Wonderful You | Fashion and Style Blog: Beauty

Showing posts with label Beauty. Show all posts

Wednesday, 12 March 2014

Courthouse Clinics Skincare Review & GIVEAWAY!

I’m quite excited about today’s post, for two reasons. Firstly, you may have read my blog relating to my acne issues, and how Courthouse Clinics and I were working together to kick it’s sorry butt? (If not, you can see that ). I mentioned in that post that I would be writing up a separate review on the specific products they’d recommended I use, so today that’s what I’m going to do.

I’ve never before been SO uber excited to share beauty products with you, they have seriously changed my life and for that reason alone Courthouse will be my BFF.

Vitage Revitalising Daily Cleanse: RRP £24

This is the softest, silkiest cleanser I’ve ever used – it’s super gentle so is great for sensitive skin, but boy does it do it’s job. I use it as a makeup remover on an evening (and follow with a second cleanser from Courthouse that I’ll be reviewing at a later date), I just need one pump (yay for pump applicators!) to remove an entire face of makeup and apply to damp (not wet) hands and a dry face. It’s quite thick, so a little goes a long way and it literally melts away makeup, even those stubborn mascara’s. It’s an anti-ageing cleanser so it works to soothe and hydrate the skin with a mix of antioxidant vitamins, which in turn equals supple, soft and radiant skin. But the very best bit is that it manages to control my excess oil – I’ll usually try a cleanser and for the first month or two I’m super impressed, but after that my skin goes back to misbehaving. I’ve been using this since the end of last year (still on the same bottle FYI) and my skin is absolutely loving it. And for £24, it’s a certainly a keeper guys.

PRIORI AHA Perfection Gel: RRP £29

This little bottle is a complete life saver. With adult acne we need active ingredients in our skincare to help maintain breakouts, that’s where AHA’s come in (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) which help to improve the overall condition of our skin. The Perfection Gel contains 16% LCA complex and 1% Salicylic Acid which helps to unblock pores, giving a more even skin tone. There are no oils, fragrance, colourants or parabens in this product and it even works to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles. I use it in the morning after my cleanser, just concentrating on the areas that need it: my T-zone. It has helped improve my complexion a tremendous amount – and because my pores aren’t as blocked I’m not experiencing half as many breakouts. It’s bloody perfect.

PRIORI AHA Barrier Repair Complex: RRP £41

At a slightly higher price, this baby is certainly more of an investment, but it’s definitely one worth making. A moisturiser/serum is essential to a skincare routine and this one is my absolute favourite in the world EVER.

Why is it my favourite you say? Because it’s the only one I’ve ever found that works to actually improve the skins condition long-term. Whether it be from the sun, spots, drinking or smoking our skin is constantly fighting against nasties and this product works to repair that damage over time. It’s jammed packed full with anti-oxidants, vitamins and essential fatty acids that work to rebalance problematic skin – whether it be oily, sensitive, dehydrated or combination. I use this in the evening and when I wake my skin is perfectly calm – something I could’ve only dreamt of in the past.

PRIORI AHA Daily Defence SPF30

SPF, I’ve learned, is essential to our daily routine. And no, I’m not talking about rubbing suncream on our faces before we leave the house – we need an actual SPF, specifically made for our face, and not just a foundation that includes it *slaps wrists*. This one is lightweight and contains 3% LCA Complex (a unique blend of pH-balanced lactic compound (Lactic acid + sodium lactate) that delivers optimal anti-aging results) to ensure our skin is intensely moisturised whilst providing UVB and UVA active ingredients to protect from sun damage (even when the clouds are out ;)). I use this every morning as a moisturiser, under my foundation – it absorbs in to the skin almost instantly and isn’t at all greasy, it’s actually the perfect base pre-makeup, I haven’t been reaching for a primer half as much these days.

FYI. None of the above products have a fragrance to them, they are all very neutral in scent, which just goes to show you don’t need a bunch of flowers in your skincare to make it lovely.

I cannot explain to you how much these products combined have changed my skin and my life. It may sound hugely dramatic but if you suffer with your skin, in any form, you will understand where I’m coming from.

My skin isn’t oily anymore, yup – my makeup stays in place all day and actually looks nice rather than clumpy after an hour’s wear. It’s amazing what a simple consultation can achieve and that even after months of use my skin is still loving all the products.

Now the second bit that I’m excited about. Courthouse have been lovely enough to offer you guys the chance to win 4 products tailored to your skin needs. I know, they’re pretty lovely aren’t they?

There are a lot of reviews about skincare out there, but I hope you guys can believe when I say that these are so, so incredible.

I’m going to be running this giveaway for a week and will host it through Rafflecopter, to make it nice and fair :) – N.B. you must like Court House’s if you want to win (I’ll be checking ;))

A winner will then be picked at random and contacted via email by the gorgeous Laura where you’ll then discuss your skincare needs and after consulting a CHC skin specialist she will recommend products that will be right for your skin and issue instructions for use.

Towards the end of April I will also be posting my ‘post treatment’ blog post, including before and after pictures of how my skin has changed and progressed since starting my skin peels. I’m really looking forward to sharing that with you guys, but in the meantime, have a look below and we’ll see if we can get you some lovely new skin!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, 13 January 2014

Evening Eyes with the Clinique Holiday Make-up Set

Clinique Holiday Make-up Set* from Selfridges

Eye makeup is something I rarely take a risk with. For those of you that know me well, you will know that a simple cat-flick with my beloved liquid liner is all that graces my eyelids on a daily basis. But when Selfridges got in touch and asked if I’d like to try out the Clinique Holiday Make-up Set there wasn’t much of a hesitation on my part – with two Cream Shapers for Eyes, High Impact Extreme Volume Mascara, eight All About Shadow Eyeshadows and two double-ended brushes, it was definitely something I wanted to add to my collection.

All the colours are quite daring and I was definitely a little scared. However I wanted to try and create something a little different and see what I could get away with. Luckily, I have a very wonderful make-up artist friend, Zoe, who very kindly said she’d work her magic and create an evening time look with the palette for me...and here are the results:

I wasn’t expecting to, but I absolutely love it!! (Zoe, you’re so talented! ;)). The deep purple really makes green eyes 'pop' and although it's not a colour I would've considered beforehand, it’s really shown me that I need to take more risks with my makeup and that even the most daring colours can work. The mascara has to be my favourite item in the set, seperating the lashes beautifully and adding huge amounts of volume - it's easily the most impressive mascara I’ve tried in a long time – new holy grail?

To create the look Zoe used 3 of the shadows (the dark purple, lilac and golden brown) and both the cream shapers. The shadows are super pigmented and have a beautiful shimmer to them whilst the cream shapers are true to their name and on application are incredibly creamy, easy to blend and stay put. Personally, I think it's so refreshing to see some vibrant colours in a palette and to include the shapers is a genius idea.

We’ve even filmed a tutorial for my that will be live over the weekend, so keep your eyes peeled and make sure you’re if you’d like to see a step by step of how we achieved this :)

What do you think? Is purple a colour you’d go for now?

Wednesday, 8 January 2014

Antipodes | Skincare for Oily & Blemished Prone Skin

It’s no secret that Antipodes and I have a serious love affair (on my part anyway). They are my go-to for skincare products and towards the latter part of 2013 I hopped on to their website and discovered their ‘Skin Condition & Concern’ page – in a nutshell they have 8 different sections which cater for various skin-types; be it anti-ageing, dehydrated, blemished or sensitive they’ve got it covered. Under each section are Antipodes skincare recommendations for that particular skin type, amazing right? So you don’t have to fanny about searching the description boxes to see if the products are going to be suitable for your skin, you simply select your skin type and all the right products are available at the click of a button, for you to purchase.

My skin type, oily and blemished includes a lovely little selection of products and that’s what I’m going to be chatting to you about today. So, shall we get started?

Juliet Skin-Brightening Gel Cleanser RRP £24.99*

This lightly scented gel cleanser is perfect to wake me up first thing in the morning. Packed with Manuka honey and Vinanza Grape – the ultimate source of antibacterial and antioxidant properties, it helps to balance oil production and give a healthy glow. Feeling amazing on the skin, it lathers beautifully and leaves my face fresh, smooth and most importantly – oil free. It definitely zaps up all the excess and I can’t quite believe how fantastically it brightens my complexion, gone are the days of dull, grey skin with this beauty.

Aura Manuka Honey Mask RRP £21.99*

Ah, the famous Manuka Honey Mask. I’m quite sure you’ve all read a gazillion and one reviews on this, so naturally, here’s another one. Manuka honey is famous for it’s healing powers and this mask is absolutely spot on for blemished skin (excuse the pun). With a super gloopy, honey like consistency it’s definitely different to anything I’ve ever tried before, but a kind of different I LOVE. Combining a purifying mask & a hydrating mask in one product is not only massively impressive but it also makes it hugely desirable – it manages to reduce the redness of new blemishes, shrinks them in size and at the same time intensely moisturises. I think I’ve said enough.

Apostle Skin-Brightening & Tone Correcting Serum RRP: £41.99*

Scarring is something I suffer with, badly. Not only am I fortunate enough to have spots all the time, the old ones like my face so much that they figure they’ll stay put as lovely red marks on my face, forever. I’m quite sure there isn’t one singular beauty serum that can rid scarring completely (I’ve tried a lot), but this one has helped more than any other to date. This serum is packed with ingredients I have never heard of, but whatever they do, they seem to work. Vinanza Performance Plus makes an appearance to help melanin production that causes discoloration in the skin and Vinanza Oxifend (what now?) that helps to fight off oxidative stress on the skin (basically an imbalance in the skin that stops it from healing itself) therefore reducing redness. It’s definitely helped to clear up scarring and unlike other serums, I’m able to apply it in the morning without my skin feeling greasy – albeit I have to leave it a few minutes before applying moisturiser.

I've also had my eyes on the Visible Change Skin Perfecting Moisturiser from Wentworth Clinics that's a little more affordable at £29.99. It's made up of 100% natural ingredients and works to lighten and brighten skin naturally while replacing vital nutrients. Hopefully helping to reduce the appearance of age spots, even out the skin tone and improve any sun damage. It states that it's best used over a 8 week period, morning and night as this is the given time inhibit the production of Melanin (which causes dark spots) - which is a considerably shorter time frame than some I've used. I'm intrigued to say the least!

Rejoice Light Facial Day Cream RRP £25.99*

Together with manuka flower and avocado oil, macadamia and jojoba this moisturiser helps to lock in moisture and balance oiliness, as well as harnessing the same healing properties that the other products include. It plumps the skin, leaves it smooth and has a beautiful light scent of sweet almond. It sinks in to the skin and makes for the perfect base for make-up primers. One of the loveliest moisturisers I’ve ever used.

Used together or singularly within your existing skincare routine there are some real gems within this range. Have you spotted anything you like the look of? Or are you too an avid fan of Antipodes like me?

N.B. If you'd like to purchase any of the above, the Antipodes website has the option to change the currency from NZ to United Kingdom at the very top of the web page :)

Thursday, 2 January 2014

Rimmel London Match Perfection Foundation Review

From time to time I fancy a little break from my outfit posts, where I take the time to share with you my latest finds in the world that is beauty.

I am quite the snob when it comes to foundation and have turned my nose up to a fair few high street ‘holy grails’ for the likes of my favourites Esteé Lauder, NARS and Illamasqua. However every now and then I find myself roaming the aisles in Boots, on the hunt for a new discovery, something that will surprise me. So just before Christmas I took a trip to pick up a few lipsticks from Rimmel and whilst I was there this little blue lidded bottle kept staring at me...

Rimmel’s Match Perfection Foundation – with advanced smart-tome technology promises traceless, flawless coverage that conceals imperfections and leaves no trace of that dreaded foundation line. It’s enhanced with sapphire radiance for an illuminating finish and states that it will last all day.

Now, that’s quite the statement from a high street brand and it’s offering rather a lot for it’s £6.99 price tag. I was intrigued but certainly dubious – after trying out their Wake Me Up foundation last summer I was hugely disappointed (that’s a story for another time), so I was reluctant to try another from them on that basis. Regardless, I made the purchase and the question is...what’s it really like?

In a word? Fan-bloody-tastic. I am honestly blown away with this foundation – it pretty much matches the coverage I get from my Esteé Lauder double wear, whilst giving the luminosity of my Illamasqua Skin Base which is quite the task. I have a super duper oily t-zone so anything that promises to illuminate my face I usually steer well clear of as it 9/10 results in a foundation landslide on my face after an hour or so of wear. But the staying power of this foundation really is impressive; no congealing, caking or slipping after a full days wear – I was shocked to say the least, but very happy indeed. It’s a full coverage foundation, but definitely buildable – the pump applicator means less mess, no waste and the glass bottle gives a higher end feel. I’ve gone for the shade Ivory which I believe is the second from lightest; it matches my skin almost perfectly and blends beautifully with my Real Techniques expert face brush. The consistency is reasonably fluid so a little does go a long way – I’m currently using one and a half pumps to cover my entire face. I loved it so much that I persuaded my mum and sister to make the purchase; Lily is the lightest shade (centre of pic) and mum the one up from me (left), so you can see the change is quite significant in the three shades.

For such a reasonable price, lovely packaging and wonderful coverage I’ll definitely be purchasing this again. It’s going to be my day-time foundation for the foreseeable future and has opened my eyes to the possibilities with high street brands. Big thumbs up Rimmel!

If you fancy giving it a whirl you can purchase it here and I'd love to know your thoughts if you've already tried it :)

Thursday, 14 November 2013

My Optique | London Retro Glasses

London Retro Glasses from My Optique*

A few years ago I started to get headaches, having a job that involves you sitting in front of a computer screen 9-5 (how glamorous) means that your eyes can get tired – and although my vision is pretty spot on, if I have to concentrate for long periods of time I can get a little blurry and my head starts to hurt. So I had an eye test and was given a weak prescription to help and now whenever my eyes are feeling a little sleepy I pop my glasses on and it goes away. Magic.

Some people prefer to wear contacts, but I literally cannot stand anything to do with eyeballs let alone actually having to touch them. Plus, I bloody love wearing glasses. Well, at first I really struggled with them and when I looked in the mirror it made me want to cry a little bit because I just felt ugly. But after I came to terms with the fact that this was just a thing I had to live with and I couldn’t hate it that much because if I did I would touch my eyeballs and put contacts in, I learned to sort of love them. I had the same pair of glasses since I got my first prescription, which of course is absolutely fine but when My Optique got in touch and asked if I’d like to receive a pair for review I was ruddy excited.

I thought I’d go for something a little different, you know, for the days when I feel I want to look like Dame Edna or Lily Savage (which is pretty much every day I’ll have you know). Based on the classic cat eye look worn by Marilyn Monroe but a little less subtle with the fabulous gold inlay London Retro’s Babs are definitely a more statement look for day to day wear. Put it this way, I’ve never had comments on my glasses in work before and I think every single person made a remark on how awesome they were the first day I wore them. They’re reasonably expensive, but I think they’re worth every penny, from the beautiful shape to the sturdy frames and gorgeous case they feel elegant, look luxurious and are higher quality than any other pair I’ve ever tried on. The website is also pretty awesome, bearing in mind I hadn’t tried these on or even seen them in ‘real life’ before making the decision the site do a brilliant job of portraying the glasses and what you see is exactly what you get. When I slipped them on it was exactly how I envisaged them, which is pretty nifty don’t you think?

I know these won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I really do love them and there are some more standard frames on offer if you don’t fancy being a Whacky Wendy like me :)

Tuesday, 12 November 2013

An Afternoon Tea with Antipodes

On Saturday I was lucky enough to be invited (with a handful of lovely bloggers) to Antipodes new product launch hosted by their Global Beauty Expert, Stephanie Malcolm at the Charlotte Street Hotel in London. Stephanie had come all the way over from New Zealand and being such a huge fan of the brand I couldn’t quite believe it when an invite landed in my inbox (yes, I may have squealed). When I first started my blog I wrote about their delicious , which has remained a firm favourite of mine so hearing more about products that are yet to hit the shops in the UK was definitely something I wasn’t going to miss!

I met the oh so beautiful Lauren before heading down to the Hotel and was quite stunned at just how wonderful the venue was. I was also super excited to meet the little stunner that is Jayne for the first time (hello hair twin ;)).

We were greeted with the most gorgeous afternoon tea whilst Stephanie gave us the low down on three beautiful new items to the range – I know, pretty much heaven right? Whilst I was happily scoffing (politely and femininely, ahem) my cake stand and sipping my fresh peppermint tea I was more than content dipping my nose in to the wild blackcurrant scent of the joyous protein-rich night replenish serum, the light and creamy avocado grace gentle cleanser and mesmerizing vintage gardenia that filled the delight hand cream and body cream. I am beyond excited to give these products a thorough testing and share my thoughts with you all – if the scents and textures are anything to go by, these beauties won’t disappoint...and that’s forgetting the super gorgeous packaging, which has to be my favourite ever.

I had the most amazing afternoon and felt so privileged to be invited, a huge thank you to Stephanie (who can I just say is the loveliest lady and represents a fabulous company SO well) for taking the time to be in the UK and educate us on the science behind the brand and also a big thank you to Sophie, the lady behind arranging such a great event - I'm so grateful!

Keep your eyes peeled for reviews, I think we may have something special here guys.

Friday, 8 November 2013

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation | My Thoughts

Images courtesy of Live Laugh Lipstick (thank you!)

This little tube is no stranger to the blogosphere, I think I've probably seen every single blogger write about this or at least mention it on some sort of social media platform. I'm not usually one to follow a hyped up product but I was running low on my latest foundation and searched through my favourite bloggers sites, reading review after review to get a good impression on this foundation, making sure I looked at various skin types to get a good idea if it would suit me - oily, spotty and scarred. The general consensus was YES, this foundation is incredible.

Needless to say I was super excited when it arrived the next day. Stupidly beautiful, simplistic packaging - my favourite, I was smitten as soon as I opened the envelope. I ran home, (well I didn't run home at all, I drove, sensibly) took off my makeup from the day and reapplied with Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation (in shade Cream Ivory). The smell was lovely, almost powdery with a hint of vanilla.
But I looked in the mirror and just stared for a minute. I started off with quite a small amount, but we all know that I'm partial to quite full coverage, so I buffed in a fair bit more to see how well it built up. I don't know what it was but it just didn't sit well on my skin at all, it was instantly sloppy and didn't seem to blend nicely like many bloggers had promised. I figured it was probably down to already having had a full face of makeup that day and hadn't given it time to breathe etc.
The next morning, albeit more apprehensively than the night before I did my usual routine and pulled out the foundation to try again. The same thing happened, every time I tried to blend it just made lines, even when I used the teeniest amount (and yes I shook the bottle well before use). Regardless I blended as best I could and set with powder, determined to wear it for a full day considering I'd just spent £33 on it.
After about an hour of wear I went to the bathroom, sad to see that the sloppiness had got worse and that the foundation was clinging to any blemishes or dry patches, highlighting them like little halos. It also made my skin look quite dull and lackluster but I persisted a few more times but after 3/4 wears I'd had enough and decided that it was best we ended our relationship.

I managed to sell it on to someone who loves it dearly, which makes me happy. But it certainly didn't tick the foundation holy grail box for me. Pretty packaging? Yes. Medium-Full Coverage? Yes. Suitable for my skin? Nope. I'm sure this is a wonderful foundation for most, but sadly we just didn't get along. If you, like me, have troubles finding a suitable foundation and were thinking of trying this one I would perhaps suggest visiting your local counter first and picking up a sample.

I know there are so many of you who love it, but are there any who feel similar to me? I'd love to know I'm not the only one!!!

(PS a big thank you to Georgina for letting me use her photo's!! I sold this before I'd even had a chance to snap it, so really appreciate her generosity :) bloomin lovely piccies too lady!)

Friday, 1 November 2013

Marc Jacobs Honey Gift Set | The Perfect Christmas Gift

Marc Jacobs Honey Gift Set*

I am a complete sucker for pretty packaging and I think it's fair to say it doesn't get much prettier than Marc Jacbos Honey. Everything about this little parcel of joy makes me beam with happiness - from the bright colours to the simplicity of the beautiful box it comes in - I am completely taken with this.

Not only does it make for the perfect Christmas present, it's also a really lovely treat for yourself. On Fragrance Direct - a website infamous for discounted designer brands, you can pick this up for £44.99 (RRP £53), saving you nearly £10 - and we all know every penny counts at this time of year! Especially when the perfume alone costs £41.95, it's pretty much a bargain.

The scent is absolutely delicious, imagine a smell that you literally want to eat and that’s what you’ve got. With top notes including mandarin and pear. Orange blossom, peach nectar, apricot and honeysuckle making up the mid notes and honey, golden vanilla and smooth woods as the base it’s completely floral, bright and feminine.

The reason I love gift sets is because you're receiving the perfect recipe of scent. With a shower gel and body lotion used together the perfume has a base to hold on to for a more prolonged and distinctive scent - something super important to me; if I'm wearing a scent I want to smell of it all day long god dammit!

I don't think there is anything more to say, it's love. (and the bottle looks bloomin' lovely on my dressing table too!)

Thursday, 31 October 2013

Love Me Beauty Box | October 2013

Love me Beauty Box* RRP £10 + p&p

You may remember a while back I wrote about a new beauty box on the scene...Beauteco. Well, they've re-branded and are back as 'Love me Beauty' - a name I actually prefer!
I was so impressed with my last box that I couldn't wait to receive this one. I really love that you get to pick your menu each month - that way you are receiving items you know you want to try and this month I went for option 2. I've wanted to try Lord & Berry products for absolutely yonks and there was an Amie moisturiser that I thought would be right up my street...so you ask, what else was in my box?

LORD & BERRY (FULL SIZE)
SMUDGE PROOF EYELINER RRP £7.50

LORD & BERRY

SCUBA MASCARA (FULL SIZE) RRP £12

I have to say I was really quite disappointed when I opened both the eyeliner and mascara. Both were completely dried out and I couldn't get any product out of either of them to swatch. They were both items I was really looking forward to trying but apparently it's been a fault with most of the boxes and Love me Beauty are working something out to compensate next month! On the plus side - they are both full size items that retail at a higher cost than the entire box, which is a real winner!

BALM BALM (FULL SIZE)DETOX BATH & SHOWER - 5ML RRP £6

I can't wait to try this bath oil, I'm a huge fan of NEOM organics, so something at a fraction of the price is a welcome addition to my bathroom - however apparently this is the full size, which is super tiny!!

WELEDA (SAMPLE SIZE) 18ML
MILLET NOURISHING SHAMPOO RRP £8.95 (190ML)

I always love testing new shampoos so I'll look forward to trying this out when I next wash my mop! It's got macadamia nut oil in it which is always a plus with me - super nourishing and smoothing.

AMIE SKINCARE

MORNING DEW RRP £4.95

Lastly the Amie moisturiser, another item that took my fancy when picking my menu for the month and yet another full size product! I think I will probably feature this in a monthly favourites as I've used it a few times and so far I am absolutely loving it. For under £5 it's definitely a bargain beauty buy I'll be repurchasing!

Of course, there was a little disappointment this month what with the Lord & Berry products, but it hasn't put me off receiving my next one and I believe that every great company can always redeem themselves in a situation like this!

Are you signed up to Love me Beauty? I'd love to know what menu you went for if so?

Monday, 21 October 2013

Ta Dah! Celebrating British Beauty | No7 Inspiration Campaign

If you’re a reader of my blog it’s probably a given that you are interested in beauty (at least a little bit). For me makeup and beauty products are all about enhancing your features and making you feel good. I’m not one for plastering a tonne of slap on, but I have imperfections that I’d rather not share on a daily basis and it’s why I’m always thankful for the brands that make it their goal to help you feel better about yourself.

No7’s new campaign – Celebrating British beauty encapsulates everything I mentioned above and that makes me very happy indeed. A beauty campaign with no air-brushing or re-touching? Well, they’ve certainly got my attention. With women aged between 25 – 55 they’ve ‘street cast’ individuals from a mix of backgrounds to help discover a new look using their vast collection of vibrant cosmetics, reaching for products they perhaps wouldn’t have thought to try before in order to surprise themselves with how change can be a good thing.

Of course I wanted to get involved and try my hand at something new, so here are my products:

No7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser. No7 Sheer Temptation Lipstick in Cuckoo Coral. No7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream for Normal/Oily Skin

Hot Cloth Cleansers aren’t something new to me, however I’ve only ever tried the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish and trialling a new cleanser isn't something I take lightly - my skin isn't happy with most products, as you know. This one didn’t disappoint, with the beautifully crisp and minimalistic packaging alone I was swooning but the application is just as dreamy with a pump to save mess. The product itself literally melted away my makeup and didn’t leave me feeling greasy or oily at all – super soft and delicate. BIG thumbs up! Especially as I’m so often using power cleansers to control my breakouts, it’s nice to give it some nourishment every now and then.

I am very much a lover of high coverage foundations so I thought I would step out of my comfort zone and try my first ever BB cream. It sounds ridiculous but this is a big deal for me, stripping back a usually covered up face is more difficult than it probably should be. But...I am SO happy with the results. BB creams are aimed at fighting blemishes whilst helping to achieve a more even skintone by hiding imperfections. I opted for the ‘fair’ shade for normal/oily skin – the coverage has the perfect balance and the staying power is better than some of my high-end foundation choices. IN LOVE.

On the lips I wanted to opt for something subtle and pretty (not a usually for me) – after all this is my ‘stripped back’ look and I didn’t want some heavy vampy lip strutting its stuff this time around ;). The Sheer Temptation Lipsticks are true to their title, light in application whilst being super hydrating, bright and glossy. They’re not at all sticky and are made up with Theobroma Oil and Maxilip to help keep your lips healthy. It’s a full on love affair between us two...sorry Daniel.

And here I am!

Overall I’m so happy that I tried something different – it just goes to show that a little nudge of encouragement can go such a long way. Thank you No7 for creating such a wonderful campaign for us ladies, I for one am 100% grateful and behind the cause :)

I’d really love to know if you decide to take part and would love to see your looks if you do! Have a look on the Boots website here to see other ladies stories and how their new looks made them feel!

Thursday, 17 October 2013

Jimmy Choo Eau De Parfum Review

Jimmy Choo Eau De Parfum c/o Fragrance Direct

Running out of perfume is one of the worst things to happen to a woman. Dramatic, me? Never. So when this Jimmy Choo perfume landed on my door step you can imagine the joy...even if it smelt like toilet cleaner I would've lapped it up (thankfully, it doesn't and is actually rather gorgeous).

Regardless of the time of day I always reach for a heavily scented perfume. Woody, musky, sexy smells are my ultimate favourite and this perfume has all three wrapped in to one rather beautiful bottle.

The glass packaging is heavy and the indented shapes make it easy to grab hold of whilst you spritz away. Taking inspiration from strong, empowered and seductive women you can safely say this would be 100% suited to an evening wear, but as long as you’re not too heavy handed it can be just as lovely in the day too.

It wasn’t a scent I was familiar with, but I can safely say it’s replaced my Agent Provocateur for the foreseeable future! Having received so many comments since wearing this, it’s definitely worth a whiff when you next find yourself at a beauty counter.

Monday, 14 October 2013

Skin Worries | Being Proactive

For the past 4 years I have battled with my skin – as you well know, I bloomin’ go on about it enough don’t I?! I have gone through the motions...

Sticking to a healthy diet
Drinking plenty of water
Exercising (albeit minimal)
Being consistent with my skincare
Changing up my skincare
Swapping my contraceptive pill
Seeing my GP and receiving prescription medication

Now of course I didn’t try all of these things at the same time, hell that’s bound to make me breakout – but over a 4 year period with the above changes applied over time here I am, still struggling and suffering.

I don’t claim to have the worst case of acne, or that anyone should feel sorry for me – but what I do believe, quite strongly, is that if you feel uncomfortable in your own skin then you will feel like I do and will consider or try near enough anything to get rid of the continuous breakouts and scarring.

After trying everything within my power to shift these nasties I’ve now started to investigate going to a specialist for treatments. This isn’t something you can get for free but when I consider that last year I spent over £100 on my winter coat, well..I think I can save those pennies and try and sort out my face – after all it is on display forever and always!

First up on my investigation list is sk:n – I’m sure you’ve heard about them before but if you haven’t you can read a detailed description on who they are here. In a nutshell they use the latest technologies and clinically proven products to help improve your skin, whatever your issue or treatment requirement, be it laser hair removal, wart removal or like me skin worries you can pretty much count on them having something that will help.

For me I'll be focusing on the treatments for acne, scarring and peels.

Acne Treatments:
Isolaz is one of sk:n’s most popular treatments for live acne..using a device similar to a hoover (hehe), it works it’s magic by sucking out all the dirt, oils, excess sebum and unnecessary nasties in the skin. Also attached is a laser that releases a light that kills off any remaining bacteria, whilst the vacuum suction helps to bring the infected skin closer to the laser light, leaving less room for anything else to creep its way back in. A single treatment will cost you £130, but the way this treatment works is not a one off miracle cure – it’s something you need to be invested in and stick to for a while - but it sounds incredible.

Skin Peels:

These are the bad boys I’m most interested in – skin peels help to remove dead skin cells whilst encouraging your skin to naturally produce new, healthy ones. Unlike the Isolaz acne treatment, you do run the risk of having some slight swelling and peeling to the treated area but that’s what the experts are there for...to point you in the right direction for what treatment will suit you best.

They’ve currently got 50% off on Glycolic peels (AMAZING NEWS) so a single treatment at the moment would be a very reasonable £40 – but if like me you fancy yourself a few treatments (best idea) then you can get 3 treatments for 2 at £160, which I’m seriously considering. It’s still quite a lot of money, especially if like me you don’t have much to spare – but I think I might add it to my Christmas wishlist and try and contribute some pennies too so that I can get this baby on the road!

I can’t quite believe that we’re approaching the end of this year...but I do really feel like I’ve learned something about myself and my attitude towards my life in general, even though these months have flown by! I can be the most negative ninny and I rarely find myself looking for the best of a bad situation. However, I have realised that that will get me nowhere in life and that I am fast becoming my own worst enemy. Moping and moaning about my skin wont get me anywhere fast, but being positive and working hard in order to help myself help my skin will. I'll be pursuing these treatments and will let you know when I take the plunge and get started. The thing I'm most looking forward to is having an expert there to hold my hand and TELL me what will help, instead of constantly guessing...wish me luck!

*this is a sponsored post

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