NOTD: Chanel 217 'Splendeur' Nail Colour

Chanel Nail Colour in 217 'Splendeur'

I love this colour, a typical summer bright fuschia pink is always an essential and I cannot wait to wear it non-stop this year.

As much as I love this colour, and the fact that one coat can get all the colour you need is always a bonus, but as with many other Chanel polishes, when it comes to chipping, the staying power just is not up to scratch for the price of one of these babies. 

So, much as I love it, the idea of having to re-paint my nails every couple of days is not always quite as appealing as the gorgeous colour and finish it comes with. 

Thanks for reading,

Lou

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Kiko Unlimited Stylo 'Shade 04' Lipstick Dupe #5

I stumbled upon this dupe really by accident. A couple of weeks ago we payed a visit to the Kiko store on Regent Street and it was so exciting I felt I couldn't leave without buying something! I settled for this lipstick as after swatching it on my hand I realised that the texture was incredible and I thought I would use it for my prom (I still haven't decided yet though!).

When I got home I realised I had an MUA lipstick in a very similar shade and bam a dupe was found! The Kiko 'Unlimited Stylo' Lipstick in Shade 04 has an amazing velvety soft texture that feels so nice to apply and has a smell resembling a MAC lipstick. The packaging is really sleek and original and overall this is a lovely product. The price is also very reasonable (comparing very well to your standard drug store lipstick prices) at only £6.90! It glides onto the lips and applies well and is not too drying on the lips. Kiko claims that this lipstick is long lasting and so far it has been however as with most lipsticks I don't think it will survive a meal. 

On the other hand the MUA lipstick in Shade 16 also lives up to most of these points. It smells good and the packaging may not look like a high end product but is still sturdy and pleasant to use. Also the MUA lipsticks have the added feature of the little pot of lipstick on the end which I'm not entirely sure of the purpose of but it's amazing none the less! The price of the MUA lipstick is definitely good value along with most other MUA products, coming in at just £1. 

To compare the MUA lipstick does not have quite as much staying power as the Kiko one as it is more easy to smudge. Also I personally prefer the colour of the Kiko one as I think it is more natural compared to the more orange tones in the MUA one but for the price the MUA one is definitely better for the bank balance. One thing that also gives MUA an edge over the Kiko one is that it is much more widely available as you can get them in almost all Superdrug stores where as the Kiko one is only available in 3 stores in the UK, all of which are in London. As with any of our dupes, we try to be as honest as possible, and I do still prefer the Kiko one even though it is more expensive but the MUA one is still worth a try! 

Thanks for reading, 

Rose 

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Healthy Summer Picnic

Today we decided to take advantage of the brief amount of sunshine that swept the country and have a healthy picnic. We kept it basic and didn't bring too much food so that we weren't tempted to eat it all and therefore defeat the whole point eating well.

This is what we had:

1. Couscous with lemon, parsley and smoked salmon

2. Cashew Nuts

3. Strawberries

4. Yoghurt Covered Fruit Flakes

5. Naked Green Machine Juice (Apples, Bananas, Pineapple, Kiwi and Mango)

Now I wouldn't say by any means that either of us are experts about living a healthy lifestyle but on this picnic we tried to steer away from sugary snacks as this usually means that my energy levels are higher later on in the day. Also it's really helpful if you eat slower (we manage to fill the time by having a gossip) as this gives your body time to tell your brain when it has eaten enough food so you don't over eat!

Overall this picnic was a great success and didn't cost the earth. Our main new trial was the Naked Juice and this has made me want to try more of them! The taste is amazing and the packaging is really plain and simple but at the same time really appealing . One thing I will add however is that the juice is a rather unattractive colour. I know the colour is supposed to show that there is no added colourings in the drink however they do say that we eat with our eyes! On the other hand the Naked Juice could be swapped for a homemade smoothie which may work out cheaper and it would also mean that all of the fruits included can be exactly to your taste!

Thanks for reading,

Rose and Lou

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Bioderma 'Sensibio H20' Dupe #4

A slightly different dupe today involves cleansing water, the Bioderma 'Sensibo H20' (formerly Créaline H20) and the new garnier Micellar Cleansing Water. Bioderma is incredibly raved about in the beauty community for it's effortless use and fantastic results, although unfortunately it is extremely difficult to come across outside Europe and also is uncommon in the UK apart from online providers, which makes it not only a pain to buy, but considerably more expensive also.

Bioderma 'Créaline H20' 
(as far as I am aware, my stash is the exact same formula as the new one mentioned above, but just with a different name)

The prices for this vary depending on where they are bought. From my personal experience (2x 500ml bottles bought in Paris) I got a deal on two for €19.99 (approximately £7.99 each) which was a pretty good deal for this product. Other prices online range from around ££15 - £20 for a single 500ml bottle, considerably more expensive although you can find the rare seller doing a genuinely good deal on Amazon.

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

The new Garnier 400ml product retails at about £4.99 in drugstores such as boots, although I recently found it on special offer in Sainsburys and similar supermarket stores - so keep your eyes peeled for this certainly cheaper alternative. 

So, the immediate prices indicate that, for your money, the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water is not as expensive, but how cost effective is each of the products? 

I have not been using the Garnier product as long as my Bioderma so it may be difficult to judge, but due to the claim on the packaging approximately '400ml = 200 uses' (although obviously this is depending on the amount of product used during each application), if the Bioderma also goes by this 2ml per use rule, 250 uses will be available. My calculations would therefore say, the Garnier is also the most cost effective product - good news, right? (Although for people purchasing in Europe, the prices may not be as dissimilar) 

In other views of comparison, the two claim to do virtually the same job and come in undeniably similar packaging (good job, Garnier). Each of them are for sensitive skin, can be used on both the face and eyes, are scent free and hypoallergenic. Okay, I admit, at first glance and on paper they look pretty darn similar: but how do they compare in practise?

The images below display the using of each of the products on my eyes and the before and after images of how well they perform. (Please ignore my oily eyelids and uncontrollable brows)

First Up: Bioderma

Garnier

After my attempt to apply the same amount of each and use the same technique: It's a pretty close one, lets be honest, if I wasn't looking then I'd say the results are almost the same. Upon close inspection, it would appear to me that the bioderma did a slightly better job and my cotton pad appeared to have more product left remaining on it.

Overall, although the Biodermas removal power is slightly stronger than that of the Garnier water, the products really aren't worth the difference in price for the difference in effect. Therefore, if I were to suggest one which is the best price and least hassle to get in the UK (and also easy to obtain in the US as far as I am aware - if you cannot find it, it is available on feelunique.com), the Garnier is a straight-out winner. I have plenty of Bioderma left for now to use up, so I am not completely converted yet, but when my next purchase comes along, it may well be Garnier.

Thank you for reading,
I hope this was helpful - take care

Lou x