Wednesday, 8 February 2012

My skincare essentials

My skincare routine has pretty much stayed the same since I first posted it this time last year, although the products I use have changed a bit as you may have seen in my skincare routine update back in August. Overall though I have stuck the skincare routine out which I'm incredibly pleased about, and I can confirm that my skin has cleared up and I very rarely get blemishes which is brilliant! I'm not going to attribute that to a specific product though as I have changed brands and omitted some products over the last few months. I will however list the products that I really, really rate but please don't take this as 'it will work for you' as we all know that everybody's skin is different and may react differently. These are just the products that have worked for me :)

It's no secret that I adore Liz Earle products since being introduced to them last summer. They form a staple part of my skincare routine now and are the main things that I use on a day to day basis, so I thought it was about time I show you which items I've been loving and using regularly.


This is also a bit of a heads up really - I picked up the January Skin Essentials kit from the Liz Earle website, which for just £41 with free shipping got me a 100ml Cleanse and Polish and 2 muslin cloths, a 200ml Instant Boost Skin Tonic, 50ml Skin Repair Moisturiser and a complimentary 200ml Energising Body Wash. The complimentary gift changes each month. For February for example, the gift is a 50ml Intensive Nourishing Treatment Mask. As with all Liz Earle website orders, you get a small sample product with any order, and this time I received a 50ml Instant Boost Skin Tonic - these are the perfect size for travelling :)

My essential skincare products:

Witch Cleansing & Toning Wipes
I use these to remove the majority of my make up at the end of the day and they do a fab job of getting it all off whilst being very good to my skin.

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser
I ADORE this product. It was a step up from the Boots Hot Cloth Cleanser and I prefer the scent and the lovely clean feeling I'm left with after using morning and night.

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic
I'm hesitant to call this a toner as it doesn't contain alcohol but it does a lovely job of refreshing my face and removing any excess cleanser. Also it smells amazing - reminds me of baby lotion!

Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser Light
I swear I will never use another moisturiser ever again. This is specially formulated for oily/combination skin and it does a lovely job of keeping my skin hydrated without leaving it greasy/sticky. I love using this both morning and night. This is the first moisturiser that I'm happy to use before applying foundation as it doesn't affect the longevity so it gets a definite thumbs up from me. This also smells of baby lotion, and rather aptly gives me baby soft skin!

Origins Super Spot Remover
On the rare occasion I do get the odd blemish, a quick dab of this gel rids me of said blemish uber quickly. Thumbs up! The bottle is so small, its convenient to be kept in your handbag for blemish emergencies!

Exfoliators and Face Masks
I've gotten a bit slack with exfoliating properly but I'd say that's primarily down to the fact that I exfoliate daily with my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. My current exfoliator is the Gentle Exfoliating Face Wash from Witch, and I also have a couple of Soap & Glory exfoliators languishing in my bathroom storage. My current face mask is the Ahava Purifying Mud Mask as it's not too heavy yet does exactly what it says on the box. My face masks do change and if I'm honest, I don't use them that often but when I do it tends to be whatever I've got to hand at the time. Currently it's the Ahava mask, before that it was a Living Nature Clay Mask.

♥ ♥ ♥

I hope this was useful for you and if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to leave a comment :) I'd also be intrigued to know which skincare products you're currently rating!

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Friday, 3 February 2012

Things I learned in January 2012

*waves* Bye bye January. You were a bit pants, but things can only get better :D

Source


001. I should do what I want instead of overthinking things.

002. Gossiping is not cool.

003. Awkward situations are also not cool.

004. Everyone is so miserable this week. January blues?

005. I'm totally over Costa Coffee. Boring.

006. Taken for granted dot com.

007. I love having a good cleaning/tidying/organising day

008. There's a severe lack of flats to rent around here.

Source

009. I am still feeling ridiculously glum.

010. I want more from my job. And I'd like to get rid of the immature people at work.

011. I'm finally in a more perkier mood. Maybe the beginning of January just makes everyone a bit down?

012. Don't just see the world around you. Observe. You learn much more. Sometimes you see far more than you'd think.

013. So, going out for one drink turned into not going home. Rosé wine is dangerous.

014. I need to make changes in my life.

015. Loves Sherlock. Hello Benedict Cumberbatch ;)

Source

016. Work is so much more fun when we're all messing around haha

017. People can be bitter over the smallest of things

018. I get myself into situations that I shouldn't get myself into. Oh dear.

019. I don't like change. But I seem to have developed an inability to say no.

020. I'm going to really miss working with my current team. I really need to learn to not say yes just to please other people.

021. People are so two faced

022. Men are so frustrating

023. I actually don't think it is possible to go to a pub quiz and not cheat

Source

024. I had no idea spilling water all over your desk can be so hysterical!

025. Retail therapy is heaven. Until you realise IMATS is drawing closer and your bank balance is dwindling rapidly!

026. It seems everything is changing lately. Finally think this is a good thing.

027. This Oyster card malarky is most confusing.

028. Cheese and fish go together. Who knew?

029. I have fallen in love with a car. Cannot wait to order it!

030. Whilst I dislike the thought of cleaning, I actually feel very satisfied afterwards.

031. The world can seem like an incredibly small place sometimes.



How was January for you? Did anyone else get the January blues? Onwards and upwards I say!

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Wednesday, 1 February 2012

These are a few of my favourite things

Finally, January is over! Is it just me or has it been a really rubbish month? Onwards and upwards - IMATS is in 3 days!!! Who's going? Tweet me and let me know - maybe we'll get to catch up over the weekend!

The end of January brings another favourites post - here's what I've been loving over the last few weeks...



♥ Mark Hill Raw! Zebra Print Hair Curler
I ADORE this so much! It's so quick and easy to curl my hair now :D Not gonna lie, I only bought it because it was zebra print. And half price. But turns out it's pretty amazing!

♥ John Frieda Luxurious Volume Thickening Blow Dry Lotion and John Frieda Luxurious Volume Thickening Mousse
The blow dry lotion is a bit of a rediscovery in my bid to use up my ridiculous amount of hair products. I've been using the Blow Dry Spray on my roots before blow drying to give my hair some much needed va va voom! For super volume, especially if I'm going out, I've been using and loving the Thickening Mousse.

♥ Nars Grand Palais
I adore the brown shade in here, perfect for a quick smoky eye. Although if you have this, do you use the red shade? I haven't really touched it and could do with some inspiration!

♥ No 7 Lash Adapt Mascara
If I'm doing a brown smoky eye, I love to use this mascara with it. Quick and easy to use, Lash Adapt gives me long, volumised lashes in a flash - and it can be layered without clumping.

♥ Liz Earle Skin Repair Light Moisturiser
I love this moisturiser so, so much! It smells like baby lotion - thumbs up! - and it hydrates my skin without leaving it greasy or sticky and it doesn't have a detrimental impact to the longevity of my make up. I've just ordered a full sized one!

♥ Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic Spritzer
This smells just like the moisturiser and is just a lovely step in my skincare routine after using Cleanse & Polish. There's also a full sized version of this winging its way to me.

~*~

Are any of your favourites included in this post? Which items have you been loving lately?

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Monday, 30 January 2012

Glossybox: Valentine's Day Edition

Hello all :) Apologies for dropping off the blogging radar recently, things have been a bit hectic lately but I'm getting back into the swing of things, starting off with a Glossybox post!

As you may have heard, the first Glossybox of 2012 is a limited edition hot pink box in celebration of Valentine's Day which is just 2 weeks away, packed with items to make you look your best on the day.




The Goodies

On to the products and first up there are two items from Davines. First up there's the Authentic Cleansing Nectar for hair and body, and secondly the Authentic Moisturising Balm for face, hair and body. These smell absolutely divine, I cannot wait to use them!


Next, we have the First Aid Beauty (or FAB) Gentle Body Wash Daily Treatment with Antioxidant Booster which claims to cleanse, calm redness and relieve dry skin. Perfect time of year to receive this. Check out the cute Glossybox sweetie!


Up next we have the Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner in Black. It's your standard pencil liner, with extra long handle. I haven't used Eyeko since they rebranded and hiked up their prices so it'll be interesting to see what this liner is like and whether it's worth the price tag.


Finally we have the Murad Skin Perfecting Dewy Finish Primer. I usually stay clear of anything that contains the word dewy, as I much prefer a matte finish to my make up. However I'm more than willing to give this a go and see how it looks on the skin.


Swatches

On to the obligatory product swatches and from left to right we have: Murad Skin Perfecting Primer, Eyeko Skinny Liner, First Aid Beauty Gentle Body Wash, Davines Authentic Moisturising Balm and Davines Authentic Cleansing Nectar


♥ ♥ ♥

Have you received the Valentine's Day edition Glossybox? Will you be making a special effort on Valentine's Day? Have you tried any of the products in this month's box? Let me know what you think :)

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Friday, 20 January 2012

Win with Witch!

The lovely ladies over at Witch are currently hosting a competition on the old Facey B to give you and a friend the chance to hot foot it down to London town to receive a make up tutorial with celebrity make up artist Lisa Valencia on March 16th.

Check out this perfect fresh faced look that Lisa created using Witch Cosmetics:


You've got to be in it to win it

All you have to do is pop over to the Witch Facebook page and tell them why you should win. Simples!

The competition is open until February 2nd


Good luck sugarpuffs!

Image and video hosting by TinyPic