Take 3: Highstreet Concealers

Maybelline Eye Eraser in Light £7.99 - Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer in 52 Medium Radiance £7.99 - L'Oreal Lumi Magique Concealer in 1 Light £8.49

When it comes to drugstore concealers, I find it so hard to find the right shade and texture for my skin type. This means I tend to have to use different concealers for different needs and parts of my face, but I think with this trio I might have cracked it! I know 3 concealers seems a bit excessive but luckily these last for ages and they're all under the £10 mark and all have different uses.

Let's start with under eyes. Maybelline's Instant Anti-Age Eye Eraser in 'Light' totally lives up to the hype for me. Yes I might not need anti-aging underneath my peepers but the consistency, applicator and effect it gives is fabulous. You twist the product up so you can get the exact amount you need out the sponge as well as being able to see how much you have left which is a massive plus for me. The sponge applicator aids to softly pat the concealer into a V shape under my eyes and the texture is creamy yet light so gives great coverage without looking cakey at all. Blended in with a damp beauty blender this stuff looks airbrushed and skin like, whilst still covering dark circles effectively. My only niggle with this product is that I would like the shade 'Light' to be a tad lighter to give a more highlighting effect but in terms of coverage this is great and you could even use it on other parts of your face as a 2 in 1.

For all over concealing I've been using Bourjois Healthy Mix Correcting Concealer in '52 Medium Radiance'. I didn't get on with the foundation as it oxidised badly on me, but I really wanted to give the concealer a go after reading good things. You get so much product in this tube and the dispenser makes it easy to get just the right amount you need in a hygienic way. I tend to squeeze a little out and apply with my Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush and buff it over blemishes and any redness around my nose. It is relatively thick and quite creamy making it easy to blend and cover well. This lasts all day and I do not have to reapply at any point. I wish I had got a shade lighter as it can be a little dark depending on my base but with proper blending it isn't an issue and it doesn't oxidise like the foundation did.

Lastly the concealer I use for highlighting is L'Oreal's Lumi Magique Correcting Pen in '1 Light', which I have repurchased numerous times. This is basically a dupe for the YSL Touche Eclat, although the texture is more pigmented and thicker. I use this in the inner corners under my eyes most days to brighten the area up and if I'm going for a more sculpted or radiant look I will pat some in down the bridge of my nose, my brow bone, cupids bow and middle of my forehead. It is easily blendable with a light texture and although it is definitley highlighting it isn't stark or unnatural looking for every day.

I still want to try high end concealers but I'm pretty impressed with these 3 from the drugstore. What is your favourite concealer? Have you tried any of these? xxx

Take 3: The Best of Aussie

My Take 3 series hasn't made an appearance in months but I'm excited to bring it back as it's a nice way to talk about different products in another way, rather than just single reviews. This particular installment is focused on the high street brand Aussie that I've loved for years, and who I think create effective and affordable hair care. I've tried a number of their products, but so far my firm favourites include an intensive conditioner, a leave in spray conditioner and a curling mousse. 

Aussie Miracle Colour Insurance Leave in Conditioner: Like all Aussie products this smells divine and the scent lingers for ages. I like to use spray leave in conditioners after washing my hair to detangle and this does a wonderful job. It has a decent spray on it as well and isn't too heavy on my hair which has the tendency to be weighed down by too much product. This is also great on dry hair in between washes to give it extra nourishment although it can leave it a little bit wet. I love using this on holiday on damp hair once I've been in the pool or sea to give it extra nourishment because sun + chlorine + highlights = super dry hair if not properly cared for. The bottle lasts for ages too making it really cost effective, which is the case for most Aussie products. There are many variations of this leave in conditioner and this is the best one for my hair type.

Dual Personality Curl Defining and Shine Mousse: My hair is naturally wavy rather than curly but nevertheless this mousse does a wonderful job of holding and defining my waves without feeling heavy, sticky or brittle. The product is easily distributed through damp hair by scrunching through the lengths and gives a light weight and flexible hold. I also use it on dry hair when I've styled it in a more curly fashion as it helps to hold the style for longer. It doesn't dry out my hair at all and it is easy to brush my hair too as I find many mousses make it difficult to get a brush through. Definitely one to try if you have a natural curl or wave pattern.

3 Minute Miracle Colour Mate Deep Treatment: Similar to the leave in conditioner, this type of product has lots of different versions dependent on your hair type. Seeing as my hair is highlighted I pick up the colour version which smells lovely. A splodge of this run through the lengths of your hair and left for a few minutes works wonders to add some moisture into over processed locks. It has a thick consistency which feels really nourishing, and once washed out I can feel a real difference in the quality of my hair. The squidgey tube also makes for easy application in the shower. This is a product which I will always have a back up of as an affordable treat.

So that is my round up of the best of Aussie I've found so far :) What are your favourites from Aussie? xxx

Take 3: Lush Bath Bombs

Sunnyside // £3.65 // Party Popper // £2.95 // Space Girl // £2.10

You may notice that one of the bath treats in today's post was featured in a recent wishlist of mine... I gave in and treated myself to it when I came home for reading week, and also to two more (naughty me)! I bought Sunnyside Bubblebar, Spacegirl bath bomb and Party Popper bath bomb. I enjoyed using all of these - bath products are definitely my favourite thing from Lush.

Sunnyside: This was my absolute favourite of them all. It filled my bathroom with a citrusy scent and made the water soft and moisturising. It was the most relaxing and decadant - I couldn't capture it on camera but the water had ribbons of gold running through it and looked so pretty! You can see the residue of the gold water left on the bath, so that is a downside that you need to clean it all away afterwards. The bubbles you can see in the picture were made with just half a bar, so although it is on more of the pricier side of the bars and bombs you can get multiple uses out of it. I would save this for when I need a pick me up and think it will make a lovely Christmas gift. 

Party Popper: One of the most fun bath bombs that Lush has to offer, this is a great novelty. It wasn't the most relaxing, but made bath time a bit more interesting! Inside the duo-coloured cone is popping candy and confetti flakes which you can wash yourself with after the bomb has completely dissolved. That all sounds rather cool, however, I didn't have much popping in mine and I wasn't a fan of the flakes (see bottom picture) as they smelt horrible to me, were a weird consistency and there wasn't enough to really wash yourself with. It did however have a nice general smell (tangerine oil) and turned the water pink which were plus points. I wouldn't rush out to re-purchase this like the Sunnyside bar but I would recommend you to try it out just for the novelty.

Space Girl: This is a classic bomb which is a favourite of many a beauty blogger. It's a really cute purple planet shaped bomb with a sprinkling of glitter. This one apparently has popping candy in it too but I didn't hear anything and only know this after looking it up on the website! It has a lovely softening effect on the water and turns it a bright purple, which again was difficult to pick up on camera. Space girl features grapefruit oil but to me it smelled just like parma violet sweets which I used to have when I was younger. This is one of the more affordable bombs and I would definitely repurchase as an affordable bath time treat - I can see why it is a classic.

Overall, I really enjoyed these bath bombs from Lush and would urge you to pick up a few to test and discover your favourites. They have a wide range of choice and make a natural treat - great for pampering yourself or others. They have some great Christmas choices out too at the moment so I would snap them up quickly if I was you! I have my eye on Cinders, Father Christmas, Golden Wonder and Magic Wand!

Have you tried any bath products from Lush? What would you recommend for me to try next? xxx