The product to me was a no brainer, the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water has been one product that i've literally used everyday since I got my hands on it. It's literally the next best thing to Bioderma and works so well to remove my makeup before cleansing. 

Next up is two lip products that i've been reaching for this month. First is the Revlon Lip Butter in the shade 'Raspberry Pie' and i've been loving this to add a swipe of colour to my everyday makeup look. I love the plum/raspberry shade that can be quite subtle but can be built up to a more noticeable colour. The next lip product was my little treat to myself this month as Illamasqua have a released their new Glamore Collection and I literally fell in love with one of the lipsticks, so I just had to order it. The product in question is the Illamasqua 'Glissade' Lipstick, which is a lovely vibrant yet slightly deeper pink shade but I mainly love the formula of this as it's not drying at all and lasts so well on the lips.

These next two products are more base/face products that i've really been reaching for this month, starting with the Erborian BB Creme Light. I've been really enjoying having a lighter base, especially with how the weather has been a little warmer these past few weeks. I love it's light to medium coverage and it's the perfect match to my skin tone. Lastly is The Body Shop Honey Bronzer, which i've been loving since picking this up last month. It's the perfect bronzer especially for the pasty skin people like myself and it adds just enough bronze without looking muddy or orange.

What products have you been loving this month?

Starting off with a budget friendly day cream that i've recently rediscovered, the Botanics Ultra Calming Day Cream. This product is perfect if you suffer with easily irritated and sensitive skin as it works to moisturise the skin whilst also soothing and hydrating the skin throughout the day. I use the smallest amount of this as it is quite a thick cream, applying it all over the face and leaving to sink in. It leaves the skin feeling so moisturised and looking a lot less dull, whilst also working to add some much need hydration back into the skin.

Onto two serums that have been on my radar for quite some time now. The first being the Matriskin Collagen Serum MP, which from the packaging you wouldn't know what this is really but it's a lovely serum containing hyaluronic acid, marine collagan and omega 3. This serum is mainly aimed to plump the skin, reduce tightness and also regenerates the skin, but it also works as a great hydrating product or so i've found. Just a few drops of this applied to the skin before I go to bed and I wake with up plumped skin that isn't dry at all, only downside to this is that it is super expensive! The next serum is an obvious one and that is of course Hydraluron. This serum works in conjunction with your moisturiser to boost your skins hydration levels throughout the day, thus giving your skin the hydration boost that it needs. I apply this to my skin, mainly of an evening before my moisturiser in order for it work over night, so that my skin is hydrated when I wake up.

Moving onto moisturisers and this first one i've been using for a fair few months now and have not looked back. This is the La Roche Posay Hydreane Legere, designed for those who suffer with slightly dry and sensitive skin (they also do another version for those with really dry skin), and this is basically a moisturiser that works to hydrate the skin. It's a lovely lightweight moisturiser that sinks into the skin so quickly and you can pretty much instantly see it getting to work. Last on the moisturiser/day cream front is the REN Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream, which I have a mini of and this is a lovely hydrating and soothing day cream. This is very similar to the Botanics one, only this is designed to protect against environmental aggression whilst also training the skin to be less sensitive. I haven't really been using this long enough to see any results as of yet, but it works lovely as a hydrating day cream.

Also just a little heads up Hydraluron is reduced at Boots for only £16.66, so make sure to get it whilst it's on offer!

What skincare products do you love?

 Had a chilled out pamper evening - After being quite busy at the beginning of the week, it felt so good to chill out on Wednesday evening, apply a face mask and just relax. I finally got round to fully reading Zoella's feature in this months Company magazine, so good!
Finished my dissertation - Yesterday I finally wrapped up my dissertation and I think i'm pretty much done. I'll probably read back over it and possibly tweak it a little, but for the most part I am done and i'm glad as it was probably the worst assignment ever. 

Gave my makeup brushes a well deserved clean - I've been putting it off for a good month now and when I realised just how disgusting they looked, I decided it was about time I washed them. I also learnt not to let them mount up, as washing 10+ brushes get's a little boring.

The Calvin Klein Downtown Eau de Parfum just boasts a sophisticated yet girly style from it's chic bottle design that is both simple and feminine, to it's floral musky scent that is to die for. With notes of bergamot, green pear, watery plum, cedar wood and violet leaf you can get a sense of it's sophisticated feminine feel that can be worn on a daily basis and/or for a special occasion. 

I think everything about this perfume is perfect for a Mother's Day gift, as it's definitely a fragrance for the more mature women and I think most Mum's out there would love this (what woman doesn't love a good perfume!?) In fact, it smells that good that I may end up buying one for myself, even though musky scents usually aren't my kind of thing, I absolutely adore this scent.

This gift set is contains a 50ml of the Calvin Klein Downtown and a Body Lotion, which also smells very similar to the perfume just a little more subtle, which is perfect for getting your legs looking lovely for the warmer weather we're currently experiencing and I could see the scent lingering on your skin all day.  This gift set retails usually at £46, but on Fragrance Direct you can get it for almost half the price at just £23, which is an absolute bargain especially if you weren't looking to splash out loads on a Mother's Day gift.

What your favourite fragrance?

I don't know what it is about lip crayons but once I find that I like the formula of one, I end up buying pretty much every shade in the range which is what happened with the Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayons last summer. I currently own four of these in the shades Red Sunrise, Fuchsia Libre, Orange Punch and Plum Russian and I just love these! Their formula is just lovely, moisturising and glossy with a really build able pigmentation that lasts so well on the lips without staining too much. I've reviewed Red Sunrise and Plum Russian previously so check those out. 

More recently i've dabbled into the new releases of the Revlon Color Boost Lacquer Balms, and I currently own two of these in the shades Coquette and Flirtatious, and again I love these also. I find them a little more pigmented than the Bourjois ones, and they have a slight shimmer running through the formula that thankfully isn't all that noticeable once applied to the lips but they are also really moisturising and glossy. I'm yet to give these a proper review as I do want to get my hands on a few more shades and also try out the matte balms, as i've heard that even though they are a matte formula they are still quite moisturising. 

Lip crayons are just one of those products that I think everyone has within their collection, I find them super handy to just quickly apply when i'm in a rush or when i'm wanting a small amount of colour on my lips, and they're great to just throw in your bag when you're on the go.

What is your favourite lip crayon?

Enjoyed some delicious cheesecake - My boyfriend has this thing for cheesecake, which he has now passed onto me and we devoured this amazing chocolate and vanilla cheesecake. Soooo good!
 Have been ill - Technically I was ill last week also, but this week my tonsils decided to swell so i've been living off ibuprofen and tea in order to soothe the pain. I'm on the mend now, thank god!
Picked up a copy of this months Company Magazine - Of course, everyone knows that Zoella has graced the cover of Company this month and I couldn't not pick up a copy. I just love her and her Youtube videos!

What have you been up to this week?

First up skincare, and these two products I picked up mainly to stop me from using up my Bioderma because it is expensive and kinda hard to get hold of but I do love it, so I was looking to cheaper and more available products. First up is the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water, which I hadn't been able to get my hands on for a while but my local Boots had one bottle left, so I grabbed it! So many bloggers have been raving about this, saying it's the next best thing to Bioderma so I can't wait to try this. Next up is the L'oreal Micellar Solution, which I picked up before the previous product as I really needed something and as i'd used this before I got another one just to have. It's not as good as Bioderma, but it does the job of getting the bulk of my makeup off before cleansing. 

If you saw my recent Skincare Loves post, then you will have seen me mention this product and that is the Garnier Fresh Eye Makeup Remover, which I picked up to replace my L'oreal one. As I mentioned there, this works great to remove my eye makeup and I honestly prefer this to any others i've used before, I just wish it came in a bigger bottle. Moving onto more makeup bits, and these are both from L'oreal. With the weather purking up over the last week, I thought it was time to pick up a new spring bits starting with the new L'oreal Color Riche L'extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick in the shade 'Rose Symphony'. I've seen a fair few reviews of these and I just had to pick one up to try, if I do end up liking this one then i'll definitely pick up more shades. I also thought a new nail polish was appropriate and I opted for the L'oreal Perfection Color Riche Nail Varnish in the shade 'Nouvelle Riche' which instanlty made me think of Nouvelle Daily (love them!). I love the ditsy pastel lilac shade and I can see myself rocking this in the months to come. 

So that is everything I picked up from Boots recently (minus some cotton pads, but I thought they'd be pretty boring), and I can't wait to try out some of these products. I will be reporting back with reviews on most of these products for you guys, so keep your eyes peeled!

Have you picked up anything from Boots recently?

So, this months box is all about the transition to Spring and with the weather being rather warm these past few days this box couldn't have come at a better time in my opinion. This box also contains two of Lulu's favourites but i'll go a little more into those below. 

As I said I was really excited about this box and I love the design of the sleeve to this box, even though I was expecting the box itself to be a custom design box I do actually like that they've still kept to their true Birchbox design. Now onto the products within this months box!

First up is the Aroma Works Serenity Body Oil, which is all new to me, the brand and the use of body oils as i'm not the biggest fan of oily texture. Having said that i'm really keen to try this out, mainly to help me relax as i've been a little stressed recently with uni and when I gave this a whiff it instantly gave off a calming scent that I can imagine doing me some good. This next product I wasn't so excited by and that is the Molten Brown Replenishing Hand Cream, as some of you might know I don't use hand cream but when I smelt this I instantly changed my mind. It literally smells of rhubarb and custard sweets! I love sweety scents and I can see myself actually using this as the tube is quite small and the product itself sinks in so quickly, so well done Birchbox you've changed my opinion on hand creams. 

Moving away from body products and more into makeup. This first product excited me a little and that is the Dr. Brandt Pores No More Pore Refiner. This product confused me a little but I believe it's a primer, that's specifically aimed at minimising the appearance of pores. I'm really getting into primers and I use them on a daily basis, so i'm quite intrigued to see how this one works. This next product is another primer and one of Lulu's favourites, i'm of course talking about the Benefit Stay Don't Stray. This is what I love about beauty boxes, getting to try out popular brands without having to splurge on them and i'm really excited by this product. I love Benefit as a brand and like I said I love primers, so perfect combo for me. This last product in this months box was of course a little sample of No.7 English Laundry Perfume, which I can't actually use as my bottle seems to be faulty but from what I can tell it smells quite woody yet sweet. Not my kind of scent, but it could probably grow on me.

Lastly, I noticed a piece of rock in this month's Birchbox, which instantly made me think of trips to the beach during the summer. It turns out this particular piece of candy was a piece of inspiration for Lulu Guinness's spring collection and I can see why, with it's bold stripes, not to mention it tastes yummy! This months box also included a little guide called 'Life Lessons As Told by Lulu Guinness' but my box didn't actually contain this, but Birchbox have already popped mine in the post so I can wait to give that a little read!

It's safe to say that I think this months box is fantastic, and has made my decision to stay with Birchbox for another month as I was thinking of un-subbing. 

What did you think of this months Birchbox?

Let's get straight into this. First up is a fairly recent purchase and that is the Garnier Fresh Eye Makeup Remover, which I am loving at the minute. As I recently used my L'oreal Eye Makeup Remover, I wanted to try something new and i'm so glad I picked this up as it removes my makeup so easily, without pulling any product into my eyes which I found happens a lot with other removers, and it smells really fresh which I find quite calming in a way. Next up is another new addition into my skincare and that is the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo +, which I wasn't going to purchase as I don't usually have problematic skin, but recently my chin has really been acting up. As this product is aimed at blemish prone skin and the added + is that it also corrects the appearance of imperfections I just had to give a go and so far i'm really impressed. Lastly is my go to cleanser at the moment and this is The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Butter. I use this mainly in the evenings to melt away my makeup and to give my face a really good cleanse. I find mixing this with a little water takes away the oily texture and creates more of a butter texture that is so soothing on the skin, and leaves my skin so soft it's unreal!

So that is an update into the skincare products i'm loving at the minute. Also, the Effaclar Duo + is currently on offer on Escentual, so i'd get it now if you're thinking of purchasing it.

Have you tried any of these products recently?

Moving onto brows, and of course I went for my HD Brows Kit with my RT Brow Brush. I love love love this brow kit, it's such a good product and works so well to define my brows. Moving onto eyes, I started off by curling my eyelashes and then using the Naked 3 Palette with my RT Eye Brushes using the shade 'Strange' as base and then 'Trick' in the crease I created this bronzey eye look. I'm really loving this palette at the minute, as you can create some really amazing eye looks. I then applied the Smashbox Eyeliner to my upper lash line to define my lashes as this eyeliner stays in place really well and is so pigmented. I then took the Collection Fast Stroke Liquid Eyeliner and lined my eyelid with quite a thin line, for a change. I finished off with my new favourite mascara, the Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara, which I love! Even though the brush is huge on it, it really get's in to separate and fan out your lashes. 

Hope you guys liked this post especially as i've used the Naked 3 Palette, it may give you guys some idea's on what different eye looks you can create!

What are your favourite eyeshadow palettes at the minute?

If you saw my post on my recent trip to London (post here), then you will have seen that I got my hands on this beautiful bag from Zara in the sale for an amazing £19.99. I love it's design, with two separate sections, so I can store my more reachable items in one and my not so needed items in the other. Each section also has a little pocket, where I store receipts and random bits rather than letting them float around the bottom of my bag. It's the perfect size, with it being not too big and not too small.

Now onto the contents, starting off with the items I reach for the most. First up is the most obvious being my Whistles Croc Purse, which I picked up in the sales during Christmas and I love it. It's probably the most sophisticated purse that I have ever owned and it's so spacious! Next is my iPhone 5, which may as well be attached to my hip as i'm always on it! Like a true beauty blogger of course i've got a few lip products, the two that are currently in my bag are the EOS Lip Balm, which I love the smell off and the Revlon Color Burst Lacquer Balm in 'Flirtatious' (thanks Alex!) which i've been wearing quite a bit lately. The next item is another obvious and that is my Car Keys, which have changed since my last post as i've got a new car, and a few new key rings! 

Now onto the not so reached, but still needed items. First up is my Notebook, as I sometimes use this bag for uni and I also like to have it on me just incase. I picked this one up from Home Sense as they have some really nice notepads in there. To go with the notebook of course i've got a bog standard Biro, I prefer to write in black biro and I can just throw these in my bag without any worries of them leaking. Next is my Umbrella, you never know when you'll need one in this country! The next item isn't so exciting, but I always carry either Ibuprofen/Paracetamol just incase. Lastly is my Student Card, one to get into the uni building if i'm using this bag for uni and so I can get my student discount. 

So that's all the bits and bobs I carry around in my bag on a daily basis. Hope you guys enjoyed an update into what is in my bag!

What things do you always carry in your bag?