Clarins Skincare Online Haul

I finally made an online order with Clarins! My current products have been slowly running out this week, so I am beyond relieved that these have arrived. I've been using the Clarins Pure Melt Cleanser, Toning Lotion, Hydra Quench Serum, and Hydra Quench Cream religiously for the last couple of months, and have loved the results. I never really thought my skin was anything other than dry, so had been purchasing super rich products to compensate. However, I'm now sure my skin is just dehydrated. These products have compensated for this, and has also reduced blemishes dramatically.

My toner ran out two weeks ago, and my skin has broken out completely since with little under-the-skin bumps. I never realised how important it was to use toner- it was always something I would miss every now and then. The other two full size products I purchased are also favourites of mine; the serum leaves my skin radiant and smooth, and the moisturiser keeps my skin in tip-top condition while not being too heavy.

Freebies

Unfortunately the offer I used ended this week, but they do have a new offer on here if you're interested. The offer I grabbed included the Super Restorative Day & Night Creams, Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch, and the Gentle Peeling Smooth Away Cream. There were 4 different kits available, but I went for the Super Restorative because I really wanted to try the Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch! As I don't have many worries about wrinkles, the two creams may be handed to a family member.  

With every order, you can choose 3 relatively small samples. I chose the Eye Contour Gel, Super Restorative Eye Concentrate, and Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil. They're a great size for trying the product at roughly 3ml each. It's really good that Clarins give samples with online orders, and I would definitely be more likely to buy online again!

You can take a look at the products I purchased on the Clarins website.

Marie Claire: L'Occitane Hand Cream

Mum has just arrived home clutching these in her arms! The November issue of Marie Claire (with Taylor Swift on the front), containing both a L'Occitane hand cream & Dove conditioner. The hand cream comes in 4 different scents- Shea Butter, Limited Edition Date Bouquet, Limited Edition Rose Petals or Limited Edition Mango Flowers. I wanted two of the original Shea Butter, and one of the Mango Flowers. I don't think the rose or date scents will be very nice, so I thought I would take the safe bet!

These magazines cost £3.70 each (£11.10 for the 3), with the hand cream being worth £8 originally (£22 for 3).That makes a saving of.... *drum roll* £10.90. 

Let me know which one you'll be buying below!

What's in my filofax?

Here's a post for the organised I-must-keep-track-of-everything girls amongst us, which means I have to confess to being one of those exact girls. If you've been scanning the pages of my blog for over a year now, you'll know I picked up my filofax in June last year. To be honest, I've completely neglected it! I didn't have many commitments in my life and so found myself making little notes on my iPhone instead. That was before I entered my second year of A-Levels and found a job... 

I own the Filsbury Personal filofax, which has grained leather and is half the size of an A4 piece of paper. It has card & note pockets at the front, a zippered pocket at the back (perfect for money), one pen loop, and can be closed shut with a stud popper. It costs £52 from here, but I've heard you can get them on eBay for less! The pen I use is from Staples and is by the brand Franklin Covey.

 

WARNING: There are quite a few photos! I couldn't help myself, sorry!

 

In the front card slots I keep some old cinema tickets, my NI card, a Laura Ashley gift card, and a Krispy Kreme gift card. Behind that, I keep some cut post-it notes (mentioned later in the post).

Behind the first calendar page is a zip lock envelope where I keep an old gig bracelet, random car park ticket from a day out with Harriet (you might get to see photos of that day soon), and some random pieces of card. 

 On the diary tab page I have an old perfume sample stuck onto it. It has no significance, I just thought it was cute.

 Here's a little look at a recent diary page. I write down my work hours but usually use my post-it notes for to-do lists and things I need to remember; it just jazzes it up a little! At the end of the week I usually count up the hours I've worked & how much I should be paid.

 A sneak peak at another week! Here you can see what I mean about using my post-its.. it's got a little obsessive. I think everything looks prettier on a cute little post-it note, and it makes my filofax unique. It's easy to move things around if deadlines get changed too.

 The multicoloured notepaper is used for keeping track of my wages, writing down random lists, remembering passwords, or jotting down names for photography. Currently I have a 101 things to do in 1001 days list. It's not finished, and I don't remember when I started it.. so that's been successful.

 The filofax comes with some finance pages, which I don't use much. I tried using them, but I just don't remember to keep receipts so can't remember how much I've spent! These pages will come in so helpful when I got to uni, but for now will remain unused.

 Towards the back of the diary I have a business card holder that holds old train tickets, Mum's business card, my blog cards, and some taxi numbers.

After the business card holder there are some website address pages that I haven't really used yet. Behind that I have the filofax post-it notes. These don't come with the filofax, but I love the neon colours so had to buy them. 

 The one extra I wouldn't recommend from filofax is the portable hole punch. It is super hard to punch holes into even just one piece of paper! It also doesn't punch the holes very neatly, so the circles are quite messy. Behind the hole punch is a built-in pocket which is super useful for change or loose pieces of paper.

The post-it notes are all from an eBay seller called Riki & Nina. They are all absolutely adorable and I love them! I also have some washabi masking tape, but I can't remember the seller. I have yet to actually use it, but saw it on a post similar to this & knew it had to be mine.

I hope you've enjoyed having a look inside my filofax! Link your filofax posts below and I'll be sure to check them out.

GHD Style & Protect Gift Set

GHD is a company most popular for it's high quality straighteners, yet not so much for it's styling products. Here is the Style & Protect Gift Set which retails at £39.00, and contains 2 styling products alongside a paddle brush and hair clips. The packaging is sleek and appealing, which presenting the products nicely and makes everything feel a little bit more expensive and special.

The paddle brush is a definite stand out product of the set. It brushes through my hair so softly and leaves my hair smooth & tangle free. It isn't very heavy to hold at all, and the handle seems to have a non-slip texture. The brush is basically perfect! The two sectioning clips aren't unique and I already own quite a few, but it's good to have them to separate your hair when blow drying. They do grip the hair very well and don't catch or snag at all, so I am glad they are included.

The GHD Straight & Smooth Spray (Normal/Fine) is the only product in the gift set that I dislike. It left my hair feeling sticky, tough and quite plastic-ey. I sprayed 6 pumps into my hair, and then started to blow dry it. Sections around my hair were sticky and unworkable which I blame on the pump on the product; it doesn't distribute the product well at all. I'm disappointed with the outcome of this spray, as the smell is gorgeous! It also contains the 'GHD Heat Protection System' so would have been great to protect my hair before blow drying.

However, I feel completely different about the GHD Final Shine Spray... I love it! This product is in an aerosol form, so evenly distributes the shine spray throughout my hair. It doesn't weigh down my hair, and leaves my hair looking shiny and glossy. It doesn't change the texture or feel of my hair at all, but does helps to combat fly aways and static (win)! This is my finishing spray of choice as it leaves a lovely scent whilst providing beautiful shiny hair.

Overall, I believe this gift set is perfect for young teenagers who haven't experimented with hair styles before. It would also be great for those who want a simple and easy kit to blow dry their hair with before a special occasion. I have been pleased with almost everything in this gift set (damn you Straight & Smooth Spray), and would recommend it.

GHD Style & Protect Gift Set available here (£39.00)

This product was sent for consideration. All opinions are my own, and 100% genuine. Promise!

Naked Shine Hydrating Shampoo & Conditioner Review

Naked is a brand I have only recently been introduced to, and is one I love already. About a month ago I was asked if I would like to try some Naked products (it couldn't have come at a better time!). I was struggling to find a shampoo and conditioner that successfully washed away any product build-up and didn't weigh down my hair.

Naked doesn't use parabens, SLS, petrochemical, or phthalates in their products, not that I have a clue what any of those are! For the inquisitive bunch, I've found out what all these foreign-to-my-dictionary words mean...

• Parabens are used to destroy bacteria lurking in our toiletries because they are super aggressive, like white blood cells? (Who am I kidding, I don't have a clue). These have been found to cause skin allergies.

• SLS is the most common surfactant -something that removes dirt from skin- used in toiletries to make them foam and cleanse. It can strip your skin of the natural oils needed to keep it healthy. Naked however use a nifty little foaming agent derived from apples of all things! 

• Petrochemicals are used to give instant smoothing results to your hair after using a conditioner. They can sit heavily on the skin, and can cause a residue build up around the hair follicle.. yuck. 

• Phthalates are used to make the fragrance last longer in your toiletries, but have apparently been linked to disruptions with the reproductive system- which is probably the most scary chemical of the bunch.

The shampoo is a gel consistency that smells quite similar to men's aftershave, however this doesn't linger in my hair after I've dried it (phew!). It doesn't coat my hair and leaves it completely clean, while feeling sleek and shiny. This shampoo is by far the best I've used because it makes my hair feel so weightless and workable, while also leaving it shiny. It's not often you come across a shampoo that has those effects to your hair, as most shampoos use naughty chemicals that dry out your hair rather than make it shiny & healthy. I believe that's one of the things I love about the shampoo- I feel good for using it. I'm not using chemicals on my hair and I know I'm benefiting my hair.

I really like the conditioner as it doesn't weigh my hair down like most conditioners, yet it moisturising enough to leave my hair soft & shiny. This conditioner helps to get rid of tangles and frizzy ends; two things I hate about my hair. I do prefer the Naked Intensive Care Conditioner to this but only because I feel it's even more moisturising.

I will repurchase this shampoo and conditioner, as I have already, for the foreceable future. They are a lot cheaper than your highend alternatives which are full to the brim of chemicals!

Naked Shine Hydrating Shampoo (250ml/£3.99) & Naked Shine Hydrating Conditioner (250ml/£3.99) 
available at Boots.com and nakedbodycare.co.uk.

These products were provided by PR for consideration. This does not effect my review or opinion.