Bedtime Beauty

There's nothing I love more than having a little pamper every eveing before I drift off to sleep  - and as I sit here writing this post and singing my heart out to Lana Del Rey, I am really looking forward to having my nightly dose of indulgence this evening. Start by lighting your favorite candle for a hint of relaxation and let the pampering begin.

I start by removing my make-up and cleansing my skin. I like to use a richer cleanser in the evening such as the Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm or the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish - these both leave my skin cleansed yet nourished. I then follow with the Benefit Its Potent  Eye Cream which is a really light yet hydrating cream that sinks in incredibly fast to leave my under eyes as smooth as a baby's bottom. I then move onto moisturiser - recently I have been using the Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins which I cannot rave about enough. The cream itself actually feels like a cream/oil hybrid which helps to intensively moisturise my skin throughout the night which is a definite during the colder months. It also has a lovely scent, kind-of orangey and fresh but it also reminds me of cola bottle sweets, yum.

Then I give my lips a bit of a scrub with the Popcorn Lip Scrub from LUSH. I didn't expect to like the taste of this but I love it. Half the reason why I apply it is just so I can lick it off again, oops. I then apply the This Works Turbo Balm to my lips and cuticles as these have been a little dry of late. A cheaper alternative that is just as good is the Boots Botanics Face Super Balm which I have also been using on my elbows and dry patches on my face. 

I then slather my body in the Dream Cream Hand and Body Lotion from LUSH. I love using this in the evening after a relaxing bath as it's scent has hints of lavender which calm me for a good nights sleep. The lotion is also really hydrating and leaves my skin feeling smooth and nourished when I wake up in the morning. I finish off my little night time routine with my nightly dose of my favorite you-tubers and a spritz of the This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray on my pillow to help me drift off. Bliss.

Do you have a night-time routine like mine? What's your favorite part?

✿ Review; Vichy Pureté Thermale Soothing Cleansing Milk ✿

I bought this product whilst escentual.com were having 15% off all their french skincare brands (and still are!). I was having lots of trouble with congested and dry skin so I was really interested in trying a cleansing milk and taking my skincare back to basics. 

It was such a pleasure ordering from escentual.com! The package came within 2 days and they even included a perfume sample and a nail file with my order. I will definitely be ordering from there again as it was such a nice experience.

I love how simple this product is. It does what it says on the tin and is such a pleasure to use. I was expecting it to be of a thinner consistency being a cleansing 'milk' but it's more of a lotion. I massage it all over my face to remove my make-up in the evening and then splash off. It is the best product I have used for removing make-up. It gets rid of everything and I can almost feel the make-up dissolving as I massage the product in. Despite getting rid of ever scrap of make-up it leaves my skin nourished and not feeling tight or stripped. It has a lovely but not too strong scent and is such an easy product to use.

I would definitely re-purchase this product as it is completely worth the money and is such a pleasure to use!

You can buy this product here with 15% off.

Have you tried this? What's your favourite product from Vichy?

'Til Next Time,

❅ ☃ Christmas Giveaway: Burt's Bees Basics Gift Set ☃ ❅

So I thought I'd give a little something back to you for being such fabulous followers. It means so much to me that you read and enjoy my blog - I wish I could give something to each and every one of you!

So I will be giving away this Burt's Bees Basics Gift Set which I purchased with my own money from feelunique.com. I know this is only a little something but I thought this was a lovely little set - and a great way to try out a lovely brand, I know I kind of want to keep this for myself but don't worry I shan't.

All you have to do to be in with the chance of entering is fill in the form below - my only requirements are that you are a follower of my blog, you leave a comment including your email/twitter and that you live in the UK (sorry international followers!). You can do a few extra things to increase your chances of winning which are explained in the form below. This giveaway will run from today (November 25th) for three weeks until December 16th so you'll receive the gift as a Christmas present! I will contact the winner asap and if I do not get a response within 48 hours another winner will be chosen. The winner will be chosen at random via Rafflecopter.
Good luck!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway 'Til Next Time,

☼ Birthday Wishes ☼

Topshop Knitted Nep Texture Jumper ~ £36

Topshop Stone Cross Earrings ~ £6.50

ASOS DINO Trainer Flatform ~ £20

Dior Addict Eau Sensuelle Eau De Toilette 50ml ~ £49

REN Starter Kit for Normal Skin ~ £13

Topshop Geo Mix Collar Tip Shirt ~ £38

H&M Black Shoes ~ £19.99

Nails Inc Baker Street & Porchester Square Nail Polish ~ £11 each

It's my 17th birthday on Saturday and I don't know if you can tell but I'm a little excited. I haven't really asked for much as I prefer money so I can buy things myself but I've been lusting over a lot recently so I thought it was time to make yet another wishlist. 

I've been loving blue and nude polish recently and these two by Nails Inc are perfection. At £11 a bottle they are a little expensive but I may have to splurge as the colours are so nice and from past experience Nails Inc polishes are lovely in formulation. 

I also love the patterned shirt by Topshop, I've been on the hunt for a patterned shirt I love and this may just be the one.

I've been wanting to try REN skincare for ages and these starter kits sound really good. I think they're quite the bargain at £13 (for 4 samples). There's different ones for all different skin types and I kind-of want to try them all.

Yesterday I treated myself to a pair of American Apparel Easy Jeans, I'm so excited for them to arrive. Yes they're very, very expensive but I had a 15% discount and they seem to be the most perfect jeans. As soon as I get them I will definitely do a post on them (whether they're worth the money etc). Hopefully they fit as I had to do a bit of guess work on the sizing *fingers crossed*.

What have you been lusting over recently? Is your birthday soon?

'Til Next Time,

☼ DIY; Glycolic Face Mask using Pineapple ☼

So, after doing a little bit of research on glycolic acid as I have been hearing lots about it the skincare world at the moment, I found out that pineapples were a great, natural and cheap source of it, so I decided to have a go at making myself a diy face mask using pineapples. All the ingredients for this face mask came to around £6.50 and you can get many, many uses from them, so definitely a great, purse friendly mask.

What you will need: 

• Organic or Natural Honey
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Pinapple
• A bowl
• Something to mix and mash the face mask - I used a potato masher and then a hand blender

Benefits

• Pineapples contain AHA's (alpha hydroxy acids) which chemically exfoliate the skin. Sounds a little scary but it helps get rid of dead skin cells and leaves your skin incredibly smooth. Chemical exfoliatants are great for spot removal and prevention. The AHA's in Pineapple's are also known to have anti-ageing effects. Pineapple is also a gentle astringent which helps with visible pores and leaves skin feeling refreshed and healthy.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a perfect addition to the mask as it helps to nourish and moisturize the skin. Unlike some other oils, olive oil will wash away easily leaving skin feeling supple and nourished.
• Organic Honey is also another great way of moisturising the skin. I regularly use organic honey on it's own as a mask when my skin is feeling dry as it has great moisturising properties. Honey may also reduce inflammation and swelling which is great if you have any sore spots etc.

How to:

1. Cut the pineapple into two rings making sure the outer layer of spikey skin and the hardness in the center have been removed.
2. Place pineapple rings in a bowl and begin to mash and blend until satisfied.
3. Measure 1tsp of organic honey and 3tsps of extra virgin olive oil. Pour these into the mixture and blend/mix until happy. The mixture should be a thin consistency and have very small chunks of pineapple in it.
4. Rub the mixture all over your face (make sure it has been cleansed beforehand) avoiding the eye area, until you have the desired amount on. This can get quite messy so I recommend doing it over a sink as the mixture is not very thick and it will drip and slide off your face to begin with.
5. Once you have desired amount on your face then lie down and relax for 10-20 minutes.
6. Wash away gently with warm water and finish with a splash of cold water to close pores. Then gently pat dry with a clean towel.
7. Follow with a moisturiser to lock everything in.

The Results

My skin felt really supple and smooth after using this mask. It did sting and irritate my skin a little whilst it was on but this did not affect my skin negatively afterwards at all. My skin felts nourished and around my nose, chin and forehead, where my skin tends to be very uneven, was very smooth. I also noticed that my skin looked 'glowing' and it was much more clearer for the following days. It did leave a little bit of a film over my skin but that had disappeared by the next morning. I really liked the effects of this mask and will definitely make and use it again! I recommend only using this mask 1-2 times a week otherwise it may be too harsh.

Will you be trying this mask?

'Til Next Time,

♡ ♡ Review; Balance Me. Wonder Eye Cream ♡ ♡

Balance Me. Extra Care Wonder Eye Cream £14 for 10ml // £20 for 15ml

I got this free with Glamour magazine I believe last month and didn't really expect to think much of it. I was pleased to have it as I needed a new eye cream but I didn't expect it to be any good.

I have to admit, I was proven wrong. Balance Me. in general seem like a really interesting brand and I would love to try more of their range as natural products always intrigue me.

The Balance Me. Wonder Eye Cream is of 99% natural origin which is always a plus for me. I feel like I'm being a lot kinder to my skin, although I necessarily may not be, I just prefer to use natural products if I can. 

Balance Me. target this cream for "soothing, brightening and lifting" and say it "helps to revitalize and smooth away dark shadows and reduce the appearance of fine lines" and is for all skin types. I have normal/combo skin and don't really suffer with any skin problems around my eye area apart from them being dark and very dis-coloured and occasionally a little dehydrated. 

This eye cream does exactly what it says on the tube (and more) which is so refreshing (I apply a small amount to lid, under eye area and surrounding area of the eye). This eye cream is definitely soothing and brightening and has visibly reduced the darkness under my eyes and the surrounding discoloration. I was so pleasantly surprised when I noticed how much brighter the under area of my eye looked. It also helps to smooth the area whilst keeping it hydrated. Of course this is no permanent fix to dark circles and I'm sure nothing could be, but for the time I am using this product it is doing a very good job at reducing their appearance. I'm not too sure about it reducing the appearance of fine lines as I don't really have many being almost 17 but I do find it to be lifting and soothing and my general eye area just looks a little bit nicer when I'm using this. I wish I could of done a before and after of my dark circles to show you how it's worked but like I said I didn't really expect it to work wonders at all. I guess it's called the 'Wonder Eye Cream' for a reason. 

I'm going to be very sad when this runs out but I will definitely be repurchasing after I have tried the Origins GinZing eye cream. I think £14 for 10ml is a very reasonable price as I can see visible improvements with this eye cream and I would love to try more of the Balance Me. range.

What are your opinions of the eye cream/Balance Me.?

'Til Next Time,

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✼ Review; Boots Botanics 100% Organic Rosewater Toning Spritz ✼

Boots Botanics Rosewater Toning Spritz ~ Boots ~ £4.99 ~ 150ml // 5 US Fl.Oz

I am a huge fan of the Boots Botanics range. Everything I have tried from the range I have good things to say about and I think that the products are good quality for a small price, which makes my bank account very happy indeed.

There seems to be a divide in opinion over whether a toner is really "necessary" or not, but I don't think I could skip the step in my skincare routine and I think this toner in one of the best I've tried, granted I haven't tried hundreds but I've tried a fair few. Before this I was in love with the LUSH Breath of Fresh Air toner (which I still love) but this is just as good, a little better actually, and is more accessible for me and slightly cheaper.

I really feel like I am treating my skin when I use this toner. I'm not usually fond of a 'rose' smell but it's actually very refreshing and the product is great to keep in my bag and use as a refreshing spritz throughout the day as I find it doesn't mess with my make-up too much. I enjoy using the toner after I have cleansed and washed my face to get the last scraps of make-up off, if any whilst refreshing my skin and ridding of tightness. 

Overall I really love this toner, would most definitely recommend and will repurchase in the future for sure!

There's also a current offer on at Boots where you can save 1/3 on Botanics skincare so you can grab this toner at just £3.33!

Rating: ★★★★

What are your thoughts on the Botanics Range? What's your favourite toner?

'Til Next Time,

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☁ Simple Kind To Skin Moisturising Facial Wash | Review ☁

Hello everyone!

Sorry for bombarding you all with 'love of the day' post, I'm just really enjoying getting involved in the feature and considering I can't upload good quality images from my camera due to computer issues then they are one of few posts I can do right now. 

I wanted to wait until I could use my camera again until I reviewed anything but since this is only a facial wash, you don't really need to see any amazing imagery of it. I always love reading skincare reviews and I can't wait until I can upload properly so I can do reviews much more frequently and I have a few beauty products lined up to review next!

To begin with I love Simple skincare. I'm a massive fan of their light hydrating moisturiser and their eye make-up remover (If you'd like a full review on all of the Simple products I have let me know below). 

All of the Simple products are catered for the more sensitive skin types as they contain no perfumes or colour and contain vital vitamins and skin loving nutrients for "naturally healthy skin". 

Simple Kind To Skin Moisturising Facial Wash (With Vitamin Goodness and 100% Soap Free) 150ml

The Simple Kind To Skin Moisturising Facial Wash is a foaming wash that Simple say is a "perfect blend of active ingredients and vitamin goodness to keep your skin thoroughly cleansed and nourished. Perfect for even sensitive skin." 

I'm a big fan of this wash because although it a foaming one, which tend to strip my skin leaving it feeling tight, it also has moisturising properties which help balance my skin without causing tightness and dryness. The wash itself foams up easily although sometimes I do have to use around a 1p sized amount to get the product to foam up how I desire. I really like this wash because I feel as if it removes my make-up and cleanses my skin very very well (I do remove my eye make-up separately beforehand). I've never used any other cleansing product that removes my make-up like this one and I really do feel like my skin is extremely clean afterwards. 

Right now I use this wash both morning and night but ideally I'd like to only use this as a morning wash and I'd like to use the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish in the evening as more of a treatment (but sadly I've run out of that for now and I have to travel around an 1hr away to get it sigh). I think if you have a more oily skin type (Mine is more normal/dehydrated) this would work fine for morning and evening because the wash will take away an oils but then the moisturising properties will add moisture back into the skin so it isn't left stripped. Since using this product my skin has appeared to be very healthy but I have broken out a lot, I don't think it's from this product directly but this product doesn't do anything to get rid of them or combat them. This 150ml tube lasted me around a month and a half (used every morning and night) which I think is pretty impressive. I've already re-purchased! 

You can purchase Simple skincare from almost anywhere and they are usually on offer but this wash is £3.59 at Boots. 

(Sorry for the very bad image!)

I hope you enjoyed and found this review helpful and let me know if you would like any  more! 

What's your favourite cleansing product right now?

'Til Next Time,

Carys xox

☺ LUSH Fresh Face Mask Review - BB Seaweed ☺

I have been a massive fan of LUSH ever since I first stepped into the store 3-4 years ago. I adore their skincare and I love treating myself to a bubble bar or a bath bomb!
One of my favorite skincare products they make are their 'Fresh Face Masks'. I've tried almost all of them but today I am reviewing the mask "BB Seaweed".

BB Seaweed Fresh Face Mask - £5.75

 I was recommended this face mask when I went into the store a few weeks back, initially looking for the well loved 'Brazened Honey' mask. One of the girls they sat me down next to the face mask counter and chose 3 face masks she'd recommend for my mostly normal but sometimes dry skin. She placed each one on my hand waited a few minutes and then washed them off so I could feel the effects of the masks before choosing one. She explained that the brazened honey mask would irritate my skin (as I explained I'd been breaking out) as it has high amounts of lime in it and recommended I should try it when my skin was feeling it's best, and that's when I decided to go with BB Seaweed as it left my hand feeling very soft indeed. (The people in lush are so so helpful and lovely to chat to and I totally recommend that if you want to purchase anything from there ask them to help you out!)


BB Seaweed is aimed at being a face mask for softening, cooling and reducing redness. 
It says on the website that it's mask made with men in mind but does not exclude women, but on the packaging it claims it's a mask for everyone, a tad confusing but I would recommend this mask for everyone although I don't know how it would work on a male but it works really well on my female skin. 


So, what's in BB Seaweed?

Lush say that:
There's honey, seaweed and aloe vera to soften and soothe. Olive oil to moisturise.  Fresh rose petals and rose absolute to reduce redness. Rosemary oil to regenerate the skin. All of this is held together with kaolin, ground almonds and millet flakes – so when you wash this off you are also gently exfoliating and removing dead skin.


I would personally agree with everything LUSH claim this mask to do (that's why I love LUSH, they're honest folk).
I've been loving using this mask 1-2 times a week as I've been a little stressed over exams and revision and I find everything about this mask relaxing and calming. I love how cooling and refreshing the mask is when I apply it on my face due to the fact you have to store it in the fridge because of the fresh ingredients although I still feel as if it relaxes me due to the rose floral and porriagy smell. Doesn't sound to great but I actually quite like it, the scent of a product never usually bothers me though. I do advise smelling this before purchasing as I can imagine some people not really enjoying the smell. 
The mask itself is thick and feels like porridge, it also has some fair-sized chunks of seaweed within it. When you wash the mask off it turns into a paste and the chunks of seaweed and other bits exfoliate the skin which removes any dead skin cells, dirt or traces of make-up from the skin. The exfoliating effect leaves skin feeling smooth and perfected. I love using this mask because I feel as if it re-news my skin and it's great as a pick-me-up on a miserable day. It also leaves my skin feeling and looking hydrated, healthy and naturally beautiful (although sometimes my skin can feel slightly tight after use.)
I have also noticed that this mask also reduces redness on my face, after use my skin is even and the redness around my chin, nose and on my cheeks has gone. Unfortunately these effects do not last for more than around an hour/2hours. 
I would recommend this mask for people with normal, combonation and oily skin types. I wouldn't recommend it for very dry skin types as sometimes it can leave my skin feeling tight, although that is my personal opinion and you won't know how it'll work for you until you try it. A mask I would recommend for very dry skin is the 'Oatifix' mask which I used to adore when my skin was very dry, it also smells delicious as it contains organic banana's, fine oatmeal and ground almonds, yum! LUSH also claim it's good for sensitive skin which I agree with as it did not irritate my slightly sensitive skin. The only downside to this product is that they have an expiry date (usually 3 weeks-1 month after purchasing) which is a bit annoying as you need to use the product up by then to gain the feel effects of the fresh ingredients .. but I'm willing to lump it for a great mask that makes my skin feel naturally beautiful and contains natural and fresh ingredients! 

So I hope you enjoyed this review and if you have any advice or feedback on how I could improve my reviews or the format of my reviews I'd love to hear it, I'm all about constructive criticism! 

Have you tried any LUSH Fresh Face Masks? Which are your favorites?

'Til Next Time,
Carys xox

October Obsessions!

Well hello. Yes, I know this post is a little late but hey ho, I've be enjoying a lot lovely products/clothing this month and I really wanted to share them with you guys. :-)

Skin Brightening Toner - Botanics @ Boots - £4.07
I love this toner because I feel it takes the redness out of my skin really well, and I do feel  that my skin looks a lot more "brighter" which I need for the dull winter months. And most of the ingredients are natural so that's always a plus! 

Patent White Doc. Martens - Ebay - £55
My boyfriend was kind enough to get these for me as I've been lusting over them forever!  Definitely my favourite of my favourites haha. Haven't taken them off since I got them, and they're really good quality and the seller he bought them from on Ebay got them delivered really quickly, and they were a really good price, and I totally recommend them. Ah I love them so much :-)

Conditioning Clay Mask - Botanics @ Boots - £4.29
My skins been looking really tired, and dull lately but I feel this mask brings 'life' back into it as cliché as it sounds. But I find it's easy to apply, and easy to remove which I don't seem to get with many clay masks. It leaves my skin looking refreshed and moisturised instantly!

Express Finish 40 Nail Polish - 865 Turquoise Green - Maybelline - Boots - £4.09
This is an amazing colour (It's on my middle finger in the picture) and it applies so easily! I've worn it the majority of this month! 

Urban Decay Primer Potion - Sample size from the Naked palette
I love this! Definitely getting the larger version when this one runs out.  It makes my eye-shadow  go on so smoothly and it prevents creasing and makes the eye-shadow colour stand out. Don't know what I did without it! :-) 

Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate - Rimmel London - Boots - £5.99
As you can see this is such a nice shade. It's a very deep, purple, which looks really flattering on me, and dark lips are definitely on trend! 

Ultra Shines Lipgloss - Spiked Punch - Benefit - £14ish
Such a beautiful colour, even though it's very "summer" I've been making it work for autumn/winter by appling it over darker/deeper lipsticks and it looks beautiful. Really glossy and tastes amazing! Also looks really nice worn alone, and it has such great pigmentation it looks, and feels as it's not sticky at all, just like a really glossy lipstick.

Stay Matte Pressed Powder - Rimmel London - £3.99 - 003 Golden Peach
I really like the texture of this powder, and I love the way it looks on my skin, really matte but not cakey :-)  Although it doesn't last too long, which isn't a massive deal for me since my skin isn't very oily! 

E.L.F Cream Eyeliner - eyeslipsface.com - £3.50 - Coffee
Soo glad I bought this! It applies really smoothly, and has great pigmentation, and does not budge! Brilliant for school/college/uni/work etc. as it looks the same at the end of the day, when you first applied it. and it's cheap! what more could you want?! 

   Nars Blush - Deep Throat - 29€ - Sephora in Paris

Bought this in the summer while I was at paris, and only now I'm starting to wear it! Really didn't like it much when I got it, but I really like the look of it on my skin now, I don't know why! It's a really pretty deep pink with gold shimmer and it stays on all day. 

Sleek Blush - SuperDrug - £4.29 - Life's a Peach
Looks really flattering on my cheeks, so easy to wear :-) 

Urban Decay Naked Palette - £35 - Debenhams
I love all of the colours in this, I there hasn't been a day where I haven't worn it since I've got it, totally worth the money! :-) 

Mac Satin Lipstick - Rebel - £13.50
I love this colour! It's so unique, and this lipstick stays on forever! Also, the shade is perfect for Autumn/Winter , it's still somewhat bright but it's also a pretty deep pink/purple. Ah I love it, it's perfection!

Daisy "So Fresh" Perfume by Marc Jacobs - Boots - £42 - 75ml
Such a fresh scent and I love it so much. Can't get enough of it :-) 

Strapy Wedge/Platforms - H&M - £19.99
I've also been wearing these at every chance I can. I love them! So easy to walk in due to the platform and how light-weight they are, and they look great with anything. I'm obsessed! :-)


Hope you enjoyed, and I hope I get to do a "favourites/Obsessions" post every month as I love showing people what I've been loving, and I love seeing what other people love. Have you done an october favourites? Link it below and I'll be sure to check it out  :-)

Also, I'm on the look-out for a really pretty purple toned blush, and a deep, red lipstick, any suggestions leave them below!

'Til next time,