Product review – All Dolled Up

February 1, 2017

Review + Giveaway: SkinCeuticals

There are certain skincare brands that I feel 100% comfortable putting on my face for the first time because the brand trust is so strong, and SkinCeuticals is one of them. With a simple mission to improve skin health through advanced skincare that is backed by science, their high potency formulas are concentrated in pure actives and proven to penetrate optimally into skin. There is no doubt that the premium range is up there in price and isn’t affordable for everyone, but the effective, clinical-grade skincare they produce is totally reliable, and that’s worth a lot when you think about…

October 24, 2014

Review: Smashbox Full Exposure Palette – A Love-Hate Relationship

Smashbox Full Exposure Palette Review | All Dolled Up

Let me begin by saying that I’m usually quite decisive about whether or not I like products; if I do, it goes into my stash, if I don’t then it gets chucked or donated to a friend. However, I’ve had this palette since April (Camilla bought it for me in the States) and it’s taken me months to figure out if I like it or not… and eventually I realised that I was ambivalent. Let me explain: What’s to love The layout: Sheer genius – seven shimmery shades up top, seven matte shades down below. I’m surprised we haven’t see more…

January 27, 2014

Guest Review: Pantene Pro-V Normal-Thick Hair Range

I was kindly sent this range to try but I found it a bit heavy for my very fine, thin hair (to be fair it’s made for thicker hair types) so I passed in on to my friend Dee to trial. She has the kind of long, gorgeous locks that make me weak in the knees, so she seemed the perfect candidate for this range, which aims to repair and provide your hair with protection, smoothness and fullness. Here’s what she had to say:

September 5, 2013

Review: Sally Hansen Miracle Cure

Doing my nails is one of my great joys in life – I love nothing more than sitting down with my nail file, buffing tool, cuticle pusher-backer and polish remover and giving myself a mini manicure. I usually manage to do this about once a week and then top it off with a quick paint job thats last me until the next time because I generally take care of my nails. Even so, I’ve found recently that they’re starting to peel really badly and it’s driving me nuts. I asked my nail guru Charlotte for advice and she suggested I…

July 18, 2013

Review: The Body Shop Shampoo & Conditioner

The Body Shop Rainforest Shampoo and Conditioner

I recently decided to try a few more products from The Body Shop, a brand that I feel dwells in the limbo of being established and well respected, but maybe a little bit forgotten as new, more exciting eco-friendly brands become the norm. The Body Shop is the original, natural and ethical beauty brand, and really were light years ahead of their time when they launched in 1976. Since then they’ve become synonymous with fair trade, environmental friendliness and cruelty-free beauty. Even though most new brands claim to have these values (since it’s so very fashionable these days!), few truly…

May 13, 2013

Review: Essence Gel Eyeliner

Let me start off by saying that Essence as a brand has completely surprised me. I assumed that, since their products were so ridiculously cheap and seemed to be aimed at the teen market that the quality would be questionable. After trying some of their nail products with varying degrees of success, I still wasn’t convinced but decided to try the gel liner as I’d heard a few good reviews. It also seemed like a low-risk purchase considering that it costs only R40! It is an amazing product and all the others I’ve tried from Essence since (like the cream…

April 17, 2013

Review: Stila Kitten Eyeshadow

Before Stila arrived in South Africa, the only thing I knew about the brand was their famous eyeshadow in the shade called Kitten which is beloved the world over. It’s one of those shimmery champagne shades that works well on its own or as a base for building a more complex eyeshadow look, and suits a broad range of skin tones. It was the first item I bought from the range (and also bought one for Camilla for Christmas) and here are my thoughts:

February 11, 2013

REVIEW: Smashbox Brow Tech To Go

I have the sad misfortune of owning the world’s most useless eyebrows. They’re fine so I have very few hairs plus they’re blonde so you can hardly see them. I cottoned on to this fact fairly early on and have been getting them tinted religiously for many, many years. It’s a tedious but necessary process I’m afraid. As a result, I’m extremely picky about what I use to pencil them in (mere tinting is not enough since there is so little hair to begin with!) and I’ve spent a large portion of my life searching for the perfect product. And…

February 5, 2013

REVIEW: Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation

Here’s the official blurb on this foundation: Mattifying liquid foundation for up to 12 hours. Natural shine control, for fresh matte finish. With camomile to help calm, cucumber to help clarify and cotton to help control shine. Talc free, oil free, paraben free, fragrance free 5 shades to choose from And these were our personal experiences with the product: Jules: Shade: 203 Sand Coverage: Light-medium but I only use a very small amount and then blend it out with a buffing brush. Definitely buildable. Look & Feel: Perfectly smooth application and it feels totally weightless (I HATE being able to feel…

January 9, 2013

Favourite Five: Lush hair products

By now you’ve probably all heard that Lush have opened a store in the V&A Waterfront, much to the delight of the brand’s South African fans. I used to avoid Lush when I lived in London as I always found the smell of the store really overwhelming, and I’ve heard this from a lot of other people too. The strong scents and bright colours of the products also give the impression that everything is full of nasty chemicals and synthetic ingredients. The truth is that not only are Lush’s products ALL NATURAL (and organic where possible) but they’re handmade with…

Posts Tagged‘Product review’