First Impressions | Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

Why hello there. Apologies for the delay in getting my next post up. I've had somewhat of a blogging break. I thought nothing better to get back in the swing of things than skin care, back to basics.

Without further ado, I present the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water. This is Garnier's answer to the cult beauty cleansing water from Bioderma. However lucky for those of us in Ireland, the Garnier alternative is much easier to get your hands on (and much cheaper).

Firstly lets look at the product itself, it is a little over €6 to buy a 400ml bottle (although at the moment it's one-third off in Boots). It is an all over cleanser, so you can also use it to remove eye make up too. It is suitable for sensitive skin and is fragrance free. It states you get 200 uses from 1 bottle, I think that is definitely overstating, the price is excellent for the amount of product!

Now onto my impressions. I have used this for a few days now, so I mean I don't think my view is going to change all that much. I absolutely love this cleanser. It doesn't feel as drying as some cleansers while also not leaving that oily residue behind either. I find it easily takes off all my makeup. Of course as I'm sure you can imagine, if I'm wearing waterproof mascara, I will need to give it an extra bit of attention. But I find that this product does not irritate my skin or my eyes, which is of course very important.

I have now added this to my skincare routine as the first step before I cleanse my skin with my favourite cleansing balm. I don't see it ever leaving my routine, unless something revolutionary comes along in the meantime. While this cleanser may not re-invent the wheel, it is a winner for me. It's a speedy way to remove my makeup, does not irritate and I do not need to use a separate eye make up remover. What more could a gal ask for?

How about you, have you tried this water?
What's your first impression?

Treat Yourself | Pamper Night In

So a couple of weeks ago as part of the #BOBBlogChallenge I'm taking part in for 8 weeks, we had to mention our favourite pamper product. Since I have never been once for the pampering, it was quite an empty post. So I decided to take it upon myself to change that and I had a little pamper session myself. So if you're looking for some ideas what to do yourself, keep on reading...

Firstly I started on my nails, I soaked them in some way soapy water to soften my cuticles and then I used Soap & Glory hand lotion. Next up was my base coat from Essie (I always put this on first, no matter what colour I'm doing my nails), then I chose the baby pink colour from Models Own new HyperGel range. I finished off with a top coat from Essie.

Next I cleansed with Clinique's Take the Day Off Balm, you can find a full overview of this magical product here.

Then it was onto the face mask, this one is from Montagne Jeunesse. I know Lush is very popular for face masks, but this was a bit of a last minute decision, so you can pick these one-time-packs anywhere (I actually got mine in the local supermarket). You just pop it on for 10-15 mins, it smelled nice and my skin felt quite refreshed afterwards, it was quite thick though. Definitely need to spend a couple of minutes getting it properly off the face. Any Lush fans reading this, please let me know your suggestions of which mask you prefer, as this is definitely on the list for my next trip into Lush.

The next step was Chanel's Hydra Beauty Serum, for which you can find out more about here. And I finally finished it off with No.7 Repair & Protect Moisturiser & the same brand in Eye Cream.

The final stage in my pamper routine was feet, I guess this particular pampering session focused on all my extremities, not that that was in intentional. I suffer from dry, cracked skin on my feet. I'm not saying it's glamorous and feet are a thing I really don't like, so I won't subject you to pictures. So to help with that I have been lashing on Aqua Minerals Nourishing Foot Cream, which has really been helping get my feet summer ready. Once I've been using it for a bit longer, I will do a proper review.

In the midst of all this of course I had a marathon of back-to-back shows, sure what better way to relax? This is probably quite a random selection of shows, but I tend to watch everything seasons at a time, so all different kinds of shows take my fancy from time to time. I have to say the hype is worth it, True Detective is shaping up to be the next big thing. Also back when it was originally aired, I hated Seinfeld, I never got into it. I think maybe perhaps the jokes were going over my head, as now I love it. I think it's hilarious, I'm up to season 7, if you haven't watched it yet, get a hold of some box sets, pronto!

Anyway I hope this post has given you some inspiration. Take the time to look after yourself, you deserve it!

August Favourites

It's that time of the month again where I recap on some of my favourite items from the last month.

As you can see from the Clarins cleanser it's almost gone, that definitely got a lot of use this month. It just has the most amazing smell of oranges, incredibly refreshing and leaves my skin feeling so soft, you can also use it on the eyes, so saves multiple product purchases. My Aussie leave-in conditioner is almost at the point of re-purchase and I've hit pan with my Bobbi Brown pressed powder. As I went to electric picnic last week, I definitely got great use out of Soap & Glory's hand sanitiser. The Collection concealer was also great for the summer (and Electric Picnic) for when I didn't want to have to go for the full make up look and avoid foundation altogether, it was perfect for under the eyes, red areas and blemishes. 

This month I have been loving two products from Make Up For Ever, their Face & Body foundation, as I have dry skin and their lip brush. I find the foundation has a very natural finish. Also as I have been wearing a lot of bold lips lately, the lip brush is perfect for controlling the amount of my product that goes onto my lip. On top of that, it folds into itself and is perfect for travelling!

Products Included

Clarins - One-Step Facial Cleanser with Orange Extract

Collection - Last Perfection Concealer (2 Light)

Soap & Glory - Hand Maid Hand Cleansing Gel 

Bobbi Brown - Sheer Finish Pressed Powder (Pale Yellow)

Make Up For Ever - Face & Body Foundation (#20)

Make Up For Ever - Lip Brush

Aussie - Leave-In Conditioner (Miracle Hair Insurance)

Do you use any of these products?

What did you love during the month of August?