March Favourites | Pantene Aqualight | Aussie | D&G | Rimmel

Hello There!

YAY! It's my first favourites post. I have literally never been so excited about anything, ever  in my life... Ok, so that's an exaggeration. But I'm still very excited about it. We've reached the end of a month and I want to tell you about the products that I've been loving through March. I've divided them into two parts - haircare and make-up products. 
Here we go!

Haircare products that I was loving in March:

I am facing an eternal plight against frizz, and these are two discoveries that I made which really have helped me make progress in my fight.

Left: Pantene Pro-V Aqualight Conditioner: So I succumbed to the adverts and purchased a bottle to try out the range. I tend not to be that fussy about shampoos so I just started with the conditioner. As for quite a lot of people my hair type is fine hair - but a lot of it. This actually makes it really difficult to find hair products that work. But for once, I purchased a conditioner specifically for fine hair - a first for me. And I have honestly never had a product work so well, and seen really noticeable results. I literally applied no other products to my hair and never before have I seen my hair less naturally frizzy. It looked as sleek as when I straighten my hair, but had its natural waves in it. A super-product that I am recommending to everyone.

A must-have for frizz-prone hair!

Available instore and online at ebay, amazon (3 bottles), superdrug (only 75ml), boots

£1.50-£7

Right: Aussie Curl Definition+Soft Feel Serum: The name says it all. It helps define natural waves and curls, and makes you're hair noticeably softer. When I used this product I had a massive fear of horrid greasy hair full of product, which I have experienced before from similar products. But I was in for a surprise when I plucked up the courage to try this serum. It really does help tame my hair. Especially when it feel particularly damaged after heat styling. I have to say that the Aqualight conditioner above is overall more effective than this serum, but you do have to change-up shampoos and conditioners pretty often so they stay effective. So in-between using the Aqua-light conditioner, I will be using this to keep frizz to the minimum, because it really does work. I'll also be exploring more of this range soon, so watch this space if you're interested.

Available instore and online at ebay, amazon (3 bottles), superdrug, boots

£5-10

Now onto Make-Up products that I loved in March:

Dolce & Gabbana Secret Eyes Mascara: Ok, so it's no secret that I have a massive make-up crush on this mascara. I've written a 'why should I buy this mascara?' review here, so I'm not going to add to this post except for saying that: I love this mascara. 
It's an investment for beautiful eyes. Go get it.
Available here or at a D&G counter. £23.50 + delivery. 

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

Colour 100, Ivory: 

So this product has been raved about a lot on youtube and so I bought it in February. 

Since then it has become a regular liquid foundation for me. It applies really well, and has a nice consistency, it is dewy - but not so much so that it makes you look sweaty. It actually has what look like to be tiny-weeny little pieces of glitter or something (it sparkles basically), well it reflects light so it really does give you a 'woken up' appearance and makes you look noticeably radiant. 

It has a medium coverage, so you're likely to want concealer, but it does mean that it can be used as both a  summer and a winter foundation. 

An added bonus which I've really appreciated is the SPF15. For the winter days (like at the moment) it protects against harsh winds and rays from cloudy days, and then I can use it for the summer because it'll provide extra protection against the sun. Lovely jubbly.

And with my super-sensitive skin, I haven't reacted to this foundation either, which is a break-through for me. I've remained faithful to Maxfactor for a number of years, because I know their foundations don't react with my skin. But I bit the bullet and bought this foundation and have not been disappointed by blotchy skin, Yay! It also hasn't dried out my skin, which is always a worry for me with liquid foundations (weirdly). But it ticks all the boxes on the skin front. 

A definite all rounder liquid foundation, that will work for all the seasons. 

A must-have product. 

Available instore and online at ebay, boots, superdrug.

£6-£9

What products have you been enjoying for the past month?
If you any recommendations for me, or products you'd like me to review, give me a shout at graciiousme@hotmail.co.uk


Ciao for now, G x

March Minature Mayhem

Hello There!

There's Miniature Mayhem. 

Everywhere I go, everything I do, I feel bombarded by things in miniature. 

It's probably because everyone else on the entire planet is going on holiday this Easter. Ok, so maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but I think you'll understand my envy since I haven't been on holiday since I was 10. I can't physically remember a time when I was away from the UK, but I have covered most of England and Wales which I don't take for granted. Anyway, I digress. Back to miniature. 

So this is most of my collection of miniature. I do understand that it is slightly strange to have these given that I haven't been on holiday in forever. But I do travel a lot, and for some reason people keep buying me them. 

Hey - but who in the world doesn't like things in miniature, everything's cuter in mini....

Humans, Animals... and shampoo :)

These are my handbag essentials. I always have both of these just in case. For some reason I feel like I have to justify myself for this - deodorant should explain itself, but the Batiste - yes I do wash my hair. I just think it's a must-have for people with fringes. For some reason, my fringe will look greasy 5 seconds after I've washed it, so I always have a bottle with me just in case. 

I really like The Body Shop, and I find these travel-size pots really handy. I like to have one in my handbag, and switch between the different flavours. They are included in most giftsets from The Body Shop and I've collected quite a few. Here are my favourite flavours because they have really distinct smells that last a long time. They are specialised for skin types, (coconut for dry skin), but I haven't really seen the difference, so just choose my pots by smell instead!

So yes, everything is cuter in miniature, but it's also more of a rip-off. Lets face it, the reasons you buy things in smaller sizes are either because you're restricted by space (or liquid allowance) or just because they're cute. And shops know this. 

So if you want to save money from buying miniature (apart from aerosols), I'll be posting soon about what you can do to save money on travelling with skincare and cosmetics. 

Have you been bombarded by the miniature mayhem?

Ciao for now, G x

A 'Simple' Skincare Experiment (& Review)

Hello there!

Today I am reviewing some items from the skincare line 'Simple' (hey, get my witty title?)

So, without further ado I'm going to start the review!

Actually, no, I think I'd better just mention that I have the dodgiest skin in history (FACT)

Mainly, it is the driest, most sensitive and unpredictable skin ever. I also have a lot skin allergies and eczema (I know gross)... Anyway, basically it means that I have my work cut out when finding skin products that work for my skin. So I have tried a LOT of products. BUT, if they work for me, my bet is they'll work for most people.  

So, No.1 item is: Simple Kind To Skin Moisturising Facial Wash

Simple Moisturising Facial Wash, 
 £3.59, 150ml, here

Ok, so I've used this cleanser a couple of times, and yes it does clean my face, no it doesn't react with my skin, yes it does remove make-up effectively. But I haven't fallen in love with it. But to be fair, I'm not really a cleanser person. With my skin, it's clean face as quickly as possible and moisturise again.  But if you're looking for a reasonably priced facial wash, then I don't think this will do you wrong. 

I would recommend this cleanser for normal/combination skin (+sensitive). Not for oily/acne-prone skin - use something specialised (preferably containing salicylic acid.)

No.2 item is: Simple Kind To Skin Rich Moisturiser

 Simple Rich Moisturiser,  
£3.89, 125ml, here

As much as this moisturiser says that it is a 'rich' moisturiser - it is, but not rich enough for me. It's got a light texture, and couldn't possibly be described as a 'heavy' moisturiser. It absorbs really easily and doesn't leave you feeling greasy so it's a nice product to use. I wouldn't advise it for oily skin because it is oil based, but it has no fragrance making it good for sensitive skin. 

I would recommend this moisturiser for normal/combination skin (+sensitive skin) for daily use, especially if it is prone to drying out slightly. 

No.3 item is: Simple Kind To Eyes Eye Make-Up Remover

Simple Eye Make-Up Remover, 
£3.39, 125ml  here

I LOVE THIS MAKE-UP REMOVER! I have thus far been left in agony by eye make-up removers to the point where I just didn't remove eye make-up (just wiped away the panda -eye in the morning) which I know is terrible for the skin. But no such problems with this. No eye-irritation, no make-up left on, doesn't dry out skin. AND it lasts forever, I've had this bottle since October. An all-round lovely daily eye make-up remover. 

I would recommend this make-up remover to anyone and everyone. There are no downsides to it. At All. BUY IT!

No.4 item is: Simple Derma Intensive Relief Cream

Simple Derma, 125ml, £4.05 / $6.50, Amazon

(Ok, yes my pot looks worse for wear)

I would recommend this to anyone with dry skin, even as a just-in-case for the bad days. Or as an everyday thing. If you've got dry skin - you'll understand, you can never have too much moisture. Even if you just get dry skin in the winter - GET THIS MOISTURISER!!!! The only downside to this product is that I've only seen it in 50ml in the store (don't confuse with the lotion). The upside is that it is available from amazon.com here and amazon.co.uk here and if you sign up for the Amazon Prime trial you can get it next day, YAY. So now there's no excuse. 

What I would say with Simple, is that it's always worth a try because you're not likely to be disappointed. And there are often offers and deals for these products in drugstores and supermarkets. And otherwise most of the products are under £5, so it's not too much of s stretch just to try a product out. Also, if you have different skin types, Simple do other ranges specialising in oily skin, anti-ageing and radiant skin, so there's something for everyone. 

I hope you've all been inspired to try something new. Have a great day!

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Ciao for now x