Products I Used Up - October

It's that time of the year again, where I post some pictures of trash and tell you all about the beauty products I recently used up. Empties posts aren't a regular feature on my blog and here's why, in all honesty, I rarely buy new products, I tend to have two/three major beauty splurges throughout the year and use the products I love everyday until well...they are all used up! Because of this my empties posts can seem repetitive, more often than not I do repurchase the same products, especially when it comes to body and skincare. However, as I had a few new products to share I thought why not, so here's what I used up recently. I'll probably split this into two posts as there's too many products hehe -

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish - I bang on about this all the time on social media/blog so I won't go into a full review and bore you all to tears. The Cleanse & Polish is a cult classic for me, it's a cleanser I will  always repurchase. The bottle shown here is Jasmine & Osmanthus, a scent that was released over summer, you can read more about it over here.

Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm - A repurchase for me, Cult Beauty have an offer where you receive three 50ml cleansing balms along with three of the EH cloths for only £38. A total bargain considering 1x 100ml tub retails at £38.00. I've tried and love this cleansing balm, especially during the cooler months. You can read a full review here.

Sweet Cecily's Elderflower and Almond Hand Cream* - An all natural hand cream that's housed in a cute reusable glass jar. Although this hand cream felt quite luxurious on my skin I did find it to be a tad too oily for everyday use, I instead opted to use this at nighttime before bed. I'm generally a fan of sweet scents, but the scent of this was so overwhelming, it gave me a headache. Just a tad too sweet smelling for me.

REN Vita 7 Eye Gel (mini) - I've made quite a few REN orders recently and have always received a generous amount of samples with my orders, including this eye gel. I have since repurchased the full size of this as it's so refreshing and hydrating on my sensitive eyes. This provides a perfect base for concealer. Expect a full review of this and a few other eye creams I've been loving ...soon.

The Body Shop Satsuma perfume - love. If you like the scent that runs through the Body Shop Satsuma range, you'll love this scent. I would definitely repurchase this, it's perfect for my handbag.

Antonia Burrell 7 in 1 Supreme Mask - you can read my full review of this mask and other items in the Antonia Burrell Discovery Kit over here. I definitely would not repurchase this mask, but you can read more on that in my full review.

Claris Eye Makeup Remover - I didn't feel like this effectively removed my eye makeup. After two cotton pads soaked with the eye makeup remover I still found that my cleanser removed traces of mascara. Definitely not for me.

The Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Boosting Moisturiser - Full review over here. I've repurchased this moisturiser as for me, it's a more effective version of the Origins Ginzing, for some reason this just works better with my skin. It provides my skin with just the right amount of hydration and works well with my Liz Earle Cleanser & toner.

The Body Shop Hemp Foot Protector - I've repurchased this one, it does all the hard work for me. This cream keeps my feet hydrated, smooth, soft and sexy (well as sexy as a foot can get) - I wouldn't be without a tub.

What products have you used up recently?

MooGoo Irritable Skin Balm

I've suffered with Eczema for the longest time, childhood memories of chamomile lotion and thick diprobase being slathered onto me before bedtime makes me shudder. If you have ever suffered from eczema you'll feel my pain, my skin feels itchy, uncomfortable and gross. Seeing doctors in the past always left me feeling slightly frustrated as most of the prescription products my doctor recommended felt incredibly greasy and heavy on my skin - definitely not daytime appropriate. Luckily as I have grown older my eczema has calmed down significantly, although I'm still prone to the odd flare ups on the backs of my arms, legs and even my hairline and forehead! Luckily I've found my wonder product.

MooGoo is a lovely brand that come from across the pond, from a much sunnier climate...Australia. MooGoo has great ethics as a company, they offer products with clean ingredients formulated with sensitive skin types in mind - I absolutely love how transparent their website is definitely no gimmicks. After talking about Australia and the contrast in temperatures in comparison to the UK, myself and the brand representative for MooGoo got talking about eczema. The lady gave me so much advice, not only product recommendations, but we also touched on lifestyle and diet changes that I could make to improve my eczema. After a lengthy discussion (rather whinny on my part) I was kindly gifted the MooGoo Irritable Skin Balm* to try.

With balm in the title I did expect that this cream would have a greasy texture or feel quite rich for my skin, I couldn't have been more wrong. This lotion has a lightweight texture that left my skin feeling hydrated without any greasy residue or oily texture. This cream doesn't have a scent which did bother me a little at first, but in all honest after a while I barely noticed the scent...or no scent should I say. In terms of my eczema I do think that this cream helped to calm my skin, my skin felt less itchy and also less flaky. This didn't speed up the amount of time it took for my eczema to clear, but in all fairness no cream/lotion ever will only internal treatments in my experience help my eczema to clear up quicker. It's worthwhile mentioning that this product is multi-use and worked really well on my forehead when I had an itchy patch of eczema.

I wouldn't hesitate to purchase the MooGoo Irritable skin balm, you'll see this in my empties post soon, but for the price (FYI £12.50) I found that this product lasted between 5-6 months with twice daily application on specific areas of my body - definitely great value for money. For me this is something I wouldn't be without in my stash. If you suffer with mild eczema, it's definitely worth a try. I always recommend visiting your GP in the first instance as everyones skin is different. However, if like me you have decided to go solo and do your own research and find products that work for you MooGoo is definitely worth checking out.

Do you have any product recommendations that work well with eczema or sensitive skin?

*Gifted at a blogger event

Antonia Burrell Discovery Kit

Having clear, smooth skin makes me feel confident and more often than not I'm always prepared to pay slightly more for products that contain high quality ingredients, have luxurious packaging and feel comfortable on my skin. From my experience paying slightly more for skincare products has always rewarded my skin, although there are some products that I scrimp on (e.g eye cream, micellar water.) With products ranging from £25-£60 starter kits are a great place to start when trying new skincare.

The Antonia Burrell range has been on my to try list for the longest time, after a recent twitter chat (hosted by Antonia herself) I decided to splurge and purchased the Discovery Kit £29.00 which consists of four 10ml samples of her best selling products. Since purchasing the kit I have finished all four products, 10ml may not seem like a lot of product, but you certainly do get a feel for the range, and also how well (or not well in my case) the products work with your skin. Here are my thoughts on the products that I tried, for reference my skin is combination dry cheeks/oily t-zone I suffer with pigmentation and my skin can be quite sensitive -

Natural Glow Cleansing Oil £29.50 - an oil-milk formula which can be applied to dry skin to emulsify makeup. With lemon zest to brighten and tea tree to purify this cleansing oil by far had the best scent I have ever smelled - and I've tried a fair few cleansing oils! In terms of breaking down makeup for me this didn't perform exceptionally well, in fact the Super Facialist by Una Brennan cleansing oil is way more effective for less than half the price! I applied this oil, washed away, used a toner and was surprised at just how much makeup came off on a cotton pad. For me this oil was a little rich and despite cleansing my skin thoroughly after I did feel like this left residue on my skin, this may be great for mature skin types but for my combination skin it was a big thumbs down.

Forest Dew Skin Conditioner £25.50 - A conditioner for your skin? An interesting, yet new concept for me. When I first used this I was slightly confused, I initially thought it was a moisturiser but slowly discovered that it's in fact a toner and can be used after your cleanser with your hands or on a cotton pad. This toner has a milky texture and contains cucumber extract to hydrate/soothe the skin. Similar to the cleansing oil in the range I was left feeling slightly underwhelmed with this one. This removed any last traces of makeup, left my skin feeling hydrated, but if I'm honest this does nothing that my Liz Earle Skin Tonic doesn't do.

Cream Supreme Facial Moisturiser £68.00 - This moisturiser had a lovely lightweight texture that worked really well under makeup. This provided my combination skin with just the right amount of hydration, however, I have to say whilst using this I couldn't help but feel like I've used something similar in the past....the Lush Imperials moisturiser is pretty much identical to this moisturiser with a much cheaper price tag. This moisturiser added a subtle glow to my skin, hydrated my cheeks but never felt overly greasy on my oily t-zone. Worth £68 though? I would have to say probably not, for a moisturiser that's almost in the £70 mark I expected something far more luxurious.

Mask Supreme 7-in-1 £57.00 - A 7-in-1 face mask that claims to hydrate, smooth, detoxify, repair, clarity, brighten, protect and perfect - that's a whole lot of claims! This mask did leave my skin feeling hydrated and clean feeling, but for the price and claims similar to all of the other products in the range I expected a lot more. The reviews on this are so good on the internet I expected so much more, but for my combination skin I didn't find that this was anything substantial or worth purchasing.

Now, I'm feeling like a negative nelly after this review. Perhaps my skin type isn't the target market for the Antonia Burrell range, but considering I described my skin type and was recommended three of the products I have tried I expected something more. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but considering the price I expected the products to feel more luxurious than skincare products I own, I expected my skin to feel smooth and slightly more radiant but unfortunately this wasn't achieved with the range. Definitely not products I would recommend to anyone with a similar skin type to mine, perhaps drier or more mature skin types could benefit, but for the price tag you can buy far cheaper products with similar results.

Have you tried any Antonia Burrell products? What are you favourite high end skincare products?

NARS Multi Protective Primer SPF 30

I've been meaning to write about the NARS Multi Protective Primer for the longest time, so long in fact that this has now been added to my empties basket...better late than never ey! So today I wanted to share my thoughts on this rather pricey primer by NARS.

Now, I'll be honest primers are neither here nor there for me, on some occasions I've even questioned the purpose or point of them. Over the summer months though, I found myself reaching for this particular primer, almost every day in fact. Something about the texture, and refreshing feel on my skin had me addicted, and the fact that this also offers SPF30 was an added bonus. This primer felt super moisturising on my skin, but also light weight in texture. Some primers can leave my skin feeling a little tacky, but it never felt at all tacky with the NARS primer. The creamy texture helped prevent flaky skin, no matter how matte/drying the foundation was the primer seemed to keep my skin dewy and flake free - perfect for dry skin through the winter months I can imagine. Although my skin isn't overly greasy nowadays I didn't find that this made my skin, oily or greasy like other primers I have tried in the past - definitely no silicone feel with this one!

So the million dollar question, does this improve makeup longevity? Nope. I would say that my skin did eat up foundation throughout the day, as it would without primer. However, for the subtle glow and flake free finish, this primer is definitely a winner. I'm unsure whether I would repurchase this primer as I already have a few other products to use up, but I would definitely consider repurchasing this at some point in the future.

Are you a fan of primer?

Falling Off The Fitness Bandwagon

Image source 

There's no denying that this month, exercise has well and truly taken a backseat in my daily routine. The thought of squeezing into Lycra and heading to the gym hasn't sounded appealing in the slightest, I've found myself making excuses and avoiding exercise at all costs. In result of my recent laziness, I've felt more tired, lethargic and the muscles that I worked so hard for are pretty much non existent. After seeing such a negative impact on both my body and overall mood reintroducing exercise into my routine seemed like a no brainer. So, let's be honest, we have all been in this situation before and getting back on the fitness bandwagon isn't always easy, so for today's post I thought I'd share my top tips for reintroducing exercise to your routine after a long case of couch potato syndrome -

• Start today, not tomorrow, next week….or next month!

Oh dear, who else is guilty of this one? If the week starts out bad I tell myself I will start afresh next week, but the truth is next week never happens. I kept putting exercise to the back of my mind and before I knew it 2-3 weeks had gone by and the weight crept on. Instead of saying I'll start tomorrow, start today! Set some goals, do some gentle Yoga or stick on a YouTube video. No matter what you decide to do, do it sooner rather than later. It's taken a long time to shift the 'I'll do it later' thought process from my head, but, you don't need a new day, a new week, month or even a year to set goals or make a change. Start today. 

• Do a 30 day challenge 

At the beginning of the year I committed to several 30 day challenges, all of which I completed. I see such a difference in my body when I add challenges to my workouts. Most daily challenges only take around 15 minutes to complete, so it's a great way to add exercise back into your routine. It's also a great way to choose a key area of your body to work on, after my rest weeks I've chosen a 30 day ab challenge as my waist line has definitely piled on the most pounds.

• Get your friends or family on board

Exercise is something that I generally do solo, whenever I tell people that I do classes or run on my own the response is sad eyes or an offer to join me on my next session. Believe it or not though I enjoy exercising on my own, whenever I have tried to work out with friends in the past, they have always been unreliable (sorry if you're reading this) and without sounding awful exercise is the only 'me' time I get, it's a time where I can switch off, think about life and don't feel any pressure to be social.  Every once in a while though when lacking in motivation, it's great to have someone there to cheer you on, after a long period away from exercise it's great to have friends or family there to motivate you. 

• Try something new 

I like routine, secretly I'm a creature of habit. But the one thing where routine is a no go is exercise. Doing the same classes on set days and the same routes when running not only made exercise felt like  a chore, but, I also stopped seeing results. I've recently introduced some old favourites back into my exercise plan, Yoga and Pilates. I've also freshened up my running by choosing new routes, running with a group and more hill/speed sessions. I've loved getting back outside, exercising outdoors is where I'm most happy.

• Don't go hard, just go home 

Hehe see what I did there. If you've been out of action for a few weeks the worst thing that you can do is go hard with your exercise. Most likely you'll have lost a bit of stamina (like I did) and pushing your body too far, too soon can result in damage to your joints and muscles. When I first tried to get back into exercise I booked myself on Spinning, Bootcamp and planned a 10K run. As you can imagine I ended up cancelling both Spinning and Bootcamp and instead resorted to nights in on the couch. Don't be too tough on yourself, reintroducing exercise steadily is the best way to improve your fitness.  

How do you stay motivated with exercise? How do you reintroduce fitness into your routine?

TIGI Bed Head - Frizz Control & Straightener Serum

I haven't talked haircare on my blog for quite awhile now, if I'm honest, I haven't bought anything new in a long time. I've reached a stage where I'm happy with everything I'm using, which is a rarity for me as I'm generally quite picky about the hair care products that I use. I recently went for a chop at my local hairdressers, We are Laundry in Sheffield always do a fantastic job on my hair and on this visit I found that the products that they used left my hair feeling so nourished and smooth - I couldn't help but have a nosey at the counter and a mini shopping spree when I returned home. All of the products that my hairdresser used were from a brand called Bed Head, I've fallen in love with the product I'm going to write about today, if you have damaged hair or like a smooth polished finish this is the product for you.

REN Glow And Go Kit

Everyone wants gorgeous, glowing skin. Water intake, exercise and a balanced diet are all main contributors to achieving a radiant complexion, but every once in awhile we all need a helping hand so today I thought I'd share two wonderful products from REN that not only promote radiance but have also improved my skin texture and tone.

Mini v Nutrition - Protein Review

The 'sports related' protein product sector is booming, there's no escaping the endless adverts and promotional posters advertising that protein shake by a brand you've never heard about promising to give you a size 8 waist in just 8 weeks! It can be easy to feel daunted by the vast amount of products on the market, especially for your average Joe like me. Establishing what a protein product actually does or what type of protein is most suited to your fitness goals is a challenge in itself!

Superdrug Vitamin E Refreshing Toning Mist

A few months ago I found myself in quite the predicament, after using the last few drops of my Liz Earle Skin Tonic (a firm favourite and constant repurchase) I felt lost and my skin started to suffer.

Liz Earle Limited Edition Cleanser - Jasmine & Osmanthus

For many years now I've had a long term love affair with all things Liz Earle, I've dabbled into other skin care brands, but I know that I can always rely on Liz Earle to get my skin back in tip top condition. The Cleanse & Polish cleanser is a cult classic so when I heard that Liz Earle had added a new limited edition scent to their tempting trio I was super excited to try it. A review by one of my favourite bloggers had me sold - Anoushka Loves (be sure to check out her blog after reading this post of course!)

July Favourites + Life Lately

It's not very often I'm happy to see the passing of a month, but thank gosh July is over! For me July was the busiest month of the year (so far), but that sure didn't stop me from falling in love with some old favourites and discovering some new ones. So for today's post I thought I'd share my products, food and fitness items that I've loved using throughout the month -

Haul - The Body Shop

Today I wanted to share a haul, a haul that contains products from the The Body Shop. Some products are firm repurchases others are new to me, but there's no denying I'm a huge fan of The Body Shop products, there's always great offers, lots of new releases and a great range of products for different purposes.

Life Tonics - The Perfect Post-workout Drink!

We all know the importance of drinking water and staying hydrated throughout the day. Finding drinks that hydrate, aren't loaded with sugar, but still taste amazing can prove quite the challenge - the struggle is real, says the recovering coco cola addict *hangs head in shame.* Over recent months I discovered coconut water, and although not quite love at first taste I've finally found a brand that I love... Life Tonics*- a new soft drink that hydrates and tastes incredibly refreshing. Given my recent health kick now seemed like the perfect time to share Life Tonics with you all.

Life Tonics drinks hydrate, energise and are great for on the go, at work or even post-workout. I've found I'm never without a bottle in my gym bag. Before trying Life Tonics I used to feel dizzy and lightheaded after workouts (despite all the water I drank.) I drink Life Tonics drinks throughout my workout or sometimes after and I find that I feel a lot better after workouts - I mainly put this down to staying hydrated. All Life Tonics drinks have a blend of coconut water and natural fruit extracts, they taste so refreshing and even better they are loaded with minerals and vitamins. No nasties here as all Life Tonic drinks are formulated without refined sugars or artificial sweeteners only natural fruit extracts - there's only 90 calories per bottle! 

My favourite flavour has to be Elderberry and Juniper.  Who knew that Juniper is a berry that's used to flavour gin (it's no wonder this one is my favourite.) All of the flavours are lovely, the coconut taste is very subtle, so subtle that even if you aren't the biggest fan of coconut water I would still recommend trying as they taste so refreshing. 

The Life Tonics drinks are available in three flavours, coconut and mint, Dalandan Orange and Elderberry & juniper. Life Tonics are stocked in WH Smith and Waitrose and are priced at £1.49. 

How do you stay hydrated throughout the day? What is your favourite pre/post workout food/drinks? 

*PR Sample

P.S I'm thinking of writing up a post on pre workout snacks/drinks so keep an eye out for that! 

Makeup & Mojitos at The Body Shop!

Mojitos, Krispy Kremes and chocolate treats were waiting when I arrived at The Body Shop Mojito launch event. As a huge fan of everything Body Shop I was thrilled to receive an invite to an in store event at  Meadowhall. Makeovers, skin consultations and product demonstrations were all on the menu – here’s what I got up!

The evening kicked off with a demonstration of the new Mojito range. Lime and fresh mint the new products in this range have a lovely, fresh scent that’s perfect for summer. It’s worthwhile noting that all the products in this range have quite a subtle scent; the products aren’t quite as strong  as other TBS ranges, e.g. satsuma, but, I can imagine this subtle, fresh scent will be a favourite for a lot of people, especially for the warmer months. The products feel super refreshing, making them the most obvious choice for hot summer days (if we get any!?) The range includes a shower gel, body scrub, body butter, body sorbet and body splash. The sorbet and scrub are very high up on my list at the moment, but I’m waiting for a discount as we all know, TBS is great for discount codes! The body splash is a brand new fragrance format which is unlike anything I have seen before. This zingy fresh scent has a liquid texture, allowing you to splash the perfume or rub into your skin after lotion. The body splash smelt slightly stronger to the other products in the range, but again nothing too overpowering.  I felt a little underwhelmed with the mojito range, I expected the scent to be a lot more zingy, sweet and citrus smelling. If you are a fan of subtle scents then the Mojito range might be for you, but for now I’ll be sticking with my satsuma and coconut scented products.

 

After the Mojito demonstration we headed to a different stand to learn all about TBS skincare, products for different skin types and general skincare tips. Did you know that TBS offers free skin consultations? This was news to me; I think it’s brilliant though, as the range of products expands it can be difficult to work out which products are suited to your skin type so it’s great to have that extra bit of knowledge when choosing products. The lady who talked to us on the night was so informative and knowledge, as soon as she mentioned about pores not opening or closing I knew that I could trust her every word! We received a demonstration of the new Vitamin C products which I’ve already reviewed over here; she also showed us the cleansing oil and microdermabrasion products, both of which have been added to my wish list. I was surprised to discover that my skin type is ‘normal’ I always sway towards products aimed at oily skin types which could be where I’m going wrong with my skincare. I picked up a few goodies on the night including the Vitamin e oil-serum the lady mentioned that this would help with my scarring which is something I struggle with.

 

 

As we all know skincare is the foundation for healthy skin, so after hearing all about our skin and the range of products available, we were then given the opportunity to find out more about the base products and eye makeup on offer at The Body Shop. I haven’t had that much experience with TBS makeup in the past, I do however remember owning lots of glossy lip products back in the day…anyone else used to be obsessed with their raspberry lip balm pots? One of the bloggers had a makeover on the night; her eye makeup in particular looked gorgeous. We got to see the Shimmer Cube pallet in action and I have to say they seemed to apply well, they were super pigmented and I saw little fall out, I’m definitely going to check this out as I love a little bit of shimmer especially for holidays.

I felt like the whole evening has rekindled my love of The Body Shop products (so much so that I will have a haul going up over the next few weeks.) I’m excited by all the new ranges and can’t wait to pick up more body products to try.

What are your favourite The Body Shop products? What are your favourite skincare ranges? Have you tried the new mojito range?

Healthy Eating Goals - June

Although I've written about fitness quite a lot on my blog, you may have noticed healthy eating isn't something I have talked about much and here's why - I struggle. I have no shame in admitting that my will power is non existent when it comes to the food I'm putting in my body. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm fully aware how important diet is and if I want the toned, lean body I'm dreaming of I know that things will have to change drastically. Throughout June I want to look at the food I am eating and make small tweaks here and there. Today I thought I would share the changes I'll be making throughout June...

1. 5:2 Diet
5 days of healthy eating (no sweets or chocolate) two days of treats. In the past a 5:2 split has worked really well for me. My sugar cravings have eased up and I find myself with a lot more energy.

2. Eat every three hours
At the beginning of the year I was eating every three hours every day, after a few months of sticking at it religiously, I saw results, I felt less tired throughout the day and my body was looking a lot more toned. Throughout June I'll be eating three meals and three small healthy snacks daily.

3. Swap fizzy drinks for water
I drink 2 litres of water without fail, but on top of all that water I also drink a lot of coke. Fizzy drinks are my downfall. As I don't drink tea/coffee at work I rely on fizzy drinks for that energy boost. After recording my diet for a few weeks on the MyFitnessPal app sugar seems to be my downfall I think cutting out fizzy drinks should help me reduce my daily intake.

4. Healthier snacking
Crisps…god I love crisps. I'm so unhealthy when it comes to snacks. Throughout June I would like to start eating more fruit and veg. I went through a healthy phase of eating carrots, tomatoes and celery with homemade dips for work. This month I want to stop being lazy and bring back my homemade dips - maybe I'll even include some recipes on my blog?

5. Packed lunches
Eating out not only costs a small fortune per week, but I also find myself choosing the most unhealthy meals. Now that I have a new job that's closer to the city centre the temptation to head to McDonalds or KFC in my lunch break is difficult to resist. I want to meal plan my lunches, pasta, chicken wraps and salads are all on the menu throughout June.

What are your healthy eating goals? Do you have any healthy eating tips? What are your favourite healthy cookbooks?

3 Free Fitness Apps I Love

However much I hate to admit it, I'm one of those people who is pretty much addicted to my phone, whether it's a quick flick through Instagram or a glance at Twitter - I'm lost without it! So, if I'm spending quite a lot of time on my phone anyway, it makes sense to have something productive on there and I've found free fitness apps have made me more motivated over recent weeks. These free apps I'm writing about today not only record my progress, but they also offer free workouts that you can do at home or on the go, nutrition tips and recipe ideas!

1. Nike+ Running
The Nike+ Running App tracks your distance, time, pace and calories burnt. Not only is it a great app to track your progress, but there's also plenty of free training plans, the app even sends you a reminder on run days - so there really is no excuse! The app has built in audio feedback which is great when you are out and about, I find it stops me from constantly clock watching. Both of the Nike apps I'm writing about today record something called Nike fuel, which is a universal way to measure movement  for all kinds of activities, all of your information is recorded in the app and syncs to your Nike account which you can view online.

2. Nike Training
I'm a Nike training app newbie and I have to say I'm impressed with the variety of workouts available - I just can't believe this app is all free! Whether you want a 15 minute HIIT session or fancy 30 minutes of Yoga this app has it all. You can choose from beginner, intermediate or advanced workouts so you can tailor your workout to suit your fitness levels. I'm currently on beginner as I find the workouts very hard - you get a real sweat on…or maybe I'm just really unfit. This app offers clear demonstrations for all the workouts so you make sure you are doing the moves correctly. I have actually found my form has improved so much with this app. This is so handy to have for travel or for days where you fancy an at home workout.

3. MyFitnessPal
You can track calories, diet, exercise and even your water intake with this app. I'm not one for calorie counting, but this handy app has a bar code scanner which I swear is so addictive. I've turned into a complete looney scanning all my food. Although in the past, I haven't been the biggest fan of recording calories or food intake, I have found the past few week's eye opening, my diet isn't quite as clean as I thought it was…in fact it's actually quite shocking! On average, most days I'm 50g over my daily sugar intake - yup 50g! This app is full of fitness tips and a blog that's full of healthy recipes.

What are your favourite fitness apps? How do you track your progress?

P.S I did originally include two more apps but since writing this post they sadly aren't free anymore!

The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Enhancer & Moisturiser

Dull, tired, grumpy skin? You need The Body Shop Vitamin C products in your skin care line up. At this time of year my skin becomes a little unhappy, the transition from Winter to Spring/Summer leaves my skin looking dehydrated, dull and just plain yuk. When I first heard about the new products that were recently added to the TBS Vitamin C range I just knew I had to head to my nearest store to try the products in person - it was pretty much love at first use! As you can imagine both the moisturiser and enhancer have a gorgeous citrus, sweet scent, at first I was a little apprehensive as my sensitive skin doesn't always react very well to fragrance in skincare products, however the Vitamin C line is naturally scented without perfume. I've been using both products for around four weeks now and my skin has never looked brighter, my skin looks more radiant and I put it down to these two products, here are my thoughts -

Vitamin C Instant Glow Skin Enhancer £14.00 
If you are looking for an instant fix the skin enhancer will be perfect for you. I tend to use this product as a primer underneath makeup, but it works really well on its own too -it's perfect for no makeup days! I find that the peachy pigment instantly brightens up my dull, sallow skin. This feels refreshing when applied to the skin and the scent is so uplifting on tired mornings. When I use this my makeup stays fresher for longer, this manages to add a healthy glow without looking glittery or making my skin look sweaty. You do have to work this product into the skin quickly as it dries almost instantly, I quite like this though, as it doesn't leave a tacky layer on my skin like other primers I have tried. I'm quite surprised at how much I have enjoyed using this product as I haven't been a fan of any of the other TBS primers. I like that this doesn't have silicone texture, it works really well with my combination skin.

Vitamin C Glow Boosting Moisturiser £16.00 
The Vitamin C moisturiser has a fresh, lightweight formula that feels slightly cooling on the skin. This hydrates my skin and over the four weeks I have been using this I have noticed a huge improvement in my skin. My skin looks plumper, brighter and healthier. With this having a gel texture I can imagine it will be perfect for the Summer months, unlike other gel moisturisers I have tried that tend to sit on the skin, TBS one absorbs really well - it feels like my skin drinks this stuff up. If you suffer with dull or dry skin, then you may enjoy this moisturiser as much as I do. Before I started using this I was suffering with dry patches, but a few weeks on and the texture of my skin has improved so much. I love this stuff.

I'd love to try more products from the Vitamin C range the Microdermabrasion and Skin Reviver serum are on the top of my to buy list at the moment. I'm super impressed with both of the products I've tried, both of the products not only smell amazing, but also are super effective at brightening up my skin, I wouldn't hesitate to repurchase or recommend the products I have tried. 

Are you a fan of the The Body Shop Vitamin C range? What are your favourite glow boosting products? 

P.S There aren't currently any promotions on but it's certainly worth waiting I managed to buy these two when there was £10 of any £25 order!

Products I Used Up - May

I can't believe it's been over a year since I wrote an empties post on my blog. I recently started sharing the majority of my empties over on Instagram, by posting throughout the month I don't have to hang onto leaky products! I seem to have used up lots of skincare, a few body care products and even one makeup item over the last few months, so, I thought I'd share with you the products I've used up. Some items I have already repurchased, others I'd probably give a miss -

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic - I've mentioned this toner on my blog/social media quite a few times so I won't go into too much detail. The Liz Earle Skin tonic calms my skin and helps to keep my skin clear. It feels incredibly hydrating on my skin, no other toner works for me quite like this one does.

Bio Essence Moisturising Gel - This moisturiser is lightweight yet super hydrating, my skin loved this. I can imagine it would be perfect for Summer. I wouldn't repurchase this, I got through the 50ml tub so quickly. I have similar moisturisers that last 5-6 months, whereas this one lasted for 2 months. Not impressed.

Ginger & Co Double Up - Creamy Body Wash* - I received some Ginger & Co products back in February, I'm surprised at how long this creamy body wash has lasted! Great value for money considering I used this almost every day. This creamy body wash had a lovely, sweet smell and left my skin hydrated.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish - Orange Flower and Chamomile - My favourite cleanser, I think that I even love this more than the original Cleanse & Polish. This limited edition C&P has a lovely fresh scent, the texture is slightly lighter than the original and overall I think that this one is more effective at removing my makeup. At Christmas I stocked up on this, but sadly this was my last bottle so I'll be purchasing the original. Liz Earle…please add this one to your permanent line!

Soap and Glory Flake Away - My favourite S&G scrub (after the Breakfast scrub of course!) This scrub buffs away dead skin, smells yummy and doesn't clog my drain. I couldn't really ask for anything more from a body scrub!

Oskia Renaissance Cleanser - I've repurchased this cleanser a few times now, although I do quite like this, I'll be going back to creamy cleansers for the Summer months. I find that cream cleansers are more effective at removing makeup. The Oskia cleanser leaves my skin super hydrated, and also brightens my skin, but I find that balm cleansers are more suited through the Winter months when my skin feels slightly drier.

Bioderma - I bought this last July in France and I've only just finished this - great value for money! Although for me this doesn't deserve all the hype it receives (I still find myself using like six cotton pads to remove makeup) I would probably still repurchase this. Since this ran out i've tried a few budget micellar waters that have broken my skin out real bad. It's handy to have something like this in my skincare basket for a pre cleanse. If you have sensitive skin, Bioderma really is worth the extra cash.

I Love…Coconut Cream and Mango & Papaya shower gel - Already repurchased these products as they are purse friendly, and smell incredibly! My skin smells and feels amazing after I use the I love…range.

Clinique Instant Perfector - I'm already feeling a little bit lost without this, the Clinique Instant Perfector blurs pores and mattifies my skin without making it dry or cakey. This is great under makeup as a primer or for touch ups throughout the day. It's great for the Summer months when my skins more oily.

What products have you used up lately? Are you a fan of empties posts or do you prefer them to be posted elsewhere? Have you tried any of the products in this post?

*PR Sample

Garnier Ultimate Blends - The Strength Restorer

 

Heat styling, treatments, endless backcombing and colouring - our hair sure does take a right old battering! All this abuse can leave our once healthy hair looking dull, limp and damaged. It can be difficult to find a budget haircare brand that targets damaged hair so when the Garnier team contacted me to try The Strength Restorer range from the Ultimate Blends line I jumped at the opportunity! The PR team had clearly taken the time to read my blog and had not only identified my hair type, but also saw how much of a fan I am of the Sleek Restorer range that I’ve featured here and here.

So, a little bit about my hair I’m naturally blessed with super curly hair (cheers dad!)There’s no denying I’m a slave to my straighteners and as a result my hair is slightly damaged and very brittle. , I was keen to try the Strength Restorer range in hope that it would improve the overall texture of my hair and hopefully protect from any future damage. With heavenly honey, propolis and royal jelly there are some lovely ingredients packed into every product in the Strength Restorer range. As you can imagine all the products smell amazing. This sweet (but not sickly) scent lingers in my hair after styling, I have to say it’s a huge selling point for me as I haven’t smelt any other haircare products that smell quite as good as the products from this range.  Gorgeous scent aside, let’s see how the products performed -  

Garnier Ultimate Blends – Strength Restorer - Shampoo/conditioner*  £2.79 (200ml)

Before trying the Strength Restorer shampoo I had a few problems with my hair, my scalp was very oily, but my ends were quite brittle and dry. I’ve found that a combination of the shampoo and conditioner in this range has completely eliminated my problem. The shampoo (as you would imagine) lathers up well and feels quite gentle on my scalp. The shampoo feels so nourishing and doesn’t leave my hair feeling stripped or dry. 

The conditioner has a lightweight texture; I apply a light layer through the ends of my hair and then apply a little more product, focusing purely on my ends. I leave this on my hair for around 5-10 minutes then rinse away. Some conditioners can really weigh my hair down, but this one manages to be incredibly lightweight but also very nourishing.

Garnier Ultimate Blends – Strength Restorer 1 Minute Treatment* £4.49

If you haven’t tried any of the 1 minute treatments from the Ultimate Blends line, you need to get on that – like right away! All of the Garnier hair treatments have a buttery thick texture that provides an intense treatment for dry parched hair. I tend to use the Garnier 1 minute treatments once a week or on days where my hair needs an extra boost of hydration.My hair not only smells incredible after using this, it feels super soft, hydrated, nourished and it looks super shiny!

Garnier Ultimate Blends – Strength Restorer – Serum* £4.99

I saved the best until last, the Strength Restorer serum is definitely my stand out product from the range. If you only buy one thing, make it this! As you would expect the serum has a lightweight formula and smells like honey - the scent is even stronger in the serum! You can apply this serum on dry hair, it adds a lovely shine to my hair, protects against frizz/humidity and leaves my dry ends (that are in desperate need of a cut) looking less gross. You can also use this serum as a pre-styling treatment on towel dried hair, it protects against hair breakage and brushing damage. As with all the products in this range the serum made my hair a lot more manageable during the styling process, my hair was a lot smoother and less tangled.

After using the whole range I have to say I’m in love, I wouldn’t hesitate to repurchase products from the Strength Restorer line. I’ve recommended this range to friends and family. My Mum who has her hair chemically straightened (and suffers with a lot of breakage) is absolutely smitten with the serum, after a gentle nag she has purchased her own bottle. I have been using this range for over three weeks now and I have to say in terms of improving dull, fragile hair the results are instant. The claim regarding 84% less breakage is something I will notice over a longer period of time, however I have noticed when straightening my hair there’s a lot less hair shedding (nice) and the front parts of my hair that usually feel a little tufty and coarse are a lot smoother and healthier looking!

Are you a fan of the Garnier Ultimate Blends range? What are your favourite budget haircare products? Have you tried any products from the Strength Restorer range? 

*PR Sample