Burt's Bees | Lip Balm + Hand Cream

Okay, so these products were my introduction to Burt's Bees and its safe to say I will be investing in a few more. So firstly, the lip balm. I'm a lover of minty smelling things, so was instantly drawn to this when I saw that the balm was peppermint scented. The smell of this is amazing. As a lip balm itself, I really enjoy using it. It moisturises my lips really well and for a good few hours. I'm a huge fan of EOS lip balms, but this for me, is a great alternative. This seems slightly thicker than those balms, but very lovely indeed.. Especially when your lips need that extra bit of TLC.

Secondly, the hand cream. Okay, so I really love the packaging of this product. It's super small and convenient; great for your handbag! The product itself is very moisturising and non-sticky and although it seems like a balm at first, it melts into your hands. However, the only thing I'm not a fan of is the smell. If you're into sweet, strong smelling products, then you won't have a problem. It's almost like a bakewell smell because of the almonds. Nice, but a bit too much when it lingers around on your hands for too long. All in all, I will be looking to purchase more Burt's Bees products, especially different flavoured lip balms. Do you guys have any recommendations as to what I can try next from Burt's Bees?

Maybelline | The Eraser

I had seen so many Bloggers and YouTubers rave about this under eye concealer over the last 6 months or so and felt like it was about time I had got my hands on one. Unfortunately, they were sold out of the lightest shade so I picked up 'nude' thinking it would be light enough for under my eyes as well. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case and this shade is more my foundation shade. So although I haven't been able to use it under the eyes too much, I have used it on blemishes and redness.

To be fair, this concealer is so good. It's lightweight and covers well without it looking caked on or heavy. My favourite part about this concealer is that is doesn't crease. It has worked well under my eyes, but would look 100% better with the lighter shade which is definitely what I will be purchasing next time. But for the time being, I'm really loving using this product and think it is well worth its £7.99 price tag. You can buy the two shades 'Light' and 'Nude' here.

Picture Post | 006

Another weekend, another Sunday spend playing around with the DSLR. Pretty pleased with how these photographs have turned out. Thanks to the boyfriend for allowing me to take so many photos of him and shout at him every time he moved. Ha. I think we picked a perfect day to go. It was one of those crisp winter days but with barely any clouds in the sky, the sun managed to take the chill off the sea breeze that was in the air. These pictures were taking down The Knapp, in Barry in South Wales. One of my favourite places and have lots of childhood memories of this place.

Life Updates | 01

Just a little life update since its been a while since my last post and some pictures from a winter walk that me and the boyfriend have been taking an awful lot. It is my mission this year to learn how to use my DSLR camera properly as at the moment, aside from auto mode, I don't really have much of a clue. But I'm excited to learn. And where better to put my pictures, than on my blog. I can't wait for summer when all the flowers start to come into bloom and the parks are filled with beautiful colours for me to start taking snaps of them.

In regards to life itself, things are the norm. Christmas is now over and I find myself just wanting summer to hurry up for me to go on my summer holiday and get some sort of tan. Being pale is not one of my favourite things that's for sure.. I also want to start blogging more. I feel like work and other things have taken over my life and I don't find the time to enjoy blogging any more but that really needs to change. Strangely enough, I found more time to blog whilst writing a dissertation and doing a Univeristy course than I do now I'm holding down a full time job. Anyway, hope you all had a lovely Christmas break and New Year!

Sarah xo

A Sanctuary Facial

The incredible Sanctuary facial duo! This brand is so underrated. Every single product that I have tried from Sanctuary have been top notch and these two have been no exception. So here's a quick little review on my favourite two...

For my everyday skin care routine, I have been using the Sanctuary Fresh Faced Purifying Wash in the mornings and evenings. In the mornings, only a small amount is needed just to cleanse the skin of anything from the previous nights sleep and to leave your face lovely and smooth with a clean base ready to apply your make-up. I also use it in the evening after using a makeup remover to ensure that every spec of make-up has been removed thoroughly. It leaves my skin feeling super soft and plump and is a favourite of mine right now.

Secondly, every couple of days, your skin needs a good bit of exfoliating to get rid of the dead skin etc. so I use the Sanctuary Radiance Exfoliator. This stuff is incredible. It leaves my skin feeling as soft as a baby's bottom without being harsh on my skin. I can't say I've noticed the 'glow' that it's supposed to give, but nevertheless, I love it just from how great it makes my skin feel.

Summer Beauty Favourites

I cannot believe how quickly July went, but one thing I can't fault is how awesome the British weather had been throughout that month. But what comes with a lot of sun, comes a lot of humidity and sweaty days meaning that a full face of make-up is no longer possible even if you wanted to and you're slapping on the SPF instead. It's safe to say that through July, my favourites were slightly weather orientated. Here we go...

Clarins BB Cream | 01 Light

So this little miracle has been a favourite of mine for well over a year now. It's lightweight formula somehow manages to provide a light/medium coverage and hydrates the skin at the same time. When wearing this, I don't even feel like I have any make-up on at all. The other great thing about it, especially in this weather, is the SPF factor. With an SPF 25, this little wonder has come in handy throughout the day in the scorching heat, especially since I don't always use a moisturiser with an SPF.

Bourjois Blush | 41 Healthy Mix

Ahhhh, my go-to blush this summer. Such a gorgeous colour. It adds such a natural healthy flush of colour to your face. It takes a little while to build up the colour, but I love how natural it looks. For someone who isn't a massive blush lover, I've thoroughly enjoyed using this.

Ted Baker Illuminator | Pearly Pink

Before I started watching beauty YouTube videos, I'd never really bothered using highlighters, but seeing the affect they give to your skin, I couldn't resist trying some. This so far, is by far my favourite. I had this in a big Ted Baker set from Boots around Christmas time and have only started using it in the last couple of months. It adds such a lovely glowy finish to my skin, love it. I can't seem to find it anywhere to buy apart from Ebay as it was part of a package from Boots around Christmas time.

EOS Lip Balm | Strawberry Sorbet

This stuff has been my saviour this summer. Firstly, the smell is absolutely amazing! I could literally keep applying the stuff all day, just for the smell. I love the packaging and how quirky and cool it is. It's so easy to apply and keeps my lips hydrated. I especially loved using it on holidays in the super warm weather after being out in the sun all day. Love love love.

Maybelline Baby Lips | Pink Punch

So it seems that these days, I reach for a tinted lip balm as opposed to a lipstick. I don't know if it's because I'm not a huge fan of lip glosses but want the sheen, or if it's because I like how moisturised my lips feel. I'd probably say its a little bit of both.. This particular colour has been my favourite this summer. You can never go wrong with a nice pale-ish pink.

What are your summer beauty favourites?

NOTD | MUA 'Lush Lilac' Nail Polish

A short and sweet post today, and since it's been slightly sunny in Wales today, it's come at the right time. Let's hope the weather holds out for the weekend eh?

Anyway, it's no secret that I love MUA nail polishes and have a number in my stash of polishes. But when the sunny weather appeared, I dug this little number out. I literally forgot how much I loved this colour, and with a £1 price tag, it's seriously hard to go wrong! Lush Lilac is such a perfect shade for the spring/summer time. Although it takes a good two to three coats to build, the colour pay off is amazing and lasts really well. Such a beaut colour and at a bargain price. Who could complain?

Brand Favourites | Soap & Glory

Would you believe, before December, I was a Soap & Glory virgin. I had always lusted after getting some items whilst they were 3 for 2 at Boots from time to time, but always stopped myself as knew I had other skin products that needed to be used up, and felt like I couldn't betray my beloved Sanctuary products. However, when the £60 gift box came on offer at Christmas at under half price, I found it extremely difficult to resist and got my hands on some. In the last couple of months, I've finally got around to using my old skin care up and start to make my way through my Christmas stash. Three of my faves that I have tried so far have been Heel Genius, Hand Food and The Righteous Butter. 

Heel Genius is perfecto for those days where you just want to pamper yourself; whether it's been a long ass day at work or a drunken weekend.. (mainly spent in 6inch heels!) this little beauty does the trick of making your feet feel b-e-a-utifulllll! I tend to smother my feet with the stuff and slip on some socks and chill out for a good few hours. The tube suggests to sleep with your socks on, but if you're anything like me, you're going to find it impossible. Sleeping with socks on is the worst. What I do seems to work well enough for me anyhow.

Hand Food has served me well the last few weeks more so than ever. Lately, my hands have been feeling dry and rough for no apparent reason and Hand Food has served me well. Like any other Soap and Glory product, the smell is amazing. So so sweet! And last but not least, The Righteous Butter! Yet another amazing smelling product. I just love how thick and nourishing the product itself is, and is especially great after a lot of scrubbing in the shower to remove the night beforehand fake-tan! 

Any products you guys have loved from S&G that I should be trying? Especially from their skin care range.. Hope you've all enjoyed the Bank Holiday weekend.