Friday 30 January 2015

HEALTH & FITNESS: MY FAVOURITE FREE WORKOUT VIDEOS

Hi lovelies, another health and fitness post for you all today! If you read my last gym/ fitness routine, you'll know that I love the gym (by gym, I mean my gym at home, as I have cardio machines in my home gym), however simply running on a treadmill or cycling on a stationary bike can not only get boring, but it can also get too easy if it's all you do every single day. By now, I feel like my general fitness is pretty good (nowhere near expert but pretty decent for me!) so I do tend to get used to workouts quite quickly, so while I may be out of breath after 45 minutes on the treadmill at 20 minutes on the bike, it doesn't always feel like a challenge. While these workouts obviously do do me good, they aren't necessarily helping me to get stronger and better, unless I increase timing/ intensity. So, on the days where I'm just not feeling the treadmill, but still want to challenge myself, I tend to turn to workout videos. These videos are almost like having a personal trainer there with you! (Although, I don't think you can beat the real thing and if you are in the market for a London Based Personal Trainer definitely check out Right Path Fitness as its great to start with a real trainer for those who need a little more guidance!)

What I love about workout videos online, is that there are so many. Fitness accounts on Youtube have many, many workout videos that vary in intensity, so you can pick depending on your level of fitness, or how challenged you want to be that day. Today though, I've picked out a few of my current favourite workout videos. I've purposefully kept all of these to less than an hour long, but you can have a little browse if you fancy a longer workout. These though are for those of us who don't have loads of time on our hands, but want to fit in a workout that challenges and pushes you in a fairly short amount of time. Remember, these are all suitable to me and the level that I'm at right now, when I start finding these too easy I'll find harder ones, but all of these are about how hard you push yourself, maximum effort = maximum results! If it's too easy, you're not working hard enough!


First up, this Millie Mackintosh workout vid from Women's Health Mag is incredible. You'll need dumbells for this one, so if you don't have those, you'll either want to skip, substitute or even pop out and buy some, as you can get them super cheap! It may be short, but this workout is a killer. I don't like to have a very short workout as my only workout for the day, so on the days I've been not so busy, I do this in the morning, followed by cardio later in the day, or even do this twice. This workout is about improving mobility and flexibility, strength training and conditioning, so it's great if you're trying to build lean muscle and just improve general fitness. Fitting this into your routine once or twice a week along with longer workouts will definitely help to improve your stamina and strength.


Fitness Blender has to be one of my favourite fitness accounts on Youtube, infact probably my all time favourite. The routines are fun, easy to follow and straight to the point. Most of their workouts use absolutely no equipment, so I used to do these all the time before I had any cardio equipment or access to the gym. Now I try to do a couple a week to mix up my workout routine. This one in particular is  a great one to start out with, it's a fairly simple fat burning cardio routine. It's 37 minutes, but it is fairly intense, however just how intense depends on how hard you want to work!

Another thing that I love about fitness blender is that every move has a clear timer in the corner of the screen and the rough calorie burn is in the bottom corner too. This way you can really track where you're at. This video includes general cardio and an abs workout. As I've never really had to work my abs, as I naturally have a flat stomach, I've been a bit lazy with ab workouts in the past. This means despite the fact I have a flat stomach, I have almost no strength in my core so ab workouts are a killer! I'm trying to build up strength though and this workout is a great one for me, as it's intense enough to challenge me, but not so much that I feel like death afterwards!

I absolutely love pairing this Kickboxing Workout with the Millie Mackintosh workout above, as it's not quite as draining as the Millie Workout, but it will make you sweat in a fairly short amount of time. As with the other Fitness Blender vids I've shared, this includes a warm up and cool down, preventing injury. This video is great because it works your entire body without the need for any equipment.


Another of my favourite Fitness channels on Youtube is Tone It Up, Karena and Katrina are super gorgeous and so much fun and I find watching ladies who look that good working out super motivating. This video is fairly short, but it's a HIIT workout, meaning it's slightly brutal! Again, this is another one that I'd probably pair with another video (though probably not right after!) or with some light cardio later in the day, but for building stamina, this is perfect. It's been made to be used in your own living room, so all you need to get started is your sofa, no really!

My Top Tips:
- If you're doing short videos, try to fit in at least two a day, it's recommended that you get at least 30 minutes of cardio exercise every day, or at least 5 days a week for general health, so make sure you're hitting that. It's up to you how intense those 30 minutes are.
- Watch the video you're doing at least once before you plan to do it. Practise the moves and have them nailed before you do the workout, this way you'll get more out of your workout.
- Despite the fact these are for use at home, I'd still recommend wearing workout gear and good trainers. This means you'll feel more comfortable during your workout, the clothes absorb sweat better and good workout footwear prevent injury to your knees, shins and ankles.
- I enter all my workouts and exercise into the My Fitness Pal app, as you have to put in your gender, age, height and weight, it calculates more accurately how many calories you've burned. This is also good to keep in mind when you're working out on cardio equipment too, as the calorie count isn't always accurate.

So, that's it! A little selection of some of my favourite workout videos. I'm loving doing health and fitness posts lately, so let me know if you've been enjoying reading them as much I have been writing them!

If you have any requests for these types of videos, I'd love it if you'd let me know in the comments!

Do you use workout videos? What ones are your favourites?

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Wednesday 28 January 2015

BLOG SALE: TED BAKER, MAC, BENEFIT, URBAN DECAY, TOPSHOP & MORE!

Hi lovelies! One of my many New Years resolutions was to get organized, so as it's almost the end of January already, I thought it was about time I made a good start on that, so that means - clearout! And what better way to clear out my wardrobe and make up drawers than a Blog Sale? Most of this stuff is either unworn or only worn a few times and the makeup is almost all like new (I've got to stop buying so much stuff!) So, the boring bit, Postage and Packaging is flat rate £3.50 due to horrific Royal Mail charges. Comment below or email me on chloe@chloesway.com if you see anything you fancy! Payment is via Paypal Friends and Family payment to chloooeeeee@hotmail.co.uk only.
Missguided Grey Cocoon Coat Size 6, Worn once - £10 SOLD
Black Playsuit with Built in Necklace, Size 8, Brand New with Tags - £6

Primark Grey Drop Hem Dress, Brand New with Tags, Size 6, £3
Primark Cut Out Shoulder Dress, Size 6, £3
(£5 for both)

Burnt Orange Skater Dress, Size Small (about 6-8), Worn a few times, £5
Boohoo Printed Shift Dress, Size 6, Brand New, Tags Removed, £6

Primark Zebra Cut Out Dress, Size 6, Brand New Tags Removed, £3
Heart Print Shift Dress, Size S/M (6-8), £5

Topshop Aztec Print Dress, Size 6, Worn a few times, £7
Cat Print Skater Dress, Size 6 Petite, Worn once, £4

Miss Selfridge Blue Lace Dress, Size 6, Worn Once, £8
Primark Denim Skater Dress, Size 6, Worn Once, £4

New Look Waffle Texture Black Shift Dress, Size 6, Brand New, Tags Removed, £5
Boohoo Floral Monochrome Dress, Size 6, Worn Once, £5

Mango Navy Shift Dress, Size 6, Worn Once, £5 SOLD
H&M Navy Polka Dot Dress, Size 6, Worn a few times, £5

Missguided Baby Pink Shift Dress, Size 6, Worn Once, £5
Missguided Baby Pink A-Line Skirt, Size 6, Brand New Tags removed, £4

Missguided Lilac A-Line Skirt, Size 6, Brand New Tags removed, £4
Missguided Floral A-Line Skirt, Size 6, Brand New Tags removed, £5

Missguided Mint Shift Dress, Size 6, Worn Once, £5
Missguided Daisy Print Dress, Size 6, Worn Once, £7

Missguided  Palm Print Bodycon Dress, Size 6 (more like an 8), Brand New, Tags Removed, £6 
Missguided Floral Jumpsuit, Size 6, Worn a few times, £7 

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette, Lightly Used (as shown), £10 (RRP £22) SOLD

MAC Fleur Power Blush, Lightly Used (4 or 5 times), £8 SOLD

Benefit Ultra Plush Lipgloss in A-Lister, Swatched Only, £6 (RRP £14.50)
Estee Lauder Daywear Tinted Moisturiser, Used Once, £10 (RRP £38.00)

Clarins Jolie Rouge Lipstick in Royal Plum, Swatched Only, £8 (RRP £19.00)

New Look Pink Clutch Bag, Used once, £5
Dorothy Perkins Nude Pink Clutch Bag, Used once, £5

Ted Baker iPad Mini Case, Used a few times, £10 SOLD
ASOS Black Snakeskin Envelope Clutch, £5

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Tuesday 27 January 2015

BENEFIT PUFF OFF EYE GEL REVIEW*




Puff Off Eye Gel - £22.50 on BenefitCosmetics.co.uk

Hi lovelies! I'm so excited about what I'm reviewing for you all today as I actually have a little confession to go with it. While I'd had eye creams in the past, I've never ever finished a bottle and have never consistantly used one. As a beauty therapist, I know better than this an despite being only 20 years old and not yet having to worry about wrinkles and premature aging, I know that eye cream is important for everyone to prevent these things as well as keeping under eye bags, dark circles and puffiness at bay. To be honest, as I've never particularly struggled with any of these things, I've been lazy with eye cream. However, even before Benefit officially released this eye cream and before they were kind enough to send their Puff Off Eye Gel to me (which came as a complete surprise!), I'd already decided I'd buy it when it came out, as the bottle is adorable and I absolutely couldn't resist that little iron shaped applicator.

Anyway, onto the actual product. This eye cream itself is incredibly light, making it great for someone like me who doesn't need a heavy eye cream, however due to it's hard working formula, this would be fab on someone who perhaps does need the benefits of a more intense eye cream, but wants to avoid the heavy, thick feeling. For me, while I generally don't suffer with under eye issues, I have been having a few late nights and busy days lately, resulting in slightly tired looking eyes, so mild puffiness and slight dark circles. So for me, this couldn't have come at a better time. I've been absolutely religious about applying this for the last two weeks or so and even for someone like me who never really used an eye cream, I am hooked! 

I can honestly say that I feel like I look more awake since beginning to use this, my undereye area is significantly brightened and any hint of puffiness has 100% gone. I feel a lot of this has to do with the incredibly cooling iron shaped tip, which make application super gentle and easy and it feels amazing too, particularly in the morning when you're feeling a bit blah! Another thing I've found is that the makeup under my eyes tends to stick around a lot better when I use this underneath as opposed to when I don't. Sometimes due to the cold weather my eyes can get a bit watery and this causes lots of eye rubbing and makeup fading, but this has dramatically reduced any noticeable fading during the day. Something you can do with this that you can't do with many eye creams, is apply this over makeup, so you can get more of a brightening effect.

Honestly, I think this would work for absolutely anyone, but I do think it's probably slightly better suited to younger skin, or perhaps those of you who are fairly new to eye cream. Obviously I can't speak for those with more severe puffiness and dark circles, but I do know that it definitely works to de-puff and brighten for me, so I think it's definitely worth a shot! It's not the cheapest eye cream at £22.50, but you only need to use a tiny amount, so use sparingly and you should get a lot of use out of this!

What do you think? Have you tried this, or would you like to? What's your favourite eye cream?

*This product was gifted to me by Benefit, however this is not a sponsored post and all opinions are my own.

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Sunday 25 January 2015

HEALTH AND FITNESS: SWEET POTATO THREE WAYS

Hi lovelies! Another recipe post for you all today, as I've been loving doing healthy recipes and experimenting a little more with food, rather than going with easy options all the time! I'm afraid we're all just going to have to bare with me on this, as I'm not an expert cook, I've not done recipe posts before and there will be absolutely no precise measurements in these recipes whatsoever. That's kind of what I like about them, they're super simple, fairly fuss free and super healthy. Many of you will know that health and fitness is very important to me, however what you may not know, is that I don't love cooking, I've never been too adventurous with cooking and generally have just taken the easy option, but for the new year, I decided that was going to change and as I said, I'm going to start experimenting in the kitchen! So, in this post I wanted to share three recipes using one of my all time favourite ingredients, sweet potato!
Sweet Potato Tuna Cakes

This recipe is so much easier than I thought. I absolutely love fishcakes, but it's shocking how many nasties can be in some of the frozen supermarket versions. So, I decided to give my own a try. To make four of these, I peeled, chopped and boiled two small sweet potatoes. I then mashed it with a potato masher, then added a tin of tuna and one slice of brown bread made into breadcrumbs (using a blender), just to help the cakes stick together a bit better and then added finely chopped kale and mixed that in with a wooden spoon. I then shaped them with my hands and grilled them for roughly 15-20 minutes until they were crispy on the outside and that was it!

I served these with courgetti, made with a julienne peeler then boiled for 3 minutes in veg stock and kale tossed in sweet chilli sauce, then baked for 5 minutes until crispy. This was super yummy and filling too. The tuna in these could be substituted for any type of cooked fish and are also really nice served inside a granary roll too.

Sweet Potato Fries and Stir Fried Chicken

Another very easy recipe, this healthy alternative to oven fries, or fast food is super tasty and surprisingly easy to do. For the fries, I chopped one large sweet potato into the shape of fries, then boiled them until they were slightly soft, then popped them on a wire rack, on top of a baking tray (this ensures both sides of the fries will get crispy without the need for turning halfway through, anyone else rubbish at remembering this?!), I lightly brushed the boiled fries with oil and sprinkled them with paprika before baking them in the oven for around 20-30 minutes on about 200 degrees. It's worth keeping an eye on these while they cook, as the cooking time isn't always consistent.

For the stir fried chicken, I simply cut up two chicken breasts (this meal was for two!) into small chunks, then pan fried it in a little oil with garlic, paprika and hot chilli powder. I then tossed some peas and green beans into the pan, so they'd pick up a little flavour from the chicken, then served! This combo is super yummy and depending on how many veggies you throw in, you can easily get two or three (or more!) of your five a day in this type of meal.

Sweet Potato Bean Burger

If you're a veggie, or simply don't want to eat meat or fish every day, this recipe will be perfect for you! To make four good sized burgers, I chopped, boiled and mashed two medium sweet potatoes, then stirred in one strained can of mixed beans. I also stirred in one slice of bread made into breadcrumbs and some finely chopped kale, though these are optional. The breadcrumbs do help stop the burgers falling apart though, as any liquid from the beans can make them a little unstable!! You can use any type of beans for these, I personally like the cans of mixed beans from the supermarket, as they're cooked and ready to use. You'll want to mash the beans in as it makes for a better texture to the burgers.

To cook, I shaped these then grilled them for about 25 minutes. The cooking time can be longer or shorter depending on how thick you make the burgers. I served this on a granary roll and again, with crispy kale, baked in the oven, however you could substitute for a side salad or a big pile of veggies for a super filling meal.

So, that's it! Sweet Potato three, super simple, healthy ways.

What do you think? Will you be trying any of these recipes?

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Thursday 22 January 2015

APPLEYARD LONDON - THE PERFECT VALENTINES BOUQUET






Hi lovelies! Love it or hate it, the V word is well and truly on it's way, there are chocolate hearts everywhere, super sickly verses on greetings cards and fluffy teddies everywhere you look. Personally, I really like Valentines day, and even if I didn't have a boyfriend, I'd still probably celebrate, as I think a holiday to celebrate love is a lovely thing! 

So, a few weeks back, I was contacted by Appleyard London, asking if I'd like to receive one of their gorgeous Valentines Bouquets and I thought since Valentines day is creeping up, now would be the perfect time to share these lovelies photos with you, which sadly are all that's left of this beautiful bouquet (sob). I must say, the first thing that I want to point out, is that I have no edited these photos at all, just to show how truly gorgeous and vibrant these flowers really are. I received the True Romance Bouquet and (no pun intended) I fell in love. Calla Lillies are my favourite flowers ever so this was perfect. 

For a start, I was seriously impressed by how these flowers were packaged, they were so protected and arrived in pristine condition. Not only were these some of the most gorgeous flowers I've ever seen, but they also lasted such a long time, They were super full and there were so many flowers packed into the bunch and they lasted almost two whole weeks, which is just incredible! Overall, if you fancy giving flowers this Valentines day and want to do something special, then I'd seriously recommend Appleyard.

This is definitely the perfect gift for a special someone this Valentines day, so girls, get hinting!!

What do you think? Will you be sending flowers this Valentines day?

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Tuesday 20 January 2015

HEALTH AND FITNESS: SIMPLE, HEALTHY PIZZA

Hi lovelies! If you follow me on instagram I've been doing a lot more cooking than usual lately, to be honest, I've never been the best cook, I've never really enjoyed cooking, but I do like to be healthy and as health and fitness is something that's always been important to me, I decided that 2015 was the year I got properly into cooking. It's not that I've eaten badly in the past, it's just that I'd go for the easy healthy option, rather than homemade. Though I do think the supermarket do some great options now, I wanted to make some meals where I knew for sure exactly what was going in them. So, to kickstart my healthy recipes posts, I thought I'd start with this one, as it was very popular on instagram and on my facebook and come on, who doesn't love pizza? This tortilla pizza is fab because (depending on what topping you use) it's less than 500cal for the whole thing and tastes amazing! Perfect for those with pizza cravings who are trying to diet, or when it's not a cheat day. So without rambling on any more, let's get into it! Here is my easy, quick tortilla pizza recipe!


You will need:
1 Wholemeal Tortilla Wrap
1 Handful of Light Grated Cheese. (I used Kerry Low Low)
Tomato Puree
Toppings (all optional and can be altered to taste!)
1/2 Chicken Breast (a whole breast will generously top two pizzas)
Spices
1 Handful of Kale
A few Jalapenos

Steps:
- Lay your tortilla wrap on a non stick (or very lightly oiled) baking sheet or pizza tray. A pizza tray is best, as it has little wholes in it and allows the entire wrap to get crispy. However, when cooked on a regular baking sheet, your pizza will be slighty more floppy in the middle, which is also very nice!
- Spread your sauce, a typical one is tomato puree, but you can use a homemade tomato sauce, bbq sauce, pesto, whatever you prefer!
- Sprinkle over as much cheese as you like, go lightly if you're watching calories though.
- Load up with toppings! I used chicken, pan fried in garlic, chilli powder and paprika for flavour, baby kale and a few chopped jalapeños.
- Bake in the oven at 180 degrees (Gas Mark 4), for around 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the edges have gone slightly crispy. Keep an eye on this while cooking, as it can get over cooked very quickly!
- Enjoy!

Tips:
- Spread your sauce quite thinly, not only to cut calories, but the tortilla isn't very thick and you don't want to make it soggy!
- Thoroughly cook any meat toppings first, as the pizza doesn't need too long to cook, therefore ingredients like chicken and beef won't have time to cook in the oven.
- Load up with ingredients like kale, spinach, peppers etc to sneak in one or two of your five a day.
- Leave the pizza to stand for a minute or so outside of the oven, this gives a second for the tortilla to  cool, which helps the middle to crisp up slightly.

So, that's it, easy as that for a cheap, simple and actually healthy pizza!
Will you be trying this recipe? Let me know if you'd like me to do some more recipe posts, as I love to share these ideas with you.

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Sunday 18 January 2015

BENEFIT THE PORESESSIONAL AGENT ZERO SHINE REVIEW*





Hi lovelies! I'm really excited about this review today, as this is a product that I've found really interesting. Yes, another Benefit product, I know, I'm a stuck record at times, but I just love them! Recently, I was sent a lovely surprise parcel from Benefit which contained my old favourite PoreFessional primer, so I was pleased with that, as I love to be stocked up on my favourite products, but it also contained the PoreFessional Agent Zero Shine Powder, which was something I'd not tried before and honestly wasn't too sure about. While I do love Benefit products, I did think that this could have been a bit of a gimmicky product, what with the built in brush and I'm not too great with loose powders, but none the less, I threw it in my bag and decided it'd be good for touch ups at work if nothing else.

After rushing around at work and noticing my skin was a little shiny last week, I remembered I had this in my bag and decide to give it a go. Following the instructions, I tipped a tiny amount of the powder into the lid and used the little built in brush to sweep it over any shiny areas (aka nose and chin!). First off, I was surprised at how good the little brush was, I'll be honest, I did a little eye roll when I first saw it. As much as I love Benefit products, I do not love the brushes that come with their powders, blushes and bronzers generally, but this one is actually fab. It's like a teeny tiny kabuki brush and it's super soft and picks up just the right amount of product. It's the perfect size for little touch ups, as if you only want to touch up little areas like I do, it fits them perfectly without getting powder all over the rest of your makeup. As gimmicky as the all in one powder and brush concept is, I think Benefit have pulled it off. I find it really useful to have this in my bag as it saves me carrying an unnecessary full sized powder brush around with me. 

As for the actual product inside, this powder seriously pleasantly surprised me. It's super lightweight and completely colourless once on the skin, so this isn't for those who want a lot of coverage from their powder. I personally use the Hello Flawless powder in the morning for a little extra colour, then use this throughout the day for touch ups. For mattifying, controlling shine and keeping makeup in place though, this is incredible! Like the primer, it makes the skin appear smoother and makes pores much less noticeable, it also dramatically reduces shine with just one quick sweep of the brush!

Overall, I'd totally recommend this particularly if you struggle with shine throughout the day.

What do you think? Is this something you'd like to try? What's your favourite powder right now?

*this product was gifted to me by Benefit, however this is not a sponsored post and all opinions are my own.

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Friday 16 January 2015

URBANZ NEON-IN HEADPHONES REVIEW*




Hi lovelies! As you all may know, I absolutely love fitness, working out, running etc. and while I do that, I absolutely have to listen to music. Headphones are of course, very important for this, as when you go to the gym or out running you don't want to be that girl blaring out her music, I personally have a mini gym at home, but my treadmill is so loud, even if I play music out loud I can never hear it, so, headphones it is!

I don't really do big headphones, so the little earbud types are my favourites. The only trouble with these is, they're prone to tangling and breaking, or falling out of my ears and they can just be a bit of a pain. Not any more though! A while ago, I was sent some Urbanz earphones and of course, when I was offered the opportunity to give them a go, I though, yeah sure, another pair of headphones is always great, as they break all the time! Not these though! Finally, something different. 

See, most headphones have those typical little rubber wire covers that tangle as soon as you put them down, no matter how careful you are (HOW do they do this?!), but these Urbanz Neon-in earbuds are different, they have a sort of shoelace type covering on the wire (possibly a stupid description, but not sure how else to put it!), which not only makes them incredibly durable, but also means they are totally tangle free at all times - hallelujah! They also hang nicely when you have your iPod or phone in your front pocket too, which a lot of my gym gear has - does anyone else find their regular headphones bend and go off in weird directions? VERY annoying! These stay nice and neat though and can be wrapped around your iPod or whatever when you're done and you don't have to worry about messing up the wires. 

Obviously, the most important thing is sound quality and for that, these are incredible, the thing I love about these is that the actual earbuds themselves are really nicely shaped and feel comfortable in your ears. They're specially shaped so that they don't fall out and I am pleased to report than I have used these many a time while running and have never had them fall out once, which is perfect. This means they completely block out background noise and for me, that really helps me get into the zone when doing a workout! To be honest, I prefer these over a couple of more expensive pairs of headphones that I have and I think for just £14.99, these are a bargain, as not only is that pretty inexpensive for a good pair of headphones, but you won't need to replace them again and again due to broken, tangled wires. 

You can check out the neon-in headphones here.

What do you think? Will you be checking out Urbanz headphones?

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Wednesday 14 January 2015

SANCTUARY SPA RADIANCE EXFOLIATOR REVIEW




Hi lovelies! Look! Another skincare product! I promised I'd stick to a skincare routine in 2015 and while it is only half way through January, I think I've been making good on my promise so far and what better way to keep to my resolution than try out and review skincare products for you? I have to stick to it if it's for the blog right? So, you may have seen in my 'What I Got For Christmas' blog post, that I received a huge set of Sanctuary Spa goodies from my lovely Grandparents. While most of the products were bath and body products, it did also include this little 15ml Radiance Exfoliator for the face.

I was thrilled when I realised what this was, as I actually needed a new exfoliator as my beloved Elemis one had just run out (sob). The one I'd been using before had also been a brightening scrub, as this one claims to be, so I was excited to give this a go. While I don't suffer too badly with dull skin, I do find that some areas can be a little drier in the winter and my skin definitely isn't as bright as it is in the warmer months. So, as I don't need a huge amount of brightening, it's great to get the small amount I do need from my scrub. 

I've been using this every two or three days, as my skin doesn't need exfoliating every day, but this scrub is gentle enough to be used more than once a week. As you will be able to see from the picture above, it's not too grainy, meaning it's not too harsh on the skin. Sometimes in the summer when my skin is a little oiler, I prefer a more dense, grainy scrub, but in the winter, something like this is absolutely perfect. This isn't so gentle that you can't feel it working though, as it contains lots of fairly large beads which do work hard at removing dead skin cells and buffing away any dry, flaky patches, leaving my skin smoother, softer and brighter after just one use! The product foams up slightly, which also helps to make it a little more gentle on the skin and leaves my skin feeling super fresh and clean.

The scent of this is that typical Sanctuary scent, very fresh and spa like, without being too perfumey or overwhelming. After use, my skin never has any redness or tightness, which I sometimes get after using a harsher scrub. It is simply left feeling fresh, clean and smooth. This works fantastically at clearing clogged pores too, as the beads are fairly large and can be worked into stubborn areas like the nose and chin to really get in and clear any clogged pores and blackheads. I often struggle with clogged pores on my nose and I have to say, since using this regularly, they have dramatically improved. While it hasn't completely ridden me of clogged pores (will anything ever solve this problem?!), I do think with contined used, I will definitely see further improvement. 

The 15ml miniature size of this retails at £2.99 in boots, while the larger 100ml size retails at £10.50. I think this is a pretty good deal, as you don't need to use this every day and a small amount is all you need to do your whole face, so this will definitely last you a very long time. 

Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone who is looking for a scrub that can be used finally regularly without sensitising or damaging the skin. Particularly if you'd like the scrub to have a noticeable brightening effect, as this one definitely does!

What are some of your current favourite skincare products? I'd love to know, as I'm determined to keep my good skincare routine going! 

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Sunday 11 January 2015

BENEFIT HERVANA REVIEW




Hi lovelies! I have another review for you all today, and surprise surprise, it's a Benefit product! By now, most of you will know that I have an undying love for all things Benefit, it's a brand that not everyone gets on with but it's a brand that 100% works for me. Today, I'm going to be talking to you all about the gorgeous 'Hervana' Box O' Powder. I've seen a couple of reviews of this product here and there, but I don't think this blush is getting the hype that it deserves. Benefit's Rockateur blush was (and still is) massively hyped after its release and rightly so, but what about the other pretty little box o' blushes that Benefit has to offer?

Hervana was one I'd actually given a miss on purpose, purely because I don't like to buy into gimmicks and that's exactly what I thought the swirled colours on this blush were. The colours are a creamy highlight shade, a peachy toned shade, a dolly pink and a pink/ purple berry. For a start, berry is just not me, in any shape or form, so I was unsure of this. However I swatched this in store and i was shocked by how beautifully the colours blended together, so I was thrilled when my boyfriend picked it up for me as a Christmas present - turns out he does pay attention when I'm looking for hours at the makeup counters!

I can now honestly say that this has actually replaced Rockateur as my favourite blush of all time. I was proven totally wrong about the swirly shades being a gimmick, as with a quick swirl of your brush, they blend together perfectly and create the most beautiful neutral toned baby pink shade, with just the tiniest amount of shimmer, making it a perfect every day blush. If you're really careful or use a very small blush, you can mix together the peach and cream shades to create a gorgeous, subtle highlight shade. Due to the darker berry shade being in there, this can be built up to a stronger colour when you've got a tan, or are going out/ going to be taking lots of pictures, but it can also be used with a light hand for a very subtle flush too. I can say without a doubt this is the most versatile blush in my entire collection. 

This is a super soft powder so it goes on very smoothly with not a hint of chalkiness. It stays put very well too, I generally use Benefit's Hello Flawless Powder underneath, so it could be that the two, being from the same brand are made to work well together, or it could be the blush alone, but either way, I'm incredible impressed with how much wear I get out of this before it starts fading away. Personally, I feel like this would work on most skin tones, due to the different shades, however this is definitely a pink toned blush so if that's not your thing, then this definitely won't be the blush for you. While it is buildable, it's definitely not a dark blush shade, so while I think it would work on darker skin tones, it may not show up as much as it does on fairer skin. 

Overall, if pretty pink blushes in cute little boxes are your thing and you want a blush that has highlight built in and can be built up, then this is definitely one to try out. At £23.50, Benefit blushes definitely aren't the cheapest out there, but in this case, I do think you get what you pay for, as the quality is out of this world and a little goes a long way. Also, you can often get discount codes on sites like Look Fantastic or Feel Unique to get Benfit products a little cheaper!

What do you think? Do you like Benefit blushes? Which is your favourite?

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