It seems that all at once my skincare products run out. So I end up having to make one large purchase

2 times a year than spacing it out through the year. It's no bad thing but my purse certainly feels it!

Luckily on my skincare hunt today I found 3 for 2 across all skincare products in Boots - score!

My Daily Youth Serum by Soap and Glory has recently been used up and I've been using Garnier's Ultra Lift serum. It does the job but I'm certainly not in love with it. I don't feel any benefits from using this product. So I decided to pick up the Vichy Aqualia Thermal Serum after seeing it on Caroline Hirons blog - and her raving about it! Fingers crossed I like this product. It's aimed at de-hydrated skin and is a 'wet' serum. I will report back on this!

I currently use Benefit's Total Moisture moisturiser but at £25 a pop it's pretty expensive. But it does the job fantastically! However I thought I'd pick up the matching moisteriser from Vichy due to 3 for 2 offer. So technically this item was free! 

For £17.50 for a decent moisturiser I couldn't say no. I decided to get the rich formula and hope for the best. I just wanted a back up alternative to the Benefit one to change things up a bit. Again I'll report my findings back on how I find this!

Lastly I stocked up on Hydraluron. This was my main reason for visiting Boots in the first place! I've been using the Moisture Jelly version of this formula recently but it's sadly reached an end, so a quick dash to Boots was in order to stock up! Unfortunately it wasn't on offer as this is pretty pricey at £25. But it lasts for around 12 months so I can't complain really! It's just the initial sting. Also I can't live without this product so I couldn't say no!

Whilst I was mooching round the shops I came across a perfume that I desperately need! Its from Roger and Gallet - Fleur de Figuier eau de parfum. It's fruity and sweet and yummy. Maybe next week this will be a cheeky purchase? Keep you posted!

I hope you've all been enjoying this beautiful sunshine! Have you been to Boots recently or have any holy grail skin care products?

It's not often that I'll finish products up, so when I had a small collection of empty products I thought I'd do full reviews on them.

Firstly is my Benefit Moisture Prep toning lotion. I will be repurchasing this ASAP. This has changed my skincare completely. Its a moisturising toner that preps my skin for the other products I plan to use. I place a small amount on a cotton pad and  wipe all over my face each morning; followed by my serum and moisturiser.

I've also ran out my hydraluron. This is used between my serum and moisturiser as a 'glue' it keeps the moisture in and allows it be absorbed better - which is what my skin is not great at. Without this product I'd still have dry patches and tight dry skin, This has already been repurchased in the form of the moisture jelly instead of the serum, however both are the same price and just as effective as each other.

My Eve Lom cleanser has been low for a while now but I've finally finished it up. I enjoyed this balm cleanser but feel there are better and more affordable options elsewhere in the market, so I won't be repurchasing this. Was a great one to dip my toe into the world of balm cleansers though! 

For my hair I've used up Bumble and Bumbles Blow Dry Straight cream. This helps smooth out my frizzy hair before blow drying it. I wouldn't repurchase this in full size as its SO expensive when Tres Eme have some great alternatives for a quarter of the price.

Next up are some make up empties. It;s hard to finish make up, but I have a few! Firstly is the Maybelline the Falsies Volume Express Mascara. This is a lovely mascara and I'd repurchase when I have used up a few more in my collection. It has a nice big brush and a great formula. Next up is a sample of Benefit That Gal primer that I got in one of the Benefit make up kits. I've already purchased the full size for this because it is just beautiful. I have really dull skin and this adds life back into it and adds a subtle glow. This was in my make up bag for the gym to perk up my skin before work. It's a shame you can't just buy sample sizes for this purpose!

Last up is a lip liner from Rimmel in 'East End Snob' there's been loads of chat about this all over the internet. Its a beautiful blue toned pink lip liner in a twist up pen. I really enjoyed the colour for this product but not the texture...it was a bit drying and clung to dry patches on my lips which is a shame. It's great for the price, but I won't be repurchasing.

What products have you finished this month? 

Following on from my previous post; I wanted to share my evening skin care routine.



First I do a cleanse with my Eve Lom Cleansing Balm. I take a pea sized amount and rub in between my wingers to create a smooth oil and rub onto my skin. Especially focussing on any eye make up I may have on. I then take a flannel and rinse it under the warm tap and wash off the oil. I then repeat the process as a double cleanse to ensure I get all the days grime away.My skin always feels clean and nourished afterwards.




This wasn't my first choice for a cleansing balm, but at the time of purchase there wasn't a lot else on the market. I really want to try the Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm, and also more budget friendly ones such as the camomile range from The Body Shop, and the Clinique Take The Day Off cleansing balm. Once my Eve Lom one has run out, I will most certainly try one of these out!

I then use my Benefit Moisture Prep Toner to get rid of any oil residue.

Before I apply anything else I'll put some Kiehls Creamy Eye Treatment eye cream under and around my eyes. I've noticed that my under eye area looks dry sometimes and this really helps. So when I wake up in the morning I look all bright eyed and busy tailed (ish.)

I then use a slightly thicker serum. Right now I'm using Soap and Glory Make Yourself Youthful Serum. This is really nice and feels moisturising on the skin. I've heard it uses very good ingredients too.

Then if my skin looks a bit dull and needs a bit of love I'll either put an overnight moisture mask on, or use Ole Henrikson Overnight Treatment including AHA's. This helps brighten my skin up and also makes it feel incredibly smooth in the morning.

Other times I'll just use an overnight moisturiser. Nothing special or a drop of oil to keep my skin hydrated throughout the night.

Then just before I pop my eye mask (from firefox) on for bed I'll put some Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm. This is a mask type lip balm...really thick and nourishing: perfect for bedtime!


Hope this has been useful for anyone with drier skin types. Do you have a evening skincare regime? If so what products do you like to use?

Today I wanted to share my morning skincare routine with you. I've always suffered with dry skin and its took me years to find a skincare routine that helps my skin look it's best all day long.

I start off by gently ex-foliating my face with a generic face scrub. I especially enjoy neutrogena's range of face scrubs as they're never too drying and gently slough away any dead skin or black heads I may have. This doesn't irritate my skin either and leaves my skin feeling smooth and ready for the next step.

I then cleanse my face using the Ole Henrikson African Red Tea Foaming Cleansing by using one pump of product all over my face and neck. I usually stay clear of anything foaming as they tend to be drying; but this one feels like silk on the skin and leaves my face feeling clean and fresh.

Once I've patted my face dry, I'll use a small amount of Benefit's Total Moisture Toner on a cotton pad and smooth it all over my face. I've been using this product for well over a year now and can't be without it. It sets my skin up ready for the next products to follow and makes my face feel hydrated. Most toners contain alcohol, which means it has a drying effect and can make the skin feel tight. That's why I love this one, its hydrating and light on the skin.

Next I'll use a face serum. I'm not overly picky on serums and tend to change them up quite regularly. However I have found the more you pay for them, the better they are! I'm currently using the Ole Henrikson Truth Serum. This smells DIVINE. It smells like oranges and feels lightweight on the skin. I use one pump all over my face and allow a little drying time as it is a slightly wetter formula than others.

I then use my Hydraluron Moisture Jelly (Or the original Hydraluron serum depending what offers are on in boots) This is my holy grail product. This has changed my skin and the way my skin works. I used to suffer from heavy dry patches, or felt like my moisturiser wasn't doing it's job properly and would re-apply more throughout the day,
But this product seals in the moisture you've already placed on your face, and then absorbs more from the moisturiser you place on top. For £25 its a life saver in a tub.

I then use my Benefit Total Moisture Moisturiser. I've tried pretty much every high street moisturiser under the sun, And again found the more money you put into your products; the better the product! This is just a simple white cream, with no smell, that does what it says on the tin. No strange smell, no anti wrinkle crap. Just a plain good moisturiser, A pot of this usually lasts me about 6 months. So it's well worth the money in my opinion.

Lastly I pat a facial oil onto my face to really seal in all that moisture. I learnt this trick from looking on-line, If you place it earlier on in your skincare routine; it's likely to move around your products or break products down and not allow them to penetrate the skin. If you use a face oil as the last step, it just seals it all in. I'm currently using one from the Sanctuary Spa Range and quite like it. I haven't tried any others so I can't compare, but I would like to try the Kiehls Midnight Recovery oil once I've finished this one.

I just use one drop from the dispenser and pat it lightly over my cheeks and forehead, as these are the areas I need the most moisture.

I'm always open to new skin care products and love trial sizes so you can really test out a product before spending a small fortune on them!
Do you suffer from dry/dehydrated skin too? If so do you have any products to recommend?

I was perusing around the beauty hall in Selfridges and came across a little gem.

I've always wanted to try the skincare range from Ole Henrikson ever since following Caroline Hirons's blog. However was always put off by the expensive price tag.

For a mere £30 I managed to get my hands on 7 luxury sample sizes of their products. Heres the low down and what I would re purchase full size and what is not worth looking at.

African Red Tea Foaming Cleanser: 

I was a bit sceptical at first as we all know foaming cleansers dry out your skin; and for someone with VERY dry skin I wasn't sure how I would get on with this. However it feels like silk on the skin, it leaves a nice residue on the skin so it doesn't feel stripping, yet it feels cleansed. This also smells LOVELY. In the mornings this never fails to perk me up.

Would I buy the full size? Yes. It's one of the cheaper items to repurchase.

Walnut Complexion Scrub:

This is very similar to one I've tried from The Sanctuary Spa range. Its quite gritty with large particles of what I can only assume are walnuts? It'd a little too rough on my sensitive skin, However I think it makes a nice body scrub? It's not overly scented either.

Would I buy the full size? I'm afraid not. Drugstore face scrubs are cheaper and more gentle.

Truth Serum Collagen Booster:

This is by far my favourite product. The serum is light and sinks straight into the skin, making my normally tight dry skin feel hydrated and relaxed. Its like a vitamin tablet for your face. It smells divinely of oranges and really gives a boost to my skin before I add my moisturiser.

Because you only need the tiniest amount for your face, this is sure to last a good amount of time.

Would I buy the full size? Yes. However I'd have to hand my credit card to them with my eyes shut.

Truth Revealed Super Cream SPF:

This is a nice light moisturiser, with the added bonus of an SPF. This is nice. However I much prefer my current Benefit Total  Moisture Cream. It's cheaper and its more hydrating. I feel in the summer months this would be nice for a nice light application, whilst being protected by the sun without having to wear a heavy SPF.

Would I buy the full size? Nope. Way too pricey.

Ultimate Eye Lift Gel:

Like it says on the pot. Its an eye gel. It feels cooling and not at all sticky. However after using this for a few weeks straight I can't say I've noticed a difference around my eye area, and it doesn't really moisturise the area either? Maybe if I had more prominent signs of ageing I would benefit from this.

Would I buy the full size? I don't think I'll ever need to! you need such a small amount of product that I think this will last a while! However I prefer my Keihl's Creamy Eye Cream to moisturise under my eyes.

Sheer Transformation Cream:

This is alight air whipped formula which is meant to even out skin tone, rid of dark areas and perfect the skin. I've been using this a few times a week and have noticed a small change. Its great to use under make up as it sits nicely on top and makes make up look better. t just gives you a nice smooth base and good looking skin.

Would I buy the full size? I don't think so... I feel I an live without this. However it is a really nice product.

Invigoration Night Gel:

I've been after an acid exfoliater for a while now, however they're either too expensive or the cheap ones irritate my skin. This however truly does the job! It slays dead skin and you wake up with a beautiful smooth face. No dry patches, no irritated skin, just lovely happy, soft skin.

Once again this a gel formula and you only need a small amount. My little pot is going to last me! I just place a pea sized amount of product onto my face and apply all over, And in the morning my skin looks revitalised.

Would I buy the full size? Yes. This product is the hero product in this set. Again I'd have to shut my eyes at the counter. But it would be worth it!

Have you tried anything from Ole Henrikson? What do you think?

I still want to try the brightening face wipes? However I'm not sure I can justify the £15 price tag?