steam cream

steam cream* £12.95

You might be aware that I've recently been on the hunt for brands that support recycling and are full of natural ingredients. I've already reviewed Purely Natural's Healing Moisturiser, which you can find here, and also look out for a review on their acne line, and now I'd thought I'd share with you the wonder that is steam cream.

I've shared a few e-mails back and forth with the lovely Nisha who offered to aid my search by sending me a gorgeous floral adorned tin pot of steam cream. The beautiful designs caught my eye immediately as Steam Cream offer a vast variety of beautifully designed pots so aesthetics wise this gets a double thumbs up, and the fact that it is both eco-friendly and extremely cute makes it an all round winner in that department.

So, is it worthy of its 'Beauty Insiders' Choice' win? I think so. I know some of my fellow beauty enthusiasts and bloggers agree with me such as the ever so gorgeous Jade whose review you can find here.
What is different about Steam Cream is that they use a shot of steam to produce a light emulsion which then in turn sinks in rapidly into your skin for an instant effect and creates the lightweight feel of this moisturiser which I adore. A little really does go a long way in terms of application the product glides on like a dream needing little help and force to work its way into the skin. Combined with use of natural ingredients (find out more here), such as jojoba oil, oatmeal, orange blossom water, and lavender oil, your skin is left feeling refreshed and softer than mine has done in quite a while. 

I've used this pretty much every morning and evening before applying makeup and after cleansing and toning at night. My skin appears to me heaps and bounds better in terms of dryness and all round glow as my skin seems less greyish and dull than before.  The only fault I can find with this product, and this is just a personal preference, is that it has quite a strong lavender scent and I'm not the biggest fan of lavender but that aside I will happily re-purchase this product.

Bloglovin'//Twitter//HelloCotton//Facebook

                                                               instagram: ohlittlered

Read More

top summer nail polishes

(l-r) essie lapiz of luxury, barry m berry, barry m mint green, barry m peach melba, barry m pink silver glitter,  ted baker (fuschia pink)

Just a quick little post to share with you my top six summer nail polishes as I love reading these posts myself as I'm always on the hunt for new shades to add to my quite modest collection. I didn't get into pampering and showcasing my nails till quite recently as I've long fought the nail biters battle and so therefore had not much reason to highlight my stubby nails. I'm quite proud of myself for letting them grow out with some help from wearing gel nails (review here) which forced me to break the habit.

As you can see the majority of my collection is from Barry M as I just can't fault their nail paints and also the fact that they are at the cheaper end of the price range in comparison to brands like essie, which I still love nonetheless. Most of the shades I've chosen are also pastels which suit the spring/summer season perfectly and add a great touch to any outfit, my personal favourite being Barry M Peach Melba, I'm a coral girl at heart you know.

What are your favourite summer shades?

Bloglovin'//Twitter//HelloCotton//Facebook

                                                               instagram: ohlittlered

Read More

girl put your records on

dress - dorothy perkins (old)

sandals - river island

nails - elf nail polish in white

I'd thought I'd share you with you a few snaps of how I'm spending my days in the sunshine within this outfit post. My boyfriends garden is one of my favourite places to relax as his stepdad has made it look so beautiful out there, I especially love their hand built koi fish pond which I could spend hours admiring and giving all the fish names.

I found this old dorothy perkins dress in the back of my wardrobe this morning and thought 'perfecto!' as its floaty fabric suits this weather to a tee. I especially love the cath kidston-esque floral print embossed on it matched with my trusty sandals that I wear pretty much all summer long once the weathers good.

How are you spending your day in the summer sun?

Bloglovin'//Twitter//HelloCotton//Facebook

                                                               instagram: ohlittlered

Read More

midweek wishlist: topshop

001. Sky Collar Dress by Sister Jane - 002. Dip Dye Maxi Skirt by Coco's Fortune - 003. Bird Collar tips  - 004. Topshop Lipstick in Inhibition

I have always loved the Sister Jane collection at Topshop and whilst torturing myself browsing on their online site, I'm on a spending ban you see, I spotted this cute little white number. The Galaxy like print on the collars adds that little something and although I associate that sort of print with tumblr hipsters I really do favour it on this dress. Shame I'm poor, boo hoo.

As you might be well aware England is finally basking in some long awaited sunshine which is has put many, including me, in a euphoric mood except for night time when the heat has become a pain in the a-hole and leaving the window for air just attracts mosquitos to munch on my flesh. Little Buggers. And so I've been pining for a/w season of late, it's my favourite time of year especially in terms of fashion, can't tell you how much I want to be back styling my layers of clothes. I noticed this dark plum lipstick in the Topshop make-up range and think it would be perfect for the colder months, think it might be my first purchase with my next student loan installment.

Am I only the vampire out there who is looking forward to a/w? 

Bloglovin'//Twitter//HelloCotton//Facebook

                                                               instagram: ohlittlered

Read More

Look Double Hit Lip in Rose Riot

Double Hit Lip in Rose Riot* £8

Enter my new favourite lip product! I have been eager to try these out for quite some time but never got round to it so was over the moon when I saw this in my Look Beauty Prize and I've been wearing it pretty much everyday since it arrived - such a flattering summer shade!

There are three ways you can wear this product, using the matte lipstick alone (although I wouldn't quite class it as matte as it has quite a sheen to it), lip gloss alone, or obviously both together which is what I tend to do most often. I absolutely adore the shade which you can see me wearing more clearly in this post, it is a gorgeous peachy pink with flecks of gold underlying it. It very much reminds me of NARS Orgasm (post here) in tube form, I just can't get over how pretty it is!

As for staying power this product has got what it takes lasting me up to several hours which is always an added bonus so you don't need to be constantly re-applying. I'm not a huge fan of lip gloss finding it too sticky and hate getting my hair stuck to my lips so I do apply this sparingly but not much is needed, and boy does it smell good! Seriously, have a sniff, it smells good enough to eat!

I look forward to trying it in Citrus Kick next! Have you bought any products from the Look Beauty range?

Bloglovin'//Twitter//HelloCotton//Facebook

                                                               instagram: ohlittlered

Read More

venom

top - topshop (old)

leggings (disco pants) - american apparell

shoes - topshop vectras (nude)

TGIF! I've had a pretty hectic week for an unemployed student with plenty visits to the bank, attending to my cv, and Jon & I are currently house-sitting for his sister whilst she's away on holiday after some creep was caught peeping into their house. I haven't really been in the mood for wearing anything particularly nice, preferring my joggers and a hoody most of the week as the weather has yet again been dismal, however, the sun did pop its hat on briefly today and so I dug out this old topshop sleeveless tee which I think will be great for when I go to Reading Festival next month!

My prize from look magazine also arrived so I've had lot's of fun playing around with all the make-up and have been writing up drafts of reviews on all the products as well as the bit's I got from elf which are being posted sporadically. And for those of you that don't know I'm also currently running a give-away, yes that's right my first ever give-away as a thanks to all my loyal readers which you can enter here.

As I'm also on a spending ban at the minute my usual weekend jaunts around the shopping park near by will have to go a miss and I guess I'll just have to endure hours of Jon playing fifa whilst I catch up on some reading which sadly has taken the back seat a bit of late. I am looking forward to this evening though as our friends Cara and Milind are coming over to just chill with a takeaway and we always end up having a laugh. Then tomorrow my friend Ellie is throwing a little gathering at her house so it'll be nice to get to see everyone!

What are your plans for this weekend?

Bloglovin'//Twitter//HelloCotton//Facebook

instagram: ohlittlered

Read More

mac soft and gentle

mac soft and gentle mineralize skin finish £21.50

May I just start off by putting it out there that this is by FAR my favourite highlight and despite it being a luxurious £21.50 it is well worth the money and I will be repurchasing again and again most definitely. I have many friends who share my love for this particular mineralize skin finish who have used it pretty much everyday for the past six months and are yet to hit pan which is a testament to the longevity and worth of this product.

The marbleised swirls of gold, bronze, and peach can seem somewhat daunting in pan form especially if, like me, you're not one to want to over do it with the glitter, however, once applied it is much lighter as the texture is buttery smooth and refined so not to unleash a glitter bomb across your cheeks. It blends into my foundation and powder like a dream leaving my skin looking a lot more luminous and alive so I can't sing its praises enough.

I only used the slightest touch of this product along the tops of my cheekbones, nose, and brow line using my real techniques contour brush and I'm immediately left with the desired glowing skin that I dare say we all desperately seek. For a deeper shimmer just add a bit more product but I wouldn't personally want to go overboard with this and less is more in this case. I think the peachy bronze shade will compliment a vast array of skin tones and it is extremely flattering and therefore become a staple item of mine.

Have you tried soft and gentle? What are your favourite highlighters?

Bloglovin'//Twitter//HelloCotton//Facebook

instagram: ohlittlered

Read More

Look 'Prime Perfect' Primer

Look 'Prime Perfect' Primer* £10

I've only recently got into using a facial primer after I moisturise and before I apply my foundation with my potion of choice being Benefits Porefessional which I adore. However, at a hefty £23 a pop I've been looking elsewhere for cheaper drugstore alternatives so was extremely pleased when I received this from the lovely people at Look Magazine.

At £10 the pricing is somewhat in the middle of the range compared to pricier L'Oreal, Revlon, and GOSH primers and the cheaper alternatives produced by MUA and Collection 2000. I'm not entirely sure if I would have ever picked this primer up whilst browsing around Superdrug as the packaging is very simple and not too much to behold, which in many respects I do like but my eyes would not immediately be drawn in instead preferring brands such as L'Oreal that appear more worth the money, if that makes sense?

Packaging is not the bee all and end all, it is the product and the results it produces that matter most in my opinion. The formula is like a water based jelly, I'd advise you to use a little as it goes a long way, and once applied to the face using circular motions my skin does soak it up like a dream and it's left feeling very even and incredibly soft as soon as the primer has worked its way into the skin.
Upon first applying this product I was slightly adverse to the water based formula worrying that it was slightly oily on my skin as I used far too much product when you really only need the size of a 5p for it to spread evenly across your face. Overall, although I do prefer the thicker paste formula of my Benefit Porefessional which I could not rave on about enough, I have become a little bit attached to the feel of this primer on my skin as it leaves my skin feeling very light and refreshed. 

Look's 'Prime Perfect' Primer does work rather well in terms of prolonging my make-up for the day and leaving my skin soft but I'm not sure whether I would re-purchase this product at £10 for 35ml. I'd like to try a primer that tackles redness in the skin next as that's my main skin complaint and therefore after using this primer, and loving the even layer and softness it creates, I'd like to try Look's Colour Correct Primer next as I think that would be more suited for my skin.

What's your favourite primer?

Bloglovin'//Twitter//HelloCotton//Facebook

instagram: ohlittlered

Read More

look loud lips: toffee cup

Look Loud Lips in Toffee Cup* £7

I was lucky enough recently to win Look Magazine's 'What I'm Wearing' Street Style competition and to my joy a bundle of cosmetic delights was my prize that arrived on my doorstop yesterday morning - it felt like Christmas I tell you.  

One of the items I received was their Loud Lips lipstick in Toffee Cup (I also received Baby Doll and Tangerine Cream from the Loud Lips collection) which is housed in baby pink boxes with Ashley Isham print for decoration which is also embossed on the sturdy, magnetic silver lipstick casing. I like the magnetic casing as it shuts close in a jiffy and my lipstick feels protected. Despite not being the most delicate packaging wise I find the print extremely pleasing to the eye.

At first I was unsure of the shade in tube form as I thought it looked a little too dark for my skin tone and I thought it was more of a chocolate brown nude. I don't really venture into nude lip territory often, besides my favourite Rimmel Nude Delight, frequently opting for corals and reds instead. However, upon application I found that it was a very flattering milky brown with pink undertones which I think is well suited for fair to medium skin tones.
The shade is very natural and therefore suitable for the workplace and everyday wear, and I particularly love the creamy formula that feels very light on the lips leaving a somewhat sheen finish which is quite moisturising. Wear-ability I would say is only up to two, three hours max. but I do love the pigmentation and milky softness of the Look Beauty range lipsticks and so toffee cup is a very welcome edition to my collection and a great choice for an everyday or nude lip.

Bloglovin'//Twitter//HelloCotton//Facebook

instagram: ohlittlered

Read More

give-away: look beauty range treats!

So, here's to my first INTERNATIONAL give-away! I'm pretty excited to get this up and running as I've recently gained quite a few followers altogether adding up to just over five hundred and would love to give something back! I'm overwhelmed with all your support and have made some great friends from being part of such a lovely community - I truly thank and love you all.

I'm really sorry about the quality of the images but I've found a review of the blush shade that I will be giving away 'Pinch' by the lovely Sophie of 'Sophie is made up' which you can read here. I already have a blush from the Look Beauty Range which I love due to its pigmentation for such a reasonable price!

All that's left to say is that to enter all you have to do is fill out the form below with whatever entries you wish but I will be checking they're done (following via GFC is the only mandatory option) and Good luck to you all!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read More

what I've bought: elf haul

01. Nail Polish in White and Mod Mauve - 02. Elf High Definition Powder - 03. Blush in Berry Merry, Fushia Fusion, Giddy Gold - 04. Mineral Moisturising Lip Tint in Guava and Berry - 05. Studio Matte Lip Color in Natural and Tea Rose - 06. Studio Pout Perfector

Just a quick little post to let you have a sneak peek of up and coming reviews, as you can see I did buy quite a bit from elf, however, for those of you that didn't know, they recently had their 50% off discount code floating around and it was too good an opportunity to pass up having wanted to try out elf products for quite some time after hearing plenty of praise for them. Elf products are reasonably priced to begin with being at the cheaper end of the price range for make-up items yet still maintaining good service and a plethora of different cosmetic delights. I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the products I received and can't wait to share with you some more in depth reviews.

This little bundle of joy (yes, I literally 'eeped' with happiness when this arrived) totalled to only £23 including delivery! Did you manage to snap up any bargains in the elf sale? Or perhaps you have a favourite product of theirs?

Please do let me know :)

Bloglovin'//Twitter//HelloCotton//Facebook

instagram: ohlittlered

Read More

my polish pet name - LAQA & Co

*sponsored post

LAQA & Co needs your help! Their soon to be released bundle of joy needs a name! Tweet your name to them, using the hashtag #mypolishpetname, and you could not only be immortalized forever in their fall line, but win LAQA goodies to boot.

The colour nail art pen associated with this competition is shown above which the lovely Carolyn from LAQA described as a 'dirty raspberry' colour, and which also to me seems a rich burgundy colour so I would be highly tempted to enter with an 'Anchorman' pun - Ron Burgundy is a hero, You can find out more about LAQA & Co via their website, facebook, or twitter.

The competition starts today July 16th and ends Monday, July 30th so get entering now to be in with a chance to win their entire fall line! I'll be posting a review of the product soon to let you know what I think so keep your eyes peeled for that!

I'd love to hear your entries! Remember the quirkier the better!

Bloglovin'//Twitter//HelloCotton//Facebook

instagram: ohlittlered

Read More

Look Magazine Street Style Competition - I won!

Just a quick post to say thank you to all of those that voted for me, I'm pretty chuffed as I've never won anything before especially such a great prize for a beauty blogger like me, the editors top twenty look makeup items!

As a thanks I will be running a giveaway of a few of those items as without you guys I wouldn't have won, so keep your eyes peeled for that and I hope you all have an amazing weekend!

Friday the 13th didn't turn out quite so unlucky for me, I bet I've jinxed that now and a bird will poo on me or something as soon as I leave the house..

Bloglovin'//Twitter//HelloCotton//Facebook

instagram: ohlittlered

Read More

midweek wishlist

01. revlon just bitten kissable lip balm stain in sweetheart (oosh! that's quite a moutful!) £5.99 - 02. river island flatform wedges £35 - 03. topshop blush in neon rose £6.00 - 04.  topshop petite stud shoulder sweater £34 - 05. topshop co-ord mint boucle skirt £38

This weeks list is a bit of a topshop fest but as I'm on a spending ban at the moment I will just have to look and lust over as I really do need to start saving up for mine and Jon's holiday in September as well as for my first tattoo which I hope to get by the end of summer! 

I am excited to get my hands on the revlon just bitten balm/stains as I can't afford the more heftily priced clinique chubby sticks and I'm a sucker for balm/stain hybrids. I do actually have enough points on my boots card to treat myself...

As you can probably see my blog has had a bit of a tidy up and I'd love to hear your thoughts as I think it looks a lot more tidy? I'm not the best with html so this will have to do for now! Oh! I almost forgot to mention that I set up a facebook page for 'little red' just the other day (hopefully not too pretentious as it does seem to be the done thing these days) and so I'd greatly appreciate if you 'liked' and I do hope to be quite interactive on there and get to know you all better!

I'm currently sat here with Bob the Builder on in the background for some reason and a mug full of chocolate milk, I'm such a big kid! Oh dear, Lauren... I can't wait till Jon gets back from his holiday this Saturday and my sanity returns as I've lost touch with any concept of time recently falling asleep at ridiculous hours but yet waking up early still only to nap midday, not good! 

Anywhoo! Hope you're all well!

Bloglovin'//Twitter//HelloCotton//Facebook

instagram: ohlittlered

Read More

mac cut a caper

Cut a Caper £14

As some of you may know MAC have recently released their 'Heavenly Creatures' collection which I was really excited for. However, upon looking at swatches and online reviews I opted against buying any of the oh-so-gorgeous-looking mineralize skin finishes and blushes as once swatched I personally find they're not too different from products I already own so the only thing I bought from the collection is Cut a Caper lipstick which I have long awaited.

There is always one product out of every collection that is a sure fire to sell out fast and my prediction is that it will be Cut a Caper!

I find Cut a Caper to be a neutral everyday lipstick with slight yellow undertones to its overall light pinky peach finish which I think will suit most skin tones. It is quite sheer and therefore may need to be built up a fair bit to gain coverage especially if you have quite pigmented lips like mine. Although I've noted some to find Lustre finishes to be a little drying I however find the opposite whilst using this lipstick. I find that longevity wise it lasts up to three hours. 

I really love peach lipsticks and I think this one is perfect for the warmer months as well as being acceptable as an everyday lipstick as it is quite muted. Having said this it's nothing too 'wow' and as MAC have recently yet again upped there prices to £14 I'm sure there are cheaper alternatives for instance Sleek Peaches and Cream if you don't want to spend too much for a lipstick!

Cut a Caper is one of my all time favourites and a very welcome addition to my collection.

p.s if you haven't already could please click here to vote for me in Look Magazines 'what i'm wearing' competition - all you have to do is like - thank you :)

Bloglovin'//Twitter//HelloCotton//Facebook
instagram: ohlittlered

Read More

17 Lip Stain in Berry Crush

17 Berry Crush £4.99

I recently had a bit of a splurge in Boots and one of the items I picked up was 17 Berry Crush Lipstain after nearly half an hour of swatching different lip products and resulting in a lipstick rainbow all across my hand - I did get a few odd looks. I decided upon 17 lip stains as at £4.99 was a cheaper alternative to Revlon Just Bitten Lip Balm and Stain range at £7.99 which I am yet to try.

I really love the concept of lipstain and balm duo as lip stains do have a tendency to be quite drying on the lips and attach more colour to rough patches on skin distributing unevenly which isn't exactly a flattering look.

Berry Crush does give a gorgeous wash of an rose pink with plum undertones as can be seen in the photo above, it does seem to make my lips seem fuller as well as adding that needed hydration as it is enriched with Vitamin C. However, the colour pay off is here and there as sometimes I have struggled to deposit much colour at all via the nib of the pen having to prod my lips using the sides of the applicator and then smooth over and even out with the lip balm. So, for me this product is very hit and miss as sometimes I have trouble distributing the product, but that might just be me? One thing I would attribute to it though is that once on it's extremely long lasting with wear for up seven to eight hours which I think is fantastic.

Overall, for less than a fiver when it does work for me it really does work and therefore is worth the money in terms of longevity and when you the colour pay off works.

Can you recommend any lip stain?

Bloglovin'//Twitter//HelloCotton//Facebook

instagram: ohlittlered

Read More