Want it all Charlotte Tilbury!

I finally gave in and got my paws on a few things from the Charlotte Tilbury makeup range. I have been lusting after her products ever since she launched them last year and I decided it was time to believe the hype and go for it!

First I desperately wanted the Dolce Vita eyeshadow palette. I mentioned this in my Christmas eyeshadow palette post. I just love the colours, especially the rusty brown and the glittery bronze shades. I was not disappointed. The textures are buttery, the colours rich and intense, they blend like a dream and a tiny bit goes a very long way! At £38 I have to say it is very reasonable and worth it.

Next I went for an eyeshadow pencil in Golden Quartz. I wasn’t planning on getting this but once I tried it I couldn’t not have it. I love easy to apply and blend makeup and this is definitely that. I just draw this messily all over my eyelid, blend with my finger or a brush, deepen the colour in the crease and voila – perfect subtle one shade smokey eye for day or night!! These pencils are £19 and yes again I think the price is just right.

And finally I got her makeup bag because it was so cute I couldn’t resist (£!5)!

Of course I have my eye on more of her products especially the skincare (Magic Cream and Multi Miracle Glow) and of course more makeup!!

Budget Boots

Whilst internet browsing I came across Chockers shoes and was intrigued! After a quick look I spotted these Sienna boots for a bargain £35! I had to have them. They are not leather but look amazing, are so comfortable and are an excellent fit on my slim calves which I am thrilled about!

NEW Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blusher – Diffused Heat & Mood Exposure

These amazing new blushers from Hourglass arrived so quickly without much warning and just as quickly started selling out! These are a combination of blush and highlighter in one, the highlighter is none other than the much blogged about Ambient Lighting Powders. So each blush combines one of the six lighting powders with a colour to give perfection in a blusher!

After much deliberation I decided to go for Diffused Heat (top) and Mood Exposure (£28 each from Space NK). I would love to have all six of these but had to rein myself in (ish)!

As you can see from the pictures, the colour is vibrant yet glowy. I have not added any other highlighter to my face or cheeks just the blusher. I totally LOVE these blushers and would recommend it to anyone. The picture above is Diffused Heat and below is Mood Exposure. Diffused Heat is much a stronger colour whereas Mood Exposure is slightly more muted and natural. I have to say that even though on first inspection they appear powdery they apply beautifully (I use my Real Techniques Stippling Brush) and last all day. Worth the investment.

Dove Hair Care

I have been trying out Dove hair care for a few months now and I have to say that I am quite impressed! The first product I tried was the Dove Hair Therapy Nourishing Oil Care Express Treatment Conditioner 180ml (£3.99). I got this purely because washing my hair is a lengthy affair and anything that promises deep conditioning in about one minute is a winner. And this does exactly that. It is a rich thick cream that detangles instantly and leaves my hair soft and smelling lovely in just one minute. I love that when you squeeze it out is a satisfying swirl of white and yellow colours (I think the yellow is meant to be the “oil” component)! I know that’s sad and a good marketing gimmick but I like it! The conditioner itself is brilliant. I am on my third tube and still love it.

Having had such success with the conditioner it was only natural I try to shampoo from the range the Dove Hair Therapy Nourishing Oil Care Shampoo 250ml (£2.69). I do like this shampoo. It is quite moisturising and my hair definitely felt soft after just the shampoo. I don’t love it as much as the express conditioner but it is pretty good for the price.

Finally to round it all off I couldnt resist the Dove Hair Pure Care Oil Nourishing Treatment For All Hair Types (£9.99). This is a really rich oil that smells amazing. On my frizzy, thick hair it is really good. I have used it as a de-frizzer and smoother (on both wet and dry hair) and as a pre-shampoo treatment. It is very nice – but not as good as the L’Oreal Extraordinary Oil of course! I dont know if I would buy it again given the price is the same as the L’Oreal one but still was worth a try.

Retinol Face Creams

I have read quite a few articles about retinol and how effective it is at improving your skin’s texture and appearance. Recently two retinol creams have been featured regularly in women’s  magazines  – Indeed Labs Retinol ReFace (available at Boots for £19.99) and La Roche Posay Redermic  R Anti-wrinkle (also from Boots for £28.00). Both these creams are reported to have much higher levels of retinol than “previous” retinol creams without causing any of the nasty side effects like irritation and redness. I decided to try the Retinol ReFace (mainly as it was on offer for £13.99).

Although I don’t have many wrinkles, I do suffer from dark pigmentation and scarring as a result of blemishes.  I recently had a bout of blemishes that left my skin marked along my left cheek and jawline. The blemishes have cleared up and although I knew that the scars would fade eventually as others before had I thought I would test out the Retinol ReFace whilst I had a good reason to!

So I used this every night for about 6 weeks now. Within the first week (yes the first week) I noticed a huge reduction in pigmentation around the scars. I went from using a heavy foundation and concealer to just powder for minimal cover in that time frame! The texture of my skin also seemed to improve quite quickly and all the small bumps under my skin disappeared.

The cream itself is a bit of an odd texture. I find it sits on your skin for a bit so feels quite weird! It does sink in after a bit and your skin is left moisturised and feeling normal (i.e. not sticky or greasy or dry). The smell isn’t very appealing – I think it is unscented which to me then smells like those medical skin creams! That makes it sound awful but what I mean is that it doesn’t smell luxurious or expensive.  However, it works!

I am truly impressed with this cream. I am not sure if I want to continue to use it as a preventative measure or wait until I have reasons to use and save it for those? I wonder if its effectiveness may diminish of you “overuse” it? Whatever happens this cream is going to stay on my emergency skincare list for a while. I am now of course very tempted by the La Roche Posay version! That may have to be the next trial!

So if you are thinking about upping your retinol – go for it!

Beauty from Within?

There are two newish products that Boots have been selling like hot cakes that have finally made their way into my life – the Fountain range of supplements for beauty from within. There are two in the range – Fountain The Beauty Molecule (£24.99 for 240ml) and Fountain the Hyaluronic Molecule (£27.99 for 240ml). Both are liquid supplements that you take once a day.

The Beauty Molecule contains a very high concentration (40mg/teaspoon) of Resveratrol, a natural phenol found in the skin of red grapes and in Japanese knotweed. Hundreds of studies have shown that Resveratrol offers the longevity effects of calorie restriction, is a strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, and promotes normal cell division.

The Hyaluronic Moleculecontains a high concentration (130mg/2 teaspoons) of Hyaluronic Acid which is an anti-inflammatory, hydrating compound found readily in the skin, joints, eyes, and the brain. Hyaluronic Acid is referred to as nature’s own lubricant and declines with age.

Sounds so amazing right? Well I have been testing these out for over a month now and I have noticed no difference. I know that a month is not very long but these bottles are quite small so don’t last very long! I have been through one of the Hyaluronic and half of the Beauty in that time. It would have been good to see a change that would have inspired me to keep buying them but at that price I don’t think I am going to replace these.

I am glad I tried them as I was so curious about them but have to say not very impressed with the lack of change!

Soap and Glory Rediscovered

I rediscovered how much I love Soap and Glory products recently. I went into Boots to repurchase the Peaches and Clean cleanser that I have used and loved before and while I was there found another two products I am really loving too.

I’ll start with Peaches and Clean (£6) which is a lovely cream cleanser that takes all your makeup off easily and leaves my skin feeling soft and clean. I use this a lot and just love the smell, the texture and how well it works. At that price its also a great everyday staple.

So the next thing I picked up was the Foam Call Bath and Shower wash (£6.50). This stuff really lasts, a little goes a really long way. It has a really fresh citrus smell and doesn’t dry my skin out.

I also picked up the Butter Yourself Body Cream (£10.50). This stuff is so lovely. the texture is like a whipped cream so not too thick but it is very moisturising. What I love the most is that it is full of AHAs which are an exfoliant basically getting rid of dead skin cells and encouraging cell renewal. The smell is light and fruity but doesn’t linger which I like.

So overall very impressed with my three purchases and will be going back for more!

Maybelline 3 for 2

Boots were doing another 3 for 2 deal on Maybelline and having read so much about the Rocket Volum’ Express Mascara I had to get one. Of course then I had to find two other things to buy and I spotted these Color Sensational High Shine Lip Glosses. Although I wasn’t looking for lip glosses I am always happy to buy good lip products and these are lovely! They are somewhere between a lip balm and lip gloss. Not sticky AT ALL, the colour lasts for ages and gives a lovely shine to your lips! So for £6.19 I am super pleased with my lucky find!

Below is Fuschia Flash

And this one below is Gleaming Grenadine.

Finally back to the reason for heading to the Maybelline counter – Rocket Volum’ Express Mascara – worth the hype and the £7.99. It definitely gives volume, separates lashes beautifully and no clumping. Love it! Mascara worn in pictures above.

Sanctuary Spa – Skincare

Boots were having a 3 for 2 deal on all Sanctuary Spa products and as I had read so much about some of their skincare range I decided it was a good time to try them out.

The first thing I really wanted to try was the Therapist’s Secret Facial Oil (£17.50). This is packed full of lovely organic oils like rosehip, rose and frankincense that are really good for keeping your skin looking young and soft. I am totally obsessed with facial oils and have been using them for years like this Clarins one. Having read many great reviews of this I had to give it a go.

I absolutely love this oil. In fact I am almost convinced that it is my favourite facial oil to date! I have used this both on its own at night or mixed into my daily moisturiser or even foundation during the day. If my skin is ever feeling really dry or sensitive I reach for this. The smell is beautiful rose and the texture is rich yet silky and easily absorbed. Definitely worth the hype! This was a great purchase and one that I most certainly will buy again and again.

The next product I really wanted to try was the Leave-on Exfoliating Cream (£14). This is not a “scrub” of any form but has AHAs in it that help skin turnover. I don’t really like scrubs as I find them too drying so this was a good alternative. I use acids like Alpha-H Liquid Gold all the time so know the benefits of this type of exfoliation but I had never tried a daytime version. Having used this for about a month I havent really noticed any changes. I dont really like the texture and it doesnt moisturise my skin as much as I would like. So not impressed and wont be getting this again.

Finally I also got the Time Reversal Mask (£13.50). The main reason I got this product is my skin was feeling particularly dry and I just wanted something to plump it up and give it an extra boost of moisture. It also says it can be left on overnight as a special treatment which did appeal to me too!

I have read that this mask can cause quite bad reactions to some people so was a little worried when I first tried it. Thankfully I have had nothing but good results. The mask is creamy and immediately feels hydrating and comforting on the skin. I have only ever used this as a 10-15 minute mask as I have to admit being a bit nervous to leave it on overnight. As a mask it works beautifully and I have found myself reaching for this quite often. In the winter when my skin needs a little extra boost this definitely helps. I may not rush out to replace this but would definitely get it again.

So 2 out 3 good results isnt bad, and discovering the Therapists Secret Facial Oil is a major bonus!