Christmas Time!

Just a quick one ... Im so late with this post, but i had such a lovely (and busy) christmas that i just didn't have the time to post before!

But just wanted to take a few minutes to say ...

I hope you all had an amazing time and received some lovely pressies and i will be back soon to do a what i got for christmas type post!

La Roche Posay Hydreane Light

With the highly recommended "La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo" being talked about so much recently i decided to go on a mission to try some more products from the La Roche Posay skincare range. I currently own both the Effaclar Duo and the Micellaire solution and im extremely impressed with both products. Therefore i decided to pick up the Hydreane Light which is basically a lightweight moisturiser for sensitive skin and is great for both day and night use. In my opinion this is one of those products that isn't talked about enough, and i love it!

The formula is very lightweight and doesn't leave that weighed down oily film that some moisturizer's leave on the skin. It applies very smoothly/easily and doesn't take forever to sink in making it perfect for applying just before makeup. It leaves the skin feeling moisturized and soft throughout the day and would be perfect for any skin type (although they do a rich formula which may be more suitable for the dryer skin types.)

Although i think the thing that makes this brand so popular is the fact that most of its products, if not all of them are suitable for sensitive skin. With having combination/sensitive skin i personally feel its hard to cater for and there aren't that many brands that sell products suitable for both oily and sensitive skin, especially high street/drugstore brands. So its nice to know that there are products out there for this skin type that aren't going to cost an arm and a leg.

Priced at £14.50 or £11.50 online from Boots for 40ml i think this is a great product that i would highly recommend to anybody looking for a good moisturizer thats suitable for most skin types including sensitive ones.



        

Beauty Wishlist

I don't often do these sort of posts because i tend to stick to the same sort of products and brands and don't normally branch out and look for new things but since christmas is on its way i thought i would treat myself to a few bits and bobs so these are the things that i have my eye on ... 
 
1. Ojon Rare Blend hair kit £33 - Although i haven't tried many products from Ojon i have tried there Rare Blend Oil which i thought was amazing, so when i saw this little beauty on the John Lewis i wanted it instantly. The Kit contains Rare Blend Oil, Damage Reverse Shampoo and Damage Reverse Conditioner. Therefore this kit is perfect for dry over styled hair!
2. Coastal Scents Stippling Brush £7.95 - Ive never owned a stippling brush as ive always used either a buffing brush or a flat head foundation brush but coming across this one as i was browsing on Ebay i think its the perfect one. 
3. La Roche Posay Effaclar £14.50 - After hearing so many reviews about this i wanna try it for myself as i love La Roche Posay and all there products seem to be of high quality and work really well for me i especially like there mircellar water and hydreane light moisturiser.
4. Korres Lip Butter Jasmine £5  - Im really into lip butters and lip products in general at the moment and want to try a Korres one as ive always looked at them but never actually brought one haha. 
5. OPI set of 10 £30 - So i may have gone a little nail polish crazy over the last couple of weeks and have added quite a few to my collection but i seem to be lacking in OPI nail varnishes as i only have 2. I just find that i never ever use a full bottle of the polish and at £11 a pop there a tad overpriced therefore i think this mini set would be perfect.
6. Enrapture Heated Rollers £45 - Ive had my Babyliss ones for a few years now and although i don't use them too often ive had my eye on these Enrapture ones for a while now.  
7. Ciate Apple And Custard £9 - Love this colour! I don't own and haven't seen a colour thats similar to this. Its going to be perfect for next spring. 

Thanks for reading!
 
  

The Pamper Hamper!

Okay so the names kinda cheesey! But to be fair i think this would be the perfect gift for any sister,mum,grandma or anybody who you think deserves a good pampering to be honest! 

Down the left hand side are some different ways in which you can package you items, just because its called a hamper doesn't mean you have to stick to the idea of a wicker basket does it? Maybe a hat box would be more suitable or a cute wash bath like the Cath Kidson one? It all just depends on what you think the recipient would prefer.

I think the most important part of any hamper isn't the content but how much thought has gone into putting it together, for example lining the bottom with coloured tissue paper or a nice fabric will both cushion the hamper (great if you have more delicate content such as perfume or powder products) whilst looking pretty. Adding petals or spritzing some perfume into the basket would also be nice!

Now for the interesting part... choosing the content. Again this will depend on people's personal preference but here's just some ideas.... 

•  A DVD.. maybe a box set of there favourite show or a nice christmas movie?
• Face mask, the one featured in the picture above is the REN detox mask (highly recommended for anybody with acne prone/ oily skin) Lush do some really nice ones to!
• Hair or body oil, Ojon rare blend oil is a favourite of mine although it can be pricey.
• Slippers who doesn't love a pair of comfy slippers?.
•  Sleep mask or maybe even eye cream.
• Bath Bombs, again LUSH do a wide range at affordable prices. The ones featured are Sex Bomb and Candy Cane Bubble bar.
• Lip Scrub/Balm great for applying before bed!
•  Bubble Bath, i love a good old bubble bath before bed and this smells amazing from Philosophy.
• Magazine Subscription? if your on a budget how about just simply adding the latest issue of their favourite magazine to the hamper if they haven't already read it! 
• A candle, perfect to go with the bubble bath, Neom do a great range but Yankee candles are also really nice.

• Nail Polish, think festive colours such as reds/golds and deep purples.  

 

Hope this is helpful and thanks for reading!    

Beauty On A Budget!

What is Beauty On A Budget?
So i thought that it would be a nice idea to do a quick post on dupes or budget friendly versions of products that are "higher priced." Im not comparing the products in any way but simply just giving you a rough idea of similar products that you can get your hands on for at least half the price. I for one love spending money on cosmetics and whilst i like to treat myself to higher end products i do think there are great high street products that are very similar out there. Now like i said before im not going to compare the products as such being that things that work for one person won't always work for others so therefore im just going to talk about the similarities and price of them.

Benefit Porefessional - £23

The Body Shop Pore Minimizer - £7.99

In my opinion these are too products that are very very similar in what they aim to do. Both are designed to minimize the appearance of large pores are work equally as good. Both are a gel like consistency that sinks in very quickly allowing makeup to be applied smoothly.  The only difference is that The Body Shop one is a lot cheaper!

Benefit Dandelion Blush - £21

 

w7 Candy Floss Blush - £4

Im a huge fan of Benefit's Dandelion blush and have used it religiously for ages, but when i discovered this candy floss blush by w7 i couldn't help but notice the massive similarities, i do however feel as though Candy floss is slightly paler than dandelion but other than that there almost identical and there both boxed and come with brushes.

OPI Rainbow Connection - £11

Technic Carnival - £1.99

 Glitter nails have become hugely popular in the last year and i think everyone has at least heard of OPI rainbow connection which retails for £11. Which i really like but for just £1.99 you can grab yourself Technic Carnival another multi coloured glitter polish which is similar and is equally as popular. Both consist of multi coloured glitter in large and medium chunks and even have the same sort of bottle!

HD Brows Palette - £22

GOSH eyebrow Palette - £8.99

  Last but not least of two very popular eyebrow palettes, first is the HD Brows kit which has become a staple thanks to Glossy Box, but at £22 i think its a little overpriced so when i hit pan on the dark brown shade i searched around for something similar and brought this little beauty, its very similar in both packaging and content but again for a fraction of the price.

So thats it, hope you enjoyed reading!

Mini Reviews

Hey, so i thought it was about time i started to review products a little more as after all this is suppose to be a "beauty blog" yet i don't seem to review things that often? Anyway i just have a few things to review for now as with christmas coming up im trying to slow down spending unless its on things that are necessary.

First up is the Nivea Express Hydration Primer

Nivea Express Hydration Primer - £3.99 

Firstly i like how Nivea have created one for Normal-combination skin and one for Dry-Sensitive Skin. I did however find it a struggle choosing between them as i have combination yet sensitive skin. In the end i opted for the Normal-combination version. The consistency of the product in my opinion is perfect, a weightless gel like formula that sits comfortably on the skin feeling weightless and refreshing. With it being both a primer and moisturizer its two steps in one making it the perfect product for those early mornings where moisturizing then priming is just a chore! I don't however think it helps in making make-up last any longer but it does allow it to sit better and look smoother when first applied.

Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser - 

Superdrug Hot Cloth Cleanser - £5.99

I cheaper version of the Liz Earle cleanse and polish, but not in a bad way as i think this actually works just as well. At £5.99 you get a 100ml  tube of cleanser and 1 muslin cloth. I used t use Liz Earle all the time when i was younger but at £15 i think it can be a little pricey so to find something that works as well but for a fraction of the price is great! Consistency wise its not as thick as the Liz Earle one however i think thats better in some ways as a little goes along way. I also think this would be great for all skin types (apart from the extremely dry ones) as it helps to remove makeup, deeply cleanse the skin, exfoliate. It also states that is for sensitive skin, so like cleanse&polish it isn't irritating and won't dry the skin out.


MUA Eyebrow Kit -

MUA eyebrow kit - £3.50

Two shades which can be mixed,one highlight colour and a wax.

Ive always been a fan of MUA products as i think there surprisingly good quality to say they cost very little, so when i heard about the new Eyebrow Kit i new i had to try it. I first started using eyebrow powders i few years back so since then ive tried a fair few. My favourite so far has been either the HD brows palette or the much loved Sleek Eyebrow Palette. However i do really like this one, my only issues are that it says it contains a highlight colour, im guessing its the colour next to the wax? which in my opinion isn't a very good highlight colour especially if you have yellow under tones. Secondly the packaging isn't very secure as the lid comes open easily so its really something you would be able to just chuck into your bag. Apart from that i think like all MUA products its great quality to say it retails for only £3.50 and at that price you can't complain to much. 


Thanks for reading!

 

Botanics Deep Pore Cleansing Mouse

I can't begin to tell you how much i love this product, its something that has been sitting in the back of my draw for a while and although ive looked at it numerous times ive always though "hmm ill use that soon" and "soon" has just never come lol.

To me this is a cleanser that would be suitable for most skin types, apart from the super oily or the extremely dry ones. But for anybody with normal,dry,oily,combo or even sensitive skin this would work well for. Its a mouse so very gentle and kind to the skin and i find that with mouse products they just seem to last longer as a little goes along way. The packaging is nice as it has a pump meaning its easy to use and travel friendly (although i do find the lid comes off very easily but that shouldn't be a problem).

Containing rosemary to protect and clarify and willow bark to exfoliate and clear it leaves skin feeling clean whilst not being to abrasive and irritating. I also find that it helps to reduce redness as its so gentle (however this may only be the case for some people as it doesn't state that is redness reducing in any way). The cleanser is also oil-free so great for people with oily skin types.

In terms of blemish clearing it does help to combat the amount of blemishes you get as i found that i didn't get hardly any whilst using this. But if you already have existing blemishes it doesn't do a great job of clearing them.

Conclusion:
Retailing for around £6 i think this is a really inexpensive but effective cleanser that i will definatley be using more from now on :)