I was contacted a few weeks ago from FaceB4, who are a brand i've heard quite a lot about especially in the blogging world as their products are aimed at fighting and also curing acne. As I mentioned, I don't suffer with acne in comparison to a few years back but having products that are known for being as effective as they are is always a relief, especially when a dreaded breakout crops up.

Over the past couple of weeks i've been really getting to grips with a few products from FaceB4 and initially I wasn't sure how i'd get on with them but so far they have really impressed me and i've noticed that the appearance of my skin has improved dramatically.

Starting with the FaceB4 Anti-Bacterial Face Wash* (£14.99), which is a really intriguing product as it is a cleanser and toner in one. The packaging has two separate bottles that both pump out product at the same time, which are designed to work together to combat build of salicylic acid and to really get down deep to fight any breakouts. I've been using this on and off for a few weeks now, mainly when my skin is looking a bit dull and also focusing on the areas where I usually get blemishes to really help prevent any new blemishes appearing. So far i'm really impressed and I can definitely say that I haven't had any blemishes since I started using this, might be coincidence but i'm putting it down to this product.

Another product that has been helping in the blemish fighting is the FaceB4 Anti-Bacterial Serum* (£9.99). Anyone who knows me, knows that I love a good serum but i've never tried any that are aimed at blemishes as I didn't really know that there was such a thing if i'm honest. What I love about this serum is how gentle it is on the skin, as I was expecting a serum that was quite harsh and that made your blemishes sting but this is just like any normal serum, you can't even tell that it is on your skin. Usually when it comes to skincare aimed at spot prone skin, you usually find them to be quite drying but this serum is so moisturising as it contains many vitamins, including vitamin e, which I find is in a lot of skincare that I use and love.

So far i'm really impressed with these products from FaceB4, and if you do suffer with blemish or acne prone skin then i'd definitely suggest giving this a try! If i'd of known about FaceB4 back when I did have acne, then I would have been all over the stuff!

Have you tried any products from FaceB4?

I honestly cannot express my excitement for these products and they have honestly made my bank holiday weekend all that much better. Now you know me I love a good beauty bargain and the number one place I would recommend is TkMaxx or Homesense as you can find some right gems in there.

Whilst visiting my local TkMaxx I noticed they'd had a new load of beauty stock in and amongst a few new brands was Stila. Now i've never tried anything from Stila previously but I have heard some amazing reviews on their palettes of which they had a few in stock. I ended up choosing the Stila 'In The Moment' Palette (£25) as the shades were so pretty and also really wearable. Now I know i've got a million and one neutral eyeshadow palettes and this kind of fits in with those, but the mix of shades really intrigued me and the quality of these eyeshadows are truly mind blowing. 

Also whilst perusing the beuty section, I spotted some new Essie shades that i'd not seen before and i'd been after a new shade for quite some time so when I saw Essie 'Style Hunter' Polish (£5.49) I just knew that I needed it. I don't own any shades like this so I was able to justify it and the colour is so pretty, somewhere in between a red and pink that is to die for. I've had this on my acrylics for the past few days now and the colour is just so pretty!

Lastly we have probably the most exciting product of this haul and I really owe this one to my Mum, as she ever so kindly treated me to the Urban Decay Naked On The Run Palette (£37). We were browsing our local Debenhams when I saw a few displayed on top of a stand and I just stopped in awe, as I was convinced that these sold out a long time ago.. how wrong I was! I'm sure many of you have seen many reviews on these, but this is the ultimate makeup palette in my eyes and I cannot wait to try this out! Don't worry I will be reviewing this very soon!

Have you picked up any summer beauty bits?

You're probably all wondering where i've been for the past week or so and if you follow me on Twitter you'll know that I just needed a little break and some much needed 'me time' as the past few weeks have been less than ideal. I've not had my blogging mojo for a long time now and sometimes you just need to take a step back, so I thought i'd turn this post into a little tips post and why sometimes a blog break is needed.

I'm not going to go into detail as to what is going on in my personal life, thats just something i'm not ready to talk about but i'm going to use it as motivation to get back into my blog and to really get it back on track.

Taking a blogging break is never an easy thing to do, for me at least as my blog is a massive part of my life as i'm sure a lot of bloggers feel the same, but sometimes your blog can feel more like a chore than a hobby and that is okay! So here are a few tips that I thought might help a few others out there if you're thinking of going on a blogging break.

It's healthy - Just like anything in your life, if you're not getting the same enjoyment out of something it's healthy to take a step back and remove yourself for a certain length of time. Whether it be the gym or another kind of commitment, taking a break allows you to get some head space to focus on what you want to gain out of it and what your next move is.

Your readers will still be here - When taking a blogging break, you worry that your readers/page views will decrease and in some way it is true, because you're not putting out new content. Having said that, it's not the end of the world and those readers that loved your blog before will still be there when you return. They will understand and you'll soon learn that your readers are the most supportive people.

Don't feel guilty - Feeling guilty is natural when it feels like you're neglecting something but the biggest thing i've learnt is try your hardest not to feel guilty. Your blog is your blog, and you shouldn't be made to feel guilty for taking a break nor should you make yourself feel guilty, ain't nobody got time for that!

Go out and enjoy yourself - I sometimes feel that I neglect things or people because of my blog, and sometimes you've just got to go out and enjoy what time you have with those closest to you and that's okay! even though your blog is a hobby, don't let it take away experiences that you might not ever get again.

Remember why you love blogging - The biggest thing that I always try to remember, is why I started blogging. You can often forget what made you fall in love with blogging and taking a break is usually the best thing to really make you remember what made you type up that first blog post.

So those are just a few things i've learnt from taking a blogging break and hopefully it will help if you're thinking of having a blogging break yourself. Just remember not to be so hard on yourself and that your blog will still be here when you decide to return!

What tips do you have for taking a blog break?

The past few weeks i've been pulling out products that I was obsessed with this time last year, but i've also introduced new products into the mix that i've heard some pretty amazing things about and so far these products seem to be doing the trick at making my skin look radiant and healthy.

Starting with primer, something I don't really bother with all that often as I find the don't usually make any difference but i've been loving the L'oreal Lumi Magique Primer (£9.99). It's different to any other primer that i've used before as it's more about giving your skin a little bit of radiance, as well as keeping your base in place. I also find using this over foundation great, as more of a liquid highlighter as it is such a beautiful shade.

Foundation wise i've reverted back to an old favourite, the Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation (£5.99), which is my favourite foundation for a dewy radiant glow. It does what the name suggests, by waking up tired skin and faking that healthy glow we all want. Onto concealer and this is new one to me, but one i'm loving. This is the Claudia Louch Concealer Trio* (£35), which is great as you can mix the different shades or use them in different areas to add highlight. I've been using the lightest shade to highlight under my eyes as I find this really opens up my eyes and just makes me look more awake. 

Onto the cheek products and a long time favourite of mine is the Topshop 'Crecsent Moon' Highlighter (£10) which they don't seem to have on the website anymore, but this is a lovely powder highlighter shade that is perfect for any skin tone. It's got a lovely iridescent finish to it that just looks lovely on the cheeks bones and just really gives your skin that glow. Also more so recently cream blushers have been my go to and this Collection Love Speedy Blush (£) is beautiful. It has a lovely yet subtle shimmer running through it that really gives the cheeks a lovely pop of colour and also highlighted glow. It's great if your in a rush, as you don't need to highlight when using this as it does the job for you.

So those are a few products that i've been turning to recently in order to give my skin that dewy, glowing look.

What products do you use to get 'the dewy glow'?

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