Product Empties & Products I Regret Buying No12

Product Empties & Products I Regret Buying

So it's that time again to give my final thoughts on a whole load of product empties! This time around I've made it my mission to use up makeup that maybe I've previously put to one side for a while and others that I have constantly used, loved and would purchase again. So here's the round up of what's hot and what's not!

If you fancy checking out more Product Empties & Regrets videos I have a whole playlist over on my channel here - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIvbE4oHj02si6n_s1qp8cTuWh1tt-xEp

Products mentioned:
- Ogx Brazilian Keratin Smooth Shampoo & Conditioner
- Charles Worthington Moisture Seal Shampoo Mini
- Victoria's Secret Pure Seduction Body Wash (Travel Size)
- Victoria's Secret PINK Shimmer Lotion
- Soap & Glory Breakfast Scrub
- Elizabeth Arden Intensive Moisture Hand Treatment
- Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick
- La Roche Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50 Gel Cream
- Elemis Cellular Recovery Skin Bliss Capsules
- Rimmel Match Perfection 2 in 1 Concealer & Highlighter
- Maybelline FIT ME Concealer in 010
- Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B20
- NYX Eyebrow Marker in Deep
- Soap and Glory Archery Tint and Precision Pencil
- Soap and Glory Archery Brow Pencil
- Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz
- Benefit They're Real Mascara in Black
- Tarte Lights, Camera Lashes Mascara

My Morning and Night Skincare Routine

My Skincare Routine

At the start of the year, I radically shook up my skincare routine by re-introducing some old favourites and new products to my everyday sequence, so I wanted to share with you my updated routine right from when I get up to what I use before bed.

AM - Cleanse, Tone & Moisturise
I tend to keep my morning routine simple, quick and efficient, as for me the most important thing in the daytime is protection. So for cleanser I use a basic cleanser to wake up my face and at the moment I'm using the Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser. For toner I spritz my face with one of my all time favourite tonics, the Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic Spritzer. Then finally I finish with my most important step, an SPF. I'm particularly fond of the La Roche Posay Anthelios XL SOF 50+ as it sinks in really well and doesn't leave that horrible white cast, that some SPF's tend to do.

PM - Cleanse, Treat & Moisturise
In the evening I focus more on cleansing, treating and moisturising, starting with removing my make-up using my favourite Make Up Eraser to get rid of all my make-up and daily grind. I then go in with my holy grail Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water and a large cotton pad, just to make sure my face is super clean before I cleanse.

Next onto the cleansing portion of my routine. I usually double cleanse of an evening if I have been wearing a full face of make-up that day, so without fail I always start with one of my newest finds, from Una Brennon, the Vitamin C+ Skin Renew Cleansing Oil. This is a pleasure to use, smells divine and a little goes a long way. For my 2nd cleanse, I go in with an old favourite, the Cleanse and Polish from Liz Earle. This has a beautiful buttery texture which helps make my skin feel pampered and refreshed. I also wipe away each cleanser with a damp muslin cloth too.

Just lately I've really been into Glycolic products, so once or twice a week I alternate between the Nip + Fab Glycolic Cleanser and Pads and the Pixi Glow Tonic. If I'm using the Nip + Fab Duo, I will swap out my cleanse and polish and replace it with the glycolic cleanser or if I do my normal cleansing routine I will follow with the Pixi Glow Tonic, swiped over the face with a cotton pad. And when I'm not using my Glycolic products, I exfoliate once a week with the Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel.

I've also been obsessed with Charcoal Nose Pore Strips from T-Zone, which I have been using once every two weeks. These really do the trick at removing any blackheads I may have, but be warned these are a little painful to remove!

Masks are another must have in my weekly routine and at the moment I'm currently rotating between the Una Brennon Salicylic Acid Anti-Blemish Pore Purifying Clay Mask and the Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask. The Una Brennon one is great for deep cleaning the skin and the Bliss one is perfect if your short of time and you need a quick energising fix.

Lastly I finish my evening routine with using coconut oil around my eye area and my holy grail Elemis Pro Collagen Marine Cream and if I'm in need of a subtle to glow to the face, I use the St Tropez Bronzing Face Lotion.

Product Empties & Products I Regret Buying No9

It's that time again, where I share with you a whole new round of product empties. Just lately I've been on a mission to finish up products that are half empty or I'm just not feeling anymore, so here's the lowdown on some loves and some regrets!

1. Aveeno Skin Relief  Shea Butter Moisturising Lotion

2. Imperial Leather Comforting Marshmallow Shower Gel

3. Elemis Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser
4. Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm

5. Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

6. Sephora Pearl Sleeping Mask

7. Sephora Pearl Sheet Mask

8. Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Skin Protectant

9. Muji Thin Cotton Buds

10. CoLab Travel Dry Shampoo in London

11. Marc Jacobs Eau So Fresh Delight

12. Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy La Fleur

13. Benefit Porefessional

14. Benefit Hervana Blusher

15. Bobbi Brown Long-wear Cream Shadow in Sandy Gold

16. Bobbi Brown Long-wear Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink

17. Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara

 

My Winter Pamper Routine

My Pamper Routine

I love a good pamper and Sunday nights is when I have some me time, especially when it's cold and dark outside and all you want to do is cosy up inside anyway! If I am in the mood to indulge, I usually go all out with a full on beauty session, which involves using some of my more special and premium products I tend to keep for special occasions. So here's my relaxing Winter Pamper Routine.

What's your favourite way to relax or pamper on a Winter's evening? Leave me a comment down below or tweet me.

Products used:
- Bath and Body Works Sweater Weather Candle
- Elemis Quiet Mind Relaxing Bath Elixir
- Simple Micellar Cleansing Wipes
- Garnier Micellar Water
- Josie Maran Cleansing Oil for Face
- Lush Bubblegum Flavour Sugar Lip Scrub
- Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel
- Exfoliating Gloves
- Bath and Body Works A Thousand Wishes Body Lotion
- Sephora Pearl Sheet Mask
- Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream
- L'Occitane Dry Skin Hand and Foot Cream
- The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil Solid Oil Lip Balm

August Favourites 2015 - Beauty, Make-Up, Nails and Random

August Favourites 2015

Wow where has the Summer gone, I cannot believe we are now into September! Now August has been a little bit of a crazy month for me as the Wedding has kind of taken over my life, it's been a stressful month and I don't think I can bear looking at a glue gun for a while! Now we are finally into September and the month I get married, so I will be sharing a lot more Wedding posts and hopefully it will help some of you out if your getting married in the near future!

I have a few favourites from last month, mostly make-up, so here's the line up. What have been some of your favourites for August? Let me know in the comments down below or tweet me.

1. Elemis Rehydrating Ginseng Toner - If you've been following me for a while now then you'll know I'm a big fan of Elemis. For years I have been using the Apricot toner, but recently I decided it was time for a change, so I switched to this Ginseng version and oh my is this beautiful. It smells so fresh and is a pleasure to use in the morning as it's so refreshing.

2. Real Techniques Duo-Fibre Contour Brush - I had never really had a proper use for this brush until recently I re-discovered it to apply my concealer and powder. It's the perfect dome sized brush to get right under the eye area and is great for blending as well as contouring too.

3. Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 10 - I recently reviewed this concealer and loved it, the only thing I didn't like was the very small colour selection Maybelline have to offer here in the UK. I picked up number 10 the lightest shade, but I did think this was a little yellow in tone for the lightest shade. Anyway the more I have got to use this the more I have loved the yellow tone, as it's perfect for covering the redness under my eyes and it also has a beautiful creamy, easy to blend consistency.

4. Benefit High Beam - I've really been enjoying it to strobe and also mix with my foundation for a subtle dewy glow.

5. Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade in Medium Brown - I'm a big fan of a strong brow game and I have been using this Dipbrow Pomade to shape the outer part of my brow with a liner brush. I love these pomades as they have the most amazing staying power.

6. Benefit They're Real Mascara in Brown - I absolutely love the original black They're Real version and much to my excitement I was thrilled to hear they had released a brown version! This brown mascara is the most beautifully pigmented, chestnut brown shade, that compliments green or blue eyes perfectly.

7. MAC Hue Lipstick - I've really been into nude lips lately and especially love the look of all the taupe shades trending right now. I do want to pick up a few darker taupe lipsticks, but for now I have been rocking MAC Hue, which is a lovely subtle nude. This is a great shade if your keen to try nude lips but don't feel confident enough to go all out with one of the darker shades.

8. O.P.I Original Nail Envy - O.P.I Nail Envy has been my go to base coat for years now. Just lately I have been sporting bare nails and using this as a treatment to grow my nails a little longer. The Original formula is the best and should be used by applying two coats at the start of the week and then applying one coat every other day.

9. Converse All Star - Just recently it has been a bit chilly here in the UK, so I have been loving wearing my comfy white Converse as they go with everything and are just a great staple to have in your wardrobe.

10. Orange is the New Black on Netflix - Ok so I'm probably the last person on earth to get into this series, but now I'm hooked! This really is a great easy watch comedy, mixed with a sprinkle of darkness.

11. Desi Perkins - I love discovering new YouTubers and although Desi Perkins is not new on YouTube, she is new to me. I recently discovered her through an interview she did on the Video Influences channel and she seem like the most loveliest, genuine lady ever, she also does the most amazing make-up tutorials, that are beautifully edited and put together. If you don't know about her already, you have to check her out!
Desi Perkins Interview - https://youtu.be/2SyHp6tgT1A

Product Empties and Products I Regret Buying + Project Pan Update

Product Empties & Products I Regret Buying

Just recently I have been using up a ton of products, so I thought it was time for another product empties video. Every time I do one of these videos I only try to feature products you haven't seen before, that way it's more interesting than seeing the same things I've used up every month and also hopefully it helps you guys out when purchasing products. I also have one project pan update on a cream eye shadow, so look out for that too!

What's been a product you have regretted buying recently? Let's chat about it via Twitter or leave a comment down below.

Products mentioned:

1. Batiste Dry Shampoo a Hint of Colour for Dark & Deep Brown Hair
2. L'Oreal Elnett Hairspray Extra Strength Back Combed Volume
3. Colgate Max White One Mouthwash in Sensational Mint
4. Montagne Jeunesse 7th Heaven Face Masks in Chocolate Mud & Argan Oil
5. Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial Wash
6. Elemis Melting Cleansing Gel
7. Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel -
8. L'Oreal Skin Perfection Micellar Gel
9. MAC Cleanse Off Oil - Tranquil
10. MAC Brush Cleanser
11. MAC Paint in Bare Canvas - Project Pan Cream Eye Shadows
12. MAC Bronzing Powder in Golden
13. Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Perversion
14. B&BW Pocket Bacs in Perfect Beach Day & Meyer Lemon
15. The Body Shop Body Butter in Wild Argan Oil
16. Bliss Lemon & Sage Body Butter
17. Victoria's Secret Strawberries & Champagne Body Lotion
18. Bliss Fat Girl Slim Skin Firming Cream - Bridal Beauty Countdown Checklist

Product Empties and Products I Regret Buying May 2015

Product Empties & Products I Regret Buying

May has been a month of using up a lot of products, some good and some not so good. A lot of these products I have reviewed as first impressions and so it's great to give you guys an overall review on them, after using them up.

What's been a product you have regretted buying recently. Leave a comment down below or tweet me.

Products mentioned:
1. Elnett Hairspray Very Volume Supreme Hold
2. Organix Macadamia Oil Shampoo
3. Colab Dry Shampoo in New York, Paris & Tokyo
4. Zoella Beauty Soak Opera Bath Soak and Shower Cream
5. Zoella Beauty Creamy, Madly, Dreamy Body Lotion
6. Yes to Cucumbers Soothing Facial Towelettes
7. Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream
8. Glamglow Youthmud Mask
9. Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Intensive Daily Moisturiser
10. Vaseline Aloe Vera Lip Balm Tin
11. Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray
12. YSL Volume Effect Faux Cils Mascara in Black
13. Maybelline The Colossal Go Extreme Volume
14. MAC Clear Brow Gel
15. Bare Minerals Loose Eye Shadow in Gal Pal

Bridal Beauty Tips & Countdown Checklist

Bridal Beauty Tip & Countdown Checklist

If your getting married or have a big event coming up, it's essential to be organized and prepared when planning your beauty regime. There is so much to consider when getting married anyway, so to make it stress-free, I've broken it down for you into an easy countdown checklist. I will also be using this checklist to help me stay on track with my Bridal Beauty in the lead up to the big day, so I hope this inspires you too!

What's your top beauty products you use to pamper yourself? Leave me a comment down below or tweet me.

Bridal Beauty Checklist

6-12 MONTHS BEFORE
- Start having regular facials either at a salon or at home and step up your skincare routine.
Products Mentioned:
- Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm
- The Body Shop Facial Roller 
- Elemis Papaya Enzyme
- Glamglow Youthmud

- Start looking after your hands and feet by using a good nail strengthener and cuticle oil on your nails and filing your feet every time you get in the shower.

Products Mentioned:
- O.P.I Original Nail Envy
- CND Solar Oil
- Eco Tools Foot File

Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel, Glam glow Youthmud, Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm & The Body Shop Face Roller

CND Solar Oil, O.P.I Original Nail Envy and Eco Tools Foot File

3-5 MONTHS BEFORE

- Start using an exfoliator twice a week
Products Mentioned:
- DIY Exfoliator
- Bliss Lemon & Sage Body Scrub
- Bliss Serious Seaweed Cellulite Soap
- Exfoliating Gloves
- The Body Shop Body Brush

- Have a good trim to keep split ends in check

- Use a deep conditioning mask or oil to keep your hair looking healthy.
Products Mentioned:
- Philip Kingsley Elasticizer
- L'Oreal Mythic Oil

- Consider if you would like someone to do your hair and make-up or if you would like to do it yourself and start collecting pictures for inspiration.

- Keep your brows in check by having them done professionally to get your initial shape, so you can then maintain the shape yourself.

Bliss Serious Seaweed Cellulite Soap, The Body Shop Body Brush & Bliss Lemon and Sage Body Scrub

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer & L'Oreal Mythic Oil

1-2 MONTHS BEFORE

- Have your final make-up and hair trials and check that your really happy with them.
- Get your hair freshly coloured
- If your considering having a glow or tan, start trialing spray or fake tans you like the look of.
Products Mentioned:
- St Moriz Instant Self Tanning Lotion in Medium
- Soap and Glory The Firminator Targeted Arm Firming & Toning Formula
- Bliss Fat Girl Slim Skin Firming Cream

St Moriz Instant Self Tanning Lotion, Rimmel Sun Shimmer Instant Tan & Velvotan Mitt

1 WEEK BEFORE

At the start of the week
- Get your lashes and brows tinted
- Remove any unwanted hair

Mid Week
- Treat yourself to a Pedicure in preparation for your wedding and honeymoon.

The Day Before
- Treat yourself to a Manicure
- Wash your hair

Product Empties and Products I Regret Buying!

Product Empties and Products I Regret Buying

Hey guys, I hope everyone had a lovely weekend! Over the past couple of months I have accumulated quite a few product empties, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to do another empties and products I regret buying video. Every empties video I do, I always try to feature new products I've used up to give you a final mini review on what I really thought on a product and if I would re-purchase them again.

Is there any products you've regretted buying recently, let me know in the comments below or tweet me.

1. The Body Shop Almond Body Butter

2. The Body Shop Vitamin E Body Butter
3. The Body Shop Glazed Apple Body Butter
4. Vaseline Intensive Care Essential Healing Body Lotion
5. Victoria's Secret Moonlight Dream Body Lotion
6. Treacle Moon Warm Cinnamon Nights Shower Gel
7. Colgate Max White One Mouth Wash in Sensational Mint
8. Johnsons Baby Shampoo 500ml
9. Organix Macadamia Oil Conditioner
10. Elemis Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser
11. Simple Kind To Skin Micellar Water
Garnier Micellar Water - http://pinkparadisebeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/quick-review-garnier-micellar-water.html
12. Nivea 3 in 1 Cleansing Micellar Water
13. Rimmel Wonderfull Mascara with Argan Oil
14. Tarte, Lights, Camera Lashes Mascara
15. Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara
16. MAC Clear Brow Gel
17. MAC Eye shadows in Omega and Brule
18. Maybelline The Eye Eraser

Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm Review and Photos

Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm

I discovered Elemis around 5 years ago on QVCUK and never looked back. I am a big fan of the Pro-Collagen range from Elemis as they always deliver results for me, especially the Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, which is my holy grail face cream.

Over the past year we have seen a new cleansing phenomena within the skincare market, in the shape of the cleansing balm. These balms aim to give you a more luxury, deep cleanse experience, while still achieving the same results your regular cleanser would.

When I discovered Elemis where releasing their own version, of course I had to snap this up and see  what all the fuss was about. Here's my thoughts.

What's your thoughts on Cleansing Balms, do you rate them or hate them and do you have a favourite? Leave a comment down below or tweet me.

Price

This retails for £39.50 for a 105g of cleanser and also includes a spatula to hygienically scoop the product out with, as well as a cleansing cloth. This is a pricey cleanser, but taking into consideration the amount of product you get and what's included, I would expect to pay this for a premium brand cleansing balm.

Packaging
The packaging is simple and clean looking, which is reminiscent of all Elemis products within the pro-collagen line. The cleanser itself comes in a screw top jar with a beautiful silver lid. As mentioned above the box also includes a spatula, flannel and information leaflet.

Application

The first thing I noticed when I opened the jar, was the gorgeous smell, it's packed with potent ingredients including rose, elderberry, padina pavonica and starflower, creating an indulgent, at home spa experience. Upon application a little goes along way, so be sure to use a tiny amount as the product liquefies from the warmth of your hands. It's advised to massage the balm over the face and neck, wetting your fingers, massage a little further until the product turns to a milky consistency, then using a warm cleansing cloth, remove the cleanser. You can also leave the cleansing balm on for longer, for a more extravagant treatment experience.

I absolutely loved the texture of this cleanser, the consistency is like a paste that as mentioned above emulsifies into a milky consistency. The cleanser felt indulgent and decadent and after one use my skin felt and looked amazing. After several uses my skin felt smoother too. This removed my make-up efficiently and is perfect to use as a second, deeper cleanse step incorporated into your skincare routine.

Overall Thoughts 
It's official I'm a cleansing balm convert! I loved the texture and smell of this, it's beautifully indulgent and is ideal if your after a more richer cleansing balm experience. Not only does this remove your make-up well, it also leaves your skin feeling like you've just walked out of a spa, having had an hour long facial! Although this is expensive, I always think you should invest a little more into your skincare routine. Having good skin creates a wonderful canvas for make-up to be applied too and chances are if you have good, clean skin you won't need to wear as much make-up!

I would love to try a few more cleansing balms, high end and drugstore to compare with this Elemis one, but overall I'm impressed by the improvement this has made to my skin and my overall skincare routine.

I award the Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm 4.9 out of 5

Check out my Pamper Routine for more of my favourite Elemis products - http://pinkparadisebeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/my-pamper-routine-at-home-spa-facial.html

Product Empties and Products I Regret Buying featuring Lush and Maybelline

Product Empties and Products I Regret Buying

I haven't done one of these in a while, but I thought it was about time as I had collected a lot of new things in my little bag that I had used up. Some products I would defiantly re-purchase and others maybe not. What's been your favourite and least favourite product empty recently, leave a comment down below or tweet me.

 

Products mentioned:

1. Tresemme Heat Defence Styling Spray
2. Elemis Jasmine & Rose Milk Bath
3. Simple Kind to Skin Radiance Brightening Wipes
4. Victoria's Secret Love Spell Shimmer Lotion
5. Victoria's Secret Love Spell Bloom Fragrance Mist
6. Lush Snow Fairy Limited Edition Shower Gel
7. Organix Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner
8. Benefit Moisture Prep Toning Lotion - Blog Post Review http://pinkparadisebeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/benefit-moisture-prep-toning-lotion.html
9. Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream
10. Elemis Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser
11. L'Oreal Skin Perfection Micellar Water
12. Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh
13. Vera Wang Princess
14. Elizabeth Arden Intense Moisturising Hand Treatment
15. NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray
16. Bare Minerals Eye Shadow in Cultured Pearl
17. Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream in Light