First Ever Lush Haul!

When ever I have an outbreak I always feel sorry for myself and reach out for some new skincare products or fandangled bit of makeup that promises to ease all my woes (in terms of being a consumer I'm the beauty industries dream!). After reading loads and loads of positive comments on Lush products via several social media platforms I decided to have a mini Lush haul. My nearest Lush shop is about 30 miles away so I ordered via their website (which is very engaging and easy to navigate might I add) and here's what I purchased...

Coalface

After reading some fantastic reviews from fellow acne sufferers I decided to purchase Coalface, a gentle soap with antiseptic rosewood, sandalwood and absorbent charcoal. I would never have considered using a 'soap' on my face as they can be quite astringent but this is lovely to use. Coalface foams up really well and contains pieces of charcoal to gently exfoliate whilst you're cleansing. What I really love about this cleanser is the smell! You can really smell the liquorice root extract, when I open the bathroom door the room is filled with the gorgeous scent. I can't comment on it's abilities to shift my spots just yet as I've been using it for just under a week and I'm at that time in the month where I'm getting them pop up everywhere (damn hormones!).

Mask of Magnaminty

Another product with tons of great reviews is Mask of Magnaminty. I was a little unsure of the difference between this and the Self-preserving Mask of Magnaminty so I purchased both. This multi-purpose mask can be used anywhere on the body, packed with ingredients to clean, calm and clear the skin. I absolutely love the feeling the peppermint oil gives your skin, I've been keeping mine in the fridge and it's so cool and refreshing on the face. I also love the fact that this mask doubles up as an exfoliator when you're ready to take it off, just wet hands and buff the product into your skin before washing off.

Grease Lightning

The final product in my skin clearing spree from Lush was Grease Lightning an antibacterial spot treatment gel. As I've had a quite nasty breakout I'm finding applying Clinique's Anti-Blemish Solutions gel to my face quite frequently is drying my skin a little, so I thought I's try a natural alternative. This spot clearing gel is infused with antiseptic Rosemary, Thyme and Tea Tree as well as Anti-oxidant rich grape juice and Witch Hazel for an anti-inflammatory. I've applied this to a couple of spots before they've come to a head and they've gone back down after a couple days they're completely gone! 

I'm really pleased with my first ever Lush purchases and I'm looking forward to seeing the results of using them in a couple of weeks.

Jodie

xoxo

The Essential Mini-Break Beauty Kit - Premae's Festival Glower Set

Hello beauties, today I have the pleasure of reviewing the must have beauty kit for the approaching festival season from Premae. Anyone that reads my blog will know that I have a real affinity for Premae skincare and well, just the company themselves. Not only do they create luxury, allergy-free products they also provide excellent customer service, you really feel as though getting some beauty products from a pal and not buying from a big impersonal company.

The Festival Glower Set is an exciting new kit designed and compiled with the festival season in mind. This travel-friendly kit contains everything you need to keep you feeling and looking your best, whether you have a short break booked or you just need some handbag sized essentials to carry with you. Inside the set you will find 9 beauty essentials to keep you feeling fresh and looking groomed...

5ml Premae Balance Rescue Face Wash - Delicate yet thorough for blemish-free skin.

100ml Premae Balance Rescue Face Tonique - Revitalising, pore tightening and make-up refreshing.

5ml Premae Harmony Serum - SPF8 - The essential product to prep and prime your skin.

5ml Premae Harmony Creme Balm - SPF8 - Mattifying 15 hr moisturiser.

5ml Lab Definitive Eye Creme - Soothes and refreshes tired eyes whilst priming for eye make-up.

2-in-1 Compact hairbrush and mirror to keep hair and make-up in check whilst space-saving.

A floral nail file to keep those talons neat and tidy.

Tweezers to keep those brows as groomed as you are.

All of the above are housed it a practical yet cute PVC wash bag (styles may vary) small enough to squeeze into that overpacked backpack or weekend bag. The Festival Glower Kit truly offers everything you need to keep you blemish-free, feeling fresh and looking your best this summer. Worth over £35 but offered at the incredibly affordable price of £21 don't hesitate in purchasing THE essential from-home beauty kit. 

Jodie

xo

Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish Review

After hearing so many people absolutely rave about Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish I decided to purchase a bottle to see what all of the fuss was about. Funnily enough my Liz Earle order came on the same day as my Birchbox did and there was a 30ml sample in there, luckily I'm really enjoying using it so that will keep me stocked for a while.

I'm more than happy with my current cleanser but I wanted to see why this product had such a cult status and had won more than 100 awards...now I see. I've been using C&P as a make-up remover/cleanser, I remove the majority of my make-up with make-up remover and then rub one pump of C&P over my face and then polish it off with a hot muslin cloth. The texture is very creamy and leaves skin feeling very moisturised yet squeaky clean.

Now it may just be a coincidence but I broke out quite badly the day after first using C&P, it's all cleared up now and my skin is looking pretty darn good! Like I said I am more than happy with my current cleanser so this is perfect for me for removing the last traces of make-up before having a deep clean.

I love everything about this product. The expensive feeling yet practical packaging, the texture and the scent. Suitable for all skin-types and ages I can see why this product has such a huge fan base. The formula includes ingredients such as cocoa and eucalyptus and has the gorgeous aroma of rosemary. Everything about this product screams luxury and is a real skin treat.

May Premae Donna Box Selection

Making my Premae Donna box selection is something I really look forward to. Not only I am kept stocked up with my favourite regular products but it gives me the opportunity to try new products at a fraction if the retail price. I made my selection at the beginning of the month but I wanted to give it a couples of weeks before giving my opinion on the products...although if you know me and you know Premae you know I'll love everything of theirs I try!

Balance Rescue Cleansing Face Wash rrp £22.50

If you've read any of my posts on my skincare routine and products you'll know that Premae's Balance Rescue face wash is a staple product for me. I use this cleanser morning and night, a gentle yet very thorough foaming cleanser that unclogs pores and removes all traces of make-up and other impurities. This cleanser is ideal for blemish prone skin and gives illuminating results.

Pharma 100 Conditioning Creme rrp £19.50  

Pharma 100 was a completely new product for me this month. I've really been looking forward to trying it and after using it for two weeks I feel I can give it a fair enough review. Although I have oily/combination skin on my face I seem to suffer from the complete opposite on my body. Don't get me wrong I'm not covered in dry, flaky patches but I do suffer from quite dry, tight skin on the tops of my arms and shoulders, or should I say did? This creme has been an absolute dream to use, it's very rich, I apply straight out of the shower and my skin drinks it up and I'm left feeling moisturised well into the day. This award-winning creme is great for eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis sufferers alike, leaving skin nourished and fortified.

Lab Definitive Eye Creme rrp £17.50

I briefly touched on Premae's Lab Definitive Eye Creme in my April's favourite's blog post. I've been using it for around a month now and can confidently say that it's fabulous! This eye creme is nourishing yet light and makes for a great eye make-up base. Enriched with Vitamin C and K it refreshes and comfortably tightens delicate skin around the eye area. Although moisturising it's not at all greasy so it keeps eye make-up in place, keeping eye's looking fresh and bright.

I'm looking forward to my June selection, if you're yet to try Premae's products don't hesitate...you won't be disappointed!

May's Edition Of Birchbox

Rather excitingly Birchbox collaborated with Sophie Bloomfield the Beauty Director from fashion and beauty magazine Harper's Bazaar with their must-have beauty picks for Spring/Summer. When Birchbox announced their collaboration it caused quite a stir on social media with beauty enthusiasts eagerly anticipating May's edition and quite rightly so as this box has some fabulous products in it! Let's take a look into my box and the items I received...

One of the products everyone wanted was Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish. This award winning (100 awards to be precise!) cleanser lifts dirt and makeup from the skin's surface with a little help from two of nature's best astringents- eucalyptus oil and rosemary, polishing the product off with their 100% cotton muslin cloth it leaves skin radiant, smoothed and soothed. Gentle yet effective it can even be used to remove eye makeup. Funnily enough I placed an order for this very product earlier in the week and it came the same time as my Birchbox! Whilst I am more than happy with my current cleanser I was intrigued to know why this product has such a cult following...I will pop a post up once I have tried it this evening.

I was hoping that I would have one of the polishes in my box after seeing the spoilers and I was so pleased when I opened the box to find the shade Persimmon by expert salon brand Soigne. This gorgeous coral shade, leaning more on the orange side, will be the perfect Spring/Summer shade for fingers and toes! The packaging of this polish makes it feel a lot more expensive than it is (rrp £11). It comes in a gorgeous Chanel-esque black and white box with the polish being hugged firmly by black foam inside. I only did my nails yesterday evening so won't be trying it out tonight but it's next on my list!

Another great sample-sized product from Benefit this month. I have tried their 'They're Real!' mascara before and it's really good, it gives lashes both length and volume with a natural looking curl. The formula is jet-black and the special brush is definition enchanting, easily layered to take you from your day-to-night look. I find the best application is to wiggle the brush from lash base to tip, giving you volume without clumps.

I do love a good bath oil, although I tend to shower more I do have a lovely little collection in the bathroom for when I do decide to take time out and indulge. I have tried Aromatherapy Associates Morning Bath & Shower Oil before, containing grapefruit, rosemary and juniper it's a great energy booster for use in the morning or after travelling. There's enough for one bath in the sample, I will add this to my collection to indulge in soon.

Last but not least in my box was Beauty Protectors shampoo and conditioner. I rarely stray from my usual shampoo and conditioner but I do have a little box of samples which are great to pack if I'm going away for the night. Beauty Protector's range is designed to revive heat styled hair, guard against further damage and hep heal any that's already been done. The formula contains honey pearl powder which is rich in conchiolin which acts like the hair protein Keratin.





Overall I think this was a fabulous box full of a good variation of great quality products. I have only been with Birchbox for 3 months and I haven't been disappointed yet.

Jodie

xoxo