If I had to choose my favourite time of the day, it would 100% be the time where I get to take off all my makeup and go ahead with my evening skincare routine. I don’t know about you, but I find it’s one of the best feelings in the world when your face is freshly washed and hydrated ready for the night’s sleep.

The Secret to a Brighter Smile with BlanX Pro Range

I have always been a little self-conscious about my teeth. As a young teenager, my teeth were wonky and crooked that it took a year and a half of braces to sort them out. My main issue however has always been the colour of my teeth, they are slightly stained and I purely put that down to the fact I drink Coca Cola and tea on an everyday basis (oops).

I have tried a few teeth whitening products here and there, but I have never really noticed a huge difference until now.

Soph X Makeup Revolution Extra Spice Palette

I was beyond excited to hear that Soph was releasing a new eyeshadow palette in collaboration with Revolution (which is by far one of my favourite drug store brands). I purchased her highlighter palette previously and very quickly, that became my most used palette on an everyday occasion. Everybody and their mothers were talking about Soph’s first ever eyeshadow palette which I actually never bought. I will say that I find the overall layout of the Extra Spice palette way more interesting than the first. 

Glossier. Worth the hype?

If you haven’t already heard of Glossier then where have you been? I understand that I’m a little bit late on the trend here however everybody and their mother has been raving about this brand which has recently launched in the UK.

I placed a Glossier order myself and officially fell into the Glossier hype. The brand sells a range of skincare and beauty products. I did a ton of research on which products I thought I would benefit from because let’s be real here, they are a bit pricey (in my own personal opinion).

In all honesty, none of the makeup items really stood out to me as much as some of the skincare products did however what stood out to me the most with this brand as a whole was the simplistic yet beautiful packaging. Also the fact that I knew my purchase would come with a packet of cute stickers in which I can customize onto my products brought me a lot of joy, and of course it was the first thing I did when I opened the package.

The Perfect Autumn Palette with Juvia's Place

I’m pretty sure that I’m a little bit late on the bandwagon with this product. Juvia’s Place is a brand that provides us with the most vibrant, rich and highly pigmented eyeshadow palettes. I’ve heard and seen a ton of YouTube videos featuring some of the incredible eyeshadows and I wanted to get my hands on them straight away. Don’t quote me on this but I believe Juvia’s Place was only available in the United States however Beauty Bay have recently launched the products in the UK.  

Skincare Saviours

For a while my skin has been playing up and has been having frequent mood swings I guess you can say. One day, I’d wake up with normal skin and a glowing complexion then next day it would be full of redness and the occasional spot. Even I have no idea what’s been going on but it’s been very annoying to say the least.

Although it’s finally starting to control itself, I have been using these two products which I feel like have been making a huge difference within the appearance of my skin. 

Improving My Skin with Palmer's Skincare Range

For someone who suffers with dry skin, I have an obsession with hydrating skincare products. I am a huge fan of the original Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula lotion so as you could imagine, I was super excited when Palmers offered to send me some goodies from their skincare range. So if you’re anything like me and you’re wanting to improve dehydrated skin, then look no further than these affordable products. Warning: You will become obsessed.

I seem to go on and on about how I don’t like using wipes for makeup removal as I find it too harsh on my skin therefore as an alternative, I stick to micellar waters or oil based cleansers. This is where Palmer’s UltraGentle Facial Cleansing Oil* comes in handy. I use two generous pumps of this to massage in circular motions on a damp, makeup-caked face then I rinse thoroughly with warm water. Despite wearing waterproof mascara, this cleanser dissolved impurities and all traces of makeup within seconds leaving my skin feeling soft and cleansed whilst also giving it that glorious Palmer’s Cocoa Butter smell which I adore. This cleanser contains 8 pure oils: Apricot, Argan, Soybean, Sesame, Sweet Almond, Grape Seed, Jojoba and Rice Bran oil. The cleanser doesn’t leave any excess oil on the skin which is something I’m very fussy about and it claims to be suitable for all skin types as well as safe for sensitive skin AND it’s cruelty free!

To me, there’s nothing better than pampering your skin with a face mask once a week and I’m pretty sure I have found my new favourite mask. Palmer’s Purifying Enzyme Mask* helps to purify, exfoliate and smooth your skin. I don’t know why but clay masks are my all-time favourites, I get a weird sense of satisfaction every time I use one (is that weird lol?). This mask uses natural Kaolin Clay which lifts out impurities within minutes to deeply purify and cleanse the skin whilst Papaya Enzyme gently exfoliates resulting in baby soft skin. It says you can use this mask up to 3 times a week however I only like to use it once a week for an extra pampering treat! You only need to apply a thin layer of this and it completely dries in the next 10-15 minutes. You can then rinse off with warm water to reveal your soft and cleansed skin. I loved how this mask didn’t seem to dry my skin out any more than what it already was.

This next product is what I was most excited about trying. I’m going to admit that I have never tried any face oils in the past purely for the fact that most of them seem very expensive. Palmer’s Multi-Effect Perfecting Facial Oil* is on the market for just £9.99 which I think is an amazing price considering it contains the added benefits of Retinol (Vitamin A) which is an extremely effective ingredient that helps to visibly increases the appearance of firmness, diminish the look of fine lines and wrinkles, smooths and refines the surface of the skin and improves uneven skin tone. It’s very hard to find a product which contains Retinol for such an affordable price range these days! I have seen a massive improvement with my skin right from day one. My redness has reduced and the pores on my nose seems less noticeable. I suffer with major smile lines around my mouth which I have always been self-conscious about however I’ve noticed a huge improvement in which I don’t notice them as much anymore, not forgetting to mention that my skin appears more radiant and healthy. I use around 3-4 drop of this on my skin every night before I go to sleep so that I give it a good amount of time for it to do its job and sink in.

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Have you tried anything from Palmer’s NEW Skincare Range yet?

A New Favourite Mascara?

When it comes to mascaras, I never really venture out to try new releases as I like to stick to the same ones that I know will always work for me. If I’m honest, I’m quite fussy with my mascaras which is probably why I haven’t tried a great deal of them. The lovely people over at Essence Cosmetics sent me a ton of goodies to try out and to my surprise, the I Love Extreme Waterproof mascara was my favourite of the bunch.

Before using this I did a bit of research for some reviews like I would normally do, however there wasn’t a wide variety of them, although I did manage to find some first impression videos on YouTube and some of them seemed a bit disappointing which meant I didn’t set my hopes up high for this one. Boy was I wrong! I love everything about this mascara from the formula, to the applicator and to how it made my eyelashes look. 

I like the blue and pink packaging that this product comes in and the tube seems a lot wider and ‘fatter’ than any of my other mascaras that I own. The bristles on the applicator are quite dense and thick which worried me at first because I thought it was going to clump my lashes together however it did the complete opposite – it separated my lashes beautifully whilst giving them a good amount of volume and lift (bearing in mind, I used an eyelash curler beforehand). It’s also waterproof which means you won’t need to worry about smudges, I wore this product for a good 10 hours the other day and it held up perfectly. The only thing I will address was that it took AGES to remove at the end of the day which is understandable considering it being waterproof. I used my regular Garnier Micellar Water and a good few cotton pads to get rid of it, but I sometimes found myself rubbing at my lashes too forcefully so I would highly recommend using something more oil based to help breakdown the product. 

You can find this mascara over at Wilkinson’s for just £2.80 which is possibly the cheapest mascara I own and it’s a bargain considering it works like a charm. I think it’s safe to say that I will defiantly be re-purchasing this product once I’ve ran out.

Have you tried any Essence products? What’s your go-to mascara?

Must Have Carry-On Travel Essentials

With my holiday only being 11 days away, I think it’s safe to say that am very excited yet super nervous at the same time. I am such a nervous flyer. Well, I’m an anxious traveler in general. In my mind I believe that my comfort on a flight begins with how you pack your carry-on bag, I need to make sure I pack everything which will keep me feeling content and comfortable for the flight (and hopefully pass the time a bit quicker).

The Basics

Travel Bag: I currently use a plain black rucksack which I got for £10 in Primark and it has done me wonders. It’s the perfect size and I manage to fit quite a lot of stuff in there. I love how it has front pockets and also two more compartments inside for even more extra storage. I use this as my main travel bag and also my staying over bag for when I’m round a friend/family house for the evenings.

Travel Wallet: The boyfriend and I picked one of these up from eBay last year before we headed off to Amsterdam. I believe it cost around £5/£6 which I thought was very reasonable considering the ones we looked at were more on the £12 side of things. It fits all of our boarding passes, passports, ID cards and travel money inside, leaving plenty more room for any other extra cards and details you want to take along with you.

What I bring to keep comfortable

Flip Flops: If I’m going away on a summer holiday, I always love to either wear flip flops for the whole journey or bring a pair with me in my bag so I can change into them halfway through ready to face the hot weather when I get to the other side.

Sunglasses: There’s nothing worse than getting off the plane to bright, sunny weather and not having any sunglasses for protection therefore you end up squinting the whole way to your hotel/villa. I like to think ahead and bring a pair with me so that I can chuck them of once we’ve gotten off the plane.

Travel Pillow: I get neck aches whenever I sit down for a long amount of time. My brother bought a travel pillow recently and it’s the most comfy thing ever and I’m definitely going to be bringing it on the flight with me. We have an early morning flight therefore I will most probably end up having a little nap on the plane with this pillow as my support.

Lip Balm and Hand Cream: During flights, I always get super dry lips and hands therefore bringing lip balm & hand cream along with me is essential.

How I keep entertained

iPad: With the recently new download Netflix feature, I am definitely going to be catching up with some shows on my iPad to make the time go a bit faster.

Headphones: I don’t know what I would do without my headphones on a flight. I’ve always had problems with my ears where I’ve had to go to the doctors numerous amount of times, therefore headphones do me the world of good. There’s nothing worse than having blocked ears for days whilst you’re trying to enjoy your holiday.

Books: I have always loved reading ever since I was little. Getting stuck into a book is a good way to pass the time. I’m currently reading 13 Reasons Why after watching the show on Netflix and I’m loving it so far, it’s defiantly the book that I’m bringing on holiday with me.

Snacks: Of course you’re bound to get a bit peckish on the plane therefore I like to stock up with some snacks to help keep me content. (I get a bit ‘hangry’ otherwise lol).

What is on your ‘must have carry-on essentials’ list when it comes down to travelling?

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Why I Love Makeup Sponges

Although I have an undying love for my flat top kabuki brush for giving me such a flawless finish with foundation, I will always have a place in my heart for beauty blenders/makeup sponges. The first makeup sponge I ever heard of was the beauty blender however I found a cheaper alternative and went for the Real Techniques Complexion Sponge and I’ve never looked back since. Nowadays, a variety of brands are bringing out different sized makeup sponges all for different uses and I have found they’ve made a huge difference in my makeup application. Here are a few reasons as to why I love makeup sponges and why I will continue to re-purchase them in the future:

They have unique shapes | Most beauty sponges will come in a sort of oval shape which makes the rounder side perfect for bouncing foundation over the main parts of your face, then you have the little point which makes it easier to get the foundation blended around your nose and underneath your eyes.

You can use them wet or dry | I like to use my complexion sponge when it’s a bit damp as I find it’s easier to blend my foundation out, also the sponge becomes softer and more flexible making it a whole lot easier to use. The only time I tend to use a dry beauty sponge is when I’m baking with loose powder, I like to pick up a good amount of product and bake underneath my eyes, my nose and my smile lines. It works perfectly and my makeup doesn’t budge for the rest of the day.

Cleaning them is super easy | Although makeup sponges claim to last a few months, they can actually last a lot longer if you take great care of them and clean them on a regular basis. I am the type of person who despises cleaning makeup brushes as I have way too many and I find it very time consuming, however I L O V E cleaning makeup sponges because they’re super easy to clean. Baby shampoo and a bit of olive oil works perfectly to deep clean and get out any staining that the makeup may have left.

Sponges give me the most natural yet flawless finish | My flat top kabuki brush will always be my favourite for foundation application however, it gives me a super full coverage that I don’t always want on a daily basis. Makeup sponges are for the days where I want a natural looking skin day but I still want to look healthy and flawless. It’s also great to use when my skin is dry as it doesn’t disrupt the skin as much as a brush would.

I spend less time applying foundation | Using a makeup sponge I found has been the quickest and most efficient way to apply foundation with especially if I’m in a rush. They blend out the foundation super quick without the worry of having to try and blend away brush strokes or any dry patches.

I believe that everyone should have some sort of makeup sponge in their collection or at least try it, because I guarantee you’ll become obsessed with them just like I did. What are your thoughts on makeup sponges?

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A Round Up Of My Favourite Cream Contour Products

Oh I do love a good contour. It’s become part of my daily makeup routine and I genuinely feel ‘naked’ or ‘not put together’ if I skip this step. Don’t get me wrong, I still love powder products however I feel like cream products look more natural and gives my skin radiance rather than the matte look. During the spring and summer I like my skin to look glowy and healthy and these are some of my favourite cream contour products which help me to achieve that look:

Clinique Chubby Stick | This is one of the first cream contour products I ever purchased, and I also bought the highlighter chubby stick to go with it however I wasn’t a big fan of that one. Without even exaggerating here, this product has lasted me a good two years and it’s most likely out of date however I can’t bring myself to throw it away until I’ve used it all up. This sculpting contour contains no shimmer and the shade is more on the warmer side which I prefer as I don’t like grey, cool tone contours. The pigmentation is great and you only need to use the tiniest amount which is why it’s lasted me such a long time and its fab considering it cost £19. It blends into my skin nicely leaving me with natural looking sculpted cheek bones.

Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel | If you haven’t heard of this product then where the heck have you been?! This was all the hype a few years back and I feel like pretty much everyone had this in their makeup collection. With the price range being £32, is it really worth it? YES. You can use this product underneath foundation for a bronzing base or use it on top as a cream bronzer. The velvety finish of this product keeps your skin looking radiant and sun kissed. It’s a light cream-gel formula which blends beautifully into the skin. It’s a very subtle product however it’s super buildable and just like the Clinique Chubby Stick, it has a warm undertone and lasts a very long time.

Technic Contour Stix | This contour stick comes in a set of three alongside a pink champagne cream highlighter and a yellow toned concealer. Technic is one of the more affordable brands with the set only costing around £7 and even cheaper on some sites such as eBay or Amazon. I was hesitant at first as I wasn’t sure if I like the colour of the contour itself, it’s more on the cooler side of things however it seems to work perfectly for my skin tone which I was super happy about. The product blends into my skin seamlessly and has amazing longevity power as it doesn’t seem to budge throughout the day. I also own Technic’s cream contour palette which insists of 8 shades to help you get the perfect contour, it retails for £5 and all the shades are super creamy and pigmented.

Benefit Dew the Hoola | I received this mini Dew the Hoola product in a Birchbox one month and of course, I was super excited about it. For someone who is a huge fan of the original Hoola bronzer I also cannot get enough of this product either. It’s unlike any of the other cream products I’ve mentioned so far as this one is a full on liquid bronzer… Yep, it’s a liquid. The consistency is not runny yet not too thick either. I like to apply one pump onto the back on my hand and then get a flat brush to apply it into the hollows of my cheeks, I like to blend it in with my Real Techniques expert face brush or sometimes I just like using the warmth of my fingers. It’s a warm toned shade, exactly the same shade as the original Hoola bronzer but just in a liquid form. This is a sample size however the real deal costs £24.50.

I am wanting to try out more cream contour products that are on the market today as I feel that more and more brands are starting to come out with them. I’d love to know some of your recommendations.

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The Best Highlighter For Pale Skin ft. Jeffree Star Ice Cold

If you know me then you’d know that I am a huge fan of Jeffree Star Cosmetics, his liquid lipsticks are one of my favourites in terms of formula, pigmentation and the whole colour range. Ever since his Skin Frost collections came out last year I have had my eye on the Ice Cold shade for what seems like F O R E V E R. I was super undecided about this product as I didn’t want to spend £25.50 for a highlighter however it’s so worth it and I’m very happy that I did.

When I received this product, I was surprised with how heavy and large the packaging was. It comes in a beautiful vibrant pink plastic container with the Jeffree Star logo printed on the lid in a kind of duo-chrome colour. It has a generously sized mirror which you can see your whole face in making it easy to apply the highlighter. You get 15g of product in this bad boy! Which immediately makes me think I’ve got my money’s worth already considering if we compare it to Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector for example, you only get 8g of product in that for a whopping £32.

In terms of the formula, it’s amazing. Just as I expected it to be. Its super pigmented and blends out beautifully on my skin as it has a buttery smooth feel to it. The formula reminds be a bit of Makeup Geek Foiled Eyeshadows as it’s has a super metallic look to it. You only need the tiniest amount of product for that beautiful glow, a little goes a very long way with this. I bought mine off of Beauty Bay where they have a wide range of 12 shades, I opted for Ice Cold as I’m more on the pale side and I find that this would work perfectly for those with a more fair skin tone. I struggled to find a highlighter that suits my pale skin until now.

(excuse the burn marks on my hand, i accidentally burn myself at work a lot lol)

Did anyone else own a fan brush but never knew what it was for? I only recently discovered the wonderful world of highlighting at the beginning of last year and realised that fan brushes are the one when it comes down to highlighter. I understand that some people hate using fan brushes as they feel like it doesn’t pick up enough product however my fan brush picks up the perfect amount for an everyday glow. If you’re wanting a more dramatic highlight then I’d suggest using Morphe E30 for a more precise application too.

I will most definitely be purchasing his products in the future, I actually have my eye on his Peach Goddess shade and I want to try to get my hands on the Jeffree Star and Manny MUA Collab products. Have you tried any of Jeffree’s products yet?

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Is Batiste 2 In 1 Dry Shampoo Really Worth It?

I went out on a hunt for a new dry shampoo, I wanted something a bit different as I tend to re-purchase the original Batiste dry shampoo although I’ve never liked the fact that it leaves a white cast through my hair yet it manages to make my hair feel super clean. I was very intrigued when I saw the newest from Batiste with their 2 in 1 dry shampoo and conditioner.

I want to start by saying that I love the scent of this. I opted for the Orange and Passion fruit as I tend to lean towards fruity and tropical scents. I believe there are 2 more flavours in this range: Vanilla and Passionflower or Cocoa and Cashmere.

The one key word which interested me the most was “invisible”. Yep that’s right, the product leaves no white residue through your hair but does it actually work as well as the original Batiste when it comes down to cleaning my hair?

The product claims to refresh roots and nourish the ends of your hair with their new 18 hour conditioning properties. It specifically targets dryness and conditions the areas where it’s needed. It also says that it doesn’t leave any excess oil and claims no more dryness leaving your hair smooth and hydrated. I’m quite lucky as my hair doesn’t get greasy until the 3^rd/4^th day, I shook the can really well beforehand and then sprayed a little amount through my roots whilst massaging it in. It left no white cast which I was really happy about however I’m not too sure as to what it did for my oily roots. Although my hair felt soft and a lot smoother than before, it made my roots look shiny and if anything, more greasier. Saying that, I prefer using it on the mid lengths and ends of my hair where it’s the most driest to give it a bit more of a healthy shine.

Considering how much I love Batiste as a brand and how I have been using their products for years, I have never been let down. I am a bit disappointed in this particular product though. I don’t hate it, but it’s not the best. It doesn’t work for me and I kind of feel like I’ve wasted my money a little bit. I wouldn’t recommend this for anyone that gets greasy hair pretty quickly, I feel like this may be targeted for those who are on the dry side. For now on, I’ll most likely stick to the original Batiste.

Have you tried the newest from Batiste yet?

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Current Non-Beauty Favourites

Before we get started with the post, can we just take a minute to realise that we are nearly at the end of March!? It’s been something that has crossed my mind a lot recently and its crazy how quickly time flies. Moving on, I can’t even remember the last time I did a favourites post. I usually write about what sort of beauty products I am currently loving however for today’s post, I want to write about some non-beauty favourites that I have been obsessing over recently and I feel like this would be an awesome way of getting to know me better on a more personal level.

H&M STRIPED JUMPER

I went to Chichester not too long ago and I saw a girl wearing this exact jumper with a cute black denim dungarees and I was completely obsessed with the whole outfit. Of course, me being me I was too anxious to go over to her and ask where it was from (lol) so I ended up spending what seemed like f o r e v e r online trying to find that exact jumper. I had no luck until the other day; I took a trip into Brighton with the boyfriend and I found the jumper sitting in the sale section and there was only two left. I grabbed it as soon as my eyes caught it and I did a little excited squeak and told my boyfriend how I’ve been wanting this for ages! As you can imagine, I cannot stop wearing it. I’m obsessed and it’s the comfiest jumper ever AND for £10, who’s complaining? Not me.

HOOP EARRINGS

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to my best friend Taylor (tmaemakeup) for getting me into hoop earrings. I’ve had my ears pierced since I was 2 yet I have just never really been an earring kind of gal. My friend wears the prettiest earrings and I love when she wears hoops as they look amazing on her. We went shopping a while back and I decided to pick up a pack of 5 different sized hoops for just £1 in Primark (oh Primark, you absolute gem) and I have been wearing them non-stop. I don’t know why I was too scared to wear them, I guess it was because they were very out of my comfort zone and I was nervous in case they didn’t suit me but at the moment, I’m very happy with them.

RIVERDALE

If you haven’t heard about this new show then WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN? Riverdale is without a doubt one of my favourite shows on Netflix at the moment although I am a bit annoyed by the fact that we have to wait until the 31^st until the next episode. Nevertheless, I still love it. The show is set in a small American town and it follows the murder of Jason Blossom, a football captain at Riverdale high school. That’s literally all I’m going to say about it because I think that EVERYONE needs to watch this show and find out how amazing it is for themselves, it’s full of twists and turns. If you love Pretty Little Liars then you’ll definitely love this.

TOBY CARVERY

Who doesn’t love a good roast dinner? I have no regrets when I say that I went to Toby Carvery 3 times in the space of a week and a half lol please don’t judge me. Whenever there’s an opportunity for a roast or even just food in that matter, I can’t resist. Plus it’s a cheap alternative as it only costs like £7 for a massive plate of meats and crispy potatoes and that huge Yorkshire pudding you get and just ugh, I’m getting way too ahead of myself now. Just go to Toby’s yourself and then you’ll realise why I’m so in love.

What have been your current non-beauty favourites?

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Things That Made Me Happy This Week

I usually think to myself what a long week it’s been and moan about all the crappy days I’ve had when instead, I should be reflecting on those little things that made me a little bit happier. I’ve decided to make a ‘series’ if you wish on this little blog of mine, writing about all the things that made my week a tad brighter. So, without any further ado here are five things that made me happy this week:

A DATE NIGHT

Saturday was one of the most perfect days I’ve had in a while. I usually work pretty much every single Saturday however I wasn’t this weekend so myself and Alex (the boyfriend) decided to have a well-deserved date day/night and it was wonderful. We spent the morning down in Brighton which is one of my favourite places to visit. We did a bit of shopping, walked hand in hand along the pier and scoffed our faces with donuts which I don’t regret in the slightest. We took the car ride back down to our town and went to cinema then spent the evening at one of our favourite restaurants for dinner. It was an awesome day.

DISCOVERED A NEW BOOK

After seeing so many wonderful reviews about “The Life-Changing Magic of not Giving a F*”k” I purchased a copy for myself and finished it within a few days. I felt like a brand new women. That book gave me so many feels and honestly changed my whole perspective on life. It taught me on how to get rid of the things in life that shouldn’t matter and to focus on the things that you should give a f*^k about.

CHOPPED OFF MY HAIR

All my life I have had long hair and I have always been too afraid to even cut the split ends off with fear that my hair will look ‘too short’ let alone chop off 10 inches of it. I cut my hair a few weeks back but this week I decided to go even shorter and I really love it. It’s just about shoulder length and I honestly don’t understand why I didn’t do it any sooner to be honest. My hair is so healthy looking and it feels super thick since going short.

ED SHEERAN

As everyone knows by now that Ed Sheerans new album got released at the beginning of this month (if you didn’t know, where the heck have you been?!) It wasn’t until this week that I started to listen to the album properly over and over again. I have loved Ed for as long as I can remember and this album of his literally gave me all the feels. He really does have a way with words and all of his songs are just perfect.

TALE AS OLD AS TIME

Yep that’s right. I went to see Beauty and the Beast. It was everything I wanted and more. Took us absolutely ages to try and book the cinema as it was constantly all bloody sold out on most of the screenings but we got there in the end. From the visual effects to the characters and the songs – it was stunning.

“There are so many beautiful reasons to be happy”

What has had you smiling this week?

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Double Cleansing With PIXI + Caroline Hirons

I have been following Caroline Hirons for a good year and a half now. When it comes down to skincare tips and advice, her blog is my go to place. Caroline and a few other influencers have teamed up with Pixi to create a bunch of fabulous collaborations which you can find over here on their “what’s new” section. As soon as I heard that Caroline was bringing out a double cleanser I was shook and so frickin’ excited to say the least.

What is double cleansing?

I found out about double cleansing through Caroline’s blog and it’s something that I have been using in my skincare routine a lot more often. I use cleansers anyways as I don’t like the feel of makeup wipes, they seem to be harsh and rough on my sensitive skin and it just doesn’t work out well for me. You start off with your first cleanser, preferably something oil based to help remove the bulk of your makeup and to help get rid of any sweat and dirt. Oil based cleansers are becoming very popular recently and they’re also generally safe and gentle to use around your eyes. After rinsing that away, you move onto the second step which is cleansing your face again but with a cream cleanser to actually cleanse your skin. Caroline recommends to massage a cream cleanser into your skin for a good few minutes and I believe she has a post on how to massage your face properly.

“If you’ve spent time putting it on, then take time taking it off”

-         Caroline Hirons

       My initial thoughts about this product was ‘what a flipping great idea’ I’m surprised that no one thought of doing a double cleanser in one tub before?! Genius. The packaging is absolutely beautiful. The plastic tub feels sturdy yet not too heavy and the design is simple yet tells you exactly what the product is all about from the first glance. Inside the tub contains two separate compartments: one for the oil cleanser and then one for the cream cleanser. Both sides contain 50ml of product each. I immediately noticed how this product doesn’t have any scent to it, which is perfect for me as I suffer with sensitive skin. Too much fragrance can actually break me out more and my skin can become very irritated. The product claims to be suitable for ALL skin types which is great!

The solid cleansing oil instantly melted into my fingers from the warmth of my hands, making it easier to apply to my skin. I massaged this into my dry, makeup caked face and simply watched the magic happen as it dissolved and melted all of my makeup away within seconds. I’m talking the stubborn mascara, the matte liquid lipstick and those layers of foundation, cream contour and powder – literally the whole ‘shebang’. I mean, I looked ridiculous afterwards with all this melted makeup on my face but after rinsing it away with a cloth and some warm water, my skin felt tremendously soft. Moving onto the cleansing cream side of things, this was definitely my favourite part mainly because I prefer using creams rather than oil cleansers. Whilst massaging this cream into my skin, it felt very luxurious and silky smooth. I like to massage it into my skin for a good few minutes so that the product has enough time to sink into my skin before rinsing away.

I can honestly say that my skin has never felt so soft and clean in its entire 20 years of life. The cream didn’t leave any leftover residue on my skin and I felt like I didn’t need to moisturise afterwards because my skin already felt super hydrated. I believe having a good skincare regime helps massively with how your makeup applies and looks on the skin, I would 100% recommend everyone to try out double cleansing at least once in their lifetime and see how it works out. I am certainly never going to stop it.

This product retails for £24 online at Cult Beauty or in stores at Marks and Spencer.

Have you tried out this product yet?

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My Current Go-To Makeup Removers

Back in the day I was a disgusting little human and never took my makeup off before bed. I would apply makeup before school, sleep with it on and apply more over the top the next morning. I know, I’m cringing at the thought of it too. Nowadays I cannot go a day without taking my makeup off at the end of the day (except for those nights where I go out clubbing and completely forget to oops). I switch and change when it comes to makeup removers, there’s so many different ones out there on the markets now, and I just love trying a bunch out. I have rounded up a few of my go-to makeup removers that I’ve been reaching for more often recently.

GARNIER SKIN ACTIVE MICELLER CLEANSING WATER

I have never been a great fan of makeup wipes and I tend to stick to the micellar waters/oil based cleansers as I feel they are much gentler for my sensitive skin. Garnier have a massive selection of Micellar Waters available in Boots and Superdrug, I can say that I have tried every single one from the collection and I love them all. I mainly go for the oil infused micellar water however if I’m honest, it wasn’t in my local shops so I just picked this one up instead. It works just as well as the others and it leaves your skin feeling hydrated and free from any makeup residue.

SIMPLE KIND TO SKIN HYDRATING CLEANSING OIL

For someone who has normal to dry skin, I like to use products that will help to hydrate my dry patches. Oil based cleansers have been one of my favourites to use on those days where my skin needs a bit of a ‘pick me up’. Before trying this cleanser, I was very skeptical about it as I thought it was just going to leave me looking like a huge greasy mess but I was wrong. Once you rinse this off, your skin is left feeling soft, smooth and hydrated without any greasy residue left. It breaks down and dissolves your makeup nicely and it’s gentle to use on and around your eye area.

CLINIQUE TAKE THE DAY OFF CLEANSING MILK

Clinique have always been one of my favourite high end skincare brands. I tend to get a fair few of allergic reactions when trying out some new products however this has never happened with a Clinique product. This product is a gentle, milky cleanser which can be used with or without water to dissolve makeup. I would say that I don’t like using this for removing eye makeup as such because it doesn’t seem to get rid of that stubborn mascara very well. For face makeup though? Works like a dream. Massaging this over dry skin gives and rinsing off with warm water gives the best results.

GARNIER MICELLAR CLEANSING GEL WASH

Can you tell I love Garnier skincare? This was a recent purchase of mine and when I say recent, I mean I bought it 2 days ago however I feel like it needs to have its own little mention as I adore this product. It’s basically the exact same as the original micellar water but in a gel wash form and I actually think it works a lot better when it comes down to removing makeup. I have been using this for the past two days since I bought it, and so far it hasn’t broke me out which is always a good sign. I cannot explain how easy and quick it is to take my makeup off with this. It dissolved my makeup within seconds and rinsed off easily with warm water. The one thing I would say is that it stung my eyes a tad but I think that was purely down to the fact I used way too much. I felt like there was no need to moisturise afterwards either as it left me with the perfect amount of hydration for my skin.

What are your favourite makeup removers?

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