Skincare Routine: PM

So I have already posted my 'AM Skincare Routine' a few week backs, if you haven't seen that you can click here. But now you can take a look into the skincare products I use to remove any make-up and impurities before heading off to sleep.

PM

First things first is to remove any traces of eye make-up. I adore this Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water. I used to use Bioderma back in the day, but as most of you will know its so difficult to get hold of within the UK and if you do find a place where they stock it, its more than likely going to be ridiculously over priced! So when I heard Garnier released a Micellar Water similar I knew I had to try it. This product is hands down amazing, its so easy to take off all traces of eye make-up with this stuff, it doesn't leave a trace of mascara or eyeliner on your eyes. I like to use a large cotton pad and gently massage my eyes a couple of times to let it dissolve the eye make-up away. 

My favourite part. Removing all make-up. This Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm has saved my skin. I have fallen in love and will never stop using. I have dry/sensitive skin so this just works a dream for my skin. I take a small amount into my palm, add a couple of drops of water then rub into my skin to create a milky balm like texture. I make sure to massage this product thoroughly into my skin, concentrating on areas like my chin and nose. With the smell of Moringa I instantly feel like I am relaxing somewhere in a spa, it really is beautiful. I use a warm muslin cloth to remove the product and also this exfoliates the skin at the same time. I highly recommend trying this product if you are like me and suffer from dry/sensitive skin. 

Once my skin feels fresh and clean I use the Clinique Anti-Blemish Gel. I apply a very thin layer onto my skin, this product helps prevent any unwanted blemishes from making a sudden appearance. 

I then move onto my Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment. I bought this product after seeing it appear in one of Zoella's videos. Before this I had never even used an eye cream before, I have heard so many positive reviews on this I had to try. Its has avocado within it which makes it so creamy and gives it that tinge of green in colour. I apply a small amount on my ring finger and massage in around my eyes. I try not to use as much as this can make your eyes puffy the next morning. Since using this I have noticed a difference in the texture around my eyes, they seem more smooth and not so tired looking anymore.

I cannot go to sleep without applying the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask. This is just a beautiful heavy duty moisturiser than sinks into your skin and works wonders. With its ingredients of Plant Glycerin, Hyaluronic Acid, Apricot Kernel Oil, Avocado Oil, Mango Butters and Japanese Seaweed, it smells good enough to eat. I have to say this has to be my all time favourite night time moisturisers I have ever used, I noticed an automatic difference when I woke up the next morning after using this for the first time, my skin didn't look so tired, it looked healthier and fully hydrated. 

I then head off to bed and catch some well deserved sleep.

L x

My Christmas Wish List

As Christmas is only round the corner (yes I am counting down the days), one thing I rather enjoy reading are Christmas Wish Lists, especially when I need a little inspiration. So here are six items I am wishing for this year...

1. I must be honest I have never heard of the brand Geox until recently when watching one of FleurDeForce's videos on Youtube, she featured a pair of riding boots in an outfit of the day and I fell in love. After spending hours on the website I came across the Geox Dalya Boots, different to the ones Fleur has but still as beautiful! These would be perfect for the upcoming winter months edging into spring paired with some black jeans and a warm jumper! At £165 I will just have to hope that Santa is feeling very generous this year. Find it here via the Geox website - link

2. This is an item that I have been after for a while now, I know I am a bit late on the bandwagon as they have been out for a period of time and most people have one, even other brands have bought out their own versions such as Clinique. I love everything to do with skincare so this is something that has my name written all over it, all the reviews I've read have been positive and have actually improved the appearance of their skin! Again this is a pricey gift to be asking for, retailed at £155. Find it here via Space.NK - link

3. Okay I'm going to let you in on a little secret, I do have an obsession with collecting watches. I just find that there are so many different watches that match perfectly with every single different outfit I wear. You can never have too many right? Seeing this watch I knew straight away I had to pop it on my Christmas List. Its so beautiful and I especially love rose gold, who doesn't! I have always loved Olivia Burton watches and most recently I have found myself scrolling through endless pictures on Instagram of them. Compared to other rose gold watches on the market this watch is a fraction of a price, at £65 I personally think its a bargain for such a gorgeous looking watch. Find it here via the Olivia Burton website - link

4. The Philosophy shampoo, bath and shower gel's are such a guilty pleasure of mine, especially at Christmas time when they release their limited edition scents. This one in particular I had a small version last year which came in a Christmas set. I am so pleased they have decided to bring out a full version, as in the name 'Christmas Cookie', you do get out the bath/shower smelling sickly sweet of cookies, good enough to eat! Find it here via Boots - link

5. My staple cleansing balm that I cannot live without. It really has improved my skin compared to how it was before. This is such a luxurious product and smells divine, almost spa like. The one I am using currently at the moment is literally on its last legs, there is probably only a couple more scoops left at the bottom of the pot, which I am so sad about. It melts away your make-up and leaves your skin feeling the softest it's ever felt. Honestly if you can try this product I can 100% assure you, you will not be left disappointed! For a high end skincare product compared to others on the market it is a little expensive, at £36. It is worth every single penny, promise. Find it here via FeelUnique - link 

6. A phone case. Yep thats right a phone case, but not any ordinary phone case, it is by Kate Spade. One of my all time favourite designers. Again can you see the theme here... Rose Gold? Again I just fell in love, a per usual with anything rose gold! On the back it reads 'Pretty little thing' which gives it that extra touch of cuteness.  For a phone case it is a bit over priced at £35, but because it is Kate Spade I can only find this acceptable. Find it here via the Kate Spade website- link

What's on your list this year?

L x

Favourite Scents

"Perfume - a fragrant liquid typically made from essential oils extracted from flowers and spices"

I just love that word, its comes across so elegant and reminds me of a 50's dressing room with pink interior, powder puffs and the old fashion atomiser perfume bottles scattered amongst the dressing table. It's amazing on how perfume has developed over the years, with so many different elements infused into one bottle its stunning to think they all create that finale scent.

Stella, Viktor & Rolf, Bronze Goddess and Dolce & Gabbana

Stella McCartney - Launched in 2003 this is my newest perfume which has made its way into my collection. With top notes of rose, peony and mandarin essence; middle notes of rose absolute and base notes of amber, this perfume most definitely makes you feel feminine  and modern. 

Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb - A floral explosion in a bottle, this scent leaves addictive floral notes on your skin. Key ingredients are centifolia rose, India osmanthus, catleya orchid, sambac jasmine. A scent which will gets heads turning as you walk past, I love it. 

Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess - A seasonal inappropriate scent to be wearing in the winter, this whisks you away to a dreamy Hawaiian beach, drinking cocktails under a palm tree. It really is summer in a bottle. A blend of bergamot and mandarin, cooled with Tahitian gardenia petals and coconut, warmed with amber, sandalwood and votive. (Limited Edition Summer Scent)

Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme - A passionate, sensual and seductive scent, this is one of my all time favourites. With top notes of Neroli and raspberry, heart notes of jasmine and orange blossom and base notes of marshmallow accord and vanilla. A very sweet girly perfume.

What's your favourite scents? 

L x

Autumnal Nail Polishes

You know them crisps days where the sun is shining with blue skies and no cloud in sight... Them days are my absolute favourite. This is the time where fashion really does come into play. They are so many different styles, prints and colours this year, my all time favourite colours to wear during the Autumnal season is the classic burgundy, the burnt oranges and the deep purples. Especially on my nails.

Right to Left : Mustard, Dress to Kilt, Paprika, Bahama Mama and Chilli

If you were to see me I would most definitely 100 % be wearing one of these nail varnishes pictured above. Both Barry M and Essie, I find these brands to have the best colour pay off, especially as these particular ones are deeper tones. I tend to find some deep tones from different brands go streaky once applied. These I can assure you do not fall down that route. 

Barry M Mustard - Is literally the shade of mustard, no other colour describes it well. Its definitely a colour that is very much like marmite, you either love it or hate it. With its Gelly Hi Shine formula it glides on without any streaks,  it looks and delivers such high quality final results. 

Essie Dress to Kilt - I believe this was from one of their limited collections a few months back, so I'm not too sure whether its still available to purchase. If you are able to get your hands on this beautiful classic burgundy then you're in for a winner. Essie nail varnishes  last so long on the nails without the fear of chipping, something every girl dreads! I find the brush on all Essie nail varnishes to be the easiest and quickest application known to human kind, this just makes life so much easier!

Barry M Paprika - A typical burnt orange colour, something that every girl needs to have in their nail varnish collection. Its a must for the Autumnal season. Every time I wear this colour it reminds me of those big beautiful orange leaves you find on the floor when walking through the park. Again with its Gelly Hi Shine formula it gives an even finish without any streaks or patches. It looks beautiful paired with some plain silver midi rings.

Essie Bahama Mama - This deep purple colour is somewhat so mysterious and so magical on the nails. It feels like you are to wave your hands over a mystery ball, it really stands out. I like to wear this with a hint of glitter on top and is a perfect colour to wear when wearing a berry lipstick. Both colours just look gorgeous together. 

Barry M Chilli - Describing this nail varnish is difficult, it comes across in the light as a very deep terracotta if not verging into a brown. A slight different alternative if you aren't a lover of Barry M Paprika, then I'm pretty sure you will love this instead. A colour that would look beautiful on long nails. 

( You are able to buy Barry M and Essie nail varnishes at Boots )

Nail varnishes are something I love to collect, you can never have too many! Let me know if you have tried any of these and what you thought of them. Or if you have any suggestions on what Autumnal nail varnish I should purchase next, I would love to hear them all! Here's a question for you all... If you were to design an Autumnal nail varnish, what would you call it and why?

L x

The Nude Lipstick Collection

If you were to take a peak into my lipstick collection majority of the colours you were to find would either be nudes, pinks and on the rare occasion one red lipstick. The only time you will ever catch me wearing a slightly darker lipstick, verging into deep neutral colours, would be around the autumnal/winter season, this is the only time I feel comfortable wearing them. Now I will admit no other brands that I am yet to discover do a perfect nude lip like MAC does. The formula of these famous lipsticks are just beautiful and with the smell of vanilla cupcakes what more could you want. So lets just dedicate this time to my all time favourite lip colour of them all...

Nude

Creme D'Nude - One of MACs most popular lipsticks they sell. This is the most classic colour if you are wanting that plain nude lip. Its a Cremesheen finish meaning it is very creamy, soft and glossy on the lips. MAC describe this lipstick as a 'pale muted peach', but once applied to the lips it turns into a more fleshy tone and quite milky. Its that perfect everyday nude.

Hue - This is a type of nude lipstick with a slight hint of a light peachy pink. I absolutely love this lipstick, its one that I will always have in my lipstick collection. Its a glaze finish which will add that extra shine to your lips. Absolutely perfect for the summer if you aren't one for bright colours, this will compliment your skin tone beautifully. 

Creme Cup - Another cult classic from MAC, this lipstick is the perfect soft nude pink. The Cremesheen formula gives it that extra glossy look whilst moisturising your lips at the same time. It kind of reminds me of a 'your lips but better' colour once applied, I love it. Its one lipstick that never fails to amaze me, I fall in love all over again when I wear this.

Angel - A popular lipstick from the likes of Kim Kardashian, this is again a soft nude pink tone with beautiful silver micro-shimmers running through it. It is very similar to Creme Cup in colour and depth but Angel is a touch cooler. I find that the first swipe of this is quite sheer as it is a Frost finish, so you are able to build up its intensity if needed.

Blankety - A soft beige pink this is one out of two lipsticks I adore wearing during the autumnal month. Again its very much like a 'your lips but better' colour once applied. Its an Amplified finish which provides full coverage and lasts a lot longer on the lips. This lipstick with smokey eyes is just flawless.

Modesty - Now this lipstick at the moment is my all time favourite, I cannot seem to put it down. I recently discovered this paired with Dervish lip line from MAC and oh my this takes it from one extreme to another. It gives your lips that gorgeous glossy look with its Cremesheen finish and its my go to lipstick choice at the moment. I'm obsessed. 

You can purchase all lipsticks mentioned from Debenhams or MAC.

So now you've taken a look into my current collection of nude lipsticks I would love to know what your favourites are? Or even if you think I'm seriously missing something from my collection then please let me know, I'm open to all suggestions.  

L x

NARS Virtual Domination Palette

I was lucky enough to get my hands on the new limited edition NARS Virtual Domination palette (£45) a couple of days ago. I am starting to become a massive fan of NARS blushes and bronzers over the past month or two, so as soon as I read that NARS will be releasing their "Laced with Edge" Holiday collection I knew straight away that it was something I needed within my makeup collection, especially as there are two limited blush shades. Their face palettes are a great value for money in comparison to their individual shades you can buy, I also have last years palette 'Guy Bordin' and the colours are still going strong, they last forever.

The palette itself takes my breath away, it comes in a white case with a patterned overlay. Now you are probably surprised to see that this palette doesn't consist of the iconic rubberised packaging, I know I was. Instead it has a very sturdy plastic casing which does feel slightly heavier compared to their rubberised packaging but still is slightly smaller and ideal for on the go makeup kits. If you own something from NARS you will know that trying to keep the packaging clean is a nightmare, all your makeup from your makeup bag/collection tends to stick to it and make it look really grubby. Well not anymore, hallelujah I hear you say!

So inside this beautiful palette it consists of three blushes, one highlight and one bronzer. They have included one of my all time favourite product from NARS: Deep Throat Blush. This also featured in the Guy Bordin palette last year, so I was very pleased to see it make a reappearance again. Like last year Laguna bronzer is within the palette, but has doubled in size! Infact you actually get more in this palette that what you would get in a full sized Laguna, which is brilliant for money. As I previously mentioned there are two limited edition shades, the first being Sex Fantasy, a matte, soft pale lavender pink. This is something that I wouldn't of picked when browsing in NARS, but this colour I found really suited my skin tone and I really liked it. The other limited edition colour  is Final Cut, a matte peachy coral colour. I can see this colour becoming one of my favourites, up there with Deep Throat. It really is beautiful. The highlight, Miss Liberty, is one that I personally would wear during the evening. I love the pale peach tone but there is quite a lot of glitter, so for me it's not practical for daytime use. 

Clockwise from top left: Laguna, Final Cut, Sex Fantasy, Miss Liberty and Deep Throat

Left to Right: Miss Liberty, Deep Throat, Sex Fantasy, Final Cut, Laguna

Overall I am very happy with the formulation of these blushes/bronzer, they blend in so easily and the pigmentation of each blush is perfect, not too heavy nor too sheer, the perfect flush of colour on your cheeks. I can definitely see this palette making its way into my top favourites, Its was well worth the money and I have recommended it to all of my friends and family. Let me know what your thoughts are on this palette, I would love to hear them.

L x

My Skincare Routine : AM

Late last night I was racking my brain on what I could blogpost about next, endless amounts of ideas came into my head but the one that stuck out like a sore thumb was skincare! 

Now if you didn't know by now anything skincare related I have a rather large love for. I don't know what it is but the thought of fresh squeaky clean skin morning and evening, the spa like smells of different products on your skin sends me into some sort of luxurious daydream. So I was so ready to wake up early and refreshed the next morning to crack on with this blogpost, and here I am.

Before I start I just want to clarify that all products within this content I have featured were all bought by myself. I wanted to make sure first that I fully researched into each product and make sure they were to suit my skin type. I have quite sensitive skin with some dryness, especially during colder months. There are so many different products on the market that specialise in sensitive skin, so it was a long trial and error process before I found the ones that worked a dream for my skin, I have set this out into the products I use first thing when I wake up (AM).

Now like I have previously mentioned these products work a dream on my skin, but in no way shape or form am I telling you that these products may work a dream for your skin too. Everybody's skin is different in a multitude of ways, some may react differently to others. Its all down to trial and error, I'm sure most of you have purchased a product in your lifetime that was rather popular and had a lot of hype, but it just didn't work well with your skin at all, in fact it made your skin worse. I know I have. So without further ado I present you with my morning skincare golden luxuries.

AM

First things first, cleanse. This is the step that wakes my skin up from that tired and lifeless stage to a more refreshed and awake feeling . This cleanser is a gel based formula fantastic for dry skin, it doesn't strip your face from its natural oils and leave you with that tight feeling, oh no no, it leaves my skin feeling soft like a baby's bum. I have wanted to try the brand REN for a long time, after seeing numerous amounts of bloggers talk about their skincare cleansers I thought it was about time I did too. This is a decision I will never regret. I put a few pumps of the REN Rose Centifolia Cleansing Gel into my hands and apply to damp skin, it lathers up beautifully and is so light on the skin it feels like its barely there. I wash off with a muslin cloth and that's it all done. Voila.

This next step is vital for my dry skin. If you haven't heard of Hydraluron here's what it reads on the back of the product "an intense moisture boosting serum containing the highest grade of Hyaluronic acid to aid in replenishing and retaining lost moisture". It has properties such as Red Marine Algae which helps maximum delivery. Now as mentioned before I do have very dry skin so this product basically screamed out for me, its jelly like formula is smooth, light and sinks in beautifully when applied to the skin. Snoxin on the other hand is a "concentrated multi-peptide packed wonder serum that helps improve all aspects of skin aging" also combating deeper folds, fine lines, crows feet, textural irregularities and sagginess. I know I am only 20 years of age but they do say the earlier you start to look after your skin the better it will look when you are older. I apply a pea-sized amount of both to my skin before my moisturiser, making sure to concentrate on areas where my skin is dry the most.

As you can see I only have the small 5ml product on both. This came in a sample pack alongside Nanoblur called Indeed Lab Set Of 3 Sample Kit, I wanted to trial and test these products mainly to see how it worked with my skin and also I didn't want to be spending a fortune only to find out it just didn't work well with my skin. I can now 100% say that I will be purchasing the full sized tubes, these small samples were heaven sent to me.

Last two items in my AM skincare routine are both by a brand called Origins. It was only about five months ago I had started to hear about this brand through watching endless amounts of YouTube videos featuring these products. Both of these have energy boosting properties within them which is perfect for the morning to give your tired skin a zap of energy. They even describe this product range "like a shot of espresso for tired skin", this couldn't be more true. I always apply the Origins GinZing Eye Cream before my actual moisturiser this gives it time to sink into the delicate skin surrounding my eyes. I tend to get very puffy eyes in the morning so this eye cream is a must for me. It states its brightens and depuffs eye, oh my it does exactly what it says on the tin. The puffiness around my eyes have almost disappeared after using this product. It is a small sample yet again as it came in a pack with a full sized GinZing Moisturizer, but I can assure I will be purchasing the full sized tub once I have run out. I love it! The Origins GinZing Moisturizer itself is light-weight, oil free, fortified with skin-boosters like Panex Ginseng and coffee bean to create a healthy glow for lacklustre looking skin. This sinks into my skin and is a wonder to work with. 

And that's a wrap. So now you have seen all the products I use every morning without fail, I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! Let me know what you think, whether you've tried any of these products or even send me your recommendations, I would love to hear them! 

Keep your eyes open for "Part 2 - PM" which will be appearing on my blog in the near future.

L x