Autumn Beauty Wishlist

Autumn Beauty Wishlist by lauzc87

Laura xx

     

MEGA Collective Beauty Haul

If you're a regular reader of my blog, you will know I have been absent for the last few months; life has just been so hectic and I haven't had any time for my blog : ( Because of my absence, I have managed to buy and collect quite a few new beauty related items over the last couple of months which leads me to this beauty haul post.

I am rather embarrassed by the amount of products I have bought as I certainly did not need any of them... But at the minute, I am working hard, six days a week, and like to think I deserve a little (or big) treat now and again. I have studied mighty hard over the last two years for three Distinction Stars and have managed to secure myself a place at the University of Leeds for September. Wahoooo!

By no means am I bragging about what I've bought, but from previous feedback, people love to see collective beauty haul posts on my blog.

Tom Ford Cheek Brush - My initial thoughts are not fantastic. It shed a little the first time I used it and because the bristles are so dense, it's hard to blend out my blush.

MAC 217 Brush - I love this little beauty. This is my second 217 brush as it just works so fantastically! Applying eyeshadow literally never goes wrong with this little beauty.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion + - I'm not 100% sure why I bought this, but always like to give new skincare a try.

Bobbi Brown Moisture Rich Foundation in Sand - A little bit dark for my skin which is a bit of a pain. My skin fluctuates from normal to very dry, so I thought this would be perfect for those days when my skin needs some extra moisture.

After reading and hearing so many amazing things about the L'Oreal new glosses and their latest eyeshadow launches, I honestly could not resist. On 3 for 2 at Boots alongside a free Glam Bronze Eau De Soleil with a £20 spend, they went straight into my basket! I picked up; L'Extraordinaire by Color Riche in 101 Rose Melody which is a new lipstick, gloss and balm hybrid; A GlamShine Stain Splash in 300 Juliet; and two Color Riche Mono Eyeshadow in Sable Lame 205 and Kaki Repstyle 305.

No 7 Protect & Perfect Intense Day Hand Cream - I love this stuff; it's my favourite hand cream. So I took advantage of my £5 No 7 voucher.

Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir Cologne - This cologne is beautiful and definitely a treat! It doesn't last on my skin like a perfume, but still, the scent is gorgeous. 

Jo Malone Dark Amber & Ginger Lily Scented Candle - I'm not too sure I like the black jar on this and think I much prefer the clear ones. But just like my last Jo Malone candle, this smells divine.

Bumble & Bumble Thickening Full Form Mousse - I haven't tried this yet, but as someone with fine hair, I literally would spend any amount of money to leave it looking thicker!

Bumble & Bumble Pret-a-Powder - Mixed on this. After all the rave reviews, I'm not really sure it does anything for my hair other than dry it out and make it look dull. It gives a tiny bit of omph to clean hair, but on hair that needs a wash, it just seems to leave it looking lacklustre. 

Bumble & Bumble Tonic Lotion - I haven't tried this yet either. To be honest, I might need to read up on it as I'm not 100% sure what it's for and got roped into all the pretty packaging and sales talk when I bought it!

Clarins Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil - As I type this, I am sitting letting this beauty sink into my face. Someone on Instagram the other day was slating this and telling the person posting the photo to stick olive oil on her face... This however, is beautiful. It sinks into my skin easily, doesn't leave a horrible oily or greasy residue like olive oil would and my nails seem to be growing and have become longer since using it!

Clarins Radiance Plus Golden Glow Booster - This gives my skin a gorgeous summery boost. I'm not using it everyday as it's a bit much for my pale skin and I don't find it mixes well with my Origins Ginzing face cream.

I actually won this in a competition - WOW! 

Bioderma Sensibio Micelle Solution for Sensitive skin - Really like this! I was extremely grateful to receive another bottle just as mine ran out (the blue version).

Bioderma Sensibio Eye Contour Gel - I haven't started using this but it sounds fab.

Bioderma Sensibio BB Cream - Again, another product I've popped into my draw full of backups and new products. I have quite a few foundations on the go at the moment (MAC Pro Longwear, Bobbi Brown Moisture Rich, Estee Lauder Double Wear, Smashbox Studio Skin and MAC Studio Sculpt) so don't really need to open another.

When I am hauling, there's nothing like a few items from MAC. I picked up a lipstick in Lady Danger which is a gorgeous orange based red (it comes off like crazy though, do not try to eat with this on as it ends up everywhere!) and an eyeshadow in the famous Sumptuous Olive which I've been lusting over for months.

This is another beauty win. I have certainly been on a roll over the last few weeks and love winning beauty type prizes. It came complete in the beautiful presentation box below.

Nuxe Sun - SPF 30 Cream for the Face, SPF 10 Body Oil, SPF 20 Milky Spray and an After-sun Lotion for the face and body.

I can't wait for some more warmer weather to put these to the test!

Another product that seemed to keep popping up on beauty blogs that I couldn't resist. Garnier Body Oil Beauty - an oil infused nourishing lotion for dry skin. When I picked this up, the words intensive and dry skin stood out at me. After trying this, I would say it would better suit normal skin. It's just not nourishing enough for my dry skin.

John Frieda Sheer Blonde Everlasting Blonde Colour Preserving Shampoo and Conditioner - Having recently had my hair re-highlighted, I decided to switch my shampoo and conditioner. After trying this for around two weeks, I can't say I am overly impressed. It leaves my hair feeling very dry and almost straw like on the ends - not good for recently bleached locks!

L'Oreal Ever Sleek Smoothing Mist Heat Protection - This is just like spritzing my hair with water which I like. It doesn't weigh my hair down and I can't tell it's even been sprayed on. Just as long as it is protecting it, I don't mind!

Etude House Etoinette Crystal Shine Lipstick - These are from a Korean makeup brand and purchased from eBay. The orange is a bit much (!!!) and from the swatches on the listing, it looked nothing like this... I will post up a full review on these soon, so please check back!

Laura xx

     

November Empties - What I've been using in November

Lacura Aqua Complete Serum from Aldi £3.95

Thoughts

I absolutely love this product. It's a real pleasure to use and helps my dehydrated skin to feel more hydrated and smoother. I can't say I've noticed any improvements to fine lines, but for under £4, it makes my skin look and feel lovely. It also works really well under makeup as a base too.

Would I repurchase?
Yes, I already have

Pharmagel Botanical Tonique £24

Thoughts

I like that this product is alcohol free, although I can't really say I noticed a huge difference when using this toner to using a cheaper option from Boots. 

Would I repurchase?
For the price, no as I didn't see any real difference.

Clinique Take the Day off Eye Makeup Remover - £17

Thoughts

I have never found a better eye makeup remover than this one. It's fantastic at removing all waterproof eye and lip products and doesn't require you to scrub at your eyes. It's simple, easy to use and doesn't leave your skin feeling too greasy.

Would I repurchase?
Yes, I already have a few bottles stashed away.

Boots Botanics All Bright Hydrating Night Cream - On offer for £3.89

Thoughts

I go on and on about the Botanics All Bright range to everyone! I love the day cream, night cream and toner, all of which I repurchase and stock up on on a regular basis when they're on offer. I've tried and used creams from Estee Lauder, Clinique and Biotherm, all over the £30 mark, but always return to this. It doesn't break me out which a lot of the more expensive creams do, it moisturises and hydrates my dehydrated skin and leaves my face looking refreshed in the morning.

Would I repurchase?
Yes, I already have around three more jars of this.

Estee Lauder Double Wear in Ecru - £27.50

Thoughts

I love that this stays on all day, I've even slept in it before (I know, naughty naughty!) and it's intact in the morning! It literally doesn't budge. It also covers ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. The only thing I don't like about it is that it's very drying, feels tight on my skin and can look too heavy for everyday wear. I get around this by mixing MAC Strobe Cream into it.

Would I repurchase?
Yes, I already have and I'm using my second bottle now.

Laura xx

June's Empties

What have I used up in June? I've been trying really hard this month to use things up. My collection of products - makeup, skin care, body care etc is growing and growing and I keep buying more and more which is a complete waste! This mainly happens because I start using something and end up not really liking it, so I leave it in a draw somewhere. This usually means I end up with draws full of different products!

I got sent this from BzzAgent to test and review. I can't say this is something I would repurchase. It was nourishing enough for my dry skin. Should my skin have been less dry, this would have worked a treat.

This was one of those I don't have a lot of money but have ran out of moisturiser purchases. It actually turned out to be pretty good and a great base for my makeup and foundation. It was fairly hydrating without being too rich and making my makeup slide off my face. I would probably repurchase this if it was on offer.

I get through a tube of this almost every month. This looks horrible and very dirty because it's been thrown around a variety of different handbags!

I received this in a No 7 set at Christmas and wasn't really too sure what to do with it! It said it was for elbows, feet and dry areas of skin. Seeing as most of the skin on my body is dry, I just slathered it on all over. It didn't really smell of anything and was a bit like a very rich body butter in consistency. It did add moisture to my skin, but I felt as though it sat on top and didn't nourish deeper layers. I would not repurchase this.

This was another product that came in a Botanics set at Christmas. I'm always weary of new face creams because a lot seem to break me out at the moment, but this was amazing! Very, very good although not quite hydrating enough so I always made sure I used a decent hydrating primer underneath. I'm not sure if it brightened my skin, but it certainly made it feel amazing. This is something I will certainly repurchase.

I brought this at the airport in New Zealand as I needed something hydrating for my horrible dry and dehydrated skin. I remembered that the Clarins face oils were nice and I had used them before, so was confident they wouldn't break me out. I've enjoyed using this oil, especially the smell. There is a tiny amount left in the bottom which I'll use up over the next few days. I was surprised how long this lasted. I was using it every night for around 3 - 4 months. The smell takes me back to my time in New Zealand and The Cook Islands.

This is probably one of my all time favourite body lotions for my horrible dry skin, but I just can't get my head around the smell. It smells quite nutty and personally, the smell is one of those that make me go, urghh! But, it's a brilliant moisturiser, especially for the backs of my arms and my legs. It sinks in easily and gives lots of hydration. I may repurchase this, but at the moment, I've moved onto Double Base which is designed for skin conditions.

Soap and Glory is lovely - I adore their products and their scent. The hydrating hand cream was fairly hydrating and nourishing, but without leaving that horrible film on your hands which I get from Neutrogena and Dove. It's also a huge 125ml tube. I've had to cut the top off though as I couldn't get the last few bits out. Smells amazing too, just like other Soap and Glory products.