Soap & Glory Minis!

Firstly, sorry for disappearing! One thing & another has been occurring recently. Anyway, I am back with a delicious review for you! I've always wanted to try Soap & Glory's products, from make up, to skincare. I've always heard positive reviews. Luckily for me, my other half surprised me with these when I was ill, which is really sweet. I'm so happy with what I chose for me! I love these. I honestly do not have a bad thing to say about the, so you're in for a positively glorious review!

Scrub Em And Leave Em..

As you can see, this is a beautiful sugary textured scrub. This applies to your skin, so gently, yet powerful enough to buff away at your dead skin, to reveal beautifully replenished, glowing skin. I feel so healthy & revived after using this.

A body buff, from Soap & Glory, containing babassu oil, sea salt & moisturising jojoba & mandarin oils. Scented with Mist You Madly's beautiful noted of bergamot, blackcurrant, magnolia, freesia, vanilla & musk. - Boots.

The Daily Smooth Body Butter..

This has a lovely thick consistency, which is perfectly rich. However, this doesn't apply heavily, feeling as though its clogging your skin, which is great! You don't often find body butters in a tube container, so I was thrilled to see this. As its a mini, also, its perfect for travelling or storing on your vanity table, which won't cause too much clutter! This is the perfect complimentary product to the Body Buff. 

New to Soap & Glory? I'd highly recommend these two as starters!

Divide a small plum-sized splodge of The Daily Smooth between shins, knees, thighs, elbows tops of toes & then everywhere else. Massage around until it starts to sink in. - Boots.

Hand Food..

As far as hand creams are concerned, I've rarely been a fan. I always tend to feel irritated by product still lingering on my hands, then feeling as if you'd rather wash it off afterwards. Defying the point, really! However, I have heard nothing bit amazing things about this hyped up product. Firstly, I adore the name. You genuinely are feeding this to your hands, leaving them feeling moisturised, supple & soft. I don't find this product leaving my hands feeling greasy, or product residue still on my hands. The product its self is again, relatively thick, however, it immediately turns into a silky formulation, which glides through your fingers & your hands. You can see from the comparison, between the blended Body Buff product & the Hand Food product, that the above is a lot more thick & matte, where as the texture of the hand cream is beautifully glossy & smooth. The scent is absolutely divine, too! I always wondered whether this was just a hyped up product, mainly purchased for that one reason, however, I would without a doubt repurchase this!

Soap & Glory Hand Food Hand Cream is super-silky gorgeously-scented hydrating hand cream featuring fennel & lotus flower extracts, which leaves your hands super smooth. - Boots.

So, that's my very first Soap & Glory products that I own! There is so many others I want to try dip my fingers into. Any recommendations would be great!

Thank you!

LuceeLovesBeautyBox.

xxx

A little apology..

Unfortunately, I have been so busy lately. I always thought when I read people said this, that its a poor excuse, or it would only take half an hour to write a post. Although, now I am in the same situation - I know exactly how parents, workaholics, students, etc feel! I would much prefer to give a good quality content blog post, at least once a week, than a rushed little natter, which doesn't portray the positive outcome.

Well, this all explains my lack of posts! For anyone that has been in the same pickle, you will know how disappointing it is not not be able to blog as much as you would like. However! The Easter Holidays are coming up soon, so I'm very excited to cram in lots of reviews & what not! I've has so many ides & thoughts buzzing around, I can't wait to show you all them!


So, here is my sincere apology for not posting as many posts as I would have liked, for my lovely readers.
I feel I've had so much support upon creating my blog, for which I appreciate so much!
I can't wait to return to my original blogger self. I have missed it!

Thank you!

LuceeLovesBeautyBox.

xxx

Spring Pastels: Barry M Strawberry Ice Cream

I scrambled through all of my nail polishes to decided which one to coat my nails with. I feel like I'm in a tad of a rut, as far as nail polishes are concerned. As many of them I own, I still can't decide on which to apply! I thought I would try Barry M's Nail Paint in Strawberry Ice Cream, as I felt as though I have neglected it recently, as I tend to use this as a Summer colour. As we're into Spring, I thought this would fit perfectly into the pastels trend!

 For anyone that reads my blog posts, you will be aware I am obsessed with nail polishes, especially Barry M's. I have written a blog post on my collection, which you can read here! I love their vast range of colours, & they're trusted formulation. 

However, since applying this one, I remembered why I rarely use this one. I find this has a different formula & texture to the other one's I own. Whether this is just a faulty polish, or not, I find that it has a very much different consistency to the others. With some of Barry M's polishes, you can get away with applying one coat, whereas this, you unfortunately can't. As you can see from applying recommended two coats, this leaves the finish looking already worn & not neat & tidy. 

As I have mentioned tonnes in previous nail blog posts, I tend to apply my nail polish, not necessarily as neat as possible. As long as I coat my nails, I find throughout the rest of the evening, general housework, etc, removes the excess polish on the skin, around my nails. As lazy as this sounds, it suits me perfectly!

 From what I can gather, I personally believe this polish doesn't have a glossy formulation, that will sit perfectly into your nail bed & against your cuticles, which is why I can't achieve a perfected manicure, however, I can work past this, purely for its beautiful colour. 

Its a gorgeous block, matte (as in no shimmers), Spring/Summery, neutral pink, that I find suits all skin tones, as well as long/short nails. Once applied, this does leave a lovely finish to the nail. I contemplated adding some silver nail art to the nail, however, I thought this look pretty enough as it was. This colour is perfect for this current trend of pastels.

I'm so in love with this colour, I'm contemplating purchasing Berry Ice Cream, a gorgeous lilac colour! Peach Melba is also on my wish list. I could go on!..

If you have any questions, queries, etc, please do not hesitate to ask!

Thank you!

LuceeLovesBeautyBox.

xxx

LUSH Space Girl!

After an early weekend & an anniversary with my other half, I thought I would treat myself to a LUSH treat, in the form of Space Girl! This immediately caught my eye, as it looks so futuristic & glittery! Now I'm sure I am not the only one to be in love with literally any LUSH products, so it was tricky to choose just one! As soon as I entered the store, I'm always overwhelmed by all of the wonderful scents, that fill up in your nose! However, this particular one has a gorgeous scent, which I found to be exactly like Parma Violets (something which I haven't had in years, which I now intend to pick up)! This is quite a large Bath Bomb, which could easily do two baths, however, I plan to be greedy & use all of it up in one! As I looked it up online to find links, so on & forth with, I discovered this has popping candy inside! How amazing?! This is also dusted with some very pretty warm toned glitter, which perfectly compliments the lilac!

"Do you sometimes feel like you're on a different planet? Don't feel alien - retreat to the bathroom to float in your own personal space until you feel ready to touch down" - LUSH.

This leaves your bath water a gorgeous lavender colour, which isn't too off-putting, which some of their products can create! I also found that this Bath Bomb didn't leave a film, oily residue throughout bathing, which I've fund to happen with some before. This is definitely a products that I will re-purchase. 
The most amazing, surprising thing I discovered about this Bath Bomb, is it contains popping candy! Such a strange sound to hear from your bath tub, but I certainly enjoyed it! 


Have you experienced Space Girl?
What's your favourite LUSH product? 


Thank you!


LuceeLovesBeautyBox.


xxx

Drugstore Favourites!

These are a handful of products, that are mostly available in Boots stores, which I love! I'm a huge believer in affordable products, as not all need to be high end, to be good! Anyway, I have a selection of moisturisers, that I switch between, depending on the day, my mood, what I feel like, etc. Some of these I have tended to forget to use, others are newly acquired ones. You'll be safe to know these are all drugstore products, that I genuinely use.

L-R: Dove Visible Effects Nourishing Body Lotion, ASDA Skin System Young Skin Matt Finish Moisturiser, Simple Kind To Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser & Clean & Clear Shine Control Daily Facial Moisturiser

L-R: Nivea Pearl & Beauty Deodorant, Dove Visible Effects Nourishing Hand Cream, Bio-Oil, V05 Miracle Concentrate Elixir with Argon Oil & Nivea Soothe & Protect Lip Care

 I firstly received the Dove Moisturiser as a set for Christmas, & I think its wonderful! It applies lovely to your skin, without it feeling sticky. Same goes for the matching hand cream. I rarely use hand cream, usually because I don't find the need for it, its an extra thing I could go without & they tend to leave a residue on your hands that quite frankly, annoys me. However, these leave your skin moisturised, from when I bathe at night, till the next night.

As for the face moisturisers, it depends on what my skin is feeling like when I wake up. Some mornings, my skin is still moisturised from the night before's night cream, so I don;t feel the need to re-moisturise. However, some mornings, I feel I need an extra injection of moisture, which also helps my foundation blend beautifully. I bought the ASDA Matt one a while back, just on a whim as I saw it. I like to use this if I just want to apply a moisturiser during the day, as it gives a matte finish, rather than the glossy, wet looking one, as some do, if you don't intend on applying make up.

I received the Simple one as a set for Christmas, again. I would definitely repurchase this. I love all of the Simple products, as they are so gentle. This hydrates your skin, perfectly, making your foundation a dream to work with.

Lastly, is the Clean & Clear one, which again, I bought on a whim. I love trying new, inexpensive products, as if they do nothing for you, you've not wasted a huge sum of money, which is great if you suffer from sensitive, break out prone skin. This one is lovely & light. I used to use this before the Simple one, although this is just as good.

Nivea! Cannot go wrong with this brand! I've had this deodrant before, so I decided to re-purchase. When it comes to deodorants, I'm up for anything new. As long as they do the job! I'm unsure whether this does release pearl extracts, although, the concept makes me feel very glamorous, so that's good enough for me!

Bio-Oil. We've all heard of it. I've had mine for a while, only remembering I owned it. I'm hopefully going to start keeping this in my skin care regime, & pray it does wonders! This is a product that's you need time & patience for results. The actual product sinks into your skin, leaving it feel very soft, & not sticky. You can also add a few drops of this to your bath, which I do need to try!

The V05 Miracle Concentrate Oil is a new product of mine, which I recently bought in a blog sale. I'm planning on doing a review if anyone is interested? I was unsure of what this would so for me. So far, I love this. I like to sue this on my damp hair, through the ends, & blow dry. This leaves my hair silky soft & manageable. Its a lovely product to instantly add moisture!

Lastly, Nivea's Soothe & Protect Lip Care. I keep this on my bed side table & apply at night when my lips aren't feeling their best. I wouldn't definitely re-purchase this, especially since I'm running out! This coats your lips lovely, not irritable, as some lip products make me feel like I just want to wipe it off. By morning, my lips are as good as new. Also this contains SPF 15, which is always a bonus!

So, there you have it. A selection of my drugstore favourites. They are all budget friendly, & importantly, do the job!

I hope you enjoyed this little post!

Let me know your favourite drugstore products, I'm always on the look out!

If you would like any individual reviews, I would be more than happy do to so!

Thank you!

LuceeLovesBeautyBox.

xxx

Foundations & I

My skin type & foundation issues:

I've found myself trying different foundations over the years, in search of a one, perfectly suited to me, For now, I think I've found it. I've been tackling an issue, between my skin type & foundation formulation for sometime, until I came to the conclusion I needed to change my routine. I have combination skin, which sometimes it makes it difficult for me to find a product suited for my skin. After a bath, I apply a night cream, every night without fail, as I know I need as much moisture as I can during the night, to soak in as I sleep. My skin always feels lovely, supple & moisturised, until I wake up. I find it changes & becomes noticeably drier. So, you can imagine my frustration. I apply a light moisturiser in the morning, that won't make my skin oily throughout the day & then continue to my foundation routine. 

Before I realised what product I personally needed, I purchased No7's Beautifully Matte, spontaneously. This is genuinely a beautiful foundation - for the right skin type, however, I found after a few months of use, I was initially applying a a dry formula to dry skin. 

I reverted to an old forgotten favourite of mine, which is Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid. I can't express how happy I am to have re-purchased this. This is a light to medium formulation, which hydrates my drier skin, without making me oily through the day. I knew I needed a liquid foundation, compared to the thicker consistency in the No7 one. My skin has a revitalised, illuminated look to it now, rather than a dull complexion, that I was unhappy with.

Consistency, formulation & texture:
Concealer:
After some time, I have realised what bests suits my skin, & what doesn't. Where concealers are concerned, I have used the No7 one for as long as I can remember. Its a medium to thick coverage, with a soft, thick consistency. On moisturised skin, this blends beautifully & evenly, with not much effort. I've been comfortably happy with this, until Collection 2000's came on to the make up scene. I waited quite a while, until finally caving & purchasing it, as I was initially quite content with what I already used. I tend to only change my products when one runs out, to save myself having drawers full of half used make up.
I've found the No7's formulation to be best suited for blemishes & dark circle concealment, where as the Collection 2000, I personally prefer for under the eyes. Its a lot for illumination & brightening, which is what you essentially need for dark circles, & not to highlight blemishes. The Collection 2000 is in my opinion, best for all skin types. Its a liquid formulation, with a smooth, fluid, bendable texture. I don;t believe the coverage & outcome of this product on the skin, would be affected, whether you have oily, dry or combination skin, compared to the No7, as its a dry, thick formula, best suited applied over a moisturised area. I'm perfectly happy using both of these on my skin type, however, I would be more preferable to use Collection 2000 under my eyes, to illuminate, & the No7 to conceal & cover.

L-R: No7 Quick Cover Concealer,  Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer, No7 Beautifully Matte, Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid - Swatch.

L-R: No7 Quick Cover Concealer,  Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer, No7 Beautifully Matte, Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid - Blended

Foundation:
I have used these both for a considerable amount of time, so I feel I'm quite confident in knowing which is best suited for what.
 No7 Beautifully matte is a noticeably thicker consistency, which is great for someone needing more coverage, however, as its a matte finish, I found I had to work very quickly with this product, before it set. I also found I didn't need powder, as it will create a matte finish. As I have combination skin, plus the formulation of this product, it highlighted dry sections of my skin, no matter how much I  drenched my skin in moisturiser. This became a problem for me, although I didn't acknowledge & change it until I almost finished the product. After having this problem, I realised I needed something that would moisturise my skin, as well as applying coverage. This came in the form of Maybelline's Dream Satin Liquid. This would happily sink into my skin, giving me a healthy, illuminated, flawless finish. I found that this was exactly what I needed as soon as I applied this. I found throughout the day I didn't become oily, or at least it didn't show.

My views:
Essentially, finding your perfect foundation for your specific skin type is a personal journey. No article, blog, sale assistant, etc can inform you of exactly what you need. If they did, no-one would have difficulties in purchasing & regretting products. Overall, I have combination skin, drier throughout the morning, slightly oily throughout the day, & nicely moisturised throughout the night, so it became quite a task finding exactly what I need. It took various foundations & techniques to determine what I needed, & I got there in the end. No doubt will I change up my products & routine, as my skin will change from time to time, whether its because of age, or weather. There is lots of factors to your skincare & make up to bear in mind.

I hope this helps anyone out there, finding it difficult to determine a specific product for you skin type. Its a journey that will be unsuccessful & successful. Have you found your dream foundation?

Thank you!

LuceeLovesBeautyBox.

xxx