Skincare I have been loving lately...Olay,The Ordinary & Skin Chemists

....or should I have titled this post, skincare I'm using up?!

No, because I am genuinely loving them! 

First up, Olay Complete Everyday Sunshine...

Now, this is a classic.  I've always been an Olay girl & every summer I reach for their Everyday Sunshine (In fact, I have reviewed this before, here); whether it be to help my existing tan along or to give myself a bit of colour.  I use both shades (light & deep) & I'm currently using their light shade.  

I've been desperately clinging on to the last bit of my tan from my holiday & I've almost finished this tube, so maybe I will embrace the winter paler look or I will purchase another one & continue to be a bit more colourful...who knows?!

Anyway to give you a bit of a lowdown on this product; it's a tinted moisturising cream & I use it every morning (& sometimes evening) before I apply my makeup.  It sinks into my skin well, gives me a lovely glow (it never looks streaky) & smells lovely.  I have never had a breakout with this either, which is a plus! 

Oh & it is SPF15 too! 

It is such a great product & works so well, that I will continue to purchase this for many years yet!

Onto another moisturiser I have been enjoying...

This brand seems to be getting quite a cult following; it has simple packaging & the price point is amazing too.  It is of course, The Ordinary. 

I have their Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA cream.  And it definitely does what it says - it is a 'surface hydration formula'.

I have combination skin, so I wasn't sure if it would suit my skin, but I'm pleased to say, since using this on a regular basis (mainly in the evening) it hasn't effected my skin at all.  It's not greasy & just provides the moisture that my skin needs.

I will say it's not the most amazing moisturiser I've ever used but it's basic & does the job!

It's also great to know that The Ordinary are vegan & cruelty free.  

And the price of this product?  It's £4.90.  Bargain!

My final product is a serum.  I'm really starting to love serums these days.  As I get older, I'm really becoming more aware of my skin & taking care of it.  As part of my day job, I advise my clients about the best skincare & how to look after your skin all the time, but its only been in the last few years that I've properly taking care of mine - I wish I could tell my younger self about the dangers of putting your face in the sun without sun protection for example!

Anyway, enough of that, now that I am more aware, I'm doing my best to hold onto what I've got!

So, onto the serum...

It's by Skin Chemists London & it is their 24hour Aqua Repair Facial Serum.  And let me tell you...it is fabulous!

As soon as you press it into your skin, it sinks in & feels wonderful.  It has definitely helped with the texture of my skin & feels like such a lovely base along with one of my moisturisers before applying my makeup.

And you only need a tiny bit, so it will last you ages.  It smells lovely & fresh too!

So, there you have it; the skincare bits I've been loving lately....

Over to you! What  are your faves?  I'd love to know!

Bee x  

Getting my 'glow' on with Pixi

If you are like me, you love it when you discover a product that really excites you & more importantly works....

As usual, I've been pretty late with trying out the Pixi Glow Tonic (everyone seems to have tried it before me!); not that I've not wanted to, I have. But, I was just a bit cautious of trying out something new on my skin incase I didn't like it.  So, when I found out Marks & Spencer sold travel sizes, I just had to try it!  I mean, first of all, who doesn't love cute travel size packaging anyway?!

Ok, the lowdown first...

The Pixi Glow Tonic is an exfoliating toner with 5% glycolic acid, aloe vera & ginseng.  It says on the bottle that it evens out your skintone; brightens & clears your complexion & exfoliates to remove skin cells to reveal healthy glowing skin.

It also advises you to use both morning & evening all over your face & neck but avoiding your eye area.

Now, onto my personal review...

As I said before, I like products that excite me & work.  The Pixi Glow Tonic does not disappoint! 

In fact, WOW!

I have never tried a product that is SO amazing & works from the very first time I have used it!

I was so shocked after I had briefly swept a cotton pad across my face & found so much grime come off my skin when I thought I had adequately cleansed (Yuk!)!  Afterwards, my skin felt tingly clean & the texture felt wonderful.  

I have noticed a difference in my skin already & I'm so pleased with the result.

I honestly cannot rave about this product enough.  I will definitely be purchasing the larger version!

The packaging is very neat & sleek.  The pale green lid & label looks slightly retro in a way but looks good on your bathroom shelf.

So, all in all, if you are late or hesitant in picking up the Glow Tonic, please do so!  It really is outstanding!

Well done Pixi!

Bee x 

Primers on test from Primark

I've never been that bothered about primers if I'm honest.  I always thought, surely my makeup will stay on all day?  It's meant to, right?

Well, I hadn't used a primer in ages so I thought, as I didn't want to spend too much money on a primer, I'd risk it & buy one from Primark.  I wasn't expecting much at all as it was so cheap.

Well, I was wrong!

From Primark's PS...Pro range was their mattifying primer.  I have combination skin, (part oily, part dry) so this was perfect for me. 

On application, it had a silicone type texture but felt nice on the skin.  And yes, it did work.  I didn't become shiny throughout the day & it did help to make my makeup last.  In fact, my makeup looked as fresh at the end of the day as when I first applied it.  I was shocked! 

On to my more recent purchase; their colour corrector primer with SPF30.    

I'm quite into colour correcting at the moment especially for under my eyes; I'm always wanting to look fresher & brighter! (Yes, I've mentioned it before!)  So, for brightening my complexion, I went for their yellow primer.

I will say, this primer has a more creamy texture (not as silicone like as the other one) & it does make my base last all day, but even though it says it's for brightening, it doesn't seem to have as much of an effect as I thought it would.  However, considering it only cost me £5.00 I can't complain! 

Do you use a primer?  What would you recommend?  Comment below!  Thanks!

Bee x   

Soothe your aching muscles by doing some 'Liquid Yoga'

So you've read the title of this blog post & you are wondering what on earth I'm on about?

No, it's not a new exercise fad, but a bath soak by Mio skincare called Liquid Yoga.  And, as it says on the label, it assures that it will 'relax, restore & remineralise'.  I must say, it definitely does!

I've been plagued with back problems since a car accident in 2003 & I'm always on the look out for natural pain relief & this little bottle does indeed help.

It's full of essential oils, arnica (perfect for bruising) & magnesium.  It has a lovely fresh minty fragrance & it really does soothe your muscles as you soak.

The quality of the product is excellent & having looked at other products in the Mio range, I am really interested to know more about this brand.

I really don't make enough time to relax & I know I should, so I think I will be using this bath soak more often - as it says on the bottle, it's your 'personal masseuse'.

It really does work! 

Right, I better purchase a bigger bottle then! 

Bee x  

New Concealer to try from Maybelline!

If you read my blog regularly, you will know my love for concealers (see a post here) & hiding my under eye circles!  Yes, I seem to mention them rather a lot! (Sorry!)

Anyway, I don't know where I heard about it first, but I noticed somewhere that Maybelline Eraser Eye, which I adore, had a few different colours out & of course, I had to try it!  

So, I purchased their 'brightener' shade.   And yes, it does what it says on the tin! 

Other colours are - 
Nude
Light (my regular shade)
Honey
Neutralizer (may try that next!)

I made the mistake of putting on far too much on my first attempt to use it!  It is a pinky shade & looked very bright.

However, having applied it properly since, the product does give really good coverage & makes you look rather refreshed.  It blends in really well with my blending sponge & feels smooth on your skin & not at all drying like some concealers can.  And because it is a 'brightener' shade, you can use it as a highlighter wherever you want to highlight! (Great on cheekbones & nose!)

Priced at £8.99, I feel this is a pretty competitive price for a quality concealer!

This 'eraser eye' does of course have a drawback like my regular shade does....you get through it way too quickly!!  It's just fab!


Bee x 



Side note: Currently on Boots website all Maybelline products are on 3 for 2. Go, go, go! 



   

A Bargain Highlighter by Essence

People always say that you get what you pay for & that of course can be very true, but sometimes some products can surprise you.  And I've definitely been surprised by a new highlighting palette by Essence.

I received this in a beauty box but the Essence brand can be purchased in Wilkinsons.  It is the bargain price of only £3.00!  Amazing!   It is called 'Light Up Your Face' Luminizer palette.

It has 3 different shades - 
The first is a nude highlighter, which is very sheer with a slight glow.
The second is a rose shimmery shade.
The third is a beige/bronze pearly highlighter.

On the back of the palette is a guide to where best to apply each shade, which is very handy! 

The colour pay off is actually really quite good & gives a subtle sheen & shimmer in all the right places! 

Have you ever tried any Essence makeup?  What do you think?

Bee x 

The Contents of my Face: My Summer Look

I've recently come back from a lovely holiday on the Greek island of Rhodes & I'm loving having a bit of a tan.  So, I thought I'd share with you how I changed up my makeup on holiday & how I've kept up this look while I still have my tan! 

Having a more sunkissed look means you need to change your base & make the most of that 'glow'.  So, I went for a gorgeous radiant primer by Studio 10 called 'Glow2Go'.  

It says it's a 'youth lift glow-plexion', which gives such a boost to your skin.  It can be worn on it's own or as a highlighter, but it can also be mixed with your foundation.  It has such a lovely light bronzy colour - not at all glittery - & the texture is creamy & feels really comfortable on your skin.  It contains anti-aging properties (that's always great!), hyaluronic acid & vitamins C & E.  It is a really great product. I definitely recommend you try it!

Now, as I say, 'Glow2Go' can be mixed with a foundation & as it's summer, I wanted a lighter base, so I used Rimmel's 'Instaflawless'. 

 I used this product last summer too & find it great to even out my skintone.  It isn't too heavy either, so no chance of covering up your tan.  Rather, it adds to it, giving you a natural glow - yes, I'm all about that 'glow'!!

'Instaflawless' contains SPF 15, provides 24hr moisturisation & really brightens your skin.  I played it safe & chose the shade light-medium & at only £6.99, it really is a bargain! (And a little goes a long way too!) 

Finally, to give my summer face a really bronzed look, I went for another product by Rimmel.  It's their 'Radiance Brick'. 

 As you can probably tell by the photos, this bronzing powder is getting a lot of love right now! 

It's a multi-tone powder graduating from a light highlighter shade down to a deep bronze.  It is so easy to use, without going overboard.  The colours are so lovely that you definitely don't look orange, just gorgeously tanned! 

It comes in 2 shades, but as I'm quite fair naturally, I went again for 001 light.  That way, once my tan has faded, I will still be able to use it without looking 'false'.  Perfect! 

How do you change up your makeup for the summer? 

Right, anyone fancy taking me on holiday?  My tan is fading!

Bee x 

For more 'Contents of my Face', see here & here