April Favourites

Josh Wood Colour Renewing Shampoo For Brunette Hair Prone To Frizz
When I dyed my hair back to brown, I needed to get some new products to help maintain the colour. Being brunette is much lower maintenance than platinum blonde but when you use a darker dye over bleached hair, the blonde bits will inevitably start peeking through over time. Using the wrong kind of shampoo & conditioner can make the colour fade even quicker. To keep these chocolate tones looking fresh I picked up some of the Josh Wood Colour products specifically for brunette hair. They contain advanced UV filters to prevent fade as well as saffron & turmeric to keep brunette hair looking glossy & vibrant. The shampoo & conditioner for brunette hair prone to frizz are a dreamy duo that have made my hair look healthier than ever before. They make my hair feel really clean & soft whilst keeping frizz in check. I love how gloriously shiny my hair looks & I'll definitely be picking up some new bottles this week as I've just ran out!

Soap & Glory Bubble In Paradise Refreshing Body Wash
Soap & Glory make some fabulous shower gels with utterly gorgeous scents. I normally go for their Sugar Crush Body Wash because I love the fresh citrusy notes but a couple of months ago I couldn't find it in any Boots store for some reason. In it's absence I decided to try their Bubble In Paradise Body Wash. This product is part of their Call Of Fruity scented range which is their exotic new fragrance with mango, papaya & coconut. It's such a lovely tropical scent that completely fills the bathroom. The formula is really creamy & feels moisturising on the skin. It lathers up well so you only need to use a tiny amount & having a shower with this beaut body wash is a great way to start your day.

Maybelline Dream Urban Cover Foundation
IT Cosmetics are so annoying. They've made one of the most gorgeous looking foundations of all time & yet they refuse to fully expand the shade range. 12 shades is nowhere near comprehensive enough & when drugstore brands like Revolution manage to bring out 50 shades of foundation, it just makes IT Cosmetics seem like they don't care. So when I heard rumours that Maybelline's latest foundation was a dupe for the Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream, I went out & bought it immediately. Maybelline are yet another drugstore brand who have a very inclusive range of foundation colours & 100 Warm Ivory is a perfect match for me. I use their Fit Me Matte & Poreless Foundation in the same colour so I knew it would be a safe choice. The foundation has quite a liquidy formula & it feels very lightweight on the skin but it still delivers in terms of coverage. I wouldn't say it's as full coverage as they claim but it certainly does a excellent job of concealing any redness & hiding the vast majority of my skin imperfections. I love the healthy natural looking radiance it gives to my skin & the smooth satin finish. The foundation provides SPF 50 & is enriched with antioxidants to protect against pollution. This is definitely my base product of choice for this Summer. The extra sun protection is always welcome & it lasts all day long on my skin. I don't think it's a perfect dupe for the IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream because it's not as moisturising & gives more coverage but it's still a brilliant foundation.

Origins GinZing Energy-Boosting Moisturiser
I used to be really obsessed with Origins skincare products but I kinda fell out of love with them as newer brands such as The Ordinary began to emerge. One product I always meant to try is their GinZing Energy-Boosting Moisturiser & I recently got this little sample bottle from a beauty box. I'm a big fan of gel formulas because they work really well for oily/combination skin types. The lightweight formula provides just the right amount of hydration & sinks in really quickly so you can get on with applying your makeup. It has a gorgeous orange sherbet scent which makes it a joy to use. If your skin is looking a little tired then I'd definitely recommend trying this moisturiser. It's fortified with panax ginseng & coffee bean to instantly energise the skin giving you a healthy looking, vibrant glow. It really perks me up in the morning & has an immediate effect on the brightness of my complexion. I never looked this good without makeup until I tried this moisturiser. For super soft radiant skin, Origins GinZing is a wonderful product.

Nu Skin Nu Colour LightShine Lip Plumping Balm in Pink Tinge
I still haven't 100% decided if I want to get lip fillers or not. I've found a fantastic aesthetic practitioner to perform the procedure but I'm just worried it won't look right on my face. Until I fully make my mind up I've been trying out different lip plumping products to achieve a similar but less permanent effect. One of my favourite products I've discovered is this Lip Plumping Balm from Nu Skin. This lip balm feels silky & deeply moisturising on the lips. Rose hip oil is one of the main ingredients so it's rich in fatty acids. These fatty acids help the lip balm to improve the elasticity & moisture levels of the skin whilst giving your lips a full & even glow. There is a slight tingle when applying the lip balm because it contains menthol which improves blood circulation. It doesn't quite give you Kylie Jenner lips but it adds a more natural plumpness. This makes it a great base for lipsticks because it gives your lips a smoother appearance, so anything you put on top will be less likely to sink into fine lines. It also looks really pretty used by itself because it tints your lips with a soft baby pink hue.

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The Eye Care Edit

Eye products are a funny old thing. With other types of skincare products you can normally tell within a few weeks if something is making your skin better or worse. Eye creams are more of a guessing game. How do you know whether something will stop you from getting wrinkles in the future when time travel isn't an option? I think that's why so many people don't actually bother with them. It's an easy step to miss out when doing your skincare routine but it only takes two seconds & can make all the difference when you do get older. Genetics & your overall health will dictate the natural appearance of your eye area but using a separate eye product can help to reduce puffiness, dryness, irritation, dark circles & fine lines. This product roundup is aimed towards us young'uns. We might not have huge puffy bags & crows feet just yet but it's so important to start looking after your eyes in your twenties. The eyes are one of the first places to show signs of ageing & prevention is always better than cure.



THE GELS: Personally I greatly prefer eye gels over eye creams. If dark circles & puffiness concern you then I would recommend using a gel. My eyes get easily irritated especially during the Summer so a calming eye gel is exactly what I need. Organic Surge Eye Gel* is the one I always reach for when my eyes feel really sore. It contains aloe vera, green tea, witch hazel & menthol which can help to naturally reduce inflammation, puffiness, sagging & dehydration. I think gels work best with a pump otherwise you can end up with far too much product on your finger. If the Arran Aromatics Feel Good Formulas Green Tea Eye Gel* came with a pump it would be much better. This gel has a really thick texture so you only need a tiny bit. It has an amazing scent & feels so cooling, especially if you pop it in the fridge first. As it's so thick I like to layer it on as a refreshing eye mask, leave it for five minutes & then blot off the excess product with a tissue. It's a great pick me up after a day of hayfever hell. I also like the REN Active 7 Eye Gel. The texture is very lightweight, almost watery but I find it takes a while to absorb properly. When it does absorb it effectively smooths away any fine lines & really tightens the skin. It's not so great at hydrating the area though which is why gels containing hyaluronic acid, like the next two, are more worthy of an investment.

HealGel Eye* is my current product of choice. If you can afford it then you should definitely buy this one. It sinks in immediately & firms up the skin. The problem with most other eye products is that you can't tell if it's making a difference or not. HealGel Eye has had a visible impact upon my under eye area and has actually reduced the discolouration of my dark circles. The effects are cumulative rather than just being a temporary fix. Arnica is a wonderful thing. Like I mentioned previously, it also contains hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture to the area & plump up any fine lines. Alpha-H Absolute Eye Complex is very similar to HealGel Eye but it's dark shadow correcting properties don't quite match up. Otherwise, it's pretty damn good.



THE CREAMS: Creams are the better choice if you need something really hydrating. I don't find them as effective for dark circles unless you want something that works as a temporary solution. Origins GinZing Eye Cream is brilliant at perking up tired eyes. It contains caffeine to tighten & depuff the area. I love the shimmery light reflecting particles. They help to brighten up dark circles meaning that you don't need to use as much concealer. Some of the best eye creams I've come across are from Lierac. They're a French pharmacy brand so their products are tricky to get hold of but I found mine in TK Maxx. Lierac Diopticalm is an instantly refreshing eye balm. It is incredibly soothing & gets rid of any dryness. You can use this as an eye mask too. Lierac Diopticerne is one of the few creams that works well on dark circles whilst also adding plenty of moisture. The only good thing about Clinique All About Eyes is it's moisturising properties. It does nothing for fine lines, wrinkles, puffiness or dark circles. However it does keep the eye contours well hydrated & gives the area a smooth base for makeup.



THE TREATMENTS: There's loads of home remedies out there for eye problems such as teabags, cucumbers & backs of spoons so you don't have to spend a lot for an effective treatment. One of the cheapest but most helpful things to carry around with you is a bottle of eye drops. I'm using Optrex Refreshing Eyes Drops to wash out any dirt & calm irritation. I get really bad hayfever so eye drops & baths are a must have for me come Summertime. I want to give one of their eye sprays a go as they claim to not smudge your makeup but they are a lot pricier. Something I cannot live without is Liz Earle Eyebright. It is my favourite ever Liz Earle product & it is a miracle worker on tired eyes. If I'm struggling to get out of bed in the morning I pop some on a couple of cotton pads and leave them on my eyes for a few minutes. I instantly feel more awake & ready to face the day. I've also used this to clear a mild eye infection when I couldn't get to a pharmacy. It's so cooling & refreshing - perfect for hayfever season too.

I first discovered Talika when I tried their amazing Lipocils which is brilliant at growing back eyelashes & eyebrows. They have loads of amazing eye products including these unique Eye Decompress masks. You simply pop the white tablet into the blue fluid. The tablet absorbs the liquid so that you can then unfold it into a soothing eye mask. It really helps to reduce swelling & detox the eye area. It'd be great to take on a plane for some inflight pampering. I also like the Jamela 24k Gold Under Eye Masks*. They use pure gold leaf, hyaluronic acid and plant collagen to brighten & tighten the skin. They feel a bit weird & make you look a bit crazy. You have to leave them on for half an hour so I would suggest lying down in bed with them on so they don't slip off. Despite the weirdness, they do actually work quite well. Save these for a special occasion when you need to look your best.

What's your favourite eye product?

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Moisturiser Medley

Alpha-H Daily Essential Moisturiser SPF 50+ / Clarins HydraQuench Lotion SPF 15
HealGel Face* / Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins

The key to a good skincare routine is consistency. However it is still important to make sure you're using the right products for the right occasion. I'm quite content to use the same cleanser & toner everyday but something I always switch up is my moisturiser. My skin needs something different during the day, during the night & in different seasons. With my combination skin type it can be tricky to find something that will balance everything out & still give me all the hydration I need. Here's a roundup of four tried & tested products that my skin really loves:

I'm sure everyone knows the virtues of using AHAs & BHAs by now but they also make your skin more sensitive to sun. I use lactic acid, glycolic acid & retinol on a regular basis so I always make sure I wear some sun protection during the day. I've yet to find a separate SPF product that doesn't smell, give me a white cast, feel greasy or break me out so I prefer to use a moisturiser that already contains SPF. My favourite one has to be the Alpha-H Daily Essential Moisturiser SPF 50+. I mainly wear this one during the Summer. It's quite a thick white cream but it absorbs very quickly & feels very light on the skin. It hydrates my face perfectly & sits nicely under makeup. The high SPF is ideal for my pale skin & it lacks all the things I hate about other sun protection products. It is also a UVA/UVB broad spectrum sunscreen so with this you can be sure that your skin is fully protected.

During the Winter I don't feel the need to wear such a high sun protection factor so I switch to the Clarins HydraQuench Lotion SPF 15. I think the HydraQuench range is intended to be used in countries with high temperatures but SPF 15 isn't enough for me when I'm spending hours in the sun. It's other intended use is for people with dehydrated skin. People tend to think they need to use something really rich when the weather turns colder but this stuff contains hyaluronic acid so you get lots of hydration packed into a light lotion. The moisturiser I have is for anyone with normal to combination skin but there's a different HydraQuench product available for every skin type. I'd highly recommend checking them out if you have dehydrated skin.

HealGel Face is an all-rounder moisturiser. You can use it during the day or at night & I often do both. Like the HydraQuench Lotion this moisturiser contains hyaluronic acid so if you use one of those you no longer need to buy Hydraluron. I tend to use this during the day if I don't need to leave the house. I use my Hourglass primer on top if I end up going out to add some sun protection. This always makes my skin feel incredible & gives it a nice matte appearance. This is another really light lotion that absorbs instantly but it also deeply hydrates & nourishes my skin. HealGel Face smooths & plumps up my face beautifully due to it's many anti-ageing properties. It also helps to reduce redness, scarring & irritation. Magic in a bottle basically!

My favourite ever night cream is Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins. It has the most amazing consistency & it really melts into your skin. As the name suggests it's packed full of vitamins & minerals to feed your skin with. It works to slough away dead skin cells overnight so you wake up looking refreshed & ready to start the day. I like to mix it with some Trilogy Rosehip Oil for an even more intense hit of hydration. Massaging that combo onto my face at night ensures I wake up with brighter, softer, healthier looking skin. What could be better?

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February Favourites

Bumble & Bumble Brilliantine
Bleaching my hair for so many years has pretty much damaged it beyond repair so I'm forever trying out new products to stop it from looking quite so dead. My latest discovery is Bumble & Bumble's Brilliantine. This versatile cream can be used on wet or dry hair. When used on wet hair it leaves your hair looking ever so sleek and shiny. But I normally just use it on my dry hair to add a bit of definition and polish to my hair. It smooths down my frizz and weightlessly gives the perfect amount of hold to my style. Its great for adding some soft texture to your hair too. This is also the only product I've found that can sort out the birds nest on top of Chloe's head without making her fine baby hairs look super greasy.

Alpha-H Absolute Eye Complex
I got this full size tube for free when I repurchased my beloved Liquid Gold and I'm really enjoying using it. Its a very light gel yet somehow it seems to hydrate my undereye area so much better than any cream eye product ever did. I guess its due to the presence of hyaluronic acid in it which, as all other Hydraluron fans will know, is brilliant at locking moisture into your skin. I found that cream products were often too rich for me resulting in unsightly milia. Luckily Absolute Eye Complex also helps to reduce those. Its really cooling so feels especially nice to apply first thing in the morning and it helps to tighten up that whole area which is bound to keep any fine lines & wrinkles at bay. My dark circles seem a teeny bit brighter but theres not really been any noticeable difference in that department. Only time will tell if it can live up to it's claims. I would say that my eyes certainly look less baggy & puffy since I started using it so its doing a great job so far.

Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer
This product has always had a lot of hype in the beauty world but it wasn't until Peaches Geldof started singing its praises as her favourite concealer & foundation that I paid any attention to it. Its basically a thick and creamy tiny pot of colour. You can't really use it straight unless cake face is the look you're going for. But I love that you can mix it with so many different products such as BB creams & primers to custom make a foundation that delivers the level of coverage and finish that you desire. You only need a really small dot of this stuff every time you use it so despite its miniature package, it'll last for ages. Expect a full review of this soon but for now lets just say I'm completely loving it!

NUXE Huile Prodigieuse
When I had a mini makeover in Space.NK & purchased the aforementioned Sensual Skin Enhancer, the MUA mixed it with a really lovely By Terry dry oil. Knowing the redonkulous price of By Terry products I asked if there were any other dry oils I could mix it with. She mentioned that the NUXE Huile Prodigieuse was also really good and I happened to have a couple of sample bottles laying around the house. So when I got home I tried it out and they are such a lovely combo. This is currently my favourite thing to mix the Sensual Skin Enhancer with. It sheers out the colour nicely without overloading your face with excess oil and delivers a gorgeously glowing finish. You're left with a flawless base and your skin is getting all the nourishing benefits of this wonder oil.

Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins
This is probably the best night cream I have ever used. I only wish I had purchased it sooner. It really packs a wallop when it comes to hydration! When I apply this my skin immediately feels smoother, softer & plumper. I love how luxurious it feels on my skin and it smells incredible too. Despite being quite a thick cream it manages to sink deeply into your skin so those vitamins can really get to work. The morning after I've applied this product to my skin, my complexion is left looking a whole lot brighter. It helps to even out my skintone and reduce redness as well as leaving my skin feeling perfectly moisturised. Great stuff!

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Skincare Haul

Sometimes everything seems to run out all at once. That's exactly what happened to me last week so I did a bit of a restock of some of my most essential skincare products. Me being me, I couldn't resist adding in a couple of new things as well. Here's what I purchased:

Origins Make A Difference Plus+ Rejuvenating Moisturiser / Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins

I was using the Origins Make A Difference Plus+ Rejuvenating Treatment but that product is more targeted towards people with combination/oily skin. My skin isn't really oily, more blemish-prone so I sometimes felt like my skin needed something more moisturising even after layering it up with some Hydraluron. But I did really enjoy using it & after applying it day and night for four months it finally ran out. I figured this was the perfect time to try out the proper moisturiser version of this product which is better for combination/dry skin. Its a bit thicker but sinks in just as nicely & really hydrates my skin. I'm using this as my day moisturiser when I don't want any SPF. To make it last longer than my old pot I decided to buy a separate dedicated night cream from Origins. I went for the High-Potency Night-A-Mins which is a really thick & luxurious feeling cream. This stuff is really amazing & leaves my skin feeling softer & looking brighter when I wake up in the morning.

REN Micro Polish Cleanser / Caudalie Beauty Elixir

I repurchased my regular REN cleanser last month and one of the samples I received with the product was their Micro Polish exfoliating cleanser. I loved it so much I decided to order a big tube of it. This makes my skin feel much smoother & helps to reduce the appearance of pores. It also brightens skin tone & makes my skin feel really clean. I'm not normally too fond of physical exfoliating products as they can be too harsh & I often find little grains left in my hair line, annoying! This stuff is just right & I like to use this a couple of times a week when my skins feeling a bit rough. Caudalie's Beauty Elixir is still a staple product for me and I'm addicted to how refreshed it makes my skin feel. This must be my fourth or fifth full size bottle.

Alpha-H Liquid Gold / Alpha-H Absolute Eye Complex / Alpha-H Daily Essential Moisturiser SPF 50+

My favourite ever skincare product, Alpha-H's Liquid Gold, finally ran out after first purchasing my bottle back in May last year! I only use it once a week now so that's probably why it's lasted so long. This stuff is really potent and has worked wonders on my blemishes & scarring. I couldn't not repurchase it. Another Alpha-H product I've heard a lot about is their Absolute Eye Complex which is a really cooling eye gel. It has had brilliant results when it comes to reducing dark circles, puffiness & wrinkles as well as milia. I'd wanted to buy this for ages and got the best deal! Salon Skincare have an offer on where you can buy full size bottles of Liquid Gold & Absolute Eye Complex for just £30! Together you'd normally have to pay about £65 for both of those products so its basically a BOGOF offer. I think its because Alpha-H have recently updated their packaging so they want to get rid of older stock but the products are exactly the same. I'm not particularly fussed about having nice looking products on my dressing table so this deal was perfect for me. I also got another bottle of their Daily Essential Moisturiser. This is my day moisturiser for when I want some SPF as it has factor 50+. It's great for my pale skin & doesn't have any of the unpleasantness that normally comes with sun protection products. It's an ideal partner for Liquid Gold as the glycolic acid in it can make your skin more susceptible to the sun. This bottle has lasted me about six months so it's well worth the money.

A ton of gift with purchase samples from Gatineau, Origins, Bliss & Caudalie

I also got a few samples with my orders from Origins & Salon Skincare. I've never really heard of Gatineau before so I'm interested to see how good their products are. I got a cute wash bag & headband with them too. I love Bliss products so I really like this little tube of their Snow Wonder hand cream. It's very moisturising! Origins currently have free delivery & two sample products when you spend £30. I got little tubes of Checks & Balances face wash & Modern Friction exfoliator. I've never tried these before either so I'm excited to see if they're any good.

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Beauty Sleep

We all know that in order to look & feel our best we need on average 8 hours of sleep each night. But how many of us actually get that amount? Personally I tend to get about 6 hours because I often stay up past 1am reading my Kindle, browsing blogs or catching up on my favourite American TV shows. Its a bad habit I need to break because it leaves me feeling completely knackered the next day. Not only that but I look tired too & it takes an industrial amount of concealer to hide my dark circles. There are however several beauty products that work overnight to stop you from looking quite so awful. Heres a few of my favourite night time treats for teeth, skin & hair.

Pearl Drops Beauty Sleep
In the past I've used Crest White Strips to whiten my teeth with great success but I have heard some horror stories about the long term effects they've had on some people's gums. Beauty Sleep is a new serum for teeth that claims to gently whiten your teeth whilst also strengthening them & nourishing your gums. You just rub some onto your teeth using your finger after brushing. Its very very minty tasting & definitely leaves my smile looking brighter. I had a scale & polish the other day and my hygienist did comment on how healthy my teeth & gums were. This is something you'd have to use for a long time to see proper results but anything cheap that can whiten your teeth safely without the use of harsh chemicals is a must in my bathroom cabinet.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair
I've tried quite a few facial serums now but the one I've seen the best results by far from has to be the classic Advanced Night Repair by Estee Lauder. Just a few drops of this golden liquid turns any basic moisturiser into a luxurious night cream that instantly makes your skin feel beautifully soft. Over time it makes your skin look brighter and reduces the appearance of fine lines as well as blemishes. It may seem pricey but it does last a long time as you only need to use a little bit.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask
If my skin is in desperate need of a moisture hit I often reach for this super hydrating mask. Its so thick yet it sinks right into the skin and works overnight to plump up your face. It doesn't make a mess on your pillow even though it doesn't really set like you'd think a mask would. This is another product you need to use a few times before seeing great results but your skin will definitely thank you for it. A special trick is to layer this up with some Hydraluron, goodbye dry & dehydrated Winter skin!

Alpha-H Liquid Gold
If I'm having a bad skin day I know I can always rely on this little bottle of magic to sort me out. I've waxed lyrical about this product but nothing makes my skin look quite so amazing. Liquid Gold is a mixture of 5% glycolic acid, licorice extract & silk proteins which have the power to reduce fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, hyper-pigmentation, sun damage, acne, scarring and breakouts. Its worked wonders on the bumps under my skin and keeps my blemishes under control. Every time I use it (probably once a week now) I wake up with brighter, tighter, clearer looking skin. This is a chemical exfoliant which may sound scary but using chemicals is far less abrasive than traditional exfoliants, reducing the risk of broken capillaries on your face. If I'd discovered this sooner I probably wouldn't have purchased a Clarisonic.

Redken Real Control Overnight Treat
This thick white cream transforms your hair overnight so you wake up with gorgeous silky ends. It makes your hair feel so soft in the morning and stops it from looking frizzy & damaged. Other overnight hair products can feel too greasy or make a complete mess of your bed sheets. This stuff stays in your hair and just feels nice when you brush it out in the morning. You can even use it as a pre-shampoo treatment by using it at night then washing your hair in the morning.

What are your overnight essentials?

October Favourites

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray
I'd wanted to try one of Urban Decay's setting sprays for ages and I finally decided to pick this up last month. You simply apply your makeup as usual and then spray this all over your face about four times. It really does help to keep your makeup in place for longer and leaves your face looking fresher. It also stops your skin from looking powdery. Its a godsend on nights out! It was manufactured by Skindinavia who make setting sprays that many professional makeup artists use on photo shoots and wedding days. The formula is pretty much the same as their original sprays so this is definitely something to check out if your makeup doesn't last quite as long as you'd like or you need to look perfect all day long.

Origins Clear Improvement Mask
One of my favourite things in life is trying out new face masks. Nothing makes me feel more pampered and relaxed at home. This is a bit more than your average clay mask. It contains active charcoal which really draws out the impurities from deep inside your skin. Origins recommend using this after exfoliating and steaming your face. It looks quite scary when it dries, like a matte black foundation. I feel like it really makes a difference to the amount of blackheads on my nose and dramatically reduces any painful spots. I used it again last night when I had a couple of painful red spots under the skin between my eyebrows and on my chin. They've completely stopped hurting and cleared up. It wasn't as effective on the non-painful spots but this is a good one for eliminating all the gunk thats trapped under your skin.

Caudalie Divine Oil
This multi-purpose beauty oil is nothing short of a miracle worker. You can use this literally anywhere. Personally I like to put one spray in my hair every morning to give it a quick shine boost. Its also helped to get rid of the eczema I sometimes get on my leg. Its perfect to rub on your body after a shower as its a dry oil so you don't end up feeling greasy at all. The spray top makes it easy to apply it to all those hard to reach areas. Its fab on dry areas like elbows & knees. Plus it smells... divine!

Hydraluron
As a devotee of the Caroline Hirons school of skincare I had to pick up this serum. I really like how it makes my skin feel. Hydraluron is essentially pure Hyaluronic Acid. This ingredient is capable of absorbing up to 1000 times its weight in water. This means that when you apply moisturiser on top of it, the acid keeps the moisture there resulting in soft supple skin. You have to use it alongside your normal moisturiser because its meant for below-surface hydration. If you use it alone it just makes your face feel really tight. Its pretty pricey and despite the big box, you only get this tiny tube. Although you only need a tiny blob for your whole face I feel like the tube is rapidly emptying already. I definitely feel like this is doing more for my skin than some of the other serums I've tried though so this could become an expensive new habit!

Origins Make A Difference Plus+ Rejuvenating Treatment
I'd heard so many good things about the original Make A Difference Rejuvenating Treatment but by the time I managed to pick up a jar Origins had changed the formula. I was bit wary of trying it out incase it wasn't as good as I'd heard the previous version was but its a really lovely product. It adds a great deal of moisture to my skin which is definitely getting dried out by a combo of central heating and icy winds. The one thing I don't like about it is that I always have to wash my hands after applying it because I hate how sticky it makes them feel. However my face feels nicely hydrated and very smooth. It sits really nicely under my makeup and feels almost like a primer. I prefer to use it at night though because it does lack SPF. This product preceded by a blob of Hydraluron is a brilliant combo for keeping dry and dehydrated Winter skin at bay.

Favourite Spot Treatments

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion / Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion / Origins Super Spot Remover

I've tried a ton of different spot treatments over the years. When I was younger I thought that I could get away with just using something on my spots rather than having a proper skincare routine in place. That probably explains why my skin looked so terrible! Now that I religiously use good quality products that work for my skin type I find that I no longer have to reach for spot treatments as often. But sometimes we all get those horrible little buggers that just won't go away with regular cleansing and something a bit more potent is required.

In my opinion Mario Badescu make the crème de la crème of spot treatments. Theres a reason why so many celebrities frequent their spa in New York and their Drying Lotion is basically the brand's hero product. This strange liquid is godsend for whiteheads. It zaps ones thats have come to the surface overnight and also helps to clear any big ones that are lurking just under the skin. To apply it you just dip a cotton bud through the yellow liquid into the pink sediment at the bottom of the bottle and dab that onto your spots. Don't shake it up because that will ruin it. It contains calamine which helps to dry up spots and calm the area around it. The pink colour will stay on your skin so its better to apply this one at night. I don't get whiteheads too often, it tends to be closed comedones or deep blemishes for me, but when I have had them its a total lifesaver.

My favourite ever spot treatment has to be the Buffering Lotion. This one is a lot more effective on my skin as it is designed more for those horrible deep spots that I'm prone to. Back when my skincare routine wasn't much more than a Johnson's face wipe at the end of the night this stuff was like magic for my skin. I used to apply it every day as I constantly had new spots cropping up and it got rid of them no problem without drying out my skin whatsoever. You do have to shake up this bottle and it becomes an opaque white liquid. You then just rub a few drops onto your skin until it disappears. It absorbs really fast and because its invisible you can wear it under your makeup for spot fighting action during the day as well as at night. It contains nourishing B vitamins and amino acids for healthy skin as well as soothing anti-inflammatory herbal extracts to promote healing. This is an amazing product for anyone with cystic acne. Its also pretty good at getting rid of scarring. The fact that it heals spots without drying out your skin is such a plus point. I made the mistake of using benzoyl peroxide for a while and that just left my face dry, red & irritated. Something like this is a lot gentler & a lot more effective.

I'm sure most people have heard of the Origins Super Spot Remover by now. I actually heard about it a good few years ago from my sister. She had really bad skin & swore by the stuff. I kinda ignored her opinions though because she knew literally nothing about beauty products. This is a girl who once applied normal moisturiser as if it were a face mask... Anyways I wish I'd listened sooner because this stuff is really great. This is a tingly gel containing salicylic acid. I like this one because its the best to use on really painful red spots. The caffeine & red algae it contains soothe the area and stop spots from hurting overnight. I apply this with a cotton bud to avoid spreading bacteria & to prevent me from using more product than I need to. This tiny bottle seems expensive at £13 but you only need to use a small drop so it lasts for absolutely ages.

Favourite Face Masks

Clearing
REN Invisible Pores Detox Mask, Bliss Steep Clean Pore Purifying Mask, Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask
These are the masks I rely on if I'm suffering from any breakouts. They all help to clear up my skin, shrink my pores & reduce any blackheads. My favourite one is the REN Invisible Pores mask. This is a fairly recent purchase but its worked wonders on my skin and clears up blemishes the fastest out of any other mask I've tried. Its a traditional clay mask that dries to a hard finish and weirdly you can see where all your pores are all over your face! If I could recommend any one mask, this would be it. I'm a big fan of Bliss skincare products and had two of their facials when I visited New York. Their facials are amazing as they're very technical and they give you very thorough extractions where they manually squeeze gunk out of every pore without leaving a single mark! The products they sell are the same ones they use in their spas and I had this mask applied during one of my treatments. The product comes with a dual pump where blue and green gel come out of either side. You mix this together to activate the exfoliating enzymes and rub it all over your face. It dissolves all the dead skin cells & deep cleans your pores leaving your face looking clearer & feeling softer. The Liz Earle mask is another clay mask but this one is a lot runnier than the REN one. Upon application it is instantly cooling and tingles slightly until it dries. It does a great job of clearing up spots and I like this one because it contains manuka honey which is great for calming and soothing the skin. The little facial sponges it comes with are pretty fab too.

Brightening
REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask, Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask
I'm sure we all get those times where your skin just looks dull and tired. I like to use these two masks to perk up my complexion and bring some life back to my skin. The REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal mask is pretty much an all-rounder. It contains 6.5% glycolic acid which is a brilliant ingredient also found in Alpha-H's Liquid Gold. It helps to clear up spots, fade scaring and shrink pores. It also contains fruit acids which help to brighten your complexion and make your skin look radiant. The orange jelly consistency helps to hydrate the skin and plumps out any fine lines leaving your skin feeling super soft. REN recommend using this mask one night and then using the Invisible Pores one the next to get the maximum clearing effects. The Bliss Triple Oxygen facial is world famous and this mask provides you with the effects of that facial at home. Its an orange gel that foams up as you apply it to your face. This, combined with the vitamin C it contains, delivers the oxygen your skin which instantly makes your whole face look brighter and feel tighter. Blemish-causing bacteria are anaerobic, which means they are unable to survive with oxygen present so its really good at getting rid of blemishes too. This was always my face mask of choice following a messy night out. I find that it can be quite drying if you use it too much so I try not to opt for this one too often but my skin loves it when I do.

Hydrating
Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque, Origins Drink Up Intensive Mask
My whole skincare routine used to be comprised of Dermalogica products. I've found better and cheaper products from other skincare ranges now but there are still a few hero products of theirs that I love. This mask is one of them. This tube is the old packaging which was horrible but they've now changed it to a normal plastic tube. Its basically a thick orange cream that becomes a gel on your face as it sets. It contains tons of vitamins and anti-oxidants which help to soothe irritated skin and restore moisture. This mask is ideal for mature or prematurely aging skin but I love this for when my skin is looking and feeling a bit dry. Apparently Victoria Beckham is a huge fan of this product too and always uses it after a long flight. If you're a regular blog reader I'm sure you've heard plenty of people rave about this Origins mask. This is unlike any other mask I've tried because you have to leave it on overnight. Its quite a thick gel-like mask but it soon sinks into your skin so you don't have to worry about getting it all over your pillow case. I don't think it gives you the immediate results that normal masks do but after using this for a couple of weeks I've noticed that my skin feels a lot more hydrated and plump the next morning. Its a brilliant product for anyone with dry or dehydrated skin and I'll definitely be taking it with me next time I go on holiday.

May Favourites

Alpha-H Liquid Gold
This stuff has been working absolute wonders on my face. I did a full review of this the other day and despite the high price this is something I can see myself using for years to come. The effects are practically immediate which really sets it apart from most skincare products. It has certainly helped to keep my blemishes at bay and leaves the rest of my face feeling soft and smooth. My face also looks positively radiant. If like me you suffer from closed comedones (those annoying little bumps under the skin that no blemish treatment seems to shift) then this product is a bit of a godsend. I can't sing its praises highly enough!

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
I recently ran out of my Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish as well as my Philosophy Purity Cleanser and to purchase either of these I have to order them online or hop on a train. So I had a look through my local Boots to see if there were any cleansers I liked the look of. I actually found this in the pharmacy section rather than the skin care section but I'm glad I spotted it as its something I've always wanted to try. Cetaphil is a cleanser that you hear a lot about mainly because its so basic & gentle on the skin. Since I've started using my Alpha-H Liquid Gold I've not really felt the need for a fancy cleanser as that product seems to be doing all of the hard work for me. I wouldn't say that Cetaphil is brilliant at taking off makeup but I use this in the morning and after using my Bioderma at night so thats not really a great concern of mine. A lot of acne sufferers use this product because its really good for sensitive skin. Theres no fragrance in it at all. Its a kind of gel formula that you can either just apply to your face and tissue off or wash off. Like all cleansers you should actually use this on your face while its still dry. It doesn't foam up at all but I still think it works nicely with the Clarisonic Mia (I just wet the brush head after massaging the product into my skin). Whichever way you use this it leaves your skin simply feeling clean, fresh & supple. It does contain parabens which isn't brilliant but for the price I really quite like this cleanser.

Origins GinZing Eye Cream
This eye cream is the best one I've ever used. It contains light reflecting particles that help to brighten the under eye area. A lot of eye creams claim to reduce dark circles but this is the only one I've found that actually lives up to the claim. The effects are not really a solution to the dark circle problem but it works more as a temporary pick me up for your eyes. Its especially great to use in the morning because it brightens your eye before you apply your concealer meaning that you don't need to use as much makeup in that area. I have pretty bad dark circles so its really nice being able to just use a light concealer rather than a full coverage one. Its brilliant at keeping your eye area hydrated so I use this morning and night. It also de-puffs your eyes and feels very cooling on that area. My hayfever has just started playing up and I've found that this does help to stop your eyes feeling quite so dreadful.

Clarins Lotus Treatment Oil
I bought this mainly because I needed to buy a second Clarins item to get a ton of gift with purchase samples & 1000 Boots points but I am absolutely loving this facial oil. I know a lot of people can be funny about putting more oil on their face especially if they already have oily skin but this oil is specially formulated for oily or combination skin. Therefore it actually works to balance the amount of oil that your skin will naturally produce and help to stop spots. They also do two other facial oils for dehydrated and dry skin but I have combination skin so I went for this one. It contains Clarins exclusive blend of rosewood, geranium & lotus oils which smell incredible. Its really calming to massage this into your skin before bed and whenever I wake up after using this my skin feels beautifully plump & smooth, not greasy at all.

Clarins Sun Wrinkle Control Cream For Face SPF50+
I spent a couple of weeks last month researching facial sunscreens because this summer I am determined to keep my freckly face under control. The moisturiser I've been using lately (Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré) doesn't contain any SPF so I bought this to use on top of it to protect my pale skin. Theres a lot of moisturisers out there that already contain SPF but they tend to only go up to factor 30 and I need a lot more protection. This is a really nice sunscreen because it doesn't leave any white cast to your skin and actually smells quite nice. I was tempted by the La Roche Posay and No.7 facial sunscreens but they smelled horrible. The lady at the Clarins counter told me that if you're using this as an everyday sun protection product you should wear your normal moisturiser underneath but I found that my face felt a bit too greasy after that. So I've just been using this product instead and used alone it does a great job of hydrating your face without making it super greasy. It might not be ideal for someone with really oily skin but I've found that as soon as you apply your foundation the greasiness goes away anyway. Since discovering the wondrousness of Alpha-H products I'm tempted to buy their Daily Essential Moisturiser SPF 50+ when this runs out because thats two products I want in one. Plus its important to wear sun protection all year round which is something I've failed to do in the past & its doubly important if like me you've been fiddling about with glycolic acid products recently!




MAC Powersurge Eye Kohl
Since we've had this recent heatwave I've been trying to wear less eye makeup because it does tend to melt onto my face. My hayfever has also been flaring up a bit so if I do rub my itchy eyes, my black liquid liner and mascara go absolutely everywhere. So I've been wearing this golden bronzey eyeliner smudged over my top and bottom lashes to give them some definition without looking too harsh. The good thing about smudged eyeliner is that if it does get a bit messed up as the day goes on, it looks intentional haha. I'm not too keen on loads of black kohl liner on my waterline because it does make my piggy eyes look even smaller than usual. This colour is a gorgeous alternative that also highlights the green in my hazel eyes.

theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer
Another month, another highlighter it seems! I just can't get enough of this champagne coloured powder highlighter. The shimmer in this is comparable to that of MAC Soft & Gentle MSF but its perhaps a touch more metallic. The colour is more golden than the peachyness of Soft & Gentle and I think it looks really nice on my skintone. I know that Christine of Temptalia is a big fan of this product and if its good enough for her, then its good enough for me!



Alpro Almond Milk
I've never really been too fond of cows milk. I don't put milk in my tea or eat loads of cheese or yoghurt but I have it on my cereal every morning. When I do buy cows milk I always go for Cravendale because they filter it loads so it contains less bacteria. In the past I've tried soy milk (vom!) as well as rice milk & oat milk but recently I saw that Alpro have started selling almond milk. This seems to be the healthiest out of all the faux milk products as it contains less calories, less fat, more vitamins and more fibre. I know a lot of people have been wanting to go dairy-free after watching Barbara's video about how it has helped her skin so this is a good milk alternative to buy. It tastes amazing and even though its more expensive than normal milk (at about £1.50 a carton!) I'm definitely going to be buying this from now on. My new addiction is having this warm with golden syrup flavour Weetabix, nom!

January Favourites

Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush
I got a couple of the Real Techniques sets at the beginning of January and have been using them every day since then. I'm gonna do a post about them in full but for now lets just say I cannot recommend them enough. My favourite out of all the brushes I got is the Deluxe Crease Brush. This is the most perfect brush for applying your under eye concealer. I've never gotten on with flat concealer brushes & found that the MAC & Sigma brushes that most people recommended for blending concealer didn't work well enough & shed loads of hairs. It makes blending so easy & because the brushes are synthetic they work so incredibly well with cream products such as concealers. I'd kinda fallen out of love with my Bobbi Brown concealer, preferring to just use the Corrector instead, but this brush has breathed new life into it. Not a single hair has been shed from this brush or any of the Real Techniques brushes for that matter. It also works really well for defining your crease, making 60s style eye makeup so simple to do.

Philosophy The Present
I already raved about this in my primer overview post but this has definitely been the best product that I've discovered recently. It just makes every about applying foundation completely effortless & leaves your skin looking smooth & flawless. My face looks noticeably better whenever I use this so I don't think I could be without this primer from now on.

Philosophy Cinnamon Buns Shower Gel
I thought that nothing would ever top Lush's Snow Fairy shower gel for a bit of in shower aromatherapy but I was very very wrong. It turns out that theres a reason so many shower gel companies are copying the bottle & design style of the Philosophy bottles - its because they're frigging amazing! I adore the smell of cinnamon rolls & this shower gel captures that perfectly. Its like you've walked into a Cinnabon whilst still in the shower. They really need to open a UK store outside of bloody Picadilly Circus because the ones in Starbucks & Tesco just aren't good enough! The front of the bottle even includes a recipe so you can make your own cinnamon rolls which I'm very tempted to try out.

Origins Super Spot Remover
Despite using my Clarisonic I still get a few hormonal spots along my jawline. I've heard lots of good things about this spot treatment & when I saw that it was available on BuyaPowa for just £8.50, I snapped it up. The bottle is so cute & tiny but a little goes a long way so even paying full price for it would be justified. The smell is a little weird, like a mix between witch hazel & rosemary. The cooling gel feels very tingly which I like because to me that means you can feel it working on your skin. It really does help to get rid of spots very quickly, pretty much overnight in my case.

Kerastase Masquintense Cheveux Fins
Another bargain from BuyaPowa. I got this for just £16 including postage. Not bad considering you'd normally pay about £25 for it. I'm currently waiting for my next hair appointment (after having to cancel it twice grr...) and felt like my hair could do with some pampering before and after my next round of bleach. I've only used this a couple of times so far but the pot is pretty small for the price so I'm probably only gonna get about six more washes out of it. I've been leaving this in my hair for a couple of hours before washing it out and it leaves my hair feeling a lot stronger and softer with minimal frizz. It doesn't weigh down my hair at all and the smell is really nice too. Its a good investment to make if, like me, you do torturous things to your hair.



Sainsbury's Popping Candy & Coconut Chocolate Spreads
I'm one of those people who often resorts to eating Nutella with a spoon when in desperate need of a chocolate fix. So imagine my delight when I saw these on the shelves of Sainsburys! Both are fabulous on toast or crumpets but I think I prefer the coconut one. It tastes pretty much like melted Bounty bars. I can imagine it working brilliantly as a ready-made cupcake frosting.



Community
I prefer to watch American TV shows on my laptop than whatever is on Sky. All my fave shows finished for Christmas so I had literally nothing left to watch. I'd often seen Community mentioned on Oh No They Didn't and was always intrigued by it so I decided to download the first season. The show is kinda hard to describe but the basic plot is about a study group at a community college. They're all a bit mental really & have a penchant for clever pop culture references. Its one of the funniest shows I've watched in a long time & each character has been perfectly cast. I am so in love with Joel McHale and you might recognise one of the other main characters as the rapper Childish Gambino. I downloaded the second and third seasons too which are even better. For me & my boyfriend its become one of those shows that you mention & quote in every day life. Sadly its been put on hiatus in the middle of season three which is why we need to save the show!



Unbearable Lightness
This book was written by the actress Portia De Rossi about her struggles with being gay & eating disorders. I loved her character in Arrested Development & enjoyed Sirens & Ally McBeal but I'd never really paid much attention to her otherwise. I'm not sure why but I often find myself reading books about self-destructive behaviour & mental health issues. Maybe because I identify with it in some strange way. The book is a really sad read as you can feel her desperation. Shes so open and honest about how she felt at the time which I found quite inspirational. Its a really compelling book & I did find it hard to put down. Portia De Rossi is a wonderful writer and I think shes very brave to put all of this out there. I'm now onto reading Damned by Chuck Palahniuk who is my favourite author. I've only read about a quarter of it but its pretty good so far so I'd recommend that too.