Estée Lauder's Liquid Lip Potions

I can't believe it has taken me this long to blog about these, because I discovered them right at the beginning of the year, but I have never been a huge lipstick wearer. I love the thought of it but honestly, i'm quite lazy when it comes to my make up. I apply it first thing in the morning and don't touch it all day, bar a little powder if really necessary so lipstick to me is just a bit of a faff. However, I love the way it looks and the way it can finish a look so I decided to go on the hunt for some lipsticks that were easy to apply, of the liquid variety and had some staying power, but weren't a pain in the butt to get off.

Enter the Estee Lauder Liquid Lip Potions, basically the lipsticks of my dreams. 

As the name suggests they are in fact a liquid lipstick, that you apply with a doe foot applicator that is just the perfect size for following your lip line and filling in too, especially as it's built to be double sided. One side is curved to go over the contours of your lips and the other is flatter to help line and fill. It's also great at not picking up too much product so that it gets all over the place, you have the perfect amount to apply. They are super easy to apply and glide on with ease, you only need to go over your lips once for fully opaque colour and I also love the finish. It's not a gloss but it doesn't dry matte either, it's probably in the middle as some sort of satin finish and although it doesn't set per say, it also doesn't get everywhere either.

The pigmentation is amazing, as I said you only really need one coat to get the colour opaque and that's even with the lighter colours, as well as the dark ones. The lipsticks are packed with skin benefiting oils such as sunflower, avocado and jojoba as well as antioxidants. Something you may want to look out for if you have particularly sensitive lips is that they have added extra fragrance so for those of you who look to avoid scents, then maybe these ones aren't the ones for you. They come in a wide variety of shades, however not so many if you look at other lipstick offerings, but enough so that they have one of every kind of colour. They have a nude or two, a red, a purple and some pinks, so definitely something for everyone. Now although i've said they don't really go anywhere, they do still transfer if you're drinking or eating so do bare that in mind and if you want perfect coverage all day then you will have to reapply but it's super easy to do, any I love them none the less.

They're all packaged in the signature navy and gold tubes we have come to know and love from Estee Lauder, in a sleek square shape which are easy to keep in your make up bag or your handbag. I'm sure there are plenty of longer staying, maybe glossier or matter liquid lipsticks out there but if you're just looking for something easy and pigmented then these might be an option for you.

K|xo

Batiste Stylist Shield My Locks Heat & Shine Spray

As I started to explain in my favourites post, more often than not i'm an evening shower-er. I like to come home from work and have a long shower so I can condition my hair, shave my legs, scrub my skin and frankly I just don't have time for that in the mornings. I also use a fair amount of heat and put quite a lot of strain on my hair day-to-day so, if i can, I usually let my hair air-dry and/or sleep on it wet ready to be styled in the morning. However, what I have come to find is that the majority of heat protectant sprays are made to be used on wet hair. This baffles me because I cannot be the only human to need a heat protectant for my dry hair in the morning. I've often thought about using one that's made for wet hair on my dry hair but I have fairly fine hair and it doesn't need weighing down any more than it already does.

I did find one which was made by Mark Hill but he's recently revamped his whole haircare line, and has discontinued my favourite Turn Up The Heat Extreme Heat Protection Spray in favour of one that has to be used on wet hair, again. Well, it seems that Batiste could sense my needs because they've just come out with their Stylist range that's made to help style and finish your hair. They're most well known for their famous dry shampoos in every scent and colour, so these styling products are a game changer.

Although i've bought a few of the other products in the Stylist range, this is the first one i've road tested so can only speak for this one as of yet - but if the rest of the range is anything like this, i'm going to love it.

It's an aerosol can similar to their dry shampoos and it comes out like a somewhat powder formula that makes the hair slightly damp but dries almost instantly ones brushed through. It leaves your hair feeling so super silky and smooth, almost like you've just had your hair done and it certainly does add some shine like it's name suggests. It seems to help my straighteners glide through my hair and I don't have any problems with dryness, just shiny, straight locks.

It really is quite the unusual product, i've never seen anything like it's safe to say it's made it's way into my permanent haircare routine. I don't know where i'd be without it now!

K|xo

How Face Masks Have Saved My Skin

My skin has been a bit of a moment lately, breakouts left and right, uneven texture and frankly just looking a little dull, and lacklustre. Going along side this, something I haven't really spoken about but it's on the cards, is that i've been dating someone new lately and with that haven't quite been looking after my skin as I usually do. I've been spending a lot of time with him so haven't been keeping up with my usual skincare routine.

Things were getting a bit much, so I decided to take some time out for myself, thoroughly triple cleanse, tone and apply a face mask. I initially used my absolute favourite, which is the Aesop Parsley Seed Facial Cleansing Mask which just seems to help clear up anything that my face is struggling with, as well as smooth out any uneven texture. The clay pulls out the impurities and the Aloe Vera stops your skin feeling tight and dehydrated. It also contains rosehip and parsley seed to perk up your skin with plenty of antioxidants. It's amazing for oily/combo girls like myself, because as well as all of that it helps balance any crazy skin factors.

Later the same week I went for the Origins Out of Trouble 10 Minute Mask to Rescue Problem Skin, which is really minty and tingles slightly which always lets me know that it's doing it's thing. This one, again, is targeted for us oily skin ladies as it helps to get rid of excess oil and sebum. It aims to "sop up oily-shine, slough off sticky, dead cells, and sweep away irksome debris" as well as calm using Camphor and Salicylic Acid to shed away any problems.

Lastly, I used the Pixi Glow Mud Mask. You leave this one on for 15 minutes in order to purify your skin and let it draw out embedded impurities, to create clarity. This one contains "soothing aloe vera, rejuvenating rosemary, brightening ginseng and healing jojoba – to instantly ‘perk up’ lacklustre complexions and help to prevent dreaded breakouts." It's great for, not only, when your skin is having a mild freak out but it's also great for bring back some glow and life back into your skin. It's designed to soothe, decongest, plump and glow.

These three little beauties have really helped me reign my skin back in when, maybe, i'm not taking care of it quite as well as I should be but i'm busy living life and anything that's a quick fix is perfect for me right now.

K|xo