RECENT PURCHASES: MARCH

It's been AGES since I've done a recent purchases post. Like I mean months and months. Don't be fooled, it's not been because I've not been BUYING stuff... AS IF! I guess I've just been lazy about keeping track of it all. But over the past few weeks I've made a consented effort to keep a note of where all my money's been going... To GUILT myself into a spending ban, if nothing else because SERIOUSLY, it really is out of control.

Anyway, yeah, here we go.

Antipodes Apostle skin brightening and tone correcting serum

Sigh. Yes, another brightening serum - they are my own personal brand of heroin and I am DEEP into my addiction. I'd run out of my REN Radiance Perfecting serum (did I even mention that in a blog somewhere?) and to be honest I wasn't wowed at all. I never DON'T use a radiance/skin tone correcting/brightening serum though, so I guess it's hard to gauge results. But retailing at over £30, I had expected to see SOMETHING happen and, honestly, I didn't. Thankfully the same can't be said for this! It's dispensed via pipette (like ANR) and the weird red fluid and smells like crushed up fruit, because basically that's what it is. It smells GENUINELY like you could eat it.

After patting in twice daily for about four/five days now I can say that some annoying scarring from a few recent breakouts has definitely reduced. Also, a few minutes after putting this on, any residual redness on my skin has completely vanished. It can leave your face feeling a bit tight so a moisturiser on top is a must, but overall I'm really loving it so far - feels and looks like it's actually doing something. Yay!

Caudalie Eau De Beaute Beauty Elixir

This is a firm favourite I've gone without for ages and I don't really know why. Well, I do really - the price. It's basically some lovely oils dissolved in water that smells heavenly and can be spritzed under or over makeup, but it's not cheap.

I caved though, because I love it so much. I use this in place of a toner, which I always felt was a bit of an unnecessary step, but this definitely wakes my face up a bit (wow, clarity), closes pores and makes whatever you put on next (the serum usually) sink in much quicker. I don't know exactly how it works but it does and I love it.

Caudalie Divine Oil

I blame Estee from Essie Button on this ENTIRELY. I have no idea what video it was but I was watching one of hers on YouTube (actually I think it was a winter favourites or something) and she mentioned this multi-purpose body oil and how it smelled AMAZING and that was it. Hooked.

I've been using a Soap and Glory body moisturiser for a while - God knows what one, there's hunners! One that comes in a squeezy tube not a tub - and it's been working OK but nothing to write home about. The sweet scent is nice but after weeks it can start to grate a bit and I've been after something a little more sophisticated smelling for a while. This is DEFINITELY it. I used the NUXE multi-purpose oil a while back and loved it, but this is even better since it comes with a spray pump and smells ACTUALLY heavenly. Sweet, woody, rosey, mmmm just actually SO GOOD! For best moisturising results I spray it all over when I'm still a bit damp after a shower and it sinks right in.

[Every time I write the word "multi-purpose" I have to fight my fingers not to type multi-porpoise. FACT.]

Joico K-Pak Reconstructor

This was a totally random, last minute basket-addition on Feel Unique. I had in the back of my mind that I was MAYBE looking for a nourishing hair mask of some kind, but I'd done no research and I'm pretty sure I just bought this cos there was some money off. Like £5 or something, but still....

My hair has been kind of dry and damaged recently. I had some highlights (how 90s) put in a few months ago and then decided to lighten the ends myself a bit for a sort of UBER soft ombre effect. I used the L'Oreal Wild Ombre kit in number 2 by the way, and I was really pleased with it. It didn't make a massive difference but I wasn't looking for one so it suited me fine, but if you were looking for a dramatic ombre effect you might be disappointed. AAAAAAAAANYWAY, as a result my hair hasn't been in the best condition. Some days are better than others but it's generally a bit dry, tuggy and breaks easily.

I've only used this once and I liked the results. It made my hair feel smooth and nourished without weighing it down, but it smells REALLY weird, like over-ripe bananas and oats or something. Kind of like it was once a "fresh" product that went off. Not sure if I can really stomach it to use it often... Every time the wind blows and you get a waft - BOKE. We'll see.

Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24 hour eyeshadow

Jumped on the bandwagon and bought On and On Bronze. Can you believe this is my first foray into cream eye shadows? I like it I guess, but I never normally have a problem with eye shadows creasing anyway so I wasn't looking for it to solve any particular problem really. It's very creamy, blends nicely and lasts all day. Am I BLOWN AWAY? Nah, but it's decent enough. Although it's a bronze, it's quite cool-toned which doesn't work brilliantly with my colouring so bear that in mind, and it's SUPER shimmery.

MAC's Satin Taupe

I've wanted this FOREVER but the stupid MAC concession in Silverburn has been out of it for weeks and I've given up trying to get anyone to serve me in Frasers - actually a shower of rude, ignorant eejits working in there and I don't care who knows it. SO many times I've had a bomb burning a hole in my pocket ready to drop on loads of stuff, but no one has approached me even though I'm OBVIOUSLY mooching about totally clueless, or sales assistants have blatantly ignored me and carried on their own conversations behind the till. I've walked out loads of times absolutely fuming and spent the money elsewhere.

Rant asise, I finally manged to get my hands on this and I'm completely underwhelmed. The formula is lovely, typically of MAC shadows it's high quality, soft, blends like a dream and lasts all day, but the colour is totally wrong. I should have known it wouldn't suit me - GAHD! When will I learn, I only suit warm-toned bronzes and browns on my eyes and this is very grey and ashy, it almost leans a little purple in some lights. Basically it makes me look like I haven't slept in a week/have the beginnings of a shiner forming. Not good. If you have brown eyes go get it though, bet it would lovely.

MAC 217 brush

I've been using a cheap No7 version of this for donkeys but finally got the real deal and it's as good as the hype - blends amazing, feels sturdy and solid but can be really gentle and subtle. Never picks up too much product and reduces fallout. It's pure good.

L'Oreal Rouge Caresse 301 Dating Coral

This looks super pink in the picture but in reality it's a lovely soft peachy coral colour. Still obsessed with coral lipsticks and this is just the latest edition to an ever-expanding collection. I'm really loving creamy lipsticks at the moment, as opposed to matt, drying ones, and I prefer the formula of these to the Revlon Lip Butters as I find them a bit sticky whereas the Rouge Caresses are much more moisturising. I do find that this acts as a slight stain on my lips as after the glossy/creamy finish has worn off the colour hangs about for another couple of hours. It's a subtle shade but warms up the skin and looks amaze with a tan. Love it.

black Topshop playsuit £40

Another whim, but you can never have enough LBPs for going out, right? Topshop is the only place I can buy playsuits that actually fit me thanks to their petite line - everywhere else, and even the regular line in Toppers, playsuits are cut for GIANTS. Saggy-crotch is not a cool look guys! Anyway, this fits nicely - the sleeves are quite tight and the shorts are VERY short but with tights it's all good. It's tight enough to fit me properly at the waist as well and not BAG out which is always nice. Bit fancy, bit goff, bit bangin. Done.

Stripe Topshop dress £38

I bought this without trying it on as I was pushed for time and figured it might be nice for work but I REALLY should have bothered because it's a very weird fit. I got a 10 but it's cut really big so the shoulders and waist are stupidly baggy. Obviously, because it's me, the ass bit fits fine but it's everywhere else that it's too big. Comically so. An 8 will be out of the question due to my BOOTAY so I think it's going to need to go back. It's such a frustration when dresses that look like they're cinched in at the waist aren't quite cinched enough. Proper grinds my gears. If you are boyish I'd say this would probably work much better but go a size down to be safe.

Kurt Geiger leather Winchester Chelsea Boots - £50 in the sale

Such a bargain, these were originally £130! Spotted them in T5 when I was down in London but they had sold out in 5s and ordered me one of the last two pairs left to be delivered to the Silverburn store. They're really comfy and shiny and (though you can't tell from the pic) VERY pointy which makes me think/act like I'm one of the Horrors circa 2007. Mind them? Anyway, yeah, love. I'm not convinced they suit me massively cos they come up quite high and cut my wee legs off right at the bit when my calves start to get a bit fat but C'EST LA VIE.

Volkswagen Polo S white - PURE HUNNERS

Yassssss! Actually so excited for this! I've had a lovely wee yellow VW Fox for about 4 years now but it's getting a bit past it and I'm doing more driving with my job so I wanted something a bit more sturdy. The Polo is inbetween the Fox and the Golf and my new wee one is white and has amazing, mind-blowing things like CENTRAL LOCKING and a bit for your IPOD and AUTOMATIC WINDOWS and lots of fun things like that which the Fox, bless it, never had. I pick it up on Friday and I'm so so so so pumped I can't even wait. Jesus, I am so sad.

So there you go, reasons why I've been skint recently. I also went on a mini break last weekend which was SUPPOSED to be a romantic getaway but because my life is ACTUALLY a farcical chick lit plot, THAT fell apart and I ended up going with my awesome pal Laura instead. We stayed at the Isles of Glencoe hotel in Ballachulish next to Glencoe and it was honestly so beautiful, I've never seen scenery like it. Hutch and I are not big OUTDOORSY types but we managed a walking trail thing up a big giant hill and did lots of boozing and sleeping and laughing and eating and it was generally brilliant. So yeah, I guess that counts too cos it wasn't cheap either.

And, not to be a pure cheeseball, but it just goes to show that even if things turn to utter shit it's nothing that good pals, good booze and good times can't fix. FOR. REAL.

SKINCARE UPDATE

So I know I'm always harping on about new skincare purchases but I realised today I hardly ever come back months later to let you guys know how the products ACTUALLY perform against their claims...

With that in mind here's a few skincare updates.

STILL LOVING

Dr Weil for Origins Mega-Bright Serum

I've noticed a BIG difference in my skin tone recently. It's one of those weird things, for ages I didn't think this was working but then the other day I washed my face, looked in the mirror and was like WHAT THE HELL?! The scarring on my cheeks has VASTLY improved you guys, no joke. As ever I'm reluctant to credit this with just ONE product as I'm quite sure that religious use of Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair has a lot to do with it (I haven't included it here cos y'all already know how much I love it) but still, I've gotta give props to this little guy. It definitely feels a bit gloopy and siliconey on the skin and I generally prefer my serums more watery, but overall I'm actually very impressed with the noticeable results. Can't argue with that, right? Snaps. 

Lancome Hydra Zen Neurocalm anti-stress moisturisng cream

I blogged about this a while ago when I received it in an event goodybag and I've been using it ever since. Normally I'll whack it on at night after I've let my ANR sink in for a while, and when I wake up in the morning my face is SO SMOOTH YOU GUYS! It's literally the best moisturiser I think I've ever tried. BOLD CLAIM, right? It doesn't leave any greasy or sticky residue and although it's quite rich for a day cream, I have found myself using it under makeup if my skin feels a bit BLEURGH and it disappears almost instantly. My little sample pot is rapidly running out and when it does I'm definitely going to repurchase. It does have a moderately strong 'perfumey' scent but it's much more tolerable than the Liz Earle light repairing lotion which unfortunately I just cannot stomach.

Avene Triacneal

Although it's generally the best it's been in AGES, my skin has been acting up a little breakout-wise these past few weeks. Pretty sure this is down to sleeping in my makeup a few times which I normally try and never do! Anyway, whenever I notice the start of a new blemish I whack this bright yellow stuff all over it and in the morning it's normally completely away. It stings a bit, and the cream does make you look ALL KINDSA RIDONCULOUS but again, you can't argue with results. I just realised it's got retinoids or retinoic acid in it (super-strength acne-fighting chemical) and for that reason, and because it stings, I'd NEVER use it all over my face, just as a topical treatment. But hey, it works.

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic

While the light repairing lotion just stinks WAY too much for me to use, Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish and Instant Boost Skin Tonic have remained staples in my routine. In particular this 'toner' of sorts is honestly a delight to use. I soak a cotton pad in it and wipe it all over my face morning and night to refresh my skin and remove any last bits of makeup. The smell is delish and it has all kindsa healing oils and vitamin E in it which makes me feel like if I skipped this step my skin would miss out. If you get me. Plus, it doesn't contain any alcohol and I'd NEVER go back to anything that did after using this. If you're looking for something soothing after washing your face with a harsh facewash, this is for you.

RECENT PURCHASES

Caudalie Eau de Beaute

I know, I know. I caved. Possibly THE most hyped product of 2012 and I've shamelessly jumped on the bandwagon! The buzz about this facial spritzer/toner/aromatherapy spray/makeup fixer has been everywhere ever since Lisa Eldridge mentioned it in one of her videos at the start of the year, and being the skincare junkie that I am, how could I ignore it! I actually bought the mini size of this when I was in Lisbon as it's very hard to find in the UK unless you buy it online, but in Europe it's stocked in just about every pharmacy on every high street. Go figure. Gotta say though, at first I was like, I DON'T GET IT. Underwhelmed to the max, I persisted for about a week and finally began to see why it's such a cult hit. Firstly the smell is heavenly. Truly. It's a sort of herby, spa-type smell that instantly relaxes and invigorates. After toning I would spritz a generous amount over my face and pat it in, and straight away my pores were smaller and my skin felt tighter and smoother. I think it's definitely the kind of product you need to use daily to see consistent results so I've just placed an order this morning for the larger 100ml size which will hopefully last me a while. Not sure though, the small size only lasted me a few weeks!

Caudalie Vinoperfect radiance set

While I was on Feel Unique having a browse round the Caudalie section I spotted this wee sample set of their acclaimed Vinoperfect Radiance range and couldn't resist. Again, I'd heard Lisa Eldridge talking about the serum in a recent video (I pretty much buy everything she ever mentions - total hero) and I know she and I have similar skin concerns, namely blemishes and scarring, so I figured if it was good enough for her... The £26 set includes 10mls of the complexion correcting serum, enzyme peel mask, day perfecting fluid and cell renewal night cream. I'm hoping to be able to get at least a few weeks out of these samples and I'll let you know my thoughts. Excited!  

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

OK, so not technically skincare but whatever... I actually just bought this yesterday since it was £2 off in Superdrug and I've not read one single bad review to date. I recently placed an order for my beloved Skin 79 BB cream but it takes about 2 weeks to arrive so in the meantime I'm testing this out. Today's the first day and so far I've had it on for about 3 and a half hours (yup, put it on a 5AM y'all - working the deadly early shift today) and it's holding up well. First impressions are that it's pretty thick and creamy but blends well with a medium/full coverage. Off the bat I think I might prefer this to the Bourjois Healthy Mix original as that can be a bit watery and slide off easily without powder. I really like it so far, but the real test will be how it looks around 4pm! I absolutely HATE the bottle though. SO MUCH that I actually thought twice about buying it. Orange? Really?

Update: OK so I've now had this on for nearly eight hours and I'm impressed! It's disappeared slightly around my T-zone but generally it's holding up very well, possibly even better than the Healthy Mix. Given that it doesn't claim to be particularly long-lasting this is pleasantly surprising! Snaps, Rimmel, I'm sold.

ON MY SHOPPING LIST FOR NEXT PAYDAY

Ginvera Green Tea whitening marvel gel

I've been hankering after this ever since Ruth did a review of it ages ago. Basically just an exfoliator, but it's meant to be one of the best out there at removing blackheads (boke) which isn't really something I suffer with, but who doesn't love a bit of heavy-duty exfoliation now and again? I've been using the Origins brightening peel pads for a while which contain AHAs and I think they're just a  little bit too harsh - I normally break out after using them and I'll NEVER touch that Alpha H Liquid Gold ever again since I'm pretty sure I'm allergic. So come on Ginvera, work your magic...

Aesop B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel

Anti-oxidant moisturiser infused with Vitamin B and C to balance and soothe the skin. I know I said that the Lancome Hydra Zen was my new favourite, but I guess I'm just convinced there's something else out there that's better. The grass is always greener, innit. I've been hearing more and more about Aesop skincare these last few months and this product really stands out for me. Vitamin C in moisturisers or serums always catches my eye because of it's brightening/whitening effects and I also like that this is formulated without any silicones. It's £77 though... Bit of a splurge. Hmm, we'll see. Have any of you guys used this, or ANY of the Aesop range? Let me know if you think it's worth it.