Stila lip pens

I have a big collection of stila lip pens now. I tend to buy them in packs because they're so pricey by themselves (I think they're around £15 each).

ASOS has just had the Christmas box set on for £12 last week which I quickly snapped up! There are 8 in the collection, so that made a saving of over 700% (according to ASOS - I didn't do the maths).

The Christmas Collection:
Jack Frost, Jingle, Holly, Jolly, Joy, Splendor, Black Cherry, Sugar Plum.

No7 Foundation Match

A couple of week ago, I popped into my local boots to get my foundation matched with the new No7 Match Made service. Normally, when I buy foundation, I do swatch checks on my hand and across my chin, and settle for the lightest shade in the range! (in some high street brands, this is still too dark for my skin - I'm looking at you Bourjois!) I've never had my foundation matched at a counter before, so it was a first.

The process was really easy and it took 5 minutes all together. The consultant (I forgot her name!) talked through what I was looking for in terms of coverage and how often I wear foundation. And then came the fun bit. She pushed the camera thing into my cheeks with some pressure to some the light getting in to the picture, and gave me my perfect foundation.

Despite my usual shopping habits, I was the second lightest shade in Stay Perfect foundation, not the lightest which me and my friend were actually shocked by. I've been wearing the foundation every day for the past few weeks and it is the most perfect foundation for me in my collection.

I really recommend this service because I would have ended up buying the wrong shade without it. I really hope this technology spreads to other make-up counters in the near future.

Lush Haul

 This smells incredible! It reminds me of The Comforter, which is my all-time favourite.

 This smells so fresh and clean. The pattern is so cute as well.

 I bought Fun in yellow and green. I bought them online so I wasn't sure what smell I would like best. I've used them so far to hand wash clothes and in the shower. I think they're ok, but I need to play around with them a little more.

Clockwise from top left: Porridge Soap, Party Popper, Fun in Yellow (vanilla), North Pole Soap in Pink (mint chocolate), Glogg Shower Gel ( This is amazing! It reminds me of my trip to Munich last Christmas and the smell of the Christmas markets and the Gluhwein stands. Heavenly!), Snow Globe Soap, Fun in Green, Mr. Punch Soap, Candy Mountain Bubble Bar.

Spotlight 1: My Favourite Make-up Brushes

High Street Edition

eyeshadow brush, slanted brush, foundation brush, blusher brush. priced between £8-£12

Most of my make-up brushes are high street. I'll only buy high-end brushes for foundation, but I think high-street eye and cheek brushes work just as well as the pricey versions.

I have brushes from elf, Cosmo and no7, but my favourites are from The Body Shop. The picture above is just a small collection on the brushes I own as some are duplicates and I didn't really want to do a 'collection' post. I like The Body Shop as a whole because of it's cruelty free message (and because everything smells so yummy!) Their brushes are obviously vegan and they're definitely the best vegan brushes I've tried. They apply the product really well, and more importantly, they clean really easily.

The blusher brush is my favourite (I have three of these!) because it's the perfect size for my cheek bone and it applies product like a dream. I can use this to contour as well because its pinched. I love the slanted brush for eyeliner, but I also use one to fill in my eyebrows.

The only downside to my collection is the foundation brush. I prefer applying my liquid foundation with a stippling brush or a buffing brush but otherwise I highly recommend these brushes.

Clinique Liquid Facial Soap Mild

Clinique Liquid Face Soap Mild £15

I have tried quite a lot of skin care products from Clinique. Their seven-day scrub cream is one of my favourite daily exfoliators. (I reviewed it months ago and am still in love with it!)

Clinique Liquid Facial Soap Mild comes in four types depending on your skin. I really like this idea because I don't think one size fits all when it comes to skincare. I chose skin-type 2 - Dry Combination 'dry in the cheeks, comfortable to oily in the T-Zone' which suits me perfectly. It makes my skin feel really soft and clean, and I don't get any tightness across my cheeks like I do with other face soaps I've tried.

I really like it because one pump will do my whole face, so I now it's going to last me ages.

It's a gel like consistency when it comes out of the tube and it doesn't lather too much. That means I can feel it on my skin, rather than loads of bubbles.

I use this with the seven-day scrub cream, this toner and this moisturiser in the morning. I also use it at night after I've taken all my make-up off and before my night cream.

I really recommend this because of the options available for different skin types.

L'Oreal EverPure

I've really got into haircare in the past year. I never used to 'shop' hair products. I used to just grab a bit bottle of tresemme shampoo (I didn't even buy conditioner - gasp!). In the past year or so, I've been noticing my hair drying out and getting static quite a lot so I've been trying to find products that complement each other and give my hair a more natural and glossy finish. L'Oreal Ever Pure Colour Care & Smoothing duo are my every day go-to hair care products.

I've been using it for just over two weeks and I can definitely see a difference in the condition my hair. My hair feels less tangled and it hasn't been static at all! Which is a miracle! I even feel that my colour hasn't faded as much, which I love! 

I would recommend this to anyone with coloured/dry hair. The only thing that might put you off is the scent. The shampoo is Rosemary & Juniper and you can really smell the rosemary in it. I don't normally like herbal smelling products, so its taken some time for me to get used to it. The conditioner is lovely though. It smells strongly of mint. It really wakes me up in the mornings! 

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Body Shop Body Butter in Chocomania

I cannot rave about this product enough! It's the nicest smelling thing I have ever sniffed. Honestly. Too good for words. 

I went into the Body Shop last week to pick up some bits and make use of a voucher I had on vouchercloud. (I tweeted about it on the day) The voucher was a free body butter when you spend £15. My friend had been raving about this product and how yummy it was so, obviously I picked it up. The lovely lady at the Highcross Body Shop gave me a free sample of the multi-use oil in the same scent. It's divine. The stores website describes the scent as indulgent and I completely agree.

I am a massive fan of the Body Shop Body Butters anyway, I always have three or four tubs on the go. This is just another level. It's a 48hour hydration. I can't say that I've tested it out for 48hours, so I can't really comment on that, but the smells lasts and lasts on the skin. So it's not really for you if you don't want to smell like a walking Mars bar all day. It's cool though, because I do.

L'Occitane Fresh Face Water

I bought this a few weeks ago because I just loved the scent! As I said in my haul post, I hadn't been using a toner for a while (naughty, naughty!) and had a hole to fill in my daily routine.

This is more than a toner though, you can use it by itself as a cleanser. I have to admit, I haven't done that. I've been using it after my make-up remover. I use it in the evenings by spraying it onto a cotton pad and I just go over my whole face, picking up any last bits of make-up. You can use it over your eyes as well, which is a bonus.

It leaves my skin feeling really cleansed and smooth. 

The lady at the shop said that I could use it like you would Fix Plus to refresh your face or make-up throughout the day, but I'm not sure if you can. 

 L'Occitane Fresh Face Water: £14

Clinique High Lengths Mascara

I got this mini mascara when Clinique did the mascara swap a few weeks ago. 

I chose this one purely for the 'willow' brush.

I actually really like this mascara. It doesn't get all claggy and clumpy on my lashes, and leaves a natural effect. There are a few reviews on the Clinique website that disagree with this. It really is down to application. I found that I had to be patient the first few times I applied it because I was getting used to the odd angle of the brush, but now I've got it I really like it!!

If you want big lashes for a night out, this isn't really for you but I really like it as my day to day mascara. 

It retails at £16.

Topshop Makeup

I posted a picture of my Topshop envelope on my Instagram (charcassidy) last week.

l-r: Lipstick in Powder Room (£7), Matte Finish Moisturising Lipstick in Whimsical (£8).

Powder Room is a powdery pink colour which is so easy to wear. I've wanted to try their lipstick pencils for ages! I'm really happy with my purchase.
Whimsical is described online as a 'pinky nude' but on me it looks more of an orangey nude. I'm looking forward to wearing this as I don't have much orange in my make-up collection (I only have Saffron eyeshadow by MAC).

Do you have any Topshop make-up?
What should I buy next?

Mini Haul

I stopped off at Boots today to have a look at the new Bourjois Colorissimo lip pallettes. I fully intended to buy them (I even put two in my basket!) but I don't think I'd ever use them. I'm not a fan of the packaging - it reminds me of the sticky cheap lip gloss palettes I had when I was little. I just can't get my head around them. 

So this is what I bought instead (spot my Clinique freebie):  

I should warn you, this haul is Maybelline heavy; it was 3 for 2.

Weirdly, I've haven't tried a BB Cream yet. I've wanted one for ages but been a bit unsure about them. I read a few reviews last night and decided to just go for it. It was only £7.99, so I thought why not! 

 l-r: Maybelline Forever Strong Pro in Ceramic Blue, Maybelline Forever Strong Pro in Hot Salsa and Barry M Nail Effects in Croc.

I've been reading  lot of good things about the Forever Strong Pro nail polishes, so really wanted to try them out. I bought the Hot Salsa because I have nothing like it. I bought Ceramic Blue despite everything I have is like it. :/

l-r: Maybelline Color Sensational Cream Gloss in Nude Pearl, Maybelline Color Sensational Luschious Lipgloss in Minty Sheer, Carmex, Maybelline Color Sensational Popsticks in Crystal Pink.

The first three items were just replacements/back-ups. 

Popsticks really intrigued me so I bought one to try. I'll probably go back for the orange one at some point.

Then I went into L'Occitane and picked up the Fresh Face Water. It's a toner and make-up remover, but you can use it with other products like make-up remover milks, which I have. The lady also said you can spritz in on over make-up in the day to refresh your skin. 

It says it's 'rich is Shea extract and in floral waters'. It smells so good! 

I've been a bit lazy recently, and have been skipping the toner step (tut tut) so had a gap to fill in my routine.

I'm really excited about using it!

The Art Of Bathing

The Art Of Bathing Hatbox from Lush was one of my birthday presents from my boyfriend. 

I was so excited when I opened this because I've only tried a handful of their products.

This is what the box contains. (the eagle-eyed reader may spot a few glossyboxes lol)

The Bubble Bars
clockwise from bottom left- Pop In The Bath, Ma Bar, Blue Skies and Fluffy White Clouds, The Comforter, Karma

 The Bath Ballistics
clockwise from bottom left- Butterball, Fizzbanger, Avobath, Sex Bomb, Big Blue, Blackberry

My Dragon's Egg Bath Ballistic was broken :(

The best part of this gift is that my bedroom smells of a lush store, which makes me v happy.

If you guys want reviews or my thoughts on any one of these products let me know.

Revlon Lip Butters

 l-r: Candy Apple, Sweet Tart, Peach Parfait

I've wanted these for ages! I've seen tonnes of reviews since their launch in the US last and they definitely didn't disappoint.

The formula is a lot thicker than I thought it was going to be. Revlon describe the texture as a buttery balm, which makes them more long lasting and moisturising than a regular balm.
The colour pay-off is brilliant as well.
I don't really have anything bad to say about this product!

today's nails

Glossy Box for Men: Box 2

What's in the box?
Organic Homme by Green People Active Fix Repair Serum
4711 The Original Eau De Cologne
The Legends London Alum Matchsticks
Fab Body Moisturiser
Liz Earle for Men Face Scrub
Kyoku For Men Sake Infused Shave Cream
Dr Bronner's Magic Liquid Soaps Lavender Hand Sanitiser

The boys get seven products every box because it's a quarterly product. I actually get really excited opening this box (it is my boyfriends but I love seeing new beauty products - women's and men's)
The two stand out products for me are the Liz Earle Face Scrub and the Alum Matchsticks.
I've never seen anything like these matchsticks and I'm really intrigued to see them in action. You just run the matchstick under water and then rub the tip over the skin to calm shaving rashes.

I actually stopped my subscription to glossy box because I wasn't using many of the products I received. It would be awesome if it was made like Glossy Box for Men - a quarterly service that sends you products tailored to your needs.

Lush Easter Eggs (Spoiler Alert)

(I didn't realise until I uploaded these that you can see an old glossy box in the first photo - sorry!)

I went into Lush to grab some bits that I'd ran out of (The Comforter, Porridge etc) and saw the cute Easter Eggs by the till so I obv had to pick one up! I chose this yellow one because the smell was my favourite. (I didn't think about what colour the bath would be though lolz) 

I really like this concept. Normally when you buy a bath bomb, you get one bath out of it, but with this one you get three and I don't think it was that much more expensive than the regular ones. The middle bomb looks like a little animal with whiskers. I'm not sure if its a cat, mouse or rabbit because there's no ears, so who can say. But the smell is really nice, the yellow one is like vanilla and really sweet. The middle one is more lavender, herby smell, so it's a really nice contrast. 

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Valentines Glossy Box: The Opening

REVIEW: Garnier Simply Essentials Soothing Cleansing Lotion

>>Garnier Cleansing Lotion £3.99

I've been on the market for a multi-purpose cleanse for a while. I've been using a simple version of this for a while, but its quite thick and is hard to move around the face without getting some in your eyes or leaving a horrible residue.
So I went into boots to find something similar but better than the simple one with only two criteria in mind: it had to be a budget beauty product ie high street brand/price and it had to be able to removes make-up and more importantly mascara easily.
This definitely lives up to what I wanted. I really like this product. The consistency of this cleanser reminds me of a moisturising milk so its really light, which is what I prefer, especially just before I put all my lotions and potions on before bed.
I have no complaints about the claims. It takes off all my eye make-up with ease, including my thick coats of Scandaleyes Mascara.
I would recommend this to anyone who needs to stick to a budget or wants to try a cleansing make-up remover.

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