Products I have been loving | Beauty

For today's post I thought I would share with you a list of products I've found myself reaching for more and more lately. Of course love new product and trying new things out but sometimes you just find yourself reaching for the same things all the time.

Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation

To be fair I have been using the Rimmel Wake me Up Foundation for several months now, but this time I got the wrong shade so it was a fraction darker than what I wanted but actually I have found this works really well. The shade I currently have is Ivory (which it's definitely not) but the foundation has little bits of shimmer in it and I find with the lighter shade the shimmer really comes through however in Ivory its much less noticeable. I do mix it with my Maxfactor foundation to create a better shade for me but I actually really love this product. 

It smells really lovely and lasts well, I think this is a really good base and tends to cover most blemishes and evens out my complexion nicely.

Rimmel Scandaleyes

Now this is another Rimmel product, I'm definitely a fan of the brand! But this Scanaleyes product in Rich Russet is just SO easy to use. I do love a bit of shimmer and eye make up but in the mornings if I'm rushing about a bit this is my go to product. I literally take two swipes on each eye lid, blend with a brush and its done. You can layer it up a little and play with it more, but just for my everyday look, this is the one.  

Check out my Rimmel Scanadleyes Review  

NIP+FAB Glycolic Fix serum 

NIP+FAB are fast becoming my favourite skincare brand I must admit. As you will know from previous reviews I think the Glycolic Fix pads are bloody flippin' amazing and do exactly what they say on the tub which is why I thought I would try out the Glycolic Fix Serum. 

This is an over night serum, which I must admit I'm struggling to remember to use every night, but when I do, I notice a difference literally the next morning. This contains a higher percentage of Glycolic Acid than the pads, it has 4%. It also claims to have visible results after 2 weeks if used every night. So I'm definitely going to get myself into a proper routine and will report back with a full review because I feel like this product will definitely deserve it's own post. 

Essie - Fiji

I literally cannot get enough of this nail polish. I mean it just goes with everything and always makes my nails look really nice, even when they are short.I have used other colours recently but I always end up going back to this one, it's just so pretty. They also almost look like gel nails when first done which is always a massive bonus. I know we are heading into the winter months but I refuse to give up this pretty shade for something darker...well not yet at least.

There we have it, just a couple of things I'm absolutely loving right now. 

What brand/products are you loving at the moment?

Cattier Pink Clay Mask | Review

I thought I would do a little review on a product I recieved in this month's Birchbox which was two samples of the Cattier Pink Clay mask. 

I must admit I don't often use a lot of face masks and if I do it's always the Simple clay mask, but I'm always excited to recieve products like this in my box because it is perfect for a pamper session.  

Cattier isn't actually a brand I've heard before but when I was doing a bit of research about them I found out that they do a variety of different clay masks. It turns out the pink clay mask is for sensitive skin which is why it includes Aloe Vera in it, but they also have a yellow clay mask for dry skin with Jojoba Oil and white clay for allskin types. I was really happy to see that I recieved the one for sensitive skin, it doesn't take much to upset my skin.

I must admit, I kinda love the fact it's pink but as samples go, this is quite a good size and you do get a lot of product in it. If I wanted to be a little tight I could definitely squeeze two uses out of one sachet. 

It smelled great, it had a lovely aloe vera scent with menthol/minty undertones, in fact it reminded me of a Murray Mint which I know is an odd thing to say but it really did. Very pleasant. It's a lovely thick consistency and I used a whole sachet on my face and neck, I was not stingy at all. However what I did find was that the areas which had less product dried very quickly which I hate in a face mask it always feels really weird and it tends to leave my face feeling a little dry after I wash it off.

After 10 mintues, I removed the mask with my Liz Earle muslin cloth which wasn't the greatest idea, as it definitely turned the thing a lovely pinky/orange colour but to be fair it will probably wash out of the cloth. 

I'm actually really happy with the Cattier Pink Clay mask, I found my skin was very soft afterwards and it seemed to draw out some imperfections/spots so that the next day my skin was looking fresh. My skin is actually pretty bad at the moment which I put down to stress but I feel like this product really helped. I'd even go as far to say I would consider buying the full sized Cattier tube. 

Have you tried the Pink Clay mask or anything from Cattier?

Flower Power | Lifestyle

This wasn't what I had originally scheduled for this weekend but hey life has a wonderful way of throwing a spanner in the works. But I thought I would just share with you my love of flowers.

This post is partly inspired by a friend as she bought be a gorgeous bunch of flowers when I was feeling somewhat down.

But that's the wonderful thing about flowers, it's the way they can cheer you up almost instantly and it's the thought that just means the most. I'm not saying they can fix how you are feeling entirely but they can certainly help to make you smile. I love the bright colours, but my room is very minimalistic with a lot of creams and magnolia which is why it is always so lovely to have something to add a touch of colour and life to a corner of somewhere.

I think it's safe to say that roses are my absolute favourite flower, which is a bit of a typical girl thing to say because most girls love roses but they genuinely are. Whether they are pink roses, red roses, yellow roses, peach roses I don't care, I just love them. But I like the way the petals are structured, several different petals all folder into each other creating spirals and layers.

I also love simple garden flowers too, I think nothing looks better than a garden in full bloom. A couple of years ago I turned into a very keen gardener but of course I got a little bored with that over time, life just gets in the way. I now understand why my grandparent's garden looks amazing, they have the time.

 I love love love the colour of these Hydrangeas! 

I just thought I would share with you some pictures, so if you're feeling as rubbish as I was this week, here have some virtual flowers to help make you smile. 

What flowers do you love?

Lost and Found | Neckace

Do you ever get it when you're sitting around doing something when all of a sudden you remember losing item years ago and you know for sure you still have it but cannot remember where it is but you have the biggest urge to find it? 

In my case it's almost always jewellery, as a child I got some lovely items from my family but I was always so fearful of losing them that I would often put them in a safe place for years and just completely forget about them. In fact once I remember the object/item I get a little frantic and restless until I can find it again. 

This happened to me recently, out of nowhere I remembered a necklace that my Nan and Grandad bought me as a birthday/Christmas gift when I was around 9 or 10. It was the only thing that ever had my name on it. Finding my name has always been pretty hard, my name is Toni, thought it's not the most unusual name but I can guarantee that you will find hundreds of Tony things but rarely fine the feminine version of the name - Toni. 

I found this in a watch box with my Grandad's watch, I remember putting it in there because when he died I was about 11, I took incredibly hard so I wanted to keep the two together and I literally haven't worn it since I was 11. 

I must admit it needs a bit of a clean, I did run it under the tap and gently wiped it with a cloth, but it needs a little bit more of a deeper clean. 

I'm so happy I found it again, when I put it on it sits high on my chest, pretty close to my throat, it has got a very short chain, perfect for an 11 year old, though I'm obviously not 11 anymore. I never wear gold which is a little annoying, I much prefer white gold/silver but the chain is so short it will probably stay under my clothes anyway, I will wear it every now and then and think of very happy memories.

How you found anything recently that you had forgotten about?

Shaveworks - The Cool Fix | Review

So I thought I would do a slightly different review, still beauty but the lesser glamorous side of beauty. I received the Shaveworks The Cool Fix in this months Birchbox and I was actually pretty happy and excited to try it out. 

The Cool Fix gel aims to help soothe ingrown hairs and razor bumps, I haven't really heard of the Shaveworks before and actually it's not something I've ever really thought about. Let's face it we all either wax or shave and every now and then we all get the odd ingrown hair. I get waxed literally every month and still always end up with one little one. Gross I know but what can I do?

Luckily (or not so lucky) enough when I received my Birchbox I actually had an ingrown hair so I thought it couldn't really make anything worse so I'll try it out. 

I really like the scent of this gel, it's really fresh, not floral or overpowering just really nice. This sample was filled right to the top so it was a great size and you actually use very little so I think it's going to last for quite sometime. When I applied it directly to the area it tingled for a split second, then was fine and it does have a cooling sensation. The Cool Fix absorbs pretty quickly into your skin which is good. 

The next day I noticed a reduction in size and it was a little less red. The Cool Fix contains ingredients that help gently exfoliate the area without having any exfoliating particles or beads in it which was nice. In addition to this it works out to be a lovely moisturiser too!

I'm really impressed with this product, it does what it says on the bottle which these days is very hard to find. I feel that if I had the skin type where i'd get a lot of bumps or rashes I think I would get more use out of the product but it's great for every now and then. 

Have you tried The Cool Fix out?

What I'm Reading | Books

I thought I would do something a bit different and show you what books I've purchased and why. I've been spending far too much money on beauty products recently and I realised I haven't read a book in a very long while so I bought two on the famous "buy on get one half price" offer that WHSmith always does. 


The Quick by Lauren Owen

Blurb taken directly from the back of the book: - 

"You're about to discover the secrets of The Quick.

But first you must travel to Victorian Yorkshire, and there, on a remote country estate, meet a brother and sister alone in the world bound by tragedy.

In time, you will enter the rooms of London's mysterious Aegolius Club - a society of some of the richesr, most powerful men in the fin-de-siècle England. 

And at some point - we cannot say when - these worlds will collide.

It is then , and only the, that a new world emerges, one of romance, adventure and the most delicious of horrors - and the secrets of The Quick are revealed."

This book appealed to me for a few reasons actually, the cover is just gorgeous, I mean the black, the white and the red how could you not want to pick this book up? There is something quite deliciously dark about this book actually, lots of secrets and mystery which is what I want in my novels, I want to be guessing until the last minute. I like the fact that it is set in England too and the Victorian era. Also there are some lovely little reviews on this book which just makes me hope that it is just as dark as I imagine.


The Gift of Darkness - V.M.Giambanco

Blurb taken directly from the back of the book: - 

"Last night, a family of four was found brutally murdered, the words "thirteen days" scratched near their lifeless bodies. 

Homicide Detective Alice Madison ran away from home as a child, one breath away from committing an unforgivable act; as an adult, she found her peace chasing the very worst humanity has to offer. Madison believes these murders are linked. And she has thirteen days to prove it. 

To stop a psychopath, Madison must go back into the wood and confront the unsolved mystery of the Hoh River Boys. She must forget her training and flow her instincts to the terrifying end as enemies become allies and, in the silent forest, time is running out to save another life."

I think that this book is a pretty standard detective novel, like many others really. I love all novels like this, bit gory, bit dark, but ultimately the bad guy gets caught. I haven't read anything from this author so I'm quite excited to see what her writing style is like. 

If you have read either of these novels please don't tell me how they end. Thank you!! I may actually review these books after I've read them, we'll see. 

Have you got any book recommendations?

Charlotte Tilbury - Bitch Perfect | Lipstick

I did it, I've bought a Charlotte Tilbury product! I cannot seem to get away from all these fabulous products that I just had to buy something when payday rolled around. 

What a beauty ay!?

I had been spending a fair amount of time on the Charlotte Tilbury website which I actually really love and I know everyone has been raving about the matte lipsticks but matte lips just aren't for me, soz! I've been wanting a new lipstick, I'm only just exploring with lip colours, I'm all about the eyes but I really fell in love with Bitch Perfect Lipstick. 

It's a kind of nude shade, but I'd say it's a few more orange tones than pink but it just looks so gorgeous on. 

I had to be careful with this lipstick because when I just whacked it straight on my lips I think I was a little heavy handed and it just didn't look right. The packaging actually suggests you apply this with the lip brush so the second time round I took heed of the instructions and it looked perfect...Bitch Perfect! I must admit I don't technically own a lip brush, I have too many face and eye brushes but I did actually have a very small Real Techniques detailer brush which is a bit small but it kinda does the job. Also I have found that when I just dab this lipstick on and gentle run my finger over my lips it also looks really good. 

I have to admit that this lipstick is a little more matte than I thought it would be, it's far glossier in the pictures online than what it is in real life, but it's still really lovely. If you don't like a bit of shimmer then this lipstick isn't for you, it has a real nice sparkle to it but not too in your face, so fear not. 

I'm incredibly happy with this product and love love love the packaging, you can't go wrong with rose gold.

What Charlotte Tilbury products would you reccomend?

Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Pads | Full Review

It's time for the full review of the NIP+FAB Glycolic Fix Pads! As you may have read in my previous post on my first impression I said I would do a full review after I have given enough time to actually see whether they would worked. 

I must admit I was so impressed with the product after only using it a few days I was so excited to see how it would actually work on my skin. I have quite badly scarred acne skin, most people would probably say it isn't that bad, but to me it is and that's what matters. 

Originally I started using them twice daily, once in the morning and once in the evening but I found that over time I just kept forgetting to use them before bed so I started using them just in the morning before my moisturiser and make up. I found that when I used them twice daily that my nose would get quite shiny and a little oily by midday, it wasn't awful but it was noticeable to me but as soon as I started using them just once a day the oiliness disappeared and I have no problem at all. 

Now onto the actual results, I must admit it's going to be hard for you guys because I don't have any before or after pictures but I can still tell you exactly what I think of the product. Hands down this is the most amazing product I have ever tried. I know this is a pretty bold statement but these little pad actually resurfaced my skin to reveal gorgeously smooth skin. 

I could tell the Glycolic Fix Pads were actually working because I started to notice some of my deeper scars. What happened with me was that as the pad started to resurface and smooth out all of my bumps it started to highlight some of my deeper scars which makes sense doesn't it.  I really don't mind the fact that some of my other scars a slightly more prominent because what it actually means that that my overall scarring has reduced and I'm left with fewer scars. 

I can only speak about my results, I don't know whether everyone else have experienced this type of success but for me, I'm honestly so impressed and I'm going to repurchase these every time. 

In fact, I have even bought the Glycolic Fix Overnight Serum which contains 4% glycolic acid to try out and will definitely be writing a review on that product because now I actually trust the brand enough to try more. 

Have you tried the Glycolic Fix Pads or anything by NIP+FAB?

Queen Bee | Candle Holder

I really love homewear items and usually the more neutral the better, in fact you can see my love of all things cream in my bedroom tour.

However I was away in Doncaster and I saw a shop called Additions and it was having a "closing down sale". Just from the window I could see that was a lot of neutral/cream items so I thought I must go in there. To be honest, a lot of the stuff didn't really interest but I did happen to see the gorgeous black and gold candle holders, they really stood out. 

Oh yes, you can call me Queen Bee!

I don't know why I love it as much as I do but there was just something that I thought this would look great in my room which is an ocean of magnolia. I loved the little honeybee of course, but the black an gold just stood out. They had 3 different sizes and this was the smallest of the 3 just big enough to fit (snugly) one tea light. I must admit I was kind of torn whether i should buy one or two. I mean I like a bit of symmetry but I couldn't envision two in my room. I was actually thinking how nice this would look on a cream shelf with a couple of books and this just sitting on the end. 

This originally was £1.99 and I got it for £1.49, not a massive saving but I think it's a pretty good price actually. I love it!

What homewear item have you bought recently?

The Great Outdoors | A week in pictures

As you may or may not know, last week I decided to take a week away from work, blogging, people and visit my grandparents up north in Doncaster. 

I came back very relaxed and thought I would share just a couple of nature pictures I took whilst I was away. 

Enjoy!