Philosophy Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash

I've mentioned my love for Philosophy a fair few times. Its a pricey brand, but I love it and whenever I've got a bit of spare cash, their website is one of the first places I turn! Definately pop over to the website and have a nose.

Today I'm reviewing my most recent Philosophy purchase, the Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash.

What is it?
A gentle exfoliating cleanser, suitable for all skin types that can be used daily to cleanse and replenish. It costs £22 for 240ml and can be purchased from the Philosophy website. 

Initial thoughts 
A bit pricey! But I'd read some really good reviews and I trust Philosophy as a skincare brand so I didn't mind too much about parting with the cash.
It's packaged in their signature black and white bottle which I love. It's simple but it looks great in the bathroom (something a packaging snob like myself can appreciate!) it has a gel consistency, with lots of tiny exfoliating beads. I say beads but they're more like tiny grains.

My overall thoughts
I've been using it every morning for 3 weeks and I'm really pleased with it. My skin's brighter, softer and just generally feels cleaner! I like to really feel an exfoliating scrub working, if it's slightly uncomfortable then as far as I'm concerned it's doing it's job. This scrub is great to use in the morning, getting rid of the previous night's moisturiser and any dirt or sweat (sorry!) that's accumulated. As soon as I wash it off and pat my face dry, my skin looks and feels fresh and it's a great first step before applying my day moisturiser and then my make up. I have combination skin, some days it's more oily than others and I get dry patches on my cheeks (talk about complicated! So hard to find the perfect products for my skin), so I really work it into those dry areas to help create a smooth surface for my makeup.

Overall I'd give this product 9/10. It gives my skin a good, thorough clean, softening the dry areas and getting rid of sebum in the oily areas, so I definately agree that it'd be suitable for all skin types. It's perfect for use as a daily exfoliator but it loses a mark for the price. You only need a small amount for each use, so it definately lasts quite a long time but £22 is still quite a lot to pay for a face scrub in one hit. I'll definately be repurchasing this at some point, but I want to try a couple of other cheaper products to see if they match up to this one.
Have you tried any Philosophy products? And what face scrubs would you recommend?

A Little Saturday Beauty Haul

I've been on a slight spending ban this past month. No beauty products have been bought whatsoever! Well almost none... I did have the odd moment of weakness, but for the most part I did pretty well so I decided today was the day to treat myself!

The man in my life and I had a leisurely mooch around the high street whilst Milan was at his nans, it was so nice to just shop and have lunch without rushing or dealing with constant toddler drama (I love my son to bits but it's bloody hard to get through a shopping trip without stress when he's there!) So we made the most of it, had some yummy tapas at a great little Spanish bar we found, then hit the shops. I had a few bits on my (ridiculously big) wishlist that I wanted to pick up and I ended up making a couple of impulse purchases too. I'm a beauty junkie! Impulse purchases go with the territory ; )

I headed to Lush and picked up Cosmetic Warrior which is a face mask for fighting spots and Tea Tree Water, a toner spray that I've been wanting for quite a while after seeing lots of reviews in the blogosphere. Lately I've been having a few break outs and I've got no idea why. Sure, I get the odd blemish now and again, but during the past few weeks its just been one breakout after another. So I thought I'd give Cosmetic Warrior a go, I'll use it a couple of times a week and see if it helps. The Tea Tree Water is just a lovely, natural toner water that I've been wanting to try after cleansing at night as I'm hoping the tea tree will help to clear my skin.

Superdrug was my next stop where I picked up the infamous Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser. It's a huge tube for £4.99 and it's another product I've been meaning to try for ages. I was then drawn to the Andrea Fullerton stand, I've seen and heard alot of great things about her range and although a little pricey I decided to buy the black dot and flick tool and a little pack of gold studs, which I love! I can't wait to create a nail look with these, studs are everywhere at the moment and I think these are a really fun way to 'trend up' your nails : )

I had to stop off at Matalan to pick up some Mickey Mouse bits for Milan, he's going through a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse phase at the moment so I bought him a cute Mickey dressing gown, some pyjamas and some matching slippers. I know alot of people turn their noses up at Matalan, but you can find some really great pieces in there. I often see dupes of River Island and Topshop items for half the price so I like to have a nose in there now and again. I saw this set of rings for £4 and couldn't resist.

So they were my buys on this chilly Autumn Saturday! We couldn't resist going to Thorntons for a white hot chocolate with all the trimmings... much needed now this cold weather has landed.

Hope you're all having a fab weekend and buying lots of gorgeous beauty products : )

May Favourites - Chanel, Liz Earle, Garnier, Lush & Revlon

Soleil Tan De Chanel - Bronzing Make Up Base

I actually bought this very recently but I've been using it everyday and I love it! I've wanted it for a few months but it's quite pricey so I waited until I could justify spending £30 :) but it's so worth the money, it's a cream bronzer that suits all skin tones and I apply it with a contour brush. It blends so easily and creates a really natural, sun kissed look. I have very fair skin so it's hard to apply bronzer and achieve a natural finish, but this creates a gorgeous glow and will last me ages. It's a definate investment buy.

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish

I know every beauty blogger and their dog love Liz Earle products and everywhere you turn there's excellent reviews so I won't overdo it, but I recently rediscovered this cleanser and now I'm not sure why I left it behind in the first place... It smells fresh and makes my skin super soft. One pump of this will remove all traces of make up (I use a seperate eye make up remover but I'm guessing you may need a tiny bit more for stubborn mascara), it's extremely gentle on my skin and it gives me just the right balance of moisture whilst not tightening my skin (I find some cleansers really dry my skin out and even though I have quite oily skin I like to keep some moisture there). I don't use the hot cloth with this, I just use it as a regular cleanser, wetting my face first, using one pump of the cleanser and applying it to my face and neck then washing it off and patting dry :)

Garnier Deep Clean Foam Wash

I use this face wash in the morning before putting on my moisturiser and it's perfect for my oily skin. It has zinc in it which helps to fight breakouts, I'm prone to breakouts in the most oily areas on my face and so far this has helped to keep my skin clear. It has a tingly effect when I apply it but I quite like that as it tells me it's working at killing bacteria, giving my face a deep clean. It does tighten my skin but I'm not too bothered by that as I apply my moisturiser straight after. I wouldn't recommend this if you have dry or sensitive skin as it'll probably dry you out too much and I wouldn't say it's gentle enough for sensitive skin.

Lush - Enzymion Moisturiser

Another great product for combination to oily skin. It doesn't really have any scent but I hate fragranced moisturisers so it suits me perfectly, for £13.50 it's quite a small tub (45g) but a little bit goes a long way so I can see it lasting for a few months. It contains alpha hydroxy acids (found in certain fresh fruits) which help to soak up excess sebum (oily skin is just excess sebum being produced) and so far I love this product. It dries my skin but still adds the right amount of moisture keeping my skin soft and creating a lovely base for my make up. Lush is definitely one of my favourite shops at the moment, they have something for everyone!

Revlon Lip butters

I'll be doing a full review on some of these in a few days but they have definitely made it to my favourites! I wear one pretty much every day (I'm lucky enough to have the whole range thanks to a twitter competition) but they're a must have product for summer.

L-R Tutti Frutti, Sugar Frosting, Creme Brulee, Peach Parfait