January Favourites

Why have I always felt the need to write an intro for these?
It's my favourite beauty items from January.. 

MAC Lipstick in Chatterbox (Amplified) - £15

This was in my stocking at Christmas (thanks Santa!) and although I'd seen the colour in pictures and wanted to try it, I had no idea how beautiful it really was. It might even be my favourite lipstick ever, it's definitely up there. It's creamy and a fantastic lipstick, as always from MAC, but oh my the colour! It's a bright colour but I think incredibly wearable even for the day.

I am sorry, but you need this.

Zoeva Brushes Starting at around £5

So these are a German brand and because they were so cheap I didn't mind getting them direct and paying for the shipping. Seriously they're worth it and arrived so quick! They're such good quality for the price and I'm so impressed with them. They don't shed any hairs and withhold their shape (and I'm talking seriously, I clean my brushes in IPA). They've just released new sets so worth checking those out. I personally love 104 Buffer (as you can tell by the colour of it, gross), the 227 Soft Definer and the 102 Silk Finish.

Clinique City Block Sheer SPF 25 - £17

Yes, I moved to London and immediately bought this. And yes, I'm a complete sucker and the beauty industry makes a fortune from me. I'd heard good things and was looking for a daily SPF to put under foundation. I'm a really pale skin and should always wear an SPF despite the weather, which I never used to do. This also comes in SPF 40 and it's beautifully lightweight. It has a sheer tint, but it's honestly sheer that even men could use this. However for very dark skins I'd say to try it first as it may give a grey look. I love it and think it actually works well as a primer or by itself to brighten the face.

Jessica Quick Dry Oil - £9.55 

Bought this on a whim because I hate waiting for my nails to dry and now I can't paint them without it. There's other products out there that claim the same thing but this is the first I've tried. It's revolutionary.  Well, it dries your nails super quick. I don't know how I lived without it.

All new finds this month and I'm pleasantly surprised.

Have you tried any new products that you've loved?

New Home

 No, I haven't disappeared off the face of the world. I temporarily disappeared off the blogosphere.

Why? Because I've just moved to London. 

So I've left home for the first time and moved to the capital city. As a country girl I can tell you it takes a little time to adapt to this (see picture above). I can actually walk to shops, mind blowing I know. 

I've also started studying at Greasepaint and I'm currently on the TV, Film & Theatre course. Which is something I've wanted to do since I was 15 and here I am doing it. It's impossible not to love every second of it.

So adapting to London life and starting an intense course is a good enough excuse for the lack of blog posts, SURELY? Ahh if only that was the reason.

 I've actually had no internet until now and a slight case of writers block.

I don't know where to start and I don't know what to write about.

However this is the most exciting part of my life so far and so I'm going to share it.

Here's some things I've been up to:

Seeing people remove Christmas trees the "london way".

Going to great coffee shops.

Lots...

And wearing beards. You know, the usual.

So I'm a little rusty at blogging, so what?

Back soon!

Basic Skincare Routine

For the past 6 months I've been investing more money into my skincare and finding a good routine (which used to be a make-up wipe and slapping on nivea). Without a doubt it's worth the time and money because looking after your skin in the long run, will pay off big time. There's only so much make-up can do, a good base is so important.

Here's my basic routine at the moment and the products I'm currently in love with:

Clinique Take The Day Off cleansing balm - £21

For £21 it's not cheap but it's certainly not as expensive as other cleansing balms that do the same thing. Also because it's a balm a little goes a long way, personally I think this is a very good price for what you get.

 This will take ALL your make-up off and it will do it effortlessly. It's for all skin types and even works for those with sensitive skin as it's not fragranced. I literally rub it into my eyelashes and it does not irritate even slightly. 

To use: Take a small amount, and massage into face (dry) over all make-up. Use a flannel or muslin cloth to wash away. I keep mine with a stack of cloths so I have a clean one for every day. 

After cleansing I go to:

Pixi Glow Tonic - £16

This is my go to toner, it's amazing, it's so cheap and I'm really sorry it's a bitch to get hold of!

This sorts out any of my dry and flaking patches of skin, it will really help if you're prone to break outs, it's just an amazing exfolliator. 

However, I also use the Aveda Botanical Kinetics Exfolliant (it lives at my boyfriends place) and I LOVE it! Little bit more expensive than pixi glow at £17 for 150ml but much easier to get your hands on.

Aveda Botanical Kinetics Toning Agent - £17 for 100ml

I have a tiny 50ml bottle that I got from the skincare starter set (worth a buy if you haven't used Aveda before) that seems to be lasting me ages. This is a toner I use on days when I'm taking a break from Pixi glow, or over Pixi glow. I can't really explain why I love it so much, but I really do. 

I love that it's a spray?! But honestly it's a great product that makes a difference. Lovely for dry skin. 

Hydraluron - £24.99

A hideous price but a great product, make sure you look out for when it's on offer at Boots. It's a serum you put on before moisturising and it absorbs instantly and absorbs your moisturiser. Works great with my dry skin, gives my skin a lovely plump appearance!

Origins Make A Difference + - £34

This is a new addition to my collection so I won't go into it too much. So far so good, feels lovely on the skin and really moisturising. I don't think you can go wrong with Origins when looking for a moisturiser.

I use it morning and night!

So that's it, my basic daily skincare routine! I think the most important part of skincare is that it is a routine, you need to stick to it. Even when you're tired or a make-up wipe is nearer! Do any of these ring a bell? Let me know what products you are using, I'd love to get some recommendations!