The Body Shop Vitamin E Skin Care Review

Today I’ll be reviewing a few products from the Vitamin E range from The Body Shop. I’ve heard lots of good things about their skin care products and for Christmas, my best friend bought me some.

Vitamin E has many benefits for the skin:

• it has antioxidant properties that help fight off free radicals that damage your skin, helping to make skin look and feel younger and help reverse the signs of ageing.

• it strengthens and protects skin and reduces inflammation especially after exposure to UV radiation, keeping it healthy and smooth.

• it provides hydration for skin and restores moisture, which is particularly great for dry skin.

As well as Vitamin E, these products are also formulated with Wheatgerm Oil which is another moisturising nutrient, helping to repair damaged skin cells and prevent scarring.

Gentle Facial Wash

Facial cleansing is the first step to clean, refreshed skin. This face wash in particular is great for minimising the appearance of impurities and moisturising the skin. It is a balanced formula that doesn’t increase the oiliness in my skin and provides hydration for my dry areas. As this face wash is gentle, it is especially good for sensitive skin as it contains natural ingredients and no harsh chemicals. Pour a little bit into your hands and apply to a wet face, massaging it in circular motions then rinse off and dab your face with a towel. You can also use it with a sonic facial brush although I wouldn’t recommend using one if you have extra sensitive or damaged skin. I use this with my No.7 Cleansing Brush to exfoliate my skin at the same time.

Hydrating Toner

This is the next step after cleansing although many people leave this stage out of their skin care regime. Toning your skin is important as it removes any excess dirt and remaining face wash that is left on your face after cleansing. It also helps to soothe and nourish skin which provides a better base for applying makeup. This toner is a hydrating toner which makes skin feel even fresher and restores its pH balance, keeping skin healthier for longer. Simply pour a little bit onto a cotton pad and smooth all over your face.

Moisture Cream

This should be used after cleansing and toning, its the last step of my skin care routine. Taking a very small amount, I dab a bit on my cheeks, nose, forehead and chin and rub it in all over my face in small, circular motions. What I love about this moisturiser is how easily it absorbs into the skin and doesn’t leave my face feeling sticky or tacky; it hydrates and leaves skin looking fresh and healthy. I love the feel of the formula too, it’s so lightweight and creamy and has a whipped like texture to it. This product also contains hyluronic acid which helps maximise collagen levels in the skin. This aids in maintaining skins elasticity and keeps it feeling plump.

I’ve been using all 3 products as part of my daily skin care routine since Christmas which I know isn’t very long, but I have already noticed an improvement in my skin. It feels so much smoother and more nourished.

I would definitely recommend these products! They are suitable for any skin type be that oily, normal or dry. I have areas of both oily and dry skin on my face and it works great!

Thanks for reading!

Chelsea x

Instagram: chelseadaynes_

Makeup and Beauty Gifts I Received for Christmas

Beauty

Hey lovelies, I hope you all had an amazing Christmas!

I just thought I’d write this post and show those who are interested, what beauty products I got for Christmas. I’ve been reading other people’s blog posts and I’ve found it really interesting seeing what gifts they have received. Just as a disclaimer, this isn’t a chance for me to brag, its a way of showing what products I will be wearing, using and more than likely, reviewing in future posts.

I’ll start from Left to Right:

• Tarte Shape Tape Concealer in Fair Neutral

• The Body Shop Eyelash Curlers

• Urban Decay Heavy Metal Liner in Grind

• The Body Shop Vitamin E Hydrating Toner

• The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisturiser Cream

• The Body Shop Vitamin E Gentle Facial Wash

• The Body Shop Gold Glitter Dust

• Juvias Place The Magic Eye-shadow Palette (I’ve waited so long for this, ahh!)

• Tarte Double Duty Beauty Maneater Duo Set

• Lush I Love Juicy Shampoo 100g

• Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel 500g

• Baby Balmi Lip Balm in Vanilla

• The Body Shop Smoky Eye Definer Pencil

• No.7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Brush and 2 extra brush heads (I’m aware that the No.7 brand isn’t cruelty free however, it was a gift and I believe the brush itself doesn’t contain ingredients or materials that would include cruelty to animals).

All in all, I can’t wait to use these products and review them!

Here are the other presents I received if you are interested:

• An Antique Style Vanity Table, Mirror and Stool set in Duck Egg Blue (which I can’t wait to build as this will be my new set up for all my makeup!)

• Vivienne Westwood Silver Studded Earrings

• A Faux Leather Black Fiorelli Backpack Bag

• An Amazon Kindle Fire 7 Tablet

• A Silver Layered Necklace from Topshop

• A Pair of Blue Tassel Earrings from New Look

• Christmas Socks

• Two Food and Drink Hampers to share between me and my Husband

• Lots of Sweets and Chocolate!

Thanks for reading! I’m so grateful for all my presents. I hope you were happy with the gifts you received this Christmas.

Chelsea x

Face Shaving: A Cheap Alternative to Dermaplaning

Beauty

So yesterday I shaved my face… Yes, that sounds awfully strange and it feels odd saying it but actually, I was pleasantly surprised!

I came across a treatment called Dermaplaning a while back when researching ways to get more dewy looking and softer skin. It’s a skin care method which involves the exfoliation of your face using a scalpel blade to gently remove dead skin cells and hair. While the results look amazing from the pictures I’ve seen on the net, prices start from about £100 per session and the effects of the treatment last up to 4 weeks, which is something I wouldn’t be able to afford to keep up.

I then found out about a way of doing something very similar but at home and only costing a few pounds! Lots of beauty vloggers on YouTube I watch were shaving their face, they made it look so easy so I thought I’d give it a try. Shaving your face basically removes the top layer of dead skin cells and the peach fuzz hair that grows on your face; this leaves it looking more soft and radiant meaning your makeup has a better, more even finish. I was initially worried that my hair would grow back thick and dark but according to the many people that have tried it before, it doesn’t! Although this method of exfoliation is great for people with normal skin types, if you have quite sensitive skin or acne, then it probably isn’t for you as your skin could be left looking and feeling rather red and agitated. I’ve read that if you have very dark hair on your face then removing it with a razor can cause ingrown hairs so just be aware of that.

When shaving your face, you don’t use the usual razor that removes the hair on your body but you use a razor designed especially for your eyebrows and face. It looks a little bit like a scalpel just not as sharp. Although it isn’t a scalpel, still BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL! This razor is still obviously a blade and is fairly sharp so make sure you use it correctly to prevent cutting your face. The Tinkle Eyebrow Razor is the most common razor that I’ve seen people use so I thought I’d give it a go, they’re ridiculously cheap which is a bonus! (Amazon.co.uk, £1.45)

Shaving cream can be applied first but I just used it on my skin without any product. After taking the safety cap off the razor, pull the area of skin you’re doing first quite taut with your fingers (I started with my cheek) and with the other hand, lay the blade so it’s flat against your skin and slightly angle it towards you. Sweep the razor along your skin in small, downward motions, making sure you’re not putting too much pressure on the blade. You can do this all over your face but just avoid your eye area; I went up to just beneath my under eye area as the skin here is fragile and would be more sensitive to the razor.

I got so much dead skin off my nose! I was amazed by how well it exfoliated this area and by all the dry skin that was removed. My makeup tends to cake up and go flakey here and I definitely noticed a difference when I applied my foundation after I’d finished shaving my whole face.

Pretty gross, I know! But just look at all that dead skin and peach fuzz! This is just from doing my nose and part of my cheek.

After you’ve finished shaving, remove the dead skin and hair from the blade with a tissue, run under hot water and dry with a towel. Make sure the safety cap is put back on the razor. Each of these Tinkle Razors are supposedly able to be used up to 3 – 4 times, meaning a pack of 3 can last up to a year if you shave your face once a month.

I cleaned my face with a makeup wipe when I was done, to remove any excess dead skin and peach fuzz on my face. Serums and moisturisers can be used after too which will make your skin feel even softer.

I’d definitely recommended face shaving for women as I feel that it makes my makeup apply smoother and gives it a better finish aswell as removing so much dead skin. Again, just make sure that you are extremely careful when doing this skin care method and do it properly, to stop any accidents from happening.

I hope this post is useful! Thanks for reading

Chelsea x

Instagram: chelseadaynes_

My Work Christmas Party Look

Beauty, Fashion

So it was my work Christmas party on Saturday! The food was great, the prosecco was even better but I have to say that working with a hangover yesterday was not fun! Nevertheless, it was totally worth it as it was such a fab night!

I wanted to go for quite a glam look especially as we we’re going out for drinks after our meal. As I had work all day, I didn’t have very long to get ready so had to rush my makeup a bit unfortunately but I think it still turned out alright considering.

Makeup – I knew I wanted to wear a red lip to match my outfit so I did a brown smokey half cut crease eye with glitter as I feel neutral colours go best with a red lip. The lipstick I’m wearing is the shade Juicy from my Tarte Tartiest Limitless Lippies Creamy Lip Paint set.

For my eyes:

1. I used the shade Indie from my Tarte Tartiest Pro Amazonian Clay Palette as my transition shade, blending it into the crease.

2. I next went in with the shade Edgy to deepen the eyes a bit more, applying this to my crease and out to my outer corner

3. I used my NYX HD Studio Photogenic Concealer Wand and my Real Techniques Definer Brush to carve a half cut crease

4. On top of the concealer, I applied my Kiko Bright Duo Baked Eyeshadow in the shade Pearly Snow. This is a beautiful white colour with a shimmery, almost glittery finish

5. I wore the Urban Decay Heavy Metal Liner Giltter in the shade Distortion on the white eyeshadow. This glitter is amazing and can be used as a eyeliner or on top of eyeshadow and this shade comes out as a white glitter with green reflects.

6. Lastly, I used the shade Cyprus Umber from my ABH Modern Renaissance Palette to darken my outer corner and blended it into my crease.

(As I was taking my work top off, I scraped some of the foundation off my nose and didn’t have time to fix it; this is why it probably looks a bit of a different colour to the rest of my face, ooops)

Hair – I did a sleek, voluminous slick back hairstyle which I achieved with Schwarzkopf got2be Powder’ful Volumizing Styling Powder and some SilverKin Hairspray. The powder is amazing for giving you volume, just sprinkle into your roots and use your fingers to work it in. I brushed my hair back with my fingers and hair sprayed it to stay in place.

Outfit – Red is in trend this season and is a pretty festive colour and satin material gives a sophisticated, sleek look so I went for this beautiful Satin Chiffon Drape Blouse from Missguided. Now, I did have to safety pin it in two areas as the blouse is incredibly low cut as I didn’t think it was appropriate for a work meal. I saw the blouse and instantly fell in love with it despite it being so revealing as I knew I’d alter it anyway. This is what the blouse looks like unaltered:

The trousers I’m wearing are the Petite Black Frill Hem Trousers also from Missguided. I adore these! They’re so comfy and I just love how they flare out at the bottom! I think they give the whole outfit just that extra bit of sass.

The shoes are from Peacocks and are very comfortable and stylish! I love all the buckle and strap detail and the fact that they are a block heel, it makes them easier to walk in.

For jewellery, I decided to wear a gold plunge necklace to go with the neckline of the blouse and I feel gold compliments the colour of the blouse well too. The tassel earrings I’m wearing were just £2 from Primark which is an absolute bargain! Many other high street stores have very similar style earrings that are much more expensive. The earrings are black so they are a very versatile colour which co-ordinated well with my trousers and heels.

I hope you enjoyed this look!

Thanks for reading!

Chelsea x

Instagram: chelseadaynes_

Peachy Keen Eye Look 🍑

Beauty

I know it’s December and the colour peach isn’t exactly festive but I just love this look, why not go for something a bit different?

1. To create this look, I first used the shade Eden from my Huda Beauty Desert Dusk Palette as my transition shade. I blended this into the crease and up to my brow bone, gradually fading it out.

2. To darken the crease, I added a little bit of Rebirth from the Limecrime Venus Eyeshadow Palette which is a gorgeous deep and vibrant peach shade.

3. Concealer was applied to my eyelid to cut the crease, making the eyeshadow last longer and give a sharper look. I used the NYX HD Photogenic Concealer in the shades Beige and Fair to create a shade more my skin tone as Beige was a little too dark and Fair was a little too light. After using my Real Techniques Detailer brush to apply the concealer, I used my Eco Tools Double Ended Shape and Define brush to set it by patting the product into the skin which helps it dry quicker.

4. I applied the light peach metallic shade from my Bh Cosmetics Foil Eyes Palette, onto the concealer to create a base layer for the next shade.

5. I’m Peachless by Makeup Geek was used on top; this is a beautiful duochrome peach shade with pink reflects – it’s stunning! I took the shade Eden again and put it on the middle of my eyelid and blended it out towards the outer corner of the eye and along my lower lash line. A tiny bit of the shade Amber from the same palette was applied to the outer corner and taken into the crease a little.

6. After eyeshadow, I put on my Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper, Marc Jacobs Mascara and the GWA Fantasy False Eyelashes.

And that’s it! Such a quick and easy eye look to achieve using only a few different shades.

Hope you enjoyed this look! Let me know what you think.

Chelsea x

Instagram: @chelseadaynes_

My Top 5 Highlighters ✨

Beauty

Highlighter is the icing on the cake when it comes to makeup. Adding a glow really transforms your look as it attracts light to your face and creates dimension to enhance your features.

I own both powder and liquid highlighters because I just love both types of formula and don’t think I actually have a preference. Powder highlighters apply and blend out very easily which is especially useful if you’re rushed for time; a few sweeps of the product with a small fan brush over the cheekbones, nose, brow bone, forehead and Cupid’s bow and you’re good to glow! I find powder highlighters give a blinding glow and have more of a shimmery finish. Liquid highlighters I feel are very illuminating and give a dewy finish which I think looks more natural yet, they can take a little longer to blend out than a powder highlighter. Both formulas are buildable meaning you can either go for a subtle look with just a small application of the product or you can go full on glowy which I definitely do for nights out.

Here are my fav highlighters:

The Balm Mary- Lou Manizer Highlighter

This highlighter is just fab! It’s a very buildable product which makes it really easy to go from natural to blinding in a few extra swipes of a brush. I love the packaging of this highlighter! I feel like it’s super fun and different to a lot of other highlighters on the market who have a more simple and plainer design. The formula isn’t chalky and blends out seamlessly on the skin with lots of light reflecting pigment. This highlighter is a beautiful champagne gold colour which looks amazing and brings warmth to your face, aswell as giving the appearance of youthful, glowy skin. It’s a gorgeous highlighter and is such a hyped about product and when you look at the pigment and at the price, you can see why!

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Spotlight Liquid Highlighter (Opal)

Bit of a mouthful, but what a stunning highlighter! It provides a creamy, dewy glow and applies wonderfully on the skin. I got this highlighter as part of Becca’s ‘Glow On The Go’ set, also containing the mini version of their best selling powder highlighter which is also incredible. With liquid highlighters, I either use the side of a beauty blender or the tip of my middle finger to pat the product into the skin. As mentioned above, they can take a little longer to blend than a powder but the pigment payoff is totally worth it, especially with this highlighter! I find that this is quite a buildable product and you only need about 3 dots on each cheek bone to get a nice glow. It blends out as a gorgeous golden, peach- toned colour which looks so beautiful on the face.

Sleek Makeup Solstice Highlighter Palette

Love love love this palette! It has a variety of formulas and includes two baked powders, a shimmer powder and a cream highlighter. I only really use the two baked powders as they are insane and definitely have the best pigment! If you’re after a blind a b*tch highlight, they’re for you as THEY’RE SOOO BRIGHT! These baked highlighters are not for those who want a natural and subtle glow, they’re for those who want to go all out and glisten. They come in two metallic shades; a pinky colour and a bronze colour. Once they’re blended into the skin, they don’t quite look those colours but there’s definitely a contrast in cool and warm tones between the two shades. Don’t get me wrong, the cream and the shimmer formulas are good, but I find they’re not as bright as the baked and the cream formula can look a little greasy. The palette comes with a mini brush which is great for travelling with but I lost my brush a couple of months ago. I tend to use my Real Techniques Highlighting brush anyway as I prefer it and it has softer bristles.

Makeup Revolution Ultra Blush Palette (Golden Sugar)

For how inexpensive this palette is, it’s pigment payoff is brill! It consists of two bronzers, two merged bronzers, two merged blushers and two baked highlighters. As you can see from the picture, my favourite shade is the white baked highlighter which I use when I want an icy, cool toned glow. If I’m honest, I only use this palette for the highlighters as I don’t use blush at all and although the bronzers aren’t bad, they blend out a little chalky. This product is incredibly affordable for the amount of variety you get in the palette, the baked highlighters are really good and last all day! The finish is shimmery and very bright which is fab if you like an intense highlight! This product is great for highlighting the inner corners of your eyes too, it really brings them out and enhances any eyeshadow look.

Iconic London Illuminator (Original)

Oh babeh! I’ve saved the best until last as this is the most amazing highlighter I’ve tried so far! A definite fav! If you’re looking for a blinding and dewy glow without looking greasy, look no further! This highlighter is raved about so much and now I know why! I bought it a few weeks ago as I’ve seen so many good reviews on it and I’m so glad I did. It’s soooo illuminating!!! You just need the tiniest amount as a little goes a long way! The applicator comes in the form of a dropper; literally one drop from it and you have an amazing glow. I love the finish to this highlighter as it makes the skin look so healthy and lustrous. For an all over glow rather than just on your usual highlighting areas, mix a few drops in with your foundation to really brighten your face. I cannot recommend this highlighter enough, it will not disappoint and is definitely worth the money!

If you use the code GLOWQUEEN at the checkout on Iconic London’s website, you should get the illuminator for £20! It’s usually £29.99 so it’s a fantastic bargain!

Below are the swatches from left to right:

1. Mary Lou Manizer 2. Becca Skin Perfector 3. Sleek Solstice (baked bronze shade) 4. Makeup Revolution (baked white shade) 5. Iconic London (once blended in, doesn’t look this dark)

5 Highlighters I want to try:

• Anastasia Beverley Hills Glow Kit – Ultimate Glow

• Wet n Wild MegaGlo Highlighting Powder – Blossom Glow & Precious Petals

• Jeffree Star Cosmetics Skin Frost – Ice Cold

• Illamasqua Beyond Powder – OMG

• Tarte Tartiest Pro Glow Liquid Highlighter – Exposed

Have you tried any of the highlighters mentioned? If so, I’d love to know what you think of them!

Thanks for reading!

Chelsea x

Instagram: @chelseadaynes_

Product list:

• http://m.feelunique.com/p/theBalm-Mary-Lou-Manizer-Luminizer

• https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/becca-opal-glow-on-the-go-collection.html

• http://www.boots.com/sleek-highlighter-eye-palette-solstice-

• https://www.superdrug.com/Makeup-Revolution/Makeup-Revolution-Blush-Palette-Golden-Sugar-149g/

• https://www.iconiclondoninc.com/collections/shimmer/products/limited-edition-illuminator

Metallic Brown Smokey Eye Look

Beauty

Who doesn’t love a good smokey eye? I know I do! It’s a very versatile look that can be worn with a variety of different lipstick colours and outfits. For this look, I used some metallic shimmer shades to make my eyes stand out more whilst still using neutral tones.

1. I first applied Golden Ochre from the ABH Modern Renaissance Palette as the base transition shade into the crease.

2. On top of that colour, a combination of Raw Sienna and Burnt Orange were blended to darken the eye and add depth.

3. Next, I used the UD Naked Concealer and my Real Techniques Detailer Brush (as usual) to carve out a cut crease, this was shaped and applied to pretty much the end of my eyelid.

4. On top of the concealer, I dabbed on a very light brown shade from my BH Cosmetics Foil Eyes Palette (the shades have no names or labels). I wore a tiny bit of the shade Cashmere from the Huda Beauty Desert Dusk Palette towards the outer corner of my eye as it’s very slightly a different metallic colour.

5. I went back in with Raw Sienna and Burnt Orange and blended it into my outer corner and very lightly over the end of Cashmere to create a blend. I then applied Raw Sienna along my lower lash line.

6. I wore the GWA Fantasy False Eyelashes and Marc Jacobs Mascara and for eyeliner used the NYX Vinyl Liquid Liner and the Seventeen Kohl Liner.