A couple of weeks ago Lucy and I wandered into Boots to pick up a few things we needed and whilst meandering through the isles I came across the Sanctuary 5 minute thermal detox mask - which might I add I didn’t actually need, per say. However, I have super oily skin which results in a lot of blocked pores - nice - and so always have my eyes pealed for good, at home face masks as I don’t have the budget to have a facial every month, unfortunately. 

I hadn’t really heard anything about Sanctuary before besides the fact it’s an expensive spa in Covent Garden so I bought this product blind, without reading any reviews beforehand - which I never usually do.

The description on the back of the tube claims ~

“The warmth of this self-heating mask helps to open up the pores so the charcoal and kaolin clay can help draw out the impurities from deep within the skin. As well as purifying, the mask also rebalances the skin’s oil levels to clarify, cleanse and leave the skin with a silky touch, essential oil of myrrh helps to sooth and calm.”

The mask itself is very thick - so its essential your skin is damp when you go to apply it or it won’t go anywhere - and doesn’t particularly have a scent to it, though the scent it does have isn’t unpleasant. The product is a light grey colour and when first applied to the skin has a nice warming sensation - this disperses after a minute or two - but does feel very plastic-y. Unlike other clay masks this one doesn’t set which I like for the masks that do set are hard to wash off and you can’t move your face - which to me is very frustrating - but it does mean you can’t take a nap without making a mess. I apply this to damp, pre-cleansed skin and after about ten minutes wash it off with warm water following up with my regular skin care routine of toner, moisturiser etc. 

I’ve been using this product twice a week and so far and what I noticed when I first started to use it was a few spots started to appear. Now, I used to have very acne prone skin but have managed to keep it under control with medication so, when I first noticed I was getting a few spots again I knew it was this product for I hadn’t changed anything else in my skin care routine. However, as this is a detox mask it’s designed to draw out the impurities in your skin, meaning any breakouts that occur are relatively normal. Obviously breakouts are undesirable but if in the long run my skin was clear and less oily I was willing to give it a fair shot and so kept on using it.

A few weeks into using it and I can say that my skin is definitely smoother and clearer. However I still have many blocked pores around my nose and chin area but wearing makeup everyday doesn’t help in that respect so I doubt I’ll ever have completely unblocked pores. I haven’t noticed my skin being any less oily throughout the day either. Overall, a good budget buy but not a miracle worker - but what can you expect for £10.50?, currently on offer for £7 in Boots.

Have you tried anything from the Sanctuary brand before?

~ Jade xxx

My local Topshop recently started stocking the Topshop makeup which I got very excited about as before I could only grab a few bits whenever I went to London or Bristol - I’m not sure why my Topshop didn’t stock the makeup beforehand, it always baffled me. 

I picked up a couple of bits but I was most excited for the powder highlighter in 'crescent moon'. I had originally wanted the glow cream highlighter in ‘polished’ however every pot had been played around with as there was finger marks in all of them, so I settled with the powder highlighter instead.

This highlighter is a perfectly pigmented pearl shade which leans more towards the pink side of the highlighter scale. It adds a perfect sheen to the cheekbones and wherever else you choose to place it but isn’t shimmery or hold glitter. It creates a subtle highlighted look rather than an in your face glow which is great for everyday wear and you can use it across the body. However, I tend to keep it to my face - mainly on my cheekbones as my t-zone gets enough highlight from my oily skin but it also works great as an inner corner highlight with a neutral eyeshadow look. 

It can become chalky if you’re heavy handed with it as it's a very soft powder but as long as you don’t go overboard it isn't a problem. The packaging is really sturdy and cute - as all Topshop packaging is - and you get a lot of product too. You can pick this up for £10 so it doesn’t break the bank either.

What do you like from the Topshop makeup line?

~ Jade xxx

I rarely take baths as I’m very much a shower person however I received the space girl bath ballistic* from Lush as part of a christmas present from a friend, so I thought I’d give it a try. 

The bath ballistic itself is flying saucer shaped - hence the name space girl - and is laced with glitter - due to this it goes without saying that if you’re allergic to glitter then you should most definitely steer clear. 

It turns your bath a beautiful deep violet shade and also contains popping candy so when submerged in water it fizzes and dissolves quickly. It contains grapefruit and bergamot oils so the scent leans more towards the fruity side rather than the floral or musky side. The scent also lingers on your skin but isn’t overpowering - which is lovely as I hate it when you can’t smell anything after a bath or shower when the product used has such a strong smell.

 The glitter that’s within the bath bomb doesn’t linger on your skin like the scent which is good so you avoid looking like a disco ball and a purple mark isn’t left behind on the side of the bath either.

This, all bundled with a reasonable price tag of £2.25 what’s not to like?

What’s your favourite Lush bath bomb?

~ Jade xx

1. Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation - shade 51, Vanilla

For a lot of this year I was using Rimmels Match Perfection foundation in shade 100, Ivory which I did like and was great for the summer as it is light weight and sheer, but buildable. However, when it came to buying a new foundation I wanted to try something new as I wanted a bit more coverage and I wasn’t so keen on the smell of the Match Perfection. So, I went for the popular Healthy Mix foundation. I had tried this before but wasn’t amazingly impressed as it seemed to go patchy throughout the day; but I wanted to give it another go as it has been re-formulated since then, and my skin has changed also so I was keen to see if it suited me any better. And so far, I have been enjoying it!

A few months ago I did a ‘my summer essentials’ post - which can be seen here - and so I thought I’d follow up with a post of my essentials for the colder months since we have now been swept into the depths of winter here in England - I'm already bored of the cold and can't wait for summer to return.

I love candles all year round but particularly in winter they are a must for me. There’s nothing better than cosy-ing up after a cold day with a blanket, a mug of tea - how very British of me - and a good movie with a candle burning in the background. This one from the white company is one of my favourites and I buy one every year. The candles from the white company in general are amazing but for me the scent ‘winter’ - which is only released during winter, obviously - is my all time favourite. It’s the perfect blend of cinnamon, clove and orange that isn’t too overpowering like some spicy scents can be. The best thing about the candles from the white company is that even when they aren’t burning you can smell them and you only need to burn them for an hour or so at time so you definitely get your moneys worth. They’re also made from organic material so they don’t smoke and leave black soot on your wall like silicon based candles do - e.g. Yankee candles.

One of my new years resolutions - carried on from last year - was to be more adventurous/spontaneous. To be able to do this I thought I should probably think of some things to do this year to help me on way - no concrete plans or else that ruins the spontaneity, though.

picture source

As I said earlier I’ve never been to the seaside despite England having a beautiful coastline. This one will probably have to wait until summer but as long as I get fish & chips and an ice cream cone - and maybe a stick of rock - I’ll be happy.

Happy new year everyone! For the first post of the year I thought I'd do another instalment of 'my current favourites' - previous posts can be seen here and here - of the few new favourites I've discovered over the past couple of months.

Firstly, the Jo Malone fragrance in Amber & Lavender*. I don’t think I’ve ever used a perfume that smells so good or lasts so long. This beauty was waiting for me under the christmas tree this year - thank you Santa - and I haven’t stopped wearing it since. The 30ml bottle is £37 and the much larger 100ml bottle is £78, expensive but so worth it.

I’ve had a love hate relationship with this Super Liner eyeliner from L’oreal since I bought it around sixth months ago. However, I’ve discovered it makes it really easy to do my everyday winged liner and it doesn’t smudge. I originally didn’t like it because I didn’t feel as though it was black enough and when you used it the fluid ran out quickly, but if you shake it well before use it’s absolutely fine. The super liner also doesn’t break the bank - a definite bonus.

I’m a fan of the Maybelline colour tattoos so when Bourjois came out with their own cream like eyeshadow formulas - Colour Edition 24hr - I was intrigued. At first I was apprehensive for they’re a cream to powder formulation however they last a really long time - not quite the twenty four hours like stated, though. Colour pay-off is pretty great to, I have the colour Petale de Glace which is like a lighter version of ‘satin taupe’ by MAC. I’m not overly impressed with the rest of the colours however and I feel that the colour range is what really lets this collection down. 

After using Lucy’s Sleek Face Form palette a few times and falling in love I decided I had to get my own. Lucy’s review of this beautiful palette can be seen here.

I’m a big fan of volumised hair and am no stranger to backcomb. However, backcombing my already damaged hair with a comb isn’t the best thing for it. Enter the L’oreal studio line volume super sizing spray. This stuff is basically backcomb in a bottle. You spray it at the roots of the hair and scrunch until the desired amount of volume has been achieved. It doesn’t make your hair feel sticky at the roots like others I have tried and its very affordable - but word to the wise, don’t use this if there’s a possibility of being rained on as water mixed with stuff creates a paste and its not easy to get out.

What are your current favourites?

~ Jade xx