Empty Beauty Products #2

Hello! More empties to show you today, it's been quite a while since my last one but i don't go through that fast really (as much as i try to). I really wanted to use up as much as i could before i went on holiday so i could get lots of new beauty products there and here is what i used up..

Rose of Bulgaria Nourishing Hair Mask - Absolutely adore this! It smells lovely (like roses) and really hydrates my hair leaving it feeling smooth, tangle free and soft. I use this in-between shampoo and conditioner every single time i wash my hair as it really makes such a difference!

Would i repurchase? Yes, i just bought a new one from my holiday in Bulgaria.

Refan Melon & Apricot Hand Cream - What can i say, i can't praise this hand cream enough. It's my holy grail, favourite hand cream ever! It's like a butter so it's thick and so moisturising but isn't greasy. LOVE IT! 

Would i repurchase? Yes! I have just bought two more on my holiday to keep me going. 

Morrisons Glorious Colour Conditioner - Bit of a boring one but i absolutely adore it so i needed to share. It's such a cheap conditoner but works so amzing well to keep hair soft, shiny and hydrated. I can instantly feel the difference in my hair after using this. Hello glossy locks! 

Would i repurchase? Yes i will keep on purchasing it.

Percy & Reed Totally TLC Hydrating Mask - Aah i think most of us picked this up when it came free with Glamour a few months ago. I've only just got round to using it as i've been using the other hair mask above. I like this product, it leaves hair soft, smooth and tangle free but i find you need to use lots of product for it to really work so it empties really fast. 

Will i repurchase? No, it's not worth the price-tag as it goes so fast and my Rose of Bulgaria face mask is cheaper and works better.

Refan Mango Exfoliant - Love this. It smells like heaven in a tub and does a great job at exfoliating the skin making me feel as smooth as a babies bottom. It's not too harsh but does the job! 

Would i repurchase? Yes i have just bought another on holiday in a different smell :)

Nivea Soft Cream - I used to really love this moisturiser and have been through a few tubs. But, i'm just not loving it anymore. I find it way to thick for my face and prefer to use other moisturisers that smell nice on my body. My boyfriend really likes this though for himself. So a good product for a couple to share ;) 

Would i repurchase? No, i prefer other moisturisers! 

Lacura Aqua-Complete Serum - I have done a review on this here. Basically i really enjoy this moisturiser and does the job, smells lovely and is really cheap. It's great for the face and you only need the tiniest bit. I can't get the last of the product out the pump though! 

Would i repurchase? Yes, i already have. I have a new bottle ready and waiting.

Asda Skin System Vitamin E Toner - I don't like this product i think it definitely breaks me out. It's way to harsh for everyday use (although is good for when you want a deep clean) and my skin isn't sensitive in the slightest so it must be harsh! 

Will i repurchase? No, never.

Lush Breath of Fresh Air Toner - Finally used the remainder of this up. I adore this toner so much, it does a fab job of making sure the skin is really clean without being too harsh and stripping the skin. It smells nice, the spray bottle is great and it's great for toning/refreshing! 

Will i repurchase? Probably at somepoint in the future. Trying others for now. 

Simple Refreshing Face Wash & Simple Soothing Toner - These two products are like pea's in a pod. They work fab together and giving the skin a really good clean, keeping dirt at bay and preventing spots/blackheads. Great combo and they are also very gentle which is good! 

Will i repurchase? I have already got the full size bottles, yes. 

MUA Bronzer 'Shade 1' - I cheated slightly on this, it's not completely gone, oops. But i'll only get 2/3 more uses out of it. It's a really good bronzer for £1. It's quite orange and contains a bit of shimmer  but that's great for giving the skin a lovely sun-kissed glow. It takes a bit of building up on my skin-tone but nevertheless it lasts a long time on the skin and looks lovely. 

Will i repurchase? No, i prefer their new Bronzed Perfection or the 'Shade 3'. 

Hollister Crescent Bay Body Mist - I love body mists for summer and this is no exeption. This smells so delicious really bright, fruity and fresh. So sweet. Unfortunately most of this leaked in my box so most of it was gone :( But i loved what i had left of it.

Will i repurchase? Yes, it smells so gorgeous and summery! 

MaxFactor False Lash Effect Fusion - Let's keep this short: This is one of my favourite mascara's ever, it adds both length and volume making the lashes look amazing! It lasts all day, no smudging and has a nice size brush so you can get all the little corners. Perfect. 

Will i repurchase? Yes when i've used all the others lingering in my stash!

Wow, long post i know! Thanks for sticking with me. 

Have you used any of these products? What do you think?

Lacura Lipstick - 'Pink Rose'.

Today i wanted to share a Lacura lipstick with you that i wore in this FOTD (here) - it's such a lovely shade that i couldn't not show you guys! And best of all it only costs £1.99 from Aldi.

I was pretty surprised when i found out Aldi did cosmetics - i had no idea - but i'd heard some of it is pretty good. So, of course i had to try something so why not a lipstick?

The packaging is actually a really small bullet so, great for travelling and doesn't look cheap considering the price tag. It's very light and compact the only downfall is, it doesn't have the shade printed on the lipstick only on the box you get with it. But, i guess it isn't that bad i just forget the name sometimes a lot!

When i swatched this in store it looked like a baby pink but once i got home and tried it out i realised it was much different than i first thought! So be careful with hand swatches in Aldi - not very realistic!

I would describe this shade a pinky lilac (so technical!). It's a not completely lilac it still has pink tones but it's not a baby pink either - it really is a unique shade (well i think so anyway). I've never found a lipstick this colour before so it's a pretty nice find for £1.99.

It does take a few coats (3ish) to achieve an opaque coverage but it's worth it once it's on. It's a very muted shade so does look sort of natural - nothing too in your face! So, it looks great with natural makeup or a smokey eye on a night out! It's one of them shades you can shove it your bag and know it will look good although i do think it's more suited to light/medium skin tones.

Overall the pigmentation isn't too great but it's worth it for the colour alone! Plus it only costs £1.99 so it's not like you've spent loads on a product that isn't pigmented. I'd still say it's well worth the money and will probably repurchase this as it's such a wearable lilac (yes really!).

What do you think of this shade? Lovely isn't it. And have you ever tried a Lacura lipstick?

Makeup Monday: A little bit of lilac.

Hello! Just a quick face for you today. This is the sort of makeup i'd wear day-to-day in my everyday life - nothing fancy. 

The foundation i'm wearing is MAC's Select SPF 15 foundation and to be honest, it's really not one that i'm keen on. I know lots of people do like it but on my oily skin the lasting power is rather poop and it's just a pain needing to blot/powder every two minutes. I'm literally just reaching the last remains of this foundation and i'm pretty glad! It's got a light coverage which could be built a little bit and it's quite creamy so i think it'd be good for dry/normal skin types. The empty bottle is going in my 'back to Mac' stash!

Apart from that, i'm not wearing too much makeup! Just my trusty Collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer to cover up my dark circles and spots. I used MUA Bronzer 'Shade 1' to contour/bronze and Mac's Fleur Power blush on my cheeks - this was my first ever Mac blusher a long time ago and it's still going strong, it doesn't seem to be going down! I used my favourite mascara combination (which you can find here) and added a slick of my Lacura lipstick in 'Pink Rose' (expect to see a full review soon, it's such a lovely pinky/lilac shade!). 

Anyway, what do you think? Do you go for a more natural look day-to-day? 

Current Skincare Routine (Oily Skin) & Mini Update.

Hello all! I have my current skincare routine for you all today, i say 'current' because i change it every two minutes. But, these are the products i have been sticking to for the past month or so and they seem to be working pretty well. I do break out every now and then and it's usually quite severe - meaning lots of little spots and bumps :( But it doesn't last too long!

My skin is combination/oily - meaning it's dry on the outer area's of my face but very oily around my t-zone (especially my nose). I also get a lot of blackheads on my nose and chin which isn't very nice  and have a bit of redness around my nose and cheeks. So these are the things i try to combat most :)

l-r: Clean&Clear Moisturising Mist, Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque, Clinique Liquid Facial Soap (oily skin), Skin System Foaming Facial Scrub, Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising gel, Lacura Serum.

Recently i've been reaching for my Clinique Facial Wash as my cleanser - morning and night. When i first started you using this, i hated it (strong but true) but at the moment i've been loving it. One pump removes all makeup (expect the eyes - that stings!) and cleans the skin but, sometimes i do use a second pump for a deep cleanse. It's gentle on this skin and foams up when you rub in circular motions. It does dry the skin out little but it's nothing a little moisturiser can't solve.            

 As part my cleansing routine i also use the Skin System Facial Scrub from Asda, from day one i have been impressed with this scrub. It exfoliates the skin without being too harsh. It's a gel like consistency with little beads in it that exfoliate and clean the skin - also removing makeup. So, sometimes i use one squirt on this to initally remove makeup and exfoliate then use the Clinique Face Wash to deep clean.

Once or twice a week i use the Mint Julep Mask to try and get rid of any build up of oil/blackheads. I just apply a very thin layer on my 'problem area's (t-zone and any spots) and wait above 15 minutes until it's dry and remove. I'm still unsure how i feel about this mask. It does help to get rid of spots/oil and brings out any congested area's but, it doesn't do much for blackheads. It's isn't drying and easy to remove so it's pretty hassle free!

The toner i have been using at the moment in another from Asda, it's the Skin System Vitamin E Toner. This is such a harsh toner, no matter how much i was my face it will still remove dirt/makeup which is crazy. I only use this around 4/5 times a week when i want a deep cleanse as it's so harsh and i'm afraid it will strip skin of it's natural oils etc. making it worse. But it is great when i really want a deep clean. It 'replacement' of the toner, i use the Clean & Clear Moisturizing Mist daily after cleansing to just refresh the skin and a little moisture - it's just like any face mist really. And sprayed on a cotton pad it does get rid of any left over cleanser while being gentle.

I did a post on these two moisturisers here. I use the Clinique Moisturizing Gel in the morning, before makeup as it's a really light moisturiser so makes a great makeup base for people with oily skin like me. I wasn't sure about it at first, now i love it and couldn't imagine using a different moisturiser as they all seem heavy in comparison. The Lacura Multi-Intensive Serum is also a light moisturiser although it's slightly thicker than the Clinique one so i use this as night. This really hydrates the skin but doesn't leave it feeling greasy, my skin also isn't greasy when i wake up either which is a bonus.

So yeah, that's everything i use on my face to get rid of makeup and cleanse. At the moment this combination is working but i know i'll switch it up sooner or later :)

I also wanted to let you know i'm off to LONDON tomorrow with the boyfriend. We are staying over until Tuesday and have lots of plans (especially shopping). It going to be a lovely little trip and i can't wait to explore the streets of London, spend some time away from Manchester and experience the hustle and bustle of the city. But i have some great guest posts lined up to keep you occupied and if i'm a little awol (not much tweeting as my phone will die </3) you know why!

Battle of the moisturisers: Clinque vs Aldi!

I thought i'd share these two moisturisers - one 'high-end' and one bargain product! I thought doing reviews of them would be a bit boring so as i use these both daily i decided to put them up against eachother ;)

 Clinique's dramatically different moistursing gel is £29 for 125ml
 Lacura (Aldi's brand) multi-intensive serum is £3.49 for 50ml.

 So, is it really worth paying more? 

Clinque: This is a gel moisturiser - which is better for my oily skin than a cream. The gel is really lightweight and applies easily to the skin. One - one & a half pumps provides the right amount of moisture for my whole face and doesn't leave me feeling greasy atall. This is a great base for my makeup as it doesn't provide too much hydration so my makeup lasts longer! However this can take a lot of getting used to if you're used to thicker more moisturising creams sometimes i feel my skin needs that little bit more moisture. I'm not too keen on the smell of this aswell, although it's not detectable once absorbed into the skin.

Lacura: This a serum for all skin types, it's a cream consistency but is still very lightweight and not thick atall. I find inbetween a half and one pump (awkward i know) is more than enough to hydrate my entire face and again doesn't leave me feeling greasy. It provides long-lasting moisture however because it is slightly thicker than the Clinique one my skin gets slightly oilier through day but it's not a massive problem atall i can just use a little less. This cream smells gorgeous - it smells so fresh and 'clean' - i can't describe it but the smell is lovely believe me (once absorbed it is undetectable).
 

Left: Lacura Multi Intensive Serum                  Right: Clinique Moisturising Gel

Overall these are both so similar - both hydrating yet not too hydrating for my oily skin, both light and absorb into the skin quickly. The main difference is the price tag and the smell - both of these the Lacura serum wins hands down!  At the moment i used the Clinique in a morning before my makeup and the Lacura one applied more liberally as a more intense night time treat.

The Clinque gel is probably better if you have oily skin like me, but i don't think it is dramatically better! I don't think i will be repurchasing the Clinique moisturising gel unless i have a spare £30 as i think there are cheaper moisturisers - like the Lacura serum - that do virtually the same thing!

So, if you're oily skinned both these do the trick i would recommend them both but obviously the Lacura serum is far more purse friendly and suitable for all skintypes whether you have dry or oily skin i think it'd be great :)

Hope this has been slightly more interesting than a straight review, or maybe not haha!

So, how much are you willing to spend on moisturiser? Are you prepared to splash the cash or do you look for cheaper alternatives?

Night time makeup: Smokey eye!

In my my last post (here) i shown you an outfit i wore to party, in this post i'm going to show you how i did my makeup! At the moment i have been loving smokey eyes - day and night. I am forever playing with makeup and kind of make it up as i go along. So, here is what i came up with.. 

Face:

Foundation - Estee Lauder's Double Wear and Revlon Colorstay on top (thin layers of each - so long lasting!)

Concealer - MAC Studio Fix.

Setting Powder - MAC Blot Powder.

Contour - loose powder a few shades too dark.

Bronzer - MUA Bronzer in Shade 1. 

Blusher - MAC's 'Fleur Power'.

Eyes:

Base - MAC Paintpot in 'Groundwork' with a black eyeliner on top (smudged across lid and into crease).

Lid colour -MAC's 'Twinks'.

Crease colour - MAC's 'Brown Down'.

Highlight - MAC's 'Dazzlelight' (inner corner) Vivo Matte Eyeshadow 'Sandstorm' (browbone).

Eyeliner - Avon's Supershock gel eyeliner pencil (tightline and waterline).

Eyebrows: Avon double-ended kajal stick (brown end).

Lips:

Liner: NYX lip pencil in 'Natural'.

Lipstick: Lacura (Aldi's brand) lipstick '415 -Pink Rose'.

Ta-daaah - perfect night time look and it doesn't take too long either! This look stayed put all night i swear!