REVIEW: Milk Bath Remedy Candles

I love burning candles in the winter months, I find they make a house feel more like a home and add a cozy ambience to any room. Lately I've been loving these two Milk Bath Remedy Candles which I picked up from TK Maxx.

The first one, Coconut Milk has a lovely delicate fragrance to it, like a slightly sweetened but not at all sickly coconut scent that manages to be exotic but still quite fresh. 

The other, Sugared Hibiscus, is much sweeter and more floral, again without being at all sickly. I find this one to be a particularly relaxing scent so I love to burn it while having a bath.

Both give out enough scent to fill a room and leave it smelling lovely for a few hours after they've been snuffed out, and they come in cute vintage style jars which I'll definitely be keeping to store makeup brushes in! 

REVIEW: E.L.F HD Blush in Diva

E.L.F or EyesLipsFace, is a brand that isn't particularly well known in the UK, although it's widely available in America you can only really get hold of it online over here. While on holiday over there in the summer I picked up their HD Blush in Diva, a products I'd read lots of reviews of on beauty blogs.

All the reviews I read raved about the pigmentation of this stuff, and they weren't lying, it definitely packs a punch. You need the tiniest amount, about half the size of a rice grain is enough for both cheeks and then some. 

The shade I got, Diva, is a lovely warm toned, pinky peach that brings a bit of life and colour back into the face. I just dispense it onto the back of my hand, spread it out a bit then dab on with either my fingers or a stippling brush. It has amazing lasting power too, I find it lasts all day without the need for touch ups.

Have you tried any E.L.F products before? What did you think of them?

REVIEW: Nivea Raspberry Rose Lip Butter

The Nivea Raspberry Rose Lip Butter seems to be one of those products that has had a lot of hype in the beauty blogging world. People love this stuff. I understand why, it smells divine, like a delicious raspberry yoghurt, but for me it didn't quite live up to expectations.

Much as I love the scent, I found the actual consistancy to be disappointing. It's very thick, which isn't terrible in itself but I find the product leaves lips with a very pale pink cast. Which on my complexion just looks ridiculous! If you have very fair lips/complexion this might work for you but on anyone else it is definitely an unflattering tinted balm.

That said, it hasn't gone to waste, it does moisturise lips fairly well and I like the scent so I've just been applying it sparingly before bedtime! I'll use it up, but I definitely won't be buying it again!

OBJECTS OF DESIRE: NARS NARSissist Limited Edition Eyeshadow Palette

NARS NARSissist Limited Edition Eyeshadow Palette

REVIEW: Boots Extracts Cocoa Butter Body Butter

A few days ago I was talking about how much I love the Boots Extracts Cocoa Butter Sugar Scrub, when I bought it in the sales it came in a set along with a Shower Gel and Body Butter. The Body Butter is seriously amazing too! I’ve been completely blown away by this range as it’s seriously good quality for it’s relatively low cost.

Like the scrub, the body butter has a very delicate scent, which to me smells more like vanilla than cocoa butter. It’s pretty subtle which is definitely a plus for me as I always wear perfume and sometimes, fragranced body products can clash with them!

But, the main reason why I love it is it’s texture. It appears to be really thick and rich in the tub and when you scoop some out but the moment you work it into your skin, it completely disappears! It somehow manages to be super rich and nourishing, and be really light and quickly absorbed at the same time. Something I can say I’ve never found to this extent in a body butter before, high end or high street.

I’ve been using this duo along with the shower gel non stop since I got them and my skin feels softer than it has felt in years. I would definitely recommend anything from this range to anyone. I think it would be amazing if they extended the range to include some facial skincare products in the future, if they do, I’ll be first in line to snap them up!

REVIEW: Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief

Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief is a light moisturiser with a gel texture. It sinks straight into the skin as soon as it’s applied and I think it would be perfect for combination/oily but dehydrated skins.

At the moment I feel it’s not quite moisturizing enough for me because my skin is really dry due to the cold weather. As soon as I put it on, my skin just drinks it up and feels dry again. That said I do think it would be perfect for me come summer when my skin tends to loose all it’s sensitive tendencies and is prone to looking a bit shiny. It leaves skin with a matte to natural finish and works amazingly well under makeup, no overly shiny residue at all.

So I think I’ll be stashing this moisturizer away for now to use in the summer when I’ll get the most out of it!

Have you tried this moisturizer? What do you think of it?

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: Clarins Super Restorative Replenishing Comfort Mask

The Clarins Super Restorative Replenishing Comfort Mask is well named, because it does just that, restores, replenishes and comforts. Technically it has been designed for skin aged 50+ but I think if it does something for you then why not use it!

It has a super rich, creamy texture that really feels like it’s feeding the skin with all the nourishment that cold weather and central heating has stripped away. That’s thanks to the Mango Oil and Shea Butter. It also contains parsley extract and fruit acids to brighten the skin and eliminate dead surface cells, which it definitely manages to do while still being really gentle, I haven’t had any problems with it all in spite of my super sensitive winter skin.

The instructions suggest applying a thick layer and leaving it for 10 minutes, I’ve been leaving it on a bit longer than that. I just put it on when I get into the bath and I find all the hot steam makes it do an even better job. On some occasions, which has been rather often as of late, when my skin has been feeling extra dry, I’ve actually been using a thin layer instead of a night cream. I works really well for me this way because I wake up with skin that feels a lot better than it was the night before.

One point I have to address with this mask is the price, it is expensive, I have a mini size that came free as part of a gift with purchase offer that Clarins often have on.  That said, it’s so good that I definitely buy a full sized version when it runs out, not to use every night as a night cream or every week as a mask but just to whip out every now and then when my skin needs it or as a treat for a special occasion.