Jurlique - my first impressions.

Jurlique are a relatively new discovery for my in terms of skincare, as even though I had seen it on other blogs and wanted to try it, I had no idea where to start... who ever does in terms of skincare? With so many products on offer, I was overwhelmed, but the lovely people who run their Twitter offered to send me some products, and I practically leapt out of my seat, emphatically typing 'YES PLEASE'. Claire, the lovely lady who I was talking to via their Twitter sent me some wonderful items, and I was pretty speechless when I opened the packaging - I feel so lucky to get to try some of their highly recommend products. So, wanna read some of my first impressions? Let's crack on with them!

First comes first, is their Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum *(£45, here) and the immediate reaction was 'ohmygosh this smells so good' with the scent of rose and all natural goodness, I was impressed. It smoothes onto the skin so well and absorbs without leaving your face feeling oily or weighed down, plus, the packaging is divine. Then we have Herbal Recovery Antioxident Gel Mask *(£40, here) which sounds quite strange to me, as I'm all about my clay and moisture masks, but this was designed to add hydration to the skin, whilst brightening it up and reducing signs of ageing. I'm actually quite impressed with this - I won't say too much, but I don't think I've ever had a gel mask during my proper skincare years (since I was eighteen) so this is quite exciting - and once again, the smell is so floral and gorgeous. Continuing on with the gel theme is the Rose Moisture Plus Revitalising Gel-Lotion with Antioxidant Complex *(£32, here) which sounds like a rather loooong name, but there's a lot of goodness to get into the title, so why not? The texture is exactly like they say 'silky water-gel emulsion', it's so light on the skin, but moisturising, definitely looking forward to spending more time with this product.

Next up, is the product that I had heard most about, and it's the cult, Rosewater Balancing Mist *(£16.50, here) and to be honest, it was the product I was so excited to try, and Twitter conversations with other bloggers had be abuzz with excitement over this mist. With my combination/oily skin, I'm very excited to see if it gives me that kick of hydration, like my other sprays do... but this one is rose scented, so I'm very excited to get to know this product. It just picks you up and gives you a hit of hydration. What's not to love so far? We also have the Balancing Foaming Cleanser *(£27.50, here) and I was quite dubious about using anything that foamed, as a certain cleanser that I used when I was 20/21 ruined my skin, and I mean ruined. Brought out so much dry skin, eczema and acne on my face, I couldn't believe it - so this Jurlique Cleanser is going to go through some serious testing, and if my skin doesn't react well, that's going to be that. I did however, test it (nervously) and I think it's quite creamy, non-drying and left my skin feeling soft. This is going to be, perhaps, very harshly looked at - cleansers always scare me, so I'll be reporting back. But so far, so good. Last, but not least, is the Rose Silk Finishing Powder *(£24.50, here) and it's something that blew my mind. Fancy finishing powder. I'm usually a 'matte it down' with Soap & Glory kinda girl, but this, as well as obviously smelling amazing, actually worked at finishing off my makeup and reduce shine.

Everything from Jurlique smells like heaven. It's just so fresh, and it reminds me of walking through gardens and garden of fresh flowers, when everything is starting to bloom during springtime. They're gorgeous, and I cannot wait to give you full reviews of these. I'm so excited. I hope you are too.

Ren Skincare Bundle from M&S

My mum was the enabler in terms of this purchase, and I blame her everyday for it. Haha, no not really. This is actually an amazing skincare bundle from M&S, with two of their prized Hot Cloth Cleansers, Daily Supplement Moisturising Cream, a sample of their Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial and two muslin cloths. It's a pretty amazing deal, so when my mum showed me the advert in the paper, I immediately said 'omgosh yes' and popped online to order it. Costing just £30, for a a bundle worth £51, this package, which is still available from M&S (here) is pretty amazing. I had never tried any REN Skincare before; and I was initially so overwhelmed with the choices, I hesitated purchasing anything. So I kept my eye out on blogs whenever someone mentioned REN and lo and behold, when this became available, I jumped at the chance to try some products, as from what I'd read, their Hot Cloth Cleansers were an industry favourite, amongst professionals as well as bloggers.

I don't want to give too much away, as these products will pretty much be getting their own review posts, as you know, they deserve them. I'm especially feeling the love for the Hot Cloth Cleansers, as I've moved on from the same product from Sanctuary, which I adored so much; so this product, really impressing me, is something I so wanted, but was reluctant to talk about until I'd been using it for a good six weeks or so. I purchased this before my #beautystoptober, and have been using all the products, except the sachet for the Flash Rinse 1 Minute facial, over and over again - with the same skincare I always use, so my opinion is completely based on how my skin has reacted to them, with the introduction of the Hot Cloth Cleanser as the second step into my double cleanse routine, morning and night, as well as the Daily Supplement Moisturising Cream, which I've been interchanging with Embryolisse's Lait-Creme Concentre and Korres Wiold Rose Brightening Day Cream for Oily/Combination Skin. I like to switch moisturisers around, based on what my skin needs for the day ahead, or how it's behaving - and I'd like to say a quick little bit about how REN is holding its own against moisturisers that I've been using for a long time.

I cannot wait to get the full reviews up, and hear all your thoughts. Have you any favourite REN Skincare products that you'd recommend? Or any that you'd love to try?

My #beautystoptober Challenge

Hello there, lovely folks. Now, around this time of year, there's numerous adverts on tv for 'Stoptober' and 'Stay Sober for October', for smoking and alcohol, respectively. Now, I don't smoke, and nor do I drink that much, so giving up either of those for a month didn't seem like a great deal of effort, but I do however, have something I need to give up. I need to stop buying makeup and skincare. I am obsessed with it, to the point that I'm spending a good £150+ a month on it, which isn't something I can generally afford to do each month. Enter this idea. It popped into my head one day last week, and I made a snap decision to do it. No makeup or skincare purchases for the month of October. Quite a rash decision, but I'm determined to do it. For even more of an incentive, I've decided that everyday I go without buying makeup or skincare, I will donate money to Cancer Research UK. Not only will this give me that 'No, I can't buy this product, as that's less money to give to Cancer Research' feeling, but even if I only pop a £1 or £2 in a jar a day, it's money better spent; as not only does it allow me to prove to myself that I can go without buying products for myself, for a month, but also, that I don't need to keep up to date with new products to make my blog interesting.

I've got my Cancer Research UK form all ready for me to fill out at the end of the month, and I think it'll strengthen my resolve, so I don't spend anything on makeup/skincare, as to be honest, I have far too much of it anyway. I hate to admit it, but my Mum is right, I do have too much makeup (which I don't think is that bad for a beauty blogger... but, oh well). This will not only allow me to use up what I already have, but who doesn't like a good 'Shopping the stash' post? I certainly do, especially if there's a certain look that someone is trying to create. My hashtag #beautystoptober will be in use throughout the month of October, and will be featured on this blog at least once a week, just so you guys know how i'm coping. If I use a lot of sad, crying face emojis on Twitter, then the challenge is not going well. But money spent on me, is less money for Cancer Research, so I'm going to try my best. For the month of October, expect to see a few posts on the challenge, me shopping my stash, and talking about products that I've been trying out for the past few weeks or so. I'm really trying to be positive about this month, as I think, if I can go for the entire month of October not buying makeup or skincare, then I can do it in the future, should I need to save some serious money. I'll be thinking of my future tiny flat, and my future sausage dog for inspiration to get me through the month, as well as the money I put into my #beautystoptober jar, helping those fighting cancer. Actually, i'm ready for it now. Let's do it. C'mon October, I'm not afraid of you. 

March Monthly Favourites 2014

Yes, it's that wonderful time of month again, and surely I can't be the only one who loves to see what people are loving? I actually think that 'Monthly Favourites' spawn more purchases than day to day posts, as come on, someone is loving that item so much that it's in their favourites. And the items below, are what I have been loving.

First things first; skincare. I have developed this obsession with skincare over the past few months, and these are without a doubt, my products that tick all of the boxes. Una Brennan's Rose Hydrate Moisture Mask (on sale for £5.99 here) is amazing. It gives my skin that kick of moisture that it desperately needs twice a week, and I use this after my Una Brennan Pore Purifying Clay Mask (£5.99 also on sale here), I find the two work together very well. 

Two other related products are Sanctuary Spa's Polishing Hot Cloth Cleanser (£7.00 on sale here) and Una Brennan's Neroli Pre-cleanse Facial Oil (£9.99 here). Now these two little beauties, are my dream cleansing routine. You've got the fresh feeling pre-cleanse oil, which melts away all of my makeup and then the hot cloth cleanser, which is so creamy, it leaves my skin feeling soft, clean and ready for all of my night products. These are two products that I only use at night, therefore they do last for a long time. The pre-cleanse oil is such a winner, my mother has incorporated it into her night routine - proving that it can work for all skin types, as well as different aged skin. 

Then we've got two new additions to my skincare collection, and although they haven't been with me for the entire month, they have completely earned their places. First off, is Nuxe's Reve De Miel Lipbalm for Dry and Chapped Lips (here £9.50). Oh my god. I am in love. This is the best thing to happen to my dry lips since I discovered Korres' Lip Butters. This was a blogger favourite, and I knew it had to be added to my online shopping basket on Escentual, when they had their massive 1/3 Off French Pharmacy offer. Ugh. I love it so much, I regularly tweet Nuxe, expressing my love for it. Seriously. This is it for me and lip balms. Another French Pharmacy purchase, is Caudalie's Beauty Elixr (here for £10.90) which I spritz on my skin with after toning with my La Roche-Posay Serozinc spray. The smell is divine and it's said to boost radiance in the skin, which I totally agree with; I also give myself a quick spray whenever I need a 'pick-me-up' as it's just so damn refreshing. 

My last two little skincare bits, are my Trilogy Rosehip Oil and Soap & Glory's Hand Food, both of which have been saving me from having some seriously dry, scaly looking skin. The Trilogy Oil was a product which I loved so much as soon as I started using it, and my full review can be seen here. With my face sorted, my hands took a considerable hit with all the cold weather we've been having, and nothing has salvaged it like this hand cream. It's creamy, nourishing and you only need a small amount of product; this is something I slather on whenever my hands need a bit of love, and especially at night when I'm about to go to sleep. They say that your hands show your age, and although I'm still quite young, I intend to look after my hands so that they stay as young looking as my face (did I mention everyone thinks I look younger because of my face?)

Onto the makeup - and it's all that perfect look. The MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighter for that pearl, glimmering, 'i'm so healthy, just look at me' glow. Seventeen's Phwoarr Paint Concealer for that flawless base, which for me, includes quite a bit of concealing. Revlon's Lash Potion Mascara is a big love for me, and gives my lashes that plump, voluminous look whilst still holding that curl, and that's very difficult for me and my incredibly straight lashes. Next, we have Barbara Daly's Longwear Eyeshadow Stick in Shell and Sand (which can be purchased from Tesco here). I've always been a big fan of the quality of Barbara Daly's products, and I cannot resist having a snoop around whenever I pop into my local Tesco, and these little beauties happened to jump out at me - and the quality, as well as the staying power, is ridiculously good. These two are getting a review all on their own. So, watch this space. 

My two choice lip products have to be the Revlon Colourburst Matte Balms in Striking and Standout. Ugh. These lips products are amazing, but you know that already, right? Bloggers have gone crazy for these lip products and their matte finish, it's something dreams are made of. I used to think there was something terrifying about bright red lips, but now show me a bright matte red lip, and I'm there faster than you can say 'Oh, these smell minty' (which they do, fyi). I will obsess about these in a review I'll be posting in the next few days. I love them, but I'll talk more about why in their own post, where I can fawn and it not be a bit weird... it's not weird, is it?

So, these have been my monthly favourites, and I can safely say, yes, I would tell anyone to get any of these products, because I love them a ridiculous amount. If you're looking for something similar to one of these, and haven't been fully sold by my post, drop me an email, or a tweet (@ohkalukalay) and we'll chat all about it. What products have you been loving this month?

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

So, I've been using this little beauty for about two weeks now, after finally tracking it down in Asda, and after seeing loads of bloggers swoon over this little product. I take that back. It's not little at all -  it's actually 400ml of goodness and a brilliant size for all of your cleansing needs, whether it's removing makeup as a pre-cleanse or touching up your eye makeup or lips with a cotton bud; this is the product to go to. I like this product. I really do. It's for sensitive skin and doesn't irritate my eyes at all, which is brilliant, as who wants red, bloodshot eyes when you're just trying to go about your day to day life? Certainly not me. 

The cleansing water doesn't really have any discernible smell or look; so much so, it looks like a bottle of water. My mum actually thought that it was one of those fancy, artisan bottles of water. Ahhh, if only. I'd love a bottle of water to look like that. Anyway, the packaging is very sturdy, and you get a lot of product, far more than in the L'oreal offering, which is always a good thing by me. I do really like the L'oreal cleansing water as well, but this has so much more product for the money (unless they're both on offer, then it's more of a personal preference). For me, I have to give the edge to Garnier, as not only does it remove makeup very quickly and without fuss, it takes off all that eyeliner and mascara (although to remove waterproof mascara, you do need to hold in over the eye for a good 20 seconds). It just removes product seamlessly, and is a wonderful addition to the market of Micellar Cleansing Waters. 

It claims to soothe skin whilst it removes makeup, and I do partially agree with that, as although it's not overtly smoothing, it doesn't irritate my skin, which is oily/combination but still sensitive in places (ahhh the joys of facial skincare). I apply this to a cotton pad and run it all over the face, taking extra care around the eyes and the makeup on there. It usually takes me two or cotton pads to remove everything before I go onto the next step of my nightly skincare routine. I follow this with my pre-cleansing oil, then my hot cloth cleanser and then all those fun skincare bits (toner, serums, oil, moisturiser... that never ending list) and it's really working for me. Because it says that it's suitable for even sensitive skin, and I have been using it for the past two weeks or so, I would definitely recommend those looking for a good Micellar water, to give this a go. Especially as it's on offer in Tesco right now.

Is this something that you'd try? Are you a micellar water fan? xx

Clarins Daily Energizer Cream Review

I've taken to referring to this as a little pot of sunshine. My mum and cousin have both gone 'Ooooh' and promptly put it on their faces (to good reviews), and since i've had it, it's been putting a smile on my face each morning. It may be the smell, to me it's citrusy orange, but not too strong as to be overpowering. It's creamy and moisturising, leaving the skin feeling plump and fresh. It's been a brilliant day moisturiser for me, to add that moisture back into my skin after using two Effaclar products, morning and night (Duo + and K).

I stumbled upon this product at the Clarins Counter in Swansea after failing my theory test (sad time, I know) and I thought i'd buy myself something lovely to cheer myself up, and after chatting to the lady at the counter, I decided upon this moisturiser after she smeared it on my hand, and I fell in love with how soft it made the back of my hand feel. Since buying it, I realised that has been on quite a few blogs, and I'm even more impressed with my choice, as everyone seems to adore it. Yay. 

This cheery little product, as well as the miraculous sunshine (sunshiiiiiiiiiiine!) outside, complete with my new sunglasses (a cheeky little purchase from TKMaxx) and some daffodils, I've been in such a wonderful mood. My skin agrees with me, as not only is the sun giving me a good dose of Vitamin D (though i'm still applying my SPF) it's making me glow. My skincare routine is very good recently, and using Trilogy's Rosehip Oil which I reviewed here, my skin hasn't been this good for a long time. I like to think it's a joint effort, by all the products that i'm using, but this Clarins moisturiser, is, in my opinion, gorgeous and it makes my skin look brighter, and feel brighter (if my skin feeling brighter makes sense…).

I bought my little pot of sunshine from Boots where it retails at £21.00 for 30ml, and since i've had mine (three weeks or so), I have barely made a dent, so I think it's well worth the money, and definitely work a look if you find yourself near a Clarins counter anytime soon. Do you think you'll be giving this moisturiser a go?

Trilogy Organic Rosehip Oil Review

I love this stuff. End of review. Haha, not really. Shortest review in history? Yeah, that's not my style, you know I like a good ramble about things that I love, and this will be no exception. This Trilogy oil, which I purchased from amazon (here, at £15.85 for 20ml) has been a very important aspect of my nighttime skin routine since it arrived. I knew I needed an oil for my skin, especially since using two Effacalr products on my skin, I just felt that I needed something to skin in and moisturise, whilst the La Roche-Posay offerings helped to clear my skin (and they certainly are). 

My first impressions were a bit superficial. It has a dropper (which I love. I feel like a scientist. It's amazing) and this allows you to dispense a very precise amount of product, and although it said apply 2-3 drops, I just said 'Naaaaaa' and went for 4. Yes, 4. That was clearly a mistake, but the lesson has been learnt. Three drops, i've learnt, is the perfect amount of oil for my face and I apply it with top thirds of my fingers (sorry to be precise, but that's what works best for me). Now, I know people rub in oil, but for me (rebel that I am) I've taken to patting it onto the skin and gently, gently rubbing on areas where I have scars, such as my forehead. In patting this onto the skin (or pressing it on, if you want to get technical) I just feel like my skin is reacting better to the product, and drinking it in a great deal quicker. The majority of the oil is pressed onto my face, any residue on my hands is patted onto my neck so there's no waste at all. 

To add to the skin renewing properties of this oil, I use it with a little implement. The Body Shop's Facial Massager (£6.00), which I reviewd here ages ago and it's become such a brilliant duo. Once the oil is on my skin, I run the massager from the edge of my nose and out, down the face and neck in one stroke. Kate from Gh0stparties spoke about the way she removes toxins from her face, and that was with a facial massager; moving the built up toxins away from the chin and jawline, down the neck and away from the face. It works. It really does. I used to use my fingers, as I had always previously used the Facial Massager to stimulate the skin, and make it more glowy; but this is two birds with one stone. 

But back to the oil. I've been using this for a few weeks (and barely made a dent, so don't go thinking 20ml is too little product) and have found that the redness on my cheeks has started to fade, as well as improving the general tone of my skin. I also have considerably less blemishes then before, which maybe a combined effort with La Roche-Posay's Effaclar Duo + and K, but it works for me. Finding a skincare routine that works for me, has been years in the making and I'm just glad that Trilogy's Rosehip Oil was recommended to me (pretty sure it was Amy from srslylou. Oh, that enabler!) and I'm pretty darn confident with my skin now. So much so, I can do a thin layer of sheer foundation, bit of concealer and walk out of the house. Previously my skin had made me feel quite selfconcious, but this oil, and it's little facial massager friend (which, I won't lie, looks like a medieval torture device) is the bee's knees. Lots of love for it.

Have you tried any Trilogy products? Which facial oils do you swear by?

Escentual Haul - 1/3 off French Pharmacy Purchases

Being a fan of French Pharmacy products, although only Avene and La Roche-Posay have been purchased previously, I practically leapt across my room to fish my debit card out of my purse for my first Escentual order. As soon as I saw the French brand names, I knew exactly what I was going to order (this was indeed helped by Sandra of The Black Pearl, and her amazing post on the 1/3 off offer, which can be found here) and you can bet that I kept her blog post open in another tab whilst I made my order. I knew I wanted Caudalie's Beauty Elixr (was £11.50, now £9.20), because not only is it this amazing cult product, the scent was meant to be really fresh (so much so that I cannot stop spraying it on myself), and you can spray it on your face to give your makeup a kick of life after a long day/few hours, or just on yourself. I have found in the last day, that it really helps to calm me, and keep me relaxed (which is an ideal when you're feeling a bit stressed). It's peppermint, lemon and a hint of rosemary, and I am in love with it. How did I live my life without this little beauty?

Another little thing that I was determined to purchase was Nuxe's Reve De Miel (was £9.50, now £6.33) lip balm, which I have heard sooooo much about from bloggers I really admire *cough*Sandra*cough* and I knew I just had to have it. It's not the texture I expected, which was a really pleasant surprise, as I don't think it's possible to use too much product, as it's quite solid, and unlike the little pot of Korres Wild Rose lip balm that I have, this isn't messy or sticky at all (still got some serious love for that Korres pot though).

The next two purchases are from La Roche-Posay, and I have some serious, serious love for Effaclar K (was £14.50, now £9.66). I know it's all about Effacalr Duo + in the blogging world right now, but I love this product. I find it's a lot creamier than Effaclar Duo, which I use under this, morning and night, and find that it sets to an almost matte finish. I'm going to put up a proper review of this product, as this is my second tube, and explain just how I use, what it does for my skin and why I love it (there are many reasons). The second purchase, is Cicaplast (was £6.50, now £4.33), a soothing repair balm and one that I happened to stumble upon when a blogger mentioned have a serious skin reaction to a skincare clay mask. This apparently, reduced redness and those little spots that flare up when something has seriously irritated the skin. You can bet I felt like I needed this in my little arsenal of skincare supplies, as my skin is very sensitive despite is oily/combination ways. It's my 'just in case balm' and I feel a bit more assured that it will help me, should skin cares woes happen.

Last, but not least, is Klorane's Conditioner with Mango Butter (was £6.50, now £4.87). Anything with Mango in it, hair wise, hold a bit sway for me, as although I have oily roots, my ends do tend to get very dry. So Mango Butter in a conditioner ticked a very important box for me, and I cannot wait to give it a try. It has a subtle scent in the bottle and hopefully, fingers crossed, it'll be full on mango when it's on my hair. I'll make sure to report back. A little goodie that they threw in, was an Escentual nail file. Now, for someone who loses a lot of these (read: mum steals them all) this was a delightful little gift to receive. 

Remember. Escentual has a third off French Pharmacy brands throughout March. So, what are you waiting for? And make sure to let me know if you do purchase anything. I look a good snoop. (By the way, this was not a sponsored post, I just thought a 1/3 off was post worthy news, and check out my goodies! Gotta love 'em!) Another cheeky little incentive is free delivery if you spend over £30. Bargain.

Witch Anti-Blemish Skin Clearing Primer Review

Hello my lovelies, as I write this, I'm snuggled up in bed, about to watch last week's 'Call the Midwife' but blog inspiration struck, so who am I to turn away from it?! And I thought, what product am I really enjoying? It has to be the 'Skin clearing Primer'* from Witch. Now, we all know Witch, right? That lovely company that does all those blemish/skin clearing products with lots of natural goodness to them, so the obvious next step for them, was to create a primer. Not just any primer. A skin clearing 'Anti-Blemish' one. I suffer from my fair share of blemishes, and my skin generally isn't picky about where the blemishes erupt, so I can't say 'one or two on my cheek, now and again'; they don't discriminate, and like to go where they please. Since using this primer, I will admit, I've been using a mixture of La Roche-Posay products in my skincare routine to regain control of my skin, so any improvements aren't solely the result of the Witch Primer. Hoooooowever…my skin is clearing up. It feels softer, smoother, and I like to think that this little beauty (which is applied after my day moisturiser) creates a barrier, between the foundation and my skin, that is not only good for my skin (look at all that witch hazel extract) but makes my skin feel smooth, and primed ready for the makeup which my face will be rocking for the rest of the day.

This product came to my attention from Lucy (who is fabulous and you should all follow her on twitter @lucyelms), who not only reviewed this product on her blog last year, but chose me in a little Twitter competition Witch were having, that she won (yay!) and granted us the chance to choose one free product to have (I still feel so chuffed that she chose me). I knew almost immediately that I wanted to try this primer, and asked if I could have it. A few days later, it appeared in the post, and I got around to testing it out after I ran out of my Revlon Photoready Primer and in a way, I'm really glad I ran out of it, because I really, really like this primer. It doesn't feel too heavy on the skin, it keeps my skin feeling plump and smooth; as for makeup wear time, since my skin is oily/combination, it only usually takes a few hours before my nose starts to shine, but with this, I can last a few hours longer, and for someone who is a bit self-conscious about her oily/shiny skin, this is a big deal.

I find that a pea sized amount of product is just the right amount for my face, and according to makeup artists, you're meant to leave your primer of choice thirty seconds to a minute for it to set, and therefore provide the best base for your makeup. It's a smooth texture, it seems to glide over my skin and enlarged pores (nose, i'm looking at you again) without blocking them and creating blemishes, hence where the anti-blemish goodness comes in. Due to my oily skin, I use a primer daily before applying my makeup, and that combined with my skincare routine, has definitely shown a difference in my skin. Everything is a bit clearer, a bit brighter and that's good news to me. This primer retails at £6.99, which I think is pretty amazing for a primer, especially one with a big of goodness thrown in and can be found online with Superdrug.

Is this something that you'd try? Are you a primer person? If you are, which ones are your favourites? xx

Week #1: My week in one picture.

My life has been a mix of craziness, work and sleep recently, so much so, that any form of blogging has taken a rather significant backseat to everything else. December and the start of January, for those of us who work in retail, will be fully aware of how completely insane the shops are… actually, if you're a shopper, then you probably have a pretty good idea as well. Insane. 

Anywho, happy New Year to my lovely readers, and I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday away from the hustle and bustle of work. I enjoyed my few days off, which were primarily spent sleeping and eating (ahhh food) but over the past week, with a lack of internet, I've spent the majority of my free time writing down blog ideas in my blogging journal, taking pictures (this lack of light is so very annoying) and practicing something entirely new: Calligraphy. I follow some fabulous calligraphers on Instagram, and i'm always so envious of their elegant and creative skills, so I decided to give it a go. With one nib, and one pot of ink, I got started. I finished with ink stained fingers but with a massive smile, as I love a bit of creativity. 

Makeup and skincare wise, this week, actually, this entire month has been riddled with dry skin (I'm going to blame the central heating… but turn it off? Goodness no, do you want me to freeze?) so I've been smothering The Body Shop's Shea Body Butter on, and using lots of moisturising serums on my face, but even then, it's still dry. And what's winter without dark circles under your eyes, or is that just me? It's a pale skin and dark circle scenario, so long lasting creamy concealer is the way to go, and Seventeen's offering in the lightest colour is saving me from looking like a zombie, that, combined with a subtle berry matte lip from MUA is my go to look right now, whether in work, or chilling at home. 

This week also brought me a new experience, and that was a first date. A first date in week number one, quite fitting really. It was a lovely day, good food, good film (Anchorman 2) and good conversation, let's not forget that it was a pretty great skin day too, so all in all, successful date. Five days later, with no sign of communication or a second date, I am nonetheless still positive, as after the end of a four year relationship, first dates will come and go, some well, and some probably not so well. But it's something to look forward to, yes?

How has your week been? Anything exciting happen in the first week of January?

xx

Origins Super Spot Remover Review

Ever since I bought this little wonder, I've been in love. I've never known my spots to go down so quickly! It was a blogger favourite, but I'd never really taken much notice of it, that was until I saw it on  Tattooed Tealady, and she gave it a glowing review, so I admit, I was taken in, and I'm very glad that I was. This has become a staple for me, especially when I had very bad breakouts, and angry red blemishes (the worst kind of blemishes really). If you very rarely get blemishes, maybe £15 for a 10ml product may be too much money, but for someone who has oily/combination skin like me, and is prone to the occasional spot or two (or five) then this may be your saviour. I've found that it reduces the size of the spot drastically overnight, and wearing it during the day isn't something i'd suggest, unless you were going makeup free. The gel uses Salicylic Acid to help speed up the 'healing while anti-spot technology helps visibly correct post blemish darkening', whilst Caffeine and Red Algae help to visibly reduce redness of the blemish, and I totally agree with these statements, which can be found here on the Origins website. 

The gel is very soothing when it first goes on, and I don't know if it's just me, but it does sting a little bit on the blemish, which i'm not sure whether this is because of my sensitive skin, or because i've put too much on? I'll have to double check and write back about this... although I do suspect that it's just me being a little heavy handed (or heavy fingered, if that's a thing). I bought this from Boots (yay for points!) when I went to Cardiff with my best friends, and have used it quite a bit since then, I think it's a wonder product, and would definitely be in my monthly favourites (which i'll post at the end of the month). I love this product and cannot recommend it enough. 

Is this something that you'd try? Or have you tried it before? Let me know what you think (: 

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La Roche-Posay Serozinc Review

I love this product. What more is there to say? It was held as a blogger must have, and as soon as I saw on of my favourite ladies on Instagram, Rougeout, had purchased these bad boys, I knew I had to have them. I ordered La Roche-Posay's Serozinc from a French/British website called LeGuideSante where they were only £5 or so, per spray can (150ml), which I think is really good for the amount of product that the spray holds. But, let's get into the nitty gritty. I have very oily/combination skin, that is prone to breakouts and imperfections, and this products claims to be made especially for oily skin, with Zinc Sulfate which helps to 'fight against bacterial proliferation', or in english, to stop the increase in oil produced by the skin. It also claims to calm irritations on the skin, which is why it can also be used on babies skin, if it's been irritated by nappy rash.

The spray, is cooling and very soothing, and I use it twice a day when I do my skincare routines, and now that I have a finite skincare routine, I find that this product has really helped clear my skin. Yes, I still have the odd blemish, but this product as well as my other skincare products (which I will talk about in an all about my skincare routine post) have really made a big difference in the texture and appearance of my skin. You don't need a lot of product, just a quick spritz, enough to cover your entire face, I leave it for a few seconds, and then removed with a cotton pad. Even if I think my face is super clean and cleansed, this will always take off that extra extra layer of dirt, which makes a big difference to my skin. This is a holy grail product for me, and I cannot do without it. So much so, I'm going to order more, so that I never run out. I definitely recommend this to those suffering from oily/combination, as not only can it be used as a toner, but can be used to refresh the skin during the day. I think it's a wonder product and it will always be a favourite.

What do you think of Serozinc? Is this something that you'd try? Are spray toners your cup of tea? 

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The Body Shop Online Haul Edition

Hellooooo honey goodness! I may have gotten a bit excited when the Body Shop was offering a voucher for 40% off online... as you can clearly see. Now, I will say this, the honeymania isn't necessarily honey esc (as in honey from a jar) but more honeysuckle, which was a surprise for me when they first arrived, but not an unpleasant one. It's still a wonderful scent, but for those who might think it to be proper honey, you might be in for a disappointment. I think it's a sweet scent, quite floral, and for those a bit unsure, I'd recommend smelling it in the shop before hand, so you know whether it'd be a good choice for you. Anywho! On with the chat.

The Shea Body Butter is a firm favourite of mine, and even though it's not as heavily scented as other butters, it's still wonderfully moisturising and is a complete go to moisturiser for me, especially in the colder months as my skin tends to dry out very easily. The Camomile cleansing butter was something that I was very excited about, as I'd read numerous reviews on it, and was determined to try it out (and with 40% off, I thought, why not?!) I do plan on doing a proper review of this, so all I will say for now is, for oily/combination skin, it can be quite heavy on the skin, so I'd recommend using a very good toner afterwards to take away all of the product, as although it is moisturising, you don't want it to clog your pores (it was an issue for me) Up next is the Honeymania shower gel which much like the other Body Shop shower gels, is very good on my skin. The scent is floral and clean, and lasts almost all day, which is a strong selling point for me, and the life of it is prolonged when worn with the Honeymania perfume. It's not for everyone (i'd recommend smelling it first) but for me, it really works. I think it's a lovely scent ( i fancy a little perfume review on the blog soon, so watch this space (; ) and last but not least, is this gorgeous lipstick. Raspberry in love is amazing. It's smooth, creamy and such a good colour for a/w, so much so, that I'm thinking of extending my a/w lipstick list to include this one (and my most recent MAC and NARS purchases, of course) I just love it and think it's gorgeous. Once again, watch this space for some upcoming Body Shop reviews.

Thank you so much for reading, my lovelies. Are there any Body Shop products that have caught your eye?

xx

Soap & Glory Shower Scrub edit

Who doesn't love a good shower? ... Exactly! Everyone does. And one of my favourite shower pastimes (yes i have more than one, shaving my legs is far down on the list) is having a good scrub, and I don't think anyone does it better than Soap & Glory. I've tried quite a few of their scrubs, but I have to say, my favourite is currently 'Sugar Crush', and oh my god it's good. It's smells citrusy and fresh (the perfect way to wake you up in the shower) but I find it moisturising and it makes my skin really soft afterwards. I think it's down to almond oil for making my skin feel plump and rich, whereas the smashed brown sugar and macadamia grains scrub away at the dead skin cells, and I find that even though i'm a bit pink after exfoliating, I think my skin looks glowy, and it's wonderful (I like to get my glow on). I like to have a good exfoliation two to three times a week, to increase blood flow and circulation (which with me, can be quite bad sometimes).

Now, my scrub gloves are what I use when I need a quick all over exfoliation (i.e a five minute shower, whereas my regular ones are about twenty minutes). I find that these gloves do aid my skin in glowing, as not only does it improve the texture of my skin, but it also increases blood circulation (which undoubtedly causes the glow factor). They're so easy to pop on and have a quick scrub without the use of an actual scrub, plus they can also be used to lather shower gel onto your skin (my shower gel of choice being 'Clean on me') which not only exfoliates with the rough texture of the gloves, but slathers moisture onto the skin as quick as you like.

What do you think of Soap & Glory scrubs? Which ones do you like the most? Do you use scrub gloves?

xx