spring skincare favourite: kiehl's midnight recovery concentrate review

I've had a few instances of feeling like an adult recently - as a rule, since I've turned 18 I've felt fairly unprepared for adulthood. I'm clearly just one those people that likes to live in my little bubble pretending I'm 17 and nothing can hurt me. Recently I've had some little wake up calls - like realising I have to pay back student loan (a day I thought would never come).

Sometimes everything feels a bit up in the air and - but then I realise that there are small, adult, things I can have control over. Like picking up my favourite bottle of wine at the weekend, buying houseplants and getting excited about looking after them... and sorting out my skin-care routine. Small things, you know, that make me feel like I've got my life in check.

I'm a few weeks shy of my 25th birthday, and I think I've finally figured out what works for my skin. It doesn't mean I still don't suffer hormonal breakouts (because anyone that has seen me this week can attest to the volcano that's currently living on my face) but it means I can have my tried and tested products that suit my skin. What I love about knowing that, though, is that you can introduce products, and try them out, and know that you skin probably won't go mental, like it might've done at 16 or 17 years old, and it might even like them.

I wanted to try a facial oil. Whilst I have an more oily forehead and nose area, my cheeks get quite dry, and I've heard good things about this little blue bottle. I do really like it - I'm not sure it works wonders, however, but it makes me feel very pampered, and the smell is divine. It makes my skin feel plumped up and more moisturised; I've been mixing this in with my base when doing my makeup some mornings, and it makes my skin glow like no other.

I always struggle describing smells in writing - but to me this smells like luxury. You know when you're in the Liberty fragrance room and surrounded by those amazing, rich smells and everything feels too expensive for you but gorgeous anyway - that is what this is like. It smells a bit like jasmine and rosehip, and when I have my tobacco and patchouli candle burning, my night-time routine turns into somewhat of an aromatherapy session; and this is mostly why I like this product. It gets me sleepy! I have a terrible time falling asleep when I'm tired, which sounds bizarre, I know, but I just have a very overactive mind and find it incredibly hair to switch off, so things like lull me into a false sense of security and get me all cozy and ready for bed.

I'm not sure it's making me look any younger or making my skin recover it's vitality, and I'm not sure I'd repurchase this - however it makes me feel fancy, and like I've got my shit together, so I suppose that's all you can ask for, in a skincare product.

winter skin saviours

It always gets to mid-November, and my skin becomes a cracked, parched, sad mess. It really doesn't help when you're going from a super air-conditioned environment at work, to the virtually arctic temperatures outside, to an overheated house at home. Couple this with a sickness and period-induced-breakout, and basically my skin is a mess. Here are a few products I've been using to try and regain some control..

NEAL'S YARD CITRUS HAND SOFTENER

This is just my favourite hand cream du jour, but there are others out there. I picked this up for pennies in the staff shopping at work because the packaging was slightly damaged, and I love it. It sinks in well, leaves my hands feeling wonderfully soft, and smells citrusy, so what is not to love, really?

WAITROSE PURE BEAUTY BALM

I've been loving this a lot of late, because I've been ill. It's an odd product, as I'm not really sure what you'd use it for in the summer, but I've been enjoying it slapped on my lips or around the edges of my nose at work to try and combat the particularly sore skin I have from blowing my nose 100 times a day. I've also been using it on my cuticles to try and prevent them from splitting, and it seems to be working a treat.

KIEHL'S CREAMY EYE TREATMENT WITH AVOCADO

I think a side-effect of wearing makeup in dry hot and cold conditions has left me with some seriously unattractive dry skin around my eyes. I'd been using this up until a month or so ago when it ran out, and just sort of forgot to repurchase it, despite really liking it. When this dry skin appeared out of nowhere, I left it a few days before realising that I no-longer had this cream in my arsenal. With the wonders of click and collect, it was here the next day and already I've noticed an improvement in the skin around my eye. Similarly to the Watirose beauty balm, the product almost liquifies when it's heated up, and turns into a watery consistency that sinks into your skin. 

NUXE REVE DE MIEL ULTRA COMFORTABLE FACE CREAM

Unfortunately, I'm running severely low on this stuff, but it is my ultimate winter moisturiser. This stuff is thick and creamy and takes forever to be absorbed into the skin, so it's definitely not a morning product. I layer this stuff on at night before I go to bed, right down my neck and decollete and end up sticking to my pillow, but in the morning my skin loves me for it. It always looks noticeably plumper and more moisturised.

BLISTEX MEDPLUS

I had cracked and bleeding lips until I started using this.. they were gone in about two days, I didn't even know I could heal that quickly. It's also a fucking bargain at £1.50 in Sainsbury's at the moment, so I suggest stocking up.

MERUMAYA MELTING CLEANSING BALM

When I need to wash my face, I always think that I don't want to be using something overly drying and foaming, stripping any moisture or oils my skin might might have left. I love to cover my face in this, leave it as long as possible, then use a hot muslin cloth to gently steam it off. My skin feels amazing, afterwards and so smooth and moisturised.

So anyway, that is what I've been using to combat this dry winter of ours, if you have any recommendations, please let me know, I'm always up for trying something new!

origins eye doctor review

Origins Eye Doctor, £26

I bought this a while back, and I had been meaning to do a review on it for about as long.. It was only when I started preparing the review-post for its replacement that I felt I should give you my opinion on this little pot!
I got this around my birthday.. basically I hit 22 and felt like I should be using an eye-cream. Sort of like a mid-early-twenties crisis, if you will. Or something like that. Anyway, I wanted to start using something on my eyes because even though I wasn't getting lines, per se, the skin around my eyes was starting to feel quite tired and not as 'fresh' when I woke up in the mornings. So I thought I would invest in this.
My initial impressions were good, it smells lovely. Like cucumbers or avocados? It's very soothing, and if you keep it somewhere cool, it's so refreshing on tired eyes. It's a nice, creamy consistency. Not too runny, not too thick. Nice to pat into the eyes and then let sink-ink, but not for too long. However, after using it for a little while, I felt like it wasn't doing that much to my skin. Then it ran out and I got another one, and realised just how much I loved it - you don't know what you got until it's gone could not be a more apt phrase!

Price: 2/5 - It is expensive for what it is! However, I get a sneaky £6.50 in John Lewis, so I can't complain too much!
Packaging: 5/5 - I really love the little blue pot.
Product: 5/5
Overall: 4/5
Would I repurchase this product?: Yes, yes, yes. 

What do you think of Origins eye-creams, have you tried them? Have you hit a mid-early-twenties crisis or are you still young and fresh-faced?!

peaches and cream

Having suffered from acne-prone skin for most of my life now, compliments on my skin is not something I usually recieve. However this week, I have had three! So, this is a huge step in the right direction. Above is just a sneak preview of the new products I have been testing out, on the recommendation from Caroline Hirons (I do SO love her blog and her way of saying things!). I've also been taking fish-oil tablets daily, so I think it is a combination of these things that are helping. I don't want to speak too soon though, so I am going to wait another week or two before giving you a full review! 

Anyway, I'm off for lunch at a friends today, can't wait to have a good gossip!

freebies

The face you see (or don't) above is one that two weeks of virtually uninterrupted rain has caused. I'm actually started to go a bit crazy, and rather sad because of it. I was watching beautiful videos on Vimeo earlier today of sunny dawns and warm evenings and I could feel myself going a little bit crazy. It's not even like it's Autumn and I have the winter to look forward to. I'll try and stop moping, I'm sorry! To keep me occupied, I went to the shops for my mum the other day and splurged on two magazines. I was going to get the magazine that had the Ren skincare with it but I didn't think I'd actually use any of the products, or read the magazine - and then I spotted these two, and couldn't decide which one to get, so went for both!

The Neom hand cream is really nice, although the smell is a little strange and I can't quite place it, it's very moisturising. I know when my Nivea & L'Occitane have run out, I'll replace it in my handbag with this one! I also opted for the Balance Me face wash, as I am almost finished with my current one and I want to have options to try when it's done. This one smells amazing by the way - apparently it has grapefruit, frankincense and ylang ylang in and I can't wait to try it out. 

anyway, I thought this would be a little heads up, because I haven't seen these doing the rounds like the Ren has and the Benefit one did. I like this because it made me buy Harpers Bazaar, too, and I haven't done that in years - I forgot how much I really like the magazine! I also spotted one with a Xen Tan freebie, but I don't really go in for fake tans, so that didn't interest me.

Have you gone for any of these - what did you get?

burt's bees vs nivea body lotion

Nivea is my go-to brand for body moisturisation. They do my all-time, cure-all hand cream, which I have repurchased and repurchased over the years, and I recommend above all. At uni, my housemate had been using this Nivea lotion, and it made her legs ridiculously soft, so I thought I would give it ago. Whilst at home, I remembered I was given this Burt's Bees Milk & Honey Lotion for Christmas, and I thought I would compare the two and see which comes up on top..

Nivea Express Hydration Body Lotion, £5.10 for 250ml:
+ Takes roughly 3 minutes to absorb, which is good.
+ Does last for a long time, I would say about 6 hours.
+ Good on legs, I use it after shaving and it helps moisturise very well.
+ Very lovely, fresh, clean, smell.
+ Good value for money, but you use quite a lot each time you apply.
- It leaves the skin feeling like there is a sheen on top, theres no product left, but it feels sort of like barrier cream, if you know what that is. Over time, this wears off, but it does feel a little plastic-y at first.
- Bad as a hand-cream, leaves the hands feeling very sticky.

Burt's Bees Naturally Nourishing Milk & Honey Body Lotion, £5.99 for 70g:
+ Quicker than Nivea, it's dry within about 2 minutes. A close run, but it matters when you're in hurry!
+ It has a buttery feeling when it's sunk in, as opposed to a sheen, which is really
+ Works really well as a hand-cream.
+ Comes in a smaller size for popping in your hand-bag and travelling!
+ Doesn't feel as waxy as a lot of their butters/salves.
+ Not inexpensive, but a little goes a long way.
- Although it feels more hydrating than the Nivea, it doesn't seem to last as long, I would say 3-4 hours at best.
- Has a less 'fresh' smell. I don't mind it, but I know Milk & Honey isn't it everyones taste, my mum in particular isn't fond of it.

The verdict is pretty inconclusive really! Both claim '24 Hour Moisturisation' which I am skeptical of anyway, both are for normal-dry skin, and claim a non-greasy feeling, which is true. The Nivea has a wide-range of choices, including Irresistibly Smooth, 'Touch of Happiness' (sounds like drugs or something?!) and Firming Body Lotion with Q10 Plus. Burt's Bees obviously do a wide-range, too, from a Richly Replenishing Cocoa and Cupuacu, Radiance Body Lotion, and a France Free Lotion with Shea Butter and Vitamin E. So there is a wide selection. I really like long-lasting, fast absorbing, hence my choices. Both of them I'd re-purchase, and are good value for money, so really it just comes down to your favourite scent, I think!

Anyway, I'm off to a Private View this evening in Hackney, which my work is in! I hope it goes smoothly.. haha.

Leather Goods, Fragrance, and Chanel - the Holy Trinity

Now it is the new year, my thoughts immediately turn to one thing.. my bonus. I work for a pretty good company that gives even lowly part-time Sunday-girl's like me a pretty awesome bonus in February/March. Usually it's somewhere between 15-20% of my years salary. Which works out pretty well! I normally buy myself one extravagant treat - last year it was my Cambridge satchel, which I am still in love with and use daily, when I'm at university. This year, I'm thinking of investing in another statement piece..

A Castor & Pollux Wallet

(Images courtesy of their website)

I saw these wallets a couple of years ago in Vogue.. and god, I still think they they are the perfect wallet. I love frame-wallets, they seem really timeless and elegant, and in a modern colour - like the blue, green, or yellow, they are superbly stylish. They lie flat, have all the pockets necessary, and are beautiful. They're a bit steep, for a wallet, at $168 - about £107. My satchel cost almost that. But god, they're beautiful. I still lust. Also, the brand name totally gets my vote. I'm a Gemini through and through (even though I do not believe in horoscopes, haha, work that one out!), and I love all things mythological and astronomical.. so of course I think it's awesome.

My heart will always desire a new fragrances. I have accumulated so many, I have given myself a ban since Christmas 2010. Then I watched this wonderful documentary about fragrances, bespoke scents vs mass produced perfumes and it has made me lust after a personalised perfume..
Knowing this is still a bit of a pipe-dream I  decided to buy a quality one, instead. I want a brand that has history and cares about making beautiful scents, instead of mass-producing something sickly sweet for the masses. This hunt began in the Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy in Florence, Italy. My mum bought a beautiful rosewater perfume here. However, they were far too expensive for me. I have tried and tested nearly every perfume in the fragrance room at Liberty's, and my hunt has led me too.. Penhaligon's. I was walking through Burlington Arcade recently to get to Haunch of Vension and stopped dead in my tracks. It's one of those places I always pass, but never consider. A quick look on their website, and I'm smitten. Yes, they're pricey. Around £100 for 100ml, they vary. But they are gorgeous. The bottles.. Ah!

Endymion and Juniper Sling

These two sound the most gorgeous, but I have to go and smell, you see. I'll make sure I have a good nose, that day..

The other thing that's caught my eye is Chanel Sublimage. Just because it's so extravagant.

£145-£240 for 50ml? It's crazy, in my opinion.. Maybe I'm that insane because I'm seriously thinking about it. However, I think the Beaute Initiale sounds like it would be more suited to my skin - and my wallet.

There were other things I was considering, too. Sensible, practical things. But these are the things that although I really, really, really don't need.. I really, really, really want. And that is sometimes what you need!

Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask Review

I have to say, I didn't realise how much I loved this product until I lost it. I had it for something like two weeks, and lost it mysteriously on the travel between my uni house and my home, a drive that is like twenty minutes, whatttt?

Anyway, I SO didn't appreciate what it was doing for my skin until I couldn't use it anymore! It has worked wonders, so much so that I have gone and repurchased it this week, because I couldn't live without it any longer. Already, I feel my skin clearing up, and I used it a few hours ago.

The review is a mixture of first impressions, and my love of the product!

Initial things that you notice; the smell and the packaging. I bought the 75ml "Starter Kit" and it comes in this little mesh bag with the two sponges, and it retails for £13.25 (I got my 25% discount!). I think you get a good amount for what you pay really, I've certainly shelled out a lot more on face products! The tube is all nice and simple, so that's cool, I have no worries about that!

The smell and the consistency/product texture are the next things that I notice, really. This is my first Liz Earle product, and I heard they were "natural" smelling, but it definitely smells like it's made of good lovely things, not as 'fresh' as I would like, but not bad. It's 

It's a dark, greenish colour, which reminds me of seaweed. It's not so bad, not exactly glamorous, but not bad,.

The consistency of the product is odd, it doesn't really spread very well on my skin, and at first I thought I wasn't doing it right, because it says to apply a "generous layer" and it's hard to do that, so I just kinda slap it on thicker in my worse patches!

Then you leave it on for five-ten minutes! It feels good, comfortably tight, by which I mean that I can still move my face and talk and such, although I do feel like I am wearing a face mask, obviously!

Immediately after, my face feels really good. Very smooth and clean, and like it's soaked up all the impurities. However, using the sponge doesn't make you feel very refreshed, so I definitely recommend giving your face a quick wash afterwards, and trying to keep the sponges as clean as possible. When I'm finished, i place them in the bag, to kinda dry off. Because the bag is meshy, that's possible, but otherwise I don't really know what to do with it! Here's a picture of the sponges, too, to get an idea of the size;

Generally, I love this product, and have repurchased because it's the only thing that has completely cleared my skin up like this!

My only complaint however is the shocking customer service I received in the John Lewis in Reading, because I literally received NONE, both times I went there. There is a lovely, fully stocked counter, but there is just never anyone there and I have questions that need to be answered! Like I wandered around and waited, and no-one came, which is super disappointing, and this time, I wanted to know the price of someone and had to try and find someone capable of telling me.. which really let it down, in my opinion!

Price: 4/5

Packaging: 5/5

Product: 5/5

Customer Service: 0/5

Overall: 5/5

Would I buy this product again?: Yes, and I did!

Have you tried any of Liz Earle's products, let me know in the comments below!

Lush Enzymion: Review

I promised this 1000 years ago (technical time, there.) This was part of my new and improved face routine, after I had a chat with someone I know who works for lush, and honestly, I've been sticking to it pretty well! I use Enzymion as a base every time I do my makeup, and I don't know whether it's the combination of eating healthier (well, with the exception of Christmas, I was doing really well) but my skin has improved a lot! I still get bad around that time of the month, but it's generally much better!

Enzymion £12.25 for 45g

The price is the first step that we must conquer, let's do this together. £12.25 for 45g. 45g, is a teeny amount, really. If I hadn't tried a sample pot of this, I probably never would have tried it, I don't think. And then when I tried it, I liked it, but I still thought; it's not worth £12.25! But now, roughly two months later, I DO think it's worth it, definitely. I've barely made a dent in it, and I use it practically everyday!

It looks like a humble pot of creamy white moisturiser, and at first, I admit, I was a little skeptical about the smell. I'd been very much into more chemical-based products, that it smelled a little bit.. off? Now I'm used to it, it just smells lovely and fresh, but it took some getting used to.

As an actual product, it's beautiful. A little bit goes a long way so I kind of pat a few blobs all over my face after washing it, and then smooth it in and wait a few minutes. It doesn't sink in too quickly, like I felt Clinique's Dramatically Different Gel, did. Just the right time, I think. It leaves a slightly tacky feeling to the skin for a minute, ish, and then it's gone and you just feel nice and moisturised, my pores felt a little bit tighter and my skin soft. I definitely don't want to find a fault with this!

Price: 4/5

Packaging: 5/5

Product: 4/5

Overall: 5/5

Would I buy this product again?: I think so, yes!

Unfortunately, I'm getting a little collection of black pots, oh, what a shame.. haha. Hope this was helpful, I definitely love this product!

Angels on Bare Skin: Review

I need to fill you in briefly, if you will permit me this! I started at university properly this year (I did a foundation which I called university, although it wasn't really), and on my course there is a lovely lady who works at lush!

She's really lovely. A few of us were talking about our skin and products we use, and she was telling us how bad all these things we were using were for us, haha. I don't know how much is true but it's made me want to use more natural skin products, because i've always been a fan of very chemical-based stuff. So I've scrapped my old skin routine, as it didn't seem to be doing much for me! And started upon a new, scaled back one. I'm only using three products, and one is a makeup remover!

  Angels on Bare Skin, £5.50 for 100g
"This simple ancient blend if ingredients is a worldwide best seller. It improves the texture and health of all skin. The complexion is smooth, toned and even. Cleanse your skin with this delicate balance of Almonds, Kaolin and soothing essential oils. Take a small piece of cleanser and mix with water in your hand to create Almond Milk. Massage gently into clean skin then rinse away with warm water."

That's what Lush say, anyway! I'll explain what I think and how I've been using it. First, I make sure I've removed as much makeup with a liquid makeup remover as possible, and give my face a quick wash with warm water. I take a little chunk of the product - the video on the website says you only need a little bit. I take about a chewing-gum sized piece, and rub it in my hands a little, to warm it up. I then rub it lightly over my forehead, cheeks and chin. Once it's mostly distributed, i get my hands really wet and massage it in, giving my skin a good cleanse and exfoliate. The product goes milky when it's starting to cleanse, and I like that.

It's a gritty product, without feeling too rough on your skin, with chunks of lavender in, which give it that amazing, almond-lavender milky smell. It's really nice. The texture give it just enough substance to make it useful as an exfoliator and a cleanser, which is really good, I don't feel like I have to use two products. It seems to get right down in my pores, too. I wanted this because it says it improves the texture of the skin, which is something I always worry about, especially closer to winter, and I think it's doing that. My skin looks healthier, despite seeing little improvement in my breakouts!

Generally, I really love this. I think I'm prone to have breakouts all my life, sadly, but it's definitely improving the smoothness of my skin, and makes it look more awake. The price-tag is MORE than acceptable, I think. £5.50 for 100g may seem like a lot, but you only need a tiny bit each day, I've barely made a dent and I've been using it for just over a week now, every day! However, personally, I wish that Lush put a little bit more effort into their packaging - but I understand that they're all about the environment, which I appreciate!

Price: 5/5  Packaging: 4/5  Product: 4/5  Overall: 5/5  Would I buy this product again?: I will evaluate this when I'm out of it, but I think I might! Have you tried anything new, recently, have you had good results? Let me know, lovelies!

Clare Marie
xx

Skin Routine

I thought I would do you a little post a bout my skin-care routine. I was talking about it on Twitter and wondered if anybody was interested, and a few people were... and here we are.

L-R:

Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Makeup Remover

Shu Uemura Skin Purifier

The Body Shop Seaweed Deep Cleansing Facial Wash

Decleor Paris Tonifying Lotion

Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Daily Scrub

One:

Make sure all your makeup is removed. I use a liquid eye makeup remover, and then a face-cleanser. I like this Shu Uemura one, but I'm probably not going to repurchase. Both this and the Boots Botanic are oil-based cleansers, and as a chick who likes a shit-ton of eyeliner and is a fan of bright, staining lipstick.. these are godsends, literally. Matte red lipstick stains like hell, and this gets it off. If you're feeling lazy and can't be bothered, cheat and use a makeup wipe and THEN use a cleanser like the Body Shop one (i'll get onto that in a second). Generally I don't use both the Shu Uemura and the Body Shop, as this dries my skin out. To remove eye makeup, dampen a cotton pad with your remover, hold on eye makeup for ten-twenty seconds, then sweep off, removing makeup and mascara.
Two:

Cleanse, cleanse, cleanse. This seaweed one from the Body Shop is inexpensive and great quality. Even if you think you've got rid of all your makeup - you probably haven't. It'll be lurking. If you want to use a deep-pore one, those are great, you can kind of tell when they're working well as you feel really clean and your skin is nice and smooth, but not dried out. This will get rid of any traces of dirt or oil, and everyday yuck like that. If you remove your makeup properly and cleanse every single day, you're much less likely to get spots or blemishes.
Three:

Exfoliation. Some people say this isn't necessary, but I think it's important to do it every so often. If you have sensitive skin, do it twice a week, or something. I find it just helps remove any dead or dry skin, and keeps my skin feeling fresh and smooth. My skin always looks brighter and healthier, and more glowy. Don't use a scrub that's too harsh, or you're scratch and hurt your skin. I've just upgraded from a veryyyyyy gentle one (with barely any exfoliator in it) to this Neutrogena, and I feel like it's on the border of being a bit too harsh, but I'll see how it goes.
Four:

Tonerr. This step definitely isn't completely necessary. Some think they're awesome, others claim that some are too harsh and can remove your nail-varnish (ahem, Clinique..). A good toner tightens your pores and gets rid of anything left on your skin. If you feel like your cleanser does this, leave it out. Genuinely, I have had this bottle for ages now, and only bust it out when my skin is in real need of rescue, but I do recommend Decleor for face-essentials. They're a pricey brand but they're a good name with good products, in my opinion. This is a very nice, gentle product that doesn't hurt or sting, and has a really lovely, fresh smell. Investigate and try out your toners, if possible, and read many opinions before settling on one for yourself. If it stings or feels too harsh, stop using it. To apply, just sweep all over your face with a cotton ball (these seem to work better than with pads, I'm not really sure why).
Five:

Moisture. I haven't included a picture, because I need to buy a new one, but my ultimate favourite is Clinique's Dramtically Different Moisturising Gel (such a mouthful). They do two, a lotion and a gel, the gel is infiniteeely better, imho. It sinks into your skin immediately, leaving wonderful, soft, soft, soft skin. This makes sure any moisture you've removed from your skin by cleansing and exfoliating and scrubbing is put back in, ensuring you don't get dry skin! Simple.

Was this helpful? Do you have any questions..? What is your skin routine..? Let me know! (: