BeautyBay Haul + Updated Z Palette

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BeautyBay had an offer for students going on last week so I had to take advantage!

Skincare ¦ The Ordinary

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If I had name my favourite skincare brands, The Ordinary would up there in the top 3. The Ordinary do affordable skincare products averaging around £5 for various skin issues. I personally have acne prone skin with scarring, so products aimed at blemished skin is what I go for. I’ve got a little collection now, so I thought I’d share what products I have from The Ordinary.

Holiday Haul + Minis

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Now University is over for the Summer I have a few holidays planned. Which means, I need to shop for clothes and the best thing of all...minis! Does anyone else love buying minis or is it just me?

Brands I Want To Try Out In 2018

I love trying out new beauty products and brands, so in 2018 I would like to try new brands whilst trying more from brands I have only had one product from.

The Best Skincare of 2017

I know it's late into January, but I still wanted to share my favourite skincare products of 2017!

Skincare & Clothing Haul!

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I made a few new purchases in January and wanted to share them with you all. I got a few skincare bits from BeautyBay and some new clothing from Next and New Look.

The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + HA 2%

After seeing lots of hype over The Ordinary and seeing lots of great reviews on BeautyBay, I decided to give The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + HA 2% a try.

The Body Shop Haul

I saw on VoucherCodes that there was an offer to get £50 worth of product for £25 from The Body Shop and I decided to take advantage of this.

Morning Skincare Routine

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I've always stuck to a strict skincare routine but in the past 3 months I've become even more interested in skincare products. Because of this my skin is the best it has ever been and I would like to sing these products' praises!

BeautyBay Haul

I have been experiencing a tough couple of weeks, so what else would I do other than give myself a little retail therapy?

July Favourites

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My July Favourites comes slightly late but I wanted to do a favourites post as I haven't done one in ages. Some months you don't feel there are products that you've really been loving but for July there are a few items for me.

Nip+Fab Mini Haul

I've never used Nip+Fab products before but have always heard good things about them. Recently I have been attempting to try new skincare products as it has become increasingly important to me to find a really good routine. Here are the two items that I chose to introduce myself to Nip+Fab:

The first item I picked up is the Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing Pads 60 Pack which was on offer on Boots. I have seen rave reviews about this so I was expecting it to be brilliant. These exfoliating pads are to be used daily. They're soaked in glycolic acid to re-texture and resurface the skin. With hyaluronic acid and blue daisy they're also supposed to be moisturising whilst revealing brighter and smoother looking skin.

I've only used it twice so far so I can't review it. Although, I can say listen to the recommendation of using SPF after using this. I didn't listen and came home with a sunburnt face! I'll postpone using these until my sunburn has gone.

Later after I bought these pads, I then bought the Nip+Fab Post Glycolic Fix Moisturiser SPF 30. This lightweight, oil-free moisturiser is recommended to use after any of the Glycolic products as it has SPF 30 in it to protect from UV rays. I bought this on offer at Superdrug and it only arrived today, as I write this, so I don't have an opinion on it. It claims to leave a matte finish, which is important to me, and calms the skin with witch hazel. It also says it uses Niacinamide to reduce visible pores so that should be interesting to see.

I've been looking for the perfect SPF moisturiser to take on holidays with me for years now. I have tried a few and none of them have been comfortable on my face and have always stung my eyes and my sensitive skin throughout the day. I am going on holiday next week and maybe in August so I have high hopes for this!

I am so far impressed with the products and feel encouraged to try out more of their products. A lot of their skincare products have pretty cool names like 'Dragon's Blood' which instantly intrigue me. Their new release of make up products also look good so I would be interested and trying a make up item. 

Look out for reviews on these items once I've given them a good go!

The New FeelUnique Pick 'N' Mix Service!

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FeelUnique have a new Pick 'N' Mix Service! You are able to pick out 5 samples once a month out of a list of make up, skincare, hair, nail etc products and have them sent to you for only £3.95 (shipping). Then, what is even better is that you then get sent a code to redeem your £3.95 for free shipping on your next Feel Unique order! I use Feel Unique frequently for the student discount, so this is perfect for me.


I'll admit, I am a sample hoarder. I like to store samples away to take on holidays and over night stays so I have less bulky products to carry. It is also of course perfect for trying out new products! This is what I got in the month of April:

L'Occitane Amande Milk Concentrate Body Cream- L'Occitane is a brand I've only ever tried out in sample form, but the idea of using a body milk intruges me. I can imagine it to be very moustirising and nourishing and apparently it helps the apearance of firmer and smoother skin. 


Laura Gellar Spackle Treatment Even Tone Make-Up Primer- I love trying out samples of primer as I refuse to do my make up without a primer! This one claims to even out skin tone which is good for someone like me who has a lot of redness.


Vichy Normaderm Anti-Blemish 24hr Hydration- I've heard lots of YouTube and in blogs about Vichy, but never tried anything from them. I've recently stopped taking one of my acne medications so it seemed like a good idea to get something anti-blemish.


Bioderma Sebium H20 Purifying Cleansing Micelle Solution- Bioderma is another brand I have heard lots about but haven't tried. I like how it limits sebum, sounds like my kind of cleanser!


Bioderma Sensibio Eye Contour Gel Sensitive Skin- Due to excessively watery eyes, the skin around my eye has become red, sore and sensitive. Because of this I need to spend more time looking after the skin around my eyes, so I thought this might be a good product to try.


I am really interested in the samples I have and I will continue to use this Pick 'N' Mix service. Next time I hope to try out more make up samples! 


Will you try out this new service?

Mini Sephora Haul

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Last year I did my first ever Sephora haul from Paris. This year, I am coming at you with another mini Sephora haul, also from Paris (photos from the trip coming soon)! I was lucky enough to have a Sephora nearby my hotel in the mall next to us.


The first thing I think of when I think of Sephora is their face masks. So, I picked up a few. Their face masks are sheet masks, meaning they're super easy to apply. You're able to mix and match them like a pick 'n' mix and they're at a very affordable price.

The first one I picked up is the Sephora Avocado face mask which is for nourishing and repairing. I used this mask last year (and reviewed it), and really enjoyed it.


The second one that caught my eye was the Pearl face mask, for perfecting and brightening. I normally always go for face masks designed for acne or for dry skin, so I wanted to try something a bit different. Plus, the idea of pearl caught my eye!


The last mask I picked up was the Charcoal nose strip. I don't remember seeing these last year and I wanted to get it because I have not done a charcoal nose trip in years. They're good for pulling out blackheads and other impurities.


In usual Sephora style, I was also given a sample of the Mon Guerlain Eau de Parfum. I didn't notice I had been given this until I got home from Paris, which is a little annoying as I had forgotten to bring my perfume with me so this would have been useful!


I was also mesmerised by the Kat Von D stand they had. I knew France recently got Kat Von D Beauty in store, so I was hoping to see it! Although we can buy Kat Von D Beauty from Debenhams here in the UK, it's only online which means you can't see the colours in person. I made sure I took a good look at the formulas and colours of different items so I know what I want to buy when I can.


I am a bit disappointed I didn't buy any make up, but I knew I didn't have enough euros left to buy anything. I nearly bought a nude lip liner, but forced myself to put it down for the sake of having euros. I will try to bring more next time!

Empties #14

I normally publish an Empties post once a month but I forgot to publish this in August- whoopsy! I've got a bunch of skincare empties so let's see what I've got:


I've finally finished my Soap & Glory Clean On Me Shower Gel! I've been using this for god knows how many months so I feel like I've achieved something finishing this! It doesn't really have a particular smell, just a classic creamy body wash smell. I love Soap & Glory products whether it is bath and shower or make up!


Another Impulse body spray has been gotten through too and this time it is 'Tease, Red Fruits & Woods'. These always appear in my Empties posts and to be honest I don't normally find that they have very distinguishable scents so I don't really mind what I use...as long as it makes me smell better!


As a long term fan of the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water I thought I'd try the newer Pure Active one which is supposedly for combination to oily & sensitive skin. To be honest I found the original one was already perfect for my sensitive skin so I don't really see the difference between them. Either way it's good though.


I've had this Bath & Body Mimosa & Violet body spray for years and never used it because I wasn't a big enough of a fan of the scent to spray it all over my body. However, because I find the scent quite fresh I instead used it as a room spray! Once or twice a day I'd spray it in my room and it would just make it smell a bit better. I liked using it when it was hot because it seemed to make things cooler. I don't really know how true and scientific that is but that's what it seemed to do anyway.


Cotton buds: boy do I make use for these! I am constantly buying cotton buds because I use them everyday for make up. I use it to clean up eyeshadow excess, straighten the edges of my lipstick and eyeliner as well as getting foundation off of my eyebrow hairs. I like to get ear piercings a lot too so I need them for cleaning my new piercing. Cotton buds are essential for me! I wrote a blog post on various ways to use cotton buds ages ago.


Finally, I used up the Superdrug Tea Tree facial wash. I always use a tea tree face wash for my acne prone skin and the past few months I've been using a foaming cleanser one from The Body Shop. However, when I went travelling in June and holiday in July I needed a non-foaming one that I could decant into a travel bottle so I bought this Superdrug one! It doesn't dry out my skin and I know I'll go for it every time I go travelling now.


See you for Empties #15!

Estee Lauder Event @ Scavi & Ray

Last week the Estee Lauder team in Boots at The Mall, Cribbs Causeway invited me and other bloggers to join them at the new prosecco bar, Scavi & Ray. I love make up and I have been eagerly wanting to check out Scavi & Ray since it opened in The Mall so of course I had to go!

Upon arriving we were greeted by the smiley faces of The Estee Lauder team and were introduced to Karen who would be presenting the event and doing demonstrations. We then got to choose between red and white, alcohol and non-alcoholic prosecco and there were plenty of nibbles to be eaten. My favourite was definitely the macaroons! 

After a friendly chat with everyone Karen invited the lovely Gina up front so she could demonstrate various skincare and make up products on her. We learned a lot about the Advanced Night Repair range which includes a foil mask, serum and serum capsules. Karen also told us all about the Little Black Primer which is a primer for your mascara, although you can wear it alone too. I thought it was pretty cool that you can also use it on top of your regular mascara to make it waterproof. Brilliant!

We got to try some of the products Karen was demonstrating on the back of our hands which left them glowing!

Lastly we went in groups to the Estee Lauder counter in Boots to be colour matched for foundation. Beth, who colour matched me, recommended the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation as I said I liked a fuller coverage and she tried a couple of different shades on me. I said I'd rather be matched to the rest of my body as opposed to my actual face colour because the rest of my body is tanned at the moment! We decided that my shade would be a neutral one called Ecru. I then got to take home a sample of the foundation which I am looking forward to trying.

The team were extremely generous and kindly gave us a goody bag to take home!

• NightWear Plus Anti-Oxidant Night Detox Creme
• Little Black Primer Mascara
• DayWear Advanced Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant Creme
• Take It Away Makeup Remover Lotion
• Advanced Night Repair Serum
• Advanced Night Repair Intensive Recovery Capsules
• DoubleWear Foundation in 'Ecru'
• Modern Muse Eau De Parfum
• Modern Muse Le Rogue Gloss

The Estee Lauder team at Boots in The Mall were very lovely and welcoming people. They held a thoroughly enjoyable event with an amazing turn out and I hope they do more in the future! Also, a big thanks go to Scavi & Ray for hosting the event and providing us with the complimentary prosecco. Who doesn't love prosecco?!

PS- Estee Lauder The Mall Cribbs Causeway also gave us a voucher to share with you guys to use on their counter. Now you have an excuse to go buy some new beauty products!

My Current Scrub #6

It has been a while since we've done one of these! My last one was in January where I started using The Body Shop Coconut Body Scrub and I've only just finished it which I think is pretty good.


Now I am using Lush Let The Good Times Roll Cleanser. It is called a cleanser but can be used for both face and body with maize flour and polenta to exfoliate. I have actually had this in my shower for months now for exfoliating my face when I wash my hair but now I am using it for my body too. I absolutely adore this product as it smells like buttery popcorn and it forms a paste when it mixes with water. It isn't creamy like The Body Shop Coconut Body Scrub but does feel like it does more exfoliation. In addition I feel like it plumps the skin which I like using round my lips as I swear it makes them look bigger!


This particular pot won't last as long as my previous scrub from now on because I have already used half of it for my face over the months. However, I've got 2 other pots of it so no doubt you will be seeing this mentioned again!

Botanics Hydration Burst Day Lotion SPF15

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I am back from my holiday now so I am able to post again. I thought I'd come back with a skincare review. This is Boot's own brand, Botanics. If you don't already know, the Botanics range uses natural plants as ingredients. 


The Botanics Hydration Burst Day Lotion SPF15 has soothing clary sage and is designed for sensitive and dehydrated skin. It has SPF15 UVA and UVB and it claims to have 8 hours of hydration which is typically how much time we can spend out in the day. In addition the packaging has a pump which I like as it makes it simple to use. The bottle contains 50ml of product which makes it good for travelling due to it fitting under the 100ml mark.


I bought this for going abroad as I needed a moisturiser with SPF that will protect my sensitive skin without giving me an allergic reaction. I have taken this on a 2 week interrailing adventure as well as a week in Tenerife and there is still plenty left so there is more than enough product! Another skin worry is that I am also acne prone and I get afraid the SPF will break me out. Fortunately, this moisturiser didn't seem to break me out or clog my pores. 


I found that I could use this moisturiser alone and under make up. It sat fine underneath make up and didn't make my skin look greasy or shiny when I was wearing no make up. When out in the sun I would reapply the moisturiser on areas where I am most likely to burn, such as my nose, every 2 and a half hours. Because of this moisturiser my face never burned on any of my trips abroad which I am grateful for! Because there's nothing like a nose for a Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.


Unfortunately that is it for my positive words about this moisturiser. There were certainly things I did not like about it. For starters, the lid is so annoying! The lid constantly comes off whether it is in my make up bag, my handbag or what. The lid just does not stay on and I was frequently losing it and having to find it. But the most annoying thing about the moisturiser was that it stung my eyes like crazy! It didn't matter that I didn't apply moisturiser near my eyes: it stung. Whether I was walking around as normal, got my face wet or I sweated, the moisturiser would always somehow end up irritating my eyes and they would sting for a good hour. My eyes would stream like crazy and sometimes they'd even go all puffy. I could rinse my eyes out with water and clean them with tissue but the problem still persists. After looking at the product on the Boots website I have seen that I am not the only person with sensitive skin that this has happened to! This product says it is for sensitive skin yet affects my eyes like no moisturiser ever has. Last of all whilst I was using this I was getting dry patches of skin appear on my face which leads me to think it is perhaps not that moisturising.


Because of how much it stings and makes my eyes water, I will not be purchasing this again. At £5.33 it is a decent price for a SPF moisturiser on a budget but I cannot cope with how much it hurts my eyes. I put up with it for the time that I was travelling but now it is time to let it go. Even though it says for sensitive skin, if you have sensitive skin I do warn you: proceed with caution!


Do you like anything from the Botanics range?

July Favourites

July favourites time! I didn't do a favourites in June so it is about time I did one.


Firstly I'd like to talk about Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. I have had this book for years but only just got round to reading it. I wish I read it sooner! I was one of those books that I couldn't put down and stayed up at all hours reading. I won't spoil it for you but I will say that it is a fantasy book with angels and chimeras. I'm currently reading the last book in the trilogy.


Next is The Body Shop Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream which you've possibly seen my review on recently. I have been using it every night before bed and it really works to get rid of the dry patches on my face! Everyday I wake up with soft, nourished skin.


Another product from The Body Shop is the Tea Tree Clearing Toner. I have use this before but went back to it recently and I had forgotten how good it is at cleaning off the remains of make up after cleansing. I love The Body Shop tea tree range for my acne-prone skin!


Then we have the only make up item of this month which is Urban Decay De-Slick Make Up Setting Spray. I have been particularly loving this because it has been so damn hot! When it is hot I get worried about my make up melting off and me sweating so I use this and it does a good job at keeping my make up on. No more melting make up in the heat for me! I love to take this abroad with me too and will be taking it to Tenerife with me.

Finally I thought I'd mention the game Pokemon Go. You've probably already heard loads about it but as an avid Pokemon fan I downloaded this as soon as I could and have been playing it ever since. It is so fun to hunt down and catch Pokemon and being able to play against others in the Pokemon Gym! You may be sick of hearing about this but I really do think you should give it a go if you have not already.

What have you been enjoying in July?

Empties #13

Last month was Empties #12 which means it is time for Empties #13!


At the beginning of June I went travelling for 2 weeks so of course I needed a can of Batiste dry shampoo to see me through it! This is a 100ml travel size too which means I could bring it on board the plane and it not take up too much room.


The Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturiser is something I have enjoyed using for years, whether this one or the grapefruit one, as it is good for acne prone skin. It is light, fresh and good for day moisturiser that will soak in quickly so you can start applying your make up!


Just over a year ago I was sent the Amphora Aromatics Seaweed & Aloe Refreshing Eye Gel to review. My favourite way to use this was to help remove my make up. You can click on the name of the product to learn more about it and my opinion!


Another seaweed product (an unintentional theme there!) is The Body Shop Pore-Cleansing Facial Exfoliator. I used this in the shower only to exfoliate my face. I liked this product as it was a great exfoliant however it would sting my eyes a bit even if the product wasn't near them! The packaging of this has now changed.


Lastly is an Impulse body spray in the scent 'Be Surprised' Violets & Red Fruit. This is just one of your standard cheap body sprays that run out in a month or less. I don't like to use this on its own but rather in companion with perfume. 


Thanks for reading!