September Favourites

Hello lovelies,

I swear I say this every month but it has just flown by, I've been in France nearly 4 weeks now and I'm loving it. I can't say it's been a smooth journey but I'm getting to the point now where I feel organised and happy to be here. It's my first time living away from home and yes, it's difficult and new, but I wouldn't give up the opportunity I've got. I've met so many great people and our paths would never have crossed without me doing this. I know I'm rambling but yano... My September Favourites were surprisingly easy to pick, I didn't come to France with much and I'm waiting for some items I've ordered to be delivered, so expect a big haul next week.

M&S Limited Collection Tinted Moisturiser 30ml - £5.00

I've had this quite a while and just not used it. For some reason when I was packing I threw it in my bag and before I went to the beach the other week, I pulled it out. My skin has improved but not to the extent that I would feel happy enough to go barefaced in front of people that I've only known a couple of weeks. And I know I should be confident enough to say this is me and this is what I look like but I'm not. This provided a light coverage and just perked my skin up, I popped it on in the morning before heading to the beach and the shade, light, is probably a bit too light for me now, so I used bronzer on top, it stayed put all day in 30 degrees plus. I prefer to use this over a foundation in hot weather as they tend to melt and leave my face just looking like an oily mess. A big thumbs up from me.

L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream 30ml - £8.00

I have no idea where this came from. Honestly. L'Occitane is somewhere I wouldn't tend to go into, to me it looks expensive and I haven't tried any of their products until now. With living in France, I've had to learn how to do the washing up - it's never ending but that's another story! My hands have definitely felt the aftermath, they've been dry and flaky. This is everything I look for in a hand cream, it's so nourishing, sinks in beautifully and doesn't leave any sticky residue, which is the reason I don't use hand creams often, I hate that sticky film.  

Nivea Sun Protect & Bronze SPF30 200ml - £14.99 (currently on BOGOF at Boots) 

You're all going to think I'm odd putting a sun cream into my favourites going into Autumn but if you're going on holiday, stock up. This gives you the most perfect tan without burning, it's so easy to apply and isn't thick or sticky. For those who think SPF30 is high, I still got a tan wearing it, I'm not going to rant on about how important sun cream is, as you all know but please wear it for your skins sake. This keeps your skin safe and you get a great tan. 

Max Factor False Lash Effect Fusion - £11.99

I may have to say I like this more than my beloved L'Oreal Telescopic. I just love it, it gives such a great result, I have long lashes anywhere and this just boosts the volume and doesn't clump. Lashes are significantly lengthened and thickened, yet they still look natural. It stays put all day and I couldn't ask for anymore, I've definitely been won over. 

What have been your favourites this month? Have you tried any of these?

Review: Bioderma Cicabio Soothing Repairing Ointment

Hello lovelies,

This is my first product that I've tried from Bioderma. When you hear Bioderma, you automatically think of the micellar water and as much as it has been raved about, it's not something that appeals to me. This was an unintended purchase but after my sunburn incident, I was left with a bright red ear which was painful, so I popped into the French Pharmacy and the pharmacist recommended this, so I decided to dip my toe into the Bioderma pool.

Cicabio is designed to be used for skin irritations. It provides epidermal reconstruction and antibacterial properties, and is designed to treat severe skin damage. It is particularly recommended following chemical peels (please get medical advice before using this after a chemical peel!) and for outbreaks of extreme dryness. I did a bit of research on this product after buying it as I like to know what I'm putting on my skin, and I discovered it contains a significant quantity of hyaluronic acid, which is great for re hydrating the skin. Exactly what I needed for my poor red elf ear. 

The directions for use are to apply quite heavily to the damaged area after cleansing and drying, then use twice a day until the skin is completely repaired. I layered it on to my ear and also onto my forehead where I had caught the sun. Surprisingly next morning, my skin actually felt quite smooth and the redness had gone down considerably. I've continued to use it over the past week, I thought it might clog my pores or cause me to break out on my forehead as it has quite a thick consistency but it hasn't.

If you're coping with irritated skin, I would definitely recommend giving this a try. I've even popped it on a couple of mosquito bites and it's just helped to sooth the skin. It's definitely a skincare staple, it's not something I would use everyday but a product that I'll turn too when in times of need.

Bioderma Cicabio 40ml can be picked up on Amazon for £9.99 those in the UK.

Have you tried any other lotions that do the same job as this?

Review: Soap & Glory "The Righteous Butter" Body Butter

Hello lovelies, 

So today, I'm going to review S&G's Righteous Butter, as you may know I've been making a rediscovery of S&G's products ... and I do love them. The packaging is just so unique - I adore their tongue-in-cheek names, vintage inspired fragrances and pink packaging, who couldn't like that?!

The Righteous Butter had the traditional fragrance of all S&G's pink products, I can't put my finger on what it it is, but I would definitely recommend giving it a sniff. The fragrance has a good staying power and I like to layer it up by using Clean On Me in the shower and then moisturising afterwards with this.

Texture wise, it's so creamy and thick. I would say it's not as thick as The Body Shop butters if you've tried those and it's fairly easy to massage in. It isn't instantly absorbed and you do have to stand their for a few minutes waiting for it to absorb but then again, you find that with the vast majority of body butters. 

I have to say this butter is fabulous at moisturising. I got sunburn on Sunday at the beach and I didn't have any aloe vera gel, so I've been slapped this on to help and so far so good. It makes my skin feel soft and smooth, taking away that feeling of burning heat. Wear sun cream ladies!

Overall I would say it's a good moisturiser and definitely something I would highly recommend for the Winter months to rectify dry skin. 

Soap & Glory "The Righteous Butter" Body Butter 300ml is available from Boots for £10.50 or you can get a smaller 50ml for £2.50, perfect for travelling. 

Have you tried any of Soap & Glory's Body Butters?