Stila Gerbera Convertible Colour

Stila Gerbera Convertible Colour - £16

It's safe to say that Stila's Convertible Colours are one of my very favourite makeup products. If you don't already own one of these then you are missing out on some utterly beautiful blush & lipstick colours. I literally always have at least one of them in my handbag or makeup bag at all times. I think that cream cheek products can be quite foreign to some people but the Stila ones are almost impossible to get wrong. The consistency, pigmentation & dewy finish make them the best cream cheek formula I've come across. I've actually had this product for quite a while now so this review is well overdue. I have previously reviewed the Petunia (a bright rosy pink) & Lilium (a pale dusky pink) Convertible Colours. I would describe Gerbera as a soft pinky peach. It might look quite similar to Lilium but this one is much peachier. From looking at the orange colour in the pan I was worried that this shade wouldn't suit my complexion but I constantly heard so many people saying how much they loved this colour so I just went for it. It probably would look best with a tan but I think it's just as lovely on my skin. It gives such a natural peachy flush & is incredibly flattering.

My favourite way to apply these blushers is to dab a small circle of product onto both cheeks & then blend them out using a Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. The Convertible Colours have great blendability so it's easy to get your cheeks looking even. You can build up or sheer out the colour to create different looks using one product. They manage to stay all day on my skin without powdering so I think they're great value for money. The 'convertible' name comes from the fact that you can also use them as a lipstick. I always make sure I prep my lips with lip balm beforehand. The texture of Gerbera is slightly glossier on the lips than the others & not as drying. Peach lips often don't look right on me because of how pale I am but I love how Gerbera looks. It would be the perfect nude shade for a full on 60's makeup look - my fave! What's your favourite Convertible Colour?

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Escentially Smooth Hair Removal Cream For Sensitive Skin

Escentially Smooth Hair Removal Cream For Sensitive Skin* - £5.99

I think the last time I used a depilatory cream was when I was back in high school. They seemed like an easy & fuss free way of removing unwanted hair. However the likes of Veet & Nair were rather ineffective & they bloody stank too. There was nothing worse than the horrific smell of burnt hair lingering on your body. So I switched to razors & have never looked back - until now. It's been a while since I've tried out a hair removal cream so surely there must've been some improvements to the process over the last few years. Well that's where Escentially Smooth comes in. Not only does this cream promise to give you beautifully smooth skin, it claims to do it without any nasty smells. This product features Aromaguard technology which does manage to eliminate most of the smell. Rather than using fragrance to cover up the smell, Aromaguard counteracts it. It's not completely odour-free but it really isn't bad at all. It only smells a little bit while the chemicals get to work but after washing it off my legs smelled perfectly normal. Sniffing your legs for a blog post = not odd at all.

How does it fare in terms of hair removal though? I'm pleased to say that it actually works really well. As with all depilatory creams you apply a thick layer of the product over the area that you want to remove hair from and leave it on for several minutes. Escentially Smooth suggest five minutes as a guide, going up to a maximum of ten. I personally found it took ten minutes to work properly. The product comes with a handy spatula in the box to smooth on & scrape off the cream. Then you simply wash off the excess & you're left with soft, smooth, hairless legs. I remember always being left with unwanted patches of hair from the depilatory creams I'd tried in the past so I was really surprised to see that all the hairs had been removed from everywhere I placed the cream. When you use hair removal creams it takes longer for the hairs to grow back so this stuff would be a great pain-free alternative to waxing if you're going on holiday or have a special event coming up.

I was also impressed by how soft & moisturised my legs felt after using this. My skin often reacts to products so I opted to try the version for sensitive skin. It contains aloe vera & vitamin E to soothe and protect the skin. The chemicals in these kind of products can sometimes strip or irritate the skin so for that reason I'd recommend getting the sensitive version regardless of how tough your skin may be. I haven't reacted to this product whatsoever and I'm really happy with it. I managed to get two leg applications out of this tube so while it is more expensive than shaving, it is also cheaper than waxing & the results are more akin to the latter. I'll definitely be repurchasing it next time I pop into Boots.

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London Retro Reggie Sunglasses & MyOptique Giveaway

London Retro Reggie Sunglasses* - £79

Something that I always carry with me regardless of the season is a pair of sunglasses. So I was really excited to receive a pair of frames from London Retro. I chose the Reggie glasses because I love the style - round with a thick black frame. If I did need to wear actual glasses then this is exactly the kind of thing I'd go for. They look amazing & are fantastic quality. All of the vintage inspired frames from London Retro cost just £79 & come with free scratch resistant & anti-reflective lenses. There's so many different styles to choose from so you're bound to find something to suit you. You also get a beautiful brown leather glasses case & a cleaning cloth. I couldn't be happier with mine!

I have teamed up with MyOptique to offer you the chance to win your very own pair of London Retro frames. You can choose a plain pair of glasses, add a prescription or like me, you can have them turned into sunglasses.

To enter the competition all you have to do is comment below with which pair of London Retro frames you'd like to win & your email address. Then head over to over to MyOptique’s Facebook page, ‘Like’ & leave a comment on their wall saying "Enter Sparkly Vodka's giveaway". The giveaway will close at midnight (GMT) on Wednesday 22nd January 2014. I will announce the winner here at the bottom of this post & via my Twitter. Good luck!

EDIT: The winner is Rosie Crompton! Congrats Rosie, MyOptique & I will be in touch very soon!

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