REN HYDRA-CALM CLEANSING MILK

If you saw in my Evening Skincare Routine post, you'll have found out that I've slightly fallen for this baby, that is the REN Hydra-Calm Cleansing Milk. Before this, I'd never used a cleansing milk, balms, creams, water, you name it - I've tried it, but milks were a category I wasn't well acquainted with.

It feels very lotion-like until you massage this into your skin and the warmth turns it milky. Not until you look like you're sat under a cows udder, don't worry, but more like when I balm turns oily. It's incredibly soothing - there's nothing I like more than giving my face a good ol' massage and making sure all the hydrating goodness gets soaked in. It removes makeup effortlessly and very gently - usually, I can really feel when a cleanser is removing everything, but with this it was more of a "is it actually taking anything away?!" situation.
I like to remove it with a flannel and afterwards my skin feels very soft, supple and super clean but in no way 'squeeky clean' which I love. It just feels hydrated and fresh.

The scent leaves something to be desired, but having sensitive skin this is something I'm not unfamiliar with, at the end of the day, if it does the job, that's what matters!

What do you think to REN Hydra-Calm? Are you a bit clueless when it comes to milks and balms? Let me know!


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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!

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RMK CREAMY FOUNDATION - POTENTIAL HOLY GRAIL?

When it comes to foundations, I'm constantly on the hunt for the perfect one. I'll fall in love with one and then around 2 weeks down the line it'll just start to look horrid on me or not give me what I need. I've been using the Creamy Foundation from RMK* for probably around a month now and I really, really love it.

Let's first mention the colour match, that swatch looks crazy dark and if I was offered that shade it would more than likely be a no-go. But what this little pot of lovin' does is blend so seemlessly and flawlessly into the skin that you barely notice that it's not an exact match. It offers a glow that I've never seen from a foundation with such a high coverage. Many tend to be quite powdery, sit on the skin and often go quite patchy and obvious through the day but I find this really melts into my skin giving me a healthy, second skin like finish. Another plus is how pigmented this is, you only need the smallest amount too cover your noggin'.

In terms of longevity, you can't beat it - 7 hours later and my skin is still sporting a healthy glow with a fresh complexion. With my skin being more miss than hit lately, I've found myself applying it straight from the pot however it mixes really nicely with a moisturiser for a lighter coverage.

As I was going for a fuss free look, I paired this with a neutral eye and good lashing of mascara. I kept the cheeks low-key to let the glow be the focus and brushed a bit of the Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer onto my cheeks, pushing a little more into my contours and finishing up with a slick of the Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple.

We'll have to see how I carry on with this, but so far it's looking good - touch wood! Are you interested in trying it out? What's your current go-to foundation?

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER

THE MASK LOW DOWN

Until about 4 months ago, I didn't do masks. I've no idea why, they just didn't seem necessary and I didn't really know what I was looking for. But I sat myself down and did my research and after a while testing and trying products, I've narrowed it down to these three being the only masks you'll need.  (*Note, I said need.. but let's be honest, we all need just one more pair of shoes, or one more nail varnish, so go crazy!)

There's three things I need to happen to my skin and that's a deep cleanse, a good exfoliation and a good dose of hydration. We've all heard everyone and their mother talk about the Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask by Origins, and for me, it really lives up to it's status. The charcoal works like a magnet to scoop up all that dirt and grime that gets trapped in our skin and gives it a really deep clean. I have quite sensitive skin, but I don't find this irritates me too much at all, but if you're a bit weary, definitely do your research to find a more gentle mask. A cheaper alternative that I've heard many good things about is the Una Brennan Deep Clean Pore Purifying Clay Mask (mouthful or what..).

For me, getting a good glow and healthy look going is essential and for this step, I've been turning to the Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask. Unlike 'manual' exfoliators that can leave your face looking a bit red and sore by being too abrasive, this uses natural fruit acids to chomp away at any dryness that may be lurking. It's also fantastic for scarring and fine lines, but I've never had to battle with these (touch wood!). I honestly do not think I'd be able to live without this, and once my samples are gone, which last for aaaages, I will without a doubt be purchasing. Not recommended for super sensitive skin, but I get along just fine.

If you find the above masks dry your skin a little, you could use an oil to give it a bit of moisture, but I want a full on hose pipe of hydration. I like to slather on a good layer on the cult Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask just before bed. I give it a chance to sink in so I don't end up with it all over my pillow and in the morning I'm still left with residue but my skin is looking plump and supple. And don't worry if you don't have dry skin! Mine is normal/combination but rather dehydrated and this still gives my skin that boost it needs. If you think this could be a little rich for you, turn your eyes to their Drink Up 10 Minute Mask - a quick fix version of this that still does a fantastic job.

Now I must stress, these products work for me. It does NOT mean it will work for you. Do a little research into other similar products and give them a whirl!

What are your favourite masks? Bit of a mask junkie or a mask-o-phobe?

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THE SAMPLE POT

I'm always receiving or picking up samples, it's probably one of my favourite things to do when shopping, sad, I know. But without these fun sized treats, there's so many products I would have never bought or even considered. More often than not, these usually end up sitting in my square glass jar for a while, but I got my backside into gear and had a good look at what I can play with this weekend.

First up the Nars Orgasm illuminator - how do I use this?! Seriously, I've been desperate to give this a whirl for a while now and I just can't figure it out, so do give me a heads up! Something I actually picked up whilst I was in Manchester was the Lush Ultrabland cleanser. I'm a HUGE fan of this, seriously (updated review coming up soon!) and I regretted not taking this away with me, so I picked up a sample whilst there to give my noggin a good cleanse - sorry Lush! Not a sample, but it's small and something I wouldn't use often is the Lush Tea Tree Steamer Tab. You will be getting used this weekend, fear not! Since I had a massive breakout, my skin is going to really appreciate a good tea tree detox.

I love Origins for samples, and I usually pick up their products and my sample of the VitaZing moisturiser is no different, I'm in loooove. My boyfriend picked the Eve Lom and Cane+Austin samples when getting my birthday gift - VERY smart boy, I love a good serum and I've never used a Glycolic Treatment Pad! I keep wanting to use my Dermologica Daily Microfoliant samples, but I'm scared I'm going to love it and it's very pricey! Again, not a sample, but my Superdrug Vitamin E oil fits in here perfect, but I don't love it half as much as my Marula oil from African Botanics. It feels so luxurious and is really hydrating, the smell is something left to be desired though!

Ren, Ren, Ren, I just love you. You NEVER fail to impress me, and I'm going to be buying your Radiance Renewal Mask as soon as I can, because you are perfect. The BB cream
is brilliant - I've never been interested in the whole BB cream hype as I prefer a higher coverage base, but this is just beaaautifull.

So here's a look into my sample pot, but what do you keep stashed away for rainy days? :)

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The Summer Flush

I don't care what anyone says, Summer is coming, and I won't stop sporting my coral cheeks until it does - this could be a bright winter..
Until a few months ago I only had two blushes in my collection, and they were pretty awful to say the least. Then for some reason, I got a bit cheek happy and purchased a new flush whenever I could.

My current go-to shade has got to be the Revlon Photo Ready in Coral Reef. A shade that looks very scary in the pot, it's cream formula blends to be a subtle pinch of red/coral that you can easily build to a more stand-out shade. I would never, ever consider such a bright blush in the past but this really brightens up my complexion leaving me looking awake and glowy.
Another cream blush to enter my collection is the new Bourjois Cream Blush in 02 Healthy Glow (PS, it smells AMAZING). This is a lot more natural than the aforementioned with a very slight shimmer to keep a glow going and avoid looking cakey or matte due to it's cream to powder formula. It's so lovely and peachy, I reckon this would be perfect with a neutral eye and bold lip.

If you saw my Nars Dupe post  you'll know this was a purchase I didn't really want to happen, it didn't need to happen, but it did. This Nars Orgasm is definitely a quick fix blush and the golden shimmer means I don't need to faff around with a highlighter - one swipe with a blush brush and my cheeks are pepped and glowing with a perfect pinky glow.
I went through a phase of loving the Pixi Sheer Cheek Gel (review here) but for some reason it got pushed to the back of my collection. I got this back out just the other day and boy have I been missing out! This creates the most natural flush and is so easy to work with. It's really buildable so you could create a stain but for me, less is more with this product.

I need a bronzer in my life, and this beaut from Bourjois definitely deserves it cult status. It's absolutely perfect for contouring as it's not too dark against my pale skin so it looks fairly natural. Occasionally I quite like to mix things up a little and replace my blush with a little bronzed number and this one looks so gorgeous. It creates a really lovely warmth to the face looking sunkissed and wonderful.
I am constantly on the hunt for the perfect highlighter, and although this one from the MUA Undress Your Skin range isn't quite there, it'll do me fine for now. It's not overly shimmery so you'll never look like a glitterball thankfully, but it has a beautiful pearlescent  sheen to it which is exactly what I look for. I do prefer my highlighters to be a little more champagne-y, but this will fit the bill for now!

What are your thoughts on my cheek choices? More importantly, what are YOU using? Let me know below!

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER

Pantene Pro-V Instant Nourishing Spray and the Hair Horror Story

One thing I never really post much about it hair, because quite frankly, I'm ashamed of mine and how badly I treat it. Hair experts and lovers, look away now! (Well... just skip the next paragraph..)

I've dyed my hair since I was in around Year 8, so about 12/13? And by the time I was 14 it was jet black, and I'd dye it every 3 weeks, all of it. This went on until I was about 16 when I completely changed my mind and wanted it white.. I started off using Colour B4, a product that strips your hair of any colour and it supposed to revert it back to your natural shade. This lightened my hair slightly, so I decided to colour it a dark brown and give my hair a rest for a month. From then on, I'd buy 2/3 boxes of bleach and after each bleaching session, colour it a gingery colour (basically, whichever colour the bleach achieved  I dyed it so it was the same shade all over..ish). I left it ginger for quite a while and reeeaally liked it, but alas, the white shade was in sight and after a hell of a lot more bleaching and toning, I am finally sporting a now out of fashion hair colour. I'm still so awful with it and put bleach all over rather than just on the roots, but now I've come across this little wonder, I don't feel all that bad..

So let me just run over my hair condition now: It's very dry on the ends and breaks VERY easy however my roots get oily incredibly quick. I tend to shower every other day however I can sometimes get another day out of it if I'm not doing much/I'm very lucky! As you can imagine there's plenty of split ends and I'm faced with frizziness on the second day after wash.

I found this bad boy on offer in Boots for around £2.50, I think it was in some kind of clearance, but I picked it up on a whim as I'd ran out of my hair oil. Another reason this pulled me in was the fact you had to shake it to mix up the separated ingredients - sad, I know. 

I'm SO glad I got this, it's really hydrating, my hair literally drinks this stuff up, but you can never use too much. I go pretty spray crazy with this and I'm never left with oil-slick hair the next morning. Sadly, you can't really repair damaged ends, but this does a great job in nourishing and making the appearance of my hair so much healthier.

You're able to use this on damp and dry hair, and although I've never used it on dry hair, I can imagine this would give your hair a beautiful shine and reduce any hard to tame frizziness. It smells beautiful as well, like all the Pantene range, it smells so clean, fresh and hairdresser-like. That's always a winner in my book.


Have you tried this, or do you have any recommendations on what I can use to get over my hair horrors?

**This product has actually been discontinued :( But you can find a really similar product HERE that is next on my list to try!

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Latest Lip Offerings

If you saw my Travel Makeup Bag post the other day, you'll have noticed that my lip products were no where to be seen. I tend to keep my current "go-to" lip shades in a little case and keep that in my bag until I fancy a change up!

I recently delved into the world of Revlon Lip Butters since the newer shades had been released. The initial offerings were a little shimmery for me and just not colours I really wanted to wear but when I noticed a few more shimmer-free shades were released I tentatively approached the stand and ended up going swatch crazy.

The first and only shimmer shade in my lip bag is Berry Smoothie - a pink/nude that's wearable on a day to day basis. I don't loooove this one, but occasionally it'll look perfect.. if that makes sense! I've been looking for a sheer red shade to grace my lips for a long while now, and when I found Candy Apple it was love at first swatch. It's so easy to wear, a perfect one for these coming summer months - a bright shade but sheer enough to look au natural. The final one, and the one that I've been unable to remove since buying it is the perfect nude/coral in Juicy Papaya. My first coral lip product to be introduced to my makeup collection and I am addicted - a perfect one to slick on when you're not after anything mega.

I don't really like wearing lip balms that much, I find they just make me look greasy and eurgh, but my Carmex lip balm is never more than 10 foot from me. It's not glossy at all, more satiny and adds a healthy sheen to my lips whilst repairing any breaks or sores.
The only real lipstick in my collection is my new MAC Rebel lipstick. I love to keep a bold shade with me in case of unexpected events, not that they ever happen, or if I ever feel adventurous enough to apply it on the go. Although this was more of a winter lip, I still absolutely love it.

What do you think of my little collection? I think I'll be heading back to Boots to see more Lip Butters, what do you recommend? Let me know!

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER

Laura Mercier Radiance Primer

Yep, you read right, Laura Mercier again. Me and this gal are having a little love affair and boy am I infatuated. The foundation primer in Radiance is no exception.

Whenever I'm looking for a real glow for my base, which is pretty much an every day occurance, this is the product I reach straight for. A pea sized amount covers my face and gives it that 'lit from within' glow that everyone is dying to achieve, especially now summer is on its way! You can see perfectly from the swatch above just how much of a sheen factor this has and that shimmer is shown a different route, you won't be getting the Twilight shine from this product. I always use this with my Silk Creme foundation (review soon!) and even though it has quite a full coverage, it doesn't stop the glow coming through.

So you're probably thinking "it makes you glow, we get it, but does it make your make up last?". Yes. It really maximizes how long my make up lasts for. I applied this at 9:30am and when it came to removing my make up at midnight (after waiting in the pouring rain for an hour and going to a gig) it was still firmly in place and I was still glowing with a healthy looking complexion.

If you're not a fan of an entire face of glow, this would be perfect to just apply on your cheekbones, down your nose and on your cupids bow so you can miss out the highlighter step and still with a really natural look.
Even my boyfriend commented on how "nice my face looks like that" which is quite a biggy coming from him!

If you're a little unsure about this, DEFINITELY go check it out at your nearest Laura Mercier counter - you will NOT regret it!

Have you tried this, or are you tempted?! Let me know!

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER

My not so light travel makeup bag!

When it comes to packing light I just can't do it. This hefty amount is what I ended up taking with me to Manchester for ONE NIGHT. Yep. One night. Having three products for your eyebrows doesn't help, especially when you only really need one and a half, but never mind...

I ended up taking my trusty Silk Creme foundation and Radiance Primer by Laura Mercier - I can count on this concoction to last me through a sweaty evening in a gig and they definitely did it well. To perk up my chubby cheeks, I decided to take two cream blushes - my Revlon PhotoReady in Coral Reef got my through the nights and the new Bourjois cream blush in 02 make a nice flush for day time. Paired with the Bourjois bronzer for contouring, MUA Highlighter and Collection concealer, I was left with a glowy, bright complexion.

Although I took the MUA Heaven and Earth palette, I'm not a huge fan of it as it's a little too warm toned for me but it was the only palette I have that fits in my makeup bag! I took a small No7 eyeshadow trio just for the translucent shade to blend the edges on my eye colour of choice. Estee Lauder took care of my lashes with my small bottle of Sumptuous Extreme - the only travel sized item that I travelled with.. I don't really want to talk too much about the eyebrow pencil as it's actually discontinued sadly! But I took the Rimmel eyebrow pencil just for the brush! The MUA kit didn't get used as I found just light penciling works perfect for me!

What's in your travel makeup bag? Look out for my mini bag of lip products that made the cut soon!

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER. 

Laura Mercier Bronzing Duo

You know when you look at an item of makeup in your collection and you just think "Well daayumn aint you a pretty little thing!" in that fantastic redkneck accent you're perfecting? Well this Bronzing Duo by Laura Mercier has got me saying just that! Can I just apologise for the awful swatch on paper - my camera just wouldn't take a nice photo of it swatched on me!? 

I have the shade Coral Bronze which consists of an almost matte bronzer and a gorgeous coral blush with a very slight golden shimmer. The bronzer is absolutely beautiful. It creates a really glowing, sunkissed look without seeming too orange or too "dirty". Since there's not too much shimmer, you can just about get away with contouring, but I'd rather keep that to my Bourjois compact and put a light dusting of this over my cheeks, temples and down my nose for an easy, quick and flawless bronzed look. 

The blush is unlike any shade I have in my collection but is going to be PERFECT for summer. A true peachy coral shade, this looks lovely on the top of the cheeks and blends really nicely into the skin. Alternatively, a big brush to mix the two colours together looks really pretty as well! Even though this is a powder product, it never looks cakey or too much, it just blends flawlessly.

The packaging is SO luxurious, it feels really well made and is going to look b-e-a-uuuuutiful on display! Obviously, this is perfect for travelling too, but I'm too scared to get it dirty haha!

What do you think? Go have a look in Space NK or your nearest Laura Mercier counter, you won't be able to not buy it! 

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER.

Nars VS Dainty Doll - Dupe!

When I purchased Dainty Doll - You Are My Sunshine a few months back (before Fragrance Direct, sadly :() I instantly knew that this was going to be a dupe for Nars' infamous Orgasm blush. I was looking at the blushes Nars offered, repeating the mantra "don't buy Orgasm, you have one really similar, don't buy it!" so when the words "I'll take Orgasm, please!" left my mouth, it was soon followed with a sigh.

As you can see, they look pretty much identical colour wise, with the same golden shimmer throughout and a rose/coral pink flush. The Dainty Doll blush is incredibly soft and finely milled, really buttery but has quite a bit of fall out. From the swatch you can see just how pigmented it is so it's REALLY easy to go a little too far..

Nars' formula is quite hard (I need to learn to describe better) with hardly any fall out. Again though, it's really nice and not chalky in the slightest. Not as pigmented as the aforementioned but considering this shade and the amount of shimmer, I reckon it's much better to play safe with Nars and build up the colour.


So, what we've gathered from this is that my descriptive writing today is horrific! Whoops, but you can clearly see why I think these should definitely be seen as dupes!

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER.

I popped my MAC lipstick cherry.. MAC Rebel.

If you read my What I Got for my Birthday post, you'll have seen I received my first ever (shock, horror) MAC lipstick in the shade Rebel!

I've no idea why it took me so long to get my first, but I regret not getting one sooner! I bought this at the counter in Harvey Nichols and the assistant was SO nice, until it came to the end and he was really trying to force me to get the Vino (?) lip liner, which I didn't want at all. He seemed so disappointed in me for not getting it.

I wasn't allowed to use it until my birthday, so as soon as I opened it I was dying to put it on. It has such a creamy consistency, applies like a dream and smells insanely good. I'd seen absolutely everyone raving about it so I was slightly expecting the colour change from bullet to lip, but I didn't realise just how pink it would be. I don't own a single straight up, pink lip shade - it's a colour I've never been ambitious enough to give a try, but after using this I've been swayed to try many more adventurous shades.

It lasts really well, even through drinking/eating, but I've not put it's stay power completely to the test just yet. I'm planning to wear this for the #SheffieldMeetUp, so lets see how it lasts through a long day of chatting and a lovely meal! What do you think? Think it looks good? I hope so!

Have you tried this? What's your favourite MAC shade? I think I'll be investigating a few more colours!

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER 

Escentric Molecules - Molecule 01

The not so secret "beauty secret", Molecule 01, dropped into my possession thanks to my looovely Ma and Pa, thank you! I knew what to expect, but when I first sprayed it, my Mum coiled in disgust of the awfully pungent scent of alcohol. After 10 minutes though, I found her shadowing me, getting a sniff of my perfume at any given opportunity.

As we all know, Molecule 01 is based on the chemical composition Iso E Super, this smells lovely and woody, warm and very slightly musky. It mixes in with your natural pheromones, somewhat "enhancing" your natural scent, which is why it tends to smell slightly different on everyone. I'm yet to try it out on other people, but I've read on some people it smells citrusy.. curious!

I find it slightly difficult to smell on myself, however others are constantly complimenting me on it - craaazy stuff. I do find that I can still smell it strongly on clothing/scarfs that I haven't worn in over a week which is really impressive.

This really is a little gem, something I've lusted over for a long time and will probably repurchase many, many times! You can get this bottle for £27 from Cult Beauty or you can pop into Liberty's or Harvey Nichols and pick one up.

You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER.

It's a no from me, Nails Inc..

Nails Inc Feather Effect in York

I hate to write a negative review, especially when I didn't buy the product, but lets just jump straight in there.. good lord this nail varnish is horrific!

I absolutely LOVE Nails Inc, I've actually repurchased some of their shades because I love them so much, and I don't think I've ever repurchased a nail varnish. But I've been so let down by this one - I thought that the "feathers" would be softish, you know what I mean! Instead, my tights now have a huge ladder and my face a really lovely red scratch where this bad boy has gauged a hole out.

It took me a while to get to enjoy the colour/effect. On first thoughts, I really thought it looked like I'd dipped my fingers into some hundreds and thousands, but it started to grow on my slightly, it certainly looks different. It applied okay, surprisingly. The consistency was nice and it wasn't difficult for the feather effects to transfer unlike some glitter shades. After it dried, my nails felt so... stiff. Quite heavy and like I'd put 10 coats of a matte colour on, it was so strange. It also chipped really easily - you can see a big chip on my second nail, and it hadn't even been on 24 hours.

My nail polish remover and cream soon became my best friend to give my poor nails some much needed TLC.
Have you tried any of these? Perhaps you had a better experience than I did! Do let me know in the comments :)

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

what I got for my birthday!

Right let's start off this whole charade by just stating that I'm really not bragging about anything I've received! When I ask you guys what you love to read, a lot of you say haul posts, so here you are! Another thing is, I have a veeeery lovely boyfriend which spoils me rotten, just like his family.

So now that's out in the open, it was my birthday on Saturday! May the fourth be with you.. I'm really lucky to have received pretty much everything that was on my list and have some spending money for Manchester/#SheffieldMeetUp which is nice!

My absolute favourite gifts are my beloved Laura Mercier Primer in Radiance and the Bronzing Duo in Coral Bronze (I think..!) and of course, something I've wanted for longer than I can imagine, Molecule 01! I was SO excited when I opened this bad boy up and had a cheeky spritz, my mum fell in love.

Before going to London, Mike gave me some money to get something for myself for my birthday, so I picked up my first ever MAC lipstick. The shade is Rebel and I think the love affair has officially begun.
Me and Mike are also going to Manchester in a few days to go and see one of his favourite bands. I cheekily said that I'll go as long as he buys me something from Selfridges, alas, what popped through my letterbox on Saturday but a Selfridges Gift Card, with a note saying "I told you I'd buy you something from Selfridges!". Such a baaaabe.

My sister has always been saying to me "Hayley start a YouTube, my friend does it, he loves it!" and my response has been "But I have no camera!!!". I now have NO excuse after she got me a webcam with microphone, so perhaps you'll be seeing more of me, who knows.

So here's a little glance at my presents! I've gone a little OTT lately on the spending front with London first, I have Manchester on the 14th and then the #SheffieldMeetUp on the 18th so I think once this influx of money and opportunities dies down I'll be well up for a spending ban and saving for University!

Do you want any of these products? Or have you had a cheeky haul lately? Tell me all about it! :)

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.