Testing Out Foot Packs - Do They Actually Work

 Foot Packs, Do They Work?

Now as far as pampering goes I normally stick to face packs and painting my nails but while I was in Nottingham I found a lot of these floating around different shops so decided to try one out with my sister to experiment. To prep our feet we used a foot exfoliator paddle file to get the tough skin off then rinsed our feet before opening the pack. Inside the two booties were attached together so we tore them apart, opening them slightly to slide our feet in. First thought was how slimy it felt on the feet and how strong scented the tea tree is. Overall it didn't feel so bad though, especially after half an hour scrubbing to get dead skin off!. As these slipped a little down whenever I moved we used hair grips to make them a little tighter at the top to make it a little easier to move around in as 20 minutes is a long time to sit still. 

After 10 minutes of sitting around looking like a swamp monster with the Lush face mask on I started to feel tingles probably from the Tea Tree but carried on for the rest of the time ignoring the tingles. Taking the boots off and having a shower my feet did feel a lot softer, weather it was from the foot pack or finally exfoliating the hard skin off my feet haven't felt so good in a while. 

Overall my feet did feel really nice, they felt soft and it was a really nice treat especially for pamper times. I think this pack cost less than $2 as well! defiantly worth it!.

My Skincare Routine

My Skincare Routine

As I move into my 20's I only recently started changing up my skin care routine, thinking that sticking to what I know would hel
p my skin...but unfortunately still struggling with break outs regularly meant I needed to change it up and stay away from products I have been using since I was 13. Now with the clearest my skin has ever been I wanted to share with you guys the products I use twice a day to rid myself of excess oils and stop break outs from coming. 

The first product I always start with is my Origins Checks and Balances frothy face wash, one I saw on Cosmopolitan recommend list on Snapchat and knew I had to try it for myself. On the website it says it is suited to all skin types from normal to oily but since I have been using it for a few months now I wouldn't recommend to anyone who doesn't have oily skin as you can get dry patches when used frequently. Fortunately for me, I have
oily skin which I have been trying to help for a while now but nothing seemed to work until this. You only need a pea size amount of product as a little goes a long way which means it lasts around 6 months, maybe longer depending on how much product actually comes out (the amount of times I didn't realise until my face is lathered is too many to count) which makes the price very reasonable. I have noticed that it does make the skin feel a little tight after but when you moisturise you can't tell. I don't think I will be using a different face wash for a while now! Since the first time I used it my face has looked less oily, I rarely get spots apart from the odd hormonal one! I would 100% recommend to anyone who is struggling with oily skin!. 

After washing I use my Lush Tea Tree Water with a cotton pad to close up the pores and prep ready for the other products. You only need about 3 squirts of it and that covers the whole face, the smell is amazing and I'm on my second bottle! The main reason I love this toner is how good my skin looks and smells like after using it, my skin almost has a matte look and if a break out comes it will almost be gone by the morning. Again the larger size bottle has lasted me about 8 months of constant use so it is well worth the price!.

The next product is a new one to my routine, The Body Shop had a 3 for 2 on and since I already had 2 things the lady at the counter helped me choose  the Tea Tree Oil once we talked about my
oily skin at the check out and thank god she did! It is a pure concentrate oil you can either mix with you moisturiser or put on straight after toner but before moisturiser (which is my preferred method) which helps balance out the oils in your skin and prevent break outs. It completely mattifys your face and soaks almost instantly. I use a drop on my forehead, nose, both cheeks and chin to completely cover my face as when I used a drop on the forehead and t-zone the rest of my face was still flaring up. Considering how good this actually is, it is very affordable and can be used multipurpose to help with products drying out as well!.

After the Tea Tree Oil has soaked in I use my Neutrogena Water Boost Gel Moisteriser which has a nice light weight feel to it. This is another recent purchase for me, I've been using it for about 3 months now and it fully
hydrates my skin keeping away dry patches, if I want to add serums to it as well it
mixes really nicely and doesn't separate from it. This is a little pricey but it is worth it if you just want something to hydrate your skin without anything else added in.

Every other night (or at least once a week) I use my Nip & Fab Bee Sting Repair shot either as the concentrate or mixed with my moisturiser to help with fine lines on my forehead or to lightly plump my cheeks. I normally put a drop on my finger and work that down one cheek and up my forehead then another on the other side, it is quite watery so you do need to work fast to stop it from running straight off again! I'm not sure if it does make a difference but I think my fine lines are less prominent since I have been using it. 

Last of all I use my e.l.f acne gel on any break  outs so they are either gone or not so visible, this is honestly the best break out solution I have found, it is mild on the skin but works a wonder! 

Since using these products my skin is almost completely cleared (apart from old break out scars from when I didn't know better!) and I hope this helps you find products for you! Links down below to all products mentioned.

https://www.origins.co.uk/product/15342/11226/skincare/cleanse/face-wash-and-cleanser/checks-and-balances/frothy-face-wash

https://uk.lush.com/products/tea-tree-water

https://www.thebodyshop.com/en-gb/face/view-all/tea-tree-anti-imperfection-daily-solution/p/p001103

https://www.superdrug.com/Skin/Face/Face-Gels/Neutrogena-Hydro-Boost%C2%AE-Water-Gel-Moisturiser-50ml/p/722849

https://www.superdrug.com/Skin/Face/Face-Serums/NipFab-Bee-Sting-Fix-Repair-shot-30ml/p/723540?singleResultSearchPage=true

https://www.superdrug.com/e-l-f-/e-l-f-Acne-Fighting-Gel-Clear/p/735169?singleResultSearchPage=true

The Body Shop Spring/Summer Feel Good Box

The Body Shop Spring/Summer Feel Good Box

Since I have started going to The Body Shop more and testing out their products I saw their spring/summer feel good box on their website and decided to try it out as everything in the box I have been either looking at trying or it sounded really nice to try out. The packaging matches the theme with the bold colours but opening it up everything is wrapped in black tissue paper held together with The Body Shop logo tape keeping everything hidden until you rip it open. Inside there are pamper treats as well as one of their matte lipsticks all perfectly going with the season.  Inside you get a matte lipstick in the shade Havana Red Matte, the British Rose Instant Glow Body Butter, Swietenia Fresh Flora perfume, Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask, the Oils Of Life Sleeping Cream and the Drops Of Youth Concentrate which is a lot for the $12 it costs!. The product I am most looking forward to trying is the Drops of Youth Concentrate as I have been wanting to try it since I first went in!.

 To start off with I swatched the lipstick, the colour is perfect for summer as it is nice and bright but doesn't have any orange undertones which I tend to find in most lipsticks in similar shades. The formula is velvety and none drying (I would go to say it is quite moisturising) and stayed on my hand even when I tried to get it off with a make up wipe which is an achievement for just a regular lipstick!. This is defiantly something I will be using all summer!.

 I have quite a lot of body butters from them already but haven't tried the British Rose one yet so it was nice to add to the collection. It smells amazing and makes your skin feel soft after first application! I found this isn't as hard as some of the other body butters they do which is a nice change, I'm not sure if it gave a glow but it certainly made my skin feel amazing and smell amazing too!. If you're looking for a body butter for summer I would recommend this one as it smells like summer and I haven't had any dry patches even when I have been out in the sun!.

The Drops Of Youth Concentrate is something I have been wanting to try for a while now to help with fine lines so I was really excited this was in the feel good box for me to try out. I used it before I went to be, dropping a little on my finger and using it on my forehead leading down to both cheeks before waiting for it to settle. I didn't really notice a change instantly but I think it is more of a building concentrate so I will have to use it for about a month before seeing any difference. I have to say that it does smell amazing and caused no irritation on my skin (thank god) so I will definitely be using it more and letting you guys know how it goes!.

Every time I go in The Body Shop I always see the Oils of Life products and say I will try some out but inside the box is the Intensely Revitalising Sleeping Cream which is a nice change from using my normal moisturiser before bed. The smell is a little strong for something I would usually put on my face but I gave it the benefit of the doubt getting a dab from the pot and putting it on before I went to sleep. It is a little thicker as I currently use a gel moisturiser but it felt nice. I didn't see much difference but like the Drops Of Youth I am going to use it a little longer for it to have the full effect and let you know!.

The next product I tired out I haven't really noticed they sell (more heading towards the make up or the body butters to notice) so it is a nice treat to try out. The Swietenia Fresh Flora perfume is a little strong compared to what I would usually choose but the sweet smell is very summery compared to my other ones which will be good to go out with in the day time. I love how they tell you exactly what is in it and about the main ingredient as you normally just smell and if you like it buy it.

The last product in the feel good box is the Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask which is the perfect trick! I normally use Lush masks but as it was in the box I thought I would give it a go. I love charcoal so was really excited to use this and it really did pay off! I only needed about half the packet to fully cover my face, rubbing in circle motions to cover my whole face then I waited about 10 minutes before rinsing it off again using the circle motions. My skin looked clear and lightly glowing, there was no irritation and it smelled amazing like all Body Shop products do!.

I genuinely can't wait for them to release another seasonal box, every product in this box I have loved using and know I will use again! Plus the box is great for storage.


https://www.thebodyshop.com/en-gb/gifts/for-her/spring-summer-feel-good-box/p/p002390

Kiko Summer 2.0 Baked Bronzer and Blush - Review and Swatches

Kiko Summer 2.0 Baked Bronzer and Blush

Kiko recently had an amazing sale on, not only did I pick up the 30 day lash treatment but I also brought the Summer 2.0 collection Baked Bronzer and Blush to try out for summer as I don't really have any bronzers or blushes and I really want to experiment with them.
 The packaging is beautiful with the almost pearl like pink and a good size mirror! Opening it up you can see just how pretty they have made it, the baked bronzer almost looking like mars with the swirls of paler bronzer mixed in, the smell hits you instantly almost like a coffee scent and is buttery to touch. The baked blusher has the almost dull pink taking up a little over half the pan which is a very matte after finish with a high pigmented and the other side of the pan is taken over by a high pigment shimmering pink shade. The shimmering pink is perfect for an eyeshadow, that was the first thought I had when I was swatching but I thought I have to give it a go on my face to see how it looks, it might look too pigmented for my face but it is too beautiful to not try!.

 The baked bronzer is so buttery to touch, the shade is more of a yellow toned cool toned which I wasn't sure would suit my skin tone as I thought it would make me look slightly orange. There is quite a lot of fall out when using a fluffy angled cheek brush but the shape of the case seemed to make sure it didn't go everywhere which is really good. The formula is really nice, doesn't sit on the skin but blends really nicely making me look instantly more defined and my face looking warmer.

The baked blusher I wasn't sure on to start as I don't really use blusher but I thought I would give it a go as summer is half way through and I wanted to experiment. The more matte cool side of the baked blusher was more like a bronzer to my skin tone, but the super pigmented shimmer shade really made my face pop, I barely brushed the pan before I applied a little on each cheek then blended out which showed a healthy looking glow with a little blush there. I was surprised at how much I actually love this shade, it looked so pigmented that I thought it would make me have serious clown make up but it is really easy to blend out and if you really want you can layer to build up definition which is good for nights out.
Overall I actually love these bronzers and blushers, I defiantly use the bronzer a lot more than the blush as I'm still getting used to it but for summer nights out it is perfect! The bronzer gives me light definition but doesn't look heavy, the blush is highly pigmented but easily blendable and I have had a lot of compliments wearing it! They are defiantly worth the money and I will be buying more from Kiko!

To shop the whole Summer 2.0 collection use the link down below:

http://www.kikocosmetics.com/en-gb/new/summer-2017-collection.html

From Black to Blonde Hair

Changing It Up

For the past 5 years I have been dying my hair from my natural blonde to black and I've finally decided to try and get back to blonde after so many years of battling with the bright roots. Looking online I didn't find many people who have been dying their hair for as long as I have and managed to change their hair without damaging it to almost straw like texture. Through this blog post I will let you know all the products I have used to get it back to blonde and keep it healthy. 

The First Attempt 

 Doing my research into other people trying to get any shade dark like mine, either black or a very dark brown, I came up with a few options but looking at reviews and YouTube videos I found this Garnier Olia Super Blondes Extreme B+++ which had the best reviews and even a hairdresser commented saying it is better for the hair than the products they use at the salon which really peaked my interest. Since I've had black hair for so long I brought 2 boxes on a 2 for $11 deal and got started with the help of a friend who has stripped her hair before so knew what to do with it as it is different from just dying your hair. Reading the intructions carefully we set to work mixing the bleaching powder and bleaching cream into the developing cream putting the multi-application conditioner to the side. Putting my fringe in a bun with most of my hair apart from the bottom layer she set to work covering my hair as close to the roots without getting it on the blonde then worked her way around my hair, this took up a bottle and almost half of the second one. We left it on for around half an hour even though it says to leave it for maximum of 25 minutes but as I have so much black in my hair I left it in for a little longer to get more of an effect. For the rest of my hair she used the rest of the second bottle until it was empty massaging it into the rest of my hair to make sure it was fully covered and into my roots as some parts started to go platinum blonde and I didn't want it to be so miss matched so all platinum is better than  patches of it. Overall we spent around an hour and a half developing with another half an hour minimum making sure it fully covered all of my hair. To wash it out we put warm water into a water bottle then poured as we massaged it out until it was out then added the conditioner before leaving that for 2 or 3 minutes before
using the shower to rinse it out fully.

Once I towel dried it enough I used my life saving Organic World Brazilian Keratin that has been making my hair healthier for the past month I have been using it. My hair didn't feel any different apart from being slightly dry afterwards but putting this on before using my hair dryer let the oil sink into my hair. As you can see at the roots it has gone platinum then went into orange with the rest of the hair being dark ginger with a black tinge so I will need use some more dye to even it out hopefully making it either the platinum blonde or the bright orange which I am totally loving! If you have been dying your hair or have hair damage then I would highly recommend using the hair oil and if you have been dying your hair and fancy a change without damaging it further then I would highly recommend the Garnier Olia brand as it doesn't damage it at all! Me and my friend were really surprised how well it took to my hair considering how long I have been dying it for and how nice my hair feels afterwards. I'm not sure how long I have to leave it before dying it again so I'm giving it a week before using another two boxes mainly focusing on the darkest point which didn't dye as well as the roots or close to the roots so we have already planned to put my hair in ponytails to avoid getting any more on the roots or close to it and stop the bleach going completely everywhere like it seemed to the first time.

The Second Attempt

Another trip to Superdrug down and two more boxes of the Garnier Olia Permanent Bleach later we started on my hair again this time we covered my fringe, both sides then the back/top and left to develop for at least an hour. This time we could see white, pink, ginger, light brown and dark brown starting to form leaving the black behind! I actually love how my hair turned out! We did get the roots again so they are back to platinum and in one place white, but it all seems to blend now and is really less patchy than it was the first time!. Using the conditioner in my hair then leaving it for 3 minutes to settle helped it feel alive again as well as the Organic World Hair Treatment I use almost every time I wash my hair. There might be a gap in this blog post as I am getting the back of my neck tattooed so I have to wait for it to fully heal before doing anything to my hair so it doesn't get into the healing tattoo but as soon as I decide what I am doing I will add to the blog post! I really hope this helps you change your hair without killing it! I would say for best results to use this product all at once all over the hair (if you are wanting to bleach all of it of course) then leave for about an hour even though it says to leave for maximum of 45 minutes and to invest in the Organic World Brazilian Keratin as it is only a pound from Savers and has worked miracles on my hair!

The Third Attempt

I gave it a few weeks before trying it again, not only was I waiting for payday but I also wanted to give it time to settle before using bleach on again so I brought another two boxes of the same Garnier Olia Permanent Bleach and got to work. This time we wrapped the parts of the hair which needed to develop faster than the rest in tin foil as a person I work with who used to be a hair dresser told me it would help even the colour out around the whole of my head. We left it on for the same 45 minute time but didn't check on it as we didn't want to unwrap the tinfoil and have to put more on as it would be a waste. My hair still feels very soft, hasn't lost any shine and it is still a natural colour!. We could tell even from washing the bleach out that it had pulled a lot more colour out! The brown was completely gone and instead a really nice blonde/light ginger colour was there. It still isn't completely what I am hoping for but for now I am just going to try some shampoos to get rid of the brassiness and bring out some more blonde then I'll check in and let you know how it went!.

The Forth Attempt

It wasn't long before I headed back to Super Drug to see if they've restocked and to my luck they had another 2 boxes which I sold them out of again. This time my boyfriend wanted to do it so I put my trust in him, applying like usual leaving for around 40 minutes this time while we played a bit of Xbox. I noticed a difference as soon as I washed the bleach and the conditioner out with the slightly dark ginger going more and more bright and some more blonde peaking through. My hair still feels amazing and the bleach hasn't effected it at all! I am finding I need to wash my hair less and less (probably twice a week now) as it just doesn't seem to get oily/greasy! There were a few little bits he missed but I am hoping using the shampoo will make it at least blend a little more into the hair colour now. I think I am going to leave it for a little longer now, a few months as I want to see how the shampoo does to help lift some of the colour out and make my root go lighter as they grow. Wish me luck! I'll keep updating!.

Shampoo

Talking to a hairdresser I work with they were telling me to buy some shampoo to remove the brassiness from my hair and to help the blonde come through so I brought two John Frieda shampoos to try and help my hair along without using more bleach on it as Super Drug had a 2 for $11 deal on so it is worth a try. The first one I brought is the Sheer Blonde Colour Renew Shampoo which is meant to banish brass tones and orange as it cleanses and the second one I brought is the Sheer Blonde Go Blonder Shampoo which is meant to renew the hair's healthy appearance and touch without drying it out so I am feeling hopeful this will make a difference. I will use the renew shampoo on the orange parts of my hair then the go blonder on my roots where the blonde actually is and hope it makes a difference.

 I've used the purple shampoo around 3 times now and I have noticed a difference, not only does it make my hair look a long brighter but it completely blends now! (aside from the platinum roots but they seem to look good!). I have used the go blonder once but as I have been out and about quite a lot I tend to just take the purple shampoo with me instead as it is something I need a lot more. I will update with images when I start to notice a big difference and I'll let you know how many washes it took!

I've been using the shampoo for about a month now and it has changed slightly however it hasn't changed it much so I've decided to bleach it again.

The Fifth Attempt

What a difference! I was starting to loose hope with my hair as the past few times I've bleached it I didn't seem to budge the orange hair really and this time I chose to do it on my own as my roots were coming through really badly (damn the cooler tone to my natural blonde looking almost grey against the platinum). This time the colour seemed to really lift and brighten, the roots going an almost yellow shade instead of the white it went a few times before which looks a lot more natural. There is a little bit of a light orange colour left so I used the Jerome Russell Bblonde Maximum Colour Toner which was the only toner in my local Superdrug as a few people told me using a toner would really help so straight after bleaching I towel dried my hair then my friend came over to help just put the toner on the orange parts as the worst thing would be the rest of my newly natural hair turning silver! Looking at the instructions we followed them almost exactly as they say (we didn't have a plastic hood so improvised with a sandwich bag then didn't pile it on top of my head to stop the toner from going on the platinum parts). My friend used the hair drier until it had been the 5 minutes then we played a little xbox until it was time to wash it out. As it is such a thick purple you couldn't see any difference until you washed it out as it looked darker with it on. We didn't notice much of a change which is a shame, maybe if it was the whole head or if it was a darker orange it would of worked better, I'm not sure which one, but I won't be using it again. I think I'll stick to the shampoo still. I'm not sure if this will be the last time I will bleach it as there are still parts of it but for now I am happy with the colour, not only is most of it a light blonde but the orange parts look more like a strawberry blonde than anything else. 

Thank you for reading through this long blog post on how I changed my hair, the thing that I most learnt was after years of trying to change how I look because I didn't feel confident with how I looked with my natural hair is that I have gained confidence through each session of bleaching my hair now. I know I could of chose a more harsh bleach or actually used proper bleach but considering I have used 10 boxes in total my hair feels like normal! No change at all in it! This is why I would highly recommend it to anyone thinking about lightening their hair to bleaching it and it didn't work out that expensive. 

The Body Shop Mini Haul - Which Products I Got and Are They Worth It

The Body Shop

The Body Shop have been around for 40 years, using all natural produce inside the products to make it as organic and healthy for you as possible. Known mostly for their skin care products they have recently (in the past 3 or so years) starting creating beauty products, from brushes to blushes so naturally I have been dying to try them!

While I was in the shop I swatched a few of their foundations  hoping to find one which is close to my shade as the main issue I have with foundations are them looking good in my bedroom or bathroom lighting but outside in natural light I look orange or it oxides to orange later in the day but reading reviews I had heard very mixed reviews, another blogger was talking to me about how she broke out in little white spots all over when she used it so I was a little optimistic to try it out in case I broke out as well. The shade isn't exactly the correct shade for me but I used the next product with it mixing it together and created the perfect shade for me! I wore it to work with a little of the Benefit Porefessional Mattifying Primer underneath and not only did it last all day but it felt very comfortable on my skin like I wasn't even wearing a foundation. The shop assistant told me it is light to medium coverage so I did have to use a little concealer just to cover up a few blemishes I have been struggling with. Taking it off I didn't notice any break outs until the next day when I had a break out or two but it wasn't anything too bad just my skin adjusting to the formula as my normal every day foundation has break out prevention in the formula. It is a little on the expensive side at $15 for a bottle but I think it is worth it for when you want a light weight foundation which isn't thick or high coverage and it being all natural you don't have to worry about chemicals hurting your skin.

I had seen their Lightening Shade Adjusting Drops all over Instagram with reviews on how well it has worked and how people can finally have their skin tone with any foundation they choose by just adding one or two drops which of course enticed me as I really struggle to get a foundation which is my skin tone and will stay on all day then if I find one which is almost my tone it seems to oxides and go orange which isn't ideal. I used 2 or 3 drops to get it to my shade but it was well worth it! It didn't seem to change the formula or water it down what I was worried about happening so I am really pleased with it! I used it with the foundation I brought from the haul and with another one I have been using for months and it worked just as well. For the size of the bottle $10 is really cheap considering how a little of it really goes a long way.

As there was a 3 for 2 offer I talked to the assistant about my skin and she suggested trying the Tea Tree Oil Anti-Imperfection Daily Solution to help my oily skin balance out. I had seen a lot of people on YouTube and Instagram using oils in their skin care routines but never really branched out until now and I have to say I love it! My skin has never looked better, my make up stays on longer and I have only been using it for a week! She told me to use it after cleansing and toning before moisturising so I have followed her instructions in the morning and at night and I really have noticed a difference, when my pomade dries out I have used it and it has worked really well! I need roughly 4 drops to cover my whole face but the bottle is decent, I love the dropper as I have issues with my hair oil which is in a push cap (it goes everywhere and you can't control how much is coming out) and it feels amazing. If you have oily skin as well this could really work out for you like it has for me, the assistant said 'you have to fight oils with oils' and I'm finally starting to see that and at $13 per bottle it is worth trying it out!.


While I was at the check out not only did I sign up for the Love Your Body Club but I also got a $10 off voucher to spend in store during June which will be handy for my next Body Shop Haul!.


https://www.thebodyshop.com/en-gb/?gclid=CjwKEAjwsLTJBRCvibaW9bGLtUESJAC4wKw1I3P29KOL4uuw8iYDvGKzKWUHJV3oRbgNa4sAY0PUfhoCsr_w_wcB&dclid=CN_6746jmNQCFZI-GwodyBYLag

Gosh Lumi Drops

Gosh Lumi Drops

Per Cheek Bone

On The Face

Since I have heard about Gosh releasing this highlighting liquid I have been dying to get my hands on it and I've finally plucked up the courage to buy it! As I always use powdered highlighter I thought I would change it up for summer to give myself more of a natural looking glow which I can build on without having to wet a brush or layer making it look like chalk. I really like the idea of being able to blend this with my beauty blender into my foundation or even mix with my foundation to give my whole face a refreshed look. It is a sparkling highlighter which I was worried about to start off with when I swatched on my hands but adding the drops to a beauty blender seems to mute the sparkles to a normal glowing look instead of as glowing as the swatch on my hand. Deciding i couldn't wait I applied my make up then added a few drops onto my damp beauty blender then started dabbing into my face lightly following my cheekbone up then adding to the tip of my nose and cupid bow. I tried to get a photo of it in the light but if you can't see it that well it is because between the light and my phone I couldn't get it to gleam at the same time! Over all it was a nice change using this instead of the powder. I think if I was going out then I would use this then add some regular powder highlighter over the top for a more shocking effect or add more on to the beauty blender before dabbing it onto the face.

You can find this at any Superdrug or at:
http://www.superdrug.com/Make-Up/Face/Face-Highlighter/Gosh-Lumi-Drops-Vanilla-002-15Ml/p/631800

Gosh Lumi Drop

Gosh Lumi Drop Swatch

MUA Luxe Shimmer Sheets - Review and Swatches

MUA Luxe Shimmer Sheets

Since I've been adding to my make up collection my make up bag has been getting bigger and bigger with more products I want to try out through every day use making my bag bulky and heavy. Surprisingly the biggest out of all of them in my highlighter which is normally is four pan palette size or a larger compact on its own so seeing these shimmer sheets I have been excited to try them out to see if I can slim down my make up bag for every day use or on the go use. So far they only have two shades; rose gold and white gold but hopefully they will bring out more ready for summer to test out.

To start off with I tried the rose gold shimmer sheets as this is the one I was most looking forward to using as I love rose gold highlighters. It is really weird to open the book and tear a page out to rub it on my hand for a swatch, the paper itself is like blotting paper with a almost silky texture. I rubbed it for about a minute to get maximum pigmentation and it really paid off, they are like a glitter glow than a pearl look but I expected that from the name of it. It is a really pretty shade but I will have to use a lot less when I actually use it on my face as it is highly pigmented and as I have such pale skin it will really stick out but will look really good with a bronzer in summer.

The white gold is completely different from the rose gold, not only did I rub for the same amount of time for a swatch but I used it in the exact same way. Unfortunately I didn't get any pigmentation, it did get some glitter but more like a little bit of glitter spilt on my hand. I was really looking forward to this as the other shade was a little too dark for me, but I could still use it for below the brow when I am going for a more natural look.

Overall I love the idea of these, the rose gold one is high in pigment and as there is 30 sheets this would be really good for going away on holiday to save on weight in the make up bag area or for on the go in general use. I would definitely recommend the rose gold but I wouldn't personally recommend the white gold as the pay off isn't as good but for $3 per booklet it is worth trying it out!.

http://www.superdrug.com/Make-Up/Face/Concealer/MUA-Luxe-Shimmer-Sheet-Rose-Gold/p/727450

http://www.superdrug.com/Make-Up/Face/Concealer/MUA-Luxe-Shimmer-Sheet-White-Gold/p/727452

MUA Pro-Base Prime & Conceal

Colour Correcting

Since I have started blogging I've slowly been getting used to trying new things and since I started using make up all I have been doing is putting my foundation on without correcting the redness or covering the dark circles I always have under my eyes, normally using concealer as my go to. Doing some research I found the colour are used for different things like:

The green and yellow corrects redness, the purple corrects yellow, orange corrects blue and the middle is a perfect concealer colour. Picking MUA as I have used and liked their products before I chose the Pro-Base Prime & Conceal palette as it has the colours I need to hide the redness and the blue tinge to the circles under my eyes and it was only $4 so is a good starting kit to try colour correcting. It is buttery to the touch and easily melts away any colour on the face and stays there. I went over it with a damp beauty blender just to make sure it has gone into the skin properly before using my L'Oreal Infallible foundation in the shade Porcelain as it is the perfect shade for my skin. I have never seen my skin look so flawless before and I love using this! It does take a bit of time but it is worth it especially for a night out!. If you have any tips for using colour correcting then please let me know in the comments down below! I am going to find some other colour correcting palettes with more of a range when I get the hang of using colour correctors. 

You can find this palette at any Superdrug store or on:

http://www.superdrug.com/Make-Up-Offers/MUA-Pro-Base-Prime-%26-Conceal-Palette/p/245503

Birchbox March - Products I got, Reviews and Which I Would Buy Again

March Birchbox

This months Birchbox I had been really excited to get my hands on as I had seen all the advertisement of the products coming up in this months box on the Birchbox Instagram account. In the advertisement they said everyone will get to pick either Lusty Rose or Fuschia Fever Benefit They're Real! Double the Lip. I love Benefit products so I am really excited to have this sample of it and them selling the large sizes on their website with more shades than the two sample ones. The packaging to start off with is different from the usual pink as well which is unique and nice. 

The packaging isn't the only thing what is different about this months box either, the usual draw with unique design is different as well this one coming in a box instead and you receive a draw string bag as well to keep make up in or whatever you want. Not only is there Benefit in it but also Bobbi Brown, Batiste, Korres and balanceme so it really is worth the money again like it has been the past few months. I am yet to be disappointed with any of the Birchboxes I've received so hopefully I'll like everything in this months box like I have the past few! It is a shame they haven't stuck to the draw design though as it looks out of place with the other ones and it is much more plain in the design than the others. 

 To start off with I used the Benefit They're Real! Double the Lip in the shade Lusty Rose as I have been highly anticipated it and couldn't wait to use it and see if I love it as much as I do the other products I have from them. To start off with the shape is really unique compared the other lipsticks I own as it is in a tear drop shape with the liner having the point to the shape and the regular lipstick having the more bubbled underneath. It is a really easy shape to use compared to the other lipsticks as you can get precision for your lip shape, I have quite thin lips and normally lipstick goes off my lip shape quite a bit so with this lipstick I can actually follow the shape of my lip really easily which is great. The packaging looks like the other products I have with the shape and the colours they've used which is nice and it feels expensive like the other products do. I really love the colour and having the two different shades which blend really well together on your lips and having the bottom to wind the lipstick up and down instead of the top. Since I've been using it non stop and it has earned its way permanently in my make up bag I will defiantly be buying it again in the same shade and Flame Game.

Birchbox Breakdown; What sets this lipstick apart from the rest? It works as both a lip liner shade and a lipstick colour - helping you to save space in your make up bag! Once you've tried the custom teardrop tip, specially shaped for precise application, you'll be in love with this semi-matte formula - it defines your lips beautifully for a plump and visibly fuller pout. Oh, and it contains lanolin oil for a comfortable finish that lasts up to 8 hours!


I've got a lot of primers so to get another one I was a bit excited to test it out compared to the others I've got. Testing on my hand a little I could tell already the smell is very over powering like perfume which I am not keen on especially as it will go minimum of my t-zone if not all over my face. I haven't heard much from balanceme before receiving this in my Birchbox and using it, it did the job well making my make up stay in place and not budge but the smell was still very over powering and it felt slightly sticky when spreading on my face with my fingers. Over all it does it's job but like I said I wasn't keen on the smell and I still prefer my Benefit Porefessional over it. It might just be my opinion on it so if you have tried this and liked it or had a different experience to mine then let me know in the comments or on Twitter or Instagram. The full size costs $22 from the Birchbox shop and a little goes a long way with this primer as I only used a pea size blob to cover the whole of my face apart from a little more for the tip of my nose and chin where my make up normally fades the fastest.


Pretty much every month's box I receive a shower gel so I constantly have a supply! This month is by the brand Korres, an award-winning Greek brand for all-natural body care. Not only does it smell fantastic but it makes my skin feel baby soft after every use. The sample size is large enough to last me all month as well which is good, however when it does run out not only can you get it on the Birchbox website but you can find it at M&S as well! If you're looking for a all natural shower gel then I would highly recommend buying this! The full size is only $8 from the Birchbox website or from M&S so you can order it or find it in your local shop!



I try to look after my skin as much as I can with weekly face masks or sheets so when I got the Bobbi Brown face masks samples of Radiance Boost (white), Skin Nourish (pink) and Instant Detox (grey) I was really excited to try them out as they are quite expensive ($33 per regular size tube). As the tubes are quite small I used a foundation brush so I could use it just on the different points of my face what needed it so it would work the best for my skin. Radiance Boost I used on the dull parts of my face, it doesn't smell like anything but feels amazing like the other ones do, the little beads seem to melt away and it dries fast like the rest do. Skin Nourish I used on the harder parts of skin to soft them up slightly, I did get a little of a smell from this one but it just smelt almost like freshly cut grass which was really nice. Last of all was the Instant Detox I used on my pores mostly to clear them out, this was my favourite out of all of them as it not only smells amazing but it really worked. If I could ever afford to buy a large bottle of this then I would go for the Instant Detox. There was only enough for one test of it which is unfortunate but I could see with the product price why the samples are so small.

Most months I get something to do with my hair and this time it was another one from Batiste. I do like their products as they always smell fantastic and do what they say on the can but when I had black hair it would always turn it grey, but since I have dyed my hair back to a natural colour (if platinum roots count) I have tried it again and really liked it! It makes my hair smell amazing and it works really well with my hair now unlike before so if you do have really dark hair then I wouldn't recommend it but if you have light hair then it works perfect.












If you would like to buy any of these products or subscribe to Birchbox then use the link below to get $5 off your first box!

https://www.birchbox.co.uk/invite/exploringmakeup