Sweet Patisserie: Zoella Beauty

 I recently picked up a few products from the third range from Zoella Beauty. Following the original collection and her second tutti fruiti range, this time around is the 'Sweet Inspirations' collection with a macaron fragrance. If you're not familiar with the French fancies, macarons have a sweet vanilla and almond scent. Each range she develops gets better and better. I particularly love the packaging of this range, it's very sophisticated with art nouveau inspired patterns and is remenicsent of all things from the roaring twenties and 2013's film adapation of 'The Great Gatsby'. My favourite product from the range so far is the body mist. I've purchased all three that she has released so far and this is by far my favourite! The fragrance is incredibly sophisticated and yet it retails for only £8.00.

A few of the products have returned again but have been infused with the 'Sweet Inspirations' fragrance. This time around the effervescent bath fizzers are a bit larger but still retail for £5.00 and the formula still packs a punch when you pop them in the bath. The body cream has returned after it's successful debut in the first collection. I didn't manage to try the original formula but I already love the Double Créme body lotion, please don't dollop this on top of your strawberries! It's super moisturising and has a subtle sweet scent which isn't too overpowering and won't conflict with any perfume you spritz on during the day. A brand new product is the Body Fondant (£10.00). It looks like it should be on a classy vanity table with it's luxury powder puff, the packaging looks like it belongs in a French boutique! This is essentially a solid, creamy bronzer. This can be used on the body for a subtle shimmer, particularly good for the upcoming Summer months to give legs a bronzed glow. The packaging is super lightweight which makes it an ideal product to take with you on a Summer getaway!

Zoe's products are available in Superdrug stores, on the Superdrug website and on Feel Unique.

Follow  

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.

Follow  

Christmas Gifting: Ghost Fragrance Bauble

Christmas is around the corner! Hopefully you aren't in panic buying mode, but if you are perhaps this post could be a helpful steer. This week's offering is a fragrance encased in a bauble! I've seen these advertised in a few Christmas gift magazines from the likes of Boots, Superdrug and Feel Unique. Firstly they look adorable! The bauble itself could be reused and up-cycled with glitter, figurines, feathers or anything else for a tree decoration next year.

Secondly, this is the perfect stocking filler or small present to accompany another gift you already have for someone. I've never tried any fragrances from Ghost, so these seem like a perfect way to do so. The bottle is more than your average teeny sample size, but smaller than the smallest bottle available at fragrance counters. They have a few scents in this format for Christmas, but they have been selling out quickly every time they're restocked online, so keep a sharp eye on the lookout for them in stores and online! I will not list the price here just in case the recipient of the ones I've bought read the blog!

Christmas Gifting: Tanya Burr Candy Glam

This week is the first of a few Christmas gifting posts. I'm starting with the beautiful 'Candy Glam' Christmas palette from Tanya Burr beauty. If you didn't already know, Tanya Burr is one of THE most successful British beauty bloggers/vloggers, you can currently see her gracing the cover of Glamour UK magazine (a peek of which can be seen in the top photo). I've tried a few of the lipglosses from her range and have loved the quality of them!

This palette once again has not disappointed. Within it's gorgeous packaging which echoes the colour scheme of the rest of her range, you'll find 9 gorgeous Autumnal/Winter eyeshadows, a neutral lipgloss, bronzer and blush. I can't wait to experiment with the eyeshadows, particularly the cranberry shade 'Plumberry' which will be perfect for Christmas day or Christmas party make up looks. There are some lovely shimmery highlight shades as well as smokey tones to create dramatic stand out eye make up looks. I'd recommend using 'Snowflake' under the brow bone for a pop of highlight, and 'Starry Night' in the inner corner of the eye for some added shimmer to open up the eyes.

Much like the rest of her range, this palette is really affordable for the amount of products you get for £10. This palette provides a perfect variety if you want to try out the brand for the first time. Be sure to keep an eye out for this, it has already been incredibly popular! Tanya Burr Beauty is available at Feel Unique and also on the Superdrug website and selected Superdrug stores.