L'Occitane Lavender Hand Cream

This may be the shortest review for the smallest product ever, but I love it so much that I had to give it a mention. I'm subject to dinosaur skin hands in the winter (think super dry skin, my hands don't shrink up like a T-Rex just to clarify) so hand creams are a must. I was drawn to this for the lavender scent, simply because I think lavender is the nicest smell everrrrrrrrrrrrr. It's actually done a great job at rescuing my hands too. They're noticeably softer and have stopped peeling (sexy image there). Basically if you like lavender and want soft hands, buy the L'Occitane Lavender Hand Cream.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel

I swear product names just get longer and longer.... Anyway. Every now and then I like to switch up my skincare routine. If I stick to the same products for too long, I stop noticing the benefits and I'm just not happy with my skin. I found a massive La Roche-Posay stand during a recent trip to Tenerife so decided to make an impromptu purchase. The Purifying Foaming Gel is for oily and sensitive skin, which describes mine down to a T, so I off to the till I went. I've been using it for about two weeks now and so far I'm really happy with it. It makes my skin feel squeaky clean, really soft and keep any imperfections at bay. Using this with my oil-free moisturiser has really helped to control my shine, and I've not had any breakouts in a while (fingers crossed!). 

Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins

Unfortunately, I'm on team oily skin, and I'm constantly trying to find products to help keep my shine at bay. I really wanted to be taken in by the Origins GinZing Moisturiser hype that went around a few months ago, but the description was definitely a no for my skin. I searched the Origins website desperate to find a substitute, and came across the High Potency Night-A-Mins cream. Anything oil free is automatically a thumbs up from me, but something that's oil free and smells like chocolate orange? Gimme. This makes my skin seem so much more refreshed without adding extra shine, and I haven't had any breakouts since using it so it seems to be doing the job!

Current Favourites

I'm back! Blogging had to take a back seat recently. I've had such a hectic few months, with finishing university, graduating, working full time, and going on holiday! I'm jetting off on another two holidays in the next few weeks, but I've just finished my current job so I finally have some free time. I thought I'd start off by showing my favourite current face products. I'm not actually sure this counts as a face product, but I had to mention the Benefit Gimmie Brow in Light/Medium. Everyone and their mother has already raved about this, but it really is a miracle product. I'm cursed with really light, sparse brows (cheers mum), and every other product I've tried has looked way too dark for my skin. But this really works at picking up the lightest of hairs, and is the perfect colour for me. Next up is the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla. This does such a great job of brightening under my eyes, and actually covers blemishes really well. The Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 2 is my new favourite product everrrrrr. It provides the perfect amount of coverage for me, medium but edging more towards the sheer spectrum. It evens out my skintone brilliantly and covers my imperfections. To make this base even more perfect, the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light dusted on top creates a lovely natural glow, and does a great job at setting my foundation.

The Narsissist Palette

Okay, so this post is seriously delayed. I actually got the Narsissit Eyeshadow Palette in the first bunch released on the NARS website (sorry bank account, I did try resisting, honest...), but I got it sent home instead of sent to uni. I only went home last week so I've only just been able to use it, and I can now say it's definitely worth the price! I'm a fan of NARS eyeshadows anyway, they're always so pigmented and have brilliant staying power, and I'm a neutral eyeshadow girl at heart, so this is definitely love. I've been using the lighter browns and beige colours to create a minimal every day smokey eye (especially with a red lip!), and the darker browns and blacks are perfect for an evening look. I usually apply the Urban Decay eyeshadow primer before, and these shadows then last all day with minimal creasing. There are both shimmer and matte shades in this palette, giving the ability to make so many different looks. The only slight negative comment I can say about this is that I wish the shades were named. I love how the Urban Decay palettes state what the shades are called in the palette, and I wish the Narsissist palette did the same. None the less, I'm totally smitten and I can't see myself using anything else for a while! This keeps popping in and out of stock on the John Lewis site, so keep your eyes peeled because it won't stay around for long!

MAC Vegas Volt

Yup, another lipstick post. I've seen a lot of people posting negative reviews on MAC's Vegas Volt, and I just wanted to give my two cents because I love this lipstick! It has an amplified creme formula means this shade isn't as drying as some of the matte coral shades out there. This lipstick does tend to wear off slightly after eating a big meal, but that's pretty much true with almost all lipsticks (on me anyway, maybe I'm just a messy eater!). It does stay put through drinking and snacking though. This is such a classic coral shade and it suits basically all skin tones. I was going to say that it's a great summer shade, but I've been wearing it all winter and loving it, so maybe it's just a great year-round coral. 

No7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream

I have a growing love for No7. It's a great brand to use if you want something a bit more high end to typical drugstore brands, but can't quite afford to buy loads of luxury products. I tend to use my Origins Night-A-Mins cream at night (review soon!) but I wanted something different for the morning. I wash and cleanse when I wake up, but where I've not had a day cream, after this step I have been going straight to primer. I don't have dry skin, in fact mine is quite oily, but I still felt like I needed something else to keep my skin feeling refreshed for the day. I saw a review for the No7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream and wanted to try it out for myself. They sell this product for dry and oily skin, so it might not be for you if you have combination. However, this is great at keeping my oily skin at bay during the day. I've noticed a lot less shine on my face throughout the day after using this, however also quite radiant. I definitely recommend this if you don't want to spend loads of money on a luxury product, but want something a bit better than typical drugstore skincare. It also has SPF 15 so it'll be great for when the sun comes out... although that's probably wishful thinking. 

Red lipsticks: the top three

Two things have changed about me in the past few months. 1) After being too afraid to wear red lipstick for years, I'm now wearing it every day. 2) I've become addicted to coffee. I've pretty much fallen into the biggest cliche in the world, and I love it. These are my top three red's that I seem to be carrying around with me everywhere. First up is one of the Rimmel Kate Moss lipsticks in shade 01. This is a really deep red with added shine. I find that this is my go to red lipstick on colder days as it's not drying on the lips. Pretty much everyone has reviewed these Kate Moss lipsticks so I won't go into too much detail about them, but for only £5.49 the staying power is great. Next up is MAC's Diva. I reviewed this here, and I'm still loving it. Lastly, another one of Rimmel's Kate Moss lipsticks. This time it's one from the matte range, and it's in shade 107. This has a hint of a purple undertone to it and I absolutely love it. It's more of a berry shade than a red, but I'm classing it as one anyway! Like all matte lipsticks, it does tend to cling to dry lips so it's not great for the inevitable lips from hell during winter, but I tend to whack on a load of lip scrub and lip butter and go for it anyway. 

Joules Bath & Shower Set

I'm a massive body product junkie and I'm constantly on the look out for more products that will leave me with silky smooth skin and smelling great (isn't everyone?!). The Joules Bath & Shower Set* is definitely helping me on my way to achieve this dream! The set comes with a tube of body wash and body lotion, and a pot of body butter and body scrub. The body wash is great, it lathers up well and smells lovely. It's totally refreshing and great to wake up with in the morning.  The lotion has a really fresh smell, pretty similar to the body butter. This will be perfect to use when travelling as it's small and leaves skin feeling nourished. It absorbed really quickly too, a big plus! I've tried Joules body butter before and totally loved it, so I'm really happy to have another one! They make my skin so smooth and leave it smelling nice for ages afterwards. I tend to use body scrub twice a week to ensure that my skin stays as smooth as possible. I tend to get dry patches of skin on my arms, and using this scrub on those patches makes them feel so much better.

As always, the packaging for Joules is lovely. The floral box is great for reusing (I'm currently storing jewellery in mine!) and the product cases are really cute. The products are quite small in size, making them perfect for travelling. I'd recommend this set if you're looking for some smaller products to try out or if you're looking for some travel friendly bath and shower products. It's currently on sale too, so pick it up quick!

Bobbi Brown Smokey Cool Eye Palette

Look how pretttttttttty. I wanted some glitter eyeshadow colours that I could wear for nights out but I couldn't find any sold seperately that I liked. I saw quite a few bloggers review this palette in December and instantly fell in love. The glitters are exactly what I wanted, and the browns create such a lovely dark smokey eye. I did find that the glitter shades have quite a lot of fall down, but it's easily removed, or you can just hold a tissue under your eye whilst applying. The lightest shade is perfect for the corner of your bottom lash line, but I found it slightly too light to wear as a base colour. I used the black in the outer corner of my eye and it was really easily blended. I can't actually find this online any more so sorry for featuring something that you can't actually buy, but I had to share my love!

MAC Diva

MAC Diva - £15.00

It's happened. I'm officially a red lipstick wearer. I was in Boots the other day and saw Rimmel had a 3 for 2 so I picked up 3 different shades of red lipsticks. Yeah, I have no willpower. But I've been wearing them every day since and really love them. Red lips are such a statement look that I always shied away, but I'm a total convert! I wanted a darker shade with a matte finish to go with my outfit for new year, and Diva is perfect. This shade looks lovely with nude eyes for every day and with winged eyeliner for night. I'm a massive fan of dark lips and can see myself reaching for this a lot. Next on my MAC lipstick list is Dubonnet, a brighter red with amplified formula, please santa? 

White hair solutions

Bleach London Silver Conditioner - £5.00

White or silver hair is an absolute nightmare to keep up, so I'm pretty much willing to try anything to keep away those brassy tones. I currently use Fudge shampoo (review here) every other time I was my hair, alternating with a normal blonde shampoo, but I wanted something else to give a bit more of a kick. I didn't want to use anything too intense or I'd end up with purple tinted hair, so I opted for the Bleach London conditioner. I've heard great things about their dyes and I can see why. The packaging of the brand is lovely, definitely having a grungy feel. Firstly, this conditioner smells absolutely amazing, and left my hair with traces of the scent for a few days. It obviously isn't as strong as purple shampoos, being a lilac colour rather than deep purple, so it's great for a less intense treatment. I do think this has helped get rid of some of my brassy tones though. I'll probably repurchase this, it's pretty inexpensive and seems to be doing the job! It leaves my hair pretty soft as well which is surprising for toning products. They do this in a deep purple shampoo too, but I think I'll be sticking to the miracle that is Fudge!

MUA Mud Pie Nail Polish

MUA Mud Pie Nail Polish - £1.00

I went to go paint my nails the other day, and realised that all my dark/autumn shades had gone gloopy, so it was completely justified that I broke my spending ban to get a new colour, right? I'd actually been wanting to try the MUA shades for a while. I tend to stick to Barry M if I'm going for a high street brand, but for £1 the MUA polishes drew me in. I went for this lovely pinky-brown shade that I think goes perfectly with the grey and gloomy weather! I did have to apply quite a few coats to get rid of the streaks, but for only a pound, I can't really complain. I put my OPI top coat over the top and it lasted about a week before it started to chip. I'm pretty impressed with quality of the MUA polishes considering the price, and I'll definitely be purchasing more in their range!

Nivea Express Hydration Primer

 Nivea Express Hydration Primer - £3.99

Jeez, working full time is exhausting. I thought I'd better get some money before I start my third year of university, so I'm doing 40 hour weeks in a factory and I'm so tired :( I'm not sleeping or eating well at the moment because of that, and it's resulted in my skin becoming verrrry unhappy. I saw the adverts for the new Nivea products and wanted to give the day cream a go, but I'm really enjoying the Clinque cream I'm using at the moment, so opted for the hydrating primer. I've been using it for a few weeks now and I've noticed a massive change in my skin. It has a healthier glow, my pores are minimised, and my skin is so soft! This has been a great change to my skin care routine and I'll definitely be repurchasing in the future. Even better, it's only £3.99!

H&M Imitation Leather Bag

 H&M Imitation Leather Bag - £19.99

Meet my new bag! I originally wanted the ZARA mini shopper, but I was too late and now the black ones are all sold out :( I think this is a pretty good replacement though! I needed something a bit bigger than the tote I'm using for uni at the moment. After my laptop, notebook and drink are in, there's no room for anything else (aka there's no room for food, I like to snack during lectures). I never really shop in H&M. I don't like their website and the store stresses me out. I was in there with my mum a few days ago though and spotted this by the till, and instantly fell in love. The only downside to this bag is that the zip doesn't reach across the entire thing. It leaves two holes either end which means things can easily fall out. I still love the style though and for £20 it's a pretty good investment. 

Topshop 'Straight Ace' Lipstick

 Topshop 'Straight Ace' Lipstick - £3.00

I'm a big fan of purple lipsticks. I wear dark purple shades constantly throughout winter, but I wanted a lighter shade that I can wear during summer. My friend wears this lipstick so I got it based on a good recommendation! It's such a lovely light purple colour, perfect for summer. You can easily build it up, making for a deep or light purple based on your preference. I can't find this shade in stock anywhere any more! It's been out of stock online for a while. It was reduced to £3 from £9 so I have a horrible feeling they've stopped selling it :( I'll keep my eyes peeled though, it's such a lovely colour that I definitely need to stock up. 

Do you like purple lipsticks? What's your favourite shade?

No7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream

 No7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream - £12.95

Like every other girl in the world, I've put away my thick foundation for the summer and swapped it for something much lighter. Not only is it too hot to sit faffing around with makeup in the mornings, I just simply can't be bothered! I have the Revlon Nearly Naked foundation, but even that is too much effort at the moment, so I decided to invest in some BB Cream. I have combination skin, heading towards the oily side, so I needed a cream that wouldn't build on that. I also have quite an uneven skin tone, that gets waaaay worse in the hot weather, so I went looking for something that still evened that out. I ended up buying the No7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream. It's for normal to oily skin, and has 15 SPF which is great during this weather we're having. This keeps my oily skin at bay and provides a decent amount of cover up. The colour of the product is a little dark, but it seems to adapt well to my skin tone once blended in. There are three shades, fair, medium and dark. I have this in fair and it's ever so slightly too dark, but not too noticeably so. 

I really like this BB cream. It's perfect for the hot weather when you can't be bothered with foundation. It's easy to apply which makes it perfect for midday touch-ups. Do you use BB Cream? What brand do you love?

Lipcote - The Lipstick Sealer

Lipcote - £3.99

I normally start every blog post off with why I purchased something, but this was purely an impulse buy. I had some store credit built up so decided to treat myself. Lipstick and Mascara are my two makeup essentials, so anything that makes them last longer is a good investment.

The idea of Lipcote is that you apply a layer of the liquid after you've put on your lipstick, and within a few minutes you're lips are dry and Lipcote seals in the colour. I find red lipstick always goes patchy on my lips after a while, so I decided to give Lipcote a go over this. The packaging states that the product is fast drying, and it definitely is. Within a few minutes my lips were dry again, without feeling like I had extra product on. I noticed quite a difference with this, even after I had a few drinks my lipstick still looked fresh. I had to touch it up once during the night, but that's a massive difference compared to how many times I usually relayer. The only downside to this product is it's smell. It has quite a strong 'chemical' smell that actually made my eyes water to begin with! It's not bad on your lips and doesn't have a taste, but it still was slightly off-putting. 

On a completely unrelated note, it's my birthday week!!! I officially turn 20 on Friday and I'm terrified. I don't want to give up being a teenager! I'm going to London for a few days with my mum and celebrating with some friends too, so follow my instagram for constant updates @ejoliver. I'll do a post on my week soon, I really want to start doing more personal posts!

Fudge Violet Toning Shampoo

Fudge Violet Toning Shampoo - £8.99

Brassy tones, the bane of any blondes life. I always try and keep my hair looking white, but it's so frustrating when it turns yellow after a few days. I've tried more or less every purple shampoo going, but the best has to be Fudge.

You can tell by the picture just how much of a deep purple this shampoo is. It actually terrified me putting it on my light hair! This lathers up really well and covers the whole of your hair with ease. I tend to leave it on for 5 - 10 minutes, depending on how brassy my hair is, and it takes the yellow tones straight out. Unlike other purple shampoos I've tried, this doesn't leave my hair feeling damaged and tangled. It leaves my hair feeling soft and shiny, yay! The only downside to this product is that it does stain your hands. It doesn't last for more than a few hours, but you do have to deal with corpse-like purple hands for a while!

I don't think you can buy this in stores, but most hairdressers tend to have it. I bought it on Amazon because I'm lazy. I'd definitely recommend this product if you're trying to get rid of brassy tones, works like a charm!