Dazzling with Magic & Sparkle

Hello everyone

Firstly, sorry for my disappearance over the last couple of weeks. Work has been more than a little stressful and I left work on Christmas Eve and hurtled straight into Christmas so I've spent virtually no time at home. I'm not complaining, I've had a lovely Christmas but it's left little time for blogging. However I'm back and I have lots of goodies to talk about over the next few days, some I brought myself and some that are gifts. So here goes.....

With New Years Eve just 2 days away ive been looking for something a bit special to wear and so I was very happy to open this gift. This is the Marks and Spencer Dazzling Nail gift set and Cosmetic bag with lip gloss. 

The nail set comes with 3 different colours a bright pink, a bright orange and a gold glitter which works really well as a top coat on either of the other 2 colours to give them an extra bit of New Years Eve sparkle.

The cosmetic bag ( which actually seems to nice just to sit at home holding cosmetics) comes with a lip gloss in a pearly pink/nude colour and again a really good top coat on a brighter pink or nude lipstick. It's goes on really smooth and not sticky like some glosses. This will most certainly be part of my New Years Eve make up kit.

On another note I have shopped in Marks and Spencer's all my life (mainly the food section :) but I've never thought of it as somewhere to buy my cosmetic from but it turns out this is the perfect place as there beauty products are cruelty free and have the Leaping bunny logo. So from now on I will be taking a detour on my way to the food hall.

Hope you have all had a fantastic Christmas and are looking forward to a happy New Year.

AKL

The best quick body bronzing products

Hi everyone

Hope you are all having a good week. We are smack bang in the middle of party season and sometimes you don't always have time for a overnight tan so here are my favourite quick fix bronzes.

The first one is a brand called Jelly Pong Pong and all of there products are 100% cruelty free. The product I have is the Hawaiian bronzer and it's a powder bronzer with its very own buff puff. It goes on like a face powder so really good for matching your neck and arms to your face if you haven't had the time to tan. It's not orange and you can keeping adding more until you get the right colour.

The second product is from Sanctuary and it's liquid gold. It literally come out as a gold oil and smoothes on to your body leaving a sparkly affect when it hits the light. It's perfect for your legs and actually sits well under the Hawaiian bronze. It's perfect for the Christmas season.

Enjoy all your Christmas fun! 

AKL

Empties

Happy Saturday everyone.

Seen as Christmas is around the corner I've been having a bit of a clear out and I thought I would go through my empties and discuss repurchase or no repurchase.

The first 2 empties I've talked about before and it's the Superdrug Revitalising Raspberry and Macadamia Nut shampoo and Conditioner these are still my basics and I will be repurchasing these again.

Next is the Barry M Matte foundation and I will defiantly be repurchasing this. It's a very light coverage foundation so I use it as an everyday foundation for work or going shopping. Its very smooth and doesn't drag the skin and it's ivory not orange (if you see what I mean) which I find a lot even in really light shades of foundation.

Yes To Carrots cleansing wipes is the only product I wouldn't repurchase out of the bunch, I've watched so many positive you tube skincare videos and read so many blogs about the 'Yes To' products so I will be purchasing other items but just not the one. They dragged my skin and didn't really remove my make up as well as I would like.

Another product that I will be repurchasing is the  Vitamin E moisturising lotion from Superdrug, it rubs in really well, it's really creamy and has a very light smell, nothing too overpowering so great for every day before work or to sit under purfume.

The next product I'm a little unsure of, it's the Original Source Quench shower product and I do like it but it's a little sticky. I think it's because of the moisturising element as there is another type of Original Source products which is thinner which I prefer.

Last but not least is the Lee Stafford humidity spray. This is only a tiny bottle of this product and so I've only used it occasionally but I'm not going to be repurchasing as I don't think it works for me. Maybe my hair is beyond hope!

Thank you for reading

AKL

The best cruelty free deodrents

Hi everyone

Deodorant, it's not the most glamorous of beauty product but it one I wouldn't be without.

It's one of the last things I looked for when I moved to buying cruelty free products because I had a good one and wanted to make sure I found another one and these are the best 2 I've found.

The first thing I did was turn to Superdrug and the Cotton Fresh antiperspirant. This one is closest to my previous deodrent, it smells fresh (hence the name) and as long as I give it a few minutes to dry before putting my clothes on it doesn't leave white marks. The only thing I would say is that I do often feel like I need to reapply half way through the day.

My second find was from of course Lush and it's 'The Greench'. It contains Thyme, Rosemary and Tea Tree oil, the later is what stands out the strongest in terms of smell but once applied it is practically odourless. It also contains magnesium trisilicate and sodium bicarbonate which are the bits that keep you dry. Again I often feel like I need to apply this product a few times throughout the day.

My best tip would be to apply The Greench in the morning and then pop the Superdrug anti perspiration in your bag for top ups throughout the day. 

Happy weekend (nearly) everyone.

AKL

Protect your skin!

OHi everyone

This time of year I feel like my skin is constantly being battered by the wind, rain and cold and it's not just my face that suffers. So I decided to treat myself to some new body moisturisers.

I couldn't decide which one was the best so I went for both. The pink one is a body butter from Superdrug and is Cherry and Macadamia. It's very rich and creamy, it smells beautiful like purfume but not overpowering.

The second is good old faithful Cocoa and Shea butter, this is perfect for winter and keeping skin soft and protected and this one is from Morrisons.

I would reccomend a good thick skin protecting moisturiser at this time of the year to keep your skin soft and protected against the winter.

AKL

 

Nailed it

Hi 

Hope you are all doing well today.

After my last none beauty post its only fair to talk again about beauty products and I have new purchases (again).

This time it was for nails, I always do my own nails and I like to change up the colour depending on mood. A range that I've been looking at for a while is B. From Superdrug ( B. Stands for Beautiful by the way). This brand is both cruelty free and vegan and it's also a really good price. To make it even better they have had half price in many items over the weekend which meant nail varnishes were £1.49 each. What a bargain!

After picking up nearly every colour going I decided on the below:

Lilac Frost (Number 151) and Clear 

The Lilac Frost looks quite pinky in this picture but when it's in it's more purple. I really like it, it doesn't come across immediately as a winter colour but once on its perfect for winter, it's sort of a cold purple. I hope that's make sense although I suspect not. Both of these nail varnishes go on really smoothly, no lumps or bubbles and drys really quickly. 

I've brought a few other B. Products which I've not tried yet so I will let you know what I think but as for nail varnishes I will defiantly be purchasing more colours.

Happy Tuesday

AKL

Haircare (again)

Hi everyone

As I mentioned this is my 'out if shower haircare'.

It's not a complete list and I do tend to change it up a bit but for basic haircare that is cruelty free here is my starting point. So here goes:

Heat protector spray

Like a few other products I've talked about this was a replacement of a none cruelty free product which I brought from Superdrug. I do like this product it soaks ( not sure if that's the right word) into the hair and doesn't leave any build up or brittle texture, my only critics really is that it smells quite chemically. 

Extra firm hold mouse

Again a Superdrug product and very much a basic. I don't use moose very often but I've started to add it into my hair routine again to give my hair a bit more volume when blow drying. Similar to the heat protector it does have that chemical smell again. Maybe I've just been spoiled by the other cruelty free products I've found recently.

Root boost

This was a bit of a random purchase for me, not something I've used before. Along with the moose I'm endless trying for more volume. I'm not sure about this product currently, I think it's boosts my hair straight after blow drying but a couple of hours later I can't really see any difference ( it could just be my hair) so the request continues for the volume.

Dry shampoo

Very impressed with this product, it's does what it says on the tin but this product has a very subtle smell. It also seems to leave less white dry residue than other dry shampoos that I have used. I really like the packaging on this product also, one I would recommend.

Hair therapy oil with Argon oil

So this is most certainly the best till last. I love this product, I use it as a serum after washing my hair and as a conditioning treatment as often as I can. It makes my hair easier to brush, less tangly, softer and I think with a nice shine ( not to blow my own trumpet). I would 100% reccomend this product and currently it is 2 for £6. Go get it!

Happy haircare everyone

AKL

Haircare

Hi everyone

I split my hair care into 2 categories 1 ' in the shower haircare'and 2 'out the shower haircare'. This blog is going to be about catagory 1 and below is what I use:

Shampoo

I use the Revitalising Rasberry and Macadamia Nut shampoo from Superdrug. I've used this since my decision to go cruelty free and I was one of the first purchase I made. I love the smell of this product and the smell seems to last a long time which is not usual for my hair. The only critics my  do have is that it's a sort of jelly like texture which means that I tend to use more than I need.

Conditioner

Again like the shampoo it smells lovely and is fine for every day use however as someone it guilty of a little home dying and a lot of home straightening I need somthing to do that bit extra conditioning and that's where my next product comes in.

Conditioning treatment

So I haven't talked about anything Lush yet in my blog but now is certainly a good time to do it. I love this product, it makes my hair feel amazing. It's easier to brush, smother after blow drying and visibly looks less damaged. I would highly reckoned this product! 

So that's my 'in shower haircare', watch out for my 'out if shower haircare' this week.

Do you have any haircare recommendations, I'd love to hear which products you use

AKL

Scrub a dub dub one one women in a ....... Shower

Hi everyone

Hope you are all having a lovely day

Now as much a I love the idea of a nice long relaxing soak in the bath realistically time lends itself better to a shower but that doesn't mean it can't be luxurious and smell just as sweet.

With that in mind I decided to pick up some new shower products. All of these are from the 'I love range' and while I found these at Superdrug I've also since spotted them at various supermarkets. 

I couldn't decide which scent I liked as as these are on 3 for £5 it would be rude not to got for 3. So I purchased the pale pink one which is Strawberries and Cream and smells like a ice cream Sunday. The darker pick one which is Raspberries and Blackberries and doesnt smell any less amazing. Finally the orange one which is Mango and Papaya. I'm more of a berries fan than Orange but it still smells very good. There are also huge and so should last ages.

I can't wait to use them but which first that is the question? Decisions decisions!

AKL

Prime time - my favourite Barry M primers

,Hi there everyone

It's new purchase time! This time it's primers.

First things first I need to comment on the colours, now I know that they actually serve a practical purpose but I love the neon orange, purple and green. When I look in my make up bag there are a lot of nudes, throw in these and they really brighten my day.

That said lets get down to the practicalities.

The green primer is the Barry M Flawless Colour Corrector which is designed for anti redness, pore minimising, smoothing and matifying. I choose this one for the anti redness. For those of you who have breakout you will know that this can make you skin red and often applying blemish treatments can get rid of the spot is but also add to that redness so this primer is prefect for applying on areas where you get breakouts.

The purple primer is the Barry M flawless brightening primer which is designed to brighten dull skin, minis pores,smoothes and matifying. I decided to buy this one as well as the winter often drys out my skin leaving it dull.

So effectively I'm multi priming. One thing they have in common is that they are really silky on the face which is really good for sensitive faces. They both also contain Vitamin E which is really good for the skin.

I haven't tried many Barry M product before these but I'm very impressed and so will be repurchasing these and probably many other Barry M items.

Have a great weekend!

AKL

Sunday morning

Hi everyone 

As my last blog was the 'before' it is only appropriate that I do an 'after' and actually im please to report no sore head. Im a bit sleepy and my feet could do with a good massage but surely that is a sign of a good night right?

So I thought to myself seen as I'm feeling ok why not go the extra mile and mask!

Today I've chosen 2 because like most of you the skin on my face behaves differently on different parts (good one face)!

I've gone for the anti ageing moisture mask from Superdrug which promises to give me a younger looking complexion and is designed for normal to dry skin. I wouldn't normally describe my skin as dry but after a night on the tiles a bit of extra moisture can't hurt. It is full of antioxidant rich ingredients including Raspberries, Blueberries, Cranberries and Vitamin E and I apply this on my forehead, nose and cheeks (avoiding my eye area).

Then I put a purifying mask on my chin where I get breakouts. This mask, also from Superdrug, contains Witch Hazel and is designed for oily and blemish prone skin.

I've included in my picture one other mask that I got which I didn't use which is a destressing mud mask and by the looks of the picture is green. This one contains Avocado Oil, Green Tea and Aloe Vera (the colour now makes sense). This one is for normal to combination skin. I'll let you know about this one the next time I need a bit of destressing.

Let me know your choice of masks, leave me a comment or a recommendation.

AKL xx

My favourite cruelty free fake tan

Hi everyone

So as the tittle suggests it's Saturday night and while I would love to claim that I party all night and sleep all day, that would be a lie. Therefore it is only about once a month that I decide to pull out my party frock and realise just how pale I actually am!

In my younger years I am ashamed to say that I was a bit of a sun worshipper and I'm sure I will be punished with a few extra wrinkles for that. The last few years though I have been all about faking it!

I did have an old faithful that I relied on, found only after many a orange tinged disaster, however when I made the decision to go cruelty free I had to rethink and thats when I found the Solait range at Superdrug.

I really like this fake tan, it doesn't streak and it is a bronzey (is that a word?) colour not orange. It also doesn't does make you look dirty. It doesn't have a strong smell either which after getting into bed many a time smelling of stale biscuits I appreciate and means you can apply on the same day if you don't have time to tan in advance.

I always apply using my tan mitt ( which needs a wash so I didn't think you would appreciate a visual of that) but actually the product is very light so if you are not a fake tan pro it doesn't matter. I personally do 2 or 3 coats to get the colour I want.

You could argue that it's too light and if you are used to products that only needing applying once maybe it's not for you as it is a little time consuming. For me though it's part of the fun of getting ready and so I like to take my time to build up the colour.

So whatever you are doing this Saturday night be it curled up on the sofa or ready to rave, enjoy your Saturday night

AKL xx

Scrub your troubles away

Happy Friday!

Friday is officially my favourite day and today happens to be the best Friday of the month....... PAYDAY yeaaaaaaa! So in honour of this most special of Friday's I took a bit of a detour home and treated myself to some 'Good Things' ...literally!

This is the Good Things Spa Argan Oil Restoring body scrub and by Friday I don't know about you but I need restoring!

I spotted this product firstly because of the massive 'FREE FROM' sign on the front of the product and anything 'free from' gets my attention. I wish more products followed suit as it would save me a considerable amount of time trawling the small print on bottles on every shopping trip. All the Good Things Spa products are free from animal ingredients ( suitable for vegans) as well as sulphites, parables and mineral oils.

It also smells fantastic! I can't quite pin point the smell as it contains Walnut and coccoa butter which both smell great on there own but together YUM! I don't know if I should describe a non food as yum but hay ho.

I can't wait to use this and literally scrub the week away!

I'd love to hear what you have treated yourselves to this week/month, comment below and let me know

Happy Friday everyone 

AKL. xx

Skincare

Hi everyone

Hope you are all doing well.

Today I wanted to talk to you about skincare. It's was one of the most important things for me when I decided to go cruelty free. It's really important to me to keep my skin clean and fresh especially after a long day at work. Two of my favourites products for this is the Simply Pure foaming cleanser and refreshing tonor both from Superdrug.

I have always used a wash off cleanser on my face rather than a cream. I have oily combination skin so find that a wash off cleanser give me a much fresher feeling. You only need a pea size amount of the cleanser, it's very smooth and removes make up including water proof mascara really well. I use it once in the morning and twice at night to remove my make up and then wash my face.

Next up is Tonor, this is something I have always struggled with I always find it makes my face feel dry or the opposite end of the scale, greasy. So far I have been using the Simply Pure tonor for aprox 4 months and its one of the best I have found. It's not greasy at all and as long as I follow up with moisturiser it doesn't leave my face dry or sore. I would reccomend this product to anyone struggling with there skincare.

Next up in my routine is moisturiser. I have 3 that I use everyday. 

The first one is my day moisturiser and I am nearly ready to repurchase. My current day moisturiser is by Skin System which I picked up at my local supermarket. This is a new product I have picked up last month and Im a little unsure. Its quite thick like a night cream but it has SPF in so its a day cream. It has grown on me, I have found that it soaks in well and it doesn't leave a greasy residue like some moisturisers with SPF. However pay day is just around the corner so I think I might just keep my options open.

Simply Pure light moisturiser is a good faithful, repurchase every month moisturiser. At night I don't want any SPF as it clogs the pores. I am a big fan of this product It rubs in well, no fragrance, it doesn't make me break out and it really soothes my skin. All in all a really good basic to have in.

The last moisturiser I want to talk about is my eye cream. I have been using a new product recently called Nspa Youthful Eye Cream. There is a 4 step range covering all skincare but so far I've only tried the eye cream.

This is by far my favourite product I'm talking about today. It's creamy but also very light and soaks in so well. I can feel the difference in my eyes after using it I feel less puffy and the skins feel lovely and smooth. Thumbs up from me!

Thank you again for reading, hope you enjoyed and I hope it helps you when looking for cruelty free skincare.

Have a great week!

AKL

BB Basics

LHi everyone

Hope you are having a wonderful week!

I'm so exciting to be writing my first blog, it's been a long time coming. I read and take inspiration from so many wonderful beauty and lifestyle bloggers that I thought it was about time I got stuck in. I am a massive animal lover and so for some time I've been changing all my beauty products brands that are not tested on animals. It's a long process and not something that happens overnight but this blog is all about products I've found and things I've learnt with a few fun things thrown in for fun.

When I came to my first blog I thought it only right that I start at the beginning and when it comes to quick, easy and affordable every day make up there are 2 products I turn to. 

The Superdrug 7 in 1 BB Anti Ageing Day Cream and the Superdrug BB Eye Cream.

These are new purchase for me but I'm so happy I found them. They are so affordable and will suit any budget. They are the type of product you can still afford the week before pay day without choosing between that and your bus fare to work. So why do I love them well let me tell you......

BB cream anti aging 7in 1 skin perfecting day cream

This cream gives the skin a really nice even and smooth texture and covers over any blemishes that have dared show themselves overnight 😡 Like most of you I don't have much time in the mornings before work and this product is very easily absorbed so perfect for quick and easy application. Being a BB cream the coverage is very light so if you like a full coverage it is not the one for you but it creates a great base for powder and bronzer. 

It is also anti ageing which is a must for me and also contains an SPF of 30 which is important for all skin types. It's a very creamy texture and doesn't leave an oily residue, all in all I am very pleased with this product.


BB Eye cream 5 in 1

As much as I do like the BB day cream I think the eye cream is my favourite of the 2. I love this product. It comes with a small brush applicator which is great because there is no dragging around the eye area and you can just dap any excess in with the tip of your finger. It quick and easy with no mess and the tube is a decent size so will last me a long while.

Thank you all for reading my first blog, hope you enjoyed. Speak soon

AKL