A Few Daily Beauty Essentials

Happy Weekend Everyone! 

Whilst I was streamlining my makeup bag the other day I got to considering what my absolute essential beauty items are and which products I am constantly pulling out every day, regardless of where I'm going. I must admit, I don't wear makeup every single day. Now that I'm self-employed and working mostly from home, I'm not constantly showing my face off to the world. Still, when I do venture out I definitely have my favourite go-to products, so I thought I'd share them with you. 

Superdrug B. Pure Micellar Water 

I first reviewed this product last year (check it out) and it's become an essential part of my daily routine. It freshens my face in the morning and does a great job of removing makeup at night. At night I'll use it alongside another, more intensive, cleanser such as my beloved Elemis Lime Blossom Cleanser or, more recently, Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser (more on that in a future post.) It's reasonably priced and super-handy and it's always on special offer.

Dermalogica Multi-Active Toner*

I never used to understand the purpose of toners, but I wouldn't be without one now, especially as we move into summer. It's been a revelation! I'm currently using this multi-active toner by Dermalogica and I love how it enhances the performance of my moisturiser. I'm not going to say too much as I'd really like to do a full review of this at some point. I also adore Elemis' Lavender Toner, but this one definitely gives it a run for its money. 

Amie Skincare Hydrating Daily Moisturiser

I cannot praise this product enough. At the moment I'm using it day and night, despite it being a day cream. As a rule, I have combination skin, however, I have hydration issues in some areas and this cream offers instant relief. I love it under makeup and it leaves my skin feeling so smooth. I'm a huge fan of Amie products as they are BUAV approved cruelty-free and almost all of their products are free of animal ingredients. 

Illamasqua Skinbase Foundation - Shade 9

I tend to use high-end foundations sparingly due to budget issues (sigh) but, during the summertime, I find that a lot of drugstore foundations just can't stand the heat so I have repurchased this old favourite. I love Skinbase because you can get an exact match due to the extensive shade range. It also has similar properties to a BB cream so you get a lovely coverage without having to use a lot of product. Exactly what I need now that the weather is hotting up a bit. I've also gone a shade darker, because tan. 

Superdrug B. Blusher - Golden Peach

I think it's pretty obvious (despite it being out of focus - fail) that I've got a crush on this product - I've hit pan! You'll find this on my cheeks most days at the moment, whether it be nipping to the shops or on a night out. I find it very similar to my old favourite MAC Melba (but with a touch of added sparkle). I need to try more from the B. makeup range. I'm a huge fan of their skincare. 

OCC Lip Tars - Interlace and Hush

I'll confess something to you now... I am still using up a lot of my old, pre-vegan lipsticks. I refuse to waste makeup and I have enough to open a store. However, for daily wear I prefer to use something that is 100% cruelty-free and OCC Lip Tars are the best around in my opinion. They last all day with minimal retouches. On the surface these shades may look identical but Hush (bottom) has a lovely, dusky pink hue to it, whereas Interlace (top) is just a great all-round peachy nude. I'm developing a Lip-Tar habit. I get mine from cutECOsmetics.co.uk.

MUA Cosmetics Matte Palette

I praised this palette in my previous post. Luckily the one pictured here was a more recent repurchase (my previous palette was too 'loved' to be photographed.) It's just the most perfect palette for neutral, everyday looks, but also gives a decent smokey eye should the need arise. I keep a spare at my parents house as well in case of emergencies. At £4 it's an absolute essential for me. 

GOSH Amazing Length & Build Mascara

Y'know, it's pretty difficult to come by a decent, cruelty-free drugstore mascara, mainly because there are only a few to choose from. This is the only one in the GOSH range that is suitable for vegans. Luckily I really rather love it. Most of the time I don't go for liner if it's just a normal day but, if I'm feeling fancy or have somewhere to go, I'll team this with my Illamasqua Precision Ink. 

Those are my most-loved, can't-live-without products. Don't get me wrong, I love to switch it up depending on my outfit or where I'm going on a particular day, but everyone has those fail-safe products that they fall back on time and time again. I will probably follow this post up with an everyday FOTD-type post (once I grow a pair and get my eyebrows sorted out). 

What are your everyday beauty essentials? 

Summer of Skincare

This post was supposed to be a July Favourites... but when I got to picking out the products, they turned out to ALL be skincare. So now it has evolved into yet another summer skincare round-up. I posted a summer skincare post a little while ago with a few new products I'd acquired, but my skin is being so evil just lately that I seem to have switched everything up again. I've discovered even more new products and repurchased a couple of older favourites. I think I'm finally onto something here as my skin is finally starting to behave itself again! 

Amie Skincare 'Morning Light' Hydrating Moisturiser

Whenever Amie bring out a new moisturiser I just have to have it and, as this one is a hydrating day cream, I knew I had to give it a whirl. I'm a huge fan of their mattifying moisturiser as well as their Skin Shield. This one doesn't have the SPF that Skin Shield has but my skin has been so smooth and touchable (without getting greasy) when I've used it, that I can forgive it. Amie products are affordable, cruelty free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Full review coming soon!

Superdrug 5-in-1 Skin Perfecting BB Cream - Medium

If you're a long time reader of this blog you'll know that I go bonkers for BB creams during the summer months when I can't be doing with a heavy foundation that's going to melt off my face as soon as the weather heats up. This Superdrug budget version is fantastic and contains vitamin c, hyaluronic acid and caffeine with mineral pigments and SPF15. There is also an Anti-Age SPF30 version in the range. 

Indeed Labs Hydraluron

You have my permission to scold me. I've only just got around to discovering the magic of Hydraluron. What kind of a blogger am I?? Hydration is a huge issue for me, even though I have combination skin, and I need products that will quench my thirsty face without turning my t-zone into an oil slick. This product acts as a supercharger for any moisturiser you team it with, allowing the skin to retain the moisture more effectively. I NEED to get my hands on their new Moisture Jelly to go along with it because it's LOVE! This product is currently a third off at Boots.

Elemis Balancing Lavender Toner

I posted about this product and the Lime Blossom cleanser that goes along with it quite a while ago now. I can't believe I've only just got around to repurchasing it! It's been a godsend while the weather has been warmer. I've been keeping it in the fridge and spritzing my face with it and it feels soooooo good!! The lavender fragrance won't be for everyone but I particularly enjoy it at the end of the day, after removing my makeup just to freshen my skin up and prep my skin for moisturiser. It's very soothing.

Una Brennan Superfacialist Neroli Brightening Cleanser

This popped up in my last skincare post as another product that I'd forgotten I loved and I'm loving it again for very similar reasons to the Elemis toner. It's just wonderfully freshening with a floral scent and leaves my skin feeling firmed up and smooth. I mainly use this product in the morning before I've put on any makeup to wake my skin up. 

White Rabbit Skincare Lime and Coconut Cleansing Water

I received this product in my The Vegan Kind Beauty Box last month and it was instant love. This product is completely handmade using spring water, orange blossom water, coconut oil and lime essential oil. The scent is out of this world! It's milkier in texture than your usual micellar-type cleansing waters, and I'd go easy around the eyes with this one (lime oil - yikes) but it does an amazing job of removing makeup whilst cleansing the skin. The lime and orange blossom are also great antibacterial ingredients and the coconut oil helps to smooth. 

Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins

Last but not least... I loved this product to death in the new year and the latter half of Winter, but my skin seemed to get sick of it after a while so it has been sat in my stash waiting for another chance to shine. It got that chance a couple of weeks ago after I felt that the Superdrug cream I'd been using was starting to leave me a little oily. Sure enough my skin welcomed it back with open arms and they are friends once more. Read my original review here.

*****

Those were my current summer skincare crushes. I'm hoping this love affair will carry on into Autumn/Winter as the harsh elements seem to take it out of my skin every bit as much as the summer sun. I haven't felt great about my skincare routine for a little while now so it's great to finally have a winning set of products... until the next time my face gets bored and demands something else. I guess we shall see. 

What are your skincare must haves?? Is hydration an issue for you?? What products can't you live without during the summer months??

A Few Recent Summer Skincare Changes

Its that time of year again when my skin begins to completely reject my Winter skin routine and demands a fresh start for Summer. Not to mention the fact that Summer skincare is an entirely different kettle of fish to Winter with a whole different set of considerations. Add to that my 2014 switch to Veganism and a commitment to cruelty free products and you get a serious 'Alice in Wonderland' type of scenario. I thought I'd post a few of my recent skincare changes to prep my skin for the warmer months ahead. My skin has been a little unruly of late and can't seem to decide whether it wants to break out or shrivel up so I doubt these will be my only purchases this Summer, but here's the story so far...

Oqibo Purifying Cleanser and Toner* - oqibo.co.uk 

A completely new brand to me, Oqibo were kind enough to send me a huge bottle of their Purifying Cleanser and Toner earlier in the year. I was promised cruelty free and no animal ingredients so I can use this product with absolute confidence. I'll probably do a more in-depth review after I've been using it for a little while longer but this is a lovely, freshening product and does a great job of getting rid of dirt and oil. It's designed to regulate and balance the skin, which is great news for combination girlies like me. It has quite a strong scent of mint and leaves my skin feeling clean and refreshed. 

DHC Pore Lotion - dhcuk.co.uk

I'm a huge fan of DHC. I emailed the Japanese-based brand to confirm a few ingredients with them recently and was delighted to discover that none of their ingredients are animal derived so now I adore them even more! I've been particularly enjoying their pore range of products lately as they're really gentle, alcohol free  and are really good for clarifying and minimising pores and creating a smooth canvas for makeup. I use this as I would a toner in between cleansing and moisturising (I also have their Pore Milk which is a lovely, light moisturiser for daytime). 

Superdrug Naturally Radiant Renewing Night Cream - superdrug.com

It seems that even my beloved Origins Night-a-Mins isn't good enough for my face lately so I'm having a rest from it. I was scratching my head trying to find an affordable, cruelty free substitute (I'm truly skint) and I spotted this in Superdrug and thought it would be well worth a try for £5.99. This cream smells so good! I can't stop sniffing it. It is infused with extracts of kiwi and mulberry with sugar beet and other fruit acids to nourish and resurface skin overnight. For the price I've been very impressed. My skin definitely feels smoother and softer upon waking. 

Organic Surge Blissful Daily Moisturiser - organicsurge.com

I've been using this for a little while as a light daytime moisturiser for my combination skin. I suspect I will need something more intensive with SPF as we continue on into Summer but this really has been lovely. Extremely gentle and perfect for normal/combination skin types. It keeps my skin hydrated whilst also keeping oilier areas at bay and sits well under makeup. I also love how it absorbs so quickly. Organic Surge, like Superdrug, are 100% committed to no animal testing and no animal ingredients.

Amie Pure & Natural Beauty 'Spring Clean' Clay Mask - amieskincare.com

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE Amie Skincare products!! They've been a favourite for a couple of years now and I've tried most of their products. What I particularly love about them are their natural ingredients and Leaping Bunny certification which means no animal testing and virtually no animal ingredients (except beeswax, which it turns out this product does actually contain - serves me right for assuming - but most of their products are 100% Vegan friendly). This is an old favourite of mine from way back and I've started using it again once a week to purge my skin of any excess oiliness for a really deep clean. It has an gorgeous fresh lime/mint scent and an added bonus of making me closely resemble a White Walker for 10mins a week... HA!!

Those are a handful of my recent skincare switch ups. It's felt a little like I'm fighting a losing battle with my skin recently as it's been so unpredictable. I thought vegans were supposed to have perfect skin?!?! To be fair I was a little neglectful with my skincare routine whilst I was battling my way through exams so that might have something to do with it. Time to get back on it and treat my face right! 

What are your skin saviours?? Do you switch up your routine when the weather gets warmer?? What are your recommendations for Summer skincare??

TLC's Stars of 2013: Skincare

It's that time... 

I'm a week late starting this series of posts so I'd best cut to the chase. Instead of a big, long, epic 2013 Favourites post this year I wanted to break it down into pretty little chunks for you all. I'm going to start on Skincare because I've found a few products over the last 12 months that have been real keepers and that I really haven't been able to manage without. In fact, my skincare didn't evolve much in 2013 but the product discoveries that I made last year have stuck with me.

L'Oreal Skin Perfection Purifying Micellar Solution

I am so grateful to this product for finally weaning me off the facial wipes for good! I don't use this as my main cleanser, but it's the best thing I've found for getting my makeup off so I can cleanse more thoroughly. I know you'll all be screaming BIODERMA at me at once but I find this affordable and easy to just nip into Superdrug and replace. It's been replaced a LOT over the course of the year too. I just squirt it onto a large, oval cotton pad and away it goes! 

Rodial Dragon's Blood Hyaluronic XXL Hydrating Mask* - rodial.co.uk

I've had to be sensible and sparing with this one as it's not something I'm just going to be able to run out and replace willy nilly. I cannot begin to tell you the skin scrapes this mask has got me out of. I reviewed it towards the end of summer (Here) and stated how useful it had been in reversing the effects of the sun without having to use a heavy cream on my combination skin but, little did I know, I would be just as glad of it (if not even more so) during the Winter months. As soon as the weather went cooler my skin seemed to tighten and shrivel up! I find this mask to be so soothing and comforting and I will definitely be repurchasing once I've saved up enough pennies. I'm down to my last drop!

Nip+Fab Dry Skin Fix Body Butter in Pistachio Sundae 

This is my little sweet treat after my bath. I go through phases with Body Butters. After a while I always crave a different one. This one, however, always has me going back to it. Kind of like a sugar craving. This is my third tub! It is VERY sweet in scent and won't be for everyone but sometimes only this will do. I'm a little worried actually as I've just been on their website and I can't seem to find it there so I hope they haven't discontinued it. I've been buying it from Superdrug and I believe larger Sainsbury's stores also stock Nip+Fab products. 

Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm - timetospa.co.uk

This is one I've already forked out half of my student loan to repurchase, having originally received it for review and discovering I can't live without it. I will not put anything else on under my makeup now. It makes me skin feel so supple and smooth and has a kind of extra glow about it. A great base for foundation even without primer. I'm not surprised at all that it's won multiple awards. Well done Elemis for this one. Bravo! You can read my original review for this product Here. 

Amie Radiant Dawn Exfoliating Daily Wash - amieskincare.co.uk

In fact, not just this product, but Amie Skincare in general have been floating my boat throughout the last year. I recently featured their Morning Dew Mattifying Moisturiser and Spring Clean Clay Mask in a favourites post as well. There's nothing not to love about this product or this brand. It's full of gorgeous, natural ingredients, free from chemical nasties and is just a great, gentle daily exfoliator that smells amazing. 

Those were my skincare heroes of 2013. I'll be following with separate posts on haircare, makeup and other miscellaneous items that made a particular impact on me last year. 

What skincare products rocked your world in 2013??

A Few New Favourites

It's been a while since I mentioned any new favourites. I make a point of not doing a favourites post every month because, to be honest, if a product is my favourite then I'm not going to change it after a month just for the sake of a blog post. If I find a product I like I tend to stick with it unless something else comes along that really blows my mind. My favourites tend to change and evolve organically depending on my needs and often I fall back on old favourites as well as finding new ones. It just so happens that I've recently noticed that I'm reaching for a different set of products again so I thought I'd show them to you...

Amie Pure and Natural Skincare

I am a massive fan of this brand. I discovered them at a press event over a year ago and they are a brand that I seem to go back to. I'm going through one of those phases again recently and am really enjoying their Morning Dew Matte Finish Moisturiser again. I use it every day under my makeup. I've also included for this post their Spring Clean Cooling Clay Mask as it is a product I really love and usually keep as a special treat. The products comprise of almost 100% natural ingredients and are free from Sulphates and Parabens. They also smell AMAZING! The moisturiser contains extracts of Rosehip, Bilberry and Vitamin E. For more info and to see their full range visit amieskincare.com

Bourjois Happy Light Foundation*

I'm not going to say too much about this little beaut just yet as I'm planning to review it, along with the concealer of the same name later on this week. What I will say is that, as a die hard fan of Healthy Mix, I practically fell over myself to get my hands on this. I truly believe that Bourjois produce the best drugstore foundations on the market and I rarely go for any other brand when shopping on the high street. This particular foundation is designed to work with the other products in the Happy Light range for a flawless finish in any light. Again, more on this to follow...

Benefit Dallas Boxed Blush

As soon as Winter comes knocking I automatically break out this badboy. I have worn nothing else on my cheeks for at least a month now. It's just the perfect Autumn/Winter cheek colour. In the box it looks quite plummy, and it is, but once it's on the cheeks it comes out as a deep burnt peach-type colour along with the plum tones (and you all know how much i love my peach). I also don't feel the need to contour when I use this blush as it seems to produce the effect all by itself. This blush doesn't get the credit it deserves in my opinion and can be overshadowed by some of the other Benefit boxed powders but it is definitely number 1 for me during the cooler months. 

Bourjois 'Twist up the Volume' Mascara*

I picked this up during London Fashion Week and fell in love with it. I'll be honest now and say that I haven't tried twisting it down yet (for bigger bristles and a more volumised effect) but that is because I love a good lengthening mascara and this one is just brilliant! If it ain't broke, don't change it etc etc... My lashes look so long when I've used this, even with just a single, quick coat. I have naturally thick lashes which are pretty average in length but this amplifies them beautifully. If you're looking for a good quality drugstore lengthening mascara I'd highly recommend you give this one a try.

Benefit 'Under my Spell.... Noelle' EDT*

I've always been a fan of Benefit fragrances. Previous favourites include Gina and Ring My Bella. I discovered this at the Christmas Party Benefit held to celebrate the opening of their stunning new Carnaby St Boutique and have worn it almost every day since. Noelle is the latest of the Benefit fragrances. Once again, I'm not going to give too much away on this as I have another post planned with some very special Festive Fragrance news from BeneFit. Watch out for that one in the run up to Christmas!

So that's my little selection of products I'm currently favouring. I'm actually quite surprised that there isn't a wider selection of brands in there this time. It just goes to prove my point that I am a creature of habit and my favourite brands and products never stray away too far.  

What products are you loving lately??

July 2012 Favourites!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!! 

Great news ladies!! After all the stress and organisation (aka chaos) that has surrounded me over the last 2 months i have finally come out the other side and am ecstatic to announce that I NOW LIVE IN LONDON!! I moved into my new flat on Saturday and, so far, am loving my London experience. I'm giving myself some well-earned time off to catch up on my neglected blog and thought i'd start afresh with a few of the products that i have been reaching for the most over the month of July...

Amie 'Morning Dew' Matte Finish Moisturiser:

This is a product i featured in my Summer series of posts and i mentioned that i loved it for keeping my skin soft and hydrated without making it greasy and minimising shine. Well i am now on my SECOND bottle and my love for it has not lessened. This is a great product for oilier or combination skins (i am the latter) and it smells AMAZING. Amie use completely natural ingredients and no synthetic muck or parabens so you know you're putting the good stuff on your face. Best bit is it's only £4.95 for 75ml. Check out and buy this product and others in the range HERE

Figs & Rouge Balm: Cherry and Vanilla:

I'll admit i've never actually gone searching to buy these products and i've always got them out of various beauty subscription boxes (think this one was Glossybox) but i've found myself popping this in my handbag a lot lately. I kind of alternate it with my Supergoop SPF30 lip balm but it feels very refreshing on the lips and has a medicated kind of zing to it. I've never felt the need to use it anywhere but my lips but at least i'm prepared should i ever need to!

BeneFit Brow-Zings (Medium):

I've never been one that paid a lot of attention to my brows. !'ve had a full fringe for what seems like forever now and it always covered them so i got away with being lazy. However, i'm trying to be patient enough to grow it out now and, as a result, my brows have started seeing the light of day again. I have the HD brows palette also (which is brilliant) but this really is my number one choice for my brows. It's a wax/powder combo and i love how it controls my thick brows, whilst filling in and adding colour. There are similar products on the market (some of which are probably cheaper) but i am really enjoying this one.

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer (03 Medium):

This has lasted me ages! I got this before Collection changed its branding and i'm nowhere near done with it yet. I love how only a tiny dab of this goes such a long way and works really well at covering up blemishes and brightening problem areas. I go through phases with concealer where one minute i don't need any, then the next i can't live without it. The last month (probably due to the weather), i have found myself needing it more and this is the one i have been reaching for the most.

BeneFit Dallas:

This is the second of THREE BeneFit products featuring in this post. I really seem to be loving their stuff more and more recently. I was going to feature their Creaseless Cream shadows in this post as well but i mentioned them fairly recently and want to do a post exclusively about them very soon so i'm keeping them back for now. 

BeneFit Dallas is an old favourite of mine from last year which i neglected for a while but have fallen in love with all over again since the sun decided to reappear. I just love how versatile it is. It can be a blush, a bronzer, a contour, just whatever you want it to be and it gives a gorgeous glow to the face. It looks a bit mucky in the pot but it swatched to a beautiful burnt peach/plum sort of shade. It's in my all time Top 3 cheek products for sure! 

MUA Cosmetics 'Chocolate Box' Eyeshadow Trio:

This is a GREAT little compact for everyday and perfect for handbag touch ups. As with most MUA shadows i find they can be as natural or as RAWR as you want them to be and they are very easy to apply and blend. This is another product that i'd like to do a FOTD with at some point so keep your eye out for that, but i am really thankful that i have it for a 'no-brainer' day-to-night trio.

MAC Honeylove Lipstick (Matte):

This is, by FAR, my most worn lipstick of the last 2 months. It has never been out of my handbag since i got it. It is actually my most recent lipstick purchase from MAC but i have been using it non stop. The most interesting thing i found about it is that the bullet colour is almost unrecognisable once you apply it to the lips and it is much paler but i absolutely adore it and am gonna repurchase the HELL out of it. I also love MAC's matte formula. It feels much creamier on than most other matte lipsticks i've tried. 

BeneFit BadGal Lash:

BeneFit product number three was the best magazine freebie i EVER snapped up. The brush is HUGE (right up my street) and doesn't get overloaded with product which results in no clumps, even application and means i am able to build my lashes up gradually. It gets mine really big too. I will definitely be purchasing the full size of this once i've run down all my other samples (waste not want not). I had been wanting to purchase 'They're Real' but i don't think i will be able to live without this and i can't justify both at the moment. 

St Moriz Instant Self Tanning Mist:

This is another one i mentioned in my Summer series. The reason i'm loving it lately is that it takes hardly any effort to apply (it's an aerosol) and it really easy to blend with minimal streaking. I'd usually go for a darker formula than this but, as i've managed to get a bit of sun on myself just lately i have been using this just to enhance what Mr Sunshine has given me. St Moriz is such an affordable brand too. 

So those were my favourites from July '12. I also hereby pledge to you, my lovely readers, that i will never desert you like that again. I don't plan on moving house again for a long, long time and, now that i'm closer to the action i hope to bring you even more exciting posts than ever! I appreciate you all staying with me through this period of quiet and look forward to sharing more with you soon!! 

What were your favourite products of July? Link me to your posts, i would love to read them!