Beauty Rehab

Morning!

It still feels like a somewhat endless task using up products doesn't it?

Especially if you are one the individuals like myself who seems to have bought nothing in months and still have a ridiculous collection....oops. 

Here's the latest installment of Beauty Rehab - I wonder if I ever will get to the bottom of my stash?

Aussie 3 Min Miracle - If you haven't noticed by now that I'm a complete addict for this stuff then you've been reading the wrong blog. Totally obsessed, my hair loves it. If I don't have 3 in my stash I panic.
Herbal Essences Dry Shampoo in Tapioca - I liked the scents in this range but the product itself feels more like hairspray than dry shampoo which is such a shame
Batiste - still the best, it's unbeatable in my opinion
Wilko Nail Polish Remover - cheap and cheerful, why pay more??



Lancome Foaming Purifying Cleanser - not sure I'd repurchase this but it was great value for money as you needed so little to wash with
Nip and Fab Glycolic Cleanser - really like this, would repurchase but need to be careful with my dehydrated skin. Great value when on offer and smells good!
Dr Organic Coconut Hand Cream - REALLY great hand cream, will repurchase when my next has run out. Sinks in fast, no greasy residue, great price
Good Things Manuka Honey Moisturiser - this was also a good purchase and I'd rebuy this one too, another with a good price and often in 3 for 2 deals in Boots. Manuka Honey is a fab moisturiser!
Aussie 3 Min Miracle - 2 in the same post, clearly I'm addicted!



Dove Beauty Finish Deodorant - not sure what the beauty finish was about but the smell was vile, no repurchasing here
EOS Organic Lip Balm - love love love, whyyyyyyyy are they so expensive in the UK!!
A bit gutted that the nail varnish in the picture have all dried out, Nails Inc Black Taxi and China Glaze Snow Flake were favourites of mine.



St Tropez Body Moisturiser - love this but wouldn't pay full price for it. The moisturiser sinks in really fast and doesn't leave a film on your skin, the best kind of product
Rimmel Wake Me Up - love the glow and always go back to this but the colour just isn't right on my unless it's summer so the colour range is a bit frustrating.
Radical Eye Cream - This was from the Space NK bundle that we both got last October, it wasn't bad I just felt that others were better
Sarah Chapman Skinesis Dynamic Defence - I liked this but the cost puts me off, it was lovely but I feel like others work better for my skin



Balance Me Radiance Face Oil - Quite liked this, would consider buying the full size
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer - wouldn't buy these full size, they feel like they have too much silicone in for me but there are other versions of the primer that are better for me
REN Cleansing Milk - Didn't like this, my skin came out in spots unfortunately!
Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturiser - also not a fan of this. Some things just don't work!
Murad Oil Control Mattifier - loved this, perfect for summer and would 100% recommend for those with oily skin

Benefit Coralista - love love love this blush, already panic bought another at Christmas.....JUST in case!
Benefit They're Real Mascara - another love, I can't wait to get another one of these when I've used my stash up
Benefit Roller Lash Mascara - all of their mascaras are great, I'd happily purchase both or either of these!
Benefit That Gal Primer - I'd prefer Porefessional to this but as a travel size product it's been a good tester
Real Techniques Buffing Brush - sadly this one has started to literally fall apart. It's sad as you can't buy this one individually which is quite annoying really!

See anything in my empties that you've been using up recently?

Just have to keep ploughing through the excessive products and ONE DAY maybe I will get to the bottom!

L xxx

Review: Lancome Clarifying Cleanser Pearly Foam

Good morning!

When it comes to skincare, I think as long as you have the right cleanser you're on the right track. I occasionally deviate from my usual products and this was one of those deviations. My aunty gifted this cleanser to me the last time she visited, knowing my love of products!

I'd never tried any Lancome skincare before so I was super excited to give it a go!

The Clarifying Cleanser Pearly Foam is a gel type cleanser. The first thing i noticed about this product was that it was SO DIFFICULT to get out of the tube.

It was probably a decent workout for my hands every morning - in the non weirdest way.
I actually had to wrestle to get this out of the tube and genuinely had to use both hands to get enough cleanser onto my flannel. No jokes.

That aside though, this was so thick that you really didn't need a lot to get it foamed up and into a lather to wash your face with.

The tube contains 125ml of product and costs £23 from the majority of website I looked at.

I have to say that the packaging of this product doesn't really excite me - it's boring and although the rose design iconic to Lancome is incorporated into it I just feel like they could - and should - have done better.
Their other products such as their infamous mascaras look so much better than this, so on first viewing I was disappointed.

So far it's not looking promising is it?

I have to admit though that this product surprised me and I actually really liked it. You can use this both morning and evening and a tiny bit will go really far - good job when you have to wrestle it!

This cleanser lathers up pretty well and removes most make up. It doesn't remove the most stubborn product known to womankind - Benefit's They're Real mascara - but it does a good job of the rest.
I found that my ever dehydrated skin really liked this product and it didn't ever feel stripped or tight after use.

I'm surprised in thinking that I would consider purchasing this again, although I would try and wait for a deal in a department store with free gifts or points, £23 for a cleanser is quite steep as my usual one is £18.50 (though I buy it on offer at £14) and that's a treat!

Another thing I liked about this product was that it was sealed when purchased, this is always good news to me as it means that no one else has tampered with the product, used any and got any additional germs into it!
Shopping in stores with used make up nowadays can be pretty grim, I'd hate for this trend to spread to products like cleansers too, do you agree?

Have you tried Lancome skincare products? Have you tried this cleanser?

What else would you recommend from Lancome?

I do love their mascara, the Christmas sets are the best!

L xxx

Beauty Rehab

Hi there!

I'm slowly and painfully working my way through my stash, it has been a long process and if you'd like to catch up on my series you can do so by following this link (lots of empties!)

I thought I was getting somewhere recently but an influx of shopping, weak moments, presents etc has meant that actually, I'm barely better off. I really do need to grow some balls and just get over the fact that i have no space and no money for any more!

Batiste Dry Shampoo - always the best, always repurchase. Especially now I need to preserve my hair colour as long as possible!

Aussie Shampoo - loved Aussie but having heard that they animal test I'm rethinking all of my products and its unlikely that i will be repurchasing.

Anatomicals Shower Gel - this has fun packaging and a citrusy awakening scent but i wouldn't repurchase as it came in a set.

Antipodes Juliet cleanser - liked this, think my skin needs more from a cleanser though so will have to try another of theirs!

S&G Clean Girls body wash - had this in my gym bag for ages, lasts forever!

Evian moisturiser - do they still even produce this?? Who knows! Wouldn't repurchase.

Dr Organic coconut oil night cream - Far too thick and heavy for my skin, wouldn't repurchase but loved the smell
Argan oil day cream - too greasy for my skin, wouldn't repurchase this either but love most things from Dr Organic

Origins Eye Doctor - already repurchased! Sadly have found out they also test on animals so am on the look out for a replacement.

Next Spa scrub - lovely texture and it really glitters, part of their seasonal range so cannot repurchase

Pores No More - not a fan, not quite sure what this was for really!

EOS Sphere - love these and always have a spare, didn't really like the yellow one though it was very hard and dried quickly

Collection concealer - always repurchase for the price

Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes mascara - loved this, will wait for the Christmas sets to possibly repurchase as they are very good for the money.

Murad Skin Perfecting Primer - wouldn't repurchase currently as i have a stash to get through, may do in future tho as it lasts a while.

Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder - gutted I dropped my handbag! Lucky it didn't spill everywhere though. I had a back up already...

I'm halfway through another bag of empties already and I'm hoping next time I write a Beauty Rehab post I will be really checking myself into rehab and will be downsizing as opposed to replacing, one in one out is not going to work for me!

How are you working your way through your stash? I find bath products a lot easier than make up, project 10 pan or something similar would just take me forever and it doesn't take up the bulk of my collection.

What have you been using recently?

L xxx

My Morning Routine

Morning All

For me the first thing I need in the morning is a cuppa! Boiling the kettle is the first thing I do before jumping in the shower! Nothing beats a cuppa, for me on the weekends getting a cuppa and going back to bed to drink it is the best thing! If I get up early enough during the week I do like to sit under the duvet drink my tea and catch up on twitter! Whilst in the shower I prep my face. At the moment I'm using my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. As soon as I get out of the shower I pop on my Balance Me Rich Moisturiser* and Bobbi Brown eye cream.

At the moment I'm enjoying less is more make up and not using foundation everyday. I prefer my skin to have a chance to breath if I'm not looking to red. I tend to chose extra time in bed over make up for work!! Beauty sleep/looking good for work! For me it's a simple choice.

If I do use foundation at the moment I'm loving the Maybelline Dream Nude Airfoam. It feels so light on the skin and doesn't masque my skin but just evens the skin tone. I then finish with Liz Earle bronzer to contour and Dandelion Blush (seriously still loving this combination 18 months since I first got it!)

For the eyes it's usually a quick sweep of YDK over the lid and then I like to use a purple, brown or green liner to adfd some definition without it being as bold as black. Then onto a quick sweep of mascara. I love Lancome Hypnose Drama as it's done in one coat!

Brows are all about gimme brow at the moment! I love how quick it is. I thought it would run out quickly but it's still going strong at the moment with everyday use!

Time for a quick sip of tea and get dressed before making lunch for work then I'm running out the door as I'm usually late by this point. No matter what time I get up the last 5 minutes are always a rush!

Are you a take your time in the morning gal or rush, grab and go?

Love M

xxx

Beauty Rehab

Hi there lovelies!

I've been working hard for these Beauty Rehab posts of late, and have been successfully powering through my stash. I've still got a long way to go but using up moisturisers is my biggest mission as i seem to have thhe worlds biggest collection.

If you're looking to use up your stash as quickly as possible I would recommend you start with all of your half used products followed by sample sizes. After that, start attacking your biggest items as I'm assuming that space is the number one reason for using items up. I'd probably suggest you avoid using Soap and Glory products as they're always so big and last forever, testament to their value but not ideal for using up!

Weleda Skin Food - Actually really liked this, too greasy for day wear but a gorgeous smell and a thick cream for hydration, Would consider buying it.

Indeed Labs Pepta Bright - Not sure if this works or not, I did enjoy it and the effects initially but I was rubbish at continuous use so I can't comment on the entire tube. Wouldn't repurchase as it wasn't the right product for me.

Lancome Hypnose Mascara - loved this but unfortunately after an eye infection this one had to go....I'm extremely fussy with eyes products! Would rebuy but not at full price, the Christmas sets are worth waiting for!

Collection Lasting Perfection concealer - Love love love for the £4 price tag. Have already repurchased!

Re Gen cream - a home bargains bargain, lovely moisturiser but can't say it had any re generation properties.

Body Shop Clementine body butter - loved the smell of this and actually enjoyed using it considering I'm not a body butter fan! Would rebuy in future when I don't have 5 million others to use....

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation - initially loved this but the colour didn't suit me as much after a time. Needed to condense my foundation collection which is taking some time!

JPG MaDame perfume - absolute favourite perfume. Struggled from Christmas to get one for my birthday so am very relieved to have a full bottle again!

Bourjois Nail varnish remover pot - Loved this but it does seem to degrade pretty fast. I'm sure there will be a cheaper version soon but I do like the look of the new toe nail remover they've got!

Ojon Rare Blend Hair Oil - lovely smell, lovely idea but it was a chore to use and I don't like pouring things. wouldn't repurchase again as I'd prefer one with a dispenser.

Botanics Clay Face Mask - technically not finished...I don't get on with this mask any longer and there's not a lot left in the tube anyway. Wouldn't repurchase as I have plenty more!

Cutex nail varnish remover - wouldn't normally include polish remover but I'm intrigued if anyone ever thinks that there's a difference between cheap and expensive brands?? I never notice a difference! Cheap is good with me.

S&G Slimwear - Used to love this and that it was blue, now it feels very cold on my skin! I have another tube of this to use so maybe I'll save it for just before Glasto in the hope it will make me look super svelte!

Aussie 3 Min Miracle - love this conditioner and will buy it forever more! Smells amazing and works a treat for my long and dry hair.

Aussie Mega Shampoo - also loved this, would repurchase both Aussie products but I've already stocked up for the next few months :)

S&G Smoothie Star Body Milk - took me a while to use this but loved it. The smell is so warming and comforting. Cannot go wrong with an S&G product!

Tresemme Salon Finish hair spray - great spray thought the nozzle does get clogged up easily. Good size can of spray for the £5 price tag! Have another in the sidelines.

Mane n Tail conditioner - enjoyed using this and it definitely did help the condition of my hair and length of it too. I'd love to try more products from their range like the leave in treatment.

Murad AHA/BHA exfoliating cleanser - Loved this and it lasted forever, large price tag but was so worth it as this cleanser really works and isn't abrasive at all.

What do you think of my empties? Do you have any favourites in the list?

L xxx

Lancome Hypnose Mascara

Good morning lovelies!

I hope you're looking forward to your Saturday, me and M have got friends staying today and we're so excited! We're hoping to get a bit of shopping done before some food and then some cocktails and dancing the night away!

Ideally I'd also like to see some of the Wales v Ireland Six nations match....I'm your typical welsh girl loving the rugby and I love nights out after a match so I'm really looking forward to it.

That aside, I've been using another of my Christmas presents (that I bought for myself...) and have been LOVING the effects.

M has long been a big fan of Lancome mascaras and her comments eventually wore me down and I couldn't help but pick up the Hypnose set that they had out in Boots.

The set contains a full size Hypnose mascara along with three miniatures of the Doll Eyes, Drama and Star.
I've heard so much about all of these mascaras, not just from M, but from many bloggers so I was really looking forward to trying these out.

Starting with the packaging I obviously love it. Black and gold simple tubes with the Lancome flower at the top next to the name of each mascara.
I love simplicity so this ticks all the boxes for me although the Hypnose mascara does have a slightly curvier shape than the three miniatures and I still love these.

The Hypnose mascara brush looks pretty normal to be honest and I didn't expect much from it. I do think that some fancy brushes are far too over the top and don't provide anything different to a simple brush but I did think it might have looked a bit more....special? I don't know, looking at the above photo it doesn't look very different to any Rimmel or Collection mascara that are obviously much cheaper and so I didn't expect a lot even after the reviews I've read.

I've mentioned before how I am lucky with my lashes, they are long and thick but generally straight as they REFUSE to curl. Whatever I do (even heated curlers) they don't stay curled at all. I've been tempted to have them professionally done but haven't ever got round to it, any one who has had this done please get in touch!

Because of this I don't find that I need expensive mascaras as I don't generally need the additional length or volume.

Having used this mascara only a few times I was quite honestly surprised and amazed at how much I loved it. It separated my lashes super easily, lengthened them and even, dare I say it, made them appear to be more curled.

You can see from the photos below how my lashes looked after applying just ONE coat of the Hypnose mascara:

I am such a convert to this mascara now I'm finding it hard to leave it alone!

I loved the results and with just one coat for application  that doesn't clump and gives amazing results means that the mascara will also last a bit longer.

I am yet to try the miniatures from the collection (Drama, Doll Eyes and Star) as I've been saving them for when the original Hypnose runs out, but I've got high hopes if they're as good as the first one I've tried!

Have you tried any Lancome mascaras before? Which are your favourites?
Do you have a favourite 'premium beauty' mascara? If so which one?

I'm intrigued to know which other mascaras can be as good as this!

L xxx

Christmas Shopping.....For Myself

Let's all be honest here, it's pretty damn hard to go shopping at any time of year without picking something up for yourself let alone at Christmas time.

I'm a very big fan of the 'one for you, two for me' mantra and as I missed out on an advent calendar of any kind (not jealous at all....) I have seemingly bought myself a product for each day instead....now who's winning eh?!

Here's a quick photo montage of things I've picked up, what deals were on, whee you can get them and how much you need it!






The Latest in Beauty box - The Glamour Beauty Edit.

This was £14.95 from here (plus p&p) and worth every penny. With £65 of goodies in this box not only is it a bargain but a lovely gift and if I bought for friends I'd definitely get one as a Secret Santa gift!

They're limited number I think but still available when writing this post :)





Lancome mascara set from Boots was snapped up in a triple points offer as I'm yet to try a premium beauty mascara and thought a set was the perfect opportunity!

The Mane and Tail Conditioner for human and horse hair was a surprise find in Liberty when I went to London (see posts here and here). I've heard a lot and couldn't resist picking it up, it's a yellow colour and smells pretty good all for £7!







I went on a nail spree too....oops!
The Maybelline Color Show Brocades were a random buy but they're so glittery I couldn't resist them on 3 for 2 as well.

Essie are one of my favourite nail brands and their Luxeffects collection hasn't escaped my notice. The pink was bought individually but the blue and silver glitter were bought in a set. Guaranteed a post will be up soon!





Lastly I had a bit of a spree in Origins. The above 2 pictures show products bought at the same time; in John Lewis they had 15% off to match Debenhams prices and luckily for me still had a Morning to Midnight set of Ginzing related goodies for me to try out! At £34 I really couldn't leave it behind after one of the products retailing at £35 so it was super savvy to pick it up at 15% off.

I also picked up their Sensory Therapy in Peace of Mind because my mum uses it for her headaches and I've found it works amazing on me too. This is normally £13 but I got it for just over £10 which for me is much better than taking tablets for headache as I get them regularly with stress.

As I bought 2 products I also received a free goody set which was another reason for going there. They always seem to have deals on at Christmas where you can receive a few products in trial size to test out and this was so cute!





I picked the Best Brighteners as I really want to try the skin illuminating cleanser.

Not only that, my last item was also my final item in my Boots triple points internet order (along with the Lancome mascaras) and was the Merry Moisturisers set.

I'm a huge fan of the Make A Difference range and I know I will use all of the products in this bundle. For £29 from Boots (currently half price) where the moisturiser is normally around £34 you cannot go wrong!

I've definitely overspent this year.........my own present buying has been a little off the charts but let's be honest its only Christmas once a year!

I cannot resist the bargains and have gathered myself a whopping £15ish in Boots points from the triple points and 500 points vouchers. I didn't need most of the products but I'm now in the frame of mind where I will use everything up and I've been getting through my stash quite well recently so fingers crossed I haven't overindulged too much....


Only time and my bank balance/credit card bill will tell!


What have you been buying yourself recently? Have you been snapping up bargains in the Christmas sales?

I can't believe there's this many bargains BEFORE the Boxing Day sales, think I'll have to give my mum instructions to hold me back when that time comes......

L xxx

Empties 3

Today is another big empties post. I've really been working my way through my stash. Last week I posted about my make up empties which you can read here. My stash doesn't seem to be getting smaller product wise as my bathroom is still full!

I am trying to work my way through all my samples but it does seem to be taking forever. I really need to start using the things I buy more.

As you can see this is another big empties stash! I really need to do them more regularly as I love reading these posts as I think it's good to see what people have actually used up.

Hair Care

As you can see lots of hair things have been used up.

Superdrug Dry Shampoo - you can read my thoughts on this here, I'm not a fan and definitely won't be buying again.

Pure Argan Oil - I picked this up from ebay and it was only 3.99. I'll definitely be buying it again until I can treat myself to the macadamia oil which I think is the best one. Amazon is great for pure oils.

Boots baby shampoo - I use this for cleaning my make up brushes. It does the job and is cheaper than Johnsons. I do find it runs out quickly though so at the moment I'm using soap which seems to be doing the job just as well.

Soap and Glory Glad Hair Days - This is a soap and glory product I don't actually like. I really don't like this as a shampoo. i found it drying and it made my hair knotty. As I didn't want it to go to waste I've been using it as it shave gel. Shampoos you don't like make good shave gels as they lather well. Conditioner also works.

Tigi Bed Head Superstar - I absolutely loved this shampoo at first. I really felt like it made my hair look thicker but... and this is a big but after a few washes I noticed it was making my hair fall out. I don't know what it was about it but whenever I used it more hair came out and noticeable large amounts. Needless to say this then became a shave gel!

Trevor Sorbie Beautiful Blonde Shampoo and Conditioner - I picked these minis up to go on holiday with last year as you got more product in them than others. I love that these are purple tinted to help prevent brassy tones. Great product but loving other higher end brands like Label.m and Sebastian to repurchase these.

Hairspray - I currently visiting my parents so don't have my empties with me and for the life of me I can't remember the brand. It came in a set from boots at Christmas time. I didn't really like it as it really coated my hair and was a hairspray that showed if that makes sense!

Advance Techniques 360 Nourishment Moroccan Argan Oil Mask - This is a great little mask. Nourishing and left my hair feeling soft. Not as good as macadamia one but a brilliant for the price.

Skincare

Etat Pur Micellar Cleansing Water - This was the first micellar water I used and I really liked it. Not heavy fragranced, easily removed face make up (A little harder on the eyes) and great for lazy make up days.

Caudalie Moisturising Cream Mask - This was a sample and only enough for one mask so a little hard to judge. Nice enough but nothing game changing to make me want to rush out and buy it.

Bioderma Sebium - Now this is a game changer. I didn't want to like this. It has such a cult love I didn't think it could be that good but when I won a competition with Escentual.com I got sent a sample and I instantly loved it. I prefer this one to the original. It's better on my skin. It is as good as everyone says.

Origins Brighter by Nature - I wanted to love these. I love the idea of an enzyme peel. I think I even convinced myself they were great. But in all honesty I don't think now I'd buy them again.

Amie Skin Cooling Clay Mask - I love this. The scent is amazing lime and peppermint mmm! It's great for the weather we've been having as it cools and refreshes while it's on the skin. I think I prefer this to the Origins Charcoal mask.

Carmex lip balm and origins whip stick - both featured in my last empties so I won't go on about them. Like both of them (enough to have had half used doubles of each of them).

Boots Cleansing Wipes - I tend to use face wipes to clean my brushes and wipe make up mistakes away so I'm not really fussy. Any ones will do for me but I don't really like baby wipes as I find them too dry.

Lancome Eye Make up Remover - I love this. Almost as much as my No7 one. Not enough to pay the huge difference. If you can afford it though it's a great eye make up remover, it doesn't tug, melts away make up and is the least greasy whilst being most effective that I have tried. I'm hoping Lancome do a Christmas set with this and the Hypnose mascara.

No7 Eye Make Up Remover - Anyone who knows me knows I love this stuff. I go through bottles of it. I think it's really important to use proper eye make up remover most of the time. It's gentler on the eyes and less pulling hopefully means not causing extra wrinkles. This is a great price (when using a voucher) and really effective. I will be buying over and over again. I've even converted L.

Other

Planet Spa Hand Cream - This is my favourite hand cream and I've tried a fair few. I love the scent (shea butter) and the way it sinks in and moisturises. I always keep a stock of these.

Glotanz tan in a can - This is my favourite tan at the moment and I'm so glad we got to try it. It's easy to apply, pretty much scent free and gives me a perfect tan after one coat (most fake tans on me require at least two!). L has kindly donated me hers but I'll definitely be repurchasing.

Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb EDP - This is my most sad empty. If I had a fragrance this is it. It's beautiful and oriental and lasts on my skin. But at £60 a bottle it's a wait till Christmas. The Zara perfume in oriental is keeping me going for the time being. 

Givency Perfume Sample - ok perfume but would repuchase.

Celebre Body Spray - I'm not a body spray person but this was given to me so I have used it up. The scent is ok but not one I'd chose as I prefer something with a bit of a sweeter or oriental twist.

Marc Jacobs Daisy - L was kind enough to give me her bottle of this to try as I said I wanted it. I absolutely loved the scent and people commented on how it smelt very me. The bottle is beautiful and I'll be sad to see it go off my desk. The only downside is it didn't last long. My skin tends to need parfum versions.

Soap and Glory Hand Food - Raved about by both L and I and many others, great hand cream, amazing smell. But I do prefer the Avon Planet Spa one as it's a bit cheaper and sinks in better.

Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser - This will always win the hot cloth cleanser scent wars for me. I find it's thicker than most and one of the most gentle. Due to the price there is another I now prefer more. (read about that here) will still continue to repurchase as a treat buy.

So that's another long list of empties!! What have you been using up lately? Leave me links to your empties posts!

Love M

xxx