Avène Soothing Hydrating Serum

Hello Lovelies,

I am always excited to try new skincare products, so when I saw Escentual were looking for bloggers to try Avène Soothing Hydrating Serum, I jumped at the chance and I am really pleased that I did, because it has definitely improved the look and feel of my skin.

I hadn't tried anything from Avène before and didn't know much about the Brand or their products. They are a French Brand that use Avène Thermal Spring Water in their products, which is known for its 'soothing and anti-irritating properties',  making them 'the ideal line for sensitive skin'.

This Serum is 'highly concentrated in Avène Thermal Spring Water' which  'provides an immediate calming effect' and also contains Glycerine that 'offers superior moisturising, suppleness and comfort'. Avène say this Serum will leave your skin with a 'velvety feeling' and with 'balance and softness restored'.

This Serum has a lightweight gel texture that feels really refreshing when applied and absorbs quickly into your skin, leaving it feeling silky smooth. I have been using this for about 2 weeks now and I apply 2-3 pumps in the evening and then wait a few minutes for it to really sink into my skin before I apply my moisturiser. 

I have combination/oily skin and have had a few drier patches recently, but since using this they have gone and I have definitely seen an improvement in my skin, it now looks more even and feels much more hydrated. Sometimes products that aren't specifically designed for combination skin can make my skin a bit more oily than usual but this hasn't :)

The bottle is made of glass which I think makes this feel like a luxury product and the pump is perfect to make sure you get just the right amount of Serum. 

After using this I really want to try some other things from the Avène range, especially the Thermal Water Spray and Cleanance Mask.

If you are looking for something to help soothe and balance your skin I would definitely recommend Avène Soothing Hydrating Serum especially if you have sensitive skin. You can get this from Escentual here and at the moment it has 15% off  and is only £14.45 for 30ml! 

Have you tried this or any other products from Avène?

Thanks for reading :)

Nyss x

Philosophy Purity Made Simple 3-in-1 Cleanser

Hello Lovelies,

Today I wanted to share with you a Cleanser I have been loving recently and that is Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple 3-in-1 Cleanser for your face and eyes.

This was the first Philosophy skincare product I have tried and so far I've been really impressed with it. It has ‘natural oil extracts’ that help condition your skin and it claims to ‘cleanse, tone and melt away all face and eye makeup in one simple step, while hydrating the skin’. I always remove my makeup before cleansing, because then I feel like I am giving my skin a good clean rather than just rubbing my makeup around my face. I have been using this with my Foreo Luna Mini in the evenings and from the first time I used it my skin looked clearer, brighter and wasn't left feeling dry in the way that some cleansers can leave your skin feeling. This Cleanser claims to deep clean your pores and I have definitely seen an improvement in the pores on my nose since I've been using this.

This Cleanser made me want to try some more Philosophy skincare products and for the last couple of weeks I have been using The Microdelivery Daily Exfoliating Wash a couple of times a week, which I have also been impressed with so far. There are a couple more products I would like to try and they are Purity Made Simple Foaming 3-in-1 Cleansing Gel for face and eyes and The Great Mystery One-Minute Daily Facial. Have you tried these?

I would definitely recommend this Cleanser and if you get a chance to give it a try, you should!

What Philosophy skincare products would you recommend?

Thanks for reading :)

Nyss x

Another little Superdrug Beauty Haul

Hello Lovelies, 

So I decided to pop into my local Superdrug to see what offers they have this month and I ended up buying a few things. I don't know if you are the same, but it seems that when something is on offer it makes me want it even more and I can't resist a bargain! 

Here is what I bought.....

Firstly I got another Superdrug Naturally Radiant Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser, because mine has almost run out and this was half price which was an added bonus. I have been loving this recently and blogged about it here. All of Superdrug's Naturally Radiant range is half price at the moment and I also bought the Brightening Eye Cream which was only £2.99. I haven't tried this before but I think it was recommended to me during a #bbloggers chat, so thought I would give it a try. 

L'Oreal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Micellar Solution is on offer at the moment and only £2.48 so I decided to get some more. I love this and included it in my June Favourites post here. I find this takes my makeup off really easily and feels really cooling when you use it. If you haven't tried it, what have you got to lose when it is only £2.48?! 

Some of Barry M's Nail Polishes were 2 for £6, so I decided to try a couple of the Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paints. These nail polishes have a high shine gel effect finish and I have been wanting to try them for a while after seeing lots of good reviews of them. I bought Papaya which is a lovely pastel peachy coral colour and Passion Fruit which is a gorgeous colour, but I'm not sure how to describe it other than it looks like a mix of bright red/coral/pink/orange. I can't wait to try these and think they are perfect colours for summer, so I'm hoping the sun stays around for a bit longer :)

On the way to the till I noticed that the Fudge Urban range was on offer and better than half price and a few days earlier I had seen Fudge Urban Sea Salt recommended in a magazine, so because it was only £3.47 I decided to give it a try. It says it can be used to create 'messy out of the surf sexy beach hair' or used before you blow dry to create extra volume and natural texture and it has a lovely coconut smell, so I'm really looking forward to trying this. I also picked up some Fudge Urban Iced Raspberry and Vanilla Hair Spray, which was on offer for £2.47. I have seen a few beauty bloggers mention this and say that it smells really nice, so I thought I would try it. It says it gives you 'soft to touch hair and 24 hours of hold' and it has anti frizz properties, which are both things I like from a hair spray, so I think I'll enjoy using this and the smell of ice raspberry and vanilla is a lovely bonus :) 

Are you like me and can't resist an offer? I'd love to hear if you have found any good offers recently?

Thanks for reading :)

Nyss x

A little Superdrug Beauty Haul

Hello Lovelies,

At the beginning of last week I noticed Superdrug were offering free delivery on any online order, so I decided to have a browse and I ended up buying a couple of things. I really like reading posts like this, so I thought I would share with you what I got.

Here is what I bought…..

I am a big fan of Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Lotion and when Palmer's brought out a skincare range I really wanted to try it. So when I saw that they were on offer (I think they all had a third off), I thought what better time to try a couple of things. After talking to some beauty bloggers on Twitter I decided to try the Cocoa Butter Formula Purifying Face Mask and the Cocoa Butter Formula Daily Cleansing Gel. When they arrived I was a little disappointed, because I had hoped they would smell like the Cocoa Butter Lotion and they don't. I haven’t tried these yet, but after hearing other people’s opinions and reading about them online I am looking forward to using them.

I also got the Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Lip Balm, I haven’t used this before, but I needed a new lip balm, so I thought I would try it and the fact is was on offer as well was an added bonus. It smells just like the Cocoa Butter Formula Lotion, which I was really pleased about and it feels really moisturising when you apply it.

Lastly I got a couple of MUA's Nail Polishes, one in the shade Natural Days, which is a baby pink colour and one in the shade Red Fever, which is a lovely deep red. Recently I have been really liking MUA’s Nail Polishes in Bright Coral and Amaretto Crush, so I could't resist trying a couple more. I think these are excellent value at only £1 and hopefully these will apply as nicely as the other MUA Nail Polishes I have tried.

Have you tried any of these or any other things in the Palmer's Skincare range?

I think Superdrug have some really good offers and I’m going to visit my local one at the weekend to see what offers they have this month :)

Thanks for reading :)

Nyss x

Superdrug’s Naturally Radiant Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser

Hello Lovelies,

Today I am wanted to share with you a product I have tried recently following a recommendation by the lovely Molly from What Molly Loves and  the product is Superdrug’s Naturally Radiant Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser. 

I had wanted to try a hot cloth cleanser for a while, but wasn’t sure what one to try and I didn’t really want to try and high end one if I then didn’t get on with it. Molly said she really enjoyed using this one and so when I spotted it on offer in Superdrug recently for only £2.99, I couldn’t resist giving it a try. It is normally £5.99 which I think is a good price for this anyway.

If you have never used a hot cloth cleanser like I hadn’t until this one and not sure what one is, it is a cleanser that you take off with a muslin cloth after running it under warm water.

The cleanser its self is quite thick and feels quite moisturising as you apply it and it smells really nice too, which is always a bonus. However what I enjoy most about using this product is buffing it off with the muslin cloth, it really feels like you are giving your face a good clean and afterwards my face feels really clean and I think it makes my skin tone look a bit more even and brighter.

Have you tried this? If so what did you think of it? Are there any other hot cloth cleansers you could recommend?

Thanks for reading :)

Nyss x

A Little Beauty Haul

Hello Lovelies,

Today I have a little haul post for you. I love reading these sorts of posts and I ended up getting a few beauty bits at the weekend, so I thought I would share with you what I got.

A friend of mine is getting married in August and decided she wanted to do her own makeup for her wedding, so on Saturday we went shopping for products for her to use to create her wedding day look. I hadn’t planned on getting anything for myself, but I ended up treating myself to a few bits :) We also came home with a few samples and I love nothing more than getting a lovely little sample to try.

Here is what I bought......

Debenhams had 10% off beauty and from there I got the Urban Decay De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray. This is 30ml and was only £9, so with 10% off was only £8.10, which I thought was a bargain. I have seen a couple of reviews of this and was intrigued to try it. The lady on the Urban Decay Counter convinced us this works really well at keeping your makeup in place all day and we both bought one of these.

I also got from Debenhams the Benefit Skincare set, which includes Foamingly Clean Facial Wash (8.9g), Moisture Prep Toning Lotion (8.9ml), It's Potent! Eye Cream (3g), Total Moisture Facial Cream (8.9g), Triple Performing Facial Emulsion (8.9ml) and Refined Finish Facial Polish (8.9g). This was £12.50, so with the 10% off it was only £11.25. I am really enjoying trying different skincare products at the moment and haven’t tried any of Benefit’s, so I thought this would be a good way to try them. 

I got the Benefit Porefessional from House of Fraser. I love this product and still have some left, but a lovely lady on the Estée Lauder Counter in House of Fraser gave me a £10 off voucher to be used against one of ten selected products and one of them was Porefessional, which meant I got this for only £14.50, so I couldn't resist getting it.

I love Lush products and we spent a while browsing Lush and as always there were so many things I wanted to get. I resisted though and just got a Creamy Candy Bubble Bar and a Butterball Bath Bomb. I have used both of these before and really like them, especially the smell of the Creamy Candy Bubble Bar.

My friend wanted to get a couple of MUA’s Power Pouts and because Superdrug currently have an offer of 3 for 2 across cosmetics, she got me a Power Pout in Runway, which is the colour I wanted to try next. I already love MUA’s Power Pouts and red lip products, so I am sure I will love this.

Here are the samples I got......

We were looking for a foundation for my friend to use on her wedding day and tried a few different one. I came home with a sample of MAC Matchmaster Foundation in shade 1.5, Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Brightening Makeup in shade Believe in Me - Ivory and and Estée Lauder Double Wear in shade Ecru. The ladies on these counters were so lovely and helpful. I haven’t tried any of these samples properly yet, but from when I was colour matched to them, I think my favourite one will be the Mac one.

I got the Badgal Lash Mascara from the lovely lady on the Benefit Counter when I bought Porefessional. I have tried this before and it’s not my favourite mascara but I love little mascaras like this as they are perfect to keep in your handbag.

When I bought the Benefit Skincare Set the lovely lady at the Benefit Counter in Debenhams gave me a little sample of Porefessional and Triple Performing Facial Emulsion to try. 

If you have tried any of these, I’d love to know what you thought of them.

Thanks for reading

Nyss x

Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil

I wanted to share this with you, because it's a product I didn't think I would enjoy using, but I love it and so am really pleased that I tried it. 

I have combination/oily skin so when one of the lovely Ladies at my local Clarins Counter recommended their Lotus Face Treatment Oil I wasn't convinced because the thought of putting oil on my skin worried me because of my skin type. However she explained that it is designed for combination/oily skin and I left with a sample. 

When I first applied this I was still a bit wary, but I applied it before bed as I had been advised to and it felt really luxurious and absorbed well into my skin. I instantly loved the smell of it, it contains Rosewood, Geranium and Lotus and the smell reminds me of being at a spa.  

In the morning my skin felt lovely, really hydrated and I think looked better and brighter. After a few times of using the sample I was given, I was convinced that this is a really lovely face treatment and now have the full size one. You only need a small amount, so the bottle would last for quite a long time and it comes with a dropper which allows you to use just the right amount. 

It is made of 100% pure plant extracts and the box states that it is 'specifically formulated to purify, balance and improve combination or oily skin'. 

Clarins do different Treatment Oils for different skin types and if you want a treat for your face I would recommend this. Don't be put off if you have oily or combination/oily skin like I was, because it really does work. 

Thank you for reading :)

If you have tried this I'd love to hear if you like it as much as I do.

Nyss x

My March Favourites

I love reading about other people's monthly beauty favourites and think it's a great way to learn about products I may not have tried before. So thought I would share with you the beauty products I loved using in March.

For the last month or so I have been using Benefit's Brow Zings Brow Shaping Kit in medium everyday. I have been reshaping/growing my eyebrows and use my Brow Zings to define the shape I want them to be and to help disguise the shorter hairs that are growing back. I prefer using powder and wax on my eyebrows because I think you can use it to achieve a natural look by just using a little wax and powder or a stronger look by applying more.

Another make up item I have used a lot in the last month is Soap and Glory's Love at First Blush. I usually use all colours together and when applied it gives a subtle colour which I think is really nice for everyday wear, but it can also be built up if you want a stronger colour. It has shimmer in it too which I love and I think the packaging is really cute. I have also used the lightest colour as a highlighter on my brow bones, which I think gives a subtle highlight.

I have also been loving Vichy's Normaderm Tri-Activ Cleanser. I received this in my January Glossybox and was excited to try it, because I really like using cleansers that are also exfoliating  but I didn't try this until March because I had a different one I wanted to finish first. I love using this, it feels lovely when you use it and it leaves my skin feeling really clean, it also smells really nice too, which I like because I can be put off products that I don't like the smell of. This can also be used as a mask, but I haven't used it as one yet. 

There were a couple of body products I have used a lot over the last month and have really enjoyed using. The first one is The Body Shop Coconut Body Scrub, which I have almost run out of and will definitely be buying some more. I love this body scrub because it has lots of exfoliating bits in (I wasn't sure how to describe these!) which makes it feel like it's giving your skin a good exfoliation. I also like that it isn't oily and so it rinses off easily and as an added bonus is smells delicious! 

The second body product is one that I have loved for a long time and go through phases of using it and it's Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Lotion. I absolutely love the smell of this, it feels really lovely when applied and absorbs well. It leaves your skin feeling really soft and moisturised. If you haven't tried it, you should! 

The last product I have chosen as one of my favourites for March is Lady Gaga's Fame Eau de Parfum. I am not really sure how to describe this scent, but I love it, it is quite strong though, so if you don't like strong fragrances then it probably isn't for you. In the bottle the perfume is black but when you spray it on to your skin it is clear. As well as loving the smell of this I also think the bottle is a nice design.  

Thank you for reading :) If you have tried any of these I'd love to hear what you think of them and if you have posted about your monthly favourites leave a link in the comments below, because I'd love to read them. 

Nyss x