Spoil Yourself Sunday

Sunday.  The only day of the week that I have completely to myself; no work commitments, no nothing if I wanted to.  Today has been a bit of a busy one for me actually.  I got up earlier than normal, had my breakfast before going out to clean both mine and Liam's car, stocked up on logs for our log burner and stacked them in our shed, washed and dried three loads of washing and even did a bit of tidying up.  So as I sit here leisurely tapping away whilst Liam plays on his Xbox guilt free, I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to my 'me time.'  I've been making time for this for quite a few Sunday's now, and at the moment it features these...

It's not often that I have the time during the week to sit and relax in the bath, so come Sunday I am all about bath time.  After cleansing my face and taking any make up off if I've even been bothered to put it on, I like to sit in the bath with my hair piled on top of my head with a face mask on.  The face mask I've been using recently is the Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask from The Body Shop, but in all honesty I'm not entirely sure if I love it - it can sometimes be quite uncomfortable on the skin, dries it out lots so I can't leave it on too long and  I always have to follow with a hydrating toner and an oil afterwards.  I definitely think there is a face mask out there which will be perfect for my Sunday routine...let me know in the comments what your favourite is!

I love to use my absolute favourite LUSH product which is The Comforter Bubble Bar.  I get lots of bubbles from just crumbling a quarter of the bar under the hot tap, and it turns my bath water purpley pink!  It also smells like Vimto; very berry scented and I just find the scent really relaxing!

After having my bath and going through my skincare routine, I like to sit downstairs in my comfortable pyjamas and paint my nails.  I have been using the OPI Nail Envy for Sensitive and Peeling Nails as my base coat recently, which I much prefer to the Nails Inc Kensington Caviar Base Coat.  I've been neglecting my nails for a few months now, and they need to get some strength and length back in them so Nail Envy has been ideal.  When this runs out though, I think I'll be opting for the Original version.

For colour, what better way to spoil myself  than cracking out my Christian Louboutin Rouge Nail Lacquer.  Liam surprised me with this for Christmas, and I absolutely love it.  The colour is just the perfect red, and it's so glossy!  Plus the packaging is just beautiful...  It's definitely the most luxury beauty product I own, so fits perfectly into my 'Spoil Yourself Sunday' routine!

What's do you do on a Sunday to spoil yourself?

Montagne Jeunesse Hot Chocolate Face Mask

Good day fellow beauty lovers.  It has been a while hasn't it...sorry about that!  I haven't got anything particularly exciting to report, I've just been a bit quiet lately despite having so much to write about!  Unfortunately, my laptop has completely broken now so blogging has taken a step back because I can't edit my photos as I would like to!  And what's a blog post without photos...  I've managed to get something done on Liam's laptop though, so here I am!

I thought I'd ease back in, and start with a review of a new face mask I have been trying in recent weeks.  It's the Montagne Jeunesse Hot Chocolate Face Mask!  I actually bought a few sachets of these before I went on holiday to Spain, because I spotted them in my local Wilkinsons for a bargain ten pence!

I'll be honest...I usually bypass anything from this brand and honestly only bought a few because they were ten pence!  I hate a face mask in a sachet because I find them to be so messy, and I think that you get a lot more product than you actually need, so it goes to waste unless you are having a girly gathering or can persuade your man to swipe some across his chops.  I also really don't like the design of the packaging - for me, there is just so much going on and it's all just a bit busy for me.

Packaging aside, I really enjoyed using this face mask.  I haven't used a sweet scented face mask in what seems like forever, and usually opt for the more refreshing cleanses.  This one smells exactly like a melted Terry's Chocolate Orange, and it looked good enough to eat!  It is made with dark chocolate and orange oil, which give it the amazing scent, but also contains Mediterranean Clay which helps to give your skin a deep clean whilst the oil softens skin.  The Hot Chocolate Face Mask is also self heating, and I absolutely love using a face mask which warms the skin.  I think that a warming face mask is all the more pampering, and helps you to feel super relaxed!

It seems quite runny when first getting the product out of the packaging, but once applied to the face it doesn't run or drip off.  I even went for quite a thick layer too to make sure I got a fully opaque finish to my skin - I think that face masks are all the more fun when they actually mask your skin!

I'd definitely try this again, as it left my skin really nice and smooth and after a couple of uses, and I've noticed that my t-zone is a little less congested!  My skin after use is also a lot less oily!  But I just really wish that it came in a bottle!  I had noticed a few bottles of masks coming from Montagne Jeunesse, but looking on their website, the Hot Chocolate wasn't one of them unfortunately!  You definitely can get two applications from a sachet, but because it's such a messy application, storage isn't particularly easy!

Have you tried anything from Montagne Jeunesse?

Hasslacher's Chocolate and China Clay Face Mask

Liam seriously did well this year with my Christmas presents.  Everything was so thoughtful!  Another one of his gifts was this Hasslacher's Chocolate and China Clay Face Mask.  I've never done a DIY face mask with ingredients in the home, and the only face masks I've tried have been premade in tubs or tubes.  This one is so unusual and is just in the middle of home made and made for you!

I was a bit sceptical at first, because this is literally a kitchen face mask.  Normally, like most people, I put my face masks on in the bathroom.  I had to arm myself with a small mirror, and crack out the cooking pans for this.  Yes, you read that right...pans.

The packet holds enough ingredients to make four face masks.  In this little packet, there is a white powder which is the Cornish Kaolin clay, and in the powder, is a little plastic bag of eight Cacao discs.  You need two of these chocolate discs for each application, and four tablespoons of clay.

It felt pretty unnatural using chocolate in cooking that wasn't meant for eating, but the ingredients in this little pouch are amazing for your skin.  The back of the packet says that the clay is formed from Cornish weathered granite rock which has been geologically extracted and purified.  "Cornish China clay gently draws out impurities from the skin without removing natural oils, simultaneously exfoliating, cleansing and revitalising the complexion."  Sounds good, doesn't it?  Well it doesn't stop there...

The Cacao discs are ground Cacao beans, which still have some cocoa butter remaining.  "Cacao contains high levels of flavonoids, potent antioxidants which help protect the skins structural proteins, collagen and elastin."  Cocoa butter is also soothing and softening on the skin.  Amazing - get on my face.

It didn't take long at all to make the mask - four tablespoons of water, one of clay, two discs and some gentle heating.  You need to apply the mask whilst it's still warm, but be careful getting it from the pan.  I waited a couple of minutes, and it had cooled quite quickly.  I applied it quite thickly to my skin, and still had a little left over.  It says on the packet you can thin this out to your liking by adding a little more water, so I think if you were having a girly pamper evening, you could maybe get two out of the supposed one face mask.

I completely love this face mask.  At £6.99, it's not too pricey and I would definitely buy this again.  It smells amazing, literally like cake mix on my face and I need to eat it - I didn't.  But maybe one day...  My skin was amazingly soft, and kind of glowy afterwards.  My skin looked clear, but not dried up and too deeply cleansed.  I'd definitely recommend you guys giving this a go.  Liam bought mine from Firebox but you can also buy direct from Hasslachers where they have a few more face masks.  I'm eyeing up the Sea and Rock Organic Seaweed face mask!

Have you tried Hasslachers face masks?  What's your favourite face mask?

Soap and Glory The Fab Pore

Ohhhhh....the first product I have got from Soap and Glory with their new packaging!  I love Soap and Glory, I don't know anybody that doesn't love it!  And as always, I'm not disappointed.

This is The Fab Pore, which is a two in one pore purifying mask and peel.  It is part of the Fab Pore range, and...well, leaves you with fab pores.  I use this mask on dry skin, straight from the pot, and you can leave it on for five minutes for a quick fix, or fifteen minutes for a real, deep clean.  

The mask comes in a gorgeous smooth, matte pot.  The white kind of makes me think of super clean clinics or something, but I like that medical feel because it just looks nice, and perfect.  But my favourite is the feel...I could touch the pot all day.  What a weirdo...

The product itself is mint green in colour, and smells a little minty really too; don't worry though, because it's not a horrible smell.  I actually quite like it, and I feel it adds to making me feel super clean.  I also like that you get that fresh, deep clean feeling on your skin after use!  It's got tiny exfoliating, bursting beads inside too.  I usually apply it quite thickly, and leave it on for the full fifteen minutes - I have oily skin, and have quite large pores around my nose.

For me, I can see a real difference after use.  My skin is bright, clean, smooth and most importantly, I think there is a difference in my pores.  Now I'm not saying that there is a pore that has totally disappeared...it's not a miracle mask, but I do think there is a noticeable difference.

At £10 a tub, it's not the cheapest, but I would definitely buy it again.  It's available at Boots, and I'm sure there'll be some vouchers for extra Boots points/money off in the Yule Monty boxes if Santa was spoiling you girls this year!  Soap and Glory can do me no wrong, and a product specifically formulated for clogged pores, problem and oily/combination skin is a winner in my eyes.  Another product I need to get into the habit of using for perfect pores all the time...

Any recommendations for problem skin?  Have you tried this?

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask

Okay, so you may have seen me mention this Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask in my previous Skin Saviours post which you can find here if you missed it!  But that was just a quick breeze by, and this product deserves an entire post considering I've been reaching for it so much recently.

I literally love this moisturiser.  I can't see myself ever not having a bottle.  It smells so good I feel like I want it in my mouth squirty cream style.  I obviously won't...maybe.  It's a gorgeous fruity scent; I predominantly get mango through but there's lots of fruit based oils in the ingredients list.  It contains avocado oil and apricot kernel oil.  Both of these together are instant hydrators and it also contains Japanese Seaweed that's used to repair your skins barrier, and helps to prevent your skin becoming dehydrated again.  So it's a winning moisturiser right here.

 

My skin by the morning is amazing, I feel like I'm glowing, or as my friend might say, I feel as though I'm looking pretty radiant.  I feel like my skin is nice and plumped, and whilst it's obviously a little oilier come morning because of the richness of the moisturiser, it's not an issue because I'll be having my morning cleanse any second.

 

I've not finished this tube yet, maybe just under half left, but I've already got its replacement in the form of a Chrismas present for myself.  I've wanted to try some more Origins products for a while, but have never forked out the extra cash to get some.  Enter Boots Christmas offers.  Boots, I love you.

 

 

This is the Merry Moisturisers Gift Set and it is currently half price in Boots.  That's £29 for this instead of £58.  It only has a half size tube of the Drink Up Intensive, but that alone is worth £11.  The main reason I wanted this was for the Make a Difference Plus Moisturiser.  This is full size and usually costs £34, which is more than what I paid for the entire set!  So if you fancy trying Origins, go out and run to Boots, grab your advantage card and make the most of this amazing offer.  Or find it online here!

 

Are you going to be trying this?  What other Origins products do I need to try?