Daily facial scrub: reviews!

Hello lovelies!

Today I've got a review of two morning facial scrubs for you. I'm not a massive fan of exfoliating every day, I think it strips away goodness from my skin so I tend to only use these two or three times a week. My skin type is normal/dry, so I try to avoid anything that's going to tip the balance more towards dry.

First up is this Clean & Clear skin brightening daily facial scrub. This was the second exfoliator that I ever used! I really love the smell of this, which I think is what convinced me to buy it. It just smells of fresh loveliness, and who wouldn't want to smother that all over their face?!

Apart from the smell, I can't really be all that positive about this product. I think it's mostly because it doesn't really go well with my skin type, rather than it being a bad product. I don't mind the consistency or the exfoliating beads, as they're actually quite gentle and not too harsh on the skin. My problem with this is when it comes to washing it off. I just find that it lathers up way more than I expected, and if you put too much on your face, heaven help you. I was in the bathroom for what felt like days once, just trying to get all of this off my face.

After you've got it all off, it actually leaves your skin feeling pretty lovely. But that's only if you've survived the trauma of getting it off. I've enjoyed (the challenge of) using this, but I don't think I'll be repurchasing this! If you have a different skin type to mine, this could be for you though :)

On a slightly more positive note, I've really been loving this Neutrogena pink grapefruit daily scrub. Again the smell is amazing, which is why I bought it. I've also read quite a few recommendations from other bloggers, so I thought I'd just give it a whirl.

The exfoliating beads are a lot more gentle in this product, which I prefer as my skin can be quite sensitive sometimes. I find that sometimes, I have similar issues washing this off my face to what I have with the Clean & Clear scrub, but that's only happened once or twice when I had a few generally really bad skin days. It's got a wonderfully fresh smell which leaves my skin feeling fruity and again, full of loveliness. I can't specify what exactly about this product that make me love it so much more, but I think it's mostly a combination of the smoother consistency and the smell. I use this a few times a week at the most, and I find that it keeps away any dry skin that might be lurking. I think I might repurchase this, although I've still got a long way to go before I have to really consider it!

Have you used either of these two?

I'd love to hear what you're favourite exfoliator is!

n xx

My Essie nail varnishes!

I posted a while back about two other nail varnsih collections that I have, Barry M and 17, and I thought it was time to share my Essie collection with you!

I don't really buy collections, I go by which ever colour takes my fancy, which is why I have so many colours but so few brand collections :)

 left to right

Ballet slippers, Mint candy apple, Exotic liras, Sole mate, Stylenomics, Roack solid base coat, Lady Godiva

I hope you like my collection!

Do you have a favourite colour from the Essie collection?

n xx

Clinique 3-Step introduction kit

Hello lovelies!

As I mentioned in my morning face post, I've been using the Clinique 3 Step skin cleansing routine. I picked it up after a Clinique skin consultation, and this was the set that I picked up. There are several different types according to what skin type you have.

Clinique say:

"3-Step Introduction Kit Skin Type 2

It's easy with the 3-Step Skin Care Introduction Kit. Just 3 minutes, morning and night, to see clear, smooth, radiant skin in about two weeks. Cleanse, exfoliate, moisturise. Dermatologist-developed to meet your skin's needs and custom-fit by Skin Type. Works gently, each step enhancing the next. 

This set includes: 

50ml Liquid Facial Soap

100ml Clarifying Lotion

30ml Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion"

First in the routine is the liquid facial soap (mild), which you simply rub all over your face, then wash off with a damp cotton pad. This is probably my least favourite product of the three, although I like the light and refreshing way it cleans my skin. I don't use this the two times a day that Clinique recommend, only once in the morning. I've found that since I've started using this product, my skin has cleared up really well. I don't have an issue with spots, but I think this has made my skin feel softer and healthier.

From what I've heard about this, I think that the clarifying lotion is quite a controversial product. I think it all depends on your skin type and other products that you use. For me, it works really well. 

"Step 2 in Clinique's 3-Step Skin Care System-and the difference-maker for great skin. Gentle exfoliating lotion developed by Clinique's dermatologists de-flakes to reveal clearer skin. Smoothes the way for moisture."

I think this works so well with the first step because it leaves your skin feeling fresh and squeaky clean. The first few times I used this, it felt so strange in the way that it left my skin tingling. Putting on moisturiser after using this doesn't make you skin feel at all clogged up, if anything it's just refreshing.

There is a version of this for sensitive skin, so even if your skin is sensitive, this might still be good or you to use. I know some people consider it to be too harsh on the skin, but my skin can be fairly sensitive at times and I've not had any problems from this since I started using it over a month ago.

Finally, I've been using the dramatically different moisturizing lotion for quite a few years now. I got it in Glamour ages ago, and I really love it. It's quite a light moisturiser, but surprisingly effective for the consistency that it is. I don't use it regularly as it's meant for particularly dry skin, but I do use it once or twice a week, sometimes more during the winter. Using it one, maybe two for especially dry areas, clears up any dryness in my skin straight away.

As the formula is light, it takes no time at all to sink into your skin, another feature which I love in an evening moisturiser. I've still got some of this left from when it was free in Glamour, so I can't imagine that I'll have to repurchase this any time soon, but I think when the time comes I will!

Have you used any of these? Are you thinking of trying any of them out?

n xx

No7 beautiful skin: review!

Hello lovelies!

As I mentioned before, I've recently been using No7's new(ish) beautiful skin range. I bought all these using the £5 off vouchers, so they're all amazing value in my opinion!

My skin is normal/dry, but I have the cleansing water in normal/oily as I use it just before bed when my t-zone is at it's oiliest. I also bought it before I really knew my skin type, but I prefer it to the normal/dry equivalent.

Radiance exfoliator

I've not delved too deep into the world of exfoliators- this is only one of four that I've tried- but I think I prefer this slightly to the others that I've used. Although it's a smaller size to some others I've bought, I find it much more gentle on my skin. The exfoliating beads aren't too harsh and I think there's quite a nice balance of them in the product. It also feels like less of a gel and more towards the consistency of a moisturiser, which I really like as it doesn't leave my skin feeling like I've just sandpapered it down (I've used one that felt like that, it was horrible!). I don't think I've got especially dull skin, but I did notice that my skin looks and feels especially smooth and healthy on the days that I've been using it.

I think I might be repurchasing this, but probably only when there are more No7 vouchers. There's nothing that puts me off this product, I'm just not wild about exfoliators.

Day cream/ moisturiser

Oh, this. *romantic sigh* I love it, I really do. As I mentioned in my morning face post, I've been using this in my regular skincare routine. This was one of my very first No7 skincare loves. Before this, I'd only had one day moisturiser which wasn't really working for me because it was far too thick and heavy for my skin every morning. I've been using this 3 to 4 months now and it sinks into my skin an absolute dream each morning. I normally would be starting to get worried about the outbreak of dry skin that I get during the colder months, but so far I've only had one minor episode of dry skin on my nose, which is the worst part of my face for dry skin. I'm putting my lack of dry skin down to a mixture of products from my new skin care routine, but mostly down to this little beauty.

As for repurchasing, I can guarantee that I'll be picking up another one of these even if it's at its full price of £12.50. I don't think that'll be for a while yet though, as I've still got quite a lot to get through!

Cleansing water

I've mentioned this before in my lazy evening cleanse post. I really love using this when I'm too lazy to go all of two meters to the bathroom, and as I use it last it leaves my skin feeling fresh and lovely. I don't think I would like this as much just to remove make up with, as I'm not sure it would do the job brilliantly, but I think it works well to remove minimal make up. I think the best thing about this product is how it leaves my skin feeling toned and smelling lovely.

I've actually already repurchased this with the most recent No7 offers that were about. I'm past halfway through it (too many lazy evenings...), and with the vouchers I think this is a really good product to have.

Have you been using any of the No7 beautiful skin range? I'd be really interested to know what you're opinions of the products are if you're a different skin type to me!

n xx

Mini clothes haul!

As I mentioned in my recent Body Shop haul post, I went shopping during a student lockdown at Westfield in Derby. I only picked up a few other things on that trip, but this is what I got!

H&M Lana Del Ray leggins - £9.99

Topshop jumper - £26

Topshop layered necklace - £10

Although I've totally fallen in love with this jumper, I'm not so sure about the leggins. What do you think of them?! I love them and can't decide if I like them at the same time :( let me know what you think of them!

I also really love this necklace. I wasn't sure that I wanted to spend £10 on it, but there was a 20% discount so I thought I'd just go ahead and treat myself to it!

I'm really looking forward to wearing this jumper through Autumn and Winter, it's just so cosy! I recently had to travel home by train, and wearing this while travelling just felt like an eternal hug. I'm so glad I cast aside doubts about the fact that I don't normally buy Topshop clothes, especially now I'm being really careful with money.

Have you had any recent non-beauty buys that you've fallen in love with? I'll include this jumper in an outfit of the day soon so you can see what it looks like :)

n xx

Winter warmth, leaves & a lot of cable knit

Hello lovelies :)

I've got another weekend wishlist for you today- there's so much I want to buy, but I'm being really strict with myself and my student loan is still lasting pretty well! I'm sensing it might be treat time in a few weeks though...

clockwise from top left

Topshop highlighter £10 

H&M cable knit jumper £12.99

Topshop tweed skirt £30

Topshop cable pom pom mittens £10

Accessorize dinky cable snood £16

Accessorize leaf earrings £4

Next black studded wedges £55

Have a gorgeous weekend!

n xx

MAC Studio Sculpt review

A few months ago I picked up this sample from MAC while I was out shopping, mostly because I was looking to invest in a decent foundation of a slightly higher price tag.

I firmly believe that you do normally get what you pay for, and as I've started using foundation on a regular basis, I want to know that what I'm smothering over my face isn't going to make me break out in spots or something equally horrific.

I won't go into full detail of my foundation hunt, but because I'm so pasty pale (thank you, British weather, thank you) I wasn't finding the high street could always go quite the right shade of pasty pale that I am, which is how MAC found me in their presence, pastiness and all.

The very wonderful ladies there matched me to NC15 in the Studio Sculpt foundation, which I had decided to give a whirl after seeing Louise from Sprinkle of Glitter talk about it.

I'll be honest, my first impresions were not too good. The first time I used it, it smelt weird. I liked the coverage, but a bad smell is just not something you want on your face, ever.

The next couple of times I used it, I applied it using my Body Shop foundation brush (which, by the way, is fabulous quality) and it looked somewhat streaky. Don't leap to a false-tan esque effect here, it was nothing so dramatic, as I found it could be gotten rid of by using a foundation sponge being lightly dabbed over.

I then used my Louella foundation brush kit to apply it (oh am I ever in love with those brushes, I might do a post on them soon!) and I found that I could buff it into my skin a hundred times better. I think the body shop foundation brush type just wasn't quite right for the formula.

I would say that it's a light to medium coverage, as it's easy to build up. I don't like anything too heavy that feels like it'll clog up  my pores, but this just has a really nice finish which I find not to be too dewey. It's a perfect second skin for me, although it doesn't cover blemishes much (if at all)- however, that's not what I look for in foundation. That's what I have my beloved Natural Collection concealer stick for.

I've now nearly used up my sample amount, and despite my original opinions, I'm thinking about repurchasing the full 40ml size for £24. However I'm still comparing it to my Benefit Hello Flawless! which is another of my current favourites (and is £24.50 for 30ml).

Have you got a preference between either of these two, or have you ever used Studio Sculpt? I'd love to hear what you think of it if you have!

n xx

Clinique: Pore Refining Solutions review!

When I found myself in the midst of a Clinique skin consultation a while back, one of the things I mentioned feeling self-concious about is the pores on my nose. I've noticed more and more over the last few years how many black heads I have in my nose pores, and they're just about impossible to get rid of entirely. She suggested that I try these out, then I happened to get some samples when I made another purchase. They even came in this super cute little bag!

So here's my reviews of these three products from Clinique's pore refining solutions line :)

instant perfector

I've been using this as part of my everyday morning face routine, and the effect that it gives is to minimise the appearance of pores. I was literally amazed the first time I used this as home. If you've used Benefit's POREfessional, this has a similar effect. If you haven't, it just makes your pores forget they ever even existed. I don't suffer from big pores or anything, but the effect was amazing. I've really been loving this, and as the full size retails at £19 I might be tempted to buy the full size when this is used up, as it's the cheapest of the three.

correcting serum

Again I've been using this as part of my morning face routine. I use this product before the instant perfector, and if I'm going to repurchase any of these three, it'll be this one. I noticed after around a week of using this every day my pores were starting to look different, and before long they were cleared out. Since then, I've had practically no black heads on my nose! The full size is an unfortunate £38, so I'll have to save up for it if I do get it, but I'd like to keep this in my morning face routine :)

stay-matte hydrator

Finally, this is the product of the set that I've been using much less. Instead of using this still as another every day product (somehow using all 3 seemed a little excessive), I've been using it on days when I have a lazy day instead of the other two or when my nose gets exceptionally dry. Although I always moisturise my skin in the morning and most nights, my nose gets especially dry as the weather gets colder and the skin there really benefits from the little bit of extra moisture that this gives. While I do like this product, I prefer the other two. It normally retails at £32, but I think this sample size might last me longer than the other two will anyway.

I've been having a bit of a Clinique craze recently, so I hope you've been liking my reviews on their products!

n xx

Some of my recent beauty buys!

I've picked up quite a few new things over the last few months, as I've had so many vouchers and such. So I got together all the things that I've bought to make a post on! :)

I've linked up most products to where I got them from with the '♥', but some links didn't want to be found! 

Neutrogena visibly clear pink grapefruit daily scrub ♥

The Body Shop pomergranate & raspberry room spray ♥

Aussie take the heat leave-in cream ♥

The Body Shop tea tree blemish fade night lotion ♥

Rimmel wake me up instant radiance shimmer touch in 002 radiant rose ♥

Natural Collection lip liner in buff ♥

No7 lip liner in blush ♥

Rimmel scandaleyes mascara in 001 black ♥

Rimmel lasting finish lipstick in 016 heart breaker ♥

Topshop lipstick in mischief ♥

Essie polish in stylenomics ♥

Essie polish in exotic liras ♥

Chit chat juicy lipstick in damson ♥

Chit chat juicy lipstick in firey red ♥

17 endless shine lip gloss in twinkle toes ♥

collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer ♥

17 lasting fix nail varnish in toasted almond ♥

Barry M varnish in cappucino ♥

MAC eye shadow in era (satin) ♥

MAC eye shadow in woodwinked (veluxe pearl) ♥

The Body Shop matte eye colour in shade 13 ♥

So far, I've not disliked a single one of these products, which I think is pretty good going!

I hope you enjoyed this post :)

n xx

The Body Shop- haul!

Since I've moved away, there's been so many things happening for Freshers. We had two weeks of events in Derby, but I'm not really a going out clubbing kind of person, so I tried to make the most of all the other events. My favourite by far was the student lockdown at the Westfield shopping centre! There were so many discounts and goodie bags! 

I was actually pretty reserved in what I bought, but as the Body Shop is fast becoming one of my favourite shops, I thought I'd show you what I picked up from there during the lockdown  :)

the collection of everything I picked up :)

these are the products the things that I bought to get my goodie bag. I think you had to spend about £15, but there were loads of discounts and offers lurking around that I'm not sure how much I actually spent on these (oops...)

the body butter duo has a review coming soon, it's one of their newer products. I already love their normal body butters, so I was really excited for this.

I've been meaning to pick up a vanilla/natural colour eyeshadow for a while, so I got this to make up the total to get the goodie bag. It's really pigmented, and I've been loving using it as a base with my winged eyeliner.

finally I got this dragon fruit lip butter, which is for a charity. It smells amazing and it benefits charity, how could I possibly resist?

as cute as the little bag of soaps is, I'm sad to report I probably won't be using them. boo :( but someone will probably be getting them in their christmas present, I just happen to be that cheeky!

I'm excited to research into what products I want to use with this little sample pot, which is of a decent size. I'm thinking of getting some of the Vitamin E skincare, but let me know if you have any recommendations!

I knew the Body shop do little make overs and things, but having a quick look through this little booklet has really made me think that I should get myself down there and have a bit more of a play with their make up. I've heard very mixed reviews about their line of make up, so who knows what could happen!

next I picked up this 'love your body card'. Normally costing £5, I was offered it for free! It gets me 10% off my purchases, and you collect stamps with every purchase. Reaching a certain amount of stamps mean you get free gifts, oooh! I'm sure I'll be reviewing some of the things that I get free, especially as I'm not sure whether I even get to choose it :)

The tea tree oil range of products is one that I'm completely in love with, but I've not tried the normal oil formula before. I'm excited to give it a whirl, especially as I've been having more skin problems than normal (I'm pretty sure it's just from stress of living by myself!).

a few samples were also thrown in... I'm not sure that I need the bits that are for signs of aging, but they look lovely all the same!

I practically squealed with joy for these! Cranberry joy hand warmers. I swear by cranberries, be it eating them, drinking them, smelling them. Anything!

 I get really cold hands in the winter- they even go blue sometimes! :( these are heated in the microwave then put into your coat pockets, so I can't wait for it to get a little colder so that I can start using them!

Finally is this bag, which everything came in. I think it's so cute, I really love it! I'm turning into a little bit of an anti-plastic shopping bag person, mostly because I can't reuse them here like I did at home, so I've been using this so often :)

I hope you enjoyed this post! Have you been loving any Body Shop products recently?

n xx

Autumn nails!

Autumn is my favourite season, so I've recently treated myself to a few new nail colours for this season. These are some of the ones that I'm going to be wearing on my nails over the next few months :)

from left to right

Barry M - red black

H&M - doesn't have a colour name or number :(

Barry M - cappucino

Avon - midnight blue

Essie - stylenomics

Topshop - ice crush (over stylenomics)

The Essie polish is one from the new Autum collection out in Boots and Superdrug, as soon as I saw it I knew I had to have it! I think I'll be picking up a few more from the line, I'm really loving the colours :)

Have you got any favourite colours for this time of year? 

n xx

My morning face

If someone would have told me a year ago that I'd be smothering a mixture of all these onto my face every morning, I would have laughed at them. I never used to believe in all the hype of all these products, but recently a few shopping sprees led to this routine, and I can feel how much my skin has benefited from it :)

If you're interested in my evening skin routine, I've done a review on Liz Earle cleanse and polish and also a lazy evening cleanse post.

As I mentioned in this post, I recently went to a few Clinique events which it led to me purchasing their 3 step routine. I have it for dry combination skin, and I've really fallen in love with it. I picked up the three products altogether (which is advisable if you're looking to buy these, as it's around £60 to buy the individual full sizes, and only £20 to try the set out), but step three is an evening moisturiser so I just use these two in the morning. I'm writing a review for them soon, so if you're interested keep your eyes peeled for it!

These essentially clean and clarify my skin before I apply moisturiser. Some days I switch the liquid face soap for a daily face scrub, just to make sure that I'm not leaving dead skin on my face, but I'm really in love with the clarifying lotion at the moment.

I picked up this moisturiser a while back during one of the many No7 offers that Boots have on. I was looking for a day moisturiser that was lighter than the previous Nivea one I had. This one was exactly what I was looking for. It doesn't feel like it clogs up my pores, and it even has a really nice smell that most No7 products have.

I'll definitely be repurchasing this, even if it's full price (I think it's £12.50), because I think it works well with my skin. I love the No7 skincare, it's just so affordable and is just an all round brilliant buy.

I'm thinking I might do a review of all the Body Shop tea tree products, I'm just that in love with them. This blemish gel is one of the products from the range that I've been using the longest, and if I put it on a spot when I do my morning/ evening cleanses, it's gone within a day. This stuff is one of my holy grail items! I don't get that many spots but I've been having a stressful time recently what with moving away to uni, so I've been so glad to have this around. 

As for vaseline... I wouldn't say I love it, as I use so many different types of lip product, but it's handy to have there on mornings when my lips need it.

Sorry about the sudden light change, it just got so cloudy in a matter of seconds!

I've been liking this Benefit b.right! skincare eye cream (you can read a review here). It's been making a real difference to the dark circles under my eyes, although nothing drastic has happened to them. That would just be magic. I'm thinking that I might repurchase this, although it is a little more than I'd like to spend. Any suggestions for eye creams that are slightly cheaper would be lovely to hear!

Finally, I use a mixture of these two pore refining solutions over my nose area. I've felt like I needed something for that area of my face just recently, so when I went to my Clinique consultation I mentioned it. She suggested these and then I was lucky enough to get these mini sized products free when I bought my 3 step routine! I think I'll be repurchasing one of these... the real question is trying to decide which one. 

I got a set of 3 pore refining solutions products, so I'll be doing a review on them soon :)

So that's my morning face routine! I hope you enjoyed it, and I'd love to know any products that you could recommend for me to try out.

I've really been enjoying making these skin routine posts, I hope you've liked reading them!

n xx

Soap & Glory concealer review!

I've been hunting for a new concealer for the last few months, as up until now I've found it very difficult to be parted from my beloved Natural Collection corrector stick. While I'm not going to rave about this as a concealer, I'm happy to say that I haven't wasted my money buying it.

The first few times I used it, I wasn't that sure the best way to apply a liquid concealer, as I'm not a massive fan of them so have avoided them in the past. I applied it in so many different ways and with different applicators that I lost count. For me, this just doesn't work as a concealer. I know I have heavy duty circles under my eyes that aren't covered easily, but I felt that all this did was cover slightly and highlight the area in all the wrong ways.

I let this fall to the back of my make up drawer for about a month before deciding that I was going to take the plunge and use it however I could to use it up. There's nothing I hate more than not getting what I paid for. I began to put this under my eyes still, but under the outer corner instead, and blending it down to meet with my highlighter. I've found that I really like the effect it gives on that part of my face! I dab a little to leave a lighter and dewey finish that gives the appearance that I'm slightly more awake. I might even repurchase this, as I've started using it in my daily make up routine.

Hindsight has taught me that I should have tried the kick ass concealer instead, so I'll definitely be picking that up soon. On another plus note, I do really like the packaging and you get a decent amount in the tube (unlike the teeny tiny collection 2000 ones).

Have you tried this at all? Or maybe you've know of some magical concealer that I should be trying for my under eye area? :)

n xx

Lazy evening facial cleanse!

I have so many evenings when I feel far too lazy to stumble all of a few meters to the bathroom (don't worry, I know how so super super lazy I am!) to use my Liz Earle cleanse and polish -I did a review here. Most of the time I do make the effort, but now I have my new make up layout in student accommodation I have these few products lurking temptingly close...

I chose these as my 'lazy' routine because I don't like using face wipes, they always leave me feeling like I haven't quite taken all my make up off properly.

First off I use a Body Shop 'Aloe calming facial cleanser' for sensitive skin. I found this lurking around at home before I moved out, and I'm the only one who will use it! I really like this, especially as it's more of a cream than a liquid, and it removes my make up really well while not leaving my skin feeling dried out which I do often find to be a problem. 

I use the Body Shop organic cotton pads with this because I really love the size that they are. I don't wear inches thick make up, but they are great to just make sure that you're really cleansing your face properly.

Next I tend to take off my eye make up, for which I use the Body Shop 'Camomile gentle eye make up remover'. If you haven't tried this, I can't recommend it enough. It's never made my eyes sting, and it does a really good job even on waterproof mascara. Before I hopped onto the Liz Earle bandwagon, I was using this. I've not found anything that works quite as well for me, and I think I might even go back to it when I've finished the cleanse & polish!

Finally, I've been finishing off the cleanse part of my lazy make up routine with the No7 beautiful skin cleanser. Although I have normal to dry skin, I use the normal to oily for anything in the evening. But why, I hear you cry in horror! I have an oily t-zone which gets super dry sometimes, so I use this just to get off that excess oil for when I then moisturise. I know cleansing twice might seem strange, but I find it very relaxing to do.

I hope you've enjoyed this post! I'm trying to post something of a mini series of all my various skincare routines, so the moisturiser and such that I use will be coming in another post shortly :)

I love doing this while I'm relaxing with a hot chocolate and watching something before I go to bed and now I don't even have to move to do it! The height of laziness, I know.

I hope you're all enjoying autumn as much as I am! 

n xx