WISHLIST // Weekly Wishlist #10

I'm not really sure what this wishlist is saying about me to be honest, I think that Iwant to look glamorous while lying in bed, which I'm kind of OK with...I actually have a bit of a confession as well, I put this wishlist together on Saturday and have already ended up buying the duvert cover and the Sunday Riley Luna oil....I'm currently off work sick so lying bed all day feeling sorry for myself didn't do anything for my bank balance! I cannot wait to try the Luna oil though, I've been pawing through reviews for the past week and I'm reallyhoping it's as good as everyone says!

I'm on a real Gym kick at the minute as well so I wouldn't be surprised if that Mint Green bottle isn't winging it's way to my by the end of the week either!

Hope you all have a great week! 

Soph
x

REVIEW // Alpha H Instant Facial

I picked this up as part of this special value set on QVC so I got this Alpha H Instant Facial, which at the time was newly released, along with the Micro Cleanse (LOVE!) and the Absolute Eye Complex, the whole set is a bit of a bargain at just over £36, the Instant Facial on it's own has an RRP of £37 so you are essentially getting the eye cream and Micro Cleanse for free so it's definitely worth checking out. The Instant Facial is essentially an exfoliating toner, so it's used after cleansing and before Serum to exfoliate and refine the skins texture, removing dead skin build up, softening skin, shrinking pores, evening out skin tone, blurring imperfections etc etc - I'm going to stop there, you get my drift. The initial thing that drew me to this was the spray pump, which writing that down, seems ridiculous but it's truth, as it happens, it's probably one of my least favourite things about this because I find it's got quite a wide spray that spreads further than the cotton pad and I'm never quite sure how many sprays to do but that's me being very picky as well, there are very few flaws with this product on the whole.

So, it's a glycolic based exfoliator but also has Cyprus, Thyme, Barley, Malt and Arnica which each bring different elements to the toner to help with the evening of skin tone and redness reduction. I don't use this on a daily basis but maybe more like twice a week, depending on how my skin is behaving that week, use around 3-5 sprays on a cotton pad then sweep all over my face and neck, I leave it to dry a little bit before applying a serum and moisturiser, you can also just leave it on it's own for a more intense treatment, so if your skin needs a good exfoliation, skip the serum and moisturiser. It's oil free and leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth and just looking alot more refreshed and alive.

I'd liken this to the Clarins Gentle Exfoliating Brightening Toner as I find it to be quite gentle like the clarins, there's no stinging or harshness with this, it's a little bit tackier when first applied than the clarins but this settles down once it dries or moisturiser is applied. Alpha H as a brand is definitely one that I'm getting more and more into, I literally love the Micro Cleanse, which again is exfoliating but in cleanser form and it's just dreamy to use, my face feels so incredibly soft after using, I reviewed it here a while back if you want to know more about that one, but yeah, I'll definitely be checking more out from Alpha H, I currently have my eyeballs all over this Clear Skin Daily Face Wash.

Have you tried this before? Any other Alpha-H products I should be trying?

Soph x

REVIEW // OSKIA Renaissance Cleansing Gel

I mentioned that I'd picked up the OSKIA Renaissance Cleansing Gel in my Space NK haul a while back and a few people were keen to see the review of this one, It's definitely starting to get a name for itself and rightly so, when I was looking to revamp my skincare routine, this is the main thing I knew I wanted, I first saw it on one of Vivianna Does Makeup's vlogs I think and ever since then I've spotted it popping up on several blogs and I've been lusting after it ever since. This leaves my skin feeling amazing, it says cleansing gel, which it is, it's a soft pink gel but it definitely leans towards an oil texture as well as you massage it in, it melts onto your skin much and starts working on breaking down the makeup much like a balm or oil would and as you massage it in, you start to get the scent coming through which is so beautiful, it's like a rose dream, I find strongly scented products can sometimes irritate my skin but there were no issues with this, I actually think because of the ingredients in this, it's incredibly calming and soothing for my skin.

So, I pump this out, about a pump and a half works for me, I start massaging it in, it works really well on waterproof mascara, I normally take my eye makeup off with a micellar water before cleansing but there were several times over christmas where I just used this and I just tended to massage it in and it takes away all my mascara. Anyway, I get it all over the face and actually leave it on for a minute or so while I get a hot flannel ready and then take it off, all my makeup comes off and I've tested with a toner afterwards, there's nothing left but the main thing that separates this from an oil or balm I found is that there's no residue left on my skin afterwards but it still feels amazingly moisturised but really clean, I love oils and balms for taking off makeup but I hate that layer it leaves.

The packaging on this is brilliant and I wish all cleansers would come like this, it's a sturdy plastic, nothing special on that front, looks nice though, but it's the pump that works with this, so many cleansers come in pots or tubes and you have to mess around with trying to get lids off, squeezing product out, all while your face is soaking wet and you can't open your eyes so you end up squeezing too much out or my favourite, dropping the lid down the sink hole which has happened to me way too many times, this is just a simple pump but it makes such a difference to getting the product out and makes the whole process a breeze. Possibly a little bit of a dramatic rant there but I'm sure some of you feel my pain there.

It's not the cheapest cleanser in the world but skincare is where I'm kind of OK with splurging, it's £28, I picked mine up from here.

Have you tried this? What did you think?

Soph x

FITNESS // BeetsBlu Heart Rate Monitor

I was recently asked if I wanted to try out the Beets Blu Heart rate monitor, the timing of being asked this was almost perfect, I was just starting to get a fitness routine in place and had actually just purchased a Jawbone, which is one of those bracelets that basically tracks your steps and sleep and you link it to an app and you can track your food but I found it to be absolutely rubbish, I work from home and spend a lot of time, sitting at my desk, making the odd trip downstairs to get a cup of tea however, the Jawbone kept tracking me at doing severalthousand steps when I hadn't moved from the desk...that's a whole other post but I ended up retuning that and just as I was looking for something else, I got asked to review the Beets Blu, which is essentially a heart rate monitor, so you put it on, it sits around your chest, just underneath your bra and has two little sensors that monitor your heart rate and it links to your iphone via bluetooth so you can track the readings. It's very stretchyand apart from feeling a little bit cold when you first put it on, it's incredibly discreet, you can't see it under clothes and it doesn't really feel like you're wearing anything.

I think for me, I really enjoyed wearing it and as I up my (currently very low) fitness levels, I think t will be interesting to see how my heart rates responds, it also links to several fitness apps such as RunKeeper and Map My Run so you can see how your performing while out running as well. One of the best things I found it for is working out when my heart rate is in the right zone for actually losing weight, however, my chosen gym workout is the Cross Trainer and it can be a little bit tricky to look at the app whilst my arms are flailing about in the air but good for when you're on the treadmill or if I take a morning run, I would also imagine it would be pretty easy to use on an exercise bike.

It's £34.95 which isn't the cheapest but I have enjoyed using it - I'm not sure if I would necessarily pay the £34.95, I've only been using this for a few weeks now so I want to see if it's something I actually keep as part of my routine, but if you are in the market for a heart rate monitor this is actually one of the cheapest I've seen, I got mine from Amazon here.

What do you think? Is this something you'd be interested in?

Soph x

WISHLIST // Weekly Wishlist #9

I'm going to stop saying I'm going to start posting more reguarly on here because everytime I do, I disappear off the face of the earth for a few weeks - work was to blame for this more recent lack of activity on the blog. I'm back though with a weekly wishlist, I've been lusting over this Ken top for a little while, not so much to wear out but I think it looks like the perfect lazing around the house top and it's cotton candy scented - I didn't even realise that was a thing! 

Another big part of my life over the past few weeks is Scandal, I've literally been binge watching it, my new life motto is "What would Olivia Pope do?!" - It's definitely one of my new favourites. Also, i've been trying out a lot of new products recently so there's going to be a lot of skincare and hair review posts coming up in the next few weeks so keep an eye out for those.

Hope you're all having a good weekend!

Soph x

LIFE // Update + New Layout

Hi Guys, 

A bit of a quick update for you as I listen to the wind howling outside, I've just put my PJs on and settled down with a blanket and a cup of Pukka Wild Apple & Cinnamon tea, which is the actual bomb, check it out if you're a fan of herbal tea's, it's keeping me going this winter but anyway, I wanted to give you a bit of an update, you may have noticed the layout has changed a bit around these parts, I've kept the same logo but made it a bit clearer, but the main body of the blog is a little bit cleaner and fresher, New year, new blog and all that jazz! I'm hoping it will rejuvanate me into blogging a bit more often, my plan is at least 2 posts a week moving up to 4 hopefully in a few months, when I started this blog, I had just started working from home and I wanted something that would break up the working day from the evening, which sounds a bit weird to stay sitting on the computer  when you've finished working but I think there was some sensible reasoning behind it at the time but I really love blogging now, it' gives me a little escape, my job can be ridiculously stressful and high pressure at times, which is why this is a little escape for me, where I can do it when I fancy really so I don't want to put too many pressures on myself to upload on certain days although I might do that at some point in the future so I kind of force myself to break away from work and do something I enjoy, working from home, means you can sometimes end up working ridiculous hours which I really want to cut back on. Anyway, I'm digressing a bit and this post is turning into a bit of a brain dump but hey, if you can't brain dump on your own blog, where can you?! 

Ummm, so I've decided to start doing a few more set posts on here as well, like Monthly Favourites, which will be beauty related but I also want some lifestyle bits in there as well so may include clothes, homeware and most likely Tea, tea makes the world a happy place for me, nothing beats a blanket, a book and a cup of hot tea to keep the happiness alive.

Final thing, has anyone watched Haven? It's on Amazon Instant Prime and it's my latest obsession, I want to live in a little fishing village in Canada with my pooch, blankets and tea of course. Talking of pooches, I'm going to stick a picture of Dixie in for this post, she's growing up so quick, I went into the office the other day and started rambling about how she was growing up so fast, yadda, yadda, yadda, started flicking through pictures and showing people before realising I was talking to 5 middle aged men who had zero interest in my despair that my puppy was going to be 7 months old this week, true story.

Let me know what you think of the new layout and if there are any types of post you like reading? How do you find these rambly posts?


Hope you're all having a dreamy weekend.

Soph xx

REVIEW // Beneft Radiant Skincare Set

I've been intrigued by the Benefit Skincare range for a while, I went to a Benefit event a year or so ago and they used the cleansing milk on me to remove my makeup and I was pleasantly surprised with it, it was lightly scented but did a good job of taking everything off and leaving my skin feeling soft as well, but for some reason I never really think to go to them when I'm looking for new products, they're definitely a makeup brand in my head but then I saw this little set which includes a selection of miniatures from across the range, great for holidays or trips away but also really great to try everything out, at £14 for this set, it's really great value, there is plenty in each little sample to give you a good chance to test everything out. The whole range smells lovely, quite a fresh, subtle fragrance, I don't normally get along with scented products on my skin but I didn't have any issues with this and I enjoyed using pretty much every product in here, If you're thinking of delving into the Benefit Skincare range or need a complete set for a holiday, I'd definitely look into this.

Foamingly Clean Wash - 8.9g

This was the first thing I tested out and it's really nice, it gives a good foam and leaves skin clean but still soft and not at all stripped, reminds me of the Origins Checks and Balances formula wise in that it's a foam that really lathers up when it hits water and is massaged into skin, really nice and one I'd happily repurchase.

Refined Finish Facial Polish - 8.9g

I've only tried this once because I'm not a huge fan of grainy exfoliators but it was OK, buffed away at my skin without being harsh at all and my skin felt baby smooth after using.

Moisture Prep Toning Lotion

This one was a bit hit and miss for me, nothing majorly wrong with it but it didn't really feel like it was doing much, it might be that this one needs more than a sample size amount to see the benefits, I also tend to prefer an acid toner so it might just be down to preference.

Triple Performing Emulsion Lotion SPF 15 - 8.9g

I liked this and I liked that it had SPF built into it but it was too light for my skin so I had to pair it with the other cream in the box, I do have very dry skin though so if your skin leans to the normal / oily side, this would probably be just about perfect.

Total Moisture Facial Cream - 3g

This is my favourite item out of the set, smells lovely, is quite rich and creamy but sinks in quickly, I have way too many moisturisers to work through but if i'm in the market for one any time soon, I'll definitely check this out.

It's potent Eye Cream - 3g

This is nice and rich eye cream, definitely one if your skin is a little dry around the eyes and great for the winter months, it left the skin around my eyes feeling soft and moisturised.

And, that's it - what do you think? Will you be trying out Benefit's skincare range?

Soph x

REVIEW // Birchbox January 2015

I was quite excited to get this month's Birchbox, I'd seen the sneak preview that it was in collaboration with Women's Health which I think is brilliant and perfect timing! In theory I should love this box, it's got Caudalie, HealGel and Stila which are all pretty big brands but unfortunately none of them excite me that much, I think I'll get use from the HealGel and the Caudalie products but the Stila lip gloss just isn't a colour I'd normally wear it's a good mix of brands but the sample sizes  are kind of small and there's nothing that's a WOW product for me. I'm particuarly happy with Pilates band, I used to have one but lost it, but thy really are good! Here's a run down of what I got:

activbod Cooling Finish Lotion

This is for use after a workout, contains menthol to help re-invigorate you, I actually quite like the smell of it, it's quite a strong menthol scent but I'm not sure I'd actually want to smell of it myself if you get me? Might be one to throw in my gym bag to try out.

HealGel Face

I think this is a serum of sorts, it's packed with Hyaluronic Acid which I know works brilliantly with my skin so I'm looking forward to giving this a whirl.

Caudalie Vinoperfect Serum

Another serum, this one targets evening out skin tone and brightening complexion which again, I'm happy to try out, I think I have actually used this before but a few years ago!

GreenPeople Intensive Repair Shampoo

I love the GreenPeople brandand have used it before, this is 82% organic and is free from a multitude of nasties such as SLS, Parabens, DEA, TEA and many more, it's even free from Urea which is a bonus!! 

Stila Lip Glaze 

I got the shade Glamour which is a deep Raspberry Pink, it's nice but it's just not a colour I wear so I'll probably give this to a friend, I have used the Stila Lip Glaze's before and loved them.

So, that's everything in the box, nothing I'm not happy with but nothing that I'm overly excited about but you can't win them all! 

How was your BirchBox this month?

Soph x

HAUL // SPACE NK

Today's post is going to be a little bit of a skincare haul from Space NK - I've felt like i've been lacking a little bit with my skincare recently, I think I just got a bit bored with it all so I ended up in a bit of a rut with just using micellar water all the time and my skin was starting to get a bit dull and having a few breakouts so in typical "me" fashion, I decided to buy lots of new cleansers to get me back in the swing of properly cleaning my skin. I also snuck in a re-purchase of the Phytoneutre Clarifying Shampoo which is literally amazing but other than that, it was just cleansers.

Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel - £28

This is something I've been debating purchasing for a while, it's the most expensive cleanser in this haul but it really is lovely to use, it's a gel formula but melts into a balmy, oil consistency when you massage it into the skin, it smells heavenly and very spa like with a deep rose scent. I'll do a full review on this soon because this is one of the ones I have been using most out of this little lot and I really am loving it.

Nude Purify Cleansing Wash - £22

I'm really into Nude as a brand at the minute, I picked up a moisturiser set in the Boxing Day sales and it's so, so good. This is a really nice cleanser and I've been using it most mornings for the past few weeks, it's not super foaming but it really cleans skin without drying it or stripping it, it smells like most of the nude products which is kind of a muted vanilla scent - actually, now I'm thinking about it, I think Nude products smell like the head on a Cabbage Patch Kid, anyone else find this?

Kiehls Ultra Facial Cleanser - £15

I'm not sure why I picked this one up but I wanted something to be my Shower Cleanser, I've been using the Origins Checks and Balances which I love but I'm just a bit bored of it so once that finishes, I'm going to replace with this one, I haven't tried this yet but I love Kiehls products so I think this will be a win for me.

Phytoneutre Clarifying Detox Shampoo - £12.50

I've spoken about this little beauty before - link here - I use it one to two times a week to deep clean my hair, it has eucalyptus in it so it smells amazing and is super good if you have a cold because it really helps clear everything up. It leaves my hair really clean but not stripped so it's super soft. My only issue with this is the metal tube because when it's coming to the end of the product, it gets all battered and it was dripping green goop into my shower everyday but I can learn to live with that, if you're in the market for a clarifying shampoo, I'd really recommend trying this one.

And, that's it - it was definitely a bit of a splurge haul, I think I was obviously feeling quite lavish, I'll be living off toast for the month of January I think! 

Soph x

WISHLIST // Weekly Wishlist #8

So, I think firstly I'll start off with a Happy New Year, I know everyone says it but I can't believe how fast 2014 went, it was literally gone in a flash, I rang the new year in with cups of Pukka Apple & Cinnamon Tea and shots of Covonia so I'm hoping that isn't how the rest of the year plays out. This week's wishlist is a bit of a random one, I think now that Christmasis out of the way, I'm already moving onto Spring in my head, this Poppy dress is beyond pretty.

Keeping it short and sweet for now, but I'm going to be making some changes to the blog over the next month, I'm thinking a bit of a re-vamp and possibly a name change so I'll keep you updated on that.

Hope you all have had an amazing New Year so far and that 2015 brings you everything you wish for.

Soph x