Category: Beauty

Beauty favourites Spring 2018


Long time no beauty round up! Here are my favourite products for the past few months that I have been loving.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra-Light sun cream fluid SPF 50+ – Now I’m almost 30 and have some crows feet around my eyes I’ve been getting slightly paranoid I should be using SPF every day. The tinted moisturiser (NARS) I use has it in, but I’ve read it’s not exactly the same as using SPF alone (before you put on your make-up). I’ve tried Bioderma’s SPF for the face but it’s very thick so not ideal when you want to wear make-up. SPF’s seem to be very pricey to get a decent one that won’t break you out. I found this one in Boots and it had some good reviews so I gave it a go, and so far so good. It’s very thin and a little goes a long way. It does not feel oily or greasy and make-up goes on top very easily. When I use this I don’t bother to use a moisturiser too as it’s moisturising enough on it’s own and I like to avoid as many layers on my face as I can.

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream – I’ve tried so many different moisturisers over the years and this one I come back to again and again. I must be on my 10th pot at this point! For me (with combination skin) it’s the perfect consistency – not too thick that it breaks you out but moisturising enough that it is good when your skin is a little dry. This winter for the first time in years using it I did find it wasn’t enough for me in the cold (my skin is not super young anymore I guess) but I think next winter I will try their thicker moisturiser Ultra Facial Balm. But for now for me it’s still the best for a spring/summer/autumn moisturiser.

Kiehl’s Creamy Eye treatment with Avocado – In winter I was using an Estee Lauder eye cream (this one) and it was very good – however at £43, it was not something to make a habit of. I have tried the Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery eye cream in the past and was a little disappointed (I saw no difference whatsoever with it) but I thought I’d give this one a go because I am a big fan of Ultra Facial Cream and this particular eye cream does have such good reviews. The small pot is £26 but you only need a tiny amount. It is very moisturising and you really can notice a difference in the morning. I also like to use this one under make up in the morning too as it feels really nice underneath concealer. Am a big fan of the light green colour too.

Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser – Believe the hype people. Glossier is worth it! It’s not just pretty packaging. I’ve tried quite a few of their products now and this cleanser is one I’ve re-purchased. Despite initially thinking the smell was kinda weird (anyone else?) – I’m quite into even that now. It’s great for the morning, very mild and gentle. I do prefer to use Bioderma micellar water at night with a REN cleanser to take my make-up off, but this is a great alternative for me too as a second cleanser at night and a product I now will not be without. At £15 it’s a great mid range face wash.

(If you would like a 10% discount click here.)

Glossier Balm Dotcom –  A simple effective lip balm that smells great (especially the Birthday Cake flavour!). I have about 4 of them lying around different bags/locations. The original is unscented/uncoloured so you can use it on bits of dry skin/to keep stray eyebrows in place etc so it’s worth having one of those too. I also do love the packaging, not gonna lie.

NYX Professional Makeup concealer wand – I tried this out in Boots as I wanted a cheaper ‘dupe’ version of the NARS creamy concealer (which I love) and I think this is actually a pretty similar consistency and colour. It’s only £6 so a lot cheaper. I wouldn’t say it lasts as long on the face as NARS but for the price it’s pretty good going and does cover your dark circles pretty well.

Percy & Reed Perfectly Perfecting Wonder Balm – I was gifted this (personally it’s not something I would have ever thought to buy) and I am so glad I was because it’s actually the best hair product I’ve ever used (quite the statement I know). You use the tiniest amount on your hair when it’s damp and it really helps my not very thick hair to have more texture and volume. I don’t think they market it as a hair thickening product (hence why it wouldn’t have been on my radar) but it really does work for that purpose! Reading the reviews people love it for so many different reasons, with different hair types finding it useful for different things. Quite the miracle product!
The bottle has lasted me for so long too so I’ll definitely repurchase it. I think it is well worth the £18.

So there’s my top products right now! Are you a fan of any of them? x

My 2015 Beauty favourites


I love reading yearly round up lists so I thought I’d do my favourite beauty products that I tried and loved in 2015. I probably spent more money on beauty than clothes last year, and I’m telling myself it’s because I’m almost 27 I feel like I have to start making more effort with my skin and hair than ever before.
Basically I discovered loads of new products that I loved last year so here we go… (Sorry in advance if this makes you want to buy anything…! January, I know.)

Skincare

1. Aesop Resurrection Aromatique hand balm – I feel like this hand cream gets a lot of ‘hype’, and a lot of instagram time. However, it is actually as good as it looks. My hands are really dry as I’m a bit obsessive about washing them… so I use a lot of hand cream. Out of all the ones I’ve ever tried, this one is by far the best (as well as L’occitane). The smell of this is just not like anything else, it’s really strong – very orange-y. You probably either love it or hate it but it’s a firm favourite for me. You also don’t need to keep reapplying it for your hands to feel better, once or twice a day is enough.

2. Bioderma Sensibio micellaire cleansing water – Loved by make-up artists (apparently), it’s a make-up removing cleansing water and it’s super good at it. It’s for sensitive skin and doesn’t feel ‘chemically’ or harsh on the skin like a lot of make-up removers do. I use this every single day and it has 100% improved my skin, probably because it totally removes all traces of any make up. You can get it in a giant bottle from chemists. Boots sell it now but it’s a bit of a rip off there (£10 for the small bottle!) so I’d recommend buying it online or finding a local pharmacy that stocks Bioderma.

3. Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate – This literally makes you feel like you’ve just been born out the womb. Your face feels so nice and fresh the next morning. The smell is also really calming. It can feel a bit wet when you apply it, but you only need the tiniest amount possible. This also makes the price (£36) seem a little better value for money if you consider how long it will last. My boyfriend tried using this and put way too much on his face practically slid off his body… so, yeah, a couple of drops needed max! Oils can seem a bit weird, like they’ll break you out, but this one hasn’t given me any problems and I do have combination skin. It’s been good in the winter especially when my skin is drier.

4. The Body Shop Satsuma shower gel – Oh god this smells SO good. I actually used to hate this scent so much but this year I began to love it. It feels nice on your skin and feels really refreshing! I’ve repurchased it at least 4 times.. so I think it deffo deserves a spot here.

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Lush Oxford Street haul – Early Autumn

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lushhaul

Like many humans on the internet I am rather fond of a bit (ok, a lot) of Lush.

When they opened their new giant Oxford Street store a couple of months ago I was down there like a shot. I’ve probably spent a lot of money there since, but this was one ‘bag’ of stuff I got a month or two ago so I thought i’d do a little review as there were a couple of new things I tried. I’ve repurchased a few of these items since too.

What I picked up

(From L-R on 2nd picture starting at the pill! The shampoo bar is the middle item)

Cyanide Pill Bath Bomb – I think this was an Oxford Street only release when the shop opened, I can’t find it online and not sure if it was there when I went again the other week. But I actually really liked this bath bomb! It was super glittery inside and smelt very ‘almond’ like with a touch of sweetness. I’m not a huge ‘bath bomb’ person and I definitely prefer the bubble bars but I’d buy this one again if it was there for sure. I also am a bit of a sucker for novelty shaped things…

Butterball Bath Bomb – Butterball is one of the cheaper bath bombs at £2.65 so I usually pick up one or two every visit. I love the smell of Butterball and I wish they’d use it for more products – please let me know if they already do? I know there is butter bear but not sure what else. The cocoa butter makes it pretty moisturizing too, for a bath bomb.

Big Blue Bath Bomb – I’d never tried this bath bomb until recently, as I for some reason thought it might be quite drying. I suddenly decided I really liked the smell of it though. It’s quite salty with a tad of lemon, really refreshing and feels a bit like you’re bathing in the sea! It also has bits of seaweed in it for an added sea experience if you’re into that.

Rockstar Soap – Rockstar soap is one of my favourite Lush scents of all time as I love vanilla. But I can’t say I’m a huge soap person – only in the bath on occasion. Still, I can’t help but pick it up every now and again just for the smell. It also lasts for ages.

Seanik Shampoo Bar – I never tried any of the Lush shampoo bars until Seanik and I have been converted. I thought a bar on your head would be weird, but they foam up so well and last forever. Seanik is a sea salty and lemon scent which is for ‘bigger hair’ and as someone with rather flat hair, I think it does actually work pretty well. I’ve repurchased and will continue to use it so that’s saying something.

Karma Bubble Bar – Karma is my ALL time favourite Lush product. It lasts forever as it’s so big. You can use 1/4 for a bath so it always feels like the most value for money. The scent is also amazing. It’s so nice for a night time relaxing bath. It’s so moisturizing and leaves your body smelling like orange and patchouli. AND it’s glittery, and purple…

Sunnyside Bubble Bar – Like Karma I also adore this bubble bar. I’ve repurchased it a couple of times as it lasts for a couple of baths. It has a really fresh scent which makes it nice for a day time or morning bath.

Have you visited the Lush store in Oxford street? If not you totally should, it’s stupidly big and exciting. Not that I’m an enabler or anything.. x

My current skincare routine

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I love seeing what other people use on their skin so thought I’d share my current routine. Also I had a bad experience with the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo products a few weeks ago when I was trying to cut costs… they gave me a horrible allergic reaction and it made me realize that I should have just stuck to what was working even if it is a bit pricey.

Why I now give a shit about skincare

My skin never has been particularly bad, I never had acne or any problems growing up. But unfortunately the older I’ve gotten, the more my skin decided that it wants to occasionally look awful. Maybe it is just something that happens as you ‘age’, or perhaps the tiredness of a busy city lifestyle starts to creep up on your face!

There was a period last year that I broke out in a lot of spots (maybe the worst I’ve ever had) and the products I was using were not helping to clear it up. (I was using Liz Earle products mainly – but I felt like the Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser was making my skin worse?!)

As I didn’t know what the hell to buy and felt that I couldn’t trust beauty bloggers where the author changes their ‘skincare routine’ about 1000 times a year (if something’s good, surely you would keep using it?!), I went to Space NK for some advice. They were super helpful at suggesting me some products based on the current state of affairs (I went in with no make-up, said I wasn’t rich). The girl in there suggested that I try the REN Clay Cleanser for a daily face wash initially to clear my spots, and it did actually clear my skin completely. I would also put it down to the other changes I made so here is the skincare routine I currently have. It really does keep the spots at bay (apart from the odd period one).

My five favourite products

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Soap & Glory – The Next Big Thing

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I love Soap & Glory products so much. I’ve always got a couple of body washes or creams on the go at once, and I adore their blusher/bronzers. When I saw the limited edition Christmas box in my local boots for £29 obviously I bought one! There are so many nice products in this years and I love that they keep them all full size. You definitely get your money’s worth (especially if Boots are not doing 3 for 2 on Soap & Glory).

‘The Next Big Thing’ box is illustrated by Hattie Stewart who was in the year above me at uni, it’s so nice to see people doing well from the same course! I think the illustrations she has done suit the brand perfectly.soapandglorybox

The products in the box are:

1. THE RIGHTEOUS BUTTER Body Butter – This is probably my favourite smell out of them all. It has the classic Soap & Glory smell, delicious Shea butter. It’s quite sweet but not too sickly! The product also is so good and makes your skin super soft. Works really well on legs.

2. HAND DREAM Super Cream – I do like the other hand cream by S&G (Hand Food) but I don’t think it is a strong enough hand cream for me as I get very dry hands. I actually think I prefer this one though, again it has the classic Soap & Glory smell but absorbs super quick and actually feels way more moisturizing than Hand Food. It does say that is is ‘Super Intensive’ so maybe that’s why. I don’t think it’s as good as Aesop but for 1/3 of the price it is pretty good. I’ll use this as a second cream though – to keep by my bed.

3. ORANGEASM Body Wash – At first I thought the smell of this was a bit weird if I’m honest. But I don’t tend to like certain fruity smells for bath and shower products, I tend to stick to floral and creamy smelling stuff. BUT! I gave it a go and it smells so much nicer when you actually use it rather than just sniffing it from the bottle. It’s not as overpowering as I thought it might be. It’s not a wash I would have purchased, as I do LOVE the Clean, Girls body wash they do, but now I’ve tried it I actually do like it.

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