Five Under £5 April 2016

April 5, 2016October 16, 2016 - Vicki 13 Comments

Last month got away from me & I totally missed the Five Under £5 post but I’m back and I have some great things to share with you. If you want to get involved and link up your monthly finds then head over to Julia’s blog at Rainbeaubelle.

Pig Nose Black Head Mask

Korean skincare comes in the best packaging! I included the TonyMoly Sheet Masks in my February post & saw these recommended to me after I had checked out. I am obsessed with getting rid of blackheads (TMI) This is a 3 step mask & although its all in Korean there is a step by step diagram on the back which is easy to follow. I bought 4 packs & only have one left. Its safe to say I really like them & they’re very affordable despite being sent from Hong Kong.

HEMA Sticky Notes

I am terrible at remembering things so I like to stick post it notes around my house & even have some in my car just to remind me to do certain things. These cute ones are from a Dutch shop called HEMA but don’t panic they have not only opened a few stores here (in London) but you can also order online from their shop. They carry a great affordable selection of stationery & so many other things. I often spend ages browsing the site and filling a very large basket. The arrows are also post it notes too, I couldn’t resist them.

Metallic Washi Tape

Now this is becoming quite a habit, I purchase at least two new rolls a month and have a growing collection. This is my newest addition and my current favourite. I order mine from eBay as they have such a massive selection and its pretty good quality.

Collection Work The Colour Lip Butter

I really like lippies in crayon form, I find them easy to apply, travel with and they are so fuss free. This is one from Collection which is a Boots only brand and their makeup is very affordable but don’t be put off by the cheap looking packaging because the products are very good quality. This is in the shade Vintage Rose, its a very pretty peach and perfect for the Spring. It has a slight glossy finish, feels comfortable on the lips. Oh & you don’t need to sharpen these – they just twist up! Easy peasy.

Four Affordable Skincare Favourites

March 29, 2016August 25, 2025 - Vicki 6 Comments

We all love a bargain, right!? So I thought I would share 4 of my favourite affordable skincare products.

Garnier Micellar Water All-in-1 Waterproof Makeup Remover & Cleanser

Micellar waters are great if you wear quite heavy eye makeup and like to remove the bulk of it before you cleanse. I have found the Garnier ones to be the best I have tried, they now do a few versions for different skin types, but I think they’re all pretty much alike. This one in the blue bottle is for removing waterproof makeup & I have to say it’s pretty damn good. You don’t have to tug or rub at your eyes, just hold the cotton pad on your eye for about a minute and gently wipe the makeup away. It’s also very good at removing lip stains & matte lip products. This new Garnier skin active version is a bi phase formula so you need to make sure you shake it up first. You get a lot of product for your money, and a bottle lasts me a couple of months. This is fragrance free and contains no alcohol.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Overnight Serum-In-Oil

I simply love this product, it’s like liquid silk. It’s a serum blended with a combination of oils including sunflower, jojoba, marula, soya, and sesame, and it also has wheatgerm oil which is high in antioxidants. I use a couple of drops in my evening skincare routine when my skin is looking dull and dryer than normal. I massage a few drops on to clean skin and let it work its magic whilst I sleep. It’s great at hydrating and reviving my skin and making it look like it’s well rested and radiant. This is so affordable and a lovely product to have in your skincare routine. I love the vitamin E range, but this is by far my favourite product from the range.

Lacura Anti Ageing Handcream With Argan Oil

Lacura is Aldi’s skincare brand so all their products are affordable, I like quite a few of their products but have been using this a tonne over the past few weeks. I am not 100% keen on the scent of this hand cream, but I like how non-greasy it is. I use hand cream so often throughout the day I just can’t deal when it leaves my hands feeling tacky or greasy, so it’s important I have one that instantly absorbs and lets me get on with what I am doing without having to wait for it to dry down. This Lacura one from Aldi does just that, and it leaves my skin feeling smooth and soft.

Soap & Glory Face Soap & Clarity 3-in-1 Daily Facial Wash

This face wash has a gel like consistency and lots of tiny soft scrub beads which are great for lightly exfoliating your skin. They’re not at all abrasive or scratchy. I like that it feels cooling on my skin and is lovely to massage in and really give your skin a thorough cleanse, leaving it looking radiant. I rinse this off with a hot cloth, and it’s great at removing makeup without leaving my skin feeling tight or dry. It smells so good too, really uplifting and fresh. I have a huge bottle of it too which has lasted me so long & I’m only about halfway through it.

Let me know what your favourite affordable skincare products are.

Cornwall Catchup Week #6

March 27, 2016March 27, 2016 - Vicki 2 Comments

Its been quite a while since I last did a Cornwall catchup, in fact I think it was way back in December, we have now been down here for 6 months and the weather is starting to warm up again. We had such a cold wet Winter, so its nice to see the sun again. Our garden is coming together nicely and we now have a shed (exciting) and have planted lots of wild flowers seeds, so we’re hoping they start to bloom soon so the garden has a little colour. I still might plant a few veggies, let me know if you grow your own & what you find grows best and takes minimum effort.

I have found just the cutest shop called Roo’s Beach , they sell homeware, makeup, stationery and fashion & I want everything they have. Its so nicely curated and has a welcoming vibe. To make it even better, just next door is a lovely independent coffee shop called Laid Back Coffee Company, they have a lovely selection of cakes and hot drinks. We go there quite often and have a walk along the beach at Porth.

We even ventured out of the county & visited Exeter and we managed to get a gorgeous sunny day. Exeter is a beautiful City and we had been craving Wagamama as Cornwall still doesn’t have one so we satisfied that craving and ate all the food. It was nice to be amongst the hustle and bustle again but its always nice to head back home to our rural hideaway.

Current Favourite Cleansers

March 24, 2016August 7, 2017 - Vicki 5 Comments

Clinique Take The Day of Cleansing Balm

I have two balms to talk about in this post & the Clinique one is the first balm cleanser I have ever tried. It has been a love story ever since. This is such a lovely product to take your makeup off with because its so gentle on the skin. I take a 10p sized amount and really massage that into my skin to breakdown the makeup and help loosen all the grime from the day. The balm starts off in a solid form, once you start massaging it in to the skin it turns in to a fluid oil. I use a warm cloth to remove the product and all my makeup and grime. My skin is left soft and clean, Its a HG product for me.

Pixi Nourishing Cleansing Balm*

This is another fantastic balm to oil cleanser, you need a little less product and I find if you use too much of the Pixi one its a lot harder to remove the oily residue. If you use just the right amount this is a really nice nourishing cleanser that removes your makeup with very little effort. With these balm cleansers make sure you take the time to massage them in to your skin, I spend a good couple of minutes doing this. This balm contains sweet almond oil, shea butter and vitamin E, so as well as removing makeup & impurities this leaves your skin silky soft, hydrated and soothed. I really couldn’t pick a favourite out of the two but I think the Clinique one is slightly less greasy on the skin but the Pixi one is better if you wear heavy eye makeup.

Korres 3 in 1 Cleansing Emulsion

This says to use a cotton pad to rub this on to your skin, I like to use my hands and massage the soothing, cooling milky formula on to my skin. I do wash this off and its really good for the days when my skin is irritated or feeling especially dry, the soothing formula helps calm and hydrate. I wouldn’t repurchase this as Its not great at removing makeup, I would only use this in the morning or on days I don’t have makeup on. I much prefer my trusty Liz Earl Clean & Polish.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Grapefruit & Patchouli

I always have a bottle of the original C&P on the go, this is a cleanser that never lets me down. I haven’t used any of their limited edition scents and I’m kicking myself for not getting one sooner. This Grapefruit & Patchouli version smells so fresh, fruity and uplifting, I love to use this in the morning. Cleanse and Polish is a cream cleanser that you apply to dry skin and take off with a warm cloth, its great at removing makeup but I like to use it in the morning because the scent is just perfect to wake me up.

What cleansers are you using in your routine?

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