L'amour de Caitlin: Skincare

Current Skincare Favourites

08:46Unknown

A Summer Skincare Saviour: St Ives Scrubs

09:05Unknown

Exfoliating: This is one of those steps in my skin care routine that I can be super lazy about! I religiously cleanse and moisturise but toning and exfoliating is one of those things that always gets left behind at the starting line! I used to use toner as part of my 3 step skin care routine, but I found that some toners (the ones I've tired!) can be really harsh and stripping which was no good for my dry skin at all. However I do feel getting rid off all that dead skin and impurities is a really important step, so was on the hunt for something that could do this while also keeping my skin silky smooth!

After reading many posts and scouring the internet for the perfect solution, I was pointed in the direction of scrubs- like marmite its a love, hate product which some people swear by and others curse. After much deliberation I went for the St Ives range, for the pure fact that it smelt like apricots, (and that fact they did one especially for sensitive skin!)

You would not even believe the difference adding this simple step in makes! My skin feels so revitalised and fresh, and most importantly free of impurities since adding this into my routine. At the moment I'm using it about twice a week, sometimes three if theres a special occasion, and it really has improved the appearance of my skin, especially since I've come back from holiday! I originally bought the 'Gentle' scrub, which is really great if you have sensitive skin, as it is less harsh and contains less exfoliating bits. When I'm having weeks where my skin is much better and more dry- normal I then use 'Invigorating' - Fresh Skin, which has slightly more exfoliating parts, to give your face a good scrub, ideal with anyone from normal to combination skin.

I think weekly scrubs are a really great alternative to toners, especially if you have young skin, as it till helps to purify without being so harsh and stripping, this is also a really great product to anyone starting to get into a skin care routine as its low maintenance and affordable, just add a cleanser and a moisturisor and your good to go!

Hope you enjoyed this post and gave you a few ideas!

Caitlin B x

Boots Botanics Elemis

Evening Skin Care Routine

09:20Unknown

Beauty Clinique Garnier

'The Morning After' Pick Me Up

10:25Unknown

Being a uni student, I go out a fair bit, and that may include a few drinks along the way... We've all been there, you can't resist the night out but you've got a lecture or a presentation the next day. Well have no fear, I have a quick and easy routine to make it look like you had your full beauty sleep on the outside (even though you may feel like hell on the inside!)

1. Try not to lay in bed too long after you wake up, I always feel worse if I roll around in bed feeling sorry for myself. So get in the shower, or the tub if you prefer, and get yourself clean. Use a really nice fresh smelling body wash that will give you a pick me up, at the moment I'm using the Body Shop's Passion fruit shower gel, or another favourite of mine is Soap and Glory's Sugar Crush body wash! It smells like heaven in a bottle! Make sure you wash your face to get rid of any left over grime from make-up or from when that drink got thrown over you last night. I'm using the Simple Kind to Skin moisturising facial wash at the moment, but there are loads of good ones out there.

2. Whilst you're in there, wash your hair. You need to get out all of the hairspray from the night before to hold your curls! I'm loving using the new Garnier Ultimate Blends shampoo and conditioner in Cocoa butter and Coconut oil, leaves you're feeling ridiculously smooth! If you're really in a rush, you can skip this step, with a good brush through and lashings of dry shampoo, no one will notice!

3. DRINK WATER! This is the most important step and always makes me feel ten times better. Make sure its icy cold, this will wake you up even more.

4. Use a good hydrating moisturiser for your face, this Clinique Superdefense SPF 20 does the job pretty well. If you have the time also use an eye cream at this stage, those eyes will need brightening!

5. Now for make up, you wanna keep things nice and simple whilst still looking fresh and pretty. This Garnier Miracle Skin Cream is a total game changer. It's a self adjusting moisturiser that turns into a tinted moisturiser when it touches skin. Its gives such nice finish and a light coverage, you can probably skip foundation! Just use some concealer to cover up any redness and any circles under the eyes, I'm loving Soap and Glory's Kick Ass Concealer, it's such good all rounder.

6. Fill in your eyebrows however you usually would and move onto eyes. You can skip eyeshadow if you like or if you want something easy just give your lids a quick wash over with a light champagne colour like Sin from Urban Decay. Using a colour like Virgin (also from UD) in the inner corners of your eye as a highlight will work wonders for looking more awake. Finish your eyes with a coating of your mascara of choice. Finish off with a pretty and subtle lip, like the Revlon Colour burst in Honey and you're done!

7. Drink more water!

And Voilà! Your hang over will be our little secret! Hope this is helpful to those of you old enough to drink, but you can also use it on extra tired days!

Caitlin A

Aussie Benefit Champneys

Samples Are a Girls Best Friend

10:28Unknown

Now is it just me, or are things way more exciting and cute if they are miniture?! Ok I definitely think its a girly thing! So today I thought I'd share with you some amazing products I've discovered through samples. Its such a great way to try out different products and take them for a spin without splashing out on the full size to later discover you hate it! Whats even more of a bonus however, is when they're free. My auntie is the queen of convincing beauty consultants to give her samples of all the latest products, one year I seem to remember her coming away from the Clarins stand with about 15 samples! so its definitely a little shopping trick I've picked up from her and here are my top tricks:

1. Gift boxes: A great and cheaper way to try lost of products from the same range!

2.Magazine: Freebies in magazines are great, Benefit are amazing for this.

3.Ask beauty consultants: More often than not they're more than happy to hook you up with the latest product sample! So get talking to them and don't be worried about asking for freebies!

4.Ask your hairdresser and beautician, they always have product samples stashed away, so ask them if they have any new products in and what they would suggests for your hair/skin.

Anyway on with my discoveries...

First to mention is the Clarins Hydra Quench Range, including the Intensive Serum and the Cream-Mask, I tried these out in a little gift set from Clarins, which included a full size of the moisturisor, which I did go ahead and re purchase as soon as I ran out because I can't live without it. I also have a big love for these sistering products to, and have found that even though they're miniature they've lasted me for ages! I call these my hungover skin saviours, the Serum especially because it gives my skin an instant zap of hydration, and the mask is really nice for the evenings if you've had a long day!

Second is the Champneys Distant Shores range, again I was bought a gift box for christmas with the small sizes but I think its available all year round. I adore the smell of these products, they smell so so beautiful very exotic and fruity with extracts of passionfruit, mango and citrus. I think the gift boxes are just the best way to try out everything in the range!

Now Clinique, are one of the best brands of sample sizes, they always have bonus time, where if you spend over a certain amount you get 10 mini size products to try out, how good is that?! I have made so many discoveries through this, two of my favourites including the: Take the day off, make up remover, and the Moisture Surge Gel two of my swear by products. My latest however is the Sparkle Skin Exfoliator, its quite a harsh exfoliator, but I find this great for legs, especially to use before fake tanning to make sure you've removed all those dead skin cells, and well as dare I say it, small ingrown hairs (we all get it so I may as well be honest!). This nicely leads onto the Nip and Fab tanning gel, again a lovely product, I think i got it free in a magazine which is another great way to try new things.The product is really fast drying and I found the gel formula really hydrating, which was really refreshing for a fake tan, and I found the covering was really even and didn't leave any streaks, will definitely be trying out more from them!

Benefit are another amazing brand for sample, I always find the girls in there giving me lots of miniatures to go away and try out, and its how I discovered the Porefessional and the High beam highlighter, two products which I'm sure you've heard lovely raves about. If there are products you want to try, its definitely worth asking the beauty consultants and more often than not they're more than happy to help you! I think we always feel cheeky asking for free things, but why not?! They're there to be used right?

ESPA are another range I discovered recently. My beautician knows how sensitive my skin can be, and aways offers me samples of the new products they're using so I can test them out for myself. The products I have tried so far have been lovely, really rich and nourishing. My favourite has been the Super Active Skin Radiance Mask, which pretty much does what it says of the tin, definitely going to be purchasing the full size!

Finally the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle, is my favourite hair mask of all time, on recommendation from my hair dresser, I love all the Aussie products I have tried and will be doing a review on my most loved shortly so stay tuned! Although I now purchase the big size and use it two- three times a week, I still always buy the miniature for travelling, because it makes my hair so soft and luxurious!

Sorry this post was so long and rambley! But I hope I've given you some ideas of what products are out there that I'm loving, and how to make the most of samples!

Caitlin B x

April Beauty Benefit

April Favourites

13:30Unknown

It's the first of May! Pinch punch first of the month and all that jazz, which means it's that time to review the products I've been obsessing over this month. I've got a few different things I've been loving (all beauty related obvs!) which are all perfect for this beautiful spring weather we've been getting here in the UK.

The first favourite is skin care related, which is kinda different for me because I'm very much a stick to what you know sort of girl when in comes to moisturiser, as I can have very sensitive skin so this has been a god send in my daily routine and it is the Clarins HydraQuench Cream. Ive tried a few things in the HydraQuench range, which I think are all amazing if you have normal to dry skin. I use the moisturiser every morning, as I feel it really brightens the appearance of my skin, making it feel as look healthy. As soon as its applied my face feels instantly fresh and awake as if Ive just splashed my face with cold water or something (sounds weird right). Its really light weight, and sit perfectly under my base makeup, which is a total bonus so this product is definitely a winner for me!

On my cheeks I've been loving a combo of a new discovery with a favourite oldie which is Nars 'Deep Throat' on the apples of my cheeks (yes an awkward name when someone asks you what it is) with Benefits 'Watt's Up' as a highlight. I think this is the perfect spring combo, as the highlight has a real golden undertone with a sheer finish, which gives my cheeks a really beautiful glow. Deep Throat is then a real girlie pretty pink, which has teeny tiny shimmery golden particles, which also light up and brighten the cheeks, creating the perfect spring radience. I also love putting on Watts Up under my foundation on the tops of my cheek bones and on my temple to give my skin a dewy and glowing finish.

The next is a nude lip stick by Revlon called 'Pink in the Afternoon' which I've nicknamed 'My Lips but Better', because I finally feel I've found my perfect nude shade. My lips are quite naturally red, which means lots of nude shades really pale out my lips which is a look that reminds me of the old foundation lips loved back in 07 (looking back on photos I really don't know why I ever did it!) But this shade is so perfect, its a really warm pink nude, which brightens up my face giving my lips literally giving them the kiss of life. I LOVE it!

To round it all off I've been wearing Benefits 'Ring my Bella' perfume everyday, its the perfect fruity floral pretty spring scent, its a real flirty pick me up when your having a bad day.

Hope your all loving the leap into spring as much as I am, and leave comments sharing your monthly favs!

Caitlin B

Current Skincare Favourites

A Summer Skincare Saviour: St Ives Scrubs

Evening Skin Care Routine

'The Morning After' Pick Me Up

Samples Are a Girls Best Friend

April Favourites

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