Review: Body Shop Haul

Out with the spring and in with the summer: out with the old and in with the new. Besides updating my wardrobe, I've done a big beauty transformation. 

I was getting towards that (really annoying) point of where all my products run out at the same time. With the new season and holiday coming up I thought it was the perfect time to switch up to some new goodies. I'm quite particular with products that go on my face as I dread causing irritation so I made a checklist of what I was looking for - fragrance free, alcohol free and natural ingredients. After some thought I realised THE BODY SHOP!

After researching into my favoured ranges (Aloe, Vitamin E and Seaweed) and reading a lot of mixed reviews, I settled with the Aloe range. I purchased the "soothing day cream", "calming facial cleanser" and "protective serum". I also purchased the Tea Tree Oil. 

 I've been an aloe lover for years now - especially from the plant itself! The benefits of aloe include reducing redness/blemishes, moisture, hydration and soothing irritated skin (amazing for sunburn). All these great benefits means it's great for sensitive skin! As I have combination, spot-prone skin with blemishes - this is a perfect range for me. I've been using these products every day for over a week now to ensure I had a good grasp of the effectiveness (original prices noted but all bought in the sale). Here are my thoughts...

"Aloe Calming Facial Cleanser" £3 for 60ml

I've begun using this morning and night in place of my previous daily cleanser which was an exfoliating gel. This aloe cleanser feels incredible on the skin. It feels like silk and it is so hydrating without leaving you oily. I was slightly weary about using this type of solution in place of an exfoliater as I thought it may not feel like it's actually "cleansing". However, I was wrong and I love this product so much - I will definitely be repurchasing in the bigger bottle. It does exactly what is says on the bottle. It really is "calming" (feels great after long wear make up or sunbathing). Your skins feels amazingly soft during use and leaves it feeling so soft too! I've definitely had a less shine-free face for longer with using this in comparison to my prevoious "oil-balancing" cleanser! As I have combination skin, I've also noticed I've had no dryness either. Yay. Every other day I still use an exfoliator for an extra cleanse and I've found that I'm using a much less harsh regime - my skin really does feel "calm", naturally moisturised oil-free for longer.

"Aloe Protective Serum" £11 for 30ml

After recently been reading lots of reviews and hearing of other bloggers using a serum, I decided that this would be a lovely new addition to my skincare regime. 

After using the aloe cleanser and double cleansing with L'oreal Micellar Solution, I will apply this serum to my fresh face. I do have a slight complain/word of warning about this product - a little goes a LONG way. The first time I used this product I definitely applied too much (I think I was excited) and didn't leave it to soak in properly before applying moisturiser. This left my face looking rather shiny and oily instead of moisturised and I was left disappointed from the first use. ALTHOUGH... Now I think this is my favourite aloe product! I learnt from my little lesson and I apply a tiny pea amount to each side of my face - cheeks, chin, jaw and neck. I completely avoid my t-zone now which leaves me shine-free! By applying this morning and night, my skin feels so plump and looks really healthy. It may appear to be a rich formula, but it's actually lovely and light when small amounts are used. Some people may argue that a serum is pointless, but in actual fact, the molecules are smaller than a moisturiser which means they sink deeper into your skin - which means your skin gets more of the nutrients than from a moisturiser. For best results, leave the serum to soak in completely before applying a moisturiser. After only a week of use I can't imagine my life without this! If you haven't already, get a serum in your life. 

"Aloe Soothing Day Cream" £10 for 50ml

After letting the serum soak in completely, I will apply this day moisturiser. I only use this product if I'm wearing make up. If I'm having a make up free day then I'll just apply a serum and let it work it's magic. Again, this is a light formula and a little definitely goes a long way! After just a week of using these aloe products I don't think I'll be dropping them any time soon. In such a short time I've noticed some big changes! These include - oil-free for longer, no more dryness, plumper feeling and healthier looking skin and best of all I've noticed that blemishes and redness have been dramatically reduced and are less visible than before! I would would highly recommend these products for anyone. I think it would be most effective for dry, sensitive or combination skin types who are looking to banish dryness, oilyness and redness. These products do all of those things and are so kind to your skin. Opting for alcohol-free and fragrance-free products has worked wonders. 

Tea Tree Oil £7 for 10ml 

The last product I purchased was the Tea Tree Oil as a spot treatment. Reviews I read stated that some people experienced a lot of dryness from it. I've had some problem areas and I've been using this product on them and it's been great! I haven't had much dryness as I've been using these wonderful aloe goodies and they've helped my usual combination skin dryness. I've had the tiniest bit of dryness from this oil which only happened once my spots were finally gone. At the end of the day a little dryness is a good thing when it comes to fighting spots as it means they're going! It definitely has reduced spots and redness maybe a bit slow but definitely surely. I previously used the Soap and Glory Dr Spot Clearing Gel (£8 for 15ml) which is also really effective and perhaps a little quicker at working. The Tea Tree Oil is much less harsh on the skin (natural ingredients) than the S&G treatment - this is quite a harsh chemical product. I highly recommend the Dr Spot gel too, but personally I would opt for the Tea Tree Oil as it's much kinder to your skin and less drying. For a little less product for a similar price, it's definitely a change I'm willing to make. 

The Body Shop is fab if you're looking for natural products at great prices. Don't fall for their quite expensive prices. They have sales/offers on ALL the time. I picked out my products and a couple of days later there was a 40% discount on everything! I purchased all these skincare products and a big bamboo hair brush for all just £23.I'll definitely be restocking during their sales and adding more aloe products to my collection .And not forgetting The Body Shop is against animal testing so more bunnies get to hop free. Lovely! Quite a long post so well done if you made it to the end! Feel free to leave me any questions.

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"Summer sun says get out more"

At last we've had some beautiful weather up in the North of England. It feels like I've been waiting for ever for some sunshine! 

I've been making the most of the sun this weekend with my boyfriend - it's been so much fun. We spent all day Saturday sunbathing then had friends round for a BBQ. A lot of burgers were eaten and a lot of champagne and beer was drank.  

It's been non stop drinking for me since Thursday so I'm kinda glad that it's Monday today. Maybe other people in work aren't so glad. I've got the perfect solution for anyone who has those Monday blues or someone who maybe isn't excited for their holiday as they should be. Check out Friendly Fires' video for their single "Hawaiian Air". It's not a recent release as FF aren't around at the moment but nevertheless it's the most amazingly summer-iest video to get you excited for upcoming summer plans! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65_cgr4PJFk

Over the next couple days I shall be writing a couple of beauty reviews - I've got a lovely Body Shop haul and an amazing eye shadow palette to write about. I'm really excited about these products so keep your eyes peeled! 

Did anyone else make the most of the sunshine over the weekend?

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Review: L'oreal Skin Perfection Micellar Solution

One of my favourite beauty products at the moment is the L'oreal Skin Perfection Micellar Solution. If you have not purchased this yet - make it number 1 on your beauty wishlist!

What this product does is removes make up, dirt and refreshes the skin. It also functions as a toner. You simply pour a little product on a cotton pad and wipe your skin to either remove make up or simply cleanse. The reason I purchased this is because of other beauty blogger's really positive reviews and I most definitely was not disapointed! It really is truly incredible.

A little goes along way with this micellar water. I purchased this bottle about a good 3 months ago and I still have about 1/6 of the bottle left! And that is with using it at least once everyday. I normally use this product after taking my make up off and used my everyday cleanser. One I have cleansed and dried my face I will use this to collect and remove any remaining make up or dirt that my cleanser didn't reach. I also use this after my morning cleanse. I then leave the solution to dry on my skin once I'm done which doesn't take long at all. It leaves your skin feeling thoroughly cleansed and fresh.

It's suitable for use on the face, eyes and lips and is suited for sensitive skin. I have quite sensitive skin and there is none of that stinging sensation that face wipes can often give you. I have troublesome skin and I have had no breakouts from this product. If anything, I've had less which would make sense as it removes almost twice as many impurities than a face wipe! The first time I used this to remove make up I was genuinely in shock, and horror, at the amount it removes from your skin in comparison to a wipe. I had to use at least 6 cotton pads, if not more, when I would only use 1 wipe. I read one day that a wipe spreads the dirt around your face rather than removing it. Because of the amount of cotton pads it takes to remove every single bit of make up, I have begun the double cleanse regime - remove make up, daily cleanser and then this.

The most magical thing about this product is that it removes ALL make up. Yes, including stubborn mascara and dark lip stain. PANDA EYES NO MORE. I always it to remove any excess mascara under my eyes. It works an absolute treat. Also, it is true to it's word and is suitable for lips as well. You can rub this on your lips without them feeling sort of sore. Or chapped, I guess? 

I couldn't recommend this product enough to absolutely anyone! If I could give this a name, I would call this product Magic Water. I think that's a good name for this!

So this didn't mean to be such a lengthy post but I guess that reflects how much I love this product. What I actually really wanted to know is if anyone had tried the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water? I'm thinking of purchasing the Garnier version next because you get 400ml instead of Lo'real's 200ml. I would love to know what anyone thinks of the L'oreal or the Garnier! 

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I've been drinking... Watermelon

After discussing what we wanted to do in Venice, we decided that we'd like to spend a good amount of time on the beach. So for me this means only one thing - new bikini! 

All my other bikinis are pretty much all plain so I thought I'd get something new and fresh. What better than a melon print bikini? I'm currently loving the watermelon trend (just because of the colours really). I don't even like watermelon?

Asos had a 25% student discount last week and me being me couldn't resist and had to take advantage! The original price of the top was £16 and the bottom was £12. I can be quite indecisive about my clothes and so I couldn't decide if to buy the bottoms of this set. My favourite type of bikini bottoms are those quite skimpy ones that have tie sides because you get a better tan. In the end I just decided I may as well get the set as there wouldn't be much point otherwise? Plus I already have tie side bottoms in coral and bright green - perfect watermelon colours ha!

I can't wait to wear this bikini. The only downside to this is the sizing of the top.. I'd suggest you go up one or two sizes if you've got a lot of boobage (this is an Asos bikini so I guess it would apply to all the Asos tops in the bandeau style). My boyfriend has also bought some pineapple shorts so we're gonna be looking fruity. 

Of course I had to buy more than one thing with 25% discount. In addition to my bikini, I purchased a super cute pair of cat eye sunglasses. If you have a heart shaped face like me then invest in a pair of cat eyes!

 The shape is lovely. They're not overly cat eyed at the corners as some can be which makes them so perfect. Those cute little pointed corners just enough without over doing it. I also love the colouring as they go with any outfit imaginable so there's no going wrong. They also come with a soft, little bag which is so handy! The original price was just £12 which also gives you total UV protection!

 My mini Asos haul also included a lovely, lace lingerie set which is amazing! Asos have an incredible range of lingerie which is on trend and soooo affordable for dupes of expensive, designer intimates! Definitely check them out if you haven't already. Thanks Asos - you did well.

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Favourite Holiday Purchases

Right so seeing as my holiday is creeping up rather fast, I seem to have accumulated a whole new summer wardrobe! I have sooo many lovely new things ready to take to Venice and Rome but I thought I would just pick a couple of favourites to blog. (I'm also super proud of myself because I haven't worn any of them yet wooo go me). 

My Missguided order was a rather large order, shall we say, so two of my favourites are from their lovely online store. I think this outfit is my favourite - I love love love two pieces. 

It's a white pair of shorts and a slightly cropped top with a lovely big floral print in shades of pink. I really do love my floral prints..

 I loooove these shorts as they're a perfect shape. They are tight at the waist but the material on the leg is quite floaty which makes it so flattering on your waist and legs. The top is a crop but isn't too tight which will be perfect for the hot weather on holiday. Although the top is rather 'boxy', it's still hugely flattering (I usually find boxy tops oh so unflattering). There is also a zip down the back of the top which is a lovely extra detail. I'm so in love with this two piece it's beautifuuuul. Two pieces are GREAT because they can be worn together or separately which is an added bonus! It's especially beneficial on holiday as you can make a good few different outfits just from one outfit... That deffo makes sense in girl speak. 

 My next favourite outfit is another from the fabulous Missguided - a playsuit and yes more floral. I was slightly unsure about this purchase at first but I couldn't be any happier with it. The shape of it so flattering! It goes in at the waist and tight on top but it has loose fitting shorts. I love this shape on my figure as it accentuates my waist and curves. I especially love the spaghetti straps (great for tanning those shoulders and arms during the day yay) and the adjustable straps. Who doesn't love adjustable straps?! These are my saviour as I much prefer having something higher up with more coverage than being low cut and baggy.

My last favourite holiday purchase has got to be this lovely, white, crochet playsuit from Boohoo. The whole Bohemian-festival-hippy crochet look is so pretty and on trend this summer and I just had to have this playsuit. 

I'm a little on the short side and I could tell by the images on Boohoo this would probably be a tad longer on me than I'd like but yet another big hurray for adjustable straps! This means I can shorten the straps and essentially shorten the length - to an extent anyway. 

White crochet is a lovely, summery material so I can see why it's a huge trend right now. I was looking for something white purely to take on my holiday because I seem to have a big lack in white clothes. Plus, how good does white look against tanned skin? So good. Hopefully I'll have a tan by the time I'll be wearing this although somehow it seems doubtful with the weather at the moment...

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Vintage Shopping: Perfect Watch

Vintage shopping will most likely seem like a total bore to most people but I absolutely love it. It's so amazing what little treasures you can find if you really look. This weekend I went to a small vintage fair (when I say small - I mean small) and it seemed as though there wasn't much on offer but then I spotted this!

I've wanted a watch EXACTLY like this for some time now but could never find the perfect match to what I had in mind. Love at first sight. 

I found it amongst a few other watches on a stall but I found that it wasn't priced. The lady who owned the stall came over and I asked how much it was and was amazed to discover it was only £10 - bargain!

I chatted to the lovely stall owner and she explained how this lovely vintage watch had a genuine leather strap. Even better, it just recently had a battery replacement so it is in perfect working order. Ah the most perfect watch I've ever seen. An exciting new addition to my vintage collection! 

This watch is so simple yet still it makes a big statement. It will literally go with any outfit due the simplicity. The one thing I adore about vintage shopping is the fact that it's very likely no one will have the same as you - they're original items. I'd deffo take this over one of those Michael Kors watches..

But let's be honest. Will we all still look at our phones to check the time? Yeah, probably.

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