These eye patches are not for pirates.


If you're young enough not to worry about eye-bags and dark circles then you're quite lucky. Unfortunately, as a twentysomething, I do and I'll go to some odd lengths to keep those wrinkles, bags and dark circles at bay...

Inside the packet, there are two white patches that you place under your eyes. They're supposed to help reduce puffiness and the appearance of dark circles.

You're supposed to keep these on for half an hour. I had to take them off after a few minutes because my skin was stinging. They're ever so slightly perfumed and my skin can get quite sensitive at times. So, I definitely wouldn't recommend these to anyone with sensitive skin or eyes!

To keep them moist, they're kept in a 'hydrogel'. You know the jelly on Pork Pies. Yeah? It feels a bit like that. It took me a while to peel them out of the packaging and it felt very... gooey. I couldn't take a picture, because I didn't want to get goo all over my camera...

These are pretty pricey and I'm honestly disappointed because I've used the Anatomicals eye patches before without any problems. I'm normally a fan of Eyeko; I adore their Skinny Mini Eyeliner and even use Eyeko eyelash curlers, but this sadly didn't live up to my expectations.

If you fancy giving them a try , you can buy Eyeko Hydrogel Eye Patches for £15 from ASOS by clicking here.

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Here's a teeny review of this ridiculously understated toner:


This is one of those little staple products, which sits there on the shelves on Boots, barely noticed by shoppers; who are more interested in those expensive products that shout about what they have to offer. This doesn't shout out, this doesn't boast about a load of unintelligible science-y stuff and it most certainly doesn't cost the earth.

From a personal viewpoint, it reminds me so much of my childhood, because my Mum used the cleanser, toner and moisturiser from the range when I was little and she used to let me cleanse, tone and moisturise my face at the same time! Ahh, memories...

Anyway... It's quite refreshing! The cucumber scent definitely cools and tones your skin. It gets rid of excess oil and cleanser that you've left behind and ensures that any bits of makeup that you've missed with your cleanser are gone.

A bottle contains 150ml, which isn't loads, but for such a low price you really can't complain.

It's gentle and Boots states that it's suitable for all skin types. Even though I have combination skin, with sensitive patches and eczema, this fantastic toner doesn't aggravate any of that. Good, eh?

This brilliant, but understated, toner costs the reasonable price of £1.50. If you're tempted, you can buy it from Boots by clicking here.


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Just a little post to discuss this lovely treat...


First of all, this smells simply gorgeous. The scents are: Rose, sandalwood, raspberry and 'a dash of vanilla'. The scent is quite strong; definitely enough to notice a while after application. Although, it shouldn't interfere with your perfume or body spray too much.

The full name of this product is: 'Ted Baker Treasured Orchid Body Soufflé'. Which sounds a bit posh, doesn't it?

It's lovely, thick and buttery. A huge bonus is that it soaks in quickly, so you won't have to wait around for ages for it to dry before you get dressed!

A little goes quite a long way; so one of these big tubs lasts for quite a while. It's also a great accompaniment to the Ted Baker body sprays which, if you haven't tried them, smell wonderful too.

Lastly, this soufflé leaves your skin feeling lovely and soft; without any lasting residue. So this is perfect if you're looking for a lovely little skincare treat!

This would genuinely make a lovely present for Christmas. 
(If you're one of those people who's ridiculously prepared when buying such seasonal gifts...)

A huge tub (300ml) of this costs £8 from Boots. You can buy the Ted Baker Body SoufflĂ© by clicking here.

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Yes, it's that time of the month again. (No, not that one...)

Belatedly, here are my favourite products from August 2014!


Tangle Teezer
I was only introduced to this quite recently, when I had my hair cut. The hairdresser suggested that I'd benefit from one... I don't know quite how to take that...? Anyway, I was put off by the hefty price (£10.99) but ever since I caved and bought one, I seriously haven't regretted it.

I've been using this every day and I even took it to London with me last month. It's great! Mine's bright pink and literally glides through my hair. As an aside, you can't actually use this while you're drying your hair. It's made of plastic and obviously it would just melt...

I would definitely recommend this to those of us with lovely long locks, which are also prone to getting knotted! It's a Godsend!

You can buy Tangle Teezer from Boots for £10.99 by clicking here.

Coconut Oil
I've found myself asking over the past few weeks why I've never stumbled across this before? It's amazing! 

You can use it as: A hair mask, face mask, face wash, eye cream and goodness knows what else. It's so versatile! One 125ml pot of this cost me £2.25 and a little goes a really long way.

I've mainly been using it as a hair mask overnight. You just scoop some out of the tub, rub it together between your palms to warm it slightly and smear it over the lengths and ends of your hair. By the time you wash it out in the morning, your hair will feel beautifully soft and more manageable.

You can buy Coconut Oil from Superdrug here.

ELF Zit Zapper
For the millionth time, I'll remind you of the fact that I've recently had an awful breakout... (Yawn). I've been using this in my bedtime spot-zapping routine. At £1.95, it's so cheap, but definitely worth its weight in gold!

The Zapper contains salicylic acid, which is proven to kill those horrid zits. A little goes really far and it's got a rollerball so it's incredibly easy to apply. At £1.95, you really can't complain!

You can buy this wonderful product for £1.95 by clicking here!

Garnier Micellar Water
I know that there's a lot of controversy surrounding micellar waters and whether they're actually good for your skin... But I've tried a few and I like this one. It seems to glide over my skin, readily taking my makeup off at the end of the day. This particular product is also designed for sensitive skin, so it doesn't irritate those delicate parts of your face.

A 400ml bottle normally costs £4.99, but it's on offer at both Boots and Superdrug at the moment - So get it while it's on offer! Garnier claim that 400ml equates to 200 uses; I'm not sure whether that's true, but it's quite impressive if it is.

It washes your skin really gently and this is one of the better micellar waters that I've tried.

Garnier Micellar Water is now £3.33 at Boots, click here to get it now!

Rimmel Wonder'Full Mascara
This is a brand new mascara from Rimmel. I've actually written a full review of this, which is coming very soon, so I won't go into too much detail.

You know how picky I can be about mascaras, but this isn't bad. 

It retails for £7.99, but I bought it on offer a couple of weeks ago. It contains argon oil, which is everywhere at the moment; and is designed to condition your lashes while you're wearing it.

It gives my lashes nice length, but doesn't go overboard on definition and volume. I would recommend this as a great daytime mascara, but you might want something with a bit more 'oomph' for nights out.

You can get this new mascara from Boots by clicking here.

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Feel Unique have had a fantastic sale recently with some HUGE reductions. In addition to this, they sent me an email with a 10% off code. So, with such extensive discounts, I definitely had to buy some bits and bobs! 


Tanya Burr Nail Varnish
I've been after some of this for a while. It's an exclusive range by 'Eye Candy', but all the products were devised by Tanya Burr herself. I bought this in the beautifully bright shade 'Be Bright, Be Happy, Be You'. Tanya has named every single shade after something that means a lot to her, which is a lovely personal touch to all of her nail and lip products.

I've not actually tried this yet, although I am planning to very soon. Promise. When I do, I'll let you all know how I get on with it!

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo
Ooh. I was quite harsh in my review of this the other week, wasn't I? As I recently mentioned, I've had a terrible breakout recently and I had run out of my first tube. I thought it was definitely worth repurchasing while it was on offer. After all, it is sometimes a skin saviour! 

In the end, I got about £2 off its regular (hefty) £15.50 price.

MĂła The Little Green Balm
 This is such an understated product and has myriad uses. Okay, so at £4.99, it's quite pricey, but it's a great treat and a little goes a long way. It's 100% natural and also very green, as the name suggests. 

I use this for when my skin's desperately in need of some moisture, especially around my nose when I have a cold. It's absolutely wonderful for healing dry and sore skin quickly and you can even drink it as a tea too!

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick By Kate Moss 
It's ages since I've had one of these lipsticks, so I thought that I'd buy one while it's on offer. I bought this product in shade 16, which is a lovely coral-y colour.
(I swear I currently have an obsession with coral lipsticks).

 To me, it smells of watermelon? Maybe that's just me...? It's quite a moisturising lipstick, which is great considering that it only costs £4.49 (full price). I normally find that 'long lasting' lipsticks tend to dry my lips out horribly, but thankfully this doesn't feel too drying.

Thanks for reading!
Katie
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It's Glossybox's third birthday this month, so to celebrate, they were giving their recipients an extra little gift. My 'birthday bonus' was a little Yves Rocher Nail Varnish. I bought this box with my Glossydots, which makes it even better, because all of the products were technically free!

Yves Rocher Pink Nail Varnish
This retails for £3.60. I received a beautiful pinky-coloured varnish; which is great because I tend to stick to reds/pinks regarding my nails.

I've not got round to using this product yet, but as you can see from this picture it's a lovely shade; but it is rather on the tiny side - A 3ml bottle.

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer
This product was specifically made for Audrey Hepburn, so surely it's got to be impressive? At £38 a pop for a full sized tube, it's very far out of my price range; but I'm delighted to give it a try...

...Having said that, I've not actually had a chance to try this yet because it involves: Applying it on wet hair, wrapping your hair in a towel for 10-20 minutes, then rinsing and washing your hair as normal afterwards. I'm one of those people who's always in a rush when getting ready, so I've seldom got time to add an extra step to my morning routine! However, I promise that I'll talk about it in depth once I've had the chance to try it!

Figs & Rouge Mini Hand Cream
This smells AMAZING. So fruity. A full-sized tube of this costs £6.95, so I'm probably going to use it as a 'treat' - Sticking to cheaper hand creams for daily use...* My little booklet tells me that this is readily available from Feel Unique.

The smell actually reminds me of Parma Violets. You know the random purple sweets? A bit like them.

After using this (quite sparingly) my hands feel much softer. It soaks in really quickly and there's not a lot of residue that's left behind - So hopefully no greasy fingerprints everywhere and things sliding out of your hands, like you get with some hand creams...
I've learned the hard way not to try and handwrite stuff after using hand cream. It never goes well.

The packaging's really bright and ensures that it stands out. It reminds me of L'Occitane Rose Tenderness Shea Butter Hand Cream, but it's about half the price! The packaging is similar in style (but not colour), the quality of the product feels just as high to me... The only thing that's different is the aroma.

*I'm really tight with my money... 

Kryolan for Glossybox - Highlighter Cashmere
I'm really getting into my highlighter at the moment, so I'm pleased to try a new one. I've always used liquid highlighters (like Me Me Me's Beat the Blues, Benefit's High Beam or ELF's Radiance Enhancer) or powders (like Sleek's), so I was intrigued to try a cream-based highlighter for the first time.

My initial thoughts? A little seems to go a really long way. It's easy to apply and looks great. It's quite a shimmery golden finish but looks subtle at the same time, which is something I always look for in a highlighter. You don't want people guessing that you're wearing it from ridiculously shiny cheekbones/browbones/noses etc.

This product costs £12.95 for a 4.5g pot.

Lalique L'Amour
I'm sure I've mentioned before that I'm a cheapskate, especially when it comes to perfumes. If you receive beauty boxes yourself, you'll be aware that you only receive small samples of perfumes. A full size bottle of this is a whopping £67, so definitely out of my price range.

It smells lovely. That's about all I have to say about all perfumes, to be honest. I'm hardly a connoisseur.

Normally perfume samples (of which I've had quite a few from Glossybox over the past few months) come with an atomiser, but this is literally a tube with a removable lid, which then reveals a top with holes in it that you have to shake over yourself to get it out! So, as you can imagine, I looked like a complete idiot in order to smell impressive. (Maybe I was doing it wrong?)

It's described as: 'A sensuous floral fragrance, a love potion for absolute seduction'. Ooooh. So if you're looking to seduce someone, this is the perfume to wear... Apparently.
I've not tried doing that myself. Nor have I attracted shedloads of men (or any men at all, actually) whilst wearing this perfume.

Essence - I Love Extreme - Crazy Volume Mascara
I'm a mascara junkie. I well and truly hold my hands up. I'm also incredibly picky when it comes to mascara, so it takes a really good product to please me.

This costs £2.79. It's wonderfully cheap and cheery. The packaging is bright and eye-catching. You can't miss the bright pink tube with bold black lettering across it.

I really like the brush; it's longer than your average mascara applicator and bristles are made of plastic. One thing that I wasn't keen on was how clumpy it can get. I really can't bear clumpy mascara... The first time I used it, it was fine. The second time, however, it did cake my eyelashes in mascara a little too much. I had to use an old (clean) Max Factor False Lash Effect brush to try and save my eyes from looking like the legs of a fat spider. I'm undecided as to whether I'd use this mascara on a regular basis.

I've never tried anything from the Essence range before, but I always enjoy discovering new and cheaper brands from Glossybox.

After visiting their website, I'm reliably informed that they're a relatively new company and my nearest Essence stocker is actually Wilkos. Seeing as they're everywhere up and down the UK, I'm sure that this product is really easy to get your hands on! (I've not been to Wilkos for ages, which is probably why I've not seen it!)

Thanks for reading!
Katie
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I have talked about this before, albeit briefly. In my Spotty Summer Scrapping Schedule, I did promise that I'd go into more detail about the much-lauded Effaclar Duo. So here you go!

The box claims that the product: 'Corrects the appearance of imperfections, unclogs blocked pores and fights against marks.'

'After 24 hours the product is supposed to make imperfections look visibly less red. After 8 days, imperfections should appear significantly reduced. After 4 weeks, pores should look unclogged, skin texture should look refined and this product is supposed to control the appearance of shine.'

I'm not sure that it solved all of the above problems for me, but if you suffer from spots and nothing else seems to work, I'd give this product a go. It's worth a try.

For me, this product seems to work about 50% of the time. Sometimes, it's a miracle product; getting rid of huge, horrid zits within hours. However, at other times, it just doesn't seem to do that much. I've no idea why, but one of my friends uses this product too and has exactly the same problem.

As an aside, it smells quite unusual. I'm really not sure how I'd describe it... You soon get used to it though.

Effaclar Duo balancing on a couple of Shakespeare's Sonnets; which I understand about as well as the instructions...
When I first bought this product, I had no idea how to use it. I didn't know whether it was a moisturiser in its own right or whether it was more of a 'treatment' before moisturising. I saw the instructions and assumed that those would cover the steps...However, the instructions were only in German and French. I'm part-German and studied German at school but that doesn't mean to say that I can translate it word for word... I didn't do French at all, so I'd be absolutely useless. In the end, I had to resort to Googling it and reading instructions from La Roche Posay's website. (Which isn't really ideal, is it?)

It's for use on oily skin and can be used on sensitive skin too. I have the latter, but my skin's more combination than just oily. On its own, I found that it doesn't moisturise those dry parts quite enough. To combat that dryness, I often use this product in conjunction with a small blob of my normal moisturiser, so that my skin's definitely getting the nourishment it needs. 

Obviously at £15.50 for 40ml, it's a pricey product. I thought it was risky to spend so much money on this product, but I wanted to see if it would help my ever-worsening skin. I've made it last for about six weeks, often using it just at night. Obviously, if you use it day and night, as advised, you'd run out considerably quicker.

I've suffered from red skin for years and it's something that I can hide quite well under foundation. This product boasts about eradicating redness and I do believe that my skin is a little less red. After I started using it, I kept on catching my own reflection and seeing that I looked paler, not beetroot-faced like usual. So either I'm ill or it's worked in that respect...

Regarding spots, I'm having fewer breakouts, but I don't know if that's due to lifestyle changes or this product. About three-four weeks into using this product, I had one of the worst breakouts I've ever experienced and had to launch a vicious assault on acne with myriad products; this being one of them. So I'm honestly not sure if it's worked.

It's one of La Roche Posay's flagship products; and I do like it, but I wish that it would've had a more dramatic effect on my skin. Maybe I expected too much from this product, on account of it being expensive and coming from a premium skincare brand?

Will I repurchase? I'm not sure. It's very nearly run out now, but I'm not made of money. As I said, I'm not sure if it has worked; so I'll give myself a break from the product to see if my skin worsens again without it.

Advantages:
  • Good base for makeup,
  • When it works, it's brilliant,
  • Lasts a few weeks,
  • Great for reducing redness.
Disadvantages:
  • Expensive,
  • Doesn't always work,
  • Unusual scent,
  • Can make drier patches of skin a little worse.
Have you tried Effaclar Duo? Did it improve your skin?

Thanks for reading!
Katie
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Ooooh. How exciting is this? Not very, you could argue... But please don't. I'm going to take you through my top five all time favourite products! Surely you're at least a little excited now...?


Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer
Yes. Surprise surprise. Ha. I know absolutely EVERYBODY talks about this and adores it, so I won't go into great detail. Suffice to say, I've been using this for years and it's seriously the best concealer I can get my hands on (that isn't too orange) in high street stores.

I buy the lightest shade which is 1 Fair. I mainly use it to conceal the dark circles under my eyes, and I'll let you into a secret: The older I get, the more of this I seem to get through. It's quite depressing really.

This miracle product retails for £4.19, but Boots have it on offer every now and again. The fact that it's quite often out of stock is a testament to how good this is (and how much everybody already knows about it...)

It also covers up spots wonderfully and seems to last pretty much all day. I don't know where I'd be without it.

Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara
I'm getting better at balancing mascara, aren't I?
I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before that this is my favourite EVER mascara. Again, I've been using this for years. Since I was about 17/18 and I'm still using it now at 23. (Yeah, I'm old, I know...)

I know it's not to everyone's taste, but I love this mascara. It gives my eyelashes a dramatic lift and volume to make my eyes noticeable, without making them look too 'spidery'. I normally use Black/Brown because I have blue eyes and I don't want to emphasise them too much for daytime wear. However, the Black is great too.

Granted, at £10.99, it's quite expensive for a high street mascara. However, I'll also let you into another secret, Fragrance Direct are selling it for £7.99... You can thank me later...

Max Factor also offer waterproof and 24 hour versions* of this mascara, but I still tend to opt for the bog-standard one.
*Who's wearing mascara for 24 hours in one go anyway?


Vitapointe Leave-In Conditioner

I really need to buy some more, don't I?
I'm not sure that many people will have heard of this. It's a bit of a hidden gem; tucked away on bottom shelves in Boots.
It costs £2.09 or £2.29, depending on where you shop. You can use this during the day, but I prefer to use it at night as a 'hair mask'. It's a white cream that smells quite 'soapy' to me and it just makes your hair look a lot healthier whilst making it feel softer too.
If you suffer from frizzy hair, this is such a great product to tame it with! It's so understated, but it's honestly a brilliant product and it won't break the bank either!

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Body Lotion
Yellow, gooey bliss in a bottle.
I adore this. It's more of a treat for me, because my daily body lotion is a Boots £1.49 one, on account of me being a cheapskate.
It's bright yellow, super-nourishing and smells gorgeous; quite chocolatey.  As someone who's quite picky when it comes to body lotion, I'm always after a good all-round product and this is probably my favourite 'cheaper' one. One problem is that it's quite difficult to get out of the bottle towards the end, because it's just so gloopy.
It's also supposed to be quite good at reducing the appearance of stretch marks and it's much cheaper than other alternatives which boast about having mark-reducing qualities.

The price normally ranges from about £4-£6, depending on what size bottle you buy.

Anatomicals Body Washes
Sud the Lot of You...
I'm a huge fan of Anatomicals. With their tagline: 'We only want you for your body', they're a comical brand who don't really take themselves too seriously. 
I have a bit of an obsession with their body washes, which I use every day. I've built up quite a collection of them over the past year or so, from 'Sud the Lot of You' and 'You Should Be So Mucky (Mucky, Mucky, Mucky)' to 'Shower to the People'.
They put a great deal of effort in to ensure that the names are funny and the packaging is littered with jokes too. All of the body washes that I've tried smell amazing and they also lather up really well too.

A little goes a long way and a bottle costs between £2 and £3. You can buy them from ASOS, Superdrug and selected Morrisons stores, I believe.

Have you tried any of the above products? Do you love them as much as I do?

Thanks for reading!
Katie
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