Recent Skincare Additions

After stepping up my game on the skincare front last year, my skin has gone from an oily mess to somewhat of a manageable state, however I seemed to have developed a skincare addiction. Anyone else suffer with this? Thought so. I'm always on the lookout for the next best thing to add to my collection...

It was a sad day when I released that my beloved Bioderma just wasn't cutting it anymore. So I picked up the Clarins Instant Eye Make-Up Remover to help remove the lashings of mascara that I apply everyday. I had a little bit of birthday money left over so quickly added the Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask to my basket. I have been after this mask for a while after reading so many great reviews, so my expectations are for high for it's trial this evening. The Origins Mega-Bright Serum has been on my wishlist for as long as I can remember, so I was over the moon to receive it as a present from my boyfriend. I have tried a few samples of this over the past few months and I have loved the results every time. Hydraluron is a cult favourite in the beauty world and almost impossible to get hold of, especially if there is an offer on... but, I did it! My skin gets a little dry in the colder weather so I am hoping this will give my skin a little shot of hydration. Being a girl with large pores I like to do anything I can to minimize the look of them. The Clarins Pore Minimizing Serum has been in the back of my mind for a while now and looks just like the sort of thing I need to help disguise my pores.

Three serums, a face mask and a new eye makeup remover should keep my going for a while, unless you have any recommendations for me...

Maybelline Baby Lips

I think it is safe to say that every beauty blogger and their mother now own a Maybelline Baby Lips or two... I know my mum picked some up. The super cute design and playful colours of the packaging is what most us attracts to them but for us UK people, the fact that they were finally launching these in our favourite drugstores sent everyone a little bit crazy. As I didn't want to feel left out, I made sure to place my order. Plus they were on 3 for 2 so it would have been rude not to, right?

Pink Punch, Hydrate and Cherry Me were my shades of choice. Pink Punch comes off as quite a stand-out baby pink shade, this is a little too bright for my liking but if you dab it on with your fingers and do a little blending it becomes more muted and easy to wear. Hydrate is clear, but nourishing and a great base to lipsticks that dry out your lips as it is not at all sticky, nor does it apply thickly. Cherry Me is my favourite out of the bunch and quickly worked it's way into my handbag for everday use. This is a gorgeous fuchsia, plum shade that adds a great pop of colour and can be built up for a bolder lip.

As far as lip balms go, the Maybelline Baby Lips won't do anything revolutionary for you but they will brighten up your makeup stash and they are a great way of just quickly applying a slight lip colour. If you're in the market for a Baby Lips, go for Cherry Me... it is a great shade for autumn.

L'Oreal EverRiche Shampoo & Conditioner

I am a little bit of a hair care addict, I will hold my hands up and admit that. Usually I lean towards higher end, salon brands such as Redken or Tigi with the exception of the Herbal Essences Bee Strong range. But after reading rave review upon rave review of these L'Oreal products I went on a mini hunt and finally managed to get my hands on them.

Aimed at 'very dry rebellious hair' I knew that these were the ones for me. Although my hair isn't too bad, I am a keen heat user when it comes to my hair and an avid dyer meaning that I am always looking for something to make my hair feel silky smooth and keep it in tip top condition. The main attraction to these products is the 'no sulphates' aspect, which although it is what cleans your hair it is an element that damages your hair which is why it is so important to always condition your hair.

To use I apply the L'Oreal EverRiche Shampoo, massage it in and rinse out. Apply the L'Oreal EverRiche Conditioner, massage it in again but then I like to leave it on for 3-5 minuets before rinsing out. I follow this up with my post hair wash routine (read here) and my hair is left feeling incredibly silky, nourished and smooth. More so than when I have used some other, more expensive products.

If you're a lover of silky hair (who isn't?) then I would recommend picking these up... if you can find them . If these don't sound up your street, try one of the other versions more suited to your hair type... you won't be disappointed.

A Weekend Away...

As a part of my present for my birthday, which is today, my boyfriend whisked me away to a barn in the Suffolk countryside for a quite weekend away from everyday life. No internet or phones were allowed, and I even went so low maintenance that I didn't bring any makeup with me and just the skin care essentials (four products in total). 

We stayed at the Woodfarm Barns, the Stour Barn to be exact, and it was every bit as perfect as we had expected it to be. The barn had been kept very traditional with big wooden beams, very shabby chic esk furniture and a wood burner to keep warm. The barn had a private garden in which was a small, hand made table decorated with hanging baskets of colourful flowers, along with some chairs and both a patio and grassed area. There was also a communal area just outside the door step which featured two water features and a decked area for anyone to use. 'The Shed' which was there for any vistors to use contained bikes, DVDs and books to borrow free of charge whilst on your stay. Being in the middle of the country side there was vast amounts of land and roads which were perfect for taking our dog Bella on a walk.

Whilst we there we visited the near by town of Debenham, which had a lake and some fields to walk Bella in and we picked up a home-made jar of jam, because you cannot beat home-made jam. We didn't venture out too much as we wanted to spend as much time in the barn as possible and enjoy the peaceful surroundings. So we spent most of our time snuggled up on the sofa watching Breaking Bad while the birds chirped away in the background. Oh, and enjoying a huge fry up! My idea of the perfect weekend. 

After a lovely weekend away I am looking forward to my favourite meal this evening, my mum's home-made lasagne and lots of birthday cake. Also well done to my boyfriend for planning this weekend away all by himself!