Two New Loves from The Body Shop.

I don't very often find myself in the Body Shop - not because I don't like the stores, they're always well stocked, inviting and have friendly staff, but because I already have an indecent amount of body butters, scrubs and mists to use up. I did however pop in to my local Body Shop the other day though for one reason only. The newly released Vineyard Peach Body Mist. I previously brought the Vineyard Peach body butter and absolutely adore the scent so I couldn't resist the body mist to accompany it. At £7.50 for 100ml I think these are a great alternative to perfume and they're affordable. I even managed to get my 10% loyalty discount and a free bottle as they were on offer so I have a back up! The scent is light, fruity and sweet and I'm obsessed, obviously a large glass bottle isn't ideal for travelling but I've had no problems carrying this around in my bag. You'll find that the fragrance does wear off after 5 - 6 hours but a few sprays to top up is all that's needed. This scent reminds me of holidays and peach smints.. if anyone remembers them?! I also couldn't resist purchasing the new Vitamin E Overnight Serum which retails for £11. The price tag is the main reason I opted for this as I was lusting after the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair for the longest time but couldn't bring myself to pay out near £50 for a serum. I'd seen the Body Shop version on Instagram and blogs and also got a discount on this also which means it worked out at under £10. I've used this for the past few weeks and really love this product. There's a twist off top that reveals a dropper so you can dispense the amount of product you want in your hands. I spread a pea sized amount over my face and instantly my skin feels nourished and I can almost hear my face sigh with relief at a well needed boost of moisture. I don't find this greasy or uncomfortable and it works nicely with my oily/combination skin - in the morning you wake to plump, soft skin that looks well rested. I've also found any drier, flaky patches have been less visible since using this.
These are my latest favourites from the Body Shop, have you brought anything from there recently?

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Benefit Big Easy Review.

*Benefit Big Easy - £27.50

I'm sure I've bored you all many times with my complaints about combination skin, if you can relate then continue reading as this is a product aimed at us oily girls. The newly released Benefit Big Easy is a described as a bigger than BB, liquid to powder, oil free, multi-balancing complexion perfecter - phew. It offers an SPF 35 so it's been released in time to protect your face in the upcoming warm months and also claims to balance moisture and control oil. I was sent three shades to trial out and see what I thought and I've been using this for almost 5 weeks now. This product offers a light, buildable to medium coverage and comes out as a thick cream consistency. I always use my fingers with this as it helps it melt in to the skin and blend more effectively, it evens out the skin tone without feeling or looking heavy and dries to a natural matte finish. Any areas that need a little extra help in the concealing area just need a little touch of concealer and powdering with this is completely optional. Although the finish is liquid to powder and it does dry quickly to a matte finish it doesn't look flat or drying and it makes your skin feel like velvet.

Another perk is the packaging - it's incredibly cute, travel friendly with a screw top tube and offers a little colour to your make up bag. The main love affair with this product is the slap and go style of application and the oil free formula. Most BB creams or light foundation bases offer hydrating properties, dewy finishes, light boosting which all sounds lovely but for oily skinned girls it's only an option if you're a fan of continuous blotting, re-application and powdering throughout the day - snooze. I would recommend exfoliating your skin once a week just to ensure you have a blank canvas to start with and I'd warn dry skin types to be wary as it does cling to areas that are dehydrated. 
I use shade 04 which is 'medium' and this matches me perfectly, I've swatched it for you below from the tube and blended in. There are six shades available and the formula is also non-comedogenic (which I did have to google) which means it wont block pores which is always a bonus.

Have you tried Benefits Big Easy?

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Get Organised, Lip Products.

I love seeing how other beauty enthusiasts store their make up. From reading other bloggers posts I discovered the Ikea Alex drawers and Muji Acrylic stackable storage, both of which I adore. I store the majority of my make up in my Ikea drawers as I can easily organise all the products but I quite like having my lipsticks on display to search through if I'm feeling indecisive, plus they look nice! If you're struggling for ideas on how to store your lip products, maybe this could help! For my high end and current favourite lipsticks I use my 24 partition Acrylic lipstick organiser I found in TKmaxx. They usually have a few hidden gems so it's worth a search through the shelves to see what you can find! I've found some amazing bargains in there! Last time I looked around I found some Made With Love glass jars which I also brought to store lipsticks, I have one for reds and one for pinks. Behind my Acrylic lipstick organiser there's a Muji Desk Pot 3 Partition that stores my lip liners, lip stains and lip balms. This way I can easily find what I need and it's all in its own section. This cost me £5.50 and as with all the acrylic storage it's easy to wipe clean and gives a more spacious, clean appearance as it's clear. Below I have a Muji Acrylic Wide 2 Drawers which are £10.95 each and incredibly handy. The top drawer I keep current favourite products but the second drawer is bursting to the brim of new lip products waiting to be tested. I love being able to open it up and have a selection to choose from! For older or less worn lip products I have a small wicker basket from Wilkinsons that I keep them in - I can't bring myself to throw any away! Having everything organised makes getting ready each day far more enjoyable and less stressful! 

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Clarins Radiance-Plus Golden Glow Booster.

*Clarins Radiance-Plus Golden Glow Booster, £18.   I'm all about a faux tan and creating a bronzed appearance but I've always struggled with tanning my face. Products I use on my body left my face uneven, clung to dry patches and spots, as well as leaving me a dark shade of mahogany. If I used tanners specifically developed to be used on the face, they tend to be extremely hydrating and light and left me with little to no colour pay off and awfully oily skin. When I read through the description for the new Clarins Radiance-Plus Golden Glow Booster, I was sold instantly. Made to measure tan in the form of a facial oil, made for all skin types, with radiance boosting properties - sounds good right? You get 15ml of product in this glass bottle and I was a little surprised at how small this looks but after trialling it out I can foresee this lasting me months. You only need 1 -3 drops per application and I've been using this a few times a week. The idea is to place a small amount of your normal moisturiser in the palm of your hand, add 1 - 3 drops of the Clarins Golden Glow Booster dependant on your desired look and then mix the two together, apply to your face and wash your hands. I didn't read the instructions properly the first time I used this and ended up shaking the bottle around trying to get the drops out, however there's a soft silicone area at the base that you press and it releases a few drops. I like my face to match near to my body so I use 3 drops at the start of the week, then 1-2 drops mid week for a boost of colour. I found this left me with a gorgeous shade of brown, it looked very natural and sunkissed and didn't cling to dry areas or blemishes. My skin actually looks radiant and refreshed when I wake up, never oily or dry. Due to the gentle nature of this product, you'll find your tan fading evely rather than getting dreaded patchy areas. If you're wondering about the scent, there isn't one which is a bonus for those with sensitive noses. The oil comes out a dark yellow shade but don't worry - it has no colour guide, I apply this at night so it has time to develop which is how I'd suggest using it.
Overally I'm so incredibly impressed by this product and if you're looking for something to give your face an added boost of colour and radiance, that so far has left me with flawless results and will be a must have over Spring and Summer. Originally it's £18 but you can currently find it on offer for £15.80 on Escentual. Thanks for this little bottle of bronzed perfection Clarins!
* I did recieve this product as a PR sample, regardless of this fact all opinions are my own and honest. I wouldn't recommend a product I wouldn't re-purchase myself.

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Prime Time. High Street Edition.

Primers seem to be a love hate product. Some people skip them completely and find them a waste of precious time in the mornings, others wouldn't go without them. I think the key is to find a product that fulfils your needs. You need to decide what you want your primer to do and find out what skin type you have, then you'll have more of an idea of which will work for you. Here I've got four of my favourite affordable high street primer and there's one for each skin type!
Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro Primer - £6.99 This has a long list of claims which include mattifying and brightening the complexion, smoothing the surface, protecting and resurfacing your skin. This is a great product if your skin is a quite dry, it feels incredibly hydrating and leaves your face silky smooth, allowing make up to apply with ease. It keeps my make up looking fresh and works great on dehydrated skin, although it wont do much in terms of filling in pores.
Rimmel Stay Matte Primer - £5.99 This is a new release from Rimmel, ideal for combination skinned girls. This primer feels really lightweight and calming on the skin and it leaves you with a matte finish, matte but not dry I should add. It helps combat shine and increase the longevity of your makeup although again, it doesn't do much for filling in pores.   Seventeen Flawless Poreless Primer - £5.99 This is aimed at girls with a normal skin type - not overly dry or shiny. This comes as a solid balm in a compact so you have to pick a little product up with your fingertips and massage it in to the skin. This helps to fill in pores and fine lines, it leaves your skin feeling incredibly smooth and allows your make up to glide on without clinging to any drier patches.
Bourjois Happy Light Matte Primer - £10.99 This primer is the most expensive of the bunch but it's an absolute winner if you have oily skin. This product feels incredibly light on the skin and dries within seconds to leave you with a mattified complexion. It also helps foundation adhere to the skin, this definitely prolongs the wear of my make up and helps to keep me shine free for the majority of the day.
If you're looking for a more illuminated, glowy finish to your skin there's four liquid highlighters I've been loving recently which are the Revlon Skinlights Illuminator, Seventeen Skin Wow, Loreal Lumi Magique and Bourjois Happy Light Luminous Serum. I'll do a post on these in the future to tell you more about them all and show you what they look like on the skin. 
What's your favourite affordable primer?

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Barry M Gelly Nail Paints - Spring Edition. Rose Hip & Sugar Apple.

I love the Barry M Nail Paints, they're affordable, easy to find, usually on offer and come in a range of colours. I loved their matte range but I especially love their Gelly Nail Paints. My previous favourites were Pomegranate, a gorgeous red and Blue Grape, a vivid blue and also a dupe for Nails Inc Baker Street. I did however feel like they were lacking some pastels and low and behold my beauty wishes have been answered because they'd added three new shades to the line, perfect for Spring.

The three shades are Rose Hip, Sugar Apple - both shown above and Huckleberry. Rose Hip is a milky pale pink, Sugar Apple is a mint green mixed with aqua and Huckleberry is a pale blue. All gorgeous, all pastels, all perfect for the upcoming months. I can imagine these would look great on pretty much all skin tones, I especially love the look of these when I have a *ahem, fake* tan on. 

Not only are the colours lovely but the formula is pretty great too. Two thin coats leaves you with an opaque, high shine finish. I've recently discovered a miracle product that extends the wear of these to almost a week - don't worry, it'll be blogged about soon, but without it I get a good few days before I need a touch up. These are £3.99 each but they're usually on offer in Superdrug, 2 for £6 which isn't too shabby. I'm already regretting my decision not to pick up Huckleberry and I'm going out of my way to pick it up tomorrow - and possibly the new Barry M Gelly Lips..

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