NEW IN | Beauty Splurges

As a certified (kind of) beauty junkie, it's my job to spend copious amounts of money on make up and skincare I don't necessarily need, but most definitely want. On my lunch breaks, I tend to find myself wandering round either Boots, Superdrug or Space NK and well this week, I didn't leave empty handed. You might want to grab a cup of tea for this one, there's a lot to get through...

First stop, the drugstore. I initially went in looking for Bourjois' Colour Boost Lip Crayon in Plum Russian - I've yet to try it but after trying and loving Peach on the Beach, I have high hopes. Little Mix recently collaborated with Collection and Perrie's hue in particular caught my eye. It's more purple than I usually go for, but I've had nothing but compliments since wearing it (the beauty advisor in Space NK thought it was one from NARS - win). The formulation isn't the best, it can be quite drying without a lip balm underneath, but at £2.99 you can't grumble and the pigmentation is fantastic. 

Now, my skin has been like a hormonal teenager lately, especially my chin and whilst I was browsing the aisles of Boots I came across the Superfacialist Tea Flower Pore Purifying Clay Mask. I have heard good things about the range, so I decided to give it a try - the whole range is currently on offer in Boots too. I've used it once and on first impressions I was impressed. I will write a full post on it soon. When my skin is horrific, there is only one cleanser that really kicks it into gear and that's (can you guess what I'm about to say?) Liz Earle's Hot Cloth Cleanse and Polish. I've tried a lot of cleansers, both high end and low end but this one comes out on top every time. I decided to get the Limited Edition Christmas Starter Kit, which includes 2 muslin cloths and 150ml pump.

I shouldn't be allowed to walk into Space NK armed with a debit card because it's very difficult to walk out empty handed. I have been lusting after NARS Sheer Glow since the beginning of the year. I did the sensible thing and asked for a sample and after trying it, I loved it. The colour selection is fantastic, and I was surprised that my shade wasn't the lightest in the collection. My shade is Mont Blanc and I begrudgingly bought a pump for the foundation, as more often than not, I waste more foundation when I have to pour it. It was the last Mont Blanc and the last pump so it was fate, right? I then picked up a new Tangle Teezer because mine has seen better days - the bristles were bent and out of shape. On a seperate occasion, I picked up Giorgio Armani's Eyes to Kill Mascara in Selfridges after a make up artist recommended it to me at a PR event. I love it. It lengthens beautifully, adding the right amount of volume which can be built up. 

Now it's time to go hide that debit card of mine... Have you splurged on anything new lately? 

Skincare that Works #3 | Back to Basics

Since January my skin has been atrocious, in particular my chin, which has been up and down (quite literally) for four solid months.  I'm not sure what exactly has caused this, although I have an idea it might be something to do with university stress (my dissertation and FMP were due in the past four months), using and trying an array of products all at once or just my hormones being all over the place. Whatever the reason, my skin has really been getting me down.  As a result, I completely stripped back my skincare routine, beginning with products I knew my skin would tolerate before slowly introducing other products into the mix.

To start off, I swapped out a cleanser for my old and faithful Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish.  If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know that I (and so many others) have an ongoing love affair with this product, but my skin loves it and I knew I would be safe.  I then cut out my morning cleanse, changing it for a clean flannel and warm water, to wake my skin up, followed by a double cleanse in the evening.  I've found this to be a lot better for my skin, the double cleanse means my make up is completely wiped off in the evening.  Another cleanser I've been using a lot more recently, due to Liz Earle running low, is the infamous Emma Hardie Amazing Face.  I originally purchased this in January when everyone and their dog in the beauty blogosphere had discovered it, but it was around this time that my skin had gone berserk and I wasn't sure if it was products that were fuelling my breakouts or not, so it got thrown to the back of my stash.  I pulled it out mid-March, not wanting to waste the money I'd spent on it, to give it another go and to my surprise my skin has taken to it quite nicely (a full review is coming soon).  I use this in the same way as Liz Earle, using it only in the evenings with a muslin cloth. 

Once or twice a week I will follow a cleanse up by exfoliating my skin.  Another greatly loved product by myself is the Origins Modern Friction.  I usually exfoliate whilst in the shower, the product is quite abrasive but also has a creamy lotion too it so it's not extremely stripping on the skin and gets rid of the dead skin cells that have built up over the days.  My favourite part of the routine is my night cream, another product from Origins.  I have the oil-free High-Potency Night-A-Mins and it just feels wonderful on the skin.  It's got a gel like texture which is cooling on the skin and extremely moisturising - the formulation is somewhat comparable to the Drink Up Intensive mask by the brand, except it's lighter.  

So that's my current skincare routine, quite stripped back in terms of what I was using but it seems to be working (for now anyway).  Sometimes I will pop on a face mask (usually Out of Trouble, again by Origins) but I'm trying not to overload my skin at the moment.  

How do you banish those pesky breakouts?

Skincare that Works #1 | Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish 200ml - £24.00

Long before I became the beauty obsessed writer I am today, Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish had pride of place in my skincare routine.  You could say, this cleanser was the catalyst that started my infatuation with the world of beauty.  A cult product in both the beauty and blogging worlds, this cleanser has won countless awards, gained over 700 customer reviews on the Liz Earle site and not to mention the copious amount of blogging hype it has achieved.  I've been using this for the past two years and to my surprise, I've never given it the review it so rightly deserves. 

Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish is a two part system of cleansing, followed up by light exfoliation (or 'polishing') when used in conjunction with the muslin cloths.  It contains naturally active ingredients such as eucalyptus, rosemary and cocoa butter, which smell amazing together.  When I introduced this into my routine two years ago, my skin immediately took to it and began looking clearer and feeling smoother, as the product claims.  The cleanser is thick and creamy in consistency and feels moisturising and soothing on the skin, rather than stripping. It removes every trace of make up, including stubborn waterproof mascara and is suitable for both morning and evening cleansing.  The added bonus of using the muslin cloths means that your skin gets a deeper cleanse,  removing dirt, excess oil and dead skin cells.  

My skin loves this product and although I am forever trying different skincare products, looking to find the best for my skin, I always come back to this cleanser.  I know that when my skins having a tantrum that this product helps sooth spots, whilst also helping to stop further breakouts.  The Cleanse and Polish ranges in size from 15ml - 200ml with prices starting at £3.25 (for a 15ml tube and a muslin cloth).  I usually have a 100ml bottle in my stash, which lasts me around three months but I decided to go big and purchase the 200ml bottle as it comes in a squeezy tube, rather than the standard container.  

Do you love Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish?

New In: Skincare

What a day I have had! I needed to pop into town to get a few bits but also had a parcel being delivered so had to rush out before I missed it. Miraculously, I managed to get most things on my list and get in home about an hour before the delivery arrived! I haven't done a haul for a while and thought I'd show you some new (and old) skincare products I've picked up both online and in store.  

Earlier this week I finally caved and ordered myself a bottle of Bioderma (from this eBay seller). It's not  the easiest of things to get your hands on in the UK, but I ordered Monday afternoon and it was despatched straight away and arrived with the Postman this morning.  I find my eye make up is the trickiest to get off, so I'm excited to see if this is as good as the hype claims.  

Another online purchase was the Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentrate, which I picked up from love-makeup.co.uk.  This moisturiser has been hailed as most models favourite product and they always request is on shoots/catwalk events, so if it's good enough for a model, it's worth trying in my eyes! I ordered the 30ml which was the smallest size.  

I popped into Liz Earle whilst frantically running around town today, to pick up a back up of my favourite cleanser. It's the only cleanser I've found myself repurchasing time after time. It's a great everyday cleanser that removes make up with ease.  The lady who served me also gave me a complimentary Skin Tonic spritzer, which is so refreshing on the skin.  

Lately my skin has been all over the place, so I wanted a cleanser that targeted towards blemish prone skin. I picked up the REN Clearcalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser from Space NK after hearing good things from other bloggers.  I was pleasantly  surprised with how big the product is, as you get 150ml.  I'm looking forward to trying this out tonight and seeing if it helps my skin out.   

What have you been up to today?

Matte me up baby!

I have combination to oily skin and during the summer months it can be a right pain to deal with.  In February I purchased a Chanel Rouge Noir nail varnish and with it the seller sent me some skin care samples, which I thought was just lovely.  The samples included La Roche-Posay 'Effaclar M' moisturiser.  It regulates the sebo in your skin which helps mattefy the skin.  

The sample is 5ml and I have been using it for about 14 days now, which is pretty amazing considering that isn't much product.  I really like to wear a 'dewy' foundation when it gets warmer to give off a healthy glow and what i've noticed about this product is that it mattefies my extremely oily areas but leaves me with a 'healthy looking' base to put make up onto.  

It's available in most Boots stores retailing at £13.79 for 40ml, which thinking about it is quite cheap considering I still have some left in my 5ml tube (which I now have cut open to get the last bits out).  

I'm hoping I will get paid a bit more than I think (I really amuse myself) so that I could purchase this product on Friday, but right now I'm looking to buy the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish which I am so desperate to try!  

Have any of you tried this product, what do you think?