Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm

Amazing Face Natural Lift and Sculpt Moringa Cleansing Balm

Emma Hardie

£34

Everyone and their Grandma in the blogging world have reviewed this product and many hold it at holy grail status...

So naturally I had to give it a go

Ever on the quest for a skincare routine perfect for me I figured a decent cleanser is a good place to start...clean skin must be happy skin after all

Granted £34 is quite steep to pay for skincare but I'm wanting to invest a little more in good products that do good stuff to my skin

I really want to shift this adult acne that seems to be plaguing me

The product claims to be a balanced cleanser that both thoroughly cleanses and moisturises skin, it can also be left on the skin for 10minutes or so and used as a treatment mask

The Moringa extract, wild sea fennel and vitamin E in it help to minimise pores (something most women want in life!) whilst also balancing and purifiying the skin. Whilst orange, neroli and mandarin extracts rejuvenate and revitalise the skin, there are also extracts of rose. cedarwood and jasmine so this balm is jam packed with ingredients natural and beneficial to your skin. 

Which also smell amazing!

I use this as my first cleanse in the evening, mixing a small dollop in the palm of my hand with some water to a milk like consistency and the use circular movements to massage into my skin

To remove I use a damp, normal flannel (as recommended by Caroline Hirrons skincare guru extraordinaire) and gently wipe it over my face

The balm leaves my skin clean, no trace of makeup is left behind even strong eye makeup is lifted, all excess oil and grime is also removed

I then follow up with a swipe of bioderma all over in case I've missed any cleanser residue

I've only been using this a couple of weeks but my skin is definitely starting to feel a little better

I'm really hoping over time this helps to balance my oily patches and to fight off future breakouts.

Have you tried this cult beauty favourite?

Love

Belle

xoxo

Smashbox Heatwave Palette

Heatwave Palette

Smashbox

£36 (Boots)

I bought this beautiful palette back in August with some birthday money and it has definitely become my go to palette

I've just checked the Boots website and this is still available but I'm not sure for how long as it isn't available on the Smashbox website

For the past 3 months I've reached for this nearly everyday

All the colours are so easy to work with and last amazingly well

There are ten shades included as well as an impressive double ended brush and I aslo got a deluxe sample of the photoready primer

It only works out at £3.60 for each eyeshadow...what a bargain!

They aren't small pans either, each one is easily the same size as a £2 coin

There are two matte shades with the other eight being lovely shimmers

In my opinion there are no dud shades in this palette

They are all super wearable and compliment each other beautifully

I use this both on days I do a quick look with just the peachy gold blended over MAC's paint pot in Rubenesque and also the days I can take a bit more time and use the champagney highlight in the inner corners and then choose a couple of other colours to build a gorgeous eye look

Again this can be used for both day and night and I've been reaching for this on both occasions

Perfect for a holiday where you'll find yourself with different makeup needs on a regular basis

My one little niggle would have to be the lack of shade names..I like palettes to have some kind of names for each individual colour but I can live with it in this case

Especially when the packaging is so nice, simple but nice, and the insides even nicer! 

After trying this palette out I would definitely like to try a few other bits from Smashbox 

The primer seems good so far so maybe a full size is in my future!

Have you tried anything from Smashbox?

Love

Belle

xoxo

Soap and Glory Lid Stuff Eyeshadow Palette

Soap and Glory

Lid Stuff Eyeshadow Palette

What's Nude

£10.00 Boots

Another neutral eyeshadow palette...what a surprise!

I am so terrible when it comes to neutral eyeshadows

No matter how many palettes I already own whenever I see a neutral one I just have to have it

One day I'll stop...or not

Maybe I should start selling them on lol!

Soap and Glory have always been on my beauty radar, mainly due to their cute packaging but also becuase of the hype other beauty bloggers give them

I very fairly dabble in their make up however but after seeing Louise at Sprinkle of Glitter rave about this palette quite a while ago now I knew I had to pick it up

So when Boots had a 3 for 2 on S&G makeup I thought why the heck not!

The colours included are the perfect four neutrals and work really well together for a subtle daytime work eye look

Or even for school when you can't wear strong eye makeup

Three of the shades are matte with one shimmer and all have a fairly decent pigmentation

I like to use the three matte shades together for a work friendly look but then add some of the shimmer to take it through to evening

The second shade from the left on the swatches is the perfect shade on my skintone to completely balance out any redness on my lids 

If you're looking for a fairly cheap little eyeshadow palette with work/school appropriate shades then I definitely recommend picking this little baby up 

Love

Belle

xoxo 



Balm Jovi Palette

Balm Jovi Makeup Palette

The Balm

£34 (or $40...stupid mark ups!)

Anyone who knows me in real life knows I have a massive soft spot for Bon Jovi

Forever being my favourite band (alongside Avenged Sevenfold FYI)

When I saw this palette pop on my instagram feed a little while ago I knew it had to be mine

Bon Jovi/Rock music references combined with makeup is my idea of heaven!

I'd never tried anything from the brand 'The Balm' having only admired from afar

So I figured this pretty little palette was as good an introduction to the brand as any

When we were in New York I had been tempted by other bits and pieces from them but I'd run out of money and my Mum doesn't quite understand the amount of money I'm willing to splash on makeup

I love the packaging of this palette

It's very slim and sleek but still has a fun design

I love how the front looks like a poster to a festival with the guitar and name 

Unlike a lot of palettes around this one doesn't just have a range of eyeshadows but also a highlighter, a blusher and two lipsticks

I'm not a huge fan of having cream products, like the lipsticks, in the same packaging as powder products especially with no form of barrier to stop fallout from the powders ending up in the creams

But being that I'm not a massive lipstick wearer this didn't put me off

Also the fact you cant take the lipstick out with you to top during the day unless you lug the whole palette around with you or depot the lip colours

Other than that this little beauty is amazing

All the colours are so pigmented and there are such a range of different shades

You can do pretty much any eye look you fancy

I like the fact all the colours lean towards the neutral spectrum but you can easily smoke them out

The shade names are really clever and cute too...Blink 1982, The Stroke, Iron Maid-in, Alice Copper

Just a really thought out palette which definitely stood out to me!

The staying power is fantastic too and I really recommend this palette.

Have you tried any The Balm products?

I'm going to have to pick up some more goodies!

Love

Belle

xoxo

Marc Jacobs Dot perfume

Marc Jacobs

Dot

Eau De Parfum

£47.00 for 50ml

First things first just look at the bottle!

It's gorgeous

Like all Marc Jacobs perfumes the bottle is impressive and looks amazing on any dressing table 

Marc Jacobs perfumes always smell good and wear well on the skin

I have about four different perfumes from the Marc Jacobs range and I reach for them most days over any others as they are just perfection in a bottle

I always get asked what I'm wearing especially with Daisy

When I saw the newly released Dot I knew I had to get my hands on it

My lovely fiance surprised me with a bottle for last Christmas and I've been wearing it at least twice a week since

It's a lovely mix of florals and the sweet smells of jasmine and vanilla

Definitely in my top 5 perfumes

Which for reference are; Chance by Chanel, Dasiy by Marc Jacobs, Ghost Sweetheart and Juicy Couture Viva la Juicy

What's your favourite perfume?

Love

Belle

xoxo

Philosophy Purity Cleanser

Philosophy

Purity Cleanser and Facial Wipes

$39

When I saw these on offer in Macy's for the same price for just the cleanser but getting the wipes free I straight away picked it up

I've been wanting to try the Purity cleanser for so long and was determined to pick some up in New York

I know make up wipes aren't ideal for removing your face on a daily basis but on those nights where you're crawling in from a few too many bevvies surely it's better to use one of these instead of sleeping in your make up?

I've found these to be really effective, they don't leave any trace of makeup on my skin so I don't wake up with panda eyes

My skin does actually feel extremely cleansed, a lot more so than when I ever use a normal wipe

I like these but I haven't seen them online anywhere to repurchase

The actual cleanser is as amazing as I thought it would be

I've been using it on the 4 out of 7 days a week I don't use the Elemis Tri Enzyme facial wash

It's extremely gentle on the skin so doesn't aggravate my temperamental face but it also delivers a thorough cleanse and leaves the skin super clean

It melts away make up with ease and hydrates lightly too

Definitely don't regret purchasing the large size, this will last me a wee while!

Have you tried any of the philosophy skincare?

Love

Belle

xoxo 

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain 'Honey'

Revlon

Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

Honey

£7.99

I think it's fair to say I'm obsessed with these kind of lip colours

I've got the majority of the colours from Revlon available and am eying up various brands offerings

The way these products work is so convenient

You don't need to sharpen them as they just twist up and are super easy to apply in a rush (well the more neutral colours anyway!)

 The Revlon balms aren't as pigmented as the newer Clinique Chubby Sticks as they have been reformulated to be more so. However I quite like the way these provide a glossy wash of colour, nothing too bright.

The Red colour is probably the darkest but is subtle enough to be wearable in the day time,  great for a bright colour phobe like me! 

The swatch above is of the colour Honey

A gorgeous nude toned pink,  perfect for day wear

It's the best my lips but better shade for me and I can apply without a mirror at anytime

Great for work

I find the formulation softening and smoothing on the lips, moisturising too which doesn't normally come from a coloured lip product

Love

Belle

xoxo

MAC Paint Pots in 'Indianwood' & 'Let Me Pop'

 Paint Pots in Indianwood and Let Me Pop

£14.50 each

MAC

I bought these from Macy's in New York, couldn't go to America and not buy any MAC

I didn't purchase as much as I thought I would, mainly because the stand in Macy's didn't sell the eyeshadow pans only the ones in the pots and having a palette I didn't want to waste the extra money on the packaging

I bought Rubenesque a couple of years ago and use it on a regular basis, at least once a week, and just love the formula of the shadow

They last so long on my lids and are so easy to just pop on with some eyeliner and that's pretty much it

I was initially drawn to Indianwood, a gorgeous rich brown tone described by MAC as a metallic antique bronze

This looks gorgeous built up with some brown liquid liner and has become my go to look for work on a day to day basis

Let Me Pop is a light peachy toned gold which to me is slightly lighter than my favourite Rubenesque and when the mua said it was limited edition I knew I wanted it, but it seems to be available on the UK website...sucker right here!

The website describes the colour as a frosted light copper

This one doesn't last quite as long on my lids without a primer compared to Indianwood but it is more subtle for the days I need something but don't want it too in your face

These were only a few pounds cheaper bought in the states but still every little helps (tescos ftw) and I'm glad they're in my collection

Love

Belle

xoxo

Kat Von D ~ Ladybird Eyeshadow Palette

Fur Elise, Vespertine, Renholder, Siouxsie-Sioux, Unequited, Harlow, Wolf, Cleopatra

Kat Von D Ladybird True Romance Eyeshadow Palette

$36.00

Sephora

When we decided to go to New York I knew I had to get my hands on something from Kat Von D's makeup collection

I love her and have done for years 

Seeing as I seem to love eyeshadow palettes I figured I'd give one of these a go

Initially I wasn't sure on the Ladybird palette as I don't tend to use matte eyeshadows, leaning towards the shimmery shades in my palette over them 

With the release of the Naked Basics palette I found myself more intrigued by mattes but decided I didn't need the small palette of only 6 shades

And I'm so glad I waited!

When I first saw this in Sephora I was more interested in either the Ludwig pallete or the Saint palette

Ludwig is full of neutrals and a mixture of greens but was out of stock in every store I tried and Saint is basically the equivalent of the Naked palette

After swatching a few shades from the Ladybird palette I knew I wanted to try some eye looks with it and added it to my basket

As you can see in the swatches above the shadows are really nicely pigmented for matte shades and they blend beautifully together

The only dud shade for me is the orange shadow on the end, not sure how I would make that work but maybe blended out it could add a little colour to a look.

The eyeliner in Immortal Love is such a lovely, creamy, pigmented liner that really compliments all the colours in the palette 

I'm now regretting not buying more from this range

It's such a shame it's so hard to get hold of for us Brits

Have you ever tried anything from the Kat Von D range?

Love

Belle

xoxo

Wet n Wild Eyeshadow Palettes in 'Comfort Zone' & 'Downtown Browns'

Downtown Browns

Comfort Zone

These were really high on my list of to purchase products when in the states

I've seen reviews and swatches of these palettes all over the internet

Comfort Zone took many a drug store trip to find and I can see why... the colours are gorgeous and really wearable, and of course super pigmented

The last shade swatched is a perfect dupe for MAC's Club shadow, a stunning duochrome shade which looks so nice blended into the crease

Between the two palettes I definitely think that Comfort Zone is the better one

Downtown Browns shadows aren't quite as creamy and blendable and have a little bit of fallout when swatched

I've been loving the Comfort Zone palette and have been creating lots of different looks with it, it's so versatile

Just a shame I didn't many other palettes like this to pick up

The other two I saw were more pink toned or blue toned

And having blue eyes I can't pull of blue eyeshadow it just doesn't look right

Does anyone know anywhere I can get Wet n Wild reasonably priced in the UK?

Love

Belle

xoxo

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

Bottom Lash Mascara

Clinique

$11/£10

This little baby did the rounds in the blogging world not so long ago

I wasn't sold on the idea..a completely different mascara just for your bottom lashes? 

Cannot be bothered with that..so I passed on it

Al though I have a huge issue with my bottom lash mascara always smudging onto the skin underneath making me look like a panda by 10am, not the look I strive for no matter how cute pandas are

No matter what I tried this always happened

I had heard that this wouldn't smudge and figured I'd try it out considering in the US it worked out at only £6 so not a huge loss if it didn't work

I tried this out whilst in the humid heat of New York figuring if it worked for me I might stock up

I got my Mum to check my eyes throughout the day and it stayed in place with absolutely no smudging..perfect!

It gave the definition to my lashes I can never seem to achieve with a normal mascara wand without getting mascara all over the skin

The teeny tiny brush was tricky to use to begin with but it soon felt natural to use

I bought another tube in Sephora and now I'm kicking myself for not picking up even more it's a staple in my everyday routine now 

I would probably pay the £10 UK price tag but of course would rather only pay £6

If you have problems with your bottom lashes smudging onto your skin I would whole heartedly recommend this baby it's amazeballs!

Love 

Belle

xoxo

Elemis Skincare Routine

Elemis Skincare

Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial Wash £29.00 200ml

Pro-Collagen Marine Cream £79.00 50ml

Absolute Eye Serum £28.00 15ml

As I mentioned in a few previous posts whilst on the cruise ship I had a lovely facial to help my problematic skin using lots of Elemis products

This was my first experience of Elemis and I think I may be hooked...this could proove quite pricey!

So my skin problem is mainly concentrated in one area, my right cheek, however I get the odd mini breakout on my other oily areas

The therapist sat down with me and we addressed the main concerns and what needs working on, she even drew me a really simple diagram of the skin and all of it's layers

She explained how normal, cosmetic skincare only reaches the top two layers of the skin whereas products like Elemis and other 'proper' skincare reach the first layer where the bacteria linger which are what casues the problems.

During my facial she used the microdermabrasation technique and it felt so good and did a fantastic job

I definitely want to keep up these kinds of facials now I'm home and maybe even try and find some products to achieve this in my routine

I came away from the facial with three new additions to my skincare routine and have to say it was rather expensive

And since I've been home I've found all of these products and other's the therapist recommended on John Lewis (handy when the fiance's mother works for the company!) and for considerably cheaper than I paid on the ship

But I knew if I didn't get them there and then and started to used them immediately then I probably would have forgotten about the products and continued using other crap which was doing my skin no good.

In the past I have never managed to keep up with a skincare routine, getting bored after a few weeks and moving onto something new

But this has been used twice a day since I bought it and I have definitely noticed a massive difference

I'm kicking myself now though as I hated my skin before I started usiong this and don't have a before photo...however I now go without make up sometimes in public...shocker!!

The facial wash smells absolutely amazing, it has essence of truffles in and just smells so luxurious and spa like.

There are so many different ingredients at work in this and they really do work

The resurfacing outcome is mainly targeted for people seeking anti aging effects but this works beautifully for acne scarred and reddenned skin

Before this became part of my day to day routine my affected skin was so painful to touch and really red

I had almost cystic spots on a daily occurence (ouchies) which made me extremely self conscious but now they've gone

I've been using this now since the beginning of June and I've only had 1 really bad spot...it's a bloody miracle!

The Pro Collagen Marine Cream is so hydrating but also extremely light on the skin

I apply this just before my make up in the morning and once applied by the time I've got my make up together and sat down to pop it on it's all sunk in

Again this is another anti aging product (think the therapist was trying to say something!?) but it's really helped my dry bits and feels lovely on the skin

I guess prevention is better than cure when it comes to aging...

The therapist pointed out I have dark circles under my eyes, I had never noticed these before but ho hum

She used the Eye Serum on me and it felt really nice so I though why not!

I've been using this daily as well and have to see it seems like the skin under my eyes has brightened and feels softer and plumper

Guess I did need it then

She also recommended Bliss Peeling Groovy Serum which I'm tempted to try but it's a bit pricey

Have any of you guys tried anything from the Bliss line?

Love

Belle

xoxo

Clarisonic Mia 2 Review

Clarisonic Mia2 Skin Cleansing System Set

$149.00

Sephora

Recently my skin has suddenly turned angry against me

It never used to be acne prone and I was quite lucky in my teen years to not suffer horrendously like some of my peers

However now it seems I'm paying for my teen luckiness

The doctors had put me on Oxytetracycline without telling me the side effects so I happily took them twice a day as instructed, until I returned for more tablets and the different doctor informed me I'd need a blood test (bleurgh!) on my next visit due to the tablets probably harming my liver...they hadn't made much difference to my skin so I decided not to take them anymore...who wants liver damage!?

Whilst on holiday I had a facial on the cruise 

It included a form of microdermabrasion and my skin felt instantly better

The redness had toned down and it felt a lot smoother

I came away from the facial with a few new products and a list of others to track down when we got home (I'm yet to invest as it totals over £150!!) but I'll have a post up all about these

I had always been intrigued by the Clarisonic systems but never fancied splurging on something I wasn't 100% sure would benefit me

Whilst in New York I had looked into the kits available in Sephora and the price difference was definitely appealing but I still wasn't too sure

I asked the therapist her views on whether it would be worth investing in the system and she whole heartedly agreed I should indulge a little

Along with the new facial cleanser this would help deep cleanse down to the primary skin layers and help target the bacteria causing all my painful acne

So with her recommendation in mind I knew on our final day back on shore (we had about 3 hours to kill in New York before our flight home) I would beeline to the nearest Sephora and pick one up

I was quite lucky that in the week we had been on the cruise it was now Sephora's 15th Birthday and they had new special offers and sets available

I initially was contemplating just getting the standard Clarisonic Mia in baby pink but the set I purchased above was only $30 more and is a Limited Edition colour (I think) in hot pink, comes with a hard carry case, two heads, trial cleanser (which I haven't tried yet), charger and cute pvc lace detail case to house it all

The website says the retail cost for this little lot is $200 so I already saved $50 there and looking on websites in the UK I saved at least a further £50 but this colour isn't available in the UK and this set isn't available either so it's hard to gauge

Now I have to say it's a lot of money to spend on skin care but with my wedding in two years I want to feel confident in my skin but not have a super heavy foundation on my skin

My Mum kindly bought this for me as my birthday present which I really appreciate 

I've been using this once a day since we've been back and have been loving it

It's so easy to use, I currently have the sensitive skin head on but purchased a four pack of acne clearing heads so I'll used on of those once this one is ready for the bin (generally every 3 months) 

There is a buzz timer which tells you when to move onto the next part of your face so you know how long your cleansing for, this is also part of the 1 minute cleansing timer it is equipped with

I tend to use the timed minute first all over my face and then used it again on my problem cheek for about 30 seconds as this is where I am targeting the most 

I just hope that isn't having an adverse affect...doesn't seem it as of yet

My skin is so much smoother now and the redness has stayed away from my problem areas and since using the painful acne spots on my cheek have stayed away which is fantastic as they were so so sore

However I seem to be suffering with little clusters of breakouts in my oily areas

I'm putting that down to having such a deep cleanse daily which is bringing out all the nasties which need to be expelled for cleaner skin

Things always get worse before they get better I guess

It will be worth it though, I'm so excited to be able to go sans make up and feel confident still

Overall I am so so so soooo happy I took the plunge and invested in this tool as I feel my skin deserves it

My skin is getting better now and I know if I keep it up I should have the semi flawless skin back 

I'll have some before and during photos for my post on the facial skincare coming up if you're interested!

Sorry this post is so long but with something quite expensive I felt an in depth review was needed

Love

Belle

xoxo

Look Holiday Glow in Ibiza

Holiday Glow Bronzer

£8.00

Look at Superdrug

Since I've been enjoying using my Hoola Bronzer I thought I'd dabble a bit further into the world of tannedness

When Look magazine first released their makeup line I wasn't hugely impressed

It all seemed like everything else on the high street

But recently I've been more attracted to the range, after trying the blusher I thought I'd give their bronzers a go. 

And so far I'm impressed

It's got more shimmer in than Hoola so if you were to use it as an all over colour you could end up reminiscent of a disco ball but the shimmer is subtle and pretty

It makes a lovely contour shade for my skin tone, not that I'm any good at that!

It's also such a stunning colour you could use it as an eyeshadow

This is great to take on holiday to use for a multi-purpose product

Have you tried anything from Look's makeup range?

Love

Belle

xoxo

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in 2C3 'Fresco'

£27.50 

A little while back my friend and I went on a road trip to Bicester Village outlet shopping

Whilst browsing the Cosmetics Company Outlet (beauty bloggers heaven!) I saw a display of the Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation

I knew that there were a few shades being continued and assumed that the shades available were those being phased out but on looking at the Boots website the shade I matched is still available

In the outlet it was only £19.00 a bottle and seeing as I'd been wanting to try it out for so long of course I bought one

I love full coverage foundations as my skin isn't the greatest and I also have quite an uneven skintone, having heard that this particular foundation has exceedingly high coverage I knew it was one to try

Once I got home I couldn't wait to try it out

The shade I picked up was the perfect match to my skin colouring, infact I now wish I'd picked up another bottle at only £19!

The coverage is just what I like in a foundation but it doesn't feel too heavy on the skin as a thin layer gives the opacity I liked

Al though it is easy to go too heavy handed and end up with a thick layer on the skin, especially if your not used to a foundation with such high coverage.

It also lasts fantistically well with very little transfer

I use Clarins Beauty Flash Balm underneath this and it lasts throughout the work day and can carry me into any evening activity, albeit with a touch up of powder to eliminate any shine from the work day

Overall I would definitely say I am converted to this foundation

It is worth the hype, and completely deserves all the positive press!

Al though now I think the corresponding concealer may have to be purchased too

Have you tried the infamous Double Wear?

Love

Belle

xoxo

Fashionista Custom Blusher Palette

Custom Blusher Palette
£5.00 for Palette
£4.00 (or 4 for £10.00) for blusher pans
Fashionista at Superdrug 
Colours in palette: (clockwise from top left) Amber Glow, Milan, New York, London

I'd been contemplating getting a Fashionista blusher palette for a while now but for some reason never got round to it...but I bit the bullet and am so glad I did!
Such a bargain for £15.00 you get a compact palette and four different blushers of your choice.
What I love the most about this idea is you can take something only marginally larger than a bulky blusher with you on holiday and you've got four completely different blushers with you to enable you to achieve any look you fancy..brilliant!
It's the same idea as the MAC blusher palettes but immensely cheaper.
The choice of blushers for the palette is fairly extensive with thirteen different colours to choose from with a variety of finishes and also bronzers 
I chose three of the merged, baked blushers in Milan, New York and Milan
And also a mono blusher (which I assume just means a normal blusher) in Amber Glow
All the colours are really pigmented as you can see in the swatches
Out of the four colours I chose I don't think there are any duds, which is pretty good going considering I ordered them blind online!
My favourite has to be Milan, the only non coral toned blusher out of the bunch
It's a gorgeous, warm pink with shimmer running through it
The shimmer doesn't translate too obviously to the cheek which is fab as too much can look like a glitter overload which isn't good when your 22 and work in an office, not 7 at a school disco
The other three colours are all stunning as well and are all different, even if they are all from the same coral coloured family
I will definitely get so much use from this little palette 
it's so easy to just have everything in one place

Very tempting to get another and fill it with another four beauties

Love
Belle
xoxo

Burts Bees Banana and Beeswax Hand Cream

Burts Bees

Beeswax and Banana Hand Cream

£9.99

Boots

My hands are as dry as the Sahara desert and need some moisturising, scratch that some SERIOUS moisturising 

I've been using the Soap and Glory Hand Food but it wasn't quite intensive enough so I went on the search for something more powerful, something to fulfill my needs

Burts Bees has never failed me before and I've been relying on their products for years now

So when I saw this little glass pot of goodness I instantly snapped it off, the 3 for 2 helped too...

I love the packaging, glass pots just feel so much more luxurious than any plastic tubs and the Burts Bees branding is really cute

Now the scent of this hand cream is just amaze-balls

A bit like banana milkshake but not an artificially sweet smell but quite natural

It contains aloe vera and vitamin E to moisturise skin and beeswax to help seal and protect your hands from the elements...perfect for this freakishly cold weather at the moment (it's May for goodness sake!)

I have this on my desk at work and apply it when I have the chance

mainly on my cuticles as they're the worst bits on my hands, and I always get comments on the smell

It's almost like it's that sugar hit you need mid afternoon...calorie free!

Any other intensive hand creams I'm missing out on?

Love

Belle

xoxo

Meet Dermalogica Kit

I recently took out a subscription to Marie Claire magazine and received the Dermalogica set as a free gift, just as well really as I don't seem to receive the free gifts with the magazine!

I wait to subscribe to a magazine until the free gift draws me in and I'd been wanting to try out some more Dermalogica products for so long so this was the perfect opportunity

 In the trial set I received mini versions of four cult classics; Special Cleansing Gel, Daily Microfoliant, Skin Smoothing Cream, Multivitamin Power Firm

The Daily Microfoliant has been on my lust list for so long so I really wanted to try it out.

It's the perfect daily exfoliant as it's not too harsh on the skin, it is just the right amount of scrubby to be used everyday. In combination with the rest of the products my skin is feeling softer and smoother, al though it's no where near perfect! 

The Special Cleansing Gel has become my go to cleanser for everyday use 

It foams slightly and cleanses deeply thoroughly removing any trace of makeup left on my skin, I feel like my skin is so clean after I've used this

The Skin Smoothing Cream is a daily medium weight moisturiser

It's been working fantastically as a barrier against the really harsh winter weather at the moment and combating all my dryness 

The Multivitamin Power Firm is for mature and prematurely aging skin so I haven't really been using this much. I tried it around my eye area and the skin felt really smooth, I may keep it up as a preventive measure to aging...

Looking at the Dermalogica website there are so many other products I'd love to try

Are there any you recommend?

Love

Belle 

xoxo