March Madness

I thought I ought to write a quick post to explain my recent blogging absence. Without me really intending to, I've managed to take a couple of weeks off.

March tends to be a busy month for us but this year seems to have been busier than usual. So far I've had my parents to stay, celebrated my birthday, Mother's Day, missed my blogging anniversary, painted four rooms and a hallway, had some lovely friends to visit and survived a really upsetting assessment appointment for one of my children. I've also attended my first event in ages, volunteered myself for some fundraising work at nursery and had a brief dalliance with the idea of being an Avon lady. There's been tears and laughter but not much time for writing and the never ending bad weather hasn't helped much either.

New purchases

Although it's been busy, makeup and skin care hasn't been entirely forgotten. I've bought a few new bits recently and I've also started trialling some PR samples for review. I'm still focusing on using things up: the Avene Anti-Rougeurs moisturiser is my most recent empty and I'm really close to finishing the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm, Live Native Exfoliating Cleanser and Pai Rice Plant & Rosemary BioAffinty Tonic. So there are definitely plenty of posts in the offing, I also have pictures and swatches ready for a little taupe eyeshadow comparison (see sneak peek below). Hopefully I can ignore the call of the paint brush long enough to get some writing to go with the pictures!

Testing, testing...

Empties and almost-empties

Have you had a good March so far? Any new good purchases to share?

The one where I pretend I'm 'Lost'!

It's my turn to do the Beauty Spotlight Team's Desert Island post and you're about to be subjected to my Lost fantasy. Of course, I have cast myself as Kate Austen (I have a very active imagination) and in order to maintain the interest of the two men in my life, I figured some of my favourite beautifiers might come in handy. Yes, I know they'd fallen from the sky, had no access to a bathroom and were running from a smoke monster but please don't try and tell me that Kate was going completely au naturel. I've seen those lashes!

So, if I was Kate, these are the makeup and beauty items I would have packed in my backpack (prior to the handcuffs) then carefully retrieve from the plane wreckage. When I wasn't suturing Jack's wounds or hiking through the rainforest of course.

NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser
This was my summer base and I think it would make an excellent desert island foundation. I deliberated over whether to take my BECCA Luminous Skin instead as it gives a sheerer coverage than the NARS but I find my skin gets upset if I wear the BECCA everyday (I suspect it's the sunscreen ingredients). The NARS tinted moisturiser also has an SPF of 30.

rms beauty 'Un' Cover Up Concealer
I spent rather a long time dithering over which concealer to take but I decided on the rms beauty concealer because it's creamy enough to use on the undereye area as well as blemishes. My old favourite RMK Super Basic Liquid Concealer would have been a good alternative too.

BECCA Turkish Rose or Hourglass Rouge Cheek Stain
I wanted to take a fairly natural looking blusher that would be easy to apply with my fingers. Turkish Rose immediately sprang to mind but after I had taken the pictures, I realised my Hourglass Aura Cheek Stain in Rouge might have been a better choice. The cheek stain has more of a translucent quality than Turkish Rose and is a little brighter, plus it's more likely to stay put in the heat and humidity.

Ilia Arabian Knights
Like the concealer, it was very hard to pick only one of my lipsticks. I have so many lovely sheer, moisturising lipsticks but I chose Arabian Knights because I felt it would keep my lips in the best condition and it's a nice bright berry shade. RBR Murmurings came a very close second.

Mascara
The Maybelline Falsies Flared isn't particularly a favourite, it's just what I'm currently using, but there's no way I'm going to be stranded without a tube of mascara. Max Factor Masterpiece or Hourglass Film Noir are my personal favourites.

MAC Teddy Eye Kohl
Although I do have a great number of brown pencils, Teddy is the one I'd choose to be stranded with. It looks great worn as a smudgy line, pairs well with Solstice Halcyon and it also makes a good base for a smoky eye.

Customised eyeshadow palette
Aren't you feeling better about me de-facing all those pretty Rouge Bunny Rouge eyeshadow pots now? This palette includes some of my most favourite eyeshadows ever, namely RBR Solstice Halycon, Delicate Hummingbird and Kjaer Weis Wisdom. I've also recently discovered that Gracious Arasari is an excellent colour for blending out dark colours at the crease. Unfortunately, sticking to only 12 items meant that I have been restricted to the small travel brush that sits in my palette. It's a good job I'm going for a no makeup look really...

Pencil Sharpener
It was a shame to lose one of my items on such a practical necessity but as I'm no good at whittling, I figured it had to come along.

Tweezers
I had to do some cheating^✝ to get this into my bag. The tweezers fought off stiff competition from brow pencils and brushes. Without tweezers, I fear the rogue hairs would gradually start to take over my face and I don't recall Kate ever looking like a Yeti.

Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm*
I felt it would be pointless taking along all this makeup without remembering to pack something to take it all off again. I find this balm takes absolutely everything off, including eye makeup with minimal effort which is pretty convenient if you're washing your face in a rainforest.

Flannel
We have another necessity taking up space that might have been filled with something else more exciting. However, if I pack the Emma Hardie, I need the flannel too.

Avene Antirougeurs Light Moisturiser SPF20
Like the mascara, the Avene Antirougeurs isn't necessarily a favourite product but it does contain an SPF. Plus, it would help to tame the telltale red cheeks once I started hitting the duty free bottles. Oh wait, maybe Kate didn't actually do that...

It was extremely difficult to stick to just 12 items, particularly when you realise that so many items require accessories to accompany them. Kate was a very resourceful girl though, so remaining in character, I can't promise I won't go back and rifle through other people's bags later to look for shampoo, razors and a couple of makeup brushes. Don't judge me!

^✝ Cheating
I mentioned cheating and I thought I better explain myself as this was an integral part of my desert island preparation! Rather than use up one of my 12 items with my Shu Uemura brow pencil, I decided to dye my eyebrows. I can credit Pixiwoo's Evangaline Lilly tutorial for planting the idea in my head. I've never dyed my brows before and I was nervous that it could be a disaster but I'm actually very pleased with the results. If I could have added a 13th item into my bag, I would have taken the kit with me to top up. I used the Eylure Dylash kit in Dark Brown for reference.

* I received the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm as a press sample.

Skin Pampering Favourites

On Sunday, I tweeted about a trusted few products that helped perk up my skin and I thought I would share this here too. The majority of these are products that I have been using for a while, they are from a mixture of brands but the combination is a good one and guaranteed to make my skin look better immediately.

I started off with a thorough facial massage with Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm* (if you haven't read Face Goop's recent review, you really should). There's something about the texture and scent of this balm which encourages me to take more time over cleansing that I normally would. To remove the balm, I used a hot flannel which I left on my skin for a moment before wiping everything off. Rinse and repeat.

I followed up my cleanse with a spritz of Live Native Essential Mist MSM Toner*. I've been using this twice a day for a few months now and it's an absolute pleasure to use. It's refreshing, hydrating and smells beautiful. I find the Live Native concept of using raw ingredient in their skincare absolutely fascinating and it makes a lot of sense from a scientific perspective. There are some skincare ingredients that I assume are biological inactive (or unavailable, like collagen) once they hit your skin but oddly I'd never considered the impact of heat during the manufacturing process. It's certainly more food for thought.

With my skin still slightly damp from the Essential Mist toner, I applied a pump of Perricone MD Advanced Face Firming Activator*. I still really rate this and find it does a good job of softening my fine lines, although the fishy smell does limit its popularity. I have to confess that last month I made a terrible mistake whilst using it. In a sleep bleary state I slapped it on moisturiser style, taking it down my neck and decolletage. Later that day, the skin on my chest was covered in fairly large bumps which took over a week to disappear. There's no doubting that the active ingredients in the Activator really are active!

My skin felt really good after using the EH Cleansing Balm, Live Native Essential Mist and Face Firming Activator and I consider these three to be a golden combination for my skin. Alongside the massage and the hot flannel, of course. Although my skin felt well hydrated at this point, I finished off with a moisturiser out of habit. I've just started using the Antipodes Rejoice Light Facial Day Cream so I will refrain from my making any comments but I will say that its scent did an excellent job of masking the post-Perricone smell. I also used the Zelens Triple-Action eye cream* which I previously reviewed here. Job done!

Do you have any trusted face favourites?

* PR Samples

August Empties

These empties span the last month or so. It always takes me ages to finish things and I was shocked at how my poor my efforts were when I read Lola's Secret Beauty Blog's recent post. I seriously need to put more effort in! I'm actually toying with the idea of a project to start using up some of my lipsticks. It gives me the fear but honestly, I think I fear having to throw away barely used items that have gone off more. Anyway...

I used these moisturisers up a little while ago now and they had a mention in my skin care post at the beginning of the month. I love the Emma Hardie Hydrating Lighter Lotion*, as you might expect from the name, it has a light fluid texture and is really hydrating. I found it created a nice luminous base for my makeup, the only downside for me is the lack of SPF. The Perricone MD Moisturiser* also has quite a light texture, although it does have some strange knobbly bits in it. Of the two, the Emma Hardie is my favourite and something I am likely to re-purchase in the future.

I bought the L'Oreal Elvive Triple Resist Shampoo and Conditioner as I took too long dilly-dallying over what to try next and needed to buy something quickly. I've not used Elvive for years and I admit to feeling a bit naughty having strayed from an SLS free formula. I got on OK with the Triple Resist and it did seem to help with the knotty bits at the back of my head.

When I ran out of both Elvive bottles at the same time, I started using up all the sachets and odds and ends I had lurking in the bathroom including the Rahua sachet pictures. The Rahua Voluminous Shampoo and Conditoner doesn't suit my easily knotted hair but after much agonising over the cost (and enabling on Twitter), I decided to buy a full size bottle of the original Rahua Shampoo and Conditioner from Content Beauty. These have just arrived, so I will report back on how I got on in a few weeks.

I was really sad to use up the Apivita Body Nourish shower gel*, which I originally reviewed here. It has such a luxurious creamy feel and a lovely scent. Thankfully Apivita is available online from Marks & Spencers now, so I will stock up on more when I run out of the children's Apivita products too.

The Bioderma Crealine micellar water is something else that featured in my current skin care post. I wasn't sure about replacing it but decided it would be silly not to when I had the opportunity. I tend to use it when I'm feeling lazy, instead of resorting to wipes or to remove my makeup before a cream or balm cleanse. I know it has a cult status but unless you're a makeup artist, I would say it's useful but definitely not an essential.

It makes a nice change to include an item that isn't skin care. I finally took the reed sticks out of the  Jo Malone Red Roses Scent Surround Diffuser* at the end of last week, so it's lasted three and half months. Whenever the scent started to fade, I turned the sticks around and this worked well to refresh the scent. There's no doubting that the Jo Malone diffusers are expensive but it's great to know that they last well.

Hopefully next month I will have even more empties to share. I live in hope that one of these days, I'll actually be able to include some makeup!

* These items were originally sent without cost for review purposes.

Current Skin Care Routine

I've been in a non-testing phase with skin care for the last month or so. I don't expect it to last, and I already have a few new things I intend to test for review, but sometimes it is nice to have a break and use things that I already know suit my skin. I'm also keen to use up some of my opened products.

This is just a general overview of the products I'm using. I have reviewed quite a few of the items mentioned and I will include the links where available.

Morning Routine

Face Wash - Själ Balans Deep Pore Cleanser* or Lise Watier HydraSmart Foaming Wash. It's important to mention that foaming face wash DOES NOT suit everybody. However, I like to use one as part of my routine and never use one that makes my skin feel tight or stripped. Neither of these are my favourite but I'm determined to use them up.

Toner - A spritz of Mineral Källa Energy Tonic* or Pai Bioaffinity Rice Plant & Rosemary Toner before moistuiser. I was a little disappointed by the Pai Toner, I wanted to love it but I think it doesn't suit my skin type. It has a slightly odd smell too which I don't get on with. I imagine I would have had more success with the hydrating version.

Moisturiser - I had been using the Emma Hardie Hydrating Lighter Lotion* but finished this up recently. I purchased the Avene Antirougers Jours SPF 20 as a replacement.

Eye Cream - Perricone MD Hypoallergenic Firming Eye Cream*. I'm on the fence about this cream, but I do think I have particularly fussy eyes. It feels nice and is fine if I apply during the day. If I apply at night, I wake up with a swollen undereye area. This is a problem I have experienced with most eye creams and the Zelens and BcomBio Serum are the only ones I have found so far that do not do this.

Evening Routine

Eye Makeup Remover - Gemey Eye makeup remover or Botanics Soothing Eye Makeup Remover. I used up my first bottle of the Gemey and am on to my second bottle. The Botanics is not to my taste, it's a bi-phase oil based remover, but I feel duty bound to use it up. It does remove heavy eye makeup swiftly which is in its favour.

Makeup Removal - Bioderma on lazy days, Zelens Radiance Cleaner* for most days and Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm* and a hot flannel when I feel like I need a thorough cleanse. Sometimes, I use the Moringa balm the morning after the night before. I'm not confessing to sleeping in my makeup but I will admit to being slap dash on occasion.

Second Cleanse - Face Wash, as above.

Moisturiser - Perricone MD Face Finishing Moisturiser. Now that I've finished this completely, I'm having a go with the Suti Rejuvenate Organic Facial Oil*. If you want to know what prompted me to give it a try, please read the excellent guest review on London MakeUp Girl.

Eye Cream - Zelens Advanced Eye Cream*

Extras

Exfoliation - It's a long time since I routinely used a physical exfoliant but I received a little sample of the Pai Kukui and Jojoba Bead Exfoliator with an order. It's really enjoyable to use and feels a lot like using a cleansing balm but with texture. The first time I used it, it felt like it left a slight film on my skin after rinsing, so on subsequent uses I removed with a warm flannel. I've used up my sample now and I am considering buying the full size.

Glycolic Acid Treatments - Now, before I start worrying you by writing about two different products, I promise that I am not overdoing it with AHAs. I never use a glycolic acid treatment more than three times a week. I've ended up switching between two different products because I'm forgetful and the time of day that I remember dictates which product I use. If I remember in the morning, I use the Perricone MD Advanced Face Firming Activator, and if I remember in the evening, I use Alpha H Liquid Gold*. Texture wise, my preference is for the Perricone Serum but the Liquid Gold is very quick and allows me to skip moisturising in the evening.

As usual, what seems like quite a simple routine, looks quite product heavy when written down like this. I hope it's useful, even if it is a little ramble-y. What products are you using at the moments? Do you have any recommendations or products you've found disappointing? 

* PR Samples

Recent Empties

This post was originally scheduled for March this year. I didn't think I really had enough items for a full post, so I held off until I had a few more empties. I think the fact that it is now mid June speaks volumes about how long it takes for me to use things up!

The first three items pictured here are REN's Frankincense Revitalising Night Cream, John Frieda Root Awakening Shampoo and Caudalie Vinoperfect Day Cream. I received the Frankincense Night Cream* in an event bag a long time ago. I liked the texture of the cream but wasn't keen on the scent. I managed to tolerate the smell in order to use it as I found the cream suited my skin (it's quite light for a night cream) but this isn't something I would repurchase simply because I'm not a fan of frankincense.

The John Frieda Root Awakening Shampoo* was almost the reverse of the REN situation. I loved the smell but didn't get on with the formula. It is quite a thick cream shampoo and I found it difficult to rinse the product away thoroughly. My scalp would often feel 'heavy' with the residue and I noticed I would get spots around the hairline and back of my neck when I used this every wash. I got on better with it when used it in rotation with other shampoos. 

When I reviewed the Caudalie Vinoperfect Day Cream back in January, I had a little gripe about the price for a 30ml tube. I still stand by this, however I suspect I will re-purchase this in the future as I really liked the cream and found it suited my skin.

I bought this bottle of Mavala Mild nail polish remover in Sephora last year. Although it does contain acetone, I find this remover is less drying and better suited to my fragile nails than other acetone-free formulas that I have tried. I suspect you can buy this in chemists that have a Mavala stand but I haven't managed to find it anywhere other than online. A 250ml bottle costs £7.10 from Feel Unique.

These are some of my more recent empties. I'm cheating a bit by including the Emma Hardie Amazing Face Cleansing Wash* as there is enough left for a couple more washes. I know that foaming face washes aren't everyone's cup of tea but they're a staple in my routine and I particularly like how gentle this one is.

I wrote about the Kneipp Pure Bliss range* quite recently and mentioned how much I liked the body wash. I love the smell and will definitely be buying this again. Like the Mavala remover, I think it's easier to find Kneipp online. The Body Wash costs £4.95 from Victoria Health.

Trying the I Love My Muff range seems to have changed my washing habits permanently. Having previously used shower gel all over, I'm now quite used to using a separate product for my...erm, delicate area. The Apivita Intimate Wash* with tea tree & propolis has quite a strong herbal fragrance but is low foaming and gentle on the skin. I was really pleased to see that Apivita is now available from Marks & Spencers. They don't stock the Intimate Wash (too much shock potential maybe?) but they do have the lovely Body Nourish shower gel that I reviewed previously.

Are you good at finishing products or do you have a bathroom full of half empty bottles like me? What have you used up recently?


Disclosure: Items marked with an asterisk were received without cost either for review or as part of an event bag.

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Skin Care

I have wanted to try Emma Hardie's Amazing Face skin care range for the longest time. Having received recommendations from people I consider to be experts in skin care (waves at Caroline, Kenneth and Grace) I bought a set last Christmas only to end up gifting it to my sister who was struggling with skin issues during pregnancy. I was delighted to finally get the opportunity to try it for myself.

I have incorporated the three products pictured below into my routine for the last month or so. I use the Hydrating Lighter Lotion every morning after cleansing with the Moringa Foaming Cleansing Wash. I use the Moringa Cleansing Balm in the evenings although I have tended to use it only two or three nights a week when I feel my skin needs an extra thorough cleanse. I have been rather hooked on using my Bioderma wipes for convenience but the Moringa Balm feels like a luxurious facial in comparison.

I find the combination of the Cleansing Wash and Lighter Lotion in the morning give me radiant and perky skin and they are the perfect prep for makeup. I know that not everyone enjoys using a foaming wash but it is something I have always used as part of my morning routine. The Emma Hardie wash feels very gentle and refreshing on my skin. I experience no drying or tightness when using this. 

The Hydrating Lighter Lotion is a runny lotion but don't be fooled into thinking you need a lot of this because of the texture. A little goes a long way and I find a pea size amount (around one and a quarter pumps) is enough to cover my face and neck. This has actually become a hero product for me. I rarely look or feel radiant first thing in the morning but this lotion makes my skin glow, look hydrated and healthy without leaving it greasy. It's almost like using a serum and moisturiser in one. It's also the perfect base for foundation. Having said that, I find that my skin looks so healthy using this that often I will just used concealer to cover up any redness and blemishes and skip foundation altogether. That's why it's my hero: radiant skin and less time doing my makeup means more time in bed! Did I mention that it smells wonderful too?

I think the Natural lift and sculpt Moringa cleansing balm is probably the most well known in the Emma Hardie range and I can understand why. The balm is an oil based cleanser that is mostly solid at room temperature. I scoop out a small amount then warm it up between my palms before massaging over my face. I do like to spend a minute or so massaging it over my face before removing it with a dampened cloth. I find it a very relaxing ritual before bed because of the wonderful scent and texture of the balm. So far I have just used one of my stash of cloths to remove the balm but after watching Emma Hardie herself talk about the massaging technique and benefits of using the cloth that comes with the balm, I intend to give this a try. I will report back on how I get on.

Even just using one of my muslins or flannels to remove the balm, I find this leaves my skin feeling soft and plump. It doesn't leave a greasy film, something I found to be an issue with the Botanics balm I tried previously so I don't feel the need to double cleanse.

Emma Hardie products are available from SpaceNK and also QVC. The products are expensive but I think they are worth the investment. There is a starter kit available which includes the balm, exfoliating seeds, the cloth as well as a treatment moisturiser and I think this is a great way to try the line. The Starter Kit is currently on an introductory price of £22.65 from QVC (link here) which is a bargain as I think it's usually £32 from SpaceNK. There seem to be a few other deals on QVC at the moment so it's well worth a peek.


Disclosure: These products were provided without charge for consideration for review.