PIXI GLOW TONIC & MAKEUP REMOVER

Everyone and their dog has heard of the Pixi Glow Tonic, it gained popularity due to the wonderful Caroline Hirons singing it's praises and that's what I'm here to do now. On the off chance of popping into the Carnaby Street store, mine and the sales assistant conversation went sooomething like this.. "Hiii, this is a long shot, but I don't suppose you have the" "The Pixi Glow Tonic? You're in luck!". Says something, right? Right!

I can honestly say that the Glow Tonic really does live up to the hype. As I'm sure you guys know by now, it's an exfoliating toner that includes glycolic acids which basically breakdown and remove dead skin cells, nice. I use this after cleansing and it feels incredibly refreshing and smoothing then follow with a hydrating toner, then my usual skincare. I'll use this 3/4 times a week in the evenings and find no issues with sensitivity at all. It does tend to tingle a little bit once it's been swiped on but this weirdly feels nice.. kind of like it's really doing the job.


When I popped in it turned out they had an offer on - buy the Glow Tonic and get the Makeup Remover for just £4. Right up my street, that is! Into my basket it went. Now I've used my fair share of Micellar waters and the likes, yet this has a completely different consistency to any I've used. I pop around 3 pumps onto a cotton pad and almost upon touching my skin it turns kind of milky... Definitely nothing I've experienced before but is absolutely perfect. In terms of removing make up I can't say it's the best in my stash, but if I'm simply removing the bulk of my make up before cleansing or I've messed up in my makeup application and need to start again then this is at the front of my mind. It certainly isn't drying or stripping and is really gentle and soothing and leaves my sensitive skin feeling rather refreshed.

Overall, I don't have a bad thing to say about PIXI Skincare! Have you ever tried them?

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RESCUE ME MASKS

Following my Rescue Me Routine, the next best thing is a good cleansing mask to give your skin a good deep clean. Think of it as a bottle of wine washing away your sorrows...

When my skin is acting the fool, there's two masks I reach for. You've seen me rave about the Clear Improvements mask on more than one occasion (make it more like five.. or six?) but a new addition to my cleansing clan is the Aesop Parsley Seed Cleansing Masque.

I tend to slap on the charcoal when my skin is in desperate need of detox. It really pulls up all the grime and leaves my skin looking a lot clearer and fresher. It unblocks any congestion and I find myself getting a lovely little glow.
The Parsley Seed mask is one I use when my skin isn't as bad as the latter, but maybe I've not been too good on cleansing through the week or I have a couple of blemishes appearing. It's really soothing and calming yet it really gets the job done, leaving my skin looking refreshed and bright.

Whereas the Origins number can get sliiiightly drying, the Aesop mask is so lovely and hydrating at the same time - probably a good one for the winter months when my skin could be a little less hydrated. Both are fine on my slightly sensitive skin, leaving me with no redness or anything - but if you're a big skin sufferer I'd opt for the Aesop mask. I always follow a mask with a good oil to retain back the moisture.


What are your top masks for problem skin? Have you tried either of these? Let me know!

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?

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BOURJOIS COLOUR BOOST LIP CRAYONS

I fell for the hype when Clinique brought out their Chubby Stick Intense range, and again when Revlon released the Kissable Balm Stain. So surely it comes as no surprise that Bourjois bring out a lip crayon and I'm all over them like a rash.

I picked up the shades Red Sunrise (pictured above) - a typical colour for me - and Orange Punch - a territory I'm easing myself gently into. Texture wise, these definitely feel much more 'balm-y' like the Revlon version rather than a lipstick like Clinique. However, it glides on really pigmented and effortlessly, whereas with Revlon I find it much harder to get an all over colour.

Usually I stray well away from glossy finishes, I just don't feel they suit me at all. But with these they can easily be patted in with a finger and you still get the great colour pay off, just with a less glossy finish.
I'd say these lasted 2/3 hours on me which I think is great for such a moisturising, glossy balm. With Red Sunrise, I find it leaves a slight stain behind which gives it that little longer with longevity.

These are perfect for throwing in your bag and whacking out last minute. What do you think? I can't wait to pick up the newer shades!

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WHERE I'VE BEEN

Criiikey, a whole month since I last posted! The last few months really have been crappy on the whole blogging side of things - everything has just been so hectic. From family problems to moving out, I now feel settled into my new home and uni to give blogging another go, so I thought I'd give you a little update on what this last month has been about.

Like I said, I've moved out for uni and I loooove it. I have the nicest flat and block mates, I literally cannot believe how lucky I got. I was really paranoid before moving that everyone would be 18, new to going out, and want to go every night. But as it goes, my entire block has taken a gap year. I've already made some amazing friends who love cocktails almost as much as I do, cue the Amaretto Sours!

My actual course (PR) is sort of up in the air at the moment. I think I will love it next semester, or maybe in a few more weeks, but right now it's not as good as I hoped. But I'm gonna be optimistic and try my hardest to get my head down.

Does anyone have any advice for blogging whilst at uni? I'm thinking of drafting a few posts on my day off and posting as and when in the week. Let me know your routine!

Thanks for sticking around guys. I've got a few posts lined up now, so I'll get them up and out to you. I've also been shopping... a lot. So expect a haul post coming up soon.


You can find Hayley Loves on BLOGLOVIN' and TWITTER