Morning Petals!
My hostel hopping days have come to an end (for now) and it has left me with a bunch of empties. One of the perks of living on a shoestring is finally working my way through the abundance of lotions and potions that are mounting up in my bathroom. When I'm at "home" it's easy to become lazy when it comes to my skincare routine. However whilst I was HH'ing I made the time for my routine - even if it was at 3am before tiptoeing to my bunk bed - as it was my one luxury. I may have been staying in £12 a night beds, but I always remembered to pack my Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic Spritzer... lol @ my priorities.
I got this contraption in the goody bag when I went to Estée Lalonde's event back in November. Although it's a princess product that I would never buy for myself, it was quite a relaxing pastime and lord knows I love almond oil!
The vitamin E range at the body shop is hands down my favourite and I'm yet to try a product that I don't absolutely adore. Will definitely be repurchasing!! +
This is so pungent and zesty! I grab this or their coconut body butter in duty free every summer :-)
Ever since April 21st I've been wearing purple nail polish. Still grieving.
There's a reason so many people rhapsodise about this foundation. As long as you moisturise before applying, you'll never look back. I still can't believe it's only 8 quid!
Every night I use a hand cream mixed with a few sprays of this lavender pillow mist. Dream team!
I picked this up in duty free as it's a fragrance my mum wore for years and is so sophisticated. The official Chloé Perfume is around £40 but I spotted this 'deodorant' for £15 (!!) and I honestly can't tell the difference, as this too has a spray applicator. I use this as a perfume and although it's on it's last legs, it's lasted ages thanks to the generous 100ml bottle. I feel like I've discovered the lost world of Atlantis...talk about beauty hack!
I was toying with the idea of treating myself to Philosykos last summer but couldn't bring myself to drop £60. I ended up picking this up in duty free (I don't remember a time when I'm not in duty free) on the way to Corfu and wore it all summer. I received so many compliments as it's such a fresh and quirky scent. Although the staying power isn't too strong, it's a good size to pop in your handbag and at £18 you don't feel guilty liberally spritzing it throughout the day! In terms of describing the scent, many people have likened it to Dolce & Gabbana's Sicily.
It seems redundant to recommend a lip balm as there's so many but this one was a stand out product. Although it's probably the cheapest lip balm I've ever owned, it's super hydrating (no shit Sherlock). As if it wasn't perfect enough, it also has SPF15!
As a random side note a friend of mine was rocking this shade of iced blue eye shadow the other day and I just had to ask where it was from ~ maybelline if anyone's wondering. I think I've found my summer look:
Now onto magazine freebies...
This concoction of argan/macadamia/almond/rose oil smells incredible ~ many people have actually said it smells like Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille. The oil itself leaves a beautiful sheen.
As the name would suggest, this is much thicker and best left for the winter months. I loved its consistency and subtle shea butter smell.
This came free with Glamour magazine and transformed my make-up game. I always moisturise a few minutes before applying my base to prep my skin and this is hands down the best moisturiser I've ever used. The fact that it's banana yellow also put a smile on my face every morning. Bonuses: a little goes a long way and despite the bold colour, it isn't heavily scented.
The Body Shop Drops of Youth Concentrate //
My skin soaked this up and didn't feel greasy at all. However as it's an anti ageing product, I doubt I'll be picking up a bottle any time soon.
This light gel moisturiser sunk into my skin quickly and added a boost of hydration. Cheap and cheerful!
Food glorious food...
Random AF...
My skin soaked this up and didn't feel greasy at all. However as it's an anti ageing product, I doubt I'll be picking up a bottle any time soon.
I was over the moon when this came free with Elle as I'm not one to buy high-end mascaras as drugstore ones are just as good (if not better) and a fraction of the price. I must say though this was a dream ~ so much so that I'm tempted to buy the £20 full size! It never clumps and truly does hold a curl.
Food glorious food...
I'm always on the hunt for natural sweeteners so this agave has been a favourite of mine. I think I'm going to give date syrup a whirl next. I also recently ran out of this coconut sugar that I found in planet organic ~ it was devilishly tasty in my builders' brews!
These make everything better ~ not only are they hella good for you, but they add a crunchy texture. Here is a scrumptious recipe for chia pudding - do your future self a favour and bookmark it!
I've drank more coffee over the past month than I have all year - cheers, dissertation! When I'm not doing an all-nighters in the library, I like to sip this coffee alternative in the morning. It's delicious and made from a blend of barley, chicory, malt and figs! Nestle's Caro is another fab option if you're in the market.
My go-to snack when I'm supermarket sweepin' round the sainsbury's local in Greenwich at 11:58pm before hitting up the library. Well, that and a bunch of cheese twists ~ it's all about balance! Bonus points that the packaging has a mango wearing a top hat!
I don't remember life before this brands groovy coffee flavours. Douwe Egberts' also collaborated with Orla Kiely recently:
Are these not the CUTEST coffee jars you ever did see?!
I've been having these tablets for many moons but accidentally bought the non-chewable version recently. Don't make the same mistake as me as they were like swallowing chalk!
Random AF...
These Russian nesting doll highlighters from paperchase were too adorable to not mention. I may be studying for a degree, but kawaii highlighters will always be in my pencil case!
What products have you used up lately that you'll be repurchasing?
