Beauty Haul

Its time for another haul. I went into town with my good friend Hannah and we both love beauty. I picked up some things I have wanted to try for a very long time.

First up is the Soap and Glory Night and Flight moisture miracle mask. What drew me to this product was the phrase 'Flight moisture mask'. I go on long haul flights quite a few times a year and eveytime I get off those 8hr flights my skin is feeling horribly dry from the air conditioning. As I dont have an Origins counter near me to pick up the Drink up intensive overnight mask or the Caudalie Beauty Elixer this is the closest product to it. I received an email from Soap and glory alerting me to this product and I was completly sucked in. I am excited to try this.

 Next I bought the Avene Thermal Spring Water. I bought this because I saw it in one of Zoella's Vlogs where Lousie from Sprinkle of Glitter loves these cans. I thought, £3.15 isn't setting be back a huge sum so why not try it out. I also managed to persuade Hannah to get one of these too. 

 

Penultimatly I bought the new Baby Lips hydrate. I don't like any of the other baby lips flavours other than cherry velvet. I have already tried this balm and I love it, it leaves my lips soft and it tastes so nice.

 

Finally, I bought the very hyped about Rimmel stay matte powder. I have yet to try it but it is one of Tanya Burrs staples and also Zoe from Zoella mentioned it in her Back to School video. 

XOXO

Current skincare routine

You will probably have read that title thinking, 'oh god, not another skincare routine change' but I assure you this is the last for a while. I can promise this because a. some of the products I am using are fairly exspensive so I wouldn't be changing them too soon and b. my skin has drastically improved for the first time in literally years! 

Lets get down to buissnes. In the mornings, I will splash my face with water. I will take about 1/2 a pump of Murad Energizing Pomegranate Cleanser. This is very refreshing and I love the smell. It doesn;t leave my skin feeling oily nor does it over dry it-perfect. I either splash it off with water using my hands or wipe it off with the Body shop luxury facial cloth, I did a post on this cloth. 

3 times a week I will use the Murad AHA/BHA exfoliating cleanser to remove any dead cells and to just refresh my skin. I.Love.This. One time when I used it, I came out of the bathroom and she said that she could see a differnce between my skin before exfoliating and after. Goodbye to that overly abrasive St.Ives scrub! 

After either cleansing or exfoloating, about 4 times a week I will use a mask. You may be thinking that is way too many times but I am just getting over a big breakout and using a mask often is helping so much. I have been using a new mask which I have wanted to try out for a while: Una Brennan Tea Flower Pore Purifing clay mask. Firstly, this smells amazing. It leaves my skin feeling soft and really deeply cleaned. TOP PRODUCT. 

Finally, after my mask or cleansing I will apply my moisturiser. I use the Murad Energizing Pomegranate Moisturizer. This is the best moisturiser I have ever used. It smells delicious and is very light but moistursing and leaves my skin feeling soft, hydrated and replenished. To finnish off I use my Baby lips lip balm in Cherry Velvet {from Singapore}.

XOXO

Haul:Topshop, Bodyshop etc...

Yesterday I went to town with my friend Lydia (from my previous shoutout) and I bought a few things. 

Firstly, before I do this haul, I thought I would update you. I realise I have been fairly lazy with my blog. Meaning I get my pictures of products off the internet and I dont have a regular blog routine. THIS IS GOING TO CHANGE! I am going to use my own pictures and do more interesting posts. For example: Whats in my makeup bag, Bathroom tour and more posts like that. With that ramble out the way, lets get on with the haul!

While I was in Topshop I couldnt resist my make-up obsessed urge to pay a visit to the make-up section. Last week I bought their Bronzing powder in Sandcastle. This is the best bronzer I have ever used. It gives a really natural summer glow to the cheeks without being orange or looking unatural. It is fantastic for contouring aswell if you apply it under your cheekbones. This was £9.

Next up, yesterday I bought the Topshop BB cream in shade 2. I.Love.This. Its the best BB cream I have ever used. I have used the Maybelline one {I hated it} and the Revlon Photoready BB cream (I got the wrong shade). This one gives a skin finnish, it looks like my own skin, but 100 times better! I literally cannot put into words my love for this. I apologize for this photo, the packaging is like a mirror so its very hard to get a good photo. This is £10.

Next up, I went into the Body shop and they have a whole basket of sample pots and you just ask for samples of the products you want to try. Even better, when you get your samples they give you a voucher for £3 off when you buy the full size of the products. I got two samples, one of the Seaweed mask and one of the Tea tree mask. I am excited to try these! In the body shop I bought the Luxury facial flannel. This is a very luxury facial cloth which is the softest thing you will ever feel. Its not a normal fabric one, its made off 100% PVA. It has a very squishy feel and almost like its made of silicone. 

This was £4.50.

 The last thing I got, which was also free, is a 'sample' of the Lush Cosmetic warrior face mask. Now, I say 'sample' because it is BUT he gave me more in the sample pot that you would buy in the £5.49 pot! I was very excited! I will do a post on how I get on with this.

                           
                               XOXO

SHOUTOUT

I never do shoutouts normally but this is for one of my closest friends who just started a fantastic beauty and fashion blog. Click this link and follow her blog! http://f4iryt4les.blogspot.co.uk/

She also just started a clothing line called Character Clothing so go and like her page on Facebook and check out some of her stuff!

XOXO

Early August favourites

Today's post in going to be my August favourites.  I apologise for it being quite early (it's a change from it being late) but I am going to be in London all the time now before I go back to that forbidden word S C H O O L.

Firstly I have been loving the Oral B 3D white Brilliance toothpaste. Now, this promises to give you whiter teeth in two weeks.....well they lied. I have been using if for about 1 week and they are already whiter!!! I love it when a product sayes it takes longer to work and then it works quicker! I'm an impatient person if you hadn't guessed already.

My next favourite is a bit random but I have loved it and used it this month. It's the Loreal preference wild ombré for light brown to dark brown. This gave me amazing ombré results. The applicator was easy to use and I loved the little bottle of conditioning shampoo. It left my hair so shiny and soft! I would be lying if I said that it didn't leave my hair dry, it did. But you just have to be prepared to do a really good hair mask after using the ombré to really battle that dryness. 

My favourite shampoo and conditioner this month are the VO5 give me texture set. These are brilliant (and cheap as chips!). They leave my hair super soft and they do give it more body, more that just normal shampoo. I find freshly washed hair a pain but these products really give it some texture to work with.

I have gotten back into using my Morrocan oil. I love this stuff, the smell is incredible, it leaves my hair shiny and soft and it lasts a long time as I only use a little bit at a time. I really do think its worth it to invest in the bigger size as mine has lasted me longer than my friends 6 little bottles, she has by now spent more money on it than I did on the one bottle!

Onto the non-beauty category now, I have been loving Bloglovin'. This is the app where you follow your favourite blogs and read every new blog post that comes through your feed. I get asked a lot which are my favourite bloggers so I will just say now: I covet thee, Vivianna does makeup, What I heat today, Zoella and Into the gloss (but I only like to read their 'Top shelf' celeb interviews). 

I would highly recommend following these lovely blogs on the app!

XOXO

Mini haul + Update

The other day I ventured out of my comfort zone and visited a different town to the one I always go to and I found that their Superdrugs and Boots stocked everything that my local one didnt! So I was able to find a few things that I have been looking for for a long time. 

Firsty, I picked up a can of Fudge Urban Iced Rasberry and Vanilla hairspray. This hairspray promises to be soft touch(who wants crispy hair?) and to be anti-frizz. Now that sounds like my find of hairspray. The scent of this is incredible, it smells exactly how you would think it would smell but sweeter! Not everyone may like the sweetness of it but i do!

Next, I bought a can of Mitchum 48 hour deodorant in the scent Waterlily. This is possible the nicest smelling deodorant I have ever used. As a deodorant I'm not sure that it lasts quite for 48 hours but maybe more around 10-12 which is good enough for me!

In boots I needed a new concelor and because I wanted to branch away from my most loved Wake me up concealor I bought a really cheap Natural Collection cream concealer for £1.99! I do love a bargain. Not sure what I think about this yet but I will do a post on it.

Also in boots I needed a new mascara as my Maybelline Collosal Mascara has finished (I will also do a review on that) so I picked up the Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro glam mascara in 001 Black. I am already in love with this. I will do a post on this when I have used it for longer. 

As my summer holiday is nearing the end, my Mum and I are going up to London. I am in need of a new school bag and my friend sent me a pick of the new Topshop satchels which I may have a look at. I have created a beauty list of things that I need(well, need is maybe an overstatement!). I will do a haul when I get back.

XOXO

July favourites 2013

Thought I would start doing my monthly favourites. First this month is the Loreal Matt and Messy salt spray. I really loved this as it was great at giving texture to hair when you wanted a scruffy bun or just beachy waves.

Next I loved the Loccitane Verbena shower gel. This smelt amazing, extremely refreshing. It cleaned well but you need to use a rich moisturiser after as you may find it slightly drying.

Now this may seem like a weird one but I enjoyed using the CVS own brand acetone free nail polish remover (I bought this on my latest trip to NY). It smelt very VERY strong but after you finished cleaning your nails, it left them smelling amazing! I know,weird right?

Also I was loving this month was the Bobbi Brown BB cream. This is incredible. I have just the sample the lady at the counter at the counter gave me. I have It in shade Medium and I loved it. It gave the most natural finish to the skin I have ever seen. I would totally buy the full size.

That's it for July but be sure to check back for Augusts as I have some very exciting products to share my opinion on with you guys next month!

XOXO

Review: Nokia Lumia 520 Windows 8 phone

These phones were first released in 2011 and they did very well. I have been without a phone for 7 MONTHS because I was on a 24 month contract with Orange (I do not recommend them at all) and I had 3 blackberry replacements which all broke and then they (to be honest quite nicely) offered me a Samsung Galaxy S2, which was fantastic....for 3 months. The whole system just crashed. It was quite gradually starting to not work but freezing and apps shutting down randomly then one day it just went mental. So I went to the store and they said that they could do nothing about and they made it seem like it was my fault. ANYWAY I am now with phone and I am very happy. I am on a absolutely fantastic contract with Talk Mobile and I get 150 mins, 5000 texts and 500 mb of data for just £8.50 a month! Yes you read right, no need to re-read that. £8.50 per month.

I have rambled enough, now onto the phone. It is very sleek looking and has a camera lense in the centre at the back and a webcam lense at the front. The phone it's self is about the same screen size as an iPhone 5. For your home page you have these 'live tiles' which basically are tiles which are streaming live content to your phone, eg Your current Facebook status or your latest tweet. They are fantastic. The amount you can do on this phone is incredible. To name a few things: you can scan all your credit cards and coupons onto an app called Wallet which means you don't have to carry around cards and vouchers; you can 'tap share' photos which is where you select a photo and click tap-share and you just, using Bluetooth, hold your phone against another phone and they receive the picture. Pure genius. None of this paring nonsense. The camera is digital and produces the best camera phone pictures I have ever seen. You can have all the essential apps from the store like: YouTube, Facebook, what's app and vibes but you can't get Instagram and snapchat on it. But I got around the Instagram problemo, I just logged onto Instagram using the Internet and then added the page to my home screen so I can still see my feed and my own photos but I can't take any and edit and up load. To be honest I think I can live without Snapchat!

I could rave about this phone all day but luckily for you I have things to do in my day so I will leave it at that. If you want to know even MORE about this phone, you can read about it here:http://www.nokia.com/gb-en/phones/phone/lumia520/

XOXO

Schwarzkopf Leave in Conditioner

This apply named product is great. I bought it when I went to New York as you can't get it in the UK. It smells kind of like artificial strawberries which I hate, but the smell is ok. It leaves my hair very smooth and soft which is what it says it does. I don't have much to say about it but I do recommend it and it does what it says which is always a good thing. 

Rating:7/10

Loreal Matt and Messy salt spray

Holy cow I have found a hair saving product. I found out about this because one of my friends had it in her hair and it smelt incredible so I asked her what she used. It gives texture, definition and a just-got-out-of-the-sea look, quite Victoria Secret like. My favourite way to use this is in the morning when I brush my hair, I flip my head over and spray it into the lengths and then scrunch with my hands. It gives so much texture without being frizzy. The ONLY negative thing I can say about this is the spray top is very powerful and it sprays in a straight line so you have to hold it about 20 cms away from your head to avoid just spraying a few strands of hair!

Rating:9.5/10

Bumble and bumble seaweed conditioner

This is a great everyday conditioner. It smells great, not like seaweed atall thankfully! You apply it onto your hair and leave it on for about 2mins then rinse. It is light enough to use everyday and my hair gets greasy really quickly and the conditioner doesn't make it more greasy atall.

It is a really good conditioner and I am sad I have finished it! 

Rating:8/10 because I think you can buy better conditioners for less money. 

Lush tea-tree toner

I am absolutely in love with this. With most tea tree products I have used they smell really strong. I don't think this smells like tea tree atall. You spritz it straight onto your face on onto a cotton pad. It is really cooling and refreshing and I believe this product is what has made my skin so much better recently. I use it after my Lush cleanser and this duo together work so well. I would recommend this to anyone who has acne prone skin as a not-to-harsh product. 

Rating:9/10 only because the spritzer doesn't spray your whole face, I'm so picky!

Lush 9-5 Cleanser

This is a lotion which you apply onto dry skin and then either stream away with a hot flannel or wipe away with a cotton pad. It is really good at removing makeup at night but you would need to cleanse again after using it. I use it on its own in the morning then as a makeup remover at night. 

It smells really great and the consistency isn't sticky or too 'liquidy'. I would recommend this to anyone with sensitive skin as it is very calming and cooling. My tip for people with oily skin is to steam it off so it opens your pores but then splash your face with cold water after so that you don't leave an oily residue on the skin which people with dry skin may like.

Rating:8/10 because it doesn't help with getting rid of acne, it's just a very gentle lotion.

My everyday make up routine

My everyday make up routine varies depending on my skin. So lets just pretend I am having a bad skin day and this is what I will do.

1. I apply Benefits Hello Flawless foundation in shade Honey. I apply it to the back of my hand and dip my Real Techniques buffing brush into it and apply all over my face. Tip: Work from the centre of the face out to avoid getting that horrible foundation line around the hair line. Also, I always apply my foundation using a magnified mirror to make sure that it is all blended in. 

2. Then I apply Rimmel London Wake me up concelor in shade 030 Classic beige. I apply this using the applicator and buff it into the skin using the buffing brush. Tip: Apply concelor using a normal mirror and stand slightly away from it. This means you are just applying it to the areas that need it. If you use a magnified mirror then you will cover up every single pore and it will look cakey, trust me!

3. Now I powder. I use a Manifesto blush brush and MUA pressed powder in shade 2. I apply this just to my t-zone.

4. Now I apply mascara. I use Maybelline the colossal volum' exspress mascara. I only ever apply mascara to my top lashes. 

5. Finally I use Benefits Posie tint lip and cheek stain on my lips for a very natural pink colour as my lips are naturally a very nude colour. 

That's it! If I'm having a good skin day or frankly I'm just lazy, I will skip out steps's 1 and 5. So I just wear concelor, powder and mascara. 

XOXO

Wednesday Review

This weeks review is very random. It is on Macleans toothpaste. I use the fresh mint one. This is honestly the best toothpaste ever. It leaves an amazing after taste in your mouth with is a really nice mint taste but its not overpowering. It gets everything off your teeth. Tip: I went to the dentist the other day and she told me not to use mouth wash. If you use mouthwash after brushing your teeth, it just washes all the fluoride off your teeth that is needed against plaque. The only time you should use mouth wash is when you don't brush your teeth. So maybe after lunch at school when you can't be bothered to brush your teeth you could just bring in a mini bottle to rinse your mouth. 

XOXO

Current skin care routine

As you know, I change my skincare routine ALOT. Here is my updated routine.

1. Cleanse my face using Ren Mayblossom T-Zone oil control cleanser.

(Only 2-3 times a week) I would now apply Ren's Clear Calm 3 clay mask.

2. Then I use Simple Oil Balancing moisturiser. Don't hold me to this but I think it is breaking me out...

3. I roll on some Simple Revitalsing kind to eyes roll on. This really de-puffs my eye area. 

4. (At night only) I apply Reme Laure Pimple corrector. I have no idea where to get this, my wonderful godmother sends it over to me from Canada and she buys it from her Facalist. 

That's all! 

XOXO

Wednesday Review

I apologise for this being late. I am in Italy and have lost track of time! Today's review is on Aussie Dual Personality Anti-frizz and Conditioning Hair Milk. Firstly, this smells incredible. I can't describe the smell but whaaaaa it smells so good! Being called a milk you would think it would have a runny consistency but it is more like a creme.It keeps my hair soft and nourished. You apply it to wet or dry hair and work from the roots right down to the ends. It's not greasy so you use a good 1/2 - whole pump. You don't rinse it out so it's like a leave in conditioner. 

Rating:8/10 because it isn't strong enough to tame my frizzy baby hair around my hair line. 

XOXO

Wednesday Review

L'occitane Almond Shower Oil. This is a wonderful smelling, rich and dreamy oil. As soon as it comes into contact with skin and water it turns into a luxurious froth. It is perfect to use as a shaving gel as it helps the blade slide perfects over your skin or just as an overall moisturising wash. 

Rating-10/10

XOXO

IM BACK

Hey guys. First of all, I am very sorry I haven't been doing my usual posts. I have been busy with exam results and other things. 

My skin has been breaking out so badly this week. Possibly the worst breakout in about a year. I am trying to find out what is causing it. I changed my cleanser 2 weeks ago back to Clean and Clear cream wash as that seemed to clear my skin up but this time it hasn't. I have a feeling, but don't quote me on this, that it might be the Ren Mayblossom oil control cleanser. It just hasn't been good for my skin. I will keep you up to date on that. 

I will carry on doing my usual Wednesday Reviews from now on.

I have quite a lot of different requests for reveiws so I will try and get through those. Please feel free to leave comments to tell me of any requests!

XOXO

Wednesday (Friday) review

Hey guys, so sorry I missed my post on Wednesday, It was my end of year exams this week but they are finally over, well, except I have a geography exam on Monday which I missed!

If you read my last Wednesday post, you will know that I have been in New York. God I love it there. It's my favourite city in the world. I did do quite a bit of shopping and some other amazing things but I will do a post about NYC separately. 

Today's review is on: MUA pressed powder. 

This powder is the best I have used so far. I personally find it better than the Rimmel stay matt powder. 

It keeps my make up on from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm. That's 9 hours! Although, because of my extremely oily skin, it does turn a little cakey but about the 7th hour, it still stays put. It comes in three shades and I have the shade medium and its perfect. It gives a really nice matt finish but something about it still lets a glow through.

The most incredible thing about it is that it costs.....£1!!!!!!

Rating: 9/10 (because of the cheap plastic packaging)

XOXO

Wednesday Review

I am currently in New York which I absolutely love. I have been in London for the past few days and flew in yesterday. Unfortunately I get really bad jet lag so I am wide awake right now at 3am!

Before I left for London I was in a bit of a rush so packed rather quickly. I didn't have time to get all my beauty products together so I just grabbed this big set of stuff I had been given as a present. It's a clear, long bag by Sam Farmer with everything you need travelling (minus some things of course). I contains:

Shampoo

Conditioner

Face wash

Face Moisturiser

Deodorant 

Body wash

It is fantastic, so all I needed to bring was that, my make up, hair styling products and extra face stuff.

I particularly like the Face moisturiser. It doesn't leave an oily residue but is moisturising at the same time.

I will leave the link below.

http://www.samfarmer.co/shop

XOXO

Wednesday Review

Today's review is on the Ren Clear Calm 3 clay mask. Firstly I love the packaging, secondly it's just amazing. It's very drying though but my skin is so oily it doesn't matter. It smells very herbally (is that a word?) and it applies really nicely to damp skin. It clears my skin up quite well but I tend to use it only when my skin is really bad for about 3 days then my skin is clear again!

Rating: 9/10

XOXO

Exam stress

This is something a little different to what I usually write about but let me know what u think. Exams, quite a powerful word. Inevitably it is put with the word stress. I have end of year exams coming up, which I personally don't work very hard for because they don't affect my future in any way, and trying to meet deadlines of essays to be handed in, language speaking assessment pieces to be done can be very stressful.

Yesterday I was very stressed, I just sat at my desk staring at the pile of work I had to do. So I thought 'Just do it' and I did. A huge help is to write a 'To Do' list. This means you can get all of the things you have to do onto paper so u can cross them off as you complete them. Then I made a revision folder, this keeps all my notes in order so I don't loose any. I have art coursework to hand in before half term so I just sat at the computer and just started it rather than sitting and looking at it thinking 'I don't even know how to start this!'. 

Keeping organised is absolutely key when it comes to exams and revision. Always remember to take a break, see your friends, have fun and most importantly live your life. Don't let revision rule your life but be disciplined at the same time. 

XOXO 

Wednesday Review

Today review is on the Rimmel London Wake me up concelor. I am in a bit of a rush so I will have to make this quick! I love this concelor, I have it in the shade 'Classic beige' and it perfectly matches my skin. It's pretty full coverage and, although I love the wake me up foundation, I love the fact that is doesn't have any shimmer in it. It brightens under your eyes and covers up blemishes really well. 

Rating: 9.5/10 (only because I don't really like the packaging but the product is incredible)

XOXO

Skin care regime for Oily/Combination, acne prone skin

Woah that was a long title! I have a lot of requests for an updated skin care routine. (A USLESS FACT: I only found this out a few days ago, if u want to say a/an you use 'a' if the word starts with a consonant and you use 'an' with a word starting with a vowel.) Bit of grammar there. 

Anyway, I will put up my hands and admit I do change my skin card round a lot. I made a pact that after I have finished all my skin care stuff I have to use up, I will buy a complete set of stuff and stick with it if it works. 

Here's my current routine: 1. I wash my face with the Clinique liquid facial soap for Oily/Combination skin. 

2. I tone (I am quite liking this toner despite the fact it has such bad things for your skin in it) with Clinique's clarifying toner.

3. Then I moisturise with the Liz Earle skin repair light moisturiser for Oily/Combination skin. I use that moisturiser in the morning. 

4. Then I apply my Simple revitalising eye roll on.

5. For my acne I use a prescribed topical solution called Dalacin T (I think that's what it's called). 

At night I do the exact same thing except I use the La Roche posy effaclar duo instead of the Liz Earle moisturiser.

A bit random but anyway, I am doing the Race for Life tomorrow (May 12th). It's in aid of Breast cancer research and I'm running 5K. It would mean a lot if you could donate as little to as much as you wish. All sponsership money goes to the charity and I will leave the link down below. 

https://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/truro-high-school683/

XOXO

Wednesday Review

Hey y'all, I have been mega busy this week with work and my spare time has been taken up by watching Made In Chelsea (for those who aren't in the UK it's a reality show about the exclusive area of London called Chlesea) and 90210. I CAN'T BELEIVE NEXT WEEK IS THE LAST EVER EPISODE. (Warning, for those who do not watch 90210 you might want to skip this next bit.) I really, REALLY want Liam and Annie to get together and that Silver will be ok. 

Anyway, today's review is on the Liz Earle Skin Repair light Moisturiser for Combination/Oily skin. I really do like this product, it smells really nice. It smells kind of natural fruity/herby and organic if you know what I meen! Although its for Combination/Oily skin, it is quite oily when you apply it to the skin and it doesn't melt it very quickly at all. I do like it but I won't be re-purchasing it anytime soon. I think, for my skin, there is probably a better one out there. I would really like to try the Murad range, if anyone has tried it, let me know.

Rating: 7/10

XOXO

The Wednesday Reveiw

B.Flawless Long-Lasting Concealer
This, I think, is exclusive to Superdrug only and it's my favourite concealer ever. I dropped my Rimmel Powder so I haven't been using powder for about 2 months and I haven't felt the need to use foundation. The weather where I live has been super hot and sunny, which it hardly ever is so I would expect on top of my oily skin for everything to melt off within a hour or so of applying my make up. But this put on its own without any powder for about 7hrs 30 mins! No blotting! It's really incredible. The colour range is good, I am light-medium. Can't recommend it highly enough for covering anything!
Retail Price- £5.49
XOXO

HYPER ALERT

I have been trying to get hold of Maybelline Baby lips lip balm for EVER and today I got it!!!!!!!!!!! In the UK we can't get it but my friend who lives in Singapore bought it for me and gave it to me today!!!! It's the softest lip balm ever. You may be thinking, how can lip balm be soft, but oh yes, it actually feels soft. It's the Cherry Velvet one as I was told it was the best flavour. You have no IDE he excited I am! It leaves your lips unbelievably smooth and soft. AHHHH I can't contain my excitement!!!!
XOXO

ALERT: BAD PRODUCT REVEIW

The other day I started another bottle of face wash (out of my 7 to get through) and luckily, there was only about 4 days worth left. It was the Neutrogena Spot Stress control daily scrub. THIS DESTROYED MY SKIN. It left it red, dry, irritated, my spots got worse after each use and after 3 days I just threw it out along with 5 other face washes because I realised that skin care has a use by date and mine were 2-3 years old!
Currently I am using the Clinique liquid facial soap. I always go back to this when my skin is really bad as it always clears it up. I know lots of people say 'stay away from Clinique, it's too strong' but it really works for me, I don't use it all the time though, I just use it for about 2 weeks at a time when my skin is really bad and at the end of that time period, my skin is 95% healed and cleared of spots.
XOXO

The Wednesday Reveiw

For the past 2 months, I have bee using the Neutrogena Visibly Clear 2-in-1 Wash and Mask.
Firstly, I did not like the consistency, it was too much like a mud mask and washing it off required a lot of pressure from an exfoliation sponge which then made my skin red and irritated. The smell however was actually really nice and when left on as a mask, I did like it. But as an everyday wash it didn't work for me. Most importantly is did the product actually improve my skin? The answer to that is that it cleared my skin and made it look less congested and the amount of oily shine was reduced but it didn't clear my acne which is what is was supposed to do. I gave it a fair trial and used it all up but I won't be repurchasing it.
Rating: 5/10
XOXO

Made a vow

I have vowed that I will not buy any more skin care products until I have used up everything that I have, which will probably be about 6 months worth of products! I have all sorts from Clinique, L'oreal to Ren and Ponds cold cream.
For the past month or so I have been finishing the Neutrogena mask and wash 2 in 1. I have to say that I won't be repurchasing it but it was good. With skin though, if I doesn't make a huge difference it's not worth it.
Remember to read the Wednesday Review.
XOXO

The Wednesday Reveiw

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo
In the UK this is basically an all over face light serum/moisturiser. I use it as a moisturiser and it is targeted at people with oily/acne prone skin. I like the fact that it doesn't leave an oily residue on the surface of the skin and is absorbed quite quickly. I have been using it since just before Christmas 2012 and it has made a difference to my skin so I think I will be re-purchasing it.
XOXO

Mini mini mini haul

I haven't done a post in a while and I went shopping and got 2 things which I think we're worth writing a tinie weenie post on. Firstly I got the Barry M nail gelly in 'Lychee'. It's a beautiful colour, it's the perfect dupe for Chanels nail colour 'Frenzie'. I will put a picture at the bottom.
The other naughty purchase I made was Lanolips Lemonade Lip Aid. Holy cow it is incredible. It is made with 70% Lanolin and organic lemon oil. My lips are the softest ever today after applying it yesterday. Next time I think I will buy the original Lanolips only because the lemon one has a shimmer to it, and you know I don't like lip gloss type things. On the other hand, it tastes incredible, like the lemon custard part to a Lemon Meringue pie.
That's all for the moment, but I am going to start doing single products reviews every Wednesday night so keep a look out for those.
XOXO


Disclaimer: The photos are not mine and I am not affiliated with any of the products mentioned, all opinions are my own.

Confessions of a....

Yesterday I went shopping with my beauty blogger friend (teenage beauty 202) and we discovered in our local Topshop that they now have Topshop makeup. I was so excited because I have wanted to buy the highlighting concelor. But much to my dismay they did not have it.
Then we went to boots where we spent the bulk of our time AND money! I put several products in my basket but then I went to the Benefit counter and put everything back...... I found my holy grail kit: Confessions of a concealerholic. This masterpiece contains: That gal brightening primer, Erase paste concelor, Boi-ing concelor in shades 1 and 2, eye bright, Lemon aid and two brushes.
That gal is described as: Our silky pink primer takes your complexion from dull to darling! Simply blend it on for the look of brighter, smoother skin. Contains light-reflecting pigments to help brighten all skin tones and raspberry & camomile to soothe skin.
You put this all over your face as a primer or if your not a foundation wearer then you can use this alone for just a glowing complexion.
Erase paste is described as: This concentrated, creamy concealer brightens and camouflages in one easy step! Targets dark circles, discolouration and imperfections.
This is best used by being tapped under the eyes.
Boi-ing concelor: This award-winning concealer camouflages dark circles, shadows and discoloration without creasing or fading.
With fingertip, dab boi-ing on the darkest areas you want to target...underneath each eye, at the inner corners by the bridge of your nose, or over any other flaws. Pat gently outward to blend.
Lemon aid: Our soft, lemon yellow cream helps to hide redness and discolouration on your eyelids. In a snap, eyes look refreshed, frisky, and ready for fun. Can be worn with or without eye makeup. One shade blends to perfection on every complexion!
Warm up lemon aid with your fingertips and lightly pat on eyelids and blend with fingers. Wear alone for a natural look or under makeup.
Eye bright:Stroke this pink brightening cream on the inner and outer corners of the eye to look instantly wide-awake. It helps absorb dark shadows on the inner and outer corner of the eye...like a coffee break in a stick! For best results, apply as the final step after you've applied other makeup. Perfect for all skin tones.
This retails at £28.50 which is pricey but it's fantastic. I am going shopping again with Tilly in two weeks when she comes to stay and I promise not to be led away so I will defiantly have a haul post coming.
Tilly and I were thinking of starting a How to love you teenage years YouTube channel, let me know if you think that's a good idea.
XOXO

25 things about me

1. I hate any fish except Cod and tuna. Just the smell makes me feel nauseous!
2. I have a phobia of snake
3. I also have a phobia of being sick!
4. I have a MASSIVE immediate family.
5. My favourite types of film are romantic comedy and action. The perfect combination of this is The Avengers and This means war.
6. If I had to pick three YouTubers to watch for the rest of my life it would be Zoella, A model recommends and Sam Pepper. His video of elevator pranks had me in histories. If you are ever having a rubbish day, go and watch his videos.
7. My favourite household pets are Cats, I have two.
8. My favourite animal in the world are Dolphins.
9. I don't like spiders but I don't mind the tiny little ones.
10. I love exercising at the gym.
11. My favourite chocolate is Lindt white chocolate.
13. My favourite city in the world is New York.
14. My favourite place in the world is Rhodes, a Greek island.
16. If I had to live of one food for the rest of my life it would be pasta.
17. I have a habit of trying to balance the light switch when turning lights on and off!
18. When I'm older I would love to start a YouTube channel in conjunction with How to love your teenage years,
19. My favourite tv show is 90210. I love it so much. (Can't believe it's cancelled, don't know what I will do with my life!)
20. My favourite high-street clothing brands are Topshop and Holister.
21. My dream job is a Fashion Photographer or working for Elle or Vogue magazine.
22. My backup job is a Lawyer
23. I am the youngest in my family.
24. My hobbies are textiles, going to the beach, hanging out with friends and going on a run.
25. M life moral is ' Don't take everything too seriously, have fun because when you head into the real world, life's gonna get tougher!'
Just a bit of info on me!
XOXO

Quick little update

I have been mega busy this week, I made my GCSE options, finished essays and have been practicing for many music exams. For my GCSE options I have chosen Spanish as my language, Art, History and Latin. I had a lot of trouble choosing my subjects because certain things were in the same blocks.
I finished my essay on Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird), which I loved as a book.
I have 4 music exam coming up; Singing, Piano, Violin and Music theory. AHHHHHH! I can't wait to get them over and done with. It's weird that u spend half a year or less preparing for your exam and the exam lasts only 15 minutes max! It's so annoying!
Beauty wise I don't really have any new finds, I have been re-discovering a few products though.
Tigi Love peace and the planet Beachy waves styling spray has been a favourite of mine recently. I jut spray it into 50% dry hair and let Mother Nature do the rest.
Sometimes I will spray a few squirts of John Frieda Anti frizz glossing mist if my hair has gone a bit frizzy. The only negative thing about this product is the smell. The smell is alright for 1 spritz but when u have to do five or so you get a bad head ache and the smell lingers on your clothes so I don't tend to use that very often. Other than that, no new beauty finds.
I do, however, have a beauty wish list at the moment:
Rimmel Match perfection foundation
L'oreal CC cream-Anti redness
Barry M nail gelly in Lychee (this is a really good dupe for Chanel frenzi which is about 6x the price of the Barry M polish)
Tony and Guy salt spray
I think that's about it!
XOXO

Big beauty round-up

I have been so busy recently, since I went back to school it has been very hard work. But I have not forgotten about my blog! One of my close friends set up a blog a few weeks ago and if you like mine I think you will like her's: http://TeenageBeauty202.blogspot.co.uk.
So, as the title should suggest, I am going to talk you through everything I am using at the moment because if I talked you through everything I have used since December then this blogpost would be too long! So here goes. For my face I am using the Simple Kind to skin eye makeup remover cream. It was one of my friends who introduced me to it and I love it. It sayes to apply it with a cotton pad but I just squeeze a bit onto my fingers and GENTLY massage my eye makeup away. Then splash your eyes with water and voila, no eye make left!
Next I use the Ren Mayblossom t-zone control (I think it's called that) cleanser for combination oily skin. I bought this because I needed a new one and I had watched dizzybrunette (or corrie) on YouTube talk about it and my skin I think is very similar to hers so I thought I would give it a try. So far I am very pleased with the results. My skin is defiantly less oily without being dry. But recently I have found that around my temples and by my ears my skin has become really dry. You know when you rub in foundation or concealer and you can see bits of flaky skin, well it got like that. I don't think it was the cleanser, I think it was because I had the idea that if you have oily skin you should use less moisturiser but that's no the case.
Once or twice a week, after my cleanser, I use the Ren clearclam3 clarifying clay mask. This is incredible. My spots are considerably smaller the next morning and my skin is looking a lot less congested. The only criticism is that it makes your skin very very dry afterwards so you mustn't use it more than twice a week and you must moisturise afterwards. Also I have been using the Ren pore detox mask (I might have that name wrong) I was given a quite large sample bottle of it when I bought the other Ren products and I am really liking it. It minimises my pores and my skin feels very clean. I don't think I will buy the full one thought because they are 1.very expensive and 2. My skin is more in need of blemish fighting ingredients than pore minimising ingredients.
After cleansing in the morning I use the Ren t-zone oil control day fluid (seeing a bit of a Ren theme here). It is only a small sample but I really love it. It leaves my skin really soft but not oily. I have so many moisturisers at the moment so when I have finished all of them I might buy the full size.
Then I apply my Reme Laure pimple corrector gel. I don't think you can get this in the UK but my godmother sends it over to me from Canada where she buys it from the lady that does her facials. It is incredible at clearing my spots when they first come up. But where I have a spot that just won't go away or I have some discolouration I use Sudocreme. Sudocreme is something you probably won't associate with acne, more with nappy rash, but if you read the small print on it, you will see that it says can be used on acne. This is a life saver. And the brilliant thing is that it costs around £3-4!!
The only thing I change in the evening is my moisturiser. I use the La Roche posay effaclar duo. This looks more like a serum but I use it as a moisturiser. Be carefull though because the UK formulation is different to the USA one. In the US you use it as a spot on corrector but in the UK you can use it as a all over moisturiser/serum.
In terms of hair, I have been using and loving VO5 give my moisture shampoo and the Bumble and Bumble seaweed conditioner. These two as a pair work wonders on my hair. They leave it very soft and manageable.
This morning I was on the vogue website and I watched Cara Delevinge (if you don't know who she is, she is a British model who is so beautiful and has the most crazy personality) talking about her beauty must haves. I have already been on Cult Beauty and started putting things on my wish list, as few were Touché Éclat, Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream, anastasia brow gel and burberry fresh glow. Ahhhhh I want all of them!
Time to go and start my English essay....yay.
XOXO