May Beauty Box

Look Fantastic do a beauty box every month which is £15 per box and is full of 6 beauty products worth £45. If you get a subscription to the box then you get a discount too. I got the May box and this post is on what was in it.

The box is packaged really nicely, all sleek and black with tissue paper.

The first thing I saw in my box was the Eylure pre-glued eye lashes.  The set I got are quite natural looking so they will be perfect to add a little extra volume without looking too over the top.

Also in the box was the Erno Laszlo transphuse night serum. This is quite a small sample but would be enough to figure out if you like it enough to buy the rather pricey full size version.

The Omorovicza cleansing balm is also quite a small tub but it looks really interesting and I can't wait to try it. It is a black balm which can be used to remove make up, including waterproof mascara, while leaving your skin soft and hydrated.

One of the products I am most excited to try is the NUXE Huile Prodigieuse Or which is a luxury oil to soften and illuminate your face, body and hair.

There was a TanWorx self tanning lotion in the box which I haven't yet tried but have heard good things about! It is for a fair-medium tan too which is perfect as it shouldn't be too dark for my pale skin.

Finally was a Christophe Robin regenerating hair mask. I have used this a couple of times and it does make my hair feel super soft. My hair is waist length so even though I used the minimum amount I could, I still only managed to get three uses out of the sample in the box which was a shame as I did love the product.

Overall, I think that it is quite good value for the £15 and as the full sized products are quite pricey, this box gives you a good idea of what you would like to purchase. However, I would personally be willing to pay a little extra so the samples could be a little bigger!

Updated Skincare Routine + Magnitone Review

My skincare routine has changed a bit in the past few months so I thought I would share my updated version.

I start off by using Garnier's micellar cleansing water on a cotton pad to remove my make-up. It removes it all so easily and is really gentle on the skin too. However, if I am travelling or staying overnight somewhere then I will use Soap & Glory's 'Off Your Face' purifying cloths as they are easier to pack than the bottle which is quite large.

I then wet both my face and my Magnitone Lucid Cleansing brush with warm water and apply some of Soap & Glory's 'Peaches and Clean' wash-off cleanser (which smells amazing) directly to my face, I use the Magnitone brush as the instructions suggest, moving it in gentle circles on my face for 20 seconds on my forehead, 10 seconds on each cheek and then 20 seconds on my chin/nose. It has a handy timer to tell you after every 20 seconds and the brush turns itself off after a minute so you don't do any damage by over-exfoliating. For the first few days of using my Magnitone brush I used it once a day on the sensitive setting so my skin could get used to it and I didn't really notice a massive difference in my skin. However after five days I started using it both morning and night and almost instantly my skin felt a lot softer and cleaner. I made the mistake of using it on the 'Daily Cleanse' setting once rather than the 'Sensitive' mode which did actually irritate my skin a bit! I have been using it for a couple of weeks now and would say that it is definitely worth the money though.

After cleansing, I spray some of Lush's Tea Tree Water onto my face and wipe any excess off with a cotton pad before applying my Simple moisturiser. Tea tree is antibacterial, antiseptic and antimicrobial which makes it perfect for preventing and treating spots so I will also sometimes apply Tea Tree Oil to any obvious blemishes that I have.

And that's all that I do in terms of skincare on an everyday basis.

Ark Skincare Review

For the past couple of weeks I have been trying out a few Ark Skincare* products. They are a skincare brand who specialise their products for different age groups rather than different skin types. I fit into the teens to early 30s bracket so the products I tried were from the 'Age Prepare' group.

Ark Skincare kindly sent me the Age Aware Discovery Collection to try and the first thing I noticed was how nice the packaging is! It came in a fancy bag with a ribbon tied in a bow and inside was a mesh travel bag containing four travel sized products - the Skin Refining Exfoliator, Skin Clear Cleanser, Skin Vitality Moisturiser and Skin Purifying Masque. For £28 you get to try all these out and see if you like them before buying full sizes which is a good option if you don't want to spend a lot on something you are unsure about. One thing I would say about the packaging is that the tubes have screw top lids which can be hard to put back on when you have the product on your hands, but the full size products have pumps so that shouldn't be a problem.

I have been using the cleanser and moisturiser everyday in the morning and evening, the exfoliator just in the mornings and then used the masque twice a week since the start of November and I have definitely noticed a difference in my skin.

The exfoliator contains bentonite beads, loofah and margosa leaf extract so as well as helping to clear the skin it also helps to keep it that way. It doesn't feel harsh at all either so it won't irritate your skin like some others can. The cleanser is very gel-like and I did have some issues with it running out of the tube while I was trying to get the lid back on. The instructions said to work it into a lather which I had some trouble with as it didn't lather well at all but it still left my skin feeling really clean and refreshed. I only needed to use the tiniest bit of moisturiser as it is quite thick without being heavy on your skin. I really liked the masque compared to others I've tried as you only need a small amount and it dries clear. You leave it on for 10 minutes and then wash it off. It is definitely a lot easier to get off than some others! 

The whole range has quite a fresh scent and left my skin feeling really soft and refreshed. The image of the brand is definitely sophisticated and spa like too, and by now you should all know that I am a sucker for good packaging!

Overall, I would definitely purchase the full sizes of all of these products as they have helped my skin improve so much. I will say that the prices may not be so good for people on a tight budget, but the products do last for a long time as you only need a small amount of each so I think they are definitely worth the money!

Skincare Routine

My skincare routine is quite simple but it seems to work pretty well for me! All the products I use are really affordable too :)

I start off by using Garnier's micellar cleansing water to remove my makeup. I always used to use makeup wipes for this step until I found out that they're apparently really drying for your skin. I also found that this cleansing water removes everything so much better and easier!

Then I cleanse my face using the Simple kind to skin cleansing lotion. This isn't really necessary after using the cleansing water but I still prefer to do it.

The toner I use is Lush's tea tree water.  I got this for my birthday a couple of months ago and have been using it daily ever since. Tea tree is antibacterial, antiseptic and antimicrobial so is perfect for both preventing and treating spots. It feels really refreshing and since it is in a spray bottle it is so quick and easy to use.

I follow this with the Simple kind to skin hydrating light moisturiser.  I love Simple products because they don't contain any harsh chemicals or perfumes that are bad for your skin.

I also apply tea tree oil to anywhere it looks like I may need it, because as I said before it is an antiseptic and perfect for preventing/treating spots which we all get!

That is the routine I use morning and night but there are a couple of other products that I occasionally use too. The first is a Neutrogena visibly clear pink grapefruit daily scrub. Using this is supposed to help eliminate blemishes and it also smells amazing!  I also use Soap & Glory's peaches and clean deep purifying cleanser.  I don't use this as often as normal cleanser because it is a deeper cleanse. It smells really good too, as do all Soap & Glory products.

I was recently sent some 'dream dots'* to try and they are so good. They are basically little clear gel-like stickers which you stick on a spot before you go to bed.  Overnight, the centre of the dot should turn white to show you that it has worked and when you removed it your spot should look smaller and much less red!

Finally, ever other week or so I use a Montagne Jeunesse face mask.  They have so many different types from peel offs to clay masks to self heating ones.  They also come in such a wide range of scents, there is one for everybody.  I personally love the chocolate scented ones the most, but as you can see I have quite a collection of others too!

That is everything that I usually use and I would recommend all of it :)