February Empties

Hey guys, I haven't posted anything new things in a while, since I have been doing a fair bit of travelling (not finished yet) and also been busy at work. Time just gets away from me sometimes. 

I had a little time where I was searching for inspiration (which never came) so I just decided to go with it. I took these pictures at the beginning of February but kept putting off posting, I know , I know procrastination, procrastination. 

Without further ado here are my February Empties. 

Those of you who have followed my blog for a while, will know that that this has been my staple leave in conditioner for a long time (due to the fact it was such a huge bottle). It worked well for me, even though the formula was intended for fine hair (of course my hair is thick like no ones business). I will miss it because I used it for such a long time, however I am looking forward to trying other things. I already have a bottle of L'oreal leave in conditioner and also a bottle of the Mane n Tail Leave in conditioner (thanks dannie) waiting in the wings. 

I like choice when it comes to shower gels/body washes, I try to keep two in rotation at a time in the shower. Imperial Leather Peony & Raspberry this shower gel smells amazing and  gave such good lather. Right Guard shower gel + lotion it did what it says on the tin, my skin was not dry or overly stripped after I finished bathing. It reminded me of a body cream. Both of these I would repurchase. 

Garnier Ultry dry 48 hour none stop protection (yada yada yada) my armpits were dry all day I have no complaints. Garnier is one of those company's that keep making great products, in my opinion. Soft n Gentle Orchid & Passion flower deodorant - it smelled nice, I would not repurchase. 

I picked this up by chance. To my surprise I liked it. It kept my skin moisturised but was not overly heavy. The texture is lighter than the original formula but not by much. 

                        

Colgate 360 Toothbrush head, I made the switch to an electronic toothbrush about 2 years ago and it has made the world of difference for the health of my gums.Tooth Health is important guys 

Be safe 

my lovelies 

Whats In My Bag: Flight Edition

I am off on vacation on Saturday guys and gals.

 Throw your hands in the air one time for sum sum summer. It has been a while since I had a vacay which entailed leaving the country.

 Last year I had two mini breaks, one to Centre Parcs for 4 days and another one over the August Bank  Holiday. However there is just something about laying about on a beach, with a straw hat and a cold drink. On this trip I can look forward to hanging with my chicas, going to the beach, good food and yeah going to the beach. 

Of course traveling out of the country means I have to make some adjustments when it comes to the beauty products I cart along, decisions, decisions. These are the items I have pretty much decided to will take with me to the airport/ on the flight. 

Face

I will taking along my trusty Garnier Cleansing wipes in absence of my Garnier Micellar water (Garnier needs to make this in a 100ml size. Even if it is only sold in airports.) The 3oz rule, +  no aerosols means I wont be able to carry my trusty Avene Thermal water spray, but no worries I have  my Simple Hydrating Face Mist (GREAT DUPE for the MAC Travel Sized  Fix + Spray) to keep my skin hydrated during the flight along with my Korres Pomegranate Cream Gel/Body Shop Serum in Oil. 

Body

Sometimes my hands feel a bit grimey and travelling/being on the go there might not be an available sink with running water and hand soap readily available. My hand bag packet of Wet Ones will keep my hands feeling fresh and not sticky. My trusty Kleenex tissues are on hand to wipe up any spills or drips that might occur (dab the ob bit of foundation/the end of a mascara wand.) Hand sanitizer is my truth my light and my way (plus it will in handy for cleaning my hand before applying my makeup. This little mini tub of Nivea Creme is going to  come in very handy for moisturizing my arms and legs/feet. L'Occitane Hand cream (full tube) self explanatory. 

Fragrance

Davidoff Cool Water edt, Ralph Lauren Romance edp, Marc Jacobs LoLa edp I love a good scent and I love having a choice. The Marc Jacobs Lola is a gorgeous scent, is sold as a 20ml purse spray, the other 2 fragrances are 30ml sizes so they aren't too heavy. 

Breath

I am very suspicious of those mini tubes of tooth pate they give out on flights. There isn't enough toothpaste to get a good scrub on (my dentists recommends brushing for 2 minutes long) and the texture is just weird. This is a mini 19ml tube of Colgate Total. I got it as a free sample from my dentists office. In the event I eat a hot curry or something really garlicky, I have some Extra chewing gum & mints to keep me going until I can brush my teeth. 

Food

I have some Go Ahead cereal bars, and some Oat cakes to keep me going. I usually buy these as my work snacks, but they will keep me going, if I am feeling peckish and a packet of crisps are not to hand (or the stewardess is being stingy with the snacks. 

Miscellaneous

Shilling oil I cannot really explain what this is for, it covered a multitude of sins. Ipod mini this is for listening to music on the way to the airport and in the departure lounge. Revlon Colour Burst lipglosses to keep my lips moisturized with a bit of colour. 

Yayyyyyyyy. I'm going on holiday.

Shimmy shimmy cocoa puff. 

xx

April Favourites

Hey lovelies, I am tucked up in bed with a cup of hot chocolate, it is raining cats and dogs outside. 

So I have decided to share with you what were my favorite products for the month of April. 

Some of these products you might have seen before, some of them are new. 

Everyday Favourites: 

Armani shades - between low glare in the mornings and the dazzling sunlight in the afternoons, having these bad boys in my hand bag have been a necessity. 

Jack Wills umbrella - did you know umbrellas are pricey? Like seriously this umbrella was "12 and it was half price!!!!. I came to the rude awakening, that I have never actually purchased  an umbrella, (when I bought this umbrella).  I mean for an every day product, they are pricey, especially if you want a sturdy one to hold up against these hurricane rains /tornado winds we seem to be getting these past few months. 

Body Favorites:

Garnier 7 day Intense moisturizing lotion - good moisturizer not to light and now to heavy  perfect for the fluctuating temperatures of Spring. 

 Dove Hibiscus and Almond shower cream - has been keeping my skin clean as well as soft. Sanctuary body spray - great for spritzing on the go, as well as topping up during the day, the scent is very light. I know you are wondering why I have two body scrubs/exfoliators as well as exfoliating gloves. Exfoliating gloves are the business, I use them every day, with my Dove Almond and Hibiscus shower cream.  

There is a method to the madness with the 2 body scrubs. Gigi No Bump Scrub - is for use in delicate areas such as the bikini line and decolletage.  The Body Shop Raspberry Body Scrub this is for use every where, but I moistly focus on the back of my thighs and arms with this. 

Face Favourites:

 Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer - medium coverage plus spf, this has been my regular base not that the morning have been lighter. 

 Garnier Micellar water -this has been a great makeup remover, plus at 400ml for £4.99, this has been great value for money. 

MAC Mineralise Skinfinish Natural - great face powder on its own as well as topping up my Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer. 

 Murad perfecting day cream with spf 30 - it goes on and gives my skin a grey  tinge, which does not last. My skin totally absorbs it  and it leave no residue, plus it doesn't interfere with the application of my Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer which contains spf 20.

 (I am all for the spf, I am going to be as well preserved as possible, no leather face here. Moisturizer, water and spf are my friends) 

Hair Favourites:

ORS Oil Moisturizing Hair Lotion - I've been using this for years. It works great as a hair moisturizer I just continue using it. 

Almond Oil (decanted into the Tresemme liquid gold bottle) - this is what I use to seal in the moisture of the Olive oil hair lotion. 

There you have it my April favourites,

xxx

Haul

These are just a  few things I have picked up over the last week.

Burberry Body Eau de parfum 35ml - I have been stalking this for 2 months, it finally went down to half price so I snatched it up. I am currently debating whether to purchase the edt or not. £22.50 reduced from £45.

Garnier Minerals Clean Sensation antiperspirant (x5) - I bought 5 at once. They should last me til about January and then I will stock up again. £1 reduced from £2.30.

Vaseline Compressed antiperspirant deodorant (active fresh and aloe sensitive) - These are for my handbag, travelling/vacation and they are small enough to fit in my Longchamp pouchette. £1 reduced form £1.89.

Cuticura Passion Flower and Mango Anti Bacetrial Hand gel 

Wet Ones Be Zingy Anti Bacterial Hand wipes (x5) - These wipes were 54p,  usually £1.15p in Boots/Superdrug where I usually buy them. I bought all that I could find in the store. #don'tjudgeme

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipglosses -  Fatal apple and Berry allure. My aunt bought me these on Tuesday (3rd Sept,13). 2 for £10, so they were £5 each. 

Sometimes the only things, you need to shop for are the everyday essentials.

Have a great day my lovelies.

xx

My travel Makeup/Skincare/Bodycare UK August Bank holiday

You already know about my disastrous experience at Notting Hill Carnival. What you do not know is, before I went to London, I had to attend my Godsons christening. Which meant I had to do a bit of cross country travelling, therefore I had to break out my travel goodies. 

Body - Garnier Minerals Clean Sensation anti antiperspirant, Nivea Pearl Beauty gentle care antiperspirant, L'occitane Plum Blossom skin moisture gel (travel size), Marks and Spencers Coconut hand and body lotion (decanted into a travel sized bottle), The Body Shop Shea Butter Shower cream (travel size), Burberry Body Eau de Parfum, Elizabeth Arden Red door Revealed Eau de Parfum. 

Face - Emma Hardie Amazing Face Natural lift and Sculpt Morninga Cleansing Balm (sample size), Origins Modern Friction (sample size), Clarins Gentle Eye Makeup Remover Lotion (sample size)

Hair - Organics Olive Oil Hair Polish Finishing Mist

Makeup - MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Deep dark, MAC Blot Powder, Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara (travel size), Clinique High Impact Mascara (travel size), The Body Shop Super volume Mascara (travel size), 

Stuff - Cuticura Passion Flower and Mango antibacterial gel (decanted into my purell 60ml pump bottle), Wet Ones anti bacterial wipes, Avene Eau de thermal spray.

See you next time lovelies.

xx

Review - Garnier Intensive 7 Days Hand Cream SOS Repair

If you read my winter skincare series you would already be familiar with this product, but in case you did not I will include the link below. 

      I know washing hands, moisturizing hands, hand creams at times it all seems so trivial. However your hands are one of the first places to show signs of ageing, and one way you can help this is to moisturize. Battling this never ending winter, along with the hand soap battle can leave hands extremely dry. 

     I bought this hand cream through the positive endorsement of my friend Paula. She loved it and it costs £2.99 (£1.50 I bought it in the sale in October at ASDA) a lot less than £8 which is the price of a standard 30ml L'occitane Shea Butter hand cream. This cream contains an ingredient called L-Bifidus which forms a barrier over the skin to prevent all the moisture from escaping.  This is the same ingredient used in the Garnier Intensive 7 Day Nourishing Lotion. The Garnier 7 Day Hand Cream keeps my hands moisturized without a greasy feel and when I wash my hands they do not feel stripped and dry. Though the cream comes out slightly thick, a little goes a long way. If you do decide to purchase this product, only apply a little at a time. I keep this on my desk at work, since it is the largest of my hand creams at 75ml. 

Would I repurchase? - Yes
Would I buy full priced? -  Yes
Would I recommend? - Yes


Winter Skincare Series Hand Creams

L'occitane Shea butter Hand Cream

Garnier Intensive 7 Day Nourishing Lotion

Haul

      These are just a few things which I have picked up over time between December/Christmas/January sales/February, nothing fancy just mostly life's essentials 

Dove body wash l-r Go Fresh Nectarine and White Ginger, Shea butter and warm vanilla, Almond with Hibiscus, Creme Mousse Body Wash  Brightening, Nourishing

 Dove body washes these were all on 50% off so I stocked up on the scents which I had not tried before. (There is a new go fresh one I spotted in Sainsbury's, cannot wait til these are used up to get my mitts on that one!!!)

l-r Garnier Clean Sensation, Sure Radiant, Linen dry, Dove Invisible dry, Original

Superdrug were selling the Garnier Deodorants for 50% off so I purchased 1 to try, do not sleep on these ladies and gentlemen they are really lovely. Boots were selling the Sure 150ml at £1 per bottle in the last 2 weeks of December so I purchased 2. These dove deodorants I was gifted by lil sis for Christmas.

Garnier wipes l-r Rose, Sensitive, Aloe 

 I originally bought 6 packs of face wipes  during the half price sale at Superdrug. If you read this blog you know I love Garnier face wipes. I think they are the best ones on the high street. I bought these in December, this post is going live in March, lol some of them got used up along he way. 

 I love love love body butters. These are a selection from boots which they  bring out every year with the Christmas Gifts. I just love them because they are so handy, small and portable. The set is usually £10 but I purchased it in the after Christmas sale in January for £5, £1 each, can you say bargain. This would be ideal for anyone who is planning to travel or go away for a long weekend. 

Body butter Selection from Boots 

No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Brush

The High Street Clarasonic. This I bought in February while it was on offer for £15 (original price £24.99).  I have never used a Clarasonic but after using this I would def invest in one. Comment below if you would like me to do a review. 

l-r black, navy, mocha, moss and chocolate

Primark Body Shaper leggings -------> 3 things 1. these have a very high level of elastic, 2, they keep you very warm, 3 they keep your body very firm and smooth. These have been keeping me warm while I bum around the house. On very chilly days I layer them up under my sweat pants or lounge pants. 

xx 

Winter Skincare Series- Hand cream

     Hand cream is not only a Winter must have, but a year round must have, a handbag must have and a desk top must have. Your hands are one part of your body which is always exposed, we see and use them quite often. Our hands are very delicate and often start showing signs of ageing quickly, hence the need to moisturise. 

Handbag Handcreams

     The L'occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream this cream is quite thick but it absorbs quickly without any greasy after feeling. This come in a varying amount of sizes 10ml, 30ml (the size shown above) and  150ml. The 30ml is priced at £8, and the 150ml is £17.50. 

Desktop Creams

      These are the creams which are great not just in size but value, yes the L'occitane cream is great but there are great choices also available from the lower priced brands. I do not like using my handbag cream at work, because at times I tend to forget it. For me it is better to have different creams with their individual uses and assigned purposes.  These are the hand creams which I use at work because of the larger sized tubes. They are convenient for me to use at work, aka I can use as much hand cream as I like without fearing they will finish at any moment. 

 These hand creams are great follow ups to the L'occitane Shea Butter hand cream. they are moisturising but not greasy.  The Garnier hand cream is 100ml and is priced at £2.50 - £3.50 depending on where you purchase. The Jergens hand creams are £3 - £3.50. 

Double Duty 
This is a mini body butter this is a great body cream which can also double as a hand cream. The small 50ml size makes it a great size to be used for a weekend away or for sharing with friend. 

Check out my post on body butters here

Check out my post on shower creams here

Check out my review on the L'occitane hand cream here

Products I have used up

The title says it all products I have used up over the last few weeks/months. 

• Jergens Naturals cocoa butter lotion x 2 - reviewed already
• Sanex Zero % sensitive skin shower gel - absolutely hated
• Dove silk glow body wash 
• Hairveda almond glaze - reviewed already
• holland and Barrett Flaxseed oil tablets 
• Darcy's botanicals Pumpkin seed conditioner - reviewed already
• Elasta QP Mango and Olive butter x 2 (my saviour for the under precessed hair) 
• Sanex deodorant 
• Avene cleanance mattifying toner  - Review coming soon (product decanted into spray bottle)
• Sure anti white marks deodorant
• Qhemet biologics Amla and Olive oil heavy cream - reviewed already
• Oil of Olay face wipes - reviewed already
• Garnier Simply essentials face wipes - reviewed already
• Body Shop White musk sheer mist - reviewed already 

These are the products that were already in the rubbish bin but I could not be bothered to dig through the rubbish and pick them out. 

• ORS Olive oil moisturising hair lotion - absolutely love/ holy grail/reviewed already
• Sanex excel anti perspirant deodorant
• Aphogee keratin and green tea spray - reviewed already
• Elasta QP Intense Fortifying treatment 
• Ojon damage reverse Shampoo - entire range reviewed already
• Aquafresh toothpaste 
• Garnier face wipes with Rose extract and Vitamin E - reviewed already

Miss Mai

xx

Review - Garnier Soft Essentials vitamin enriched cleansing wipes (Rose Extract and Vitamin E)

    I believe that face wipes serve a purpose in the world of fashion/makeup/beauty. They are useful for refreshing the skin, travelling and removing makeup (how well do they do this job is a topic we can debate another day). i alaywas reccomend to everyone that at the end of the day if you are not wearing makeup to give your face a once over with a face wipes, just to get ride of the grime/germs/bacteria of the day. 

What they say:

      Remove makeup and hydrate, dermatologically tested. 

Our Garnier skin Naturals Philosophy

      We use whenever possible active natural ingredients when have been carefully extracted to preserve thier quality and purity.

What I say - Skin Type - Oily, Cleansing Routine -Twice daily

    These wipes were lovely. They had enough moisture (juice) in them to last longer than the first wipe which is something Garnier face wipes have in common. the wipes removed my makeup quite well. I used 2 wipes that is just my personal preference. these wipes were very soft on the skin, pleasantly fragranced and not abrasive. They did not leave my skin feeling stripped or dry at any time.

These wipes retail for £3.20 each and 25 come in a packet (yes I know they are getting pricey.)

Would I repurchase? - Yes if they were on sale (50% off or more)

Would I purchase at full price -  Maybe 

Would I recommend- hellllllllllll yeah, for the process of makeup removal only, these are not your skin care system.


Miss Mai
xx

Review - Garnier Skin Naturals Simply Essentials Facial cleansing wipes

What they say:

     Remove even waterproof mascara, no perfume, no alcohol, no colourants. suitable for even sensitive skin, dermatologically and opthamologically tested

What I say: Skin Tye - Oily, Cleansing Routine - Twice daily

     They were okay, they had enough moisture, like Garnier wipes do. These ones had a bit of quilting so the texture was lovely, especially for removing lipstick. If you follow me on twitter @Rebelle01 than you know that I love lipstick. In that spirit I have about 5 lipsticks that I wear regularly when I do my makeup. Even with the quilted texture the wipes were not abrasive, the removed my makeup well. I used them in conjunction with the Simply Essentials Makeup remover. I used 2 wipes as normal to remove my face makeup and then used cotton pads to remove my eye makeup. I only used these wipes for my foundation, powder etc. The two foundations I have been using are the L'ancome Teint Idole Ultra 24 hours foundation and the Estee Lauder Double Wear (yes that good ish). I liked them, I don't have any complaints. 

These wipes retail for £3.20 each and 25 come in a packet.

Would I repurchase? - yes if they were on sale. 

Would I buy full price? -  maybe but I am more leaning towards a no.

Would I recommend? - Yes I would, they worked really well at removing those full coverage long lasting foundations.