Last Minute Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Mother's day is almost here! I've already put together a Mother's Day gift guide for all budgets which you can check out, here and I have reviewed a gorgeous necklace from Nude Jewellery that I think would make a lovely gift, here. Todays' post features some gifts that I think would be perfect for mother's day or birthdays!

*Joules Womens Umbrella (£19.95, Red Peony): which has to be the cutest umbrella I've ever seen! I love the wooden handle and it has a little rabbit cut out on the end. The design is great and I love the colours/print! Although if you don't like this design, there are more to choose from; Joules make lovely accessories and clothing pieces. 

Rodial Dragons Blood Eye Gel (£45): I received this full size, luxe eye gel as a free gift with purchase from Debenhams a while ago and I have been using it on and off since. I love the packaging and the eye gel itself is hydrating, soothing and it doesn't irritate my skin at all. I think an eye cream or gel would make a nice mothers day gift as skincare is so important and it's something that not everyone will invest in themselves. 

Lancôme Magnifique EDP (£35, 30ml): Perfume is one of my favourite gifts to receive and I know my mum loves fragrance too so it's a pretty safe gift to give, in my opinion. My mum personally loves musky scents so this perfume would be perfect as it is a musky, evening scent although it is quite floral and sweet too. Also the bottle is beautiful and fancy!

Boux Avenue Room Spray: I bought this home fragrance/room spray in the Boux Avenue January sale and it is the winter scent but we have been loving it. The packaging is so pretty and the room spray is wintery, spicy and great for this time of the year when it is still winter and cold outside but it's almost spring. This scent isn't available anymore but they have a White Chiffon room spray which sounds gorgeous. 

*Yes! Nurse Hand Cream (£5.49): Hand cream is another safe gift to give, in my opinion; myself and my mum love hand cream and use it all the time. My current favourite hand cream is the award winning Yes! Nurse hand cream - I have reviewed it fully, here. 

*Magnitone Lucid (£49.99): Another skincare product, it's like a electric toothbrush for your face...it does sound unusual but on the whole the Magnitone one is fantastic. I have also the amazing Clarisonic Mia which I do like more than the Magnitone Lucid but I paid £120 for my Clarisonic (yes, it's super expensive). I have mentioned my Clarisonic Mia on my blog (here) but if you want a comparison post let me know. 

Michael Kors iPad Mini Case (£59.95): I received this case from my parents at christmas and they bought it from TKMaxx so if you are looking for designer iPad Mini cases then check out your local TKMaxx store. I love mine and it would be a gorgeous luxe gift. 

What do you think of the gifts I have featured? Do you have any of these products? 

Read More

December + January Beauty Favourites 2017

I didn't post my December beauty favourites as I posted my 2016 beauty favourites instead but I still wanted to mention some of the products that I've been loving over the past two months so I've combined my December and January favourites. Today's post features two amazing foundations for dry skin, natural skincare that would be wonderful for anyone with sensitive or eczema prone skin, a long lasting lip liner and a few miscellaneous items. 

Skincare 

Winter is an awful time for my skin as it's dry and sensitive most of the time but so far this winter my skin has been incredibly dry with frequent eczema flareups *yay...*. Anyone who reads my blog will know by now that Antipodes is my all time favourite skincare brand so it's not surprising to see one of their vegan products in my favourites post. I have been using the *Antipodes Divine Oil for the past couple of weeks and I love it as part of my evening skincare routine. I haven't been using it in the mornings as it's too rich but I have been using the *Supermood Egoboost Serum which absorbs so quickly but it adds a boost of moisture to my skin as part of my morning skincare routine.

Now onto a skincare tool that I love! I won the Foreo Luna Go for Oily Skin back in November (maybe?) last year via the HQHair Twitter giveaway and I've only just started using it...I have the original Clarisonic Mia but I wanted to give this one a go and I might like it more than my Clarisonic *shock*. I don't see how it's designed just for oily skin but I've been loving it with my dry and sensitive skin as it helps to cleanse my skin so well leaving it squeaky clean and smooth but it doesn't irritate my skin. It looks a little dubious, especially as it vibrates like the Clarisonic and Magnitone cleansing tools...and it's a little harder to hold as it's tiny but I couldn't recommend it enough if you're a skincare nerd as I am!

The cleanser that I've been using with the Foreo Luna Go is the Bioderma Atoderm PP Ultra-Rich Foaming Gel which I think is suitable for the face and body. It's a very basic, gentle cleanser that lathers slightly with the Foreo Luna Go - they work so well together.

Bodycare & Toothpaste...

My hands also suffer so much during the winter months therefore hand cream is an essential. I have one in my bag, one next to my bed, one in the car and one on my desk which might be overkill...The *Tisserand Lavender & White Mint is my favourite of the three that I have tried, mainly because I adore lavender! It's everything I want in a hand cream as it doesn't irritate the eczema on my hands and it's very moisturising but it doesn't leave a residue.

Another product that smells floral and heavenly as well as being vegan is the *Amphora Aromatics Ylang Ylang, Argan & Rosemary Shower Gel. It smells very unique so I don't know if it will be for everyone although I love how different it is as well as being very musky and earthy. Even though it contains lots of fantastic natural ingredients, it lathers well and it doesn't contain parabens, artificial fragrances or colours.

This next item is a little unusual but I cannot recommend it enough and I'm seeing some results so I wanted to mention it. If you have been following my blog around christmas time then you may have seen my post featuring Sensodyne; I started using the new *Sensodyne True White Toothpaste back then but now I've used it for about a month, I'm seeing results. It's a really gentle toothpaste with a subtle minty flavour. it has been helping with my sensitivity and it has had a noticeable effect in terms of whiteness so if that's what you're looking for then check this toothpaste out!

Makeup 

There have been two foundations that I've been going between over the past couple of months, one is a high street offering and the other is a little pricier. The cheaper option is the Yves Rocher Comfort Cream Foundation which is great for my pale, dry and sensitive winter skin. The yellow undertones help to reduce my redness, it doesn't really emphasis dryness and it doesn't irritate my skin. Also the coverage is medium which is almost just enough to cover my redness, pores and dark circles.

The second foundation is the Lancome Cushion Foundation that is even better for dry skin types as it doesn't emphasise dryness at all, it gives a gorgeous glow and it is lightweight, comfortable and perfect for cold winter days. I don't use the sponge it comes with, I just use my foundation brush and sadly I think I'm running out of it so if you have any cushion foundation recommendations then send them my way!

My last makeup favourite is the *Laura Geller Pout Perfection Lip Pencil in Claret which is a lovely rosy red shade that I've been using almost overtime I have worn makeup. The pencil is creamy, it feels comfortable to wear and it lasts really well even through eating.

Have you tried any of these products? What beauty items have you been loving recently? 

Read More

2012 Favourites: Honorable Mentions

Here are my honorable favourite products for 2012 - a mix of candles, hair products, makeup and skincare that I have loved this year. 

Clarisonic Mia // Twistbands // Cosmopolitan Foundation Sponge // Goody Hair Bands/ties // Benefit Some Kind-o Gorgeous // Yankee Candle World Journeys Danish Butter Cookie // Ojon Deep Recovery Hair Mask

1. Clarisonic Mia: I have had my Clarisonic Mia for on year now and I have it in the colour 'poppy red'. I was sceptical at first, especially because of the very steep price tag of about £120 but I do think it makes a difference to my skin. I like using this tool, I find it cleanses my skin really well, it makes my skin clear/smooth/soft and it is gentle on my skin. Overall, I love this tool for cleansing my skin, it is so easy to use and it lasts for ages on one charge. 

2. Twistbands: I received these two Twistbands with a beauty box a couple of months ago and I have been using them almost everyday for a good few months now. The twistbands are basically just hair ties/bobbles and they are really quite gentle on the hair and they don't tend to pull on my hair. I use these when I am in the house and at night to keep my hair tied up. They are gentle on my hair, they are pain free and they do give good support. 

3. Cosmopolitan Beauty Blend Perfection Sponge: I have bought maybe ten or more of these sponges over the past two or three years. I found that when I had eczema really badly (very dry/flaky skin) that this was the only makeup tool I could use as brushes emphasised the dryness. This sponge is great of applying and blending foundation - it is a cheap version of the beauty blender sponge basically. I would recommended this to everyone, especially if you have dry skin. 

4. Goody Hair Bobbles/ties: I have been using these Goody bobbles since about june/july last year and they are just bobbles to tie the hair up with. Although they look like rock climbing rope as they are quite special as they are supposed to keep you hair tied up really securely without loosening/falling out - they really work! I love these bobbles as my hair is quite long and thick so I need a heavy duty bobble to tie it up with and these stay in my hair all day!

5. Benefit Some Kind-O Gorgeous: I received this mini product as part of a mini set (bought from ASOS) early last year and I have been using it on and off since. I use this to cover my pores as it has the best coverage of anything for pores! I have quite large pores on my nose and a small amount of this stuff and they are covered instantly! I love this product although I only use it to cover pores, it doesn't do anything else really.

6. Yankee Candle World Journeys Danish Butter Cookie Candle: I have raved about this candle so many times and I have already posted a full review on this on my blog (Link here). This is my favourite candle of all time! The scent is just gorgeous, the scent strength and dispersion/throw are fantastic and it is a hit with everyone!

7. Ojon Damage Reverse Hair Treatment: I received this as a free gift with purchase from Boots in the summer and I have been using this mask maybe once a fortnight. Firstly, I love the packaging and I love the initial scent. Also you only need a small amount of this mask and it is really easy to use. When the mask is rinsed out it makes my hair feel smooth and nourished - although they scent after a while can smell a bit like cigarettes...Not pleasant. 

Read More

A-Z Of My Favourite Beauty Brands!

A is for: Avene - one of the first french skincare brands I tried and I find their gentle cleanser to be amazing when my eczema breaks out!

B is for: Benefit and Bourjois - great foundations, nice packaging, widely available.

C is for: Caudalie! I adore Caudalie as none of their skincare products irritate my skin. I also love the brand Clarisonic and I do love my Clarisonic Mia.

D is for: Dior! I have been hooked on Dior since I bought my first Dior Mascara (Diorshow waterproof) and I have since bought a couple of large Dior travel exclusive palettes. Also Dove has to be included here as it is one of my favourite body/bath brands.

E is for: Eucerin - I love their 10% urea lotion for when my skin gets flaky and very dry and of course I have to metion ELF here as they make some great, cheap makeup although there are some awful products too.

F is for:.....

G is for: GHD - I have a pair of GHD straighteners which I used to use a lot but I prefer to embrace the curls, although they are the best straighteners I have used and the GHD Opulence Hair Mask is fantastic.

H is for:.....

I is for: Illamasqua - a great brand that produces high quality (and slightly quirky) products; I love the Illamasqua Light Liquid Foundation in the shade LF120 which is the only match for my paler than paler skin right now!

J is for:.....

K is for: Kiko, since I spent 40 euros in one Kiko store (in about ten minutes) I have been addicted to the brand Kiko - it is an Italian brand but they do ship to the UK - I love their lip pencils, eye shadows, nail polish etc.

L is for: Lush, of course! I adore Lush - I have a Lush draw...

 (L'Occitane and Lancome have to be included here too)

M is for: MAC, I have quite a few things from MAC on my beauty wish list and I only have few things from MAC but I love my MAC Moisture Cover Concealer (shade NW15).

N is for: Nars; I love my Nars Velvet Lip Pencil in the shade Dolce Vita, my Nars Pro-Prime Eyelid Primer, my Nars Bellissima Eyeshadow Duo and my Nars Bronzer in the shade, you guessed it, Laguna!

O is for: Original Source - they make great (and great smelling) shower gels that are so cheap!

P is for: Prada, in particular their Prada Infusion D'Iris which is my joint favourite perfume of all time - along with L'Occitane Cherry Blossom.

Q is for:.....

R is for: Rimmel, the essential brand for secondary school girls - all of my friends had Rimmel makeup while at secondary school and I still use some of their products now such as the Stay Matte Powder.

S is for: Simple - I have been using Simple skincare products for at least three years now and I will continue to use them - some products are amazing but others can irritate my skin (Soap & Glory also have to be included in this one!)

T is for: Tweezerman; I have three items from Tweezerman that I adore. Firstly, the amazing Tweezerman Browmousse which is the only product that keeps my brows from being mistaken as a jungle. The other two product are the 10x magnification mirror which is great for tweezing and the Tweezerman Tweezers themselves (mine have ladybugs on!)

U is for:.....

V is for: Vichy - the Vichy 3 in 1 Calming Cleansing Micellar Solution - it is just as amazing as Bioderma, in my opinion.

W is for: Wella - in particular their Clear Scalp Mask which is the only product I have used that gets rid of dandruff completely!

X is for:.....

Y is for: Yves Rocher; they make gorgeous bath, body and fragrance products! Although I wish the products were more available in the UK. I also love my YSL Parisienne perfume.

Z is for:.....

Read More

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. 

Read More

Summer Beauty Favourites 2018

Today's post is long over due! I have so many products that I've been loving recently but I haven't had the time to rave about them until now. All of these wonderful beauty, skincare and pampering products have been favourites for up to the past couple of months and I cannot recommend them enough!

July has been a pretty busy month with my friends wedding, bridesmaid duties, birthdays, holiday planning and more. July wasn't a great reading month or a good skincare month but on a positive note, July was my highest paid blogging month in my five years of blogging which I'm so happy with.

The brands in todays post are as follows: Absolute Aromas, Rio Rosa Mosqueta, Vitage Skincare, PMD Skincare, Kathleen UK and Lee Stafford. I cannot recommend these products enough especially for the summer season and the heatwave we've been having for what seems like years at this point in the UK.

*Vitage Skincare Age Defence Firming Eye Serum (£36, 15ml) 

When it comes to unnecessary skincare I used to think that eye creams belonged in that category, until I tried this eye serum! I was very lucky to receive an amazing surprise blogger mail package of festival beauty goodies from the lovely people over the Vitage Skincare and I'm so grateful as I genuinely love every single product. The firming eye serum peptides, botanicals and antioxidants to moisturise, smooth and firm the under eye area.

I love the packaging for all of the Vitage Skincare products and this one is no different. The eye serum has a slight cooling effect, it absorbs fairly quickly and it immediately smoothes and hydrates the skin so that my concealer and foundation look amazing - which is impressive considering how very dry my skin is. I cannot recommend this eye serum enough!

*Vitage Skin Defence SPF 30 (£26, 100ml)

There are three particular Vitage products I've been using constantly including the eye serum, skin calming aloe gel and this SPF cream. As I've mentioned, we have been having a rather ridiculous heatwave in the UK recently so SPF has been very necessary and this one is great; the cream absorbs quickly, it doesn't irritate my skin or leave a greasy feeling on the skin.

*Vitage Skincare Skin Calming Aloe Gel (£14, 100ml)

Before I received the surprise parcel from Vitage Skincare, I went to Heaton Park for a few hours and I managed to burn my arms and neck awfully! I haven't had any sun burn for years and I didn't really have any products to help my skin heal so the parcel arrived very timely so thankfully I could use the aloe gel to calm my painful sun burn. Aloe gel is a natural anti-inflamatory so it's perfect for sun burn!

*Vitage Skincare Advanced Moisture Boost (£39, 50ml)

Last but not least is a fantastic, effective and fuss free moisturiser which has been perfect for my sensitive and dry skin. The moisturiser contains nourishing oils, green tea extract, calendula oil and more so it is deeply hydrating and smoothing. I know the price is a little steep but I can't recommend Vitage Skincare products enough because they've worked so well for my temperamental skin.

*Absolute Aromas Relaxation Epsom Salts (£4.50, 300g)

Baths aren't usually something I love during the summer months but cooler baths with muscle relaxing and unwinding epsom salts are amazing especially on pamper days. Absolute Aromas epsom salts are composed of magnesium sulphate which is well known for their abilities to relax and restore muscles, soothe the skin and ease back pain and aches. The relaxation salts contain lavender oil, clove bud oil, chamomile flower oil and more lovely natural ingredients. The bath salts smell incredible, it's such a relaxing and calming scent that I've been loving. If you are in need of a solution to aching muscles then check out these surprisingly effective bath salts.

*Kathleen UK Tranquil Fields Body and Massage Oil (£34, 100ml)

If you've been following my blog for a while then you'll know how much I adore anything that is lavender scented so this product is perfect! I also love pampering evenings so it's a double win with this heavenly scented body and massage oil. The oil has such a gorgeous, relaxing and calming scent that instantly makes me feel much more relaxed. I've been using a very small amount as a body oil on the drier areas of the skin and it leaves my skin so smooth, moisturised and nourished.

*Kathleen Tranquil Fields Bubble Bath and Shower Gel (£18, 150ml)

The second and final product from the lovely UK based brand, Kathleen, is their bubble bath and shower gel in the matching Tranquil Fields scent. The shower gel smells just as lovely and relaxing as the body and massage oil; it isn't a basic lavender scent as it's creamy which makes it much more unique. The shower gel lathers so well, a little goes a long way and it doesn't irritate my skin at all! This is my first experience using Kathleen products and I can't recommend them enough as lovely pampering products.

*PMD Clean Smart Facial Cleansing Device (£89)

In the early days of blogging, the thing to have was the much coveted and expensive Clarisonic (I did buy one in the end, bloggers are such enablers). I sadly haven't used mine for a while but I've found something missing from my skincare routine recently, thankfully the PMD Clean has fit the bill wonderfully.

PMD is a brand I've been lucky enough to work with previously and I find their products to be very effective and this cleansing device is no different. The device vibrates over 7,000 per minute to deeply cleanse the skin as well as firming, lifting and toning the skin as well. Unlike the Clarisonic it is composed of ultra-hygienic silicone which is waterproof and hypoallergenic.

I've been using the device for around two weeks so far which isn't very long but my initial impressions are very good and so far I'm loving it. My skin has been looking very dull and quite congested over the spring and summer months and this deeply cleansing device has definitely been making a massive difference to the clarity and smoothness of my skin since using it with my range of cleansers.

It works well with so many creamy, gel or foam cleansers cleansers as it helps the cleanser lather and deeply massage the skin to cleanse well. It gently massages the skin but it doesn't irritate my skin which is something I have to consider as my skin is annoyingly dry and eczema prone. It's wireless, easy to use and very quick to throughly cleanse my skin so for me, it's an essential skincare product for summer.

*Lee Stafford Cactus Crush Shampoo (£7.99, 250ml)

Now onto my favourite haircare products for quite a while, the new 'cactus crush' range from Lee Stafford. Lee Stafford is such a nostalgic brand to me as I used it almost constantly for years as a teenager, especially their poker straight range! I'm so happy to try their new products because they not only look so cute and summery but they smell nice and they're wonderful for my very dry and super long hair. It lathers really well, it's very mosiurisng and smoothing so I cannot recommend it enough as even during the summer months my hair is very dry and slightly...wild.

*Lee Stafford Cactus Crush Conditioner (£7.99, 250ml)

As with the shampoo, I'm loving the conditioner from the range as it's so moisturising and detangling - my hair is hip length now and it can resemble a birds nest most of the time (I cannot wait to get it cut next month, 10 inches off!) so it needs all of the help it can get. The conditioner massively helps to detangle and tame my hair which is so impressive; if your hair is similar to mine then you'll adore this range.

*Lee Stafford Cactus Crush Mucho Moisture Mask (£8.99, 200ml)

Another lovely product from their new range is the hair mask which I've used a couple of times and I'm loving it. I rarely use hair masks on wet hair, I find that it doesn't really work well for my hair, so I apply a hair mask all over my scalp and hair while it's dry the I'll wash it out after an hour or so. The mask leaves my hair so smooth, moisturised and silky!

*Lee Stafford Cactus Crush Dazzle Drop (£8.49, 50ml)

Usually I'm never really interested in any kind of shine spray or shine drops as I always think that they'll leave my hair greasy or oily but as with the Vitage Eye Serum, I've been proven wrong! The dazzle drops are ideal for me to smooth any the plethora of frizz and flyways while adding a little healthy shine to my hair. Boots currently have a 3 for £15 offer on this new range so I'd recommend you take advantage of the offer as I'm so happy with this new range from Lee Stafford.

*Rio Rosa Mosqueta Rosehip Discovery (£12.95)

Next month I'm lucky enough to go on a weekend away in the Lake District with friends and I'm going on a European cruise at the end of August; I'm so excited for both and I need all of the travel minis! In comes Rio Rosa to the rescue with their new discovery set which is perfect for trailing their products for the first time or for taking with you on holiday or a weekend away.

The kit contains the cream cleanser (20ml), anti-ageing day and night cream (20ml) and the pure chilean rosehip seed oil (5ml), the latter comes with a pipette which is so handy. I love the packaging, all of the products are vegan and they are very gentle but effective so they tick all of the boxes! Some of the lovely natural ingredients included are as follows: macadamia seed oil, avocado oil, aloe vera leaf juice, shea butter and rosa mosqueta oil among others.

I've been using the products recently and I'm loving them! I've worked with Rio Rosa previously and I loved their body butter but this is my first time using their skincare and I'm impressed. I have dry, eczema prone and temperamental skin which can transform from normal skin to sensitive, flaky and very comfortable skin within a day so I need to use nourishing, gentle and natural products that are effective and these are all amazing for my skin.

So far the lovely anti-ageing day and night cream is my favourite product of the three as it's very soothing, moisturising and nourishing! I think the facial oil will be perfect when the autumnal months come around which if I'm honest, I cannot wait for as it's the best season (don't argue with me on this). If you're looking for a lovely natural skincare brand then look no further than Rio Rosa Mosqueta.

Have you tried any of these products or brands? Which products would you recommend for the summer months? 

Read More

March Collective Haul

I haven't been shopping that much recently but as spring has finally sprung, I felt the need to pick up a few new products. This haul features items from Lush, Boots, The Range, Amazon and FeelUnique. Since this haul I have made a mini H&M haul and I'm consistency browsing online for spring pieces!

Lush: Lush is one of my favourite bath, body and skincare brands but I haven't bought anything from them for ages! However last weekend I bought the Blue Skies & Fluffy White Clouds Bubble Bar (£4.75) which is a massive bubble bar! I have used up all of my Lush stash and the bubble bars have become my favourite products (I'm not into bath bombs at all now). I also picked up the Amandopondo Bubble Bar (£2.75) which is quite a small bar but I will get two uses out of it - I've used it once already and it is a lovely lemon/floral bar. One tip with bubble bars: don't crumble them, I just hold it under hot running water and it produces SO many bubbles - I don't get nearly as many bubbles if I crumble them. My last Lush purchase is the Lullaby Shampoo Bar (£5.75). I have tried the New and Sceanic bars which I liked so I wanted to try another and so far so good!

Boots: I cannot resist a 3 for 2 offer and I also had some Boots points so I had to make an order...I bought the two lightest shades of the new Bourjois Aqua Lacquers and I love them; they are gorgeous nude pinky shades for spring, they feel like water on the lips and they look so beautiful. For the 'free' product, I picked the much raved about Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder which I love so far although as with Bourjois foundations, it can cling to super dry patches on me. 

The Range: I'm not a big fan of The Range, I find the products can be a little tacky or they can actually be a bit expensive for what they are. Although I did see some new Ferrero Rocher mini easter eggs - they are yummy (but messy!). I also bought a pack of adorable pink and white candy candy striped paper straws; I think they were less than £2 for 30. 

Amazon & FeelUnique: Lastly, a couple of random buys from Amazon and FeelUnique. I bought another EOS lip balm in the lemon drop flavour and I've been using it constantly. From Feelunique I bought the 'delicate' head for my Clarisonic Mia. 

Overall, I love the items I bought, especially the new Bourjois products *I cannot resist a 3 for 2 offer, I'm only human* and the Lush buys are gorgeous, I may need to go to Lush again...

What have you been buying recently? What do you think of the products I've bought? What do you think of my new blog header?

Read More

2014 Favourites: Skincare

Skincare products are always difficult for me to find as I have sensitive skin, prone to occasional eczema, and my skin is dry. Although this year I have found a lot of skincare products that I have LOVED from fantastic brands!

Facial Cleanser Winner: REN Hydracalm Cleansing Gel 

Runners Up: Burts Bees Sensitive Cleanser & RMK Cleansing Balm

Micellar Water Winner: Bioderma Hydrabio

Runner Up: Nivea Sensitive Cleansing Water

Face Scrub Winner: Una Brennan Rose Hydrate Scrub 

Face Mask Winners: Bioderma Soothing Mask & Neutrogena 2 in 1 Mask

Runner Up: Botanicals Balancing Mask 

Face Cream/Moisturiser Winner: Nivea Sensitive Day/Night Creams 

Runners Up: Bioderma Atoderma Zinc Ultra-Soothing Cream & The Body Shop Aloe Day Cream

Facial Oils Winner: Rodial Stemcell Superfood Oil

Runner Up: Bodhi + Birch Desert Rose Facial Oil

Lip Balm Winners: Nuxe Reve De Miel & Rodial Glam Balm

Runner Ups: Burts Bees Beeswax Lip Balm & Nivea Hydro Care

Eczema Care Winner: Protopic 0.1% for my facial eczema

Runner Up: Betnovate 0.1% for the eczema on my hand 

There are my 2014 skincare favourites, no toner or spot treatment as I don't really use either but here are a couple of skincare products that I love but didn't quite make the cut: 

The Bodhi + Birch Neroli Facial Oil is gorgeous but I just prefer the rose version most of the time; also I love my clarisonic but I haven't been using it as much as I was last year. 

What skincare products will be on your 2014 favourites list? Have you tried any of the products I have mentioned? 

Read More

March Beauty Favourites + Currently Loving

I cannot believe that it is spring already! This months favourites post is very spring like as there are so many bright, colourful products and some new spring beauty releases too. My March favourites is a bit different this time around as I am going to talk about my favourites for the month as well as a few products that I only received about five days ago but I've been obsessed with! 

Skin + Bodycare: Firstly a product I have been testing for the past 7 weeks, the Silkn Glide HPL System which I'm starting to notice some pretty great results from; I'm getting some sparse areas on my legs *TMI* - full 7 week review will be live this week. Next up is a re-discovery, I bought a new head for my Clarisonic Mia recently and I have been using it non-stop. I bought the delicate head and it's perfect for my sensitive skin; my skin hasn't been this smooth and clear for so long. Lastly for bodycare is my Sanctuary Spa Body Brush which I wouldn't recommend as it keeps falling apart but it does make such a difference to my skin. I use it on my legs and arms mainly and it keeps my skin feeling so smooth and it helps prevent ingrown hairs. I definitely need to buy a new one! I've also been a bit addicted to my EOS lip balms throughout March, especially the Lemon Drop flavour. 

Makeup: My favourite part of my monthly favourites posts is the makeup section but this month I only have a couple of products that I have been loving consistently. The YSL Touche Eclat is a product that I won in a massive Marie Claire competition last year but I never got on with it, until now. I have been using it under my eyes and on any areas of darkness and it makes such a difference in terms of brightening; it doesn't cake up or look heavy and it blends like a dream! My next makeup favourite is the new Benefit Roller Lash Mascara which everyone and their dog seem to be raving about. I love the packaging and the length/definition I get from this mascara; also it's so easy to remove unlike all of my other mascaras!

Currently loving: The new Bourjois Aqua Lacquers are a 'currently loving' favourite as I have only had them for about five days but I have been using them multiple times each day and they are gorgeous! I have the shades 01 and 02 which are beautiful spring pinky nudes - full review post coming soon. I bought another product from Bourjois as it was 3 for 2 at Boots *I can never say no to a 3 for 2 offer* so I picked up the Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder and I now understand why everyone raves about it. It's a gorgeous, lightweight powder that sets my makeup perfectly. 

A few honourable mentions this month: I've been having so many baths this month due to testing the HPL system so much so that I have used up all of my Lush and Bomb Cosmetics bath bombs but I've loved each one! I have also been loving body sugar scrubs particularly my FAME scrub (full review, here) and my Lush Sandy Santa Scrub. Lastly, I have been loving the Benefit Gimme Brow which works so much better for me since my brows are now naturally fuller thanks to the Librow serum.

Which beauty products have you been loving through March? Have you tried any of the products I have featured?

Read More