3 Skin Care Products Everyone Loves That I Hate

Before I start, all opinions expressed are completely my own and I am not saying that what doesn't work for me won't work for you. Something I love others will hate and vice versa - so don't throw a tantrum okaysss..

1. La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo

I really really wanted to like this, as so many people had raved about how much it helped their skin. It claims to reduce the appearance of imperfections and unclog pores, yet I didn't notice anything change. I do like how quickly it is absorbed into the skin, and that it provides a smooth, matte base for make-up but it definitely didn't moisturise my skin well. So overall, I'd use this as a primer on clients with oily skin but not as part of my skin care routine.

You can pick this up from boots for £13.00

2. Bioderma Sensibo H2O

Many make-up artists love this cleanser as it feels and looks like water so they feel like it's very unlikely for any irritation to occur on their clients' skin. Don't get me wrong, it removes eye make-up like a dream but I wouldn't class it as a particularly good cleanser. It says it is soap-free but all I can smell is soap?! I felt like I was using washing up liquid or something. I wouldn't have purchased this myself but my brother picked it up for me when he went to France(where it is made) therefore it was a lot cheaper. I will not be repurchasing this cleanser. On the other hand, I love the bioderma hydrabio tonique. It leaves my skin feeling clean and refreshed.

Get this cleanser online from escentual for £4.50-£14.50

3. Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish

I feel weird putting this in a post about products I hate because at one point I couldn't get enough of it. My skin was glowing, smoother than it had been in ages and it wasn't giving me spots. After receiving it as a Christmas present I began using it again and I did not have the same happy experience as I did before. My skin became extremely lumpy and a rash was developing on my chin. As soon as I stopped using this, the lumps went and so did the rash.After speaking to my Aunty, she said she had the same thing happen to her and couldn't use it anymore. So, sorry Cleanse & Polish you're out.

If you fancy giving it a go, get a tester from the Liz Earle website for only £3.25 with a muslin cloth!

As I said before, just because I don't like these products doesn't mean you won't love them. My Mum will swear by Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish but I will swear against it. What works for one person may not work for another. So try them out yourself and prove me wrong :)

Products I Can't Replace!

After not blogging for agessss, I thought it would be good to write about some of the products I love the most. These are 6 of the products I have never felt the need to replace (or found something to replace them with!)

1. Aussie Miracle Recharge Lightweight Conditioning Spray

I love all of the Aussie products. Shampoos, conditioners, everything. From the smell to the way they make my hair feel I just love them. I especially love this leave-in conditioner as you can spray it into wet or dry hair which is great for when your hair needs a 'pick me up'. It smells amazing but I don't have a clue what the smell is.. it says it contains macadamia nut oil but who knows. I like to keep these bottles and use them for water spray bottles which are always handy for freelance make-up artists. I do get through it really quickly though (this may be because I go a bit overboard)but it's inexpensive so won't break the bank.

I couldn't find this exact one online, but check out the Aussie website for something similar around £4.99

2. MUA Pro-Brow Ultimate Eyebrow Kit

This is PERFECT for everyone! It has three colours; a dark brown, a light brown/beige and a lighter colour with a red undertone and a gel to set your brows. It also comes with mini tweezers and a mini angled brush. I didn't like either of these though so they've gone. I like to mix the dark brown and the light brown for me, but I could take this mini palette alone and feel confident that there would be a colour to suit any client. They are really pigmented and not at all chalky. Best of all, it's from MUA which means it costs next to nothing! I have had this about 2 years and have only just hit the pan on one of the colours after using this everyday, so a little goes a long way.

You can get this from MUA for £3.50 (bargain!)

3. Emporio Armani Diamonds Perfume

Armani Diamonds. Literally my signature sent. I have worn this perfume for over 5 years and I am yet to find something to make me stop wearing it. The bottle is stunning and I leave this out on the side because it matches my room. If you haven't already noticed, I'm no good with describing scents.. so I took to The Perfume Shop to see what they had to say about it. Apparently it has a 'Floral Oriental' smell with notes of Lychee and Raspberry. In my opinion it smells nothing like either but if you haven't already, definitely go and have a sniff of this haha!

This starts at £37.50 from The Perfume Shop

4. Vaseline

Good old Vaseline, how I love you. This is a wonder product. Cheap as chips and has many uses. I particularly like the Cocoa Butter one at the moment. No matter where I am I will always have a tin of this with me because you only have to apply it once and you're back to having soft lips. When I've got a cold I always put this on my nose because it gets really dry, and moisturiser stings too much.

Pick this up literally anywhere for 99p

5. MAC Studio Finish Concealer

I give you - the most pigmented, heavy duty concealer there is. I cannot sing this concealer's praises enough. It blends as easy as a liquid concealer, covers a multitude of sins from dark circles to red spots. Whilst studying camouflage make-up I was using a Dermacolour concealer palette, specifically made for covering blemishes, scars, etc. but I can honestly say this gives a better coverage. I've had this a while now, and a little really does go a long way as I'm no where near the end but I will definitely repurchase before I run out. MAC is classed as a more high end brand so it is a little pricey but it will last you forever and is a real confidence booster. I recommend this to anyone who's feeling rubbish about something they want to cover up. It doesn't budge, I never need to touch up throughout the day and it really does work wonders.

You can get this online but I would suggest going to a counter for the best colour match, priced at £15.00

6. Shimmery Blusher

As someone who likes a really full coverage base, I always to use a blush that isn't matte and will add a bit of dimension to my face. Choosing a blush that is slightly shimmery has more benefits than using a matte blush. Firstly, there is no need to use an illuminator. Secondly, you will spend less time highlighting and contouring. After using NYX Powder Blush in Pinched for a long time, I went on the hunt for something more easily accessible. I stumbled across this Rimmel Lasting Finish Soft Colour Blush in 050 Live Pink and could not get over the similarity between the two. They both contain gold reflects to give off an iridescent sheen and are both a light pinky/corally colour. They are both similar prices and both as pigmented as eachother.Love them both.

Buy this from Rimmel for £3.99

REVIEW: Quinoderm Antibacterial Facewash

I want to start off by saying- I love Quinoderm. I raved about their spot treatment/cream in my September favourites because it's brilliant! but I wasn't as overjoyed with the facewash as I was the cream.

When Quinoderm sent me this face wash to review I was really excited but quite hesitant as I wondered if it would be too harsh for my skin as I do get a few spots but I don't have full blown acne. So I asked my brother to try it out at the same time as me. He's 14 and that equals spots so I was really excited to see the results on him.

This face wash is literally radio-active! Bright blue.

As you can see it's a really pretty blue colour, but I'm always weary of bright coloured cosmetics as I wonder what they've added to make it that colour, which is then being absorbed into my skin. It smells really clean though, like tea tree and witch hazel but it doesn't say that it contains either of those products. Also, surprisingly it doesn't contain any ingredients from the cream which I was upset about because I love the cream so much. 

It does claim to "help remove excess facial oil, grease or dirt and leaves the skin clean, healthy and feeling refreshed" and it does do exactly that. I love how clean my skin feels after using this and I definitely do feel refreshed. For me, it brought my spots out but then went quickly which means my skin is a lot less bumpy now. My brother absolutely loved it. He said it really helped his skin and he liked how it felt when using it. He's always nicking my face wash but I'm letting him have this one as it's helped him a lot more than me.

This isn't a 'luxury' product. It's as cheap as chips at £2.25 and the packaging reflects that. I think if Quinoderm stepped their packaging up a bit and made it appeal more to teenagers- girls in particular (who are most likely to buy cosmetic products)they will get a lot more customers. Beauty bloggers love packaging and how a product looks as a whole so if it was taken up a notch I think Quinoderm would get the attention it deserves.

Overall, I like this product. I'm not amazed and it isn't holy grail material but it is nice for teenagers going through puberty and suffering from acne/spots. A little goes a long way and it will last you ages.

You can buy this facewash here at a mere £2.25 for 150 ml

Have a look at Quinoderm's website

Smokey eye make-up using SLEEK AU NATURAL PALETTE

Smokey Eye Make-up using Sleek Au Natural Palette

Use selotape to create a crisp line

Apply NYX Eyeshadow Base in Nude

Taking the Au Natural Palette and a flat brush, apply 'Honeycomb' all over from lash line to eyebrow

Taking a blending brush, apply 'Bark' in the socket line

Define that colour even more by using 'Noir' with the same brush over 'Bark'

Using a flat brush, apply the glittery colour 'Taupe' over the lid

Highlight the brow bown using NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk

Blend the white out, and apply 'Nougat' over the top

Using the same colour 'Bark' from earlier, take it under the lower lashes about half way in

Using 'Taupe' from earlier, take this under the other half of your lower lashes

Use 'Noir' to line the eyes instead of eyeliner

Apply eyelashes (optional) I used Eyelure Wispy Lashes (156)

I used L'Oreal True Match Foundation with a Coastal Scents Buffing Brush

Under my eyes I used MAC Studio Fix Concealer and a Kryolan Dome Brush

To set everything I used this huge EcoTools brush with MAC Studio Fix

For Blusher I used NYX Pinched with a Coastal Scents Angled Contour Brush

I used these 2 Lipsticks- 101 Barry M and S Colour Creamy Nude

The finished look! If I'm doing quite heavy eyes I like to use a very nude lipstick so I don't look like a drag queen.I did my eyes first to avoid any drop down from the eyeshadows ruining my foundation. I also used MUA Brow Palette but totally forgot to include that.

Theatrical Make-up Haul!

Theatrical Make-up College Kit

When my kit arrived I was literally so excited I thought I was going to wet myself. It felt like christmas morning unpacking all of the special effects bits! So after my excitement calmed down, I decided I'd show the world what I ordered.

Everything pictured is from Charles Fox and it was all discounted  because I'm studying Theatrical Make-up. I think it came to around £260 altogether. There are a few things which I didn't need to buy, and some I feel a little disappointed with but the rest I'm over the moon with.

Brush and Tool Belt

I love this. It isn't like a normal brush belt as it has bigger compartments for things such as water sprays, a bottle of liquid latex etc. It makes me feel really professional and kind of made me feel like I'm on the right path to getting to my goal. 

It costs £25.85 but I got it for around £20 with my discount.

Face and Body Art Brushes

These brushes are really soft and so chunky so don't feel like they will break half way through using them. There a really pretty metallic blue and printed with Charles Fox. The 81463/13 is literally the size of my hand- it's huge!

The next few things explain themselves..

Not very glamorous but essential!

Bruise Wheel

I'm so excited to use this. I tried a bit of the blue/black and that alone does a really good job.

Brush Wallet

I really don't want to say this but I'm already slightly disappointed. The face brushes aren't great.. They feel quite rough and for the price (£39) they should be of a higher quality.

Translucent Powder

This is really really white when first put on the skin, but it's great after you blend it in. I like putting this under the eyes then wiping it off to take any fallout from eyeshadow with it.

Camouflage Concealer Palette

These are really creamy but are so pigmented you would't believe. They remind me of MAC Studio Fix Concealers.

SUPRA Greasepaint Palette

This is SO exciting I just want to play with it all and just slap it on my face. I'm still excited just typing this..

Aqua Colour Palette

I just wanna grab my little brothers face and go wild with these. Such pretty colours!

Gelefects for Burns, scars etc

This is the most exciting thing I got. I love this and I cannot wait to get stuck in.

As you can see, I got quite a lot for my first kit but it's all necessary. I really love Theatrical Make-up and this is what I want to do for my career. Plus, we had to get it as part of my college course so.. rude not to.