Taking care of your feet | Mariam

Living in London, and often commuting on the tube, I often have the 'privilege' to observe strangers' feet. Particularly women's feet which, now that it's summer, are always housed in some sort of flip/flop/sandal/open toe shoe. I would have to say that the majority of the time, their feet are not worthy of public exposure. It's probably a bit biased because I absolutely hate feet, but I still think they deserve a bit of attention.

This is my holy foot duo:

Boots Gorgeous Feet Deeply Intensive Moisturiser
This is a cracker of a jar but both 'Mr M' and I have been enjoying using this and it's actually nearly all gone. It smells so nice (very Johnson's face lotion) and has a light and creamy texture that is perfect for smoothing onto the feet leaving them soft and pampered.

An unhonourable mention:

There's nothing wrong with this heel balm as such but I just hate the smell which is strange because Soap and Glory products normally smell amazing. It's sort of pepperminty but in a weird stale, starchy way. This makes application a bit of a dire experience and it has since found its way to the bottom of my cosmetics compost.

The Ped-Egg
I feel a bit silly for admitting that I own this because to my knowledge it's one of those weird gimmicky products you can find on JML. But this nifty little pink device promises to gently file away rough skin, which I suppose it does. I have to say, I expected this to be a little bit tougher but if you're prepared to sand away at your feet for a good hour to see some results then the Ped-Egg is your man.

Once you've got your feet all nice and smooth, the toenails are yet another important factor. In the summer I always gravitated towards loud brights but since the Essie diffusion line has come to the UK, the shade Fiji has been hyped as the ultimate flattering toenail colour. I've also been a fan of the neutral shade on toes recently but Fiji's pristine pinky beige pastel looks summery yet 'grown-up'. It's so opaque too which works well on toenails and with a tan, this is just perfect.

Do you think taking care of your feet is important. If so, how do you go about it? If not, please don't wear flip-flops on the Bakerloo line.

Face Masks I'm Using Right Now | Mariam

I like facemasks. Facemasks are a good thing. It's not a proper Sunday if I haven't enjoyed a good 20 minutes (or more) with a copious amount of product on my face. I've used a fair few face masks in my time. These are just the ones I've been enjoying currently.

It's useful to note that I have oily and blemish-prone skin, so mainly my face masks are targeted at this type of skin.

Yves Rocher Pure Systems Pore Cleaning Mask
Yves Rocher is a French brand, but quite readily available to most of us online. I featured this in my European Pharmacy haul a little while back and have enjoyed using it since. It's a thick, mud-like mask (my favourite type!) with plenty of zing courtesy of the salycilic acid. It works well to cleanse deep down and unclog pores.

Soap & Glory The Fab Pore Mask
I actually bought this mask before I realised it already had quite the following  in the beauty world. It's a thick white mask with little beads that burst upon application. It doesn't really set on the skin, but makes my skin feel clean, my pores firm but my overall complexion far from stripped. I try not to use this too often as it is a little bit more astringent that I'd like - but for a fortnightly detox it's a real treat.

The Body Shop 3-in-1 Honey and Oat Scrub Mask
I've had this mask for ages, and you can tell because I bought it in my period of skincare naïveté. It's for dry skin?! However, the oats within the mask provide mild exfoliation while the mask itself makes my skin feel extremely soft and nourished. It's actually one of my favourite masks to use though, and it certainly gets on with my oil-slick of a complexion. Yet more proof that labels on skincare items can often be a load of old hooey.

Neutrogena Visibly Clear 2-in-1 Wash and Mask
This is a well known drugstore staple, and rightly so - it's the daddy of all clay masks. The Visibly Clear Range from Neutrogena has long been a favourite of mine, and I just love the way this mask makes my skin feel. Refreshed, clean and really radiant! The only downside is that it dries to a really hard crust and it's a nightmare to remove without a flannel.

Yin Yang Kaolin Face Mask
Now this is interesting. Since my reluctant self-imposed ban on manual exfoliation with face scrubs and the like, I have delved into the world of exfoliating masks. This is also a clay mask, so efficiently seeps up that extra sebum. The mask applies really thinly, almost like a moisturiser and sinks in as you wait. It must be the fruit acids in this thing, but it really eats away at my skin cells and leaves it feeling soft and polished - and I haven't even touched my face! You can find this mask and the whole range in Holland and Barret's - a place that is fast becoming my new skincare Mecca.

What facemasks are your favourite? And which ones would you reccomend?

Mariam xx

July Favourites | Shona

I think its about time for my July favourites, I know its a tad late but in the words of Einstein 'Time is an illusion'...or thats my excuse anyway...

Firstly, I have been loving my L'Oreal Telescopic mascara. Its perfect for creating long and defined lashes for my daytime makeup. For as long as I can remember I've had eyelash envy of anyone with long lashes (talkin' bout you mariam) however since using this mascara They feel much less inadiquate!  Another plus of this mascara comes with my accidental purchase of the waterproof version. I would never normally go for waterproof mascara's but I've found that this can last all day and potentially much longer. On the downside, it can create clumpy lashes (one of my pet peeves) if you keep put too many coats on, or wiggle the brush too much so if I'm looking for something more volumising I just layer this up with another mascara.

Whilst the mascara is brilliant, it can be a right bitch to get off, but the Simply sensitive Eye-Makeup Remover has been a saviour! It's oil based so takes the mascara off easily. However I my eyelids can get abit oily, so I dont sweep the remover on a cotton pad all over my lid. I take abit in my thumb and forefinger in each hand and hold it on the lashes, and then gently massage to get the rest off. This works really well as I can feel when the mascara has broken down, and I dont feel like I am dragging or damaging my lashes at all.

The third item I have fallen back in love with this july is the Natural collection bluch in Peach Melba. I love the natural collection blushes for a number of reasons, firstly the amazing price (£2.99) and secondly the natural finish. I used to wear this on a daily basis but stopped using it in the last six months or so but I have been using it in conjunction with some other peachy toned products and it works really well as a more sculpting blush.

I have also been reaching for my (first ever) mac eyeshadow, in sable. I stopped using it in favour of more cooler toned eyeshadows, but I remembered why I loved it so much. The warm reddy-orange tone really helps to bring out my blue eyes. I tend to just pop it on all over the lid and blend, with a bit of brown liner its really simple and quick eye-look for the early mornings I have been enjoying recently...

The last product In my favourites has to be the Rimmel Vinyl Gloss in . I have to admit I did steal this off my sister but I absolutely love it and will definately have to purchase my own. Its a really nude-peachy shade which just finishes my makeup perfectly. It has a slight shimmer to it which I normally shy away from but this dosn't actually bother me at all. I apply just a little and it tends to last for two hours or so. I can't really explain why I love it so much, but I just do!

Anyway thsts it! It's been a month of very simple easy looks probably because of my absolute obsession with watching the olympics...I just can't stop watching!

What are your favourite products this month? What was your first MAC eyeshadow? Are you as obsessed with the Olympics as I am?

Worth the Hype? - Caudalie Beauty Elixir | Mariam

It's unusual for a little (and bloody expensive!) glass bottle to garner so much attention. But this toner/serum/face mist has taken the beauty world by storm. It all started with a tweet from Victoria Beckham herself and now even I have purchased (and repurchased this product).

Caudalie claims this product refreshes, smoothes and minimises the pores. No small claim for a small bottle. Yet a quick search across the net will tell you it can also be used as a make-up setter, a serum, to fight blemishes and combat an uneven skintone.

I use this product in the night time, in place of a moisturiser. As it's a very fine mist, it doesn't clog the pores and I like to let my skin breathe especially during the night when your cells are renewing and regenerating. I've not bought into rich night creams and I don't think I ever will. Spritzing this on my face makes it feel nourished and pampered, and perhaps the key reason of my love affair with this is the way it has helped to clear my skin of its pesky blemishes. Due to it's price tag, I tried to minimise usage to twice/thrice a week, but whenever I wasn't using it, I could feel my skin crying out for more. Blemishes cropped up once more and my skin was just feeling less clear. This is why I won't join the 'Caudalie Beauty Elixir is just a glorified water' Camp. It really does something for the texture, balance and overall appearance of my skin.

As for the smell, which tends to be the most controversial and elaborated aspect of the product: I don't like it. It doesn't calm me down nor perk me up. I can bear it, but I'd prefer if it didn't smell of fairy liquid mixed with a herbal urine. Nevertheless, such is life and it is a price I'm willing to pay.

Yet is £11 a pop a price I'm willing to pay for 30ml of what is essentially stinky liquid in a pretty glass bottle?For now, yes. It lives up to the hype and it's a staple in my skincare routine. I'll use up my current bottle and have a long hard think about it. These things take time and consideration. I might even compose a mindmap.

Holiday makeup | Shona

Having returned from a sunny lil' holiday a few days ago I have been trying (and failing) to banish those holiday blues with a  few mad men marathons. However today I thought I would try a different approach by talking about makeup instead!

The makeup that I took with me was used mostly in the evenings as I cannot cope with makeup maintenance at the beach or pool - apparently The Algarve (where I was staying) was experiencing a heatwave so it would not have been comfortable at all!

However there was a few bits that I wore during the daytime which this post will be concerned with, and then there will be a follow up of the evening products.

I hate the feeling of sunscreen ESPECIALLY on my face. The idea of putting the same greasy sunscreen I use for the body on my face freaks me out a little. However it is pretty crucial if you dont want to burn so before my holiday I decided to buy a sunscreen especially for the face. There seemed to be a distict lack of this type of products as I was perusing the boots aisles, so in desparation I picked up the La Roche-Posay Anthelios cream in SPF 30 as my facial sun protectant. At £14.50 a pop its not the cheapest (I did split the cost with my sister but it was still and extravagant purchase), however in my opinion it is worth it. About 10 minutes after application apart from the somewhat plasticy smell (reminds me of the smell of clingfilm) it has completely sank into the skin, and I would be comfortable putting foundation over it, something that I wouln't even consider with other generic suncreams. In my opinion the melt-in-cream claim is true and I might even go so far as to say my face seems slightly mousturised after using it. But  back to its main purpose; it did a great job at protecting my face from the sun - and from a consistent 'burner' this is a big deal! I applied it in the morning and then once more after about four and and half hours which seemed to do the trick.

PHEW way-more-detailed-than-anticipated-review OVER.

The second daytime essential for me was mascara, I bought the L'Oreal Telescopic mascara just before I went away and although I accidentally purchased the waterproof version this came in handy on holiday! Its very lengthening which is perfect for daytime and once I applied it in the morning it didnt cross my mind in a sudden oh-god-is-it-all-over-my-face moment once out of the pool! However I regret this being the only mascara I brought with me as it simply dosnt give enough volume as I like in more evening appropriate make-up.

Lastly I used some of my Collection 2000 Lasting perfection concealer, to cover up some blemishes and although this probably didnt hang around too long, it made me feel more comfortable without my usual foundation routine.

Thought I'd include just one picture of the clear sky, blue sea and golden sand to make you all a little jealous...

Have you been anywhere nice recently? What are your holiday makeup essentials?

Shona xx

European Pharmacy Treats | Mariam

I can't even explain my excitement right now.

Now, I've not been on a trip abroad, but my brother's been in Czech for a couple of weeks, and while he was there, I sent him on a little mission to fulfil my burning desire for some continental cosmetic wonders. I am pleased to report; he succeeded!

Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution

I now have 1 litre of the famous Bioderma H20 in my possession. One is the normal bottle packaging, and the other has a fancy squirty pump, which is rather amusing. I don't know what else to say about this product, apart from my extreme happiness at finally being able to try it. I will let you know, of course.

Bioderma Sebium Mat Anti-Shine Fluid

Light, hydrating moisturisers is something that French brands know how to do. I'm currently trying the Avene Emulsion Lotion and there's been a lot of talk about the La Roche Posay Effeclar Mat. This is Bioderma's version. These lotions literally feel like water on the skin, but they keep the shiny T-Zone at bay. It's a concept British brands are yet to cotton on to, but I think I have enough light hydrating fluids to last me until they get there.

Now I have some Yves Rocher products to show you. Yves Rocher is a French brand, but is quite accessible to all of us over here in the UK. Nonetheless, I got a couple of lipbalms, a pore cleaning mask with organic aloe vera and salycilic acid (eep!) and a couple of the face wash samples from the same range. I'm really happy to have these, and fingers crossed they'll banish some break-outs.

There it is. I'm so happy with all the things my brother got for me – THANK YOU Mike!

Are you planning a trip to Paris, for the sole reason of trawling round French pharmacies? You are not alone!

Prom! | Shona

 I indeed was at prom, however there is a severe lack of blur-free full length, photos of me on my own, so this will just have to do.

The dress is from Zara, and I loved the lemon colour, Its one of those pieces that can be dressed up and down, and is perfect for summer. The shoes are from River Island and I loved the contrast of peach and lemon. They are pretty high and by the endof the night I was thankfull to take them off, but they are too beautiful for me to care!

This is the best picture I can find of my make-up; Face; Smashbox Photo Finish Luminizing Foundation Primer (sample) all over the face making sure the T-zone area was covered, Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 1 fair under the eyes and on blemishes, Maxfactor Second Skin Foundation in 040 Creamy Ivory, Sleek Contour kit - through the contour, Benefit High beam highlighter along the top of the cheekbones and brow bone, Natural Collection Blush in Pink Cloud through the cheek bone, Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in 08 Golden sand all over concentrating under the eyes and around the t-zone area. (sidenote: I had used alot of dry shampoo which unfortunatley picked up in the light outside!)

On my eyes I created a smoky eye using the sleek storm palette, Topshop Gel Liner in Ink subtly on the lash line, Eylure false lashes (101) which I heavilly cut and adjusted,  Maxfactor False Lash Effect Mascara. I used a matte brown eyeshadow from the sleek palette to fill in my brows and then secured them with Benefit speed brow.

 To finish it off I applied Mac Pink Pout and off I trotted in my beautiful shoes.

Hope y'all had a beautiful weekend !

Shona xx