You know, when your pay day is weekly, it gets significantly harder to resist the urge of a good old shopping spree, this happened last week and I ended up buying myself a few new items, two of which were from the LUSH store. Now Lush is a place I rarely visit, and I’m not too sure why as there stuff always comes out amazing, I predominantly wanted to try their lush bath ballistics, as after hearing so much about these wonderfully pretty products, and seeing so many pictures I thought i'd finally treat myself to one and see what the fuss was all about. 

I went for ‘think pink’, which the very friendly sales assistant suggested i buy since this was there most popular and cheapest at £2.50, I actually used this in the bath that evening, and thought it was a lovely treat, however For me, I don’t think i would re purchase, as I’m not one of those people that hoard lush bath products, and would just have this as an occasional treat. This bath bomb was quite the novelty, with a pretty light pink colour complete with cute icing like flowers; it is the perfect bath time treat, or gift idea for a friend. I popped it in my bath, it took a while to completely fizz out, but what was nice was that it let off lots of tiny fabric hearts which made the bath look uber cute, the smell was very sweet and floral with a hint of lavender, and the substance seemed to leave my skin smelling very fragrant, so no need for an extra soap wash. However I didn’t find think it left my skin very soft, it felt quite supple, but I definitely needed a good thick body cream to apply after.

The second item I bought was one of LUSH'S most popular fresh face masks, brazened honey, this is a hard working mask, which targets skin that needs a good overhaul and a deep cleanse. With key ingredients such as almond and honey, and an amazingly organic and natural texture and smell, there was no doubt that this face mask would rejuvenate my skin, and oh how it prevailed. This stuff was amazing, and it has definitely topped any masks i've tried previous, the texture was just so gritty it felt like rubbing literal ground up food/nuts/honey onto my face, the texture made my skin feel so good and It felt like i was getting a great deep cleanse, without that horrid burning sensation.

The smell is quite overpowering but to me, that’s a sign that it’s all organic ingredients, I left this on for 15 minutes, and i found that my skin looked amazing after, my pores looked refined, my skin glowed and it just felt so fresh and clean. I could visibly see a difference in my skin as a before and after, it seemed to just lift my complexion and give my skin a damn good overhaul. I would probably only use this once a week, as this stuff is so hardworking you wouldn’t need it too often, at only £5.95 i will 100% be repurchasing this, or perhaps another one of their masks.

So I have another lip product post for you this evening, and yes I realise I’m going a bit cray cray for a bright pink lip recently, but i couldn’t not buy this amazing fuchsia lipstick from the Kate moss line for rimmel. I bought it a few weeks back now and have been meaning to blog about it for ages, I fell in love with the colour as soon as I swatched it in boots, its the perfect bright pink, almost a mixed dupe of MACs candy yum yum and girl about town. The pigmentation is just amazing, and one sweep on the lips is enough for that hot pink colour.

I have been loving the Kate line for Rimmel; all the colours are perfect and so gorgeous close to that of bigger and more expensive makeup brands. This lipstick is fairly long-lasting, however I do find it rubs off quite easily when im eating or drinking, which means im constantly reapplying and checking my lips/teeth in the mirror. Wearing a colour like this is a bit of a chore, but i just couldn't resist purchasing it because the shade makes me so happy, and even if i don’t end up wearing it everyday i can just enjoy it on special occasions. 

I am a firm follower of the Liz Earle skincare brand, I've used their products since I first heard about them from the incredible hype around their popular 'cleanse and polish'. Recently, on the hunt for a new toner, and telling my self to ‘try new brands’, I of course ended up heading back to my favourite and most trusted stand, and re-purchased the Liz Earle toner.

At just £13.25 this is such an amazing, and natural toning tonic and 200ml is a generous amount too. I was previously using a lush spritz tonic, however I cant deny that the Liz Earle one is my ultimate favourite, for sheer clarity that its a highly natural and gentle product. With naturally active ingredients such as aloe Vera, cucumber, vitamin E etc, theirs no guilt when putting this on your skin.

This toner is like any other, which is to be swept over the face after cleansing and before moisturising to ensure all residue of cleanser/ makeup is off, as well as leaving the skin revitalized and hydrated. I find that this stuff is so refreshing; it lets my skin breathe and look so clean and fresh, without that tight feeling. The smell is very fresh and spa-like, and your left with the knowledge that this has amazing ingredients just from a whiff. Its not hash at all, and i like to sweep it over my eye area, knowing that it wont sting them as its so gentle.

This product is probably my number 1 toner, if not, one of my top skincare products ever. Its the perfect step to ensure your skin is amazingly clean and getting all the good stuff it deserves, I follow with Liz Earle moisturiser to complete my routine.

I thought i would do a two in one post today, an updated foundation routine along with letting you in on the other products i use to get the perfect, (or close to) base for foundation. The last time i did a foundation post was quite a few months a go, and a lot has changed on the product front since then, i have finally updated to a MAC foundation, something that i wanted to try for ageeess, and i absolutely love my mac studio fix fluid makeup, it has an amazing coverage and finish, at first i was a little worried that it might be a little to 'matte' however after a few applications i slowly warmed to it, and now i wear it everyday. 

Because i bought the mac foundation in a lighter shade, i tend to mix in my darker bourjois healthy mix foundation, to even the colour out, the healthy mix is probably my ultimate favourite foundation for a dewy finish, and so along with my MAC makeup, this leaves the perfect combination of a dewy but also slight matte effect, which is great for a long day.

I use my real techniques buffing brush to apply my foundation, this i bought in the core collection a few weeks back, and i use it everyday, i love how easily the makeup goes on with this brush, and how it doesn’t take as long as using the stippling or expert face brush, a winning product. I do think using a brush to apply foundation is a must if you want to create the illusion of that 'second skin' look, as it blends the products so well, I’m not sure if its purpose is for liquid foundation, but it works for me so i'll carry on using it.

Onto the primers/SPF i wear, after i moisturise (currently using Liz Earle moisturizer) i then use my perfect blur primer, (review here) which is a great pre base for just concealing those problem areas (pores, wrinkles, blemishes) it just allows my skin to look much smoother and my pores to be less visible as a pre step.

I then go ahead and apply my Clinique sheer tint city block, i have yet to review this product, i bought it in duty free for i think £3 less than it is here, (i think its around the £20 mark in UK) I’ve wanted this product for ages, as i am a big fan of both Clinique and using an SPF and i love that this can be worn as both a tinted moisturiser or as a pre base. 

I use this under my foundation right after my primer, its basically like a oil based tinted moisturiser with spf 25, which is great as its a high enough to protect my skin, and leaves a lovely dewy glow, sometimes i step out in just this if i'm having a good skin day. On days when i feel i don’t need an SPF (when its very cloudy/raining etc) i wont bother, however i think its a great step to try and inject into your routine, if you have an SPF in your moisturiser that’s great, however i feel like i trust this product a lot more and I like the way it leaves my skin.

So there we have it, the day to day products i use for my base/foundation routine, now you might think that’s a lot of products, but each one has its uses, and i feel like they all bring together a mixture of what a glowing, natural finish base should look like. On days when i'm not up to much I won't use much foundation, and so the outcome is quite seamless and has a sort of 'your skin but better' look.

Before you all hound me with questions, yes this palette is actually for your brows, but I took a leaf out of Barbara’s (thepersianbabe) makeup book and decided to give this ago on my eyes, and oh, how I’ve fallen for it. I absolutely adore the colours in this cute little kit, with the perfect trio of brown Smokey shades including a wearable grey/brown shade, a darker brown then an almost black Smokey colour, this palette is the perfect set not only for brows but for creating a smoldering everyday Smokey eye.

I bought this product from Beauty UK for roughly £3.99, like MUA this brand has amazing products at affordable prices, and is only stocked in Superdrug. The pigmentation of the shades is pretty good and can be buildable, and when using my real techniques eye brush to blend, the colours look so neutral and natural on the eye. I use the top left shade all over my lid and a little under my eye, and then with the darker colour below i line my top lash line for a defined and darker finish. I truly love these colours for my eyes, they are so subtle and could be worn everyday, and along with a sweep of my fave mascara (the falsies) this is truly a winning look, at such a cheap price.

 Sanctuary Spa therapists facial oil - £17.50

'Described by our Therapist's as the secret step in a spa facial, this 100% natural superfood for skin works on all skin types.

A powerful mixture of pure oils (sunflower, jojoba & wheatgerm oil, known to be rich in vitamin E), helps replenish the skin's natural oil content & provides noticeable plumper & rejuvenated skin.

Rosehip seed oil helps rebuild & strengthen, while the balancing duo of precious rose & frankincense soothes & calms for skin that looks dewy-soft, radiant & noticeably younger.'- Sanctuary Spa

An interesting Article on facial oils -

 http://www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/antiaging-face-oils-1012#slide-1

Facial oils are quickly becoming one of the ‘must have’ skincare product of 2013, forget serums, face masks, night creams etc., this winter (and probably most of 2014) its all about having that perfect facial oil to quench your skins thirst of an evening. It might seem a little crazy to use oil on your skin, especially for someone like myself, who has oily prone skin, however the hype around using the product has, as per, sucked me in and I have found myself absolutely loving using facial oil, and I almost find it more beneficial than any other product I’ve used.

 I opted for Sanctuary’s therapist oil, which has quickly become one my most used and loved skincare products of the summer; with all its amazing ingredients (including the ultra amazing rose hip oil, standard ingredient for retaining youthful skin) it is just the perfect, natural ointment to use on your skin. 

Now you’re probably all wondering what the benefits are from using an oil? Well a skincare oil is basically (I’ve done my research) an extra step you can add that lifts your complexion, plumps, hydrates and helps retain your skins youthful glow. It can also help fight signs of aging, and because the ingredients within an oil, specifically this one, are all natural, its actually more beneficial and gentle on the skin, and the active ingredients penetrate deep down without aggravating like products with harsher ingredients such as a serum or a more 'hi-tech' treatment.

I have been using sanctuary’s therapist oil for almost 3 months now, and can honestly say that my skin feels hydrated, healthy and just glows (even without makeup). I can’t compare this oil to others as I haven’t really tried any other brands, however for the price of this one (which is a lot cheaper compared to the likes of clarins, kiels etc.) it is the perfect product to add to your skincare regime for a little extra treatment for your skin. And can we just talk about the packaging for a moment? The beautifully golden oil comes packed neatly in a very pretty glass bottle complete with applicator for a careful application, and it just looks beautifully quaint sat on my vanity table.

I apply the oil to the whole of my face of a night and let it work deep into my skin whilst I sleep, you can use this in the morning also, however because i have naturally oily skin, i prefer not to and just leave it as a night treatment.

I don’t think an oil is for everyone, its not like a real NEED product such as a daily moisturiser, and sticking to your 3-step cleanse system is all fine and dandy, however for me this has been such a pleasure to use, its not sticky, it doesn’t leave a dripping messy residue and it sinks into the skin fairly quickly. For me, its just the perfect extra step to ensure my skin is ultra soft and hydrated, and now I’ve input this step i don’t think ill be dropping it anytime soon.