Glow On

NYX quickly became one of my favourite make up brands after discovering it about a year ago. I loved the way the products felt and looked like a high end brand, but came at half the cost. Subsequently, I have built up a rather large collection of their products (honestly I feel like I've tried almost everything at this point), so decided to review a few of my favourites.

Soft matte lip creams. These were one of the first things I tried and a lot of the reason why I tried so many more NYX products! The moussey texture of these means they have a slightly matte finish whilst being creamy enough to not be drying, making them so comfortable and easy to wear. I also love the way these wear throughout the day - they stay put for the most part, but when they do come off they don't flake or hugely give away the fact that you need to reapply.

Liquid suede lipstick. A more typical liquid lipstick than the soft matte lip creams. These have a glossier formula when you put them on (making application a little more difficult) that dries completely matte. This is a liquid lipstick that I reach for more than others I own because it's much less drying and doesn't start to flake when you reapply - well done NYX.

Tame&Frame brow pomade. Changed my brow game for real. This was my first time using a brow pomade and I'm so glad I chose this one. This is a super affordable alternative to the more pricey pomades out there, and mine has lasted so well without drying up (I have used this everyday for too long of a time to remember and I can't even see the bottom yet). Smooth application and decent pigment means you can achieve both natural and bolder looks depending on how much you apply.


HD finishing powder. White setting powder is so hard to find amongst the aisles of Boots, so I was so glad to find NYX did one. This is such a fine power that it looks like it isn't even on your skin, but sets make up so well and mattifies just enough without being drying. No cakey under eyes in site!

High definition blush. I often struggle to find blushes I like, so end up using the same one every day for months on end, this one included. This goes on so smoothly and blends really well into the rest of my contour and highlight. I have the shade 'intuition', which is great for day and night, and I love the fact that it is slightly shimmery.

Mineral stick foundation. This is my favourite product for doing a cream contour (shade 'caramel'). Being in the form of a stick makes it really quick and easy to apply, and saves having to buy and entire contour kit. This also blends really well into the skin, as it is thick enough to not completely disappear when you blend it but creamy enough to blend in smoothly and look natural.

What's your favourite NYX product?

Lets talk essence. This is my favourite part of the Korean skincare regime, and probably the one that is most unique to Korean skincare. Essences are watery-like gels that are designed to be part of the hydration process of your skincare regime. A good way to describe the way essences work is to think of our skin as a sponge - when dry, a sponge will soak up and retain much less water than one that is already wet. Essence works to hydrate the skin so that it will retain much more moisture from and better absorb other products, a good thing if you want to make the most of all your lovely creams and serums. Essences are also very lightweight in texture (they can vary from being quite gel-like to more watery consistences) so they absorb quickly and don't feel heavy or greasy, more like you have just splashed water onto your face.

So, how do we use them? Essence comes in after you have cleansed and toned your skin and before you use any other moisturising products like serums or creams (see my outline of a Korean skincare regime here). To apply, you simple take a few drops in your hand - a little goes a long way with this stuff - and pat it into your skin, rather than sweeping it across your face, which helps it absorb into the skin and avoids too much stretching or pulling. Essence can be used as part of both your morning and nighttime regime due to it being so lightweight.


One essence that I have been using at the moment, and one which is easy and affordable to pick up is The Body Shop Drops of Youth Essence Lotion. Although I will definitely be branching out and exploring more, I have been loving using this one and I think it is a great and easy to get hold of product if you are new to essences. This one is a little more gel-like than more traditional Korean essences but it feels so refreshing on the skin, and has a very fresh scent. As part of the 'Drops of Youth' range this product also boasts anti-ageing properties so will help smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, as well as helping the skin look hydrated and healthy. Sheet masks also contain essence, which gives them their intensely hydrating effects.


All in all, I think essence is a great addition to any skincare regime and one that is becoming increasingly popular. If you adopt anything out of a Korean regime I would definitely recommend that it be this one, especially if you have dry skin. This is one of the main things that I really feel has made a difference to the hydration of my skin, and I now can't imagine not using one in my regime! Although this may sound like an unnecessary step to some, essences are a really easy addition because they absorb quickly into the skin and are so simple to apply. The unique texture and hydrating properties mean that essences really add to skin hydration, keeping your skin looking healthy and keeping wrinkles at bay! What more could you want?

I'm a total lazy girl when it comes to removing my make up. Don't get me wrong, I love my skincare regime, but removing make up always seems like a chore. This is why oil cleansers are my favourite way of taking off my make up, as they're so quick and everything is gone in one simple step. Two of my favourites at the moment are the Superfacialist by Una Brennan Vitamin C+ Brighten Cleansing Oil and the Camomile Cleansing Butter by The Body Shop.

I think a lot of people tend to be wary of oil cleansers, especially those who have oily skin. However, once the oil comes into contact with water, it transforms into a milky consistency and completely washes away, so no oily residue here. In fact, oils tend to be super gentle on your skin and simply leave it feeling soft and clean. Plus, if you're like me and you have dry skin, oil cleansers feel a lot more nourishing and don't leave you with that dry and tight feeling that a lot of other cleansers can give you. Personally, I use these cleansers to remove all my make up in one go (using separate eye makeup removers is an alien concept to me) and wash away with a damp flannel.


The Superfacialist by Una Brennan Vitamin C+ Brighten Cleansing Oil is quite a thick, oily cleanser with lots of natural oils such sunflower, olive and grape seed oil. In fact, most of the ingredients list consists of naturally occurring oils so this is not harsh on the skin at all, as some make up removers can be. One thing I want to note here is to watch out for the ingredients - some oil cleansers contain mineral oil that really clogs pores and is just not something you want on your skin! This cleanser has a beautiful citrus smell and feels quite luxurious on the skin due to it's thick and oily consistency (okay, that doesn't sound that nice but think of it as giving your face a massage). This completely removes all traces of make up in one simple step, even those stubborn bits of mascara that never seem to quite come off! This is super gentle and leaves my skin feeling so soft.


The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Butter is another favourite of mine. Again, this smells lovely and is so nice to use at night due to the calming scent of camomile. The consistency of this is a little thinner than the Superfacialist oil but I find it spreads around the face a little easier because of that. Although this doesn't leave my skin feeling as soft and nourished, it still doesn't leave me dry. Also, a little goes a long way with this one so you're definitely getting value for money! In terms of makeup removal power, these are both very similar and I alternate them equally within my routine.


So, if you've never tried a cleansing oil I would definitely say give it a go! They're quick and easy to use, gentle on the skin and don't leave you with that dry post-cleanse feeling. These two are great ones to start with, as they're both super affordable and will last you quite a while... and, most importantly, they smell delicious.

Good foundation on a budget is hard to find. Although the highstreet hosts a wide range of options that do the job, I've never found one that I really loved. For me, many cheaper foundations are far too dry and don't give enough coverage. The perfect foundation for me would be a fuller coverage but with a dewy finish that doesn't cake too much, as my skin is on the drier side, but ideally I don't want to be spending £30 odd on a foundation if I can help it. So, when I saw people talking about the L.A. Girl Pro Coverage foundation I thought I had to give it a go, especially since it's only around £11.

This foundation claims to be a medium to full coverage, with a 'smooth, long wearing, flawless looking finish'. This foundation comes in 15 shades, as well as a white foundation lightener. The shade range is definitely on the darker side, so if you are paler the white foundation lightener might be worth investing in too - although this brings down the price appeal a little, you only need a small amount of lightener so it should last a while. I have the shade fair (one of the lightest in the range) and, although I can get away with wearing it on it's own, I do still have to lighten it a little.

However, I think the formula of the foundation really makes up for the lack of shade range. I'd definitely say this is a medium coverage foundation rather than full, but it gives a lot more cover than many cheaper foundations I've tried and is definitely buildable. The thing I like the most about this is that the formula is not drying at all, it is a very 'wet' foundation that doesn't look cakey or cling to dry patches. This is perfect for me since my skin tends to be dry but you may have to be wary of this if you are on the oily side, as even I need to set mine with powder to mattify it a bit. In terms of wear this has pretty good staying power, not that it looks completely flawless at the end of the day, but it gets me through a full day without wearing off too much.


For the price, and compared with other cheaper foundations I have tried, I think this is definitely a good low-budget foundation option. The coverage is the main selling point for me, as I've never found a foundation with such good coverage in this price range (and I have been looking for a long time!). The fact that it is not dry at all also really impresses me, as this is the thing that annoys me most about cheaper foundations, which always seem to look dry and feel uncomfortable on my skin. Although the shade range is not amazing, the overall look and feel of this foundation makes up for it - this is definitely one of the best low-budget foundations I have used.

These past few months I have been increasingly intrigued by Korean skincare (and by intrigued I mean I've bought a lot of products). Since I've done a fair bit of research and will probably be talking about a lot of these products in the future, I thought a little introduction would be helpful, especially as Korean skincare is becoming increasingly popular within the beauty scene. Of course, I don't claim to be an expert by any means, this is just what I know and what I do personally. Also, since I'm still exploring products and perfecting my own regime I'm not going to mention any specific products but pictured is just what I'm using at the moment. Anyways, lets get going!
Korean skincare regimes are best known for having a hefty sounding ten steps. I know this sounds daunting but once you get into it it's not so laborious - trust me, I amazingly managed to do this after a night out once. So, what are the steps?

As you might be able to tell Korean skincare is allllll about hydration, which was one of the main things that attracted me to it because I have always suffered with dry skin. I've been following this style routine for about a month now and I don't think my skin has ever been better - it actually glows. My skin has always been a bit of an insecurity for me, as it's normally dry and uneven in skin tone. However, since following this regime my skin is clearer, softer, brighter and overall just more even in tone. I do this full routine at night, and mornings are generally just a cleanse, tone, essence, moisturise affair.

Two of my obsessions right now? Korean skincare and getting rid of blackheads. I've scrubbed, washed, even picked (I know, I'm sorry) at the blackheads on my nose but nothing seems to get rid of them. So, when I stumbled across these 3-step blackhead removal packs by TONY MOLY I thought I had to try them, if not just for the cute packaging and the hope that they would smell like strawberries (they do!) I haven't had much luck with blackhead removal strips in the past but my faith in Korean products convinced me to give these a go.


The pack contains 3 nose strips to clean your pores and remove blackheads:
Step 1: this strip is designed to open your pores to prepare them for step 2. Opening up your pores is a really crucial step in using any sort of pore strip, so I love that this has been incorporated into this product. This strip is similar to a sheet mask in that it is cloth and soaked in essence (a gel-like liquid) that contains witch hazel and peppermint. This slightly tingles when on your nose so does feel like something is working.
Step 2: now comes the sticky adhesive strip that removes all the dirt from your pores. This was slightly painful but definitely worth it. I could see those yellowy bits of gunk coming out of my pores, gross but quite satisfying. Although this definitely didn't remove all my blackheads I could see a noticeable difference, and more so than with any other nose strips I have tried.
Step 3: a nice soothing step after the removal treatment. This was a lovely smelling gel strip also soaked in essence with lots of fruit extracts. Although I don't feel like this particularly closed up my pores, it was a nice step to calm the skin after step 2.

Above all, this is a fun little product to use, especially if you want to do a bit of extra pampering. I definitely feel like these worked for me, not that they necessarily removed all my blackheads, but they definitely cleaned up my pores. Plus, for £2 a pack you can't really go wrong. You can buy these on Amazon in packs of 5.

Glycolic acid is a new addition to my skincare routine that I am loving. As someone with sensitive skin I find mechanical exfoliators, like grainy scrubs, too harsh on my skin and something I can only use once or twice a week. So, I was very pleased to discover acidic exfoliators were a thing, such as Glow Tonic by Pixi and Nip and Fab's Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing Pads. Both these products contain glycolic acid that gently exfoliates to remove dead skin cells without being harsh on the skin.


Glow Tonic by Pixi contains 5% glycolic acid along with aloe vera and ginseng to help calm the skin. This is a very gentle exfoliating toner that really brightens up the skin by removing dead skin cells. I use this with either a cotton pad or simply my hands after I have cleansed my skin, as it acts both as a toner to remove any excess make up and an exfoliator. This product has definitely helped smooth and even out the texture of my skin, especially my cheek area which normally has a slightly bumpy texture. Although I was worried about the smell being a little strong and the fact that this contains acid, this has been gentle on my sensitive skin and has not caused it to dry at all.


Nip and Fab's Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing Pads contain both glycolic acid to exfoliate and hyaluronic acid to moisturise your skin. These are super easy to use, as they simply come as individual pads soaked in all that exfoliating goodness. Although still very gentle, the pads are ever so slightly grainy-feeling, so I really like to use these on days where my skin is feeling like it needs a bit of extra exfoliation. These are a slightly cheaper option (£12.99 for 60 pads) than the Glow Tonic (£18 for 250ml) but both are amazing alternatives to using mechanical exfoliators, like scrubs, that can be harsh on your skin. I currently have these in a sample size I got, but I will definitely be getting more!

I use either of these products (depending on how my skin is feeling) as part of my night time routine, but you can use them in the morning too if you wish... just remember your SPF afterwards! I barely use grainy scrubs anymore and my skin is feeling softer and more glowy than ever!