DIY: Macadamia Body Butter

Today will be my last post for a couple of days as I'm going to Ibiza tomorrow til Thursday! I assure you I will be back in full force later this week as I've got lots and lots of brilliant ideas for blog posts. Today's post is a really simply yet luxurious recipe - macadamia body butter! 

You can buy macadamia body butter from Akoma skincare  for about £2-3 for a 100g. Macadamia but oil is extremely light and non-greasy yet it is powerful enough to penetrate and moisturise the skin. 

To make this recipe you will need 100g of macadamia butter. Melt this in a double boiler (a glass bowl on top of a boiling pan of water not touching). Once melted pour into a container and let it soldify again. The reason behind doing this first is that macadamia and other natural plant butters and fats can be a bit grainy at first and melting them can get rid of some of this texture and make it smoother. 

Once the butter has solidified again scoop it out and put it in a pestle and morter and grind it until it looks molton. Slowly add trickles of avocado oil to the mix until it looks super soft and creamy. 

That's literally it, you can add a couple of drops of your favourite essential oils if you like. I like jasmine in this one but I make it quite a lot without any essential oils at all as its quite a pleasing smell on its own! 

Hope you enjoy the recipe, let me know if you make it and your thoughts on it by leaving a comment below. Have a lovely day! 

REVIEW: Bare Escentuals Starter Kit

Ok so I was meant to post this on Friday morning but for some reason blogger was being difficult and wouldn't let me so here it is! x

"Bare Escentuals started the revolution in mineral makeup with the introduction of our award-winning 100% pure bareMinerals.

bareMinerals looks like a powder, feels like a cream and buffs on like silk, giving skin a natural luminosity. Free of preservatives, talc, oil, fragrance and other harmful chemicals, bareMinerals provides impeccable coverage for every skin type, skin tone, and concern yet it doesn't feel like you're wearing any makeup at all."

Bare Escentuals Website 

Apologies for the dark photo - it was a miserable day! 

I know I said I wasn't going to do a post today but I decided to get up early and write one anyway! About a week ago I did a review on the 10 day trial size bare minerals sample you can buy from www.escentual.com. I fell in love with the minerals but knew I needed to get matched up to a lighter colour - the medium beige had a yellow undertone to it that didn't suit my fair skin.

So I went to the Trafford Centre (a large shopping centre on the outskirts of Manchester) and visited the Bare Minerals Counter in Selfridges. I was approached by Ryan - a bare minerals beauty advisor and brand ambassador and was asked what I was after and if he could help. I explained my situation then asked me to take a seat.

First of all he cleansed my face with the new bare minerals skincare range. He informed me they are natural and contain no parabens or sulphates etc. I asked to see the ingredients but they were not on the bottle so I guess I'm going to have to do my own little bit of research to find out if that's actually true or not! He then moisturised my face and prepped it primer.

He then proceeded to use the summer bisque concealer around my eyes and anywhere I had redness (I really liked the brush he used to do this with! See picture below). After, he took a large soft bristled brush and swept the foundation 'fairly medium c20' all over my face - he said the key is to buff it in as much as possible.

A very dark brown powder was then swept all over my face with a smaller soft bristled brush to give my skin some glow and warmth - oddly enough the product he used was called warmth! He then finished using the large brush to sweep a 'mineral veil' over the foundation - this was to make the skin look radiant and refreshed.

When I looked in the mirror I was totally impressed by it. It actually looked like my bare skin - just healthier and better. I couldn't believe the coverage you could achieve with a powder and without it looking so caked on. I purchased the starter kit which contained a mini prime time foundation primer, my fairly medium foundation, the warmth powder, the mineral veil plus 3 brushes - the concealer brush, the large soft bristled brush and the slightly smaller one I mentioned. Altogether this cost £48 which seems like a lot at first until you break it down and realise just how much you are getting for your money. Thankfully I had quite a few Trafford Centre vouchers left over from my birthday!

The concealer in summer bisque I had to buy separately for  £19 which I did think was quite on the expensive side. I am, however, impressed with the product and will see how long it lasts before I buy another one. Feel Unique do offers from time to time on bare minerals so I may buy it form there in future.

All in all I was totally impressed by the bare escentuals start kit. I'm definitely glad I bought it. I've been looking to use a more natural foundation for a while now and this seems like the perfect product to fit the bill. In fact, I saw a fact somewhere in the literature that came along with it that said by choosing to use bare minerals you can actually reduce the risk of spots and breaking out etc. Ryan, the consultant also said this so I'll keep you updated as to whether I think this promise is true or not! 

I hope you enjoyed this review, if you have tried bare minerals or bare escentuals please do leave a comment below with your thoughts! Have a nice day! 

Witch Hazel & Rose Water Toner

The Witch Hazel Tree

Hi guys, I'm in Newcastle at the moment to see teh boyfriend and I'm only going to get chance to write a post today (I might not get to write one tomorrow or thursday as I think I'm going to be super busy!) I've just come back from a lovely walk along the beach in the sun and thought I'd do a quick post on a really simple toner that I use every morning. It's super light and refreshing and although toner doesn't do much physically the skin, it does make it feel nice and clean! So here is the recipe:

YOU WILL NEED:

50ml Witch Hazel

50ml Rose Water 

5 drops of Lime Essential Oil

5-10 drosp of Geranium Essential Oil

METHOD: 

Simply measure out your ingredients in a jug, give them all a really good mix then decant in to a pretty glass bottle. Store in a cool dry area and use twice a day after cleansing to refresh the skin and leave it feelign squeeky clean and prepped for moisturiser! 

You can make your own rose water at home. Simply remove the petals from a large bunch of roses. Place a double boiler. Cover the petals with some purified water and leave to infuse for a good hour on a low heat. Strain your liquid (it should now have a slight tint to do dependant on what colour of petals you used) and pour into a bottle or other container. Again, store in a dark cool place until you need to use it. Alone it should last about a week to two. 

And there you have it, a lovely DIY toner :) Any questions elave a comment below! Have a nice day!

REVIEW: Sleek Divine Original Eye Shadow Palette & Pout Paint

Apologies for the lack of post yesterday, I've had a lot of business meetings the last few days in regards to the skin and body care line I'm in the process of developing. I've been trying to decide of packaging and sorting out the labels etc so it's all been a bit hectic. My friend Nosheen has been travelling around America for the last month or so which meant so missed my birthday. Yesterday however she bought me the Sleek Divine Original Eye Shadow Palette and a Sleek Pout Paint. I was so chuffed because I've been wanting to try the sleek range for a while now especially the pout paint which a lot of beauty bloggers seem to praising! Let's start! 

What are the colours like? 

There is definitely a good mix of colours and they all look super pigmented before I'd even applied them so I was definitely expecting good things. I was especially excited to try the golden rose colour - it looked very promising. I wasn't mad on the burnt orange colour and the bright gold colour either. 

As for the pout paint, it looks REALLY pink and from what I've seen from other blogs, they come out the exact same colour!

What's the price like?    

The pout paint retails at £4.99 and the eye shadow palette retails at £6.49 which when you break it down works out about 54p per eye shadow - cheaper than MUA and that's saying something! 

How pigmented are the products? 

Like I said they look very pigmented so I was excited to see how they looked once applied. I certainly wasn't disappointed, most of the shades came out beautifully. The dark blue and rose gold colour looked absolutely stunning. 

I can't say I was too crazy about the light gold colour. It came out a bit flaky when I used it so I think I might avoid that one, it didn't apply smoothly at all. I changed my mind about the burnt orange colour when I saw it swatched - I think it would look beautiful on the inner socket blended out with a soft dark brown colour. 

As for the pout paint, it was SUPER pigmented as you'll be able to see from the picture below.

What are the ingredients like? 

Not great to be honest, the second ingredient is parafinnum liquidum which I completely avoid in skincare. But I think everything is about balance so using make up (which sits as opposes to sinks into the skin) with it in every now and again won't do any serious harm. Plus the colours are just too gorgeous! 

I couldn't find the ingredient list for the pout paint.

Verdict? 

The eyeshadow palette is a good mix of colours that you could easily use for both day and night looks. They are absolutely brilliant value for money and super pigmented making this a top buy. As for the pout paint I think I will probably mix with a bit of cocoa butter so I just get a hint of the colour when I apply it. I don't know anyone that could pull off the colour as it is unless it was a high fashion/beauty shoot although saying that, you are supposed to mix the pout paints so I will buy a few more and experiment then let you all know the results! 

Have a lovely day! 

What natural ingredients suit my skin type?

I do a lot of DIY recipes on here but sometimes they aren't suited  to everyone's skin. For this reason I've decided to basically do a list instead of a post about which oils suit each different skin type so you can design your lotions and potions to suit your individual needs! I hope you find this useful :)

To get you started why not try adapting my wonderfully whipped shea butter moisturiser? You can find a full list of my DIY recipes here. 

ACNE-PRONE SKIN 

Essential oils...

bergamot, eucalyptus, tea-tree, geranium, grapefruit, patchouli, thyme, cedarwood 

Oils...

evening primrose, jojoba 

Herbs...

sage, thyme, aloe vera, lemongrass, dandelion

SENSITIVE SKIN 

Essential oils...

jasmine, lavender, rose, sandalwood, neroli

Oils... 

apricot kernal, jojoba, sweet almond

Herbs...

chamomile, green tea, aloe vera, calendula 

DRY/DEHYDRATED SKIN

Essential oils... 

rose, rosewood, jasmine, sandalwood, palmarosa

Oils...

olive, jojoba, sweet almond, wheatgerm 

MATURE SKIN

Essential Oils...

fennel, rose, sandalwood, patchouli, carrot seed 

Oils...

avocado, olive, wheatgerm 

Herbs...

elderflower, sage, green tea, parsely, rose geranium, fennel seeds

COMBINATION SKIN 

Essential oils...

lavender, neroli, ylang-ylang

Oils...

jojoba, sweet almond

Herbs...

aloe vera, elderflower, green tea, black tea, rosehip, lavender, calendula

OILY SKIN 

Essential Oils...

lavender, lime, lemon, orange, ylang ylang, bergamot, geranium 

Oil...

jojoba, sweet almond, hazlenut

Herbs...

bay leaf, rosemary, sage, witch hazel, lavender, dandelion 

There you have it, lots of lovely herbs and essential oils to add to your DIY concoctions so they cater specifically for your skin! 

Have a lovely day! 

What's all the fuss about AHA’s? (Alpha-Hydroxy-Acids)

Alpha Hydroxy Acid has been a buzzword in the cosmetic industry for a long time now. Recently, however, it occurred to me that not many people actually know what AHA’s actually are, what their purpose is and whether they are worth including in your skincare routine. So here is your guide to AHA’s...

First off, what exactly are AHA’s?

According to cosmeticinfo.com...

Alpha Hydroxy acids (AHA's) are a class of chemical compounds that occur naturally in fruits, milk, and sugar cane. Although they are called acids they are not to be confused with strong industrial acids such as hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid. The AHAs most commonly used in cosmetic products are glycolic acid (which is derived from sugar cane) and lactic acid (the substance that gives you muscle burn when you exercise). Other AHAs used include citric acid (from oranges, lemons, etc.), 2-hydroxyoctanoic acid, and 2-hydroxydecanoic acid. The AHA’s may be obtained from their natural sources or may be made synthetically.

Why do cosmetic companies choose to use AHA’s in their products?

Their main function is to cleanse and exfoliate the skin. There are two types of exfoliation: chemical and mechanical. Mechanical is where you use a product with small grains in it so the use of AHA's on the skin falls into the chemical exfoliation category. AHA's act on the surface of the skin by removing dead surface cells, thereby improving the appearance of the skin. AHAs loosen the glue-like substances that hold the surface skin cells to each other, therefore allowing the dead skin to peel off. The skin underneath has a fresher, healthier look with a more even colour and texture. 

If AHA’s are naturally occurring can’t I just rub an orange on my face?

Yes, you don’t need to spend a fortune on expensive skincare products to experience the full effect of AHAs. Here are just a few suggestions for you to try yourself at home.

TOMATOES: timmy toms contain lots of lactic acid which, is one of the more milder AHA’s. Simply cut a tomato in half then rub over your face. To make it a double whammy exfoliator dip your half of tomato in some fine sugar and rub it gently in circles on your skin.

STRAWBERRIES: This is my favourite to use as it smells so lovely! Straberries contain sacylic acid (which you can often find in the ingredients list in acne treatments). Again, simply cut a strawberry in half and rub all over your face. You can use the sugar with this too!

LEMONS: Lovely lemons are a souce of citric acid but personally, I wouldn’t go rubbing a lemon on your face. Instead try squeezing a few drops into a carrier oil (olive, almond, jojoba etc) then mixing together and applying to the face for 20 minutes.  

Anything else I need to know?

Products that contain AHAs often have sunscreen in them too. This is because the acid can have a temporary lighting effect on the skin so if you do use AHA’s sunscreen is absolutely essential.

So there you have it, the truth behind AHA’s. Yes they are beneficial to the skin but you can get all the benefits simply by using everyday items found in your home! 

DIY/Review: Egg White Face Mask

I've been reading about the proposed benefits of applying egg whites to your face for some time now but haven't ever got round to writing about it until now. I must admit I wasn't too keen on slapping whisked egg on my face but I tried it anyway in the name of beauty!

So first off, what are the proposed benefits?

-temporary pore tightening

-can help reduce the number of white/blackheads on your t-zone area

-helps to clear the skin

-nourishes the skin

-can help to draw excess oil from the skin

How do you do it?

To start off you need to separate an egg white from its yolk then whisk the white until you have a frothy mixture.

Using an old make up brush paint the egg white all over your cleansed face until it's completely covered.

Leave the mask to set for 15-20 minutes, your skin will feel tight when its done.

Wash your face with warm water until all the egg white has been rinsed off.

Pat your face dry and apply your favourite moisturiser.

TIP: I added a small squeeze of lemon juice to the mix to give it a cleansing effect.

Does it work?

I must say the redness on my forehead was soothed quite a lot. I can't say it doing anything for the tightness of my pores (it's a myth that you can shrink your pores anyway so I wasn't expecting it to work). It did, however, make my skin feel a lot smoother and softer.

Would I try it again?

Yeah I think I'm going to start doing this once a week and see if it makes any bigger difference. I think it would be good to use a couple of hours before an event as it does give you smoother looking, more perky skin. 

Have you tried an egg white mask and had a different outcome? Or do you love it? Let myself and others know by leaving a comment below! 

Have a lovely weekend! 

The Beauty Bag MUST HAVES

I was trying to get some inspiration for my latest blog post today and started rummaging through my make up box to get some ideas. It occurred to me that although I do reviews I've never actually listed a few of my favourite products that I couldn't live without (OK, that's a bit extreme but you get the gist!)

Everyone has their must-have items and I must admit I found it hard picking just a few. I was originally going to do around four or five but ended up with eight so here goes...

First up we have MAC's Sheertone Shimmer Blush (6g/£17) in SPRINGSHEEN. I absolutely love this blush and use it whenever I decide to put make up on. It's got a beautiful multi-dimensional shimmer to it with hues of pink, gold and coral. Definitely one of my must have items and available to purchase from here.

MUA eye shadows (2g) are just beyond ridiculous price-wise. A single POUND for a whole eye shadow that lasts absolutely ages. The one pictured above is shade 19 from the matt range and I use it pretty much everyday for contouring the outer socket of my eye when I'm wearing neutral colours. Even if you don't feel like wearing a lot of make up using a thin flat eye liner brush dipped in some of this shade pressed along the eyelashes does wonders to open up the whole eye area.

Next is my FAVOURITE eyeliner in the world. Unfontunately it's from Sephora and as of yet, we don't have any in the UK (the one I've got is from their Barcelona store.) It's a gorgeous silvery gunmental colour in a chunky crayon perfect for those days when you are in a rush. Good news though, it is rumoured there will be a Sephora opening in London in the next couple of months so watch this space! 

If you haven't heard already, Aldi do a make-up and cosmetic line called Lacura. "Aldi?!" I hear you say. Yes, Aldi and if you are going to try any of the products listed in this must have review I would highly recommend the concealer pen from this range. It's £3.99 for 28ml and, in my own personal opinion, is just as good as the YSL touche eclat. For a full review of this product check out my detailed report here.

Who doesn't love a good Barry M Dazzle Dust? A little on the expensive side for such a small pot of stuff (although you can sometimes get 2 for £6 on offer in Boots) but they do last forever. MY favourite pigment ever is one called Mushroom or DD51 if you want the code number. Crease-proof shadow and a long lasting pigment means this product gets placed in my top 8. 

I absolutely cannot live without my Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara (8ml/£15). Put simply, it's the BEST mascara ever. Definitely a tad more on the expensive side for a mascara but it's an absolute dream to use so it's a small price to pay for smudge proof eyes. For a full review of this product click here. 

MAC penultimate eyeliner (£14) can totally transform your eye area. This caligraphy-like fine liner allows for precise application meaning you can fill in only the areas you need to. Again, a tad on the expensive side but I've not found a high-street based brand that does as good job. 

FINALLY, we have the Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Liner in Black. It usually retails around £6/7 as it is on offer a lot at Boots and Superdrug. I found this after I had been using the MAC fluidline for year and can honestly say this high-street alternative does exactly the same thing. I'm not too keen on the brush and tend to use a much finer one.

So there you have it! What do you think of these products? Have you tried any? Let myself and others know by leaving a comment below! 

No7 Air-Brush Free Ad Campaign

Recently two adverts by L'Oreal had to be banned after the ASA deemed them to be misleading and inappropriate. In the wake of this No7 by Boots recently launched a brand new ad campaign featuring models who hadn't been airbrushed and who hadn't had any plastic surgery i.e. they were naturally beautiful. The response to this has been phenomenal with many praising No7 for their bravery to break the mould in the beauty industry. 

Basically this is a very quick post just to share my feelings and opinions on the campaign...

I'm not going to ramble on but I must say I'm absolutely on board with the No7 campaign. I think its fabulous that No7 have decided not to digitally enhance their models and to allow their true, natural beauty shine through. 

Young girls and women are constantly bombarded and confronted with images of perfect looking women and put simply, it's just wrong. It does nothing to give confidence to those flick through the magazines on a frequent basis. Not to mention the empty promises!

So well done No7, you have well and truly paved the way for advertising campaigns. I just hope other companies take it on board too. It would be lovely to see others get on board with this latest trend *cough Clarins cough* (I mean come on, look at their latest energising range, she just looks ridiculous!)  

Have a lovely day!

DIY: Chocolate and Manuka Honey Facial Mask

Using chocolate in beauty products is becoming somewhat of a phenomenon and it appears that many cosmetic and beauty companies are beginning to realise how powerful this natural substance is for treating a whole array of skin problems.

Spas, salons and skincare clinics now offer chocolate facials and chocolate body wraps amongst many other luxurious and decadent treatments to their clientele. These treatments however, come at a costly price so to experience the same benefits for a fraction of the cost why not try making your own?

Today I'll be showing you how to make a chocolate and manuka honey face mask for when you want to indulge yourself a bit so here goes...

YOU WILL NEED:

1 tablespoon of manuka honey

1 tablespoon of pure cocoa powder

1 tablespoon of kaolin clay

1 tablespoon of chamomile tea infusion 

METHOD:

Mix your cocoa and kaolin clay together in a bowl until combined.

Add your manuka honey and chamomile tea infusion to the bowl 

and stir together until it is well combined.

You should have a smooth mixture that is the consistency of a normal face mask.

APPLICATION:

Apply the mask to a cleansed face until you have a nice even layer.

Leave the mask to work for a good ten minutes. Pop some cucumber on your eyes to de-puff them whilst waiting.

Remove your mask with a muslin cloth dipped in warm water.

Pat your face dry and apply your favourite moisturiser. 

And there you go a luxury DIY bath time treat. I did a full length article on how you can use chocolate in a variety of different DIY products in the most recent Manchester Gossip. Here is the link if you fancy having a look! 

http://www.manchestergossip.com/chocolate-good-you-yes-really

Have a lovely day!

Bare Minerals 10 day trial - Escentual.com

On Sunday night I ordered a 'try before you buy' sample size of the Bare Minerals foundation in medium beige. I've been wanting to try Bare Minerals for a while now but have never got round to it until I came across www.escentual.com. Escentual have had the fantastic idea of letting you try the products you are interested in for a small fee to see whether you like them/they suit you etc. My Bare Minerals cost me £3 plus postage. 

The great thing about this sample size is that you get a voucher once you order. If you end up liking the product and want to place an order through Escentual they knock off the price you paid for the sample. So the foundation powder I want to buy is £18.77 on Escentual (which is about £4 cheaper than the high street anyway) then you knock off your £3 sample size meaning the product is just £15.77 - bargain! 

This review is just as much a www.escentual.com review as it is bare minerals. I have been beyond impressed with their customer service. Not only did my bare minerals trial size arrive perfectly on time but they included a free nail file and another 10% off voucher to spend online at their shop. It's not very often you see customer service that good so Escentual are now bookmarked on my laptop and I will be visiting there for my beauty needs from now on. I was just so, so impressed.

Back to the mineral powder. Like I said I've been wanting to try it for some time now as I think wearing liquid foundation everyday can be a bit too heavy. A powder also seems perfect for when you just want to quickly put some colour to your face too so for when I'm on the go I thought it would be brilliant. 

When it arrived this morning I was again, very impressed. I tapped a bit of the powder out, swirled my mini kabuki brush in it (which by the way, is absolutely adorable), tapped off the excess and applied to my whole face in circular motions. 

You can see from the pictures below that it doesn't cake your skin, it just leaves it looking healthier with a touch of colour. It also gave a very nice matt finish which means I can throw my translucent powder away now too. 

All in all the trial pack from Escentual has definitely exceeded my expectations and I will undoubtedly be buying the full size product from them later today. Pat yourselves on the back bare minerals and Escentual - you did yourselves good!