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?

February Empties: Skin Care

So my mission for starting a regular blog posting schedule has dramatically failed.  For some reason, just as I gained momentum, the momentum quickly ground to a full on halt.  I can't believe that I haven't posted since the end of January; it's the longest I've ever gone without posting anything...  I honestly can't believe we've hit March now - where the hell did February go?  It feels like it's only just finished being Christmas and here we are almost at Easter.  In fact, this whole year has gone fast - can you believe it's almost a year now since Liam and I came to first view our house?!  Even though I've not written a hello in a while, sharing my thoughts has still been on my mind and I've collected a nice box of empties again.

Probably the product I'm most sad about finishing this month is Soap and Glory's Smoothie Star Body Milk.  I absolutely love this moisturiser, but I have such a stash of moisturiser at the moment that I just can't physically justify buying another bottle.  It smells incredible, like an oaty, almondy flapjack.  It's also really light, but really hydrating so this would be an ideal moisturiser to use in the morning instead of a richer body butter, or on a warmer evening.  I also finished the Soap and Glory Whipped Clean Shower Butter.  It smells similar to Smoothie Star, but there is something about it that makes it smell a bit sharper than the Body Milk, and for some reason I didn't like it as much.  It was nice to use, but I wish it smelt identical to the Smoothie Star.  This lathered up really well, and left my skin feeling really soft.

From The Body Shop this month, I've finished up a sample size of the Vitamin E Moisture Cream.  I've already repurchased this in the bigger size and I love it - it smells amazing and really hydrates the skin.  I've been using this in the evening when I don't want a really rich cream to sit on my skin.  I've also finished the Camomile Cleansing Oil which again, I've already repurchased.  I don't think I can be without this anymore; I'll have a review up on this at some point, but if you haven't tried it, get on down to The Body Shop and get it.

I was sent the Eucerin Even Brighter Night Cream* quite a while a go now, but never really used it religiously.  It's supposed to even out skin with hyper pigmentation.  I think this would work for me in terms of acne scarring maybe, but I honestly don't think I used this regularly enough to see the benefit.  It was quite a thick, rich cream, but it was very easy to apply and you don't need to use much.  I'd definitely try this again to see if it lives up to claims of evening skin tone.

I bought the Clearasil Superfruits Refreshing Facial Pads on a Caroline Hirons recommendation as they were hailed as a high street version to the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads.  Now I've not tried these because they're expensive, so I gave these a go.  These smell super sweet, and leave my skin feeling really refreshed but not at all tight, or leave it looking red.  I think these have been helping with congested pores around my nose, and I'm already onto my second tub.  I am in a bit of a fluster now though, because I've gone to link you guys and can't track them on Boots or Superdrug so I hope they're not being discontinued!

Finally, the Neutrogena Visibly Clear 2 in 1 Wash and Mask is actually a repurchase of mine already.  I do actually really quite like this face wash.  Like the Clearasil Superfruits pads, this has Salicylic Acid in, and has a creamy, ever so slightly grainy texture.  It doesn't foam, and is just really nice to use.  I tend to see a difference in my skin when I've been using this daily, so I'll eventually repurchase this again.

That's all I've got for you for today, but I've still got some empties to talk about including some make up bits!  I'll be back again soon!

Have you tried anything from this months empties?

*This product was sent to me for consideration

Favourites: January 2015

As promised, I'm starting off the year as I mean to go on and am sharing with you today the bits I've been loving this month!  I haven't done a favourites post since...I think it was July 2013.  I don't tend to buy myself bits too often, so I've always worried that I'd just have the same favourites month in month out, but with my mission to clear through my ridiculous stash of bits, I think I should have something different to share with you every month!

Starting with my ultimate favourite for this month - The Body Shop's Almond Body Butter.  I've had this in my stock for a while now, but had been working my way through other body moisturisers.  I can't even begin to say how much I love this body butter - it's super moisturising, but this one smells incredible.  Even though it's just almond, I feel like it smells a smidge like a cherry bakewell because it's also a bit sweet!  But because of all that...I'm absolutely gutted that this seems to have been discontinued.  I can't see it online, and when I asked The Body Shop they told me to check outlet stores and the sale in April - please let me know if you spot it!

The lip balm that I've loved this month is LUSH's Lip Service.  I got it for Christmas from Liam's parents and spoke about it in my LUSH Christmas Haul - I've never tried a lip balm from LUSH before but I really like it!  It smells a bit orangey, but it's not a tangy citrus scent...more of a sweet orange scent.  It's really helped my lips this month - they were seriously dry when I was poorly with the flu!  Revlon's Matte Balm in Sultry has been my lip shade of choice this month.  I have already spoken about it here, so I won't bang on about it again, but it's definitely one that's worth checking out if you're into the whole 90's lip look.

I have a review of this coming up soon, but don't wait for it - you need the Jouer Long Wear Creme Mousse Eyeshadow in your life.  I have the shade Dusk and I hardly wear anything else.  I bought the Maybelline Color Tattoo in On and On Bronze this month to see what the fuss was on that - it's got nothing on Jouer.  I've already got my eye on the rest of the shades, particularly Galaxy and Twilight!

This month, I also picked up my first Illamasqua Cream Pigment in the shade Delirium.  It was in the sale already, but I got an extra 15% off with my birthday discount code!  It's been my contour of choice since I bought it, and I can't see myself switching to anything else anytime soon - it's really long lasting, and creates a beautiful natural shadow on the face because of the grey undertones.  I've been applying it with the Eco Tools Complexion Blending Brush as it's perfect for contouring.  It's paddle shaped which makes it ideal for slipping under the cheekbones, and because the bristles aren't super dense you can easily blend upwards!

What have been your favourites this month?

Body Shop Haulin'

Just throwing it out there...I love The Body Shop.  Who doesn't?!  I don't think I've bought anything from there that I haven't really, really liked, and whilst I'm not keen on their prices, I am keen on the fact that there is always an offer on.  And the offers are usually pretty damn good.  I got a £25 gift voucher for Christmas to spend there (from my dog, Ronnie...he's a good dog!) and I am pretty surprised that I managed to hold off spending it for so long!  I was a bit disappointed to see that I couldn't spend it online, but hey ho, a trip in store it is - which by the way, was brimming with all of the Christmas stock!  There's hardly anything Christmassy left online, but there was practically all of the Christmas bits in store from the limited edition products to the gift sets at bargain prices!  Definitely worth popping in store if you missed something!

Despite all the Christmas stock, I didn't buy any of the sale bits really.  It was a pretty focussed shop actually and I must have been in and out within five minutes!  Onto the haul and it's going to make for a fairly long post...

Okay first off, I picked up the full size Chocomania Shower Cream as mentioned in my December Body Care Empties post.  I really liked using the miniature that I got, and couldn't resist picking up another!  At £2, it's hardly bank breaking either!  I also picked up a full size version of the Vitamin E Moisture Cream which I've been really liking lately.  I haven't finished the miniature that I've got, but I couldn't let it run out and not have one as a back up - seriously nice to use.

I went on a bit of a Vitamin E spree as I also picked up the Vitamin E Hydrating Toner and the Vitamin E Overnight Serum in Oil.  I've not tried either of these bits, so I'm definitely looking forward to slipping these into my routine.  I've not ever really managed to religiously use a toner in my skincare routine, but quite fancy using this Vitamin E one in the evening alongside the Serum in Oil.  When it first came out, I heard lots of raving about the Serum in Oil but that died out pretty quickly so I'm hoping it's as nice as everyone once said it was.  Of course I'll report back on it!

I really have been loving using the Soothing Aloe Day Cream lately, so thought that I'd add a second toner to my routine - I've really gone for it with toners guys - and that's the Aloe Calming Toner.  There's something about the Aloe Day Cream that I think has really calmed my skin down - I rarely break out anymore, and my skin just seems so much better recently now I've started focussing on skincare.  I even think I'm breaking out of the full on oily skin type and breaching the combination skin type!  Hopefully this will keep the good skin comin'...

I picked up the Tea Tree Cool and Creamy Wash as I'm running a bit low on my face wash stash.  I'm really looking forward to finishing my current ones so I can wack this one out - I can just imagine this feeling so soothing and nice on my skin!  I'm currently using a gel cleanser, so this cream will be a nice change!  And finally, I picked up a Facial Massager!  Facial Massages are actually really important for the skin as they aid moisture absorption, can lead to firmer, younger looking skin, and my main reason for getting one, they can help with lymphatic drainage.  I often get quite sore lumps along my jaw line, which I assumed were just annoying under the skin spots, but reading about facial massage made me realise that it might just be trapped toxins from the lack of blood circulation around my face - so...massage, circulation boost, no more sore lumps?  Fingers crossed.  Plus, Caroline Hirons recommended it so for £6 it's no biggie.

Better yet, the offer on at the minute is spend £50 and get £25 off!  Which meant I got £50 worth of product for my £25 gift card!  Well I went £4 over my gift card, but oh well...Hurrah!  Good times all round!

Have you picked anything up from The Body Shop lately?

December Empties: Body Care

It's the final installment for what has turned into a December Empties series!  I've never seen an empties series before, but these empties have gone on long enough now!  I've already started on this months collection!  Throughout 2015 I'm really going to aim to do a monthly empties (if I have any) and a monthly favourites - they're posts I always enjoy reading but never actually managed to do myself!  So onto the last empties: Body Care.

The Body Shop's Chocomania Shower Cream was one I really didn't like the scent of in the bottle.  It is seriously sweet.  I love chocolate, but this is like the most chocolatey fudge cake topped with chocolate brownies, dipped in chocolate sauce served hot and all melted.  It really does smell too much in the bottle.  But, lathered up the scent isn't so intense and it's just really nice.  It's still really sweet and chocolatey, but it is really nice and warming.  I do really quite like it as a bit of a shower treat in the evening!  I actually bought the full size of this as I spotted it in The Body Shop's sale for just £2.

I've spoken about the Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Back Spray previously here, and Liam and I both really like this product.  If you suffer with body breakouts, this is definitely something that you should try.  This was our second or third bottle, and I will be repurchasing.  I haven't yet though as I'm waiting for it to come onto a three for two offer like it usually does, although it is currently £1 off at the moment at Boots.

The Champneys Overnight Hand Therapy Cream was a real favourite of mine.  I used it most nights before going to bed and found that the scent of it was really relaxing and helped me get a good nights sleep.  I would buy it again, but don't think I'll be buying it anytime soon as I have a ridiculous amount of hand cream stock piled.  But as soon as I've ran out of all of my stock, I'll be adding this back into my collection.

I don't know anybody who doesn't like Soap & Glory.  I love everything that they do and The Righteous Butter is no exception.  This isn't the first tub of this that I've gone through and it might not even be the second or third, and I'm almost positive that I have another one ready to go.  It's super rich, super nourishing and I like to use this straight out of the shower.  It's not too greasy and it doesn't sit on my skin like some body butters do so I feel like I can get straight into bed with it on without feeling sticky.

I imagine I'll be seeing you all again soon with some empties as I'm on a mission to use up some more of the products I've got!  If you didn't see them, you can see my Hair Care Empties, Skin Care Empties and Make Up Empties through the links!

What are your current body favourites?

The Sick Day Skin Care Routine

This week hasn't been a great one as I've been plagued with the dreaded flu that has been making the rounds.  I've spent two days in bed watching the world go by from my window whilst watching a ridiculous amount of Friends.  Ten hours yesterday to be exact.  That's actually a little sickening writing that out.  But y'know.  Ill times and all that.

You might be thinking that fitting in a skincare regime when you feel so crap is a bit OTT, but I found that looking after my skin really helped in making me feel better in myself.  Don't get me wrong, I have spent the last three days completely make up free, and wearing very minimal make up on the days I made it into work, but my skin is feeling pretty peachy.

After cleansing, I started my day of lazing by applying my favourite eye cream which is the Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream.  I've raved about it here before, but it checks all of my boxes; smoothing, hydrating and brightening - brightening being the key here when we're severely lacking in energy.  I've been using The Body Shop's Soothing Aloe Day Cream for quite a while now, so kept it in my routine.  It's thicker than your usual day cream, but once applied feels really light and super hydrating.  I topped off my skin with Bioderma's Atoderm Cream but only applied it to the really dry patches on my skin which was mainly around my nose.  It really helped take care of the skin which had gotten sore from too much nose blowing!  I topped off my morning skin care with a swift application of LUSH's Lip Service Lip Balm to my super dry lips, ensuring that I did this straight after washing my hands seeing as it's a finger dip lip balm, and I don't fancy swiping my flu germs back into the pot.

The evening routine was also a pretty quick one.  I started the evening how I do every evening by using the Yes To Blueberries Eye Cream.  I like using this one in the evening as it's a bit richer than the Balance Me one and really helps to hydrate the areas around the eyes.  I follow that with the Vitamin E Moisture Cream from The Body Shop.  I haven't had this miniature too long, but I've already repurchased the full size!  It's really hydrating, but so light I could use it morning or evening and it smells really nice!

Following the Vitamin E Moisture Cream, I've been alternating between these two; the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask and the ESPA Optimal Skin Pro Serum.  The Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask smells incredible and will probably always be a staple in my skincare stash.  I absolutely love using it, and my dehydrated skin is always thankful by the morning.  The ESPA Pro Serum is one that I don't see getting spoken about too much, but is a product that is a real skin treat.  I'm going to link you straight to the ESPA website to read up on the benefits of the serum as there are so many skin loving oils in there that my post would be ridiculously long if I tried to list them all, but it brightens the skin, enhances radiance, moisturises, soothes and protects just to name a few.  It really is an amazing product and one that I'll definitely be repurchasing despite its £48 price tag...  Finally, I slapped on some more of the Bioderma cream where needed - I'd definitely recommend picking one of these up, it's been amazing at sorting out my extreme dry skin areas.

So there we have it.  I'm feeling so much better today and have even ventured out of the house!  I'm back to work tomorrow, and hopefully having carried out these routines I won't look too grey and lack lustre...hopefully much better than I did on Thursday anyway!

Do you have a sick day skin routine?

December Empties: Make Up

I'm still going strong with my almighty pile of empties.  I have definitely learnt that I do not need to fill the box I set aside for empties...  Today I'm back with the make up empties, and there really isn't that much variety going on as it's either a mascara or a lip balm.

I'll start with the mascaras.  This isn't my first tube of The Body Shop's Super Volume Mascara.  I've never actually bought one for myself but always end up with one as a present at some point or another.  I don't think it's a "super volume" mascara to start with, but it does give some real length to my lashes.  I loved wearing this on a daily basis, and I probably would buy it again just as a daily no fuss mascara.  The Body Shop always have offers on, so it's unlikely you would ever pay full price for it.

The Covergirl Clump Crusher mascara is one I'm actually gutted about, obviously because I can't get hold of it again now.  It's been finished for absolutely forever as I got it in my USA Beauty Box swap with Hannah last year, but it just sat at the back of my make up drawer!  The mascara was amazing at lengthening, separating and giving volumised lashes.  It was super easy to build up, and I would one hundred percent buy another one if I could.  BUT, I noticed that the Clump Crusher was in exactly the same packaging as my next empty from Maxfactor, which lead me to find out Covergirl and Maxfactor are owned by the same company (P&G) and we have a Clump Crusher version in the form of Maxfactors Clump Defy mascara.  I found a blog post on Unfade What Fades comparing the two wands and they're identical - I will definitely be picking up the Maxfactor Clump Defy as my replacement as I think that this might be my favourite mascara ever?

The Maxfactor False Lash Effect Waterproof Mascara is actually another repurchase.  I still stand by what I said in my first ever review in that it is totally crap at actually being waterproof in terms of wearing it lounging by the pool on holiday, but I do like the mascara for day to day use.  I think I favour a plastic wand as they comb through the lashes so much nicer in my opinion and give some real length, and this mascara is no exception to that.  I'd would probably buy it again, but Clump Defy does come in a water resistant version so I will probably buy that instead.  I do love a Maxfactor mascara though...

The final things are both lip balms, both by Burts Bees.  I've had so many lip balms from Burts Bees.  This is the first Mango flavour I've had, and maybe my third of the original Beeswax lip balm?  I didn't really like the Mango one - I really thought I would, but it's just too sickly for me and I could taste the sickliness when I breathed in through my mouth.  The Mango lip balm is sold as a nourishing lip balm, but I didn't notice anything spectacular in terms of nourishment.  I had to apply this quite frequently.  The Burts Bees Beeswax Lip Balm is peppermint flavoured and is a favourite of mine - I really like breathing in the freshness, and the mint kind of makes your lips feel cool.  I find this one to be much more hydrating and nourishing than the Mango.  I already have a fourth Peppermint one ready to go, but I'm actually just finishing up a couple of other lip balms before I open that one.

Have you tried any of these empties?

December Empties: Skin Care

Continuing on from the last Empties Post, I'm back with some more empties, but this time it's skin care!  I've really been enjoying my skin care routine lately and have really enjoyed finding some lovely products that really work well with my skin.  Some bits I've been using haven't been great, but oh well...

My first empty is this pack of Yes To Cucumbers Face Wipes.  I don't remember the last time I bought a pack of face wipes, and I actually won this pack - I used to use face wipes daily, but y'know...Caroline Hirons and all that.  Basically my skin care has come on in leaps and bounds.  These weren't bad face wipes, but I don't think I'll be buying them again in the hope that I actually stop being lazy and use water and an actual cleanser.

Next up is The Body Shop Camomile Waterproof Eye Make Up Remover.  I love this.  So much so, I've already bought and am onto my second bottle.  I don't use this daily, but it really is great for travelling and using on the days where your mascara needs a little extra help.  It needs a shake as it's got an oily layer, but it's amazing at removing your make up  - I love the entire Camomile range, and would definitely recommend you try it!

This Nuxe Nuxellence Jeunesse Youth and Radiance Revealing Fluid was a real favourite of mine.  Unfortunately for me, this was only a sample size, but I got so many uses out of it.  It's a really light weight moisturiser that applies beautifully to skin.  It feels really velvety and not at all heavy.  I would love to own this again, but at £47 for the full size, it's not something I'll be purchasing any time soon.  But if this is in your price range, I'd highly recommend trying it out!  There is 20.15% off it at the moment at Escentual!

The Garnier Pure Shine Control Moisturiser was one I really liked at first.  It was great before it started to get really cold - it's a  light blue formula with a jelly like texture, and smoothes on really nicely.  I didn't notice anything spectacular with the oil control aspect, but I did notice how tacky it made my skin feel.  I don't think I'll be picking this up again.  I also wasn't too keen on the Neutrogena Visibly Clear Spot Stress Control Cleansing Lotion.  First up, it's not your typical lotion - it's not creamy, it's a full on fluid.  I didn't use this regularly, just in times of need when I thought that something must be able to help me battle my skin - I didn't notice any real action from this lotion, but I guess I was using it irregularly.  I just found it to be quite drying, and stripping so my skin wouldn't have liked daily use.

Finally, my favourite from the lot - the Origins Make A Difference Plus Rejuvenating Moisturiser.  I can't even begin to explain how much I loved using this, and how gutted I was when it ran out.  Firstly, it smells amazing - really uplifting, slightly fruity, but mostly refreshing.  It was really light weight, but also really hydrating at the same time.  A little does go a long way, so despite the £34.50 price tag, I really would like to pick another one of these up.  The pot I had is best suited for combination/dry skin, which was nice on my skin, but I would like to try the Make A Difference Plus Rejuvenating Treatment for combination/oily skin to see how it compares.

What skin care bits have you been loving lately?

The Body Shop Tea Tree Body Wash

I've said it before, but as embarrassing as it is, I'll say it again - I get quite bad body acne.  This said, it's no where near as bad as it once was.  I've done the rounds of tablets from the doctors, and whilst they worked at the time, I've found that my spots always manage to come back.  I was diagnosed with cystic acne on my back and sometimes chest, which the doctor suspects is hormone related.  My spots are back again, but not nearly as bad - just the odd one every so often, with smaller, red bumps in my skin.  Since stopping my tablets, I've added The Body Shop's Tea Tree Body Wash to my shower routine.

I've been using this body wash daily in the shower to wash my back and any other areas that are becoming blemished, and I do think it's doing something good for my skin.  Tea tree is known to have antibacterial and antiseptic properties, which makes it ideal for getting rid of unwanted bacteria and any excess oils on my body - being a sweaty betty, and general oily skinned lady, the body wash is certainly doing a world of good for clearing my back and keeping the really bad spot break outs at bay.

The Body Shop Tea Tree wash itself is really refreshing, and leaves my skin feeling nicely cleansed, but not at all stripped or dry.  It's a green gel, and a little does go a long way!  I think that The Body Shop are kind enough to let you know that, because the packaging is quite tough to squeeze out a mass of body wash.  I've had this since June, and I'm only just starting to think that I need to buy another bottle.  The Body Shop have it priced at £6 a bottle, which for a body wash is more than what I would normally pay - I usually just buy whatever is on offer at the time.  But The Body Shop always have an offer running, and I can usually get this for 40% off!

I'll definitely be repurchasing this, and to be honest, I can't imagine not having a bottle of this in my stash.  If you struggle with body blemishes, I'd definitely recommend giving this a go!  I like to team this body wash with the Boots Tea Tree Back Spray, which I spray onto dry skin after I have got out of the shower.

Have you tried The Body Shop Tea Tree range?

Face Facts: Basic Bronze

And it's back to reality...  I got back from Spain on Saturday after a week of sun and playing in the pool and it's safe to say...England is freakin' hot.  I am as boiling here as I was there, except here it's worse because I don't have air-con or a pool to cool off in!

I kept my make up very minimal on holiday - most days I wore absolutely nothing except an SPF during the day.  We only went out a couple of nights, and my look was very basic, but one that I thought enhanced the sun tan freckles that I had going on...

FACE FACTS

Soap and Glory Glow Job

Benefit Porefessional Primer

Bourjois Bronzing Powder & Highlighting Duo

Bourjois Cream Blush in 05 Pink Sunwear

Rimmel Brow Pencil in Dark Brown

The Body Shop Shimmer Waves in Bronze

The Body Shop Carbon Eye Definer in Brown

Bourjois Liner Feutre in Gold Shine

Maxfactor False Lash Effect Waterproof Mascara

Bourjois 3D Effect Lipgloss in Or Feeric

Real Techniques Contour Brush
Real Techniques Setting Brush

Barry M Gelly Polish in Passionfruit

To start, I applied Soap and Glory Glow Job.  I absolutely love this, and have had this around a year now, so I think it needs to go soon, but it's so nice!  It's a chocolate orange scented moisturiser with bronze beads inside, so when you rub it in, it blends out into a nice sun kissed glow.  The only downside, it comes across mighty shiny on my already oily skin, so I covered with a quick slick of Benefit's Porefessional.  It smoothed over my skin, and also matted down the Glow Job.

I contoured and coloured with the Bourjois Bronzing Powder & Highlighting Duo and the cream blush in Pink Sunwear.  These work really nicely together, and added natural definition and colour to my cheeks.  I used The Body Shop Shimmer Waves for my eyes, taking the individual shades from the waves to add some colour to my eyelids, followed by a smokey slick of the Carbon Eye Definer, and some golden highlights along my lower lash line and top inner corner with the Liner Feutre.  I finished my eyes with the Maxfactor False Lash mascara, and topped the entire look off with a lipgloss - I'm not normally a fan of lipgloss, but I wanted something subtle, yet enhancing for my lips!

And there we have it!  My evening make up for a Summer's night in Spain!

Face Facts: Fresh, Summer Evening Make Up

Woah, hello close up of my face!  I thought today I would share a recent make up look; you may have seen it on my Instagram page, but if you didn't, here is exactly what I used on my face that evening!  I went out for a few drinks with friends, and thought I'd try something a little different; blue liner.

FACE FACTS

Benefit Porefessional Primer

MAC Studio Fix Fluid NW18

Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer in Medium

MAC Mineralise Skin Finish in Medium

MAC Mineralise Skin Finish in Give Me Sun 

Clinique Cheek Pop in Ginger Pop

Urban Decay Naked Palette (Sin, Naked)

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette (Nooner, Darkside)

Topshop Magic Liner in Yonder

Benefit They're Real Mascara

MAC See Sheer Lipstick

Real Techniques Buffing Brush

Real Techniques Pointed Foundation Brush

Real Techniques Setting Brush

Real Techniques Contour Brush

The Body Shop Blush Brush

I was quite pleased with this make up look; even though my base has such a high coverage, I felt surprisingly natural and fresh faced for an evening in town.  I'm not too sure on how I feel about the Barry M Brow Kit at the moment...I've only used it a couple of times and I don't feel convinced on it, especially now, because in these pictures my brows look super light, soft and almost powdery.  I definitely think I prefer a sharper, more defined brow.  My favourite part of the whole look though is the blue eyeliner.  I picked it up from Topshop with the gift card I got for my birthday back in January, and I'm so pleased with it!  

I'll be sure to add some specific reviews of any products used which are not underlined in the face facts list soon so keep checking back, or comment below any products you'd like prioritising!

What do you think?

The Body Shop Camomile Waterproof Eye & Lip Make-Up Remover

This is The Body Shop's Camomile Waterproof Eye & Lip Make-Up Remover*.  I have to admit here and now that I've never really bought into the whole make up remover thing - I usually just wash my face properly with face wash in the bath or shower, and prior to me becoming quite into my skincare routine, I just used face wipes - I know, I don't anymore and they're now banned!

The only eye make up remover I bought before this was the Simple one - it was okay but I was never really taken with it so I didn't get used very much, so I'll say now I didn't have high hopes.  But oh my god, wow.  This is one of those cleansers where you have to shake it to wake it, you can see below that it's a layered solution; one is an oily liquid, and the other is a watery one.  Once shaken, it turns into a milky mixture which is just perfect.

The cap is the only downside - I find it quite difficult to actually get the product out compared to other liquid cleansers that kind of just soak onto the cotton wool.   I think it's because of just how small the hole is in the cap, but I can get by!  I'd still buy this again.

To test the make up, I used my brightest red lip which usually leaves a stain behind, and my Maxfactor False Lash Effect Mascara, teamed with a Body Shop one as well for maximum mascara layers seeing as the only waterproof mascara that I own is my other Maxfactor False Lash effect mascara, which as I said in my previous review here, isn't waterproof.

I was pleasantly surprised.  My lipstick was removed easily, and no red lip was left behind!  I had no staining, and was left with my natural lip colour.  Removing mascara required a little more effort as expected, but just holding the soaked cotton pad over the eyelids for a few seconds allowed for a gentle and effective removal!  I was expecting to have some sort of oily residue left behind, but I couldn't notice anything dramatic, just clean, make up free skin.

So all in all, like the Camomile Cleansing Butter, I love this product and would definitely buy it again.  At £8, it is more expensive than I would normally pay, but as I'm researching more into skin care, I am starting to be willing to pay that little bit extra as you really do get what you pay for.  This is just perfect; simple, effective and will last a while too thanks to the product control from the small cap!

What are you favourite make up removers?  Will you be trying this?

*I received this Eye & Lip Make Up Remover from The Body Shop after winning a Twitter competition

The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter

As promised, here is my first review for The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing range.  This is the Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter* and I have to say, I absolutely love it.  I've never really been a fan of balmy cleansers; I got the RMK Cleansing Balm in a Glossybox before and found it to be far too greasy on my skin, and as I've got oily skin, this worried me.  This is just a perfect balance - it's a bit different texture wise to the RMK balm, that feels more waxy where as I think that this is more creamy which I guess is expected as it's called a Cleansing Butter.  

You literally need a pea sized amount of this cleanser, it just melts in your fingers and applies amazingly well across the skin.  It removes all traces of make up with ease, and because you only need a small amount, I can see it lasting a long time.  It has a clean, fresh, very light floral scent which I personally love because it's not at all overpowering.  On the skin, it looks and feels quite oily so to make sure I removed it all, I did the good old double cleanse, and washed it off in the shower with some face wash.

Having washed it off, I was amazed at just how smooth my skin felt!  I felt amazing, and whilst I haven't noticed any massive skin differences just yet, I absolutely love this Cleansing Butter and couldn't recommend it enough!  It costs £12 in The Body Shop, which is usually more than what I would pay for a cleanser (because I'm a bit tight) but The Body Shop almost always has offers on - the last one I saw was for 40% off everything - so keep your eyes peeled if your purse strings are knotted as tight as mine!

Have you tried any of the Camomile Range?  Will you be trying the Cleansing Butter?

*I received this Cleansing Butter from The Body Shop after winning a Twitter competition.

The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Range

This week I will be sharing with you my thoughts on The Body Shops Camomile Cleansing range.  I was lucky enough to win the range, complete with a muslin cloth, on a Twitter giveaway with The Body Shop.  I have been very lucky lately with my wins on Twitter!

I have been using these since I won them a few weeks back, and am excited to share my thoughts with you!  I received the Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil*, Camomile Waterproof Eye and Lip Make Up Remover* and the Camomile Cleansing Butter*, as well as the Grow Your Own Camomile plant and Muslin Cloth.  Keep checking back, or be sure to be following me on Bloglovin' for instant access to my review on this range!

Have you tried this range yet?  Or have you been lucky on any giveaways lately?

*I received these products from The Body Shop after winning a Twitter competition.