Forest secrets iRejuvenate face oil and skin serum review

A few months ago, I was introduced to Forest secrets, a natural range of skincare that includes a facial serum and oil, which are designed to completely replace the traditional moisturizer:

The products are meant to be mix together for a personalised blend, and depending on how dry your skin is, you use a different ratio of the 2 products (step 1 is better for dry skin and step 2 better for normal/combination skin).

For my combination skin I like to use 2 drops of each, which I mix together before rubbing into my face. I then use another drop of the oil around my mouth and chin, which is the driest part of my face.

(click to enlarge)

When applied to slightly damp skin, it's similar to a moisturizer and doesn't feel greasy, but it does leave me with a shiny face. With moisturizers, I usually wake up with an oily t-zone, but because these products don't contain any wax, all of it gets absorbed during the night, so I wake up with a naturally matte yet radiant complexion.

Since using this regime, I've noticed that my skin seems a lot more balanced - my t-zone doesn't get as oily and my cheeks aren't as prone to dryness.

At £37.50 each, they're not cheap, but a little goes a long way and it is packed full of natural ingredients. You can also get 2 3ml try me sets for £8, which is a good way of trying out the products without committing to a full 30ml bottle.

Do you like using oils as part of your skincare? What's your must have product for a glowing complexion?

Maxfactor max effect nail polish in Diva coral

At the weekend, I was lucky enough to be invited to an afternoon of tea and pampering, courtsey of Aussie and Herbal Essences:

At the event, there were a selection of Maxfactor nail varnishes available, and I opted to get my nails done in Diva coral, a beautifully vibrant coral red shade that would look great on a night out or with a tan in the summertime. The above photo shows 2 coats.

At £3.99 for 5mls, they are slightly more expensive than your average drugstore nail varnish, but price aside, I do like the concept of mini bottles, as I really struggle to finish a nail varnish before it separates or dries out.

Are you a fan of Maxfactor nail varnishes? Have you ever managed to finish a bottle of nail varnish?

Product rave- Bourjois healthy mix foundation

After trying out various foundations over Christmas, I decided to purchase a bottle of Bourjois healthy mix and I have to thank everyone who recommended this, because it really is a great foundation!

RRP £9.99, available from Boots and Superdrug

The foundation comes in a lightweight plastic bottle with a pump, which is great for throwing into an overnight bag, or if you're prone to dropping things like me.

I would describe this as a buildable light to medium coverage semi-matte foundation, which leaves my skin looking extremely natural, but healthier and more even toned.

The light fluid does a great job of evening out my skintone, smoothing over pores and covering minor imperfections, but I still need a concealer for dark circles.

Another reason why I like this foundation is that it doesn't contain any SPF, I use a separate lotion anyway and it can make your face lighter in photos.

With a bit of powder and blotting, this lasts 10 - 12hours. I've not had any problems with it oxidizing and it feels weightless, even after a whole day's wear!

I found it quite difficult to choose a shade as 52 and 53 were very similar, but in the end 52 seemed to match my NC25 skintone that little bit better.

All in all, I'm really impressed with this foundation and I would definitely recommend it if you want a medium coverage everyday foundation that feels completely weightless on the skin!

Have you tried Bourjois healthy mix? What's your favourite everyday foundation?

Liz Earle energising body lotion review

The latest addition to Liz Earle's range is an energising body lotion, which contains 19 naturally active ingredients to invigorate the senses and leave skin feeling smoother, firmer and more toned:

On application, the creme gel lotion quickly melted into my skin without any hint of greasiness and it left my skin feeling moisturised all day.

Because of the ingredients, it has a very strong botanical scent. If you like sweet girly scents, then this isn't for you, but if you like natural herbal and woody scents then you'll like this.

So does it live up to it's claims? Well my skin certainly felt hydrated and the scent was surprisingly uplifting. My skin is in quite a good condition anyway, so I can't comment on whether it helped to firm and tone, but it always left my skin moisturised and I love that it has such an impressive list of natural ingredients.

Have you tried anything from the Liz Earle energising range? What are your favourite products to firm and tone the skin?

First haul of 2011

For someone who found sale shopping very disappointing this year, I managed to pick up a surprisingly large number of items, although almost everything was full priced:

After weeks of swatching 2 different shades, I finally decided to get Bourjois Healthy mix foundation in No52 as well as a bottle of nail varnish remover.

With the No 7 vouchers I stocked up on 2 radiance hot cloth cleansers (a must have for make up removal) as well as an exfoliating sponge and make up sponges to try out.

I have a love/hate relationship with Primark, but I'm so glad I decided to pop into their Oxford St branch, because I spotted this gorgeous cream trench coat with the cutest floral buttons for just £25!

I also picked up this pretty purple vest dress from the Miss Selfridges online sale for a mere £12!

Finally, I ordered 2011 diary inserts for my Filofax. I treated myself to the pocket breast cancer pink Filofax last year and I absoutely love it! Would definitely recommend if you're still looking for a 2011 diary.

Were you also disappointed with the sales? Or did you have a successful shopping trip? What have you been buying with your No 7 vouchers?

A glittery weekend NOTD

Inspired by all the pretty NOTD blogposts recently, I decided to give myself a glittery manicure this weekend:

As we're heading towards Spring, I choose an uplifting lilac polish by Eyeko, followed by an old Constance Carroll fairy dust nail varnish, which has been sitting in my collection for years!

For such pretty nails, it was so simple and quick to do and I love how a layer of glitter instantly jazzes up a plain nail varnish!

Are you a fan of glittery nails? What colour did you wear this weekend?

A new favourite- Armani diamonds perfume

I've been wanting this perfume for ages, so you can imagine my delight on Christmas day when I unwrapped one of my presents to find this gift set!

When first sprayed, there's a very strong scent of lychees, but within minutes this mellows and the other scents of raspberry, rose, freesia and patchouli come through. This delicious fruity scent then mixes with the base notes of woods and amber for a crisp, sparkling yet sexy fragrance.

The fragrance is versatile enough to be worn both during the day and at night and comes in a sculpted glass bottle, cut to represent a block of diamond, with a sleek silver lid, which looks great on my dressing table.

Like all perfumes, this does fade throughout the day, but I like to layer up with the body lotion and spray some directly onto my clothes, as I find it smells just as nice and makes the fragrance last the whole day!

Have you tried Armani diamonds? What's your favourite perfume at the moment?

Festive giveaway winner

Thanks so much to everyone who entered my festive giveaway, it was lovely reading all your comments.

After numbering all the valid entries, I used random.org to select a winner:

And the winner is...Becky (Style and the city)

Becky- can you please email me by 17th January with your address and I'll get your prize posted asap.

Thanks again to everyone for entering and don't worry if you didn't win this time as there'll be plenty more giveaways in the future :)

Amie skincare reviews

Designed for young and teenage skin, Amie skincare uses on average 95% natural ingredients for a range of products that's gentle on the skin and free from parabens, sulphates, mineral oils and alcohol.

Bright eyes very gentle eye make up remover
Despite not containing oil, this worked just as well as my Botanics and No 7 eye make up remover. It dissolved my make up easily without any rubbing and the gentle formula doesn't sting.I still prefer to use an oil based one at night, but this come in handy for correcting any eye make up mistakes during the day, as it doesn't leave a residue on the skin.

Morning clear purifying face wash
Extracts of orange blossom,elderflower,may blossom and raspberry gave this face wash a fruity tea scent, which was lovely in the morning. The cleanser felt really creamy on the skin, and it left my face feeling cleansed and refreshed without being at all drying.

Spring clean cooling clay mask
I love this clay mask! It has a slight tingly sensation as it dries and it feels so nice and refreshing. The mask always leaves my skin feeling deep cleansed and brighter, plus it contains lime butter, which makes it smell like a packet of starburst sweets!

Morning dew matte finish moisturiser
In many ways this reminds me of a more scented version of Clinique dramatically different gel. I like to use thick creams and oils, so didn't expect much from this, but it was surprisingly hydrating. The light lotion sunk in very quickly, dried to a matte finish and kept my t-zone relatively shine free throughout the day.

Overall, a good range of products. Although Amie is aimed at teenage skin, the products felt gentle and caring, and I would happily recommend this highly natural yet affordable range of skincare, especially if you have combination skin.

Have you tried any of the skincare products from Amie? What are your favourite brands for skincare?

Currently lusting after...Benefit Bella Bamba blusher

One sleepy Sunday afternoon, I was catching up on blogs when I stumbled across swatches for the new Benefit Bella Bamba blusher:

Described as a watermelon pink with golden shimmers, it seems to be the pinker cousin of Nars Orgasm (and MAC springsheen).

As you may know I love my springsheen blusher, and my pinks and this seems to give the most natural flush of colour to the cheeks, plus anything with the word watermelon is guaranteed to grab my attention!

It should be in stores by February, and I can't wait to swatch it for myself!

Do you own any of the Benefit blushers? What's currently on your wishlist?

Carmex mint moisturising lip balm review

Like the other Carmex variants, this does a great job of moisturising and protecting my lips from the harsh winter weather (including spf15 for sun protection).

Because it comes in a tube, the consistency is a little thinner than what you'd get in the jars but it lasts just as well on the lips and gives a lovely glossy sheen.

The lipbalm has a nice peppermint scent and the mint gives the it a gentle tingly sensation, which lasts for about 10 minutes after application.

Scent wise, I still prefer the Cherry Carmex, however the squeezy tube is more practical for winter, as it means that I don't have to take off my gloves to apply lipbalm, something which my hands are very grateful for!

Have you tried any of the Carmex lipbalms? Do you prefer the tube or the jar version?

New year's resolutions 2011

Happy New Year everyone!

I can't believe it's 2011 already, 2010 seems to have gone by in a blink of an eye!

Seeing as it's tradition to make resolutions every year, here are some of mine for 2011:

(pictures from weheartit.com)

Read more books
I love reading, but because of the demands of uni work and blogging, I've been neglecting my books, so this year I'm going to make a real effort to read more, even if its only 10mins before bed.

Eat more fruit and veg
I'm quite good at including it as part of my diet, but in 2011 I'm aiming for at least 5 portions a day, after all, it looks and tastes delicious, is packed with vitamins and minerals, helps to fill you up and gives you glowing skin!

Stress out less
When things go wrong, I can get massively stressed, and 9 times out of 10, it works out just fine, so my aim this year, is to take a deep breath, remain calm, and try not to get un-necessarily stressed and panic!

Sort out my wardrobe
I have a serious lack of nice clothes, so this year I'm going to make more effort when I go shopping, try lots of different styles and only buy clothes that look fashionable and suit my figure.

And finally a couple of beauty resolutions:

Continue with project bathroom (using everything up)

Wash my make up brushes fortnightly

Learn the art of eyeshadow blending
Apply body lotion at least once every other day

What are your resolutions for 2011?