FACE WASHIN'

Hey folks, if you follow me over on insta then I promised a post bringing you "the mother of all face washes", so voila!

If you read my previous review about the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate then you'll know how much I loved it, so much so, that it encouraged me to try some of Kiehl's other products.

I'd read a lot of good reviews about their "Ultra Facial Cleanser" so thought I'd give it a go and I have to say I'm really glad that I did.

I have normal/oily skin and I've probably tried every face wash under the sun that promises to reduce shine, minimise pores, clear blemishes blah blah... You know the script.

The first thing I noticed about the Kiehl's cleanser was how dreamy and creamy the consistency was.  It's pretty thick and my first impression was that it would maybe be too much for my skin, but actually, you only need a teeny, tiny amount of this glorious wash and it glides beautifully over the skin.  Lather it up, wash it off and I promise you that your skin immediately feels fresh, makeup-free and squeeky clean.

Kiehl's promise that the wash "thoroughly cleanses skin and removes makeup without over-drying or stripping the skin if its natural oils".  I can confirm my lovelies, that it does exactly that.  I have found some face washes in the past to be very harsh on my skin, leaving it feeling dry and even red and blotchy, but this certainly does what it says on the tin and leaves your skin feeling top notch without drying it out.  Follow this at night with the Midnight Recovery serum and ooohhhhh my god, your skin will LOVE you for it.  Pinky promise.

The Ultra Facial Cleanser comes in two sizes; 75ml at £8.50 and 150ml at £15.00.  Now in the past, I would never have normally spent more than a few pounds on a face wash but this is definitely worth the extra couple of quid.

As I said, you only need a very small amount of this so even your 75ml size tube will last like, forever.

When I bought this wee gem I got a free sample of the "Daily Reviving Concentrate".  If I'm honest, I've not used this enough to give you an honest opinion, but it certainly gets top marks from me for the smell and ability to wake yo skin up in the morning pre-makeup.

Next on my wishlist is the "Rare Earth Pore Cleansing Masque" - I'm off to Florida soon (AAHHHH!!) so I'm hoping to treat myself to lots of Kiehl's and other skincare products whilst I'm there.  My skin can hardly wait!

Do you have any skincare recommendations?  I'd love to hear from you!

Muchos love, Rachel x

WEDDING BELLS

Hey everyone, and happy hump-day!  Now that July is over and we're into August (I know, what the actual muff), we're well and truly into wedding season... Hooray for pretty dresses, copious amounts of alcohol and fascinators bigger than my head.

 

I love a good ol' wedding as much as the next person, but when you have several in the space of a year, it can definitely come at an expense with all the outfits, wedding gifts and potential travel and accommodation involved.  As someone who is currently saving her butt off in attempt to get on the ever price-increasing property ladder, I decided to reel the spending in a little bit this summer and set myself a target of buying an entire outfit for under £50.  Was £50 realistic?  Maybe, but at the time it didn't seem that way, and I can't tell you how many times I saw a gorgeous dress in excess of £100 and managed to refrain from sticking it on my credit card.  Good restraint, Rach.

 

After weeks, maybe even months, of drooling over dresses online I finally managed to find this lacey little number when snooping through the rails at TK Maxx.  I thought "oh, that's nice, and I have shoes already that would match so I would only need to buy a bag and a fascinator..."  With that in mind, I turned over the label to be very, VERY pleasantly surprised that it cost £19.99!!!  An absolute steal if you ask me.

 

My next hunt was for a matching bag and fascinator and with a mahoooosive sale on, it seemed Accessorize was the only place to go.  I managed to pick up a pretty snazzy looking fascinator for £10.50 (reduced from £35!) and a cute, ivory satin bag to match for £6.00.  Now maths wasn't my strongest subject in school, but that my friends, takes my grand outfit total to a nice little £36.49.  Mission accomplished.

 

I know that shopping through sale rails can be a task in itself at times, but if you're on a budget then I can't recommend enough taking a little extra time to look for a good bargain.  This time of year is especailly good for them as many shops have their summer sale going on.

 

Do you struggle with finding the right outfit for a special occasion?  Where are your "go to" shops when in need?  I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas!

 

Unfortunatly these pictures were taken on the day of the wedding with an iPhone, and with my prosecco cap on, I didn't think to take more detailed pictures of my accessories but I hope you enjoy having a peek anyway!

 

Rachel

Fascinator - Accessorize

 

Clutch bag - Accessorize

 

Dress - TK Maxx