Estée Lauder Skin Care Routine

I got given this set of Estée Lauder skincare goodies for Christmas and after using them for well over a month and even finishing one of the products, I thought it was about time I gave you a review. The set is a full routine of cleanser, treatment, eye cream and moisturiser. Let's start with the cleanser, shall we?

It's called their Perfectly Clean Foam Cleanser and I'd say that's a pretty good description. It has a mousse consistency and it lathers up to a nice foam on the skin and note that a little bit goes a long way with this! It wouldn't normally be my first choice as a cleanser as there is a lot of controversy over foaming cleansers and them drying out your skin so as someone with very dry skin I try to avoid them but I must admit I have really liked using this. The foam makes it feel like your skin really is getting a good clean and I haven't noticed it dry out my skin at all. I like using this after I've removed my makeup (I'm still using The Body Shop's Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter if you're curious - review here) or in the morning. One thing I don't like about this cleanser is that it's quite stingy if you get it in your eyes but apart from that I am really enjoying using it.

The next step in the routine is the treatment/serum or whatever you consider the legendary product that is Advanced Night Repair. This stuff is a best seller and very pricey so I had high hopes. It has quite a strange consistency which is like a thick oil but not at all greasy. It's feels lovely on the skin and sinks in within seconds so doesn't interfere with whatever moisturiser you use on top. This is meant to make your skin more youthful, plumped, radiant, strong, even toned... You get the drift, it's apparently some what of a miracle worker. I have noticed that my skin has felt much softer and smoother over the last few weeks and although I can't put it down to this alone, I'm sure it has something to do with it. I think I'll probably notice a difference once I run out and cannot afford a full size bottle -  my student budget doesn't account for £50 face serums unfortunately.

Next up is the eye cream and strangely enough I think this might be my favourite product of the whole process. I say strangely because before getting this set I had never used an eye cream consistently and I've really enjoyed the results. I'm not sure if it's this eye cream in particular or just that using it makes me take extra care in moisturising right around my eyes but since using this I have noticed that my under eye area is SO soft ! Don't ask me why that matters as no one apart from me is aware of how soft my under eye area is but it makes me very happy. It's the little things, eh? Although I'm sure the softness comes from being well moisturised so makeup will sit better and wrinkles will be prevented and all that stuff that's more important than having baby smooth skin. I should also mention that this cream has a slight shimmer to it. It doesn't bother me but it's worth mentioning as in bright light without makeup on it is visible. Also this little pot will last you a lifetime! I've used it most mornings and evenings since Christmas Day and am only about half way through!

Finally, we're on to the moisturiser. I've actually finished this up already and I have to say I'm quite sad as I really liked this! It had such a lovely texture. It was quite balmy but not too thick or sticky. It wasn't anything exceptional, I didn't think, but it kept my skin hydrated, sank it nicely and worked well in the morning or evening - a good basic moisturiser in my opinion.

I hoped you've enjoyed reading my two cents on Estée Lauder skin care. Overall I'm really enjoying these products and would really like to try out more of the Estée Lauder line, maybe some things more targeted towards dry skin rather than anti ageing. Let me know in the comments if you've tried anything from Estée Lauder's skin care line or what your current favourite skincare products are.

 

Red Lips | 3 Ways

I know Christmas is long gone now; the decorations have been packed away for another year and the chocolate is finally eaten up, but one thing that's not going away any time soon are the red lips. I have been loving red lips since before Christmas and I just cannot get enough. I love the way a red gloss makes you look put together in one quick swipe but I also love the intensity of a full on Marilyn Monroe, over drawn, glamourous lip. Today I thought I'd share with you three of my current red lip favourites and would love to hear yours too so feel free to enable me in the comments.

The first option when it comes to trying red is to go glossy. I got this gloss a few months ago in a freebie box from Boots and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it. It's the Maxfactor Colour Elixir Lipgloss in Captivating Ruby. As you can see from the swatch it's pretty strongly pigmented and is a nice true red colour. I like wearing this in the day time for a statement lip that isn't too try hard. Also the formula is lovely and smooth, shimmer free and leaves behind a pretty stain.

Another option for a glossy, not too dramatic red is this one from Dior. It's their Dior Addict Extreme in Pandore and it's really lovely. It's slightly sheerer and more of a raspberry pink tone than the Maxfactor one but this also has a really nice consistency. It's so smooth and comfortable to wear and it leaves a nice pink stain behind so no need to worry about touching up throughout the day. Also, can we just take a minute to appreciate the packaging?! It's so sophisticated and luxurious and makes me feel very fancy when putting it on.

The third and final of my choices is the most dramatic and my favourite of the three. When it comes to red lips there is a part of me that thinks, "Go hard or go home!" as there is something so glamourous and timeless about a heavy red lip. My current choice for this look is the Daniel Sandler Luxury Matte Lipstick in Casablanca. My sister bought me this for Christmas and it was love at first site for me. The colour is so perfect, it's not too warm or cool toned so should work on most skin tones and although it's a true red it's a slightly darker shade which just gives some extra depth and intensity to the colour. Can you tell I love it yet?! This lasts really well too; after eating and drinking you might need to slightly touch up the inside of your lips but overall it stays on really well.

Swatches are left to right the Maxfactor, Dior then Daniel Sandler.

An honourable mention also needs to go to the Barry M Lip Liner in 3 which stays on for days!

I hope you've enjoyed this post, let me know your favourite red lip options in the comments below! Have a nice day everyone :)

The Good Life Eatery, Chelsea

On the Sunday I spent in London we took ourselves to Kensington where we had a wander round the shops, spotted a Made in Chelsea star and I tried my first ever Ben's Cookie (delicious by the way).

We then walked to The Good Life Eatery in Chelsea as it is so hyped up online and pictures of the food are constantly popping up on my instagram feed so we thought we would give it a go. Tara and I both went for poached eggs; Skinny Benedict for me and Skinny Royale for Tara.

The eggs were deliciously runny and anything with avocado is usually a winner for me, however, I have to say both of us were rather disappointed. The meals were cold which I found odd and the "hollandaise" sauce was a skinny version made from yoghurt with saffron. I thought it was ok but Tara wasn't a fan. Overall I did enjoy the meal and it was very filling, it just didn't quite live up to expectations. I think some of the salads looked really nice, as well as the juices and desserts so it could just be a case of ordering badly.

Let me know if you've ever been to The Good Life Eatery and what you thought of it if you have.

A Saturday in Kingston

I spent this past weekend in London staying with my sister. She moved to London in September and since I hadn't been to see her yet, I thought a few days with her would be a nice way to finish my uni term and I was right. We had such a lovely weekend exploring new areas of London, doing some Christmas shopping and of course eating lots of food! My original intention was to take lots of photos of our weekend; pretty views of London at Christmas, outfits of the day and show you what we got up to but I'm sorry to say that that didn't happen. We were so busy having fun and catching up that the only thing I managed to photograph was the food but it was rather delicious so I'm going to show you anyway.

We actually avoided central London on Saturday afternoon as two weeks before Christmas we thought it would be unpleasantly busy so we set off for Kingston. For lunch we went to a cute cafe called The Terrace Eatery. We started with some hot drinks to warm up after coming in from the cold and, soon after ordering, our sandwiches arrived.

I went for the Milanese and Tara chose the smoked salmon and cream cheese. (I think I won!)

The Milanese was a dreamy combination of salami, mozzarella, olives, sunblushed tomatoes, pesto and salad leaves.

It was delicious and if you're ever in the area I would highly recommend stopping off for a spot of lunch. I think you'd struggle to find a better sandwich or, if it's something sweet you're after, their cakes and traybakes looked pretty great too.

Feeling nicely full and fuelled for shopping we went on our way and spent the afternoon wandering around the shops and browsing for Christmas presents. I had never been to Kingston before and I have to say I thought it was so lovely! If you're lucky enough to live nearby then I am rather envious as we had such a nice afternoon.

As the shops began to close and our hunger returned we made our way to Ealing for dinner. Tara suggested Turtle Bay, a Caribbean restaurant with a really cool vibe. There were no tables available so we sat at the bar stools which was fine by us. We quickly ordered some cocktails and a starter to share of Pulled Jerk Pork.

This was a nice salad with pulled pork, mango, orange and coconut shavings.

The main was the real treat though. I chose the Trinidad curry chicken and Tara went for the Jerk chicken with the BEST sweet potato fries.

 Tara's Jerk chicken - this was smoky, soft, barbecued heaven.

My curry of chicken in a fruity, coconutty and slightly spicy sauce.















We had such a lovely meal - great food and the loveliest of company!

Again I would highly recommend Turtle Bay. It had such a nice, lively vibe, great music, friendly staff and, of course, delicious food.

We had such a nice day and I cannot thank my sister enough as she thoroughly spoilt me!

On Sunday we ventured to Chelsea and tried out a celeb fave healthy eating spot - can you guess what it is? Post to come soon..

Boots Haul

It started with the eyebrow pencil. My old one was too dark and too warm so obviously a trip to Boots was on the cards to get a new eyebrow pencil and nothing else... But how boring would that be?

I'd heard great things about the Soap and Glory Archery eyebrow pencil from Lily Pebbles and when I found it in store it looked like exactly what I was after - a thin pencil to draw individual hairs. a light grey-ish taupe colour (much better than the warm brown I was previously using) and not to forget the spoolie on the end and the ease of a twist up pencil - what's not to love? I bought the colour "Blondshell" and so far so good. It's much lighter than what I was used to but I think I need to accept that blonde hair and very dark eyebrows isn't the best look. Also I love how thin the tip of the pencil is and that I'll never be lost without a sharpener.

So eyebrow pencil in hand, happy with my choice, mission complete, yeah? Don't be silly, as soon as I saw the 3 for 2 signs covering the stands in Boots it was never going to be a one product shop, was it? So I asked myself what I could justify purchasing because I "needed" it and I decided on an eyeshadow brush. I managed to leave lots of mine at home so my uni makeup application has consisted of a few very well loved brushes doing all the work and lots of finger blending. I chose the No7 Eye Colour Brush and so far I really like it. It's made of synthetic hairs which are very soft and it's nice and dense. I've been using it to pack colour on to the lid and it's doing the job nicely.

The lipstick was not necessary but I got it for free so who cares! If you read this blog post you'll know that I was after a 90's inspired brown lipstick and this one fits the bill quite nicely, It's Seventeen's Stay Pout Lipstick in the shade "Fond Farewell". It's a deep brown with a lot of red in it and a slightly metallic finish. It's not the sort of colour I usually go for but I actually really like it. It's dark enough to be quite vampy and bold but something different to the usual plum and burgundy shades. I've never heard anyone talk about this range and I think they deserve some blogging love! They're nice and creamy, very opaque and last well on the lips. Also, at £4.49 a lipstick, they're an absolute bargain!

You can see the eyebrow pencil and lipstick in action in the pictures above and for good measure I'll tell you what else I'm wearing.

Face - Estee Lauder Perfectionist Foundation in Desert Beige, Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 2 Cool Medium and Mac Mineralize Blush in Warm Soul

Eyes - Soap and Glory Archery eyebrow pencil, Urban Decay Naked Palette (Virgin, Sin and Naked), L'Oreal Super Liner Eye Liner in Black Laquer, Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara and Max Factor Masterpiece MAX Mascara

Lips - Seventeen Stay Pout Lipstick in "Fond Farewell"

Today I received a double points Boots coupon in the post so I'm sure it won't be long until I make another sneaky purchase. Let me know your favourite products from the drugstore in the comments below :)

My Current Skincare Routine

I think it's about time I shared with you all my current skincare routine as I've stuck to the same four products for a few months so I feel like I've given them long enough to give my two cents on what I think. As a bit of background information my skin is very dry and dehydrated, mostly clear with the odd little spot here and there and is prone to being very flaky and dull. (Sounds lovely, doesn't it?) I keep things pretty simple with no fancy products, nothing that breaks the bank and nothing that takes more time than is entirely necessary when I'm desperate to get into bed or have slept in in the morning. So here you go - a step by step run through of my skincare routine.

Step 1 - Makeup Removal

In the evening the first thing I do is remove my makeup, if I've been wearing any that day, using the Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter. I massage it into my skin and well in to my eyes and eyelashes to lift all my makeup, then using a hot, damp facecloth wipe it off and then pat my face dry. I find that this cleanser is very good at removing makeup and even gets most of my waterproof mascara off but I do still need a second go to make sure everything is completely clean and makeup free.

Step 2 - Second Cleanse

Next I use the La Roche-Posay Physiological Cleansing Milk to do a second cleanse. This is a creamy lotion and feels so nice on my skin. I massage it in while my skin is dry, making sure to get any makeup off that is left around my eyes. I love that both this and the Body Shop cleanser don't sting or irritate my eyes. They both feel very gentle and soothing so I don't have to worry about using a separate eye makeup remover. After the cleanser is well worked into my skin I wash it off with a hot, damp face cloth.

Step 3 - Serum

The final two steps are all about hydration. First of all I use Hydraluron Moisture Boosting Facial Serum from Indeed Labs (btw this is a third off at Boots at the minute). This is a clear gel like liquid which is made of hyaluronic acid so is meant to be super hydrating. It dries down on the skin to a slightly tacky finish which in a way I like as it makes me feel like my moisturiser will then cling on to my skin to hydrate it more than normal. I doubt there's much truth to this but I enjoy using it and until I can afford Sarah Chapman Skinesis I think I'm gonna have to make do with the cheapy version.

Step 4 - Moisturiser
So here is where things go slightly downhill and I'm not loving what I'm using. I've been using The Body Shop's Vitamin E Moisture Cream and let me start by saying this is not a bad product - it has a lovely texture, it smells nice, it doesn't irritate my skin and hasn't broken me out. The problem with this is simply that it isn't right for my skin. I was advised in the shop that the Vitamin E range is for dry skin so thought that this would be rich enough to moisturise my dry skin which it definitely isn't. This sinks in as soon as I have finished applying it (something that might be a good thing for someone with oilier skin but for me I like something thick and rich that sits on my skin) so it leaves my skin feeling dry. I end up putting on layer after layer of this waiting for my skin to be hydrated enough that the product doesn't soak up immediately but I don't ever reach that point. Maybe the night cream or intense version of this would work better for me but I think I'm going to try another brand next time. I'm nearly finished this now so if any dry skinned girls have a better recommendations let me know.

In the morning all the steps are the exact same apart from the makeup removal (except after the odd night out when my makeup remains fully intact until the next morning but we'll brush over that for now).

So that's it - everything I use on my face to keep it clean, clear and as hydrated as possible. Let me know what your skincare staple products are and if you have any recommendations for a new moisturiser let me know :)

Topshop Lusting

I should probably start this post by apologizing for my lack of blogging. I don't have a real excuse other than I've been back at uni and haven't managed to fit blogging in to my routine yet. This magical thing seems to happen when I get back from lectures that I'm stuck to my sofa from arriving home until bed, any other students experiencing this? Anyway, hopefully that will change now and I'm going to make a real effort to blog more regularly.

I thought I would get started with a wishlist post. I read lots of blogs and watch lots of youtubers and as much as I would love to show you all the lovely clothes and makeup I buy on a weekly basis like they do, unfortunately my student budget doesn't stretch much further than a weekly shop and the odd bargain (speaking of bargains I have bought some really good things recently - post coming soon). For now though, I'm going to share what I'm lusting after and what I would be purchasing if my student loan didn't disappear so rapidly.

While perusing the Topshop New In section, as I seem to find myself doing far too often, I found these beauties..

1. Snake Foil Mini Bodycon Dress - Something you will quickly learn, if you continue to read my blog, is that I am obsessed with sparkly and shiny things. Show me anything metallic, sequinned, beaded etc. and you can almost guarantee I'll love it. This dress is so fun and is perfect for Christmas parties and nights out.

2. MOTO Bleached Super Ripped Hayden Jeans - I have been on the hunt for boyfriend style baggy jeans for literally years but have never taken the plunge and bought a pair. I think these ones are perfect though. They would be equally as gorgeous with a crop top and strappy heels as they would be with trainers and a T-shirt. (Can you see how I'm justifying purchasing these already?)

3. Metallic Leather Skinny Belt - This one's pretty simple in that I need belts (especially after reading this) and why not go for a fun silver one over a plain black or brown?

4. Ribbed Funnel Neck Top - I am all over high neck tops right now and I love the clean look and simplicity of the white.

5. Tala Knee High Boots - After purchasing these boots a few weeks ago my eyes have been opened to the world of heeled boots as they are SO comfortable and after getting used to wearing them I feel very short in flat shoes now. I love the fine shape on the leg of these.. I might have to keep an eye on them in case they go on sale.

6. Leather Pony Effect Wallet - I love mini purses like this as they are so easy to carry around and they still hold all the essentials. I really like the leopard print on this one too.

7. Embellished Collar Shirt - I think this would look so pretty under a jumper with the collar just showing from underneath.. again all about the sparkle!

8. Sequin Crossbody Bag - I love the size and shape of this bag and think it would look so fun to make any outfit more interesting in the day or would be perfect for nights out!

9. Clean Rib Knitted Dress - I think this would look so cute and cosy paired with thick black tights, black boots and a big blanket style scarf.

10. Rachel Strappy High Sandals - Possibly one of my favourite picks, I love the intricacy of the design and think these look much more expensive than what they are. I think that black strappy high heeled sandals are an essential and these are a fun alternate to the classic two strap style.

11. Beauty and the Beast PJ Set - A bit of a random choice but I think these are just so cute! Beauty and the Beast is one of my all time favourite movies so of course I would love these but if you're not a fan Topshop have other Disney classic pyjama sets which I think are perfect for Christmas presents if you're already thinking that far ahead.

12. Petite Exclusive Velvet Bonded Tunic - Why is this only available in petite?! I love this - the colour, the shape, the double layer effect and have been after a velvet dress for a while. If only I was a good bit shorter.

13. Lips in Boardroom - I know this is mostly a fashion post but I saw this online and really liked the look of it so thought I would include it anyway. I, along with most people, am loving Kylie Jenner's look at the minute and I think this colour lipstick is very fitting with her 90's brown lip look she's been rocking. I might have to check this one out in store to see how "Kylie" it is in person.

14. Marabou Feather Box Bag - Thanks to some of Sarah Ashcroft's latest Instagram posts I have developed a love for fluffy things. Her dreamy pictures of fluffy strappy heels, faux fur colourful jackets and striped scarves have made me very envious so as soon as I saw this bag online it was only a matter of seconds before it was bookmarked.

15. Feather Hem Bodycon Dress - This is such a perfect LBD - a classic shape but still unique because of the feathered trim. I think the long sleeved style is so demure and simple and I love the scooped back.

So there we go, a (rather long) roundup of what's on my wishlist as of now. Knowing me though I'll find myself online browsing very soon and come up with a whole new list. Let me know if you like this style of post and also what's on your current wishlist?