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Tuesday 28 August 2012

Empties | Products I Have Used Up #2

So I'm back with another empties post! I'm going to try and make this a monthly post and this month I have 12 products to review! I will admit 2 of these products haven't actually run out but they're either past their use by date or I just will not ever use it again! I love reading this tag because you get a much better review of the products as they have been used up.

First photo
Palmolive Soft & Gentle Extra Fresh Anti-Perspirant Deoderant in Lotus & Watermelon - this also featured in my last empties post so it shows that I really like this deoderant! It has a really fresh smell  which stays with you for a while. It's not the strongest deoderant but it's okay for me.

Radox Shower Smoothies in Island Indulgence - I have a review on this shower gel which you can read HERE. I really love this! It smells like tropical fruit and has real bits of fruit in. It lathers up really well and leaves the smell on your skin after you come out the shower. I tend to swap up my shower gels when I run out but I will definitely repurchase it if I see it on offer!

Sainsbury's Totalcare Denture Cleansing Tablets - this is bit of a weird product to put on my empties post but as I have a retainer, I use denture cleaning tablets to clean it! These take about 10 minutes to clean, but can be left over night if you want. I've been using different types of tablets, and I'm actually quite liking the ones I am using now which are the Steradent Pro as they clean in 3 minutes. I'm not fussed on which ones I use though! I just buy what ever is on the shelf or is the cheapest!

Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Cream Wash - I've featured this in my Skin Saviours and My Skin Care Routine blog posts as this face wash really helped my skin clear up! It's gentle and because it's a cream it doesn't dry out my skin. I also really like the fresh grapefruit smell which is a plus!

Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturiser - this is also featured in My Skin Care Routine as this is my daily moisturiser. I've been through quite a few of these and I like that it gives my skin a lot of moisture and at the same time isn't harsh to my skin. Simple is a really nice brand and I like quite a few of their products!

Hugo Boss Orange For Women Eau De Toilette 50ml - because my boyfriend got me another bottle of this perfume for my birthday (read about what I got HERE) I allowed myself to use up the last few sprays of this perfume! I love how fruity and fresh this perfume is and it's great for any occasion. I'm on my 3rd bottle of this so is my most bought perfume, so it's definitely a favourite!

Second photo
Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream Sample in Light - I have a review on this BB cream which you can read HERE. I'm not a huge fan of this BB cream, so I only used up one of the samples. I gave the one to my sister and the other is just sitting in my makeup bag. It's too orange for me and I don't think it sits right on my skin, which is a shame.

Bio-oil - I have quite bad stretch marks on my thighs so I like to use bio-oil to try and fade them. I do like this product, but I think it's far too expensive. I also have some Rescue Oil which is exactly the same which you can buy from Poundland, so when I use up my next bottle of Bio-oil I will probably start using Rescue Oil instead!

Tea Tree Spot Stick - this is one of the products that I haven't used up, in fact I think I used it twice then realised how much of a bad idea this product is! It's a roller ball spot treatment so you roll it on a blemish to help it heal. This means that bacteria from one spot can be spread around your face when you're dealing with multiple blemishes! Not good when you want to decrease the amount of spots you have because spreading the bacteria can make it worse!

Freederm Spot Treatment Gel - this is a much better way to treat your blemishes! I've been through quite a few of these gels and love it! It's really effective at removing spots whilst still being gentle on my skin. This features in both my Skin Saviours and My Skin Care Routine too!

Johnson's Face Care Nourishing Facial Cleansing Wipes for Dry Skin - I love these face wipes! They remove all kinds of makeup including waterproof mascara and leave my skin feeling really soft after using them. I will definitely be using these wipes for the rest of my life they're that good! These also feature in My Skin Care Routine!

Clean & Clear Advantage Spot Treatment Gel - yet another spot treatment! My skin isn't that bad, it's just I try out quite a few products to see what works best. This is out of date so I had to throw it out even though there is still some left! This is what I used before Freederm, but I think it was a bit harsh on my skin. It is quite effective, but I think I over used it and it just did more harm than good in the end!

Hope this was a useful post!

Amie

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Saturday 25 August 2012

What I Got For My 18th Birthday!

This post isn't to brag about things I got for my birthday, but just to show you what I got if you're interested and maybe give ideas for others buying for an 18 year old girl!

From my mum, dad and sister
Me To You 18th Teddy
Buckingham Silver Clasp Bangle
Brown & Harris Bath Melts
Barry M Nail Paint in Pink Flamingo
Dorothy Perkins Gold Heart Necklace
Topshop Lipstick in Infrared

I also got the Nikon Coolpix L310 Bridge camera, but as I was taking the photos with it I haven't photographed it! Here's the LINK to where mine was from if you want to check it out! It's a lovely camera, but I'm still playing around with settings until I can get my photos of good quality!

From my boyfriend
 Hugo Boss Orange Eau de Toilette
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Midnight Cowgirl
Me To You With Purse Ornament

 He also bought me some Kinder eggs, but I've already eaten them! I was really shocked to find he bought me the eyeshadow, but so grateful because it's so pretty!

From my nan and grandad
 Pandora White Leather Bracelet with 18th, Flower and Heart Silver Charms

I've always loved the leather versions of the Pandora bracelets, and because it was my 18th my nan and grandad thought it could be a lovely way to give me a special present. I got to go and choose the charms myself and I absolutely love it!

From my neighbour
 Thorntons Chocolates

I got quite a few chocolates but thought the box was pretty and the chocolates are so nice!

So that's what I got, plus a bit of money and a few bottles of wine haha! Hope you enjoyed this post or it helped you think of some presents! 
If you want to look back on my Birthday Wishlist post click HERE.

Amie

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Thursday 23 August 2012

Review | Makeup Academy (MUA) Undressed Palette

Makeup Academy Undressed Eyeshadow Palette £4
 
After a long time of wanting to buy this palette, I was able to find a Superdrug that stocked it whilst it was on offer for just £3! This is a 12 shadow palette, that some have said is very similar to the Urban Decay Naked palette, which I have also reviewed HERE! (Do leave a comment if you would like me to do a comparison post!)

This palette offers a range of neutral shades that can give you subtle day looks using the first 6 shades, or much darker, smokier looks using the last 6 shades. There are so many possible eye looks with this palette! You get 2 matte shades (shades 3 and 5) and the rest either shimmery or glittery. I find that the matte shades aren't as pigmented as the other shades, but do give you a good base colour. These shadows are very soft, easy to blend and majority pigmented which makes this palette great value for money. This palette offers you a range of warm golds, browns and pinks and a cooler black and grey. I find the warmer colours much more wearable on my eyes, but the black and grey are too harsh for me.

Along side the shadows, like the Heaven & Earth palette I reviewed HERE, it comes with a double sided sponge tip applicator. I like to use this with shade 1 and an inner-corner highlight as it picks up a lot of colour and gives me a pretty pink toned highlight. They may not be the most hygienic but I think they can be put to good use!

The packaging is also consistent through the palettes, where it's black plastic with a clear top so that you can see the shadows easily. This means it's prone to breaking, but you are getting what you pay for.

Overall, I really like this palette! I always try and use it daily because the colours are so versatile, pretty and natural looking. It's definitely a palette everyone needs in their collection, and whilst it's on offer on the MUA website, it's a great time to pick it up! You can purchase this palette from Superdrug stores, the website and MUA's website!

Hope you find this review useful! Have you tried this palette yet?

Amie

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Tuesday 21 August 2012

Liebster Blog Award #3

This is the next part of my Liebster blog award! To see part 2 click on this link!

I was tagged by 9 other beauty bloggers and this is the part where I will answer the rest of the questions 5 of them asked! I'm not going to write another 11 things about me as that it too difficult and I will use the 11 things from the last post to go with this one!

This blog award is give to new and smaller blogs with 200 followers or less. It helps them to become better known and boost followers, page views etc!

The rules
Each person must post 11 things about them self (go back to the last post for these).
Answer the 11 questions the tagger has left you.
Create 11 new questions for those you award (these will be the same as the last post!).
Award 11 other bloggers with this award.
Remember, no tag backs!

I was tagged by: A Little Bird Told Me, Petticoats & Pansies, Makeup Madness, Beckawoo, MissTiffanyDarling, Your Brunette Guru, Vividorque, Emzoo and The Makup Counter . Thank you for tagging me and I hope you go check out their blogs! 

In this post I am going to answer: MissTiffanyDarling, Your Brunette Guru, Vividorque, Emzoo and The Makeup Counter's questions! Check back to the last post if you want to see the other blogger's questions!


1. If you could only have one makeup product in your makeup bag, what would it be?
Right now it would be the Stila Angel Whitening Foundation powder! It's so lightweight, great coverage, anti-shine and has SPF! Great face product!
 
2. If you had to pick your favourite hair care brand, what would it be?
I don't have many hair care products because I usually leave it natural, but I do like GHD products, including tools and their sprays etc.
 
3. Do you always apply blusher, bronzer and highlighter on your face at the same time?
No haha! Blusher if I'm in the mood, but rarely bronzer or highlighter!
 
4. Jeans or leggings?
I'm going to have to say jeggings! Best of both worlds.
 
5. How long have you been writing your blog for?
Since 11th June 2012, so just over 2 months!
 
6. Which nail polish brand could you not be without?
It's not a nail polish brand exactly, but Barry M. I absolutely love their nail paints!

7. What is your favourite colour?
Pink, but also baby blues and lilacs.
 
8. What beauty item do you always make sure you have in your handbag?
Lip balm, can't stand dry lips!
 
9. If you had to eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Hmm, I'm a very picky eater and I get bored of foods quite easily. Probably potatoes, that I can makeup into crisps, mash, chips etc! Is that cheating..?
 
10. What super power would you choose?
Time travel/ control or invisibility.
 
11. Do you have a YouTube channel? If not have you ever though of having a YouTube channel?
I don't have one but I have thought of it. I don't think I would do one though because I hate the sound of my voice! Haha.
 

1. Do you have any pets?
Yes, I live on a farm! I have a dog, cat, chickens and geese.
 
2. Favourite highstreet shop?
Miss Selfridge.

3. Favourite bronzer?
I rarely wear bronzer so I don't actually own one! I have some bronzing balls by 17 I think, but I don't like them haha!
 
4. Best holiday?
Probably Zante last October, was really hot, relaxing and free cocktails!
 
5. Why did you start blogging?
Because I love writing about stuff I enjoy, and I thought a blog would really help me whilst studying beauty!
 
6. Do you have a YouTube channel?
Nope!
 
7. Where do you hop to be in 10 years time?
Either with my own beauty business or another job I'm happy in! And hopefully having a family haha!
 
8. Favourite makeup brand?
That's difficult! I might say MUA with a bit of Max Factor and Maybelline! I'm cheating, again!

9. Straight or curly hair!
Definitely curly! It's my natural hair and straight hair makes my head looks weird!
 
10. One makeup product you can't live with out?
Probably some form of foundation or concealer!
 
11. Favourite takeaway?
I've only had it as a takeaway once but Nandos!
 

1. What is your dream job?
Something in psychology, but I'm always happy to go into beauty!
 
2. What is your favourite restaurant?
Nandos! Sometimes TGI Fridays, mainly because I've just discovered their chicken is quite good too!

3. Do you have any hobbies? If so what are they?
 I would say blogging is my hobby!

4. What is your favourite beauty item you own?
My Urban decay Naked palette!

 5. Do you have any fears?
A fair few haha, I'm scared of spiders and butterflies if they're in enclosed spaces. I'm also scared of wind turbines (anemomenophobia), they freak me out so much!  I can't even look at a picture of one without feeling sick and all jelly-fied! When we were driving to and from seeing Ed Sheeran we had to drive past a huge wind farm and I couldn't even look up with out feeling ill haha!

6. What is your favourite time of the year?
Christmas! I love spending the day with my family and eating food!
 
7. Favourite album?
Ellie Goulding - Bright Lights, I used to listen to that on repeat during art lessons.

8. What is something you never leave the house with out?
My phone!
 
9. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
In England!
 
10. Tea or coffee?
Tea! I've never had coffee, I like the smell but I don't think I'd like the taste!
 
11. Why did you start blogging?
I love talking about beauty so thought I would set up my own space to do so. I also thought it would be good to have whilst doing my beauty course.
   

1. Why did you start blogging?
I feel bad just repeating myself! If you're reading this question, you know the answer ;) haha.

2. If you could only have 3 makeup products for the rest of your life, what would they be?
 Foundation, mascara and eyeliner.

3. What is your favourite fashion trend right now?
The colour orange, and I love how peplum tops look, but I'm yet to own one!
 
4. Neutral eye or smokey eye?
Neutral eye!
 
5. What is your favourite high end and high stree makeup brand?
Urban Decay and MUA!
 
6. What is your favourite shop for clothing?
Miss Selfridge
 
7. If you could have any job what would it be?
Something in either psychology or beauty.
 
8. How long have you been blogging for?
Just over 2 months!
 
9. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
Righ here in England!
 
10. Favourite blogger?
Would have to be Zoella!
 
11. What would you like to be doing in 5 years time?
I'll be turning 23 so hopefully in a place of my own in a job I enjoy!
 

1. What was your favourite thing about the Olympic games 2012?
Definitely because is was here in England! And that team GB didn't do badly like we do in other competitions (i.e. Eurovision haha!). I loved the gymnastics and swimming/ diving!
   
2. What is your staple makeup product?
I bet I'm being really inconsistent saying one thing then another haha! Probably foundation!

3. What is a staple product in your skin care routine?
You can read my skin care routine here. It would have to be my Neutrogena cream wash! Saved my skin's life.
 
4. What do you love about blogging?
I love that I can write what I want and that people will actually enjoy reading it! I love the thrill of 
watching page views and followers go up too!

5. What do you hate about blogging?
Maybe the feeling right at the beginning when you think 'this is a silly idea, no one will want to read my rubbish!' Haha.
 
6. What are your favourite posts to read?
Hauls!
 
7. Hauls - blogs, videos or both?
I love both, but I prefer a haul video!
 
8. How do you store your makeup?
Oh gosh, I'm probably the worst beauty blogger and will have to say in a boring makeup bag! Sorry, I don't have any acrylic containers or fancy drawers!
 
9. How much makeup and skin care do you own?
A fair amount, not too excessive.
 
10. What's your favourite time of year?
Again, Christmas or the Summer time!
 
11. Goals in life?
Happiness! 

 
1. Do you have any siblings?
2. If you had to choose between mascara or foundation, which would it be?
3. What's your favourite food?
4. Do you have a 'party trick' or an unusual talent?
5. How would you describe your dress sense?
6. What's your favourite film?
7. What's your star sign?
8. What's your one beauty item you cannot live without?
9. What is your job?
10. How did you come up with your blog name?
11. What's your favourite fashion/ beauty trend this year (so far or to come)?

I'm not going to tag any one in particular, but if you want to answer these questions then feel free to do so! Make sure you leave me a comment telling me you have so I can come and read your answers on your blog!

And that concludes that! So many questions and answers, but I did enjoy writing this! If you read both these posts all the way through, a pat on the back to you! Haha.

Amie

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Sunday 19 August 2012

OOTD | Christening

Playsuit - Miss Selfridge
Wedges - New Look
Bag - Primark
Earrings - Miss Selfridge
Watch - New Look
Makeup - Everyday makeup. I used my MUA Undressed palette (review coming soon!) for the eyes and Revlon Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake.
 
This wasn't a very formal event and it was extremely hot today, so I went for something lightweight yet still 'dressy'.

Amie

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Friday 17 August 2012

Liebster Blog Award #2

 So this is the second time that I'm doing this tag because I've been tagged by 9 lovely ladies to do this award! So that I don't bombard you with 99 answers, I am going to split this into either 2 or 3 parts - I really should have started this earlier!
I am going to answer all their questions, but only write 11 things about my self, so this may be a lengthy post!

This blog award is given to new and smaller blogs with 200 followers or less. It helps them to become better known and boost followers, page views etc!

The rules
Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
Answer the 11 questions the tagger has left for you.
Create 11 new questions for the people you award.
Award 11 other bloggers with this award.
Remember, no tag-backs!

I was tagged by: A Little Bird Told Me, Petticoats & Pansies, Makeup Madness, Beckawoo, MissTiffanyDarling, Your Brunette Guru, Vividorque, Emzoo and The Makup Counter . Thank you for tagging me and I hope you go check out their blogs!

In this post I will answer: A Little Bird Told Me, Petticoats & Pansies, Makeup Madness and Beckawoo's questions. Don't worry, I will be doing the others shortly!

11 things about me
1. It's my 18th birthday next week, (22nd August) and I'm so excited!
 2. I'm a very untidy person, which doesn't reflect on my blog as this is the one thing I'm very OCD with.
 3. My favourite Disney films are: The Lion King & The Little Mermaid.
4. I watch far too much YouTube, a lot more than I watch TV haha!
5. I can't swim! I have a big fear of deep water/ not being able to put my feet on the floor in water.
6. My favourite animals are meerkats and squirrels. The scene from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with all the squirrels is so cute haha!
7. I'm finding this very hard and I can't remember if I'm repeating myself from my last Liebster post..
8. My blog name is actually what I would call my beauty company if I create one in the future!
9. My favourite YouTubers/ bloggers at the moment are: Zoella and Anna Saccone/ The Style Diet.
10. I've always wanted to do dancing, but I just never got round to starting at a young age! Boo.
11. I could have tea and scones for breakfast everyday.


1. Who is your inspiration?
I have a few people who inspire me, mainly good, honest people in my life. Also some bloggers inspire me and I look up to them.
 
2. Is there anything you would change about blogging?
Not really, I'm quite happy with it!
 
3. If you could have a superpower for a day, what would it be?
Probably something like controlling time/ time travel, that would be fun.

4. Your favourite perfume?
At the moment Lolita Lempicka Si Lolita which is in my Favourite Perfumes post!
 
5. Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?
Getting ready for my 28th birthday! That seems so old haha! But I'm unsure at the moment. I don't even know what I'm doing next year!
 
6. If you could take yourself back to any time or event in history, what/ what would it be?
Maybe to the beginning of the universe, that would be a pretty cool thing to see!
 
7. Why did you start blogging?
I've always wanted to because it seems like fun and I enjoy writing about things I am interested in i.e. beauty!
 
8. What is your pet peeve?
The sound of people eating or people eating with their mouth open. It's so gross!
 
9. Ideal Saturday night plans?
Either a night in with my boyfriend or a girls night out!
 
10. What is the last book you read?
50 shades of grey! Haha.
 
11. Your hobby?
Blogging!
 

1. What's your favourite colour?
Pink but I do like baby blues and lilacs!

2. What would your dream job be?
I'd love to do something in psychology but uni grades are so high for it!

3. What made you decide to start a blog?
I saw on Twitter that a girl I know started a blog, and after wanting to do one for a while I decided to do one too!

4. What is your favourite genre of blog?
Beauty, fashion and lifestyle.
 
5. If you could travel the world, where would you go?
I'd love to go to America, Australia, Japan - all different places really!
 
6. What would you buy if you won the lottery?
Lots of clothes and makeup haha! I'd would probably save some for a car and a house in the future.

7. Do you believe in things such as luck and fate? If so, why?
I'm not sure, I don't think so. I think it's mostly coincidence but I guess you can be lucky if things always go right for you!

8. Fake tan or real tan?
I love how a natural tan looks, but I can never seen to get a good one! I usually resort to fake tan.

9. What's one thing you'll never leave the house with?
My phone.
 
10. Do you play any sports? If so, which?
 No haha.

11. Heels or flats?
I love both, but I do like the way heels make my legs look.
 
Questions from Makeup Madness

1. If you could be represented by an animal, what would you be and why?
Probably a cat, because I like sleeping, doing nothing and being pampered haha.

2. Lipgloss or lipstick?
Lipstick!

3. What is your dream job?
Something in Psychology!

4. If money was no object, where in the world would you live and why?
I would probably stay in England because I could never be apart from my family like that! I'd use the money to buy a big house haha.

5. Beach holiday or adventure holiday?
Definitely beach!

6. Natural makeup or full on Hollywood glamour?
Depends on the occasion - everyday would be natural but I do like to dress up sometimes!

7. If you were a Superhero what super powers would you have and why?
Still the time control! Or invisibility would be fun.

8. Are you a 'my body is a temple' or a 'you only live once' kind of person?
Probably a bit of both, leaning towards 'you only live once' kind of thing haha. I'm not too sure!

9. Do you prefer dogs or cats?
I love both! Dog are lovable and loyal, but cats are cute and are like fluffy destressing balls haha!

10. Do you prefer to play up your eyes or lips?
Lips!

11. What was your favourite subject in school?
Hmm that's a tough one haha! Probably Psychology at A-level because I was interested in it. But then again I liked my GCSE subjects because of friends!

Questions from Beckawoo 

1. What type of music do you like?
I just like normal chart music. My favourite singers are Ellie Goulding and Ed Sheeran, so that type of 'folky' music too. 

2. What's your favourite quote and why?
I don't really have one! Haha I feel like I should find one though!

3. Xbox or Playstation?
Playstation. I'm sure any girl with a boyfriend hates Xbox haha!

4. What film makes you cry the most?
Definitely the Notebook. I've seen it hundreds of times yet I will still blubber like a baby at it. I watched it twice in a row once and cried my eyes out both times!

5. What's your natural hair colour?
What you see in the pictures! So it;s dark brown. I've never dyed my hair!

6. Where do you shop the most?
 Probably Primark, Poundland (haha) and I always have to look in Miss Selfridge.

7. What's your day job?
I'm currently working as a receptionist at my local doctors for my Summer job, I need to find a permanent job asap!

8. What do you value most in life?
My loved ones - family, boyfriend and friends. I rely on them so much!

 9. What's the craziest thing you've ever done?
I'm not sure, I'm not someone who would go bungee jumping haha! Probably a jeep ride in Bulgaria where we were driving on the edges of cliffs and nearly crashing into other cars. Pretty sure it was shut down after that haha!

10. What is your biggest pet peeve?
People eating loudly/ with their mouth open, it's so gross! I also hate people watching me eat, really puts me off! Or when someone asks you a question just as you take a bite, it's like 'why?' haha.

11. Where would you bury hidden treasure of you had some?
 Maybe somewhere in my garden, like a time capsule!

My questions for you!

1. Do you have any siblings?
2. If you had to choose between mascara or foundation, which would it be?
3. What's your favourite food?
4. Do you have a 'party trick' or an unusual talent?
5. How would you describe your dress sense?
6. What's your favourite film?
7. What's your star sign?
8. What's your one beauty item you cannot live without?
9. What is your job?
10. How did you come up with your blog name?
11. What's your favourite fashion/ beauty trend this year (so far or to come)?

I'm not going to tag anyone in particular, if you want to do this then be my guest! Just let me know in the comments so I can come and read it!

I hope this post wasn't too long, and I'm sorry if it is haha! Expect another one similar to this soon (I hope).

Amie

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Thursday 16 August 2012

My Week In Pictures

09.08.12 - 16.08.12
Loving my Cath Kidstone hand balm | Some Poundland goodies! | Barry M Block Orange | Tesco gingerbread men - yum!
 Not many pictures this week, been working most the time! Hopefully more next week! For any one who got any results today, I hope they were what you were expecting!

If you enjoyed this post, follow me on Instagram @amiehaffenden

Amie

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Wednesday 15 August 2012

Skin Care Routine | Dry & Sensitive Skin

I made a post called 'My Skin Saviours' back when I first started blogging, and I thought I would show you my whole skin care routine. From the age of about 13 to early 16 I suffered with really bad skin which used to affect my self-confidence. I set out to find the right products for my skin type (dry/ sensitive skin) and try and fight back! I've only just 'perfected' this routine within the last year or so and since then I have had reasonably clear skin. I also take Bassetts Soft & Chewy Early Health vitamin tablets, which are for children but they taste so good and have actually helped my skin, and a Cod Liver Oil tablet (any brand) everyday. I also drink as much water as I can which works out well because it's usually the only thing I drink.

Morning
Cleanser - Every morning I exfoliate my face, back and chest in the shower with the St Ives Sensitive Skin Gentle Apricot Scrub. This stuff is amazing, when I suffered with spots on my back and chest, (a real confidence knocker - and a bit gross) this exfoliator cleared them within a week at the most! I have used this everyday since. After this I then cleanse my face with the Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Cream Wash. This featured in My Skin Saviours post as one of the main products that really cleared my skin. I love this and it's great for dry skin as it's a cream so doesn't dry out your skin as much as other cleansers.

Toner - The Simple Soothing Facial Toner is a relatively new instalment to my routine. This is my second bottle and I'm really liking it. Before trying this I never saw a point of toner, but after using it my skin feels cleaner and as it dries my pores feel like they're getting smaller. I apply this with a cotton wool ball (the ones in the picture are from Boots, but any one will do) all over my face and neck. I then spray about 5 pumps of the Savlon First Aid Wash before my toner dries. This may seem like a weird product to use but it does say it can be used for spots and I like to think it kills all the bacteria off my face before I apply my makeup.

Moisturiser - As I have dry skin, moisturiser is a key step in my routine. I use the Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturiser as it is the richest moisturiser Simple make, so I'm getting more moisture into my skin in one go. I then use my eye cream and at the moment I'm mostly reaching for the balance Me. Wonder Eye Cream. I suffer with dry eyelids which can make my makeup look cakey. Using this has kept my eye lids soft and hydrated.

Night
Cleanser - If I wear makeup I will use a Johnson's Daily Essentials Face Cleansing Wipes for dry skin. These are great and remove all of your makeup, even waterproof mascara, and leave your skin feeling soft. For an extra clean I use the Neutrogena Cream Wash again.

Toner - Again, I use the Simple toner and 5 pumps of the Savlon spray in the same way as in the morning.

Moisturiser - Again, I use the Simple Replenishing moisturiser and the balance Me. eye cream.

Spot treatment - I only treat my spots at night as it can dry your skin out or look weird under makeup. The first treatment I do is my Freederm Spot Treating Gel. I've gone through loads of these and it helps fight and prevent spots. I place a light layer on any blemish and allow it to dry. Next I use the Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Face Mask as a less-concentrated version of tea tree oil. As it's in mask form it'll be much more gentle, so I place a light layer over the oilier areas of my face (chin, nose and sometimes forehead) plus over any bad blemishes. This product is meant to be a weekly mask, but I find it works fine like this. Finally I use some Sudocrem, mainly on any dry areas of my skin plus on top of spots. This is a great product to have because it has so many uses! This may seem a lot on my skin, but it all works well for me.

I don't do anything weekly to my skin, unless I have a face mask or two laying around. So that's it! I hope that if you're suffering with bad skin you can take some tips or products out of this post. It's really the case of researching and trying out new products, and eventually something positive will happen.

What is your best tip/ product for healthy skin?

Amie

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Tuesday 14 August 2012

Review | Makeup Academy (MUA) Heaven & Earth Palette

Top: Shades 1, 2 & 3 | Bottom: Shades 7, 8 & 9
Top: Shades 4, 5 & 6 | Bottom: Shades 10, 11 & 12
Top row: Swatches of the 6 top row eyeshadows | Bottom: Swatches of the 6 bottom row eyeshadows

Last week I finally got round to ordering the MUA Heaven & Earth palette off of Superdrug's website when they had a free delivery on all orders weekend! I've been meaning to get this palette for so long but just never seemed to pick it up. But now I have these 12 fabulous eyeshadows to play around with and I have been enjoying them a lot!

So as you may know, this palette consists of 12 neutral coloured eyeshadows ranging from whites, pinks, golds and browns. The eyeshadows don't have names, so for the purpose of this post I have put them in number order. Every shadow in this palette is either shimmery or glittery, so there are no matte shades available, but I would say shades 4 and 8 are the colours with the least shimmer in. The quality of these shadows is amazing, for £4 you are getting 12 soft, blendable and pigmented eyeshadows that can be comparable to higher end brands.

Along with the palette, you also get a double ended sponge tip applicator. Many people would discard this because they're not the most hygienic tool or are easy to blend with. However, I really enjoy using this to apply my inner-corner highlight colour (usually shade 1) as it picks up a lot of product and applies it well to the eyelid. Also I think these sponge tip applicators are much better quality than you may think at first, they're soft and feel much more durable than the ones you can get in other cheap eyeshadow palettes. 

The packaging of this palette may not be the best out there, you're getting what you paid for! I do like this fact you can see the eyeshadows through the palette and the plastic means it's easier to clean. However, it's definitely prone to breaking and I have seen from other reviews that the hinges get a bit dodgy after a while.

I absolutely love this palette and has become a new favourite for my everyday makeup routine! I would completely recommend this palette to anyone as the shadows are great and it's so inexpensive! You can pick up your own Makeup Academy palette from most Superdrug stores, their online website and now Makeup Academy's online site.

Have you got any Makeup Academy eyeshadow palettes? Do you love the Heaven & Earth one too?

Amie ♥ 

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Sunday 12 August 2012

Laine Blogger Award


The Rules:
Tag the blogger who awarded you.
Answer the 5 questions below.
Award 5 more bloggers the Laine Blogger Award.

Thank you so much to My Name Is Julia at Julia's fashion Minute for awarding me the Laine Blogger Award! She's a lovely girl with a great blog so I hope you go and check it out.

1. What is your current beauty obsession?
It has to be the colour orange! I'm loving orange lipstick and nail polish, so so pretty for the Summer.

2. What is one beauty item you wish you owned?
Right now it's Urban Decay's Midnight Cowgirl eyeshadow. I swatched it in House of Fraser the other day and fell in love! It's on my birthday wishlist but I'm not expecting to get it because they're £14 each!

3. What is your favourite post to read or write about?
I love reading hauls because I like knowing about new beauty products and what is the latest product everyone's after. I like writing reviews, for some reason I really get into writing informative posts haha. It's probably why I was someone who didn't mind writing essays at school - how geeky?!

4. What inspired you to become a blogger?
Well it was completely out of the blue when I decided to make a blog. I'd wanted to make one for a while but was a bit nervous about putting myself out there a bit more, I'm a bit of a shy person you see. I think it was the fact a girl I knew tweeted that she made a beauty blog and I thought to myself 'well if she can do it, so can I'. So I did!

5. What nail polish are you wearing now?
I'm not sure if it counts because it's basically clear but Revlon 910 Barely Peach.

I award:

Amie ♥ 

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Saturday 11 August 2012

Review | Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream Sample Kit

I recently ordered some free samples of the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream (which you can still order HERE) in shade Light off of the Maybelline website. This is a great chance to try this product as you don't even have to sign up for any news letters or annoying e-mails, simply enter your address and interests! You receive 3 1ml sachets per pack, and from each sachet you can get about 2 uses.

When I opened the sachet and applied it to the back of my hand the colour seemed very orange for my skin tone, which worried me a bit. Once I started blending it into my skin with my fingers (my foundation brush didn't seem to work well with it) it evened out, but I found that it still left an orange tinge to my face. This is the issue I always find with BB creams, in particular the Garnier one, they're just too orange for me!

The consistency of the BB cream was nice, much like a liquid foundation but much sheerer when on the skin. It evens your skin out well but doesn't cover blemishes and I don't think it would help people with visible skin problems. I had to use Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer as well with this product which kind of defeats the purpose as with BB cream you want a fresh looking and feeling face. The only issue I had with the product was the smell, I wasn't too keen on it but I'm sure some people will like it.

The finish of this BB cream is the typical dewy look, so your skin feels brighter and looks healthy. I prefer a matte finish so I did wear my Stila foundation powder, featured in this haul, over the top. The BB cream did last well on my skin. I used the Rimmel Fix & Perfect Primer (review HERE) underneath so this could have helped it stay on longer.

Maybelline claim that this BB cream offers 8 different qualities: "Imperfections look blurred, A natural looking glow, Fresh feel, Compliments skin tone, Skin looks smooth, Hydrates, Protects with SPF 30 & Oil-free/ non-greasy".
I agree that imperfections look blurred (but not covered), it gives you a natural and dewy glow, is light weight and feels fresh, it hydrates as your skin feels soft and that it isn't oily/ greasy. 
I'm unsure whether it has SPF 30 as I didn't wear it in the sun (English weather is terrible) but I'm sure it does. 
I disagree that it compliments skin tone as it was a bit orange for me and that it smooths your skin, it just feels like a light layer on the skin so my skin still appears normal.

I think that overall it's a nice product and I will use the samples but I'm just not someone who's keen on the BB cream hype! I don't think it works for me, but I wish it did. For now I'll stick to my Max Factor Xperience Weightless Foundation as that is lightweight like a BB cream but works so much better for my skin.

What do you think about BB creams? Do you use the Maybelline one?

Amie

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