My Updated (And Upmarket!) Skincare Rountine

I have done a post about my skincare routine before but since then it has changed and without thinking about it I've noticed I've gone for higher end and better quality products this time.

A few months ago I started using the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. This is fantastic, my skin doesn't feel tight or stripped of any oils when I use this, as it did with my previous cleanser which was just a cheap one from Simple. My skin is properly cleansed, soft, I've noticed it's less oily and congested and the product is such a lovely rich cream it makes washing my face something I enjoy (without wanting to sound too weird...). I don't feel like I need to quickly grab my moisturiser after cleansing either because my skin isn't tight or dried out.

I massage this into my face with my make up still on, it gets rid of absolutely everything. I even use it on my eyes and it doesn't sting whatsoever. Then I ''polish'' the cleanser off with a muslin cloth. The result being soft, cleansed glowing skin.

Cleanse and Polish is the most expensive cleanser I've used but it's also the best quality. I've never really thought about using a slightly more expensive cleanser before because I never saw the point as the product is only on your face for a minute. Oh how wrong I was! This is definitely worth the money and I think I'll struggle to find something better than this.

After cleansing I use a toner from Elemis which I bought while on holiday recently. The hotel spa where I was staying was an Elemis Spa and I had a facial where they used this on me and I really liked it. 

I hadn't been using a toner for a while as I'd stopped using the Clinique toner because it was drying my skin out unfortunately. This toner doesn't have any alcohol in so it doesn't dry or strip your skin. It's a lavender toner for combination skins. Lavender is an antiseptic so it's good for breakouts and things. I find this makes my skin nice and soft, balances it out nicely and gives me a nice base for my moisturiser.

The latest addition to my skincare routine is the Sanctuary Pore Refiner Facial Scrub. I mentioned this in my previous post so some of you might know that I really like this for a good exfoliate when my skin is a bit congested. I have been using this every 2-3 days.

Finally we have my trusted Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel from Clinique. As you can see from this picture I've very nearly finished the bottle which has lasted me about 8 months! I love this product, it moisturises without being heavy or greasy, sinks right into the skin, doesn't make me breakout or make my skin oilier. I bought a second bottle on my way back from holiday in Duty Free so I will be starting that very soon.

If any of you have seen my previous skincare routine post you will probably have noticed that I'm using much better quality products than before. I am still on the hunt for a good eye cream so please let me know if you know of any!

Hannah x

FOTD: A Very Natural Make Up Look

This is just a really natural make up which I wear most days during the week if I'm not doing anything special.

FACE - I used my Lily Lolo mineral foundation and concealer as usual, applied their mineral blush in Clementine. Then under my eyes I applied my Clinique Airbrush Concealer. To finish off the skin I used Estee Lauder Lucidity Loose Powder which I love.

EYES - I used Painterly Paintpot from MAC on my lid, lined my upper lash line with Brown Down Eyeshadow from MAC on an angled brush. Then I applied what was left on the brush to my lower lashes and blended for some natural definition. I lined my upper waterline with Collection 2000 Lasting Finish brown eyeliner and applied Volume Million Lashes from L'oreal. 

I also curled my lashes before my mascara which I think makes a real difference to your eyes and highly recommend!

BROWS & LIPS - On my brows I used MAC Brow Set in Beguile. And on my lips I put a bit of tinted lipbalm on.

Haul!

Here's a few things I've bought recently - 

Free Clinique Gift with Glamour Magazine

It's Glamour's 10th Anniversary and to celebrate they have teamed up with Clinique and are offering a choice of 10 free Clinique products with every magazine. I chose the red lipstick but I'm thinking about going back and getting the eye cream too as I've heard good things about it.... 

The lipstick itself is called Rosette and has SPF 15. It's a nice colour with gold specks running through it that would flatter everyone.

Lancaster Infinite Bronze Sunlight Make Up

I got this set of Lancaster make up in TK Maxx. The RRP value of all three products was £60 and I got them for £8 which was a very nice bargain! 

First is the Lip Variations duo. There's a red cream lip colour and a pink gloss and you also get a pretty good lip brush. I LOVE the red colour, it's really highly pigmented and the formula is nice and creamy. You can wear it as a stain which is what I've been doing or really go for it and have bright fire engine red lips!

The pink gloss is also quite highly pigmented, it's basically a slightly more pigmented tinted lip balm. The colour is a nice bright pink that's wearable and peps up the face.

Lancaster Star Dust Sparkling Powder Trio

This is a trio of powder highlighters which you can use on the body too. It comes with a white colour, pale yellow gold colour and a light bronze so any skintone can use this. It's quite glittery which is slightly disappointing because I would like a highlighter to be less glittery so it looks more natural. The colours are still nice though and there's no reason why you couldn't use the powders on the eyes.

Lancaster Face Luminizer

This is a tinted moisturiser that makes you look glowing and healthy. The colour is a good colour match for me and the cream sinks into the skin nicely and quickly. The colour very similar to a Nars foundation shade called Gobi.

I am always apprehensive about putting creams on my face which aren't noncomedonic or hypoallegenic because my face breaks out easily. I will definitely keep this and use it on others though as I think it's great.

Top to Bottom - Tinted Moisturiser, Pink Gloss, Red Lip Cream, Clinique Rosette

Superdrug Vitamin E Eye Cream

 I bought this as I wanted an eye cream but didn't want to spend a lot on one. This was about £3 in Superdrug and I've used it a couple of times so far. It feels a bit chalky and is a bit difficult to rub in...but I will review this after a while of using!

The Pink Cow Vanilla Biscuit Shower Gel

I think I have found my ''HG'' shower gel...

I spotted this AMAZING shower gel in Boots. It's paraben free which is great for us and the enviroment, you get 500ml (usual shower gels are 250ml) and it smells good enough to eat!!

What attracted me first was the ammount of product you get and that it was on offer for £2. It's normally just over £3 I think. They have other ''flavours'' but I decided to get the Vanilla because I adore vanilla. It smells exactly like it's name and reminds me of when you're making the base for a cheesecake and are crushing up digestives and butter!

Umberto Giannini Grunge Glamour Tousled Salt Spray

I love salt spray for adding texture and volume to my hair as it's naturally quite straight and sleek. I like to wear my hair messy most of the time and had been meaning to get some more spray.

I've only ever used the Vo5 one and so I decided to get this as the packaging is lovely and to see if it's better than the Vo5. It has a really nice sweet vanilla smell to it. I will review this and let you know how I get on!

So that's my haul ladies.. I would like to say a big warm welcome to the new followers that have subscribed to my blog this week! xxxx

Products I'm Loving Right Now!

I did a bit of shopping the other day and bought a couple of items which have turned out to be really good products, so I thought I'd show you the products I'm loving right now and am wearing pretty much every day!

YSL Elle Perfume -

This winter I've not really been wearing perfume but I'm starting to get back into wearing it. I got this for my birthday last year and I wore it pretty much everyday. That was during the summer so every time I wear this now it reminds me of summer days. It's quite a heavy perfume but I find that after a few minutes of wearing this, it settles down into a nice sexy, slightly sweet floral smell. I also like the bottle, nice and classy, very YSL! It's a nice size as well so you can throw it in your bag easily if you want to.

L'oreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara -

 I love this mascara. I am now wearing it everyday and I like it more and more each time I wear it! The brush is surprisingly good at getting right to the roots of my lashes, and I wore my Estee Lauder Projectionist the other day which I was in love with but it's crap compared to this mascara. Very surprised at how much I like this!

17 Lasting Fix Lipstick in Hot Chilli -

I have been after and orange-y red lipstick for a while. Collection 2000 had what looked like the perfect colour but when I got to the shops I couldn't find it at all! I saw Hot Chilli by 17 though, which looked similar so I opted for that. It's a nice colour, maybe not orange toned enough for what I'm after but I still think it's a nice bright coral-y red. Good Lady Danger dupe!

Clinique Instant Lift For Brows -

I bought this on a whim but am in love with this product. I use it along with my MAC brow gel to do my brows. The pencil is a perfect colour for my very fair brows and it's so easy to use. I love the texture of it as it's a lot softer than the usual eyebrow pencils out there and it almost has a waxy like feel to it, which I find is good for keeping the hairs staying in the right direction and it coats the hairs better, giving better definition.

On the other end it has a highlighter colour which you are meant to put on your brow bone, but I use this on my eyelids as a cream eyeshadow and find it gives a really nice sheen to them, and it stays put all day. The colour is very similar to Hush Cream Colour Base from MAC.

Swatches -

Top to Bottom - Clinique Highlight Colour, Clinique Brow Pencil in Soft Blonde, 17 Hot Chilli Lipstick.

 Estee Lauder AeroMatte Pressed Powder -

I have been after a pressed powder which I can take around with me in my make up bag. All the other powders I own are loose powders, so they aren't very practical for taking around. I researched into many different brands, as I was wanting a mattifying powder which doesn't give any coverage or look cakey. I bought this AeroMatte compact from Estee Lauder, which is pricey at £24 but I know Estee Lauder's products are always going to work, and I'm going to get a great product.

They had discontinued this product but have recently starting selling it again, which I am so glad about because it is fantastic. It gives a gorgeous finish to the skin, mattifies but does it in a way that doesn't make me look dull or dead. It doesn't change the coverage or colour of my make up either.

So those are my favourite products at the moment...what are yours?

My Skincare Routine

I've added a couple of new products into my skincare routine lately as well as cutting out some products which my skin is benefiting from, so I thought I'd show you my updated skincare routine!

Firstly every morning I exfoliate with my St Ives Invigorating scrub. It's the best scrub I've found and have been using it for about 2 years! I find a bottle of this lasts me a good three months. St Ives do lots of different scrubs, I used to use the scrub for blemishes but it was way too harsh for my skin.

Every evening I cleanse my face with Simple's Refreshing Facial Wash Gel. It's a nice bog standard gel cleanser, gets rid of oil and dirt, cleanses my skin. Nothing amazingly special.

I'll soon be finishing my latest bottle of this though, and am going to start using my Avene Clearance Gel cleanser, which I was sent along with my Trilogy products to review. So I will let you know how I get on with it. Have you ever used this product or any Avene products, if so what do you think of them?

A new product in my routine is the Clinique Clarifying Lotion in number 3 which is for oily combination skins. I really love this! It gets rid of any dirt that your cleanser has left behind, as well as mildly exfoliating your skin so it's left really smooth. I find my moisturiser and other products sink into my skin so much better and much quicker. All in all my skin looks really healthy and glowing after using it. It's also helping to tone down my oily skin.

 I've been reading that a lot of people find this too harsh for their skin, but luckily I haven't had any reaction. It contains salicylic acid too which helps clear up any blemishes.

Next up is my Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel for oily skins. I really like this, my skin is so smooth from using this, and it doesn't make my skin oily at all. Pretty much the perfect moisturiser for my skin! I use this morning and night.

I remove my make up with Simple Wipes, I buy them simply because they're always on special and they are good refreshing wipes!

I have scrapped my medicated spot creams which were drying out my skin (I also didn't like the idea of using all those chemicals on my skin) I've started using the Lumie Clear UV Light Treatment, which you can find more info about in my post here and I'll be updating you on how I'm doing with it every two weeks in a blog post.

Basically it's two UV lights, which kill the bacteria in your skin naturally, without any chemicals or any risk of breaking out. So far I am really loving this product and I don't have any dry areas from nasty spot creams.

I also don't feel the need to be using a face mask at the moment, since my toner helps my skin stay clean and I've not got a lot of oil build up any more.

HAUL and SWATCHES: Clinique + L'oreal

Yesterday I popped into Boots to get Clinique's Clarifying Lotion which is part of their 3 Step System. While I was at the Clinique counter I noticed they had an offer on for 750 Boots Card points if you buy 3 or more Clinique items. So I decided what the heck I'll get 3 things.. here's what I got-

I've always thought toners to be a bit of a con and never quite understood the point of them. But and after a bit of research I think my skin could do with one. Thought I'd go with Clinique as I really like their skincare and already use their Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel.

The Clarifying Lotion sweeps away any dirt or oil that your cleanser has left behind, and helps clogged pores and oil etc.

I got it in number 3 which is for combination/oily skins. I was thinking about getting number 4 which is for very oily skins but after reading reviews people said they found it a bit harsh, so number 3 should be a good middle ground.

The other two Clinique items I got were the Airbrush concealer as I'll be needing a new one soon and the Instant Lift for Brows. 

This is the first concealer I've ever re-purchased, it's so good! 

I've seen Sam at Pixiwoo use the eyebrow pencil in her videos and thought I'd try it out. I like that it has a highlighter with it which is a similar colour to Hush Cream Colour Base from MAC.

Top to bottom- Airbrush Concealer in Fair, Instant Lift for Brows in Soft Blonde, highlight colour.

I also got the L'oreal Volume Million lashes mascara, as I'm nearly out of my Estee Lauder Projectionist and even though this is probably the best mascara I've ever used, at £18.50 it's just way too expensive to keep re-purchasing.

I went with L'oreal because their mascaras are said to be the best out of the drugstore brands, and I liked the look of the brush on Volume Million Lashes.

Have you tried any of these products?

FOTD- Natural Everyday Make Up

Today I decided to do a natural everyday look combining the spring trends into it.

I used Painterly Paintpot from MAC all over my lids, then Jaan eyeshadow from my Athma palette over that.

I then used Vanilla from MAC under my brows to highlight and a small ammount in the inner corners of my eyes.

I put a little bit of Arena eyeshadow from MAC on my lower lashes, lined my upper waterline with Collection 2000 brown eyeliner, smudging a tiny bit on the corner of my lower lashes with an angled brush.

I then curled my lashes with my Tweezerman curlers, and applied one coat top & bottom of Estee Lauder Projectionist mascara.

For my brows I used MAC Brow Set in Beguile and Omega shadow on an angled brush to define the ends of my brows a bit more.

On the cheeks I used Barry M blusher in number 5 and Lily Lolo mineral bronzer in South Beach to contour slightly.

Clinique Airbrush concealer is under my eyes and as always I'm using a very sheer layer of Lily Lolo mineral foundation and the mineral concealer where needed. Then finally Lily Lolo mineral matte finishing powder which I recently bought.

On my lips I have Vaseline Lip Therapy tinted lip balm.

Hope you like it! It's such a gorgeous day today, when the sun is shining I always feel really good :)

2010 Favourites!

Hello everyone, this will be my final post of 2010, and what better way to do it than share with you my favourite products of the year!

 

St. Ives Invigorating Scrub- I use this every morning to exfoliate my face and my skin is always soft!

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel- I love this product, the best moisturiser I have ever used! You can read my review of it here.

 

Lily Lolo Mineral Foundation, Concealer & Bronzer- This year I started to use mineral make up, and what a difference it has made! It looks so natural and lasts all day, is really quick to use but you don't feel like you have anything on! Most importantly though, it's good for your skin and it's cleared up my acne!

MAC Prep+Prime Finishing Powder- This is so finely milled, it keeps my shine away and makes my pores smaller.

Tweezerman Eyelash Curlers- they make my eyelashes look amazing!

 

MAC Brow Set in Biguile- I have fair brows and this really helps to define them. (sorry for the blurry pic!)

Clinique Airbrush Concealer- The best under eye concealer I've used, it doesn't cake or fall into fine lines like most concealers I've tried!

MAC Pro Palette- I love all these shadows, such high quality and I use all of the colours

 Soap & Glory Flake Away body scrub- My best friend got me this for Christmas. It makes my skin so soft and smooth, and smells divine! 

Umberto Giannini Sex Bomb Mousse- I really like this mousse, it makes my hair huge! But doesn't weigh it down or make it feel greasy and horrible like other mousses I've tried. I also love the packaging!

 Estee Lauder Projectionist Mascara & Clinique High Impact Mascara- These are my favourite mascaras of the year, and I'd buy both of them again

Nail polishes- (from left to right) Rimmel Chip Resistant Top Coat, Rimmel 60 Seconds Rapid Ruby, Barry M Grey (don't know the proper name or number!) Revlon Lilac Pastielle, Revlon Vixen.

 

MAC Powder Blush in Harmony- This is matte and brilliant for contouring on most skin tones!

 Rimmel Shake Up Pink Lipstick- I really love this colour and wear it most days, you can sheer it down or build it up for full on pink!

MAC Cream Colour Base in Hush- this is really nice highlight colour and also really nice on the eyelid.

Barry M Blusher in No.5- This is a really nice peach blush but comes up very orange on camera! It lasts all day on my skin

MAC Honeylove Lipstick- This is a nice matte nude, but make sure your lips are moisturised and aren't chapped otherwise it looks awful!

So they are my 2010 Favourites. Happy New Year everyone! 

xxx 

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel Review

Hello lovelies!

Sorry I haven't posted for a few days, I have been snowed in for 5 days without any internet!

I have decided to do a review of my Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel from Clinique.

I wanted to try this moisturiser for a while, but it has always been a bit too expensive for me. However when I was going through the airport on holiday, I decided to purchase it as it had a few pounds off the usual price!

You can choose to buy a 50ml bottle or a 125ml bottle. I decided to go for the 125ml.

This gel moisturiser is especially for combination oily/oily skin, however for normal/dry skins there is a Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion.

So... The blurb on the back of the bottle says: ''Works to improve skin's texture and condition after cleansing and clarifying. Oil- free. Apply twice a day to face and throat all over or where needed''. 

It is also 100% fragrance free, like all Clinique's other products.

I have been using this product for around 5 weeks.

So here's what I like about this product so far:

• It is the first moisturiser to moisturise my skin extremely well at the same time as leaving my skin shine-free
• After applying my skin is soft and feels clean
• I have noticed an improvment in my skin's clarity, it doesn't seem to be as congested and the blackheads especially on my nose (lovely!!) are no longer visible
• It doesn't break me out!
• The pump on the bottle is very hygenic and you only need one pump of product for your whole face
• I haven't needed to use a make up primer with this product beacuse it doesn't make my skin shiny (which is a first for me!)

I think I have tested this product pretty well as I was using it while on holiday in 25 degree heat, and now I am using it in sub zero temperatures!

In both climates this product has been amazing and actually done what it says on the bottle!

I am in love with this moisturiser and will definately be buying again!

Moisturise Me, Moisturise Me!

My skin is really dry at the moment due the cold weather outside and then coming into central heating! So I have decided to share my favourite moisturisers with you.

BODY MOISTURISERS:

The Body Shop Coconut Shimmering Body Butter & Spa Wisdom Polynesia moisturiser.

I got these two products as a gift for Christmas last year so I don't know if they are still available, but they are both really moisturising products and smell lovely.

The Shimmering Body Butter is as you have probably guessed, shimmery! But not in an over-the-top way, it has just the right amount to make you 'glow' nicely. I love the smell of coconut this has and it always reminds me of being on holiday. I use this on my legs quite a lot and it moisturises them really well!

The Polynesia Moisturiser comes with a pump and smells like flowers. It's a nice smell and is also very moisturising. 

I use this on my legs too but you can use it everywhere (apart from the face).  I only moisturise my whole body if my skin is really dry.

Superdrug Aqueous Cream and E45 Endless Moisture

At the moment I am using the Superdrug Aqueous Cream to help with my dry skin. It's fragrance free and is great for sensitive skins and people with eczema and other skin conditions.

This isn't greasy at all and manages to keep my skin constantly moisturised all day, and doesn't take ages to sink in when applying. I had a dry, flaky chest (lovely, I know!) this morning but applied this and my skin is not dry or flaky any more.

On the tub it says you can also use this in place of soap when showering. I really recommend this moisturiser for anyone with really dry skin at the moment, it's completely fragrance free and won't irritate your skin!

I used the E45 Endless Moisture in the summer on my legs. I got the Daily Radiance version, which has shimmering particles in, although you can just get the original moisturiser. 

I found this to moisturise my skin nicely and not be greasy at all.

FACE MOISTURISERS & LIP BALMS

I have changed my daily moisturiser from No7 Day Sorbet to Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel- and I am in love with the stuff! I will be writing a rave review very soon.

The Boots Expert Sensitive Restoring Night Treatment is a really good night cream, it sinks into the skin really quickly and isn't greasy, but moisturises and actually restores!

I recommend this to people with all skin types who want nicely moisturised skin. It's also fragrance free and perfect for sensitive skins!

My lips are so chapped at the moment and Blistex Relief Cream heals them really well. I pop this on at night and by morning my lips are back to normal!

I use Carmex Cherry Flavoured Lip Balm during the day and find this provides a good barrier between the cold and my lips. It's also SPF15 and smells delicious! I used this everyday on holiday too.

Do you have any favourite moisturisers?