Products On The Repurchase List

You can always tell how good a beauty product is if it’s worth a repurchase! After trial and error, I have found some great products that I would no doubt be repurchasing in the future. There is countless products in my stash that I adore however I selected a small variety of products that I have either already repurchased or know that a repurchase will happen!

SKINCARE

Skincare products are tricky and definitely the sign of a good product if you know it is worth a repurchase! Whilst I will probably have more makeup options overall, there is some skincare products I know I couldn’t be without!

Clarins are one of my favourite brands and definitely a brand I need to try more from. One of my favourite products is their One Step Facial Cleanser. I am now on my third bottle of this stuff, it is so good! It is a quick and easy water based cleanser that is perfect for mornings to swipe over the face for a gentle and awakening cleanse. I’ve tried both the mint and orange variety and love both, this orange one however does leave a beautiful glow to the skin!

A bit of a skincare-makeup hybrid, the Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfecting Base, in short a lip balm. This is seriously underrated! I recently finished up a tube of this and had to repurchase asap as I just couldn’t do without this! It is the perfect lip balm for under lipstick, super moisturising and a great base. So worth the splurge!

After suffering from rough skin under my eyes, I opted for the Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado and since haven’t looked back! This is seriously moisutrising stuff, it is thick and super nourishing so great if like me you suffer from dryness or rough skin under your eyes. It may seem expensive for a tiny pot but oh my this has lasted me so long, in fact over a year (which I shouldn’t be admitting to!) and is still going strong!

The last skincare product on my list is from another brand favourite of mine, Origins. I’ve tried quite a lot from Origins but one of my favourite products from them right now is their Ginzing Energy Boosting Moisturiser. With the wintery weather making an appearance, my skin is feeling rather lacklustre and in need of hydration and this moisturiser is the perfect option. It is seriously moisturising and as it suggests a boost of energy! I need a full sized tub asap!

MAKEUP

First on the makeup list is an already repurchased item in the form of Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer, my favourite ever concealer. I am not going to go on too much about this as regular readers will know the drill, this stuff is just seriously good. Thick and creamy with high coverage, perfect for blemishes!

Sticking to base related items, BareMinerals Complexion Rescue has became a favourite of mine over the last year. The perfect lightweight and low coverage base that offers the most gorgeous dewiness to the skin. It is essentially like your skin but better! A product I highly recommend trying if you are into glowy skin!

Another favourite of mine that many will be aware of, since I’ve mentioned it so many times is the Body Shop Honey Bronzer. This bronzer was basically made for my skin, coming in a range of light tones, it is the perfect shading for fair skinned gals (and guys) like me! It isn’t too muddy or orange in any way so creates a gorgeous warmth and sculpted look to the skin! My shade 02 doesn’t seem to be available and I have heard terms of it being discontinued(!) but there is other shades available!

Last but not least on this extra long post (sorry!) is a newbie to my stash yet one I already am obsessed with. It is the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper. I went off eyeliner for a long time and once I got this and I can’t stop wearing it! I seriously wonder how I coped without wearing eyeliner since it makes such a difference! For an eyeliner noob like me however this is an absolute dream of a product. The brush tip makes it easy to glide over the eye without tugging and it is super pigmented and seriously long lasting! So good!

What is on your repurchase list?

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My Current Makeup Menu

It’s been a while since I last shared my current makeup routine so it makes sense to post a little update. Having got back into wearing makeup again on a daily basis, I have been sticking pretty much to a solid consistent routine using the same products again and again and rarely changing it up. For someone who adores Autumn and particularly the makeup trends at this time of year, surprisingly I haven’t turned to dark lips and eyes, instead I’ve been loving a more Summer appropriate look with dewy skin, a peachy eye look and nude lips.

My base is the one area I’ve been sticking to a constant routine and hardly changing up. I start by priming with the Jouer Anti-Blemish Matte Primer which feels nice and calming on the skin but I can’t say it’s helped improve my skin long term. I then go in with my trusty Nars Sheer Glow foundation and top it off with the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer on any blemishes, again another favourite of mine! I then conceal under the eyes with the Mac Prep and Prime Highlighter in Light Boost with the yellow toned liquid working to highlight under my eyes and discard any darkness.

Before setting my base with the Chanel Les Beiges Powder, I use the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Liquid Highlighter in Opal across my cheekbones and blend it out with my Beauty Blender. Before finishing off my face with a bit of bronzer to warm up my skin a little. Of course I am still obsessed with my favourite Honey Bronzer from The Body Shop.

Moving onto eyes, I start with my eyebrows and keep it fairly simple by running the Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil through them to add a little more definition. I then move onto eyeshadow using the beautiful Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette which is full of gorgeous peachy and brown warm tones. I like to create a simple shimmery golden-y peachy look using mainly Nectar, Luscious, Cobbler and Caramelized which creates a gorgeous ‘golden goddess’ look that gives off extreme VS Angel vibes! Damn yeah! To finish off my eyes I coat on my favourite Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant mascara which leaves my lashes looking thick and full.

To finish off my look, I like to dabble in a few different lip shades since lipstick is my thing, if you haven’t noticed all ready! Currently though, I am loving one of the new Urban Decay Vice lipsticks in the shade Backtalk. A gorgeous cool toned pink with a comfortable matte finish. LOVE!

 What makeup have you been reaching for lately?

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Skincare Empties #2

It always seems that many of my main skincare products run out at the one time, anyone else? Of course that also means I have to buy a load of skincare products at the one time and they aren’t cheap, great! Anyway first world problems aside, I thought I would run through my recent skincare empties and whether a repurchase is on the cards!

THE BODY SHOP VITAMIN E AQUA BOOST SORBET

This moisturiser has been subject to many repurchases in the last while. Being a ‘sorbet’, it has a very lightweight texture with a beautiful cooling effect. It is very hydrating so makes a nice moisturiser particularly in the Summer months. I have been using this as my night moisturiser and whilst I do love it, I do feel like I need something a bit more rich and moisturising in the evening instead.

Would I repurchase? As I said I do need something else more suited so I will not be making a repurchase but I do really like this and could return to it.

OSKIA RENAISSANCE CLEANSING GEL

The cult cleanser that everyone raves about. I spoke about this one before in a favourites post so obviously you can guess it is a winner for me. It is a pricey cleanser but it definitely offers a luxurious feel. It has a unique gel texture that melts into an oil on the skin which works incredibly well as a second cleanser or even as makeup remover. It might be pricey but it did last me at least six months which makes the cost per use really affordable!

Would I repurchase? I do want to try other cleansers out but I do love this and could definitely repurchase!

AESOP HAND BALM

I love a good hand cream. The Aesop one is definitely a favourite of mine as it is super hydrating and it has a beautiful citrus scent. It is pricey for a hand cream but again it lasted me so long! The metal tube packaging is also pretty damn beautiful!

Would I repurchase? Yup, definitely!

CETAPHIL CLEANSER

I picked up this super affordable cleanser to try out after reading about it loads. I actually picked this up to use as a body cleanser rather than a face cleanser as I have been having bad breakouts across my back and neck area. I used an Origins cleanser prior which I really liked as it did seem to clear up my skin pretty well. However I didn’t seem to get the same results with this one and I really didn’t like the runny consistency which also meant it ran out pretty quickly!

Would I repurchase? Nope.

LA ROCHE POSAY EFFACLAR DUO

Another cult favourite and a repurchase of mine. I used this back about a year ago and rather inconsistently which meant I never really got to see results with this. I then picked it up again to try it out properly. It’s definitely a product that takes time in order to see results. When I did use this, I could definitely see my skin getting better and clearer and whilst it’s difficult to pinpoint the reasons why, this product definitely played a part in reducing my scarring. After using up the tube though I did find that it only really made a difference now and again as well as the fact I found other products that made more of a difference.

Would I repurchase? Possibly, possibly no. For the time being no, but I could try it again in the future.

CAUDALIE BEAUTY EXLIR

A very popular and fancy facial mist that I picked up in a beauty box having heard so much about it. There isn’t much to a face mist really that would make it unlike-able but it does everything pretty well. The spray is a fine mist so just sprays the right amount without being too much. It also has a very unique fragrance to it which may put many off but I actually quite like it. The only downside is that it does work out quite pricey for a facial mist and there is so many options now on the market.

Would I repurchase? I highly doubt it.

Are you a fan of any of these products? 

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June Favourites

I would say Summer has finally arrived although looking outside doesn’t really confirm that. Weather woes aside, I have got a mix of beauty favourites that I have been loving all month long. Of course as I was soaking up the sun this month, I have a few favourites that helped prep me for my time in the sun and embrace the summer vibes.

Starting with the makeup bits I have been loving, as you can see that beauty of a palette in the corner; the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit (Now Back in Stock!!), it was actually the addition of the Ambient Lighting Bronzer that I have been obsessed with! With the arrival of Summer, I have been ditching my matte bronzers in exchange for something more shimmery. This one fits the bill perfectly as it definitely packs the glow factor. I never got the most wear out of this shade as it has always been that bit too dark on my skin but right now with a light hand, it adds a gorgeous luminosity and basically makes me feel like a bronze goddess, what is not to love!?

I can never have a monthly favourites without a lip product and this month I have two loves. The first is Mac Flat Out Fabulous, a gorgeous bold fuchsia plum shade that I mentioned in my Summer lip picks post. It is such a unique shade and is super flattering on as well as having a really comfortable yet long wearing finish. The other is The Balm Meet Matte Hughes Liquid Lipstick in Committed. I basically want all the liquid lipsticks at the moment and this one had been on my list for a while. The shade is just everything I had been looking for, a deep pink nude that isn’t too dark. The formula feels super comfortable and is long wearing as well as leaving a nice stain on the lips once it wears down. I definitely need to try more of these!

Other bits and pieces that I have been loving will come as no surprise as I have mentioned all of these products this month on the blog. The first is a nail polish from Essie in the shade Sunshine State of Mind. This shade is a gorgeous vivid orange-y coral shade that is part of the Essie Summer 2016 collection. I wore this for the majority of the month when I was away and it looks pretty damn awesome with a tan!

Lastly, come summer I am all about those fresh and fruity scents and my last two favourites are the perfect examples! The first is the ck2 fragrance which I mentioned more in detail in this post. I love this fresh and woody scent, it will definitely be a long time everyday favourite of mine. Of course as well I have been obsessed with the Body Shop Pinita Colada range. I dedicated a whole post to it here, I have been loving everything that I’ve tried and the coconut-pineapple scent is so dreamy!

What have you been loving this month?

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The Body Shop Pinita Colada Range

“If you like Piña Coladas, getting caught in the rain…” Sorry couldn’t quite help myself! Summer is finally here (ish), well part of me feels like it’s been and gone but technically not really. Anyway to help get into the Summer mood, The Body Shop have released a new range of Pina Colada inspired products. I am a huge fan of the Body Shop and I can’t deny how excited I got from hearing about this new Pinita Colada range. I have to say this is probably one if not my favourite collection they have came out with. Once I spotted a great deal in store, I couldn’t help but try out a few things from the range!

I picked out three out of the four products from the range, leaving out the Body Sorbet since I already had one from last Summer. Starting with the one product I was desperate to have my hands on, the Body Butter. A Body Shop classic product, who doesn’t love a good body butter? It’s quite a thick textured moisturiser but I really wanted something super moisturising and this just does the job. I can’t count how many times I have just opened this to get a little whiff of the dreamy coconut and pineapple scent. Take me back to the beach bar already, Pina Colada in hand, thanks!

With tanning season in, it felt ever so appropriate to get my hands on the Body Scrub too. It has a beautifully creamy but gritty texture with real shredded coconut extract to help leave your skin feeling super smooth and exfoliated. Of course it also has the beautiful pineapple/coconut scent. Dreamy!

Lastly, I picked up the Shower Gel. I love the Body Shop Shower Gels, they are always so creamy and hydrating as well as coming in great sizes. I rather felt the need to pick this up as I had still been using Lush Snow Fairy! My timings just aren’t great eh. So this beautiful summery concoction has been a real winner in replacing my beloved Christmas scent. Yup I clearly can’t let go of Christmas. It lathers up so nicely and is basically a dream to use!

Have you tried this range?

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Summer Beauty Essentials

When a sight of sun is in the sky, my beauty priorities take a change from fuller coverage bases and sculpted, neutral looks to embrace the Summer vibes with bronzed skin and bright shades. As well as my makeup choices, my skincare also changes up slightly. With Summer in full swing, I thought I would share my top beauty essentials for dealing with the summer heat.

MAKEUP/NAILS

In terms of base, I love a lightweight glowy base for Summer. When the sun is shining, the last thing I want is a fuller coverage thick foundation so instead I love a light and comfortable tinted moisturiser/bb cream. My favourite is the BareMinerals Complexion Rescue which gives enough coverage for a light base and also provides a fresh glowy look to the skin all whilst remaining comfortable and moisturising on the skin. To add some extra glow to my skin, I love the look of liquid highlighters. They look soft and natural on the skin and can be worked in with foundation too. I am currently loving the Nars illuminator in Copacabana which blends into the skin beautifully.

To amp up the warmth in my skin, bronzer is such a must in Summer. It helps add a little definition to my face whilst giving me a little colour too. I am currently all for shimmery bronzers to add even more glow in my skin such as the Soap and Glory Wonderbronze which I have been loving. To add even more colour, I love bright lip shades at this time of year. There is nothing better than a bright coral or orange-y red to brighten things up. I will share some of my favourites later but I am loving Mac Relentlessly Red.

I also love bright nails as well, something I will also cover in another post. They look summery and great for enhancing a tan. I have so many Essie shades that I am loving but I am currently all for their new Summer shade Sunshine State of Mind.

SKINCARE

Obviously when the sun is out in full force, it is important to protect your skin. Having light skin, I need high protection for my skin in the sun so SPF is so important. I am currently using the Clarins Sun Cream for Very High Protection which offers UVB/UVA 50+ to help my skin stay safe in the sun. So having light skin means that tanning just doesn’t happen for me and I have to turn to self-tanning products. I am not much a tanning person anyway so a gradual tanner is all I need for a subtle bronzed glow. I am currently using the Clarins Golden Glow Booster to add in to my moisturiser for an extra glow.

Lastly, to keep hydrated I love hydrating mists. In the heat there is nothing better than a boost of hydration to stay refreshed and cool in the heat. I am all for the Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist which is a bargain and super hydrating on the skin.

What are your Summer beauty essentials?

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Summer Beauty Prep

When Summer comes around, I feel like I there is a lot of beauty prep going on to sort myself out after hibernating through the colds of Winter. My beauty routine always seems to be more important in Summer time since it’s bare legs weather, oh no! In Winter since I like to stay wrapped up in hundreds of layers, I basically need to get my head in gear come Summer. Today I thought I would share some of my go-to products and how I use them to prep for the Summer season!

EXFOLIATE/MOISTURISE 

One thing in my beauty routine that I am pretty lazy with is keeping my body exfoliated and moisturised. Particularly in Summer, I like to make sure I am on top of this. When legs out weather is in, I gotta be prepared. Exfoliating is so important and helps get rid of any dead skin great for tanning. I am currently using one from The Body Shop, in fact one from their Christmas collection! Very summery, I know! As well as exfoliating, like with any skincare routine it is also important to moisturise. Whilst I’ve got my eye on the new Body Shop Pinata Colada range, I am currently loving the ease and convenience of the Vaseline Spray Moisturiser.

TANNING

I am not much of a tanning person, I kinda just accept the fact that I am a milk bottle and embrace it. Whilst I don’t see myself going for a full fake tan anytime soon, I do like to have a light subtle glow. A gradual tanner is basically perfect for me and this year I am looking forward to using the Clarins Radiance Plus Golden Booster. The idea is super simple and appealing, basically you just add a few drops of this to your moisturiser and mix it together and apply for a subtle glow.

NAILS 

I am more of a neutral nail shade lover but when it comes to Summer there is nothing better than bright corals and tropical shades. Great for enhancing a tan, I am looking forward to getting my nails ready for the Summer season. I am currently loving the new Essie shade Sunshine State of Mind from the Summer collection.

How do you prep for Summer?

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The 5 Product Face

Now and again when I do not have much time on my hands, I like to adopt a quick and easy makeup routine that is not only convenient but also reliable. I thought I would share my 5 product face selection that are my go-to products if I am ever in a rush but also those products that I couldn’t live without which make such a difference to my face.

Firstly, base. This is one of the most crucial steps and probably the one that will take the most time to apply. I opted for Nars Sheer Glow, my still all-time favourite base. The great thing with this foundation is that it offers superb coverage so you can easily miss out on the concealer for this one which is why I have not included any. The satin finish makes my skin look and feel much healthier and it applies well and also lasts well too.

If you asked me about a year ago if I was a blush or bronzer gal, I would’ve said blush all day any day. However whilst blush is still one of my favourite products, bronzer comes first for me these days. I never really understood the need for bronzer but now I can’t go without my added warmth to my pale face! The Body Shop Honey Bronzer is another all-time favourite for me with the light shade working perfectly with my pale skin.

So with my base perfected, the next step is eyes and an area that I particularly like to pay the most attention to. Since I wear glasses and my eyes appear smaller, I always can’t go without mascara. For me, mascara is the one product that I rely on the most. I basically want the most out there lashes going and right now I am enjoying the Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant which adds enough length and volume to create impact.

Continuing on with the eye area, eyebrows are another important step in my routine. It is weird to think how I never did anything with my eyebrows a good couple of years ago but now I can’t have a face of makeup without those eyebrows on fleek (sorry). Eyebrows frame your face so much so it is so important to pay attention to them. I am currently enjoying using the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade which seems intimidating at first but is actually a super easy to use and long wearing product! My pot has definitely seen better days though…

Last up is lips. One of my favourite parts of my makeup routine is switching up my lipstick and it really finishes off the look. Whilst for quickness and if I am just running some errands, I like to apply the Clarins Instant Lip Balm Perfector however I love a good lipstick particularly those mauve-y dusky rose shades that are my favourites. The likes of Mac Mehr is one of those shades I can always rely on and wear constantly.

What is your go-to 5 product face?

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Skincare Empties

It’s been a while since I last did an Empties post although over the last month I have reached the end of several skincare products and thought it was about time for another ‘things I will be putting in the bin’ post. Of course it was just my luck during the month of January when I was trying to stick to a budget that a lot of my main skincare products decided to come to an end, typical eh! Anyway I thought I would do a little round up of some of the products that have reached their end or near enough. After using up a whole product it is definitely a good indicator of whether or not it lived up to its expectations or not.

FIRST AID BEAUTY FACIAL RADIANCE PADS 

I had heard so much about these exfoliating pads and was ever so excited to see them included in a beauty box I picked up. I like using acid toners for exfoliating rather than harsh scrubs and essentially this is such an ideal and convenient product. Pre-soaked cotton pads that you can simply wipe over your face to exfoliate and brighten. I completely love the idea of these, they feel pretty gentle on my skin and they leave my skin feeling smooth. The pot came with 28 pads which lasted a good length of time so it does work out as good value.

Would I repurchase? I do really want to try the Pixi Glow Tonic first but I would definitely come back to these.

SIMPLE LIGHT MOISTURISER

It feels pretty satisfying reaching the end of this bottle as it has lasted me so long! The bottle is a huge 125ml and only needing a small amount each time, it is definitely a long lasting option. Being a ‘light’ moisturiser, it isn’t too rich or thick, instead as it suggests it is pretty lightweight. No pun intended but this is a pretty simple moisturiser. It is fairly basic, it is decent enough, has a light layer of SPF included but it is nothing wow.

Would I repurchase? No, I think it is time to try something new.

THE BODY SHOP TEA TREE BLEMISH GEL

I am a huge fan of many products from The Body Shop however I don’t find the Tea Tree range all that great. In fact, I have never really been one for tea tree products. I remember in my early teens using those horrible tea tree facial scrubs that all did nothing. Sadly, this is another product takes me back for those reasons. I suffer from quite a lot of blemishes and picked this up in a bid to try and make a slight difference. The bottom line here is that it really didn’t do anything for me at all. I’ve kept using this with the hopes it would do something but sadly not.

Would I repurchase? Nope, I think my tea tree days are over.

CLARINS ONE-STEP FACIAL CLEANSER

I am definitely not a morning person so having a convenient and easy morning routine is a must. I don’t have time for an excessive skincare routine so something easy for a quick but effective cleanse is a must. I picked up this cleanser last year and it has became my morning go-to. I used the orange extract version suitable for all skin types. With the zingy orange-y scent, it feels freshening and awakening on the skin perfect for those early mornings. It also makes my skin appear more radiant and is so quick and easy to use! It is one that I am currently still obsessed with so this is going no where!

Would I repurchase? Already have, although this time I picked up the mint one for combination skin to see if there is much difference!

LUSH CRANBERRY FRESH FACE MASK

I love a good face mask especially those ones from Lush so I was looking forward to trying a newbie as part of the Christmas collection. Cranberry essentially has a full on cranberry scent as you would expect. The mask is thick but applies smoothly on the skin. It feels refreshing and smoothing on the skin and is a nice one for the end of a long week.

Would I repurchase? Sadly not as it was limited edition!

LIZ EARLE CLEANSE AND POLISH

A beauty cult favourite that I truly adore. This cream cleanser became a staple part of my routine last year and really paved the way for me with skincare. It is a gentle cream cleanser that you apply over dry skin and then wash off with a hot muslin cloth. It is a good entry level cleanser and also works out at great value for money especially with the length of time it lasts! It left my skin feeling smooth and cleansed.

Would I repurchase? Not at the moment as I am trying something new but I would go back to this!

Have you tried any of these products?

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