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?

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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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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Liquid Lipsticks That I'm Currently Obsessed With

A few years back you would never catch me wearing a liquid lipstick. Shocker. For someone who suffers with extremely dry lips, of course I found them to be an absolute pain to wear. They were uncomfortable and they made my lips crack and flake. I know, gross. Fast forward two years later, and I love them so much to the point where I literally wear them almost every day. I discovered the wonderful joys of lip scrub and lip balm which helped tons with my dry lips. I am now slowly building up my own little collection of liquid lipsticks and I have picked out a few of my favourites which I have currently been obsessed with recently…

              NYX Lip Lingerie – Bedtime Flirt

This was definitely a ‘Blogger made me buy it’ product as I saw so many great reviews about these liquid lipsticks that I wanted to join in and not feel left out lol. The texture of these lipsticks are kind of mousse like at first and then they dry down completely moments later. I have 4 different shades however my favourite is ‘Bedtime Flirt’ which is a gorgeous pinky nude that I find perfect for an everyday use. After a while, it does start to show all the fine lines on your lips but it’s nothing a lip balm over the top can’t fix! The longevity of these are great, they last for a good few hours and they don’t transfer.

2          Jeffree Star Liquid Lipstick – Leo

These liquid lipsticks have one of my favourite formulas ever! Unlike the lip lingerie’s, these ones are much more liquid in texture and they feel very smooth when you first apply them on to your lips. They feel quite tacky at first but then they dry down to a matte finish within a few minutes. They aren’t completely transfer proof so keep that in mind and they can tend to come off around the inside of your lips after eating or drinking which is something most liquid lipsticks tend to do after a few hours. I have two shades out of his collection – ‘Posh Spice and Leo’ with Leo being my favourite as it’s more of a warm toned brown. If you didn’t know, I am literally obsessed with brown lipsticks.

3          MUA Velvet Lip Lacquer – Flair

I discovered these a few weeks back and I thought as the price range was only £3, these were going to be crap. I was very wrong. They work just as good and wear just as long as any other liquid lipstick that I have tried, it’s a bonus that they’re just extremely cheap! After a few hours of wearing this, the colour does fade a bit so you do have to re-apply once throughout the day. I have mine in the shade ‘Flair’ which is a dark burgundy colour, perfect for the autumn months (although I do love wearing this all year round). I wore this so many times throughout November/December and I got a hell of a lot of compliments on it.

4          NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams – London

I rave about these all the time to everyone. If you’re not much of a liquid lipstick lover due to how drying they can be, then I definitely recommend in picking up some of these bad boys. These are what got me into liking liquid lipsticks. They’re lip creams which don’t dry down completely on your lips yet still giving you the appearance of wearing a matte lipstick. It feels like soft velvet on your lips and they are very comfortable to wear. They cost £5.50 each which is an absolute bargain. My favourite shade is ‘London’ – it’s a perfect nude which works with a lot of different skin tones. I also love the shades Amsterdam which is a bright red and I have also got Moscow which is a dark blue… BLUE. I bought it because I thought it would be perfect for Halloween, but I seem to wear it on a daily basis when I’m feeling very daring.

I’m always on the hunt for some more liquid lipsticks, what are your favourites?

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Milani Conceal + Perfect Foundation Review

 I’m pretty sure I’m a bit late to join the hype when it comes down to this foundation. Everybody has been raving about it so I finally decided to pick one up for myself. I’ve been using this Milani Conceal + Perfect 2 in 1 Foundation and Concealer (that’s a mouthful) for about a week or so as my daily foundation. I like trying out new foundations however I always seem to go back to my trusty Bourjois Healthy Mix as I feel as if nothing can ever beat that in my opinion.

When choosing a shade I must admit, I was pretty disappointed as the selection was minimal. I’m as pale as anything so I immediately went straight for 01 Creamy Vanilla which is the lightest shade however it’s still too dark for my skin. Slightly annoying. I found myself having to blend the foundation down the whole of my neck and even on the top of my chest to make sure it matched. It didn’t help that the product immediately oxidizes on my skin, which made me look even darker. That being said, I still managed to work with it and I found that once my concealer and powder are applied over the tip, it doesn’t look too bad.

The consistency threw me off a bit at first as I didn’t expect it to be so thick. I used one & a half pumps and I found that to be the perfect amount to cover my whole face with. It blended out nicely and didn’t feel too heavy on my skin which was something I was worrying about considering it’s a thick, full coverage product. It managed to cover any little blemish and redness that I had and it gave me a flawless satin finish. The foundation lasted on my skin throughout the whole day without any fading however I found that it had the tendency to cling onto some of my dry patches around my nose and mount, there I’d recommend using a good moisturiser and a hydrating primer before application.

I haven’t used this as a under eye concealer just because I feel like it’ll be too thick around my eyes  will most likely create creasing. I’ll just stick to the foundation side of things! The foundation retails for £11 and you can purchase it on Beauty Bay. I honestly do like this foundation and I would re-purchase again in the future however I would love to see Milani expand on their foundation shades.  

Have you tried this foundation yet?