I Cheated! TWICE

So just under a month ago I put myself on a beauty/make up shopping ban. I was positive that I would last at least a month before cheating but I didn't. I have been very naughty and bought 2 things and not just little things, pretty expensive things!!

So first up is the Benefit They're Real Push Up Liner, I went into Boots a couple of days before my self inflicted spending ban and tried this out, I have to admit I loved it! The women who helped me out with it was so lovely and talked me into (she just mentioned it and I said yes, there were no questions asked) putting a £5 deposit down and then purchasing the rest when it was released. So because I bought some out of it before my spending ban technically it isn't cheating, right? I'm not sure that is true but that is the story I am sticking too. 

I have mentioned before that I am not good with eyeliner, I rarely ever wear it because when I do attempt to do it I just look like I have rubbed crayon all over my eyelids, not a good look. I had heard that this makes eye liner application so easy and for me that is just what I need. I barely waited until I had got home to try this on and when I did I fell in love. I text my friends, raved about it to anyone who would listen, it was true love. BUT and it is quite a big but my feelings have changed. I am now very much on the fence about how I feel about this, there is no denying it makes application easy but apart from that I am not sure I like it? I don't know, I feel very confused by this product, I am going to keep using it and if you want a full review let me know?

Now onto the naughtiness thing I have ever bought. I'll set the scene, I am at Rhodes airport so very very hungover after a week of pretty much non stop drinking but I had a far amount of euros left over. I am feeling very sorry for myself so me and my friends head to duty free for some retail therapy. YSL called my name and with the help of RebeccaAnnBeauty (who basically made me buy this, she got one too!). As Amelia Liana would say we were feeling spendy. I bought a YSL Rouge Volumpte Lipstick in 33. 

Words fail me when I talk about this product, just look at it!! Please everyone stop reading and just LOOK AT IT!! The packaging just looks like it has been crafted my a tribe of elves, it is just too nice! It is too pretty, criminally pretty and I OWN IT!!! I have had this for like a week now and I still can't get over it. I will be doing a full review on this because I want to talk about this for as long as possible. It is just amazing. 

Ok so mini breakdown over, those are my recent naughty purchases. As much as this means I haven't stuck to my spending ban I don't regret buying these at ALL. Especially the YSL lipstick because I would never have bought one full price, I think with the conversion rate I ended up getting it for £21 which saves me £3.50, which is nearly 4 MUA lipsticks!! Make sure to follow me on Bloglovin and come back tomorrow for another fun post, hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading, 

Laura xxx

 Benefit Eye Liner- http://www.boots.com/en/benefit-theyre-real-push-up-liner_1495220/

YSL Lipstick- http://www.boots.com/en/Yves-Saint-Laurent-Rouge-Volupte-Lipstick_844149/

How I Look After My Face: Skincare Treats

 2 posts on skincare may have been enough but I couldn't talk about skincare and not mention some of the products that are just the best for giving your skin a little TLC. The products I am going to be talking about I don't use on a daily basis but are what I lean for if I'm having a little pamper, so here goes!

A good face mask is an absolute essential in any skincare routine and I have to admit I am a little addicted to face masks, I have so many but this is the one I having been loving at the moment. The Soap and Glory No Clogs Allowed is exactly the type of mask my skin needs at the moment, it declogs pores which helps get rid of spots (and I have loads atm) and just leaves your face feeling beautifully clean and healthy. You apply this all over your face and it comes out white with little beads in, then you wet your face slightly and the little beads break, the mask turns blue and heats up, which is just so cool!! I am a massive fan of soap and glory but haven't tried too much of their skincare stuff so if you guys can recommend me anymore bits let me know please!

So in my morning routine I mentioned my everyday facial scrub but once a week or so I like to give my skin a bit more of an aggressive scrub and for that I love the Body Shop Spa Wisdom Japan Adzuki Bean and Rice Wash Grain. This is basically just a little jar of scrubby goodness! Like my other scrub I just use this in the shower, I scoop some out of the jar give it a good rub all over my face and then wash it off. My skin literally feels like new skin after using this! It is so so so soft. I would really really suggest trying this, if you have sensitive skin you might want to be slightly wary though because it is quite harsh. I also wouldn't suggest using this too often, I rarely use it more than once a week. These can be used on your body as well, I haven't actually tried that before but I reckon it would be really lovely on your body skin as well!

Staying on the theme of scrubs I will talk about my all time favourite lush product, I know that is a massive statement but I think you may agree. The Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub is not only a super scrub for your lips which just leaves them lovely and ready for any matte lipstick but also smells and tastes great. Now you can eat this stuff but I feel a bit weird about eating it so I just wash this off after I'm done. I tend to use this a couple of times a week but will use it more if I am wearing a matte lipstick that day/night because you need your lips to be in great condition for that. I haven't tried many other lip scrubs before but because this one is so great I don't think I really need to stray from this firm favourite. Also this is bright pink, could you really ask for more?

Finally onto another Body Shop number and that is the Cocoa Butter Beautifying Oil. I know loads of people love this product and use it for so many different things but I love it for my face as a little treat. I would say I have combination skin, I get dry patches but then get oily as well so I definitely couldn't use this product all the time but sometimes instead of my night time moisturiser I use this for a little more oily goodness. I literally use the tiniest amount of this and just pat it into my skin, mostly avoiding my T zone then just go to sleep. In the morning my skin feels amazing!

Ok so that is definitely enough skincare talk for a while! Hope you enjoyed these skincare posts because it isn't something I talk about a lot. Please come back tomorrow when I shall be talking about something naughty I have done recently, whoops!! Please follow me on Bloglovin and Instagram too if you want, hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading,

Laura xxx

Face Mask- http://www.boots.com/en/Soap-Glory%E2%84%A2-No-Clogs-Allowed%E2%84%A2-Super-Self-Heating-Deep-Pore-Detox-Mask_1364146/

Face Scrub- http://www.thebodyshop.com/bath-body/spa-treatments/japan-adzuki-bean-rice-wash-grains.aspx

Lip Scrub- https://www.lush.co.uk/products/bubblegum

Beautifying Oil- http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/bath-body-care/beautifying-oils/cocoa-butter-beautifying-oil.aspx

How I Look After My Face: Evening Skincare Routine

Last week I rambled on about my morning skincare routine and this week I thought I would further ramble on about skincare, but this time my evening skincare routine,

So my routine kicks off with taking my make up off. I use to be really bad and do this with make up wipes but now I tend to use a Hot Cloth Cleanser. The one I am loving at the moment is the Botanics Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm. I have to admit before using this I thought I really wouldn't get on with balms but now I love them! This massages into the skin so lovely and does a really good job of getting even waterproof make up off. My only problem with this is that it can leave your skin with a slight greasy residue on it. 

In my morning routine I mentioned this cleansing water and toner and I am going to mention them again. I just use both of these quickly at night time, the cleansing water is amazing for just getting off any sneaky left over mascara and the toner just feels lovely on my skin. This toner is also really great to use when you feel a break out coming on because it gets rid of any pesky spots before they even appear!

A good moisturiser is a must before bed time but for me I have found it really hard to find one that is just perfect for me. I used a Nivea one for a while but found it slightly to heavy however thanks to Yes To I have found my perfect match!! I picked the Yes To Carrot Intense Hydration Night Cream up not too long ago but it already a firm favourite. This is a fairly thick consistency but it just melts into the skin perfectly. I have been travelling quite a bit recently and my skin normally really drys out because of that but with this it has stayed pretty good! This is also fragrance free which is great for sensitive skin.

Finally for my routine is just a simple (you'll get the joke in a sec) eye cream. For night time I love the Simple Kind To Eyes Soothing Eye Balm. As the name suggests this is lovely and soothing which is great for tired eyes at night time. This is a really light balm so it doesn't feel to heavy over an already heavy moisturiser. This is a lovely eye cream and the best part is that it is about £4!

So that is another chat about skincare over and done with. I will be squeezing out another skincare post tomorrow though, this time about skincare treats so make sure you pop back for that. Make sure to give my little blog a follow on Bloglovin. Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading,

Laura xxx

Cleansing Balm- http://www.boots.com/en/Botanics-97-Organic-Hot-Cloth-Cleansing-Balm-70ml_1262019/

Cleansing Water- http://www.boots.com/en/Garnier-Micellar-Cleansing-Water-400ml_1440752/

Toner- http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/shop-by-range/tea-tree/tea-tree-facial-toner.aspx

Yes To Moisturiser- http://www.yestocarrots.com/product/yes-to-carrots-fragrance-free-intense-hydration-night-cream?product_id=1317102

Simple Eye Cream- http://www.boots.com/en/Simple-Kind-To-Eyes-Soothing-Eye-Balm-15ml_53079/

How I Look After My Face: Morning Skincare Routine

I am such a lazy person, whether it is exercise, eating healthy, doing the dishes or looking after my skin, I'm so damn lazy!! In recent months though I have really noticed that my skin has started to change and as I am getting older I can't just leave it alone to do its own thing, it is getting needy and wants attention. Because of this I have really stepped up my skincare routine and have found some products that I really enjoy using in the morning and I thought I would share them with you,

So first thing I do in the morning is jump into the shower, it really wakes my body up and to wake my face up I like to use the Yes To Grapefruit Daily Facial Scrub. I use this in the shower because that way I always remember to use it! This comes out like a whitey clear colour with little pink scruby beads. This smells so awesome and is the perfect amount of scrub for everyday without over scrubbing and leaving your face red raw! This keeps my skin feeling super soft and feeling really clean as well.

After shower time I just give my skin one final clean with the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water. This just gets rid of any make up residue that might be hanging around from the day before and provides a super clean base for when I apply make up. I use to really love the Bioderma cleansing water but I think after using nearly half of this bottle I actually prefer this one! It is also much cheaper and easier to get your hands on.

After this I just quickly tone, I have used this toner for as long as I can remember and I don't actually think I have ever tried another one!! The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner is perfect for my blemish prone skin. This is really good at mattifying your skin and also is really helpful for clearing up any spots I have, as well as preventing them.

Before applying moisturiser I just give my face a little spray of the Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist. This is really nice and refreshing but also rehydrates your skin. My skin has been feeling pretty dry recently so this just adds some much needed moisture!

Moisturiser wise I have been using the La Roche Possay Effaclar Duo. I wrote a review on this recently so won't ramble on too much but this is really good for young adult skin I think, it is aimed at helping to reduce redness as well as stopping blemishes. I am really enjoying using this but it isn't my holy grail moisturiser just yet.

My final step before make up is the Superdrug Vitamin E SPF 15 Radiance Eye Cream. Eye cream is the one thing I love using but I have never found one that I love, so if you have any you like let me know? This one is really good though, it is super lovely and creamy but blends in beautifully. It also has SPF 15 which is great. I just apply this with my ring fingers and gently blend in, this is just my fav part of my skincare routine!

So there you go, a little look at what I do every (most) mornings to keep my skin looking lovely! Tomorrow I shall be posting my night time skincare routine so make sure to pop back for that. Please give me a little follow on Bloglovin, it makes my day when I get a new follower. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed,

     Laura xxx

Daily Scrub- http://www.yestocarrots.com/product/yes-to-grapefruit-daily-facial-scrub?product_id=6311301

Cleansing Water- http://www.boots.com/en/Garnier-Micellar-Cleansing-Water-400ml_1440752/

Tea Tree Toner-http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/shop-by-range/tea-tree/tea-tree-facial-toner.aspx 

Face Mist- http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/shop-by-range/vitamin-e/vitamin-e-face-mist.aspx

Moisturiser- http://www.boots.com/en/La-Roche-Posay-Effaclar-Duo--anti-blemish-cream_1440758/

Eye Cream- http://www.superdrug.com/Skin/Face/Eyes/Superdrug-Vitamin-E-SPF-15-Radiance-Eye-Cream-15ml/p/239157

La Roche Possay Effaclar Duo + 10 Day Update

I thought I would do my review for this a little different than my other reviews. I decided to pick this up after reading so many good reviews online and also hearing from friends how good it is! So to be honest I was expecting amazing things from this thing and to really see a difference in my skin and that is why I am going to do a 3 step review. First this one, after 10 days, then after  a month and then after I have finished my first tube (not sure what order these 2 will be in). I think that way it will be really helpful for anyone who is really considering get this. 

My skin before I started using this!

So when I first bought this my skin was in a really good way. I didn't have any spots really, a few red patches but that was about it. The main thing I want to achieve from using this is even skin tone, reduced redness and clear non spotty skin (is that too much to ask? I think not). On  the packaging it says that after 24 hours imperfections will look visibly less red and that after 8 days localised imperfections appear significantly reduced. All sounds very promising so far! I am not going to lie in 24 hours I didn't see any difference at all, maybe my skin looked mildly less red but I'm not 100% sure. I wasn't really bothered by this because I know when it comes to skin care you really do have to wait and persist in using things to get results. My only initial problem with this is the smell! I hadn't noticed it at first but after my friend pointed it out to me that it smelt like bathroom cleaner (a lemony clean smell) I really started noticing it! I guess it isn't the worst smell but it isn't your typical skincare smell.

My breakouts on Day 3

Ok so day 3 I woke up and I had broken out really bad! I had lots of little under the skin spots around my eyebrows and then a really nasty spot on my chin. Again I wasn't too concerned by this, I think breaking out would have really scared some people but sometimes things have to get worse before they get better! This is suppose to unclog your pores so I'm guessing my breakout was it getting all the nasty stuff out from my pore! On day 8 of using this I also got my period so I don't know if that maybe had something to do with my breakout as well?

I have now been using this for 10 days now and I have to say I do really like it! Breakouts normally take ages to clear up on my skin but after less than a week all my little spots have gone away. Overall I still haven't seen all the changes this promises but I am very excited to keep using this and see how it goes!!

Hope this little review was fairly helpful for you guys, I am staying on the topic of skincare over the next couple of days and sharing my skincare routines with you all so make sure you come back to check that out! Please give me a follow on Bloglovin to make sure you don't miss any posts! Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading,

Laura xx

Batiste Dry Styling XXL Plumping Powder Review

I love a good dupe. The excitement of finding something cheap that is the same as a more expensive product is just the best! Now this is how I felt when I stumbled across this little container in Superdrug. I have been lusting over the Bumble and Bumble Pret A Powder for too long now but at £21.50 I just can't bring myself to splurge on it just yet. So when I found this for like 1/10 of the price I have to admit at first I was very excited, that excitement was very short lived though...

My first time using this can only be described as horrific, it literally made my hair sticky!! How you ask? I don't have a clue! I could have maybe dealt with it being sticky if it had given me some volume as well but it did not. My hair was just left sticky and flat, not a good look I can tell you. The beauty girl I am though I didn't stop there and decided to jump on the internet and read some reviews, see if I was doing something wrong. Most of the reviews were pretty bad but I did find a few that basically said try using hardly any and it will really work. 

So I left it a couple of days and tried again, this time literally using the smallest amount, still no volume. My hair didn't end up sticky this time, which I guess is a good thing? But it just didn't do anything, my hair literally looked exactly the same as before I had used it. All of the reviews do say use a tiny amount but I'm not sure how much a tiny amount is? Now I think maybe I am not using enough? aahh!! hair care shouldn't be this much work.

If you can't tell already I don't really like this at all. I will say this might be me, maybe I am using too much but I just can't get on with this. I am going to hold on to this so please if anyone has used this tell me if I am going wrong because I do really want to like this! I am off now to go to do some retail therapy, non beauty shopping of course! Come back tomorrow where I shall be giving my 10 day review of Effaclar Duo +, if you follow me on Bloglovin you will not miss a post so make sure to do that! Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading, 

Laura xxx 

Batiste Dry Styling XXL Plumping Powder- http://www.boots.com/en/Batiste-XXL-Plumping-Powder-5g_1338376/

What Is In My Travel Beauty Bag

A week today I am headed off on a much needed girls holiday with some of my best friends and I couldn't be more excited! I have just started getting some bits together so I thought I would give a little sneaky look into what beauty related items I am taking. I am definitely trying to pack quite light and as I went away recently I am learning from experience and only taking the things I know I really need (which seems like everything to me!)

So I haven't included sun cream because I don't really have one sun cream that I think is the best because it is quite expensive I tend to get whichever one is on offer! This use to be the same with after sun but after trying these 2 after suns out I shall never use another one!! The Hawaiian Tropics Silk Hydration After Sun is hands down the best smelling product ever! It is a lovely tropical fruit smell which lingers on your skin for ages. Apart from the awesome smell this is actually a really good after sun, you can really feel it cooling and hydrating your skin. This also helps prolong your tan which is a lovely added bonus! My other after sun of choice is the Banana Boat Aloe Vera Gel. Much to my boyfriends disgust I kept this in the fridge on my last holiday to make it lovely and cold to put on your warm skin, worked very well! I tend to use this when I can see my skin is visibly burnt, I feel like this works slightly better than the Hawaiian Tropics one at really soothing your skin. Both are absoloutely awesome though so they will both be coming away with me.

For me coconut is the smell of holiday, so I could not go away without some lovely coconut smelling products. For body wash you can't go wrong with the Radox Coconut Kiss Shower Cream. I love shower creams because they feel a little bit more luxurious than a shower gel and as for the smell of this!! Woah, amazing, I just love coconut! Now because the body wash just isn't enough to stem my coconut obsession, I also have the Body Shop Coconut Body Mist. I love these body mists, the smell of them are all so fruity and lovely ( I use the mango one loads) and when I saw they had a coconut one I couldn't say no! The smell of this doesn't last for ages but as it is only a body mist I am not too disappointed about it, you can just keep reapplying.

Finally onto my face. I really want to try and protect my face this holiday so I have decided to use the La Roche Possay 50+ Anthelios XL Tinted Cream. This is a tinted moisturiser with a masssive 50 SPF in it. I wanted to get a tinted moisturiser because my skin isn't in the best way at the moment and I don't want to be completely naked around the pool! I used this when I went away before and was really happy, it gives a good amount of coverage and is also fairly water proof. If you are really pale this may not be great though because it does come out slightly orange! My last thing is just something I stumbled across when having a little clear out and it is the Body Shop Vitamin E Sink In Moisture Mask. This is just a little one use sachet of mask but I thought it would be nice just to chuck in my suitcase in case my skin needs an extra moisture kick. After being in the sun sometimes my skin can feel really dry and gross so I thought this might come in handy for days like that!

So that was a little look at what I will be putting in my suitcase for this holiday! I am getting so excited now, I just can't wait to be sat round a pool sipping a cocktail!! Hope you found this interesting please give this blog a follow on Bloglovin. I will be back tomorrow with a review of a product I have recently discovered from Batiste. Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading,

Laura xx

Hawaiian Tropics After Sun- http://www.boots.com/en/Hawaiian-Tropic-Silk-Hydration-Aftersun-Coconut-Papaya-Fragrance-Lotion-180ml_1315155/

Banana Boat After Sun- http://www.boots.com/en/Banana-Boat-Aloe-Vera-Gel-453g_2625/

Coconut Body Wash- http://www.boots.com/en/Radox-Shower-Gel-Coconut-Kiss-250ml_1298080/

Coconut Body Mist- http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/shop-by-range/coconut/coconut-body-mist.aspx

Tinted Moisturiser- http://www.laroche-posay.co.uk/product-treatments/Anthelios/Anthelios-XL-SPF-50-Tinted-cream-COMFORT-p10024.aspx

Vitamin E Mask- http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/shop-by-range/vitamin-e/vitamin-e-sink-in-moisture-mask.aspx