FAVOURITES: Pre-Cleansers

Pre-cleansing is something that I've only recently started doing, which now seems quite bad. A pre-cleanse is basically exactly what it sounds like. You are removing your make up before cleansing your skin fully. Since doing this, I've found that my skin has become a lot clearer and brighter. And although it does take an extra few minutes in the morning and at night, the end benefits are definitely worth it.

No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Water - £9.00 I bought this with my No7 voucher and I wasn't expecting much from it. That's probably because it does look just like water. But I've fallen in love with this product. It smells fresh and clean and it removes make up nicely. Especially around the eye area. It doesn't irritate the skin at all and I also love using this as a toner as I find it very refreshing. It's definitely one of those things that I love having around for quick fixes etc. It's a great multi-tasking product. 

Rhodes to Heaven Juniperberry Cleanser & Tonic - £17.00* I've had this quite a while now and this was one of the first products I used to pre-cleanse my skin. This product has quite a strong smell but it's nothing that annoys me personally, even though it might do you. It removes make up very well and I love using this when I've wore heavy base make up as you can see how much make up it removes.

Super Facialist by Una Brennan Neroli Firming Lift & Hydrate Facial Oil - £14.99* I really have saved the best till last. If you'd have told me a few months ago that I'd soon be using an oil on my skin I'd have laughed. My skin is combination so the thought of using an oil to cleanse my skin was alien to me. But I love using this. It's very simple to use; you pump the oil out, warm it up between your palms and then massage it into the skin before washing it off. It removes my make up exceptionally well and I've found that since using this, I haven't been using as much of my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish which is fabulous as that's so expensive. I also love how soft and glowing this makes my skin look. The overall appearance of my skin has improved dramatically since using this and I can see myself repurchasing this for the rest of my life!
What products do you pre-cleanse with? Do you pre-cleanse at all?
xxx
*PR Sample

Refreshing/Spray Toners

I would really like to apologise for this picture first of all. No matter how hard I tried, these products just didn't want to be photographed at all. And unfortunately, this is the best picture out of a really bad bunch. I thought to myself; 'should I do this post? Is it worth it?' And in the end I decided that I'd rather have a post and a bad picture than no post at all. So here it is! 

If you're from England then you will probably know that the weather hasn't been that great recently. It's been rainy, it's been horrible but it's still been pretty humid so I've been enjoying using refreshing toners lately. I think these toners are great for waking your skin up in a morning and also refreshing them at night time after a hard day of wearing a full face of make up.

Angela Langford Freshen Up - Rose, Geranium & Orange Blossom Toner* - £10.35
I'm a huge fan of Angela Langford as I believe she has great customer care which I think is very important. This toner is wonderful and it gives the skin an instant wake up call. The scent immediately makes you feel more alert and awake whilst the product itself brightens up the skin. Recommend for: those who have dull skin and want waking up.

Avene Eau Thermal Avene Water Spray* - £6.50
For me, this is the best spray for setting your make up. The aerosol can is really lovely and finely sprays the water evenly over your skin. Essentially, this is just very good water but the thing for me that makes me love it so much and say that it's worth the price is that the packaging keeps the water really cool so it's great for a summers day and also, as I mentioned before the aerosol can really does spray amazingly well and it doesn't coat your skin in a thick layer of water. Recommend for: setting your make up/hot, summer days.

Proactiv Revitalising Toner* - £39.99 (for a set of all three products)
The thing that I love the most about this toner is that it works very well (with the other two products in the kit) at combating acne and spots but it doesn't dry the skin out at the same time. As the name suggest, it's a revitalising toner that awakens the skin, tightens pores and removes any traces of dirt/make up that you have on your skin. Recommend for: those with blemish prone skin.

Care Witch Hazel* - £3.56
A very cheap product! This may not look all that glamourous but the beauty is within the product. This cleanser/toner is great at removing make up and although I originally thought that this would be drying, it wasn't. Witch Hazel is also known for it's relief of cuts, sprains, bruises and minor scalds so it's very handy to have around the house. Recommend for: those who want a multi-tasking product.
Skin Therapy Toner* - £0.98

This is so cheap! I was very shocked when I received the press release with this product as it's very rare that you'd find a toner for this price. Don't let the price fool you though, it's very lovely. I'd love to decant this into a spray bottle as I think it'd be great to refresh make up with. But I've been using it just a nighttime toner as it's wonderful at removing traces of make up. It's also suitable for sensitive skin and relieves tight skin and softens it up. Very lovely and a bargain for the price! Recommend for: those on a tight budget/those with sensitive skin.

Rhodes to Heaven Juniperberry Cleanser and Tonic* - £17.00
I really love this product. It's a great cleanser and removes make up exceptionally well - as much as most facial washes. I adore the smell of this product.. It's not one that I can describe but it's pretty strong yet natural smelling. It's quick and easy to use and calms, soothes, cools, balances and tones the skin all at once! This also is available in a travel friendly 50ml spray bottle which is refillable so you can top it up with your bigger bottle. Recommend for: those who don't have a lot of time.

Jurlique Citrus Purifying Mist* - £21.50
This is my favourite out of them all. Citrus scents are my favourite scents so I knew almost immediately that I was going to fall in love with this. It smells beautiful and it really refreshes the skin and make up. It's perfect in the morning, it's perfect throughout the day and it's perfect at nighttime too. The only problem I have with this toner is the packaging. It's beautiful, glass and very classy but it's not very good for travelling. Especially because I'd love to pop this in my bag to refresh my skin throughout the day but I can't. So I'd love for Jurlique to do a travel version of this toner. Recommend for: those with oily skin.
What's your favourite refreshing/spray toner?
xxx
*PR Sample

My Lip Balm Collection

My lip balm obsession runs as deep as my foundation collection - if not deeper. I'm not too sure why as when it comes to my lips, there's nothing wrong with them. I don't get dry lips and I definitely don't get chapped lips. They're not perfect though and obviously lip balms help with lipstick application so I love using them.

I'm also ashamed to say that this is not my full lip balm collection; this is just my university one and at home, I have quite a few more. 

I absolutely love lip scrubs and I've incorporated them into my daily routine. For me, they're just like a moisturiser.

Lush Lip Scrub in Bubblegum - £4.95

This one tastes as Snow Fairy would taste if it was food. It's absolutely beautiful and it smells just like Snow Fairy too. It works really well at scrubbing away dead skin and as you can see from the pot, it's definitely well used.

Lush Lip Scrub in Pow Wow - Limited Edition

I'll never forget when I first bought this and opened it. I was disgusted at the colour and I almost didn't dare use it but it's so good. It's a lot more abrasive than the Bubblegum scrub and you have to be careful when using it as your lips will turn green. But it's fabulous! The taste is popping candy and as you lick the scrub away from your lips the popping candy pops in your mouth.

I really love Nivea lip balms. The packaging of them is great and they're wonderful for throwing into your handbag throughout the day. The Nivea Pure & Natural in Milk & Honey - £1.99 tastes lovely. It's really milky and very moisturising. The Nivea Essential Care - £1.65 is of the same moisture level of the Milk & Honey but I'd say it penetrates deeper and has a better lasting effect. And finally, the Nivea Hydro Care - £2.03 is the most hydrating of the 3 and it is less sticky.

I must admit that Blistex is my favourite lip balm brand. You also must check out their new website - I had too much fun playing with the new features haha. 
Blistex Daily Lip Conditioner* - £2.59
This is a great lip balm. It adds moisture and it tastes and smells nice - like mint. I don't think it deeply moisturises the lips though. It's more of a nice top up throughout the day.

Blistex Raspberry Lemonade Blast* 
A great hydrating lip balm that tastes and smells incredible! This always reminds me of last years holiday as I took it away with me.

Blistex MedPlus Cherry Berry* - £2.34
This tastes incredible! It's not like the fake cherry berry scent/taste that is in most lip balms either. It's also very good for the lips and is exceptionally moisturising but not in a way that comes off too waxy on the lips or too thick. I love it!

Blistex Lip Massage* - £1.83
This is amazing. It has a special top that dispenses the lip product and it gently buffs away any dead skin and leaves you with beautiful, soft lips. This is great for in the morning.

Blistex Soothing Splash Liquid Lip Moisturiser* - £2.59
I have been loving this lip balm recently and it's the one that has been coming everywhere with me. It applies via a rollerball which is wonderful for soothing the lips. The balm is quite thin but it's pretty glossy and it's great for adding fullness to this lips. Like I said, it soothes the lips and surprisingly it's very moisturising as well. I love it! My new favourite.

Blistex Lip Brilliance* - £2.49
A really nice lip balm that is similar in consistency and hydration as the Nivea ones. It also adds a lovely hint of pink colour on the lips.

 I love SoftLips! The packaging is so cute and girly and I love how inexpensive they are. The SoftLips French Vanilla* - £1.49 tastes incredible. It sort of tingles on the lips which I love. The SoftLips Vitamin Enriched* - £1.49 is the exact same as the French Vanilla one but it doesn't have any flavour.

'I kissed a girl and I liked it..' Chapsticks were probably my first 'make up item' that I owned. But they're actually very good lip balms. My sister loves the original one but I prefer ones with flavours. They're not the most moisturising but they're a great base for lipstick.

Strawberry Chapstick - £1.05

Cherry Chapstick - £1.05

Boots Essentials Lipsalve in Spearmint - £1.01
My sister bought this at the airport as she had forgotten her lip balm but as soon as she found out the flavour she gave it to me (she doesn't like flavoured lip balms). I like this one. It's not that moisturising but it really smooths the lips and it tastes nice.

Vitamin Water Dragonfruit Flavoured - £9.49
I don't really like this. I can't remember why I had it. It's hydrating but I hate the flavour - dragonfruit, urgh.

Carmex Moisturising Lip Balm - £2.69
I don't like Carmex at all. I don't know why I still have this really. It just tastes disgusting.

Liz Earle Sheer Pink Lip Shimmer* - £5.00
This is really cute! It's great for adding on top of matte lipsticks to hydrate them throughout the day and add a nice sheen to the lips.

Vaseline Sun Protection SPF 15 - £2.25
I use this constantly in the summer. It's just like the original Vaseline but it has SPF 15 in it.

Vaseline Rose and Almond Oil - £2.25
I'd say this is the most hydrating out of all of the Vaseline's and I really love the colour pay off.

Rhodes to Heaven All in One Lip Plumper* - £13.95
This is perfect - the best primer for lips. It plumps the lips up whilst hydrating them and really caring for them. It's just incredible and it's definitely worth the big price tag.

I Love.. Strawberries & Milkshake Glossy Lip Balm - £0.99
This tastes and smells incredible. It's not very travel friendly but it sits lovely on my bed side table. It's also very hydrating.

The Body Shop Born Lippy in Watermelon - £2.00
Tastes lovely and is great for summer. Not the most hydrating of lip balms but does a great job at softening the lips.

I bought a giftset from Boots at Christmas for £10.00 and inside it was a lot of cute lip balms. My favourite are the Boots Bright as a Button Mint Lip Balm and the Boots Bright as a Button Cherry Lip Balm. These ones taste lovely and the mint one also adds a bit of shimmer to the lips.

If you do have very chapped lips then there's only one lip balm that I'd recommend and that's the Blistex Relief Cream. Unfortunately, it's not featured in this post as my sister has stolen it from me as it's her favourite and she does actually have chapped lips. She really loves it and it's improved the condition of her lips so much. I even recommended it to a customer at Boots once.

xxx

*PR Sample

TAG: Seven Deadly Beauty Sins!

After watching Gemma's video I decided that this tag would be an interesting thing to do! I didn't fancy doing it on YouTube as I'm still a bit nervous about putting myself on there so I decided to do it in a blog post instead.

Gluttony - What are your most delicious beauty products?

Lip balms! I'm definitely obsessed with them and they're something that I can't stop buying. I love different scents, tastes and feels of them and I must have over 30 of them.

Greed - What is your most inexpensive beauty product? What is your most expensive?

My most inexpensive beauty product was my MUA eyeshadow in the colour Shade 11 - Pearl. As with the basic MUA line, this eye shadow was just £1 and it has wonderful pigmentation and it lasts throughout the day. You can see a swatch of this eyeshadow here. My most expensive beauty product was the Urban Decay's Naked 2 palette (I think) which was definitely worth the price! You can see my full review of this palette with swatches here.

Wrath - What beauty products do you have a love/hate relationship with? What has been the hardest to find?

Some days I love this foundation but other days I don't like it. In general it's a lovely foundation that provides medium/full coverage. The only problem is that it doesn't last very well (without a primer) and sometimes can look orange on the skin. But it doesn't stop me from using it as it can look flawless on the skin. Oh I don't know, I'm generally just confused about this foundation!

Sloth - What beauty product do you neglect due to laziness?

Definitely my He-Shi Fushion Multi Bronze*. I adore this bronzer; it's a really natural shade that gives me an instant glow and makes me look tanned but in general, I find bronzers hard to work with. So whenever I'm in a rush, I will skip over bronzer which is a shame because when they're applied properly, they end up completing make up. You can see a swatch of this bronzer here. 

Pride - What beauty product gives you more confidence?

Foundation and concealer! I don't have the best skin in the world; it's spot-prone, full of scars and can sometimes be blotchy. But foundation and concealer are my lifesavers. Especially Estee Lauder's Double Wear and Collection 2000's Lasting Perfection. These two together work wonderfully to create natural looking skin that just looks entirely flawless throughout the day.

Lust - What attributes do you find most attractive in the opposite sex?

Looks wise? Zac Efron. He's just a god. But personality wise? Just someone who is easy going, can make me laugh and doesn't take themselves too seriously.

Envy - What item would you most like to receive as a gift?

The beautiful product that is Yves Saint Laurent's Touche Eclat. A wonderful product. A classic. THE product that is perfect for making you look like you've had the most perfect nights sleep you could imagine. I need this in my life. But I can't bring myself to spend £25 on it. So if you're willing to, please feel free! 

If you do this tag on either YouTube or your blog, please let me know as I really love reading/watching them! If you don't, let me know your 7 deadly sins in the comments!

xxx

Rhodes to Heaven - All In One Lip Plumper

If you read my blog often or know me then you'll know how obsessed I am with lip balms. I think I have over 30 of them and I still can't stop buying them. So when this little beauty found its way into my post box, I was extremely excited.

This lip treatment is a 3-in-one lip balm that plumps the lips up, adds gloss and also acts as a salve to protect and moisturise the lips. When I saw it was a lip plumper, I got very excited as my lips are quite thin and not very full so this seemed to be the product that I had been searching for. However, when it comes to lip plumpers, I always hold my breath as I've never actually found one that works. This lip balm is 100% natural and you find out more about it here.

But I was wrong to not trust this. This lip balm is wonderful. It's extremely moisturising and adds a lovely, subtle baby pink gloss onto the lips that can be used underneath lipstick, on its own or on top of lip stick. And as for the plumper, it does work. It doesn't give you super gorgeous, full Tanya Burr lips but it's probably the closest you can get without having surgery. I'm a big, big fan of this lip balm and I use it constantly, especially before leaving the flat or applying lipstick. It retails at £13.95 for a 10ml jar (shown above) and £8.95 for a 2.5ml pen. 

What's your favourite lipbalm? Have you ever used this? Or tried anything from Rhodes to Heaven?

xxx

*PR Sample but this doesn't have any impact on my review at all! All views are honest.