Beauty Bay Haul

So for my first blog post in a very long time, I thought what better than to post my most recent haul from Beauty Bay. It's been such a long time since I treated my self to new make-up and skincare products, and I'm so excited to use these products.

First up, skincare bits.

Mario Badescu- Enzyme Cleansing Gel and Glycolic Acid Toner. 

Truthfully, I ordered the Glycolic Toner as I couldn't get my hands on my usual brand, and this was highly rated on BB. However, I'm really looking forward to using this to see how it compares to other brands and the benefits for my skin. I have used the Enzyme Gel before as part of their 50th Birthday set, so I already know I really like this.

The Ordinary- Squalane Cleanser, Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 and Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

I have used both the Hyaluronic Acid and the Niacinamide before, so I know these both work really well for my skin and are a useful part of my routine. I'm really looking forward to incorporating the Squalane Cleanser in my routine, as some of the reviews I have read say how good it is at removing make-up. Time will tell! 

Also included in this is the Revolution Caffeine Essence Spray- I just haven't got a photo of this! I'm still not 100% sure I'm convinced facial mists really do make a massive difference in a skincare routine like what they say they do on the bottle, but I really enjoy using a mist as if nothing else, it helps to make my face feel refreshed. Hopefully, the caffeine in this will actually help brighten up my complexion.

Next up... Make up bits!

The Ordinary Coverage Foundation (2.1P)

I know I love love love this foundation. I've used it before and it seems to really suit my skin type (oily but dehydrated) and lasts for a really long time when I'm wearing it. The only trouble with this is getting hold of it in the right shade- most places that sell this foundation always seem to be out of stock, especially in my shade so I was very happy to find this!

Florence by Mills- Like a Light Skin Tint (M090)

I'm really excited to try this skin tint- it's part of the new range by Millie Bobby Brown which seems to be aimed at a slightly younger audience than me, but while I was looking for something a little bit more lightweight than a normal foundation, this really stood out to me.

Revolution Conceal and Define Supersize Concealer (C6/ 13)

Now I have used the Conceal and Define concealer in the past and really liked it, which is what drove me to repurchase it. I hadn't initially realised I'd ordered the supersized versions, but I'm really glad I did as they run out pretty quickly. I also ordered the shade C13 as a contour shade, as this is something I've never really experimented with before. 

Nabla Brow Divine (Uranus)

This is a brand I'd never heard of before this haul. I was initially looking for a different brow product and struggled massively to find anything darker than dark blonde. When I checked this out, it had really good reviews and it being a micro pencil was a massive bonus. It was a bit of guess work trying to find the right shade, but on first impression I think I got it right.

wet and wild Mega Protein Mascara (Very Black)

So this is the first wet and wild product I've ordered. Initially I was very surprised at the size of this mascara- it is tiny! At £2.50 I wasn't expecting the world, but even so it does seem very small. I've had sample mascaras the same size as this. However, I'm not going to write it off based off size, I'll wait until I've worn it for a whole day before forming an opinion.

Overall,I'm really looking forward to using these products. There are some old favourites couples in with some brand new items and after being so disinterested in make up for so long, this was exactly what I needed to kick myself up the bum and try again.

Mario Badescu Essentials Review

Hi Lovelies! 

So today I'm going to be reviewing the Mario Badescu 50th Anniversary Edition set. I've had this set for a while now and wanted to sit down and do a proper review on all the products now I've had time to test them all.  

I ordered the Anniversary Set from Beauty Bay for £32 (It is currently out of stock on their website though).  

It arrived in the box pictured above, with some cardboard separators between the products.  According to Beauty Bay, the set contains "Mario Badescu's bestselling and award winning essentials". Which are:
Drying Lotion,
Enzyme Cleansing Gel,
 Facial Spray with Aloe,
 Herbs and Rosewater,
Flower Tonic Mask
Silver Powder.
The set is rated as four and a half stars on Beauty Bay.

My hands down favourite product in the set is the Drying Lotion. Designed as a spot treatment, I really do feel like this helps to fight them. I wouldn't say it's an overnight cure for spots, but with a few nights of application I definitely notice my spots going away. My method of applying this is to dip a (clean) sponge tip eyeshadow applicator into the pink sediment at the bottom and then dab over any spots. The bottle clearly states to not shake the product, so I don't  know what happens when you actually do, or why you shouldn't do so.

My next favourite item in the set is the Facial spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater. I use this every morning and night, and I also use this on a Thursday after I've been swimming. I find that it helps calm my skin down, especially after being in a swimming pool, and my skin just feels brighter and more refreshed after using it.

After these two items, I would say the other three have had around the same level of impact on me. 

I enjoy using the Enzyme Cleansing Gel as my daily cleanser as it seems gentle on my skin and my skin does generally feel clean after using it. 

I also like using the Flower and Tonic Mask. Straight after wiping it off my skin honestly feels amazing. It feels so clean and smooth, like I've really got the crap out of my skin. However, these results never last for a long time on me, and its a fine line between using a mask like this regularly and overloading your skin, possibly drying it out. 

Finally, there's the Drying Powder. This is such an odd product! I'll start of by saying that I actually love the results of this. I find that it really helps to clear my skin and it reduces the appearance of my pores. I don't really have blackheads so I can't comment on that aspect of the product. However, its such a messy, hard product to use. I followed the instructions on the pot, only for it to go horrendously wrong. I then found the best way to use it was to pretend it was icing sugar, and to add water to the powder in very tiny stages until the desired consistency was reached.

Overall, I was very impressed with the set. It was my first experience of using Mario Badescu products and I would definitely be up for going back and trying more.

Thanks for reading guys, and as always if you have any comments or any suggestions on what I should try next feel free to leave a comment!xxx