Glamglow Super Mud Clearing Treatment In-Depth Review

I picked up the GlamGlow Super Mud Clearing Treatment when I was away after watching Shannon's review on YouTube. When it comes to any skincare product I like to do my research as my skin gets super irritated quickly so any product that I use, whether it be makeup or skincare, I need to check the ingredients. It's annoying, but ever since I have been checking the ingredients, I haven't suffered any major problems *touch wood*.

This clearing treatment can be used in two ways: either as a full face mask or as a spot treatment. You can leave it on for 5-20 minutes depending on the 'treatment' you want. I have tried this product for different time variations and here's what I noted down:

Full 20 minute mask

Before

• Has a lightweight, thin consistency
• The product spreads really easily and isn't thick or heavy
• It has a really lovely mint scent
• A little goes a long way, a 20p size covered my whole face

During

• Mask hardens to the point where you can't crack it even if you try!
• Certain areas of the face go dark where excess sebum (oil) is being produced so you can target where the problem areas on your skin are
• Removes easily with lukewarm water

After

• Thorough deep-cleaned feeling
• Slightly tight but doesn't feel at all uncomfortable
• Noticeable clearer skin, especially around my nose
• Buildup is removed
• Pores feel much tightened
• Really nice cooling effect that lasts

This mask is so amazing. With masks I love to actually see what it's doing to my skin and with this you can. It goes almost black on certain areas where the dirt and oil is being removed and is basically laying on top of the mask ready to be washed off. It's actually shocking to see how much rubbish is built up in the skin, but at the same time it's good that it shows it! For a mask it's extremely lightweight and has a light gritty texture which I presume helps clean the skin as well. The scent isn't irritable whatsoever and isn't overpowering so, if you don't like mint, you don't really notice it after application.



And another thing I love about it is that it doubles as a spot treatment!

5-10 minutes spot treatment

• Dab a little onto any problem areas (i.e. blackheads around the nose or any active breakouts)
• Leave on for 5-10 minutes
• Remove with warm water

Using as spot treatment is equally as effected as a mask as you're targeting the exact areas you want to clear. It feels super cooling and refreshing on, perfect if you have irritated or red skin. It works wonders on tightening your pores whilst clearing up buildup around the nose.

As I mentioned at the beginning I love knowing what ingredients are in certain skincare products. With the GlamGlow Super Mud Clearing Treatment you get an in-depth leaflet into the science behind each ingredient. It shows exactly what it does for your skin and how it does it.

Can we just take a moment and discuss why the heck the packaging of this is so massive compared to the actual container the product comes in? Why!

If you've made it this far, well done you. To conclude, I just want to say that this treatment is so versatile that you can adapt it for your skincare needs. I personally love using it as a mask and as a spot treatment as I find they both work really well. Even if you don't have blemishes you can use it for so many other things such as pore minimising, razor bumps and in-grown hairs as well as the typical problem skin issues.

Despite the poor size of the product you don't need that much at all so I can see it lasting a while, all depending on how frequent you use it obviously. You can get it from Feel Unique for £39.99 with free delivery worldwide. Xoxo

Disclaimer: I bought it myself.

Batiste XXL Plumping Powder Review

Batiste are a really good, affordable haircare brand that are most known for their vast array of dry shampoos. I am a fan of the dry shampoos, especially the cherry one, so when I saw the Batiste Dry Styling XXL Plumping Powder I was excited to try.

It looks and dispenses out of the container like talcum powder. I have really dark brown hair and the white powder does look like dandruff when you first apply (ew) but once you work it in the roots it soon disappears. 

The product claims to create an "instant amplified effect"and give volume without needing to backcomb. It definitely does create volume around the roots, but it does look better when you backcomb as well. Fortunately, you don't need to backcomb as much which is good as it's really bad for your hair! Yet adding a little of the powder after you backcomb enhances the volume, makes it lasts longer and also lessens the need of hairspray. A little goes a really long way so it's really great value for money in the long run.

The only thing I don't like about it is how sticky the powder goes when you work it in the hair. Just make sure you have a makeup wipe on hand to get it off - yep, that sticky. It doesn't feel sticky in your hair which is the main thing.

It's fairly new as I haven't seen many reviews of it yet. As of now it's £2.99 as an introductory price but will be £3.99 in August, not that much of a difference but still. I definitely recommend this product if you like big hair and want it to last all day, you can't go wrong really! Get it here. Xoxo

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream Review & Swatches

After trialing and testing this product for over three weeks in both low temperatures as well as 41 degree celsius heat, I think I'm ready to write my honest review on the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream.

When I first heard of the BB cream (and now CC cream!) craze I wasn't that bothered. My skin is far from perfect so why would I want a product that covers barely anything when I could just wear a full coverage foundation?!

Yet I didn't want to wear foundation on holiday and in Dubai, with the middle eastern heat reaching heights of 43 degrees, I certainty didn't want my makeup sliding off. So into Boots I went and picked up the cheapest (yes I know, I wasn't feeling optimistic that day) BB cream I could find.

The Garnier Skin Perfection BB Cream says it:

          - Immediately perfects
          - Mattifies
          - Reduces the appearance of imperfections
          - Hydrates
          - Feels lightweight
          - Evens skin tone
          - Gives a healthy glow
          - Protects with SPF 20

For someone who is used to full coverage foundation, I actually think the coverage of this BB cream is pretty decent. It certainty blurs the appearance of blemishes and corrected the redness I had from stupidly being burnt. I did use concealer as well under the eyes but I didn't bother during the day for the rest of my face. You can even build a fuller coverage by just adding another layer - you may be thinking "cake face!" yet it doesn't create that with this product which is why I like it so much.

It also blends super easily which you can see below...



It didn't really mattify my skin that much in Dubai; I still had to use powder every few hours but at home in England I didn't have to use powder at all. As for hydration? Not really, it was lightweight but didn't feel cooling or hydrating so I don't know what they mean by being 'hydrating' the skin. But I don't really expect any makeup product to be hydrating anyway!

I'm truly surprised at how well it lasted in Dubai. I only wore makeup for dinner and going out and on both occasions it was really good and lasted well.

As for the other claims such as gives a "healthy glow" and "evens skin tone", I definitely agree. I'm super happy with this product and, while my skin has been pretty good recently *touch wood*, I have been using it as a replacement for Estee Lauder DW and L'Oreal True Match for an everyday wear.

My only critisisms!

• I don't particularly like the scent, but you do get used to it and it soon disappears.
• The colour range is horrendous. I believe there are only two shade variations, light and medium. I have mine in light which I think can easily match an NC20/NC25 and may struggle to work on lighter skin tones. I hope they expand a little in the future.

I definitely recommend you try it out even if you're a little apprehensive about BB creams or lighter coverage bases in general - you may be surprised like I was. It's a million times better than the original Garnier BB cream which was awful so, if you hated that, try this version instead! Check out the Boots website as they're normally on offer. Xoxo

Maybelline Baby Lips August 2013 UK Release

[image source: luuux]

Maybelline Baby Lips will arrive here in the UK in August 2013 in six shades.

Three with SPF:

        Hydrate: clear with a lemon scent and SPF 20
        Mint Fresh: clear with a mint scent and SPF 20
        Intense Care: clear with a cherry almond scent and SPF 20

Three with a tint:

        Pink Punch: blue-based pink with a passion fruit scent
        Cherry Me: darker warm pink with a cherry scent
        Peach Kiss: sheer nude with a peach scent


Retailed at £2.99 each, they'll definitely be popular so make sure you sign up here on the Boots website to be the first to be notified when they become available for purchase! Xoxo

Dubai Sephora Haul

One of the shops I was most excited to visit at The Dubai Mall was Sephora. I had a long list of products only available there but I did struggle to find any of the brands. I did however pick up four things that I wanted anyway despite the fact you can buy them in England. The price was a little cheaper so all in all it was a good shopping trip :) Everything I bought totalled around 725 dirhams which sounds crazy but in GBP it is about £129. Not bad eh?!

Glam Glow Super-Mud Clearing Treatment: Probably the most expensive skincare product I've bought to date. It's meant to be the holy grail of mud masks. It can be used as either a full mask or as a spot treatment that works on pores, blemishes, acne, razor burns, in-grown hairs, problem skin and white/black heads. I can't wait to try this out!

Too Faced Boudoir Eyes Eyeshadow Collection: I've never seen this palette before but, omg when I saw it on display I needed to have it. It has an array of shimmery and matte colours that are super wearable and gorgeous. I'll definitely be posting up a review with swatches soon-ish.

Benefit They're Real Mascara: Soon becoming my favourite mascara, I just thought what the heck I'd buy it full size. I've been through numerous samples and, with the exchange rate, it made it a little cheaper.

Urban Decay De-Slick Oil Control Makeup Setting Spray: I like the original UD setting spray so when I saw the oil control version I thought I'd give it a whirl. I hope it lasts a while because it was kinda expensive for what it is. Nevertheless, with this crazy heatwave we're having in the UK and with my holiday to Cali coming up I knew I'd be in need of it.

So yeah! Four things but I'm proud of my purchases. I also went to Bath and Body Works but only picked up hand sanitisers and the warm vanilla sugar body spray.

Hope your enjoying the heatwave. Xoxo

PS. My holiday experience: Dubai post should be up soon!

My Holiday Experience: Dubai

I just got back from Dubai and, while everything is still fresh in my mind, I thought I'd write about my trip! Anyway, if your interested in travelling to Dubai on vacation or are in need of inspiration on your next holiday, then read on! :)

Dubai in general

✈ Dubai is in the UAE, United Arab Emirates, and from Heathrow (London) takes roughly 6 to 7 hours to get too. There's a plus 3 hour time difference. 

✈ Climate averages at 40 degrees and the hottest time of the day is 1-4pm. June, July and August are the hottest months with rest still hot but not as much. Perhaps a little more bearable.

The hotel we stayed at was Atlantis, The Palm which as the name suggests is located on the man made palm-tree-shaped island. It's surreal. You could literally live in this hotel and it's probably one of the best I've ever been too. Just google the hotel and you'll be amazed.

They have a massive swimming pool with sun loungers literally built into the water. It's also built next to a water park called Aquaventure which is free for hotel guests or paid for for non-guests. The water park itself is amazing and you could literally spent all day there - I wouldn't recommend that if your a hotel guest as it can get a little too hot and there is hardly any shade there.

I'm picky with food but there is so much variety. We had breakfast at Kolidascope and dinner either at Rostang, a French resturant and Saffron, a buffet. It was really good, especially the French one!

Oh and I nearly forgot that the hotel has it's own beach which is at least two miles long and covers the whole hotel. We were told not go to far into the water because of jellyfish!!! I didn't really go down their much because of the heat. Even though the temperature by the pool is the same as by the beach, a somewhat weird physcological factor makes you feel the heat 10x more! It's nice to have the option though, and it's perfect for extreme tanners!

There are so many shops inside the hotel too: newsagents, gift store, rather expensive jewlery stores which, if your in the market for, is convenient because of the *small* discount. 

All of the hotel is based around the myth of the lost city of Atlantis and you can definately see that by the structure and design of the hotel. Everywhere is so clean which is understandable concidering the hotel only opened 7 years ago and is in a newly built location.

Last bit about the hotel... everyone is so freaking lovely! Everyone from the cleaners to the lifeguards to the waiters to the cashiers are just super nice, always saying good morning/evening, asking how your day is etc when they see you wondering around. It's really nice to have that frendliness as some hotels I've been to everyone just seems pissed off that they're working that day (*cough* New York *cough*)!

I took these photos below on my iPhone at around 7.30am before hardly anyone was in the pool!

I could write so much more about the hotel but I won't so check out their website if your interested in going to Atlantis. Love.

If like me you love shopping then omg, Dubai is your ideal place to go. All of their "malls" (shopping centers) are inside which you'll greatly appreciate when you first visit Dubai. The two main ones are The Emirates Mall and The Mall of Dubai. 

The latter is the biggest mall IN THE WORLD. It's huge. If you're a serious shopper you'll need the whole day, no joke. It's so big it has an aquarium inside that literally takes an hour to go around if you're walking fast that is. This is my favourite of the two. It has losts of "typical" American stores that we Brits crave to visit such as Sephora, Bath and Body Works and Bloomingdales. The Emirates Mall is also extremely big and also has an inside ski slope with real snow. In a 40 degree country. I didn't go to The Emirates Mall this time but I did on my last visit to Dubai and it was so much fun. 

Due to the size of Dubai city everywhere is pretty easy to get too. It took us around half hour to get to the malls and just over half hour to the airport!

Arab countries can be strict when it comes to dress code and various clothing regulations. There are signs plastered on walls of all the shopping centres talking about what's appropriate to wear and it's important to know when you're packing to go to Dubai or any other middle eastern country. The main regulation is that shoulders and knees are covered so no shorts or tank tops! You won't get punished or kicked out for not obliging however it is respectful to follow their rules concidering you are in their country. Just remember to bring a cardigan with you and a pair of leggings or jeans just incase you want to visit a public area.

Advice: When I went it was Ramadan which for them is a month of fasting. It lasts for a month so it depends when in the year you go. If you do visit during Ramadan there are things you need to be aware of. They can't eat or drink from dawn to sunset therefore the majority of food and drink establishments are closed during these hours. So bring water with you in a bag! Sometimes this effects hotel stores as well. At your hotel I wouldn't recommend going to dinner as soon as the sun goes down. People celebrating Ramadan will obvs be starving so will want to eat and drink as soon as possible! Therefore it can get a little busy depending on where you are. And that's it for Ranadan, everything else is pretty normal!

I really hope you enjoyed my post and have a fun summer holiday :) Xoxo

Disclaimer: I promise to baby Jesus that this post isn't sponsored, I just love the Atlantis and Dubai haha! We paid for everything ourselves ("we" being my family).

Empties! #1

It literally took me 5 minutes to find out where the hashtag was on my Mac. And I've had this thing for nearly two years (alt+3 if you're wondering!)

Anyway, I thought I'd started doing empties posts as I go through periods where it seems like I'm finishing everything up. So here are the most recent products I've finished up:

Kerastase Nutritive Nectar Thermique, Blistex Intensive Moisturiser, Rimmel Scandaleyes mascara, Macadama Healing Oil Treatment, Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray

Hair products tend to last me age as I don't use much and I don't use them everyday. The Kerastase Nectar Thermique is amazing for people who blow-dry/curl/straighten their hair as it works as a heat protectant. It's a cream product that you apply to damp hair before drying and just works wonders. It tames frizz and flyways, great for humidity and protects against heat. Not repurchased yet.

Another hair product I've finished is the Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment. It's much more lightweight and overall better than Moroccan Oil. Already repurchased.

Rimmel Scandaleyes is one of my fave mascaras. Creates length and volume and you can make it as clumpy as you want (which I love). It's cheap and is available in waterproof as well. Already repurchased.

I've just finished up another tube of Blistex Intensive Moisturiser and, to be honest, I don't like it! "Why another tube then?!" Well it's just really good!! Lemme explain. The texture and consistency and smell is disgusting and feels weird on. But, used overnight, you soon forget and it works wonders at moisturising your lips.

Something I need to repurchase asap is the full size of the Urban Decay All-Nighter Setting Spray (especially because we're in summer!) It works really well for keeping makeup put all day and I think is essential for the warmer months.

MAC Brush Cleanser, Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel, Clean & Clear Deep Cleansing Lotion, Garnier Fresh Essentials Eye Make-up Remover, Mario Badescu Control Cream

More boring empties so I'll quickly go through these.

• MAC Brush Cleanser - a must-have to spot clean your brushes. It works well and dries fairly quickly. It doesn't seem to last long though; I've already been through 3 this year.
• Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel - review/haul here
• Mario Badescu Control Cream - one of the best skincare products I've used. This is perfect for controlling redness and breakouts. I can't seem to find it anywhere anymore (I used to buy it off BeautyBay yet it's always out of stock.)
• Clean & Clear Deep Cleansing Lotion - really good for deep cleaning the skin after cleansing morning and evening. I do however think I've found an even better alternative in the L'Oreal Skin Perfection Miscellar Water!
• Garnier Fresh Essentials Eye Make-Up Remover - nothing special but does remove most traces of eye make up (tricky on liner though!)

So they're my recent empties! I'll do another one of these once I have accumulated some more interesting products. I think these are a good idea as you can review each product briefly.

Have a great weekend and I hope your enjoying this beaut weather we're having! Xoxo

*This is my last post until July 18th*

Products mentioned:

Kerastase Nutritive Nectar Thermique, buy

Blistex Intensive Moisturiser, buy

Rimmel Scandaleyes Mascara, buy

Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment*, buy

Urban Decay All-Nighter Setting Spray, buy

MAC Brush Cleanser, buy

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel*, buy

Mario Badescu Control Cream (can't find online)

Clean & Clear Deep Cleansing Lotion, buy

Garnier Fresh Essentials Eye Make-Up Remover*, buy

Pre-Holiday Boots Haul

Recently I went to Boots to pick up some more stuff I needed for holiday. Like shampoo, conditioner, nail polish remover pads, travel pills etc etc. I managed to get everything however I got a little distracted and kinda went off in a tangent and bought some bits I didn't really need (minus the sun protection obvs!) So I thought I'd share with you my more exciting purchases.


L'oreal Paris Skin Perfection Miscellar Solution

A drugstore 'dupe' for Bioderma that is apparently super amazing so I needed to try it. I'm thinking of using this to take my makeup off on the plane and every night. [£4.99]

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

No reason for this purchase other than the fact I love all of the other Real Techniques brushes. I love using new brushes anyway so I think I'll save this for when I'm away. [£9.99]

Barry M Hi Shine Gel Nail Paint in Papaya

I love their jelly nail polishes - amazing colour range, good quality and they seem to last ages without chipping and, for the price, I needed to get another. "Papaya" is a gorgeous neon coral/orange that will look uh-may-zing with a tan. [£3.99]

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Kiss Me Coral and Snow Pink

It's sooooo hot in Dubai and wearing lipsticks is the last thing I want. These lipglosses are really nice and they have such an amazing colour selection. I picked up "Kiss Me Coral", which is a stunning vibrant shimmery coral, as I saw Tanya Burr use it in a tutorial who made it looked beaut and "Snow Pink" which is a lovely pink shimmery nude. [£6.99]

Batiste XXL Plumping Powder
I have never heard or seen about this product for so I'm seriously excited to try it. It's a loose powder that you work into the roots to create volume. The packaging is cute and it's cheap so I thought why not. [£3.99]

Garnier Skin Perfection BB Cream

To me, BB creams are pointless and don't do much skincare wise. However the reviews and hype over this product was insane, I had to try it. I got it in the shade light as I read the medium shade is really dark. I'll do a separate review once I've tried it out. [£9.99]

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

I've already owned this concealer before; it's extremely high coverage and conceals practically everything. [£4.19]

I swear by the Piz Buin sun protection range. You can get them with special tanning intensifying extracts to make your tan lasts even longer, or you can get it without. It's greattttt.


Have a great week! Xoxo

*Update: this is probably gonna be my last post before Dubai, I'm still gonna do my travel guide yet I'll do them after I'm back - most people go away late July/August anyway! I'll just have more time to take pics and write them instead of trying to fit them all in three days (I go the 10th of July) and rushing etc! Have an amazing summer you guyssssss!!! -Suzie*

Effortless Summer Bronzed Look

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette, MAC Blush in Harmony, NARS Laguna Bronzer, Maybelline Dream Lumi Concealer 02, MAC Lipglass in Underage, Sleek Blush in Pixie Pink, MAC Paint Pot in Vintage Selection, MAC Eyeliner in Stubborn Brown, St Tropz Medium/Dark Gradual Tan for Face

We all love and thrive to have that effortlessly bronzed look we seem to get on holiday. If, stuck in England (or wherever home is for you), there are ways to cheat the summer look.

Music Picks of June

When I've found a song I've been playing non-stop I add it to the drafts version of this post then, when it comes round to actually posting, I re-discover past favourites and get re-addicted to them! That's probably why I love doing these posts. I look past at my past ones and think "damn, I hate that song now, why did I ever like it!?" Tastes change very quickly.

Anyway, here are my favourite albums and songs of the month, they're pretty good (I'll definitely think otherwise next month, but hey)...