The Review | Ponds Cold Cream Cleanser

PONDS COLD CREAM CLEANSER*

I'm not a huge cream cleanser person, however when I have used them in the past they've been incredibly nourishing but not so brilliant at removing dirt and grime, so I was on the lookout for one that could do both. My skin has been a bit dry lately so I needed a touch of extra moisture that my other cleansers haven't offered lately. So, in comes Ponds Cold Cream Cleanser. 

I've been using this as my evening cleanser as it's heavy so it wouldn't work as a morning cleanser. It does offer a lot of nourishment and my skin feels lovely and plump and nourished. When removing with a clean cloth you can see it removes a lot of dirt and grim which is great, however a lot is still left over for toner to remove.

One thing I will say for this is that I am finding it a bit too nourishing - what I mean by that is that my oil levels are in excess and I'm feeling oilier then ever, I think it just tips the balance a little too far in terms of moisture. If you have dry skin I believe this would be perfect for you. It's incredibly moisturising and would be great at being gentle whilst cleansing. However, for us oilier skinned types it's just a little bit too far in the moisture balance - which is a real shame as it is a great cleanser.

What nourishing cleansers would you recommend for oily skin?

The Review | Soap & Glory Thick and Fast HD Mascara

SOAP & GLORY THICK AND FAST HIGH DEFINITION MASCARA IN BLACK

I've been looking for a new mascara and my research through the blogosphere bought me to two possibilities. Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara (which I do still want) and this, Soap & Glory Thick and Fast mascara. I ended up with the S&G offering thanks to an offer in Boots. I decided to go for the HD version for a little extra oumph, why not! So how did I find it?

Well, I have a No7 offering that I compare all mascaras to so why do I look for? Well, length, lashes and thickness. And no clumping - that is essential. The wand is a bit different than the usual, it has three sides to it as opposed to a round brush which confused me a little bit but I actually love it. I feel like it grips the lashes a lot better and helps to really kinda lengthen them and curl them which I love. The brush also has a lot of bristles, which again I love as I'm finding it's helping to keep my lashes unclumped which is a massive massive pet hate for me. 

It terms of look, I love how this makes my eye lashes look, they look longer and thicker without looking completely false, just really natural which is something I really truly love about this mascara. 

So does it live up to my No7? In terms of looks and hold, oh my god yes, and I do actually prefer the look of this than my usual love. My one gripe? Not waterproof :( make a waterproof version please?!

What's your favourite drug store mascara?

The Review | Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturiser

LAURA MERCIER OIL FREE TINTED MOISTURISER IN BLUSH

So late on the bandwagon with this one, not going to lie. I don't even know where to start with this - there is so much I want to say so I'm just going to break it down into categories...

APPLICATION/COVERAGE

I've had to play a lot in terms of application to find a coverage and finish that really works for me. I've had to change a few bits about my make up routine to maximise the use of this. I pop my primer on, then dot this around my face. I them use the Real Techniques Stippling Brush to dab and blend lightly. The more I blend the lighter the coverage so I try not to blend too much. Then, I do my eye make up before applying any more base products such as powder, concealer, blush and bronzer. This does give light coverage but it is buildable. I found however that the more I built the heavier it felt on the skin so dabbing in with stippling brush is the best kind of coverage.

COLOUR MATCH

With around 15 shades there is a shade for everyone. I would highly recommend getting colour matched as I ended up being popped with a colour I'd never had picked myself - blush. It's one of their pinky toned shades which is perfect for me and honestly, it's the closest match I've ever had to my skin. 

FINISH

I think the finish is quite honestly my favourite thing about this product. As an oily skinned gal I either have to settle with matte or greasy yuck. With this product I can go for a beautiful glow, I look healthy and actually I really do just like how nice and glowy my skin looks with this - I've even had a few compliments which is amazing to me.

LONGEVITY

This is the one category that I'm not totally in love with - it's not bad, just not 100% what I would want. It lasts around 7ish hours before I start to notice slippage and wear, which considering I have 12+ hour days isn't exactly ideal. I have had to play around with application to lengthen it but it's still not quite ideal.

PRICE

For £33.50 I think maybe it should last a bit longer, but I think for my lifestyle it lass as long as it possibly could. In every other category it really is worth the larger price tag and I would definitely think about repurchasing. 

Overall I am very much in love with this product. It gives my skin such a beautiful finish that I would pay hundreds to achieve it. It is a gem of a product and definitely my go to for the summer.

What tinted moisturisers would you recommend?

The Review | ESPA Balancing Herbal Spafresh

ESPA BALANCING HERBAL SPAFRESH

I have a lot of reviews stored up so I decided to do an entire week of reviews. I went and bought myself a new toner the other day with the help of some vouchers. I love my Lush Tea Tree Toner Water, it's converted me to toners completely so I decided it was time to try something new. I found the voucher when cleaning stuff out so thought I'd use this to bag myself a newbie. I was looking for one that was good for oily skin and this beauty popped up in my search. 

This toner promises to help refresh, decongest and protect the skin. Peppermint revives and refines the pores, whilst Witch Hazel and Elderflower help to protect against congestion, outbreaks and blemishes. I use this toner after I've double cleansed in the evening, and cleansed in the morning and I have to say - wowzers. In the evening, after double cleansing, the amount of dirt this still managed to find is kind of scary. I've not changed my cleansers so I'm thinking maybe the Lush toner was not quite as good at removing dirt as this little baby. 

I have to say as well, I absolutely love the packaging. It's a beautiful thick glass that has a matte finish and a marble patterned lid, it really is a beaut. Overall I really do love this product. My skin is so much brighter and clearer since I've been using this, I'm not sure how I will ever live without it - though there is an awful lot of it so I probably won't have to worry!

ESPA is a brand I'm completely unfamiliar in so it was really nice to try something completely new and I definitely want to try more from the brand - I would definitely recommend going to check them out and have a peek. If the other products are anything like this toner they are a beaut of a find!

Have you ever tried anything from ESPA?

The Life Post | A New Commuter

For those of you who don't know (well you should cause I have said about it a million times) I have recently started a new job in London. I am however not planning on moving up as my partner is based down here and really I just don't think it's fair to ask him to uproot his life when he's been working hard at his job because I have started a new one. We are planning on moving closer to the train station, however until further notice I am now a commuter. In my real life I get so many questions about commuting, my experience and how I feel about it so I thought I'd just throw together some tips from my experience...

#1 Make the most of the journey up

So, my routine is this - get up at 5.30am, leave house at 6.20ish and get the 6.50 train. Tired tired tired. When I then get to work I'm not in the brightest of states. I've now learnt to just nap on my way up. My train on average takes around an hour and a half, so I stick my headphones in, pop on a playlist (at the moment it's either Rudamental or Foxes albums), pop my head back and nap. Now, it's not a full on sleep but it does give me some rest and it means I'm definitely more awake and brighter when I get to work.

#2 Do your research on travel prices

I live just outside of Portsmouth, so a season ticket to London isn't exactly the cheapest thing in the world. There were so many stations I could go from so I did major major research. This included ticket price, car park price, car park spaces, petrol, time etc. I even had a look at Oyster prices compared to just adding the underground on my train ticket. In the end I had to balance it all out for pricing and timing and I'm really happy in terms of where I go from.

#3 Chill on the way home

I am really scared about falling asleep on the way home in case I miss my stop (case and point father) so I try to keep myself busy on the way home but also something that is just going to chill me out so I can come down from my busy work day and underground travelling slowly. For me this is reading! My kindle lives with me at the moment and I'm reading none stop on the way home and it's just really good for winding down. That is one thing I love about commuting, I have the opportunity to wind down before I get home.

#4 Don't let it rule your life

At the moment, as I'm still new with this, I am a bit anti social in the evenings, however I am slowly getting back to my normal evening routine of seeing different people - just a little later than I used to. This is so important for me as my new job is like a whole new life which I love, but I don't want to leave my old life behind either and I love my friends, my family and of course Adam so I am having to work twice as hard to stay awake and alert to see them but I am determined not to let commuting rule my social life.

#5 Always carry water with you, and concealer

A bit of an odd combo... I literally carry a bottle of water everywhere with me since I've started commuting. Running for trains, hotness on the underground, tiredness - water solves everything and it's just a really good little safety net if you feel a bit weird on the train. And concealer? Well, that's for the baggies under your eyes that keep threatening to surface! Obvs...

I am incredibly lucky to have colleagues that understand why I'm tired sometimes and others that think I'm completely insane for doing what I do - but honestly, it's not a huge deal to me. I've always wanted to work in London, but in terms of living there I've not been too bothered. My life is where I live, so it's better for me to commute and for the moment I couldn't be happier!

What are you tips for commuting?