DIY Beauty Products 2

 

Who doesn't love home made beauty products? Not only are they cheap to make but they are chemical free and you know exactly what goes into them! There's also no packaging bumping up the cost of the product or adding to the landfill! It's a win win situation really! Home made beauty products also make brilliant gifts... place them in reusable containers and decorate to add your own personal touch. Let's face it, if I can make them then anyone can!

 

I have been testing out some new DIY Beauty Recipes over the past couple of weeks and thought I would share my top 3 with you!  

 

1) Dry Skin Treatment

 

All you need to make this treatment is mayonnaise and baby oil. Place 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise  in a dish and add 1 teaspoon of baby oil, this will make enough for one application. Apply it all over the face and neck and leave for 20 minutes before rinsing off with warm water. This treatment can also be used on any other dry patches you may have including, elbows, knees and feet! My face has been suffering lately and has had some dry patches here and there, this treatment left my face feeling beautifully smooth and well hydrated without leaving me looking really oily! I also tried this treatment for my feet! I applied it to my feet and placed cotton socks over the top. This meant that I could carry on walking around whilst letting the treatment do its work! I noticed an immediate improvement in the condition of my feet after using this and I will certainly continue to use it on a weekly basis! 

 

2) Herbal Facial Toner

 

For this recipe you need a bottle of Witch Hazel (which can be found at most pharmacies for pennies!) Witch Hazel makes a great facial toner but to add an added zing and extra

benefits, pour the Witch Hazel into a bowl and add fresh pieces of cucumber and rosemary. You can add 2 drops of essential oil to add a scent to the toner but this is optional. Cucumber is known for its soothing properties and will sooth any redness on the face. The rosemary is great for keeping blemishes at bay as it is a natural acne treatment. Place the mixture in the fridge and allow to soak for 3 days. After 3 days, pour the mixture through a sieve into a bottle. Add your own decorative label and this can be kept or given away as a gift! The perfect natural skin revival for when the weather gets colder. I have been alternating my home made toner with my everyday one and I have noticed such a difference in the amount of facial redness. My face looks more radiant after using this toner as opposed to my shop bought toner!

 

3) Honey Face Wash

 

You might not know but honey is a fabulous antibacterial natural product and has many unknown uses! One that I came across not too long ago was a honey face wash. It is simple to make yet very effective. You may think that you will end up in a sticky mess but trust me you wont! Honey can be used on its own as a gentle wash even on the most sensitive of skins but I came across a recipe which recommended adding a teaspoon of baking soda Add the baking soda to a tablespoon of honey , mix together and massage into the skin in circular motions, rinse off with warm water. The baking soda helps to gently exfoliate the skin without being too harsh and the honey helps the skin to retain moisture and feel more hydrated. This face wash is also great for people with acne due to the antibacterial properties of honey.  

 

 

Have you got any great DIY beauty product recipes?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cosmetics Fairy

 

 

Who doesn't like to get a great bargain when shopping? I know I do! So when I came across the online website Cosmetics Fairy I was in my element!

 

Cosmetics Fairy sell all kinds of different cosmetics, skincare and haircare all at discounted prices.

 

At first I was a bit wary, wondering how they could offer these products at such low prices when elsewhere on the internet they were sometimes triple the price! I still do not have the answer to that question but I do know that I have now built up a trust with Cosmetics Fairy and I highly recommend you try it out.

 

You can choose to pay by credit/debit card or by PayPal. I like having the option to pay by PayPal, the extra protection means a lot to me!

 

They also offer a points system that is similar to that of the Boots Advantage Card, only even better!! You receive 4 points for every £1 you spend but unlike the Boots Advantage Card, you can spend your points whenever you like, you can use them as part payment or save them up and treat yourself!

 

The other major selling point to this website is that for all UK orders over £10 they offer free delivery. They do also ship anywhere else in the world for a small fee! 

 

I love how simple the website is to use. You can choose to search by brand or by item. It's easy to search for all the lipsticks they have or all the Wet & Wild items they sell. They also have a dedicated area to all items under 99p which is just brilliant and certainly worth checking out as they have some absolute gems!

 

Cosmetics Fairy also offer 3 for 2 on certain items which means you can get an even bigger discount! 

 

I have spent hours on the Cosmetics Fairy website browsing and purchasing.

 

Here are my top 5 Cosmetic Fairy products:

 

1) Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Shadow Pencil £3.75 (RRP £14) - Cosmetics Fairy have 5 shades to choose from, Rehab, Sin, Juju, Clash & Delinquent. I currently only have Rehab but I would like to add Sin to my collection. These pencils are crease proof, waterproof and highly pigmented yet feel very lightweight once applied. They can be used as a shadow and an eyeliner due to the fat shape but thin tip. I love how workable these shadow pencils are, they can be built up easily or can be used as a base colour before applying eye shadow. They are quick and easy to apply whether you want a wash of colour or a more dramatic eye look.  

 

2) Bourjois Eau De Gloss in Moka Frappe £0.99 (RRP £7.25) - Immediately hydrates your lips and adds a splash of colour. The finish is sheer but it lasts a long time for a gloss. It feels moisturising on the lips and not at all tacky. Great value for only 99p!!

 

3) Essie Mini Nail Polish £0.99 - Cosmetics Fairy have 4 mini Essie polishes for sale, Meet Me At Sunset, Smooth Sailing, Super Bossa Nova & Brazziliant - I have all of these colours and I absolutely love them. Each one is so pretty and different to other polishes I have. The formula is amazing, I can easily wear each of these polishes for over a week without them chipping! CF also have some full size Essie polishes ranging from £2.49 to £4.99. They have two duos for sale, priced at £3.75 - these are full sized Essie polishes too! Definitely worth taking a look!!

 

4) Boots No7 Stay Perfect Nail Polish £2.99 (RRP £6) - There are 19 shades to choose from on the CF website so there is a shade to suit everyone. I love the No7 polishes, they are easy to apply, fast drying and long wearing. £2.99 is a brilliant price for such great polishes! My favourite shades have to be 'Me Me Me' which is a gorgeous bright pink colour and 'Oyster' a lovely rosy, mauve colour.

 

5) L'Oreal HIP Crystal Eye Shadow Duo £0.99 - I have this duo in the shade 'Darling 829' which is a great neutral duo, it contains a cream shade and a brown shade. These duos are perfect for taking away with you so you can create different eye looks or perfect for using every day. Cosmetics Fairy have 18 different duo's on their website, meaning there are a number of different looks to be created! The shadows themselves are highly pigmented yet easy to blend and work with. I haven't noticed any fallout with this product either! They last all day without any creasing or smudging which is important to me when choosing eye shadows.   

  

Have you bought from the Cosmetics Fairy website before? What are your favourite bargains? 

 

 

My Night Time Skincare Routine.

 

I was asked by one of my followers to do a post on my 'Night Time Skincare Routine' and since I love reading other peoples, I thought I would share mine!

 

As most of you will already know, I like to change the products I use on a regular basis, mainly due to the fact that I like to try new things. These products in this routine are just the products that I am using and enjoying at the moment. The routine always stays the same, its just the products that change now and again.

 

(Click on the product names to view the products on the websites you can buy them from)

 

Lets start right at the beginning...

 

 

 

First of all I get into my PJ's - I love my PJ's, I am just so much more comfortable and feel like I can really chill out with them on.

 

I then tie my hair up and pin my fringe back, ready to start pampering!

 

I usually sit/lay down on my bed for about 5 minutes just to relax, sometimes I drink a cup of tea and check emails on my phone.

 

Once I have relaxed for 5 minutes, its time to take out my contact lenses. It is such a nice feeling at the end of a long day to get them out.. especially when I'm tired!

 

I then get my Organic Surge Gentle Cleansing Lotion and squirt a small amount into the palm of my hand. I rub this between both hands for a while and then apply all over my face, including my eye lids. Using large cotton pads I then wipe away the cleansing lotion from my face. With two new cotton pads I place one over each eye and gently rub until all the eye makeup is gone. I take another squirt of cleanser and repeat the above, just to make sure all my makeup has gone!

 

I like to wash my face with a face wash after cleansing, just to make sure my face is super clean. I use the Organic Surge Daily Care Face Wash. I first dampen my face using a muslin cloth and pump 2 pumps of the face wash into the palm of my hand, I rub this between both hands and then apply all over my face, including the eye area and massage into my skin until a lather has formed. I soak my muslin cloth in hot water (hot enough to tolerate), wring it out and lay over my face for approx. 2 minutes. This helps to open the pores and clean any impurities out. I remove the face wash using the muslin cloth after the two minutes and splash cold water all over the face to close my pores. I dry my face with a hand towel.

 

I apply a small amount of Manuka Doctor ApiClear Facial Toner to a large cotton pad and sweep over the face. I particularly like this toner because it helps to eliminate the cause of blemishes and provide a clearer complexion. Although I don't get a lot of blemishes, when I do, they seem to last quite a while. Since I have been using this toner I have noticed that I get even less blemishes than normal and when I do get them they are gone within a few days.

 

If I have any blemishes at the time then I use an Avon Clearskin Professional Clarifying Toner Pad to help sooth and refresh the skin, followed by applying a small amount of the Avon Clearskin Professional Daily Correcting Lotion to the affected area to help minimise pores, control oil and prevent/eliminate blemishes. The Avon Clearskin range works very well for me when I do have blemishes and unlike some 'spot treatments' I find the Avon range doesn't dry my skin out.

 

I then apply my moisturiser, I change moisturisers quite often, depending on the condition of my skin. If my skin is particularly oily then I use Clarins Ultra Matte Rebalancing Lotion For Oily Skin, this moisturiser contains an anti shine formula and instantly mattifies the skin whilst still providing hydration and soothing/calming any redness. A cheaper alternative that I sometimes use is the Superdrug Simply Pure Mattifying Moisturiser - This is specifically designed for combination skin and can be used on the most sensitive of skin too! It instantly mattifies the skin whilst hydrating without clogging your pores. If my skin is feeling dry and in need of moisture then I use Johnsons Rehydrating Night Cream For Normal Skin which helps to replenish moisture that has been lost during the day and hydrate your skin overnight. Another favourite of mine is the Organic Surge Blissful Daily Moisturiser which is ideal for normal or combination skin. It is very lightweight and helps to rebalance the skins condition whether that be oily or dry. I mainly use this on the days my skin doesn't know what it wants to do.   

 

After applying my moisturiser I wait 10 minutes to let is soak in fully, whilst this is happening I make myself a cup of tea or hot chocolate and usually check Facebook or Twitter on my phone. When 10 minutes is up I apply Burt's Bees Radiance Eye Cream. This eye cream is brilliant for reducing puffiness and smoothing fine lines and leaves the eye area looking much more radiant, smooth and hydrated.  

 

 

 

Apart from the products changing now and again I stick to this routine and find that it works really well for me!

 

At the weekend, I carry out a weekly DIY luxury spa each week, I spend time using a facemask/eye mask and generally give my skin a weekly treat using luxurious, indulgent products. I normally combine this with a bubble bath, body scrub and hair mask. I don't normally have time to do this during the week and I usually shower every morning, so when I do get chance to have a bath, I make the most of every second and really treat my body! My weekend DIY spa is my 'Me Time' for the week.  

 

Would you like me to share my DIY spa routine?

 

Do you have a specific night time routine that you stick to?

 

 

 

Lipstick Of The Day

Hey Guys,

 

I thought I would share the Lipstick I am wearing today. This is the first time wearing it so this post is going to be kind of a first impressions.

 

The Lipstick I am wearing is by Natural Collection and it is in shade Cranberry.

 

 

 

 

It is, as the name suggests, a cranberry-ish colour, a dark fuchsia pink with slight purple tones. Today, I am wearing a neutral eye and this lipstick to add a pop of colour. I don't usually go for bright shades as they can make me look a bit washed out because of my fair skin but this seems to be just the right level of brightness.

 

 

It is a creamy, moisturising lipstick and applies to the lips easily. You could even manage to apply it successfully without a mirror, due to its shaped tip. Although creamy when applied, it does dry out slightly once on the lips and no longer feels as moisturising as it did when applying. However, it isn't sticky at all! The fact that it dries out slightly is actually a good thing as it means that it stays on the lips for longer and won't rub off as soon as you eat or drink. It isn't so dry that it makes your lips look flaky and it does have some shine to it.

 

 

Another point to note about Natural Collection is that all the Natural Collection products are fragrance free and dermatologically tested, this means they can be used on even the most sensitive of skins. 

 

You can buy the Natural Collection range from Boots. Unfortunately, I cannot find any Natural Collection Lipsticks on the Boots website but I am sure they will have them in store as I only bought this a couple of weeks ago. It cost £1.99 and it was in the long standing offer buy 3 Natural Collection products for £5. I love the whole Natural Collection range, it is great value for money and they have some real gems in their range. Definitely worth taking a look next time your in Boots!

 

Have you tried any of the Natural Collection products? What do you think?

 

 

 

MUA Eyeshadow Review

The MUA eyeshadows have to be some of the best shadows I have ever come across. I have a range of different shades in singles and palettes. I have picked out my two most used and clear favourite shadows from the range. These are shade 24 & shade 3. 

 

L to R - Shade 24, Shade 3

Shade 24 is a lovely pinky plum/rose gold shade and this looks great as just a wash of colour or can be built up with other colours to create a smoky eye.

 

Shade 3 is a silver shade and I never thought I would wear silver shadow but this looks great incorporated into a smoky eye with darker colours, it adds such a nice shimmer and sparkle to the eye. Both of them can be toned down to wear in the day or built up for going out at night.

 

Here are the swatches on the back of my hand. That is just swiping the finger across the shadow and then across my hand. (The flash has bounced off the shimmer slightly so its not that clear but there are swatches on the MUA website too)

 

 

 

 

 MUA can be bought in all Superdrug stores and online at the MUA Website. Their products are some of the cheapest on the market but they are such amazing quality! I would highly recommend that you take a look at their range.

 

The single eyeshadows cost £1 each and there are a total of 26 pearl shades & 5 matte shades in the £1 range. 

 

I've said before that I am not keen on the matte shades from this range as they don't seem as pigmented or seem to have the same formula as the pearl shadows, that still remains true but the good news is, I haven't come across one pearl shade that isn't fantastic!

 

They range from natural shades to bold shades and any look can easily be created. You can use one single shadow to sweep across the lid for a wash of colour or use a mix up of shades to create a bold & dramatic eye.

 

The shadows are easy to apply, easy to blend and easy to slowly build up to create the look you want. They are super pigmented and this translates onto the eye lid. You really can just swipe a shadow coated brush across the eye lid and achieve a perfect wash of colour.You can also use the shadows wet to create an even bolder look. 

 

One of the biggest pros of these shadows is that I have barely noticed any fallout, even with the darker colours. The finish is absolutely stunning, the shadows have just the right amount of shimmer, which means that the shadows can be worn day or night. I want to say that they are creamy, and by that I mean that they have the finish and apply as easy as a cream eyeshadow would. 

 

The staying power of these shadows is unbelievable for the price, they look exactly the same 12 hours later as they did when they were first applied, there is no smudging, the colour is still as intense and there is no creasing.. This is all without applying a primer first! £1 for an eyeshadow that does so much! 

 

You can take a look at the whole range HERE .

 

The great thing about the MUA website is that all the shadows have been swatched so you can get a good idea of the shade before buying! What more could you ask for, for £1!!

 

Have you tried any of these shadows? What do you think?

 

Do you want me to do more MUA reviews? What do you want to see on my blog? Leave a comment leaving your request :-)

 

Laura

Xx

My Current Top 4 Drugstore Blushers

Hey Guys,

 

Today, I thought I would share with you my top 4 Drugstore Blushers that I am using at the moment. 

 

All of the Blushers vary in price but I think they are all great value for money and great all round Blushers. I have included an Elizabeth Arden Blusher which I would class as being Mid Range but it was bought from the Drugstore! They are in no particular order.

From L to R - L'Oreal Project Runway, Rimmel Lasting Finish, MUA Blusher, Elizabeth Arden Colour Intrigue.




1) L'Oreal Project Runway Super Blendable Blush In Shade Charming Cockatoo's Blush (425) - This Blusher is unfortunately limited edition and they have now stopped selling it in Drugstores. However... I have found it on Ebay, priced at £3.79 (Click HERE) It is also available in the USA on Ebay for $9.99 (HERE) - It is available in 3 other shade too which are also available on Ebay. This Blusher is a rich warm rosy shade with a slight hint of shimmer, it is a very 'natural' shade which looks beautiful on the apples of the cheeks. It does what all good Blushers should do and adds a natural 'blush' without making you look like you have tons of Blusher on! It is pigmented enough to transfer colour to the cheeks easily but it is not so pigmented that you have to be light handed. I am generally quite heavy handed when it comes to products like this so this is perfect for me. The colour can be built up and it is very easy to blend. The texture of the blush is quite powdery but I found that this didn't transfer to the cheeks. Overall, this is a brilliant product and I would highly recommend it!

 

 

 

2) Rimmel Lasting Finish Soft Colour Blush In Shade Santa Rose (010) - This is another 'natural' warm rose shade. This Blusher looks even more 'natural' on the cheeks as it doesn't contain as much shimmer as the L'Oreal. It is very soft in texture and easy to work with, it blends lovely on the cheeks and can be built up to the look you want to achieve. As with the L'Oreal, it is pigmented enough to get enough colour on the cheeks but you don't need to be careful applying. The finish is sheer yet flawless once applied to the cheeks and the wear time is amazing! Rimmel state that it is long lasting and smudge free, I agree totally! I can usually go all day without having to reapply this Blusher once (I have combination skin.) The only thing I am disappointed about with this product is the size of it! You don't seem to get an awful lot of Blush. It is only £3.99 though and it is great quality which I would personally rather have! Rimmel do other shades in this range which I am yet to try as I love this shade so much! This Blusher and the other shades can be found in most Drugstores, it is currently priced at £3.99 in Superdrug (Click HERE)

 

3) MUA Blusher In Shade 1 - I love this Blusher! I use this when I want to wear a light pinky bubble-gum shade rather than a natural looking rose. It is such a gorgeous pink and looks lovely on my fair skin. I would imagine that it would look great on any skin tone though. This Blusher is very highly pigmented so you do have to be a little bit careful when applying. The best thing about this Blusher is the price. It is only £1 on the MUA website - £1 is brilliant value for such a great blusher! It doesn't last as well as some of the other Blushers and it can be quite powdery when it is first applied. I have found that the powdery finish soon disappears after about 10 minutes of it being on the cheeks. And who cares... it is £1!!! Unfortunately, MUA @ Superdrug have now released 6 new blushers and stopped selling these exact ones - they have even given the new shades names! You can still get this Blusher from the MUA website HERE for £1 (you can also get all of the other old shades from the website too!). The closest match to the shade in MUA @ Superdrug is Bubble-gum and that can be found HERE, also for £1. The other shades in the new range can also be found at Superdrug! So if you fancy introducing a pop of colour to your face take a look at the MUA Blushers.

 

4) Elizabeth Arden Colour Intrigue In Shade Pink Glow (04) - Before I start telling you how wonderful this Blusher is I will just let you know that I can no longer find this exact shade anywhere on the internet! I originally bought mine from Boots for £24 - Although I cannot find this exact shade there is currently a choice of three shades available on the Fragrance Direct website for £4.50 - Nearly a £20 discount! (Click HERE) - Because I cannot find the shade I won't talk too much about it but I will just say that if you can get your hands on the shade Pink Glow then you will love it! It is quite different to the other Blushers that I have as it is a rosy shade yet it also has a pink tone to it. The formula of this Blusher is also amazing. It isn't powdery at all and once it is applied to your cheeks it will stay there for the whole day! As with the L'Oreal and Rimmel, it is pigmented enough to transfer the colour to your cheeks but not so heavily pigmented you end up looking like a Clown! It can be built up easily and it blends really well, it takes very little effort to blend into a natural looking 'blush' look. It also comes with a little brush and a mirror inside the compact which is great for taking out with you. The packaging also feels very hardwearing to me so you can put it in your handbag and not worry about your blusher crumbling into a 1000 tiny pieces! The shade Peach Sorbet would be my next choice as it looks like a lovely peachy/rose shade - that can be bought from Fragrance Direct for £4.50 HERE. I think £4.50 is an absolute steel for this Blusher!  

 

Let me know if you have found any of these Blushers cheaper or if you can find the EA in shade Pink Glow!

 

What are your favourite Drugstore Blushers? Do you share the same ones as me?

 

Laura

Xx

Cheap DIY Beauty Products

 

Hey Guys,

I have recently been trying out some amazing DIY recipes for beauty products and I thought I would share my top 3!

 

The beauty about making your own products is that you know exactly what you are putting into them and there are no harsh chemicals. I love making my own products, it gives me strange feeling of satisfaction to know I have used products I've had laying around the house.

 

 

1) My favourite has to be making your own sugar scrub! I recently run out of my Soap & Glory Scrub 'Em And Leave 'Em and I haven't had chance to go out and buy a replacement yet. Exfoliating is very important to me as it clears away all dead skin cells, clears clogged pores and leaves your skin feeling silky smooth!

All you need to make your own sugar scrub is sugar and oil. You can use salt if you prefer but sugar is my preferred choice as it is a lot kinder on the skin, salt tends to tear the skin. For the oil, you can use any oil you have in the house.. baby oil, vegetable, olive, coconut, sunflower and the list goes on. My favourite is baby oil.

To make the scrub, you need 2 tablespoons of sugar to 1 tablespoon of oil - I made a whole container full, but as long as you stick to the 2 sugar to 1 oil ratio you will end up with a lovely sugar scrub. You can even make your scrub smell nice by adding a couple of drops of essential oil.

2) Another important product to me is face masks. I like to use a face mask at least once a week and for the past couple of weeks I have been experimenting making my own. The following recipe is so simple yet it leaves your skin feeling absolutely amazing!

To make this amazing mask you need 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons of plain yoghurt. (It is really important that you do not use flavoured yoghurt). Separate the eggs so that you have whites and yolks .. we only need to use the whites for this face mask. Add the 2 tablespoons of plain yoghurt to the whites and mix using a fork - I like to use a fork as I feel it mixes better. Apply the mixture to the face and leave for at least 10 minutes. When you are ready to wash it off use warm water and a wash cloth. Your skin will be left feeling fresh & regenerated.

 

3) My final DIY beauty product is a DIY hair mask recipe. As it is summer I have been treating my hair once a week to a hair mask. I have noticed such a difference in the condition of my hair and hair masks have now become a staple product for me. When I came across this recipe on the internet I thought why not give it a go. It really is very simple! To make this mask, mix 4 tablespoons of coconut oil with 4 tablespoons of avocado oil. For shorter hair, I would only use 2 tablespoons of each oil. Once you have mixed the oils together apply all over your hair and leave for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, rinse it off and you will be left with shiny smooth perfect locks! After using this DIY mask for 2 weeks I am very impressed! It is just as good as the shop bought products so its definitely worth giving a go. You can buy both of the oils from Ebay.. coconut oil from HERE for £2.95 for 500mls and avocado oil from HERE for £2.49 for 100mls - Ebay is such a great place! Both these oils can also be used for many other things. 

 

Why not treat yourself to a DIY Spa Day at home! Use these recipes, pick up a magazine, listen to some music, put some scented candles on and chill out. What a perfect way to treat you hair & skin this summer and have some important ME time that so many of us forget to have!

 

Let me know if you have any other great recipes!

 

Laura

Xx