Eucerin Day & Night Cream || Review

  I have never really used a specific day or night cream before, for daytime I just used a regular moisturiser and when it came to night time I'd either use the same one or a blemish targeted one. However when these dropped through the letterbox I thought I'd give them a go. They've been sat in my drawer of products to try out for a while until my regular moisturisers ran out and I was quite keen to try out using a specific cream for day and night time. Both jars contain 50ml of product and are very sturdy with a screw on lid which I personally prefer to a tube because it feels much more high end.

 Both these products are targeted towards evening out skin tone and reducing the appearance of pigmentation spots such as dark patches, age spots and freckles which make the skin look less bright and less even. This can happen for numerous reasons such as hormonal influences, sunlight exposure and oxidative stress. I personally don't really have any of these issues with my skin but I did notice that my skin tone looked more even and had less redness from spots that had left behind viscous marks.

 Since I was trying these out I thought I would do some research into the importance of using a moisturiser specifically targeted for the time of day that you're applying it at. Day creams are a lot thinner in consistency which I noticed with these creams, they also contain ingredients to protect skin from UV rays. The Eucerin one has SPF 30 is a lot higher than what most daily moisturisers offer. They also contain less oil than night creams because obviously during the day you don't want to be walking about with a greasy, shiny face. This moisturiser has a lovely consistency that is just right for hydrating the skin without leaving it shiny or having to wait ages for it to soak in. Generally after I've applied it by the time I pick up my foundation and brush it's all soaked in. My foundation always applies lovely on top of it too. This retails for £22.50 and you can buy it from both Boots and Escentual.

  The night cream is much thicker than the day cream and the purpose of it is that its heavier and more moisturising to replenish your skin with the nutrients that it needs. Night creams also contain more nutrients because your skin has time to absorb them during the night. The texture of this cream was lovely and a little goes a long way and my skin always feels amazing the morning after using it. The night cream is also available from Boots and Escentual for £23.50.

Have you tried any Eucerin products? What did you think of them?

Lots of Love,

♥

Rimmel Scandaleyes Nude Liner || Review

 This product was something I hunted high and low for including rummaging through Boots drawers to no avail so when I eventually managed to find it I snapped it up. This was a while back and I used it one or two times but then kind of forgot about it but recently I've rediscovered it and just had to do a review post on it.

The logic behind nude eyeliners is that they make your eyes look bigger by creating the illusion that the whites of your eyes are going on further than they actually do. To achieve this look you apply a nude eyeliner into the waterline of your eyes. I kind of had my doubts about this idea because I didn't see how a nude liner could make the whites of your eyes appear bigger but a few of my close friends adore this product so I had to try it for myself. It does really work, the minute you apply this you can see that it opens up your eyes and instantly makes them look brighter and whiter.

 The liner itself is so creamy too and it glides on really nicely. It's a pigmented product too so I'm very tempted to pick it up in black when my black eyeliner pencil runs out because I'm a bit of a whore when it comes to eyeliners. I haven't really found my holygrail eyeliner in pencil form yet! I found that this stayed put all day due to its almost waxy texture which helped keep me look awake despite having been woken up several times in the night by a puppy!!

This only costs £3.99 from Boots or Superdrug so is well worth picking it up if you get the chance (can find it!!) Have you tried it?

Lots of Love,

♥

Maybelline The Falsies || Review

 As a lot of you know when it comes to mascara, I very much had the view that it was high end or the high way. However, my trust in drugstore mascara's was restored after trying the Rimmel Scandaleyes flex one that I got for free which I have gone on and on and on about multiple times and repurchased several times. However, the past few times I've been in Boots and Superdrug it's not been there so I'm assuming it must have been discontinued, if anybody knows then let me know in the comments.

 So once I'd got over my devastation it was either try out another drugstore mascara and hope for the best or go back to using They're Real by Benefit which is obviously much more expensive. After much deliberating I decided to go for Maybellines famous Falsies mascara because everyone seems to love it. Plus it had been a mascara I had wanted to try for a while but having tried so many 'hyped up' drug store mascara's previously and had them do absolutely nothing for my lashes I wasn't convinced enough. I'm super glad I tried this now because it's absolutely amazing. I wasn't sure which one it was everyone raves about either because there seems to be about 5 versions of this mascara but I eventually decided upon the flared one. It's just as good as my Rimmel one that I was in love with so I'm really happy I found a new holy grail mascara painlessly!

 It has a curved wand which I'm not fussed about but apparently it helps to lengthen the lashes and add volume. The idea is that you use the spoon side of the applicator and then flip it over and use the straighter side. I'd be lying if I said I did that, I just use whatever side of the applicator I pull out first and it still gives my eyelashes amazing definition. I don't think I will ever try another mascara again because I've found something that works (unless this gets discontinued of course... there will be war if it does).

Have you tried Maybelline the Falsies mascara? Which one and what did you think of it?

Lots of Love,

♥

Clinique Pore Refining || Review

  I have been on the hunt for a decent pore correcting treatment for the longest period of time. I have more of a problem with large pores than I do with spots or any other skin complaint. It's always something I've been majorly self conscious of and the main reason that I like to wear foundation other than to add a little bit of colour to my skin. So having tried a fair few different pore products and had them make zero amount of difference I know when I've found myself a good one.

 Clinique has a series of products that are targeted for helping to both disguise pores and shrink them. The one that interested me the most was the pore correcting serum because it's actually targeted at fixing the problem instead of disguising it which I haven't seen a product for before so I was really excited to try it. When I tried it, like the bottle promised I would, I noticed a difference the first time I used it, not a massive one but big enough of a change that I visibly noticed it. I used it alone for a few days and then after reading the packets on how they were meant to be used I used it with two of Clinique's other pore products after it. The concept behind this product is that it clears out dead skin and other debris that may be inside the pores to resurface them and the idea is that the pores will 'snap back into shape' because whatever the reason for them being large is being removed. Clinique guarantee that by using this product after two weeks you'll notice pores are 58% smaller. I use the pore correcting serum by itself at night time and in the morning I follow it up with two of Clinique's other pore targeted products. This retails for £39 which is way more than I normally would pay for a skincare product but I don't mind spending money on a product that works so this will definitely be getting repurchased.

 The second product I use in the mornings after I have applied my pore correcting serum is the pore refining stay matte hydrator. The concept of this product is to mattify the skin whilst hydrating it and it helps to keep excess oil and shine at bay for 8 hours. This is actually meant to be used twice a day after cleansing but I've only been using it in the mornings because I personally don't see why my skin needs to stay matte during the night?? (just me??). I feel this has really helped add to my pores shrinking and I really have noticed a massive difference since using the two products together. The stay matte hydrator is £34.

 The last product from my pore trio that I have been using is more of a Porefessional or Maybelline baby skin esque product (but much better) that is targeted towards disguising rather than curing. I had very high doubts for this product cause I'm yet to try a pore 'hider' that actually does what it's meant to do, make my pores either invisible or smaller. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this one which claims to make pores smooth and virtually flawless. I wouldn't say it made my pores flawless without any form of make up on, it did smooth over them and help hide them but with make up on it without a doubt makes your pores almost flawless. This retails for £20 (15ml) which I think is reasonably priced considering it's a fabulous product and the Porefessional is £24.50 (22ml) and I think this is streaks ahead of that.

I'm so glad I tried out these products and have finally found a pore product that works for my skin. I will 100% be repurchasing these products when they run out. They are quite pricey so if you just wanted to get one to try, the most effective for curing out of the three is the correcting serum.

Lots of Love,

♥

*This post does contain PR samples

Russian Red || MAC Mondays

One of MAC's most popular lipsticks is Russian Red which has a matte finish. Now as I've mentioned before I'm not the biggest fan of matte lipsticks because they're very drying on the lips but one of the amazing perks of a matte lipstick is the staying power of them. This lipstick will happily last a good 6-7 hours at least when it has a lip liner applied underneath. The lip liner I use for all my red lipsticks is Cherry by MAC. I'm not someone who particularly has a problem with dry lips so I haven't really found this to be drying on me at all but I have heard others say it was dry on their lips so if you normally have dry lips then a cremesheen red would be best but otherwise I think this would be fine!

 I'm not actually a red lipstick girl infact I could count on one hand the times I had worn red lipstick that was before I got this one. It's a very blue toned red which I love because it makes your teeth look a lot whiter than they actually are and it is a very classic red shade. I definitely prefer blue toned lipsticks because I think they suit my complexion a lot better for when I'm pale and when I'm tanned. The colour pay off from this is incredible, it's such a pigmented lipstick that goes on opaque in one swipe. The only reason I use a lip liner underneath this lipstick is to prevent it from bleeding and because it gives you that reassurance that when the lipstick eventually wears off you don't look like a weirdo with patchy red lips because the colour is still there from the lip liner.

 Have you tried Russian Red? What's your favourite MAC red?

Lots of Love,

♥

Crabtree & Evelyn Meets Macmillan

 As you all know I'm a massive fan of Crabtree & Evelyn and when it comes to their hand creams I don't think anyone can beat them. Recently the lovely Jamie (Crabtree & Evelyns PR) got in touch with me about a promotion that they're currently running which is to help support Macmillan cancer. My grandad passed away from cancer so it's a charity very close to my heart and one that I'm more than happy to give a little space on my blog to help. Macmillan are an amazing charity who provide specialist support, health care, infromation and financial support to people who are affected by cancer. They don't just deal with the medical needs of people coping with cancer, they're also there for the social and emotional issues that come with dealing with cancer. They also help campaign for better care for people with cancer. One of Macmillan's massive fundraisers is that they have The Worlds Biggest Coffee Morning where they ask people across the UK to hold a coffee morning where donations are made to Macmillan. In 2013, 154,000 people signed up and raised a record breaking £20 million for charity. So lets see if we can break this record again this year!

 What Crabtree & Evelyn are doing is they're having the 'World's Biggest Coffee Morning' on the 26th of September throughout all of their stores. The stores will be providing cake, tea and biscuits to customers who donate towards the charity and they will also be offering a variety of things such as:-

• Free gift wrapping on any products that you buy
• A free Crabtree & Evelyn mug when you spend £25 (which is worth £12.50)
• A 50g hand therapy for just £3 including a 50p donation to Macmillan
• Lots of products for you to try
• The most exciting part (I think) is the free luxury hand treatments.

I have had the pleasure of having one of these hand treatments and it's such a lovely, relaxing thing to have done. It's really calming having someone massage hand creams and lotions into your hands so that's a reason to pop along to your nearest store in itself!

 Selected full price products from their Lavender & Verbana collection will be available to buy and a £1 donation will be made for every one of these products being sold throughout September in store and online.The products that will lead to the £1 donation are:-

• Cologne both 100ml (£35) and 30ml (£20)
• Body Lotion 250ml (£16)
• Bath & Shower Gel 250ml (£15)
• Hand Therapy 100g ( £15)
• Shampoo 250ml (£12)
• Conditioner 250ml (£12)
• Body Cream 250g (£22)

On the following products from the Lavender & Verbana travel products a 50p donation will be made:-

• Soap 100g (£6)
• Hand Therapy 25g (£5)
• Conditioner 50ml (£5)
• Shampoo 50ml (£5)
• Body Lotion 50ml (£5)
• Bath & Shower Gel 50ml (£5)

 I have tried both the Verbana & Lavender soap*, body wash* and the hand cream* aswell as their Pomegranate hand cream* and I can vouch for the fact that they are super moisturising and smell incredible. I've actually reviewed one of Crabtree & Evelyns hand creams (review here) if you want to read more about how delicious they are.

 A 50p donation will also be made for any of the travel sized hand creams that are purchased during September. The handcreams are really luxurious so you can now do your bit for charity whilst trying out a fantastic hand cream, who knew being good to charity could be so rewarding!

Will you be popping in to your local store?

Lots of Love,

♥

Clinique Take The Day Off Balm || Review

 When it comes to cleansing and skincare routines, I've always had the attitude that whatever does the job quickest with the least mess is best. When I'm tired, the last thing I feel like doing is dragging myself to the sink and doing an extensive routine. Therefore I never really strayed from my Bioderma because it did the job and it did it fast and pretty effortless too but I think it is quite important for your skin to give it a proper deep cleanse too. 

 Recently I have been trying out the Clinique take the day off balm* which I had high expectations for because I had heard amazing things and because Clinique are the skincare kings. This product did not disappoint, it has a consistency very similar to Coconut Oil where it's solid at room temperature but when it comes into contact with your skin it turns to an oil. The oil when rubbed into your skin breaks down your makeup and removes it even stubborn water proof mascara.

 The consistency of this product is so lovely and it feels like a real luxury when you're massaging it into the skin. Once removed it leaves your skin feeling soft and supple which is definitely where I noticed the difference after using this instead of Bioderma. I did find myself wishing that it had a lovely fragrance though because it's completely non-fragranced however this would be a big plus for anyone with sensitive skin. I have a pretty normal skin type and it works amazingly on me but I also know people with both oily and dry skin who have tried this product and loved it so it definitely seems like a people pleaser.

The only negative I've had with this product is that when removing eye make-up it can blur your vision for a few minutes if the balm gets in your eye which doesn't hurt but just feels really annoying and it also makes a bit of a panda eye effect but that washes straight off with a warm face cloth. I still have continued to use this to remove my eye makeup, just carefully but if I was tired or in a rush I think I would use my Bioderma to remove my mascara first and then use this balm for the rest of my face. 

 Although this product is up on the higher end of skincare products at £22 I can already see that it's going to last me a very long time. Even though I've been using it everyday there's barely a noticeable amount missing because you only need the smallest amount to breakdown the makeup.

Have you tried any of Clinique's skincare items? Next on my list to try is the take the day off cleansing milk!

Lots of Love,

♥

Pink Pearl Pop || MAC Mondays

I haven't done a MAC Monday post in a few weeks now so it's time I did another one. Shock, it is again another lipstick but I have a lipstick addiction therefore that is what I have most of from MAC so I hope you're all lipstick junkies like me!

 The second shock to you all will be that it is yet another pink lipstick, yes I have a problem. This one is not one I'd heard a lot about when I got it, I was just in MAC swatching every lipstick up my arm as per and I noticed a pink that I somehow had never noticed before, Pink Pearl Pop. It's a gorgeous everyday shade which goes amazing with both natural and heavier makeup.

 On days where I'm not really sure what lipstick I want to wear I always go for either Creme Cup, Chatterbox or Pink Pearl Pop which are all fairly neutral pinks. It's a very blue toned pink which is always good because it makes your teeth look whiter and brighter.

 It's from their Cremesheen and Pearl collection so it has a sheen to it which makes the lipstick look slightly more sheer but it looks more opaque as you build it up. It's a strange finish to describe but it's almost quite a frosty look similar to Pure Zen. They're lovely and creamy so apply to the lips very smoothly but because they're so creamy they only last about three hours before needing reapplied.

 I must admit I don't love the pearl-like formula as much as I do as the standard cremesheen or amplified finish but it makes a nice change and adds something different to my ever growing lipstick collection.

If you like pink lipsticks then this is a nice everyday one that goes with every make-up look. Have you tried Pink Pearl Pop?

Lots of Love,

♥

Clinique || Event & Haul

 A few weeks back now I was invited by BBC Radio One DJ Gemma Cairney to a VIP Clinique event in a secret venue up town. This secret venue actually turned out to be a stunning house on Carlton terrace that had quite possibly the most beautiful interior design inside. It was all very lovely, there was a lot of people there and I had the pleasure of meeting the lovely Kate from Gh0stparties and Adrienne from Thesundaygirl. It was such a lovely event and I wish I could have stayed a bit longer but if I'm honest I felt so overwhelmed and anxious that I left after a few hours because I just felt so out of place. Everyone there was so important and I didn't really know anyone else there and the busy environment only made me feel more panicky.. anxiety is awful! I'm really glad I managed to go though because I met some amazing people and got the opportunity to try out some amazing products. Even being there a few hours was an achievement for me because a year ago I'd have ignored the fact that I'd been invited and been too anxious to even go so small steps.

 As I left early I didn't actually pick up my goody bag so Clinique kindly emailed me saying would I like my goody bag to be sent out to me so obviously I said yes because who wouldn't want a bag of Clinique goodies?! Long story short, the Royal Mail confiscated it because it contained perfume which is apparently a 'restricted good' so it didn't arrive. After a few weeks I emailed Clinique to let them know I hadn't received it so they knew I wasn't just being rude and not thanking them. They then asked me if there was anything I would specifically like to try out so I said the take the day off balm because I'd heard wonderful things about that and the pore refining correcting serum. A few days later I received a big parcel which contained those two things and lots of other goodies for me to try out and review. Then this morning I came home to find that the original perfume they had sent and a custom repair serum had finally arrived with a note from the post office about how they had to confiscate them etc.



Left to Right:- chubby stick, baby tint, cheek tint, chubby stick intense

 I feel very, very lucky to have this opportunity to try out all these skincare and makeup bits. Never did I ever think when I started this blog at the start of the year that 8 months later a company like Clinique would want to work with me. It really does give you that boost when you see your hard work paying off. If there are any of these products you'd specifically like a review on then please do let me know!

What's your favourite Clinique product?

Lots of Love,

♥

Winter Boots

  One of my all time favourite things about Autumn/Winter is the shoes and especially buying those new Winter boots. So I bought not one pair but two...woopsy. I am very lucky because I work in Clarks (aswell as going to university) so I get 75% off shoes which is why I justified buying two pairs because what is saving money? Something I definitely cannot do.

 The first pair I bought are the style 'Maisie Hotel' and I got them in a tan leather. How beautiful are they?! I'm in love with them, I think they look amazing with skinny jeans and leggings and they will be well worn throughout Autumn/Winter.

 The next style of shoe is called 'Mariella Busby'. Quite a few people have said to me aren't they just the same shoe in black but no they aren't, they're very similar but this one is a much softer leather and has a nicer sole. I do already have black chelsea boots but they aren't as nice as these ones and they really hurt my toes so it was definitely time I got a decent pair since I love them so much. I needed a new pair of shoes for work too and I don't want to wear my tan ones to work because if the leather gets scuffed it's much harder to hide. Whereas with black leather you can hide it with black shumagic and polish etc so these are much better for kneeling down and measuring feet with. I will of course wear them out of work too because I love them so much.

 I have worn them both and both pairs are really comfy and I'd recommend them to absolutely anyone. Both of them cost £79.99 from Clarks. I definitely have a shoe addiction but you can't not purchase one.. or two as the case may be boots at the start of Autumn/Winter.

What Winter boots have you got/are you getting this year?

Lots of Love,

♥

So Sinful || Review & Tag

 I was recently contacted by the lovely Kandice from 'So..?' and she asked me if I would like to review one of their perfumes. The one I chose to review was 'So Sinful' and after the Royal Mail confiscating it due to 'security reasons' I eventually have it.

 I am absolutely horrendous at trying to describe scents so instead I'll tell you how 'So..?' describe the scent themselves. It has top notes of mint and pineapple, heart notes of violet and strawberry and base notes of praline and musk and vanilla. To me it smells very sweet and girly and most definitely more of an every day scent. When you first spray it you can 100% smell the mint which isn't my favourite in a perfume but when it settles down you get that floral, fruity, vanilla scent that is most prominent which is a lovely combination.

 I must admit I'm not a massive fan of the perfumes packaging. I love the body fragrance packaging because of the eye catching purple colour and it's very girly but the perfume itself I don't like the lid of. I'm not really a fan of plastic lids on perfume as they always tend to cheapen the overall look. I do like the girly colours of it and the glass bottle though. The body spray is 75ml and retails for £1.70 and the 30ml perfume bottle costs £6.35 but is currently on a half price offer in Boots. Obviously it's an eau de toilette instead of a pure parfum but when you're getting it so cheap you can afford to spray it more. I think I might keep this one in my handbag because it's a good size for carrying around and if it gets broken or damaged it isn't too expensive to replace.

 'So..?' have also included the fragrance tag for me to do so without further a do...

1) How many perfumes/body sprays do you own?
I have a lot of perfumes but I do use them all! 16 bottles of perfume and 9 body sprays. Least I'll always smell nice!

2) What smell brings back the happiest memories to mind? 
For me there are quite a few smells that bring back memories to me even with silly things like hand gels or certain foods. A happy smell for me is the smell of my granny's homemade rolls. I absolutely love the smell of fresh bread and I loved going to my grannies for a roll and some soup when I was younger.

3) You are only allowed to own one So...? scent which would you chose and why?
I would chose So..? Sinful, which I chose because it's a popular one and it has scents in it that I really like.

4) What smell do you love on a guy? 
I love One Million (like every other girl). Gary also has Spicebomb by Viktor & Rolf and Ralph Laurens Red which both smell yummy too!

5) Wearing the same fragrance as your friends? yay or nay?
I think this is more of a thing you do when you're at high school. Now I'd much rather have my own individual scent that's acquired to my personal taste!

6) What food smell would you happily wear as a perfume?
I would have to go for a fruit or a sweet because I love sweet and fruity perfumes. Maybe strawberries or a juicy sweet apple because I love the smell of them!

7) If you had to wear just one type of fragrance for the rest of your life, would you prefer to smell sweet or musky? 
Definitely sweet because I love fruity and floral fragrances.

8) If you could create a So..? fragrance what would you call it and what notes would you include?
I would probably call it So..Abby? (or maybe so uncreative? so unoriginal?? haha) and I would include notes of jasmine, tiger lily, rose, apple and strawberry. What a mixture hey!

9) Your friend borrows your perfume and returns it pretty much empty. Do you a) Just pretend you haven't noticed b) Ask them to repurchase it or c) Secretly do the same thing to something of theirs?
I wouldn't do the same thing to them because I'm not that petty. I probably wouldn't be as direct and blunt to ask them to buy a new one either. I think I probably would pretend I hadn't noticed (and secretly be very upset) or make out how upset I was and hope they would replace it.

10) You're on the bus and someone next to you sprays a scent you really hate. Do you a) make it really obvious by having a fake coughing fit b) Move as far away as possible or c) spray some of your own.
I would spray some of my own probably or just hold my breath until the scent had passed.

Have you tried any of the So... fragrances? What do you think of them?

Check out their site to find out more about the Fragrances they do.

Lots of Love,

♥

Meet Luca

 As a lot of you may know already if you saw my puppy haul post or you follow me on instagram or twitter (@whatabbyloves). We recently got a Springer Spaniel puppy called Luca, he was my boyfriends 21st birthday present but he's a joint pup realllyyy... hehe. He's 9 weeks old on Monday and we will have had him for two weeks.

 He's very cheeky and very playful. He loves to climb on absolutely everything... he's even worked out how to jump on numerous items to make it onto a double bed. He also can climb up and down the stairs all by himself! One step at a time but he still does it.

 He also loves chewing on everything..including fingers. His teeth are already super sharp and we're having a bit of a hard time training him not to chew people and clothing. If anyone has any good tips for teaching pups not to bite then please let me know!

"Enough pictures now mum"

  He does currently sleep in his crate which is like a house to him because he's so small at the moment but occasionally during the day we let him sleep in his fluffy big boy bed for a nap.

 Eric is currently a really jealous big brother. When we first brought him home he wouldn't even be in the same room as the pup! Now they're much better together, he'll tolerate him but he still doesn't really want to play with Luca but that doesn't stop him trying 40 times a day! I think eventually he'll accept the puppy properly and want to play with him.

 

 When we first got him he used to have a bottle of puppy goats milk at night. We occasionally do still give him this but not always out of a bottle because he can drink himself out of a bowl. He loves the bottle teats for teething on though!

 

His litter, Luca is bottom left with all the markings!

I hope you enjoyed seeing pictures of little Luca. If you want to see more of him then make sure you're following me on my instagram @whatabbyloves.

Lots of Love,

♥