Boots Botanics Skin Care Review

Hello my lovelies! 

It's that time again, time for me to sit down and write about some products I don't really need, but really really want in my life.

Today I've got a cheeky (yet informative..I hope) product review of Boots Botanics skin care range. Admittedly I had never heard of this range until I wandered into Boots on my lunch break on the hunt for some new skin care products because my current stash is running out and I'm not too sure whether it actually makes a difference to my skin or not. So anyway, after parading up and down the isles for something that wasn't going to break the bank, one of the sales assistants guided me towards the Botanics section. Immediately I noticed that everything was half price which was bloomin' marvelous, but that there are a few different ranges within the brand for different skin types/product outcomes. 

I stood staring at it all for ages they probably thought I was going to steal something. Which I wasn't, I'll just make that clear. And finally decided on the below products.  

From left to right: Ionic Clay Mask from the Shine Away range, Gentle Cleansing Cream and Cleansing Toner from the All Bright range.

The first thing I picked up was the Ionic Clay Mask which is designed to absorb excess oil and cleanse the skin. I use this weekly and leave it on for 10 minutes and then wash it off with a damp cloth.
The back of the bottle says that 'the oceanic clay exhibits a negative  electrical charge, which helps to draw out deep-rooted impurities without overdrying' now I can't say whether there's an electrical charge because I wouldn't know how to tell, but I do know that once I've used it my skin feels really fresh and looks much healthier.
I think I picked this up for £3 something during the half price offer, so it would be between £7-8 normally. Which I would say is worth it because I have really noticed a difference to my skin. 

                                       

The next thing that caught my eye was this. The Gentle Cleansing Cream from the All Bright range. This is designed to remove makeup, remove oil and other impurities. I tend to take off my makeup before I use this because I like to make sure as much of the product gets to my skin as possible, instead of using it to remove makeup.
I usually like to use a new beauty item for a month to allow me to get used to the product, the product to get used to my skin and to decide for sure whether I like it or not. BUT, I've been using this little beauty twice every day and my skin looks and feels the healthiest it has in a long time. It's never brought my skin out and right from the first day of using it I noticed a positive difference. Combined with daily use of the Cleansing Toner which I use straight after the Cleansing Cream, my blemishes and redness has reduced dramatically, and I am finding that if a spot does appear, it will be gone the next day because of these products.

In the mornings, after I have washed my face, I sweep the Cleansing Cream over my face and neck using a cotton wall ball, and then use another cotton ball and wipe the Cleansing Toner over my whole face. I then apply my moisturiser followed by my makeup. At the end of the day, I remove my makeup, wash my face and apply both products before bed. I tend to use the face mask on Wednesdays as a mid week refreshment for my face.   

Let me know if you have used any of the Botanics range and if you recommend any! I hope that you have found this post useful and let me know also if you'd like more reviews.

Have a nice week!

Byeee x

Back to school makeup look

Happy New Year everyone!! I hope your 2013's were full of love and laughter and 2014 brings you lots more. 

I thought today I'd do a back to school/work makeup look as I know most people will be going back to either school or work in the next couple of days after being off for Christmas. I've tried to keep it very neutral as many schools have a no makeup policy. I know my school did but I still managed to get away with ALOT of make up every day. I think they just got bored of trying to tell us all not to wear so much and having to buy wipes to make us wipe it off! 

Just a quick side note though: The longer you put off wearing makeup the better! I stated really young just because I thought it was cool and regret it because I get bad break outs. Also, if you've got lovely, beautiful skin, don't cover it up! I wish my skin was clear, I'd never wear foundation again!

But anyway, moving on...

 This just looks frightening! 

 Put all together like this, it looks like a lot. Maybe it is...

First up I always apply my moisturiser. At the moment I'm using T-Zone's Daily Skin Clearing Face Moisturiser. This stuff is the bee's knees! If I'm being completely honest.. this is the only moisturiser I've ever used but I find it works for me so I haven't felt the need to move on yet. I get quite bad breakouts, especially around the corner of my mouth and forehead (beautiful image for you there) and this seems to calm them down and also now I find if I don't put it on, by then end of the day my face is covered in spots so it obviously does do something right!






Next is of course the wonderful Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. This is an all round brilliant concealer. I'm quite lazy so I can't be dealing with concealers that are only for your dark circles or just to cover blemishes. This bad boy does the lot and it does it amazingly. It has awesome coverage, and stays on my face all day. I haven't ever had to reapply because my dark circles are showing through or my blemishes are sneaking through. If you haven't tried this then I'd definitely recommend, especially as it's under £5!

These next to products I am obsessed with. Firstly, Real Techniques Expert Face Brush is the best brush (in my opinion) for applying liquid foundation. I always achieve a flawless, natural finish no matter what liquid foundation I use. As you can see it needs a bit of a clean, but even though it's a little dirty, it still does its job brilliantly. I think it was around £8/£9 so it's definitely worth the money. Rimmel's Stay Matte foundation is another product worth buying. It does what it says on the tin, it keeps my skin matte, which is the way I like my makeup as my forehead and sides of my nose get a little oily which isn't the most attractive thing ever..
I applied the foundation starting in the center of my face and gradually blending outwards and down onto my neck to achieve a natural finish.

I then used Rimmel's Stay Matte powder in Peach Glow 003 and applied it firstly to the areas which are most likely to get a bit oily and then used the rest of the product left on the brush over the rest of my face to make sure my makeup is set for the day!

If you haven't tried this product then I strongly recommend as it really does keep your makeup matte and I find with this powder I don't need to touch up my make up throughout the day.

Next on the agenda is bronzer. I've used Benefit's Hoola for this look as it is completely matte and has no flecks of shimmer which is perfect for a natural back to school look.

I applied it lightly to my temples, and to the hollows of my cheeks using this unbranded brush (mental note to self: get more brushes!) and ensuring to blend, blend, blend so there aren't any browny orange patches left on my face...

The next product I used is W7's cream blush in Divine. This is a really nice cream blush and admittedly does look a bit scary in this picture but when applied to your cheeks is gives a really healthy, flush of colour. I also used this other unbranded brush to blend the blush across my cheeks so I wasn't left with a line where the blush ends and my skin begins

This next step really isn't necessary, but I couldn't help myself!
For a touch of highlight I used MAC's Mineralize Skin Finish in Lightscapade and applied it with my Blush brush from The Body Shop along the tops of my cheekbones, down my nose and then used my ring finger to add a little under my brown bone.

Because I feel the need to always have something on my lips, I thought that the best product, in my opinion, would be Maybelline's Babylips in Hydrate. This is one of the uncoloured balms, but it still leaves a nice slight shine to the lips. Also, if you suffer from dry or chapped lips then I do recommend this as it does leave my lips feeling much more hydrated and softer.

For eyeshadow I used this cute little set from bourjois which the name escapes me. Firstly , sing my No.7 eyeshadow brush I applied the peach shade all over my lids. Then, using the same brush, naughty I know, I applied the gorgeous dark green colour to the outer corner and blended like mad just to add a bit of definition to my eyes. 

I then moved on to brows which I used a Brow Pencil from Rimmel and applied it lightly throughout my brows just to fill in any sparse areas. I then used the little brush on the lid to neaten them up.

For eyeliner I opten for Rimmel's Scandaleyes eyeliner in black. I do tend to use liquid liner on my top lid but this gives a more natural look and can be blended out so there isn't such a harsh line. I applied a very thin line across my top lid just to add a bit more definition.

Finally, for mascara I used Rimmel's Sexy Curves, which is one of my favourite mascaras EVER! Because of the unique shape of the wand it creates different lenghts to your lashes which is a much more natural look. It also allows me to reach the very corner lashes and flicks out my outer corner lashes which is just really pretty!

Thank you for checking out my blog and for having a little read of my first makeup look post. I hope you enjoyed it and I will be putting more out in the future if you'd like to see them. 

Have an amazing week and I hope your new years are off the a great start!

Byeee ! x

What 2014 Brings

Saying goodbye to 2013 was very emotional for me as it has been a horrible year. A lot happened to the point where I couldn't see a way out. BUT, I did something about it, and I will make sure that 2014 is a happier and more successful year.

Already on the cards is a new job which I start very soon, and eventually I will be able to move out into my own space. I can't wait to have a bedroom I love full of my own things and be able to shut the door and be in my own little bubble.

Even though the majority of my friends have gone off to University, 2014 will still see us all together, and I'll be going to visit as many of them as I can which I cannot wait for! I was lucky enough to bring in the New Year last night with some of my friends and it was amazing. Although I'm definitely paying for it today with a big headache!

This year will also see me growing more as a blogger, I hope to improve on my photography and be able to show more of my personality and my life through my posts. I have a few posts lined up which hopefully you'll all like!

And of course, my New Year's resolution: Eat better, feel better. After having such a rubbish year last year, I am going to get myself on track and do the things that make me happy, one of which is eating better. I always fall into bad habits, especially around Christmas! But for once, I am actually going to stick to my plan and become a healthier person.

Let me know about your 2013 experiences and your plans for this year in the comments. I'd love to hear!

I'll speak to you all soon.

Byee!

What I got for Christmas 2013

Hi everyone!

I feel like I haven't spoken to you for a while, but the last couple of weeks have been absolutely jam packed as I'm sure it has been for you too with Christmas shopping, wrapping, seeing friends and family and decorating the house.
I 've been umming and arring about whether to do this post as I know some people perceive it as bragging, however, posts like this are some of my favourites to read as well as to watch on YouTube so I'm hoping that the people who are just as nosy as I am and interested in different peoples gifts are reading this and if you really aren't interested or disagree with this kind of post that you please don't leave any negative comments and leave this page.

Usually I ask for money, as I can never make up my mind on what to ask for! This year was no different, but I was lucky enough to open a few extra goodies this year. I was given a mixture of cosmetics, stationary, bath things, shoes and of course a stash of chocolate!

As I'm sure you can tell from the name of my blog, I do like my beauty products. And a couple of my friends bought me some of my favourite bits and pieces to add to my collection.

I received two Barry M nail paints, one called Blueberry from the gelly line and the other I'm not sure of the name but it's a nice deep pink. Sticking with the nail vanish theme I also got an OPI set in the secret Santa with my brothers and sisters. 

I also got another colour from Rimmel's Kate collection in 05 which is a nice summery pink with a touch of coral.

The last couple of cosmetics I was given were a scandaleyes pencil eyeliner in black which is amazing and stays on the water line for ages! And finally I got a Sleek blush in Pomegranate, which is a dark pinky/red, it gives me the perfect slightly flushed look as if I have just been outside in the cold. Perfect for the cold weather! 

Also in the secret Santa I got the best Bed Head shampoo and conditioner (in my opinion) I love everything about it, the colour of the packaging, the easy to use pump, the smell which reminds me of sweets but also a bit of a citrus smells too.
The last bath/shower related product I got is The Body Shop's Strawberry shower cream which smells gorgeous and I've used it every day since Christmas, I'll definitely be repurchasing!

Moving on from beauty gifts to another slight obsession. Stationary. 

Whenever I walk past notepads, pens, folders, dividers, paper and all those glorious things, I can't help but get something or just stand and stare at all the pretty things. So when I opened these two lovely journals I was absolutely chuffed! The dragonfly one will be where I jot down blog post ideas, things I want to try out and review and things I want to buy.. which I'm sure will be a lot! The white note pad will be where I write down feelings, thoughts sort of as a little diary. 

I love getting shoes for Christmas, and when I opened these I was so happy because I had mentioned a long time before Christmas that I really needed a decent pair of boots and didn't think anything of it, but now I finally own some nice proper boots! They are from New Look and I think around the £35 mark. 

What Christmas is not complete without some socks and a stash of yummy chocolate treats! I look forward to tucking into those!

My amazing friend has not only bought  me the One Direction film, but also bought me a ticket to go see them live in the summer!! I have never been so excited, and I'm so lucky to have such a brilliant friend. I'm a total fan girl, and I love it! I also got the One Direction Midnight Memories album but it's in my car and it's too cold to move from my bed... sorry!

And lastly, as well as a couple of things I don't want to share on the internet, my Mum wrapped up a nice Lush package full of some of my absolute favourites as well as some new ones to try. She bought me a Golden Wonder (my no.1), a Sex Bomb, a Father Christmas, a Snowman which are all bath ballistics, she also got me Amandopondo which is a bubble bar and Rock Star soap. I can't wait to try these all out and let you all know what they were like. 

I hope you've all enjoyed the holidays and have spent some treasured time with your families and friends and got a couple of goodies too!

I'll speak to you all soon, byee! 

Luxury Lush Pud Review

It's not every day that I feel the need to whip out the camera to take pictures of my bath water, but today it was necessary.  

I fancied trying out Lush's Luxury Lush Pud bath ballistic because I couldn't resist the smell any longer, it's smells exactly like gingerbread men, nice and festive for this time of year. 

It's a funky twist on a Christmas pudding. It's main body is purple with a white top and covers in different coloured spots.

Once I put it in the water, it fizzed and started spewing out a glorious purple and as the different coloured spots hit the water, they then changed the colour of the water too and spiraled together. Ooo it was lovely! I didn't want to actually get in the bath because I knew I'd ruin it!

Once I got in, the smell surrounded me and it just smelt amazing, it made me a bit nostalgic and brought back memories of my childhood... I used to eat a lot of gingerbread men. It's got to be one of my favourite smells ever and I will definilty be stocking up on these bad boys because they're only around for Christmas :(

I hoped you all enjoyed my little review of Lush's Luxury Lush Pud bath ballistic and I really recommend you give this anti yourself if you love the smell of gingerbread men as much as I do!

Have a lovely week! 

Byeee!

Sneaky Little Mac Haul

Finally I have got myself a couple of things from Mac. It has been a long time coming and I've finally got there. At last! I have been umming and arring over what to get because I have read such amazing reviews on loads of different products, but it boiled down to either a Lipstick or a Mineralize Skin Finish...so I got both.. oops.

Firstly I wanted to talk about the actual shopping experience. I didn't go into a Mac store, but as I was in Kent visiting my best friend at Uni, we figured hey why not go shopping. So we headed to Fenwicks which is a department store full of cosmetic brands and I spotted the Mac store and that was it, we were done for. The girls that worked in the Mac section were so helpful and seemed to genuinely know what they were talking about instead of just trying to offload as many products onto me as possible. 

I stood by the lipstick stand for ages because I couldn't decide between all the beautiful shades. 

Finally I decided on Russian Red, which is a blue toned red. I figured I should go for one that I would wear constantly for my first ever Mac lipstick. I then spotted to Mineralize Skin Finishes and originally wanted to get Soft and Gentle, but they were out of stock so one of the assistants offered to put a little of Lightscapade on me to see if I liked it and I bought it straight away. Its so beautiful and I would personally use it for a highlighter and leaves my skin with such a nice finish and really does highlight my cheek bones. 

Its a gorgeous classic red and is from the Matte range as I prefer matte lipsticks at this time of year, especially for red shades. It also smells really nice too, it's quite a sweet smell. I know the smell isn't always something people look for in a lippy, but it definitely gave it brownie points for me!

I then spotted to Mineralize Skin Finishes and originally wanted to get Soft and Gentle, but they were out of stock so one of the assistants offered to put a little of Lightscapade on me to see if I liked it and I bought it straight away. Its so beautiful and I would personally use it for a highlighter and leaves my skin with such a nice finish and really does highlight my cheek bones.

It has such a nice shine to it and has tiny veining of blue and other shimmery colours like silver and gold. Don't worry though, you don't get patches of blue on your face! The product on its own just in the packaging looks stunning but this has quickly become one of my favourite make up essentials in my make up bag. I really feel that it makes my face look more radiant and awake. I use it along the tops of my cheek bones, but also down the center of my nose, on my brow bone and a little on my cupids bow as I have quite thin lips so highlighting it makes them pop more. 

If your in any doubt about whether Mac is worth the money, then I would definitely recommend giving it a try. It took me a while to buy anything because I was a bit hesitant, but I'm really happy with what I got. 

I hope this has helped any of you who are thinking about buying something from Mac, or wanted to see what I thought about my new amazing products. 

Have a lovely weekend, and I'll talk to you all soon.

Byeee!

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Christmas Lush Haul

Hi everyone! I hope your weeks have been full of Festive fun and your not too stressed from the madness that is Christmas shopping. I'm only half way through mine and I've had enough!

I thought I'd do a nice Lush Haul for you all today, full of bright colours and promises of a better bath time. 

            

The first thing I picked up which is the whole reason I went into Lush in the first place, is the Santa's Lip Scrub. Not only is this Cola flavoured, it leaves my lips so soft and fresh feeling which is perfect because in the colder months my lips get quite dry and chapped. It's so easy to use, you just get a little bit on your finger and rub it into your lips and once you feel you've done it enough, just lick it off. Yum!

 The next thing I bought is the Space Girl bath bomb which is a lilacy purple planet shape covered in red glitter. This smells gorgeous, to me it's a  mix of floral and lavender, which is ideal for before bed as lavender is meant to relax you.

 Now this excites me to no end! Look how pretty it is! They have made it to look like a typical Christmas pudding (but purple) and have added in spots of different colours all around it. I can only imagine what glorious colours it will turn my bath!

 This little cutie is the Melting Snowman Bath Melt. It has more of a spicy smell than other Lush products and just smells of Christmas. Apparently those are real little pieces of chocolate too! (please don't eat them though, I don't think it'd be too nice)

Moving on to my absolute favourite of all things Lush. This is the Golden Wonder Bath Ballistic. Its shaped like a wrapped present and is white covered in tiny gold glitter. The smell is unbelievably delicious, it's a sweet, citrusy smell and it turns your bath an array of lovely colours. But I don't want to spoil the surprise for you.

Finally, I picked up the Secret Santa Bath Ballistic. This is one of the more expensive ballistics that Lush do as it's around £5.75. but the lady that served me in the shop said to get my moneys worth I could split it in half to get two baths out of it and there is a little Santa inside that could be used for a third one.
 

It's so cute! I couldn't help myself when I saw it. I think I'm going to stock up!

 So there you go, a nice little look into what Lush has to offer this time of year. If your like me and love the Christmas scents, then I'd advise stocking up on your favourites because after January they will be gone until next year. 

Let me know what your favourite Lush products are and if you think there's anything I need to try. 

I hope you all have a lovely weekend and I'll speak to you soon.

Byeeeee :)