Allocation Haul

With my position as a No7 advisor, of course we're expected to use and wear No7 products, hence we get a set allocation every three months so we can choose the products we want. My allocation has just come up, and, as usual, I'm spoilt for choice! Luckily, my decision was made easier as I have a few favourites that need replacing, not to mention some new goodies to try..

(L-R: Beautifully Matte Foundation; Protect and Perfect Advanced Serum; Exfoliating Sponge; Shine and Tint; Instant Radiance Under-Eye Concealer; Lovely Lashes Mascara; Pop and Glow Cream Blushes.)

Beautifully Matte Foundation, in the shade Cool Vanilla: One of my all-time favourite foundations..I'm actually comparing this to another foundation in an upcoming post, so I'll hold off on the detail for now.

Protect and Perfect Advanced Serum: An improved formula based on the original Protect and Perfect serum. Yet again, this product is worthy of a standalone post, but trust me, it will be worth the wait!

Exfoliating Sponge: A new product to me, as I'm used to having exfoliatiors in the form of a liquid, or even a cleansing brush, so I'll be interested to try this out..although I've now got visions of using a Brillo pad on my face, eek! (FYI: if you don't know what a Brillo pad is, it's like a metal scourer that you use when washing up to remove tough grime and dirt)

Shine and Tint, in the shade Posy: A brand new No7 product, that has just launched this week. There are five colours to choose from, and they vary from reds and berries to this more nude shade. As mentioned in my No7 Match Made Lipstick Service post I have struggled to find more nude/natural colours, so thought I'd give this one a go to add to the collection. 

Instant Radiance Under-Eye Concealer, in the shade 10: Yet another new product launch from No7 this week, and this is a much-improved formula from its predecessor; more coverage, thicker texture, light diffusion technology and a wider range of colour choices..so far, so good! 

Lovely Lashes Mascara, in the shade Black: Now my favourite mascara, both for natural volume and a more intense look, I actually reviewed this earlier in the year if you want to take a look.

Pop and Glow Cream Blushes, in the shades Mango Sorbet and Classic Rose: I already have a Pop and Glow Cream Blush in the shade Rose Blossom, I actually use it most days as it's a fabulous formulation. In actual fact, I also reviewed this earlier in the year. Because I use this one so much, I felt I needed more colours, especially as the seasons change and my make-up look changes, a pastel pink isn't always suitable hence the nod towards a more peachy and deeper pink tone.

So a couple more reviews to come to keep me busy I'm sure! What are your favourite No7 products?

Do I really need a toner?

First up in my "Do I really need..?" series

I never thought I needed a toner, until I started reading various beauty blogs: their thoughts and reviews on various products. Then I realised I was using much more cleanser than I needed, just to remove the last remnants of my makeup, because my skin wasn't "squeaky clean". Yet trying to find an affordable toner that does the job proved to be quite the task for my combination skin..

First I thought I'd head to my trusty No7 and snap up the only toner they do in their range: Soft & Soothed Gentle Toner. I chose this as I thought it would compliment the rest of my No7 skincare routine the best, even though as a No7 advisor I know that our cleansers do not need a toner to follow, as the cleansers don't leave any residue on the skin..hence why we only do the one toner! Sadly, this didn't work out for me, probably due to the fact it's a hydrating toner. After the first use, overnight I had developed multiple little pimples of spots across my chin and jawline, which, even when I was suffering with my worst acne, I never had these types of spots, and I had done nothing different with the rest of my skincare routine. I hate to give No7 products a miss as I find them generally great, however this just didn't do it for me, but I think this toner would be great for normal/dry skin types to balance the skin out after cleansing, especially as it's alcohol free. Not to mention that it's £8 for 200ml, and it would be even more of a bargain come round to the £5 off No7 voucher time!

Back to the drawing board, as I searched online for a toner suited more towards a combination skin. Dare I say I struggled, until I came across the Seaweed Clarifying Toner by the Body Shop. Again, very reasonably priced at £8.50 for 200ml, and with rave reviews online, I had to see what all the fuss was about. As you look at the skincare stand within The Body Shop, straight away they are categorised by their ranges, and what skin types they are catered towards; the Seaweed range is specifically targeted for combination/oily skin, and there is also the Tea Tree range, but this is more for blemish-prone skin. If only I knew about this range earlier..

I love everything about this toner! 1) First up, the packaging; simple yet effective, it dispenses just the right amount of product onto a cotton pad without overloading it and wasting any toner. It's pretty robust too, it doesn't leak and you can see exactly how much is left. 2) This toner will last AGES. Because it dispenses just enough, and a little goes a long way, even if it's used more than once a day it's gonna last a long time before it needs repurchasing. And there's no denying I'm going to repurchase this toner, it's just slotted into my skincare routine perfectly: 3) Replacing my third pad of cleanser for one pad of toner means I use less cleanser, yet this toner goes deeper than my cleanser to pull out every last bit of makeup and dirt from my pores, without drying my skin out yet balancing my oils out, you can instantly feel it tighten your pores to stop any dirt making it home. 4) This toner smells divine; fresh and of the sea, it's a joy to use this product! I could go on and on, can you tell I'm impressed? 

Do I really need a toner? Yes, I most certainly do! And if you've got combination skin just like me, I'm sure this would be great for you too. Do you use a toner? 

No7 Cleansing Water

Sorry for the blogging silence over past few days, I was working all weekend and needed a bit of me-time come Monday..yet here I am today, struggling to put together the right words for a blog post! (Oops). Thought I'd give a quick review on the cleanser I swear by, day in, day out, to remove my makeup with ease and leaving my skin feeling refreshed.

Before I got my position as a No7 advisor, I was really bad with my skincare routine, considering how much trouble I've had with my skin in previous years; at best, I would remove makeup with makeup wipes, which would never leave my skin feeling clean or refreshed..at worst, I would sleep in my makeup. (I know, rookie error right there!) Yet, ever since my first use of No7's Cleansing Water, recommended for Normal/Oily skin, (I have Oily/Combination skin), I have been hooked.

This product promises "1 simple step to perfectly clean, refreshed, shine free skin..that leaves no residue, dissolves makeup and impurities whilst helping tighten pores." The ingredients that help to make this happen include: Zinc, which helps control oil production in the skin; Alcohol, which helps to tighten pores; Witch Hazel, which helps to treat blemishes; Glycerin, which helps to put some level of moisture back into the skin, as Alcohol can be quite drying; and "No7's unique multivitamin and mineral blend" to help energise the skin.

It does say on the bottle that you can use your fingers to apply this product to the skin..I must say, you'd be wasting it by the bucketload if you actually did this! However, it does say to use cotton wool pads, which is the ideal way of seeing how well it removes makeup and cleanses the skin. The pump is an ideal way of getting the product onto pads, and I find that three squirts per pad is an adequate amount, and I use two pads, both sides, to remove the majority of my makeup, and use a third pad with two squirts just to make sure my skin is completely clean. (I tend to do this more when wearing full coverage makeup). It can actually be quite scary how much makeup comes off on the pads, but it just goes to show that it lives up to its promise of dissolving makeup from the skin. Also, the cleansing water itself smells so refreshing and clean that I look forward to taking my makeup off at the end of the day, even though I love wearing my makeup. (I've even managed to sell this product based on its smell alone when using it on a customer! And my boyfriend loves the smell too, he says it reminds him of holidays.) Due to the high content of blemish/oil tackling ingredients, I would definitely recommend to use a separate eye makeup remover to do that job.

I've been using this cleanser for over a year, and with the combination of a better skincare routine as a whole, in addition to ongoing medication for my acne and an improved diet, I must say that my skin is in the best condition it has been in since before my teenage years, which is a huge achievement for me! I rarely get any spots these days, even when it is my time of the month, and that's when I used to get raging, sore pustules all over my face. At £9.50, it comes in a 200ml bottle, but I find it lasts me a good few months, at least! Therefore, I would recommend this product to anyone with Normal/Oily/Combination skin, especially if they suffer with excess oil production and/or blemishes, who wants a hassle-free makeup remover that only requires one step. In the coming days, I'm going to blog about my skincare in the past, and the products that now help me to keep a good control on my skin.

No7 Dark Circle Corrector Review

No matter what the age of a customer, one of their main concerns has always been dark circles and puffiness underneath the eyes. Usually, I would refer them straight to our under-eye Instant Radiance concealer. But now with No7 we don't just have a concealer for the job, there's a treatment that goes hand-in-hand for dealing with the problem.

No7's Dark Circle Corrector "instantly de-puffs, revitalises and brightens. Visibly reduces dark circles in just 2 weeks." The formula itself is made up of a yellow colour pigment which instantly counteracts against any darkness underneath the eyes, whereas a Vitamin C and Caffeine blend helps to stimulate the under-eye area to reduce and prevent the appearance of dark shadows, and peptides are present to stimulate collagen production to help improve the firmness of the skin around the eyes.

The packaging of this product allows for simple application to the eye area: I find the tri-ball applicator much easier to massage the product into the skin, rather than just a single ball (or none at all in the case of similar products on the market..), and has a lovely cooling sensation, great for first thing in the morning to instantly reduce any signs of puffiness, and to make you feel more alive! However, you do have to be careful with how much product you actually squeeze from the tube; the yellow pigment doesn't have a thick consistency like a traditional eye cream, neither is it completely runny like water - a little certainly goes a long way, otherwise you'll end up with yellow rings around your eyes instead(!) Not a great look..

I apply this product after going through my morning routine: cleanse, eye cream, moisturise. This is because this treatment is not in replacement for an eye cream, as it has little moisturising properties to it, and is rather an add-on to what your eye cream can do. As mentioned previously, the tri-ball allows for a smooth application onto the eye area; however, it does not fully massage the product into the skin, so I do go in with my ring finger to finish the job. I think this is due to the consistency of the product, and I don't find it a hassle because it is now a ground-in part of my routine. 

   (My under-eye area, before any Dark Circle Corrector is applied)

      (My under-eye area, after Dark Circle Corrector is applied)

I must say before we go any further, although it doesn't seem like there's much difference between the before and after pictures: 
1. I don't think the pictures quite do the product justice, I can instantly see a difference once I've applied it; 
2. The product, I find, is more of a colour calming primer for the eye area, so you can build on top of it, just like in the next photos.. 
I used my No7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream for Normal/Oily skin in the shade Fair, then Collection's Lasting Perfection Concealer in the shade 1 - Fair, followed by Natural Collection's Pressed Powder in the shade Neutral, so you can see how minimal coverage has an effect on the finished look.

         (After Dark Circle Corrector plus BB Cream applied)

 (After Dark Circle Corrector plus BB Cream and concealer applied)

(After Dark Circle Corrector plus BB Cream, concealer and powder applied)

Overall, I am very happy with this product, both as an instant fix and a continuing treatment. Straight away, the Dark Circle Corrector neutralises any darkness around the eye area, reduces puffiness and creates a smooth, even base to build on top of. I must say, the results are even better when I use a heavier coverage foundation; the dark circles are barely visible, perfect for when I need to be most confident! I've been using this product now for just under two months and it took a while, but I have noticed a difference in the appearance of my darkness before anything is applied; because my skin is so fair, they really used to stand out with a harsh deep purple tinge, even when using a full coverage foundation. Whereas now, they are very well concealed once I've gone through my routine. With a price of £13.50, I would recommend this product to anyone who suffers with darkness and puffiness around the eye area, and wants not just a concealer to hide the problem, but an ongoing treatment to help ease the problem, especially as it is considerably cheaper than the next-best alternative on the market: Clinique's Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector at the astonishing price of £29.00!

**Tomorrow, I'll be rounding off my mid-week No7 reviews with the new Pop & Glow Blush..I'm so excited, as the quality of No7 products just seems to be getting better and better!**

March Favourites!

Considering March has 31 days, this past month has flown by! With that, there were many tempting offers on in Boots with products which caught my eye..

After using up the last of my shampoo and conditioner, I was on the look-out for something a little bit different to try. I have thick, medium-long hair that won't grow past my boobs(!) even though I've been growing it for the past few years, with regular trims, so the Lee Stafford Hair Growth range caught my eye, especially as haircare was on 3 for 2! I plumped for the shampoo and conditioner, but I'm going to reserve my full judgement until I finish them off, as I'm only halfway through the bottles, so I'll make sure to keep you updated!

What I forgot to mention was the third item I picked up on my haircare 3 for 2: the new Aussie Miracle Recharge Lightweight Conditioning Spray. I absolutely love the scents of all the Aussie shampoos, conditioners and leave-in treatments, but especially the Miracle Moist range after buying miniatures to take on a trip with me..and I wasn't disappointed with the smell of this leave-in spray, it smells exactly of bubblegum, candy floss, and all things sweet and wonderful! (without being too sickly). The good news is that this product actually works! Even though my hair tends to be in fairly good condition, it does need a refreshing pick-me-up every now and then, and this is exactly what a few spritzes of this weightless formula provides! 

In the directions, it does say it can be used on both wet and dry hair, but I've only tried it on wet hair, as I don't tend to use many products on my hair once it's dry (apart from the usual hairspray). I generously apply this once my hair has been towel dried, comb through, then I leave it to towel dry a little bit more in the towel-turban thing us girls tend to do! (otherwise my hair takes a lot longer to blow dry, even longer to naturally dry). I then follow with my usual routine, and once styled my hair feels just that bit more silky smooth, and looks that bit more healthy with a natural shine, without feeling sticky or affecting the finished look. As with the other products available from the Miracle Moist range, the Australian Macadamia Nut Oil is the active moisturising ingredient in this product, and definitely leaves hair feeling nourished.
Therefore, I would definitely recommend this product to anyone who needs a little something that your hair might be lacking every now and then.

If you're a big Boots shopper, you've probably had No7 vouchers coming out of your ears, and just as well as there were so many new cosmetic launches, as well as a new skincare product, and they've proven to be popular with a money-off incentive! I will do in-depth reviews of individual products in the coming days, but my particular favourites have been the new Lovely Lashes mascara, the new Pop & Glow cream blush and the new Dark Circle Corrector. (Sadly, the vouchers did run out on Sunday 30th March..then again they've been out for well over a month, so more the fool you if you missed out!)

Finally, as a 3 for 2 offer was also on across makeup and beauty accessories, I just had to try and get my hands on the Real Techniques Silicone Liner Brush. I'm a huge fan of their brushes, and cannot recommend them enough to customers and friends alike who want good quality brushes that perform well. Also, I still struggle to apply liquid liner at the best of times so I thought this would be the perfect brush to help me on my way. 

This brush is nothing like your traditional haired brush, (that sounds weird!), as it is just a silicone tip, therefore it is a lot sturdier when in use and won't fray, giving you easier control as you apply your eyeliner. Because of this, it is super easy to clean: takes just seconds and is dry in no time too! I've used the brush with both MAC's Fluidline Eyeliner Gel and No7's Stay Precise Liquid Liner and it really does apply any product smoothly and with stability, regardless of whether you're rock steady or are prone to the shakes (like me!). Also, the brush tapers to a point so you can use it just to add definition to the roots of the lashes for a more natural look, or go all-out with a thicker line and a winged-out finish. It is also great for tightlining the waterline, as the brush doesn't cling onto too much product and is flexible.
Hence, I would definitely recommend this product to anyone who wants the perfect eyeliner brush, especially if you struggle to apply liquid/gel eyeliner.

What have been your beauty favourites this month? Any new products which caught your eye and have lived up to their expectations? Leave your thoughts in the comments, I'm always on the lookout for new, affordable items to add to my collection :)