What's On My Nails #3 // It's All I Can Blue

Catrice Cosmetics Nail Lacquer in It's All I Can Blue - R34.94 at Dischem - is almost like a denim blue colour and it's similar to Nails Inc Baker Street but a shade lighter that a lot of bloggers rave about.
Applying this nail polish is a dream, it glides on so smoothly and the brush is soft and thick so it covers your whole nail. In this picture I only applied two coats and it had very strong colour but in some areas it was light so to be safe next time I'll put three coats on. The nice thing about this nail polish is that it isn't too thick so you can apply three coats without your nail looking thick. Also I find when you put three coats of colour on your nails the nail polish chips quicker; which brings me onto the lasting power of this nail polish. This nail polish lasted about three days before it got the tiniest of chips in the corner of my thumb (that's with a top coat) and with me and my bad habits I start to pick at the nail polish once it has a chip in - don't ask why - which causes even bigger chips and I think it only chipped because I was trying to open a box at work and the corner of my thumb nail bent a bit. Anyways for me three to four days of nail polish lasting is enough for me. I eventually get bored of seeing the same colour on my nails after about three days and then remove it anyway so if a nail polish lasts that long for me I'm sold. I'm really in love with this colour and Catrice has a very big range of colours that I'll definitely get more of (I've already got Take Me To Coral Island).

xxx

The Winter Routine

Evening Primrose Oil Cream - R44.90
Bioderma Sensibo H2O - R152.50
Avon Solutions Hydra Radiance - R99
Avon Hint of Nature Face Mask - R49.95
The Body Shop Moringa Body Butter - R150
Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula - R29.95
Labello Hydro Care - at the time it was R14.50

As it's going into winter very quickly here, I thought it would be a good idea to get all my winter skin care needs into gear. These are all the things that I'm going to be using for my winter routine. My skin gets very dry and tight in winter and that makes it dull.
First up is my face. I'm trying this face wash from Avon called Solutions Hydra Radiance. It's supposed to hydrate your skin while giving your skin radiance. I don't really think it works too well, don't get me wrong it does hydrate my skin and doesn't leave it feeling tight and dry like most face washes can do but the 'radiance' bit is a little far fetched. My skin doesn't look brighter at all. It's not a major issue though because I'm glad that I've found a face wash that doesn't dry out my skin although it would be nice if my skin could be a little brighter and radiant. Definitely not the product to use if you're looking for radiant skin. Next up is the Bioderma Sensibo H2O - see the full review here - which is the best make up remover EVER. It removes make up in one swipe like a dream and you can feel your skin is so much smoother and cleaner. It gets rid of pimples too as it unclogs your pores and removes all the dirt from them and its not harsh on my skin. It doesn't leave it dry like most make up removers do which is a plus in winter. Highly recommended! I've also tried the Avon Hint of Nature Milk and Honey Face Mask which is an absolute pleasure to use. The milk and honey combination makes my skin feel smooth and hydrated and cleaner. It literally feels like you putting cream on your face that's how rich and creamy it is. I leave it on for about 5 minutes and rinse it off. I like that it doesn't dry on your face either. Now onto the face cream. This Evening Primrose Oil Cream is a really cheap cream from Dischem. My mom first tried it out and then I bought it myself later on. This moisturises my face without making it oily or making my skin break out. Evening Primose Oil is the stuff that is recommended for girls and their hormones... It can come in pill form and it balances your hormones so you don't get crazy freak outs and it even controls pimples to a certain extent. This cream also has Vitamin E in it which can be good for scarring. I reach for it all the time and I'm even scared to get other face creams because this stuff works so well that I don't want to buy a cream that may not work. Definitely a bargain.
Next up is my body. All I use in winter is thick body creams and this Body Shop Moringa Body Butter is just amazing. It's so thick and moisturising and gets rid of any dry patches or any tight places. The smell of Moringa is also so fresh and floral and reminds me of spring time that I don't mind it being winter if I can smell spring. The smell lasts for such a long time and mixed with my perfume, the smell is heavenly. It's not overpowering at all and I like knowing that I smell good. Definitely a good winter buy. Next is the Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula. I only got the small one because I really don't like the smell of chocolate creams. It makes me feel a little sick to be honest - crazy right? Anyways this cream stays next to my bedside table and I only use it for my elbows, knees, hands and feet as the little bottle says its for. This cream is the concentrated one so its richer. I find it works well for those areas as I find those areas get really dry in winter and this cream just gets right on down to softening the skin properly. You don't need a lot of cream for these areas either so a small bottle for me is perfect.

Last but definitely not least is the Labello Hydro Care lip ice. My lips get dry and flaky and they go white during winter because of that cold, dry air. I find this stuff really helps, it eliminates dry and flaky areas and also creates a smoother surface to apply lipstick over. I bought this last year winter and its lasted me since then and I use it all the time.

So those are my winter products with a few extra's added in whenever I feel I need it such as a bath oil or body scrub. I feel this routine really works for me... now to find some product that'll give my face a radiant glow!

xxx

Budget Beauty: Catrice Defining Blush

This is the Catrice Defining Blush in Peach - R35.95. I got this at the end of February and have been using it since. I find I reach for this most times than other blushes own. It's a very pigmented colour so you don't need a lot otherwise it'll come out an extreme pink on your cheeks and possibly make you look like a Barbie doll - literally just sweep your brush lightly through it and thats more than enough. I first move my brush sideways along my cheeks and then in circular motions to properly blend it in. It's quite a matte powder so there's no shimmer but it's not so matte that it leaves your cheeks looking dull, if that makes sense? It makes your cheeks have a rosey, peachy, healthy glow. It's very soft to the touch and it stays put for a long time which is lovely as I hate always having to touch up my make up. I also love the packaging. It's so simple yet attractive and the see-through case makes your eye catch the colour of the blush. I always think that packaging is important - if it looks crappy no one is even going to bother to even look at it as it didn't catch their eye. All in all another good product from Catrice - are they ever going to disappoint me?

Happy Monday and I hope everyone enjoys this week!

xxx

Catrice Fresh Skin Make Up

Carice Fresh Skin Make Up - R49.90

I got the Catrice Fresh Skin Make Up at the end of February. This was the first thing I tried from Catrice Cosmetics and I think this and the blush I bought really made me want to worship Catrice. It's like a tinted moisturiser and I usually wear this when I don't want to wear a lot of make up. It gives a very light coverage and it moisturises the skin. I always worry about tinted moisturisers because they tend to make my skin look really oily and it makes me break out. I decided to get this because it said "oil free" on the packaging. This is all that I've wanted in a tinted moisturiser. It moisturises the skin while not being oily and it offers a light coverage that doesn't wear off for about 6 hours which I think is good for a tinted moisturiser. I got a colour that is a bit dark for me. I got mine in 030 Honey but the good news is it gives me a bronzed look that doesn't look funny and completely mismatched, thank goodness! I think it was a really good buy and if you look at how much stuff I got from Catrice end of last month you can tell I was swayed. Also Catrice has such lovely packaging, it makes you want to buy things just for the packaging. Seriously, if you have a Catrice stall in any shops near you go take a look please!

Happy Friday everyone and I hope you have a great weekend!

xxx