SK:N CLINICS CLEANSER AND CORRECTIVE CREAM

I know that I won't be the only person that hadn't really heard of Sk:n skincare products. Their massive list of impressive treatments? Yes. Do I still want to try out some of their treatments? Yes. Do I have a voucher code for £25? Well you'll have to read on..

The Vitamin-Rich Cleanser (I chose the normal/combination skin formula, but they do have options for dry/sensitive skin and oily skin) is absolutely lovely for a second cleanse. I did use it to take my make up off once but I find that the product is just too nice to wash straight down the drain with the daily dirt. First up, it smells frickin' incredible! Literally. It sits on the skin long enough for you to get a good covering all over, but then as soon as you start massaging, it really sinks in and starts to get a little tough. I love this because it actually feels like you're getting in there, down and dirty. Add a teeennyy drop of water if it's a little dry and it creates a lovely, rich milk. It's just an incredibly satisfying product to use. So much so that it's sat on my bathroom vanity rather than in my skincare drawers. Now that's saying something. Not a fan of the dispenser though - you have to squeeze it out, so I can see a lot of product being left behind!

The Corrective Anti-Redness Face Cream smells on par with the cleanser, because clearly that is the most important aspect of a skincare product. Unlike most Anti-Redness products, this is NOT green! I repeat NOT GREEN. Finally, it's 2015 and we're beyond the point of having to look like Elphaba if we want to soothe our redness. I am not a colour wheel. It's ultra-light formula is almost slightly mattifying which makes it a perfect option for underneath your make up. I prefer to sandwich this in between my oil and moisturiser and use it as a treatment. Does it solve the redness? Honestly, I'm not sure I've ever come across a product that has dramatically reduced or resolved my slight redness, but it certainly hasn't made it worse, and I do feel the need to reach for this every night. So take from that what you will.


So keep this on the low-down, but in the box that the products are housed in comes a little slip of paper. On there is a voucher for a free facial skin analysis, plus £25 off of any treatment at sk:n Clinics. I reckon they're worth it even just for that.

YOU CAN FIND HAYLEY LOVES ON BLOGLOVIN AND TWITTER

KORE SKINCARE

A month or so ago, Kore Skincare named me as one of their Top 10 Most Influential Bloggers (I had to brag about that at some point, so best to get it in there early, right?) and as a well done, they sent me a few goodies to give a go.

Let's just get this one out of the way. The Foaming Cleanser is not for me. I need a touch more richness from my cleansers, but that totally doesn't mean it isn't for you!

Two of my most stand out products from the range are the Gentle Exfoliator and the Revitalising Toner. Now I like quite a bit of grit if I'm using a manual exfoliator (think: REN Micro Polish Cleanser, from the Radiance range, you get me?) as I only tend to use them pre-mask, and this is slightly lacking in that department. But let's remember it's called a Gentle Exfoliator for a reason. You know sometimes you wake up and your skin just feels a bit grimy and you're like "I just gotta get this shit off my face"? This just does the job. (edit: I just used this for this exact reason whilst on a bit of a hangover. Heaven!) 

I'm aaaalll for the spritzing toners. It's a novelty thing. But this stuff is actually really refreshing. It's spiked with a few acids in there, who doesn't like that? Doused all over the face pre-serum leaves Hayley a happy lady.

Let's talk serums and creams. The Intensive Serum isn't quite as intensive as one would imagine, but as serums go, this is a fairly standard addition to the routine when your skin is in need of the low-key treatment.
I wanted to love the Optimal Repair Cream, I really, really did. But this light moisturiser just did not live up to it's predicted pedestal that I'd so wishfully placed it on. It sinks in well, lovely under make up, but I expected something I little more thicker, richer and frankly repairing. Sad face. The day cream is kinda on the same vein as the serum - great when you wanna keep things simple.

I've never found an eye cream that I love, and the hunt continues. This is very nice, but it's not the one. I'm looking for James Franco and only just getting Dave. Not that this is an issue, hit me up, Dave.


Despite what probably looks like a negative review, I do really enjoy Kore Skincare, but I definitely advise to read up about the products - names can misleading. You can pick up some of there products here. They're a little on the pricey side, but we all know that skincare is worth the investment. Did I mention I was a Top 10 Blogger? Oh...

PS, This stuff is all natural, paraben free and not tested on animal, so if you dig that then I suggest you get with that.

YOU CAN FIND HAYLEY LOVES ON BLOGLOVIN' AND TWITTER

MY BEAUTY MATCHES

Who doesn't want a tailor made beauty service? Welcome to My Beauty Matches! 

Before I got an email from My Beauty Matches, I'd never even considered this kind of service. I always followed the "I read blogs, I know what products are out there" mantra, and expected this to tell me all the generic stuff that I already know. Well, I eat my words, because I am definitely wrong. 

To start the service, they ask you a series of questions about what you look like and your lifestyle. While this may take a while for some people, it's worth it in the end to have products that actually suit you and your lifestyle.

So once you've done all of this, it collates your results and then asks what you'd like to find your perfect matches for - hair, make up, perfume etc. Don't worry, you can go back to these categories after looking at one without having to redo the questions! 

Then this is exactly what it looks like! You can scroll up and down to find loads of different sections; I opted to find matches for Make Up, and it came up with eyeshadows, blushers, brushes, primers - you name it, they've covered it! When you click on a product you're interested in, it finds places where you can buy it for the best price and with the best delivery time. What more can a girl want?!

I really love this website. I've found so many gems that I probably wouldn't have heard of without My Beauty Matches. I definitely think it's worth checking it out, even if it's just on your lunch break and you fancy a browse at some new products! I don't think there's anything else out there quite like it!

YOU CAN FIND HAYLEY LOVES ON BLOGLOVIN AND TWITTER 

RESCUE ME ROUTINE

We all go through phases where our skin just isn't acting right - whether it's because we're stressed, it's 'that time'  or we've tried a product that just doesn't agree with us. When this happens there's a few products I find myself reaching for to clear up my complexion. Let's call this the Rescue Me Routine...

First up I'll do a good cleanse to get all that grime up from my pores and let my skin breathe. I recently introduced the REN ClearCalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser into my routine and boy does this baby work. I remove the main bulk of my makeup with a bit of Bioderma before warming the Clay cream between my fingers and start to massage this into my skin, focusing on any blemishy areas. I'll try and do this for around 3/4 mins and then leave it for my skin to soak up any of it's goodness. After a couple of minutes there's barely any product left on my skin so I'll run a flannel under some hot water and start to buff away.

Whilst the REN product doesn't leave my skin feeling dry, I still want to inject a bit of moisture into my skin. Lush Ultrabland a balm that is perfect for blemishes yet leaves your skin feeling silky smooth. After another massage I'll get a hot cloth and lay it over my skin for a minute to open up my pores. I'll rinse the cloth until it's as hot as I can bare then slowly wipe away any remaining balm.

I love to use a toner and I think they're really overlooked. When I'm feeling a bit spotty, the Origins Zero Oil toner is a perfect treatment - it contains Salycilic acid which is perfect for reducing blemishes. This leaves my skin feeling completely clean, refreshed and soothed. Sometimes too much hydration makes my skin feel worse, so I like to keep it light. The Origins GinZing is perfect as it's gel texture really packs a punch. It's nicely hydrating yet is so light you can barely feel it. Perfect!

What are your perfect 'rescue me!' products?

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER

LANCOME HYDRA ZEN NEUROCALM MOISTURISING CREAM

When I first tried the Lancome Hydra Zen NeuroCalm Soothing Anti-Stress Moisturising Cream, mouthful, my skin was not too fond. Straight away my face was stinging and red, I was sure I was gonna have a mega breakout, so I pushed it to the back of my stash. I pulled it out again the other day and my skin was loving the little pot of thick, creamy goodness.

I'm not sure if there are different types of this (?) but while I was reading through other reviews and on the Lancome website, I saw a lot of images where the cream looked almost gel like - just a little thicker than Origins Gin Zing. I'm really still not sure what type this is, it's super confusing!

For me, this cream is really, really thick and immediately eliminates any dry patches or flakey areas I have however it's not exactly super hydrating. I'm sure you're getting a bit confused by this - one minute I love it, next it's not so good, so let me tell you how I go about this!

I do my entire day skincare routine and apply a serum underneath my usual Origins GinZing. If my skin is still feeling slightly dry - like I could do with a good exfoliation, I apply a thin layer of this and it instantly smooths out my skin. I leave it about 15 minutes before applying make up as it's slightly tacky, but any foundation applies so beautiful and smoothly afterwards. In terms of the whole soothing and anti-stress/redness thing, I can't say it makes much difference at all. If this is applied straight to my skin it does leave it feeling really sore and tender which is definitely not what I need!

I wouldn't get this again. Don't get me wrong, I love how it smooths my skin out, but it just isn't worth it. I got this in a gift with purchase so it didn't cost me a thing, but I can definitely cope with just adding a thick moisturiser or a better primer.

Have you tried this? What do you think?! I want to know about the texture of yours haha!

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER

STARTING OFF: SKINCARE

If you haven't already seen the hype covering #bbloggers about #theSOproject, where have you been?! To cut it short, it's a weekly tag where over 100 bloggers are posting about ONE subject each week. We'll be talking about all our tips and tricks for those of you just starting with make up, skincare and so on. To find out more about #theSOproject, check out Steph's post here!

Since I did a huuuuge post all about my daily skincare routine and my added extras the other day, I don't want to bore you too much, so lets get down to real basics here.

If you're a lover of face wipes, we can't be friends. Not unless you're willing to change, that is! Yes, they're convenient and easy but they're so drying and they don't cleanse your skin one bit. Try using a balm or milk cleanser to really massage your skin and get away all the dirt and grime. If you wear quite heavy makeup, I'd recommend using a micellar water prior to the balm just to get away the bulk of it, but don't solely rely on these to remove your makeup!

I think toners are perfect for tackling problems with the skin, exfoliating and giving your skin a good boost in the morning. Try a Pore Purifying toner to give your skin a good clean, followed by a hydrating toner to throw back those essential oils.
Moisturisers are all down to personal preference - if you have dry skin, use a thicker/intensely hydrating one, oily/normal skin, use a lighter, gel like texture.

The main thing is that you listen to your skin, give it what it wants and for God's sake, it doesn't want baby wipes. If you really want to love your skin, check the ingredients of your products, and if they include alcohol, parabens and mineral oil, you should probably give it a miss.

If you have any questions, do leave a comment below and leave your Twitter so I can get back to you on it easier!

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER.

SKINCARE ADDED EXTRAS

If you saw my Daily Skincare - Back to Basics post you'll have seen all the usual bits that I use from day to day, but I do quite like to shake it up a bit.

Sometimes I find the Lush Ultrabland cleanser can get a bit too rich for my skin, but I still like to use a creamy cleanser so I can get a good massage in there. My next port of call is the REN Hydra-Calm Cleansing Milk - it's not stripping at all, but it's also not as thick and hydrating as Ultrabland, it's a good middle ground. It's brilliant for sensitive skin, and my skin really drinks up all it's goodness, leaving it fresh and cleansed.

When any dry patches get a little too much or my skin is looking particularly dull I'll whack out the REN Micro Polish Cleanser. It really buffs away at any nasties and washes away the dead cells, nice. I love the effect this has, my skin looks super radiant straight after using it. I've recently been trying out The Body Shop's Vitamin C Microdermabrasion* exfoliator which is a little more harsh than this, but it's only the early stages!

Once or twice a week depending how my skin looks, I skip the Origins toner and opt for the Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Toner. Packed with AHA's this gets rid of the dead cells sitting on the skin leaving a smoother, brighter complexion. It's super gentle, doesn't hurt, tingle, burn or anything else you'd associate with an acid. I still follow this step with the Lush Toner Water though, to give my skin that boost of hydration it needs after taking away the top layer.

I have a couple of serums on the go at the moment - Biotherm's Deep Serum and YSL Forever Light Creator - but I've been loving the MyChelle G2 Instant Firming Serum*. It smells a bit funky, incredibly floral (however it's all natural, no perfume!) but it makes my moisturisers smooth on so much easier and my skin feels thoroughly hydrated and smooth. I tend to use it in the evening, but I'm going to give it a go during the day soon.

I love using oils post-serum, pre-moisturiser - skin depending and if I'm feeling a little clogged, I miss this step out. The Body Shop's Vitamin E Facial Oil* is so lovely! It's quite light weight for an oil but it really packs a punch and is essential after a cleansing/clay mask. I can definitely tell a difference when this one gets left behind as it seems to even out my skin a little more and feelings really soothing.


So these are my most used skincare products - I have far too many to put into two posts, but these have really stood out to me. What are your must have skincare products?

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER

DAILY SKINCARE ROUTINE - BACK TO BASICS

Let's start this whole shabang with a little 'disclaimer'. I'm no skincare expert and what works for me may not work for you. So now that's done with, let's get on with it.

I tend to have quite normal skin with a slightly oily T-Zone, however lately my T-zone has been on over-drive, I've found myself getting a lot more blemish prone than usual. I'm a little drier in some places and I'm generally dehydrated (heck, who isn't?).

I prefer to take the main bulk of my make up off with some Bioderma - I don't need to talk about this, you guys know the hype and for me, it lives up to it. If I'm wearing a more stubborn mascara I'll reach for the Estee Lauder Gentle Eye Makeup Remover, however Bioderma generally does it well enough. I love using balm cleansers and giving my skin a good massage but they tend to be quite on the pricey side but I adore Lush Ultrabland. I'll be honest, it smells like ass (no, not literally.) but boy does it do a good job. I really work this into my skin for a good 3/4 minutes and then leave it for a minute to sink in, then buff away with a flannel, leaving silky smooth, clean skin.

As ridiculous as this sounds, I listen to my skin and give what it wants - if it's feeling clogged and meh I'll give my pores a good clean with the Origins Zero Oil Pore Purifying Toner, post cleanse. You should know by now just how much I love this, it's already on my repurchase list. I love this stuff for really making my skin feel fresher, cleaner and like it can breathe. It contains salicylic acid which also makes it perfect for when I'm getting a little more blemishy. As this can be a little more drying on my already dry bits, I follow with a few sprits of Lush's Eau Roma Water. A toner water that is literally just Lavender and Rose water and is so, so refreshing and soothing. I keep this in my fridge for an extra boost! If I'm not using the Origins Toner, this one still gets a good use.

After picking up the Origins GinZing moisturiser, I haven't been able to put it down! I've written a review here so go check it out, I'll save you the rambling here. In the evening I've been using the DHC Pore Milk*. It claims to clarify your pores and control excess sebum - I haven't noticed any of that, but this is a bloody good moisturiser. It's incredibly light weight yet super hydrating and smooths over any dryness. I find heavier moisturisers can make my skin feel too heavy and clogged, so I stick to a good dose of this over a serum and oil, but more on them next time.


Next up is my added extras skincare essentials including more cleansers, toners, serums and oils!

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER

EVENING SKINCARE ROUTINE

When the evening begun and my eyes began to droop, the last thing I ever wanted to do was give myself a facial to remove the days wear, so more often than not I'd reach for the baby wipes and scrub my skin red and be done with it. But over the last few months my skincare collection has grown and improved, baby wipes out the window and the quest for healthy looking skin is in full force.

Let me just start by saying I have dehydrated, combination skin which is fairly sensitive and currently rather blemish prone. These products might not work for you, but I think they're all pretty fantastic.

If I'm wearing something heavy duty on the eyes, I don't hesitate to reach for my Estee Lauder Gentle Eye Makeup Remover which melts away any grime effortlessly and efficiently. On the more natural days my Bioderma works just fine, which I then use to remove the main bulk off of my face.
Next in the spotlight comes the REN Hydra-Calm Cleansing Milk - a new addition to the stash but I can see it lurking there for a long, long time. Removing any last traces of makeup and dirt it leaves my skin feeling clean, fresh and silky soft whilst being incredibly gentle. If my skin is a little more blemish-y and dry I'll go for my Lush Ultrabland balm cleanser, massage it into my skin and leave it for a few minutes before buffing it off with a flannel. I'll use a quick swipe of my Origins United States toner to balance my skin if it's having a good day, if it's a bit more oily I'll go for the Zero Oil version. I think it's so important to listen to your skin and change up products if you need too. Toners are a step that is yet to be perfected, Hirons, I'm coming for you!

I love using an oil to add a moisture boost however for me, less is definitely more and I've been using the Superdrug Vitamin E Oil for a while. I find it so easy to use too much which can leave my skin feeling incredibly heavy and like I need to cleanse again, which is the last thing you want. I'll warm a couple of drops between my palms and kind of press it onto my skin - I'm not sure why, but I saw it somewhere and I cannot stop doing it like this! Finally I'll warm some of my Simple Rich Moisturiser up in my palms and massage it into my face and neck and I'm ready for bed feeling clean, refreshed and totally relaxed...


What's your skincare routine like? Get the baby wipes thrown out, you don't need them ;). Send me links to your posts/videos!

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER

REN Micro Polish Cleanser

If you saw my London Haul, which you can find here, you will have seen I picked the REN Micro Polish Cleanser up from Space NK just a few weeks ago. I'll be honest, it takes me a while to find products that I REALLY love, but honestly, you really do see instant results from the product! Potential holy grail, I think..

It's quite difficult to squeeze out the tube, I think, giving the impression it'll be a really dense, abrasive exfoliator, but as soon as your fingers touch together it instantly turns very mousse like. I prefer to damp my face before using this so when you start to massage this into your skin it turns very creamy, milky and sliiiightly foamy. The particles in the scrub do feel quite big but it's not scratchy at all and gently buffs away at any dry/dead skin you may have. Commonly with 'Radiance Boosting' products, I find them to be a little drying but this is nothing of the kind. Even whilst massaging this in my skin feels moisturised and isn't left with that squeaky clean feeling at all.

The cleanser is packed full of citrus oils and fruit extracts which occasionally can irritate my sensitive skin, but again, I had no sensitivity or redness at all and it smells freaking amazing. It really does work from the first wash - my sister who knows nothing at all about skincare said to me "your face looks...clean and bright.." after I used this, which is pretty impressive to hear that from her. I tend to use this 2/3 times a week as I don't want to over exfoliate and it never lets me down.

At £20 a pop, I think it's quite affordable, especially from REN and I'll DEFINITELY repurchase when I run out! What do you think? Do you have any favourite products from REN? I'm considering picking up the AHA Concentrate..

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER

The Recovery Facial - Hydration, Please!

IT'S MY BIRTHDAAAAYYY

Yep, that's right. Hit the big 1, 9 today.. Still the youngest of most of my friends, but don't worry guys, I'll keep up the youth ;). I went out last night, and of course I drank that little bit too much and now my skin is paying for it, big time. Looking dehydrated, dull and lacklustre, these products will be giving me that boost I need ever so desperately.

First up is my beloved Lush Ultrabland. Of course I slept in my make up, naughty me, but this bad boy has removed any traces of make up whilst giving my skin that little drink, and leaving a soft, supple base. The only negative is the smell, gip! 

I needed to get FEELING awake, as well as looking awake, so armed with a cup of coffee, I found myself sweeping a cotton ball of Origins United States toner across my skin. This non-drying tonic has the perfect minty, fresh scent for waking up my senses and leaving me clean and refreshed. 

As I'm going over to Mike's house later, I don't want to be putting too many heavy oils on my skin as I simply don't have the time, but my Simple Rich Moisturiser does a great job at adding the right amount of hydrating and banishing any dry/dehydrated patches. 

I won't be going over the Mike's empty handed, I'll be bringing out the big guns - my Origins Over Night hydration mask. This crazy rich formula will have my skin slurping and will be the icing on the cake.

I don't want to overload my skin today, hence the minimalist routine. Plush, I have much better things to do...

Are any of these products taking your fancy? Or are they your holy grail hydrating angels? Let me know in the comments below!

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER

The Friday Facial - Pre-Birthday Prep

So if you follow me on Twitter (@hayleybethadams) you will have seen a hefty load of tweets regarding my excitement for my birthday on Saturday. I'm a right big kid and LOVE birthday's and Christmas'. I'm ridiculously excited to open a cute, gift-wrapped box from Mike - I'm a sucker for pretty things. I'm going out on the Friday night and I really want to have amazing, HYDRATED skin as I know all the goodness will be sucked straight out by Saturday morning, so to accompany this, I'll have a post coming up on all the products that my face will be sluuuurping up.
As you can see, I took advantage of the sunny day and took aaaall my pictures outside for you all to see.

I'm going to be starting the whole shabang with a new product, but one that is pretty much already a holy grail - my REN Micro Polish Cleanser. It's amazing at sloughing off all the dead skin and revealing a glowy, radiant face. Perfect prep for yet another new product, the Lush Dream Steam Steamer Tab. This step is optional, but one I'm excited to do! I've never really steamed my face but after being sold on the essential oils these pack, it seems like the perfect time.
Staying with the glow-boosting theme, I'll be trying out the REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal mask. Claiming to combat congestion, blemish and improve the skin tone, this is EXACTLY what I need. My skin hasn't been on it's best behaviour, so I'm welcoming any congestion buster! Once this is removed, I'll wipe the Clarins Daily Energizer toner over my skin to remove any last traces of dirt before putting on my Origins 10 Minute Mask to rehydrate after the potentially drying REN mask.
I'll slick on a very tiny layer of the uber-hydrating Marula Oil whilst me and Essie Muchi Muchi have a little nail time.

After a few hours of R&R, I'll run a cotton pad of Bioderma over my skin to provide a clean, oil free base so my makeup doesn't slide straight off. I'm not 100% sure which moisturiser I'll be using just yet, but Origins VitaZing, I have my eye on you!


What do you think to my facial?! I'm really looking forward to giving my skin a good ol' pamper! Look out for my hydration boosting facial tomorrow - it will be much needed!

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER. 

ready for spring #4 - Balanced Diet, Skincare Saviours

Skincare is vital, no matter the season, and although we always want luminous, soft, clear skin, we seem to bare more of it during Spring/Summer.

All year round, I find myself reaching for Simple's Replenishing Rich Moisturiser. Whilst most people prefer the lighter version, I find this one is peeerfect. It makes a great base for my makeup, keeps my skin soft, hydrated and is very gentle.

You'll have seen me speak about this product here, and I am still in love with the Clarins Daily Energizer Wake-Up Booster. It's refreshing, hydrating and I really do find it kind of radiating.- I don't know if it's just because it's supposed to be or not though haha!

I received a sample of the Origins Balanced Diet Lotion and I need it! It's fairly pricey, but feels so lovely and luxurious, it also has a lovely scent which wakes you up nicely. Perfect base for makeup as it absorbs quickly but leaves your skin feeling hydrated and soft.
Another Origins product is the GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream. This is the perfect eye cream for S/S as it is super brightening as has a refreshing, zesty scent. It may seem a bit shimmery at first, but this subsides once soaked in.

Now I know I'm not the only one to neglect my body when it's comes to moisturising, I hate that awful, irritating feeling when you're blowing at it trying to get it to dry so you can get into bed without sticking to everything you touch. I was recently converted by the Soap and Glory Smoothie Star Body Milk, but I really want to try out the Body ButterCream, just out of interest!

The Caudalie Beauty Elixir was a tricky one - does it come under Skincare or Makeup, kind of? I thought Skincare seemed much more appropriate. This will be perfect for summer as I often find my makeup looking a bit crappy and cakey after a while in the summer. A couple of spritz of this and it claims to give you a smoother, glowing complexion, instantly refreshing your face without disturbing anything. I've also heard this makes you feel better in yourself too, what do you think?

I've bought plenty of goodies for my 100 ffollower giveaway so watch this space!

January empties!

Now, I'm not one to finish products - sadly haha! But this month I have, and these are what I'm loving at the moment. There's only four, but it's a start, yeah?

I reviewed this product here. The Clear Improvements mask from Origins is a brilliant product. I'd never really used masks before, but after sampling this, I really understand how much help they actually give. I'm not sure if I'll purchase this yet, perhaps I'll see what other masks are on the market - any suggestions?

Now, everyone with white/blonde hair will use this product, so I don't feel I have to justify it too much when I say that this product does exactly what it says on the bottle. My only grumble is that it's SO messy! Every bottle that I've purchased, for some reason, I have product coming out of the top of the bottle when I'm not using it and it's so annoying because it's wasting so much. Does anyone else have this problem?

I got a free sample of this in a magazine a week or so ago, and I will definitely not be buying it. It did absolutely nothing for my hair, no shine at all. There was no where near enough product in this sample either, it only slightly covered about half of my hair. Yeah, not too impressed.

Well, I never thought I'd ever love a hair product. Having dry, brittle, very knotty hair due to bleaching, I've tried so many products from high end to Morrisons own (which by the way, that condition definitely comes second best to this one!) and I've never been completely satisfied. But I picked one bottle of this up when I noticed it on offer in Boots, tried it once, and ran straight back to pick up four more. This is SO lovely, and smells gooorgeous. There's no artificial scent, it just smells clean and lovely. I like to properly coat my hair in conditioner and leave it for about 4 minutes, and this was just perfect. You don't need too much product, it's quite thick, but a little goes a long way - I always end up using too much. Really great product overall!


So what are your favourites? Link me to any videos/posts!
I'm also on the look out for a really kind person to illustrate a picture of me for my blog - let me know if you can/know anyone, I'd be SUPER grateful!

lush - angels on bare skin cleanser

Hey guys! Today after going to the bank, I had half hour before work so I decided to pop into Lush. 3 members of staff asked me if I was okay, so I said yes, but really I had no idea what I was looking for, apart from a cleanser. This lovely lady approached me and said I looked lost, so I finally told her what I was looking for and she showed me my options. I told her I had slightly oily skin, mainly my nose, I wanted a clearer complexion and a bit of moisture. She showed me 'Angels on Bare Skin' and 'Buche de Noel Solid Cleanser'. She offered to try them both on my hands to give me an idea and make my choice easier.

She firstly tried Buche de Noel, this has dried cranberries in it and claims to clean and balance the skin, exfoliate absorb grease, and give back lost moisture through cocoa butter. When she tried this, it felt very exfoliating, it was a slightly milky paste but she left it on my hand whilst she did Angels on Bare Skin. This one is packed with lavender flowers and has a very strong lavender scent (which I love). After adding a bit of warm water and rubbing the paste, it became a milky, thinner paste which she rubbed on my hand.  This too was quite exfoliating due to pieces of ground almond, but the thing that got me with this cleanser is the moisture. As soon as she washed it off, my hand felt much more nourished, the colour was much more even and I knew I had to get this.

I was slightly scared about buying a full tub for £6.25/100g because I wasn't sure whether I'd achieve the same result on my face, I didn't want to buy it and break out! I asked for a sample which she was more than happy to give me and as soon as I got home, I had a shower and had to give this a go. I wasn't sure how much I needed, so I took a pinch, mixed it with water and rubbed it on my face. It didn't exactly feel like it would do anything, I wasn't sure I had enough, so I used a little more but still felt a bit unsatisfied, but I left it on my face for a minute or so and then washed it off with a muslin cloth. It felt so creamy when washing it off, my face felt incredibly soft and moisturised, I was amazed. I then patted my face until it was almost dry. As I was doing stuff, it was a while before I applied some moisturiser, usually my face would dry up soon after, but it still felt very moisturised.


I'm going to try it a couple more times, maybe pop in again to see if I can find more products to try (cheeky!). It kind of looks like mashed up wheetabix and milk, not nice, but it's a lot harder, like a lumpy clay/paste. 

Does anyone else have some Lush skin care favourites?!

Take care,

my current skincare routine, looking for your expert help!

Hi guys!
Today is my only day off this week and as I have a job interview tomorrow, I've been taking after my skin as I've really neglected it lately and this cold weather has really taken it's toll. Sadly, I use baby wipes to take my make up off, which many off you say is the biggest no, but it's just so much more efficient, I've never used a cleanser to remove my make up as I just can't understand how it works! I do use cleanser with cotton wool pads after I've used the wipes though, any better?

For affordable, semi-decent skincare, I don't think you can go wrong with these products, they last a fair amount of time, and do pretty much exactly what they say.
The Pore Minimising cleanser I'm pretty unsure of, I can't really see that they're working, I don't find it makes a difference in my routine, afterwards it feels a bit sticky, but I love the moisturiser! I've applied it plenty of times today to get some much needed moisture into my skin and this is beautiful. There's no particular scent to it, but it makes such a difference. I love wearing it under my make up, it creates such a smooth, soft base that my foundation (after primer) applies so well without clinging to any dry patches.

I did a review of the Soap and Glory T-Zone wipes here. I use these before applying make up to try and keep oil and large pores at bay, but read more there.

Very occasionally, like, once a week, I use a gel cleanser that I find is very strong and stripping, but I use it occasionally as I do feel it makes a difference to my skin, it removes any unwanted oils and it's "natural", but I might do a post on that soon. It's definitely aimed more to people with oily skin, rather than oily/combination as it recommends. If I do use this, I moisturise a lottttt afterwards.

I'm looking for new products, not too expensive, but I find my complexion to be slightly uneven sometimes, I have red patches on my cheeks and I just want nicer skin haha! I'm also looking for a mask, I'm not too sure what, I'm a mask virgin, I'm always scared I'll have a reaction if I change skincare.. weird haha.
But please, give me your suggestions, favourites, anything. I'd love to hear them and try them out soon!


Take care everyone, not long till Christmas!