Monthly Favourites | November

A slightly late favourites from me this month guys - I've been such a busy little bee. Also, if you work full time like I do, I'm sure you'll know how I feel about this dark and grey winter weather. As much as I love winter, its just not ideal for blog photography. I'm having to wait for weekends to take photos so my posts can often take way longer to get up than I'd originally hoped. Boo! Anyway, weather aside, I can't believe its now the 10th of December. Two weeks today I'll be heading home to the Lakes on Christmas Eve and I couldn't be more excited even if I tried. I'm like a big kid at Christmas, its definitely my favourite time of the year.

I feel like I've been trying quite a lot of new products lately so it was tough to whittle it down to my top picks but I got there in the end and these are the products I've been loving lately. Most of them are new discoveries but there's a couple of old favourites thrown in there for good measure ...


REN 3-in-1 Cleansing Water* | Link
I'm a huge fan of micellar solutions or 'cleansing waters' as they're more well-known as they're such an effective and gentle way to remove makeup. They're great to use as a 'pre-cleanse' to remove the majority of your makeup before you give your skin a thorough cleanse with a cleanser of your choice such as a balm, oil or gel (my personal favourite formulations). This 3-in-1 cleansing water from REN is the latest to be added to my cleansing water stash and it does a great job at removing makeup (even stubborn eye makeup) and it feels lovely and refreshing on the skin. A big thumbs up from me!





Balance Me Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm* | Link
I've mentioned this product in a favourites post before but I just have to mention it again this month as I've been using it more and more now the harsh winter weather has taken its toll on my skin. This balm cleanser is such a luxurious treat and I actually look forward to getting home from work and cleansing my face with this stuff - who'd have thought it? It has a fairly thick consistancy like you would imagine from a balm but when massaged onto the skin it becomes loose and more oil like, gradually removing every scrap of makeup. It also has small oatmeal grains running through it which gently exfoliate the skin while the balm removes grime and thoroughly cleanses. To remove it I splash my face with warm water, massage the product around my face even more and then remove it with a warm face cloth. If you want that salon facial feeling at home - I can't recommend this stuff enough. It leaves my feeling clean, fresh, hydrated and smooth. I love it!

Yonka Pamplemousse Vitalizing Cream* | Link
Until recently Yonka wasn't a brand I was familiar with but I'm so glad blogging has introduced me to it as its amazing! My mum and I are both hooked. My favourite product from them has got to be their Pamplemousse Vitzalizing Cream (don't you just love the name?) - seriously, I'm so impressed by it. If you're after a lightweight moisturiser that sinks into the skin super fast whilst still providing lots of hydration, this is the one for you. It also smells fruity thanks to ingredients like Grapefruit, Lemon and Orange. I absolutely adore anything citrus scented so this gets a huge thumbs up from me! I also find it really perks up my skin and adds some much needed radiance to my face on these dark and grey winter mornings. Overall I'm absolutely in love with this product and if Yonka skincare is good enough for the likes of Beyonce and Victoria Beckham who both use it, its certainly good enough for me!


NARS Sheer Glow Foundation | Fiji | Link
I repurchased NARS Sheer Glow recently and I'm so glad I did as its definitely one of the best foundations I've ever tried. I won't go into too much detail about this as I've already done a full review here but its a great foundation to go for if you want something that's medium to full coverage whilst still looking natural on the skin. However, if you're after something very 'glowy', don't be fooled by the name as it isn't glowy at all. It does give the skin a healthy radiance but its not as glowy as the likes of Rimmel Wake Me Up, for example.


Rimmel Scandal Eyes Lycra Flex Mascara | Black | Link
When I first bought this mascara a couple of months ago, I HATED it. It was dry and didn't do anything for my lashes. No colour, not length and no curl. Nothing. However, recently I decided I'd give it another go and it turns out I now love it. I don't know what's happened but between the first time I tried it and now, its like a completely different mascara. It now gives my lashes lots of volume and curl and its no longer dried out. I know, very strange isn't it?


Art Deco Hydra Lip Booster | Wood Rose* | Link
I received this Art Deco Lip Booster in my November Love Me Beauty box and I've been using it almost daily ever since thanks to the amazing glossy but none sticky formula. I really hate lipglosses that feel like glue on the lips (especially in winter - sticky lips and wind are not a good combo) but this one feels so lovely and creamy and isn't remotely sticky. The shade  'Wood Rose' is the perfect 'my lips but better' shade too and I find it gives my lips a nice wash of colour without being overpowering. I would like to point out that I don't think this product 'boosts' my lips like it claims to but it definitely smooths them out and covers any imperfections. I love it!


Gucci Flora Gracious Tuberose* | Link
I love nothing more than receiving new perfumes so when I was recently send this Gucci Flora perfume from Fragrance direct, I couldn't have been more chuffed. I love having perfumes sat out on my dressing table so I'm quite fussy when it comes to packaging and I normally go for elegant looking bottles that are quite simple and chic. Think 'Miss Dior' which is an all time favourite of mine. This one from Gucci has that same chic look to it and it looks absolutely beautiful sat on my dresser. As well as looking pretty, it also smells amazing! Its very girly and while it does have floral tones, it definitely isn't overpowering like some floral scents can be. Its just very sophisticated and feminine and lasts all day long. I put it on at 7am this morning and can still smell it now. That's good going let me tell you as more perfumes don't last on me. If you're after a new perfume for Christmas, I can't recommend this one enough and you can get the gift set from Fragrance Direct here for only £39.95. Bargain!



Aromatherapy Associates Morning Revive Bath & Shower Oil* | Link
If you love a hot relaxing bubble bath in the winter like I do then the Aromatherapy Associates bath and shower oils are a must have. A couple of drops of this added to a bath really tranforms it from a standard bath to a luxurious spa like experience. The scents are really powerful so only one or two drops is needed meaning this little bottle should last me a good few baths. I've used it 3 or 4 times already and as you can see - there's still loads left. I know there's lots of Aromatherapy Acossiates Christmas gifts floating around at the moment so if you or one of your loved ones love to relax in the bath, these oils would be a perfect gift. My favourite set would be have to be this one here. A bath oil Christmas tree - yay!

Wow, that was a long post so well done if you made it to the end! I do go off on a tangent sometimes, whoops! Which products have you been loving lately?

Lots of Love,

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My Summer Beauty Favourites

Hi everyone! I hope you're all having a great weekend and enjoying the sunshine. I've been shopping for some holiday essentials today so expect a post all about the things I've been buying very soon. I recently wrote a guest post over on Sabrina's blog but I want to share it on my own blog too, just incase you missed it over there. Instead of doing a normal 'favourites' post this month, I thought I'd share my Summer Beauty favourites instead as these are the products I've been using a lot lately or am likely to start using over the next few weeks and on my holiday.

I don't know about you but whenever the seasons change, the products I use change too. I really like natural dewy skin, messy beach hair and a golden bronze tan throughout the warmer months with a pop of colour here and there to brighten things up. With that being said, here are the products I'll be using this Summer ...

The Body Shop Body Butters (Strawberry & Mango)

I'm sure you've all heard of these lovely body butters as they're one of The Body Shops most popular products and I can definitely see why. The two scents I use are Strawberry and Mango and they smell incredible - perfect fruity scents for the Summer months. I find them incredibly moisturising too and they sink into the skin so effortlessly. If you like using tan in the summer (which I'll talk about next), then you must try one of these body butters as it makes the application process much smoother and streak-free.

St.Tropez Tanning Lotion

Lets face it, when the weather gets warmer, clothes get smaller. Whether its strappy dresses, denim shorts or bikinis, we're usually flashing a lot more flesh in the Summer months. I don't know about you but having a tan makes me feel much more confident to show to some skin so I'll always have a bottle of fake tan to hand during the summer months. This one from St.Tropez is great for providing a natural olive glow without looking orange or over the top. I usually apply it with a tanning mitt just before bed and leave it to work its magic overnight. I go to bed looking like casper the friendly ghost and wake up looking like I've been soaking up the sun on holiday. Yippee!

Clarins BB Cream*

As I said earlier, I really like natural dewy skin in the Summer as the thought of wearing a thick and heavy foundation on warm days just isn't appealing. I usually opt for foundations with light coverage or BB Creams which are just perfect when you're after a light, natural and effortless base. This new release from Clarins which I was kindly sent from Escentual is fabulous as it isn't as thin as other BB creams I've tried. Its more comparable to a lightweight foundation which is great as it still gives me a good medium coverage without feeling heavy. I find it gives my skin a lovely radiant and natural glow too. The only problem I have with it is the shade - 01 (the lightest shade) is still too dark for my skin. However, I'm hoping when I get a bit of a tan that it will work for me as the formula is beautiful!

Nourish Cooling Toning Mist*

If you're prone to getting a bit hot and flustered when the weather warms up, this product will be a life-saver for you. As the name states, it cools and tones the skin and can be spritzed on bare skin or over makeup. I've been using it on bare skin and it instantly refreshes and brightens my whole face. I imagine it will be perfect for those humid days when I need to cool down or refresh my makeup. It will be coming on holiday with me too as a poolside face refresher!

Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray

One thing lots of girls desire to have, especially in Summer time, is beach hair. Natural tousled waves that look effortless, a little bit messy but still chic. Well, with the help of Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray, beach babe hair is easy to achieve. Spritz this spray over damp hair, allow your hair to dry and ta-da, perfect beach waves. I tend to go for the 'messy' hair look a lot more during the Summer months, particularly when I'm on holiday as humidity and hair straighteners are a no-no. Products like this are great for adding style to your hair without any any heat or effort.

Topshop 'Infrared' Lipstick

I'm a huge fan of Topshop lipsticks and Infrared is my all time favourite. I find it the perfect summer lip shade - a bright, vibrant orange that looks great with a tan. Its really moisturising too, bonus!

Bourjois 'Healthy Glow' Cream Blush

Bourjois recently released a range of four cream to powder blushes which are absolutely fabulous. As I said earlier, dewy and 'fresh' looking skin is something I always strive for in Summer. I don't like the idea of wearing lots of powders on my face when the weather is warm so cream blushes are great to pair with a light foundation or BB Cream. Although these Bourjois ones have a cream to powder formula, I find them somewhere in between as they aren't too shiny or too matte - just right. My favourite shade from the range is Healthy Glow, a perfect peach. Can you tell I've got a thing for peach/coral/orange shades yet?

Models Own 'Hedonist' Nail Polish

From the Models Own's Hed Kandi range, Hedonist is Summer nails in a bottle. Much like the Topshop Infrared lipstick, its a bright (neon!) orange shade which in my opinion is the ultimate Summer colour, does anyone else agree? I love wearing this on my toe nails with tan sandals or wedges.

Origins A Perfet World SP5  25 Moisturiser

Until recently, I never considered wearing SPF apart from when I'm laying on a sun lounger on holiday. However, after going for a 'skin scan' recently that showed me what was going on underneath the top layer of my skin, I discovered I had quite a bit of sun damage. This really spurred me on to start using a moisturiser with SPF in it so I splurged on Origins A Perfect World moisturiser. It contains antioxidant white tea and SPF 25 to protect the skin from UV rays and prevent premature line and wrinkles. Its nice and light too and sinks in really easily making it the perfect choice for the summer months.

So there we have it, my top products for Summer! What are your favourite Summer beauty products?

Lots of Love,