Products I Regret Buying!

Hey! Hope you're all okay. Today I'm going to be doing my products I regret buying. I've never done one of these before so I've built up quite a big collection of products I don't like, don't use and wish I had never bought. Please bare in mind that some of these products might work well for you and you might love them, this is just my own opinion. With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy it and let's get started!

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser - I bought this when my eczema was really playing up on my face and I just needed something that was gentle enough to use on my face but wouldn't irritate my eczema. This didn't irritate my eczema which is good, but it didn't really do anything for my skin. I could have just washed my face with plain water and got the same results. My skin didn't feel clean, it didn't remove makeup, it felt weird and it left a greasy film across my face. Not nice!

Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion - This makes my skin feel so oily, it's unreal. I feel like I've just applied oil to my skin! It leaves my face looking and feeling horribly greasy, no matter how little I use. I have dry skin and it still made my face oily!

Clean & Clear Dual Action Moisturiser - Exactly the same as the Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion - made my face a greasy mess! It also made my face sting and go red whenever I applied it. This claimed to help prevent spots and blemishes, but it really didn't do that for me at all. 

Clean & Clear Exfoliating Daily Wash - This stuff broke me out so bad! Luckily, I did a little test on my jaw line and within minutes - literally, minutes - I had a huge rash where I had applied it and I broke out in a few spots a little while later. I'm so glad I didn't just go ahead and apply this to my whole face without testing it first! This has a really soapy smell and I think that's what irritated my skin.

Neutrogena Visibly Clear Spot Stress Control 3-in-1 Daily Cleansing Lotion - Again, this has a really strong smell and it just broke me out. I find Clean & Clear and Neutrogena products to be far too harsh for my sensitive skin.

Burt's Bees Citrus Facial Scrub - You guys don't realise how much I wish this would work for me. I absolutely love it! It comes in a little glass jar so you can get every little bit of product out and don't have to waste any. You mix it with water to form a paste so it will last you for ages. It's fun to use, smells amazing and it makes my skin unbelievably smooth. But, it broke me out so bad! The worst I've ever broken out! I'm so upset that it didn't work. I've kept it purely for the smell - I just sit there and smell it, it's lovely. I wish they made a candle that smelt like this!

Aussie Take The Heat 3 Minute Miracle - It seems to be just me that doesn't like this. Everybody on Youtube swears by this stuff, but it didn't work for me. It made my hair super dry and frizzy!

ELF Studio Stippling Brush - This is just far too flimsy to do any proper blending or buffing which is the whole point of a stippling brush.

ELF Studio Eye Shadow "C" Brush - I bought this because I needed a good brush to pack eye shadows onto my lid. This definitely does not do that! It just doesn't pick up enough pigment.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Tinted Moisture Lotion - I hate this stuff so much! The woman in The Body Shop recommended it to me and I'm always looking for a good tinted moisturiser so I decided to buy it and give it a go. It goes on so oily and doesn't absorb into my skin at all! It just kind of sits on top of my skin and leaves me looking so greasy. Yuck!

ELF Studio Pressed Powder - I love the packaging of this. It has a mirror and comes with a little sponge - perfect for touch ups during the day! However, it's so chalky and makes my skin look and feel so dry! It might work well for you if you have oily skin though.

Avon Invisible Light Concealer - I have this in the color 'medium' because I bought it in the summer when I was tanned. What a mistake. This is orange! Literally orange. Maybe this would work for you if you was a Wotsit. Also, it settles into even the tiniest of fine lines. Lastly, it has huge specks of glitter in it. Yes, actual glitter! Not a good look.

Benefit Benetint - I bought this because of all the hype around it on Youtube. I bought the trial size version because it's pretty expensive so I figured I'll just get the small size and see if I like it. I'm so glad I didn't pay for the full size product! I hate this stuff. It dries so quickly and doesn't blend well at all, so you're left with red splotches all over your cheeks. No thanks!

Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express Mascara - This is so raved about on Youtube and I had such high expectations for it but, to be honest, it was a massive fail. It's a really wet formula and clumps like crazy. I also find the curved brush really hard to work with.

NYC Show Time Volumizing Waterproof Mascara - This just doesn't work for me. It does nothing for my lashes, just makes them black and clumps them together. 

MAC Zoom Lash Mascara - All I'm going to say is clumpy, clumpy, clumpy!

Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Liner Pencil in 064 Stormy Grey - This is, hands down, the worst eye liner pencil I've ever purchased. It isn't very pigmented, it's very dry and tugs on my eyes and smudges a lot.

Avon Super Shock Gel Eye Liner in Blackened Metal - This gel liner is so dry! It also lacks pigmentation and has weird clumps of glitter in it so it doesn't apply smoothly at all.

Revlon Color Stay 12 Hour Eye Color Quad in 21 Silver Fox - These eye shadows are so chalky! Even when swatching them on a base, they're really unpigmented and have a lot of fall out.

No7 Stay Perfect Eye Shadow Trio in 20 Good Earth - All I'm going to say about these is that they lack so much pigmentation, they don't even show up at all when you swatch them.

Topshop Lip Glaze in Dash - I really love this color, it's a gorgeous baby pink and would look gorgeous over a nude lip, but it's so thick and sticky! Also, it highlights every little dry patch on your lip, even after I exfoliate and apply a lip balm to them.

So those are the products that I regret buying! Again, some of these might be your holy grails, and I'm glad they work for you, but I just don't like them. 

My Skin Care Routine!

I'm sorry I haven't posted for ages! I feel terrible but the amount of exams I've had at school recently has been mad. But, I'm back and with a new skin care routine!

Before I go on to tell you my current skin care routine, I'm just going to tell you a little bit about my skin. I feel as thought what skin type you have can really make a difference in how products work for you. I have dry, very sensitive skin and I also suffer from eczema which I've had since I was a baby. I don't really have eczema anymore, I just get flare ups whenever I'm ill, stressed or upset.

Morning:

In the morning, I wash my face using just plain water. I personally don't feel the need to use a cleanser in the morning as my skin isn't oily so it's not like I wake up in the morning with lots of oils on my face. I pat my face dry with a clean towel and moisturize using Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser for dry/sensitive skin.

Night:

At night, I remove my mascara with Boots Essentials Eye Makeup Remover Lotion. I cleanse using Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. I massage this all over my face in circular motions. Then I soak the muslin cloth in a sink of hot water and take the cleanser off with the muslin cloth whilst also gently exfoliating with it. I don't wear any makeup other than mascara so I only cleanse once, but if you wear heavy face makeup, I would recommend cleansing twice. I pat my face dry with a clean towel, apply Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic onto a cotton pad and wipe it all over my face. Finally, I moisturize using Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser for dry/sensitive skin.

Mask:

Every Friday night, I use Liz Earle Intensive Nourishing Treatment Mask. I follow my usual night routine but use the mask after cleansing and before toning. I apply a thick, even layer of this all over my face and relax for 15 minutes. Then I soak the muslin cloth in a sink of hot water and take the mask off with the muslin cloth whilst also gently exfoliating with it. This is an amazing mask for dry skin, it makes my skin feel so hydrated and soft!

Review: Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lipstick

Hello! I have a massive review for you guys today. I felt bad for not posting for ages so I decided to do a review on my favorite lipsticks. Oops, I kind of gave away that I like them... Oh well. Hope you enjoy it! 

As you can see, I have 9 of these so obviously I must really like them! I don't know where to start with this review since there's so much to say so I guess I'll categorize everything.

Packaging: The packaging is cute. It's a really dark, glossy purple color - so dark it almost looks black. I've not had any issues with the packaging or the lipsticks breaking in the tube. 

Smell: Okay, so this is a little bit of a weird category, but I had to mention it: they do smell. It's not bad, I don't mind it, but it is a strong smell. I could even smell them when I swatched them! It smells kind of like sweets/candy.

Staying Power: These stay on forever. Literally, they do not budge. After a whole day of eating and drinking, the color was still as vibrant as it was when I put it on. No bleeding either! It's quite hard to wash off too, even with makeup remover! I had a hard time getting the swatches off - I had to scrub and scrub with soap and although they eventually faded, they were still there! If you want a lipstick that will last you all day, these are definitely for you.

Finishes: These all give you a really glossy, satin finish. The majority of them are very moisturizing and don't make your lips look chapped, even when applied without a lip balm!

Pigmentation: The pigmentation of these is amazing, especially for the red shades. You get great color pay off in just one swipe and can also build it up easily for a more vibrant color. I'll let the swatches do the talking, although my camera really doesn't do them any justice.

I took some pictures of them individually and I'm going to do my best to describe them!

026 - Vintage

I absolutely love this color. It's a nude pink and is very close to my natural lip color. However, it's my least favorite because it applies a bit gritty - like it's got grains of sugar in it or something! It's a shame because it's such a lovely color.

077 - Asia

This one applies so smoothly! It's so creamy. In the tube, it looks like a pink/mauve color, but it applies brown. I don't feel comfortable wearing brown lipstick but hey, it's always nice to have a wide color selection.

086 - Sugar Plum

This is a gorgeous fuchsia color. Not something I would wear every day but it does actually look really nice on! 

123 - True Vintage

This is a beautiful dark plum color. It's a little too dark if you swipe it all over your lips but looks amazing if you pat it on lightly with your finger tip.

124 - Bordeaux

This is quite similar to True Vintage but quite a bit darker. It's too dark, in my opinion to wear everyday though. I wouldn't feel comfortable wearing it because it is really dark.

170 - Alarm

This is your classic bright red lipstick with blue undertones. It can be applied very thickly for a very dramatic red color or you can dab it on lightly with your fingertips for a subtle red tint, which is what I like to do.

175 - Signature Red

This is so similar to Alarm, they're practically the same. I can't see a difference.

210 - Coral In Gold

This lipstick is, quite simply, orange and is very similar to Vintage, as it applies really gritty and highlights every line or dry patch on your lips. I don't like this one and wouldn't recommend it.

220 - Retro

A beautifully pigmented bright red lipstick with orange undertones. A little bit too much for everyday use but I'm sure I'll wear it one day!

For drugstore lipsticks, they're pretty amazing! I really recommend these (apart from Vintage and Coral In Gold, I'd pass on those if I were you) and I am definitely going to buy more.

5/5 ♥

Review: MAC Zoom Lash Mascara

Wow, this mascara really didn’t do it for me. The packaging is pretty simple and it looks quite professional and sleek so I like the packaging. The color is really nice - I have it in Plush Black and it’s a really dramatic dark black. 

But, I was very disappointed with the actual product. It’s wet and ‘gloopy’. You can see in my picture how wet and gloopy it actually is! When you take the wand out of the mascara tube, you're left with this horrible mess on the end of the brush. I applied the first coat of mascara and it definitely did thicken and lengthen my lashes. It was clumpy though, and I was already disappointed. Then I applied a second coat and… Wow. It was really clumpy! After brushing through it a million times with a disposable mascara wand, my lashes looked okay but still quite spidery!

I applied it in the morning and wore it all day. I was tired when I got in at night and washed my face but didn’t bother taking off my mascara (I know, I know, but I was really tired. We're all guilty of not taking our mascara off every once in a while!). When I woke up the next morning, I looked in the mirror and was amazed. It looked exactly as it did when I put it on - long, thick and super black! And no flakes, surprisingly. 

This mascara isn’t in my favorites but I’m not going to throw it out. It looks quite nice if you apply two coats of a different mascara and then apply one coat of this MAC mascara! It really just adds a bit more drama. I would definitely not buy this again. Not worth the money at all! Sorry MAC.

1/5 ♥

Review: ELF Studio Cream Eye Liners

The colors I have are in black, gunmetal, coffee and white. I am in love with these cream eye liners! I'm not experienced with cream eye liners - in fact, I'll be honest, these are only the second cream eye liners I've owned. But, these are everything you could want in a cream eye liner! They're pigmented, easy to apply, long lasting and creamy. What more could I ask for?

The packaging of this product is gorgeous and they look very nice and professional. A little bit bulky but I'm not bothered by that at all. It comes with a twist off lid that you have to make sure you close properly or your cream eye liner will dry out. Overall, very attractive packaging! It also comes with a little brush which is very similar to the ELF Small Angled Brush, just with a shorter handle. I do prefer to use the ELF Small Angled Brush to apply this rather than the brush it comes with, but you can definitely work with the brush provided if you have to.

The colors are so pigmented! They're absolutely gorgeous. You don't need to keep going over and over to get a good, strong color. The staying power of these is pretty good, although after around five hours I noticed a little bit of smudging at the outer corners of my eyes. These are so creamy and easy to apply, too. I could never get my eye liner just right, yet with this I can achieve the perfect (well, almost!) line.

Swatches above! From left to right: coffee, gunmetal, black. I accidentally smudged the gunmetal liner at the bottom, sorry!

I really recommend these and I am definitely going to repurchase more.

5/5 ♥

Review: Clean & Clear Dual Action Oil-Free Moisturizer

I have mixed opinions on this moisturizer. It's a love/hate thing!


I was looking for a good moisturizer to use under my makeup. This is definitely not what I was looking for! It doesn't feel oil free, it feels so oily and greasy on my skin! Even if I use a little bit. And it takes ages to soak in!

It claims to 'prevent spots and blemishes' which, for me, it really doesn/t Also, whenever I put this on, it makes my skin tingle and go quite red, though I do have sensitive skin so that could be why.

This moisturizer has really helped my dry skin though. It's not magic, it's not going to work miracles and I still have a few dry patches but my skin is a lot smoother than it used to be. 

I've repurchased this twice but I don't think I'm going to repurchase it again. 

2/5 ♥

Review: ELF Studio Blush Brush

I adore this brush! It's so soft and feels really nice on your skin. Also, you can use it for so many different things! I mainly use it for applying blush, bronzer, highlighter. Since it's slightly tapered, it works really well for contouring, too. I've heard quite a few people say that they use this for liquid foundation but I don't know how that would work, I've never tried it. Another good thing about it is that it fits perfect onto the apples of my cheeks! 

If you've read my other reviews on the ELF Studio brushes you'll probably be so bored of hearing this but honestly, it looks and feels so professional. I've not had any fall out and I've washed it over ten times. It's such high quality and for only £3.50, it's pretty good! 

I really recommend this. I used to struggle with applying blush as most brushes were far too big and made me look like a clown but with this I get the most perfect application.

5/5 ♥