First Impressions | Milani Cosmetics

Ever since I started watching YouTube, I've wanted to try something from Milani. Back then it was pretty much impossible to get hold of, but luckily it's now fairly easy to find the brand online in the UK. Thanks to the lovely team at JustMyLook*, I was finally able to try the cult blush I’d been after for years, Luminoso, along with a few other bestsellers.

I have to start by talking about Milani's Baked Blush in Luminoso, which is just as perfect as I imagined. It's a warm peach shade that leaves a beautiful luminous sheen on the skin - thankfully, it's not at all glittery and instead adds a lovely glow. It actually reminds me a little of Hourglass' blushes for the finish it gives, it's very 'lit from within'.

Due to its slightly pink hue, Luminoso will look great on all skin tones. I love it the most when I'm tanned (which is rare, I know) but even when I am my ghostly shade of pale I think it looks stunning. It's a little powdery, but it never appears this way on the skin. To apply, I've actually been using Milani's blush brush. Not hearing anything about Milani's brushes before I wasn't sure what to expect, but wow. Unbelievably soft, this glides product across the skin and it hasn't shed once... not a single hair!

It's the perfect shape and size too for multitasking - it's great for contour and to apply highlight on the cheeks. Somehow, it's turned into my favourite product out of this entire haul and for the price (it's only £14) it's a steal.

The Prep + Set + Go Transparent Face Powder also caught my eye. I have combination skin, so I'm constantly on the hunt for a powder that doesn't make my face look super matte, but can keep my natural oils in control. I usually use RCMA's No Color powder, which is amazing for baking but it can be a little too intense for all over the face.

Weirdly, Milani claim you can use this powder before foundation to blur lines and reduce the size of pores. I tried it once and just found the whole thing a little weird under a liquid - maybe this is something to try with mineral foundation?

Even though I don't prep with this, I have been enjoying it as a setting powder. I have to reapply around 3pm if I put this on before work but it's easy to layer up. It's very fine and feels almost silky to touch, and while it hasn't blown me away it leaves a lovely natural finish and I have noticed the powder  reduces the appearance of the pores on my nose well. My only complaint is how little product you seem to receive. You only get 7g (half of Rimmel's Stay Matte) and I found myself hitting pan really quickly.

The final Milani product I picked up was one of their Amore Matte lip creams. They have around 30 colours, and they smell super sweet like cake mixture (which I can't help but love!) I went for the shade Adorable, and from online swatches I thought this was going to be a lighter nude, but on my lips and with my skin tone it's actually darker than I expected and quite brown. I'd even say there's a hint of grey in there. 

Adorable dried down almost immediately, turning matte after a few seconds. One swipe is enough for an opaque finish but if you even have slightly dry lips you're going to need lip balm underneath. As my lips are on the drier side, I did find I clung slightly to certain patches although it was fine elsewhere. 

It's lightweight and transfer proof - seriously, it's not going anywhere - but one thing I discovered is that it doesn't layer well. It tends to crumble if you apply too much, so once it does begin to fade it's much better to remove it completely and start again. Annoying if you're out all day, but if you're just applying it for the evening it should be fine. 

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with my first Milani haul. I'm 100% picking up more brushes, and I'm eager to try the baked bronzer and a darker shade of the lip creams too!

Becki xo 

*This post contains a PR sample, kindly sent by JustMyLook.

Better than the Beauty Blender?

 

From the moment I swapped my foundation brush for a beauty sponge, I've never looked back. Goodbye streaky makeup, hello flawless skin.

It's safe to say it was love at first use with the original Beauty Blender, but at £16 a pop they're not exactly cheap. Since my last Beauty Blender sponge fell apart (RIP... *sob*), I've been on the hunt for the perfect dupe ever since.

Before now, the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion sponge has been my go-to. However EcoTools released their Perfecting Blender Duo around April, after hearing some of my favourite bloggers rave about the set, I decided to pick them up for myself. The duo costs £9.99 and it's cruelty-free, latex-free and made of 70% plant-based materials!

A p p l i c a t i o n
I've been completely converted by largest, dark green sponge. It's soft, bouncy and blends everything from my BB cream to liquid bronzer seamlessly without removing any makeup underneath. When it comes to the finish of my makeup, I can't notice a difference from when I used my Beauty Blender but I do think it soaks up slightly more makeup (but not as much as the Real Techniques sponge!)

The smaller sponge is a lot firmer, even when wet. I only reach for it when I'm baking underneath my eyes to be honest, but it is brilliant for doing that. Otherwise, I tend to use the larger of the two on a daily basis.

S h a p e
It's immediately obvious the EcoTools sponges are a different shape compared to the Beauty Blender. Both have a round base, as well as a flat edge and wedge-like tip which is really useful for baking underneath the eyes and/or defining my contour.

While they're certainly different, I quite like the addition of the flat edges. It did take a while to get used to at first but now I'm a big fan!

V e r d i c t
I've actually had my EcoTools sponges for almost five months now, and I've only just started to see a tear in the largest sponge despite washing it (almost) every day. I'm seriously impressed by how long it lasted, and I'll definitely be picking another one up once it's time to do so.

I have noticed EcoTools sell the larger sponge on its own in Ulta though, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed it comes to the UK! I would rather just buy that for less, rather than the duo.

Have you tried the Perfecting Blender Duo? I'd love to know what your favourite makeup sponge is too!
Becki xo

Beauty Wishlist #4 - The Luxury Edit

I don't tend to buy as many high-end beauty products as I used to, but it doesn't mean my wishlist isn't full of them! Today I thought I'd show you what luxury products I'm lusting after, and if you've tried any I'd love to know if they're worth the money.

Clive Christian L Feminine
A luxury perfume from designer Clive Christian, the L Feminine limited edition fragrance is so beautiful. Rose scents are my favourite and this exclusive perfume has hints of delicate damask rose, pink pepper and soft magnolia. Clive Christian's fragrances are known for using rare and precious ingredients so they tend to be more expensive than your average perfume, but this 10ml bottle is definitely affordable if you're looking for something extra special!

Becca FirstLight Priming Filter
I'm obsessed with Becca's Backlight Priming Filter, and I've heard so much about the First Light version since it was released. I'm really intrigued by its lavender tint, and it's supposed to be fantastic for adding a soft-focus finish to the skin.

Farmacy Skin Savior Kit 
I've noticed Farmacy cropping up in many of my favourite YouTubers' videos, and it seems like such a lovely brand. This Skin Savior Kit includes generous sample sizes of their Honey Potion mask, Sleep Tight firming night balm, Honey Savior repair salve and Skin Dew setting mist, and it sounds like a perfect way to sample the brand. 

Clarins Summer Bronzer and Blush Compact 
I missed out on the Clarins summer bronzer last year and it was beautiful, and I'm desperate to get my hands on their new one. There's three matte bronze shades and a pretty coral blush included, which creates the perfect sun-kissed glow.

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder
How can anyone walk past a Charlotte Tilbury counter without wanting everything in sight? I'm on the hunt for a new powder that can keep oil at bay without making my face overly matte, so maybe CT can do the job?

What do you currently have on your beauty wishlist? Are there any luxury products that you think are worth splurging on? 

Becki xo

*This post was sponsored by Clive Christian.

The 5-Minute Face

I hate mornings, and the longer I can stay in bed the better. If you're the same, I'm sure you've experienced one of those days where you push snooze one too many times, leaving no time whatsoever to get ready.

Whenever this happens there's a certain makeup routine I do which I attempt to finish in around five minutes. Honestly, it's probably more like ten as I'll usually end up smudging something (notice the lack of eyeliner? There's no way I'd attempt that when I'm panicking!), but regardless this is definitely what I throw onto my face when I'm in a rush. I keep it fairly simple, and I'll throw concealer and powder in my bag for later on in the day.

Face: bareMinerals Blemish Remedy Mattifying Prep Gel, bareMinerals Complexion Rescue

Cheeks: Stila Convertible Colour in Cameilla , Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal

When it comes to the base, I'd rather pop on a primer and skip powder. I've been loving the bareMinerals Blemish Remedy Mattifying Prep Gel which was a favourite of mine last summer, and now the weather's getting a little warmer my oily T-Zone needs all the help it can get! The best thing about this primer is definitely the texture - the gel-like consistency is so lightweight and it feels really cooling on the skin. Afterwards, I'll apply one of my favourite tinted moisturisers, bareMinerals Complexion Rescue, and if I feel like I need concealer under my eyes that day I'll reach for my trust Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in Fair.

Mother's Day Gift Guide with L'Occitane

Mother's Day is just around the corner, and if you've left things until the last minute then there's no need to panic! If your Mum is anything like mine, then I have a feeling she'll love everything featured in my Mother's Day gift guide.

My Mum never treats herself to luxury bath and body products, but I know she loves nothing more than a relaxing bubble bath and a rich body lotion. L'Occitane is actually one of my favourite brands for gifts all year round and they always offer great value sets with the prettiest packaging. Their mother's day gift sets are really lovely this year, so I've picked out a couple of my favourites to feature!

My Nighttime Skincare Routine

To be honest, my morning skincare is pretty minimal. Despite the fact that I'm usually walking around like a zombie, makeup brush in one hand and coffee in the other, I never actually leave myself enough time for a complicated routine before work.

This is why, for me, evenings are well and truly allocated to skincare and I've been using a combination or products lately, some new and some old, which have been working really well. I may have also made an exciting purchase from The Ordinary very recently to add to my routine too, but more on that in a few weeks time!

Getting Lippy with Lord & Berry

Have you heard of Lord & Berry? They're a brand I've only ever encountered in beauty box subscriptions such as Birchbox so I was actually really surprised when I did a little research and discovered that the likes of Selfridges, Boots, Look Fantastic and even Asos stocked them. They don't seem to be a brand that's talked about very often in the beauty community, so when I was sent 3 of their lip products to try I had no idea what to expect! 

The 20100 Crayon Lipsticks* caught my eye immediately, as they instantly reminded me of the NARS lip pencils which I've been desperate to try. Retailing for £10 each they're considerably cheaper the NARS crayons and although I can't say whether or not the 20100 Crayon Lipsticks are dupes I can happily say that the they are are wonderful products in their own right! And better yet, Boots are currently selling them for half price so they're an absolute steal at £5 each! I never expected to be this impressed, mainly because I hadn't heard much about them or the brand before, but the application was so easy and comfortable due to the super creamy formula and I found them to be long-lasting, highly pigmented (especially the bolder shade) and not drying at all on the lips!  I was sent 2 shades, Vintage Pink and Fuchsia, which you can see applied to my lips below.

Review | Vichy Dermablend Corrective Fluid Foundation and Setting Powder

Full coverage: a phrase that used to send shivers down my spine.

Contrary to popular opinion I really didn't get on with the famous Double Wear or even Revlon's Colorstay foundation. I'm certainly not opposed to a flawless finish, especially for the evenings, but it just seems that every full coverage foundation I've tried to date hasn't sat well on my skin. Sadly, I find that the formulas always tend to be too thick, difficult to blend and combined with my oily skin they end up being a recipe for a cake-y disaster. With this in mind, I suppose you can imagine how hesitant I was to try Vichy's Dermablend Corrective Fluid Foundation (£18)* which is known in the beauty world for providing extremely high coverage and helping to hide even the most severe skin concerns. In all honesty I would never have picked this up myself as it sounds like it provides even more coverage than Double Wear but when Vichy kindly contacted me I thought I'd give it the benefit of the doubt. It's a foundation that's stood the test of time and with a new look, 3 new shades and so many positive reviews I thought that maybe, just maybe, it might be the full coverage formula for me.

The AM | PM Routine Tag

I've noticed The AM/PM Tag floating around quite a lot lately and I absolutely love reading them. There's nothing better than being able to snoop around and gain a little insight into people's daily routines. Even though I wasn't tagged by anyone I've decided to join in on the fun anyway as nothing beats a good ol' tag blogpost on a Sunday morning!

- AM- 

1. What is your morning beauty routine? I'm definitely not a morning person so waking up is always a struggle for me. I usually cleanse my face with Burt's Bees Soap Bark and Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream which helps reduce any redness, softens my skin and leaves a nice cooling sensation on my skin due to the hint of menthol in the product. If I have time I'll use my ESPA Balancing Herbal Spafresh Toner and then I reach for a cooling eye product, at the moment I'm using up my Embryolisse Artist Secret Radiant Eye (which I was kindly sent and it's lovely but way too expensive to justify a repurchase), before following up with my La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo moisturiser. If I have time in the morning I might pop on a face mask, Lush make some of my favourites, but this happens pretty rarely as I'm always in a rush to get ready!

2. What's for breakfast? Cereal usually, or a piece of toast with a little bit of Philadelphia cream cheese. If I have more time I love making scrambled eggs on toast! And I always have a piece of fresh fruit too which varies every day.

3. Coffee or Tea? Honestly, neither. I like to start my day with a glass of fresh orange or apple juice. If I had to pick between the two I'd choose tea, but only fruit or green tea. I'm not a fan of normal tea or coffee! I don't really drink hot drinks at all weirdly. 

4. How long does it take you to get out of the door?  If I have 30 minutes to get up and get out the door I can do it but give me 2 hours and I'll find ways to fill in the time! On average to wake up, eat and get ready I like to give myself an hour so I'm not rushing too much.

5. What is your go-to makeup look on a fuss-free morning? If I'm having a good skin day I'll start with bareMinerals Complexion Rescue and if not I'll use my Bourgois Healthy Mix foundation with my Real Techniques Sponge. Next is bareMinerals bareSkin Serum concealer and then I like to use Stila's Convertible Color, in either Camilla or Peony, to add a flush of colour to the cheeks and lips. I always needs a powder to set my makeup, a new favourite of mine is Vichy's Dermablend Setting Powder, and I quickly brush throw my brows with L'Oreal's Brow Artist Plumper. For eyes, I add a wash of with a Kiko Long Lasting Eyeshadow Stick and finish up with coat of Maybelline's Lash Sensational mascara!

- PM -

6. What is your evening beauty routine? I'll start by removing my makeup with Garnier's Micellar Cleansing Water then I follow up with Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish. About 2 to 3 times a week I'll lightly exfoliate with the Superfacialist Rose Brighten and Refine scrub and then I'll spritz on my ESPA toner again. I add 4 drops of Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate and if my skin is feeling a little bit dry I'll use my Vitamin E Night Cream from The Body Shop. 

7. Snack time! What's in the bowl? Most of the time it's another piece of fruit and possibly a Chocolate Digestive or an Oreo. Sometimes I have the strangest cravings though, I had such a hankering for a piece of cheese the other night!

8. How do you wind down and prep for bed? I'm terrible at winding down and turning off my phone before bed, I'd love to be that person but my mind is always at its most active at night. I like to catch up on some YouTube videos or watch a few episodes of whatever TV programme I'm into before climbing into bed. 

9. Cozy up! What are you wearing to sleep? My Victoria's Secret flannel pyjamas, they're so comfy. If it's warmer I'll usually swap the long-sleeved shirt for a loose t-shirt or a vest though. 

10. What are some things you must do before hitting the hay? I always to double  triple check that my alarm is set and then all I ever really need to do is apply some lip balm!

Below are all the products mentioned and I'd love to know if you're a morning or an evening person! I'm also tagging these 5 lovely ladies to talk about their AM/PM Routines:

Jodie from jodieloue

Ela from elabellaworld

Anjna from anjnaharish:thoughtsofagirl

Katie from beautyfromkatie

Becky from lifebybecky

Favourite Products for Naturally Fuller Brows

Bigger, bolder brows are definitely here to stay. There are so many products on the market right now that are designed to help you fake that fuller brow that people are often spoilt for choice but as a girl with naturally fuller, and rather dark, eyebrows I've really struggled to find the perfect products for me. When all you need to do is to fill in a few gaps, neaten up an arch and somehow manage to get your brows to stay in one place you'll soon discover that a lot of products end up being way too intense and those naturally full brows end up looking quite ridiculous and rather harsh. I'm aware that I'm rather blessed to have an abundance of eyebrow hair, believe me I know how screwed I would be if I had to somehow draw on matching eyebrows, but when a look calls for a delicate, soft brow it can become so frustrating when it's almost impossible to achieve. 

One of my biggest brow issues (but ironically it's also one of the things I love the most) is the colour of my eyebrows. They're almost black and on my very pale skin it creates quite a stark contrast. With a little bit of bronzer it can look great but because of their deep pigment I'm not looking for any intensely pigmented products. Brow products that can be slowly built up to increase pigmentation or products that can add just a hint of colour are my best friends. Finding gaps in my brows has to be the most frustrating problem I face. Having to fill in my brows with such dark brown shades requires a very light hand and it's so easy to end up creating a block of colour that doesn't mimic a natural hair at all. The three products I'm featuring today are brilliant for people with naturally fuller brows for the many reasons that I'm about to list below but they're also excellent brow products in their own right. I think anyone would enjoy using them, even if you have quite sparse brows, if you're looking for products that excel in precision and leave a natural looking finish. 

Top 5 Nude Lip Products

Nude hues are slowly taking over my lip product collection. A few years back you'd be lucky to find anything even slightly neutral in my stash but now nude lip products are all I seem to buy. I still absolutely adore wearing a classic red lip now and again but nothing seems to effortlessly pull a look together like the perfect nude lip. Somehow I've managed what I thought would be impossible and I've whittled down my collection and selected my Top 5 Nude Lip Products to share with you. From barely there washes of colour to bolder, more solid mattes I think I've managed to cover every base. I suppose my Top 5 products are almost like a capsule wardrobe for the lips!

Here Comes the Sun with bareMinerals bareSkin Sheer Sun Serum Bronzer

Being on the paler side, bronzer can either be my best friend or my worst nightmare. Adding a touch of bronzer to my makeup is the easiest way for me to instantly look healthier and more alive but it's also so easy to go overboard when you have fair skin. When bareMinerals kindly sent over their bareSkin Sheer Sun Serum Bronzer* I was honestly a bit terrified of it which, in hindsight, was a bit ridiculous as the 'Sheer' element of the product was stated pretty clearly in the name. But I had never ventured into the world of cream or liquid (or in this case serum) bronzers before as I imagined them to simply be too intense for my pale skin. I can safely say that my fears were misguided and now I think I'm completely converted to the liquid bronzer trend. In fact, I'm so addicted to this product I'm literally pining for hot summer nights as my glowing complexion simply doesn't match the rubbish weather we're having in the UK at the moment.

Men's Beauty Gift Guide feat. L'Occitane

Men can be so difficult to buy gifts for. I know it might be a stereotypical statement but from my experience at least they tend to already have everything they need. When it comes to items they are lacking in, however, beauty products always seem to come out on top (narrowly followed by matching socks of course) and with Father’s Day as our next upcoming holiday - June 19th, don’t panic! - I’ve decided to compile a Men’s Beauty Gift Guide in collaboration with L’Occitane for the occasion which is also for birthdays, anniversaries or any other form of celebration you might have coming up in your life. The hype surrounding Nivea’s Post Shave Balm has also inspired this post and even though products may be categorised as ‘For Men’ or ‘For Women’ the magical shave balm is living proof that we shouldn’t just shop within these binary divisions. The scents and products that I’ve featured in my Gift Guide are definitely universal and it also means that if you discover that the recipient of the present, whether it’s a father, partner, brother etc, doesn’t end up sticking to their new beauty regime then you definitely have an excuse to adopt the product as your own and use it yourself. It’s a win-win situation if you ask me!  

My first 3 picks are from L’Occitane, a brand who I personally adore and who have a wonderful selection of products and fragrances suitable for men. My first recommendation is their Mer & Mistral Eau de Toilette, an uplifting and refreshing scent inspired by the breeze of Grasse, a town on the French Riviera. The fragrance is a lovely combination of lemon, mandarin, cypress, pine and rosemary and it is perfect for Spring and Summer - I even have a little bottle of the shower gel myself! Next is a L'Occitane Classic: the Shea Butter Hand Cream. It has a super rich and creamy formula and it has a very light, comforting scent that isn't overly feminine. My final L'Occitane pick for my gift guide is from the Verbena range, a zesty lemon fragrance that is loved equally by men and women. The Vervaine Shower Gel is the perfect pick me up for early mornings and like all the L'Occitane shower gels its scent lingers for hours and I find it to be soothing and slightly moisturising too! The entire line is amazing but I have a feeling the shower gel will be most popular with men. 

Kiehl's also make some incredible skincare products and I couldn't create this Gift Guide without including them. Their Midnight Recovery Concentrate is a staple in my own skincare routine but I also think it would be a wonderful gift for any man. It really transforms the skin over time, replenishing moisture whilst adding radiance to the face. The lavender essential oils really help you sleep and the pipette applicator is rather cool too. Another amazing product for men is Kiehl's  Razor Bump Relief. I've actually had my eye on this product for a while but for the man with sensitive skin who shaves frequently I can't think of anything more perfect — irritated skin and ingrown hairs on the face have to be the awful! In a similar and slightly cheaper form, of course I had to include the famous Nivea Post Shave Balm. Even if you buy this for a man just so you can steal it back ten minutes later I still thought it was worth mentioning! It's the thought that counts, right? 

Do any of you have any favourite products that work well for both men and woman?

Let me know what beauty items you would buy for a man in the comments below!

*This post was written in collaboration with L'Occitane.

Lush | Frozen Bath Bomb Review

Lush reviews are some of my favourite posts to write for my blog. I enjoy snapping photos of my bath after a bath bomb has been dropped into the water almost too much, sometimes I don't even want to get in because I'll probably destroy the pattern. Am I crazy? Probably. Anyway, I digress. This week I finally found the time to use the magical Frozen bath bomb which sadly doesn't start singing 'Let It Go' as it hits the water but don't worry, I managed to make up for that to everyone else's dismay.

3 New Beauty Buys from L'Oreal

After rummaging around my makeup collection I was quite surprised that I owned very little from L'Oreal. With the exception of the odd mascara and a very dried up eyeliner my current collection was pretty much L'Oreal free. To be honest I'm not entirely sure why I've tried so little from such a popular brand but for the sake of beauty research I decided this had to change (excuses, excuses!) I'd been curious about a couple of their newer releases for a little while now so when I spotted a 3 for 2 offer in Boots a few weeks ago I jumped at the chance to finally explore the brand a little bit more.

4 Instagram Accounts Worth Turning Your Notifications On For

Everyone seems to be panicking about Instagram's new upcoming algorithm. The possibility that it will now be even harder to attract likes and the fear of missing out on your favourite users photos sparked a frenzy of 'Turn Notifications On' posts on the platform yesterday. In reality, as the new algorithm works off your behaviour on the platform, the accounts you interact with the most should still appear frequently on your feed. But let's be honest here, nobody is entirely sure whether they're going to get buried by the new changes or not. The desperate plea by many to encourage their followers to receive a notification every time they upload a new photo is all well and good but our phones are already saturated by notifications without Instagram adding to the mayhem.

If you are planning on pushing the 'Turn Notifications On' button you definitely want to be very selective about who you push it for. For me, I'm limiting myself to only receiving notifications for close friends and those accounts that truly inspire me and cheer me up every day. So I thought I'd create a list of my Favourite 4 Instagram Accounts that I'm so obsessed with that even the idea of adding to the notification hell doesn't alter my love for them.

My IPL Laser Experience with Bellissima Exclusive | 1 Session to Go

For those of you who are fairly new to my blog, you might be unaware that I've been receiving IPL Laser Hair Removal on my lower legs for quite some time now. With my 6th and final session booked  in for this Saturday I thought it was about time that I wrote a little update for you all to document the results I've been noticing throughout my treatment. If you're interested in learning about how laser hair removal is carried out, what I personally think of the pain and how to care for the area after treatment I really recommend you read my original post which I wrote after my first treatment.

The Concealer Everyone Is Talking About | bareMinerals BareSkin Serum Concealer

If you've read my blog before you're probably already aware that I'm bareMinerals's biggest fan. Whenever they release anything new I get incredibly excited but it's rather rare that the rest of the beauty world get as equally excited along with me. But bareMinerals's latest release, the bareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer, has caused quite a stir in the past few weeks and it seems that every beauty blogger has been raving about it. Naturally I had to see what all the fuss was about so I picked mine up a few weeks ago in the lightest shade, Fair, for £22.00.

After falling in love last year with the Correcting Concealer from bareMinerals I had seriously high expectations for this new release and I have to admit that the hype that surrounds the bareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer is definitely deserved. Whilst the Correcting Concealer is ideal for covering blemishes due to its thicker, creamy consistency the new bareSkin Serum is the perfect multitasker: it covers blemishes and discolouration wonderfully but it really excels in its ability to hide dark circles. The standout element of the bareSkin Serum Concealer is the consistency, it's probably the thinnest and most silky concealer I've ever used yet no coverage is compromised. And a little really really does go a long way with this. You wouldn't think it due to how thin it is but the Serum Concealer provides such high coverage and it layers up beautifully too. Due to the formula being so light it also leaves the skin looking natural, fresh and flawless without any of that dreaded creasing which always seems to happen under my eyes! Can you tell that I really love this yet? I honestly think it might be my new holy grail concealer.

New Skincare Additions from Embryolisse

After trying the cult favourite, Embryolisse's Lait Creme Concentrate, a few months ago (blog post here) I've been rather curious about what else this French Skincare brand has to offer. The lovely ladies at Sparkle PR were actually kind enough to send over two more Embryolisse products and I've been putting them thoroughly to the test over the past few months: so much so that I've almost used them both up completely! I was so excited when I saw Embryolisse's Micellar Lotion* arrive on my doorstep and after recently trying Garnier's Micellar Water I couldn't wait to compare the two and see if there really is a difference between drugstore and higher end Micellar Waters. The other product is the rather unusual Embryolisse Artist Secret Radiant Eye*, also known to the French as Secret de Maquilleurs, or the 'Make-up Artist's Secret',which is a Cooling Gel Stick that claims to make you look and feel wide awake instantly.

My Current Bath Time Pamper Routine

The bathtub is my happy place. No matter how low I'm feeling, there's nothing a bubble bath can't fix. Sunday evenings are usually the nights I dedicate to pampering but if I can I try to slip in an extra little pampering session mid-week! After running a hot bath, lighting a few candles and grabbing a book or magazine, I always rummage around my beauty cabinet and pick out a couple of my favourite beauty products to help me unwind.

The products I take with me into the bath usually change rather frequently but I've gathered a couple of favourites over the Christmas period and I've been sticking to the same routine for the past few weeks now. With the exception of the Lush Bath Bomb, which changes with every bath of course (I have a ridiculously huge pile from the Boxing Day sales to get through!), I've been really enjoying using the same combination of products to wash, scrub and moisturise all my worries away!