Review: Origins Checks & Balances Cleanser

Hi everyone,

I thought I would share my thoughts on the Origins Checks & Balances cleanser, which I have been using for a good few months.

I really like to use this in the morning, as its lovely and refreshing. The Checks & Balances cleanser is a gentle foaming cleanser, and it has a mild spearmint scent, as well as subtle tingling feeling.

The Checks & Balances cleanser helps to balance out both oily and dry areas on the skin, but it also benefits the skin as it doesn't cancel out either dry or oily areas. If the skin is oily it will first target the oily area, then it will soak the oil up and it will help to keep the oiliness away. It also contains the ingredient Broadleaf Kelp and this helps to break down and get rid of any excess oil, as well as giving the skin a little bit of a glow. On the other hand, if the skin is dry it will help to balance it out, as well as to protect it from getting any drier. Once the skin has been cleansed it won't feel tight, pulled, or dry. Just very soft, comfortable and refreshed.

When my skin has been cleansed I like to remove it by using a hot flannel, and my skin feels lovely and soft afterwards. This is one of the nicest cleansers I've used, especially in the morning or during the day if my skin needs a little pick-me-up.

My Sunday Facial Routine

Hi everyone,

On a Sunday I do a slightly different skin care routine from what I usually do during the week. There's a couple of differences, the first one is that I use a purifyomg cleanser, and the second is that I use a more astringent toner.

Micellar Water
I always use a micellar water as my first step, as this helps to get rid of any dirt or build up that has collected on my face throughout the day.

Boscia Purifying Cleanser
This is the only purifying cleanser I use, because its really gentle. It also smells like Turkish Delight. Once the cleanser has formed up a little and has been massaged into the skin, I then remove the cleanser using a hot flannel. It makes the skin a little moisturised and very soft.

REN Clarimatte Toner
This is great as its a very gentle, but an astringent toner. It also has a slight cooling effect when it touches the skin. Also, the scent of this is really nice, as its very fresh.

Witch Hazel Toner
This is what I was using orignally before I came across the REN Clarimatte toner. This is actually Mother Nature's way of trying to keep acne or mild blemishes at bay, but its a little on the harsh side, and its not as gentle as the REN Clarimatte toner.

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate
I use three to four drops of this every night and my skin seems to really like it. It also gives my skin a bit of a glow. I've never really had any problems with my skin since using this. The main ingredient in this is lavender oil, so if your skin is sensitive it may not be right for you. But, if you want to try it and you don't know how your skin would react, then this is one product I would highly recommend you get a sample of - purely on the basis that it contains lavender oil.

Rodial Dragon's Blood Moisturiser
This isn't my favourite moisturiser, but I do want to use this up because it was expensive for what it is. One of the reasons why I brought this at the time was because it contains hyaluronic acid and at the time I didn't have anything in my skincare routine which contained hyaluronic acid. Its also worth pointing out that I was a complete novice when it came to skincare when I brought this.
  Don't get wrong as it does moisurise and hydrate my skin, but its the wrong formula for what my skin needs; as my skin prefers a gel-cream formula and this moistuiser is a cream formula.

Product Empties - September 2015

Hi everyone,

It's time for another product empties, and I've gone through a fair amount of products this time around. Also, I'm doing something a little different in this empties post; which is product fails.

Lush Twilight Shower Gel
This is a really lovely shower gel to use, especially during the colder months of the year. Its a really warm, cosy lavender scent, which is great to use before you go to bed. Sadly, its limited edition, and it comes out during the Christmas period, and I don't even know if they're going to bring it back again this year.

Simple Soothing Toner
This is my everyday toner, as its very gentle and soothing on the skin.

Bath & Body Works Black Cherry Merlot Deep Cleansing Hand Soap
I love these hand soaps, as they work wonders for my dry/ chapped hands during the colder months of the year. The scent of this is gorgeous, as its like a musky cherry fragrance, and it isn't a strong musk.

Champneys Watermint Shower Gel
This is a lovely cool mint shower gel, and it has quite a thick texture. So, a little bit goes a long way and its a lovely refreshing shower gel to use in the morning, because the mint isn't too overpowering.

Caudalie Gentle Cleansing Milk

I had about a third of the product left before I decided to throw it away. It wasn't because it was a bad product, because it wasn't. It was because it was way past its expirary date. This is a lovely cleanser to use, and I prefer to use it as a hot cloth cleanser by using a warm flannel to take it off.

Nivea Powerfruit Relax Shower Gel

The scent of this lovely, as its berry fragranced. But, this is just a basic shower gel, and I had to quite a bit of product to get a decent lather.

Jo Malone Wild Bluebell Shower Gel

I really enjoyed the scent of this. But, this is just a basic shower gel.

Body Shop Absinthe Purifying Hand Wash

This is a lovely hand wash to use, because apart from it being a cleansing hand wash it also add a little bit of moisture. Its also fragranced with Aloe Vera, as well as being a lovely thick, gel texture. So, a little bit goes a long way, and this lasted me for around six months.

Body Shop Coconut Body Scrub

This is a lovely creamy body scrub, and I love the scent as its a sweet coconut fragrance. I think this is the second one of these I've gone through, and I've already got another one ready to go.

Body Shop Shea Body Butter

I did really enjoy using this during the Autumn & Winter months, but I really didn't like the fragrance all that much. The Shea body butter is extremely hydrating and has thick texture, but it does sink into the skin straight away.

Body Shop Coconut Body Butter

This was only a small travel size which I got to try, and I really enjoyed using it. It has a lovely thick texture that melts into the skin straight away, and this is the ideal body butter to use during the colder months as its also very hydrating.

Sure Radiant Long Lasting Protection Deodorant

I've repurchased this countless times over the years, and I will continue to repurchase. The fragrance is also lovely and very fruity.

Bath & Body Works Tuscan Melon Pocketbac

I love the pocketbooks that Bath & Body Works have to offer, as they do the job but without having the nasty clinical smell. The scent was a lovely fresh melon fragrance, and I have one more of these in my pocketbac collection.

Body Shop Almond Hand Cream

This is a really nice hand cream to use before you go to bed, as its quite moistuising. It has a lovely sweet almond fragrance. The only thing that let the product down was the packaging, because when I first opened it, it just wouldn't stop leaking.

Product Fails

John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Multi-Tone Revealing Enhancing Shampoo & Conditioner

I was really looking forward to using these when I first brought them, as I haven't used John Frieda products in years. The reason why these are a fail is because both of these products dried the ends of my hair out really badly, and it has taken around two months for my hair to get back to some sort of normality.

RMK Skintuner Smoother Moist

I only ever used this product once, and once was enough. Because within twenty minutes of using it my skin started to burn, especially on my cheeks. I washed it off straight away, and my face was still burning slightly. It took an entire week for my skin to settle down, and at least three days before I resume my usual skincare routine. In my experience, no skincare product should make your face burn.

Sephora Haul - Vegas Edition

Hi everyone,

A very good friend of mine recently went on holiday to Las Vegas, and while she was there I asked if should could pick me a few things from Sephora. I asked her for the things that I wanted to try, but couldn't get my hands on.

Fresh Soy Face Cleanser
This looks like a lovely gentle everyday cleanser to use, and I love the fact that its got cucumber in it. I'm really hoping that it has a subtle cooling sensation when I use it.

Buxom Full Bodied Lip Gloss in Hey Baby
This is a lovely berry shade, and I don't have anything like this in my make up collection. At least not in a lip gloss. The lip glosses from Buxom offer a sheer, hydrating formula with a no-tingle plumping effect. I'm really looking forward to wearing this shade of lip gloss.

Buxom Full On Lip Cream in Pink Lady
Pink Lady is an opaque electric pink shade, and again I don't have anything like this in my collection. The lip creams from Buxom offer a creamy, no-shimmer formula with a tingling, plumping effect. I'm really looking forward to wearing this, as I don't have anything lip glosses with a creamy formula.

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF15 in Tulip
This is one product that I've been wanting to try for years, but I've been unable to get hold of it. The Fresh sugar lip treatment is a hydrating treatment that helps to nourish, protect and also plump the lips. The shade Tulip is a sheer tint of hot pink. This would be great to use during the warmer months.

Glamglow Thirstymud Hydrating Treatment
This should have been the small 0.5oz, but I ended up getting the full size product by accident. Because on the list I gave my friend I think I've must have written 1.7oz instead of 0.5oz. I've always fancied trying this, as you can use in a few different ways. You can either apply a thin layer and leave it to work its magic overnight, or apply a thick layer and use as a 20 minute face mask. I mainly got it to use as an overnight treatment.

Fresh Sugar Lychee EDP 30ml
This is a lovely summery fragrance to wear, as its very fruity and citrusy. It contains the notes grapefruit, mango flower, lychee, lemon and lime blossom, freesia, sandalwood, Tonka bean and amber. To me its more fruity rather than musky.

Elizabeth & James Nirvana White Rollerball Fragrance

This fragrance seems to be having a moment in the spotlight, alongside her more darker sister Nirvana Black. Nirvana White is a more feminine, but has a darker sophistication running through it. It contains the notes of peony, muguet and musk.

Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb EDP Rollerball Fragrance

This is one fragrance that I'm reserving for special occassions, as well as at events that take place during the evening. This is another sophicated scent, and its contains the notes of jasmine, rose, orchid, freesia and patchouli.

Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream Rollerball Fragrance

This is a lovely fresh fragrance to wear during the day, and during the warmer months. This is a more fruity take on the original Daisy fragrance. The notes are blackberry, grapefruit, pear, jasmine, lychee, blue westeria, white woods, musks and coconut water.

Fresh Sugar Lychee Rollerball Fragrance

I decided to get a rollerball of the Fresh Sugar Lychee fragrance, as I thought it would be nice to carry around in my handbag during the warmer months.

Review: 'Feed the Beast' By Steve Thompson

Hi everyone,

I had the pleasure of seeing the production of 'Feed the Beast' twice at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, UK. This production is a thing of beauty, you just need to go in with a little bit of an insight as this will help to bring the production to life.

Cast

Gerald Kyd - Michael
Kacey Ainsworth - Sally/ Leader of the House of Commons
Amy Marston - Heather/ Curator of Chequers
Shaun Mason - Scott/ Robert
Paul Moriarty - Chairman Denis/ General Hume
Aimee Powell - Ellie
Badria Timimi - Andrea/ Priscilla
Tristram Wymark - Clive/ Anthony

Michael Goodlad is my ideal Prime Minister, as he wants to get the UK back on its feet and he wants to do this by improving the NHS; as he wants more doctors and nurses. Michael also wants to build more schools and hospitals, as well as making free childcare and cancer prescriptions more accessible. As well as getting people out of poverty.

But, because Michael is the new Prime Minister, he's got a slight problem - The Press. Michael doesn't want to give the press anything personal about either himself, his family or his staff. But, he will give them any information regarding his policies. Michael's ideal of ignoring the press soon changes; as his daughter, Ellie makes the headlines. To get Ellie off the press radar he enlists the help of Scott, who is the Press Officer at Downing Street. Together Scott and Michael formulate a plan, but to do this Scott needs a juicy story, so then he can silence the press about Ellie.

Some weeks later Michael is rehearsing for Prime Minister's Questions and because its his first ever time he has several members of his staff with him, as he needs to get a feeling of what its going to be like; as Scott is trying to 'toughen up' Michael. But, during the rehearsals Denis arrives, as both Scott and Michael want to see him, and this is because someone has leaked the names of celebrities who might be on the Honours List, and Michael wanted the names of the people who might be on the honours list to be as classified as possible, due to it being a delicate area, as he doesn't wanted it to be leaked early. Because of this both Michael and Scott make Denis feel like a liability. Also, Michael has told Scott to "Keep some stories handy", as he doesn't want a repeat of what happened to Ellie. Around lunchtime a defence meeting takes place about the conflict in the Middle East and Michael wants to withdraw the troops from the Middle East, as the only reason the UK defence agencies are over there is to make the Americans look good. During the senior staff meeting it is revealed that General Hume has set out a departure strategy to bring the troops back to the UK from the Middle East. Also, during the meeting we find out that an ex-minister has only gone and published a book, and its being serialised over the next four weeks in 'The Observer'.

During the annual party at Downing Street, Michael is casually chatting away to the Curator from Chequers; and Michael isn't happy living there, as it isn't ideal for either him or his family. Also, during the party an argument takes place between Michael and Sally regarding Scott, and Michael defends Scott; because Scott is only doing what he's being asked of him, which is to protect Michael and his family. Sally can't work with Scott, as she thinks he is damaging Michael's reputation; even though Scott has done a lot of positive things for the Prime Minister, and his family.

Some time later, Michael agrees to give an interview to the press, but with Scott present. But, Michael only wants to give information about policies, not gossip about either himself, his family or his staff, regardless of the fact that is what the general public want to read about.

A few months later, Michael sadly doesn't get re-elected as Prime Minister. But he leaves Downing Street alongside his family with his head held high.

Act One of 'Feed the Beast' is extremely fast paced, and it doesn't seem like 45 minutes, as it went really quickly for me.
    I really enjoyed watching the second scene, as this is when Michael is still settling into Downing Street. The bedrooms are small, but then the dining room "You could land a plane in". Even the thought of having Margaret Thatcher sitting on the same loo has him freaks him out a bit.
  Another scene I enjoyed watching was when Michael told Sally of his plan to ignore the press. Michael doesn't mind the idea of the press having a bit of fun, but he doesn't want them setting the agenda for Downing Street. As Michael wants to run the country, but he doesn't want to be the gossip headline.

Act Two of 'Feed the Beast' isn't as fast as the first act, but it opens up with a cracker; as Michael is being hurled insults by members of staff and this is because they are giving him a feel for his first ever Prime Minister's Questions. This actually put a smile on my face, because you don't expect the Prime Minister to be insulted from anyone, especially members of his own staff.
  Another one of my favourite scenes is when Michael is discussing living in Chequers with the Curator, because Michael doesn't find the home of Chequers to be all that accommodating and family friendly.

The Doctor Who inspired scene changes are also worth noting, as I've never seen anything like this in a theatre production before. With projections of social media and fast paced music to add to the effect.

'Feed the Beast' is a fast, energetic political drama, with some brilliant one liners. The cast bring to life this production of political madness by having bundles of energy and the ability to work as a team.