La Roche Posay Rosaliac CC Creme* | Review

I've never been one for BB creams, or CC creams as I do like a medium coverage at least and I always find BB or CC creams don't seem to last a terribly long time on the skin. However, I was recently sent the La Roche-Posay Rosaliac CC Creme to try out and review by Escental and I do actually like it!

La Roche-Posay Rosaliac CC Creme is skincare and foundation hybrid. It will cover redness on the skin, correct colour flaws, hydrate the skin and protect your face from UV rays as there's as SPF30.
The CC Creme comes in one universal shade, which is meant to be for fair-medium skin tones, I did find the colour to be a little orangey but once blended it looks perfectly natural (see pictures), however very fair girls may struggle to make it work.
The coverage obviously isn't very high as it's a CC creme, but it does cover redness and correct uneven skin tone well. It also blends very smoothly which gives that 'no makeup makeup look'. The product feels very light, hydrating, non-sticky and smooth when applied, which impressed me because the BB and CC creams I have tried have always felt a bit too much like a moisturiser and taken ages to set into the skin. I really love the packaging, there's a pump and it's in a fairly slim bottle which isn't glass or that hard plastic that most foundations come in. This type of packaging is much easier to carry around with you and you don't feel like you're going to break it, bravo La Roche Posay.
Most days I do opt for a medium coverage foundation, I just feel more confident when wearing that, however this great product will be absolutely perfect for summer with the light-weight feel, SPF30, easy application (just use your fingers) and it lasts a long time too. It's also a product worth getting if you're someone who often wears very minimal makeup, it'll be a good base for you.
You can get this product from Escental where it's currently 1/3 off! £13 down from £19.50.

Have you tried CC creams?

What do you think of them?

x

The Benefits Of Lemon

Recently I've started putting slices of lemon in my water, to make it a bit more tasty and also because there are so many health benefits. I already knew a few of them but after doing some research I found a load more, and I have come to the conclusion that lemon is a magical fruit.

1. Helps keep your skin looking clear. Lemon juice contains antioxidants which will help to clear up blemishes and also keep you looking younger. Lemon juice can be applied straight to the face as well, apply it to problem areas (as long as they're not open wounds, or severe acne), leave the juice on for half an hour and rinse. Lemon juice will also make you look more radiant, as it's detoxifying your blood.

2. Boosts your immune system. If you're someone who gets ill a lot, especially if you get colds, (thankfully I'm not like that) then drinking lemon water is a good idea! Lemon juice contains loads of vitamin C, which helps protect and keep cells healthy, maintains the body tissue around your organs and helps wounds to heal.

3. Helps with digestion. Lemon juice will aid your body with digestion and relieve heartburn, indigestion or bloating.

4. Balances your pH levels. Having a good pH balance in your body is important - if unbalanced it can cause problems with the digestive system, immune system, respiratory system, nervous system, muscular system, and many more. Although on their own lemons are acidic once they're inside the body they are one of the most alkalising foods. Drinking lemon water regularly will help reduce the acidity in your body, which could have been caused by a high-fat diet, airway conditions like asthma, drinking too much alcohol, obesity, etc.

5. Stops you overeating. If you're trying to lose weight, or simply by healthier by not snacking so much then the pectin fibre in lemon juice will assist in fighting those cravings.

6. Helps reduce feelings of anxiety or depression. I didn't really believe this one, but lemon juice is supposed to be very calming, even the smell of it can really help.

7. Cleanses your body. Lemon juice helps to flush out any toxins from your body. The juice will help maximise enzyme function, which stimulates the liver and aids in detoxification. It will also help loosen toxins in the digestive tract, due to the high number of minerals and vitamins in the lemon.

8.  Keeps your breath fresh. No-one likes smelly breath! Lemon juice will keep your breath much fresher.

9. Energises you. Lemon juice contains more negatively charged ions, which react with your body and provide you with more energy.

10. Great source of potassium. Potassium is really good for heart health, and also the brain and nerve functions.

So now you see what I mean, lemon is magical.

Try putting it in your water!

x

The Face Five Challenge - Tag!

I was recently tagged by the lovely Daniela from Daniela Scribbles to do the 'face five challenge'!
The challenge is to create a makeup look using only 5 products….which is a bit tricky for me because I do definitely use more than 5 products on a day to day basis, but I have done it!

Rather than go for a foundation I've opted for just using concealer as a base. I don't think it's always necessary to have a full face of foundation, especially if you're having a good skin day or you're just hanging around the house or popping down to the shops to get a few bits and pieces. Maybelline Fit Me in shade 15 is my current favourite, it's much more creamy and less drying than the Collection Lasting Perfection and gives good coverage - great for under my eyes or any problem areas I want to hide!
I never feel right unless I've filled my brows in a bit so I've gone for the Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil in 001 Black Brown, and I can use this as subtle bit of liner on my eyes too! To finish the eyes I've gone with Maybelline The Falsies mascara which I totally love!
For cheeks I normally contour, add blush and highlight too but as this is very minimal I've just gone for Rimmel Lasting Finish Blush in Pink Rose, it's a really pretty pink colour with shimmer running through it so it will add a bit of glow and highlighter effect to the face.
Lastly, my favourite part, lips! I didn't want to go for anything too bright as this is a natural look, so Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey is great. Honey is a lovely dusky pink colour, and it lasts for ages.

Rather than tag individual people I just tag any of you who want to do it! Do leave me a link in the comments below if you do, I'd love to check it out

x

My Favourite Powder

Whether you have oily skin or dry skin powdering your foundation is a good idea to set everything in place and to help it last all day.

I've used the Rimmel Stay Matte powder for years now, I've repurchased it countless times and will continue to because it's so brilliant and a bargain at only £3.99.
It's quite a light pressed powder that comes in 5 different shades, and transparent too (which is what I use) so whatever skin tone you have you can use it.
I love the transparent one because it won't give me more coverage but it helps to minimise pores, control any shine I may have, helps foundation to look even better and really does set everything in place well so your makeup lasts a lot longer.
The powder contains natural minerals, is free from fragrance, oils, parabens and talc so it won't clog your pores and it feels silky soft and natural on the skin.
Rimmel Stay Matte does everything I want in a powder, and it's great for my dry skin as it's not heavy and doesn't accentuate any patches.
The only gripe I have with this product is the packaging, I'd much prefer something with a flip up lid and mirror….but for the low price I suppose I can't really complain when the product inside is so good.

What powder do you use?

x

Makeup I Got For My Birthday

It was my birthday yesterday! I had a lovely day spent with my family, just relaxing at home, opening presents, having a nice lunch and then in the evening me, my mum (whose birthday it was too), my dad and my sister went out for dinner at a restaurant called Bill's.
I am very lucky to have got amazing presents, and I thought I'd share with you the makeup bits I got! I'm only doing beauty presents because this is mainly a beauty blog and I figured that's what would interest you the most, but if you'd like to see some of my other presents do let me know.

(Disclaimer - I know some people find these sort of posts boastful, but I really hope it doesn't come across that way. I'm in no way boasting or showing off, I feel very lucky and I'm so grateful for all my presents and I just thought it would be nice to share them with you)


I finally got the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette! I've wanted this ever since I really got into makeup. Everyone raves about it and it's definitely a 'cult' product, along with the other two naked palettes. Naked 2 was definitely my preference out of the 3, it's got the most wearable shades in it for me and you can create so many different looks. I've already tried the palette out when I went for dinner and it's a dream to use, the shadows are amazing quality, they look beautiful on and last a long time.
I got my first MAC lipstick…I know, I know, I should have got one sooner. The shade is Fanfare and it's a gorgeous yellow toned mid pink that has almost coral tones to it as well, I think this lipstick looks different on everyone though. It's a cremesheen finish, which means it's gorgeously creamy and has a more glossy finish. I love it! (FYI it looks darker in the picture than it does in real life).
I got another lip product, which is the Revlon lip butter in Wild Watermelon. It's the most beautiful pinky red shade, perfect for Spring and Summer. I wore this last night and I just adore it.
I also got a new eyeliner. I've really been enjoying creating flicks with gel eyeliner recently, but that can take a bit of time and it's annoying having to clean the brush every single time. This Supercat liner from Soap And Glory is a pen style, so it's super easy and quick to use…perfect!
Last but not least, is the NYX blush in Taupe. You don't use this as a blush but instead as a brilliant contour shade for pale skin. It's great as it's well pigmented, not dark, not orangey, easily blended and creates the illusion of a shadow very well.

I hope you enjoyed seeing what beauty things I got for my birthday, I love reading these sort of posts.

If you'd like an in depth review of anything mentioned do let me know in the comments!

x

How To Clean Your Makeup Brushes…The Right Way!

Washing makeup brushes is one of the most mundane things, but it's very important.

Why is it important to clean makeup brushes?

Not only do brushes apply products to your skin but they also pick up any oils, dead skin cells or dirt that might be on your face, so when you go to reapply makeup with the brush that bacteria will be transferred back onto your face….yucky! If you get acne or suffer from spots washing your makeup brushes regularly should make a difference. 

Keeping your brushes in good condition will make them last longer! Cleaning them regularly will keep the bristles soft, prevent them from drying out, caking together or falling apart. 

Clean makeup brushes will also apply makeup a lot better!

How should I clean my makeup brushes?

You can buy shop-bought brush cleanser from places like MAC but that can be expensive, these products can often contain alcohol as well which will make the bristles dry out. Using baby shampoo is the best option, I use Johnson's. It's nice and gentle and will do the job well. 

Firstly put the brush under warm running water, then remove it and massage some of the baby shampoo into the bristles gently, and rinse in CLEAN water! I usually repeat this twice to make sure all the product is off the brushes. Afterwards squeeze the excess water out, and place them somewhere to dry.  

This bit is important - make sure your brushes are NOT standing upright when they're drying, the water could go right into the brush and cause it to rot inside. Stand them upside down, a good way to do that is in one of the Real Techniques brush stands that come with their collections of brushes (pictured).

How often should I clean my makeup brushes?

Once a week is ideal, especially if you're using them every single day. I'd say try not to go over 2 weeks without washing your brushes. 

Extra tips

Using olive oil on your brushes before the baby shampoo will give them a deeper clean. So if they're looking extra dirty or you've used a thicker product on them this is a great thing to do. Tea tree oil is also good for this.

Reshape your brushes while they're still wet, you don't want them trying in a weird way and then you're unable to use them properly. 

Make sure your brushes are completely dry before using them again.

I hope you found this helpful!

Also, I announced the winner of my giveaway! To find out if you won 

click this link!

x

NEW Garnier Micellar Water

I always use a proper cleanser in the mornings and evenings, but when it comes to removing makeup I like to use a cleansing water before. Garnier have recently brought out a micellar water, and I love it!

Micellar waters have been absolutely everywhere. So many bloggers rave about Bioderma, but it's pretty hard to get hold of in the UK and it's quite pricey, however a lot of brands have brought out their own versions, including L'Oreal and La Roche Posay but these can still not be the cheapest and do have their faults.
Garnier's offering is the best I have tried. Firstly, the product itself is great as it just feels like water on the skin (it's not greasy in the slightest) but it removes makeup so easily, even eye makeup which I sometimes find difficult to fully remove it gets rid of with ease. The water feels calming and refreshing on the skin and would definitely be suitable for any skin type. It doesn't contain any nasty and drying alcohol either! Secondly, the packaging is by a mile better than other brands. I know so many people complain about the L'Oreal micellar water going everywhere when you try and pour it onto a cotton pad but this doesn't happen at all with Garnier. The bottle is huge….much bigger than I was expecting, you get 400ml which the brand claim will last you 200 uses, I'm not so sure about 200 but it'll definitely last a while. My last point that makes it better than the rest is the price, at £4.99 it's an absolute bargain.

I would highly recommend the Garnier Micellar Cleansing water if you're looking for a Bioderma dupe or just a brilliant makeup remover to use pre-cleanser.

What's On My Face Today

This is quickly becoming my go-to everyday makeup look for Spring. It's natural, quick, easy, fresh and just makes me feel awake and ready for Spring.

I've really been enjoying Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation (£9.99), I got this recently after seeing practically every blogger rave about it and it's definitely worth the hype. Full review to come!
The golden shade (first top row) in the Sleek Storm palette is so gorgeous, and I've been pairing that with a little bit of Rimmel Sable  Brown eyeliner on the outer top lash line for more definition.
Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya is one of my all time favourite lip colours for the warmer months, it's such a gorgeous orangy coral that's not 'in your face'.

BASE
Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in Light Vanilla /// Maybelline Fit Me concealer in 15 /// Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Transparent

CHEEKS
NYX Blush in Peach /// MAC Mineralize Skinfinsh in Soft & Gentle

EYES 
Sleek Storm Palette (first, top row) /// Rimmel Eyeliner in Sable Brown /// Maybelline The Flasies Mascara 

LIPS
Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya 

Spring Blushes - NYX

Officially Spring doesn't begin for another couple of weeks, but the weather is getting a bit sunnier and there's a definite feeling of Spring in the air. I feel like Spring is the season for pink blush, I tend to go for more coral or peach in the summer but pink is the perfect transition for Spring.
NYX do some really brilliant and affordable blushes in a huge shade range, I thought I'd share two of them with you that I'll be using this season.

Cream blush in Natural

Powder blush in Peach

The first is a cream blush in the shade 'Natural' (£5.50). I nearly always opt for powder blushes, I just prefer them a lot more but this blush is really gorgeous. It's a really natural colour like the name suggests, it looks darker in the pan than it is when it's all blended into the skin, and it gives a beautiful glow. I thought this might be difficult to apply but I found it surprisingly easy - the best way is to blend it in with your fingers. As it's a cream formula it isn't super long lasting, I'd say it lasts for around 4 hours on it's on, but if you powder a bit over the top it'll last that bit longer.
The second blush is a powder in the shade 'Peach' (£6)….I have no idea what NYX were thinking when they named this product as it's not a peach shade at all, it's a cool toned medium baby pink. Normally cool toned blushes don't look good on me at all, but I find Peach really suits me and gives me a natural glow without any shimmer. It can be sheered out for a subtle wash of colour, or built up for a more intense look. The formulation of this blush is amazing, very pigmented, easy to blend, feels nice and silky and lasts a good 7 hours on the cheeks.
Both blushes are packaged well, nothing outstanding but for the price I didn't expect anything fancy.

Cream blush in Natural (LEFT)
Powder blush in Peach (RIGHT)

I'd highly recommend checking NYX blushes out! They're brilliant quality for the money and the shade range is so vast there'll be something for everyone.
Unfortunately they're a US brand but you can buy them from their UK website or Amazon.

What's your favourite Spring blush?

x

My GIVEAWAY is still running! But not for long. ENTER HERE! :)

The Right Red Lipstick For You

Choosing a red lipstick can be a tricky task. If you just go into a shop and pick up a pretty red without thinking about how it'll suit you it can lead to it being a waste of money. I've put together some tips on how to work out which type of red lipstick is best for you. Just a little disclaimer before I get started, everyone has different opinions on what works with different skin tones, the tips I'm giving you are just a general rule but it doesn't always mean they'll apply as there are so many factors to consider (skin tone, undertones, hair colour, other makeup you're wearing, etc).

Firstly you should work out what skin tone you have. Take off all your makeup and look in the mirror, decide if you're fair, sun kissed, olive toned, dark, etc, and if you have pink or yellow undertones to your skin. If you're not sure how to do this you can do the vein test, stand in daylight and make a fist, look at the veins in your wrist, if they're mainly blue it's a sign of cool undertones (pink), and green is a sign of warm undertones (yellow).

If you have fair skin with pink undertones opt for soft coral or pinky reds, such as NARS Flamenco. as they're not so overpowering. If you have yellow undertones berry reds will look good on you as they're slightly warmer. If you feel you have more blue-ish undertones to your fair skin go for a more cool toned red.

Berry red looks great on Anne's pale skin

Soft pinky red

If you feel like you want to wear a bright red lip but you are fair then don't despair (I'm a poet), it can be done! If you wear a bright red lip with very minimal makeup on your eyes it won't look right, the lips will be too overpowering. However, if you pair the true red with several coats of mascara and some dark black eyeliner you should be able to pull it off as the eyes will balance the look out.

Emma can pull of the bold lip because she's paired
it with dark lashes and eyeliner

Keira can wear this orangey lip as
 her dark eye makeup balances

Medium skin toned girls (olive or sunkissed) you're lucky as most reds will probably suit you. Berry reds, orange reds and true reds will look great with your colouring. Blue toned reds should suit you too, which is great as they have the added bonus of making your teeth look extra white, like MAC Russian Red.

Orange red

True red looks pretty on Kourtney's
skintone

Medium brown skin tone, warmer/yellow reds will look great on you, such as MAC Lady Danger.
Dark skinned girls stay away from anything too bright! Stick to cool shades that have deeper colouring to them - think dark cherry or a brick shade, such as MAC Diva or Dare You.

Rihanna looks like she's wearing Lady Danger -
it suits her perfectly

This dark cherry red suits Jennifer's dark skin

I hope you found this post helpful. If you're still stuck maybe try buying some really cheap red lipsticks from somewhere like MUA to see which shade suits you before you get a more expensive one.

What's your go-to red lipstick?

x

There's still time to enter my GIVEAWAY here!

March Wishlist 2014

It's March! One of my favourite months of the year, mainly because it's my birthday month - yay! And what better month to do a wish list post than my birthday month?
I also did a skincare wish list not long ago, so be sure to check that out! I'm hoping I can acquire some of those products this month because my skin is feeling not the best.

MAC Fanfare lipstick  looks absolutely gorgeous. It's a warm pink colour with coral undertones - swoon! Perfect for Spring/Summer.
Under eye dark circles is something I suffer from, I hate them and I feel like they drag my face down and make me look so tired. The Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Bisque may just be the solution to this problem, everyone raves about it and I think I need to give it a go. It's a pricey product at £18.50 but if it masks my circles I'll be happy.
I love a good liquid eyeliner, I wear it most days normally with a little flick, and although I love my maybelline gel eyeliner it does take a bit of time. The Soap & Glory Supercat Eyeliner would be a lot easier, it's meant to be a great product!
I've wanted a simple gold necklace for ages now, and I've fallen for this cute Zig-Zag Necklace from ASOS.  I love how simple it is, I think it would look so pretty on.
Contouring is something I always do, I feel naked without it! However, I'm pretty pale and although I adore my bronzers sometimes I feel like they're too dark to contour with, so I did some research and this NYX Blush in Taupe has got great reviews from pale skinned girls who needed a contour product.  Need! It's under £7 too, bargain!
One of my all time favourite lip products are the Revlon Lip Butters, and the shade Wild Watermelon looks so gorgeous. It's a pretty pinky red. These lip butters are so perfect for summer, they feel so light on the lips, are moisturising and they have the most gorgeous colours ever.
MAC Blush in Fleur Power is described as described as a soft pinish-coral - that's me sold! I'm yet to try any MAC blushes as well.
MAC Paint Pot in Painterly is one of the most raved about point pots in the collection. It's a pinky nude that's perfect as an eyeshadow base, something I do not own.
Nars Blush in Deep Throat (yeah, heads up, Nars products have rude names, try to overlook it). This blush is supposed to be the less 'in your face' vision of the Orgasm blush (warned you about the names). I have a dupe for the Orgasm blush and I adore it but I do find it a little bit too much, so Deep Throat looks gorgeous. It's not as bright and it has more of a sheen rather than lots of sparkles. Nars blushes aren't cheap, but their products are outstanding.
I'm running really low on my current daytime foundation, Rimmel Match Perfection, and although I do like it I want to try something new. Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation sounds great for me, it's medium coverage but light and moisturising. Every time I'm in Boots I pick it up but can never bring myself to buy it as it's more expensive than the Rimmel one, but I really feel I need it now! I've already worked out my shade is 51…get me to Boots! I also want to try MAC Studio Sculpt in NW15.
I have two eyeshadow palettes in this wish list, both are neutral palettes because I'm obsessed with them. The first being Soap & Glory Lid Stuff in What's Nude, this is a gorgeous quad with 3 matte shades and one shimmery - I like matte shades at the moment and I have very few of them so this would be very welcome to my collection. Urban Decay Naked 2 palette is something that's been on my wishlisht since I discovered makeup, it just looks like an amazing palette!
My hair has been feeling very dry recently, I'm not sure whether it's due to the weather or the fact it needs a cut - something I'm sorting out next week, bye bye long locks. It could also be that I haven't been using an intense conditioner every week like I used to, I think I need to start up again. I've ran out of my Tresseme Keratin one, and my TiGi S Factor one, I love both of them a lot but I want to try the L'Oreal Ever Riche Mask Pot. It's a deep treatment for dry to very dry hair, it's meant to work miracles which I need right now to get my hair back into top condition.
I only have 1 jacket (not counting my huge winter coat) which is leather, and for Spring and Summer that's not always the best thing to wear, so I've found this gorgeous mint green jacket on ASOS that I think I need in my life. I don't think I need to say much, just look at the picture! It's so nice.
Two little extras are some Spring friendly boots, these ones from ASOS/River Island are so nice, I like the leather and think they'd be great for all year round. And lastly a book, Shopaholic Abroad by Sophie Kinsella, it's the second book in the series, I read the first recently and thought it was really good!

That's it, my HUGE wish list for March! 

What's something you would like this month?

x


Not long left to ENTER MY GIVEAWAY!