Tuesday 12 June 2012

Boux Avenue Beauty – Rose Petal Lip Balm and White Chiffon Hand Cream


A few little treats from Boux Avenue, take a look at these lovely pieces.



White Chiffon hand cream is described as “a luxurious hand cream that smoothes and softens for silky hands you’ll love.” Scented with lily, jasmine and elderflower, the signature Boux Avenue scent is gorgeous and definitely worth checking out the next time you’re in store. With silk protein, I was surprised at how rich and nourishing this is, and it’s a lot thicker than I was expecting! Once applied, it leaves skin feeling soft and has a light scent that lasts around an hour.



The Rose Petal Lip Balm also smells divine and has a true antique rose scent. A 10ml glass tub, this is a must for any vintage aficionado.



Boux Avenue – not just for undies!   

Friday 8 June 2012

May 2012 Empties – Must try harder




Here’s my paltry offering to the gods of empties. Nothing but a Sure Roll On Deodorant and Soap & Glory Righteous Body Butter. The body butter has been on the go since Christmas so it really does last, but I’ve got loads of body lotions to use up, just in time for summer when a butter is too rich. Needless to say, these will both be repurchased!

Next month I promise to try harder!

Wednesday 6 June 2012

July Magazines Beauty Freebies – Benefit, Leighton Denny, Body Shop


Show your local newsagent some love this month and head on down to see the great freebies on offer with this months’ magazines.

Image sourced from glamourmagazine.co.uk


Glamour
First off, Glamour has once again collaborated with Benefit to offer a choice of 3 freebies. Choose from BadGal Lash Mascara (4g), The Porefessional (7.5ml)and That Gal Primer (7.5ml). Personally, I adore Benefit and have already purchased the first two on the list. I’ve searched high and low for That Gal as I’m desperate to try it but it looks like these aren’t even available anywhere in the Birmingham/West Midlands area. At just £2 for the magazine with the products worth £10, £10 and £15 respectively, it’s a bargain! Look for Kylie Minogue, Fearne Cotton and Eva Longoria on the cover.

Marie Claire
Bringing you the cutest nail polishes around, pick from three Ciate colours, taupe, hot pink and pastel purple, worth £9 each. With a cover price of £3.70, it might be worth getting them all if you’re a fan.

Harpers Bazaar
Leighton Denny is a popular freebie and you can choose a full sized bottle worth £11 in pink, orange or taupe with the £4.20 magazine.

InStyle
For the £3.80 cover price, you can choose from either a Body Shop mascara (worth £10) or 2 eye definers (worth £16).

Also worth an honourable mention is the free Reiss vest with Elle magazine (£3.90) in 3 different colours and the free sunglasses in Tatler (£4.10) in a choice of 4 different colours. Perfect for your holidays! Plus, Vogue is just £2 this month! You know what they say, buy nothing until you buy Vogue.

Tuesday 5 June 2012

Origins skincare routine – Facial time


Every Sunday, I try to be good and give myself a decent facial. Since I received my Origins basics for Christmas, I’ve been adding to my collection and have finally got a full nine-piece routine sorted! Here it is.


Origins Never A Dull Moment Skin Brightening Face Cleaner with Fruit Extracts (150ml)

A huge product, a little goes a long way and you only need a pea sized amount. With a fruity smell, this has a really thick lather, so thick in fact that I need to use a sponge to get it off! This really does live up to the claims though and my skin looks brighter after use.



Origins Modern Friction Nature’s Gentle Dermabrasion (30ml sample)

A deluxe sample size, again, I only use an amount similar in size to a 20p piece and work it in all over my face. A thick paste or emulsion, this exfoliates but without being too harsh or scratchy and dries out once it’s been on the skin for a minute or so.



Origins Drink Up 10 Minute Mask to Quench Skin’s Thirst (50ml sample)

Another sample, a pea-sized amount is enough to cover the face in a thin film of this mask. Upon application this instantly feels soothing and calms my skin.



Origins Make a Difference Skin Rejuvenating Treatment Lotion (150ml)

I love the scent of this toner and it reminds me of that salon smell. By the time I’ve cleansed, exfoliated and used a mask, the cotton pad I use to apply this with is clean as a whistle! Another product that feels like it’s working but isn’t harsh and it doesn’t sting.



Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins Mega-Mushroon Skin relief Advanced Face Serum (30ml)

The first thing you’ll notice is the odd, botanical smell of this. Get past it (it’s really not strong) and you should be able to almost feel it healing the skin. When I first started using it, I saw a definite improvement to my skin in that I had fewer blemishes and outbreaks. Now, that’s not so much the case but this is still a great product and one I’d recommend.



Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins Mega-Bright Skin Tone Correcting Serum (5ml sample)

The newest addition to the Origins range, this serum has a gorgeous iridescent finish and leaves skin glowing. I only have a tiny sample of this so I use it in the daytime on special occasions as a primer without the Mega Mushroom serum. At the counter I was told to use this after the Mega Mushroom to brighten the look of your skin. When I first started using the two serums together at night, I could see a definite improvement in my skin, but lately there is none, although it does leave my skin feeling smooth. I like it, but not enough to justify purchasing the full sized bottle.



Origins High-Potency Night A Mins Mineral-Enriched Oil-Free Renewal Cream (50ml)

A lovely cooling gel that’s oil free and light enough to use without clogging your pores – no greasy residue in the morning here!



Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream to Brighten and Depuff (15ml)

One word – genius! This has a definite immediate effect, just pat a little under one eye and compare to the other to see how much lighter the area looks when you use this. It’s not an award winner for nothing and it’s the best eye cream I’ve ever used by far.



Origins Super Spot Remover Blemish Treatment Gel (10ml)

I haven’t quite figured out when to use this during my mammoth routine. Needless to say, this is a topical gel that works to reduce the size of the blemish and is so fast acting I sometimes use it in the day, not just overnight. Everyone should have one!



Hope you enjoyed that super long post! I really like using my Origins products. They're so gentle, natural and brightening that they're suitable for everyone. Sadly, I think it might be time to move on to something perhaps a little stronger on my blemish prone skin. If anyone has any recommendations for blemish busting skincare for combination skin then please let me know!