Caudalie Beauty Elixr

Caudalie Beauty Elixr

Hi ladies! So today's review is a product that is brand new and you will have never heard of before…if you have been living under a rock. I know I'm a bit late to the party but I wanted to use the whole bottle before I gave you my thoughts.

The Caudalie Beauty Elixir took the beauty blog land by storm and is a product I have been tempted to buy for quite some time. The reason I put it off for so long is the price. At £9.90 for 30ml it’s not the cheapest and when you have bills coming out of your ears it’s not always possible for me to afford all the lovely products I would like to try.

Anyway at the end of summer I finally got round to purchasing this from Feel Unique, which was great timing as it came with 2 free Caudalie samples!

I think the thing that really drew me to this product is the fact it’s marketed as a ‘Beauty Elixir’ and not just another toner (which I think essentially is what it is) makes it seem that little bit more luxurious.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir smooths features, tightens pores, and gives the complexion a burst of radiance. An excellent base for make-up, Mist onto the face before your moisturiser and at any time of the day.

Apply between your foundation and powder to perfectly set make-up.this water awakens the skin in the morning and livens it up before a night out.

I have been using this after cleansing and it feels lovely on my skin, it leaves me with a really fresh feeling. I like the way the product has a pump so I can easily spritz it over my face.

 I'm always on the hunt for products that make my make up last any longer than it usually would. At first I found it quite strange applying it after my foundation but before my powder, as I've never used a setting spray before but I really did like the finish it gave.

It’s very heavily scented, which I know some people find off putting but I actually quite like it it reminds me of vicks or eucalyptus when I spray it I take a deep breath and find it quite relaxing. 

The one negative point I have with this product is that it does contains a lot of alcohol, which I usually try to avoid but it hasn't effected my skin in any way taht I can tell.

After a lot of consideration I would repurchase this. It's refreshing, sets my make up and I just really enjoy spritzing it all over my face and that's a good enough reason for me. I know I'm usually a bargain hunter but skincare is the exception, if I do like a product I have no guilt repurchasing.

Have you tried the Caudalie Beauty Elixir? What other Caudalie products would you recommend?

Why do you wear makeup?

 Hellooo you lovely lot, today I am jumping on the bandwagon of another tag: ‘Why do you wear makeup?’ When I first saw this tag I though good question! When did I go from being a fresh faced youngster to covering my face in slap every day? I suppose its part of growing up and trying to grow old gracefully.

When did you begin loving make-up? I think like most little girls I was always intrigued by makeup. I remember getting my first little make up set for Christmas and trying to copy my mum. Needless to say I ended up looking like a clown with bright blue eye shadow, red lips and ridiculously round red circles on my cheeks; thankfully I think it’s safe to say I have come a long way from those days. At school I would wear the cheapest foundation I could find and a bit of mascara. I had no idea how to properly apply foundation so you can just imagine my lovely orange face with my lily white body, no wonder I never had a boyfriend! It wasn’t until maybe two years ago that I would say my obsession started. I wanted a new foundation and decided to have a look on the internet to see what was best. Low and behold I discovered a whole community on the web of cosmetic lovers, reading review after review I couldn’t get enough of searching for and buying new products. So you might say I’m actually pretty new to the makeup world.

How do you feel without make-up? It’s actually quite scary how low my self-esteem is without it. At school I was a bit of a chunk and wore my glasses every day. Then came the time when I lost a bit of weight, got contact lenses and started to really make more of an effort with my makeup. It really is amazing how different I started being treated, people approached me more, making friends was easier even boys started to talk to me! It’s sad to say but I do think make up has a lot to do with this and when I don’t wear makeup it kind of takes me back to my ‘invisible’ days where I had no self-confidence what so ever. (Jeeez don’t I sound chirpy today, this was supposed to be a fun tag!)

What do you like about make-up? I love the way it’s so versatile. You can completely change the look of your face, you can cover up the bags under your eyes and I just think it’s quite fun experimenting. My makeup is usually quite natural but I love being able to give advice to my friends and help do theirs. And I love how it makes me feel. It such a good feeling getting ready for a night out and looking in the mirror thinking ‘yeah, I scrub up alright’ J

Three 'Holy Grail' items

♥ Collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer. A bargainous product for only £4.19 my blemishes and bags are hidden incredibly. A must for a bad skin day.

♥ Mascara. I am a mascara addict. I’m quite lucky to have long eyelashes any way but I think that it give your face a a great finish. My current favourite is Max Factor Eye Brightening mascara, this product can do no wrong for me.

♥ RealTechniques Buffing Brush. I can’t believe how long I went without this using brushes makes such a difference when trying to create a flawless look. Such a simple item with amazing results

Have you done this tag yet? does make up give you as much confidence as it does me?

Moving House

Bedroom Inspiration

Hi ladies, a bit of a different post today. I am due to move house in a couple of weeks with my friend and of course new house means new bedroom! I absolutely love looking at pictures of gorgeous houses with incredible interior designs and this is the perfect opportunity to look for inspiration to make my bedroom/ house one that people will envy.

Most of the pictures above are taken from Pintrest and while I definitely do not have the budget to recreate the majority of these looks I can’t help but lust over them and think that one day I will have a room like this! I’m also a bit of a sucker for Cath Kidston, a pretty floral bedspread is perfect for a girly room.

The thing I’m most excited about is a new make-up area / dressing table, I want a completely new storage system and just don’t know where to start.

I'd really like your help guys, can you send me any links to blog posts or You Tube videos about room tours or storage ideas?

Of course I will keep you updated with what I buy and how my room turns out. I'm excited I can't wait to get moving! 

Real Techniques Buffing Brush

Real Techniques Buffing Brush

Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman are no stranger to the blogging world, I think the majority of beauty bloggers own at least one or have them on their wish lists. To be honest this time last year make up brushes had never bothered me, I would use the free ones if I got them with a product but never thought about actually purchasing good quality ones. Well thanks to blogs and You Tube that has all changed and I know see the importance of brushes.

I received the Core Collection for my birthday back in July. I didn't do a review on these just because there are so many amazing reviews out there I didn't really think mine was needed.

However, I thought I would bring your attention to the Real Techniques Buffing Brush. I have been using this to apply my foundation every day since July, it comes everywhere with me and after I came back from holiday I stayed over at my boyfriends parents house as mine is 2 1/2 hours away from the airport. The following day when I arrived back at my house and went to apply my make up I couldn't find my beloved buffing brush anywhere! This then lead to my mad panic of  'How the hell do I apply my foundation without it!?' Do I use my fingers, do I use a cheap brush? I actually cannot believe how lost I was!

After a lot of faffing and panicking I finally found the brush after remembering I had already used it earlier that day. Idiot.

Anyway the point of this ramble is to say I actually don't know what I would do with out this brush, it applies my foundation effortlessly and give it a flawless finish. The brush is so soft yet dense it buffs the foundation in beautifully.

Real Techniques Brushes can be purchased from Boots here, the Core Collection is £21.99 for 4 brushes which is amazing value for money.

Do you own any Real Techniques brushes? How do you apply your foundation?

Revlon Colorburst Lipstick: Baby Pink

Revlon Colorburst Lipstick: Baby Pink

Lipstick tends to be a product that I neglect. I love reading posts on them and think they can really glam up a look, but for me as soon as it rubs off I just always forget to reapply. I'm also a bit of a wimp when it comes to bright lips so tend to go for more sheer colours.

Starting from now I am going to try and make more effort with my Lipsticks because I have so many that are going unused and they deserve some time in the spot light.

Baby Pink by Revlon is a gorgeous pale pink colour that I use for everyday wear. It applies sheer but when applied fully it's very bright which would be great for a night out.

The formula is very moisturising and contains sweet almond oil to improve lip texture and prevent drying.

Revlon Colourburst Lipsticks can be purchased from Boots for £7.99 which is pretty much a standard price for a high street lipstick and I would definitely purchase more lipsticks from this range.

Have you tried any Revlon lipsticks? What lipstick would you recommend I try next?



Charlie's Diary #10

Camel ♥ Hazelnut Latte ♥ Nails ♥ lazy pool day ♥ Holiday Tan ♥  Undressed ♥ Ruby the doggy ♥ No7 Goodies ♥ Holiday!

Hi Ladies, quick instagram Catch up today, I'm not sure if I've mentioned it enough but I have just come back form holiday in Egypt! Amazing place and I loved seeing a camel! Its really strange I think of a camel as not being actually real because I don't see them everyday and then when I did see one I got so excited! I think that's just me being weird though haha.

Before I went I did the usual catching up with friends over coffee, my friend bought his dog round to play shes so cute! I also needed to use up my No7 voucher so picked up these babies which were also on 3 for 2 what a bargain!

I'm really surprised I haven't posted any food pictures! This just gives me an excuse to go out for some nice meals at the weekend though.

Follow me on Instagram: misscharlieb_xx

Nails: Betty Blues

No7 Betty Blues

This week I've been feeling a bit down, there's couple of different things going on in my life at the minute that have left me feeling a bit blue, and my nails reflect that.

However, I don't want my slump to take anything away from this gorgeous colour. Betty Blues by No7 a very dark navy with some brighter blue shimmers. Its a great colour as we are going into autumn / winter and one that I know I will be wearing a lot.

The polish applies very easily and was opaque in one coat, I did apply two though to be safe.

I think No7 polishes are great quality and if you can get your hands on them while the vouchers are around they are only £2!

What's your favourite No7 polish? Do you paint your nails according to your mood?

Holiday Heroes: Egypt

Hi ladies, today's post is dedicated to my Egypt holiday heroes. It was about 36 degrees everyday while i was there and I would not have survived without these products, well that might be a bit of an exaggeration but I certainly would be burned to a crisp and lobster red without them!

♥ Calypso Deep Tan. I got this bad boy for about £3 from body care and I used this everyday when I felt I needed to top up my SPF or if I felt I was burning. It's also supposed to help enhance your tan and I have returned pretty bronzed so I am happy.

♥ No7 Triple Protection Moisturiser. This featured in my Italy Holiday Saviours post so I knew I needed this with me. I didn't really wear make up while I was there, but this is great for a bit of extra face protection and to cover my blemishes.

♥ Caudalie Beauty Elixr. I was unsure weather to take this with me or not but I'm so glad I did, It was so refreshing to spritz onto my skin. I also used it at night after cleansing and it made my skin feel clean and like I really had got rid of all  the sun cream and salt water that had made my skin feel dry.

♥ Palmers Moisturising Lip Balm. Love this stuff. My lips usually get quite dry when there is an extreme change in temperature and this helped keep them moisturised. It also has SPF 15 which is a bonus.

♥ Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder. I used this at night time when we went out and it just helped reduce the amount of shine on my face, can't go wrong.

♥ Riemans P20. This also featured in my Italy Post and I would never go on holiday without this. It is so amazing at protecting my skin from the sun, you apply it once in the morning and it protects you all day even in water, a must for any hot holiday.

Holiday Snaps: Taba, Egypt

Hello ladies, this year I have been lucky enough to go on 2 holidays ( I could still do with another). This time I jetted off to Taba, Egypt with my boyfriend and his family. 

Now I know I am pretty nosey when it comes to other peoples holidays so I thought I would give you a sneaky peak of what I got up to.

As you can see the weather was perfect and the place where we stayed was just gorgeous, so relaxing and all inclusive. I should probably explain the photo of me on the bathroom floor...This is the result of drinking Iced Coffee with Rum ALL DAY not even stopping for lunch! Mixing sun, alcohol, caffeine and not eating was not the best idea I had ever but we were completely swept up in the day I didn't even think about it. I have definitely learned from my mistake though, until the next time.

A couple of lovely ladies on twitter recommended the book I Heart New York, to take with me and I'm so glad I did. If you like light hearted girlie novels then this will be right up your street I even purchased the rest of the books in the series I liked it so much.

Back to reality now and being back at work sucks massively. I am also starting a mega health kick as indulging on food and cocktails has given me the biggest muffin top / spare tyre or whatever you wanna call it, attractive I know. I might do some posts on healthy meals if any one would be interested?

Right, back to work I go, what I wouldn't give to be at that pool bar now! 

Have you been on holiday this year? Where do you recommend for a good holiday?

MUA Undressed Palette

Undressed Palette

Oh I do love a neutral palette. I am already the owner of the MUA Heaven and Earth Palette which I use constantly, so when the Undressed Palette was released I didn't really think I needed. However after seeing a couple of reviews and swatches I decided, yes, I actually do need it in my life.

I purchased this from the MUA website while it was on offer for £3 (its usually £4 so still not breaking the bank). This palette is complete value for money and an essential for every make up bag.

As with the all MUA eyeshadows the quality of these is fabulous, they are so pigmented and it’s so easy to create a perfect smokey eye effect. My particular favourite is shade 2 which is a gorgeous highlight colour and shade 4 which I usually use all over my lid.

Have you tried any MUA products? Do you like their palettes?