YoSo Compact | Deep Cleansing System

A few weeks ago a lovely parcel landed on my doorstep.  Inside were skincare treats (I talk about them in my winter skincare routine video here) and this little beauty, the YoSo Compact. I'd never seen, or heard, of anything like this before. It uses ionic technology to draw out any dirt or impurities that have been left on your skin after cleaning it. 

Things you'll need to get going:

2 x AAA batteries

A clear cleanser (It works best with a water based cleanser as opposed to a cream based one)

Cotton pads

How it works

Ok, so depending on how old you are, if you remember buying blank cassette tapes to record your favourite songs off the radio, they'll you'll probably have bought Maxell tapes? Well, they're the good people behind the YoSo.  It used positively and negatively charged ions to draw out the impurities and dirt in your skin, resulting in a deeper and better cleanse, and cleaner skin.  Now, I must admit, I was dubious over this, I had no idea how effective it was going to be.  I did expect a sound, or vibration, something to let me know it was doing it's thing, but it's a silent technology.  You make sure that your hand is gripping both the metal bars that adorn the sides of it for it to work, select the level you want it on (I have it on the highest setting (4)).  

You take the cover off, place a cotton pad on the black rubber disc, squirt some of your cleanser onto the pad, grab the YoSo Compact by both metal bars and move the cotton pad over your skin.  Beauty Crowd have actually uploaded a really good 2 min demo video on how to use it (that's where I learned what to do with it) just in case my description was confusing!

What did I think about it?

Here's the bit that surprised me.  It really worked! Despite it not making a sound, giving me any real indication that it was on or working, it did work!  After taking my makeup off and ensuring my skin was 'clean', I'd use this, and low and behold, there would be dirt on the cotton pad after going over my skin with the YoSo Compact, dirt that would have remained there otherwise, possibly turning into spots or blackheads.  It didn't break me out, it only left my skin feeling soft and very clean :)

If you're interested in buying one yourself, you can pick them up from Beauty Crowd for £59.99.

Follow me on
Google Plus | Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

*Post contains a PR sample

ANTIPODES | Joyful hand & body cream

Ok, let me set the scene.  I'm at home, it's a sunny day and I have the conservatory doors open.  Birds are tweeting and singing their song, all is quiet.  The baby is asleep and I've just sat down with a cup of earl grey and a magazine.  Sounds perfect right?  Well, that was me a couple of weeks ago.  And what does this have anything to do with hand cream?  Well, while I was sat down leafing through my magazine I realised just how dry my hands were.  They were cracking around the knuckles and crazy dry.  This is an occupational hazard when you have a baby, constantly washing things up like bottles, and keeping my hands clean.

Well, while I was sat there, on the end table next to me was my Antipodes Joyful hand & body cream which I hadn't cracked open yet - I was just getting over a touch of eczema on my hands but they'd recovered enough to move on from E45.  The first thing I noticed was just how gorgeous this smelled (kinda like the colour), like summer berries, really gorgeous - it's not only packed with wild blackcurrant berry goodness, but also hibiscus flower and avocado oil.  I squeezed a bit out onto the back of my hand and rubbed it in - instantly my hands felt soft and nourished.  The cream absorbed really quickly, not leaving any oily residue.

Over the next couple of weeks I found myself reaching for it several times a day, even putting it in the little man's change bag so I could use (enjoy!) it when I was out and about.  What I really like about this cream is the fact it's a generous sized tube, 120ml to be precise, so I think you really get your money's worth because lets face it, this isn't a cheap hand & body cream with an RRP of £29.99.

However, this is (at the time of writing this) currently on offer with nutritioncentre.co.uk for £23.19 so if this is something you've been intrigued by, now might be the time to pick it up :)

Have you tried Antipodes before?

Follow me on
Google Plus | Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

*Post contains a PR sample

Michael Todd honey & oat cleanser

You may remember a while ago I reviewed the Michael Todd Soniclear cleansing system and absolutely loved it.  Well, now I'm back with another Michael Todd review, this time I've been trying out their Honey & Oat deep pore cleanser in conjunction with the Soniclear and wanted to share my thoughts with you on it.

First off, you get 210ml of product, which is pretty decent, for $23 - at today's exchange rate, that works out to be £15.23, so not a crazy amount, it's about in line with Clarins and the like, if not slightly cheaper.

It's a lightweight gel texture - I actually expected it to be really thick with lumpy bits of oat in it, but it's more like the texture of honey, than the texture of oats.  It smells lovely, it smells clean, sweet and has that 'organic' scent (if you know what I mean?).  I've used it both by itself (using my hands) and with the Soniclear cleansing system and it performs great both ways.  I do prefer using it with the Soniclear purely because using it with that helps to exfoliate too, but very gently.

My skin was left feeling lovely, nourished and ready to moisturise.  It didn't break me out either, which is a bonus and something you sometimes expect with products like this as they can draw out all the nasties in your skin, but this didn't do that for me, thankfully.  It also has a sulphate free 'no tears' formula, so if you do get it in your eyes it shouldn't sting.  They also say that it's fine to use on all skin types, but it's best used by people with normal, dry and mature skin. 

All in all I really liked this, it's become a part of my evening skincare routine, I don't use it every day, I use it typically about twice a week, alternating it with other pieces I use - maybe I'll do a skincare routine video for you, since it's changed quite a bit since my last video :)

You can shop the collection here.

Follow me on Google Plus | Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

*Post contains PR samples

Origins Plantscription moisturiser

I've been using this little baby for a while now and wanted to give it a proper road test before I shared my thoughts with you on it.

You probably know I'm a sucker for Origins skincare.  I started off with a complimentary facial from them (which anyone can get you just need to book in), and then bought their Ginzing face moisturiser and their Ginzing facial scrub cleanser (both reviewed here).  So when the opportunity arose to try their Plantscription, I was pretty excited.

It's completely different to the Ginzing products, they're more of a lightweight gel texture (fast absorbing), while this is much heavier and thicker, making it perfect for Autumn/Winter when it's windier and drier.  

It absorbs pretty fast and feels really hydrating and nourishing, it's a very luxurious feeling cream and you only need a really small amount as a little goes a long way (that's what I like to hear from a £50 moisturiser!).

It's place in my skincare routine is in the morning, I use this after washing my face.  It prepares my skin well for foundation, or just the day ahead (in the evening I use a cleanser like Liz Earle C&P or Michael Todd honey & oat, then the Kiehls Midnight recovery serum).

I like to keep my skincare simple and not over-complicate things, I feel like my skin is at it's best when it's not being bombarded with different products, which is why I often refuse skincare reviews that are offered to me as I don't like to try to many different things out, I find my skin doesn't respond well after a while.

I feel that the Ginzing products are better for the Summer or warmer months as they're so light, and this is well suited for Winter.  I've been really pleased with it, it hasn't broken me out, I haven't reacted to it, and after using it my skin feels lovely and soft.  It's just a shame it's quite expensive, as now that I'm on maternity leave it's not something I'd be able to afford to replace.  If you're interested in picking one up for a present, or just a little treat for yourself, you can find it here, or at your local Origins counter.

Follow me on Google Plus | Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

*Post contains PR samples

Michael Todd Soniclear

For a long time now I've been wanting to try a cleansing brush akin to the Clairsonic, so when the iconic skincare brand Michael Todd released this, it became etched onto my wishlist.

The set comes with the main cordless Soniclear device, a charging stand, a charging cord, a face cleansing brush (attached to it) and a body cleansing brush (pictured).  When you first get it, you just need to plug it in and charge it for 24 hours before you're good to go.  A full charge from then on will give you up to 35 minutes of use.

"The Soniclear also includes antimicrobial protection against stain and odour causing bacteria and has a brush speed of over 300 per second.  Within just minutes of use per day, your skin is healthier, clearer and brighter looking with smoother texture and refined pores"

The device can be set to different speeds so that if your skin is more sensitive you could have it on a slower setting so not to be as abrasive.  On the flipside of that, if you have very dry or rough skin, having it on the higher setting might help to smooth your skin.  The Soniclear is also safe to use with a face scrub as well as a cleanser.

The device has a built in 2 minute cleansing cycle.  Every 20 seconds it'll beep letting you know to move on to a different area of your skin/face.  After 2 minutes the device will automatically stop.  

It's up to you which cleansers you want to use with it, Michael Todd recommend using products like their honey & oat gel cleanser, or jojoba charcoal face scrub.  As much as lots of their skincare is on my wishlist, I don't actually own any, so I used both the Liz Earle cleanse & polish with this, and the Clarins gentle foaming cleanser.  

This may seem obvious, but you must make sure you remove any eye makeup first, as this product isn't suitable for use on the eye area.  Personally, I removed my eye makeup with Bioderma and a cotton pad first, then filled up the sink with hot water, put some cleanser on the brush (after wetting it) and a little dotted on my face (typically I used the Clarins gentle foaming cleanser).  Then after turning the Soniclear on, I very gently (without applying pressure) worked the cleanser in using a circular motion, starting with the cheeks, then chin, nose and forehead.

There's two main things I really liked about this:

It didn't break me out
It left my skin feeling incredibly soft

I also like how easy it was to use and set up, and the rubber grip which stops it from slipping out of your hands when they're wet.

The price point is good - it's comparable to it's competitors such as the Clairsonic with the Soniclear coming in at $150 (about £95 at the current exchange rate (20/11/14)).

Overall I really liked this, I love the colour (I'm a sucker for purple!), it worked really well, was easy to use and left my skin feeling lovely without breaking me out.  My next challenge is to try this out with different cleansers to see which ones work best, the Michael Todd honey & oat cleanser is definitely top of my list on ones to try with it.

If you're interested in reading more about it check out their website here.

Follow me on Google Plus | Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

*Post contains PR samples

Kiehl's midnight recovery concentrate

I wanted to give this a good road test before reviewing it for you - something I like to do with skincare as they can seem great over the first few days, but over weeks of use you might change your opinion.

I'm someone with very oily (combination) skin and as much as people have always told me that the best thing I can do for my skin, is to use something like this, an oil, I've never believed them, it just sounded crazy - adding oil to oily skin to make it less oily? Crazy!!

So it's fair to say I started trying the Kiehl's midnight recovery concentrate with a lot of reservation - the first time I used it, I expected to wake up in the morning with very oily skin, more so than normal, but did that happen?  Nope - I woke up in the morning with velvety soft skin, less greasy than it'd normally be!  All I could think was what is this sorcery?

Figuring it was a fluke, I continued to use it when I was heading to bed after cleansing my skin (something it says you must do, cleanse first).  Typically when I do this my skin feels quite dry, and I can feel this inject some much needed moisture in (and makes my skin smell divine!), with just 3-4 drops of oil - I normally use 3 drops, but if my skin is feeling very dry I use 4 drops.

As for the product inside, it's 99.8% natural (you can't get much better than that!) and paraben free. It boasts ingredients such as evening primrose, omega-6 fatty acids, lavender and more.  It'll set you back £36* for a bottle, which is a lot, but considering you only need 3 drops a night, it really will last a long time, making it worthy of the price tag.

Have I noticed a difference?  Most definitely, before I started using this, when I'd get up in the morning my face would be super oily, really not a good look - but since I've started using this at night before I go to sleep, I wake up to normal skin that has a velvety soft finish and texture, and feels hydrated.  I was so dubious before, seeing as I have such oily skin, but it really has worked.  It's certainly earned it's spot on my bedside table.

Follow me on Google Plus | Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

*This post contains PR samples

Claudia Louch face wash & toner

It's been a while since I featured any skincare on the blog, so I thought it was about time I rectified that!  I wanted to feature a couple of products I've been using recently, in conjunction with my Origins Gin-zing moisturiser and face scrub.

If you've not heard of Claudia Louch before then you're in for a treat.  The Claudia Louch brand was started up by... you guessed it, Claudia Louch.  She's an internationally-renowned natural holistic skin specialist, nutritionist, pharmacologist and health scientist and has a clinic based in Harley St, London.  They focus on Phytomedicine (plant-based medicine) and botanical skin care, it's this approach which means you won't find any parabens in their products.

So, that's a bit about them - lets see how I got on with their products.

Chamomile face wash

It's a light foaming gel face wash with chamomile - apparently chamomile is a natural anti-inflammatory and anti-allergen that is ideal for nourishing the skin, who knew? :)  Well, I might not be able to comment in that level of detail, but I will say this:  it smells absolutely gorgeous, it's a soft gentle slightly sweet scent.  You only need a small amount of it (about pea-sized), lather it up in your hands with some water and massage it into the skin.  It leaves my skin feeling soft and nourished.  I tend to use it on days when I'm not using my Gin-zing face scrub to give my skin a rest and re-hydrate.

It'll set you back £37.40* which might seem a tad expensive, but you do get a lot of product for your money (240ml) making it my biggest face wash by far, much bigger than my Clarins one which cost just over £20 (125ml) making this one on par price-wise.

Botanical firming toner

This little beauty "is an alcohol-free toner containing natural active ingredients of aloe vera, chamomile and Japanese green tea to refresh, rejuvenate and firm the skin after cleansing".  It has a similar scent to the chamomile face wash but more delicate.  I use this after the face wash or my face scrub, and before my moisturiser.  It helps to take off any residues and prep my skin for the moisturiser.  It also contains cucumber extract which help to tighten pores (something I desperately need!).  I apply it by pumping out some product onto a cotton pad and swiping over my skin.  You can also apply it with your finger tips, but personally I much prefer using a cotton pad.

Much like the face wash, this also costs £37.40* and for that you get 40ml of product (in very nice packaging) :)  I think with these products, the money is really going towards decent ingredients to make a high quality product.  I'm not saying there aren't other more purse-friendly products out there which might well suit your skin better, but for me these have certainly worked their way into my daily/weekly routine.

Follow me on Google Plus | Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

*This post contains PR samples

Healgel eye cream

HealGel - available for £32* in places like SpaceNK and CultBeauty :)

I've been waiting to write this review for a while, my skin has gone from being great, to terrible and covered in eczema and slowly getting back to normal again.  I thought the different phases of my ever-changing skin would be a great test for this, so I put it through it's paces!

Wanna know how it performed?  I'll get to that in a minute, first lets see what makes it tick.

There's two main ingredients in HealGel Eye - Arnica and Madecassoside, I'll be honest, I've never heard of these before, but then I'm not all sciency.  To cut out a lot of the confusing science talk, apparently they sooth (sounds good), and they boost the collagen in your skin - collagen is good for keeping elasticity in your skin (stopping you from looking older).  Needless to say, this is focussed as an anti-ageing product.  It also has a hyaluronic acid complex that apparently locks moisture deeper into the skin, who knew!

How to use it:  It can be used to help reduce the appearance of dark circles, as a refresher for your eyes, or as a base for your makeup.

What did I think?

I don't have *that* much darkness under the eyes, so I can't say I noticed much of a difference there, but then there wasn't too much to correct, just a little blueness in the inner corner.  However, what I did notice is how it would very effectively tighten the area around the eye.  I'm not sure if this is how it reduces the appearance of wrinkles, but it worked well in that way for me.  I don't have too many fine lines around my eyes, I'm quite lucky, but I do have some and some days they certainly look worse than others.  Those are the days I reach for this, to help boost my skin when it's really lacking and it really does help, and noticeably.   You only need the smallest amount, and it spreads really well, I always know if I've used too much, as the vapours from it I'll feel in my eyes, lol.  Just blend it in with your ring finger, or dab with the same finger and it absorbs really quickly.

All in all a fab product that's performed really well on my normal skin, and eczema ridden sensitive skin, I've been really pleased how consistent it's been and how well it's done under those conditions.

Follow me on Google Plus | Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

*This post contains a PR sample, all opinions are honest and my own

Yves Rocher pure calmille cleanser & toner

I was a little bit nervous when I was asked to give this a try, it's a leave-on cleanser, not something I've used before, but you know me, always willing to give something new a go :)

Yves Rocher is really big in France, when I was over there at the end of January, most of the pharmacies had Yves Rocher displays in their windows, or were selling lots of their ranges.  Their affordable and good quality.  And lets face it, France is known for having outstanding skincare products!

Like I said, the Yves Rocher pure calmille cleanser is on the affordable end of the price range at £5.50 for 200 ml of product, and filled with organic camomile - something I'm a BIG fan of, camomile tea is my favourite :)  It's packed with nutrients and goodness, so makes sense to turn it into gentle skincare.

It's a cleanser and toner in one, that's described as a milk infused with flower water.  When you apply it, just squirt some product onto a cotton pad, rub the pad together to distribute the product then wipe over your face.  It doesn't leave a residue on your skin, but sinks in leaving your skin feeling velvety soft. Once you've done that, just let it dry for a minute or two and then apply your usual moisturiser.

This has become part of my skincare routine and I really feel it's attributed to me having some of the best skin I've ever had.  It's such a gentle and mild product, it hasn't irritated my skin at all, but has done a great job at cleansing and removing any bits of 'the day' that's been left on my skin after I've removed my makeup.

After the success of this product, I'm thinking about trying more of the range to see if I get similar results :)  If you're interested in giving it a whirl, you can find it on their website here :)

This months Biggest-Pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Ash from A Beauty Moment

 

Follow me on Google Plus | Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

MitoQ moisturising anti-ageing serum

 ** MitoQ moisturising anti-ageing serum, £79* from MitoQ.com **

This is, hands down, the most luxury moisturiser I've ever used.  Yes, it's also the most expensive, retailing at £79*, it'll set you back a pretty penny.  But, what do you get for your money?  How is it different from the £5.50 Nivea pure and natural moisturiser I usually use?  Well, I'll tell you!

First off, I want to say, I get really nervous reviewing skincare, it's such a personal thing, what works for one person won't necessarily work for everyone else, so when I'm given something of significant value, I cross all my fingers that it'll work for me, which doesn't always happen, luckily for me, it did here :)

They say "MitoQ® protects cells from the increasing oxidative stress associated with age and returns skin cells to optimal function. MitoQ® supports youthful collagen and elastin production - the key building blocks of healthy skin."

The moisturiser is hypoallergenic and fragrance free.  A full size bottle should last you just over 2 months, which works out to be just over £1 a day, which isn't too bad when you think about it like that.

In recent weeks I've completely changed up my skincare routine.  I've stopped using Bioderma (after reading LMC's blog post), instead I've gone back to my Liz Earle C&P to remove my makeup, I'm also using a new day cleanser (blog post on that coming soon!), a new eye cream (blog post on that coming soon too!) and this moisturiser.

As a result, my skin has never been in better condition, whether it's solely down to this moisturiser, or a combination of all the changes, I can't really say.  All I know is the MitoQ absorbs into my skin really quickly without leaving an oily residue, it sits perfectly underneath makeup and I've been using it morning and night.  My skin has become so good, I don't wear foundation everyday anymore, it's actually becoming the exception for me to wear it! How crazy is that!?

I love this moisturiser, I was really hoping I wouldn't just because I don't really want to spend £79 on another bottle!  In all honesty I won't be repurchasing it just because of the price, it's just not something I could afford, if I could, I certainly would :)

This months Biggest-Pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Ash from A Beauty Moment

 

Follow me on Google Plus | Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

A date with Origins

The products used on my facial :)

The lovely Origins consultant, Lavina :)

Scroll back a week, I was an Origins virgin.  Don't get me wrong, I knew who they were, I just hadn't ever tried any of their products.  I was suffering from really dry skin which is totally weird for me, as I have really oily skin normally.  I've seen their 'Drink Up' overnight mask raved about in the blogging world, so on my lunch time I went on a mission to buy one.

I rocked up to the counter and was greeted by the lovely Lavina (in Boots, Cardiff).  What I loved is that she didn't push me to buy other products, she gave me a couple of suggestions and left it at that. As I was paying, she asked me if I'd like a complimentary facial - normally I automatically say no to these kind of things, but I've never had a facial before so I signed myself up for Thursday at 5 before an event I was heading to.

So today I went down for my facial.  It might be the most relaxing half hour I've ever had!  Lavina used 6 different products on me, now forgive me, I can't remember the order she used them in, but have a look in the pic to see what was used.  My skin feels like silk or velvet, and definitely doesn't feel dry! I've used the Drink Up mask twice this week and it's really helped my skin, I haven't had any dry skin in a few days so I think it's really helping.

I didn't really know much about the brand before my facial, so while I was there I asked Lavina if there are any parabens or nasty chemicals in Origins - she confirmed that they don't use anything like that, they're all natural :)  This may sound like a strange thing to say, but they felt and smelt very natural - so many of them smelt really fruity and zesty.  This certainly won't be the last Origins purchase I make, I really want to try an exfoliator, the Gin Zing eye cream and some kind of moisturiser :)

Thanks Lavina for such a lovely facial :)  And for all of you reading this - if you head to your local Origins counter, you can book in for a complimentary facial too - it lasts for 30 mins, they talk you through everything they use, and don't pressure you to purchase anything.  You can go more than once too, how amazing is that :D

Have you tried Origins before?

This months Biggest-Pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Luchessa from Beauty Expression

 

Follow me on Google Plus | Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

FoM Skincare

You may or may not have heard of FoM (Freshness of the Morning), they're a luxury skincare brand based in London.  Their products aren't tested on animals and they're largely paraben free.  They claim that their unique selling point is based on their use of antioxidants, vitamins, essential fatty acids, herbal extracts, essential oils and absolutes to nourish, nurture and protect your skin.

When I was asked if I'd like to review one of their products, I was quite excited!  You may have seen me saying on here or twitter that I'm really into body butter type products at the moment, good after-shower skincare.  That's where this little baby comes in.

First off, the scent.  If you like 'organic' smelling products (if you know what I mean), then you'll love this.  It smells really lovely, fresh and warm all at the same time, lots of very natural organic scents (I know that's a lame description of a scent, but it's pretty hard to convey).  The texture is strange, it's quite firm, think of a packet of butter about 10 mins after taking it out of the fridge, if you leave your hand on it it'll warm up but if you stick your finger straight in it, it'll be very firm.  Well, that's kinda like what the Botanical skin balm is like, it's quite firm, you need to dig your finger in it to get the product out, but when you do it melts really nicely in your hands.

What I do is rub it together in my hands warming it up, then I rub it all over.  It has a slightly oily residue which absorbs quickly, not leaving any oil on the skin.  It leaves my skin feeling really lovely soft and nourished.

What's the downside I hear you ask?  Well, for me it's the price.  I'm happy with the product and the packaging, in fact, I really like the product, but should I wish to replace it, it'll set me back £24* for 100g which to me is quite expensive.  Yes, you don't need to use much each time as a little goes a long way, but when it comes to body balms/butters/lotions, I'm a bit tight fisted - which is silly as I'd spend that on face moisturiser - but I tend to go through body balms/butters/lotions a hell of a lot quicker than face creams.  That's my only qualm, the price.  If you're happy to spend money on body care, I'm pretty sure you'd really like this, especially if you like that 'organic' scent, otherwise maybe chip in with a friend and share it or put it on a present wishlist for Christmas or a birthday.

If you'd like to know where to pick it up, you can get it on their website here.

This months Bigest-Pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Karen from Liverpool Lashes

 

Follow me on Google Plus | Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

Desk essentials

Over the course of the last year there's one thing that's been a staple during my day, and that's my little collection of skincare products on my desk at work.  So I thought I'd take a few minutes to share with you what I use and why.  ** excuse the background clutter in the photo **

Korres lip butter in Jasmine

Being in an air conditioned office means it's not the kindest to skin.  The Korres lip butter is my favourite lip balm at the moment, it adds a hint of colour (a white/light colour at that) and really hydrates my lips without me needing to constantly reapply it.  It's full of good ingredients and smells so so good!

Crabtree & Evelyn hand creme in Citroen

I make sure during the day that my hands are well moisturised.  My hands get so dry during the day I have to make sure I have plenty of lotion on hand (see what I did there!).  This is one product I tend to get through quite a lot of for that reason.  They're not always the same brands, but this is what's on my desk right now.

Galenco SOS lip balm

This is my second favourite lip balm and there's not a lot left of it now.  It has a lovely pearlescent finish that gives the lips a lovely subtle sparkle.  It's not as glossy as the Korres balm but still does a really good job of hydrating my lips and stops them from becoming chapped.  The only problem with this, is I think it's Italian and not sold here in the UK - it was in a Jolie Box last year and I've failed to track it down online.  All I can say is, if you're ever in Italy and you see it, buy it!

Soap & Glory hand food

This is another saviour.  This is my 3rd bottle of it and the biggest one I've had.  This was actually in my Best of All kit I bought just before Christmas last year, so it's nearly a year old now.  It's been sitting in my bedroom by the side of the bed all this time and not really being used, so I thought I'd bring it in to work to replace my last bottle (which will be in my next empties post).  It smells amazing, it's their signature Soap & Glory scent, and does a pretty good job of moisturising my hands.  I'm always keen to make sure I keep my hands as well looked after as possible as they're the first place to show signs of aging.

Body Shop Satsuma hand cleansing gel

This is probably my favourite anti-bac I've ever used.  I've used the Soap & Glory one before, which was lovely, but this smells so much more amazing.  It's fresh and zingy without having an over-the-top alcohol scent.  It helps freshen up my hands and make them smell amazing.  I probably use this about twice a day for when my hands feel like they need refreshing. 

So they're my current desk essentials, I might come back and re-do this post every few months to see what I'm currently using as it changes all the time, if you'd like to see that just let me know in a comment below (but I might just do it anyway) :)

This months Bigest-Pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Karen from Liverpool Lashes

 

Follow me on Google Plus | Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

My skincare routine #1

Yesterday I posted a #fotd picture on Instagram and someone commented that they thought my skin looked good, always nice to get a compliment eh?  Well, I offered to share my current skincare routine on the blog, an offer which was speedily accepted.  I think I've always done these posts on YouTube before, but since I've decided to stop making YouTube videos, I thought this would be a great post for my blog, so here goes!

In the morning I really don't do much.  I wash my face with water, dry it, and use the Nivea Express Hydration primer, which doubles up really nicely as a moisturiser too, but nice and light.  I have, probably the oiliest skin on someone you'd ever meet, and I have no idea why! It's not like I eat lots of bad food or fast food or oily food, it's just super oily.  I've found this is the best setup for my skin the morning, sometimes I don't even use the primer, just water.  But at the moment this is what I'm using.

** Excuse the Marvel Gel being out of focus! **

Fast forward to the evening when I'm getting ready for bed, and I take my makeup off with Bioderma Crealine H20.  I have a full bottle of Liz Earle cleanse and polish on my shelf, but I haven't used it in ages, I reach for this every day (that reminds me, I really need to order a replacement!).  After I'm happy all my makeup has been removed, I use the Ginvera Marvel Gel*, this is a lovely gentle everyday exfoliator and it leaves my skin feeling lovely, soft and clean.  Then, once a week I use a more aggressive exfoliator, the Neutrogena Visibly clear spot stress control exfoliator.  It does say 'daily exfoliator' on it, but I think it's far too rough for that.  But it really does the job and leaves my skin feeling lovely.

After that, I dry my face and head to bed where the routine continues.  I apply the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo all over my skin, this has worked wonders in removing the tiny little bumps on my face, you know, the really annoying kind you want to scratch off?  Yeah, well, I don't have them any more thanks to this.  But, once a week instead of using that, I use my Dr Jart Water Max Sleeping Mask* that's a helluva mouthful!  I apply about 3-4 pumps of it all my face and fall into sleepy land.  When I wake up in the morning, I wash my face and wipe any left over residue off and I'm ready to start my routine all over again.

So that's my current routine.  What works for me may well not work for you, as I mentioned I have really oily skin, but I do also have the odd dry patch that crops up from time to time.  It's been interesting to stand back and see just how much of my skincare is French, and to think this is the best my skin has ever been, coincidence non?

This months Bigest-Pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Hayley from Water Painted Dreams

 

Written by Georgina Kent

August haul

Yep, you read that right, I've been buying shizz again!  Yep, and I said shizz... you'd be surprised how much I say that in real life...

Anyway, in two days I've hauled twice, so I'll show you both hauls, here's the first one.

The lovely Fragrance Direct came to my office (DANGER!) and sold mostly perfume, this is when I tend to stock up and have done it this way over the last two years.  Most of my perfumes are nearing the end now so instead of replacing them all, I was a good girl and bought only one new one, and a little extra treat for my face!  I knew I wanted the Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream too - and as I went to pick it up, I was steered in the direction of a set which was only a couple of pounds more, but included a lip protector and a small intensive daily moisturiser.

Well I used the skin protectant (the big tube) last night, it's like a really thick gel, felt strange on my face, but I did have very soft skin the next day and a couple of patches which had been itchy and threatening to break out (eczema) have disappeared!  We'll see what it's like longer term, but first impressions are good at least - now on the daily moisturiser!

So, today (by the time you'll be reading this, it'll be yesterday!) I popped into Superdrug, not intending to buy anything and walked out with a lot of products (and by walked out, I mean paid for at the till). Three of which were complete impulse buys, well... they all were.

Here's what I bought.

** Just showing these out of the packaging in reunited with 'Quenched' which I received ages ago in a makeup swap **

I was really undecided if I was going to purchase any of the Baby Lips, purely because I never really liked 'Quenched', the taste is just not nice, tastes like vaseline and that's not a taste I like, but they looked so pretty and colourful (and were conveniently placed at the till and on offer (3 for 2)) that I just had to have them!  Ok, well I didn't have to but I wanted them.  And, first impressions are I'm glad I bought them!  Wearing one of them now (Cherry Me - the orange one) and I really like it, tastes better and smells awesome!

Next up my NYC haul, I'd heard good things about their foundation and since it was on offer for £3.99 I couldn't say no, team that with the bronzer (not sure if this is the old 'sunny' bronzer), it's the lightest one they had and I fear it'll still be too dark, but will give it a go all the same, that was £2.99.  And to go with it, it would have been rude not to pick up an eye shadow quad right?  Well, I remember Emily Noel talking about their quads with the patchwork emboss and she really didn't like them, so I stuck to the normal quads and picked up a neutral one in the shade Picnic in Central Park (how cute!).  I've swatched them on the back of my hand and they look really beautiful, will be wearing all of this tomorrow!

Next up two other randoms.  A new girl at work has amazing eye liner and it looks beautifully matte, so on enquiring which one it was, it was this Collection Fast Stroke, it was on offer for £4 so I thought I'd give it a try.  I'm not holding up any hope at all, you all know how oily my eye lids are and how nothing really tames them like my Chanel Ecriture, but I'll try it tomorrow, lets just hope by 2pm I don't have a black faded line transferred across my lid, that ain't pretty.  On my way to till I spotted this new Rimmel mascara too, let it be known, this is my first Rimmel mascara!  I know, terrible!  *slaps my wrists* It has a really odd wand, I'll show you when I do the full review, but I'll be giving this a road test tomorrow as well!

One of my favourite things about this haul (all the makeup, not the fragrance direct haul) is how cheap it all was, only just over £20 and for all that is really impressive! I mean, I have enough for a full face of makeup, mascara, eyeliner, eye shadow, bronzer, foundation, lip balm - awesome!

Wow, this may be one of the longest posts I've ever written!

This months Bigest-Pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Hayley from Water Painted Dreams

 

Written by Georgina Kent