Model's Own Collecton

Whilst painting my nails today it dawned on me I had a little bit of a problem. Whilst choosing which polish to wear I noticed my collection had recently increased…a lot. And they were all the same brand; Models Own. This is partly due to gifts and partly due to offers on in Boots, but it’s safe to say I have a firm favourite when it comes to nail varnish brands. Why do I love Models Own so much? For £5 they are fantastic quality and have one the biggest drugstore shade ranges I have seen for polishes of this kind. They last for ages and apply like an absolute dream. They also have a large range of finishes and their glitter polishes are some of the best I have used!

I promise in no way is this sponsored (one can wish ahaha!)…I just love them! I currently own ten; Hedonist (has anyone else noticed Hedonist NEVER photgraphs correctly?), Jade Stone, Indian Ocean, Mermaids Tears, Ibiza Mix, Mystic Mauve, Nude beige, Strawberry Tart, Disco Mix and Pink Fever.  After having seen some others collections of the Model’s Own facebook page I actually feel a lot better and my collection is actually rather modest. Well, that’s what I keep telling myself. 

Review: Collection Lasting Perfection Foundation

I was in a bit of a rush picking a cheap temporary foundation recently and I quickly chose Collection’s Lasting Perfection Foundation (£5.99) based entirely on my love for the concealer equivalent of this product which is wildly raved about. I’ve tested this over a few weeks now and my expectations were initially low; however I have been pleasantly surprised so far and I use it daily at the moment. The packaging is nice considering the product is so cheap and it comes with a pump as standard. It has SPF 20, not great with flash photography, but good news for skin protection.

It claims to provide 16 hours of long-lasting full coverage. For me this certainly lasted on my skin all day and provided a nice full, matt coverage. This definitely isn’t for those girls who like a natural looking finish though; it can occasionally go a tiny bit cakey if not blended fully and it can highlight some lines and wrinkles but overall it does have a nice finish to it. It is oil free so great for those of you who have oily or combination skin! I have dry skin and find if I have particularly dry patches it can highlight this but this is mainly down to skincare and preparing my skin in advance, it’s nothing a little bit of primer won’t sort!

My main problem with the product is the colour range. There are only six shades available so it may not suit every skin tone. I went for number 2 – though number 1 didn’t look much lighter at all! This is a little too dark for my pale skin tone and can look a little orange if not blended properly (ew) but I’ve began mixing this with a little leftover maxfactor foundation that was far too light for me and have found the perfect combination for my skintone.

All in all, this is worth every penny! If you like a heavy-duty high coverage foundation that lasts all day then you have nothing to lose. My advice would be is to make sure your skin is in good condition and to spend a little time making sure this product is blended completely! With a little perseverance I made this product work for me and now I’d definitely repurchase this as a go-to product when I need a little more coverage.

Review: Model’s Own Fruit Pastel Strawberry Tart

I couldn’t quite decide if I was more sceptical or excited when I first heard about the Model’s Own scented nail polishes. I’m a huge Model’s Own fan and love their regular nail polishes as I’m always guaranteed a great colour pay off, a lovely glossy finish and they tend not to chip right away on my nails unlike some other polishes. I decided the only way to find out if the scented polishes were any good was to try myself! I opted for Strawberry Tart as I was missing a good pastel pink from my collection and I think it would be the scent I would personally find most pleasing. The polish is also available in 4 other shades / scents; Apple Pie, Banana Split, Blueberry Muffin and Grape Juice. You can buy the set of 5 for £20 currently on the Model’s Ownwebsite which is good value seeing as they are usually 5 squid each!

The polishes come with a little scratch’n’sniff on top of the bottle which I thought was really cute and was something I loved as a child – in a way it reminded of those scented gel pens you could get, I don’t know if they are still around but I loved them when I was younger!

The polish applies well, although I did need 2 coats which is no big deal as I usually do around 2 or 3 anyway.  It’s a very light but bright pink, I guess you could call it ‘bubblegum pink’. One thing which was strange was that my friends and family commented on my hands looking quite tanned which was weird as I am basically Casper when it comes to being pale. It must be the particular shade of this polish, no complaints!

Now, does it actually smell like strawberries? Err…vaguely. The polish itself doesn’t have a particularly strong scent. When it dries there is definitely the subtle scent of strawberries but this didn’t last any longer than a few hours and wasn’t particularly strong. Let’s face it though, how many of us go around smelling our hands all day? Weird. At the end of the day I guess the ‘strawberry scent’ is a bit of a gimmick; it’s a nice idea but I don’t think it really translates into real life very well. Still, this is a lovely shade and a great addition to my collection. 

Review: Lush Therapy Massage Bar

Whilst in town the other day I decided to pop into Lush before lunch and take a quick gander at the Massage Bars as I have heard quite a bit about them. They were stationed right at the front of the shop and the assistant explained they had been very popular recently; it was soon easy to see why. I smelled a few of the different kinds but settled on the ‘therapy’ bar as some of the others smelled a little too fruity, or even medicinal, for my liking.  The fragrance of this bar is rather subtle but pleasant; shea and cocoa butter are the first smells to hit but there is also the addition of citrus oils, neroli and lavender that comes through. It’s recommended especially for pregnant women and those with scars or stretch marks as it is said to help both prevent them and fade them.

These bars have recently had an overhaul to their formula. The lovely assistant explained the change in formulas in ‘chocolate terms’; the old formula was similar to that of a dairy milk, whereas the new formula is more akin to an aero bar. I thought this was an Interesting and effective of describing the alteration! Another little fact told by the lady in the shop is the reason for its shape is to do with it being particularly great for pregnant women; for every four babies born one has a ‘outy ‘ belly button which is why there are three indented dots and one sticking out of the bar. Fascinating and cute!!

And the most important factor of all; this product works. Like, really works. I have had dry skin problems all my life and have went through every moisturiser and body oil there is out there (well, it seems like it) seeking soft, silky skin. I rubbed this on after a bath before bed and it melted in instantly as my skin was still quite warm. It does take a little while to sink in so I would recommend being careful with it rubbing on clothing, bed sheets etc. My skin soon felt silky and had a glow about it I hadn’t seen since before winter set in and took its toll on my skin. I’m not sure if this product is worth the £6.50 price tag…I do enjoy it and personally I like the smell of it but it doesn't seem to be lasting very long. Perhaps I shall be keeping this as a treat!