Best Skincare Purchases 2016

Hello everyone, I hope you're all well. I was really hoping to get this post up a few days ago, but I've been having a break in London with the family, so it's a little late! Anyway, the second part of my 'best of 2016' is focusing on skincare, and its been a good year for it! I have a lot of products to share with you all so I won't ramble on in the intro, on to the goodies.

Una Brennan Super Facialist Vitamin C Oil Cleanser 200ml | £11.00

An oldie but a goodie on my blog, this is my absolute favourite way to remove my makeup because it quite literally melts it away. Although its kinda pricy for an oil, I find a little bit goes a long way and it really helps to hydrate the skin, whilst removing the majority of my makeup. Plus I only pick it up when its on special offer (which it is right now). Occasionally in the past few weeks I've been too tired to go through my proper cleansing routine, so I've resorted to using face wipes and my skin has really felt the difference. Without fail I have woken up with dry, tight skin that lacks any sort of hydration or glow. Honestly switching to a double cleanse routine was the best thing I have done and this oil plays a big part in that. I did recently pick up a cheaper oil cleanser though and if its as good, you'll be hearing about it soon, but for 2016 Una Brennan kept her crown!

Vanity Planet Spin For Perfect Skin Brush | £80 £25!

This brush has changed my skincare routine for the better, it is wonderful! I first saw it on youtube and so many vloggers were talking about it that I decided to give it a go - especially at the discounted price. I have the cheaper set, which includes 4 attachments, a cleansing, exfoliating, pumice stone and body brush. For the price that is fantastic and the depth of cleanse you get from this brush is EVERYTHING. Seriously its a game changer and I recommend for you all to purchase this, its worth twice or three times the price. I am currently not an affiliate for them so I can't offer you a discount code, however I believe in the brush so much that I've got in contact with them to hopefully become one, which speaks volumes cause I only back brands I am truly impressed by. Also luckily for you all they have a sale on right now, so no need to hunt down a code ^_^ Also cleansers that work best with this are cream and gel, my favourite to use is the manuka honey one, which I have raved about plenty of times so refrained from really including it haha.

Lush Ultrabland Cleanser 100g | £12.95

A well loved product that I finally decided to try at a Bloggers event this year. Now at first I wasn't mad about this, because its not your typical cleanser. It has a balm like texture, which is pretty waxy to touch and due to this whenever I tried to remove it, I always felt like there was a light layer left which would really annoy me. It also doesn't work very well with the skin brush, another thing that put me off a little! However if you use a warm flannel or soft cloth and gently remove it in circular motions, the skin is left feeling so incredibly soft, smooth and hydrated! The cleanser is created from lovely natural ingredients such as almond oil, rose water and honey too. I totally see the appeal now and tend to use it twice a week when I'm not using the facial brush, if you have sensitive skin I highly recommend it.

B. Revealed Glycolic Cleansing peel 125ml | £7.99  £3.95

This product is pretty new to my skincare routine, but it just about made it to my 2016 faves because I really do love it! A 2-in-1 product which contains glycolic acid, I find this cleanser really works well at brightening my complexion and leaving my skin looking fresh and feeling smooth. Mostly I'll use it as a typical cleanser, with either the face brush mentioned above, or a flannel (it comes with a muslin cloth by the way). However if my skin is looking particularly dull and tired, which has been the case when teaching and working long hours, I'll keep it one for the recommended three minutes as a quick mask. Don't leave it on for longer because I did once by accident and felt my skin start to sting. A fantastic budget cleanser (especially when theres an offer on!) which I recommend everyone to pick up and incorporate into their skincare routine a couple of times a week.

Good Things Manuka Honey Refining Scrub | £5.00 £3.33

Again another product which is relatively new to my skincare routine, but I love it! I wasn't actually surprised in the slightest that I would end up loving this because you might know that the cleanser in this line is a firm favourite. This scrub is gentle enough for sensitive skin, but it really does leave my skin feeling smooth. Although cleansing is an important step, using a softer scrub like this is what leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean. It really gets into the skin and removes impurities, plus the magic ingredient - manuka honey has so many skincare benefits, as well as the sweet almond oil and oats! Also this brand is usually on special offer, so not only is it effective and free from nasty stuff like mineral oils and parabens - its very very affordable too!

Alpha-H liquid gold 100ml | £33.50

Well 2016 was definitely the year that I discovered the benefits of using AHAs in my skincare routine! I picked this up as part of a special offer and instantly saw results after a couple of uses. I do think this is worth the hype, although I will say that there are affordable options out there now on the highstreet. However nothing has given my skin the same results as liquid gold, it evens out the skintone and makes my face look brighter. I did stop using it when I was using my IPL machine on my face, but recently I broke out quite badly (for me), so I'm excited to get back to using it and hopefully seeing my dark marks fade away.

Caudalie instant detox mask 75ml | £22.00

My favourite 'easy' clay mask by far! This was a recommendation by a lovely friend and reader of mine, and I'm sooo glad she let me know about it, because its the good stuff.  Although its a clay mask, its very comfortable on the skin and I love how detoxed my skin feels after using it! One of those masks that definitely do something great with one use and I will be repuraching this as soon as its empty, its just that good.

Embryolisse Lair Creme Concentrate 75ml | £20.00

Back to products I use everyday, I have fallen head over heels with this moisturiser. Initially I purchased the 30ml because I didn't want to spend such a large amount on a base, however I soon realised that it is worth all the hype and more! Nothing prepares and hydrates my skin better and a little goes a long way, so one tube will last me months on end. I have tried other moisturisers here and there, but always come back to this. Theres a reason why makeup artists swear by the stuff!

Mario Badescu Facial Spray 118ml | £7.50 | Review

I've written a whole review dedicated to this, so I won't go on and on but in short: ESSENTIAL. I spray my face with this every day, makeup or not. The past few days I spent in London with my family and I was recommending it to everyone, aswell as giving their faces a healthy spritz too. Not only does it hydrate and add a subtle glow, but it gets rid of all powderyness too! Yes its way better than MAC Fix+, but anyway I have properly reviewed it linked above, so have a read if you want to find out more.

What have been your standout skincare products from 2016?

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Best Skincare Purchases 2016

Hello everyone, I hope you're all well. I was really hoping to get this post up a few days ago, but I've been having a break in London with the family, so it's a little late! Anyway, the second part of my 'best of 2016' is focusing on skincare, and its been a good year for it! I have a lot of products to share with you all so I won't ramble on in the intro, on to the goodies.

A Trio Of Empties #4

Hello everyone, welcome to the fourth and final trio of empties post, of 2015! If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you’ll know that I am notoriously slow at finishing up products which is a big reason why I am on this no makeup buying challenge! I have so many things that are in rotation which means it takes months before one of these posts get written up. (Also I do sometimes forget and chuck stuff away, it’s a habit!). Since starting the challenge I have been using stuff up a lot more, its been 75 days since I’ve not bought makeup (well aside from the NARS One shocking moment palette - but that was in my own terms and conditions hehe) and I hope there’s going to be one of these posts once a month from now on, because although buying new makeup/skincare is always fun - using it up feels so just that little bit better! ^_^ Anyways lets get on with the post.

1. Soap and Glory Clean On Me Shower Gel | £6.50

I’m not sure why I’ve never spoken about this particular creamy shower gel before because this is probably my fourth bottle of the stuff. I think this is the original soap and glory scent and I am a huge fan! It is sweet yet not sickly and I love how it lathers up just the right amount. This is one of my perfect evening shower washes and to be honest I am reluctant to try other brands because not only do S&G products smell divine, they really moisturise my skin well. That’s not to say that I don’t like to top up my body moisturiser after the shower, however I have noticed a real difference in my skin after using another shower gel, compared to this stuff. Plus I really like how affordable they are, I always pick them up when boots have 3for2 offers on and in one bottle there is 500ml, so it works out really reasonably. The only thing I would change if it could, is to make the pump larger so a little more product comes out - not a biggie though!

Repurchase: YAAAAAS. I actually already have a back up heh

2. Good Things Manuka Honey Creamy Cleanser | 150ml |£4.99 £3.33 | Review

My ALL TIME FAVOURITE CLEANSER! So good that I’ve given it the HG status! Surprisingly this stuff lasted a very long time and I already have a back up that I’m going to be opening soon. It contains manuka honey and royal jelly, two ingredients which are often found in much more expensive products because they work a treat on the skin! I love its luxurious creamy texture and the scent is delightful in the evenings, especially when it’s been a long day! I use this as my second cleanser after I’ve removed my makeup with a cleansing oil and it not only removes the last traces of makeup and oil from my skin, it also nourishes my skin and leaves it feeling beautifully soft. I’m not really sure what category my skin sits in now, combination I suppose? As it does tend to feel stripped and tight with most cleansers, but I never have that feeling when I use this stuff. I used to use this with a flannel, but recently I haven’t been bothering because firstly the upkeep of having clean flannels almost everyday was getting too much and secondly I find it easy enough to remove from the skin without one! Seriously one of my favourite discoveries of 2015 and as it works so well for me (much better than Liz Earle’s C&P!) I’ll probably always have at least one in my skincare stash!

Repurchase: YAAAAAS ^_^

3. Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré | 30ml | £12.99

One of the most hyped up moisturisers on the market, it was safe to say I was mighty excited to try this stuff out and I LOVE it! I can completely understand why so many people rave about this and why its the go-to base for many MUAs on their clients. The embryolisse creme concentre is a very emollient nourishing moisturiser, however it isn’t too heavy on the skin which is what makes it so special. A little goes a long way yet my skin feels brilliant with such little effort. I have used this every single time that I have worn makeup because my skin adores the texture and the moisturising properties. It sinks into the skin with ease and preps it for makeup in a way that no other moisturiser has done. This is because it has three uses: a moisturiser, a primer and a makeup remover. I’ll often use this as a moisturiser and a primer and my makeup really has never looked better. Honestly this stuff is such a game changer and for my dehydrated skin it’s everything I could ask for! I won’t wear it on no-makeup days though as it’s not the cheapest - but worth every single penny!

Repurchase: I already have purchased the larger size! Everytime I see this on sale I’m going to stock up for sure.


Previous Empties:

#1: S&G Sugar crush body wash,  REN Rosa Centifolia Cleansing Gel, Oilatum Natural Repair Face cream
#2: Lush Ocean Salt Scrub, Bourjois Nail Polish Remover, Nuxe Reve De Meil Face Cream#3: Eyeko Skinny Liner, Bioderma and Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap in Lavender

This is by far my most positive empties post and I’m so chuffed with all of these products! Have you tried any of them? What are your thoughts?

Thank-you for reading ♥

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A Trio Of Empties #4

Hello everyone, welcome to the fourth and final trio of empties post, of 2015! If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you’ll know that I am notoriously slow at finishing up products which is a big reason why I am on this no makeup buying challenge! I have so many things that are in rotation which means it takes months before one of these posts get written up. (Also I do sometimes forget and chuck stuff away, it’s a habit!). Since starting the challenge I have been using stuff up a lot more, its been 75 days since I’ve not bought makeup (well aside from the NARS One shocking moment palette - but that was in my own terms and conditions hehe) and I hope there’s going to be one of these posts once a month from now on, because although buying new makeup/skincare is always fun - using it up feels so just that little bit better! ^_^ Anyways lets get on with the post.

Night Time Skincare Routine

Hey everyone, it’s been a while since I updated my night-time skincare routine and it has changed a fair bit since I last shared it so here we go:

Everyday (when I wear make-up)

TO REMOVE MAKE-UP

I start off with using the Superfacialist Vitamin C+ Skin Renew Cleansing Oil by Una Brennan (£10.99). Taking a few drops between my fingers I rub it all over my dry face on top of makeup and it breaks down the makeup effortlessly. I love how this feels on my skin, which I would categorise as slightly dehydrated/normal. It’s not heavy and once massaged into the skin and then with water added on top it washes away most of my makeup so easily. You can also use this on a cotton pad over the eyes to remove eyeliner, mascara etc, OR you could just gently massage the oil over the eyes when doing the face if you’re lazy like myself. This will result in looking like a panda for a few minutes but it’s worth it! I also appreciate how it doesn’t leave a filmy/oily feeling after using it too. I bought this after Anna from VDM said it’s one of her all time faves and she knows her stuff when it comes to good skin products - honestly I couldn’t be more pleased with it! Although it’s on the more pricy side, you get 200ml and surprisingly a little goes a long way - I’ll still be using this bottle till the end of 2015 I’m sure!

The reason I use an oil cleanser before another cleanser is because I’m all about the double cleanse method - I don’t believe you can truly cleanse your skin AND remove makeup in one go.

TO CLEANSE

Next I take a small amount of my FAVOURITE cream cleanser in the whole wide world - the Good Things Manuka Honey Creamy Cleanser (£4.99). It is the most soothing, luxurious feeling cleanser I’ve tried, much more than the much raved about Liz Earle one! It smells divine and is packed with brilliant ingredients that are found in much more expensive products such as - Royal Jelly and of course the Manuka honey itself. Most days I will massage this into my skin and then remove it with a warm damp flannel as that gets the best, squeakiest clean (yet still hydrated and plump) finish. Read the full review here.

Sometimes, not ALL the time I’ll tone with the Lush Eau Roma Water - reviewed here.

TO MOISTURISE

I did own a superdrug night cream but it just wasn’t doing it for me, so instead I use a combination of oils. Mainly the Pure Rosehip Seed Oil ($5.69) which is moisturising, nourishing and contains Vitamin C which is supposed to help reduce the appearance of dark spots and hyper-pigmentation. It's lightweight and works so well, in the morning my skin is glowing and feels soft and plump. I love the pipette style dropper allowing you to get the exact amount and not wasting any. The site I bought it from (linked) is so affordable and I will definitely be reordering.

THE UNDER-EYES

I pay special attention to my under-eyes with my all time favourite - Sweet Almond Oil ($3.81). Honestly this is like a miracle oil, the amount it has brightened my under-eyes is incredible! It takes a good few weeks to see results, but every night without fail I apply one-two drops on my under-eyes and pat it in. Then a couple of minutes later I'll take a little of the Soap and Glory Make Yourself Youthful Rejuvinating Eye Cream (£14.00) which is super rich and creamy but also absorbs into the skin nicely. I mainly focus this on the dry patch above my right eye which is very stubborn and doesn't temporarily go away using anything else. It's pricey but worth it as a little goes a long way - the only thing I'm not too pleased about is that it's meant to be using in 6 months which is a very short lifespan for any cosmetic or beauty product! I'm still using it despite opening it 8 months ago, however I'll be keeping an eye out for any strange smells or colour textures D:

3X A WEEK

Moving onto the parts of my night time routine that I do pretty much every-other day (more or less). I use the Soap and Glory Scrubatomic Daily Face Polish (£9.00) which is a very very fine scrub. When I first purchased it I was a bit disappointed by just how fine it was, but not wanting to use it daily (as that's too harsh imo to be scrubbing the skin) I decided three times a week is adequate. It's a decent scrub and I do feel like I'm having the dead skin gently buffed off but I'm not sure I'd repurchase. I also use a sugar scrub, this one I've had for a while and it's similar to the one you can buy at Lush stores. It's so important to exfoliate the lips too as lip balm just doesn't cut it alone. Finally a new addition to my skincare routine, something I don't actually use 3x a week, I use it everyday (I just forgot to add it to the photos above) is the Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe herbs and rosewater (£5.95). This amazing multi-use product is the best facial spray ever, after cleansing, after makeup basically anytime I need some light moisturisation. 

ONCE A WEEK

At least once a week I'll try to remember to do a face mask, either the Good Things 5 minute facial (£5.99) which is a good all around skin booster or either one of the Una Brennan masks - depending on if my skin is congested and spotty or needing moisture. When I'm have an oily moment, which does weirdly sometimes happen and I feel like my pores need a really deep clean I opt for the Soap and Glory 2-in-1 Facial Pore Purifying Mask (£10.00). Its very refreshing and does leave my skin a little tight feeling but it's worth it every other week, maximum.  Not pictured but I also really love the Good Things Manuka Honey Radiance Mask (£5.99) which is a clay mask that softens the skin! As well as brightening it and deeper cleansing. 

Boots currently have an offer on selected Soap and Glory - buy one get the second half price and all Una Brennan products are reduced so it's worth taking advantage of these offers if you're planning on buying new quality skincare ^_^

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Night Time Skincare Routine

Hey everyone, it’s been a while since I updated my night-time skincare routine and it has changed a fair bit since I last shared it so here we go:

Everyday (when I wear make-up)

TO REMOVE MAKE-UP

Review | Good Things Manuka Honey Creamy Cleanser

Hello everyone, today’s review has got me very very excited because the Good Things Manuka Honey Creamy Cleanser might just be the BEST cleanser I have ever used and the best part? it costs a mere £4.99! I have tried many cream cleansers, from the well known Liz Earle C&P to the original ponds cold cream cleanser and for my skintype (normal/dehydrated with the odd dry patch) they tend to work well. Having enjoyed the good things eye cream (provides light moisturising and sits well under makeup) I decided to give their Manuka Honey line a go. Especially when I read that it includes the ingredient Royal Jelly and Manuka honey (ofc) which is often found in much more expensive skincare, but more on that later.


I have a detailed night-time skincare routine coming up this week which includes this cleanser as I use it every single evening, after I have removed the majority of my make-up. It is super creamy and feels so soothing to rub into the skin. I can almost feel my skin being nourished and although I have a weak sense of smell, I definitely catch the scent of honey. The directions state you should use a hot flannel with this stuff and most of the time I do, as it leaves my skin feeling totally clean, super soft and plump. The first time I used this I felt like I’d been well and truly pampered. I’m so used to cleansers leaving my skin feeling dry and even parched with that horrid tight feeling, so to have baby soft skin is incredible.

Now onto the ingredients, the first thing to be noted with all Good Things products is that they are free from parabens, mineral oils and sulphates. This cleanser contains Vitamin E which is well known to help against the effects of aging by destroying free radicals (sounds awfully adventurous right?!). Royal Jelly has been used by many cultures for years due to its skin healing properties, it’s anti aging, extremely hydrating and rich in amino-acids. It is also anti-inflammatory and wound healing which explains why Good Things state this helps to keep the skin clear, a claim which I can back up. I started using this every single day about a month before my exams and although I’m not prone to breakouts this cleanser really kept those horrendous ‘stress spots’ at bay, whilst hydrating my skin and keeping it soft. Normally spot fighting products have the tendency to dry out the skin so the fact that this does a decent job at keeping skin clear whilst adding a whole lot of moisture is fantastic. It’s not an alternative to acne cream by any means but it’s worth checking out if you have sensitive skin (so long as you don’t mind the strong scent). The final key ingredient is Manuka Honey found in many more expensive skincare products is scientifically proven to hydrate, moisturise, nourish, heal, protect and rejuvenate - wow! After reading about Manuka honey I’m going to be buying some for the house as well as the skin because it is a miracle natural product!

Overall Rating

Rating: 10

Pros: Feels like a luxury cleanser, cleans skin whilst adding moisture, plumping and leaving it baby soft! Nourishes the skin as it is packed with great ingredients, some found in much more expensive skincare. SO AFFORDABLE. No mineral oil, parabens and other nasties. It doesn't dry the skin out at all and at the same time it doesn't over load my skin or make it feel filmy or heavy. Smells divine. Makes my skin feel happy and no other cleanser has compared.

Cons: Scent may be a little strong for some people.

Repurchase? Yes I don’t think I could ask or expect anything else from a cleanser, this one I will repurchase time and time again!

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Review | Good Things Manuka Honey Creamy Cleanser

Hello everyone, today’s review has got me very very excited because the Good Things Manuka Honey Creamy Cleanser might just be the BEST cleanser I have ever used and the best part? it costs a mere £4.99! I have tried many cream cleansers, from the well known Liz Earle C&P to the original ponds cold cream cleanser and for my skintype (normal/dehydrated with the odd dry patch) they tend to work well. Having enjoyed the good things eye cream (provides light moisturising and sits well under makeup) I decided to give their Manuka Honey line a go. Especially when I read that it includes the ingredient Royal Jelly and Manuka honey (ofc) which is often found in much more expensive skincare, but more on that later.

March Favourites 2015

March has been a stressful month uni wise and I found myself questioning ‘why are we paying 9k a year to have pretty much 5 months of the year off???’ BUT it has been a good one in terms of discovering new skincare and beauty from my stash ^_^

Starting with my absolute favourites of the month, its all about the ‘Good Things’ skincare range here on The Blushing Giraffe! The best thing about the brand in my opinion is that they’re free from parabens and mineral oil - but I’ve not had any negative or ‘ehhh’ experiences with anything I’ve tried so far, not only is it good for your skin but it really does work.



The Good Things Argan Oil Moisture Boost Facial Serum (£7.99 £5.33)  has been a welcome addition to my skincare routine. I had previously been using the hydraluron serum which didn’t work very well for me so I didn’t bother picking up any others because I thought it was a pretty useless step. However using this one after toning really does help whatever moisturiser I am using to sink into the skin a lot better and my skin feels plumper too. Another benefit of using this serum is I need to use less moisturiser and for everyone with dry/dehydrated skin I highly recommend it!

The second and final skincare product I’ve been really enjoying this month is the Good Things Manuka Honey Creamy Cleanser (£4.99 £3.33) which is the most hydrating cleanser I have ever used! I use a micellar water to remove my makeup and then use a dollop of cleanser, give my face a lovely massage and then soak a flannel and wipe it off my face. The only downside for me is that essentially it becomes a hot cloth cleanser and is not easy to properly remove with just water - however I don’t mind doing this in the evening times as it’s a mini pamper for myself and my skin afterwards looks much cleaner, brighter and feels super soft. I wish there was a facial wash version of this for the morning too when you don’t want to be faffing about with flannels!



My favourite eyeliner of the month has been a rediscovery - the Rimmel Scandaleyes waterproof khol liner in 012 bronze (£3.99) which I’ve been using on both the upper lashline for subtle definition and on the lower lashline to add a little smokey without going all out with pencil brushes and eyeshadows and fall out! Such a beautiful brown with an undertone of bronze/copper glimmering through, a must try for anyone as I think it’s universally flattering!

The Rimmel Scandaleyes shadow stick in bullet-proof beige (£4.49) has also been used time and time again throughout march, mainly because it is so perfect for quickly adding an inner-corner highlight! It literally takes 2 seconds to swipe this jumbo creamy pencil into the inner corner and extend it slightly and voila, my eyes look brighter and any darkness is almost disguised because it brightens up the eyes so much! This shade is gorgeous for springtime especially as it really is quite nude so it doesn’t look quite as intense as a gold or silver would.



Another eyes item this month! I’ve really been enjoying my Inglot freedom eyeshadow palette which I am planning to do a post on at some point this month. Anyways the neutral shades are all beautifully pigmented and blend like a dream. I love this palette, the magnetic packaging and how quick and easy it is to do a base and definition in the crease - well worth the monies for the quality!
My final favourite of March is the L.A Girl Pro Conceal in Creamy Beige ($2.99) I did a LITTLE order from beautyjoint to pick up some new Wet’n’Wild lipsticks and I also bought this shade of the concealer...let me tell you, I’m gonna place another order and pick up at least 5 more because it is such a perfect highlighting shade for my skintone as well as an all round brilliant concealer. (oh and the price is unbelievable!)  I’ve been looking for something not pink toned, with a high enough coverage to hide pigmentation but also so it’s not like a thick foundation y’know? This is IT! When swatched on my hand it weirdly looked a little orange ._. which left me feeling very disheartened, but under my eyes it blends beautifully and doesn’t come off as orange at all! Seriously need to stock up on this good stuff! ^_^

What have you been loving throughout March?

Thank-you for reading ♥
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March Favourites 2015

March has been a stressful month uni wise and I found myself questioning ‘why are we paying 9k a year to have pretty much 5 months of the year off???’ BUT it has been a good one in terms of discovering new skincare and beauty from my stash ^_^

March Skincare Haul

I was in desperate need of a skincare refresh, I tend to wait till I’ve finished two or three things and then go all out and pick up a bunch of products to try. Everything in this haul is new to me - very exciting stuff and it just so happened that boots had their wonderful 3for2 offer on so I placed a collect in store order - since I didn’t really have £50 to spend on skincare (and pay for delivery??? you’re having a laugh!).

Being a fan of both of the Una Brennan face masks that I own I decided to purchase the Vitamin C+ Brighten cleansing oil (£10.99) which is filled with lots of natural oils - Olive, grapeseed and rosehip in particular. This is designed to be used as part of a double cleanse routine so you apply a few drops directly on top of makeup and then you’re supposed to add water to make it all milky. I’ve used this three times already I do enjoy it, especially the packaging. Also the amount of product you get makes the price awesome - 200ml!

The second cleanser I picked up was quite a random decision, the Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Cleanser (£7.95), which was kind of sticky when I opened the box, so I’m not sure if that’s due to poor packaging or the person who put the order together being very careless. Anyway I’m not one to usually go for foaming cleansers as they’re not wonderful for the skin, and I personally wouldn’t use this daily but the main reason why I was intrigued enough to purchase it was because the 2% glycolic acid is supposed to retexture the skin and sometimes I feel like a normal cleanser just isn’t doing much - this one will be used for when I feel like my skin needs a thorough deep clean. Probably followed by a weekly face mask.

Finally I purchased the Good Things Manuka Honey Creamy Cleanser (£4.99) after trying the face mask version of this and quite enjoying it! I adore this brand as it is free from mineral oils and parabens, plus this range is designed to ‘hydrate and balance’ which is what my skin needs these days. It directs you to use a damp flannel but to be honest I can’t keep up with daily flannels, it’s too much with the laundry so I just double rinse. It left my skin feels super soft and I will most likely use this as a morning cleanser because it will remove the traces of oil and gel from my night-time routine easily whilst still cleaning the skin neatly.

Another products from the Good Things range, this time their Argan Oil Moisture Boost Facial Serum (£7.99). The main this thing that attracted me to this was the three words ‘sweet almond oil’ - my favourite! I jumped on the hydraluron bangwagon when that serum first came out and I was left feeling quite ‘ehhh’ it seemed to work at first but my skin just resisted it after a few weeks. This is cheaper and for first use I was really impressed at how well it helped my moisturiser to really sink into the skin and I feel like my base for my makeup was wonderful. Lets hope my skin doesn’t resist this!

I have seen the Soap and Glory Mini Mitt (£4.00) floating around the blogosphere for a while but I couldn’t find it in store, so I knew I had to pick this up online. I think this will just add an extra depth to cleansing and scrubs and I cannot wait to add this to my skincare routine ^_^

I’ve never tried anything from the Yes to range so I thought I would give this Yes To grapefruit uneven skin tone daily facial scrub (£6.99) a whirl. It has 99% natural ingredients which I LOVE and its made from lemon balm and grapefruit. I’m currently using the Soap and Glory daily facial polish twice a week, but when I’m finished with that I’ll switch to this - it’s fun to try different scrubs y’know? Also I think the price is on point ^_^

The final mask is one that isn’t really suited for my skintype, its the Soap and Glory Fab Pore 2-in-1 Pore Purifying Mask & Peel (£10) but I bought it mainly out of curiosity and also for those days when my skin is feeling a little greasy is that the right word? It claims to  be good at unclogging pores, spot prevention, and face detoxing and it is advised that if you’re battling breakouts to use it twice a week - the reviews online are outstanding so I’m hoping I feel the same.

The final part of my haul is these Glycolic Fix Exfoliating Facial Pads (£12.99) which are again a completely new addition to my skincare routine and totally inspired by the Beautiful Onika who’s blog I’ve been obsessed with recently! As mentioned above with the cleanser version of this, the glycolic element is designed to brighten, retexture and resurface the skin. I doubt I’ll be implementing this into my everyday routine for fear of them drying out my skin, but we shall see how well they work.

And that is about it..Boots still have a 3for2 offer on at the moment so it’s well worth stocking up now and saving some monies!

Sidenote - I just went onto Onika’s blog to get her URL and link it when I stumbled across just one of her Amazing posts all about how to treat acne scars, how to protect the skin etc; you NEED to check it out, this girl is amazing and I love her writing style, seriously amazed by her blog! link here

Have you tried any of these products? I’d love to know how you got on with them!

Thank-you for reading ♥

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March Skincare Haul

I was in desperate need of a skincare refresh, I tend to wait till I’ve finished two or three things and then go all out and pick up a bunch of products to try. Everything in this haul is new to me - very exciting stuff and it just so happened that boots had their wonderful 3for2 offer on so I placed a collect in store order - since I didn’t really have £50 to spend on skincare (and pay for delivery??? you’re having a laugh!).

November Favourites 2014

Hello everyone! I’ve typed another update post for tomorrow so I won’t make this intro too long, but I have quite a few things to share with you all as I didn’t do an October faves, so on we go.

Nivea Express Hydrating Primer (Dry) - has been in my stash for a good couple of months, and I have been using it on and off. In terms of prolonging makeup wear I don’t think this works miracles, however as the weather has changed my skin has become considerably dryer and I find that using this primer after moisturising helps my base apply and sit a lot smoother! For the price (and this primer always seems to be on offer) I’m really pleased with how it’s come in handy after all because I got it in the summer time and was pretty under-whelmed at first!

 Beauty Protector Protect & Treat Hair Mask - is a new addition and the very first HAIR related thing I’ve spoken about on my blog. As most of your probably know I wear a hijab and personally (I can’t speak for all hijab-wearers) I’m not fussy when it comes to hair care at all, neither do I spend a lot of money investing in different products for it. This mask however has blown me away with how effective it has been in giving my dry hair some nourishment. I got it in this months birchbox (review here) and I will 100% be purchasing the full size because a little goes a long way and the effects are immediate, time to give my locks some TLC on the regular.

Finally in the ‘skincare’ department I have been loving the Good Things Five Minute Facial which is packed with lots of ‘superfruits’ and is free from parabens, Mineral Oils and Animal ingredients. This is the only clay mask (aside from the Una Brennan one) which doesn’t leave my skin feeling incredibly tight and dehydrated. I’ve been using it twice a week which is probably a little excessive but I just adore the soft supple skin that I get everytime I wash it off. Budget friendly and again TLC for the skin, without promising things it doesn’t deliver.

Bourjois Happy Light Foundation in 53 has been my base love this month.  Satin finish, light-medium coverage and the perfect amount of dewiness. Bourjois are known for making some of the best bases in the drugstore, and this is one of their best without a doubt! The only niggle I have with it is that after 7ish hours it can look a tiny bit shiny, but that’s nothing a bit of powder won’t sort out and to it’s credit I do think once you powder after a few hours it looks beautiful and almost freshly applied again (I used the Bourjois healthy balance powder).

Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel - Ok I'm gonna struggle typing out that long name every-time, but yes this beauty is another favourite of mine! It warms the face up, you can add a little more if you want a stronger colour and it manages to contour fairly well too. I was a little uncertain about how to use this because it’s texture is completely different to the Bourjois bronzing primer, but it works nicely with any type of buffing brush so far. Chanel has not disappointed ^_^

Topshop Glow in Gleam - I’ve been using this little thing all month and really enjoying the subtle cream highlight. It looks quite dark in the pot, but on my medium skintone it translates as a subtle but buildable glow on the cheeks! I feel like this and the Soleil de Chanel are a match made in heaven, the finish and mesh together is just stunning. It’s also been quite a nice change switch from powder highlights which can appear a little stark, especially for uni!

Eyelure Individual Lashes Ultra Natural - These little guys are amazing! I have never really been a lashes kinda girl, I guess when you get used to wearing them they don’t feel odd on your eyelids?? But I picked these up a while ago and tried them on and I am in lurrrrve. They’re very easy to apply using tweezers, and with mascara they add a stunning vava voom effect, I kept blinking and fluttering my lashes in the mirror because they looked real but then not real because dayum gurl those lashes are thick, long and so beautiful. Also these are meant to last several days, personally I removed them the same day but according to other reviews they last well! Ok reading that paragraph back makes little sense, but basically every girl needs a pack because these will change your makeup look for the better. I promise.

Lord & Berry Bronzer in Sunny - Another thing from my birchbox is this sample of a bronzer and basically you guys, it is the most PERFECT transition/crease/blending shade I have ever come across. I always used to see a few YouTubers going on about the importance of a transition shade and it’s only now that I have this in my life that I see how it just pulls together the whole look (even if it’s just two colours!). I do want to look into purchasing a custom e/s palette from either Makeup Geek or Anastasia Beverly Hills and if I do I will add this in there straight away.

 

FAIL i’m not sure of the brand ._. - I will edit this when I get the chance, BUT basically at S’n’S I picked up this lipscrub and although I haven’t tried Lush’s I am sure it’s very similar. I’ve never made my own lipscrub before but I know when I’m done with this, I’ll probable be making some because these are a MUST for me now. They exfoliate gently and mean I can wear mattes and lip liners all day without any ickyness. Yay. I’m really happy with the size that is sold, because a little goes a long way and I would happily repurchase this for the flavour if I don’t make my own.

Rimmel Provocalip in Make Your Move - Long-lasting, opaque, flattering brown/pink tone, feels comfortable. I shall not type another word, aside from I LOVE this and I think it’s a shame Lily Pebbles had so much trouble getting her shade off ,_, but I wouldn’t dismiss this shade if you HAVE been put off because I have no issues with it not leaving my lip, when using an oil based cleanser (: I reviewed it here if you want more info.

 

Sheeesh that post felt like it took AGES! But those are my November favourites, thankyou so much for reading!

Please feel free to leave your faves below too!

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November Favourites 2014

Hello everyone! I’ve typed another update post for tomorrow so I won’t make this intro too long, but I have quite a few things to share with you all as I didn’t do an October faves, so on we go.

Requested | How I Cover Up Really Dark Under-eye Circles

Hello everybody! This is one of my most asked about posts, and it’s taken me a long while to finally write it up! I think its probably because I’m worried that the products I recommend won’t work for everyone, so I’ve decided to make it into a bit of a ‘guide to covering up dark circles’ and I’ll explain everything as thoroughly as possible while recommending other products too. (Read: this will be a long one! In fact one of the longest I have written to date ._.)

This post will only really benefit you if you have medium/very dark under eye-circles. Of course please feel free to read if anyways if you don’t, I’m  just throwing it out there! If you have no dark circles/only very slightly then you don’t need to be using all of these products you lucky thing!

 My skintone is around NC30-35 and I have very dark circles. They are partly hereditary and partly because of late nights. The trouble with dark circles it that they impossible to eradicate completely. There are a few things you can try which sometimes do help lighten them, but usually (and unfortunately) they don’t do much. For example placing a thin slice of cucumber, or potatoes on the eyes is said to reduce the darkness, and although it feels very cooling and refreshing there is little evidence that it rids you of darkness. Also Increasing your intake of water is also supposed to help, something we should do anyways because water is EVERYTHING but again it’s probably not going to make a HUGE difference to your under-eyes. A lot of the time people buy fancy expensive eye-creams which promise to rid them of dark circles and…they just don’t work! So that brings us to makeup!

Like I said I do have pretty dark circles, so if you don’t – this will be excessive for you!

My four step routine is as follows:

Moisturise – Correct – Conceal – Set

1. Moisturise using a lightweight, hydrating eye-cream

Why? I know I just dismissed eye-creams a couple of sentences above, but I was talking about those rather expensive ‘talk the talk but don’t walk the walk’ kinda creams y’know? For me it is essential that I use an eye-cream before I start my concealing routine, because my day cream (the Nuxe Reve de Meil Ultra Comfortable Face Cream) is simply too thick and creamy for the delicate under-eye area.

You want to hydrate the area and prepare the area for some pretty thick products or at least 2 or more light layers of makeup! So the moisturising is best done with an eye-cream and there are plenty available on from the drugstore/supermarkets so you don’t have to purchase an over-priced one. If you don’t moisturise your skin and you have any dryness around your eye – you will definitely see concealer cake up and look horrendous ._. so take the time to prep the skin properly!

Currently I have been loving the ‘Good things Bright Eyes Eye Cream’ which is fragrance free as well as paraben and mineral oil free too. The only thing I don’t love about it is it’s claim to reduce dark circles, because it hasn’t for me! But still a good EC!

How do I use it? I simply dot it around the eye area and using my ring finger gently ‘tap’ it in. It’s SO important to be gentle with your under-eye area and vigorously rubbing around the eyes is a major no-no. Also by using a tapping motion you’re more likely to use less product and evenly distribute the amount you do have on places you need to most.

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2. CORRECT The Darkness!

What is it? This is the part which most people skip out on, and then wonder why even with concealer there’s a grey undertone showing through. Dark under-eye circles are essentially dark pigments in the skin. Before we can conceal the skin under the eyes and attempt to brighten it up, we must get that skin to a similar colour to the rest of our face…by colour correcting the darkness!

If you have black/darker under-eye circles then you need a peach shade corrector and if you have blue/green dark circles you need a salmon shade corrector.

 A corrector’s purpose is (funnily enough) to correct and it is the first thing that a makeup artist will do when working on the client. By targeting the area’s on the face that need the most attention and spending a bit more time and effort on it, you are free to then use a light/medium base which gives you a natural look rather than a super heavy full coverage foundation which could result in cake face! (e.g of a beautiful dewy base -Bare Minerals bareskin - reviewed here).

So…correcting = essential for anyone with dark under-eye circles!

How do I use it?

Currently I am using Benefit’s Erase Paste in the shade 3 ‘deep’. I use the Real Technique’s detailer brush (from the Core Collection) and take a small amount out of the tub. Then I  brush the corrector in the inner corner and outer corner around my eye. These are the darkest areas. I always make sure I brush corrector in a C shape, ensuring that darkness is covered above eye level and under the eye also (refer to photo below if confused).

Essentially apply the corrector in the darkest areas around the eye, but don’t over-do it. Correctors are usually made of a thicker consistency than a concealer, so you need to use a small amount and then blend it out with your ring finger. The warmth of your finger will help blend the corrector around your eyes and cover more area without applying LOTS of product. Trying to use a brush to blend out corrector is not going to get you very far because of how thick it is!

In this slightly  comical picture, I have shown where I apply the corrector with the detailer brush. Once it is on I use my ring finger to gently blend it out using the patting motion which spreads out the corrector and allows it’s coverage to spread without applying too much of the creamy stuff!

What correctors are out there?

The disadvantage of correcting is that the drugstore hasn’t really clicked onto it yet. So a lot of the time correctors are expensive, but remember you are only using a small amount (no-where near as much as a brightening/highlighting concealer) and generally a little goes a long way.

The most famous corrector is probably the Bobbi Brown one, however as that is owned by Estee Lauder who support Israel, thus killing lots of innocent babies and women I won't be purchasing from them the brands they own ever again. 

 Another option I used to use was the Benefit Boi-ing concealer in the shade 3, which is orange in tone and a slightly thick/stubborn formula! So I found it much easier to use my fingers to gently apply some of it, however if I bought it again I would warm the concealer up IN the pan,and then use a brush.

The detailer brush has made correcting my dark circles SO much easier because it is flat, small and applies the product exactly where you need it. I also find it easy to add more without disturbing what is underneath (something which is easy to do when you are using your fingers).

Currently the Benefit Erase Paste in the shade 3 is working a treat because it is designed for under eyes and so it’s a tad more creamy than products which are labelled as correctors. Having said that if you use a liquid concealer which is darker in colour, it simply won’t offer as much coverage and you’ll be there for hours layering it up – not to mention your eyes will end up looking an orange mess! Anything liquid-ish for correcting is not going to be effective enough. In fact Goss Wayne even recommends you to use a lipstick if it’s the right shade to correct your dark circles, and we all know how creamy they can be!

So a slightly creamy, thick in texture corrector is essential and a small detailer brush is the best for applying a concentrated amount of corrector onto the darkness.

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3. Conceal and brighten to your heart’s content

This is the part which everyone is fairly familiar with so I will keep it as brief as possible!

Why do it?

So once you have corrected your dark circles, you will find that your under-eye now looks the same or slightly orange/peachier than the rest of your skintone. Some people are lucky in that their dark circles aren’t too bad and so they can correct and conceal in one! (Actually the Erase Paste is a ‘brightening camouflage’ and I think if you have medium dark circles and one of the shades matches you, it could be all you need!). However for most people they want a brighter under-eye, and using a concealer (which is a shade or two lighter than your skintone) will be able to brighten and conceal the area too.

How do I do it?

The number one mistake people make (myself included) is applying too much concealer. The most important thing to remember is NOT to add a tiny line directly under the eye, but to apply a small V shape under the eye. I’m not talking about going all out Kim K highlighting (unless you like to do that of course) but a small V shape will help brighten up the whole under-eye area.

Dot or gently spread the concealer from the inner corner in a diagonal line and the connect it to the outer corner. The using a damp sponge OR your ring finger again, bounce and tap around the eye area to brighten it up! (Sort of demonstrated in the picture below!)

Which concealer is best for me?

I get asked this a lot and to be honest it’s a very hard one to answer for someone else! You need to assess this yourself and I’m afraid sometimes its a case of trial and error! What works for me may not for you, so try and think about what YOU need…is it extra coverage? Brightening? and then set about looking for your near perfect concealer.

Personally I stick to my all time favourite drugstore concealer the ‘Collection lasting perfection’ in shade three. This is such a raved about concealer and that is because it provides fantastic coverage. Most people like to use this for blemishes and find it too thick for under the eyes, however as I keep saying I have pretty dark under eye circles, so as long as I am using a small amount and blending it out well with my finger -  I find its coverage fantastic. I also think that its slightly thicker consistency helps it to adhere to the corrector and NOT disturb/move it around! Which is something that happens when I use my Rimmel wake me up concealer because it is quite runny in consistency. 

On the other hand..after correcting you may find that the darkness is rid and you just want to brighten the area up, in which case look for a illuminating concealer. There are many brands who make these (I’ve heard the collection one is great actually!).

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4. SET IT ALL!

WHY? There are two reasons – firstly setting it will reduce the amount of creasing and secondly it will prolong the corrector and concealer and keep it in place all day!

What I use and how

I use the Ben Nye Banana Powder which I have reviewed here. I love using this rather than a transparent powder as the yellow colour not only brightens the whole area but also adds a tad more coverage – which is always welcome for people who have very dark circles. You can see this in the instagram video I will post ^_^

Taking the Real Techniques setting brush, I pat it gently in  small amount of the powder and gentle pat it on top of the concealed area. It is ESSENTIAL not to pat TOO much because you will have cakey under-eyes not a good look in the slightest. If you are not of a NC30-NC50 (approx) with yellow undertones then look for a powder similar to your skintone or a translucent one. If you have pink undertones, and are fair I’ve heard the bourjois powder (in the cute quaint pot) is a great brightening powder.

And there you have it ladies! My full concealer routine, nothing revolutionary but I’ve been asked to write this so many times I couldn’t put it off any longer haha ^_^

On my instagram @theblushinggiraffe you can see a super quick video of me completing the routine. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to drop me a comment and I really hope this has been helpful for you!

Thanks for reading!

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