July Goals Update | Life

Seeing as there are only two days left of July, I thought i'd update you on my July Goals(here) as promised. I'm also planning on doing a favourites this month so keep your eyes peeled for that on Sunday. Lets see what I've managed to complete this July then...

1. Finish college and my work placement. 

Check! College and placement done and dusted, I completed my diploma in Childcare and Education and came out with an A which i'm super pleased about! I also finished my last days experience in a local primary school and although I was sad to be leaving. I was so excited to start my summer holidays. I also received some lovely gifts from the children and staff, including a gorgeous personalised photo box and beautiful flowers-  which may I add are surprisingly still alive, 2 weeks later! You can see these on my Instagram (@xtracesofmythoughts)

2. Get a job interview. 

I finally got a job interview after handing in many applications to fill the role as a Teaching Assistant in a primary school. The interview didn't go too bad, besides not getting it- I received some good feedback! I am also in the process of enrolling with teaching agencies so hopefully I can get on doing supply work in September!

3. Complete a Paediatric First Aid Course. 

I am now qualified in Paediatric First Aid, woo! Not only will this help me in search for a job but this is also a skill I think everyone should have some knowledge of. I was surprised how little I knew but now I know what to do if someone started choking or was unconscious and not breathing- hopefully those situations never arise though!

4. Spend more time outside.

The weather hasn't been too amazing the past couple of weeks but at the beginning of July we were experiencing a mini heatwave. When the weathers been ok I've tried to sit in the garden and get some much needed vitamin D but I've also tried walking places more to save money and keep fit.

5. Spend more time with family.

I've been to a couple more family gatherings, it's been so nice to catch up with family I haven't spoken/seen properly in years and I hope to visit more often throughout the month of August.

6. Exercise more.

I was going to half cross this out but I thought i'd better not cheat. I was planning on going running a couple of times or more a week, that hasn't happened as my friends been busy and has been fitting her fitness in before/after work at the gym. I however, well I've been walking a lot more so that sort of counts right?

7. Choose healthier options.

For the majority of the month I've been trying to prepare healthier meals, sweet potatoes have become my best friend as I cannot stay away from carbs and they're a little healthier than your regular white potato. I've also been trying to encouragement salad/veg to every meal(except breakfast) and I've been making smoothies/juices with our new blender. I'm also trying to cut out the snacks after 8pm, which i'm doing quite well at!

8. Give my room a little makeover.

I've not had chance to do this unfortunately. I did however pull everything out, hoover, polish and basically spring clean my room. I have a net above my bed which i'd like to take down but i'm stuck on what to put there instead as i'll just have plain white walls which will look a little odd.

9. Give myself a little makeover.

Another, I've unfortunately not been able to achieve. I wanted to do something with my hair like dye it or get a new style but i'm too scared to dye my hair again as it takes for ages to grow out and I really don't know what to do with my hair. 

10. Blog more.

My blogging schedule before July was posting once a week on Sundays. However, I wanted to up my game and blog more often as I enjoy it so I've been posting on Wednesdays and Sundays. As I've been getting more ideas recently, I may post once or twice more throughout the week in August. Very exciting!

Overall, July hasn't been that bad. I do not have to wake up before 7:30 for the time being and I've been a lot happier! I'm very much looking forward to August as i'm hoping to see more of my family, there are a couple of birthdays and I may be going away for a few days to South Devon so watch this space as i'm sure there will be travel related posts to come if I decide to go.

What are your plans/goals for August?

Let me know!

♥   ♥   ♥

10 Things I'd Tell My Teenage Self About Beauty | Skincare, Makeup and Hair.

Today I've been reminiscing on my awful beauty habits as a teenager and thought it'd make a good/cringe/funny blog post, hopefully some of you can relate and that I wasn't that bad... we'll see I guess.

1. Going to sleep with makeup on.
This makes me quiver just thinking about it- i'm sure somebody told me that leaving your makeup on overnight can age your face by seven days. I'm not too sure how true that is but I still continued to out of sheer laziness. I was actually reading online and found this article- 'A recent survey reveals a third of us sleep with our slap on, twice weekly. So for a month, Anna applied makeup as normal- but never took it off! By the end, experts said her skin had aged by a decade.' This absolutely horror-ed me, thank goodness I snapped out of that in my mid teens.

2. Makeup wipes do not remove all traces of makeup.
I did use makeup wipes for some years and I must admit at the time I didn't realise how bad they could be for use on a daily basis. However, they're very convenient for travelling!

3. Cleansing, Toning and Moisturising was meant to be done twice a day, not just when you're pampering yourself.

This is another one that makes me cringe, why did I think a sweep of a makeup wipe would be ok? I had very oily skin, I'm not surprised but I thought moisturising would make it worse.

4. Powder on dry skin.
Another stage I went through was extremely dry skin. When I couldn't be bothered to apply foundation before school, powder was my go-to. Let me tell you, powder on extremely dry skin is a complete no no. It clinged and looked orange, lovely...

5. Clumped mascara.
To be fair, this was a trend in high school- spidery lashes.
It did not suit you Aim.

6. Neither did bright purple mascara...
This was one I received with one of those teenage magazines, Bliss I think- that was my favourite. I thought I was quirky, but really I was very uncool.

7. Put the black kohl eye liner down.
Because who wants to look like Shirley Carter from Eastenders? Me apparently! 

8. Do not over pluck your eyebrows

OR try trimming them yourself because you think the hairs are too long. Hello one and a half eyebrows...

9. Dark hair does not suit you.

Especially the red and purple toned browns- no, no, no. You probably resembled a vampire deemed as you're so pale.

10. Use that heat protector!
I used to think heat protector would make my hair greasy, it's not that bad but singed red/purple hair is!

Please tell me you can relate to some of these...
Also let me know in the comments some of the bad beauty habits you had as a teenager or when you were younger- i'd love to hear as i'm sure there are probably a lot more I could relate to.

♥   ♥   ♥

April Favourites | Makeup, Skincare, Fashion and more!

It's favourites time! I feel like I haven't done one of these posts in a while and considering there's a few new and old things I've been loving I thought I'd share them with you. I'm going to split these into categories and first up is makeup.

Fairly recently I picked up the MUA pressed powder in what I believe is the darkest colour, shade 4. And yes you're probably thinking if you're a regular reader of my blog- but you're pale!? I actually bought this as I heard it was a good shade for contouring and as I wanted to get into contouring and sculpting my face I thought this was a good call for only £1! I've been using this with a light hand using the Real Techniques Duo-Fibre contour brush and it's been great for adding warmth and life to my face, though I've not quite grasped contouring, I'll keep going at it!

Next is skincare and I've actually gone back to an old favourite the Garnier Moisture Match moisturiser for combination and oily skin. I nearly always pick this up when I see it on offer as you can usually get it for half the price. As my Origins Gin Zing moisturiser is running out I started to use this one again as my skins been very combination recently with a few dry and oily patches so this has been perfect for hydration and combating oils, although I would say this doesn't make my skin look matte like the writing on the packaging suggests.

There have been a couple of things in terms of fashion which are both in fact from Primark that I've been loving.

First is these gorgeous grey suede pointed flats that have cross over straps. I've been wanting a neutral pair of pointed flats for a while and after scouring many websites, I thought i'd pop into Primark to have a look. They did not disappoint, as soon as I saw these I got down on the floor to search for a size 5, lone and behold just that, right at the back! These were only £6 I believe and I'm completely smitten.

I've wanted a black pair of Topshop Joni jeans for a while and after nearly caving and spending £40 on jeans that should last, I heard Primark had a rival for only £10- what!? I'm so glad I picked them up, they fit almost perfect all over and are so comfortable. I must go back and pick up another pair and see if they have any other colours. Fingers crossed they do a white pair!? Apologies as I don't have a picture as I stupidly put them in the wash just before taking pictures!

Last up is miscellaneous as I had no idea what to call this category but basically I've been loving Spring. The past couple of weeks the weather has been gorgeous in Wales, I think Summer came early? I've loved brighter mornings and lighter evenings, they give me the boost to just get up and go- as cringey as that sounds.

I've also been enjoying lighting more Spring/Summer appropriate candles and both these have been my long standing favourites for a while, Yankee Candle Simply Home Sunlight on Snow and Pink Sands. Granted the first doesn't have a very spring appropriate name but the scent is light and fresh which is ideal and Pink Sands is the most gorgeous sweet-smelling scent I've come across. Definitely thinking of getting both these in jars soon!

There you have it, a run down of my favourites this month. I look forward to what May has to offer as we move more into Summer, let's hope for less stress and lovely weather!

What have you been loving this month?

♥   ♥   ♥

Social Media and Handy Apps! | My Favourite Apps

There are many apps that i'm using constantly in my daily life, some popular on the app store and some not so but none the less I love all of them and I thought i'd share them with you today..
 

First up is social media, it's not very often I go without using these on a daily basis as I find them completely addictive and a good way to connect with friends and socialise.

1. Instagram

This has got to be my favourite of the few, I love sharing and viewing pictures as they're easy on the eye and enjoyable. There are many accounts I follow that range from themed and blog accouns to personal Instagrams and I'm constantly browsing and liking while looking for inspiration. I also speak to a few lovely people on there that I wouldn't have known without making an Instagram account which is crazy!

If you'd like to follow me on there i'm @xtracesofmythoughts

 

2. Twitter, Facebook and whatsapp

I use these to keep up to date with my favourite celebs, friends and they're just places to be social. Also where else to have group conversations that get really weird at 2am? whatsapp- I love you. Haha! All of these are personal i'm afraid!

 

3. Timehop
Lets be real, i'm miserable most mornings because I have to wake up early and go to college but this app is forever putting a smile on my face with Facebook status' and tweets from way back when. Some just a year ago and some 6, my gosh! I also cringe A LOT!

 

4. Pinterest

For those of you who didn't know i'm a childcare student which means I go to placement a couple of times per week so I have to plan activities for the children. Pinterest has an array of amazing activities for children but not just that skincare, makeup, fashion and more!

 

5. Clue

You're probably wondering what on earth is Clue? TMI but the majority of us are girls here right? This is a period tracker which allows you to log how you're feeling day to day etc. It's great but enough about that...

 

6. mySupermarket

This app saves me money on a weekly basis! This is basically an app that compares supermarkets to enable you to find the best deal on the particular product you're searching for. I usually find bigger supermarkets like Tesco and Asda have better deals on certain skincare essentials compared to Boots and Superdrug, which is great if you're a student as every penny counts!

 

There you have it, a run down of my favourite apps. You may have noticed that I don't have any game favourites but that's because I spend most of my time on social media! I'd love to find some more apps that are handy or just for fun, so let me know..

 

WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE APPS?

♥   ♥   ♥

Pretty in Pink | Mani Monday on a Wednesday

It's been a while since i've painted my nails on a regular basis, however I no longer work with food and i'm finally able to have my nails painted in my current college placement. Since then I've accumulated a few new pretty polishes to put on my nails, this week I've gone for a light/baby pink.

This is the Rimmel 60 Seconds Super Shine Nail Varnish in Sweet Retreat, part of the Rita Ora collection. I love Rimmel nail varnishes though I've found I'm not too fussed on the 60 second range as I find they tend to go gloopy faster, in all honesty I didn't realise this was 60 seconds when I picked it up as it doesn't say on the bottle but I cannot complain as I picked this up on a 3 for 2 offer at Boots, so technically it was free.

These are priced at £2.99 usually and I'd say they're worth it as this went on smoothly and only needed 2 coats like most polishes to ensure it was opaque. Though I found this took longer than 60 seconds to dry, I didn't waste half an hour waiting for 2 coats to dry fully. Once dry this polish left a gorgeous high shine on the nails which I love, longevity wise i'd say it was good it lasted me about 5 days before I needed to remove it. Definitely a bargain for only £2.99! There's lots more colours in this range and i've got my eye on the orange/peach shade, perfect for Spring/Summer although I can see me getting a fair use out of this pretty pink over the next few months.

♥   ♥   ♥

Amazing Lengths | Benefit Roller Lash Mascara Review

 I'm sure everyone, their mother, their brother, their fish has heard about Benefits new mascara that was designed on the classic velcro hair roller which has only recently been released to buy in stores but previously was exclusive to Elle magazine which included a sample of the Roller Lash mascara. The majority raved about their other mascara 'They're Real' but I actually didn't try that one as I heard people with longer lashes disliking it, I fall into the longer lash category. I was drawn to the Roller Lash as it claimed to give a long-lasting curl which was one of the only downfalls with drugstore mascaras that I've tried. Now I've been using the mascara for about 3 weeks so I thought I'd quickly get my review of pros and cons up on it seeing as it has recently been released to buy in store.

Pros-

• Roller Lash is definitely lengthening which can be noticed with just one coat, so would be great for those of you with short or straight eye lashes.
• As I said the mascara works very well with just one coat, I'm not sure myself how it fairs when applying additional coats but I simply think you don't need more than one. Therefore it's very quick and easy!
• The mascara claims that eyes will appear more wide open which I can vouch for as it fans out my lashes making them look natural and fluttery.
• As I've previously mentioned the mascara claims to hold the curl of your lashes which I 100% agree with as my lashes pretty much look the same as they did once Roller Lash was applied after a long day at college or battling London crowds.

Can we just ignore the bags under my eyes and the fact my bottom lashes clump together even without mascara.
Also ignore the stray hairs, i'm growing my eyebrows so that I can go get them threaded/waxed.

Cons-

• Like They're Real, Roller Lash is not waterproof which is my only downfall of this mascara. I find it does tend to transfer under my bottom lashes although that could be as I have watery eyes, but I haven't heard this in many other reviews so it simply could just be me.
  However it's not a huge problem as you could just skip this on the bottom lashes and go for another waterproof mascara.

Again can we ignore the bags under my eyes and how bad my skin looks(most was able to be cropped out)

Ability to lengthen- 9/10

Ease of use- 8/10

Lasting power- 8/10

Price- 7/10

Overall rating- 32/40

Not bad at all!

Personally I've really enjoyed using Benefits Roller Lash mascara so I'm tempted to splurge on this mascara and some other high-end treats with my birthday money. Roller Lash comes in at £19.50 which isn't ridiculous for a mascara that actually works in comparison to the drugstore options.

What did you think of Benefit Roller Lash mascara?

If you haven't tried it yet, will you be?

♥   ♥   ♥

I'm Almost 18!? | Aims, Resolutions, Onwards and Upwards

I cannot believe how fast the year between turning 17 and now 18 has gone, it feels like my childhood and the majority of my teenage years have swept by without me even realising and now I'm just a few days off turning 18, i'm a little scared but excited.

Then and now
Left: I was about 6/7 looking very pleased with my ladybird face paint at the zoo, posing while my dad holds my fringe back- haha! (Ps. nice beard Dad)
Right: Looking slightly moody just a few weeks ago, oops!

 I honestly did not imagine my 17th year to be like this- it hasn't been bad, it's just I imagined being in a part-time job somewhere in fashion retail that I enjoyed therefore I would be able to afford the cost of learning to drive, paying for insurance and looking for a car. If I'm completely honest that's far from realistic now I've realised. It's hard to find a part-time job, let alone one you enjoy and in my current situation it certainly isn't fees able to learn to drive, pay for insurance and run the car.

I feel as though this post so far has just been me moaning, but I'm really not because my 17th year hasn't been all that bad.

1. I'm enjoying my current studies.

2. I'm making choices to please myself not anybody else.

3. I'm happy.

Turning 18 is pretty daunting, it's when you're now classed as an adult, something you've probably been wanting since you're about 13. As cringe as it sounds, I'd really like to make my 18th year- 'My Year'.

Here are more than a few things I'd like to accomplish...

1. To try my hardest at college and achieve the highest possible grade ready to take me into employment.

2. Find a job working with children that I love.

3. Make a conscious effort to spend more time with my whole family.

4. Meet new people.

5. Travel. Whether that be around my area, in the UK or abroad.

6. Start learning to drive, hopefully when I've got a steady income.

7. Catch up with friends more often.

8. Experiment more. Food, clothes, hair, makeup the lot.

9. Achieve.

10. Be happy.

I may not achieve all these but I certainly will try, i'm determined to make each of the things I've mentioned happen. Anyway, i'm off to London with a couple of the girls to celebrate my 18th, we're going to do some shopping, sight seeing, eating and laughing! I'll see you when I get back and when i'm 18! Look out for my Birthday/London Haul in the next week..

Let me know what you'd like to achieve this year?

Until next time,

♥   ♥   ♥

The Glamour Party Beauty Edit | Beauty Box Review

I'm pretty sure most beauty lovers will have heard of beauty boxes and have received or been intrigued by what they have to offer. I definitely fit into that category so about a week or two ago I made an order on a website called Latest In Beauty, where I ordered the Glamour Party Beauty Edit box. At the time this box was on offer for about £13 which I was completely drawn to as the box featured a lot of brands I had yet to try at such good value.

This was the first beauty box I've tried so I was so excited when it came through my door. Upon opening I was greeted by a lovely designed printed box, where I then opened to find the prettiest simplistic tissue paper to surprise me with the contents.

Inside contained:

L'Oreal Paris Elnett Satin (75ml- perfect handbag size)

Wild about Beauty eye shadow in Fern

Lola nail varnish in Bluebell

Xen-Tan Luminous Gold Gel in Medium (30ml sample size)

Collection Lengthening Mascara

Philip Kingsley Moisture Balancing shampoo&conditioner(x2 20ml sample size)

Stila Smudge Stick waterproof eye liner in Black Amethyst

Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in Rhubarb

Vichy Purete Thermal 3 in 1 cleanser (30ml sample size)

Vichy Idealia Life Serum (3ml sample size)

Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels (1 use sachet)

2x London Popband (1 black&gold houndstooth and 1 plain black)

and finally Glamour Magazine subscription(discounted by 62%)

As you can see you get a lot for your money, with trial sizes perfect for experimenting with before purchasing the full-sized product and also some full-size drugstore and high-end brands. You'll definitely get your moneys worth with this box as just the Wild about Beauty eye shadow or Stila Smudge Stick are £13 each alone. Although i'm not going to review every product here individually, you will see the products I've liked and enjoyed using featured on my blog in upcoming weeks. So keep an eye out for my thoughts or ask below if you're desperate for someone elses opinion on a product before buying. 

I'm completely happy with the box as I was not disappointed by any of the shades/products I received so I will definitely think about ordering another and maybe trying some other beauty boxes.

The Glamour Party Beauty Edit box is still available here, priced at £16.99 which is a complete bargain as the products inside are worth over a total of £88.

Have you tried a beauty box and have got any recommendations? I'd love to know!

Until next time,

♥   ♥   ♥

The Q&A ft. Liebster Award | Beauty, Fashion and Lifestyle

Source: here
Edited with PicMonkey

I've recently surpassed 50 followers of my blog via bloglovin' so I thought what better way to allow my followers to get to know me a little bit more than doing a Q&A? I asked here and on Instagram if anybody would like one and if so to leave their questions below in the comments. I've also recently been tagged by Sophie from Sophie Louisa who runs a fashion and beauty blog to do the Liebster Award(thank you!), so go and check out her blog to see what that's all about and i'll answer here questions here too.

The Q&A

1. What is your go to outfit? - @heyitisjess who also has a blog, here.

I'm definitely a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl, I like to be comfortable and that's usually what i'll throw on. I try to make dresses and skirts casually work for me but I can't seem to find any that I feel completely comfortable in without having to worry about a gust of wind to bare all. 

2. Would you ever start a YouTube channel? - @phoebescotland

I've always thought about what it would be like to make YouTube videos but realistically speaking, when i'm home I like to be in my pyjamas with no makeup on and my hair thrown into a bobble. So probably not as i'd also be super awkward in front of the camera, not to mention looking horrendous! 

3. What are your favourite type of blog posts to read? @thriftyvintagefashion who's also a fellow blogger, here.

I love reading about fashion and beauty, mainly beauty though. I enjoy reading reviews to find out whether or not I should give a product a go and finding out dupes of high end brands. Though I also really enjoy favourites and beauty rants, I love reading a good discussion!

4. What made you/inspired you to start a blog? - @amymayyx who also has a YouTube channel, here and Lucy from Ooh La Luce.

I think I read blogs before I even realised what exactly they were, but a few people over on Instagram started blogs not long before me and it seemed they were really enjoying it and I loved reading them so I thought why not give it a go myself? And I love it!

5. Best bargain of 2015? - @amymayyx as mentioned previously.

I had to think a little about this as I've not really bought that much. I'd have to say my Origins Skincare sample set as it was reduced by nearly £15 in the sales and I really like a few of the products in there, which you can read about here. 

6. What can you not leave the house without? Lucy from Ooh La Luce.

As much as I hate to say it, my phone. I honestly feel so lost without it as I don't wear a watch, so it would put me out of sync for the whole day. Also what else do you do when you're the only one sat outside the classroom waiting for your lesson to start?

The Liebster Award

(In case you are unaware of this award, it's basically a tag where you answer questions given to you and then write questions for the ones you've tagged. It also helps smaller blogs to gain more recognition and to make friends in the blogging world)

1. Do you prefer to take baths or showers?
Definitely a shower, they're much quicker and I can't seem to relax in the bath anyway!

2. Would you rather go without concealer or mascara?

Concealer, as I would just use a heavier foundation to cover blemishes. I also look ill without any mascara as I've learnt.

3. What is your dream job?

I honestly do not know, I think i'd love to have my own daycare nursery or have my own business as a children's party organiser. I'd also love to be a makeup artist for a while!

4. How do you see yourself in 10 years?

I'll be nearly 28 so i'd like to be happy in my job and maybe married or engaged- haha!

5. Who is your role model?

It's cliche, but definitely my mum as she's worked hard for what she has now and has put up with a lot of crap.

6. What is your favourite piece of makeup that you own?

I love my L'Oreal True Match foundation and the Naked 2 palette dupe, the W7 In the Buff palette!

7. Do you watch YouTubers? If so, who?
To be honest, mostly all the popular beauty guru's that everybody watches!

8. What is your favourite piece of clothing?

I love my Zara shopper/tote bag- i've used it pretty much every day since I got it last year!

9. Tea, Coffee or Hot Chocolate?

Tea, Yorkshire Tea all the way!

10. What is the first thing you do when you wake up?

Check my phone and then pee- haha!

11. Would you rather spend your money on clothing or beauty?

Beauty but I should really start investing some of my money into new clothes!

I should now be nominating 11 others to do this but I've previously done this TAG and I can't think of others off the top of my head to tag, so i tag you all- if you'd like to do this!

My questions for you are:

1. What do you most enjoy about blogging?

2. Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?

3. Where is your favourite place to eat out?

4. Who are your inspirations?

5. Where would you most like to visit in the world?

6. What are your hobbies aside from blogging?

7. What is your go to outfit?

8. Books or films?

9. What is your current favourite song?

10. What are your favourite kind of blog posts to read?

11. Are you a glass half full or glass half empty kind of person?

Let me know if you do decide to do this TAG and i'll be sure to check it out.
Thank you to those of you who asked questions and thanks again to Sophie for tagging me!
See you next time,

♥   ♥   ♥

Super Sample Set Review | ORIGINS Skincare

Origins is a brand I've heard a lot of great things about so its no surprise that a few products were on my list to try. Though Origins isn't the most affordable brand for myself and many others so it wouldn't be the best idea to go straight out to buy the full-size products straight away. When browsing the Boxing Day sales I came across this sample set reduced from £35 to around £22, it contained a few products I've wanted to try so I snapped this up straight away. 

I've been using this set for about 3 weeks now so I thought I'd give my thoughts on the products. Rather than attempting to explain what each of the products are I'm going to include the description from the Origins website and say whether I agree with its claims and whether I'd repurchase.

Checks and Balances Frothy face wash

"When it comes to faces with dry and oily places, it takes a clever cleanser to balance the two. This Origins gentle, frothy face wash carefully does both jobs without cancelling each other out. It helps to seek out oil, soaks it up then keeps it well in-check, while it balances and protects dry prone zones. And Broadleaf Kelp breaks down dirt, disperses excess oil and sends dullness down the drain. Skin feels comfortably refreshed after cleansing, never tight, pulled or parched."

The verdict: This definitely breaks down any left over makeup on my face and leaves my skin feeling smooth. Though this facial wash does smell quite strongly of soap which I'm not keen on and I feel it leaves my skin feeling quite tight. Apart from that I think it's great although I wouldn't repurchase at £18.50.

High Potency Night-A-Mins Minerals Mineral-enriched renewal cream

"Put dullness to rest. Wake up radiant & refreshed. Now nature's famed night cream is newly fortified with a system of time-released resurfacers plus Vitamins C, E & H, minerals & moisture-rich replenishers. While relaxing aromas lull you to sleep, skin sloughs away dry, dead layers. Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins™ helps the appearance of dullness."

The verdict: I love this, my skin feels amazingly hydrated after using it and my skin definitely looks better when I've woken in the morning. I also really like the scent of this and it does relax me ready for sleep. I've noticed the difference when not using this so I'll of course be putting this on my to-buy list, although it is £34.50 I think its reasonable for a hefty 50ml.

GinZing Energy-boosting moisturiser

"Origins GinZing™ instantly hydrates and revs up radiance.
This lightweight, oil-free, skin energy drink, fortified with legendary skin-boosters like Panax Ginseng and Coffee Bean, jumpstarts hydration levels. Lacklustre-looking skin is rapidly refreshed and revitalised to create a healthy, vibrant glow."

The verdict: This is the product I've heard most about, I have been enjoying using this in the morning to wake me up and give my skin more life. My skin feels smooth and prepped for makeup, though I'm not completely blown away by this yet. I'll give this a little longer to decide whether I'd actually repurchase this product so watch this space.

GinZing Refreshing eye cream to brighten and depuff

"Nature's clinically-proven morning-after GinZing™ eye cream helps to reduce the look of dark circles. Unsightly bags and puffiness seem less visible. And Origins proprietary complex of Caffeine from Coffee bean, Panax Ginseng, Magnolia Extract and natural optic brighteners rapidly wakes up, refreshes and restores radiance to tired eyes."

The verdict: I'm not sure this reduces the look of dark circles but maybe that's just because mine are so bad. However I would agree that  this wakes up the eyes, making you appear more radiant and alert. I've been enjoying using this though at it's price for the full-sized product, it wouldn't be within in my budget to repurchase.

Clear Improvement Active charcoal mask to clear pores

"When environmental pollutants, dirt and debris get under your skin, its waste-filtering system gets jammed, pores get clogged, skin looks cloudy. Nature's complexion clean-up crew in Origins Clear Improvement® gets to the bottom of skins overcast condition and clears the way for it to act its best."

The verdict: This is such a quick face mask as it dries hard within just a few minutes of putting it on. Once washing away my skin feels so refreshed and although this mask is fast drying my skin didn't feel tight afterwards. I've definitely noticed a difference in the appearance of blemishes and the size of my pores are reduced. If i'm in need of a deep cleansing face mask, i'll definitely look at repurchasing this at £23 for 100ml. 

Modern Friction Nature's gentle dermabrasion

"Skin-refining Rice Starch cushioned in cream, rapidly removes sluggish cells, uneven patches and signs of skin damage and discolourations. Lemon Oil kick starts the process of illumination. Vitamin C mops up skin-menacing free radicals.There's no ouch, extra steps or other complications. No redness or flaking follows. With Origins Modern Friction™, skin looks perfectly polished, smooth and luminous."

The verdict: I've got combination skin so I do have patches of dryness. The grains in this scrub are so slight that they really get to work on dry patches by removing the flaking skin. I love how bright and replenished my face looks after using this and the Lemon Oil is very present, expect tingling nostrils after using this- haha! I would repurchase this as its £12.50 for 50ml. 

Make A Difference Rejuvenating hand treatment

"The resurrection plant Rose of Jericho, plus skin-reviving Trehalose and Sea Harictos work hand-in-hand to help hardworking skin rebound and recover from dramatic dehydration in Origins Make A Difference™ rejuvenating hand treatment."

The verdict: I've not got much to say about this product as I dont really dabble in hand care- oops! This product again is scented with Lemon which I'm a big fan of! The cream is very light and sinks quickly into the hands without leaving a greasy layer which is a bonus, as nobody likes oil slicked hands when attempting to open something sealed tightly. I won't be re-buying this as i'm not all that into hand creams so i'd rather use a more affordable brand but this is very popular as it's currently out of stock on the Origins website. 

I'm intrigued by the high quality products that Origins has to offer, though not all of these products were for me, I have no doubt that another few products will crop up on my 'to-try' list. Watch this space to see if and what I repurchase in due course *prepares to be skint*.

Have you tried anything from Origins? What did you think of it?

Let me know below!

What to Expect | A Little Update

Hello!

Today I thought i'd give a little update on what to expect in terms of my blog the following couple of weeks.

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Last Wednesday I officially started college again for my second and final year. Already i'm feeling under a lot of pressure and in fact slightly overwhelmed with the amount of work I have to be completed  much earlier than i'd like. Of course I love blogging and have really enjoyed getting up more than one post every week over the summer but until I feel like i'm on top of the work I've got to do, blogging will have to take the back seat in my life.

I'll still be blogging as much as I can as it is a hobby, something I enjoy to do in my spare time but that will be when spare time is available. I aim to post at least once a week and may include a second post on Sundays telling a little of what I've got up to that week, if at all interesting! These have been called 'The Sunday Edit'  in the past so let me know if you'd like to see more.

As well as college work, i'll also be working my part-time job which I am in fact looking into a new one(of more hours, more convenient hours and something I will enjoy more), seriously thinking about what i'd like to do next year in terms of study, working or taking a gap year and similarly last but not least attending a few university open days, one of which is Norland College in Bath.

What are you doing this September, or what have you done?

Also lastly, what would you like to see here on my blog?

Thanks for reading and understanding,

Amy X