Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm (£21)

On my quest for affordable yet effective skincare I’ve come across Clinique’s Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm.  Cleansing balms are having a moment after the Emma Hardie balm cleanser became a hit with bloggers and skincare fanatics alike last year.  It may be worth its hefty price tag but I wanted to try a more purse friendly balm first so opted for Clinique’s offering.  Am I impressed?  I can confirm I am!

With an ingredient list filled with nothing but good things for your skin, as well as it being 100% fragrance free, this balm should suit all/most skin types without any irritation or issues.  I have combination skin and often get blemishes on my chin area but I’ve been getting along with this just fine.  Each evening before bed I warm a small amount of the balm between my fingertips before massaging it into the rest of my face, then wash it off with a clean flannel.  It does remove eye makeup well but I prefer to take mine off separately before concentrating the balm on my face. 

I love how squeaky clean and soft my skin feels after using this.  It’s smooth, fresh and feels ready to soak in the rest of the products which follow in my skincare routine.  The balm doesn’t leave behind any sort of greasy residue which is really good considering it’s effectively an oil once it melts onto your skin.  Initially I found it a little difficult to get the balm out of the pot as it was so solid and hard but it’s really easy to do now the tub sits at room temperature in my bathroom.

A little goes a long way with this product so don’t worry about the price tag (which I think is rather reasonable anyway!).  I’ve been using this at least once, maybe twice, a day for three months and have barely used a quarter of the tub, which I think is fab value for money.  I’m really pleased I tried this before splashing out on the Emma Hardy version as I don’t think I need to buy it (for now anyway - I can’t make any promises!)  If you’re looking at balm cleansers, or even just cleansers in general, this is definitely worth a try!

GC.

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

 Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara (£12)

I’m hopeless when it comes to applying mascara.  I give the brush a quick wiggle between my lashes and hope for the best but without fail manage to mess up and get it on my skin.  So naturally I’m interested in any product which can help me neaten up my peepers.

With its lightweight wand and minuscule brush head this little offering from Clinique is perfect for getting into the corners of your eyes and under those barely-there bottom lashes.  It both thickens and separates each individual lash, reducing the under eye smudge and creating a crisp, clean look.  It doesn’t flake or run and keep’s it’s colour intensity throughout the day.  This would be great for creating a chic, sixties graphic eye - think Twiggy lashes!

Of course a bottom lash mascara is not entirely essential for your make up bag and I don’t use it everyday but it is a nifty little product for when you can afford to take more time on your eye area.  Not very often for me as I don’t get much time on a daily basis but I love using it when I can as it really opens up my eyes.  And I just can’t get over how cute the packaging is.  It’s just so petite!  The perfect stocking filler for any beauty lover this Christmas I think.

GC.

What I Bought: The Beauty Edition

I've done quite a bit of shopping lately so thought I'd do my first ever haul post to show you what I've been buying.  This haul is beauty related but I've bought myself some new threads too so I'm going to do a separate post for my fashion related purchases.  I've accumulated this stuff over the last couple of weeks so I don't feel too bad when I think about how much I've spent.  Wouldn't it be lovely if I could afford a haul like this every week though?  A girl can dream!  So without further ado, here are the products that have made it into my beauty basket lately...

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm (£21):  Oh look!  Another skin care purchase inspired by Caroline Hirons!  My purse is begging me to stop reading her blog.  This melting make up remover is one of her firm favourites and is a lot cheaper than the popular Emma Hardy Cleansing Balm which does the same sort of job.  I've used this a couple of times so far and love it already but need to use it a little more before I give you guys a full review.

Ciaté Emerald Collection (£25):  I actually got this amazing kit as a birthday gift from my friend Tonya.  She knows me so well.  Not quite a purchase of my own but I just had to include it because it’s so beautiful.  The kit includes an array of sprinkles, sparkles and fluff to create three different textured nail art looks.  I find myself in a trance-like state whenever I look at the glitter pot!  It's just so pretty...I can't wait to dip my nails in.  I've never seen anything like the velvet effect before so I'm rather intrigued with how that works.  Green is my favourite colour so this set is simply heaven for me.  It's like I've died and gone to the Emerald City.

Primark Face Cloths (£1.50):  To some, these flannels may be basic, boring and Nana-like but to me they are a godsend!  I use them on a daily basis to cleanse my face and remove my make up and they're a great little accompaniment to my new cleansing balm.  At £1.50 they're a steal!

Primark Plastic Travel Bottles (£1):  Another boring but practical purchase.  I'm going away for the weekend at the end of this month and have been warned in advance that I need to pack light.  These travel sized bottles were just £1 from Primark and are going to help me on my quest to take less products with me.  Now if only there was an easy solution for my shoes...

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara (£12):  How cute is this?  This teeny tiny mascara is designed especially for your bottom eyelashes.  The minuscule brush is perfect for getting into the hard to reach inner corners of your eye and is great for avoiding those pesky mascara smudges.  Is it a necessity?  No.  But I was swayed by an offer on the Boots' website and thought it wouldn’t hurt to try.  I’ll review it for you soon.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (£3.99):  I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve repurchased this.  It’s the only concealer I use and I’m not about to start changing it anytime soon.  The consistency is thick and creamy and the coverage is amazing.  Spots, redness, eye-bags...you name it, this covers it.  If there’s one thing I recommend you try it’s this.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask (£22):  I think this is the product I was most excited about buying.  After hearing so many rave reviews about how it transforms your skin I knew I had to try it for myself.  Leave this mask on your face overnight and your skin will literally drink up the moisture.  The next day my face felt hydrated and looked brighter than it had in a long time.  I am really impressed!

And that includes my beauty haul!  What do you think?  Any treats in there that you would like to purchase yourself?  Or is there anything you’d recommend I buy next?  I know I shouldn’t considering my recent beauty binge but I really don’t care.  A girl can’t have too many products in my opinion ;)

GC.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion (£17)*

Can you believe how cold it is right now?  Freezing temperatures and wet weather play havoc with your skin and the constant changing from hot to cold doesn’t do much good for it either.  It’s days like today that you need a really good moisturiser to protect your skin and put back the goodness the weather takes out.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion is part of their popular 3-step skin care program.  I can’t vouch for the other two products in this range but I can safely say this moisturiser is amazing.  I tend to get a really dry nose and forehead which can be really hard to get rid of but one application of this little beauty and I was flaky no more.  Thin enough to wear under make up but thick enough to use at night, this really is a multi-use product.  I love the pump dispenser too as it gives you just the right amount of moisturiser.

The instructions advise you use this on dry areas only but I’ve used it all over my face and had no issues.  Clinique also recommend this works best for people with dry or combination skin so if you do have oily skin this product may not be for you.  It works great for me though and I can’t get enough of it right now.  Clinique isn’t one of my go-to skincare brands.  I’m not sure why but I think I’ve been missing out.  If payday ever comes (January is so long!) I'll be taking a trip to their counter.

GC.