IT Cosmetics CC Cream Vs Erborian CC cream

I used to think that BB and CC creams were kinda gimmicky - that they wouldn't do any more than a good primer and didn't offer enough coverage to be an alternative to foundation, but I was wrong! The key is finding the right one for you and your skin. If you aren't aware what CC stands for, it's colour corrector, so their function is to correct redness or sallow skin, for example. Again, I thought that a primer would be sufficient but I have found two CC creams to prove me wrong. They are similar in terms of both being CC creams but also quite different in terms of finish and wear time so I want to share my thoughts on both today so that if you want to buy a CC cream for the warmer months, this might help you choose which will work best for you. The two CC creams in question are IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream and Erborian CC cream.

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IT Cosmetics CC Cream Vs Erborian CC cream

Four products that I cannot get enough of

At the moment, every time I apply my makeup, there are four non-negotiable products that I reach for. Eyeshadow, blush, base and lip options may vary but at the moment, I am obsessed with these products. I know that I can depend on them for my makeup to look its best. Two are new to my collection and two are old favourites.

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Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Gel, Clarins Instant Concealer, Erborian CC Eye Cream, Favourites, Natasha Denona Hydrating Glow Primer

Five free or affordable ways to improve your skin

I'm aware that I feature a lot of expensive skincare products on the blog but there are a number of free or relatively inexpensive ways to improve your skin and I'm going to share them with you today!

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Anthelios, Five free or affordable ways to improve your skin, La Roche Posay, Rejuvenated

Vitamins A - E in skincare products

Lots of people know that products containing Vitamin C will have a brightening effect on the skin but what about other vitamins? Ever wondered what their function is? I'm taking the vitamins from the first five letters of the alphabet today and recommending products for each one!

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Alpha-H Vitamin B, Alpha-H Vitamin E, Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream, Sunday Riley CEO Rapid Flash Brightening Serum, Sunday Riley Luna, Vitamins A - E in skincare products, Zelens Power D

3 treats for 3 budgets!

It's that time of the month again - payday! Well, for most people anyway! Even if you are being strict with your spending, most people like to buy something when payday arrives. It doesn't have to mean splashing too much cash as this post will show!

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3 treats for 3 budgets, Ameliorate Smoothing Body Exfoliant, Erborian CC Cream, skincare, SkinCeuticals Glycolic 10 Renew Overnight Corrective Cream

Products for angry, irritated skin days

No matter how well we take care of our skin, we all get angry or irritated skin days. Sometimes it can be from overdoing the acids/retinol, sometimes a reaction to medication, sometimes from having a cold and blowing your nose so much, other times it's a new product that you've introduced to your routine - there are so many reasons why our skin can react. For me, the biggest culprits tend to be shea butter in a product, dairy or crisps in my diet, sometimes medication and sometimes using too many acid products. When this happens, I tend to take my routine back to basics and I have some products that I rely on to get my skin back to its normal state.

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Alpha-H, Bee Good Honey & Propolis 2-in-1 Cream Cleanser, Caudalie Grape Water, irritated skin days, Omoressence, Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist, Pixi Rose Tonic, Products for angry, Zelens

Molton Brown Suede Orris range - powdery, feminine and sensual

Regular readers will know that I'm a massive Molton Brown fan so I was over the moon when their latest collection landed on my doorstep. The Suede Orris range consists of four products - a bath & shower gel, body lotion, eau de toilette and hair mist. Layering products ensures that the scent lasts longer on the skin but the addition of a hair mist means the scent will linger from head to toe. Both suede and orris were commonly used in the 16th century but the perfumer created a modern twist on an old combination.

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Molton Brown Suede Orris

Haircare favourites for dry, frizzy hair

I'm like the Sahara - I have dry skin, a dry body and dry hair! Actually, my hair isn't just dry, it's also frizzy! It used to be quite damaged through illness, colouring,  heated tools etc but after a few years of intensive treatments and regular cuts, I wouldn't describe it as damaged anymore. I'm very strict about using heat protectors and don't use heated tools daily - generally I use them twice weekly these days. That being said, unless you saw my hair when it's wet and knotty (if it's anyone other than my regular hairdresser combing my hair, I apologise for the knottiness in advance!),  you wouldn't really think that it was dry and frizzy because the products I use, keep it looking healthy and I want to share those with you today!

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Dreamcoat, frizzy hair, Haircare favourites for dry, Kerastase, L'Occitane Intensive Repair Shampoo, Olaplex, Phyto

Omorovicza Daily Vitamin C Serum

If you've read my blog for any amount of time, you will know that I am a massive fan of Omorovicza. The products just fit perfectly with my dry and quite reactive skin.  I am always excited by their new releases but I was almost hesitant about their new Daily Vitamin C Serum. Why? Because, although I love the brightening effects of Vitamin C products on my skin, I find that using them any more than 1-2 times weekly can cause my skin to become inflamed but best results are achieved through consistent use. This serum is intended for daily use so I really did wonder how my skin would cope! 8 weeks later, I want to share my thoughts with you.

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Omorovicza, Omorovicza Daily Vitamin C Serum, skincare

Recent additions to my makeup bag

I definitely don't buy as much makeup as I used to because, let's face it, I have enough to last me the rest of my life and then some! I've been waiting for products to really catch my eye and I recently made a few purchases, one of which was a repurchase of an old favourite. 

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Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Gel, By Terry Lip Expert Shine, Huda Beauty Matte & Metal Melted Shadows, Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner

Erborian Magic Transformask - matte skin with a shimmer?

Over the last year or so, I've really enjoyed exploring Erborian, which is a brand that combines K-Beauty with French - the dream team, don't you think? Back in January, they kindly sent me their latest release, which is Magic Transformask and the cutest headband, which I use every time I apply my makeup or a face mask! When I first read the press release that accompanied the mask, I really wasn't sure it would suit my skin because it described as mattifying, but I was definitely intrigued by it because it is also described as having pearlisers, which illuminate the skin. I was unsure how it could offer both!

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Erborian Magic Transformask Review

Pixi Rose Infused Range

You will probably have seen on Instagram, that Pixi recently sent lots of bloggers a gorgeous parcel of products from their Rose Infused range. Everything was housed in a rose print wash bag, which I was delighted to receive because it's roomy enough to hold everything I need when I go on holiday. I had already tried four of the products so was excited to try everything else. It's worth noting that even if you aren't a fan of anything rose scented, you might still enjoy this range as it's quite subtle and a very natural, rather than artificial rose scent. What I really love about Pixi is that the products are high quality but with mid-range prices and they also have mini sizes of popular products, which are perfect for travelling but also if you want to try products without investing very much money.

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Pixi Rose Caviar Essence, Pixi Rose Ceramide Cream, Pixi Rose Cream Cleanser, Pixi Rose Glow Mist, Pixi Rose Infused Range, Pixi Rose Oil Blend, Pixi Rose Tonic

The nude lip edit

I have always preferred a nude lip to any other option. I do sometimes dabble with colours but my lip collection consists mainly of nudes and pinks. I just love how a nude will go with any eye look and can be worn day or night and easily topped up. Today I want to share 10 beautiful nude lip options in a variety of finishes.

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nude lip, The Nude Lip Edit

Caudalie Resveratrol Lift - limited edition size!

Something I wish that more brands would do, is release deluxe sample sizes of products. Investing in a full size product with an expensive price tag, without having tried it, is always a risk and an expensive one. Sachet samples are nice for travelling but there isn't enough product in them to accurately decide whether a product is actually doing anything for your skin. Fortunately, some brands are recognising this and one of those is Caudalie, who have released a limited edition 25ml pot of Resveratrol Lift. 

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Caudalie Resveratrol Lift Review, skincare

The Hype Is Real #5 Natasha Denona Eyeshadows

Welcome to part five of my 'The Hype Is Real' series and this time it's all about Natasha Denona eyeshadows. The rest of the Natasha Denona makeup line is priced similarly to Nars/MAC etc but when it comes to eyeshadows, the only similarly price brand that I know of is Pat McGrath. Initially, only the 28 pan palettes were released but with a price tag of over £200/€200, there was no way that I would invest in one without trying the formula, despite the rave reviews. Luckily, her 5 pan palettes were soon released, which were still pricey at £41, but more affordable so I decided to go for it. Since then, she has released mini palettes, priced at $25, which makes the brand much more accessible. I now have 10 Natasha Denona eyeshadow palettes (one was kindly sent to me when I somehow made it on to her PR list, which I am convinced was a mistake because it was a one-off!) and I want to tell you why I believe that the hype is real with these eyeshadows.

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cruelty free, Natasha Denona, Natasha Denona Eyeshadow Palette, The hype is real

Ayurveda Beauty brand Samaya - balancing skin and mind

Does alternative medicine interest you? I must admit that I was quite skeptical about it for years but my mind was changed when I went to a medical clinic in Germany, which practiced both traditional/western medicine and alternative medicine.  I actually want to write about those treatments in some upcoming posts as I want to incorporate my health journey into my blog. But back to today's post, which is all about Samaya - an Ayurvedic beauty brand and I also have a gift with purchase code to share with you! Ayurveda originated in India and the basic principle is that the mind and body are inseparable and that you must have balance in both in order to achieve optimum wellness. In order to do this, you must first work out your Dosha, which you can do here. Your Dosha is based on physical and emotional traits. Samaya have three ranges of products, based on Doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. After taking the test, I found that I was Vata and I was kindly sent three products from the range, which I have been using and want to share my thoughts on with you today.

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Ayurveda beauty, cruelty free, Samaya, skincare

Brand Overview: Pixi Makeup

The very first Pixi makeup product that I ever bought was their Lash Line Ink. Back then, they didn't have a very big makeup range but that has definitely changed! Pixi now do collabs with youtubers and they release more and more makeup products every year. They are killing it with their releases and I love that everything is reasonably priced. Thanks to their very generous PR parcels, I have now amassed quite the collection (not everything is pictured above), which I want to share my thoughts on today. 

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Brand Focus, Pixi Eye Liner, Pixi Liquid Fairy Lights, Pixi Makeup Fixing Mist, Pixi Matte Last Liquid Lip, Pixi Pretties