REVIEW: L'occitane Sublime Essence

Around September last year, I received a mini version of the L'occitane Sublime Essence, and I was in love. Unfortunately, as a student, the full size version was way out of my budget by the time I had finished it and I kind of forgot about it until about a month ago. 

I was snooping around the internet, trying to find something new to add to my skincare routine because it is pretty basic. I wanted something that would not only smooth and brighten my skin, but also reduce redness. After some searching, I came across this again and since I've loved it before, I thought.. why not just save up and buy the full size? 

Let's start with the packaging. Yes, the bottle is fairly small considering the price but you really only need the smallest amount. The glass bottle is actually pearlescent, although these pictures just don't do it justice, and it has a handy pump that distributes the perfect amount of product. Don't be wary of the pump though, it has a twist lock system so you can travel with it!

L'occitane Sublime Essence is made with organic extracts from two angelic flowers. White iris, and angelica. While white iris perfects the skin, angelica works to hydrate the skin, and really bring it to life. The silicone free formula promises to leave the skin looking, and feeling 'sublime'.

The  Sublime Essence claims to do 6 things. It claims to smooth the texture of skin, tighten pores, reduce tightness and redness, hydrate and plump, and leave the skin super soft to touch. It's one of the very few products that actually follows through on it's claims. I haven't suffered from any dry patches while using this, and I was amazed at how soft this made my skin feel. It made me want to just run up to people and demand that they feel my face (I didn't, don't worry). When looking at my skin, the words radiant, or bright have never sprung to mind but when I'm using this, it's a whole other story. No, it hasn't completely banished any signs of redness from my face but it has really improved it. So much so, that even the boyfriend noticed. That's saying something.

I was really impressed by the texture of this serum, it's velvety smooth and thin, therefore sinks into the skin in a matter of seconds. 

Overall, I really enjoy using this. It's so hydrating, and leaves my skin looking bright and even. It doesn't have an affect on my oily skin, but rather leaves my pores tightened, and leaves my skin feeling softer than ever. Well worth the money!

You can find the L'occitane Sublime Essence here for £42

REVIEW: The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter

Since coming into Spring, my skin has been feeling a little more sensitive than usual, so I sought after a new gentle cleanser. What I ended up with is the Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter by The Body Shop. God, that is a mouthful. 

I am a big fan of the packaging of this cleansing butter. I was pleasantly surprised by the screw top lid, at first I thought it would end up being a pop off job. This, along with the fact that the metal tin itself is really quite thin means that it would probably be good for travel, if you didn't mind the size of it! It's pretty big, to say the least. 

I use the Sumptuous Cleansing Butter as a first cleanse but I sometimes use it in the morning too because it's a complete dream to use. You simply scoop a little amount, and massage it onto dry skin. I find that it washes off easily, and doesn't leave any residue but you could definitely use a wash cloth to just make sure! 

It took me everything not to dunk my fingers into this, right then and there. Is that just me?

Anyway, as you can see the product looks waxy, and white. Just a bit plain Jane. The 

product itself is so much more than that though. Like I mentioned before, a little goes a looong way. It really lives up to the name, it does feel very luxurious to use. It literally melts when in contact with the skin, effortlessly washing off all of your worries and cares... Maybe not. But it does do a tremendous job at removing all kinds of make up. 

Here's the thing, I wear liquid eyeliner a lot and my mascara of choice is the notoriously difficult to remove They're Real! mascara by Benefit. This makes light work out of it though, it really impressed me. Usually most cleansers/make up removers can't get right down into my lash line to remove every trace of eyeliner but finally: I found one that can! Oh, and it doesn't sting your eyes either (win).

The oily consistency could take some getting used to but it's worth it. My skin always feels soft and refreshed after using this, and it hasn't broke me out! My skin type is oily, dehydrated and sensitive. It's gentle enough for my sensitivity, hydrating enough to prevent dry patches yet still remains light enough to prevent excess oil. Not going to lie though, if you suffer from extremely oily skin then this probably isn't the best option.

Overall, this is a pretty good option for those of you that are stressed and need something gentle to soothe your skin. At £12 it's probably not the cheapest option but to be fair, you get a lot out of this, and you're looking at around £20 for something similar. 

You can find The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter here for £12.

P.S - Just letting you know that there won't be a post next week. It's my final exam for college next Wednesday so I'll be focusing on that! Thanks for bearing with me -x

REVIEW: Nivea Sensitive 3 in 1 Micellar Cleansing Water

Okay. I'll admit it: I eat way too much sugar. I do, and my skin is very angry at me for it. My skin is red, slightly spottier, and more sensitive than usual. So, to combat this I bought the Nivea Sensitive 3 in 1 Micellar Water. It's supposed to combat redness, tightness and dryness which are all things that I've been experiencing as of late.

 I've been using this as my morning and second cleanse recently, and so far I'm quite enjoying it. I have found that this soothes my skin, and leaves it less red after use. This doesn't make my skin feel tight at all, and my face feels softer than ever after using this. 

The formula is what you'd expect: a watery, clear liquid. I just put this on a cotton pad and put it all over the face, it absorbs fairly quick so you won't be waiting long to finish your routine.

 I don't use it for makeup removal because I feel like it takes bloody ages. One cotton pad for each eye, and three goes at the face to get all of my foundation off which probably isn't too bad but it's just quicker using a wash off cleanser for makeup removal - in my eyes anyway.

You can find the Nivea Sensitive 3 in 1 Micellar Water on offer for £1.84(!) here

Have you tried  this out? What did you think? -x

REVIEW: Rimmel London Fix & Perfect Pro Primer

Okay, I know things have been a bit MIA for the past couple of weeks but hear me out. As much as I enjoyed having two whole weeks off for the Easter break, it really messed with my routine. So, in an attempt to get back on track, I have a review for you!

Since the weather's really picking up here in Aberdeen, I felt I needed something to prolong my foundation wear time, and keep it matte for longer and, since I had heard some great reviews over on YouTube, I just had to pick up a bottle of the Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro Primer. This is a water based primer, so it's ideal for those of you that don't like silicone based primers. It claims to be a 5 in 1 product, but I'm not sure if I agree. When it came to putting on my foundation, there were still a few rough patches that the primer hadn't worked to resolve, and I don't think it really brightened my face all that much. Then again, skin dullness isn't really a concern of mine.

That being said, it leaves my skin feeling super soft after use, and it isn't greasy in the slightest. I think the best part of the primer is it's longevity, and mattifying properties. It instantly mattifies the skin, and it kept my foundation looking shine free for a solid eight hours, instead of three or four.

As you can see, the consistency of the primer is pretty normal. Not thick but not too thin. It glides onto the skin really nicely and like I said, it doesn't leave a greasy film over the skin like some others. Don't let the white colour put you off, it transfers onto the skin clear. I have a sneaky feeling that perhaps the white is meant to have the brightening effect? 

The packaging is nothing special, but that doesn't mean it's bad. The bottle isn't packed too tight, so that means for less waste and mess!

Now, I like the formula, and the packaging but can we talk about the smell for a moment? I really hate it, it smells slightly.. medicinal? Weird. I can get past it but yeah, it's odd..

Anyway, scent woes aside. The Rimmel London Fix & Perfect Pro Primer is a skin smoothing primer that's great at increasing foundation wear time, and keeping the face matte - and it's reasonably priced at £6.99. Find it here!

Sidenote: Don't worry, I'll be picking things back up over here and things will be back to normal on Tuesday -x

 

REVIEW: B. Clean Melting Gel Cleanser

Okay, so this week's post may be a taaad late 3 days oops but better late than never.. right? I do actually have something for you though, so lets get to it!

This is the first cleanser of it's kind that I've tried, and so far I'm pretty impressed. It's the B. Clean Melting Gel Cleanser, which is from Superdrug's own brand of skincare. I've had this for a few months now, and I've really been enjoying it. You might have guessed that though, I've really squeezed the life out of that packaging.. Actually, let's talk about the packaging for just a moment.

It's a fairly standard tube that allows you to squeeze out just the right amount of product. I've found that the size of a small grape is enough! It's thin and long in size, so it isn't the most practical for travel but the actual design of the bottle is quite nice. I like that it's simple! 

Now, onto the product itself. It says that it's "Ideal for normal to dry skin" but, if you're an oily skinned gal like myself, I can tell you to push that aside. The consistency is really thick but it melts into the skin as a facial oil as you massage it onto the skin. When it comes into contact with water, it turns very milky so it can get a bit messy but it leaves my skin feeling refreshed and effectively cleansed. It's really gentle and not stripping at all. I have to say though, just make sure you have rinsed it all off because it can feel like it's left a film over the skin if you don't.

 It will probably take a couple of times to get used to the strange, see-through texture but you get used to it quickly!

I use this both morning and night. I find that my make-up is easily removed, but it can occasionally take a couple of tries to take off heavier eye make-up and it can sting if you massage it on too much, or use too much product.

Overall a really refreshing, gentle cleanser that makes light of removing make-up. It usually costs £6.99 but it's currently on offer in Superdrug for £3.48!

Let me know if you've tried this, and what your thoughts are on it! -x

MARCH FAVOURITES!

With the end of March comes better weather. I feel like I haven't seen the sun properly since September! Anyway, I had a cold for some of this month, and I had a little breakout afterwards so I wasn't wearing a whole lot of make-up or trying anything different.

My first favourite of the month is the Max Factor Skin Luminizer Foundation. Really, I've loved this through the whole of winter (as if you couldn't tell). It's a light-medium coverage foundation that has a lovely, light consistency and is lovely for both good and bad skin days. It leaves your skin look quite glowy, making it perfect for when your skin is looking a bit dull. It doesn't cling to dry patches or settle into pores either - winning.

Next, I've been loving the Maybelline Superstay Better Skin concealer. This is perfect for covering up any redness, which is one of my biggest skin concerns. It blends really nicely and isn't too thick plus, it makes a good eye primer if you're into that. Unfortunately, I can't tell you if this is good for concealing the under eye area because I don't use anything there but it does what I need it to do, so it gets a thumbs up from me

I fell in love with this mascara last year, so this is certainly not a new favourite. I had been wearing my Benefit They're Real! mascara since around Christmas time, and the Maybelline Great Lash mascara had been shoved aside, but I rediscovered it in my make-up drawer when I was rushed for time one morning and was glad to see that the love had survived. It's not so good at holding a curl in my lashes, but nothing is. This might be small in packaging, but it really packs a voluminizing punch into my straight, short eyelashes.

I bought this after hearing rave reviews about it all over Youtube. It's the L'oreal Le Blush in the shade Rosewood (Pretty Little Liars, anyone?). I find a light hand is needed for this one, it ain't lacking in the pigmentation department but it is very blendable. The colour is just gorgeous, I don't have anything like it in my collection. It's a natural looking, warm rose shade with a slight brown undertone. It has great staying power on my oily skin too.

Last but certainly not least, is the Blissful Mistful body mist by Zoella. Don't get me wrong, I'm going to miss the heavier winter fragrances but I simply can't wait for Summer now. I've been spraying this throughout the month just as a reminder that the weather is about to get a little warmer. This has a gorgeous floral scent that's refreshing, and isn't overpowering in the slightest making it perfect for everyday wear. This will probably be my staple fragrance for the whole of Spring.

What were you loving through March? Leave me a comment and let me know! -x

What's In My College Bag?

College has been so stressful lately so, in an attempt to de-stress, I've been trying to be more organised. What better place to start than my bag, right?

So here it is, the bag! It was a birthday present so I'm not sure of how much it was or where it's actually from. It's big enough to fit all of my essentials but it's still small enough to carry around everyday. It has a little pouch on the inside for a phone or keys, along with a zip pocket where I tend to keep my make-up. I tend to wear it on the crook of my arm, but there is a longer strap. I love the colours on the bag, it tends to go with everything I wear!

As you can see, I don't take manual notes. I use this little wonder. It's a white acer chromebook that's so lightweight and compact, making it perfect for taking to college. I use google documents, so everything is automatically saved online and I can never lose anything! It's never slow, and it has the fastest boot-up time too. This was a really good price as well, a winner all round.

Now, onto make-up (kind of?). I always have a lip balm on me, thanks to my always dry lips. My current one is the Blistex MedPlus lip balm, it has been able to un-chap my lips when nothing else works. It leaves a tingly feeling on the lips, and this makes me feel like it's working (is that psychological or what?). Next, I have my blotting papers. I need to have these on me at all times thanks to my oil-prone skin, and these always do the trick to stop shine in its tracks (and these were just 99p, so a bargain too!). However, sometimes these aren't enough on the days that my skin just doesn't want to co-operate so I'll usually have a powder with me too. I use the Bourjois Healthy Balance powder, which works a treat and doesn't leave my skin feeling all caked up. Last but not least, I'll have the lip colour that I'm wearing that day. It just so happened that I had been wearing  the Maybelline SuperStay 10hr Tint Gloss in Endless Ruby. I love the colour of this but I don't actually think it's as long lasting as the title suggests.




Now, we have some miscellaneous hygiene-type products. My hand tend to feel a bit dry when I'm typing away all day so I always have the Soap & Glory Hand Food on me. It's lightweight, non-greasy and really hydrating. Not to mention it smells sweet too! I think it's important to have a handle on cleanliness when you're in a public space, cause if you don't, you'll end up with a nasty cold which is why I always have a hand santizer. I use this after I've touched door handles, banisters.. just general things that other people can get their hands on too. Another object I must have on me at all times is perfume, I never feel fresh when I don't. A girl's gotta smell good, right? Right now, I'm using the Zoella Blistful Mistful body mist. Name aside, this smells fresh. I think it has a perfect balance of both floral and fruit, making it perfect for Spring.

Now, for the boring stuff. I don't wear glasses all the time but when I get a little tired, my eyes do too. So I tend to use these in lectures when I find myself less aware than I'd like! I usually have my purse with me (this one's from New Look, if you're wondering). I do live within walking distance of my college so I don't always need this but when I didn't have time because I slept in forget to make lunch, I need a little money on me!

So, that's what's in my college bag! What are your essentials? - x