Lately I’ve Been Loving: La Roche Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel

I think I jinxed my skin. After saying that my skin was getting so much better, I’ve had a big reaction to something. An area on my one of my cheeks (somewhere I never breakout) had gone completely red,bumpy and sore and it pretty much covers the entire apple of my cheek. I’m not sure what's cause it, I’m think it was constantly wearing heavy foundation, but as I said I don’t know. Its been there just over a week/maybe 2 now and I’ve been at my wits end with it. I can cover it with concealer, but I would rather it went on it’s way now.

My current skincare routine wasn’t clearing it, although it wasn’t making it worse either. I wanted to try something new, so after  root through my stash and found a long lost sample of La Roche Posay’s Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel. I don’t know a massive amount about La Roche Posay, but I love their suncare.

I’ve been using this on the area around the reaction and my T-Zone after I remove my make-up with Liz Earle’s Cleanse and Polish. In 4 days the reaction is a lot less red, and inflamed. It’s still there but it’s a lot easier to cover now.

As it’s a foaming cleanser aimed at oily skin I was expecting my skin to end up dry and tight, but it just leaves my face feeling clean and comfortable.

I’m off to Boots to look for something to sort it out, and while I’m there I will definitely be looking into more of the La Roche Posay range, particularly the Effaclar Duo which sounds amazing!

You can find La Roche Posay at Boots where it costs £10.21 for 200ml

Rituals Super Shine Lipgloss in Ruby Night

Rituals is a brand that I am very quickly falling for. I could spend ages in their stores, and love their bath and body products, as does Nik (the Hammam Range is great for guys) but I had never tried their make-up despite it all looking gorgeous.  I was sent the Super Shine Lip Gloss in Ruby Night. The line is paraben free and contains natural gemstones-nothing like a bit of bling for you lips eh?

A favourite of the beautiful Funda Onal, this lipgloss is a really pretty sheer berry shade with gorgeous shimmer running through it. Despite looking dark, it is a very wearable shade as it is quite brown toned, so it should suit most skin tones. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you know I love berry toned lip products, I have quite dark,pigmented lips naturally and baby pink shades just look a bit wrong on me.

The formula of this is lovely, not sticky or gloopy in the slightest, as with most glosses it doesn’t last very long, but it doesn’t claim to. It feels comfortable on the lips, and the shimmer isn’t gritty.

I’ve loved wearing this over the top of lipsticks and it looks gorgeous with MAC’ Amorous, which I pat in as a stain before apply this gloss – see this look here.

There are some beautiful shades in the range and I'll definitely be checking them out when I go to stock up on Shower FOams and Bath Oils!

You can find Rituals Super Shine Lip Gloss in Rituals Sotres, House of Fraser or online, where it cost £10.90

 

Disclaimer: This product was sent for consideration by PR. I was not compensated in anyway.

Carmine: February Edit

So when I got home today, my Carmine box was waiting for me. And I think I’ve finally decided on which is the beauty box for me. I can’t fault this box. I have now unsubscribed from Glossybox, I just wasn’t using the stuff I got. With Carmine however, I haven’t used everything I received but I have at least tried everything, and a lot of the things I now love.

The main thing I love about Carmine is the balance, the first box I received was a bit make-up heavy but every box since has been  a great balance of hair, body, skincare, and make – up. This box was no different, and I’m excited to use everything in it!

The Balance Me Rose Otto Body Wash is a product I already love. Balance Me are one of my favourite brands, all of they’re products smell amazing, and just feel like a real luxury. When I have used this before it also works well as a bubble bath, great if you want a change from Lush scents. I think Carmine must of known of my love for all things leopard print, my tin of Steam Cream something I have always wanted to try, I love multi-purpose products, great for travelling. I’ll be trying this as a face cream, hand cream, body moisturiser and well anything else I can think of using it for! As somebody who hates the shade of their teeth, I was really happy to see White Glo; a teeth whitening toothpaste that can be used everyday. I also got a lovely aqua blue Andrea Fulerton Nail Varnish and a cute miniature Diego Dalla Palma lipstick in a pretty coral shimmery shade.

As a bonus a fragrance sample of Yardley Peony was also included!

I think I’ll be sticking with Carmine from now on, I haven’t had a box from them that I dislike, and I always find something in there worth repurchasing!

Carmine is a monthly subscription service and costs £10 a month (+ P&P) and you can still get the February box here

FOTD : Full Fuchsia

I wore this sometime last week, and completely forgot to post it! I bought MAC’s Full Fuchsia from the Tartan Tale collection (Xmas 2010) but it is permanent at the Pro store. I don’t think I have actually worn it this year, so I thought I should show it some love! 
I’m wearing Double Wear in this, and I’m so happy I bit the bullet and bought Vitalumiere Aqua, I’m just not loving how Double Wear looks at the minute. I’m real loving Dior’s Amber Diamond, and was informed by a sales assistant it is being discontinued! So if you want to get your hands on Amber Diamond or Rose Diamond, make sure you get to a counter sharpish!
It’s been getting lovely and sunny round here lately so I expect I will be breaking out a few more bright lippies lately!
What’s your favourite bright lipstick? Any I should try?

Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid Makeup: First Impressions

Another day, another foundation! I’d been wanting to try this since I heard it had launched. It’s water based, much like the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua/MAC Face and Body and it needs to be shaken before use to mix the pigment, as it has nothing to emulsify it.

I got a sample from a counter, and was shade matched to 1CN1, there are 16 shades in the range, with cool, neutral and warm undertones.  I always find Estee Lauder to be great with offering samples and I have never had a bad shade match from them. One counter even gave me a big sample of Double Wear because they had sold out of my shade!

This applies brilliantly, I used a MAC 190 to get the most coverage I could, and then buffed it in with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush. It leaves a demi-matte finish, and looks very natural. I find that it does look unperceivable on the skin. I still need to use my concealer, but I have found that my concealer is much easier to apply on these lighter foundations and doesn’t cake or look obvious.

I feel that this foundation is going to draw a lot of comparisons to Vitalumiere Aqua, and they definitely have their similarities. The shade range with the Estee Lauder is a lot wider, and caters for more undertones, the Chanel are mostly yellow/warm based. I find the Estee Lauder to be slightly more matte, so would probably suit oilier skins better. Both apply equally well, and I think would be easy to apply either with brushes, fingers or a sponge. Both can be built up easily and layered for more coverage, something that I love about both. With Double Wear I find it very easy to over apply, and end up looking cakey, and frankly, worse than before I applied. I find the wear pretty similar with both, they wear well, and don’t slip or fade unevenly, although I would top up with powder midday.

I would definitely buy the full size of this foundation. I’m starting to grow tired of full-coverage foundations, as I always wear concealer over them anyway, so I may as well wear a lighter foundation where I can get away with it!

No7 Vital Brights Cream Blush in Blossoming Pink

Yesterday was a massive fail in regards to my Project 20 Pan, I got a No7 £5 voucher when I bought the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua, and I couldn’t just ignore it. The new cream blushes were calling out to me. I blame the pretty packaging.

Blossoming Pink is a warm corally pink in the pan but blends to a gorgeously wearable warm pink. It’s a cream blush but I don’t find it gives a dewy finish, it it a lot like the Topshop cream blushes, in that it dries down to a powder and has a fairly satin finish, not matte bu8t definitely not dewy.

I wore this yesterday as soon as I bought it as my blush had faded, and I needed a bit of colour, it lasted about 4 hours before I wanted to add a bit more, this is without a powder on top.

It applies really well with fingers, you won’t need a brush for these. The formula is just about perfect, they apply gorgeously, and blend with no streaks. The colour is beautiful, it really pops on my skin tone, it has just enough warmth to brighten my complexion but not so much it looks unnatural.

My one gripe with this is the price. I obviously used a £5 voucher so this only cost me £5, there would be no way I would of paid £10 for this. You only get 2g of product which is pretty damn stingy, to compare a MAC Cremeblend blush contains 5.6g, for £17.50, which works out to £31.25/10g, these work out to £50/10g very overpriced for a supposed high street brand. I could understand if the packaging was a bit more expensive, but it’s just plastic. No7 where do you get off charging that much for blush? I don’t see this lasting very long at all, and I’m undecided as to whether I would buy a a back up.

There is one other shade in his formula which is a much brighter cool toned candy pink, which I was tempted by, but I don’t think I would reach for it as much, and couldn’t justify the purchase.  The rest of the collection looks gorgeous, but again slightly overpriced. I have no problem dropping a lot of money on make – up, but with No7 it seems unjustified. Why would I spend as much on a high street brand as a high end brand? Never mind the fact that the Limited Collections always seem to have a big price hike.

Have you tried any of No7’s Spring Collection? What do you think about No7’s pricing?

You can find No7 Vital Brights Cream Blush at Boots where it will cost £10 (£5 with a voucher)

FOTD: Wearing Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua

Following my post earlier I thought it would be useful to see how Vitalumiere Aqua photographs. After using this today I think I actually prefer it to Double Wear, it definitely feels much more comfortable. I have got a couple of blemishes that I have covered using Illamasqua’s Cream Pigment in Bedaub as a corrector and MAC’s Studio Finish Concealer in NW15. I have also powdered with MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light.

I was colour matched to B10, which is the colour I’ll be picking up, it’s a bit to yellow but I think this is actually a postive, s it tones down the redness I get.

I’m pretty sure I will be buying this foundation, I haven’t really thought of anything about I don’t like.

On my lips I have MAC’s Amourous and Rituals Super Shine Lipgloss in Ruby Night*.

I’m thinking I need a haircut. It’s looking a right mess!

*PR Sample

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua: First Impressions

So I mentioned yesterday that I picked up a sample of Vitalumiere Aqua the other day. This isn’t going to be a review but I thought I would share my first impressions as, because I have more of an oily skin type it would be helpful for those who wouldn’t think this would work for them.

I want to mention also, that the lady at the counter was very helpful, and had no problem giving me a sample, despite me not buying anything, so definitely ask for a sample if you want to try this.

So I tried this out for the first time yesterday, I wore it without primer and without powder, but I did wear a little concealer, over areas that I wanted more coverage.

Vitalumiere is water based so its important to give it a through shake before using, I applied using a Real Techniques Flat Foundation Brush and then used the Buffing Brush to ensure it was completely blended in. This foundation feels gorgeous on the skin, it really does live up to it’s claim of being ultra light. The coverage is light, but not as light as I would of expected. Aside from a current breakout, and some very pigmented acne scars, was covered enough for my liking. I have fairly red cheeks, and I felt this gave me enough coverage that I wasn’t worried about them, and it definitely evens my skin tone out.

As for the finish I was expecting this to be very dewy, but I was surprised to find that although it is a bit glowy, it gives a more of a natural finish, not matte but definitely not overly glowy. So if you have oily skin like myself, it won’t make you look shiny.

I found this to last very well, bearing in mind I had not used a primer or powder, I applied this right before going for a 2 hour walk with the dog, and as yesterday was very warm I was expecting to get home and find it had slipped off, but it still looked ass it did when I applied it. As time went on, it gets a bit more glowy, and I would have normally powdered on top.

I’ll be trying this out until my sample runs out, and at the minute I am very tempted to purchase the full size!

Have you tried Vitalumiere Aqua? Should I take the plunge?

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua costs £31 and you can find it at Chanel counters.

Topshop Make Up: Sisters of the New Moon Collection

The things I do for blogging eh! I spotted this new collection in Topshop yesterday, and being on a no-buy I couldn’t impulse buy all of it, so I got swatching instore! Apologies for the phone pictures, but I had nothing else with me. I love Topshop’s make up line, and they’re limited collections always seem to be lust worthy!

I really had to stop myself buying the Crystal Lip Tint, it’s another one of those colour changing balms, but it’s full of glitter! I’ve swatched it above, and the glitter doesn’t transfer, when applied, its just a gorgeously pretty pink flush.

I also swatched Lipstick in Charmed which is a pastel orange, not something I could pull of, but I think it would look gorgeous with a bit of a tan and some black liner.

The nail varnishes that were released are all pale, shimmery metallics and definitely worth checking out, although it’s worth noting that they are£6.50 not the usual £5.

The Magic Liner, which I also swatched, is a felt tip liner in a pen, and despite how often I wash my hands, that swatch still hasn’t completely gone! I’ll probably be picking this up when I run out of eyeliner.

Have you seen this collection yet? Anything caught your eye?

A Rant.

So yesterday I went for a little retail therapy, and the first place I found myself was MAC, I had enough empties to swap for a free lipstick so I spent a few minutes deciding what I wanted and then waited for someone to help me. The three women that were working there all seemed to busy chatting to help me out, not even a glance, or ‘I’ll be with you in a minute’. So I thought rather than stand around, I thought I would go wait at the till, so I couldn’t make it any clearer.

By this point a few other people had come in and the staff had stopped their chatting and gone to help them, they all walked behind the till and still nothing. It was another five minutes before, anyone asked me if I needed any help, and even then I was greeted with the attitude of a wet mop!

If it wasn’t for the fact I wanted to Back 2 MAC I would of left after being ignored the first time. Later I went to John Lewis, and to really test the customer service I went straight to the Chanel counter, where one of the ladies working there was busy but told me, as soon as someone was available they would be over to help. Not even a minute had passed before I was offered help, and I asked to be colour matched and get a sample of the Vitalumiere Aqua foundation. The women who helped me couldn’t have been more helpful, she explained what the foundation would do, and checked what my skin concerns were, what I had been using. She didn’t pressure me to take my current foundation off, or buy anything. She wrote all the details down, told me if I needed another shade to come back and she would be  glad to help.

So why the difference in service? I get that Chanel is more expensive, but MAC is still high end, and I don’t expect that the customer service should be non existent!

MAC if your listening (which I doubt you are) it’s all well and good teaching you staff to cover themselves in your products but how about teaching them some manners?!?

Have you had any bad customer service recently? When was the last time you got good service?

Contouring

I have a confession. I’m crap at contouring. As someone with more than a severe case of moonface ( a lovely term my boyfriend coined for those of use with more or a round visage) it’s something I long to perfect but I just cant seem to get right. I’m yet to find my perfect contouring product, you might remember I put the Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel in my wishlist post – if any of you use this for contouring please let me know how you get on with it!

Credit: Gossmakeupartist

The brilliant gossmakeupartist on Youtube, made this video that is a great tutorial on how to contour with cream products, under your foundation. The end result looks like everything I want to achieve, I have been using my matte Too Faced bronzer to (attempt) to contour, and I’m finding it looks way too obvious, and just not what I’m after.

Credit Lisa Eldridge

Another helpful video is Lisa Eldridge’s Contouring Video, but I can’t seem to find a product that doesn’t look too bronze/orange. I did try to track down the MAC Sculpting Powders when I lived in London, but they must have got discontinued as I could never find them in the Pro store. I’ve been wanting to try NYX Taupe Blush for this but again it’s pretty hard to get hold of!

So it would seem that the high-street isn’t quite up to speed on contouring, much like myself, the chances of finsing a matte bronzer at all in Boots are pretty slim, let alone a non orange one!

If you’re a contouring wiz , please let me know what you use and any tips and trick you may have in the comments! I’ll be sure to keep you updated with my contouring quest!

Review: Soap and Glory Hand Food

Soap and Glory are a brand that I have loved since I got one of their lip glosses as a Christmas gift years ago, but lately more and more of their products seem to be creeping into my routine. One of the first products I remember trying of theirs is the Hand Food Hand Cream, I’m talking a good five or so years ago here so along the line I forgot about it (and Hand Cream altogether until about a year ago) but my hands were really dry the other day so I decided to pick up a tube to try.

It’s described as non greasy, which for me is really important, I don’t mind a hand cream that takes a while to sink in, if I’m only using it at night, but if it’s one I keep in my handbag I want it to sink in quickly. This definitely lives up to it’s claim, its got the texture of a thick lotion and it sinks into the skin quickly. The main moisturising ingredients in this are Shea Butter and Grape Seed Oil, it does also contain silicone, but in a lesser quantity than the Shea Butter/Grape Seed Oil, so it still gives a good punch of hydration.

I have been using this about 4 times a day, or whenever my hands feel dry from the cold and I have had no problems with dry scaly patches of skin since I started using this.

Like a lot of Soap and Glory products it is scented, and it’s a gorgeous, sweet scent although I can’t quite pinpoint what it really smells of. If you do have a problem dermatitis or  with scented problems I wouldn’t advise this hand cream as it might aggravate your skin issues.

This is a really lovely hand cream, and for a very reasonable price, I will definitely be repurchasing a full size tube to keep next to my computer, and will keep the travel size in my handbag, for when I am at work.

You can find Soap and Glory Hand Food at Boots where 50ml will cost you £2.35 or 125ml will cost £4.85

Last Weekend

I recently download MyTubo (I don’t have an iPhone so no Instagram for me!) and I have been snapping pictures of things all weekend. As much as I love my DSLR I don’t always like to carry it around with me, as I worry it’ll get stolen, and when walking the dog it’s probably not the best idea to be carrying it around anyway! This weekend was filled with dog walking by the canal, a gorgeous roast dinner from The Almanack (if your in the Leicester area you really should try it) discovering Rubicon Light, and bowling and Chiquitos (which I stupidly forgot to photograph!)

Glossybox: February Edit

I’m going to keep this Glossybox post short and sweet, as I know Beauty Box posts are not everyone's cup of tea, and I think I have expressed my opinion on the service numerous times. I do think that these posts are helpful for people trying to decide whether or not to subscribe.

This was a pretty average box, no really stand out products, but I will be trying out everything I received. The Dr Bronner Lavender Hand Sanitiser will be going straight in my handbag, the Coco Shambhala Shower Gel will no doubt be gone very quick as I have used it before and Nik also loves it. The product I am most looking forward to using is the Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Relaxing Balm, and love having travel size styling products as I never finish them. I could live without the DuWop Venom Gloss, and the BM Beauty Eyeshadow, but I’m sure I will get some use out of them!

I do feel the need to say that it seems box by box the discount codes get fewer and fewer, with only one included in this box, something that I would definitely consider before repurchasing a sample.

Did you get February’s Glossybox? What did you think?

Perfume Review: Especially Escada

Especially Escada is a new addition to Escada’s permanent line, and it’s a gorgeous scent, that I have been wearing everyday since I got it!

Especially Escada is based around rose, and is a beautifully light and feminine floral that feels modern and luxurious. The opening notes are crisp pear and ambrette seeds, which give it its light, feminine feel, at the heart of the scent is rose and ylang ylang, and the base of musk gives the scent a sophisticated edge.

When I first spray this the pear and the floral really come through, and on these cold grey mornings it is really uplifting! Through the musk balances out the floral and keeps the scent feeling modern and fresh.

I love fragrances with elements of musk and am normally more drawn to warmer, spicier fragrances, but it is great to find a floral scent that I love, as I don’t always feel warmer scents are fitting for spring and summer.

The bottle is gorgeous, and has the perfect balance of the feminine pink and the chunky cube shaped bottle. The heavy weight bottle and the the beautiful gold double E lid give it a really luxurious and expensive feel.

The perfume has good wear time, and I love that I can still smell it on my scarf the next morning, however if you like to carry your perfume around with you it might be worth using a Travelo or something similar as the bottle isn’t really designed for travel.

I really love this perfume, and it’s my perfume of choice for the summer (if it ever arrives!)

Especially Escada is available at Escentual and retails between £32 and £56

 

Disclosure – PR Sample.

MAC Essentials: MAC Sheertone Blush in Loverush

I got this with a Debenhams voucher after hearing Meg mention it in a couple of her favourite videos. It’s a Sheertone blush with no shimmer, but it isn’t what I would describe as matte, it has more of a satin finish, it’s not completely flat.

Mac describe it as a ‘faded burgundy’, it’s a brown toned berry, and in the pan it looks quite scary, especially if you have pale skin. It does swatch quite dark, but it blends out to a gorgeous flushed colour and the brown tones make it look very natural. I have been using it with a light hand  with either a duo-fibre brush (Sigma F15) or a Synthetic Brush (Real Techniques Blush Brush – review to come soon!)

On my NW15 skin it gives a look that is almost sunburnt, and when paired with bronzer the red tones give a more natural glow.

Because of the natural tones of this blush, I can see it working on a lot of skintones, as despite how it looks in the pan, red toned blushes can look the most natural on all skin tones.

The formula as with most Mac blushes is great, and lasts well. Mac make some of my favourite blushes, and the sheertones are my personal favourites.

You can find Loverush at counters and online where it will set you back £17.50

The Body Shop Vitamin C Microdermabrasion

I picked this up last month when I had one of those £10 off when you spend £25 voucher that the Body Shop give out on their receipts, and needed something else to bump up the total, when stocking up on Banana Conditioner. It is designed for Dull Skin, and all through December/January my skin was a lot duller than usual, and my skin is normally on the dull side, and unless I exfoliate I get a lot of blocked pores.

I used a lot of different exfoliating scrubs, but I have never found one that didn’t either just scratch my skin, or do nothing at all. So for quite a while I just didn’t exfoliate, but something made me want to buy it!

The Body Shop describe it as a ‘Weekly home-spa exfoliation. With vitamin C rich camu camu and Community Trade shea butter’. As you would expect from a Vitamin C product it has a slight orange scent, which isn’t overpowering, and I quite like it. It has a thick and creamy consistency at first but once you start massaging it in it emulsifies with the water really well. As it is a microdermabrasion rather than a scrub it doesn’t have big, visible particles they seem to be more a part of the cream.

This scrub is quite rough, not in a painful way, you can just tell that it’s actually doing something although if you have very sensitive skin you might want to avoid this. I cleanse my face, and then while my face is still damp I take about a grape size amount of this and massage it in circular motions. I do this until the cream is completely dissolved and then rinse it off. My skin is left feeling really clean, and smooth, it doesn’t make my skin red or feeling sensitive which I often experience if i use more conventional scrubs.

As I mentioned in yesterdays posts my skin is a lot less prone to breakouts since I changed my skincare routine, and I would definitely give some credit to this product for that. I feel  like it definitely stops the build up of dead skin cells, and other rubbish that lead to the stubborn black heads and blocked pores I get.

If like me you have become tired of your normal exfoliating products and need something a bit more effective then I would really recommend this. I have been trying a lot of Body Shop products lately and I think it’s really easy to underestimate their skincare, I know until trying this I only went to them for hair care and the odd bottle of the Mango Shower Gel (which smells flippin’ amazing by the way!) but since trying this I will definitely be trying out a few more products.

You can find The Body Shops Vitamin C Microdermabrasion in store or on the Body Shop website where it is priced at £12

Good Things Deep Pore Anti Blemish Cleanser

If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know I am a big fan of Good Things Skincare, they are a really affordable option for natural, nasty free skincare. Developed by Beauty Writer Alice Hart Davis it is designed for young skin, and uses superfruit extracts in gentle but effective formulations.

The Anti Blemish Cleanser is a 2 – in – 1 cleanser and toner, that helps to ‘unclog pores and remove excess sebum without stripping your skin’s natural oils’. I have been using this for the past few weeks, and have loved using it. I use it in the morning after my Liz Earle’s Cleanse and Polish or the Good Things Stay Clear Purifying Cleanser, and it makes my skin feel clean, and refreshed.
I personally wouldn’t use this as a cleanser in it’s own, I definitely see it as more of a toner. For me this is the perfect toner for the morning; the scent is a gorgeous uplifting strawberry scent, and my skin feels less oily but not stripped. Since I have been using this I have noticed I have less breakouts, and blackheads and blocked pores have definitely reduced. I also have changed a lot of other products in my skincare regime so the combination of products has probably also helped to improve my skin, I have tried a few other alcohol free toners and this one works better for me than any other so it will probably be a permanent feature in my skincare routine.
The packaging, like all of the Good Things range is simple, practical but still gorgeous to look at, and feels young and fun. The formula is free from Parabens, SLS, Mineral Oils and Animal Ingredients.
If you are looking for an alcohol free toner for oily or combination skin this would be a great one to try, especially if you love fruity scents!
You can find Good Things Anti Blemish Cleanser at Boots where it retails at £4.99 for 200ml

Disclaimer: PR Sample.

Deal Alert: Save £1 on MUA Palettes!

If you’ve been following me for a while you’ll have probably heard me express my love for the MUA Eyeshadow Palettes, so when I saw this offer I had to share it with you all!

You can now get any of the 12 eyeshadow palettes for £3 each which makes them even more budget friendly than before! If you unsure where to start my favourites are the Heaven and Earth Palette (reviewed here) the Dusk til Dawn Palette (reviewed here) and the Glam Days Palette (reviewed here)

You can find this offer at Superdrug and MUA’s Website and the offer is running until March 13th.

TAG: 7 Deadly Sins Of Beauty

I’ve seen this tag popping up all over Blogs and Youtube so I thought I’d join in!

QUESTIONS:
1. GREED: What is your most inexpensive beauty item? What is your most expensive?
2. WRATH: What beauty products do you have a love/hate relationship with? What product has been the hardest to get?
3. GLUTTONY: What are your most delicious beauty products?
4. SLOTH: What beauty product do you neglect, due to laziness?
5. PRIDE: What beauty product gives you the most self confidence?
6. LUST: What attributes do you find most attractive in the opposite sex?
7. ENVY: What items would you most like to receive as a gift?

1. My most inexpensive beauty items are my MUA eyeshadows, which cost a very pocket friendly £1! All of the shades I’ve tried are pigmented, easy to blend and just lovely eye shadows. I use one of the matt shades everyday for my eyebrows. My most expensive is Dior Amber Diamond Highlighter, which was in my opinion worth every penny of the £31.50!

2. The beauty product I have a love hate relationship is definitely my MAC 109, I love the shape and size, perfect for highlighting or contouring, but mine sheds like a mo’fo! If I ever use it I end up with hair all over my face! I should probably find a new brush to contour with. I haven’t really found many products hard to get, but when I lived in London, it wasn’t unusual for me to visit a few MAC stores/counters stalking the new collections!

3. My most delicious beauty products have to be my Soap and Glory products, I love the Breakfast Scrub and whenever I use it  I have to stick my nose in the tub and breathe in the gorgeous scent! I also love the scent of Hand Food, which smells beautiful! I also have to mention the vanilla scented MAC lipsticks, whenever I apply the scent just makes it all the more enjoyable.

4. Probably my Sleek/MUA palettes, I love them all but I’m too lazy to dig them out and use them. I’m dying to depot them all so I can get some use out of them, but I think it would be a mammoth task!

5. As someone who suffers from hormonal/cystic acne and scarring I don’t feel very confident until I have my foundation and concealer on. It just makes my skin look so much better, and I can’t imagine being someone who doesn’t wear foundation!

6. Bit cliché but a sense of humour is a must, I love that me and Nik can still laugh and giggle like idiots after 3 years together. I quite like tattoos (which Nik has a fair few of) dark hair and dark eyes. But as always it’s not just about appearances, I love Nik, and will no matter what! Slushy much?

7. As much as I love my Boots and Superdrug finds I would love to receive some Chanel or Dior as I gift, it’s not something I would buy for myself regularly, but as a treat it would be lovely!

I’m not going to tag any one per se, but if you want to to this tag or already have please link me up in the comments!

Wishlist 01

1. Paul and Joe Cat Collection Blusher Sticks How cute are these? Don’t know I that I would have the heart to use it, so it’s probably best that I’m on a no spend!

2 Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer  I’ve been using MAC’s Prolongwear Concealer and I like it but I’m not in love with it. This concealer has a pink toned and a yellow toned concealer as well as a small setting powder. I have a £2 voucher for Soap and Glory from Elle Magazine so I might have to buy this.

3 Philosophy Coconut Frosting I’ve been loving the Cherry Christmas Shower Gel I got for Christmas, and would love to have a few more scents in my shower. But with the amount of shower gels I got given or that came in Beauty Boxes I don’t think I really need anymore yet!

4 Soleil Tan De Chanel I think I will be saving my Boots points up for this, this year. I’ve been wanting to try it for a while, but until I can downsize my current blush and bronzer stash it will have to wait! I really loved watching EssieButton’s video on how to use it on pale skin (link)

5 Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation I love my Estee Lauder Double Wear but I can’t help but want to try another high coverage foundation. I’ll be waiting till I can get to a counter to get colour matched to this, and as my nearest one is over an hour on the train I might be waiting some time!

6 Korres Wild Rose Moisturiser for Oily/Combination Skin The Korres Wild Rose Moisturiser for Dry Skin was included in January’s Carmine Box and I’ve really loved using it. It smells gorgeous, floral but not in a heavy cloying way, and I’d love to try the Oily Skin version, as the Dry Skin is a little to heavy for me.

7 Stila One Step Correct Another product that I think I might just want because it looks so amazing. I love Stila as a brand and the products I have tried have all been really great quality and I love their packaging. Another one to save the Boots points for!

Liz Earle Brightening Treatment Mask

I was sent this mask a by the lovely Laura at Liz Earle, and it’s slotted really well into my skincare routine. Liz Earle’s Brightening Mask claims to be a ‘reviving, fast acting mask for instant radiance’ and it is targeted at dull skin (which lets face it this weather most of us have dull skin) I think it would be great for people with skin that suffers with a build up of dead skin cells.
The texture of the mask isn’t similar to anything I can think of, it has a definate clay texture but it has a slightly thinner, more spreadable consistency. I find 1 pump covers my face perfectly and I leave it on for 2 minutes (although you can leave it on for just 30 seconds) I do notice a bit of tingling, which it states on the packaging should be expected, but it isn’t unpleasant, although not suited for very sensitive skin.

I remove the mask with the muslin cloth (dampened in hand-hot water) that comes in the Starter Kit, and my skin instantly feels fresher, clean and looks more radiant.
As with all Liz Earle products I’ve tried I’m very impressed with the quality of the ingredients, and unlike a lot of brands the ingredients that are stated on the front of the tube, aren’t buried right at the bottom of the ingredients list, and this mask boasts aloe vera leaf juice, witch hazel and sweet almond oil.
This is a really great mask if you’re in need of a quick fix, and it’s perfect for either before a night out or the morning after!
You can find Liz Earle Brightening Treatment Mask at Liz Earle where a 50ml Starter Kit will cost £13.50.

Disclaimer : PR Sample

Urban Decay Lipstick in Tease

I have a few Urban Decay lipsticks, and they’re one of my favourite formulas, they’re quite similar to the MAC Cremesheens. The shades I have are all moisturising,comfortable on the lips but still long lasting. If you’ve used a Urban Decay lip products you’ll know they are quite heavily scented of Creme Brulee, which I don’t mind, but if you don’t like scented lip products its something to consider.

Tease is a toned down pinky coral. If you are a bit scared of coral (like me) this is a great shade. It works well with neutral looks for a subtle pop of colour.

Urban Decay lipsticks are often overlooked but they have a great range of neutral and bright shades.

I purchase my Urban Decay Lipstick from Beauty Box in Leicester (they are also stocked online here) for £6.00 but you can also find them at Look Fantastic (£13.00)

Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Pop

I picked this up with the Escentuals voucher I got from BuyaPowa. I've been wanting to try a Watercolour Blush for ages, so I had to get one! I chose the shade Pop which is a limited edition and a percentage goes to Macmillan Cancer Support.

Watercolour Blushes come in a dropper bottle and they need to be shaken before used, you get 15ml of product and as you only need a tiny dot a bottle will probably last forever!

Pop is a beautiful Watermelon pink that leaves gorgeous flush on the cheeks. It’s quite a warm pink and I can see it working on a lot of skin tones. I’ve worn this everyday since I’ve bought it, it really perks up my complexions when my skin (and myself!) is looking tired.

I’m so in love with this product, and if your thinking about trying a Watercolour Blush, or any other Daniel Sandler product this shade would make a great starting point.

The formula last really well, I have tried another liquid blush (an Inglot one) that didn’t last quite a long as this, but I feel I can put this on in the morning and be sure it’s still going to be there at the end of the day. It also works very well as a base for powder blushes, this method works well for me with shimmer blushes, as much as I like shimmer I don’t like too much so a light dusting on top of this works really well.

I also picked up the Water Brush as it was reduced to a fiver (!) and I use it to blend it out after I have applied it with my fingers and it gives a really natural flush, and leaves you looking healthy. As you can tell I’m a little in love with this blush, and am tempted by a lot of the other shades already!

On a side note I can’t recommend Escentuals Service enough, I made my order at 4.00pm and it had been dispatched a couple of hours later and I received it the next day! This wasn’t the next day delivery service either, this was the free delivery! Amazing service!

Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blushes cost £14.50 and are available from www.escentual.com/

Make Up To Drool Over… Dior Amber Diamond

No review yet as I just got this on Saturday. I know I’m on a no spend but Nik treated me to the £50 Voucher for Escentual.com when it was on BuyaPowa. This is the first product I’ve owned by Dior, and I love it. It’s so luxurious. Bask in it’s gorgeousness!

January Favourites

No7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream I bought this when Boots started chucking out the £5 No7 vouchers and I’ve used it everyday since. I use it mixed in with a small drop of Estee Lauder Double Wear. It lasts all day, and my skin feels comfortable not dry or oily. A lot of the time I won’t even powder or touch up through the day. I’ll be repurchasing this as soon as it runs out! You can readmy full review here.

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish If you read yesterdays post you will know that my skin was misbehaving earlier this month, so I turned to the only cleanser that I knew wouldn’t make it worse. I use this morning and night, and have stopped using any other cleansers. Since I starting using this again I haven’t had any breakouts and my skin looks a lot healthier and more radiant. I bought two jumbo sized pumps from QVC so I wont be running out for a while!

Soap and Glory The Daily Smooth Nik got me this in a gift set for Christmas and its great for when my skin is feeling really dry , which in this weather is all the time! It’s got a lovely thick texture but it sinks in quickly and doesn’t make my skin feel greasy. It also smells amazing, I also love the Clean Girls! shower gel/lotion which has the same scent.

Mac Mineralize Skinfinish Natural After hearing about this every where I finally caved and picked it up before Christmas. I’m so glad I did because now I won’t be without it! I was using Mac Blot Powder, but I’ve started favouring a more natural dewy look and this is perfect for that.

MUA Matte Eyeshadow Shade 19 I’ve been using this everyday to do my brows, and I’m finding it works really well. I’d actually forgotten that I bought this, when I found it in my stash. I use an angled brush spritzed with some Mac Fix+ and it matches my hair colour really well. It isn’t really red toned, but it also isn’t to ashy either, so if your after a neutral matte brown this might be worth a try.

Stila All Over Shimmer Powder Duo in Kitten I bought this with Boots points before Christmas, this gives a lovely and believable highlight. It’s quite golden toned but it looks more believable than a pink toned highlight, even on my cool toned skin. I have always preferred powder highlights, I’m too lazy for creams or liquids, but this doesn’t look powdery on the skin and blends really well.

Benefit They’re Real I have the worlds most stubborn lashes. No matter how long I spend curling every morning, pretty soon they’re straight again. I don’t know how this mascara does it but it gives a better curl than any other mascara I’ve tried. I usually have a few mascaras on the go, but lately I’ve only been reaching for this.

Models Own Lip Balm in Blackberry My lips have been chapped and dry all month so I’ve been forgoing lipstick in favour of this. It’s a gorgeous berry colour and keeps my lips soft.

Vivo Ultimate Brow and Eye Kit I’ve been using this in combination with the MUA eyeshadow, and I’ve mainly been using the lightest shade through my brows to add a bit of texture.

Face Oils for Oily Skin?

For the past eight or so years I have been using products targeted to oily or acne prone skin. I would always opt for 'oil free’ face products and wouldn’t moisturise as my skin already produced too much oil. I spent a year making my skin worse with Clinique’s harsh 3 step routine and have taken antibiotics to try and sort my skin out.

Not too long ago I realised, I was doing it wrong.

When your a teenager the likelihood is your skin will be oily, hormonal and you’ll have break outs. For the past decade break outs have been the bane of my life, to try and get rid of them I did as advertising/magazines told me use harsh products that will beat your acne into submission. Did it work? Not once.

Last month I had finally had enough, I’d cut alcohol and SLS out of my skincare routine a while ago but still my skin was irritated, red and I was having a breakout that covered my whole chin and forehead (a pretty picture I know) I switched back to the gentlest cleanser I knew, Liz Earle’s Cleanse and Polish and dug out a sample of their Skin Repair Light; a moisturiser for oily/combination skin that contains plant oils. In a week I started to see results, my breakouts were fading, I had no dry patches and my skin looked a lot less angry.

It wasn’t much longer that I saw Liz Earle’s Superskin Concentrate come up in a co-buy on BuyaPowa, I took the plunge and I have been using it for just over a week.

It’s too early for a full review, but I will say this; I’ve had no breakouts or spots since using this. I use it at night before my moisturiser and it doesn’t make my skin feel greasy, I just wake up with skin that looks a lot more radiant. A while ago I would have never dreamed of using an oil on my skin, and wouldn’t even use a moisturiser that had any sort of oil in it.

I’ll definitely continue using this and will be doing a full review soon.

Do you use oils or do you prefer to steer clear? Let me know in the comments!

You can find Liz Earles Superskin Concentrate on their website where it is available in 5ml/10ml/30ml (£5.50/£19.00/£38.75) sizes. Also Liz Earle is featuring a lot on QVC with some great offers including a very exciting Todays Special Value!

Glossybox January Edit

This months Glossybox was a Valentines themed box and I was impressed before I even opened the box, as it was a gorgeous hot pink colour! I hope the different coloured boxes continue as I hate pastel pinks! Maybe a green box full of natural products?
I received a good mix of products and I don't feel like it leant too much on one type of product, I know some people received Clarins samples, but I’m glad I didn't because I probably wouldn’t have got much use out of them.

Here’s what I received in my box:

EYEKO Skinny Eyeliner in Emerald Green
This is a really gorgeous colour, and it’s quite a true emerald, quite a unique shade (I find most green liners are either too yellow, or to teal) It has a lovely texture and I can see myself using this on my lower lash line. Although I have to complain about the deceiving packaging, the silver end makes it look like it contains a lot more product than it does, and it won’t fit in my make up bag!

ORLY Nail Laquer in Rage
A lovely blood red shade. I’ve not tried Orly polishes before so I really look forward to trying this out, keep your eyes peeled for a NOTD!
WELEDA One Step Cleanser and Toner
I get up at 4.30 am most mornings, and if I oversleep (like I did today) I don’t have time to have a proper cleanse and tone, so I reached for this and it’s a nice product, I used it on a cotton pad, and it left my skin feeling clean refreshed and ready for make up. It also has a lovely fresh scent.
FAB Gentle Body Wash
I haven’t used this yet but I can see myself reaching for this when my skins feeling a little sensitive as its fragrance free. The texture is like somewhere between a cream and a gel.

MURAD Hybrids Skin Perfecting Primer – Dewy Finish
The star of the box for me, I put this on before my make up this morning (at about 4.30am) it feels really light weight on the skin and imparts a gorgeous and believable dewy sheen. And it definitely makes your foundation last longer, its been 13 hours now and my foundation doesn’t look perfect but I haven’t felt the need to touch up, which is almost unheard of for me! I’ll definitely be repurchasing this. It is tinted but it blends out on my NW15 skin and doesn’t really leave any colour to the skin.
For me this was a great box, I’ll be using everything that I received and will be keeping my subscription!
Glossybox is a monthly subscription service, and costs £10 a month plus P + P, if you want to subscribe you can do so HERE