Mineral Hygienics Cosmetics

Mineral Hygienics is a brand that I hadn't heard of until recently when I was approached to give some of the products a go. The American based company specialise in natural, gentle mineral products that have been designed to give beautiful results that are long lasting as well as being kind to the skin. Quite a big ask I thought so I was excited to give some of their most popular products a try.
I was sent the Sheer Mineral Foundation* in tones Light and Fairly Light, the Sheer Perfection setting powder* in Silk Translucent, the Mineral Enhancer* bronzer in Cool Kiss and the Full Coverage Kabuki Brush* to apply the products with.

After a little colour swatching I matched myself with the Light foundation and began to play with the products. I've always been a bit of a liquid foundation person because I like to make sure my foundation has a nice high coverage, not because I have bad skin, but because I like to have a nice even, clear base to work from (everyone likes to look flawless right?!) and I've found before that mineral makeup doesn't tend to have the high level of coverage that I like. However I have to admit to being pleasantly impressed. I found that, despite not being quite as high coverage as I would usually wear, the mineral products did give me a lovely even base without looking caked and powdery. Bronzer is a product that I have to be very light handed with because of my English rose colouring but the Cool Kiss enhancer was just right and gave my skin warmth and definition that I really like. I think this may actually be my favourite of the products.
I always use a kabuki brush to apply my base makeup and have had many over the years of varying quality and scratchiness and have to say that this one has been one of the softer textured despite still being firm enough to give  nice effect. I have noticed a little shedding but I found that to mainly be before washing the first time and as I've used the brush more it has become less of an issue.

Now, my one main criticism of the Mineral Hygienics range has got to be the mess these lovely products leave on my desk. As with all loose powder products there is a certain amount of product dropped as you apply, however I have had some trouble with the stubbornness of the product when it comes to wiping away. When on my face this is a brilliant trait but when using a white makeup desk it is a little less desirable so you definitely need to take a little care to minimise the mess you make!

In general I have been pretty happy with the whole product range that I've had the chance to try and whilst I think I will always mainly be a liquid foundation girl, I have built up a lot of love for the bronzer and translucent setting powders and I use the kabuki brush almost daily now to apply my products (I'm also looking at trying out some more of the Mineral Hygienics brushes). Do be careful not to make too much mess on your desk because it will be hard to remove but I do like knowing that it also takes a lot to remove it from my face, what with working a very active job!
If you would like to give Mineral Hygienics a look then you can find the website *here*
Annie xx

Lanolips Christmas Kisses Gift

Beautifully soft, kissable lips are a must for the Christmas season, you never know when mistletoe might pop up and leave you needing to pucker up.

Lanolips have put together a super sweet Christmas gift designed to get you prepped and ready for all eventualities. Christmas kisses* contains the two best selling Lanolips lip products meaning you have all you need to keep your lips in tip top condition this winter.

First up is the classic 101 Ointment which contains 100% pure grade lanolin. It is completely colourless and literally just melts on contact with the skin (as you can see beginning to happen in my photo) leaving skin instantly moisturised as well as protecting from the elements. Because it is 100% natural, the 101 ointment is suitable for even the most sensitive of skin. I find this to be a great multi-purpose product and rather than using on my lips I use the ointment on my very dry elbows and on patches of stubborn eczema on my legs and ankles. Simply a wonder product.

The other product in the set is the Lanolips Lip Treatment with Colour and SPF 15 in the shade Rose. This super hydrating lip treatment makes a fabulous alternative to lip gloss when, like me, you need that extra moisture hit. The shade is universally flattering so anyone can pop it on without worry that the shade might not suit them. I also found (when taking this photo, I hadn't used the product before!) that you need very little product per use as lanolin holds up to 200% its weight in moisture so even the tiniest amount will give a tint and deep condition at the same time without feeling sticky and nasty.

The Christmas Kisses gift, containing two full sized products costs just £12.99 and would make a great gift for nearly all beauty lovers. I definitely find that its been useful to me as someone who wears a lot of lipstick which in the winter really drys out lips! You can grab one fairly easily from most stores like Boots and Superdrug.

Annie xx

A Very Lush Christmas #4 Gold FUN!

A product that I was maybe a little apprehensive to see as part of the Christmas range, Gold FUN is a product that I thought I might have a love hate relationship with. I've never been a big fan of FUN as I find it has a tendency to break apart a little bit and leave "crumbs" which bug me. I also found that when wet the original formula had a bit of an...oozy problem. BUT, thnkfully, so far, I've found that with the new gold FUN these haven't actually been an issue so I actually love it!

The golden play dough like product is made using the same base as other FUN products which is built up of a blend of talc, corn flour and glycerine which are all beautifully gentle and are what make FUN such a child friendly product to wash with, and they all also happen to be ingredients perfect for eczema prone skin like mine which gets really bad in the winter. What I like most about gold FUN though is that it is scented with my favourite Lush smell; Honey I Washed the Kids which is a soft caramel honey aroma which works really well with such a soft, relaxing product.

The soft doughy texture makes it nice and easy to break a piece of FUN off of the bar before stowing the bar away somewhere dry (important because otherwise it will go a bit gloopy from the wet!) and it can be used for all sorts of different things. Uses I've tried have been showering, hair washing, bath bubbles, soap and shaving my legs but I've heard of people using FUN as a face mask, to wash clothes, and even as washing up liquid.

Whilst FUN will never be my favourite Lush product, I do really like the golden FUN bar and I think that some of the bigger problems I had with it have been fixed. I think it will make a lovely little stocking filler or secret santa gift and is fab for children who, from my experience, love squidging it and making a bit of a mess with soapy play dough :)

Annie xx

A Very Lush Christmas #3 Let the Good Times Roll

Christmas launch day is tomorrow! Wow this week has gone fast. Unfortunately I didn't get around to blogging yesterday because things got rather ridiculous on the illness scale but todays product is a favourite for so many people that hopefully you'll be so glad to see it back that you'll forgive me :P
Let the Good Times Roll is a facial cleanser originally released last Christmas and became such a huge success that when it was discontinued in the new year because "too much of a good thing can be a bad thing" customers were devastated and all year customers have been asking about its return.

This facial cleanser uses a lovely soft blend of polenta and popcorn to give a light but effective cleanse and the products naturally slightly oily nature makes it a good choice for normal to combination skin types as it will draw any excess oil on the skin into the cleanser and out of the skin so that when you wash it off your skin is left fresh and clean and will also be lightly moisturised. Fab right!

Just like the other Lush roll cleansers, to use this all you do is mix a pea sized amount with a little water and rub to form a milky paste that you can make as thick as you like, then simply massage onto the face in little circles to make the most of the scrubby ingredients and rinse off with warm water before feeling smug about your soft, caramel scented skin ;P

This was my favourite Christmas product last year and so far it has been this year too from the things I've tried. I cannot express enough how much I think people should try it out, or at very least head into your nearest store and give it a good long sniff! A lot of love for this one!

Annie xx

A Very Lush Christmas #2 The Penguin

Hello,
Today has been nothing but illness and drama so I'm afraid this is a lot later than planned. I'm now sat in bed forcing down throat sweets with my scented candles on the go to make myself feel a bit calmer.
Todays little peek is at one of the cutest Christmas products in this years range, a bubble bar, simply named The Penguin.

Isn't he just adorable? This sweet little guy is full of orange flower absolute and Sicilian mandarin oil so you get a lovely warming, festive scent to your bath. The design inspiration behind this cute bubble bar actually comes from the smallest breed of penguins in the world who are blue and found in the south of Australia.
Whilst it makes me feel like a really mean person crumbling The Penguin into my bath, the bubbles produced are gorgeous. The mixture used to create the white part of the bar are made using what's known as bubble crumble, which has extra cream of tartar added to give softer, foamier bubbles (especially good for people living in hard water areas like I do)

I think the penguin makes a great little add-on gift, stocking filler or treat for a cold, rainy winters evening although I can't promise that you won't feel guilty breaking him apart!

Tomorrow I have a product that is making a welcome return from last year and I'll be honest, it may be my complete favourite ;p
Annie xx