December Beauty Favourites

L'Occitane En Provence Hand Cream

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Skin Protectant 

L'Oreal True Match Foundation in Ivory

Benefit Porefessional Primer

Bourjois Liner Feutre Eyeliner Pen

The very cold winter has well and truly had a negative effect on my skin this year. My lips have been exceptionally chapped, my hands bone dry, my skin dry and flaky and my makeup has developed a disappearing act. 

Every year there are a handful of products I reach for to help me through the frosty months and the king of them all is the Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Skin Protectant. This stuff saves my lips every time, a small amount on my lips left overnight works miracles. I have very very dry lips and a tendency to chew on them, so this makes sure I get the moisture I need and also helps with the healing of all those chew marks. 

My hands are another area that need a little TLC over winter. I cannot stand the feeling of dry hands and I've been keeping this Jasmine scented L'Occitane hand cream on my desk at all times. It soaks in super quickly so I can keep typing and working away without the usual greasy hands. 

As for my makeup, my foundation has been an absolute nightmare due to my dry and uneven skin. I wrote a review of the Benefit Porefessional a couple of months ago and I wasn't that impressed. In the summer, this did nothing but make my face feel dry and tight, but oddly enough, it works wonders in the winter. I notice a massive difference using this under my current favourite foundation, the L'Oreal True Match. The two together help to achieve a flawless base that covers my many imperfections and allows my makeup to stay in place for much longer. 

The final beauty favourite of the month is the Bourjois Liner Feutre Eyeliner pen. I can't even begin to describe how much I love these things. I recently saw them on offer in Superdrug and I ended up buying 3 different ones! They are so easy to use, don't drag on the eyelid and have amazing pigmentation. 

What beauty products have you been loving in December? Anything new in your collection that you think will become a firm favourite? 

5 Skin Care Products To Pamper Winter Skin

When winter rolls around we always start to look for the best skincare products to breath life back into our skin. The harsh, winter wind can strip your skin of all it's moisture, so it's important to make sure your products are as moisturising as possible. 

There are various beauty products out there that claim to inject moisture back into the skin, but here are a few I like to use to pamper myself during the colder winters. 

If you're at a loss as to what products are best for you, natural skin care is always a great place to start. Lush and Origins are two of my favourite natural skin care brands and I always turn to them for an emergency moisture hit. The Origins Drink Me Up Overnight Mask has quickly become a winter essential, when applied before bed it can work miracles whilst you sleep. In the morning you'll wake up with plump, moisturised skin. The Lush Dream Cream is an all over body moisturiser that, I again, like to use before bed time. It can be a little sticky, which is why I like to apply a thin layer before putting my pyjamas on. Both work wonders overnight and your guaranteed to wake up with healthier looking skin.

Another natural skin care brand, The Body Shop, has some amazing products for healthy skin. In the winter I like to switch from a milk cleanser to a more robust balm cleanser. The one I'm currently using is The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter. I find that cleansing balms have the right oils in them to really add some added moisture to my skin during the colder months. 

When I need that last shot of moisture before leaving the house, I like to use the Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream and the Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Skin Protectant. The Origins eye cream freshens up my eyes and makes sure that the delicate skin is well and truly cared for. As for The 8 Hour Skin Protectant, it is my essential lip product, it's what I reach for when the cold has well and truly ravaged my lips. One layer of this left over night will insure you wake up with healthy moisturised lips. 

What are your winter skincare essentials? Do you suffer with very dry skin in the colder weather? 

New In: Skincare, Makeup & Hair

Whilst out getting some much needed Christmas shopping, I may have stumbled into Boots and The Body Shop and my debit card may have fallen out and into the card machine. I can't seem to buy presents for other people without buying something for myself, but I needed at least half of these things (so that's ok, right?). 

As I write this I'm waiting to head out and get my hair coloured and cut for the first time in forever. I used to get a bright red colour done at the hairdressers every 6-8 weeks, but then I became a student and the funds went a little downhill. Now I'm back in the working world and I want to get a bit more fun with my hair colour. However, with bright colour comes much responsibility, so I picked up one of my favourite hair masks, the Charles Worthington Melting Balm. This stuff is truly amazing and since I haven't had a cut for a while, my hair is in much need of some TLC.

Whilst perusing down the hair isle I picked up a small bottle of the Toni & Guy Sea Salt Texturising Spray. With my hair being a bit shorter these days, I find that I turn to the messy look a lot in times of need. I've been wanting to try a sea salt spray for a while so thought I'd give Toni & Guy a shot.  

It was 3 for 2 in Boots so I spent an extremely long time having a look for something else to add to my shopping basket. Finally I settled on a Sleek Eau La La Liner in Venom. I seem to be collecting a lot of lip liners recently and I find the Sleek liners really buttery and pigmented, so I can't wait to give this a good test run. 

Finally I picked up the Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter after hearing nothing but good reviews about it. I've recently run out of my Neutrogena Grapefruit wash and I had a lovely O2 code for The Body Shop, so I thought I'd finally pick it up. 

I'm now on a bit of a spending ban till payday but with my birthday coming up and half my Christmas presents already bought, I'm hoping to do a bit more 'me' shopping. 

Have you bought anything shiny and new recently? Do you have trouble shopping for other people without spending money on yourself? 

Top 5 Things Blogging Has Taught Me About Skincare

Before I started blogging, my skincare routine consisted of the occasional makeup wipe and a frothy cleanser. I didn't even think about what my skin type was or what products would keep my skin in the best condition, it was just, take makeup off, go to bed, kind of deal. 

Now I've read so many posts about skincare and researched into skin types so many times I feel like I'm all clued up. The world of skincare is definitely a confusing place and if you have sensitive skin like me, it can be a minefield. Luckily I'm surrounded by amazing bloggers who have imparted skincare wisdom, I've learnt so much in my 2 years blogging so here are my top 5 skincare tips. 

1. Always take your makeup off before bed - It seems like a fairly logical thing to do, but for years I didn't bother. I would go to sleep after school with a full face of makeup and then the next morning, jump in the shower and scrub the majority of it off. I never really suffered with blemishes in school, despite my poor skincare, but I think I'm paying for it now. 

2. Frothy cleansers are a no no for my combination skin - This may not be the case for everybody and I'm sure there are frothy cleansers out there that work for combination skin. However, as a rule of thumb when buying my cleanser, I tend to stay away from them. All the frothy cleansers I've used in the past have stripped my skin, leaving it feeling dry and tight. Since switching to cleansing milks and cream cleansers I've noticed a huge difference in how healthy my skin looks. 

3. Less is more - There are people out there that tell you to cleanse, tone, spray some other fancy stuff on your skin, then add a serum, then spray again, then moisturise. I tried that many times and for me, the less product I applied to my skin the less breakouts I got and the better my skin looked. You don't have to buy into the many toners, mists, elixirs etc that skincare brands offer, find 2 or 3 main products that work for you and go from there. 

4. You don't have to pay top dollar - Some might say that the higher the price, the better the product, that isn't always the case. Yes, I have found that the higher priced skincare products have a lower chance of reacting with my skin, but that doesn't mean I can't find amazing drugstore products that don't react and give amazing results. It may take a lot of trial and error, but there are some amazing, reasonably priced skincare products out there on the high-street. 

5. A flannel is your friend - I have my fair share of muslin cloths, but to be honest, a good old fashioned flannel is just as effective. There is nothing wrong with using a flannel to remove your cleanser, it does pretty much the same job, minus a tiny amount of the exfoliation properties of a muslin cloth. 

Luckily for me I discovered skincare posts, otherwise I don't know what my skin would be like. It's so important to find out what products work for your skin and once you do, you'll see the results immediately.  Let me know in the comments what skincare products you are loving at the moment and if you have any skincare tips of your own!

Top 3 Cream Cleansers For Every Budget

Throughout the last 3 years I've been through various financial stages, ranging from 'Very poor student', 'Part-time worker' to 'In the money'. These varying budgets have allowed me to really take a look at what I can get for my money, and have I found some amazing cleansers. 

Starting with the cleanser for bigger budgets, it's the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish. This cleanser is right up there as one of my all time favourite cleansers. As someone with sensitive skin, I can find it difficult to find a cleanser that doesn't cause a reaction. With the Cleanse & Polish I don't need to worry, it gets off every speck of makeup and is extremely soothing and calming on the skin. If you're wondering if a cleanser can ever be as good as the hype suggests, this can. Price: £13.50-£24.75 for 100ml-200ml

For people with a slightly more modest budget, the Burt's Bee's Sensitive Facial Cleanser is like a slightly less powerful Cleanse & Polish. Burt's Bee's Cleanser and Cleanse & Polish have a very similar thick and creamy consistency, neither are foamy and keep all the moisture locked into your skin. Once again this is a super calming yet effective cleanser, not quite as great at getting off stubborn makeup, but definitely a slightly cheaper alternative to the Liz Earle. Price: £9.99 for 170g

For when I'm a little more strapped for cash, I head for the Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Cream Wash. I have nothing but love for Neutrogena, I've never had a bad reaction to any of their products (which I do frequently with other 'spot' fighting products) and the Pink Grapefruit Cleanser is extremely refreshing and calming. I've noticed a huge difference in how clear my skin is whilst using this twice a day and I haven't noticed it stripping my skin either. Price: £4.99 150ml

Finding cleansers for sensitive skin is hard enough as it is, but hopefully there is a cleanser here that suits your budget and will serve you well. It just goes to show that you don't have to get out a mortgage to keep your skin in tip top condition. 

What are your top cleansers? Do you suffer with sensitive skin and find it hard to find trusty skincare? 

Skin Confidence

Unless you are one of those incredibly lucky people who have clear perfect skin, you will probably have days when you can't wait to pile the makeup on. I'm one of those people, I have good skin days (rarely) and bad skin days (most days) but for some reason I've never been overly self-conscious about my skin. 

I suffer with blemishes, as you can probably see from the image above, I always have at least one red spot making an appearance. Usually once I've managed to get rid of one, another one pops up somewhere else. It's only as I've hit my 20's that my skin has decided to break out the spot party and invite all of its friends. 

Despite this blemishy problem, I'm still not overly fussed about covering them up. If I'm doing a full face of makeup for work or I'm going out, then I'll break out the concealer, but most days I'll be bare faced. So what's the secret to skin confidence? Honestly, I have no idea. If I had to put a pin in my own confidence, it probably lies in the fact that I could not care less what people think of my skin, that and I'm pretty lucky to not have big bags or discolouration. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a confident person, I do wonder what people are thinking about me as I walk down the street. The way I see it, is that my skin has a mind of its own, I do what I can to keep it happy but some things are just out of my control. That confidence and knowledge that I'm treating my skin nicely and keeping it clean and moisturised is enough for me. 

So if you want to be skin confident, try giving in to the fact that some things are out of your control. Accept that your skin will do what it wants and take comfort in that you are giving it everything it needs. 

Micellar Waters: Worth The Hype?

This time last year we were all just starting to hear about micellar waters and how they were set to change our lives. Now it seems like every beauty brand on the shelves has got their own version of cleansing water. The question still remains though, are they as fantastic as we all make them out to be?

Before cleansing waters I would go through packs and packs of cleansing wipes to take off the days makeup. It was a case of trial and error when it came to picking the right wipes for me (a lot of error), as my super sensitive skin is very picky about what chemicals I shove on it.

One day whilst doing my usual YouTube watching, I heard about the miracle that is Bioderma, a magical water that melts away makeup gently, and the catch? It was pretty difficult to get your hands on, as it wasn’t sold in the UK. So without the access to Bioderma I went back to my wipes.

Not too long into the future L’Oreal released their very own version, an affordable alternative, which was just as gentle and just as effective. This is still my favourtie out of all of the high-street releases; it is very nearly (but not quite) on par with Bioderma’s makeup melting ability. I have heard some people say that it dries out their skin, but on me it’s completely fine. After that more and more brands released micellar waters and now I’m spoilt for choice!

I’ve tried a fair few over the past couple of months and all have been effective in taking my makeup off and I’ve not had skin reactions to any of them. The least effective of the bunch was the Vichy Sensitive Skin water, it wasn’t terrible but it did struggle with taking stubborn makeup off. In second place it’s the Garnier water, a fierce rival of the L’Oreal with equal makeup removing ability. My problem with the Garnier water is that it dries my skin out a little bit, not so much that it would be a problem but it does make my skin feel a little tight.

Despite the high-street brands trying to live up to Bioderma, and some getting pretty darn close to being equal competitors, Bioderma still reigns supreme. Nothing I’ve tried has been as effective at removing makeup as this guy and even though it’s a little pricier and hard to get hold of it’s worth every penny.  

Burt's Bees Sensitive Facial Cleanser Review

Finding a relatively cheap facial cleanser that doesn't aggravate my sensitive skin always feels like the mission of a lifetime. If you are also a sensitive soul, you will be able to understand the constant disappointment and frustration when you purchase a nice shiny new cleanser, only to have it turn your face into a sore, blotchy mess. 

Since my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish ran out I've been through about 3 different cleansers that I had to throw out immediately. I saw the Burt's Bees Sensitive Facial Cleanser whilst making a large order on Look Fantastic and having heard good things about Burt's Bees other products; I thought I'd give it a shot.  

You get a fair amount of product for your money, 170g worth, and it lasts for just over a month, depending on how heavy handed you are with your tube squeezing. It's a thick and creamy consistency so you don't really need a massive dollop to cleanse your entire face. It smells exactly like cotton, not surprising considering it states very clearly that it's made with cotton extract.

This saved my poor sensitive skin after I used the Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser, which made the skin around my nose and eyes really red and sore. I felt like this was immediately soothing and moisturising when I first applied it and since using it my skin is in much better shape. This works amazingly well on combination/dry skin and since my skin has started to get a little oilier, I have found that it does control the oil for a reasonably long time, but does start to get a little oily in the evening. As for makeup removal, it's not quite on par with the Cleanse and Polish, but I am impressed with its makeup melting ability. It removes the bulk of the makeup, but you might want to give your eyes a once over with a makeup remover to get any excess off. 

I really love this cleanser, it is a great cleanser if you have particularly sensitive skin as it's fragrance free and hypoallergenic and at £9.99 it is reasonably priced.

Have you tried any Burt's Bees face products? Do you suffer with very sensitive skin? 

Face Masks To Renew & Hydrate

I have to admit I'm not a big lover of face masks, I have to be super careful because of my sensitive skin and I always find that I'm forever being let down by them. Never the less I'm a sucker for good publicity and these guys have had nothing but. I don't have a great deal of specific skin problems so all I really need for a good pamper sesh is a hydrating mask when my skin is a little dehydrated, and a good exfoliating mask to rejuvenate.

What I love the most about these two is that I haven't been disappointed by them, they've served me well and for that I bow down to them. The Origins Drink Up-Intensive Overnight Mask is a thick and luxurious treat. I tend to stick with this in the winter when my skin is really dry and needs a little help, but occasionally I'll whack it out in the summer for a little pampering (that whole sentence didn't sound appropriate, I apologise). It continuously gives me plump and hydrated skin the morning after and in the colder months it's an essential in the nighttime routine. 

The REN F10 Smooth and Renew Mask is a great way to get exfoliating if you have very sensitive skin and find scrubs a bit harsh. This gel mask is extremely thick and sticky but leaves the skin looking brighter and renewed after use. It has a strange citrus smell to it, which some people may love but I'm not overly keen. But in the cases of facemasks it's how they work not how they smell that is the main factor. 

What face masks are a must have in your skincare routine? Do you care about the smell of masks or is it substance over style? 

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

During my little trip home I have had to come to terms with the fact that I am a hoarder. I keep skincare that I either don't like or that simply doesn't work for me and I have no idea why. I'm like a squirrel of the beauty world, hiding various masks, cleansers and treatments in cupboards all around the house 'just in case'. I've managed to dig out a few that I've been clinging on to and I think it's time to grit my teeth and say goodbye. 

In my bathroom cabinet of skincare wonders I found a cleanser that I bought around Christmas time, the Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser. This is a gel based cleanser with the promise of giving you blemish free skin. Unfortunately for me it made the skin around my nose dry and flaky and it started to crack, creating a very red and sore little nose. Nowhere on the bottle does it say that it's not suitable for sensitive skin, so I went in all guns blazing. It does give you a lovely fresh feeling when you've washed it off but other than that it's pretty unusable for me. 

Next we have a cult product throughout the blogging community, the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo. This was one of the many things I bought because of YouTuber/blogger hype. The promise of a miracle skin clearing cream was too tempting for me and I rushed out to take advantage of the buy one get one free offer at Boots. I put a thin layer on my blemish-ridden face and went to bed with the hope of waking up to clearer skin, I was bitterly disappointed. I'm prone to blackheads and the occasional white head but I awoke that morning to my fair share of white heads. I thought about the whole 'purging the skin' theory and continued to use it hoping it would start working soon, it did not. I recently tried to give it another shot to redeem itself but it now stings if I put it anywhere near blemishes. 

Then we have a clay mask from one of my favourite skincare brands, Liz Earle. I wanted a clay mask that would lift all those nasty blackheads out of my gigantic pores. I trust Liz Earle as a brand so went straight to the counter to look for the Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask. I'd just like to pause here to admit something; the fact that this product didn't agree with my skin is entirely my own fault. It states clearly on the packaging that this isn't suitable for sensitive skin, but I was so determined to make it work for me I bought it anyway. Fast forward to today and I've used it about 4 times, it stings like crazy and makes my face super sensitive and sore, not to mention a little on the red side. This is a lesson to always listen to what the packaging tells you, they aren't lying to you so don't be a stubborn mofo like I was. 

And finally it's another item I bought due to being swept up in hype, the Clarisonic Mia. I got this in a rather funky Mango colour in the sale, again I was looking for something to clear out those blackheads and give me smooth radiant skin. It did nothing, absolutely nothing. The brushes are hard to clean, it doesn't make your skin look any different and it constantly needs charging. Since I came home I thought I'd give it a second chance. It's just under 2 years old now and I plugged it in ready for it to take a fairly long time to charge seeing as I haven't use it in forever. It continued to buzz and vibrate with no charge light for a good 2 hours and when I googled my problem, it turns out constant buzzing means dead battery. The only way to fix it is to buy a brand new Clarisonic. I don't know if it's just me but when I spend £90 on a product I would like it to last a little longer than 2 years, especially when it's hardly used! Not a happy bunny.

So it is the end of the line for these guys, the rubbish bin awaits their arrival. It's always disappointing when a product doesn't work like you expect it to, even worse if you spend a lot of money on it; I'm looking at you Clarisonic. But there has to come a time when you have to admit it's just not working and your relationship has come to an unfortunate and disappointing end. 

Have you tried any of these products? Have you had better look with them or is it a 'it's not me, it's you situation?

New Skincare Additions

My skin has been horrendous these past couple of months, I blame the amount of stress I've been under and in no way blame the copious amounts of chocolate and cake I've been eating. I've also been a little short on funds so I've had to use skincare that wasn't really fully working for my skin. But recently my face got to a point where I had to make a stand and splash out on some emergency skincare. 

In times of need I always find myself gravitating towards the Liz Earle counter in John Lewis. I've used Cleanse and Polish multiple times in the past and it is firmly in my top 3 cleansers of all time. It is perfect for my sensitive skin, it never fails to make my combination skin hydrated and looking in tiptop condition. This time I thought I'd better invest in the bigger 200ml version as I feel this bad skin is going to take a fair bit of time to get back into good shape. 

Next I popped on over to Boots to pick up some more micellar water, I prefer micellar water for taking off my makeup as I find it does a better job than makeup wipes and doesn't dry my skin out. I usually stick with the trusty L'Oreal micellar water but this time I thought I'd give Garnier's version a go. I usually stay away from Garnier skincare as I've had reactions to some of their cleansers and moisturisers in the past, but I bravely used this with pretty positive results, no swollen faces so far. 

And finally I picked up a moisturiser from John Lewis; I always try and go for products with natural ingredients as I find them less risky for my sensitive skin. Because I splashed out a bit more on my cleanser I went for a fairly cheap moisturiser. I chose the Organic Surge Blissful Daily Moisturiser and I've been using it for the last few days. I have to say that I'm not overly sure on it so far, but do not fear I plan to do a little review after I've given it a good run. 

Hopefully this little group of products will save me from this nightmare I'm having. I have also cut down on the sugary snacks, much to my dismay, so hopefully the full combo will have me back to good skin health in no time. 

Helping Hands

Well I don't know what the weather is like where you guys are but here in pleasant Cardiff, Wales it is rather windy. This cold, bitter wind is playing havoc with my skin, not just on my face, which feels like a prune, but with my poor little hands. 

When I get dry hands it's like nails on a chalkboard, the feeling of dry hands makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. That is why I have a hand cream within reaching distance wherever I am. In fact I think I have one in every room, every pocket and every bag just in case dry granny hands should strike. It has taken me many years to sift out the lack lustre products from the Pièce de résistance of hand creams. 

On days when my hands are soaking up any moisture I give to them, I reach for the Neals Yard Bee Lovely hand cream. It can be a tad bit greasy so I tend to use this as a night hand cream. If you fancy a bit of luxury but need a non greasy formula so that you may go about your day, the beauty lover favourite L'Occitane Shea Butter hand creams smell absolutely devine and soak in quickly. For a quick shot of moisture, my most recent find is the Lush Dream Cream. This cream is for body and hands, it has a very spicy scent and soaks in super quickly. It isn't overly moisturising so I like to use this when I need a bit of added moisture throughout the day. And finally we have the affordable wonder. Soap & Glory Hand Food smells amazing and comes in a large or travel size tube. It isn't greasy in the slightest and soaks in quickly, perfect for storing in your handbag during a busy day.

What do you look for in a hand cream? Non-greasy, perfumed, un-scented?

Beauty Favourites of 2013

This video has been a long time coming but it is finally here! I wanted to be a bit more creative with my yearly favourites, yes it is very helpful when people sit in front of the camera and talk for 15 minutes about their favourite products, but it gets a bit samey. I wanted to have fun with it, make it interesting to watch and hopefully I achieved that. I had a lot of products to share as well and I thought that this was a better style to fit everything in to one video. 

In case you can't be bothered to watch the video or maybe you're just in the wrong place at the wrong time, here's a list of all the products featured in this video. I have spoken about all of these at some point so I didn't want to go through every single one, I'd end up just repeating myself! I'll put links in if I have written or filmed a review on the product so you can go and check it out in detail.

Skincare:

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm 

Origins Night-A-Mins Night Cream 

L'Oreal Micellar Water

Superdrug Tea Tree Nose Strips

Bases:

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

Revlon Photoready BB Cream

Blushers & Bronzers:

The Body Shop Honey Bronzer

Rimmel Blush in Pink Rose

NYX Blush in Taupe

Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Hollow

Eyeshadows:

Naked Palette

Maybelline Color Tattoo in On and On Bronze

Eyeliner:

Rimmel Glam Eyes Liquid Liner

Maxfactor Liquid Effect Kohl Liner

Maybelline Gel Liner

Mascara:

Benefit They're Real Mascara

Chanel Le Volume De Chanel Mascara

Lipstick:

MAC Hang-Up

Rimmel Dark Night Waterl-Oops!

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Nudist

Maybelline Baby Lips Cherry Me

Let me know what your favourties were in 2013! Or you can tweet me at @Lilacghosts! 

Origins GinZing Moisturiser

The Origins GinZing moisturiser was one of those hyped up beauty releases that everybody wanted to get their hands on. It claims to 'Jumpstart hydration levels' and 'revitalise to create a healthy, vibrant glow'. I'd never tried the coveted GinZing eye cream, so the release of this fresh and fruity moisturiser went straight over my head.

I was recommended this by the very friendly and bubbly sales guy, I have combination/oily skin in the summer (when I purchased this) and the oil-free label appealed greatly. I wanted something that wouldn't make my t-zone oilier than it already is and would also hydrate my dry cheeks. I love the lightweight texture and my skin really drinks it up. 

However, and this is a pretty big however, I wasn't overly impressed with it as a day moisturiser. If you have super duper oily skin than I think this would be great, but as someone that has dry areas, it just didn't really do much. I didn't notice any extra 'glow' after applying and it just didn't give the hydration my face needed, especially during the transition into the winter months.

The orange smell is amazing and it really is nice if you want a really light weight moisturiser that soaks in like water. I'm just a bit dissapointed that it didn't live up to my expectations after all the hype. 

Have you tired Origins GinZing moisturiser? Do you think it's worth all the hype surrounding it?  

Winter Skincare Essentials ❄

During the summer months my face turns into an oil slick, my cheeks always stay a little drier than my T-Zone, but generally it's fairly oily. When the winter months roll around, my skin gets super dry and flaky. This means I have to have some emergency products in my cupboards to pump my skin full of lovely moisture. 

The Mask

This year I've been loving the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask. This not only smells heavenly, but really gives your face the moisture it's craving. I always wake up after applying this to plump and hydrated skin. It doesn't completely erase the flakiness, but it definitely helps.

The Night Cream

On days when I don't use the overnight mask, I love to use the Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins Night Cream. This also smells amazing but is also nice and thick and nourishing, perfect to give your face a bit of night time loving. My skin drinks this up and my skin always feels happier in the morning. 

The Body Moisturiser

I make no secret of the fact that I am one of the laziest humans you will ever encounter, the Vaseline Spray & Go Body Moisturiser is therefore my body moisturiser of choice. I don't know about you guys, but I tend to get sleepier in the winter and therefore I need a quick hit of moisture before I collapse into bed. This smells amazing and gives my skin that little bit of extra moisture it needs. 

The Hand Cream

I'm a bit of a connoisseur of hand creams, I pretty much have a different hand cream in every bag and pocket and on every shelf. The L'Occitane Hand Cream in Passionate Jasmine has been the one I've been reaching for the most this winter, it smells divine and soaks in super quick, so no greasy hand issues. 

The Lip Treatment 

The Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Skin Protectant has been my choice of intensive lip treatment for about 2 years now. Elizabeth Arden also do a specific lip balm version in the 8 hour collection, but I love this for a really intensive night treatment for the lips. It's super thick but the next morning your lips look and feel more plump and hydrated.

What are your skin care essentials to survive the winter months?

Soap & Glory Sit Tight Body Firming Serum

 

Having nice firm skin always makes a difference to how we look and feel, but actually getting it can be tricky. I've now reached the point where I'm pretty happy with my weight, but I'd just like to tone up. Toning the muscles underneath the skin is pretty straight forward, however the stubborn orange peel and cellulite like to stick around no matter what. 

I decided I would get a little help from a firming specific product, I've used many in the past such as Dove and Avon and found that they were alright but not quite good enough. I read a lot of reviews about the Sit Tight Firming Serum before I bought it, as it is a little on the pricey side.

It comes in a fairly generous size, 125ml, which is more than enough to last a good few uses. The applicator on the end of the bottle is rounded and has 3 metal roller balls, these are supposed to help stimulate circulation and reduce cellulite. I personally find the roller ball application to be a bit tricky, you have to give the tube a good squeeze to be able to get the product out, usually too much squirts out because you've been squeezing so hard. I usually squeeze out the product onto my skin and use my hands to massage it in, the roller balls don't really disperse the product very evenly.

The actual product is not too thick but not too runny, you only need a small amount to cover a large area. It soaks into the skin fairly quickly but it does leave you feeling a little sticky. You really do have to make sure you don't put too much of this on, I found that if I put a lot on, my skin would get really itchy. At first I thought I might be having a reaction, but the next day I used it again but put less on and it was fine. It does make your skin feel cold and after a while it starts to tingle, I like to put this on before bed as I would be constantly distracted by the feeling if I put it on in the day. 

As for the results, well I definitely noticed a difference in the firmness of my skin but my orange peel didn't really budge all that much. Soap & Glory don't claim that this is a miracle product, they make it very clear on the packaging that the only way to see results is to workout and eat healthily in conjunction with using this. They are definitely right, this is a great product for toning the skin, but if you want to get rid of cellulite and orange peel the only way is lots of water and regular exercise. 

RRP: £16.50 (available at Boots)

Have your tried Sit Tight? What do you think of firming creams and serums? 

Soap & Glory No Clogs Allowed

I am currently on a mission to find the best product for fighting the little pore clogging evils that are blackheads. I have always had a massive amount of blackheads, especially around my nose, but over the past few months they seem to be completely taking over. I cleanse twice a day and always make sure I take my makeup off, but alas I have pores bigger than the grand canyon, and nothing seems to be keeping them clog free. 

I've got a lot of love for Soap & Glory products, and I've found their skincare products to be pretty impressive, so I thought I'd try their No Clogs Allowed mask. This is a self heating mask that claims to clean deep down into the pores (don't they all). It contains teeny tiny beads to give a light exfoliation and is aimed at Oily/Combination skin. Then once you wet your hands and have given it another scrub, it will turn blue, you then leave it on for 5 minutes and wash off.

After using this the first time, I noticed that my skin looked a lot brighter and cleaner, I haven't noticed a decrease in my blackheads though. After using it once a week for a good couple of weeks now, I have noticed that my sensitive skin is starting to dislike it. I find that around my nose, the skin becomes red and irritated. It does state on the packaging however that it should not be used on sensitive skin, which I obviously ignored because I'm too lazy to read the packaging, my own fault.

The smell is very chemically, it has a slight menthol scent with a hint of fruity tang. I know, a very strange description, but it's the best I've got. The actual product is pretty thick and slightly gritty, it's very easy to apply though and doesn't go everywhere like some clay masks. 

In the past the No Clogs Allowed has come with a facial sponge, however with the new packaging re-vamp by Soap & Glory, I've found that you no longer get one. The new packaging, much like with my Peaches and Clean, is unbelievably plain and boring. One of my friends described this as looking like a supermarkets own brand of toothpaste, and she's not wrong. I don't know what's going on with Soap & Glory packaging lately, but it seems to be a pretty strange direction to go in. 

I think if you have normal skin that isn't prone to sensitivity, this could be a great exfoliating, brightening mask for you. But those of us with very sensitive skin and masses of blackheads, we will have to keep on the hunt. 

RRP: £7.67

What products do you love for combating blackheads?