All Used Up #15

1. Got2b Guardian Angel Heat Protector Spray: After purchasing Tresemme for many years, I felt it was time to try a new heat protector. This smelt lovely but I preferred the finer spray of the Tresmme version. I don't think you can tell that much difference between heat protectors but this was non sticky and light on the hair so did the job nicely.

2. The Body Shop Camomile Eye & Lip Makeup Remover: A definite repurchase, I adore this stuff! It is a bi-phase liquid that you shake up to mix up the oil and is so effect and gentle at removing stubborn mascara and lip stains. It is such a good product for the money and I am looking to repurchase it as soon as possible.

3. Tropic Skincare Vitamin Toner: The spray on this was lovely and fine and the product itself was refreshing and gentle with a non offensive scent. This was great for in the morning to perk up my face and I wouldn't hesitate at repurchasing. If you are looking for something gentle and non drying, this would be a great option.

4. Soap & Glory Whipped Clean Shower Butter: One of my all time favourites from the brand and the highstreet in general. The sweet pistachio smell of this is lovely and the formula foams up so much while still being gentle and moisturising. This is a real winner for this time of year and perfect for if you are too lazy to moisturise after the shower.

5. Seventeen Skin Wow! Highlighter: Read my full review here. This is a great budget liquid highlighter which has multiple uses, but my favourite way is to mix it into foundation to add a healthy glow. This is quite pink toned and pearlescent but luckily was not too glittery on the skin. I did feel as though it made my skin more prone to oil throughout the day but overall it was a good product.

6. Una Brennan Vitamin C Cleansing Oil: As far as oil cleansers go this was alright. It removed make up well and did not leave any residue, but I did not see any brightening effects like the claims and it was really messy to use. It lasted ages which is normally a plus, but I wanted to use this faster as it was just OK. I normally love Una Brennan so this was a bit of a let down.

7. L'Oreal EverPure Hair Mask for Coloured Hair: My first foray into sulphate free hair care and I adored it! Honestly, this left my hair so soft, smooth and tangle free at such a bargain price. I liked this so much it made it into my monthly favourites last year and I would definitely repurchase.

8. Macadamia Healing Oil Spray: I've had this for years and finally used it up. I love the Macadamia range but this is not one of my favourite products. The best way to use this was on dry hair, sprayed into my palms and worked through the mid lengths to ends to smooth everything. When used on wet hair it did live up to the claims of drying it faster, but I wasn't in love with this product. Read my full review here.

9. Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation: This was my go to foundation for when I was on a night out (hence the slightly darker colour match for fake tan!) It gives a real even and flawless finish, while still looking quite radiant and it stays put all night. I enjoyed using this foundation and would repurchase but it is not a holy grail for me like it is for other bloggers as I preferred wearing it for a few hours rather than all day.

10. MAC Fix+: To be honest, I still can't make up my mind if this does anything or not. It was my first try at fixing sprays so I have nothing to compare it too. The plus points were the fine mist, lockable cap for travel and that it helped to take any powdery finish away but I can't make up my mind if it actually locked my make up in place. This is also good to wet your brushes in before applying eyeshadow to make it more intense. I may go back to this and try it again but for now I am enjoying a cheaper L'Oreal version.

What have you used up recently? xxx

All Used Up #14 | Skincare Edition |

Once again, I seemed to have accumulated alot of empties over the past few weeks. A large proportion consisted of skincare items so I thought it would be fun to do mini reviews on those types of products I've used up recently for all you skincare junkies out there. Let's start with the cleansers:

- L'Occitane Shea Cleansing Milk: I used this up in my travel bag and it is pretty inoffensive and gentle but not the best for removing make up, so would be more suited for a morning cleanse rather than an evening. I prefer gel cleansers for first thing however, so I wouldn't repurchase. I did like the travel size and the bottle though.

- Tropic Organic Hot Bamboo Smoothing Cleanser: This was included in a set I was given at Christmas and I was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked the products. This was good at removing make up and was gentle with a clean smell. However for a cream cleanser, I like something a little bit thicker (think Liz Earle C+P). I liked the pump dispenser too but there are other cleansers I enjoy using a lot more. This is a good choice for people who use Vegan and natural products.

- The Body Shop Skin Clearing Facial Wash: Featured in my recent What's In My Shower video, I finally used up this giant bottle of face wash. It was a sad day as I loved this. Normally my skin doesn't react to Tea Tree but this was great at treating any blemishes that cropped up, smelt really nice, and did the job in the morning without being too harsh or stripping. I would definitely repurchase and love the toner too.

- Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water (Oily/Combo Skin): My favourite Micellar Water I've tried, you get a lot of product for your money and it does a great job at taking off the majority of make up (although not the best at removing mascara) without irritating or making you tug at your skin. I don't feel like the formula is any different to the original though so I would repurchase either types.

- Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Treatment Pads: A surprising favourite which was featured in my updated skincare routine, I wasn't sure if glycolic acid did much for my skin before using these as I was left disappointed by Ren's Glycolactic Radiance Mask. You get about 60 pads in each tub, which are soaked in product and I tended to use them every other night as a toner. These really evened out my skin tone, made me look more radiant in turn and aided in healing both active blemishes and marks. I would definitely repurchase, but at the moment I am testing out Pixi Glow Tonic.

- L'Occitane Fresh Face Water: From the same Shea range as the above cleanser, I really enjoyed this product too. It is quite inoffensive and gentle, similar to the Liz Earle Skin Tonic, but for a reason that I can't quite put my finger on, I prefered this. I think the addition of the Shea made it quite 'soft' and left my skin refereshed without feeling tight. This is a great morning toner and I would repurchase.

- Vichy Normaderm Moisturiser: Last year I attended a Vichy event and this was featured in my goodybag, I have only just used it up after putting it on my face every morning so that shows you how long the bottle lasts! I loved the formula, it was hydrating yet not heavy, helped to combat oil without drying out my skin and was a great base for make up. I liked the pump bottle too and I would repurchase now if I didn't have a million other moisturisers to use up!

-Lush Mask of Magnaminty: One of my favourite products from Lush, I have just repurchased a new pot, but this time the self preserving version (you can see it in this video). This is great at treating blemishes and evening out oil production. I also like that as it isn't a fresh mask it lasts a lot longer than the other Lush masks.

What is your favourite skincare item? xxx

VIDEO: What's In My Shower 2015

Last week I popped up a new video, featuring the current products I'm using in the shower ranging from body care through to hair care and tanning. I love these types of videos, so I hope you enjoy taking a peek into what I'm using at the moment. There are a few favourites but also a few disappointing products!

Products featured:

- Kerastase Resistance Bain Force Architect Shampoo £17.50 for 250ml.

- Macadamia Oil Rejuvenating Shampoo £15.75 for 300ml 

- Redken Blonde Idol Custom Tone Blonde Conditioner £21.50 for 196ml 

- L'Oreal Elvive Nutrigloss Crystal Conditioner £3.99 for 400ml

- L'Oreal Ever Pure Colour Care Intense Mask £7.30 for 200ml

- Tangle Teezer The Original in Pink Fizz £9.75

- The Body Shop Tea Tree Facial Wash £5.50 for 250ml

- The Body Shop Shea Shower Cream £4 for 250ml

- Champneys Mini Citrus Blush Body Scrub £2.50 for 50g

- Champneys Distant Shores Body Scrub £10 for 200g

- Dolce Dreams Coconut Macaroon Body Scrub £18 for 200ml - Read my review

- Soap & Glory Whipped Clean Shower Butter £8 for 250ml

- St Tropez Gradual Tan In Shower Lotion £14.50 for 200ml

If you enjoyed the video, please do like and subscribe :) xxx

All Used Up #11/#12

So I thought I had done 10 of these posts/videos... turned out I was one short and this should be number 12 in the series not 11, woops! It's been nearly 6 months since I last filmed a video so I hope you enjoy my mini reviews and the format of this post. 

Please subscribe if you like my channel and thank you for watching xxx

Makeup of the Day #1

I tend to switch up my make up look on a day to day basis (with the exception of a few favourite products of the moment) to match my mood, outfit and generally because I like to play around with it! I thought it would be a nice idea to put up a few looks every so often to encourage me to 'shop my stash' more regularly and maybe it will give you an idea on a new way to use a palette or help you get out of your make up comfort zone.

This particular look may be too dramatic for some people in the day due to the heavy(ish) eyes but I wore it during the day no problem. I wish my camera picked up my base products a bit better but I think that's because I need to play around with the settings - if you are good with camera settings please help!

Base:

I started with the Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream by The Body Shop in 01 which gives good coverage without being heavy or clogging up the skin, buffing it in with my buffing brush from Real Techniques (best brush ever). Next I did some concealing - tackling the dark circles under my eyes by blending Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Bisque just in the inner corners with my ring finger. I concealed any blemishes and under my eyes with Revlon's Colour Stay Concealer in 02 Light, which is a little too yellow toned for me but fine once blended out. I always set my make up with a decent oil controlling powder and at the moment that is Maybelline's Matte Maker in 20 Nude Beige. This can go a bit cakey so you need to have a light hand with it. My really old but newly re-discovered  Avon Bronzing Pearls gave me some colour applied to where the sun naturally hits and then finished off with my new favourite Benefit Havana Blush combined with the highlight from the centre of Sleek's Contour Kit on top of my cheekbones. 

Brows:

I find brows quite difficult to master due to finding the right shade and not having loads of hair to work with but since getting the Anastasia Brow Wiz in Taupe/Ash Brown it has literally changed my life in terms of eyebrow game. It's the perfect shade and easy to work with - totally a new holy grail product. To set I used Maybelinne's Browdrama in Medium which is too dark but I've never been able to find a light shade so I just have to use it sparingly.

Eyes:

For my eyes I used a variety of shadows from the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette: Chopper all over lid, Tease in the crease, Snakebite in the outer corner and finished with Foxy in the inner corners and brow bone to highlight. I used a mix of Tease and Snakebite smudged under my eyes, stopping about half way and Blackout as a thin liner on top using an angled liner brush. Finally I used a few coats of the curved version of MaxFactor 2000 Calorie mascara - I still like the formula but hate the brush so will definitely be going back to the original once this runs out.

Lips:

Because the eyes were so dramatic I wanted the lips to be quite neutral. I chose MAC Creme Cup which is not only one of my favourite nudey lipsticks but one of my all time favourite MAC lipsticks. Over the top I added Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 02 to keep my lips hydrated and glossy. I love this lipgloss/balm hybrid so much and its perfect for fuss free lips.

Whats your favourite make up product of the moment? xxx

Review: The Body Shop | Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream |

The Body Shop - Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream - £8 - 40ml

The Tea Tree BB Cream is the first make up product I've bought from the Body Shop in years. The first BB cream that they bought out just wasn't right for my skin type so it was great when they bought a version out suitable for oily and blemish prone skin, and I decided to give it a go seeing as it was under a tenner.

A lot of high street BB creams are much more like tinted moisturisers and I tend to be a satin finish, medium to high coverage kind of girl. The texture of the product is a lot thicker but not stiff in anyway and blends out to be quite sheer and skin like while still evening out skin tone very well in addition to being buildable. I tend to use my fingers, a buffing or a stippling brush to blend this in depending on how heavy I want the coverage to be. You will need a concealer for extra coverage on blemishes and under eyes.

The shade range is pretty poor with only 3 colours - I picked up the lightest which I was afraid would be a little too pale but once it's blended out it adapts to your skintone, so even when I was more tanned in the summer this still suited me just about! Not only is the coverage impressive for a BB cream, I love that it is really long wearing too and also quite good at oil control without being drying. A lot of BB creams either oxidise or slip and wear unevenly throughout the day but I've never had any problems like that with this product.

I normally tend to mix all my bases with a liquid highlight, purely so my face isn't flat or dull. For the purpose of this picture I didn't do that so you could see the true effect of how it looks on the skin, but you can see this post here where I'm wearing it mixed with Seventeen Skin Wow.

I've used the Tea Tree BB Cream practically every day since the beginning of the year on both weekends and long work days in the office (think bright lights, air con etc) and it's been a really reliable base without being heavy or detrimental to my skin. If anything, the inclusion of tea tree oil has helped keep my skin as blemish free as possible.

It is one of the best BB creams and bases that I have used from the drugstore and I would recommend it to anyone who has the same skin type as me.

What kind of base to you like best - foundation or BB cream? xxx

December Favourites | 2014

While picking up people's Christmas presents, I inevitably picked up a few presents from me to me (hopefully I'm not the only one to do this!) December's round up therefore consist of a few new purchases with one or two re-discovered favourites.

001. Soap & Glory Hand Maid Cleansing Gel - £2.50: This has been raved about by a lot of people, but I always thought how good can an antibacterial gel actually be? Well it turns out, pretty damn good. This sinks in quickly, is compact for your hand bag and the scent is delicious and lingers after application. It also looks cute too! This will be really useful when I start using the tube every day for my new job.

002. L'Oreal EverPure Intense Mask for Coloured Hair - £7.30: If you read my previous post you would see that I want to use more natural products when looking after my hair. I bought this back in November and it has proved to me that products free from sulphates do actually work. The main ingredients are rosemary and mint oils which gives the mask a spa like scent. Although the mask is thick it doesn't weigh down my hair at all while still giving me sleek, shiny and soft locks. I would love to try the shampoo and conditioner from this range too after sampling this. It is normally on offer too - currently at Boots for £3.65.

003. The Body Shop 'Glazed Apple' Shower Gel: A new purchase from one of their Christmas ranges along with the matching bubble bath. This smells so good - like apple sweets - without being overly sickly, although it isn't very moisturising. It is quite zingy so great for cold winter mornings when you need a pick me up and the scent is also uni-sex so great for sharing with Matt. I like the bright green of the gel too and the sleeker packaging than the original shower gel line up.

004. Lush 'Hot Toddy' Shower Gel: Another shower gel that I just couldn't resist! The Christmas products from Lush are always amazing and this is a refreshing change from Snow Fairy. The gel is bright red with flecks of glitter, so very festive, and the smell is amazing. It honestly smells like mulled wine and the scent is super strong and lingers like you would expect from a Lush product. I wish I had got a larger bottle because I will be really sad when this is over.

005. L'Oreal True Match Foundation in 'W1 Golden Ivory' - £9.99: This gives a light to medium coverage which is moisturising without being oily and blends out so well so it looks like your skin but better. I also found that it was quite luminous too and didn't sit flat on your face and was easily buildable for more coverage. I did find that my t-zone did get shiny more quicker but it is quite long wearing and great for evening wear.

006. Maybelline Colour Drama Lip Pencil in 'Berry Much' - £4.99: I'm planning on putting up a detailed review of this in the next week or so, but basically this is the perfect lip product for the colder months. The colour and pigmentation is gorgeous, as is the wear time and ease of use. A really great product which I will surely be getting in more colours.

007. Bobbi Brown 'Sand' Palette from the L.E. Surf and Sand Collection - £48: First of all, this palette just looks gorgeous. The packaging is weighty and great for travel and the pans of eye shadow are good sizes. The colour selection is fantastic, with a mixture of matte and glitter golden neutral shades that can create a variety of looks. A few of the lighter shimmer shades were a little disappointing with not a lot of colour pay off, but over all I love this palette for day and evening looks. Although it is a lot of money for a palette, I think the shades and amount  you get in the palette make it worth while. I've been reaching for this most days of December.

008. Molecule 01 Perfume by Escentric Molecules - £65.50: The scent of this is so different to anything else I own or would normally pick up. I got this for Christmas about two years ago and think its perfect for this time of year. In essence, the USP of this perfume is that it smells different on everyone by working with your skin's chemistry and is great to layer up with other fragrances. I'm not sure if the first claim is true as I have smelt it on other people and have known exactly what it is. However, the claim that everyone will want to know what you're wearing is valid. I always have compliments when I wear this scent and have convinced quite a few people to buy it! Reported fans of this fragrance are Kate Moss and Daisy Lowe which is always a good endorsement and it is very long wearing to boot.

009. YSL Parisienne Eau De Parfum - £47 for 30ml: Another perfume I have been enjoying this month and that works well with Molecule 01. It is a deep floral scent which is rather long lasting and always brings back good memories for me as I received it for my 21st birthday.

What are your current favourite products? 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!

Skin Care Series | Part 1 | My Morning Routine

Hello!

I've finally found the time to film, which I am really excited about because it is one of my favourite hobbies. Filming videos is way more time consuming than I first thought but its great to have another outlet to talk to the beauty community and I think some topics and ideas work better in video format than a long rambled post. 

Today's video is my morning skin care routine from start to finish, so hopefully you will pick up some new product suggestions. There will be two other parts to this series; my evening routine and skin care extras which will have their own separate videos.

I hope you enjoy watching it as I love these kinds of videos! Please subscribe to my channel if you like watching me xxx

June Favourites | 2014 |

I normally like to do my monthly round up of beauty favourites in video form as it allows me to ramble on a little bit longer but I just don't have time to film it this month which is a shame. There is lots I've been enjoying though so I knew that a blog post would have to be written to compensate!

001. Essie Peach Daquiri: I'm not sure why but this is a shade of pink that I don't normally pick but it is actually so pretty once on the nails, especially on your toes. The wear of this is amazing too - I know some people find Essie polishes don't tend to last that long but this lasted over a week until any major chipping started. I've now taken it off my fingers but it will definitely be featuring on my toes throughout summer.

002. Stila Kitten: This is a new eye shadow base that has worked its way into my every day make up from the day I bought it. I love cream shadows and this has been on my 'to buy' list for around 2 years or something silly! It is the perfect base for so many different looks, especially for lazy days when you need something easy and quick. A full review of this will be up soon.

003. Stila Convertible blush in 'Gerbera': Another new buy, this multi purpose product was something I was never sure about. A while ago there was a lot of hype around these but I've never been overly enamoured by cream blushes so although I was intrigued it wasn't a must buy for me. However, this is such a pretty natural shade which is perfect for girls who are a bit scared of cream blush as it blends out so nicely and it also lasts the whole day. It is gorgeous on the lips too and I've reached for this more often than my other powder blushes through the month of June. I'm definitely a convert and on the look out for more shades!

004. L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil: This is one of those shower products which is such a treat to use and one that I try and save for special occasions rather than every day. L'Occitane is one of my favourite brands and they have really got it right with their shower oil. The smell is sweet and just strong enough and the oil lathers gently into a nourishing milk which leaves skin feeling moisturised, soft and lightly scented. This is a great product for those of you who have dry skin or if you are a little lazy and can't be bothered with moisturiser. I loved it so much I bought a bottle for my mum!

005. Champneys Spa Indulgence Distant Shores Daily Shower Scrub: Another little luxury is this scrub from Champneys. For some reason I am really getting into their products at the moment. It is more of an every day treat scrub for me as the gel like scrub is not that harsh but the smell is divine (note: I need the bubble bath of this scent!) and the formula is enriched with grapefruit, lemon and orange fruit peels as well as mango and passion fruit extracts, which leaves your skin so smooth and smelling delicious.

006. The Bodyshop Early Harvest Raspberry Body Scrub: It's kind of strange having two favourite scrubs but I love this one for different reasons. This is much more scrubby than the Champneys version but smells amazing too - I think you can tell I have a theme with my shower products! It looks and smells exactly like jam while including just the right amount of scrub so you don't have to use it every day. The Raspberry range from the Body Shop is by far my favourite and I already have back up stocks of the shower gel and body butter.

007. Glossy reds: I'm known for switching up my make up look on a daily basis and rarely reach for the same lip product but this month I've been enjoying bright glossy reds on the lips. I think they go well with all types of bases and eye looks and just look so pretty in the summer time. I quite like a matte lip but since the weather has warmed up I think a glossy shine looks gorgeous. My favourites at the moment are the Bourjois  Colour Boost lipstick stick in 'Red Sunrise' and Revlon's 'Wild Watermelon' lip butter. They are both lightweight, glossy and have great colour pay off and both have surprisingly good lasting power.

008. MAC Snob: I waxed lyrical about Max's creme cup last month which I am still utterly obsessed with but snob has also stolen my heart this month. It is creme cup's pink toned sister and looks amazing with Chanel gloss in '144' too which I will be writing up a post about.

009. The Body Shop Tea Tree BB cream: Yep, I'm pretty much obsessed with the Body Shop at the moment but everything I have been lusting after and finally purchased has lived up to my expectations. This BB cream has surpassed everything and has not only turned into my favourite BB cream but my favourite base! I will be writing a full post with details but basically it is the perfect texture, coverage and formula and is bargainous to boot!

010. Baby B Browne Tanning Lotion*: I've only ever used tanning mousses (my fave being st mortiz) but was thrilled when I got the opportunity to try out this lotion. I am in love with this tan and it has become my favourite very quickly! It gives such a nice deep colour, smells like vanilla (yum!) and lasts ages without going patchy! It has even made me prefer lotions to mousses now. I will be doing a full review of this very soon too.

I know that we are well into July now but I hope you like my picks for July! What have you been loving recently? xxx

Body Care Review: The Body Shop | Honeymania Bath Melt |

The Body Shop // Honeymania Bubble Bath Melt // £8 // 300ml

Over the last couple of months I've had quite a Body Shop binge, building up a nice little collection of bath time and body care bits as there is always a fab deal on, plus I have a loyalty card which needs to get stamped (great excuse!) When the Honeymania range was launched I just knew I was going to love it and I wasn't wrong. Being quite restrained for once however I only picked up the item which intrigued me the most which was the bath melt. 

I think it is one of the fairest priced products the Body Shop has to offer as it is only £8 and you get a 300ml tub of bath melt which lasts for ages as I only use one desert spoon full each time, enough for plenty of bubbles in a large bath tub. The product is a thick runny consistency just like honey, with a golden colour and pearlescent sheen running through it - truly decadent! If you aren't a fan of the smell of honey though don't be put off this. It might look very similar to the sticky stuff but the scent if very heavily floral, which I absolutely adore. The Honeymania name instead comes from the use of Community Fair Trade honey made from the nectar of wild flowers.

I've reached for this so much recently when having a bath (hence the usage shown in the above photo) as it is an affordable luxury and perfect for a pick me up. The next products on my list to try from the range are the shower gel, body butter and scrub which all feature the same beautiful scent.

What is your favourite Body Shop product? xxx

October Favourites

This month's favourites features some newish purchases as well as products that I've learnt to love again after shopping my stash. 

MUA Pro-Brow Kit: After hearing a lot about various brow kits, I thought I'd switch out my regular brow pencil to try one myself and thought this would be a good place to start as it is cheap as chips. I use the lightest shade of two to fill in my brows and the wax included to set them. The powder is soft with good pigmentation and the wax is easy to work with. I really like the results that using a powder creates and have reached for this every day since I bought it. A full review post on this little kit with more details on it will be up in the near future.

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation: For the past three years I have always had a bottle of this foundation in my stash. Normally reserved for nights out, I really like the finish this foundation gives and that the coverage is buildable. Matched with the Real Techniques buffing brush I find this gives a lovely natural air brushed base with a slightly dewy finish. I usually prefer matte finishes but recently this foundation has been reached for on a near daily basis. I have the colour '100 Ivory' which is a little too dark for me at this time of year so will be picking up a lighter shade when this has run out.

Revolution Organics Freedom Glow in 'Bronzed': I posted a review of this a while back but have changed the way I use it since then. Reminiscent to the NARS multiple sticks, this is a multi use product free of any nasties. My preferred way to use it at the moment is as a cream contour as it is a darker shade than the bourjois bronzing primer which I use more for adding warmth to my complexion. It is easy to blend and build up when buffed in again with the buffing brush from Real Techniques. 

MAC Creme D'Nude Lipstick: This is a relatively new purchase too which I picked up from a recent blog sale. Although it was a bit melted, the shade had been on my wishlist for ages so I snapped it up for a bargain price. My first cremesheen finish (the other MAC lipsticks I own are amplified) this lipstick has become a staple in my every day make up. I normally stick to bright lips but I've been going through a bit of a nude moment and this is the perfect shade and consistency for every day. Buttery and nourishing, this smells just like other MAC lipsticks and has just enough shine and brown to the shade to be complimentary to my skin tone. It is perfect for day and night and is a great addition to my lipstick collection.

The Body Shop Honeymania Bubble Bath Melt: As soon as I caught wind of the Honeymania launch I knew I had to get my hands on some products. The bath melt has a really strong scent which I love - more floral with a touch of honey. The consistency looks just like honey and there is something about the pearlescent formula that makes it feel like a real decadent treat. Now the colder months are here I've been enjoying more baths and this is the perfect accompaniment

L'Oreal Lumi Magique: For ages I never understood the hype behind YSL Touche Eclat but then I realised it's purpose was for highlighting rather than concealing and saw how fab it was. The L'Oreal high street version is just as great in my opinion and I've enjoyed using it every day on the inner corners under my eyes to brighten over a colour corrector, down the bridge of my nose, on my brow bone and the cupids bow. It is subtle and natural but makes a difference to brightening your complexion and the rose gold packaging is pretty cute too.

What have you enjoyed using recently? xxx

Review: The Body Shop | Camomile Cleansing Butter |

Camomile Cleansing Butter // 90ml // £12.00

Recently, the Body Shop have been on a roll and released some amazing products, and when I heard about the new Camomile cleansing range I was really excited... is that lame? The range includes an eye make up remover, a waterproof eye and lip remover, the butter and a cleansing oil. I only picked up the cleansing butter as I had run out of cleanser and wanted to try another balm product, but am really interested in testing out the oil too.

The product comes in a decent sized and flat screw top tin which is easy for travel. The easiest way to get the product out is with a little plastic spatula or something similar - mine is from a travel kit from M&S and I also think Muji do something similar. It just makes the process of getting the product out easier, less messy and a lot more hygienic. It took me a while to judge how much to use as I ended up using too much in the beginning -  a little really does go a long way as the product melts so easily into a lovely lightly scented oil. The texture is very slippery, much more than the RMK rose balm I've tried before and the Clarins Pure Melt Gel. I really like this though as I feel like it is properly breaking down my make up and enables me to massage my face lightly without dragging and pulling. In terms of make up removal, even when facing taking off Double Wear or Revlon's Colour Stay this cleanser makes a light job out of it. I find the scent isn't over powering so would be suitable for those with sensitive skin and it leaves my skin feeling cleansed without feeling stripped, soft and smooth. 

Usually I take off the majority of my make up with a micellar water (at the moment one by Vichy, with a review to come soon) and the this cleansing balm after, however you could use the balm as your primary way to cleanse but I would recommend double cleansing if this is your preferenec. It's also best if you remove this cleanser with some form of flannel or muslin cloth to make sure you remove it all properly as it is oil based and therefore can leave a residue on your skin.

I think it's great value for money as the tin is filled right to the top and only a small amount of product is needed to do the job. I look forward to using this in the evenings and it is a great alternative to the popular and more pricey balm cleansers out there. I definitely recommend this for all skin types and can't wait to check out the rest of the range. I also have my eye on the new Honeymania range too.... think it will be on my Christmas list!

Have you tried this cleanser? What do you love from the Body Shop? xxx

Review: The Body Shop | Almond Nail & Cuticle Oil |

The Body Shop // Almond Nail & Cuticle Oil // 1.8ml // £7

A couple of weeks ago The Body Shop had an amazing deal on O2 priority moments to purchase £40 worth of products for £20! Obviously I had to use this to my full advantage and considering I had a few things I wanted to try out I thought it was a good time to do it. Among my goodies I picked up this almond oil pen and I'm so glad I did.

I love to keep this in my handbag so it can be used on train journeys/in lectures/anywhere you like while on the go as it is small and has fuss free application. To use you screw the bottom to get the oil out and apply with a brush applicator, which is reminiscent of certain lip glosses or illuminating concealers  The brush is bendy enough to flex to the curve of your nail beds but sturdy so its mess free. I'm not the biggest fan of turn applicators as I always get the wrong amount of product out, but that is my own fault rather than a design problem. I would describe the product as more of a gel consistency than an oil and I find it really nourishing as well as gorgeously sweet smelling - it reminds me of the scent of Whipped Clean by Soap and Glory which I also really enjoy. As it is thicker than an oil it takes longer to sink in than my Burt's Bees Lemon Cuticle Cream but that isn't too much of an issue with me.

With a cocktail of various oils including sweet almond (the largest ingredient), olive, soybean, wheat and grape, this has really helped repair and maintain the moisture and softness of my cuticles and skin around my fingers. I also feel like this has contributed to strengthening my nails too. It also features a little stopper on the lid to push back your cuticles but I don't think its that great. If like me you suffer from dry peeling skin around the nail bed (nice) this is a definite must have to pop in your bag. I still love my Bur'ts Bees for home but I think product is more suited for out and about. It's also on offer at the moment too with 30% off so snap it up while you can :)! I'm really interested in trying out the rest of the Almond range now too.

Have you tried this before? What is your favourite nail care product? xxx