Superdrug Vitamin E Facial Scrub Review

This product is described as 'gentle exfoliation to reveal deeply cleansed, radiant skin'. It costs £1.95 in Superdrug for 100ml so it's very inexpensive. It comes in a pale pink tube (sorry i couldn't find a picture). I probably use this product about once every three days.

1) i have quite sensitive skin and i found the st ives apricot scrub too rough for me. This product uses oatmeal as the exfoliator so it's quite gentle.

2) it's cheap!

3) it contains vitamin E - a good antioxidant apparently, and my skin doesn't feel tight after i use it.

4) it's suitable for vegitarians - because obviously lots of scrubs contain meat nowadays :)

5) it smells like sun cream and coconut.

6) 'superdrug is against animal testing' (if that's an issue for you)


however...

1) it is very runny, i would prefer it to be a bit thicker.

2) you could probably make it ith oatmeal, but i'm too lazy and it would probably cost the same either way.

3) it contains talc, which is an issue for some people.

I would definately buy this product again because of the price. I'd expected to pay a lot more to find a scrub gentle enough, and i really needed one because just using my l'oreal cleansing foam was still leaving dead skin cells.

thats all for now
xoxoanna

August Favourites

Surprisingly most of this is hair stuff this month. Since i've been at home i haven't bothered with a lot of make-up everyday, and have tried to stop wearing full concealer/primer/foundation. As a result of this, i've found that i needed something else to obsess about, since my last obsession was foundation. I did do mascara for a while but there is really no point buying too many mascaras as they'll dry up. Instead i highlighted my hair with a garnier highlighter, and then re-surfaced all my old hair products :) fun!

1) GHD straightener - what would i do without it! makes the best waves, curles and straight styles.

2) Aussie Real Volume Leave-In Volumizer - borrowed this for the first time off my mum about 4 years ago and addicted ever since. I spray it over my hair when it's wet and blow dry upside down.

3) Lee Stafford Poker Straight Dry Shampoo (mini) - perfect for those lazy days or sleepovers.

4) Lee Stafford Poker Straight Spray Shine - makes your hair really shiny!

5) Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse - hate it as a foundation, love it as an eye primer.

6) Johnson's Baby Oil - used as the easiest eye make upremover ever

7) Marc Jacobs Daisy Perfume

8) FCUK Polished Whipped Bodycream

that's all for now
xoxoanna

What I am using right now tag

I thought i'd have a go at the tag posts! Just read Lollipop26's and a few others and they are really interesting to see if anyone uses the same products as you. It's not like you'regoing to ask what deodorant someone is wearing :)

Shampoo: L'oreal Elvive (the pink one)

Conditioner: as above - combined they leave me with really silky hair, but i wish my mum would stop using it up!

Styling products: Toni & Guy Firm Hold Hairspray, Umberto Giannini Sleek & Chic Blow Dry Spray and Lee Stafford Shine Head Spray Shine

Shower gel: a m&s one

Body moisturiser: Lovely by sarah jessica parker - this smells amazing for summer!

Deodorant: Dove invisible dry anti white marks

Fake Tan: Clarins liquid bronze - check out my review :)

Cleanser: Nivea gentle cleansing lotion for dry skin

Exfoliator: Superdrug vitamin E oatmeal gentle scrub, upcoming review!

Primer: Body shop matte it face and lips

Foundation Brush: a sponge

Concealer: Max factor pan stick foundation and concealer 2in1

Powder: Urban Decay de-slick on my t-zone

Blusher: BarryM no 147 lipstick as a cream blusher

Bronzer: n/a

Highlighter: n/a

Eyeshadow Base: Urban Decay primer potion

Eyeshadows: Urban Decay Sin and Last Call, No7 Tender

Eyeliner: Sleek eyeshadow from the storm palette

Curler: Shu Uemura

Mascara: No7 Lash 360

Lipstick: Barry M no 147

Lipgloss: H&M Sweet Chutney - quite sheer but not sticky

Nail colour: n/a - i'm on a break at the moment!

that's all!
xoxoanna

Haul

I was recently given a £30 gift card for new look as a leaving present from my dancing group, so i thought i would have a look on saturday to see if they had anything new instore.

I really wanted to get some going out style clothes because i've got to that point where i'm sick of wearing the same two skirts and the same two dresses on repeat. Don't get me wrong, i don't mind being seen in the same outfit twice, just wearing black all the time is really boring, and i'm not really as inventive as i could be with accessories or shoes (and i only own one pair of heels so...). In the end i bought two 'dresses' (listed on the website as tops, but i class them as dresses - although not to be worn without leggings!).

I think it looks much better in real life, because this picture would not have convinced me to buy it! It cost £12 and just covers my bum! The skirt part isn't as see through as it looks here, and the top part has more defined pin stripes. The material is quite thin but i like it because it is quite clingy, but not in a bad lycra-showing-all-your-bumps kind of way. It is quite casual but i though it could be quite versatile, paired with leggings and flat black shoes with lots of accessories for a night out, or with a black t-shirt and jeans for daytime.

This one cost £18, and i think i'm going to return it. It's the two layer style dress with an elasticated 'bubble' hem and a string tie around the middle. This one is a little shorter, and i feel the length and style combine to make an unflattering finish for me, because it puffs out on my bum making it look bigger, and i already have a pear shaped figure (very small chest, bigger bum and thighs grr). Also, whilst i like the pattern close up, from a distance i think it looks like velvety material, and it looks really cheap.

I think i only bought it because i had ten minutes to find something to wear to a friends birthday party and night out, and i was a bit panicked! In the end i wore the other top, but i felt really underdressed!

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to dress it up a little?

that's all for now
xoxoanna

Skincare Routine and skincare info!!

I have two different skincare routines - the lazy one and the full one! These apply to both morning and night. I do usually try to do the full one but if it's late or i'm really tired i'll just use the lazy one! I am quite particular about taking my makeup off though, and my friends think it's really amusing because i will still attempt to remove it even if i'm drunk after a night out, at about four in the morning hehe.

The Full Routine:

Morning:
L'oreal Mousse Cleanser - to wash off any oilyness/anything missed by nightime routine (see review)
No7 Protect and Perfect Beauty Serum
No7 Protect and Perfect Day Cream

Night:
Johnson's Baby Oil - for eye make-up and waterproof mascara
Nivea Visage Gentle Cleansing Lotion for Dry and Sensitive Skin
(Once a week - Botanics Skin Brightening Toner [this contains alcohol which i read if you use on dry skin it becomes drier and if you use on oily skin it becomes oilier as it stimulates the cells too much)
Virgin Vie Stay Calm Night Cream

The Lazy Routine!

Morning:
L'oreal Cleansing Mousse
Pond's Dy Skin Cream or my favourite moisturiser ever which i have to buy off ebay - Neutrogena Ultimate Moisture Night Cream with Active Soy for Dry Skin (This is the best moisturiser i have EVER used!)

Night:
L'oreal Re-Nourish Anti-Dryness Cleansing Wipes - well worth any extra money for people with dry skin
Pond's Dry Skin Cream - this is more oily to make up for the moisture lost by using a wipe rather than a cleanser

However, to maintain good healthy looking skin, it is still important as we all know to drink lots of water and eat our 5 a day! For the under 30's, our skin 'turns over' roughly every 15-18 days, and for 30+ this slow to around a month, so any new product used will not take immediate effect, and if your skin starts to look good all of a sudden for no reason, you may remember drinking more water or taking more vitamins a while ago, and this is now taking effect. Alcohol also dehydrates your body so i find that i always have much drier skin if i have been drinking.

Below are some recommendations i found online

Cleanser Recommendations:
Normal Skin: A water soluble cleanser or a milder cleansing milk.
Combination Skin: A foaming cleanser proves to be beneficial for this skin type. A cleansing lotion containing a salicylic acid works rather well for this skin type, especially to help melt away those impurities and bacteria that cause breakouts. You should focus scrubbing your T-zone gently with this skin type.

Oily/Acne-prone Skin: Gels and lotions containing salicylic acid are good for Oily skins. Using a salicylic cleanser cuts through the bacteria and sebum build up

Dry Skin: Milk cleansers and gentle, water soluble cleansers are ideal for this skin type. If you find your cleanser is leaving your skin tight and flaky, you may be using a product that is just too harsh for your skin type.

Sensitive Skin: The same goes for sensitive skin. Gentle milk cleansers or water soluble cleanser work best for this skin type. Pay attention to key ingredients that may irritate YOUR skin!

Chronic Problem Skin: It is advised that you visit a Dermatologist to determine the correct product that is problem-specific. You may have acne or eczema, maybe psoriasis. A dermatologist can give you prescription cleansers, toners and moisturizers to help with a specific problem or condition.

That's all for now
xoxoanna

July favourites

So i thought i'd jump on this bandwagon even if it is a bit late! In july i didn't buy very much because i went on holiday so i had to save all my precious pennies!! So the things that i did like tended to be either holiday related or things that i rediscovered that i had already (that's the great thing about having no money for beauty products - as i'm sure you all know:)

1) Gillette Venue Embrace Razor - This is the best razor i have ever used, even better than a wax! However, whilst the razor itself i currently half price for about £4, the blades cost about £7 for three, which i so expensive, especially since i go through then faster as they pick up much more hair. grr. However, for a girl who always cuts her knees every time, this razor really i curve hugging and you don't even need to use foam or shower gel!

2) Dove Hair Minimising Deodorant in Nature Fresh - if i stay realistic and go with the fact that nothing is actually going to stop me sweating because that would be really unhealthy, i really like this purely for the fact that i smells great. I can't say i have noticed any hair minimising results, but i shave so often that i wouldn't really notice if it did lol

3) Toni and Guy Firm Hold Hairspray - you can get this in boots, and i usually get the mini one for £1.50, because it's portable and easier to hold. It contains 50ml which i find is enough because i usually only use it on my fringe or when i have urled my hair. You don't need too much either, because it can go a bit hard if you use too much. This is one of the few hairsprays i have found which actually holds my fringe back, and i also use a spray on my fingers to hold back my baby hair.

4) Gosh Darlig Lipstick - I know this is an obvious choice but it's something which i've had a while after watching lollipop26 rave about it, and i have fallen back in love! it's so creamy but i'm sure you've all read enough about it or already have it so i'm just going to stop there!

5) Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanning - I have a sample of this which i took on holiday. I use it on my face because whilst my body tans really well i never tan on my face and end up looking really mis- matched! This product gives a really good but subtle colour. It's stronger than my johnsons face gradual tanner, but it doesn't peel like that one does. I just apply it with cotton wool ater removing my makeup before a shower and let it soak in a bit - don't forget to wash your hands though!

6) L'oreal Paris Visible Results Cleasing Mousse - just read my review.

7) Collection 2000 Dazzle Me! in no.14 Lustrous - This is an olive green pigment with gold sparkles. It's such a great colour with green or brown eyes, and looks great wet to wear out at night, and it's really inexpensive - another old favourite!

8) Bright blue eyeliner - i really like the 2true in no.15, only £1.95 in superdrug!! It's really bright, really smooth and really cheap, great to try a coloured eyeliner for hte first time.

9) Urban Decay Stray Dog Eyeshadow - the perfect brown gold. i wear it on it's ow or with a gold base, my friends think i'm wearing loads of different colours!

I could go on but i will restain myself lol
thats all
xoxo anna

Excitement! - New Barry M Products

Barry M recently released new colours in their range in the UK and surprise surprise i had to get some!. They are all mainly pink colours and are very summery.

I picked up one of the new lipglosses and lip paints in superdrug on saturday, so here's what i think...

I got a new lip paint in 147. I think it's the peachy one featured on the right hand side of the pic, but in real life it's more of a coral baby pink. It's a matte lipstick, and it is very matte, but i like that because you can put a gloss over the top to make it more shiny or opt for a more subtle look. I really love the colour of this one - it's exactly what i wanted from the no53 from barry m. It costs £4.16 in superdrug and looks great with pinky coral, light cheeks, natural looking eyes and lots of mascara!

The second item i picked up was from the new range of lipglosses. I got the one in no4 i think. It's a really baby pink, which is very cool toned with an almost purple tinge. It does contain quite a lost of sparkles which are quite small. The gloss itself has a doe foot applicater which tends to bring out too much product, which i then have to wipe off on the tube.

Each of the glosses has a scent, i think this one is a strawberry one, but it smells kind of like that sickly sugary fake strawberry smell, but it isn't strong enough for that to be an issue for me. The colour is very pigmented - too pigmented to just apply straight on the lips and leave, in my opinion. I have to put two dabs in the middle of my lips and smooth out with my fingers. Unfortunately this means that a lost of the colour is lost, but the paleness and glitter still remains. One of the main problems i have with this is the texture - don't get me wrong it is very creamy, it's just when i apply it to my lips it sits in all the lines (and i'm only 18 so it's not like i have very lined lips).

This lipgloss costs £4.16, and i don't think i would re-purchase it because i think it takes too much effort to look nice. True, there aren't many other drugstore glosses of this shade available, but i'd rather wear a pale pink or purple lipstick with a clear gloss.

That's all for now

xoxo anna