It does exactly what it says on the tin.

A couple of years ago I was given a mini Nivea gift set for Christmas. I haven't still got the set but if I remember rightly it included; shower cream, body lotion and a tin of moisturising cream, I cant remember if it also included a lip balm but something is telling me it might have done, although I am not entirely sure. Anyway, this blog post is about the Nivea's moisturising cream 'Nivea Creme' (which I doubt I ever would have tried let alone purchased it myself if it wasn't for that Christmas present).

On the back of the tin it states “World's favourite moisturiser* Wherever skin needs care”, which I 100% agree with. This is my favourite moisturiser and I use it wherever I need it. Its very thick but I like that, and you can use as little or as much as you like because you take out however much you need straight from the tin either using your finger(s) or spatula. It has a really nice, clean smell and softens skin instantly. I love it. It makes my skin look and feel really soft.

 

 

I use Nivea creme mostly on my face (around my eyelids, on my eyebrows, cheeks and nose area), as well as on my hands, feet and elbows. This moisturiser really can be used “Wherever skin needs care”.

 

This product is also really helpful if your suffering with a cold/flu in these horrible cold months of Autumn and Winter. My Mum bought this product after her nose went red, sensitive and sore from constant nose blowing and this product soothed the area quickly and effectively. Since then she also uses it on other areas of the face and body because it gives her a healthy looking glow and softens any dry areas the cold temperature has caused.

 

 

You can purchase this particular item in various different sized pots, my first was 30ml and I currently have the 50ml (costing £1.49*) after the 30ml ran out (after roughly 3/4months of constant use), whilst my Mum has a 200ml pot of the product (£3.39*). You can buy it from most stores that stock beauty products, such as; Superdrugs, Boots, Morrisons, Sainsburys, etc.

I would definitely recommend this Nivea Creme to anyone that has dry skin anywhere on their bodies. If your thinking of trying this out, it's worth buying the 50ml pot as its very cheap and will last a while whilst your making your mind up about it before buying the larger pot.

Have you tried this Nivea Creme or any other Nivea products yourself? What did you think of them? And which would you recommend I try soon?

I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you Beauties again,

“Have Fun, Be Good"

x x Miss Tessa Leanne x x

 

Find me on Twitter

@MissTessaLeanne

*based on the advertised prices on Boot's website 'boots.com' on 10th November 2012

I'm Supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month

I'm supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month which is this month, October 2012, with my nails.

"In 2009, 48,417 women and 371 men in the UK were diagnosed with breast cancer. In 2010 there were 11,633 deaths from breast cancer in the UK and in 2005-2009, 85% of women in England survived their breast cancer for five years or more" Those are the cruel statistics I found today on cancerresearchuk.org, it also states "Breast cancer has been the most common cancer in the UK since 1997".

I have not developed Breast Cancer but I know women who have, luckily enough they have all survived it using various treatment. If you are worried about Breast Cancer, please go to http://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/breast-cancer-information/breast-awareness/being-breast-aware/changes-look-feel for help and guidance, just click the link to be transfered to that page.

Because Breast Cancer is a cause close to my heart and because this is Breast Cancer Awareness Month I decided to support them using my favourite cosmetic products, nail varnishes. Hands are always on show, even in the winter or on those cold autumn days, you have to take your cosy gloves off sometimes, other people always see your hands, like when your paying a cashier at the shop or your using your touch screen phone, hands and nails are really visible so this to me was a great way to show my support and create awareness.

First of all I applied base coat to all of my nails and waited for them to dry. I then coated my nails (except for my fing finger) in a cute baby pink colour, I used Make Up Academy's Nail Varnish in Shade 16.

I then applied a white nail varnish to my ring finger to create a colour base for the breast cancer crusade nail art, I used Mavala '49' White. Whilst waiting for the white nail varnish to dry I layered a second coat to my other nails of the MUA Shade 16. Once done, I then applied another coat of my white nail varnish over the ring finger nail. After all nails have two coas of varnish and they are dry, I brushed a Top Coat over them.

To create the crusade I used an orange stick. Using the pointed end I dipped it into the pink nail varnish bottle and carefully stippled the paint from the orange stick onto the white nail to form the shape of the crusade, I did this lightly at first to get a basic outline. I collected more nail varnish onto the orange stick and went back over the crusade outline, pressing firmer to create texture and allow the pink to become more prominant. I carried on this process, thickening the crusade, until I was happy with the result.

I was very pleased with the nail art I created, and I'm proud to be so publicly supporting a great cause. I've had a number of people (friends, family and my flu vaccine nurse!) compliment my nails, and with some of them people it got us talking about Breast Cancer and our own personal stories. Breast Cancer, in one way or another, has affected every single person I know and I never realised that until I done this.

I'm supporting Breast Cancer Awarness Month!

 

 I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you Beauties again,

“Have Fun, Be Good”

x x Miss Tessa Leanne x x

Find me on Twitter

@MissTessaLeanne

My Make Up Academy Cosmetics Collection

The first products I ever purchased from Make Up Academy's (MUA) cosmetic range was their nail varnish (I bought three pink shades), I always buy MUA's products straight from Superdrug stores as I can have a good look at the items before I make any decisions to buy them and I also like to collect my Superdrug Loyalty Points on their Beauty Card! ^_^

Here's a little background information on Make Up Academy that I copy and pasted from their 'About Us' section on their website: www.muastore.co.uk

“Great makeup doesn't need to cost the earth and it is MUA's promise to bring surprising quality, colour, fun and innovation to each and every product it delivers. Bringing guilt free makeup to every ladies makeup bag!

The team at MUA towers are constantly thinking of ways of creating fantastic products that deliver great value to your makeup bags. Inspired by playing with colour, there is something for everyone and with the introduction of the Professional range consumers can buy amazing palettes, foundations and primers for all under £4!”

So, without further-a-do, this is my MUA Collection (in no particular order):

 

 

MUA Nail Varnish:

The Nail Varnishes I own have no names, so I shall name the Shade Number and what I would describe their colour as in brackets (Sorry I have not written them in the same order as the photograph).

Shade 2 (Black) £1.

Shade 5 (Minty Green) £1.

Shade 15 (Hot Pink) £1.

Shade 16 (Baby Pink) £1.

Shade 17 (Clear) £1.

Shade 20 (Deep Pink) £1.

 

 

MUA Blusher:

 

Professional Mosaic Blush in Shade 3 'English Rose' £2.50.

 

MUA Lip Stick:

 

Shade 14 'Bare' £1 (Top).

Shade 15 'Juicy' £1 (Bottom).

 

 

MUA Lip Gloss:

 

Professional Out There Lip Plumping Gloss in 'Nude' £2 (Above Photograph).

 

 

 

Professional Intense Kisses High Intensity Lip Gloss in 'Sealed with a Kiss' £2 (Above Photograph).

 

 

 

Lip Gloss Tube in Shade 4 £1 (Above Photograph).

 

MUA Eye Liner:

 

 

Intense Colour Eye Liner Pencil in 'Snow White' £1.
 

MUA Mascara:

 

Shade 4 £1.

 

 

So there it is, my Make Up Academy collection (so far).

 

I really like the Nail Varnishes as the colours are gorgeous, they may not be long lasting but with the right base and top coat they can be.

The Mosaic Blusher is a gorgeous pink rose colour and quite pigmented, one thing I don't like about it is the smell, it really doesn't smell good.

I love the Lip Sticks especially 'Bare' as it is a lovely nude colour and moisturising, although 'Juicy' isn't, that shade/formula highlights any dry area on the lips but both lip sticks are highly pigmented.
I love all of their ranges of Lip Glosses that I own, they are really nice, shiny and aren't sticky, I'm in love with the Intense Kisses High Intensity Lip Gloss!

MUA's Eye Liner is really good, although I've only applied it to the water line the colour slides on really well and lasts longer then I thought it would, and their Mascara is great on the lower lash line however I noticed it is rather dry and it irritated my eye's when applied on to my top lashes.

 

Please remember that what works for me, may not work for you and what might work for you may not work for me. I would recommend Make Up Academy's Cosmetic range to everyone, they are really good for a good price and as I have said before in a previous blog about an MUA product “You won't be disappointed if you buy it, try it and don't like it” because it hasn't cost you a big fortune.

Have you tried any MUA Cosmetics? What's your opinion on the products?

I hope I've helped you with this post, I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you Beauties again,

 

“Have Fun, Be Good”

 

x x Miss Tessa Leanne x x

 

Find me on Twitter

@MissTessaLeanne

My Every Day Natural Make-Up Look!

My Every Day Natural Make-Up Look.


This Blog Post is about my daily make up routine. I like to keep my look very natural and minimal. I'm not at all high maintenance, and I hate to spend more then 10minutes doing my make up so this is a rather quick and simple routine for me and when its complete I feel a lot more confident then I would have done without it!

Face:

I apply Avon's Ideal Flawless Invisible Coverage Foundation in 'Nude' with Avon's own brand Foundation Brush all over my face and neck using light strokes, I then apply Avon ColorTrend's Final Touch 'Translucent Tan' Powder with Avon's own brand powder brush all over my face to in circular motions to buff away any streak lines from the foundation brush. As it's officially autumn I like the look of cute pink cold-wind-touched cheeks so I apply and blend Make Up Academy Professional Mosaic Blush in 'English Rose' to my cheeks using the same powder brush I used for the translucent tan powder. To fill in my eyebrows I use Avon's Glimmerstick Brow Definer in 'Dark Brown', I do this by using short sharp strokes within my existing eyebrow shape.

Eyes:

To add brightness to my eyes and to make them appear a little larger I apply Make Up Academy's Intense Colour Eye Line in 'Show White' to the lower water line of my eyes. To add definition to my eyes I then apply Avon's Super SHOCK Mascara in 'Black' to my upper lash line, ensuring I cover all lashes from roots till tip and from outer corner to the inner corner of the eye. I brush on Make Up Academy's Mascara in 'Shade 4' on the bottom lashes so my eyes appear natural and not dramatic.

Lips:

At the beginning of my make-up process I apply Petroleum Jelly to my lips to moisturise them and allow the product to sink it over the course of my face and eye make up routine, once those are completed I press a tissue onto my lips to remove excess Petroleum Jelly, then using my foundation brush I apply the excess foundation onto my lips and apply Make Up Academy Professional Intense Kisses High Intensity Gloss in 'Sealed With A Kiss’ using the applicator given.

To finalise my face I spray a light mist Make up Setting/Fixing spray to ensure make up stays on all day and doesn’t transfer onto clothing, (your partner!), etc. If I have not got any Make up Setting/Fixing spray I use hair spray!

Nails:

First I file nails into a square shape and buff any ridges away from my nail surface, I wipe my nails with an Acetone Nail Varnish Remover and apply Avon's Nail Experts Mineral Fix as a base coat, I then apply a nail varnish (in this case I used) Missguided's Splash Polish 'Mischievous' and fixed it by applying another layer of Avon's Nail Experts Mineral Fix Nail Polish.

And there it is, my every day natural make up look. As you can see I don't wear eye shadows but I have no idea why, and I don't contour my face because this is my face, it is the way it is, why should I try to make it appear more 'Oval' and slim to appeal to other people? I'm happy with my face shape and facial features so I'm not interested in highlighting and shading.

Of an evening I have to wash it off, so I complete my usual morning facial routine but instead of doing just one face wash, I do two, and then I'll carry on as usual. I may upload my facial routine in the near future.

 

Please remember that what works for me, may not work for you, as we are likely to have different skin tones and textures.

 

 

I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you Beauties again,

“Have Fun, Be Good”

 

x x Miss Tessa Leanne x x

  

Find me on Twitter

@MissTessaLeanne

 

I can't waste good a pot!

I wrote about my love for Hot Lips Kissing Fruit Lip Balms in my first blog post called “I Love Hot Lips!” (Hot Lips Kissing Fruit Lip Balm's come in 7 different flavours and nourish your lips, the moisturising formula is packaged in a cute little clear plastic tub with every flavour having a different coloured lid). Unfortunately, the pot I keep in my handbag has run out so I've decided to recycle it by filling it up with Petroleum Jelly and by doing so I won't have to go out without having lip balm in my bag (I can't live without lip balm,... well,... I could but I just don't want too!).

How I quickly recycled my empty 'Hot Lips' container (this process took approx. 5-10mins):

I peeled off the top sticker and cleaned off any sticky residue using my fingers and water, I also cleaned the inside of the tub in the same way and dried it off with a towel.

I then cut a strip of paper that would fit around the tub (with no excess either length/width ways), and wrote 'Petroleum Jelly' (commonly known as the brand 'Vaseline') onto the piece of paper with black pen I then coloured the strip of paper with a purple colouring pencil, you can be as creative as you like.

I then took some adhesive tape (commonly known as the brand 'Sellotape') and stuck one side of the paper down on to the outside of the tub to label it, I then wrapped the paper around the tub and fastened it with some more adhesive tape.

To fill the tub with new product I used a disposable spatula, I spooned out the petroleum jelly from the big 425g pot and placed it within the new smaller container, I carried on this process, pushing the formula in and filling the tub up until it was full.

 

 

I now have more lip balm in my bag without having to pop to the shop to purchase some more, saving me money and time, and I still have the big tub of petroleum jelly at home in my beauty draw for when I'm at home!

What beauty packagings do you recycle?

I hope I've helped you with this post,

I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you Beauties again,

“Have Fun, Be Good”

x x Miss Tessa Leanne x x

Find me on Twitter

@MissTessaLeanne

 

Will this colour make you green with envy? It has done with me!

On another trip to Superdrug to purchase some astringent for my facial routine I decided to take a little nosey at the Make Up Academy (MUA) Cosmetics stand, unfortunately no new products were available at that time however they did have a Nail Varnish that caught my eye and within milliseconds it was in my basket.

 

Shade 5 is a beautiful pastel mint green colour, my favourite thing about MUA Nail Varnishes is that they have a selection of the most beautiful colours in cute mini bottles (6.2ml) for just £1!

When I got home I was eager to apply it to my nails; so I removed my Accessorize Nail Polish in Coral Flair, filed my nails into a square shape, pushed back and removed cuticles, removed natural oils with more nail varnish remover (using a complete acetone formula), brushed on my favourite base coat (Avon Nail Experts Revitacool Base Coat) and applied MUA Nail Varnish in Shade 5.

The first thing I noticed about this formula was that it is very sheer, which at first I didn't appreciate as it would take more time and more coats to get my desired shade but with that comes an even greater benefit, as more thin coats last longer then one/two thick coats.

After building up the colour by applying 4 coats of the MUA Nail Varnish in Shade 5 I finally got the depth I wanted, which is the shade within the bottle, although it can be lighter if you wanted due to the sheerness of the formula so in a way you get more shades then the one you purchased! I then applied my favourite top coat (Avon Nail Experts Mineral Fix).

 

After two days minor flaws began to show, the tips of the nail varnish began to chip, I did try to cover it up with another coat however that trick didn't work with this nail varnish so I had to put up with it as I wasn't prepared to take it off after only two days wear and besides the chips were not that noticeable unless you were looking at it within inches of your eyes. I applied another layer of my top coat, sealed in the tip of the nail's and since then I have had no more chips!

 

I've been wearing it for 6 days now and it's still practically flawless, I am starting to get quite a bit of regrowth so unfortunately, I will be removing it soon.

 

Overall this MUA Nail Varnish in Shade 5 is really Really REALLY good quality and I adore it! A weird request from me to MUA would be 'Could you please create all your Nail Varnishes with this sheer formula?' it's so long lasting and I love it!

 

Have you tried any of MUA Nail Varnishes? What do you think of them?

 

I hope I've helped you with this review,

I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you Beauties again,

“Have Fun, Be Good”

x x Miss Tessa Leanne x x

Find me on Twitter

@MissTessaLeanne

 

 

Pretty in Pink

This is The Most prettiest pink nail varnish I have ever seen!

Look at it,... It's cute, it's flirty and it's soooo adorable, right?

So, this nail varnish is an MUA (Make Up Academy) product which is available to buy online from either the MUA website: http://www.muastore.co.uk/ or from Superdrug's online shop: www.superdrug.com. You can also buy MUA products from your local/selected Superdrug store's.

This gorgeous baby pink colour is shade 16 and is only £1! BARGAIN!

So, the quality? Well, the bottle is attractive, plain and simple - the only downside is that the writing eventually rubs off. The lid/handle is good to hold, and allows you to control the bristles precisely which is great, however the bristles aren't always amazing (make sure you check the bristles before purchasing as I've made the mistake of not doing so, coming home and finding bristles missing, completely fanned out or patchy but thankfully I've always been given either a refund/exchange on those items). 

The formula itself is highly pigmentated, it's not too thin or too thick so one coat can be enough, it's glossy and shiny and does make your fingers stand out for attention. It's not particularly long lasting on its own, however teamed with a high quality base coat and top coat it will last for days and days without chipping. 

For only £1 this is unbelievably quite good and I am on my second bottle, the colour is stunning, I adore it (and to be perfectly honest with you, I buy this just for the colour, it's gorgeous!!!). 

Plus, for only £1 you won't be disappointed if you buy it, try it and don't like it.

 

Have you tried MUA's Nail Varnishes? What did you think?

I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you Beauties again,

“Have Fun, Be Good”

x x Miss Tessa Leanne x x

Find me on Twitter

@MissTessaLeanne

 

'Accessorize' with some Exotic Bright Nail Colours!

In the month of July, in the year of 2012, I was craving a nice bright orange nail colour that wasn't tooooo... in your face! So I went straight to the place I can rely on when searching for 'that' particular product, a place that has a wide choice of brands under one roof, a place that cater for everyones price ranges, a place thats easily accessable, a place called Superdrug!

After looking through various brands stands, I was thinking about all the things I'd want from this "nice bright orange nail colour that isn't tooooo... in your face!". I'd want a colour thats attractive and shiny, a formula that is long lasting and quick drying, I'd want a good handle that would be easy to hold and control as well as good bristles that would make the nail polish easy to apply with little hassle.

I'm the sort of person who will try out lower priced products before reaching for the high end items, so 'Accessorize' caught my eye. They had a large selection of nail polishes to offer and something about that pretty little golden butterfly drew me in. After looking through the selection I found the perfect "nice bright orange nail colour that isn't tooooo... in your face!", called 'Coral Flair'. It's a beautiful, bright pastily, orange tone, it looked gorgeous in the bottle and at only £2.95 at the time (usually £4.00) I decided to give it a go.

I'm in love. It's one of the most gorgeous colours I've seen, I had to go on to Twitter, search the company up and rave about it!

Accessorize's nail polish in 'Coral Flair' was very nearly flawless after 3 days wear, without top coat... That kind of quality in lower prices products is hard to find!

And if it is used with a high quality base coat and top coat it lasts even longer, its still practically perfect when I take it off for my mini-manicure every 5 days. I honestly can't stop wearing it, I take it off and re-apply it straight away, I'm even wearing it now and I have, unfortunately, nearly run out of that bottle but I will be re-purchasing it again and probably even stocking up on it.

The nail varnish in 'Coral Flair' is a gorgeous colour, it's long lasting, especially when used with a good quality base coat and top coat. It ticks everything on my list; it's attractive, shiny, quick drying, long lasting, the handle is easy to hold and control, the bristles were also good to use.

I will be trying more 'Accessorize' products in the future, and I will let you know what I think of them once I've formed an opinion on them.

Have you tried any Accessorize products? What do you recommend I try next?

 

I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you Beauties again,

“Have Fun, Be Good”

x x Miss Tessa Leanne x x

Find me on Twitter

@MissTessaLeanne