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