Happy Belated Birthday To Me!!!!

So it was my birthday on the 11th November yeahhhhhhh! I turned..... 25 sshhhh don't say it too loudly! I'm not a fan of birthdays, in fact I hate them. I'm in a happy normal mood the day before but as soon as I wake up on the morning of my birthday, I am such a grump! Then it's down to my boyfriend to cheer me up all day and spoil me haha! 

This year we both took the day off and we went to Westfield Shopping Centre in London. We had never been but after looking at the list of shops there, I was so excited to go! I was planning on doing outfit posts and taking photos of my purchases but I've been so busy moving house that all the clothes are now packed away in various cases. This is such a boring post for you all, I'm sorry but I thought I would just let you know what I got up to to celebrate and what I bought. I ended up spending a small fortune (of my boyfriend's money) in Bershka, which happened to be the first shop we went into. I picked up a pair of jeans, a skirt, two vests and a thin jumper that I can layer over another top. Hopefully I will get photos and you can see what the all look like! In H&M I bought some leggings, some footless tights, a flower patterned scarf and a silver necklace to wear with jumpers. I needed some new black flat pumps for work (and by this point my feet were aching) so I popped into Dorothy Perkins and found some gorgeous pointed ones with gold metal patterns on the toes. One thing I actually went to look for was a new bag as I am obsessed with having a new one with the change of every season! I found one in River Island but my boyfriend found an even nicer one that is black and taupe on the front and back, with a fluorescent panel either side. I wanted a rigid bag to carry my work diary and iPad etc, although it's so big I can't find anything in it! I can't wait for some Xmas shopping in London so it's an excuse to go again! 

Loving La Roche Posay!

Since discovering La Roche Posay at the beginning of the year, I have been buying more and more of their products. My newest ones are Effaclar Mat and the Thermal Spring Water. I find all of their items really suit my skin and know if I have a blemish, I can reach for my Effaclar K and the spot will be gone within a few days. 

All La Roche Posay products are paraben free, 100% hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic and all are tested on sensitive skin. I have oily/combination skin and it has been so disgustingly greasy this summer that I felt I needed to do something about it, I swear as I get older its getting worse! Although I have been told its good to have oily skin as it means less wrinkles when I'm older! 

The Effaclar Mat comes in a 40ml tube and a little goes a long way. I find that a tiny pea sized amount will cover all of my face and I have a big face :). As predicted it is suitable for sensitive skin and oily skin prone to imperfections and shine, which I'm hoping is code for 'really greasy skin'! The problem I find is that I can't use products intended for oily skin as they then strip too much oil out and leave it even lilies but with dry patches. I have come to the conclusion that my skin is dehydrated( I have my hydraluron for that) so I need to address that first to balance my skin out. The Effaclar Mat claims to help control shine, reduce sebum production and the appearance of pores therefore creating an oil free texture and smoother skin. I have only been using it for about 3 weeks now but my skin has definitely improved. It feels softer and I don't need to apply powder as often as I previously had to and my makeup seems to sit nicer/last longer. This is probably a combination of all the new products I have been using but I like to think that the Effaclar Mat has helped. 

Thermal Spring Water 150ml- I don't know what made me buy this but I found myself picking it up again and again so thought I should just purchase it. The idea of spritzing your face with water is a strange one and I feel a bit indulgent for doing so (my boyfriend thinks I should save money and just throw Evian at my face everyday). I have to say though, my skin seems to love it and it soaks in a treat. It's supposed to soothe sensitive skin or skin that is easily irritated by outside factors like the climate and contains minerals and trace elements to soften and soothe. I use it after washing my face and before I put my Hydraluron and moisturiser on. 

Xx

November Glossy Box

I'm late putting this post up as it was my birthday last week so I've been busy doing things and going places! I was really excited for this particular box to arrive as I knew it was due two days after my birthday but it's not until now that I've actually looked in it properly as we are in the process of moving house so I have A LOT to do. 

I'm really happy with all the products in this box as they're all quite big sizes so it makes it look like I have a full box of goodies instead of tiny perfume samples. The first product I noticed was the Elegant Touch Rapid Dry For Nails which I know is very good and does what it says on the tin! I used this a few years ago at the salon I used to work at and it really does dry polish in 60 seconds, although i still believe nails aren't fully dry for 45 minutes to an hour. I will definitely be using this in my salon as the cold weather means clients will be coming in wearing boots and gloves so anything that makes the polish dry quicker will really help this time of year! 

Jelly Pong Pong Lip Blush in the shade Cranberry- gorgeous packaging, very girly and flowery and reminds me of a Clinique Chubby Stick (winds up like a crayon too-very similar). I have to say I was a little disappointed to see that the top ingredient is mineral oil (paraffinum liquidum) as I tend to steer clear of products that contain this. It does contain beeswax and ceresin wax so is very moisturising and I look forward to trying it soon. 

Emite Micronized Eye Shadow- I feel a bit bad when I receive eye shadows as I am a complete Mac lover so I tend to judge them before I try them. However this one is highly pigmented and a lovely cream colour shot through with a shimmer so I will get a lot of use out of it. Straight in my makeup bag I think! It's also completely free from perfume, parabens, oil and nickel. 

Yves Rocher France Hand Cream- I don't know much about this brand so I can't write a lot about it. I actually asked my boyfriend to review it for me as he tells it how it is whereas I tell it from a beauty point of view. It smells of pistachio and cocoa which I quite like but he didn't as it hung around for quite a while (I think it's also because he is a nail biter so doesn't like the taste!). We are both impressed at how quickly it soaked in so it would be a good all rounder if the smell wasn't so strong. 

Vichy Idealia Life Serum- I love using serums this time of year as my skin always feels like it needs a little extra something to make it not look so dull. I'm intrigued by this serum as I use Vichy's eye roll on so I hope it is as good, if not better! I have three sample sizes to use and they came in a cute pink organza bag that I could use again. I'll let you know how I get on! 

Xx

Real or Fake?!?! Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

So word on the street is there will be a Naked 3 Palette but no one knows if it is true or not. Urban Decay are not confirming or denying, they have so far made out on Twitter that no such palette exists.... Yet photos have appeared on Instagram with supposed receipts proving the authenticity of the Naked 3. It is so far only available in Sephora in France with many people saying the store mistakenly put the palettes out to be sold ahead of schedule. So what do you all think? A clever publicity stunt by Urban Decay in the run up to Christmas? Or a prank with some very well done photo shopping? I hope the rumours are true although I'm not sure how different the colours can be to the Naked 1 and 2 palettes. I don't own the second one because I am quite happy using my first one but I'll definitely be in the queue for the third! 

Edit- release date for the Naked 3 is 16th December tbc, although until I see a definite confirmation from Urban Decay, I am a little sceptical. 

Lee Stafford Sea Salt Spray

I picked this product up about a year ago when I was preparing to go on holiday and needed something to put in my hair to make it look half decent and less like Monica from Friends (you know the episode!). I had read a lot about salt sprays but had bad experiences in the past from ones that made my hair crispy or weighed it down so that the curls disappeared. My hair in its natural state is a mixture of curls/ waves and frizz! Some days if I leave it to dry naturally, it can look quite nice but other times it looks awful, huge and messy! 

It took me a while to pluck up the courage to use this and I did take it on holiday with me but I didn't use it much. It's only from using it the past month or so that I have fallen in love with it. All I do is spray it through my hair after I have washed it and then leave it to do its thing. If my hair is dry then I spray it through and scrunch it with my hands to define the curls a little bit better and calm the frizz down. When I am working, I tend to blow-dry and straighten my hair or curl it with GHDs as it looks neater and tidier. Also because my hair is so thick, I find it really hard to tie it up comfortably so it is out of my face but looks professional. I recently bought a tangle teaser and it is amazing at getting though my hair without tugging or hurting and I really feel like I am getting somewhere with my messy mop head! 

This salt spray contains a pro-mineral complex of 26 minerals and sunflower extract to moisturise and promote a healthy shine. It makes your hair feel soft and manageable and not crispy at all. The bottle sprays out a nice even spritz over the hair so it doesn't feel weighed down or too wet and soaks in well. Now that I have got the hang of using this product I think I will look at the rest of the Lee Stafford range to see what I can find. 

Xx