Beauty / Skincare Wishlist - April 2015

Another month passes, another wishlist is upon us. I completely missed last month, as I did take a little shopping haul which cleared a few things i really did want in March. I wasn't too successful in buying much from my last two wish lists from January and February, however i have crossed two items off the list.

Off my Wishlist

Clinique Moisture Surge 50ml - £34.00 - In February i decided i really wanted this moisturiser and after my Dr Organic moisturiser is on it's last few scoops i felt i could finally justify buying the full size of this. I feel in love after using my travel size sample up and i wanted to use this more as my main moisturiser as it seems a lot better than my previous. I really love how this feels on my skin and it really keeps it from being dry. 

La Roche Posay Serozinc- £8.50 - As i am sure you have seen, i did knock this off my January list a while ago now and i am loving it. Whenever i get a break out i spray this and it helps with the aid of getting rid of them. I am thrilled we can get this product here now. It's brilliant.

New Additions to my Wishlist

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara - £19.50 - I have heard and seen the hype, but because i've been so busy with work, i completely forgot to pick up the magazine with the sample of this mascara! ARGH! So it looks like i shall have to get my hands on the full size. I have heard this is brilliant at giving full last curls which is something i would love to add to my mascara mix. I have recently been trying the Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara and noticed that it seems i am getting way less fall out than the Benefit They're Real Mascara so i am keen to try this and see if it is better than it's top selling rival. 

First Aid Beauty Radiance Pads - £22.00 - Everyone keeps mentioning these and i keep meaning to try these. I think these would make cleaning your face so much easier and i do love first aid beauty because it's great for sensitive skin. 

OPI Avoplex Cuticle Oil to go - £10.50 - With winter on it's way out, i really need to fix my nails and this has come highly recommended so i really need to get hold of this to help sort them out so i can enjoy putting on nail polish more often on my nails. 

Redken Hair Cleansing Cream 300ml - £11.25 - I do notice with having shorter hair that product does tend to build a little in my hair at some point during the week and i do find it hard to get rid of it. I've heard of clarifying shampoo's but there isn't a huge range yet on the market, i am assuming they are a new thing? I have used Redken products before and really liked them so i think this one will be the next on my list to use once a week in between my normal washes. 

All-in-one Body Shop BB Cream - £12.00 - After a failed attempt at finding a good BB which fitted my skin tone, I am still keen to find one. I have heard this body shop is great, and not just that, the shades are really bendable and don't look too dark. I think i will pick these up before i go on holiday this summer. 

Avene Cicalfate Repair Cream 40ml - £7.50 - As you may well know i suffer from Eczema, and the repair stage is one of the hardest, especially the eczema on my hands, which has been the worst i have ever had it. I am trying to use non-steroid methods and this looks like it may help with the repair of my skin. 

And there you have it, my wish list items for this month. What items are you wishing for?

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post.

Beauty Haul - March 2015

I do love a good beauty shopping trip, especially when you nip into Boots, and this Haul is no exception. It is a mix of the old, the new and when you finish a sample and buy a full sized product. So this is bit of a mix bag of all those three so lets get to it.

My Eczema is a little bit on the bad size at the minute and i do love a bit of E45 to help me out. I have never tried the body lotion, but as some of my others are a huge no, i would rather have a lotion that will not make it worse. I also love a good bath but when you have eczema it is difficult to enjoy but this bath oil, because your skin really plays up. I have used this for years. This is especially great in the winter but who doesn't love a bath when you have had a hard day?

Since my favourite tea tree flower mask seems to have vanished by this brand, I decided to pick up this Salicylic acid clay mask. I have been meaning to try this one so i was happy to pick this up. I do suffer from a lot of Acne, with any hope, the change may be worth it.

I have heard so many things from this brand of shampoo recently and since my hair loves organ oil, this was the perfect opportunity to pick this up. I really can't wait to see how this makes my hair feel after a long days work.

After walking around the store, my final stop was the Clinque counter and my my, this was dangerous, and luckily could have been a lot worse, but i was good and picked up only what i needed. Luckily too it was bonus week. 

I finally finished my Dr Organic moisturiser, and after loving a sample of this, i picked up the moisture surge full size and i could not be happier. I also caved and picked up the bottom lash mascara which i have been meaning to do for some time. My bottom lashes are so tiny and i end up with more mascara under my eyes than i have on the wand, so this was a worth while investment. 

As for clinique bonus time, when you bought two or more products, you would receive this gift bag. It included an exclusive eye curler, a dramatically different moisturising lotion +

 a take the day off make up remover, a blushing blush in pink love, a chubby shadow stick in shade lavish lilac , the high lengths mascara and of course this fancy exclusive make up bag. I love getting free gifts and everything this bag i would happily use. I am thrilled. This is something more brands need to do more often. Free Gifts like beauty boxes's are a great way to try products and i have never tried a lot of make up from Clinique so i'm excited to try out the chubby eye stick and blush.

And that's it for my little haul in March, what have you been picking up or what do you plan to pick up as we come into April?

Let me know in the comments.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. 

Cleansing Balms - Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balms VS Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Blam

Cleansing Balms have become a cult beauty favourite in the community. Personally they are one of my favourite products and i really do prefer these over the Micellar Water craze (Which to be honest I still don't quite get the hype over.) which has been sweeping the beauty world.

So when i took the two best selling cleansing balms and decided to tell you which i prefer. I decided to weigh up the pro's and cons of both products and answer many questions about what I feel we all love and want from a cleansing balm. But before i do that, i want to describe each product and what i feel the differences about them are:

Emma Hardie - The Emma Hardie is a much softer balm, with a honey like colour tone to it. The idea of this balm is that you scoop a small amount onto your hand, warm this into your hands and then smooth this over the face, with massaging it over the face. With the hot cloth, you work this around the face, work this with your lines and help to work around with acne. 

Clinque: This is a more oily balm, which is completely white. The idea is you rub the product onto your face, this turns from Solid to an oil texture and then this is easily then rinsed off the face. 

Pro's Of Emma Hardie

• The product comes with it's own cloth.
• The balm is very easy to work into the face and melts very easily on the face.
• The balm has a slight soft but gritty like texture to it, to take unwanted make up.
• The hot cloth method really gives the feel of the spa like atmosphere.
• The smell is wonderful and extremely relaxing.
• This product i feel can be used in the bath when you having your me time.
• The cloth makes you change your wash cloth often as the cloth doesn't rinse well. 
• Made from a Morgina plant, so it has a really natural product which can easily be grown and has anti oxidants in it. 
• Promotes collegen renewal (It claims)
• Amazing for all skin types and brilliant in winter time.

Con's of Emma Hardie

• The cloth can easily stain, i have had a few now which i have had to throw because they look disgusting.
• The cloth isn't the best i have tried, i prefer cheaper ones from Boots.
• The packaging is such a waste, i don't get why it needs a huge box all the plastic outer casing around the gold part is unnecessary.
• I feel this product is best used when you have the time, when trying to use the product quickly it doesn't work so well because you need to really work and buff it to work it off the face. 
• Not great on eye make up. 
• Pricey at £36, for a lot of us, this is a real lux treat. 
• I would use this as a secondary product and not as a first product, so you need to use something before using this. 
• I feel this product temps you to use Micellar Water or a gel cleanser as the first step, which for me is a huge no. 

Pro's of Clinique

• This product is great if you really need to quickly clean your face, as this is a quick, put it on your face and then rinse
• It's non scented, so very good for allergies.
• Amazing for all skin types - but more so for Dry skin types.
• Has plants oils in it which makes it more natural.
• A lot cheaper than the Emma Hardie one at £22.00
• More than the Emma Hardie, this can be used without the need of anything cleanser, it gets rid of literally everything of the face.
• It dissolves eye make up way faster than the Emma Hardie. 
• You only need this product and not another to get rid of the face base. 

Con's of Clinique

• It doesn't really promote collegen renewal and doesn't have anti-oxidants in it, so if you are wanting a balm with an extra part to it for skin repair you really would want to use the Emma Hardie one. 
• You can't really tell that this product removes anything, i barely get any residue, i do and don't like this as you cannot tell when you have finished cleansing it into your face. 
• It doesn't come with a cloth, can be a pro or a con I guess but for the price it would be nice as even the Liz Earl comes with a cloth at £28.00 for around the same ml.
• Sometimes for me if i don't use the right amount, the balm melts very quickly which makes it a little hard to put on the face sometimes as it can easily melt into you hand very fast. 

For me both balm's are great, and it really is down to personal preference. For me i would use the Clinique first and use the Emma Hardie second when i have time to really give my skin that extra treat. For most people i would say the Clinqiue is better. If you have younger / non problem skin, there would be no need for the Emma Hardie product for you. If you have aging or problem skin, both of these i feel would be a top combination to have in your routine. 

Empties - Jan 2015

As part of my new years resolutions, i have decided that i really need to finish and use products up (Which as a blogger, skincare and make up lover is not an easy task) after discovering my extensive collection. So here are all of my empties for the month of January.

Aussie Take The Heat Shampoo - I decided to go back to this after my hair got used to a few shampoo's and i can't say i am as impressed as i was the first time i used it. I mean is may protect my hair but my hair still feels really dry after using it, even with conditioner. I might try it again but use a different alternative shampoo to use alongside it and also a different conditioner. 

Boots Botanics Shine Away Ionic Clay Mask - I picked this up after trying the Una Brennan Green Tea face mask which has since been discontinued, which now after using this i wasn't as impressed with, maybe that's why it is no longer avaliable. This really helps to clear my skin and draw out the nasties. I will definitely be repurchasing this mask, however i really want to try one of the new Superfacialist Anti Blemish Mask and is next on my list. 

Caudalie Beauty Elixir - I am always sad to see when this comes to an end, this one of the best facial water sprays there is. I love the smell and the way it makes my skin look and feel. I already have a back up of this and i will also be trying out the La Roche' Posay Serozinc which is next on my list. 

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Cleansing Balm - Oh this made me cry, this is one of my all time favourite products and it is gone. I do have a back up which i luckily got got christmas, but i will be using the Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm to see what i think and see if this can be my cost cutting alternative. This really gets all the make up of my face and makes my skin smell and feel like a dream.

Sanex Dermo Sensitive shower cream - I have never been a lover of shower gels and this shower cream really ticks all the boxes, it was really soft on my skin and did not irritate it one bit. The only thing is i got so tired of the smell. I have already purchased two different types of the Sanex shower cream,  to see what the differences and if i prefer those to this one. I am sure they will be featuring in an empties so i will let you know how i get on with those.

Soap and Glory Scrubatomic - I know, you really can barely even tell what this is and the pink has completely faded from the packaging. This scrub was for me a great scrub in summer, but i can't say this has thrilled me into the winter. I am looking for a new scrub, any recommendations i would really love to hear any suggestions i the comments below :). 

Yes to Cucumber Daily Gel Cleanser - I think from my disappointing products of 2014  post you will know how much i loathe this cleanser. I will never repurchase this and i am glad this is finished and out of my life. I am currently enjoying the Avene Extremely Gentle Cleanser at the moment which is miles and miles better than this.  

And those are my empties for the month of January. If you have any recommendations please let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear your suggestions.

Beauty Product / Skincare Wishlist - Jan 2015

There are so many products out there and there are a few I wish to try and get my hands on this year. This list is some of the items I hope to try out and purchase this year. 

Clinique Take the day off Cleansing Balm - £22.00 - I love the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm which retails for £36.00 but this year as I am hoping to pass my driving test I am looking for cheaper alternatives for my skincare which are rated just as good. This cleansing balm has had a lot of hype and being £14 cheaper I will be picking this up once my Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm has left my mits.

ZOEVA - Golden Luxury Brush Set - €65 - At the moment I have so many odd brushes and i really need a complete set and a lot of these brushes are just what i need. I will be saving for this set this year, the quality and price is very good in comparison with the sigma brush sets which can set you back a good £100+. Hopefully having this set too will allow me to purchase less odds and end brushes from Eco Tool and the Basic Real Techniques brushes which I seem to ruin in a year or so.

La Roche Posay Serozinc - £8.50 - IT'S FINALLY COMING TO THE UK!!! This will most likely be one of my first purchases of the year and as i adore La Roche Posay as a brand i cannot wait to get my hands on this. I love Toner's and Mists and lately I have started to look at using these more and more so this product will fit right into my collection. 

Naked and the Naked Two Palette's - £37.00 - Yes they break your bank but these Palette's are amazing. I own the third one but I feel a little lost with it. It works a lot on some of my other palettes like my sleek palette and my lose colours but i feel having these two would really allow me to use number three to the max. If i only get one of these this year i would be very happy.

Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask £23.00 - This is an unrealistic dream for a mask this year because of the price, however we can all have wishes right? I adore Charcoal mask's and I would love to give this one a try. I currently use the boots bionics one and i am in love with it, it really clears up my skin and i would like to see what the differences are between that and this Origins one. 

Origins Make a Difference Plus+ moisturiser - £34.50 - I have been looking for a new Moisturiser to try and this one looks like it could be the perfect one for me, the reviews i have read are perfect for my skin type. I feel that my skin would heal quicker with this as compared to my Dr Organic Moisturiser which is good but i feel at times it takes a while to heal my dry skin. Expensive but most good Moisturiser's are. I think more than the mask i will be definitely saving up for this one this year. 

Sleek Blush Palette In Pink Lemonade  £9.99 - I have this set in California and i absolutely love it, however i really would love this set more for the winter months as the California set is more of a summer colour set. The shades in this are perfect and have two shimmer matte shades and the middle is a cream finish. I love Sleek Blushes, in my opinion the best on the market so expanding the small collection i have would be perfect with this set.

L'oreal Paris True Match Foundation £9.99 - I feel like i am still after the path to find the perfect budget liquid foundation and this one for sure is next on my list. I always have issues with finding the perfect shade and something that will last more than a few hours. I have heard this is a great dupe for the Georgio Armani Foundation which is way out of my price range, so I think this one will have to enter into my life to test out my highly critical liquid foundation ways. 

Dove Pure Dry Oil Shampoo - £5.99 - I am still on the quest to find the perfect shampoo and i have heard a lot about this dove range. I have a lot of issues with shampoo and i can never find the right one for me, they either make my hair go brittle or too greasy, i think drying one with an oil formula may fix this issue so i think i'll give this dove one a good try this year. 

And these items are on my wishlist, if i am lucky to get my mit's on these item i am sure i will review these on my blog. I will repost a wishlist throughout the year as I discover new products that strike my attention. In the mean time, What are you're wish list items for this year? Leave me a comment below :)

Christmas Gift Guide - Skincare and Grooming - Men

Men are changing in the skincare and grooming world, but there are still a few of your out there who are struggling, so let's hope i can give you and your ladies a little help with that special gift for you under the tree.

Ren Grab and Go Kit - I have started with a big bang here. This 

is the Grab and go kit from REN, this pack is jamb packed with everything you need to keep your skin and hair looking prim to perfection. REN is a very popular and raved about brand by the ladies of the blogosphere so this really is fantastic for men. This pack includes a cleanser, shampoo, eye gel, body wash, conditioner, body cream, lip balm and moisturiser. I mean wow! This pack has everything you could possibly need! This kit might not be for someone who wants a simple routine but more for a man who likes to or really wants to up his skin and haircare game. So line up men, your skin and hair will feel dreamy.

Clinique for Men Essentials Kit - Clinique has stepped up to the plate and also brought two fantastic kits with all the basics here to get your skin looking Sharp. The kit includes a face wash, scrub, moisturiser and eye cream. Another fantastic kit for skin care fans or for a gift for someone who wants to take care of their skin better. This kit isn't as overwhelming as the REN and great to get you started if you feel too many products and focuses on the skincare side. I wouldn't be knocking that bauble of the tree to see this kit in a man's hands. 

Gillette Fusion ProGlide Gift Set  - I have heard a lot of men rave about this brand new styler and I can see with good reason why. The set comes with four different blades and a clear gel which makes seeing what you shave easier. This tool allows you to style and to shave your beard completely. A nice new different shaver, more close to the clean razor shave comes this pack. Get grooming.

 Joop! Homme - I know, it's Pink but this affordable priced Cologne is really masculine and fresh. It is a very woody, tree and floral scent but not at all feminine, i really like this scent and i think it is great for the younger man in your life. 

Old Spice Whitewater Gift Sets - For the older man in your life, Old Spice is a classic, but this one is the White Water range which is a little fresher and more youthful smelling than the original. I thinks this is a great upgrade of the old spice lover to give them a twist on their classic favourite. Spice up your life. 

Ralph Lauren - World of Polo - For the more sophisticated gentleman the world of polo set is a fantastic kit to top up or introduce the range of polo fragrances. This set in a lovely presentation box is a perfect gift for christmas and will make your man smell top mark.

John Lewis Grooming Tim - In the theme of Movember, maybe your man is carrying on with Decembeard. This little handy travel kit will allow your man to brush and trim that beard till it is neat and perfectly shaped. It comes with all the basic tools to keep up to the beard and hopefully allow you to avoid the prickles.

And that was my mens skincare and grooming List. Fashion Gift ideas coming soon...

Check me out on:

Bloglovin    Twitter