Real Techiques Miracle Complexion Sponge Review

The Real Techniques miracle complexion sponge is a product i'd been meaning to pick up for quite some time, but kept forgetting to do so. On a recent supermarket trip whilst visiting my family, I noticed the sponge in the beauty aisle and in a now or never situation... it made it's way into the trolley.

Retailing at £4.99 the sponge is incredibly affordable, and not only that, but it's easy to use too.

To apply my foundation using it, I first soak it under the tap in cool water and squeeze out the excess. I like to dispense a little of my Nars Sheer Glow onto my hand and then in small stages, I'll gently take the flat edge, and begin to apply over my skin, in an almost bouncing sort of way - never dragging. If needed I'll change to the pointed end to make sure the product is applied under my eyes and around my nose, ensuring it's all even and blended out. 

I find that applying my Sheer Glow foundation in this way does make the product more sheer, and gives it a lovely natural dewy look on my skin - which makes a refreshing change.

What I liked about this sponge is how it can be used for different purposes in different ways. One end of the sponge tapers down to a point which is extremely useful for blending out concealer under your eyes, The sides are rounded which makes for easy bouncing of product onto your face and the other end is flat which allows for precision application of foundation or even contouring. 

My only negative with this sponge is that, no matter how much I seem to clean it, it always seems to be stained with foundation - which makes me feel a little uneasy about using it again.

Overall, a great budget buy and one that has made its way into my every day make up essentials... it just leaves me with the question.. How do you store yours? 

Em xxx

December Beauty Wishlist

For my December Beauty Wishlist, I wanted to share with you the products that i've seen constantly raved about on social media which have wriggled their way into my brain. These are the 5 products I'm dying to get my hands on this December.

1. Mac Soft & Gentle £23.00

I see so many beautiful make up looks with gorgeous highlights on Instagram and social media, and many all seem to feature this Mineralize skin finish powder.

2. Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Concealer - $25.00

I'm dying to get my hands on some base products from Kat Von D, and I hear great things about this creamy highly pigmented concealer.

3. Burberry Body Perfume £45.00 

I recieved a sample of this perfume from World Duty Free, It smells divine and I'm hoping it will be my 2015 scent.

4. Zoeva Brushes - €65.00

I've seen so much love for these brushes online and this beautiful Rose Gold Collection is just to die for. 

5. Sarah Chapman Skinesis Overnight Facial - £45.00

Another product that is a much loved staple in a beauty bloggers skin care collection. I've read nothing but love and admiration for this product. I wasn't sure about investing, due to the price, but I've not been able to stop thinking about this product since trying it on the back of my hand. 

I'd love to hear from you if you've tried any of the products on this list, or if you too are wishing for them! Let me know your thoughts on them in the comments!

Em xxx

Introducing Blogmas 2014

It's December 1st! Hurrah, we are now edging that extra bit closer to Christmas. With it officially being December, i'm sure that means we can now talk about the festive season without scorn, or worry for being judged for being overly eager.

As this is my first Christmas as a Blogger, i've debated for quite a few days whether or not to join with Blogmas, and I've decided that as Christmas only comes around once a year, I want to join the club and try and come up with a few festive themed posts of my own.

Now, don't worry... normal service will still remain on My Pale Skin, however you may notice some Christmasy themed posted intertwined throughout the month. I'm also going to use this as an opportunity to mix in some other posts on the blog that you may not usually see... some gift guides, party clothes ideas, or if I'm really feeling dangerous... some baking ideas. 

I want to take Blogmas as an opportunity for you guys to really get to know me better, and I'm hoping you wont get bored! So if there's anything in particular you'd like to see, or anything you don't... let me know in the comments!

Em xxx

The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter Review

In my recent trip to The Body Shop I picked up a few cleansing items from the Camomile range in the hopes of getting my skin care routine updated, locked down and working in perfect harmony with my skin.  

The Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing butter retails for £12.00 an having heard some great things about it on twitter from bloggers I love and trust, I jumped straight in purchased it without hesitation. 

How the product works is really quite simple, you take a small amount and in circular motions, work it into dry skin (on top of make up if you're wearing any!), next, soak a muslin cloth in warm water and gently wipe away, ensuring that all the product is taken off... follow up with your usual toner and moisturiser. 

I'm always up for trying new products and I loved how simple and easy this one sounded to use, however sadly,in this case, the reality didn't quite live up to the expectations. Now skin care is always subjective, and what works well for one person may not work well for others and that just happened to be the case in this instance.

I switched to using the Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter for a few weeks and it made my skin feel incredibly clean after using it in conjunction with the muslin cloth. During week one, I noticed no improvements in any troublesome areas, and a few extra breakouts I attributed to hormones, and the time of the month. I kept going with the product in the hopes of seeing an improvement, however, sadly by the end of week two, my face was in in an incredibly bad way. I had self inflicted clusters of acne all over my face including breakouts that were under as well as above the skin that were fairly sizable and quite painful. I can't actually remember the last time my skin looked this bad, and I immediately ceased using the product, instead switching back to my trusted Eucerin Dermopurifyer Cleanser and after about 48 hours, my skin calmed down and is on the way to being back to it's normal self. 

Although this product didn't work for me, It may work for you. I'd love to hear other people's thoughts on this product, did it work for you? Let me know in the comments.

Em xxx

My Skin Type - Combination.

How To Take The First Step Towards Self Improvement...

You know that list, that's stored away in the back of your brain, where you mentally take notes and ensure to criticize yourself about the items on said list on a weekly, if not daily basis... You know the list i'm talking about? 

Well, I actually decided to do something about it, and today I made a positive step to crossing things off said list. You see, I've always had a thing about my teeth... I'm an ex smoker, and my teeth wear the stains to prove it. It never used to bother me, that was until mean spirited comments from two separate people on separate occasions crept into my brain and made me begin to hate my teeth. 

The silly thing is, I let said comments seep into my mind and that made me hate smiling, I learnt to cover my teeth to hide them, to not feel ashamed, embarrassed or have more mean comments directed at me. 

I always felt like there was an excuse for not making a positive change, be it lack of time, lack of money, or lack of knowledge on how to really take that first step and go for it, when it hit me...

I could easily justify spending money on clothes, make up I didn't need, or spontaneous impulse purchases, yet I always had an excuse or a reason I couldn't spend the same amount or take the leap and make a positive change - and I'm not just talking about the colour of my nail polish... but a truly positive change that will help me move forward to being the person I want to be.

For some reason, today it clicked, and in a moment of motivation I decided to take control, and stop hiding behind reasons on why I can't do something and start looking for reasons on why I can.

And then it happened... I made the decision to purchase some Crest White Strips in the hopes of reaching my dream smile. 

I found my motivation, now it's time to find yours! So step forward and ditch the reasons you can't do something as now is the time to start searching for the reasons on why you can! You may even surprise yourself with the results.

I'd love to hear what positive steps and changes you're going to make to your life! Let me know in the comments... 

Em xxx

Sudocrem As A Moisturiser?

Sudocrem. It's a product that conjures up the image of nappy changes and thick white cream being smothered onto dry knees and elbows as a child. Of course we all know that it does wonders for changing babies bums, but did you know it has many other uses too?

Word in the blogosphere is, that Sudocrem can also do wonders for your face and over the past few months I've been dabbling and rediscovering Sudocrem -  because you never know what might work for you until you try it.  There are so many blog posts and comments out there online from people who have had their lives transformed by using Sudocrem as a moisturiser and face mask and I for one, certainly wanted in on the action.

Now, Sudocrem Skin Care Cream isn't like using your typical moisturiser. It goes on as a thick white cream and after some time, it eventually sinks in to your skin. I like to warm it up slightly between my fingers (in the hopes that it makes a difference) and then I do my best to apply it as evenly as possible. 

If I have breakout areas or dry patches, I'll apply a slightly thicker amount on that area and then it's off to bed in the hopes of perfect skin in the morning. Just a note, this is where the pale skin comes in handy, as this stuff is white, so you will look a little odd - just go with it.

Upon waking up, I can't say I've been blessed with miraculously healed skin with breakouts banished forever... however what I have noticed is that any dry areas seem to have disappeared, and any break out areas seem to have calmed down and appear less red, and It certainly hasn't caused any fresh breakouts on my skin which is always a positive as my skin seems to be so sensitive at the moment. I don't think i'd use this cream every day, however a couple of times a week seems to be doing the job for me and keeping my skin calm during any bad flare ups.

At £1.99 for 30g, it's by far one of the cheapest creams I've ever put on my face... but having seen it out perform more expensive products, it's certainly deserving of it's place on my beauty shelf.

Would you use Sudocrem as a moisturiser? Let me know your thoughts in the comments...

Em xxx

Mondrian London, Agua Bathhouse & Spa Launch

On Thursday, April and I headed over to the  Mondrian London Hotel at Sea Containers for the launch of the Agua Bathhouse and Spa.

Spa's are places that intrigue me and although I've visited one before, I rarely venture into them. It's likely because I grew up with my mother not really into beauty, she isn't one for make up or skin care products as much as I try and push them in front of her.... I'm also in the mindset that If I spend a day lounging, being pampered and just relaxing - I feel guilty. I feel guilty because I know there's a million other things I'm meant to be doing during that time.

What I loved about the ' Spa Playground' is how it's different to your everyday spa. It's modern, inviting and utterly beautiful. Designed by Tom Dixon, there's a space for everyone in the lounge area and the glamour room is set out wonderfully for Ciate manicures and pedicures. 

For treatments, the spa is packed full of 'boutique' brands such as Glamglow, Dr Jackson's Natural Products, Estelle & Thild, Billion Dollar Brows, Lola's Apothecary and many more... 

The staff are polite, friendly and highly trained and surprisingly the prices aren't extortionate for Central London- with an express manicure starting at £25 and a day packed with treatments up to £260.

Would I go there for treatments? A full day, highly unlikely - as I'm not necessarily a 'spa woman' and can think of better things to spend £260 on. However, for an afternoon with girlfriends, I feel like I've been converted and I'm pretty tempted to pay a visit and have that niggling pain in my lower back ironed out. 

Do you enjoy spa visits? I'd love to hear your top tips to make the most out of them. Let me know in the comments.

Em xxx