New In Beauty & First Impressions

With essay deadlines creeping again, one thing that takes my mind of things is beauty shopping - an instant de-stress. This month I've been trying out a few new products and I thought I would post a quick 'first impressions' roundup. 

Luxury Night Products

Vichy Aqualia Thermal | First Impressions

I don't know why, but the French seem to have some secret ingredient that makes all their skincare brands amazing and unparalleled. I'm one of the biggest Clarins fans out there but I thought it was about time I tried a few of the French pharmacy brands that are just starting to get really popular. Among others, Vichy caught my eye with a little sample size trio of products for less than 5 Euro - I couldn't resist. There were a few sets arranged by skin type and as my skin has been a little dry recently, I opted for the Aqualia Thermal set. 

May Beauty Wishlist

There have been so many amazing new beauty launches recently that have got the beauty bloggers talking. From Anastasia Beverly Hills to Becca to Charlotte Tilbury, there's always something making its way into my mental wishlists. Today's post is all about the beauty products I've been coveting in May, some of which I am planning to purchase soon, others are if I was suddenly given a $100 Sephora gift card. But since June is my birthday month, there's a definite possibility I'll be gettting splurgey with my bank account. Watch this space. But for now, the products I've been dreaming about (quite literally) are as follows..

Clarins HydraQuench Review

My Skincare Tips and Holy Grail Products

I'm far from a skincare expert but I love trying out new skincare products to see if they actually work and meet all their amazing claims. If they meet my standards I'll integrate them into my Skincare Routine which is always changing depending on various factors such as weather and skin concerns. Today's post is about my skincare saviours and a few handy tips and changes that can make a huge difference in improving your skin. Some of them are quite obvious but you'd be surprised how many people I know that still make this skincare mistakes! If you suffer from acne, this post probably won't provide a 'quick-fix' but hopefully a few of these tips and products might help in tandem with stronger acne treatments.

My Updated Skincare Routine

After the success of my original 'skincare routine' post back in January, I thought it was about time I wrote an updated version, seeing as I've been trying out a plethora of different products over the past seven months. Clarins is still my favourite skincare brand, our love is still strong, but I'll admit I've been flirting with Origins and Benefit. I needed a skincare shake-up and these are the results..

Disclaimer: I have combination to oily skin and no I am not sponsored by Clarins *sob*

My basic daily routine

1. Remove eye makeup using Clarins Gentle Eyemakeup remover - simple and effective

2. I use the Origins Checks and Balances Frothy face wash morning and night; it has a gorgeous minty scent and leaves your face squeaky-clean. I discovered this gem when I purchased the Origins 'Essentials Only' kit - photos are below

3. Post-wash, I use the Clarins toning lotion for combination to oily skin (I couldn't find it to photograph but it'll be in my original post)

4. Pre-makeup, I use the Clarins HydraQuench lotion which has the added bonus of SPF 15. I read about this in a post by fellow blogger Gabrielle from A Glass of Ice and I love it! It's great as a makeup base and is suitable for normal to combination skin

5. On an evening, however, I often switch the lotion for the Clarins HydraQuench cream or the Clarins Lotus oil, depending on what my skin needs. The HydraQuench cream is more suited towards dry skin but I think every now and again it's ok to use a thicker moisturiser at night. The lotus oil is my new best friend as it is designed to combat oily tendencies by tricking your skin into thinking it doesn't need to produce any more oil - genius! It has a very 'herbally' scent which might put people off but give it a try and your skin will feel rejuvenated in the morning! I haven't purchased the oil in full size as of yet - the price is quite steep for a student like myself - but I'm sure I will be doing soon. Until then, I'll stick with the samples. 

Extras

6. Once a week I like to use either the Origins Modern Friction scrub or the Clarins One Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser, which you can read more about in my January favourites post. It's important to get rid of those nasty dead skin cells and these products certainly pack a punch when it comes to removing blackheads 

7. I also like to use the Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal mask on designated 'pampering days' to help sort out any skin issues. You look like a monster for 20 minutes but the results are worth it

8. Benefit's Total Moisture is a thick intensive moisturiser which I wouldn't recommend for the entire face but simply for certain areas that need it. This mini size is part of the Benefit skincare collection, mentioned briefly in my Holiday Beauty Haul post. I won't be repurchasing this in a full size but it'll definitely be handy in winter.

The Origins Essentials Only kit also includes the GinZing Energy-boosting moisturiser but despite loving the orange scent, my skin was not a fan. It might be more suited towards dry skin rather than sensitive skin so don't let this sway you.  

Are you a Clarins fan? What's your favourite skincare product?

xxx

What's in my Travel Makeup Bag

I always love to read a good 'what's in my bag' blog post, it's a classic for a reason. Today's theme is packing for a city break and I've tried my very best to downsize my collection for a 5 day trip to Rome. I've spent the whole of the Easter break so far counting down to our little European getaway and I can't believe I'm here! For days in advance I satisfied my excitement by planning my travel makeup bag and although it may look extensive to some, I wouldn't describe myself as a low maintenance traveler so this is pretty good by my standards. With products such as makeup and toiletries, it can be very difficult to pick out a capsule collection but I'm happy with my choices. The photo below is the contents of my travel makeup bag which includes almost everything I've taken with me makeup and beauty wise. There are a few exceptions such as a toothbrush and deodorant - travel essentials of course - but those are the things I threw in at the last minute! I also packed an everyday lipstick such as Mac Creme Cup in my hand luggage.

• I'll start with the beautiful Leighton Denny makeup bag that is the epitome of spring florals. It's the perfect size to fit everything in for a city break such as this one. 

• My Real Techniques makeup brushes go everywhere with me - there's the powder brush, expert face brush and blush brush.

• The No7 Beautifully Matte foundation is a must, as is the Bourjois Liner Pinceau.

• The YSL Touche Eclat needs no explanation, it's the number one under eye highlighter and holy grail beauty product for a reason. This one's my third!

• There's also a mini Benefit Roller Lash courtesy of last months Elle magazine.

• The Kiko Eyeshadow pencil in Taupe will be great to spice up evening outfits and I'll need the Kiko Nude Nail varnish to rectify any chips!

• The Maybelline Brow Drama gel is a quick-fix for perfect brows.

• The Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner and Max Factor Lipstick in Ruby Tuesday is the perfect combination for a bold lip.

• L'Occitane's Amande Shower Oil, Amande Hand Cream and Shea Butter Lip balm are essentials for luxurious body care and the travel sizes are adorable. 

• I've mentioned the Stila in the Light Palette in my 2014 favourites post and wish I'd added the Rimmel Stay Matte powder and Tangle Teezer.

• Benefit's Hoola Bronzer is a new one for me and is a gorgeous matte tan colour that complements a variety of skin tones - love!

• A few Clarins samples have made their way into my travel bag and it's the Toning Lotion, Daily Energizer Cleansing Gel and the Multi-Active Day moisturizer.  I haven't tried the final two and I'm excited to give them a go!

• The Benefit Porefessional is a guilty pleasure of mine because I know how pricey it is but this mini size is a little treat for the trip!

• Finally, the more practical products include a mini toothpaste, nail file, tweezers, an Aussie shampoo and an Aussie 3 minute miracle conditioner. 

What are your beauty essentials for a trip away?

xxx 

A Few New Additions: Collective Haul

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you had an lovely NYE with lots of bubbly! I had a meal out with my family and watched the London fireworks on TV which were pretty spectacular. Today's post is a collective haul including a few items I've bought over December, either pre-Christmas or in the sales. I went to Leeds earlier this week and had a little spending splurge with some Christmas money. Instead of writing a 'What I got for Christmas' post, I'll be writing up separate review posts about some of the beauty gift sets I gratefully received from family members. I have lots planned for January! 

Firstly, I ordered the Topshop Glisten Bead Jumper early in December when it was priced at £30, it's now £20. After reading Lily Melrose's OOTD piece (here) I was convinced it had to be mine. It's a lovely thick material and the beading detail is gorgeous. 

The triangle necklace is from Accessorize (it was actually a Christmas gift but I felt that it really completed this photo). My mum knows my jewellery taste very well and I love it. Unfortunately I can't find it online but there's a similar one from Accessorize here.

I bought the Topshop Lace Skater Dress in Leeds and looking online, it's very new to the Topshop collection. I really like wearing skater dresses at uni as they're comfortable as well as stylish - look out for an OOTD soon.

I can tell these Accessorize embellished slipper shoes are going to be a staple item in my wardrobe, they were a steal at £17.50 and I can't wait to pair them with an evening dress.

The purple clutch bag was also in the Accessorize sale in Leeds, at £8.50 you really can't go wrong. 

Finally, the Clarins value skincare set here is my everyday skincare routine which I repurchased recently. I'll be doing a detailed review on this soon with my thoughts on these products as well as the mini sample of the One Step Exfoliating Cleanser.

What have you been buying recently? Link your haul posts below as they're my favourite type of post to read!

xxx