March Beauty Wish List

Nars NARSissist Eyeshadow Palette  //  Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil  //  

The Body Shop Aloe Lip Care //  Diptyque Diffused Facial Water  //  Jo Malone Sweet Almond & Macaroon Hone Candle  //  Bumble & Bumble Deeep Treatment  //  Bare Minerals READY Eyeshadow Duo 2.0 'Top Shelf'

Come midweek, I often find myself daydreaming about browsing the shops for beauty bits at the weekend, and today is no different. This time around, I've got my eye on a selection of goodies, most of which I've got Essie Button to thank for. Last weekend, I dedicated a good day or so to catching up with my favourite blogs, and the end result was a list as long as my arm of glorious new eyeshadow palettes, hair masques and suchlike, these ones being the cream of the crop and the absolute musts. In fact, I've already popped into the Body Shop and grabbed myself the Aloe Lip Care, as my lips were in dire need of a helping hand, and I have to say it's been working well so far.

I'll leave you to browse the rest  and see whether there's anything that takes your fancy - sorry to cut this short, but as I type, my keyboard keys are sticking like mad. It's driving me...well, mad. 

Note to self: Use the Ipad next time! But

Hope everyone is having a good week so far. Let me know if you've tried any of these, and what your thoughts are.

xx

A Sunday Pamper Session

There was a time when a Sunday pamper came as naturally as breathing to me, but of late I've barely had time to sit back and relax, let alone slap on a face mask. So this weekend, I've decided to set aside some 'me' time and indulge myself with a good couple of hours of luxury.

To set the scene, I run myself a nice hot bath. Usually, I might go with a Lush bath bomb, or my favourite - The Comforter bubble bar. But this time, it's the Radox Herbal Bath Stress Relief Bubble Bath (not pictured). With its calming blend of rosemary and eucalyptus, it's the perfect way to unwind, easing any aches and pains as well as stilling the mind. Add to that some of my all-time favourite, the Elemis Skin Nourishing Bath Milk* and I'm guaranteed silky soft skin to boot - this stuff packs a seriously moisturising  punch, and can even be used as a body lotion, too. 

Before getting in, I usually light a couple of candles and place them around the edge of the bath. This is a new tactic I've started employing of late, as I do have a tendency to get a bit bored after a few minutes if I don't go out of my way to create a calming environment. At the moment, my candle of choice is Diptyque Noisetier*, but I generally switch things up a bit depending on how I'm feeling.

When I'm nearly ready to enjoy my bath, I take a scoop of the Charles Worthington Moisture Seal Intense Rescue Melting Balm and rub it between my palms to emulsify. Smoothing it evenly through the ends of my hair, I then pin my locks up on top of my head and I'm ready to go.

To keep me occupied during my soak, I've taken to bringing in my Ipad and popping on some of my favourite Youtube videos. It's amazing how much longer I can stay put if there is something to watch.

My skin has been looking a bit dull and lacklustre this week, so my face mask of choice this evening is the Elemental Herbology Facial Glow Radiance Peel*. I leave this one on for a good few minutes, then massage it in a circular motion for a couple of minutes before removing with a hot cloth for smooth, radiant skin. If I still feel that I need an extra boost, then I might also pop a layer of Ren Resurfacing AHA Concentrate on when I get out, leaving it to do its magic overnight.

After twenty minutes, it's time to wash off my hair masque. I then shampoo and condition as usual - at the moment I'm using a selection from Aussie, which my locks seem more than happy with.

Once I'm done with my bath, I go for a layer of my favourite body moisturiser - M&S Indulgent Fig & Orange Oil Moisturising Body Butter. This stuff smells nicer than any other product I have ever tried - and that, I'd say, makes it an obvious choice. If you've not heard much about this range then keep an eye out for my review, coming soon.

After that, I usually go for a couple of pumps of L'oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil before drying my hair. Ordinarily, I might slap on a moisture mask before bed, or failing that, my usual toner and moisturiser. But as I'm going for the Ren Resurfacing AHA Concentrate option this evening, I'll leave it at that, as I find it does its best work when left to do its thing alone.

And that's me.

Once I'm done, it's all about curling up on the sofa with a cup of chamomile and my Ipad, with no intention of moving for the rest of the evening.

Are you having a pamper session this Sunday? Which products will you be reaching for?

xx

The Weekly Selection

I've really been limiting myself when it comes to beauty purchases of late, and it's quite surprising to think how long it's been since I last had a real splurge. I have, however, been picking up the odd 'essential' here and there, and these four treats have most definitely been floating my boat this week.

First up, the Ren Resurfacing AHA Concentrate is back for another slice of the limelight. For those of you who missed it, I'll link my recent review of this skincare must-have at the end of the post - it has made such a huge difference to the feel and texture of my skin, and I can always count on it to revive my complexion, leaving it soft, smooth and radiant.

It took me a while to get into primers - initially I think I saw them as something of a gimmick. The trouble with these 'extra' beauty steps is that once you have a taste and realise they do have a purpose, you keep wanting to go back for more, inevitably upping the cost of your daily face. Until recently, I'd only dabbled, with a couple of swipes of Benefit The Porefessional or Revlon Photo-ready here and there - neither of which had exactly blown me away. But after a recent charity event at my local Boots, I walked away with a goodie bag which just so happened to contain a sample pot of the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. After working it into my routine for a few days and finding myself marveling at how long my makeup was staying put throughout, I was more than ready to part with the pennies and get myself a full-size tube. Of course, what I didn't bargain for was the sheer number of options I was presented with, and in the end I walked away with the Smashbox Photo Finish Luminizing Primer. A peachy, shimmery offering, this sits nicely underneath my Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation, giving off a subtle, radiant glow. This would be a fantastic choice for a night out, as it adds a glamorous edge to any look. However, I wouldn't say it increases the longevity of makeup to quite the extent that the standard Photo Finish does, so I'll be picking one of those up soon to keep in my everyday makeup kit.

I love a good, dark lip in winter, but having seen Topshop Lips in Beguiled on more than one occasion, I wondered if it would perhaps be a step too far for my pale complexion. However, a quick swatch revealed this to be nonsense - applied with a light hand, it translates onto the lips as a gorgeously wearable berry shade, and can be layered up to achieve a darker, more dramatic effect.  It's love.

Fragrance-wise, you'll probably have heard me banging on about the Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir Cologne when I reviewed it earlier this week (link below). If you're interested in finding out more about this delightful winter scent then do pop over and have a read - if you like the smell of mulled wine, then you'll love this.

Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir Cologne Review

Ren Resurfacing AHA Concentrate Review

What have been your favourite beauty treats this week?

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend!

XX