I guess it does fade easier. This shade comes out a light lavender pink when applied to the lips, although the swatch is a tad pinkier. It does come up slightly glossy and has some little glitter particles in it! 

Definitely a great lipstick if you don't follow the dark lipped trend in Autumn!


Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Hydrating Colour Lipstick - Esprit (88) - £24* How lovely is this shade?! I don't ever wear dark shades much, as I don't think they suit me, however this isn't too dark whilst still light enough for my liking. I did notice that that Esprit definitely lasted longer than Instinct, possibly because it is a darker shade. The shade is somewhere between burgundy and pink berry, plus it has a strong shine! 

The pigmentation is extremely high, so you must be careful not to make any mistakes with it! Like I said before, they are very moisturising making them perfect for Autumn/Winter. I also think this would be a gorgeous shade for Christmas (I am already thinking about that, yes)!


Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush - Malice (71) - £31* First of, I must admit that this blush is from a previous collection, however Chanel are considering it as part of their Autumn range, so I can still review it! This is a perfect peachy coral shade and I absolutely love it. There is some shimmer in it, but nothing too bad. 

It applies very easily which is always great, however it is very pigmented, meaning you have to use the TINIEST bit otherwise you will end up very pink cheeked! This lasts for hours, making it great for anyone who can't top up their blush during the day! 


Chanel Ombre Essentielle Soft Touch Eyeshadow - Hasard (99) - £23*  Hasard is a completely matte lavender-brown shade. It isn't overly pigmented so it's easy to build upon, depending on whatever level of colour you want! I wore this for about 7 hours and it didn't start to crease a single bit, which I was very happy about.

The texture is so soft and you can really feel that it isn't drying! This has got to be one of my favourite eyeshadows at the moment, as it is a perfect colour for Autumn if you don't like a heavy eye.


Chanel Le Volume De Chanel Mascara - Khaki Bronze (40) - £24* I am one of those people who like to stick to their black mascaras, and never stray from them. When I got sent this I had to try this the next day as I had never tried a khaki shade! 

The brush is amazing, it's spikes are very short and thin, making it very easy to achieve clumpless lashes! I didn't need to separate my lashes at all, which I have to do with all my mascaras, so I must admit it was a welcome surprise. The shade is true to it's name, a traditional khaki with a hint of bronze, which makes your lashes a lovely natural colour, especially great for daytime! 

Overall I adore this Autumn's collection, and may have to purchase a couple of bits myself (the cream blushes especially have been catching my eye). Again Chanel have outdone themselves!

What do you think of this Autumn's collection?

21 September 2013

Advertise With Me!

Hey guys! So I have some very exciting news, and that is I have now started allowing advertisers on my little blog. I have been considering doing this for a while now, but was always worried people may be put off by the fact I'm making some sort of money off my blog. I can honestly tell you though that all the money I make will go back into trying to make my blog better! I've tried to make my prices reasonable by creating a range of different ones to fit in with everyones' budgets.

To find out about how to advertise on my blog please check out my advertising page here! If you would like to advertise with me just pop me an email to hiddenbeautyblog@gmail.com and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible. All advertising packages run from the first of one month, to the first of the second month! I'm beginning all the packages from the 1st of October, so you have plenty of time to "book"!

I hope this new change doesn't affect how you all view my blog!


15 September 2013

Autumn 2013 Fashion Wishlist

Hey guys! I always love when Autumn comes, and one of those reasons is the fashion. You can start wearing nice boots, warm cardigans, cosy jumpers and dark coloured jeans, without putting yourself at risk of overheating! So today's post is my Autumn fashion wishlist with some of my favourite Autumnal picks. I may be doing a Autumn (or Winter, depending on when I get round to doing it) beauty wishlist within the next few weeks, keep an eye out for that! 


This isn't the sort of colour I would automatically think of wearing if I'm honest, but these look so nice! I don't really own that many pairs of Autumn coloured jeans, so I will definitely have to buy these or find a cheaper alternative.


I have had my eye on this jumper for a few months now. It is such a pretty, simple jumper, then it's perked up a it with the white crochet on the shoulders. Really think I will have to buy this!


I seriously need boots this year (considering I have none that fit apart from black, smart ones). Me finding boots is extremely difficult, they can't be very shiny, must be decent quality, have a thick sole to cope with Autumn/Winter weather and they, obviously, be must comfortable. Now I don't know if these are comfortable yet as I haven't been able to try them, but apart from that they seem to fit the bill! I'm certain I will buy these, even if I have to return them (woo free Asos returns)!


Firstly, how warm and cosy does this look?! I have not really that interested in cardigans like this in the past, I normally much prefer my jumpers, however this year I have seem quite a few cardigans that I have adored! I think this must be one of my favourites, as it would look so lovely with a pair of burgundy jeans. 


I already own a burgundy/maroon pair of skinny jeans, but these have a very slight black acid wash affect (you can see it better zoomed into the photo on River Island), which I think helps liven them up a little. Surprisingly I don't own a single pair of River Island jeans, even though they are always raved about, so these would be a first for me. Anyway you can never have too many pairs of jeans right?


Personally, I haven't been a huge fan of the whole statement necklace trend, but when I saw this on someone's Instagram (sorry, I can't remember who it was), I instantly loved it! I must admit, in the stock photo it doesn't look like the most appealing necklace however it really does look lovely when you pair it with a cute jumper. Also for £10 who can go wrong!


I have pretty much this EXACT same top from H&M but in a slightly lighter grey. They are so comfortable and actually really warm considering they have cropped sleeves!  I actually couldn't believe it's only £7.99, I think I may have to get this as I really need more tops for winter.


How cute is this cardigan?! It would look really nice paired with a simple white top, jeans and some boots. It's got a little bit of open-knit on the back, near the shoulders, which I think helps to jazz it up a little. I'm certain I will be buying this very soon!


Finally, another pair of boots! I had seen someone mention they had got a nice pair of boots from Tesco in one of the chats on Twitter, so decided to have a look there. Within a few minutes I had found this lovely pair. They are lined as well, meaning they will be all snugly when it's cold. My Mum pointed this fact out, they are faux suede, which means they will go really wet if it starts to rain or snow...they are just too pretty.

What is on your Autumn/Winter wishlist?

PS. If any of you have any discount codes for these shops please let me know!


Remember to enter my giveaway to win 7 products featuring Soap & Glory, China Glaze, Bourjois and more!





12 September 2013

Benefit They're Real // REVIEW


Hey guys! I have been meaning to do this review for a while, after I got the Benefit They're Real mini mascara in Elle a few months ago. I've got to be honest, at first I really didn't like this, it made my lashes look really clumpy and, quite frankly, horrible. However after a few uses I changed my mind completely! Also sorry for the lack of a before and after photo, I did take one but I have no idea where it has ended up. 

This product has had so much talk surrounding it, some people adore it, while other's can't stand it! I know a lot of people weren't keen on the plastic brush, but honestly I'm not that fussed about it, you just have to be careful not to get too much product on it. 

It really does lengthen and make my lashes look "fluttery", and dare I say it, amazing! I must admit though, you do tend to need to use an eyelash comb to separate your lashes a bit, but really I do this with most of my mascaras. I found it to be quite waterproof, as long as you don't rub it, which I was presently surprised with. It doesn't seem to start to flake for atleast 6-7 hours, which I really think is pretty good!

My only negative would have to be the end of the wand. It's a weird, round shape and is collects loads of product, which you can probably see in the photo and it's really hard to get off, so you can end up with little deposits of mascara where you don't want them! I know a lot, if not all, bloggers have this problem with They're Real, so maybe Benefit should consider a "re-style"?

Overall I seriously liked this mascara, even if we did get off to a rocky start. My only regret about this product is not buying more when it was in Elle still, as it is quite expensive at £19.50 for the full size. I think I will have to ask for this for my birthday (December 17th) or Christmas. Yes, I am already thinking of what to put on my wishlist for those two events!

Have you tried Benefit They're Real?








Remember to enter my giveaway to win 7 products featuring Soap & Glory, China Glaze, Bourjois and more!

8 September 2013

Bristol Zoo // LIFESTYLE

Hey guys! A couple of weeks ago I went to Bristol Zoo with my family, and decided that I would do a little post about it. To say the least, this post has ended up being extremely long with all the photos, please be aware that this is VERY picture heavy! I had taken over 200 photos originally, so to get down to this many I think I've done pretty well. Some of the photos may be a little blurry because of the glass/cage in front of the animals. Anyway on with the post!

We arrived at about half 10 in the morning, spent a little while looking round the flamingoes, Twilight World, red pandas and a few other animals around the entrance. We then went and had lunch at the Coral Cafe, where the food is always really nice! I had a pork baguette with salad, and a bottle of Juicy Water in, I think, the flavour raspberries & apple. After a few more hours of looking around the animals we went home after a very long day! These are some of the photos I took, I did my best to remember what animals they are!

A quick note. For some reason the captions on the photos won't show up when I publish the post, so please excuse that! I will try and get it fixed soon.

Caterpillars
Flamingos
Wow flamingos' faces look strange when they drink!
Kea

Bats
Giant Tortoises
Iguana, I think
Little glass climbing lizard
Poisonous Dart Frogs
Bumblebee Poisonous Dart Frog
Baby turtle!
Crocodile

One of my favourite photos! Notice the little Nemo type fish on the right side
Tarantula, yuck!
Cricket. Don't they look lovely..not
Pretty little beetle
Honeybees and hi me in the reflection
Dove
Feeding the Parakeets
Little birdies
Gibbons
Otter
Meerkats!
Notice the baby meerkat cuddled up to one of the adults
Really blurry, but it's a good photo comparing the size of the baby to an adult!
Okapi
Tamarin
Penguins
Things I like to all moustache birds
Seals
Ring tail lemurs
Macaques
Red Pandas
Congratulations if you are still reading/looking. I did say this post is very picture heavy! I hope you enjoyed looking at my day out. I would love to know if you would like to see anymore posts like this in the future!

Have you ever been to Bristol Zoo?







Remember to enter my giveaway to win 7 products featuring Soap & Glory, China Glaze, Bourjois and more!