How to: Wash your make-up brushes!

I must admit I've been putting this off for quite a while as the last two times I have washed my make-up brushes the actual handle has fallen off...opps!
Firstly, washing your make-up brushes is essential to prevent the build up of bacteria. When applying make-up the bacteria transfers from your face to your brush and then multiplies which can lead to spot breakouts, so it is essential to regularly wash your brushes, especially foundation brushes!
After plucking up some courage and seeing how covered in make-up my brushes were I thought it was time to give it a go. This time the result was successful and my brushes are still in one piece so I thought I would share it with you guys in a simple step by step method.

1. Gather all your brushes, a towel and some Baby Shampoo
2. Run your taps under warm water faced downwards (ie. the brush bit at the bottom)

This step is important because if your brush is faces  upwards the water will run down the handle causing the glue to melt and the handle to come away from the brush (I have made this mistake before)

3. Place some baby shampoo in the palm of your hand and swirl your brushes building up a lather.
4. Keep rinsing your hand and then repeating this step until the lather is white and not a brownish colour
5. Rinse your brushes with warm water facing downwards

6.Squeeze out any excess water, dry with towel and reshape.
7. Leave to dry DOWNWARDS

And ta-da you will have nice clean brushes!

If you have any questions or feedback please feel free to leave them in the comment section below!

Also please feel free to follow my blog or add it to your reading list if you enjoyed this post.

Daily Skincare Routine

Daily Skincare Routine

Today I thought I'd write a bit about my daily skincare routine, to hopefully give you a few tips! By no means do I have perfect skin, but I always notice such an improvement when I stop using my trusty make-up wipes and put in a bit of effort, which I know can be a pain but in the long term it does pay off!

I have dry to normal skin so moisturising is key or else I find my foundation can cling to my skin. I'm pretty sure the majority of the products have can be used for oily skin types too.

Exfoliator - St Ive's Apricot Scrub

The first step to my routine is to exfoliate and to do this I use St Ive's Apricot Scrub. I have to say, this product is amazing and I love it so much. It has an Apricot scent and is one of those products that is just a pleasure to apply!
I generally apply this in the bath or shower and give my face a good scrub to get rid of any dull surface cells and then simply rinse with water. I always notice such a difference after using this product when I wake up the next morning as my skin looks and feels radiant, smooth and replenished. I particularly like to use this when my skin is particularly bad and needs a miracle worker and I do find this does the trick!
In my opinion, this product is great for all skin types as it is oil free. Also I have fairly sensitive skin which does not react after using this, so even better!

RRP:£4.29 (great considering it lasts for months)

Rating out of 10: 9
I recommend EVERYONE to go check this out soon!

Cleansing - Body Shop's Aloe Gentle Face Wash & Eco Tools Facial Sponges

My next step is cleansing. I try to be religious about cleansing my skin everyday to remove my make-up as I hate going to sleep with my make-up on. At the moment I use The Body Shop's Aloe Gentle Face Wash which is a foam that you lather on your face. I like the pump this cleanser comes with and the smell is not bad. 
This cleanser does the job but I wouldn't say I would rush to restock it when it runs out as it's £8.00 and doesn't have the wow factor for the price. This is branded for sensitive skin and does the job as my skin does not react with this product.

RRP:£8.00

Rating out of 10: 6

I also use Eco Tool's Facial Sponges to remove any excess make-up. These are sponges made of natural cellulose and I just find they feel really nice to use. They come in a 3 pack for £4.99 so you can't go wrong really! I would recommend these to anyone who's just looking for a simple thing to wash their face with...they last for ages!

RRP:£4.99

Rating out of 10: 8

Moisturising - Body Shop's Aloe Soothing Day Cream

My final step of my skincare routine is moisturising. For me, moisturising is key as at times I can have very dry skin. To moisturise my skin I use The Body Shop's (surprise surprise!) Aloe Soothing Day Cream. This pretty much lives up to it's name because I find it very soothing as it contains Aloe Vera. I think this is great for day to day use for normal skin, to maintain your skins condition and prevent it from drying. However, if your skin is particularly dry I would recommend a more heavier moisturiser with a more creamy consistency as this just isn't moisturising enough for very dry skin. I tend to use this on 'good skin days' where I only need a light moisturiser. 

I would recommend this to you if you have normal skin and want a light moisturiser or just a day to day cream, but if you're looking for a moisturiser for very dry skin I don't think this will do the trick.

RRP: £4.00

Rating out of 10: 7

Thanks for reading my skincare routine and let me know if you enjoyed this post in anyway! Please let me know any tips you may have or recommendations in the comments and feel free to leave questions.

Lots of Love

Lip Product Review

Let me start by saying that I am the sort of person who always has dry/chapped lips in some shape or form, so I'm pretty experienced when it comes to lip products which work wonders and the ones that simply aren't worth the waste of money!
Over the past year I have been on the hunt for the perfect lip balm that is both moisturising and nicely scented. I've tried so many products from Vaseline to high end brands like Bobbi Brown, so I thought I'd fill in my fellow lip enthusiasts on my thoughts of a range of different products I have tried recently.

Body Shop Lip Butter

I have been looking forward to trying the Body Shop Lip Butters for quite a while as I am a BIG fan of the body shop body butters.
The Body Shop sells a wide range of flavours in this range. I have the Sweet Lemon and the Coconut Lip Butter. They contain Beeswax, Vitamin E and Cocoa butter.I love the taste of both of these products as they are sweet and irresistible...I'm forever licking my lips with these on! I also like the packaging as it comes in a cute little pot which is easy to throw in your bag and carry round with you all day.

I have tried both these lip butters on numerous occasions and afterwards my lips do feel soft and smooth but not highly moisturised, they simply don't do the job for me personally. Also, the lip butters have a very creamy and thick texture which can sometimes leave a white cover over the lips so these are best to apply at night unless you like 'the white lip' look!

I would recommend this product to those who are looking for a light lip moisturiser with lips in fairly good condition. However, if like me, you have fairly dry lips I feel something more moisturising is needed. 

Rating out of 10: 7

RRP:£4.00

Carmex

Next up is the all time classic that is Carmex. I think everyone has tried or heard about Carmex before so I'll keep this brief.
Like the Body Shop Lip Butter's I love the little tin Carmex comes in and is easy to throw in your handbag on a day to day basis. I also just love the retro feel of the Carmex packaging. I find Carmex fairly moisturising and use this when my lips are in fairly good condition to maintain them.
I would not say I'm particularly a fan of the taste of Carmex, but it could be worse!

The ingredients include Petroleum, Paraffin and Methanol which I've heard mixed reviews about. It is suggested that lip balms made of natural ingredients are better for long term use, so keep that in mind!

Rating out of 10: 6

RRP:£2.00 (may vary slightly)

Burt's Bees Wax

In my opinion Burt's Bees are the absolute king of lip balms and are my absolute favourite. I can't go a day without applying this lip balm and I love it so much. It is sooooo moisturising and always leaves my lips really soft. It claims to be made of 100% natural ingredients (one of which being beeswax) so is perfect to use all year round. It comes in a great variety of flavours some clear and some coloured.
My favourite scents are mango butter and grapefruit. They taste amazing and just do wonders for my lips.
I would recommend Burt's Bees lip balms to anyone as they really are a miracle worker!

Rating out of 10: 9

rrp:£3.69 (I know this is slightly expensive for a drugstore/high street lip balm but is honestly worth every penny)

I hope you enjoyed reading my review as it is my first blog post or found it helpful. If you have any queations please leave a comment as I'm happy to help. Also, please recommend any lip products you like as I'd love to try them!
♥
Body Shop:http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/Carmex:http://mycarmex.com/
Burt's Bees:http://www.burtsbees.co.uk/