Bloggers #Christmasbeautybrawl16 Day 9

My penultimate post of this 10 day beauty brawl. Today’s topic is hand cream. As a nurse this has been a beauty staple throughout my career. Constant hand washing and use of alcohol hand rubs has seriously taken its toll at times – see my post about nails
Through use of all these harsh skin cleansing products I have also developed some severe skin sensitivities which took me nearly two years to correct with the use of topical steroids and dermatology input. Thankfully now that period in my life is over but my hands still dry out and become sore quickly. My favourite products have been from the Body Shop – Hemp hand cream and the now no longer available Hawthorn hand cream. Also Elizabeth Arden’s 8 hour creams are fabulous.

For my review I’m trialling Endless Glove from Soap and Glory – I acquired this through a competition promotion run by Soap and Glory.  It is described as a 2-1 Moisture mask and hand cream. It can be used as a hand cream alone or massaged into your hands before bed and worn with or without cotton gloves for a deep treatment.

The product description is:
Soap And Glory ENDLESS GLOVE is a new 2-IN-1 MOISTURE MASK and LUXURY HAND CREAM that is so marvelous, it’s miraculous. Formulated with EIGHT-OIL AQUA WRAP, VITAFADE-BC, MACADAMIA & GRAPESEED OILS, POMEGRANATE & SHEA BUTTERS, it creates a deeply protective moisture barrier on the skin and works for 12 hours after you apply it. It’s a dry skin moisturiser for even the flakiest feelers leaving them smooth, luscious & velvety soft.

I have used it solely as a cream applying during the day when required or after having washed up!  My scores are:

Packaging: 80/100 It’s in the instantly recognisable pink packaging of Soap and Glory. It’s a nice size – I have the 50ml size which fits nicely in a handbag.

Price:  I’m unable to score it on price as mine was free and whilst researching this product it appears to be unavailable at the moment.

Product: 90/100  I liked this product – it applies well and soaks in quickly without being too greasy. My hands felt soft and smooth for a long time after application. It has a very pleasant, not overpowering, fragrance.

Thank you for dropping in to read this review. Please feel free to comment or contact me by email earlyretirementrocks@gmail.com I love to know you’re out there. And remember to hop over to Victoria’s blog before you go.

 

 

 

Bloggers – #christmasbeautybrawl16 Day 10

This is the final post in this collaboration – a big Thank You to Beth Mahoney  La Blog Beaute for providing me with the chance to take part.
To end this 10 day collaboration I’m finishing with a concealer.

I have chosen a budget brand Make Up Revolution Focus and Fix Liquid Concealer in 02 Fair I am rapidly becoming a fan of all of the Make Up Revolution products. I have usually used mid to high end priced concealers. Having worked lots of night shifts I can be prone to dark shadows due to lack of sleep rather than bags. Therefore I love a concealer.

This was a snip at £2 and did the job sufficiently. It hasn’t got the quality of the Mac concealer I was using prior to this but for the price it did a decent job.
Packaging:  75/100 Basic packaging, clear tube with gold detailing and black lid. But for the price its what yo.u’d expect.

Price:  95/100 At £2 it’s a steal!

Product: 90/100  At the price it was an adequate product that did a good job of hiding my dark shadows.It lacked the quality of high end products but at the end of the day I would use this again if my budget demanded. Hey! I might even use it anyway as I look to be more frugal in retirement.

Well as Bugs Bunny used to say at the end of Warner Brothers cartoons ‘That’s all Folks!” The final product in this 10 day series of reviews.

Thank you so much for visiting and reading my posts. Please comment below on today’s product or on the series as a whole. Alternatively email me earlyretirementrocks@gmail.com

I would also appreciate if you would follow me to see what I have to say about my new life in early retirement.

Before you go look at what Victoria has got to say in her final post

 

Bloggers #Christmasbeautybrawl16 Day 8

Thanks for coming back again today to see my next review. can’t believe we’re on Day 8 already – time flies when you’re having fun.
The product today is foundation. One of my must have beauty products. As I’ve matured obviously my skin texture and appearance has altered. No more breakouts but lots more ‘laughter lines’, sun damage and fine red veins. What I loo for now is medium coverage – if it’s too heavy it’s not a good look at my age. I also want a dewy finish to make my skin look fresh and radiant – but not too dewy so that it makes me look like I’m having a hot flush!

I’ve heard colleagues rave about Mac and thought I’d try some of their products. I chose Mac Mineralize Moisture SPF15 foundation in shade NW20.

I liked the product, it provided nice natural coverage with a soft dewy finish. I felt it was flattering for my skin and colouring and lasted nicely throughout the day. I will use this again. Foundation is a product that I don’t mind paying out for a high end brand.
Packaging: 65/100 There is nothing special about this packaging at all.The shiny black outer packaging is the best part of it but the bottle itself is just average. The pump dispenser works well and delivers the correct amount.

Price:  80/100 At £29 it’s OK for a high end foundation.

Product: 90/100 it applies nicely and provides a medium coverage finish that looks dewy and fresh. I think it’s good for the more mature skin. It’s a lovely gift for ypur mum or auntie – treat them for Christmas!

Thanks for popping in and reading once again. Tomorrow I’ll be reviewing a hand cream.

Before you go – hop over to Victoria’s blog to see her choice of foundation and read her review.

Please don’t hesitate to comment below I love to hear from you. Or contact me by email earlyretirementrocks@gmail.com

 

 

Blogger – #Christmasbeautybrawl16 – day 7

This is going so fast -and I’m enjoying it.
Today’s remit is a lipstick.

I’m going to put it out there –I have thin lips that lipstick does not stick to!

I have read all the literature, use primer, add a base, lip liner, apply, blot and apply again.  I’ve been there, seen it, done it and got the T Shirt! If you’ve got thin lips like mine nothing, and I mean nothing makes your lipstick stay on.

I chose the product I have after asking a beauty blogger what product was good for mature thin lips.

I was recommended this Georgio Armani Lip Maestro
Rich intense colour, amplified by light. Giorgio Armani introduces Lip Maestro: the next generation of lip colour. The first lip stain with an ultra comfortable velvet texture and a radiant finish. Intense, seductive, illuminating colour. Lips appear instantly plumped and radiant. The sensual, non-sticky texture offers high colour density for hours wear. Intensify your colour experience, available in a spectrum of twelve shades.

I tried this in shade 200 – Art Deco and I picked mine up in America my favourite store Sephora. The shade was probably a tad too dark for me but the colour did stay on probably longer than most products. I would use it again.

Packaging: 70/100 For such a high end product the packaging is pretty bland. There is a subtle Georgio Armani logo

Price:  80/100 This is a high end product and sells at around £27  I  think it’s expensive but it did last on me which is a bloomin miracle!

Product:  85/100 I liked this. I have tried hundreds of lip products hoping for a miracle. This does have a good applicator and applies well. Miracle of miracles it does last longer than other products. I would use this again in a slightly paler shade. I used a clear gloss over the top on occasions

Thank you for reading, why not hop over to Victoria’s blog to see what she reviewed.

Please feel free to comment or contact me via email earlyretirementrocks@gmail.com

Bloggers – #Christmasbeautybrawl16

I hope you are enjoying this beauty collaboration led by Beth of La Blog Beaute  If you wish to know more about it please read my introduction for full details of what it is and who’s involved.
Day 6 and the review is for a brow product.

Brows are ‘the thing’ lately but I’m from an era where we plucked them to death and consequently I have thin brows that can’t be resurrected. However I don’t ignore them completely and appreciate that well tamed brows can frame your face and take years off. I have been using a brow product that I like but decided to try an alternative.

My product is Bourjois Paris Brow Duo

The description of this product is : Bourjois’ Brow Duo pencil is a 2-in-1 eye brow pencil and highlighter.
Reshape and define brows with the powder pencil, then brighten eyes and lift brows with the creamy highlighter.
Ensure you have perfect brows everyday with this versatile brow duo pencil.
Bourjois combines quality and expertise with an element of joie de vivre to ensure every product is of the highest quality and result.

I thought I would try this because of the added highlighter.

I wasn’t keen on this at all when I tried it. The brow pencil was average, it did not match up to the product I was using previously. The highlighter was OK but not as dazzling as I expected. I felt it all looked a bit ‘obvious’ – like the brows of my mothers era.

My scores are:

Packaging: 60/100 Quite a dull looking product -nothing to make it stand out

Price: 70/100 At £6.99 I think it is quite a lot for what it is.
Product: 60/100 As I said I was hoping for a better look from the duo but they looked a bit obvious – like the old pencilled in eyebrows of my mothers era.
Thanks for reading and please come back tomorrow for my next review. Also please visit Victoria’s blog to see her product. 

Bloggers #Christmasbeautybrawl16 Day 5

I hope you are enjoying this beauty collaboration led by Beth of La Blog Beaute  If you wish to know more about it please read my introduction for full details of what it is and who’s involved.
Half way today and the product for review is blusher.

I have been using a Bobbi Brown cream blush for ever and love it so trying an alternative product was definitely a challenge. I decided to retry the product I used before Bobbi Brown – this being Bourjois Blush 34 Rose D’or.

As its been so long since I used this I cannot remember if its the same shade as before but if not its similar.
It was as nice a product as I remembered,applies well, looks good and has a pleasant fragrance. My scores are:

Packaging: 75/100 It comes in a cute round pink plastic compact that is quite sturdy. There is a mirror and a small brush included. It has a gold closure stud and gold writing. Not the classiest but not the worst. I didn’t use the brush included I used a bigger, softer brush.

Price: 75/100 At around £6.99 certainly not the cheapest.
Product: 85/100 I like this product. Applies well. Looks good with a soft sheen. Lasts too. There’s something about this product that I like and would be happy to continue using.

Thanks again for reading and hope you’re enjoying this as much as I am. Come back again tomorrow for Day 6, but before you go for today why not pop over the Victorias blog to see what she has to say about her product.

 

Blue Moo’s Musings – A female fans view of Manchester City FC

Well what can I say! If you’re going to read on I will quote the late great Bette Davis in All About Eve – ‘hang on to your hats it’s going to be a bumpy ride’
Like many other blues this morning I am not a happy bunny. However my anger may be for different reasons than others.

1. Yes the referee Anthony Taylor was pants and the two red cards at the end were disappointing but my main anger is because we seem to be going backwards under Pep! Football’s a simple game – you put the ball in the net at one end and stop it going in at the other! We seem to be able to do neither this season. What is going on! Pep came with the reputation of being a tactical genius but in my opinion you can experiment with all the formations you like and try and out fox your oppositions but of you cannot score or keep a clean sheet the rest is a waste of time!
2. Some of our individual players are lacking in ability and skill but I thought Pep had the ability to make the team greater than the sum of its parts. This is not the case and some of our best players seem to be suffering badly. Sergio is the best example. I know I’ve talked about him before in an earlier post. But I’m going to talk about him again. He is not a happy boy at the moment – I still feel something has unsettled him which is affecting his form. I am not angry with him for his tackle – I think it shows passion. If the team lost and the players just slunk off the pitch without showing any emotions we’d say they didn’t care. I am however sad that he will miss games and be punished heavily, which will not help his current situation nor do anything to improve his happiness. There are some man management issues at the club in my humble opinion. I may not be a football manager but I’ve seen enough poor management over my care in the NHS to spot the signs. I hope something seriously changes to improve this worrying situation.
3.  I hate to criticise an individual player in any depth but unfortunately I fell the acquisition of Claudio Bravo has been an absolute disaster. I cannot see any positives in his play and I feel overall that the way Joe Hart was discarded and pushed aside has brought bad Karma to the club. I fail to see why he has been preferred to Joe, unless as I say there are other issues at play in the background e.g. discrediting big players by the manager. When an opposing player runs at Claudio for a one on one, you know there’s only going to be one outcome – Yes! a goal for the opposing team. Joe Hart would have stopped at least one of the goals yesterday. He wasn’t Golden Glove for winning a raffle prize. he was awarded the accolade for stopping goals going in! In criticising Claudio Bravo I also have to say I actually feel sorry for him as well. It must be soul destroying to be criticised every game. He’s almost been hung out to dry.
4. I’ve been following City since 1976 and seen some low points in the clubs history but I’ve always enjoyed going to games, at the moment though I’m not enjoying this season at all – maybe its because expectations from the media and others were so high at the beginning. If I hadn’t paid to watch the Celtic game on Tuesday I’m ashamed to say that I wouldn’t go and I say that with a heavy heart. But I will bounce back and be enthusiastic again next week! Oh and I will be there on Tuesday barring extremes in weather conditions. What makes me feel even more sad is that I’m not alone. Walking back to the car on Saturday listening to fellow blues it’s clear the majority are unhappy and disillusioned with Pep too. Blues of all ages too -those of us who are more mature are prepared for disappointment and are prepared to give things time to work, but there’s a new younger breed of blue out there who are not of the same mindset. having said that it was all ages who were complaining on my long 1.5 mile walk back to the car. I hope things improve soon.
5. On a positive side after looking out of the game initially there were signs of what Leroy Sane can do to defences. A couple of really good runs, just a shame that just as he was getting started he was bizarrely substituted for Gail Clichy.

Anyway I think I’ve ranted written enough. I’m not yet ready to iron my creased Bring back Mancini banner! Please feel free to comment – even if you think I’m a crazy old bag!

See you next week

Elaine

Keeping the Faith since 1976

Bloggers #ChristmasBeautybrawl day 4

I hope you are enjoying this beauty collaboration led by Beth of La Blog Beaute  If you wish to know more about it please read my introduction for full details of what it is and who’s involved.
So here we are at day 4 already. Today we are reviewing mascara. I love mascara. When I was younger people always commented on my long lashes. However, like most things in my middle age – ‘ things ain’t what they were!’ As well as my hair becoming thinner so have my eyelashes. I have had lash extensions applied for holidays etc however they are never a success – they drop off quickly. In fact on one holiday I came back looking like Malcom McDowell in a Clockwork Orange. (If you dont know who that is then click here ) If I apply false lashes I can look like a pantomime dame.Therefore I like to find a mascara that can enhance what I have.

I am reviewing a high end mascara Diorshow mascara by Christian Dior. I got this on offer when I was purchasing other products from Dior and I’m a sucker for an offer!

I always used to be an advocate for Lancome Defencils but in recent years I’ve found drugstore mascara’s from Maybelline and L’Oreal to be the best so I was happy to try another high end product.
It claims to be a Buildable professional volume mascara, lash extension effect.

After trying it I don’t think I’ll buy it again. It didn’t look better than the drug store ones I’ve been using. In fact my current mascara Rimmel Miss Hippy or L’Oreal Superstar are far better. My scores theefore are:

Packaging: 70/100 Nothing special – plain black with some silver embellishment. The best bit is the Dior logo.

Product: 80/100 – Good coverage, doesnt clump with a nice brush but nothing spectacular. I didn’t feel it delivered what it claimed.
Price: 60/100  – at £25 in my opinion it’s not worth that money.

So thats my review for today. Short and sweet! Thanks for reading, before you go why not look at Victoria’s blog Victorialifeoncamera to see what mascara she’s reviewed today. Also don’t forget to come back tomorrow for Day 5 when we’re reviewing a blusher.

I’d love to receive any comments here or by email earlyretirementrocks@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bloggers #Christmasbeautybrawl16 Day 3

I hope you are enjoying this beauty collaboration led by Beth of La Blog Beaute  If you wish to know more about it please read my introduction for full details of what it is and who’s involved.
Day 3 and our remit for today is to review a highlighter. This was the most tricky for me as I initially thought it was a sculpting product and I have very strong views about sculpting for the mature woman. I have said before it’s not a good look you only have to look at Liz McDonald in Coronation Street to see that!

But then I thought again and decided that what I use as a highlighter is a shimmer brick. The first one I used in this category was Bobbi Browns but at £33 it is a luxury. Now I’m retired I like to look for cheaper alternatives. To this end I am reviewing Boots Seventeen Instant Glow Shimmer Brick in pink bronze.

I apply this to my cheekbones, nose, brow and chin just to give a soft glow. I liked this product and the colours suited my pale colouring. I found it comparable to other high end products including the one by Bobbi Brown.
My scores are:

Packaging: 90/100 Nice compact – sturdy and simple.

Price: 100/100 at around £3.99 it’s fabulous value and I will continue to use this. A new favourite.
Product: 95/100 Lovely block of 4 shades of pink. Lovely subtle sheen, applies well and lasts. Gives a natural healthy glow.

Thank you for reading today’s review – I hope you come back tomorrow. In the meantime pop over to Victoria’s blog to see her choice of highlighter to review.

I welcome your comments or feel free to email me earlyretirementrocks@gmail.com

 

 

Bloggers #ChristmasBeautybrawl16 Day 2

I hope you are enjoying this beauty collaboration led by Beth of La Blog Beaute  If you wish to know more about it please read my introduction for full details of what it is and who’s involved.

Day 2 and the review for today is an eye shadow palette. In the collaboration we all have the same type of product to review each day but we choose exactly which one to review and none of us are aware of the products that are chosen by each other. This all makes it fun and I was so interested to read the reviews from yesterday. Such a diverse collection of products – I picked up a few recommendations for myself.

The eye shadow I’m choosing to review is Maybelline’s The Blushed Nudes eye palette

After taking early retirement last year and had so much fabulous free time on my hands I had a mad spending spree and treated myself to some fabulous beauty products, some I’m ashamed to say I’ve not even used. I bought quite a few varied palettes and this is one that remained unopened. This collaboration was a good reason to try it now.
The Blushed Nudes® Eye Shadow Palette features 12 expertly curated shades for custom eye makeup looks. I took a peak at the online information about the product and noted that it had tips on how to use and apply it.

I rarely leave the house without make up, unless I’m just popping to the shop quickly. I therefore have a well established routine for using and applying and followed the same steps with this product as I do with all others.

I used 2 of the shade on my eyes for a week. Initially I thought they may be too bright and sparkly for daytime wear, but found them the complete opposite. I thought they looked dull and uninspiring. I use another Maybelline product at the moment, the 24 hour Tattoo cream gel pots and I much prefer those to this palette.

Here is my complete review and scoring:

Packaging: 90/100 Nice size – some palettes are long and slim and difficult to pack in make up bags. This one is compact and a nice shade of nude pink with a soft metallic sheen. I think it was the look of the packaging that encouraged me to buy it.

Price: 75/100 – At around £9.99 I think it’s a little expensive for a product I wasn’t too keen on. I have used other cheaper ones from high street stores such as Next and Primark which I prefer.
Product: 75/100 – It looks lovely – with shimmery powders but I find they didn’t look the same once applied. The shadows are very close to each other with little dividing them and I found that some of the powders run into the ones next to them. I really wanted to like this more.

Thanks for popping in and reading my review today – whilst your here why not pop over to Victoria’s page to see her eye shadow palette review.
See you tomorrow and please feel free to comment or email me earlyretirementrocks@gmail.com