With being in my mid-twenties and starting to notice those little fine lines appearing I decided towards the end of last year to find an anti-aging product for preventative measures. After a lot of shopping around and reading a ton of reviews I decided to go with Calrind Double Serum (prices from £55) and I have to say it's incredible!

So the serum is a two-phase system (meaning it dispenses two products together) and contains 20 natural plant extracts to help boost the skins vital functions. The serum promises to minimise pores, smooth skin and skin firmer and glowing. After 2 months of use I can honestly say it really has delivered on those promises!

Like I mentioned I only really have fine lines and some expression lines which were getting more prominent but I can see those expression lines on my forehead are less visible and my skin definitely looks and feels more firm. The absolute god send of this product is that it's actually shrinking my pores! I have tried oodles of products which promise to smooth skin and erase pores but none have delivered so effectively and as quickly as this serum has. 

Double serum is suitable for most skin types, including oily skin like mine, as my skin is quite oily have found it best to apply the serum only at night although you can use it morning and night for better effectiveness. It may seem a little on the expensive side however with the small amount needed and the fact 2 months into use I'm not even half way through the bottle I see it more as an investment.

If you're looking for a preventative measure like I was then I would definitely recommend Double Serum, it's no wonder it's won so many awards!

Trial-Sized Tuesday - Aveeno Cream

I've had this little tube of cream hanging around in my sample drawer for a while and with the weather being as cold as it is and my skin feeling a little dry like it does I thought I'd give it a shot after my shower thins morning, read on to hear my thoughts...

Avenue Cream rrp £13.39 300ml is designed specifically for skin prone to eczema in mind as it combines naturally active Colloidal Oatmeal with rich emollients. Now I am aware that you are meant to use it regularly to help prevent dryness and irritation caused by dehydration so I can only share my initial thoughts after one use.

I don't suffer from eczema per-say but I do find that I suffer from little dry patches on my shoulders at  this time of the year and I didn't find that the cream did much for them. The formula is a cross between a cream and a balm and goes on without any sticky residue which I was surprised at considering it is for dry skin. The cream is odourless which as strange as it sounds was a little disappointing, I'm so used to using scented body oils and lotions that I really enjoy slathering myself with something sweet scented after my shower.

So my initial thoughts on Aveeno Cream? It's ok. Not something I'd rush out and buy unless a bunch of people could convince me of its long term benefits. Have you tried Aveeno Cream? What are your thoughts? 

Topshop Metallic Cream Blush in Aorta

One of the newest additions to my cream blusher arsenal is the beautiful Aorta rrp £7 from Topshop. Topshop have given us an impressive AW14 collection of beauty products and their new cream blushers have been amongst my favourites. 

In the pan the colour looks like an intense berry colour but on the skin it offers a luminous wash of colour to cheeks. As with all of Topshop's beauty products the packaging is extremely cute and the compact comes with a handy little mirror.

The formula is a little on the waxy side so I found it best to warm the product between my fingers before applying to my cheeks and then blending with a buffing brush. This blush gives a lovely rosy glow to your cheeks with no need for a highlighter over the top.

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in Ivory Swatch and Review

After seeing the glowing complexion of one of my favourite Instagrammers and asking which foundation she was wearing I rushed out and purchased Rimmel's Match Perfection foundation rrp £6.99 and I have to say it's a pretty good foundation!

Match Perfection is a medium buildable foundation that leaves you with a luminous, glowy finish. I went for the shade Ivory which I will say isn't as pale as I thought it would be, not a great match for me being as it's the winter but come spring when the tanning products come back out it will be a great match.

I did find I had to powder my nose and chin a little but I have quite oily skin so that was a given. I like the fact it contains an SPF of 18 and the bottle contains a pump making dispensing it so much easier. The formula is quite fluid and doesn't set really quickly which means you have time to apply and blend. I found the best results came from using my Beauty Blender, it really did leave a lovely finish. If like me you suffer from blemishes and scars you will need a touch of concealer but the foundation does a surprisingly good job on its own.

Trial-Sized Tuesday - Benefit Refined Finish Facial Polish

One of my (many) post Christmas purchases was the b.right! Radiant Skincare by Benefit 6 piece intro kit rrp £14.50 which really is the most gorgeous little set to help you get introduced to Benefit's skincare. Having a weakness for exfoliator's like I do their Refined Finish Facial Polish was the first item I wanted to try and when better than on my Trial-Sized Tuesday!

This exfoliator boasts natural ingredients (winning me over already!) such as natural clay and seaweed extract rich in minerals and natural sugars known to purify the skin. Benefit claim that this exfoliator when used once or twice a week will help minimise the appearance of pores, purify the skin and leave you with a more radiant complexion.

I don't know why but I was expecting the exfoliating particles to be a little finer than they are. The formula is quite thick and creamy which is great as you can really work it into your skin without it just rolling straight off. Although the formula is quite creamy it didn't leave my skin feeling greasy as some other exfoliators have and it left my skin feeling very soft. One thing I will say is if you have sensitive skin or don't like scented skincare then this may not be for you, I found the product to have quite a strong shampoo like smell.

Overall not a bad little exfoliator, I don't know if I would rush out and purchase the full size product but it's definitely not the worst I've tried.

Benefit Girl Meets Pearl Highlighter Swatch and Review

I've got a little bit of a thang for highlighter's and after lusting over Benefit's Girl Meets Pearl rrp £24.50 for a while I decided to take the plunge and purchase it, read on to hear my thoughts on it...

Like a lot of Benefit's products the packaging is super cute and the titles are product specific.

In my opinion the way the product is dispensed could have been designed way better, the applicator dispenses way more product than is needed so it ends up being wasteful and you have to be super cautious when twisting for more product.

The formula is quite sticky and thick for a liquid highlighter and I found it hard to blend over makeup without disturbing my foundation underneath but the colour is a gorgeous golden-pink that does give a lovely iridescent glow.

Over all a bit disappointing. I would have been happier with the product being dispensed from a tube or a bottle like their other highlighters and the formula feels more like a balm than the fluid it should be.

Makeup Revolution Essential Mattes 2 Palette

I'm really loving Makeup Revolution's recent releases, one of which is the new Essential Mattes 2 palette rrp £4. Following on from their original Essential Mattes palette this new version has more neutral, wearable shades still with their silky formula and rich colour pay-off.

I love this palette! It has every shade in it you need to create a variety of natural daytime looks. Ok so the palette housing the shades isn't the prettiest, there's no mirror included and the applicator is a little naff but who cares when you are getting 12 super pigmented shades for £4?

Trial-Sized Tuesday - REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Masque

I was quite excited to see REN featured in January's Birchbox as it's a brand I still haven't tried very much of and I am drawn to anything that has that magic word glycol in it! I use and overnight Glycolic Peel twice a week and love the results so couldn't wait to try REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Masque.

This masque promises to be a potent bio active peel masque that is designed to renew the complexion and over time reduce the appearance of fine lines and even out skin tone. The texture of this masque is quite a sticky, thick gel and although the formula is quite sticky it applies well and doesn't roll off your skin as some gel masques do. It's relatively odourless and colourless which means you have to have good lighting to see where you're applying it. REN warn that slight tingling may be felt after application and it shouldn't be used on sensitive skin, I however didn't experience this.

Although I wasn't expecting huge results after one use I can tell it's not for me. Despite very thoroughly washing the masque off my skin felt greasy and oily after use and I broke out the next day! Luckily I barely squeezed one masque from the sample so there's no love loss there.

Makeup Revolution Ultra Bronze Palette

I'm quite excited to be reviewing this little gem from Makeup Revolution as it has the perfect variety of shades in it for us pale gals whether it be for bronzing or contouring.

The palette includes 4 matte shades, 2 shimmer shades and 2 merged baked highlighting shades, each of which work incredibly well on my pale (NC15) skin tone.

The formula is silky, pigmented and each blend very well. I can see this palette getting a lot of use as it has the perfect range of fair to medium shades to carry me from winter through to summer. The palette has a great sized mirror in it and the product itself is housed in a sturdy plastic case.

The Ultra Bronze palette is a mere £6 which is amazingly great value for the amount and quality of product you receive!

January's Birchbox

This month Birchbox have joined forces with Women's Health magazine to create a box of products that help us to go back to basics and hit refresh. So here's what was inside my box this month...

• Shave works The Cool Fix 

Helps to soothe redness after shaving and waxing and helps heal shaving rashes.

• Activbod Feel Great Shower Concentrate

A shower gel with an energising blend of sea minerals and green tea extract.

• Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle

A sweet scented leave-in conditioner that helps detangle and fight frizz.

• REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Masque

A bioactive glycolic peel masque that renews your complexion.

• Stila Lip Glaze

A sheer gloss.

There was also a pilates band and a sachet of green tea included in my box as lifestyle extras.

I have to admit that when I opened my box I felt a little underwhelmed by it's contents but the products all are things I will use, with the exception of the lipgloss (not worn lipgloss since I was 12!) and the pilates band. Not a bad box to start the year with, I'm looking forward to giving it all a go.

Makeup Revolution You're Gorgeous Palette

Following on from my last couple of posts of the contents of my recent Makeup Revolution haul I bring to you today their You're Gorgeous palette that was chucked into my order as a freebie!

This palette has a gorgeous variety of shades 10 of which are beautifully pigmented mattes and 22 lovely shimmer shades. The pallet is quite a bit larger than expected meaning it will last forever and it includes a great sized mirror. Although this was a freebie the rrp of £8.99 is still an absolute bargain as the shades I have tried have been of great quality and a silky finish. 

Makeup Revolution Radiant Light Highlighters in Breathe and Exhale

Following on from Friday's post on my recent Makeup Revolution haul I bring to you today their new Radiant Light highlighter's in the shades Breathe and Exhale. These new baked highlighters are absolutely beautiful, the formula is smooth and incredibly finely milled leaving skin looking radiant and glowing.

The shade Breathe is a touch too dark and golden for my skin tone at this time of the year, dark was probably the wrong word to use, it just blends in with my colouring more than highlighting it but it gives a lovely natural sheen to my skin.

Exhale is the fairest highlighter in their range and is a gorgeous neutral, leaning on the pink side, coloured highlighter that just looks gorgeous on. I find this shade really lifts my complexion and isn't really obvious that I'm wearing it.

L Exhale
R Breathe

Both of these shades come with a good sized mirror in the compact and are surprisingly large for the mere £5 price tag. I hate to say it as an Urban Decay lover but I actually prefer these highlighters over  my Naked Illuminated highlighter as these don't have the large glittery particles in that Urban Decay's does.

Makeup Revolution Lip Hug Lipsticks in To Get Lucky and Love Can Set You Free

A couple of weeks ago I did a small Makeup Revoution haul and included in said haul were their new Lip Hug lipsticks in the shades Love Can Set You Free and To Get Lucky. After seeing a few previews on Instagram of these lipsticks and the claim of incredible colour and staying power with a comfortable formula I couldn't resist adding them to my order.

I took a bit of a gamble with choosing the shades I did as the swatches aren't the best on their website but without sounding too careless with my money I really didn't mind for the money. I can joyfully say I love the shades and the formula!

Love Can Set You Free is an extremely wearable muted pinky brown shade which has been my go-to nude shade since receiving it. As you can see the finish has a slight sheen sand leaves your lips feeling moisturised and comfortable,

To get lucky is a gorgeous berry shade which I wore Christmas day and it lasted surprisingly well through eating and drinking. I did find the colour bled a little bit with this shade but found it to wear better with a lip liner.

I love these new offerings from Makeup Revolution and will definitely look into adding more shades to my collection when I see some more swatches online.