Dirty Works Power Berry Detox Mask

4 days of Spanish sunshine and round the clock boozing left my skin looking a little tired. The day after coming home I went to Sainsbury's to do my regular food shop and picked up this face mask. Dirty Works Power Berry Detox Mask is brilliant. You only need a small amount per application so this will last me a while. Apply a thin layer to clean skin and then sit back and relax. The mask sets very quickly. After 10 minutes, use a damp flannel to remove. My skin looked clearer and smoother instantly. I will be using it weekly to keep my skin clear. So happy with this find!

July Beauty Empties

It's that time again. Here are all the beauty products that I have used up this month. Clockwise from top left:

Nivea Body Lotion Irresistibly Smooth - Shea Butter
This has a lovely creamy texture that is great for dry skin, and a nice fresh and clean smell that doesn't over power perfume. 

Simple Facial Toner
This is a lovely every day facial toner that doesn't dry out skin and removes traces of dirt that face wash leaves behind. Great for sensitive skin.

Mitchum Advanced Control 48 Hour Deodorant - Waterlily
The nozzle gives a powerful shot leaving you feeling shower fresh. No white marks either - bonus!

Elasta QP Shampoo For Relaxed Hair
This stuff is is fab. I only need to shampoo my hair a few times with this to get it squeaky clean, and leaves my hair feeling relatively tangle free. I would never skip conditioner though!

Mitchum Advanced Control 48 Hour Deodorant - Powder Fresh
It's been a hot  month so unsurprisingly I have worked my way through 2 cans of Mitchum deodorant. This one has a gorgeous baby powder scent.

World of Curls Oil Sheen Spray
A must have for anyone with relaxed hair. This stuff keeps the ends of my hair moist and breakage free. Love, love, love!

Original Source Mint and Tea Tree Shower Gel
This is my go to summer shower gel. The mint and tea tree leave a tingly feeling on the skin which is perfect for cooling you down on a hot morning, especially when you have to brave a sweaty commute to work.

Dr Miracle's Hot Grow Hair and Scalp Treatment
It has taken me almost a year to finish this tub. I use it about twice a week on my scalp to prevent it from getting dry. Similar to tea tree, this stuff leaves a slight tingly feeling for a few seconds after it's applied. I really like it and have already re-purchased.

Aussie Luscious Long Leave In Conditioner
This has a light coconut smell and leaves my hair tangle free ready to blow dry. It lasts ages as well.

June Beauty Empties

I'm quite good at using up my beauty products before buying new stuff. I find that this not only saves money, but it also means I don't have shed loads of products taking up lots of space. This months beauty empties are:

L'Oreal Fresh Essentials Gel Wash

Armani White Diamond

Maybelline Colossal Volume Mascara

Mitchum Deodorant - Powder Fresh

Collection Cosmetics Fast Stroke Eye Liner

Imperial Leather Skin Kind Body Wash - Raspberry and Lime Blossom

Vaseline - Creme Brule

Nivea Q10 Body Firming Lotion

My favourite beauty product this month is the Imperial Leather Skin Kind Body Wash in Raspberry and Lime Blossom. It has a lovely light almost perfume like smell, and tiny exfoliating bubbles that burst on your skin. The bottle was huge so it lasted a long time as well. Since buying it on special offer, I am struggling to find it. I will definitely be re-purchasing.

My Skincare Routine

I don't know if it was the extended winter weather or perhaps turning 30, but my skin has changed significantly over the last couple of months and I have had to completely change my skin care routine to cope with it. I used to have fairly oily skin, but overnight it turned to dry. My face was so dry that the skin was literally peeling from my forehead and nose, and wearing foundation was a total nightmare. I decided to embrace the change and revamp my skincare routine. I have been using these products daily for the last few weeks and I am pleased to have kissed goodbye to dry and flaky skin, and my face is now back to smooth and supple. 

This is my new daily skincare routine:

Step 1 Cleanse - Garnier Fresh Essentials Gel Wash
Step 2 Tone - Simple Soothing Facial Toner
Step 3 Moisturise - Olay Essentials Double Action Day Cream
Step 4 Prime - Nars Oil Free Pro Prime

Has your skin ever done a 180?

March Empties

I'm shocked at how many moisturiser I have got through this month. Probably due to the diabolical weather. My skin is very dry at the moment and I am constantly having to moisturise my hands.

My favourite out of this lot is the Sanctuary hand cream. It smells divine and leaves your skin feeling soft. It feels more luxurious than most every day hand creams, and is just £5 from Boots.

Packing for holiday

For me personally, holiday mode starts with shopping and packing. My regular readers will know that I started my holiday shopping months ago, but it's the shopping for miniatures that really gets me excited. I don't know what it is about mini bottles of beauty products that makes me so excited, they just do!

My fabulous friend bought me the pink travel wallet as a birthday present a few years back and I just can't go on holiday without it. It's just perfect for holding onto passport, boarding pass and currency. If you don't have one already, get one!

My luggage is ALWAYS overweight so this time I am trying to lighten the load by rationing, and thinking realistically about what I am going to wear/use whilst I'm away. I think I've done quite well on the make up front and only packed the bare essentials.

Two more sleeps and then it's Ibiza here we come. Can't wait!!!

August Beauty Empties

These are all of the hair and beauty products I have used up this month...

Profectiy Mega Growth Stimulating Shampoo

Body Shop Dewberry Mure Savage Bath and Shower Gel

Superdrug Nail Polish Remover

Palmolive Aroma Therapy Absolute Relax Shower Gel

Garnier Pure Anti-Blackhead Deep Pore Wash

Garnier Intensive Seven Days Replenishing Lotion in Mango Oil

Sleek Blusher in Pomegranate

The stand out beauty product has to be Garnier Pure Anti-Blackhead Deep Pore Wash. I have noticed that after using it for a few weeks, my face feels less oily and I have definitely had less spots. This one is a winner that I have already re-purchased.

I ♥ MAC

MAC is one of my all time favourite make up brands. Not everyone loves it but for me they are a God send. Trying to find foundation and powder to match dark skin tones is often a challenge in the UK but Mac have such a large range of colours that I always find something that suits me. I only popped in to pick up a new foundation as I was running low, but the skin care range caught my eye. As well as the foundation I also bought Mac Oil Control Lotion and Mac Fix+.

MAC Oil Control lotion
This comes in 50ml for £21.50 or 30ml for £12.50. I have been using it daily for a couple of weeks now and will definitely be repurchasing. I find that it's light enough to use in hot weather but rich enough for me to use when it gets colder. I let it sink in for a couple of minutes before putting on foundation and it helps to create a nice matte effect.

MAC Fix+
Where have you been all my life! This is my new favourite beauty product. MAC Fix+ is an aqua spritz that sets your make up making it last longer. The 100ml is £13.50 and the handbag size 30ml is £7.50. I use it in the morning after I have completed my base (foundation, powder, contouring, highlighter and blusher) and then do my eyes afterwards. The best bit about it is you don't need to re-touch your make up during the day! Instead, just spritz some more over your face to give you the 'just done' look. Little tip, hold the spritz at a distance from your face before you spray. Sounds obvious and probably is to most but I have almost zero sense of logic (I frighten myself at times) and the first time I used I held it too close and didn't close my eyes - error.

July Empties

Here are the beauty products I have used up this month

L'Oreal Nutri Soft Moisturiser

Clean & Clear Deep Action Cream Wash

Mitchum Advanced Control Antiperspriant in Baby Powder

Mitchum Advanced Control Antiperspirant in Shower Fresh

Radox Energy Boost Shower Gel

Clean & Clear Deep Cleansing Lotion

World of Curls Oil Sheen Spray

Garnier Intensive 7 Day Hand Cream in Shea Butter

The stand out product for me is the World of Curls Oil Sheen Spray. Juli Oli recommends this hair product in her healthy afro hair videos on youtube. Her hair is amazing so I decided to give this a try and I am completely sold. I have relaxed hair which can get extremely dry but the World of Curls Oil Sheen Spray really helps keep it supple. I have been spritzing it on my hair before bed and then again in the morning before styling. I bought it for £3.99 in a local shop that specialises in afro hair products but I wish I had bought in bulk because they have now sold out, and I'm finding it hard to get my hands on another one - Grrr!

I have been using the Garnier Hand Cream for a couple of months now. The bottle is 100ml and you don't need to use a lot so it lasts for ages. It claims to keep the skin hydrated after washing your hands but I found that this didn't work for me. My hands get extremely dry when they have been in water and I always have to moisturise after washing so I was excited about trying this. It is quite a rich hand cream so others might notice the difference after washing your hands but mine are just too dry.

Good Things - Deep Pore Anti Blemish Cleanser

I have quite oily skin which is prone to blackheads and blemishes, and have been looking for a cleanser that could help. I came across Good Things Deep Pore Anti Blemish Cleanser in Boots and have been using it for a couple of weeks now. It has extracts of fig and wild strawberry giving it a light, fruits of the forest fragrance and you can really smell berries. It does leave my skin feeling clean and noticeably clearer, but my skin did start to feel tight a few minutes after so its a good idea to moisturiser quite quickly afterwards. When you pour the liquid onto a cotton pad,it foams slightly so you really don't need much at all, just 3 drops per application is enough. You get 200ml in a bottle so it will last for ages. Good Things have a wider product range that includes both face and body products which are pretty reasonably priced. I will definitely been exploring the rest of the range http://www.goodthingsbeauty.com/

June Beauty Empties



Empties



These are all of the beauty products that I have got through this month:

Clockwise from left:

Mitcham Advanced Control Deodorant in Powder Fresh

Doo Gro - Grow Repair Conditioner

Imperial Leather Aqua Therapy Bath

L'Oreal Nutri Soft 24 Hour Velvet Body Lotion

Body Shop Coconut Body Scrub

Dove Shea Butter Soap

Dove Pro-Age Hand Cream

My favourite product has to be the L'Oreal Nutri Soft 24 Hour Velvet Body Lotion. It smells fresh and feels light but still does a good job of moisturising which makes it ideal for the nasty humid weather we are experiencing at the moment. I'm usually not very loyal to body lotion brands. I mostlychoose moisturiser based on the cheapest that smells nice and suits dry skin. This one ticks all my boxes so when I spotted it at half price in Superdrug, I bought it in bulk. I'm down to my last bottle so went on the hunt for some more but they were out of stock. Please don't let it be discontinued!

Budget Beauty

I really fancied treating myself to a few beauty treats but being near the end of the month, funds are lower than I'd like so I had a little mooch around Primark and wondered down the beauty isle. I was pleasantly surprised.

The zip on my make up bag broke the other week so I had been keeping my eye out for a new one and came across this one for just £3. Its a cute oval shape with a soft lining, and when it's opened up fully you can see that it can hold quite a lot.

I absolutely adore this very retro lip treat, Dr Pepper lib balm and gloss. Bargain at £2.50 for the pair! They have a slightly sweet taste and they smell gorgeous. Think opening a bag of Haribo and having a good sniff and your getting there

                                                  Dr Pepper Lip Balm                                     

Pepper Lip Balm plus Lip Gloss

These pack of 4 nail files were just £1, and they come with a case

This 2 in 1 foundation and concealer brush was also £1 and I just love the colour!

Concealer end

Foundation end

I also picked up a travel size bottle of Agran Oil for the bargain price of £2.50. The ends of my hair tend to get quite dry so this stuff helps to keep it super soft

May Beauty Empties

Empties

These are all the products I have got through this month

Clockwise from left:

Mitcham Advanced Control Deodorant in Powder Fresh

Maybelline One by One Volum' Express Mascara

Clean & Clear Deep Action Cream Wash

Imperial Leather Hair and Body Wash in Kick Start

Profectiy Mega Growth Daily Anti-Breakage Strengthener

Sleek Foundation in Henna

Boots Brazil Nut & Vanilla Body Butter

Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner

Clean & Clear Morning Energy Shine Control Daily Facial Moisturiser

My favourite has to be Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner. That one little pot has lasted me just over a year and is great for creating a smoky eye look. It comes with an applicator wand which can get a bit clunky if like me you use it every day, so be sure to give the wand a clean every now and then.