Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm Review

Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm: its a product that's pretty well heard of within the beauty world  but today I'm going to be giving my two pennies worth on it. There are plenty of rave reviews on this skincare classic from Clinique, but I started using this towards the end of last year so this isn't like a first impressions type of review. I made my mind up about this months ago yet I still wanted to give it a fair trial as I know our opinions can change. Its not very often that I have had to repurchase skincare but six months and a brand new jar later I think you can already tell how this review is going to go. 

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm Link

Hourglass Hidden Corrective Concealer Review

One of my best beauty discoveries of 2015 so far has hands down been the Hourglass Immaculate Foundation (review here.) In trying to sort out my skin this year I've also been trying not to overload my face with dozens of different products and different brands. Hourglass seems to have been a consistently reliable makeup brand I can turn to without it seeming to upset my skin. Although it is considerably better these days I still have the odd acne scaring and depending on how much sleep I've had the night before - darkness around my eye area. So a few months ago I decided to give the Hourglass Hidden Concealer a whirl. It is definitely a product that goes hand in hand with Immaculate!

Taking Care In The Sun - Clinique SPF 30 Body Cream

I am guilty to admit that in the past I have neglected taking proper care of myself in the sun. I'm sure we've all been there at some point, whether you caught the sun by accident or deliberately to catch some rays in the hope of getting your pins looking a bit more bronzed. However there is more and more evidence out there to suggest the effects of sun damage and I for one have vowed to avoid another summer of sore lobster coloured flesh.

Clinique SPF 30 Body Cream  - Link

Products I've Used Up | Empties #8

I'm back with another empty products post - I have been storming through the empties this year! I'm splitting the empties up into two categories Bath & Body and then Makeup like I did in my last post. Starting with a new empty product for me, a dry shampoo (I know this isn't really classed as a bath or body product but it didn't fit anywhere else today!)

Skin Update: Managing Adult Acne

Since starting this blog I've openly mentioned my skin problems, but I've never properly taken the time to talk about it in a dedicated post - until today that is. However I think I have finally reached a stage where my skin seems to be quite happy and I wanted to share how I've got there for anyone who may be in the same boat suffering from adult acne. I'm not going to be mentioning the exact products that I have been using as such because I think that sort of stuff should be saved for another post and I may eventually write up my skincare routine. Today I just want to focus on the changes I made to improve my skin. 

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick | Amazing Grace

If you caught my recent Selfridges haul you will already have seen that I made my first ever Charlotte Tilbury purchases a couple of weeks ago, and today I'm talking about the matte revolution lipstick I picked up in the shade Amazing Grace. Ahead of my

Disappointing Products #2

Another installment of disappointing products today on the blog! I'm going to be talking about a handful of products that didn't quite meet my expectations...

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer

In the last couple of months I have become completely besotted by Hourglass makeup, it is a brand that has been popping up a lot lately on my blog. Their products continue to blow me away and my latest Hourglass love comes in the form of their brand new Ambient Bronzer. I have been waiting patiently for the release of these for what seems like ages now and I finally got my hands on one Friday, which you may have already spotted in yesterday's haul. Today I am going to be doing a first impressions type post and the shade I picked up was Luminous Bronze Light.

Summer Beauty Haul | Real Techniques, Hourglass, John Frieda & more

All of a sudden we find ourselves in the middle of May (!) and bloody hell, summers right on the doorstep now. I went shopping yesterday intending to buy only one thing and ended up coming home with a few more bits than I expected to, but lets just call it getting ready for summer...

MAC Lipstick Collection

Grab a cup of tea and get comfortable in your seats as today I'm going to be sharing my Mac lipstick collection. Everyone loves a Mac lippy and its one of those classic nosey blogger's post that I myself always find quite interesting and so I thought I'd share my own stash. I suppose I ought to start with the usual disclaimer that comes with these sort of posts. This is in no way bragging -  all the lipsticks have been paid for with my own money (minus the odd birthday /Christmas treat) and the majority of these purchases have been well researched and thought out. Lipstick is probably one of, if not my favourite makeup item hence my army of little black Mac bullets.

I turn 23 this summer and I currently own a collection of 23 Mac lipsticks, and so it seemed like an appropriate time to share this post. Of course 23 lipsticks is an absurd amount to own, and nobody ever needs that amount of lipsticks, but naturally I've got my reasons for owning this many Mac lippys'. As you may be able to tell from the pictures above I like wearing lots of different colours, I don't just stick to nudes or pinks or whatever. Although since starting my collection nearly two years ago, I have discovered my favourite shade to wear (if you know by now) is a red, and shock horror I only have two reds in my entire Mac collection.

I'm going to do this post in the order in which I've photographed them above, which is sort of nudes, darks, and then brights. I'll do a quick summary plus my thoughts on them and if I've written blog posts on them I'll link them here. I'm not going to be doing swatches with this post as I'd be there forever swatching 23 colours plus you can find them all online anyway!

The 'Nudes.'

L-R Double Shot, Creme Cup, Lovelorn, Angel.

Double Shot - [Amplified] A browny pink nude lipstick, very creamy and opaque. Great for pale skinned girls like me because of the hint of pink also looks amazing on darker skin tones making it a very versatile lipstick.

Creme Cup - [Cremesheen] A cool toned pink and one of the cult classic MAC nudes. I've seen this lipstick look gorgeous on so many people but it just does not suit me, something about cool toned nudes just completely wash me out.

Lovelorn - [Lustre] This is another cool toned pink but this lipstick is quite sheer and has just a tiny bit more brightness to it which you can see from the bullet it looks a bit darker compared to the others next to it, and so I can manage to pull this lipstick off!

Angel - [Frost] Here we have a slightly warmer pink with subtle hints of silver, its another cult classic from MAC. And is yet again another lipstick which doesn't quite sit too right on me. I wish I could pull of a nude lipstick as I love how they look on other people!

The 'Darks.

L-R Up The Amp, Heavenly Hybrid (LE) Cyber, Rebel, Russian Red, Lady Bug

Up The Amp - [Amplified] A creamy light purple, great for anyone who wants to start wearing purples but isn't brave enough to branch out to anything too dramatic. If you're not careful this lipstick can wash you out a little, plus the colour really makes your teeth appear quite yellow and for those reasons its not the most flattering of lipsticks.

Heavenly Hybrid - Limited Edition [Lustre] A sheer purply pink lipstick from the Fantasy of Flowers Collection. I really like this lipstick as I find its the perfect balance of not too purple not too pink. It looks gorgeous on.

Cyber - [Satin] Still the most intimidating lipstick in my entire collection to date, I've written a full post here. I have to admit I was actually only brave enough to wear this out the house once back in the winter I believe? I think that unless very dark vampy lips are your 'thing' this lipstick is rather limited maybe I'll be braver this winter.

Rebel - [Satin] Now this ... ah Rebel is one of my top Mac lipsticks and unlike the last lipstick I spoke about this is one I've gotten so much wear from. I love it! I'd describe it as a sultry berry red. Quite matte but not at all drying its very comfortable to wear  - the longevity of this is pretty impressive as the dark colour stains your lips. This is such a versatile lipstick as you can make it day time appropriate with the whole berry lips sort of vibe or you can really vamp it up dramatically for an edgier look. Great autumn/winter staple makeup item.

Russian Red - [Matte] A gorgeous classic cherry red lipstick its a little cool toned and makes your teeth look nice and white which I love about this. Its long wearing because of its matte formula but it isn't drying, its quite creamy considering. Goes perfectly with Cherry lip pencil.

Lady Bug - [Lustre] A sheer almost glossy pinky red. This is a pretty lipstick but its a bit high maintenance because its not matte it seems to slip around a bit and doesn't have good staying power at all.

L-R Syrup, Craving, Amorous, Twig, Girl About Town, Show Orchid

Syrup - [Lustre] A beautiful muted pink berry lipstick. On me I find that this has a bit of a purple tone to it and so I especially love this lipstick in the autumn/winter months. Its sheer because of the lustre finish but I find you can build this up quite a bit if you want to.

Craving - [Amplified] This is virtually the more opaque version of Syrup. Very similar in colour but this is more pigmented.

Amorous - [Satin] A browny pink berry this is actually a gorgeous lipstick and I really like this again in the autumn months. Very long wearing because its quite matte which I like about Amorous.

Twig - [Satin] Another browny pink woops. I've written a full review here. Not going to lie I sort of bought this one because of the hype around it - I definitely didn't need another lipstick in this colour!

Girl About Town - [Amplified] A blue toned fuchsia pink very flattering lipstick which I purchased before the next lipstick I'm going to speak about Show Orchid, which it is very similar to and I don't think that you need both of these in your collection.

Show Orchid - [Amplified] I absolutely adore this lipstick, its stunning. A vibrant fuchsia pink with a subtle hint of silver shimmer. Its creamy but not so creamy it slips around I find this one of the longer wearing amplified lipsticks I own from Mac so its great on evenings out. Definitely one of my favourites and I'd pick this over GAT any day.

The Brights.

L-R Brick-O-La, Saigon Summer, Dreaming Dahlia (LE) Morange, Vegas Volt, Impassioned

Brick-O-La - [Amplified] A berry red and on my skin leans ever so slightly on the orange side - I really like this its surprisingly easy to thrown on and wear. Quite versatile I would imagine.

Saigon Summer - [Cremesheen] Best described as very orange! I've written a full review here. Its orange with a hint of gold shimmer to it and leans quite yellow toned - another guilty culprit of making your teeth look more yellow than they are sadly.

Dreaming Dahlia - Limited Edition [Lustre] A sheer orange red, very pretty but sadly another limited edition that I picked up in the Fantasy of Flowers collection, reviewed in this post.

Morange - [Amplified] Oh Morange. I have mixed feelings about this lipstick. I adore the colour its a hot orange which is stunning come summer however I think the formula lets it down - its just a bit too thick and creamy, it slips around on my lips and I just don't find it the easiest to wear which is a shame.

Vegas Volt - [Amplified] A peachy coral orange and a very underrated lipstick in my opinion. This is gorgeous and one of my favourites for Spring, its great when you want a pop of colour to your face.

Impassioned - [Amplified] a vibrant pink with a hit of peachyness to it. Another of my top lipsticks its quite unique to other pinks. Full review here.

Kelly Yum-Yum (LE)

Kelly Yum-Yum - Limited Edition [Satin] a bright neon pink and leans more fuchsia than the original Candy Yum-Yum. Its got an amazingly comfortable finish, very easy to wear and great for those vibrant makeup looks especially during summer.

Phew! And there we have it - my Mac lipstick collection.

 What are your favourite Mac lipsticks? Feel free to link me up if you've shared your Mac lipstick collection as I love to have a nose myself!

Shiseido Eyelash Curlers, Worth The Money?

A little while ago now I finally invested in a proper pair of eyelash curlers when Feel Unique had an offer on. By 'proper' I mean a pair of eyelash curlers I haven't paid like £2 on from Boots or wherever. My natural eyelashes are pretty non existent and I've struggled over the years to make them even slightly noticeable. And although I've just accepted now that I'm never going to have lusciously long lashes, I was still interested to see how a high end pair of curlers compared to my usual cheapy ones. So as I mentioned when Feel Unique had a discount on at the start of the year I picked up the Shiseido eyelash curlers.

Now I'm no expert on eye makeup and I wont pretend to be, so keep that in mind as you read, I'm just going to do a brief review of these and answer the question are these worth the £19 price tag? The very first thing I noticed is how much wider the Shiseido curlers are in comparison to my old curlers, and I have noticed that when using these my eyes do look more open as these are able to curl more lashes. Another thing is that the Shiseido curlers seem very firm and the rubber pad grips the lashes nice and comfortably.

These are undoubtedly quick and easy to use and open up your eyes because of that wide shape however, in my honest opinion its nothing that a £2 pair of eyelash curlers wouldn't be able to do. There was no wow factor for me. I know that my natural lashes are notoriously difficult to make appear nice so it could be that and these might work really well for someone else, but for me I'm not sure I'd hurry out and spend out on them unless they were discounted again with like a 20% off or whatever. I don't regret buying these as there isn't anything wrong with them and they do have a few benefits to them like the wide shape but I was just expecting a bit more of a wow effect.

QOTD: Have you tried the Shiseido eyelash curlers? Do you have any other recommendations for me to try?

Selfridges Splurge: London Beauty Haul

At the beginning of last week my friend Ayesha and I made spontaneous plans to take a trip into London for a girly shopping day. We both had the day off and Selfridges was just calling our names. You've got to love a last minute plan, especially when it concerns Selfridges. We don't live that far from London but I still only really get round to going once or twice a year, but it makes it all the more exciting when I get there.

On my first trip to Selfridges last year, I think I must have been a little overwhelmed by the vast beauty halls as I managed to miss taking a look at some of the exclusive brands that we don't have at home, think Tom Ford, Charlotte Tilbury, Illamasqua. So when I went earlier this week I made sure to take full advantage and drool after absolutely everything. As you can see from the above picture, the counter I was most awed by was Charlotte Tilbury - this was very nearly a 'Charlotte Tilbury Haul' apart from a cheeky Burberry purchase I managed to snap up in John Lewis.

I had done my research and so I had a few lipsticks in mind that I knew I would be swatching at the Charlotte Tilbury counter and I did end up buying the two I had my eyes on most. These were the Matte Revolution lipstick in Amazing Grace (because we all need a lipstick with our name in it) and the K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipstick in Velvet Underground. Two very different but very me lipstick choices. I then decided to get the lip pencil Pink Venus to go with Amazing Grace. I'll be popping up reviews with my thoughts on the lip products in the next few weeks! And then the only non lip related purchase I made was the eye shadow pencil in Champagne Diamonds a colour best suited for the blue eyed lady. I'm so chuffed with all my Charlotte Tilbury purchases and am very happy to finally own some bits in my collection, everything from the packaging to the products themselves seem amazing.

And lastly, one little sneaky purchase I actually stumbled across in the Oxford Street John Lewis was from the Burberry counter. I had a little moment when I spotted Burberry. Again the packaging and quality of the makeup just looks fantastic. Being a lover of the red lip you can imagine my delight when I spotted Military Red, a gorgeous classic red lipstick. Ah got to love a trip to London to make the most of all the beauty bits you can't buy at home!

QOTD: What would you splurge on at Selfridges?

Hourglass Immaculate Foundation Review

I've been looking forward to doing this review on my blog for a while now, but I knew that I wanted to take my time and collect all my thoughts on it carefully before writing them down. But basically the Hourglass Immaculate Liquid to Powder Foundation has been an enormous game changer for me. I had never even heard of this foundation but as I explained in my recent haul a lady working on the Hourglass counter introduced me to it and I sort of haven't looked back since.

Immaculate is a liquid foundation but as the name suggests it does turn to powder making it a matte foundation. I've never owned a matte foundation but I was willing to give this a go as its supposedly great for acne prone skin because it absorbs your skin's natural oils which as a result gives you this fantastically long wearing foundation, two big ticks already. When you apply this foundation it feels lovely and silky, not what I expected from something claiming to be matte - however because it does turn to powder you don't want to hang around buffing this into the skin as it sort of sets relatively quickly.

Once buffed into the skin (recommended with a brush) this foundation becomes what I can only describe as weightless, it literally feels like I'm not wearing a scrap of makeup which for a medium to full coverage foundation is amazing. This tackles redness, covers blemishes well and gives my skin an effortlessly flawless finish. I was expecting the finish to be somewhat flat because it is a matte foundation however it makes your skin look so vibrant and healthy.

One thing that I would say is that properly moisturizing your face and neck ahead of using this is essential because of its matte tendencies or it will highlight any dryness. But as long as you apply a moisturizer beforehand you should be fine. My skin type is normal so I can get away with wearing this however if you are dry then I'm not sure how well this foundation would work, however for all the oily skinned girls out there this would be fabulous.

I was matched to the shade porcelain which is an absolutely perfect match to my skin tone. Since using this my skin has seemed a lot calmer, I haven't had any crazy out of control breakouts. My skin just seems to agree with this foundation, I can wear it on a daily basis and it doesn't cause any breakouts which is another bonus as I find so many foundations upset my skin.

I cannot even begin to explain what this foundation has done for me in terms of confidence and for that alone it has been worth every penny for me.  Which brings me on to the price tag, yes this is probably one of the heftiest priced foundations on the market at a steep £50 but the quality is 100% reflected in the price. To me it has no downfalls at all which makes it worth the money, it honestly lasts on your face all day so you don't need to make touch ups meaning what you apply in the morning will still be looking as good by the time you go to take it off. It comes in a glass bottle with a pump which feels quite luxurious but I suppose you would expect that from such a high end product.

Before Immaculate I had lost a bit of love and trust in my foundations as none of them were cutting it either the shades weren't right or the coverage wasn't there. Basically I wasn't very satisfied but now I actually look forward to putting on my makeup each morning as I know I am going to get gorgeous results every time. Definitely the best makeup purchase I've made this year.

Wearing Hourglass Immaculate Foundation

QOTD: Have you tried Immaculate? What's your favourite high end foundation?

Fragrance Focus: Jo Malone Plum Blossom

Earlier this month Jo Malone released the brand new Blue Skies & Blossoms collection, a 'playful and carefree collection of scents' which saw the release of three of the brands most popular blossom fragrances. Jo Malone, limited edition, blossoms? I was all over it. As soon as I heard the collection had hit the stores I was up to my local boutique to take a sniff of the three limited edition offerings. Honestly I thought they were all stunning but at £86 a pop, buying all three was clearly out the question. A girl can dream right?

I had in my hand three white Jo Malone paper test sticks with each of the new blossom scents sprayed on them, and I could have happily done an eeny-meeny-miny-moe and still walk away satisfied. However one scent did stick out to me most and that was the Plum Blossom cologne: succulent, juicy and so, so feminine. Although it smells nothing like Orange Blossom, Plum Blossom does remind me of it slightly in the way that it is both flowery yet fruity as well. Slightly on the rich side - but still very fresh and not at all 'heavy', this is one of those colognes that is quite distinguishable on the skin. I recommend spraying this behind the ear as the scent settles easily on the skin there and you are often left catching whiffs of its loveliness as your hair moves.

Effortlessly elegant with a subtly flirty edge, Plum Blossom makes me feel rather sweet and ladylike.
Whenever I wear this perfume I get the notion that I ought to whip on a pretty maxi skirt, the sort that flows gracefully when you walk and generally makes you feel like a bit of a feminine goddess. Such a beautiful scent. I'm sure I say this with all my JM's but Plum Blossom could fit any occasion, a real classic and suitable come day or night. Inspired by spring blossoms perhaps but this would work timelessly all year round. This could smell incredibly sexy and edgier with one of the Cologne Intense range - I'm thinking maybe a combination with Oud & Bergamot or Tuberose Angelica... oooh. I'll report back.

And, oh did I mention how much I adore the bottle? Housed with true Jo Malone styled limited edition embellishments, the usually classic silver lid replaced with royal purple and a cute as a button bow. I couldn't be more smitten.

QOTD: Have you taken a look at the Blue Skies and Blossoms collection from Jo Malone?

Quick Tip: Smooth Feet Guaranteed

Feet. The word alone is enough to make some shudder and grimace. But whether you like feet or not its coming up to that time of year again where they begin to make an appearance out in public. Sandals, backless shoes, flip flops will all be getting fished out the back of the wardrobes before long. The feet are a part of the body that seem to get a bit of a bad reputation and as a result they can become something that people become very conscious about.

Having worked as a Foot Health Practitioner for the last year now, this is a topic I know well. If you're after smooth feet this summer, it really can be as simple as you make it.

Step 1: You need to reduce the hard skin. This is where a professional* comes in, we are properly trained to use tools and equipment that are most effective in reducing hard skin and we can get to all those 'hard to reach' areas on the foot - remember hard skin isn't just restricted to your heels.

Step 2: You must maintain a regular foot care routine. Its all very well getting a professional to eliminate your hard skin, but you need to keep it up because at the end of the day if you're active and on your feet frequently it will eventually come back. Getting into a routine is going to help maintain the condition of your feet: make it simple so its something you know you will keep up with it. Applying a foot cream daily will help keep the skin smooth. CCS Foot Care Cream is what I use on my clients and my own feet, its available to buy in Boots  (would anyone be interested in a full review? Comment below!) Foot files and other at home foot care devices are useful to buff away dead skin in between the practitioner's visits.

Step 3: Arrange a follow up treatment plan.  Usually schedule a revisit within a couple of months. I visit clients on a regular basis who comply to a foot care routine with me visiting and their maintenance in between and the results are clear to see.

Step 4: Enjoy flaunting your feet. If you follow these steps you will notice a difference fairly quickly!

My own heels.

* To find Foot Health Practitioners in your area its often worth checking out local magazines.

Products I've Used Up | Empties #7

Time for another instalment of empty products! I have a lot to get through today! So I'm going to do today's empty products post a little differently than normal by splitting it up into a couple of categories and writing a short review on each product underneath and if I've already written a post about it I will link it up there.

Hair & Skincare.

VO5 Cherish My Colour Shampoo & Conditioner. I wrote a full hair care post a little while ago featuring these two products. I liked these together, thought that they maintained clean looking hair however I don't think that they did a lot in prolonging the life of the colour. I would buy these again though purely as they are affordable everyday hair products.

Vaseline Antiperspirant Active Fresh. I'm usually a Sure deodorant girl but the Vaseline ones were on offer and thought I'd give them a go. Fine for day to day use but wouldn't recommend them ahead of a sweaty gym session as my armpits weren't quite so fresh smelling compared to my usual Sure one.

Cotton pads. In every single empty post I do I think, as always I get these from Aldi as they are most reasonable and good quality.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Facial Wipes. Ehh. In theory these wipes felt very delicate, they had a mild, clean not too overpowering fragrance but the occasional time I had a lazy evening and wanted to use a wipe to remove my makeup this made my face so irritated, patchy red and generally unhappy. I felt these tugged too much they weren't gentle at all. I ended up using these to take off stubborn lipstick. Not for me, and they weren't cheap either so wouldn't repurchase.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion + 50ml. I got this when feeling a little spendy in Clinique on my holiday back in December. And this has turned out to be my holy grail moisturiser as it is the only one I've found I can wear without breaking my skin out. Full review here. The only thing I would say about the 50ml is that its not the best in terms of value for money compared to the 125ml.

Bath & Body.

Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel. Couple of winter bath and body products in this category. The Snow Fairy is a sickly sweet as candy body wash that you've just got to buy in the build up to Christmas. Full review here.

See By Chloe Fragrance 30ml. This time last year I had a real Chloe fad and while I still think they are nice fragrances I would far rather spend my money in Jo Malone as the scents are more unique and bespoke. See By Chloe is lovely for spring and summer though and I prefer this to the original Chloe I think, full review here. I wouldn't buy this again.

The Body Shop Glazed Apple Body Butter. Oh my. This had to be one of my favourite butters from TBS ever! This was released as limited edition part of their Christmas stock and I so hope it gets re released this year. Full review here. I would definitely get this again.

The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil Body Butter. I bought this when the new Argan Oil range came to TBS as I'd never really tried argan oil body products - just thought it was for hair. While it was nice and nourishing due to the rich oil as an ingredient, I think there are nicer options. The smell isn't all that nice and you want a body butter to smell pleasant right? Full review here.

Lush Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter. This is very effective at what it does at softening your cuticles and generally polishing your hands off nicely in the winter - if you can hack the lemon fragrance its quite strong. My one grumble is that because Lush uses fresh ingredients I found that it went off quite quickly.I had only used a little amount, forgot about it for a few months and by the time I went back to it it had gone off and had to chuck it out. Wouldn't buy again for this reason. I think a smaller pot and smaller price tag would be better.

Bath & Body Works Bubble Gum Sanitiser. I didn't mind the smell of this once upon a time, but my tastes changed and towards the end I found this so cheap and tacky smelling. I wouldn't buy such an overpowering hand cleaner again but go for a milder smelling one.

Makeup.

Soap & Glory Supercat liner pen. I'm including this in my empties as although it hasn't actually fully dried up as such - you could still use this if you were desperate its just that the pens got a bit old and therefore it doesn't create such a neat line. I'm  no pro at liner but this is the best one I've ever tried and have since replaced this with three more when Soap & Glory makeup was on 3 for 2!

Rimmel Brow This Way. This is a bit of a frustrating product as you can see its not completely empty there's quite a bit of product at the bottom but you can't get to it unfortunately. This isn't the best setting product either, my brows still get a bit unruly when using this. But for an affordable price tag it does the job okay. I would probably pick this up again but only the next time there is an offer on I think.

QOTD: What products have you used up recently?

Clinique Dramatically Different Review

Today I thought it was time to finally review my holy grail daily moisturizer on the old blog! I tend to always take skincare related posts or Youtube videos with a pinch of salt because at the end of the day everyone's skin is so different and what works for one person may not for another. However despite that fact everyone just seems to love a bit of a skincare post don't they? And so here I am telling you about my favourite daily moisturizer the famous yellow cream from Clinique: their Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+. This seems to be a bit of a Marmite product in the beauty world - but I belong to the team that sings its praises!

Its taken me a long while to find a skincare product that actually works for me, I've tried my fair share of facial moisturizers that just haven't worked for me. Origins GinZing - loved everything about it apart from the small fact that it broke me out in hot unpleasant spots, similarly I had the same sort of results with the Clarins Daily Energizer  to name just a few of the top of my head. Looking back I think either my skin doesn't like those more gel like formulas or it was the fact that a lot of what I'd tried were quite highly scented? Fragranced skincare is supposedly a huge factor in contributing to these breakouts.

As I've mentioned many times now I've had a lot of issues with hormonal breakouts anyway in the last few months so I really wanted to find a facial moisturizer that would just agree with me and do its job at giving my skin some much needed hydration. I don't have oily skin, and its not dry either but in areas it just needs a bit more moisture especially around my nose.

And so onto how I find this moisturizer from Clinique - keep in mind I never tried the 'original formula' either because apparently this had a revolutionary change in the last few years and a lot of people who used to enjoy it didn't like those changes. But as I say I don't have any comparison to the original.

This yellow looking cream isn't particularly fancy by any means. When you pump out the cream it does in fact turn out to be the same yellow looking colour it is in the bottle, however as soon as it is massaged into the skin it becomes transparent. Another thing that you notice straight away is that it is unfragranced, for me this is not an issue but I know for some it would be as many tend to enjoy a moisturizer that comes with a scent.

Dramatically Different + is very light in texture and sinks in to your skin easily meaning its perfect for every day use, it absorbs very quickly and is a great base ahead of makeup. I don't ever find this sticky or greasy feeling. For me one pump is enough to cover my entire face but I usually use another small pump as well to allow for my neck area. I use this day and night because as I've mentioned this is the only moisturizer that I've tried that does not give me nasty breakouts.

Supposedly this cream is meant to strengthen your skins moisture barrier meaning that overtime the lotion becomes more effective and I would say that since using this my skin seems to accept the hydration of a moisturizer better. Obviously aside from the odd hormonal breakout my skin is generally very smooth feeling and it is definitely a result of using this.

I've been using this now since December when I first picked up my first Clinique skincare bits - I got a small 50ml bottle to start with to check my skin agreed with it and have since gone on to purchase the full size 125ml. I'm really happy with the results its never broken me out and my skin is smooth and hydrated. I think that this will definitely always be a moisturizer that I can safely rely on to give me exactly what I need without any fuss. As you can see I've used a fair amount up but I literally use it religiously twice a day and I think that this should easily see me straight through to the summer months, although I will have to remember that this doesn't contain SPF...

QOTD: Have you ever used Clinique Dramatically Different Lotion?

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette

Towards the end of last year Hourglass released its limited edition three shade blush palette and it was safe to admit that the beauty loving world swooned at its loveliness. At the time of its release around Christmas I knew that a hefty £50 splurge on a blusher palette was the last thing I needed however much I coveted after this gorgeous temptation from Hourglass. Now I know that I might be a bit of a tease in writing this post as generally speaking it is now unavailable to buy because it was limited edition. However my local counter at a John Lewis department store miraculously had a few left over.

Last month when I saw that they still had some of the limited edition stock left I was extremely tempted but walked away and told myself if it was still there the next time I happen to go past I would get it. When I went back earlier this week, a palette still remained. And so I could resist the temptation no longer. The moral of this story is that if you didn't get your hands on this palette at the time and you are still after it, it may be worth a scope around your nearest counters! You never know.

This is undoubtedly the most beautiful item of makeup that I own to date, visually everything from the packaging to the three shades of deliciously pigmented powders are just a dream to look at. What I like about the palette is that each of the three shades, Luminous Flash, Incandescent Electra and Mood Exposure offer something slightly different meaning I will probably never need to buy another blusher again! Luminous Flash is a gorgeous rosy pink, while Incandescent Elecrta has a peachy tone to it and Mood Exposure is more on the plum side of things also meaning that this palette will see you perfectly through all the seasons.

Not a cheap investment to say the least, however to buy the blushers individually these cost £28 and although you get less product as the trio it does works out cheaper per blusher plus they are all in one convenient palette. I do believe that Incandescent Elecrta is limited only to this palette, so you can't buy that on its own - this also happens to be my favourite in the palette as I do love me a peachy hued blush. Needless to say all three look stunning when applied, they create a gorgeous natural glow that catches the light making them really illuminating without making you look overdone. I am besotted with this beautiful palette, it was well worth my patient waiting to get my hands on it!

QOTD: Did you manage to get hold of the Hourglass Ambient Blush Palette?

Chanel Rouge Allure Gloss | Affriolant

This is the first time in over a year's worth of blogging that I am writing a full posted dedicated to a lip gloss - probably because I tend mainly to only be into my lipsticks! However lip gloss is something I have been interested to get a bit more into wearing, and I'd seen a lot about the new line of Chanel Rouge Allure glosses. If you own any of the Chanel Allure lipsticks you will be aware of the sleek packaging and these follow in the same innovative principal 'colour and shine lipgloss in one click' these are designed to be as intense as lipsticks in terms of colour pay off while still remaining very much a gloss.

After trying a few different colours on at the counter I settled for number 13 Affriolant, a stunning pink with hints of coral. What I like about this is that you can go for quite a sheer look with just one layer or you can build it up to achieve a more opaque covering of the gloss. You really do get the colour pay off with this lipgloss - I've had quite a few people mistake it for lipstick asking me 'oh what lipstick are you wearing?' Though that doesn't mean that it isn't glossy or shiny - it gives you a luscious sheen on the lips that make them look so full and puckered. This is such a beautiful feminine lip product that when I'm wearing always makes me feel very ladylike.

The wear time is surprisingly impressive for a gloss lasting a good four hours with a subtle stain behind on the lips. Its extremely comfortable to wear the texture isn't at all sticky or too thick like some glosses. It goes without saying that the packaging is on the money with the timelessly classic black and gold and Chanel logo on the wand that clicks smartly in to place. Also I think the doe foot applicator is the perfect shape to trace the lips with ease. I've been absolutely loving wearing this and will be a stunning addition to my collection particularly through the upcoming Spring/Summer months.

Wearing Chanel Rouge Allure Gloss in Affriolant

QOTD: Have you tried any of the Chanel Rouge Allure Glosses?

Fragrance Focus: Jo Malone Orange Blossom

If there's one thing I love the most, it certainly has to be a new fragrance discovery. Especially when its in the form of a Jo Malone Cologne... You wouldn't think it if you looked out the window right now at the rain splashing down, but Spring is on our doorstep here. There are promises of the new season arriving everywhere:, from the daffodils brightly decorating our streets, birds singing outside and the evenings gradually getting lighter. With Spring setting in and influencing my moods, I feel myself drifting away from those rich, spicy colognes I love in Winter in favour of lighter floral options.

Orange Blossom is a bit of a crowd pleaser as its a delightfully fresh balance of both fruity and flowery notes. This is categorized as part of the 'floral' family in Jo Malone's range and while I would agree that there is definitely an element of the blossoms lingering in the scent, I predominantly pick up on the orange. Orange Blossom is such a beautiful fragrance and has an oddly energizing effect that just instantly picks my mood up as soon as its sprayed and it becomes even more delicious as it warms on the skin. I always feel very feminine and sweet whenever I wear this, but not in a sickly sweet way! Unlike some citrus, fruity scents that can come across as a bit cheap and god-forbid smell like a cleaning product - Orange Blossom almost has this creaminess so it is more of like a creamy orange.

A perfect fragrance for these Spring months and following right through to Summer (it would be a gorgeous holiday scent!) I've definitely picked this up at the ideal time as it will be getting plenty of use I can imagine. I would say that this is suitable for daytime wear but is also lovely and special enough to dress up in the evenings too. I love mixing and matching my scents, and for a slightly warmer evening appropriate scent I like it combined with Dark Amber & Ginger Lily - I have this in the 9ml travel size bottle from the Christmas set. Dark Amber & Ginger Lily makes for a more heady and slightly sexier scent. I can imagine that the body wash would be amazing in this range as I love uplifting shower gels! Orange Blossom is definitely my favourite scent at the moment.

QOTD: Have you smelt Orange Blossom?