Review: Angels On Bare Skin

One thing thing that I love about Lush is the free samples you get. Although this isn't probably so good for my bank account as it just means that I discover new products that I love and then want to re-purchase. I was lucky enough to be given this sample and it is the first Lush face product that I have ever tried. Angels On Bare Skin is a fresh face cleanser but you can also use it on the rest of your body. I cannot express how good it smells. It smells very natural and it reminds me of lavender and almonds which is probably a good thing seeing as it contains them. I just feel as if I am using very natural products on my face which is an important feature for me as I have very sensitive skin so I'm always nervous I will break out in red blotchy skin after using a new face product. This left my skin feeling incredibly soft I'm not sure that my skin has ever felt this soft before. I also thing you get a lot for your money with this product as you don't need much and although I only have a small sample pot I will probably get another three uses out of it. You take a small amount if the product and mix it into a paste using warm water in your hand before applying it. I would definitely 100% repurchase this and I will be after I have finished my sample and it will be happily be welcomed into my skin care routine.

 Let me know in the comments if you have tried any other good lush face products. I'll be honest in the fact that I have only ever tried bath products from Lush but I think it's time to increase my little Lush family. Stay tuned as it won't be long before I have a Lush Christmas haul post when I go over the top on their christmas range.

OOTD - Evening Meal Out

A quick outfit of the day post for you all, although two exceptions. One - it's not actually for/from today it was from last Friday, I'm sorry I've just been slow uploading this. Two - it was more of an evening outfit for a meal out rather then a day outfit but besides those two little factors it's an OOTD post. The majority of my clothes are black, white and grey. No matter how much I try to buy colour I will get home and find that I've only brought those colours. I don't know why but I think these colours are just in my comfort zone. I also feel that I suit neutral colours more than bright colours if that makes sense at all. I seem to be into monochrome at the moment, I never thought that I would say this but I am loving the patterns at the moment.

What I'm wearing:
Jacket - New Look
Top - Primark
Leggings - Topshop
Boots - New Look
Bag - Accessorize

I hope this post gives you inspiration for some Autumnal evening outfits. Let me know what you enjoy wearing in Autumn in the comments.

Review The Body Shop Body Sorbet

Ok so I know that these aren't a new release but these were introduced last Summer and I went a bit crazy for them. When I purchased these I didn't have my blog then. I originally thought that these were going to be limited edition BUT they are still in stock - and this excites me a lot! Seeing as these are still available I thought I could justify to myself to write a blog post on these as it will still have some use. I know that this isn't a very Autumnal blog post but just go with me on this.

The product is called a Body Sorbet as it is meant to resemble sorbet in the summer, it is basically a body moisturiser. I am always seeking new moisturisers as I can never find the perfect one until I stumbled across these. I love them because first of all they smell amazing, so fruity and fresh. Second of all I love the packaging, I think it's cute and practical you can take it with you where ever and it doesn't get sticky and it won't leak. Third of all and probably the most important reason is that it absorbs into your skin so quickly, much quicker then creamier moisturisers. I think that it's because it has a more oily formula. Don't panic you won't be left feeling sticky and oily, I just feel as if I am doing my skin some good by absorbing these. The Body Shop have very natural products which is another reason I love them as I tend to have sensitive skin. For me the formula is perfect and I feel that it's very unique as most moisturisers are more creamy and once you've applied them you're left with a tricky situation. You either have to sit there for hours feeling sticky and unable to move or, you move and everything gets sticky, the moisturiser rubs off and it was all a waste of time.

I would highly, highly recommend these and I feel as if this is a product I will continue buying until it gets discontinued when I will be left stressed and with dry skin. The two that I picked up were in Strawberry and Mango but you can also get Satsuma, Pink Grapefruit and Moringa. You can purchase these for £8 and you definitely get a lot for your money. I purchased these in the Summer and I'm not half way through with either so it is defiantly worth the price.

A Couple Of Lush Favourites

Twilight, Space Girl

Another Lush blog post for you all but on a couple of my all time favourites and not limited edition ones. When it comes to the Autumn and Winter I literally become obsessed with Lush, all the bath bombs, bubble bars and bath melts are just heaven. What could be better then a warm bath with a lush product or two when its cold, rainy and dark outside.

The first that has been repurchased for my lush stash is Twilight (left). This is a beautiful bath bomb, once in the bath it dissolves into pale pinks and blues and it is so dreamy. To me it smells like cocoa and vanilla but there is also a hint of lavender which is what it is meant to smell like. I don't like strong lavender smells but for me this is perfect as it's not to over powering. I would recommend using this at night before going to bed as it is so calming and relaxing. It is currently priced at £3.35.

The one on the right is called Space Girl and it is my all time favourite lush product - yes I just did say that, my all time favourite. Once in the bath it fizzes into a purple/red colour and the smell is incredible. To me it smells like the sweets Parma Violets which I love. I think this bath bomb is meant to be more refreshing and energising then Twilight so it just depends what you're after. I think this will always be my favourite I just adore the scent and it is a little cheaper which is an added bonus at £2.35.

My Favourite Foundation

You may have seen this foundation mentioned in an earlier blog post called My Everyday Autumn Makeup Routine where I think I rambled on a bit about this foundation. This blog post is just probably going to be me rambling on a bit more about it, it's the Maybelline Dream Matte Mouse Foundation.

I love this foundation so much. I use it everyday when ever I wear make-up and I have done so for years and years now. Whenever I'm low I will always buy it in bulk to stock up on it. This foundation is perfect for people with oily skin. I suffer really bad from oily skin, even liquid matte foundations leave me looking sweaty and oily as soon as I've applied it even with a good dose of powder. Even after that I feel caked in makeup which I don't like and it doesn't look natural at all. However, with this foundation I can use less foundation then I would with a liquid foundation yet still get a fuller coverage. I find this foundation looks so natural on my skin and it's easy to build up the coverage to how ever much you want. I used to wear this at school and sixth form with a light coverage yet at weekends or if I was going out I would apply a heavier coverage. Basically it's easy to adapt to how ever you want it.

Packaging wise I think it's better then a liquid foundation as it's more compact so it takes up less room. Theres also no pump involved so you can use exactly the amount you want without wasting any. As the title says it has a mouse like consistency which I would describe in-between a powder and a liquid foundation. It feels very soft and light on the skin. It also contains SPF 15 which is an added bonus as I think it's important to look after your skin in the sun. This foundation lasts me for months and months, it takes me ages to finish a pot so you definitely get your moneys worth out of it. I apply this using my fingers but I know a lot of people prefer to apply their foundation using a brush. To be honest I've never tried applying this with a brush and I'm not sure if you're meant to or not but if any one has let me know in the comments. There are lot's of shades available I use nude but if you are after a new foundation or you suffer from oily skin I would definitely recommend this to try out. It's currently priced at £7.69.

I will continue to purchase for as long as I can and I don't know what I would do if it became discontinued. It's the only foundation I own, I just always buy it in bulk just in case. If anyone knows any good foundations for oily skin let me know in the comments. I would love to find another foundation I can use just in case this one ever got discontinued.

My Simple Skin Care Routine

Today's post is a little different, still beauty related but focussing on skin care as supposed to make-up. I don't know much information about skin care but what I do know is that I should probably take better care of mine. What I do know is that I have very sensitive skin which is something I'm conscious of. My skin is a bit of a problem skin in that fact it's oily, blemished, spotty and I suffer from dark circles no matter how much sleep I get. So when it comes to skin care I'm not very adventurous and I tend to mainly stick to Simple as I know that it's designed for sensitive skin and it has been a product that I have been using for years now. There are certain steps you can take to improve the condition of your skin such as drinking more water, consuming a healthy diet and not wearing makeup. The first two I feel I do well and if I'm not going out I won't wear make-up. If I am going out I will still wear make-up as I'm conscious of my blemished skin although it will only get better if I don't wear make-up, it's one of those spiral scenarios. 

In the mornings regardless of if I'm wearing make-up or not I will always wash my face with a flannel to remove any oil, dirt or impurities and just to be hygienic to be honest. I will then apply the Simple Kind To Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser to prevent my skin from drying. I also like the Heavy version but I prefer the light as it absorbs into my skin quicker. You can get this moisturiser with SPF 15 in it although just to warn you I couldn't wear it as it irritated my eyes leaving my eyes red and watery - not the best look. Obviously it is important to wear sun factor if in the sun but I just wouldn't recommend that particular one. I then apply the Soap and Glory Puffy Eye Attack Hydragel that was featured in a previous blog post. My eyes always look tired no matter how much sleep I get and I honestly feel as if this makes a difference by reducing puffiness. It's also meant to reduce dark circles but to be honest with you I'm not sure that it does although I'd recommend it to reduce eye puffiness. I would then go on to apply make-up but if I wasn't that day then that would be me done for the morning. 

In the evening if I've worn make-up I first would use a Simple Cleansing Facial Wipe to remove the make-up. I love these as they feel soft so you're not pulling at your skin and the make-up including waterproof make-up comes off really easily. 

Even if I haven't worn make-up I will still carry out the next step. I then use the Simple Purifying Cleansing Lotion to open up my pores and remove any make-up left inside my pores. This amazed me when I first used this as you think you've removed all the make-up yet there will still be more inside your pores which sounds disgusting to be honest. I remove the lotion using cotton wool until the cotton wool is clear. I then go on to use the Soothing Facial Toner which I think is meant to close your pores after removing the make-up. I simply wipe this all over my face using cotton wool again. Once applied I will lightly dab my face with a tissue to remove any excess moisture. To finish I then apply some more of the Simple moisturiser and finally the Soap and Glory hydra gel. 

Once a week it is important to exfoliate your face and my two favourites are from The Body Shop, I feel that their products are also good for people with sensitive skin as they seem very natural. As my friends and family know I have loved The Body Shop for many years now.

I mainly use the Vitamin E Cream Exfoliator. I just think it feels creamy and smooth and it leaves my skin feeling so smooth afterwards. I would recommend this one to anybody and it claims to be suitable for all skin types. The other one that I tend to use is the Tea Tree Squeaky-Clean Scrub. I would recommend this one if you are prone to spots as it's meant to be good at reducing spots so I tend to use this if I'm spotty or experiencing a bad complexion. The only criticism I have for this one is that I don't use it to often as I find it leaves me with dry skin when I do so I have the whole lot then: dry skin, oily, blemished, spotty and with dark circles. So I wouldn't recommend this to people who experience dry skin. I do love the Tea Tree Range though, it leaves my skin feeling fresh and rejuvenated after I've used it. To exfoliate my skin I simply rub the exfoliator onto my skin avoiding my eyes. I then wash it off using a flannel. I would do this after using a face wipe and then I would finish off with my usual evening skin care routine starting with the cleansing lotion.

So there you have it my skin care routine. I hope this helps for people who are unsure what to do for their skin care or feel they need a change from the products that they're using. Let me know in the comments what products you enjoy using or would recommend. I've also tried the Liz Earle Skin Care products which I would also recommend.

New Barry M Showgirl Mascara

Whilst shopping the other week I came across a deal for Barry M where if you spend £7 you get a free mascara so why not, bargain, I love a free product. So to say thank you to Barry M for a lovely offer I thought I would write a blog post on this gem.

Barry M have introduced two new mascaras, NEW PRODUCT ALERT. They are both called Showgirl Mascara, one for volume and the other for length. I picked up the extra volume one as I tend to have long lashes naturally so I tend to focus on increasing the volume. Plus it was rose gold packaging which is my actual fave.

I love this mascara, it adds volume but I would also say it still adds a decent amount of length. This is definitely a good everyday mascara which I have found out as I have pretty much worn it everyday since. I think you get a lot for your money as it's a large product and one thing I love about Barry M is that the products are a lot cheaper then other brands yet they are still just as good quality products and as far as nail varnish is concerned Barry M owns it for me.

I was so chuffed with this purchase and I will definitely be recommending it to people. You can purchase this mascara for £4.99 - bargain!

Maybelline 24 Hour Color Tattoo Cream Eyeshadows

I have never understood the obsession with cream eye shadows before until I purchased these lovelies. Having oily skin I've always been one for powder and I've avoided cream products as I just felt like they would make me look oily and greasy. I also wear a matte foundation and I've never gone for cream blushers or bronzers as I feel like they won't sit nicely on my face. However, I hate missing a trend and I may be one, two or quite a few years late but I've finally bitten the bullet and purchased some cream eyeshadows. Beauty bloggers have previously and still continue to today rave about these products so it would be rude not to try them.

I picked up two shimmery shades in On and on Bronze and Metallic Pomegranate. The On and on Bronze is a classic shimmery gold with orange undertones that I thought would blend really nicely with the pinky/plum shade of Metallic Pomegranate. Having green eyes myself I tend to go for neutral nude colours and if I'm feeling generous I go for a splash of colour with a pinky/purple shade as opposites are meant to attract in terms of eye colour. I may do a blog post for what eyeshadows suit different eyes? One thing I will say is that the range of colours in the UK isn't great so if you're reading this Maybelline, please bring some more out.

The texture surprised me as it wasn't as creamy as I was expecting it to be which for me is good as you don't want your eye make-up slipping down your face. Both colours are really pigmented although what I will say is that the Pomegranate shade when swatted and applied to the eyes came across as more shimmery gold with purple undertones which I guess mad the two shades blend together more easily. These are so quick and easy to use especially in a rush and theres no need for a brush just a quick dap and you're good to go. The colour pay off is amazing and this lasts for a long time and after swatching these it was hard work washing the swatch off my hand.

I would definitely recommend these and I have defiantly been converted to cream eyeshadows. This isn't so good for my bank balance though.

You can purchase these for £4.99 at Boots or Superdrug.

Sleek Blush By 3 - Lace

Okay, so I'll put my hands up and admit "I have an addiction to buying blusher", but look how gorgeous this looks. This isn't a new release by Sleek, I think it has been out for a while now but it has been something that I've had my eye on for ages now. I love Sleek blushes they are so, so pigmented and they have a huge range of colours although this is the first blush pallet that I've brought.

There are three shades in the pallet and each shade is slightly smaller then the individual blushes sold by Sleek. I've tried each shade and my favourite has to be Guipure which is the middle pink shimmer shade which reminds me of Rose Gold by Sleek which is my all time favour blusher although I would say this one is more darker. I think all three shades look gorgeous and I think you could even blend them together on your cheeks. I'll admit that orange blusher isn't something that I've been desperate to try so I was slightly nervous to try this one but I thinkI've been converted. On the cheeks it looks more natural then I was expecting it too and I think it suited my complexion. I used a small amount and found that it blended really nicely to my natural cheek colour so there it is, I've been converted to orange blusher.

From the swatches pictures you can see how pigmented these are as that was only one swatch. I will warn you to be carful when applying the blush to your brush as so much easily applies to the brush even when being gentle.

This may seem like a strange purchase for Autumn as I normally think of rich plumy colours for Autumn although I think that the Autumnal red and orange combinations you see during Autumn will also look really pretty on the cheeks so it could be an all year round product. Let's call it adapting to the seasons.

I would say that you defiantly get your money's worth with this one and I would 100% recommend it and it is defiantly worth the price of £9.99.

A Lush Halloween Haul

Afternoon my lovelies, I'll be honest I haven't been up-to-date with my blog for a while but I'm back after some serious damage to my bank account. Let's all take a moment to appreciate Lush, I absolutely love this shop but I don't tend to go there in summer but as soon as it get's cold, windy and rainy I'm there like a shot. So I picked up some products from their Halloween range to show you which I am so excited to try. 

The Halloween range is a lot smaller than their christmas range and the choice I will say is limited although I still managed to find some treats from there and everything is now covered in glitter. Lush have brought out six products for Halloween: three bath bombs, two bubble bars and one soap. I picked up the bath bombs and one of the bubble bars, I don't tend to get excited by the soaps I don't know why.

Starting with the bubble bar which is called Sparkly Pumpkin Bubble Bar - original name. This is one of my favourites I mean A* for appearance, it's certainly a show stopper. You break this bad boy into the bath, give it a swirl and it will change the colour of the bath water whilst releasing a citrus scent. This has to be one of my favourites from the range, the only down side for me is the glitter. Don't get me wrong I love some sparkle but I feel this is way too much as everything from today is covered in glitter and I know as soon as I get out of the bath my towel and me will be covered too. Although once in a while I can live with it as it's just one of those wow products. I didn't pick up the other bubble bar which was a wizard's hat, only because when I smelt it I literally couldn't smell anything so if any one else has tried it let me know what you thought of it.

Moving onto bath bombs now, the first one I found was the Northern Lights bath bomb. I love the colour as purple is my favourite colour. Once in the bath it dissolves into a blue/green dream, no surprises but to look like the Northern Lights but for me it's just all my favourite colours mixed together. I'm rubbish at describing scents and the only way I can think to describe this one is ... fresh. It just smells amazing and fresh and that's all I can think of. Apparently it's meant to be good for de-stressing and relaxing but for me most lush bath bombs are a way of relaxing but I'm supper excited to give this a whirl.

Another bath bomb now called Sparkler. I'm enjoying these bonfire night themed ones as I feel that bonfire night is often overlooked when limited edition products come out. Although I'm not sure about these long shaped bath bombs I think I preferred the round ones but that's probably because I don't like change but this one does look like your about to have a bath with a corn on the cob. I wouldn't say any of these have a distinctive smell to me, usually with lush I find the products distinctive but again I can only describe this one as fresh. Useful as ever I know but maybe more fruity than the Northern Lights one.

Last but by no means least is Lord of Misrule, amazing name but I'm not quite sure what it means. This bath bomb is less fruity then the others and possibly my favourite smell in the whole bunch. To me it smells more like sherbet and it smells sweeter the sort of one I would use when it's raining, cold, dark and disgusting outside. I can't wait to use this one.

Keep checking my blog if you enjoyed this post as I may do a similar one on some of their christmas products nearer christmas although they are already out now if like me you're supper excited for christmas and you can't wait go and check them out as well.

September Favourites 2014

The fact that it is now October says two things to me. First that it is officially Autumn which means jumpers and berry colours which I find most complementary for my completion so yay for me. But it also means that it is time for my September favourites blog post.

The first product I'm going to talk about is the Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief Gel. I actually got this in a Clinique gift set and rediscovered it again last month. I wore this at night time before bed after taking my make-up off. It feels incredible on your skin, it has a more of a gel then a cream texture and you can feel it absorbing into your skin really quickly that you know you are doing your skin some good. I finished it this month and I will definitely be buying it again, I can highly recommend it.

Make-up wise this product has featured quite a few times in my blog posts. It is the Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser which i purchased in September. As I have mentioned so many times in my posts I was searching for a new primer from the drugstores to replace a more expensive one. The primer reduces the appearance of pores and it gives foundation a more silky and softer effect. This was a great discovery and it isn't too pricy either.

Lipstick wise this product also featured in a previous post and it is the Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balm in Whimsical. It is a beautiful purple plum berry colour with shimmer. I didn't think I would like this as I'm not a fan of glittery lipstick but I absolutely love this and it isn't over glittery it just gives your lips a natural shine. I love the fact it's a balm lipstick I find them easier to apply then lipstick making them more handy to take in your handbag. It has a minty scent which I personally love. My favourite lipstick colours are definitely berry shades as I feel they compliment my darker hair and lips really well and bring out my green eyes. You can see me wearing this colour in my Autumn make-up 2014 blog post.

The Bourjois Intense Smoky Eye eyeshadow trio in Rose Twiste also featured in my Autumn make-up routine. I purchased this a while ago and I wasn't overwhelmed by it but I rediscovered it last month. I have been loving the two eyeshadow shades which I feel blend together really well and surprisingly I have also been loving the brown eye liner that is part of the set which I didn't think I would but it is more softer then black. I think that this product is perfect for Autumn and the orange-brown tonnes in the eyeshadows will bring out berry lip colours really well. I'll be honest and baked eyeshadows aren't always my favourite but I am still getting a good colour pay off with the eyeshadows and I used this most days in September.

Finally, nail wise I have loved using the Tanya Burr nail polish in Mini Marshmallows. I personally love the name it is so cute and the colour is so pretty and soft on the nails. I originally purchased this last Spring time but I am enjoying wearing this more in Autumn which surprised me as I usually get way too excited for dark reds, pinks and purples. This cooler tone colour is really pretty now the temperature is dropping and I think it looks really pretty all year round and I'm sure I will continue to wear this throughout Winter as well.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post and let me know in the comments what your September favourites were.