Bumble and Bumble Deep

Bumble and bumble are easily one of my favourite hair care brands, so I was thrilled when I got my hands on one of their hair masks, given to me by the lovely Kate of Ghostparties. I try to use a hair mask as regularly as possible as they do so much for your hair and can change it for the better over time. I wouldn't say my hair is in bad condition, but as a girl who colours and straightens her hair, a deep conditioning mask is a must when it comes to caring for my hair and maintaining it's strength.

The Bumble and bumble Deeep (£22.50) is a weekly deep conditioning hair mask which repairs damaged, chemically treated hair leaving it stronger and intensely nourished. It's packed full of proteins that help to soften and revitalise the hair, as well as improving it's elasticity and making it so manageable. This is such a wonderful product to use, I work it evenly through my hair after washing when it’s damp, then wrap it in a towel and leave it to work for twenty minutes. If I’m not feeling too lazy, I'll blast my hair with a hair dryer to add some heat to it to get the best results. I was so impressed from the the first time I used this, I adore how amazingly soft and smooth it leaves my hair, while giving it the most beautiful shine. My hair can be pretty frizzy and dry, especially at the ends, and I believe that this mask is responsible for my hairs current condition. It has completely transformed it and looks so nourished, sleek and super healthy. Perfect! 

I personally believe that Bumble and bumble hair products are some of the best, they are pretty pricey but worth the investment as they are so effective.

What do you think of Bumble and bumble hair care products? Have you tried this mask?

Clinique Stay- Matte Pressed Powder

When it comes to make up, an oil controlling powder is my most essential product. As someone with oily skin, I never leave the house without it and rely on it throughout the day to keep my skin looking balanced and shine free. I have been looking for a more affordable alternative to my beloved Chanel powder as it's pretty pricey for everyday use, plus I seem to go through powder so quickly. I adore Clinique make up, their products do so much for troublesome skin, so I decided to try the brands best selling powder.

The Clinque Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder (£23) is an oil free powder that helps to remove excess oil and shine, leaving the complexion looking beautifully matte and fresh. I chose the shade Stay Buff, which is a perfect match for my skin as I don't see much colour from it once applied. I use the sponge that comes with the compact to gently press the powder onto the oilier areas of my face, then a fluffy powder brush everywhere else to set my make up. Like all Clinique products, it's fragrance free so it doesn't clog my pores or cause any irritation to my skin.

This powder gives a very flawless, matte and perfected finish to my make up. It doesn't leave a powdery finish like most powders, it's so light and makes my complexion look lovely and natural. I am so impressed with this powders ability to control oil and shine, it works like a dream to keep my skin looking matte and I don't have to touch up as often when I'm wearing this. When I do, it doesn't look cakey or heavy, it just leaves my skin looking and feeling wonderfully fresh and comfortable. Clinique make up never seems to disappoint, I'm so happy I purchased this!

Have you tried this powder?

Elemental Herbology Facial Detox Purifying Facial Mask

Clay masks have to be one of my most purchased skin care treats. They do wonders for my oily, congested skin and they work so quickly, giving incredible results. I've recently introduced this Elemental Herbology face mask to my skin care routine after it being on my wish list for some time. The price was putting me off a little at first - it was slightly over my budget for what I would normally justify paying for a face mask- but I'd heard so many good things about the natural brand and their products so I decided to splurge.

The Elemental Herbology Facial Detox Purifying Facial Mask (£28) is an anti-bacterial, deep cleansing mask that helps to balance and decongest the skin, while gently exfoliating and unclogging pores to reveal a softer and more radiant complexion. It's packed to the punch with natural skin loving ingredients such as amazonian clay, which helps to eliminate toxins from the surface of the skin while gently softening and exfoliating, plus oat flour, fig extract and essential oils, which work to resolve congestion, balance sebum production and protect against pollution and environmental extremes. 
I apply this mask after thoroughly cleansing my skin and leave it to work it's magic for ten minutes. I use a face cloth and warm water to gently remove and I see results instantly; my complexion looks beautifully refined and so much healthier.

I can't fault this product, it's amazing at detoxifying and unclogging my pores, leaving my skin feeling less oily and looking more balanced. I use this mask once a week for a really deep cleanse and my complexion has been clearer, healthier and smoother looking. The price tag put me off at first, but it really is worth the money as you only need a thin layer and I can see it lasting me quite some time. 

Have you tried this mask?

Valentines Day Make Up Look

I hate to admit it but I'm such a sucker for Valentine's Day. I love any excuse to celebrate, and to get spoiled and showered with cute presents of course. So with the big day just around the corner, what better time to showcase a romantically inspired make up look?

I started off my look with the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer Light (£25), a favourite of mine for creating a smooth matte finish that lasts all day. It applies beautifully, making my complexion look balanced and minimises the appearance of imperfections and pores like a dream! I have to say it's one of the best primers I've tried for oil control and keeps my make up looking fresher for longer.
I followed this with the Bobbi Brown Corrector (£18.50),  a product that has become a staple in my make up bag lately. It works wonders to neutralise my dark circles, making my eye area a whole lot brighter. I found this a little tricky to work with at first, however if you use your fingers to warm it up a little and apply it after using an eye cream, it blends in beautifully and conceals those pesky shadows.

Next, I applied the  Clinique Stay-Matte Oil Free Make Up (£22), an oil controlling foundation that is quite sheer but still provides all day coverage that looks natural. This was the first foundation I ever tried from Clinique and I love it, it has a light and creamy formula that applies beautifully to the skin and is so easy to build up to the coverage you desire, leaving me with skin that looks and feels flawless. I have so much love for Clinique foundations, they do so much for your complexion if you have far from perfect skin. 
Another Clinique product I’m loving at the moment is the Airbrush Concealer (£18), a product that I'm a little bit obsessed with as I absolutely adore the coverage and finish. The liquid formula of this concealer makes it so easy to blend into the skin, illuminating and concealing my whole eye area. It never looks cakey or heavy and really perks up my complexion.
I finished my base with a dusting of the Dior Matte and Luminous Hydrating Loose Powder (£32). This powder is simply divine, it adds the perfect finishing touch to my make up and makes my complexion look flawless and radiant.

I kept my eyes pretty minimal by using a few coats of my favourite mascara, the Eyeko Black Magic Mascara (£18).  I love this because it lengthens, volumises and curls my lashes while still making them look natural and clump free. I then gave my lashes that extra ‘wow’ factor by curling them with the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler (£20). No other eye lash curler compares to this one, it’s truly amazing and keeps my lashes curled and looking fluttery all day.
It was then a job for the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo (£17) to perfect and define my brows. This has been my everyday brow product for some time now and I don’t plan on changing it anytime soon. It’s truly amazing at building up my brows, making them look fuller but still wonderfully natural. 

I chose a pretty pink shade for my cheeks, I find that these bright but wearable pinks look so lovely against my fair skin and do so much to perk up my complexion. I used the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush in Dollface, a blusher that I've fallen in love with all over again. The staying power of these blushers is incredible and the colour is super dreamy.These blushers aren't available in the U.K unfortunately, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they make their way over here soon.

Lastly, for my lips it had to be the Clarins Joli Rouge Brilliant Perfect Shine Sheer Lipstick in Tropical Pink (£18), a spring release from the brand that I'm completely smitten with! This lipstick combines the creamy texture of a lipstick with the transparent colour and shine of a gloss, making my lips look so supple and kissable.

What do you think of this look?

Make Up On The Go

I've become pretty good when it comes to down sizing my make up bag. I used to be the type of girl that would carry most of her make up collection around with her, even though I only ever used a handful of products for touch ups. I've managed to organise it and cut it down to just a few essential products that brighten up my complexion and keep my make up looking fresh throughout the day.

The one product I never leave the house without is powder. As someone with oily skin, I always need to have a product on hand that controls shine and makes my skin look more balanced. My powder of choice is the Chanel Natural Finish Pressed Powder (£33). Not only does this powder control shine and mattify my skin beautifully without that horrible 'chalky' look that you get from many powders, it perks up my complexion and minimises the appearance of imperfections, leaving my skin looking radiant and flawless. I always pop the Benefit Porefessional Primer  (£24.50) into my make up too as this works wonders at minimising the appearance of the large pores on my nose and chin, making these troubled areas of my complexion look a lot less noticeable and smoother.
If I feel like my skin needs freshened up a little, I use the Avene Eau Thermale Thermal Water Spray (£3.15). This stuff is amazing and so affordable, I spray it over my face when my skin is feeling overly oily and it just makes it feel so refreshed and clean.

Another product I always have on hand for touch ups is the Clinique Airbrush Concealer (£18). I adore this concealer, it's liquid formula is so easy to work with and blends effortlessly into the skin to hide dark circles and any discolouration. It never cakes or looks heavy so I can really build coverage without my make up looking obvious.

Blushers and lipsticks are the products that seem to fade the most on me over the day, so I always carry my current favourite blusher and lip product for touch ups. My blush of the moment is the Illamasqua Powder Blush in Tremble (£18), a pretty and subtle pink that looks so dreamy and flattering against my fair skin. It's a perfect everyday blush in my opinion.
For lips, I've been addicted to my Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Moisturising Lip Colour Balm in Roomiest Rose (£17). I love a bold lip colour, these Chubby Sticks have amazing staying power and keep my lips feeling lovely, soft and moisturised.

Lastly, I don't go anywhere without my Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers (£20). These are a staple in my make up bag, they keep my eyelashes curled all day but I still like to use them throughout the day to give my lashes a little extra oomph and make my eyes look bigger and more awake.

What products can be found in your make up bag when you're on the go?

Recent Wardrobe Additions

I couldn't wait to hit the shops at the weekend for a spot of retail therapy, it's been far too long since I've splurged and treated myself. January was such a long month and I've become a little bored of the clothes I already have and felt like investing in some new pieces  to update my wardrobe. I didn't buy too much, but I did get a whole new outfit from what I purchased which I'm pretty pleased about. 

I don't normally shop in River Island, but I fell in love with this beautiful Beige Drawn Wool-Blend Oversized Coat (£80) that they have in store at the moment. I have been searching for an oversized coat for months and this one is just perfect! It's a great winter coat, it keeps me so warm and I ended up buying the size 10 instead of the 8, so I have lots of room to layer up underneath. I normally buy coats that are more fitted so this style is very new to me, but I love it, oversized coats look so chic and super stylish.I know I'll get a lot of wear out of this, it's ideal for everyday wear and goes with pretty much everything in my wardrobe. 

Every shopping trip requires a visit to Topshop, where I picked up this Striped Tunic (£29) and two lovely scarves. I actually bought the tunic last month but ended up returning it as I thought it made me look a bit 'boxy' and did nothing for my figure. After trying it on for a second time though I changed my mind and now I adore it. It's the perfect dress for when  you're having a lazy day  and you want to just throw something on but still look like you made the effort.  I really do love wearing stripes, it's such a classic look that never fails to look so effortlessly cool.

The scarves I purchased were this Dogtooth Scarf (£18) and this lovely Check Scarf (£18). I know spring is just around the corner but I couldn't resist picking these up, they both go amazingly with my new coat and they will never go out of style, so I can dig them out next winter too. 

What do you think of my latest purchases? Have you treated yourself to any new clothes lately? 

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm

As much as I adore wearing make up, one of my favourite parts of the day is taking it all off and giving my skin a good cleanse in the evenings. I've used many types of cleansers but never a balm - I decided they weren't for me, the thought of an oily balm all over my already oily face wasn't appealing surprisingly. That's until I got my hands on this offering from Clinique, a cleanser that I've been loving using lately as part of my evening skin care routine.

The Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm (£21) is a lightweight cleanser which transforms from a solid balm to a silky, fluid oil upon application. This is such a wonderful product to use, after massaging this gently into my skin for a few minutes, the light oil melts away all traces of make up leaving my skin feeling impeccably clean and oh so soft. I was so impressed from the first use at how effective it is at removing make up, especially stubborn eye make up, it just dissolves so easily! I love how nice and light this cleanser feels on my skin, it doesn't feel greasy or leave a nasty film over my face afterwards, it just feels so cleansed and fresh.

I'm so, so pleased that I decided to try this cleanser. If like me you suffer from oily skin, don't be put off by using cleansing balms. My complexion looks so radiant and healthy after use. I can see this cleanser lasting me quite a while as the tub is pretty big and a little really does go a long way with this product. Trust me, it's definitely worth as try.

Have you tried any cleansing balms? What do you think of them?