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

A few of my favourite things...

These aren't that fancy and being 9 months pregnant I'm all up for anything that can make my life easier. So here are a few of my current favs:

Palmers Cocoa Butter for Stretch Marks £5.35
I am currently very lucky with this one as it's usually genetic whether or not you will get stretch marks or not and so far I've only got one. Yes one and I did nearly tear up when that appeared at 36 weeks. I really thought that I was going to make it to the end. Anyway this stuff smells delish and has a handy little pump. I use it twice a day and have been since about week 16. I do also have Bio-Oil but it stinks, I really hate the smell of it and it's very greasy so I usually use this.

Nautical Coin Purse £0.99 ebay here
This is so cute! Since I've down sized my handbag I was looking for a small place to store my coins and decided to look through eBay. You have to be careful as this exact same purse is also on there for up to £4. But if you don't mind waiting a couple of weeks for it to arrive from Hong Kong then it's ok.

Van's Flip Flops £24.81 similar here
This design is now sadly discontinued but can pick up some similar. They are from the surf range and have the most comfortable footbed ever! These are seriously what my sore, swollen pregnancy feet had been dreaming of and I've literally not had them off.

Ocean Spray Cranberry & Raspberry Juice £1.35
I wouldn't say that this is a craving of mine as I've always liked it but right now it is so refreshing and I could easily go through a carton or two a day.

Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip balm RRP £5.50, sale £3.66
I also have this one in the pot version which I love and lives in my bathroom but I also love this stick version. It is nice and light on the lips and perfect to carry around with me. It has a nice light scent and is super moisturising. It is something that I will repurchase again and again.

So that's it my current favs, please send me any links to yours as I love discovering new blogs to read. Jodie x

My favourite lip products for Spring Summer 2014

So I have been wearing my make up very natural lately if I wear at all. Pregnancy hasn't been a blessing to my skin as my cheeks are alot more red and irritated due to the hormones. Anyway here are my favourite picks for a beautiful spring summer lip.

Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip balm
I do have the other version of this in the little tub which is thicker and all round better but this balm stick also holds a special place in my heart. It is perfect to keep in my handbag for on the go applications. It still feels very moisturising and nourishing on the lips.

Maybelline Colour Whisper - Pin Up Peach
This is by far my favourite lip product of the year and that I find myself reaching for the most. It isn't as intense and as think as a lipstick on the lips but still gives great colour payoff which is also a bit glossy. It leaves my lips feeling nice and there is no drying. The colour doesn't last for a long time when eating or drinking but I don't mind reapplying this beauty. Unfortunately this isn't out in the UK so I had to purchase mine from ebay but this colour is just the perfect shade of a pinky peach, definitely more on the pink side. I now want all colours on this haha.

NYX Butter Lip Balm - Brownie
Another import from the USA I'm afraid but I think the newer version of these are availab now in the UK, they are in different packaging. These are in between a lip balm and a lip stick feeling much lighter on the lips but with some colour pay off. I have 3 shades and Brownie is the perfect nude, my lips but better. It looks more dry in the tube than I thought but still feels nice and buttery on the lips. The colour payoff isn't as good as a Maybelline Colour Whisper as this feels thicker and drier. These are more like a well tinted lip balm. This is nice if I just want a small wash of colour and it smells good enough to eat.

Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish - No. 16
This is the perfect Pink lipstick for summer that I love so much. I am a huge fan of these Kate lipsticks and this is by far my favourite shade. It isn't too scary bright pink but the colour is really pigmented. It smells gorgeous and is great value. The only problem is that it can cling to any dryness on my lips but so do my high end Mac lipsticks so I either need to make sure my lips are in good condition to wear this or to wear a wear a small layer of balm (but the colour payoff won't be as good).

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine - No. 15 Coral Intuitive 
This is just a classic beautiful lip stick that is perfect for any occasion. As it is from the shine range it isn't a thick lipstick, it is a lightweight lipstick with shine. It's probably quite similar to my Maybelline Colour Whisper for texture and application on the lips. This is a beautiful pinky peach shade more on the side of peach for this spring summer. It has good pigmentation but the shine or colour won't last for hours eating or drinking. But with packaging looking this good you will be happy to show it off for all to see for reapplication. It is very pricey but I see this as a investment.

Swatches from left to right: Nyx lip butter, maybelline colour whisper, rimmel Kate and ysl rouge volupte.

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.

My Trafford Centre mini haul

Unplanned hauls are the best, me and my husband decided to go to the Trafford Centre at the spur of the moment and I'm glad that we did.

Apart from enjoying my first TGI Fridays (the nachos are the best around) I managed to do a little shopping. Here is what I picked up:

Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip Balm
Since trying the travel set and falling in love with the reve de miel handcream I saw that they do it in a lipbalm. You can either get it in a jar or as a stick I think they are different. Anyway I went for the jar as I've read that a lot of bloggers swear by it.
I love it's fruity orangey smell it's gorgeous. It feels nourishing on the lips and not greasy. It will keep my lips nice and soft through winter.
At the moment I put this on in the evening when I have taken my make up off and my lips feel better already.

Lush Popcorn Lip Scrub
I have wanted one of these for ages but there is no Lush in my local town of Wigan and to buy it offline would work out costly with the shipping. I am so glad to finally pick one up and smell the testers in the store as I originally wanted Mint Julips but upon testing I didn't like the smell so I went for the Popcorn which is delightfully sweet.
It doesn't feel too abrasive on the lips like I thought it might but now my new lip skincare routine is working wonders. No more dry cracked lips for me I hope. I have been using this 3 times a week.

Mac Ravishing Lipstick
This is from the creamsheen range and it's been my favourite shade for a while. I am so happy to pick up the full size. I know that I will get a lot of use out of this. This shade is a orangey light pink. It doesn't come across in the picture due to the flash but I will add swatches.

I hope you liked my mini haul I now want more Mac shades to start off my collection, I'm hoping for a bright red next.
Jodie x

Nuxe is now available in M&S how exciting

So I recently visited my local large shopping centre which is the Trafford Centre in Manchester and I as I was passing M&S I thought I'd pop in.
This is not a store I usually shop in as I associate it with the older generation but I've recently seen that they have started stocking one of my favourite skincare brands which is Nuxe.
I currently could only get this thought they're UK website or Feel Unique but it's good to see things in person as you get a better feel for the product.

When I saw the Nuxe display I did get rather excited especially when there was a 20% off sith because there beauty counters are new. So I couldn't resist the Nuxe Reve De Miel lip balm which was in my last wishlist post. I can confirm that it is amazing and I will do a proper review on it shortly. So if your passing your local M&S make sure you pop in and check out there new beauty ranges.

Jodie x

My never ending wishlist continues...

Here what I am currently lusting over:

*Nuxe Reve De Miel Baume Levres - This has amazing reviews across lots of blogs and my lips are very dry at the moment so I really want to try this out.

*Nars Happening Palette - I'm a sucker for palettes with multiple items in and this has blush, bronzer and eyeshadows so it is right up my street. I believe this is hard to get hold of now as It was limited edition earlier in the year boo! But I've not given up hope.

*YSL Rouge Volupte Shine lipstick in Corail Incandescent - since I've recently got two other shades of this lipstick and I've fell head over heels for it I now want it in more colours. This shade is next on my list.

*Night Film by Marisha Pessi - I love a good book and this horror/thriller sounds perfect for me, so I'm hoping to pick this up soon.

What do you think of my current picks?

Jodie x

Nuxe Summer Travel Set Video Introduction & the Review

If you read my blog you will see that I posted about this set when I first got it, I now love it so much that I've made a video about it. Feel Unique had it on sale at approx £7.80 yesterday including postage but now I've seen that it has gone back up.

Still to get this for £9.90 this it is still a great deal. I would recommend buying it direct from Nuxe here as if it is your first order you get 10% discount and you also get lots of free samples :-)

 

I really cannot recomend this enough and i know that i willl be looking to get some of these items in full size when they run out.

 

 

 

Please let me know what you think, have you tried this brand before?

 

Jodie x

My picks from the current Feel Unique sale

So in case you might have been living under a rock for the last few days Feel Unique have got a summer sale on which is amazing. They have free delivery as well which is one of the reasons I love this site.

Here is a round up of my favourite sale items.

The Balm Nude Tude Palette £20.80
This palette looks amazing and I've loved it since I saw it on my favourite blog - Beauty Broadcast. This is getting a lot of blogger attention so I can see it selling out pretty quick.

The Balm Instain Blusher - Swiss Dot £14.40
Some websites are selling this for £22 so this is a great price. I love love love this blusher. I want it in the Lace pink shade but it's sold out but the peachy Swiss Dot colour is gorgeous too.

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick - Corail Intuitive £20.40
Omg this is my favourite item in the sale so far I've had sleepless nights wanting this haha. The Corail in Touch colour has just sold out but they are both gorgeous! These are £24 still in the YSL website so this is a good saving. I am so excited about this one.

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush £10.79
This seems to be the brush to get. I don't yet own a Real Techniques brush but the starter sets are on my Christmas list. This seems to be a great all rounder brush.

Nuxe Travel Set £7.92
I have raved about this set in a previous post. This is seriously a must have product. Everything in it is amazing. They also have my favourite hand cream on sale for £8 the Nuxe Reve De Miel.

Have you bought anything In the Feel Unique sale and what do you think of my picks?

Jodie x

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

Nuxe Summer Travel Set Review

I read a lot of blogs and I missed out on getting the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse in one of the recent Glossyboxes but it seems that everyone loved it. Since then I have been wanting to try it and as I have never had anything by the brand I thought this travel set would make the perfect introduction.

The price of it varies around the net from £12.40 including postage at Feel Unique to £8.91 that I paid on the Nuxe official website which included delivery. The product is £9.90 on there as standard but I got a 99p discount and free shipping due to it being my first order. You also receive 3 samples from them and you get to pick 1 larger sample. For £8.91 I couldn't really say no.

The order was dispatched and arrived quick as I had it within 2 working days and inside it I got the following items:

Nuxe Eau Demaquillante Micellaire - Micellar Cleansing Water with rose petals. 35ml x2 as one was my deluxe sample.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse - multi purpose dry oil 10ml.

Nuxe Nuxellence Jeunesse - youth and radiance revealing fluid 15ml.

Nuxe Reve De Miel - Hand and Nail Cream 15ml.

Nuxe Body Gel Douche Fondant - Fondant Shower Gel 30ml.

+ A handy plastic zip storage bag.

My 3 samples where as follows:
Huile Prodigieuse 4ml.
Gel Demaquillant Fondant 4ml.
Serum Creme Fraiche de Beaute 2ml.

Overall for the price I feel like I got a good selection and amount of product. I've not had chance to try everything yet but from what I have tried I love it already. I have tried the cleansing water which smells gorgeous and feminine. The smell reminds me of being sat in a nice flower garden on a hot summers day relaxing. The cleanser feels nice and gentle on the skin even around the eye area so I hope this continues to impress me.
I also love the hand cream as my hands get very dry with working in retail I have recently finished a Nivea Smooth Nourishing hand cream but it doesn't compare to this as this sinks into the skin very well and doesn't leave my hands feeling greasy at all but they feel moisturised for longer. I will definitely be repurching this one and as well it smells divine. So I'm loving Nuxe so far and I can't wait to try the rest of the products and report back.

I am so impressed with these products that I am rationing myself with them, please check out Nuxe's website here for more amazing products! They also give you discount on your first order so what are you waiting for ladies get shopping. Do you have any favourite Nuxe products that you could recommend for me? Jodie x