The War Paint Removals

In the second and thankfully last instalment of 'things what I bought' we're gonna talk about cleansing. 

As I mentioned in the last post, the nightly 'deslap' is my favourite part of the day. That feeling of clean, the removal of the war paint and the days dirt, the healthy glow as my skin soaks up the plethora of unguents I smooth in....its delightful. To this end I am always on the hunt for a great cleanser to get rid of the grime.

I have favourites, Clinique Take The Day Off balm and Ren Hot Cloth Cleanser. Absolute dreams! They do their job SO well that really I shouldn't ever bother with anything else but as we know, a beauty junkie is never satisfied and sometimes I like to try a few more budget friendly options. (Just to warn you, I'll probably do a post at some point with the ones I love)

First up is the Boots Botanics Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm. 

Now then, I LOVE a balm. I love that the solid, opaque salve that turns into an oil on your face and removes make up like a dream and when mixed with water, cleanly wipes off (with a flannel....old school style, none of this muslin cloth nonsense!) leaving zero oily residue. 

This is NOT that! This is like putting a slap of cold animal fat on your skin. It’s doesn't remove make up or emulsify in water, I literally had to scrap it off....horrific! 

Second up is the Boot Botanics All Bright Gentle Cleansing Cream. Now this I do like. It’s a great second cleanse, a pretty liquidy cream that smells amazing that doesn't sting my eyes or leave my skin shiny tight plus it’s a bargainous £2.50! Thanks you very much! There's not much more to say, it’s good, I would buy it again but as I say, only as a second cleanse, it’s not great at getting off my mascara. 

The third is the Simple Hydrating Cleansing Oil. This literally does what it says. 'dissolve impurities, removing make-up, leaving your skin clean and instantly hydrated'. It’s a simple oil cleanser made with pure grape seed oil enriched with vitamin A and E. It made light work of my full face of slap, no stingy eyes, no greasy, oily residue and obviously as it’s a Simple product there no added fragrance. This is going straight into my favourites and it costs £6.99. I think it would last an age as you really do only need a few drops for it to works its magic. Go forth and buy!   

Onto the make-up purchases. I was abstemious....very restrained only buy three items. This is progress I think! 

OK!! I can see that some might think those two lippies are the same colour....but there is a subtle difference. Honest! The top one, Gosh Velvet Touch Lipstick in Shocking Coral and the bottom one is Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in Vibrant Coral. Shocking is very different to Vibrant. IT IS!!! 

The Gosh one has INCREDIBLE staying power. I can make it through until at least 4pm, through copious coffees and lunch and it’s still there. It’s a good rich coral colour and a full on matte formula. Its blimmin ace! This was £7.99 and I would 100% buy it again.

The Rimmel one is a good colour but it’s not matte despite the title. It’s more moisturising that the Gosh one though but only it last until you've had your first cuppa of the day. It’s definitely one you need to reapply throughout the day. Its £5.49 and meh....I'll stick with the Gosh one. 

OK...last thing I promise! NYX Professional Makeup Slide on Eye Pencil in Jet Black. Literally a simple black eye liner, they really are much of a muchness aren't they. This is a good dark black. It lasts well on my eye lid but not long on the waterline (where I tend to wear eye liner everyday) so I dunno how waterproof it really is. It was £2.50 and I think there are better ones out there. You live and learn don't you.

My god.....that's enough of that isn't it. I promise not all of my posts will be me wanging on and on about beauty shiz but I know at least two of you are interested (I'm looking at you Keggs and Natface 💕)

Anyway, anyway, anyway......cheerio! 

A Lovely Pear

In the first instalment of the 'things what I bought' we're going to be talking pears, specifically a perfume called 'Pear'. 

Now...I have a fondness for all things pear.

Actual pears, green one, pinky ones....delicious and juicy. To me they taste of autumn, the season of mist and mellow fruitfulness and the best season in my opinion. Pear Drops, sugar treats that make me cough (is that only me?). What's better than a little paper bag of pink and yellow sweets that make you cough...very retro. Pear vodka is a bit of winner too and I await the day I sample some pear gin and then my life will probably be complete.

Back in the day (approx 1999) I had a top that had a big green pear on the front with the words 'Lovely Pear' emblazoned across the front. I nattily teamed it with a denim skirt and jacket (I have literally never been cool....not even in my youth!) and I'll never forget the look on my Dads face as I swanned out for a Saturday night knees up. I'm still not sure if that was his horror at the suggestiveness or the double denim error! 

Anyway anyway anyway....what I'm leading up to is the purchase of my Holy Grail perfume.

Marc Jacobs 'Pear'. 

I first found this perfect perfume in duty free at Heathrow airport approximately 100 years ago, I didn't buy it as I suspect it was WAY out of my price range back then but I have been searching for it ever since. Every perfume shop I passed, ever department store I perused, I couldn't find it. I resigned myself to the fact it had probably been discontinued....ho hum....buggery balls! 

Then...Friday night whilst on the aforementioned Boots spree, thinking I have Advantage card points to spend (a testament to how much cashola I spend there! I need help!) I wandered over to the fragrance section as I normally do to sneak a spray of something new and exciting or just a traditional steal of Issey Miyake or Hugo Boss Intense (my top fave classics) and low and behold....what's that I spy?! 

*angels sing*

Look at the beautiful simplicity of it!! Even the colour of the perfume itself is lovely, reminiscent of old school scents. 

There is nothing old-fashioned about this. It’s part of the Marc Jacobs Splash collection which includes Pear, Rain and Cucumber. They are unisex fragrances and if the Pear is anything to go by I'd probably marry the next man I meet wearing it (let that be a warning to you ALL!)

To me it smells like liquorice and pears, liquorice-y pears! Warm and woody but not too sweet. A quick Google tells me the fragrance notes are

Top notes: pear, lemon, bergamot

Heart: juniper, gin, freesia
Base: teak, amber, musk

See that....GIN! Everything I love is related to gin! 

It’s an absolute delight of a perfume and if old MJ dares to discontinue after the summer I will hunt him down and poke ACTUAL pears up his nose! 👊❤

x

Chemist Confessions

Those who know me well know I LOVE a chemist. I have to ration myself to two visits a month (I mean once a week obvs). When I say chemist I mean Boots or Superdrug or anywhere that sells lotions and potions and crazy coloured cosmetic things. An independent chemist is the gin to my tonic.........the drugstore is my drug.

It began when the Mothership would take me to top up her stock of Elnett, Max Factor Creme Puff (that smell ❤) and her green and blue chubby stick eye liners (cool then in the 80's and doubly cool now!) I remember walking the aisles mesmerised at the powdery, clean smells and the 100's of bottles of creams. Body creams, face creams, bubble bath, shampoos, hairspray, Bobby pins, a million different coloured scrunchies, padded hair bands (it was the 80's! Shhhh!) Tiny soaps in Art Deco tins, make up galore, galore, GALORE and not to mention the glorious array of perfumes behind the glass counter. This particular chemist also had a jolly pharmacist who dispensed helpful advice and stickers for poorly kids, a set of massive retro scales (we avoided them), a terrifying metal foot measure (not like the fun Clarks one.....an actual foot monster!) and an enormous stack of lollies by the till. 
(Come to think of it, my obsession may well have started with the fact I got a lolly on every visit!)

This place was heaven!

It was where Mum bought me my first set of cleanser, toner and moisturiser at 13. Three small bottles of magic. She drilled it into me 'Look after your skin Kate....it’s boring now but you'll thank me' she'd say as I was eye rolling at the enormity of the chore at bed time. Such a surly teenager! 

Now the 'deslapping' is my favourite part of the day and thanks to her early advice my skin is pretty OK, save a few hormonal breakouts or 'SpotTwats' as I prefer to call them. I also have a few lines here and there. I'm in my mid *coughs* late 30's....it’s entirely normal. *ignores the ravages of time and pretends to age gracefully*

Anyway anyway anyway......the problem with this love of chemists is a love of a product and here my dear reader is the crux of the issue. As it says in my bio I have an potentially bankrupting skin care and make up habit and this is the reason I have to limit my visits and it is physically impossible for me not to spend at least £30* on each visit *a conservative estimate!

A trip produces an endorphin rush that any devotee or athlete will understand. (I'm told exercise gives a similar effect not that I would know, having never voluntarily exercised in my life. I'm mean....you just cannot paint your nails whilst jogging!)

Of course nowadays the traditional chemist has been slightly overtaken by the high street giants with their strip lighting and homogeneous uniformity. That is not a criticism in any way, it's just produces a different feeling, modern and innovative rather than nostalgic and dreamy. I'm into both to be honest.

So this very long and rambling introduction is the admission of a visit. A fruitful visit too, a visit where I procured a number of wonderful things. Things I'm going to tell you about because I'm an addict.....an addict that loves to share the rush of a beauty purchase.

I have however rambled on far too long for this post so I figured I'd do a series (OK…maybe 2 max) of posts about my most recent purchases to breakdown the monotony of my drivel. Plus talking about ALL THE THINGS enhances the addiction so DEAL WITH IT!  😃

Non beauty product lovers feel free to ignore/delete/unfriend at this point. I know only me and a handful of pals care about this frivolous yet brilliant stuff. I won't mind or never speak to you again you absolute shower!!!!!

Snogs and see you soon with product pleasure.