A NOT SO ORDINARY DUO FOR FRESH SUPER SOFT SKIN

Ok so I might have gone a tad crazy with the old skincare shopping this month but after seeing this brand being so highly recommended by so many of my favourite bloggers it was pretty much top of my list last payday. The Ordinary seems to have popped up on my insta feed out of nowhere with it's minimal look and clever sounding product names I had to read all the descriptions carefully, spent a lot of time getting the products mixed up and still maybe picked them on a whim.

I ordered the Lactic Acid 10% and the 100% plant-derived squalane, which both sound terrifying to a chemical skincare novice but after reading the product descriptions and figuring out what both of them actually do I decided to give them a go. So as I've said in a previous post I've recently started suffering with eczema and I have a few little patches on my cheeks so I obviously have to be careful what skincare and makeup I use because the patches can get irritated quite easily, so when I ordered the products I was slightly nervous about the effects they were going to have on my skin, I really wanted to love them but obviously if they irritated the eczema they were going to be big no no's.

So the Lactic Acid 10% is by fair my favourite of the two, this one is a lightweight serum that you apply in the evening after removing make up and cleansing and leave to soak into the skin. The Lactic Acid basically exfoliates the skin and targets uneven skin tone while the other ingredient Tasmanian pepperberry reduced signs of inflammation. I've been using this a couple of times a week, not every evening and I don't want to irritate my skin, and my skin has been feeling a lot fresher as well as looking more even and glowy after just a couple of uses. I get red patches on my chin and cheeks regularly and this has really helped to reduce the redness and generally even out my skin tone and my skin looks a lot fresher and brighter. I also really like the fact that it's a lightweight serum it doesn't feel thick or like my skin can't breathe and it doesn't leave a oily coating it completely soaks into my skin and leaves it so fresh and soft.

The 100% Plant-Derived Squalane is a tiny bit disappointing. I really really wanted to love both of these products and I honestly do like this one but there's just something about it I can't get on with.
It's basically an oil that you apply after cleansing and toning morning and/or night before priming. Squalane is used to hydrate the skin and leave it feeling plump and soft and guarding against dry patches. You can also use it in your hair, just add a few drops to towel dried hair for extra shine and protection from heat. Ok so what I don't like about this product is that it just wouldn't soak into my skin, I don't know if it's because I have combination skin and I can go through quite oily phases but it just didn't soak in at all I found myself touching my face after up to half an hour after applying the product and there was always some oily residue left, BUT I do love the product when I use it in my
hair I've used it the last couple of times I've washed my hair and after blow drying my hair looked so shiny and healthy and it just felt super soft. Personally I just don't get on with the product as a
skincare product but it could be great for people with dry skin and I'm definitely going to keep using it as a hair protection product!


Both products are super affordable at just £5.50 for the Plant-Derived Squalane and £5.80 for the Lactic Acid, they're only 30ml bottles but you only need to use 3 or 4 drops of each a day so they are brilliant in terms of price! Have you used either of these products? Or any The Ordinary products?

GLOSSIER FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Unless you've been living under a rock you'll have seen this brand all over social media this week, my news feed has been taken over by the simple and oh so aesthetically pleasing packaging and pink has been everywhere. Thanks to the beauty gods the New York cult beauty brand that is Glossier finally started shipping to the UK. I've been dying to try this brand since I saw it popping up all over my favourite blogs and I can't begin to explain my excitement last Monday when I could make my wishful thinking a reality! Think along the lines of a five year old on Christmas morning x finding a forgotten bar of chocolate in the fridge. SO FREAKIN EXCITING. 

I wanted to try skincare first as I've been going through a bit of a new skincare dry spell

for a while and just relying on the same old lotions and potions on a daily basis, so I thought I'd spruce up my collection. I ordered the phase one set which includes the Milk Jelly Cleanser, Moisturizing Primer and your choice of Balm Dotcom flavours. I got this to basically cover my cleansing, moisturising and priming needs, all wrapped up in one handy package. The 4 days between ordering my goodies and receiving them seemed like a bloomin' lifetime and by Friday I felt like some kind of John Lewis Christmas advert waiting for the postman to arrive with happiness in a little cardboard box. But oh lord was it worth the wait. I practically ripped the parcel out of the poor postmans hand and rand straight upstairs to reveal this pink amazingness inside the box, I'm only slightly exaggerating when I say I'm pretty sure angels sang when I opened that box.

First up is th Milk Jelly Cleanser. I heard really good things about pretty much all the Glossier products but this one seemed to be top of everyone's list in regards to skincare. So it's described as a "jelly" bit it feels more like a light thick serum and it smells quite chemically which I didn't expect but I got over that as soon as I used it Friday night after using a Miceller water to remove that most of my make up, I used a couple of pumps of this to wash the last of the make up and general day to day mankiness off and my skin felt so soft and fresh afterwards. It doesn't lather up like a soapy cleanser so even though it smells a bit chemically it doesn't feel like it. My first impressions of this product after just a couple of days using it morning and night before bed are really good seeing as it left my face feeling as soft and fresh as a baby booty!

Next in my package was the Moisturizing Primer. I really struggle with both moisturisers and primers because I have combination skin which means some days I'm dry as the Sahara and others my skin feels greasy AF but I read quite a few reviews of this product on the Glossier website saying that this product was perfect for combination skin so I thought I'd give it a whirl. It's a little bit funnier than I'm used to as I use quite rich moisturisers normally and Benefits Porefessional primer has been my go to for quite a while. I've been using about a dollop about the size of a ten pence piece and rubbing it into my skin in the morning after cleansing and before makeup. It takes a few minutes to completely soak in but I have found my makeup applies a lot smoother and it looks really glowy and fresh on top of the primer. I also have small patched of eczema of my cheeks so I have to be careful with what I use on them as they can get irritated really easily but in the past few days I've notice them clear up slightly so I'm so happy with this babe so far. 

Last in my set was the Balm Dotcom which I chose in Rose because, well I'm me duh. I'm really bad for not using lip balm as often as I should to say that matte lip products are my favourite so I'm determined to keep this product in my bag at all times, for lip dryness emergencies. It's quite thick and I've only been using a tiny bit as I'm so used to wearing matte lipsticks the stickiness of the balm still feels a bit weird to me, but I have to say this balm doesn't leave my lips feeling sticky or slimy at all, yay! It has a slight pink tint to it which I really like because it adds a bit of colour when I'm not using a lipstick. It's another pat on the back for Glossier! 

I also got a free sample of the yet to launch Glossier perfume, which smells so clean, fresh and luxurious, pretty much everything you'd expect from a brand like Glossier.  I can't wait to hear more about the launch and the price. I'm guessing the price won't be too crazy as the price of the other products are reasonable so lets hope we hear more about that soon! 

So you can get all these products individually but works out a couple of pounds cheaper to get them as a set for £35 for all 3 and then you're eligible for free shipping too, WINNER! If you use this link (here) you can also get 10% off your first order! I definitely recommend all three of this products and I think Glossier is going to become of my must have skincare brands, I can't wait to order my new batch of goodies, I thinking make up this time! 

Have you tried any of these products? Do you have any recommendations? 

&OTHERSTORIES BATH AND BODY HAUL

So since payday I've been a tad obsessed with all things bath/body/beauty. I saw Kate's all time beauty favourites video recently and instantly fell in love with the &otherstories body souffle she talked about. I've been into the &otherstories Leeds store a couple of times for a browse but I stupidly never picked anything up, just appreciated the ridiculously aesthetically pleasing packaging. So I popped straight onto the website and browsed through the bath and body section.

I added a lot of products to my basket but eventually calmed myself down and ordered three things. They arrived a couple of dates later and I couldn't hide my excitement when I got home from work to find the package on the kitchen table, cos even the packaging is perfectly instagrammable - and that's what you look for in any product really, obz.

So I ordered the Miami Muse body lotion, Punk Bouquet hand cream and Sardonyx Fire body scrub. I went forward and backward between the body scrub and the body souffle for a while but I eventually decided on the scrub because I really love a good body scrub, I love the really coarse ones that feel like they're really exfoliating my skin. The Sardonyx Fire scrub doesn't disappoint at all it smells amazing, like all the &andotherstories products do, its has a woody base smell with hints of vanilla and a floral tone without being too girly and sickly. It lathers up really nice too and it just feels so luxurious and expensive even though its only £10 and a little goes a long way so I think it's going to last quite a while!

Next up is the Miami Muse body lotion. This is probably my favourite product of the three. Every time I smell it it smells even better than I remember. It's really musky and sweet at the same time with fragrances of cotton candy and pink pepper. I've been putting it on every night and my skin is feeling so soft, sometimes I really dislike body lotions because they can leave like an oily residue on my skin but this soaks in completely leaving my skin feeling silky smooth. The body lotion is only £7 for 350ml which is such a good price for the size of the bottle and the quality, this is definitely going to be a forever product for me.

Last up is the Punk Bouquet hand cream which smells amazing too, obviously. I bought the mini tube for £4 as I just wanted to give it a go and I'm normally a bit funny about hand creams because they always seem to take forever to soak in probably and my hands always feel a bit slippy afterwards but this ones is perfect, just like the body lotion it completely soaks in without the horrible oily residue. It has a vanilla base scent with a hint of rose, and we all know how I much I love rose scented anything! You can buy the bigger bottle which is £5 for 250ml so a bit smaller than the body lotion but I prefer the handy mini tubes which are perfect for popping in your handbag, especially with the weather getting so bloomin' cold.

All in all I'm so so happy with all three products, &otherstories is now one of my favourite places to get body and bath goodies. I'm already adding a few to my Christmas list! Have you tried any of the &otherstories products?