Baking In The Bathroom

I occasionally pick up a US magazine from the racks in WHSmiths or from the Newsstand online. I recently purchased a copy of Seventeen magazine and inside there was a sample of a new product from Biore. I was excited but also frustrated as I had a feeling that either a) we would never see it in stores over here or b) we'd have a long wait for it to grace our shops. How wrong I was! On the off chance that it was available I searched Boots and Superdrug online, and HUZZAH it's in the UK.

One of the Pinterest beauty hacks that I've tried and tested is the baking soda exfoliating scrub/mask. It's a super easy and affordable way to exfoliate or something to use if you've run out of you favourite exfoliating product. It can get a bit messy and frustrating for any bakers in the house when the baking soda has disappeared into a bathroom cupboard (oops). Enter the Biore Baking Soda Liquid Cleanser (rrp £7.99) and the Biore Baking Soda Cleansing Scrub (rrp £4.99). These products have become staples in my every day cleansing routine. I use the liquid cleanser daily and the scrub every other day.

I'm a fan of the liquid cleanser because it doesn't have any microbeads in it. Microbeads became a really popular component in cleansing products as they were used to deliver a burst of a specialist product/ingredient when they are rubbed into the skin. Microbeads have since become a concern in the world of beauty and an environmental concern as it's been discovered that microbeads don't get broken down by water, which results in lots of plastic beads ending up with marine-life. They were/are frequently used in exfoliating products, but not in the Biore scrub! You simply flick up the lid, pour out some baking soda into your hand, add a small amount of water and buff into the skin. You can feel it buffing away but it isn't too abrasive as the particles are SO small. I have fairly sensitive skin and this doesn't cause a reaction. Those with sensitive skin should stick to using this product a few times a week or every other day in your cleansing routine. The scrub doesn't smell like your average baking ingredient, it has a slightly menthol scent and actually reminds me of the old citrus Polos (showing my age?). The Biore baking soda range is available on the Boots and Superdrug websites and in stores.

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Moisture Surge

Brands have started to produce in shower moisturising products. I'm definitely on board for saving time that would be spent moisturising by using a quick and easy product in the shower! Although the accident prone like myself ought to tread with caution, it can get pretty slippery if you are overly generous with the amount you squeeze into your hands!

The only downside is that the bottles of in shower loveliness don't seem to last me very long. One reason for this was that I was unaware that my partner was using it too (!) and because I have a lot of dry skin to cover! I recently saw an Australian blogger mention that she uses Lush massage bars whilst she is in the shower. The massage bars have lots of skin softening ingredients in them and it's a lot harder to over-use a product like that. You may have seen recently that some Lush customers were having problems with the plugholes in their showers. They'd been using the 'Wiccy Magic Muscles' bar that contains aduki beans, the knobbly texture acts well for massaging limbs. Unfortunately the beans were being broken down away from the bar and were being washed down the drain. A few months later some people had an in-shower garden sprouting up! At least we know that they definitely use natural ingredients in their products! At the time I was wondering why on earth they'd been using a massage bar in the shower. Now it makes sense to me.

Of course I'm not going to recommend that particular product. Any other plainer bars would be suitable for this purpose. I selected 'Dirty' a mint chocolate scented bar that looks like it came out of a milk tray, 'Hottie' a deep tissue warming ginger based bar or 'Each Peach (and two's a pear)' a sweet and uplifting citrus scented bar. You can of course use these for their intended purpose or rub them onto limbs as a solid moisturiser.

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Make It Glisten

As festival season approaches our favourite magazines and social media sites will be flooded with images of make-up and clothing trends for the big events of the Summer. This is the first installment of my festival make-up pictorials. I've got a few fairly simple looks which might seem over the top for every day wear but will fit in nicely at music festivals! Think of plenty of glitter, sequins and bold colours and you'll soon master the trends! 

 Apply some eye primer all over the lid to ensure the look stays in place all day. Primer also helps enhance eyeshadow colours and makes them look as they do in the pan/palette. Take a small strip of masking type and remove some of the adhesive on the back of your hand before apply to the skin. Make a line from the outer corner of the eye to where your eyebrow ends to create a flick shape. 

 Take a neutral brown eyeshadow on a flat brush and apply all over the lid. Next, take a slightly darker brown and blend it into the outer corner of the eye and into the crease to define the eyelid. Take the shadow right up to the tape. 

 Remove the tape to reveal a sharp flick. Take a fluffy brush to blend out the line slightly. 

 Use a soft black khol liner to tightline the upper waterline. Curl eyelashes and apply mascara, preferably waterproof mascara if you're attending a British festival as rain is inevitable!

 Using your favourite eyebrow products, define your brows to make them look sharp! 

Apply some eyelash glue to the skin just below your eyebrows. Allow the glue to become slightly tacky to the touch before applying some glitter. I used some Eyelure glue which will dry clear, and I used some large glitter from Topshop's make-up collection. 

The application doesn't need to be neat! Attempt to keep it concentrated in a line underneath the eyebrows. Use a small make-up brush such as a flat lip liner brush, make it slightly damp with some water and dip it into the glitter. A damp brush makes it easier to pick up the glitter to apply it to the skin! You can leave the look here or add some eyeshadow to the lower lash line. Match the shadow to the glitter for an additional pop of colour and smudge it up into a flick against the eyeshadow on the lid. 

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