Body Shop Skincare haul - Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion, Pore Minimiser and Vitamin C Skin Reviver

Hello!

I hope you are having a nice day.  I'm sat listening to the racket of the flat next door being refurbished.  Drilling and hammering a plenty is my music today and I'm doing my best to stay calm and not get irritated even though it literally sounds as though they're hammering in to the wall of our living room.
There is a Body Shop where I live but it's much more expensive than shopping at the one in the UK so when I went home for Christmas I decided to pick up a few products I've been wanting to try out.

I've been having some trouble with the skin on my forehead just before Christmas.  The pores seemed blocked and came up in quite a few little bumps which was really irritating.  I had this happen once before a few years ago when I was really stressed but I didn't think my stress levels were much higher than normal this time round so I couldn't figure out what it was.  I really wanted some sort of lotion that I could put on my skin and just let it sit and feel like it was doing something so that I wouldn't be attempted to mess around with it.  The Body Shop Tee Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion sounded like what I was looking for and as it was 3 for 2 on skincare I picked up the Tee Tree Pore Minimiser and the Vitamin C Skin Reviver.

I haven't been using these products for more than about 3 weeks so I don't know how they will fare long term but I've been enjoying using them so far.

I use the Tea Tree Night Lotion after I've washed my face and used a blackhead clearing cleanser.  It says to put it on after moisturiser but I've only been using it on my forehead which I don't normally put moisturiser on as that tends to make my forehead break out more.  It has a slightly tea tree like smell and is quite light.  I use just a small amount where I feel I need it.

The pore minimiser I have also been using on my forehead during the day either on it's own or under make-up.  I find it has a mattifying effect more than anything which I like and this is also not too thick that I feel like it will break me out.  It also has a subtle tee tree smell.

The Vitamin C skin reviver I picked up on a whim as I thought it might be like a serum and I've been wanting to try a serum for ages.  In reality this is more of a primer than a serum in texture.  It is a clear gel like formula with a slight iridescence to it and a pleasant scent.  It's very silky and when you spread it on your skin and feels like it sits on top of it like a silky layer.  At first when I put it on I can't really notice a difference but then after a couple of minutes I look in the mirror and my skin looks matte with a slight glow.  I don't know how much of a difference it really makes but I like putting this on my skin.  I used it under my foundation for a show and it worked well for this but made my eye lids too slippery for my eye-shadow to adhere to.  Other than that I've been wearing this more or less everyday for work mostly because I like how it feels and if it's giving me for of a glow than I wont complain!

I think I need to give these products a more long term test to really gauge results but I hope this gave a little insight in to how they might work.

Till next time

Twirlybirdie :)

Good morning!

Hello!

How are you?  I'm feeling a little sleepy.  I was restless last night, thinking about old mistakes I've made and how I can move forward in my life.  I've made myself some toast and coffee and got up early to sit down and start writing a blog post.  Like many people I am Not. A. Morning. Person.  Since the weather got really dark and I started to feel like a real life vampire I've been following a ritual of getting up in the mornings and lighting candles.  The candle light hurts my eyes much less than a bulb!

This little pink one is my first ever Yankee Candle!  It's called Pink Sands and I bought it because it was on offer.  Normally I wouldn't buy such an expensive candle but I really do love that the scent is so strong and powerful.  This has quite a strong floral scent.  One day I'd love to test some more of these out!
I also have brought out some fairy lights that I found recently.  They are red hearts and make me feel cozy.

 

Then I drink my coffee and lose myself in the internet reading blogs and pretending that I don't have to go to work for as long as possible!  After that it's time to try to lure my boyfriend out of bed with the promise of coffee and try and get ready for work as quickly as possible!  I also make sure I drink a glass of water and take some vitamins with my breakfast.
Do you have any rituals that make it easier to wake up in the morning?  I could really do with some ideas!

Till next time :)

Twirlybirdie

Heart shaped treasures

Hello!  I hope you are having a lovely day, or are going to have if you are reading this in the morning with a hot pot of coffee.

I've always loved looking at pictures of houses full of pretty little ornaments and treasures.  Renting a small apartment abroad makes it seem unnecessary to spend my limited funds on pretty things that I probably wont be able to take with me when I move back home.  I recently spotted some gorgeous glass heart trinket boxes reduced by 70% in a sale here which made them less the 2 euros each.  My jewellery collection has suddenly exploded and I could really use some more storage for my trinkets so I gave in and bought one.  Of course now I have one I want more, they had some in different colours and shapes!

So pretty!  I decided to use this one to store my rings but I could really do with a few more of them to put some of my other treasures in.

I also wanted to write about my surprise jewellery find when I was forced by Mum to visit Argos with her to pick up a Christmas present on Christmas Eve.  I haven't ventured in to Argos for years!  Of course whilst I waited I found myself wandering to the jewellery counter where I spotted this gorgeous ruby and diamond necklace reduced to 25 quid.  The metal is only gold dipped sterling silver but at 25 pounds I was more than happy with this and have never owned a necklace with a real ruby before.

I don't think I ever thought of looking at Argos for jewellery before but I'll be more open minded in the future as I really love this necklace.

Have you ever had an unexpected find like that somewhere you wouldn't think to look?

This is my first ever pre-scheduled post and I'm very pleased with myself that I've written two posts in one day!  One of my new years resolutions is to blog more frequently so it's a start!
Follow my blog using one of the links to the right of my blog to find out if I keep up with my resolution!

Till next time :)

Twirlybirdie

My new perfume for 2014, Prada Candy!

Hello!

I hope you are enjoying your Monday (haha!).  Luckily for me Monday is a day off!  Unfortunately it's been overcast here all day so I've been trying to enjoy the light of my newest candles and also some heart fairy lights I've put up.  I've also got the Christmas tree lights on the tree lit up as it's the last day before you're supposed to take it down (I think?).

I bought myself the Prada Candy perfume for Christmas because I had been wanting it for ages.... Well ever since last summer when I had been out shopping all day in sweltering London and I needed a little bit of sprucing up before I went to watch a show in a theater.  I didn't have any perfume with me so I ran into a department store and sprayed myself with the first perfume I found that I liked which happened to be this one.  I've been coveting it ever since and finally gave in this December, (Christmas being my excuse) and ordered it from Escentuals.com which had 20%off at the time.

I'm a girly girl and so I approve of the pink packaging!  The scent is very warm and sweet so it won't suit all tastes but if you like your perfumes sweet you should definitely test it out.  I find the smell lasts quite a while on me so I just need a quick spritz in the morning and I'm good to go.  For me sugary sweet scents are winter time scents, my Mum always would tell me I would be chased by flies if I wore sweet smells in the summer!  Now is the perfect time of year for something sugary and warm!

Have you updated your scent this year?  It makes me happy to spray this on in the morning and cheers me up for work :)
I'd love for you to follow my blog using the links in the right hand side bar to see more of my latest splurges!

Till next time

Twirlybirdie :)

Happy New Year! Art Deco Sensitive Fine Liner 1

Hello there!  Long time no blog!

I've been really bad with my blog lately.  In my defense the Christmas period is one of the most exhausting, busy periods for the theater ever!  I've been feeling super tired and blurry of mind.  However, new year equals new attitude, of course.  For how long that will last no body knows!  In all that time I have collected up plenty of things to blog about though.  So....excuses over here we go, onward in to 2014!

Where to start.  Pre-Christmas purchases are the way to go I think!  When I got bored of using the same Rimmel Black Kohl pencil liner I used throughout my teens I started to use liquid eye-liner which seemed more sophisticated somehow even if it was a little trickier to apply. Unsurprisingly I got bored of that too and then I moved on to the Maybelline Gel Liner.  I like the concept of a pot of gel liner that you apply with a little brush, however, I now only use this for performances as I find the pot and brush method is not the quickest way to apply eyeliner.  Then I went through a natural no liner faze....anyway that was a long way to explain that when I spotted the Art-Deco fine liner in a pen style it seemed like the perfect compromise.  A liquid liner with the ease of application of a pencil liner.

It's paraben free which is always something I appreciate.  I also chose the sensitive version because of my sensitive skin.

This is really easy to use although sometimes it doesn't come out as black as I'd like and I have to go over the line one more time.  It is a really fine nib which makes it really easy to draw a nice natural looking thin line if you're going for a more natural look.

It's very light so easy to carry around with you.  I'm wearing the liner in the picture below in natural light which is hard to come by this winter!

This picture is taken in artificial bathroom light.

Over all I've been using this liner a lot for work and evening looks so am pleased I bought it.  It's being put ot good use!  I'm off to get in the bath to warm up now.  Follow my blog for future reviews.

Till next time :)

Twirlybirdie

Nail polish time

Hello!

I hope you're having a nice December.  I'm glad it's not been as cold here as it usually is at this time of year but I am really missing sunlight.  The daytime is so short and the weather is cloudy and grey more often than not.
I've hurt my rib and it is quite sore to dance with so I'm hoping that will heal up fast.  Luckily I only have one show to get through before I can rest up a bit for Christmas.

The other day I decided to experiment with my nail varnish as I hadn't worn any for ages.  I couldn't decide between pink or dark blue so I decided to wear both and then added some glitter to the last two nails.

 The dark blue and glitter polish were both China Glaze and the pink shade was by Misslyn.  The glitter polish is called Bad Kitty which is an awesome name for a varnish!

I think it's such a fun way to wear nail varnish.  For performances I can't wear anything so colourful but I've been doing something similar using pale pink polish and just some glitter on the ring finger.  I definitely want to experiment more and make use of the many varnishes I own!

I think I need to have a little bath to beat the chill I'm feeling right now in my flat!  I think an evening of bathing and nail painting are in order.

Till next time :)

Twirlybirdie

Clinique High Impact Lashes gift set review

Hi there!

I hope your week is going well.  There has been such little sunlight around here recently that apart from taking vitamin D I've also started hoarding body and beauty products as if they contained the suns rays themselves.  One such item which I bought on a massive whim (so unlike me, normally I ponder over purchases for weeks!) was the Clinique High Impact Lashes gift set.

 To be fair I had been wanting to buy a new mascara for weeks already.  I've lost my The Balm one somewhere during the move (grrrr...) and my Bourjois one was starting to dry up a bit.  I was planning on trying out a L'oreal one as I keep reading that the Telescopic one is meant to be popular but when I realised I could get this Clinique set for the same price as the mascara on it's own I purchased on straight away!

The set contains the Clinique High Impact Mascara, a Clinique Cream Shaper for eyes in Black Diamond, and a small sample of the all about eyes serum.

Also contained is a little mini see through make-up bag in shades of neon pink and orange.  Not my favourite shades but it's not what I purchased this for anyway.  It is currently storing small change and making itself useful!

For some reason I was expecting the brush to be a bit thicker because I thought it was the same as a sample size Clinique mascara I own from a set.  Maybe I'm confused, I'll have to check it later.
So how was the mascara?  It's different from what I expected as I seem to get more length from this mascara wand than thickness on my lashes.  The formula seems quite wet compared to the Bourjois one I've been using so I have to be careful not to push down on the lashes with an eyeliner pencil or anything until it's dried.  I feel like after quite a few strokes I end up with quite doll-like looking lashes but with still quite a natural feel.  I really like this effect.

The cream shaper for eyes is quite a soft liner in more of a grey/black than black black.  It is quite creamy and it has some subtle shimmer particles in it which I personally like.  If you want to smudge your eyeliner for a softer look I can imagine this would be quite smudge-able.  Because it's quite a soft formula it applies really easily to the water line.

In this picture I'm wearing both the eyeliner and mascara.

I need to use the eye serum a bit more before I review it.  Also I'm getting quite sleepy so I think that post can wait for another day.
Don't forget to follow this blog using one of the options in the right hand column for future reviews of my purchases!
Ultimately I'm glad I bought this gift set as I think I'll get a lot of use from these products!
Till next time

Twirlybirdie :)