Review: Lush Ocean Salt

Not too long ago I asked on twitter for someone to recommend a new facial exfoliater for me to try. One of my long-standing blog readers, a wonderful girl named Gemma (link to her blog here), who I've met a couple of times before in London recommended Lush's Ocean Salt to me. We have a similar skin type and I trust her opinion so before long I popped out to Lush and picked up a pot to try out for myself.

First off, just in case you don't know I have combination skin (oily t-zone and dry cheeks) and my skin is sensitive and prone to redness - especially my cheeks. Lush's Ocean Salt is both suitable and unsuitable for my skin-type and I've been using it for about two months now and I've had mixed levels of success with it.

Ocean Salt is essentially a pot of sea salt with the added benefits of grapefruit (to brighten skin), lime extracted in vodka (to tighten skin and reduce the size of pores) and avocado butter, coconut oil, lime oil and seaweed absolute (to soften and nourish the skin). Compared to some of the other exfoliating products I've reviewed in the past this is quite a harsh product. The exfoliating particles are large and tough and if you have very sensitive skin I wouldn't recommend it. Even on my skin (which isn't super sensitive) I do think that this can be a bit harsh. However, if you use a very small amount at a time and you limit how often you use it (I use it once to twice a week) then I still feel able to use it on my t-zone, but don't like using this on my cheeks. They're very prone to redness from manual exfoliaters and this scrub is definitely too harsh for them. Whereas, on my t-zone, which is where my blackheads and congestion occurs, I've found this scrub to work fantastically. I really do think it is great at decongesting (my under the skin bumps have seriously reduced in size and number) and I also think that Ocean Salt works wonders at shrinking open pores and getting rid of blackheads.

 It isn't a 'miracle' product but I think it words very well and would be especially good for oily/combination skin that is a bit less sensitive than mine. I'd recommend it to people with those skin types especially if you also suffer from skin congestion or open pores. For £7.25 I do think it is worth a try, however, it isn't something I would necessarily repurchase straight away.

Other facial exfoliaters I've reviewed:

The Body Shop Aloe Gentle Exfoliater (link to review here)

Eve St. Agnes Refining Bamboo Exfoliating Polish* (link to review here)

The Body Shop Tea Tree Blackhead Exfoliating Wash (link to review here)

Collected post on 'higher end' exfoliating skincare products (link to review here)

Biotherm Skin Exfoliating Purifying Toner and Targeted Solution (link to review here)

Have you tried Ocean Salt? Do you have any skincare recommendations for me?

Loving Lately: Sleek's Lipsticks

Sleek's True Colour Lipsticks are long standing favourites of mine. They come in two different formulas, 'matte' and 'sheen', and I have one of their matte lipsticks in the shade 'Heartbreaker' and two of their sheen lipsticks in the shades 'Liqueur' and 'Barely There'. I fell in love with the sheen formulation when I bought 'Barely There' after repeatedly hearing Katie rave about the shade over on her blog. It soon became one of my most worn lipsticks (which is quite a feat considering the size of my collection) and it wasn't long before I set out to expand my Sleek lipstick collection. 

Heartbreaker 

(sorry there's no lip swatch!)

Sleek's matte lipsticks are very thick, very pigmented and offer totally opaque colour payoff. When you apply them they feel quite creamy but they do dry down on the lips and leave a dry, stain-like finish that really does stay put. The lasting power is really impressive and the colours in the range are gorgeous. Heartbreaker is a bright, hot pink which I love to wear as an alternative to a red lip. 

Liqueur

Sleek's Sheen Lipsticks are super creamy, really moisturising and they offer thick, opaque colour payoff that has a gorgeous glossy sheen. I coveted Liqueur for months before buying it. It doesn't necessarily look that appealing in the bullet but it is a really unique nude-nude/pink shade that just has something special about it. I don't own anything like it and I'm very glad I finally picked it up because I think it looks really beautiful on the lips. 

Barely There

This is a gorgeous coral-coral/pink shade that looks beautiful on lots of different skin types. I find it really flattering when I have a tan but its also totally wearable when I'm at my palest. It's a very pretty and easy to wear colour and its a nice alternative to a straight up pink shade. This is probably my favourite shade of the three and it is certainly the most reached for of the shades that I own. I love the feel of the sheen formulas on the lips, they're so easy to wear and I don't find that they smudge or bleed like some other more moisturising lip products do. 

Left to right: Heartbreaker, Liqueur, Barely There.

You can find Sleek's lipsticks in Superdrug stores and online here for £4.99.

Have you tried any of Sleek's lipsticks? Which of the three I own do you prefer?

A Budget Must Have: MaxFactor's Miracle Touch Creamy Blush in Soft Pink

My love affair with cream blushes is far from over....

MaxFactor's Miracle Touch Creamy Blush in Soft Pink is in fact the nicest 'drugstore' blush I've come across. It has enough pigment to give a good colour without being at all difficult to work with and the formula is slightly tacky to the touch which means that it does stick around on your cheeks throughout the day. The wearability of this is a big part of the reason I like it. It doesn't disappear to nothing after an hour or two, but like all cream blushes, it doesn't have the same lasting power as a good powder blush. The colour of 'Soft Pink' is so gorgeous, it gives such a natural looking flush to the cheeks that I find incredibly flattering. For minimal make-up days this is all I'm reaching for and on days when I'm wearing more make-up I just add a little bit more than normal to amp up the colour - because among all it's other positive characteristics, it's really easily buildable. But really, you need to see this blush in action to get a sense of the colour and look of it so I've included a day-time make-up look in which I've used it on my cheeks.

What I'm wearing

• Smashbox Photo Matte Anti Shine Primer and Photo Finish Foundation Primer
• Bourjois Serum Foundation in Shade 51 (applied with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush)
• Seventeen Stay Time Concealer in Fair (applied with my fingers)
• MaxFactor Miracle Touch Creamy Blush in Soft Pink (applied with my fingers)
• Gosh Defining Brow Gel 
• MaxFactor Masterpiece Max Mascara in Black
• Topshop Magic Liner in Engraved
• NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Tokyo

Have you tried any of MaxFactor's Miracle Touch Creamy Blushes? What do you think of the shade 'Soft Pink'?

A Great Beauty Staple: Gosh Defining Brow Gel

For quite a long time now I've been using a coloured brow gel from Catrice (you can catch a glimpse of it in this post here). I've been on the look out for an affordable clear eyebrow gel for a while and when I spotted Gosh's Defining Brow Gel in Superdrug I thought I would give it a go.

I haven't tried that many brow gels before. I received one in a beauty box from HD Brows which I used for a long time but I didn't feel like splashing out £20+ when it came time to replace it. I've also give some budget clear mascaras a try, including MUA's £1 Clear Mascara (link to my review here), but I really wasn't all that happy with it. In my opinion, Gosh's Defining Brow Gel is infinitely better. The want is better at evenly distributing product and the product itself isn't too wet and sets quickly offering day-long hold. If you like to keep your eyebrows looking neat and groomed without looking 'overdone' then I'd definitely recommend the product to you. It's a beauty step that lots of people overlook but I find that it can make a big difference to my appearance. At £4.99 in Superdrug (link here) Gosh's Defining Brow Gel is a pretty affordable option and I'd definitely recommend it!

Do you use a brow gel? What other brow products would you recommend?

A New Daily Essential: Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

I didn't think that a make-up sponge could revolutionise my beauty routine, but this little beauty from Real Techniques has done just that. I've been a fan of the Buffing Brush and the Expert Face Brush for about a year now, but nothing has given me the flawless finish I've been after like Real Technique's Miracle Complexion Sponge.

I'm usually one to opt for a light base - a BB cream or sheer foundation. I like my skin to look as though there isn't any product on it, and I've always found it hard to make full coverage foundations look even remotely 'natural' on me. One of the foundations I really struggled to make work for last year was Revlon's Colour Stay Foundation for Oily Skin in the shade Buff. With a Buffing Brush it went on too thickly and always end up wearing away unevenly. However, in January I started to use it with Real Technique's Miracle Complexion Sponge and I knew I had discovered a winning combination.

You use this make-up sponge but soaking it in water until it roughly doubles in size, you wring out the excess water and then use the different contours of the sponge to apply foundation across your face. I like using the flat side of the sponge (pictured above) and stippling the foundation into my skin (a fancy way of describing a bouncing motion, you bounce the sponge onto your skin and the product slowly and builds up). I find that the finished result is a flawless finish. The high coverage Revlon Colour Stay Foundation is sheered out enough to look very natural but still offers a good level of coverage and the foundation lasts very well - from 8/9am until 9/10pm - and when it does fade it does so very evenly.

I waited a long time to review this make-up sponge but I'm glad I did. It's worth taking the time to find the right foundation to match the tool and I'm clearly onto a winning combination as this has been my go-to base for about two months now! All in all, I'd highly recommend the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge and I think I'll probably pop out soon and buy a couple more…

What brushes/tools do you like to use to apply your foundation?

The Body Shop Haul & Review

Quite a while ago I made a little order from the Body Shop taking advantage of one of their many 50% discount codes. Today I'm going to be showing you what I bought and briefly letting you know how I've gotten on with the products, what I like or dislike about them and if I'd recommend them to others. I don't often do haul and review posts altogether like this but I let the haul post go too long without publishing it so now it makes sense to make it into something a bit more substantial. 

The Body Shop Aloe Soothing Night Cream

I've gotten through a couple of pots of this night cream before and I really highly recommend it for sensitive or dry skin types. I find it really restores my complexion to looking its best and I always look back very fondly at photos of my skin when I've been using the Body Shop's Aloe Range - it just has more of a glow to it. The Night Cream is very thick and hydrating but it doesn't break me out or irritate my skin at all. I find that a pot tends to last between two-three months if I use it every single night and I would use it in conjunction with the day cream unless you have oily skin like I do in which case I'd recommend either of the Body Shop's Seaweed  moisturisers for use during the day.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Clearing Lotion

This is another product that I'm repurchasing, I used a small tube of this up last year. I find that it is a really budget friendly spot treatment and I like to apply it to any blemishes that appear or that I feel appearing to help clear them up quickly without overly drying out my skin. It's a great product, really affordable and I think it would suit many skin types as it isn't too strong. This is another one of those staple products from the Body Shop that I always recommend. 

The Body Shop Satsuma Beautifying Oil

Last year I finished the Moringa Beautifying Oil which I really enjoyed and I couldn't help but repurchase it in the Satsuma scent. I love the Body Shop's Satsuma range, I'm tempted to get everything in this scent that I possibly can! My flatmates always compliment me after I've applied this as the scent does linger for quite a while and people tend to like it. I love the body oil's long lasting hydrating effects too. I apply it on wet skin after I shower and my skin stays soft all day long. I'd happily repurchase this over and over and I'd definitely recommend it. 

The Body Shop Muslin Cleansing Cloths

I bought these to use in conjunction with the Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter and these Muslin Cloths are the only part of my order that I'm disappointed in. They're quite scratchy and I feel as though they aggravate my sensitive skin when I use them. I gave them a good try but I really don't feel like they've very nice to use. I much prefer my Primark flannels or my Liz Earle Muslin Cloth* which is a lot more gentle on my skin. I wouldn't buy any more of these and I wouldn't recommend them.

The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter

Now, this is the product that I get asked about the most. It's an oil cleansing balm that melts make-up and dirt off the skin before you lift the product off your skin with a muslin cloth/flannel/sponge. I really loved the texture of this balm cleanser when I first tried it and it's very gentle on my skin which is great. However, it isn't as nourishing as other balm cleansers that I've before but that makes it good for people like me who don't have dry skin and don't need a really hydrating cleanser. But it might leave those with dry or very-dry skin a little bit disappointed. I find it great at removing my make-up but I don't like to only use this when I cleanse, it does tend to replace a micellar water or make-up remover and I would then cleanse again afterwards with a gel or cream cleanser. This isn't because the Body Shop's Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing butter can't deeply cleanse skin, it is just a preference of mine. I'll happily continue to use this cleanser but it hasn't been a revolutionary addition and I'm not sure at the moment if I would repurchase it, but I am enjoying trying it out.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post and that it's helped you work out if these are products worth you trying. I'd love to hear any recommendations you have of products from the Body Shop that you think I should try - I feel as if I'm slowly making my way through the entire store!

Tried and Tested: Superdrug's Naturally Radiant Brightening Eye Cream

In December I was browsing in Superdrug and I happened across Superdrug's 'Naturally Radiant' own brand range. I'm not usually one to opt for ultra-cheap drugstore skincare but Superdrug's own brand ranges aren't tested on animals and I know that their Hot Cloth Cleansers have gone down a storm in the last few months. Encouraged, I picked up their Naturally Radiant Brightening Eye Cream to replace the Body Shop's Vitamin E Eye Cream which I'd finished.

I didn't expect miracles from this eye cream, especially not for the £2-3 that I paid for it (I almost certainly remember it being on offer, I'm a sucker for discounts). I've found that it doesn't really do much in the way of brightening, it certainly doesn't have any sort of brightening tint to it. However, it does give a decent level of hydration that keeps my eye area moisturised and stops my under eye concealer from flaking or creasing throughout the day. It didn't improve my dark circles (sadly) but I have yet to come across anything that really does. If you're in the market for an affordable eye cream, especially if you don't have a long wish list when it comes to what you want from your product, then this is a great staple to incorporate into your routine. I know that at age twenty-one I shouldn't be getting too bogged down in eye-creams and what-not so this sort of product does generally suit my needs and it also suits my student budget. I wouldn't rave about it but I would buy it again. You can find it in Superdrug stores for £5.99 (but it is almost always on offer for around £3).

What eye cream do you use? Have you tried any of Superdrug's own brand products?

A Budget Buy: Collection Eyeshadow Pencil in Hot Chocolate

I first bought into chunky Eyeshadow Pencils in the form of Rimmel's Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Sticks which I really didn't like. Since then I've given them a wide berth, until I swatched Collection's Work The Colour Eyeshadow Pencil in Hot Chocolate and noticed that it didn't budge from my hand all day. Eventually I returned to Superdrug and picked it up for what I think is a very reasonable price of £3.19 (and, remember, if you're a Student you are able to get a 10% discount with an NUS Extra card). All in all, I picked up a bargain product and I am happy to report that it hasn't let me down!

Collection's Work The Colour Eyeshadow Pencil in Hot Chocolate is a gorgeous, slightly metallic, mid brown. It is very creamy and blendable and once applied I find that it really doesn't budge. I use this on my lids in place of eyeshadow as well as under my eyes for a more dramatic eyeliner look - both ways work well for me and the product hasn't ever smudged or left me looking panda-eyed. Honestly, the formula is really impressive and the colour is very wearable. I know Collection also stock a pink, cream, navy, grey and a black version of this product but that is the extent of the shade range. If they offered more wearable neutrals I would pick them all up! For the price I really don't think you can find a better product of this sort. I'd definitely recommend them and you can find the shade Hot Chocolate online here. 

Have you tried these eyeshadow pencils? Do you have any other budget make-up recommendations that you think I should check out?

Review: L'Oreal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution

I picked up L'Oreal's Micellar Solution as a replacement make-up remover when I finished my Vichy Normaderm Micellar Solution. I'd read on countless blogs how this L'Oreal Micellar Solution was a dupe for Bioderma and so I was quite excited to try it out. However, unlike Bioderma and Vichy's micellar solutions, I found that L'Oreal's aggravated my skin. After use, L'Oreal's Micellar Solution left my face quite red which I didn't expect at all. I do have sensitive skin, but I had absolutely no issues with Vichy's product which is aimed at oily, blemish prone skin so I wasn't expecting for the L'Oreal Solution (which the packaging states is "suitable for sensitive skin") to be a problem!

As I didn't have an awful reaction to it I did continue to use the product and now that I've finished it I feel comfortable talking about my experience with it. What I found is that it doesn't have the same light, water-like consistency as Bioderma and it certainly doesn't remove my make-up as well. I wear waterproof mascara and eyeliner on a daily basis and this Micellar Solution just couldn't remove it, regardless of how many cotton pads I went through. However, it did remove the rest of my make up perfectly well so I did put it to that use. I personally wouldn't repurchase L'Oreal's Micellar Solution, I think Vichy's is much better for my skin type (it both removes make-up and helps with my combination, blemish prone skin) and Bioderma is better as a make-up remover. I'm glad I tried L'Oreal's version, because I like to know how drugstore skincare ranks against some of my higher-end favourites, but on this occasion I wasn't too impressed. 

Have you tried this micellar water? What make-up removers would you recommend?

A Plethora of New Brushes: Real Techniques and EcoTools

I don't have much in the way of an excuse for this excessive influx of new brushes… I just wanted them. I really never get tired of the Real Techniques brushes that I already own (I own the Core Collection and the Starter Set) and I don't really talk about them much. I also saw the EcoTools brush set on quite a few blogs and I finally caved and bought it in the hopes that I might find myself an even more affordable alternative to Real Techniques brushes.

The "Sam's Picks' set from Real Techniques contains six brushes - a Multi-Task Brush, a Setting Brush, a Buffing Brush, a Liquid Foundation Brush, an Essential Crease Brush (limited edition for this set only) and a Fine Liner Brush. 

I loved the look of the Multi-Task Brush for the application of power (which I do throughout the day to mattify my t-zone) and it also works well for bronzing. The Setting Brush is fantastic for blending concealer, especially under my eyes, and I think I'll get  a lot of use out of it. The Buffing Brush is already a favourite of mine and I use it to apply liquid foundation - I would highly recommend this brush to everyone. The Liquid Foundation Brush is the only one I won't get much use out of, I just don't really like using it. The Essential Crease Brush is great for blending out eyeshadow and I find that I can never have enough of these sorts of brushes. Finally, the Fine Liner Brush is great for finely applying eyeliner, especially if you use eyeshadow as liner - which I often do.

This set has an RRP of £29.99 on FeelUnique and I feel as though it is well worth the money. I highly rate Real Techniques Brushes as they're wonderful quality, very soft and they last well. I've had my other brushes for nearly a year now and they feel almost as good as they did when I first bought them. They're worth investing in. 

The EcoTools Fresh and Flawless Brush Set contains five brushes - a Flat Concealer Brush, a Buffing Concealer Brush,  a Precision Foundation Brush, a Complexion Blending Brush and a Powder Brush.

I'm not as impressed with the quality of these EcoTools brushes compared to the Real Techniques brushes mentioned above. I don't like Flat Foundation and Flat Concealer Brushes so I don't have much to say on those and the Buffing Concealer Brush is a little bit scratchy (which I was very disappointed about) so this would put me off using it on my eye area. The set is redeemed a bit by the Complexion Blending Brush, which I find works well when used to buff liquid foundation into the skin. The Powder Brush is also good as it applies product lightly and evenly.

This set has an RRP of £11.99 on FeelUnique which I feel is very reasonable given how much I like two of the brushes and I'm sure I'll find an alternative use for the two flat brushes which will make the set more worthwhile.

I thought I would also just show you a comparison of the Real Techniques Buffing Brush and the two larger EcoTools brushes so you can appreciate the EcoTool brush sizes a little better. They really are quite dinky in comparison! All in all, I definitely prefer the Real Techniques Brushes as they're all very high quality but I am pleased with a few of the EcoTools brushes so I'm glad I picked up the set.

Have you tried any Real Techniques or EcoTools brushes? What make-up brushes do you use?

Boots Botanics: Ionic Clay Mask and Skin Relief Serum

Recently, I've been dabbling in higher end skincare brands but sometimes you can find some real gems from 'drugstore' brands. Boots (the UK's big highstreet drugstore) is home to many a great affordable skincare range, Super Facialist, Amie, Good Things (more to come on them soon!) and let us not forget Boots' own brand - Boots Botanics. I've tried out a few things from their range and two have stood out to me, the Ionic Clay Mask and the Skin Relief Serum. 

Boots Botanic Ionic Clay Mask - RRP £6.99 (part of the Shine Away collection)

Clay masks are great for oily skin and skin that is congested. I suffer from blackheads across my t-zone and my t-zone is also very prone to being oily. I tend to only apply clay masks onto this area of my face because otherwise my dry, sensitive cheeks are irritated. This Ionic Clay Mask has a very thin consistency, it is actually watery. You have to apply this slowly so as not to spray yourself with product and you have to work quickly because the mask dries very quickly. I think that it does a good job at balance out my oily skin (the following day my skin is less problematic) but I don't think that it is a thick enough mask to do a thorough job at decongesting my pores - I don't notice a significant reduction in the size of my pores after I use this mask. That being said, for a quick 5 minute pick-me-up I do like reaching for this mask and I would repurchase it. However, if you don't have oily skin then I think this might be too harsh or it might simply not do much for your skin at all. In its place I would recommend Amie's Cooling Clay Mask (link to my review) or Origins' Clear Improvement Face Mask (link to my review). 

Boots Botanic Skin Relief Serum - RRP £7.99  (part of the Ultra Calm collection)

I use a serum after I have finished cleansing but before I apply moisturiser. I tend to only use serums in the morning because in the evening I use a facial oil in their place. Serums are specifically for targeting your specific skin complaints and supplementing what your routine offers. I use a skincare routine suitable for combination, blemish prone skin but my skin is also quite sensitive and prone to redness. So when I 'add in' serums and facial oils I choose ones that will help improve these skin concerns. The Boots Botanics Skin Relief Serum contains marshmallow and liquorice, both of which are supposed to help calm sensitive skin. It is a very light gel that has little scent to it and I apply two pumps of this onto my hands before massaging it upwards into my skin. It absorbs almost instantly and I have never had a bad reaction to it. I've been using this serum for about five weeks now and I definitely think that it has helped calm and reduce the redness that is often present in my cheeks and that it has helped balance out my combination skin (I haven't had any dry patches on my face since I introduced this into my routine). I think that this is a real gem and I'm very happy to have stumbled across it. I'm definitely going to be repurchasing it in the future and based on the success of the Serum I am very keen to try the rest of the Ultra Calm collection.

The Skin Relief Serum definitely steals the show but I do still enjoy using the Ionic Clay Mask, it just won't be everybody's cup of tea! Have you tried either of these products? Do you have any drugstore skincare products that you'd recommend? 

Ko:Kou Mini New York Hair Straighteners

Recently Ko:Kou got in contact with me and offered to send me a set of their hair straighteners to review. As I'm often travelling between home and University (London and Leeds) - and even more often staying over at friends houses - I thought I would be a good person to put Ko:Kou's Mini New York Straighteners* to the test. These mini travel-friendly hair straighteners have an RRP of £9.99 and I thought that if I really liked them then they would be a great budget find that I could share with you!

Ko:Kou's Mini New York Hair Straighteners* really are mini but they do come with a long enough cord for them to still be practical to use. They take up hardly any room and they fit in pretty much any bag (including all of my daytime handbags) which makes them incredibly travel friendly. Usually I have to debate whether hair straighteners are a travel "necessity" but now I can always justify taking them on trips. I also think that if you're a regular gym-goer then these are incredibly handy to pop in your bag for after your work out - especially for anyone with fringes! I remember when I had full on bangs that I would need to straighten them all the time (my wavy hair is not fringe-friendly) and these sort of tiny straighteners would have been so useful.

My usual hair straighteners of choice are GHDs or my Session Instant Heat Straighteners (which I actually won in a blog giveaway last year) and I have become used to using very high quality straighteners. At £9.99, Ko:Kou's Mini New York Straighteners* obviously can't quite match the quality of £100+ hair tools but for their price they work remarkably well. The plates heat up quickly and they get hot (210 degrees) enough to straighten your hair in one swipe. The plates are quite small so you do have to straighten hair a little at a time but they don't snag or tug my hair and the process of straightening isn't too annoying as I have fine hair (although I do have quite a lot of it). I don't know how these would work on thick hair types but on my mid-length/long, fine hair they were easy to use and my hair stayed straight for as long as it normally would when I use my larger hair straighteners. 

All in all I think that having a travel friendly set of straighteners is really handy whether it be for weekend trips, gym sessions or overnight visits with family and friends. I regret not having a pair of these in my life sooner because for just under £10 I think I will get a lot of use out of them! Ko:Kou's Mini New York Straighteners* are pretty robust (they've survived being dropped and knocked about in various bags) and I would recommend them. I'm really pleased to have found a more affordable brand of hair tools than I currently use and I'd certainly trust the brand based on the quality of these mini straighteners. Ko:Kou also make regular sized hair straighteners that start at £25 (link here) as well as hair dryers. Next time you're looking for some new hair tools definitely give the Ko:Kou website a once over.

Do you own "mini" travel straighteners?

My Travel Make-Up Bag

I know that usually when someone writes a post about their travel make-up bag it is primarily focused on their make-up. Well, today my main focus is actually on my new make-up bag. I picked it up from Primark for £4 - what I deem to be a very acceptable price for something so functional! It features three clear compartments, the middle of which is secured with velcro which allows it to be removed. I find this especially good for travelling as it doubles up as a make-up bag that I can keep in my hand bag once I get to my final destination. 

The clear compartments make it really easy to ensure that you take everything you need with you as well as speeding up the process of getting ready as you can find products instantly. I roughly divided the products I use up into "Lips and Tools", "Face" and "Eyes" and then divvied up my products accordingly between each compartment. After applying my make-up, I would then make sure that everything I would need for touch ups throughout the day ended up in the middle pouch so I could just pop it into my handbag.

I also think that this sort of make-up bag is a great alternative to the conventional make-up bags I've come across before for day-day storage of my beauty products. I know a lot of people store all their make-up in make-up bags and that finding products in them can be really time consuming! The rummaging needed to find anything always used to annoy me. Alternatively, as someone who has too much make-up to keep in just one make-up bag, I like to keep my day to day essentials in this bag. I find that it makes getting ready in the morning a lot quicker and it makes last minute packing easier because I can just grab it and go. I then just change things up week by week to make sure I'm making the most of all the make-up I own.

All in all, I really love this make-up bag and I thought there might be quite a few of you who would too! For £4 I think it's a real bargain and Primark had quite a few different designs if you aren't too keen on the white and gold option that I picked up.

What travel make-up bag do you use? How do you store your make-up?

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Review: Seventeen's Tattoo Me Semi Permanent Liquid Eyeliner

Seventeen's Tattoo Me Semi Permanent Liquid Eyeliner Available in Boots £4.99

I've been using Bourjois' Clubbing Liquid Eyeliner for years - partly because I'd just gotten so used to it that not using it seemed, frankly, weird. However, after almost five years being faithful to just one liquid eyeliner I thought it was time to see what else was on offer. I went shopping, bought a selection of liquid eyeliners and only one of them really impressed me. 

Seventeen's Tattoo Me Semi Permanent Liquid Eyeliner is amazing. In terms of colour pay off it gives an intense black line in one swipe of the brush. The brush itself is good for getting a pretty thin, even line (although the brush, I think, is not quite as good as Bourjois'). The eyeliner dries slowly, more slowly than a lot of other liquid eyeliners that I've tried, so you do have to give it some time but if you do then the rewards are great. Once this eyeliner has dried it is set in place and it does not budge. Do you have oily eyelids? Hooded eyelids? Do you often forget you're wearing make-up and rub your eyes? Will you get rained on? Will you sweat? How likely are you to cry? Well, the answers to those questions no-longer matter because this eyeliner isn't going anywhere. I have applied it very early in the morning and it is still perfect late into the evening. It doesn't go patchy on me and it doesn't rub off (something I often struggle with because I have hooded eyelids). Honestly, it is amazing and for the price I can't imagine you could get a better liquid eyeliner. I do struggle to remove it sometimes when I take my make-up off (it is definitely the Benefit's They're Real of liquid eyeliners) but with patience and a little extra cleanser/micellar water it does eventually budge.

I can't say that I'll completely move on from my Bourjois' Clubbing Liner (a habit is a habit) but the more I think about it the more I think that Seventeen's Tattoo Me Semi Permanent Liquid Eyeliner is actually better than the one I've gotten so used to. If you already like liquid eyeliners, I know they aren't everyone's cup of tea, then I would highly recommend Seventeen's Tattoo Me - and if you don't already like them, then maybe this will be the one that changes your mind. 

Do you like liquid eyeliner? Have you tried any of Seventeen's make-up?

The Stand-In: L'Oreal EverRiche Conditioner (for Dry Fine hair)

L'Oreal's EverRiche Conditioner (a seriously hydrating offering for dry but fine hair) was only ever meant to be a stand-in conditioner. I'm running dangerously low on my much beloved Kerestase conditioner but with at the thought of a £13+ replacement I decided I'd venture elsewhere first. Browsing the aisles of my local Sainsburys I picked up L'Oreal's EverRiche Conditioner because I'd been impressed with the matching shampoo. Little did I realise that the conditioner exceed even my already high expectations. It is creamy without being heavy and it has the most gorgeous apricot scent. I never knew I loved the smell of apricot lingering around my temples but it turns out I do because it feels like I've been bathed in fresh fruit. The results of this product are very impressive too. I've been putting off having my hair cut (do you do this? - the small talk is too much for me!) and with dry, split ends being the result I have a lot of boxes to be ticked when it comes to hair products. Surprisingly, this conditioner meets all of my demands:

• My hair is left soft and shiny. 
• It is smoother with fewer flyways.
• My hair is much less dry.
• My hair is not weighed down.
• My hair does not get greasy more quickly.

Basically, for the £4 I spent I got a real gem. My only advice if you have fine hair - less is more. An amount the size of a pound coin is enough for my mid-length/long hair. If you haven't already tried the L'Oreal No Sulfates ranges I would highly recommend it - this is the fourth product I've tried (I've used three of the shampoos) and I'm happy with them all.

What conditioners do you like to use? Could you recommend any other products for fine hair?