Lime Crime

Hello!

Well, as of 5:30 today, I have officially finished work ready to start nine days off!! I can't wait to have some free time to get fully up to date on blog stuff - get photos taken and posts written up. You have no idea how happy I am right now

Today's post, however,  is a little mention of a brand that I have only just stumbled across - Lime Crime. I visited their website, and oh my! I was greeted to beautiful shimmery eyeshadows and metalic liquid lipsticks. For those of you who follow my Instagram, you will already have seen from my pictures how obsessed I am with glitter and metalics at the moment - I think they're perfect for this time of year- and before I knew it I was adding item after item to my shopping cart. They are an American company, but you can order online. The Lana matte liquid lipstick will most likely be a favorite of mine. I will swatch when I receive it so keep an eye on my Instagram/Twitter for that.

For those of you loving the liquid lipstick right now, check out the Heavy Metals section of the site, where there are 6 beautiful shades to choose from. Their website also has a section full of what they call Fan Pics, so you can see what the products look like on the people that use them. I think this is a brilliant idea as the draw back of shopping online is that you can't get a true idea of what the product itself will really look like on.

They also have one of the cutest blogs I have ever come across. Posts ranging from a throw back to butterfly hair clips (yes, I owned about 50), beautiful make up looks, and even a behind the scenes section about their brand. The blog, the packaging of the products, and the photos used on the blog are all amazing - exactly the kind of style I love, and I really urge all of you who haven't already to check them out here - Lime Crime Blog 

The website itself is here - Lime Crime

When you Google them, it even comes up as Makeup for Unicorns!

Thank you all for reading, and as usual all your comments are appreciated. I will swatch my purchases when they arrive.

Love to you all x

E.O.S - Some Autumn Essentials

Hello everyone!

Firstly, I just want to say how happy I am that Autumn has officially started and I can dig out all my lovely hats, scarves and jumpers while filling my house with candles and fairy lights! If you follow my twitter account you know how much I've been looking forward to this.

While the start of Autumn does bring fresh, crisp mornings and lovely cozy clothes, it does also bring with it dry skin and chapped lips. Between the cold air and the central heating, those of us who suffer from dry skin don't stand a chance. That is why I have already started stocking my handbag with soothing lip balms and nourishing hand creams.

Those of you in the beauty/blogging community are probably already very familiar with the brand E.O.S (Evolution of Smooth) for their little pods of lip balm in its super cute packaging - my personal favorite is the strawberry sorbet. But until recently, I had no idea they also sold a wide range of hand and body lotions. These come in a variety of different scents just like the lip balms, and I can't tell you how excited I am to try them. The hand lotions also come in really cute packaging - perfect for keeping in your handbag - and are also just as reasonably priced as the lip balms.

I'm hoping they are also as soothing and nourishing, and by the look of the ingredients, I won't be disappointed. I will do a little review post on the hand and body lotions once I've tried them, so keep an eye out! I'm sure they're going to become one of my Autumn/Winter favorites.

If you want to go and check out their full range you can find them here - Evolution of Smooth - and be sure to pop over and check out their Twitter for any new offers or updates (@eos)

Thank you for checking out my post guys, as usual I'd love for you all to say hello in the comments below. Oh, and happy start of Autumn!

Love to you all x

My Visit To Rush York*

Hello guys!

Now as many of you may have seen on my Twitter or Instagram, yesterday I paid a little visit to the beautiful Rush salon in York. When it comes to my beauty regime, it does tend to be my hair that takes a bit of a back seat, so I was really excited to get an email asking me to pop down to the salon for a cut and blow dry.

I'd heard nothing but good things about the Rush salons, and even so I was still pleasantly surprised. The lovely Jessica did an amazing job, and made sure my visit went smoothly from start to finish. She sat me down, asked me exactly what it was that I wanted, and went the extra mile to suggest products that she thought would benefit me personally. When I told her about my eczema and sensitive skin, she made sure that only soothing and hydrating products were used, and gave me some tips on what might help the condition of my hair going forward.

The entire team were brilliant, and even the building itself is beautiful. They are celebrating their 3 month anniversary soon, so we need to spread the love as much as possible for this newly opened salon and the team.

I didn't want a huge amount taken off the length of my hair as I've been trying to grow it, so Jessica just tidied up the ends and trimmed my layers, then cut my fringe to give it all a softer look round my face. It turned out even better than I'd hoped, and felt in such amazing condition afterwards that I couldn't stop playing with it! I will definitely be going back to visit next time I need my hair doing. 

I just want to say a big thank you to the whole team at Rush York, and I wish you all the success for the future. Make sure you go check them out on Instagram.. @rush_york  

Love to you all x

MUA Luxe Highlight Shimmer Stick

Hello guys!

Loads of you seemed to really like my MUA Luxe lip lacquer post that I did the other week, so today I thought i'd bring you another little gem from the MUA Luxe range. This beautiful highlight stick!

Now this little beauty is AMAZING! Bronzing and highlighting sticks seem to be everywhere at the moment, but I've never been tempted to try them before - I'm just way too attached to my shimmery powder highlighters - but when I saw this for the grand old price of £4 I just had to give it a go. 

I'm impressed. I thought it would be a thick, heavy consistency that would drag across the skin leaving a trail of thick glitter, but its really not. It's super lightweight, easy to blend, and leaves a smooth subtle shimmer on your skin. You can build it up for a more dramatic look (you can never have too much highlight!) or just swipe across the face for subtle sheen. 

It is a very golden tone, and I know some people prefer the pinky rose toned highlighters, but I urge you all to give this a chance as it leave such a beautiful glow. I always seem to be amazed buy the quality of MUA products, and this time is no different. My new go-to product! 

As usual, thank you all for popping by! Feel free to say hello in the comments, and follow/subscribe if you enjoyed my post! 

Love to you all x

#SkinLove

Hello everyone! 

Now this is going to be very different from the kind of thing I usually post, but it's something that I feel is very important and needs to be talked about. It's also something that is very personal to me and plays such a big part in my life; living with a skin disorder. 

You see a lot of posts online about body confidence. How you should feel good no matter what shape or size you are, or whether you have an illness or disability, and believe me I think this is super important. Every single person out there deserves to love themselves and feel good about the way they look, but what I'm trying to say is there isn't a lot out there (that I've seen anyway) about loving your body with a skin disorder. 

I've suffered with a lot of health problems and illnesses throughout my life, and I know that it can take its toll on you. You start to lose faith in your body and feel unmotivated about a lot of things, but when you have a condition that is so visible, it can also make you feel like you have to hide away.

I suffer with severe eczema over most of my body. It comes and goes, is unpredictable, and can also be extremely painful. The pain and irritation is hard to deal with in itself. I also feel like I live at the doctors, hospital and pharmacy (I've tried some experimental treatment too - unsuccessfully I might add) and there are days where no matter how well my makeup goes and no matter how exciting my plans are, I feel self conscious, unattractive and like I need to hide away. 

Behind all the carefully edited Instagram pictures, the Snapchat selfies and makeup look photos are a lot of people who are hiding the real way their skin looks. Eczema, Acne, Psoriasis and Dermatitis just to name a few, so many people like me have spent days wearing long sleeved tops in 30 degree heat to hide the rashes on their arms; have been too embarrassed to wear the pretty short dress because of the skin on their legs; have been too self conscious to take part in the group photo because today is a bad acne day. 

I know I'm rambling on, and for those of you still reading thank you for your dedication, I just feel like I've spent the last 25 years of my life hiding this part of me away from the eyes of strangers (and even the eyes of family and friends) and I don't want to anymore. It is a part of my identity and something that will be there for the rest of my life. I can either keep hiding, or I can embrace it and show those rashes, sores and blisters who's boss. 

Over the next few weeks I'm planing to start a blog series focusing on those of you out there with skin disorders - beauty products that don't irritate, make up appropriate for sensitive skin, ways to deal with the anxiety it causes and how we can start loving our skin, no matter what. If any of you are interested, please feel free to message me on twitter (@AmyBarden) or email me (faceitamy@gmail.com) and we can arrange collaborations and maybe even a twitter chat to raise awareness and spread the love :)  #skinlove

Thank you all for taking the time to read this, it is something very important to me and I'd love to hear from you! 

Love to you all x 

 

MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer

Hello everyone!

Now this lip lacquer from the lovely MUA is something that has been sitting in my lip product collection for some time now, and I've been meaning to review it ever since I first tried it. I'm having a slight love affair with liquid lipsticks and lip lacquers at the moment, and out of all the ones I've tried (and believe me, I've tried a lot!!) this one definitely has to be the most pigmented.

Now I know this isn't the most summery colour out there, but with the weather we've been having lately, I'm already fully embracing autumn; and during autumn my go-to shade is a deep plum purple. With all the rain these last few days, I've automatically found myself reaching for this lip lacquer and that is what reminded me to write this post. 

The lasting power of this is next to none. It is like a thick liquid lipstick crossed with a lip stain, and it is actually hard to get off at the end of the day. With most lip products I find myself re-applying throughout the day, but with this, I actually struggle to remove it before bed even during my makeup removing/cleansing routine. I currently have a deep purple mark on the back of my hand from taking that swatch! 

This can be both a good and bad thing. I love my lip products to last, but at the same time I don't want to be scrubbing my lips on a night trying to remove my lip colour. However the colour itself is so beautiful that you could happily just leave it on to stain your lips forever. 

Overall, I love this lip lacquer. It has a beautiful thick consistency, is super pigmented and would probably last on your lips for the rest of you life! It only cost a couple of pounds too which is amazing. 

I'm so glad I finally got round to talking about this, and I can see it becoming a handbag staple for me over the coming months. 

Thank you all for reading, and please comment below with any other lip lacquers you think I would love. 

Love to you all x 

Skintifique Cleanser P Review *

Hello guys!

Today I have a little review for you of a gorgeous facial cleanser that was kindly sent to me from the Brand Skintifique. They make a variety of products that are perfect for anyone with sensitive skin, or for those like me who suffer from eczema.

The cleaner itself is completely fragrance free, ideal for anyone with delicate skin, and it removes all traces of makeup as well as protecting from any nickle or metal irritants. Perfect. 

The fact that it is completely fragrance free does take some getting used to, and was something I noticed straight away the first few times I used it, but once I got used to it, I loved the product. It has a very thin and lightweight consistency, but works incredibly well. After using it three or four times a week for a couple of weeks, I noticed a big improvement in my skin. I wasn't getting dry patches around my nose and forehead which tends to happen with some other cleansers, and even during the day with my makeup on I noticed my skin felt softer and smoother. 

You can read more about the brand here and view the products they have to offer. I strongly urge all of you with sensitive or damaged skin to have a look, as for me personally, it has worked wonders. Of course you can also use the product if you have a normal skin type as well, as I'm sure you will still notice an improvement in the condition of your skin. 

I will definitely be trying the other products from the range! 

Thank you Skintifique for sending me this to try, it really has worked wonders. 

Thank you guys for reading, and if you have any questions or have tried any products from Skintifique that you think I should try then please leave a comment below :) 

Love to you all x 

De Bruyere After Sun Lotion

Hello guys!

Well yesterday I received my July Glossybox (more on that in another post) but before I could blog about that, I just had to write a quick review on something that I received in my June box.

This after sun lotion from De Bruyere just has to be the most amazingly, beautifully scented product I have ever owned - a strong yet sweet scent that seems to be a mix of floral and coconut. I may or may not keep applying it to my wrists and neck purely because of the smell. It's nicer than most perfumes I own! 

The texture is very thin, like a moisturizing milk, yet it sinks into the skin and keeps it feeling moisturized and soothed for hours. I have been having UVB light treatment for my eczema (like a sun bed but with no UVA) and it works wonders to treat the sun burns that I sometimes get from that. 

It really is a lovely product and I will definitely be re-purchasing when I have finished using this. 

Sorry this is such a short post, I just wanted to say how much I loved this before I start using the products from this months box. 

As always, thank you for taking the time to check out my blog, and make sure to follow me on twitter (@amybarden) and on instagram (amybarden91) 

Love to you all x

Lush Rosy Cheeks Face Mask

Hello :)

I know it's been a very long time since my last post, but to be honest that seems to be the norm for me lately. Going on a break for a while and renewing my love for blogging before coming back to write more posts. I want this blog to be some thing I love not something I feel like I have to do, but thank you all for your patience.

Today I have a quick review post for you on a gorgeous little product from our good friends over at Lush. I did a bit of a Lush haul a few weeks ago actually for my birthday, and this is one of the products I picked up that I'd never tried before.

They have a pretty good selection of different face masks to suit all kinds of skin types, but I opted for this one as I have very sensitive skin on my face and suffer from redness on my cheeks. This mask containing rose petal and calamine powder claimed to sooth skin and calm redness, so it seemed like the perfect choice. 

I've tried it 4 times now over the last few weeks, and I love it! If I'm honest I haven't noticed that much change in the redness of my skin, but I have noticed that my face feels a lot more soothed. My skin is softer and doesn't have that dry tightness that I used to get. Plus it smells absolutely amazing - a soft, sweet floral scent. 

I will definitely be trying more of their face masks once I have finished this one. Another winner from one of my favorite brands. 

Once again, thank you for being patient with me and for popping by to check out my post. 

Love to you all x 

Avon Planet Spa Pillow Mist

Hello everyone!

I know I tend to do a lot of beauty reviews on here, but the review I have for you today isn't really beauty related, but is something that has genuinely been helping me a lot lately.

This isn't a new product. In fact I picked this Avon one up on Amazon for around £2.99, but the idea of a pillow spray is something I'd never really thought of before recently. As those of you who read my blog know, I've been going through a few health problems over the last 6-9 months. Bad rheumatoid arthritis flare ups over the last month or so have ended up in me feeling very restless and anxious on a night. I guess it's mainly to do with the pain making a good nights sleep extremely difficult. It's not just the pain, but the fact that I stress myself out worrying and over thinking the pain and the fact that I wont be getting enough sleep. It's a vicious cycle. 

I looked into pillow sprays, and was skeptical, however for £2.99 I decided this one was worth a go. It is a mix of lavender and chamomile oils, and I have to admit it really is relaxing. A few sprays on my pillow before I go to sleep, and I don't seem to feel as anxious or tense. It helps me fall asleep a lot quicker, and stay in a deeper sleep for longer without waking up every half an hour. 

It might all be psychological, like a placebo effect, but regardless of the reason, I know I've been sleeping better and feeling calmer. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who struggles with sleeping at night, or even to any of you out there who suffer from anxiety. It can't hurt to try can it?! 

Any way, that's all for today guys, hope you liked the post. Let me know if any of you have tried other versions of this and what you though. Thank you for popping by! 

Love to you all x    

The Skin System Micellar Cleansing Water

Hello guys!

Now those who know me will know that I LOVE a bargain, and am constantly on the look out for well priced beauty products that actually work. Today I have a great little product for you - The Skin System is a brand designed for ASDA, and is one that I had never heard of before. I was casually browsing the moisturisers a couple of weeks ago when this micellar cleansing water caught my attention, and this 200ml bottle was just £1.50. I think it was on offer and is normally £2 but still!

This particular one caught my attention not only because of the bright pink packaging (which I love) but also because of the writing highlighting that it is for dry/sensitive skin, and with my eczema I am always looking for new products that will calm as well as cleanse my skin, and I'm happy to say that this works. It also has added chamomile extracts to avoid that tight feeling that you can sometimes get after cleansing. 

I have been using this nightly for around 2 weeks now and I genuinely notice a difference, not so much in the look of my skin, but more in the overall feel of it. It takes my makeup off beautifully, and leaves my skin feeling clean, fresh and soft. All for only £1.50! 

I will definitely be buying this again! 

Let me know any other bargain skin care products you have found lovelies, and thank you for popping by to check out my blog. 

Love to you all x

Dove Hair Therapy Dry Shampoo

Hello everyone :)

Hope you're all having an amazing start to 2016! Today I have a little post about a Dove hair product I've recently tried - Dove Hair Therapy Dry Shampoo.

I absolutely love dry shampoo as a product, not as a way to delay washing my hair (although that can be helpful!) but as a way of adding volume to my roots which tend to get very flat after styling. This one from Dove is possibly the most beautifully fragranced dry shampoo I've ever used. It leaves my hair smelling even better than it does when it's freshly washed, and who doesn't want their hair smelling clean and fruity.

The biggest selling point for me however is that it works without leaving any white residue in my hair. I have dark hair and most dry shampoos leave a white/grey residue behind even after brushing which isn't ideal. This one however manages to freshen up my hair and add volume to my roots without leavening any residue at all! Perfect!

Also, I managed to pick mine up from Savers for only £1.99 so it's a bargain too.

Overall, this is one of the best dry shampoos I've ever used. I am, and probably always will be, a massive Batiste fan, and that will probably always be my favourite, but believe it or not the Dove version smells even better! The only difference is that the Batiste dry shampoo has a longer lasting effect, and by the end of the day the plumping effect of the Dove is starting to wear off.

I still absolutely love this product, and all you dry shampoo lovers should adore it as much as I did.

Thank you for reading, and as always all comments are loved and appreciated.

Clinique Liquid Facial Soap Review

Hello :) 

Now I know I said I wanted to branch out and do some more varied posts, but I love that my first beauty review of the year is on a product by my all time favorite brand... Clinique. 

Now I know that this isn't anything new to the market, but a couple of months ago I tried this little beauty and fell in love with it. Now the photo is of a sample sized bottle of the product (selling on depop by the way as it was the full sized bottle that I actually used) but the full sized bottle looks well used and I couldn't for the life of me get an acceptable photo of it! 

For £16.50 you can pick up the 200ml bottle of the product, and I know that might seem a little steep, but its worth it. I have eczema and therefore often struggle to find products that are gentle enough for my sensitive skin, but this mild version (you can also buy this in extra mild) not only cleansed beautifully, but it didn't irritate or dry out my skin either. 

You don't need a massive amount per use so the bottle lasts a long time - 2 months of use 3 times a week and I have around two thirds - and it cleanses the skin so well that it doesn't need to be used every day. On the days in between I just used a standard make up remover followed by moisturiser. 

Overall I would rate this a solid 4/5. Another hit from Clinique! 

Thank you for reading guys :) 

Love to you all x

2016 Goals

Hello everyone!

Ok, so I know I'm a tad late to the party, but I really wanted to share with you my goals for the year to come...

2015 was such a bag of mixed emotions for me. On one hand I got to do so many amazing things. Moved into my first house with the other half, and we also got to go on our first real holiday together. I finally got a new car and met some truly amazing people within the blogging community. I feel like my blog has come along leaps and bounds and starting it is one of the best things I've ever done. However I also got diagnosed with a form of rheumatoid arthritis which has been a bit difficult to come to terms with at just 24 years old, I never managed to clear my debts like I planned, and I seem to have lost touch with loads of people who at one time meant the world to me.

However, 2016 seems like a blank slate right now, and all I want to do is leave all the negativity behind and make these next 12 month as amazing as possible. Here are the things I want to achieve in the year ahead:

1. Expand my blog. I've been thinking about branching out into more fashion and lifestyle posts. I want my little blog to reflect me and my life, not just be about beauty (although it is my favorite thing to write about!). I have so much love for fashion, travel, cooking, art and poetry and I want to start to introduce these into my blog more.

2. Get healthy. This isn't the typical join the gym and lose weight promise that so many of us make in January. My health has been so up and down lately, and I feel that with my arthritis, eczema and asthma, my body has been struggling with all the medication. I want to start yoga and introduce more natural foods into my diet.

3. Travel. I only got my first passport 10 months ago and after visiting the Canary Islands with the other half, I've caught the travel bug. I want to see more places and make memories. Experience different cultures and see as much as possible.

4. Write more. I don't just mean on my blog either. As much as I want to massively increase the amount I post on here, I also want to get back into all the other forms of writing I love, like poetry. I would also like to try my hand at writing a short story or an ebook.

5. Set a date. I would love to be able to set the official date for my wedding! We have been engaged a while now and I'm so excited to get married. Hopefully in the summer of 2017 :)

So this is what I hope to achieve this year. Wish me luck!

What goals have you all set for yourself this year?

Love to you all x