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.

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.

THINGS I HAVE LEARNT

I have learnt some things recently. I am both shocked and thrilled by them. It's confusing.

The Truth Behind Bobby Pins- My Whole Life is a Lie:

The other day while browsing the bloggersphere, I discovered the 'true' way to use bobby pins/hair grips depending on what you call them; luckily I'm not the only one who didn't know about this, my mother and friends were equally as shocked. For my whole life I have been using hair grips with the bumpy side facing upwards, as everyone does, the bumpy side faces upwards in the packet. But apparently there is somewhere a secret rule that only the select few know that claims that hair grips are supposed to be used with the bumpy side facing downwards as that helps them to grip better. What. It makes so much sense. How don't we all know this? Having road tested hair grips with the bumpy side facing downwards for a whole day I think they might actually grip your head better as my hair has slipped out of position less but I am still very distressed by this. My whole life is a lie.

The previous way of wearing hair grips, with the bumpy side facing upwards, the obvious way

The apparently correct way we should be wearing hair grips, with the flat side facing upwards

A Different Type of Glove:

Recently I have been quite self conscious of my legs as they were covered in small spots that I assumed were some type of weird leg acne (lacne?). While discussing this with my friends, I discovered that:
1) I am not the only one who gets this; and
2) It's not actually spots but ingrown hair from shaving.
The answer to this problem is so simple that it cleared my legs up in about two days. Exfoliation. During every shower/bath or after every time you shave your legs all you need to do is exfoliate yourself and the ingrown hairs will clear right up; (you can also exfoliate your face to get rid of blackheads). I use body wash and then rub it in with an exfoliating glove as I find that they work best but you can also get special exfoliating body scrubs; the exfolaiting glove can also be used on your face but as it is quite rough I prefer to use a tea tree face scrub. Exfolation is my new favourite thing and is now a key part of my weekly routine.

GETTING SKINNY WITH IT

I've had one of those 'ohmygod it's nearly summer I need to look nice all over' moments, and I am starting with my skin; I'm also branching out more into the world of makeup and experimenting more.

Body Shop Tea Tree Blemish Gel:
It is a known fact that my mother and I are *slighty* obsessed with the Body Shop and their tea tree collection is no exception. Tea tree is very, very good for teenage or combination (oily and dry) skin and it is a range I have been sticking to successfully for many, many years. I was more than slightly horrified at the price and size of this product, it costs £6 and is absolutely tiny but I have heard so many good things about this that I paid the ridiculous price regardless (if you can't tell I am not a fan of forking over massive amounts of money for any products in general); I have heard that this product not only gets rid of spots but also gets rid of the blemishes or scars from previous spots and I am willing to try anything that claims that.

This might just have been my skin at that moment in time, but when I first tried this product I felt that it almost made the under-skin-lurking-spots seem more prominent and actually made them come up on the surface. And, to be honest with you, I'm pretty sure that it does make the tiny unnoticeable blemishes seem like more prominent spots (no one else notices it on my skin, though, it's just me).

While this is a good product, it is more or less the same as Boot's Tea Tree Blemish Stick and I would recommend getting the Boots one as it is larger, cheaper and you get more for your money.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer:
I have been using a Body Shop concealer in stick form for years and years and, while it does it's job, it's not brilliant and you can still see where the spots are. My best friend gave me the most amazing set of Cath Kidston makeup brushes for my birthday (confessional time: I have no idea what most of the brushes are meant for) and that has motivated me to experiment more with makeup. My first step has been buying a liquid concealer and using a brush to blend it in (another confessional time: sometimes I still just rub it in with my hands); the concealer I chose is the Collection Lasting Perfection as I am unoriginal and jumping on the bandwagon/ I have heard a lot of good things about this. I was surprised at how cheap this was- £4.19 is a price I like.

I bought this concealer in Shade 2 Cool Medium as in Superdrug it looked the right shade and Shade 1 looked too light; however, a couple of days later I was happily blending it in with my brush when I looked in the mirror and realised I was orange. But not just orange, orange and splotchy as I hadn't covered my whole face and only a few areas, attractive that. I did go back and buy the concealer in Shade 1 Fair as in the UK you can't return makeup, I am not broken hearted about this as the product was quite cheap, but damn you super bright Superdrug lights. Since having written that last bit, it has been very sunny and I'm actually quite tanned on my face now; in hindsight it is actually a good thing that I have both Shades 1 and 2 in my collection as Shade 1 is the right shade of me in the winter/spring/colder months, but in the summer I am more suited to Shade 2. Happy is me

If you browse the Cath Kidston website and find their 'Button Rose Makeup Brush Set', I use the third largest brush to blend my concealer, and then the Body Shop 'Face and Body Brush' to just make sure it's all blended in properly and spread (is that the right word) it around my face so everything is even. Occasionally (a lot) I have been known the use my fingers to rub it in thought I don't think it does such a good job as brushes. (I also use the Body Shop 'Face and Body Brush' for powder).

This concealer had been raved about by everyone and their mum so I had high expectations for it, I am not disappointed, I would highly recommend this product.

SKIN MONTH | LAND OF SOAP AND GLORY

You can't spend a month reviewing skin products without delving into the wonderful world of Soap and Glory now can you. (As shallow as this sounds) one of the main things that attracted me to Soap and Glory originally was the cute and vintage-looking packaging, both of which I am a sucker for, I can't help but want something if it comes in a pretty packaging.

Everyone knows Soap and Glory to be quite an expensive brand so my excitement was obvious when I came across the Boots miniatures section and found a mini Righteous Butter and Hand Food for only £2.50 each! Granted these tubs are tiny, but it means I have to avid spending over £10 on a massive tub that I may not even like. I decided to get the Righteous Butter as everyone raves about it and that appears to be what they are most famous for and my mother already has a bottle of Hand Food.

Soap and Glory Hand Food (normal size- £5 for 125ml, miniature- £2.50 for 50ml)- I am normally not much of a hand cream lover as I really hate my hands to be greasy or sticky. The first thing I noticed about this hand cream is it stinks. Now I don't know if this is because my tube is quite old but it smells horrible and I have already washed it off (I am praying that it's because it's old). The good points are that it sinks into your hands really quickly so you don't feel greasy, but it didn't really make my hands feels any softer and it almost made them feel worse. I will not be buying this again due to how bad it smells and I can easily buy an overall nicer hand cream for much cheaper.

Soap and Glory Righteous Butter (normal size- £10.50 for 300ml, miniature- £2.50 for 50ml)- Every Christmas and birthday I am always given masses of Body Shop body butters so that is what I have been using for the past few years; I rarely remember to use body butter but, when I do, I use it in the evenings after a shower or bath. I was a bit worried about trying this after my disappointment with Hand Food as I believe they have the same formula or scent or something, so I was super glad that they do it in a miniature size for relatively cheap. One of my favourite things about this product before even using it is that it was technically free as everything in Boots in currently on 3-for-2 and I'd bought some face wash and toner so this was my free thing which I love. I like this product but I really don't see all that much difference between using this and a Body Shop one. I'm not sure if I will repurchase this as it is quite expensive and there are cheaper options out there which work in the same way.

With the most expensive item costing £3.50 and the permanent 3-for-2 offer, I will definitely be taking advantage of the Soap and Glory travel range at Boots- fantastic bargain.
The one thing I am slightly regretful about not being able to try this month is a hot cloth cleanser but I will be on the look out to hopefully try one soon.

SKIN MONTH | THE WIPE COMPARISON

I reviewed the Body Shop Vitamin E Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes earlier this month and I completely fell in love with them, HOWEVER, I am nearly running out and Body Shop is rather expensive so I thought I'd try another (and slightly cheaper) brand of wipes and see the comparison...
(Read my Body Shop wipes review here)

Simple Kind To Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes (£2.99):
These come to half the price of the Body Shop wipes (they cost £6) so for starters I am pleased. Simple claims to remove waterproof mascara but, as I don't wear much mascara and when I do it's non-waterproof, unfortunately I cannot review that for you (I am very tempted to get my best friend to try one out for me but that might be a bit weird). These wipes also claim to be good for sensitive skin which is great for me, but, when I was testing out super dark foundation on my brothers hand as a joke- poor boy, he scrubbed a bit too hard to get it off and his hand came out a bit splotchy for a while, however I did not find this to be the case on my hand when removing lipstick samples so I suppose it is different for different people (?).
Once I actually tried these on my face I completely fell in love with them, I believe that they even work a little bit better than the Body Shop ones which is fab. The Simple wipes are also so much more gentle on my skin (which is what it says on the packet), I find that under my eyes gets quite sore if I rub too hard with the Body Shop ones but that doesn't happen with Simple. After removing my eyeliner with the Simple wipes there was actually nothing left and it had even removed two day old makeup which was brilliant.
I feel very unfaithful to my Body Shop wipes that I have loved so much but I do think that I will be repurchasing the Simple ones over them as I think they work a little bit better and the Simple ones are half the price of the Body Shop ones (see above for prices).

SKIN MONTH | YES ANOTHER BODY SHOP REVIEW

*Just to start I would like to say that I am sorry I have not posted for a while but I went on a camping competition with my Explorer Scouts (which I won) last weekend (really not good for your skin that) so obviously I cannot post from a tent.*

In my last Body Shop review I was not feeling the Seaweed Iconic Clay Mask vibe and, if it's possible, my view on it has actually decreased the more I've used it. I have only used this product twice but I don't think I'll be using it again in a hurry unless I run out of other face packs. Really soon after I put the mask on my face started to feel like it was burning, which is not ideal. I decided to stick the mask out until it dried because it does dry really quickly, but when I took it off it start to burn again and the exfoliating particles do not appear to wash off with the rest of the mask and I found myself having to stand there scrubbing it, my face also started to burn again when I used my normal tea tree soap afterwards. I am really disappointed as this is the first ever Body Shop product that I really have not liked, despite how smooth my skin feels afterwards. I have found, though, that the mask is doing nothing for my skin and my face really smells like seaweed afterwards which I do not want. I am going to try another Body Shop face pack because they have always been very good before, but I think I should just stick to my normal tea tree...

Tea Tree Face Mask:
Despite my initial disappointment with my other Body Shop face mask, I didn't want to give up on all hope of Body Shop skin products as I have been highly praising of them in the past. For this reason I decided to go back to an old favourite which I knew (and hoped) wouldn't fail me- the tea tree face mask. I have written before how good tea tree is for your skin (I actually took an online test on the Body Shop website link here which I really recommend doing and it actually said I should be using tea tree for my personal skin- so there you go!). There's something very refreshing about tea tree and your skin feels very soft, fresh and light after use. This is quite an old tub and I believe the packaging has changed slightly since I bought mine but the product itself is still the same. I love this face mask, it does exactly what I want it to (clears spots) and I will be buying it again.

Another product that I recommend is the aime Spring Clean Cooling Clay Mask which I won't review as it is basically the same as the tea tree one above, but it is a very good product and this one tube has lasted me literally years; I would be inclined to say that aime is one of the best.

SKIN MONTH | A BIT OF A WEIRD ONE

Every teenage girl can tell you without a doubt that Montagne Jeunesse are the best face packs ever. Now most will not actually know what the brand is called but EVERYONE knows the packaging. A French brand, these face packs come in individual sachets that cost £1 each from Boots or Claire's accessories and are the perfect quick or sleepover companion.

(Every girl in the world knows this packaging design immediately)

After the last face pack disaster (which I will go into more detail on later this week) I popped into Boots and picked up my favourite one, the Passion Peel Off. The ingredients of this mask are not the thing that appeals to me, it's the fact that, once dry, you peel this mask off like when you were a child and covered your hands in PVA glue just for the fun of peeling it off when dry. Childish, I know.

The thing that struck my most when I opened the sachet was the nostalgia I got from it, every summer I go on a group holiday with my dad's friends from uni and the three girls (me included) buy masses of these and have daily pamper evenings. This smells really great but comes out of the packaging in a thinner, pink colour so it does look like you've got a bad rash all over your face. I really can't fault these face masks, they are so fun and come in loads of different types (my other favourites being the red one that heats up on your face and the chocolate one that you have to physically resist eating). My skin feels all smoothy smooth after taking this off and they make the best presents or things for a sleepover or pamper day with your friends (also I cannot explain how much fun it is to peel this one off when it has dried).

The one problem I have with these is that there is too much in one sachet for one mask, but then you have to leave the packet somewhere safe is you want to use it again but it may dry up. That being said, it only costs a pound so only being able to use it once is really not that much of a problem.

SKIN MONTH | EVERYDAY ROUTINE

So this post isn't going to be very interesting but as it's Skin Month I thought it was only right that I addressed by daily skin routine...

(Apologises for the half-used products) 

1. Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Foaming Face Wash- tea tree is super good for your skin, I use this twice daily and then wash it off using Boots cotton wool pads.
2. Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Cleansing and Toning Lotion- it is always good to use toner on your skin, I use this once every morning and dab a couple of drops of it onto a cotton wool pad.
3. Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Exfoliating Face Scrub- (yes there is a trend going on) as I wrote here, I am not a great fan off exfoliating products for your face so I only use this about once a month but exfoliation is good and you should not run away from it just because it feels weird.
4. (A new one) Vitamin E Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes- I use these in the evening to take off my eye makeup and then give my face a quick wipe before I wash it properly, I love these wipes so much.
5. Neutrogena moisturiser- favourite moisturiser, not much else to say about that really.
6. Burt's Bees lip balm- I just have the normal, original, no extra stuff, whatever you want to call it one and I lovelovelovelove it sososososo much, I use it every night before I go to bed so I have super smoothy lips when I wake up. I also use it as a base if I'm going to be wearing lip gloss because I find that some lip glosses dry your lips out a bit and this just prevents it.

 The Boots tea tree and witch hazel range

Personal favourites

Available at Boots or Waitrose- I love these

 

 

Now moving onto make up, I don't wear all that much to school because I have no time if I actually want to sleep in the morning.

The bare minimum

1. Body Shop concealer- I have spoken about this before but it's really good and does not cause excess breakouts like some concealers do.
2. Body Shop black eyeliner pencil- Just on the lower lash line and water line, I have super sensitive eyes and this is a good quality eyeliner without being overpriced like many other sensitive eyes products (COUGH No7 COUGH).
3. Mascara- I don't often wear mascara but when I do I wear No7 sensitive eyes in black, the one thing I hate about mascara is you can never seen when you're nearly running out.
4. Maybelline Baby Lip in Peach Kiss- perfect everyday lip balm, tastes good and has a teeny tiny shimmer to it in certain lights.
5. Body Shop Born Lippy in Guava- I absolutely love these but I have so many and never manage to finish them (my friend gets through a whole pot in about three months which is quite impressive considering how much is in there and how little you need at a time). Guava has got to be by far the nicest Born Lippy (I have about three pots of the strawberry one, however- yummy) but I find that they dry my lips out so I just whack on a layer of Burt's Bees and it works like a dream team.

Looks amazing and smells amazing I absolutely love this product (guava flavoured)