My Night Time Skin Care Routine

My skin care last thing at night does vary, but I thought I'd share with you my current routine.

So, first up, if I have quite a lot of makeup on, to give my skin a good cleanse, I will use a facial wash.  My current favourite is the Kind to Skin Vital Vitamin Foaming Cleanser by Simple.  It's gentle on my skin & contains vitamin B5 & vitamin C.  I clean this off with a muslim cloth (I have many by Liz Earle - I use her hot cloth cleanser too sometimes, which is another product!).  Then, I pat my skin dry.

After that, theres usually still a bit of residue makeup, so I soak a few cotton pads in Garnier's Micellar water (I LOVE this stuff! - see my review here) & thoroughly cleanse my face & neck.

Onto cream - I apply my Garnier Miracle sleeping cream (see my last post) & then under my eyes, my Garnier (I know; a lot of Garnier products!) rollerball eye gel (review) to relax my eyes.  While I mention it, I am still on the look out for a new eye cream, if anyone can recommend one?

Finally, before bed, I apply my Songbird Naturals lip balm in vanilla - it's really thick & moisturising.  Perfect before bed.  Then, my current hand cream, which at the moment is Emma Bridgewater's Feels Like Home.  It contains camomile, lavender & orange blossom & smells divine!  I also apply a bit of This Works: Breathe In pulse point gel & then I spritz my pillow with This Works: Deep Calm pillow spray & take a deep breath!

And now.....
To bed...
Night night!

Bee x

Is this a 'miracle' by Garnier?

I must admit, I'm a bit of a sucker for cute packaging!  It always pulls me in!  And when Garnier released their new miracle creams, I really fancied trying them out - I mean, they must be good with packaging that great, right?

Ok, so first up, Garnier's Miracle Wake Up Cream (currently on offer for £8.66 instead of it's usual £12.99) - I received this in a beauty box, which was great.  I couldn't wait to try it out. 

This 'wake up' cream promises to be anti-aging, fighting wrinkles & providing hydration for 24hours.  I applied it first thing in the morning before my make-up & wow!  It really does seem to give you an instant boost (apart from my dark circles, which seem to be a constant work in progress to get rid of or minimise!) - it made me look a lot brighter, gave me a lovely moisturised feel without feeling tacky or greasy.  It really did wake up my skin.

I've used this for several weeks now & I'm still very much satisfied.

Now, onto Garnier's Miracle Sleeping Cream (this again is currently on offer too) - this also promises to be anti-aging, hydrating, firming & has the lovely ingredients of jojoba & lavender.

Ok, so the jury is still out on this one!

I had been happily applying my wake up cream every morning for a few weeks & fancied a new night cream, so I thought I would try the 'sleep cream' to complete the new 'miracle' set!

I apply this of course, last thing at night.  And, I must admit, although it smells quite nice, it does feel a bit greasy.  I know night creams do tend to be thicker than day creams, but as I have combination skin, I was concerned that I may come out in spots.  My skin at this time of year does tend to go more dry than oily, so I did think a bit of extra hydration would help.

Now, I'm not totally sure but since I started using the sleep cream, I have had the odd spot!   I'm prepared to keep going with this cream though, as I do love the wake up cream, which had made a difference initially with my skin.  However, I'm still unsure as to what the sleep cream is actually doing!

My skin does feel more healthier but as I have said, with the odd spot! So, as I say, the jury is still out on the sleep cream!

What do you think?  Have you tried either of these?  I'd love to know!

Bee x

Ultimate Moisture from The Body Shop

A couple of weeks ago, my parents came to stay.  I hadn't seen them for quite a while, so it was really lovely to catch up & therefore, I was off social media & blogging radar for a bit.  But, that didn't stop me from conjuring up some blogging ideas!

Anyway, here's one of them....

My father, who is maturing in years (I'm being polite here with regards to his age, just in case he reads this!) has noticed his skin becoming rather dry.  In my day to day life, while I'm not blogging, I am a mobile beauty therapist & part of my training qualified me to be a skin specialist.  I advised my dad that as you get older, your skin loses it's natural elasticity, becomes thinner & therefore more drier & at risk of damage.  You should always be very careful with your skin & treat it as very precious.

I recommended that we pick up a very thick cream for him to slather on regularly to keep the moisture in, especially after showering & during these cooler months when central heating & the weather can wreak havoc on skin.

So, the place I instantly thought of was The Body Shop - I have always had a passion for all things natural (my dad would agree too!) & their lovely natural ingredients will always do the job!  And of course, what better than their fabulous range of body butters!

I went for the Shea body butter - not just because it's their best seller, but because shea is recommended for very dry skin.  It gives 24 hour hydration & has a lovely scent which is not overpowering or off putting - & more importantly for my dad using it - it's not a "girly fragrance"!!

The key ingredients include obviously shea butter, cocoa butter, beeswax & an oil called Barbassu, so it is super moisturising.

Even after just the first use, my father couldn't believe the difference in his skin.  It no longer felt tight, dry or itchy.  It really has given a healthy look & a great suppleness to his skin, so he is more than happy & has been using it ever since.

The Body Shop do have a great range of body butters in all different scents, so theres one to suit everyones tastes & needs.

After seeing the results of the body butter on my father's skin & also on myself - I've used them for years - I'd highly recommend.

Have you tried them?  Which scent is your favourite?  I'd love to know!

Bee x

MARCH MONTHLY FAVOURITES

Better late than never, yep, it's my March favourites! 

So, let's dive right in, shall we?  Here's what I've been loving last month....

Keeping my lips smooth....

So, I had read previously about this funky little sphere shaped lip balm. A lot of celebrities seemed to be raving about it, so I had it in my head that you could only get it in America.  Now, I'm off to New York in September (I'm SO excited!!), so I thought I'm definitely picking it up when I get there....until, my friend had a little search on Amazon & found it & bought it for me! (What a star!) 

This special lip balm is by EOS.  It comes in a variety of flavours, including Lemon Drop, Summer Fruit, Honeysuckle & Blueberry Acai.  The one my friend gave me was in the flavour Strawberry Sorbet.

It is gorgeous! 

It contains Shea butter, vitamin e & jojoba.  It's organic, natural & free from parabens.

It feels so lovely when you apply it & I love the funky shape & packaging.  It keeps my lips feeling lovely, moist & smooth for hours.

It cost around £3.50 & was really worth it! I'm definitely going to purchase some other flavours now! 

An Oldie But a Goodie....

I've purchased this item longer than I care to remember (in fact, it was one of the first items of makeup I ever owned!) & every time I decide to move on to something else, I ALWAYS go back to this! 

It is of course, Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Transparent.  

I had to run out to buy some more today as I was running low & also I couldn't photograph the one I'm using in it's current state, but I guess that when you saw it, you'd know how much I use & love it! 

It's just great to set my makeup & also to top up in the day.  It's just one of those items that does what it says on the tin & at a price of only £3.99, you can't go wrong! 

Cheap But Luxurious....

I love YouTube.  It's great for picking up hints & tips & watching your favourite vloggers.  One of mine is BroganTatexo.  I really love her positivity & also her obsession over the shop Home Bargains! So, I thought I'd pop along to see if Home Bargains is all it's cracked up to be!  

And yes, there are a few great finds there & one of them I've discovered (& worthy of a monthly favourite) is Creightons Vanilla Macadamia Cocoon Hand Wash.  That stuff is amazing & only 99p! 

It smells wonderful & it really moisturising on your skin.  I just can't get over how much it feels like a luxurious product but is so cheap.....so I've stocked up & bought 3!!

Taste of India in a mug....

For my final two favourites of last month, it's not beauty but two new drinks I've discovered! 

Firstly, it's Twinings Bollywood Chai Latte.

Now, I am in no way a 'proper' tea drinker (believe me, I've tried to be 'normal' like the rest of the British public, but I'm afraid it's coffee all the way!) but this does really hit the spot sometimes! 

I love the bright turquoise & purple packaging, but what's inside is more important!  It contains 12 loose leaf pyramids of Assam Tea but it's the Indian spices, almond & honey that makes it yummy - it smells divine & adding hot frothy milk (in my case, almond or soya) it makes it a lovely alternative to my usual coffee.

And I really agree with what it says on the back of the packet....

Chat. Laugh. Sip. Savour. 

Water that's a Little bit Clever....

So the final fave is something that Jennifer Aniston & I have in common. We both love Smart Water by Glaceau.

It says on the bottle that it's 'inspired by clouds' & I think it is.  It has a lovely, clean taste - it's vapour distilled & has electrolytes added to it.

I really think that since drinking this water, it's helped me keep going between meals during a busy day.  I suffer with anemia & find my energy & sugar levels can drop quite easily & this Smart Water seems to have really helped & stopped me feeling so weak at times.

Why don't you give it a go & see if it makes a difference to you? 

So, there we have it - that's my March! 

I can't wait to find out what favourites are in store this month....

Bee x 

New Shampoo & Conditioner Really IS Extraordinary!

My hair does tend to be on the frizzy side (see a previous hair blog here) & so I'm always on the hunt for something to give it a gloss & spring some life into it!  Also, despite being a bit frizzy, I do suffer from oily roots too (I know, my hair sounds a right pain!) so, you would think I'd never get the right kind of shampoo & conditioner to fit my needs.  Well, I think the people at L'Oreal have cracked it! 

After reading a little bit of the hype around their new offering, I thought I'd give it a go.  It's the L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Clay shampoo & conditioner.  They only had the 400ml in the Boots store I was in, so I risked it & bought it! (It was at a good price too!) 

And it was worth the risk! I noticed a difference straight away after the first wash!  I honestly don't think my hair has ever felt so soft! 

The shampoo & conditioner contain 3 refined clays to help tackle oily roots & dry ends, which of course is ideal for me!  

It has balanced out my hair & I've found I don't have to wash my hair quite so often.  It also looks a lot smoother & shinier. 

There is also a dry shampoo & pre-wash treatment masque in the Extraordinary Clay range.  I'd love to try out the masque - my hair already looks a lot better, so it would be really interesting to see how much more so it could be with this! 

Have you tried this range?  If so, what did you make of it?  I'd love to know! 

Bee x 

That 'Kissed by the Sun' Look

So, if you are a regular reader of my blog, you will know my skin is rather on the pale side, so I will do anything to make myself look more 'alive'.  And while there isn't much sun outside & I don't have enough patience (or time at the moment!) to apply fake tan, I need something to make my face look like it's been kissed by the sun! 
And what better than one of my favourite make up brands at the moment to give me that glow - Makeup Revolution! 

I'm always hearing (& reading) so many good things about their collection & slowly creating quite a collection for myself, so I had to try their vivid baked bronzer in the shade 'Golden Days'.  It's an amazing £4.00 & comes in 3 other shades - 'Ready to Go', 'Rock on World' & 'Fame'. 

 

I apply it either as a contour for the hollows of my cheeks, or I give a general dusting all over my face. And I always apply down my neck (now, that IS pale!) to give it a subtle glow.  

It really is a lovely easy shade to wear without making you look orange.  And, if you are pale like me, you don't want a dramatic orangey look & you definitely don't with this.  If you do fancy a more dramatic look though, & have the skin tone to take it, I have read that you can do this by applying the bronzer with a wet brush.

So, for me, I think this is one of the best bronzers I've tried out lately.  I've used it lots already & it still looks almost like new as my photos show.  The packaging is smart but simple, it gives a good colour pay off & at a bargain price too....what's not to love? 

Have you tried this or any other of the shade range?  Or is there another bronzer you like or even prefer?  I'd love to know! 

Thanks! 

Bee x 

Naughty But Nice Treat

On Sunday afternoon, my friend Laura & I decided to venture into our local town Cheltenham, to do a spot of shopping.  Once we had finished trudging round we decided to pop into a cafe for a drink.

We usually go to Costa, but thought we would go to Patisserie Valerie for a change.  We have both been there before & never leave disappointed.  I had also heard they had expanded their range of gluten free products & since I can't eat gluten, I thought I'd definitely give these a try!

We sat down & once settled, ordered our drinks & 'naughty treats' from the friendly waitress. 

To drink, my friend ordered a Strawberry Breeze smoothie & I ordered a Soya Mocha.  To eat, Laura ordered a Black Forest Gateau (looked delicious!!) & I ordered the gluten free Flapjack.

I had surveyed the fairly generous list of gluten free products, but (& probably because it was a Sunday) all that was left was the flapjacks & ginger biscuits.

Unfortunately, I am not supposed to eat cow's milk & the flapjack did contain milk, but I was so hungry that I thought it was worth the risk!! 

Our drinks & cakes arrived shortly afterwards & we were both thoroughly pleased.  Laura's strawberry breeze was very thick & tasted very juicy - packed full of fresh strawberries & bananas.  Her gateau was very rich but delicious.  My Mocha was perfectly frothy & my flapjack really did hit the spot!

 

If you haven't visited Patisserie Valerie before, you definitely should - more patisseries are popping up everywhere. It has a fairly extensive menu & not just for cakes.  They also do other food including very extravagant looking breakfasts!
It is also worth noting that they do made to order cakes for special occasions.

Our visit to Patisserie Valerie was definitely the perfect ending to a sunday afternoon!

 

What's your favourite cafe?  And if you have been to Patisserie Valerie before, whats your favourite on the menu? - I'd love to know!

Bee x