I have another video for you today! I have been keeping this bag of empty bottles and packaging so I could film my first empties video! Yay!
Now, I love watching other people do these sorts of videos, so I wanted to get in on the fun! When I filmed this it appeared that something at leaked into the bag so the products were all nice and oily (lovely!) I still have no idea where it came from :/
Anyway...I hope you enjoy this video!
I hope you've been enjoying my videos recently and I hope you have a lovely day!
So, I am currently wrapped up in bed as I am not feeling 100% :( I am so anxious and worried at the moment, I have literally made myself ill! (which sucks!) But anyway, I know I was meant to post yesterday - but I really wasn't feeling up to writing anything. But as I sit here this morning, I thought - yes, today I shall write a post.
When you are on holiday, it is both practical and fun to take sample sizes of products you may not have tried. It is a great opportunity to try something new; if you don't like it you can leave it there and never have to see it again!
Here are few products I took with me on my recent trip to Italy (Click here to see) and my thoughts...
Nude Advanced Renewal Serum - I love Nude Skincare! Everything I have tried from the range I have loved. I have to say I think this one may be my favourite. This is a super light-weight serum and instantly absorbs into the skin. I loved using it before my La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo (+) as it helped it to sink in faster. There is also an instant cooling effect (which is great for a warm climate) and it kept my skin nice and hydrated.
Purchase full size? Definitely, when I get a job! :P
Eve Lom Flawless Radiance Primer and Radiance Lift Foundation - When I found out that the famous skincare brand - Eve Lom - was creating a make up line I got very excited. Now, I'll be honest, the primer I only used about twice (I forgot I'd packed it!). I didn't hate it and I didn't love it. It was a nice primer, don't get me wrong, but I don't think it's worth the price tag.
The foundation on the other hand - was lovely! For my skin type, it wouldn't be appropriate for everyday wear as it can leave me looking quite shiny. But as a holiday luxe product, it was lovely and gave me that holiday glowing skin with some added coverage :P
Purchase full size? Not the primer, the foundation I would maybe consider a holiday treat :P
L'Occitane Radiance and Colour Care Shampoo and Conditioner - I'll start of by saying that these are the best sample sized haircare set I've ever used! Especially for us long haired gals! I was able to get my hands on them in a recent set, which was £10 with a purchase of £30 (See L'Occitane post here). And the formula is lovely! I really enjoyed the smell of these, the shampoo lathered really nicely. They made my hair nice and shiny. Really enjoyed using them!
Purchase full size? Definitely!
Eldora Lashes in H106 - I recently mentioned these in my August Favourites Video. They made me fall back in love with false lashes. They are so light and soft (made from real hair); I forgot I was wearing them most of the time. This pair in particular are very wispy and long. They feel very flirty lashes, as they thickener out at the outer edge, which compliments winged linger perfectly!
Purchase full size? Yes - absolutely!
Nivea In-Shower refreshing after sun lotion - I do apologise in advance; as I am about to end on a negative review. Sorry :( Now, it's not that I don't like the whole in-shower body moisturiser thing (I do - mentioned in recent favourites). It was the whole after sun aspect. When I come back from a day out in the sun, I have always enjoyed that instant cooling sensation when you apply after sun. It feels really calming to the skin and helps calm any redness/burns. I didn't get this feeling when I used it in the shower! It wasn't the experience I look for when using after sun. I think I'll stick to traditional after suns from now on.
Purchase again? Nope.
So, I hope you enjoyed my little mini review of some products. I really enjoyed trying them on my holiday! What were some of your holiday favourites?
I hope you enjoyed this post and have a lovely day!
I hope you all had an amazing August! I can't believe this month has gone sooooo quickly! I've had a month of ups and downs, but overall it's been pretty good!
Last months favourite was a huge one! (Click here if you haven't seen it) and this month I haven't really been using anything new! When I finally went through the products I decided I would make a video :) Would be a shame not to! ;)
I hope you enjoyed this post and have a lovely day!
x
I hope you have all had a good week! I am currently in Italy :D (properly lying on a sun lounger!) So, that means I may not be answering tweets and messages as quickly as usual.
Never fear though - I have scheduled some posts for you while I am away, including this little mini series!
There will be three videos in this mini series: 1) Skincare and Haircare (which is this one!), 2) Make up packing, and 3) Holiday Look book. Now, the last one won't be going up until I get back, but the other two are ready to go!
So - without further adieu, here is the first instalment!
What Skincare and Haircare did I pack?
I hope you enjoyed this post and have a lovely day!
I enjoy reading these sorts of posts, so I thought you guys might like to see what is currently in my imaginary Shopping Bag on the Space.NK.apothecary. I am currently obsessing over skincare - more than makeup, which is unusual for me. Another incentive to make a purchase, is my £5 off voucher I received as a N.dulge member *WARNING!* High risk of splurging! *WARNING!*
Here is it :P
1. Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel (£28.00) - this is a very much loved cleanser by beauty bloggers. It receives great praise for being a gentle gel cleanser, which doesn't foam an excessive amount. I would use this as a morning cleanser, and the second-step in a double cleanse in the evening (using an oil-based cleanser first).
2. Rodial Dragon's Blood Toning Spritz (£33.00) - now this is a ridiculously expensive toner. I would have not ordinarily picked this up to try; as I know that ALL Rodial products are at a premium premium price point. However, on a quick visit with my sister, who insisted that we tested it on our faces - I am now hooked. *Must resist...must resist*
3. Sarah Chapman Skinesis Overnight Exfoliating Booster (£57.00) - I should have warned you that this is not going to be a cheap wish list! I discovered this product when I was searching ache scarring treatments, which is my current major skin concern. It is a gentle, non-glycolic "serum" or booster as it is called. It is like an intense acid toner (which I talk about here), which works on the skin while you sleep. So, it would supposedly have quicker results - which excites me greatly!
4. Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta 14 Day Challenge Original Formula (£36.00) - I think anything with the word "challenge" in the name makes me instantly want to try it out. This is basically an introductory kit to Dr Dennis Gross's famous Alpha Beta Peel. Again, more products that contain that lovely acid which will improve texture and skin tone.
5. Caudalie Vinoperfect Serum (£45.00) - Now, I only currently own one serum (the kiehl's midnight recovery concentrate), which is designed to be used at night. So, I don't use one in the morning - this I would like to change. Serum's are meant to promote better skin absorption of products like your moisturiser, and have more benefits of their own! This is meant to brighten the complexion, and it helps to eliminate spots/scars etc. and prevent new ones! Also, the assistant is Space NK said it also helps dehydrated skin stay hydrated for longer.
So - I will probably treat myself to one of these items before I go back to University, but the others will have to wait. Any of you got Space NK wish lists?
I hope you enjoyed this post and have a lovely day!
Firstly, I wanted to say "Hey!" to all my new followers - I always get way too excited when I get that notification to say I have some new readers :P! Please don't be shy; I love hearing from you all (constructive feedback is greatly appreciated).
Anyway...on with the post!
While I was in the Lake District on my holiday this summer, I did manage to get a bit of shopping in (naturally). Now, I have been into L'Occitane boutiques before, but I have never actually bought anything form them - until now!
As I entered the boutique I was greeted with a glass of rose - which was a lovely surprise! (Note: that every time I've been into a L'Occitane shop I have been offered a drink or a chocolate; even when I had not made a purchase!) The staff are always welcoming and friendly. The lady who helped me on this occasion was very knowledgable of the products, and I felt no way pressured into making a purchase.
I have been on the hunt for a good hydrating/moisturising cream which doesn't feel too heavy on the skin and doesn't break me out. This seems a hard thing to come by for me. As I feel that the lighter, more gel-like moisturisers aren't hydrating enough for my dry cheeks.
This range was recommended to me as it is good for combination to normal skins. Firstly, this packaging is amazing! It is super heavy and feels expensive.
The cream itself is relatively thick, but not at all greasy and pretty light on the skin. I can happily wear this as a day moisturiser and a night moisturiser (I just add a moisturising serum for more hydration at night). Also, I absolutely love the smell of this cream - it has this special plant called Angelica, that promotes 24-hour hydration.
I was also intrigued by Hydra Vital Face Mist in this range, but there was a special offer on this set called the Summer Ritual. It was half price at £15, and as the spray is £12 full price anyway. And there was 15% off when you spend over £30. So, basically, I was sold!
Summer Ritual - Face mist on the left.
I haven't actually tried the shampoo, conditioner or hand cream as I am saving them for my next holiday. But the Face mist is a lovely cooling spray, and it has that lovely scent (the same as the cream). My only annoyance is that the spray comes out really weirdly; as it just goes everywhere, except your face. I don't use this regularly as a toner, but I am planning to use it when the weather is hot as a cooling spray.
Overall, I have been impressed with the service from L'Occitane and happy with the products purchased. These are not cheap products, and I can safely say (from the products used) you are getting your money's worth!
I hope you have a lovely day and enjoyed this post!
I hope you all had fantastic months in July - I know I did! I have a mammoth of a favourites video for you, and I am using my new camera (everyone shouts "Hooray!"). It actually came out pretty well, it definitely feels more professional - except my camera stand of books!
Stick with me on this one and you may find some gems in there too!
I hope you enjoyed the video and have a lovely day!
So, my skincare routine has been transformed! I know this was quite a while ago, but I had the opportunity to meet the fabulous Caroline Hirons in Space NK in Brighton.
She has such a refreshing personality and her no nonsense attitude towards skincare is wonderful! If you don't read her blog (why aren't you?!?), she literally speaks like she does on her blog! Which I love!
Cheeky photo :P
So, during our half an hour chat, Caroline told me I needed some acid in my life! "I was like okay, I need acid!" Slightly terrified how my sensitive skin would react to this! But, I went on her recommendation and ordered the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads.
Now, I had read some reviews on these before and some people found them to harsh to use twice daily. I do not agree with this statement! I have had no problem using these pads twice a day after cleansing, followed by a hydrating toner or spray. I have found that I have had reduced breakouts on my chin and the flakey skin on my nose gone.
The only thing I would say is they are quite expensive at £20 for only 60 pads, which has only lasted me about a month! So, I reckon these shall be a treat now and again.
I have already ordered my next lot of acid (Pixi glow tonic). I hope you enjoyed this post and have a lovely day!
I hope all is well! I am currently writing this while sat on a train heading to Amstersam (we are currently travelling through Belgium). So, while in Paris, the land of the pharmacy, I had to make a trip to City Pharma :)! I had made a list prior to going and I picked up a couple of things I've had my eye on.
Nuxe Reve de Miel - this is a cult product for many bloggers; miss Allie (living life in docs) included. When I saw it was only €6.90 I had to get one to give it a go! It smells heavenly and feels über fancy in it's heavy glass container. So far I'm loving it!
Bioderma Crealine H2O - I already love this product and I just wanted to restock on my travel size! (If anyone has worked out how to transfer product from the large to small bottle please let me know!) I used to use it for removing my eye makeup at the end of the day, but now I just use it for touching up mistakes on my eyeliner!
Embryolisse lait-creme concentrate - Again, this is considered a cult product; though having combination skin I thought it would be too heavy for my skin. However, having oily skin doesn't mean it's hydrated skin. So, I've been trying a couple of these sorts of products out recently (at night mostly). We shall see how I get on with this one...
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo (+) - This is something I've had my eye on for a while. And considered a cult product for many bloggers - it is designed to address problem skin with blemishes (and this one is supposed to help with scarring too). So, I'm super excited to see if this helps improve my skin.
Mavala Mavadry spray - I have never tried a nail polish dryer before, but I know people like Anna (vivianna does make up) rave about them. And I'm super impatient when it comes to letting my nails dry. I saw this in city Pharma and had never seen this in boots; so I picked it up! I used it the other day on my new nail polish (see post here). I definitely felt an instant drying effect and my nails felt pretty knock-proof within 2 hours!
I hope you enjoyed this post and are having a lovely day!
I hope everyone is well! I thought today that I would write a post to compliment my new video (which shall be linked at the end!) So, I went to the Body Shop for a little splurge; as I had a £20 off £40 code! Which is still on btw: http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk
I thought I'd start off my saying, the service in the Brighton store was lovely! I spoke to a very friendly consultant called Hannah, who was extremely knowledgeable of all the products!
On another note: if you are a student then you can sign up for the love your body card - for free! This awesome card (shown on the left) gives you 10% off your purchase, and if you spend £10 or more, you will get a stamp on your card! On the 4th stamp you will receive a free gift worth up to £5, and on the 8th stamp a free gift up to £10! And a birthday gift (worth up to £5) - need I say more students! (Click here for more details)
I'll just mention a few things about the products that I bought!
"Add
some zest to your regular beauty regime and help revive dull looking skin by
adding vitamin c for skin to your routine."
So, I'll be honest - I picked this up because I liked the smell! Hannah had me try it in store and the scent just made me instantly happier. Also, my skin felt lovely and soft after application.
This product is supposed to brighter dull skin, and energize your skin!
I believe the Camomile collection is one of the Body Shop's newest ones, and everyone has been raving about this oil!
So, with my code I just had to pick this up! Also, I'm running low on my MAC cleanse off oil :(! And at the moment, that doesn't really run in my price range (student problems!)
I really like this! I would almost go as far to say it is better than the MAC oil! Firstly, love the smell; as it reminds me of going on holiday for some reason :)! Secondly, it's just the right consistency, I don't like oils too thin or too thick - this seems just right! Finally, it takes off all your make-up so gently, even waterproof make-up!
Then, I have my recommendation from Living life in Docs :) I have now used this two nights in a row as a sleep-in moisture mask - and I LOVE IT! My skin feels super soft and happy in the morning! And (by some miracle) my spots don't seem as angry, and I don't seem to have as many! I will definitely be trying out more from this range in the future! “Loved since 1977, our vitamin e skincare range has stood the test of time. If you’re concerned about the damaging effects of the environment on your skin, our vitamin e range can help to protect against pollution, cigarette smoke and UVA/UVB rays.”
I know I just bought a cleanser - but this one intrigued me! And Hannah spoke very highly of this range; as she appeared to have the same skin problems as myself!
“Designed for combination skin, our seaweed skincare helps to restore
balance and control excess oil to help give you a shine-free, matte finish.”
I preferred the look of this one to the gel one; as gel's seem to be more drying in my opinion. I have to say - I was unsure of this product (as you shall see in the video). Though after using it a couple of days now I'm starting to like this product :) It is very cooling on the skin, and makes my skin feel silky smooth!
First off, I LOVE the smell - it is truly incredible (if you love bananas), but it also made my hair feel super soft!
The only thing is that the smell does not linger on your hair, especially if you layer other products! I now I really want to try the conditioner to see if that keeps the scent!
So, that is the end of this post! I hope you enjoyed it and stuck with me to the end! Here is my new Video featuring most of these products and my first impressions of them!
Got a new video for you (if you haven't already seen it!) I'm just getting into YouTube - as I think it's a great way to get more in-depth reviews and more personal with everyone!
This weeks video is all about What is in my bag for University...I love my cambridge satchel and think it is a great practical piece, while still being very stylish :P
If you enjoyed the video I'd love it if you could subscribe and like :) Also, if you have any requests for future videos - please let me know in the comments!
I hope you enjoyed this post and have a lovely day!
x
I hope everyone is well! If you hadn't already noticed, in the past 2 days I have become twitter mad! (If you are not already following me I am @cheekysmiles101) Due to my happy tweeting phase I was selected to be today's blogionaire, which I couldn't believe. As all my other fellow bloggers and youtubers will know, it is hard when you are first starting out and sometimes we all need a leg-up :P
So, due to this awesome opportunity, I decided to write a post for you all!
I purchased this as part of a set from the Christmas line at Boots. I think it was half price and it came with this, a scrub, a shower cap, body moisturiser, a hand cream and a gorgeous bag to keep it all in! Couldn't really go wrong with that! I sadly ran out of my other favourite body wash, Dove's nourishing body wash (mentioned in previous blog). So I've now rotated this into my routine, and I'll be honest it's a pretty standard body wash. It's pretty moisturising and it smells the same as the moisturiser. As you can see from the picture it is a white liquid, which foams easily in the shower. I won't be rushing to re-purchase but it is a nice all round body wash.
On the day I bought this Lush cleanser I wasn't planning on it at all! I was roped into smelling it by the sales assistant. After that..the rest is history. Even if you aren't in the market for a new cleanser/scrub I urge you to go to your nearest Lush store and just smell it! It smells divine! It's like the sweetest Popcorn/sweetie you have every smelled. What's even more amazing is you smell like it for hours after applying :D (literally when I was in the shop I couldn't stop smelling my hand!) I did try this as a face cleanser for a couple of days and it wasn't my favourite. However, once I started using it as a body scrub I'm in love! It's an amazing exfoliate as the particles are so small and it isn't too drying. I will 100% be re-purchasing this - but in a bigger pot!
I hope you enjoyed this post and are having a lovely evening!
I hope all is well in your universes! As you can probably tell from the title, I'm heading back to B-town (a.k.a Brighton)! Yay! I'm pretty excited be going back - apart from the fact I have 3 exams to look forward to :/
We set off pretty early so the roads would be quieter; as it is super hot and sunny again today. Brighton will be pretty busy!
*Editing a few hours later* I'll be honest I had no idea where this post was going :P I was just bored in the car! But I thought I'd throw in a first impression. As I mentioned it is extremely hot and sunny in Brighton at the moment. When I was sitting outside having drinks with some friends I definitely felt a burn coming on :(
I was not ready for this sort of weather and had not got any sun cream :O!
So I went to boots and bought the New Garnier Ambre Solaire Dry Mist in Medium spf 20. It is described as Ultra-light dry, water-resistant and contains no alcohol. All these things get a thumbs up from me!
It comes in a can and is (as the name suggests) a very light weight mist sunscreen. My first impression was that it left no white marks and absorbed into the skin really quickly. My skin was not left feeling greasy or sticky. There was a slight sunscreen smell, but I'm weird and like that!
I thought I'd give this a try as it looked a good option for on-the-go as it absorbs so quickly. I will you let you know how I get on with this in a later post.
I hope you enjoyed this post and are having a lovely afternoon in the sunshine!
x
