L'Oreal Perfect Clean Foaming Scrub

The past two weeks, Winter has really been taking its toll on my skin despite my normal skin care routine. Its become very dry, but the spots keep coming and at the end of the day my face has that horrible greasy feeling, so whilst browsing Asda (classy, I know) I came across the L'Oreal Scrub. It was on offer, £3 instead of the normal £4.50 so I took the plunge. I must admit I think I was taken in by the "Scrublet" (their words).

So what do I think? Well, it smells sort of like that fake grapefruit smell, I don't really mind it and I find that with most scrubs anyway, St Ives and Neutrogena.

I really like the texture, because it is actually gentle, especially in comparison to say, for example, the St Ives Apricot Scrub which is another favourite of mine. It leaves my face feeling fresh and my pores look much better.

I actually really like the "Scrublet", I have used a much harsher exfoliant from The Body Shop in the past and this feels much softer whilst still achieving a good result.

So, overall I really like this product, I thought it was a bit of a gimmick but it really does work!

Schwarzkopf got2b Powderful

I have recently road tested the new hair volumizing styling powder from Schwarzkopf and I thought I would add my opinion to the already mixed reviews. Before I let you know what I think, I should warn you that my hair although long doesn't take too much to get volume, I bleach it so it is fairly dry and it's thick, so with a bit of backcombing I can get some volume. However, I was recently looking for that extra boost because my hair is looking a bit limp whilst I'm waiting for a cut.

So, first things first there are two ways to apply the product, either directly onto the roots, or onto your hands and then massaged in. I have tried both methods and personally prefer to put it onto my hands first, its allows you to control the amount of powder you are using. If applied directly onto the roots, it will make your hair rough and knotty, as many previous reviews have described.

The formulation isn't like anything I have tried before, it's a powder but upon contact with the skin, it seems to react with moisture and turn almost tacky (I have tried to show you this in the photos below). This doesn't feel particularly nice, but I don't think you are going to get the same results without it.

Put onto my hand

After about 3 seconds, no rubbing in.

Once in the hair, it does give instant volume, and for me, it certainly lasted until my next wash. This i believe is both good and bad, its good because you aren't constantly re-doing your backcombing, its bad because the tacky formulation means I want to wash my hair before I re-style. I don't wash my hair everyday, so this is a major downside. You cannot just brush this stuff out, for example, like dry shampoo.

Overall, I really like this product if I am going for a night out, it does give great volume and it is different to anything I have tried before, but it isn't something I will be using everyday. I can bear the tacky feeling in exchange for the volume pay off, but only for one night out not all day, and I expect if you slept with it in, you are going to need a Tangleteezer to sort your hair in the morning.

Has anyone else tried this product?

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Parabens: What's all the hype?

Parabens are fast becoming a controversial topic in the beauty world, but what are they and why are they causing such a stir?

Ok, so here comes the scientific bit; parabens are used for their bactericidal and fungicidal properties, in English, they are preservatives. They are widely used in the cosmetic industry in products such as; shampoos, make-up and fake tan. If you want to check if they are in any products that you use, take a look at the ingredients list and look for anything that ends in 'paraben' e.g. Butylparaben. There has been a buzz about parabens because they have been found in breast cancer tumours and have the ability to mimic the hormone estrogen, which is known to play a role in the development of breast cancers. But, enough scaremongering I hear you say, it is important to remember that the jury is still to deliver a verdict on the safety of these ingredients. After all, some parabens are found naturally in blueberries.

Whichever side you are on, this debate has seen the emergence of 'paraben free' products, containing alternative natural preservatives such as; grapefruit seed extract. If you are interested in trying out some of these new products, here are some I would recommend...

Bliss Body Butter - as well as being paraben free, this product smells great. I like the Blood Orange and White Pepper version, it kind of reminds me of Christmas as summer at the same time, weird huh?! I would say this product is more of a moisturiser than a 'butter' though as it just doesn't have that thick consistency. £18.45 for 200ml.

King of Skin - this is perfect for girls (or guys) who are on the go, or just a bit lazy (I like to call it efficiency). Basically, you slather it on in the shower, get out and your skin is silky smooth. This stuff is so good they have patented it. Anyway, I find it a lot less hassle than a lotion and it's pretty reasonable at £5.25 for 75g from Lush.

BareMinerals Warmth and Mineral Veil - I love this brand, I think it's especially suited to those who have hyper-pigmentation, as it allows your freckles to show through rather than masking them. They are priced at £16.15 and £17.00 respectively.

Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water - so I originally bought this product for the nifty gadget on the top of the bottle which prevents spillages, something I was always doing with my Clinque cleanser (and that stuffs not cheap). But it's actually really good, it removes all of my makeup and leaves my skin feeling hydrated. Only problem is Sephora don't ship to the UK and I'm not sure when I will next be going to the US. Who else wishes Sephora would come back to the UK? Let me know if you guys can recommend any cleansers for when this finishes.

Batiste Dry Shampoo - a life saver on those 'in between washes' days, they do a huge range with different scents to different colours which are great for covering pesky roots. It won't break the bank at £4.99 for 400ml and it's always on offer at Boots.

Vita Liberata PHenomenal Tanning Mousse - I don't think this tanner lasts the three weeks it claims but it does last longer than any other tanner I have tried, which makes it more economical than it sounds. It's 24.99 for 125ml, saving 1/3rd at Boots at the moment.

What is your view on parabens? Can you recommend any 'paraben free' products? Thank you all for reading :)

What's in my make-up bag?

Ok, so here is my first blog! Hey everyone! I thought I would do a "What's in my make-up bag?" blog, as if you are like me, (rather nosey) then it will be something you guys will want to know.

So, first things first, this is my make up bag...

  I know, its big right? I change my make-up bags all the time because I find they get really dirty as product always seems to find its way out of the packaging somehow. I won't show you everything inside it in this post, as I don't want to bore your socks off, so I will show you what I am  using at the moment.

So here it is:

Peter Thomas Roth Glycolic Acid Moisturiser - £31.25 for 63g. This sounds like a lot for a moisturiser but I have to say it really does leave your skin feeling and looking amazing and will always be a re-purchase for me. It is available here online.
NARS Blush/Bronzer Duo - £30. Two of my favourite shades Orgasm and Laguna in one easy palette to put in your handbag. Available at your local NARS beauty counter or online here.
BareMinerals Mineral Veil - £17.00 and available here. I use this to mattify my face.
YSL Touche Eclat - £25 here. A cult product, I am shade number 1.
Origins Vitazing - £27 for 50 ml and available here. I have been using this product in the place of my foundation whilst on holiday and since I have been back in the UK because I have a tan, but it is a good primer too. It leaves my skin looking fresh and adds a healthy glow, enabling me to avoid that heavy foundation feeling.
Dior Diorskin Airflash Spray Foundation - £31.60 for 100ml available at your Dior counter or online. If I need a little more coverage then this is the foundation I am reaching for. It is surprisingly easy to apply and you can build up coverage in those areas that need it. My only qualm is that I have a feeling it isn't going to last me too long.
YSL Shocking Mascara - £23.00 here. This is the best mascara I have used to date, both high end and drug store. My eyelashes are pretty straight and not particularly long so a good mascara is a must have. With the help of my trusty eye lash curlers, this mascara provided me with curl, volume and length.

Thank you all so much for reading, please follow me and leave comments if you would like me to do a full review of any of the above products!