MOA the green balm

The cold weather is starting to set in, yay. This means more dry patches, EVERYWHERE. Today i felt that i needed to share my all time favourite balm with you guys just in case you are suffering from gross little dry patches like me.

I love the textures of balms, i always feel like they're doing something because the texture is so thick and luxurious. I usually find with moisturisers that are really hydrating comes spots dotted around my forehead- not with this miracle balm! It has some tea tree in it which hydrates whilst fighting spots.

It's a multi-use product, some of the ways i use it:

• To soften/hydrate my cuticles
• On spots- the tea tree reduces the redness
• On your feet (tip: slather on the soles of your feet and pop some socks on before you go to bed and wake up with smooth feet)
• As a cleanser (Use like the Emma Hardie cleaning balm (here) and just rub into palm until an oil is formed, rub onto face then wipe off with hot flannel)

I know what you're thinking. An amazing product which has amazing effects? I bet it has an amazingly high price tag to go with it... NOPE! It retails for £4.50-£9 which compared to most face balms/cleansing balms is an absolute bargain. I cannot fault this product or recommend it enough! Buy 50ml for £9 (here) or the 15ml for £4.50 (here)

Birchbox UK september 2013

It's my favourite time of the month- BIRCHBOX TIME!!

First impression: W.O.W

Aromatherapy Associates Revive Body Gel: This gel is extremely refreshing and i like to use it when i've had a long day. The smell is divine and lingers on the skin without being overpowering. Buy for £31 (here).

Molton brown Ylang-Ylang nourishing body lotion: We got a Ylang Ylang shower gel in the previous box so this will be nice to pair up with it. It has the same refreshing woody smell. Buy for £18 (here).

Reverence de Bastien nail polish: A lovely burgundy colour for autumn. Glossy finish and long lasting. Buy for £16 (here).

Bioderma H20: I have 2 big bottles of this and adore it. It leaves my skin looking refreshed and glowing whilst being able to remove heavy duty make-up. Buy for £9.99 (here).

Green & Black's White chocolate: One word: YUM. Buy for £2.29 (here).

ModelCo. Party proof lipstick: A moisturising pinky-nude colour. Very easy to wear and lasts around an hour before it needs to be reapplied. Buy for £15.50 (here). Alternatively there is a bright set for £15.50 (here).

Sign up for birchbox for £10 a month (here). What are your thoughts on this box?

Wet'n'Wild cherry picking 695

A few weeks ago my family and I went to New York for a family trip for a week. Whilst there i managed to pick up some amazing products, some available worldwide and others more readily available in the US.

I am a big big big fan of FleurDeForce so when i saw her blog post on wet'n'wild cherry picking (695) I put it on my "MUST PICK UP" list for NYC.

The colour payoff is unbelivable. The photo above just has the lipstick applied with just one coat. I find the more coats the brighter the fuchsia colour created so if you prefer slightly darker pinks just layer it up. As the lipstick is flat to precisely apply it (unlike the photo above haha!) tilt the lipstick on its side and use the edge. Alternatively you could use a lipstick brush.

The product is extremely moisturising but i do find that the colour wears off in around an hour so needs to be reapplied. The product is cased in a lip bullet which makes it really handy to pop in your bag as it doesn't take up much space. The lipstick comes at a whopping...wait for it... $1.99. $1.99 FOR AN AMAZING LIPSTICK?!?!?! Bargain. Buy (here) if you are in the US.

If anybody finds a link to where people can buy this in the UK please pop it in the comments and i'll link it in this post!

WEN peppermint cleansing conditioner

I have incredibly dry hay-like hair so use really heavy duty moisturising products. Occasionally some of these products really hydrate my hair but make my roots more oily. When my roots get oily the root of the hairs at the front come up leaving white residue in my hair which is pretty much impossible to get rid of. I had tried everything. Fine tooth combs, cleansing shampoos, switching products but nothing worked.  I picked this conditioner up on a whim and was amazed by the results. The white residue disappeared and my roots left feeling cleansed but not stripped.

The product is labelled "sweet almond mint", personally, I can't smell any almond and the mint scent is far more prominent.  The container advises you to use 10-15 PUMPS! 10-15! What a waste. I used about 3-4 pumps and it worked really really well. The container holds a whopping 480ml so this should last me a few months. It is a little pricy at $32 but as the bottle contains so much product the price per use works out to be quite fair. It is available from Sephora (here).

Birchbox UK August 2013

Montibel.lo gold oil essence:
The smell. I have never smelt anything so beautiful in my life. I can't describe the scent it's so complex and gorgeous. I kind of don't want to use it so i can keep it and sniff it forever. My hair was left feeling soft and looking shiny. 100% recommend this product. Buy for £22.50 (here).

Gerda Spillmann hydro pearls:
This is a really light cream which sinks in in a few minutes and leaves a semi-airbrushed look when it has been absorbed. It has a very subtle fresh smell and is designed to be a make up primer. It allows your foundation to glide on smoothly and leaves your skin looking flawless. I think it'd be just as good worn alone as it puts a mute on your flaws. Great for both oily and dry skin. Buy for £30 (here).

Bluemandarines SkinLife energetic cellular cream:

Smooth lightweight moisturiser. Leaves skin soft. The scent is a bit too prominent for me. Buy for £35 (here).

LAQA & Co. lip pencil in Wolfman:
I've never owned a lip pencil so was really interested to try this. The pencil has a lovely mint scent which has a slight cooling effect on the lips which i really like. My pencil is a sheer light pink shade which is very wearable when swatched but didn't suit me when applied on my lips. I find that like most sheer lipsticks you have to apply it very often. I re-applied mine every hour or so. The product wasn't drying on my lips. Buy for  £14 (here).

Molton Brown Ylang-Ylang body wash:
Usually i'm not a fan of shower gels in beauty boxes but i'm a big fan of Molton Brown so i'll let this one slide. The body wash has a relaxing quality as a result of having mainly Ylang-Ylang in the wash. The wash doesn't strip your skin of any moisture and feels really luxurious. Buy for £18 (here).

Propercorn Fiery Worcester sauce & sundried tomato:
I AM IN LOVE. I saw the title and was like.... yum (ew). I tried it and take it back. It tastes a bit like monster munch with a bit of added spice. Delicious!! Not only does it taste great but a big bag is only 100 CALORIES!! I will never stop eating these. Buy for £0.90 (here).

Birchbox gel mask:
I love these sorts of lifestyle extras. They're things you can use but wouldn't think about buying yourself and turn out really great! I'm really enjoying using mine and have found that when i put it in the fridge overnight and wear it for 5 minutes in the morning my eyes are less puffy and look more alert. Buy for £10 (here).

Really really really happy with this box. Sign up for birchbox for £10 a month (here). What are your thoughts on this box?

I've just seen on the website you get FREE SHIPPING on all items included in this box and a free eyelash curler & mirror. Go and buy now- the eyelash curlers are AMAZING and worth £10 alone!

Balance me moisture-rich face cream

I'm in constant conflict when it comes to face creams. My face is extremely dry so needs heavy duty moisturisers which do the job well. Whilst there are plenty of face creams that do this i hadn't been able to find one that didn't break me out concurrently. When the lovely people at balance me sent me this cream i was a little worried because of my previous experiences with face creams. I've been using this for a few weeks now and i think i may be in love.

From the moment i applied the moisture-rich face cream* my skin appeared brighter and more hydrated. As a result my skin looks much healthier. My favourite part about this cream is whilst it is a heavy duty cream, it doesn't feel like it at all. The cream is thick upon application but sinks in almost immediately and leave no greasy residue.

The product itself has a gorgeous subtle scent created through a mix of shea butter with essential oils such as rosehip and kukui oils.

Overall, i can't recommend this product enough. Both for people with dry skin and oily. As the product sinks in immediately it shouldn't cause any problems for people with oily skin. It is available for £24 with free delivery worldwide on look fantastic (here).

Free Jo Malone sample for UK Talisa talks beauty readers!

Hiya guys!

Jo Malone are releasing a new fragrance called "Peony and blush suede" and giving you guys a chance to test it before the official release!

All you have to do is design a peony pin (here) and send it to a friend. You are then given the option to receive a sample of "Peony and blush suede"; simples! Enjoy!