30 May 2014

CURRENT EVENING SKINCARE ROUTINE


I posted my morning skincare routine earlier this week, you can go across and have a read of that one here if you missed it.

I like to try and remove my makeup as soon as I get home instead of leaving it on all evening and doing it just before bed, just because it feels cleaner and so good knowing you can just jump straight into bed when you're feeling really tired and stayed up far too late binge watching Revenge guiltyyy. I remove the bulk of my makeup with a cotton pad soaked in Bioderma. To cleanse my face and also remove any left over makeup - which is usually mascara I've been using the Super Facialist by Una Brennan Rose Hydrate Creamy Cleanser (longest cleanser name ever award goes to you). Just like with my Liz Earle cleanser in the morning, I take a small amount and massage it all over my face before removing it with a warm muslin cloth or flannel. If I've worn a lot of makeup that day or have used a strong SPF I'll double cleanse just to ensure everything is super, squeaky clean.

Most evenings I just use the Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic but around once or twice a week I like to use the Clarins Gentle Exfoliating Brightening toner. I dislike using those facial scrubs with the little rough bits in, as I find them to be a little too harsh. Using this has the same effect but without feeling like you're removing a layer of skin. It leaves your skin look so much more radiant and refreshed without any irritation.

Most evening I'll use a serum under my moisturiser as a treatment. At the moment I've been using the Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance serum which helps to lighten dark spots from left over blemishes and also promote and even complexion. I got this little tube as a sample from Latest in Beauty for around £5, which impressively has lasted me a good few months. This is a really nice product but I don't think I'll be purchasing the £40+ full size tube when this one does run out. For moisturiser I've been using the Liz Earle Skin Repair although this is a nice product, I think it would be better suited to someone with a more dry or mature skin. To finish things off I just did the same things that I did in the morning with the Lush Bubblegum scrub and Burt's Bees Beewax lip balm.

I hope that you've enjoyed having a little peak in to my skincare routines, let me know if you want to see what masks and other treatments I use.

Hope you have a lovely weekend! Kathleen xxx 

27 May 2014

CURRENT MORNING SKINCARE ROUTINE


I haven't posted any skincare related things yet, so here we go. Here's the lowdown on my current morning skincare routine - evening one coming later in the week!

My skin is what I'd call typical 18 year old girl skin. It's combination, with the majority being pretty normal and an oily t-zone. My skin is also prone to the odd family of blemishes and does get dehydrated from time to time.

I start with a pump of the Liz Earle Grapefruit and Patchouli Cleanse & Polish (sadly this one was limited edition, but you can find the classic one here) and massage that all over my face, then remove with a warm muslin cloth - which my friend found hilarious, she thought it was a hankie the first time I whipped it out. I then take a small bit of the Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic on a cotton pad and swipe that all over my face, it feels so nice and refreshing after washing your face with the warm cloth. I always receive lots of Liz Earle bit and pieces for Christmas from family so for ages my skincare stash is always a bit Liz crazy. 

Next I use the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo +, I've done a full review of this product already so I won't waffle on too much about it here. But it's basically a serum which helps blemishes and marks. Sometimes this is it and I go straight on to lips but for days where my skins looking a little dull, I use the St Tropez gradual tan moisturiser. This has a really nice lightweight formula, which sinks in to the skin really quickly meaning your makeup won't by sliding all over the place by 12pm. It just helps to put a little bit of life and glow back in your skin - great if you've had a late night.

Finally for lips, I use the Lush Bubblegum lip scrub just get rid of all the flaky bits (that sounds so gross). I take small amount on my finger, then just buff it in and remove the excess with the muslin cloth I used earlier. My lip treatment of choice recently has been the Burt's Bees lip balm which is really moisturising, it also smells really minty and fresh which is why I really like using it in the morning.

Kathleen xxx 

20 May 2014

FACE OF THE DAY



After all my Clinique Bonus Time excitement I couldn't wait to try all out of all my makeup bits. Here's a little face of the day style of post I took over the weekend. The first picture was taken just after I finished getting ready - excuse the weird half pout thing I've going on. The second was a few hours later I had a little outfit change before leaving the house as it was actually sunny AND warm! I'd spent the afternoon running a couple of errands, brownie making and enjoying a few glasses of Pimms. Exams? What exams?..

13 May 2014

MID MONTH FAVOURITES

I was a little late on the favourites train this month so I decided to make this post a bit of a mid-month/current favourites mash up...

Topshop's 'Keen" Nail Varnish £5.00 - I featured this in my Spring nail varnish post last week. I mentioned how I usually tend to stick to 'standard' polish colours but something drew me to this one and it is love. The pastelly shade makes it nice and easy to wear, nothing too Wicked Witch from the West. Generally everyone Topshop nail varnish I've tried has been brilliant. The shade range is huuuge, they're foolproof to apply, last really well and to top it off the packaging is really cute.

The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil £10 - I'd read quite a bit about the sister product to this but something made me add the oil to my basket. I'd never tried a cleansing oil before this and prior to first application, I did feel like I was a about to rub a load of vegetable oil on my face, gross. After giving it a go, my doubts were proved wrong. I use this to remove the bulk of my makeup, I take around two pumps (extra brownie points for the pump and not an awkward, messy pouring bottle) slap it straight on to my face it and massage it in. It dissolves all of your makeup so effortlessly and quickly. It's also super gentle, I can rub it on to my eyes and all of my mascara literally melts away. And 100ml for a tenner, bargain.

Primark - Back in the day I used to hate Primark, I never understood peoples love for it. It made me think of cheap see through leggings, clothes all over the floor and strange graphic tee's. However after watching numerous hauls on YouTube, I think I've been converted. Granted if you attempt to go in on a Saturday afternoon you will be greeted with a crazy jumble sale but if you manage to find a quiet hour or so to pop in a have a rummage through, you can find some real gems. One of my favourite recent purchases is a navy laptop style bag, a near enough exact copy of the Zara Office City bag and for only £12.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation £8.99 - As you know, throughout April I was on a makeup spending ban. This meant having a chance to took back through the many foundation bottles I was hoarding in my collection. Last summer, this foundation barely made it a day without being applied to my face until one day a new one came along and it just got shoved to the bottom of the pile. I'd forgotten how lovely this foundation is, it gives a lovely medium but natural looking coverage and a really gorgeous dewy glow. It works really well with the Wake Me Up Concealer, together they really brighten up my face especially on super early mornings!

Hope you're having a lovely week, my first exam is in three weeks eeeekkk. Do you have any exams coming up? - If so, good luck!

Kathleen xxx

6 May 2014

SPRING NAIL POLISH PICKS

In the spring I think it's nice to mix things up and invest in a few new polishes. A few weeks ago I picked up some new shades perfect for the time of year. The pale and pastel shades definitely took my fancy, here a few of my faves...


1 May 2014

SUCCESSFUL SPENDING BAN, KIND OF...

Woo it's the first day of May, meaning that my makeup spending ban is now over! If you missed the original post I'll link it for you here. To sum it up I decided to not allow myself to buy one single piece of makeup or makeup related things like brushes and nail varnishes etc, throughout the whole of April.

For all you fellow makeup lovers, this may sound pretty though going but actually I think I was a lot easier on myself than I could of been. You might have guessed from my Body Shop Haul  the other week that I didn't feel that skincare should come in to 'makeup' as well as haircare and clothes. This meant the money I wasn't spending on makeup, I was spending on clothes instead. That's my logical thought process for you there.

Although I perhaps didn't save as much as I could of, it's not all bad news. I managed to pay off of the important things I need to like Glastonbury yay and my car tax, the joys! Also it gave me the chance to have a good rummage through the makeup I was already hoarding, I found loads of things I had forgotten all about so expect a 'shopping the stash' style post soon.

Sticking to my ban plan means I might of accumulated a bit of a wishlist... Maybe that defeats the whole point, but here are the things I've been dying to get my hands on for the last four weeks.


April makeup wishlist