NARS Sheer Glow, Worth The Hype?

As a lover of beauty blogs and discovering the best makeup trying NARS Sheer Glow foundation has been a long time coming. It's a product I've wanted to try out for what feels like forever, and seeing practically every beauty blogger in existence raving about the foundation just made me long for it even more. When it comes to foundation I do like a light/medium coverage every day, but for nights out, special occasions or just when I want to be a bit more dolled up I always opt for a fuller coverage that'll give me that flawless skin effect.

I can tell you now that I love NARS Sheer Glow! I have the shade Mont Blanc and it's a pretty perfect match.
The foundation comes in typically sleek NARS packaging - a glass bottle with a matte black lid, which feels expensive and sturdy. The only downfall when it comes to packaging is the bottle doesn't come with a pump, meaning you have to tip the product onto the back of your end…..often resulting in too much product which'll go to waste. For a foundation that costs over £30 I'd really expect a pump!
The foundation itself doesn't live up to the name 'sheer glow', as it's not sheer and not especially glowy. The consistency isn't runny, but nor is it thick; it's a brilliant in-between that glides onto the skin smoothly, is beautifully easy to blend and although it's a high coverage looks very natural on the skin. The foundation covers imperfections really well, so well that I don't need to use any concealer (except under my eyes), which is a really bonus.
Another winning point is that Sheer Glow is very long lasting. I often find even more expensive foundations tend to wear off by the end of the day, but NARS have done a fantastic job with the formulation because it looks almost perfect all day.

At £31 for 30ml it's quite pricey, but a little bit of this foundation goes a long way and it's definitely worth the money. It's my favourite foundation ever.

Origins Night-A-Mins Moisturiser - Review

Over the last couple of years that I've got into skincare I've tried out different cleansers, exfoliators and serums but night creams are something I've not focused on much. I've always just gone with a standard moisturiser, and never spent too much. However, recently I was browsing good old eBay and came across a 30ml sample of Origins Night-A-Mins, which is a night moisturiser I've heard rave reviews about but is quite pricey so I've never taken the plunge. A sample seemed like the perfect option, and I'm now considering splurging on the full sized product.

Origins Night-A-Minds is a night cream that's focussed on reduced the dullness of skin, and leave your face feeling refreshed, radiant and moisturised. It's enriched with vitamins C, E and H and has a slightly orangey scent which I really like. I find it isn't too thick nor is it greasy, but it still feels so nourishing and rich on the skin which is perfect for bedtime.
After about a month of use everyday (in conduction with my beloved hydraluron) I've noticed quite a difference in my skin! My skin feels soft and definitely looks more radiant, I've definitely noticed a difference in 'imperfections' as well; I've mentioned before that when I get spots they take a long time to completely fade, but I feel like this moisturiser has really sped up that process and my skin is looking clearer than ever….*touch wood*.
The full size product is £34.50 for 50ml which definitely puts it in the luxury product range, but I do reckon the pot would last you a while and as I always say 'you only get one face, look after it'. If you want to try it out before paying the larger sum of money there are several sample's for sale on eBay, which you can find here.

What's your current night cream?

Do you think it's worth spending more on 

luxury skincare products?

x

Warm Aubergine, Spinach and Avocado Salad

One of my favourite things to do for lunch at the moment is grab lots of fresh vegetables and other wonderful ingredients and throw them in a pan, cooking them with different things every day.
Today I made my favourite one yet, an aubergine and spinach warm salad with a hint of fresh pesto. So delicious!
Along with being super yummy and filling this warm salad is so nutritious; it's high in iron, fibre, vitamins and also healthy fats.

Ingredients

• Half an aubergine
• Red cabbage
• A handful of spinach
• 2 - 3 mushrooms
• Half an avocado 
• A sprinkling of pumpkin seeds
• Pine nuts
• Fresh pesto (I got mine from the co-op)
• Nigella seeds
• Mixed herbs
• Lemon juice
• Coconut oil

(Serves 1 person)

1. First start by putting a teaspoon of coconut oil into a pan. Let that melt and heat up before adding your ingredients. 
2. Chop up half your aubergine into cubed pieces and place them into the pan.
3. While the aubergine is cooking slice your red cabbage…this is one of my favourite ingredients! After the aubergine has cooked for a few minutes add in the cabbage.
4. Sprinkle some mixed herbs and nigella seeds into the cabbage and aubergine for more flavour, you could also add chilli flakes for more of kick.
5. Slice the mushrooms, I used 3 small chestnut mushrooms. Making sure you wash them first, as with all the other vegetables! And add them to your pan when the cabbage has cooked a bit.
6. Grab a large handful of spinach and add that to the pan as well, letting it wilt.
7. When all your ingredients look almost done add in your pine nuts and pumpkin seeds. These give the salad a delicious crunch.
8. Slice an avocado in half, scoop it out of the skin and cut into cubes while the other ingredients are cooking for a further few minutes and then remove the pan from the hob to add the avocado.
9. Stir in a teaspoon of pesto.
10. Add some lemon juice.
11. Enjoy!

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm - Review

I'm a bit of a skincare fiend, I love trying new products and I'm not really loyal to any part of my skincare routine as I like to test different things. I recently ran out of my Body Shop Camomile cleansing oil (which was actually a repurchase) and decided I wanted something new. Armed with a £5 off Feel Unique voucher I browsed the site looking for a new addition to my skincare regime, and I came across the Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm…which I'd heard a lot of good things about and it sounded dreamy, so I made the order. 

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm (£22) is a lightweight cleansing balm that looks solid when you open the pot, but once you scoop the tiniest amount out (which is all you need) and rub it between your fingers it melts into an oil which you massage into your face. The oil is unscented, which is brilliant for those with sensitive skin, but feels luxurious, calming and really cleansing. 

The oil, although lightweight and not greasy, removes even stubborn eye makeup which I was rather pleased about. My skin is left feeling super clean, moisturised and fresh after using this cleanser.

Although it may be a little on the pricey side at £22 I think it's well worth the money, the 125ml pot will last you ages as you only need the smallest amount of product to cover your entire face, it has fantastic ingredients that won't do any damage or dry your skin out and I always think it's worth paying a bit more for good skincare, because hey…you only get one face, look after it!

5 Countries I'd Love To Visit

Over the last few months I've had a serious case of 'wanderlust'. I think about different places I want to travel to and explore constantly, I read travel blog posts and endlessly search on pinterest. I think it's so important to see as much of the world as possible, to experience different cultures, breath different air, meet new people and see the best the world has to offer.
I'm hoping soon I'll be able to see more of the world, once I've saved up some money, but for now I thought I'd share with you a few countries I'd love to visit. They're not necessarily all my top 5 countries, but they're definitely all in my top 10 places to visit, and they'll probably be yours too after you see the photographs...

Italy
I think Italy looks absolutely beautiful and fascinating. I can't pinpoint one specific place I want to go because I want to see it all! I think Rome is top of my list though; the Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum, the Spanish Steps and Palatine Hill look amazing. I'm also dying to visit Pompeii, Venice and Tuscany.

Switzerland
This doesn't seem to be a popular choice when it comes to people going travelling but I really want to visit Switzerland one day. It looks peaceful, calm, beautiful and almost magical.
Lake Geneva is one of the largest lakes in Europe, surrounded by mountains, a hilly plain and the alps with elegant towns and cities too.
 Bern looks utterly picturesque. It's a medieval city which dates back to the 12th century. There's an ancient clock tower with moving puppets, a Gothic cathedral and market stalls.

Vietnam
Ever since I saw the Top Gear special in Vietnam I've had an urge to go there, which has since been cemented in more by EmTalks blogposts on her trip there, which she called life changing.
It looks like such an incredible country with so many different things to see. Ha Long Bay is my number 1 place to visit, with it's aqua-green water and cluster of rocky outcrops rising from the water it looks like something from a fantasy story. It features over 2,000 jungle-covered Islands with caves and grottoes…get me there! The old city of Hoi An is on my list too, for it's historic architecture and traditional culture. It's full of tiny pathways, traditional wooden houses and little shops.

Greece
Greece isn't somewhere I've really wanted to visit before, but after seeing some gorgeous photos and hearing travel bloggers talk about the country I'd love to visit. Namely the Greek Islands Corfu and Santorini (the latter being top of my wish list…I'd give a lot to go there!); they look breathtakingly stunning. But I'd also love to see the mainland, Hyrda is a small town that's arty and pretty.

The USA
Huge country, and so much of it I want to see. New York city is somewhere I've been longing to go for ages, to walk through central park, see the Empire State Building and explore. Then I'd want to go to the Grand Canyon, LA, visit Texas - especially San Antonio, and walk through the cobbled streets of Savannah.

There's so many more places I feel I need to see. Bali, Cuba, Brazil, more of France and Australia is definitely very high on my list; the only reason it isn't in my top 5 is because I think I might do a separate post on Australia…there's a lot of things I want to see in that country.

If you could go anywhere in the world, 

where would you go?

How Yoga Changed My Life

A couple of years ago I was an unhealthy teenage girl, both in mind and body. I was unfit, had back and knee joint paint, and I was not happy. Now I'm a 20 year old who's healthy and happy.
About a year and a half ago I decided to change and become a healthier person, and one of the things I decided I wanted to do was yoga. Yoga has become a huge part of my life now, and I can't see that changing!

If you know me personally then I can pretty much be 100% certain that I've told you to do yoga at least once. It's something I believe everyone would benefit from, and I'm about to tell you why.


Before I started practising yoga I thought it was literally just a bit of simple stretching and mediation. I thought the only benefits you could get from it were flexibility and perhaps a bit of calm in your mind, but there's so much more. The benefits to a regular yoga practise are endless!

1. It builds muscle strength. At first I found some yoga poses quite challenging because of the strength in your whole body you need to achieve them, but now I find my body is strong and it's so much easier to hold more advanced positions. My arms are more toned, my abs are strong and my back & legs are stronger too!
2. Yoga improves your posture. In a world where so many people sit at computers all day posture is becoming somewhat of an issue! Yoga teaches you to stand and sit tall, thus preventing damage to the spine and it makes you look slimmer too.
3. Increases blood flow. Yoga aids circulation by getting more oxygen to your blood cells. Twisting poses wring out venous blood from internal organs. Inverted poses (headstands, should stands and hand stands) allow venous blood from the legs and pelvis to flow back to the heart, where it can be pumped to the lungs to be freshly oxygenated. All this reduces the risk of heart attacks, strokes and kidney problems.
4. Prevents cartilage breakdown. As your joints are going through a full range of motion this can help to prevent degenerative arthritis and other joint disabilities.
5. Yoga protects your spine. Keeping the discs in your back supple is so important, and a yoga practice with plenty of backbends, forward bends and twists will really help that.
6. Betters bone health. This is something important to me as I have a high risk of developing osteoporosis. Yoga requires you to lift your own weight which strengths your bones, and also reduces a stress hormone which isn't good for calcium in the bones.
7. Lowers blood sugar. Yoga's been found to lower cortisol and adrenaline levels, which encourages weigh loss and improves sensitivity to the effects of insulin.
8. Yoga helps you focus. During your practise you should focus on the present, not the past of the future, just the now. This is important, and it improves co-ordination, reaction time, memory and even IQ scores with regular practise.
9. Contrary to popular belieft yoga can give you a real workout! Sure, yoga can be super relaxing but it can also be tough, it can get your heart pumping and cause you to sweat!


All of those benefits can be found with regular practise, but what real results have I seen from a almost 2 years daily yoga practise?
I'm stronger, more balanced and more flexible than I was before and that's improving constantly.
I find I'm a lot happier in my mind, I feel calmer and more confident as well.
I sleep better and my brain doesn't feel so busy at night.
I'm in less pain…this is the biggest benefit for me. Before practising yoga I wouldn't be able to stand for even half an hour without chronic back pain, and aching legs…..I'd even moan when walking around the shops! Now I never, ever have that problem. When I go to work I'm on my feet for 8 hours and it doesn't bother me at all.
Maybe now you can understand how yoga changed my life for the better, and why I believe everyone should practise it and start enjoying the beautiful benefits that will sure follow.

If you're thinking of giving yoga a try then please YogaWithAdriene on YouTube…she is fantastic and the only yoga videos I watch are hers. There's none of that silly music in the background, she's real - not a yoga robot, she encourages you to 'find what feels good' and adapt poses to suit you if you need to, and her range of videos is superb.

Namaste.