The Einstein of cleansers

Elemis Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser

Can you believe Christmas is over?! Months of build up and it was over in the blink of an eye! Honestly I think we should make it last a week instead of just 1 day. I hope Santa brought you everything you wanted and that you got to spend loads of time with your friends and family eating and drinking waaay too much. I certainly did :)

I’ve actually really missed writing my little blog posts over the Christmas holidays and have been looking forward to singing the praises of this awesome cleanser!...

More than anything else using the right cleanser can make a massive difference to my skin. I've tried dozens over the last couple of years because the wrong one can cause my already break-out prone skin to play up and instead of just sticking with what works I'm always trying to find one that not only cleans my skin but leaves it soft, smooth, spot free, glowing, radiant and, well, perfect. Needless to say I'm still searching :)
As a general rule I veer away from cream cleansers (although there are a few that have actually worked well for me!) and will usually opt for fairly strong products with salicylic acid, tea tree, witch hazel etc. So although I had an open mind when decided to give Pro-radiance by Elemis a try I really wasn't expecting miracles

This comes in a 150ml pump bottle and I find half a pump is enough for my whole face

This is one of the most luxurious face products I've ever used, though the £27.60 price tag probably helps add to the feeling of luxury! The smell is really mild and subtle, kinda like coco and shea butter mixed together so it's nice but nothing to write home about; which suits me cos I don't like over-fragranced face products

Although the texture is rich it's actually loose enough to be massaged into the skin for ages and it's so soothing I've used this as a moisturising 5-minute face mask when my skin feels particularly dry and tight. And there aren't many cleansers that actually feel like a treatment for the skin!
What impressed me most about this cleanser is that it's kept my skin well-balanced and practically (not totally, but then I think that'd be asking too much) blemish free since I started using it. I'd sort of expected the rich formula to leave my skin too oily or over-loaded but that hasn't been the case at all. It's like this actually knows how dry or oily my skin is and adapts to work how I need it to work. I don't wanna go giving this too much credit or anything but it's the most clever cleanser I've ever used and I'm still amazed at how well it's held up against my ever-changing skin

Summary

Cost : £27.60 - I dunno about you but I reckon this is a ridiculous amount for a cleanser. If it didn't work so well I'd swear I'm not gonna buy this again
Size : 150ml
Plus point : This is an anti-aging cleanser and I’ve heard skin starts to age more and more rapidly after you reach 25. I’m 26. It’s definitely time to start including an anti-aging product or two in my routine; better safe than sorry n all that

just another nude eye shadow palette

Stila Naturaleyes eye shadow palette

If there's one thing I don't need it's yet another nude eye shadow palette but whilst I was doing my Christmas shopping this Stila Naturaleyes palette actually jumped right into my basket and forced me to buy it. There were threats, my arm was twisted and there was just no way I could say no

The packaging won me over cos it's so natural and simple looking. Who knew cardboard could look this good?
I'd swatched the colours in the shop and fell in love with them straight away but suffered a little twinge of buyers remorse when I used this the next morning. There was a lot of fall-out when I applied some of these shadows (Kitten and Champagne are the worst offenders, they also happen to be my two favourite shades) so this can be really annoying to use. Nothing gets on my nerves more than my under-eye area getting covered in loose eye shadow cos it's so hard to tidy up. Some of the shades are like loosely packed talcum powder and others are dense, rich and seriously pigmented. The extent to which the textures differed really surprised - and slightly annoyed - me

The range of colours is awesome, for a relatively small palette they've squeezed in a great mix of light, medium and dark shades so it's easy to create a pretty daytime look or a serious smokey evening look. Oh and there are matte and shimmery shades! I'm a sucker for shimmery, glittery, shiny things but I like the option of nice matte shades too... Even if I'll only use them once in a blue moon
I love the little Glimmersticks by Stila and this one is no exception! The colour is great as it gives real definition to my eyes but doesn't leave them looking too dark… I prefer a relatively subtle look for during the day so this works a treat. There aren’t enough eye liners that stay in place all day long so this is pretty high up in my list of favourites because it doesn't budge till you tell it to (with eye makeup remover)

Overall I'd give this palette a respectable 7 outta 10; the loose, lightly packed shadows let it down but the colours make it worth having

Thanks for stopping by ♥

December Glossybox - Best one ever!

Last month I was so disappointed by my Glossybox I didn’t even bother posting about it :( This month however I’m so in love with every single item I literally can’t wait to try them out! Which is why it’s 1.37am and I’m wearing freshly applied mascara and lip gloss. I really need to get a life

If you aren’t familiar with Glossy box you can find out all about it here

Now, onto my fantabulous products!!...
Rituals Yogi Flow Indian rose & sweet almond oil shower gel. I’ve adored every Rituals product I’ve tried (everything from lip gloss to night cream) but I haven’t tried their bath products so I’m expecting great things from this! Although I recently decided to ban Sodium Laureth Sulphate from my bathroom – apparently it’s really drying and generally just not good for the skin – so I’ll have to lift the ban if I’m gonna give this a try. And I think we both know I most definitely am :)
Cargo Lip Gloss. I’ve only ever tried the Cargo eye shadows but have had my eye on their glosses for a while so WOOHOO!!!
MeMeMe Seventh Heaven moisturising facebase. This range do some of the best highlighters and cheek tints ever so if the facebase is even half as good I’ll be a very happy bunny. I’ve rubbed a little on the back of my hand and have already fallen in love with the smell… Citrus has gotta be the best way to start the day! Also, the texture is amazing so I shall be applying this before work tomorrow (well, today)
Deborah Lippmann Razzle Dazzle Mini Nail Varnish. This reminds me of tinsel so is totally perfect for this time of year but I have to admit that I don’t usually bother with these kinda glitter polishes cos I find it so hard to get a nice even coat of sparkle. With Christmas being just around the corner I'll put in the extra time and effort
Blink + Go Hi-Definition Mascara. First impressions; the packaging is lovely and the description on the little insert sounds great (Longer, thicker, sexier lashes? Er, yes please) Lets hope the mascara becomes a new favourite!

I'm off to bed, nighty night all. Thanks for stopping by ♥

Estee Lauder Blush in Rose Nuance

I’m gonna make this short n sweet cos there isn’t a massive amount I can say about a blush!

I picked this up a couple of months back as I was stocking up on Double Wear and realised I hadn’t owned an Estee Lauder blush in years! This shade really jumped out at me cos the colour is ridiculously pink so after trying a little swatcharoo on the back of my hand I just had to have it
Although the colour is one of those scarily bright shades in the pan it’s actually a beautifully natural pretty pink shade. When it’s applied with a light hand that is :)

The powder is so finely milled that it really blends into the skin, giving a natural flushed look as opposed to the dreaded circle of intense colour right in the centre of each cheek. We’ve all gone for that look at some point I reckon but at least we learned from it!
I don’t know how everyone else feels about them but I really really hate these little blush brushes! I never use them but I don’t really like throwing them away cos it seems like such a waste so I usually find that it stays in the plastic wrapping till I’ve used up all the product and I can chuck it in the bin guilt free

Summary

Cost : £24 – definitely one of the highest priced blushes I own but also one of my most used!
Size : 5g
Shades available : 8 in total, varying from pale nude to rich plum tones
2nd best bit : The packaging. The Estee Lauder packaging really appeals to the middle aged woman in me

Liz Earle Cleanser Vs Superdrug Cleanser

Liz Earlr Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth CLeanser and Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser

Happy Sunday all! Hope you had a lovely weekend. I had a seriously busy week so Adryen and I spent today watching films (I highly recommend Let Me In) and munching biscuits. And if there’s a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon I certainly can’t think of it :)

Anywho, it occurred to me during the week that I’ve never reviewed Cleanse and Polish by Liz Earle *Le gasp!!*

It’s one of those beauty products that has become a real cult classic and is adored by millions (me included!) but with the influx of other cleanse and polish style products I've branched out and tried a few different ones over the last year or so. Not because the Liz Earle one is lacking in any way but simply because the grass is always greener…

One of my favourite copy cats is the Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser so I’ve included some info on the classic Liz Earle and the new Superdrug products below

Scent
Liz Earle : Strong, slightly medcinal smell of Eucalyptus and Rosemary… Very refreshing and actually smells of clean
Vitamin E : Subtle, slightly sweet scent of cocoa with a little hint of almond. Totally inoffensive and the perfect smell to start or end the day with

Texture
Liz Earle : Thick, rich, creamy and incredibly dense
Vitamin E : as above. Only difference is that this becomes more loose quite quickly so it gives me the chance to really work it into my skin – rather nice cos it actually feels like I’m working all the gross-ness out from around my nose and chin area (apologies if I've just put you off your dinner)
Results
Liz Earle : When the weather has been miserable and dry-skin-inducing this is the cleanser I’ve gone back to again and again. It does exactly what it says on the tin so my skin is always left feeling gorgeously clean and soft without that tight uncomfortable feeling that is often part and parcel of using a wash off cleanser
Vitamin E : My cheeks and forehead have been feeling particularly parched recently so this has been a godsend. I’ve found that it leaves my skin looking brighter and clearer and has calmed the spots that are currently intruding upon my chin and jaw line. I’ve found that this leaves a my skin feeling more hydrated that the Liz Earle version which is absolutely perfect at the moment but it’s also reason enough for me to not recommend this to people with oily skin – I reckon there’s just too much chance it’d overload a more oily skin!

Packaging
Liz Earle : If bought alone this comes in a 100ml pump bottle which gives 66 measured pumps of product so if used morning and night should last a month. The bottle pictured is one I got in a set from QVC a while back
Vitamin E : 200ml tube comes in a box… I’d say one of the splodges on the back of my hand is the perfect amount to use over the whole face. I’d opt for twice as much if I was taking it right down my next and décolleté though

Price
Liz Earle : 100mls plus 2 cloths = £13.75
Vitamin E : 200 mls plus 1 cloth = £3.99 (though it’s on offer for £2.99 at the min)

I should probably mention that I always remove my makeup before I cleanse so I’m not entirely sure how these work against heavy duty foundations and eye makeup. They both claim to remove every last trace of grime but I’m sure I’m not the only one here who cant help being a tad sceptical of those kinda claims

I know some people absolutely love the Liz Earle range and wouldn't dream of trying anything else - if it's not broke don't fix it n all that! - but I'm happy to use any old stuff as long as it gives results so when I'm picking up a cream cleanser in future it'll definitely be the cheap Superdrug alternative ♥

Not all primers are created equal

Laura Geller Spackle in Champagne

Evening all, hope you’ve had a nice week so far! Looking forward to the weekend? I’m working on Saturday which kinda sucks but It’s Adryens birthday on Sunday so I’m all excited about that. Is there anything better than choosing the perfect pressie for someone and getting to watch them open it? :)

Had a rather long day so figured I’d top it off with a little negative review on a recent purchase! Laura Gellers Champagne Spackle…

…This confuses me slightly as it’s described as an under-makeup primer yet it's full of little shimmery particles. Surely if it's designed to be worn under makeup the glitter is totally unnecessary? I know there's a possibility that someone could want to use this alone on non-makeup days but it seems silly to bother adding sparkly stuff to a primer if there's only a slight chance that someone might wanna use this on a day when they aren’t gonna bother with foundation
The champagne tone of this is almost non-existent once it's been applied (even on my ridiculously pale skin) and I'm not very keen on the twinklyness. Although I didn't notice just how obvious the sparkle was until I caught sight of my skin in direct sunlight and personally I think it's just too much - even more OTT than Revlon Photoready so if I was to repurchase (which I wont) I'd definitely get the regular version instead of the Champagne one
Now onto the really important stuff! The texture is nice and smoothes my skin slightly but no more than a really good moisturiser. I find this helps my pores look refined but doesn't actually leave my whole face looking smooth n polished the way my Smashbox, Rimmel and L'Oreal primers do. On the plus side it dries in fairly quickly and non-tackily so I don’t have to blast my face with the cool setting on my hair drier when I'm in a rush to get my makeup done

I was particularly disappointed by this cos I adore all the other Laura Geller stuff I’ve bought in the past but I guess it would be too much to ask that every single item from a brand is totally perfect!

The £76.60 face cream thats totally ... average

Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream

“Transforms the complexion in 2 weeks” That one little claim was reason enough for me to decide to give this a go (cos I'm a total sucker) I don't really like spending so much on one teensy tiny jar of gloop but if it's gonna make a genuine difference to my skin then I'd probably pay 3 times as much and just live on beans and toast :)

I'd heard nothing but good things about this cream and it seems to have become a real cult classic which made me all the more keen to try it. I wasn't too keen on the packaging but that's mostly cos I think jars are pretty unhygienic compared with tubes or pump bottles. The smell is a tad overpowering for me - I'm quite happy to use scented products but I prefer the smell to be subtle and I reckon this is the face cream equivalent of walking into the perfume section of Boots a week before Christmas
But onto some good points! The texture is absolutely lovely, it feels really creamy but in a smooth delicate way as opposed to thick and buttery. And thanks to the texture this is absorbed into the skin in seconds with practically no rubbing required… Always a bonus if you're using this as a day cream as there's nothing more annoying that standing around waiting for your moisturiser to be absorbed before applying makeup. Although if you are using this as a day cream the lack of SPF could be a concern
As for the actual results, unfortunately there was nothing to write home about. My skin has had a few dry patches recently (around my nose and eye brows) and this didn't do anything to alleviate the dryness so I ended up applying Eucerin to the worst areas. Also I have little red dots on my chin (scar tissue from long-conquered spots) and the redness seemed to become more prominent when I used this cream. The rest of my face didn't look any more smooth or feel any more firm than before I started using this

I don’t think this is a particularly bad moisturiser but I think there are much better ones available for a fraction of the price.

Summary :

Cost - £76.60
Size - 50ml
Designed for - Anti-ageing
Will I repurchase? - Nope, no chance