Trimming My Stash - July 2021 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews*

 Hey, everyone, I hope that you all had a good weekend, apart from prepping this post, and doing a bit of house stuff, I had quite a chilled weekend, I made a yummy stir fry on Saturday, and I geeked out and watched a few documentaries that I'd Sky plussed, so apart from another dodgy result for Newcastle United, a good weekend was had.

After a return to pretty sporadic posting recently, you're in for a real treat this week, because I have 3 posts planned for you, including the return of my Foodie Friday series. First up though it's Trimming My Stash time, with a look back at July's beauty empties.

Primark PS...Nail & Cuticle Oil Nourishing Treatment - 11ml
The Body Shop Mango Hand Cream - 30ml
The Body Shop Vanilla Brûlée Body Butter - 200ml
AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Conditioner - 250ml
Bubble T Peach Bellini Restoring Hand Cream - 90ml
Woo Woo Refreshing Wipes - 12 x Wipes
SUGU Beauty Calm & Cool Sheet Mask With Cucumber - 1 x Fibre Face Mask - 20ml
AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Shampoo - 400ml
Smooth Coffee Coffee Body Scrub - 200g
Ecooking Hand Cream - 30ml

Total - 10 Items

So like in June, in July I managed to finish another 10 items. Again I managed to finish a nice mix of products including one skincare product, a couple of haircare items, and a lot of body and hand care bits. In those 10 items I finished a couple of new discoveries, a few favourites, and another one of those been around forever items, and even though I didn't manage to finish any make items (yet again!) I'm still pretty pleased with myself.

1. Primark PS...Nail & Cuticle Oil Nourishing Treatment - 11ml

First up, the first of 4 hand and nail care items, and the only product of the month. I bought a few of these at the end of 2019 in a huge Primark haul, and having recently rediscovered it I decided to get it used, and you can read a full review of it here x 

I have only been to Primark a couple of times this year, but on my last trip I was really pleased to see that they still had this so I bought another bottle. The outer box has changed, as has the scent (it smells a bit more like marzipan than it used to - not my favourite scent but it isn't too strong, so I can just about tolerate it!), but it's still £2 and the oil itself feels and looks the same as it used to.

2. The Body Shop Mango Hand Cream - 30ml

Next up the first of 3 hand creams in this post. Slightly excessive for one month? Maybe, but my hands and nails have been so dry lately, and I am so desperate to make my nails grow that I'm slathering the stuff on about 3 times a day!

Anyway the first one is from The Body Shop, and it's a hand cream in one of their classic scents - mango. I think that Mango is probably my favourite core scent from The Body Shop, obviously it used to be cocoa butter, but since its disappearance (WHY THOUGH???), it has to be mango.

Containing fair trade shea butter from Ghana, and mango seed oil from India, this hand cream which is peach in colour, has an almost cream / gel texture. A little goes a long way and whilst it is a touch tacky at first, it absorbs really quickly making it an ideal daytime hand cream. My hands instantly felt and looked, smoother and more hydrated.

The big selling point of this hand cream is of course the smell, and boy is it good! Fresh, fruity, tropical mango! If you love fruity scents, then this hand cream and the entire mango range is the one for you.

My one complaint with this hand cream though is the size of the tube! It only comes in this tiny 30ml travel size which retails at £5.50. Great for travel, and great for sticking in your handbag, but come on The Body Shop, please make it in a bigger size!

3. The Body Shop Vanilla Brûlée Body Butter - 200ml

From one product from The Body Shop to another, and this next item is one of those products that's been hanging around in my bathroom for ages. You know what it's like when a product you love has been discontinued, so you just use a tiny amount, and try to eek it out for as long as possible, well that's what I've been doing with this one, and that's why I've had it for so long!

Originally realised at around the same time as my favourite ever festive scent from The Body Shop, Glazed Apple in around 2014, this was just one of numerous spicy vanilla scents that The Body Shop have released over the years.

Made from community fair trade cocoa butter from Ghana and vanilla extract, this body butter had a lovely buttery, creamy texture, and a rich almost dessert like, sweet but not too sickly vanilla scent. As well as moisturising even the driest skin, the gorgeous scent also lingered on the skin in a warming and comforting way. In fact I finished this way back in July. and even though I've washed the tub out, I can still smell the same warm, spicy vanilla scent emanating from it.

Alas this particular product and scent are long gone, and no vanilla based scents appear in this years Christmas offerings from The Body Shop, but if your willing to pay an extortionate amount of for 'old' products then can still find the odd product from the Vanilla Brulee range on eBay.

4. AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Conditioner - 250ml

This next item is something that you have seen many times before, the anti hair fall conditioner! With arginine, keratin complex, and peppermint extract, this was a lovely lightweight but nourishing conditioner that made your scalp feel revitalised and your hair feeling super soft and smooth.

Alas this range, and you probably already know has now been discontinued but thankfully I love all of the other products that I've tried from various Advance Techniques ranges, so I can just about deal with the fact that I only have one bottle of this left.
 

5. Bubble T Peach Bellini Restoring Hand Cream - 90ml

Time for another hand cream, and this time one from tea inspired beauty brand, Bubble T. I received this particular product in the February 2021 edition of Glossybox UK, and you can read my full review here x 

I think that this particular hand cream must have been a limited edition as I can't find it anywhere. I did however recently buy a smaller Bubble T hand cream in Peach, and it's pretty much identical in appearance, texture and scent. It comes in a smaller 60ml tube and it retails at around £1.99 direct from Bubble T, and from Beauty Expert, and at around £4 from NEXT Beauty.

6. Woo Woo Refreshing Wipes - 12 x Wipes

Next up it's something for your bits, and this is a product that I was first introduced to thanks to disgraced subscription box Pink Parcel, and you can read my initial thoughts here x 

Like a lot of women I sometimes despair at the feminine hygiene industry, and the way that they constantly try to tell us that we look bad and smell bad, so whilst I do used products like this at times, you do you and don't feel that you need to use products downstairs to make yourself smell good! Anyways to be honest I only normally use products like this when I'm on my period, and out of all of them that I've tried in the past these are by far the best.

Woo Woo are a really fun and modern brand that produce a wide range of products including everything from hair removal products, to condoms and lube, and intimate washes and wipes. These particular wipes are pH balanced, vegan, biodegradable and flushable.

Containing aloe vera and cranberry extract, these wipes have a light fresh, fruity scent, and they super gentle on the skin, they aren't too wet, and they don't cause any dryness or irritation.

As I say I don't use them everyday by any means but they are really good for keeping you fresh and clean when you're on the go or when you can't make it to the shower.

You can buy a packet of 12 wipes direct from Woo Woo or from Superdrug for around £2.25. Feel Unique and Woo Woo also sell a pack of 20 wipes for around £3.75.

7. SUGU Beauty Calm & Cool Sheet Mask With Cucumber - 1 x Fibre Face Mask - 20ml

I only managed to finish one skincare item in July and it was a face mask. As you should know if you follow me on any of my other social media accounts, I'm a tiny bit addicted to Poundland, and a little while ago I picked up a different sheet masks from a brand called SUGU Beauty.

If I remember rightly I used this mask when we were having a bit of a heatwave in the UK, as I thought hope upon hope that it might cool me down!

Containing cucumber juice, centella asiatica, gingko biloba, honeysuckle and chamomile, this mask is specifically designed to calm and cool the skin - perfect for the warm weather!

The first thing that I noticed about this mask was just how wet it was, it was literally dripping with  a water like liquid. Despite the wetness it was a decent quality mask so it was fairly easy to unfold. It was a typical fibre like mask with a slightly fibre textured appearance and feel.

Before

With a subtle, fresh, clean scent, because it was so wet, it initially felt quite cool on the skin. The mask as I say was quite good quality, and it fit my face really well.

Being so wet, the liquid did actually start to run down my neck, but to be honest because it was so warm, it was actually a welcome part of the overall cooling myself down process!

On Application

I left it on for about 20 minutes, and as often is, the packet said to massage the excess liquid into my skin using circular motions until it absorbed. Whether it was down to the heat, I don't know but it actually absorbed into the skin quite quickly. It left my skin feeling a tiny bit tacky but it certainly wasn't the stickiest mask that I've ever used.

Appearance wise I don't really think you can see a lot of difference in the before and after pictures, but my skin generally felt cooler and more refreshed, which was a good thing on such a warm, sticky day - I only wish that I'd stuck it in the fridge for a bit beforehand for even more cooling benefits!

After

Unfortunately I have't seen this range in my nearest Poundland since, but you can find it online from various retailers where it tends to be priced between £3 - £3.50.

8. AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Shampoo - 400ml

I've already mentioned the conditioner in this post but in July I also managed to finish the 400ml supersize of the AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Shampoo.

Again I've talked about this shampoo at length in several previous posts, but in brief my hair really seemed to like it. Like the conditioner it contained arginine and keratin complex, it had a lovely fruity and slightly minty fresh scent and it left my hair and scalp feeling clean, and revitalised.

Like with the conditioner I have one bottle of this left to use, and whilst I will miss it, I'm pleased to say that my hair really likes quite a few of the products in various advance techniques ranges, so providing AVON don't start changing things again, I'm sorted with my hair care basics for the foreseeable future.

9. Smooth Coffee Coffee Body Scrub - 200g

Now as a regular Poundland shopper, I love hunting out a bargain, and this is one of my most recent finds. Loose coffee and tea scrubs are currently all the rage, and despite the mess I couldn't resist pulling my pound out and giving this one a try.

Opening the pouch though I was quite surprised to see a predominantly salt based scrub. Containing arabica coffee seed powder, walnut shell powder, and salt, this scrub consisted of almost table salt like grains, with tiny black and brown specks mixed into it, a bit like Chinese salt and pepper seasoning with the chilli and garlic. Rather than smelling like out and out coffee it had a subtle, almost perfumed coffee, vanilla scent.

To use it, like any loose scrub, all you need to do is grab a handful and massage it onto damp skin. The grains were quite fine but it definitely rated quite highly on my scrubby scale, without being too harsh. Obviously being a salt based scrub it was a bit stingy and scratches and so on, and I certainly wouldn't use it straight after hair removal.

Being a salt based scrub it was really easy to rinse away, and it was pretty much mess free as the salt dissolved and the coffee and walnut particles where so fine they just washed down the drain. It left my skin feeling really, really smooth and soft, and I would definitely consider buying it again, and you probably should too. My one gripe is that my resealable pouch wouldn't seal back up again, so due to it potentially spilling and getting wet I couldn't store it in the shower, but for just £1 I don't really have any reason to complain.

The product was still available in my nearest Poundland (Consett) as of last week, so you should probably be able to still your hands on it, but if not and you fancy spending a little bit over the odds I have seen it on eBay.

10. Ecooking Hand Cream - 30ml

Finally we're finishing where we started with a hand and nail care product, and this hand cream came in box number 14 of the 2020 Glossybox advent calendar!

From Danish skincare brand Ecooking, this vegan friendly hand cream contains organic almond oil, apricot seed oil, and organic olive oil, as well as natural squalane.

Packaged in a paint style, metal tube this hand cream is white in colour, and it has a really thick, and creamy texture.

On Application

Despite Ecooking's claim that it's quick to absorb, I found that it took quite a bit of rubbing in, it felt a touch sticky, and it took a good few minutes to completely absorb into the skin.

Slightly Rubbed In 

Once it had absorbed though, I could actually see the difference in my skin, it had a lovely healthy sheen, and even though it had by and large all absorbed, my hands felt almost as though they had a protective barrier on them making this hand cream ideal for night time, or for those colder months of the year.

After 

The odd thing about this hand cream for me though was the smell! Officially described as jasmine, grape, and orange flowers, to me it smelled slightly strange not in bad way I just found it really unusual. I'm useless at describing scents but for me it smelled like a mixture of white flowers, nuts, almonds, and traditional furniture polish!

Where as The Body Shop Mango hand cream is definitely more of a daytime / everyday product, this one is much more of either an overnight intensive product or if you're clearing snow or even building a snowman, then this would perfect for protecting your hands on a freezing cold day.

This 30ml size is available for around £9 direct from Ecooking and  from The Fragrance Shop, and for around £8 from Look Fantastic. The full 75ml size is also available for around £15.50.

So there you have it, my July empties, and for the second month in a row I finished 10 beauty products. Could I make it a hat trick in August - well I would say that you'll have to wait a few weeks for my post to find out, but there may be a little clue on the right hand side of your screen → ;)

As per usual if you have any questions on any of the items in the post then leave me a comment, and if you've found any fabulous bargain beauty buys, I'd love to hear your recommendations x Thanks for reading and I'll see you later in the week with a couple of posts x 

*This Post Contains Added Automatic Affiliate, Added Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links

A Late Unboxing Of Glossybox UK - March 2021 Edition - Pretty Pleasures*

After a little break where I posted some slightly different content, I'm back today and I'm playing catch up again!

Even though our thoughts are now heading towards Autumn and dare I say it, even Christmas, let's take a trip back to the newness, and the hope that springtime brings, as I share with you my thoughts on the March 2021 edition of Glossybox UK.

After the retro cassette tape design of February's "Sing, Dance, Love Repeat" box, March's box saw a return to the classic design and the traditional pink and black colour way.

As per usual the information leaflet gave us not only the lowdown on the products inside the box, but it also revealed the theme of March's box which was "Pretty Pleasures". The contents was specially selected to remind us of the newness and prettiness of Spring, providing us with a range of pretty pastel tones products that would look great and make us feel great.

Figs & Rouge Satin Soft Blurring Primer & Finishing Fix - 30ml - Full Size - RRP £38

I think I've mentioned this before but I can never quite decide whether primers are actually skincare products, or make up products. It's a tough one isn't it? Especially since the majority of primers now contain a whole host of skincare ingredients.

So whether it's make up or skincare, the first item in March's box was a primer and a finisher from UK based, ethical and vegan skincare brand Figs & Rouge.

Containing marshmallow root extract, arctic cloudberry, hyaluronic acid and beta hydroxy acid, this silicone free primer can be used both under and on top of make up, and is designed to blur imperfections, banish shine, minimise pores and prevent blemishes.

Packaged in a gorgeous pink and gold tube, the primer itself is pale pink in colour and it has a thin, liquid, almost serum like texture.

After cleansing and moisturising, you just pat a tiny amount of this subtly sweet smelling primer over your face, concentrating on the t-zone. It is super lightweight and absorbs into the skin almost straight away, leaving it feeling smooth and silky, without the heaviness and tackiness that you can often experience with silicone based primers.

Straight From Tube

Slightly Blended Out 

I tried and tried to capture the effect on my face but for some reason you could never quite see what I was seeing in real life. In the mirror I noticed a definite mattifying effect, and an almost blurring of my skin texture, which you can just about see in the swatch photograph below.

When Fully Absorbed

This primer just made my skin look smoother and more perfected. Since it was so lightweight it was a perfect base for foundation. I used it with a liquid foundation and there was no heaviness, stickiness or separation, just a really smooth finish.

Not only is this a primer though, it can also be used as a finisher to help set your make up, and to blot down shine. I used it on top of both a liquid foundation and a loose powder, lightly patting a tiny amount onto my t-zone. It was lightweight enough not to really disturb the make up underneath , and it didn't cause any pilling or separation, it just tamed the oiliness and helped to blur the obvious pores on my nose.

I completely understand the pull of silicone based primers, they create an almost glass like, velvety finish, they you foundation pretty much sticks to, but sometimes they can feel a bit heavy and to be honest they can sometimes make my oily bits feel even more oily, which is why, especially lately, I seem to moving more and more towards silicone free, and more lightweight primers like this one.

Not only does the more liquid texture and lack of silicone of this particular primer, feel lighter on the skin, but it also does exactly what you would want it to, pores are less obvious, oiliness is reduced, it's a great make up base, and it just makes your skin look better.

With an RRP £38 this isn't the cheapest primer on the market, but if it sounds like a texture that you might like, then it's well worth it. You can buy it exclusively from Amazon UK via Figs & Rouge.

Nails Inc Nail Polish - Palace Gardens - 10ml - Full Size - RRP £11

I love me a nail polish but whether it's down to logistical reasons, or whatever, you don't actually see that many nail colours in subscription boxes, so its always a bit of a bonus for me when you get one, even if like this one, it's a polish that you already own.

I have a lot of nail polishes and I probably own more Nails Inc polishes than any other brand, so I guess it's not real surprise that I already had this colour in my collection.

In the old style, cylindrical bottle Nails Inc Palace Gardens, is a dusky, duck egg, blue, grey colour.

Unlike the now common Nails Inc thick brush with a slightly curved edge, this brush had a slightly curvy edge but it was quite thin and a touch straggly, and as a result it wasn't that easy to control. The polish also seemed quite thick so it wasn't the easiest nail paint that I'd ever done.

Probably because of the thickness of the polish, the coverage was excellent, it was pretty self levelling, and you couldn't really see any brush strokes. I could potentially have just got away with one coat. especially since the polish was quite slow drying, but as per usual for full coverage I went for two coats, and as per usual since I was reviewing the polish - no top coat.

It had a lovely glossy finish, and I loved the colour and finish even on my relatively short nails, but to be honest this wasn't the best Nails Inc polish that I'd ever used. As I saw the brush and the formulation just weren't what I've come to expect from Nails Inc, and the wear time wasn't up to scratch either with the first chip appearing after less than 24 hours wear!

I sometimes wonder if brand like Nails Inc manufacture products like this especially for brands like Glossybox at a lower price, and they just aren't the same quality as their normal full price products. Strangely enough the other bottle of Palace Garden that I have was a magazine freebie in a similar cylindrical bottle, so who knows?

It's a real shame either way as this is such a pretty colour and Nails Inc as a brand is usually fairly reliable.  Other than the secondary market this particular polish is nearly impossible to find, although you maybe ben able to find in the new style bottle in the Nail Kale formulation.

Beautaniq Beauty Nourishing Mascara - 8ml - Full Size -RRP £15.00

Next up a make up product, and pastel theme continues, not in the Beautaniq product itself but instead in the pink and duck egg blue packaging.

I honestly thought that I'd tried more from this brand, but I can only find one other review from them, and it was for a pair of beautiful angel wing under eye patches, that I received in the June 2020 edition of Glossybox UK.

If you haven't heard of them Beautaniq are a cruelty free, plant based, earth loving, sustainable, UK manufactured, make up and skincare brand.

The product that I received in March's box was the Beautaniq Beauty Nourishing Mascara. Containing nourishing ingredients such as camellia oil, and almond oil, which are both rich in vitamin E and Oleic acid, this mascara claims to add volume, thicken, lengthen, and curl the lashes, as well as separating, defining and evenly coating every single lash

Beautifully boxed, this mascara is packaged in a squeezy tube. Although in my experience they do dry out a little bit more quickly than conventional mascaras, I am actually a fan of squeezy tube mascaras because you do same to waste less product, and from the start to the finish it's really easy to get the product onto the brush.

The consistency of the mascara was good, it wasn't too wet and it wasn't too dry. The mascara comes with a nice, traditional, full bristle spoolie. It was really easy to apply, the coverage was good, and the spoolie did a really good job of separating the lashes.

I'm wearing two coats in both of the after pictures - 1 coat gave a really, really natural separated look, where as two gave a more noticeable separated, fuller, longer, darker, lash look, so it's definitely a mascara that you can layer up for more of an impact. I haven't used a lash comb in these pictures and as you can see there is virtually no clumping or blobbing.

Before

After

There was a tiny bit of transfer at first but bar a tiny bit of under eye smudging towards the end, I got a good 5 hours plus of wear out of this mascara on a pretty warm day. By and large it stayed put and it felt comfortable on my lashes and it didn't made them feel dry, stiff or heavy.

Before

After

Although it's fairly buildable, this isn't the most dramatic mascara that you'll ever see but it is a great everyday mascara that again does what it says it does. I was particularly impressed with the separating aspect and the fact that it doesn't clump or dry out the lashes.

Glossybox put a price of £15.50 on this product, and whilst it was £15 as of September 2022 it's actually now £19 on the Beautaniq website, all be it though in a different outer box. 

So Eco Complexion Sponge - Full Size - RRP £6

From a make up item to a make up applicator, and this time, in keeping with the pastel theme it's a another make up sponge.

I've had a few make up sponges from Glossybox now but this one is a just a little bit different - So Eco are a UK based make up brush, and beauty tool and accessory brand, which produce a wide range of products that are approved by PETA, and as well as being cruelty free, their products are also made to the highest ethical and sustainable standards, and their packaging it also made from ethically sourced, compostable, recyclable, and biodegradable materials. They also support the charity Tree Nation, planting one tree for every 100 products that they sale, so this is probably the most ethical sponge in my collection!

Their complexion sponge is in the traditional, almost pointed egg like design with a large rounded end, and a pointed tip. It felt nice and dense, whilst at the same time super soft, and lightweight.

The larger rounded end is great for applying foundation, and as I often use it for, loose powder, to larger areas, where as the slightly pointed tip is great for smaller areas such as around the eyes and nose.

This sponge washes incredibly well, and whilst there is a little bit of staining, which is probably down to the pale colour of the sponge, it's still going strong after around 3 months of use without cracking or splitting.

There are loads of sponges like this on the market at all different price points, but if you want to go for a more ethical option from a company that gives back, this one could be worth trying. It retails at £6 and is available from a variety of retailers including Beauty Bay, Look Fantastic, Holland and Barrett, HQ Hair and Tesco.

Lord & Berry Line / Shade Eye Pencil - #221 Travel Black (Dark Black) 0.7g - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £10

Ah my nemesis, eyeliner! To be fair though after creams and gels, for me at least pencils are probably the next easiest to use - although you probably can't tell that based on my pictures ;)

From affordable artistry brand Lord & Berry, this is a deluxe size of one of the many different type of eyeliner that they sell.

In the shade Travel Black, or Dark Black as it also seems to be known, for me it has quite an ashy black finish compared to a lot of the more glossy black that you seem to see out there.

Containing 63% natural origin waxes, it's very soft and very creamy, good in the respects that you don't need to press too hard to get some colour pay off, and it doesn't pull or drag on the eyes, but not so good in others.

It was so soft and smudgy that I really struggles (even more than usual) to get a precise line, but I hope you can see at least what I was trying to do.

On Application

Alas though i had the same issues that I often have with liners, it just wouldn't stay put, in fact it didn't even last long enough to take all of the photos, and you can already see some transfer in the picture below.

With 5 minutes it had smudged all over my upper lid, so instead of taking it off, I roughly blended it out for a very rough and ready, impromptu smokey eye, which lasted roughly an hour before disappearing completely.

Roughly Blended Out

I'm in no doubt that the softness and creaminess of this pencil lead to not only the poor wear time, but also the snapping issue that I had, and also the fact that it was so hard to sharpen it properly.

If you like creamy pencils and a super smudgy look then by all means give this a try, just don't expect it to last very long especially if you have oilier eyelids.

Glossybox place a price of £10 on this deluxe mini / travel size which is available direct from Lord & Berry from where you can also get the full size pencil which retails at £13.

So several months later than anticipated that was my review of the products in the March edition of Glossybox UK. Although I didn't really get on with a couple of the products in the box (and what does a black eyeliner have to do with spring and pastel colours?) I was still pretty pleased with the other 3 items in the box, and as per usual the box was well worth the money x Don't forget to use my link to find out more about Glossybox, and you can also use it to find out a little bit more about this years Glossybox advent calendar. Thanks for reading and I will see you later this week with another post x 

*This Post Contains Added Automatic Affiliate, Added Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links

Sample Saturday - Luscious Lips - Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick - 420 Rebellious Rose*

Hey everyone, I hope you've all had a good week x I had planned to be a little bit more active on the blog this week but since it was my mam's 80th birthday on Tuesday instead I devoted the week to her, and to family time, so I hope that you'll forgive me. I've got a couple of post planned for next week so I'm going to do my best to try and get back on track.

Today I've really got a 2 for 1 for you, and today's post represents two of my regular features Sample Saturday, and my new Luscious Lips series. Today I'm sharing my thoughts with you on an an Estee Lauder lipstick that I got a few months ago now in a beauty bag from Feel Unique. They've replaced the beauty bag with a beauty box now but it's still a great way to try new things, or to stock up for holidays and nights out.

For as long as I can remember Estee Lauder has been a fixture in my life, I remember my Grandmas dressing table vividly, in it's ornate French style adorned beautiful collectable glass jars of Estee Lauder loose powder, and later on in life my mam's obsession with their Pink Parfait lip colour. Bar a few skincare bits, and the odd perfume (I'm a Beautiful girl ;) though I personally haven't tried that much from the brand. I guess I always associated it with the older women in my life, and whilst it was a reliable, classic heritage brand, maybe I thought it was just a bit boring, and instead I flocked to the bright colours and innovations of its brand mates like MAC, and Bobbi Brown.

For a brand to have been around since 1946 though they must be doing something right, so in an attempt to break down my beauty prejudices and expand my make up horizons, I thought I try one of their lipsticks. 

Estee Lauder have quite a few different lipstick ranges, but this particular one is from their Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick range, and unusually for a sample size the packaging is almost identical to the full size, with the same dark blue, and gold colour way, and the same angular shape.

Every lipstick in this formulation contains multi faceted pigments that create definition, add shape, and fullness, as well as a unique Time Release Moisture Complex which is designed to seal in hydration and keep lips moisturised throughout the day, leading to creamy, smooth coverage, and an 8 hour wear time.

The shade that I got was a colour called Rebellious Rose, which is one of Estee Lauder's worldwide best sellers, described as part rose, part rebel it's a universally flattering, muted rosy coral, with warm undertones. 

As you can see from the swatch the pigmentation is excellent. With a slightly waxy, vanilla scent, it's lovely and smooth, and creamy, with out being too soft, or smooshy, meaning that you can achieve precise application direct from the all be it mini bullet!

It didn't feel drying on the lips at all, and whilst it didn't feel overtly moisturising, it left the lips feeling comfortable and sufficiently hydrated. The coverage was excellent and it had a lovely glossy sheen like finish.

The glossy finish meant that it did transfer a bit onto mugs, food and people, but once the initial sheen had faded, the almost stain like, colour underneath lasted for a good few hours, before fading away completely. I wouldn't say I got the full 8 hours that Estee Lauder claim, but I was still pretty impressed with the wear time, and how it left my lips afterwards.

Despite it being one of their most popular colours, up until a few years this shade would have been a real no no for me. I was super self conscious of the effect of my facial paralysis on my lip shape, and I used to stick to nudes, and unassuming colours to avoid drawing attention to their unevenness. As I say though things change, and I'm trying harder to love what I see in the mirror by embracing darker and brighter lips, and whilst this lipstick isn't crazily bright, it's a lovely universally wearable shade, and I can definitely see why it's one of Estee Lauder's best sellers. Apart from the colour, it felt super comfortable on the lips and the wear time was excellent - definitely a winner in my book!

Estee Lauder lipsticks aren't the cheapest but I definitely think it's a rare case of you get what you pay for, the packaging is classy, and the formulations are first class. Seeing as it's so popular the full size Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick in 420 Rebellious Rose comes in a variety of different limited edition packaging options, as well as in the traditional navy blue, and gold, and it is usually priced between £27 and £28.50. You can find it at your nearest Estee Lauder counter, as well as direct from Estee Lauder, Boots, House Of Fraser, John Lewis, and NEXT Beauty. Have you ever tried any make up from Estee Lauder? Let me know your recommendations in the comments x

*This Post Contains Added Automatic Affiliate, Added Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links