September & October Favorites!

Today is a bit of an unusual post as it is a september and october favourites post - and a cheeky August favourites at the end too as firstly, I have been busy and a bit lazy because of university and secondly, I have been using a lot of the same products for the past three months! For example, I have been using the same foundation (almost constantly) for the past three months and the same mascara, foundation brush, moisturiser and eyeshadow quad!

Firstly, base products; I have been loving the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush (£9.99) for the past three or so months - I took this brush on holiday with me in August too. I love the brush because it is incredibly smooth and soft on the skin and it applies/blends the majority of my foundations like a dream! The foundation that I have been using the most over the past three months has been my Illamasqua Light Liquid Foundation; I bought this foundation in the Illamasqua sale back in July for only £10. I wear the shade LF120 which is a fantastic match for my skin as I am really quite pale at the moment. I took this foundation with me on holiday too back in August and it worked well, although I had to set it with a fair amount of powder to stop it from running off my face! The foundation has light coverage, it makes my skin tone more even and it has a gorgeous finish - it makes my skin look luminous and 'lit from within' but it doesn't make my skin look dewy or greasy! 

Now onto some skincare (and haircare) favourites of mine for the past three months. Firstly, Nuxe Reve De Miel Stick Lip balm (£5.50). During the month of August I was using my Caudalie lip balm then in September I ran out of the Caudalie balm and I started using my Nuxe lip balm - and I have to say it is not as good as the Caudalie version. I like the Nuxe lip balm, it is one of my favourites, but the caudalie balm is richer and more hydrating. A new favourite product which I received at the beginning of October is a lip balm from Rodial - Rodial Glam Balm Lip which is a sample size that I received as part of a kit. This lip balm is just gorgeous and so intensive; I only use it at night because it is a small sample and I don't want to got through it so quickly as the full size is priced at £19! The lip balm is great as a kind of night treatment for my lips and in the morning my lips will be incredibly smooth and soft - ready for lipstick and liner! 

The second favourite skincare product is the Mama Mio Mighty Moisture Moisturiser which is a 15ml sample I received (using a code during August) with a feelunique order. I took this on holiday with me in August and I have been using it on and off ever since! This moisturiser is smooth, rich and it leaves my skin feeling very smooth, soft and hydrated - it doesn't irritate my skin either, even though it does smell of lavender. I have nearly finished this moisturiser and I am considering buying the full size although it is very expensive, I will have to seen if it is on offer anywhere.

Two of the final favourites are from the month of October and include my Lancome Cleansing fluid (£34, 400ml) which is just incredible! The cleansing fluid smells heavily of mens aftershave/cologne but it doesn't irritate my skin at all! In fact when I have a tiny outbreak of eczema I use this and the next day the eczema is so much better (although this works only with my very minor eczema breakouts). So I am very surprised with the results from the Lancome cleansing milk and when this bottle is finished I WILL have to buy another! 

My last favourite product is from my September Jolie Box and it is...Twistbands! Twistbands are hair bands/hair ties/bobbles and they are supposed to be gentle on the hair and not create a kink in the hair. I have been using mine only while in the house as I wouldn't wear those colours outside! With my hair the twistbands actually stay in really well (in a pony or a bun) and they do feel really gentle on my hair - but they don't stay in all day and they can create a kink/line in my hair. 

....and a very late August favourites which may be useful to those of you lucky enough to be somewhere warm now - unlike England where it is freezing and raining with the possibility of snow!

The products that I was using on holiday and through out the month of august have been almost the same as the products that I have been using for the months of September and October - expect the Caudalie body lotion (empty), the Kiko highlighter (£5.20, sale) and the Tweezerman brow mousse (empty). Although the majority of the products have been the same for the past three months but while on holiday I did have to set my Illamasqua Light Liquid foundation with a good amount of powder otherwise it would look really shiny. The Soap and Glory quad in the shade 'Whats nude' has been a favourite product of mine since I bought it early last year! 

What are your favourite products for October/Autumn?

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October Empties: Candles & Fragrance Samples

As the nights have been getting darker sooner, the leaves are falling from the trees like autumnal hued confetti I have been using a lot more candles as at this time of year it is nice and homely to have candles burning, in my opinion anyway. I have five Yankee Candle Samplers that I have burned fully to share with you and I also have a couple of perfume/fragrance samples that I have used up too. Firstly, the Yankee candle samplers:

 

I have been loving candles right now, especially Yankee candle samplers but some of them have been a lot better than others. The first scent is ‘Greek Fig and Blackcurrant’ which is not very widely available and I bought this scent some time last year. I like the scent but it is far too subtle! The scent is almost undetectable and in turn the scent throw/dispersion is very poor also. Another Yankee candle scent that I have been disappointed with is ‘Autumn Leaves’ which sounds nice but to me this sampler just smells like generic potpourri and the scent strength/dispersion are quite average. Yet another Yankee Candle disappointment is the scent ‘Country Lemonade’ which again sounds nice but the scent is really subtle, it is not noticeable at all really which is really quite disappointing. The scent strength/dispersion is really poor, in my opinion, although it does looking nice when it is burning.

Now onto the two Yankee candle samplers that I was very impressed with; first is the Yankee Candle sampler in the scent ‘Creamy Caramel’. This scent is just gorgeous, it smells like toffee, butterscotch and caramel and it smells really quite similar to the Yankee Candle Danish Butter Cookie candle that I love. Overall, this scent is divine; the scent strength is good and it has a great scent dispersion/throw. The second candle from Yankee candle that was quite impressive is ‘Café Au Lait’ which I didn’t know if I was going to like as I do like the scent of coffee but not bitter coffee. This scent is not bitter at all though, it smells like a creamy latte with a sprinkling of chocolate onto. The scent is amazing, the scent strength/dispersion is good but it could be better – overall a great candle!

Now onto the two fragrance/perfume samples I have used up include: Taylor Swifts Wonderstruck perfume and the new fragrance from Hugo Boss ‘Boss Nuit’. Firstly, wonderstruck by Taylor swift is not a fragrance I would have wanted to try given the disgusting bottle design and the fact that I don’t  like her music (disgusted faces from some people right now at aimed at me I know). Although I really like her perfume; it is a lot more unique than I thought it was going to be and it is quite sweet but musky as well. Overall, it is really nice but the longevity on me was not great; it lasted about four to five hours on me. Secondly, Hugo Boss Nuit; I received this as a free sample with and online order and I have mixed opinions about this fragrance. I like it because it is a sophisticated evening fragrance but I find that it is too musky for me personally and as with the wonderstruck perfume, this didn’t last very long on me either – this fragrance lasted three to four hours on my skin.

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Glossy Box: October Overview

I received my October Glossy Box a few days ago (even though I have been trying to cancel my subscription for the past couple of weeks) and I have to say I am disappointed yet again my Glossy Box - although there are one/two products that I like in the box. 

The items I received in my Glossy Box are as follows: Dermalogica three step skincare set (£12), which I have had before and I think it was in a Glossy Box. I also received the Skinetica spot treatment (£9.99 - £31). A body product I received is a nice body scrub from Anatomicals called 'don't just clean it woman, scrub it' (£3.49) which smells really nice. 

Lastly, I got a lipstick from Yves Rocher and I have tried a few things from the french brand before but never any of their makeup so I was excited to see this in the box - although I would have liked a more rosy, wearable shade.The lipstick applies really smoothly and it has great pigmentation.  

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A week in photographs #3

My week has consisted of four main things: University, Candles, Christmas gifts and disappointing nail products! What an exciting life I lead! Firstly, I have just finished my first term of my third year of university (I am studying psychology if you are interested) and I have a lot of assignments to do and a dissertation to start! Also as it is getting colder and the leaves are floating down from the trees with their wonderful autumnal hues (which I love) I have been burning candles a lot more - as I am typing this I have a Yankee Candle sampler burning in the scent 'Creamy Caramel' which smells a bit like the Yankee Candle Danish Butter Cookie Tumbler that I love so much! Also I as I have been busy with uni and assignments (and reviews) I have been drinking more coffee *drools* in particular the Nescafe Latte sachets which are divine. 

As it is autumn (and not really Christmas yet) Boots have their Christmas things in stores (I have a blog post with the Boots Christmas presents I bought here). I have been wrapping all of my family and friends Christmas presents already - I think I am a little bit too organised. Another thing I love about autumn are the dark burgundy/autumnal nail polish shades. I bought a few including: Rimmel's 'Caramel Cupcake', Topshop's 'Moving House', Maybelline's 'Really Rosy' and Essie's 'Very Structured' which is a gorgeous colour (pictured above) but it doesn't last well.

*On a side note* I have been a little bit obsessed with gel eyeliner this week; my cousin had a party for her 21st birthday yesterday (and a surprise engagement!) and I wore a nude pinky lip with winged gel eyeliner - a look I must wear more often! I use my Clinique Brush On Cream Eyeliner which is just fantastic and I used my Real Techniques Pixel Point Brush which is also fantastic. (The two photographs of me show my hair for the party, curled loosely, and my gel eyeliner). 

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Favourite Autumnal Shades: Lips!

One of the first and the most worn of my autumnal lipsticks is from the brand ELF (eyeslipsface.co.uk). This lipstick is from the mineral lipstick line from ELF in the shade Ripe Rose (£5). I love this shade as it is a gorgeous rosy pink shade which looks fairly natural and it has an English rose quality to it. This shade is a great everyday shade, it is creamy and it applies/blends very smoothly. This shade works really well with black gel liner or a brown/natural smokey eye. *On another note, it is just me or have the prices for all ELF products increased?*

Another great product is the Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in the shade 'Crush' (£7.99) which is not my favourite shade (my favourite shade is 'honey'). Crush is a really nice plum pink shade which is a bit bright on my lips in some lights. The formula of the Revlon Kissable Balm Stains is fantastic; they are very smooth, glossy and they do last for a really good amount of time, in my opinion. 

Lastly, a typical autumn/fall lipstick shade is a red plum. I have a gorgeous red plum lipstick by Revlon in the shade 'Fabulous Fig' from the Revlon Matte Lipstick range (£7.49). I love this shade, it just screams chilly autumn days with crisp rusty coloured leaves covering the ground. This lipstick applies really smoothly and the shade is divine but the matte formula does make my lips look dry if I don't exfoliate and moisturise my lips really well beforehand. 

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Christmas Gift Ideas: Boots

It's (not) nearly Christmas so you know what that means...Boots Christmas gifts! This year I found some gorgeous gifts, some of which are not just re-promotes or variations from last year. I bought some gifts from FCUK, Boots own brand, Baylis and Harding/beauticology and Dior. Firstly, I bought a couple of things from the Boots own brand Christmas collection the Boots Gadget Travel Mug (£7) for my dad and the Boots Cosy Supersoft Polar Fluff Socks (£5) for my sister. Both gifts look/feel very good quality and they were great value too. I also bought a couple of gorgeous gifts sets from the Baylis and Harding (beauticology) range and I have to say that this range and packaging just screams Philosophy at me! The packaging and products is so similar looking to the Philosophy shower gels which are really quite expensive and these sets were less than £5 each! First is the Baylis and Harding Gingerbread Socks and Foot Treatment Set (£5) I bought this for myself and I am not disappointed! It is a gorgeous gift set, the packaging is very cute and the products are great. The second Baylis and Harding set is the Baylis and Harding Gingerbread Mini Bath and Body Trio (£4) I think these sets are such amazing value and they look great! 

Lastly, I bought this amazing value set from Dior - Diorshow Christmas New Look Mascara Gift Set (£23). I bought this set because I wanted the mini eyeshadow palette (which is gorgeous) and I think I am going to give the boxed mascara to a friend. Overall, a gorgeous and great value set as the mascara would be around £23 on its own. 

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September Empties: Bath, Body and Candle Products!

This post will feature all of the bath and body products that I have used up over the month of September and I have thrown in a couple of used candles in this post too. On to the empties!

So many empties so little time, I have only just got round to writing this blog post as I have started uni again (I'm now in my third and final year which will no doubt kill me!). Anyway on to the empties, starting with the body moisturisers. I have been trying to use up my body lotions, body butters and body creams (of which I have very many) and during the month of September I managed to use up three! Firstly, the Body Shop Body Butter in the scent Moringa (£13, 200ml). I really like the scent of this product, although it does smell very artificial, in my opinion. This fresh floral scent makes a change from the fruity/nutty scented body butters I have, although the scent doesn't last too long. The body butter is the thickest/heaviest of all of the body shop body butters I have tried therefore it makes my skin feel quite heavy and greasy. Overall, it is a nice scent, it really moisturises my skin but it also leaves my skin feeling heavy and almost sticky! 

Another body moisturiser I have used up is the Vaseline Clean Feeling Body Lotion (£2-4, 200ml). I have a sample bottle of this product and while it did sink in quickly it also made my skin feel too clean...allow me to explain. This body lotion is designed so that it does not feel heavy on the skin and that it makes your skin feel moisturised but clean. Although I find this lotion to be no where near moisturising enough for me and it makes my skin feel squeaky clean, not moisturised. Overall, I do not like this lotion and I would not recommend it. The final body moisturiser I have used up is the Boots Fairtrade Mango Body Butter (£7.95, 200ml). I received a sample set of five body butters from this range so they are only 50ml each. This mango scented body butter is just gorgeous! I love the scent although it is really sweet and fruity so others may not like the scent. The body butter absorbs quickly but it hydrates well and the scent lasts for a good period of time too - overall a great product! 

Now a couple of shower products, firstly the Davines Authentic Moisturising Balm (£17.55, 150ml). I received a 75ml tube of this product in a Glossy Box a while ago and I have tried it on my hair and it is awful in my hair! Although I did find that it works well on the body; I applied this product onto dry skin before showering and it made my skin very smooth and moisturised afterwards - I didn't need to use a body lotion. Overall, a nice balm for the body (although it isn't actually a balm) but it awful when used on the hair and it is very overpriced, in my opinion. I will not be buying the full size, I don't like the scent but the packaging is gorgeous! A Very mixed bag of results with this product! The last shower/body product is The Sanctuary Spa Bath Float (£10.25, 400ml). I have been using Sanctuary Spa products for years now and I do like them although I find this shower gel to be very average, overall I would not purchase it again. 

Lastly, two candle empties! Firstly, the Rodial Rehab Candle (£35, 210g). I did not buy this candle for £35/40 as it was on sale on the Debenhams website for only £10, so naturally I had to buy it! I adore the packaging of this candle and the scent is quite unusual but very nice. Although that it where the positiveness ends with this product as the candle doesn't melt evenly - it does not reach the sides of the tumbler so the candle melts straight down leaving the sides of the candle wasted. Also the strength of the scent i not great and the throw (the scent dispersion) is average. Overall, a nice candle with an extortionate price tag - this is a very good example of style of substance, in my opinion. Secondly, a mini candle from Bath and Body Works (link here to the site where you can buy bath and body works products in the UK). The mini candle is in the scent 'Vanilla Bean Noel' which is gorgeous and the candle actually lasts a while and it is quite strong despite its small size. Overall, bath and body works candles have to be my favourite out of all of the other candles/brands I have tried but unfortunately they are a little bit expensive and not widely available in the UK. 

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September Empties: Skincare & Makeup

This post will include all of the skincare and makeup products I have used up in September with mini reviews of all the products featured.I have managed to use up quite a few skincare products during the month of September, a couple of which I am definitely going to repurchase.

Firstly, one of my favourite products - the Boots Botanics Ultra Calm Skin Relief Serum (£5.33-£7.99, 30ml). I showed this product in a haul when I bought it in July (link to the haul post here). I have been using this facial serum twice a day since I bought it and I just adore this serum. I find that it makes my skin smoother, softer and it doesn't clog my pores or cause any irritation/spots/redness. I also found that this serum did reduce my skins sensitivity but it is not a major change. I definitely recommend this serum and I am going to purchase another tube after I have finished a couple of serum samples I have.

Another product I have used up that I have already repurchased is the Simple Rich Replenishing Moisturiser (£3.89, 125ml). I love this moisturiser, I have repurchased about six or more bottles because it doesn't irritate my skin and it moisturises well - very highly recommended and it is really cheap too (always a good thing!).

Another couple of skincare products that I used up were from a set that I received in a Glossy Box - Dermalogica. I have been wanting to try some skincare products from Dermalogica for a while but they are expensive and I have sensitive skin so I was unsure whether they would irritate my skin. Although these two Dermalogica products that I have used up did not irritate my skin but I would only repurchase one of them. Firstly, the Dermalogica Clean Start Wash Off Foaming Cleanser (£12-£14, 180ml). I was surprised by how much I actually liked this cleanser as due to the scent I thought that it may irritate my skin but it doesn't and it lathers up like no other facial cleanser I have tried before. When I use this cleanser with my Clarisonic Mia it produces so much lather and this cleanser makes my skin feel really clean and clear. It also reduces the number of spots I get during a certain time of the month (cough, cough). Overall, a fantastic cleanser but I need to work my way through the mountain of cleansers I have to be able to purchase the full size version of this cleanser - recommended, especially if you have a clarisonic.

Secondly from dermalogica, the Clean Start All Over Clear Purifying Toner (£12-10, Ebay). I did get along with this toner fairly well although the main negative point about this product for me is the scent; this product smells like cleaning fluid! The scent is horrible, in my opinion, and it is also really strong; so much so that it makes my eyes water slightly. This toner worked well but I did find it slightly drying and because of the negative points concerning the scent I would not buy this product nor do I recommend it.

Now another favourite product of mine, the Caudalie Lip Conditioner (£4.95, 4g). This lip balm is quite simply the best lip balm I have ever used and I have tried a lot of lip balms! This lip balm makes my lips feel so smooth and hydrated - very highly recommended. 

Finally a couple of make up items I have used up! Firstly, the Diorshow waterproof mascara in the shade black/noir (£23). I love this mascara, it was the very first high end makeup product I bought for myself! I have had this mascara for a criminally long time, about two years! This mascara has a massive brush which gives my volumised, black thick lashes - love it!

The second make up item is a foundation, the Bourjois Brush Foundation in the shade 'beige clair' (£6-12, online, ebay). I bought this foundation for about £4 from a discount store in Manchester arndale which I think has closed down now. This foundation is really nice, it applies well although the brush applicator is not very hygienic so I dispense the foundation onto the back of my hand then apply with a clean Real techniques Expert Face Brush. This foundation gives a nice radiant (not dewy) finish but it can look a bit patchy throughout the day and I would not recommend this for people with flaky skin or oily/combination skin. 

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