Been a while- some of my favourite things :)

Hi all, it's been a while, been struggling to think of what to post so I just decided to grab a few of my favourite things and write a bit about why I love them so much and why I will buy them again and again!

First off; Herbal Essences 'Beautiful Ends' shampoo and conditioner.

Before this scent came out (meant to smell like pomegranate) I loved the 'Hello Hydration'- my only issue with this scent was that it's quite coconutty and I'm not all that in to coconut. So when a moisturising set came out that smelt fruity (which I'm REALLY into) I jumped at the chance to try it. And it's so so so so so good, the smell is amazing, the shampoo gives a really good lather, the conditioner is very moisturising but doesn't weigh my hair down. Within a fortnight of using these- I found my hair to be shinier, bouncier and obviously smelling amazing. Both the shampoo and conditioner (400ml) are very reasonably priced- at full price around £3.99- but I find them to be on offer very often in Boots and Superdrug. The packaging is okay- it's not beautiful or really super exciting- but it's nicer than the old Herbal Essences bottles. (I think so at least). The intense mask is really nice as well, sells at about £4.61 for 200ml, about 4/5 uses- depending on how thick/long your hair is. Which, for me, is pretty good considering I'll only put on a deep conditioning mask maybe twice a month. Overall I think this set is affordable, easy to find, smells good and actually does what it says on the bottle!

Another hair product- the Tresemme Youth Boost styling lotion.

I bought this just at the start of the month, I'm quite a fan of Tresemme- it's good to have a big bottle of their shampoo/conditioner around just in case you run out- but I hadn't tried any of the Youth Boost line until I tried this. Purchased in Superdrug for 52pence (it was on clearance- RRP is £7.29)- it was a mega find and also mega bargain- especially after Christmas. The lotion itself is white, doesn't really have a scent as such and doesn't weigh my hair down at all. It gives my hair body, a gorgeous shine and seems to help it hold it's natural curls (without being a frizzy mess). I'm not usually one for clarting my hair in products before I dry and style it- but since I bought this there hasn't been a day I've not put it in. The packaging is very Tresemme- and although I'm not a fan of purple- there isn't so much on this that puts me off. The pump that dispenses the lotion itself is great, gives you about a pea-sized amount with each pump (I use about 6 a day) and because the lotion is so light- it spreads evenly throughout my hair without too much effort. A product I will definitely be purchasing again!

Moving on to something more Make-up related, and it's also something that is widely loved and praised in the Make-up world- MAC Prep and Prime Fix+.

This is something I don't feel is essential to my collection- however I do really love it. It gives a lovely natural finish to any amount of make-up you have on. It smells lovely, the pump mechanism works really well and so means you never end up with too much of the liquid in one place and the packaging is super professional and easy to clean. If I'm going out somewhere special- I always set my face with this, in my day-to-day going to work and pottering about the house I don't bother as it retails at £17 a bottle (100ml) and that's just not something I have the means to be shelling out just because I enjoy this product and what it does to my face. I'd love to find a dupe for this- something that I could buy in Boots, Superdrug or even Debenhams but I'm not feeling as if that's likely. That all being said- this truly is a wonder-product and should be in everyone's make-up kit, even just for special occasions.

And lastly- a perfume. Juicy Couture- Couture Couture.

I'm just going to get this out of the way- I really really dislike the bottle this comes in- I'm just not in to gold and the crest on the lid is all kinds of over the top- however, the actual perfume itself is absolutely beautiful. I had previously had the Viva La Juicy- which I also loved- but not as much as this. It smells like grape sweeties or something, it smells so so so so so good. This was actually a present at Christmas from my Mum and Dad- and honestly, it's become my new favourite perfume. Since- (when shopping) I've had a smell of other Juicy Couture perfumes and I think it's safe to say it might be my favourite line for perfume. I'm not really into liking designer things because they are designer- if this was a cheapy £5 bottle from the back of a pharmacy I'd love it all the same- it just smells so sweet and good. The RRP (for a 50ml bottle which I have) is £48.02- which considering I don't go overboard and use only 4 sprays (I only need 4 sprays, it's quite intense and lasts the day)- is really good. And again- I don't use perfume everyday- I kind of just use it when I feel like it? Not sure anyone is going to know what I mean but I know what I mean! Definitely going to need to purchase (or hint at the other half) some of this later on in the year when I do (eventually and sadly) run out.

And that's it- this might not have been the best post but my next post should be a lot lot better- planning on reviewing all the Zoeva brushes, and yes- individually. So until then, ciao!

Garnier Pure Active Micellar Cleaning Water

Hi all!

Going to do a little reivew/recomendation/appraisal of a product I'm completely in love with.

The Garnier Pure Active Micellar Cleaning Water is the holy grail of cleansing waters if you have greasy/oily and acne prone skin.

When I first purchased this I had no idea of how much good it would do for my skin. I hadn't read any reviews or heard anyone talking about it and really when I did purchase it- I merely needed a new cleanser and this one just so happened to be on offer. The bottle that contains 400ml (and state that that is apprxoimarely 200 uses) costs £4.99 in Boots and Superdrug, I believe when I bought it, it was half price so around the £2.50 mark. Firstly- the packaging is nice, sturdy bottle, slight turquoise tint and very clean and professional looking. The liquid itself has a clean smell, is completely colourless and takes of make-up with very little trouble. Something I've always suffered with is extremely sensitive eyes, and we all know how easy it is to get a touch of your make-up remover into your eye. My eyes would usually immediately start watering and go red. If I get a drop of this in my eyes- nothing happens, no tears or red eyes or itchiness.

But most importantly- this has, pretty much, cleared up my acne/spot and blemish prone skin. I use it daily, at the end of the day to take me make-up off. Simply by using some of this and one or two cotton pads. It takes 5 minutes at most so is good for those who are lazy like myself. I started using this back in early December, it's taken a while to really see the difference but I don't get nearly so many spots, my skin tone has evened out, it doesn't leave my skin feeling oily and the 400ml bottle has lasted me, and I still have about 100ml left.

Additionally- my skin can be quite sensitive to new products, before I purchased this I did have a breif look at the ingredients and saw nothing that should  (should) be of any harm or detriment to my skin- which was the final step in leading to me purchasing this. There is a slight amount of 'alcohol denat' (term for alcohol in most cosmetics) that could be problematic for some people's skin but not mine.

So- if you're looking for a new cleanser and you have oily/combination/sensitive skin, this could be your new best friend!

Thanks for anyone reading this, ciao!

First post?!

So, guess not many people are going to be reading this to begin with, but I'm going to start with an introduction and start as I mean to go on.

My name is Katie, I'm 24 and live in the North East of Scotland- up near Inverness. This blog is mostly (mostly she says) going to contain posts relating to make-up, beauty, health and possibly a little bit of diet/fitness related subjects in the future. However I will not make any promises not to have the odd post about animals, games, Scotland, my family, my friends, my boyfriend or just life in general. But predominantly- it will be make-up.

So, moving on to why I'm starting this blog. I'm not a particularly social person, I'm quite socially awkward and quite dislike being in big groups. That being said I do like speaking to people, especially about mutal interests and passions. My boyfriend doesn't have such a passion for make-up that I have, so whilst he will listen and partake in conversations about it- it's not quite the same as discussing it with someone that shares the same interest. I enjoy make-up, I find it to be very theraputic and soothing- it's like art in a way for me. Alongside that, of course other sorts of make-up/beauty associated things come in to the picture; hair products and care, skin care, nail care, overall female health and like I say, in future an element of diet/fitness may come in to play. 

And now, for my first post about products and how I'm rating them. I guess as sort of mini review. Here goes!

I've purchsed 4 new products recently; Zoeva Luxe complete set, No7 brush cleanser, L'oreal Paris Infalliable mattifying base and Bourjois healthy mix concealer. 

The Zoeva Luxe complete set- I purchased as a sort of late Christmas and Happy New Year gift to myself- and oh my gosh they are amazing so far. The packaging they arrived in was well packed and definitely helped ensure the brushes safe passge to my vanity table- I'm not going to delve too much into an actual review as I want to do an in-depth review after a few weeks, when I've had a chance to use all the brushes a few times and put them through the trials so to speak. Overall though- first impressions are very very good.

The No7 Make-up brush cleanser I purchased today- I hadn't heard of No7 beginning this and was pleasantly surprised. And considering I'd just bought the new brushes and would like to be able to 'spot clean' them on a fairly regular basis- I thought it wouldn't be such a bad idea. The value was good- £8 from Boots (but I purchased with points on my Advantage card- still with several hundred to speare), the packaging is clean, sturdy and fairly professional looking. The liquid itself has a slight yellow hue and a mild alcohol smell (one of the ingredients is alcohol) but the smell is not overpowering and shouldn't make your brushes smell too strongly. I tested a few drops on a few of my brushes that I used this morning- it worked really quickly and really quite well, the pump is a little awkward, but I think I will get used to it. There has been no strong smell of alcohol left on my brushes and they dried quickly after the clean which would be handy for make-up artists that need to spot clean between clients. Overall: first impressions are very good again. Only criticism might be the pump mechanism for dispensing- but that should be easily changed to a spray mechanism.

The L'Oreal Paris Infalliable mattifying base- mostly I just needed a new primer and wanted to try something new. I picked up the sample for this and spread a pea sized amount over my wrist. I felt an instant difference in my skin, the colour instantly evened out and the small amount I used managed to go halfway up my forearm before it felt too thin to provide any real work. Another product that seems to be very good value for money- but I have not yet used it as a base for my foundation/concealer, so time will tell on this. I really like the packaging, very professional and clean looking. I also like that it's a squeezy bottle and I can see how much product is left so I know when to purchase more. Whether I re-purchase this or not all hangs in the fate of how my foundation sits on top of it.

And finally the Bourjois Healthy mix concealer- I have loved this concealer for as long as I can remember. It's one of the only affordable (at £7.99 for 10ml) drug-store concealers I have found that is pale enough for my skin tone, it has a lovely thick formula, smells great and goes on well with or without a concealer brush. It's great value for money, available in Boots and Superdrug (in the UK at least), packaging is non-offensive, and because the formula is quite thick- a little goes a long way. And again, I much prefer the squeezy bottle on this as opposed to the MAC Mineraliza concealer, which is amazing, however I dislike the faff it gets to be to get all of the product out of the tube without cutting it open and de-potting.

So, to conclude- overall a fairly good little haul. I will publish an in-depth and probably lengthy post on the Zoeva brush set as I've not yet had a real chance to use all the brushes and want to get as much to say as possible. I'll be purchasing dribs and drabs between now and the end of the month. And at the end of the month I'm planning on spending a bit of my overtime wages on some new products.

Until then, ciao!