Late to the Party

I've been making a concerted effort to get through some of the products which have been in my stash for the longest. Slowly and steadily!   WR - Will repurchase or have already repurchased. MR - May repurchase at a later date when other products have been used up first. WNR - Will not repurchase. Didn't like or didn't work for me. Or too expensive!   * Andalou Naturals - 1000 Roses Floral Toner MR This was a T.K Maxx find and I really enjoyed using this as a morning cleanser. I did have to decant it into another bottle though as the spray was far too fierce on this. Would repurchase in the future if I saw it at a lower price again.   * CosRX - Low PH Good Morning Gel Cleanser WNR Although this is an iconic cleanser for many, it was just kind of okay for me. It would have been perfect for my teenage son and I would buy him another, if only he'd actually use it!   * Naturally Thinking - Manuka Floral Water WR I actually finished thi...

  Ooh, but it feels like a fab month for new discoveries! I've bought some stuff, been sent some stuff, eyed-up new stuff and wanted new stuff and pretty much all of it has been outstanding stuff!   Here are just some of the high-lights from the March Stuff-athon:     Flower Beauty - Light Illusion Foundation I did actually tell myself that I was to absolutely not buy anymore foundations until I had finished up at least two from my current stash! But I was absolutely intrigued when I saw that Flower Beauty by Drew Barrymore was being stocked in Superdrug. I took a gamble and ordered some online without testing the product in store first. The shade I wanted was out of stock for weeks online but as soon as it became available, I ordered immediately. Luckily the gamble paid off - the shade 'Nude' was a perfect match for my skin and the foundation itself if bloody fantastic. I've written a post about my first impressions HERE.   B...

  Flower Beauty ~ Light Illusion Foundation £12.99 at Superdrug BUY HERE   I'd never heard of Flower Beauty before, let alone that it was a cruelty-free makeup range by Drew Barrymore. And I'll be honest, I bought it because I liked the look and sound of it! It took a while to get my hands on some too. Superdrug announced that they would be stocking the brand, although it must be available only in the bigger stores as it's not yet reached Norwich and I had to buy this online - completely without testing it first or even being sure about a colour match.   The shade I opted for, 'Nude', was unavailable for ages online but as soon as I got the notification email that it was back in stock, I ordered right away.   I'm not generally keen on buying foundations online without having first at least gotten a colour match - usually, this spells disaster and a product that I end up discarding quite quickly. But I struck gold with choosing the 'Nude...

  Annabelle Minerals     Who? Annabelle Minerals is a Polish brand whose products contain just four ingredients - Mica - to illuminate; Zinc Oxide - gives a matte effect; Titanium Oxide - for perfect coverage and also providing UVA/UVB protection with SPF value of 15 and iron oxide - ultramarine colouring. Their products are 100% Organic; paraben-free, silicone-free and don't contain any preservatives, parfum or phthalates. They are not tested on animals and are suitable for vegetarians and vegans.   Where to buy After recently receiving some samples of Annabelle Minerals matte powder foundation, it absolutely changed the previously held views I had about powder/mineral foundations! I had wrongly assumed that they would just sit on top of my skin making me look all powdery and cakey - but it's definitely always worth challenging your own (often erroneous) views and trying something before you jump to conclusions. I'm really so glad that I go...

  I managed to be reasonably restrained this year with new purchases, focusing instead on what I already had in my stash and using items up before buying new ones. But 2018 still managed to be a year for new discoveries - in particular, I found myself veering into the 'Natural & Clean Beauty' lane.  I've been really enjoying, and seeing the benefit of clean, simple, natural and organic ingredients; reduced wasteful packaging; buying from British indie skincare brands and an altogether more sensory self-care experience.    Here are my favourites from 2018:   SKINCARE   First Cleanse   A.Florence Skincare - Balm to Milk Cleanser RRP £13.00 35ml This was very tricky to pick one favourite as I love all of my cleansing balms (I'd always choose a balm over an oil or a cream cleanser). But the A.Florence balm to milk cleanser was my favourite discovery of the year. With a beautiful sherbet scent, this balm cleanser...