A/W 14' Beauty Wishlist

Now that autumn is just around the corner, I've been thinking more and more about products that need to be purchased for me to survive the colder months. The main change that I notice is that my skin dries up like the desert, so I have to make sure that I have an army of moisturising products to tackle it. There is also the odd bit of makeup that catches my eye, usually something I've been looking at for a while and as my birthday is coming up, it's always good to have have a little treat lined up. 

1. Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow - So many people have been raving about Charlotte Tilbury products, but because of the large price tag I haven't been able to give any a good testing. The Bronze & Glow however, caught my eye when the collection was first released. I have heard so many great things about the highlighter and the bronzer looks like it could be a good shade for the paler skinned (I need a lot more colour in the winter).

2. Aesop Parsley Seed Facial Cleansing Masque - Recently on Twitter I asked for face mask suggestions that could give me a good deep clean, this is the pick that came out on top. So many people recommended this to me and it was recently featured in one of my favourite YouTubers favourites videos, so I knew it was something I needed to test out. I suffer with blemish prone skin so I wanted something that could clean deep deep down but without reacting with my very sensitive skin, this sounds like the mask that could tick all the boxes. 

3. Korres Wild Rose 24-H Moisturising Brightening Cream - I'm currently in the market for a richer moisturiser to really tackle the colder weather. At the moment I'm using the Simple Rich Moisturiser but as my skin gets drier it doesn't do the same job. The packaging for the Korres Brightening Cream caught my eye initially and after a bit of research I decided I needed to give it a test out. 

4. Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum - This is another product that everyone raves about. I've been wanting to try this for so long now but I've been trying to get through the foundations I already have. The reason I want to try the serum and not the foundation is that the serum feels a bit more gel like and moisturising. Even though the lightest shade of this is always sold out in my local Superdrug and Boots, I think I'll be on a hunt for it in the next couple of weeks. 

5. Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Milk - I fell in love with the Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm and when I found out they did it in a cleansing milk I knew I had to try it. The Take The Day Off range is absolutely amazing at removing stubborn makeup and it really feels like it's cleaning deep deep down. I find cleansing milks to be a lot better for dry skin as they don't strip out the oils like foaming cleansers have a habit of doing. Whether the cleansing milk will be quite as good as the balm is something that I'm prepared to find out for myself. 

6. Vaseline Spray & Go Essential Moisture - After using the Cocoa Butter Spray & Go, it quickly became a holy-grail product for winter. The Spray & Go moisturisers soak in super quickly, lightly fragrance the skin and give you a softly moisturised feeling. It's perfect for the lazy people like myself and I may go a bit mad and get a few different bottles so that I've tested every formula out. 

Let me know in the comments below what you always re-purchase in preparation for the winter months and what products you have your eye on to test out this year!

July Monthly Favourites

I finally had time to film a monthly favourites video woopee! You may have already seen these products in previous posts or videos, but they have been 101% loved throughout this rather scorching July. 

First up is the L'Oreal Skin Perfection Micellar Water. This stuff has been building a very positive reputation since it's release. I couldn't tell you if it is a dupe for Bioderma, as so many bloggers and YouTubers claim, but what I can tell you is that it is a demon at removing makeup. This has changed my whole routine, switching me from using my Simple wipes to take my makeup off, to this much gentler water solution. 

I've already done a review of the Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm from Clinique here, but I really am super impressed with it. It really cuts through stubborn makeup and doesn't dry out my sensitive skin. 

Moroccanoil is loved by one and all, and now by me! I fell in love with this the very first time I used it. It's not greasy and makes your hair feel so healthy and soft it makes me want to cry a little. 

The Bourjois Delice de Poudre is the only bronzer I own (yes I know, I'll get shopping right away) It's not too muddy and not too orange (as long as you don't go crazy with it) I love it and I love the smell, It's been in my collection for a while and it's not going anywhere any time soon. 

The Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer had me confused, I couldn't decide if I loved it or hated it. I definitely think it's too dark for me in the winter (I have the lightest shade available FYI) but in the summer I love it! When I put it on I always cringe because it looks too dark for me. Once blended out it looks completely fine and really brightens up the eye area. 

And finally we have a little sample of mascara I got free in 'In Style' magazine. This little Rituals Perfection Volume mascara has been doing me proud. It is such a lovely day mascara, super lengthening, just the right amount of volume and zero clumps. It reminds me of the Chanel Le Volume De Chanel mascara in its overall finish only the formula is less thick and prone to clumping. 

What products have you been loving this month?      

Time For A Deep Clean! | Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm Review

I have very sensitive skin, so finding cleansers that don't make my face blow up, making me look like I've gone 10 rounds with Rocky Balboa, is pretty tricky. I find that more expensive cleansers like Clinique, Clarins and Caudalie (I went for a C theme) tend not to react with my skin as much.

I recently switched to balm and milk cleansers instead of my usual foam cleansers; I was finding that the foam cleansers just weren't doing the job. I read that foam cleansers aren't good for oily, spot prone skin (which I have the pleasure of having) and despite the idea of putting an oily or moisturising cleanser on my face scaring the hell out of me, I decided to take the plunge. 

After reading Caroline Hirons review, I decided to purchase the Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm. I wanted a cleanser that was tough on makeup, as I planned to use it as my night cleanser and I'd heard good things about this products makeup fighting properties. I wasn't disappointed!

Before I start gushing about its effectiveness I just want to mention how much I love the packaging. A lot of people hate big chunky glass tubs but I love em'! I love a good sturdy, heavy packaging but that's probably because I never ever have to travel anywhere. 

Now for the balm. I like to take a small amount of the balm (about a 5p size amount) and warm it between my palms until it turns into a smooth oil. I then message it into my face and wash off with a muslin cloth. 

This is Ophthalmologist tested so it is perfectly safe to use on the eye area to get off that stubborn mascara and eyeliner. This stuff really does cut through stubborn makeup like nobody's business. I tested it out on the toughest eyeliner I own, the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On eyeliner. I applied a little swatch to the back of my hand and messaged in the cleansing balm, in seconds the eyeliner was completely gone! And that stuff is not easy to get off let me tell ya. 

 I was a little worried about the oil in the cleansing balm potentially breaking me out. I haven't experienced any more breakouts then usual, I also haven't noticed my skin getting any oilier. It seems to be leaving my oily areas pretty much the same but moisturising my dry areas, which is fine with me. My skin does look and feel healthier since using this, it looks brighter and definitely feels cleaner after using it. I think this has creeped in to my favourite cleansers, excellent at removing makeup, gentle on sensitive skin and safe to use on the eye area. It is also fragrance free, so if you prefer your cleansers to have no smell, this is for you. 

Have you tried Clinique Take The Day Off? What did you think? 

   

 

June/July Collective Haul!

  I'm not going to lie, I've been a bit naughty with my money lately. I am supposed to be saving for a potential tour of the US after graduation, but I'm the worst saver ever! I have managed to bag a few things that I've been eye balling forever though, so I suppose I can justify my spends right?  

This haul right here is a bog ole' collection of the goodies I've bought in the past two months. Some of it I needed, some of it I just plain wanted!

First up is the Fast shampoo and conditioner set. I did a sort of starter review on this here, I will be doing updates on how my hair is getting along with it though. I've used it in the past and it proved succesful so thought I'd give it another bash now that it's available in Boots.

Then we have the Barry M Gelly nail paints. You probably already know that I'm OBSESSED with Barry M. They are by far the best nail polishes I have ever used and I have quite a few in my collection. I decided to take advantage of Superdrug's 3 for 2 nails offer and grab the entire summer collection. I also picked up a confetti nail effects polish in Sour Apple to complete the offer (there's only 5 shades in the summer collection).

If you read my July lust list, which can be found here if you're interested, you will have seen this little gem. This is the Urban Decay Glinda Palette and I've been in love with it since it was first released. I love the fact that the actual palette can be kept and reused, it really makes a lovely addition to my palette collection. You also get a free 24/7 pencil in Rockstar and a Saturated Lip Color in Glinda, bargain. 

 I also picked up another Nivea Regenerating Night Cream because I ran out of my last one, I decided to try the normal to combination skin formula this time around. I usually go for the dry to sensitive skin version but fancied a change. 

We then have the products that I've bought purely from reading blogs, you guys are not good for my bank balance. First we have the REN F10 Smooth and Renew mask. I bought this after reading Little Red's review and it was also in my July Lust List post. I wanted an exfoliating mask that was kind on sensitive skin and didn't contain any beads, this guy sounded perfect. I've never tried any REN products before so I'm excited to use this! I also got two lovely samples, one of the Glycolatic mask and one of the Hydra Day Cream.

I also grabbed a bottle of Moroccanoil from Regis in the Trafford Centre. I've heard constant praise for Moroccanoil but was always just too frugal to pay out. I only bought the 25ml bottle because I just wanted to give it a test drive, I have to say I will be purchasing the full size when this runs out.

Finally I picked up some of Clinique's Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm. I got this because Caroline Hirons was raving about it and I'm trying to stay away from frothy cleansers. I've had one go of this so far and I have to say I'm pretty impressed. 

So that's all I got guys, I will be doing reviews of everything so keep an eye out and make sure you're following me on Bloglovin!

Have you tried any of my recent purchases?