Wanna Know The Gloss?

Last week I made my first Glossier order after swooning over the gorgeous website for weeks, and well I think I have fallen head over heels in love with the brand and its products.

If like me you hadn’t heard of Glossier before, the beauty brand was created by a bunch of amazing beauty editors in America who developed this wonderful brand based on what they’ve tried and tested, and what they’ve learned works best. I really like how empowering the brand is and how it celebrates being your natural, beautiful self, while still allowing you to have fun with playful beauty products, and helping you to create an effortless makeup look and routine. It’s also totally cruelty-free, and a lot of their products are vegan too. Which was one of the many things that totally won me over.

I only ordered two products initially. I could have shopped ’til I dropped because everything looks sooo aesthetic, but you know, gals on a budget and I thought I would leave myself something to look forward to.

The two beauty products I chose were Boy Brow and a Generation G lipstick in the shade Zip.

After hearing lots of rave reviews about Boy Brow, when I ran out of my usual brow pomade I thought I’d give it a go, and omg I’m obsessed.

I have rather bushy eyebrows naturally, so I like to use a ‘fixant’ to keep them in place and looking styled. What I love about Boy Brow is that the spooly is really small, which means it picks up the really tiny hairs that larger brushes might not, making for even fuller, wispy brows.

I love a good lipstick but haaaate having to keep topping it up. I have lots of bold reds, matte nudes and gorgeous oranges, but was looking for something more natural looking that still had a bit of oomf about it. I don’t do pinks in my makeup because it just looks odd with my ginger hair, and it’s hard to find a red that doesn’t look full on colour pop, but then I came across Generation G.

I went for the red shade zip as I wanted to look like I had naturally blushed lips. Sometimes you don’t want to wear anything heavy but need a little definition. I’m very pale so that’s true for me, and this lipstick, because it’s so sheer, makes you feel like you aren’t wearing anything at all. I also love how it’s sheer formula allows your own lip colour to bleed through making a shade completely unique to you. The colour is like when you’ve kissed someone, that cloudy, pale hue you’re left with on your lips, minus the smudge.

That’s what’s great about glossier products though, they adapt to suit you and not the other way around. What I really love about generation G though is the way it fades. It hangs on for ages and comes off evenly, so you don’t look like you haven’t topped up your lipstick. It doesn’t seem to transfer, move around, or smudge either. It really is a winning formula for me which has already made a solid staple for day to day wear.

On your first order you also receive a tester product too. Which is fab for if you’re like me and don’t want to/ can’t make a big order and spend lots all at once, but you still would like to try things out.

I picked a sample of Glossier You, the brands own fragrance, and after pretty much the first spray I knew I needed it forever.

It’s a hard smell to explain. It can’t be described using comparisons because honestly it doesn’t smell like anything I’ve ever smelled before. I can only describe it as being feminine, sexy, fresh and slightly musky. And I don’t mean feminine in the way of florals, I mean vintage. It makes me think of classy women in the 1940’s, sat in a smoky bar, drinking gin whilst smoking cigarettes in a crowded, dimly lit room. It has a depth to it. A real sultry note. But it’s fresh at the same time. And it’s not overpowering either. It’s a smell you’ll catch every so often when you toss your hair or adjust your clothing. It’s a true delight and I can’t wait to buy it and enjoy it in it’s full glory.

The other thing that totally made me swoon was the packaging it all came in. It’s like every millennials dream. We’re talking that pale tumblr pink packaging, gorgeous little welcome postcards, and even some free, damn adorable stickers too! I just sat opening it squeeling with excitement. It doesn’t feel like you’re getting a package from a big brand, but rather a friend. It feels very personal and youthful. To top it off you also get a cute little pink makeup bag too! LITERALLY what’s not to love?

For my next order I’m definitely going to treat myself to Glossier You, I feel like it’s a real staple that I’d like to wear everyday. I’d also like to try the blusher named Cloudpaint. I’ve never actually owned a blusher, but being so pale I could sometimes do with a little colour in my cheeks to make me look a little more alive! It isn’t a powder blush. I believe it’s more creamy so I’m excited to try that out as well, and also Haloscope which is a highlighter. I’m a bit addicted to collecting highlighters but i’m really drawn to this one because it seems quite balmy unlike a powder, and is meant to make you look more naturally glowy which i’m all about.

If you fancy trying some products for yourself you can visit Glossiers site here! Do let me know if you buy anything and what you think of your products, i’d love to hear!

If you’re a friend of mine who’s reading this, feel free to message me for a 10% off code too! Sharing is caring after all💛

Kate xx

The five beauty products that saved my skin

I wouldn’t normally write about beauty solely because I am no beauty guru. I’m pretty crap when it comes to makeup and cosmetics, but when it comes to skincare I have tried and tested a lot over the years including high street and high-end, and would like to share my current favourites which have ultimately saved my skin.

All throughout my teens, I was pretty lucky and generally had a clear complexion but in the past three years, I’ve been prone to the odd bad breakout. Last year I can honestly say that my skin was the worst it had ever been due to a range of things including stress and sickness.

I had already been using some of the products earlier in the year and they’d kept my skin super clear but when it got really bad I tried to use other products which didn’t really work out of panic. I finally went back to them at the end of the year and started 2017 much more fresh faced, in the knowledge that natural products are much more suited to my sensitive skin.

Now my first three products are all by the same brand which is Biore. I discovered these guys on Instagram as I follow Shay Mitchell who is an ambassador. Usually, I don’t really buy into the whole beauty ambassador stuff, but I clicked the link and started reading up on the brand. They seemed really positive and trying them has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.

So my number 1 product has to be the Biore ‘Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser’ which I have used for ages. Charcoal is known to draw out impurities and the bottle claims to deep clean 2x better than a basic cleanser and naturally purifies. I have to say this product has been amazing. It really cools your skin and works really well on oily skin too, balancing it out which of course stops new spots forming. I saw a difference within about two days so it’s fast acting too and it has, touch wood, kept my skin clear for the longest time. I really can’t recommend this product enough.

My next two products I’d probably put on the same level. They are both again Biore products and are scrubs and I tend to go between the two.

Firstly there is the Blemish Clearing Scrub which claims to “clear and polish without damaging skin’ and is oil free. This one is good I think for if you, like me, have really sensitive or combination skin. This one also releases deep rooted dirt which causes spots and polishes the spots already there. It also has a super fresh smell and leaves your skin really soft and polished. It is a nice gentle scrub which doesn’t leave your skin feeling dry but also doesn’t equally encourage more oil.

The second scrub product I’d recommend is the ‘Baking Soda’scrub which comes in a smaller pot but lasts forever. It comes as a usual Baking Soda power which you just pour into your palm and add water to. This one is more of a gentle exfoliation which leaves skin really smooth. The only thing I’d say is after scrubbing wash it straight off as if you have sensitive skin it can be quite drying. If you have oily skin though it could be good for balancing out your complexion.

After I’ve done with my scrubs and cleaners I like to use coconut oil as a moisturiser, which is relatively new for me but seems to be working really well. It is an oil but it sinks in really quickly and doesn’t make your skin greasy so doesn’t encourage spots. It is also known to clear acne and scars and leaves your skin nice and fresh and moisturised. I know coconut oil can be quite expensive but I picked up a big pot from the cooking section in Aldi for an amazing £2.99. A little goes a long way and can also be used on the rest of your body and as a healthy alternative to cooking oil also, just split it into different pots. This is definitely one of my cannot live without products, it’s just made my skin so much fresher and hydrated, so this I would 120% recommend to anyone.

I then finish off my regime with Freederm’s ‘Fast Track’ gel which I’ll occasionally apply to the odd spot I have that’s cropped up. It works within three hours by reducing the size and redness. I’ve tried a lot of these spot-on treatments and this one is definitely the most effective.

So those are my current top skincare recommendations. I don’t claim to have perfect skin, I do still get the odd breakouts every so often, but they are nowhere near as bad or as frequent since I’ve used these products. So if you’re having trouble I’d definitely consider giving them a go!

Hope you all have a wonderful day and let me know what you think if you give them a try!

Kate xx