Cold Weather Skin Saviours

If ever there's a time when my skin feels a bit dry, dehydrated and lacklustre it's at this time of year. The bitingly cold weather and central heating are recking havoc on my skin not to mention the after effects of one too many late nights in December. My skin has a tendency to get very sensitive in the cold but over the last few years I've managed to come up with an arsenal of products to keep it in tip top condition. 

Cleansing is so important in the cold, anything foaming will just strip the small amount of moisture there is in the skin. I've been using the Nude Perfect Cleansing Oil in the evenings and the Aurelia Miracle Cleanser in the mornings and as a second cleanse at night. The combination of the two have left my skin feeling fresh and clean but still plumped up, nourished and soft. 

The Clarins Special Eye Contour Balm is one I seem to come back to every winter, I spoke about it more in my Morning Skincare Routine Video which you can see here. It's rich and moisturising but still sinks in easily and sits well under makeup. I've also upped my usage of Time Bomb's Youth Juice Secret Oil from a couple of times a week to 3 or 4, I've also been piling it on on at-home, no makeup days. It too sinks in easily and the lovely scent makes it such a pleasure to use. 

I generally moisturise my body all year round but in winter I love an oil or a super rich body butter. The Bliss Lemon+Sage Body Butter is so thick it's almost solid, it takes a bit of rubbing in to get it to sink in but boy is it worth it! I've been quickly working my way through this deluxe sample tube but a full size purchase may be in order! 

Two things I definitely couldn't forgo are hand cream and lip balm, Soap & Glory Hand Food is everyones favourite for a reason, it smells lovely, is lastingly moisturising and most importantly doesn't leave a reside on the hands. The Body Shop's Coconut Lip Butter is thick and moisturising enough to heal even the most cracked lips but unfortunately does leave a bit of a pale cast on the lips. For that reason, I reserve it for overnight use and I always have super soft lips come morning!

What are your favourite cold weather products?

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Kiko 3 in 1 Nail Care

This spot is usually reserved for my 'NOTD' post here on the blog but today I thought I'd make an exception and talk about another nail product I've been loving. Partly because I think it's great and deserves a chance in the spotlight and partly because I'm currently giving my nails a break!

It's the Kiko Nail Care 3 in 1 Shine which is a nail strengthener, base coat and top coat all in one. Surprisingly, it works as both a base and a top coat very well, I can't really comment on the strengthening aspects as my nails are quite strong naturally. As a base coat it grips colour well and prevents polishes from staining nails and as a top coat is leaves colour with a super glossy finish. It dries pretty quickly too and definitely increases the wear time of my manicure. I would even go as far as to say I prefer it to the Nails Inc Top Coat, a cult product which is more than double the price! 

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Essie Manicure at Privet Beauty

I recently went to an event hosted at Privet, a beauty salon in Notting Hill. Quite possibly the loveliest decorated salon I've ever been to! The salon has lots of different treatment rooms, each with a different theme as well as a hidden away area for manicures called the 'secret garden'. It's such a lovely change from the usual generically decorated salons and nail bars.

They use Essie polishes for their manicures which I was really pleased to hear as it's my favourite nail brand. I went for the shade Watermelon with Naughty Nautical as an accent nail, I was having a bit of a difficult time choosing but I think the shades look great together! As I write this I'm on day 3 and still no chips! I may have to invest in the Essie top and base coat!

The lady who did my manicure was lovely and chatty, something which makes a big difference to me. It felt more like a friend was doing my nails!

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April Favourites

This month's favourites are a combination of new discoveries and golden oldies. The first product I've been loving is the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water which I spoke about in more detail a few days ago here. It's a brilliant makeup remover that removes even mascara in a single swipe, doesn't irritate the skin at all and just feels like water. I'm converted.

Next is the long since discontinued Sweet Lemon Shower Gel from The Body Shop (full review here) it has the most delicious, citrusy scent that has been extremely uplifting on these dull spring mornings. I really hope they bring this scent back!

Soap & Glory Hand Food is by far my favourite hand cream of all time, it's extremely moisturising yet non greasy and sinks into the skin straight away. It also smells really good, I stocked up this month while it was on 3 for 2, you can see my full review here.

I'm not usually one for primers but the Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch has surprised me, I seem to me using it more and more often. It feels velvety on the skin, makes sure that makeup lasts all day and keeps and oiliness at bay. Full review here.  

The concealer that I've been reaching for pretty much daily as of late is the Clinique Even Better Concealer in Honeycomb. It a shade lighter than my skin tone so I've been using it under the eyes to hide dark circles and brighten up my face. It's really high coverage but also really blendable. Full review here. 

I'm not an everyday eyeshadow wearer but the Avon SuperShock Vivid Liquid Eyeshadow is so easy to use! Mine's in the shade Chromed Cocoa. I just shake it, dab a bit onto my eyelid with the applicator and then blend it in with my finger. It sets and just doesn't budge. 

What products have you been loving this month?  

REVIEW: Soap & Glory Hand Food

As you've probably guessed from the above image, I absolutely love Soap & Glory Hand Food Hand Cream. In fact it's my favourite all time hand cream by a long, long way. I first tried it a  while ago when it came it a christmas gift set and I've never looked back. It comes in 3 different sizes, a mini handbag sized tube(50ml), a medium tube(125ml) and a large pump top bottle(250ml). As it's currently on 3 for 2 and the big bottles are the best value, I decided to stock up! You don't need too much either so this stash will last me a long time!

So why do I love it so much? Well the main reason is that the formula is extremely rich and nourishing but still manages to sink into the skin really quickly without leaving any greasy residue. Usually I find with hand creams, it's one or the other. It contains some great ingredients like shea butter, macadamia oil, grape seed oil and sweet almond oil so it leaves hands feeling lastingly moisturised rather than just tiding you over till the next hand wash! 

As if that isn't enough it also has the loveliest scent, it's a slightly sweet and very delicate floral fragrance that's quite subtle. If the like the fragrance of some of their other products such as Flake Away Body Scrub, Clean On Me Shower Gel and The Righteous Butter Body Butter then you'll love this because it's the same scent!

What is you favourite hand cream? 

Empties #6

It's empties time again, where I talk about what products I've used up lately and whether or not I'd repurchase them. I can't believe I'm on to the 6th one already! 

First up is the Avon Room & Linen Spray in Lavender and Chamomile, I've been using this stuff for ages and absolutely love it! I keep it on my bedside table and spritz a bit into the air before going to sleep, the scent is just so relaxing. Repurchase? Definitely

Lee Stafford Dry Shampoo Original is great to get a day or 2 more out of your blow-dry. It doesn't leave as much of a white cast or feel as powdery in the hair as some others can. Repurchase? Possibly at some point but there are a few others I want to try out first.

I did a full review of the Nivea Raspberry Rose Lip Butter a while ago (see here), it smells delicious, softens lips really well but leaves a very unflattering pale cast on the lips, such a shame! Repurchase? No

As you can see, I haven't completely finished the Avon Gel Strength Base Coat, but what's left in the bottle (about 1/5) has gone so thick and gloopy that it can't be used. That said, most of the ones I've tried seem to do that and this one did a pretty good job before it got gloopy. Repurchase? Yes

The Body Shop Absinthe Hand Cream was kept in the car and used constantly, it has a really moisturising formula that manages to feel really fresh on the skin and sink in quickly. Repurchase? Yes

The Avon Anew Lip Plumping Conditioner was unfortunately, a huge disappointment. The packaging is gorgeous but the product just didn't deliver. Moisture wise, it was ok, but it left a really thick, unflattering pale cast on the lips that for me makes it a big no-no. Repurchase? No

Benefit Hello Oxygen Flawless Wow Brightening Makeup is the only foundation I've been using for the past couple of months, full review here. It has medium coverage that is really buildable, plus the added SPF 25 is a bonus that makes it great for everyday. Repurchase? I already have another one on the go!

I tried out the Klorane Shampoo with Mango Butter a while ago (full review here) and thought it was really impressive for a budget shampoo. It leaves hair feeling clean but not stripped of all moisture. Since running out I've been using a Charles Worthington Shampoo which I think I prefer. Repurchase? Maybe

Clinique Quickliner for Eyes was another disappointing product, this stuff smudged like crazy. Even if you smudged it on purpose, after a few hours it would have travelled even further. Repurchase? No 

I like to get mini products for when I go away and Lee Stafford are great for that. I got the Hold Tight hairspray a while ago and it's lasted me a good few holidays. It did the job but didn't particularly blow me away. Repurchase? Maybe 

Boots Haul

Another day, another haul. But the last one was all with boots points (therefore free) and this one is more needs than wants, plus it doesn't include any makeup so it doesn't really count, right?

Moving on, let me tell you what I actually got! First up I ordered some more of my trusty Caudalie Grape Water from FeelUnique, I've gone on and on about how much I love this stuff (here) so it was just yet another repurchase of the stuff. It's great for dry and sensitive winter skin.

Next up was my trip to Boots, I'd heard Amelia talk about the Charles Worthington Moisture Seal Hair Healer Leave In Conditioner and seeing as how I've loved all her previous hair product recommendations, I decided to pick one up. I also got the Moisture Seal Shampoo and Hair Rescue Masque from the same range as I needed some more anyway and I like to use products from the same range together!

Come rain or shine, coconut oil is a staple in my beauty routine, I spoke about all the ways I use it here. This one comes in a nice little glass jar that I can always top up from a bigger bottle which is handy. The more sensitive my skin gets, the more I tend to use this stuff, at the moment it's all I'm using to remove makeup and I keep reapplying it (about every 15 mins) to a pesky dry patch that just won't budge. Sexy, I know. 

Said dry patch is on my eyelid, and everything I put on it seems to be making it burn at the moment. I got this cucumber eye gel in the hope that it would be soothing and calming, fingers crossed it is! 

Nailfiles, we all know how they work so there isn't much to say about those, but I do always specifically get these Double Faced Cotton Pads, one side is designed to take things of, like removing makeup/nail varnish etc and the other side is designed to put things on, like when using toner. I know it sounds like a bit of a gimmick and they are slightly pricier but if you are using decent products you end up saving in the long run. I find I need a lot less product when I'm using them.

Last but not least I bought Maybelline Colour Show Nail Varnish in Clear to use as a base and top coat because my current one has gone gloomy, but more on that in my next empties post!

Have you tried any of these products before?

REVIEW: Avon Nail Experts Conditioning Cuticle Pen

If you want strong healthy nails, you definitely need to look after your cuticles. Although you can use any moisturizing product like a lip balm, hand cream or multi purpose balm, there are a lot of products specifically designed to aid healthy nail growth.

I’ve been using the Avon Nail Experts Conditioning Cuticle Pen recently, when I remember that is.  It comes in really handy, easy to use packaging, you just twist the bottom and the product is dispensed into the brush at the top. All you have to do is sweep it over your nail beds and rub it in.

The product itself is a lightweight oil that sinks into the skin really quickly, particularly if you have dry skin like me. It does a great job of nourishing the cuticles and the delicately scented lavender oil it contains makes it feel like a luxurious treat to use.

Do you use any cuticle products?

Best of the Sales - Beauty

Boots Extracts Coco Butter Collection - 10.00 5.00

Korres Shower Gel Trio - 10.00 7.50

Crabtree & Evelyn Deluxe Hand Therapy Collection - 15.00 11.25

Cowshed Moody Cow Balancing Travel Candles - 22.00 17.60

Ren Rose Experience Gift Set - 32.00 16.00

Soap & Glory Once upon a Lime Gift Set - 18.00 9.00

Sanctuary Triple Moisture Bliss - 10.00 5.00 

The Body Shop Chocomania Shower, Scrub & Soften Luxury Gift - 25.00 15.00

Burt's Bees Festive Edition Essentials Kit - 12.99 11.04

Macadamia Flawless Cradle - 25.75 19.31

Nars Guy Bourdin Collection Longwear Eyeliner Set - 35.00 25.00

Caudalie Winter Must Haves Set - 12.00 9.60

Nuxe Cocooning Must Haves Gift Set - 30.00 24.00

Maybelline New York Colour Show Gift Set - 7.99 4.79

EcoTools Fresh & Flawless Brush Set - 11.99 10.19

Elemental Herbology Travel Essentials Kit - 24.00 12.00

Nail Rehab

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you'll know I'm very much a nail varnish addict. I repaint my nails once or twice a week and have built up quite the collection over the years. So, it's definitely fair to say that my nails need a break! Seeing as it's the start of a new year, I though what better time to give my nails a bit of a rest, fresh start and all.

My aim is to get through the whole of January polish free, fingers and toes that is. I've removed my nail varnish, trimmed my nails back, filed them and buffed them to within an inch of their life. I'll also be regularly slathering on Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream to keep hands soft and nails strong, and The Body Shop Shea Lip Butter will be used in place of a cuticle balm  (my usual one is packed away in a box somewhere) to keep them soft, pushed back and to ensure healthy nail growth. 

I'll also be keeping my Avon Nail Experts Gel Strength Base Coat to hand to give nails a healthy shine and a bit of strength. Think I'll make it through January?

Autumn Nail Edit

It's no secret that I'm quite into nails so I thought I'd put together an edit of my favourite autumn nail shades. Here's what made the cut!

Avon Nailwear Pro in Perfectly Flesh

This nude shade works really well with my skintone, it looks good all year round really but it's a particularly nice option in the autumn for when you don't wan't something dark.

YSL La Laque No 37 (discontinued)

This dark inky blue looks stunning on short nails, it's black in some light but has just a hint of navy. It's been filling the Essie After School Boy Blazer sized hole in my collection nicely. 

Chanel Le Vernis 509 Paradoxal

A two toned grey and purple that somehow has a neutral quality about it and seems to go with everything. The formula isn't great, as with all Chanel varnishes, but the colour is spot on.

Essie Aperitif 

Quite possibly my favourite polish of all time, this is another one that works well all seasons, but particularly autumn and winter. An ever so slightly darker take on a classic red that you just can't go wrong with.

Nails Inc Ledbury Road 

A concrete grey with a subtle metallic finish that I can't help but love in spite of generally being someone who sticks to cream finishes. It only needs one coat, and is super glossy making it a great last minute nail option that adds a little somethin' somethin' to an otherwise boring outfit. 

Sephora Colour Hit Nail Lacquer in Will you Jump?

An amazingly rich royal blue which is bang on trend that I just can't seem to stop staring at when it's on my nails. I love these polishes, the brush is great, the formula is great and there's a huge variety of shades. 

What have you been wearing on your nails this autumn?

Empties #3

Another month, another empties post, I honestly can't believe how fast I go through stuff! Anyway, here's what I thought of it all!

Soap & Glory Heel Genius is definitely a 'pedicure in a tube', it's a super rich, blue, foot cream which contains exfoliating fruit acids. I've been slathering it on in the evening and following it up with some cozy socks. Come morning feet are super smooth, no scrubbing necessary! Repurchase? Yes.

I've throughly enjoyed using Soap & Glory's Foam Call Body Wash, it's so fruity smelling and it really wakes you up first thing in the morning, plus, it leaves skin feeling nice and soft as it contains built in moisturiser. Repurchase? Definitely!

Yep, you guessed it, more Soap & Glory! This one is the Butter Yourself Body Butter, an all time favourite. It has the same lovely fruity fragrance as Foam Call Body Wash and also contains exfoliating fruit acids, meaning your skin is left feeling silky soft. It also sinks into the skin really quickly which is a great time saver. Repurchase? Yep!

Next is The Body Shop Vitamin E Sink In Moisture Mask, it has a light gel-cream formula, gives skin a huge moisture boost and applies clear. I've been using it overnight and waking up to plumped up skin. Look out for a full review coming soon! Repurchase? Already have! 

MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NC45 is a foundation I've been using for years. It's a medium coverage foundation that can be mixed with moisturiser for a light finish or built up to a full coverage without looking heavy or caked on. It's a great all rounder. Repurchase? Already have.

Sephora Softening Facial Mist is a very lightly scented facial mist that I picked up in France this summer, it's a great skin refresher that adds a bit of dewyness to the skin, and it's so much cheaper that other alternatives. (I paid 4 euros for it!) Repurchase? Yes, when I next go to France!

The Simple Moisture Boost Hydro Mist is basically the same thing as the sephora one, although not quite as nice because a single spray can be quite full on whereas the sephora spray produces a fine mist. Repurchase? Probably not.

Next up is the mini Jurlique Lavender Hand Cream that I took away on holiday, this stuff is amazing! Not only does it smell amazing, it really does your hands a world of good. As it's a balm like formula, you only need a small amount, it spreads easily and sinks straight into the skin leaving no residue. It leaves hands feeling lastingly moisturised so you end up using it a lot less often. Repurchase? Definitely at some point but not straight away as I got a few other ones stashed away already! 

I usually love everything by Chanel but unfortunately their Automatic Liquid Eyeliner was a huge disappointment! It has a pointed brush tip, you twist the bottom and the product is dispensed into the brush, sounds great right? But everytime I went to use it I found that the entire brush had dried out and the brush was full of dry, cakey bits of eyeliner. I would then have to wash it and dry it before I used it (every single time) and very soon the brush started to fall apart from all the wear and tear! Repurchase? Definitely not!

At the other end of the spectrum, I have another product by Chanel which I absolutely loved and was so sad to finish, as it's long since been discontinued! It's one of their old bronzers and the shade was just perfect for me, not too pale, not too orange, with the tinniest hint of shimmer! Repurchase? I wish! 

Have you tried any of these products? What did you think of them?

Project Use Up

Being a bit of a beauty junkie comes with 2 main downsides the first one being storage, my ever growing collection seems to be taking up more and more space, and the second being that it's not exactly kind on the old purse strings! As I'll soon be moving house I need to tighten up my spending and the less stuff I have to pack and move the better.

So enter my solution, Project Use Up. It's pretty self explanatory really, these are the products that I need to use up before I'm allowed to buy anything similar. These are all products that for some reason or the other have been sitting around for a while feeling a bit neglected, I don't love them, but I wouldn't go as far as to say I hate them either. They just need to be used up to make room for an alternative I will love! 

First up is No7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream Dry/Very Dry Skin SPF15. I bought this last winter when my skin was going though a really dehydrated and sensitive phase in an attempt to get it back to normal. Unfortunately my skin was so sensitive at the time that when I put this on my face it just felt like it was burning! Long story short I managed to sort my skin out in the end by using  something else and this one got shoved away somewhere and was soon forgotten. It has quite a thick consistency so I think less is definitely more with this one, I'll try it out on my face again because my skin isn't at all sensitive any more but if I don't get on well with it I'll just use it on my elbows!

Next up is MAC Pro Longwear Foundation in NC45, there's nothing I dislike about this foundation, it just ends up getting neglected because I have other foundations that I like more. Seeing as there are some foundations that I'd like to try I thought I'd use this up to make room. This one might take a while as I still have more than half the bottle left! 

MAC Studio Fix Powder, I've had this one quite a while and it's served me well, but now that I favour a more natural looking complexion as apposed to my previous love of a matte complexion, this has started to feel a bit heavy. I haven't got a huge amount of this left so it won't take me long to get through it, plus it will be another empty for my back to MAC* stash. 

I find mascaras to be very much a personal preference thing, I like a wide closely packed bristle brush as apposed to a narrow plastic one like the Avon SuperExtend Extreme Mascara. I find that on me it tends to stick lashes together rather that creating a separated look. That said, it's nothing a quick comb through with a lash comb can't fix! 

I usually love everything from Soap & Glory, in fact when it comes to bath and body care, they're probably my favourite brand (alongside The Body Shop of course!). Unfortunately their Smoothie Star Deep Moisture Body Milk is an exception, I just don't like the smell at all. It has a very artificial almond smell which I think you either love or hate. I was also quite surprised and disappointed to see that it contains mineral oil, unlike their other body lotions/butters I've tried. None the less, I'll try and get though it as I have way too many body lotions on the go!

I mentioned the Ted Baker Hand Cream a few days ago in my Bedtime Beauty Post, it smells lovely but doesn't seem to really do much. As soon as a couple of hours have passed or I've washed my hands they just feel really dry again. I'll be going for something that works a bit better next time.

I don't use primers everyday, just when I need my makeup to last well or if the weather is humid. That said, I have tried quite a few and the L'Oreal Studio Secrets Smoothing Resurfacing Primer is probably my least favourite, it has quite a thick consistency compared to others and takes a bit more working into the skin. As well as that the pot is a bit difficult to use as you have to really dig your finger in to get any out! It does work though so I'll be putting in the extra effort from now on.

The last of the bunch is another foundation, it's The Body Shop Extra Virgin Minerals Cream Compact Foundation in 408 Rose Caramel. I actually really like this foundation but as the name would suggest it is very creamy so it's best suited for dry skin days. It's great for sensitive skin and so I used it constantly last winter. There isn't much left in it but I'll definitely be using it up when the weather gets colder and my skin gets drier.

* Back to MAC - Save up the containers/bottles of empty MAC products, take them all to a counter and you can exchange them for a free MAC lipstick of your choice!