Clinique All About Eyes

Eye creams were a product that didn't generally interest me in my teens, but as I'm getting older and my skin is changing, I've notice I tend to get some slight dry patches in my eye area. I've used cheaper eye creams in the past such as Simple but thought I should invest in something a little more high end and tailored to my specific needs. As you all know, I'm a massive Clinique junkie, and when I read up on the All About Eyes it sounded perfect for what I needed.

As always the packaging is beautiful, simple and elegant; very clean cut and clinical, something I really love about Clinique. The little glass jar is home to a a silicone-based formula which is somewhere between a cream and a primer. I dab my ring finger lightly into the jar to take a small amount and then pat it around the the eye area, concentrating on the under eyes. The formula is super silky and applies effortlessly and sets without leaving any greasy residue behind. It leaves the area feeling hydrated and soothed. Because of the consistency of the formula, it works amazing as a primer for eye shadow too!

It isn't the cheapest of eye creams considering it doesn't have any anti-wrinkle benefits. At £25 for 15ml it can be a little hit or miss, however my little jar has been going strong since December and is still not finished. One thing I dislike about this product is the format of the packaging; I would much prefer it to be in a tube as it would make it a lot easier to control the amount you're dispensing and not expose it to air as often which can weaken the effect of some of the eye creams ingredients. However, it is still a lovely eye cream and it's dual purpose make it's super useful to have in my make-up bag.

Original Source Coconut Shower Gel

On a recently stock up of toiletries in Boots, I noticed Original Source shower gels were all half price. I've previously used the Lavender and Tea Tree version but have been with all thing coconut recently so thought I'd give this one a go. I'm usually a Soap & Glory gal with my body products and have been for years but being a student forces you to reassess your buying habits and look for cheaper alternatives, they are usually retailed at £2.29 for 250ml.

The packaging is very simple with it's quirky writing on, every bottle has a fact about the ingredient used to make the shower gel; for instance, they state it took 328 tropical days to ripen coconuts used in the bottle. The bottle also shows the product is suitable for vegans to use, not that I'm vegan, but it's nice to use more animal friendly products when you can.

The product itself is a creamy gel that lathers nicely using their your hands or a loofer, I find you don't have to use too much of this either which is great. The product smells incredible, very coconut yet not overpowering to the extent that it becomes sickly. It feels amazing on the skin and makes you feel super clean without stripping the skin too much. I have very sensitive skin and I found this product didn't irritate my skin at all and is very gentle and soothing. The scent doesn't linger too much when your skin is dry so I like to finish up with a body butter such as The Body Shop's Coconut Body Butter.

I find that the majority of the range is pretty unisex which is another win, I don't think my other half will be too bothered about having to use this either as opposed to my other offerings. Overall I highly recommend this product to those you on a budget who want a good quality product that smells great and does the job well.

My Miss KG Collection

I did a post on my old blog about my much loved Miss Kurt Geiger shoe collection and recently found all the pictures so I thought I'd re-post as it got a lot of interest. Many of you will know I have a slight addiction to designer heels, the fact is, I never really wear them much. Since being at uni my heels have sadly been left behind as they're far too beautiful to be tarnished by sticky floor and stained with alcohol. They are now sitting in my wardrobe at home, keeping nice and clean until I finally have occasions to wear them.

Miss KG Minnie 2 RRP £80

These are my very first pair of Miss KG's that I brought over 2 years ago. I was lucky enough to find them in the ASOS sale for around £40 if I remember. Back then they were my 'perfect shoe; court shaped, red suede with a super cute polka dot bow on the front of each. The heels are 5 inches and they have a small platform of around an inch also. They aren't the most comfortable of shoes and I rarely wear them these days as I don't have a lot of red in my wardrobe. However they are still beautiful and a great purchase.

Miss KG Hoxton RRP £85

I brought these to go with a LBD I brought for a night out in Liverpool. I paid full price for them which was a wounder. They are actually my least favourite pair of shoes, looking at these pictures they look absolutely stunning. They are black suede with multi-coloured wooden beads attached to the straps across the front. However, they are severely uncomfortable. They have a huuuuge platform and a staggering 5.5 inches which makes it hard to walk in them as it's hard to judge where you're walking at that height. Also, they are more of a sandal style with peep toes which I find quite loose as I have very narrow feet and feel they don't support well at all, fearing I might tumble over and end up in A&E. For that reason I've only worn them once but find it hard to part with them.

Miss KG Annalise RRP £80

One of my most favourite pairs of heels. Something about cobalt blue suede oozes sophistication. These peep toe, platform beauties with a large bow on the front remind me very much of the Minnie 2 which is why I love them so much. I brought them to go with a stunning cobalt blue dress I picked up from Lipsy, I picked them up from ASOS in the sale for around £39 which is an absolute bargain. They have a heel of around 5 inches and a platform of around an each. I find these strangely more comfortable than the Minnie 2 despite the similarities in style. Because of the colour I don't get the wear them often but they are very beautiful and a firm favourite in my collection.

Miss KG Bounty RRP £70

The most comfortable, versatile and practical pair of heels I will ever own. I paid full price for these from Debenhams to go with a dress for my Nephew's christening. They are the lowest heels I own at 4 inches and have a platform in them too making them super comfortable. It barely feels like I'm wearing heels at all. They are glossy synthetic material on the supper with a suede panel around the platform with a matte gold synthetic leather heel. Because they are nude I get to wear them with so many things. I always opt for these when I know I'm going to walking around a lot at a formal occasion. I spent 8 hour days in the them for a christening and graduation and didn't have sore feet after.

Miss KG Lola RRP £30

My only ever pair of Miss KG flats, and it'll probably stay that way. I picked these up from ASOS in the sale for half price at £15. They are fluffy suede in leopard print which means they get super dirty and are impossible to clean properly. They also aren't the best of quality, I'd compare them to what you'd expect in very average high street stores. However, they are very comfortable for flats and didn't rub the back of my heels too much like most do. I usually chuck these in my bag now on nights out for the walk home as opposed to wearing them generally.

So there you go, my Miss KG collection. As I've gotten older, I steer more to Carvela and Kurt Geiger brands as they're styles are a bit more classic/more basic. Although all these brands are super expensive, it's a good idea to keep your eyes peeled on their website or retailers they sell stock as they almost always hit the sale at half price or less several months after they first come out. They are super worth the money and great quality shoes though and I rarely ever go for high street options.

Clinque Anti-Blemish Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel

So the newest product to grace Clinique's skincare comes in the form of it's Anti-Blemish Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel. I'd seen several adverts for this product but it never really entered my want/need list. I haven't had much good experience with these kinds of products and assumed it'd be a waste of money. On my recent trip to Clinique I was informed that this was taking place of the Clarifying Lotion step which I have never been the biggest fan of. I thought I'd give it a try and see if it helped control my breakouts.

The product is effectively a spot fighting gel that can be spot-applied to spots as a treatment or all over the face as a preventative measure to prevent breakouts from occurring. The gel is to be used after cleansing the face, I recommend you use a light moisturiser after also as it's very drying. It has a fairly strong scent of alcohol, I find I have to work quickly when applying as it dries very quickly which means I probably use more than the suggested thin layer. The product is 100% allergy tested and fragrance free meaning it is suitable for sensitive and irritable skin. It controls oil well and I've seen a vast improvement in the amount of excess oil that my face produces since using this product. It also claims to reduce the appearance of pores, I find it tightens the skin quite a lot when applied but this effect isn't long lasting.

The 30ml bottle retails for £20 which is fairly pricey for this type of treatment. I also find because of the tube of the bottle which you have to squeeze to get the product out, I've gotten through my bottle in a matter of weeks which is disappointing. However, the product does an amazing job at clearing up my skin and controlling oil better than anything I've used before. It also doesn't dry your face out and leave flakiness like other stop treatments do. Therefore on that basis I would say it is well worth the money and has quickly became a permanent addition to my skincare routine.

Clinique Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder

I'm a massive fan of using a sheer brush of powder over foundation to set it nicely for the day, it completes my make-up and I rely on it for some extra oil control. After my love affair with MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural I was looking for something a little finer on my skin that didn't allow pesky oil to make it's way through my foundation shortly after I'd applied it. During my trip to the Clinique counter, they recommended me this.

The packaging is simple yet unique; a plastic square shaped box with a green marble effect and a silver opening with the Clinique logo. I feel it's suited to a more mature taste but I do like it. It also has a square mirror inside and a applicator sponge which are nice little touch for on the go application. The shade I was recommended was 01 stay buff which is the fairest shade they do. The powder is suited to those of you with combination/oily skin and need a powder to set your foundation/something to touch your face up with throughout the day should it get oily. The powder controls oil fantastically and used in combination with my Anti-Blemish Solutions Liquid Make-Up may face is oil free all day, I rarely ever need to touch up throughout the day which is a miracle. It also give a extra layer of slight coverage and I feel it really completes my base and evens out any uneven skin tone.

Although on the pricey side retailing at £23, I really do love this powder and will most likely repurchase when it runs out. In my experience I don't mind spending that little extra on powder as they tend to last for months and are an essential product to the finish of your base. The product control oil well and the packaging is practical and durable. Thumbs up to Clinique for yet another fantastic product!

Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Liquid Make-Up

I've been wearing MAC foundations for the past 2 years and as it was my first high-end foundation, the vast improvement led me to believe I'd found everything I needed, but I hadn't. I'd been having terrible trouble getting any base to stay on my face for more than a few hours and it would oxidise terribly. As I used Clinique skincare, I thought I'd visit a counter and try something from their instead. They sat me down and assessed what I wanted from a foundation and my skin type and then recommended me a few products. As I have blemish prone skin and oily skin I decided the Anti-Blemish Solutions Liquid Make-Up was perfect for me and was colour matched properly and came away with my very own bottle.

It is targeted towards those who would require their Anti-Blemish Solutions 3 step. Although this is targeted for all skin types with blemish prone skin, the foundation itself sets very matte and would suit those with oily/combination to very oily skin. I was colour matched to shade 01 fresh alabaster which is their palest shade. I am fairly pale myself but there are people with much fairer skin than me so I wouldn't say the colour range is fantastic.

The product comes in a plastic bottle with a squeeze tube nozzle. I personally prefer a high end foundation to come in a glass bottle with a pump, as you're paying more money you expect better quality from the packaging too. However, I don't mind too much as I travel a lot and therefore the bottle is more durable and the nozzle allows to fully control the amount you squeeze out so you don't waste product. The foundation is targeted at blemish prone skin as it contains 0.5% salicylic which is the active ingredient that fights spots and also prevents new ones from appearing.

without foundation

with foundation

The foundation applies very nicely, it isn't very thick and therefore blends lovely with either a flat foundation brush or a buffing brush. I use a large pea size amount to cover my whole face, I can't comment on how long the bottle lasts as it's a relatively new purchase. I would say the coverage is moderate, it is marketed at moderate/full coverage and build-able, however I've used two layers before and it doesn't cover as well as other foundation I have used. It has a very matte finish to it, almost powder like and controls oil incredibly well. It lasts on the skin a good 8 hours although I do powder every few hours too. The finish looks very natural and not too heavy unlike other foundations of its kind.

The foundation is retailed at £24 for 30ml which is a little pricey. However, for the quality and the fact its the first foundation I have found which stays on my skin all day, I think its well worth its price tag and would happily repurchase. As for the anti-blemish, I have found my skin has produced less spots since using the foundation.