Vitamin C Anti-Aging Serum by Maple Holistics

Good afternoon everyone, I have a review of a new serum I’ve been trying out recently for you all today! Maple Holistics are a US based beauty company who recently got in touch offering to send one of their products for me to try out! They develop and manufacture their own natural cosmetics which are animal cruelty free in the USA and believe in providing a natural, holistic range of products that enhance their user’s hygiene, health and daily living. After seeing their products crop up on a few blogs over the last month or so and reading this review by Jessica, I was intrigued to try the Vitamin C Anti-Aging Serum* so here are my thoughts!

Now, while anti-aging products themselves aren’t high on my list of priorities, you can never start too early and a lot of the ingredients looked like they would crossover quite nicely into my skincare routine. As well as Vitamin C, this serum contains hyaluronic acid which is supposed to help retain moisture, aloe vera and Vitamins A and E! It promises to help with fine lines, wrinkles and discolouration as well as reverse sun damage and stimulate collagen levels.

Now I can’t say it’s done all this for me but the biggest difference I have noticed is around my nose which is usually constantly flaky (attractive, I know) even though I generally have quite oily skin. These flakes are all gone and though I am sure they will begin to play up again with the change in weather and indoor heating etc. I am so glad I have this serum now to keep better control of it and it hasn’t made my skin any oilier! My makeup is sitting on my skin a lot better than usual too as it has no dry patches to cling to so I will be using this religiously over the winter to keep my skin looking as best as it can! I’m hoping with a bit more use I will see a difference with discolouration as I suffer with pigmentation issues from old acne scarring so I will definitely be on the lookout for improvements!

The packaging of this serum is quite like what you would find a facial oil come in so I was half expecting the consistency to be the same. The serum however feels almost slippery (in a good way!) and has an inoffensive, gentle scent that disappears as soon as the serum dries in, which is very quickly, leaving a smooth dry face. The dropper is very easy to control and I’ve been using 2 to 3 drops of this every night and every other morning and rubbing it onto my face and neck before moisturising. It takes seconds for it to dry in and leaves my skin feeling smooth, ready for makeup and not tacky at all.

Overall, I have been loving this serum and am so grateful I got to try it so thanks very much to Maple Holistics and Edumuch who are sponsoring their blogger connection!

Maple Holistics are also currently running a promotion enabling customers to get a free product when they leave an honest review on Amazon! If you’ve tried one of their products, leave a review on Amazon then get in touch with the Maple Holistics team to receive your free product of choice! All the deets here!

Have you tried anything from Maple Holistics before? What is your favourite facial serum?

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me. All opinions are my own.

Danielle xx

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Soap and Glory Christmas Gift 2015 Wishlist

Too early?  I don’t know about you guys but the Boots Christmas book signals the start of the Christmas countdown for me and I love having a nosy through the gifts and picking out my favourites! Well, the Boots book isn’t actually out yet but after having a snoop on Soap and Glory’s website earlier to check out their new foundation (excited about this too FYI) I saw they had their Christmas gifts up! Now I am no stranger to Soap and Glory as you will have seen by various empties posts featuring their product’s and a few raves on their makeup here and here but I genuinely got a little too overexcited when I saw what they have planned for their Christmas gifts and decided to do a post!

I've picked out my favourite seven from the new releases so from top left clockwise we have the gorgeous Well I’ll be Glammed makeup set filled with cult favourite Solar Powder, Archery tint and pencil and Supercat eyeliner to name a few. Next up is a beautiful eye shadow palette that looks to have slightly different shades than last years (yet I need it too), The Perfect Ten. Heading to body care now, theres Soaper Star filled with body wash, moisturiser and more! Then there’s Winter Wonderhand, a set of three of S + G’s hand creams which I am obsessed with having in my handbag! Next up is The Wheel Deal filled with a full size body polish and 4 mini moisturisers! We then have Soaprise, a cracker set filled with minis of the range of body washes of which my favourites are Clean on Me and Clean Girls! Last but not least back to makeup for Time to Pink, another gorgeous set with a nail polish and Original Pink rollerball perfume too!

So those are my top picks and what I’ll be putting on my list this Christmas! Have you seen anything you like? Is anyone as obsessed with Soap and Glory as I sadly am?

Eye Creams Currently in Rotation

Hi everyone, todays post is on the current eye creams I’m using in my skincare routine! I’ve really only started using eye creams religiously in the last year while before that it was an often forgotten step in my routine but I've got two now that I love that are in daily rotation so though I’d tell you about them!  

Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado

This is a rich, thick and creamy eye treatment that contains Vitamin A, fatty acids and you guessed it, avocado oil. It claims to provide intense hydration for the delicate eye area and I totally agree! I love this cream and have been using it almost every night since I got it earlier this year and still have about a quarter left. It definitely is rich and does take a while before it sinks in completely which is why I love it for overnight hydration. I haven’t actually tried this during the day as I like a completely dry face before applying my makeup but for people with very dry skin this could act as a good base for makeup!

Some people might have a problem with having to dip their finger in but I personally don’t have a problem with this, I just make sure to wash my hands before applying it! Because the skin around our eyes is so delicate I like to take this cream on my ring finger and dot around my eye then gently rub it in! It doesn’t run into my eye either which I was worried about as it’s so thick so that’s another plus! I’m only 24 so wrinkles aren’t a huge worry (yet) and I’m not sure how much this treatment would do for those with deep wrinkles but the moisturising factor is definitely there so this gets a bug thumbs up from me!

Kiehl’s is sold from loads of places online so I’ve just linked their website and Space NK’s if you want a closer look!

Eucerin AQUAporin Active Revitalising Eye Cream*

Now this is a slightly newer addition to my skincare stash and one I have been loving! I mentioned that I don’t like to use the Kiehl’s cream in the morning as I find it takes a long time to sink in but this Eucerin offering is the opposite! It promises to provide deep long lasting hydration for 24 hours to reduce puffiness and dark circles for a fresh revitalised and radiant look. 

It comes with a cooling applicator and I like to squeeze some of the product out of the top then use the tip to apply it round my eye area. Once I’ve got the cream on, which is quite gel like in texture, I like to take my ring finger and gently rub in to help spread the cream evenly around my eye area. The tip is seriously cooling! I am not a morning person and my eyes don’t properly open to about 12 o’clock in the day so this has been helping me fake looking awake! It sinks in quickly and gives me a lovely hydrated base to apply my makeup.

Since I wear contact lenses every day I was happy to see that this cream is also suitable for contact lens wearers and doesn’t aggravate my eyes! It’s also fragrance, paraben and alcohol free which is a huge plus especially round the delicate eye area and perfect if you have sensitive skin. Overall, I've noticed a huge difference in how awake my eyes look and they feel much more hydrated throughout the day!

The Eucerin AQUAporin Active revitalising eye cream can be found at the usual suspects – Boots, Look Fantastic and Escentual.

 Have you tried either of these eye creams? What’s your favourite eye cream to use?

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me. All opinions are my own.

Which Soap and Glory Brow Product is for you?

Hi everyone! I have a brow centric post for you today! When I posted my last Boots haul after purchasing the newest brow product Soap and Glory have brought out, it dawned on me that I now own all of the brow products Soap and Glory sell so I thought I'd put together this post!

Soap and Glory Arch de Triumph Eyebrow Shaper and Highlighter Shade Taupe/Buff £9

This was one of the first Soap and Glory products I ever owned and I got through quite a bit of the brow side before moving onto better things. I only still have this due to nostalgia I don't actually use it anymore as I have always found the colour pay off of the brow side quite weak unfortunately! The highlight side is a lot softer and easier to get some payoff though and it’s a lovely matte pink champagne shade I need to get more use out of! I think this pencil is best for those brows that don’t need much filling in or people who have quite light brows already! Wouldn’t repurchase this one!

Soap and Glory Archery Brow Tint and Pencil in the shade Brownie Points £10

This was my second foray into S and G’s brow offerings and the first one I stayed loyal to by repurchasing! It has a fine brush a bit like an eyeliner at one end and a screw up pencil on the other. I like to go in first with the brush to build up some colour with some hair like strokes then go over them with the pencil to add more shape. By storing this pencil with the tint at the bottom in it keeps it moist so the colour doesn’t run out as quick!  The pencil side is slightly thicker than the next pencil I’m going to talk about but the overall effect is a really natural brow as neither the tint or the pencil are overly pigmented! Love this one!

Soap and Glory Archery 2 in 1 Brow Filling Pencil and Brush in the shade Hot Chocolate £8

This is probably the brow product I get most use out of as it is just fool proof! It was a different story when I first used it though, I hated and thought it was too red toned and made my brows look too drawn on. After abandoning it for months I picked it up again, with a lighter hand this time, and its love now! The pencil itself is a super skinny retractable pencil that is really easy to control because it's so narrow and at the other end is a handy spoolie to brush brows into place! The spoolie does get covered in makeup very easily but it’s also really easy to wash and dries quickly. The pencil end has a screw up mechanism with a really fine soft pencil that is very pigmented and easy to do natural hair like strokes with.

This is my favourite pencil for when I am in a rush as I don't have to be too precise and it really makes my brows look so defined and polished. It has lasted me ages too! Will definitely repurchase although I am looking forward to finishing this as it feels a bit never-ending!

Soap and Glory Archery D-I-Y Brow Bar £12

This little kit is the same shape and size of the S and G powders and holds two brow powders in the shades Love is Blonde and Hot Chocolate, a transparent setting wax and a pearly shimmer highlight. It comes with a little mini spoolie and a mini brush as well as a mirror although I prefer to use a Zoeva wing liner brush for this! I like to mix the two brow powders together to get the best match for my brow colour as the shade Hot Chocolate itself can come off a little too warm for me but together they are perfect! This is a lovely little kit for shaping and defining brows and the highlight is a nice touch but I get just as much use out of my Beauty UK brow kit which is about half the price! Not a necessity!

Soap and Glory Archery 2 in 1 Brow Sculpting Crayon and Setting Gel in the shade Brown and Out £10

This is the newest addition to the Soap and Glory brow family and one I’ve been testing out over the last few weeks. The pencil end of this is a little different to the previous ones I've talked about as it is thicker and has a slanted tip a bit like the Sleek Brow Stylist if anyone has tried that. I've found this pencil to be not as pigmented as the 2 in 1 pencil and brush so again this pencil will be good for those wanting a natural look. The gel is quite crispy to touch when it's in my brows but doesn't look crispy at all and I really like the size of the brush, it sets them really well. Probably wouldn’t repurchase this one though!

Overall, Soap and Glory has everyone covered! If you are looking for a natural brow try the Archery brow tint and pencil or the 2 in 1 sculpting crayon and if you want a bit more pigmentation try the 2 in 1 pencil and brush or the D-I-Y brow bar! I’d give the Arch de Triumph pencil a miss though! Special mention to the Soap and Glory Lid Stuff Whats Nude quad which served as my brow powder of choice long before the D-I-Y kit came along! The shade Mudhoney is just the best!

Have you tried any of Soap and Glory’s brow offerings? If not, what’s your favourite brow product?

Wishlist Purchases #1 ft. Anastasia Contour Kit, Urban Decay Setting Spray and Clinique Pop Lip Colour

Good afternoon everyone! I have a little update today on some recent purchases I’ve made relating to the wishlist I posted a few months ago! The wishlist is here and you can see what I’ve picked up from it!

Top Row - Vanilla, Banana, Sand
Bottom Row - Java, Fawn, Havana

Anastasia Beverly Hills Light to Medium Contour Kit

I was lusting after this for the longest time and I kicked myself when I didn’t buy it with a 15% discount code Cult Beauty had! However about a week later I got another 15% off code and so I had to make it mine! To be completely honest though I haven’t used this as much as I thought I would and when I do I seem to stick to the two same shades!

The shades Java and Havana (bottom left and right) look a lot more red toned to me in person than they are coming up on camera and I’m a bit scared of them to be honest, I do love Fawn though but I don’t think it’s any better than my usual contour colour of choice – Taupe by NYX!

The other shade I've been using is Banana as a setting powder for under my eyes but I’ve been a bit disappointed too. I don’t find it sets my powder particularly well and I don’t think it’s overly brightening either! I still prefer to use the mini powder in my Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer for setting under my eyes! I also used the highlight shade Sand a few weeks ago at a wedding and was shocked by how chunky and glittery it looked after a few hours wear so I've steered away from it since!

L-R - Vanilla, Banana, Sand, Java, Fawn, Havana

Overall, I’m a little disappointed with this product and even more disappointed in myself for giving into the hype (jokes, it was for the blog obvs)! If you have any tips for how I can use this better or videos that show people using all the shades then link me up please! I think my disappointment is due to my crappy makeup skills more so than the product itself as you can see from the swatches it is lovely and pigmented! I definitely don’t think this palette is a must have though!

Urban Decay De-Slick Make Up Setting Spray

I actually bought this as part of the Selfridges Summer Beauty Box as there were a few other things in it that I wanted too! I was so excited to try this as I had read a lot of reviews saying how it helped makeup stay in place and keep oil at bay. However, I am so disappointed with this! I use this at the very end of my makeup routine and do the “T” and “X” motion with the spray but round lunchtime my face looks oily as usual, especially at the sides of my nose.

This feels nice and refreshing and it’s not making my makeup any worse by spraying over it but I’m just not impressed! If anyone has any tips on how to make it work better please let me know! I’m thinking maybe spraying then patting into my skin with my fingers might help? I've also heard that the All-Nighter is better so maybe I should try it next time?

 Clinique Pop Lip Colour Primer in Melon Pop

This is my most recent purchase made all the sweeter by the fact I bought it with my Boots points! I swatched a few other colours while I was at the stand like Beige Pop and Colour Pop but as I suspected, Melon Pop just stood out for me! This lipstick is really moisturising and gives me a lovely light coral tint to my lips. I don’t find it lasts any longer on me even though it’s meant to have a primer in it but it’s easy to touch up on the go!

To be completely honest I don’t think I would fork out £16 for another one though! My favourite lipstick Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Lover’s Coral gives me a similar colour and is half the price!

So there we go, a slightly disappointing high-ish end haul! I feel a bit bad being so down on the Anastasia Palette in particular but I’m not getting as much use out of the shades as I thought I would have! Do you own any of these products? What do you think?