Elf Haul..again!

So yet again I had a cheeky little spend on Elf and thought I would share with you what I got! When I purchased these things they had an offer on that if you spent over £20 you got £20 worth of 'autumn essentials' product gift bag for free!

The main thing I was looking for when on the site was a new Bronzer as I had had one in the past from them which I loved and it was getting near its end so needed replacing. The only down point of Elf is that we only have it online in the Uk meaning swatching and colour checking is impossible so I got two Bronzers the first in 'matte bronze' as I mainly wanted something to contour with and warm tan in case the first was a little to dark for me. Both Bronzers have a shimmer which I wasn't expecting but the darker shade is much more subtle so could be used as a contour still. I also picked up the 'Mineral Infused Face Primer' which claims to combat excess oil, large pores and provide a blank canvas is has the typical silicone type feel which feels super smooth on the skin.

I got 3 shadow products within my free goody bag the first being an eyeshadow primer in 'Misty Mauve' which is a beautiful shimmery mauve colour but not the greatest consistency, I have never had a problem with my eyeshadow creasing but i do think this does help my shadow stick and gives a nice shimmer as a base. The first shadow I got was one of their 'Matte Eyeshadows in Smoke' which is a soft grey colour which would make a great contour colour, the second shadow is 'Mineral Eyeshadow in Confident' which is a lovely soft loose pigment with a beautiful copper sheen which I think is perfect for an autumn look.

I also got 3 different lip products there was meant to be 4 as I ordered 2 different colours of the 'Matte Lip Colours' as I had tried one before and loved it but instead got two of the same colour 'Rich Red' which is lovely but I'm pretty sure not what I ordered. Two other products I got in my goody bag was firstly a 'Conditing Lip Balm' which comes in a surprisingly large packaging for what it is but is a nice product of a hydrating balm with a nice sheen, I got the shade 'Romantic Rouge'. The last was a 'Mineral Lip Gloss' I have never been a huge fan of gloss but was excited to try it too see if the mineral aspect made any different, I don't think it really does but the 'Bare' shade I recieved is a lovely neutral colour to give a gorgeous glossy tint. 

One product I was interested to get after seeing other bloggers talk about it was the '3 in 1 Mascara' it comes with a plastic bristle applicator with a ball of bristles at the end to allow you to grasp every lash for great definition and length, I don't find it to be the most voluminous mascara but is still really lovely to use. The two last products were quite random and not things I would pick up myself the first being toe separators which I think are a cute gift to include but a little useless to me and also their 'Radience Enhancer' which is their liquid highlighter, I got mine in the colour 'Golden'. I have never been a huge fan of highlighters especially ones that are not in powder form because of my oily skin, this one doesn't feel to be the greatest and seems a little hard to use but I will definitely try to give it a go and maybe I will like it by next summer.

There we have it another little Elf spend I endured and you can find all of these things here, what are your thoughts on Elf what are you favourite products from them? Thanks for stopping by, bye for now.x 

Face Mask Friday Exfoliating Super Fruits Mask

This mask from Superdrug again is one of their packet mask similar to the ever so popular Montague Jeunesse range, this one is said to be good for all skin types and contains raspberry, cranberry and blueberry extracts to purify and smooth the skin.

When I first opened this up I was hit with the most delicious fruity aroma, the mask is quite thick and goes a long way so you could definitely get 3 uses from this packet. The mask is a purple colour and is clay based so dries when on the skin to a light lilac colour. As well as containing fruit extracts from the cranberrys, raspberries and blueberries which are great for purifying and toning the skin it also contains strawberry seeds which give a gentle exfoliation while applying to the face.

They recommend to wear the mask for 10 - 15 minutes however I tend to always leaves my masks on for slightly longer nearing towards an hour to really ensure it does its job. After around 10 minutes the masks starts to set and harden which is due to the kaolin clay which is great for drawing out impurities and excess oil from the skin however does not over dry out the skin and make it feel tight after removal. But you should alway ensure you apply a replenishing moisturiser afterwards to really restore and renew the skin after using a mask especially if it is deep cleansing and purifying. 

I love Superdrug's own brand packet masks and will definitely repurchase them in the future, have you tried any before? Thanks for stopping by, bye for now.x

Boots Beauty Advent Calender

I had heard of brands creating their own product advent calendars in the past like Benefit however have always thought them to be a little to pricey until this year when I found out from a fellow blogger that Boots do their own too! The calendar contains 24 days of beauty treats leading you right up to Christmas Day, I'm not too sure if the products inside are full size or sample sizes but it claims to have £62 worth of products inside and the retail price is only £30. 

I love the idea of a beauty calendar as it makes it a little different and is just a great way to try some new products in a fun way for any beauty enthusiast. One thing I'm unsure if I like is that when I turned it over I saw a glimpse of what looked like to be the information on the products inside which takes away the fun of the surprise but I refrained myself from looking at it and i plan to wait till I have them in my hand and not peek! Because of that Im not sure if every calendar has the same things in I presume they probably will. I am thinking of doing a few posts on the products I receive in my calendar wether I do a few during the 24 days as I open them of a big haul of all of them at the end I'm not too sure, let me know what you think would be best.

Have you ever had a low end or high end beauty advent calendar I would love to know your views or experiences you have had with them before, thanks for stopping by, bye for now.x 

October GlossyBox

I feel I say this every month by boy does time fly and yet again we have another box of treats on our doorstep. This months theme was 'dark romance' and is meant to be perfect for the autumn and Halloween spirit and the overall time of year with berry lips and illuminating skin treats. The first thing I came across when opening my box was the new Glossy Magazine which they have started to include in their boxes, it is a small 13 paged little booklet with information on some of the products in the box, some interviews with beauty experts and also some information on other popular products at the moment too. 

The first product I noticed was the perfume sample of Katy Perry' Killer Queen which is her new scent she has recently released. I have already got this perfume meaning I know I like it which is good I suppose and thankfully is in one of the mini spritz bottle rather than the other horrible vials so good for travel/ handbag use. It is quite a sweet scent with top notes of plum and berries and one I would definitely recommend. I also received two sachets of Illuminating Skin Finish Latte from Vita Liberata which at first I had no idea what they were meant to be however after looking on the little card they are said to be samples of a body care product which provides the skin with coverage, bronzing and SPF which gives the skin an iridescent subtle shimmer. I'm not sure this is an ultimate autumn product but a nice addition I'll look forward to trying out. 

A product I was excited about getting was the MeMeMe Cherubs Blush Lip & Cheek Tint, I have quite a few products from the brand already and really like them and are great quality for a high street brand and this product looks like a perfect dupe for the similar tints from Benefit. I believe the colour of this is Cherubs Blush and is a lovely deep pink berry shade which gives a lovely berry tint to the lips, I haven't tried it on the cheeks yet but love it for the lips so far, it also has a lovely rose Turkish delight scent too yum!

The last two products I received are both skin care items firstly a facial serum from Harmony which is their Moisturising Smoothie Serum, this is applied just before your moisturiser providing another layer of moisture and protection for the skin. It doesn't have a huge amount of scent and is lightweight and skins in to the skin fast meaning it doesn't leave any residues on the skin. I also received an Illuminating Primer from Monu which I have received products from before in past boxes and so far really like the brand. This primer contains an SPF 15, is paraben free and is said to provide a flawless finish to the skin. However although this is named a primer which you would normally associate with being applied on top of your moisturiser under you make up this is directed to be applied under you moisturise like a serum so more of a skin primer than a make up one.

That's all for this months box, I don't think this is one of their finest boxes because of the quality and choice of products in the box however that is the price you pay with getting a box when the items are a complete surprise until you receive them however this is the first time I have ever felt this way so will look forward to what next month brings. Thanks for stopping by, bye for now.x 

What's On My Face #2

                     

Recently I have been keeping things natural and simple with my make up so thought I would share with you my go to simple look and the products I use to create it. This look I would wear if running odd jobs and maybe popping into town so I keep it minimal and quick.

                         

Products used:

Bourjois 123 Perfect foundation in 51

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 1 Light

Elf Bronzer in Glow

MeMeMe Blush in Rouge 

MUA Undress Me Too palette in Reveal and Lavish 

HD Brows in Dark Brown

Givenchy 4in1 mascara

Elf Liquid Lipstick in Baby Lip

I always like to start with base first and would apply my Bourjois foundation with my Real Techniques buffing brush using it both to stipple and buff it into the skin and then apply any concealer if I felt I needed it which would usually be under the eyes or on any blemishes. Today I didn't set it with any powder but went straight to using my Elf Bronzer with a fairly big stippling brush to apply a light covering of bronzer over the face concentrating under the check ones and up on to forehead. 

One of my favourite blushes to use at the minute is the MeMeMe in rouge as it is a subtle rosey red shade with a gentle shimmer meaning its great to double up as a blush and highlighter give the face a nice glow without looking like a disco ball. I kept the eyes simple by using the light Reveal MUA shade all over the lid and a small amount of Lavish buffed into the outer corner and crease. I did use a small amount of the HD Brows powder in Dark Brown and placed it very close to the lash line and extended it slightly to give a subtle cat eye flick and finished with a coat of the Givenchy mascara. I use the same HD powder to run through my brows to give a bit more definition and shape and finished the entire look with a neutral glossy lip from Elf.

A lot of these products are my go to and favourites a the minute what are yours? Thanks for stopping by, bye for now.x

Empties #7

So yet again time has flown by and over the past few weeks I have used up a few different products that I thought I would share with all you lovely people. This time I have quite a variety of different products which i have used up starting with a shampoo and conditioner. 

Good Hair Day and In Good Condition are the standard shampoo and conditioner for all hair types from the company Temple Spa, I believe this is a fairly unknown brand to some as it is mainly a spa brand and I think you can tell this a little by the price as they will set you back £8.50 each. This is pretty  pricey for me and I wouldn't consider buying shampoos like this regularly however they are lovely to use, have a great scent and are sulphates and SLS free! 

I also used the iWhite Teeth Whitening system recently which was something I have never tried anything like before, it was easy to use with pre filled trays, they only stay on for 20 minutes and caused me zero sensitivity, a good product to try if looking for a whitening treatment. You can see a much deeper review I did of the product HERE. I used up two lip balms since my last post as a lip balm is always essential in my make up/ skin care routine as if I don't they dry out pretty quick. The first I used up was the Miss Sporty Dr Balm in 03 which is similar to the Maybelline Baby Lips with a little less colour but lots of moisture and this one gave a sheer coral orange sheen. I also used up one of my favourite balms I have ever used the JASON Lips Bee Healthier, I received this a little while back in a beauty box and fell in love, it has a minty scent and creates a cooling sensation on the lips and moisturises them for hours, this is a definite repurchase for me!

A couple of other beauty box treats I finished up (I know some class this as cheating but who makes the rules) were the Tresseme Keratin Smooth treatment which is an intense rinse off treatment which says only needs to be left on for 60 seconds but I always tend to leave it a little longer. The 15ml sample I got I believe is also for retail but I think that it is a one use only two at a push which is a little disappointing. The Givenchy 4in1 mascara was another beauty box product I received and used up and is the type of product I would never buy or use normally because of the hefty price tag however I really enjoyed using it and got a lot of use out of the little sample. The brush has fibre bristles which I'm not always a fan of however the shape of the brush is what I think makes it a great product along with a good formula too. 

I only have one skin care product this time and it is the Garnier Moisture Match moisturiser for oily/ combination skin, this is quite a favourite of mine and will always be a repurchased product for me. The 50ml tube seems to last forever as you don't need much product as it glides really softly over the skin and contains small micro spheres which help mop up excess oil on the skin keep you matter for longer and makes a great make up base too! Finally my last empty this time round is the Sally Hansen Strengthening Polish Remover, this again is a product I always go back to firstly because it is easily accessible and usually found in most supermarkets and drugstore, it's friendly on the pennies and just because it works well! 

So that's what I've finished up recently how about you? Have you tried any of the ones I did? Let me know, thanks for stopping by, bye for now.x

 

Scrub a Dub Dub: Sanctuary Salt Scrub Review

                     

One thing I love about Sanctuary is that they do lots of travel size/ smaller versions of a lot of their products meaning you can try them out before splurging out on a full size that you might not like. Their salt scrub I have tried before in the past and a little while ago I picked up another sachet of it but it got a little pushed to the side... Until now! I pulled this little one out and used it in a mini pamper shower and was a little shocked!

When I first opened it up it filled the room with the lovely signature sanctuary scent and immediately made me feel pampered and relaxed. The scrub is quite dry and consists of Dead Sea salt which are fairly large in size and they are combined with a mixture of jojoba, sweet almond and coconut oil. The scrub is very harsh on the skin and suprisingly harsher than I remember and even a little sore on my recently more sensitive legs. 

However the harshness of the scrub does mean it is really great for a thorough full body exfoliation and increasing the circulation to the skin which can be seen from pink/ red skin but don't worry it is normal and goes down fairly quickly which did also happen with the sore feeling I felt. One thing I do love is that the scrub leaves a thin oil residue on the skin meaning it is super soft without even moisturising but I still would after using it to make sure any hydration lost from using it is packed back into the skin. 

They do retail the full size scrub here for and the sample size here which you could probably stretch out for two full body uses. Obviously this isn't the cheapest of scrubs out there but great for a treat and as a gift too, we'll that dreaded C word is on its way! But overall I do really like this, have you tried this or any of the other Sanctuary products? Thanks for stopping by, bye for now.x

iWhite Teeth Whitening System Review

I picked this up a few weeks ago after having a little pop into Boots when I was picking some other things up, I had seen a post from another blogger that they had recently launched in the Uk and as it was was on offer for £19.99 in Boots at the time I thought I would give it a try.

The iWhite system comes with 5 sets of pre-filled trays with the whitening solution in meaning you could whiten both the top and bottom sets of teeth at the same time and there is minimal if any mess as it is all done for you. I was interested to see how the one size tray fits all as I don't have the most perfect top set of teeth from being a naughty thumb sucking child, at first I did have a little trouble with it not being high enough in my mouth but I soon learned I could pop my finger between the two trays to hold them in place and as they only take 20 minutes it wasn't too much trouble.

The box says you could use the trays every s often as your teeth needed them but for optimum results use all five trays for five days on the trot, I have never had over stained or yellow teeth as my main fluid is always water or green tea, exciting I know but luckily I'm just not a huge fan or fizzy drinks or coffee or anything like that. Below you can see the pictures I took from before I used them and everyday after I used them.

I did make a bit of a photo fail as they weren't all taken at the same time of day meaning the natural light that was around changed slightly meaning that some of the photos didn't come out as expected and a little of colour. However overall you can see and I can see in person that there is a difference in the colour although not shockingly different I'm not sure if this was because my teeth don't have a lot of staining so it is just my natural teeth colour or that the product doesn't work that well.

However if you we're thinking of trying out some teeth whitening products I would still recommend these as they are easy to use, created zero sensitivity and and pretty good value for money for some of the whitening systems you can find on the market today. Have you ever tried this brand and get results or any of the other brands, let me know I would love to hear from you. Thanks for stopping by,bye for now.x

The Autumn Tag!

I spotted this tag on Make Up Savvy' blog earlier this week and as I love this time of year I thought I would have a go and answer all the questions for you and I tag all of you reading this to have a go too!

1. What is your favourite thing about Autumn?
I love autumn as hopefully you have had a great sunny summer with lots of barbeques and beach fun and as the weather starts to cool you get to dig out your big jumpers and fluffy pyjamas and have some well earned cosy nights in and of course look forward to Christmas! (And my birthday!)

2. Favourite drink?
Following on from before what better to have on a chilly night than a hot chocolate! I'm not a huge hot drink fan and only really drink green tea if any so what better time to have a hot chocolate with all the toppings.

3. Favourite scent/ candle?
During the summer I love tropical fruity scents and as it turns to autumn I start to prefer much more warmer mellow smells like vanilla and cinnamon.

4. Best lipstick?
At the beginning of the year I wasn't a huge lipstick wearer but as the has gone grown a slight obsession and as autumn is upon us I love the berry toned lip colours however have yet to find my perfect one .

5. Go to moisturiser?
Throughout the year I have a pretty oily skin type meaning I need something to keep my skin matte and my make up in place. One moisturiser I love and is great at doing this is the Garnier Shine Be Gone, it has a lovely texture and keeps the skin matte without drying it out. However recently I have also been using the La Roche Posay Efflaclar Duo which I have also been really liking.

 

6. Go to colour for the eyes?
As the bright berry lip colours start to come out I like to keep the eyes simple with neautral browns, creams and champagne colors for a subtle light look like the MUA Undress Me Too Palette.

7. Favourite music/ band/ singer to listen to?
I don't think there is a certain type of artist or band I like to listen to in autumn as it changes all the time however all year round I am a sucker for a boyband from The Wanted to One Direction to the Vamps I love them all!

8. Favourite outfit to wear?
As autumn draws in I genuinely look forward to digging out the thick wooly jumpers especially as it starts to get chilly which this year in England has happened in a flash, so my favourite go to out fit is skinny jeans, a plain vest top with a big fluffy jumper and some trainer wedges.

9. Autumn treat?
This is a pretty broad question I suppose my cheeky hot chocolate here and there in the autumn is a treat for my tummy and buying lovely new scents and candles for the house is a treat too.

10. Favourite place to be?
This is tough to call and my two options are complete polar opposites first being outside on a country side walk in lots of chunky layers ands boots with the sun shining but the air crisp and cold. Or on the other hand at home, on the sofa watching a film with a cosy blanket and warm drink.

And there you have it my take on my favourite things in autumn and I tag all of you reading this to have a go at answering all the questions too so I can see what you like about autumn! Thanks for stopping by , bye for now.x

Face Mask Friday: Superdrug Dead Sea Purifying Mask

Hello there, today i have a face mask I found in my local Superdrug which is an own brand packet mask from Superdrug. The format and packaging of these masks are very similar to the ever so popular montagnue jenuesse and similar to them provide a huge range of different types and properties of masks for a big variety or skin types.

The mask I am using is the Dead Sea Purifying Clay Mask which is obviously a clay mask so great for drawing out extra oils and impurities from the skin, it has a lovely zesty scent of lemons and eucalyptus which makes it really uplifting and invigorating. I did find when wearing it I experienced some tingling and cooling sensations therefore wouldn't recommend it for the more sensitive skin types but absolutely for a anyone with any problem breakouts or oiliness.

This mask retails for a bargain or 99p and I got mine when a buy one get on half price offer was on, even better! Plus although you would think one sachet means one application there is so much product withing the packet you can always get a good 3 uses out of it making it super money saving, I love them! Have you tried any of these masks or similar brand like these? Let me know! Bye for now.x

Semptember GlossyBox

Oh golly another month has past us again and this months box of treats are turning up at everyones doorsteps. This months box has a London theme as the London fashion week hype is going on all over and this months we have some goodies from our lovely own country the UK and there are some pretty good ones too!

First up I got a beautiful blusher from HD Brows, now I know that this brand is pretty big here in the UK and I do have one of their quad palletes which I love but I never realised they did other make up products too. I got the blusher in number 2 which is a gorgeous rosey pink with a golden shimmer which gives a really beautiful rosey glow.

Next up I got a little perfume sample from Elizabeth Arden again something I was unaware that this company did. This scent is called untold and it a very feminine and floral scent something that reminds me of what the older generations of my family would wear like my mum and auntie but is not musky, talcy or old at all. I also recieved Classic Shine Gloss Serum from Toni & Guy which is said to be a lightweight serum which provides gloss and shine to the hair which I think all hair types could benefit from and it has a lovely classic salon scent.

Another make up product I recieved was an eyeliner from Be A Bombshell Cosmetics, this is a felt tip like liner which applies wet similar to a liquid liner however is said to be much easier to use as you hold and use it just like a pen. I was surprised how large the nib of the liner was however you can see from the picture below it is achievable to change the thickness of the line depending on how you hold the pen.

And finally what better to add to a cat wing eyeliner than a great pair of lashes. These lashes are from Eyelure and are some of their 'per glued lashes' meaning they don't come with any glue but instead have an extremely sticky lash band, at first I was a little apprehensive if they would actually hold and stay put but they sure did. They look pretty out there in the packet especially for a non lash wearer like me however when on they do look really lovely and definitely wearable.

 

And there we have it a little round up on my September box, have you tried any of these products before? What were your thoughts? Thanks for stopping by, bye for now x

A Tiny Bit of A Huge Haul.. Possibly

Now I am awfully sorry my posts have been a bit lack lustre and posted every now and then but I seemed to have hit a bit of a bloggers block but now feel in much better form and everything should be coming back at you thick and fast with some good content .. hopefully. So what better way to get me back in the swing of it than sharing a pretty big haul of things I may have just purchased.

My first stop in my local town was Boots as I had my eyes set on a couple of things to pick up which also happened to be two of my most expensive purchases. Firstly was the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo which is a 'corrective and unclogging anti-imperfection skin care' product now from that currently I'm not sure if its a serum or moisturiser so will need to read a little further but a lot of people have spoke about this including Tanya Burr and Ruth Crilly so if it lives up to the claim there will definitely be a follow up post on this. Another product I got which I'm interested to see results from is the I - White Instant Teeth Whitening Kit, this was on sale in Boots with £5 off making it £19.99 which I think is not a bad price as it contains 10 trays meaning you can do your upper and lower teeth 5 times and it also claim to suit everyone's teeth so again their will definitely be a more detailed post on this purchase if it goes well... or horrifically wrong.

Whilst in Boots I picked up a few of their own brand products from the Botanics line and also their Skin Clear range which I personally have never seen before in store. I was hunting for a new face mask similar to one of my old favourites the Sanctuary 10 Minute Thermal Mask and although this one doesn't claim to be thermal of any kind the Iconic Clay Mask Shine Away has a very similar texture and properties such as deeply cleansing and removing impurities so I thought I would give it a try. I also picked up their All Bright Refreshing Eye Roll on which is very similar to the No.7 eye gel which I have just finished up but a lot lot cheaper. Within their possibly new Skin Clear range which seems to be a budget teen acne/ oily skin care range I found a One Touch Spot Stick which is a clear gel that is applied directly to spots to reduce and clear breakouts and also their Oil Absorbing Sheets. In my later teenage life I have suffered from pretty oily skin but never tried any blotting sheets so I thought what better chance as all of this range is very pocket friendly.

My next stop was Superdrug as I was hoping to pick up a new perfume and as the fan girl I am I of course wanted to smell the new one from One Direction too, I was hoping to love Our Moment but it didn't wow me and I'm usually all for all the celebrity scents but it smelt a little to floral for me and the bottle didn't really win me over either but I did see Katy Perry's new Killer Queen scent which I ended up getting. It has a typical sweet scent but as it settles on the skin reveals a bit more of a muskier tone but still sweet and sugary and the bottle is pretty out their too and will compliment any dresser. Whilst as Superdrug I also spotted some own brand packet masks very similar to Montagne Jeunesse brand which I adore so picked up a couple of them too to give a whirl.

 

My final stop off was in H&M as it was on travels back to the car and just pulled me in, I went straight to the sale section as my balance spent was rising pretty high but I found two pieces which I love and were on an amazing sale. The first I found was the lacy skull top, I have nothing like this in my wardrobe but over the summer have grown to love bandeaus which I thought would look really cute under this as it is completely sheer and see through. I also found a bright pink pair of jeans for just £5, recently I lost a little weight which seemed to go from my bum and thighs meaning that none on my jeans were fitting me right anymore and I spotted these and fell in love and they are super soft so will be really comfy and look great too!

Well that was a bit of a long one, apologies for that but that was fun to buy and write about the high some females get from shopping is strange but its oh so addictive. What have you been up to recently I would love to know, thanks for stopping by, bye for now.x