It's been a while since my last empties post, so I won't share everything I've used, just the things I think are worth a mention.

I knew it must've been a while since my last post because the bag I keep them in has been overflowing for weeks and now it's just getting in the way. This morning I kicked a shampoo bottle across the room, scaring a cat in the process.

I don't normally share bath empties because as long as they smell nice I'm easily pleased, but these two were delicious.

The Sanctuary Luxury Bath Float  |  Boots  |  £10.00
This was a treat-to-myself before Christmas. I love the smell of this range and even though it's far more than I'd normally spend on a bubble bath I really enjoyed soaking in this delightful smell!

Frosted Plum Bath Fizzers  |  The Body Shop  |  No longer available to buy
I loved the delicate pink hue of my bath water when I used these. And they smelled delicious too. My skin felt lovely and soft after using these, it's just a shame that they were limited edition and are no longer available.

My face saw a lot of new products.

Camomile Gentle Eye Make Up Remover  |  The Body Shop  |  £9.00
My sister in law gave me this as it irritated her eyes. I don't normally get a reaction from eye make up removers so I was happy to take it off her hands. But this made my eyes sting too and left them a little red. I was so surprised as this is suitable for sensitive eyes and is dermatologically and  opthalmologically tested. To be fair I wouldn't have continued to use this anyway as it doesn't shift the waterproof mascara that I wear everyday.

Naturally Radiant Glycolic Overnight Peel  |  Superdrug  |  £5.99
I spoke about his briefly in my New In post and I still love it. The kiwi fruit and mulberry extracts tackle dull skin and uneven skin tone, whilst the glycolic acid get to work smoothing the texture of your skin. It's a lovely gel formula that smells pleasantly masculine and results can be seen overnight.

Simply Pure Hydrating Serum  |  Superdrug  |  £2.69
This first featured in the same post as the above and is another product I'm glad I found. It's super cheap but so, so lovely. It's hydrating without feeling tacky, it sinks in well and it's easy to apply moisturiser afterwards. A great product and a great price!

24hr Soothing and Rehydrating Fresh Mask  |  Nuxe  |  £18.50
I got this in a beauty box some time ago. It has a lovely floral scent (mimosa I think) and leaves skin feeling soft, I washed this off after relaxing with it on my face for a while, it doesn't dry onthe skin so is great for using in the bath. You can just rub in the excess but I found this left my skin feeling a tiny bit tacky. A nice treat though.

Vitamin E Moisture Lotion SPF 15  |  The Body Shop  |  £13.00
I found this left my skin felt greasy so I used this as a neck cream instead. I don't normally use a separate cream for my neck but I didn't want to waste it. It's nice but not for me.

I'm still searching for my perfect shampoo and conditioner.

OGX Renewing Argan Oil of Morocco Shampoo and Conditioner  |  Boots  |  £6.99 each
I liked these but they didn't wow me, and had the same niggles as they first OGX shampoo and conditioner I tried - stiff bottles make it hard to squeeze out the product, the product itself is very thick which doesn't help, and you can't balance it on it's head when the product runs low.

Dove Oxygen Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner  |  Boots  |  £5.99 each
Nice but it's not 'the one'. My hair felt clean and soft but... I don' know, it just wasn't amazing.

Lee Stafford Big Fat Mousse Spray  |  Boots  |  £6.99
I've had this for ages and have finally I've decided to bin it. It sounded like the perfect thing for me as I hate the feel of mousse on my palms. It fizzes (like that powder sweet you pour onto your tongue, what's that called?) which is kinda fun and is a nice mousse in terms of hold and not feeling stiff or tacky in your hair, but this sprays mousse everywhere and scares the cats.

Elegant Touch Rapid Dry for Nails  |  Boots  |  £3.05
This is a must for me because as soon as I paint my nails I get an itchy nose / have to go to the loo / forget that I've just painted my nails and start using my hands...

Rhubarb and Rose Replenishing Hand Cream  |  Molton Brown  |  £10.00 for full size 40ml tube
This was in a Birchbox and I love the scent! It's deliciously rhubarbular (and also moisturises nicely).

Two of my mascara staples.

Max Factor Masterpiece High Definition Mascara in black waterproof  |  Boots  |  £9.99
My lashes are stubborn, they don't like to hold a curl and I find very few brushes and formulas that work well for me. This is one that does.

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara  |  Boots  |  £13.50
Really Ree recommended this and I haven't used anything else since. I've already purchased a replacement. It has a teeny tiny brush that gets to all my bottom lashes. Normal sized mascara wands are too big and I just end up making a mess.


Of course I've used my usual suspects - Dove Original Deodorant (have yet to find anything that rivals this), Garner Micellar Cleansing Water, The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter, and the The Body Shop Camomile Waterproof Eye & Lip Make-Up Remover.

I was delighted to read Caroline Hirons post What To Buy? The Body Shop and see my favourite cleansing butter featured. If Caroline Hirons says something is good, then you know it's going to be good.

The post made me want to try several other Body Shop products though - the Nutriganics range sounds amazing and the Aloe Cream Mask and the Warming Mineral Mask have all made their way onto my must-try list, which is a tad on the ridiculously long side at the moment!

What have you enjoyed using recently?

A mixed bag of empties this time around. Some I liked, some I didn't.

This one I loved! Although it might've been usurped for a few new products I've found recently, this Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant is great for dull skin. Used twice a week my skin felt brighter and as it helps to combat congestion it can help to keep blemishes at bay.

I first heard about this Lisa Eldridge's skincare routine video. I think the name is a little misleading though, I wouldn't expect a 'gentle' exfoliant to have much impact on my skin, but this really did. I highly recommend this product.

Next up, a few base items. An eyeshadow primer by Nicka K New York. I got this in a Glossybox ages ago and really liked it. It's cheap at £4.99 but having finished this tube I discovered one I like better. The Nicka K version has a wet formula, whereas my new find is dry and easier to apply - Beauty Bay The Collection Lip & Eye Primer. It's a total bargain at £3.00 and can be used on the lips too (although I haven't used it on my lips yet).

And Supergoop! CC Cream, I mentioned this last year and I found a second tube of this hidden in the bottom of my make up bag, I've fallen in love with it all over again. It's self adjusting colour gives great coverage without being obvious and I love that it has an SPF 35. A full size tube is pricey at £32.00 for 47ml but as it acts as a foundation, primer and SPF you're getting three products in one.

The Super Facialist Salicylic Acid Anti Belmish Purifying Cleansing Wash didn't blow me away. In fact his has been discarded while half full. I expected to feel / see / notice a difference but I didn't. I'd rather use my beauty staple, The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter, over this any day.

I did and didn't like this OGX shampoo and conditioner. My hair felt nice after use but this is over shadowed by what I didn't like, which was that the bottles are hard and it can be really difficult to get the product out. The product itself is quite thick, which probably doesn't help, and I found I had to warm the shampoo between my hands before I could use it, otherwise it felt as if it was tangling my hair. Also, you can't stand these on their head when they're nearly empty. So annoying.

This No7 Skin Beautiful Energising Mask so old! It's got about a third left in the tube but I'm done with it. It's a really nice mask, it leaves skin looking more radiant but as much as I enjoy a peel off mask (it's so satisfying to get it all peeled off in one piece, right?) I also find them a bit of a faff. I won't be repurchasing but I would recommend it if you like peel off masks.

Love this Laura Mercier Foundation Primer. I have the radiance primer too which is equally as good, but this is the primer that convinced me I should use one. It really does make my foundation / BB cream go on with ease, and it looks better and lasts longer.

Without doubt I'll purchase this again.

There where three products that I found really disappointing. The Maybelline Baby Skin had a really artificial, plasticy smell that really put me off putting it on my face, and The Rodial Lip Balm had a funny taste that left my mouth feeling coated. Not pleasant.

But it was the MyChelle SPF that was the most disappointing. It has quite a thick consistency, so when I applied it I felt I had to rub it in a lot, and when used with a serum, a primer and a moisturiser or BB cream it just felt like too much.

I find that too many layers of product end in the whole lot rubbing off. Two or three layers are enough for me, so I'll be sticking to products with an SPF included instead.

What products have made it into your beauty cabinet?

Day 2 of Blog Every Day In November with Rosalilium

When my empties bag starts to fill up I get a real kick out of seeing all the things that I have finally used up. One day I'll have actual space in my beauty cabinet, and I'll be able to see everything that's in there at a glance. One day. But for now I'm just content with working my way through it all and separating the wheat from the chaff (my husband would be so proud of my agricultural reference there).

First up, a product that I really liked.

Clinique Smart Custom Repair Serum. This is definitely going to be repurchased. If you believe the spiel this serum 'understands the particular needs of your skin, providing custom repair for the damage you see and the damage you don't.' Do I believe it? It's hard to, but what I can say is that my skin looks and feels wonderful when I use it, and that's something I can believe.


L'Oreal Professional Mythic Oil Nourishing Masque. This was another goodie. I left this on for ages in the shower and my hair felt amazing - softer than it has done for years. I'm going to buy a full size pot and investigate other items in the range.


I've had this a while but it's a lovely scent that seems perfect for everyday but has a hint of spice making it evening appropriate too. I'm rubbish a describing scents so here's how the Yardley website describes it, 'A modern floral chypre opening with a fresh, fruity, green top note of pear and freesia with a spicy floral heart of rose, ginger and pink pepper and a sensual powdery base of patchouli, amber and balsam.' It has a pretty 20s styling and is really reasonably priced at £19.99.

I'd possibly buy this again, but I have a few that need to be finished first.


A small clutch of Body Shop items will probably be a regular thing in these empties posts.

The Wild Argan Oil Bubbling Bath and Shower Gel where nice. I liked the smell but someone told me that it reminded them of tyres, I can't see (or smell) it myself but it's put me off.

The lip roll-on was a real disappointment. It was too glossy, didn't last long and was a bit drying. I only used this a few times before it got thrown in the empties bag.

The Virgin Mojito Shower Gel was a nice minty, citrus pick-me-up in my morning shower, it's a limited edition range and I don't think this is available anymore.

I've come to the conclusion that when it comes to bubble bath and shower gel, the only qualities that they need to have are that they smell nice and the lather / foam well. So many do the job perfectly well I think I'll be happy to just use whatever happens to be on offer in Tesco.


It feels like I've had this L'Occitane hand cream for eons! It smells a bit like baby lotion but it's really thick and super moisturising. I used this at night as it's a little too thick for use during the day (I'm really fussy about being about being able to feel hand cream on my skin, especially my palms, I can't bear it). This is something I'd possibly repurchase but I've got eleventeen hundred others to finish first...


This little lot probably won't be purchased again. The Elnett hairspray smells like rotten oranges. The Batiste has been usurped for Colab which is just so much better. The baby bubbles where fine. The Arbonne body lotion was nice, the grapefruit scent was appealing but it's expensive for what it is and I'm sure I have ones I prefer in my stash.

The Mitchum 48hr deodorant and antiperspirant was useless. I bought this to take to Latitude. I wasn't sure of the showering situation and although I was armed with wet wipes and dry shower body shampoo, I thought this might be good to have too. It was rubbish. Not as good as my normal brand. This hit the bin as soon as I returned home.

So, a mixed bag of empties this time. I hope to have my Beauty Cabinet page up next week listing all my favourite hair and beauty products. But I've recently been made aware of some great sounding products that I'm going to have to try too!

Do you hoard beauty products or have you got your essentials sussed?

(Day 16 of blogging everyday for 40 days)

You know it's going to be a good day when you receive gin in the post.

The gin in question is Rock Rose Gin that hails from the Dunnet Bay Distillery, Caithness, and when I was asked if I wanted to try a sample the answer was a very definite 'hell yes! (please - manners cost nothing)'

It's beautifully branded and comes with a charming story.

The distillery is run by husband and wife team, Martin and Claire Murray, overseen by distillery dog George (who likes to sleep a lot), and with help from Elizabeth - their bespoke pot still - with traditional handmade copper head and a botanical vapour basket.

Small batches of 500 litres are distilled at a time, meaning the gin is made with great care to achieve the very best results, and when ready it's decanted into ceramic bottles that are then hand waxed and signed by the distiller.


I was sent a lovely package with everything I needed to make myself a well earned G&T. The serving suggestion was with lots of ice, Fever Tree tonic and a sprig of toasted rosemary.

What goes into the gin to give it it's taste is botanical Rhodiola rosea (hence the name Rock Rose) among other local and traditional botanicals - juniper (obviously), sea buckthorn, rowan berries and watermint - all foraged sustainably by hand from the Caithness countryside.


What can I say? As someone who has drunk (ahem) a lot of gin, this one is crisp and refreshing, and pretty darn good! The taste intensifies as the 'water level' goes down (which didn't take long) without a hint of dryness, and the second glass was equally as good.

It's the botanicals that give Rock Rose it's unique taste, but as these depend on the climes, each year sees a new vintage, slightly different from the last, but always retaining the trademark Rock Rose taste.

It's definitely worth a try now, and again next year.

If you fancy a try it has just launched at Fortnum & Mason and Harvey Nichols and is also available to buy on their website.


Should I be concerned that I'm contemplating a trip based entirely on my desire to visit a distillery? Either way the idea is there and forming.

Cheers!

(Day 13 of blogging everyday for 40 days)

Thank you to Dunnet Bay Distilleries for sending me this delicious sample. My opinions, my love of gin, and any daydreams of visiting Dunnet Bay are entirely my own.

I've been having a bit of a love affair with The Body Shop recently (with almost constant special offers tempting me at every turn). It started off slowly with the brow kit, then I found the best bronzer, both of which I still regularly use.


More recently I discovered the The Body Shop Camomile Waterproof Eye & Lip Make-Up Remover. I've switched to waterproof mascara and this removes it with ease, no stinging, no reaction from my peepers at all. I'm on my fourth bottle of this, which is unusual as I normally like to try different things once I'm done with something, I'm a bit of a product slut.

After using up my Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm I wanted to try the Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter as a cheaper alternative. It's easier to pick up on the high street (I hate trying to buy anything at a Clinique counter locally). It's pretty good, equally as good as the Clinique offering I'd say. I don't like to use this to remove eye make up - it can with ease, but I find my eyesight goes blurry for a short while after using it and then I end up with gunk in the corners of my eyes - nice.

Whilst online I couldn't help but pop the Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil into my basket (damn that 40% off discount code). This goes onto a dry face, massage it in and then add water to turn it into a milk and then rinse away with a damp cloth for clean, soft, hydrated skin.

I use this as a first cleanse, followed by a scrub or mask. It feels really nice - effective but gentle, again I don't like it for eye make up removal - it does the same blurry thing as the cleansing butter, but then I guess that's what I have the make up remover for. I still can't decide which I prefer out of this and the cleansing butter.

I tried the Vitamin E Aqua Boost Sorbet at a Body Shop party and loved it! It has a really fine granular texture and feels cool when applied. I like this as a night time moisturiser as sometimes, when I really slather it on (which I love to do with this) it can sometimes leaves white marks on my face. But I wake with super lovely skin.

If I do wear it during the day, it's on dull days or days when I'm not outside much as it has no SPF. I really don't get along with applying layers and layers of lotions and creams on my skin. Two is normal, three is the maximum for me so I need multi-tasking products.

I've got another bagful of Body Shop goodies coming my way after going to my second Body Shop party this year... and I might've booked myself a party too.

Have you tried anything from The Body Shop recently, what did you think?

I haven't spoken about my running on the blog for a while due to the horribly lacklustre nature of it. But new year, renewed focus and all that! My trainers were looking very sorry for themselves and I'd planned a cheeky new purchase in the sales but, as luck would have it, I was offered a pair of Mizuno running shoes just before Christmas by Millet Sports. To me new trainers are like new shoes - they make me want to get out there and strut my stuff. I can't say there has been much strutting - more enthusiastic jogging, interspersed with some breathless walking, but I'm getting out there none-the-less.


The trainers I picked were the Mizuno Wave Sayonara 2 Ladies Running Shoe. I liked the pattern and colour combination, but most of all I liked that they are light weight and allow feet to breathe. I hate clunky feeling trainers and hot feet more than anything.


They feel light when running (and I use the word running in the loosest sense of the word) but they have good grip too. I run on uneven ground a lot of the time and have been known to slip but these felt really safe (I'm not saying I'm not going to fall over again, because I will). I wouldn't say that these are trail trainers but they feel pretty steady underfoot. The breathable material means that they aren't waterproof, so icy cold puddles can feel pretty, erm, refreshing, but I'd take this over hot feet any day.

The above photos are the fresh out of the box shots, they look rather more 'rural' now. Having been running in them a few times, I can say I'm really pleased with them. Since July I'd been running in Nike trainers, but I think I prefer these Mizunos for fit and for the terrain I run on.


Mizuno isn't a brand that immediately springs to mind when I think of running shoes but I'll definitely give them another look when I need a new pair. What shoes do you run in? Any favourite brands?

Thank you to Millet Sports for sending me these items to review. All opinions are my own.

This will be the basis for my make up on the day of the wedding, with a few tweaks for a little more definition. I'll probably add eye liner, some gloss over the top on my lips and I'll define my brows.

The colour stick is limited edition and only comes in one shade, Dollface, which is a pretty coral with a hint of pink. I apply this directly to my skin and blend it with my fingers. It's not a colour that I would normally wear on my eyes but I'm loving it, I have an inkling that it'll be my go-to day look for Autumn.

Do you use any multi-tasking beauty products? If so please share, room in my make up bag is in short supply!

Love





*PR sample

So I had a little grumble about feeling out of sorts a few posts ago, and we have a rule in our house that we're only allowed to grumble if we're prepared to do something about it.

Truth is I've been feeling pretty crappy about myself for a while. It's all my own doing, I don't eat particularly well and I've let my running slide, so it shouldn't come as a shock to me that my body is responding exactly as it should - by becoming out of shape. I want to get back to feeling healthy and strong.

How am I going to do this? Through exercise and a healthier diet. I'm not going to 'go on a diet' as I don't believe in them. I grew up watching my Mum go on diet after diet to lose weight, then put it all back on (and then some), only to have to start the process all over again. It never made her happy. I need to eat more healthily - have a proper breakfast and stop grazing on unhealthy snacks throughout the day.

As for the getting fit element, I've recently started running again, starting over on the 5K Runner app but I've also got a new running app that is about running for weight loss that I'm keen to try. I'm so annoyed at myself for stopping my running, I was getting on really well and I was even starting to enjoy it but then things / life / work got busy and I stopped. I guess this happens sometimes but what I should've done is start again when the workload eased but I didn't, I ate crisps instead.

All of this comes down to feeling good and part of feeling good for me is to look good (or think I look good when I look in the mirror - is that the same thing? I'm not sure). Dressing the part half the battle, if I feel good in my clothes I'm more likely to stick to it. For now I've relegated any clothes that have become uncomfortable or unflattering to storage and have a selection that I feel good in now.


When it comes to gym gear I have a few items that don't make me wince when I look in the mirror but I've also been lucky enough to have been offered some items to try by Sportsshoes.

I picked out a pair of Nike capri length running tights (I'm not ready to face shorts just yet) as the first time I went running recently my full length tights felt too hot. Although running on one of the hottest days of the year so far, probably wasn't my smartest move! These are much better and super comfy. I really, really like them and love the little zip pocket on the back - perfect for my house key.


I also picked out some Nike trainers in a cool purple design (in my head pretty trainers make me run faster) and I've found them to be really comfy and noticeably lighter than my previous pair. They're really nice to run in - well, run and walk in for a while and then run a bit more ;o)

Any tips for motivation, healthy eating gratefully received!

Thank you to Sportsshoes for sending me these items to review. All opinions are my own.

Love

Despite being really slap dash about posting these I have been changing my make up every week in an effort to use the un-used.

I only have three mascaras, Avon Supermagnify mascara that I use all the time on my lower lashes and Dior New Look and this one - Boots Lash Adapt that I'm simply alternating each week. I highly recommend all three.

Elf Brightening Eye Colour in Ethereal. I like these quads but I hate the applicators (they scratch!) but the colours are good, really nice for daytime.

Elf Lip Stain (I think they have changed this product as they now look like this). This gives a nice matt colour which I like, but it you fancy gloss then there is some on the other end.

Avon Anew eye liner. I've discovered that this has been discontinued, which is a shame as it's lovely. I like the smudger on the end but more than that I love the staying power of this eyeliner. It really doesn't budge.

Avon Illuminating Face Pearls, I've had these for ages and I should use them more. They add a lovely shimmer without being to over the top. I often forgo blush because I worry that being so pale I'll look little Aunt Sally.

What item of make-up could you not live without?

Love

I have been really crap at keeping up to date with these posts! This time around (which is actually a few weeks ago now...) I used some long forgotten items.

Revlon Powder Blush in Berry Rich. I chose this because it was a muted soft pink with only a teeny tiny bit of shimmer. I really like it but it doesn't last all day, some reapplication would be necessary, but I don't carry cosmetics around with me for touch ups. I used to but found that I didn't use it much so I made my bag a little lighter and left the lot at home. This isn't to say that, since then, there haven't been occasions when I was in dire need of some cosmetic help and cursed my decision to leave my make up bag at home!

L'Oreal Trio Eyeshadow for blue eyes. Lovely colours and good staying power (especially when using Elfs eyelid primer). This is great for both a natural sweep of colour or for creating a daytime smokey eye.

Dior Diorshow New Look Mascara. I.love.this. It has a tiny brush but has the power to transform my pathetic lashes. Seriously, go get yourself a tube.

Inka eyeliner in graphite. I got this is a Glossybox, it's organic but a little to shimmery and pale for my liking. It's grey with a hint of silver, which is pretty but I prefer something darker.

Elf eyelid primer in Champagne. This is my second favourite elf eyelid primer after the sheer one. I wear this alone for a shimmery look. It's subtle enough for the daytime and stays put. Can't fault it.

What make up products do you love?

Love

My August challenge has made me think about not just the clothes I have languishing in the back of my wardrobe but all the things I have that I rarely use. Take my make up drawer for example - it's full of stuff and yet I use the same items day in, day out.

So, taking a leaf out of Lauren's book I decided to do a weekly make up, shake up to mix things up a bit. Although so far I haven't been organised enough to post weeky. Oops.


Firstly, I have to say that there are some items that I just could not do without - eyelash curlers, obviously. Elf Eyelid Primer (introduced to me by Lauren), Avon Supermagnify mascara, the only thing that works on my lower lashes. Benefit Erase Paste, a recent find but one I instantly fell in love with! And Body Shop Brow and Liner Kit, I searched high and low for a decent eyebrow kit and this is by far the best and the only one that doesn't leave me with orange brows. These will remain in my make up bag no. matter. what.


Week One
Elf Brightening Eye Colour in Brownstone, great colours, my favourite being the maroon colour which I used as an eyeliner quite a lot. I hate the eyeshadow applicators that come with it. They're hard and scratchy. Yuck.

Boots No7 Lash Adapt mascara, I'm on my second tube of this. It's fab, I was absolutely certain that I'd reviewed this, I haven't but I meant to! I have fine, stubborn lashes but this stuff works a treat and the claim that you can apply several coats to build up fullness and length is true, although seven layers (so they say) is pushing it for me.

Eyeko Skinny eyeliner in black, I received this in a Glossybox some time ago. I really like the formula and it stays put but it didn't fit in my make up bag (it was too long) so it got thrown in the drawer. However, my larger make up bag and I are now loving it.

Becca Beach Tint for cheeks and lips in watermelon, another Glossybox item. It smells divine. I only use it on my cheeks for a pinch of colour, it tastes a little odd and doesn't really last as a lip colour. I don't normally bother with blush but this is really nice.

Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker XL Extreme Plump XL Lip Plumping Gloss I've had this for ages, it's nearing the end. It's great stuff, lasts for ages, gives a fuller lip (don't expect miracles though it's plumping not totally transformative), it leaves lips soft and tastes yummy. I'd happily purchase this again, as soon as I've used up all the other lip glosses in my possession, which could take a while. I don't use lip gloss on a daily basis so I don't know why I have so many.

Love

At around about the time that my current BB cream (Boots 17) came to an end I heard a buzz about the arrival of Dr Jart's BB creams at Boots, and loving a new product in the way I do, I decided to give it a try.

Boots gave very little product information on their website but it was enough for me to chose which of the four creams was best for me - Dr Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm SPF40. Sadly, it was the line '...particularly suitable for those over 30' that sealed the deal *sigh*. At £24.00, it's the most expensive of the range (typical!) but it's the only one (I believe) that has a pump dispenser, which I rather like and the packaging is really nice.


It gives a light coverage and has a pinky beige pigment, giving the illusion of a light tan but I am very pale so this may not be the case for everyone.

It softens blemishes, covers redness and smoothes skin tone leaving skin feeling really soft. Catching an occassional glimpse of myself as I go about my day, I have to say I'm pleased with what I see. My skin just looks better and I find I wear less make-up as a result.

It creates a 'slightly glossy' finish which gives a lovely dewy look to cheekbones but I found this to be more a case of  'someone pass me a blotting tissue' on my T zone. I normally prefer a matt finish so I decided to use a beauty staple of mine - the Avon MagiX Face Perfector - on my T zone to counteract the shine. I love the result.

I tried and reviewed Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector but I think I must have been the only person on earth that didn't like it. It just didn't work for me. I mentioned the 17 BB Blemish Balm in a post, it was an improvement, but it's Dr Jart+ that has pursuaded me that BB creams are the way to go.

Do you use a BB cream? Which ones have you tried?

LOVING these Feud Cinadine boots...