New Skincare Additions

Over the Christmas period and my birthday I was lucky enough to accumulate some new skincare products that have been on my wishlist for far too long and I also took the opportunity to shop my stash when certain items ran out.

In December I got an amazing facial at Matt's Mum's salon in Exeter and the beautician used all Tropic skincare which is natural, vegan and animal cruelty free. I adored the products and was so happy when she got me a big basket of the range for my birthday. At the moment I've incorporated the Eye Refresh roll on, the Face Smooth scrub and Smoothing Cleanser into my regime and I am thoroughly enjoying all of them. Look out for more in-depth reviews in the next month or so once I have tested them further. Spoiler: the scrub is so different to any others I've tried and the Eye Refresh is amazing!

I still love The Body Shop Tea Tree Toner but for days where I don't have any blemishes I like to use something soothing and gentle. This Fresh Face Water from L'Occitane does just the job. It smells like a spa and is so refreshing. It's strange because I much prefer it to the Liz Earle face tonic even though they are quite similar.

In terms of radiance boosting products I purchased my first product from Nip + Fab after finishing up my REN Radiance Renewal Mask (see my All Used Up video) I've heard good things about the Glycolic Fix Pads and have enjoyed using them so far. The pads are soaked in product and you get 60 in a pot so quite cost effective considering they are just over the £10 mark. 

A cult product I've been after for a while is the Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado. Matt got me the large pot which will probably last me a life time as it is huge and you only need a teeny tiny bit! I've been using this in the evening as it is much more rich and takes a while to sink in.

A day time serum I've been using is Hydraluron from Indeed Labs which is a moisture boosting and hydrating serum. This sinks in really quickly but I am holding back judgement for a few weeks to see if it really does what it claims too. Lastly the Clear Difference serum from Estee Lauder. I love an Estee Lauder serum and this now brings my total to 3, so I am hoping to do a comparison post in the near future of what I have tried. I've used it a few times and the formulation is lovely and light, but I will have to report back with how it aids blemishes.

Have you got any new beauty favourites? Let me know in the comments below! xxx

All Used Up #11

Although I have a huge bag overflowing of empty products, I haven't managed to write one of these posts in months! I've been so good at using things up but maybe at my peril because now I have lots of products to write about. Today's mix includes some of my favourite skin care and hair care products along with bath and body.

001. Lush Twilight Shower Gel: This featured on my blog about a year ago and I have only just got round to using it up! It was a large bottle and I tended to use it for night time baths only due to the relaxing lavender and malt scents that feature in this shower gel. I love the dark purple gel which was flecked with silver glitter but the smell and consistency isn't one of my favourites. The shower gel isn't available any more but you can buy the Twilight bath bomb here. I probably wouldn't repurchase.

002. Origins Out Of Trouble Face Mask: Origins are fantastic for skin care and this mask is one of my holy grail items (as you can tell from me cutting the bottle to get every last drop!) It is a clay formula which dries hard, something that I like as it draws out impurities effectively. I preferred to use this on active break outs as it unclogged and calmed any redness. It is also fantastic at helping to regulate oil production. The Sulphur and Zinc Oxide does mean that this mask has a very powerful smell but it doesn't put me off at all. A definite repurchase.

003. Sanctuary Spa Relax Warming Sugar Polish: This was a random purchase but I ended up loving this body scrub. Sugar scrubs suit me best as they are the most abrasive but due to the blend of essential oils this wasn't too harsh and smelled wonderful as well. I loved the squeezy bottle as it made application in the shower super easy and the scrub was actually hot and stayed warm while you worked it into your skin. I would repurchase this product.

004. Dove Hair Therapy Nourishing Oil Care Conditioner: When thinking of the Dove brand I've always pictured body care or deodorant. However, the shampoo and conditioner from this range is super cheap and I had heard good things. I think for the price the conditioner was really good, it nourished the hair well without weighing it down at all and was a lot better than the normal bog standard conditioners you get in the chemist. I would repurchase this, although I find it hard to stay loyal to a particular brand. I would also love to try the hair mask from this range.

005. The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner: After receiving this in my stocking last year for Christmas I put it in my over flow bin of products and kind of forgot about it. Cue a skin melt down and I dug this out along with the tea tree face wash. I have to say this toner is amazing!! You need to shake it up really well to make sure the active ingredients are all mixed and there is alcohol included however this is great for blemished skin. I can feel it working, which may be superficial but is something that I like and it helps to aid the healing process and keep skin looking clear. I have already repurchased this.

006. Lush Butterbear Bath Bomb: This is one of the cheaper bath bombs Lush offer but one of my new favourites. The cocoa butter melts into the bath leaving skin super soft and nourished without feeling greasy and the smell is sweet yet not over powering. It is just the right size so you don't feel like you are wasting any product either. I think this is only a Christmas edition (you can get the larger and more expensive Butter Ball all year round) so I will definitely be stocking up on this.

Have you tried any of these products? What have you recently repurchased? xxx

P.S. I hope you all had an amazing Christmas and are enjoying your boxing day!

Review: La Roche-Posay | Serozinc |

You might have seen this product do the rounds on French pharmacie posts/videos in the beauty community. Many bloggers including the skincare guru Caroline Hirons have championed this product to be an amazing toner which 'gives something back' by hydrating after an exfoliating toner and supposedly preventing breakouts due to the ingredient zinc sulfate which is a hydrating compound.

I picked up two bottles of Serozinc when I went to Paris earlier in the year (after dragging Matt around nearly every Pharmacie we saw) and couldn't wait to try it. I'm now onto my second bottle so you can tell it lasts a really long time.

I use this both morning and evening after a toner I've used for a specific problem e.g. The Body Shop's tea tree toner for blemishes or an exfoliating toner in the evening. The spray provides a lovely fine mist and it is very refreshing to use. In terms of hydration and blemish prevention I'm not sure how effective it is but I do find that when I have active break outs it helps to soothe and calm my skin and it has helped me to transition into the colder months. While in Morocco I kept this in the fridge in our hotel room to keep it extra cool and refreshing and found it great for soothing any sunburn on my body or face.

The only place you can really get your hands on Serozinc is via Ebay in the UK unfortunately and even then it can be really overpriced. I do enjoy this product as a staple in my routine but considering how hard it is to get hold of and the fact I haven't noticed any dramatic difference in my skin I would say it isn't a necessity. If you are in a country where you can buy it then I would say give it a go but  I think there are many other facial mists that do a similar job and are far easier to get hold of at the moment.

Have you tried Serozinc before? What is your favourite La Roche-Posay product? xxx

UPDATE: Since this post went live I went to an event for La Roche Posay where they revealed that Serozinc is now available in the UK via Feel Unique! Go go go!!

Review: Liz Earle | Instant Boost Skin Tonic |

Liz Earle - Instant Boost Skin Tonic - 200 ml - £13.25

It's no secret that I love this Boots Botanics toner, but after finishing up my second bottle the beauty blogger in me wanted to try something new. After falling in love with Cleanse and Polish around two years ago I decided that Liz Earle would be a great brand to delve back into and popped down to John Lewis to replenish my stocks of C+P along with a bottle of the Instant Boost Skin Tonic.

The packaging is superb for traveling as it features a nifty screw top, but I kind of wish I had gotten the spray bottle option as they are my favourite way to apply a toner. I use this as my morning toner by pouring the liquid onto a cotton pad and sweeping over my face after washing with Origins Zero Oil face wash and prior to a day time serum.  Like all Liz Earle products it includes lots of naturally active ingredients - in this particular product there is organic aloe vera, calendula, rose-scented geranium, cucumber and natural vitamin E. 

The main aims of this product is that it should refresh, sooth and brighten. I certainly agree it is really refreshing and gentle on the skin while featuring floral notes with a light fresh scent of cucumber. However, I haven't seen much progress in the brightening aspect. 

It is suitable for all skin types which I would agree with as it is non drying due to the lack of alcohol in the ingredients and very gentle, however for those of us who are more oily/combo skinned I would prefer something that does a little more. It is a great product for those who don't have many particular skin concerns but I like my skin care to really feel like it is doing something to actively improve its condition.

If you have normal to dry skin which is pretty well behaved then this would be a fabulous toner but personally I'm looking for something more.

What is your favourite product from Liz Earle? xxx

All Used Up #8

Before I moved to my flat I had loads of empties to photograph and write up - I did the first part but never got round to writing up the other posts! So here is the next part of the series, which I'm pleased to announce actually contains some make up items which is rare for me as I find it hard to finish make up items.

Sure Cool Pink Deodorant: From what I can remember this wasn't anything special - I don't tend to be loyal to any brand really and mainly get whatever is on offer (bar Nivea which actually makes me sweat more...!) I do quite want to try Mitchum though as that is meant to be pretty good.

Boots Botanics Rosewater Toning Spritz: A review on this toner is already up on the blog here, but a brief summary is that this is my favourite toner that I have tried. It's refreshing yet gentle and I love the spray nozzle. I've already repurchased it a few times and have one in stock but after that I want to try a few others because as a beauty blogger you can never stay satisfied for long!

Batiste 'Tropical' Dry Shampoo: This brand of dry shampoo is my go to. I've used it since the beginning of using dry shampoo and have never felt the need to change as it does the job. The tropical scent is quite nice and smells of coconut (I went through a phase of being obsessed with that smell) but my favourite is definitely the wild version. Again, I normally chop and change in relation to scents.

Garnier Soft Essentials Face Wipes: OK before you say anything I know face wipes are really bad for you! I committed a cardinal beauty sin and for that I truly repent! I used these for taking off excess make up before cleansing in place of a micellar water which I usually use but these are really easy for travel. These were alright from what I remember but I've never come across a face wipe brand which has wowed me (probably because they aren't great for you!)

L'Oreal Lumi Magique in '1 Light': For ages I wasn't sold on this or touche eclat but now it is a permanent fixture in my make up bag. It's great for creating a subtle highlight, which can be built up if you want, is easily blended and easy to use. Once you know its purpose this nifty product is pretty fab.

Soap and Glory Hocus Focus: One of the first products I wrote about on this blog and my second ever foray into the world of liquid highlighters. I wasn't a fan at first and replaced it with this 17 highlighter but I do prefer Soap and Glory's offering and will be repurchasing once I have used up the former. It's a versatile product that can be mixed in with your moisturiser or foundation or used to highlight key areas without leaving you feeling greasy or sparkly like a glitter ball. I love highlighters both liquid and powder and this takes one of the top spots for me.

As stated, this photo was taken with my old camera so sorry for the not so great quality! 

What have you recently used up? xxx

My Current Skincare Regime

At the moment I'm trailing some new products to mix in with old staples, trying to find the best routine for me. My skin has been a bit up and down recently - blemish prone, scaring and oily some days and really dehydrated the next, it doesn't really know what its supposed to be doing. I'm putting it down to stress and the weather, but while I'm trying to figure it out I've been switching up my skincare to remedy the problems and also try to make my diet more healthy (essays are healthy eating's worst enemy!)

My morning routine is pretty simple. I start by washing my face with Simple's moisturising face wash, which I've had for a while and am trying to use up, followed by Elemis Balancing Lavender Toner that I got for Christmas. It smells lovely but doesn't match up to my favourite Boot's Botanics and I don't think its done much to balance out my skin so far. A full review will be up soon though once I've trailed it a bit further. Then a nice layer of much hyped up La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo to tackle the blemishes is applied as a day serum/moisturiser, followed by a little Neal's Yard Frankincense Hydrating Cream if my skin is feeling really dehydrated. Finally a blob of Clarin's Eye Contour Gel for dark circles and prep the area for make up applied with my ring finger.

The evenings are a bit more complicated but my favourite time for skincare. The majority of my make up is removed with a micellar water and cotton pads, at the moment I'm using one by La Roche Posay. Then the Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser which came with the matching toner is used to thoroughly cleanse all traces of make up and dirt in conjunction with my new No 7 Cleansing Brush, my first foray into facial brushes. There will be a full review of this at a later date but at the moment my impressions of it are good. After using the aforementioned toner, I mix a few drops of Clarins Lotus Oil in with the Neal's Yard moisturiser for extra hydration. I am in love with this oil and cannot wait to give it a full review! Finally, any blemishes are zapped with Origins Super Spot Remover.

What are your skincare staples? xxx

Review: Boots Botanics Organic Rosewater Toning Spritz

100% Organic // 150ml // £4.99 (currently £3.33)

After sampling the tea tree and rose toners from Lush, I decided I really liked the concept of spritz toners but the Lush ones were just not for me (I'm still a massive fan of the brand though!) On my hunt for the perfect toner I came across this from the Botanics range in Boots. I've never tried anything this from before, but it is 100% Organic, formulated without parabens and was also a spritz so thought I would give it a go.

The bottle is quite tall yet sleek and is unfussy, which reflects the nature of the product. The actual product does smell strongly of a true rose scent, so if you aren't a fan then this may not be the best toner for you. I enjoy the smell though and find it refreshing when I use it morning and evening. I like to spray some onto a cotton pad and wipe my face to remove any make up residue, then I spritz a few pumps onto my face, leaving it refreshed and cool. I also really like the spritz on this bottle as unlike the Lush toners, the pump delivers a really fine mist that refreshes your face without making it really wet. The pump allows me to use it over the top of make up if I've put on a bit too much powder, similar to how you would use MAC Fix+.

The only downside to this product is that the second largest ingredient is alcohol denat. However, if I hadn't have read the ingredients I wouldn't have necessarily known their was alcohol in it as I haven't found it stripping at all, in fact it is rather gentle.

I've really enjoyed using this toner and would definitely repurchase. Have you tried anything from the Botanics range? I've got my eye on their facial oil to try next! xxx

A Trio of Lush Products

At the moment I have a bit of a back-log of product reviews from my various hauls, so expect to see a few more review posts :) I picked these three products up from Lush the other week after watching Louise's video of her favourite Lush products because I have no will power when it comes to shopping and seeing good reviews make me want to try out the products myself! 'Catastrophe Cosmetic' and the 'Each Peach' massage bar were bought upon hearing good recommendations and the toner water was an impulse buy. Overall, I was a little disappointed but this won't stop me trying out some of the other products on my wish list as I believe skincare especially is very personal, so what may work for someone else might not work for me and I really like other Lush products such as the bath bombs.

Tea Tree Toner Water: Although I wasn't expecting to pick this up, I have been on the lookout for a new Toner as my previous Garnier one was too harsh and left my skin feeling really stripped. I've also been wanting to try out the spray toner waters like the Caudalie one but wanted to find a cheaper alternative due to a student budget. One of the main reasons I picked up this product is because it has tea tree in it and I am prone to getting a few blemishes due to oily skin - it even states that 'tea tree is a wonder oil for anyone with oily or spot prone skin'. I  bought the 100g bottle (£3.95) so if I didn't like it the product wouldn't be wasted and its also a handy size for my handbag for freshening up during hot summer days, but you can also purchase it in a 250g bottle for £7.25. My usual routine is to spray some onto a cotton wool pad to wipe my face over and remove dirt and then spray some all over my face and leave to dry before applying moisturiser, in the morning and evening. I love how refreshing and gentle this is but I havn't seen any massive differences towards blemishes. I'm not sure if its because the tea tree is really watered down but I havn't found it to be that effective which is a bit disappointing. I wouldn't rule out buying this again if I can find a good blemish gel/cream as it is a nice toner (I'm thinking about buying the Origins one) - if you do suffer from bad blemishes I wouldn't recommend this for you.

Catastrophe Cosmetic Face Mask: I've been trying out loads of different masks recently trying to find a good combination that I can see and feel make a real difference to my skin and the various problems with it. After seeing quite a few rave reviews of this on various blogs I decided to try it out. Lush face masks are quite expensive for such a small pot (£5.95 for 75g) with a sell by date of 3 weeks, but they are all made out of fresh ingredients and although they say you can only get 3 uses out of them, I've had at least 7 and I still have about a quarter left. You have to keep them in the fridge due to the fresh ingredients in them, and I quite like this as it means the mask is really refreshing and cool when applied to the skin. It is definitely not the easiest mask to apply as it produces it's own water meaning you have to try and mix it all together with your finger and is quite slippery when trying to apply it. I think for this type of mask it would be a good idea to try applying it with a brush. This is also a type of mask where you have to sit and relax while wearing it (I'm not complaining!) as it has a tendency to flake off after a while. The featured ingredient is fresh blueberries and there are lots of pieces within the face mask. Again, although this is aimed towards blemished skin, I havn't noticed any differences towards blemishes or oil control. It leaves my face lovely and refreshed but that is about it. I wouldn't repurchase this but I am interested in trying the Brazened Honey mask.

Each Peach Massage Bar: I've previously owned Soft Coeur bar and really enjoyed it plus I love massages so after I saw Louise recommend this I had to try it! Lush says that this is a 'lovely rich massage bar with beautiful fruit oils' which I can definitely vouch for. It has a lovely strong citrus scent to it and it says that it melts at body temperature just like chocolate - and it really does! It melts so easily when using it and leaves lovely rich oils on your skin which are really moisturising from products including cocoa butter, shea butter, avocado butter and mango kernal butter. I've used oils before, but I prefer these as they have a scent with staying power and are much less messy to use, whether on yourself or with someone else. The bar will also last a long time as although it melts easily, a little goes a long way. I would definitely repurchase and am looking forward to trying out the other types of bars - I also want to buy the Lush tin to keep them in!

I have always been a fan of Lush products due to the fresh, natural ingredients and the fact products are made on site and the impeccable service from staff, so although I was a little let down with these products there is nothing stopping me from trying out different products to find the right things to suit me. If you are interested to purchasing something form Lush I recommend popping into your local store as the staff will guide you in the right direction. 

Have you tried any of these products? What do you think of Lush? xxx

I Just Can't Help Myself...

Another week, another haul...I think I need to place a spending ban on myself! After reading many other blogs/watching youtube videos I couldn't help but purchase some of the stuff they had recommended. Of course more detailed reviews will be made in upcoming posts, but for now I will give you an overview...

Essie Nail Varnish in 39: My first Essie purchase ever! The choice was between this or 'Cute as a Button' but considering I have so many pink shades I decided to buy this one instead :) Really looking forward to trying this out.

Models Own Hed Kandi Nail Varnish in Disco and Ibiza: These were also a first for me as I don't have any other Models Own varnishes. I have wanted the Ibiza shade for sooo long, so was really pfleased when I saw that Boots stocked it! As it was 2 for £8 I also went for a gold glitter shade because I originally went in for the No 7 version with my £5 voucher after seeing Sprinkle of Glitter mention it, however they didn't have it in stock so got the Models Own one instead.

Gold Cuff Necklace: When it comes to fashion, I'm not much of an accessory person but I am trying to rectify this by buying some different kinds of high street jewelry. I only actually own 3 necklaces would you believe, and these are all delicate pieces, so when I saw Shirley wearing it in various posts and videos I thought I would go for it...and I love it! I'm really looking forward to testing it out with various outfits and looks.

Stud and Hoop Earrings: Not much to say about these purchases apart from the fact that I am a sucker for earrings! I don't normally buy much gold so these were good purchases for broadening my jewelry collection.

Lush Each Peach Massage Bar: After seeing Louise's video on her favourite lush products I had to try this out and was the main reason I popped into Lush. I have tried a few products in the past when they were bought as gifts including some bath bombs, the heart shaped chocolate massage bar and the cupcake face mask so thought I would go with something different. This smells lovely and melts really easily into the skin.

Lush Catastrophe Cosmetic Facemask: I really like the Lush facemasks although I think the pots are rather small :(! This is a version I havn't tried but suits my skin type. I have been trialing various face masks at the moment to try and find ones that really suit me and address certain issues I have with my skin. I saw this on Sophia's blog and I think also Estee's - as I trust both their opinions I thought this would be a good one to try.

Lush Tea Tree Toner Spray: This was much more of an impulse purchase (woopsie!) but recently I have been thinking about purchasing a new toner as the current one I'm using is feeling a bit too harsh (the fact you need to wear an added SPF with it highlights this!) plus I have been wanting to try out a spray toner since seeing lots of reviews for various brands of them recently. This is formulated for my skin type so am looking forward to trying it out - especially because of the novelty of the spray (I am that easily pleased!)

Have you tried any of these products? What do you think of my haul? xxx