September Beauty Favourites!

At the beginning of this month it was my birthday and I was lucky enough to treat myself to a few new products which have made their way into this months favourites. I've also started using a few products that have been waiting in the wings which i've been loving.

 

The first product I have is a body product which is the & Other Stories Fig Fiction Body Scrub, I bought this a while ago and just started using it and it is so lovely. It is a great scrub that is also very moisturising to the skin, it turns into a cream when mixed with water. The fig scent is also very lovely. There's been a few haircare products i've liked this month but the stand out has been the Klorane Camomile Shampoo for Blonde Hair, i've found everytime I use this it makes my blonde hair look brighter and it also makes my hair feel really clean. I would definitely recommend this for any fellow blonde hair people. 

Onto skincare, first being The Body Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimiser (review). If been loving this as a primer for keeping my makeup in place as well as leaving my skin matte and an added bonus is that it seems to help get rid of blemishes quicker too. The next is the Amie Morning Dew Matte Finish Moisturiser, I picked this up when it was on offer in Waitrose and i've been really impressed with it. It leaves the skin matte whilst making it feel hydrated. It is perfect for my combination dehydrated skin and it is really affordable. The final skincare item I have is the Simple Revitalising Eye Roll On, my eyes have felt really dry and tight due to my hayfever and I picked this up on a whim hoping it would help and it actually has. It feels cooling around the eyes and soothes any tight feeling. 

I've been wearing a few different lip products this month but the stand out ones have been ones i've rediscovered. The first is the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush which is one of my favourite lip products for this time of year as it is the perfect berry colour that lasts amazingly on the lips. The other is a more subtle option in the Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya, this is a lovely light peachy shade that is so easy to wear and goes with a lot of makeup looks. 

I've had a few new base products i've been loving this month. The first being the L'oreal Lumi Magique Foundation (review) which is a lovely glowy foundation that stays put on my oily skin. It also has medium but buildable coverage. The concealer i've been loving is the Seventeen Phwoarr Paint (review) which is a great drugstore concealer that has a high coverage and is very comparable to something like Benefit Erase Paste. Finally the powder which i've been using is the Revlon Nearly Naked Powder (review), this is a light powder which sets my foundation or bb cream nicely without feeling or looking cakey whilst adding a little more coverage. 

Finally I have a standout eyeshadow which i've been loving this month and I think is a bit of a hidden gem from the drugstore. The Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow in Smokey Quartz, this is the perfect taupey brown shade which is very pigmented and looks great alone or used in a smokey eye. The quality is very comparable to high end eyeshadows and it has been my go to eyeshadow all month.

So those are this months beauty favourites, i've been using a lot of products this month but these have been the main stand out products this month. What have been some of your favourite products this month? 

September Empties!

Another month nearly gone and I have another set of empties to share with you today. I honestly didn't think I had used that much up this month but I think i've done pretty good. I've managed to use a good few skincare products up which is a defiant goal for me at the moment since i've gone too many things open or on the go. 

Starting with skincare I have the Avene Gentle Cleansing Gel, this has lasted me so long but it is a really great basic cleanser if you have sensitive skin as it leaves the skin feeling clean but not tight. I would get this again in the future, Next is the La Roche Posay Serozinc, this is a really nice toner if your skin can get a bit irritated as it is very soothing. This isn't the easiest to get hold of in the UK but I would purchase it again. Another La Roche Posay product the Effaclar K, this is a great moisturiser for oily skin and it also help to get rid of any breakouts. I would purchase this again if my skin was breaking out. I also finished the La Roche Posay Efflaclar Mat which is one of my favourite day moisturiser as it mattifies the skin yet keeps it hydrated, I will definitely repurchase this in the future. I used up two samples the first being the Pai Kukai and Jojoba Bead Exfoliator, I really loved this product so much so i've already bought the full size, it is the best gentle scrub i've found. The other being the Elemental Herbology Facial Detox Purifying Facial Mask, this is a lovely clay makes which really makes your skin feel clean and clear. I would purchase the full size although I have a few other clay masks to use up at the moment. 

The last two skincare bits are the Blistex Intensive Moisturiser which is a really intensive lip balm. I do like the product even though it does make your lips white, I would get this again but I need to use up some more lip balms first. The other being Indeed Labs Pepta-Bright, I love this stuff as it really has improved the appearance of my skin and helped with scarring, i'm already onto my next tube. 

I've used up a few bits from The Body Shop this month. The first being the Strawberry Shower Gel. I love this stuff, it smells lovely and is very rich so I find it lasts a lot longer than other shower gels, I would buy this again. I used up two body butters, the first being the Mango scent which is okay but definitely not my favourite one they do, I found it to be a tad greasy so I wouldn't purchase this again. The other being the Sweet Lemon scent which smelt lovely and was hydrating however they've since discontinued this scent which is a shame. 

I finished the Naked Coco De Mer Bath Foam, this has a lovely scent that was very relaxing, I would get this again if it was on offer. I also finished the Sally Hansen Moisturising Polish Remover, this did a pretty good job at removing nail polish. I don't really have a preference to nail polish removers but I would get this one again.

I finished two hair masks, the first being the Boots Coconut & Almond Intensive Hair Mask, i've had this for a while and it is a really good cheap mask that does the job and smells lovely. I would get this again if I was on a budget. The other being the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor, this was an okay mask but for me it didn't do anything special so I wouldn't purchase it again.

I've used up two makeup bits this month, the first being the Maybelline Mega Plush Volume Mascara, I like the formula of this although it did seem to go gloopy quickly. The main thing I don't like about this is brush is too big that I always smudge it on my eyelid. For that reason I wouldn't repurchase it. Finally i've finished the Bourjous Healthy Mix Concealer, this is one of my favourite concealers because you can use it any where on the face and it gives good coverage and lasts all day. I've already repurchase this. 

So that's this months empties, i'm glad to be working my way through some skincare products so I can make room for new things to try! What beauty products have you used up this month?

 

Dr Jart Water Fuse BB Cream - Reviewed!

It is safe to say i'm a big fan of the Dr Jart Regenerating BB Cream so when Boots had a 1/3 off of their BB Creams I took advantaged and pick up the much raved about Water Fuse version.

The product comes in an aqua coloured tube which is easy to dispense product out of. The BB Cream comes with an SPF 25 and is an oil free formulation which claims to hide any uneven skintone and blemishes.

The first thing I will say about this is that it is darker than the Regenerating version so if you are very pale I would avoid this one. However with some blending this gives a nice sun kissed look to the skin. It looks very natural and feels light almost like a moisturiser. The coverage is light to medium but can definitely be built up. As you blend the product you can see the product go white in places but when fully blended this goes away, I think this is because it is water based.

The best thing about this BB Cream is when it is well blended and buffed in it can look just like skin, it doesn't cover all blemishes but with a touch of conceal on top you can get a vert flawless light base. The wear time is pretty good, I do get a little oily at the end of the day but the wear is very even and doesn't go patchy. If you are looking for more coverage and have very fair skin I would go for the Regenerating version but for a flawless natural light base I would definitely give the Water Fuse version a try. 

Dr Jart Water Fuse BB Cream retails for £16.00 but is currently 1/3 off in Boots.

Have you tried this BB Cream? Which Dr Jart BB Cream is your favourite?

 

The Body Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimiser - Reviewed!

It is safe to say i'm a huge fan of The Body Shop body products and i'm becoming a lovely of their haircare as well now. Their skincare range is something I had tried a few bits from and not used them enough time to fall in love with them. I had heard good things about this product so I finally picked it up when they had a 3 for 2 offer on. 

The packaging is nice and simple and comes in a thin tube which is perfect for fitting in a small makeup bag. As the name suggest the product itself is designed to reduce the appearance of pores whilst smoothing, mattifying and priming the skin as well as making it feel fresh. 

The product is a yellow coloured gel which as a strong tea tree scent to it which I personally find very pleasant. I apply a pea sized amount all over the face before after applying my moisturiser focusing most of the product where my skin gets the most oily as well as where my pores or more visible. 

 Once the product has dried my skin feels matte but not tight or dry. I find that this makes a great base for makeup but could definitely be worn alone. It makes a smooth base and reduce the appearance of the pores around my nose. Makeup applies great over the top of this and seems to help it stay in place throughout the day. It also helps to control the oils in my skin. The tree also seems to help sooth any blemishes I may have. 

All in all this is a fantastic product which for lives up to all it's claims. I would definitely recommend this as a great primer for people with oily or combination skin especially if you are prone to breakouts as it helps to get rid of the quicker. 

The Body Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimiser retails for £7.50 for 30ml.

Have you tried this product? What are your favourite skincare products from The Body Shop?

Revlon Nearly Naked Powder - Reviewed!

Whilst browsing Boots the other day and I had a £2 off Revlon and nothing was really taking my fancy then I came across this and I remembered hearing good reviews when it first came out so I thought it would but good to give it a try. 

The packaging matches the Nearly Naked foundation in which it comes in a white compact. The packaging is rather large which makes it not the best for fitting in a small makeup bag. However it is slim and comes with a decent sized mirror and sponge. 

I have the shade Light, which isn't very pale however it does blend out nicely and matches my skintone well. The powder is very finely milled which means this powder doesn't feel heavy on the skin. It sets foundation and BB Creams very well without looking cakey or powdery. It controls oil very well, I don't find I have to powder throughout the day unless it is a particularly hot day. I would have included a swatch of the powder but because it is so fine you can barely see it on the skin which is rare for drugstore powders. It also comes in 5 shades so most people should be able to find a shade that matches.

All in all this is a yet another great product by Revlon and I would definitely recommend it if you have oily skin and like to use a fine powder to help keep your base product in place. 

Revlon Nearly Naked Powder retails for £7.99.

Have you tried this powder? What is your favourite drugstore powder?

Seventeen Phwoarr Paint Concealer - Reviewed!

When I saw that Seventeen had released a bunch of new base products this was the one the immediately stood out to me. Mainly for the fact that it looked a lot like two of my favourite high end under eye concealers; Benefit Erase Paste and Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer. 

The packaging is a cute black compact, I really am impressed with the whole packaging of some of their new products, they look clean and don't feel cheap like some drugstore products can. The compact also comes with a mirror so you could easily apply this product on the go.

The product itself comes in two shades, fair and medium. I have the shade fair which has the perfect mix of pink and yellow tones in it to conceal under the eyes. The concealer feels creamy and is easy to apply under the eyes. I found it best to use my ring fingers and use a gently patting motion to apply the product. I don't have particularly bad under eye circles (unless I get a rubbish nights sleep) however I do have some blue tones which I find this concealer covers really well. It also seems to brighten the inner corner of my eyes as well.

The product feels light under the eyes and doesn't look cakey. The wear time for me isn't as good as my favourite high end concealers however it is pretty good. I would say by the end of the day it does start to break down a little but not in a obvious way. Apart from that this product is pretty perfect, the coverage is good, the shade is good for pale skin and the wear time is not that bad. This is definitely the best high coverage concealer i've found from the drugstore and I would definitely recommend giving it a go.

Seventeen Phwoarr Paint Concealer retails for £5.49.

Have you tried this concealer or any of the new Seventeen base products?

L'Oreal Lumi Magique Foundation - Reviewed!

In all honestly I really didn't need another foundation. The reason that I picked this up was because I had tried (and loved) the concealer from the same range and my current foundation just don't seem to be sitting well on my skin. I also have never tried a L'Oreal foundation so I thought it was about time I changed that.

The packaging is lovely, it comes in a glass bottle with a rose gold pump. The foundation itself to designed for dull looking skin which mine definitely can be as we get into the colder months. It claims to give instant radiance to the skin. 

So I want to get my bug bear with this foundation out of the way first, the shade range is pretty poor. There's 7 shades to choose from, I went for Rose Pearl which I believe is the second lightest. This is surprisingly a pretty good match for me. I will say the L'oreal True Match Foundation does come in a lot more shades including some for darker skintones. 

Onto the good bits, first the texture of this is very light and doesn't feel heavy on the skin at all. The coverage is also very good, I tend to blend a pump of product all over the face and then take another half pump stippled onto the areas where I have scarring and redness and it gives a very flawless look whilst covering the marks. I would say it is medium to full coverage and amazingly even when I apply it to more of a full coverage it still looks natural and the skin looks glowing. This doesn't not look glittery at all which gives it another thumbs up from me. The wear time is also very good, i've worn this with different primers and powders and it always wears nicely throughout the day. I have found I got a little oily on my t-zone on a particularly hot day but I do have oily skin so that isn't that uncommon. 

All in all I am loving this foundation and have been wearing it most days since I bought it because I love the finish and look it gives. I also find I need less concealer (if any) when using this. This foundation hasn't irritated my skin in anyway either. I would definitely recommend this product, i've seen it compared to NARS Sheer Glow with a better wear time, since I haven't tried that foundation I can't vouch for that but I thought I would mention it. I've been so impressed with this range i'm definitely tempted to try the primer next!

L'oreal Lumi Magique Foundation retails for £10.99.

Have you tried this foundation? Do you find that some of your favourite foundation just don't sit on the skin right some days?

Haul | Boots, The Body Shop & Other Stories

Two haul post in one week!? Well as part of my birthday present my Mum took me to London for the day and of course some shopping happened. Some of these bits are from London as well as a few recent trips to Boots. 

Every time I go to London I always make a trip to & Other Stories, my favourite thing by them is their bath products. Last time I picked up the Fig Body Scrub which is amazing so this time I thought I would try the Lemon Daydream Body Scrub and the Body Wash. Both of these smell amazing and I can't wait to start using them. 

We also made a trip to The Body Shop and they had a 3 for 2 on. The main thing I wanted to try was the Camomile Cleansing Butter because I wanted to try something new after my Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm runs out. The other bits I picked up is the Tea Tree Pore Minimizer which i've wanted to try for a long time, i've used this a few times now and I really love it. The other thing is the Tea Tree Blemish Face Night Lotion because my current serum is running out. I also renewed my rewards card and got a free shower gel.  

A few weeks ago I picked up the Dr Jart Water Fuse BB Cream whilst it was a 1/3 off in Boots, I've used this a few times and I really like it because it feels so light on the skin. Boots currently have a buy one get one half price on all makeup so I picked up the Revlon Nearly Naked Powder because I also had £2 off Revlon. I also got the L'oreal Lumi Magique Foundation, both of these I really like so far and i've find they work really well together.

On another trip to Boots I also picked up some of the new Seventeen base products, all their new release looked really good but the ones that stood out to me were the Stay Time Long Wear Primer and the Phwoarr Paint (love the name) Under Eye Concealer. I've been on the hunt for a good drugstore primer and this one seem promising, the under eye concealer seems very comparable to Benefit Erase Paste so i'm excited to see if it is.

So those are my recent beauty purchases, i'm going to try and slow down on the beauty spending because I am in need of some new clothes for Autumn and Winter. What beauty purchases have you made recently?

The Infamous Lidl £1.99 BB Cream

It is safe to say i'm a big fan of BB Creams and have tried a good fair few. Whilst browsing online last Friday I stumbled across a Daily Mail article about the new Lidl BB Cream that was surprisingly good and best of all only £1.99. The day after I made a trip to Lidl whilst out and picked it up. 

First off for £1.99 I wasn't expecting the packaging to be anything special, it comes in a beige tube. There are two shades of the BB Cream available, Light and Medium and it also comes with an SPF 15. 

As with all BB Creams the claims this comes with sound a little too good to be true, such as smoothing fine lines, blurring imperfection and having a flash radiance treatment. 

So is it any good? Much to my surprise, yes it is! It applies much like a moisturiser and feels very light on the skin. I applied with my fingers and then blended out with a brush. The coverage is light but can be built up to a medium coverage. It definitely evens out the skintone but doesn't cover all my blemishes, a little concealer over those would do the job though. It looks very natural on the skin and doesn't cling to dry patches or look oily on the skin. The wear time is also pretty good, it lasts for most of the day and wears evenly.

For me the only downside is the shade, being a pale person I found the Light shade to be a touch too dark, mainly on my jaw line where it can look slightly orange. For the price if you're on a budget I would recommend this product, especially if you aren't as pale as me. I think I will still keep using this but because it is a little too dark it won't be making it's way into my daily routine which is a shame because I really like the finish and look it gives.

Osiris BB Cream retails for £1.99 and is available at Lidl. 

Will you be trying the BB Cream? What are you're favourite cheap makeup products?

Birthday Haul

So I turned 21 on the 4th of September (damn i'm getting old!) and I thought it would be nice to share the few beauty bits I got for my birthday. I did get mostly money from relatives but I asked my Dad to get me some beauty products that I had my eye on for a while.

My best friend knows me so well, she got me some Soap & Glory bits. First up one of my favourite shower gels, Sugar Crush, as well as Pulp Friction which I literally just used up. As well as Scrub 'Em and Leave 'Em which i've never tried but I love a good scrub and it smells lovely. 

I've been wanting to try the Bumble & Bumble Surf range for ages, I was planning on getting the travel set but that was sold out everywhere. So instead my Dad got me a mini Surf Spray and the full size of the Surf Foam Wash Shampoo, so far I really like both but expect a review soon. They also threw in a sample of the Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner which i've also wanted to try for a while.

I recently tried a sample of the Pai Kukai and Jojaba Bead Skin Brightening Exfoliator so I asked for the full size, I also got the sample set Pai do because I wanted to try a few different bits from the brand. I also got the Balance Me Radiance Face Oil in the rollerball form because i've heard this is great for blemishes so I thought it would be good to give a go since i've really been into oils lately.

I got the Super Facialist By Una Brennan Vitamin C Brightening Cleansing Oil because i've wanted to try a cleansing oil for a while now and this one sounded good, plus i've been wanting to try products from this range for a while. The last beauty bit my Dad was very kind to get me might be my favourite my very first Chanel lipstick! it is the Chanel Rouge Coco in Cambon and is a lovely cherry red shade. I'm so in love with this lipstick, it is almost too pretty to use! 

As part of my present my Mum took me to London and we did some shopping, she also got me a lovely bracelet and these boots from Topshop. I've been on the hunt for some new brown boots and lets just say it was love at first sight when I saw these. They're real leather, super comfortable and cost £45 (I got student discount of course) which I thought was a good deal. I can see these not leaving my feet all Winter. 

So that's my birthday haul, I got some other bits too but I thought people would be most interested in the beauty bits. What beauty purchases have you made recently?

NOTD - OPI Red Lights Ahead.. Where?

I've worn this polish a few times and I thought it was about time I did a NOTD on it because it is fast becoming one of my favourite polish I own, which is saying a lot since I have a fair few nail polishes. 

 The shade is the perfect red shade, it has just the right amount of pink hints to it with a slight touch of orange. It looks so bright and vibrant on the nails.

Like all the OPI polishes i've tried this shade can last a good 5-7 days on my nails. I do use a top coat over the top, however it does look very glossy without. I would definitely recommend this shade, as it is a unique red shade which I think would suit a lot of people.

OPI Red Lights Ahead... Where? retails for £11.50 but I did find it for £5.20 on Amazon.

Products I Regret Buying #2

No matter how much you research products before you buy sometimes there's a that don't live up to you expectations. I did one of these post a few months back (you can read that here) and I thought it was about time I did another one. 

First up I have two skincare products, the first being the Superdrug Oil Balancing Serum. I had heard a few good things about this so I thought I would give it a try since it was affordable and surprisingly the ingredients list didn't seem too bad. At first I loved how smooth it made my skin feel. However after a few days I started to notice I was getting blackheads on my cheeks and around my nose. As someone who never gets blackheads I knew it was this. The other product is the B. Pure Micellar Water, this was another product I had heard good things about as a dupe for Bioderma. The first time I used it I just assumed you would be able to use it on your eyes. Oh how I was wrong, my eyes stung like crazy for about 10 minutes. On the face I found it made my skin look red and didn't even remove all my makeup. It says it is suitable for sensitive skin but I personally don't think it is. 

Next up is a sample of the Rodial Brazilian Tan Light, first off I do like the smell of this but no matter how carefully I applied this I found it looked patchy. The full size of this is over £30 and I really don't think it is worth it. Next is the Superdrug Dry Shampoo in Away With The Fairies. I found that this really didn't do anything. The smells is okay but very overpowering and it lingers around for ages, I also found that it didn't really make my hair look clean at all.

Finally two makeup bits, the first being the MUA Pro Base Conceal and Brighten Kit, I really liked the idea of this concealer palette but there just isn't enough coverage for my liking. I'm also not a fan of the finish it leaves on my skin, it starts off matte but can look greasy throughout the day and the staying power isn't very good. Great idea but a definite miss for me. Lastly a mascara, the Rimmel Lash Accelerator Endless, I like the packaging and brush of this mascara. However the product is very wet and hard to work with. I've hard this mascara a few months and it still hasn't dried up that much. 

So those are the products i've regretted buying recently. Have you tried any products recently that have been disappointing?

Toni & Guy Casual Sea Salt Texturising Spray - Reviewed!

As someone with flat, fine hair i'm always looking for products that can help to add volume and make my hair appear thicker. I had heard about sea salt sprays and how they can add texture to your hair. Of course the main one is the Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray, however that isn't the cheapest of products so to make sure I like sea salt sprays I thought I would try a cheaper option first, that's when I came across this one.

I picked up the 75ml travel bottle which was about £2. The packaging is simple, a small spray bottle. First I will say the main bug bear I have with this product is the spray isn't fine enough. If you spray this directly onto your hair it will soak it. However I tend to spray two sprays on my hand a scrunch it through my hair and that works really well. 

If I use the product in this way it gives lots of texture and makes the layers in my hair stand out more. My hair feels thicker and it helps to hold the volume in my hair for most of the day. I've definitely been impressed with this product, there isn't much of an overpowering scent to it and it really does make a difference to my hair. I'm definitely a convert to sea salt sprats and have even popped the travel size of the Surf Spray on my birthday list to try. I would get this again, even though the spray bottle is pretty rubbish. 

Toni & Guy Casual Sea Salt Texturising Spray retails for £7.19 for 200ml.

Have you tried this? What is your favourite sea salt spray?