Dior Eye Show: Undressed Beige

Dior Eye Show - Undressed Biege - £18.65 

So I know I haven't done a make-up shot in a while, it's just I have been getting a little camera shy and while I've been feeling a bit down everything about me has made me feel eurgh. But not today... I had one of those afternoons where I just wanted to play with make-up and I rediscovered this gem sitting at the bottom of my draw. Don't you just love it when you find an old favourite? 

I remember when I first got this product I would wear it all the time, I loved the way to look and the way it complimented my complexion. In the photo above, I am wearing it with a nude eye shadow as well to add some contouring to the lids. The eyeshadow is an odd formula, it is kind of like a mouse consistency which smooths onto your lids easily. It doesn't fall into the creases of your eyelids either which is a bonus. I tend to apply this with my fingers because if I use the a brush, I find more product ends up on the brush than my eyes. I could try it with an eye sponge though... that might work? I just love this and I am so glad I have rediscovered it for the party season :) 

Have you found any favourite products lurking in the back of your draw??

John Frieda Sheer Blonde: Instant Silkener

John Frieda Sheer Blonde: Instant Silkener 125ml - £5.29

If I am 100% honest with you, I'm not quite sure what made me buy this product originally because there is nothing about it which immediately attracts me. And I an advertisers dream... I always pick up (and end up buying) products that I like the packaging off - which probably isn't the best approach. 

Anyway, for whatever reason I brought this I am glad that I did. It is amazing for the ends of my hair. As the colder weather is drawing in, my hair likes to explode as if I have put my fingers in a plug socket. This looks and feels amazing through straight or naturally styled hair and it really softens the ends. When I curl my hair and pop this on the ends it I find that it weighs down my hair and pulls the curls out. Which is weird because when my hair is straightened it feels like silk (excuse the cliche) and is really light weight. 

It smells quite nice, it has that "John Frieda" smell which is softly perfumed and isn't too overpowering. It is a thick and creamy consistency and I like the fact that it is in a squeezy tube which means it is easier to get out unlike some similar products which I have used. A pea size is ample amount of product for application to the ends of the hair and then you have to work it in. I only use it occasionally, as I am too lazy to have my hair straight, so I am unaware of any prolonged effects of this. 

Overall, I think this product is great value for money and despite not knowing if the product is doing any good to my hair it does make it feel, look and smell great. Plus it is no hassle which is a bigger bonus for me.

The Body Shop Collection

Aloe Soothing Day Cream - The Body Shop - £10

Hemp Foot Protector - The Body Shop - £10 

Japanese Cherry Blossom Body Butter - The Body Shop - £4

Vitamin E Cream Cleanser - The Body Shop - £8 

I think as many as you will all be able to tell, I used to be a MASSIVE Body Shop fan. I'm kind of one of those people who find a brand that they love and stick to it, however I do get bored and flit around. My currently obsession is Lush. However I thought I will share with you all so more of my Body Shop collection which I am still trying to get through. These haven't been my favourite products but they are still okay and I wanted to get them a fair review: 

Aloe Soothing Day Cream: When I first purchased this, I loved it. It has a soft but light consistency and sinks into your skin. On the whole it is a 'nice' moisturisers and it sits pleasantly underneath foundation however it doesn't do anything ground breaking to the skin. It doesn't irritate my skin and isn't heavily scented which is a bonus!

Hemp Foot Protector: I have been trying to work out how to good this product actually is. It makes my feet feel soft and smooth but it never really lasts, maybe I don't apply it as frequently as I should? I generally tend to slather it on then wear cotton socks and leave it over night and next day they are so soft smooth but come the following day they are back to the condition they were in at the beginning. I'm not a fan of the hemp smell but I like the formula as it is thick and feels like it will be good for your feet. Even though that it is possibly could be masking the problem rather than treating it.

Japanese Cherry Blossom Body Butter: I remember smelling this in the shop and I thought 'Wow, this smells amazing' and when I got it home and used it, I still loved it. However when I went for my third try, the smell sort of too perfumey for my linking. I generally don't like rose or floral scents. 

Vitamin E Cream Cleanser: This cleanser is only good when my skin needs it and when my skin doesn't need it. My face hates it and reacts to that. It is very thick and nourishing and this is only good at certain times and that is when my face is feeling extremely dry and flaky. As I have combinational skin it also goes through stages of being more oily or more dry than other times. This cleanser is good for the dry times which tend to be when the weather is turning cold and my face is trying to adjust but needs that extra help. If I use it "out of season" then it tends to help my skin produce to much oily which leads to greasy skin and spots... which isn't sexy. But it is good when I need it :) 

Do you have any products that you have a love/hate relationship with or an undecided opinion about?

F*ck Monday: Importance

So my monday moan today is more of a debate rather than a moan. As most of my followers would know that I have suffered some long(ish) health issues recently. Everything kind of settled down for a while which was great and came at perfect timing, as I was offered a month long placement at my FAVOURITE magazine. Luckily I was able to complete nearly two weeks until I was hit again with another medical problem. 

It was from this that it made me consider what is more important work or my health? And as many people have pointed out that if I didn't have my health then I wouldn't be able to work anyway. I have been getting a lot of people's opinions on this topic and some people wonder why I can't sort out my health as well as working. Now being a born worrier/ stress head, I find that I am always trying to push myself a little harder and constantly think and over think things that happen at work. I also have that woman thing of finding it hard to switch off after work. 

I know longer have a part time job as I gave that up so I can focus on interning as my body just refused to cope with both. I am on my second internship like I said and I LOVE my (interning) job - like without exaggerating it would be my idol job. As I became sicker, I worried more that I would miss this opportunity and it would be such an inconvenience. 
But thankfully, the company that I work for have said that they will hold my placement for the time being until I feel well enough to resume it, which considering the cut throat attitude of the industry I thought that was really sweet of them. For the first time, I am doing what the doctor orders and putting my health before my career. Hopefully it will pay off in the end.

What would you put first your health or your job??

Try Some Samples

I think that samples are some of the best ways to sieve through the beauty industry's mass of products in order to find things that you like and don't like. It is quite frequent that magazines and beauty counters give away small samples of their products especially if it is new on the market. I normally stash these up in a draw and never get around to using them but it has only been in this year that I tried to use these products and I have found some which have been great for my skin and some which haven't. Also some that I thought were going to be great and without the sample I would had still purchased it, but thank god these little sachets have saved me from losing a lot of money.   

Here are a few of the foundation ones which I have tried recently:

Chanel Perfection Lumiere: 

AVERAGE

I love Chanel as a brand, if I had all the money world then I would be decked from head to toe in it. I tend to be a fan of the Chanel Make-up generally because I like the packaging and most of their products. Now this one was on a 'Next To Buy List'until I tried this sample . I really didn't like this formula, I found it too thick and it kind of left my face feeling rather cakey but it did hid a multitude of sins.

Clarins Skin Illusion:

LOVE

I haven't really ever tried Clarins products before, I've only ever used the odd body product here and there. However this foundation was light and blending into my skin flawlessly. It lasted all the day and didn't highlight my dry or oily patches (as I have combinational skin) I would definately purchase the full size of this!

Clinique Superfit Make-up:

HATED

I have used different Clinique products before and have really gotton on well with them and I used Perfectly Real foundation before (See Post). I found that this foundation just slid off my skin and I don't particulary have oily skin. I tried it again, because you can usually get a couple of uses out of these little sachets, but that time I used a primer and it lasted a little longer but still not good enough for what I would expect a foundation of this standard should last. It also made my skin feel shiny and needed touching with powder through the day and despite the foundation sliding it left a greasy residue.

 

Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid:

GOOD

For a highstreet brand this foundation came with both a light consistency and a medium coverage. I found that I need to work this product into my skin in order for it to get a flawless finish and it did feel like that I needed quite a lot to cover my face. Though after the work it does leave a bright flawless finish and would be defiantely worth a purchase.

Nivea Visage Q10 Pore Refining Day Cream:

THE BEST
I know this one is particulary relevant to this post, however I had collected three sachets of this product and when I ran out of my favourite day cream I thought I might as well try it. And honestly it was the best face cream that I have tried. I presummed that because it was Anti-Wrinkles that it wouldn't be used to my skin type. I generally love the Nivea 'smell' that the brand has and the day cream really helped sort out my blemishes as well as working as a great foundation break. 

Do you try your samples or do they end up in the back of your draw?