Monday 20 January 2014

Review: Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish




Though it is probably the most highly reviewed beauty product on the internet, I wanted to give my tuppence worth on Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish, as it has been the only cleanser on my bathroom shelf for a few years now. Despite the price of this classic product putting it in a category slightly above those found in supermarkets and pharmacies, I am an advocate of using a good quality cleanser, after being guilty of the crime of using baby wipes as my main method of removing makeup for years.

Skin type suitability: I don't usually buy into products claiming to be 'suitable for all skin types' and, with this cleanser being a thick, rich cream, I originally thought it would only be suitable for dry skins. However, after trying it, I found it to work effectively on my oily skin and it does not intensify the unappealing shiny look, but makes my skin feel unbelievably soft and moisturised.


How I use it: I apply this cleanser onto dry skin in the morning and evening and the thick texture makes this feel like a very luxurious process. Because of the plant based and gentle formulation, the cleanser can be rubbed into mascara loaded eyelashes, producing attractive temporary panda eyes without the risk of irritation from harsh chemicals. The second step, as the name suggests, is the 'polish' step with the muslin cloth and I run it under the hot tap and gently remove the makeup or general daily grime with it (like an expensive baby wipe). If it has been a specially heavy makeup job, I repeat this process and then splash water on my face to close the pores.

Packaging and scent: The appearance of the casing this cleanser is packaged in is a classic duck egg blue, matte tube with a pump, so the annoyance of squeezing the last dregs from a tube is a distant memory. The cream itself has a beautiful subtle plant smell, and as the picture shows, I was given a limited edition version as a gift from my mum, which is grapefruit and patchouli; a herbal and spiced scent (the only difference to the original). The cloth that comes with the '100ml starter kit' (£14.75) is worth the extra few pounds, as it is gentler than a flannel, but textured enough to have a slightly exfoliating effect.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this cleanser, as I haven't come across better results from any other and it creates a smooth and nourished base ready for makeup.
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Friday 10 January 2014

NOTD: beginners nail art




Nail art has always been an aspect of beauty that I have steered clear of and just admired from a distance on Instagram accounts and other blogs, despite being an obsessive collector of nail polishes. However, this changed when I was recently lured in by a 'buy one get one half price' offer on the Barry M stand and decided to invest in a black and white nail art pen. For my first attempt I went for a simple black leopard print pattern on a neutral base (Essie's Chinchilly), with a bit of glitter (Nails Inc's Rainbow Street) added in the markings for good measure.

I found the Barry M pen to be very easy to use and would certainly recommend it for other beginners, as it resembles a thin nib permanent marker pen, meaning the application feels more like a doodle on the nails than fiddly artwork.The nib applies just the right amount of polish in the perfect thickness, and has excellent longevity; well outlasting the nail polishes underneath, so, overall a must have for those in awe of nail art designs.

I will report back when I have spent more 'should-be-revision-time' trying some more designs using the white pen too, and having probably made a wishlist of more nail arty bits!
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Saturday 4 January 2014

Hello and welcome

Being a reader of many beauty, fashion and lifestyle blogs, as one of my many New Year's aims, I have finally taken the leap and set up my own. 
I study English at Newcastle Uni and write for the beauty section of my student newspaper The Courier, but am excited to have my own 'space' to ramble about my makeup obsession as a perfect way to put off  take a break from my degree work!
I'm going to keep this post short and sweet, but if you are reading then 'welcome!' and I hope you enjoy the posts to come and share my love for the beautiful unnecessary!
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