Five Things I’m Loving | January 2017

I’ve mentioned on Instagram a couple of times recently but I’m currently attempting a ‘try not to buy’ rather than a full spending ban (I’d be sure to cave if that was the case!). With that in mind, I think posts like this will be cropping up a lot more as I get around to actually using the products I already have rather than buying new things I don’t need! It’s pretty makeup heavy this time round but here’s what I’m loving at the minute!

NYX Slide on, Glide on, Stay on and Definitely a Turn on Waterproof Colour Lip Liner in Nude Suede Shoes £5.50

Ridiculously long name aside, this is an amazing lip liner! I first saw it featured on Havanna’s YouTube channel and I ordered it soon after because it looked a lot like Charlotte Tilbury Pillowtalk lipliner to me! While it’s not quite the same, I love this in its own right! Like the full title says, it's creamy, applies easily and sticks around for a decent amount of time! Nude Suede Shoes is a beautiful pinky nude that goes with so many of my lipsticks and I love it with CT Bitch Perfect. The formula is gorgeous and I definitely want to get my hands on a few more of these!

Swatches l-r: Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillowtalk, NYX Nude Suede Shoes

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

Although the Archery 2 in 1 brush and pencil seems to get most of the attention where S&G brow products are concerned, there is something special about this one that keeps me coming back! It has a fine felt tip end and a screw up pencil on the other. I like to go in first with the felt tip end to build up more colour with some fine strokes then go over my brows with the pencil to add more shape. I always store this in a tub with the tint at the bottom to keep it moist so the colour doesn’t run out as quick! The pencil side is slightly thicker than the Archery 2 in 1 and feels a little waxier so helps to set hairs in place too. Overall, the lasting result is a natural, full brow and it’s made me want to explore brow markers a bit more as I love the result! See my review of some of Soap and Glory’s brow range here!

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer

This is the second tube of this I have gone through and it’s such a lovely primer! I got both in beauty boxes ages ago but I’ve only recently opened this up and fallen back in love with it! It has a lightweight gel/cream texture, sinks in quickly, feels hydrating but doesn’t make my oily skin oilier and its smoothing without having a silicone ‘slip’. I did notice with my first tube that the quality of this went downhill the longer I had it open and it does have a 6-month expiry date so I’ll be trying to stick to that because it does such a good job of extending the wear of my foundation and making it look fresher for longer!

Vincent Longo Water Canvas Creme-to-Powder Blush in Swan Lake* RRP £33.50

I have been appreciating this so much more now its Winter and my skin is more dehydrated than usual! This has the most beautiful, unique crème to powder formula and feels amazing on the skin – it’s so cooling and refreshing! I like to use a Zoeva Cream Cheek brush to apply which makes it easy to build up the pigment. Swan Lake is a lovely natural pink shade with a slight silver shimmer and it lasts all day on my combo skin giving a healthy flush of colour! Its oil free, fragrance free, non-comedogenic, hypoallergenic and cruelty free and though its more expensive than my usual blushes (not counting my Hourglass palette!) it’s well worth the money as it’s so long-lasting and I barely have to touch the product to get payoff! I love this on my oily/combo skin so I can imagine those with drier skins would fall in love with it too!

Seventeen Miracle Matte Oil Free Loose Powder £5.49

A few months ago, I went on a powder buying session because my skin was getting too used to my beloved No7 Perfect Light pressed powder and I ended up buying this from their baby sister brand. Now I’m not the biggest fan of loose powder as it’s so much messier but I’m a convert for this stuff! It’s a very lightweight powder that doesn’t add any extra colour to my face, it just makes my makeup look better! I still get a bit of shine round my nose at about lunch time which is common for me but with this I can just add some more powder and it doesn’t look like my foundation is separating or rubbing off! It’s such a great price too and I have a feeling it will last me ages!

So, there’s my round up of my current favourites! Have you tried any of them? Tell me what you’re loving at the minute!

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

Danielle xx

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Face and Body Masking with Mint Skin

Before Christmas, I was contacted by the lovely people at Mint Skin - a new skincare brand from Sydney, Australia. In November, they launched their first line of products – MUD – mineral based face and body masks and having tried them over the last month I’m ready to talk about how the products performed on my skin!

I was kindly sent the full range of the Detox Mud mask, Rosa Hydration Mud mask and the applicator brush and all products are produced locally and are cruelty free using fair trade guidelines!

First up, the Detox Mud* (RRP $21.95AUD/approx. £13.40) and boy was I happy to see this! I ate so much junk over Christmas and drank nowhere near as much water as I normally do so I noticed my skin getting more and more clogged over the two weeks I was off. The Detox Mud is recommended for use with oily, congested and acne prone skin or if you suffer from rashes or cellulite on the body. It’s made up of a mixture of organic Australia clays and they work together to draw out toxins and bacteria from deep within the skin.

I used this for the first time a few days before I went back to work. I ran myself a bath and mixed the powder in the sachet up with some water to create the mask then brushed it over my face as well as my chest then the excess over my thighs! I left it the full recommended 15 minutes while it dried and when I rinsed it off my skin felt super soft and so smooth!

I had a patch of spots I could feel coming up on the side of my chin and I think this definitely helped draw them to the surface. This is something I’m always scared of happening when I use new products but after using this, they died down so quickly! It helped balance my oily skin and my complexion looked so much clearer after I used this!

This mask is probably the most satisfying thing to look at once its dried on my face – for me anyway! Seeing all my blackheads sitting on the surface then being wiped out once I rinse it off is the best feeling! My nose can feel bumpy at times with blackheads but this mask worked wonders on them leaving my nose completely smooth!

A full sachet gives quite a lot of product so I’d recommend using half if you only want to cover your face to make it last a little longer, just make sure you keep it sealed air tight! I mixed mine in a small bowl and it washed out easily!

The Rosa Hydration Mud* (RRP $22.95AUD/approx. £14.01) is slightly different in that you don’t have to mix water in to activate it. As well as kaolin clay, this mask includes rose oil, aloe vera and honey to soothe and hydrate the skin and is recommended for use when your skin is feeling dull, dry and in need of some hydration and glow!

The mask feels so cooling on the skin and dries down slowly – it’s not uncomfortable or tight feeling and it has a lovely light rose scent. I keep this on for 20 minutes and my skin feels so hydrated after and looks instantly brighter and clearer as well as feeling softer!

I noticed the aftereffects so much around my nose which although oily is constantly dehydrated and with this mask, my makeup applied so much more evenly and didn’t crack around my nose!

Lastly, the applicator brush* (RRP $19.95AUD/approx. £12.18). I am not a fan of flat brushes for applying foundation and the thought hadn’t even crossed my mind to apply a face mask with one until now – where have I been?! This brush is spa quality and gives such a smooth and even application! Gone are the days under my nails get covered in leftover mask that takes me an age to get out! The bristles in this brush are packed tight and glide over my skin easily to apply the product!

Overall, I love the simplistic packaging and branding of Mint Skin and the ethos behind them! The products are made in small batches and I can’t wait to see what they come up with in the future to add to their product line! The masks are such high quality and work so well on my skin and Mint Skin offer worldwide shipping which is free for those in Australia!

Have you tried anything from Mint Skin before? Tell me what your favourite facemask is!

Updated Jan 2021 - brand no longer exists!

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

Danielle xx

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Forever Repurchased #4

This year I’m making it my mission not to purchase things I don’t need and so far, so good (doubt it will last for too long!) but here are a few recent repurchases that I picked up round Christmas that I just can’t be without!

OPI Nail Envy Nail Strengthener

My favourite nail polish and this is probably the 4^th or 5^th time I have repurchased because it’s the only nail polish I ever get to the end of! This is the only clear coat I use on my fingernails now as it’s just so good! It gives the most amazing shine to my nails and makes them feel so much stronger and longer. It’s recommended to do two coats then add another coat every other day and I will usually do the two coats then forget about topping up the rest of the week but there is no flaking or chipping with this anyway! Full price it’s expensive so I buy mine on eBay from a reputable seller but if you have weak/brittle nails or just like a high shine you need to try this!

Soap and Glory Clean, Girls body wash

I am completely obsessed with the Mist You Madly scent that Soap and Glory do so even though I have about four bottles of back up shower gels, including other scents from Soap and Glory, I need a bottle of this at all times! I love to layer this up with the body spray and find the musky scent lasts on me all day! The shower gel itself feels super moisturising and looks almost pearlescent when I rub it in and it lathers up nicely! At £6.50 for 500ml, it’s a bargain too!

Nivea Soft moisturising cream

This is another product I like to have to hand even though I’m never short on moisturisers at home either! I was in Savers just before Christmas and they always have a basket of these near the till so I always end up picking one up! I can’t remember how much this was but I don’t think it was anymore that £2.99 so again another bargain and a moisturiser that I find so lightweight and fresh. It absorbs quickly and leaves my skin feeling lovely and soft!

Lush Magic Wand Reusable Bubble Bar

I’m cheating slightly with this one because it was actually my mum who repurchased it for me and even though it’s a limited edition Christmas product I couldn’t help but mention it as I love it so much! On the whole, I think Lush is seriously overpriced and I would never go in and buy a bath bomb, however I love their Christmas sets and think they are far better value! This was in the set my mum got me for Christmas and I’ve had this bubble bar before and loved it! It’s scented of Snow Fairy which I love and gives me a pastel pink bubble bath that leaves my skin silky soft – what more could you want! I just run this under the tap for about 10-15 seconds and then leave it sitting in a soap dish to dry out until my next bath! The glitter washes off after the first dunk and when I had it last year it did me for so many baths so I think this is well worth the money! I’d definitely try out the pink flamingo one Lush do all year round if you think you’d like something like this!

So, those are a few recent repurchases! Let me know what you’ve been buying recently! You can read my last recently repurchased post here!

Danielle xx

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Hand Cream Heroes ft. Nivea

As a hand cream fiend, I like to have one in my handbag and one on my bedside table at all times and being a huge fan of Nivea, I was excited to see their recently relaunched range! Through the winter, I feel myself reaching for hand cream more often than usual because of things like central heating drying my hands out as well as just generally washing my hands a lot. These all serve to make my hands a little more delicate so I’m glad I’m set for the next few months with these beauties!

The Nivea Express Care hand cream* (RRP £2.99) has an ultralight formula with natural Sea Minerals for an instant moisture boost. The Nivea Smooth Care hand cream* (RRP £2.99) with shea butter makes hands smooth all day long and the Nivea Anti-age care hand cream* (RRP £3.89) with Q10 and UV filters visibly reduces the first signs of aging with regular use. There is a total of five hand creams in the range also including a nourishing care with almond oil and a repair care with provitamin B5 so there’s more than enough to choose from!

All three Nivea hand creams I have offer 24-hour care, intense nourishment and protection from the winter elements and I love how quickly each of the creams sink in! A massive pet peeve of mine when it comes to hand cream are those that leave my hands feeling oily or greasy after its been rubbed in but these are so moisturising and offer instant relief from dryness without feeling sticky or like they don’t absorb!

The hand creams have slightly different scents but all are lightweight and have that classic Nivea freshness underpinned! The new pebble-like packaging fits perfectly in the palm of my hand and has a NARS-esque rubberised feel making it lovely and soft to hold. No more sharp edges here!

For comparison, I’ve popped my current handbag hand cream against the new version – my old one is a mini 30ml tube while the new versions I have are 75ml so you can see how compact they are!

I can’t recommend Nivea hand creams enough, they are so good at what they promise to do, sink in quickly and leave my hands feeling soft and hydrated for hours, as well as being super affordable!  

The hand creams are available at most leading retailers including Boots where it’s currently 1/3 off! What’s your favourite hand cream?

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

Danielle xx

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Product Empties #14

Finally, time for another empties post! I have opened quite a lot of new skincare over the last few months so I feel like it’s taken me longer to finish some stuff up but here we are!

Makeup

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup

I’ll keep it brief with this one because I featured it here not so long ago here but in short this is my favourite foundation! If you are conscious about your skin and look for full coverage you need to try this! I have oily/combo skin and this stays on all day, it doesn’t go patchy in places like other foundations and it looks better when I go to take it off than when I put it on! Magic and I have already repurchased! 

Revlon Volume and Length Magnified Waterproof Mascara

Another product I talked about not so long ago here and another one I am sad to be finished! I loved this, it really separated my lashes while still giving me amazing volume and length! I will repurchase this again in the future but I have too many others to get through at the minute L

Carmex Moisture Plus lip balm

This is an old favourite of mine that I always come back to – it’s perfect for a quick hydration fix and a tint to the lips although it’s not very long-lasting! Already have a backup!  

Too Faced Shadow Insurance anti-crease eye shadow primer

I’m cheating slightly with this one but I didn’t want to throw it away without talking about it so even through its not “empty” it’s here! I’ve had this for way longer than I care to remember, it came in a Christmas set I bought myself years ago! When I first got it I really liked it and thought it worked well but now it’s a lot older, although it doesn’t smell off, it’s just not working for me so into the bin it goes! I do have another smaller size of this that I won’t be opening just yet but as its smaller I hope I’ll actually be able to make a dent in it! Overall though, there are better eyeshadow primers on the market and I prefer the NARS and The Balm’s offerings!

Skincare

Nivea Daily Essentials Crème Care Cleansing Lotion*

Get ready for a whole lot of Nivea empties! I love the brand and their products are my favourite for a first cleanse so I tend to go through them quite quickly! This is the newest version of their cleansing cream and it does a fantastic job of removing most of my makeup before I use a balm/oil for my second cleanse. It feels lovely and hydrating and doesn’t irritate my skin! Full review here! Will repurchase!

Nivea Daily Essentials Sensitive Caring Micellar Water*

This has taking me a little longer to get through because I do prefer a cream cleanser to micellar water but all the same this does a nice job of removing a good layer of makeup before I second cleanse. It doesn’t make my skin feel tight or dry but I definitely gravitate a lot more to the cream cleanser! I also like having a bottle of this for removing swatches! I’m currently using a Botanics micellar water but also have a backup of this! Full review here! 

Nivea Daily Essentials Double Effect Eye Makeup Remover

I love this stuff and have went through quite a few bottles now! It does a great job of removing my waterproof eye makeup without dragging my eyes and it is a constant repurchase! I also featured it in this post!

Nivea Daily Essentials Crème Care Facial Cleansing Wipes*

Wipes, like micellar water aren’t products I use every day so these take me longer to get through. Saying that, I loved how thick these felt and I really like the light, fresh scent. They stayed moist for a good amount of time too and I would repurchase these but I have quite a few other packets to get through first!

Grown Alchemist Camellia and Geranium Hydrating Cream

I loved this, it’s really lightweight but still hydrating and perfect for my oily/combo skin! This size was perfect for travelling with and I would repurchase!

BareMinerals Skinlongevity Vital Power Infusion

This serum felt lovely on my skin and sank in quickly! It was a small sample so I can’t say much for the skin benefits because I didn’t use it for long enough so I will probably just stick to my usual Vichy serum!

Merumaya Integrative Effective Skincare Overnight Recharge Night Cream

Two Merumaya samples next that I received in beauty boxes! I have been wanting to try Merumaya for ages so was happy to see these! The samples are tiny so again I can’t say much for the skincare benefits but this cream felt lovely and hydrating though not too heavy and I would repurchase in the future!

Merumaya Integrative Effective Skincare Everything Everywhere Beauty Oil

I had an accident with this on the first night I used it and spilt half the bottle! Nightmare, but the couple of uses I got out of it I thought it felt lightweight and sank in quickly leaving my skin feeling smooth the next morning! Would repurchase in the future!

Bodycare

Champneys Citrus Blush Enlivening Body Lotion

I got this free as part of a GWP with Boots in the summer and although it’s not a brand I would usually go for I ended up really enjoying it! The scent oddly enough reminds me of the citrus Pledge duster but in a good way and it dries down to a light fresh scent! I would happily use again but won’t be repurchasing as I have so many moisturisers to get through!

NUXE Prodigieux Precious Scented Shower Oil with golden shimmer

I took this on holiday with me in the summer then forgot about it! I don’t love the scent and I didn’t notice any shimmer so I wouldn’t repurchase!

Soap and Glory Rich and Foamous Body Wash

Not my favourite scent, wont repurchase but like all S&G body washes, it feels very moisturising!

Burt’s Bees Naturally Nourishing Milk and Honey Body Lotion

I got this in a little set ages ago and finally got round to using it, I don’t love the scent but it does feel really hydrating. Would happily use up if I got another set but wouldn’t repurchase the full size.

Haircare

VO5 Refresh me Quick Dry Shampoo

What is an empties without a dry shampoo? I love this stuff, its cheap, doesn’t leave a white cast and makes my hair look less greasy, what more could you ask for! Already repurchased!

Schwarzkopf Got2b Mind Blowing Fast Dry Hairspray

I loved this, it smells amazing, didn’t make my hair crispy and set it well holding my style in place! Will repurchase in the future but I already have a couple of different hairsprays to get through!

Miscellaneous

Dr Bronner’s Magic Soaps 18 in 1 Hemp Green Tea pure-castille soap

I can’t tell you how much I love this! I don’t know much about the 18 in 1 because I only use it to wash my makeup brushes but it is so gentle and does the most amazing job of cleaning them so quickly! It’s very liquidy so there was always a bit of product build up round the lid but it was something I was happy to forgive! This bottle lasted me over 2 years and I have already repurchased! I couldn’t find the same size bottle or scent so have went with a slightly smaller Eucalyptus one this time which is just as good!

Bath and Body Works Island Margarita PocketBac Anti-bacterial hand gel

My friend brought me this back from America earlier this year and I absolutely loved it! Its sinks in quickly, doesn’t dry out my hands and smells amazing! Would repurchase in the morning if it wasn’t so hard to get a hold of!

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

Have you tried any of the products I mentioned? What have you finished recently?

Danielle xx

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Best Beauty Discoveries 2016

 

Happy New Year everyone! I thought I’d kick off the new year with my favourite beauty discoveries from last year! I’ve split it into skincare, makeup, bodycare and hair and though I probably could have done a separate blog post for each I’ve really tried to whittle these down to my absolute favourite newbies to my collection in the last year!

Skincare

NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Serum 1%

A blue liquid that maintains healthy looking skin targeting all signs of skin ageing including textural damage, uneven skin tone, enlarged pores and a lack of radiance, this has quickly shot to the top of my favourite skincare list and I mentioned it here too! I finished a 15ml bottle a few months ago and kept my eye out for a replacement in the Black Friday sales but I couldn’t get a discount code to work! I then saw the NIOD bundle Deciem had on their website so for £60 I got this and 3 other full sized products – I only realised after I opened it that I had to the 30ml bottle which is priced at £60 individually so I was chuffed! This product does exactly what it says and more for me, my skin just looks and feels better when I use it and I don’t want to be without it again – I would love to try the 5% version too! It works very quickly on my areas of concern and evens out my skin tone and though it doesn’t say it does anything specifically for acne – I’ve had a cluster of spots on my jawline that wouldn’t go away and they reduced considerably after using this for a few nights! Magic! 

I’m going to talk about the next two products together because I mix them - The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% +HA works to reduce the look of spots and hyper pigmentation and The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% is a high strength vitamin and mineral blemish formula that reduces the appearance of blemishes and congestion as well as balancing sebum. As well as being super effective on my scarred, acne prone skin, The Ordinary caused a storm when it was released earlier this year due to the super affordable prices! Buying these two together will set you back a massive £12! As a side note, both NIOD and the Ordinary are brands under Deciem and though I have a soft spot for CAIS, the Ordinaries offerings are amazing whether you are on a budget or not!

Origins Original Skin Retexturising mask with Rose Clay

This is a 2 in 1 mask and exfoliator and I absolutely love it! It gives a real deep clean and my skin looks so much more refined and even toned when I rinse it off. I mentioned it here as well! 

Pixi Glow Mud Cleanser

This had been on my wishlist for the longest time but seemed to be out of stock forever! I finally got my hands on it though and I’m so glad I did! I like using this as a morning cleanser and it really refreshes my skin getting rid of dull skin cells and oil ready for makeup application!

Makeup

Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye contour palette

You all know I am a matte eyeshadow lover and this Kat Von D palette has been a major standout to me this year! There isn’t a shade in here I wouldn’t use (yes, even the warm toned quad!) and these are the most pigmented shadows I have in my collection!

Gerard Cosmetics Hydra Matte liquid lipstick in Serenity

This has got to be my favourite liquid lipstick formula! I don’t have many to compare it to but when a seasoned lipbalm addict like myself can put this on at 7pm and last through dinner and drinks all night without feeling the need to top up with anything then I know it’s good! That was when I was on holiday last month and I haven’t tried it since then in colder weather but really that was enough for me to know its good!

Gerard Cosmetics lipstick in Rodeo Drive

It was love at first swipe with this lipstick! It really is the most beautifully pigmented formula I have tried! It glides on so easily and feels so moisturising, I love it! I bought another shade in Vintage Rose but it’s nowhere near as easy to apply so I’m not sure why the difference in formula but Rodeo Drive is beautiful!

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillowtalk

I still can’t believe I only discovered this earlier this year! It quickly became a firm favourite and I bought another shade but Pillowtalk is my favourite! It’s the most beautiful muted mauve pink that goes with anything and the formula is so creamy and pigmented, it’s amazing! Worth the £16!

Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick in Bitch Perfect

Another CT standout for me and though I don’t love this lip colour on its own, along with Pillowtalk it’s a dream team! Super long lasting and comfortable to wear! Both featured here!

Smashbox Light It Up LA Lights Blush Mega Palette

I’m sorry to include a limited edition sold out palette in this round up but I couldn’t not! I have barely put this down since I got in in November! It has an amazing mix of matte blush shades plus a bronzer that I thought would be too warm (but somehow, it’s not) as well as a range of highlighters to the right-hand side! Full review here!

Bodycare

Bondi Sands Liquid Gold self-tanning dry oil

Another product I was so happy to find this year! I usually go for tanning lotions but decided to give this spray a try and man am I glad I did! Now, a negative to begin with – this is messier than lotions and I always lay a towel down when I’m tanning with this but the resuts are completely worth it! It gives the most beautiful streak free tan in the loveliest medium to dark shade that wears off so evenly! It has a lovely light coconut scent and dries in so quickly too! Love it! Also mentioned in this post!

Haircare

OUAI Repair Shampoo* and OUAI Repair Conditioner*

You are all probably sick of me talking about these two by now but I had to mention them again! For super soft, swishy hair that smells AMAZING, you need these guys in your life! They are the most expensive shampoo and conditioner I’ve used and I have repurchased because I can’t be without them! Have a sniff if you spot them in Space NK, you wont be disappointed! Full review here!

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

So, there we have my best beauty discoveries of 2016! See any of your favourites here? Tell me yours!

Danielle xx

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