My Skincare Basket

I like to keep a lot of my skincare in this handy little basket beside my bedroom mirror. Aside from bathroom related items (cleansers, masks, etc). I do most of my skincare in my bedroom so it makes sense to keep everything I use on hand. Here's a quick run down on each product and my thoughts. 

I have other toners that I prefer to The Body Shop Vitamin E Hydrating Toner, but I've had this bottle in my collection for a while now so want to get through it. Its nice as it doesn't strip your skin and feels hydrating without being greasy, just a nice little step between cleansing and moisturising.

I got the Mario Badescu Facial Spray with a Feel Unique order, and get the feeling its trying to be like the Caudalie Beauty Elixir, which Ive never tried so cant really compare. I just keep this here to use it up, its nice but I dont feel as though I ever need to reach for it.

I couldnt be without my Alpha H Liquid Gold, every blogger and their dog raves about this and for good reason. I use it every other night before bed as a treatment without moisturising after and the next morning my skin looks glowing and fresh. Magic.

The Anti-Blemish Skinetica is another sample product kept here to use up. I havent noticed any magical spot fighting results so use it as a toner when my face feels a little oily which it is alright at doing. Its nothing special to me though.

The Origins Super Spot Remover works like a dream at reducing redness and spot size, and fast. This iny bottle has lasted me forever, you only need a tiny bit. It gives that stinging feeling whic to me means its doing something and it quickly gives results, even reducing any soreness I may have from a spot.

The Dermalogica Clean Start Dream Matte Moisturiser is yet another sample to be used up. Im not the biggest fan of it in terms of how little moisture it provides, but like the matte finish for days in the house when Im not putting on makeup. This would probably suit those with much oilier skin than mine better.

You've probably heard me raving on and on about the Origins Vitazing before, so Ill keep it brief. Its a fab base for summertime giving a nice tint to the skin, Im even breaking it out now on sunnier spring-time days.

The Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser is a staple for me, its fairly basic and kind for my skin and can always be relied upon to give a nice hydrated feeling to the skin. I dont really feel the need to try anything other than this.

Im coming to the end of my tub of Origins Ginzing Eye Cream and will certainly be repurchasing. Its a great eye cream for mornings with its brightening, light reflecting formula which I find really brightens up my under eye area. 

I just use this old Batiste lid to hold a few cotton buds, I use these for so many things when Im getting ready so its just really handy to have a few on hand to get rid of any mascara smudges or other "emergencies". I like to keep a little mascara wand there too for when I do my brows, just so I always know where it is. 

I love the feeling the Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub gives to my lips, leaving them super silky and soft. I rarely use this though as it can be a bit of a faff and the sugar gets everywhere (maybe Im just clumsy). It tastes amazing too.

I rely so much on my Johnsons Gentle Eye Makeup Remover Pads. I only need to use them on days where Ive worn heavier eye makeup but just find theyre so convenient, especially after a night out! The pre-soaked cotton pads work wonders at breaking down mascara and liner and dont sting my eyes at all, fantastic.

The Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins is my absolute favourite night cream. It smells amazing and feels so nourishing when applied to the skin. Its a step I really enjoy before bed because it feels like Im doing my skin some good (wierd?). I always wake up with lump soft skin the next morning, another compete staple to my skincare routine. 

I keep this little tin of good old fashioned Nivea Creme handy as I sometimes use it as a moisture mask. I just whack a load of it on if my skins feeling dry if I have a few hours before going to bed and just let it soak in gradually. Goodbye pesky dry patches!

Another Origins product Im obsessed with comes in the form of Eye Doctor, my moisturising eye cream I use at night. I odnt need the brightening properties off Ginzing for bed so find this hydrating option more suitable. Another product where I feel Im being kind to my skin when applying it. 

I keep the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream For Face With SPF 50 (such a mouthful) n hand to encourage me to apply SPF. I must admit I often skip this step but do like the product when I remember to use it.

The Clarins Facial Self Tanner is amazing for giving your face a lovely healthy tanned glow. Its not scarily dark, never goes patchy and can e slotted nicely into your skincare routine after cleansing. Theres nothing I dont love about it.

Im in the process of trying to use up the Soap and Glory Bright Here Bright Now. Its basically a brightening light reflecting cream. It does brighten my complexion if its feeling a little dull but I never really reach for it so am just trying to use it up and wont repurchase it.

The Bare Minerals Pure Transformation Night Treatment is a strange product, like a mineral foundation but for going to bed. It actually gives a nice coverage too and doesnt transfer onto pillows which I find strange. That isnt really its main purpose though, it generally improves and brightens your skin in your sleep with its mineral content. I really loved this before I discovered the Liquid Gold and now that does a similar job but on a much more intense level, so I often forget to use this now. I will use it up though as it was stupidly expensive!

Last but not least I have the Mavala Double Lash, which promises to lengthen, strengthen and thicken lashes with nightly use in just 30 days. Im now on to day 28 of using it and ave noticed good results so a review will be coming on this soon.

What products do you think Im missing from my routine and need in my life? Im always open to recommendations of new things to try!

xoxo

Origins Out of Trouble Mask

In the past the only facemasks I've really ever purchased came in sachets for £1 in Superdrug, and usually peeled off like a kind of second green skin after 15 minutes.

I thought they were fun, but didn't really do a lot.

Origins Out of Trouble face mask has changed my mind completely about face masks as a whole.

This most definitely does something.

I bought it in a moment of desperation when my skin was really acting up. The lady at the counter convinced me this would sort my spotty skin right out, and she was right.

The mask is applied on problem areas, or the whole face if you wish, for 10 minutes then washed away. I personally just use a small amount on spotty oily areas as I dont want to waste it where its not needed. 

Its a rather thick consistency as you can see below, and that small amount is usually about how much I use at  a time. I think this makes the 100ml tube costing £20.00 well worth it, considering I used to pay £1 per one-use sachet which did nothing for my skin. Ive used this about once a week for three months now and Im nowhere near finished!

As far as the experience and results this mask gives, Im very impressed. It feels luxuriously thick to apply, and once on my face Ive found it to tingle slightly for a few minutes. Nothing uncomfortable, but it certainly feels like its working. Once its washed away and my skin has dried theres instantly a noticeable difference.

My skin feels squeaky clean, and noticeably less oily. Spots seem to calm a little, and I think it really makes a difference to how angry and long lasting my blemishes are. I find that it doesnt dry my skin out at all, even when I do use it on my whole face. However my skin is fairly oily so this could differ with drier skin types.

Overall I would highly recommend this mask to anyone that wants to tone down the oiliness of their complexion, clear blocked pores, and keep spots at bay.

I cant wait to try the other Origins masks, Ive heard theyre all just as amazing

xoxo 

July Favourites

In recent months Ive been talking abut my monthly favourites over on my youtube channel rather than here on my blog. Basically, I was just a little too lazy to do both. From now on Ive decided to still talk in depth on my video, and just post a quick overview and picture here so you can see the products more in depth.

You can view the video and here me jabbering on HERE!

Kiko Guava Pink Lipgloss - Ive already done a mini review and close ups/swatches of this lipgloss in this post about Kiko as a brand overall. Ive used it everyday since I got it, the perfect sheer pink, non-sticky gloss!

Origins Out Of Trouble 10 Minute Mask - This product along with several others from this post are going to get their own full review posts in the near future (I've got the blogging bug again), so I wont go too much into it. Basically, this has worked wonders on my spotty chin, a lovely image for you all I'm sure!

Clinique High Impact Mascara - I wasn't expecting much fro this little sample, and have been nicely surprised to find myself really enjoying using it. Its really buildable, for subtle lashes or full on spidery ones depending on your preference. I'm pretty sure Ill purchase the full size at some point.

Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel - My beauty discovery of the year so far, a full on rave review is to come. It is safe to say that I fully bought in to the bloggers hype surrounding this but I'm so glad I did. Its totally worth all the praise it gets, and I couldn't imagine my makeup collection without it now.

Benefit High Beam - This is the ultimate love/hate product for me. I love the amazing glow it gives, but hate how it smushes my foundation around when I apply it (good technical word there). However, since I've recently only been wearing Origins Vitazing through the day, I have no such foundation-smushing issues. This means Ive been freely using this without any worries and have had so many compliments on my complexion recently all down to this little beauty. Safely on the love side of the love/hate relationship for now at least.

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette - Again, another product with its own post on the way. I'm sure you've seen it many times already, but I want to give my own thoughts on it anyway. Since its here in my favourites, its safe to assume Im loving using it. Its maybe not the most necessary purchase Ive made this year but definitely not one I regret in the slightest, especially with £5 off in duty free!

Thanks for reading! If you would like t hear my thoughts in more detail, 12 and a half minutes of more detail to be exact, then dont forget to just click the link at the top!

xoxo

Origins Haul!

Yes, I broke my spending ban, for about the 4th time. I justify this as Ive ran out of Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish and had nothing to use with my Clarisonic. Id heard about the frothy cleanser from Origins so went online to buy it and got a little carried away...But hey at least it isnt make-up.

Its pretty easy to get carried away on their site, free delivery for orders over £30, then a free 30mls of Vitazing for orders over £40. On top of that all online orders get two teeny extra samples to try out as well, and you have a choice of about 8 to decide which you want to try. As a marketing student you would think Id be wise to these kind of deals, but they still suck me in again and again.

However I do think I made some wise investments for my skin which has been playing up recently.... 

Out Of Trouble

10 Minute Mask to Rescue Problem Skin

I have yet to try this, but I wanted to get a good face mask that will last me and I can keep in my routine as apposed to the little £1 sachets Ive previously picked up in Superdrug. This mask is meant to be good for problem skin, so the likes of spots, blemishes and blackheads and aims to help clear them up. My skin is ridiculous, dry patches mixed in with spots and blackheads (lovely!). So I intend to use these during my spottier times to try and clear my skin. I will report back on results! This was £19 for 100ml, so not cheap, but nothing from Origins is! I just hope it does good for my skin. 

Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash

This was the product I initially went looking for. I wanted a cleanser to use with my Clarisonic, my Liz Earle was nearly gone and I wanted something that would work better with it. Id heard good thing about this so I picked it up. Its meant to balance your skin and its oil levels, so great for combination skin like mine where there are dry parts and oilier parts. Ive only used it a few times so I cant really report back on that bit yet, but I have had a really dry nose this morning when I dont normally, so I dont know if its down to this. Ill keep using it and hopefully its fine! This reeeeeally is frothy, it kind of feels like the foam on top of a coffee on your face. Ill do a full review in a few weeks. Its £17 or 150ml which I dont think is too bad if it delivers results! 

Super Spot Remover Blemish Treatment Gel

This is another product Ive heard good things about. The beauty blogging community is the main reason for my suffering bank balance! This product is teeny tiny, and £12 for 10ml seems steep but you need the tiniest amount each time you use it. Its basically a spot gel that you put on blemishes t try and get rid of them quick. Ive used this on a few spots I have and it certainly delivers that tstingy tingly feeling, which akes me feel like its working. I havent used it enough to cmment on how well it works yet but Im going to persist with it on any spots. Anything claiming to "remove" blemishes is worth a go! 

Drink Up 10 Minute Mask to Quench Skins Thirst

and Dr Weil's Mega Bright Skin Tone Correcting Serum

These are the two teeny samples I chose with my online order. I love that Origins do this, but there is a fair chance it will mean me coughing up more money to buy the full size if I love them, so very clever Origins. I couldnt decide between the Out of Trouble mask (which I bought in the end) or the Drink Up mask, as my skin is both toublesome and dry. So Im very glad I could get the sample of this to try out too. Ive also been very interested in trying out some serums recently, and have nly ever had a Liz Earle one, so Im veger to give this on a go, bt at £46 for the full size I kind of dont Vi

want to love it!

VitaZing SPF 15

I have the full size of this already and absolutely love it. Its basically Origins version of a light coverage tinted moisturiser. I was thankful to get this in a smaller size as its going to be perfect to take on holiday with me. Its still a great size sample, only 20ml smaller than the full size! But I love anything thats slightly smaller to chuck in my case and leave more room for ridiculous amount of clothes! I need to do a proper review on this soon to, its on the to do list.

Thanks for reading :)

xoxo



February Favourites

Recently Ive made a habit of doing my monthly favourites on my youtube channel, but this month my brother has borrowed my video camera to take on his skiing holiday, so my favourites are here as a blog post!

Ive been trying a lot out this month but havent got a chance to give a lot of things a proper go, so it was hard to choose my favourites but theres a sneak peak above.

Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanning For Face

This stuff is amazing. SWalkerMakeUp recommended it ages ago and since then it has been in the back of my mind to pick it up, and now I have and Im so glad. It is what it says on the bottle, a self tnner for your face. Im not one to use my body tanner on my ace as I dont want my face to be quite as dark as th tan on my body, just a nice golden glow. Also those tanners have broken me out on my face before so when I heard about this I was excited to try it. Im going to a ull review on this sometime this week so I wont go too much into it, but its now in my everyday routine. I got mine from Feel Unique for £17.

 

MAC Blush Ombre in Azalea Blossom

I just had this in my last MAC haul post, but Im already in love with it. It looks so gorgeous in the pan and just as pretty on the face. I just swril my brush in it and it gives a lovely light pink colour. Its one of those great blushes that you dont have to worry about applying too much, as its quite light so its very hard to aply too much all at once, which I often do with my more pigmented blushes! Also this is absolutely huge for a blush, the same size as and MSF, so its going to last forever. It was limited edition and the collection seems to have disappeared from the website so I think its over now, sorry guys!

Kleenex Extra Gentre Facial Cleansing Wipes

Im not really a huge fan of make-up wipes, and only every use them to apply the bulk of eyemakeup etc before cleansing properly, and since getting these Ive been using them alone which is something Ive never done for ages, and probably a bad habit to pick up. They feel so much softer and more gentle than other wipes, they are made from an amazingly oft material which feels very soothing on the skin, you wont understand until you try them out. Theyre s ogood at getting rid of stubborn mascara and eye makeul and as of yet they havent made my skin red or irritiated like others do. Also theyre very eco-friendly because of their material, according to the packaging, so thats good too. Big thumbs up, highly recommend trying these out! These were on an introductory sale price of around £1.50 in Superdrug when I got mine a few weeks ago, but they arent more than around £4 normally.



Jemma Kidd Dewy Glow All Over Radiance Creme in Iced Gold

I bought this from recommedations from some of my most trusted youtubers and they came up trumps, this stuff is amazing! Its the best highlighter Ive ever used, bold statement there. It gives a lovely dewy sheen to the skin (I mostly just use it on the tops of the cheekbones and the excess down my nose), without being overly glittery. I just apply this with my finger and it goes on a dream. It catches the light beautifully and loks very natural for daytime, but can be built up for a more dramatic night time look. Theres not much more I can say really, its just fab. I got it from Feel Unique for £17.



Origins Eye Doctor Eye Cream

This is the eye cream I use every night before bed. (A full video coming soom on my skincare routine) It is a little pricey at £25 for 15ml, but you can see how much Ive used and Ive used it every night since the first week of January. This tiny pot could literally last me well over a year! The product is amazing. So creamy and moisturising like you wouldnt believe. I used to get rather dry under my eyes and my concealer could look cakey, but that is a thing of the past because of this! Its just really great at keeping you soft around your eye area, and like I said you need the tiniest amount so its actually good value for money. I wouldnt go a night without this!

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Santa Baby #1

I did these posts last year, a few scattered through my blog up until Christmas each containing a few items on my Christmas list....

First up...the Clarisonic Mia. Ive seen too many good reviews of the Clarisonic to not want one of these by now. Im a sucker for anythin thats going to deep clean my skin and this seems like the perfect thing for it! 

 

Ive asked for the Mia as its slightly cheaper for Santas wallet, and from reading into it I dont think its wirth the extra pennies for the original one just for the timer beeping away which would confuse me anyway (its not hard!).

The Mia comes in a laod of different colours, I like the turqouise blue one. I wont bore you with the details on it as Im sure youve heard loads about it already...its basically an electric toothbrush for your face...thats how I explained it to my family haha.

It generally costs around £120 most places but its only £80 on Nordstroms website, bargain!

 

 

 

 

 

The next little treat on my list is the Origins inzing Refreshing Eye Cream, which retails at around £21. Ive heard so many rave reveiws about this, and Ive been on the look out for a refreshing and revitalizing morning eye cream for a while. I have such bad puffy eyes when I wake up! Ive seen a little Origins bag peeping round the side of my Mam's wardrobe so she's been a good little elf bless her. I cant wait to try it!

Lots more to come!
xoxo