Trying Different Dry Shampoos - Review

I always like testing out new dry shampoos, especially when they're on special offer! I tend to only wash my hair a couple of times a week so a decent dry shampoo is essential for me. I have four different products to review, which are all available at either Tesco or Superdrug.

Batiste Dry Shampoo - Blush

I personally love Batiste, especially when it's half price (yay for being a poor student). I got this product in blush purely because the packaging is super pretty. I really like the smell as well, it's not too over powering or in your face. The product itself is brilliant, it doesn't leave a layer of white in your hair like some products do and it makes my hair feel fresh and clean. I feel you can't go wrong with Batiste and it's definitely my favourite dry shampoo that I've tried. 

Herbal Essences Dry Shampoo - Ignite My Colour 

I've never tried Herbal Essences before and I thought I'd try this because it was also on special offer. Unfortunately I didn't like it as much as the Batiste one. It didn't leave any white in my hair and my hair did look and feel clean. However it left my hair feeling quite dry and matted, which wasn't ideal. The smell is okay although it's quite over powering; sometimes less is more! I probably wouldn't purchase this at full price. 

Girlz Only Dry Shampoo 

I love this product! For £1.50 it's brilliant, so if you're on a budget I would definitely recommend it. It doesn't leave a layer of white in your hair and it simply does the job it's supposed to do. It leaves my hair feeling clean and vibrant! 

Superdrug Sinful Moments Dry Shampoo

This is a similar price to the Girlz Only Dry Shampoo and is the same size. I do like this product and I'll be taking it on holiday with me. However I feel it takes quite a lot of product to get the desired result. I have to spray more than the other products so it does get used up quicker. Apart from that, the smell's okay and it does leave your hair feeling and looking clean. Out of all the dry shampoos I've reviewed I would say that this is my least favourite product. 

Thank you for reading :) 

Top 5 Favourite Lipsticks

In all honestly I'm not a big lipstick wearer, I like to collect lipsticks but I don't wear them that often. However when I do, the following lipsticks are my favourites and go-to products. They're a mixture of high end and drugstore, and vary from a classic nude to a deep red. 

Left to right - MAC Mehr, Clinique Red-Y To Wear, Collection 01 Prohibition, Rimmel Kate Moss 03 and The Body Shop 200 Colour Crush

Left to right - MAC Mehr, Clinique Red-Y To Wear, Collection 01 Prohibition, Rimmel Kate Moss 03 and The Body Shop 200 Colour Crush

MAC Mehr - Matte

This is probably my favourite lipstick that I own, I love the matte finish on this and the colour is very wearable during the day. The lasting power is great and I would definitely recommend this MAC lipstick. 

Clinique High Impact 12 Red-Y To Wear

I used to wear this colour a lot on nights out and the staying power is brilliant; I never used to have to touch up. I personally think this is a classic red and if I ever adventure out at night again this would definitely be my go-to colour!

Collection Deluxe 01 Prohibition 

This red is a slightly deeper and pinker red compared to the one above. This is my favourite lipstick to wear in autumn and winter, and is actually quite wearable in the day time. 

Rimmel Kate Moss 03

This is quite simply a classic nude that everyone needs in their make up collection! I feel it would suit most skin tones and is similar to what Kylie Jenner wears. A must have!

The Body Shop Colour Crush 200 XL101CD?! (the name isn't clear!)

I love the colour of this lipstick. It's a beautiful pinky nude that looks lovely and is perfect for summer!

Thank you for reading and comment below your favourite lipsticks! :) 

My Current Daily Skin Care Routine - blemished and combination skin

My current daily skin care routine is quite random at the moment as I'm trying to use up products. I have combination skin and I feel what I'm using makes my skin feel too dry and sensitive sometimes so I will be changing it soon. 

As you can see below I'm using mainly tea tree products for blemished skin, which I don't have any more, but I'm still going to finish the products. 

I switched over from The Body Shop Tea Tree range to the Superdrug Tea Tree skin care as I wanted to save some money. Having nearly finished the Superdrug range I honestly didn't see anything different. So if you want to save some money I would recommend the Superdrug Tea Tree products. However I still believe it was The Body Shop products that cleared my skin so it was definitely worth the money. 

Facial Wash 

I use Simple Moisturising Facial Wash in the morning and Superdrug Tea Tree Foaming Wash in the evening. 

Cleanser and Toner

I use the Superdrug Tea Tree Cleanser and Toner in the mornings and evening. This isn't too harsh on the skin and always makes my face feel smooth and clean. 

Moisturisers

I use The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Cream in the morning and evenings. I also use The Body Shop Tea Tree Lotion in the evenings. The Tea Tree Lotion for me is not hydrating enough so I use the Vitamin E cream as well. I use the The Body Shop Vitamin E Eye Cream as well. I have an in depth review of all these Body Shop products here.

Thank you for reading :) 

My Blush Collection

Today I thought I'd quickly show you the blushers I've bought over the years. I have quite a small blush collection, most of which are drugstore, although there are a couple that are high end. I love all the blushers that I own and would definitely recommend them.

My favourite drugstore blush is Collection's blush in 1 Shocking and my favourite high end has to be Nars' Deep Throat. The Collection blush as you can see below, is slightly pinker than the Nars one. Another favourite is the beautiful Revolution palette, it has pretty much every shade you will ever need! 

Pastel Pink Blush in the Barry M Natural Glow Palette

Nars Deep Throat

Collection 1 Shocking

Beauty UK No.3 Pink

Maybelline Dream Sun 09 Golden Tropics

 Clinique Bashful Plum

Thank you for reading :) let me know what your favourite blusher is and what I should try out!

 

What's in my make up bag - holiday edition

I'm off on holiday to America in just under two weeks and I thought I'd share what I'll be packing in my make up bag. 

Last year when I went to Canada I packed way too much make up, so this time I'm going to be taking only a few products. This will also mean I'll have plenty of room to buy new make up out there! 

The Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying Moisture Lotion 

With or without make up I'll be using this product every day. It has SPF 15 so provides protection from the sun and will hopefully stop me from going too shiny with it's mattifying formula! It's also in a travel sized tube so will not take up too much space in my make up bag. 

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer 

I won't be taking a foundation or BB cream with me as it's going to be very hot and I don't want my face to melt off. However I'll be taking a concealer to hide dark circles and any blemishes, especially if I go out in the evening and want to look more put together. 

Maybelline Lash Sensational Waterproof Mascara 

I'll be wearing mascara pretty much every day on holiday so I thought a waterproof one would be a good idea. That way if I do go swimming or get wet I won't have to worry about my mascara running! 

Rimmel Clear Brow Gel

On the days that I do wear make up I'll want my eyebrows to stay in place, so a clear eyebrow gel is a must have! I have quite dark eyebrows compared to my hair, so a clear gel is better than a tinted one as they won't look too dark. 

E.L.F Eyeliner and Shadow stick 

This liner has both a standard brown eyeliner at one end and a gold shadow stick at the other. This is perfect for holiday as it's a two in one and I won't need to take an eyeshadow palette with me. The brown eyeliner also gives a subtle and natural look that won't stand out too much with minimal make up on.

Maybelline Brow Satin 

Again this is a very handy two in one product, with a brow pencil and filling in powder. I can fill my brows in very quickly and naturally with this product, which is ideal when on holiday.  

B. Set Pressed Powder

This is my favourite powder and I'll be using it to set my concealer. It lasts all day and is light enough for my skin tone. It's also cruelty free so a big bonus!

Maybelline Color 24hr Tattoo - Pink Gold

I'm taking this with me as it's a beautiful light pink colour which is perfect for summer. It's also a gel formula so I'm hoping that it will stay on better  throughout the day than a standard eyeshadow. 

Maybelline Dream Sun - Golden Tropics

I bought this product as it's a two in one bronzer and blush. The bronzer isn't too orange  or dark for my skin tone and the blush is a beautiful natural light pink colour. This is such a handy product when travelling! 

Thank you for reading :) 

The Body Shop - review

I have shopped at The Body Shop ever since I was at primary school and young enough to start enjoying beauty products. Over the years I have bought and used a lot of their products, so today I am reviewing all The Body Shop products that I currently own and use. 

I feel I have quite a lot of products (for a student on a budget anyway) and I have been using all of them for months so I hope I can provide a useful review. 

So, I am going to start with The Body Shop Tea Tree range. I originally bought the whole range to attempt to clear up my acne around three years ago. I have literally owned every single product in this range (I can also do a separate in depth post on how I cleared up my acne). After about six to twelve months of using this Tea Tree range and wearing less make up my skin was looking a lot clearer. Now my skin looks so so much better and I only break out when hormonal. After having acne for most of my teenage years I can honestly say it was down to using The Body Shop Tea Tree range that cleared my skin. Whilst I don't have acne now I still use some of their products as a preventative and because I love tea tree.  

Tea Tree Face Mask 

This is probably my favourite face mask for when I'm breaking out or I feel like my skin just needs a deep cleanse. I try and use this mask weekly or alternate it with other masks. I feel it does actually minimise break outs but doesn't irritate or dry my skin out which can be hard to find in a face mask. 

Overall I would definitely recommend this product for anyone with blemished skin or acne prone skin, a big thumbs up from me!

Tea Tree Oil

This little bottle is a life saver for me! When I have hormonal breakouts I tend to get horrible spots on my chin. At night time I will put a dab of this tea tree oil on it and in the morning the problem area is significantly reduced. There are so many spot sticks and quick fixes on the market that don't work, instead of wasting your money try tea tree oil, it works wonders! 

Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream - shade 01 

I have a love hate relationship with this product. With no day cream or primer on underneath this BB Cream is perfect and matches my skin tone. However combined with a primer I find it turns orange?! It might just be me but this was quite a surprise when I tried it for the first time. That aside this BB Cream provides a surprisingly good coverage for what it is. It's also suitable for blemished skin so if you are trying to clear your skin up but want to keep wearing make up, this could be the perfect product for you. 

Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion 

I have been using this product for such a long, I've lost count the amount of times I've repurchased it. I believe this may have been the key to clearing my skin up. It's very lightweight and reduces shine, so for blemished and oily skin this works wonders. I will be repurchasing this for years to come!

Tea Tree Pore Minimiser

I use this product as a primer and at first I didn't like it. After using it for a couple of months I however do think that it makes my pores less noticeable and does mattify my skin. Again this is for blemished skin and will work for pretty much any skin type. I have combination skin and I have noticed my T zone is less oily. Overall I do like it but I probably won't repurchase it. 

Next is the Seaweed range, for combination and oily skin. This is the range that best suits my skin type now and is my overall favourite 

Seaweed Iconic Clay Mask

This face mask works wonder for controlling excess oil on my face. However when using this mask I feel like my face is burning. I've heard that this is normal but does mean I only use it every two weeks. If it wasn't for the stinging feeling this would definitely be my favourite face mask. If you have sensitive skin I would not personally recommend this. 

Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream 

I love this product so much! It's perfect for my combination skin as it moisturisers the dry areas of my face yet somehow manages to control the shine on my T zone as well. I would definitely recommend this product. 

Seaweed Mattifying Moisture Lotion SPF 15

This product is definitely coming on holiday with me. It provides protection from the sun with SPF 15, a must have in the summer! Like the day cream it moisturisers and mattifys at the same time, another product that is perfect for my combination skin! 

Next in my review is the Vitamin E range, suitable for all skin types.

Vitamin E Moisture Cream 

Apart from the smell I do really like this product. It's light weight and has just that right amount of moisturising. I put this on at night when my skin is particularly dry and overall it is a good moisturiser that can be relied on to do the job properly. 

Vitamin E Eye Cream

Since using this product I have noticed that the dark circles underneath my eyes have been reduced. However as I'm only 19 I don't really have any under eye problems such as fine lines and puffiness. With this in mind I probably won't repurchase this when it runs out unless I feel I need to.  

Last in the skin care ranges for this review is the Mango range. 

Mango Lip Butter

I absolutely love this lip butter. I am very prone to dry lips and this product works so well on keeping my lips moisturised. The scent is really nice as well, it's not too over the top with the mango scent. I really want to try out different flavours and will do when this one has ran out. 

Mango Beautifying Oil 

I have applied this oil to dry hair and unfortunately it just makes my hair look greasy. My hair does feel smooth with it in however. I am yet to try it on my body or face so will have to see how that goes. 

Mango Body Sorbet

This product produces a unique texture that moisturises the skin without leaving it feeling sticky. I love the mango scent as well. My skin always feeling silky smooth after using this product. I feel it's lighter than a standard moisturiser which is a huge attraction for me as I dislike moisturisers that feel really thick and heavy. 

Finally I'll be reviewing a couple of make up products that I own. 

Colour Crush Lipstick

This lipstick is a beautiful pinky, almost coral nude colour. The formula is quite smooth and almost shiny which looks lovely on the lips. It unfortunately doesn't stay on for long and I found it caked up around the corners of my mouth. However if you're happy to reapply it throughout the day this is a lovely subtle lipstick. 

Shimmer Cubes Palette 26

I love this palette so much. Each individual shadow has it's own packaging which is really handy when travelling. There are four shimmery pink colours that are perfect for summer. Overall I love this palette and it will be my summer go to product! 

I hope you enjoyed this rather long review, thanks for reading :) 

Barry M Speedy Quick Dry Review

Barry M is one of my favourite brands, so I thought I would talk about the new(ish) Speedy Quick Dry nail paints. They are available at most Superdrug, Boots and Tesco stores, and on the Barry M website. 

I own 13 of the 15 available paints, thanks to the many special offers that have been on at Superdrug and Tesco. Even without special offers they are very reasonably priced at £3.99 per varnish, so are ideal especially if you are on a budget like myself. 

As shown in the pictures they come in a variety of mostly pastel colours, with a few brighter colours. I personally love the different shades of pinks, and will be wearing these on holiday and throughout the summer. 

In order to get the best result when applying these varnishes I apply two to three thin layers of the desired colour, making sure each layer is completely dry before applying another. The thing I love about these varnishes is their quick drying formula. It means I don't spend ages having to wait for each coat to dry. Finally I use a top coat to ensure my nail varnish stays on for the longest possible time without chipping. I find it stays perfect for around two to three days, depending on what I'm doing. Sometimes it can be less, sometimes longer it all depends how well I apply the varnish and whether I'm doing something that may cause my nails to chip. 

Another reason why I love Barry M as a brand is because all their products are cruelty free, meaning they do not test animals. I try and support as many cruelty free brands as possible, although I find this can be challenging when on a budget. 

The above pictures show all the names of the varnishes that I own.

If you want me to do a more in depth review of each nail varnish or include swatches, let me know :) 

Soap and Glory Favourites

I absolutely love Soap and Glory, their products are luxurious, inexpensive and have the prettiest packaging! 

Soap and Glory's Supercat Liquid Black Eyeliner Pen is my current favorite liquid eyeliner. I always struggle to draw my eyeliner on evenly and this product makes it so much easier to get a smooth line. It also doesn't smudge or fade through out the day. The thin pen style means I can create anything from a natural eye look with a thin line or a dramatic winged eyeliner look. The packaging design is simple and pretty. It's also thin and small meaning it takes up very little space, unlike some other eyeliners with unnecessary bulky packaging. 

Butter Yourself Moisture Lotion keeps my skin super soft and smooth. Again I love the pretty packaging and the pump is very convenient. This moisturizer dries quickly, isn't sticky and has a lovely fruity scent. 

Scrub 'Em and Leave 'Em body buff is another favorite from Soap and Glory. I always use this to exfoliate before I fake tan. It leaves my skin feeling silky smooth and my fake tan is never streaky or patchy. 

Hand Food - everyone loves this product! This is the only hand cream that is non-greasy and keeps my hands lovely and soft. A must have!

Finally my mini Soap and Glory make up bag is going to be my holiday essential. It fits all the make up I'll be taking with me perfectly. The bag itself is sturdy meaning my make up will hopefully survive the plane journey and the design is very simple yet pretty. This is the perfect summer holiday make up bag!

*These are all available to buy at Boots*