October Favourites 2017

Hello there readers!

Today I am going to be doing my October favourites as I feel like I fell at the first hurdle after saying in my August favourites post that I would try and do it every month then neglected to do so straight away in September. My excuse is that the end of September was taken up largely by my  Coffee post which kind of acted as the post for that month as I was trying those bits out, so I am going to let myself off the hook.

Anyway. I'll put my excuses aside!

I haven't got a huge amount of products to show this month as the switch in warm to cold weather has reeked havoc on my skin, so makeup and skincare have been minimal. The products I have been using though have been used a lot, so without further ado, here are my October favourites.

As I mentioned above, the change in weather has caused my skin to become very dry, prone to spots, and I also have flaky almost eczema like rashes on my eye lids (attractive I know). I have been sticking to my usual Beauty Pie skincare but have added in a couple of extra steps to keep my skin looking as good as it can! I have spoken about this product before, as in January I was really suffering badly with my skin. I bought this Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, £5, Deciem and it cleared up my skin within a week. Once again, I have reached for this product everyday the last few weeks and it has improved any aggressive, painful and red spots and reduced them considerably. For such a small price tag, I would highly recommend the Ordinary to anyone who fancies a little dabble with the products available.

As my skin hasn't been it's best, I have been trying to avoid makeup as I feel it actually clings to the dryness and makes my skin look worse. Espcially around my eyes, I have been avoiding all eye makeup apart from mascara as my eyes feel so dry and agitated. However when my skin has been particularly bad and I have had no option but to cover it up with makeup, this No28 Primer Serum, £55.80, Hourglass has been the perfect hydrating base to make sure no foundation clings onto dry skin. I find primers often make the skin feel drier whereas this makes your skin really soft and almost a little oily which I find makes my makeup blend better. Another thing I love about this product is the smell. It has a really natural botanical smell and it makes me feel confident that the product is feeding my skin the healthy vitamins it needs. It contains 28 beneficial ingredients to feed skin to make it look hydrated, luminous, and healthy.

As my lips have been really dry, I have found lipstick hasn't been looking great and a bit patchy (I sound like the flakiest person in the world from this post). My natural lip colour is very pale so I do feel like I need to have something on them to make them look more defined. I have been using this Lip Glow, £21.25, Dior colour reviver balm as it naturally brings out the colour of your natural lips to make them look bolder but also hydrate like a balm. It works with your skin tone and just intensifies the look of your natural lip meaning you don't have to wear lipstick and you just have the feeling of balmy, soft lips.

Next is a fragrance and I have been absolutely loving which is Amber Rose, £55, Shay & Blue. I remember when Shay & Blue had just come out as I was working in a fragrance department. The creator behind the brand is a man called Dom De Vetta who used to be the global manager for Jo Malone and senior Vice President at Chanel. He wanted to create a beautiful boutique brand and he discovered Julie Masse, a 20 year old perfumer who had a flair for creating modern and unique fragrances. Paired together, they have gone on to create this really cute, niche brand which create genuinely lovely fragrances at affordable prices. They only do 100ml and 30ml fragrances, and they are so reasonably priced as they look so expensive.

 I am not a huge lover of Rose alone, and I think these days a rose fragrance needs to have something about it on order to survive on the fragrance market, and this rose and amber fragrance is the perfect balance of sweet and sultry and I have been loving it recently. It isn't necessarily an autumn winter fragrance, I have just found myself reaching for it time and time again.

Lastly is another product that will help with any lack lustre nails this winter time. I am trying to use oil as my nails as I have become a little bit lazy with nail care when it used to be a big part of my night time routine. Nail oils will stop your nails going dry which will stop them peeling and will result in evenly applied, longer lasting nail varnish which is what you want when you're wearing darker, berry shades of nail varnish this season usually requires. Usually in the summer with lighter colours you won't notice a small chip but daker colour can look very scruffy very quickly so regular nail care is a must do, plus it will moisturise the skin around the nail and stop any painful hang nails.

This nail oil is from an Australian brand called Sienna which is a vegan, non toxic, cruelty free brand. The only sell their oil in a set and unfortunately we do not have these products in the UK, but any type of nail oil will suffice and I have found the Phenomenon oil by Jessica is a great one to use!

What products have you been going for this Season?

Do you have any tips or product recommendations for dry skin, particularly around the eye?

The Body Shop Vanilla Pumpkin Range

When I saw via Facebook last year that The Body Shop were releasing their new special edition Autumn collection in Vanilla and Pumpkin, I rushed down to the shops that weekend and bought pretty much every item from the range.

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I absolutely love Autumn. It is 100% my favourite season as I really enjoy the transitional period between summer and Christmas. The thing I love most about Autumn notably, is the colours. I love the browns and reds but most of all I love the oranges, and where better to get orange than from Pumpkin!

I would never just buy an item because it looks good in my bathroom, but I have to say it definitely helps that this packaging is giving me all the Autumn feels with the Christmas wreath and spices. Not only does this range look like a fall dream, it smells like one too! 

If you are the sort of person who looks forward to Starbucks releasing the Pumpkin Spiced Latte, then this is a range you're going to like! It contains a shower gel, body cream, shimmer spritz and hand cream. I decided not to go for the Vanilla Pumpkin Hand Cream, £5, The Body Shop as I don't tend to use hand products too much, and the body cream can be used on the hands anyway so it is a multi-tasker.

What I love about the Body Shop is it's affordable prices for ethically sourced, lovely products. The whole range together costs under £40, but on top of that, there was a deal in store that when you spent over £20, you received a product so my shimmer spritz was completely free!

The Vanilla Pumpkin Shower Gel £5, The Body Shop is creamy and sweetly scented.  I love using this in the evening before bed as the vanilla is really warming and calming and leaves my skin feeling really smooth.

If I want an added bit of hydration, I use the Vanilla Pumpkin Body Butter, £15, The Body Shop which smells absolutely incredible. It really hydrates the skin leaving my body feel soft for days and it sinks in to the skin really quickly.

My final purchase was the Vanilla Pumpkin Shimmer Mist, £12, The Body Shop which I would never usually buy. I have never been a fan of body mists but this range smells so gorgeous I couldn't resist picking this up so I could smell like it on the go. Layered over the other products means you really pack a punch with the pumpkin perfume. This mist has glittery fleks in which create a beautiful dancing shimmer in the globe shaped bottle, and when sprayed on the skin, it leaves a golden dusting of glitter which will look great on the chest on an Autumn evening.

The body shop will always be a go to shop for vegetarian, cruelty free, lovely quality products, and this range can certainly be labelled as a success from me!

October Glossy Box Pop Art Edition

This is my last Glossybox now because I have been meaning to unsubscribe for ages, but they kept putting in little hints as to what would be in the next box and I couldn't stop! The Nuxe face mask is what sold me on this box, but now it's time to stop! The theme was Pop Art which again, really drew me to the box as its so fun and colourful. 

So Susan Mascara

I really didn't get on with this mascara. The wand's bristles were barely there, and it just didn't do anything for my lashes. I put it on once, and had to put my Lancome Grandiose on top because they didn't really look any different!

Rimmel BB Cream

For some reason, I had bad preconceptions about this product and I couldn't tell you why. I just thought it wouldn't be very good coverage and wouldn't feel very nice. I guess that is packaging for you! On the plus, I actually really liked this BB Cream. The consistency was more of a foundation though. It gave really good coverage and stayed put which is my only issue with some BB creams. It also had a very creamy consistency even though it has a SPF in which is good news for your skin in the future. It proved me very wrong as this is probably one of the best BB creams I've ever used!

Lip Exfoliator

I was really pleased to get this product in my box, as Autumn is the time of year I like to wear darker lipsticks which can really dry out and stain my lips. This lip exfoliator has an easy lip applicator which you squeeze on and rub between your lips. It quickly vanishes and tastes nice so it doesn't matter if you swallow it. (Not sure if your meant too but I did, oops). This is perfect and quick to pop on in the morning just before you apply your lipstick for the day, to provide a nice smooth base for it.

Yves Rocher Perfume

The Quelques Notes D'Amor is meant to be the fragrance of falling in love in a bottle. It is very sweet and has what seems to be a black current undertone which is pretty. It has Rose, Patchouli, guaiac wood, and simmers down to a very feminine scent.

Nuxe Face Mask

This Nuxe face mask is one that you leave on and wait to soak into the skin. I really like masks like this, as I slightly resent having to wash away a lot of product, especially when I have to go and wash mud out of my hair after some masks sometimes. This clear gel can be wiped of with a pad and some toning lotion. This is a soothing and moisturising mask, and I used this when I had some aggressive red spots on my chin. The smell was so fresh and clean and lovely, and you could definitely smell the calming and soothing ingredients getting to work. My skin felt really soft and like it has been really looked after from using this. I really liked it and have been using it regularly and will continue to do so in the up and coming cold damaging months. I really want to try more products from Nuxe so watch this space.

Ciate Nail Polishes

So it now comes to the awkward time I need to confess something. I actually got sent two Glossy Boxes this month which was great for me as Ciate is my favourite nail brand and I was lucky to get two different colours! I know its bad that I got box for free but I've been reviewing them for about 2 years now so I will take it as a personal 'Thank you' from them to me :)

Anyway, the two colours I recieved were 'Talent Scout' which is a cool deep purple which I used for Halloween and 'Skinny Jeans' a gorgeous flat toned blue colour which is my favourite.

October Glossy Box

Once again I have allowed the dreaded back log of Glossy box reviews to happen! I am finding that I have so many products to try, that I don't fully use a product and then find it hard to review the products as I haven't had much experience of using it! This October Glossy Box for me was fairly average. The theme being a sort of 'gothic' feel as way back then we were getting into Autumn.

Harmony Smoothie Serum

I haven't really used this serum much which is probably not a good sign. I find it doesn't really absorb into my skin very well unlike other serums I have tried so I kind of gave up with it after a while. A short review but my patience with it was just as short!

Katy Perry Killer Queen Fragrance

Once again, we have the awkward moment where I try and attempt to explain a smell. Thankfully the little sample came with a list of the ingredients and also explained the top, middle and base notes so my life was made easier. It is quite a sweet fragrance to start as you can see from the mixed fruit top notes, but it is quite a sensual fragrance too.

MeMeMe Cherub's Blush

This product is very similar to Benefit's benetint product. I want to love this product, but can someone tell me how on earth you use it?? I put it straight on to my cheeks for a bit of blush, and I looked like I had been slapped, as the area was too concentrated and the product is not good at blending, can anyone shed light on the proper way to do it? As for use on the lips, I found it a bit messy and the colour didn't last too long.

Monu Illuminating Primer

I really like the idea of a primer with an SPF, as it is killing two birds with one stone, especially one that will illuminate the skin and add radiance. However this product didn't really absorb into my skin. When I put my foundation over the top it went kind of ball-y and it was not good for blending. I have some other products from Monu though which I am getting on with, so its just unfortunate I do not like this product.

Vita Liberata Instant Tan

I am not a huge lover a fake tan and this product was the reason I have not reviewed this box. I don't really wear tan, so I was waiting for a day I could try it on without the worry of going out looking tangoed. I was pleasantly surprised at the outcome of this tan though. The colour was really natural and golden, and added a really nice finish to my skin, even though it was just slightly shimmered (I don't like shimmer but this is really not a noticable shimmer). I would highly recommend this product, and since using it I have gone out and bought the actual tan as I had some Boots vouchers for it, which is quite a big deal for me as I don't wear tan. I will review that product in the not too distant future, but this sachet was the saving grace of the box for me!

September Glossy Box

This if my first GlossyBox  review in a very long time, and to be honest the reason is because I kind of couldn't be bothered anymore. The products I was getting were not really really good, or really really bad, and I felt there was nothing to really say about them of any interest, which is boring for me to write, and even more boring for you to read. You may notice I have skipped a box because the August box was just too drab. Now I have had a break, I am excited about GlossyBox again, and will backdate some boxes that I didn't review. So take a short jump back to September with me, and I will show you what I thought of my 'British Box'.

Eylure  Pre-Glued Lashes

To be completely honest, these eye lashes are the reason it has taken me so long to review this box. I do not do fake eyelashes, and I was trying to find a day where I could put them on to test them for a day, but also avoid going out. It's not that I dislike the look of them, when done well they can look really natural and pretty. I don't like the feel of them, the idea of them or the hassle they cause. I also have a huge fear of being that girl on a night out with a eyelash half way up her face. Anyway, now we have discovered why I hate them, lets find out why I actually didn't mind these!

Before

After

Before

After

These lashes were pre-glued which meant I didn't have to worry about the hassle of getting them on. They don't look to fake, they just add a small amount of length to my real lashes and they add a bit of 'oomph' to the volume making them look thicker. I still don't like the feel of them, and I am absolutely terrible at applying these things, so I carefully selected photos where you can't see the huge gap between my lash line and the eye lashes. Would I wear them again? If they looked this natural and someone else applied them for me I would consider wearing them for an occasion.

Elizabeth Arden 'Untold' Fragrance

Now I have tried reviewing perfume before, and it is safe to say that I am absolutely rubbish at describing a smell, but here goes. It is quite a sweet and floral scent but with a bit of spice too. It reminds me of autumn and feeling cosy at home. The size was really lovely and the box was cute too.

Toni&Guy Classic Shine Gloss Serum

Any hair product with the word 'shine' or 'gloss' instantly puts me off because all I can think is, 'how greasy is that going to make my hair look?' Unfortunately this applied to this serum too. I found it a bit to thick and slimy. As my hair is very thick anyway, I found it really dragged it down and made my hair feel very heavy and full of gunk. I used to use the John Freida 'Frizz-Ease' serum (which features in this post, here)which I really liked, so it isn't serums in general that I dislike, just ones that say they will add shine.

Dr Lipp Original Nipple Balm

I was a little taken aback when I saw this product. A nipple balm was a little random I felt, but once I read it was a kind of 'everything' balm, I calmed down. I didn't really fancy describing how a cream felt on my nipples to you guys (I'm bad enough at explaining the smell of a perfume), and I doubt you would have liked reading it either. This is a really nice lip balm, especially good for this cold harsh weather we are getting at the moment, and it sinks in quite nicely as a cuticle butter too!

Bombshell Eyeliner

I had never heard of these 'felt tip pen' eye liners until very recently. The idea was quite strange to me at first, but now I have used one, I am quite fond of it. These pens are perfect for achieving the feline flick at the outer corners of your eyes. The precision of the pen makes it really easy, and if you make a mistake you can easily wipe it off again. My only problem with these is that they are not very dark. They are quite faint so I have been using mine as a guideline, and then going over it in something heavier to get the definition.

April Glossy Box

I haven't had as much time as I would usually like to write this post, as I haven't been able to throughly use all the products so far! This Glossy Box came out really late, and a couple of weeks later I have already had my May one through, so I felt the need to wrap this one up! This box was designed by Pearl Lowe and I think this is why the box came out so late. Its a really pretty design and perfect for the Spring theme.

Essie Nail Polish

So as you may know by now, I have A LOT of nail varnish. I own pretty much all of the Barry M collection, so I have been hesitant to start using Essie, even though everyone has been telling me how amazing it is. The reason I was so hesitant, is because I was scared I would like it and I would feel the need to buy the whole of their collection as well. This is the first time I ever used a Essie nail polish, and I have to say it is probably the neatest I have ever done my nails. The brush is really big but easy to handle, so it enables you to get right up to the cuticle. This colour is ' Rosebowl' which looked quite pink in the bottle, but was actually more red on the nail. This is just one coat of colour, and you can see it is a strong colour so doesn't need lots of reapplication. Unfortunately, I do quite like the polish and will probably bankrupt myself now. One thing I will say though is that the range of colours don't stand out to much to me. They're quite classic colours whereas I like a bit of difference in my nail polish!

A- Derma Lip Balm

I had no idea what this product was from the packaging. It was all in a different language so I had to look it up to find out it was a lip balm. And I must say it is a brilliant one. I have about 5 different lip balms in my hand bag from well known ranges such as Burt's Bees and Nivea, and THIS is the one I am reaching for. It is so soothing and feels really soft on your lips. It is in a squeezy tube so the product actually comes out and you can feel it working.  The 100% natural Rhealba Oat Milk is what gives it its soothing properties and I love it!

Nip + Fab Body Butter

I was really excited about this product when I saw it. I love a fruity smelling product and the products "24 hour moisture- boosting ingrediant Aquaxyl" sounded like it would be a nice rich butter. The butter feels nice on the skin and does lock in moisture, but the down side to the product for me is the smell. It does smell of mango, but it is so sickly sweet I can wear the butter on my legs, and no higher because it makes me feel a bit sick after a while. 

Yves Rocher Perfume

So as I have previously said, reviewing perfume is not easy! To me, this perfume smells like blueberries or a dark fruit. You don't need much of it to get a strong scent. The main ingredients are Tuberose, Vetiver and Patchouli. Its a very sweet scent which I would recommend for summer evenings.

Sleek Blush

This 'Sleek' blush I received came in the shade 'suede'. It was more of a bronzer than a blush, but it gave a really warm peach tone to my skin, whereas my usual bronzer is just a solid brown. Sleek pride themselves on their highly pigmented colours. They also do little trio colours for more variety, and also contouring kits. Sleek makeup can be found in Superdrug and their prices are very reasonable. This blush is £4.49, and they have a huge selection of products (see here) . Sleek is a brand I will look into more I think.

As always, if you are interested in subscribing to Glossybox, follow my personal link here.

http://www.glossybox.co.uk/referal?CI=MTEwMDU3

Caudalie

This week at the shop I work in, the french brand Caudalie, relaunched they're new and improved product called 'Premiere Cru'. Caudalie is a natural brand that make all they're products from grapes and their extracts. The vineyards in France produce fantastic wine, as well as fantastic skin care. Each part of the grape has different affects on the skin such as anti-aging, hydrating, and radiance. The premiere cru cream is the 'everything' cream, that has all the ingredients mixed into one, to make this wonder cream!  At £92.50 a bottle though, it really does test your morals on how much you should spend on skin care! I have not actually tried the product myself due to it's price, but I can tell you it smells beautiful and has a really fruity grape smell, and is somthing I will try and get my hands on in the future! Here are a few snaps I took from the day!

Premiere Cru Launch

This post does not stop here though! I have however tried a few things from the range and was really impressed at the general feel about its fresh and natural ideas. The whole idea of creating a large beauty range from just one small fruit, blows my mind! I have lots of products to try from this range but here are some ones I have been using!

Peche De Vinge Shower Gel

I was lucky enough to get this as a birthday gift from the lovely girls I work with, as I had my eye on it for ages! The peach smell is so fresh and sweet, and I look forward to having a shower just so I can use it, and at £9 it is not an extortionate price for a natural shower gel. Unfortunately the smell doesn't last on the skin for very long, but because it is natural it is not perfumed. It will just have to be a little love affair you have in your shower.

Divine Oil

This is by far my number 1 product EVER! I cannot express to you just how much I love it. I will definitely buy this over and over again because it it lovely. This dry oil can be used everywhere. On skin, in hair, as a cuticle oil or even as a perfume as the smell is gorgeous! This is going to be my summer saviour, as it absorbs into the skin really fast leaving it smooth and looking flawless. If I was trapped on a paradise island and had to choose one product, this would most certainly be it!

Perfume

Caudalie have many strings to their bow, as they also make perfume from grape! These three fragrances are all natural, so great for anyone who gets irritated skin from perfume. They're all light and fresh and are meant to represent the smells of the vineyards at certain points of the day. They also have the fragrances in shower gel form too.

The Yellow fragrance is orange and lemony and named Zeste de Vigne. Great for a summers day for a refreshing, strong scent.

The green one, Fluer De Vigne, is made from a tiny flower that only blooms for a few days every year. It is a fruity smell. It is very fresh and energizing.

The final fragrance and my personal favorite, is the pink fragrance, The Des Vignes. More of an evening scent, its musty and flowery. It is a elegant and sensuous smell and I love it.

I have a goody bag that I received from Caudalie when I was trained on their products so will do a post on the skincare when I have had a try! Until then, if you want to find out more about Caudalie, then here is their website http://uk.caudalie.com/