Happy 1st Birthday The Cosmetic Crave!

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I am a bit late in posting this but on the 27th of July I created my blog and uploaded my first ever post! which you can read it Here.

Blogging had been a huge learning experience for me and I have discovered a lot of new things from makeup products, career opportunities and meeting new people! Over the year I have noticed my views and comments grow and the same people on each post commenting and supporting me throughout! So thank everybody for all of your kind comments, they are much appreciated. I am looking forward to many more years of blogging and hopefully it will just get better and I can carry on creating more posts for everyone to enjoy reading!


HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY THE COSMETIC CRAVE!

Joselin

xxx

Oskia London Get Up And Glow!

...Radiance, Energy & Protection Booster

If many of you are like me and would love to wake up all fresh and glowy every single morning but instead, often find yourselves waking up with tired dull skin that needs a bit of life injected back into it. I first heard about this product from the wonderful Ruth Crilly at AModelRecommends who always has amazing skin! So when I saw her mention this product I instantly became attracted to the 'Get Up and Glow' part, because really I would love to 'Get Up And Glow' and be out the door in a flash. Ive watched videos of Ruth apply this and it instantly made her skin glow and look a lot tighter and firmer so I didn't hesitate to put this on my wish list!

Instead of me writing everything that Oskia claims about this product I have taken Photos of the box which explains all of the active ingredients contained in the product.

(Click to enlarge)

Firstly, this product is very lightweight and spreads easily on the skin which means you only need one pump of this for the whole face and neck. I would say the consistency is more like a serum than a cream which allows the ingredients to penetrate deeper into the skin. It also contains Hylauronic acid which is said to hydrate the skin as it boosts the skins natural hylauronic acid levels and to maintain optimum levels of moisture. I wouldn't say that this serum is as hydrating as it claims to be because I didn't find it  very moisturising on my normal to dry skin. If you have very dry skin you wouldn't want to rely solemnly on this for moisture. If you have oily skin, I think this would be perfect for you because it hydrates and gives you that glow, whilst also having a mattifying tightening effect.

Now that the sun has came out in the UK I am able to use this serum on its own underneath makeup, as my skin is more normal than dry in the hot weather, but in winter I would definitely need to follow up with a moisturiser after as my skin is a lot dryer.

The consistency of this product is not oily and feels more like a gel. It has a wonderful fresh natural smell, not at all chemically or synthetic. The product contains small particles of light reflective pigments that give you that subtle glow once it is on the skin. The amount of glow that you get from this product is not as much as id hoped it would be, especially if you put a moisturiser or foundation on top of this product as I find that the 'glow' practically disappears once these are applied. This is a big downside to a product that has the claim 'Get Up And Glow' as you would need to use this on its own without any moisturiser or foundation to see the subtle glow that it gives, which I'm sure many of us wouldn't do!

 

I would not recommend this product for the illumination side of things, as there are much better products out there that will give you a better glow than this. There are other benefits to using this product as the active ingredients in this are high potency which means that the best and most important ingredients are very concentrated so you know that it is definitely going to do something! I am no skincare expert so I'm not going to start babbling on about ingredients and what their benefits are, but since using this product my skin does feel a lot smoother and brighter. I also find that this works well as a primer underneath foundation because when I wear this before a night out my skin looks flawless and helps my foundation to last.

Overall Oskia London is a great brand and I have previously tried their 'Micro Exfoliating Balm'' which I absolutely loved and have reviewed it Here. Their products are by no means on the cheap side of skincare as they are pretty high end. They are able combine innovative science with nature and ensure that all of the nasty ingredients that a lot of us react to are left out. All of you skincare experts will know how impressive ingredients list of this product is, so I guess that justified the price tag.

The price of this Serum is £64.50 and you can purchase it at Zuneta.com. This is a nice serum that does not cause my skin any reactions, and even though I feel that it is doing something good for my skin, I haven't seen anything mind blowing from this product to justify paying £64.50 again for it. 

Joselin

xxx

Loreal Professionnel Super Dust Volume and Texturising Powder

Transform into your super hero alter-ego with L'Oréal Professionnel Tecni.Art Super Style Heroes Super Dust, reworkable POW'der for volume with a matte finish.
These Hair dust type products have become quite popular for adding that tousled voluminous look to dull everyday hair. When I was sent this product I was quite happy as I have never tried a hair powder before apart from the Batiste XL volume dry shampoo which works in a similar way to this.

Sometimes when I have just washed my hair it becomes to silky and flat to hold any kind of hair style so this is perfect to add some texture and volume to my hair when I am going out.
My hair is already quite thick but because of how long it is, it can loose volume and become weighed down, so this is perfect for adding body to my hair without feeling like I am using too much product.

The powder is very light and disappears into the hair once it is rubbed in, it doesn't leave a grayish tint like many hair powders or dry shampoos. The product is easy and simple to use and it has saved me from flat dull hair days since I received it! You simply just lift up pieces of hair and tap a little bit of the powder into the roots and massage it in. Keep doing this to all of the areas that you feel need a little bit of a lift. To add texture and to achieve that 'bed head' look, just tip some of the powder into the palm of your hand and scrunch it into the lengths of your hair for a beachy effect.

My everyday hair before using this product, I don't use any other products in my hair apart from Kerastase Ciment thermique heat defence

After using the product, as you can see it has given the top of my hair some crazy volume.
I used quite a bit of product because my hair is thick but you can play around with the amount of powder that you use to get the effect that you want.

This volume lasts all day and you can push your hair up at the roots with your fingers during the day to add more volume if you need too. This product does make your roots and hair feel dry so if you have brittle dry hair, I would not recommend that you use this! You may also find that this product is a little difficult to wash out as you can feel it in your hair if you use a lot of it, so I wouldn't use this on a daily basis.

Overall This product is great if you quickly need to add some style, volume and texture to your hair if it is looking dull or too soft after washing.

Price: £10.70 at FeelUnique
The cheapest I have found it is £7.40 Here

Hope you have all had a nice weekend and be sure to expect some lovely weather next week for all of us living in the UK! What are your plans? BBQ for definite! I am also going to be at Global Gathering weekend in Stratford this weekend too!

Joselin

xxx

Chanel Natural Finish Loose Powder Review!

Hello lovelies! Hope all is well :)
Here today I have the 'Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre Fini Naturel' but to keep things nice and simple we shall call it 'Chanel Loose powder'. I have the shade '30 Natural translucent 2'. I'm not really a powder kinda gal as I have normal to dry skin which can sometimes become oily in the T-zone but nothing that really concerns me. I thought I would try a loose powder to set my makeup and add a little bit more coverage to my tinted moisturiser or light foundation if i needed it. Chanel does carry this powder in various other shades but I decided to go with this one as it is more neutral becasue I didn't want anything to warm that would change the colour of my foundation or tinted moisturiser. This powder doesn't offer a lot of coverage, so if that is what you are looking for then I don't think it would be for you. The colour of this powder is perfect for anyone around NC20 to NC30 skin and blends seamlessly into the skin without the dreaded cake face look.

The powder is very finely milled and doesn't sit on top of the skin or settle in any lines. You also get a lovely Chanel powder puff with this product, but I seem to have miss placed mine as I just tend to use a brush to blot across the T-zone and then a quick swipe across the rest of my face to set my makeup. I cannot compare this to any other powders as I don't really use them because I was always afraid of it showing up my dry patches and looking to powdery or chalky. This does not show up at all on the skin, yet it adds a tiny bit of coverage and takes away any shine whilst still allowing the skin to naturally shine through with the semi matte finish.
I also cannot comment on how well this does on oilier skin types as this powder is not very heavy and does let some of your natural oils come through throughout the day, but not enough to leave you looking like a grease slick but more in a glowy way. Chanel does not claim that this powder is for oil control but I have read reviews from others who do have oilier skin, that this should last a good 6 hours before needing to re apply.

You receive 30 grams of product so I would suspect that this would last you a very long time, over a year in fact with daily use as you really don't need to use a lot. I was clumsy and managed to spill quite a lot of product one day which is what I hate about loose powder products because I will always manage to spill them! Here is a photo:

:(!

I absolutely love this powder as it is everything that I expected from a Chanel powder, the look, feel and even the SMELL of this powder is just lovely and I will definitely repurchase this. Unless like every other beauty addict out there, I decide I want to try something new!
The price of this powder is on the higher end side of most loose powders at £34 ouch! but this will last you over a year even when used everyday, so in my opinion it is worth the investment as you don't want to be using cheap powders with 'Talc' on your skin!

This powder s definitely a winner!
You can get it from Debenhams, Selfridges, boots and most beauty department stores.

Has anyone else tried this or any other loose powders?
Ps - It is a good idea that you keep the little powder puff in the tub at all times as it stops any excess powder from coming out of the top when it is in your makeup bag and resulting in a spilled mess when opening it like I did!

Joselin

xxx

Bohemian/Hippy Photoshoot!

Hey guys hope you are all having a great weekend and not letting this typical English weather get you down. If you do live somewhere nice and hot, please feel free to make us all jealous!
I was joking DONT!
Well despite this rainy weather, a few weeks back I did a photoshoot with a friend who is studying photography at university and the theme was a summery bohemian hippy look, so I thought I would share some of the photos from that day as I am pretty happy with them!

Now whilst having these photos taken, we experienced all kinds of weather conditions (apart from snow). First it decided to be beautiful and sunny, then it would turn quite dark and dim which threw off the lighting for the photos so reflectors had to be used and these were quite blinding must I say which made my eyes water so thank God for waterproof makeup! The weather then thought It would start to rain and if it couldn't get any worse, it started to hail with a bit of added thunder and lightening thrown in too!
I am quite surprised at how these photos turned out as you wouldn't have guessed that we had ever experienced bad weather whilst taking them. It just looks like I'm chillin' in a field on a beautiful summers day. (The wonders of photoshop).

Let me know what you all think!
Joselin

xxx

Ps-  I am definitely enjoying being back at blogging, I recognise some familiar names that are still commenting and reading my posts so thankyou all very very much :))

Dior 002 Amber Diamond Highlighter!

Used with or without foundation, Dior's oil–free Poudre shimmer all over face powder is designed to blend beautifully with the skin's natural tone for an even and smooth finish. It's been specially formulated with mica micro–particles to reflect the light and leave the skin looking extraordinarily radiant. Add a bit of sparkle to your make–up regime and dazzle all day long. (Taken from Selfridges website)
I first heard about this product from Pixie2woo aka Tanya Burr as she often talks highly about this highlighter. This always looks beautiful on Tanya's skin whenever she wears in in her videos it so I had to get this for myself too as I am a sucker for highlighters and anything that will make me look more radiant.

The packaging is very sturdy which is great for carrying it around in your makeup bag as there is no need to fear that your precious powder is going to smash when being bashed about, not that you shouldn't handle this carefully unlike me, as when I first held it I dropped it almost instantly. My heart almost jumped out of my chest and I rushed to check if the powder was still in tact and luckily it was. So there you go folks a little durability test on my part for you all!
Apart from that, the packaging also looks very sophisticated and classy with the standard Dior shiny navy blue packaging and the 'Dior' logo embossed in silver on the top. You also get a lovely velvet pouch to keep the compact in to protect it, which excited me at first but like all of my other compacts that come with a velvet pouch, the novelty soon wore off and I don't tend to use them anymore.

(With Flash)

Amber Diamond contains 5 strips of warm frosty shades ranging from Ivory, champagne to more tan, bronze and a peachy gold shade. All of these colours look beautiful swirled together to create a warm subtle glow. These shades are extremely wearable and it will flatter all skin tones. This is a powder highlighter, but it doesn't look at all powdery on the skin as it is finely milled and blends beautifully because of the creamy buttery texture. This creates a subtle sheen where ever it is placed on the skin and creates a beautiful glow when the light reflects off it. I will sometimes use this all over my face as this powder is frosty, but when applied to the skin it just gives a pretty glow all over with nothing to overpowering. Whether It be daytime or night, this product is pretty versatile as it wont leave you looking like a disco ball! You could even try wearing these shades as eye shadows and I am yet to try this out.

(Colours swirled together)

(Individually swatched)

This product does not come cheap at £32.00 but you do get what you pay for which is an excellent quality product that feels and looks luxurious unlike some cheaper highlighters that have a powdery consistency with chunky glitter particles.
This product is available from most department stores such as Boots, Selfridges and Debenhams etc...
I brought mine from Escentual online for £30.65 thats £1.35 in your pocket!

Have you tried this highlighter? I would love more highlighter recommendations as they are fast becoming my favourite beauty product!

Joselin

xxx

Get SOLEIL TAN DE CHANEL For a bargainous price!

Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel-Bronze Universel has definitely made its way to be one of the top must have bronzers. This bronzer is incredibly flattering it comes in a creamy gel based formula that is velvety smooth to ensure that it is easily blended into the skin to give that luminous bronzy glow without any harsh lines. This bronzer comes in the perfect shade to suit all skin tones without being to orange or red. I brought this bronzer at duty free last year before my holiday and I have been using it every day since. I could not be without this bronzer and I get compliments on how tanned and glowy my skin always looks whenever I wear it! This can be used as a contour as it doesn't have any obvious shimmer or just all over the face to tan yourself up a little.

You only need the smallest amount as it is very pigmented so a hefty 30g/1oz tub of this will last you a very long time. As well as being a velvety smooth texture, the smell of this is absolutely gorgeous, like a vanilla rose scent without being to overpowering.

This bronzer can be applied with any type of brush but I find that it is best used with a stippling brush or even with fingers! This bronzer truly does give your skin a healthy flush of colour when worn under or over foundation/tinted moisturiser.

I am so glad that I gave into the hype of this bronzer as I couldn't recommend a better bronzer for the money. This product has been one of the best investments that I have made not only because of the quality but the amount of product that you are getting for your money.

Now that summer has arrived again, I can guarantee that I will be reaching for this everyday especially on days where I don't feel like wearing foundation, I can quickly use this all over the skin and a slick of mascara for effortless makeup.

NOW FOR THE BEST PART!
I have teamed up with Buyapowa for their 'Blue Sky Cobuys 2012' to help get the Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel bronzer at a very unique bargainous price for all of my lovely readers and beauty addicts. whether you have wanted to try out this bronzer but have been put off by the price, or if you simply just want to buy a backup because like me you love it that much!
Be sure to check out the BuyaPowa Website on Monday 16th July or click 'discover' below to enter your email for a reminder to make sure that you don't miss out on this fantastic buy!

Joselin
xxx

Bioderma Sensibo H20 Review!

Bioderma has become one of the most talked about products in the whole of the beauty community at the moment and has received many rave reviews. I first heard about this product from Lisa Eldridge who is a makeup artist and she also has a YouTube Channel. She always raves about this product as well as  many other beauty bloggers. I have always wanted to try this product and it had been on my 'to buy' list for quite a while but have I always been put off because it isn't easy to get a hold of in the UK as it is sold in french pharmacies in France...Duhh.

I decided to give into the hype and purchase this product as I thought it would be perfect to take away to Download Festival with me this year because I could easily and quickly cleanse my face without the need of water. I am so glad that I have this product in my life as it has been an absolute life saver in times of need!

Bioderma feels and looks just like water and it is completely odourless and leaves no residue on the skin at all. This can even be used on the most sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers as I have no problem with redness and irritation at all when using this because the formulation is so gentle. This makes removing makeup and waterproof mascaras a lot easier instead of being a chore, especially after a night out when all I want to do is get into bed and removing makeup is the last thing on my mind. My skin thanks me for it in the morning when I remove it all with Bioderma and after my skin feels clean and refreshed.

I will sometimes use this in the morning if I am in a hurry to quickly cleanse my skin and to remove any product residue that I have applied the night before, my skin is instantly brighter and ready for my serum, moisturiser and makeup. On the night I will remove my eye makeup with Bioderma and also the majority of my foundation, blush etc... which I will then follow up with my Clarisonic and a foaming cleanser to give my skin a deeper cleanse and exfoliation.

The actual availability of this product does bother me as it can only be found on eBay for around £10-£15 Here. I do really enjoy using this product because it makes taking my makeup off a a lot quicker and easier. There has been a huge increase in the availability of French skincare in the UK from Caudalie, Vichy and La Roche Posay which can all be purchased in Boots. These brands have all jumped on the Micellar Water craze and created their own versions, so when I run out of Bioderma I may try out some of the other brands which are more readily available and see if they are just as good.

Bioderma can be found on EBay and there are different sizes available depending on what your prefer, a 500ml bottle will last you quite a while!

Have you tried Bioderma or any other Micellar Waters?

Joselin
xxx

Caudalie Beauty Elixir - Worth All The Hype?

The Caudalie Beauty Elixir has made its way across the beauty blogging community over the past few months as THE current beauty MUST HAVE! A lot of people swear by this product, including miss Victoria Beckham herself who admitted to using this product after applying her makeup to help it last longer and to give her skin a 'dewy' finish. It seems that everybody has jumped on the bandwagon (including myself) and has started using this product to freshen up.
This product is definitely not the cheapest at £9.90 for 30ml and £28.80 for 100ml from FeelUnique.com. After reading a lot of rave reviews about it I decided to purchase the 100ml bottle from Buyapowa as they often sell it cheaper than the RRP and see for myself what the fuss was about.

I use this spray after I have cleansed my skin, before my moisturiser instead of a toner because this spray is made up of a lot more than just the usual water based toner's that you get. The main ingredients are: extracts of grape essential oil of rosemary, orange blossom and rose extracts, benzoin, myrrh essential oils of organic balm mint and mint. This does make my skin feel a lot smoother and more toned with an instant burst of radiance after spraying this. I do have dry skin so this does make my skin feel a little tight after I have used it and I have to quickly follow up with a moisturiser, but I can imagine that this would work wonders for oily skin as it has a pore tightening effect.

The smell of this product may be a little overpowering for some but I personally like this smell as it is quite calm and refreshing, especially in the morning as it perks me up as well as my skin. A lot of people have commented that this product has really cleared up their skin and has prevented them from getting spots. This did not work for me and although I don't get many spots I did still get the usual every month despite using this product so I cannot say that this has had the same effect on me. I also use this spray during the day if my skin is looking a little dull and it instantly refreshes my makeup and gives me back that glow. This spray can also be used straight after applying makeup to fix that 'Cake face' look if you have overdone it with the power as it helps to add back that natural shine to the skin.

Would I repurchase? I actually do not find myself needing this product as much as others and the price does put me off purchasing another bottle because I haven't really noticed that much of a difference in my skin whilst using this. I think I'll be sticking to the 30ml size of this product if I ever find myself repurchasing it again. That's not to say it isn't a great product I just feel that I don't NEED this in my skincare routine, it is just a little added luxury if I have the money to spend on something extra. If you ever think about trying this product I would recommend you getting the smaller bottle first to see if you are one of many that cannot live without this in your life!

Have you tried the Caudalie Beauty Elixir? What are your thoughts on it?

Joselin
xxx

Ps. I am now back to blogging after finishing all exams! I have missed it A LOT and I hope you all forgive me for being away so long!