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Exploring Cornwall Week #10

- Vicki Leave a comment
Cornish Cafe Truro

Sunset in Charlestown Cornwall

Fowey High Street Cornwall

River Fowey Cornwall

Crinnins Beach Cornwall

Carlyon Bay Beach Cornwall

Charlestown Harbourside Cottages

Sunnyside Cottage Cornwall

Pink Cottage Charlestown Harbour

VIllage Craft Fair

Colourful Houses Truro Cornwall

Cornish Cafe Truro

Exploring Cornwall Series

I have missed a few weeks of my Cornwall posts, since returning home from Scotland back in June we have been busy, busy with work and in all honesty until recently the weather has been pretty pants. When we do have a nice day we try and make the most of it, this Summer the nice days seem to feel few and far between.

We have kept our days out very local lately visiting Fowey, Truro, Falmouth and our local village (Charlestown). We do love a pretty harbour town and along the South Coast of Cornwall, we are quite spoilt for choice. So we tend to head out for walks along the coastal paths & end up in a harbour – wishing we lived in one of the sweet cottages that line them.

Big news (for Cornwall) a beautiful new Waitrose opened in Truro and they have a lovely separate shop dedicated to Cornish produce and its so nice, they also have a Cornish cafe serving locally sourced produce too. So we have been doing much of our shopping there and stopping for lunch too.

Cornwall is getting busy with Summer holiday visitors so every journey takes so much longer, so that is another reason we are staying closer to home. Our local beach has some cute pop-up restaurants, cafe’s and a small outdoor theatre, it feels like you are on the Mediterranean coast and we have been spending many an evening down there sipping cocktails & enjoying the sunshine. The water is still too cold for me but lots of people are getting out in the sea and I have seen people doing Yoga classes down on the beach too. I feel lucky having such a nice beach so close by & plan on spending as much time down there as possible.

I hope you’re all having a lovely Summer so far, maybe some of you are planning a visit to Cornwall this year?

Makeup Setting Powders

- Vicki 5 Comments
Makeup Setting Powders

Makeup Setting Powders

Jurlique Rose Silk Finishing Powder

This loose powder is so fine & lightweight, it never feels heavy or drying on the skin. Its a translucent powder so its not going to add coverage or leave a white cast to your skin. It is great at setting makeup and keeping that oily t zone in check. I like to apply this with a big powder brush & sweep the product across my t-zone & chin, it has a really nice floral scent and my go to powder for eliminating that dreaded shine but leaving the skin with a slight matte velvety smooth finish. It contains these key ingredients

– Corn Starch & Rice Starch act as natural substitutes for talc, while Silican imparts a smooth texture on skin.
– Glycerin helps to moisturise and prevent moisture loss.
– Arnica helps soothe and cool the skin.

The packaging feels and looks high quality, you do get a powder puff with it but I do use a brush – but I leave the puff in the lid to stop the powder coming out when I travel. There is also a mirror in the lid which is very handy and you get 10g of product which will last you for ages. This is a powder I highly recommend if you have more oily prone skin.

Jurlique Rose Silk Finishing Powder

bareMinerals Bareskin Perfecting Veil Mineral Powder

This is such a lovely compact and the pressed mineral powder is so smooth, lightweight and gives the skin a beautiful healthy finish. I have the lightest shade and it has a nice natural finish without adding too much colour too the skin. It is a nice powder for achieving a fresh, silky smooth and healthy look to the skin, its just the perfect way to set your makeup and stop your skin becoming oily throughout the day. Its such a great quality product and it never looks heavy or powdery on the skin. I also like the bareMinerals loose powders but this is just so much easier to travel with and creates a lot less mess.

Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot

This is a pressed powder and one of my all time favourites. It ticks all the boxes. If you want an affordable powder that will control oil, leave the skin looking flawless but not add any colour then this is your guy. Its also compact and sturdy to travel with. Seriously you need this powder in your life.

Face Powders

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder

I used to love this and use it all the time but over the past year or so I have noticed its not getting used as much. This is still a great powder for giving the skin a matte finish and setting makeup but I like the Soap & Glory one better, the finish is more natural. This is a good option if you are on a budget or travelling and don’t want your more expensive powder to get broken.

L’Oreal True Match Powder

This is a good powder for adding a little extra coverage and evening out skintone. I have the shade rose / beige and its a good match for my fair complexion. Its not overly pigmented but you can build up the coverage. It gives a nice flawless finish to the skin and blurs pores and leaves skin looking fresh, even and velvety smooth. I love using this when I’m wearing a more full coverage look and want my makeup to stay in place and look its best all night. This also works well on its own at add a subtle healthy colour to the skin and reduce the appearance of redness. Its a pretty decent all round powder and I do rate L’Oreal base products and this one doesn’t disappoint either.

What are your current favourite makeup powders and have you tried any of the ones I have mentioned?

Product Empties – Black Liquid Liners

- Vicki 3 Comments
Eyeliners Black

Black Liquid Eyeliners

So I have been having a makeup clear out these past few weeks in an attempt to streamline and minimise my collection so its more manageable. I am by no means finished so I would say Its a work in progress. I’m a complete beauty addict but I noticed I  wasn’t using a lot of my collection because I reach for the same products because I am lazy and get stuck in a rutt. I have a few of these de clutter style posts lined up over the next month,

I’m terrible at keeping eyeliners & mascara’s past their best, so I thought it best to start my de cluttering with those as they were easiest. This post is all liquid eyeliners & these are all either dried out or older than 5 months (at least). I am a real liquid liner addict, as some of you may know so I do have quite a few on the go at any one time.

Urban Decay Ink For Eyes

This is a waterproof liner & the fine nib on this is so precise and flexible. Its very, very good at achieving that neat, close to the lash line eyeliner look. It glides on easily and you can apply the liner to look quite subtle or build up to a more bold look. Its extremely pigmented and a deep black which dries quickly to a nice glossy finish. It also stays put, without smudging all day / night long. The colour also stays intense all day.

Soap & Glory Supercat Eyeliner Pen

This has a more of a felt tip style nib and is a lot thicker than the others. I like it for quick application and you can achieve a bold, thick, dramatic line with ease. Again the pigment is very black and it dries quite quickly. This does bleed a little on me so I would recommend using an eye primer if you have wrinkly eyelids like me. The liner lasts a really long time which makes it a great affordable option.

L’Oreal Super Liner Ultra Precision

The sponge style nib on this eyeliner is SO long, which makes applying the liner incredibly fuss free. One application / line looks smooth, neat and is effortless. I love the flexibility of the nib and I find it makes doing a winged / cat eye look extremely easy. You don’t have to go over the same spot again & again with this liner, the colour is intense even after just one application and it never smudges. I have repurchased both of the L’Oreal liners included in this post so many times. They never seem to dry out & the colour never looks dull on the eyes. I just LOVE these so much.

Black Liquid Eyeliner Pens

Charlotte Tilbury The Feline Flick*

This is a fantastic liner for doing the classic cat eye look. The nib is quite short but tappers to a very fine nib, making it easy to get up close to the lash line & also create that winged out flick that goes to a lovely precise point. This liner glides on with ease and never looks patchy or dull. This is such a great quality liquid liner and very easy to use. What I would say (and it makes me a little sad that I have too) is this did dry out quite quickly. I might have been to blame for that as you have to make sure the lid is on properly but mine didn’t ever snap shut. Its still a fab liner & even I can do a killer feline flick with this!

L’Oreal Super Liner Black Lacquer

This has the same sponge nib at the previous L’Oreal liner and I love the flexibility and length of them. This Black Lacquer liner has a more rich black colour which dries with a vinyl matte finish. It looks so good on the eye and I think the finish makes the colour a lot more intense. This is one of my favourite eyeliners ever because the colour is just so intense and out of them all its the oldest and still going strong but it needs throwing out because it is old not because the colour isn’t good.

I would repurchase all of these, even the Charlotte Tilbury one, which was a really good liner, despite it not lasting as long as I hoped. If I was pushed to say which ones I would recommend the most it would have to be the L’Oreal liner, any of them because in terms of price and quality they always deliver, always!

What are your favourite liquid liners and are you like me and hang on to them longer than you should?

July 2016 Product Empties

- Vicki 2 Comments
July2016 Product Empties

July 2016 Product Empties

Lacura Argan Oil Shower Oil

I mentioned this quite recently in a post, I really like the products from this new Argan Oil range from Aldi, they’re affordable and great quality. This shower oil has a thick oil consistency and I like to use it to shave my legs, as its soothing and it helps my razor glide smoothly over my skin. I will repurchase this and highly recommend checking out this collection next time you’re in Aldi.

The Organic Pharmacy Herbal Toner

I do like using these facial toner mists & find they work well to perk up and refresh my skin throughout the day. This one from The Organic Pharmacy was nice but I have used a few that are more affordable and just as good. This witch hazel and aloe vera-infused toner does feel lovely and hydrating but so too does the LUSH Tee Tree Toner. I know that this one contains a few more skin loving ingredients, 18 organic herbs which act to to minimise pores and keep the skin in perfect condition and smells beautifully of fresh Sicilian lemons which lifts and tones the skin which is wonderful but still comes with quite a hefty price tag. I would rather pay more for a serum, SPF or a moisturiser and have a more affordable toner. Have you tried this toner, or do you have a more affordable one you would recommend?

Black Chicken Remedies Love Your Face Serum

OMG I absolutly loved this serum. I have a few samples from this Australian skincare brand which I managed to miss place during my house move last year but thankfully rediscovered last month, so I am excitedly working my way through them all. This is the first product I have tried from them & if they are all as good I may have found my new favourite skincare brand. So this is a serum, it has a thick consistency and at first you think it may be a little too thick. Once you start massaging it in to your skin it starts to thin out and you can make a little product go a very long way. It instantly feels like you have put a hydrating, protective barrier on and my skin felt amazing. So smooth, plump and very soft to the touch.

This serum contains 11 therapeutic oils, which are beneficial for dry, dehydrated skin, balancing moisture, repairing skin, reducing redness, preventing premature aging & protecting skin from free radicals (and so many more benefits)

Apricot Kernel oil*, Jojoba oil* , Evening Primrose oil*, Vitamin E oil, Argan oil*, Rosehip oil*, Neroli essential oil , Sandalwood essential oil, Palma Rosa essential oil*, Rose Maroc Absolute essential oil, Ylang Ylang essential oil.

This just sinks in to the skin leaving it feeling so soft and nourished, I am blown away by the quality and how incredible my skin feels and looks. I have used this am, pm and under face masks for a little extra treat. The only thing that makes me sad is I have used up my bottle, but I get to buy the full size now though. Let me know if you have heard of Black Chicken & if you have any product recomendations.

Sanctuary Spa Body Butter

I’m never disappointed by this brand and adore the scent of their products, its such a beautiful spa scent. This body butter lasted me a very long time. I use it mainly in the evening as it can feel a little heavy on the skin, especially on a warm day. So I save it for when I have a bath in the evening & it makes my skin feel so soft. I also really like their Body Moisture Spray and layer them both if my skin is feeling really dry.

NSPA Jojoba and White Jasmine Body Polish

This was OK – I like my body scrubs to be a little more scrubby. I used this before fake tanning along with my shower mitt and that worked quite well to exfoliate my skin. I wouldn’t say I would rush out and repurchase but I would really recommend their Melting Cleansing Gel.

DHC Make Off Sheet*

I think I liked the cute box more than the actual face wipes. These were not moist enough to remove makeup, so I ended up using them to remove swatches or clean my foundation bottles. I have re used the plastic box to keep my cotton buds in because it was just too cute to throw away. I do however recommend the Deep Cleansing Oil or the very very handy Olive Oil Cotton Swabs from this brand. Just give these wipes a miss.

Clarins One Step Facial Toner

This is a cleanser and toner in one so I use this as my second cleanse in the morning just to refresh my skin and wake it up a little. It has Orange extract which refreshes, tones and revitalies skin whist Moringa Seed neutralises the effects of pollution on the skin. It is a two phase solution, so you need to give it a good shake before use & I sweep it all over my face on a cotton pad, it feels instantly refreshing and not at all drying. Oh and it has the most lovely citrus scent.

*PR Sample