No7 Hot Cloth Cleanser Review

Once or twice a week, I like to really deep cleanse my skin. I use face masks as treatments but I sometimes feel they don't really get into my pores to give them a proper cleansing. In the last 6 months or so, I have been addicted to No7's Hot Cloth Cleanser. This is a cream based product that you massage into clean skin, you then place the muslin cloth under the hottest water you can stand and ring it out, leaving a damp cloth. Once you place the hot cloth onto your skin, you can then feel your pores start to open and the steam unclogging them. I repeat this 2 or 3 times and then use the muslin cloth to buff any of the excess product on my skin away. 

By using this product, it gives your skin a really good deep cleanse. I have also noticed how smooth it leaves my skin, as well as helping it to feel squeaky clean. If you've had a big night out where you've worn a lot of make up, or you just suffer with clogged pores, this is definitely worth a try for a pampered feeling. Plus, you don't even need to worry about buying the muslin cloths to use with the product, as one comes in the box!

The packaging is a tube with a pump, making it really hygienic and user friendly. Even with soaking wet hands, I have never struggled to get the lid off. 

For anyone with oily/acne prone skin or just loves a spa like feeling at home, then this is a product for you. It is suitable for all skin types and is hypo-allergenic. Boots stock this for £9.95 for the 200ml bottle. It is also currently on their 3 for 2 offer. 

Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish is next on my list, have you tried it?

A Few Money Saving Tips!

Here's a few ways to make your toiletries and beauty products last that little bit longer!

• Once you have got as much out of a product as possible, like a tube, cut it open and you should be able to get a few more uses out of it! I find when I cut my hand cream tubes open, they last around another week. 
• Buy mens razors instead of womens, they do exactly the same job and are far cheaper. The Daily Mail reported last week how women can pay up to 75% more for toiletries, in comparison to men, for virtually the same product! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2510858/The-womens-toiletries-cost-75-mens--despite-virtually-identical.html 
• Instead of spending on products like shave gel, use your hair conditioner. This will nourish your legs, leaving them soft and smooth, without you having to purchase another product. 
• Many bloggers/Youtubers use expensive cleaners to clean their makeup brushes with. Of course, if you own professional brushes that are hellishly expensive then this is the best way to look after them and protect them. But if you own a few brushes that you wash regularly, I find shampoo does the job. It cleanses my brushes and rids them of bacteria and dirt, as well as leaving the bristles/hairs soft and smelling lovely. I also haven't noticed my brushes shedding so this is a cheap way to keep your brushes clean and in good condition.
• As an alternative to buying new foundation shades in the winter that are lighter, just mix in your daily moisturiser to a pump of your regular foundation and this will lighten it. This should then keep your foundation matching your skin tone all year round. 
• Use your toothbrush head to exfoliate your lips instead of purchasing a lip scrub. These types of products do exactly the same job as your toothbrush head, when applied gently to the lips in a circular motion. 
• When your nail varnishes go gloopy with age, instead of repurchasing the shade, try adding a couple of drops of nail varnish remover to the bottle. This should then thin the consistency and enable you to use the polish for a little while longer. 

Do you have any beauty tricks?

Boots Haul

The first product I picked up in Boots the other day was a new can of dry shampoo. This is a necessity for me on days between washes. I chose Batiste's 'Sassy and Daring' variety in the leopard print can. I haven't tried this type before, usually as I repurchase the 'Blush' one. I am excited to see how this works with my fine hair which severely lacks volume. This was £1.99 instead of £2.99 on offer, for the 200ml size. 

I also picked up a pack of face wipes. I don't use them on daily basis, but find them very handy for the gym. I chose the Neutrogena 'Hydrating Cleansing Wipes' which claim to moisturise for up to 12 hours. These are suited for dry skin, but as we are now in winter, I thought a more hydrating wipe would be better. It doesn't state on the packet how many wipes it contains, I would guess 25-30. I picked these up for £4.99, which is on the more expensive end of the scale for face wipes.

To treat my skin once a week I bought the Montagne Jeunesse 'Tropical Peel Off Revitalising Cleansing Masque' in red grape and mango. This smells incredibly fruity and is supposed to help remove impurities from the skin, cleansing the pores and leaving a glow to the skin. This contains 10 uses, which I shall be including in my Sunday evening pamper session. Boots stock this for £4.99.

Another winter staple for me is body lotion as without it, I get very dry skin. A 250ml bottle will usually last me 2-3 weeks as I slather it on to keep my skin soft. I picked up two, the Jergens Naturals 'Cocoa Butter' body moisturiser 200ml and Dove's 'Hydro Nourishment' body lotion 250ml. I picked the Jergens as I am trying to find a cheaper alternative to The Body Shops cocoa body butter and I chose the Dove lotion as it claims to have a light feeling on the skin, which in theory should mean it drys quickly. The Jergens was £3.33 on offer from £4.99 and the Dove was £1.99 on offer from £3.99.

My final purchase was Tresemme's 'Style Creator Spray' which is part of their Thermal Creations line. This doubles as a holding product and a heat protectant. I straighten my hair most days so I always use a heat protectant. I purchased this as a back up for my current Tresemme product which is the 'Heat Defence Styling Spray.' You can pick a 250ml bottle up for £5.49. 

What have you bought recently?

Empties #5

My first empty was a 30ml EDP bottle of Juicy Couture's 'Viva La Juicy.' This is a fragrance I discovered last year and is now one of my favourites. I have a more in depth description in my Perfume Collection post. I am so sad that this is no longer in my collection and will definitely treat myself to a new bottle as soon as possible! The 30ml bottle is available from Boots for £34.50.

Another fragrance I used up this month is my all time favourite, 'Daisy' by Marc Jacobs. This is the 20ml refillable bottle, which is perfect for travelling or carrying around in your handbag. The bottle is also adorable and chic. Luckily I was treated to a new 50ml bottle of EDP for my birthday, so my love for this will only continue as I cannot be without it. I would highly recommend it to anybody looking for a sexy, feminine scent. Boots stock the 20ml refillable bottle,which comes with a 15ml refill, for £29.50. 

A new discovery was the 'Vineyard Peach' range at The Body Shop. I had used up the matching body butter, but have had been using the shower gel for the past month or so. If you like peaches, you will love this. The scent is rich and fruity and it really lasts on the skin. It works amazingly if you follow up with the body butter, making the scent linger for around 5 hours. This shower gel doesn't irritate or dry the skin, just leaves it smelling like you've been rolling around in an peach orchard! I am currently using and loving the satsuma shower gel, also from The Body Shop, but I will no doubt be repurchasing this in the future. The 250ml bottle retails for £4 and is definitely worth smelling next time you visit The Body Shop. 

A staple product for me is deodorant, which is definitely not as exciting as perfume! I have just finished up the 'Clear Anti-Perspirant' deodorant from Sure. I have mentioned this is a previous empties post, purely because I bought 2 of these on an offer a few months back. I still wouldn't repurchase it as I find it doesn't last all day, meaning I have to carry it around with me, which isn't always convenient. I much prefer the 'Cotton' variety from the Sure line. The 200ml can is £3.19 in Boots. 

A facial product I really enjoyed using was the 'Pore &Shine Daily Scrub' from Neutrogena. This is a daily scrub which contains salicylic acid to help keep breakouts at bay. It also isn't too harsh or abrasive, yet cleans the skin thoroughly and removes any dead skin cells. This product also had a scent of tangerine and lime which I really enjoyed. One of the products claims is to reduce shine, which I don't think it did, but I have very oily skin, so this might work for less oily skin types. I will be repurchasing this for sure. You can get your hands on this for £4.49 from Boots. 

Shampoo is a product which I use a lot of, but I don't like to spend a lot of money on expensive ranges as I really don't think they make much of a difference, personally. I have loved Herbal Essences for years and have probably tried most of their varieties. I have just finished a small 200ml bottle of the 'Ignite My Colour' shampoo. Yes, I don't have coloured hair, but I used this simply as it was a spare bottle in the bathroom and I had run out of my previous shampoo. This shampoo did nothing amazing, but it cleaned my hair well, left it with a fruity scent and kept it shiny and hydrated. This is all I require/expect from a cheap shampoo as it does the job perfectly and is very inexpensive, which keeps me going back to it. Boots stock a 400ml bottle for £3.89 and it looks like they have stopped packaging it in a smaller size. 

My final empty is a Soap And Glory body lotion, called the 'Righteous Butter.' This is one of my favourites from the brand as it smells incredible and also really hydrates the skin. It has the Clean On Me scent, which is the same as Hand Food and Mist You Madly body spray. I find my skin is baby soft when using this product and it well scented for around 4 hours after application. Soap And Glory do some of my favourite body lotions so I will keep on using them for years. You can find this 300ml pot at Boots for £10.50. 

My MAC Lipstick Collection

I love having a sneak peak into someone else's makeup collection, I guess I'm really nosey when it comes to beauty products! Compared to some, I have a tiny amount of MAC lipsticks, as I own only 5. But by having a less extensive collection, it means each lipstick gets more use and therefore more love. Of course there are a few I have my eye on, but for now, this is my collection..

                                                     As mentioned from Left to Right

My newest addition is 'Creme Cup' which is one of MAC's most popular shades. It is a cremesheen, which is supposed to be one of the more moisturising formulas, although I find I still need a lip balm underneath. This is a nude pink shade, perfect if you are going for a natural look. It really enhances the natural lip colour and is very subtle, especially if you are fair skinned like me. 

My favourite MAC lipstick and probably my all time favourite, is 'Chatterbox.' This is medium pink shade, not too pale, but not hot pink either. It applies beautifully as it is an amplified finish, which is I find is really creamy and long lasting on the lips. I adore this colour as it really compliments my skin tone and is one I find myself reaching for numerous times a week.

Another of MAC's most popular shades is 'Saint Germain.' Now this can be very hard to wear as it is a blue toned pink, but with the right combination, it can look great. This again is an amplified finish, which is definitely my favourite. This is probably my least used MAC lipstick, just because it is very hard to pair with makeup and the right outfit, but if you can make it work, it is lovely.

A summer favourite is 'Costa Chic.' This is coral shade of pink, but isn't at all orange-y, making it perfect for me. This is a frost finish, which I find quite drying on the lips so ensure I always apply lip balm underneath and on top, so that my lips don't dry out. I always pair this with a peach cheek and bronzer, as I find this really makes the coral pop. 

My final lipstick and a favourite in the winter, is 'Girl About Town' which is another amplified lipstick. This is a bright purple shade, which I always dab onto the lips and blend in with my finger, to tone it down slightly and make it more of a berry shade. Of course,  you can apply this straight from the bullet for an intense look, which I have done and found it was still on the next morning! This is really long lasting and is perfect for nights out. 

All MAC lipsticks are now £15 from any MAC counter. Which shades do you own?

Where's The Hype?

Soap And Glory is now renowned for their body products and rightly so, but a product that really doesn’t get enough hype is their ‘Peaches and Clean’ cleansing milk. This is a facial cleanser that I use after my cleansing water (currently Bioderma). I massage this product onto wet skin to remove any last traces of makeup on my face and neck, including my eyes. It then breaks it all down and washes it away, leaving my skin super soft and scented like peaches!

The light consistency of this product makes it really easy to apply, even without a mirror. The texture is really smooth and almost like a balm, leaving your skin feeling amazing and hydrated. This is a product that I have repurchased probably 5 times and will keep on doing, as it just calms my skin and really replenishes it after a day of makeup wearing. It has also never caused me any irritation or break outs as it is so gentle, so this is perfect for even the most sensitive of skins. 

The product is packaged in a bottle with a pump and I find 2 pumps is enough on normal makeup days, but 3 or so are required after a night out or a bit of experimenting with products. I really can't recommend this enough, you can get your hands on a 200ml bottle of this for £8, at Boots.

Have you tried any of Soap And Glory’s skincare range?

*Please Note*- the packaging for this product has since changed since I last purchased it, it now comes in a clear bottle with pink text!

October Favourites

A few products I have been loving over the month of October...

A new nail polish I picked up a couple of weeks ago was 'Princess' by Barry M. It is a textured poslish, which made me a bit wary as I hate bumpy/rough nails, preferring a smooth and shiny finish. This has a really high glitter content, which only takes 2 coats to be opaque, which is great as most glitter polishes need to be built up with multiple coats, which can take forever. You could still put a base colour on the nail, but it isn't needed. Once I had applied he polish and it dried, it was rough and slightly gritty feeling, but became less so over the first couple of days. I didn't apply a top coat, but you could do, to reduce the rough texture and to help it wear better. I got about 4 days wear from this polish. The downside of glitter polishes is taking them off, as you really have to scrub at your nails. This took 3 cotton pads to remove! I will definitely continue to use this polish, especially over the festive season, but will only apply it when I have enough time to remove it, as it isn't a quick job.You can pick these up in Boots, in a range of colours, for £3.99

To try and preserve the wear time of my makeup, I have been using the Smashbox 'Photo Finish' primer. This is a sillicone based primer, which effectively fills in your pores to make your makeup base more smooth, helping your makeup to apply better. I have the oil free one, as I am prone to break outs. I find this product gives me velvety skin and really helps my makeup to look more polished. I have the 7.1ml sample size, which I recieved in the Smashbox set of their bestsellers, which is roughly about £19 for 5 products. If you want to try this before splashing out £25 for the full size, I would definitely recommend the sample set. One thing to bear in mind is that using this product everyday could cause blocked pores, I use this about 3 times a week as to avoid this. This is the first product I have tried from Smashbox, so I will defiantly be trying more.

My final favourite is a Max Factor lipstick, in the shade 'Bewitching Coral' which is number 827. This is a beautiful red which is on the coral side, instead of being a true red shade. It applies beautifully as it has a lovely creamy formula, making it hydrating instead of drying. The wear time is also around 4 hours for me, which is one of the most long lasting lipsticks in my collection. I receive lots of compliments when wearing this shade as it really suits fair complexions. It is also a great introductory red lip, for those of you scared to delve into the really bold red shades. This can be yours for £7.99 from Boots or Superdrug.