June Favourites

So we've made it six months into the year and in record time no less, during which my beauty favourites have been well and truly stacking up. I'll have a full rundown of my most used products from the first half of the year coming to you soon which will be covering all bases from skincare to make up, so for June's addition I kept it short and sweet - or at least that was the intention. Cue a twelve minute ramble including my thoughts on blue eyeliner, scalp exfoliation and the best way to tackle in-shower tanning!

Get Un-Ready With Me: After Party Night Time Routine

As much as I love the process of getting ready for a night out, putting on a full face of make up and bringing out the heels, my favourite part of the evening is usually taking it all off again! Last week I stayed at Shoreditch House with St Tropez as a little introduction to their In Shower Gradual Tan (FYI, its fab!) and one pizza, three cocktails and hours of chatting later I headed back to my room for a post-party wind down...

Current Skincare Favourites & Morning/Evening Routine

Skincare, skincare, skincare. Let's talk about skincare! I feel like I've been dying to make this video for so long, as - come on, it's just the best subject to talk about. From it's importance as a foundation for make up to discovering new exciting ingredients and building up a routine there's just no end the amount I could go on about skincare! Luckily for you though, I've condensed about an hour's worth of rambling into one bite-size chunk to digest today, chatting through my current favourites of the moment, some new additions and how they all fit into my morning and evening routines.

March Favourites

So this post is almost a week overdue (although I was convince I'd already written it.. where is my mind!?) but I thought I'd update you all anyway as what better way to spend a rather gloomy Wednesday afternoon (Spring, see you soon?) than catching up on a new monthly favourites video! March's picks are another short and sweet bunch, but a good lot nonetheless. Some new skincare additions have finally trickled their way into my regular routine and a I'm having a moment with all things light, sheer and dewy in the make up department!

Beauty Sale Favourites

After spending my Boxing Day afternoon scrolling through hundreds of pages of sales - pyjama clad and Terry's Chocolate Orange in hand of course, I've come up with a list of my favourite tried and tested beauty bargains just for you.

Feel Unique know how to do a sale and you'll find a host of well know, well loved brands with great discounts. Cult favourites such as the Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm and the Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask - my personal favourite for sore Winter skin, both come in at a much lower price than you're ever likely to find them. There are also full brand discounts on premium houses such as Guerlain and YSL - my picks including the Terracotta Light Sheer Bronzing Powder and the Rouge Pur Couture Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stains which although may only have a few pounds off are still very hard to say no to.

If you're looking to invest a little more and 2014 has been earmarked as the year you're getting into skincare the Clarisonic Mia 2 has a whopping 20% off - a considerable amount for a higher priced product and a system I would whole heartedly recommend to those wanting something that little bit special for their skin.

Space NK is always the place to go for harder to find luxury brands and they've made considerable reductions on a handful of Diptyque fragrances including my favourite, Philisykos. There's also a beautiful selection of Laura Mercier Votive Candles bundled together in one pretty package for half the usual price. All four are gourmande scents from Fresh Fig to Crème Brûlée - good enough to eat!

Most of the sales I've come across have featured Aromatherapy Associates - definitely a brand worth checking out for their Bath and Shower Oils alone, but it's Beauty Bay I've found to be offering up the best price with their Relax Deep coming in at nearly £10 less than it's original price.

Beauty Expert have a host of well discounted haircare finds including my new favourite styling product of the moment, the Kérastase Boucles d'Art Mousse and the majority of the Redken Shampoo and Conditioner Duos, led by the unparalleled All Soft range - perfect for post-holiday season hydration.

Asos have a much smaller selection of sale items in the beauty category but there are quite a few gems to be found, including O.P.I's Christmas 2013 Collection which boasts possibly the chunkiest silver glitter I've ever laid my eyes on in the form of I Snow You Love Me that should keep you and your nails in a festive mood for weeks to come.

Have you bagged yourself any sale bargains today?

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The Skin Recovery Facial

I've found myself taking a far more laid back approach when it comes to make up these days. No longer do I feel the need to be contoured, highlighted and lined to within an inch of my life and I've really been enjoying using minimal products for a simple everyday look. The same can't be said unfortunately for skincare. I mentioned recently that only packing a basic routine for a week away had seriously taken it's toll on my face (although I'm sure the overindulgent meals and being too lazy to take my make up off every night may have had something to do with it too) and I needed a good deep cleanse to set things back to normal. Enter the three step 'Skin Recovery Facial' thats been pulling my skin out of it's slump.

I like to start with exfoliation to bring back the glow and open up all those blocked pores. As much as I'd love to reach for the nearest abrassive exfoliant I've been sticking to the rule of 'no harsh scrubs' and kept to all things chemical. The REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask* has been serving this step well and uses gentle fruit-acids to brighten skin and prepare it for a deeper cleanse. For this my product of the moment is the Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask, some serious detox in a tube. The Manuka Honey which draws moisture to the skin is also antibacterial and anti-oxidising, cleansing it deeply but leaving it soothed with no signs of over-stripped tightness. Last up I like to end with a good injection of hydration and for that I turn to the La Roche-Posay Hydraphase Intense Masque*. Packed with hyaluronic acid, the go-to ingredient for retaining moisture, a thick layer of this gel textured cream left on for ten minutes will make your skin impossibly smooth and incredibly plumped.

Tools should not be forgotten either and I find using an old foundation brush makes for a more even and precise application. Also polishing each mask off with a muslin cloth or flannel adds some extra exfoliation too, especially around stubborn areas like the nose or chin.

I find this combination of products work well for me but it's a simple three step routine of exfoliate, cleanse and hydrate that most masks could fall into easily. So if your skins feeling a little down in the dumps, pick out a few products and give yourself an hour for a spot of pampering, I know I'll be indulging in these again tonight!

* Gifted PR Samples

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London Beauty Haul

It's not too often that I have access to all my favourite beauty brands under one roof, so on arriving back from my three day Birthday trip to London at the end of last month I came bearing bags and bags of shopping and a bank card that's now gone into recovery. I had a good spend up in all the big beauty spots, Selfridges, Liberty, Space NK and a very large and well stocked Boots. Here's what I got!

Illamasqua Pure Pigment in Ore | Illamasqua Glean in Aurora | Georgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation | MAC Paint Pot in Vintage Selection | MAC Crosswires Lipstick | Antipodes Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream | Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask | Diptyque Philosykos Eau de Toilette | Diptyque Figuier Candle | Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light | Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer | Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Riviera | Escentric Molecules Molocule 01 | Bioderma Sensibio H20 | Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask | Origins GinZing Moisturiser | Origins Make a Difference Plus+ Moisturiser | Origins Plantscription Concealer | Origins No Puffery Eye Mask | SinfulColours Nail Polish (in Snow Me White, Easy Going, Unicorn, Island Coral, Boogie Nights and Pistache) | Too Faced Natural Eye Kit | Benefit Hervana Blush | Clinique High Impact Extreme Mascara | Bumble & Bumble Deeep Hair Mask | Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Buttercream |
Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash | Real Techniqes Limited Edition Duo Fibre Brush Set | Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in Bashful | Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer in Stellar




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