Ben Nye Banana Powder - Review

This product has become very popular among the world of beauty! If you are a fan of Kim Kardashian you will know that her makeup artist uses Banana Powder to set her concealer. 

Even if you aren't a fan of Kim Kardashian there is no denying that her make-up always looks flawless and well I can dream that by using this product my skin will look just as good as hers does!
After watching many YouTubers raving about this product I decided it was time to get my hands on it!

Unlike translucent powders, this Ben Nye Luxury Banana Powder is yellow based which helps to prevent your skin from looking ashy and compliments my skin tone well. I use this to set my under eye concealer as well as applying it to the highlighted parts of my face, I feel it helps to brighten up my under eye area making me look more fresh and awake! 

The powder is very light on the skin and doesn't sink into any creases on your face. It still gives fantastic coverage, I love watching my dark under eye circles disappear!

I use my Cosmopolitan Perfection Blender to apply the product, this is the best method I have found so far.

I purchased my Ben Nye Luxury Powder in the shade 'Banana' from Camera Ready Cosmetics, the product itself costs $7.99 which is around £5.00 (remember it will cost around £5.00 extra to get it shipped to the UK) I was very impressed at how quickly I received the product, I got it shipped from America and it took just over a week! You can also purchase this from eBay in the UK but I found this website was the cheaper option.

(You might be able to find the product cheaper elsewhere but I am sharing with you where I got mine from. If you know of a website or store in the UK that sells this product for cheaper then let me know!)

(Taken with iPhone 4s and Nikon D3100)

Pros

• Controls shine
• Doesn't adjust foundation colour
• Brightens face
• Yellow based - compliments many skin tones
• Parfum free 
• Lots of product (even in smallest size)

Cons

• Lack of availability in the UK

Personally I think this product is worth paying the money for. I purchased the smallest size but still think it will last me quite a while as a little goes a long way!

Have you tried Ben Nye Banana Powder or anything similar?

Natasha Carly x

Pretty Little Lives on Facebook / Twitter / Hellocotton

Mini Haul

Whenever I go shopping I can never help myself popping into Boots or looking down the beauty aisles in the supermarket which means I always end up spending money that I don't have!

Today I'm going to share a few products that I have recently purchased that I am excited to try out!

(Taken with Canon A3300is)

Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment 200ml £7.99

I have used this treatment mask a few times but I still am yet to finish this tub!

This is one of my favourite hair treatment masks but I always end up forgetting I have it and end up using my other ones as I have lots and lots of hair treatment masks because I use heat on my hair quite often and anyway you can never have to many in my opinion!
I'm thinking of doing a full review on this product, if you would be interested in a reading a review then let me know!

VO5 Give Me Moisture Conditioner (Dry Hair) 250ml £1.00 on offer

I have heard many positive things about this range of VO5 hair products so I thought I would purchase a smaller bottle to try out. I am really excited to see what all the fuss is about!

Clean & Clear Morning Energy Shine Control Daily Scrub 150ml £3.99

I don't often use Clean & Clear products the only products I have tried before are from the Morning Energy range is the Skin Energising Scrub and the Brightening Scrub, many people like these two facial scrubs so I thought I would try out the Shine Control one to see if it lives up to the others! Fingers crossed!

Clean & Clear Fast Action Spot Treatment Gel 15ml £2.00 on offer

I am a sucker for purchasing products that claim to be 'fast acting spot removers' whenever I see a label that states my spots will be gone overnight I have to buy it!! (I am still waiting for that product to come along) maybe this could be the answer to my prayers?!

Nivea Oil-free Moisturising Day Cream 50ml £3.99

I know a lot of people who use this moisturiser as part of their everyday skincare routine! I purchased this after seeing it in one of Leanne Woodfull's YouTube videos. Hopefully this works well for me it would definitely be a cheaper alternative to the Liz Earle Light Moisturiser! 

Please share your thoughts! Have you tried any of these products? 

Natasha Carly x

Pretty Little Lives on Facebook / Twitter / Hellocotton

Dove Overnight Intensive Repair Creme - Review

Hello everyone, I hope you are well!

Today I want to share my love of Dove's Overnight Intensive Repair Creme. I have been using this for quite a while now and feel it is time to rave about this product! I featured it in my July Favourites and today I want to tell you why I like it so much! I purchased this for £4.99, it is now on offer in Superdrug (take a look here).

I bought this product after my holiday, the chlorine from the pool and being in the sun for prolonged periods of time had taken its toll on my hair and I was in desperate need of an intensive hair treatment!

Dove Overnight Intensive Repair Creme 120ml (more info)

This product is so easy to use, it glides onto my hair really well! I like the fact that I don't need to use too much of the product even though my hair is thick and curly!

After one use the texture of my hair felt so much smoother and less dry, I have to say I don't think it's a miracle worker on it's own! I cut my hair to get rid of split ends and to help improve the appearance of my hair as well as using repairing shampoo and conditioners such as the split end remedy from Herbal Essences. All of these things in conjunction with one another have helped my hair dramatically over a matter of weeks!

Packaging

This product has a pump application which helps to disperse an even amount of the cream, which allows you to control how much you use so you're not wasting any product by over-using.

Directions

 (Taken with Fujifilm HS10)

The directions say to apply 2-4 pumps of the product onto damp hair, I actually apply a little bit more than that as my hair is quite long and thick! I usually use about 6 pumps instead! Depending on your hair type you might use less, it's down to personal preference and what is right for your hair type.

I apply this product to my ends and mid sections of clean towel dried hair, I have to say I concentrate more on the ends of my hair as I feel that is where most of the damage occurs. I leave it on overnight and when I wake up my hair is glossy and soft!

You can wash it of the the next morning or style as usual. I usually use the product on freshly washed hair so instead of washing it off the next day I just apply curling serum and style my hair as normal. As my hair is curly I think I can get away with not washing the product out, my hair appears to have absorbed everything by the next morning. 

You don't have to worry about your pillowcases getting ruined when leaving this product on as it doesn't stain! 

I use this product twice a week as I feel that is what works best for my hair.

Pros

• Non-greasy
• Cheap
• Smells great
• Easy application
• Doesn't stain your pillow

Cons

• None that I can think of!

Have you tried this repair creme or anything similar? Let me know!

Natasha Carly x

Pretty Little Lives on Facebook / Twitter / Hellocotton

July Favourites

Hello everyone, hope you are well!

Here are my July Favourites, apologies for being a tad late but better late than never!

Most of the products are hair products as I have been working on getting my hair healthier.

 (Taken with Canon A3300is)

Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends Split End Protection Cream 150ml

I use this after I've washed my hair and after using my Aussie Leave-in Conditioner. It helps to make my hair soft and more manageable. I have also noticed that it stops my hair from looking so frizzy too! This product has raspberry and silk extracts and smells incredible!!

It retails at around £4.79 but it is currently on offer in Boots (view offer)

Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends Split End Protection Intensive Mask 200ml

Along with the other Spit End Protection products by Herbal Essences, I started using this Intensive Mask at the beginning of July and have to say my hair has improved so much! I have mentioned to you before that I prefer to use masks as I feel my hair needs more of a deep condition than what I get with a regular conditioner. I think this product is a must have! It is one of my top favourite hair masks! This product retails at £3.49 but is currently on offer in Superdrug (view offer)

Dove Damage Therapy Intensive Repair Overnight Creme 120ml

I bought this at the end of June and since then I haven't stopped using it! It works really well on my hair and makes it feel really soft. I apply the product onto towel dried hair and leave it on my hair for the night, when I wake up the next morning my hair is so much more manageable and doesn't get knotted together as easily as it usually does! I will be doing a full review on this product so I don't really want to say too much about it here! This Overnight Creme retails at £4.99 but is currently on offer at Superdrug (view offer)

OXY Seaweed Power Fresh Skin Wash 150ml

You have probably been expecting this to be in my favourites since I did a full review on it which you can read here. I like how clean my skin feels after I've used it, the tiny microbeads help to work deep into the skin. This product is high quality and really inexpensive, for £5.99 you can't go wrong!

Soap & Glory Hand Food 125ml

I have been trying to grow my nails recently so as well as trying out hardening polishes I have been using hand cream more often to see if that helps them to grow. I love the smell of all Soap & Glory products and this is definitely no exception. The smell is amazing! This hand cream costs £5.00 which to me is very reasonable! I will definitely be repurchasing this!

Primark 'Tangle Teezer'

This 'Tangle Teezer' is brilliant, it cost me £1.50 and does a really great job of getting out knots in my hair without tearing. It is suitable to use on both wet and dry hair, I have been using this instead of a wide tooth comb since I got it. I think it works so much better than a comb. You can read my full review here.

I would love to know what products you were enjoying last month! Let me know in a comment!

Natasha Carly x

Pretty Little Lives on Facebook / Twitter / Hellocotton