Glow get em!

I thought id write a little post on ways to get bright glowy skin. For me personally i find glowy skin a lot more flattering than matte. I always wore matte foundations up to a few years ago but as i am getting older i find matte products seem to sit in any tiny lines or dry patches.

Me sporting the glowy bright look!

These products are my fail safe brightening range that i am constantly using when i want to look healthy, natural and bright.

Fail Safe Products

Alpha H Liquid Gold & Liz Earle Eyebright

Alpha H Liquid Gold: This product is amazing. I only use it about 3 times a week but it has made a huge difference in my skin tone. I apply this at night and wake up with a lovely glow to my skin and pores look tighter and any spots are significantly reduced. If i could suggest one skincare product to try it has to be this.

Liz Earle Eyebright: It's great to have smooth glowy skin but if your eyes look tired and puffy then no matter how good your skin looks you will not look refreshed and healthy. That's where this product comes in.
Soak a cotton pad in the solution and place over the eyes just for a minute or two and it really takes down puffiness and helps to Brighten and sooth the whole eye area, brilliant for those early starts or for those with sensitive eyes.

Liz Earle Skin Base & Nars Orgasm Highlighter

Liz Earle skin base: This tinted moisturiser gives a beautiful natural finish to the skin. It slightly evens things out but more importantly for me it adds a nice luminosity to the skin making it look fresh and bright.

Nars Orgasm Highlighter: I love this to emphasise above the cheekbones with a pretty sheen, i blend this well and it always catches the light and gives a bit of shape to my naturally round cheeks.

Estee Lauder Idealist cooling Illuminator & Benefit EyeBright

Estee Lauder Idealist Cooling Illuminator is amazing for brightening under the eyes. Its light reflective formula hides shadows and the ceramic tip cools and depuffs the delicate under eye area. The cream needs virtually no blending and is a quick and easy way to transform eyes in the mornings.

Benefit EyeBright is a pinky nude shade pencil which works wonders when applied at the inner corners of the eyes, under the brow bone and even in the inner rims. I use this pencil a lot if I'm looking tired.

Hard Candy Living Doll Blusher & Mac Chatterbox Lipstick

Hard Candy Living Doll Blusher is a candy pink mineralised blusher. I love pink on the cheeks to add a pop of colour which instantly brightens the whole face.

Mac Chatterbox lippy is the perfect doll pink which is a fresh glossy colour that is bright but not too in your face.

Glowy Cheeks!

Do you like the glowy look or are you more of a matte girl. Also have you or will you change formulas as you get older?
What are your must have products to achieve bright and glowy makeup?

FOTD 5 Min Autumn Look!

The kids are back to school, the weather's turned colder and i wanted to do a quick no fuss look which i can apply in the mornings to make me look like Ive made an effort but still natural.

5 Products 5 Mins!

I really love autumn colours, reds, greens, browns are all favourites so i look forward to all the autumn trend makeup that is usually released around this time of year.

I didn't even need any brushes either for this look.
5 Steps to my easy peasy autumn look.

1. Apply a little Liz Earle Skin Tint in beach ( This is on sale from tomorrow )
2. Dab a little NYX concealer in 03 Light under eyes and blend
3. Slick on Daniel Sandler Baby Jet Mascara for natural clump free lashes
4. Blend in Nars Penny lane blusher for some added glow
5. Dab on Estee Lauder Pure Colour Lippy in Red Hot

Estee Lauder Red Hot Lipstick & Nars Penny Lane Swatches

What are your favourite Autumn products? Mine have to be a good Red Lipstick and earthy brown shadows. xx

August Favourites!

August was a funny month for me product wise. I've worn far less make up than usual due to the fact that i have had a bit of a tan and I've just not felt like wearing as much lately.

The following products have been real staples that i have relied on for quick no fuss grooming which are easy to use and fail safe for me.

August Love Lot!

Perfect Packages!

The above 3 products are great for travelling as they come in cute little sizes that can't spill and make a mess.

Rose & Co Balm of Roses: This is such an amazing product that retails at around £3 so cheap as well. It is a gently fragranced super moisturising balm that smells of freshly cut roses. It's one of those multi purpose products that i use on lips, cuticles, heels, elbows. Any dry patches etc.
I even use it on the ends of my hair sometimes to control frizz and did i mention it smells beautiful?

Lush LOVE Solid Perfume: I can't get enough of this solid perfume. It smells just like the Lush Fizzbanger bath ballistic. The fragrance is a warm slightly sweet almost foodie smell which has hints of cinnamon and apple and something else that i can't quite put my finger on. Perfect for autumn and quite unusual.
This lasts really well on the skin too which is quite unusual for a solid fragrance.

MOR Lip Delight Lychee Flower: This has to be THE most amazing lip balm ever. If you have never tried MOR products i urge you to treat yourself. This little tin of gorgeousness smells like freshly picked Lychee's and is the smoothest silkiest lip balm that Ive ever used. It keeps my lips super soft and leaves a pretty sheen as well.

No Fail Makeup!

NYX Gloss Natural: This is my " My lips but better colour". I can wear this with little or no makeup on and it still looks great. I love the fruity smell and it has a good lasting ability for a gloss.

 NYX Natural Gloss!

Nars Penny Lane: I got this in a blog sale after wanting it for ages and I'm really glad i managed to get my hands on this. On my medium skin it is a really natural looking cream blush that looks just as good on bare skin as it does on top of foundation. This blends like a dream and just adds a bit of colour without looking made up.

Liz Earle Skin Tint Beach: If Liz Earle was here right now I'd kiss her. I have finally found my HG tinted moisturiser. I raved about this when i reviewed it in the medium colour but the Beach shade is perfect on me and i can't get enough of it. The glow and little bit of colour it gives me is exactly what i want in a tinted moisturiser and it gives me that bit of coverage i need whilst still letting my natural skin show through. 10/10

Have you tried any of these products and if you have posted a favourites feel free to share the link in the comments i love reading these types of posts. xx

Evening Skincare Routine! 23.08.11

I thought i'd break down my skincare routine as i have changed what i use quite a lot recently and it would be just too much to fit into 1 post.
It's quite hard to stick to the same routine as im constantly testing out new products and tweeking what i use to try and get the best possible results.

Night Time Products!

Makeup Removers & Cleansers!

 Botanics Soothing Eye Makeup Remover £3.05 from boots

This eye makeup remover is brilliant and at such a fab price. It removes all my eye makeup easily even water proof mascara and it leaves eyelashes soft and moisturised. The ingredients are super effective but also very gentle. It's one of the few eye makeup remover products that causes no stinging.

Botanics Face Soothing Cleansing Balm £6.63 Boots

I purchased this cleanser after reading lots of rave reviews and rightly so. It is a thick waxy balm that melts on skin contact. It smells beautiful and feels so luxurious on the skin. It does a great job of removing makeup when used in conjunction with a muslin cloth.
I love how soft my skin feels when i use this and it never aggrivates my spot prone skin. I alternate this with the Liz Earle cleanser.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish £13.25 100ml

If i could have a long term Love affair with a cleanser then this would be the choosen one. When i use this cleanser not only does it remove my makeup but it really feels like i am giving my face a thorough deep cleanse. I like to massage this in for a couple of minutes and enjoy the Eucalyptus and Rosemary scent.
This is so gentle yet really works. It's my holy grail of cleansers.


Toners!

La Roche Posay Thermal Spring Water

Ok so i know this is not a toner as such but it really makes a great refreshing spray which my skin seems to love. The product contains a combination of minerals and trace elements which feels really soothing and cooling on the skin. I have been using this for a while now and love the way it makes my skin feel

Alpha H Liquid Gold £28.50 QVC

I use the Alpha H Liquid Gold 3 times a week after my thermal spring water and it really is an amazing product. I'm sure you will of heard about this product as so many people have been raving about it.
I apply this with a cotton wool pad at night ( No moisturiser afterwards )
This wonder product is described as a multi action formula with silk protein and licorice extract to refine the surface of the skin. It contains glycolic acid which exfoliates the skin and leaves me looking brighter and fresher and has definately helped prevent as many breakouts. It's quite amazing.


Moisturiser

La Roche Posay Effaclar K £13 Boots

 I use this moisturiser on nights when i dont use my liquid gold. This moisturiser is made for spot prone skin. It feels gloriously light and has a really fresh lovely scent. It makes my skin feel really clean and soft.

Eye Care 

Elemis Absolute Eye Serum on offer at feelunique for £20.99

This serum is ultra light in texture but seems to do a great job of keeping lines at bay and helping with dark circles. I've always used some kind of eye cream as i think its so important. This one can be used under a heavier cream if you wish but i feel its enough at the moment for me.

So thats it for night time. I know it looks a lot but its actually only 4 or 5 products at the most. Unfortunately for me my skin is really tempremental even at my age and i still get outbreaks quite regularly. Having said that my skin is looking better than it has done for a long time so it goes to show that finding the right products that work for you can work wonders.

Just a quick note to say that botanics is on 342 at boots at the moment as well and in my local boots La Roche Posay was half price ( Although not online ) Just in case you were thinking of buying anything.

Look out for part 2 My morning regime xx

Liz Earle Skin Tint Review!

If you are a regular reader of my blog you will have seen quite a few reviews on various Liz Earle products. Always known for the gentle and effective skincare it was always going to be a challenge that any makeup would have to live up to the brands reputation.

The New Sheer Skin Tint is marketed as The next step for natural looking, beautiful skin.

I'm not surprised that customers have been asking for such a product as i know Liz Earle have such a huge following of loyal customers who will no doubt be snapping this up as soon as it becomes available in September.

The product comes in 3 shades 1 being the lightest and 3 the deepest. From the swatches Ive seen the shades seem really good and I'm sure no1 will suit those porcelain skinned ladies which makes a nice chance from a lot of orange based shades which some companies produce.
The Skin tint retails at £21 which is a little bit more than what i was expecting but hey ho if a product works then its worth paying a little bit more. I was also pleased to see it contains an SPF15 which is great.

The Results!

Makeup Free Face

No2 Swatch

Wearing Skin Tint No 2

So for me the shade 2 is just a little bit too light. I think i would be better off with shade 3 but its nothing a slightly darker powder can't fix.
Formulation wise i have read very mixed reviews some saying it was more like a foundation some saying more coverage/less coverage than they expected so i was really unsure about what to expect.

On me i found i still needed a light moisturiser before using this to give it enough slip to work properly. I found it had a very light coverage although it feels a thicker texture than i expected.
The thing i liked most about this was the amazing glow it gave my skin which really lasted even after applying a small amount of powder.

I found it lasted really well on my skin as well, most Tinted moisturisers only last a few hrs on me but this literally lasted all day.

Skin Tint Shade2 with MAC Skinfinish powder in Medium/Deep

As you can see the colour is a pretty good match once i dust over with my powder and i seriously love the way it makes my skin look. I have had a lot of lovely comments on my skin when I've been wearing this and i have to say it photographs brilliantly as well.

If you are wanting a lot of cover then this just isn't for you but if you like a lovely natural look and added glow then you can't go wrong with this. Perfect for everyday use and would be brilliant for holidays too. I love the fact that i can still see my freckles when wearing this :)

Will you be getting your hands on this once it's released or have you already tried it?

My Love for Liz !

Liz Earle have been a favourite brand of mine for a long time now. I haven't posted about any of the products for a while andso thought id talk about the hand products.

I love the fact that a lot of the Liz Earle products just fit into my everyday routine and so i kind of forget about them at times. You know like a pair of slippers that you wear everyday. You know what i mean. Comforting, nurturing, caring, you get my gist.

Liz Earle Orange Blossom Hand Wash & Hand Repair Cream

The hand wash and hand cream work amazingly well as a duo. I keep these in my onsuite  bathroom so i can have a little hand pampering treat everyday and they are just to special for me to share with the rest of the household lol.

I often sneak in and wash my hands and use the hand cream just as a little pick me up as both products not only smell amazing  but they leave your hands really soft too. There is something quite zen like about these products, they always remind me of spa days and relaxing times.

The hand wash contains Geranium, Lavandin and sweet orange essential oils ( explains why it smells so good ) and is priced at £10.20 which is pricey for a hand wash but it is gorgeous.
Ive never really thought of washing my hands as a treat but using this has changed all that. Add a few fluffy white towels to the process and i find it all quite theraputic.

 The Hand Repair is equally luscious with a price tag to match £19.65.
Naturally active ingredients include soothing echinacea, toning hops, plus antioxidants beta-carotene and natural source vitamin E.

The cream feels rich but is absorbed really easily and leaves my hands silky soft and smelling amazing. The fragrance lasts for hrs as well.

I have had these for a few months now and they are still going strong. Have you tried either of these products before and do you associate hand products with luxury?

Liz Earle Winners Announced !

Thank you so much for all the entries to my Liz Earle giveaway.
Two Lucky Ladies have won a Cleanse and polish starter kit.

The Winning lovely ladies are :

JESS from Away with The Fairies

Vikki-Gabrielle World

Congratulations girls i will post these out as soon as i have your contact details xxx

Liz Earle Shampoo & Conditioner

Good Morning lovely ladies. Oooh another Liz Earle review for you. This time its for the Shampoo & Conditioner which i have been eager to get hold of after reading lots of good reviews when it was first launched.

As always the products come beautifully wrapped in tissue paper

I received the Botanical Shine Shampoo and the Botanical Shine Conditioner for fine or oily hair. I really like the fact that you have a choice of 3 conditioners the other 2 are more suited to normal hair or dry/damaged hair.

Botanical Shine Shampoo 200ml £7.65

A very gentle but thorough shampoo loaded with natural Vitamin E, West African Shea Butter and shine boosting Apple and Orange extracts. Of course there are no nasty chemicals which is to be expected with all Liz Earle products.
I really love the fragrance of this shampoo. You can smell the zingy orange and apple which is really refreshing and it feels lovely and soothing on my scalp.
Leaves my hair sooo shiny and feels fresh for ages after using. The smell is very subtle once rinsed but it does linger for a little while. Would i buy this again YES

 Botanical Shine Conditioner for Oily Hair 200ml £7.65

The website states:
With black cohosh, yangu oil, blue seakale and shine-boosting apple and orange extracts, our ultra-light, finely balanced colour safe conditioner leaves oily, dull, limp or lifeless hair shiny, volumised and full of life.

This Conditioner does exactly that. It again smells amazing, feels extremely light and leaves my hair really shiny, weightless, full of volume.
I suffer with oily roots and dry ends. So the problem for me is while this conditioner is perfect for everyday use it just isn't rich enough for my dry ends.

However this is my awkward hair type rather than the product in question. I might try the conditioner for dry/damaged hair and use it alternate washes or once a week.
I wonder is Liz Earle will bring out a weekly hair treatment mask? That would be fantastic.

Since using these i have had no itchy scalp which was sometimes a problem in the past and it was very gentle on my coloured hair. If you haven't tried these yet then i would give them a shot.

  Liz Earle have an offer on at the moment where you can buy any 3 hair products for £19.95 and get free Postage and Packaging
Ideal for those of you who already use and love the range and need to stock up. ( I know there are quite a few fans out there )

Don't forget to check out my Liz Earle giveaway too. Link on the right hand side photo. xx

Fabulous Face Masks !

Hello gorgeous girlies, i know that you all know i like a bit of pampering now and then and so a weekly face mask has become part of my routine. I love trying different ones to see how they rate. I thought i would show you the four that i am using at present which i like to alternate.

Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque

I love to use this mask when my skin is feeling a bit oily or when i have a breakout as it really seems to draw out the impurities and tighten up my pores.
The smell is lovely and fresh it reminds me of spearmint toothpaste ha.
The mask is quite a thick green cream which dries in about 10 minutes. Great for a quick deep cleanse.
I first saw this on someones blog in America but am pleased to see it selling in the UK too. In fact Ive just found it on Paks online shop for just £2.49. They are selling the cleanser as well which i might try and buy soon to see if its as good.
Anyone ever brought anything from there before?


Then i have my Flash Relax Mask by Monu

Flash Relax Mask £29.50

I like to use this if my skin is feeling a bit dehydrated or if I'm going out somewhere i will apply this before my makeup as its more of a gentle mask which seems to help plump up my skin and leaves it looking instantly softer, smoother and fine lines are less visible.
This applies as a clear gel and it doesn't dry so you can leave it on for a while and just relax.
Every once in a while i will apply a deep cleansing mask then pop this on for 5 minutes afterwards to put back some of the moisture into my skin and it leaves my skin feeling lovely and smooth. A kind of double wammy treat :)

This mask is full of fabulous ingredients including Aloe Vera, Vitamin C, Vitamin B5 and ginseng.



I also love my Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask

Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask 75ml £12.75

 I love to use this mask when my skin is having an outbreak or feeling unbalanced. Oily and dry patches. Unfortunately this sometimes happens :(
This mask contains highly concentrated clay and manuka honey to draw out impurities and calm the skin.
Out of all the masks this is the one that i have used for the longest time. A great price for such a quality product.
I look like Ive been mud wresting after applying this mask but the results speak for themselves.


Finally is the Murad Pomegranate Exfoliating Mask

Murad Pomegranate Exfoliating Mask £23.00 6 Treatments

I use this mask when my skin is looking dull. This has the most gorgeous fresh fruity fragrance. I love how the product comes in little packets so its easy and clean to apply. This mask contains powerful antioxidants and gently exfoliates the skin removing trapped impurities.
My skin always looks instantly brighter after using this and feels lovely and soft.

Do you have a favourite mask to recommend for my next purchase and do you use a face mask at all?

Spot Saviours !

Today's post is about Spots. Not the most glamorous of topics but if you suffer with outbreaks like me then sometimes these types of posts can be the most helpful.
I love reading about products that help Spot prone skin because even at 35 i still get spots.

Luckily i have found a couple of products that really seem to help when i have a flare up.

Liz Earle Spot On !

Spot on comes in a 6ml Roller ball priced at £7.90

This little spot busting find contains Tea tree oil, Melissa and Lavender to soothe and calm spots and pimples.
I love how this seems to take spots down so quickly and reduces redness and swelling. You only need a small amount as you apply it directly on the affected area so even though it's just 6ml it's long lasting so great value for money.
This is the first product i reach for when i start to feel that horrible tingle under the skin when you know a beauty is just waiting to erupt.


The 2nd amazing product i have been using which really seems to be helping to normalise my skin is:

 Aromatherapy Associates Refining Face Oil

 Priced at £37 available from Aromatherapy Associates

Now i have been applying this every night without fail and it has made such a difference to my skin. I am always very wary of applying oil on my spot prone skin as some products seem to make things worse.
This particular product though seems to have a purifying effect on my skin. After using this i wake up with my skin looking less oily and spots seem to be reduced. It also seems to have a healing effect and so spots seem to clear up a lot quicker than normal.

The ylang ylang and lavender are really fragrant which i love but if you don't like a strong fragrance then it might not be for you. I find the smell quite relaxing and i like to massage it into my skin as a bit of a night time ritual.

I love the fact it is non greasy but yet it feels like it is feeding my skin with goodness.


At my age i have to be careful as a lot of the products for spot prone skin seem to be really harsh and can be far too drying. That's why i love the gentle approach of these two products.
Do you suffer with spots and if so what are your favourite products that you recommend ???

800 Follower Giveaway ! ( NOW CLOSED )

Winner Announced Soon!
Hi Ladies, THANKYOU so much to everyone. I am so excited to have reached 800 followers today. I wanted to have a giveaway to celebrate. As you all probably know by now i love my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish and it's such a great product that seems to suit so many people.
The generous Girls at Liz Earle have given me not 1 but 2 of the Cleanse and polish starter kits to give away.

100ml Cleanse & Polish + 2 Muslin cloths

If you want to win one of these kits just leave a comment saying enter me with your contact email in case you win. Competition will end on 1st may 2011
Rules are easy.
You must be a follower and write enter me ( 1 Entry )
For another entry either tweet about this or add it to your sidebar ( +1 Entry )

I will pick the 2 winners from Random.org
Good luck everyone and thanks again for following and all your lovely comments it's really appreciated xxx

SkinCare Routine & Night time rituals

Hello you lovely lot, i thought today i would do a post on my skincare products that i am using at the moment. I do chop and change my products quite a lot as im often reviewing different ranges but heres what im using at the present time.

I Keep all my daily products in this Mark Hill Bag that my friend brought me for xmas.

It fits so much in and keeps everything away from my inquisitive 3 year old.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish. I use this everyday, sometimes twice a day. Its made such a difference to my skin. See Here for photos of before and after my Liz Earle Daily Essentials trial

Asda Essential wipes. For emergencies or lazy days. I'm not a fan of any of the wipes but these do the job as good as any.

Burt's Bees Anti-Blemish Toner. I use this twice a day and love it. It really helps control the blemishes and leaves my skin feeling fresh and clean. Review Here.

No7 Eye Makeup Remover. I use this if i have heavy eyemake or waterproof mascara on. Its brilliant and very gentle on my eyes unlike a lot of others.

Aromatherapy Associates Refining Face oil Lavender & Ylang Ylang. I use this at night to help balance my skin and give it a boost. I've not been using it long but am loving it so far. Review coming soon.

Eucerin Dermo Purifyer Creme-Gel. I use this spot fighting moisturiser in the mornings after my cleance and tone. It really mattifies my skin and prevents spots its a long term favourite product. Review here

Monu Eye Gel. I use this twice a day its so refreshing and great for reducing puffiness. Review here.

Liz Earle Spot on. I use this under my moisturiser at the first sign of a spot. It works wonders at taking down the redness and stops spots in there tracks.

Bio Effect EGF Serum. This little sample has worked wonders on my skin. So much so that i dont want to use it up as i cant afford any more lol. It makes my skin, clear, bright and healthy looking. A tiny amount goes a long way as well.

Dr Rose Apothecary Balm of English Roses. I love the smell of this. I apply it at night to help keep my lips soft and moisturised.

Burt's Bees Almond Milk Hand Creme. I love this stuff the smell is like marzipan and it leaves my hands so so soft. I apply it at night a few times a week. Its without a doubt my favourite hand cream.

Green Grocery Avocado & Lemon Foot Salve. I apply this a few times a week at night to wake up with soft tootsies. A gorgeous pampering natural treat. Review Here.

Xen Tan Face Tanner Luxe. My favourite facial tan which i use a few times a week to put some much needed colour back in my face. The colour of this is perfect for me and it makes me look so much healthier. Review here

Liz Earle Gentle Exfoliator. I use this a few times a week to help brighten up my skin and remove any dead skin cells. I am such a fan of the Liz Earle range as the products are all fabulous and seem to suit my skin. Review here

Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask. I use this once a week to help detoxify and remove impurities from my skin. Also i like the experience of a bit of self pampering. My skin looks so much better after using this.


So thats the lot lol. I know it seems like a huge amount of products but i dont use everything everyday. Have you tried any of these products and do you have a night time ritual?