Friday 31 August 2012

NEW RELEASE: Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Rose and Lavender

You've probably seen this a lot on your blogging timelines recently but I had to post about it just in case one of you hasn't seen it. Yes, that's right. Liz Earle's iconic Cleanse and Polish is having a limited edition make over. I'm very excited about this release as I love the original Cleanse and Polish and also, just look at the bottle.. it's so pretty!
This year the brand have been working with young entrepreneur, Rebecca Taylor who is supported by the Prince's Trust and also being mentored by Liz for the Tomorrow Campaign. This campaign was created to inspire the next generation and it paired six Trust-supported young people with iconic mentors to create a product that will be on sale nationwide to raise funds for the Prince's Trust. Together, Liz and Rebecca have give the Cleanse and Polish a beautiful twist. The formula has been updated to include rose and lavender essential oils. As you probably already know, lavender oil is very calming and relaxing whilst rose has soothing properties - these together make the product ideal for night-time use. In addition to this, £2.00 from every product purchased will be donated to the Prince's Trust which helps young people find jobs and training.
This lovely product hits shelves on the 6th of September. Will you picking one of these up?
xxx

HAUL: Maybelline Dream Fresh BB, Colour Tattoo 24HR

I'm not a fan of the Western BB Creams but recently, I've been seeing a lot of love being shown for the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB so I decided to pick it up. Maybelline had a 3 for 2 offer on as well so I decided it was about time I delved into the world of their Color Tattoo 24 HR as I'd had my eyes on them for a while.
Like I mentioned, me and Western BB creams haven't gotten on very well. I love my Asian Skin79 BB cream so much as it provides beautiful coverage but so far, none of the Western ones have amazed me because they provide virtually no coverage. This one isn't any different. The coverage is very light but I find that it evens out my skin tone pretty well. It doesn't cover up spots or scarring but of course, concealer can do that. I've been wearing this every day for work mainly because I love how it applies. It applies almost like a gel and it feels very soothing on the skin when you're blending it in. I also find that it lasts all day on my skin (with a primer) and it doesn't get too oily or make my skin too dry. I don't love this but I do like it.
I've never tried any form of cream eyeshadows before so these were completely new to me. I swatched them in the shop and decided that these two colours were perfect to use as both bases for eyeshadows and to blend together to create a beautiful bronze eye. I love these even more than I thought I would. They blend really well and the colours provide the perfect level of pigment. I haven't worn them on my eyelids for a full day yet as I've been working at a place where I really don't need to wear make up (lol) but I am going to be wearing them to work on Sunday at Boots. I did swatch them on my hand to see how long they'd last as they lasted pretty much the full day at work which to me, was surprising! I love these and I need Maybelline to bring out more colours.
L-R On and On Bronze, Eternal Gold
Have you tried any of these products? What do you think about Maybelline as a brand?
xxx

Thursday 30 August 2012

NEW: Fiorelli Bag

I've been on the lookout for a new bag for quite a while now. But for some reason, I never thought of looking in TK Maxx. As soon as I saw this bag, I fell in love. It's the perfect size, it zips up, it has a phone holder and it two further zipping compartments. Not to mention it looks beautiful.
It's a gorgeous, cream and black leather bag that comes with two short handles and one big handle so it can become an over the shoulder bag that you can take off (as I've done in the image above). As I mentioned earlier the main compartment of the bag is zipped which for someone who's paranoid like me, is great. It then also comes with an exterior zipped compartment and an interior zipped compartment with a nice, little phone holder too. The interior of the bag is beautiful as it has the brand new printed all over it. There's lots of room but the bag isn't too big, it's a nice size.
I've searched so many websites that stock Fiorelli to see if I can find the name of this bag or somewhere that sells it but with most things TK Maxx I think it's past season and therefore I can't find it anywhere - sorry. But if you do like the look of it, definitely check out your local TK Maxx as mine had about 6 in stock that I could see. They might've even had more in the back! I've completely fallen in love with this bag and I believe that it'll last me a long time.
This bag retailed for £69.99 but it was available in TK Maxx for just £24.99.
xxx

Wednesday 29 August 2012

REVIEW & COMPARISON IMAGES: No7 Stay Perfect Foundation (reformulated, new version)

No7 are currently having an entire brand overhaul with the release of new skin care lines and new packaging. They're also completely overhauling their cult Stay Perfect foundation and releasing it in lots of new shades with a brand new formula. I was lucky enough to receive a sample of this foundation at work. I wasn't going to write about it, it wasn't something that I'd planned. But after trying it, I knew I had to.
I haven't learnt about this foundation yet so don't take anything I say to be 100% true. But I do know that there are new shades and a new formula. The way that No7 test your shade for this foundation is by a special machine. The No7 counter lady will put this machine to your neck and within a few seconds it will tell you your perfect shade. It does this immediately and it doesn't cause any pain. This foundation (mine is in Deeply Ivory) is the perfect match for me. I apply it to my skin and you pretty much can't see it as it just glides over my skin. 
As you can see, the coverage is incredible. I would describe this as very full coverage. I could happily wear this without any concealer. It doesn't feel heavy and I've had this on all day so far and it hasn't budged on my skin. The before picture is an old one but my skin is the same (minus the spot) so you can see how wonderful is covers. This is very easy to blend. I've tried the old version of this foundation before and I really didn't like it, it was a pain and it's probably the reason why I stayed away from No7 foundation but this one is very lovely. It sits nicely on the skin aswell and isn't dead matte or too oily. 
This foundation is out today and if it is something that you're interested I'd recommend going down to your local No7 counter, getting matched up and getting a sample.
Does this foundation interest you?
xxx

Tuesday 28 August 2012

REVIEW: Montagne Jeunesse

At the moment I'm absolutely loving packet face masks. A few days ago I spoke about the Mudd face masks and you can view that post here. And today, I'm going to be rambling on about the much loved Montagne Jeunesse face masks (just don't ask me how to pronounce that word).
I saw these in Home Bargains where you could buy 3 of them for £2 but they're also available in places like Superdrug, Boots and online. The links I've included are from their website as they have the full range available on there whereas other websites don't.
I'll start with my favourite - the Hot Chocolate Self Heating Face Mask - £1.09. This product is an absolute gem. First of all, it smells beautiful - like Terry's Chocolate Oranges and I just love applying it my skin and embracing the scent. It's truly relaxing and just what I need after a long day. I then love the way it heats up by itself when you apply it onto your skin. By doing this, the mask draws out all impurities in the skin and nicely washes them away. I also love the fact that although it's a clay mask it doesn't try like your typical ones do. It stays nice and wet on the skin and therefore doesn't dry your skin out but instead plumps it out and leaves it feeling moisturised and looking soft. I'm yet to use the Chocolate Masque - £1.09 but I'll probably use it soon and as soon as I do, I'll report back. I think it's the same idea as the other two masks with it being clay based so it'll draw impurities out of the skin and also tighten the pores. The White Chocolate Face Mask - £1.09 is really lovely. Unlike the hot chocolate mask this one does dry like typical clay masks so it's great for combination skin. I found that after using this my pores were a lot tighter and my skin looked brighter and more plumped up. It moisturised my skin in a way that wasn't greasy at all and it was easy to wash away.
So like I said originally, I've fallen in love with packet face masks. Whenever I'm in Boots I will always go over to the face masks to see what they have on offer and I also find myself looking in places like the Pound Shop or Home Bargains as they do a great range. What do you think of packet face masks?
xxx

Monday 27 August 2012

REVIEW: Super Facialist by Una Brennana Tea Flower Deep Clean Anti-Shine Pore Minimiser

Wow - that's a long blog post title. But anyway, a new skin range is currently gracing Boots shelving, hurray! Super Facialist, by Una Brennan comes in three different regimes; Deep Clean/Tea Flower, Hydrate/Rose and Firming/Neroli. The ingredients have been carefully selected to deliver effective results at affordable prices and these include a mix of quality oils, natural ingredients and cutting edge actives. There is a range suitable for all skin types even the most sensitive skins and all Super Facialist products are free from mineral oils/petrochemicals, animal ingredients and synthetic colours and not tested on animals. I was lucky enough to be sent their Anti-Shine Pore Minimiser* and since receiving it, I've been using it daily.
First of all, I love the packaging. This came into my Boots store last week so I took a trip over whilst at work and looked at the entire range. The packaging is beautiful, simple and colour coded which makes it easy to choose the right products for your specific skin concern. This product in particular comes in great packaging that explains exactly what it can do for your skin and also how to use it. It comes in a squeezy tube that makes dispensing the product easy and means less wastage. I've been using this every day as a primer and it's even replaced my much loved Benefit Porefessional primer.  I apply this to all of my face and then pat a little bit more onto my pores to ensure that they're covered 100%. For me, it works better than the Porefessional primer as it contains light reflecting particles and powders which help to absorb skins excess oils and it instantly mattifies the skin. I get a lot of shine on my forehead and immediately after I've applied this, it's vanished. The shine-free look lasts throughout the day and I don't need to reapply my powder either.The product also contains Rosehip oil which is known to improve the appearance of damaged skin so not only is this product great for using as a make up product, it's also great for skin problems. It does have a strong tea tree smell but luckily for me, I like the smell as it's very aromatic but if you don't, don't worry too much as it doesn't linger on the skin at all. 
You can buy this product here. It retails for £12.99 but currently, the entire range is on offer for 1/3 off making it just £8.66. This has become my go-to primer and now that I know it's on offer, I'll be picking another one up as my back up on Sunday. I'm also excited to see what else the range has to offer and will hopefully be checking more pieces out!
Have you tried this range out before? What's your go-to primer?
xxx
*PR Sample

Saturday 25 August 2012

HAUL: 17 Make Up Products, Swatches & a Make Up Look

On Saturday I had a lovely day off and decided to do a little bit of shopping. I knew I wanted some new drugstore make up products but I wasn't quite sure what. So I popped into my local Boots and had a look round. As always, the 17 counter caught my eye - mainly because I had a voucher for 100 extra points when you buy a 17 product and also because there was a freebie if you spent £5.99 on their products.
I picked up the 17 Miracle Matte Pressed Powder - £3.99. I already have the matte version in loose powder form and the normal version in pressed powder form and I love them so much. They're cheap but work really well and look more expensive than they are. I decided to get the pressed powder one because the loose powder can be a little bit messy, especially when travelling. Plus, I've bought a new bag (which I'll be doing a full post on soon) and I wanted to keep this in my bag at all times for touch ups throughout the day. The 17 Lasting Fix Nail Polishes - £2.99 also caught my eye as currently they're on offer for 2 for £4 which is so cheap. I find that the consistency of these polishes can sometimes be a bit of a hit or miss but I adore the colours. I bought Glisten which is a gorgeous shimmery gold/pink colour and Fairy Cake which is a beautiful baby, pastel pink. I haven't tried them out yet but I'm sure there'll be swatches soon. So onto the free gift... 
L-R 17 Cream Blush in Bronze, 17 Ultimate Volume Lipgloss in In The Nude, 17 Eyeshadow in Statuesque.
The free gift did catch my eye but I didn't think it was going to be anything special. It's called 'get bronzed, it's glow time' and seeing as it's summer, it focuses on nude/bronzey colours. It's unreal how much I've fell in love with this. The cream blush is limited edition but I love it! At first, I didn't get on with it but a few YouTube videos later and I'm now finding myself wearing it daily. It's cream on the cheeks as it adds extra coverage so it doesn't highlight my scarring and the colour is beautiful and natural. The lipgloss and eyeshadow are truly amazing. The lipgloss is now housed in my bag and I use it throughout the day as it's the most beautiful nude colour that works wonderfully with my skin tone. And as for the eyeshadow - wow. I need to do an EOTD with this beauty. It really wakens the eye area up and it's so easy to blend and work with. I think both the lipgloss and eyeshadow are part of the permanent lines so if you're into your nudes, go and pick them up!
It's no secret that I love 17 as a brand. I think they're very fashion forward and some of their products are such great quality and absolute gems for an amazing price.
Have you tried this kit? What do you think of 17 products?
xxx

Friday 24 August 2012

REVIEW: YSL Parisienne

A few weeks back I was asked to work on the fragrance counter at Boots. At first, I was petrified. I was worried that people were going to come up to me and say things like, 'I'm looking for a floral scent, can you recommend one?' I'm not great at describing scents at all and the perfume cabinets quite frankly scare the living daylights out of me but it wasn't too bad and I enjoyed it. 
At one point during the day, a woman was trying out perfumes and she sprayed one which I adored. I had no idea what the scent was but I decided to walk around the area where the smell was coming from and try out the testers available. As soon as I sprayed YSL's Parisienne I knew it was 'the one.' When it comes to perfumes I don't have many. I have all of the Britney Spears ones and they're pretty much the only ones that I wear and I only buy them because I'm a fan (I guess it's lucky that I love the smell of them too). So this was  my first 'high end, proper' perfume purchase and I love it so much. I went back into Boots the following week and saw that this was on offer. It was down from £42 to £27.99 (with my staff discount). I couldn't get the scent off of my mind the entire week so I knew that I just had to buy it. And I'm so glad that I did. Like I mentioned earlier, I'm useless at describing scents. It's very sweet-like, reminds me of parma violets in a way so if that's your forte, definitely nip into Boots or Debenhams and have a sniff. It's still on offer and you never know, it could be your love too!
xxx

Thursday 23 August 2012

REVIEW: Freedomhealth Clinic

On the 17th of July I was invited down to London to the Freedomhealth Clinic where I was offered a treatment of Microdermabrasion with the lovely Lee Garrett. As someone who's a big lover of London and someone who suffers with their skin, I couldn't pass this opportunity up and quickly booked myself a train.
Before I tell you about my experience, I'll give you a little bit of background information on the clinic and Lee Garrett so that you're more familiar with them both. Freedomhealth is a clinic that is based on Harley Street in London. It offers the latest in Cosmetic Treatments for both males and females. The treatments available range from Dermal Fillers to Botox, anti-ageing treatments to chemical peels. The director of Cosmetic Treatments, Lee Garrett has worked with some of the world's biggest names and can be seen frequently in the national media. He has been providing cosmetic treatments since 2002 and works full time at Freedomhealth.
When in London, I ended up feeling very proud of myself for how I navigated myself around the busy city. I found my way onto Harley Street and I was amazed by how beautiful it was. It looked exactly how I imagined it would and whenever I picture 'London homes' in my head, this is how they'd look. After walking for what seemed like miles, I found my way into the clinic. It's a stunning building in itself and when you get behind the doors, it's even more beautiful. Let's put it this way, if I was to fall asleep on those carpets, it'd probably more comfortable than if I was to fall asleep on my bed. I was greeted by two lovely receptionists who kindly offered me a cup of tea to which I responded to with a very grateful 'yes please!' After a lot of travelling, it was just what I needed. Anyway, I sat in the waiting room taking in my surroundings and finally, I was called downstairs to Lee Garrett. He's a very kind gentleman that when you see him, you can tell he really wants to help you.
When I sat down, Lee kindly explained that we wasn't able to do the microdermabrasion today as he noticed that I had an active outbreak on my skin. If we were to go ahead and do it, it'd spread the bacteria and I'd be left with god knows how many active breakouts! I must admit, I was a little worried that Lee noticed my spots straight away as I did have quite a bit of make up on but I put it down to him being a professional and not me having worse skin than I originally thought, of course. He also noticed my scarring - once again, what an eye! And said that my scars are pretty deep. He explained that no matter what I did, some of the scarring would remain on my face for the rest of my life as the skin was too damaged. Now, I've been to many doctors before and they had just told me to leave the scarring alone and within a few years, it'd disappear. So although it was hurtful to find out that my skin would be permanently scarred, it was also what I needed to hear so I wouldn't be filled with hope like the previous doctors had given to me. Lee told me that I could however have a chemical peel. My first question was, 'but will it hurt?!' And he told me that I would feel some mild discomfort but nothing too bad. So we went ahead with the procedure. 
I sat back in the chair and Lee applied something onto my skin - I'm no genius, I'm not dermatologist but it smelt nice and I accepted it. I did feel some stinging but strangely, it felt quite nice. I laid back and let it soak into my skin while Lee explained more to me about my skin. When I left, I felt like I'd been given so much information that maybe I could take up a degree in dermatology. He was so helpful and I am forever grateful. I also left with a face wash, a toner and a spot treatment which I will be writing about in a separate post as I realise this is already VERY long. 
I didn't take any make up with me to be applied after the treatment but Lee realised how insecure I was about my skin and provided me with some foundation to apply so I wouldn't scare the whole of London. When I left the clinic, I went back to my hotel, took my make up off and relaxed for a little bit before I headed off out to meet some friends of mine for drinks. When I went to apply my make up again, my skin was very red. It wasn't sore but it was red. I had expected this but my Skin 79 BB Cream really helped with this. The next day, my skin had returned to normal and there was no pain. However, the day after this my skin started peeling quite badly and it was pretty painful. Lee did say to expect this. I was applying a lot of Sudacrem to soothe my skin and luckily, it only lasted for a day. After this, I felt no more pain and had no more peeling. The only thing I experienced was the reduction in my active breakout and since then, I haven't had a single spot - magic!
I really loved my trip to London and also my trip to the Freedomhealth clinic. Like I said before, I came away with a lot of information and I now feel more savvy about my skin. I know what causes breakouts, I know was causes scarring and I also know how to prevent them and take care of them. If skin treatments are something that you're after, I'd highly recommend taking a trip down to see Lee at Freedomhealth. Or just giving the clinic a quick call or email to find out what they can do for you.
The chemical peel that I had was £350 for a single treatment or £900 for a course of 3.
Have you ever had any skin treatments? Have you ever visited this clinic? Find out more here.
xxx
*The treatment and consultation that I received was free of charge but this as always, has not affected my review at all.

REVIEW: Neutrogena Multi Defence Range

When it comes to skincare I almost always spend a little bit more money on products so I know that I'm getting something decent. But ever since the advert for the Multi Defence range came out a while ago I've been interested in the range. So when I spotted the day moisturiser in Home Bargains for £1.99 and the night moisturiser in Boots for £2.00, I had to buy them.
Neutrogena Multi-Defence Daily Moisturiser for Normal/Combination Skin - This moisturiser is really lovely. It promises to provide protection from 5 major daily skin aggressors: sun, heat, cold, pollution and wind. It has SPF 15 in it and also protects from UVA/UVB filters which makes it the perfect daily moisturiser. It's lightweight, sinks into the skin beautifully and leaves it with a nice healthy glow that it's too oily/shiny or too dead matte. I've been using this everyday for around a month now and I've fallen for it. The price is also amazing (even when you buy it at full price).
Neutrogena Multi-Defence Night Moisturiser - I saw this on my clearance shelf in Boots and because I loved the day moisturiser so much, I snapped this up quickly. Don't worry if you can't find it on your clearance shelf at Boots though as I've also seen this in Home Bargains for £1.99. Whereas the day moisturiser protects your skin from the daily skin aggressors, this repairs it throughout the night. Once again, sinks in lovely and doesn't leave a nasty film on your skin. I find that my skin looks healthy when I wake up and ready to face the day. 
These retail for £7.99 each in Boots but I'd highly recommend checking out Home Bargains or your Boots clearance shelf before paying full price for them.
Have you tried anything from this range before?
xxx

Wednesday 22 August 2012

REVIEW: Emjoi MICROPedi

In more recent years I think we can all agree that there's been a lot of new pedicure products available for us on the market. I personally think it's great as pedicures in salons aren't that cheap and also, it's hard to find the time to go and sit for an hour or so whilst someone works their magic on our feet. So for me personally, it's great to have at home products that we can use in our spare time. And for me, the easier the better. I've tried out the PedEgg before and I do love it - I even recommended it to my dad a few days ago. But a new product that's graced the scene recently is the Emjoi MICROPedi* and I've been using it for a while now. 
First of all, the MICROPedi comes with the battery-operated device (2AA batteries aren't included), a coarse (pink) and extra coarse (blue) interchangeable micro-mineral rollers, an instruction booklet and cleaning brush. The micro-mineral rollers do of course lose their strength and coarseness over time but you can repurchase them for just £10.45 which I don't think is a bad price. Since I received this MICROPedi two months ago I've used it at least 3 times a week and so far, the rollers haven't worn down. I have tried out the pink roller and I find that it works better than the blue roller on sensitive areas such as the toes as it doesn't tickle them as much. It's easy to change from roller to roller and takes a few seconds.
What I love the most about this is how easy it is to use. The handle is a great size and I love how the head has been designed on an angle which makes it very simple to reach the heel of your foot. I must admit that at first I found using this a bit strange. The way that you use it is sort of in a shaving motion and it was very weird but after a couple of times I got used to it and I actually enjoyed it. The unique roller spins 360º at 30 times a second and this gently, effortlessly and effectively buffs away the dead, hard and jagged skin on your feet. The device itself is 100% pain free and like I mentioned earlier, all you do is turn the device on and roll the roller over your feet in a shaving motion - it's that simple. I find that I can do this whilst tweeting on the laptop too because you only need one hand to do it. The one thing that lets this product down is that you do have to use a bin underneath your feet as unlike the PedEgg, there's nothing to collect the dead skin that's being shaved off you feet. But it's not that much of a problem.
The difference has been incredible and I myself, was shocked. I've obviously used the device before and I'd fallen in love with it but my feet were never that bad to begin with so whilst I noticed a difference, I didn't think the difference would be this big. My skin don't only look soft they feel it too.
Have you tried this device before? Will you be doing?
This is available for £34.95 (currently on offer) here and also from larger Boots stores.
xxx
*PR Sample

REVIEW: No7 Make Up Mirror

When it comes to applying make up ensuring that you have a decent mirror is key. For a good 4, maybe 5, years now I've owned the wonderful No7 Illuminated Make-up Mirror. It's served me very well and whenever it breaks, Boots quickly swap it for me so I'm never without one. But of course, this isn't something that I can take somewhere with me when I travel. So when the No7 £5 vouchers were out, I bought this mirror.
This mirror is very sturdy and I honestly cannot see it breaking. It unfortunately doesn't come with any travel packaging to keep it safe but I took it with me when I went down to London, caseless and it came back in one piece easily. It stands up very well and it's easy to adjust the positioning of it with the stand at the back. It isn't very big but then again, what do you expect from something that you're supposed to travel with? So yes, if you're looking for a mirror to take with you when travelling, this could be the one. But if you're looking for one to keep on your dresser at home, look elsewhere and try and find something bigger (and possibly with a magnetic side as well). I'm also hoping to buy the No7 Compact Lighted Mirror whilst it's on offer for travelling as well. I do like having lights in my mirrors as I find it easier to see my make up and when travelling sometimes you get a poxy room with really bad lighting so lighted mirrors are very handy.
You can buy this mirror here for £8.25.
What mirror do you use? Have you tried any of the No7 ones?
xxx

Tuesday 21 August 2012

OTHER: Ecell Phone Case

Let me just apologise about my cow pyjamas as the background first of all.. I've been ill recently and well, yes. They speak for themselves I guess. This post is a little bit different to what I usually do. Normally I obviously blog about beauty products but I'm so in love with my new phone case that I just had to show you all it. 
I've had my new phone since March and considering it's a Blackberry, it's already broke once. Once in 5 months is good for me though as my last Blackberry broke around 11 times in 2 years - luckily for me, Orange are lovely to me and always send me new handsets. But anyway. I got a new handset and I thought, 'maybe it's me? Maybe I'm just useless with phones.' So I started looking at phone cases to protect my phone a little bit more (even though I never drop it and look after it like it's a baby). I came across this beautiful one from Amazon and fell in love. It's hard case and since getting it, it's changed my phone. It literally feels like I have a new phone to be honest and I love it. I'm obsessed with music and I love that this is designed to look like an old fashioned tape. This particular brand (Ecell) do a lot of other covers which you can check out here and I'd definitely recommend having a look at them if you're looking for a cool, new phone case. I'm planning on getting a few more so I can swap and change them as I feel and also, I'm going to get this one for my sister when I get paid on Thursday as she's a bit of a geek.
My case was just £4.95 from Amazon and it took one day to arrive and is great quality. What phone case do you have?
xxx

Monday 20 August 2012

REVIEW: Mudd Facial Masks

Recently, I was sent a beautiful pink box full of goodies to leave my skin looking (and feeling) as beautiful and as fresh as a daisy - this is good PR at its finest, just saying. The box came with 3 packs of Mudd facial masks. These are the original face masks to be honest. There's a mask to suit every skin type and these are a great way to relieve every day stresses and strains. The range includes 3 varieties each with a non-comedogenic formula which may help protect against dry, dull or blemish prone skin all without clogging pores.
Mudd Original Mask - this is a deep pore cleansing treatment that contains 100% pure clay that has been specially formulated with minerals to help absorb excess oil and tighten the skin - leaving you virtually poreless, hurray! After I'd use this I found my skin to be squeaky clean, blackhead free and like I said earlier, pretty much poreless which is a dream come true. I also found that my t-zone was a lot less oily for around 2-3 days after I'd used it. It's also not as drying as some clay masks that I'd tried.
Mudd Sea Mask - this is a mask that provides natural hydration for tired looking skin. It blends a unique formula of natural marine protein with extracts of sea kelps, seaweed and Irish moss which is designed to help provide hydration and recovery - eek. Sounds a bit, fishy there but I can assure you that it smells fresh. I really love this mask, it's probably my favourite. My skin is dull and most of the time, it looks tired so although I have combination skin, I found this mask wonderful for perking my skin up and leaving it looking and feeling refreshed and revitalised. 
Mudd Peel Off Mask - this is a mask which is designed to leave you with a fruity glow. It combines extracts of ginseng, zesty lemon peel, grapefruit and cooling cucumber gets rid of dead skin cells and exfoliates the skin in just 15 minutes. After using this, my skin felt smooth, looked clearer and I had no blackheads. I love peel off masks because they're so easy to use - you don't even need water. They're also fun and for me, these feel like 'true face masks' on the skin as you simply peel them off. I remember using them at sleepovers when I was a little girl.. cute!
These facial masks are affordable yet indulgent. And they come in convenient single use sachets as well as re-sealable five application packs and for original mask, a ten application pack is also available. With prices starting from £1.01 and going now higher than £5.10, I highly recommend that you all go down to your local Boots, Superdrug or Asda and pick up a back to try. Right now. Why are you still reading? Go! Your skin will definitely thank you for it.
Have you tried these face masks before?
xxx
*PR Sample but I've since been out and bought more!

REVIEW: New Skin Spa range from Baylis and Harding

Baylis and Harding have created a brand new spa range to help you take the tension out of your day. This range is available exclusively at Tesco and it contains ten relaxing products to help you banish your worries in the comfort of your own home. The range includes Bath Milk, Shower Body Cleanser, Body Smoothing Polish, Hand Wash, Hand Lotion, Cleansing Waffle Sponge, Luxury Body Polisher, Smoothing Foot File and these two products that I was sent to try out.
The Rich Intensive Body Butter* is absolutely stunning. Not only does the packaging look beautiful and expensive but the product inside also feels the same on the skin. The scent itself is very indulgent - rose, ylang ylang and patchouli and when I use this, I feel very grown up and 'proper.' The Exfoliating Loofah Mitt* is a star product in my opinion. I've been using it dry to buff away dead skin cells and it leaves my skin feeling so soft and beautiful - something that a few exfoliators that I've tried fail to do. I find that it's great for using before fake tanning as it smooths away lumps and bumps and creates a perfect base.
I was very surprised when I found out the price of these products. The body butter retails at £3.00 for 250ml and the loofah mitt is just £4.00. Really cheap for such great, luxurious products!
This range is available in store from Tesco now!
Have you tried any of their products? Or even their Skin Spa range?
xxx
*PR Sample

Sunday 19 August 2012

2 WEEK CHALLENGE: Fushi Organic Argan Oil

Fushi is a brand that create a range of natural, herbal products for the skin, body and hair. One of their hero products is this Organic Argan Oil*. This is because it's nature's very own miracle oil which provides a lot of cosmetic and nutritional qualities. Argan Oil is made from rare nut that originates from Morocco and Fushi have now brought out their own responsibly made version. I'm going to be partaking in a 2 week challenge whereby I use this oil for various different things and I'll report back to you weekly to let you know how I'm getting on. I'm really excited about doing this because Argan Oil is pretty much huge in the blogging industry at the moment and although I've experimented a little bit, I haven't experimented as much as I should.
This oil can be used on the hair to produce conditioner and frizz-free locks. It can be moisturised into the skin to firm up legs. It can be used as a facial moisturiser at night to prevent wrinkles, smooth skin and reduce scarring. It can be used on your nails to strengthen them and soften cuticles. It can also be used as a frying oil, salad dressing or as they do in Morocco, you can take a spoonful every morning to help balance the digestive system, stablise blood sugar levels and boost the immune system. 
I will be using this Argan Oil on my hair and on my skin. I won't be using it on my nails purely because at the moment, I'm working in some factory and my nails aren't something that I'm taking care of. But I'm sure when I go back to university and I start my whole nail care routine again, this will be used a lot. I won't be using it for digestive reasons because I'm quite frankly, a fussy eater. I'm sure I'll be able to make my dad try and spoonful though so he can report back to you on the taste of this. I'll report back on how I'm getting on next Sunday.
You can find out more about this product and buy it here for £11.90 for 100ml.
Have you tried argan oil before?
xxx
*PR Sample

Saturday 18 August 2012

REVIEW: Treacle Moon Her Mango Thoughts Body Butter

Back in July, Treacle Moon released a brand new scent to their already beautiful collection. For the past year, the people behind Treacle Moon have been developing the fragrance of Her Mango Thoughts* and they describe it as 'A deliciously tropical scent, revolving around the ripe, sweet notes of mango juice, accentuated by exotic, citrus fruit bursts and softened by creamy hints of apricot and peach.'
I've been using this body butter for a while now and I love it. It's deeply moisturising, more moisturising than some of their other products that I've tried so I'd definitely recommend this for dry skin. I've been using it before fake tanning and it's applied my fake tan lovely. Once again, because it's so moisturising. The smell is of course divine. It's very fresh and for summer, it's been perfect. It'll also see me through winter and perk up those rainy days! This scent is also available in a bath & shower gel (£2.99 for 500ml) and this body butter retails at £3.99 for 250ml. This range along with their others (My Coconut Island, The Raspberry Kiss, That Vanilla Moment, Those Lemonade Days, One Ginger Morning, The Pomegranate Story and Iced Strawberry Dreams) is available exclusively at Tesco now. You can find out more about their products and the brand here.
What are your thoughts on Treacle Moon?
xxx
*PR Sample

Friday 17 August 2012

REVIEW: Blistex Moisture Max

When it comes to lip balm, I have an addiction. And it's no secret that Blistex is my favourite brand. So you can imagine my excitement when I found out that they were launching a new one on the 13th of August.
This lipbalm is the first of its kind as it contains melting moisture beads and SPF15 which makes it perfect for summer. Each moisture bead contains Shea Butter and Aloe Vera which is provides long lasting super-hydration instantly. When it comes to lipbalm, taste is very important and this one is very nice. It's blueberry flavoured which tastes and smells refreshing. This lip balm is lovely and ever since I was sent it, it's been in my handbag. I've been working a lot recently and my lips have become very dry but this lip balm has helped no end. It's very moisturising but it doesn't leave a nasty residue on the lips.
This is available now from Boots and it retails for just £2.49.
xxx
*PR Sample

Thursday 16 August 2012

HAUL: Boots, EcoTools, Rimmel

As always, I can't go to work in Boots on a Sunday without buying something. It's hard not to walk around and spot something that you don't think that you need. I also bought a new perfume but that's getting its very own post! So here's what I bought last Sunday...
I'd had my eyes on the EcoTools brushes for a while and when I walked past them and saw how cheap they were, I finally picked two up. I went with the EcoTools Bamboo Angled Eyeliner Brush - £5.49 for my eyebrows. I use the HD Brow Palette and although I love it, the brush that comes with it is very small and sometimes hard to use. I've been using the palette for over a year now so I can't believe how long it's taken me to buy a decent brush. I love this brush and because of it, I believe my brows are looking a lot better. I also picked up the EcoTools Bamboo Deluxe Concealer Brush - £5.49 to use with the concealer that I bought. I usually just use my Real Techniques Stippling Brush to blend my concealer with as I only normally apply it onto blemishes. But now, I'm starting to apply concealer underneath my eyes so I bought this brush for that purpose. The concealer I picked up was the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer - £5.99 as I love the foundation. It's great for underneath the eyes and does a brilliant job at waking them up and covering up any imperfections. I wouldn't say it's very good on my scarring though so I'm sticking to my Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection for that. And finally, I bought another Rimmel Professional Eye Brow Pencil - £2.99. Unfortunately this is in the wrong shade though so it's pretty much a complete waste of time haha! I love these brow pencils though. They're great for quickly filling in the brows.
What have you been buying recently? Have you tried any of these?
xxx

Monday 13 August 2012

Barbara Daly Cream Colour Lipstick in Tiger Lily

Red lipstick is something that scares me. I don't tend to like wearing bright colours on my lips mainly because they do scare me but also because I don't think they suit me at all. But having said that, I haven't tried many to know if they suit me or not.
Barbara Daly Make Up has launched a new lipstick collection called 'Cream Colour' which is exclusive to Tesco. The packaging is beautiful and looks like a high end lipstick. It does get dirty quite easily as it is mirrored but that can easily be wiped away.
 The formula is soft and creamy and glides on the lips beautifully leaving them looking smooth and hydrated. I find that I get quite a lot of wear out of this lipstick to say that it's very creamy - around 4 hours. And I must say once again how wonderful it is to apply. It feels like a balm on the lips. 
L-R natural light, with flash
 As soon as I saw the colour Tiger Lily* I knew I had to have it. In the tube, it looks like a beautiful coral colour so when I applied it onto the lips and saw that it's actually more red, I was worried. That was until I looked in the mirror and realised that this lipstick does in fact suit me. As the name suggests, your lips are smooth once this is applied and it doesn't cling to any dry areas you may have. I really have fallen in love with this lipstick and I find myself wearing it around the house for fun. I just can't wait for freshers to start so I can wear this on a night out!
This new lipstick range retails for £9.00 and there are 6 shades available.
Will you be trying out this range of lipsticks?
xxx
*PR Sample

Sunday 12 August 2012

FASHION: Bags

I've been on the lookout for a new bag recently. I love my one from Primark but more recently, you can see a lot of wear and tear from it which is a shame. I want a bag that can fit a lot of stuff inside it as I literally carry everything in my bag - phone, purse, make up, camera, glasses, sunglasses etc and also a bag that zips up or fastens in a safe way. As always, I've looked on many websites but the only site that has any bags I actually like is New Look.
1 2 3 4
I'm particularly in love with the last back. I love that it has both a small handle on it and a big strap which means that it's very versatile. It also looks pretty big and like it'd fit a lot of my stuff inside it and also, it has a zip of course!
Which is your favourite bag? Which shop do you go to for bags?
xxx

Saturday 11 August 2012

Nars Autumn 2012 Collection - Blush in Outlaw

When it comes to Nars, I'm pretty much a novice. I've only ever tried out their Deepthroat blush which I absolutely adored. So I was honoured when I was asked if I wanted to take a look at their Autumn 2012 collection. The collection is without a doubt beautiful. It consists of an eye shadow trio, eye shadow duo, a blush, a multiple, a sheer lipstick, a matte lipstick, a lipgloss, a lip pencil and a nail polish. You can view the whole collection on the Nars website here. The collection uses icy tones and deep shades to give a beautiful twist to Autumn colours. It's breathtaking and bold.
 I was sent the blush in Outlaw* to try and you buy this for £21 at HQHair.com. The packaging as always is classic, classy and beautiful. Yes, it gets dirty pretty easily but the rubber packaging means that if you drop it, there's no chance of the blush inside actually breaking. Trust me, I'm prone to throwing my Deepthroat across the room and still, it's in perfect condition. 
Nars describes this blush as being a 'soft rose tone with golden shimmer.' The first thing I thought when I saw this blush was wow. In the pan, it looks very deep, very pigmented and quite scary. It even looks the same when swatched. But when you apply this to the cheeks, it works wonders. When it comes to Autumn, the skin is usually dull and lacklustre but I can guarantee that this shimmering, beautiful blush will instantly perk your skin up. So much so that yesterday morning at 5:45 when I was getting ready to go to work, extremely tired, I applied this and immediately I felt happier and my cheeks looked glowing. Not glowing in a 'I'm-so-sunburnt' way but glowing in a (I'm not gonna lie) 'I've-just-had-sex' way.
In the swatch you can see the beautiful golden shimmer running throughout it. When it catches the light (or the lack of sun that we have in the UK) it looks stunning. The formula of this blush as always is wonderful. It blends like a dream, sits lovely on the skin and stays looking fresh all day long.
As mentioned earlier, this blush is available here for £21.
xxx
*PR Sample

Thursday 9 August 2012

RANDOM: University

Yesterday, I officially moved out of what I like to call my home. My university flat. Although I've only lived there since September, I've created a lot of memories there that will stay with me for the rest of my life. There's nothing like being a fresher and although I heard the saying 'university will bring you the best time of your life' many times, I never actually believed it.
But it did. Walking out of my flat for the last time brought back so many wonderful memories that me and my now friends for life have shared over this past year and I ended up shedding a tear. It's not the end of my university journey - far from it - but it is the end of freshers. I never quite thought that I'd enjoy university as much as I have done. Yes, the education and the course is very important as after all, that's what you're there for but the change in life and the people that you meet is what makes university the best experience. It's completely different from home life. For the first time in your life, you're living on your own. You're away from your parents and you're free to do pretty much whatever you want to do. If you want to stay up until 7am chatting away in the living room with your friends, you can do. If you fancy going to Sainsbury's at 3am to get more alcohol then you can do it. It brings individuality and it allows you to grow up.
I'm not saying that university hasn't been hard. It has. The course is hard. It's quite a big step up from a-levels and school as you're no longer relying on your teachers but instead, you're relying on yourself. You have to do a lot of self directed learning and teach yourself quite a bit (which I found especially during exam times). You don't get to hand in hundreds of drafts and lots of times to correct your work - you just have to go for it. But the end result, the day you get your result and you see that you have done well, is all worth it.
This is a very random post I know but university has become a big part of my life and I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you have the chance to go. Go. Not just for the education or for the degree but for the life experience that you're getting out of it. The people that you're going to meet. You spend literally every waking moment with those people around you and quickly they become your not only your flat mates/your friends but your best friends and your family.
xxx

Tuesday 7 August 2012

GIVEAWAY WINNER: £50 Experience Days UK Gift Voucher

Thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway. I'm sorry that all of you couldn't win but the winner is Hannah Ripley! Hannah said that if she won she'd choose Aqua Sphereing for 2 as it's something that both her and her boyfriend had been planning on doing for months. Well, I hope you and your boyfriend have a lovely time and make sure to tweet me pictures!
xxx

UPDATE: Sorry

Just a quick, early morning post. Sorry about the lack of posting recently. It's mainly because I'm working 6 days a week and I've been busy moving out of university etc. But as soon as I'm back and free, I promise I'll resume normal posting. I've missed blogging regularly a lot and I have lots of exciting products to share with you! I'll announce the winner of my giveaway formally on my blog either tonight/tomorrow so look out for that!
xxx

Friday 3 August 2012

ROUTINE: Quick & easy 2 minute flawless make up

For most of the summer, I've been working every day from 8-4:30 at my dad's work to earn a bit of extra money for university next year. Considering my dad works in Nottingham and we live in Mansfield, I have to wake up every morning at 6am. Now, at 6am the last thing I want to do is apply a full face of make up that takes ages to do so by trial and error, I've found a few 'wonder' products that literally take me a couple of minutes to apply.
Collection 2000 Coloured Mascara in Clear
This is what I use to set my brows with and I've mentioned it on my blog many times. It's cheap and it does a great job at not only holding my brows in place but also brushing through them.
Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint
This is a tinted moisturiser and it's the only tinted moisturiser that I own and probably will ever own. I don't have perfect skin and I need quite a lot of coverage so tinted moisturisers normally aren't for me. But this one is lovely. It's not sheer coverage - more like light coverage that can be built up where you need it. It's also quick and easy to apply and blends like a dream. I also love this because it's the only 'foundation' that's light enough for my skin at the moment and I haven't been fake tanning.
No7 Shine Free Make-Up Base
Because the foundation that I use is a tinted moisturiser, it's not that great at keeping shine at bay on my combination skin throughout the day so I do have to use a shine controlling primer. This one by No7 is really nice to use. It's sometimes hard to apply as instead of blending over the skin, it sort of drags in a way but it does control shine throughout the whole day.
Skin79 Super Plus Triple Function (Hot Pink) BB Cream
I love everything about this BB cream! I use this underneath the Liz Earle Skin Tint to provide me with extra coverage and it does just that. In a morning, I don't have time to apply sun protection but this one comes with 25++ SPF in it already. The coverage of this is fantastic - so fantastic that it's on par with foundation. It also lasts throughout the day and well, I just love everything about this. I did a full review of this product with before/after comparison photos here.
No7 Quick Cover Blemish Stick
As the name suggests, this covers imperfections quickly and easily. It's easy to blend and provides full coverage where you need it. I don't use it every day, just when I need a bit more coverage if I breakout.
Natural Collection Corrector Stick
If you have scarring then I highly recommend buying a green toned concealer stick to counteract redness. This one is £1.99 and it's really great. I use it after primer but before my BB cream/foundation and it really helps to cover up my scars.
17 Shine Control Loose Powder
My favourite powder. It controls shine, it's easy to use and it's really cheap.
HD Brow Palette
And finally, I have to fill in my brows using this palette. I never use anything else on my brows because this is just fabulous!
What products do you recommend for a quick and easy make up look? Have you tried any of the above?
xxx