Review: Elizabeth Arden - Eight Hour Cream Intensive Lip Repair Balm

If you regularly read my blog, you'll know that I love anything skincare or lip related. So.......

Let me introduce you to the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Intensive Lip Repair Balm* which was kindly sent to me. Phew, that was a mouthful! This is supposedly "The all-day, all-night, all-in-one beauty secret". Sounds very mysterious and alluring. 

Although this is an Intensive Lip Repair Balm, there are actually eight ways to use this product: remedying chapped skin, shaping eyebrows, calming sun-exposed skin, adding shine to cheeks,  smoothing legs after waxing, refreshing jet-lagged skin, softening rough hands, and smoothing cracked heels. 

Before I even used this product, I loved how cute the little pot was. I absolutely love the whole matte glass effect that it has because I associate it with luxury products. I also love the lid because, aside from the Elizabeth Arden logo, you have lots of 8's in various sizes to represent the fact that this is an Eight Hour Cream. Quite a cute touch, I think! I haven't used anything from Elizabeth Arden before so I'd be interested to see the packaging of their other products. 

The balm itself is a peachy orange colour, which I didn't expect at all. For a moment, I actually thought that it was a tinted balm. It definitely comes out clear though.

I've actually spent a lot of time sniffing this product just for you guys! I've concluded that it kind of smells like sour fruits (in a good way) and it also smells faintly like medicine (perhaps not so good). Make of that what you will but I think it's a nice subtle smell. It's quite light and not at all overpowering. 

When I opened this, I assumed that the texture would be exactly like a tough balm. Turns out that was just the way they'd smoothed it all out. This texture is very much like a cream.

As soon as I applied this for the first time, I loved how smoothly it glided on my lips. Before I'd even finished applying, I was smiling at myself in the mirror because I saw how glossy my lips looked. I'm obsessed with lip glosses so any balm that makes my lips shine is a bonus! 

This Eight Hour Lip Balm is designed to be used at bedtime and I can totally see why. It's kind of like having a lovely face mask on but for your lips. This product is incredibly luxurious and it strikes the right balance between keeping my lips moisturised and forming a protective barrier. This is a non-sticky and can easily be built up because of its soft texture. 

If you suffer from dry, chapped lips then this could easily be your new best friend! I don't have that problem in general, but autumn/winter is when they do begin to dry out a little! Luckily, after the first night, my lips started to feel a little better. There was also no residue left over which surprised me, considering how thick the balm was. It soaked in nicely.

This is not an overnight miracle but I've started to see changes and my lips are looking much better. It's been particularly useful during the colder days and it's a lot more intensive than a regular lip balm.

At £16.80 for a 10g pot from HQ Hair, this is a worthy investment for those of you who are prone to dry lips and chapped skin. I love this product but, taking into account the price tag, I'd have to think twice before making a purchase. 

Have you tried anything from Elizabeth Arden?

Getting Crafty For Christmas

I've loved arts and crafts since I was a little girl, so what better time than Christmas to bring out some creativity? I'm hoping to make a couple more things before Christmas but I couldn't resist showing you all what I've made so far. 

Origami! I love origami so much. My mum used to teach me how to make things when I was younger but now I have my own little (well, actually it's very big) origami book! I decided to make these star things. I can't remember what they're called but they look so pretty. I'm still not sure whether I'm going to just stick these to the wall or add a ribbon so I can hang them up.

I have also been making these felt Christmas puddings. I'm really pleased with these and this is the first time that I've attempted to make something from felt. It took a little longer than anticipated but I'm so pleased with the results. I think they do resemble Christmas puddings, right? These are just hanging on my wardrobe at the moment but I may transfer them to the Christmas tree....

I'm definitely going to be making more felt hanging decorations in the future, though not necessarily Christmas-based! 

I hope you liked this quick Sunday post. Let me know what you think!

Introducing: Punky Pins (+ discount code)

As someone who really enjoys anything cute and handmade, I absolutely loved Punky Pins as soon as I discovered their website. Punky Pins is an online store selling handmade fashion accessories such as necklaces, badges, and mirrors. 

Punky Pins items have been worn by various celebrities, and they are fast becoming a popular handmade fashion company. Their products are regularly updated so you're sure to find something new and exciting to buy. 

I'm someone who supports independent companies who sell handmade products because it adds diversity to the collection of products that I own and I'll also know that not everyone around me is going to be able to get the exact same product since they aren't mass produced. They kindly sent me a couple of their super cute items.

So, onto the packaging... I love nice packaging so, when I opened the parcel, I really liked how they'd packaged the necklaces in little boxes and there was also a velvet pouch for the mirror. They would definitely look great as gifts. 

Whilst we are on the topic of packaging, if you purchase a mirror, please be extra careful when opening your parcel. My parcel arrived securely taped up but, as I was so excited, I took scissors and made a tiny snip so I could rip it open. I ended up snipping into the pouch a little. I was kindly sent a replacement pouch though.

Pouch problems to one side, this Strawberry Pocket Mirror* is so cute! I've never owned a pocket mirror before as I tend to go for compact mirrors, but this comes with a lovely pouch to keep it clean and free of scratches. They have some other designs as well but this one was my favourite because I love strawberries. The strawberry is made from wood and it has a glossy finish.

When I saw this Penguin Love Necklace*, I thought that it would be perfect for the festive season and it is a nice addition to my jewellery collection! For me, this is a reminder of how special those around you are. When I'm feeling sad, I can just look at these adorable penguins holding hands (or flippers!).

The necklace chain is silver plated whilst the penguins are made from printed acrylic. The acrylic used is quite thick to the extent where you can't actually bend it, hence it's quite sturdy and very unlikely to snap. I think this would look great over a fluffy jumper! 

Lastly, this super cute Deer Heart Initial Necklace* caught my eye. This can be personalised with your initial on the heart. Mine has an "L" on it for "Linda". The heart and the letter are both made of strong acrylic, whilst the deers have been cut from wood.

This would definitely be amazing as a gift and it's not too late to make a purchase now in time for Christmas! And if you're a male reading this (leave a comment below if you are!) then this necklace would be great for the women in your life (sister, girlfriend, mother etc). No excuses now if you're stuck for gift ideas!

So if you love anything cute, quirky, and handmade, you absolutely need to check out Punky Pins. Depending on your budget, the products on their website could either make some brilliant Christmas gifts or just some stocking fillers. Everything is affordable and very different to what you can find on the high street.

The vast majority of my jewellery collection consists of fine jewellery, but these necklaces are much more versatile and I know I'll be wearing them on top of cosy jumpers all throughout the next few months!

Punky Pins have kindly offered my readers a DISCOUNT CODE. 

Enter iamlinderella10 at checkout to get your 10% discount.

So check out PunkyPins.co.uk and let me know if you buy anything!

Review: Goldwell - Dualsenses Rich Repair 6 Effects Serum

If there's one physical feature that I can say that I really like about myself, it has to be my hair! I've been blessed with luscious silky dark hair and I love it. I'm lucky that my hair is naturally straight as well so it takes minimal effort to make it look presentable. I'm not someone who really uses hair products, maybe because I haven't found anything worth using.

I've only used one hair serum in my whole life and that was one that was recommended by a hairdresser I once visited. Today, however, I will be telling you about my second and latest hair serum that I recently received: Goldwell Dualsenses Rich Repair 6 Effects Serum*.

This serum is designed for dry and stressed hair. This product claims to provide 6 repair benefits: shine, smoothness, bounce, frizz-free hair, healthy ends, and reduced hair breakage. The claim of making my hair bouncy was something that intrigued me. How can a hair serum give you bounce? Either way, I could do with some volume in my hair so I knew I had to try this out.

This 6 Effects Serum comes in a slim 100ml bottle and is very easy to hold in your hand. It doesn't come with a lid, but the pump has a twist and lock system to ensure that you don't accidentally dispense any of the product. It probably isn't the most eye-catching bottle around but it has a clean design which wouldn't look out of place in a salon.

In all honesty, I wasn't expecting much from this product. I don't really rate hair products so I assumed this would be yet another product added to the list of pointless products. I also find that serums can make hair look greasy and too shiny as well.

When I first used this, I was surprised to see that the serum was white - I was expecting a clear oily substance. This looked more like a conditioner. The smell was quite pleasant. It was almost like a light vanilla smell, definitely not overpowering. 

I don't know the correct technique when it comes to serum but I pretty much scrunched it into my hair. If you're prone to messy, frizzy hair, perhaps it would be best to be a little gentler than that... 

For my whole head, I tend to use 2-3 pumps which seems to be plenty to achieve the results that I want. 

The results? Never in a million years did I think that a hair serum would give my hair the bounce that I've always wanted. Talk about invisible hold! It didn't feel like I actually had any products in my hair but suddenly it had more volume! Don't get me wrong, I don't think that this product made my hair bouncy, I probably did it by scrunching my hair, but it somehow manages to hold the bounce. Hairsprays can do that too but I hate the stiffness that comes with it.

My hair also felt silkier than usual, something that I didn't think was even possible with my already silky locks. Plus, it made my hair smell divine. I got a nice whiff on the vanilla scent every time I swished my hair. 

I am extremely pleased with this product, moreso because I didn't really expect anything from this. I can see myself using this a lot and I'm so glad that I was introduced to brand.

Grab a 100ml bottle online from Beauty Expert for £10.89.