I wanted to share some appreciation for a few little gems I've found on my travels that I absolutely love and couldn't live without! Funnily enough all of these things were picked up on a whim (is there really any other way to buy things?) and turned out to work wonders. I've been using them most days which is a big thing for me as I'm not usually one for routine, but these little beauties are making my life much easier and the best thing is they're amazing quality all at budget prices! So here's a look at what I've been coveting, maybe you'll find something new to try?

In a sense these were both an essential and an impulse buy. Naturally I've been relying on Superdrug heavily since going cruelty-free and trust me, they make transition a hell of a lot easier as all their own brand products are CF and many are vegetarian & vegan! 

I'd decided that I wasn't really doing a good job at taking my makeup off properly, therefore clogging my pores and causing even more breakouts than I naturally have. Fatigue can make you do crazy things and instead of using my nice Body Shop camomile cleanser & eye makeup remover I was instead resorting to quickly rubbing a baby wipe over my face, yikes. But I like the ease & convenience of wipes so it didn't take me long in my travels to stumble across these. I love tea tree, they have camomile extract in them, they did a sensitive version, they're CF & vegan - all boxes ticked!

I really, really adore these wipes. They make life so much easier when I can't be bothered making much of an effort taking my makeup off (especially after a night out) so now I just use my eye makeup remover on the fab cotton pads I mentioned and follow it up with a good, soothing wipe. They lift every bit of excess dirt away and leave you feeling completely refreshed. I expected the tea tree to possibly tingle a tad but not at all! I'd say the only downside is that the tea tree smell is quite strong, it's not a problem for me at all but if you're a bit sensitive to smells you may find these overpowering. However I love them, they've calmed my skin down and are such a handy, fuss-free thing to grab and wipe over your face, makeup or no makeup! Repurchasing all the way.

If I'm feeling fancy or energised, after the tea tree wipes I like to spritz some of this all over my face and neck then wipe away gently with, yep you guessed it, a cotton pad. It's great for making sure every bit of makeup is off your face, works wonderfully as a toner and it's also brilliant if you just want to give your face a freshen up. I just spritz it on and leave it! It smells so delicate, feels really calming & refreshing and I've even noticed a visible tightening of my pores. I've also found that it works great as a makeup setting spray but I don't use it often for this purpose. I was lucky enough to pick this up from the clearance bit in Boots for £3! Absolute bargain; and it's cruelty-free & organic.

This is where the packaging changes up from the simple green and white theme I seem to have gravitated towards! Honestly this is a holy grail product for me, hands down. I picked it up in Boundary Mill whilst browsing, noticed the packaging, liked what I saw, read the packaging, liked it even more! It's everything I could want in a lip balm:

Most of their other products look just as good & happen to be vegan! I can't wait to try more lip balm flavours as well as other products and I would definitely urge you to check them out.

In all honesty these are something I've used for years because lets face it, sometimes pores just inexplicably get too blocked for you to handle and nothing else fixes them but the ever glamorous pore strip! I usually get these from Bodycare, they are 99p per pack of six and after emailing the company I found out that these are also cruelty-free. There isn't that much to say about them, they do what they're supposed to! They smell nice, they go on easy - they actually have little nicks in them so they curve round your nose without bubbling up - they really clean out my pores, they don't make me oily after use and I don't have to use them all that often because they do such a good job!

What skincare essentials could you not live without? Leave me a comment and lets get chatting!

Stay curious

Extra

What products are in your skincare routine? Do you struggle as much as me? Feel free to leave a comment I'd love to know your opinions or any tips!

Here's to happy skin!

L'oreal True Match Minerals Foundation in Golden Ivory

As I'm currently on a quest for healthier skin and using products which don't irritate I decided that despite worrying about coverage for my acne, I wanted to try a mineral foundation. I was sceptical having had no success in the past, but being a Helen Anderson fan and seeing this as her go-to foundation and the coverage it gave I decided to bite the bullet and purchase it.

At £14.99 I was pretty much praying that this was good, and I mean really good because to me that's a lot to pay for a foundation, especially if it doesn't do anything spectacular. Luckily my gamble paid off. Despite this being powder-based the coverage is fantastic, it conceals spots and dark circles phenomenally and isn't cakey nor does it dry your skin out. It's easy to apply, feels fresh and light and lasts throughout the day. Also as I'm very pale I have struggled greatly in the past to find foundations pale enough so I was worried this might be a tad orange, and although at first you can see orange pigment as it goes on, once blended into your skin it really does adapt to the correct skin tone match. On top of this it gives a really natural, almost 'glowy' look that makes a great base for the rest of your make-up; I've personally found that eyeshadow and blush seem to go on much better, last longer and look nicer. Finally, my skin seems to have reacted better to this than any other foundation in that it simply hasn't reacted. My acne/pores haven't become irritated and this foundation seems to help keep my skin calm. I honestly think that despite the cost this foundation is worth every penny and let's face it, no foundation is really cheap any more, so if you're looking for good coverage but with a mineral base that's much better for your skin I would highly recommend this. 

MUA Power Pout Lipstick in Irreplaceable

This was actually something my Mum picked up for me purely because it was pink and tonally I was changing up a lot of my make-up colours due to dyeing my hair lilac.

Boots Essentials Curling Tong & Brush Hair Styler

After getting my hair cut short I found that the other hair curlers I have weren't giving the effect or particular curl I was after. I didn't really want to splash out too much money on yet another hair curler and in my search for good value I came across this.

I was after bouncy, ringlet curls and this is exactly what it gives. Plus there's also a brush attachment so you can use this as a hot styler to add volume; this isn't something I've tried yet but I'm looking forward to doing so and judging by the curls it gives I'm imagining it does the job for volume too. There's only one heat setting but personally that doesn't bother me, its hot enough to get the job done but not damage your hair (make sure you're using heat protect product though!) and it heats up really fast. It's also simple to use, has a decent length cord which also swivels, so no tangled cord ever again! What I also like is that your hair doesn't trap or catch and tangle onto any other part of this curler, which has happened to me when using previous curlers despite how hard I tried to make sure it didn't happen. Want to know the best part? This curler and hot brush is just £9.99! Unbelievable. Quite honestly even if this broke within a couple of months I wouldn't even mind and I would still re-purchase. So for bouncy, gorgeous curls that keep their shape and an amazing value-for-money curler, I would definitely recommend this one from Boots!

Allura Tangle Attack

I came across this purely by chance having popped into Poundland for some cheap essentials (as you do). I always like to check out the jewellery and hair things because I've found some great bargains in the past and it paid off again. Wondering what these cute coloured things were I found on inspection that they were a Tangle Teezer dupe. Naturally for a quid I chucked one in my basket figuring it was worth a try since I'd not yet invested in the 'true brand'.

Quite honestly now I don't see the point in buying a branded one, as this does everything I want it to and seems to accomplish exactly what a Tangle Teezer claims to at a fraction of the cost (Paying for the brand you're looking at £10-12). Naturally they're not as aesthetically pleasing as Tangle Teezers but to me personally that doesn't matter, I'm more interested in value for money and the product doing what it's meant to. As you can tell I'm happy with this product as I bought another and there's also a blue colour available which I'm probably going to get. Personally I think this is a brilliant dupe and excellent value for money, it gets tangles out effortlessly with barely any pain or tugging on your hair and doesn't rip all your hair out. I also find that it can help to add volume and shine to your hair if you brush through using a zig-zag motion. Overall a fantastic product and excellent value for money!

Here's a little look at what I recently treated myself to at Lush with my Christmas gift card and what I think of each product!

Cons: There aren't really any for me!
Veganese Hair Conditioner:


Cons: A tad difficult to apply at first because of it's consistency


The Kiss Lip Scrub:


Parsley Porridge Soap:



Cons: Strong smelling, best kept in a soap tin

Products mentioned: Tea Tree Water | Veganese Hair Conditioner | The Kiss Lip Scrub | Ultrabland Cleanser | Parsley Porridge Soap | Bohemian Soap

Hey cats!

Yes that is a mouthful, but I can't contain my excitement. As an acne sufferer I've gotten used to using full coverage cakey make-up and lashing on much more than I probably need. Since I've started college again which includes a very early start, I don't exactly have the time in the morning to put on a full face of make-up, nor do I have the sleep to lose. So I've been on a search piecing together a perfect little kit of products that can get me feeling much more confident in much less time, and eureka! Now don't get me wrong, it isn't at all anywhere near having a 'full face' on, but I find it better than tackling a long day completely bare faced on only five hours sleep. I also have options where I can build up how much product I use depending on how much time I have in the morning.

If you have a tad extra time the MUA bronzer (find here) is great to pop on as it's like a blusher and a bronzer in one, giving you a nice, healthy glow. Another product worth mentioning is Magic Minerals (find here) because it's great to put on over foundation, it looks natural but gives that extra bit of coverage. It's also fab to use if you literally have only two minutes, just blend this on using the brush provided and it smooths and evens out any imperfections. Plus it's a nice size to pop in your handbag in case you need a top up! Lastly, if you prefer a darker more striking brow above anything else, MUA do a great brow mascara (find here), just slick it on and let it dry or for even more definition add a coat of shadow too.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on any of the products mentioned or what your go-to products are!