Six Product Face

Today was a very different make up day, after waking up after my Facial Friday yesterday my skin was better than normal so I decided to go bare faced! Well nearly, I did my eyes and lips and went foundation-less, something I never do!

I used Emotional Brilliance (By Lush) Dynamic as a cream eyeshadow base and paired it with Rimmel Stars eyeshadow in 'Special Eyes' and Lush EB Independent eyeliner and Benefit They're Real Mascara.

I added a bit of colour to my cheeks with Rimmel Blush in 'Coral Rose' and used my Revlon Balm Stain in 'Crush'.

As you can see, my skin is by no means perfect but going base-less was a big thing for me today and it was nice to make more of an effort with eyeshadow.

Facial Friday

This is not another blog series that I'm starting (to them forget about as I have done with others!), I just thought this was an apt title as I am talking about skincare.
Recently, my skin has quickly turned from oily to very dry, not in different areas as you would expect with combination skin but just as a whole!

So today I thought I would give it some love while also trying out some new products. First up I took my make up with Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish as it's a trusty favourite to calm my skin and give it some moisture. Then I wanted a mask, I looked through my collection and couldn't find anything that claimed to be particularly moisturising but since my skin was definitely in need of some radiance I opted for REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask. On my first couple of uses of this I couldn't quite see where the hype comes from as I didn't see an instant difference in my skin. However, now removing it with warm water and my hands instead of a muslin cloth I find it to leave my skin much less irritated and over-exfoliated.

I followed up with the Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic as I've been using it daily and noticed a real difference in my skin. I then thought I'd try out some Omorovicza samples that I had of the Radiance Renewal Serum and the Illuminating Moisturiser. I've not used a serum before but thought it couldn't hurt on the Radiance front, this had no real smell and applied similar to water or toner. The moisturiser was thick and rich with a lavender smell.

Lastly I finished up with my Nivea Lip Butter to treat my dehydrated lips too. It's hard to say whether my skin is instantly radient but let's hope I wake up to a fresh, plump face!

Facemask Friday: Apivita express beauty with pink clay

This friday I'm trying out Apivita's pink clay cleansing mask sample. It applied well with a creamy consistency and slight pinky tone, It did sting a little but as I have sensitive skin, most masks tend to!

It dried well on the skin in the ten minutes I was wearing it and removal was relatively easy with a muslin cloth. Again, my skin was left pretty red but with moisturiser and face oil it quickly calmed down and felt soft and clean.

The effect continued to the next day and my skin felt cleansed and less oily.

April Favourites

Sorry I'm a bit late on this one. I'm now in my final two weeks of uni ever so it's interview and essay central, busy busy busy! Anyway, most of this month's favourites are goodies from my #NottsBBMeet goody bag because I've been playing with them all and trying them out.

Neal & Wolf Daily Cleansing Shampoo- Neal & Wolf are not a brand I had heard of actually but I have been loving how soft and healthy this has made my hair feel. Also, because it's cleansing I find I can leave my hair unwashed for an extra day and it gets a lot less greasy so I'm very impressed! Available on the Neal & Wolf website for £10.95.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser- If you've read my Battle of the Cleansers part 2 post you'll know how much I rave about this luxurious feeling cleanser. Starter Kit available for £14.95.

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic- I have only just started using toner and this is one i'm enjoying, it does freshen and brighten my skin and makes it feel super clean after cleansing. Available here for £13.25.

Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser- I think I have found the perfect moisturiser, I love this because I hate heavy- feeling moisturisers that take a while to sink in. This absorbs instantly and feels like I'm wearing nothing at all but still stops my skin from getting sore and dry. Available here for only £3.79.

Keihl's Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream- Now I'm new onto the BB cream market but I've been loving using this! It gives great coverage and when I remove my make up I can see that it has actually done my skin good- smaller pores, more even skin-tone. It doesn't smell great but that quickly fades, full review coming soon. Available here for £23.50.

W7 Lashtastic False Liquid Lashes Mascara- I wasn't expecting much from this mascara but I was very impressed! The plastic brush is great for lengthening and separating lashes and the formula is long lasting. Unfortunately, after about a week it started to clump but for the price it is still pretty amazing! Available here for only £1.50. 

Sigma mini Blending brush E25- After wanting a blending brush for ages, this is brilliant and so soft. Full Size available here for £13.99

Sigma mini Eyeliner brush E05- This has literally changed the way I do eyeliner, no more thick lines. This helps me apply a really thin line perfectly. Full Size available here for £13.95.

MUA Undressed Eyeshadow palette- I'm late on the bandwagon for this but I have a new found love for neutrals. There are so many looks I can do with this palette and I'm loving experimenting! Available here for only £4.00..

I still can't believe I was lucky enough to try lots of these things for free!

What have you been loving in April?

Battle of the Cleansers Part 2

Sorry It's been so long since Battle of the Cleansers: Part 1 but I'm finally here with part 2, 3 more cleansers took a while to test!

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser-

Claims: 'A rich, concentrated cream that gently removes daily grime and make up, even stubborn mascara, to leave skin clear, smooth and exceptionally clean. Used with the pure muslin cloth it lifts away dead skin cells, revealing fresh, radiant skin.'

Smell: herby! It has eucalyptus, rosemary and chamomile but I smell tea tree and some lavender, either way I like it more than I thought.

Use: so luxurious! The thick cream feels like it'd doing my skin good and massages make up off well. The whole use feel superior to other to other cheaper cleansers. I find that the muslin cloth actually gets less mucky, it rinses well as if the cleanser is melting the make up away. Skin left feeling soft and clean after using the Instant Boost Skin Tonic too.

Price: £8.50- £26.25 from lizearle.com for variety of sizes and starter packs with muslin cloths.

Overall: 9/10

Perk: Starter pack comes with muslin cloths which are a nice texture and work to exfoliate the skin so no face scrub needed!

Thanks to Liz Earle for the cleanser, I received this in my #NottsBBMeet goody bag.

Soap&Glory Peaches and Clean 4-in-1 Wash Off Deep Cleansing Milk-

Claims: 'Special clogged T-zone formula, skin soothing peach extract, jojaba oil skin softener, Detoxyboost to help purify and deep clean and Poreshrink  for fresher, clearer, brighter complextion'

Smell: It reminded me of toilet air freshener, It wasn't unpleasant but a false peach smell.

Use: Pretty good, I liked using this. It removed make up well and spread well as it was a runny 'milk' consistency. I wouldn't say it 'melted' make up away as the muslin cloth was left pretty filthy, although it did remove it. I can't say I felt any benefits in terms of breaking out and still ended up using a separate face scrub. Unfortunately, this wasn't brilliant for use on the eyes as it did make them sting occasionally, but it was bearable. This did leave my skin feeling really soft though, maybe even softer than Liz Earle Cleanse &Polish.

Price: £7.00 from Soap & Glory

Overall: 7/10
Packaging: The pump on my bottle broke so I've had to waste the last of the product because I can no longer use it conveniently.

Body Shop Cucumber cleansing milk-

Claims: 'feel as good as a cucumber with a cleanser hat refreshes and lightly moisturises.'

Smell: I quite like the smell of cucumber, It's fresh and doesn't linger.

Use: Again, my skin felt clean and soft after using this. The milky texture was easy to use to remove make up, it stung a little on the eyes but was bearable. A simple product that works as a cleanser and does what it claims, good value for money too.

Price: Not available anymore but Body shop cleansers available here from £3-£10. I got this in the January sales for £2!

Overall: 8/10

So my clear favourite is the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish for it's gentle-ness and the luxury of using it. However, there are lots of cheaper alternatives that are good value.

What's your favourite cleanser?

Facemask Friday: Good Things 5 minute facial mask

I'm starting another series, Facemask Friday. I got the idea from Lisette but thought I'd try some new bought facemasks or samples that I have.

This week I tried 'Good Things', they are a brand I haven't tried before and I have three of their products:

I got the Total Wipe Out Cleansing Wipes in my #NottsBBMeet goodie bag and used them before my face mask today. I also purchased the Five Minute Facial Mask and the Stop That Spot! Clearing gel myself on the day of the #NottsBBMeet.

I used the spot clearing gel after the face mask today and have been using it every night.I will review this in full soon but so far I'm loving it! 

First of all, something I have to say about Good Things as a brand is that the packaging is beautiful and they all smell amazing! I'm funny with smells and love anything fruity, the spot clearing gel is my favourite out of the three, Acai berry and Papaya smells yummy!

On to the mask, I'd been looking for a mask in a tube for a while as I knew it would be cheaper in the long run. This one appealed to me as I love avacodos and the fruity smell sounded nice for a clay based mask.

On application, I found it very easy and a lot less messy using the tube as apposed to a sachet mask. I found I could apply it thinner because I wasn't worried about waste. As soon as I put the mask on it felt tingly, I like this as I feel it's working! 

As it started to dry up it got tighter on my face, another feature that I like! I found that even with a thin layer I felt the benefit of the mask, as this mask is intended to be used for five minutes I can see why it dried up quicker than expected, as apposed to a 15 minute mask.

The mask continued to tingle on my skin. As I took it off with warm water I used it as a face wash using my fingers in circular motions, before removing it with a muslin cloth. My skin was quite red and sore afterwards, this is probably because I have sensitive skin, I applied moisturiser afterwards to sooth it. As the mask is probably quite strong I wouldn't use it for more than five minutes but that makes it convenient when I haven't got a lot of time.

I want to give this another go when I haven't used a mask in a while and maybe my skin won't be so sensitive.

Pros:

-love the smell

-quick to use

-easy application

-it will last as only a thin layer is needed

-easy removal with hot water

Cons:

-not great for sensitive skin

Review: Lush Buffy Body Butter

At the Lush Nottingham Bloggers Event I picked up a Buffy body butter after hearing about all the body butters and how they had exfoliating properties. I decided on Buffy as it was a mild exfolient so I thought it would be better for my sensitive skin.

Picture from Lush.co.uk as I'm a bad blogger who didn't photograph it before I used it!

The interesting thing about Lush body butters is you use them in the shower and the hot water helps to melt them so they can easily be spread around the body. I liked the idea of this as applying body butter after a shower can be quite time consuming and then you have to wait to get past that 'sticky' stage.

what the bar looks like after two uses

Using the bar was super easy as the hot water made it the perfect  consistency to massage it into the skin with the little bits of ground rice, almonds and aduki beans to exfolient. It wasn't a harsh sensation as an oily rich feeling was left on the skin when the bits were washed away, similar to that of the Soap and Glory scrubs I've tried but more luxurious and rich!

When I got out of the shower, I dried myself as normal but it took a little a longer due to the moisture in my skin.but when it was dry my skin was lovely and soft and didn't have the usual sore, dry, itchy skin that I seem to get from the water in my uni house!

This is a super easy way to moisturise and means that I don't have to always spend a while using products after my shower. This also combines using a scrub and a body lotion or butter. As far as the smell, It's pretty natural and neutral. I don't love it but it doesn't linger on the skin through the day so it's definitely not a problem.

Lush body butters are available from the Lush website and range from £5.25- £10.25 for 200g. There is also different levels of exfolients in each one so where you want a 'proper polish' or just the benefits of shea and cocoa butter, there is something for everyone!

Review: Montagne Jeunesse Glacial Clay Spa mask

 

So Montagne Jeunesse sent me one of their new face masks to review, as a regular user of their face masks I was interested to try their new Clay masks with new clay infused fabric.

I've heard about the benefits of clay masks but personally, I tend to go for the fruity scents with moisturising properties or peel off masks. As usual, I expected to apply the face mask then chill while watching some of my favourite youtubers. However, when I opened the mask and found that the fabric was quite wet I didn't think it would be possible!/

I pulled out the folded fabric and unfolded it to find two eye holes, a nose and mouth hole- pretty self explanatory! It was really easy to apply and pat down, getting any drips from my chin. I did find I had to lie down for the 10-15 minutes it was on as it had a tendency to drip and didn't seem to dry up much while I was wearing it.

grumpy face!

 Unlike other face masks, I didn't feel any tightening or tingling (which I quite like) while wearing it, it remained wet and soft. Also, this may not be something that bothers you as you should be relaxing with a face mask on but I really didn't like not being able to move around much!

shocked face!

When I'd applied the mask I got some of the liquid on my hands which left a white residue when dry but it washed off really easily. When I pealed the mask off, a similar dried clay residue was left on my face. This also came off really easily with my muslin cloth and hot water. My skin felt cleansed and healthy afterwards, similar to most face masks I've used. However, the application and removal was much easier than other masks!

This mask was 'Crushed Arctic Cloudberry'- Don't ask what they are! The smell wasn't unpleasant but also wasn't particularly fruity and had the distinctive clay smell.

Likes:

• quick and easy application 
• quick and easy removal
• feeling of the skin afterwards
• not too drying

Dislikes:

• wetness of mask when removed from packet- drippy!
• having to lie down!

Lush Nottingham Bloggers Event

So last night I went to my first ever bloggers event at Lush Nottingham. I'm already a massive fan of Lush but they were holding this event to tell us more about their make up and bodycare ranges and some new products.

Firstly I went over to look at the Emotional Brilliance range which contains 30 versatile and beautifully pigmented colours, all named with a positive attribute or feeling. We all had readings on the magical colour wheel which revealed a strength of ours, a want and an aspiration. After my reading I went over to explore the colours and how I could wear them, all colours are blendable and can be worn as eyeshadow, eyeliner, blusher or lipstick. I tried the bright pink 'passionate' on my lips and loved it, the colour lasted all night too!

I also had an introduction to the new 'feeling younger' skin tint which can be mixed or used as a highlighter and the colour supplements as a base.

 I then went over to have a look at the new Gorilla Perfume range and loved the pretty bottles in all different shapes and sizes. My favourite was Furze that smelt like coconut and vanilla, like the pinacolada's we were drinking!

Next I was treated to a hand massage with two of the new formulation massage bars. What's different about the new massage bars is that the cocoa butter is now all fairtrade, fitting in with Lush's ethics. Also, the new formula melts much quicker and easier which is lovely as if you've read my Soft Coeur massage bar review you'll know that I had difficulty melting it in my hands but these melt so much better now. I tried Therapy and Each Peach because I loved the smells. 

Each Peach is a lovely citrusy smell with lime oil.

Last but not least, I went over and had a look at the shower gels and jellies and the body butters with exfoliating textures. I smelt all the gels as I normally stick to Snow Fairy at christmas and fell in love with the Sweetie Pie jelly, that smells like Ribena. I then tried the body butters which you use in the shower and liked Buffy as it was moisturising yet exfoliating.

I would like to thank Lush Nottingham for their hospitality as we were very well looked after. It was a lovely relaxed evening and their was lots of staff available to answer any questions we had as we freely moved around the store.

They very kindly sent us home with a goody bag with a massage bar, body butter, shower gel or jelly and body lotion of our choice. Thanks Lush!

Also, we had personalised badges made from recycled Lush times, how cute?

It was also great to meet some Nottingham bloggers including:

Sophia from Tattooed Tea Lady

Gemma from gemma means jewel

Ellie from Ellies Favourite Things

Saadiya from that girl Saadiya

Megan from seek my scribbles

Chelsea from Chelsea Jade loves

(let me know if I forgot you and link me!)

Thanks for reading :)

All products available on Lush.co.uk

I got mail!

Today is a good day. I woke up excited for my first ever Blogger event at Lush later then the postman bought me some presents!

I won my first giveaway from Sasha at Ramblings of a Beauty Bird. I won some of the contents of her goody bag from the Bristol BBlogger meet up.

Here's what I won.....

Makebelieve Beauty Enhance Highlighter: This is what I was most excited about as I'm getting into highlighters recently, I've already swatched it and it's a lovely 'celestial pink' colour with a lot of shimmer.

Vichy Densifying Nourishing Balm Sample: It's perfect that this is for dry skin but I may give it to my mum as it is also for 'mature skin'.

DGJ Organics Berutti Oil: So excited to try my first hair oil, not heard much about Berutti Oil but will let you know what I think of it.

GlamGlow Youth Mud Treatment Sachet: Excited to try this face mask.

Insitu Cosmetics Sample Pack: This has eye gel and a refreshing wipe.

nspa Hot Cloth Polish: I've actually already tried this but am very grateful of a fresh muslin cloth!

The Vintage Cosmetic Company Eyelash Curlers: Love the cute packaging on these.

Avene Rich Hydrating Cream Sample: so pleased that this i for dry sensitive skin too.

Metique Tea Tree Oil Samples: I'm intrigued by these.

She also threw in some derma-e cleanser and microdermabrasion samples, thanks Sasha!

I also received a sample today from Montagne Jeunesse to try their new Gracial Cray Spa mask which is on 'clay infused fabric' so should be less messy. Review coming soon.

Thanks for reading :)

January Favourites

I'm actually on time this month with my January favourites.
I have quite a lot this month as I got lots of new products to try for Christmas and also because I skipped December favourites to do a 2012 yearly favourites so products I only started to use in December got missed out.

Soap & Glory

I have been absolutely loving soap & glory all month and have been using lots from my 'Best of All' set. 

Smoothie Star Body Milk- I absolutely love the smell of this, it's oaty and yoghurty. This leaves my skin feeling lovely and soft and I'm actually finding it easier to use than a body butter as it spreads much easier and soaks in like a dream.

Peaches & Clean Cleansing Milk- I have been loving this cleanser, too. I don't know how much it does to prevent spots and unclog pores but it certainly takes my make up off well. I have sensitive eyes too and have been impressed that my eyes don't sting when I use this. I don't actually love the smell of this as it's very sweet and fake but It's bearable.

Sugar Crush Body Scrub- I love the smell of this, it's limey and has brown sugar particles. It's great for exfoliating while not too drying. A shower must- have.

Lush Snow Fairy- My favourite shower gel ever! I'm trying to make it last as long as possible as it's limited edition for Christmas. It has a lovely sweet bubblegummy scent.

Aussie Mega Shampoo- as someone who is normally pretty cheap when it comes to my shampoo I thought I'd branch out and treat myself. I'm so glad I did as my hair is feeling and looking so healthy and smelling amazing. As I've been using this as well as my Aussie 3 minute miracle about once a week I thought my hair might get a bit greasy from too many heavy conditioning products but it really hasn't!

Aussie Mega Instant Conditioner- This is brilliant to use when I'm not using the 3 minute miracle as it's lighter but still leaves my hair feeling soft and nourished.

 Nivea express hydration primer- I reviewed this here and have been loving it. My skin is soft and less damaged and my make up stays on fantastically. I would recommend it to anyone.

Nip &Fab Spot Fix- reviewed here. This is great for drying my spots up really quickly, sadly it doesn't prevent others from arising!

MUA palette in Starry Night- I'm a big fan of the smokey eye and this palette is perfect. I love the formula and they last well.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey- reviewed here. Honey is the perfect shade because it's subtle but pretty, I've been reaching for it every day!

Collection 200 Lasting Perfection concealer- Weirdly the label wore off this but the product itself is so hard wearing. I'm very impressed and can see exactly where the hype came from, I love it!

That's it for this month, thanks for reading :)