Skin Saving Face Masks

 The majority of my skin care routine is pretty set in stone - as far as cleansing, moisturising and toning,  I use the same products every day. I use various different masks to target specific problems my skin may be having, like feeling extra dehydrated, or breaking out.
Starting with the Aesop Parsley Seed Mask, this is the one I turn to when my skin is looking spotty and horrible, or just really congested and like it could break out any moment. I find this manages to calm down any current breakouts, and neutralise any oiliness or under the skin blemishes. I really like the fact that although this is a clay mask, it doesn't feel too heavy and clogging or dry my skin out at all.
The changing seasons often leave my skin really dehydrated, and as a result its starts to look dull. The Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask is the one I turn to in these situations, and overnight it restores the moisture into my lifeless skin and leaves it with a nice glow. This mask feels like a really heavy duty moisturiser, and smells gorgeous - peaches I think? I just apply a nice thick layer before going to bed, and I do find my skin really does 'Drink it up' as once I wake up its been fully absorbed.
I do suffer from some black heads on my nose and find them really tricky to get rid of. I recently discovered the Glam Glow Super Mud Clearing Treatment, and it is the first product I've tried that has made a noticeable difference. Once the mask has dried you can actually see the little black dots where the blackhead was which I must say is very satisfying but disgusting at the same time! After one use my pores look so much clearer, and my blackheads are pretty much gone. Miracle worker? I think so. 
And finally, my favourite all rounder has to be the Antipodes Manuka Honey Mask. Manuka Honey has amazing antiseptic and moisturising properties, and this amazing mask treats blemishes whilst leaving your skin feeling really soothed and hydrated. The Vanilla Pod and Mandarin scent is also beautiful!

Bath Time Favourites

I love a good bath, and until I had to live without one most of the time I don't think I fully aprecciated how nice it is to be able to lie back and relax with a candle burning and take some time to yourself. The scent of the Caudalie Divine Oil is one of my favourites, and the Candle is no exception. The scent is has notes of Rose, White Musk and Sandalwood, creating a really warm, woody fragrance that reminds me of a Spa. Another favourite is The L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil. Despite it being named a 'Shower Oil', I think it is much better suited for use in the bath as you can really take time to massage the oil into your skin before it washes away. Starting off as a nourishing Oil, this product develops into a smooth milky consistency once it comes into contact with water. It so lovely and moisturising on the skin, this is one I like to save for times when my skin is feeling super dry. To make the bath smell heavenly, there is nothing better than using Essential Oils. My favourites come from Aromatherapy Associates, although fairly pricey their blends just smell incredible. I have the Miniature Bath Oil Collection and I think that its a great way to test out the different oils, and work out which you like the best. I love the Support Breathe for when I'm feeling groggy and ill and need to be brought back to life, and the De Stress Mind to help me relax. A great alternative is the Sanctuary Spa Concentrated Bath Relaxer. This shares the same calming, oriental fragrance as the rest of the Sanctuary's products, and is really affordable. I find the oil in the bath really nourishes your skin as well as smelling amazing which is never a bad thing!

Favourite Discoveries Of 2014

While it seems that 2014 has been the quickest year ever, I feel that I have made some great discoveries this year and there have been some products that I have been using pretty consistently throughout. Doing Christmas on a student budget doesn't exactly leave much to spare, so I haven't tried many new products through the month of December and so I thought it might be more appropriate to show some of my stand out finds from 2014, instead of my December favourites.

Xen Tan's Dark Lotion Absolute Luxe is a product that I had tried before the beginning of the year but as much as I loved the moisturising finish and olive toned colour, I just didn't feel that the tan it left behind was as dark as what I was used to. It was this year I discovered that applying this on two consecutive days, leaves you with the most perfect dark tan that lasts almost a full week. For me thats pretty amazing, as my incredibly dry skin seems to just repel tan after a couple of days, leaving me patchy with the urge to run home and scrub myself. I do think that this tan is very pricey, and for that reason I do have some others on rotation, but nothing else quite measures up. 

I have fairly sensitive skin, so never got on very well with typical 'gritty' exfoliators, but this year I have loved using chemical exfoliants on my skin. The Clarins Gentle Exfoliating Brightening Toner is lovely, I use this every other evening and it helps to keep my skin looking bright, feeling smooth and tackling any dry patches. 

I won't go on about this one too much as I know I have already mentioned it multiple times on here, but the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation is what has been on my face for the majority of the year. The coverage can be taken from a natural wash of colour to a full coverage foundation that really does make you look healthy and glowing, and the lack of SPF and great lasting power make it perfect for evenings too.

I have never been happy with my naturally sparse, thin brows and always felt that Brow Pencil and Powder start to look un natural when you are wanting to actually alter the shape of your brow. Discovering the Anastasia DipBrow Pomade has made me so much happier with the look of my eyebrows, as with a little angled brush (MAC's 208 does it for me) you can draw on tiny individual hairs and create the look of a thicker, defined brow. The product is also waterproof so you don't have to worry about it going anywhere, or touching up throughout the day. 

The By Terry Celluarose Blush Glacés are one of the most unique products I have tried this year, and they are the blushes that I turn to whenever my skin is looking dull or lacklustre. These have a watery consistency that once blended in look like a natural flush, and the glowy finish makes you look instantly healthy. 

2014 has been the year that I have really gotten into bold lipsticks, and have been loving matte liquid lipsticks in particular. I love the formula of the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvets, and 01 is the red lip choice that I have reached for most over the year. Its a very flattering, slightly darkened red on me and the lasting power makes it perfect for dinner or a night out. 

The Maybelline Forever Strong Super Stay Gel Colours are in my opinion the best nail varnishes available in the drugstore, these things combine some serious staying power power with a beautiful formula and shade range, meaning I have built up quite a collection over the year. 

Lastly, a bit of a strange one thrown in - but I have been using the Rapidlash Eyelash Enhancing Serum on and off throughout 2014, and I really can see a difference in the appearance of my lashes and brows. After consistent use for a month or two my lashes look longer, thicker and healthier and I am certain my brows have slightly more going on than they used too. I think this may have gone up in price from when I purchased it a year ago but it is definitely something thats worth looking at if you are unhappy with your lashes, or possibly need to get them back in a better condition following lash extensions. 

I hope you enjoyed this little round up of my top picks from the year, I chose to do this over a full 2014 Favourites as I wanted to just show the bits that have really stood out, and for some categories such as Mascara I have chopped and changed so much throughout the year that I don't feel I could pick just one! What are your some of your favourites from this year? Let me know! 

Hangover Helpers

If your anything like me, come New Years Day you will be dragging yourself up feeling hungover, tired and Zombie like. Personally I feel that whenever I wake up after a night of drinking, my skin really tells me off by looking sallow, grey and lifeless. There are certain products I like to whip out in situations like these to help wake me up, bring some life back into my face, and prevent any break out situations that often follow a heavy night. I love using a zingy shower gel to help wake me up, the one I have been enjoying recently being the Sanctuary Spa Green Lemon & Orange Blossom Body Scrub. The gentle exfoliating particles in this are a bonus, leaving you feeling really invigorated and clean, and the lemony scent wakes me right up in the morning. 

A mask that is great to use the morning after is the REN Glycolatic Radiance Renewal Mask. This mask uses fruit acids to gently exfoliate your skin, leaving it feeling bright, smooth and clear. If I'm honest I don't find the consistency of this mask the most pleasant to use as it has the scent and texture of apricot jam, but nothing else does a better job of bringing the glow back, and helping my skin feel new again. Alternatively, if your skin is feeling congested and like a break out is round the corner, the Aesop Parsley Seed Mask is an old favourite that leaves skin calm and clean without feeling stripped. The Super Facialist by Úna Brennan range is really affordable and great quality, I particularly like the Vitamin C Brighten Glow Boost Skin Serum. Vitamin C is great for bringing radiance and life to your skin and this serum also contains a healthy dose of Hyaluronic Acid to keep things looking moisturised. 

The Festive Face

Personally I'm the type that wears some kind of glorified pyjama set for the majority of Christmas day - but I love doing my make up in the morning, particularly when I may have a few new bits to test out. I have been loving Cranberry tones this winter, and Sable by MAC is a gorgeous reddish brown that really brings out Green eyes.  It is beautiful blended all over the lid for a smokier effect, or in the crease with a pale lid to contrast. The festive season brings with it a lot of eating and drinking, so you really a lip colour that won't leave you worrying that its half way down your face! I am definitely a lover of matte lip colours, and particularly the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencils. The shade Train Bleu might not be best if your shy of a bold lip, but the deep berry shade is perfect for dark lip lovers like me! When it comes to nails, I don't often go for a glitter as I just can't stand the hassle of removing them, but this year I will be braving it for the sake of Beyond Cozy by Essie. Somewhere between Silver and Gold, this polish is solid glitter particles, and is opaque in two coats. 

I hope you have a lovely Christmas, I will be back with a post on my favourite discoveries of 2014 in the new year! 

♥

Weekend Away Make up Bag

My boyfriend and I have just gotten back from spending the weekend in London, and I thought I would share the 'capsule' make up items that I chose to bring. I love reading these types of posts, its so interesting to see which products really make the cut when you have limited space.

My current make up bag is this Flat Scuba and leather pouch from & Other Stories. I would normally be one to bring a massive make up bag and then fill it with six lip options (for a three day trip) but this time I set myself the challenge of actually packing light. I really like the simple design of this pouch, and the easily cleanable scuba fabric.

Base wise, it has to be the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. This product just ticks all the boxes, its easily buildable, offers flawless coverage and a radiant finish... and it stays that way for a really long time.  The only issue with this one is the packaging isn't exactly travel friendly, so I de-potted enough for the trip into a old tester container. For concealer, my favourite all rounder is the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. Creamy enough for under the eyes and covering enough to deal with any blemishes that may pop up.

The powder I took is the Rimmel London Stay Matte - cheap, cheerful and keeps any shine at bay.

For the eyes, the Illamasqua Neutral Palette really has it covered. It contains three matte neutrals for the daytime, while the fourth shade is a beautiful metallic bronze. All of the shades are soft and pigmented, and I also doubled up and used the black as a liner. 

The Lancome Hypnose Mascara has always been a favourite of mine as it delivers long, fluttery lashes, but can also be built up to get a really intense look.

The Contour and Highlight I chose to bring were both from Kevin Aucoin. The Sculpting Powder is a soft brown shade that somehow adds some shape to my face, and The Celestial Powder in Candlelight leaves the prettiest glow across the cheekbones. One of my most used blushes is the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush in Exposed, a dusky rose shade that works with any lip or eye colour. These blushes last really well on the skin and Exposed is such a versatile shade, so its perfect for a weekend away.

I love using lip pencils, they define your lip shape and are really long lasting. MAC's Spice is a dark, brownish nude that gives you that whole Kylie Jenner thing going on. I wore this alone in the day time, but it also works really well as a base for lots of other lip colours. The shade I packed for the weekend is a new purchace, Amorous by MAC. Its a gorgeous cranberry shade, that I found to be really wearable, so I know this is one I'll be getting a lot of use out of.

Christmas Wish List

I always love the Christmas season, but for some reason I'm feeling extra excited this year. I still live very close to home, but I'm really looking forward to going home for Christmas and getting in some much needed relaxation, eating olives and cheese and drinking lots of wine... healthy.  
I thought I would put together a little post about some of the things I'm lusting after this year, although this is only a fraction of the items I would love to find under the tree.

I have been absolutely loving lip pencils for a while now, they are great for defining your lip shape and I love to use them all over for long lasting, matte colour. Pillow Talk Lip Cheat by Charlotte Tilbury looks like a perfect every day, pinky nude.

Jo Malone is one of my favourite brands, and their English Pear and Freesia Candle is gorgeous. Its a fresh, fruity scent that would be a perfect bedroom candle as its not at all overpowering.

The Caudalie Divine Oil is my all time favourite body oil, mostly because of the beautiful fragrance. So obviously when I saw that Caudalie was releasing the Parfum Divine De Caudalie, it went straight on my wish list. Its a lovely woody, spa like scent without being too much.

I already own the original Glam Glow face mask, but my skin has not been on top form recently and I have heard great things about the skin clearing effects of the Glam Glow Super Mud. Not sure I can quite justify buying this before I have used up the original, but if its a gift then its ok... right!?

I received a Whistles clutch as a gift last year, and it has honestly come with me everywhere ever since. I keep mine in my handbag filled with my phone, money, keys and other essentials and its a great way to keep everything together. Then for nights out or just a trip to the shops I can just grab it knowing it has everything I need. As a result mine is looking quite beaten up, and this White Small Stingray Clutch looks like it could be a beautiful replacement.

The By Terry Cellularose Blush Glace is one of my favourite blush formulas, they may be pricey but nothing gives a more natural, lit from within colour. Frozen Petal is a bright reddish pink that looks like it could deliver the perfect winter flush.

Whats on your Christmas list this year? Let me know in the comments!