April Beauty Favourites!

April has been such a weird month with so much going on but as I write this i've finished my last few essays and submitted them for Year 2 of my degree and I just have exams to revise for so i'm feeling a lot more relaxed. So back to the beauty chat with these months favourites, I don't have too many products but I do have some gems to share with you all. 

First up haircare and bodycare, I only have two products this month. First being the Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave-In Conditioner. I've really enjoyed this product, it smells lovely and makes my hair feel really smooth and helps with brushing my hair after washing it. Next is the St Tropez Gradual Tan Everyday Moisturiser. This stuff smells amazing and makes my skin feel so smooth and leaves a natural looking tan to the skin, it also doesn't leave streaks too!

Onto the skincare, first up the Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel. This is a gel that turns to an oil as you massage it in. This removes all my make-up and makes my skin feel really clean. I've been using it morning and night and i'm really loving it. Next is the La Roche Posay Hydraphrase Masque. I've talked about this a lot but i'm still loving it; it's perfect for giving my skin a moisture boost. Finally I have the REN Invisible Pore Detox Mask. I finally purchased this after having a few samples of it. It's definitely one of my favourite clay masks and is great for blemishes and controlling oil. My skin always feel really clear after using this. 

Lastly I have a few make-up bits. First being the No7 Airbrush Away Primer; this isn't my favourite primer but I do like it. I'm trying to use this and resist purchasing the Laura Mercier Primer, but it is good and keeping my make-up in place. Next is my new favourite under eye concealer, the L'oreal Lumi Magique Concealer, this is really light and gives just the right amount of coverage for everyday and doesn't crease, it's pretty darn perfect. Some days this month I've been pretty lazy with my eye make-up so the Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Liner in Taupe which smudged on the lash line looks so pretty and takes seconds to do. Finally i've been loving two Revlon Lip Butters in Wild Watermelon and Candy Apple, I did a whole post raving about the Lip Butters here and I just can't get enough!

L-R Wild Watermelon, Candy Apple

So that's my favourites for this month I hope you liked it, feel free to tell me what have been some of your favourites this month.

The Health Kick

Today I thought I would do a somewhat different type of post on my current health kick. I personally think that being healthy and beauty are very closely related, almost cousins if you were. There's only so much expensive creams you can slap on your face but if you're not being healthy they ain't going to solve everything! 

I would say i've always been a healthy person, especially in the last few years. The reason why i've decided to go on a health kick is mainly due to letting my standards slip over Christmas (too much home baking going on!) and since being ill 3 times this year so far. I think there is a connection between being healthy and getting ill, from experience when I eat well I feel less sluggish and find I don't feel as ill as often.

 Food + Drink

Lucky for me I love eating healthy foods and l like most fruits and vegetables. Pretty much all meals I eat are made from scratch and I don't do takeaways. I would rather have a homemade curry packed full of veggies than a ready meal one hands down.

Some changes I will be making are -

• Drink more water - I used to be rubbish at this as a child but I am getting better. I also find it easier to drink water in the warmer weather because I find it refreshing.
• Drink more green tea - Green tea is so good for you especially if you suffer from acne or blemishes. I do like the taste but I much prefer coffee! Then plan is to slow down on the coffee's and have more green tea. I plan on trying to make my own ice tea with it too.
• Spinach - I love spinach already but I just want to have more of it. I'm going to start adding it to most meals and making my own Green Smoothies (recipe here) with handfuls of the stuff in it! Spinach again helps with the skin but also helps your body to retain less fat from other foods. Win win if you ask me!
• Cut out chocolate - I definitely have a sweet tooth and I love baking. Which is a good thing but not so great when you're trying to be healthier. I plan on finding recipes for healthy treats (Pinterest is great for this) and make those instead of calorie high chocolate cookies!
• Less dairy - I cut out milk about a year ago because it has been found there are connections between dairy intake and acne. I switched to almond milk which I actually prefer so I plan on just keeping this up.

Exercise

I've never been into exercise really, I enjoy swimming but I find it hard to fit this in the my busy schedule. I also hate going to the gym, I just think it makes working out not enjoyable. I've decided instead to give the 30 Day Shred a go. I've heard so many bloggers go on about it and how good it is so i'm following the hype (this time it's not over a lipstick). I'm currently on level 1, day 4 and i'm actually enjoying it! It's intense but i'm finding it easy to fit in 20 minutes a day of do jumping jacks and ab crunches. I love that I can feel different parts of my body ache after doing it. I will keep you updated at how I get along with it if people are interested. I'm planning on doing it on weekdays and having the weekends off (but still fitting in some ab crunches) and I might do it for longer than 30 days depending how I get on. As I go along I do find myself answering back to Jillian when she says things like 'I want you to feel like you're going to die!' and 'Just two more now' even though she hasn't done them all herself! If you have done/are doing the shred you will know what I mean!

 

So that's it really, I hoping it was interesting. As I said I will try keep you all updated at how i'm getting along. Let me know if people would be interested in me sharing some healthy recipes with you all. Also if you're on a health kick, let me know what you're doing to be healthy. I hoping if I can do this whilst studying for exams I think it will be easy to do over Summer.

Still Loving Them Lip Butters!

Hello again! I know my posts are a bit all over the place at the moment (blame all the uni work) but today I thought I would share my love for the Revlon Lip Butters. Now these have been out for a while yet I haven't done a post on them which is a bit crazy since I have a good few. Also the fact that I have at least two of them in my handbag at any given time pretty much shows how much I love 'em!

 First off the packaging, I love the fact that each shade has a different colour lid, this comes in very handy when I have most of these in my bag at once. I also love how nice they look lined up like this. After taking this picture I think i'm going to have to store them on show like this from now on.

 Now these are called Lip Butters and they are definitely buttery so be warned if you put the lid on too hard without the product twisted fully down it will smoosh (if that's even a word) a bit, speaking from experience here.

So these are the swatches, each shade is well pigmented with the darker shades being the most opaque. For example Raspberry Pie has the pigmentation of a normal lipstick but with a lovely sheen to it. From Left to Right -

Strawberry Shortcake - A pale pink and probably my least worn since the shade doesn't really suit my colouring.

Berry Smoothie - A lovely everyday berry shade, one of my all time favourites and i've nearly used it up!

Tutti Fruitti - A bright orange which when mixed with your natural lip colour makes the perfect coral shade.

Lollipop - A bright fuchsia with blue undertones.

SweetTart - A lovely wearable bright pink.

Macaroon - Pinky brown shade with a golden shimmer. This is also the only UK only shade.

Raspberry Pie - A pigmented pinky red (raspberry) colour, this one looks so amazing on and is one of my favourites.

Wild Watermelon - A bright pink with a cherry red undertone, looks so pretty on and is perfect for Summer.

Juicy Papaya - A lovely peachy nude shade. Not as pigmented as some of the other shades but is a perfect Spring colour.

As I said depending on the shade the wear time does differ, however the fact that these feel like you've just got a lip balm and isn't greasy at all makes having the reapply them not big deal. I've even mastered applying the darker shades without a mirror now.

So all in all I think these are amazing and are definitely my most worn lip product. Since taking these pictures I picked up the shade Candy Apple since Superdrug had them at £2 off (offer is still on now!) and Candy Apple is a lovely red shade which I can stop wearing at the moment.

Revlon Lip Butters retail for £7.99.

What is your favourite shade in the Lip Butters?

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paints - Reviewed!

It is safe to stay i'm a nail polish addict, I have been for many years now yet I still find myself in Boots with my eyes drifting towards buying another bottle because the shade is slightly light or darker than a polish I already have. I've been a fan of Barry M nail paints so when they came out with these Gelly Hi Shine's I knew I had to try one, or four. 

The packaging is similar to the normal nail paints but with a silver top instead of black. To say these are new there a good selection of colours, personally there is not a shade I don't like. They have a thin brush but are really easy to apply onto the nails. They do seem a little thicker than the original nail paints which means that some of the shades you could get away with one coat but I tend to go for two out of habit. 

The shades I have (from L-R) are, Blackberry, Blueberry, Green Berry and Papaya. Each shade is lovely and when applied have a lovely shine to them like the name suggests. The best thing about these are that they last amazingly on the nails. When wearing the shade Blueberry I got 7 days wear before it started to chip! 

I would definitely recommend giving these a try if you're in the market for some new polishes or if you're like me you just want to add some more pretty colours to your collection.

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nial Paints retail for £3.99.

Have you tried these?

La Roche Posay Hydraphase Intense Masque - Reviewed!

Over the past few months the cold weather and being ill has played havoc on my skin, i've also had some blemishes that have left some dry patches, because of this i've been on the look out for something to fix everything which is when I came across this gem. 

I love La Roche Posay packaging, it's simple white with blue and black lettering. This mask comes in a tube so it's easy to apply. The mask claims to be soothing and rehydrating which is just what my skin needs and I can definitely say it does that. 

The cream is a light blue colour and does have a strong scent to it which i'm not a huge fan of but I can see past this since the product is very good. I've used this in a few different ways, first being applied after cleansing or after doing a clay mask which can sometimes leave my skin a little dry. I apply it all over my face and leave it for 10 mintues (or longer sometimes) and wipe off any excess with a cotton pad if there is any. I've also used it on top of my evening routine when my skin felt really rubbish after having a sickness bug, this time I didn't wipe off the excess because I wanted the maximum amount of moisture. Both ways my skin has felt smoothed and nourished more so than from when I just use a moisturiser. 

As someone who has combination skin I love the fact this doesn't feel heavy on the skin but at the same time leaves my skin feeling comfortable when it is dehydrated. It also hasn't broken me out which some products like this and heavy creams in general can do.

All in all I am loving having this as an addition into my skincare routine. I tend to use it once a week or more if it is particularly dry or dehydrated. I would definitely recommend it if you have a similar skintype to me or if you skin can sometimes feel on the dry side because it really is a great product. 

La Roche Posay Hydraphase Intense Masque retails for £13.60.

Have you tried this? What do you do when your skin needs some intense moisture?

3 BB Creams - 1 Review

First off I would like to say sorry for the lack of posts last week, I've had a lot going on which i'm not going to go on about but I also I have so much Uni work at the moment but i'm plodding through and regular blogging will resume soon! Anyways today's post is on 3 of my favourite BB Creams, I know most people will be sick of BB Creams but I think these are real gems worth chatting about. 

L-R Dr Jart, Garnier, Erborian

Dr Jart Regenerating BB Cream - £21.00. (Currently a 1/3 off at Boots!)
Lets start off by saying this is hands down the best BB Cream i've tried. It has the perfect amount of light-medium coverage, it covers all redness and some blemishes whilst letting your skin show through still. The colour is perfect for my skin tone and it almost adapts after it's applied to give a glowing complexion. It also has really good staying, power, with a bit of powder on the t-zone and chin this beauty is good to go all day. It really is perfect because it also doesn't cling to any dry patches either. It also has an SPF 30 so perfect if you're a bit rubbish at applying sunscreen daily (guilty as charged!). The only downside is like the original BB Creams this comes in one shade. Basically for me it's pretty darn amazing, you can read my full review here. 

Garnier Oil Free BB Cream - £9.99.
This is a great Summer BB Cream however in Winter I find it a little drying. However on a warm day I can rely on this one staying put all day. The oil free version of the Garnier BB Cream definitely has more coverage than their original offering and is a lot more yellow toned. I have the shade light but it is definitely the darkest out of the bunch I have here. Due to the light-medium coverage it definitely blends in the make a good match. This isn't very moisturising like the Dr Jart but it makes the skin look lovely and healthy and a great one to try for anyone with oily skin. This one comes in two shades, light and medium and has no SPF. Full review here.

Erborian BB Creme Light - £34.00.
 This is one that i've not heard a lot of people talk about, I picked it up after I had it applied on my in Space NK and loved how amazing it made my skin look. This one is my go to lazy day product, like the Dr Jart one it almost adapts to my skintone when applied. This one is definitely one for us paler skinned girls. The coverage is definitely more on the light side but can be built up if needed. This is a definite my skin but better product because it looks just like skin. It has SPF 25 and lasts really well on the skin too. This was my go to base product in L.A last September and it stood up like a champ to the heat which is a good test in my eyes!  

I apply all of these with my fingers, rub it in and then do a quick buff with the Real Techniques Buffing Brush if needed. 

So there you have it, my go to BB creams. I'm definitely becoming more of a light base kind of girl, I haven't touched my high coverage foundations in ages! The next product on my wishlist is definitely the Jouer Matte Moisture Tint which sounds right up my street.

What are your favourite BB Creams or light bases?

3 Dry Shampoos - 1 Review

I can't remember how I coped before I discovered dry shampoo, my hair used to get greasy very easily (now it isn't as bad) and it so fine it feels flat all the time. That's where dry shampoo came and saved the day! I thought I would do a post on the 3 best ones i've tried and which ones I will always repurchase. 

Treseme Instant Refresh Dry Shampoo - £4.79 for 200ml.
I'll start off by saying this is my least favourite of the bunch but it isn't a bad product. The scent of this product is pleasant without being overpowering. It's good for adding a bit of something to you hair if it's clean but looking a bit flat, it doesn't feel like you have a lot of product in you hair or leave much of a white mark behind if well rubbed in. The only downside is that it doesn't leave your hair feeling really clean if you have second day hair which is a shame. However the product does come in a good handbag/travel size. 

Batiste Tropical Dry Shampoo - £2.99 for 200ml. 
Oh Batiste how I love you so;  Batiste Dry Shampoo comes in lots of different scent including different colours depending on your hair colour which I need to give a go but out of the ones i've tried Tropical is hands down the nicest scent. I use this dry shampoo on second day hair because it leaves my hair feeling very clean. It can leave a white powder if not rubbed it, I make sure I don't spray too close to the hair and leave it to settle in the rub it in and brush through. For the price this one is amazing and it comes in a few different sizes too.

Vo5 Refresh Me Quick Dry Shampoo - £3.59 for 200ml.
This one is a great all rounder, it leaves the hair feeling clean but is also good for adding a bit of volume to the hair too. It is basically the best of the two above in one however if your hair is feeling really greasy batiste is still your best bet. Something I love about this one is that it has a lovely strawberry scent to it which makes your hair smell lovely. Also out of all of these this one leaves the least chances of a white powder to the hair so I would recommend this one if you have dark hair especially.

So those are my favourite dry shampoos, hopefully this was helpful if you're looking for a new one to try. There are so many out there these days but I would definitely recommend Batiste and the Vo5 one the most. What is your favourite dry shampoo?

The Dehydrated Skin Dream Team

At the end of last year I started to notice my skin was becoming less oily and more dry and mainly dehydrated. As someone as always had oily skin I didn't know want to do to help this, however a few months have passed and i've come across some stand out products that have saved my skin so I thought I would share them today. 

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm - £34.00.
First up is my favourite balm cleanser, balm cleanser i've found are the best for removing make-up and leaving the skin feeling deeply cleansed and nourished. The Emma Hardie one is my favourite that i've tried and I find it really helps to soothes my skin especially when it feels dehydrated, it's the perfect spa treatment at home and a I have a full review on it here.
 Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Face Mask - £21.50.
The mask is a must have for dehydrated skin, I swipe it on and it nourishes my skin, adds moisture. It also gives a good cleanse to the skin without stripping it making it the perfect alternative to a clay mask in the colder months. The manuka honey in it also helps with any pesky blemishes. Antipodes products are also full of lots of natural goodies which makes this mask even more perfect. Full review here.  

La Roche Posay Hydraphrase Intense Masque - £13.60.
This is a new addition to me but oh my is it a gem. Moisturising masks are amazing for dry dehydrated skin however a lot of them can be a little bit too heavy on my oily skin apart from this one. This is meant to be used as a 10 minute treatment although sometimes I leave it on over night. This has saved my skin 3 times already and i've only had it 2 weeks. After recovering from a sickness bug this week my skin felt so dry so I did my normal evening skincare routine and popped this onto and my skin felt lovely, smooth and hydrated in the morning. 
Origins Make A Difference Plus+ Rejuvenating Treatment - £33.00.
This is my second tub of this product and it's my go to evening moisturiser. I've done a full review here; this is a gel like cream that moisturises my skin helping with the dehydration but it doesn't feel heavy or break me out. The make a difference range caters to a 3 different skin types all designed to help dehydrated skin. The main thing I love about this is that you can apply a lot of it without it feeling heavy on the skin. I would definitely recommend checking it out if you have dehydrated skin. It also smells lovely to which is an added bonus and lasts a long time too.

So those are my go to products for dehydrated skin, since using these products my skin looks a lot less dull and feels smooth and moisturised and i've even found my skin to be less oily since using products to hydrate the skin.

If you have dehydrated skin what products do you use?

 

March Empties!

Most months I seem to use up similar products such as shower gels and dry shampoo however this month I seem to have used up a few favourite products and skincare bits so although there's not a lot of product this month I hope it's a good'un!

Lets get the boring things out of the way first, Batiste Tropical Dry Shampoo is a staple for me and I will always repurchase it. Vo5 Refresh Me Quick Dry Shampoo is a some what new discover that adds great volume and smells like strawberries, i've also repurchased this. Next is a sample of the Pureology Precious Oil, I really did enjoy this oil mainly because it isn't full of silicone's like a lot of oils however it is a bit on the pricey side so i'm not sure if I will purchase it yet.

Next I have a perfume, the Next Blackcurrant Neroli and Jasmine Eau De Toilette, this smelt lovely and lasting surprsingly well for a cheap perfume however Next don't do this anymore so I can't repurchase it. The Sally Hansen Strengthening Polish Remover is my favourite nail polish remover and is something i've been repurchasing for a long time now. Finally I have a sample of the Clarins Extra Firming Body Cream, i've had this a while and it was a nice product but I don't think it firmed anything and was just a bit average so I don't think I would purchase the full size.

Onto the skincare, first being the Organic Surge Refreshing Toner, this had a lovely lemon scent to it and felt lovely on the skin. I'm not too fussy with toners but I did really enjoy this and would consider repurchasing it in the future. Next is the Origins Make A Difference Skin Rejuvenating Treatment, this product saved my dehydrated skin and nourished it without making it greasy or oily. I've repurchased this already and has become a bit of a holy grail product for me. Next is the Avene Soothing Eye Contour Cream, I used to have some dry patches around my eyes and this got rid of them after only a few uses, it's a great basic eye cream and I will definitely consider repurchasing it soon.

Onto cleansers and make-up removers, first being the Johnson's Gentle Eye Make-Up Removal Pads. These were okay but nothing special and I found they didn't work as well as using Bioderma so for that reason I won't be repurchasing these. Next is the Emma Hardie Amazing Face Cleansing Balm, this is my favourite cleansing balm because it removes all make-up as well as nourishing the skin, i'm already onto my second tub of this. Finally I have the Eve Lom Cleanser, this is another balm cleanser that feels so luxurious and has fine grains in it so it exfoliates this skin as well as cleansing. I really do love this product but it is so expensive I don't think I will be repurchasing it although it is a lovely cleanser.

So those are my empties for this month, I hope you liked it. Have you used up any of your favourite products this month?

March Beauty Favourites!

Another month has gone and I have another load of products to rave about. For the last few days of the month I got snowed in (so much for Spring starting!) so I haven't bought that many new products so mostly these are some old favourites i've dug out including some new products for good measure. 

First up is a clarifying shampoo I use once a week, LUSH I Love Juicy. I find this shampoo makes my feel super clean and gets rid of any build up, it has smells lovely and fruity! Next up some skincare bits, first the Dr Organic Manuka Honey Face Mask. I've only used this a couple of times but so far I really like it, it leaves my skin feeling really clean but not tight and it seems to also be helping with any pesky blemishes, full review on this one soon. Another new addition is the La Roche Posay Hydraphrase Intense Masque, I've had some horrible dry patches from blemishes this month and after applying this all over my face i've seen a big difference in my skin feeling a lot more hydrated. I can see this being a big favourite of mine for sure.

As I said above i've had some horrible dry patches this month in which every foundation seemed to cling to apart from the Bourjous Healthy Mix Serum.(review) With my skin being more on the dry side this has felt lovely on my skin and been the perfect base. I'm also totally in love with the Bourjous Healthy Mix Concealer, (review) this is hands down my favourite concealer because it isn't drying and covers well and lasts without going cakey. I've been loving cream blushes recently especially this new addition, Stila Convertible Colour in Lillium, (review) this is super pigmented and the perfect dusky peachy pink to had a healthy glow to the cheeks, i'm a little obsessed with it!

Onto eyes i've dug out the Stila In The Light Palette (review) this month, this is a great everyday palette and I can create some of my favourite eye looks with it. Another favourite is one of the best mascaras i've tried, Revlon Grow Lucious, this ticks all the boxes for me, volume, length, holds a curl and it gets better as it starts to dry out. My go to quick smokey eye has been smudging the Rimmel Scandal Eyes Liner in Taupe (review) all over the upper and lower lash line and it looks great and takes seconds to do, perfect.

In trying to get into the Spring spirit I wacked Essie Watermelon on my nails, it's the perfect cross between a pink and red and sure does lift my mood when i'm wearing it. Following on with this theme is my current coral obsession (full post on that here) is the Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Fruitti which is a bright orange but when mixed with your lip colour makes a lovely coral shade. Finally a great bargain find the Natural Collection Lipstick in Raspberry, the texture of this reminds me of the MAC Creme Sheen lipsticks and the colour is so pretty and the best thing is it only costs £1.99! Amazing. 

Left Tutti Fruitti, Right Raspberry.

So those are my favourites for this month, i'm definitely trying to rotate my products more and using some things I used to love and I think it might just be working! What have been some of your favourite products this month?