November Favourites 2013 / Beauty, Fashion + Random!!

It's time for November favourites! I can't believe December is approaching and Christmas is almost here. How exciting is that!? But let's move on to my favourite products for this month and there's definitely a few...

Buy Kiehls & Kevyn Aucoin at Space NK

Let's start with some beauty favourites, one of which is the Bourjois Happy Light Foundation. It has been my go-to foundation of choice if I decide to wear makeup that day. It's so easy to apply in the morning and it always seems to look great. I don't have to worry about it sliding down my face in the middle of the day or going patchy. I get a natural/matte finish with buildable medium coverage so it's perfect for everyday! Check out my full review here

I've also been enjoying the Kevyn Aucoin Eyeshadow Duo in #207. It's a handy little palette and you guys know how much I love my neutral eyeshadows! The lighter colour is a pearly golden beige, which I've been using as my base and highlight; and the dark chocolate brown is a nice matte shade making it perfect for contouring and crease work. It's a minimal product but oh so useful! 

My favourite nail polish this month is the Revlon 'Gold Coast', which I bought absolutely ages ago. I couldn't find a good way to use this nail colour because it's a very unusual golden yellow. If you just wear it by itself, it almost looks like you have discoloured yellow nails, so my secret is to wear it over another colour. This can be your colour of choice as it really doesn't matter; I've been wearing it over pastel purple, pink, nude and even taupy grey. This Revlon nail polish gives a gorgeous iridescent glow and makes any colour you wear look special. I must add that it's rather sheer, so it won't cover the base colour completely. So don't be afraid and give this unusual nail colour a go!

My skincare product of the month has to be the Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate. My previous post was all about it, so have a read to find out why I love it so much! I truly feel like it has  transformed my skin and I couldn't be happier with the way it looks now. It's so much more smooth and radiant, plus it helps a great deal with my acne and stops those nasty spots from surfacing. So it's definitely a miracle product that I would recommend to anyone who has any kind of issues with their skin.

I love hair with that messy beachy wave and the product that helps me achieve this hairstyle is the Percy & Reed Texturizing Spray. It's similar to a salt spray but has a little more hold and texture to it. I just spray it onto damp hair, scrunch it up and leave it to dry naturally; and in the morning 'voila', you have perfect beachy waves. It's been saving me a lot of time actually, as I only need to use 1 hair product and no hair dryer. Give it a go if you like a similar sort of hairstyle!

My fashion favourite is a scarf from Zara, which I bought last year so I doubt they sell it any more. It's a lovely deep purple/navy colour with a butterfly design. It brightens up any outfit and goes with all my coats, so I've been wearing it non-stop. My random favourite for November is Coconut Oil from Lucy Bee. It's 100% Extra Virgin Organic and certified fair trade. There are so many uses for coconut oil and I'm glad I finally bought myself a tub! I've been eating it in my porridge for breakfast, I also use it as a face/body moisturizer plus it makes a great hair mask for dry and damaged hair. I think I might do a separate blog post about this oil and it's many uses; I'm sure everyone can benefit from such a simple yet amazing product! Would you like to see that?

What are your favourites for this month? Have you tried any of the mentioned products?

xoxo

Anna

Miracle Product That Transformed My Skin // Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate Review

 

Today I will be talking about one of my all time favourite skincare products. It's my holy grail and I can't believe I only discovered it 4 months ago. It has completely transformed my skin and it's never looked better! It is the one and only Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate...

Like the name suggests, this is an overnight treatment in the form of an oil. It is supposed to do all it's work during the night and recover your skin by morning. Many people use it by itself as their evening moisturizer/serum, but I like to mix a few drops into my regular moisturizer and apply it that way. Even though my skin is combination/dry, it is known for not absorbing oils very well, so 2-3 drops is enough for my skin. Having said that though, this product is suitable for all skin types from super oily to dry. I know some people are quite funny with oils and they don't like the feeling on their skin, but this is one of the very few oils that actually goes into the skin, so you're not left with that greasy feeling all night. Even those of you with oily skin need to moisturize to keep your skin in good condition, and to convince your skin that it doesn't actually need to produce all the oils. So the more you moisturize the less oils your skin will produce naturally.

Apart from the obvious hydration, the Kiehls Midnight recovery Concentrate targets a few other skin issues. It is quite a powerful anti-aging product even though it's not marketed as one. The deep hydration will obviously plump up your wrinkles and give you more of a healthy young appearance, but all the essential oils will also work deeper and help to reduce lines in the long run. It will take longer to see visible results as there are no ingredients like retinol in here that will give you more of an instant lift.

It is also great at evening out the skin tone and texture. If you have any scarring left from acne, uneven skin tone, pigmentation, pores and blackheads, this product will help to balance that out. It has an overall smoothing effect and gives your skin a lovely even texture. I've also personally noticed that the Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate is amazing at controlling acne breakouts. It helps to stop any new spots from appearing and heals any active breakout you may have. Because it is so calming, I find that my acne is less red and inflamed after using this product. And because it is healing the acne scarring as well, it's a double treatment in one bottle. If you've tried all sorts of topical treatments for your acne and nothing has worked, then I would highly suggest you give this a go! 

So if you can't already tell, I am absolutely in love with this miracle product. Personally, my skin looks amazing in the morning after I apply this overnight. I've been using the Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate every day for about 4 months now and I don't think I will ever stop to be honest. My skin just looks so healthy and radiant in the morning! I can't praise it enough and I'm sure that once you try it for yourself, you will be hooked.

£36.00 at Space NK

What are your experiences with the Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate? Have you tried it yet? 

xoxo

Anna

Common White Girl Tag

Everyone seems to be doing this tag at the moment, so I thought I would jump on the bandwagon and do it myself! I had great fun answering all the questions, so check out my video or keep reading this post to find out my answers...

1. Favourite Starbucks drink?

 I would have to say a white hot chocolate. I can't stand coffee so that rules out pretty much all drinks      at Starbucks, and I find the regular hot chocolate too bitter so I always choose the white one!

2. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?

Not that long at all! If I'm not doing anything that day, then 5 minutes; and if I'm getting ready for work then 10-15 minutes maximum. How some girls can take hours to get ready is beyond me!

3. How many selfies do you take on a daily basis?

I never really got the whole 'taking pictures of yourself' thing, so I would have to say none. I think I look weird in photos, so I don't like others taking pictures of me let alone doing it myself!

4. How many IG followers and pics do you have?

I don't have Instagram so none.

5. Do you ever say 'LOL' or 'OMG' out loud?

No! These are not proper words so I don't see why you would say them out loud. I do say 'Oh My God' quite a lot, which I need to stop doing, but apart from that no. I also say 'that's funny' quite often without actually laughing; is that weird?

6. Do you wear the same clothing item more than once?

Of course! Unless you've been exercising or rolling around in dirt, I don't see why not. Especially if it's a chunky cardigan or a coat, you just can't afford to wash them all the time!

7. Are you racist?

No. Why is this even a question?

8. How many tweets do you have?

I just checked and it's 190. I thought I had less than that since I don't tweet that much. But it's still not too excessive...I think?

9. Instagram, Twitter or Tumblr?

Twitter because I don't have Instagram or Tumblr.

10. What do you spend most of your time doing?

Working! How depressing is that. I also spend way too much time on my laptop, on youtube, on blogs and just on the internet in general; watching TV and reading books too.

11. Who are your favourite youtubers?

This is a tricky one since my favourites change every month! But someone who I've been watching for as long as I can remember is Anna Saccone. She is probably my favourite of all time, plus I love their daily vlogs as well! Maybe it's because we're both called Anna? I don't know! But my recent favourite has been Beautyzombiee. She was also doing daily vlogs in October and I was a little addicted to those! 

12. How often do you do your nails?

It used to be every 3-4 days, but I just couldn't keep up with it, so now it's more like once a week. It's such a pain doing my nails and I'm too impatient to wait for them to dry. So I usually wait until they are chipping like crazy and only then will I paint them again.

13. Are you a shopaholic?

Not really. There are definitely some things that I buy more than others, like bags and makeup obviously! But in terms of clothes, no not so much.

14. How many times have you watched Mean Girls?

I've seen the full movie about 3 times, but I'm always catching little snippets and episodes from the movie. So if you add all that up, it will probably end up being way more. But I'm not one of those girls who can quote every single line from Mean Girls even though most of my friends can!

15. Do you own a lot of clothes?

To be honest, I think I do. There is just so much that I don't wear, which annoys me a little. I have a little drawer with clothes that I actually wear, and the rest just takes up all my space and I don't even wear any of it. I really need to do something about that!

16. Do you take pictures of your food before you eat it?

No... I think unless you have a food blog, it's a little weird to take pictures of your food. It's not a very healthy sign, so I don't plan to start any time soon. 

17. Do you wear makeup everyday?

It depends on what you mean by makeup. I sometimes leave the house with a bare face, but most of the time I wear some foundation powder and mascara as my absolute minimum.

18. What are you average grades in school?

I was a really good student! I got all A's in my A-levels and I can't remember ever getting a C or anything lower.

19. How do you usually style your hair?

It's mostly up in a bun, or a side plait or a neat french braid. I like having my hair away from my face when I'm working, so these are the hairstyles that I normally wear. My hair is only ever down when I film videos for you guys!

20. Do you always look presentable?

I should hope so! I'm probably not the best person to answer this question, you better ask the people that see me everyday and see what they say!

I tag all of you guys so let me know your answers to these questions! Or have you done this tag already?

xoxo

Anna

Does Dairy Cause Acne?? :. Dairy Free Diet :. My Experience

Ever since I can remember, I always struggled with acne whether it was a few spots or a full on breakout. So I would always go online and try to find research that would link my diet, hormones, vitamin deficiency, etc. to acne. One of the things I came across was dairy; I found so many articles from doctors and scientists that claimed dairy was the cause of acne in some people, and that completely cutting out all dairy products from one's diet can give you clear skin. What can I say? I was intrigued! Read on to hear about my experience ...

This was a few years ago when my skin was at it's worst, so I was really excited to start this dairy free diet. I honestly felt like it would make a difference since there is so much research to suggest there is link between dairy and acne. Probably the main reason is hormones, which can be found in both organic produce and your regular dairy. The organic products will have slightly less hormones and they will be natural, whereas the regular dairy will come from cows that are pumped full of artificial hormones to make them produce more milk. Either way, these hormones are not intended for human consumption but are only useful to baby calves. There are also theories that dairy can cause excess sebum production and can also glue dead skin cells together, all of which can block pores and lead to acne breakouts. You might also be lactose intolerant, so your body will reject any type of dairy and cause all sorts of reactions including spots and other skin problems.

So after reading all of this I was obviously intrigued and decided to give the dairy free diet a go. At first I cut out milk and then I excluded all dairy products from my diet. I must admit it was difficult at first, especially all the yoghurt, cheese and ice cream which I eat on a daily basis! You would also be surprised how much hidden dairy there is in all the processed foods such as cakes, biscuits, sweets, etc. Milk didn't bother me that much as I found some great alternatives like soy, coconut and almond milk. There is a lot of controversy about soy products as well, and my experience definitely wasn't the best, so let me know if you would like to see a similar post on soy products!

Anyway, I went through with it for about a year; I can't remember exactly how long because it was a while ago. And it all boils down to this: I didn't see any improvement in my skin whatsoever and if anything it got worse. Now I don't know if that was due to soy, as that also contains hormones, or if my body just needs dairy to be healthy. Either way, my skin freaked out and decided to bless me with even more spots than I had before. How disappointed I was! I was not expecting my diet to fail so badly after a whole year of excluding all dairy produce. But then on the other hand, I realised that I could go back to eating all the foods I love without any damage to my skin! So it probably turned out for the best.

I don't wan't to deter you guys from trying this diet for yourself because it didn't work for me. I have a few friends who also went dairy free and they saw a massive improvement in their skin. So it is obviously very individual, and what works for one person will not necessarily work for another. Hence, I would highly recommend trying the dairy free diet as it might be the answer to your skin problems. Do continue with it for at least 2-3 months, as it takes a while to eliminate all traces of dairy from your system. Let me know how you get on and if you see any improvements in your skin! Or have you tried this diet already? Did it work for you?

xoxo

Anna

Made From Earth Review :. Natural Organic Skincare Brand

If you haven't yet heard of a natural skincare brand called Made From Earth, then you're missing out big time! I was recently sent some of their products for review and I've had some amazing results, so I had to share them with you guys. Made From Earth products are made using organic ingredients; plus you will never find any parabens, pthalates, SLS, mineral oil, urea or cosmetic fragrance. I am a true believer in natural cosmetics and I always try to buy organic products when possible, so obviously this brand really caught my attention as their values are close to my own.

The first product that I tried was the Three Berry Face Serum, which smells absolutely divine! It can be used regularly under your moisturizer or even over makeup; I tried both and it worked great each time. It is lightly hydrating and soothing, but the best results were in the brightness of my skin. Because this serum has such a high concentration of Vitamin C, it really adds a glow to the skin and gives it a nice healthy boost. 

I was also sent the Pure Aloe Vera Skin Treatment, which is an ultra rich face and body cream. I've been using it mostly on any dry patches and just anyplace where I felt my skin was lacking hydration. The aloe vera is extra soothing and calming on the skin, plus it aids the healing process, making this cream perfect for scars, acne and dry cracked skin. It has a light herbal scent to it, so it won't irritate the most sensitive of skins.

The Rooibos Tea Face Scrub was also one of my favourites! I love how it has a moisturizing cream base making it perfect for my dry/combination skin; the jojoba beads are gentle enough to use even on sensitive skin, whilst still providing enough exfoliation to get rid of any dead skin cells. My face felt smooth and radiant after I used this scrub, so I would highly recommend it to you guys!

I also received the Aloe & Jojoba Creme Therapy body lotion. It's great for dry skin and is perfect for after sunbathing due to the soothing aloe vera. My skin can get pretty tight and dry after the shower, and this cream definitely takes care of that! I love the light texture, as it absorbs quickly but still gives enough hydration; plus the jojoba nut oil is great for stretch marks and uneven skin tone.

So if you can't tell already, I'm super impressed with Made From Earth as a brand and their lovely products. I will definitely be purchasing some more of their skincare; I'm sure I will love it and the prices are very affordable for such a natural organic brand. I highly suggest you guys give their products a go, so check them out here and let me know how you get on! 

xoxo

Anna

10 Things I Will Repurchase :. My Holy Grail Beauty Products

Today I will be talking about my holy grail products, which I will always repurchase when they run out. I chose my top 10 and here they are...

Buy all the items mentioned at Feelunique

Starting with face products, I have the L'Oreal Nude Magique BB Powder. My face has been craving powder foundations recently and I have no idea why! Maybe it's the cold windy weather or perhaps my skin is trying to tell me something? Either way, this is the product I've been loving recently and I've been using it pretty much every day since I bought it. I talked about it more in my haul video or check out my blog post.

Another product which I will definitely be buying again is The Body Shop Bronzer. I actually discovered it in one of my makeup bags and what a great surprise that was! I completely forgot what an amazing bronzer this is and how gorgeous it looks on my skin. It gives me a deep glow, yet still looks natural; plus it lasts all day on my skin which is impressive, since my skin seems to eat up any other bronzer I apply. I would highly recommend it if you're looking for a new bronzer and the packaging is stunning!

I had to mention my Sigma brushes as they are my all time favourites. I chose the F80 and F84, which are from the 5 piece synthetic kabuki brush set. The F80 is my favourite brush for applying foundation, as it gives me that airbrushed finish without leaving any streaks; and the F84 I also love to use for foundation but it also works great for powder, bronzer and blush. The whole set would make a great investment as the brushes are such good quality and not too expensive; they are easy to look after and don't shed at all. Check them out here and get 10% off your entire order with code NOV2013

My must have concealer is the Rimmel Wake Me Up, which I'm sure you guys know is my absolute favourite. Just like the foundation, it has that lovely glow and seems to highlight my under eye are really well. It has full coverage, so it's perfect for using on the face as well to cover any blemishes, scars, etc. I love how it's a drugstore one, so it's affordable and lasts for absolutely ages.

My favourite serum/oil at the moment is the Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate. I will be very sad when it runs out, as it's quite pricey but I love it so much! I don't think people talk about it enough; it's such a great product and it's done wonders for my skin. I just put a few drops into my evening moisturizer and in the morning my skin looks healthy, glowing, radiant and just all round gorgeous! I can't rave enough about this product, it's a must have for any beauty junkie out there.

Moving on to the eyes, I had to mention the Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner, which has been my holy grail product for years. If you're looking for that perfect black eyeliner then this is definitely the one for you. It's creamy and super easy to use unlike the other gel eyeliners out there; it never cracks and it's lasted me for absolutely ages!

The MAC 'Omega' eyeshadow is one of those products that I wouldn't be able to live without. As dramatic as that sounds, it's absolutely true. I use it every single day to fill in my eyebrows and I would be totally lost without it. If your hair is anywhere from light blonde to medium brown, then I suggest you give this colour a go; it makes the perfect eyebrow shade as it has that natural ashy undertone. I could probably write a whole blog post just talking about this eyeshadow, so I think I might stop myself here.

I also thought I would include a nail polish which I would most definitely repurchase even though I don't talk about it much. It's the Ciate nail polish in the colour 107 Pocket Money. The reason why I love it so much is because it's probably the only nail polish out there that actually lasts on my nails. Pretty much everything else I've tried comes off the next day; I have no idea what's wrong with my nails! This one from Ciate lasts for at least 5-6 days, which is an absolute miracle! Having said that, I haven't tried any other colours from this brand so I wouldn't know if they would work as well.

Moving on to skincare, my staple face cleanser is the Garnier Fresh Essentials Refreshing Cleansing Lotion. No matter what I use to cleanse my face(oil, balm, hot cloth cleanser), this is always my second step. Even though it's for combination skin, it's surprisingly hydrating; my skin feels soft, smooth and very confortable. I don't think I will ever stop using this product, plus it's only £2.99! I highly suggest you try it if you like the feel of a lotion and want something to gently remove all your makeup.

Last but definitely not least is my Raspberry Body Butter from The Body Shop. If you've tried this product yourself then you will know just how divine it smells. It almost reminds me of ice cream or maybe a delicious yoghurt? This body butter is for normal skin, so it's a little lighter than their usual ones and I like how fast it absorbs into my skin. Which body butter is your favourite from The Body Shop?

So what products will you repurchase? Have you tried any of the ones I mentioned?

xoxo

Anna

Bourjois Happy Light Foundation Review

Here is the long awaited review on the new Happy Light foundation from Bourjois. What's funny is that it was actually a last minute purchase while I was browsing in Boots; I wasn't planning on buying it at all! I'm glad I did though, as it's quickly becoming one of my favourites and I've been wearing it non-stop. I think Bourjois wanted to launch a lighter version of the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation and this is their finished product. They definitely got it right with their new launch; it's a great foundation for the autumn/winter season and I'm sure many of you will love it!

Colour: 52 Light Beige is a great match for my skin, but having said that, I do find this range to be quite orange. Apart from the lightest colour which has a pink undertone, the darker you go the more orange the colours become. It's a shame unless you like that fake tanned look!
Finish: Natural/Semi Matte.
Skin Type: All skin types except for very dry, as it does cling to dry patches a little. It also sets rather quickly, so you need to work fast with the product to avoid patches.
Texture: It's a classic liquid foundation but a little on the thick side. It won't run down your had but it's not quite a cream texture either. Very similar to the original Healthy Mix foundation.
Coverage: Very light/possibly buildable to medium.
Longevity: It lasts all day on me with a little pressed powder. My skin is combination/dry, so for very oily skin you might need to reapply throughout the day; whereas dry skins can get away with no powder at all.
Application: I found using my fingers to be the best method due to the nature of the product and the whole concept of a 'light' foundation. There is no point in using brushes when you're going for that light natural finish, which is best achieved using your fingers.
Scent: Fruity/Peachy with a slight fake tan smell, which is very bizarre! Maybe that's just me though!

Have you tried this new foundation yet? What did you think?

xoxo

Anna