The Body Shop - Aloe Lip Care

As mentioned in previous posts, along with dry flaky hands this winter, I have also had unusually dry lips. I have always sworn by Carmex, but it just doesn't seem to be doing the trick at the moment. I discovered a little gem a few months back that was the Malin and Goetz Lip Moisturiser, which I loved, but its not so easy to get hold of! But never fear, I have since found the best lip balm/moisturiser/conditioner EVER!

When beauty browsing in The Body Shop recently, (I'm a bit obsessed by The Body Shop at the moment ) I picked up one of their fabulous hand creams, (I decided to try the Almond one this time, which is lovely by the way). I also spotted a little section full of Aloe skin care products. I thought I would give the Aloe Lip Care a go, as it was buy one item get another half price, so obviously it would be rude not to! 

You get a 15ml tube for £5.00, that promises to instantly sooth dry lips, leave them soft, well protected and smooth. it is a nice little squeezy tube, that you apply straight to the lips, so definitely more hygienic than your little pot of Carmex, and it really does what it says. I use it before going to bed, and wake up with lovely smooth soft lips, it is just amazing. From first use, I could tell how fab it was. I also use it on days when I am wearing less make-up, and it gives a gorgeous glossy shine to the lips, kind of like a clear lip gloss, but not sticky and much longer lasting. It lasts literally hours.

I am absolutely loving the Aloe Lip Care, so much so, that I am almost finished my first tube. This is certainly one that I will be repurchasing. The only downside is, it doesn't contain SPF, so not great for holidays, but I guess you can't have everything.

P.S. Spotted a few little things I may pick up the next time I'm in The Body Shop, including a gprgeous smelling Pink Grapefruit Body Scrub.........I will report back........

The Perfect Pink Pout.....Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick

I'm definitely more of a lip gloss girl than a lipstick girl, always finding that lipsticks, no matter what type of formula, would still make my lips feel dry. But I'm always on the hunt for new ones, hoping to find my perfect pink that wont dry out my lips too much. This Revlon lipstick is definitely the best I have found so far. I really like Revlon products, they are great on price but also great quality in my opinion. Their Colourburst Lip Glosses are fantastic, but more about those in a future blog post!

It is a Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in the shade 'Pink in the afternoon'. It is a gorgeous shade, not too bright and in your face, but not too much of a pale bluey pink that makes you look a bit like a corpse! Its just that perfect shade of pink, that does look shimmery on the picture above, but this doesn't really translate onto the lips. Its perfect for daytime wear, but also looks great with dark smokey eye make-up for an evening.

As mentioned earlier, I tend to always veer more towards lip gloss rather than lipstick due to having dry lips, but the formula of the Super Lutrous Lipsticks are really creamy and soft, and don't dry my lips out at all (although I still always apply lipbalm before applying my lipstick anyway). The colour payoff is also pretty good, lasting a good couple of hours before it needs re-applying. Not bad really, compared to others I've tried.

I bought this lipstick in Superdrug for around £7.00, an amazing price for an excellent quality lip product. They have a huge range of shades, so there is definitely something for everyone if nude pinks are really your thing. I know every lipstick girl loves her Mac lipsticks, I would say its worth giving the Revlon lipsticks a try, as the quality and lasting power is exactly the same in my opinion.....but for half the price tag!

Budget buy foundation.....Bourjois Healthy Mix

Bourjois Healthy Mix Radiance Reveal

 

Works well with Real Techniques Brush

If you are anything like me, you will forever be searching for the perfect foundation. I think I have most definitely found it in the YSL Touch Éclat Foundation, it is just amazing, and ticks every single box. Every one, except the price. At £30.50 and a bottle only lasting me around two months, for everyday use, I have been searching the shelves of Boots for a cheaper alternative.

I've read tons of reviews on how good Bourjois foundations are, but never actually tried one. So when I spotted this one on offer in Boots, having read how great it was, I thought I would pick it up and give it a go. I'm so glad I did, it's the Bourjois Healthy Mix - Radiance Reveal Foundation. I've been using it for a couple of months now, and I absolutely love it. It's available in around eight different shades, but I picked up the shade 53 - Beige Clair (Light Beige) which seems to be a pretty good match for my skin tone.

A swatch of Shade 53 - Beige Clair

 

How it looks when blended in to the skin

 

The consistency is quite thick, but you only need one pump of this to completely cover the face, and I would say you get a medium to full coverage. It covers my blemishes and scars well, leaving the skin with a lovely slightly dewy/glowy finish. Its perfect for every day wear and could definitely be built up for a night out. I use my favourite Real Techniques Buffing Brush to apply it, but you can apply with your fingers if you fancy a much lighter, more natural finish - for those no make-up make-up days!

 

How Health Mix looks on the face

 

One of the things I love about the Health Mix is the gorgeous smell. It contains fruit extracts that claim to help against fatigue (definitely need that!) and has a fresh almost apple type smell. I also love the pump dispenser, much more hygienic and you don't end up wasting loads of the product, plus it wont leak all over your make-up bag! The price is fantastic at £9.99 (although more often than not its on 3 for 2) a third of the price of YSL. It claims to give a radiant look, but thankfully doesn't have that glittery finish that some radiance boosting foundations give, which I absolutely hate.

 

It lasts really well throughout the day, and although it claims to last 16 hours, I can't say if this is true or not as I don't tend to wear my make-up for that long, but I do agree that its got great staying power, with or without a primer underneath. I wear it for the gym, and it still looks ok afterwards (I think!)

 

Overall, I do still prefer my beloved YSL, but try to save it for weekends/nights out, and use Bourjois through the week. Its a fantastic everyday foundation and definitely worth giving a try.

 

 

 



Happy hands.....The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector

Well used (and obviously well loved) Hemp Hand Protector.

I officially have the driest hands EVER this winter. The combination of constant hand washing, (any mama's with small children will be with me on that one) the cold weather outside followed by the warm central heating inside, does my hands no favours at all. They were dry, itchy and cracked. I have tried every hand cream going, and nothing has worked.....until now.....

Step forward, good old Body Shop. I was walking past The Body Shop and saw a stand near the door advertising their range of hand creams and protectors, which also happened to be half price due to a Christmas promotion. I tested them all, and decided to go for The Hemp Hand Protector. This promises to soften and protect your hands, restore moisture and relieve dry skin. It provides a barrier for your hands, rather than just a cream to soften them when they feel a bit dry.

Super thick consistency of the cream.

It contains hemp seed oil, and does have quite a strong scent, that I did find a little strange at first, but now that I'm used to it, I absolutely love that fresh, leafy type smell! The consistency of the hand protector is really thick, but it does sink nicely into the skin pretty quickly and doesn't feel tacky like lots of other hand creams I've tried.

If anyone has a similar problem to me and gets extremely dry hands, I would definitely recommend this, and if the smell is a bit off-putting for some, they also do and Absinthe, Almond, and also Wild Rose, so lots to choose from. They do two sizes in the creams, 30ml or 100ml. I've had the 100ml for a couple of months, and still have just under half of it left. Plus The Body Shop always seem to have loads of special offers on the their skin care products, so definitely worth a look! They also have other products in the Hemp range, such as body butter and hand wash, so obviously I will be giving them a go as well.....only for research purposes! 

All about eyes.....Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment With Avacado

Being honest, I've only started to use eye creams over the last couple of years. Having never really felt that I needed to use them, as I still like to believe in my mind that I am only 21, rather than 31 (reality check needed!) I also, preferred spending my cash on other beauty essentials such as lip glosses, but once you hit your 30's, it's a must have.

The skin around my eyes gets quite dry, especially in the winter. The combination of cold weather and central heating blasting constantly doesn't help. I had been searching for the right eye treatment for ages, and I think I might just have found it.....

 

I haven't tried any Kiehl's products before now, but after noticing a couple of reviews of this 'creamy eye treatment' on various blogs, I decided to order it. It's not the most purse friendly purchase, but it does come in two sizes, 14ml and 28ml. So I though I would go for the smaller size first, to see if I liked it. The jar size isn't actually as small as I thought it would be, and will definitely last me for absolutely ages. The consistency is exactly as you would expect, extremely thick, the colour of avacado, reminding me of guacamole! It doesn't have any particular scent and even though it is super thick and very rich, a little goes a very long way.

I've been using this product for around four weeks now, and although it advises you to use twice daily, I only use it on an evening, as it can take a while to sink into the skin completely, so not really that practical for a busy morning when you want to slap your make-up on and get going. But to be fair, it's that good, using it only once daily seems to be all that is needed. I just pat it gently around the eye area and the skin is left feeling super soft and I even noticed on first use, that the skin around my eyes, (especially the inner corners) is noticeable less dry.

 

This product has definitely got me interested in trying more Kiehl's skin care..... I've got my eye on the Creme de Corps body lotion (hint hint if hubby is reading this.....)

Beauty Favourites of 2013.....

So here we are, into 2014 already, and another year older! But on a brighter note, I have lots planned for my blog, and loads of new posts for the coming months. But first I thought I would take a look back at what made my list of favourite beauty products in 2013. This wasn't difficult for me (even though there were lots to choose from!) as most of these are stand-out products that I only discovered and started using in 2013, but will no doubt continue to be favourites throughout 2014.

Skincare/Body

Another Clinique product (I know, another one). Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion Plus. Far superior to the original Dramatically Different in my opinion, my skin feels moist and I no longer get the little dry patches that I sometimes used to get with the old formula. This is perfect for slightly dry skin types.
Sanctuary Body Scrub is an old favourite that I hadn't bought for a couple of years (why oh why!). This is one of the best body scrubs around, and I have tried quite a few! It isn't at all oily like some scrubs can be and polishes the skin, leaving it oh so smooth. Love it!
Dove Purely Pampering Nourishing Lotion has become a firm favourite in 2013. I have tried quite a few of the Dove products - hair care, body lotion, body wash and hand cream, and not one of them ever disappoints. This lotion sinks wonderfully into the skin, and I absolutely adore the smell. It always reminds me of when my son was born in May 2013, as that's when I started using it, so i'm guessing this will be a constant favourite for me.

Hair

I'm absolutely loving the new John Freida Luxurios Volume Shampoo and Conditioner. I've used this for the past couple of months and it gives my hair a nice amount of volume (as promised) and makes your hair smooth and soft and not at all greasy. I will definitely carry on into 2014 with this one. After feeling as if my hair had dramatically thinned after having my son in May (damn you hormones!) I felt I needed something to give my hair a bit of a lift. This is fabulous in my opinion. I am also trying the All-Day Hold Hairspray from the same range, and this also seems fantastic for giving your hair some volume without making it sticky.

Nails

This category was an easy one, in 2013 after reading countless blog posts about it, decided to try the Seche Vite Top Coat. This is by far the best top coat ever! Quite a bold statement, but its most rcertainly true. It makes your nail polish last longer, giving a high-shine glossy finish and it dries super quick! What more could you ask for.
I'm a little bit of a nail polish addict, and I admit I do have a HUGE collection of polishes. Essie have quickly become my go-to brand. Great quality, doesn't chip easily and an enormous colour range. My two current favourites are Cute As A Button (a vibrant, bright coral shade) and Geranium (a bright pillar box red).

Face/Make-Up

I've already blogged about this one, but I just can't rate it highly enough, the YSL Touche Éclat Foundation (I use the shade B50). You can read a full blog post on this if your intetsted, but I just love love LOVE this foundation. It makes my skin look just how I want it to - glowy, but covering imperfections at the same time. My skin will never be perfect, but this certainly helps!
I'm a massive fan of Benefit products, especially their box powders. My favourite in 2013 was definitely Benefit Bella Bamba Blusher. Its a gorgeous pale pink shade with a nice hint of shimmer to it. It lasts all day on the cheeks, and the product itself, although quite pricey for a blusher, seems to last for ages. I use it most days and its still going strong. I just love the packaging of Benefit products and all the quirky names!

Eyes

I have used the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette constantly during 2013, after receiving it as a gift last Christmas. The shades are gorgeous, if you like a neutral/bronze look. The quality of the shadows is second to none (better than Mac in my opinion) and you can create so many different looks with it. The brush you get with the palet is also great and really useful. I have just received the Naked 3 Palette for Christmas, and I am in love with it already!!
I truly believe that you don't have to spend a fortune to get a great mascara. I've started to use Maybelline The Falsies Mascara. It really ticks all the boxes, it lengthens and coats the lashes without clumping and does give your lashes that 'false' effect. A great budget buy!

Lips

Ah, lip glosses.....one of my all time favourite things! I remember my husband looking in my handbag for something a while back, and counting 15 lip glosses in there. There's nothing wrong with that, is there.....?? I have tried so many lovely lip glosses this year, but my 2013 favourites would have to be Stila Lip Glaze in the shade Grapefruit, and Tom Ford Lip Gloss in Sugar Pink. Both pale pink shades, which I always tend to go for. The Stila glaze is a lovely every day lip gloss, while at the opposite end of the spectrum, the Tom Ford beauty is gorgeous for a special occasion/ night out. I tend to save mine for this, mainly due to the crazy price! But this was a birthday gift from my husband, so I can't complain too much!
A rather brilliant new discovery in 2013 was a lip conditioner from a brand called Malin and Goetz. My husband brought this back from abroad for me, and as I always suffer from dry lips in the Winter, was eager to give it a try. It didn't disappoint, it softens the lips so well, and gives a lovely gloss look to the lips. I've always loved Carmex, but this beats it hands down for keeping your lips softer for longer.

So there we have it, my favourite beauty buys of 2013. Hopefully I haven't bored you all to death! I would love to know what your favourite products were from the past year, and if there is anything i'm missing out on and should be trying.....Here's wishing you all a great 2014!!!

Its Simple!!!.....Budget Skincare Must-Have

 

The Simple 'Kind to eyes revitalising roll-on.

I purchased the Simple 'Kind to eyes revitalising eye roll-on' around two weeks ago, and soon realised that its one of those little gems that you just can't live without. I picked it up on a whim in Boots, looking for something to sooth around the area, help with puffiness and maybe even help my dark circles, and this product doesn't disappoint.

As a contact lens wearer, my eyes can get red and sore, so anything that includes the ingredients cucumber extract and pro-vitamin B5 is most definitely worth giving a go. This cute little tube has a metal roller ball applicator which you roll over the delicate under eye area in small circular motions, whenever you feel the need. The roller ball applicator is so cold, it just feels lovely and fresh, soothing, de-puffing and cooling for the eye area.

The cooling roller ball applicator.

 

I'm not going to lie, this thing is completely addictive, once you start using it, you just can't stop! The liquid that is rolled onto the skin, as with all Simple products contains all kind and gently ingredients that won't irritate your skin or eyes. After applying the roller ball, you just gently pat in the excess liquid with your finger, and its dries quickly, leaving no tightness at all on the skin. It just leaves the area soft, smooth and totally refreshed.

 

The cute 15ml tube that promises to 'wake up tired eyes'.

 

I'm pretty sure I've noticed a teeny tiny improvement in my dark circles (which is odd as I have been loosing a bit of sleep this week with my gorgeous little boy having a cold!). But as I said earlier, I've only been using this for a couple of weeks so hopefully with more long term use, I will see a more noticeable difference (fingers crossed!).

 

The price of this eye treatment is definitely kind to your purse, which we all need at this time of year, its an amazing £4.99 and in my opinion will last quite a long time. Its such a fabulous price if your wanting to try out this kind of roller ball eye soother, I would definitely say to give this budget buy a try first, before parting with well over £20 on one of the bigger more high end brands. You can't go wrong with Simple, and all their products are currently on 3 for 2 at Boots......so what are you waiting for!!