REVIEW || PIXI BY PETRA ON THE GLOW BLUSHER TRIO

*This post contains gifted items and affiliate links.

I don't think I've ever liked the formula of cream blushers until trying these Pixi On-the-Glow Blush Sticks. I've tried a few in the past including MAC cream blushers and just felt like they were too hard to work with, especially when it came to blending.

BEAUTY || KIKO MILANO COSMETICS LIPLINERS SHADES & SWATCHES

If you are looking for good quality and affordable lip liners then you've clicked on the right post! Over the years I have spent hundreds of pounds on lip liners (I would be going into thousands if I mentioned lipsticks 😳), and I can confidently say that I've found the best liners out there for a very affordable price of just £2.99. 

I understand that if you're on a tight budget or don't have much disposable income that you will be seeking the cheapest products out there, but you must be aware of the actual ingredients of the products and their performance - hence why I think that Kiko Milano's Smart Fusion Lip Pencils are 100% worth more than what they are!

REVIEW || PIXI BY PETRA VITAMIN-C RANGE (AD/GIFTED)

*This post contains gifted items.

Pixi has to be one of my favourite skincare brands, and believe me when I say that I've tried a lot of drugstore brands. The price point isn't too high, the quality is superb and the packaging is cute and not OTT. I'm so pleased to be an ambassador for the brand and very grateful to have received their whole vitamin-C range to try out for myself. 

If you're a Pixi fan then you might already know about their amazing glycolic acid toner which can be a bit harsh on certain skin types, so the vitamin-C range might actually be a better option for you. However, if you're interested you can read my review of the Pixi Glow Tonic here.

2021 || APRIL FAVOURITES

In April my favourite thing was the weather :)  the end. Jokes aside, I must say that Spring is in full bloom this year and I cannot wait for hotter days to come our way soon! After last year's first lockdown it will be very difficult to beat the weather but please let the sunshine continue throughout the rest of SS21!! 

April 2021 has been a month of trying out lots of new products - some I've loved and others maybe not so much. Either way, I will be focusing on the items that I really enjoyed using throughout the month. Let's get into it!

2021 || MARCH FAVOURITES

March was a bit different for me than the past few months as the weather began to change into warmer days meaning that I've been going on more walks and trying to keep myself busy. Whereas the past few months seemed so dreary and not very enjoyable due to the cold!  

In all honesty, I have been using the same products that I usually do in my skincare and makeup routine as I'm not in a position where I can spend a lot of money to try new things. However, I will try and change it up a little bit each month so I have something new to talk about! I do have a massive collection of beauty items that I have never opened so this might actually be a good excuse to start opening up some bottles!

2021 || FEBRUARY FAVOURITES

*This post contains affiliate links and my own product (Luna Lava Store).

My routine hasn't changed much since January, I have maybe switched a couple of skincare and makeup items so it was hard to pick the top products I've loved during this month. After careful consideration and narrowing it down to just 3 items, I have decided which products to feature in this blog post.

REVIEW || GARNIER ULTIMATE BLENDS PLUMPING HAIR FOOD WATERMELON & POMEGRANATE SHAMPOO, CONDITIONER AND MASK

When I first saw that Garnier brought out a watermelon scented range of their Ultimate Blends collection I knew I had to have it because if you know anything about me you will know that I love anything watermelon scented. I'm a huge fan of the Banana hair mask from Garnier and I haven't tried any of the other products, including the shampoos or conditioners. On my recent walk, I decided to go into my local Boots store and pick up the shampoo, conditioner and mask from the watermelon collection and I just couldn't wait to smell them!

REVIEW || PIXI BY PETRA GLOW TONIC

*This post contains gifted items.

Everyone and their mum knows about the Pixi Glow Tonic, but maybe feel a bit sceptical about trying it out as it contains glycolic acid that can be a bit too strong for some to use. 

The first time I got to try this tonic was when my dear friend, Sophie, gave me some of her travel-sized bottle to try out. At first, I didn't see any results, but that might have been due to the amount I used and not being consistent enough. Now, I use the glow tonic twice a day after cleansing and have noticed amazing results - keep on reading to find out more

2021 || JANUARY FAVOURITES

Here we are, it's the time of the month and year where I try to stick out writing monthly favourites posts - let's hope that this time they are here to stay seeing as I've got lots of free time to write!

REVIEW || JOLIE BEAUTY SECOND SKIN HIGHLIGHTERS IN SAINTLY AND DREAMING

*This post contains PR items from Jolie Beauty. In this picture I am wearing the shade 'Saintly'.

I recently came across the brand Jolie Beauty on a blogging assignment website where I could apply for a collaboration to review a highlighter from this company. I was pleasantly surprised to receive two of the Jolie Beauty Second Skin Highlighters in shades 'Saintly' and 'Dreaming'.
 
Jolie Beauty is a brand created by experienced makeup artists, wanting to make products that are the highest quality with an affordable price tag. All products are cruelty-free and most are vegan; thus being very ethically-aware when it comes to cosmetics. I don't tend to buy any makeup or skincare items that aren't cruelty-free, and mostly I look for the vegan labels too.

REVIEW || ELF COSMETICS PORELESS PUTTY PRIMER

I feel like this product has been sold out in my local Superdrug stores for absolute ages until I was able to get my hands on it in December 2019. I've been using it for a few months now so I think it's the perfect time to finally review it. Since releasing the Poreless Putty Primer, ELF have also released a selection of primers in this range including Matte Putty Primer, and Luminous Putty Primer (which I haven't tried yet).

CHANGING THE RAZOR GAME WITH ESTRID - VEGAN AND SUSTAINABLE RAZOR FOR ALL WOMEN

*This post contains gifted items.

Now, I don't have to tell you how difficult it is to find the perfect razor for a bump-free and smooth finish. I have tried many different brands, including those specific for men which I find give me a better finish than those that are directed at women, odd right? 

I have seen a lot of adverts for Estrid razor subscription and was really intrigued to see if this was going to be the one for me. So when Estrid got in touch with me about trying out a started kit, I jumped at the occasion as I spent so much money in the past on razors that did not work very well for me. Before I received my Peach razor I made sure to not shave for a few days/weeks to get the full effect from the first use.

2020 || JULY FAVOURITES

Oh boy, it has been a long while since I last shared with you my Monthly Favourites. I know that these are the type of posts that everyone likes to read to see and compare your favourites to others'. This month has been a bit hot and cold, hasn't it? Hence why all of my favourites are skincare related as I am still furloughed and not wearing much makeup!

REVIEW || MAC MINERALIZE SKINFINISH IN SOFT & GENTLE, MINERALIZE SKINFINISH NATURAL IN LIGHT, AND MINERALIZE SKINFINISH NATURAL IN GIVE ME SUN!

I have been wanting to try all three of these products for many years now, and have finally treated myself to all of them. At a high price tag I've put off trying these products for so long, and now with my spending ban I wasn't really allowed to treat myself either; but when I was given some credit to use on my employee online staff shop I just had to treat myself to these (unnecessary) items.

REVIEW || AVEDA SHAMPURE SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER - USED ON FINE AND STRAIGHT BLONDE HAIR

I had absolutely no idea what Aveda was until I started working in the beauty industry back in 2017. I thought that paying £15.50 for a bottle of shampoo was absolutely insane, especially as the matching conditioner cost £17.50 - that's £33 for a couple of essential items I will need to repurchase in 3-4 month's time anyway. We don't really bat an eyelid when we pay £10 for a bottle of wine that'll last around 2 hours, so why deny ourselves a luxurious hair care item that'll last much longer and won't give us a headache the next day?

REVIEW || POP BEAUTY PERMANENT POUT - LIQUID LIPSTICKS IN ALL SHADES

*This post contains gifted items.

I remember receiving this parcel out of the blue. There was no note and no warning that I was going to be receiving a wide range of POP Beauty's Permanent Pout Lipsticks. The excitement came rushing over when I realised that this brand is owned by Pixi Beauty who I work with regularly on a gifted basis and that they wanted to work with me on their new brand.

The Formula:

2020 || SUMMER SKINCARE WISHLIST

*The images used in this post have been taken from the Cult Beauty website, and are not my own.

I haven't bought any skincare since December 2019, can you believe it?! I have so many unused products put away in the drawers that I wanted to get through before buying new products to try, but I can't help but create a wishlist of a few products I am dying to try! To be honest with you all, I have never tried any of these brands other than a couple of body products from Caudalie which I really liked. I'm hoping that my family members will come across this post and decide to treat me to something nice 😂

REVIEW || GARNIER SKINACTIVE ROSE SOOTHING GLOW MIST AND ROSE SOOTHING TONER

I've never really been fond of rose-scented products as I had an allergic reaction to a Lush product before. It was hard for me to get used to the scent of these two products at first as I found them slightly overwhelming, but now that my skin is used to them I have really been enjoying using the products.

REVIEW || THE BODY SHOP WONDERFULLY WONKY BANANA BODY YOGURT

I love The Body Shop body care ranges. I tend to pick a few bits up every now and then, especially when they're on offer. In my last haul, I bought 4 of the body yogurts - a product that I've been wanting to try ever since they came out in 2018. I chose the scents: Pink Grapefruit, Wonderfully Wonky Banana, Almond Milk, and Cactus Blossom. Seeing as I cannot find neither Cactus Blossom nor Wonderfully Wonky Banana online, I'm assuming that these were limited edition last summer.

The scent of this product is just phenomenal. I love bananas and banana flavoured and scented products, so it was no surprise that I fell in love with this product straight away. The packaging is very handy as it is not too wide but deep enough to easily take out the cream. I like the banana details on the top of the lid, it makes a nice addition to the product.

The consistency is very smooth, cooling and lightweight which is perfect for this time of the year. It applies very easily on the skin and instantly absorbs. I have tried it both on wet and dry skin, and I prefer the application on dry skin as I find that it absorbs into the skin quicker; whereas wet application made my skin feel a bit sticky before it dried properly.

The overall verdict is that this product is my new favourite type of body moisturiser. I absolutely love the way it applies to the skin and how quickly it absorbs. This really is a perfect and versatile moisturiser, especially during hotter weather. The only downside of this product is that it is limited edition and you might not be able to get hold of this scent in the future. The Body Shop tends to bring out a few different scents for a limited amount of time, so when you find a scent that you really love make sure that you stock up!

You can buy The Body Shop body yogurts here.

*This post does not contain affiliate links.

Lots of love,

Maya xo

REVIEW || DECIEM / THE ORDINARY AHA 30% + BHA 2% PEELING SOLUTION

I was hesitant to try anything from The Ordinary for a while. The low price tag was very appealing but I was worried about trying any form of acid on my sensitive skin. Having decided that 2020 is going to be a year where I'll be on a beauty spending ban, I knew I had to do a mini haul of a few of the Ordinary's bestsellers to try out before my spending ban started.
I ordered the AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution among a few other items as I heard many people rave about how good it is. I love the Origins Night-a-Mins cream which has fruit-derived AHA's, so how much different is this product going to be?