Clarins Beauty Flash Balm

Hey girls!

I've been using Clarins Multi Active Moisturiser for a few months now and I absolutely love it so I was really excited to try their Beauty Flash Balm. I suffer from quite dull skin so have been wanting to try this balm for a while as it promises to brighten dull skin and ask as the 'ultimate pick-me-up for tired stressed skin'. I was also intrigued because it can be use as a primer in between skin care and make up application, or as a radiance boosting mask. You've got to love a multi-usage product! I've been using this mainly under my make up when I really want to look glowing and awake such as before a night out, or even a job interview that I had last week! And it really works. It makes my skin feel soft, allowing my make up to glide on beautifully, and leaving my face looking more radiant and healthy than it did before application. As for using it as a mask, the result is equally as fab. The only problem with this balm, is the price. It retails for £28, but you can buy it here from Cheap Smells for only £17.95! It's great for giving your skin an extra boost and glow so I'd definitely recommend it.

Have you given this a go before? What are your favourite Clarins products?

♥

Bioderma Crealine H2O

Hi girls!

I'm sure you've heard about this amazing cleanser from the beauty queens of the internet such as Lisa Elderidge, Vivianna and Tanya, but I wanted to give you my take on this hyped up product. I've always been a faithful Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish girl but have been after something that would effectively cleanse my face if I'm too feeling lazy, other than make up wipes. Face wipes just aren't good for my skin; they spread the dirt around my face and don't leave it feeling clean or fresh at all. 

This cleanser is however, a god send and is apparently used on models during fashion week in between looks because it is suitable for all types of skin, particularly sensitive skin and it effectively removes the stubbornist of make up. It's a micellar solution which means that it removes make up as gently as water would, and eats away at make up rather than smearing it around the face like a normal face wipe would. For a full face of make up I use about 5 or 6 cotton pads to fully remove every trace of make up, but the 500ml bottle has lasted me about 3 months so far which is pretty good! One thing I learnt whilst been in France is that the French love their skin care and take it very seriously. So when I saw this product plastered across most pharmacy windows I knew that it was one essential product that these skin savvy people can't live without. 

On ebay, Bioderma goes for about £16, but when in Paris I picked up two for €15! (about £12) So girls, if you're across the pond, be sure to stock up on this cleanser before you come home. I don't think it's completely replaced my C&P, but it's definitely an alternative for when I'm feeling lazy or am wearing a lot of eye make up..

Have you given this product a try? Let me know what you think of it!

♥

Still here!

Hi there lovely people,

Yes yes, I am still alive! And I've been missing you. Since moving back home, blogging has taken a back seat whilst I've been lapping up English life. Even taking a trip to Tesco has been an exciting venture for me as I've been missing out on it for a year! But even though I've been m.i.a, I've been buying way too many beauty products and clothes like there's no tomorrow, so I'm really excited to start sharing these things with you again.  

I just want to say a little something about my year abroad. It was hard, very hard. I think this was mainly because I'm a home bird and love my home comforts, but also because I was in the middle of no where with no one my age to talk to. I'm sure if you're a bit more of a free spirit than me and if you move to somewhere like the centre of Barcelona, then you'd have a fab time, but for me I couldn't wait to get home. Living close to Paris was of course amazing and the year has made me appreciate the little things at home, but it's something that I wouldn't rush to do again. 

Anywayy, I hope you've stuck around whilst I've been away and that you'll stay a little while longer to see some of the things I've been getting excited about these past few weeks.

♥

YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick in Peach Passion

Hi girllies,

I am so excited to write this post because I have been lusting after a YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick for god knows how long now! Every time I went to a counter I drooled over the luxurious packaging, the beautiful range of colours & deliciously creamy texture of these lippies. So, I was ecstatic when some of my best friends had read my birthday wish list  and saw that I wanted the shade Peach Passion. 

First of all, the lipstick is super creamy (even creamier than the MAC creme sheen finishes) and glides onto the lips like an absolute dream. It does have a tendency to get stuck in any dry patches though, so make sure your lips are nice and moisturised before applying it. It's lasting power isn't that great, so it is necessary to keep topping it up every couple of hours. As for the colour, it's a gorgeous peachy pink and although it looks quite orange on the swatch, on the lips it leans more towards the pink side. It's sort of a nicer version of Costa Chic by MAC. I'd love to do a swatch of it for you on my lips, but I don't like them and haven't quite mastered a flattering angle yet! But, in the mean time, you can feast your eyes on this embarassing photo of what it looks like after having been worn for an hour or so...

I think this shade is gorgeous for Summer and would definitely recommend it. The only downside is the price, retailing at around £23, it is quite out of my student budget so I hope this one lasts me a while!

Have any of you lovely girls tried the YSL lipsticks? What are your must-have lippies for Summer?
♥

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum

Hey guys!

I hope you're all having a fab week and enjoying the beautiful sunshine. Today I thought I'd share with you something that I have been absolute loving; the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum. I've been using samples of this for a while, but never taken the plunge to buying the full bottle as it's quite pricey, so I was over the moon when my boyf bought me the 50ml bottle for my birthday :D I was one happy ladddyy. 

First of all, if you're not sure what makes a serum so special, it basically penetrates deeper than a moisturiser, and repairs the cells underneath the skin, leaving it feeling more hydrated and smooth. And, from what I've heard in the blogging world, this serum is supposed to repair any damage to your skin over night by doing just that, be that scars, uneven skin tone, blemishes...you name it, this cures it. As for Estee Lauder, they believe that they have a revolutionary formula which helps to "repair the appearance of past damage caused by every major environmental assault".

But, is this product all it's hyped up to be? YES! It is bloody wonderful. My skin is, and always has been quite bad. I'm never without spots and my pores aren't pretty, but if I apply this at night, the next morning my skin isn't perfect but I can definitely notice the difference. Acne scars are visibly reduced as are my pores and blemishes, my skin feels suppler, smoother and generally in better shape. I would absolute recommend this to anyone who's skin needs some serious TLC from any damage it has suffered in the past. I also love the little pipet thing that you use to squeeze out the serum, very medical-like!

After this and the success of the Idealist Pore Minimising Refinisher, I'm becoming a bit of a serum addict. Next on my list is Origins Mega Bright Skin Correcting Serum. Have any of you tried these serums? Do you think this one's worth the £52 or have you found a cheaper dupe for it? 

♥

Birthday Antics #2

Hi lovelies,

These are just a few snaps from the weekend when my friends came to visit me for some more birthday celebrations. We had the best time. I'm sorry there aren't more arty Parisian photos, but I'm just not that way inclined! I'd much rather take photos of me and the girls so we can look back when we're older and giggle at what a fab time we had. We did all of the touristy things, as well as lots of vintage shopping, normal shopping, cocktail/champagne drinking, and generally just loving being in each others company. We all agreed that we hadn't laughed so much in a very long time. I've known these girls since I was 11 and treasure them so much. And it's weekends like this that make me remember how important friendship is. 

Do you guys still keep in touch with your high school friends? Have you ever visited Paris?

♥