Korres pomegranate toner review

Bought from TK maxx for £4.99 (available from lookfantastic for the RRP of £14)

I am having a skincare boom at the moment, because lets face it, the state of your canvas makes all the difference to how your war paint goes on. After my recent bargain find in TK maxx ( Elizabeth Arden foundation, posted here) I now have a regular skulk around the aisles to see if any more gems can be found. On my last trip I spotted this tucked away at the back of the shelves, now I had heard so much about the Korres lip butters, and at around £9 cheaper than it's rrp (depending on where you shop) I decided to give it a go. 

First off, I love the packaging, I reminds me a bit of the philosophy range. Very minimalistic and chic, with a little nozzle in order to pour out just the right amount of product. This product promises to gently tone and cleanse the skin, reducing excess oil and leaving a smooth and matte finish whilst tightening pores. I focus this product on my t-zone, where I am oiliest, straight away the excess oil is gone and my skin looks matte but still glowy. It definitely gives my skin a thorough clean, with the cotton pad getting a bit grubby despite me giving my face what I thought a good clean prior. With a few uses of this product I have definitely seen a difference in the oily-ness of my skin and my pore size which has been reduced, my only gripe is that my face is left slightly tight after use, but continuing my routine of serum and moisturiser sorts this out no problem!

Meg x

Diary of Deafness

one thing that has  been bothering me a lot lately is squeaky ear moulds.this happens when the moulds don't fit your ears properly and sounds escape and then get amplified again, making a squealy sound. it is the same thing that happens if you put a microphone too close to the speaker and get feedback. I have just got my moulds re-fitted so they shouldn't be doing this, yet whenever I do a big smile, laugh, hug someone ( basically anything where my ears move) this embarrassingly loud sound erupts! It's not so bad with my friends, but I have had some strangers stare at me in confusion, probably think I am part robot, ha! I am going to go back to the hospital over easter where they should be able to fix it :)

meg x 

What I am loving...

This time I am obsessing over an app on my iPhone, music tube. I used the original youtube app on my phone for pretty much just listening to music, most of the time when I was on train journeys. This came with all sorts of problems with needing signal, having to stay on the app, you cant create playlists or let your phone go idle. However when I saw this new app I was very intrigued and as it was free I downloaded it, amazing! You search for your music video like normal, then when you have finished listening it is saved into a cached playlist. This playlist can be shuffled and can be listened to with no internet! This app can also be run in the back ground of another, so you can go on your messages etc whilst still listening to your tune.

I highly recommend this app, especially for the music lovers out there!

Meg x

Valentines day ombre lips

So with the romantic day fast approaching I thought I would share a nice, different look to rock for the big date. The lighter colour in the centre of the lips gives the illusion of a fuller pout. With this look he will also be drawn to your lips and I'm sure it wont be long 'till he goes in for a kiss!  I did quite a subtle variation of this look but by all means amp it up and mix up the colours for a look unique to you!

Firstly, prep. As I was using 2 Kate Moss for Rimmel matte lipsticks it was vital that I had smooth and nourished lips, as we all know how matte lipstick clings to any kind of imperfection! I gave my lips a bit of a scrub with a tooth brush to remove those pesky flakes, before slathering on Blistex's intensive moisturiser to make my lips kissably soft.

The actual process is pretty simple, I started with the shade 107, almost lining my lips before gently patting and smudging it in. I then took the lighter shade, 101, and put it on my finger first before dabbing into the centre, I repeated this process until it was the strength I desired! I did a very subtle version and left it quite natural as it was during the day but you an use many different colours, add gloss if desired and vary the intensity of the colour! this is a lovely tutorial from The London Lipgloss using darker, vampy colours!

Meg x

Good things come in small packages

The small packages in question? samples of course! most companies are more than happy to give you dinky portions of their products for you take away and trial in your own time, before you commit to the usually very high price tags which they have. I have recently decided that I want to upgrade my skincare, my usual thought process of "I'll just get what ever is on sale" is not really cutting it any more. So, I went into town with Kiehl's and Origins in my sights, both brands I have heard a lot about in terms of their skin care. I came away with a nice selection of samples;

My first stop was Kiehls, the lady on the shop floor was ever so helpful!  She gave me a skin consultation which included having 2 tabs stuck on my face for 10 seconds, they then confirmed what I knew of my skin being the combination type. Along with that and information I told her she proceeded to pick out a skin care routine that she thought would suit my skin. I then got 3 lovely samples; the Ultra facial oil free toner, Acai damage repairing serum and Ultra facial moisturiser. Then I moved on to Origins where yet another awesome sales lady gave me a sample of their Modern friction scrub. I managed to eek out just under a weeks use from the sachets, the modern friction is still going strong as I have only used it twice, and my skin is loving it!! 

Although it is hard to pinpoint a favourite when they are all new and all used everyday I am seriously loving Kiehl's Acai serum, it sinks in so quickly with no greasy residue and leaves such a gorgeous smell. The origins Modern friction scrub is also worming it's way onto my must have list. It leaves my skin feeling so soft, bright and clear. Since using these products all together my pores are less visible, my skin is bright, nourished and just looks lush! None of these products come in cheap but I certainly think they will be a worthwhile investment, especially when you only need such a small amount of product. And if I hadn't  used these samples I never would of known what I was missing out on.

Meg x

Elizabeth Arden Mineral powder foundation- Bargain find!

I once blogged ages ago about my love for bare minerals foundations, unfortunately once I started uni I just couldn't justify the price when I seemed to go through it so quickly. So then started a long hard trawl through numerous cheaper liquid foundations, some good, some bad, some plain ugly! But then, as I was browsing the shelves of tk maxx, I see Elizabeth Arden's mineral powder foundation for just £10! I immediately picked it up and took it home.  

First off I love the packaging, It has a nice expensive feel to it and an oh-so satisfying 'clicky' lid closure. The product is a solid and a little grate allows you to twist and grind some product up for use. I adore this, it means no nasty spills in my make up bag and you are a lot more aware of how much product you are actually using. A little powder puff is included, but I buffed it on using my bare minerals brush. I used it on top of a BB cream and ended up with a nice, luminous, medium coverage, nearly-matte finish. I scrutinised my face in the mirror too look for any dry-skin-clings or large pores but all I saw a lovely, flawless looking base. This foundation also has SPF 20PA ++ (SPF is protection from UVB rays, PA is protection from UVA rays) which is always a much appreciated bonus. So overall, I am really enjoying using this foundation, it is still early days but I can definitely see myself reaching for it a lot.

Meg x

What I am loving...

The sales! I know I am a bit late, and they are all actually probably ending now. However,  I have been loving snapping up additions to my wardrobe and shoe closet at ri-donk-ulous prices. I picked up a new pair of black heels and a some small heeled day time boots for £16! yes, you heard right £16 for 2 pairs of shoes that originally should have cost around £90! (they were snapped up at m&s btw) I have never before ventured in there for anything other than food but I was pleasantly surprised! I am still scouring the sales for a dress for my birthday /trip to Wales which is coming up so let me know of any good dress sales!

Meg x

Avon nailwear pro+

I am in love with this nail varnish! For starters, the lid is the perfect size to actually hold and work with, and the rest of the packaging looks lovely and glam. The brush has an almost stiff feeling and the bristles stay close together ( I really can't think of how to describe it). Which paired with the formula makes it so easy to apply this polish in thin, easy, coats which dry quickly and only 2 are needed for complete opaqueness.Then the colour, I have "Golden Vision" which is a gorgeous shimmery glittery gold, with extremely small glitter particles so it doesn't take an age and a lot of elbow grease to get it off! Better still, Avon have it on offer here!

Meg x