The Black Pearl Blog - UK beauty, fashion and lifestyle blog

BRIGHT RED NOTD- ESSIE POUF DADDY (533)

I purchased 3 Essie nail polishes from TKmaxx a couple of weeks ago (for £9.99) and I fell in love with the bright red one called... Pouf Daddy :)

The formula is streak free, gives a super glossy finish and two coats create the perfect red I've been looking for.

I also love it on my toe nails :) It looks lovely on pale or tanned skin and it is a gorgeous feminine shade.

Are you a fan of red nails?

Essie Pouf Daddy 533 (two coats)

NYR Wild Rose Beauty Balm and Beauty Sleep Concentrate review

I like to change my skincare routine quite often and add new discoveries to it , so I was very excited to try two new products from Neal's Yard Remedies. I've been using the Wild Rose Beauty Balm and Beauty Sleep Concentrate for 4 weeks and I am ready to share my thoughts with you.

Beauty Sleep CONCENTRATE 30ml* £30.00 link

I really like the light formula of this night time moisturiser. The packaging says that you need to apply 3-4 pumps of it to your skin, I only needed 2 pumps and it was enough for my full face. It feels great on my skin and I use it on it's own or after using Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate or Jason Hyper-C serum. Sometimes I actually use 3 of them together. The concentrate is absorbed in a couple of seconds and leaves my skin smelling absolutely beautiful. The scent is very soothing and I really like the way it makes me feel before bedtime. In the morning I wake up with rejuvenated, smooth, plumper looking skin. The concentrate works it's magic while I sleep :) I can definitely see the benefits and I don't need to worry that it will make my T-zone oily, as it is suitable for all skin types. If you are looking for an effective, lightweight night time moisturiser, this one is perfect!

Wild Rose Beauty Balm 50g* £32.25 link

I was very intrigued by this product and I wasn't sure if it will be something I enjoy using. I left it sitting on my dressing table for over a week before I tried it, but as soon as I used it, I fell in love.

It is a very thick balm packed with natural ingredients. You can use it as a cleanser, exfoliant, mask or a moisturiser. I tried all the above and more :) You can actually have an "at home facial" with this little jar and your skin will feel amazing!

It smells heavenly and helps me relax. My favourite use for it must be a face mask, I scoop a little bit of the balm out of the jar, massage into clean skin, leave it on for 10 minutes and remove with the muslin cloth provided. My skin feels super smooth and looks very fresh after each use.

If I don't have any eye-make up on, I use a tiny amount of the balm as a make-up remover and a gentle exfoliator - I like the 2 in 1 action :) I also like to use it on my elbows, knees and other dry patches on my body and it works really well.

I need ta mention that I am a big fan of NYR packaging, the beautiful blue jars and bottles are 100% recyclable and the glass NYR uses is made from Scottish sand, Yorkshire limestone and soda ash from Cheshire.

Overall, I am impressed with both products and I really enjoy using them. NYR definitely gets massive 'thumbs up' from me and I will be investing in more of their products in the future.

*PR samples

NEW IN: L'Occitane purchases

I couldn't resist sharing this with you! After trying a couple of products from L'Occitane I found myself looking at their website every day! :) I finally placed my first order and got a few products that are currently on sale. Most products were £5! What a bargain! You can get your order gift wrapped free of charge, so I thought... Ok... I will just get myself a present :) The packaging is beautiful! I am in love with everything! You also get free samples of your choice with every order! I will be reviewing the products soon. I used the solid perfume and Vineyard Rose body butter and they both smell amazing! Did I mention that I am in love? Yes I did :)

1.Ultra Rich Body Cream Vineyard Rose link

2.Ultra Rich Body Cream Cocoa Flower link

3.Rose 4 Reines Solid Perfume link

4.Delice des Fruits Bath Ball link

How cute is this stamp!

What's in my handbag

Hi everyone!
Happy Friday! I am finally doing the "What's in my handbag" post. I spend most of my days at home and when we go somewhere I take too much stuff with me :) I also take a baby changing bag with Zachary's stuff in it and a camera for taking pictures.
I don't go shopping with such a heavy bag, it usually stays in the car and I take my wallet with me :)
If you want to have a peek inside my handbag on www.whatsinmyhandbag.com click on the picture below and you will be able to see all the items and a short description.

Would you like to see a "What's in my make-up bag" post in the future?

Contents of my bag(a motorcycle Balenciaga lookalike):

1.Wallet. 2.iPad. 3.Bracelets.

4.Make-up bag. 5.Denman hairbrush. 6.L'Occitane Shea Butter hand cream. 7.OPI nail Envy. 8.L'Occitane Cherry Blossom EDT.

9.Eco Tools travel brush set, hair clips, rings etc. 10.Lip balms and lipstick.

11.Nail file. 12.L'Occitane Angelica Hydration face Mist. 13.Batiste Dry Shampoo.

14.Tissues. 15.Flower by Kenzo EDP mini.

That's how it looks like when all the stuff is inside

Gwdihw balms review

I received three lovely balms from www.gwdihwbalm.co.uk a couple of weeks ago and I have been using them every day. GWDIHW balms is a company based in North Wales. They offer a range of natural, herbal body balms and soothers to treat specific problem areas. The herbs used to infuse the balms are locally grown on a herb nursery in Anglesey and all ingredients used are totally natural.

AMAZING! All the balms are a generous size-25g and cost only £4.49 so it is a great deal. The packaging is very cute, pocket size metal tins with colorful designs. Just look at the Cheeky Cherub packaging - mummy owl with little baby owls! PS. GWDIHW is pronounced Goody Hoo and means owl in Welsh.

Smoochy Lips Cherry 25g Balm* £4.49 link

Smoochy Lips is a lip balm available in 4 flavours: Orange & Lemon, Cherry, Pineapple and Vanilla.

I got the Cherry one and I love it. It smells and tastes of cherries and feels very nice on my lips.

It is non sticky and it is packed with natural goodness.

Coconut and Olive oils leave my lips feeling soft and nourished.

I keep this balm in my handbag and reach for it all the time.

Apply little and often for kissable lips

Ingredients: Coconut And Olive Oils, Beeswax, Calendula, Natural Cherry Flavour.

Cheeky Cherub Baby Balm 25g Balm* £4.49 link

This balm really helped with my sons nappy rash. He's never had nappy rash until his 1st birhday.

My husband bought different nappies (typical) and they caused a very nasty nappy rash.

I used the balm on the affected area and it worked wonders.

I also used it on my sons dry skin (he gets dry patches on his arms) and it helped to soften the skin and the redness started fading away. Another problem the balm helped with is cradle cap- Zac has got very mild cradle cap and the doctor told me that it will go away soon. I used Cheeky Cherub a couple of times on the small area of his head that's affected and it is looking much better. I will keep using it and hopefully it will disappear forever :)

It smells lovely, mostly of calendula an lavender and the delicate scent stays on all day.

Ingredients:Coconut & Olive Oils, Beeswax, Aloe Vera, Comfrey, Calendula, Lavender Oil

Nail Wizard 25g Balm* £4.49 link

I am obsessed with looking after my nails and I've been using the Nail Wizard balm a couple of times a day to soften and nourish my cuticles. I mentioned many times that my nails are very weak and no matter what I do, they stay weak. It doesn't mean that I will give up. I never will -I love using products like this to make sure I take care of my nails. It also leaves my hands smelling absolutely gorgeous. Calendula and lemon- my favourite scents.

Gently massage this thick balm into your nails and cuticles. Apply regularly to benefit from the cleansing lemon and nourishing cocoa butter

Ingredients: Coconut And Olive Oils, Beeswax, Cocoa Butter, Calendula, Lemon Essential Oil.

*PR samples

Purple smokey eye

I love the smokey eye look and I think I have tried all the colour combinations you can think of.

I will be experimenting with colours on the blog and every week I will try to create different looks.

I usually go for natural looks or don't wear make-up at all, but I am sure I can make an exception once a week :) Today I decided to reach for my favourite Urban Decay Book of Shadows vol II and Naked2. I used three shades for this look: Ecstasy, AC/DC and Blackout.

PRODUCTS I USED: Urban Decay Book of Shadows vol II(shades Ecstasy and AC/DC), Urban Decay Naked2(shade Blackout), He-Shi bronzer for blending, body shop eye pencil in black, Blink&Go mascara, UD lipgloss and INIKA mineral foundation for my face

No more mess- how to store your mineral foundations and pigments

I mentioned in my Inika review that I found a solution to prevent all mineral powders and pigments from making a mess. Here is a quick and simple thing you can do.
It is a 1 minute job and you will only need foam/sponge (about 2cm thick) and scissors.
1.Cut a circle out of foam to match the shape of your container.
2.Place the foam circle on the sieve and screw the lid back on.
That's it! I have been carrying my pigments and powders in my handbag and they are clean and I don't need to worry about them making a mess anymore :)

INIKA Cosmetics- Mineral foundation powder and and mineral eyeshadows

I love mineral makeup and I fell in love with INIKA when I got their eyeliner in my April Glossybox.
The consistency, the colour and the amazing ingredients stole my heart.
Today I am reviewing more INIKA products including a mineral foundation powder in shade nurture and four highly pigmented mineral eye shadows.
All INIKA products are certified organic or vegan, certified Halal  and cruelty free.

INIKA Mineral Foundation Powder*, shade: nurture 8g £25.55 link

I started using mineral foundations a couple of months ago and I loved the finish, so I was very excited to try one from INIKA. I am not disappointed. The shade I got is called Nurture and it suits most average white skin tones. There is a selection of 9 shades so I am sure you will find a match for your skin. I was unsure what shade I should get , so I picked the safe option :) Nurture is perfect for me and looks very natural. The coverage is great. I recently burnt my face with a curling wand and I am left with a scar (3x1cm) so i had to start using a concealer and foundation to cover it. (I was using tinted moisturisers before) This mineral foundation is a 3 in 1 product and works as a concealer, foundation and powder. I didn't expect it to camouflage my scar, but it did! I didn't need extra concealer! I used my Real Techniques buffing brush to apply it and the finish is very natural and flawless. It doesn't look cakey and it feels very light. I use a setting spray to finish it off and it stays on all day, looking lovely and fresh. (the spray I use is L'occitane Angelica Hydration Face Mist). If pores around your nose are very visible I would recommend using a primer like Porefessional to minimize the appearance of them.

Inika foundations are made with natural ingredients and offer natural sun protection with SPF15.

The only bad thing I can point out is the packaging. Like most mineral products, powders and pigments it comes with a sieve, but nothing to cover it and the powder goes absolutely everywhere, unless you find something to sort out this problem. I did :) and I will be adding a post about it tomorrow. No more mess for me and I can finally carry my mineral foundations and eye shadows in my handbag.

shade: Nurture

INIKA foundation in shade Nurture (no primer or concealer) + ELF blusher

INIKA MINERAL EYESHADOWS* 1.2g £11.75 link

Inika eye shadows are very pigmented and stay on my eye lids all day without a primer. The colours are beautiful and vibrant and perfect for everyday wear or a fun nigh time look. They are very versatile and can be used wet or dry, as a shadow or eyeliner. They are made with natural ingredients and suitable for sensitive eyes. You can see on the swatches, how beautifully pigmented they are. I love all the shades I received and to be honest, I haven't touched other eye shadows since I got these :)

I like using shades Mango and Gold Dust allover the lid for a simple look, or combine two colours together to create something a little bit more fun.

The application is very simple. Pick up a little powder, press the product into the brush, tap off the excess and apply as desired. I used my finger a couple of times and it worked to.

Kingfisher must be my favourite shade, it is a gorgeous bright green and it looks beautiful on tanned skin. I use it allover the lid, in the outer corners or as a liner and I love it! It looks amazing! (see below) I will be trying Mango as a liner next. I think I won't be using a black liner for a while :)