Honest reviews, regular hauls and all things beauty.

Thursday 21 April 2016

Initial thoughts on recent purchases: Dior Lip Glow Balm & Liner, Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment & ESPA Optimal Skin Pro Moisturiser




Today I want to share my initial thoughts on some recent purchases with you. Some of these products have been in my life for 4/5 weeks and others for only around 2 weeks, hence this being an initial thoughts post rather than full on reviews. 

Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment: I've heard so many people rave about this and although I've tried other Lee Stafford products, I hadn't tried this one so I picked it up when I was in Boots a few weeks ago filling up a prescription (because it's the law that you need to buy some sort of treat for yourself when you are buying antibiotics!). I am using Grow Gorgeous Hair Serum at the moment so didn't necessarily buy this for its "hair growth" abilities but I love a good hair mask and this mask aims to strengthen the hair and that is something that I always look for in my haircare products. I very rarely let my hair dry naturally and use my GHD two or three times weekly, I colour my hair and I am on long term antibiotic therapy so as you can imagine, my hair needs help! I eat well and take supplements daily, but if any product claims to help repair & strengthen, then I am all over it! I love the scent of Lee Stafford products and it brings me right back to the holiday when my husband proposed to me because it was the only brand I used at that time, so the sweet scent always makes me smile - it's like a less sweet version of Thierry Mugler Angel. The mask itself is lightly creamy in consistency, but definitely not too heavy and it is easy to disperse. I leave it on for 5 minutes (often longer than that) and it is easy to rinse. I have been using this exclusively for the last few weeks and have had so many compliments on how shiny and silky my hair has been looking. My hair is soft to touch and is generally looking in better shape. I prefer this mask to so many more expensive masks that I have used. Lee Stafford products are currently on offer in Boots at 3 products for €22, so I will be stocking up on this mask!



Dior Addict Lip Glow Liner: I bought this on a bit of a whim and figured it would be a "Princess product" rather than a must have and I was right. The idea behind this liner is that it will boost the natural colour of  your lips and therefore will be the perfect liner to wear with all lipsticks. It also claims to have volume booster technology, but that I don't agree with! If you want to add some volume, try Dior  Addict Lip Maximiser or Instant Effects Lip Plumper because I have found both products to be very effective in that respect. This liner is retractable and angled - the tip is used to line the lips and the flat side to fill in the lips. In all honesty, I think this is a total gimmick! Yes, when paired with the balm it gives a nice finish to a "natural" lip for minimal make-up days but it's very unnecessary. I will continue to use it because I spent over €20 on it, but I wouldn't repurchase.

Dior Addict Lip Glow Lip Balm: I honestly lusted over this for around 3 years before finally buying it because it is expensive for a lip balm. But is it more than just a lip balm? This works on the same principle of the liner, as in it is designed to enhance the natural colour of the lips. I have to say that this does work - my lips look a rosy shade of pink when I wear this but it is subtle so other people wouldn't necessarily know that it isn't your natural lip colour. The balm is creamy but not greasy, just balmy enough to moisturise the lips. When combined with the Lip Maximiser, my lips look fuller so if thin lips are something that bother you then I would recommend trying these products but be warned that they are expensive at €36.50 each so it would be worth keeping an eye out for sales - Debenhams often have beauty events with discounts and Escentual are worth keeping an eye on too because their sales are great!

ESPA Optimal Skin ProMoisturiser: This is my first ESPA purchase, but won't be my last! I wanted to try a moisturiser slightly lighter in texture than the others in my collection, but I still wanted one that would deliver a good dose of hydration. I bought this with my forthcoming holiday in mind because I am expecting it to be quite humid in Florida and I think that layering a creamy moisturiser on top of a serum/oil, then SPF on top of that and some form of base product on top of that, would just clog my pores. Having said that, I still need hydration and lotions just don't cut it for my skin - I need a cream. I don't ask for much, do I?! This moisturiser covers all bases for me - it is beautifully light but also deeply moisturises, it is non-greasy but isn't matte. My skin is comfortable and soft when I use this and I also love the lightly floral scent. It is a glass tube so I will decant some into a smaller tub to bring on holiday as it is quite heavy. I am quite tempted to try the serum next!

Have you tried any of these products or are you tempted to? I'd love to hear your thoughts on them in the comments below! I'd also love to hear what you have been buying recently?

Thanks for reading!

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