June's Birchbox | Paradise Found

If there's one thing that makes me happy, it's new beauty products. So finding the latest Birchbox waiting for me is always the best way to brighten a particularly busy at work. June's Birchbox - Paradise Found - is the perfect summer treat, even if we haven't seen much sun here in the U.K.

Contents:
Absolution Le Nettoyant Purete Cleanser - £26.00 [x]

Percy & Reed Hairspray - £12.00 [x]

James Read Overnight Tan - £25.00 [x]

Eyeko Fat Liquid Eyeliner - £12.00 [x]

Philip Kingsley Body Building Conditioner - £12.00 [x]

With a combination of hair & beauty product I instantly fell in love with the contents of this months Birchbox. I'm particularly excited to test the Eyeko liquid eyeliner & the Philip Kinglsey conditioner. As someone who hasn't quite mastered the cat-eye look & has bleached hair, these products could be the answer to my prayers. I also love the adorable packaging on the Percy & Reed hairspray which has already found a home in my handbag for day-to-day use. 

Have you tried any of the above products? 

If so, what are your thoughts? 

xxx

Hittime Blackhead Removal Strips

I'm sure anyone who reads this will remember the phase of "blackhead removal" that hit the beauty world a few months back. It seemed beauty guru's everywhere were suddenly applying a tar-like product to their skin before peeling them away to remove a mass of - what can only be described as - "dirt" that had been lurking within their pores.

Whilst this craze was in it's prime, I received a sample of the Hiitime Blackhead Removal Strips from a friend.. however it remained tucked away in my bathroom & only came to light again recently. Whilst blackheads aren't necessarily something I tend to suffer with, as soon as I rediscovered this product I was keen to put it to the test & see if it would remove any impurities hiding within my skin.

As you can see.. I managed to rope my boyfriend into joining me. He was obviously thrilled. 

As the instructions for this product aren't in English, I researched & found that it is usually recommended to cleanse the area of skin (i.e nose or chin) before applying the product. Unfortunately it was also recommended to use a specific cleanser.. however -  as this isn't something I own - I decided to opt for good old Micellar Water instead.

After allowing the Micellar water to dry, I squeezed out some of the dark & sticky liquid (which is runnier than expected - so be careful!) onto my hand & gently massaged into the skin on & around my nose. As it dries you feel the product become tighter across your skin until it becomes completely dry & shiny in colour. A process that takes around ten-fifteen minuets in total.

Once dry I *excitedly* popped to the bathroom mirror & gentle began to peel it off. Whilst researching I also found that when removing, it is best to peel the strip from the underneath in an upwards motion. Apparently this is the best way to ensure any impurities are removed from the pores. Although excited I was also a little nervous that this was going to hurt (images of waxing suddenly sprung to mind) but I was pleasantly surprised to find that when peeled off slowly, it didn't hurt at all.

Next came the part I was most excited for.. seeing what - if anything - this product had managed to cleanse from my skin. After a quick look, I'll admit that at first I was left feeling pretty disappointed. It didn't seem anything had been removed at all. However after looking a little closer, I found that - without going into detail - the product had actually removed some form of dirt from the very corners of my nose (an area of my skin that can get a little oily).

Obviously the results weren't as ground-breaking as half of the videos I'd watched prior to using this (admittedly this was probably due to the fact that I don't actually have many blackheads) I was still left feeling pretty impressed. Not only did the Pore Strip remove a form of dirt from my skin, it also left my skin feeling gorgeously soft.

Whilst I was left feeling pretty impressed with the product - the fact that I'm still not 100% if I was using it right means I probably wouldn't use it again. However if a version of the Hittime Pore Strips were sold here in the UK, I would definitely give it another go.

If you're interested in testing the Pore Strips for yourself - they can be picked up on Amazon for around £3.00 per pack of ten.

Have you tried a blackhead removal kit?

Which did you find worked best?

xxx

Garnier Oil-infused micellar water

As a firm favourite amongst the blogging-world, it wont come as a surprise when I say how much I love Garnier's Micellar Water. With it's simple yet effective way of removing make-up, it's every beauty-lovers dream product. So when I spotted Garnier's new Oil-infused Micellar Water sitting on the shelf at my local Boots, I knew instantly that this was a product I needed to try for myself.

With a simple twist on the classic formula - yep you guessed it, oil! - the new Micellar Water claims to remove both waterproof and long-wear make-up whilst remaining gentle enough for use on dry/sensitive skin. Garnier claims this is possible thanks to the combination of oils that work to dissolve tough make-up whilst leaving skin feeling well cleansed & nourished.

As someone that has always suffered with dry & sensitive skin, I was both excited & sceptical about this product. I was longing for something to leave my skin feeling soothed & soft, but was also a little concerned that the adding oils into my skincare routine would result in an unwanted breakout. However I decided to bite the bullet & test the new Micellar Water to see if it really would make a difference to my skin.

After testing for a few weeks I'm extremely happy to announce I have fallen in love with this product. Not only does it quickly & effectively remove make-up - it also leaves my skin feeling well moisturised & soft (no break-outs in sight.. yay!). I also love to use this product as part of my morning routine as I find it instantly awakens my skin whilst creating a perfect, soft base for foundation.

I personally either love to use this product by itself on days when not wearing much make-up (on full make-up days I tend to use my classic Micellar Water followed by a cream cleanser) or as a morning cleanser to ensure my skin is squeaky clean first thing.

If you love Garnier's Micellar Water & have dry and/or sensitive skin, I honestly couldn't recommend this product enough. Currently retailing for £5.99 from either Boots or Superdrug this is a budget friendly cleanser has quickly become my go-to Micellar Water.

Have you tried the Oil Infused Micellar Water?

If so what are your thoughts?

xxx

Garnier Micellar Water - Review

I know, I know - I am very late when it comes to jumping on the Micellar Water bandwagon. However - as much as I love using new products - I've been loving my current evening skincare routine & have been pretty reluctant to mix things up.

That is until I spotted the travel sized version of Garnier's Micellar Water on offer for only £1 in my local boots. At such a bargain I simply couldn't resist trying this product out, with the thought that there's really no loss should the product be disappointing.

I've been testing this product for around a week now & to use I simply dispense the product onto a cotton pad & apply directly to dry skin. I then follow with my Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser to ensure any left over make-up or dirt from the day is washed away. 

Despite having reservations at first, it's safe to say  that I've been pleasantly surprised by Garnier's Micellar Water. In my opinion the product is perfect to use as a "first step" cleanser to quickly remove make-up & day to day dirt without any dry, tight and/or irritated feelings.

Another element that I love about this product is the "no rinse" factor, which is perfect when you're looking to remove make-up effortlessly after a long day.

If you're looking to try Garnier's Micellar Water but - like me - can be a little on the picky side, I'd recommend purchasing the 125ml "mini format" bottle first. However as soon as this bottle comes to an end, I'm sure I'll be re-purchasing the full size.

Have you tried this Micellar Water?

What are your thoughts?

xxx

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

Throughout the blogging and Youtube community I've heard a lot of good things about the Liz Earle brand, and although I was intrigued, it was never something I really looked into.  

However during my trip back to my home-town for Christmas, I noticed a bottle of the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser sitting on the bathroom shelf. So I decided to find out what my Mum thought of it. 

Now my mum is the type of person who has always told me honestly what she thinks of something...be it a product, item of clothing, or even the dreaded "do I look like I've put on weight?" question - which (despite the sometimes straight-to-the-point delivery) I've always appreciated. How else would you really know if something looks good or is worth buying?! 

So when my Mum told me how highly she thought of Liz Earle, I knew it must be something that's at least worth a try. 

Two bottles of the Cleanse & polish cleanser and a muslin cloth

Now I wouldn't ever want to sugar-coat a product that I write about on here, so I want to say out right that the Liz Earle brand is not cheap. For a 100ml bottle of the hot cloth cleanser, you'd be looking at paying around the £15 mark. However I decided that if this was a product that would help keep my skin in great condition - and also help banish those pesky spots that like to pop up at the worst possible times - then it would be worth the money. 

I'm usually a Simple or Nivea girl when it comes to cleansers/face washes, and both brands have never let me down.. But I felt that it was time to mix things up a little and maybe splash out on a little treat for my skin. 

I haven't tried this products out yet as it only arrived in the post today, but I'm very excited to try them out tonight (is that a little sad? Probably but oh well). 

Once I've used this for a while I definitely plan on writing a review on whether it's really worth the price tag, so if you're interested or are on the fence about splashing out that bit extra on face products, watch this space! 

Find the range of Liz Earle products by clicking here. 

If anyone has previously used Liz Earle, or has any other recommendations, let me know! 

xxx