June favourites

Skincare

Nuxe Gentle Exfoliating Face Gel – Very gentle on my 
sensitive skin so I’ve been using this face scrub 2/3 times 
a week.  I bought this in France but I found thisebay seller 
sells in the UK too.

La Roche Posay Effaclar Mat - I use this as a moisturiser/primer.  
I was watching a Sally Hughes video a while ago where she 
said you have to pat it onto the top of your skin rather than 
rubbing it in like a moisturiser.  This method works so well 
before I apply my foundation.

Origins Super Spot Remover - I think I'm now on my third 
little bottle but nothing else helps my spots quite like this.

Soap & Glory Breakfast Scrub – Ohemgee, this stuff 
smells amazing and leaves my skin baby soft.

Makeup

Benefit They're Real mascara - Last month I raved about 
the Lush Eyes Right mascara but I'm a fickle girl.  Believe 
what you hear, this stuff is amazing.

Mac Patisserie - I finally got round to buying this and I 
think I've worn it basically everyday since then! 
The perfect glossy 'my lips but better' shade.

Benefit Hervana blusher - The perfect summer blusher, 
and I'm really impressed with the lasting power.

What have you guys been loving this month?

New In: Neal's Yard Remedies

If you follow me on Instagram (floralteaparty) you may have noticed I had a little Neal's Yard Remedies, COS and Boots splurge the other week.  Here's my Neal's Yard goodies.  This month InStyle magazine are giving away a free Power Berry moisturiser plus there's a 20% discount voucher inside the magazine.

I decided to put the voucher to good use, and bought the Palmarosa Skincare Essential's Kit, which is aimed at oily skin.  Although in winter my skin can be dry/dehydrated I find in summer it goes a bit oily, haywire really.  This trial kit contains a 50ml facial wash, 50ml moisturiser and a 10ml mattifier and was £25.  I also picked up the Palmaroser which was £15.50 for 200ml.  The woman was so helpful and was very generous with the samples.  She gave me three samples of the Palmarosa mattifier and three of the White Tea eye gel. The only thing I've tried out so far is the mattifier, which is ah-mazing.  I use this on my forehead and chin, over my moisturiser and under foundation and it really helps keep shine at bay.  I can't wait to try out my other products! Have you tried anything from Neal's Yard recently? 

Pukka Cleanse Tea

When I was home for Christmas, I picked up this Pukka 'cleanse' tea in my local Jan de Vries health shop.  I then went back to France for the rest of my year abroad and forgot all about it.  When I came home last month I found it languishing at the back of the kitchen cupboard and decided to use it up.  In the description, it claims to 'purify your skin and maintain a healthy, glowing complexion' and it contains nettle, fennel, peppermint and dandelion.  First things first, I don't really appreciate the taste of this. It contains licorice, which I think is a bit love or hate.  However, it's not too strong, so if I drink this quickly I don't find the taste too offensive.  I usually drink this before bed and it really helps me to sleep.

Now for the most important bit, does it actually help your skin? I've been drinking this about three times a week for five or six weeks now and I do think my skin is less clogged and has a bit more radiance.  The problem is, and I'm sure this is the case for most people, it's hard to know if this is down to the tea or other factors like my diet or skincare routine.  I do think this doesn't do any harm to your skin, and if I drink this during my er, hormonal times, it helps a lot.  To be honest I think this does the same job as any other type/flavour of herbal tea.  As I prefer the taste of peppermint or camomile tea, I think I'll go back to them once I've used these teabags up.  Have you tried this tea before?

Current Skincare Wants

Origins Zero Oil Cleanser - With the hot weather my skin is a lot oilier, even though it's usually on the drier side.  I visited the Origins counter on Friday and the woman suggested their Zero Oil cleanser, which is now first on my wishlist.  
Trilogy Organic Rosehip Oil - I've just finished up my Nuxe Dry Oil which I absolutely love.  I can't decide whether to repurchase this or try out the Trilogy one, which I've heard so many good things about.  Decisions decisions.  
Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream - I'm nearing the end of my Avene Soothing Eye Contour Cream, and have itchy feet to try something new.  I think it was on Suzie's blog I first read about this Balance Me eye cream which sounds really impressive.  
Origins Ginzing Moisturiser - Finally a newer product, I've never tried the Origins Ginzing Eye Cream but I'm really tempted by the new moisturiser.  I think £23 for an Origins moisturiser is fairly affordable, but I might wait till winter to pick this up when my skin needs more of an energy boost.  

May Favourites

Here's my May favourites, I didn't even have to think what to include as these products have been getting so much love from me recently!

Skincare
Superfacialist Tea Flower Clay Mask - I leave this face mask on for five minutes and can see instant results when I wash it off.  I've been using this once or twice a week recently and it's a lovely product.
Nuxe Dry Oil - This is just amazing! I apply a thin layer before my moisturiser at night and in the morning my skin is glowing.  It helps to even out both dry patches and combat oiliness.
Avene Soothing Eye Contour Cream - This is my favourite eye cream, it's very gentle and really helps soothe tired eyes.

Makeup
No 7 BB Cream - This is the first BB cream I've ever got along with.  As it's designed for oily skin, it doesn't make my face look like an oilslick like most other BB creams I've tried.  I've been wearing this on its own with concealer most days this month and I'm really not missing my usual heavy foundations!
Kiko Blusher - This is the perfect bright pink blusher for summer.  I just need a tiny amount and it lasts all day too.
Lush Eyes Right Mascara - This is the only mascara I've ever re-purchased!  The small brush means it's great for corner lashes, and it's good for volume too.
Benefit Boi-ing Concealer in 01 - This is my new wonder product, I even made my sister buy it!  It's great for undereyes, redness and blemishes, such an all-rounder.
EcoTools Concealer brush - I use this to apply the Benefit concealer, it's the perfect size for concealing the undereye area.

Have you tried any of these products?  What are you favourite products this month? 

New in: Ren, Essie & Revlon

                                           Essie nail varnish in Maximilien Strasse Hier 
                                           Revlon Nearly Naked foundation in 120 Vanilla
                                           Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in Honey
                                          REN glycolactic Radiance Renewal mask

So I went into Superdrug the other day meaning to treat myself to a new Essie nail varnish.   Once in Superdrug I realised they had a 3 for 2 on, and somehow ended up buying the Revlon Nearly Naked foundation, a Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in Honey (never tried these before but I like it so far!) and the Essie varnish (please don't make me type out the name again!).  THEN I remembered that my mum had given me a 20% off voucher for Marks & Spencer.  A few months ago, the Marks & Spencer's on Argyle St Glasgow opened a new beauty hall with brands such as Nuxe, Ren, Apivita and Pur Minerals.  It is incredible and I could happily spend all day perusing the aisles of skincare, makeup, hair products and body care.  I've read so many amazing things recently about the Ren Glycolactic Radiance Renewal mask but at £30 I couldn't quite justify it.  Getting it at £24 is still expensive but I tried it out last night -worth every penny.  Now please don't let me buy anything else for the foreseeable future, this is ridiculous.

PS. I've also made a bloglovin' page so you can follow me over there too if you like! :)

I can see clearly now …

Sorry for the cheesy title, I couldn’t help myself.  Today’s post is about some of my favourite eye care products.  I wear contact lenses, and sometimes worry incase I pull or drag at the skin under my eyes when putting them in or removing them.  Lovely image for you there.  So here's a few products I use to help with this.

1.   Simple Revitalising Eye Roll-On - I only bought this a few weeks ago but I really like it so far.  I apply in the mornings and it really brightens up my eyes.

2.   Avene Soothing Eye Contour Cream – I bought this in a French pharmacy a few months ago and use it most nights before bed.  It’s soothing on my eyes and I wake up to smooth skin around my eyes in the morning. 

3.   Clinique All About Eyes Rich – I use this a few times a month.  It’s much thicker than the Avene cream, and is a good pamper product.  At £24 for 15ml, this is a bit much for my student budget.  I probably won't be repurchasing this, but a lovely product nonetheless.

4.   Liz Earle Eyebright – I’ve been using this for years, both to soothe tired eyes and to remove makeup.  Since discovering Bioderma I’ve stopped using this for the latter, but I still like to swoosh some of this on a cotton pad over my eyes if they’re a bit red or puffy.  I always have a bottle of this for emergencies.  Ahem, it’s also nice and soothing on hungover eyes too.

Have you tried any of these products before? What do you use on your eyes?