collection

Becoming a #skinfluencer for Dermalogica

Beauty

Today’s blog post is pretty exciting because I can say with all the excitement that I am a #skinfluencer for Dermalogica! This is a pretty big deal, quite possibly one of the biggest companies I’ve ever worked with and they sent me an amazing package of skincare goodies to try out!

I am just obsessed with the packaging, so simple yet so chic and tidy looking. I am so grateful so be adding another 5 products to my skincare/makeup routine over the next few months!

The pre cleanse is such a unique idea to include in a skincare line, a lot of people hair assume because you’ve washed your face once or wiped it with a face wipe it’s clean, but the reality is that it isn’t, in fact there is loads of make up still left on your skin. The pre cleanse is an oil which you massage into your skin and it melts away make up and impurities creating a clean base for cleanser.

The special cleansing gel contains mint and lavender to soothe the skin and other ingredients which foam away toxins and debris, basically creating a squeaky clean face ready for the rest of your skincare routine. I really like the fact that it’s not heavily scented and it that it doesn’t contain soap!

This has to be my favourite product of the bunch, the daily microfoliant. This is a powder made from rice extract which when added to wet hands creates a scrub which gently exfoliates your skin to make it brighter whilst calming it. And the best part is, you can use it every day!

The final skincare product is a daily moisturiser, this is a skin smoothing cream, designed to soothe, hydrate, restore suppleness and tone.

I was also sent one make up product, the skin perfecting primer, this is the only one I have yet to try. It smoothes fine lines, brightens and preps the skin ready for make up. From my initial impressions of trying a small bit on my hand, the smell is amazing, and it comes out skin coloured which reminds me of Porefessional by Benefit, however I can see a glow so I am going to try this out tomorrow because I am so intrigued!

Have you tried any Dermalogica? Let me know in the comments! Xx

Why I’m ditching foundation |Foundation free make up routine

Beauty

Today’s post is a little bit of a different one, we’re talking about my skin, since I ever started wearing make up back in high school I have always worn foundation, powder and mascara. They were my first ever products I wore, I of course wear loads more now and look a lot more put together. I always felt like I needed to over my skin, my skin has good days and bad days, like everyone’s.

When I was on holiday last week I was tanning, and because I wear sunscreen on my face my face wasn’t matching the rest of my body, this meant it was then having to mix in darkening drops into my foundation in order to match.

Wearing foundation on holiday is just effort, normally it’s so hot you just feel like a melted mess, and why cover up just for a couple of hours in the evening, why not jus the foundation free the whole day.

I am only 6 days into not wearing any foundation, but I have noticed a huge difference in my skin. I am still getting spots, but parts of my face look a lot clearer and the texture looks so much better!

Saying “don’t wear foundation” is easier said than done, you still feel naked with a bare face, that’s where the Isle Of Paradise Tanning Drops come into play. In the evenings I like to mix these with my moisturiser and when I wake up I have a really natural looking tan, there for taking away the main reason I was wearing foundation. I find the drops even put my skin tone and do cover up a lot of old scaring making me more confident.

So now onto the make up I have been wearing and loving for the past week!

I begin with priming my skin because I still want my make up to last a long time and also a lot of primers are smoothing and make your skin look great like this one from Dermalogica.

I still want to add a bit of colour and shape to my face so I use a cream contour stick on my cheeks and on my forehead to add some depth. I love the medium/dark cream contour from Tanya Burr Cosmetics and the Illamasqua Gel Sculpt.

Now onto my favourite discovery, the Arkana I-Tech Glow loose powder, I apply this all over my face to set the the cream bronzer and to create a matte finish. This powder is however not completely matte, it really reminds me of the Hourglass Mineral Veil, it has a slight shimmer to it which gives your face a really natural glow.

I have then been loving using the Sephora bronzer in the shade Caledonia, in the winter this is way to orange for me, but with a tan it works perfectly!

Next up I use a blush, the one I have been using recently is Nars Orgasm as it adds a pop or colour and a glow.

I then finish my face with a sweep of the Pixi Glow on my cheek bones.

I have been keeping my brows pretty natural for a while now and just using L’Oréal Brow Plumper to add a little texture and to keep them in place.

Finally for the eyes I have been using the L’Oréal Volume Million Lashes, this creates really long thick lashes! Lastly I use this gorgeous palette from Memi which has the prettiest warm shades in it perfect for the summer!

Let me know how you feel about not wearing foundation.

Thanks for reading xx

The prettiest lipsticks | Winky Lux

Beauty

A while ago I was sent some new lipsticks from Winky Lux which is a new brand selling in Boots, these have to be some of the prettiest lipsticks I now own! The packaging alone is gorgeous and the actual product is so unique!

I was lucky enough to be sent a lip gloss, lipstick and a lip balm, I decided I would take these on holiday as I though they would make the perfect holiday lip products and they did.

Disco Kitten Gloss

Have you ever seen something so glittery and pink! This is a major throwback to the 90s lip product, back to your childhood days! Unfortunately this is the one product I have yet to actually wear because I haven’t felt brave enough to rock a glitter lip! It is really pigmented and so glittery!

Lip Velour in the shade Heart

Pretty much all year round red is my go to lip shade, I love a red lip so finding new ones to add to my collection is just great. I think a really unique thing about the Winky Lux products is the size, they are much small and more compact than a tradition lipstick. This makes it so much easier to stick in your handbag and be able to use on the go. I wore this one night on holiday and found the lipstick was really easy to apply, it was really creamy and blended well, I’m sure it would of lasted a long time but I had to take off before I ate or I would of looked like a clown!

Winky Lux Glimmer Balm

I LOVE this balm so much! Basically I fell in love with the packaging, because how can you not, plus how beautiful is it on the inside! This is a colour changing lip balm which I believe changes shades on different people due to the ph levels on your lips. This is so easy to wear and just chuck on if your just spending the day at the pool or beach and want a bit of colour but not a full on lipstick. Even though it looks really glittery I didn’t find it came out to glittery on my lips which is good because I don’t want to look like a disco ball!

Thanks for reading xx

My current skincare routine

Beauty

Hey, today I thought I would share my current skincare routine which I am using now it’s a little bit warmer and sunnier!

First off I have become obsessed with the skincare company called the Beauty Kitchen, they have so many lovely products and kindly sent me a selection of them! I have been loving the Radiance Cleansing Gel, this glides over your face and removes all the impurities and it smells heavenly! All of their products smell so good! Once I have massaged the gel in I like to use a Konjac sponge to remove the gel, this also acts as a exfoliant.

Next I like to use Lush Ocean Salt a couple of times a week to exfoliate and because I love the smell of it so I can’t resist using it!

My favourite mask at the moment is the 5 minute miracle mask from the Beauty Kitchen, this smells the same as the cleanser. This plumps your skin whilst detoxing your skin.

For around 2 months I have been using Glossier Solution, initially I really did feel like it was working, but now I’m not 100% convinced so I don’t think I would purchase another bottle when I run out. I still use it religiously every night but I haven’t noticed a huge improvement in my skin.

A couple of times a week I use to the Lactic Acid serum from The Ordinary, this acts as another exfoliant reliving dead skin and helping with spots. I only use this sparingly as Glossier Solution contains lactic acid and I don’t want to over do it win exfoliants!

After all the cleansing and exfoliating I like to use an oil to add loads of hydration, I have been using one which was sent to me by Evoluderm which contains sweet almond oil to help soften and soothe the skin.

And the final step is moisturiser with a hint of fake tan, I have just been sent the Isle of Paradise tanning drops which you add to your moisturiser to wake up with glowing skin. I love these as they are not to over powering, they make your skin look naturally sun-kissed over night.

What are you favourite skincare products at the minute?

Victoria xx

How I make my skincare travel friendly

Beauty

If your a skincare junkie just like me then your going to want to take as much of your normal skincare on holiday with you, so today I am sharing with you my go to travel skincare items…

When your going on holiday you obviously don’t want to pack your whole skincare routine, you want to be able to pick out the products which are going to work the best for you whilst your away. I tend to pick products which are multi purpose or specifically targeted, such as a spot treatment because I know I will get spots whilst I am away.  I also know that because I will be wearing for over 8 hours a day I want to take some products to hydrate my skin and detox it.

I have managed to fit my skincare routine for 4 nights in just one half of this toiletry bag which I am pretty proud off!

Cleansing your skin is most probably the most important part of the whole routine because you need perfectly clean skin in order to proceed. I like to make sure I have a little selection of different cleansers, I can use the wipes and Eve Lom cleanser to remove the excess of my makeup followed by the Sunday Riley and Korres cleansers to clean my skin. I also find that every other night I need to scrub my face just to try and stay on top of spots, so I have a tiny scrub from Suki to use.

Glossier Solution is very well known by now and it is my staple that I use every night, where as I used to take 2 toners with me I now only will be taking Solution. As it is a very large bottle I will be decanting it into a recycled bottle which makes it much more travel friendly.

Ofcourse, it wouldnt be a skincare routine without a mask or three, much like the cleansers I am taking one which have different purposes. The Arkana Snow Fungas mask is hydrating and has load of really great ingredients in to make your skin look good, so I will be using this after the flight on night 1. I know I will need a clay mask at somepoint to help clear my skin up and get rid of the build up of bad stuff so I have packed a little pot of the L’oreal Purifying mask. You can get this mask along with the detox and glow mask in a little set of three from Superdrug. And finally another hydrating mask to add some extra moisture after wearing make up all day.

After using solutionI like to make sure that I hydrate my skin a lot so that it doesn’t dry out, I will either use the Firming Fiji Oil from Monuskin on its own or apply The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid first. If I have managed to get myself some spots on the trip I will be applying the Balance Me Congested Skin Serum to help clear them up. Finally I use a night cream for sensitive skin from Nivea as I find this isn’t as harsh on my skin as some other ones after using all these lotions and potions.

What skincare do you take with you when you go on holiday?

Don’t forget to come and follow me on Instagram @toriiitoriii to see all my holiday snaps this week!

Victoria xx

Friday Faves | 2

Beauty

I’m back with another Friday Faves post this week, I’ve gathered up a small selection of things I’ve been loving over the past couple of weeks.

Urban Decay Naked Heat Palette

For the past 3 months this has been my go to palette, I just love the shades and don’t seem to be picking up any other palette!

Glossier Haloscope Quartz

This highlighter is a god send, I’m so over using powder highlighters, cream highlighters look so much more natural and create the glowing from within effect. This highlighter looks better and better as the day goes on and creates he perfect glow!

Glossier Balmdotcom Rose

I recently just went a little crazy and bought 4 of these, I decided to try rose and coconut as I hadn’t had them before. Rose has more flavour and smell to it that coconut, but that does mean that I do find I lick my lips loads just so I can taste it! These balms last for such a long on your lips!

Lush Aqua Marina

I decided to pick up a new cleanser from Lush recently and opted for one which I had not heard a lot about. Initially I think the smell can be a little off putting as it’s very strong and smells like seaweed, but the it feels refreshing especially when you use it in the mornings to wash your face.

Glossier Solution

Ofcourse this bad boy has to make it into a favourites post, I have only been using it a week so far but I can already notice a difference! I will be doing a whole post on this shortly if you want to read more about it then come back soon!

Adexe Petite Sistine Rose Gold Watch

This is my favourite accessory at the moment, everytime I get dressed up this watch gets a day out too! I absolutely love the style and the colour, it makes it the perfect chic accessory which goes with any outfit!

Illamasqua Sculpting Gel

I’ve had this in my makeup collection for a over a year but only just tried it out using a brush to blend it and OMG, it is amazing! It creates the perfect, natural contour shade!

Tanya Burr Cosmetics Selfie Sculpt

I’m a huge fan of Tanya Burr Cosmetics and this brow pencil is one of my favourite products from her, I love how it creates really simple soft looking brows but create a natural define looked without looking like I’ve filled them in. Plus as it comes with a spooley brush which is always a plus so you don’t have to rummage through your make up bag trying to find one!

My top 5 Ordinary products

Beauty

For well over as year now I have been using a lot of The Ordinary in my skincare routine, I love how inexpensive these products are yet they contain loads of really great ingredients which are great for looking after your skin. I have tried quite the selection from them, but I have narrowed it all down to my top 5.

Hyaluronic Acid 

Hyalurnonic acid is a humectant, this means that it keeps the skin looking plump and hydrated which helps slow down the anti-aging process. I don’t use this every night, just when my skin feels like it needs an extra boost. The fact that this is a pretty effective product but only costs £6 means it should be a staple in everyone’s routine!

Argireline Solution

This solution claims to improve the appearance of fine lines and I’m pretty sure it does, although this solution is one that I do tend to forget about as I tend to use stronger serums, but when I do use this regularly I can notice a difference on my forehead lines, they become less obvious with regular use and I feel so much better about my skin. From what I have read online, argireline works but limiting the muscle movements (like Botox) to restrict facial expressions which cause wrinkles.

Alpha Lipoic Acid 

Alpha Lipoic Acid is a ‘high potent antioxidant’, it works like a chemical peel, removing dead skin cells and repairing skin damage by restoring vitamin e and c. It also works well as an anti-imflamatory reducing redness and in turn creating an even skin tone. I use this once or twice a week, especially when I have been having a bad skin day. This has got to be one of my favourite items, when I apply this my skin has a slight burning sensation, which should not be a good sign, but I feel like it is working and doing its job!

Lactic Acid

Lactic Acid is a mild exfoliatant which helps reduce acne breakouts and reduce the signs of ageing. Lactic Acid works to exfoliate your skin and remove the build up of dead skin cells, The Ordinary website says you can use this daily, I personally wouldn’t as I think it can be quite harsh on your skin and I’m worried about my skin reacting badly to it. I use this up to two times a week making sure I’ve left a day in-between this and the Alpha Lipoic Acid.

High-Adherence Silicone Primer

This primer is my absolute go to, this is currently my third tube of this because I use it every time I do my make up, in my eyes this is just as good at Benefit Porefessional primer. It applies so nicely to my skin, leaves it feeling really soft and even and foundation just glides on! For less that £4 it really is a steel!

The worst part about The Ordinary is that the products are so hard to get a hold off, I like to buy them all in one place but most the time half of what I need is out of stock so it has been a long time since I have placed an order. My biggest tip would be to buy in bulk if you find something which you love, that way you will always have back ups!

What products have you tried from The Ordinary?

Victoria xx

Everyday Beauty Heroes

Beauty

Today I’m sharing my everyday beauty essentials, these are products which I reach for near enough on a daily basis either when getting ready in the morning or getting ready for bed.

Dry Shampoo

I’m 99% sure dry shampoo or a substitute (talc) features in every girls morning process, if there is one thing I can’t stand it is greasy looking hair. As I use oil in my hair after washing my hair looks greasy by the morning, so dry shampoo is a staple.

Perfume 

Another item I’m sure exists in everyone’s routine is the spritzing of perfume or a body spray, who doesn’t want to smell nice the whole day and receive compliments? My go to perfumes for smelling amazing are Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh, this is a fresh floral scent which lingers for the whole day! My second pick is Wanderlust by Michael Kors which is a warm woody smell, this one will be particularly  great for summer!

Neal’s Yard Wild Rose Beauty Balm 

For the past few weeks I have been using the beauty balm as an extra moisturiser over night, I like to apply it to places which needs some extra loving such as under my eyes, around my nose, lips and on my forehead. The smell really reminds me of a spa, which makes it great for applying just before getting into bed as I find it relaxing.

Plum & Ashley Honey & Jojoba Oil Handcream

Hand cream is a fairly new addition to my beauty routine, but I figured I should take care of the skin on my hands as they probably take the most battering from the weather. I have been using this one from Plum & Ashley as I find it really hydrating, it rubs in easily and the smell is not to over powering.

Skin + Earth Face Scrub 

In order to keep my skin looking glowy, fresh and rejuvenated I like to use a face scrub 2 – 3 times a week to get rid of dead skin cells and get the blood pumping. This face scrub from Skin + Earth is all natural and it feels so great on my skin!

Do you have any beauty essentials? Let me know in the comments.

Victoria xx

What’s in the box? January Cohorted Box

Beauty

The lovely company Cohorted have sent me a third box to test out and review which is super nice them! I love receiving these boxes as I always know it will be amazing quality and this month has to be my favourite so far! This post is a little late going up as I had no time to take any photos since it arrived as I was away on holiday for two weekends! But now I’m back for a weekend I can finally get cracking with the photos…

I love skincare products, more than make up products I think so this box is a great one this month! It contains mainly facial products, a few body products and one make up product.

Skin Chemist Anti Ageing Charcoal Pore Peeling Mask

First up is my favourite one in the box, it’s the Skin Chemist Anti Ageing Charcoal Pore Peeling Mask. This is exactly what it says on the box, I have used this so much since receiving it, I like to use it every other night to give my skin a little boost. It also feels so good when you feel it off and it feels like it is giving your skin a really good clean as you peel.

Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Cleanser

When I saw that this was Sunday Riley product I got a little excited! I’ve seen and heard so many good things about this brand but have never gone out and bought anything myself. I’m really looking forward to trying this out, but as it’s only 30ml I will save this for a holiday as it’s the perfect travel size!

Lancôme Renergie Multi Lift

Next is an anti aging day cream from Lancôme, these are handy little moisturises for travelling or keeping in your handbag just in case you need some extra moisture when your out and about.

Wish Formula The Mask With Centella Honey Fermented Serum

This is a Korean face mask so automatically you know it’s gonna be a good one! The mask is designed to moisture and repair your skin. These type of masks are one of my favourites as they are really easy to apply and they feel really refreshing on your skin.

Marc Jacobs Re(cover) Setting Mist

This little beauty is also a very exciting product as I have never tied anything from Marc Jacobs before! This is the Re(cover) Perfecting Coconut Setting Mist which revives your glow and sets your make up. It hydrates your skin as well as keeping your make up in place all day!

Urban Veda Body Products

And lastly we have three body products from Urban Veda, a body wash, body lotion and body scrub whichall contain a lot of natural ingredients and smell amazing! I can’t wait to use these as they hydrate your skin, help with skin repair, soothe and boost circulation.

If you like the look of this box and want to subscribe head over to their website to check them out Here

Thanks for reading

Victoria xx

What’s in the box? Look Fantastic Beauty In Wonderland Box

Beauty

Welcome back to day 19 of Blogmas, this means that Christmas is approaching very fast now and more importantly this means that I finish work tomorrow! Today’s post is all about the Look Fantastic Sundcription Box for December.

I have to say, I wasn’t ever so impressed with the contents this month, and when compared to the Cohorted Box it really does not seem up to the same standard. In this months box there was only two full sized products.

This is my third box, and I believe I signed up for 6 months so I’ll be intrigued to see if it gets any better!

Initially the box gave me a really good impression, the pretty festive print on the inside looks really cute and unique. I also really like the outside of the box, dark navy blue with silver embossed writing makes it look really festive.

The first full sized product that jumps out the box is a mermaid blue bath from Bubble T, this bomb is exclusive to the box. I have always wanted to try their products, so I’m looking forward to being able to test this out.

The next and second full size product is a golden packaged lipstick from the brand MDM Flow. When I looked at the lipstick initially I was kind of shocked about the shade, it didn’t look all too amazing. But actually once it’s swatched it gave me real Velvet Teddy vibes. This shade supposedly suits all skin tones! This lipstick details for £18!

Next up is an anti aging serum from Gatineau, this is an ultimate smoothing serum with collagen. As you can see this is a very tiny bottle, but tiny bottles do come in handy for travelling so that I can be grateful for.

Then there is a hand cream from Polaar, this is the genuine Lapland cream and was made to rescue hands from really cold weather. It keeps your hands soft and hydrated and acts as a protective glove which I think will be really handy as I’m going to be out in the weather a lot of December.

The penultimate product is a day cream from Figs and Rouge, this cream diminish the imperfections and evens out skin tone and will keep your skin looking flowing throughout winter.

And finally, the tiniest pot of foaming cleansing exfoliator by the brand Suki. It smells really fresh and lemony. This little pot will be perfect to take with me for my one night in London.Did you get this months box? What did you think?

Victoria xx

What’s in the box? Cohorted December Box

Beauty

Hello and welcome back to day 16 of blogmas and December! Less than 10 days now until the big day! Today’s blogpost is a review of the Cohorted December box which was kindly gifted to me!

The Cohorted Box always looks so sleek and stylish and it’s such a treat to see what’s inside! I feel like this box could never disappoint, especially considering the box is worth 3 times as much as what you pay for it!

Cargo Emerald City Palette £35

This is the first palette I’ve seen from Cargo, my first impressions are how festive it is! The green is such a beautiful colour, although these really aren’t my shades which makes me really sad! But the names of each shadow is perfect, it made me super happy and nostalgic when I realised they are names after places in Seattle which is one of my favourite cities!

Tarte Tartiest Glossy Lip Paint £21

When I saw this in the box I screamed a little bit with happiness, I have wanted to try anything from Tate for the longest time! This is in the shade Obvi and it’s a really nice warmed toned peachy nude! I love wearing a nude lip for work so this will be perfect!

Eyeko Liquid Liner

This is a really cute compact black liquid eye liner from Eyeko which is a fairly expensive brand so it’s nice to be able to try out a smaller size before buying a full-size. I love the idea and the look of winged liner but I cannot do it for the life of me! I want to be able to, but I just cannot do it! So I probably won’t get much use out of this, although I will have a practice!

Becca Cosmetics Shadow & Light Brow Contour Mousse £18

Initially when I saw this little pot I thought it was an eye shadow, but no, it’s eye brow mousse! I have been using this non stop since receiving the box and am obsessed with it! This definitely has to be the star of the box! It creates really precise strokes and it’s really easy to build up or have really natural brows! Definitely my favourite product of the box and I will get so much use out of it!

What do you think of this box?

Fancy getting one yourself, click here

Victoria xx

Bourjois Influenster Box

Beauty

When this little box turned up on my doorstep I was rather excited, this is the second box I have revived free from Influenster. Influenster is a website (app) where you can review your favourite products and you can get picked to review brands by receiving the products free. This box contains some rather lovely Bourjois goodies which all look amazing!

When I opened the box I really did not expect to see this many products! I have only ever tried on concealer from Bourjois and that was it, now I have had a full chance to try loads! The box contained a foundation, concealer, blusher, mascara and 3 metallic lip creams.

The foundation has been on my list to try for quite a while, but I’m always hesitant about trying new foundations because I need them to last and hold up throughout the day. I was so presently surprised after trying this one out!

It has really good coverage and blends lovely, it doesn’t even look like you have foundation on which I really like. The bottle says it lasts for 16 hours, but I have only tried it for about 10 hours and I’m pretty impressed with it. I have been wearing it every day for work since receiving it instead of my trusty Mac foundation and don’t plan on switching back any time soon.

They also sent the matching concealer which once again I am really impressed with. I already own the Radiance Reveal concealer and love that, this one lives up to the same high standards!

This mascara is my go to right now, it’s the only one I’ve been using for about 3 weeks! It gives so much volume and length and makes your lashes look like supermodels!

The eye shadow palette is really pretty and I love concept of only have a few shades but I tend to stay away from cool tones, that being said I have worn this once so far and I didn’t totally hate it on me. With a little bit of a warm toned brown added I can make it work for me!

The metallic lip creams are less up my street, I would have much preferred the lipsticks instead because I just won’t get the wear out of these. I may wear the pink one over Christmas but dont hold me to it!

The product itself is really soft and they glide on really easy making for great application.

Have you tried anything from Bourjois?

Victoria xx