My Dry Skin Saviours

Now I don't know about you but the winter weather plays havoc on my skin! Every winter I get ridiculously dry skin especially on my hands. This year, however, adding pregnancy into the mix my skin has been horrendous. It's been very sensitive aswell which makes having dry skin very painful. So I thought I would do a post about what dry skin products have been saving my life this very cold winter.

First off lets start with a real gem that I've found! The Garnier Intensive 7 Days Ultra-Replenishing Lotion. Its specifically designed for very dry skin and because it is formulated with Shea Butter it not only smells amazing but it makes my skin feel so smooth and soft for ages after. I beg to differ about how it claims that hydration is felt for up to 7 days but as I like to apply moisturiser every day I'm not too fussed about it not lasting. It's fast absorbing aswell which is great for after I've gotten out of the bath in the evenings and all I want to do is get into my jarmies and climb straight into my warm bed, as I'm not stood for ages waiting for my moisturiser to dry. Overall, I have been very impressed with this product and how hydrating and kind it is to my very sensitive skin!

Next I have been using Avon's Skin So Soft Tissue Oil. I bought this because the skin on my tummy has been very sore and itchy lately which makes me think that stretch marks are getting ready to make an appearance! I'd read somewhere that applying an oil to stretch marks is better than applying a cream so thought I would give this a try. It's formulated with Phytol, Vitamin A and Vitamin B. Its also enriched with Argan Oil which leaves my skin feeling gorgeous and it smells lovely too. I have been using this on my stomach, hips and boobs in the hope I won't get really bad stretch marks, even though I'm well aware that stretch marks are inevitable I'm still going to try to reduce them. 

Moving onto my hands which I feel are the worst out of all my dry skin dramas of the moment! I like to use anti-bacterial gel on my hands which really strips my skin of all its natural moisture. So when the skin on my hands gets so bad like it is now, I whip out the big guns! The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector for very dry skin. Hemp oil is a great way to restore moisture and nutrients to the skin and after only one application of this hand cream I notice a huge difference. It really relieves the pain of having dry skin, and because of all this we can forgive the awful stench that hemp has!

Finally, my lips are always dry. All year round! I don't know what it is but I always have dry flaky lips. It's horrible! So, recently I have been using Maybelline's Baby Lips Intense Care. I apply this to my lips whenever I remember to during the day and it definitely makes a difference. My lips feel instantly soft and hydrated. I always have to apply this before applying lipstick as otherwise the lipstick just clings to the dry skin and looks awful. 

So those are my dry skin saviours this year! What have you been using to keep dry skin at bay this winter?

Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Haul

Hello my gorgeous people! I've done it again, I've had a little bit of a naughty spend. I am really trying hard to look after my money lately, but sometimes I just can't help myself. I've always been bad with money and if I want something I just go ahead and get it, not thinking of the consequences. I know, I'm terrible! 

I don't feel TOO bad about these purchases because two of them I have had my eye on for ages and that's the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Peach Club. I got this from Boots for £8.99. I've wanted one of these for a while because I've really been on the hunt for a lipstick that will stay put all day and this really does that, even after eating which is great. I also bought the Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Sugar Apple from Superdrug for £3.99. I LOVE this colour, its so bright and summery and let's be honest we are not getting much of a summer at the minute, so I've decided to let my nails be the summer!

Next, I went to The Body Shop. When I say to my husband 'ooo let's go into The Body Shop' I always get the same eye-roll 'you're not spending loads' line! But it never ever stops me. I went in originally to have a look for the Blueberry body butter but I ended up buying the Olive one instead because I much preferred it. I mean let's be honest, I probably have enough body butter in my bathroom to last me the rest of my life but this was £5! They're usually £13 so I was super duper excited that they were reduced, I almost bought two but I was a very good beauty blogger and only bought the one. Yep, I deserve some sort of medal for that! I also bought from The Body Shop this Colour Crush eyeshadow in Melt My Heart. I really love the eyehshadows from The Body Shop, and this goldy brown colour is definitely one I would wear every day so well worth the £7 it cost.

So that's my naughty little haul for the week, no doubt there will be another next week. 

I HAVE NO RESTRAINT!

Shower OCD

I sometimes find it fun to co-ordinate my bathroom for when I'm in the bath and shower. Yes, I am a complete freak. You should be used to this by now ;)

Here are a few examples of my Shower OCD...

Avon Strawberry Sorbet bubble bath, SuperDrug Strawberry & Raspberry shower gel, Alberto Balsam Raspberry shampoo, The Body Shop Strawberry body butter.

The Body Shop Coconut Cream body scrub, Nivea Creme Coconut shower cream and The Body Shop Coconut body butter.

Radox Relax shower gel, Avon Blackberries & Vanilla bubble bath and The Body Shop Passion Fruit body butter.

Do you like to couple your shower products according to scent or colour, or is it just me?

May Favourites

I honestly can't believe that it is June already. Talk about this year flying over, it is 206 days until Christmas. Yeah I know, crazy! So because its June, we all know what that means! May favourites time, hoorah. Here are the products I have been loving in May.

First off we'll start with my Avon Gel Finish. I bought a couple of colours from this range and I love them, I think they're really good for not chipping. The colour I have here is Dazzle Pink and I find that this is really lovely to wear for work when you want something not quite nude but not too in your face.

Next is the Skin Wow Highlighter from Seventeen. I mix this with my moisturiser and apply it as a primer. I find that I can't wear a proper makeup primer as they dry my skin out even more than it already is so I have to wear moisturiser under my foundation and this highlighter makes my skin appear bright and healthy, just what my skin needs at the minute with all this dull weather we've been having!

Next is a body spray from Avon in the scent Incandessence. I really love this smell and its great for using before work when I want to make sure I stay smelling delightful all day long!

On to my Real Techniques Buffing Brush. I can't even tell you how much I have been loving the Real Techniques range at the minute, especially this buffing brush. Its great for buffing in foundation and I also use it for buffing down my blusher if its too bright and for making sure my concealer is buffed right in also.

Another product I wanted to include in my May Favourites is my Dolce & Gabbana 3 L'Impératrice perfume. I got this for my birthday in February off my sister in laws and I really adore the smell, but for some reason I stopped wearing perfume all together but recently have started wearing it again, and I find every morning I reach for this perfume above all my others.

Another May Favourite has been my Avon Cocoa Butter Hand Cream. As I've mentioned in previous posts I get horrible dry skin, especially on my hands and my go to hand cream of this month has been the cocoa butter because it smells so delicious!

Finally, is a little something for my dry lips. The Body Shop's Born Lippy in Raspberry. Not only does this smell gorgeous but it really helps with my dry lips and I have definitely noticed a difference since I have been using this.

So that's it for May. I can't believe its over already! Here's to going on to June and hopefully some much nicer weather! xx

Natural Everyday Makeup Look

On an average day I don't do anything extravagant with my makeup. I like to spend no more than 10 minutes of a morning applying my makeup, so I like to keep it nice and natural. Here are the products I used to achieve this look.. 

For the base:

The Body Shop's Vitamin E Illuminating Moisture Cream

Seventeen's Skin Wow! 3-Way Highlighter

Avon's Ideal Flawless Foundation in colour Shell

Rimmel's Wake Me Up Concealer in colour Ivory

Sheer Cover's conceal & brighten trio in colour Light/Medium

For the cheeks:

MUA blusher in colour CandyFloss

For the eyes:

Avon's eyeshadow primer in colour Light Beige

The Body Shop's Colour Crush eyeshadow in colour Oh, Honey

Rimmel's Scandal Eyes Thick and Thin Eyeliner in colour Black

Avon's Mega Effects Mascara in colour Blackest Black

For the brows:

Anastasia Brow Wiz in colour Brunette

MAC eyeshadow in colour Bateau

For the lips:

MAC CremeSheen in colour Sunny Seoul

I managed to link all the products I used except from my Mac eyeshadow, I think they must have discontinued it but I'm sure you'll be able to find a similar colour.

The Body Shop Body Sorbet

I have seen a couple of posts now about these body sorbets by The Body Shop by people who are fortunate enough to have tried them before they are released, and my goodness am I bloody excited for the release! Everyone knows how much I not only love The Body Shop, but more specifically their body butters. So you can imagine my excitement at the prospect of a new body moisturising product! 

They aren't releasing this product until the 16th July, but you can bet your bottom that I am going to be first in line to try these. They come in five flavours; Pink Grapefruit, Mango, Moringa, Strawberry and Satsuma. The ones I'm thinking I will love are Pink Grapefruit, Strawberry and Mango! I'm not sure how much these will be selling for as they aren't giving away too much on their website, but when it comes to The Body Shop I could spend a fortune! 

I do know that the selling point on these body sorbets is that they are light and fast absorbing, more so than your average moisturiser. They are supposed to absorb into your skin straight away making it easier to get dressed quicker after a shower, without feeling sticky. They're apparently going to leave your body instantly moisturised, and offering up to 24 hours of hydration! Also, they're supposed to be great to be used as an after sun and The Body Shop recommened putting them in the fridge to give that extra relief on your sunburnt skin. So great to take on holiday! (If I was going abroad this year, which I'm not. Boohoo!)

So, its safe to say that I am extremely excited to try these body sorbets and if they will live up to the hype! I will let you all know when I have mine :) 

The Body Shop Body Butters ¦ Review

Anyone who knows me knows how much I am in love with The Body Shop. Not only just The Body Shop, but more specifically the body butters from The Body Shop. I simply cannot get enough of them. There is nothing I love more than climbing out of a gorgeous hot shower of a morning and lathering on a thick layer of beautifully rich body butter. I have been demanded by my husband that I am strictly banned from buying anymore body butters until I have used all the ones that I have. Well, what he doesn't know won't harm him!

My ultimate favourite scent from The Body Shop is all things strawberry! So I was overjoyed when I learnt they had a strawberry body butter (hydration for normal skin). So not only could I smell like a strawberry in the shower, but I could smell like one all day after my shower. The body butters are so rich that they leave their fragrance on your skin for the whole day. So when I'm overheated from running round work on a busy day, I am not only as red as a strawberry, but I smell like one too! It's awesome! On the tubs they have the 24hour sign, and I definitely agree that they leave your skin feeling soft for this long. They are all made with Shea Butter so no wonder they leave your skin so soft! 

Not only does the scent stay on your skin all day, but so does the softness the butters bring. Unlike moisturisers which I find just soak into the skin within an hour or so and leave no lasting impact, the butters leave your skin feeling soft and hydrated for the full day, which is great, the scent is just an added bonus!

All the body butters are 200ml, 6.7Oz, 912g. I have found that even though I lather on these body butters like they're going out of fashion they last for ages. So they are totally worth spending the quite expensive £13 that they cost.

What's even greater about The Body Shop is that they use all Community Fair Trade products and ingredients so even though I'm not a major Fair Trade fanatic, it's still nice to know that while I'm in body butter heaven, I am doing my bit for the community.  

Other body butters that I have are the Ginger Sparkle (hydration for all skin types), Passionfruit (hydration for dry skin) and the Coconut body butter (hydration for dry skin), each smelling absolutely divine. 

It's always a good idea to keep your eye on the sale section too because I had been lusting after the Passionfruit body butter for months but the hubbie had already put the ban on no more body butters, so when I went into The Body Shop on my birthday to get my free gift, I was so excited to find that the Passionfruit butter was in the sale section for £5!! Absolute bargain, and SO worth it! 

I have also noticed that they have introduced a new Special Edition body butter smelling of blueberry and it smells so good! I asked the sale assistant how long they were keeping it in stock and she said roughly about 4 months, so plenty of time to talk my husband round! 

If you love the feeling of soft skin, and of a gorgeous smelling, long lasting body butter, then I definitely recommend you get down to your nearest Body Shop and get lost in the endless choice of Body Butters they have! You're welcome in advance ;)