PrettyPottering

Soap and Glory Smoothie Star Body Milk

I'm a bit lazy when it comes to moisturising my body. I never really bother unless I'm having a bit of a pamper session and even then I get so frustrated waiting for it to sink in before I can comfortably put clothes on!

Soap and Glory's Smoothie Star Body Milk has come to my rescue! As it's a body 'milk' the formula isn't thick like say S&G's 'The Righteous Butter' (which I would probably use on those rare pampering sessions) and so I've found it doesn't take nearly as long to sink into the skin. However, this does not compromise the moisturising power and the skin is left feeling soft, smooth, hydrated and smelling like a dream.

I really love this product as it's so easy and quick to use. Before, where I 99% of the time wouldn't have bothered to moisturise my body it has now become a normal part of my routine. I think this huge bottle will last me a while but I will definitely be repurchasing when I run out!

Unnecessary Essentials

Sorry about the crappy picture!

So today I might have got a bit bored of doing work and might have accidentally stumbled into town and accidentally broke my 'no spending on beauty products' rule... but I had a £20 off a £40 spend in Body Shop voucher (from vouchercodes.co.uk) and I just could not resist!

I picked up...

The Body Shop Mini Brush Kit - I have recently noticed a severe lack of make up brushes in my possession and thought it would be nice to give these a try. They're teenie-tiny but I think I'll get a lot of use out of them.

The Body Shop Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask - I've been on the look out for a facial mask to try for a while. I have never tried anything like this before but have quite high hopes!

The Body Shop Aloe Lip Care - My lips are horrible in the winter. They get so chapped and can become really quite painful so I picked up this lip treatment in the hope that it will help keep my lips soft and moisturised.

The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Reviver - I think this works kind of like a primer - it says to apply after moisturiser but before make up. I've tried it on the back of my hand and it has quite a weird consistancy. It actually feels similar to Benefit's Porefessional. It made my skin feel really smooth. I'll see how it compares as Porefessional is a staple in my make up bag! This also smells lovely - like oranges!

OPI 'Let's Seal the Deal' - I might also have stumbled across to John Lewis with no real intentions in mind until I saw this OPI set for £18.55. Basically you buy the OPI Nail Envy and get the OPI Rapidry Top Coat free, which as I had been thinking about purchasing Nail Envy anyway was too good a deal to miss out on! I've used both already tonight and will report back soon.

Batiste Dry Shampoo - I don't really know why I have included this, it's nothing exciting but an essential in my mind - I really do miss it when I run out unprepared!

You can expect reviews on these products soon! I have been trying my best to blog every day as that is what I LOVE and look for in blogs that I choose to follow. While that's not always possible due to uni/work/sleep/life it's really motivating to have started to receive comments and new followers. At this stage in a blogs life it's really exciting and sometimes I just wish I could blog all day long!

MUA Pro-Brow Kit

Alongside their standard range MUA also have a 'professional' range which if you follow their page on Facebook you'll know seems to be growing every day with new products. I picked up this eyebrow kit in Superdrug for a tiny £3.50.

The kit contains three different shades plus a setting wax, a double ended brush and a pair of mini tweezers. The light brown colour above the wax is a good match for me so points are scored straight away! The lightest shade can also be used as an under-brow highlighter. I find the wax a useful addition to this palette as I usually use the HD Brows Brow Beater but this condenses the products I need to carry in my make up bag. I'm not very impressed with the brush, it's fine and it's workable but I actually choose to use the brush out of my HD Brows palette (more on that later). The tweezers are also not the most amazing pair I've ever used (they are quite stiff) but they work and it's handy to have them within the kit.

I do feel however, that any complaints I do have with this palette are slightly irrelevant due to the pricing! I paid a mere £3.50 for this. At that price I was not expecting amazing quality (although the quality is a lot better than you probably would expect!) and if you remember that then this is actually an amazing product and outstanding value for money. The powder is pigmented yet blendable, the wax works really well at setting the hairs in place and the mirror which comes inside the kit is really useful.

As I mentioned I do have the HD brows palette which I got in a Glossybox. Unfortunately the one I received did not contain the right colours for me but I have used it a couple of times mixed with various eye shadows to create a suitable shade - so I am able to give a vague comparison. Visually, I don't really rate the HD Brows kit over MUA - they are both very similar. As I mentioned I do use the brush from the HD brows palette with the MUA palette as it is better than the MUA one but for the price difference (£18.45 for HD Brows, £3.50 for MUA) this is a minor issue and to buy a brush suitable for this I'm sure would not be too expensive. The MUA palette is definitely an amazing and much more affordable dupe.

Overall, another impressive product from MUA - great value for money!

Benefit Total Moisture Facial Cream

I think I may be going a bit crazy. It's so unlike me to even CONSIDER purchasing a moisturiser for somewhere between £20-30. Sadly, I am coming to the end of this mini Benefit Total Moisture facial cream, which I've come to love! Why?...

Firstly, the packaging. I think it may be the cutest moisturiser I have ever seen! As I said this is a mini version, which comes in this little glass screw top pot. It is the perfect size to put in my make up bag (ideal as I live between two places and travel a lot!) and if I did decide to fork out for the full size I would probably keep this pot and dispense into it from the big one.

It has a very fresh fragrance to it which when it comes to facial products I usually much prefer as opposed to synthetic perfume smells. Once when I had just applied this to my face my boyfriend asked if I had sun cream on - which I suppose is a fair description but I think it's a very lovely sun cream smell!

Onto the important bit... When I use this I feel as though my face looks/feels really bright and fresh and super hydrated. It's perfect for wearing under make up as while it's quite a thick formula it's not greasy in the slightest. I think it feels really luxurious and is so refreshing, I really don't think I can convince myself that I don't need this.. I'll just have to buy it!

You do have two options if you were considering purchasing this though! You can get it as part of a mini Benefit skin care set (which is how I have this) which is perfect if you would like to try a few of Benefit's main skincare products without committing to the somewhat pricey full-size versions. The set usually costs around £10 - at that price I definitely recommend you give it a try as the other products are also amazing! OR you can dive straight in and purchase the full size product which I think is around £26 at most places.

Benefit They're Real! Mascara

A few posts ago I declared my love for the Soap and Glory Thick & Fast Mascara, and I was pretty sure I'd never need another mascara ever again! Then I got this mini They're Real! mascara as part of the Benefit Upgrade to Gorgeous gift set and after reading more and more raving reviews I would be a very bad and silly blogger if I didn't give it a go.

Benefit They're Real Mascara

These were my results! The lashes clearly are looking a lot thicker, seperated and I was really impressed by how much longer they look. I also noticed the lack of black speckles which I have previously experienced forming underneath my eyes from flaky mascara throughout the day. The marketing point Benefit have clearly focused on is how this mascara looks as if you could be wearing false eyelashes, I'd say this definitely achieves this, I'm super impressed!

If I was to choose between my previous love of the Soap and Glory mascara however, I think I would still choose S&G purely because of the bristle brush. I don't know what it is about these plastic brushes that I don't like - I just much prefer the old school ones! I do like how this particular brush has the bristles on the tip of the brush though, it makes getting those little lashes in the corner of your eye a lot easier!

Soap & Glory Peaches and Clean Deep Cleansing Milk

Soap & Glory Peaches and Clean

Peaches and Clean is a '4-in-1 wash off deep cleansing milk' which claims to purify, energise and remove make up. I like this product as I think it's a real 'I just want to go to bed and not have to endure the whole skincare regime' kind of thing. It removes make up easily and although the instructions say to just rub it in to the skin and wash it off I find it works to remove eye make up if you just use a cotton wool pad to do so. I realise if you were feeling that lazy you would perhaps just use a make up wipe but I think this gives you a little extra in terms of cleansing and softening the skin. I also sometimes like to use this in the mornings as it is very refreshing and energising. Whenever I use it though I feel my skin definitely needs some moisturiser afterwards as while it feels smooth and soft it does not feel very hydrated.

As to be expected with S&G it smells gorgeous! It actually smells like some sweets my dad sometimes buys from Aldi which come in a tin, kind of minty and I think the sweets are pomegranate? Obviously I'm guessing the smell is meant to be peaches though. (I apologise for my awful fragrance descriptions, someone needs to invent smelly-vision already!) It's very refreshing whatever it is!

The label says it contains fruit acids to smooth the skin, Quillaja bark - a natural 'soap', Jojoba oil (always raved about) which softens the skin, Detoxyboost technology which helps to purify and deep clean and Poreshrink R2 which gives a clearer, fresher and softer complexion. It also says that it contains a 'special clogged T-zone formula' and since using this I have to say I have noticed a fair difference in my oily T-zone. It doesn't seem to get as 'shiny' as it usually does throughout the day.

The only thing that I find a bit strange with this product is a little warning on the back of the bottle about the fact that it contains 'exfoliating alpha hydroxy acids, which can make your skin photosensitive' which after reading up on actually seems rather nasty! For this reason I try not to use this too often on my fair skin, but I figure if it was a real danger the product would not be allowed to be sold. I would recommend reading up on this if you are considering purchasing though as you may have a different opinion and this product may not be for you.

BTW... I feel like I may be bombarding my blog a bit with S&G, I just own a lot of it and I do really love it so I feel that their brilliance needs to be shared! I promise I do use other brands too!

John Frieda Full Repair Deep Conditioner

My poor hair has fell victim to years and years of heat abuse, hair dye and general neglection. I am currently on a conquest to make it shiny, healthy and longer but I simply cannot stop using the heated tools as without them my hair is one big frizzy mess! So to compensate for this I am on the hunt for an amazing hair product that will improve the overall quality of my hair, but one that doesn't break the bank obviously! Does this exist!?!

It quite possibly could! This product claims that it 'penetrates deep and repairs the look and feel of overstyled hair, reducing the risk of breakage. Damaged hair becomes silky and full.'

After shampooing, you simply apply this mostly to the ends of your hair and a little bit to the rest of it, brush through, leave for five minutes then rinse. The first time I used this I wasn't very impressed but I blame my bad judge of timing and the fact that I didn't leave it in long enough, because the second time I tried it (and actually timed it) it was so much better! As soon as it came to the rinsing I could feel a difference in my hair, it felt so soft and smooth. When drying and straightening afterwards I could feel my hair was a lot softer but also stronger and very healthy looking! I now use this around once a week instead of my usual conditioner just to give my hair a little boost. I don't think this is THE product that I am looking for, but I am glad to have found it and I am more than happy to stick with this until something even better comes along!

MUA Blush Perfection Cream Blusher

I have never tried a cream blusher before but in true MUA style this looked like a real bargain and I have read nothing but good reviews about their cream blushers so I decided to give it a go (wow, the word 'blush' begins to look very strange after you've typed it a few times).

To begin with I wasn't entirely sure how I should apply this and there was no suggestions of how to do so, so I've given it a go with both my fingers and my real techniques contour brush. The finger application technique worked fine but it obviously left my fingers covered in the stuff which was slightly inconvenient. So I have decided that the brush application was better suited.

This is the 'Blossom' shade which is perfect for me. It's not too pinky which I usually look for in a blusher and it's a very buildable colour which can be handy depending on the look you are going for. I actually really like the cream formula which I wasn't actually too keen on the thought of before I tried it. It's easy to apply and I found it can be blended in easier than a powder could be. I was concerned about the staying power but it really impressed me.

At just £2 I think this is another absolute gem product from MUA and for the time being I would definitely say I'm a cream blusher convert!

Wishlist #1

1. Nike trainers - This is a bit of a strange one as I haven't worn trainers for years, but I think they look really cool and I know they would be super comfy. I do wonder what I would actually wear trainers with, there's just so many different types and colours I'd have to spend a good bit of time trying to find the perfect ones for me!

2 & 3. Topshop Shirt and Jumper - I am going to make a concious effort to stop buying more and more unnecessary beauty products and concentrate more on my wardrobe (or lack of it). I hardly ever buy actual clothes but I have loads of jewellery, bags and accessories. These two items from Topshop are simple, easy to wear pieces of clothing that I know I'd get a lot of use out of!

4. Disco Pants - Now these, I'm not really sure about! I think you have to have a very particular style and figure to pull these off however it really does seem like everyone and their mum owns a pair and swears by them. If I were to purchase I would definitely not fork out for the proper American Apparel ones straight away as although I do really like them, I'm almost certain I will feel silly wearing them. I just want to see what the fuss is about!

5. iPad Mini - This started off as a bit of a 'hmm I would like one but I'm sensible and know I don't really need one' and has become a bit of a 'THEY'RE AMAZING I CAN'T GO A DAY LONGER WITHOUT ONE'. I think it would be very useful and especially being the mini version it's so portable and super cute! It's my birthday in March so I'm planning on saving some money up before then and maybe asking my parents to pay the rest or something along those lines!

Soap & Glory Mist You Madly Body Spray

Soap & Glory Mist You Madly

I think this may be one of those products that everyone has, but just in case you don't, I feel that I should share with you as you really do need this in your life!

Mist You Madly body spray is simply a floral mist spray which I personally cannot get enough of! I spray it all over me as soon as I get out of the shower and the gorgeous smell lingers on the skin all day. Literally until I next have a shower the smell doesn't fade which I think is amazing. This is at least my third bottle and I will continue to repurchase this forever and ever. They do have alternative fragrances available which are also lovely, so you can find the best one to suit you.