FNUG Nail Polish from My Pure

I received this product free of charge from My Pure, in return for an honest review. All opinions are based upon my own experience.

Regular readers of my blog will know that I am a HUGE fan of nail colour and love experimenting with different colours etc, so when I found this gorgeous FNUG nail polish I simply couldn't resist - especially since summer is finally putting in an appearance!

I have tried a few different colours from the FNUG range but this is my first try of their Neon colours. The main difference is that the neon dries with a matt finish compared to the nice glossy finish of the other polishes. As with all FNUG polishes, this comes with the perfect brush for application. It's the ideal size to cover most of your nail in one swoop, but not too large that it goes over the edges on smaller nails. It also holds just the right amount of polish so you don't end up with a huge dollop in one spot. I found this really easy to apply and it dried within a couple of minutes which is ideal if you're like me and seem to do everything last minute!
It is taking me a bit of getting used to as I'm not really used to this matt finish and am a little unsure whether it's really for me. I kinda like the high shine glossy look whereas the matt looks slightly underdone. I did apply a second coat which made it slightly shinier but I'm still a little unsure. The colour itself is gorgeous! It's bright, cheery and compliments any skin tone. Although this claims to be chip resistant and long lasting, I did find that it started to fade away from the edge of my nails within a couple of days - maybe I should have been wearing my marigolds or passed the job of dish washer onto my kids! lol If you're lucky enough to own a dishwasher, then you'll probably find that it's quite hard wearing and lasts waaay longer. I generally apply a clear gloss over the top but didn't want to ruin the matt effect without giving it a chance.

Although this matt polish isn't really my cup of tea, I would still recommend it as I have seen it worn by others and thought it looked really cool. I also love that FNUG polishes contain strengthening silica, vitamins A, D, E and B as well as caviar which brings the benefit of the high content of nutritious amino acids and minerals found in the amino acids. The ideal therapy for your nails whilst giving a delightful burst of colour.

FNUG Nail Polish in Front Page is available to buy from MY Pure and costs £12.00 for 8.5ml.

FNUG Nail Polish in Fnuglista from My Pure

I received FNUG Nail Polish free of charge from My Pure, in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Firstly, I must apologise for the state of my nails in this pic. For some reason, as soon as I decide to review nail polish, my nails get a mind of their own and start fighting me by splitting or getting dry, hard skin around the cuticles etc - not a very pretty sight but please bear with me!

I'm a massive fan of this brand and how easy it is to apply, as well as the very generously sized brush it comes with. I've tried many of the shades available from FNUG in the past, but this is the first that isn't a solid colour. As Spring was coming in, I opted for this really pretty pinky blue colour called Fnuglista. It's difficult to tell from my pic but it kind of paints on pink, but has a slight bluey hue here and there. It also looks a little sparkly when the light catches it certain ways which I loved.

This went on with ease, as I expected, and dried within a couple of minutes. I only applied one coat but you may wish to add more for a stronger colour result. As my regular readers will know, I often struggle with polishes as they really don't take kindly to any form of housework/dish washing, but FNUG usually manage to withstand these tasks and out perform many other brands. I did however find that this wasn't the case with this shade. Two lots of dish washing and the colour began to fade away from the outer edges of my nails - not what I expected at all! After this, I decided to remove the nail polish from all fingers and reapply but this time using a top coat afterwards to try and maintain the colour. This worked a treat!! Once week later and although there was very slight chipping on certain nails, I still had pretty good coverage ....YAY!!

I personally loved this shade and would definitely buy it again. There are plenty more shades to choose from if this isn't for you so pop over to the My Pure website and have a gander.

FNUG Nail Polish in Fnuglista is available to buy from My Pure and costs £12.00 for an 8.5ml bottle.

Benecos Natural BB Cream from My Pure

I received this Benecos Natural BB Cream free of charge from My Pure, in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Those of you who regularly read my blog will know that I'm a huge fan of BB creams, so when I noticed this on the My Pure website, I decided to give it a try! I usually opt for Medium shades but the pics online made this look like it may have been a wee bit too dark for my skin, so I opted for Fair instead.

This particular BB cream is an 8 in 1 and contains Acai Berry, Hyaluronic Acid & Shea Butter which together are said to:
Even Complexion - Light reflective pigments & nourishing oils smooth the skin
Corrected Complexion - Tinted pigments even out the complexion concealing redness
Calming - Pomegranite seed extract soothes sensitive skin
Mattifying - Absorbent powder absorbs superfluous oil
Nourishing - Jojoba oil, shea butter, olive oil and acai oil from certified organic farming nourish the skin
Anti-oxidant - Acai oil and hyaluronic acid provide an anti-oxidant effect, and protects skin from free radicals and ageing
Moisturising - Hyaluronic acid moisturises the skin
Feels pleasant - Acai oil improves the skins elasticity

I have pretty dry skin so tend to exfoliate, then pile on the moisturiser before applying any BB/CC creams or foundation. I often find that this gives me a good base and makes it easier to apply make-up. This didn't work out quite as planned with this product as it didn't seem to want to rub in at all. I tried in vain to get rid of the swirly marks it left on my face but to no avail. I ended up wiping it all off and starting again ...this time without applying moisturiser first! Success!! This seemed to do the trick and I managed to get a decent coverage without any streaks, although my skin did feel quite dry. I got the idea that the BB cream was in some way reacting with my moisturiser making it impossible to apply.
This has a really fresh smell which is pretty overpowering but it's only noticeable for the first few minutes after application, after that it simply fades away.

BB Cream against my skin

All rubbed in

I was definitely right to opt for the Fair shade in this case as it was an almost perfect match for my skin tone as you can see from the pics above. Once applied correctly, the BB cream provided a good base for me to apply eyeshadow etc and gave coverage lasting the whole day - I knew this by the colour of my cleansing wipe when I took it off before bed! It also gives a matt finish which is ideal if you have greasy skin or don't like the shine that often comes with foundation etc.

Overall, I would recommend this for it's excellent coverage and staying power, however if you suffer from dry skin on your face, it may be best avoided.

Benecos Natural BB Cream comes in a 30ml tube and costs £9.95 from My Pure. It is available in Fair or Medium shades.

Inika Lip Liner Pencil from My Pure

I received an Inika Lip Liner Pencil free of charge from My Pure, in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I don't wear lipstick too often but have been experimenting a bit more with colour etc lately and noticed that with some of the darker shades I tried, I had the classic 'bleeding' effect which I hated. Rather than go back to my clear gloss, I decided to try a lip pencil and see if that made any difference.
I saw this Inika one on the My Pure website and as it had the choice of 4 different colours, I though I'd give it a shot.

The best part about this particular liner is that it comes complete with it's own sharpener so you're guaranteed to never be caught out with a blunt liner ...perfect!

There are 4 colour options available, Sugar Plum, Moroccan Rose, Nude Delight and Safari. I opted for Safari.

This liner has a really gorgeous silky feel and glides over the lips with ease and precision. The colour remained even and I found that it was suitable to use with varying shades of lipstick. It was long lasting and also worked well being used to colour the full lips giving them a nice matt finish - adding a touch of clear gloss will give them a high shine!

As I mentioned earlier, one of the things I loved about this was that it comes complete with a sharpener built into the lid so there's no need to carry anything extra. I would however like to throw a little caution your way. I noticed that I had to be really careful when replacing the lid as one tiny twist started the sharpening process, even when it wasn't needed! For this reason, I decided it was far safer for me to keep it in the box before placing in my make-up bag to ensure I didn't waste any. This however was a minor hiccup and not one which would stop me from buying more in the future.

Overall, I would certainly recommend this and look forward to hopefully seeing more colour choices in the future.

You can purchase any Inika Lip Liner Pencil from My Pure, at a cost of £13.50 each which may seem a little pricey, but you do get value for money as a little goes a really long way!

Benecos Natural Shiny Lip Colour from My Pure

I received Benecos Natural Shiny Lip Colour free of charge from My Pure, in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The thing which appealed most to me about this product was the fact that it contains vitamin E, beeswax and jojoba oil which are all known for their softening properties. I regularly suffer from dry, sore lips, regardless of the weather, so tend to just opt for a clear lip balm which can sometimes be a bit annoying.

The Benecos lippys look a little like a crayon once opened ......

There are 3 colours available, Rusty Rose, Silky Tulip and Pretty Daisy ......I opted for the Silky Tulip as the colour looked slightly deeper than the other two.

If you worry about the smell/taste of organic cosmetic products, then it really is unfounded with these lippys. There is no taste and no smell to speak of which I found amazing. The lippy glides on with ease and as it's tapered at the end, you can create a really gorgeous look. I drew around the outer shape of my lips, then proceeded to colour the rest in. I gave a wee dab onto a tissue and reapplied.

The colour was still slightly lighter than I had expected, but I have to say that I really loved it! Not only did my lips feel perfectly nourished, but the lippy had a lovely shine to it and a very slight sparkle which gives it a bit of an edge. It also has pretty good staying power and managed 6/7 cuppas before I needed to reapply ...very impressive!

Overall, I would definitely recommend this product and look forward to trying the other shades available.

You can purchase Benecos Natural Shiny Lip Colour from My Pure at a cost of £6.95 each.

Trilogy Everything Balm from My Pure

Trilogy Everything Balm

I received Trilogy Everything Balm free of charge from My Pure, in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This one product has a whole range of uses from softening cuticles to a massage oil, it has you covered!
The winter months, although not too cold, have played havoc with my skin leaving it dry, tight and feeling very uncomfortable. My hands are sore and slightly flaky, my knees/elbows have suffered more than usual and my lips are constantly dry and chapped making them very painful. I was so in need of  something to rescue my skin that when I saw this, I thought my prayers had been answered.

Before I get on with my review, I just want to show you the inside of the box as it made me smile and impressed me no end ....

Fancy decorated box

I just love the bright colours and cheery image.

Simple tin

Inside the box is this simple little tin with its screw top lid ...perfect size and love the tiny dip in the middle of the lid.

Everything Balm

This lovely balm contains multiple ingredients, each designed to help promote healthier skin. Rosehip, Marula, Coconut & Jojoba oils nourish the skin, Manuka honey, Pawpaw & Echinacea help promote healing whilst the antioxidant & Vitamin E help to protect. All together they provide relief for all skin types.

As you can see, the balm is in a block which when warmed slightly, melts and makes it much easier to apply. I rubbed a small amount onto my fingers using the heat off them to gently melt the balm. It does start melting when applied to warm skin anyway and spreads really well.
This does have a very distinct smell but although it's pretty strong, it doesn't linger on the skin for ages so I found it quite bearable.
It can be used for the following:
- Soothing dry, chapped skin: I used it on various areas of my body which are really dry and felt instant relief. My knees & elbows were visibly improved upon the first application and the roughness was replaced with soft skin.
- Softening, smoothing & moisturising: The scaly skin down my shins felt softer and smoother and the bits of flaky skin became invisible.
- Lip conditioning: I have to say that when I applied this to my lips, they felt immediately better although I would throw a little caution here since you can taste the smell (if you get what I mean). Every breath I took gave a really strong taste at the back of my throat which I really didn't like, so although it works wonders, I personally couldn't handle applying it to my lips again.
- Cuticle care: Mine are in terrible condition right now but I have to say that I gently rubbed this over each of my cuticles and they were immediately softened and less visible.
- Melting massage oil: I haven't tried it in this way but am sure it would be fantastic! The aroma will relax and the balm will provide some much needed lubrication for the perfect relaxing massage.

It is also safe to for the whole family to use and is suitable for all skin types. I have dry skin which can occasionally be sensitive and found this calmed ans soothed my skin without causing any irritation.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this product, especially if you suffer from dry patches of skin and need a fast fix. It doesn't leave skin feeling greasy, just nicely nourished making it the perfect balm for all your needs.

Trilogy Everything Balm usually costs £12.50 but is currently on offer for £10.63 and is available to buy from My Pure.

Alva Organic Creamy Collection Lipstick from My Pure

I received Alva Organic Creamy Collection Lipstick free of charge from My Pure, in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

It's not very often I buy lipsticks because there are so many colours etc to choose from, it causes me great confusion. I'm a huge fan of reds and deeper colours but thought I'd opt for something a little lighter for day wear ...just for a change!
This Alva lippy is available in 4 different colours, Brick Red, Burnt Orange, Naked Pink and Purple Haze ...

   Brick Red     Burnt Orange    Naked Pink     Purple Haze

After much deliberation, I opted for the Naked Pink ....

As you can see, it's quite pale in colour and has a slight shimmer to it which I absolutely loved. The packaging is kept simple and usable, so there's no harming the environment. These lippys are certified as organic and vegan and they contain anti-ageing ingredients as well as being suitable for sensitive skin - something I occasionally suffer from!

Now, the first thing I noticed about this is that it doesn't have a smell! Many vegan/organic lippys tend to have a very distinct smell which also makes them taste a bit yucky, however these are just like any other quality lippy and a pleasure to wear. The lippy glides smoothly over lips giving just the right amount of coverage whilst making lips feel moisturised and uber sexy .....

My pic isn't too clear but I hope you manage to get the effect of the shimmer! The colour is so pretty and looks exactly like it does in the tube which really surprised me. One coat was all I applied and this managed to last through a couple of cuppas before needing to be reapplied. I was fairly impressed by its staying power. Once you've applied your lippy, give it a quick dusting with powder and reapply for extra staying power - this way managed to last most of the day! I also like to apply a thin layer of Vaseline which helps keep my lips soft as well as give it extra shine. This also helped to enhance that gorgeous shimmer.

Overall I would definitely recommend this product and look forward to trying out the other colours available.

Alva Organic Creamy Collection Lipstick costs £12.03 (currently on offer from £14.15) and is available to buy from My Pure.

EcoTools 6 Piece Brush Set from My Pure

I received this EcoTools 6 piece brush set free of charge from My Pure, in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

It's been a long time since I've used any kind of brushes to apply my make-up, generally preferring to just use my hands, but I decided after trying the brush for BB cream, it was time to sample other brushes to see if they gave a better finish.

Please don't be mislead, when it says a 6 piece brush set, you actually get 5 brushes and a neat cotton pouch to keep them safe and sound, hence the 6 piece set. Included are brushes for blush, concealer, eye shading, angled eyeliner and a lash & brow groomer. Each of these brushes feature bamboo handles, have recycled aluminium ferrules and cruelty free taklon bristles which are extremely soft.

As I mentioned earlier, these brushes come in a handy cotton pouch which excited me more when I noticed it also has a neat little pocket on the back too .....

The crushes are the perfect size for the jobs in hand and as the bristles are so soft, they don't drag the skin but give a really lovely finish to the make-up. The angled eyeliner brush was most useful to help practice a few of the in season looks and made the job a whole lot easier ...my daughter in particular loved this one! The blush brush is a great size to get a good amount of blush over the apples of your cheeks and my absolute favourite, the lash & brow grooming brush as it's perfect to give those lashes just the look you want and separates the lashes extremely well.

I highly recommend this set and reckon that every woman should own them.

The EcoTools 6 Piece Brush Set costs £14.99 and is available to buy from My Pure.

Balance Me Luscious Lips from My Pure

I received Balance Me Luscious Lips free of charge from My Pure, in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

It's getting to the time of year when all the Christmas parties start to roll in, and if you're anything like me, normal, everyday lippies seem to dry my lips out making them look unattractive and feeling incredibly sore. It's around this time that I reach for the lip balms but often crave a bit of colour. That's where this gorgeous Luscious Lips comes to the rescue. I really love the packaging as it not only made me feel a bit special, but it would also make an ideal stocking filler! The tinted lip salve contained inside comes in Ruby Red and contains Shea, Mango and Cocoa Butters to help plump, soften and protect your lips against the elements. It also contains Coconut Oil which helps soothe and hydrate.

The tube has an angled head with a small hole making it very easy to apply a decent layer of colour and it helps give really good coverage too. Gently squeeze out the required amount and spread over lips. I immediately noticed that it had a slight minty taste when I applied it which impressed me no end as past experiences have taught me that organic lip products tend to taste a bit meh ...not this one though! It glides on really well and you definitely get instant hydration making lips feel nourished, moisturised and fresh as a daisy. There's also no sticky afterfeel, just a lovely smooth high shine effect.

It's a bit difficult to see the colour well from my pic but the shine you get is fantastic and with just a nice wash of colour, this can be worn either alone or over your favourite red lippy to give it a high shine finish. Being gloss, it only lasted a couple of hours on my lips but that may be the sheer amount of tea I drink, so it did need re-applied quite a few times throughout the day. The handy sized tube means that it will fit in your handbag without too much trouble so you'll always have it handy to top up the colour when needed.

Overall I really loved this product and would have no hesitation in purchasing this myself. I would certainly like to see a few more colours added to this range.

Balance Me Luscious Lips comes in a 10ml tube and is contained in a gorgeous triangular box. It costs £12 and is available to buy from My Pure.

Alva Creamy Collection Duo Eye Shadow from My Pure

I received Alva Creamy Collection Duo Eye Shadow in Smoky Black free of charge from My Pure. All opinions are my own.

I don't often wear eye shadow but had a few events to attend recently so thought I'd give it a try - especially when I spied this on the My Pure website. It's the first time I've ever tried what's described as a 'creamy' eye shadow as I usually use them in powder form. To be honest, it's the powder versions which tend to put me off as I can't help but end up with little particles of it down my cheeks and on the side of my nose which really isn't a good look. This creamy version had me curious and i absolutely loved the colours.

It comes complete with a double ended sponge applicator which is really soft and doesn't drag the skin like many cheaper versions.

It's a bit difficult to see from my picture, but this eye shadow has a really gorgeous sparkle to it and I was extremely impressed with the application. Although it looks like powder in the container, it really is creamy and glides on perfectly giving excellent coverage and most importantly, not leaving traces of powder anywhere! I didn't need to apply much to give a great effect and found it really easy to blend to achieve different looks. It also sparkles in the light which is perfect with Christmas and all those parties being so close!

I really can't rave about this enough! From the consistency to the overall effect, it is absolutely perfect and comes in some great colours so there's something to satisfy everyone.

You can purchase Alva Creamy Collection Duo Eye Shadow from My Pure at a cost of £10.41 (currently on offer saving £1.84 on full price of £12.25).

Available colours

Green Crush

Ocean Sky

Smoky Black