The Favourites | Comeback Kids

We all have those products, the ones we forget we have that we once loved, replaced by a newer more exciting product - only exciting because it's new. Yup, everyone does. I have a bucket load (curse of the beauty blogger). Recently I cleaned out my bathroom and rediscovered some delights... 

#1 | Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer

Why did I ever stop using this? The perfect under eye concealer, it lightens and brightens so my now constant dark circles (curse of the communter) are disguised mwaha. Cheap and cheerful it's a winner. It stays for a good few hours and doesn't slip or crease. I pop this on top of my foundation/tinted moisturiser and blend with my buffing brush. On top of blemishes it's not quite as amazing - it's definitely one for under eyes - it highlighters more than hides in this case. Otherwise, total winner winner, chicken dinner.

#2 | 17 Instant Glow Gold Bronze Shimmer Brick
I gave this up a little while ago in favour of a more matte bronzer. I went off shimmer for a while, however my matte bronzer died (long story) so I picked this back up. I've been using the darkest shade for contour, which I didn't before, and the middle two colours for added colour in my cheeks. I've fallen back in love with this product and I love how the tones match my face and the glow it gives. It's a beaut of a product and I can't believe I ever stopped using it.

#3 | Origins Zero Oil Cleanser
This somehow got lost and I was devastated. I didn't want to fork out for another so I thought it'd be the perfect time to try something new, which I did and I did fall in love with it. However, I recently refound this and have been using it again ever since. Nothing cleans my skin like this and nothing sorts my skin out as much as this as well. It's the perfect cleanser for oily, blemish prone skin and well, it just works.

#4 | Gosh Intense Eye Liner Pen in Brown
This was one of the first things I was ever sent to review on the blog and I loved it from the off. I put it away to play with some newbies which was pretty much all black. Some I loved, some were a bit meh. I decided to try again with this when I was using a lot of nude and brown shadows to create a brown everyday smokey eye and this looked amazing as opposed to black liner with this and this has become my everyday look.

#5 | Nivea Daily Essential Express Hydration Primer
Last, but definitely not least, is this beauty of a day moisturiser/primer. I don't really see it as a primer but as a very light gellish moisturiser that I use every morning. I'm not even entierly sure why i stopped using this as it is amazing, not gonna lie. It's super super nourishing for my skin and is the perfect pre make up moisturiser as it really smooths the skin and isn't too heavy (hello primer properties). This isn't leaving my side again, like, ever.

I do think it's so much fun going back through your collection and finding old products you've forgotten. Love it.

What are your favourite comeback products?

The How To | Caring for Dry Lips

It's that time of year when weather is changing, wind is up and havoc is played on lips or any parts of your body that can become very dry. For me, it really is my lips - it's a nightmare! I've found a couple of products that are amazing at keeping them lovely and soft, plump and smooth. Also - it will cost you under a tenner!

First up is the Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub for only £5.50 and absolutely amazing. This is used daily and has lasted for around a year already. It's a sugar scrub that is rubbed over the lips to get rid of any dead skin, scabs from bitten lips, and smooths them out. Also, it tastes amazing. You just lick it off afterwards - yum!

Then, just to finish off, I used the Nivea Essential Care Lip Balm. Cheap as chips at £1.65 and actually fantastic quality. It lives in my handbag and it bought out constantly at the moment. It's smooth and fresh and very very nourishing for the lips. It contains Jojoba Oil and Shea Butter for moisture.

These two paired together are my go to for caring for my lips. Both have been a constant in my routine for around a year and I love them. Cheap and cheerful, and amazing quality.

How do you care for your lips in the changing seasons?

The How To | Morning Skincare Routine

I've had a few of you guys asking me for my new updated skincare regime - basically I got lazy last year and my skin paid the price so I've had to really step it up this year and commit to sorting it out. I've already popped a couple of little bits up such as Blemish control (see here) but I thought I'd pop my full routines for you all, and let's start with the morning!

Now, the morning I don't tend to do too much. As far as I'm concerned the more time I can spend in bed in the morning the better - I'm not exactly a morning person! So where do I start...

First up is removing any excess dirt, so I use a mild micellar water just to get rid of any excess dirt from the nights sleep. At the moment my morning micellar is L'Oreal 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution. It's really mild and perfect for a quick clear up. My next step really depends on how my skin is behaving at that moment in time. If it's feeling a bit naughty I feel the need to add another cleanser. At the moment I'm loving Ren Clarimatte T Zone Control Cleansing Gel. Basically this really controls my oiliness throughout the day (hence the morning cleanse). No oily t-zone for me. Once I'm all clean and cleansed it's time to tone. I spray the Lush Tea Tree Toner Water over my face, just a mist. If I have any large blemishes I use my blemish control routine - Tea Tree Toner Water and Origins Super Spot Remover Gel. Afterwards it's time to moisturise and prime my face ready for make up and the day ahead. I like to use Nivea Express Hydration Primer, I like using this as it's very lightweight and helps to prime the skin. Then I throw La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo (+) over the top, a really affective treatment for blemish prone skin and again, a really great way to prime the skin. 

I realise I said I didn't do too much, it really doesn't seem like it at the time, but having done these posts I realise there is a lot of products here. Whoops. Anywho, this really seems to be working in terms of preparing my skin for the day and keeping it clean and healthy. My evening routine will be coming up very soon!

My skin type: My skin is all over the place at the moment, but basically I have oily and blemish prone skin. At certain times it can go quite dry but that's usually if I neglect to moisturise. 

What's your skin care morning routine?

The How To | In Shower Moisture

This is basically the lazy girl guide of how to keep your skin nice and healthy and moisturised with minimal effort. Basically, right up my street! There are three main products I use to help achieve this - I don't use all three everytime I take a shower, but I do use them for different things. There is also definitely a spree, spend and save for this as well.

SPREE | L'OCCITANE SHOWER OIL £17.50

I got this in the duty free when I was looking to spend the rest of my euros somewhere and this happened to be sat there. I use this very sparsly because it is quite pricey and very very luxurious. I've been usng it a lot over winter mainly because my skin is getting so dry, but this I use a lot on places like knees and elbows - those areas that get extra dry all year round. A little bit goes a long way with this. It lathers slightly on application in the shower and is warm as well so very relaxing. My skin always feels super soft after this and I only have to use this about once a week to keep it up.

SPEND | SOAP & GLORY WHIPPED CLEAN SHOWER BUTTER £8.00

This I have repurchased so many times and I love it. I use this as my shaving cream because it is so nourishing. I used to get very bad shaving rash and no creams seemed to help, but apply this over my legs, then shave and rinse. Absolutely perfect and my legs feel super soft and smooth. I use this whenever I want to shave my legs so about once a week as well. This goes very quickly - it's easy to use a lot of this and over indulge.

SAVE | NIVEA IN SHOWER BODY MOISTURISER £3.56

Fairly new on the market and a very quick favourite. I use this every single time I shower. It's basically conditioner for your skin. You shower and clean as normal - so shower gel, rinse etc. Then you put this on all over the body, then leave it for a minute or so, like conditioner. Then you just rinse. It feels like a moisturiser to it's a bit weird using it in the shower and rinsing it off - feels a bit wrong! However, it does the job and it does it well so you really don't need to then moisturise when you get out. Magic!

If you do get very dry skin then you probably still need to moisturise when you get out of the shower, and a lot more then me I imagine, but these product still do a lot of the work for you. I'm very lucky and don't tend to have very dry skin, it's very normal I'd say so this routine works for me, just remember all skin is different so it may not work quite the same way for you.

What's your lazy moisture routine?

The Top 5 | Repurchased

I think it says a lot, especially in beauty blogger world, when we go and repurchase a product. I use so many new and different products all the time, sometimes it's hard to really pick our your favourites. A good way I think to see this is by looking at what people repurchase. With that in mind these are my top 5 repurchased items - the one's I've bought more than twice and will continue to do so for a long long time.

1 | Soap & Glory Whipped Clean
I use this as my shaving cream for my legs. Before this I got horrible shaving rash all over my legs but since they've stayed supple and smooth. I'm on my fourth bottle of this in the past year, as soon as it looks like it's about to go I'm out and down to Boots. At £8 a time it's not the cheapest 'shaving cream', but I couldn't be without it now. I class it as an essential.

2 | Chanel Intense Eye Pencil in Kohl
Again, not the cheapest repurchase by a long shot but I will always have this. On average it lasts around two years a pencil so it's not bad going really. I've tried others but none match up to this for me, no smudging, waterproof and is the perfect waterline pencil. At £17 it is pricey, but so worth it and I definitely want to try it in some new and different colours.

3 | Bourjois Magic Nail Varnish Remover
I have since found another that I do love more, but it doesn't seem to exist anywhere (boo.) This however is still amazing and I love it for removing normal varnish (not glitter or toes). So easy, simple to use and really affective. There are cheaper alternatives on the market but none I've found that I prefer using to this. £4.99 is it's usual price but it does last for a long long time. I think I've gone through 2 since it launched around 18 months ago, so not bad going really.

4 | Nivea In Shower Moisturiser
I bought my first of these in November and am now on my third bottle - I should really buy the 400ml bottle, may last longer. Anywho, I'm so lazy when it comes to moisturising my body - it's such a chose and let's face it, there's a lot of it so takes a while. This is perfect, I pop this on when I do my hair conditioner, wait a couple minutes, rinse and voila. Silky smooth skin without much effort. What's not to love?! Usually on offer, it's currently around £2 but is usually more around the £4 mark.

5 | Benefit Helo Flawless Foundation in Ivory Believe In Me
The first time I tried this was in a little trial pot when it first launched, and then I got gifted one from an event last year and it's been my go to foundation ever since. The colour is spot on, the formula is beautiful, it works perfectly with my oil prone skin and doesn't aggravate it. At £25.50 it is pricey, maybe I just have a knack for repurchasing the pricey stuff eek! I am now on my second bottle but will be buying again and again cause I love it.

I would love to know if you like these types of repurchased posts etc cause I'd love to do more if you like. Also let me know what you like to repurchase!

Which of these would you repurchase?

The Review | Nivea In Shower Moisturiser

I was so excited by the idea of this. I am the laziest moisturiser in the entire world. I literally just tend to ignore it and my poor body suffers. So when I saw this I knew I had to snap it up - an in shower moisturiser? Yes please!

This basically works like conditioner, but for your body. You do your usual wash (hello S&G Sugar Crush) and shaving routine. Then, slather (yes, slather) this all over your body. It feels like a moisturiser and smells like your usual Nivea cream, so I think my brain was a bit confused at first. Anywho, pop it on all over, extra on your driest points if needed. Then leave for a couple of minutes (like conditioner). Then rinse off.

My skin is instantly silky smooth. Soft to the touch and healthy looking for days. This time of year is a killer for dry skin so if you are lazy like me I would highly recommend this. I have managed to perfect the art of lazy moisturising I think and will pop a post up about this soon for sure, but for now this is my top go to. Cheap, cheerful and perfect. Nivea is always my go to for most moisturising needs anyway as I think they are a no brainer. They work every time, simple and yet overlooked I feel.

You can pick this up in the usual stores for shower essentials, I grabbed mine from Boots for £2.37 here. This is the 250ml version but you can get a 400ml version as well here for £3.40.

What's your lazy moisture routine?

Don't forget to give me a follow over on BlogLovin - just click here!

Skin Care | After Shower Routine

Yes, yes that it actually me post shower, no make up, just in towels. Wow don't I treat you guys. Anywho, this post occured to me whilst doing my after shower routine (funnily enough) and I thought well I will just do the pictures now and see how we go... So there you go, that's the story of the picture. Again, you're welcome.

So, what do I do after the shower? Well I always find my skins feels dry after showering. It's not as bad since using L'Occitane Shower Oil but it still needs something so I pop on Nivea Irresistibly Smooth Body Lotion. I love Nivea, whenever a moisturiser doesn't seem to be working I always go back to it - you just can't beat it as far as I'm concerned. It's a lotion rather than a cream, which I prefer as it doesn't feel so heavy, and really my skin isn't overly dry or flaky so a lotion works fine for me.

For the face, I love cleansing after a shower. I always forget to take my make up off before it, so a quick swipe of Bioderma and what's left after the shower (usually panda eyes) it's all gone. Then, onto Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish - a cleanser I've gone back to lately. A beautiful cream cleanser that's fresh and beautiful on the skin. Then I moisturise the face - at the moment I'm loving Vichy Aqualia Thermal* as it's super super hydrating and not oily or greasy - so perfect for my oily skin. 

So, apart from the dodgy after shower picture, I think it all goes very well and very smoothly! Smoothly... get it, smooth skin... I will stop now.

What's your after shower routine?

Skincare | Moisturisers

For a long time I shyed away from moisturisers for fear of adding to the oiliness in my skin, however I read somewhere (I forget where) that oily skin is dehydrated, more than overly hydrated. If that makes sense. Plus, parts of my face get quite dry so I want to balance it. Kate from gh0stparties said that the two key things you need to get right to improve your skin is a good cleanser (sorted here) and a good moisturising routine. Well, that is now sorted - eek!

Okay, so there are three different moisturisers that I could use in the morning. Most of the time I use La Roche Posay Effaclar Mat, a mattifying moisturiser that I think it the perfect moisturiser for oily skin. it takes away any excess shine and helps to keep oil at bay all day. However, when my skin is feeling dry I turn to Vichy Aqualia Thermal Riche, a light moisturiser that's incredibly hydrating and makes my face look plump and fresh. It stays like this for hours and hours. A definite favourite for me. The third (yep, third) is Nivea Daily Essentials Express Hydration Primer. It's rare that I use this, but I tend to use it before putting my make up on for nights outs, or heavy make up days as it helps keep it in place as well as moisturising.

In the evening there is one cream that I always turn to - that is Superdrug Vitamin E Nourising Night Cream - living proof that you don't need a high end cream to make a difference. This goes on before sleep, after cleansing. It's a thicker cream, but absorbs quickly, smells amazing and really hydrates my skin. This has made a big difference in the quality of my skin as well. The corners of my nose and the bridge can get quite dry, so sometimes I enlist the help of Superdrug Vitamin E Skin Oil, again proving sometimes the cheaper products can make a huge difference.

Since moisturising properly I have noticed a difference with the quality of my skin. Sorting out my cleansing and moisturising routine has actually done wonders - why did I not do this sooner?! O well, it is done now... Can't wait to see what's next on my overhaul, let me know of any requests!!

What moisturisers help with your skin?

Skin Care | Nivea Express Hydration Primer

NIVEA DAILY ESSENTIALS EXPRESS HYDRATION PRIMER £4.99

Once upon a time there was a girl, who had annoying skin that changed it's mind every day on what it wanted to be. It can be dry, it can be oily, it can just be god damn annoying. One day this girl heard about a little product from her favourite moisturising brand Nivea that would not only moisturise her skin, but prime it as well. So she went, she bought and she never looked back.

Okay, so yeah - weird story but you  know, I thought I would try something different. So I went and bought this little pot of gelly like goodness. It has a very weird consistency... It's halfway between a cream and a gel and is actually quite fun to jiggle around. So jelly like and story telling aside... I pop this on my face after my Effaclar Duo and before my foundation. It absorbs quickly and easily and is incredibly easy and light to apply.

So there are two main questions. Question one, does it moisturise? Yes. It really does, it is incredibly light for a moisturiser and I love the feeling. My skin feels incredibly soft afterwards. Question two, does it increase how long your make up stays on for? Yes. Not only is my skin soft, it is made up for the entire day.

Overall, this is definitely a game changer. I love this product and for the price it's really a no brainer. I would definitely recommend this. Go go go! This is the one for normal/combination skin and there is also a version for dry/sensitive skin - so there is one for all skin types!

Have you tried this product? What Nivea products do you love?

Winter Warmers

I've been wanting to write this post for a while, but was waiting until I settled on my favourite products that have actually made a difference to me this winter... Every year I think "right - this year I will find my perfect combination" but it never happens - this year however I feel I have come pretty close!

Lips
Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub (full review here)
Love this little post of miracle magic! Leaves my lips feeling lipstick ready and removes all the gritty dead skin and scabs left over from me biting my poor little lips. Tastes scrummy too!

Nivea Lip Butter in Raspberry Rose (full review here)
A nice little product. No sticky residue on fingers and leaves my lips feeling lovely and moisturised  despite the winter chill. A perfect partner for my lip scrub.

Face & Hair
Fade Out White Moisturising Cream (full review here)
A gift from a PR company and I love it. It's my everyday facial moisturiser and it's made such a difference the past month or so. I forgot to take it to NY with me and my face felt horrible - until I got home and rejuvinated with this baby!

VO5 Hot Oil Moisture Soak Elixir (full review here)
To begin with I was a bit iffy about this product, but I am now in no doubt that this is definitely saving my hair from being left dry and brittle with this weather. A definite hair saver - I just wish it lasted longer!

Hands & Body
Soap & Glory Hand Food (full review here)
Love this little hand cream. Not just for winter, but all year round (when you work in retail anyway). It gives my hands a new lease of life and the smell is incredibly scrummy!

Soap & Glory Whipped Clean (full review here)
This shower cream has saved my body, my legs especially, from this cold weather. I don't know what I did before it and I don't know what I would do without it either! A definite must in my shower from now on!

These products are all my little winter savers - it's taken me a couple of months to choose my favourites and these definitely are the best of a bunch (and I mean a great big huge bunch of products). Hope this helps you in some way - I definitely feel I have finally found the ingredients for healthy winter skin!

What's you winter warmers?

Nivea Lip Butter

Nivea Lip Butter Raspberry Rose £2.25

This beauty was part of my pre-New York holiday shop. I usually just use their original lip balm stick thing, but I thought I would give this a go as it was new, and pink. Can't go wrong with pink!

What can I say, it's a lovely little product. It's easy to use, lasts forever and smells/tastes amazing. It's very moisturising for my lips and I have been using it after my Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub (here) and they seem to make a pretty amazing team! Go team lips!

Overall a really nice product, not too expensive and not as greasy as vaseline thank god (can't get on with that stuff). It leaves no residue on your fingers so thats always a thumbs up in my book!

What balms do you swear by for winter?