September Favourites

The Chemistry Brand Hyaluronic Concentrate
Hyaluronic Acid is still one of my favourite skincare ingredients & not a day goes by when I don't use a HA serum on my face. It's especially welcome around this time of year when it starts to get a bit colder outside, the heating goes on & skin dries out easier as a consequence. As someone with eczema-prone skin, my body also suffers from dry patches so it's really important for me to keep of all my skin hydrated. Despite the extremely low cost of The Ordinary's Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 serum, it wouldn't last very long at all if I started spreading it over my body so I decided to try out this product from one of their Deciem sister brands, The Chemistry Brand. As stated directly on the bottle, their Hyaluronic Concentrate is literally a big tub of hyaluronic acid. It comes with a pump dispenser so that you can apply liberal amounts of the stuff where it's needed. The Chemistry Brand's Hyaluronic Concentrate boasts a 99.5% pure hyaluronic acid. This high level of purity assists the delivery of actives in other products so anything you use on top of this will be able to work better as a result. You can just use it on it's own or underneath a regular moisturiser but with continued use Hyaluronic Concentrate will help skin to retain its own moisture, reducing the need for other products in the long run. Compared to the liquidy texture of the HA facial serum, this product is much more gel like in consistency. When it comes to body products I'm not a fan of anything creamy or sticky that takes ages to dry down so I really enjoy using this fast absorbing gel. I've been slapping it on whenever my skin has felt a bit irritated or dry & now everything looks so much healthier. It started working really quickly too as I saw results in less than a week. The areas I apply it to most are my hands, legs, knees & elbows but you can use it absolutely anywhere. This stuff is a godsend if you suffer from dry skin.

The Chemistry Brand Hand Chemistry
The Chemistry Brand also specialise in hand creams so I bought one in my desperate attempts to find something that would soothe the horrible eczema flareup on my right hand. They have a few different ones but I decided to go for the original Hand Chemistry. There's something rather special about this hand cream, it's easily the most effective one I've ever tried. Our hands are one of the first places to show signs of aging as we use them all the time & they get a lot of sun exposure compared to the rest of our bodies. This product was designed to combat 8 signs of hand aging simultaneously. It promises to improve the firmness, elasticity, density, evenness, brightness, texture, smoothness & hydration of your hands within 11 days. I noticed a difference right away as it visibly brightens & smooths the skin almost immediately. I love the texture of this hand cream, it absorbs quickly & almost coats your hands so they still feel soft hours after application. This cream works really well on your nails too & nourishes the cuticles whilst promoting nail growth. It has a sweet fruity scent which makes it a pleasure to use. It's also a great partner product for the Hyaluronic Concentrate. I layer them together for the ultimate hand hydrating combo. These products provide instant relief for any scaly, itchy areas & after just a few weeks my hand eczema was history! I keep a smaller tube of this stuff in my handbag at all times because nothing else compares when your hands are feeling worse for wear.

Swell Ultimate Volume Dry Shampoo
A few years ago I tried some hair products by Swell & loved the voluminous results on my fine, flat hair. My only gripe was that the products are incredibly expensive & I simply cannot afford to spend that much on shampoo. Luckily my local Boots decided to get rid of all their Swell stock & heavily reduced their entire product range. I managed to pick up a full size bottle of the Advanced Volumizing Conditioner for £8 instead of £28 as well as their Ultimate Volume Dry Shampoo for £5 instead of £20. Boots' clearance aisle is literally the best thing ever! I had never tried the dry shampoo before but I remember reading some rave reviews when it first came out. What makes this product stand out from other dry shampoos is the fantastic pump dispenser. It's not as harsh as blasting your hair with a can of Batiste but still manages to really freshen up second or third day hair. You're not left with the weird dull look or gross feeling that some dry shampoos can give you, your hair simply looks clean again. The ultra fine nozzle is very precise so you can target the roots easily & add volume exactly where you want it. Best of all, it doesn't leave any powdery residue in your hair! The Swell Ultimate Volume Dry Shampoo is brilliant for those of us with fine hair that needs a bit of lift & it's discreet enough to slip into your handbag for on the go freshness.

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter
I love a bit of Charlotte Tilbury & her Hollywood Flawless Filter is by far the most exciting release she's come out with. This product has completely revolutionised my foundation routine. The Hollywood Flawless Filter is basically a tinted liquid highlighter but there's one available to suit every skin colour. It gives you a soft focus, airbrushed appearance by smoothing out fine lines & texture whilst illuminating the skin. There's just so many different ways to use it & each one will leave you looking like a glowing goddess. You can use it as a primer, mixed with foundation or as a regular liquid highlighter. My preferred method of application is to sweep some over the high points of my face & then mix it in with my foundation using a Beautyblender. I'm obsessed with how radiant my base looks paired with this illuminator. It also looks stunning on completely bare skin as the flesh coloured tint does give a small amount of coverage. It subtly evens out the complexion & reduces redness for a naturally flawless look. I often use it like this with just a bit of concealer under my eyes when I want a low effort, quick base that still looks fabulous.

Makeup Revolution Fast Base Foundation Stick
Makeup Revolution have been coming out with new products non-stop recently & I think that they're one of the most innovative beauty brands on the market today. Not only are their products amazing, they're also amazingly affordable & to be honest I'm struggling to keep up with the constant barrage of new stuff! I can't wait to pick up their new Conceal & Define Foundation as I'm a huge fan of the concealer but for now I'm still loving their Fast Base Foundation Stick. One of the reasons that I love their foundations & concealers is the vast shade range. All other beauty brands should take note because Revolution are one of the few brands with a truly inclusive range of colours to suit every skin tone. I have the shade F1 which is spot on for my complexion as it's pale with yellow undertones. This foundation provides medium to full coverage & it builds really well without looking cakey. Stick foundations are notoriously difficult to get right as they're often too dry & drag on the skin or too greasy & melt off your face. The Fast Base Foundation Stick formula is superb & sits right in the middle. It's so quick to draw on your face & blends out effortlessly. It doesn't highlight skin texture or cling to dry patches, it just smooths over everything & makes my skin look flawless in no time at all. The foundation feels really lightweight on the skin & provides a fresh dewy finish. Once set with powder, it lasts really well & doesn't break down on my skin. It doesn't transfer much but if I scratch my face it can come off quite easily. I normally use a Beautyblender to do my base but I actually prefer a brush for this foundation. I've been using the Real Techniques Mini Multitask Brush with it & they're the perfect team. I think it'd be a great product to pop in your bag if you do your makeup during your daily commute or need touchups throughout the day. For just £5 I didn't know what to expect from this foundation but it is unbelievably good & has only further cemented my love for Makeup Revolution.

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January Favourites

Neutrogena Visibly Clear Light Therapy Targeted Acne Spot Treatment
LED light therapy is one of the most innovative skin treatments around. It's based on the idea that coloured wavelengths of light have the ability to induce a change within the skin. Red light therapy is mainly used to stimulate collagen & elastin production whereas blue light therapy is an excellent acne solution. These treatments used to be exclusively available as part of professional facials but then Neutrogena brought out a full light therapy mask for use at home. I read loads of good reviews about the skin benefits that this mask provides but the downside was that it only works for 30 ten minute sessions. After that you have to keep buying £15 'activators' to make it work again. Considering that the mask costs £60 to begin with I decided that investing in this device would be far too expensive. A little while ago Neutrogena came out with a much smaller pen version designed for treating individual blemishes. The pen is a much more affordable device & only requires AAA batteries to work. It's very simple to use, you just have to hold the light pen up to one of your spots for two minutes & it will kill any acne causing bacteria. It also helps to reduce inflammation & speed up the skin healing process. I'm really pleased with this light therapy pen. It has definitely helped to banish unruly blemishes & prevent them from scarring my skin.

Charlotte Tilbury Brightening Youth Glow
As much as I try to resist buying new Charlotte Tilbury products, she just keeps drawing me back in! One of her latest launches is this Brightening Youth Glow primer. It's very similar to her original primer Wonderglow but it imparts more of a pearlescent sheen than a golden glow. The pearlescent pigments immediately make your skin look healthier & more luminous. It does a great job of keeping your makeup on for longer & blurring imperfections. This product also has some skincare benefits as it contains anti-aging & anti-redness ingredients to even out & brighten your complexion without makeup. I really like that it has an immediate effect on your skin as well as long term benefits. I find the texture of this primer to be a bit thicker than Wonderglow & I don't have to use as much product as a result. It makes my skin feel silky smooth & perfectly prepped for foundation. I love that I can still see the glow through my makeup which is the whole point of illuminating primers. I've been using this every day, regardless of whether I'm wearing makeup or not & I've already noticed an improvement in my skin tone. It's helped my complexion to look more even & gives me the fresh, dewy looking skin of my dreams.

Makeup Revolution Conceal & Define Concealer
Tarte Shape Tape is one of my favourite concealers of all time but I was dreading having to repurchase it. I order mine from QVC where you can only buy it alongside a makeup sponge & QVC always charge extra for delivery. It can get quite expensive & although I do think it's worth the money, I can't always afford to spend £32 on concealer! Makeup Revolution recently brought out their Conceal & Define Concealer which is basically a £4 dupe for Shape Tape & I'm a huge fan of this product. It took me quite a while to get my hands on it because my local Superdrug still haven't restocked it & they kept selling out of my colour online. Eventually I managed to buy the shade C1 which is the lightest colour available & a good colour match for Shape Tape in Fair. The shade range is truly inclusive & better than that offered by any other drugstore brand. Actually it's a lot better than the shade range offered by many high end brands too! The coverage that this concealer provides is incredible & the consistency feels a lot creamier than Shape Tape. It blends out beautifully without reducing the coverage & feels really lightweight on the skin. The concealer doesn't settle into fine lines or pores, you're just left with a really smooth perfected base. It's such a brilliant product & if you see your colour in stock, do not hesitate to buy one!

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask*
Winter weather really takes it's toll on my skin & my lips end up suffering most of all. Sleeping masks are a fantastic way to give your skin an intense hit of hydration so I was really excited to try out this Lip Sleeping Mask from Laneige. This thick & creamy lip balm is packed full of ingredients that literally wrap your lips with moisture. It's enriched with hyaluronic acid & a special berry complex to gently remove dead skin cells overnight, leaving behind a softer, smoother & fuller looking pout. I can still feel the mask on my lips when I wake up in the morning & it has helped to keep my lips feeling soft in the long run. It comes with a cute little applicator which is both hygienic & fun to use. You can also wear this mask during the day as an intensive lip treatment. It's a great base for lipstick & stops my lips from getting dry when I'm walking out in the cold. The Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask has single-handedly saved my sore, chapped lips & I can't recommend this product enough if the cold weather is ruining your lips too.




Makeup Geek In The Nude Eyeshadow Palette
Even though they've been slightly overshadowed by cheaper brands such as Morphe & Colourpop, I still love Makeup Geek eyeshadows. Their mattes are intensely pigmented yet blend like a dream & their foiled shadows are just pure eye candy. As soon as I saw this palette I knew that I would get a lot of use out of it. In fact it's the only eyeshadow palette I've reached for all month. There's such a gorgeous collection of warm browns & neutral shades in this palette. My favourite combo is to use So Pale as a base, Buffed as a transition shade, Tan Lines to define the crease, Cabin Fever to add some more depth to the eye & finally In The Spotlight all over the lid. The makeup world is currently flooded with neutral eyeshadow palettes but this is one of the prettiest around with the ideal ratio of matte & shimmery shadows. I can honestly see myself hitting pan on every single colour!

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Cute & Cosy

Jumper - GANT* / Dress - Topshop / Boots - The Whitepepper (RIP) / Belt - River Island
Scarf - Topshop / Beret - eBay / Necklace - Rock N Rose

Well it's been almost two years since I last published an outfit post so I figured it was about time that I started doing them again. A few days ago it was my blog's 8th anniversary & blogging has changed in so many ways since I started this website. I think that fashion blogging in particular has become a lot more professional with many bloggers hiring photographers to take their outfit pictures. One of the reasons I stopped documenting my outfits was because I felt that my photos taken indoors against this same ugly yellow wall were no longer good enough.

Back in the OG blogger days everyone took their photos like this & it wasn't a problem at all. But when everyone else started taking more artistic shots outside, I didn't think that anyone would care about my posts anymore. I can't afford to hire a photographer & my attempts to teach Andy to use my DSLR have been fruitless so I just stopped. I've definitely missed doing it though & as always comparison is the thief of joy. I shouldn't have let what other people are doing affect me & stop me from doing something that I love. Fashion blogging is supposed to be about showcasing an outfit, not competing to see who can take their photos in front of the prettiest house in London. I still get quite a few emails & messages asking when I'm going to start doing fashion posts again so this one is for all of you!

Looking cute when it's absolutely freezing outside is harder than it seems. More often than not I end up throwing my burgundy parka & beanie on top of a hoodie & thermal leggings because it's too cold for anything else. In between the recent snow showers we've had, the weather has been a lot more agreeable & it's not long now until Spring arrives. One of my favourite ways to make my outfits more exciting whilst still dressing appropriately for the cold weather is to layer. It's much easier than you might think as you can play around with length, colour & texture to create an entirely new outfit from pieces that are already in your wardrobe.

The mini polka dot wrap dress I'm wearing here is rather revealing despite having long sleeves. I paired it with a thin cable knit jumper to cover my chest. The length of the jumper covers up too much of the dress so to keep things in proportion I rolled it up which makes it even cosier & doesn't hide my shape. I added a belt under the jumper to further emphasise my waist. I'm obsessed with these double ring belts from River Island. They give the same effect as those £300 Gucci belts but without the hefty cost! These gladiator style boots from the much missed The Whitepepper are another great Winter/Spring transitional piece. They feel much warmer than they look & are just a bit more interesting than your standard black boots. Winter is the best time to experiment with hats. I recently bought loads of cheap berets on eBay & they are my new favourite way to hide my roots! As I'm wearing a grey jumper & a grey hat, I decided to finish off the outfit with this super cosy nude pink scarf. It adds a bit of colour to an otherwise monochrome outfit & the texture contrasts nicely with the cable knit jumper. If you keep your top half warm, you can get away with wearing less on your bottom half & I always like to show off my legs haha!





One thing that has definitely cheered me up during all this cold weather we've been having was the arrival of this package from GANT. I love the timeless preppy style of their clothing. There's no better brand if you're looking for a classic button down shirt or premium casual knitwear. I'm wearing their Mini Cable Jumper & it's the perfect piece for transitional layering. This lightweight jumper is made from 100% Merino wool so it feels super soft & keeps me really warm even though it isn't a chunky knit. I adore the look of the mini-cable pattern & the elegantly draped sleeves. Layering this jumper with a short skirt & boots is my favourite way to stay looking cute & feeling cosy this Winter.

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