THREE MINI BODY SHOP REVIEWS

It's been a long time since we had one of these. If you're new to the party, I have a slightly unhealthy addiction to the Body Shop, and every so often we revisit the classic Body Shop reviews. When I say mini, I mean seriously mini. So mini that we're going to do the first one right here, right now. It's more of a shoutout than a review, but I needed to mention the new Pinita Colada range. I have literally never smelt anything more incredible in my life. I want to live in a bubble of it so that I can smell it forever. Smelling like pineapple and coconut, it's the most delicious, tropical, summery scent that will have you watering at the mouth and crying over how good it smells. Even if you don't buy it, you need to make a trip to your local Body Shop, just so you can smell it.

The BB cream is pictured here in the old packaging, the new packing is the same as the pore minimiser

So onto the two main products up for mini review, both are from the Body Shop tea tree range, which is my absolutely favourite for skin care. Tea tree is really great for clearing up spotty and blemish-ridden skin, and I would highly, highly recommend anything from that range (especially the face mask). Another thing I wanted to add up here as it applies to both of them, is that they have quite a strong tea tree scent, but that fades really quickly so you don't spend the entire day walking around smelling like tea tree.

Tea Tree Pore Minimiser 
I always use the two products being reviewed here together; I never put on the BB cream without the pore minimiser underneath, as it protects my pores from getting clogged up by the makeup. Honestly, I can't tell you if it works to actually minimise my pores, I haven't studied them closely enough to see if they're looking smaller, but it definitely reduces how clogged they get. I use a small amount of this on the areas where I have noticeably (to me, anyway) larger pores and it works as a really good, slightly matte base for my makeup. Overall, I really like this product and, though I don't know if it's making my pores smaller, I definitely think it's reducing the number of black heads I get.

Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream
I'm not the biggest fan of foundation (I don't actually own one), I don't like the feeling of having something too heavy on my face and running the risk of making my bad skin worse. The tea tree BB cream is great as it's like a light foundation and kind-of spot treatment combined. I wasn't sure at first that it had the best coverage, until I took it off later that evening and I could see a noticeable difference in how my skin looked when I wasn't wearing it (if you know what I mean, I didn't explain that very well, basically it has better coverage than I thought). I really like this product, it gives me enough coverage on days when I don't feel happy with my skin, without feeling too heavy or being too bad for my skin. I love these two products as a pair and I'd highly recommend both of them.

Rosie

Back with the Body Shop love

LEAVING WORK HAUL

You may or may not (but probably don't know) that for the past 11 months I've been working as a healthcare advisor at Boots (and I won't say which one, but it is probably the best Boots out there in the coolest location). Alongside this came the single greatest thing in my life, a discount card. As Sunday was my last day at work, my mum and I did a huge Boots shop before I had to give back my discount (</3), so I thought I'd share some of the things we bought.

Skin Care
I did a stock up on my favourite skin care staples, which are the Boots tea tree and witch hazel foaming face wash and cleansing and toning lotion, the Neutrogena oil-free moisturiser (life saver) and the Quick Fix anti-blemish mud mask. Oldies but goodies, all of them.

Makeup
The first lot of makeup is stuff I bought myself. Firstly, I bought myself a new Natural Collection concealer stick, which is my current favourite concealer, and the Rimmel soft kohl eye liner pencil, as my current one from Body Shop is nearing the end of its life. I also bought, because there was an offer on Rimmel, the Lasting Colour Rush balm in 'Keep Mauving', which I have been lusting after for absolutely ages after buying a different colour a couple of years ago and loving it. The last makeup item I bought was the No.7 extreme length sensitive mascara. I was on the hunt for a good mascara, and I had this one years and years ago and really liked it. I don't need my mascaras to do too many fancy things, just simple length and colour, and I have really, really sensitive eyes, so this one ticks all the boxes for me.

All the other makeup products are Essie nail varnishes that I was given as my leaving present from my colleagues, as they know how much I love Essie nail varnishes. Firstly, I was given 'Chinchilly', which everyone knows is my all-time favourite nail varnish, and I was also given two duo sets. The first one is the 'Anchors Aweigh!' set, which contains two slightly shimmery nail varnishes, 'Naughty Nautical' and the immensely population 'Bikini so Teeny'. The other set is the 'a Sprinkle in Pink' set, which contains the also immensely popular 'Fiji' and the 'a Cut Above' glitter top coat. I am very spoilt and very emotional over this.

Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous products, aka the ones that didn't fit into their own category but I wanted to mention. Firstly, a set of three clear wash/makeup bags, always useful; then my favourite Denman hair brush because I haven't had a new one in over ten years. Finally, a new electric toothbrush that I can bring away to uni with me (plus spare heads, not pictured).

Rosie

Significantly poorer than I was before

SKIN SAVIOURS

I have bad skin, it's not as bad as it once was, but it's still pretty bad. This is something that I have come to accept, though I'm always on the look-out for good spot treatments (and concealers- but we all know that already). One brand that I'd never tried before is Clearasil, but I spotted it at work (you can probably guess where I work) and I thought I'd give it a try.

I picked up two spot creams from Clearasil, the Rapid Action Treatment Cream and and Blemish and Marks Treatment Cream. The Rapid Action cream claims to 'visibily reduce spot size and redness in four hours', and the Blemish and Marks cream claims to 'clear blemishes and fight the appearance of red marks'. The majority of my problem with my skin is that I have a lot of scars, marks, blemishes and redness from previous spots. Both of these creams are twice-daily applications and came in at under £6 each.

First up, the Clearasil Rapid Action Treatment Cream. Clearing spots in four hours is a very bold claim, but this little cream surprised me. I put it on for the first time over night and I definitely noticed some changes the next morning, and my mum noticed it as well. This cream and I have got on very well. It reduces but it definitely doesn't completely clear spots within four hours, not that it claims to, I'd say it takes about two or three days for the spot to go totally. It has definitely helped me a lot and I'd highly recommend.

Now for the Clearasil Blemish and Marks Treatment Cream. I'd like to start by saying that this cream smells incredible, it has a kind of fruity-shampoo scent and my whole face smells really good after using it. I also have to say, though, that it is immensely drying to the face. I have dry skin anyway, but this leaves big dry patches where I've used it. Saying that, I'll live through dry skin if it means I have clear skin, and the dryness is nothing that can't be fixed by some good moisturiser. I'm not so sure about this cream, it has faded my scars, not as much as I would have liked, and I'm still a little bit red in the chin and forehead areas; I use it at the same time as the Rapid Action cream. I have definitely noticed some change in my scars so I'll definitely carry on using it, but I'm not entirely convinced.

I'm definitely going to try more Clearasil products soon.

Rosie

(ANOTHER) CONCEALER COMPARRISON

In July I posted a 'Concealer Comparrison' post, comparing my long-term Collection 'Lasting Perfection' concealer, and a new Rimmel 'Wake Me Up' concealer. A couple of week after that, however, I released that the Rimmel 'Wake Me Up' concealer just wasn't right for me and so a new 'Concealer Comparrison' post is being born.

The reason I initially decided to stop using the Collection 'Lasting Perfection' concealer, after using it for about a year, was because I suspected that it was making my skin very dry. I have fairly dry skin anyway, but the areas where I was using the concealer were more dry than ever. Since changing concealers, my dry skin has become much, much better.

I opted for the Rimmel 'Wake Me Up' concealer as I'd heard nothing but good things about it and swatching it in the shop showed that it was basically an exact match for my skin. I really liked the Rimmel 'Wake Me Up', not only was it a very good match for my skin, but it also felt good on the skin. I liked the fact that it had a slightly more watery consistency and that it didn't look and feel thick, cakey and drying on the face. The only problem with it, that resulted in me having to buy a new concealer, was that it didn't have very good coverage at all. The thin consistency meant that it didn't cover up spots and blemishes very well and it just wasn't suited for my needs. The Rimmel 'Wake Me Up' concealer is suited more to brightening and hiding dark circles under the eyes, etc., but I am hoping to go back to using it when my skin is a bit better and I don't need such heavy duty coverage.

I had a long list of concealers from Boots and Superdrug to try out, but after swatching them all, I decided that the Maybelline 'Fit Me' Concealer was the best match for my skin with the right amount of coverage. Maybelline is a brand that I had never ever considered for concealer before, I've used their 'Colour Tattoo' eyeshadows and 'Baby Lips' lip balm, but I'd never thought of them for anything else. The most notable thing about the 'Fit Me' concealer is how similar the packaging looks to the immensely famous and popular Nars concealer.

I am enjoying using this concealer, it has a thicker consistency so it has good coverage on spots and blemishes. One thing I have found, for my personal skin tone, is that I have to apply it quite lightly and then build it up in light dabs, otherwise it can look quite orangey on my face. Unlike the Collection 'Lasting Perfection' concealer, the 'Fit Me' concealer doesn't look noticeably thick and cakey on my skin, and it hasn't caused any dryness in the areas of use at all.

I would highly recommend this concealer, it meets all my needs and it's a good product at a reasonable price (between £5-£10). I can't see myself being one to settle on just one concealer, but for now I am very happy with this one and it suits me well.

I wanted to do just a quick paragraph here to talk about concealer application. For applying concealer, I personally like to actually use a fluffy eyeshadow brush, though I do sometimes use a concealer brush. I tend to prefer the eyeshadow brushes as they are much larger and so I find it easier to blend the concealer into the surrounding area. I know it's wrong, but I do sometimes prefer to use a finger to just dab the concealer in, I find that it sometimes covers spots much better than blending in with a brush. Though I find that using a finger gives the best results, I try to use a brush so as not to risk my skin getting worse from the bacteria on fingers. If you look at the picture below of my current makeup brush set (the whole set, including the case, is from Cath Kidston), you can see that I normally use the brush three from the right for my concealer, which is actually an eyeshadow brush, though I do occasionally use the proper concealer brush to the left of it.

Rosie 

THE CONCEALER COMPARISON

I've been using the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in Shade 1 for about a year now, but recently I've been wanting to try something new. I made a list of various concealers I was interested in from brands including Rimmel, Bourjois and L'Oreal. After trying them all out in Superdrug, I settled on the Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer in the shade Ivory, a cult favourite that I hadn't really considered until now. In my opinion, Rimmel is one of the best highstreet makeup brands.

I've heard that the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer is quite drying on your skin, I've always had dry skin, but I've been wondering lately if using the Collection concealer has anything to do with making it worse. I can't report back on whether or not the Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer is drying, however I have noticed that it's smoother and can be blended in so much better than the Collection concealer, without leaving noticable, slightly flakey makeup patches in its wake.

Another thing I've found that makes Rimmel Wake Me Up so much better than Collection Lasting Perfection is the colour matching. The Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer in Ivory is a much, much better match for my skin colour, so much so that I can't actually see it when it's on my skin. The Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in Shade 1 seems noticably way too light for my skin, whereas the Shade 2 is far too orange.

Don't get me wrong, I have been pleased with the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer, I think it's a bit thicker than the Rimmel Wake Me Up one, meaning that it gives spots slightly better coverage. It's just far too noticable and drying on my skin, whereas the Rimmel one appears to be much better suited to my skin type and much more subtle.

BLOGMAS DAY 2- EVERYDAY MAKEUP

Tuesday 2nd December 2014

23 sleeps till Christmas

I'm pretty sure I did an 'Everyday Makeup' post last December, but an update is always needed. 

Face:

Both of my everyday face products are new ones that I have discovered during the year and that I have banged on a lot about. The Collection Lasting Perfection concealer is a cult favourite, but it well deserves the hype. It's undobtedly the best concealer I've used (I have the Shade 1) and it lasts a very long time on the skin.
My other favourite face product is the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Translucent, I think it's the best product for everyday wear as it's not at all noticeable and it just adds that little something to your skin without looking over the top or shiny. It's one of those products where I feel good about my skin when I wear it. 

Eyes:

As per usual, I have my never-changing, never-ending Body Shop eyeliner. I've also featured a (disgustingly old) No7 mascara, but it's not something I wear everyday because I'm simply too lazy.

In terms of eyeshadow, I don't wear it everyday but when I do I like to go for the more natural pale pinks, as being blonde and fair I think pale pinks look really pretty and not too in-your-face for everyday wear (this is why I'm dying for Urban Decay's Naked 3 palette). My go-to pink eyeshadows are Body Shop's Colour Crush eyeshadow in 'Pink Crush', Maybelline 24 Hour Colour Tattoo in 'Pink Gold', and the shade 'Gateau' from the Sleek 'Oh So Special' palette.

Lips:
(I haven't included lipstick here as it's not something that I wear everyday.) I've said it multiple times before but I'll say it again, Body Shop are one of the best places out there for lip balms, I have never had a complaint or problem with one of their products, and I personally think that they're worth the slightly higher price tag for the highstreet.
Three lipbalms out of the four here are from Body Shop. I have the 'Ginger Sparkle' lip balm from last year's Christmas range as it's the perfect flavour for the winter, and the 'Glazed Apple' lip balm from this year's Christmas range (more to come on that). I also have a plum Born Lippy which smells incredible, and it just something nice and purpe-tinted and the perfect colour for the winter.
My last lip balm is the EOS raspberry and pomegranate one which smells so good and is just a really good balm.

EYE EYE

Happy 101st post to me!
(Really annoyed that I forgot to acknowledge it on the last post)

I decided recently that I'd like to be a bit more adventurous with my eye makeup as the only thing I was ever wearing was pencil eyeliner on my water line and just below my eye, and it's good, but slightly boring. I'm not going to lie here, I do have a fear of all things eye makeup (i.e. liquid liner, eyeshadow, eyebrows), purely because I do not know how to work them properly. But I'm trying. And I'm branching out. And it's rather fun.
This post is a kind of eye-themed haul of recent eye product purchases in the past couple of months.

Sleek i-Divine 'Oh So Special' Palette
It was either this or the Sleek 'Au Naturel' palette, but I opted for this one as I already have a more browny-nudey-natural palette (MUA 'Heaven and Earth' palette). I chose this one as, being pale and blonde, I think pinks and lighter browns work really well on me; my favourite from this palette is actually the shade 'Organza', as it is a more copper shimmery colour, and oranges/bronzes/coppers are meant to look really good with blue eyes as they make them stand out more. This palette is so beautiful, with it's mix of shimmers and mattes, even though it is the hardest thing in the world to open.
Thought I'd add in here that I definitely have my eye on the Naked 3 palette (hint hint for Christmas) as it has got to be one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen- you will soon learn that I really love pale pink eyeshadows.
Anyone else found that eyeshadow palettes are the hardest thing ever to photograph?

Maybelline 24 Hour Colour Tattos in 'Pink Gold' and 'Metallic Pomegranate' 
Most people seem to use these as eyeshadow bases, but I personally think they look good enough, and that they stand out enough, to wear successfully on their own. They're a tricky thing to apply, having spoken to people, most just seem to apply using their fingers which works well enough for 'Pink Gold' but not so much for 'Metallic Pomegranate'.
'Pink Gold' is, without a doubt, one of my favourite eye products ever, it's more of a subtle shimmer and so I find can be built up quite a lot without looking over the top. The pink is so beautiful and I have had many complements on it.
'Metallic Pomegranate' is a really gorgeous colour, but it has to be applied in moderation as it can give the impression of being punched in the eye if you're not careful. I think I am going to have to apply 'Metallic Pomegranate' with a hard brush, especially as it's a slightly harder and more solid product, as I think that will give an overall better look than with a finger. 'Metallic Pomegranate' may also be the one to use as a base, I'm thinking potentially with mattes or dark colours.
I also have my eye on two other Colour Tattoos- 'On and On Bronze', and 'Permanent Taupe'.
These are also very difficult to photograph: 'Pink Gold' is pale pink, and 'Metallic Pomegranate' is a beautiful plum-ish colour.

Liquid Eyeliners
I decided that I wanted to experiment with liquid eyeliner, even though it scares the hell out of me (don't even know where to begin with trying to use it).
I bought the Natural Collection liquid eyeliner (from Boots) which I personally think is one of the best places to start with liquid liner as it only costs £2. Not going to lie, I've barely used either of these products, there was a tragic accident of black blobs everywhere when I tried to use the Natural Collection one for the first time. I am, however, feeling good about this next product.
I actually got this eyeliner pen free in the September issue of Company magazine, which I was really pleased about as I was wanting to try an eyeliner felt-tip, without having to splash out on the Soap and Glory Super Cat liner one. Yet again, I've barely used this, but it's a good product for beginners as a felt-tip is much easier to use that any other brush-type.

Aims:
I thought I'd end this with my future eye aims, apart from to get better with eyeliner and to be able to wear eye products (looking at you eye shadow) without looking like an absolute prat.
My main eye aim is to get my eyebrows sorted properly and to perfect the art of doing them myself. My eyebrow sorting is a must-do.

SUPER SKIN

In honour of our Baby Lips throwback to September 2013 at the end of September 2014, I thought we'd do another throwback to October 2013- the aforementioned 'Skin Month'. So as a celebration of a month dedicated to talking about skin products this time last year, I am doing my current skin care routine.
I don't know if this is because of simply getting older, but my skin has got a million times better in the past six months, and it's only fair that I share my skin secrets (the main one being that I secretly really enoy washing my face).

Morning:
I wash my face twice a day (as everyone should) using the Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel foaming face wash, and the cleansing and toning lotion of the same range. I occasionally use the Body Shop Tea Tree facial toner, but personally I prefer Boots' one. It should be noted here that Boots normally have a three-for-two offer on their Tea Tree and Witch Hazel range. Next I moisturise my face using my trusty Neutrogena moisturiser; the Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel range and the Neutrogena moistuiser are the only products that I have been constantly repurchasing for about the last 6 years.

Evening:
In the evening I wash my face again, though this time I don't moisturise. Before I wash my face, I take off my eyeliner and concealer (just general everyday makeup) using the Body Shop Vitamin E gentle facial cleansing wipes; though these wipes are quite expensive, I am actually allergic to Simple wipes so I have to use them. Personally though, I think that they work better than Simple wipes, and the packet actually lasts a very long time. In the evening I also use the Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel spot wand, which, despite having a 'Day' and a 'Night' side at either end (something which I personally love), I am bad and sometimes don't bother with it in the mornings. As it is part of my nighttime routine, I thought I'd add that I use the Body Shop Lip Butter in Shea every night before I go to bed and it is probably one of my most favourite lip products ever, it keeps my lips super soft and smooth and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.

Extras:
These are things which I am trying to make part of my weekly routine, but I am bad and neglect them, and most of the time I also forget to use them. It is recommened that you use a face mask and exfoliate your face at least once a week (I never do them on the same day), and I am trying really hard to make this happen. I have never been all that keen on exfoliating scrubs as I never used to like the gritty, sandy feel of them, but I do quite like the Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel exfoliating face scrub. You can read my post from 'Skin Month' last October to see how I got on with a Body Shop exfoliating face mask but I warn you, it is not good at all. However, the Body Shop face mask that I have always loved and can always see myself loving is their Tea Tree face mask, which I would highly recommend. I would also suggest getting some of the sample packet version of this mask as it comes in little sachets for £1 each and you can get at least three face masks out of each one, depending on the size of your head.

NO.1 PARTY ANTHEM

So I haven't posted in a while and last night I went to my friends' 18th birthday party and really liked how I looked (I personally think I looked quite evil) so I though I'd share it with the internets.

Hair:
For my hair I simply washed it and then blow-dried it to get rid of most of the wetness. Then I put it in two plaits to finish drying and tah-dah: waves! I am really big on doing my hair like this at the moment.

Face:

I have spoken briefly about the wrong-concealer-shade-fiasco (more detail in a later post) but it has turned out that, now my face is more tanned, the to dark/orange shade is the right colour for me; I am currently using the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Shade 2 Cool Medium.

For my eyes I used my normal Body Shop Carbon Eye Definer in black (I really want the brown one too) and the Body Shop Colour Crush eyeshadow in Pink Crush (these are amazing I need more). I also used the No7 Extreme Length Sensitive mascara which does its job but I am feeling the need for a better one.

The eyshadow looks quite peachy here but in really it is a beautiful pale pink with a slight shimmer to it

For my lips I used my probable most favourite lipstick right now and that is the Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in shade 107 which I think might be called 'Wine' but don't take my word on it. This is a red/pink lipstick and I am absolutely loving it, it's build-able for a darker shade and it just looks so good on (closer image below).

You can barely see my nails but I was wearing a Topshop one in Cloak and Dagger (a.k.a. black). Black nails to match black accessories, as my mother said.

Clothing:
The dress I wore is secretly very old, I was given it about two years ago but due to the colour and the cut it really did not suit me at the age of 15; now that I'm 17, though, I've found myself really liking this dress. If you can't see the picture clearly it's a bright lime green colour with a fairly low cut that is very tight and you can probably tell why I couldn't wear it two years ago. The dress is an H&M one (see top picture).
Bag-wise I bought a small black bag that I got from New Look yonks ago and won't picture here because it's pretty boring but quite good for carrying the essentials without having to walk round holding a clutch bag.

My accessories where rather 1990's themed as I wore my black jelly shoes (without socks, I am the bravest) and a black elastic choker that everyone is wearing nowadays but I think look really simple and cool and I couldn't find one anywhere. Then my mother suggested we look in River Island (which I never normally shop in) and low and behold I bought one in there for £3 (nice price).

25 DAYS OF BLOGGING CHRISTMAS- DAY 8 | DECEMBER 8TH- WINTER FACE

 

I haven't made all that many changes to my face this season apart from now I think it is okay to wear slightly more makeup as winter is not a very sweaty seasons (unlike summer).

1. In winter I crack out the foundation as I tend to look quite pale and ghostly at times during the winter months. I don't wear foundation all that often but when I do I use a very, very light coating of a loose powder which is the Body Shop (I am an addict) Extra Virgin Minerals Loose Powder Foundation. The thing I find with powders is you should only use a very light coating otherwise your face looks quite weird in certain lights and also you can sometimes see the powder on people's faces which is never a good look. I use a kabuki brush to apply my powder foundation.
My concealer is also from Body Shop but I'm not going to bore you with that as well as it never changes.

2. My absolute favourite thing about winter is dark lipsticks. I am a massive fan of the dark purple lipstick and I find them super flattering. My current favourite (if you didn't know this you must be living under a rock or something) is the Accessorize one in Infatuated which is a brighter shade of purple, I'm also currently looking for another darker shade if anyone has any recommendations...
I would absolutely love the MAC Rebel one (if anyone has it is it any good?).

3. The ususal Burt's Bees has not gone anywhere but I have changed around my Body Shop Born Lippy in Guava for a different one called Passion Berry. It has a beautiful fruity smell that is slightly less summery and a bit more heavy than the guava one. My only wish is that it came out in more of a purple tint when you put it on as it is quite sheer. I also wear the strawberry Born Lippy which is probably my favourite as that is slightly (but still barely) tinted but I use it more in the spring.

4. My key thing for winter is moisturiser, I am still using the Neutrogena one as that is the best but I'm getting through it like a mad woman as my poor skin suffers in the winter and I look like a lizard. This problem also happens to my hands but I really really really hate having greasy or sticky hands so if anyone knows a moisturiser/ hand cream than doesn't make your hands greasy or sticky then that would be great.

5. Eyes as well in winter are great because the darker colours can be cracked out, overall I think I just prefer winter makeup, dark colours are the one.
Dear Father Christmas I would love MAC Cranberry eye shadow please thank you.