The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA - a dupe for Sunday Riley Good Genes?

I've raved about Sunday Riley Good Genes a few times previously on the blog (here and here, for example!) because I find it so effective on my skin. I can feel it eating away the dead skin cells and my skin is always left feeling smooth with refined pores and looking radiant when I use it. When I finished my recent bottle of Good Genes, I found that I couldn't repurchase it as it has been taken off the market to be reformulated to comply with EU regulations. I have to admit that I was gutted and I only have a few sample sachets left. I looked into what I might be able to use as an alternative and decided to give The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA a go. Is it a dupe? Read on! 

Do you need both Too Faced Born This Way Concealers?

When I saw that Too Faced were releasing a second concealer in the Born This Way line, I was very curious. At first I thought that the original Naturally Radiant Concealer might be discontinued but it isn't and the two concealers are pretty different so I want to share my thoughts on whether you need both with you today. 

Verso Super Facial Oil With Retinol 8 - the elixir of youth! And I have a discount code for you!

If you read my post on Tuesday all about Anti-Ageing hero products, you will have seen me mention Verso Super Facial Oil and describe it as the elixir of youth! I have previously raved about Verso skincare here and explained that its patented Retinol 8 complex is what makes it different to other anti-ageing or retinol products. This complex is eight times more effective that other retinol products so the results can usually be seen more quickly than with other retinol products.

REVIEW: Nurse Jamie Uplift Facial Massaging Beauty Roller

I mentioned in yesterday's post that I bought the Nurse Jamie Uplift Facial Massaging Beauty Roller before it went into the sale!I have wanted it for well over a year, basically ever since I saw Tati talk about it and use it in some of her videos. When I saw the limited edition Cult Beauty birthday edition, I decided to bite the bullet and treat myself (I wish I had waited a little longer as it's now reduced to £35!). 

My picks from the summer beauty sales!

I have been pretty good at resisting the summer sales this year and a lot of them are now over but I've found some real bargains that I want to share with you today!

Anti-Ageing Hero Products

I want to start this post by saying that I am not anti ageing - I believe that ageing is a privilege. That being said, I like to keep my skin looking as plump and youthful as possible. I personally don't have botox or fillers but don't judge anybody who does have those treatments - never say never, but for now I am happy to keep the signs of ageing at bay with effective skincare products. I want to keep my skin looking its best for as long as possible and so far, so good.  Today I want to share some hero products with you - products that actually make a difference and are worth the money. This is going to be quite a long post as I have lots to share with you!

Three treats for three budgets

It's that time of the month again where payday is approaching and I share three products for three budgets in case you're in the mood to spoil yourself or need to buy a gift for a loved one! 

Three fab face mists for summer!

I love using face mists all year round but they're particularly beneficial in summer. I don't mean water sprays, I only use mists that will actually do something for my skin. I like to use them as part of my skincare routine, on flights, to refresh my makeup during the day and to hydrate on the go. I have three that I am using on rotation at the moment that I want to share with you today.

The best long lasting eye liners featuring theBalm, Pixi and more!

I have often mentioned on here that I have the truly delightful combination (sense the sarcasm!) of watery eyes and oily lids and I have sported panda eyes on a number of occasions as a result. I love to wear eye liner because it really does define the eyes, and when worn in the right way, can make eyes appear bigger. I have tried so, so many brands of liners over the years and now have a number that I can depend on that I want to share with you today. Some are liquid, others pencil so if you are in the market for a new liner, there should be something here for you.

The bronzer edit featuring theBalm, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Becca, Marc Jacobs and more!

I actually didn't realise how many bronzers I had in my collection until it came to writing this post and this doesn't include those in palettes - I guess I'm a bit of a bronzer addict! For years, I only ever used either one of two bronzers: Nars Laguna or MAC Refined Golden. I honestly couldn't tell you how many times I repurchased those two. Since then, curiosity has gotten the better of me and I've also made new brand discoveries and once I like one product from a particular brand, I then want to try more so I will usually go on to try a highlighter or bronzer as they are two products that I use daily throughout the year. I love how a touch of bronzer adds warmth and dimension to my face - some I use to contour, some to add some life and some to bronze when my foundation is a little too light for my skin. I also love to use bronzer on my eyes on lazy makeup days! Today I want to share my collection with you and my thoughts on each one. I know my collection is excessive and I basically don't need to buy another bronzer for the rest of my days and I'm definitely not saying that you need this many in your collection - one or two would really do the job but it is what it is! I would love if you could recommend your favourite bronzer brush to me as I don't have that I love!

Review & Swatches: Charlotte Tilbury Bar Of Gold Palette

I'm a highlighter addict and a huge fan of Charlotte Tilbury makeup (see Brand Focus post here) so it was inevitable that I would buy her newly released Bar Of Gold Palette. I've used all of her other highlighters: Filmstar Bronze & Glow, Hollywood Beauty Light Wand and Flawless Filter but every year when she released the individual limited edition Bar Of Gold, I somehow missed out. Therefore, I went into this purchase without any knowledge of whether that shade and formula would suit my skin but given that I love all of her other highlighters, I thought it wasn't too much of a risk.

GIVEAWAY! Win an IMAGE skincare bundle!

If you read my post about some IMAGE skincare products (here) that I have been using, you will know that I am a massive fan of the results they have given. A lot of you, both here and on Instagram, said that you loved the sound of the products and would love to try them - well here's your chance! IMAGE have kindly offered to provide the three products for a giveaway. They have a RRP of £189 so one of you will be delighted to receive them!

Post sunny days/holiday hair, skin and body saviours!

The sun can't seem to make up its mind this week but I'm hoping that the heatwave returns soon because everything seems better when the sun is shining! When we came home from Majorca last month, the weather was so good that it felt like we were still on holiday - well apart from the fact that we don't have a pool to cool down in! In order to maintain my tan but also to inject some moisture back into my skin, I have been reaching for a number of products that I want to share with you today. They're not necessarily just post-holiday products - anybody who has experienced the high temperatures that we've had over the past few weeks will love them!

Light summer base picks featuring Natasha Denona, IT Cosmetics & Omorovicza

Although the skies have been a bit overcast at times this week, it has still been warm and humid. Whether the days are sunny or cloudy, when it's warm, I will also go for a lightweight base because I don't want anything that feels heavy or looks too full in terms of coverage. I have three products that tick these boxes and that I will reach for when I want to wear some makeup.

Summer morning cleansers suitable for all skin types and PMD Clean review

Although my favourite type of cleanser is a balm, on these hot summer mornings, I find that a gel or mousse is more suitable as it feels refreshing on the skin. I have three that I am using in rotation and a new cleansing device, which I've really been enjoying using: PMD Clean, that I want to share my thoughts on with you today!

Glittery eyes and glowy skin with Pixi

I have to say that Pixi do the best PR packages and I am very grateful that I am a recipient because everything is packaged so beautifully and receiving a package feels so special. I was buying and using Pixi products long before I received anything from them so I can genuinely say that I'm a fan of the brand. The most recent releases are Glowy-Glossamer Duos and Liquid Fairy Lights, which I have been using over the past few weeks and want to share my thoughts on with you today. If you are a fan of glittery eyes and glowy skin, read on!

New additions to the L'Occitane Verbena Collection that you need this summer!

Scent is such a powerful sense and can instantly make us feel so many emotions. I love the original L'Occitane Verbena range - the scent brings back so many happy childhood memories of time spent in my Granda's garden. I loved his garden and we were very close so I can't help but smile when I smell anything containing that tangy citrus scent! This summer, three new limited edition lines have been added to the Verbena range and I was kindly sent some products to try: Icy Verbena, Citrus Verbena and Mint Verbena. Let me tell you that these are just as refreshing as they sound and the perfect products to get you through the heatwave!

Get radiant, plump and bright skin with Image skincare!

If you read my post on why you need Vitamin C products in your skincare regime, you will know that I am a huge fan of Image skincare. They recently added some new products to their range and I was delighted to be able to choose some to try. Prepare for a swoonfest because these products are beautiful!

Review: Huda Rose Gold Remastered Palette

If you read my post about the Cult Beauty Birthday Box, you will know that one of the products included was the Huda Beauty Rose Gold Remastered Palette. Out of all 10 products in the box, I think this was the one I was most excited about because I am a huge fan of Huda Beauty in general (see Brand Focus post here) but especially her eyeshadows. I reviewed her Desert Dusk palette here last year. I know that there were a lot of mixed reviews on the original Rose Gold palette and she listened to her customers, leading to this new Remastered Palette. I can understand why some people feel hard done by if they had bought the original palette but I get why she re-released it as the shade selection was a hit, it was the formula that was a miss. 

Quench your thirst with this free gift from Caudalie!

I think that we are all more aware of the negative effects of plastic on the environment, particularly since that episode of Blue Planet last December and the onus is on us to become better citizens of the world and be more responsible with regards recycling and waste in general. A simple everyday change that we can all make is to use our own bottle or mug for our daily water or tea/coffee intake. If you don't already own an eco-friendly water bottle, then you will be very interested in this gift with purchase from Caudalie. And even if you do already own one, it will be hard to resist this pretty pink bottle! It is available with two purchases from the Vinosource range from now until the end of August (whilst stocks last) when you use the code BOTTLE2018 at the checkout, so you can quench your thirst and that of your skin with this offer!

Youth Lab - the affordable skincare range that has wowed me!

Youth Lab is a brand that I hadn't heard of until I was contacted about it but it's one that everyone will recognise soon enough as it launched in Boots last month. As a beauty blogger, I am regularly contacted about products and brands that are new to the market or have some new releases but if a product doesn't grab my interest or it's one that I don't think I would spend my own money on, I don't accept it as it just wouldn't be fair to my readers. With that in mind, when I read about Youth Lab, I was intrigued - the brand recognises that as we age (and as a result of environmental conditions), our skin's metabolism decreases and shows signs of ageing. In order to achieve more youthful looking skin, Youth Lab has developed a line of products, each of which contains active ingredients, which aim to increase cell communication and thus the metabolism of the skin. All products are paraben, gluten and sulphate free. The reason I was very intrigued by the brand is that the products are very affordable - I wouldn't necessarily put them in the 'budget beauty' category but most products are priced at the £15-25 mark so I would say affordable rather than budget prices. I was kindly sent four products and want to share my thoughts on them with you today. For reference, I have dry skin that can be quite reactive.

Easy makeup for hot summer days!

To be completely honest, I've been having lots of no-makeup days over the past few weeks because I'm embracing my freckles and have some colour in my cheeks (skin is well protected though) but on the days that I have worn makeup, I've been choosing products that are quick and easy to use. Who wants to sit indoors for ages applying makeup when the weather is so good?! Plus, I don't want anything heavy on my skin or products that require a lot of maintenance. This post is very Clarins-heavy but it isn't sponsored at all - I just happen to be using and loving a lot of their products recently. Here's what I've been reaching for!