My Top Five: Winter Skin Essentials

Whilst I love being able to wear cosy scarves and jumpers during the cold winter months, I don't appreciate it when the climate wreaks havoc with my skin. Right now my beauty routine is limited to say the least but there are five products I find myself reaching for regularly to combat dry skin, hands and chapped lips.

Clarins Hand & Nails Treatment Cream

£19

This is my all-time favourite hand cream because it does exactly what it claims to; it moisturises my hands when the skin is feeling a bit dry and 'tight'. I love the light, slightly fruity scent and I appreciate the fact this sinks into the skin fairly quickly. I've only got a little bit left in this tube so I've been using it at night before bed. This is definitely going to be on my Christmas list. 

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant

£21.25

I posted about this wonder product recently; I'm convinced everyone needs to own a tube of this funny smelling orange balm. During the winter months I'll use it as an all over face mask before bed to keep my skin looking and feeling soft. It also works well as a lip balm or on any dry patches of skin. A little goes a very long way with this product so whilst £20+ might seem a bit steep initially, it's an investment!

The Body Shop Body Butter

£13

The body butter in the photo is from last year's Christmas collection but any scent will do; there are loads to choose from. I'd recommend going for one of the dry skin formulas because I find I need to use less product for each application. I'd fallen out of love with my body butters during the summer months but now that the cold weather has set in, the love affair has been rekindled. You can usually find selected scents on sale - I've never paid full price for a tub.

Clarins Extra-Firming Lip & Contour Gentle Exfoliator

£19

This is one of those little products that deserves more attention, I think. It's expensive for a lip scrub but it's the best one I've tried because it's so gentle but still very effective. I work a small amount into my lips before wiping it off with a tissue. I do this a couple of times a week and that, in conjunction with the next product I'm going to talk about, keeps my lips smooth and prepped for whichever lip product I fancy wearing.

NUXE Reve de Meil Lip Balm

£9.50

My first impressions of this lip balm weren't great but I've really warmed to it recently. The matte texture is a bit weird at first but I'm used to it now and I've yet to find a lip balm which stays on my lips as well as this. I put some on before going outside and it helps protect my lips from the cold weather. I also pop some on before bed. This has surprisingly become my lip balm of choice!

What are your winter skin essentials?

Stace xx

Worth The Hype? Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream

Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream is one of those cult beauty products that everyone seems to have. I held off on trying it for a long time because it sounded like over-priced vaseline but after receiving a small tube of it in a gift set, I was hooked. 

Okay, so a 'skin protectant' is never going to be the most glamorous product considering the price but I'm willing to pay £25 for a tube of it because it works wonders on chapped lips, burns, acne, dry skin, irritated skin and a whole host of other minor skin problems. The only other downside to Eight Hour Cream is the smell; it can be a bit overpowering and unpleasant. I'm notorious for avoiding products with a scent I don't like (sickeningly sweet lip balms: bleurgh!) but I managed to handle this orange balm because the benefits outweighed the initial suffering. I'm so used to the scent now that it doesn't bother me at all.

I use my Eight Hour Cream most often as a lip balm but I've also used it recently all over my face before bed after a bad skin day and around my nose when I had a cold. It's become a staple of mine and I've yet to come across a similar cheaper product which works as well. 

Do I think Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream is worth the hype?

You bet I do!

You can pick up a tube online or at Elizabeth Arden stockists. 

Stace xx

July Empties

If you've read any of my previous empties posts you'll think this one pales in comparison; it definitely wasn't my month for using up lots of products! 

The Body Shop Brazil Nut Body Butter

I love this body butter, the scent might not be for everyone as it is a bit sickly but I like it. I tend to use this particular body butter more on drier areas such as my elbows and knees.

The Body Shop Africa Spa Hand & Foot Butter

I've already repurchased this; it's an excellent foot cream. I can't imagine using it as a hand cream, though.

The Body Shop Dewberry Shower Gel

Can you tell that I'm a fan of products from The Body Shop? This isn't my favourite scent but it's nice. Raspberry Ripple is my favourite scent from this range.

Vaseline Cocoa Butter Vitalising Gel Body Oil

This isn't technically an empty but I just can't bring myself to use it any more. It's horrendously greasy and takes forever and a day to sink into my skin no matter how little I use so it has to go!

Dr Bronner's Lavender Hand Sanitizing Spray

I'm going to be honest and say that I didn't love the scent of this but it was quite handy to use. I kept it by my bed in the hope that the lavender scent would help me get to sleep more easily.

Cuticura Citrus Hand Hygiene Gel

This is a bit big for my handbag so I kept it by my make up/skincare to use if I needed to. It's a good budget product to have around.

Bath & Body Works Fresh Picked Pairs Pocket Bacs

This smells absolutely delicious; I'm sad that I've used it all up. If I ever make it to the States, I'm going to buy hundreds of these Pocket Bacs because they're great for my handbag.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Intensive Moisturising Hand Treatment

This is another product that I've not technically used up. It's very moisturising and sinks in quickly, which is great but it absolutely stinks!

L'Occitaine Shea Butter Hand Cream

I bought the smaller sized tube of this to pop in my bag and I've been impressed by it. It's definitely up there with my other favourite hand creams.

Head & Shoulders Citrus Fresh Shampoo

I always go back to this product when my scalp is playing up. It works well on my grease-prone hair and isn't irritating at all.

Clarins Water Purify One Step Cleanser

This is a decent cleansing water but I do think there are other similar products that are cheaper. 

Lierac Energizing Soothing Cream Sample

This has been my most used moisturiser recently and I've really enjoyed using it. 

Thierry Mugler Angel EDT Sample

I love the scent of this perfume, it reminds me of my granny because that's why she wears. 

BeneFit PoreFessional Primer Sample

I got this free with a magazine and it lasted me a good month or so. PoreFessional is one of my favourite primers.

Comfort Zone Renight Recover Cream Sample

It feels like forever since I finished up this sample. It's very thick so I can't see myself wanting to purchase the full size. 

Burberry Body EDP Sample

I've had so many samples of this perfume, it's ridiculous! It's just okay to be honest.

That's it! Let me know if you used up many products this month in the comments.

Stace xx

May Empties

Hello!

I'm getting much better at holding on to the products I use up over the month; I've started keeping a bag on the back of our bedroom door and just putting empty products in there when I'm done. I got through a decent amount of stuff this month although most of these products were things that were already partly used before this month - I didn't go through three full hand sanitizers in four weeks!

Make Up For Ever HD Primer

This was just okay - I won't be repurchasing as I've tried better primers.

NARS Sheer Glow in Santa Fe

I'm glad I used this up as it's much too light for me now! I actually wore it for the last time on the flight. I'll probably pick up another bottle of Sheer Glow at some point but for now I have several other foundations on the go.

Lancome Hypnose Drama sample

I liked this but the wand is an odd shape that I find a little difficult to work with and it's so heavily scented which is off-putting too. I'm unsure if I'll buy the full size.

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Compact in B30 sample

I only really used this to review it and I don't imagine I'll ever be spending £39 on the full size.

Clinique Super Balm in Root Beer mini

I've got several of these minis and they're so handy for handbags. They're really moisturising and I think they're pretty underrated in the online beauty community. This shade was my favourite; it's a nude-brown colour but it's pretty sheer on the lips.

17 Mirror Shine in Beehive

This was another of the products in my little lipstick challenge so I've managed to use up two of the five now. I liked this product but I'm not a fan of the packaging/scent so I don't think I'll be hunting down another.

L'Oreal Telescopic in Black

This was a nice mascara which gave me a serious amount of length but I find it to be a bit too clumpy for me so I'm not sure if I'll buy another. I think L'Oreal mascaras seem so expensive for what they are too.

Boots Nail Polish Remover

This is hands down my favourite nail polish remover and it helps that it's super cheap! I've tried others and I keep going back to this one.

3 Bath & Body Works Hand Sanitizers

These are such handy little products - there's usually one in my handbag. I wish we could get Bath & Body Works here in the UK; my bank balance is probably glad there isn't, though.

Seche Vite Top Coat

This is just too gloopy to use now. I hate when that happens because one day it's perfectly usable and then overnight it becomes stringy and thick and a pain in the behind. Gaaah!

No7 Quick Thinking Face Wipes

There will usually be a pack of these in my empties posts because they're my favourite face wipes and I always stock up on them when there are some No7 £5 off vouchers going around. 

The Body Shop Vitamin C Microdermabrasion

I can't rave enough about this face scrub! This is probably the sixth or seventh tube I've owned. I started using it about four years ago and I just keep going back to it. I've done a full review of this if you're interested in checking it out.

Boots Cucumber Eye Make Up Remover Gel

This is a cheap and cheerful eye make up remover which feels lovely and soothing. It's not the best if you wear a lot of eye make up or stubborn waterproof mascaras.

Clinique All About Eyes sample

I've been really impressed with the two All About Eyes samples I've tried. I was using the rich version at night and this during the day but since I used up the rich I was using this both day and night. I think if I do repurchase I'll probably go for the rich formula as I've already found a cheaper daytime eye cream that I like and I think I need the thicker formula at night.

Clinique Rinse Off Foaming Cleanser sample

Don't get this in your eyes! It stings so badly. Other than that, this is a pretty nice cleanser which left my skin feeling squeaky clean. I used this every other day to remove my make up.

SKII Skin Signature sample

I got this in the Harrods Glossybox and I have to say it's one the best products I've received in those boxes. It left my skin feeling nicely hydrated without any greasiness. This stuff is way out of my price range right now, sadly!

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Intensive Daily Moisturiser sample

I used this as a night cream and it's nice for that. It is very thick though.

Clarins Extra-Comfort Toning Lotion sample

This toner is so strange - it feels like something between a gel and a liquid. I just used it because I'm out of toner but I don't think I'll be buying the full size any time soon.

Clarins Hydra-Matte Lotion sample

I used this on days when I was feeling a bit oily and it was okay in my t-zone but not moisturising enough on the rest of my face. If you have oily skin this could be a nice daytime moisturiser in the summer.

Caudalie SOS Thirst Quenching Serum sample

This was another Glossybox sample and it's just okay. I've used the moisturiser from this range and loved it so I was a bit disappointed that I didn't like this. It just made my skin produce too much oil so I could only use it at night. It's very runny so I think I ended up wasting quite a bit of it. The tube was only about 20% full anyway!

Soap & Glory Pulp Friction Scrub

This was a repurchase for me - it's a great scrub and I like that it's foaming as it meant I used a lot less.

Garnier Body Tonic Sugar Scrub

This is my favourite scrub - it leaves my skin feeling and looking so much better than any other scrub ever has. I've got another tube waiting in the wings!

Superdrug Dry Shampoo

My favourite dry shampoo is from Tresemme but I only buy it when it's on offer because I go through it so quickly. This was a stand in product but it worked pretty well and I will probably buy it again if I needed to. It's much nicer than Batiste which leaves my hair looking white and feeling clumpy.

Ayuuri Natural Coconut Body Wash

This was in the last Glossybox I received and it's okay - it's very moisturising which I appreciate. I wasn't a big fan of the coconut scent, though.

The Body Shop Fuzzy Peach Shower Gel

This stuff is a no-brainer - I love the scent!

Nip & Fab Dry Leg Fix

I bought this from Buyapowa a long time ago and wasn't overly impressed. It's just alright and I probably won't repurchase it.

I'm sorry this post is so long, I just don't like mentioning products without forcing my opinion on you! If you want any more information on the products please let me know and I'll link you to a review if I've done one or just let you know more of what I thought in the comments.

Stace xx

What's On My Bedside Table?

We live in a rented flat and the furniture is...interesting. For the past six months I've been using a set of plastic drawers as my bedside table (it's actually where I store all my make up/skincare/hair things). Last week I decided I was sick of it so I moved one of the little tables in the lounge into our bedroom. I did have a tin full of 'essentials' on my old bedside table but this one is a lot smaller so I've had to be a bit more selective. 

The Yankee Candle is in Soft Blanket. It's the first time I've tried this and I have to say I do quite like it. It's subtle but nice for bedtime. I've got a huge Yankee Candle addiction so if you'd like to see any candle posts, do let me know and I'll happily share my thoughts!

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream

This is a smaller tube I received in a swap. I just wanted to try it to see what the fuss was about and I have to say, I'm super impressed. I use this as a lip balm before I go to sleep but I also use it on any irritated skin. This was a godsend when my nose was all sore and flakey from having the cold. This little tube is almost empty now and I will definitely be replacing it.

Bath & Body Works Pocket Bac

I love these little bottles! I usually have one in every handbag and room in the flat however I'm down to my last two so I'm being a bit cautious with them. This particular scent is Jelly Doughnut but I like most of the sweet or fruity scents. 

Burt's Bees Lemon Cuticle Butter

I don't use this every single day but I really should! It smells delicious and it's not as greasy as I expected it to be. 

LUSH Pow Wow Lip Scrub

I purchased this a few months ago and I really liked it initially but I've since found something better (watch out for a comparison post soon!) so I'm trying to use this up. It's dried out quite a lot now. It smells like a lime opal fruit sweet (does anyone else remember when Starburst were Opal Fruits?)

Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfector

I reviewed this recently here and it's my lip gloss of choice at the moment. I use this when I'm not using my 8 hour cream. 

The only thing missing is a hand cream because my current one has run out. I know I have another one somewhere in the flat but I've not been able to track it down! The cat probably stole it.

What are your bedside essentials?

Stace xx

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream - To Buy or Not To Buy?

Do I need to own this product?

I've been watching this on ASOS for a while, I wouldn't have paid £18 for it but at £11.95 it seemed a little more reasonably priced. Plus the packaging is cute!

Then I stumbled across this on Semichem's website. At a mere £6.99 it's even more tempting.

I've tested this a few times and I like the smell and texture but I'm not sure if I would use it all that much. I have a million and one lip balms so I don't need a huge tub of something I'll only use for that purpose. I guess it would be useful to have in case I manage to burn or scrape myself.

Since I can't buy anything for the next week or so, I guess I've got plenty of time to think it over!

Do you think I need this or not? 

Stace xx