I said to myself I wasn't going to buy and more berry-toned products as I have more than enough to see me through this and the next 5 winters, but who was I kidding, I knew I would cave in and buy more! Today I bring to you the gorgeous Convertible Lip & Cheek Colour in Tulip £16 rrp from Stila. I only have one other of these multipurpose beauties from Stila, in the shade Petunia and it was my go-to product over the summer for it's ease of use and beautiful finish.

Tulip is an extremely wearable berry shade that looks just gorgeous on lips and gives a lovely wash of build able colour to your cheeks. Although Stila advise to apply to cheeks with a stiff brush I like to apply lightly to cheeks with my finger and blend with a buffing brush.

The finish on your cheeks is a glowy sheen and on lips a juicy punch of colour. You may want to apply to lips with a brush as I did find it stained ever so slightly when applied with my finger, but this was probably more to do with the fact I was swirling my finger around in the product quite a bit to build intensity and blend. 

I love everything about Stila's Convertible Lip & Cheek colour's, from the cute packaging to the very generous 32g's of product.

Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream

I was first introduced to Benefit's It's Potent in my Birchbox a few month's ago and as I'm more familiar with Benefit's beauty products I kind of just brushed off their skincare and the little pot of eye cream sat in a drawer for a while and when I finally dug it out and saw the results I was kicking myself for leaving it so long before trying! After recently finishing my two little sample sized jars I have purchased the full size for a very reasonable £25.50 and feel I can give you a review after a few months of use.

It's Potent has a balm like texture that I find very moisturising allowing your concealer to sit beautifully without smudging or budging. I can honestly say that after around 3 months of use I have noticed a really difference in my under eye area. I seem to have inherited the dreaded dark circles that no amount of sleep or water will budge, but It's potent is lightening my under eye area and I can notice the deep creases I had before are becoming more shallow.

I've tried a multitude of eye creams over the last few years and none have delivered the results this product have and most surprisingly so from a cosmetic company! As with all of Benefit's packaging this cute little jar will look gorgeous on any girls dressing table and the packaging contains a very generous 14.2g of product, the two little 3g sample jars I had lasted me nearly 3 month's so I'm confident this will last me well into next year.

Have you tried any of benefit's skincare range? What are your favourites?

Konjac Face Sponge

Last week whilst browsing some blog posts I discovered a new product (maybe not new to the world but certainly new to me!) that has revolutionised my skincare routine, the Konjac Sponge. So if like me you'd never heard of it before here's what this wonderful little sponge is all about- 

The Konjac Sponge is natures answer to skin cleansing, developed by the Japanese who have harnessed the power and benefits of the Konjac plant for centuries. The sponge is made from 100% natural vegetable fibre from vegetable roots and once you're done with it you can compost it with your household waste! The sponge is made with the purest Konjac and mineral rich extracts, detoxifying skin, exfoliating and deeply cleansing for a radiant complexion.

There are a few variations to chose from, as I have blemish prone skin I decided to go for the Konjac & Bamboo Charcoal sponge, it contains ingredients to help banish blackheads and absorb excess oils and toxins. I really expected the sponge to be rough, more like an exfoliator but once submerged into warm water it has the softest feel to it. The sponge is just the right size to sit in the plan of your hand making using it so much easier. 

You can either use the sponge alone or with you favourite cleanser. I use my Konjac sponge in the morning after cleansing to remove the last traces of my cleanser and wake up my complexion. Although this sponge feels as soft as butter it does an impressive job of exfoliating and leaving your skin baby soft! As well as deep cleansing and refining pores you can use it to exfoliate even the delicate eye area and you can use it to remove water based makeup.

The key to getting the best results from this fantastic sponge is the care of the sponge itself. You need to keep in mind this sponge is made from natural fibres so you can't wring it out like a cloth, you need to gently squeeze it between palms to get rid of excess water and hang up to dry in an airy spot to dry after use. With proper use the sponge can last for 2-3 months and at only £7.99 for such a revolutionary product  it's worth every penny.

Topshop Nails Arabesque

I've had this polish in my arsenal for a couple of months now and really should have done a post on it before as it is simply the perfect nude shade for me! Arabesque is simply described as a 'Creamy Nude' on Topshop's website, I was a little apprehensive when ordering it online as I've never tried Topshop's nail polishes before, however now I find myself removing when my nails are looking a little tatty and re-applying straight away!

This nude polish is the most complimentary to my (NC15) skin tone that I have found to date. So, there are many pro's to this polish, (the colour, the cute bottle and the longevity-5 days without a chip!) but there is one con...the formula. The formula is great in the respect that I have not had a single chip, it grows out before before it chips but I needed FOUR, yes four coats for complete opacity. Not really an issue as I use Seche Dry Fast Topcoat which means my nails are dry super quick but for people without it may be an issue.

Despite the one niggle I love this polish and am really excited to try some more from Topshop!

Trial-sized Tuesday's - Lush Full Of Grace Serum

On my last trip to my (not-so) local Lush one of the sales assistants recommended Full Of Grace when I mentioned one of my skin concerns was dullness. Full Of Grace is a facial serum that comes in a solid form, you gently heat between palms to melt the product and then apply to your face.

This skin-feeding serum contains a blend of oils and Portebello Mushrooms which condition and protect the skin and Calamine powder to soothe delicate skin. I was a little apprehensive to try it as it looked oily and with my skin being oily it doesn't need any more help in that respect, but the sales assistant assured me she uses it every night and has oily skin herself. I have to say I really enjoyed using Full Of Grace, despite finding the initial concept of warming something in my hands before using it was a little weird the serum itself is lovely and did a good job of hydrating my skin without leaving a greasy film as I had expected.

Would I purchase it? Maybe. For hygiene reasons I really do prefer something from a bottle or jar and for speed and ease of use something that can be applied directly to skin (without warming). 

Body Shop Skincare Picks

My relationship with Body Shop is still relatively new, aside from a few Christmas sets I've been gifted in the past, it's only been in the last 6 months that I've really started delving into the brand and it's products. Some products I've purchased have just been ok, but the three items I'm going to talk to you about now are incredible!

Shea Beautifying Oil rrp £9

I have the oddest skin ever, my face is oily/combination but my body has dry skin. I like to go for rich moisturisers or oils in the winter as my skin gets a little drier, being a lover of the Shea scent I thought I'd give it a shot...and it's divine! You only need to apply a few drops to each arm and leg, it absorbs quickly and leaves your skin beautifully soft! You can use this oil on your hair and face too, I haven't tried it on those areas yet but I love it for post shower moisturising.

Tea Tree Night Lotion rrp £9

This antibacterial gel-cream is designed to be applied at night to replenish moisture but keep skin matte at the same time. As well as moisturising and preventing break-outs it works on clearing your existing acne scars. I only get spots on my chin and jawline so I only apply to that area before bed and after around 4 weeks of use I can really see the difference! The acne scars on my jawline have faded quite significantly, so this is a product I will definitely continue using.

Vitamin E Overnight Serum-In-Oil rrp £13

What first attracted me to this product was the claim of 'eight hours sleep for your skin'...who doesn't want to look more rested in the morning? Whilst traditionally products containing Vitamin E are aimed at dry skin, this serum-in-oil works wonderfully with my oily/combination skin. I was really sceptical about the the claims of recharged and refreshed skin but it actually works! My skin looks, without sounding all la la, it looks glowy! Although it's an oil its incredibly fast absorbing and doesn't leave my skin like an oil slick and hour later!

What are your favourite Body Shop products?

Benefit Majorette Blusher

Last week I indulged my blusher addiction with the gorgeousness that is Majorette from Benefit. I'm a sucker for anything peach or coral toned and was convinced I could live without it when it launched but now I have it I'm left wondering why I left it so long to purchase it!

Don't be intimidated by the colour...once it's on it's the perfect pop of colour! When it arrived I was pleasantly surprised at the size, it's a very generous 7g's and although the packaging is a tad bulky, it has a handily little mirror inside so all can be forgiven.

Majorette is a cream to powder blush which you can either wear alone or under your favourite blusher. The colour in my opinion is far to pretty to go applying another colour over the top!

This blusher applies like a dream! I find some cream to powder blushers can be a little hard to blend or can move your foundation around in the process of blending, not this one! Although it's formula is a powder finish it still left my cheeks with a healthy sheen. I've seen some posts where it's been applied to lips also, I've not tried it yet (due to some flaky lips thanks to a grim cold!) but what a great multi-tasker! Lastly, this blusher smells gorgeous! Its smells like strawberries or berries or something...it's divine!

My Little Box by Diane Von Furstenberg

Whilst slobbing on the sofa yesterday with this miserable cold I have I was perked up (briefly) by the delivery of October's My Little Box. I just can't get enough of this brand and I know when their in-house beauty range hits the UK I will be penniless! So here's my box and contents...

So this month's box was a collaboration with, as you may have guessed, Diane Von Furstenberg. So if you're anything like me you'll be asking who is she? Well Ms Von Furstenburg is a Belgian born American fashion designer best known for the creation of the iconic wrap dress! This months box included a gorgeous scarf (prints varied) designed by the lady her herself and a cute little brooch with DVF's logo, Ms Von Furstenburg's lips!

For my fellow beauty lovers there was a 75ml bottle of Keratase Laque Dentelle hairspray, 10ml L'Occitane Vanilla Hand Cream and a gorgeous 100ml bottle of MLB's in-house Micellar Water. 

I'm only on my second box from My Little Box but I can tell you it's the first beauty box to actually get me excited about receiving! Every aspect of this box screams quality and well thought out design, a pure joy to receive. 

Trial-sized Tuesday's - Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse

I've had a couple of bottles of Huile Prodigieuse by Nuxe laying around in my miniatures drawer (yes I have a drawer dedicated to miniatures and samples!) for a while now and after my shower yesterday I decided to indulge in a little bit of Frances leading beauty oil.

What I love firstly about this dry oil is it's a multi-purpose product. You can not only use this oil on your body, but also your face and hair too, making it the perfect travel companion.

This oil absorbs quickly and left no greasy residue and the smell is just divine! I can't quite put my finger on the scent, it's probably the combination of six precious plant oils including Macadamia, Hazelnut, Borrage, Almond, Camellia and St Johns Wort. I applied a small amount to my palms and smoothed over my fly-aways after doing my hair and every time I moved my head yesterday I could smell that divine smell again!

I love this oil and considering how little you need to use to get the desired effect £28 for 100ml is a bargain in my opinion!

Autumn Beauty Picks

I love this time of the year, ditching the fake tan and opting for more full coverage make-up is where I'm most at home. Here's a few of my favourite beauty products so far this autumn...

Clinique's Black Honey on lips
Topshop Dream Phone on cheeks

My favourite lip and blusher combo lately has been Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey rrp £17.50 and  Topshop Powder Blush in Dream Phone rrp £7. These two berry shades compliment each other perfectly and really warm up my complexion now I've stepped away from the fake tan. 

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Grand Cru

Another lip product I've been sporting is from my favourite drugstore brand, Bourjois. I have all but one of their Rouge edition Velvet Lipstick's rrp £8.99 and Grand Cru is one of my favourites. Described as a dark burgundy you can either apply one coat for a dark red (as seen above) or another coat for a deep burgundy red.

Essie Sole Mate

My favourite autumnal nail polish shade is Essie Sole Mate rrp £7.99. This gorgeous deep plum colour has a glossy finish and really gives your nails a polished look. I will be sporting this colour pretty much all autumn/winter!

Topshop Inhibition Lipstick

Last but certainly not least is Topshop's Inhibition lipstick rrp £8. Described as a deep plum colour I would say this leans slightly more on the purple side, but is a gorgeous matte shade none the less. I adore Topshop's make-up range, I'm yet to find a disappointing product.

Benefit Cheeky Sweet Spot Box O'Blushes Set

It is with much excitement and delight, being the blusher addict that I am, that I bring to you today Benefit's Cheeky Sweet Spot Box O'Blushes Set. As soon as I saw this set when Christmas shopping last week I hastily threw it in to my basket...as a treat for myself of course!

This set includes 6 of Benefit's most popular box blushers and Watt's Up highlighter combined for the first time in a set, all in a cute vintage looking tin.

The set includes-

Dandelion 4g - Full size 7g

Bella Bama 5g - Full size 8g

Rockateur 5g - Full size 5g

Hoola 5g - Full size 8g

CORALista 5g - Full size 8g

Sugarbomb 6g - Full size 8g

Watt;s Up 1.5g - Full Size 9.4g

The individual product size in this set makes it incredible value for money and a great opportunity to try more of Benefit's blushers without splurging out a small fortune on all of them individually. The set also includes a pretty little guide on how to apply the different blushers to make the most of your features. 

This set is the perfect gift for any beauty lover (or for yourself!) and I predict this set will sell out fast so get your hands on it quick!

October's You Beauty Discovery Box

October's You Beauty Discovery shortlist 'Handbag Hero's' is a selection of products aimed to aid quick-fixes for hair, nails, skin and also includes some lovely make-up items.

My two product selections this month were probably the two hottest items on the shortlist, with YBD recently changing their site so that selections could only be made from 7am on the 1st of the month, I knew I had to be quick to get them! So here were my choices...

Illamasqua Glamore Lipstick  in Rosepout. You weren't able to select which colour you'd receive but fortunately I received the extremely wearable shade Rosepout, a satin finish neutral pink/brown. 

Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser. I've loved pretty much every one of Murad's products that I've tried so far so I was very excited to see a generous 30ml sample in this month's shortlist. This cleanser contains Salicylic, Lactic and Glycolic acid to help dissolve dead skin and leave skin smooth and clear...I can see me loving this product!

As a couple of little extra's there was a sachet sample of Cowshed's Perfecting Night Serum and a bottle of Gold Collagen liquid ant-aging supplement. I'm extremely happy with this month's box, not only was it a great list of products to try but the value for money is incredible being as the box itself is only £6.95 and the lipstick alone costs £18.50!

My Favourite Autumnal Nail Shade - Essie Sole Mate

As much as I love breaking out the pastels and brights in Spring and Summer, I love breaking out the neutrals and dark shades for Autumn and Winter even more. My favourite nail colour at the moment is the deep, rich plum shade that is Essie Sole Mate.

I love the jelly finish of this polish, it really does look neat and classy. I find two coats are needed for opacity, which is no surprise with a shade like this and always wear a base coat as it will stain otherwise! I get a good 5 days wear before any chips or sign of wear appear. This is definitely a shade I will be wearing all Autumn/Winter!

My Little Box Parisienne

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last couple of months you can't have missed My Little Box launching in the UK. My Little Box doesn't just contain must-have beauty products, it also contains at least one beauty product from their in-house beauty range, fashion and lifestyle products all wrapped up in a beautifully illustrated box by their designer Kanako. So take a peek at what I excitedly received in my first ever box...

Each month you receive a beautiful inspirational quote in-keeping with the theme of the box, as you may have guessed this months Parisienne box was Paris themed!

Next up is a cute little post card with some gorgeous stickers that you could either stick on to the card itself or on your laptop or phone, the possibilities are endless...

Next we have an A5 notebook which includes more information on My Little Box in the first few pages...

Now comes the good stuff for us beauty lovers...a gorgeous little re-usable fabric bag containing 3 beauty products...

I was delighted to find a very generous 30ml sample of my favorite Primer by Laura Mercier, a sample of Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse oil and an in-house pen style illuminator.

Lastly we have a laptop sleeve and I'm thrilled to say it fits my MacBook Pro perfectly!

Last month I decided to cancel my Birchbox and Pink Parcel subscriptions, Birchbox because I was just getting a little fed up with receiving skincare samples month after month and Pink Parcel as I have got an overflow of tampax in my bathroom! My Little Box is a subscription I will definitely be sticking with, it has the perfect balance of beauty and lifestyle products all wrapped up in gorgeously themed boxes. If you fancy subscribing to this fabulous concept it's only £14.95 per month (inc p&p) or £13.95 (inc p&p) if you have it delivered to your work place (don't ask me why?!).

Topshop Powder Blush Dream Phone

Since the first leaves started falling from the trees I have been obsessed with anything berry toned. For the last two weeks I have been donning some lovely dark red and plum lippies but have been struggling to find a blush to pair with them...until I found Topshop's Powder Blush in Dream Phone.

Dream Phone is described as a dark pink but it definitely has more of a berry tone to it than pink. It has an ever so slight gold shimmer to it which gives your cheeks a slight sheen keeping the colour from being flat. Like all of the other Topshop blushers I own, this applies like a dream and you don't need to apply a ton of it to get a nice flush of colour.

I love this shade, it pairs perfectly with my current favourite lipstick (Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey) and it will be one I will be wearing all autumn/winter!

Trial-Sized Tuesday's - Clarins Beauty Flash Balm

On my quest to get through my ever increasing sample stash yesterday I tested Clarins Beauty Flash Balm. I know this product has achieved cult status by make-up artists and beauty fanatics alike so I was really excited to try it and had high expectations for the results.

Beauty Flash Balm is said to be the ultimate pick-me-up for tried and dull skin, helping to eliminate fatigue resulting in a radiant complexion. Containing Olive and Witch Hazel reputed to help smooth the skins surface and Bisabolol to restore a youthful glow. Sounds too good to be true right?

Although this product has a balm like texture it is said to be suitable for normal, dry, combination and oily skin so with mine being combination/oily I thought it would be suitable for me, however after a few hours of wear my t-zone turned into an oil slick! Rather than rub the product in like a moisturiser you smooth a small amount over your skin and either wear alone or apply make-up directly over the top. The initial finish of my foundation over it looked dewy and my skin looked well rested, however like I said before after around 4/5 hours my t-zone was really, really oily (way beyond the help of powder) and by the time I got home from work my skin felt congested and I couldn't wait to wash my make-up off.

I really think this product would be suitable for dry/normal skin types...it certainly didn't bode well with my combination skin. Such a disappointing product for me as I know loads of people that have raved about it for years.