11. Sunshine in Manchester

A bit of sunshine came to Manchester and we decided to enjoy it! Sunday afternoons call for cake so we went to The Foundation Coffee House which has an impressive menu to say the least. I had a beautiful hot chocolate called the Ecuador and a Bakewell slice - sticking with the old favourites. The space is really open and was fairly busy, lots of people sitting, chatting with books or laptops. It felt very welcoming and comfortable, I think we will be going back to try more cake.

Then we took a visit to Fred Aldous which is a huge craft store full of quirky, beautiful things to spend lots of money on. We didn't buy anything but it is a lot of fun just looking at all the cute bits and bobs. There are things there for the serious arts person as well as little kits and enjoyable projects for kids (or those of us who just like to pretend to be of an arty persuasion).

Recently, Lindt have opened a shop in the Arndale centre so we had to visit there. All the Easter chocolate was on sale (dangerous) so it's just like a little bit of Willy Wonka has come to Manchester! Probably more chocolates than I've ever seen in one place and every flavour of Lindor. Having had cake, we treated ourselves to one Lindor, which was gone before we left the shop.

Lush was our next stop! The lady recommended me a cleanser, "Let the Good Times Roll" which she tried on my hand. I loved the colour of this, and the smell, and it left my hand feeling very soft. I wouldn't be too sure about using something that exfoliates every day because I'm still worried about having a reaction.  We also had a good sniff of the massage bars and fell in love with "Tender is the Night" and "Each Peach and Two's a Pair" which are delicious.

We took our usual excursion to Selfridges and indulged in the bag section (who doesn't love the smell of leather bags). On our way down to the beauty hall a member of staff handed us a surprise envelope which had a card for a free makeover at Clinique. We weren't about to pass up on that so off we went. The counter lady was really good; friendly and kind, very willing to answer to questions. She gave me a nice, fresh day look using :

Cleanser and Clarifying Lotion for type 3 (combination oily) along with Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel

Go Go Eyes Pep Start

BB Cream in Light

Line Smoothing Concealer in Light

Almost Powder in Light

High Impact Curling Mascara

Blushing Blush Powder in Innocent Peach

Lid Pop eyeshadow in Cream Pop

Clinique Pop Lip Colour and Primer in Sugar Pop

My favourite products were the BB Cream, the Innocent Peach blush and the Lid Pop eyeshadow. I really like the the Colour Pop range, it's definitely one of the better ones Clinique has released in recent years. Generally, I have a so - so relationship with Clinique. The price difference in America really bugs me, and some of their products are too harsh (their mascaras make me itch). Sorry about lack of links too, the Clinique website is terrible!

Last stop in Selfridges was Jo Malone - English Pear & Freesia  and Wood Sage & Sea Salt are solid favourites and I could smell them all day long. The staff in Selfridges are so lovely and nice the majority of the time it makes for a great shopping experience.

The end of the day found us at Pho. This is a Vietnamese café that had been highly and repeatedly recommended to us. We consumed our body weight in spring rolls (vegetarian ones won hands down)and summer rolls. Pho is a big bowl of soup and rice noddles and whatever else you decide to have in it, you can add herbs and extra sauces to it as you please. 

How do you spend these rare British summer days?

10. March 2016 Favourites

March 2016 Favourites

Here are some of the little things I have loved this month.

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Lip protector

This old favourite is making a comeback and I can see the bottom of the tin! I always get this in duty free (great excuse to book a holiday) and it always sits on my desk. I also pop this on any dry skin patches (face, hands, elbows etc.) and it remains a steady staple and something I do actually repurchase. 

Pixi Glow Tonic

Can’t be without it, don’t ever want to be without it. Post Accutane (Isotretinoin) treatment I have not been near an exfoliator. I have tons, which are taking up space in my drawer, but this is the only one I touch. I currently only use it once a day, but it is continuing to make my skin look and feel better. I love the packaging and the smell; the price is excellent and I cannot find anything wrong with the company and ingredients. All round winner.

    Harmony Gelish Firecracker

This has been the nail colour of the month. I know many people are all about the pastels at this time of year, so I don’t know what it says about me that I go for bright red. Gelish are one of the only brands of Gel Nail I would choose to use; you get excellent brand guarantee, support and security in the knowledge that you have a legit product. Application and removal is also great so they come highly recommended. 

MAC’s Girl About Town

Hello pink lips! This is probably the first proper pink lipstick I ever owned. I think it has great colour pay off and is comfortable to wear. This is definitely a classic MAC colour and quite a warm pink to wear. It makes me feel pretty, but still grown up.

Microsoft One Note

If you are an organisation fiend (like me), you need this programme. It lets you create notebooks on the computer, with different sections and subpages which can include whatever your heart desires. You can create tick lists; have excel sheets; tables, calendars, contact details and emails.  It works live so you never press save and you can access it through the app on your phone, tablet and on your computer. You can share it with your friends/colleagues/partner etc. I have a personal one and a work one. Go and check it out! https://www.onenote.com/

Cadbury’s Easter Eggs

Yes, sticking with a classic Easter favourite! I think Cadbury’s do the best (not that I say to the others) but there is just something about them. I remember them always being so embossed nicely and looking beautiful. My family are not big on chocolate Easter eggs so I always consider myself highly lucky when someone gives me a choccie Easter egg. I am blessed to have such generous friends and colleagues!

Crocuses and daffodils

Hello spring time! These are some of my favourite flowers of all time. Along with the blue bells and snowdrops, we also get beautiful blossom on the trees. When you live in a city I think it’s extra special to enjoy the green spaces and have plants around. If only I could have flowers and plants in my office I would be a much happier person.

Happy Spring time everyone!

9. Smashbox Bestsellers

SmashboxTry it Kit Bestsellers

I got this kit for my birthday - totally perfect present because it means you get to try lots of different things and if you don't like some of them it's not a big loss!

The kit included:

• Photo Finish Foundation Primer - the product that Smashbox is known for, it promises to smooth fine lines and pores to create a canvas for your foundation.
• Photo Finish Lid Primer - the sister product to the above primer but specifically for your eyes.
• Full Exposure Mascara - a very popular Smashbox product this claims to leave no clumps or flake, just "maximum impact".
• Limitless Eye Liner (Onyx) - a waterproof pencil liner in the standard black.
• Lip Enhancing Gloss (Illume) - a shiny, glittery gloss in a neutral shade.

So for a little while I replaced my normal primer, mascara and eye liner with these ones until they ran out! I was very pleased with all three products.

The primer worked really well and gave that silky feel that I really like from a primer, though some reviews complain it's a little greasy. I prefer the silky feel to those primers which are more dry feeling. I don't think it will be replacing my Bare Minerals/Clinique favourites, but it's definitely a good one to have!

The eye lid primer is my favourite product in the box! I do not get on well with eye lid primers; they dry my eyes out, make them itchy, make my eye make go strange - generally bad things. This primer was lovely and thin and gentle to use. It didn't feel like there was anything on my eyelids pre eye-make up - unlike Urban Decay potion which is just too heavy and sticky for me. It's a nice neutral colour and the little foam applicator means you don't use too much product. If I can make myself fit this product into my make up habits I will definitely be repurchasing!

The mascara and the eye liner work really well together. I enjoyed using the mascara, it's got a nice big brush that catches your lashes and makes sure you have an even amount of product on them. I used it with an eye lash curler and layered a few coats to get the look I wanted, so it's easily useable for day and night time looks. I actually wish there was a bigger sample to be honest. The liner was just like other similar priced pencil eye liners - it did its job well. I probably wouldn't repurchase either of these because I don't feel they stand out from any other mascara or pencil eye liner.

The lip gloss I didn't really use. I'm not a lip gloss wearer, I don't like the stickiness or when it gets stuck in my hair. I tried it around the house a few times, it's very high shine and a bit glittery. I like that it's a nude shade, but I would just buy a nude lipstick!

Any thoughts on Smashbox products??

<3 x

8. Clinique Haul

Earlier this month I was invited to a Clinique event at my local department store. I paid a £5 deposit to reserve my place. Once I got there we were treated to mince pies, coffee and juice, and on our chairs were some little gift bags. We were then treated to a demonstration of the Clinique Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush and the 3 Step Cleansing System. The makeup artist then showed us a few looks using The Nutcracker palettes. This palette has some gorgeous pinky tones, so if that's what you like I would definitely look into this. It's a Limited Edition too - so snap it up quickly!

I already knew some items that I was considering buying so here's what I got! My £5 deposit was redeemable and a 6 piece gift available if I made 2 or more purchases. Prices given for "freebies" are worth.

Moisture Surge 15ml x 2 (£10.20 each), Moisture Surge 50ml (£34.00), Superbalm Moisturising Gloss 5ml (£5.33), Moisture Surge CC Cream 7ml (£5), Moisture Surge Over Night Mask 30ml (£9), All About Eyes 7ml (£9.80).

The majority of this I got in a pack for £40 (prices given if purchased separately). The CC cream and one of the 15ml Moisture Surge I got in a freebie for turning up to the event. The CC cream and I haven't got on in the past, the colours are never right, but maybe I will save it for summer and try again! I've grouped all of this together because they're all "moisturising". I desperately needed to get some moisture into my skin and so far, the Moisture Surge has been doing a fabulous job. My skin really misses this product under my make up if I forget to put it on. All About Eyes is my favourite eye cream for puffiness and dryness, it feels gorgeous and silky and really makes a difference. I'm looking forward to trying the mask and gloss in this chilly weather too!

Anti Blemish Solutions Cleansing Foam 125ml (£17).

This cleanser was a product I knew I wanted to purchase that day. As previously mentioned I use the Mild Liquid Facial Soap by Clinique and find that it works for me, but recently my blemishes have been a bit out of control so I wanted to get something more targeted. I'd heard good things about the Anti Blemish Solutions range and while I'm worried it will be drying, at this point I'm willing to try! It's also a foaming cleanser which will be different too because I'm more used to a thick, luxurious cleanser. I have high hopes for this product and will do a review at some point.

Mild Liquid Facial Soap 30ml (£2.40), Clarifying Lotion Type 2 30ml (£2.48), Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion+ 30ml (£7.20), Take the Day Off Makeup Remover for Lids, Lashes and Lips 30ml (£4).

This was all part of the additional gift. I'm a total sucker for travel sizes; I have a whole box of them in my room and seeing as this is all the products I use anyway I was very pleased. I especially like the moisturiser, which I'm always a bit reluctant to buy because I'm cheap! The make up remover works like a dream and I like the liquid form of exfoliator, like Clarifying Lotion, as they're easy to integrate into your daily routine.

Clinique Smart Custom Repair Serum 10ml (£11), Even Better Foundation sample 1.5ml (£1.22), Clinique Smart Serum Sample 1.5 ml (£1.65), Clinique Calyx Perfume sample 15 ml (£10)

These were the last little "freebies" I got. The thing I'm most excited about is the Serum! The reviews for this are mostly out of this world. As soon as my skin is more hydrated I will be slapping this on with gusto! Perfume samples are always good, Calyx is quite a summer scent in my opinion, very fresh and fruity. I'll probably take it on holiday with me or wear it at the weekend in the spring, and it's a good sized sample so it'll last a little while. Foundation samples are always nice, providing it's the right (ish) colour, and this is supposedly a very good foundation. I like Clinique foundations as a whole so I'm looking forward to trying this!

All in, I spent £52 and got £140.48 worth of products; I saw some cool demonstrations and got some first hand advice! A couple of hours well spent :) Let me know what you think <3                                                                 

7. September Favourites 2014

September favourites

September always feels like a fresh start  to me; summer is winding down and it’s back to work and school. I know some people don’t like that feeling, but I love the idea of getting a new start. Plus,  you get to tell people all your stories and memories of summer. We’ve been really lucky this year and had a fabulous September which gradually got colder as we got closer to October, the trees began to turn and get altogether more wintery!

I have quite a few favourites from September so I‘ll start with the beauty and skincare:

Dermalogica PreCleanse

As the weather gets colder, it becomes much more difficult (and important!) to prevent dry skin. Cleansers and other products that are fine in summer will no longer do the same jobs. Dermalogica PreCleanse is a miracle product. It’s an oil which smells beautiful and a bit herbal, as applied to the face it latches onto the excess oil in your skin and when you rinse away it smoothly removes any excess grease, oil, dirt and make-up. This product is used in addition to a normal cleanser so not for those who like a simple 1 step routine, but it is a luxury item and definitely worth the investment. It never dries out my skin and improves my spots no end!

Clinique face wash – very mild and mild

This is one of the only face washes that actually does anything to improve my skin. Within a week of using it my pores are closed up, my spots are clearing and the tone of my skin is improved. It helps to control the oil content of my skin which means my make up stays in place longer and I don’t get as many blackheads. I love the Clinique packaging – green is one of my favourite colours – and this face wash foams up really well. I like a product that looks and feel s like it is doing something . I know people have said they find some Cliniqe products quite drying which is why I’ve included the extra mild version too.

Avene Thermal Water Spray

Recently I have been really loving French pharmacy brands and Avene is definitely my favourite. For a start I love the price and the simplicity. I go to Avene for really good hydrating products. At first I was pretty sceptical about this water. You just spray it on your face and I wondered how much difference that could actually do. It turns out – quite a lot. I use this after I’ve cleansed and once I’ve patted it into my skin, my face feels lovely and smooth. It boosts the performance of my moisturiser and makes my skin look fresher.

Elizabeth Arden Eight hour cream

This is another colder weather must have. An Elizabeth Arden staple, Eight hour cream comes in all sorts of forms. I am a big fan of the lip balm version and the original. I often suffer from very dry and slightly scaly skin under my eyes and after using this for 48 hours it is all cleared up and healed. The consistency is thick and luxurious feeling to me. The lip balm is lovely for me as my lips are a sensitive area for me again. I love the Elizabeth Arden brand and the packaging is classic.

No7 Bronzer

I really miss my summer tan – I'm definitely a bronzing girl. This bronzer has two halves – the darker matte side and the highlighter. I never buy bronzers with shimmer or glitter in because I really don’t like the look and I don’t find them suitable for day wear. This one did not disappoint and most definitely needs a light hand to apply it. I've had to blend it out and start over a few times! The highlighter side will add any shimmer should you want to use it and if you use them both together you get a lovely healthy glow. I use a contour brush for a concentrated area of extra colour or a larger powder or face brush to get an all over glow. The pigment of this product is excellent and I hope it will last a long time. I like the No7 packaging too and have not been disappointed with their make up yet.

A messy bun

Recently I have started college and I have to have my hair in a doughnut/ ballerina bun. So I have been playing with the hair style and become a huge fan of having a messy bun. I find this is a great hairstyle if you haven't had time to wash your hair or if you can’t really be bothered to do much else with it. Doing a proper ballerina bun takes a lot of product on my hair so I don’t like to then wash it every night as my hair starts to dry out – therefore a messy bun is perfect! I like to make the bun low or high and all my layers add to the messiness!

Cupcakes

In the towns near me there seems to be a food fair on every weekend! I love going and sampling all the little treats and I’m such a sucker for beautiful cup cakes. They’re such a treat! I manage to make 4 last a whole week sometimes if I’m really good. I especially like the ones that are themed around different biscuits or chocolate bars.

Stabilo Fine Liners

Going to college meant I got to do one of my favourite things – stationery shopping. I loooooove stationery, in fact I probably didn't need any more of these pens. Stabilo make some of the best pens ever and the best thing about these ones is the colour. There are literally – loads! This means you can make your work beautiful and colourful which I think aids  revision when you have to do it (ugh!) I buy them online or when I am in Europe which is cheaper than getting them here in the UK where they are way more pricey!

Let me know what you've been loving and get ready for autumn with me!

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6. My Benefit Experience

I have read, heard and seen a lot about Benefit. Their products stand out both in name and in packaging making them quirky and memorable. Several of my friends prize their products and name them 'favourites'. My knowledge of Benefit before I visit their counter in my local department store was tiny - I had tiny samples of 'HighBeam' and 'SunBeam' - and that was all!

So I went in and asked if I could try some of the products, the lady sat me down and started to show me things. I asked for very easy products that I could just use in the day.

To begin with she used 'Remove It Makeup Remover' and didn't irritate my skin. I wasn't wearing any makeup so I have no idea how effective it actually is! I usually just remove my makeup by washing my face and using a face wipe because I don't tend to use items that are hard to get off like waterproof mascara.

Next she used a moisturiser 'Total Moisture Facial Cream' the lady was keen to tell me that Benefit make all their products with sensitive skin in mind which is a total bonus for me! This cream felt and smelt lovely, it definitely moisturised my skin and I wasn't left with any areas feeling tight. Reviews say that in time it does help to revive skin so I may add it to my skincare regime at some point. The only may it could possibly be better is if it had an SPF.

The last product from Benefits skin care range was the 'It's Potent! Eye Cream'. Straight away I loved this product. It is designed to reduce dark circles under eyes which I suffer from even when I sleep 8 hours. The difference was seen pretty quickly right there and then in the shop. I was able to compare as she did one side of my face first and then let me compare. The scent of this cream is gentle and it felt luxurious on my face.

Next was the makeup. Benefit make a lot of makeup! Luckily the lady gave me a leaflet telling me what I had on my face so I didn't have to remember it all!

The first product she used was the one I was most desperate to see. 'The POREfessional' Benefits pore shrinking wonder product. I love primers and I love things that make my pores vanish so I thought this would be great. It is just for use on areas that you are concerned about the size of pores. I didn't actually see such a huge difference, I think I would like to take a sample home and try it myself before considering adding it to my makeup box.

Alongside 'The POREfessional' the lady used 'Stay Flawless' which is a primer for the whole face. This product is in a stick which you apply to the face using circular moments. As soon as it was on my skin it felt sticky and like it was clogging up my skin. It boasts about lasting for 15 hours and I can see why; I wasn't impressed at all.

After all that priming we moved onto concealers. Firstly 'FakeUp' which is designed for the eyes. I am often loathe to putting things right under my eyes because often the product gets stuck in the creases of your face and then you end up with lines under your eyes. This concealer avoided that issue very well and didn't feel too heavy. 

The second concealer was 'Boi-ing' and since looking at the description on the website as 'industrial strength' several things become clear. On top of the 'Stay Flawless' this definitely felt like too many skin suffocating products.

The liquid foundation was 'Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow' in the Champagne shade. Finally a product with some SPF! This is also oil free so it shouldn't make skin worse, it is also brightening. I liked the feel of this foundation to begin with, however in the end it is just not matte enough for me. By half way through the day my face was shiny and I was having to blot it. This may have been due to the masses of primer and concealer, but this foundation won't be making it into my makeup box anytime soon.

On my cheeks went 'Dandelion Face Brightening Powder'. I loved this blusher it was a good colour for me and I really liked the box. Pretty standard blusher really. It has good wearing time it was clearly still there on my cheekbones a good ten hours later.

And last but by no means least 'They're Real Mascara'. Everyone has heard about this mascara. It made my lashes look amazing! I think as soon as my other mascara runs out I will be hot footing to buy this. Only downside in my opinion is that it is waterproof and does take some removing, but I'm pretty sure I can cope to have lashes as full and long as produced with this. Definitely worth going to the Benefit counter just to have this put on!

So all in all, not as blown away by these products as I thought I might be. I was definitely more impressed by the skincare products than the makeup. Here is what it all looked like after a day at work plus dinner with friends. Apologies for the quality - good old iPhone pictures

  

5. Summer Times - June GlossyBox

I am nearing the end of my GB subscription and in my opinion the boxes have been really up and down. I've come across a few products that have really struck me as outstanding and have changed my beauty must have list!

So the June theme was Summer Looks. I like this theme because I hate putting too much on my face in the heat so I was looking forward to some really good summer products.

My favourite is the Monu Professional Skincare Hydrating Moisturiser with SPF 15. First thing - big tick for the SPF which is always a bonus and goes a long way to protecting your skin. It's got a very gentle fragrance and a nice consistency that absorbs quickly. It says hydrating and doesn't leave my skin greasy or sticky too touch; it also doesn't make me oily during the day. The packaging is cute and understated. At 50ml for £29.95 it isn't cheap, but I believe in investing in the good skin care if you need it. My 30ml is worth £17.97 and I will be using it all!

Secondly the Figs & Rouge Coco Rose Lip Balm. I've got about 50 lip balms and I can't ever remember finishing one; but I do love to keep my lips soft so I was pleased to see this full sized product. It's a cool pink sparkly colour which is a nice addition to a standard lip balm, it's lovely and natural (yay for no chemicals) and it smells great. I'm not a fan of rose scented things, but this I found quite nice. You can squeeze it right out the pretty tub onto your lips! This lipbalm is 12.5 ml and costs £5.

The final product from the box that I have be using is the Q Body Spray. This is a nice, cheap, adult fragrance - the full 100ml only costs £2.29. Once you have grown out of the Impulse fragrance range this is definitely the next option. It looks a bit vintagey which I love and it's a versatile fragrance that I would be happy to wear day or night!

So, the products I won't be using. Paul MItchell Curls Leave in Treatment (15ml sample worth £1.12) and Ultimate Wave (15 ml samples worth £1.20). I don't have curly hair so I'm not going to bother. I will be giving them to my very curly headed best friend. However I have a lot of faith in Paul Mitchell's products and I'm sure they will work for her.

And finally the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse OR. I hate fussy products and to me this product is very fussy. Another one of many multi taskers it is all gold and shimmery. After a while of standing still it separates and looks less appetisitng. I don't like glitter in my beauty products I can't imagine what benefits it has at all so this will not be used. However if you do like a product that does many things at once and don't mind a bit of fuss, this does smell good and seems to contain some good oils and Vitamin E. At 10 ml this sample is worth £3.40.

I will certainly be thinking about repurchasing some of the products in this GlossyBox because I really like them and/or they're targeted at concerns I have! GlossyBox definitely fulfilling its purpose with those and we can't really expect a box of 5 dream products can we?! :) x