I actually reviewed this already about 2 years ago, I had a sachet and loved it but only recently plumped for the full sized tube. The reason for that is I’m a bit tight and £10 for a face mask sounds like a lot to me yet I think nothing of buying the Montagne Jeunesse sachets at £1 a time. This has easily given my 10 applications already and it doesn’t feel even half empty, it’s definitely better value for money this way but it’s that initial outlay.. I know you get it or you wouldn’t be reading a budget beauty blog. Anyway.. the general idea here is that the warm clay draws all of the impurities out of your skin so that you can treat them and get rid. It effectively deep cleans your pores and leaves you with clearer skin with no nasties lurking beneath the surface.. and it works!

For the most part I apply a thin layer as a above, that does the job and you definitely don’t need anymore but the first couple of applications were definitely thicker.. save product and only use what you actually need! It doesn’t have the regular sanctuary scent which was a touch disappointing as I love it so much but the scent isn’t unpleasant so I can make my peace. As it’s ‘thermal’ it doesn’t set on your skin, it be sticky until you wash it away so don’t think you can go take a nap because you will make a mess! The best place to use this is in the bath because the steam keeps the heat working and the heat is keeping your pores open so that the clay can do it’s stuff so anything you can do to help it is great. I’m sure it works in 5 minutes just fine but if you know me you know I couldn’t possibly leave a mask on for less than an hour so I can’t attest to that claim.

The one thing to note with this mask s that while it does work you will likely get a bunch of blemishes a day or so after using it, this is normal, it’s what it’s supposed to do but with that in mind it’s not something to use the night before a big event, it’s more of a regular maintenance treat.. or a week before if you must.

Available online for £10.50 here and if you want to try a sachet first you can buy one here but don’t use it all at once – there’s at least enough for two uses

Miss BB

You may have caught my post last week about the lip trios also recently launched by MUA (if not you can see that here) well here are the eyeshadow counterparts.

I mentioned the packaging in my previous post and this is no different, difficult to get into but if you can get past that what’s inside is pretty good. I have Theatrics (left) and Legendary (right) – they’re baked which means they can be used both wet and dry.. and so I swatched them as such to give you an idea of the difference a little h2o can make..

I wouldn’t even bother using them dry as the fallout is crazy but some of the colours here are amazing for such an affordable product. The black/gold from Theatrics is beautiful and the bronze reminds me a lot of Smog from Urban Decay, the selection in the other trio is also very nice and the fallout is really only an issue while applying so if you do your foundation last it’s not a big problem.

Available online for £3.00 here

Miss BB

*PR Sample

The time for boy stuff. Whether you’re buying for your Dad or you partner there’s likely to be a man in your life that’s expecting some kind of gift this weekend so I thought I would share three of my favourite fragrances for men in a bid to inspire your shopping. First of all there’s a huge elephant in the room (or not as it were) as I am missing out my all time favourite aftershave, Boss Bottled. Once a year I buy Lee a huge bottle and it’s usually his staple but over the past 12 months he’s amassed a modest collection of other options so when that ran out it wasn’t repurchased. Rest assured though it is still the nicest scent out there for a man in my opinion and given that it’s been on the market for an absolute age you can usually get a pretty good deal on it too – see here. Anyway, on to what I actually have to show you..

Lacoste Noir - £38.95

Again, I think this is really affordable given that that price is for 100ml! It’s a new launch for 2013 too. Although you would expect it to be a heavier evening fragrance given it’s dark name it’s actually quite fresh and summery.. says my husband. Bizarrely it has notes of Watermelon, Lavender and Dark Chocolate, whaat?? I know.. but somehow it just works.

Carolina Herrera 212 Sexy Men – £31.95

Another great value scent as this is a 100ml bottle too. This is a more nostalgic scent for me than anything as it’s what Lee wore when we were first together so from time to time I will buy him a set at Christmas or for his Birthday and it’s as much for me as it is for him. Fragrance is so emotive, don’t you agree? This is sweet and musky and everything I’d look for in an aftershave, sandalwood is one of my favourite notes and vanilla is a great bonus.

YSL Le Nuit De L’Homme – £47.99

This is the higher end of the bunch but its come down a lot in price since I bought it.. the large bottle is now relatively affordable where is was once closer to £80 (ouch). This is the fragrance that Lee keeps for best, it’s heavier hence the ‘Le Nuit’ name and it just smells expensive.. if that’s possible. He actually got a sample of this in the Glossybox for men (RIP) last year and I’m so glad because I don’t think we’d have ever known about it otherwise and it’s one of my favourites now.

Aftershave’s an easy one, I would buy pants for my husband but not for my Dad although I know underwear and socks is up there on the gift list come Fathers Day, what do you buy the relevant parties at this time of year? Fragrance Direct are running a big promotion for Dads so if you’re still stuck for ideas or just looking to save some money you can check out their site here. I don’t buy perfume anywhere before I’ve checked their prices! – Last note, gifts sets are usually the same price as individual bottles so double check there’s not a better value deal to be had before buying.

Miss BB

*Lacoste fragrance was sent to me to review

I was certain I’d blogged about this perfume already but when I search my site I only find one mention in a monthly favourites video so I figure.. it deserves it’s own post. The monthly favourites may have given away that I do indeed like this fragrance and to be honest the whole celebrity endorsed thing and the uber tacky bottle only made me love it more.. I mean, how can you not love this? I bought it online without ever testing it, I just had to have the bottle on my vanity and figured it was still a good price for a potential ornament only. Luckily I actually really like it, if you look at the notes I think there’s something for everyone, it’s floral (which I don’t usually like), sweet and fruity but it also has vanilla, musk and woody elements to it and in my opinion totally unoffensive. Some scents can be a bit ‘in yer face’ – I personally hate the Jimmy Choo, the top note of pear is obnoxiously strong and for me it’s a clear your sinuses, nail polish remover type smell. A heavy scent is fine if you love it but if you don’t.. not awesome and bear in mind that not everyone you meet/work with will share your taste in fragrance. Pink Friday is light – which is what I meant by unoffensive if you didn’t get my long winded explanation – which I like but it doesn’t last long. It’s not a scent I can smell on my clothes the next day and I don’t think it hangs around for long on my skin but it’s cheap enough to justify topping up throughout the day if you love it.

I don’t think I’ll repurchase this when it runs out purely because of the staying power and the fact I have other I like more but for the moment it’s my most worn, a lovely summer scent and I’d definitely recommend you give it a sniff.

30ml is £23.00, 50ml £28.00 is and 100ml is £38.00 so it’s definitely more cost effective to get the larger – another thing to note is that each bottle is slightly different which I think is a cool little feature. The 30ml bottle is the one I have here, regular glass with a kind of ombre effect top (I’ve also seen frosted versions of this), the 50ml is the same with a solid white top and the 100ml is the same as the 50ml but with a Nicki Minaj necklace.. it’s the little details.

I don’t think I’ll repurchase this when it runs out purely because of the staying power and the fact I have other I like more but for the moment it’s my most worn, a lovely summer scent and I’d definitely recommend you give it a sniff.

Miss BB