August Empties

I've finally used up the Organix Macadamia Oil Shampoo + Conditioner which I really enjoyed using. It made my hair feel really soft and full of life which my hair normally struggles with. I noticed that I didn't have nearly quite as many split ends when I got my hair cut last month so this duo definitely helps to mend them almost. I've finished up my morning cleanser in the form of Superdrug Naturally Radiant Hot Cloth Cleanser which really helps to waken both myself and my skin up in the morning. I didn't notice a huge difference in my skins radiance however it did help with keeping my skin feeling nourished. This will definitely be geting repurchased! Another skincare product that I've used up is the Neutrogena Visibly Clear Gentle Exfoliating Wash which I've been using on and off for a little over a year now. It helps to gently exfoliate the skin whilst helping to get rid of blemishes which I haven't had quite as many this month whilst I've been using this. I was sad to finish up the last of the Amie New Leaf Skin Exfoliating Polish as it's definitely become one of my favourite mid week skin treats! It smells very fruity and it contains bamboo seeds which help to clean the skin pore deep. I will definitely be repurchasing this very soon!

 I've used up another Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance Leave-In Conditioner which means that I'm now currently on my third bottle I believe. I use this primarily as a detangler after I've washed my hair and I notice a difference when I don't use this in my hair. This will be a constant repurchase! I've used up a Neal's Yard Rehydrating Rose Daily Moisturiser which Sophia gave me as she had some skin care which she thought I may like. I actually used to use this before I started blogging and I didn't rate it that much. This is still the case two years on! It's pleasant enough just I don't like the scent nor do I feel that it's very moisturising. I've used up a Boots Vitamin E Gentle Eye Cream which I feel I used up far too quickly than normal. This has been the only eye cream that I've used ever since I started blogging and I still love it! It sinks into the skin quickly and is cheap as chips. As a bonus, it contains SPF15 so I know that my eyes will always be protected. I've used up The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Antibacterial Hand Sanitizer which I've had since I went to America last year. This is definitely my favourite scent that The Body Shop do and it definitely did the trick at keeping my hands sanitised.

I've used up a packet of the Skin Therapy Large Oval Cotton Wool Pads which are my holy grail item when it comes to cotton wool pads. They're bigger than average sized cotton wool pads and they don't fall apart when they get into contact with a liquid. I love using these and they will be forever repurchased. I've finally used up my Outspoken by Fergie perfume which has been going on forever! I would definitely class this as my everyday scent as it doesn't smell too overpowering. I've already moved onto my next bottle of this as I love it that much. I've used up another perfume in the form of Naughty Alice by Vivienne Westwood which I've been trying to ration. It is such a beautiful scent and is one that I think should only be worn for special occasions. The last product I've used up is another staple which is the Twisted and Out Instant Nail Polish Remover. It's such a simple product that I simply cannot live without. I've gone through many of these and I will keep on repurchasing it.

What products did you use up throughout August?

Skin Therapy Large Oval Cotton Wool Pads

NOTE: This has since been repackaged and are now known as Wilko Maxi Oval Cotton Pads.

Cotton pads are one of those necessary purchases that us #bbloggers buy every single month with most opting for either the cheaper option or the hyped up blogger favourite. I personally don't see the point in splashing the cash on the more expensive option when there are cheaper alternatives which will work just as well or in some cases, better. 

I always used to use the Poundland Cotton Pads as I would get almost 180 for £1 which was a complete bargain. That was until a family member commented on how cheap feeling they were and how they just fell apart completely on first contact with liquids that I decided to find something slightly better. Little did I know that Wilkinson's had the answer in the form of their Skin Therapy Large Oval Cotton Wool Pads. For just 65p, I could get almost a months worth of cotton wool pads which are larger than average sized, double sided to provide some extra exfoliation and are thick enough to not fall apart when liquid is added. I've been using these for almost two months now and it's safe to say that I love them. I look forward to using them every morning and evening despite them being such a simple, boring thing.

I know that there are more economical solutions out there when it comes to cotton pads such as the Love The Planet Cleansing Pads (£6.20 for 5 reusable, washable pads) however I personally don't have the funds right now to invest in three packs at the very least. So for now, I think I will settle with these as they're cheap as chips and do the job.

What brand of Cotton Wool Pads do you use and how often do you buy them?

Superdrug Haul 001

Every where I look, it seems that another brand is bringing out new shades/formulas of nail varnishes that always catch my eye and just suck me straight in. I wouldn't say that I obsessed about nail varnishes, I'm just obsessed with all the pretty shades and how cute they all look stacked up next to eachother. It seems that killing time before work has resulted in quite a fair bit of shopping recently and somehow I walked out of Superdrug with six nail varnishes.

I've had my eye on three particular NYC shades for quite a while as they've all been featured heavily on many blogs in recent months. Raindrop is a rather pale, almost cornflower blue which I think I may reserving until Spring comes around. Blue Sky is the perfect mint shade which I can't understand where the name relates to the colour. Spring Tulip reminds me so much of Essie Cute As A Button but just slightly brighter in person.

A recent blog read made me add NYC Lights, Camera, Glitter into my basket which will look so perfect over a dark blue nail varnish come New Years Eve. With September just around the corner, I thought I better pick up Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine in Raspberry as it's pinky burgandy colour that will look good throughout Autumn. The last nail varnish I bought was an impulse buy which is Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine in Guava. To me, Guava seems to be an almost neon turquiose colour which I cannot wait to apply to my toes to give some pop of colour whilst I'm wearing my sandals.

Samples I've Used Up 002

L'Occitane are infamous for their hand creams so I was glad to have acquired a sample of their Shea Butter Hand Cream* in recent months. I quite like the packaging however I feel that that the product itself wasn't that great. It's a very light weight cream which sinks into the skin far too quickly which I'm sure some people like but I personally don't. It doesn't smell like Shea Butter, well the kind that I'm accustomed to, as it smells much more like baby powder. I doubt I would ever buy a full size of this however it was a good size to have in my hand bag.

The Dr. Organic Dead Sea Mineral Bio-Plasma Mud Mask* has been a mask that I've been rather skeptical about especially ever since I received a sample of it in my #NottsBBMeet Goodie Bag. It's a mask that helps to detoxify the skin with anti-aging and rejuvenating properties. Now I'm not sure about you but I definitely think I got a dodgy sample as whilst I was applying this, my skin started to feel like it was burning and it really stung. I don't suffer from sensitive skin and I hadn't applied anything new to my skin pre-application but I really didn't expect it to hurt quite as much as it did, especially when face masks are meant to be relaxing. I didn't notice my skin looking better as in fact it looked worse - I had red patches all over my cheeks which did soon start to settle down.

The Face Shop The Smim Radiating Moisturizing Cream* is a sample that featured in my previous Samples I've Used Up post that I mentioned that I couldn't tell a difference with using it from that one use. Well after using up a second sample, I did notice that my skin looked a lot brighter and more radiant than before so I may consider purchasing this in full size once I've made my way through all my samples of this.

The last sample I've used up is the Ice Crystals Anti-Aging Prep and Polish by Freeze 24.7* which I didn't enjoy using at all. It's a anti-aging prep and polish which apparently contains age-less technology to help resurface the skin. This was a very fine, gritty substance which felt far too harsh even when using gentle, circular motions. This also made my skin sting a little after use despite being very gentle. I doubt I would purchase this in full size.

What samples have you used up recently?

Rimmel Lipstick in Airy Fairy

A little while back, I went a little mad on eBay and bought quite a few lipsticks. Some from the US and some which have been discontinued that I've had my eye on. One of those many lipsticks I bought is the Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Airy Fairy which sadly will never be released over here in the UK as it was only released over in the US.

Airy Fairy is described as being a cool toned pink with gold shimmer running throughout which is a rather universal shade as it will suit many skin tones. On the lips it can translate as being either a my lips but better shade or a slightly pink mauve-y shade. I find that Airy Fairy can be a little drying on the lips so it's best to put some lip balm before applying this. Despite it being a little drying, I find that it lasts for a few hours before it needs reapplying which is standard for most Rimmel lipsticks. One thing I've noticed about the Rimmel Lasting Finish range is the scent - it smells rather spicy like almost a sweet cinnamon scent which may be right up your street if you like your lipsticks to be scented.

If you live in the US, you can purchase Airy Fairy from Walmart or Ulta for under $6. However for my UK readers, your only option is eBay where prices vary from seller to seller. I personally used this seller and the item arrived within five days which is incredibly fast!

Boots Haul 002

Just over a week ago, I was in Boots before work killing some time and I noticed that they were having some good offers, some of which I simply couldn't pass up! My current shampoo and conditioner duo will be running out soon so I thought I better stock up and take advantage on the BOGOF offer that Boots was having on the Herbal Essences 400ml bottles. I decided to buy the Bee Strong duo as it promises to repair and strengthen the outer layer of each strand of hair as well as protect it from any damage caused by brushing it. Seeing as I'm still suffering with my hair breaking off, I thought this duo would be perfect and hopefully it will sort my hair out.

I also bought the Hello Hydration duo which is aimed at dry hair to give it some much needed moisture back into the hair which I definitely need! My hair doesn't feel quite as dry as it used to be pre-hair cut but I know that during the cold winter months, my hair will definitely need all the moisture it can get. I thought it would be rude not to get the matching masks for each duo as well because I love using matching hair masks with my shampoos and conditioners. These are both a intensive version of the matching conditioners which will help mend my hair and make it a lot more healthier with every use.

Overall, I only spent £3.89 on each duo which is a great saving already and £4.79 on each mask. Hopefully these will last me quite a long time as they are rather big sizes and I'm sure I will report back with a review of each duo and mask soon.

Wilko Hand Sanitiser

Ever since I started this blog, I've become more aware about the need to sanitise my hands before, during and after applying make up to avoid cross contaminating products and to avoid spreading germs across my face. With many people raving about the infamous Soap & Glory Hand Maid which costs £2.50 for 50ml which to me is pretty expensive for some scented hand sanitiser which may only last a month or so. I thought that I better find a cheaper alternative before I splash out the cash for it and what better way than opting for Wilkinson's Hand Sanitisers. Wilkinson's Hand Sanitisers come in three different scents. You can opt for either the unscented/normal which will smell rather strongly of alcohol or you can opt to get a scented version to mask the smell in Berry or Citrus.

My personal favourite is Berry as it just smells very strongly of berries with just a hint of alcohol mixed in. I prefer to keep this one in my bag for when I'm out and about and I opt to keep Citrus on my vanity to help perk me up whilst doing my make up early in the morning. The only negative I have about these hand sanitisers and in particular Berry is that my fingers feel sticky after using it which does disappear after a few seconds when it's been rubbed in completely.

From a price point of view, these are well worth the money as they're only 50p for 50ml which works out to be better value for money per use. I've been using both every day for a little under a fortnight now and I can see that each one will easily last for two months or so. I've already stocked up and have have two more of each scent in back up so I won't be running out any time soon!

T K Maxx Haul 001

I'm not sure about you but I can never really save up my money unless it's for a #bbloggers meet up where I successfully saved up enough to buy new products AND new furniture. I'm actually going to the Isle of Wight in just two weeks time and I've bought a few things out of my holiday fund so I thought I would share with you what I bought in T K Maxx a few days ago.

I've been eyeing up the Laidbare Spot The Difference Problem Skin Treatment Cream for quite some time and seeing as it was only £4.99, I couldn't resist! It's meant to be for Oily/Combination skin which I don't have however you can use this on blemishes and to help prevent them which is what I will primarily be using it for. Hopefully it will help with any break outs or blemishes that I have from now on.

Whenever I'm packing up my skin care to take round Liam's, I always forgot my toner. There have been a few times that I have remembered it but those are few and far between. My skin hasn't dramatically changed from that one night of not toning however I thought that I better buy the Laidbare DIY! Two in One Cleanser & Toner to actually keep round his. This way I can then pack less and know that I've got at least a cleanser and a toner round Liam's. It was also at the bargainous price of £3.99 which is cheaper than my beloved Superdrug Hot Cloth Cleanser.

The last item I bought which I like to think as the only thing that I needed is a Cosmetic Band by the brand Opal London. I actually saw Lily Pebbles sporting one in a few of her most recent videos and thought that it's such a great way to keep your hair dry from all the products used on the skin morning/night. There were actually two versions of this and I chose this one purely because it was £2.99 and I liked the waffle material.

Have you been to T K Maxx recently?

Collection 2000 Cream Puff in Cotton Candy

If you remember my review a little while back of the Collection 2000 Cream Puff in Powder Puff, you will know that I was very disappointed with it as the shade wasn't what I was expecting. Well the Collection 2000 Cream Puff in Cotton Candy is a different story altogether. It applies very true to colour and is some what a rather dark rose pink unlike the colour of the tube. It dries to an almost matte finish which doesn't feel drying on the lips nor does it settle into dry patches and highlight them. In terms of lasting power, it lasts for only a couple of hours before it fades away and feathers slightly. What I like the most about this particular Cream Puff is the fact that it's a near perfect dupe for the Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer in Celestial just it's more matte, slightly pinker, has a toffee scent to it and is a lot cheaper.

The Collection 2000 Cream Puffs come in four shades and are available from Boots and Superdrug for £2.99.

Kiehl's Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream

Kiehl's is a brand that is fairly new to me and after purchasing and using their Midnight Recovery Concentrate every night for the past three and a half months, I can see why Kiehl's is such a successful brand when it comes to skincare. Make up wise however, they've only just started to branch out in and I was rather sceptical when it came to trying out their Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream which I received in my #NottsBBMeet Goodie Bag. So much so, that it was only a month ago that I finally dug it and gave it whirl. After using it for a few weeks now, I think it's about time I shared my two cents on it.

The Kiehl's Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream claims to be much more than a normal BB cream. Its ingredients work to instantly perfect the skin by evening out by visibly correcting the appreance of any skin tone irregularities whilst preventing the formation of new ones with continued daily use. It also helps to reduce the apperance of pores and fine lines as well as concealing any imperfections and blemishes whilst keeping the skin hydrated all day. What makes this BB cream stand out from the rest is that is has two massive selling points - one being that it has SPF50 which is incredibly high for a makeup product and the other being that it contains Vitamin C which is known for it's powerful clarifying action as well as helping to perk up the skin.

It is available in three shades only - fair, light and medium which translates across as light, medium and dark respectfully. I've been using the shade Light which contains a lot of pink undertones in it which sadly comes across as being too dark/orange. As the consistency of this BB cream is quite thin, it means that it buffs into the skin quickly. Whilst this is too dark for me at the moment, I've noticed that when I buff and blend it into the skin, you can hardly tell that it doesn't quite match my skin tone. I find that it gives a very light coverage meaning that it doesn't quite cover scars and blemishes however using concealer will soon sort that out. As it is very thin in consistency, it feels very soft and almost weightless on my skin which gives the impression that you're not wearing any make up at all. I find that this lasts a good six-ish hours without powder which to me is very impressive. It's definitely one of those products that you can simply pop on in the morning and not have to worry much about it as it gives a dewy, almost flawless complexion.

The Kiehl's Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream comes in a 30ml tube and costs £23.50. You can pick this up from the Kiehl's website and Selfridges.

Topshop Lipstick in Nevada

I'm a big fan of Topshop lipsticks and after sharing my thoughts on Whimsical and Saint, I thought that I would save the best for last which is Nevada. Nevada is described as being a pale nude with a satin finish which I think is pretty accurate. It applies very creamily, almost like a MAC Cremesheen formula and it feels very moisturising on the lips. The reason why I've saved Nevada till last is quite simply because it's my favourite nude at the moment. It's not too foundation like nor too dark - it's just the right combination of nude-ness which I'm sure will flatter most skin tones.

I find that Nevada lasts for a couple hours before it needs re-applying which is the standard for most creamy lipsticks. You can purchase Nevada as well as other shades on Topshop Online or in store for £8. 

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish

Last month, I reviewed the Superdrug Naturally Radiant Hot Cloth Cleanser and I mentioned that I've been using that along with the Vitamin E version for well over a year now. Whilst I still do love using it, I found myself getting bored of using it twice a day so when I attended the #NottsBBMeet back in April, I was glad to see the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish in our goodie bags. I've been using this almost four months now and I'm now ready to share my two cents on this raved about product.

The one thing that I love the most about this product is the packaging. It comes encased in a tiffany shade blue tube with a pump. You just pump out as much as you need (one pump is more than enough for the face) which then ensures that there's no mess and no un-necessary squeezing which is something that you really do appreciate when you are coming towards the end of the tube and find it near impossible to get anything out of it. Whilst the packaging is all rather swanky, you cannot tell how much product you have left in it so you have to guess by how light it feels. 

Many cleansers are aimed at either dry skins or oily skins however this is designed to suit all skin types which means that anybody can use it. It is packed full of natural ingredients including cocoa butter, rosemary, chamomile and eucalyptus which makes it one hell of a moistursing cleanser. As with most Liz Earle products, this has a very distinctive herbal aroma which I personally find to be quite soothing and relaxing.

The product itself is designed to work in two phases. The first phase being cleansing where you add a pump to your fingers and then work it into the skin by gently massaging it in with circular motions. You can either use this on dry skin or on a full face of makeup which makes it a great multi-use product. I tend to massage it into my face first, massaging it on for roughly thirty seconds each side before moving onto my eye area where it doesn't sting. The second phase is polishing where you use a muslin close and soak it in hand-hot water before wringing out and then gentling polishing off the cream. I personally like to use rather hot water and put the muslin cloth all over my face and leave it there for a few seconds before removing it with circular motions. After removing it, I like to then repeat the second phase again but this time using cold water to make sure that all the product is definitely off.

I've noticed that since I've started using this, my break outs have calmed down a lot especially when paired with face masks such as the Liz Earle Brightening Treatment Mask and the Balance Me Radiance Face Mask. I've also noticed that my skin doesn't look quite as red as before and it just looks normal for once. My skin actually looks more radiant than before and feels soft as a peach! I've even had compliments on my skin on the many make up free days as my skin just looks so much better than it was six months ago. I've actually already repurchased this and will continue so as it seriously is a miracle worker.

You can purchase the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish in the starter pack which comes with two pure muslin cloths and comes presented in a zip up bag for £14.75 from a variety of stockists including Liz Earle online, QVC and John Lewis. Please note that you can purchase the Cleanse & Polish in a variety of sizes and in various bundles.

Boots Haul 001

I've recently placed an order on Boots as they were having a sale on Boots Botanics products where you could save up to half priceacross the whole range which is still running at the time of posting! As this was such a good deal which I couldn't pass up, I decided to stock up on some new products to try.

The Rosewater Toning Spritz has been a blogger favourite for quite a while and has been largely spoken about in recent weeks due to our sudden heatwave. I am a huge fan of the Boots Rosewater Toner which sadly you can only get in large stores and as they don't sell it online, I thought I would settle for the Botanics version instead. As it only contains five ingredients, it makes it 100% organic so it must be good! I actually have a 200 points voucher when I buy any Botanics product so I think I might stock up and get another one.

I've bought two of the Hot Cloth Cleansing Balms as I'm eager to try out a balm cleanser but I don't fancy shelling out the cash just yet for the Emma Hardie version. Botanics have recently repackaged and reformulated this and seeing as I didn't try out the original version, I'm hoping that I'll get on okay with this especially because I've bought two! It contains rosehip oil which is meant to be good at fading scars so hopefully this will get rid of quite a few old blemish scars.

I've lastly bought their Facial Oil to try out as an alternative to my Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate for when I run out of it. I haven't heard much about this product so I'm hoping that my skin will love it. Just like with the Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm, this also contains rosehip oil as well as omega oils which is meant to improve the skins suppleness and to restore the skins natural glow.

What have you been buying lately?

NARS Laguna Bronzer

The NARS Laguna Bronzer is one the cult products that many people love and adore. It's the perfect bronzer for most complexions which has earned it holy grail status amongst many bloggers. This has been on my wishlist for quite a while and it wasn't until the #NottsBBMeet back in April that I finally caved in and bought it.

NARS Laguna is described as being a diffused brown powder with golden shimmer running throughout which I quite agree with. It comes encased in NARS' standard rubber packaging which is prone to getting very mucky however it does look very professional and luxurious none the less. It has a massive mirror meaning that its perfect to chuck into your bag and to touch up on the go which is a bonus.

The one thing that I keep on forgetting with Laguna is that a light hand is needed! Too much swirling of the brush can result in having orange mud patches for bronzer which has happened one too many times for me and sadly, no amount of blending it out would help. With that being said, I cannot fault its pigmentation as it only requires one sweep and you're good to go. When using a light hand, it gives the skin a nice healthy glow which just a hint of bronze shimmer. This is not a matte bronzer like many people say it is as it contains gold shimmer. However, it does mean that Laguna is perfect for contouring with.

Despite it sounding like the perfect bronzer, I just don't reach it for it on a daily basis due to it being so pigmented. I much prefer being able to build up the bronzer rather than taking a risk of looking like an oompa lumpa with one sweep. I know many people love pigmented products it's just down to personal preference, I much prefer using the Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer over this. Although that doesn't mean that I won't change my mind in the near future as I'm pretty sure that with a tan, I'll be reaching for this a lot more. However for now, it's being pushed to the back of my makeup drawer. You can purchase NARS Laguna from many stockists including Space NK and House Of Fraser for £26.

What are your thoughts on the NARS Laguna Bronzer? 

Revlon Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon

Second to last of the limited edition Lip Butter shades that I picked up shortly after they were released in March is Wild Watermelon. Wild Watermelon is described as being a bright red with a pink undertone which makes it the perfect summer lipstick. It applies true to bullet which is rare for a lip butter although I must admit, I have sheered it out quite a fair bit in the swatch hence why it looks almost peachy. Despite this, I think Wild Watermelon is one of those few shades that would suit most skin tones so it might be worth looking into this if you're after a universal shade.

I find that Wild Watermelon lasts for roughly three-ish hours as once the glossy finish has disappeared, my lips are well and truly stained. Even though I've sheered it out, I will definitely be rocking this when I go on holiday and who knows, I might like it more when I have a bit of a tan.

Revlon Lip Butters can be found at both Boots and Superdrug for £7.99 a pop.

July Favourities

The Lacura Aqua-Complete Multi Intensive Serum is something that I've only recently got my mitts on, within the last two weeks actually but its fast becoming one of my favourite serums. I actually spotted this on Terri Lowes' IG about three weeks ago and she's done a smashing review on it here. One of the real reasons why I picked this up is because one of its key ingredients is Hyaluronic Acid which is why Hydraluron is one of Indeed Labs most raved about products as well as one of Caroline Hirons favourite products. I simply don't have a spare £25 laying about so I like to think of this as the cheaper alternative. In terms of hydration, it leaves my skin feeling pumped up and ready for the day. I find that my moisturiser/serum sinks in a lot better and that make up applies a hell of a lot better than before!

It seems to be that in most of my monthly favourites posts, I seem to have a lip product featured in them and July is no exception! The Simple Essential Lip Balm* has been on my lips all day, every day ever since it came through my letter box. It leaves my lips feeling moisturised and softer and I even think this is in some ways better than my beloved eos lip balms.

For the majority of July, I've been sporting Confetti nails in a variety of colours and this is all Jess's fault! I received the L'Oreal Confetti Top Coat in our Summer Beauty Swap which was arranged by Kat from Tales Of A Pale Face. It's just a lot of confetti shaped glitter in a clear top coat which makes any nail colour eye catching and unique. Although the bottle looks rather full, I can promise you that it is almost on its last legs as I've used it that much!

My last favourite of the month is the Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment which I received in my #NottsBBMeet Goodie Bag back in April. I've been using after I've washed my hair to help nourish the ends and it's worked wonders! It's made my hair feel a lot softer and it has helped tamed it. Ever since I got my hair cut almost three weeks ago, I've noticed how much this transforms my hair. If it wasn't so expensive, I would definitely buy this in full size but for now it will be put on my Christmas Wish List and I'll continue using my Organix Macadamia Oil.

What products have you been loving throughout July?