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?

Hi There

Jumper - Topshop / Shirt - New Look / Shorts - Topshop / Collar Brooch - Pretty Little Things*
Hair Bow - H&M / Bracelet - Pretty Little Things* / Rings - Topshop

This is officially the coolest collar brooch in existence! I was sent this by Emma, the owner of Pretty Little Things and I am totally in love with it. Think it might have to become a permanent fixture on all my shirts. Its a great way of saying hello if you're feeling a bit shy haha. If you're looking for a quirky collar brooch then definitely check out the Pretty Little Things shop. They sell loads of amazing jewellery, like this cute gold bow bracelet, but the collar brooches are truly the star of the show. They're such a great finishing touch for any collared shirt. Check out their facebook page too for updates on new additions.

This is what I wore today to do some Christmas shopping. The shorts might've been an error as even my Primark Super Cosy tights, which I swear by, were no match for the cold. My lovely pink jumper from Topshop kept me fairly warm though. I know its not really a Wintery colour but I just can't resist a bit of pink all year round. I think I've bought pretty much all the Christmas presents now which is such a relief! Organisation FTW. Just need to sort out the decorations and buy a tree. Now its actually December I can't wait to start doing all the usual Christmasy stuff. I've already had a bit of Yule Log & mulled wine today!

November Favourites

Soap & Glory Whipped Clean
This stuff smells so so good! I adore the smell of pistachios & this product is packed with it. Its a shower butter that cleans & moisturises in one. It lathers up really well & feels rather indulgent to use. Whipped Clean leaves my skin feeling super soft. This is a nice alternative to traditional shower gels, especially now its turned a bit colder as it gives you a good hit of moisture. You can also use it as a shaving cream!

Truth Or Dare By Madonna
My mum bought me this perfume for my birthday a few months ago. I normally go for quite fruity, sweet scents but something draws me to this perfume & I've been using it a lot lately. I think this is a great Winter perfume. The fragrances I notice most in this perfume are gardenia, tuberose & jasmine with a nice bit of vanilla. If you're a fan of white floral scents you'll love this. Its quite a heavy scent so it might be better suited to older women but I still really like it. Its so long lasting for a mid-priced perfume so its well worth the money.

NUXE Reve De Miel Lip Balm
My lips have been ridiculously chapped lately. I guess its a combo of harsh Winter winds, central heating & being ill thats dried them out more than ever. In an act of total desperation I decided to order both the stick and pot version of this product after reading tons of rave reviews declaring it the best lip balm ever. After using these both for the past week my lips have improved so much. They've totally saved my lips from their cracked & bleeding state. I love the honey scent they both have. Personally I prefer the stick because its a lot more convenient than the pot but the formula of the stick is a bit thinner. It also smells a lot more of lemons than the pot does. They're both brilliant products though.

MAC Bare Study Paint Pot
I normally use the MAC Painterly Paint Pot as an eyeshadow base but I fancied something with a bit of shimmer instead to amp up the shine of my eyeshadows. Bare Study is the ideal product for that purpose. Its a very pretty champagne colour which really perks up the eyes. It also looks lovely used on its own!

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette
I've had this palette for ages now but I've used it religiously for the past month. I never used to bother much with eyeshadows, preferring to just have a clean black flick of eyeliner instead. But recently I've felt a bit more experimental with my eye makeup. Both of the Naked palettes are amazing but this is definitely my favourite of the two. The cooler tones suit my skin better and I prefer the tin packaging. I was originally quite reluctant to buy it because I already had the first Naked palette but they really are very different. If you don't own this already you need to pop it on your Christmas list post haste. I'm pretty desperate to get my hands on the new Naked Basics palette now too!