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B. Skincare Favourites

Thursday, 23 July 2015


If you've not heard of or tried Superdrug's B. range then you are seriously missing out, all of the products I've tried to date have rivalled some of the highend skincare products I own. Here's a few of the products I repurchase every time they run out. 


We all know the general rule of using cream products on dry skin but despite me having oily skin this cleanser works so well! The cleanser comes with a muslin cloth, the idea is to either use daily or apply a few times a week for up to 3 minutes and buff off, I found the best results doing the latter. The cleanser contains Glycol Acid, Shea Butter and Cocoa, I've noticed a huge difference in my complexion over the last few months of having this product in my routine. 


This is THE best micellar water I've ever used, I've lost count of the amount of bottles I've been through. I use this micellar water to remove last traces of makeup before cleansing, it does an amazing job of removing even long wearing makeup in one swipe.


I use these wipes to remove the majority of my makeup, before fining with a swipe of micellar water. The wipes are soft and not at all scratchy as some I've tried can be and they stay moist right until the end of the packet, I've lost count of the amount of packets of wipes I've bought that have dried out before I've had a chance to finish them! I use the wipes specifically for makeup removal but they do cleanse, tone and hydrate in one swipe.


This product is quite new to my skincare routine and is aimed more at at ladies in their 30's but I'm enjoying it so far. B. Vitalised is a gel eye product that helps refresh tired looking eyes and smooth fine lines. The product dries quickly but leaves my under eye skin more hydrated and fresher looking. I'm looking forward to seeing the long term benefits of using it.

The B. range has a line for any skin concern, be it anti-agin or acne and they often have deals of up to half price, have a look next time you're in your local Superdrug, I promise you won't be disappointed.

Two For Tanning Your Face

Wednesday, 22 July 2015



I thought I'd follow on from last weeks post on my favourite tanning products for body with my current favourites for your face. Both products are completely fool proof and provide a natural, build- able tan.

First we have an old favourite, Clarins Radiance Plus Golden Glow Booster. This is a concentrated serum type tanner which you can customise to the depth of tan you want. One drop every day to give a light tan or keep your tan topped up and two or three drops for a deeper bronze. I mix a couple of drops with my night cream and wake up with a nice natural glow about me. I don't tend to use fake tan on my face as they generally break me out, I've never had any skin troubles with using this gentler alternative.

James Read Sleep Mask Tan is a product I've had in my stash for a while yet for some reason never tried, how stupid was I?! Sleep Mask Tan as the name would indicate is a product best applied before bed, it has all of the ingredients of nourishing skincare with the added benefit of tanner, ensuring you wake looking rested and with a natural glow.

If you're looking for facial tanning products which are both easy to use and give natural results, I couldn't recommend these two products enough.

Garnier Ultralift 14 Day Challenge

Tuesday, 21 July 2015


An anti-aging cream that guarantees to give visible results within 14 days is a bold statement to make, right? When Garnier offered a free 14 day free trial pack of their Ultralift Day cream I set aside my *ahem skincare snobbery and thought I'd give it a shot. With 23% of women seeing an improvement in skins firms within two weeks and 24% seeing fewer wrinkles in 4 weeks it had to be worth a try.

Now I don't have any major wrinkles but I am all for preventative measures when it comes to anti-ageing, anything has got to be worth a try, who wants to age gracefully?

Check back next week where I'll fill you in on my first week of using the cream!

This Weeks Most Worn

Sunday, 19 July 2015


My most worn products over the last week are a collection of both old favourites almost forgotten about and new discoveries which I'm loving, all of which I really couldn't be without in this heat.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural has seriously left me wondering why on earth I hadn't tried it before. For years and years I had avoided finishing powders as they took me back to those awful matte, pasty pale years of my teens. After struggling more than most years with controlling shine I decided to purchase this powder as it not only controls shine with a semi-matte finish but it also provides another light layer of coverage. When wearing you can barely tell you're wearing it, it doesn't cling to imperfections or to those fuzzy little hairs we ladies have, just a smooth natural finish. Love!

Another MAC favourite at the moment is their Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Soft Ochre. My usual favourite eyeshadow primers aren't keeping shadows on my oily lids, this stuff not only works great as a matte eyeshadow on it's own but also doubles up as a long wearing natural base that doesn't crease or fade. My Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette has made an appearance in my daily routine again, with the shade Stark being my everyday shade, I'm seriously gutted they don't sell this shade on it's own as I will be lost without it!

My Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer has made it's way back into my makeup bag, I'd almost forgotten how good this stuff is! I do suffer with a little creasing under my eyes so I make sure I tissue off any excess product and set with powder to avoid it settling into the creases, the result is much brighter and more rested looking eyes.

I do currently have a Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara open but when I saw Benefit release new shades of their They're Real Mascara I was instantly drawn to the brown shade, I have to say its pretty good. The mascara itself doesn't give me the most volume and lift I've ever had from a mascara but I am enjoying the more natural look of brown lashes apposed to my normal black. I'll post a more in-depth review of this one soon.

Last but my no means least we have my current favourite blusher from Clinique, Melon Pop Cheek Pop. This stuff looks so nice with my current tan, it gives cheeks the loveliest wash of colour but keeping them looking natural and not powdery. I have the coordinating lipstick, Melon Pop and when worn together it really pulls my whole summery look together.

See any of your favourites or anything you've been dying to try?

Current Favourite Body Tanning Products

Thursday, 16 July 2015




We're all using them, if we're not using them then we're contemplating them - tanning products. This year I've strayed away from my usual gel self tan as there have been quite a few new kids on the block this spring/summer, here's my current favourites -

Bondi Sands Self Tanning Foam Light/Medium £14.99

First up is my not-leaving-the-house-all-day tan, I don't like to go to bed with self tan on, mostly because I have white sheets but also if you sweat you can end up with an uneven tan. I bought this one back in May, rather than starting the summer with a gradual tanner and moving on to a self tan I thought I'd try this as I'd seen natural looking results on social media. What I like about this self tan is it has none of that biscuity scent to it, on application it has a coconut and shea butter scent and even after washing off that famous self tan biscuity smell doesn't come through. The results for this one definitely lean more on the light side than medium, my skin felt soft after washing off and overall it's a fuss-free and non-streaky application.

St Tropez Express Bronze Mousse £33

This is my I-need-a-tan-but-dont-have-all-day tan. Let me start off by saying this tan is uh-mazing! At first I thought it was a bit rubbish, I came home from work, applied and the showered after 2 hours and couldn't see the results. St Tropez Express Mousse enables you to pick the level of intensity by how long you keep it on, 1 hour for light, 2 hours for medium, 3 hours for deep and that's nothing new I know  but now I have got the hang of it I can really appreciate it. Like any other pre-tanning day I exfoliate and moisturise well and the next day I apply and leave for the full 3 hours, when I jump in the shower I wash only the guide colour off and either shower properly that evening or the following morning as the tanner keeps working for the next 8 hours and the next day you have the most natural, deep tan. Love it!


Bondi Sands Everday Gradula Tanning Milk £11.99

This is my keeping-my-tan-topped up tan. This gradual tanner is really light and absorbs quicker than any tanning product I own, the scent is very similar to the tanning mousse from Bondi Sands. The colour is a really natural tan which used alone build to a nice shade within only a few days however I like to use this on days between using my St Tropez or the Bondi Sands mousse. You get a very generous 375ml of product so it will last a fair amount of time between repurchases.

See any of your favourites here?



Benefit Operation Pore-Proof! Pore Kit Review

Wednesday, 15 July 2015



Benefit Operation Pore-Proof £28.50


I don't know about you but my skin is seriously struggling with this hot and humid weather, my trusted regular primers and foundations aren't keeping the oil at bay and for the first time ever I've purchased a setting powder! I'm a huge fan of Benefit's makeup and some of their skincare (It's Potent I'm looking at you) so with their release of this kit promising to smooth pores and control shine it seemed like an answer to my current skin woes. As I haven't struggled as much as current with controlling my shine I'd never considered a few of the older products in this kit such as Dr Feelgood or The POREfessional Agent Shine, I have a few sample sized The POREfessional Primers in my drawer and I was intrigued to try their new Shy Beam and The POREfessional licence to blot. So how did it fare?



So lets start with the one product I know a load of people swear by, The POREfessional pore minimizing balm. When I first tried this primer many years ago I didn't like it, it made my skin feel dry and didn't sit well under my foundation. Fast forward to last year and I received it in a Birchbox, thought I'd give it another shot and really enjoyed it! I don't suffer from overly huge pores but as I mentioned I do get a little oily, unfortunately I don't find this primer helps with either of those issues, it does initially create a smooth matte base but I don't find it lasts past lunch.



Next up we have Dr Feelgood complexion balm - this one I'm still trying to come to grips with as it's a quite firm, waxy type texture. It's designed to work above or under makeup, smoothing pores and fine lines and managing excess oil. I applied it with the accompanying sponge after POREfessional primer, I couldn't really see that it did reduce pores or shine, when I have a day at home I will try it over my foundation, the morning I tried it I had work and didn't want to mess my base up.

Once I'd got my primer and foundation on I decided to try Shy Beam, Benefit's new matte nude pink highlighter (not available on it's own until 2016). I'm a bit puzzled by this one, my skintone is medium at the moment (NC20 if we're talking MAC) and you couldn't see I had it on. It doesn't have any apparent 'highlight' to it, I'm not sure if this is aimed at darker skintones than mine but it just doesn't work on me.

After I'd applied bronzer and blusher I moved on to POREfessional Agent Zero Shine, I really like this powder, it has a kinda mineral powder feeling to it in the respect that it is light and fluffy. The only pain with this sample is the packaging, the instructions advise to tap the pot in to the lid and then swirl product with a brush and apply to your face. How do you tip the product in to the lid without then spilling the powder from the pot as you lift it? I'm guessing the full size product has a better method of application.

Lastly we have POREfessional Licence to blot, I'm sure you can't have missed this one when it launched. Unlike the full size version the sample sized in this kit is small and rounded, much like a lip balm. This is another one I'm trying to get the hang of, I've tried applying it lightly in a blotting motion, to avoid moving the makeup underneath, to areas with shine and I can't see any obvious removal of excess oil. The instructions state to apply the product in short swift strokes, I can't see how this can be done without disturbing your base?

I'm still on the fence with this kit. I think I need to get to grips with a couple of the products before I finally pass the verdict on it. If like me you've not really delved in to Benefit's more core products then this is a great place to start.

Clinique Melon Pop Cheek Pop Blusher

Thursday, 9 July 2015




I will admit that I overlooked Clinique's Cheek Pop blushers the first time they came around, sure the flower design was beautiful but the shades just didn't appeal to me. Fast forward to the extension to their range with four new shades available in the UK and I am now hooked. When Clinique released their Lip Pop lipsticks I rushed out and bought Melon Pop and Beige Pop, sure I probably have ten blushers which would coordinate with each of those lipsticks but whats more novel than buying the coordinating blusher?

Melon pop is a complexion lifting peachy coral shade which looks absolutely lovely against my current tan. Like the other two Cheek Pop's I own (Nude Pop & Ginger Pop) the formula is silky and natural looking, you can't tell you're wearing a powder blush at all! I'm really hoping they extend the range that's available in the UK to the twelve shades that are available in the U.S (think back to me drooling over Nude Pop for months and someone kindly having to send me one from the U.S before I exploded!). 

Do you own any of Clinique's Cheek Pop blushers? Which are your favourite?

Trial-Sized Tuesday's | Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel

Wednesday, 8 July 2015



Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel from £5

A few weeks ago I did a post on Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion and I loved it, still do, only now the weather is heating up I found that after a couple of hours of applying my face was left considerably more oily than usual so I decided to purchase a 15ml tube of their DDM Gel which is specifically for oily skin and I have to say it's definitely more suited to my skin type.

Compared to Clinique's DDM Lotion the texture and consistency of the DDM Gel is quite a bit lighter and less tacky on the skin. The gel absorbs into skin quite quickly and has left me noticeably less oily even late in to the day. The only gripe I have about this moisturiser is the fact it has no SPF in it, not a major issue as I've been using Clinique's City Block SPF40 (post to follow) underneath but we all love a multi-tasking product don't we?

I can imagine this will be a moisturiser I will continue to use throughout the summer as it leaves my skin comfortable and shine-free.


Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara Review + B&A Photos!

Sunday, 5 July 2015




Recently my favourite mascara, Lancome Hypnose, ran out *sheds a tear and I took to my Muji drawers for a replacement. Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara had been sat waiting for use for over a year and much to my delight it hadn't dried up or gone clumpy. I know a lot of gals go wild for this mascara as it gives volume and body to even the most non existent lashes but I must admit I had overlooked it as the only products from Too Faced that have ever appealed to me were their bronzers. Ready for the results and my thoughts?

Top Without Mascara
Middle One Coat
Bottom Two Coats

Excuse the puffy little morning eyes but pretty impressive stuff huh? My natural lashes are a light mouse brown and have no real length or body about them so this mascara is a welcome addition to my makeup routine. As you ca see the formula is blackest black and despite me having oily eyelids it doesn't transfer or smudge. I do find the brush to be a bit more bulky than I'm used to so I have to be a bit more focused when a applying but with results as full-bodied as this a little more time spent applying isn't an issue.

Still doesn't quite top my favourite Lancome Hypnose mascara but it's up there.

Bourjois Mat Illusion Bronzer Review (Shade T21)

Thursday, 2 July 2015



As soon as I saw a new bronzer in Bourjois' new summer range I knew I would own it, with it's chic packaging and promise of delivering a sun kissed, airbrushed finish, what's not to want. So how does it fare?

Well to start, I went for shade T21 which is the fairer of the two and it works so well on my pale complexion. I find it leans slightly on the more terracotta/orangey side but this isn't a problem as it looks really natural on. When Bourjois said the bronzer contained 'soft focus pigments' I really didn't buy in to the claim that a bronzer could help leave your skin with such a smooth finish, but it really does! Even the most heavy handed of users won't have an issue with blending this bronzer, I feel confident enough to apply without looking! The product itself smells delicious, somewhere between that clean scent of baby wipes and sweets, it delish! Although this bronzer ensures a smooth and almost luminous finish to your complexion it is intact completely matte and not at all powdery or drying.

Staying power wise I don't have any issues with this bronzer, multiple mirror checks throughout the day don't reveal any fading. All-in-all I love this bronzer, it seems to smooth my complexion and even has the added benefit of SPF 10!

Have you tried any of Bourjois new bronzing products? I'm dying to try Sun Illusion Skin Perfector!

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