A perfect pairing

It is no secret that Nuxe Reve De Miel is my favourite handcream ever. I have raved about it on my blog many times but recently my cuticles have been quite sore and dry. Something that even my beloved hand cream wasn't fixing.
I remembered that I had a untouched tin of Burts Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream which I got in a gift set ages ago. I decided to give it ago and I am throughly impressed! In just 24 hours I have noticed a big difference as that my cuticles are now not as red or sore.

I use my Nuxe hand cream at night time before I go to sleep as it gives it time to work its magic and it smells so good that it helps me relax and unwind. I now use my Burts Bees cuticle cream about 2-3 times throughout the day and my hands feel well nourished and soft again.

What is your favourite hand cream? Jodie x

My Birthday Wishlist - I'm 27 Next Week

So I'm 27 next week eek! and seeing as I'm nearly 6 months pregnant I haven't bought myself anything apart from 'essential' maternity clothes in a while :-P  All my wishlists are now 100% made up of things for the baby as babies need so many things and most are expensive and if I've not been buying those items then it's been things to decorate the nursery. But as it's my birthday I feel like I deserve something just for me personally which is still hard to do 100% without feeling guilty. So here goes:

Zara Office Mini City Bag - Grey £29.99
I remember wanting this in black ages ago but somehow I forgot about it but now it has come back to the forefront of my mind. It is simple and stunning. I love being organised and having a pocket for everything so this is what I want!

L'occitane Make Up Bag £6
I love the smallish size of these and they come in lots of pretty designs. I plan to use it in my Zara bag to store all my beauty essentials to keep my bag organised and tidy. You can pick them up on eBay for approximately £6

Benefit How To Look The Best At Everything Kit - Light £25.50
At the moment I haven't been bothering with make up but now that I am starting to feel like my normal self again I realise that the whole pregnancy glow thing is a myth and my skin isn't looking to great. This will help to cover any blemishes and help me fake some nice skin.

Burts Bees Mama Bee - Leg and Foot Cream £12.99
I love Burts Bees alot and I remember that they used to have a Mama Bee gift set but I can't find it but this is the product that I would most like to try from the range. I remember the coconut foot moisturiser being my favourite ever so I would like to give this ago.

Pink Linings Yummy Mummy Changing Bag £79.99
Yes this isn't 100% for me and is abit of a cheat item but I really want to indulge on it. I know that it is expensive and that I already have a nice Cosatto changing bag to match my pram but just look how beautiful it is. It also comes with a nappy changing matt and has lots of inside pockets and special storage areas for everything baby related. I am a sucker for bag organisation and this is just so pretty. It comes in loads of gorgeous designs but I love this Bee one best. I would feel proud to carry this bag around and as a first time mum I feel that this bag would be a great help.

Shopping my stash

So it's that time of the month again where my wages have run out and payday seems like so far away, the only thing to do right now is to put my wish list's to one side and to shop my stash.

Here are some products that I've owned a while that i may have forgotten about or that I fell out of love with it for some reason. Today I have rooted through my products and rediscovered some gems. Here are my finds:

Burt's Bees Hand Salve
I love this brand of products and I disregarded this hand salve early on as it is abit too greasy for my liking. If you can get over than though it is a great little hand moisturiser and this is a little travel size version which is handy for handbags.

Nuxe Micellar Cleansing Water
I didn't use this when I first got it as I've had the L'Oréal and Bioderma ones on the go but this is so delicate and feminine. This one is made with rose petals and it smells gorgeous. It reminds me of summer. Also it works really well at removing my make up so i can't wait to get more use out of this.

Bourjois Cream Blush 02
Is it me or do these cream blushes not feel like a cream at all? Mine feel more like a powder but anyway I still love them. I have shades 01 and 02 and they are so pretty but I feel like I do need to build them up quite a bit with my stipple brush to get a decent amount of colour.

Benefit Peek a Bright Eye's Kit
This is my go to kit on a lazy day as it gives a nice polished eye look. I really should use this more as the shadows are lovely and pigmented and give a gorgeous overall eye look.

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick 15 Corail Intuitive
These lipsticks are still my favourite ever but I've been using my 14 Corail in Touch more as it is a deeper coral colour. This one is perfect for everyday wear as it just gives that my lips but better appearance. They smell so fruity and delicious and feel so luxurious on the lips. I really want more shades in these but for now I need to use these more to justify the price that I paid for them.

Bourjois Colour Boost Lipstick Peach on the Beach
I'm not too keen on the smell of this as it seems abit plastic-y and I'm disappointed that all the writing on my Bourjois packaging rubs off after a few months adding to the cheap feel. I do like the colour of this though as it's nice and pink on the lips but it isn't too drastic for day wear. 

Benefit Coralista Lipgloss 

This smells really good and gives a nice subtle colour and shine. It lasts for decent amount of time and most importantly it isn't sticky. There's nothing worse than walking outside for a gust of wind to blow your nicely clean styled hair into your lipgloss leaving it a gloopy sticky mess.

Benefit Bad Gal Waterproof Liner
I'm usually more of a liquid liner gal but if I fancy abit of kohl then I always use this. This has a handy smudger on the end to help smoke it out for a sexy eye look. Unlike most kohl liners this is waterproof so no under eye mess. That is reason I stopped using kohl in the first place as my eyes can be sensitive and water in the wind etc and that would leave me with smudged eyeliner all smudged into my concealer under my eye but with this being waterproof it means I don't look like a panda by dinner time.

Lancome Travel Size Lipstick Nu Rose 06
This is a cute little lipstick that is perfect for Autumn due to its berry like colour. But for us pal gals it doesn't look to dark as dark berry lipsticks scare me a little. This helps you go for the berry trend but in a good way. It also smells gorgeous and is long lasting. Due to it being a popular one you can pick up this travel size version for cheap too to test the waters.

Lipstick swatches from left to right are - YSL Rouge Volupte, Bourjois Colour Boost, Lancome nu Rose and then Benefit Coralista gloss. 

Make up swatches from left to right are - Benefit eyebright, Bourjois blusher, Benefits Peek a Bright Eye's base, pearly pink shadow and then the brown contour shadow. 

So there you go that's my rediscoveries for the time being. Have you been shopping your stash recently and what gems have you found?
Jodie x

August Favourites

I am so glad that August is over as i hate 5 week months due to always ending up super poor.
I did manage to pick up some great new products in August so here are the items that I was reaching for most:

 

Mac illustrated Rebecca Moses Face Kit Palette - Brown This item is probably my favourite out of the whole lot as I have had so much use out of it. I've worn it most days and I've especially loved the lipsticks. I love how good quality it all is and the scents of everything are yummy. This is my first Mac purchase and I'm sure that there will be many more to follow. Full post about this here

 

Burts Bees Coconut Foot Cream
This is quite thick in consistensy as it is more like a gel. My feet get drier over the summer as I don't wear socks with my ballet flats for work and this has been their savior.
Apart from smelling gorgeous you can feel it working straight away. I have nearly finished this little tube and I need to purchase the full size.

Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip Balm
This along with the Lush popcorn lip scrub have been a great duo for bringing my lips back to soft healthy condition.
This feels like a deep moisturiser for the lips. It smells gorgeous and fruity too, of oranges i think. It isn't greasy at all and you get a lot of the product in this jar.
I have been applying it in a evening and after 1 week my lips are feeling softer already.

 

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick - 14 Corail in Touch
This is my favourite of the 2 rouge volupte shine lipsticks that I own as it is a brighter colour of the two, the other that i have is number 15 Corail Intuitive.
The formula of this is amazing it feels so gentle on the lips and has a great colour pay off. Not to mention that the packaging is the most gorgeous that I've ever seen. see my YSL lipstick post here

 

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer - Chantilly
This is currently my favourite concealer but I think that I bought the wrong shade as it might be too light for me oops. I do love the formula of this though and I am determined to make it work for me. This is my first Nars product and I am impressed with the quality of the product and the packaging. full review here

 

Bioderma Sebium Facial Gel Cleanser
This has been my daily cleanser for the last month and it is still going strong. I won it in a twitter competition and I still love it. It leaves my skin feeling so clean and it feels gentle at the same time. I will definitely repurchase this one. see my Bioderma full skincare regime here

 

I did have lots more favourites this month that I feel deserve a little shout out, they include: Art Deco eye primer, Mac Illustrated brush bag, Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Noir perfume and The Balm Nude Tude palette. I didn't want to make this post super long but I hope you have enjoyed seeing my favourite items from the past month. What was your 1 favourite item through August? I would love to know
Jodie x

What's in my bag...

Right now I have the stunning Ted Baker Suno bag which is current season. You may recognise this from a couple of my wishlist posts one you can see here
Inside it I have the following:

 

Ted Baker Rocksy Purse - Pink
I've had this since earlier in the year and I'm still in love with it. Usually I get bored with bags and purses pretty quick but there is something about Ted Baker style and quality that I love. full post here

 

Notebook
This is to store all my blogging ideas and wishlists.
more info here 

 

Burts Bees Lipbalm
This is a lovey peppermint scent which keeps my lips feeling soft and fresh throughout the day.

 

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick - 1 Le Rouge
This is my newest addition to my YSL lipstick family and what gal can't be without a classic bright red lipstick on hand.

 

Mac Creamsheen Lipstick - Ravishing
This tends to be my everyday lipstick and it's my favourite Mac shade.

 

Benefit Boi-ing concealer - 01
I like to carry this with me at all times incase of any eye make up mistakes that might occur throughout the day. Depending what eyeliner I wear I find its usually the kohl pencils that says smudge under the eye so I like to keep this with me to refresh under my eyes. full review here

 

Optrex Rehydrating Eye Drops
As I wear contact lenses my eyes can get pretty dry if I have had them in a full day or if it's a hot day so I like to use these to refresh my eyes. more info here

 

Nuxe Reve De Miel Handcream
This is my favourite hand cream, I know I've talked about it a lot lately but it's just so good. It soaks in instantaneously and leave my hands nice and soft without feeling greasy. It so smells amazing so win win. i got it in a travel set of mini items to try, you can see them all here

 

Paris Hilton perfume vials
These are quite cheap to buy as it's a old perfume now but I still love it's fresh feminine scent.

Things that I intend to buy instead of my beauty box subscription! Each one I can guarantee that I will love.

So I've had my fun with my Glossybox subscription but now I've started to feel like it's a waste of money I always like 1 or 2 things out of the boxes and convince myself that I like the rest when I don't. They all get left in a Glossybox unused so I've decided to cancel my subscription after I get my September one (which will be free as I've redeemed my 1000 Glossydots) and spend the money month by month buying things that are on my wishlist. These are items that I know that I will love! Here is a low down of my planned purchases that are a £1 or 2 either way of my Glossybox subscription price of £12.95.

The Balm Instain blusher in Swiss Dot £14.40 @ Feelunique
I absolutely adore this blush since I got the tiny sample. Which h is still going by the way a little of this product goes a long way and the pigmentation is first class.

Burt's Bees Essentials set £12.99 @ Burts Bees
I already have the lip balm in this which I love but I recently bought my mother in law this set for her birthday and I struggled to hand it over as I knew that I wanted it for myself. She was very kind though and let me test it. The foot cream is my favourite as well as smelling gorgeous you can feel the results instantly. This is a box of items that I know that I will love every single item which I can't say about my Glossyboxes.

Mac Lipstick £15.00 @ Mac
Any will do but but Ravishing is top on my list, but i want the Rebecca Moses Illustrated palette in brown which has Ravishing in so I might get another colour. Anyway I would happily trade a whole Glossybox for a Mac lipstick.

Nuxe Reve De Miel Handcream £10 @ Nuxe
I know I've raved a lot about this lately but it really is amazing! The best hand cream ever hands down. Anyway my small sample of this is getting low so I full size one of these is on my wishlist.

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush £10.79 @ Feel Unique
I don't own any Real Techniques brushes yet but I do want to build up a collection so month by month I could get a different one.

So what do you think of my idea? Do you subscribe to any Beauty boxes? And do you always like what you get?

Jodie x

My current favourites - Early August

Here is what I've been reaching for most this month:

Benefit Boi-ing concealer - nothing covers my dark under eye circles like this stuff. It has the best coverage that I've found in a concealer but it isn't too thick or cakey.
£21.50 Here

Nuxe Reve De Miel - I never thought a good hand cream would make such a big impact on me but I have fell head over heels for this stuff! This hand and cuticle cream is absorbed instantly and leaves my hands feeling soft and refreshed and not to mention smelling good enough to eat. This isn't greasy at all like all the other hand creams that I've tried.
£10 Here

The Balm Instain Blush in Swiss Dot - This blush has been a big game changer for me I've already been a Benefit Coralista kind of girl but I might even love this just as much. It is amazing and it's so pigmented and longwearing not to mention pretty. I love this.
£21.50 Here
Benefit Porefessional - I've nearly ran out of this oh no! It's my favourite primer and most days I wear it alone, who needs a bb cream with this wonder. It really does smooth out my complexion and hide my pores. It leaves my complexion looking natural too. It feels so soft and silky I will definitely have to repurchase this one.
£24.50 Here
Elf Stipple Brush - This is my must have brush as I use it for so much. I use it to apply my cream blushers. I currently use it to apply my very pigmented The Balm Instain blusher as a normal brush applies too much product. I also use it to apply my Benefit Watts Up highlighter. Everyone needs a stipple brush in there life.
£3.75 Here
L'Oréal Paris 3 in 1 Micellar Solution - This is my current make up remover of choice as it does the job so effortlessly. I've never used the Bioderma one but I know that bloggers say that this is closest alternative and I really like this. It moves my make up fast but also feels gentle on my skin.
£3.33 Here
Burts Bee's Lipbalm - I've recently been using this daily and I've noticed that my lips do feel in better condition. It leaves them feeling softer and more hydrated.
£3.69 Here

My appreciate what you already have month

So it's now August and my wishlist is growing by the day, to stop myself feeling very depressed about all the pretty things that I cannot afford I've decided to root around and dig out some golden oldies and rediscover how much I love them. I never stopped loving these products I just was busy trying new things. So here is what I am appreciating this month:

1. Benefit Foamingly Clean Facial Wash
This cleanser leaves my skin so soft and clean afterwards. It feels very caring on the skin and not harsh like I find some cleansers to be. It also doesn't have a strong smell which I love. It smells pleasant but not strong.

2. Benefit Watts Up
Since I've recently bought a stipple brush I have fell in love with this highlighter all over again. I love the way that it looks on the skin but I always found applying it with my finger the best option which wasn't ideal. It does come with a blender on the opposite end but I've never really liked that I find it just leaves the product patchy on my skin so my new stipple brush is perfect for the highlighter.

3. Benefit Hervana
I'll just get all the Benefit items out of the way first. I am a huge Benefit fangirl but I've recently been trying to discover other brands so this blush got left to the bottom of my make up bag.
It doesn't help that I love the Benefit Coralista blusher more than life so I never find myself picking this one up. So this week I've made more of a effort to use this.
I love the packaging and the brush and the smell (a strong feminine perfume scent) I also most importantly love how it looks on my skin. It is a subtle pinky rose blush which is very buildable. It could also double up as eyeshadows. This is a great blusher for summer.

4. Figs & Rouge Lip Balm
I got this in my May Glossybox and it was one of my favourite items in my box that month. I am glad to rediscover this as it feels nicer on my lips than my recent Bourjois lip products that I've been recently wearing. It also gives enough colour to wear alone and it's completely natural so win win.

5. Burts Bees Lip Balm
This has a nice peppermint fresh scent, this is the first Burts Bees product that I've tried and it feels very moisturising on my lips. I prefer this to my trusty Carmex lip balm now. I want to try some of the tinted ones that they now do.

So if like me you are going to be skint during this 5 week month have a dig through your beauty stash and pick out those lost loved items and appreciate what you already have right in front of you.
Let me know if you make any good discoveries along the way. X

July Wishlist - Lip Edition

July's Wishlist: Lip Edition

So for some reason this month I am obsessed with new products for my lips. I've never really yet found 'the one' product that is my go to item for gorgeous lips so I am still searching.

All of these I am currently crushing over and they all look gorgeous! I will hopefully chip away at my wishlist one by one soon. It may be hard to get the Lancome one as that was limited but I haven't given up hope on the beauties.

* Clinique Chubby Stick - Woppin Watermelon
* Mac Lipstick - Ravishing
* YSL Rouge Pur Couture - 52 Rosy Coral
* Lancome Baume in Love - Rose or Coral
* Lush None of Your Beeswax
* Burts Bees Balm

What are your lip must haves? Do any of you lucky ladies own any of these items and what so you think of it?

Jodie x