THE DO IT ALL PALETTE BY BOBBI BROWN

Have you ever had a palette that just does EVERYTHING colour wise that you might need? Well, look no further than this dark horse.

This is the Hot Cocoa Palette from the, you guessed it, Hot Cocoa collection that came out what, 2013? I seriously underestimated this until the beginning of this year. You can see that this one is fairly well used, so if you're after some pretty photography then look in the other direction. But this does absolutely everything. Not only does this hold a blusher cased under the eight eyeshadows (quite a bright peachy pink, nothing special), it has eyebrow colours, eyeliner, the perfect greige contour and the finest, most glowy highlight in my collection. All of these can be made from the eight eye shades. It even has that Charlotte Tilbury-esque packed glitter press on. It's about as good as it gets.

Now I know this was limited edition, but if you have it, dig it out! If you don't, well I love Bobbi Brown, but most palettes look fairly similar to this. I can assure basically everyone that you WILL have at least a couple multi-use products in your collection, whether you use a relatively normal bag or house all of your beauty products in a chest of drawers (ahem). Just get creative!

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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.

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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.

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BEAUTY ESSENTIALS TO PACK IN YOUR TRAVEL BAG

Guest Post

Most people hate packing, and I'm one of them. Next week I am going on a conference in New Zealand and it’s a week’s trip, so I need to figure out what I really need. Since I travel alone, I have to bring everything I need, and yet try not to clutter my travel bag with lots of unimportant things. Apart from picking the clothes I want, I always have a problem choosing what to bring when it comes to beauty products, because I have so much of them. I usually make a list of make up and skin care products I need to pack whenever I go on a trip. So, here’s a brief list of the essentials you simply need to have in your travel bag.

1. Basic toiletries 

No matter how much you pay for it, hotel room service isn’t always as good as you expect it to be. Since I travel a lot, I have gone through numerous unpleasant situations just because I trusted hotel service. Now I always bring some basic toiletries with me, that is my deodorant, makeup wipes, hand sanitizer, shower gel and cotton balls.

2. Make up

I'm a make up freak, so I really have a lot of make up at home. Whenever I go on a trip, I need to decide what I really need to bring. This year, I've decided to pack only the essentials. What I always have in my make up bag is a lightweight foundation and a concealer, as well as my favourite mascara, eye liner, a natural colour eye shadow palette and a lipstick. I always go for neutral and natural shades that you can match with every outfit; a classical, coal eye liner and two lipsticks- a bright one for daily use and red for parties. 

3. Skin care

I cannot imagine a trip without my basic face products. What I always pack in my cosmetic case is my quality moisturiser with SPF, lotion, day and night cream, eye cream, make up remover, and mask. What you should always have in mind when packing your face products is the type of your skin. For example, I prefer using Osmosis skin care products, such as Osmosis MD Cleanse, a gentle cleanser I use to clean my skin at the end of the day.

In the summer it’s essential to bring numerous products for sun protection. Apart from body lotion, I always bring products that will protect my skin from the sun. So, I always have in my sunscreen with SPF of at least 15, self-tanner, body scrub and lotion in my cosmetic case.

4. Hair products

Being exposed to the sun for a long period of time, our hair becomes damaged, brittle and extremely dry. I have tried out numerous products and formulas in order to solve this annoying and never-ending problem that bothers most women. Although most hotels provide us with shampoos and conditioners, I always bring those that are best for my hair type.

Maybe some experienced travellers would perceive my list as overly simplified, but I really need something, be that a list or notes, to restrain me from packing all my cosmetic products for a short trip. I am just too attached to all of them! Hope this lists helps you, too, if you have the same problem. Have a great holiday and don’t forget to smile! 

About the Author:

Amy Mia Goldsmith is an Aussie who loves to read and has been writing novels and short stories as long as she can remember.  She is currently studying, working in a bookstore and writing her first book.  Her passion is beauty and makeup and she loves to spend her free time reading reviews and of course - makeup shopping!  Contact Amy on her Facebook page.

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!

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YOUNIQUE BEAUTY 3D LASHES

Recently on most social media platforms, I've heard of the brand Younique flying around. In my head it renders as an Avon-esque brand - no store, order through a representative. The lovely Kerry Goding got in touch with me via Facebook to see if I wanted to try out a couple of their products and here we are today!

The main product to bring to the party has to be the 3D Fibre Lashes mascara. I've seen so many people raving about fibre mascaras but never tried one myself, so I jumped all on this. The packaging leaves a lot to be desired in my opinion - I love the fact the duo comes in a case but I think a clear acrylic box would be a lot more appealing than this black embossed glasses case. The product inside is what matters and I can absolutely see why people have been so excited about these. You're supposed to do a layer of the transplanting gel and then before it has dried apply the fibres, then seal them in again with the gel. You can do this as many times as you like, and Kerry advises to use a lash comb to stop your lashes from clumping. The effect is actually unbelievable. My lashes are barely existent but they looked incredible - very long and full yet quite natural and fluttery. It says to apply the fibres from halfway up your lashes to avoid irritation - DO THIS. At first I started applying them from the base of my lashes and there were tears. Very sore!
I did find the fibres started to drop onto my skin after a few hours, but at the end of the day they still looked very full and lovely!

I also tried out the BB Flawless Complexion Enhancer which texture wise is gorgeous! It's so so light an feels incredibly moisturising. I powdered my skin and it still feels incredibly skin like. Unfortunately for my I'm fussy and there's not quite enough coverage in any BB cream for me to feel confident, but if you like them, at least see if you can try a sample! I also gave their Glorious Face and Eye Primer a go which I was quite impressed by to say it is very silicone-y. I usually sway away from these as I think they can feel a bit too dry and tightening however this actually felt really moisturising and the BB cream smoothed over the top really nicely.

The skincare was the real winner for me. The Uplift Eye Serum is something I've never seen before as it pretty much resembles an oil. My eye area feels amazing, I'm insanely surprised, just so plump and concealer was a dream to blend. Under my base products I used the Divine Daily Moisturiser which at first just felt like any old moisturiser, but I can almost still feel it on my skin, however it didn't disrupt any make up at all. Intensely hydrating without sitting on the skin.



Overall I'm actually really impressed by Younique! If you want to order anything or see what the rest of Younique has to offer, check out her website or speak to Kerry, she will be more than willing to chat with you on Facebook or by email at info@3dlashesbykerry.co.uk

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