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A Fragrance Direct Haul

Sunday 27 August 2017


Before I buy any beauty product, I like to have a quick check of the Fragrance Direct website, because so often they will have the exact same product at a slightly discounted price. Some of my favourite brands that they stock include Clinique, Clarins, Bobbi Brown, NARS and Rimmel, but they have hundreds of brands, covering skincare, makeup, haircare and fragrance. In addition their already super competitive prices, they also offer a 10% Student discount all year round via UNiDAYS, so you can save yourself even more pennies. Right, now on to the haul. 

NUXE Micellar Cleansing Oil*


I always double cleanse my skin, and in the summer I'll opt for a micellar water for my first cleanse, just because it's the quickest way to remove the bulk of my makeup. However, with autumn approaching I find that the water style formula is just a bit too drying, so I've decided to try this Micellar Cleansing Oil from NUXE, which is still hassle free but is a little more gentle on the skin. I love that this oil leaves my skin feeling super soft, but also completely removes my makeup, plus it makes my face smell amazing (thanks to the rose petal ingredient), which is something that you don't typically get from a micellar water. 


Tigi S Factor Diamond Dreams Shampoo and Conditioner *


This set is a BARGAIN (capital letters required!) priced at only £17.95, containing 250ml bottles of Tigi S-factor shampoo and conditioner, plus a bottle of Flat Iron Shine Spray. I assume the low price is because the box actually has little snowflakes on it, so it's probably intended to be given as a Christmas gift, but since I am shopping for myself, I wouldn't care if it had Santa himself printed onto the bottles.  

All three of these products smell incredible on application, and they leave your hair smelling amazing even after styling. The shampoo and conditioner are nice, but don't do anything special for my hair (they certainly don't leave it sparkling as it says on the bottle- though I'm not sure I would want that), but the flat iron spray is the winner for me, as it definitely adds more shine to my locks, making it my current favourite heat protectant. 

Clarins Illuminating Cheek Colour* and Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge*


I love buying blushers, in fact I probably own more of them then most other products (highlighters excluded), so I decided to try out this one from Clarins. I love the packaging of the compact, it's a very pale gold metal, and it comes in a little velvet pouch - very luxe.  I opted for the shade Rose Wood, which is a warm reddish rose, because I already own lots of pink blushes. Within the mosaic effect there are two squares which contain shimmer, which you can swirl your brush into for an illuminating effect, or you can just dab your brush onto the solid shades for a more natural flush. I find this blush to be very subtle, but buildable, which I personally love because I can be a little heavy handed when I'm in a rush! I know I'm going to get a lot of wear out of this one in the autumn months. 

As a self-confessed blush addict, I also picked up one of Bobbi Brown's Pot Rouge Cheek and Lip products in the shade pale pink. I remember these bobbing around the blogosphere a few years ago, so I'm glad to finally have one in my collection! I've been applying this to my cheeks and lips with my finger, because I couldn't seem to pick up much product with a brush, but I don't mind as it means I can get a more precise application. I'm not too keen on the way the shade looks on my lips, I think it's a bit too cool of a pink tone, though it is incredibly comfortable to wear. However, I love the healthy flush it adds to my cheeks. As a dry skinned gal I like that this isn't a "blush to powder" formula, because that can leave me looking a little cakey, but if you do have very oily skin then you might want to pat a powder blush over the top of this one. 

Chloe Love Story Fragrance*


Of course it wouldn't be a Fragrance Direct haul without a fragrance, and this time I opted for an adorable mini bottle of Chloe's Love Story. I love Chloe scents because they are so gentle and feminine, and this one is no exception, containing beautiful hints of orange blossom and jasmine. Once I've used up the little bottle I will definitely be heading back to the Fragrance Direct website to pick up the fully sized version. 

So that's my little summer haul, I'm so happy with the products I picked up. It's definitely inspired me to do another big Fragrance Direct shop soon, because they sell everything I need! Will you be picking up any of the products I've featured? 

Fx

*PR sample, my review expresses my own honest opinions 

A Luxury Beauty Wishlist*

Wednesday 23 August 2017


I thought it was about time that I made another wishlist, since I've now purchased almost everything on my previous one! I've decided to focus this one around luxury beauty products, because they are my favourite items to spend my hard earned cash on. I just love the feeling of finally owning a beautiful perfume or lipstick after months of obsessing over it, so I'm going to show you some of the products that I can't get out of my mind this month. 

Perfumes are my favourite luxury beauty product to own and to gift, because they can be so personal and heart-felt, and if you manage to find the perfect scent it will stay with you for a lifetime. Having added my first Jo Malone fragrance to my collection (I went for Red Roses, and I love it), I'm now dreaming of purchasing my first ever Clive Christian Fragrance* because everything about them, from the intricately designed packaging to the rare precious ingredients they contain, ooze luxury. I'm particularly interested in their limited edition perfume sets, because I've fallen in love with the idea of buying the feminine one for myself, and the masculine version of the same scent for my partner. On their website they talk about how, in the Victorian Era, you would gift a perfume to tell a story or to send a message, which is a concept that really appeals to the die hard romantic in me! 

Next up is a skincare product that has been on my wishlist for many moons (pun intended) - Sunday Riley's Luna Sleeping Night Oil. I've read so many rave reviews about this overnight skin treatment, with claims that it heals and restores your skin as you snooze, leaving your skin fresh, glowy and free from blemishes. Though I don't expect this product to work miracles on me, I would love to see the effect it could have on my dry, acne prone skin.  

Another skincare product I've been dreaming of lately is Aerin's Rose Night Table Cream. My skin generally takes really well to products containing rose, and this moisturiser/overnight mask is supposed to be a wonder product for skin types that are very dehydrated, so I'm convinced that this could be a new holy grail option for me, plus it comes in a pink pot! Now just to come to terms with the £60 price point ...

Although candles don't technically fall under the "beauty" umbrella, I couldn't create a luxury wishlist without including the one item I have been longing to add to my collection for years - a Fornasseti Candle. These candles come in the most beautiful ceramic jars which you can use to store jewellery or trinkets once it has fully burned, which admittedly will take a while, as they burn for 60 hours! As we sell these candles at work I have been fortunate enough to get to sniff them all, and I have fallen in love with Ortensia, which has a floral scent containing white rose and jasmine. I've already saved a spot for this beauty on my dresser, so now to start saving the pennies!

When it comes to luxury makeup brands, Tom Ford is the king of them all. I currently own one just one Tom Ford lipstick, which I am almost too frightened to use incase the embossing fades, but that hasn't stopped me from obsessing over these stunning gold cased bronzers. The only reason I haven't already picked one up is my indecisiveness over which shade to choose for my pale skin, although right now I'm really liking the look of "Bronze Age" so I think that might be the one that I eventually choose. 

Last up on my wishlist of dreams is possibly the most beautifully packaged lipstick that has ever existed - Christian Louboutin's Matte Lip Colour. I was actually given a HUGE box of these to colour match at work (and I mean huge - I had to check about 150 of these little beauties!) which is where I first fell in love with them. Though I had to give them back after a few days (they had to surgically remove them from my greedy little clasp) I did get to swatch every single one of them, so I can vouch for the fact that the formula and shade range of these lipsticks is incredible. I still haven't decided on my favourite shade, but I'm leaning toward one of the reds.

If you made it to the end of this post with your bank balance in tact then well done you! Let me know if you have added any of these products to your wishlist!

Fx 

This post is sponsored by Clive Christian 


A Huge US Beauty Haul

Sunday 13 August 2017


This year I made the dangerous mistake of not writing myself a Sephora shopping list, but thankfully fate led me to meet up with the beautiful (and very talented) Amelia in Las Vegas, and together we created the Sephora basket of dreams. Here's what I picked up. 

Sol De Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream - I had been lusting over this so-called miracle cream for such a long time, so I was super happy when Amelia told me it was at the top of her list too! We searched the whole store, which was a mission because the Caesar's Palace Sephora is HUGE, before finally finding a small sized pot in the travel section. The little pot still contains 75ml of product, which is more than enough for me to properly test it out, and if I love it I can always order a backup from Cult Beauty. I've been applying this for about a week now, and though my bum is far from perfectly smooth and peachy, it does smell incredible, and it leaves my skin feeling so soft.


Stila Magnificent Metals Glitter and Glow Eyeshadow in Kitten Karma- I think I may have found the most beautiful eyeshadow in the world. As soon as I swatched this gorgeous champagne shade I knew I had to have it, there's just something about the way that the little specks of glitter reflect the light that makes my heart flutter like a butterfly. I'm so smitten with this shadow that I can't imagine myself reaching for another shimmery eye shadow ever again (well, let's see), and I immediately want to buy it in every shade they sell.



Tarte Rainforest Of The Sea Skin Twinkle Palette Vol 2 - I had planned to repurchase Tarte's Pro Glow To Go palette, since I've now hit pan on two of the shades, but then the Skin Twinkle palette caught my eye and there was no going back. The shades are quite similar to those in the Pro Glow palette, but the pans are much bigger and there are four of them, so it actually works out to be great value for money, plus the packaging is so beautiful! 



Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops in Moonlight - It's a very close call, but I would have to say that these drops are my favourite pick of the haul. The expression "good skin in a bottle" has never applied to a product more, if by "good" you mean glowy/dewy skin of course. You can use these drops in a ton of ways, which I will show you in a
dedicated blog post soon, but I've been loving mixing them with my foundation for an all over radiant look. 

Origins Ginzing Peel Off Mask - By the time we made it to the skincare section we were almost giddy with the joy of beauty hauling, so finding a rose gold face mask pretty much sent us into hysteria. This is actually the only purchase that I feel a bit guilty about, because I could have easily picked it up in Boots at home, and because it's such a gimmicky product, but I am still super excited to try it! The description claims that this peel off mask will tighten pores and brighten skin, so it might turn out to be a great spur of the moment purchase, I'll keep you updated. 

Sephora Contouring Brush Set - I've never yet managed to walk out of a Sephora store without a set of their brushes, I'm a sucker for them! I always find them to be great quality, super soft and fluffy, plus this set comes with a pretty rose gold bag to store them in. 



Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer and Touch Of Blur Concealer - I actually picked up these bits from a Walgreens in San Francisco. I had wanted to track down the Butter Bronzer because I've read so many great reviews from American bloggers, but it was actually sold out everywhere! I'm so glad I managed to find it on my 5th attempt, and I can't wait to let you guys know if it's worth the hype. I spotted this concealer on Caitlin's blog, and the adorable packaging had me swooning. I picked up the lightest shade because it wasn't possible to swatch it, but it actually looks quite dark. Luckily I have a bit of a tan from all of the time spent by the pool, so it should be a good match for the next couple of months, I'll let you know how I get on. 


Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette - I have been lusting after this palette since it came out, so I am so incredibly happy to finally have it in my collection. Having seen so many great reviews and creative tutorials, I can't wait to use this for the first time, and to review it for you. 

Congratulations if you made it to the end of that huge list! I spent a little more than I had planned to (totally blaming Amelia for that - don't forget to check out her blog!) so now I'm on a spending ban for the foreseeable future. Let me know what you thought of my picks, and what is on your Sephora list.

Fx 

My Flawless Summer Skin Routine

Sunday 6 August 2017


I'm writing this from Sunny Las Vegas, where I'm currently sitting beside the pool, eating an ice cream and desperately hoping to catch a bit of a tan in the 40 degree heat. In an attempt to look less like a ghostly Londoner I've upped my body preparation game this year, so I thought I'd share my summer skin routine with you. 

Shower and Scrub 


Fake Tanning requires a perfectly clean canvas, so I always start by showering with something super moisturising to make sure my skin is as soft and smooth as possible. I love using Patisserie De Bain shower products* because they smell so incredible, this range literally smells of lemon sherbert sweets! Next up is perhaps my least favourite part of the fake tanning process, exfoliating. Right now I'm just using a Superdrug vanilla scrub, but I think it might be a bit too harsh/gritty for my sensitive skin, so I'm on the hunt for an alternative. Let me know if you have any suggestions.


After all of that scrubbing I like to layer on a body moisturiser, and this super gentle but incredibly hydrating Rose Care Lotion* from Jurlique is perfect for making sure any traces of dry skin are banished, it also leaves me smelling like rose petals (my favourite scent!)  


Tan 


As a total tanning newbie, I'm still in the process of figuring out how to fake that perfect golden glow. Learning from my first experience (the mahogany hands situation) I purchased a tanning mit from Loving Tan, and it's made a world of difference! It doesn't absorb too much product, it just helps to ensure everything is distributed nice and evenly. My current fake tan of choice, which came highly recommended by Fran, is Loving Tan's Deluxe Bronzing Mousse in the shade Medium. The first time I used it I was so freaked out by the dark brown colour that I only used a tiny amount, which didn't actually make any difference, even to my super pale skin. My last couple of attempts have been much better, although I somehow always manage to miss patches on my legs. Fingers crossed I'll have it all figured out by the end of summer! 


Fake it 'till you make it


After my previous failed fake tan attempts I decided to try a different approach to flawless skin - makeup. I had read so many amazing reviews about Vita Liberata products, so I picked up Body Blur in the shade Medium/Latte, and I have been wearing it exactly as I would wear a foundation, just all over my body. It doesn't add a whole lot of colour to my skin, but I love that it evens out my skin tone so beautifully, covering up all of the little bumps and scratches on my legs, and helping my skin to look a little more sun kissed. For an extra dose of faux healthy glow, I like to apply a little bit of Tanya Burr's Body Illuminator all over my arms and legs. The difference is subtle, but this extra step makes me feel so much more confident, and it takes hardly any time at all! 

So that's my little routine for glowy summer skin. Let me know if you have any tips or tricks in the comments. 

Fx  

*PR sample, my review expresses my own honest opinions 


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