I love lipbalms. I don't just love them, I need them. I have one in every bag I own and at least two in the house somewhere, as my lips always feel parched and uncomfortable throughout the day.
I usually stay away from cosmetic 'tinted' lipbalms as they never give the same hydrating benefits as the likes of 'Carmex' or 'Burts Bee's' and I normally find them quite gimicky.

So after treating myself at the Benefit counter the other day, I though't I'd pick up the beautifully packaged 'Posiebalm' as a little treat. It's in a gorgeous neutral pink shade that anyone can wear, and is housed in gorgeous pink metallic casing.

As soon as I tried it, my lips felt hydtared and comfortable, and even had a nice little hint of pink to them. I was pleasently surprised! - and theres nothing better than taking out that pretty packaging and reapplying it in public.

It is super pricey for a tinted lipbalm, but for a little treat, and something that actually works - I'd certainly repurachse some more in different colours, Chacha Balm is a beautiful peachy orange, and Benebalm is a nice muted cherry red. The only one I wouldn't wear is Lollibalm - an orchid purple shade that has a very blue tint to it.

My brows and I have never had a great relationship. I've never been able to get the right shape to suit my face, and I'm naff at filling them in with brow pencils. All the colours I find are too warm for my quite dark brows.

This little gel from Benefit is the bee's knees for girls who are not friends with their brows, and hate high maintainance make up! A quick swipe through the brows makes them look darker, shaped and bolder. I'm in love!

The small brush make it easy to get into the smaller areas of the brows, and the colour match it pretty perfect. There are only two colours in the range, but the light brown looks light enough for blondes, and the medium brown is dark enough for dark brows like mine. It doesn't make your brows crispy or uncomfortable, it just adds enough colour to sparse looking brows, and sets unruley brows in place.

I used to use the Maybelline Brow Drama gel, which had a small circular brush which was hard to get on with and didn't cling to all the small little unseen hairs at the front, and didn't add the same kind of texture that the Benefit one has to offer.

If you can afford to splurge - go for the Benenfit offering, if you need to save? - The Maybelline one will still do a decent job,

Over the past few months I've brought a few items to pamper myself during our hectic house situation - I'm sorry thats all I'm ever going to talk about now!
It's nice to have a little treat every now and then; and the only place to do that is in Boots. Most of the items I picked up have either been on my lust list for a little while now, or I've seen them spoken about in videos so I had to try it out for myself! - Watching Youtube videos is so enabling!

Make up:
I found the cutest, tiniest eyeshadow palette from Smashbox that I couldn't refuse - the Smashbox Full Exposure palette has the perfect shades in it to be the only palette you ever need - Full review to come!
Benefit Gimmie brow has been on my list for a long time - and today I finally bit the £18 bullet and brought it. I haven't had much time (or a good enough mirror) to see to my brows recently and thought this would be great to tame things till I can get them professionally done. I havn't tried this yet so await a full review!
Whilst I was gorming at the Benefit counter I also picked up a Posiebalm - just cause it looked cute and I wanted a little treat for myself...I have no excuse, have you seen the packaging?

Skincare:
I had a sample of the Lush moisturiser in Skins Shangri La and remember it being like a drink for your skin. With all the stress from moving and months of decorating, this was very much needed! It's quite a thick creamy consistensy, and almost oily? If you suffer from oily skin this won't be for you; but for those who lack moisture this would be perfect. I use this as the last step in my routine to add a good dose of moisture before starting my day.
Hylamide Booster Glow Serum - I saw this brand on a few skincare blogs and was intrigued so I picked one up. It's from the same brains as Indeed labs, so I thought it would be worth a shot! I picked up the glow booster serum as my skin has always been a bit lacklustre...If I like this one I may have to stock up on more from the brand!

Tools:
On my sprees I also picked up two new brushes from varying spectrums of price. First is the tapered blush brush from the Real Techniques Bold Metals Collection - which I had been eyeing up for a while, and soon as I saw they were on offer I ran to the check out. Its a gorgeous colour, supersoft and applied blush like a dream - no regrets!
On the other side is a £3 blush brush from Wilkos. The softest brush, not too dense and visualy not at all bad...for anyone whose on a budget I highly reccomend taking a look!

Shower Products:
First I brought the St Tropez in shower gardual tan lotion; this was on every blog and every youtube channel and had some real mixed reviews. I've never been one for self tanning as I always end up turning orange or have a horrid streak down my arm. This is the perfect self tanning lotion for people who don't want to look orange and want a streak free application.
Next on my jollies I came across some Ritauls products in Marks Spencers. I chose the Indian rose scent in the foaming shower gel formula. This is similar to the Imperial Leather Foamburst, but a bit more luxurious and creamy.

Well there you have it! 2 months of purchases wrapped up! Expect full reviews very soon as I use the products and get to know them, and expect to see others in Most Used Monday posts - which will be back soon too!

I've really missed blogging and having my little space on the internet...it feels good to be back!

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? 

Today I thought I'd do a monthly round-up of all the things I've been loving this month. This month has been surprisingly beautiful here in the UK and I can't believe how fast it's come around!

Favourite accessory:
Due to the gorgeous weather we've been receiving I've been loving my sunglasses from Topshop. They're a similar tortoise shell design to my other ones but have a sightly larger frame and coloured arms. I've also really enjoyed wearing gold jewellery and nude nails.
Favourite make up item:
I'm gonna have to go with the L'Oreal superstar mascara. I haven't stopped wearing it and I still love it as much as when I first tried it. I've also been loving a small amount of 'Rockateur' blush by Benefit to uplift the colour on my cheeks.
Favourite Nail Polish: 
It's got to be the sunset collection from Barry M. I've had these glossy nude nails on ever since I brought them. The finish is super glossy and professional looking, and the effects last a good amount of time.
Favourite Perfume:
I've been choosing the ever so summery scent of Juicy Couture Malibu. It instantly reminds of summer and I'm going to need a new bottle of this stuff soon!
Favourite TV: 
We've just finished the first season of Daredevil from Netflix. If you enjoy Marvel films then you'll enjoy this series, It's quite dark and crime orientated but I can't wait for the next season!
Favourite food:
Pita bread and dips. If I was moved into my new house with a garden, I'm sure my answer would have been barbecues...dammit.
Favourite moment:
A little trip to Dovedale in the peak district. I've been begging Lee to go for years after our failed attempt about 3 years ago (involving a months worth of rain and an iphone.) And with the decent weather we had been having we managed to get there and finish the walk. I love the views and the scenery; it feels like another world.

I was so busy last Monday I didn't have time to post last weeks favourite items!
I love doing a weekly favorites as it allows me to change up my products every week, but also makes sure I'm using up my products and not leaving them at the back of the draw to get lost forever.

I haven't been wearing much in the way of bases recently, I still use my Stila One Step color corrector most days to even out my skin tone, but I've been pretty barefaced this week. I've been adding my new Benefit Rockateur blush to the apples of cheeks and up towards my cheek bones to add an out door looking glow. The blush is a beautiful 'dirty' pink shade with plenty of shimmer to add a nice highlight, but without the chunks of glitter. I find this blush really compliments my skin tone and is incredibly wearable.

Secondly I've been loving the mascara from L'Oreal Miss Manga. I love the wand of this mascara as it really grips the lashes, and it holds a curl pretty well considering how straight my lashes are, that's where my most used tool comes in  - my models own eye lash curlers. These are super easy to use and create a nice natural curl to my lashes to open my eyes up, and allows mascara to look a bit more 'fluttery.'

On my eyes I've been keeping it quite natural with my Urban Decay Naked palette. I especially love the colors, Buck, Half Baked and Smog. I use Buck all over the lid pretty much every day to add a bit of depth and definition to my eyes, and if i feel I need a little extra I'll add smog or half baked for some shimmer. I'm going to start experimenting more with the purple shades in this palette.  I find it very hard to wear blacks though, so Creep and Gunmetal rarely get used - maybe I'll have a little try next week.

Lastly I've been loving the Barry M speedy range in the color 'Eat My Dust.' This is real pastel sunflower blue which really catches your eyes. Unfortunately due to my line of work it chips so easily and I have to re-apply most days but I love the color. It's the perfect color to add some nail art too.

What have you been using this week? And what would you like to see reviewed on here?

Apparently I was feeling rather spendy today.

I found myself at boots browsing the Benefit counter and decided to pick up the 'Rockateur' Blusher. I've had my eye on this blusher for a while now. I don't own anything like this. I don't love the packaging but the product inside is gorgeous. When you first open the packaging it's covered in pink holograhpic glitter. After one use this is gone and your left with a dusky rose blush with a hint of brown to it. It gives a natural colour to the face and I think it would suit a lot of different skin tones. It has a nice inner glow look to it too which I love with blushers.

As I'd already fulfilled part of my forever growing wish list I thought I may as well add some more, much lusted after products to my basket. In went Soap and Glory's 'Solar Powder' and 'DIY Brow Bar.'
The brow kit contains a brown and blonde powder, a wax and an under arch highlight. I haven't given this product a proper road test yet, so keep an eye out for a full review!
The 'solar powder' is a beautiful bronzer with two shades. With summer on it's way I wanted to brighten my look up and add a sun kissed glow to the skin. I'm yet to try this out yet either but I've heard great things from other blogs about it, so I'm excited to give this a try as it doesn't look too dark or too orange.

Barry M have got some gorgeous new shades in their 'speedy' range. I brought two shades on a previous jaunt in 'In a Heart Beat' a beautiful toned down neon pink, 'Road Rage' a dupe for Essie - Mint Candy Apple and 'Eat My Dust' a gorgeous pastel purple/blue. I didn't find they dry any quicker than their standard polishes...but the colours are gorgeous and ready for spring in a range of gorgeous pastels.

Lastly I brought the Garnier Micellar cleansing water. I've heard a few things about this and was running low on my normal cleanser. I'm excited to try this to use this as a first cleanse to get rid of my make up before doing a proper cleanse. I always find eye make up the worse to remove and this claims to remove really easily.

Have you brought anything recently from Boot's or the drugstore?
Any recommendations?

This Monday proved that Spring has sprung - light bases, poppy pink hues and fresh feelings.

In the shower I've loved using the L'occitane Almond Oil. This smells delicious and leaves my skin feeling nourished and soft. You only need the tiniest amount to get a good lather going with this. I only have a travel sized version, but as soon as I run out of this I'll be purchasing a full size!

As a base I've been using Benefit's 'That Gal' primer to add a bit of a glow to my skin, followed by my new favourite BB cream my L'oreal from their Nude Magique' range.

I've been leaving my eyes quite nude and using a bit of L'oreal Colour Riche Eyeshadow in the colours 'Quartz Fume' and 'Cafe Saint Germain'  to add a bit of depth to the eyes followed by a good few coatings of 'The Falsies' by Maybelline. on my lashes. I find this mascara really adds some volume and holds a curl really well.
If I'm feeling brave and steady handed I'll add a little flick with my Soap and Glory 'Supercat.' This is only on days I have time to precise my flick.

I've enjoyed wearing pretty pinks on my cheeks since the sun has decided to grace us with it's presence this week! To add that pop of pink I've been using cream based products to get a nice dewy natural glow. I've really enjoyed using my Benefit's 'Fine One One' cream blush and highlight stick.
This is so easy to apply, just one swipe onto the cheeks and a quick blend of the fingers and you have a gorgeous, natural blush effect, with some added highlight to the cheek bones.
I've also been enjoying the BB Blush from the L'oreal Nude Magique collection too. This is more of a baby pink colour than a coral colour,

And lastly on my lips I've discovered an old favourite in the form of Revlon's 'Lip Butter' in the shade 'Sweet Tart.' This is a proper poppy pink with a glossy buttery texture and gives the look a glossy polished feel.
I can't wait till Revlon bring out their new HD Gel formula lipsticks.

Then in the evenings I've seriously been loving the Montagne Jeunesse 'Black Seaweed' peel off fask mask. This gets rid of any blackheads and dry skin I might have and leaves my skin all smooth and prepped for the next day!



What have you been enjoying this week?

This weeks most used products are much more make up based!

Lets start with the base I've been using. This is Soap and Glory's 'Hocus Focus.' This is a highlight/primer product that gives a beautiful luminosity to the skin. 

It also perfects the skin by blurring out any imperfections and evens out my skin tone.

I'd say this is comparative to Benefits Girl meets Pearl, and Nars Copacabana Illuminator.

Sometimes I use this on it's own, or with my foundation to add a little light to the skin.

Next up is a new purchase. Its the Maybelline Color Tattoo in 'on and on bronze.' I've seen this mentioned on the internet countless times in favourite videos and make up tutorials and never bit the bullet to get it (even though its less that a fiver.)

I've been using this as a base before I apply any other eye-shadow, or wear it on its own all over the lid to add a bit a colour.

I either apply with my finger or with a brush depending on my mood. I'm in LOVE with this product and can't believe I didn't pick it up sooner.

Next up is my Urban Decay Naked 1 Palette. I've been loving the colours 'Buck' which is a gorgeous natural matte brown; perfect for the defining the crease. Then I either like to add 'Smog' or 'Darkhorse' for a little added colour and shimmer.

Another recent purchase is the Maybelline 'The Falsies' Mascara. This is such a good drug store mascara with a good wand and a really good formula. It makes my lashes look fuller and longer and holds a decent curl!

The only problem with this mascara is how wet the formula is. I always find that its transferred onto my eyelid somehow...no matter how careful I am.

And Last but not Least is the Benefit 'Coralista' Blush which is a beautiful coral blush with a gorgeous sheen to add a slight highlight to the cheeks.

I really want to experiment more with my Naked Palette, do you have any favourite colours or would you like to see a blog post on different looks?

Here's a little wish list I made as I'm trying to save right now, but this kinda curbs the need to spend money for the moment.

I have two perfume wants on here. First is Yves Saint Laurent in Black Opium, I smelt this in duty free on holiday and became addicted...but not to the price tag! I have plenty of perfumes to use before I splurge on a new one. It smells deep and sexy and slightly sweet? I love it.
Next is Molecule 101 which I've heard so much about on the internet! From what I understand it only has one ingredient which smells different on everyone else and smells differently too other people as well. They only sell this in Liberty London so I'd have to try it before I bought it.

Next up is a cleansing balm from Emma Hardie. As soon as my Eve Lom one has run out this is going straight into my basket!

Next a clothing item. I'm all about pastel colours and cute collars right now. But they are no where to be seen! I'm not even sure we have a Jane Norman anymore? But this little number is cute.

From The Balm is this 'Nute Tude' Palette. Every colour looks wear-able and  it has a reasonable price tag. The only reason I haven't already purchased this is because I cannot find one to sample/swatch to see what the quality is like! Superdrug are supposedly meant to stock The Balm...however I am yet to find one that does!

Also from The Balm cosmetics range is their 'Mary-Lou Manizer' highlighter, This is meant to be the best of the best for high street highlighters. Again same problem as above...I'm not able to swatch it to find out if it's worth the money! Maybe I'll bite the bullet on these two items if there is ever a deal on Feelunique.com.

Benefit Dallas looks quite dull in the box, but I've seen swatches of this and it looks gorgeous. I'm just unsure if this would suit my skin tone as its kind of a dirty looking pink? Maybe when I save my boots points up I can give this a little try.

Last but not least is the new YSL Lip Oil. These sound gorgeous...but a total luxury purchase. I'm in love with the packaging and I'd also love the YSL Lipstick...
This is a case of seriously wanting one. But not needing one.
Would certainly look very nice on my dressing table!

Yves Saint Laurent fragrance
selfridges.com

Escentric Molecules fragrance
£54 - net-a-porter.com

Emma Hardie botanics skin care
uk.spacenk.com

Jane Norman green top
houseoffraser.co.uk

TheBalm eyeshadow
nelly.com

TheBalm face powder
£22 - asos.com

Benefit blush
£19 - bloomingdales.com

Yves Saint Laurent lip makeup
johnlewis.com

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'll admit it.

I caved. 

Benefit packaging and their gorgeous selection of products were just shouting at me to purchase them. 

I've brought a few of their mini beauty kits before to try a few items from their range, so knew I would enjoy their products,

Lets start with 'That Gal' Brightening Face Primer. This dewy primer (which smells like raspberries) has a pink tone to it so that when applied to the face it appears to even things out and gives a nice fresh glow to the skin. It isn't drying and I like to wear this alone on non make up days, or mixed in with my foundation to add a bit of brightness.

The packaging is in a tube with a twist at the bottom, so that the product comes out in a reasonable quantity through an almost sponge like top. It's incredibly easy to use. I first tried the sample size which came in a small tube with a few other products; and it lasted me ages, So I know this will too.

Secondly I have the 'Coralista' Box Blush. This is a gorgeous coral blush with a small amount of shimmer to it so it create the look of a highlight when on the cheeks. It gives the cheeks a natural glow and also adding a small amount of tan due to the deep coral colour. On paler skin tones this could almost be used as a contour colour.

I'm contemplating adding 'Rocketeur' and 'Dallas' to my collection....but I may need to save up some boots points'!

Lastly I have the 'Fine One One' cream blush. Inside the twist up packaging are three colours stacked against each other. A gorgeous champagne highlight. A poppy pink shade and a coral. When swiped across the cheek - with the highlight placed along the cheek bone. you simply swirl upwards with a brush or fingers for a gorgeous creamy blush look that looks complex, yet took 5 seconds.

I don't use this product enough, and I really should because it's beautiful. (And look at that rose gold packaging!)

Do you have any recommendations from Benefit? What's your favourite product?