Boots Haul

I finally picked up the Real Techniques Retractable Kabuki Brush; I’ve been wanting to try it for a while but it was always sold-out in store. It is the same great quality as the rest of the line, it’s also convenient for travelling but still remaining a full size brush. I like to use it both for blusher and setting powder.

L’Oreal Nails a Porter in 002 Killer Nude – I picked these up to try out. I have never use fake nails before – they just seem so uncomfortable to wear – but I loved the design of these. 

Essie Nail Polish in Aruba Blue – this was a long overdue purchase. I adore this colour and blue polishes are my favourites! Not much to say in words, it’s simply stunning and the pictures are speaking for themselves, me think.

Yes To is a brand that I’m been testing lately; I tried the Yes To Cucumber Soothing Facial Wipes before and loved them so I picked up another full pack. I also wanted to try the new brightening Grapefruit line and I  bought the Yes To Grapefruit Uneven Skin Tone Dark Circle Correcting Eye Cream, which sounds fab to help lighten my dark circles… will see how it fairs.

Empties / July

Body:

Clarins High Definition Body Lift: a favourite of mine, I have gone through a couple of these already. It absorbs fast and doesn't feel sticky on the skin. It's pricey but it's one of the few creams where I can actually see some improvement. It smells lovely and floraly too and comes with a booklet with massaging tips.

Repurchase: probably, like a treat due to the price.

Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Cuticle & Nail Refiner: I've been using it once every fortnight; it's pretty gritty and an high duty exfoliant and a little goes a long way but I can't say it made any significant difference to the appearance of my cuticles.

Repurchase: probably not.

Percy & Reed Totally TLC Hydrating Mask: Definitely in my Top5 of favourite hair masks; I got it for free in a magazine... added bonus. I love how soft it leaves my hair and it's pretty fast acting in 10 minutes; I'm just not too crazy about the 'manly' scent.

Repurchase: yes.

The Body Shop Coconut Body Scrub: I'm not a huge fan of The Body Shop, if I'm honest and I can't say to shop there regularly but their body scrubs are my absolute favourites. They are good value for money, they are just the right consistency for my liking and come in so many beautiful scents; Talked about the pink grapefruit one here.

Repurchase: Hell Yeah!

Face:

L'Oreal Perfect Clean Foaming Cream Wash - Soothing: this is actually not finished but I have had it for ages and when I tried to use it again it stung my face... I think it may have gone off, better safe than sorry!
I remember I quite liked this and the wee brush too - there are a couple of different ones and the blue, I liked it even better, very refreshing on the skin. I can recommend this but I'm not sure if I would repurchase, simply because I tend to spend a bit more money on face cleansers nowadays.
Repurchase: see above.
Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream: nope - Balance Me just doesn't blow me away; I have tried few different products now but I'm once again underwhelmed. It's an ok cream but not moisturizing enough, for my needs. I was pretty glad to finish it off, actually.
Repurchase: no.
Ren Keep Young And Beautiful SH2C Serum: same as above - Underwhelmed! There are maybe 2 products from this brand that I like but the rest just disappointed me. This serum also broke me out so definitely thumbs down in this case.
Repurchase: no.
Yes to Cucumber Soothing Hypoallergenic Facial Towellets: I use face wipes to remove most of my make up before the gym and then I do a deep cleanse before bed. These served me pretty well: they are a handy travel size and stayed moist until the end (hate when wipes dry out mid-pack!). Scent is not annoying and not harsh on the skin.
Repurchase: yes.
St. Ives Apricot Scrub Invigorating: LoveLoveLove! Who doesn't like the St. Ives scrub, let's be honest?!
I love everything - from the apricot scent to the exfoliating particles to the price! It does the job and it does it well, it's easily available on the high street and convenient.
Repurchase: yep!

Have you tried any of these products?

Introducing / Korres

First of all, I order these on Lookfantastic.com - yay or nay?

It was actually an ordeal! Basically, they sent me 2 wrong/faulty items and I contacted them straight away to check how to proceed. After three days still no answer (mind you, I emailed them every 24hr) so I phoned them up (0845 number, not happy about that!) and I was asked to email the pictures of the products that required replacement. Fine, no problem at all and in fact I sent the pictures the same day.

Another three days go by and no sigh of package or reply from them, so I phoned again and FINALLY they agreed to send me the correct items.

Not sure its worth ordering again from them, to be honest - ok, I admit prices can be good (for example, I placed this order because I received a £5 off on orders of £30); also, in their favour I got to say they didn't ask me to send back anything (suppose as they don't do free returns) but if something goes wrong, its a really hassle. 

Poor, poor customer service!

What about you guys? Any bad experience with them?

Anyway, I wanted to try Korres for a while now and here's what I got:

- Milk Proteins Cleansing & Make Up Removing Wipes: nothing exciting about these wipes, good when travelling and milk proteins are renewed to be good for the skin.

- Lip Butter in Pomegranate: I read many good reviews about this one. Quite nice balm and colour is really bright, in fact so strong that you must be careful when apply and use a mirror. I really like the packaging.

 - Yoghurt mask: this mask is for normal to combination skin and it's describe as "ultra-soothing and cooling mask for long-lasting hydration and comfort to oily, yet dehydrated skin". 

This is my favourite item of the lot - it smells amazing, truly amazing and feels even better on the skin.

In the picture, you can also see the day cream of the same collection because they originally sent me the cream instead of the mask. The cream seems a bit too rich for me and its probably better for mature skin, so I will pass it over to my mum.

 

- Milk Soap for Stressed Skin: as you can tell, I like milk (and derivates) in my face products. :)

Usually, I don't use solid soap on my face but if I end up not liking these, they can also be used for the body. They come in a nice box and carving on the bar - pretty! 

Samples! always welcome, especially Dermatologica's ones.

Finally - in the same order - I bought the followings:

- Ole Henriksen's African Red Tea Foaming Cleanser: this is another hyped product in many blogs, but it has failed to impress ME for now. I've been using it for a week now and I would say my skin is 'a tad' worst; I had same breaks out on my chin which, lucky, is quiet unusual for me. I think I'll give it a rest and try it again in a few weeks. I like the foaming pump tho. 

- Murad's Blemish Spot Treatment: as just mentioned above, I don't usually get spots so I merely bought this because it was down to 2 pounds and I needed to reach the minimum amount to use my coupon. :)

It can always come in handy.