May Loves Makeup 500 follower giveaway!

One of my favourite blogs, May Loves Makeup, has reached 500 followers and to celebrate she's picked all of these awesome goodies to give away! For a well written blog with great wearable FOTD's and reviews go check it out, linky above.

Review - Soap & Glory Clean Mary Cleansing Milk

This is another product in the Soap & Glory hatbox I got just after Christmas, in the box it was a large sample sized tube. At first I didn't bother using it because I was trying to use up my Clinique cleansing soap but after eventually deciding to give that up as it wasn't working for me I thought I'd give this a bash. According to the Boots website, 3 or 4 pumps should be rubbed onto your face. I find that I use two and that is plenty, although I do usually use this after my Cetaphil for a bit of extra cleansing to make sure I'm squeaky clean! It really does have a milky consistency, I much prefer the pump application of the full size than the tube of my sample which was mostly lost to the bottom of the shower.
The packaging says that it is supposed to help reduce pores and smooth the skin and that it is suitable for all skin types. Although I am usually skeptical to claims such as these I have found since using this daily my pores have shrunk a LOT, though this may also be due to the different toners I have been using.
When I finished my sample I immediately hunted around about 4 different Boots stores in my area looking for this badboy, eventually I did find some on one of those clearance stands at half its usual price (£6 for 180ml) so I think it may be in the processes of being discontinued. It's showing at its usual price on the Boots website though. I hope they don't get rid, for the few weeks I didn't use it I could definately tell the difference in my skin, have repurchased several (cleared out Boots I found it in, 3 bottles!) and if you can find it, I recommend!

Review - Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser for normal to oily skin

I picked this up on holiday in NYC in April as I was trying to save space and took a tiny pot of cleanser that lasted all of two days, doh. I'd read about this on MakeupAlley and saw it in a drugstore for around $8-9 for 8 fl oz or 237ml, and I've used it pretty much daily since.
According to their website this cleanser is suitable for oily, normal and combo skin, removing makeup and other gunk without irritation or drying, and it is dermatologist recommended. As you can see (kind of) the product is clear with almost a watery consistency. Although it does make my skin feel clean after use it doesn't really lather which I know some people do like, but it doesn't come with the tight, irritated and itchy feeling that I sometimes get after using products with muchos latering. I use this to remove my face makeup, following with Soap & Glory's Clean Mary (review to come!) as some days I do wear primer, foundation, the works and I like to ensure it's completely gone before I go to bed. I only use one pump so it has lasted for aggges but it is approaching empty. Unfortunately I don't think this version is available in the UK :( as it isn't showing on the website and I haven't seen it in places that do stock Cetaphil products (such as Lloyd's Pharmacy) so although I do want to repurchase it may have to be an eBay jobby.
Overall, if your looking for a cleanser that may not perform miracles but will remove your makeup and other dirt and grime without making your skin uncomfortable or clogged, give this a go. There is another version for sensitive or dry skin and I may give this one a go during the winter time when I do get dry patches. Let me know how you got on if you have used this version....

What I used in the bath today....

Hi guys! I'm a little bit ashamed I haven't managed to even get this blog off the ground yet, I was hoping to get it started at the end of uni but alas, due to re-takes, work and other bizzles I haven't yet. So I'm going to pull my finger out and start now before I start uni again (yay last year!) and yet again have no time.
So to begin....
I decided to do a first post about the everyday things I use and this is what I used during my bath this morning......
Soap & Glory - The Greatest Scrub of All

Please accept my apologies for the shoddy Blackberry pictures and that I don't know how to use this website yet!
So I got this scrub last Christmas from my mummy dearest as part of the Soap & Glory Hatbox that was in the January sales in Boots. This scrub is still available at £8 for 125ml according to the website.
I use this scrub maybe twice to three times a week depending on how manky (technical term) my skin is feeling.I don't know how much you can see in the picture above but there are two kinds of scrubby bits in this, smaller grains throughout and a some bigger beads that pop when your scrubbing. The principle with this exfoliator seems to be that the more you scrub the smoother your skin is, and it definately works! I have combination skin with an oily T-zone which isn't sensitive but some products can leave my skin feeling very uncomfortable, especially exfoliators, but this one doesn't. Use a little for a quick scrub (sides of the nose, chin) and a pea sized blob for my whole face.
Overall, if your looking for a foolproof face scrub give it a go. It's suitable for all skin types, there are instructions on how often to use it according to skin type (2-4 times a week for oily, less for combo/dry), the scent isn't madly overpowering like in some Soap & Glory products and it's reasonably priced. I'll be repurchasing when I run out unless something else has caught my eye!