As soon as I'd decided I wanted to go cruelty-free my jumping off point was by immediately replacing my basic make-up products with CF ones as soon as I could. Before I'd learnt too much about CF and non-CF brands my first port of call was The Body Shop, especially since at the time they had a 3 for 2 offer on! Plus I've always experienced their staff to be really helpful, friendly and happy to spend their time with you helping to find what you need; perfect if you're very socially anxious like myself! So here are my picks that set me off on my cruelty-free journey.

This is actually a fairly recent purchase and I've only used it a handful of times but I'm already in love with it. I've never really been one for the lure of BB creams, but I really wanted something to use on those days where I didn't want to put any make-up on but wanted to cover up any breakouts & blemishes in order to feel more confident. This product does that so perfectly, instantly covers redness and as a bonus the tea tree treats spots whilst you're wearing it! Plus the fact a little really does go a long way, the consistency doesn't dry out your skin or make it greasy and if the shade isn't perfect straight away just give it a a minute, it adjusts to your skin tone. I've also noticed that The Body Shop have recently changed all the packaging for their skincare products and I absolutely adore it. I can't be the only one who likes having products that not only do the job but also look good sitting around the house, right? I've honestly never before had a BB cream that covers so well & still looks natural (hence never purchasing one before) but I heard good things from Laura over at Life Beauty Lens so I decided to take the plunge and I'm very grateful that to her that I did! 

As I've said before, I'm a big fan of the dewy look and think it's the best way to go for my skin. Naturally I wanted a moisturising liquid foundation that isn't too runny and ideally has sun protection; 3 big ticks for this product! Although I'm very pale, the very kind lady who helped me pick out my make-up products recommended that I go a shade up to add some colour to my face which was actually a great tip (as long as it still looks natural on you of course). Again with most of The Body Shop's products a little goes a long way, I bought their new foundation brush to apply this with which I think is a big help and I feel that this foundation keeps my skin hydrated throughout the day whilst still looking fresh and natural. 

Now from my experience and having previously been a big fan of it, I feel that this concealer is The Body Shop's version of YSL's Touche Éclat concealer, but with a better mechanism than the push button; winding definitely saves time and frustration. I feel it does everything that YSL's does for a fraction of the price. It conceals really well and also brightens at the same time, great for under eyes and getting a head start on highlighting the top of your cheekbones. There's not much else to say other than the fact this concealer does everything it claims to do and blends really well into your foundation.

I'm one of these people who doesn't really see the point in a mascara that doesn't completely voluminize your lashes although I've definitely calmed down in comparison to how I used to be (try about 4-5 coats of the thickest, clumpiest mascara I could find) and I'm much happier with a more natural yet enhanced look. What's great about this mascara is that I can achieve that in just one coat and for the time that saves me I'm very thankful. I would say that this mascara can take a little while to dry but the formula isn't particularly wet, and albeit it's not waterproof it doesn't budge that easily. One thing I do notice too is that it comes off really easily with make-up remover and doesn't drag out any lashes, usually I would always lose about 5-7 lashes on my make-up pad with other mascaras! 

I cannot praise this highly enough! I was always a girl who wore waterproof mascara but I've grown out of this habit because the formulas were so tough that they were destroying my lashes. So naturally panic set in when I chose to buy the mascara above, which isn't waterproof. I'd seen good things about this gel and the reviews were great so I thought why not take the plunge. This for me personally is a holy grail product. The formula is absolutely incredible, one coat on my lashes and they don't flake or drip off (watery eyes happens all too often for me) and of course it does the same for my brows, keeps them in place all day with no touch ups needed! My only issue with this and other clear products I've had in my time is the fact that they don't stay clear for long after collecting mascara/brow pomade on the brush over time. If anyone has any tips to reduce this happening then please let me know! 

Albeit I've not been wearing eyeliner much lately I still had to have one in for those times when I fancy going that extra mile with my make-up. There's not much to say about this other than the fact it does everything that I want it to, plus I find felt tip style eyeliners easier to use. It's really simple to control, the nib is nice and thin, the staying power is solid and doesn't budge with watery eyes. And it's super black in pigment which I adore! One of the best eyeliners I've used to date.

This was the first lipstick to start me on my coral coloured lips addiction. I was searching around the stand wondering what colours to buy and thought actually maybe I should be more adventurous, after all I'm not really a classic red lip kinda girl but my recent love for the colour orange is what sparked the purchase of this beautiful colour. There isn't much else to say other than it's a stunning shade that seems to work well with any look, but I do love pairing it with an orangey/gold smoky eye! 

Another new favourite colour of mine along with coral is deep brown/purple tones on your lips. Maybe I'm eager for Autumn already but I really feel like this hue suits my skin tone much more than pinks and pillar box reds (which tend to make me look washed out). I absolutely love popping this on with a dark eyeshadow look, I think it compliments it perfectly; but it works just as well with only your brows done and a coat of mascara! 

I wouldn't really describe this as a true coral colour, its much more toned down than the other and I suppose I'd class it as a more neutral red if that makes sense? I feel like this colour is one that enhances your natural lip colour so as someone with naturally 'blush' lips this lipstick works great with a more natural/barely there make-up look. 

What are your basics & where are they from? Lets get nattering!

Stay curious

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

Hey cats!

I've not had a lot of time recently to commit to producing content good enough in my eyes to publish, so I wanted to create a neat little filler post! I figured what better way to do that than quickly show you what's in my handbag! After all, there's just something about knowing how other people tick and if it's in the same way as you do, isn't there? (or maybe that's just me). One of life's little curiosities, enjoy!

Just like my handbag I'm most definitely a fan of a decent sized purse that's large enough to hold anything from coins to gift cards.

As I mentioned I like to keep things organised, so just in case a bag doesn't have any pockets I like to keep some of my essentials in a separate little purse. I love this vintage one I got from my Grandma, it's the perfect size, looks great, goes with any handbag I put it with and it's just a timeless piece. It also means a lot; its something I used to use when I played dress-up as a child, so to be using it now as an adult makes me nostalgic every time I see it.

Other things I like to carry are mainly beauty related and small enough to fit into pockets, which is great if I need to downsize my handbag to an evening bag. I also like to carry a small notebook and pen to jot down any ideas/thoughts/anything I need to remember; these handy little cuties (shown above, top right) are from 

Paperchase.