Products I tried: April

I love using face masks, however I don't use them as much as I should! I made an effort to use the Origins Out of Trouble mask during April and I did enjoy it. I use this mainly on my nose and it's left feeling so refreshed and deeply clean. I didn't notice a dramatic difference after using this, however a couple of days later any blemishes did start to go down.

Bakewell Soap Company multi-purpose balm

Products I'm trying: April

At the end of March I posted my products I've tried: March post. This is a little later than usual, however here is my post of the products I'm going to be trying throughout April!

 

Blackhead killer peel off mask

New skincare additions: Arbonne

Mini Boots haul

I love going into Boots and treating myself to some new things! I popped in the other day and only picked up a few products, so thought I would do a mini haul post.

 

They currently have 3 for 2 on skincare and body care, so I bought two items for myself and one for my boyfriend (how kind of me!) I have been considering buying the Vaseline spray and go for a while and am so glad I finally did! I don't use body moisturisers very often at all, as I find I have to wait a bit longer to get dressed and it's a bit of a faff. This is fab and I love it, even after just using it once! It sinks in so quickly, meaning I was able to get dressed immediately after. It smells and feels lovely, plus left my skin feeling nice and moisturised.

 

Also with the 3 for 2 offer, I bought the Indeed Hydraluron face masks. I have heard brilliant things about Indeed, however had never tried anything from the brand. I was a bit reluctant at first to buy these, as they seemed quite pricey at £20 for four masks. I thought they would be worth a go though and I have used one which I really liked. Normal masks can be quite messy sometimes, so I love that these are sheet masks - no water required!

 

The final product I picked up is the Charles Worthington texturising spray. I have been tempted to try a texturising spray for a while, however couldn't bring myself to splash out on the Oribe one! I decided to give this a try and am excited to start using it. I have used it once so far, however haven't yet given it a proper try.

 

I would love to know if you have tried any of these products! Also, please let me know if there is anything you would recommend for me when I next pop into Boots.

 

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Lush haul

I haven't been to Lush for a little while, so I decided to pop in the other day and have a look! I came out with some things, all of which I have never used before, so I thought I would show you. All of these are products Meg mentioned in her Lush haul! She said they were amazing, so I thought I would have a look at them and give them a try.

 

The deodorant and toothpaste were the most unusual products, so I definitely wanted to give them a go. The Aromaco is a solid block deodorant, which you rub on your underarms. The toothy tabs are little tablets which you chew between your front teeth and then use a toothbrush to clean your teeth.

 

I also bought some hair products. I picked up the Fairly Traded Honey shampoo, which I think smells amazing! I have used this already and it seems really nice. I have also used the H'Suan Wen Hua hair treatment. This is one you use on dry hair and then follow with a shampoo and conditioner, which I really like.

 

Finally, they gave me two little samples. Lush are amazing at giving out samples, so definitely ask them for some if you are unsure on whether to buy a product. I received the Curly Wurly shampoo and Retread conditioner.

 

Let me know if you have tried any of these products. I would love to know your favourite items from Lush!

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Garnier micellar cleansing water

You have probably all heard of Bioderma. I used to own this and I loved it, however you have to order it online which isn't always convenient. I decided to try the Garnier micellar water to see how it compared, as I have read some great reviews on it!

 

This works brilliantly for removing face, eye and lip makeup. It does not sting my eyes at all, which some cleansing waters do. I add some of this to cotton pads, hold them over my eyes and then gently sweep away. My eye makeup comes off effortlessly and this leaves no oily residue at all.

 

I use the Boots baby extra large cotton pads, which you may have seen in my daily essentials post. I soak one or two of these in this water and sweep them over my face to remove my makeup. My skin is left feeling incredibly clean and fresh. I am usually very good and still continue with a proper cleanser, however sometimes I don't as this leaves my skin feeling very cleansed.

 

I would love to know you favourite micellar cleansers, so please let me know in the comments below!

 

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Products: Daily essentials

I regularly tell you my favourite products each month and I also post reviews on products, however I thought it would be nice to tell you my daily essentials. These will be the products that I go to on a regular basis and rely on but don't tend to mention on my blog.

Starting from when I wake up, first of all I wash my face and I always use some kind of cloth for this. I like using muslin cloths and I have them stacked high in my bathroom! I soak these in water and then use them to remove the cleanser from my face. They are great to use as they remove cleanser and makeup very well, whilst also giving your skin a gentle exfoliation.

In the shower I use various shower gels. My mum and I just use the same one and are constantly trying out new ones. Currently, I am using a Dove shower gel which is really nice and creamy. Recently I have also used Radox Berry Burst, Soap and Glory and Original Source. Soap and Glory Clean on Me is my favourite shower gel and I always receive one for my Birthday or Christmas!

Before I get dressed, I spray myself with deodorant. I have been using the Sure Bright one, which is great as they also sell a compressed one which is a lot smaller!

I have spoken about my Tangle Teezer before and this is something I rely on everyday. I cannot brush through my knotty hair with anything else! This works well on wet and dry hair, so I use this every single day. I am currently giving one away in my beauty giveaway. Also, Lookfantastic have an offer here of 2 for £15 on Tangle Teezers, which is incredible! The offer ends tomorrow.

When I apply my makeup, I always have cotton pads to hand and my favourite are the Boots Baby extra large ones. I pop foundation onto the back of my hand and apply concealer with my fingers, so cotton pads are great for removing this. If I use a water cleanser then I apply it with these cotton pads and I also use them for applying toner. They are so soft and the perfect size!

 

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Best beauty products of 2013

I just wanted to apologise firstly for not blogging in a while. I haven't stopped, I just took a little break. I have lots of posts written and ready to publish which I am looking forward to sharing with you!

I love writing and reading monthly favourites post, so I thought a yearly favourites post would be a good one to write!

These products are ones which I have been using over and over again, either for years or months, so I'm excited to share them with you.

Makeup

 

My favourite and most worn foundation this year has definitely been my YSL Touche Eclat foundation. I love this for everyday wear because it leaves my skin looking so natural and glowy, whilst also providing decent coverage. It definitely doesn't provide full coverage but it is buildable and concealer blends seamlessly over the top.

I have been wearing my Bobbi Brown Corrector quite frequently and I really like it! I am starting to run out and I'm still undecided on whether or not to repurchase it. I find it by far one of the best under eye concealers I have used, however one product I have been using recently is the Collection Illuminating Touch Concealer, which I find to be a very good and much cheaper alternative. I am planning to review this soon as I really like using it.

My favourite bronzer this year has been my Dior Nude Tan Bronzer. I looked back on when I first reviewed this and it was December 2012! That really shows how much I love it, as it's quite unusual for me to use a product consistently for a year.
 

Skincare

 

I've spoken about my Origins Ginzing moisturiser a couple of times before and this seems to be the perfect moisturiser for my skin. I find it great for hydrating and moisturising, especially as the weather gets colder.

The Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum had been on my wishlist for a very long time, however I was always reluctant to buy it because it is a little pricey. I am so glad I finally bought it though! I use this some evenings either on it's own or followed with my moisturiser and in the morning my skin looks healthy, smooth and feels so soft. The little pipette has unattached itself from the lid, which means I can't travel with it because it will leak everywhere! I've tried to attach it again but I can't seem to.

I visited Buckingham palace with my family in the Summer and bought these adorable little Buckingham Palace lip balms. I honestly didn't think they would be that great, they are just so cute I couldn't resist, however they have turned out to be some of the best lip balms I have used! I have one at home, one at my boyfriends house and one in my handbag, which I use repeatedly everyday. There are 2 pink ones and 1 blue one, but I can assure you it doesn't make your lips blue!

My hands never used to suffer from dryness, however at the beginning of this year and partly throughout the year they started getting very dry, so my mum bought me the Body Shop Hemp Hand Cream. Some hand creams don't make a massive difference to the dryness of my skin, however this one really does. I personally love the smell of this and it feels as though it is properly hydrating and repairing my hands, rather than just making them softer for a little while. I don't have to use this everyday as my hands stay moisturised for ages.

Hair

 

This year my favourite hair care set has definitely been the Tresemme Platinum Strength range. I own the shampoo and deep conditioning treatment, which I've just run out of. My hair is very thick and can get quite dry on the mid-lengths/ends, so I find this range has really helped. I recently bought the L'Oreal Ever Riche range which I find lovely and I'm excited to use that more, however I always find myself coming back to the Tresemme range, especially when I am in need of hair hydration and repair!

Those are all of my favourites from 2013! I really hope you have enjoyed this post and I would love to know what your stand out products from this year have been, so please let me know in the comments!

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Skincare Routine: Morning

Hello! I hope you are all having a great week and summer! I am back from my holiday to Ireland which was so much fun. I thought I would write a skincare post for you because I am so happy with this routine and haven't changed it for months now which is very rare for me!

This post is going to be my morning skincare routine! My morning routine is very short so I thought I would do another post on my evening skincare routine and masks/treatments as well if you would like to read one of those! 

My skin is combination as my nose gets very oily throughout the day and the rest of my face is pretty normal. I do get the occasional breakout now and then, however my skin has actually been very good and clear since I have been using all of these products!

I start the morning by cleansing my face using my Emma Hardie Amazing Face Cleansing Balm. I absolutely love this cleanser and I can honestly say it is the best I have ever tried! It is fairly expensive though so if you know of any other cleansing balms that are nice then please let me know! I do love this one though as my skin is left feeling so soft and hydrated. It also removes all of my makeup, including waterproof eye makeup very easily and gently so I don't need a separate makeup remover.

I recently bought the Origins Ginzing Energy Boosting Moisturiser which is amazing! Moisturisers are the one product I have never been happy with. I am constantly trying different moisturisers and I never repurchase the same one twice. I bought this one about 2 months ago now though and it is my favourite as it works so well for my skin! It is oil free and leaves my skin looking hydrated and radiant without being at all greasy.

Finally, the eye cream I use is the Origins Ginzing eye cream. I rediscovered this about a month ago and I have fallen back in love with it! I had a mini one which I took with me on holiday and then when I got home I found my full size and have been using it since. This is a lovely eye cream as it's so refreshing and gentle around the eyes. You may know I was using the Elemental Herbology eye elixir before I went on holiday which I still have and it's lovely, however it's expensive and I just don't think it's worth it!

That is it for my morning skincare routine! The only thing I would like to incorporate into this is a toner, so please leave me a comment if you have any recommendations. Also let me know if you would be interested in an evening routine post :)

I hope you are all having a lovely day! Let me know in the comments below your favourite skincare products!

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Origins Super Spot Remover

Hello! I hope you are all having a wonderful day :)

I have never owned any specific spot treatments before because I never really get spots, so have never needed one. Last month however, my skin went a little crazy and started breaking out a lot, so Natalie recommended I try the Origins Super Spot Remover!

The bottle of this is teeny tiny, but you really do only need the tiniest amount each time so this will last for ages! The product itself is a clear gel which you squeeze out of the top. I then just dab a little bit over any spots or problem areas I have. I only use this at night time as it does tighten a bit, so I don't know how makeup would sit over it, plus I wouldn't want my spot to look dry in the daytime!

Last month I used this religiously every evening on my blemishes and they have all completely gone! I do have a little bit of redness left where some of them were, however I am still using this every few nights which is helping that to fade. Most of my spots reduced in size pretty quickly and completely disappeared within a few days to a week. I did have a few stubborn ones which hung around a little longer, but they were extremely teeny tiny and I could only see them when I looked in my magnified mirror with a light! Haha :)

I am very very impressed with this and would highly recommend this spot treatment! I have had about two spots pop up within this last week, so I used this on them every night for a few days and they disappeared!

Have you ever tried it? I would love to know if you have any other Origins recommendations too! I have a  few of their masks and love them :)

This is available here for £11.70.

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend! I am off on holiday tomorrow with my parents to the seaside! I will try and take lots of photos and hopefully the weather will be lovely :)

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Nude Natural Radiance Set

Hello! If you watched my recent haul video you will have seen me mention my Nude Skincare Set, which was recommended to me by the lovely Zoe Newlove! I was looking for some new skincare to try, so I bought this set whilst I was in John Lewis.

I have been using these products for one month now and have run out of one of them, so I thought I would review it for you! In this set there is a 15ml cleansing oil, 15ml day moisturiser and 10ml treatment oil.

The Perfect Cleansing Oil is the product I have run out of! I was using this every morning and evening on my face and eyes. When I first used this, I tried it on a full face of makeup to see how it removed makeup and it was amazing! It removed all my face and eye makeup so easily by almost dissolving it so it all just melted away. Normally though, I used my Bioderma first and then used this afterwards to cleanse. 

I apply a couple of pumps of this to dry skin and massage it in. I then rinse it off with water and it forms a milk. I love using this cleanser as it feels so lovely on my skin and leaves my face incredibly soft and smooth! I do sometimes prefer a cleanser that really deeply cleanses my face, but as an everyday morning and evening one, this is lovely!

I use the Radiant Day Moisturiser every morning and I absolutely love it! I am always trying new moisturisers  because I never felt as though I had found my perfect one, but I have now! When I first used this I wasn't overly keen on it as it doesn't absorb into the skin as quickly as other moisturisers I have used. I really like this now though as it means I spend longer massaging it in and my skin is left so unbelievably soft! My skin is also left looking healthy and radiant, without looking oily.

When I run out of this, I will definitely be purchasing a full size!

I haven't used any expensive face oils before this one, so I was excited to try it! The first couple of times I used this, I didn't apply enough at all! I put about two drops onto my fingers, rubbed it into my hands and patted it onto my skin. I think by the time I applied it to my face though, a lot had absorbed into my hands and I didn't feel like there was anything going onto my face! What I now do is apply a couple of drops to my fingers, dot it on my face and then press it in.

I absolutely love this oil! My skin feels amazing after I use this and just looks so healthy! My nose is normally very oily but since using these products, it is hardly oily at all any more! I feel as though this treatment oil actually helps control the oil on my nose!

All three of these products leave my skin looking and feeling so soft and radiant, plus they all smell incredible. I do have a very oily nose and none of these products leave it looking any oilier or shinier!

This set is available here for £38 which I think is fab! You can also look at each individual product here :)

Have you tried any Nude skincare products? What is your favourite skincare brand?

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