February Favourites

First of all; slight apology if I seem absent from this here blog and/or social media. I've got a shit-tonne of work to do (sobs) and it's gettin' in the way of my blogging loves - which includes reading blogs too... you should see my bloglovin' right now... so many blogs to read through...

Anyway 'tis near the end of February (another odd month although a favourite, purely for the Mr's birthday and Valentines day flowers...) and I've got a few favourites to share with you all...

September Favourites

It's that time of the month again; a little roundup of products that have pleased me during the month of September. I hasten to add I haven't worn much makeup, in fact my priorities this month have been hair and skin since I'm not at work and I've really only been using two products if I really must put make up on.

First up then is the Maybelline Fit Me concealer (review here) - non drying, good medium coverage, this has been a god send for me as of late. I had a reaction to something (it's one of two things,) and I erupted in little under the skin spots. Not very painful, but  quite annoying. If I had to go out anywhere that wasn't Lidl, then I plopped some of this on to make my skin somewhat presentable. 

To give my pale skin a bit of life on bad (ill) days - I also added the Soap and Glory Cheekmate (review here) to my lips and cheeks. It just gives the right amount of rosy glow and only a tiny amount is needed. Definitely one to look out for next time you're in Boots!

The John Frieda Luxurious Volume Shampoo* and Conditioner* (review here) have really been keeping my hair at it's best, providing a decent amount of volume whilst keeping hair light. I've also taken a shine to the Blow-Dry Root Booster Lotion* which sprayed on towel dried hair has given the crown of my hair serious lift! 

I've spoken of my love for Vichy products quite briefly, but one product that I always go back to is the Vichy Purete Thermal Hydra Soothing Toner. It's hydrating, soothing and doesn't tighten the skin. I recently broke out and picked up a new bottle of this and it's really helped calm the skin down completely. I should also mention that I've already had four bottles of this and one bottle of the Hydra Perfecting toner - which is really good too but aimed at oily/combination skin. So yes, it's a really great toner.

Another skincare godsend is the Super Facialist Calming Creamy Cleanser from the Rose Hydrate range. This is a thick cream that smells of roses (and not artificial smelling either,) and just does a marvelous job of cleansing the skin yet keeping it calm as possible. I should have known it was going to be great since I adore the moisture mask from the same range. 

Last but not least was a cheeky Origins purchase - the Super Spot Remover. I wasn't kidding when I said I had broken out like crazy - all around the chin area. It was bumpy, almost like a spotty stubble (sexy description, right?) and whilst I'm glad they weren't the huge under skin spots that tend to be very painful, they were sore for the first few days. This has helped reduced the redness significantly and the spots are now on their way out (pale skin, spot 'scars' tend to hang around a lot easier on me) and this also came with a Gift With Purchase, which is always an incentive to buy!

So that was my round up of favourites for this month, I'd love to know what yours are! 

Peace!

Skincare | Avene

Can I just say that I really, really love Avene skincare? I mean, wow. All my purchases so far have been added to my 'Never Forget About This Product,' list and thanks to Escentual (who were having upto a third off French pharmacy brands at the time,) I managed stocked up on three new bits that I cannot wait add into my skincare rotation.

First up the Cold Cream Gel Cleanser, this is amazing for dry to very dry skin as it's enriched with the 'Thermale' water and cold cream - it's pretty much a double whammy of hydration and it's also suitable for sensitive skin too. 

This can also be used for body as a shower gel/cleanser which is handy for if you're going on holiday. This is soap free, non-comodogenic and hypoallergenic. I'll be using this as my morning cleanser for a much needed boost of hydration in the mornings. 

Secondly I picked up the Soothing Hydrating Serum - it's perfect   for sensitive/dehydrated/dry skin (which I have,) and it is really helping tone down my redness so far. In love. What's more, this serum actually doesn't cost a bomb at it's normal price range either - it's £17 full price but I picked up mine for about £10-£11. Perfection.

Lastly the Gentle Toner had a really good write up and although I adore my Vichy Hydrating toner, I thought I'd try out this one for a switch up. Once again, it's good for dry/sensitive skin. Plus it's in a massive bottle - which means it's going to last a long ol' while!

I feel I need to do a juggling act with my skincare of finding products that hydrate for my dry/dehydration problems yet soothe for redness and so far Avene are really proving to be a good brand for all of these things. 

Have you found any new skincare products you adore?

Peace!

Skincare | Vichy

Vichy Normaderm Nuit, Vichy Purete Thermale.

It's pretty much a well known fact; the French have skincare down. With brands like Vichy, Avene, Bioderma and Caudalie - how could the ever so chic French go wrong?

The two products I am mentioining today are from the brand Vichy. First up is the Normaderm Nuit - a product that is hugely beneficial to oily/problematic skin - but I have this beauty on stand by for when I get break outs, which tend to happen around the center of my face. The Mr even tried it out and it visible reduced some dark marks/spots, and usually he's a skeptic. He's been converted. It feels quite grainy when applied and definitely mattifys the skin - hence why I don't use it every night. It does what it says it's going to do on the tube - and that can be difficult to find these days.

Secondly, the toner Purete Thermale has two variations - Hydra Perfecting which is apparently better suited for normal to combination skin (I can't verify this, as it's not my skin type, sorry!) and Hydra Soothing - which is formulated for dry skin, and one of my favourite toners. Ever. It wipes away any remaining traces of make up that may have been left after cleansing (handy after a drinking session/night out,) and leaves skin feeling so so clean, and what's more there's no tightening sensation that I loathe - It makes me want to pile on double the amount of moisturiser. In comparison to other toners I've tried - it comes up top along with Caudalie's Beauty Elixir - but I prefer using that after applying make up now, to sort out any powdery issues.

I seriously recommend giving these two a go, because together they are so much better. :)

What's your favourite french skincare brand?

Peace!

Cleanse, Tone, Moisturise. Repeat.

From left to right; Boots Botanics 100% Organic Rosewater Toning Mist, Palmers Daily Calming Facial Lotion, Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser.

The fact of the matter is; our skin is pretty damn important. I do think that you should prioritize sorting out your insides first, mind you - eating good, plenty of water; the usual kind of thing that your doctor, dermatologist and mama would tell you to do. 

There is this of course make up to make your skin look at its best, but what is the point when your putting Dior foundation on not that very nice skin? Your skincare should be providing an excellent base for make up, or should you be so lucky enough - your skin is clear enough that you don't even need any skin-make up at all.

Given that I am on a budget - I have been testing these products for a long time, since September 2012 at the latest - So I am gonna stick my two cents in. 

Or two pence. I am a brit lass, after all. Ready for ramble? CHECK!

The Toning mist by Botanics has long been a favourite on the blogospere, much like the Caudalie Beauty Elixir - however I have only used this as a toner, not on top of make up - because it is just a toning mist, let's get that out of the way. It's 100% organic, which means no nasty shit - which is always nice and the scent to me, is especially calming at night time. The boyfriend hates the smell of rose oil, like it seems most of my organic products contain, and says it smells of Turkish delight - and frequently asks me to apply it in another room... Can't win 'em all. This really is a great toner though and saves me using too much product like most pour-onto-cotton-pad/wool toners - and the fact it's cheap is also a huge factor - given this is a budget feature. 

The Palmers Daily Calming Lotion is one that I seriously cannot recommend enough! You only need a little bit of product as it is quite thick (I have dry sensitive skin, most of the time, FYI,) it smells freaking gorgeous (even my hamster has tried nibbling my chin thanks to the cocoa smell,) and what's more it's under £6. I have quite red cheeks, and I am contemplating seeing a dermatologist to see if it is rosacea, but for the mean time it really is calming my skin before I apply make up. Great base too. This also comes in an SPF version - which is always handy. 

I have tried many hot cloth cleansers (Liz Earle, No7 included,) - all have been satisfactory and just what I need for my dry skin. I found this Superdrug concoction to be a serious competitor. It's under £6 again, rich in vitamin E, BUAV approved (yay for animals!) and claims to defend the skin against environmental damage. Maybe those in London could give it a go? In any case, the scent is hugely subtle, it's gentle for my sensitive skin, rich and creamy for the dryness and comes with a handy-dandy muslin cloth. Huzzah. 

Since using these products my skin has had less breakouts, reduced redness, reduced in dry areas and really has me falling in lurvee. 

So really, if you're on a budget, give these a go!

Peace!

repurchase + new buy - CAUDALIE!

Caudalie Beauty Elixir - £9.90 (30ml)

Caudalie Foaming Facial Cleanser - £6.75 (50ml)

feelunique.com

Recently re-purchased a new bottle of Beauty Elixir, I use this once during my morning routine and using it that way has meant it's lasted way over a month (used in partnership with my No7 toner, which is part of the evening routine...)

I also spied a cute bottle of Caudalie's foaming facial cleanser and figured to give it a try. I'll let you know how it fairs.

I really like that they do 'mini' versions of their products, so you can try them - and then splurge on the bigger bottles.

Peace!

Updated Skincare Routine

 Skincare extras; Boots cucumber eye remover gel, Tri-Peptox Scrub, Witch Blemish stick, Superdrug Natural High facial wash, simple wet wipes.

 Morning Routine; No7 Hot cloth cleanser, Caudalie Beauty Elixir, Vichy eye roll on, Superdrug Simply Pure moisturiser.

Evening Routine; No7 Hot cloth cleanser, No7 toner, Boots Cold Cream, No7 night eye cream.

After what seemed like months of being in a rut, it seems I have found an-ideal-for-me-right-now skin care routine. Which is always great, you know?

I tend to stick to the same morning/evening routine but if something ain't working I'll switch it up with the extras to give me a little boost.

I'm on the look out for a good serum. I've tried the Caudalie, No7 and L'Oreal serums to date - all from different price ranges as you can see... But let me know if you have any recommendations. 

Have you got your ideal routine down pat?

Peace!

feel unique haul!

 I got the 30ml Caudalie Beauty Elixir, just to try out before I splurge £30ish big ones on a 'toner' -- so far I really like it, but I get the hype about the smell. Eurgh. It also came with free samples, one almost like a BB cream and a serum to use before moisturiser. All of these are floating my boat right now. :)

 I did have three of the lip butters from Revlon, but when my handbag got stolen I lost my 'Peach Parfait' to the thief. Boo. It was the perfect shade for my lips and added a subtle amount of shimmer, so I knew I had to get another nude toned butter... I decided to test out the L'Oreal Paris Caresse in 501 Nude Ingenue. It's perfect - and I adore it. It's a little browner (it seemed a tad pinker online,) than I thought but it is pale enough of on the brown side to still suit my pale skin tone.

I also picked up some Palmers Massage Lotion for stretch marks. I obviously have stretch marks from growing up, standard to most women. I however bought it with mild hopes it may help the scarring from my chicken pox and ease them away quicker. Time will tell. But I love this stuff for moisturiser anyway, it smells gorgeous!

Peace!

August Favourites

 Caudalie Beauty Elixir, Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner (Colour Mate), Palmers Cocoa Butter for Stretch Marks, Hugo Boss Orange, Morrison's Omega 3, 6 & 9, Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain.

I haven't done a video in yonks, but I am still at that stage where I am worried about my pox marks. Silly, as most of them from my face have gone. But I digress...

I've used 3 bottles of the Aussie Colour Mate since my last vlogs on youtube. It really is beautiful and smells amazing. Can't get enough. I use it especially after I have had my hair dyed (no, not a natural red...) and it gives my hair some life after being battered by peroxide. :)

Strange to include the vitamins but this is an important way of life, getting all the good stuff. I've actually been remembering to take my multi-vits, omega and garlic tablets for a change and feel much better. Also having mildly cut out some crap in terms of eating habits has helped. Just need to kick my filthiest habit; smoking. Then I'm all set.

The Revlon lip stains are a given; they really are worth the hype!

Hugo Boss Orange - My favourite scent ever. It's my staple. 

One more thing; the Caudalie Serum was a freebie from feel unique because I purchased the Beauty Elixir. It is AMAZING! Pricey at about £36 but I can see it being an investment!

Peace!