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It's been absolutely ages since I wrote a beauty post, isn't it? So, I thought I'd talk you through the products I'm currently using as part of my bedtime skincare routine. 

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Does this £2.69 serum live up to high expectations?

This serum's from Superdrug's own brand and designed specially for sensitive skin. The fact that it's so cheap means that it tends to fly off the shelves in Superdrug, which makes it pretty hard to get your hands on. So, whenever I see it in store, I grab a couple to ensure I don't run out!


At the moment, even though it's getting warmer outside, my skin's still feeling a little on the sensitive side. To combat this, I've been turning to French Pharmacy products. To cleanse, I've been using Avene Extremely Gentle Cleanser, which really helps to calm my skin down. At £8 a bottle, it's quite pricey for a High Street cleanser, but a little goes a really long way. It's definitely the most gentle cleanser that I've ever discovered. After this, I spray a mist of Avene Thermal Spring Water on my skin and dab the excess off with a tissue. I love this spray because it doubles up as a wonderful setting mist after I've applied my makeup. Then, I gently dab a small blob of Simple Kind To Eyes Eye Balm under each eye. It's packed full of Vitamins B5 & E, which help to reduce eye bags and puffiness. It's so gentle that it doesn't irritate the very delicate skin around my eyes at all. 

For my day moisturiser, I've been using Olay Sensitive SPF 15 Day Fluid, which does a fantastic job at giving my skin a lovely glow; without making it look greasy. I really like the subtle scent of this moisturiser too. For night-time, I tend to find that my skin suddenly erupts in huge spots if I use a night cream. So, to moisturise before bed, I'm still raving about La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo, which really helps to keep spots at bay and keep my skin clear while I sleep. 

What are your skincare essentials? Comment below to tell me!

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©Katiewrites.co.uk
©Katiewrites.co.uk
©Katiewrites.co.uk

First of all, can we all just take a moment to appreciate how pretty this box is?! Look at it!


Lord & Berry Lipstick Pencil in Kiss
I'm really pretty happy with receiving this! It's a lovely bright red shade, with the slightest hint of orange. I would honestly expect it to cost more than £10! On its own, it leaves a matte finish, but adding a slather of lip balm will give it a bit of shine.

Astral Original
I've never really tried Astral before, even though it's a really cheap skincare brand that's stood the test of time... I've just never really been drawn to it.

However, after trying this, I'm pleasantly surprised at how light it actually feels on my skin. I expected it to feel quite thick, greasy and heavy; but it really wasn't.

One downside is that the scent is quite 'soapy' and fairly strong, so it's probably not best for those who have particularly sensitive skin. Although, I would say it's an absolute bargain at £3.89! 
(Apparently, you can use it to remove your makeup as well, so it's a handy dual-use product!)

POP Beauty Kajal Eyeliner Pen
I'm pretty sure that Glossybox sent me a POP eyeliner a few months back, which was really good for the price. This eyeliner is great as it has a pencil at one end and a smudger at the other; to give a lovely smokey eye look. The shade is 'Sooty Black', which reminds me of Sooty the puppet from back in the day... Remember him? It's also only £6.50, which certainly isn't going to break the bank! 

Color Club Barely There Nail Polish
I really like this nude shade that they've sent, and it's totally on trend too. It's kind of a 'cappuccino' colour. From the quality of the packaging, you'd never guess that it retails for just £4.10! Although I haven't tried this yet, expect to see it popping up in a Mani Monday post soon!

Nougat London Soothing Bath Pearls
Ahhh these smell gorgeous! The first thing that hit me when I opened this Glossybox was the scent emanating from these bath pearls. I can't wait to try them!

The Glossybox card reliably informs me that these pearls leave a 'very subtle shimmer which stays on the skin, creating a limb-lengthening sheen'. Sounds impressive. The card also says that you're supposed to use a large tablespoon full of the pearls and add them to your warm bath. At £6 for 25ml, these will make such a lovely pampering treat!

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It's always a lovely post day when my Glossybox arrives.



Essence Lash Princess Mascara
Glossybox have sent me an Essence mascara before, a few months back. It was okay, but I wasn't completely wowed by it. I am however, wowed by their cheap prices. This mascara costs £3.30! Yes, really! What a bargain! I'm quite pleased with this. It's got a good, thick wand and it leaves my lashes looking volumised and lifted without making them look like spiders' legs.

Another plus point was that there was minimal smudging under my eyes, which, if you're a regular reader, will know is one of my biggest bug bears. The only negative I've found with this is that the wand felt a tad 'sharp' upon application.

Sleek Pout Paint
I'm becoming quite a fan of the Sleek range, but haven't tried any of their lip products yet. I received this in shade 'Peachy Keen - 156' - which is quite a bright orangey-coral colour.

Sleek say:
'Pout Polish is a tinted lip conditioner that nourishes and feels like a lip balm, whilst providing the look and colour of a subtle gloss'

It is really pigmented, but I'm really not keen on the shade as it's a bit too orange for my skin tone. It just doesn't really suit me. However, I'm impressed with the high pigmentation that this has to offer and the fact that a little goes a really long way! One thing that I really love about Sleek is that their products are high quality, but also reasonably priced. This product retails for a mere £4.49!

Naobay Moisturising Peeling
When I read the description of this on my card, I wasn't quite sure what is was... Is it a face mask? Is it a moisturiser? Is it an exfoliant? No idea, so I had to Google it.

Apparently, it's an exfoliating face peel. Naobay say:
"Facial milk with natural peeling particles from the Acai palm tree. This face peel gently exfoliates the skin, removing surface cells and impurities. It helps reduce the appearance of fine lines by combining Olive oil, Shea butter and Sweet Almond oil with Gotu kola extract that soothe the skin after the peel. 98,82% of the total ingredients are from natural origin. 29,1% of the total ingredients are from organic farming."

I haven't had to chance to try this out, as my skin's in an awful state at the moment; but a full review of this will be up once I've tried it!

NCLA Nail Polish
Again, I haven't tried this yet, but expect to see it popping up in a Mani Monday post sometime soon!

Dove Youthful Vitality Shampoo & Conditioner
Right, so these are anti-aging hair products. Not quite sure what you're trying to say there, Glossybox... I'm only in my early twenties. Having said that, I really love the scent of Dove hair products. I used it anyway, and it made my hair lovely, clean and soft. Not sure it looks any younger though...

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A girl can dream, right?


1. Lancôme Grandiose Mascara - £24.50
2. Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation - £33
3. Body Shop Satsuma Body Butter - £13
4. Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette - 'The Dolce Vita' - £38
5. MAC Cosmetics Lipstick in Ruby Woo - £15.50.

What's on your beauty wishlist?


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Half Price Body Shop Goodies!


Vanilla Brulee Soap - £1.50
Small Frosted Cranberry Body Butter - £1.50
Passion Fruit Body Butter - £6.50
Frosted Cranberry Shower Gel - £2
Papaya Shower Gel - £2
English Dawn Gardenia Shower Gel - £3
Passion Fruit Shower Gel - £2

I'm becoming obsessed with The Body Shop now. These are some wonderful bargains that I've managed to pick up from their January sale! 

If you read yesterday's post, you'll see that I've stumbled across some good deals from other retailers too! I'm especially smug about the lovely Body Shop passion fruit body butter though because it's normally £13!

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For those of you who are terribly late at buying presents.


Soap and Glory Body Butters - £8 - Boots
Oh my goodness, these all smell gorgeous! You get three different mini body butters in this pack, which are:
  • Butter Yourself,
  • Sugar Crush,
  • The Righteous Butter.
After all, who doesn't love some Soap and Glory goodies for Christmas? And, if you fancy getting these for yourself, wait until after Christmas when they'll be half price! That's what I did last Christmas!

Nescafe Dulce Gusto Coffee Machine - £45 - Currys PC World
For the coffee lover in your life. I've had this machine for about 10 months now and it's brilliant.

You buy pods, which are available from supermarkets and then pop them in the machine. You flick a switch and then wait for your drink to be made! It really is that  easy, and it's much cheaper than getting takeaway coffees all the time. Unless, like me, you're hopelessly addicted to Starbucks Cappuccinos. 
(Nothing's going to stop me from getting my Starbucks fix, except a nuclear war or something.)

Boots Extracts Strawberry Mini Mix - £4 - Boots, obvs.
Lovely little present containing shower gel and body butter. I got this for my best friend, so hopefully she won't be reading...

Mac Lipstick -  £15.50 - Mac Cosmetics 
If you've not seen me mention this before, where have you been?! It's lauded one of the best lipsticks for a reason and there are loads of different shades on offer! Pictured is Coral Bliss.

Satsuma Shower Gel - £4 - Body Shop
This smells AMAZING. I only stumbled across this last week, when I bought it for myself but had to pop back to get some more for presents. As well as smelling wonderful, it's also soap-free, so it won't dry your skin out, which is brilliant at this time of year!

Note: Your entire bathroom smells of satsumas for hours afterwards using. (Not complaining though.)

If the receiver of your gift isn't that big a fan of satsumas, the Body Shop offer a range of other scented shower gels too!

Just as an aside, I'm not writing a Christmas Gift Guide: For Him, because I don't have very many men to buy Christmas presents for... I don't think I'd be much help in that respect anyway... It'd probably only be socks, ties and beers.

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It's that time of year when your skin needs extra nourishment. So, what better time for me to write all about Simple's Night Cream?



I have used this for a few years now, but recently, I stopped. It's almost as if Simple have altered the formula slightly and it's suddenly much richer, waterier and smells a bit different too.

Whether it's my skin or the apparent change of formula, I appear to break out in spots whenever I use this. It does moisturise my skin really well; but often just a bit too much. It's quite disappointing that it's suddenly making my skin so bad...

On the plus side, it contains: pro-vitamin B5 and vitamin E, as well as a number of 'skin loving ingredients'. Simple state that they never use artificial perfume or colour and avoid using harsh chemicals, which is fantastic for those of us with sensitive skin! 

One 50ml pot also lasts for ages, so it's not something that you have to constantly repurchase. 

Would I recommend this? Yeah, it's an exceptionally good value night cream; but I'd only recommend it to people who have seriously dry skin.

If you have delicate skin and fancy trying this, you can buy it from Boots for £5.99 by clicking here.


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Now, I haven't done a favourites post for quite a while, ashamedly. So here are my favourites from November!



Costa Coffee Orange Hot Chocolate
I'm not normally a regular drinker of hot chocolate, but this is amazing! When you first take a sip of this, it's just like normal hot chocolate but after a couple of seconds you get this whopping orange kick! 

So, at just over £3, it's quite expensive... But it's a gorgeous wintery treat!! And it's nearly Christmas, so you're well within your rights to: A.) eat and drink as much chocolate as possible and B.) treat yourself. So there.

You can pick this lovely drink up at Costa Coffee. You can't order it to be delivered to your house, unfortunately...

Rimmel Kate Matte Lipstick in 110
I am really getting into my lipsticks at the moment and this is one that I recently picked up in Boots. I was looking for shade 111, because I read somewhere that it's a fantastic Mac Ruby Woo dupe, but they didn't have it, so I picked this one up instead. 

For saying it's a matte lipstick, it's not drying, which makes it perfect for this time of year! It's also so much cheaper than Mac Ruby Woo (about £10 cheaper...) so I would definitely recommend this one for those of you on a budget!

Rimmel Kate Matte Lipstick costs £5.49 from Boots; which you can buy by clicking here.

VO5 Nourish My Shine Bedazzling Oil Heat Protector
Oh my goodness, why have I only just discovered this?! It's brilliant! I bought it a few weeks ago and I've used it pretty much every day since. It was a lifesaver when I was on my BBC work placement because I spent quite a lot of time outside, and this stopped my hair from descending into a frizzy mess.

You spray it on your hair before blow drying and it adds shine, but also conditions as well as being a heat protector! It's a jack of all trades, this one.

This costs £4.99 and you can buy it from Boots by clicking here.

Zoella Beauty Body Lotion
Everybody's been raving about the Zoella Beauty range since it came out in September, and I must admit that I bought a couple of goodies on the day they were released (yes, I'm a saddo, I know...)

I've been meaning to write about them for ages. Literally. Sorry.

I love this body lotion. For starters, it smells wonderful. Secondly, it lasts all day on your skin. It's not overbearing or greasy; but it's still really moisturising. This would also make a brilliant stocking filler for someone!

It costs £5 and you can buy it from Feel Unique by clicking here

Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara
I must admit that I didn't like this to begin with (back in those halcyon days where I shunned natural-looking lashes and went around with ones like spider legs instead...) but recently I've been using this as my every day mascara.

It's perfect for creating a fantastic day look. It's not over the top, but it's definitely enough to give your lashes lift and volume. It's nothing too showy, but it's just a great 'traditional' mascara.

Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara costs £7.99 from Boots, which you can buy by clicking here!

I am going to be writing about my top 2014 favourites very soon, so keep your eyes peeled for that!

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If you're a Spotty Dotty like me, you might be tempted to try some nose pore strips out...


These T-Zone ones are some of the best that I've stumbled across. You can easily pick a packet up in discount beauty stores for about a pound, so they're not going to break the bank if you try them and don't like them. Places like Home Bargains and Bodycare always sell loads of different types of nose pore strips.

They are specifically designed to eradicate blackheads. I've never struggled with them; but I do get plenty of whiteheads and blocked pores. There's something SO satisfying about inspecting these after you've peeled them off. I'm strangely addicted to it... It feels kind of good to know that you've ripped some oil out of your pores - which is great if you're prone to spots in the nose area.

I know that they're quite controversial; and some people are reluctant to try them because they could potentially do more harm than good, but I've been using a range of different ones for years without problems. (I don't know if use exacerbates oil production, but I've never noticed a surge in spottiness days after using these.)

You should always leave at least three days between using these, but I tend to do one a week. Unless you fancy looking like Rudolf, you really don't want to overdo it. Just be careful not to rip any skin off.

If you fancy trying these, you can get a pack of 6 for £2.99 from Fragrance Direct by clicking here.

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I have been soooo busy lately that I just haven't had chance to try most of what's in this box. (Excuses, excuses...)


 Why am I writing about it then? Because I didn't want to let my lovely readers down completely, obviously.

Burt's Bees Lip Shine
This is a lovely little lip gloss from Burt's Bees. The only problem is, I'm a bit odd and every time I use lip gloss, I develop a tickly throat and cough until I have to wipe it off... So, I've not really given this a test run. Can you blame me?

Lollipops Eye Pencil
How pretty is this? It's a retractable eyeliner pencil in 'Black: Goodbye Moon'. Lollipops is a brand that I've never stumbled across before, it's French. This pencil is supposed to be anti-aging... (Quite offended that Glossybox think I need that yet.) It also has Vitamin E, so it's nourishing and it doesn't contain preservatives either.

The fact that it's retractable is great because you don't need to sharpen it! It costs 14 euros, which is just over £11. 

Green & Black's Organic Butterscotch Chocolate
Now this didn't last long. Yum.

(It was a special treat from Glossybox for being a subscriber for a year! That's lovely of them, isn't it?)

Monu Face Oil
This is Monu's Soothing Hawaii Facial Oil, with Cardamom, Sandalwood and Lavender.
My skin's been spotty recently, I don't want to risk making that worse by smearing my face with oil... So I've not tried this. I have tried Monu's bath oil though; which is gorgeous!

A full sized bottle of this, which is 100ml, costs a whopping £26.

H20+ Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment
Again, this is something super-nourishing and hydrating for skin. Which is great, if your skin needs it. It's not, if your skin is already spotty. Glossybox do say that it's oil-free, but I don't really want to risk it.

H20+ is also quite a premium/expensive brand. A full-size tub, which is 50ml, costs £27.50!

This is also 'age prevention', as it reduces the appearance of fine lines. What are you trying to say Glossybox?!

OGX Argon Oil Conditioner
Okay, confession time: This is another thing I ashamedly haven't got round to trying yet! A large bottle costs £6.99 from Boots. I've seen this in shops for ages and keep on meaning to try it!

I will try to write reviews of all the products that I've not been able to try yet in the coming weeks!

My Glossybox December review will also be up soon, so keep your eyes peeled for that!

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Who wants a nice smelling face? Meeeeee.


This is one of those products that's a wonderful little treat. It's not really a necessity, but I adore Anatomicals, with their funny product names and packaging filled with jokes. The products themselves are lovely too, obviously.

Clint Eastwood's on the back of the bottle, for some reason... Which reads:
'Not Clint (as in Eastwood), more mint (as in peppermint) and a long list of other co-starring ingredients such as rose, lavender, aloe and witch hazel to leave your skin refreshed and radiant. You could say it's the spray that makes your day.'

You can use this as a setting spray, like I do. It can also be used to calm irritated skin down during the day or you can even use it to calm your nerves! (The lavender is supposed to have a calming effect...)

When applying it, you can spray it directly to your face, like me, or you can spray it onto a cotton wool pad and then wipe it gently over your face. It's designed for dry/sensitive and normal skin; so it's probably a bit too rich for those with oilier skin. 

I bought this months ago from ASOS for about £6, but they don't stock Spray Misty for Me on their website at the moment. The only place that I've found it online is Amazon, and it's a little more pricey than it used to be... 

...A bottle of this currently costs £7.10 from Amazon, which you can buy by clicking here.

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Like feeling clean? This one's for you then!


Oh my goodness, this is cold. Take note, it's essential to be careful when you use this... It can be a bit of a shock otherwise... 

You will definitely feel REALLY cleaning after using this, and probably a little cold too. Just a warning: Hot water definitely seems to exacerbate the extreme cold feeling that you get with this shower gel.

It smells gorgeous; so fresh. In fact, it's probably the most refreshing shower gel in existence. It also makes your bathroom smell strongly of mint for ages after you've stepped out of the shower. Which, for me, is blissful. 

It's not going to break the bank and it's also a unisex shower gel, which gives it the potential to be a lovely little stocking filler for everyone!

If you fancy trying this, you can get it from Boots (where it's now on offer for £1) by clicking here.

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This week, I've been on a work placement (with the BBC) so I thought I'd take you through the skincare and makeup products that I've used whilst being a busy BBC bee. Ha.


I've opted for a fairly natural, light look that's absolutely ideal for work or school. Working 40 hours this week has meant that everything's been a bit of a rush, so I've spent less time on my makeup than normal. All of the skincare and makeup products that I've used are high street/drugstore brands, so this look won't be expensive to recreate. Obviously it's catered for my exceptionally needy skin and pale skin tone; so alter it accordingly to suit your skin.

Skincare:
♥ Superdrug Naturally Radiant Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser with Muslin Cloth,
♥ Olay Day Fluid for Sensitive Skin,
♥ Carmex Cherry flavour lip balm,
♥ Boots Simply Sensitive Eye Cream (Optional).

Base:
♥ Rimmel Fix and Perfect Primer (Optional),
♥ Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation in 001 Light Porcelain,
♥ Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 1 Fair,
♥ Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Translucent,
♥ Real Techniques Expert Face Sponge (Optional).

Contouring:
♥ Boots Natural Collection Bronzer,
♥ Rimmel Mono Blusher in 010 Live Pink,

Eyes:
♥ Max Factor Wild Shadow eyeshadow pencil,
♥ Rimmel brown kohl eyeliner,
♥ Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara in Brown/Black.


Firstly, I start by cleansing my face with the hot cloth cleanser, using the warm muslin cloth to gently exfoliate my skin and then rinse with cold water. If you're in a hurry, skip toner and go straight to moisturiser; I'm currently using the Olay one pictured above. If you've got time dab a little eye cream under your eyes.

If you want your makeup to have extra staying power throughout the day, add some primer. The best high street one I've stumbled across is Rimmel's Fix and Perfect. 

I then dampen my Real Techniques sponge slightly and add about one pump of Wake Me Up foundation over my face; add a little more if you want a heavier coverage. If you're after a really light coverage, swap the foundation for a BB Cream or CC cream instead. Pop some concealer under your eyes and over any blemishes and then seal in place with a light dusting of powder.

To simply do a little bit of contouring, suck your cheeks in and add some bronzer into the part where your cheeks are indented. Apply in a 'three' motion around your face (forehead, under cheeks and jawline. Apply some blusher onto the apples of your cheeks too.

Finally, for your eyes, add some of the Max Factor pencil over your lids. I'm using this lovely pink colour, but if you fancy being a bit more Autumnal, use a brown shade instead. Line your upper lash line with a little bit of kohl eyeliner and apply a couple of coats of mascara... And you're done!


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Vaseline is one of those skincare stalwarts, isn't it? It's been around for ages. 


This little tin is your normal vaseline; with the added flavour of cocoa butter for a bit of excitement. It tastes gorgeous, but it's not the most moisturising of lip balms available, for me anyway. Having said that, it's a nice little tin to keep in your makeup bag.

If you don't want to use it as a lip balm, there are myriad other uses for it. You can use it as: a soothing foot treatment, a general moisturiser, to stop your nail polish running over the edges of your nails and to soothe your nose when you've got a cold... The possibilities are endless!

Do you remember in Of Mice and Men, that Curley always kept his hand in a glove full of Vaseline? Well, I'm sure he would've liked this new version for a bit of variety. Or rather, his wife would've liked it... If Lenny hadn't killed her. (If you've not read Of Mice and Men, you should just disregard this whole paragraph... Because I'm rambling)

The 20g tin was a pound in Poundland (obviously...) but other retailers like Boots are selling for £2.18. So, it's time to swallow your pride and get yourselves down the pound shop for this little bargain.

You can buy this from Boots by clicking here or get your bum down to Poundland instead, where you can get it for less than half the price!

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