KIKO Makeup First Impressions

Apart from receiving a Kiko Eyeshadow Stick in a subscription box once, I have to admit I was a complete stranger to Kiko Makeup as a brand. I didn't know how good value for money it was, I didn't know how good quality the products would be and I didn't know whether they would be my cup of tea. 

The answers to those ponderings are:

Cheap.

Quality.

And spot on. It's the make up equivalent of an earl grey with two sugars and a spoon of milk. (Don't even start on how wrong my tea drinking habits are). 

I've been trying to use a lot more eye shadows when I do my make up, I've even been watching tutorials about it. So I picked up a couple of Kiko's single eyeshadows. The Kiko products don't have names, only numbers, so I'll try and find them and add them in at some point. But I have been glued to the very light shimmery white colour, it's perfect for highlighting your brow bone and neat ending up your brows! 

I picked up this mega bright dark pink lipstick simply because I don't have one like it already. It's creamy, easy to apply, does bleed everywhere and has a fantastic pigmented colour. 

I have to laugh sometimes at the packaging because, as funky as it is, it reminds me of something else. Absolute child. 

Lip liners? Say what? I've never been one for actually doing my lips properly. Probably why my bold lip game has never been all that strong. But I picked up a red lip liner because I wear a red lip all of the time and wanted up my game. 

I like the colour of this enough, however, I do find that it dries my lips out something rotten. Plenty of lip balm and TLC is needed. 

Lastly, this is one of their lengthening and volumising mascaras. I don't hate it but I'm also not a fan. Just don't think it really does that much. Shame.

So there was my little Kiko haul, I've enjoyed trying some of their make up as its not somewhere I've ventured before. I shall be venturing back there soon, I hope. Especially since all of this came to around £25! 

Not More Empties?

I'm feeling pretty ashamed that I've once again completely abandoned my blog, only to come back a month later and apologise with my tail between my legs. This is why I'll never be particularly successful, I have no persistence. I'm the world's biggest procrastinator! Sorry. 

But I thought I would kick us off with a round up of some empty bottles that I've been hoarding. Because let's face it, who doesn't love reading about other people's empty cosmetics...

I once again got myself through a bottle of the Garnier Micellar Water. I love this stuff, it makes me feel so much less guilty than using face wipes to remove make up. 

Another bathroom cabinet staple of mine is Lush Daddy O shampoo, perfect for blonde hair. Literally, I can't get enough of this stuff and I point blank refuse to use anything else! 

Next, onto a couple of mini face creams. I opened these little guys up from inside my Body Shop advent calendar and they were very welcome. I've used The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Cream before, and I remember not being that fussed about it but I'll never pass over something filled with vitamin E. The matching night cream however, that's a whole new ball game! Complete game changer! And I have actually repurchased a full sized pot and now use it daily as part of my routine. (That's The Body Shop Vitamin E Night Cream, incase you missed it.)

Another one from The Body Shop (noticing a trend here yet?) is the Creamy Tea Tree Facial Wash. I'm not one for using tea tree on my face, I usually find products that contain it to be far far too astringent and harsh on my quite sensitive, dry skin. However, with my massive acne breakouts (haven't been this bad since high school) I needed to resort to desperate measures and this was recommended by one of the sales assistants as it's creamy texture helps to avoid drying out the skin. She was right, I love the stuff. When I went back to get some more, she told me that they have actually discontinued it(!?!) so I bought the very last two bottles that they had. Damn it. 

Onto another product that you can't get  anymore, Hot Toddy Shower Gel from Lush. I stored a little bottle of this all last year so that I had some to use in the run up to Christmas. Bright red, sparkly and has that spicy cinnamon Christmas smell- what more could a girl need?

I'd seen these OPI Conditioners everywhere, and I'd always looked at the price tag and gone 'yep, not paying that much'. I picked up this OPI Renewing Argon Oil Conditioner up when it was on offer. Although it did leave my hair soft, I couldn't merit paying full price for it so won't be buying again. Nothing special. 

The Body Shop is back again. My bad. This time it's the Aloe Gentle Cleanser, the Vitamin E Toner and the Aloe Moisuring Day Cream. I like all of these products, I like them all a lot. The cleanser is a product that I buy over and over again and will probably continue to until I hear of something better. The toner was lovely (another little gift in my advent calendar), the only problem is that I totally begrudge paying money for a product that does he same job as water... And then the day cream is beautiful, but I just want a bit more! If it had an SPF then I would have stuck with it, but it just doesn't tick the boxes I want it to. 

Two perfumes now. Sian? Finishing perfumes? What's wrong with the world? But seriously, here I have Thiery Mugler's Angel and Alien. Angel is my signature scent for the nighttime and Alien was a little post holiday duty free treat last summer- but one that I shall definitely be repeating! 

And last but not least, a spot of Clinque. Here we've got Clinque's Anti Blemish Solution. It is basically a liquid exfoliant toner, and is a product that I don't purchase all of the time (due to it's hefty £18 price tag) but do enjoy and crave from time to time when my skin is a little lack lustre. I would certainly recommend for people who like to exfoliate but don't like to actively scrub their skin. 

I hope that this has been a nice reintroduction and I promise that you'll now be getting regular material regularly. 

Speak later, 

Sian x