Skincare Wonders!

Last week I indulged in a selection of new skincare products I wanted to try out. My eczema drives me up the wall at the best of times due to the dry patches I get on my face leaving it feeling itchy and red. I've tried covering up the red blotches with concealers and cover up-sticks but they only dry my skin out more! The key for me has to be soothing the skin.

Last week a friend of mine introduced me to Forever Living - she had signed up to be a distributor and was raving about the amazing business opportunity they offered. I was instantly interested and once I laid my eyes on the aloe vera based products I was hooked! Aloe vera has soothing and healing qualities making it great for people prone to eczema, psoriasis and scars - um, hi!

For a week now I have been using the following, and the difference they are making is crazy.

Aloe Vera Gelly

I have been putting this on every night just before bed, after I've washed my face. It's been keeping my skin hydrated and protected over night, and I wake up in the morning with skin smooth as a baby's bum! Dry patches remain but soothed and softened. Due to its healing properties this can also be used to calm sunburnt skin, on scars and to soothe skin after electrolysis. My friend even uses this on her pets!

Aloe Moisturizing Lotion

I use this in the morning as a make-up base. After applying I leave it to sink in for about 5-10 minutes then apply my make-up which goes on smoothly and dry patches are significantly reduced. I hate moisturisers that sting when you apply them, this one doesn't, and is designed to counteract the effects of pollution and the environment. It feels silky smooth and best of all it isn't too oily!

Aloe Propolis Creme

I thought the gelly was my favourite but this is doing me wonders! Whenever a patch of eczema flares up, usually on my arms or face, I just apply this crème to moisturise. It isn't as soothing as the gelly but excellent for calming my eczema and dramatically improve any areas of dry skin! Never has anything worked as well for my eczema. This contains aloe vera, bee propolis, camomile and vitamins A and E.

Bringing the blog back!

Lil Loves has been on hold for the past few months unfortunately due to other commitments. Finally I feel like I am in a good place to start writing and reviewing again, and so the blog is back! My love for beauty and skincare products is still strong and I don't think it's likely that I will ever tire of finding new sweetly scented shower products to obsess over.

I'm looking forward to letting you in on my latest favourites, and reading up on everyone else's. What has been your ultimate favourite beauty product in May? Bring me up to speed!

Lil x

Benefit's Total Moisture Facial Cream

Before I tell you about this moisturiser, know that I have areas of really dry skin - like so dry it cracks. This is mostly down to my eczema, and some areas of my face (like my chin) do stay oily and are prone to the odd spot, however my eczema really bothers me, especially in winter as it worsens, so I'm always on the lookout for new hydrating products (as you may be aware if you read some of my previous skin care posts). 

I came across this moisturising cream by chance, after being approached by a Benefit sales assistant who wanted to show me their new eyeliner (it really doesn't budge once you've put it on, which many people love about it but I hate). She then started encouraging me to try lots of the other Benefit products, at which point I panicked slightly - I'm not made of money! These included the Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation (love) and the Total Moisture Facial Cream. 

When the sales assistant began applying the moisturiser the first thing I noticed about it was how refreshing it felt on my skin, then there was the smell. Something smelt lovely, fresh and fruity in a such a soft, subtle way. I spent a good five minutes trying to figure out if what I could smell was the facial cream or a perfume the lady was wearing on her wrists! I didn't know what it was but I loved it, and was about to ask her what perfume she was wearing when she mentioned that the ingredients included mango seed butter. Mmm mango.

Not only does the cream feel great and smell fabulous (I've never had a moisturiser that smells so fresh!) it works amazingly too. Most moisturisers keep my skin hydrated for the good part of an hour, then my skin goes dry and flaky. This one however lasts a lot longer. Due to the consistency of the cream I usually apply it to my face then leave it for about 10 minutes to let it sink in properly before putting on my make-up - otherwise it sits on the surface of my skin and leaves my foundation looking shiny and feeling moist, which isn't fun.

As with all Benefit products, this cream aint cheap. Despite this you do get a lot of cream in this one little jar (and how gorgeous is the jar may I just add?) and it works wonders so you are definitely getting what you pay for. I highly recommend this cream to anyone with problematic dry skin, if you want to try it head over to the Benefit counter and ask; they are usually happy to let you try the products there and then, and will sometimes give you a free sample too. 

I don't usually like to pay a lot for skincare, however I think it's worth investing in a product if it does you good. I couldn't quite justify purchasing the foundation to go with it however! 

Natural Goats Milk Soap!

Natural soap from The New Forest and its key ingredient: Goats milk.

So many of us are a sucker for a soap with a gorgeous scent (myself included), and are often won over by the smell of the product rather than its qualities. Although some products smell great and claim to do wonders for your skin, they can contain harsh chemicals and fragrances which irritate sensitive skin or evoke allergies with their overpowering scent.

These soaps were actually a gift from my mother who is always on the look out for natural products I can use on my overly sensitive, eczema-prone skin! Goats milk and donkey milk are known for being delicate ingredients that are suitable for people with eczema and dry skin so we are always looking for products that make use of them! The soaps are handmade in The New Forest in Hampshire and have only a handful of ingredients in each soap. I was given a simple bar of unfragranced soap, made using only FIVE ingredients (see image below) which I was pretty impressed with. 

Although this soap is unfragranced it definitely has a soft, pleasant aroma (you have to give it a good sniff) which is so refreshing from all the overpowering scents you usually get with soaps these days. 

The second soap I was given was the Honey, Oats & Goats! bar. While this one has seven ingredients, the two extra are in fact just honey and oats. Brill! Like the unfragranced soap, this one has a very faint  but pleasant scent which I really like about it. Both soaps work really well. I have been using them in the shower however I find that I can quite easily use them on my face without irritating my skin which is wonderful.

To find out more and have a look at their full range of products check out the website here!

I hope you enjoyed this post - I always love reading about products that aren't in high-street shops but definitely need trying for their amazing qualities! Are there any products you have tried and found to be surprisingly wonderful? Let me know!

July Favourites!

July has been a lovely (mostly) sunny month in England; I've enjoyed walks in the sunshine, spontaneous ice cream van visits and I also got my degree results back! Graduation isn't until winter, so I have a while until I get to don my gown and mortar board, but I'm already excited. Now that August has arrived and the air is feeling a little more chilly and crisp, I thought I'd share some of the products I picked up during the month of July and have ended up loving!

Rimmel Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder in Transparent

Due to temperatures reaching new highs in the UK this month I was in need of a powder I could apply over my foundation to mattify my face and get rid of that awkward sweaty shine that I get when enjoying the glorious sunshine! My friend recommended this powder and that fact that I didn't have to choose a shade of skin tone to buy it in made my life even easier. 

Real Techniques Powder Brush

I have been after one (or all) of these brushes for god knows how long now (being a student/graduate = being penniless) and purchasing the powder gave me the perfect excuse to pick one of these up. The powder brush is incredibly soft and works better than any other brush I currently own.

Benefit Lemonaid Eye Primer

Do you ever find that you apply your eyeshadow just how you like it, only for it to disappear within hours? Using this eyelid primer creates a base for your shadow which allows not only for your eyeshadow to last much longer without budging but also lets the shadow cling on hence building a thicker layer and greater pigmentation.

Rose Gold Jewellery

I am really bad at looking after rings. I don't own a single ring I haven't lost or dropped down the back of my desk at some point. For this reason I went out to buy myself a new ring or two, and found a set of plain band Topshop rings in different sizes and colours (gold, silver, rose gold and black). I have always been a sucker for rose gold and it is for this reason that this ring has become my fave! Now I just need a bracelet to match...

Topshop Kohl Eyeliner

It took me a while to come round to the idea but I'm now loving the bright eyeliner trend and couldn't resist picking one up in Topshop. The pigmentation is much better than I thought it would be and the colour lasts hours and hours! Swatches below.

What has been your favourite thing about July? Let me know in the comments :)

Lil x

Cara Delevingne and Essence Goodies!

Very recently I won a competition on the Essence UK Facebook page (what? I never win anything!) In order to win you simply had to comment on the post and state which celeb's style you loved most - I wrote about how much I loved Cara Delevingne's casual yet glamorous style! In the post I received a selection of cosmetics by Essence (as shown above) and some of these are absolutely gorgeous. Here are my thoughts on some of my favourites.

Nail Polish

Unfortunately I am allergic to a chemical in most nail polishes so I can't use the nail art paper or the lovely sparkling nail polish that Essence have sent me, as much as I love the way they look! I will however be giving them to my friend Millie (check out her blog, Becoming Mrs P!) who I know will put them to great use!

BB Cream

I have been after a good BB cream for a while now so I was delighted to receive this! I was given the cream in the shade '02 natural' which is a little darker than my natural complexion, however it matches the darkest tones of my skin and therefore is perfect for summer and gives me that natural slight bronzed look! The BB cream claims to be hydrating, and while I can't say I have found it to be worthy of this I have not found it to be drying on my skin either - perhaps this would work best after using a moisturiser.

Lip Tint

After debating with my boyfriend over whether the colour was red or pink, I can definitely say I love it regardless! You can layer this to give as light or as bold pigmentation as you want.

Sun Club All-in-one Bronzing Highlighter

I have bronzers, I have highlighters and I have blushers. Since I found Sleek's Face Form palette I had no need to be carrying around each in a separate pot and I love having all three in one palette. This all-in-one bronzing highlighter offers something a bit different in that it has several shades of bronzer, blusher and a highlight which can be blended together with your brush to create your desired effect! Love it.

Eye Pencil in Black

This eye pencil is absolutely fab for creating a dark smokey eye effect like Cara's. This inspired me to re-create her look using my new make-up products, and some current favourites! 

Cara's Look

L-R: Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil, Essence Smokey Eye Pencil, Rimmel Scandaleyes by Kate Moss, Essence BB Cream, Essence lipstick, Essence All-in-one Bronzing Highlighter and Natural Collection Blush in Pink Cloud.

I used the Smokey Eye Pencil over my eyelids and along the crease to re-create Cara's signature dark smokey eye look. I then applied the Kate Moss Scandaleyes Mascara in Jet Black (current fave mascara) and the Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil for her dark eyebrows she is so well-known for.

I also used the brown tones of the bronzing highlighter to contour beneath my cheekbones, then blended a mixture of the blush and highlighter together with my Natural Collection blush (which is pretty old now but I still adore the shade). I applied these lightly to the apples of my cheeks and along the cheekbones to create a soft, subtle blush. Lastly I used the pink lipstick for a subtle neutral lip that Cara so often goes for!

Let me know in the comments your favourite celebrity looks and whose style you most admire! :)

Lil x

Summer shades

 Sleek Del i-Divine Del Mar Volume 1

My favorite product for summer:

the Sleek Del Mar palette!

During one of my casual 'not-buying-anything-just-looking' strolls through Superdrug on a sunny afternoon I spotted this palette on a limited edition display and was instantly drawn in by the burst of colour I was seeing. I'm a huge fan of pastels at the moment, and this palette presented a shimmering cocktail of summer pastels, including warm coral, lime green and an ocean-like jadey blue. Then there's 'lounge lovers' - a shimmery pale gold which I knew would add a little sparkle for those summer evenings when matte just isn't enough!

All colours are super pigmented and most are just perfect matte shades for summer. Using this palette you can create an array of different summertime looks - from cool and beachy to warm and tropical - however it is also possible to go for a more natural sandy effect using 'Talamanca' and 'Lounge Lovers'. You can also make your look stand out even more by providing contrast using the Sleek brow kit - read a review of this over on Millie's blog! There are so many fun, summery looks to try with the Del Mar palette - if you own this palette let me know your favorite shades! If not, which colours would you team together? :) Here are some of mine:

For a light everyday look:

1) Sweep 'Talamanca' along the crease and outer corner of eyelid.

2) Use 'Chilled Out' on inner corner of eye and across eyelid.

3) Take 'Feel Euphoric' and put onto outer half of eyelid, blending it in with 'Chilled Out' in the middle.

A hot tropical orange look:

1) Smudge 'Chilled Out' into inner corner of eyelid in order to create contrast and give the bright colours more of a pop.

2) Imagine your eyelid having three vertical sections. Sweep 'Sunset Strip' over first third of eyelid, closest to inner corner.

3) Take 'On the Rocks' and apply to middle third (don't worry if this goes further across the eyelid as it becomes the main colour of this look).

4) Apply 'Talamanca' to remaining third and into crease.

5) Blend!

A cool beachy look:

1) Repeat previous steps replacing 'Sunset Strip' with 'Poolside', 'On the Rocks' and 'Talamanca' with 'Blue Marlin'.

Hope you all have a great summer! 

Lil x

3 Lovely Pamper Treats!

After the stress of my final university assignments I decided it was time to treat myself to a bit of pampering and relaxation, so I went to the magical bathbomb emporium that is Lush and sought out these three lovely treatments.

-Cleanse-

BB Seaweed Fresh Face Mask

Having never tried a Lush face mask before, I asked one of the lovely shop assistants for some advice. I wanted a mask which would cleanse and moisturise without tightening my skin or leaving my face feeling dryer than it already was. She recommended me BB Seaweed and Oatifix. The former took my fancy - it smells of rosemary, essential oils and aloe vera, which makes for a very refreshing scent which is much lighter than most other Lush products (it's no wonder I can smell the shop before I see it!)

After applying this to my face my skin feels clean and soft and lovely! It doesn't do much in the way of moisturising - however my skin is incredibly dry 99% of the time so it takes a great deal to fully moisturise! This is definitely a mask to use if you want something soothing and kind to your skin, and aren't too keen on the fruity, strong scented products. Don't however, let this be one of the products you save because you love it so much - as these have a sell-by date and have to be kept in the fridge to keep them nice and fresh!

-Relax-

Twilight Bath Bomb

This gorgeous looking bath bomb is a relaxing, soothing, fizzing wonder that smells divine and makes your bath look all pretty and colourful. If you've tried one of these before you know how they work - run your bath, add bath bomb, and watch in delight as it swirls and fizzes away. 

-Moisturise-

Ro's Argan Body Conditioner

This is something I only heard about very recently, and was the main reason for my trip to Lush. It's basically a cream you apply in the shower, then wash off, however it leaves a smooth oil on your skin when you get out meaning you don't need to moisturise! 

I was hesitant to buy a full pot as it is pretty expensive and having never tried it before I wasn't sure it'd be worth it. After explaining this to a shop assistant who was helping me she offered to give me a sample to test and see how I liked it! I thought this was great and having tried it I now absolutely love Ro's Argan Body Conditioner - it works exactly as it says and better yet it smells amazing, like rose jam, as the shop assistant described it.

What are your favorite pamper treats? Let me know in the comments below!

The Perfect Nude

Introducing my current favorite lipstick - Bourjois Rouge Edition in 02 Beige Trench! 

After spending some time looking around for a simple nude lipstick which would suit my skin tone and give a hint of glam to an ordinary daytime look, I found this! 

Colour

Although I love my bright colours for summer I like to have an alternative for a casual daytime look. I have a rather pale skin-tone and fair hair so I don't tend to suit an orange toned lip and usually opt for more beigey colours. This lipstick really complements the natural colouration of my lips, giving them a glossy deep pink shine. I'd say it borders on purple tones, giving a slightly darker look than your normal pinky nudes. The pigmentation is good, however it fades quite quickly so you do have to re-apply this often (which I do not mind at all due to the lovely texture!)

Wearability

Compared to the others I own this is one very hydrating and smooth lipstick, which I love about it. I find myself wanting to re-apply this hourly because of the way it feels! I also find the colour to be pretty versatile; as it is a nude beige this is a great lipstick to wear for an every-day look, however I have taken this with me on nights out and it can be used for many different styles! The colour also makes it perfect to wear all year round.

To buy or not to buy?

If you are not a fan of a bright or bold lip and are looking for something that will just add a touch of glam without staining your lips or drying them out, this is absolutely perfect. It can be worn for a range of looks, whatever the season and does not cost much so I consider this a very worthwhile purchase! 

I'd love to know your favorite nude lipsticks, let me know in the comments!

Lily Lolo

One of my favorite brushes I own is the Lily Lolo eye blending brush. Maybe I bought this because I liked the name of the company, or perhaps it was to do with the gorgeous design of their products, but I knew I was in need of something that would blend my eye-shadow well and this does the trick!

The brand is vegan friendly and have a range of lovely brushes to choose from, including a socket line brush, which may just be the next purchase I make! The eye blending brush itself is wonderfully soft and feels so smooth on my eyelids (which are super sensitive so I appreciate this more than you'd think!). After applying my eye-shadow I use this to blend the separate colours in gently, and to smudge any harsh lines around the corners of eyes, and boy does this make it easy for me. The only slight gripe I have is that while the brush blends really well it does tend to take some of the colour away, which is not ideal when using a light colour or one that is not overly pigmented. This means I usually have to apply a little extra eye-shadow after using this brush.

Despite the one gripe I would definitely recommend this brush to someone looking for a soft brush which won't irritate skin and allows you to blend your eye-shadow with ease.

Sleek!

I mentioned having bought this in a previous post so here is the full review! This is something I had been after for a while. I wanted an affordable contour kit which wasn't too pricey, worked with my skin tone and had a bronzer that wasn't too orangey or shimmery.

I'm always trotting over to the Sleek section in Superdrug to eye up their gorgeous eye shadow palettes, I really love the design of the Sleek palettes but I don't wear eye shadow often enough to justify spending money on one, so I found myself trying to find excuses to buy them, for example my friend's birthday. Then I noticed the little blush, bronzer and highlighter kits they had. I went away and ended up reading many reviews which had recently sprung up on my Bloglovin' dashboard, featuring the Sleek Face Form palettes, so I went and bought one didn't I?

I picked up the Sleek Face Form Contouring and Blush Palette in the colour Fair (looks like Neapolitan ice cream doesn't it?!) and in order of appearance, here's how each of the trio work :

 

Pressed Powder:

To contour I prefer to use a powder/bronzer that does not have an orange tint or shimmer (so that I can use it to create a shadow effect under my jawline and in the hollows of my cheeks) so this works nicely. It's quite pigmented so I have to make sure I blend it in well to avoid streaks.

Highlighter: 

The highlighter is great for a fair skin tone like my own, however it is also shimmery so if you prefer more of a matte look like I do then this one is not so much the one for you. I do love the way it looks when used on the tops of your cheekbones though!

Blush: 

When you look at the photograph below you'll see the blush is a strong pink colour (very on trend right now) but you'll also notice that it has hints of gold shimmer flecked through it, which I think looks so so pretty. On my skin it is quite a bright colour so I thought I would have to mix it with one of my other blushes, however I have found that when used on its own and blended slightly with the highlighter it actually looks gorgeous and definitely creates that cute 'pop' of pink that everyone is talking about for spring!

(This photograph was taken in pure daylight and should show you the true colour of each section in the palette).

Tanya Burr Lipgloss

Earlier this year one of my favorite Youtubers, Tanya Burr, released her own make-up line - how exciting! When the line first came out I couldn't wait to get my hands on one of her products. Tanya's collection includes a range of lip glosses and nail polishes in some absolutely gorgeous colours. I took forever to decide which colour I wanted, and I'm a bit indecisive but I eventually picked two, one of which I bought to give to a friend as part of her birthday present. Unfortunately I couldn't try the polishes because I have an allergy to an ingredient which is used in most nail polishes, however the colour 'Little Duck' looks beautiful and I know that would be the one I'd order if I could!

The Colour

The lip glosses come in a variety of shades and colours. I chose one I thought would be pretty and girly and not too bold or glittery (some shimmer and some shine!) so I went for a kind of nude pink, named 'Afternoon Tea', how cute! In the tube it looks slightly brighter than it actually goes on (see my swatch below) however the subtle pink makes for a perfect day-time look, and I find it suits my pale skin very nicely. It's definitely one of these my-lips-but-better products and has been finding its way into my handbag on a regular basis.

The Design

I love the design of the tube, from the simple black lid and matching brand name text to the little pink heart printed on the top. The wand tip has a curve to it which fits to the shape of your lip, which makes for super smooth and easy application. As for the gloss itself you'll notice that it smells incredible, like strawberries and cream, it's lovely. I like to apply two coats when I wear 'Afternoon Tea' for the best coverage, however the gloss is very pigmented and creates high shine which lasts longer than I expected it to. It's also not too sticky which is great as I find some lip glosses to be a bit 'oh-good-the-wind-blew-and-now-all-my-hair-is-stuck-to-my-mouth'.

Whats more, both the lip glosses and nail polishes are pretty cheap to purchase. I ordered mine from Feel Unique and the delivery did not take long at all, very impressed. If you bought one of Tanya's products let me know, which one do you like the most? (I'm so jealous of all of you who can wear her nail polishes!)

The Body Shop: Lip Butters

I've always loved Body Shop products but had never purchased any of their Lip Butters before (at least not for myself - I find they make great little add-ons to birthday and Christmas presents!) so a few months ago I decided to pick one up. The first Lip Butter I chose was the Mango pot, which at the time I bought with the Mango Body Butter. Both of these smell lovely and fruity. They have such a summery, fresh, scent and the Lip Butter quickly replaced the little tin of Aloe Vera Vaseline in my handbag as my go-to item for sore or dry lips (I still love you though, Vaseline).

I find the Lip Butters are a lovely smooth consistency, smell amazing and do not leave your lips looking ridiculously shiny. They also make a great base for lipstick - I tend to put some on about 10 or 15 minutes before I apply my lipstick to let the butter sink in a bit and moisturise beforehand!

I was given the Chocomania Lip Butter as a gift by a lovely friend of mine who basically gave me a Body Shop hamper for my birthday (amazing!) and it smells fantastic. It's so delicious and really reminds me of chocolate cake, so much so that I don't choose this to wear as often as the others in case it makes me hungry!

The Blueberry Lip Butter is from a range The Body Shop have only brought back recently. Apparently the Blueberry products were discontinued for a while, so I'm very glad they bought these back as I wasn't previously aware they existed! Again, this Lip Butter smells fab. It's not necessarily a blueberry scent but it is very sweet and gorgeous. If sweet scents aren't your cup of tea then maybe give this one a miss.

The most recent pot I bought was the Strawberry version. I've always thought of the Strawberry products as a Body Shop classic (perhaps because the body butter in this range was the first thing I ever tried) and the smell brings back fond memories, however this is another scent that is a little sickly sweet. It's the kind of strawberry scent that reminds you of medicine, which you may love or hate.

Its definitely hard to pick a favorite but I have become really addicted to the Blueberry Lip Butter and I still can't get over the smell of Chocomania! One I would still really like to try is Coconut - let me know if you've used this one and how you found it :D I have the Coconut Cream Body Scrub and it smells wonderful like ice cream!

Clinique

Back in February I visited London for a few days to celebrate my birthday with my boyfriend. While I was there I met my lovely friend Jenny (who lives close by) and we went for a wander around Selfridges! Whilst sauntering through the make-up department I told Jenny about how I always feel so jealous seeing all the beautiful nail polishes displayed, because sadly I'm allergic to something in most nail polishes.

Jenny told me about how Clinique do a nail polish that is allergy tested. How had I not known about this before?! We sought out the Clinique counter and I asked the sales assistant which of their products were allergy tested. It turns out that ALL their nail polishes are allergy tested and are designed for people with sensitive skin (yay!) Whats more I was told that if I found that I was remotely allergic to it in any way I could bring it back and get it refunded. At £12 it's expensive, but it was my birthday after all.

I bought a polish in the colour 'Hi sweetie' (bright pink) and because it was the week of Valentine's Day I was also given a free 'Chubby Stick intense' (a coloured lip balm) in a similar colour 'plushest punch'. At first I didn't expect to end up using the chubby stick, however once back in my hotel room I tried it on and absolutely loved it!

Me (wearing my favorite new lippy!) and Simon at King's Cross

I've worn the nail polish a few times and so far I don't seem to have had any reaction to it! Thaaanks Clinique :D