The Beauty Parlour - T-Zone Oil Control Mattifying Moisturiser review

This is a product that had been sitting on my shelf for an extremely long time and it was only recently I tried it out for the first time. In the past I made the dreadful mistake of thinking I didn't need to moisturise my face as it had enough 'moisture' as it was. However, I soon realised it was all about finding the right moisturiser for my particular skin type and this would help to keep the skin supple and hydrated.

My skin is awfully oily and I have had to invest in a number of products to take that shine off my face. This is one of those products. How I despise those of you with normal skin! I picked this up, as I said a while back in my local Savers store at around £2.50-£3.00 for 100ml, not bad at all. I heard that Superdrug also stocked this line of products but at a much higher price (£7.99), however I am unaware if these are still available in these stores. I just had a quick check on Amazon and came across the product for £9.50! 

What The Beauty Parlour says: 
"Our mattifying moisturiser maintains moisture levels throughout the day, gives long lasting shine control with Witch Hazel and fights bacteria with Neem and Quassia Bark extract."

First impressions:
I couldn't believe the similarity between this product packaging to the 'Soap and Glory' range, but without the same price tag. The next thing that I noticed was how wonderful this moisturiser smelt. It has a very refreshing scent that I honestly do not know how to describe. It is very sweet and natural smelling.

When I first applied a little splodge onto the back of my hand it had a thin, water-based, gel-like consistency, which spread very smoothly. I did notice that you only need to use a small pea-sized amount to cover the whole of the face, to me that is exceptionally impressive. 

My experience:
I tend to now incorporate this moisturiser in both my daily routine and my nightly skin routine, to great results. Obviously throughout the day my skin becomes progressively more oily, which isn't helped by the makeup on top, but I definitely notice that it helps control my skin during the day. I was most astonished after I had used it before bed and then woke up to a smooth, matte face eight hours later! It has clearly been most effective when I don't use makeup or any other product on top of it but it was still much better than going without it.

Pros: 

• Affordable 

• Lovely, fresh scent

• Light, gel-like formula that won't clog pores

• Spreads easily and glides smoothly across face

• Plenty of product (100ml) 

• Pea-sized amount covers whole of face

Cons:

• Not as effective throughout the day if makeup is worn

• Not sure if it is as easily available now and that ups the online price 

Bottom line - Should you buy it?

This product easily gets a 4.5/5. It never clogs up my pores, my skin always feels soft and refreshed after use and the scent makes me look forward to using it. With some products that don't smell too appealing I often get put off from using it and I end up seeing the application as a chore. However, this product makes me want to apply it and see the initial and later results. I would strongly recommend purchasing this moisturiser especially if you have oily/combination skin. Do have a hunt around Savers and Superdrug to check if they stock the brand before purchasing online. I'm not enjoying the prospect of having to repurchase online for over triple the price though!

MAC Matte Lipstick 'Kinda Sexy' review and first impressions

Hi all, I'd like to introduce you to my first MAC lipstick but certainly not the last as I have another one on the way as we speak.

Everyone knows that MAC cosmetics do not come cheap and at £15.50 for 3g you definitely expect a lot for the price. Luckily, I had some gift vouchers leftover from Christmas and my birthday so I consider it to be a guilt-free purchase.

What MAC says:

MAC describes 'Kinda Sexy' as a neutral pinky-rose with a matte finish.

Image courtesy of MAC

First impressions:
I would say my first impressions of this lipstick were extremely satisfactory. The packaging was wonderful. It comes in a suave, black matte box and the tube itself without any signs of imperfections. The tight-fitting cap, compact size and overall sturdiness means this little tube is perfect to take on your travels. Another thing I noticed straight away was the lipstick has a sweet, vanilla scent and doesn't smell waxy or unpleasantly overbearing. I was concerned about whether this particular shade would end up being too light for my skin tone, despite double-checking the colour in store, thus washing me out and making me look even more ghostly than normal.

My experience: 
Much to my delight though the shade was absolutely gorgeous. There were a few things I did notice when applying. Firstly, as this is a matte shade it does tend to highlight any dry spots, cracks and/or crevices on your lips so it is extremely important to keep your lips exfoliated and well hydrated if you plan to use this. In fact, if you plan on wearing any lipstick make sure you prep your lips accordingly for best results.

Secondly, as my lips have a reddish-brown tinge I found that using a lipliner helped to even out the pigmentation in my lips and this provided an even base for the lipstick to just glide on smoothly and evenly. I would say using a lipliner isn't a necessity if your lips are fairly light as the colour is so excellently vibrant and strong, a single light swipe is enough to create an opaque coat. The texture is very creamy and soft it honestly felt as though I was applying a moisturising lip balm. I was also pleasantly impressed with how long 'Kinda Sexy' stayed put on my lips, even after four and a half hours, which included eating awkward foods.

Pros:

• Gorgeous vanilla fragrance

• Soft, creamy texture

• Excellent pigmentation and obtains an opaque coat in just one light swipe

• Smooth, non-drying matte finish 

• Beautiful pinky-nude shade that would compliment most everyday looks, as well as a glamorous smokey eye look

• Travel friendly packaging with tight-fitting click cap 

• Amazing staying power 

Cons:

• Can highlight flaws if lips are not primed and ready for an unforgiving matte finish

• At £15.50 a pop it isn't exactly cheap 

Bottom line - Should you buy it?

I would rate MAC's 'Kinda Sexy' a solid 4.7/5. I mentioned a few cons but apart from price you can generally avoid some of the issues you may encounter. The colour is very versatile and can be dressed up or dressed down. It is compatible with most skin tones, despite my worries before purchasing and it doesn't wash me out or make me look older - win-win situation. 

Therefore, I would definitely recommend purchasing it. However, a word of caution though, do check it out in store beforehand to be sure it suits your skin tone and have a playground with different lighting if possible to help decide if it works for you. 

Welcome to my beauty blog!

Hi all,

I just wanted to introduce you all to the newest blog in my 'Should I...' series. As you can see this will cover reviews and my first impressions of all kinds of different beauty items, from items that form part of my skin care and hair care regimes, to makeup brushes I cannot live without.

Although I love my makeup (especially lipsticks - my ultimate weakness) I have only recently begun purchasing from high-end brands, so most of the products will be from ordinary drugstores and I will give information on where to buy them and how much they cost.

I look forward to sharing different products with you! As always I encourage you to share your experiences, questions or comments you may have by leaving a comment below.

Keep an eye out for the first product review, which is coming soon!