My Updated Cleanser Collection - Part One - Makeup Removers

I think we all know by now that I'm a bit of a skincare fanatic so, when it came to going through my cleanser collection, I figured it was going to be a bit of a monster post. I've decided to break down my collection into two separate posts to make it a tiny bit more manageable. Round one? Cleansers that I primarily use for makeup removal.

There's one product in this category that I need not linger on: the Una Brennan Vitamin C Brighten Cleansing Oil. If you haven't heard me hap on about this before it's a beautiful, affordable oil cleanser that removes makeup effectively without stripping the skin of any moisture and the citrus scent is heavenly. My one gripe with this product is the non-pump based packaging but the formula is lovely.

The newest addition to my cleansing wardrobe is Sonya Dakars Eye Wash. I'm fairly certain this is one of the products that came in the Caroline Hirons' Cleansing Box that I picked up from Cult Beauty because it isn't something I'd normally pick out for myself and, if I'm honest with myself, I find this one a bit of a faff to use. I'm a double cleanser anyway and so a separate eye makeup removal stage for me seems unnecessary. The cleanser is good quality and removes makeup effectively, it's just not something I personally reach for all the time.

Recently I've really been enjoying the Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm. It's taken me way too long to get around to trying this but it's a really effective makeup remover. If you like your skincare to be a sensory experience you may want to steer clear of this one because it's completely unscented, but for this reason it will be amazing for people with especially sensitive skins. It's not the most exciting cleanser I've ever used but it gets the job done really well.

My favourite cleanser for short term traveling are the Olay Daily Facial in a Box. These are loose, dry cleansing cloths that you add water to and they foam up to remove makeup. I think these are a brilliant alternative to traditional cleansing wipes as they are all the convenience of a wipe but they don't contain any alcohol so they're not harsh on the skin. They come in boxes of 30 and as they are separate, single use cloths they take up no room at all in an overnight bag. They come in a few different textures but I like the ones that are marketed towards sensitive skins. The only thing I would mention is that, with them being a foam cleanser, I don't tend to use them for more than one night as they can get a little drying on the skin, but they don't contain SLS.

For longer traveling trips (2 nights+) I tend to pack MV Organics Pure Jojoba Oil. THis can be used for all kinds of things but I like it for makeup removal and since it's only a small 35ml container it's super convenient for traveling. With it being an oil it removes makeup quickly and isn't at all moisture zapping (are we noticing a trend yet?) and with it being just pure jojoba oil it's not heavily scented so, again, great for sensitive skins.

My least used makeup remover is the Pixi Nourishing Cleansing Balm. I think this is a really nice cleanser, the scent is lovely but not over-powering and it removes makeup quickly. However I don't rech for it too often because I find it a little heavy for my normal/combination skin, it's full of super moisutrising ingredients and I can imagine drier skin types would love this cleanser but I tend to save it for the rare occasions where dry patches show up.

And finally? RMS Beauty Raw Coconut Cream. I'm not sure why I don't use this more often than I do because it's absolutely dreamy. The scent is beautiful and it's feels lovely on the skin (again, another fab makeup remover). My one complaint about this one is that it's so sensitive to temperature that you simply couldn't use it anywhere that's warm. I live in England and we're not known for our hot weather but in summer this cleanser has been known to completely liquidise in the pot in my bathroom.

2016 Beauty Discoveries

So 2016 definitely wasn't my best year for blogging, but I thought this would be a great time to mention a few products I found in 2016 that I loved, that may not have gotten the blogging attention they deserved. I obviously loved more products than just the four I'll be mentioning today but these are the new-comers to my stash that really stood out.

1. Tata Harper's Regenerating Cleanser. So 2016 was the year in which I was introduced to Tata Harpers products, and narrowing down a top pick from her cleansing range wasn't easy, (I also have the Purifying and Oil Cleansers and they're both FAB options too). I decided to go with the Regenerating one for a couple of reasons: firstly, it got me back into manual exfoliation. Second? It's unlike other things I have. While I love the Oil Cleanser, we all know I love a bit of Una Brennan for oil cleansing. Equally, I really enjoy the Purifying Cleanser, but it's not leaps and bounds away from the Oskia Cleansing Gel that I've been using for years. The Regenerating Cleanser is a thin cream cleanser with little sand-like grains (no plastic beads) that provide a light exfoliation during your cleanse. I use this either AM or second cleanse in PM. Bonus points for the scent.

2. Pixi Rose Oil. This is just genius. Now I will never be caught bad mouthing the MV Organics Rose+ Booster, but if there's ever going to be anything that comes close to rivalling that product, for texture, for how it leaves the skin looking and feeling, for scent, it's Pixi Rose Oil. It's mind-boggling how they've managed to make an oil that is so lovely for such a good price. It's £26. just go buy it. Your skin will thank you.

3. Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner. Let me go on record for saying: liquid eyeliner was once the absolute bane of my makeup existence. I found it difficult to apply, and once I did apply it I found that it never really lasted well on me, that it faded or smudged. This eyeliner pen is so user-friendly because of it's flexible felt nib and the ink inside the pen is super black, doesn't fade and it's very water resistant (and I'm a contact lens wearer so trust me I have tested that claim). It's not the cheapest liquid liner out there but it's also not half the price of the Tom Ford one, so I'd say I'm on to a winner.

4. Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in "Ex-Girlfriend". So do we remember the series of posts around this time last year where I went a little loopy for the Gwen Stefani for Urban Decay collection? I did go back, I did buy the lipstick in "Ex-Girlfriend" and I have worn that shade at least once a week since. It's just such a good nude for paler people. It's nicely sheer and a little deeper than my skin-tone and has a lovely, wearably glossy finish. Goes with everything, super comfortable, thank you Urban Decay.

The M&S Beauty Advent Calendar - Round 2

Just a quick post today to remind my readers that the M&S Beauty Advent Calendar launches today!

(Photo included is last years calendar - this year's wont be delivered in time for photos sadly)

I did a range of posts on the contents of last year's calendar and I loved it. This years version is a little more expensive (£35, as opposed to last year's £25) and the same catch applies from last year (you need to spend £35 on other products in the clothing/beauty range to be able to purchase the calendar). Even with the slight price increase I still think that this is an absolute steal when you look at what you get.

If you're wanting this calendar I'd move quickly to avoid disappointment, as I'm confident that last year they'd sold out online by lunchtime. here's a link for you:

http://www.marksandspencer.com/the-ultimate-beauty-advent-calendar/p/P22488891?intid=CORP_Beautyadventcalendar_SubCategory_9129262_LP_hero_static_1_txt

People who like surprises may want to stop reading here as this is just a list of what the calendar contains:


1. Leighton Denny Expert Nails Mini Crystal Nail File

2. Look Good Feel Better Mini Powder Brush

3. Alpha-H Liquid Gold 50ml

4. Eyeko Skinny Mini Liquid Eyeliner Black 1.2g

5. Percy & Reed Perfectly Perfecting Wonder Balm 30ml

6. Philip Kingsley Elasticizer 40ml

7. Shay & Blue Atropa Belladonna Natural Spray Fragrance 10ml
8. Josh Wood Radiant Shine Hair Treatment Oil 28ml

9. Ultrasun Face 30 SPF 25ml

10. Pür Correcting Primer Prep & Perfect 10ml

11. Filorga Time-Filler 15ml

12. Burts Bees Beeswax Lip Balm with Vitamin E Peppermint 4.25g

13. Pixi Brow Tamer 4.5ml

14. Neal's Yard Remedies Be Lovely Hand Cream 50ml

15. Rodial Super Acid X-treme Acid Rush Peel 20ml

16. Nails Inc Gel One Coat Nail Polish - Piccadilly Court 10ml
17. Rosie for Autograph Lip glossy - Supermodel Smile

18. Rituals - The Ritual of Sakura Body Cream 70ml

19. Autograph All-in-one Nail Colour - Cranberry 11ml

20. Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm 15ml

21. REN Evercalm™ Global Protection Day Cream 15ml

22. Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse® 30ml

23. Skyn Iceland Icelandic Relief Eye Cream 5ml/0.169oz

24. Formula Absolute Ultimate Sleep Cream 15ml

25. Studio 10 Miracle Effect Priming Serum 5ml

Scent-sational Spaces

I mentioned the Next White Jasmine Reed Diffuser in a pre-hiatus favourites post and reading back over that post got me thinking about all the other space-scenting products that I love. I'm not the best at describing scents so prep yourself for some out-there wording here but I thought I'd let you in on what's been going on around here.

So Yankee Candle are a brand that I've loved for years, they were the brand that sparked my interest in candles and while I generally go for other things these days, there's still a few scents that tickle my nostrils fancies. I'll get the Christmas limited editions out of the way: Christmas Cookie is a very sweet, sugary vanilla scent that I absolutely love, it's really warming and is generally one I crack out when it's a little colder outside. I also love Candy Cane Lane which is a minty one (again, limited for Christmas) and this is a super easy scent to describe because it smells exactly like TicTac mints.

For Yankee's non-limited stuff I love all the "clean" scents: Fluffy Towels is my favourite (it smells like fabric softener) but Clean Cotton is very similar. My favourite Yankee products right now are the Ultimate Car Jars, I have a Clean Cotton Car Jar waiting for my current air freshener to die and Midsummers Night is the scent I currently have in there which basically smells like a nice men's aftershave.

Speaking of car scents that smell like mens aftershave: Rituals Patchouli Car Perfume is probably my favourite scent - I like to have this on the go at the same time as the Yankee Midsummers Night. For those who like something a little more feminine the Cherry Blossom scent is really nice as well, really subtle. I also have a couple of the Rituals Candles, The Hammam Secret is a very spa-like, subtle scent and the Sweet Sunrise is a very sweet, uplighting option.

Diptique's Tubereuse scent is one of my favourites and while I don't have it in my current line up it's one I'll go back to. The candles burn really nicely or, if you're wanting the scent to spread quickly, the Room Sprays are a great. They're definitely not one for those on a budget but they're really nice. Another scent I can't get enough of is the Laura Mercier Ambré Vanillé scent. I was absolutely gutted when they discontinued the candles and stocked up but once I run out I may have to resort to using the perfume in the range as room spray *insert crying emoji here*.

Thoughts on Schedules and Feeling Uninspired

As some of you may have noticed, I've been more than a little MIA recently, and it's not the first time this year that I've taken a break from blogging. I hate having to step away from the keyboard for any length of time but as any regular readers will also know: blogging is a hobby for me, not a job. I work full time and blogging has been an outlet for creativity for me and, lately, the creativity pool has been drying up.

When I first started getting regular readers on the blog it filled me with excitement and I knew that to keep people reading I had to create content regularly. So I made schedules and spent hours every week perfecting photographs and trying to come up with post ideas, spending small fortunes on product for posts to fill my 3-posts-a-week quota.

The truth is, that method was never going to be sustainable, and my content was suffering.

As I write this post I really want to pick up blogging again, but I know I can't go back to 2-3 posts a week. So this post is essentially my call to my readers: I'm back, I'm blogging again but there's no schedules this time. I will post as and when I have things I'm excited to talk to you about and I'll be tackling blogging from a quality over quantity perspective from now on.

I hope you understand why I'm making this decision and I hope you'll stick with me.

In the mean time, if there's anything you'd like to hear about please let me know :)

June Favourites

First of all apologies for the lack of post on Friday - It was a hectic week and I just couldn't find the time or the brain power to crack out a post but I hope I'm forgiven. We're back today with my favourites from June '16 - so lets hop to it.

Let's kick things off with a lip combination that I've reached for most of the month shall we? I've been layering on some Maybelline ColourSensational Shine Gloss in "130 - Fuchsia Flash" over my Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in "05" for an everyday lip this month. I love it because it's a mid-tone pink so it's understated and wearable but it's still bright and looks put together. I've thrown this on for work and play and it's such a lovely low-maintenance lip combination.

We've been pretty skincare heavy here recently so I'm going to try not to harp on about these too long but there's been a couple of skincare products that have absolutely brought my skin back to life (and unfortunately, both cost a pretty penny). I've re-discovered my MV Organic Skincare Rose Plus Booster and I have no idea how this fell to the back of the class. It's essentially good skin in a bottle, no matter how lack-lustre my skin is looking I find that a couple of drops of this massaged into the skin before bed has me looking like I've been drinking my water and sleeping a lot (which lets face it - usually I haven't been).

My Tata Harper cleanser obsession continues but this month I've been mad for the Purifying one. This is a lovely, thinner than most, gel cleanser that I've just been loving for my morning cleanse. The light texture makes it quick and easy to use and whenever I use this I feel like all of the grit and grime just follows it down the plug hole when I rinse. Also - the lovely sharp citrusy scent is great for helping you wake up in the morning and for me it just adds to that "super clean" feeling.

Finally a slightly less beauty-oriented product: I recently stumbled across Next's home fragrance selection and their "White Jasmine" range smells incredible. I got the Decorative Owl Reed Diffuser and it's so cute and smells amazing but I can't find it on the website (maybe it's in store only?) so here's the standard one. I'm awful at describing scents but the packaging says that the top notes are violet leaves and plum, the mid notes are jasmine and white lily and it has a white musk and amber base. It's just a nice clean, fresh, floral scent that's not overpowering or overly girly smelling (I tend to go for more gender neutral boarding on somewhat masculine home scents and this is more on the feminine side for me).

Let’s Talk About Sheet Masks.

Specifically, a couple that I've tried recently from the brand TonyMoly. So Asian beauty products have been making the rounds lately and TonyMoly is a brand that popped up on Cult Beauty and Sephora not too long ago and I've been itching to try some bits. As much as I could have ordered pretty much everything that the brand has to offer (it all looks so interesting!) I contained myself to just 2 masks. With the promise that if I liked what I saw I'd go back for more. So what do we think?

TonyMoly Rice Mask (Clear Skin)

This is a 20-30 minute sheet mask that is supposed to make "dull skin look radiant and glowing" which I must admit, when I first unboxed this I was disappointed with as it's called "Clear Skin" and I assumed it would be clarifying in some way. Slightly misleading titles aside this is a nice mask.

It's instantly cooling on the skin and hasn't really got a scent to it so it's pleasant to use, I did notice a slight tingling sensation towards the end of the mask but nothing uncomfortable. When you take it out of the packet it's completely saturated and I didn't notice it drying off quickly at all when I wore it (I left it on for the full 30 minutes and the only bit that dried was the space between my upper lip and my nose).

The only thing I would note about this mask is that while it adheres to the skin nicely (mine didn't fall off with light movement) it is a bit awkwardly shaped and didn't fit my face as comfortably as I'd like. This obviously may not be an issue for you dependant on your face shape but the mask was a soft fabric texture and didn't really have any stretch to it at all.

The effects were actually really nice. This left my skin feel plumped and smooth and the cooling effect stuck around for a long while after removing the mask. When I first removed the mask I was a little confused that a "Clear Skin" mask didn't seem to give me any reduction in blackheads or blemishes but after actually looking at the claims it definitely does what it says on the tin.

Inci hot spots: Glycerin (hydrating), Mineral Oil (acne skins be careful - also super cheap oil and this mask isn't cheap), Glycolic Acid (chemical exfoliant), Sodium Hyaluronate (essentially man-made Hyaluronic Acid - hydrating)

TonyMoly Lemon (Brightening)

This sheet mask claims to make "dull and dark skin look radiant" which is pretty much what I'd expect from a mask labeled "Brightening" so the claims on this one look better. Again it's a 20-30 minute sheet mask and I think I left this one on even beyond the recommended 30 minutes. It has a clean citrusy scent that I personally found really pleasant throughout the masking process and again it was instantly cooling on the skin.

This one didn't give my skin any tingling at all (I left it on for longer because I was anticipating a tingle but it never happened). That said I did get some of the mask on my lips and they felt strange (almost like a slightly numbed feeling) for a little while after I'd removed the mask. There's the same issue with the fit (TonyMoly do a whole range of sheet masks and I'd imagine they just switch up the liquid and keep the actual sheet the same for each different one) and this one stayed wet throughout the whole process.

For results I find that this mask left my skin unbelievably soft and smooth. Again there was no reduction in the redness or amount of blemishes on the skin but this mask did reduce the swelling a little and made the surface of the blemish smooth (so much easier to hide under concealer the next day). Of the two I'd say this is my favourite.

Inci hot spots: Glycerin (hydrating), Glycolic Acid (chemical exfoliant), Fragrance (sensitive skins be careful)