La Roche-Posay Mattifying Moisturizer - Review

 Long time no blogpost!

I am back finally to review some more of the La Roche-Posay goodies, i think i am a third way through all of the products (that have been reviewed)

This product is in the 'Effaclar' range of products from La Roche-Posay and they are specially formulated to help oily skin with imperfections. Perfect for me and i had high expectations for this so lets see how i got on...

This product should stop oily skin looking shiny by slowing the production of sebum and it should leave your skin feeling smooth, matte and intensely moisturized whilst tightening pores and restoring the balance in your skin (alot to handle for a moisturizer!)

I was very pleased with this product and it lived up to my expectations, I have had it on now for nearly 4 hours and I've just felt my nose and cheeks and I've got next to no oil breakthrough whatsoever. It is the perfect base for makeup.

I found that when i was using my Elizabeth Arden day cream i had to wait a while and then apply my foundation but with this there is no need to wait :)

 It made my skin just feel really silky and nicely moisturized without being over-heavy. It's pretty much fragrance free but it would of been nicer if there was a slight fragrance. 

You can buy this from Boots for £13.50.

Have you tried anything from the 'Effaclar' range?

All of our favorites - Make up products and skincare

I have made a little collage of what could be EVERYONE'S favorite beauty products.

I am constantly seeing these products on other blogs and since i have tested nearly all of the products i would have to say that I cannot imagine a reason why these products could not be a staple in one's make up bag.

I would recommend each and every product that is shown and all of the products are of high quality and worth every penny.

Do you agree on my chosen items? what is your favorite beauty product from above?

La Roche Posay Hydraphase Intense Serum - Review

Hydra phase intense serum is a gel treatment for re hydrating your skin. It leaves your skin plumped,more radiant,fresh and moisturized! The texture of the gel is smooth and it applies really well! It stays on the skin for awhile, It actually feels very refreshing when you apply it, it has a lovely lightweight texture that's not sticky or greasy. If you have oily skin like me you can use this serum instead of moisturizer and if you have dry skin you can use it under your moisturizer for extra moisture. If you want to make it even more refreshing? then pop it in the fridge! ^^

It is ideal for daytime wear under makeup for a no mid-afternoon oiliness or shininess. It is paraben-free and infused with hyaluronic acid. It also contains a high concentration of La Roche-Posay thermal spring water, which is said to have therapeutic and anti-inflammatory benefits. I like using it under a moisturizer or a BB cream during the day because it's non-greasy and absorbs quickly.

I absolutely love it! It does such a great job of hydrating, and keeps my skin looking hydrated and plump. I am dehydrated and oily in some places on my face and this product gives such good hydration that my skin has cut back significantly on it's oil production.

Worth checking out! 

Here the link - website

La Roche Posay Dermo Cleanser - Review

Hello lil birdie... ignore my phone charm :p

Welcome to the first of many sample reviews of the La Roche Posay skincare samples collection.

I firstly wanted to try out the cleanser and see how well the cleansing properties worked for my skin.

The cleanser was not too thick in consistency and sadly there is was scent (would of been great if it had some spa like scent but oh well) i dabbed it on some cotton wool pads and got cleansing away...

My skin felt very refreshed and the cleanser was great at picking up traces of make up, dirt and oiliness if any.

The product is really creamy and rich, it spread easily and almost 'sinks' into your skin. Afterwards my skin felt soft and clean. 

My skin also did not feel tight because at the moment because of our current wintry weather my skin is more dry than usual so this would be great for dry skins since this has the hydration factor.

For me, it cleanses my skin enough and doesn't clog my pores - but on the other hand I rarely have clogged pores and break-outs. If you do, I would test this cleanser first as it is quite rich in texture.

I loved using this and so i would recommend this to all who are looking for a cleanser. Check it out here - website

Bedtime Beauty Routine

Bedtime Beauty

La Roche-Posay skincare goodies revealed!

I love to unravel packages to discover the goodies that lie beneath and here is one of them, earlier i posted a picture of a package full of skincare samples courtesy of Escentual.com and i thought that i should share my initial view and how i am going to review them for you.

My first reaction was how generous! i did not think that i would receive 11 samples and each one being a different cream or cleanser.

I have not heard of this brand but i have a feeling these skincare products will go down a treat simply because i find that all french cosmetics, skincare and perfume are of high quality.

I will be trying each item over the next couple of days but when i will review the items i will include more than one simply because there are too many and i do not want to bore you. I try to keep my reviews balanced in terms of doing a couple of make up items then the odd skincare item and a lifey post.

I cannot wait to start trying these out, the first item i will be reviewing is the (Dermo-cleanser) cleansing and make up removal fluid.

News and upcoming posts

Hey y'all

I hope you all have been well, i wanted to let you know why i have not been posting frequently and other bits and bobs.

I have been getting ALOT of homework from my Islamic classes, which includes alot of writing, reading and memorization so i have been putting alot of time in that but i know that i have been pushing my blog further away which is not fair on my lovely followers. I will try my utmost best on posting daily if not then every other day. I will also be doing a mini blog sale, i have some make up items that i want to sell simply because i have too much of it and i was clearing my stuff out (ALL DETAILS AND PICTURES WILL BE UP SOON!)

Today in the post I got a package courtesy of Escentual.com (thanks Emma!) full of skincare treats (see picture below) so i cannot wait to review all of this for you so also expect this in the next few posts.

Thank you to all my lovely followers for your patience and support

Love Zara x

Picture taken on Instagram :)

November Favourites

Body butter//Dirty works  Cranberry candle//Coley and Gill  Arabic perfume//Al Sunnah  BB cream//Yves Rocher  
Eye cream//Balance Me

I have been saving this candle for this weekend because a) i have alot of revision to do from my Islamic classes b) this aids and relaxes me because that was one stressful week! I have used the Gingerbread one that came in this set and loved it so i cannot wait to see how this cranberry one smells like. I just love candles in general so i thought to include this one for this month.

I have been using this ALOT and i am loving this body butter for my hands, it is ideal to use in the colder months, smells great and keeps my hands moisturized plus it is the perfect size to carry in your purse :) 

This eye cream is a savior! helps me look refreshed even if i didn't get enough sleep. This instantly lifts and brightens the undereye area. This product is very popular among other bloggers :)

This is my new favourite everyday BB cream, i use this everyday because i have cut down on wearing foundation and i feel that BB creams are way better for your skin and allows it to breathe!

I have been loving arabic perfumes alot recently and this one is new to my collection, My husband gifted me this cute little roll on (called Bakhoor) and trust me a little goes a very long way with these perfumes because it is quite strong but to describe the scent it is hard but i guess it smells like incense sticks? I also love that this is alcohol free too!

That is it for my monthly favourites, what products have you been enjoying this month?

November Empties

Welcome to my first empties post! i love reading other empties posts from many fellow bloggers/youtubers on what they have been using and so i have decided to share my products that are emptied just so i can state what has or hasn't worked for me and may guide you into buying the right product.

So, here are the products emptied for this month :)

£2.99 Batiste dry shampoo in cherry.

Finally my last can is finished! i used to love Batiste but now i am wanting to try other brands because this always leaves the white residue that takes ages to brush out. It does make my hair feel clean and look volumey but i will not be repurchasing this. Ever.

£14.50 M.A.C Studio finish concealer in NC30.

I absolutely love this MAC concealer and it lasted ages, both in the pot and on my face. It hid all my boo boos but i found that recently the shade was not matching my skin tone perfectly as before ( i am guessing i am now a shade lighter than this) I want to look for an alternative if not than another concealer . It is always such a journey to find the perfect foundation and concealer but i do have my eyes on the nyx concealer pot.

£8.50 Avon super curlacious mascara.in black.

This mascara was great because it didn't clump nor stiffen the lashes, My eyelashes were noticibly more curled and i enjoyed using this everytime but i feel that are even more better mascaras out there so i will not be repurchasing this.

£2.00 strawberry body spray from Boots

Ah, this was so lush to use, perfect to freshen you up during the day, The scent was delicious and the actual product lasted long.When i wore the body spray it felt that the scent did not last long as i had hoped so i will not be repurchasing this but i am hoping to purchase a body shop body spray but i am still undecided as to which scent to buy because i have heard more good things about their body sprays.

Bare minerals foundation in light, free sample.

I love bare minerals and using this i did not waste any time in trying to finish it (hehe) I feel that this product is something i will repurchase again and again because not only is it mineral make up it also allows your skin to breathe and this has proven to help aid your skin's condition which i have noticed and there has been an improvement.

Which product have you tried from my empties post? did it work out for you?

Loreal Natural brunettes color riche lipstick in the shade 231 - Review

*Gifted to me and the shade number is 231*

I love my nudes and this is great to add to my ever growing collection of nude lipsticks.
This is my first Loreal lipstick and i am quite impressed.
The packaging is gold and is presented in a sleek and professional way.
The Loreal logo is imprinted in the lipstick which adds a nice personal touch.
The pictures don't really capture the nude colour perfectly but to describe the colour it is more of a browney nude with a lovely satin finish.
It has this light candy scent which i am loving and i found the lip colour to be moisturising and it doesn't give you the concealer lips look. I am looking forward to trying more subtle colours from this range if any. It is £8 per lipstick and since it is Loreal it is not the cheapest in drugstore make up.

I heart this lipstick! and when your in Superdrug or Boots do give these lipsticks a swatch!

Estee Lauder Double wear lengthening mascara - review

I have for you all yet another mascara review - a lengthening mascara from Estee Lauder. This is my first product from this brand, I have never used anything from this brand either so i was intrigued to see how this mascara performed.

I was given this as a gift from a friend who doesn't wear mascara and i believe this was a gift with purchase so you get a little taster of another product and it may possibly tempt you into buying it.

I found the formula to be quite wet but you have to be careful for when you are waiting for the mascara to dry because i have had smudged eyes before (yikes)

In terms of lengthening i have noticed a significant difference and it has given my lashes an optimum height which is great!

Once dried it does not flake or smudge (hurray!) so rest assured you will not get panda eyes.

This is great for everyday because i find that volumizing mascaras should be best kept for nights out but curling my eyelashes beforehand helped give THE best result. I am not a big fan of cakey mascara so you will have to careful when applying this because the more you apply the more cakier the eyelashes will look. I only coat my lashes once on both eyes and i found it to be enough.

For a 6ml the price is £20.00 I do like how this lengthens and stays put but the downside is that you will achieve stiff eyelashes if you apply two to three coats :( 

If you have owned or tried this mascara then please comment and let me know how you found this mascara to be :)

Loreal Volume Million Lashes Luminizer Hazel Eyes - Review

Image take from Google, From L to R: Green, Blue and purple.

 Don’t get me wrong, I love black mascara But when i saw these mascaras from Loreal that luminized your natural eye colour I just had to get it and I fancied a change from my regular black mascara so the luminizer seemed perfect at that time. 

 I found three mascaras each aimed at different eye colours. The idea is that you choose the mascara aimed at your eye colour and the reflecting particles produce a colour that is flattering to your eyes. The luminizer collection contains blue reflecting mascara suitable for blue eyes, green reflecting mascara for green eyes and purple reflecting mascara suitable for hazel eyes. My eyes are brown and so I chose the one aimed for hazel eyes

The mascara claims to separate lashes for a fanned out effect and add a ‘dazzle’ of colour. 

I was able to achieve the fanned out effect with two coats. The mascara didn’t clump and my lashes were separated with added volume, When i say volume i mean extra volume looked as if i had spider leg lashes :)

As for the colour, I applied three coats in total so I could really get the full colour intensity. I tried different angles in day light to see the effect. I could only see a subtle tint (in sunlight) which i guess is a good thing because you do not want your eyelashes screaming out "look at me! am purple!"

On the other hand, I'm not sure if it really 'luminizes' the colour of my eyes... maybe a little?

As it's L'Oreal... it's not the cheapest mascara on the high street at £10.99. Its worth it if you want the va va volume but the idea of luminizing eye colour failed for me.

Have you tried this mascara? have you seen the luminizing effect to your eye colour? let me know!

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish - Review

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish starter kit* £14.25

This is another product which I've heard so many many good things about. I have never tried a Liz Earle product before but i am glad that this particular product is the first! The cleanser comes in a little blue bag with 2 muslin cloths and a info card including directions on how to use it.

I would recommend getting the starter kit if it's your first time. The bag is rather useful as I tend to use it as a toiletry bag for those marvellous travelling days :)

The 2 muslin cloths are really big and are a little more abrasive which I like because I do tend to have dry skin in some areas and therefore the cloths really do give me a great exfoliation.

Before using the C&P, I used to take all my makeup off with the Simple toner and cleanser with cotton pads. I do feel that this has made ALOT of difference to my skin.

I use one pump which is enough for my whole face. I apply it and massage it all over. Next I run a muslin cloth under warm water and wring it out slightly. I let the C&P sit for about 1 minute before polishing it with the cloth. Once all the cleanser has been removed I run the cloth under warm water again and just got over my skin gently to make sure everything has gone! I then rinse the cloth a third time and hang it on the radiator to dry out for the next use.

The cleanser definitely has quite a strong spa like smell which I like. The end result: my skin is feeling refreshed, soft, radiant and my dry patches have gone!

I really do love this product and I am so happy I received it. I honestly do recommend this product. 

Have you tried this? And what were your thoughts?