March Beauty Favourites

I am way behind with my posts for this month trying to balance work and constantly working evening, I try to spend what little spare time I have with my little family...my little one is so chatty and full of personality these days so I try not to miss anything! There are so many things I've been getting good use out of recently so here are my favourite beauty products for the month of March.

The Body Shop Strawberry Body Polish
£5.00(75ml) or £10.00(200ml) from The Body Shop here.
When I'm doing the whole full wack body exfoliating, shaving shebang, I tend to use a seperate body exfoliator and then follow up with a shaving foam or shower gel so I have a good lather to work with. This not only exfoliates but it lathers up as well which is brilliant and saves time using additional products. It smells beautiful of course, it isn't too harsh and leaves my skin feeling really soft.
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel
£9.75(200ml) from Escentual here.
I've been in urgent need of a cleanser suited to current skincare concerns and this always does the trick. It makes my skin feel so lovely and clean, it doesn't irritate my face at all and as it doesn't contain soap I never experience any dryness after using.
L'oreal Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil 
£6.79(150ml) from Feel Unique Here or Boots.
Cleansing oils have slowly become my go to product to remove make-up as I tend to wear quite a thick foundation base and I have found that oil breaks up my make-up the easiest. I had previously just used my DHC Cleansing Oil sample but spotted this in Boots on offer and thought I would give it a whirl. I massage two pumps of this into my skin and it gets rid of everything.
No7. Total Renewal Micro-dermabrasion Exfoliator
£11.50(150ml) from Boots here.
Doing a bit of research on the best exfoliators out there, I came across this several times and decided to grab it whilst I had a voucher to use. I haven't really used a face exfoliator for ages now and generally just relied on flannel or my Clarisonic Mia to exfoliate. This product is well worth trying out, it leaves my skin feeling super smooth and I think it has reduced the redness of my acne scarring to some extent
ELF Studio Makeup Mist & Set
£3.95(60ml) from ELF here.
This little beaut had been gathering dust for some reason in my dressing table drawer when I had a lightbulb moment one day and ended up rediscovering just what an amazing little budget buy this is. I have been using quite a thick foundation recently in the form of the Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation which can sometimes make me look a little cakey. A few spritz' of the ELF setting spray on my face and my make-up magically appears seamlessly blended in with not a trace of the dreaded cake face in sight.

Blink+Go Eyeshadow and Blush Pallette
I've found myself reaching for this soooo much recently, the shades are beautifully soft and the pigmentation is spot on. Unfortunately this palette has been discontinued now, which is such a shame as I particularly love the khaki and brown eyeshadow shades as they create a not too OTT smokey eye for the daytime.
Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Notting Hill Nude
£6.49(150ml) from Feel Unique here or Boots.
This is my fail safe lip colour - swatches and review here - for when I don't feel like being adventurous (that would be most of the time) and it lasts for a pretty decent amount of time. It doesn't hurt that I love the tacky purple packaging although I think the newest formula is in a slightly more modern looking tube. A great budget beauty buy nonetheless for ladies who love lipstick.
Nails Inc. Elizabeth Street  Nail Polish
£11.00(10ml) from Look Fantastic here.
I love a good pink nail manicure and this is one of my favourite baby pink polishes. The formula is awesome, the longevity is good with Seche Vite top coat applied over and it's just such a pretty colour.

My Top 5 Nail Polishes...At This Moment In Time

Since starting up my blog, my addiction to switching up my nails every other day has definitely waned, to the point where I've finally succumbed to the reality that I need to get rid of some polishes. In a vain attempt at condensing my little collection down, it ultimately ended with me getting slightly overexcited at all the pretty but sadly unloved colours and swatching everything to my little hearts content. Despite this serious setback, I eventually whittled down my stash and came to the conclusion that really, I could probably survive with just a few polishes, maybe 6 or 7...okay at least 25, JUST in case.

Image Source: Like a Candy Shop

Nowadays, I do tend to play it safe with my nails by sticking to shades I love and that I know suit me but the babies pictured are the ones that are without a doubt, my most loved and used colours.

L-R: Models Own Beth's Blue, Models Own Pastel Pink, Barry M Peach Melba, Barry M Gelly Lychee and Models Own Nude Beige.

I know there isn't a huge variety of brands in there and that's not to say I don't like other brands. I just happen to own a lot of Models Own and Barry M polishes but admittedly, I do absolutely love Models Own...there kinda bang on for price and formula whereas Barry M can sometimes be a bit more inconsistent. I just find that with SOME of the Barry M colours, I have to paint 3 coats and to be completely honest, I simply cannot be bothered with that kind of faff considering I often have a limited window of time to do my nails, between putting a toddler in bed and doing housewifely stuff. Overall though I really like the Barry M range and the shades featured here usually do the trick in 2 coats.

Remember, it's good to share so comment away with your favourites.

February Favourites

Hey people, apologies for my lack of presence recently...I had no internet for a week and by the time I had access again, I'd kinda got used to going without and finally spent some time finishing up decorating around the house. Elyse's room is all done decorating wise and I couldn't be more pleased so I must remember to pop some photos up. Also, in case anyone may have noticed, I have merged my mummy and baby blog into this one as it started to make much better sense if I just throw in the odd related post here rather than having a whole other blog with a sparse amount of posts. If I have any parents reading, hopefully some of my baby/toddler posts will be useful reading to you in future :-)

I've been enjoying using up a variety of samples recently and getting to grips with skincare products that have become neglected in the "so, so" stash. All in all, I've had a bit of a topsy turvy month in terms of sticking to any products whether it be foundation, moisturiser, lipstick and perfume but it has been good to mix it up every other day and I've managed to collate a pretty good bundle of products that I've loved using the past month or so.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel
I like to use this on a day to day basis under my make-up, it isn't the best product I've tried in terms of controlling oiliness but I love how quickly it sinks in. It also feels really hydrating, even on my dry patches of skin.
Monu Recovery Balm
This was almost ready to be dumped in my unloved skincare box until a recent mishap led to me slathering this all over my face. After cleansing my face, parts of my skin became really inflamed to the point where my face felt like it was on fire. This really helped to calm the inflammation down and ever since then I've been whipping this out anytime my skin has flared up. I've also been using it at night as a preventative measure for instance if I've had a particularly make-up heavy day, I feel like this generally prevents my skin from going crazy and breaking out all over the show.
Estee Lauder DayWear Advanced Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant Oil Free Creme
I've received this little Estee Lauder sample with a Debenhams order and was looking forward to trying this out considering I have loved their skincare in the past. I was not disappointed in the slightest when trying out this moisturiser, it smells amazing (unless you don't particularly like the smell of cucumber?!), it sinks into the skin beautifully and my face feels super soft. It's an oil-free cream and whilst my skin is in this combination phase, it seems to perform well in terms of keeping the oil at bay and feels very lightweight applied. 
Anew Clinical Eye Lift Pro Dual Eye System
My last post was a rather longwinded review about this because I absolutely adore it and would repurchase it time and time again. There's not much more I can add to it as I pretty much raved the behind out of it last month so check out my full review here if you'd like to get the full lowdown on what I think about this little budget beauty superhero in a pot!
Toni & Guy Heat Protection Mist 
I love the way the product is dispersed out of this, it is literally like a mist of heat protecting goodness. This has definitely helped prevent adding to my halo of singed hairs which popped up from the endlessly, blowdrying my curly hair straight and not protecting it with products...sorry boff. 
Michael Kors Very Hollywood Perfume
Definitely one of my more neglected perfumes so it's been nice to finally get some use out of it this. I honestly have never been madly keen on this but I've found myself having a bit of a moment with it last month and for that reason, I had to include it as perfume is something I wear pretty much everyday.

 
MUA Heaven & Earth Eyeshadow Pallette
I've never fully reviewed this but it was included in another favourites post, if you'd like to see swatches and all that shebang, go here July Favourites. I have been using this almost every made up day from January to the present and I don't think I would have the nerve to wear eyeshadow as much if it wasn't for this pallette. It's fool proof to blend, creamy to apply, super pigmented, gorgeous shades and it only costs four quid. Nothing more to say.
E.L.F. Studio Powder Brush
Such a fantastic multi purpose brush and I would highly recommend this to any budding, make-up ehthusiasts considering it is so inexpensive. I've used it to apply liquid foundation and also powder products, it works just as well with both. Definitely one of the better brushes from the E.L.F. range.

ELF Studio Blush
I would say this is very similar to the Rimmel Santa Rose blush in terms of the colour although it is slightly less pigmented when actually applied to my cheeks. I have enjoyed using this on days where I want a subtle glowy, peachy cheek.
"MAC" Pigment
This is actually a complete and utter fake MAC pigment, and whilst I do not condone using fake products, I have to admit that this has become a bit of a guilty pleasure. It's a really good quality pigment to be honest and I love the colour so I can't help but dabble with it now and again. Having had a quick search around, I'd say the colour is very similar to the MAC pigment Mauvement. The whole not knowing what could be in it though definitely puts me off using it too regularly so I am going to look around for something similar.
Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer
Luna
I reviewed this not long ago and my love for it is still going strong. A perfect colour for an daytime, neutral face use or layer it on to make your lips pop. If you want to see my review of it, take a look here.
MAC Cremesheen Lipstick
Shy Girl  
Another lip product I reviewed not long back and without a doubt, on my list of failproof, nude lip shades. Like many others, I absolutely love MAC lipsticks but I cannot bear to part with my pennies on a regular basis to buy more so I much prefer to stick to the safer nude-esque shades.  
  Sorry if I've blabbed on, but I do feel like I had to make up for my lack of January Favourites as there has been so many products I've been using and loving recently!

What were your favourite beauty products last month?

2012 Favourites...Reloaded

So I actually posted a favourites post a few weeks ago but as I was pottering around the house and tidying up, I kept finding myself thinking like this product should of soo been in there and why didn't I put this in?! I think I must of really rushed the post as it didn't 100% represent ALL of my favourites from last year....so I decided to do the whole post again! Here we go...

Dermalogica Clearing Skin Wash

My favourite cleanser to date although I think if I owned a full sized bottle of the Dermal Clay Cleanser I would love that just as much! This is quite pricey but trust me it is worth it if you suffer from acne. A little goes a long way and I think I have had this around 6 months (could be longer?!) and it feels like I still have about a third of the bottle left.

Clinique All About Eyes

This literally makes my eyes feel instantly more awake, refreshed and brighter. I requested this as a sample when placing a Clinique order and this little tub lasted me quite a while considering. The drawbacks of this are that it is quite expensive for a full size tub and I'm currently using a much cheaper Avon eye cream which works just as well if not better.

Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution

I first heard about this through watching Lisa Eldridge on Youtube and I'm sure most of you reading will of heard all about this product either from blogs or Youtube as it has built up such a cult beauty product status. All the hype is completely deserved in my opinion, this is fantastic at taking every single bit of make-up off your face whilst not irritating the skin at all. It is hard to find  in the UK though so I do try and use sparingly and mostly for taking lots of eye make-up off.

Witch Anti-Blemish Skin Clearing Primer

I haven't tried many primers to be totally honest but this does pretty much everything I would want a primer to do regardless. It makes my skin look completely matte, provides a nice smooth base to apply makeup, helps my make-up last longer than it would without and all whilst helping to fight blemishes.

Clarisonic Mia

I couldn't imagine not having one of these in my life now after using it for a year. It has made such a difference to my skincare routine. I use it every other day just to give my skin a good clean and to thoroughly exfoliate it. It foams up most cleansers so much better than just using your hands which for me makes it feel like it's doing a much better job at cleansing your skin already.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish

I may be guilty of not using this as suggested i.e. with the muslin cloth but I find that it works well for me regardless. This is one of those products I never really rated but when it ran out I really noticed the difference it made! It is my go to cleanser on days when my skin is looking a bit red and sensitive as it literally just calms everything down and somehow restores the pH levels.
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo
Probably my favourite product of the year, this has helped my skin no end and it is an amazing base for make-up. In a desperate attempt to see if there was a smidgen of it left to use before a night out, I cut the packaging open (hence the stock photo) but no, literally every morsel was gone which is actually a good thing really. I get so fed up of throwing away products where I haven't used every single last bit because the packaging hasn't enabled me to. If you have combination to oily skin and are prone to breakouts, seriously consider trying this out....it is A-mazing.
DHC Cleansing Oil
I received this sample in a Glossybox a while back and I was so happy when I first saw it as I'd been wanting to try a cleansing oil for a while. It works really well at breaking down the first layer of make-up but I would always recommend using a regular face wash afterwards. I was dubious about using oil on my face as my skin is combination to oily but I didn't find that I had any problems with this as long as I cleansed my face afterwards aswell.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover
I raved about this in last years post so I'm not going to drone on again. This is great to use as a concealer or if your having a particularly bad skin day this provides the best coverage I've found from a foundation to date and I've tried A LOT. Be wary of finding a shade that suits you though as the shade range isn't exactly vast and everytime I've had a sales assistant match me they've matched me up either too dark or with a shade that is too peach toned.
MAC Studio Finish Concealer
This is so creamy in texture, easy to blend, long lasting and it covers really well on redness and dark areas. I use this everytime I'm wearing make-up and it's perfect for under my eyes where I have dark shadows and dry skin.
Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation
There's not really much more I can add to describe how good this foundation is as there are sooo many reviews about it. As it is more of a medium coverage, I like to add a few drops of my Estee Lauder Double Wear Max Cover Foundation and I think they work perfect together...the Bourjois gives your skin a nice, healthy glow and the EL foundation evens out any imperfections.
Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer
I absolutely love this for concealing blemishes, the coverage is amazing for such a cheap concealer. I just wish there was a little more variety to the shade range as I think there are currently only 3 shades and the one I have (Medium) can look slightly too orange on me initially. Once blended in though you cannot tell at all.
E.L.F. High Definition Powder
I know this doesn't work for some people and other people love it, for me personally it is great for setting my make-up and getting rid of any shine in my t-zone. I think there is definitely a method to applying it however. If you swirl a brush in the powder then apply it to your face, you can really see that I have white powder on my face which obviously doesn't look good. I tend to apply it, tap the brush I'm using a few times till I'm sure most of the product has gone and then buff all that chalky residue away.
NYC Color Sun 2 Sun Bronzing Powder
I'm definitely keen to try a new bronzer as this one has a bit of a glimmer to it and I'd prefer something more matte. I have the shade Terracotta Tan and it can be quite orange on me during winter when I'm a bit paler, I'm usually around an NC25 MAC shade during winter. I have enjoyed using this despite my less than glowing review, the glimmer I was talking about isn't overbearing and one thing I actually only noticed the other day is that this is oil-free so would be great for any oilies.
Sigma F80 Flat Top Synthetic Kabuki Brush
I cannot imagine how my foundation would like without using this brush to apply and blend everything in. It literally makes my foundation flawless with no effort at all. The only drawback is that if you use thicker or higher coverage foundations it can be a complete pain to clean!!

Sleek Oh So Special Eyeshadow Pallette
I reviewed this nearly two years ago and it's still going strong. Super pigmented, really affordable and has some nice muted shades to create neutral daytime and smokey nighttime looks. There are loads of matte shades in there too which I love.
Maybelline The Colossal Volum Express Mascara
My current holygrail mascara, it makes my lashes look so thick and volumised. I have gotten through quite a few of these but I would be interested to try something different now as there are so many new formulas and interesting products out there to try. If you want to read my review on it click here.
Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner
I'd never tried gel liner until I bought this and it has totally improved my eyeliner skills. I was pretty awful at trying to do cat eyes or even just applying along the lashline but this is so easy to apply, as you can control how much product your applying and build it up as you please. It glides on smoothly and lasts literally all day and night (I'm guilty of falling asleep after a few too many drinks with all of my make-up on and this looked exactly the same when I woke up!).
HD Brows Eye & Brow Pallette
There isn't much I can add to how much I love this as I've raved about it so much in the past. Whenever I've done friend's make-up they always comment on how good this is. I have my eyebrows threaded normally as I feel like this really minimises the need to maintain your eyebrows i.e. not much plucking needed between having them threaded. This looks so natural for filling in any sparse areas.
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
Another product that works overnight (oops), my eyeshadow looked almost perfect after sleeping and it was all down to this. This was in last year's favourites post and for a very good reason. This makes blending eyeshadow a doddle and the lasting power it gives eye make-up is proven, by myself, to be impressive.

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector
My lip product of the year and I'm seriously hoping to collect the rest of the shade range because I love it that much.  In a nutshell it's like a lipgloss & balm in one so basically a perfect everyday lip product and for those reasons it's thrown into my bag every single day.

I hope I've not droned on too much and if you'd like to see my "2011 Favourites" then click here. Please feel free to post a link to your favourites from last year, I love to see what other people loved and used.

Thanks for visiting! 

Spring 2013 Favourites

Top 10 Favourite Products of 2011

Hey everyone, just thought I'd share my favourite products for the year seeing as it is the last day of 2011. I cannot believe how fast this past year has gone!! This time last year I'd finished the first semester of my final year in Uni and was just generally enjoying Christmas after the past few stressful, deadline filled months...now I've graduated with honours and I have a baby, madness!


There's quite a few things included here that I've still not posted about on my blog but I'm afraid I have one rather demanding child so I've just literally not had time. Hopefully now we're all in more of a routine I'll have a few more spare moments to dedicate to my blog :-) Anyways, here's my favourites of 2011!

Barry M Nail Polish in Peach Melba
I wore this to death over the spring/summer months and I'm yet to find a colour that suits my skin tone more than this.

 Estee Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover Foundation
This is quite a recent purchase but I love it so much that it just had to be in my top 10. It's without doubt, THE best foundation I've come across for covering blemishes and acne scars which I'll be reviewing next month so keep an eye out for that.

Sigma F80 Synthetic Kabuki Brush
Another recent purchase that I fell in love with immediately. This helps blend foundation seamlessly whether your using it to stipple or brush normally. 

HD Brows Eye & Brow Palette
I've never really done much in terms of grooming my eyebrows until I received this in September's Glossybox. The shades are perfect for me and really pigmented.This has also been a true lifesaver recently after some silly woman got overexcited and threaded my eyebrows to within an inch of their life :-\

 

Make Up Academy Heaven & Earth Eyeshadow Palette

My daily used, go to palette, I love love love this! Full of neutrals, super soft, easy to blend and well pigmented for a bargain price...what more do you want?!

Maybelline Pure Cover Mineral Concealer
I've repurchased this soooo many times over the past year and despite purchasing the much raved about Studio Finish Concealer by MAC, I still reach for this every time.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
One of the most raved about products amongst the online beauty community and I can certainly see why.

Hugo Boss Orange Perfume
As I mentioned in my Christmas gift post, I received this as a gift and I've not stopped wearing it ever since. A gorgeous floral scent with a hint of fruitiness.

The Body Shop Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask
I don't wanna say too much about this as I'll be doing a full review of it soon. This tightens my pores, extracts all traces of oil resulting in instantly mattified skin. One of my favourite face masks ever!

Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express Mascara
Hopefully if you read my blog you will of seen my review of this so you can see the results for yourself! My favourite mascara ever, period!


And that concludes my top 10 favourites of 2011!! Hope you all have a great night tonight whatever your doing! 

Happy New Year Dolls!!