Best Cleansers and Exfoliators

I like my cleansers how I like my men; hardworking, powerful, and gentle. Euugh, that sentence made me cringe a little! Without further ado I present to you my absolute favourite cleansing products.

Eucerin DermatoCLEAN Cleansing Gel
This mild cleanser is perfect for sensitive skin and doesn't contain any of the nasties that can often leave your skin aggravated or blotchy. This is a really simple cleanser, which I tend to use first thing in the morning to wake me up and ensure my face is throughly cleansed.

Bioderma Sensibio H20 Make-up Removing Micelle Solution
This cleansing water is phenomenal. It gets rid of every trace of makeup and doesn't leave me with an angry, red face. To go back to the awkward man analogy, this cleanser is 'the one'.

Dermalogica Daily MicroExfoliant 
I use it at night to give me that really clean feeling. I live in London and my skin often feels a little grimy, and this powder formula exfoliator leaves my skin feeling brighter and fresher after just one minute. This is quite a pricey product but it lasts a REALLY long time.

Eucerin DermoPURIFYER
This scrub lives in my shower and is my go-to product for a quick yet powerful cleanse. The range is specifically formulated for blemish prone skin so I'll reach for it when I need a dose of super effective cleansing.

Let me know if you have sensitive skin, and can recommend any good brands I should try.

Eyeing up my Brows

I have threadbare eyebrows, and that's a fact I've come to terms with. I used to pluck them into a single line of hairs then sleek Vaseline over them. Interesting.  The 'before' picture on the left shows them in all their minimal wonder. I've tried lots of options to keep them in check, and found that threading inevitably leaves me with a monobrow of pimples and waxing mostly works like a dream. 

As we're saving for a house I've taken eyebrow maintenance into my own pluck-happy hands. I'd love to be more Cara Delevingne than Cruella de Vil so I've given my tweezers an early retirement and have cracked on with dying them myself and then filling them.

I dye them with a standard dark brown dye kit from Boots. I then fill them with a shadow like Mac's Omega or Urban Decay's Naked using my Sephora Brow Filler Brush. My new favourite brow product is Makeup Forever's Brow Seal as they keep my pesky little brows in place. I haven't quite reached the dizzy heights of Cara's brows but it's a start.

Have you had any brow nightmares you'd like to share or any product recommendations? I've heard lots of good things about Anastasia Brows but I'm not sure what to try first.

Luxury Beauty Haul

It’s pretty lovely to be spoilt every now and then, and as it was my birthday I was given a few special beauty bits. My friends and family tend to head to the beauty counters for my birthday presents as they know they can’t really go wrong there! I also tagged on some bits I bought for myself too. Happy watching...

Here are the products featured:

Guerlain Terracotta 4 Seasons

Laura Mercier Watercolour Mist Eye and Cheek

Neom Face, Body and Hair Oil

Silk Fibre Brow

Jo Malone Peony and Blush Suede

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer

Babyliss Wand

The Perfect Bronzer

I'm naturally quite pale and often get told I'm looking a little peaky. I'm also a big fan of wearing a high SPF on my face so I don't often exude a sun kissed glow. Over the years I've tried lots of bronzers to varying degrees of success. In my university days I piled on Benefit's Hoola bronzer to the point where I often looked like I needed a good wash. I probably did. I lived in a house with five other girls, and we shared a bathroom. Those were the days!

I've continued to experiment with bronzers and have found three firm favourites I'd like to share with you. I would absolutely recommend each and every one, and luckily there's an option for every budget.

Soap and Glory, Solar Powder £11

This little beauty has two shades so you can go for a subtle hint of colour or full on sun kissed splendour. This is the definitely the best affordable bronzer I've found. I don't love the packaging as it doesn't stay firmly closed and relies on a magnet to keep it shut. I managed to smash mine and as a result bronzed the contents of my makeup bag. However, the product is phenomenal so definitely check this bronzer out if you haven't already, it's a real winner. 

Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder- Medium £28.50  

I really fell for this bronzer because of its simple matte finish. That sounds a little dull doesn't it? But it's anything but dull as it'll warm up sallow skin in the sweep of a brush without making you look overly dolled up. This is great for the day if you aren't looking for any glitter or sparkle. I also use Bobbi Brown's Bronzer brush. 

Guerlain Teracotta 4 Seasons- 02 Sheer Blondes £48

Oh my gosh, I have just googled the price of this stuff to add it to this post as I was given this bronzer as a gift. Yes, it's very pricey but it is absolutely beautiful. The packaging is stunning and feels very premium, it even came with a fancy little pouch. Ooh la la! It has four different shades, which can be mixed to create your perfect colour. The latest formula also contains SPF 10 to keep your precious skin protected. Did I mention it also contains pure gold?! No, I'm not joking. A gold star for Guerlain.  

Because it's always important to be able to laugh at yourself, I've dug out a photo from my university days where I clearly didn't know when to stop applying bronzer. I've hopefully come a long way since then! 

Eyelash Extensions

I was a bridesmaid for my lovely future sister-in-law last weekend and thought it would be a perfect opportunity to give lash extensions a whirl. I went to a place in London to get them done, and in total they took an hour and fifteen minutes. I didn't have any issues with stinging, watering or getting my eyes glued together! I asked for a slightly fuller than natural look, and had synthetic lashes applied. The lady who did them was absolutely brilliant, and managed to get a single lash on each one of my own lashes. I had a fear they'd look super clumpy and unnatural but I was really pleased with the result.

I did, however, wake up in the middle of the night with my pesky fingers clamped on my lashes trying to pull them out! I woke up in the morning and they were all still in place! Phew. Having them meant I could just slick on some lip balm and, shove my hair up and still feel glam. Super easy! If I'm completely honest I have found them a little bit annoying, but I've never been a fan of things being near or on my eyes. I failed miserably at being a contact lens wearer. Scratchy little pests! Anyway, I still have these lashes on two weeks later and I've had very few fall out despite a real desire to pull them out myself! Lash-tastic...

Has anyone else tried lash extensions? How did you get on? How have you found silk vs. synthetic?

Pop and Glow

I've been using a fantastic new cream blush, and I'd love to share with you. I've always been a big fan of cream blushes as they last so much longer on me, and I love the dewy finish they give. To keep it lasting even longer I sometimes dust a little powder blush over the top. You can't go wrong with layering up!

I've just come back from a hen weekend and my blush stayed put through lots of silly dancing in the early hours! The Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Pale Pink has always been a firm favourite but I've recently discovered a contender for the crown. No7's new Pop and Glow Cream Blush is a little beauty. I love the bright, fresh pop of colour it gives. You can sweep a small amount on your cheeks for a subtle look or layer it up to build the colour.

I also picked up the Instant Radiance Bronzing Highlighter, which is in the same cute, and convenient packaging. It's not too glittery and gives a subtle golden glow. Hopefully these two little wonders will keep my skin looking dewy and bright through the remaining winter months.

Are there any other cream blushes I should try?

January Favourites

Here is a run through of the things I have loved in January. It's a real mix this month!

Products mentioned...

Macadamia Deep Hair Masque

Lee Stafford Comb

Uniq Coconut Spray

Spatone Iron

Under Armour head band

YogaMad grip dot towel

John Lewis Vase

Ikea Jars

Talking Tables Range

Natural Sun Care

OK, I know it's January and it's absolutely freezing in England so this post is probably not best placed. But I do know that some lucky people might head off to get some winter sun, and as SPF is important all year round here we go...

I did some Yoga training in the beautiful Bali last November. As Bali is close to the equator it was absolutely boiling and the sun was much stronger than I was used to. I've started to gravitate towards more natural and organic skincare and bodycare products of late. As the skin is the largest organ I didn't fancy slathering it with too many chemicals. Where possible I try to avoid products with SLS, and Parabens.

SPF

In Bali I used the Green People sun lotion with tan accelerator. I have been known to get heat rash on holidays. My teen holidays didn't tend to end with a holiday romance as I would progressively turn into an itchy, red mess! This SPF was so kind to my sensitive skin and I didn't break out once. I also used their amazing Hydrating After Sun. It had a fresh minty smell and the Aloe Vera certainly soothed my skin. I kept using this once I returned and since I've been back a few people have commented on how my tan has lasted.

Self-Tanning

I didn't go on a summer holiday last year so before I flew over to Bali I was decidedly pale. I fancied a bit of colour but wanted to stick with natural bodycare. After a bit of searching on the web I found that the Lavera Self-Tanning Lotion had some great reviews. I bought it. I love it. This lotion gives you a lovely light, natural glow, which can be built up with further applications. The only think I wasn't so enamoured with was the scent, but thankfully that didn't linger. I used this on both my face and body and was really pleased with the results. Happy travels.

Namaste...

The background for the product image is from Paperchase 

Face for New Year

Happy New Year! 

I hope 2015 is an awesome year and brings with it much love and happiness for you all. Last night we celebrated New Year at a friends house in London. We drank peach Bellini's, sung Auld Lang Syne, and ate far too many delicious canapes. Nom nom nom. I wore a black sparkly dress and went for a simple red lip.

Face 

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in Vanilla
Bare Minerals, Mineral Veil Original 
Blusher from Urban Decay Shattered Palette 
Soap and Glory Solar Powder Bronzer

Eyes 

Urban Decay Primer Potion Original 

Urban Decay Naked Palette 1  Colours used: Eyelids: Buck, Half Baked and Smog. Eyebrows: Naked

Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in black

Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner in Black 

MAC Eye Kohl in Powersurge Waterline only

MaxFactor MasterpieceMax Mascara in Black 

Lips 

Eve Lom Kiss Mix

Barry M Lip Liner in Red I used this over my whole lips 

Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch  Adds sheen 

We had to get a move on so I kept my hair very simple. I curled a few strands at the front with my straighteners. I then sprayed in some COLAB dry shampoo at the roots to add a bit of oomph to my freshly washed hair.  

Whatever you're up to, have a super day...

MaxFactor MasterpieceMax Mascara Review

This mascara is perfect. After a long day at work it doesn't leave me with huge panda eyes, and it lengthens and adds volume without looking super clumpy. I tend to wear two coats but if I want to add a bit of drama for the evening I'll pile more on.  Let's face it my nights out don't tend to involve much drama anymore, so it's great if I can get some from my mascara! 

I use this with my Shu Uemura eyelash curlers, and it holds a curl well. I always purchase this in black. Standard. Now for the creepy eye before-and-after shots...

Products I've Loved in 2014

I can't quite believe we're coming to the end of 2014. Here's a roundup of some products I'll be using on New Year's Eve and right through to 2015. 

Bioderma Sensibio H2O

I first heard about this cleanser through the talented Lisa Eldridge. I didn't order any for ages as I thought it would be a 'faff' to get it delivered from France. I finally got my hands on a bottle and loved how kind it was on my occasionally angry skin. This cleanser didn't feel drying yet managed to remove every trace of makeup. I've tried a variety of the imitation cleansing waters and they just don't match up. I tend to order two of the 500ml at once bottles to save on postage.  Très bien!

Gucci Flora - Gorgeous Gardenia 

This is a lovely girly fragrance, which my fiancé actually likes! As the name suggests it smells floral with fruity hints of red berries and pear. It's delicious, and will remain a firm favourite. 

MaxFactor MasterpieceMAX

I have always been a huge fan of MaxFactor mascaras. The wand on this mascara is perfect, and although the finish is a little clumpy I absolutely love the length it creates on my stumpy lashes. I'm going to put together a full-review post, and feature before-and-after shots so you can see the impact. 

Maybelline Baby Lips - Pink Punch 

I slick this on when I'm in a rush and want a pop of colour, and moisturised lips all in one. It smells lovely, contains SPF, and is a bit of a bargain. Should I give the other colours a go?I'm pleased as Pink Punch with this one.

Eve Lom Kiss Mix

This Eve Lom star was hanging on my Christmas tree this year. Yes, it's pricey and the pot is tiny (7ml) but it is a lovely indulgent balm, and does feel rather special. This lip treatment tingles on application and softens the driest of winter lips. It's a shame the Mistletoe has gone for this year...