LUSH Mask of Magnaminty

My skin is feeling really aggravated and unhappy right now and this is the product I've been reaching for to make it happy again. LUSH Mask of Magnaminty is a face mask which fights break-outs and troublesome skin. Unlike the Fresh masks, this one has a much longer shelf life which is perfect for me because I always end up wasting some of my Fresh masks by forgetting about them or not using them up before they go 'off''. As you can see, this is a bright green face mask and the consistency is thick but it glides onto the skin quite easily. It contains ground aduki beans, so I like to scrub as I'm washing it off to get a wee bit of gentle exfoliation. The peppermint oil in the mask makes it so refreshing to use and it also stimulates the skin to revitalise dull and tired skin, whilst helping to treat any blemishes. This doesn't dry out my skin at all, which I find can happen when trying to treat break-outs, but instead leaves my skin feeling refreshed, cool and any blemishes are calmed down.

It's not a miracle worker - ie, my spots haven't miraculously disappeared after using this - but it does help to calm break-outs, minimize their appearance and I really do feel like it does something positive to my skin. I bought a smaller 125g pot which costs £4.95, but I'll definitely be investing in the larger 315g pot at £8.75 because of the longer shelf life! I've used the mask maybe 5-6 times already, and my tub is still 3/4 full. You don't need to use a lot of the product, and I tend to use it just on my problem areas (chin, jawline and t-zone).

What do you reach for when your skin is throwing a tantrum?

Blanx Intensive Whitening Treatment

I've always suffered with having off-white teeth but as I've gotten older, they seem to be getting worse - something I can only attribute to smoking and too much caffeine. I've considered getting my teeth professionally whitened, but it's quite costly and I decided to give this product a go first. I've heard good things about Blanx toothpaste, so when I saw this Intensive Whitening Treatment in Boots, I thought it would be a worth a shot.

It comes with a "Blanxometro" so you can compare any difference in the shade of your teeth. Mine are currently a middle 1, which is the darkest shade on the meter. I'm going to trial this until New Year using it morning and night in place of my usual toothpaste, and I'll post an update then to see if it has worked and what my results were.

Have you tried any teeth whitening products? Did they work?

Monday Wishlist #6: Xmas Special

Today's wishlist is a Christmas special from me and a quick run-down of what's top of my Christmas list this year! Now that I'm older, I don't expect a lot at Christmas and there wasn't really anything that I needed this year so I dropped my mum a few hints about some skincare items I've been lusting after all year, as well a much-needed brush set!

The first item on my list is this Topshop Studded Biker Jacket. I've been after one of these for ages, as this type of jacket is something that can be worn with nearly everything - a great wardrobe staple. I like that the studs are matte black on this particular jacket, as most of the ones I was looking at had shiny silver or gold studs and I wanted something a little more understated.

Next is the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bolero. I remember the first time I saw this pencil months ago and I've wanted it ever since but I haven't been brave enough to splurge on it as I've since acquired quite a few similar lip colours. This will be my first NARS product, so I really hope it lives up to the hype I've created in my head for it!

The cult beauty product Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair has made it onto my list this year and is probably the item I'm most excited about! My mum probably thinks I'm mad to be asking for an anti-aging serum at 20, but I've heard amazing things about the effects that this product can have on acne scars and generally on your skin. And it's never too early to start the anti-aging process!

This beautiful MAC Perfectly Plush Brush Kit is next on my list, and something which is definitely needed in my collection! I only own about 3 make-up brushes, and I'm ridiculously excited to try some MAC brushes. The actual kit is just the prettiest thing, I love the leopard print and the colour schemes - it looks super luxurious!

Another skincare product which I've been lusting after is Origins Make A Difference Plus Rejuvenating Treatment. I saw Kate from gh0stparties raving about this product, and it sounds like a miracle in a jar. I'm keen to try some more of Origins skincare after purchasing my very first product a few months ago.

Quite a modest Christmas list I think, I usually get carried away but this year I've tried to stick to things that I've wanted for a while and would really get a lot of use from. I've only just realised that it's nearly 2 weeks until Christmas and I'm currently having a little freak out. I haven't even started Christmas shopping yet as I don't get paid until the 22nd so it looks like my shopping will be getting done on the 22nd/23rd/possibly even 24th December - help! What's on your Xmas list this year? I'd love to see some gift ideas too, so if you've seen any great gift guides then leave a wee link below!

November Favourites

I've been trying lots of new products in November, and this is a selection of my favourite products that I was reaching for most last month. First is the Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment which is basically a treatment to be used in between shampooing and conditioning. I've only used this a couple of times so I can't comment on the hair growth aspect, but it does leave my hair feeling soft, strong and super shiny! I'm using the whole hair growth range at the moment, so I'll update with that in due course to see if it's working. Another hair care product I'm loving this month is the TRESemmé 24 Hour Body Plump Powder. I'm not really one for hair styling products as I usually just let my hair do its own thing, but recently I've been loving a tousled, slightly messy look and this product is perfect for just adding a touch of texture and volume without feeling like my hair is weighed down in product.

I recently bought a few MUA eyeshadow palettes, but the Undressed Palette is the one that I have been reaching for nearly every day. The quality of the shadows are amazing, and I rarely stray from a neutral eye so this is perfect for me. I finally succumbed to the Real Techniques Stippling Brush which has been calling my name every time I'm in Boots! It was on a buy one, get one half price deal so I couldn't resist any longer. I use this to apply liquid foundation and find it gives such a lovely finish, I can't imagine applying foundation without it anymore! I also use it to buff in cream blusher. Another highly blogged about product is the Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick 107 which completely embodies Autumn/Winter for me. It's the perfect berry shade, and I love the matte finish. It has a creamy formula, doesn't highlight imperfections and has amazing staying power. Lastly, I've included LUSH King of Skin which is a solid body butter applied when skin is wet, rinsed off and gently patted dry. This has been my saviour recently with the harsh winter weather, and it smells lovely - full of moisturising cocoa butter and shea butter.

Quite a few favourites from me this month, I found it really difficult to narrow it down for this post! What products have you been loving recently?

Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover

Time for another disappointing product review! I rarely write bad reviews because I do research products a lot before I buy them, but this is one that didn't live up to its hype. It's the Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover. This sounded like the perfect solution for someone like me who is lazy when it comes to nail polish. I hate applying it and I hate removing it because it's messy and nail polish remover stinks. It's basically a pot of nail polish remover filled with sponge which has a hole through it, so you pop your finger in, swirl it round for a second and remove it - ta da, free of nail polish! Except for it doesn't take 1 second, it doesn't even take 5 seconds. It might just be me, but I end up having to swirl my finger for a good 10 seconds, take it out, have to swirl it again and by then it's usually removed the nail polish. Definitely not a magic 1-second remover, then. I'd say it takes me about the same amount of time, perhaps even longer, using this as it does using good old cotton pads and a bottle of remover. As for glitter polish, do not even attempt to remove it with this. Not sure if you can see in the photo, but the glitter got caught on the foam and ripped it a little. That might be my fault, as I didn't know how difficult glitter was to remove so maybe I shouldn't have attempted it with this.

It leaves a nice-ish smell after the remover has dried, and it leaves my nails somewhat nourished but it makes them feel so greasy that I have to go and wash my hands 3 times to get rid of the greasiness. I'm not a fan! I think if Bourjois had marketed this as a 10-second per nail remover, then I might be able to get past it and like the stuff. But saying it's a "magic 1-second nail polish remover" is ridiculous. I'd love to hear from you guys on this one, though! Have you tried this and, if so, what did you think?

November Empties

Happy December, everyone! I know it's clichéd to say this, but how fast is this year going?! Christmas is looming and I'm trying to get through as many products as I can to make room for new things this month. I'm really rubbish at finishing products, I've lost count of the amount of half-used products lying around my flat. I think I get bored too easily and always want to try something new, unless I really really love something!

This month, I've gotten through 7 products which is really good for me! First up is a sample of LUSH Ro's Argan Body Conditioner*. It has the same concept of hair conditioner, you apply it to clean, wet skin and then rinse off. I've never come across a product like this before, but I have to say I am in love. This has the most divine scent, and that's coming from the girl who hates rose-scented things! It's a gorgeous sweet, rose scent and most importantly, it does its job and it does its job damn well. I got 2 uses out of my sample, and I am definitely buying the full-size tub ASAP.

Next is LUSH American Cream Conditioner. I won this back in September at a LUSH event, and it took me ages to use it up. It's marketed as a double strength conditioner, but I still felt like my ends needed that little bit extra moisture. It smells bloody gorgeous, but I don't think I'll repurchase because it just didn't have that 'wow' factor for me.

To round off my LUSH empties, I also managed to use up a fresh face mask this month called Cosmetic Warrior. This is packed full of fresh garlic and antiseptic tea tree oil, and is a more potent version of the popular Cupcake. It's basically Cupcake's big sister, perfect for battling breakouts and troublesome skin. I'm on the fence with this one, the smell was a massive turn-off for me and I don't feel like it did great things to my skin. It felt a little drying, but my normally oily skin has been a bit weird with the weather recently so that might not be the face mask's fault! I won't repurchase it any time soon because there are lots of other face masks I want to try, but I may well try it again in the future.

Much to my disappointment, my lovely wee bottle of The Body Shop Vanilla EDT ran out this month. I bloody love this scent, it's the perfect pure vanilla fragrance that lingers all day. And it's been discontinued. So I'm not a happy bunny, but luckily I do have a back-up bottle that I'll be using very sparingly now! If anyone has any suggestions for something which is similar to this, please let me know!

I finally finished up my État Pur Micellar Water which I received months ago in a Latest in Beauty box. I liked this when I was going through a cleansing water phase, but I now use an oil-based balm cleanser which I much prefer in the colder months. I probably would repurchase this because it really does its job, but I prefer it more in the warmer seasons.

Finally, a couple of make-up items! I finished up the much raved about Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, and I have already bought a back-up to replace it because it is probably the best concealer I have tried and for its £4-something price tag, well, it'd be rude not to. I also used up my MAC Eye Brows in Lingering which was a good eyebrow pencil, but I have been using a cheaper alternative which I'm getting along fine with, so I don't think I'll repurchase.

So, those are my November empties! I'm now on a mission to use up more products before I buy new ones, but we'll see how long that lasts...

xoxo