Beauty Review - Clinique Skincare

L-R Rinse off foaming cleanser £15.50, 7 day scrub cream £17.50, Liquid facial soap £14, Clarifying lotion £15, Dramatically different moisturising gel £29.

 I first started using Clinique skincare in January. I was after a new routine that didn't cost the earth as my skin had broken out massively, and just wasn't getting better. I wrote a first impressions post about Clinique here.

The first things I bought from Clinique were the Liquid Facial Soap and the Clarifying Lotion as I couldn't justify spending the £29 on the moisturiser. The facial soap is lovely and foams up a lot; after cleansing, I rub it between my fingers and then in a circular motion on my face and then buff it away with a face cloth. 
I follow up with the Clarifying Lotion. I pour a tiny amount onto a cotton pad and sweep it all over my face. I've seen it described as a toner, but when I had my skin consultation, the lady at the counter described it as a very mild liquid exfoliant. If it comes into contact with broken skin, it does sting, so avoid any blemish areas etc. 
I bought the moisturiser on the ferry when I went to Berlin, as I got it in duty free (a.k.a. cheaper). It's a light oil-free moisturiser which sinks in really quickly. It's just a nice moisturiser, and I've had this bottle about 3 months and have barely made a dent in it.

When I bought the Facial Soap and the Clarifying Lotion I got a free little goody bag, which included the cleanser (below), the All About Eyes eye cream, and a few other samples. I don't know about reducing dark circles, but when I used this is definitely felt like my eyes were refreshed and less puff, especially on a morning. I am thinking about splurging on the full size (which is about £25-30 I believe *gulp*) but I'm not so sure yet. 

The Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser does exactly what it says on the bottle. I use a pea sized amount, rub it all over dry skin, rub in a bit of warm water and then buff off with a face cloth. It takes off all face make-up really easily and quickly, in a similar way to the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. The only downside to this is that you can't use it on your eyes, so you need a separate eye make-up remover. I'm not sure I'd buy this myself as it's just a make-up remover for me. I always use the Liquid Facial Soap afterwards, so I may just buy a cheaper alternative.


The 7 Day Scrub Cream was another duty free purchase and cost me £14.50. I don't mind spending that on an exfoliator, as I use them at most two times a week, so I know it's going to last. It's a very creamy exfoliator with tiny beads in it. I don't find it abrasive and it rinses off easily, leaving my skin baby soft.


I am really enjoying using the products I have from Clinique. I know it is often a company that receives mixed reviews, but it has worked wonders for my skin. It doesn't prevent me from breaking out, but when I do, the spots very rarely come to a head and clear up quickly.
My skin type is oily/combination with dry patches in between my eyebrows sometimes. 


If you were considering Clinique I would definitely recommend getting a consultation and asking for samples, as the products aren't the cheapest, being, on average, £15 a pop. Saying that, I have only just repurchased the Liquid Facial Soap and Clarifying Lotion, so they have lasted about 4 months. The Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish (which I still love) costs about the same, but lasts me, at most, 2 months. For me it's a no-brainer.


Have you tried products from Clinique? What did you think?


Thanks for reading x


p.s. Sorry about the ropey photography!

I've Been Naughty...

So student loan arrived in my bank account last Monday. I was feeling stressed with essay deadlines (excuses, excuses), so I did what I always do. I went shopping. 

It all started when I saw the below jacket on Jade in this post. I've been looking for a smarter jacket that I could wear on a day to day basis, as I live in my leather jacket. I have a couple of blazers, but nice as they are, they make me feel way too overdressed. This is also lovely and light and a complete bargain.

Jacket, £30 River Island, Cardigan, £5 Primark

I saw this cardigan ages ago in Primark, but didn't like the £12 price tag. I saw it last week knocked down to a fiver and bought it straight away. It's an 8, but it's massive so I can put a black hoody underneath it and it keeps me warm and dry if it's raining outside.

Jeans, £35 Topshop (with Student Discount), Dress, £18 Asos

As a general rule, I don't do jeans. Ever. Or trousers even. I'm very much a skirt/dress wearer. I own 3 pairs of jeans - a dark pair from H&M, some skinny purple cords (much nicer than they sound) and a pair from Topshop which bag off too much, so I've given them to my sister. I spotted these, tried them on an love them. I've worn them a couple of times and they don't bag off around the waist too much. The only thing is, they're supposed to be ankle grazers, but because I'm 5 ft 1, they most definitely are not. 

This dress is my favourite thing ever. It's actually a vest (like I said, I'm short) and I got it in the Asos sale. It looks a bit like a sack on the hanger, but one it's lovely. It is a fraction short at the side, but with thick tights and a longer jacket it's fine. It's beautiful. 

I'm really impressed with the delivery from Asos too. I ordered this on Wednesday evening, chose the free delivery, and received it on Saturday morning. TWO DAYS. Safe to say I won't ever pay for postage from Asos if the free deliver is that good!

Vest, £6 H&M, Skirt, £12.99 H&M

These two are just basics from H&M. I love H&M at the moment, it's really cheap and good quality stuff. The vest is really long, but tucked in to things it looks lovely. The skirt is cute too, I wore it to a magazine meeting last week. It reminds me of a Topshop playsuit I have, but don't wear often because the fit is off. I love the little hearts.

Billy Elliot DVD, £5 Amazon

Shutter Island DVD, £5 Asda

Full Metal Jacket DVD, £5 Asda

Revlon nail varnishes (Mischevious and Charming) 2 for £8 in Boots

Clinique Liquid Facial Soap £15(ish), Boots

Necklace, £8 Asos

Trainspotting, Porno and Daddy Long Legs, Amazon

As usual I went mad on Amazon. After watching Trainspotting for an essay I wanted to read the book. I'm reading it at the moment and really enjoying it. I've never read any Irvine Welsh before. I also bought Porno to read after I've finished. I generally buy all my books new/used on Amazon, unless it's cheaper to buy the brand new copy, so Porno has seen better days, but I kind of like it like that.

I bought Billy Elliot for an essay too, it's just a brilliant film and I own it on video, so it's about time I bought a copy on DVD. I saw Full Metal Jacket and Shutter Island for £5 each in Asda and I haven't seen either. Looking forward to watching FMJ with my dad.

I needed to buy a new Clinique cleanser as mine has nearly run out. It's not cheap, but works wonder for my skin and lasts a good 3/4 months. I bought my first one in January and still have a few uses left. The nail varnishes were cheap, Revlon varnishes are usually about £6.50 (I think) so for the extra £1.50 I bought another. The necklace is a choker style necklace that I bought to go with the dress.

Photo taken from Schuh website (forgot to photograph them)

Converse, £36 (with Student Discount) Schuh

Last but not least! My favourite purchase. I'm most definitely a Vans girl (4 pairs and counting) but I decided it was time for a change. I saw these, and seeing as I got them for the same price as a pair of Vans with student discount I went for it. I've worn them non-stop and they're ridiculously comfy. I've found that Vans are comfortable, but you need to wear them in, I didn't find that with these.

That's it! That's everything! I am definitely on a spending ban now (even though I have another order of books coming. They are for my dissertation though). I'm not buying anything unless I need it, seeing as I'm trying to get a decent amount of savings together before I begin my third (and final eek!) year of uni in September.

I'm hoping to do a couple of 'what I wore' or OOTD type posts soon, but I've misplaced my camera and it is consistently raining everyday at the minute.

I'm thinking of compiling a list of books I want to read over the summer and posting about it, what do you think?

Thanks for reading x

Also, sorry about the crappy photographs, I've lost my camera so these were taken on my phone.

Products I'm Using..

I want to try and incorporate more variety into the blog, so I thought I'd ease myself in slowly.
I saw this on Natasha's blog and thought I'd fill it in.


Shampoo: Aussie Take The Heat
Conditioner: Dove Nourishing Oil Conditioner
Hair Mask: I can't say I use one..
Styling Products: Aussie Hair Spray and TreSemme heat defense spray .
Shower Gel: Original Source Vanilla Milk & Raspberry. Seriously beautiful.
Body Moisturiser: Again, I don't often use one. A Nivea one if I do. Or E45 cream.
Face Mask: The Neutrogena daily face wash/mask.
Moisturiser: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel. This stuff cost a bomb, but I've had it for about two months and barely made a dent.
Cleanser: Clinique Rinse Off Foaming Cleanser to take off my make up, and the Clinique Liquid Facial Soap
Foundation: Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum, 51 - I started off loving it, but I think it's making me oilly :(
Powder: MAC Mineralise Skin Finish Natural
Concealer: Collection 2000 16 Hour Wear, 1 - Fair
Blush: Benefit Coralista or Topshop cream blush in Head Over Heels
Bronzer: Benefit Hoola
Highlighter: MAC Pearl Cream Colour Base (it's new, and I love it)
Eyeshadows: Naked Palette, or MAC Naked Lunch/Phloof! with Satin Taupe
Eye Primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion
Eyeliner: Maybelline Gel Eyeliner - really, really good for the price!
Mascara: I'm using a Clinique High Impact tester, it's not as good as I expected. 
Lashes: None, if I can be bothered on a night out, the Revlon Natural ones
Lipstick: I don't wear it.
Lipgloss: I only wear lip balm, I have a pot of Carmex and a few cheapy ones.
Perfume: Beauty - Calvin Klein, or Alien - Thierry Mugler, if I remember to put it on.
Nail Colour: None at the moment, as I have to work tomorrow and it isn't allowed.


I'm going to snuggle up and watch Shawshank Redemption.
Hope you enjoyed!


Thanks for reading x

Clinique 3 Step Skincare System - Life Saver

Just a note to say: I know nothing about skin care. I have tried quite a few skin care products, from the cheapy bits in Boots and Superdrug (Neutrogena is a firm favourite) to the more expensive (Liz Earle, I'm looking at you).
Personally, I much prefer to splurge my (not so hard earned) cash on skincare than make-up, because, lets be honest, if your skin isn't looking its best, your make-up is going to look a bit crap whether you've spent a fiver or £30 on foundation. My skin has been a complete bitch since about August last year. I had at least one spot on my face constantly, whereas before my skin had always been relatively clear with just the odd spot here and there.

As a student living on a budget, I couldn't justify spending £13.50 on a Liz Earle cleanser for me to use it up within 6 weeks - even though it is amazing, so I went looking for other products and ended up at the Clinique counter in Harvey Nichols.

The lady at the counter sat me down and talked me through each of the products in the 3 step range, demonstrating them on my hand. During my skin consultation, we determined my problem areas and I was recommended the products for combination/oily skin (skin type 3). I had never thought of my skin as oily, apart from during summer where my nose and chin can get a bit greasy, if anything it has been slightly dry - but I had been getting blemishes regularly around my chin and nose.
I was a bit dubious about spending so much money on products which hasn't had the greatest reviews in the past, but I was seriously impressed with the service by the staff and the products.

I decided to try the liquid facial soap (£14) and the clarifying lotion (£15). I've heard the clarifying lotion being referred to as a toner, but the lady at the counter described it as a liquid mild exfoliant - basically doing the same task as the muslin cloth used with the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish.
At the time I bought the products, Clinique were running an offer where if you bought two products, one of them being skin care, you received a gift of products worth between £30-£40 (including samples of the eye cream and moisture surge, and a full size make-up remover), so I got a great deal.

I have been using the facial soap and the clarifying lotion for about 6 weeks now and my skin has seriously never been better! These products work so well, bringing out all the existing spots and getting rid of them quickly without any new blemishes surfacing. My skin is the clearest it has been since about August last year. Insane. I recently bought the moisturising gel and am extremely pleased with it so far. It leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth, sinking in quickly without leaving a greasy feeling on my face. So far, so good. I am amazed!

Clinique is definitely well worth the investment, my skin has never looked better. Make-up looks great, goes on smoother; I look more awake and fresh-faced. I think I may have actually found something to stick with for good!

What do you guys think of the 3-step system? Did it work for you?

Berlin Purchases

Hello!

I didn't actually buy that much when I was in Berlin, even though a lot of things were really cheap considering that Germany is in the Euro; compared to Paris everything is cheap! I mean, we went out for lunch and my bowl of pasta was 4 euros 50 cents, and my friend's pasta was 7 euros. Ridiculous.

Anyway; we travelled by coach, meaning a ferry, meaning shopping. A lot of cosmetics were 20% U.K RRP, so I was a bit naughty.

 

Clinique 7 day scrub cream; Clinique dramatically different moisturising gel; 

O.P.I. Stranger Tides nail polish (Pirates of the Carribean collection)

Before I went to Berlin, I had a 'foundation fitting' (what even is that) at Clinique and she recommended the scrub to me (the centre of my face gets dry and flaky) and seeing as it was £14.45 I just couldn't say no! Same with the gel, I had a skin match done a few weeks ago (skin type 3 if anyone cares) but couldn't justify spending £29 on a bloody moisturiser. I paid £24 for this on the ferry - which is still expensive to me but Clinique works really well for my skin and this bottle is HUGE.

I first saw this nail polish collection on Emma's blog and fell in love with them all, so when I saw this in the SALE box I went a bit crazy. Even on the ferry O.P.I polishes were over £9(!!) which is a stupid price, but this polish was £6.30, which is cheaper than Revlon polishes (I think) so, yes, I went there. When I showed it to Lydia, she grimaced and said 'that is swamp green'; it isn't swamp green.

On our first full day we went on a walking tour, and then had the evening to ourselves. My friend and I went shopping on our way to see a film at the festival. We called into a little Chinese shop which sold everything from notebooks, to furniture, to tea sets. We must have been in there for well over half an hour. I bought a couple of things:

 

 This box was 35 euros (so the equivalent of about £30?) and I fell in love instantly. I adore the fact it has compartments; it is made up of two stackable boxes and a lid. The boxes are pretty deep and I have managed to empty my entire skincare products into it; which were previously in a pretty big box (I don't own a lot of skincare stuff but the way I stored it took up a load of space). This is beautiful and something I know I will keep for years.

I also bought this glasses case; actually Lydia forced me to buy this glasses case because she wanted to burn my other (ugly) Specsavers case. The best part about this is the fact it was TWO EUROS. So about £1.75 ish. It is gorgeous and a complete bargain.

When we visited Tacheles, there were artists selling prints of their works, and there was also a small little jewellery room. These are the last things I bought in Berlin (promise I don't have more money than sense).

Art work by Roman Kroke

I'll be the first to admit I know nothing about art whatsoever, but as soon as I walked into the room and saw these prints I knew I was going to buy something. The prints are illustrations inspired by the writings of a woman's diaries up until she died in Auschwitz. There corresponding quotations were displayed on the wall, alongside annotations made by the artist, but obviously I wasn't allowed to take photos. The artist was really lovely and friendly and explained the art to us; he also took our email addresses to send us the quotations in a PDF which is pretty brilliant, in my opinion. (He also said he should employ me, because I found his pen and he is always losing things.) It was amazing. I'm going to frame them at some point, they are brilliant. At 3 for 10 euros I bought 6. 

Ring: 20 euros

(Apologies for the minging nails)

I almost didn't buy this ring, as I thought that it was pretty expensive and would never pay that much for a ring at home. I'm pretty sure this isn't silver, so I'm going to paint it with clear nail varnish. However, I have tiny fingers - this fits perfectly (seriously have the hands of a 5 year old), and have never seen a ring like this. I just love the way it looks.

I am really pleased with everything so far, but am now on a serious spending ban as I'm going to Thailand for 6 weeks in the summer.

Right now my stomach is rumbling, so I'm going to eat, paint my nails and stick my head in my revision notes.

Thanks for reading x

Berlin Film Festival 2012

Hello!
I've been lucky enough to have the opportunity to go to the Berlin Film Festival this year with the Film Society at my university. We leave Thursday evening and arrive back at Monday lunchtime. I thought I'd show you what I am taking with me in my handbag. We're travelling by coach, so obviously I can't be carrying a load of junk with me (my bag usually rivals Mary Poppins').

Purse, Camera (Samsung MV800), Passport/Insurance Documents/Health Insurance Card, Deodorant
Pencil Case, Notepad, Glasses, Kindle, Phone
Travel Make-Up, Face Wipes, Keys, Water


I'll also be taking some sandwiches and my toothbrush and toothpaste in my bag too, for once we get on the ferry.
I have a lecture and seminar before we leave to catch the coach, hence the notebook and pencil case. I'm a bit of an organisation freak, having made lists of everything (in sections). My housemate thinks I'm mad.

On a side note - I went to the Clinique counter in Harvey Nichols today (I use the 3-Step System) to have a 'foundation fitting'. I'm not one for getting my make-up done, but the lady was really nice and helpful. She shade-matched me and applied it for me, as well as putting blusher on for me. She wasn't even miffed when I left without buying anything, and asked for samples instead. Very pleased.


Just a mention about the Kindle;

I bought this once my student loan came through in January; I honestly never thought I'd buy one, being a book devotee, but it has been a brilliant investment. I'm bringing it to Germany with me so I can get some research and reading done for a project I have just started. You can download PDFs onto Kindles, and can highlight and make notes on sections of text. It is ridiculously useful and makes me want to read. I doubt the novelty will wear off anytime soon.

I plan on taking plenty of photos whilst I'm in Berlin, having never been before, so expect a post about my trip once I get back!