Autumn Beauty

This is my everyday beauty basket. It contains everything I use on a daily basis, and makes it easier for me to switch around a few products instead of delving through my big make up bag trying to find something.

My best friends made me a little hamper for my birthday and put everything in this basket. It quickly made a new home on my desk.

The Bourjois 10 Hour Sleep Effect foundation is my current favourite. I did use the Healthy Mix Serum but it was too yellow for me. This is much more neutral and gives a lighter coverage, which is what I like. The Collection 16 Hour Wear concealer has become a cult favourite. I use it on blemishes and under my eyes and it lasts all day. 

The Vivo eyebrow palette is amazing value for money at £5 (available in Tesco), the combination of Topshop's Head Over Heels blush, and Mac's CCB in Pearl is gorgeous, giving a dewy sheen. 

The Collection eyeliner is my favourite, it's cheap and very pigmented. The felt tip makes it easy to create a wing too. The mascaras I'm using are Maxfactor 2000 Calorie and the Rimmel Lash Accelerator. They're ok, the Maxfactor one is good for volume, but nothing ground breaking.

The Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in Crush gives a lovely berry stain to the lips and is comfortable to wear. The Korres Lip Butter in Wild Rose is a subtler option, which leaves a red stain on the lips.

My eyeshadow are all pretty neutral. My favourites in my MAC palette are Naked Lunch and Satin Taupe. The Bobbi Brown Twilight palette is a purchase from a blog sale and is stunning. The matte shades are a bit powdery, but I don't mind as they look beautiful.

The Naked palette needs no introduction, it is worth the 'hype', but I tend to use the other palettes more.

The last bits are skincare and nail varnishes. I spilt my Clinique Clarifying Lotion while travelling home, but to be honest I am falling out of love with it. I'm finding it a bit too harsh at the moment. The Moisturising Gel is still amazing. It's non-greasy and sinks in quickly. It's also a lovely base for makeup.
The tester of the Moisture Surge is something I'm trying to use up. It's a thick gel that I use when my skin is feeling dry and a bit flaky. It's nice but I doubt I'll buy the full size.
The nail varnishes are my current favourite Essie polishes - post here, alongside the base and top coats I use.
The perfume is Stella by Stella McCartney and is my favourite. This post by Meg goes into more detail.

Thanks for reading x

An Ode to Essie

Sand Tropez, Chinchilly, Angora Cardi

Ever since Essie nail polishes hit the high street there isn't a beauty blog out there that hasn't mentioned them at some point. I've bought a handful over the past few months, and these three are my current favourites.

Sand Tropez is described as a 'soft sandy beige' and I guess that's pretty correct. It is very pale, so looks nude on my nails. However, it doesn't give me zombie hands as I am extremely pale anyway. I only bought this last week and have worn it a few times since. I find it to be a little bit thinner in consistency than the others, so the first coat applies slightly streaky, but this disappears with a second coat.

Chinchilly (the cutest name ever) is a cool grey colour, with a hint of mauve in it. I love a good grey nail varnish and this one doesn't disappoint. I don't have any issues with the consistency of this one, and you could get away with one coat. 
You can see a combo of Sand Tropez and Chinchilly in this blog post.

Angora Cardi is my ultimate favourite. This photo doesn't do it justice, in real life it isn't as red - it is more of a dusty rose, brown, mauvey mix. This blog post shows it in its true glory. I've been wearing this constantly; the consistency is perfect, and can be opaque in one coat, but I always apply two. It's just stunning, I urge you to go take a look!

As everybody always says, the new wide brush is brilliant; it makes application quick and easy. I find it also helps to get an even coat.
I always use the Revlon Nail Treatment as a base coat, and the Liquid Quick Dry top coat - both of which I recommend.

Thanks for reading x

Beauty Review: Summer Legs Combo - Soap and Glory Breakfast Scrub and Ekos Cacau Leg and Foot Cream

This morning the post man knocked (rather aggressively) at my door and handed a box addressed to me. I hadn't ordered anything so I was ridiculously surprised, to say the least, when I saw it was another Joliebox ( which I am 100% sure was a mistake, but I'm not complaining!) 

I opened it up and inside were pretty much the same products as the ones shown in this post, bar one. So I thought I'd talk about that as I was seriously impressed with it when I used it this morning.

Personally, I do not tan. Ever. I am a whiter shade of pale and covered in freckles. I have tried false tan a few times, mainly when I used to dance and had to wear it on stage and it does not suit me. Especially with my red hair, it looks quite ridiculous. However, in summer my legs and arms get really dry and flaky, especially after I've burnt, but I've found two products that seem to combat the scaly effect.

Introducing:

Soap and Glory Breakfast Scrub

I'm a bit of a cheapskate when it comes to body products, and this pot of exfoliator costs £10, so I was wary at spending so much on it, which is daft when you think about it as you kind of have to look after your skin, don't you?

Anyway, I love it. I had tried an FCUK scrub, but found that it left a greasy residue on my body which felt gross. The Breakfast Scrub doesn't leave a residue, has quite large particles, but isn't overly abrasive, and smells seriously delicious. Like honey. This is only my first tub, but I use it twice a week and bought it way back in January, so it has lasted quite a while, well worth the £10. 

This body scrub leaves my skin really soft, slightly red after use, but I take that as I sign it has done its job, and I colour up quite easily anyway. It is seriously lovely.

This is the product I received in the Joliebox this morning, the Ekos Cacau Foot and Leg Cream. I have never heard of this brand before, but I do like cocoa butters when it comes to moisturising so I thought I'd pop this on my legs after a shower this morning. It is quite a thick, white cream, but blends into the skin really easily and absorbs quickly. I am yet to use it on my feet though.

It smells like cocoa butter, but much more natural smelling, compared to say Palmer's Cocoa Butter range, which can smell quite synthetic and strong. 

My legs can get quite dry so this is excellent for drier skin.

I also really love the packaging of this product. After a bit of googling I found out that all of the packaging - box, metal tube, plastic cap - are all 100% recyclable. 

I think I've found my combination for super-smooth legs this summer!

What is your go-to combination for smooth skin?

Thanks for reading x

Beauty Review: Joliebox - Meg's Giveaway Box

Meg recently posted a giveaway on her blog, in which a few people would win a Joliebox. Having never subscribed to any of the beauty boxes, I decided to enter to see what the fuss was about and was picked as one of the winners! 

I tend to read Meg and Estee's reviews of the beauty boxes as I trust their opinions, but there are so many posts about them all over the blogosphere (I hate that word) it can get a bit tedious.

The box arrived this morning and I wasted no time in ripping it open to see what was inside.

The packaging is lovely, quite compact and I thing the little bag on the inside is great! It could come in handy when travelling - could act as a little wash bag or something.

The only thing I was slightly disappointed in was the fact that this wasn't a UK box (I don't think), as the magazine was written all in French. It's a very well laid out magazine, I just wish I could understand what was written inside!

My box contained (from left to right) Lierac Initiatic anti wrinkle cream, Dr. Hauschka Rose Body Oil, Roger and Gallet Creme Sublime Bois D'organce hand and nail cream, Clarins Glass Prodige lip gloss and Science et Mer makeup remover for face and eyes.

Overall I'm pretty pleased with what I got as they are all products I would never buy myself, which I think is the point of the beauty boxes - to try out new things. I have given the Lierac cream to my mum as it isn't suited to my skin (and she said if there was anything I didn't want to give it to her). I did open it though and it is a pretty thick cream which rubs into the skin quickly and doesn't really smell of much.

I have no idea what I'm going to do with the Dr. Hauschka body oil to be honest. I rarely moisturise anywhere other than my face due to laziness, but my legs have been a bit flaky from where they burnt in the sun a few weeks ago so I may try this out on them. It smells of rose, which isn't something I'm overly keen on, but it smells more fresh than grandma-esque so I don't find it too offensive.

This Roger and Gallet hand and nail cream is gorgeous. I never ever use hand cream as the ones I have tried in the past have left my hands greasy for ages afterwards. This contains argan oil and evening primrose oil which are supposed to be nourishing so hopefully this will help keep my nails strong. I put this straight on this morning and it rubbed in so easily. It smells absolutely gorgeous, I can't pinpoint the scent, it isn't orange, which is what I was expecting. It is slightly floral, but nothing too strong. It's beautiful.

The Clarins lipgloss is a lipgloss. It isn't overly sticky or anything, but I'm not a lipgloss wearer, so this may just get put on when I go on a night out or something. There isn't much to say about it really. It's not an offensive, unwearable colour so I'm sure I'll give it a go at some point.

I'm really pleased I got an eye make up remover in the box as I've been after one for ages after running out of the Bioderma a few months ago. This one isn't a micellar solution, but a very light gel-like cream. It doesn't smell of anything, so shouldn't irritate my skin.

Overall very pleased! When I have some money (ha!) I may subscribe to the Joliebox as I had such a good experience with this one. 


Are you subscribed to any beauty boxes? Are they worth the money?


Thanks for reading x

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!

Beauty Review - Bioderma

Bioderma Crealine H20 has been popular on beauty blogs for ages now, but I still thought I'd put my two pence worth in. 
Bioderma is a micellar solution, which I believe is basically a water solution which has tiny droplets of oil suspended in it, making it an excellent gentle make-up remover.


I know everybody raves about this stuff, and yes, it is amazing. All you need to do to remove all traces of make-up is soak three cotton pads in the solution; hold one over each eye for about a minute and then gently swipe away, revealing lovely fresh, clean eyes. Use the other for the rest of your face make-up. It takes make-up off gently and quickly, and when followed by a cleanser makes your skin feel lovely. However I have two qualms with it.

• It is hard to get hold of in the UK, with ebay being the best bet (link to the seller I used here). This doesn't particularly bother me, as this is my first bottle that I only bought to try out, but it is really good, so I want to repurchase. Which leads me to my second point.

• The price. I believe that you get what you pay for, so the price tag isn't really what irks me either, I would happily pay £15 on ebay for the big size. However, it just doesn't last that long. You need to soak three cotton pads in the stuff every night. That uses up quite a lot of product. That small bottle only last me about a month. And I won't lie and say I used it religiously. I don't mind paying for a product if it lasts, for example, the Clinique facial soap I use costs £15, but I bought my first one in January and I still have about a week's worth of product left. That's 4 months. 

So yes, it is a really good make-up remover. But that's all it is. There are cheaper alternatives out there, I believe that Boots Botanics does an excellent eye make-up remover for about £4, and La Roche Posay also do a micellar solution, which is more widely available.

Before I splurge on the big bottle, I think I'll go back to my old routine of using a face wipe and then cleansing with my Clinique cleanser, which works really well and just takes a little bit more time. 

For me, Bioderma just isn't worth the money, even though it is great.

What do you think about Bioderma? Do you find it worth the money?

Thanks for reading x

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.

Everyday Make-Up

Hi everyone!

I wasn't going to do this post until later in the week, but I've hit a wall with my essay, and have reached procrastination station, so I may as well post it tonight. It's just a quick post to show you the stuff I use on my face everyday. To me it looks like a lot of stuff, but it doesn't take me long to put it all on in the morning.

Top Row L-R: MAC eyeshadows in Satin Taupe and Naked Lunch, Benefit Powderazzi, Vivo Eyebrow Kit.

Middle Row L-R: MAC Mineralise Skin Finish Natural in Light/Medium, Topshop Cream Blush in Head Over Heels, MAC Pearl CCB, Maybelline Gel Eyeliner in Black.

Bottom Row L-R: Real Techniques Buffing and Contour Brushes, Ecotools Angled Brush, Cosmopolitan Foundation Brush, Revlon Angled Brush, Eyeshadow Brushes, Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum, Collection 2000 concealer.

I realise I haven't photographed a mascara, I like the Loreal Voluminous.

Bourjois Healthy Mix - shade 51 Light Vanilla

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer - shade Fair

I'm really pale, so struggle to find a foundation that matches my skin which doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I've been matched at Clinique but can't bring myself to spend over £20 on a foundation. I've seen this Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation all over blogs so decided to give it a go. I have the lightest shade and have been using it for a couple of months. I really like it! It doesn't make my face look like a mask and lets my freckles come through. The only complaint I have with it is that it's slightly yellow, but it isn't noticeable once it's all blended in; it's really cheap too, about £11. I apply it using the Real Techniques Buffing Brush which I love! It's so soft.
I use the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer in the lightest shade under my eyes and it's really nice. It doesn't crease or wear off and is easy to blend in. No complaints! I either apply it with my ring finger or blend it in with a brush. It's a complete bargain at under a fiver!

My fail-safe eyeshadow pairing is Naked Lunch and Satin Taupe. I wear Naked Lunch all over my eyelids and then apply Sating Taupe along the crease of the eye. It just looks pretty. I like slightly shimmery (not glittery though) eyeshadows. Satin Taupe photographed slightly browner than how it comes out on my skin, it definitely has a purple tone in it. It's just really pretty. MAC eyeshadows aren't something I buy on a regular basis, coming in at £10 a pop for the pan version. I bought a palette, which has a few shadows in so I buy the pans. They are great quality, but I just think MAC's pricing, on the whole, is ridiculous.

 MAC Mineralise Skin Finish Natural in Light/Medium

MAC Cream Colour Base in Pearl

I bought the MSF Natural in my first year of uni, so I've had it well over a year. I can't remember how much I paid for it, I think around £21, which is ridiculous. I'm not even sure why I bought it. It's a powder for goodness sake, but it is a good powder. I've only started using this daily over the past few months. I think this shade is slightly dark for me, as I wasn't matched properly. The girl at MAC was rude when I asked her to match me, she took one look at me and shoved this in my hands. I think I was interrupting her conversation. Anyway, it's a good powder, but I'm sure there are better ones that are cheaper, I won't buy it again. I dust this all over my face to set my foundation and concealer.

I then apply Topshop Cream Blush in Head Over Heels next (not sure why I haven't photographed it) to my cheeks using the Real Techniques Contour Brush. It's just a nice light pinky coral colour. I also apply Hoola from the Powderazzi palette under my cheekbones with the Cosmopolitan foundation brush to contour.

The Cream Colour Base is a recent buy, well I got it with a gift voucher my best friend got my for my birthday. It's not something I would buy with my own money, but it is lovely. It isn't a necessity and I don't use it everyday but when I do, I pop it on the tops of my cheekbones using my finger tips. It's a lovely light goldy highlighter. 

Last, but not least, I apply gel eyeliner using the Revlon angled brush. I like to do eyeliner with a flick and find the angled brush the easiest and quickest way. I think this eyeliner is about £8 and is so black, doesn't smudge and is generally just perfect.
I use the colour in the far right of the Vivo palette to fill my eyebrows in. I don't spend ages on my eyebrows, literally just go over my natural shade and then set them with the gel included in the kit. This was a bargain at a £5 and is available in Tesco.
I haven't photographed a mascara (I forgot), but I like to use the Loreal Voluminous, which is about £10 and just makes my eyelashes look really thick. My eyelashes are quite long naturally (I get asked if I'm wearing falsies quite a lot), so I just like a mascara to make them look thicker.

That's everything! A bit of a ramble, but there you go I decided to keep my face out of the post haha).

What are your go-to make-up products? Do you use any that I use, what do you think?
Also, would you like to see more beauty(ish) related posts? Let me know!

Thanks for reading x

Shopping as a Pick-Me-Up

With my student loan arriving in my back account yesterday, and me feeling a bit glum I've done a bit of shopping. Well, a few things I bought during the week with a few spare pennies I had in my purse. There really isn't any excuse other than I felt a bit crap and wanted new things. I am definitely an emotional shopper.

Mary Angelou - I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

Jon Ronson - The Psychopath Test

Nostradamus - Mario Reading

I bought the Mary Angelou book in Tesco (seriously one of the best places to pick up books on the cheap, RRP on this is £8.99 and I got it for just under £4). I haven't heard much about her, apart from the fact that she's mentioned in 'La Vie Boheme', a song from the musical, Rent. After I bought this I did a quick Wiki search and she seems like a pretty interesting character to say the least!

This is the first part in her autobiography (I believe there's six in total) and if I enjoy it I'll be buying the next installment.

This Jon Ronson novel was an impulse buy. I wandered into WH Smiths on my lunch break on Tuesday and ended up buying it. I hate WH Smiths, it's so overpriced and doesn't always have a wide selection of novels, so I don't know why I ended up in there. I usually buy books online for the cheapest price I can find so paying £9 for this nearly gave me a minor heart attack. Especially when I saw it in Tesco a few days later for £4. Nevertheless, the synopsis made it sound really interesting so I'm excited to read it.

The last book I bought was Nostradamus. This was a true bargain. I found it in a little book shop in Whitby and paid £4.99 for it (RRP £16.99). The book is hardback and comes with its own sleeve. It's a book of the 'Top 100 Prophecies', now when I first looked read that I was dubious, because to me, quite frankly, that sounds a bit daft, but when I opened it and saw the illustrations and the list of contents I was sold. Looking at the contents, I wouldn't call the tales inside 'prophecies', myths seems more appropriate. It is a truly beautiful book, and I'm a sucker for a beautiful book.

I may review these once I've read them. Let me know what you think.

Real Techniques Core Collection £21.99

I've watched Pixiwoo videos for quite a while now, and you'd have to be blind to not notice her brushes popping up all over different blogs, so I wanted to get my hands on some. I wandered into Boots this morning with the intention of buying the Stippling Brush from Samantha Chapman's collection of brushes. However, the stippling brush retails at £11.99, and the Core Collection retails at £21.99, so to me, it was a no-brainer to buy the core collection, where you get 3 extra brushes for a tenner extra. Bargain. I haven't used these yet, but I may pop up a review post, or do an 'Everyday Make-Up' post featuring these. 


I've also placed and order for this jacket after seeing it on Jade's blog (and may debut it in my first OOTD?!). I'm justifying it to myself with the fact it seems nice and light for the warmer months, and I only own my leather jacket and hoodies, so this is also a bit smarter. Other than these purchases I'm seriously restricting my spending - not putting myself on a spending ban, because that wouldn't work. But most of my loan (other than rent and bills) is going into my new savings account. I'm trying to be responsible. I even downloaded a money management app to help me keep track of my spending. Go me.


Have you tried the RT brushes or read any of the books? What did you think? 


I hope you're having a lovely weekend, I have an essay to start, but instead I'm going to read the last 75 pages of Wicked and have some dinner before going to work.


Thanks for reading x

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?