NOTD #27

Nails Inc Porchester Square is a classic for a reason. Sitting somewhere between grey, beige and lilac, it's a great, understated neural that works with all skin tones and for all occasions. It looks equally appropriate at a job interview as on a date, not something a lot of shades can pull off. 

I'm a big fan of the Nails Inc formulas, they apply well, have a great finish and last well before chipping. I'm not crazy about these mini sized bottles though. I've used them before and find they make application a bit fiddly. Definitely add this colour to your collection if you don't already own it but I'd say stick to the full size bottle! It also comes in a Gel Effect version which I hear has a better brush and dries glossier. I may just have to pick that one up too!

The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil

When it comes to cleansers I tend to pass on the foaming ones and stick to cream, oil and balm formulas. I made the switch a few years ago now and my skin is definitely thanking me for it. I found foaming formulas left my skin feeling tight and uncomfortable whereas creams/oils/balms leave my skin feeling soft and nourished. 

I've been using The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil for a while now and I'm loving it. It's a really lightweight oil that you massage onto your dry, fully made up face and it completely dissolves makeup, including stubborn mascara. When it comes into contact with water the whole lot turns into a milky liquid and just rinses off making makeup removal incredibly quick and easy. You can also remove it with a damp flannel/washcloth which I sometimes do and this gives the skin a slight exfoliation, leaving it feeling even softer. 

I find one pump of product is plenty to do my whole face and as I only use it in the evening this bottle will last me a long time. I tend to follow it with another cleanse, just to make sure all my makeup is definitely gone and my skin in super clean, for this I prefer a balm cleanser or coconut oil as it's richer and leaves my skin feeling plumped up. I've heard great things about The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter too so that one's next on my list to try! 

Nip+Fab Yoga Blend Range

This stuff smells amazing. I shouldn't be surprised that I love the scent so much, I love lavender, coconut and rose, they're just not a combination I've ever smelt together, or thought would ever smell good together. It's a scent that's difficult to describe but the words 'spa like' spring to mind, Nip+Fab hit the nail on the head with their description, aromatic, soft and warming. If you're in your local Boots or Superdrug definitely give this stuff a sniff. 

I've mainly been using the Body Wash as a bubble bath as I find the scent so relaxing. It creates a great lather and fills the bathroom with the amazing scent that seems to linger for hours. 

The Body Scrub is described as a gentle one, with micro scrub beads and walnut shell to gently buff away dead skin cells. It's not something I would naturally gravitate towards as I tend to like my scrubs super 'scrubby' rather than gentle but I've been enjoying using it none the less (it may or may not have something to do with the fact that I adore the scent). The particles are quite tightly packed together which is something I like but for me this is definitely an everyday scrub rather than an intensive 2/3 times a week treatment. If you're into gentler scrubs then this is definitely one to check out. 

When it comes to body moisturisers, I always feel like they fall into one of two categories. The ones that smell nice and feel like a 'treat', and the ones that 'do something' or have a function that's more than just moisturising. This one seems to tick both boxes, which for me is a first. Yes, it smells amazing (I may have already mentioned that), and it moisturises skin incredibly well but it also contains Glycolic, Lactic and Salicylic acids which mean that while on your skin it's also chemically exfoliating it. This, to me, makes up for the fact that the scrub is on the gentle side. Everytime I've used this it leaves my skin feeling incredibly soft, and that's coming from someone who uses a body moisturiser everyday. It's very rare that a Body Lotion make a noticeable difference to me. The formula is really great too, it's light and sinks in quickly and a little goes a long way so the huge 490ml bottle will be lasting me a while! 

All in all it's a great range, the Body Wash and Scrub are great, but for me the Body Lotion is definitely the stand out product. I may have to try their Energy Boost range next, lemon, grapefruit and sweet mandarin sound right up my street!

The Nip+Fab Yoga Blend range is available on ASOS as well as from  Superdrug.

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ASOS Sale Edit

American Vintage Scoop Neck Jumper - £45.00

Glamorous Cami Top - £10.00

ASOS Shorts with Pleat Front Detail - £7.50

ASOS Stripe Longline Bandeau Bikini Top - £6.00

ASOS Stripe Deep Hipster Bikini Pant - £3.00

Glamorous Cold Shoulder Skater Dress - £20.00 

Mango Scarf Print Shift Dress - £19.00

ASOS WOven Midi Skirt with Sheer Hem - £19.00

Mango Mirrored Lens Glasses - £5.00

ASOS Filigree Long Leaf Ring - £5.50

ASOS Slim Zip Clutch Bag - £13.00

ASOS Evacuate Leather Chelsea Ankle Boots - £30.00

Alex Monroe Hummingbird Necklace

I'm a huge fan of jewellery and it occurred to me the other day that I never blog about it! I was lucky enough to receive the Alex Monroe Hummingbird Necklace as a birthday present a few years ago and I can honestly say I love it as much today as the day I first got it! It's a very delicate and minimal piece of jewellery that seems to go with everything I wear, it's great for adding something special to a simple T-Shirt and Jeans combo. 

The pendant is a tiny hummingbird which from head to tail is just the size of my thumbnail, meaning it looks very dainty and elegant when worn. It really is amazing to me how they've managed to add so much detail onto such a small piece, if you look closely you can see eyes and feathers!

The pendant sits on a simple, thin chain with a clasp that allows you to alter the length. I like to switch up the length depending on what I'm wearing and I love the tiny tag on the back that says Alex Monroe, I always think tiny details are what separate ordinary jewellery from special jewellery. 

If you fancy a closer look at the necklace you can see the gold one here, and the silver version here. If hummingbirds aren't your thing but you love delicate and detailed jewellery there are lots of other lovely designs. You can see the whole range here. I have my eye on the pea pod necklace as I'm convinced these necklaces would look amazing layered up!

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Empties #8

It's that time again! Time to share with you what products I've used up lately, what I thought of them and whether or not I'll be repurchasing them.

Avon Advance Techniques Moroccan Argan Oil

I started out loving this one but soon realised it didn't sink in particularly well and left my hair with a bit of a residue. Not ideal for those who like to add more product as and when needed. This one definitely needs to be used sparingly! Repurchase? No.

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo+

I've been talking about this product non stop recently, you can see the full post here. It's an amazing formula that makes spots disappear super fast, unclogs pores and fades pigmentation. I can honestly say it does all those things, by far my most favourite discovery of the year! Repurchase? Already have!

Charles Worthington Salon at Home Moisture Seal Shampoo and Mineral Hair Rescue Masque

This shampoo and mask duo are great if you need to inject some moisture into your hair. They leave it feeling smooth and silky, and are pretty good for drugstore products. Repurchse? Maybe at some point, I have some other products on the go at the moment! Full review here.

Caudalie Gentle Cleansing Milk

Whenever my skin gets super sensitive, this is the cleanser I reach for. It's just so gentle and non irritating, it's the only cleanser I can rely on to not aggravate my skin. It also manages to remove all my makeup including stubborn mascara which means I don't have to use any stripping makeup removers on my my skin. Repurchase? Yes.

Botanics All Bright Cleansing Toner

If you're after an exfoliating toner on a budget, this is definitely one to try. I've been using it a while now and I hardly ever feel the need to manually exfoliate using a scrub. It's so much kinder on the skin. It's also gentle at the same time as it doesn't leave the skin feeling at all dry or stripped. You can read my full review on it here. Repurchase? Already have.

Avon Naturals Lavender & Chamomile Fragrance Spritz

This is definitely one of my 'repurchase forever' products! It has such a calming and relaxing scent that I like to spray onto my pillow before bedtime. I'm currently giving one away so make sure you enter here. Repurchase? Yes. 

Sanctuary Spa Body Butter

This one's a good moisturising body butter that smells nice. It's not the best I've tried, I much prefer The Body Shop and Soap & Glory's offerings as they leave the skin lastingly moisturised but this one's good if you prefer something a bit lighter. Repurchase? Maybe.

The Body Shop Sweet Lemon Body Butter

Now here's a body butter that was amazing, much like all of them from The Body Shop. It had a lovely rich formula that was extremely moisturising and it smelt so delicious. It's such a shame this range was limited edition! Repurchase? Yes, if they ever bring it back!

The Body Shop Sweet Lemon Body Scrub

Another product from the same range that smells equally as good if not better. The scrub wasn't gentle but not the most 'scrubby' either, it sat somewhere in the middle. I usually go for the very scrubby ones but I'll make an exception for this one as it just smells so good! Repurchase? Yes, if they bring it back!

What products have you used up lately?

MAC Pro Longwear Foundation

You would be forgiven for thinking that based on the above image, this is a foundation I love. The truth is, in a desperate attempt to get this foundation to work for me I pumped a load of it into a pot and mixed it with moisturiser. Unfortunately, it still didn't work for me.

The MAC Pro Longwear SPF10 Foundation is designed to leave skin with a matte finish, something that I'm not to fond of anyway but that's not the main reason I dislike it. As much as I try and blend it in, and I've tried so many different ways, everything from fingers to numerous brushes, I can never get it to look like skin. It always leaves me with skin that looks like it has loads of foundation on it, and nobody wants that! I also find it dries and sets on the skin, a quality I would imagine is the the reason it lasts well, but to me it just felt like a mask like film. I much prefer makeup that allows my skin to 'breathe'. 

Of course everyone's skin is different and what works well for one may not work well for others so this might work really well for you! If you have any tips on making it work or how you use it I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below! 

NOTD #26

I hit the nail jackpot recently when I went to a car boot sale and found the stall of a manicurist who was selling off loads of brand new, high end nail varnishes super cheap! I picked up quite a few as it seemed too good a bargain to pass up!

One of the ones I got was Dior Tie & Dye 858, of all the shades I bought this was the one I reached for first. I just love the colour, it sits in just the perfect spot between red and orange and is such a great, juicy summer bright. 

The Dior polishes as always are spot on, the formula is amazing, it lasts really well on the nails before chipping and the super opaque formula means you only need 2 coat for a super pigmented block of colour. You can in fact even get away with just one coat but I like to make sure I have really solid colour. The brush on these polishes are great too, wide and flat, which makes application an absolute breeze!

Have you tried any Dior nail varnishes? Any colour recommendations?