inexpensive skincare products for sensitive skin

hi everyone, today i'm doing a blog post all about the skincare products i use! i have pretty good skin, but i have been using skincare products for 2 years and they all work really well so i think that's why. i know a lot of people who wear makeup but don't do skincare and i think it should be the opposite. since i have been wearing makeup i haven't noticed a difference in my skin at all which is brilliant, as it's meant to affect it. skincare is a very personal thing but if you have dry-normal skin, i would definitely try these products!

the garnier micellar water is a life saver! it makes removing your makeup so easy and quick, it also cleanses your skin aswell. I can't really fault this product, great value for the money doesn't irritate my skin and is just amazing!

I don't use this product regularly, as I don't wear much eye makeup on an everyday basis so normally the micellar water does the job. but on days when I wear quite heavy eye makeup I always use this eye makeup remover. this is by simple so it is very gentle and it doesn't irritate your skin. this is also very inexpensive which is always a plus, overall great product!

I have been using the simple hydrating moisturiser for about a year and I absolutely love it. this sinks in really fast yet it still moisturises your skin really well. as its simple it doesn't irritate your skin and I feel like most skin types would like this product. if you have really dry skin they also do a rich formula, which is a great alternative.

*sorry this is really dark*

a lot of people don't think to use some sort of eye cream/gel/roller especially at my age, but it really wakens me up in the morning and is just lovely and cooling under your eyes. your under eyes is a very delicate area so it is very important to take care of it. this is a liquid formula but not runny, and I usually apply it then dab the rest in until it sinks into my skin with my ring finger. 

as my skin can get really dry, especially in winter I use e45 at night all over my face to give it loads of moisture. i always have a bottle of this as i used to get really bad eczema when i was younger so i like to keep that at bay. the only thing is, even though this product is suitable for sensitive skin it can sometimes be a little bit stingy around the nose area so i try to avoid that area.

i wasn't too sure about including this, but i use this to clean my makeup brushes. this is how i can wear makeup and not do much damage to my skin as i clean my makeup brushes regularly which is the main cause of getting spots by wearing makeup. this is really easy to do, i might do a post on it soon please let me know if you would like to see that. johnson's baby shampoo is a cheaper alternative to a brush cleaner but works the same. it also doesn't irritate your skin and i love the smell it gives your brushes!

these are both of my face washes which i switch between. i use the refreshing one in the summer and some mornings and the moisturising one in the winter. these are both made for sensitive skin which is a plus and they both last forever despite being inexpensive. both of them have really helped my skin the past year or two and i don't think i need to buy a different face wash as these work wonders!

this is the moisturising face wash by simple which is perfect for when it's winter and your skin gets a bit drier. this foams really well which i really like and you only need a small amount. not much else to say about it!

this is great for all year round but i tent to use it in the warmer months or sometimes in the morning. this really wakes you up in the morning and even though it says that it doesn't foam, however it does?! you don't need a lot at all and it cleanses very well.

these are the facial scrubs i use which are both amazing and have definitely prevented having bad skin. they are both completely different, the t zone one is more gentle and the simple on is a bit more exfoliating and really scrubs your skin

this is the more gentle scrub which i use on an everyday basis, i know you are not meant to but this is very gentle and it hasn't affected my skin in a bad way at all. this is designed to get rid of blackheads and it definitely does! i used to get quite a few blackheads before using this product and it has done it's job. this can be a bit harder to get a hold of, i get it from either b&m or home bargains but if you don't have access to either of the shops you can get it from amazon.

the simple smoothing facial scrub i use once a week usually when i do a bit of pampering. this really makes your skin really soft and gets your skin so clean its just so good! i would only use this once a week as it is quite harsh but if you have oily skin, i recommend using it twice a week. this is way easier to get a hold of, you can find it pretty much anywhere that sells skincare.

that's the end of my favourite skincare products, i love all of these and i definitley reccomend them all. thank you for reading, please leave a comment saying what are you favourite skincare products as i would love to know! - em <3

Chocolate chip cookies

Hey everybody,

yesterday i made some really tasty chocolate chip cookies and i thought i would share the recipient with you

you will need:

- 250g plain flour

- 2g / tsp baking powder

- 170g unsalted butter

- 220g brown sugar

- 100g white sugar (i used caster sugar)

- 10ml / 1/2tbsp vanilla extract

- 1 egg

- 250g chocolate chips (I cut up prices of dark chocolate)

- pinch of salt

method:

1. pre-heat oven to 165 degrees C (325 degrees F) and grease backing sheets with or line with parchment paper

2. sift flour, baking soda and salt into a bowl and set aside

3. in a larger bowl, whisk together the butter, brown and white sugar. beat in the vanilla and egg until light and creamy. mix in the flour and then stir in the chocolate chips.

4. put the cookie mix on the baking sheets a large teaspoon at a time and cook for 10-15 minutes.

my favourite youtubers

hi everyone, since vlogmas ended my subscription box has been so empty so i have found some more youtubers that i love! sorry we haven't been that active on here both of us haven't been feeling very well and both had a few migraines so we couldn't look at a screen! i have tons of favourite youtubers so be prepared for a long post!!! so if you are having the same problem and would like to watch some new people keep reading.

beauty/fashion/lifestyle
alexa losey - i love alexa she is so like me and her videos are amazing quality and just goals!
alisha marie - alisha is probably in my top three, i just love her videos and i just love her personality! her videos are so high quality and her editing is just goals!
amelia liana - amelia was one of the first youtubers i watched however i stopped watching her but now i have subscribed and i am loving her videos!
amy macedo - amy is so good at makeup! i watch her videos with no intention of recreating the looks but just kind of watching in aw!
anna saccone - anna relaxes me so much for some reason?! she makes a range of beauty, fashion and lifestyle. she also has the cutest children, emilia and eduardo.
arna alayne - arna is quite a small youtuber but is very dedicated and creates high quality content.
ashley nicole - ashely has really upped her youtube game recently and her videos are just on point!
becca rose - i have watched becca for absolute ages now, she just creates the best makeup videos!!
bethany mota - even though bethany doesn't upload that often when she does her videos are just so good!
chloe lukasiak - i have always loved chloe since dance moms and have actually met her! her videos are just really good and i just love her!
eleventh gorgeous - i have watched them as well for ages as there videos are just so good and they upload very regularly.
ella may - ella is a small youtuber but her videos are just as good, maybe even better than big youtubers!
emily canham - emily's videos are just amazing, she is so good at makeup and i definitely trust her opinion and recommendations,
eve bennett - eve has just recently hit 100k, so isn't really a small youtuber anymore! i just love eve and she makes really good videos and i could honestly watch her all day.
fabulous hannah - hannah is just so laid back and relaxed and she is just so funny. i feel like when i'm watching her i'm getting more laid back and relaxed!!
fibro mom - this channel probably doesn't appeal to everyone probably only people who have chronic illnesses but she has helped me through so much and we talk a lot on instagram which is really fun and yeah i love her!
floral princess - anastasia has also recently hit 100k and also has amazing videos, not too mention her room is goals!! great quality and is very consistent with her uploads, overall a great channel.
gabriella - gabbie's videos just keep getting better and better, her editing is so good and is also very high quality.
jaclyn hill - jaclyn is just so gorgeous and is an amazing makeup artist. i find her videos so interesting and i watch in aw!
just jodes - jodes is a brilliant youtuber despite the fact she doesn't have loads of subscribers.
laurdiy - i love this channel, as her videos are so creative and she puts loads of effort into them. normally these sorts of channels post once every 3 months or something but she posts weekly!
lovevie - evie is another small youtuber but does not disappoint, her editing is just goals, her quality is amazing and does a range of different and unique videos.
lucyandlydia - lucy and lydia i have watched for a little while now and i really like their videos. i really trust their opinion and their get the look videos are probably my favourite.
maddy hayes - maddy has one of the best 'tumblr' channels, her videos are all just goals and she puts a lot of effort into them. she posts fairly regularly for her type of channel as her videos take a while to film and edit etc.
meg says - i just love meg! i find her videos so relaxing and she is such a nice person. she also has a chronic illness and she has taught me a lot.
meghan rienks - meghan is so funny and makes really good quality videos. she is just such a normal person and very relatable!
missremiashten -  remi is just such a joy to watch really upbeat and fun and makes incredible content!
olivia grace - liv is quite a small youtuber but her channel is comparable to channels with thousands of subscribers. she creates very good quality and is very consistent with her uploads.
pixiwoo - i love watching sam and nics videos, i find it so relaxing and i just love to see how they do things. they definitely know their stuff and i can definitely trust their opinion.
sprinkleofglitter - louise is quite a big youtuber, she makes really good videos which are also really funny! she is really inspiring and definitely deserves every one of her subscribers.
tanya burr - tanya is also a big youtuber and is a trained makeup artist. her makeup tutorials and baking videos are my favourite videos of her and i'm actually making her cookies today!
tati - tati is big youtuber as well but isn't really talked about! she is probably my favourite makeup channel and she posts daily which is a massive plus
zoella - zoe is very popular, but deserves all of her amazing opportunities and viewers! she is one of the first youtubers i watched and she is just so admirable!! i have actually met her on her book tour and she is just so lovely!

vlogs
ashleynicolevlogs - ashely just has such a lovely personality and are the sort of vlogs that you watch to the end! she also uploads regularly which is a plus.
brogantatexo - even though brogan uploads proper main channel videos, her weekly vlogs are just so good!!
chris ballinger - i love all of the ballingers and chris and jessicas family vlogs are just the best and their kids are so cute!
colleen vlogs - i just love colleen and her vlogs are definitley up there! her tour vlogs are just amazing just now and so are all her other ones!!
emilycanhamvlogs - emily's daily vlogs are so good, there are now part of my daily routine!
extrajill - i have only been watching jill's vlogs for a couple of weeks but i have really got into them. her mexico vlogs are just so funny and such a joy to watch.
jakeboysvlogs - jake is emily's boyfriend and they are just so cute together! anyway his vlogs are so fun to watch and is really dedicated and you can really tell that he loves vlogging.
joshuadtv - i wasn't really sure what category i should put josh in so i just put him in this one! josh is just great i don't really know what to say really!
morezoella - i loveee zoes vlogs there just so good, they are always so long and i just love them!
rachelvlogs - as well as a main channel rachel also vlogs, i have to say she isn't the most consistent and the best vlogger but she is really funny!!
remilife - remi's personality is just brilliant, she uploads very regularly and makes me so happy :))
sacconejolys - sacconejolys is a family vlogging channel, they're kids are just the cutest and i give them massive credit for uploading every day for years!!
sprinkleofchatter - louise does some of the best vlogs! she is currently vlogging really regularly which is great and she also has the cutest daughter, darcy.
teeandess - teeandess is eleventh gorgeous' vlog channel. not only do they vlog they also do unboxings, taste tests and challenges on there!
thatcherjoevlogs - joe is not a daily vlogger ;)) but vlogs regularly! he is so laid back and is just so funny!
the michalaks - i honestly don't know why they don't have more subscribers!! if i had to recommend one channel it would this one, their editing is just unbelievably good and make the most amazing weekly vlogs!
vlogbby11 - alisha also vlogs and i love them as much as her main channel videos!! she has such a lovely personality and i never get bored watching them!

funny
caspar - caspar is just so funny and his videos just keep on getting better and better!
kory desoto - kory is colleens gay best friend and he is honestly hilarious, i bet you will cry laugh at his videos!
miranda sings - i think everyone knows who she is and is very hard to describe!!
psychosoprano - i just love colleen! she doesn't necessarily make funny videos all the time but she does like funny/challenge videos and the occasional singing video.
rachel ballinger - rachel is colleen's sister and she is just hilarious! rachel's room is definitely a highlight of my week haha!
simplynailogical - you are probably thinking why are you putting a nail art channel in this category, well christine just has the best sarcastic voice overs! i literally laugh out loud when i watch her videos and she is posting more and more!
thatcherjoe - joe is absolutely hilarious, he is so funny and just makes the best funny videos!
tyler oakley - tyler is just queen!<3 so funny and is really popular but he deserves all his subscribers!!

food
cupcake jemma - jemma's videos are just so good and i have tried many of her recipes and they have all worked out well.

hope you liked this post, its a bit different and i hope you have found some new youtubers to watch. - em - <3

makeup revolution sugar and spice ultra blush palette review + swatches

i recently picked up the beautiful blush palette from makeup revolution. it comes with 8 shades which are all so pigmented and gorgeous. this is only £6 which is just amazing for the quality. there is 2 bronzers in this palette along with 6 blushes. there is also a baked highlighter and a baked blush which are so pretty! also could you excuse my puffy and discoloured hands that's what chronic pain does to you ;( another thing is one of the bronzers I forgot to swatch and take a photo but you will be able to see it in another photo xxx 

first of all I'm going to be showing you what the palette looks like and the packaging.

the packaging off this is super sleek and isn't cheap looking at all despite being very inexpensive! 

packaging - 9/10 

this is an overview of all the colours which are all so pretty. you have basically all the colours you need minus a few more pinky shades which are included in the other ultra blush palettes. I think it's really good that they included the bronzers and highlight in it as its great 

colour selection - 7/10

as you can see the colours are a bit darker in real life so I would definitely open it before buying. 

first swatch I'm going to show you is the highlighter which is just such a gorgeous baked highlight.

this is so pigmented and just has a lovely shimmer and glow to it. it has a bit of a pink tone to it which is just so flattering on the cheek bones. 

I rate this - 9/10

next is a blush which quite a bright pink colour which looks so lovely and gives a rosy flush.

this is probably one of the most pigmented blushes I have tried. great for winter and can be built up to your preferred look. personally this isn't an everyday colour for me so i have not used it that much.

I rate this - 7/10

next one I'm going to show you is the one of the bronzers which is such a good shade for me as I have pale skin. depending on your skin tone this can be used as a blush but it works for both! 

this isn't as pigmented as the other blushes but it it can be built up until you want your desired look. I can't believe how good the colour is for me! I use this more for bronzing up my skin rather than contouring but I'm sure this will work for that as well depending on your skin tone. another good thing is this is matte which in my eyes is always a plus for a bronzer!

I rate this - 8/10

*forgot to swatch the darker bronzer but it's the same as the the other one but darker*

next is another blush which is a baked plum coloured blush which is just the most beautiful thing I have ever seen!! 

as you can see this is like a highlight plus a blush which is honestly gorgeous, it's very shimmery which i really like but it is very very shimmery almost sparkly. this is a lovely autumn colour and just again a really nice rosy colour. again this isn't an everyday colour but I might use it quite a lot in the autumn. 

I rate this - 9/10

next is probably one of my favourites as its a lovely peachy colour which looks so natural and perfect for the upcoming warmer months. 

this isn't as pigmented as the other ones but is a lovely subtle natural colour. this is mostly matte and is just a great everyday peachy colour.

I rate this - 9/10

next is a lovely plum colour which is the perfect matte autumn blush!

 

this is one of the more pigmented ones and its just so creamy and looks amazing on the cheeks. even though it looks kind of scary when you put it on its actually very flattering and not really red. 

I rate this - 8/10

last blush is another plum colour which is slightly lighter than the other one in this picture but is actually darker in real life?!

I don't know why it shows up lighter but hay ho! this is actually a bit too dark for my skin so I don't really use this one. however if you have the skin tone I think this would look beautiful. this is not quite matte but not shimmery which is probably my favourite type of blush. 

I rate this - 6/10

overall I absolutely love this palette definitely recommend, even if you aren't going to use all the shades as one single blush is usually around £6 in the drugstore and it's just really handy to travel with or experimenting!

thanks for reading this blog post, comment if you would like more reviews and what are your favourite makeup revolution products. - em <3

Favourite lush bath products

hey everyone, today i thought i thought i would share with you a few of my favourite lush products (bath bombs). I'm sorry i didn't use my own pictures as i have obviously used the bath bombs and i haven't had the chance to repurchase them as my nearest lush is a while away.

frozen - bath bomb

i really liked this bath bomb and i actually got given another one for Christmas that i haven't used yet so this is why i have a picture of this. anyway this bath bomb makes your bath turquoise and sparkly and it smells amazing. it also feels so good on your skin and i am definitely going to repurchase it

rate /5 - 4

cost /£ - £3.95

intergalactic - bath bomb

this bath bomb is amazing! it goes so many colours when you put it in the bath and it reminds me of the milky way. i have used this twice and i'm defiantly going to repurchase as it is probably my favourite bath bomb

rate - 5

cost - £3.95

fizzbanger- bath bomb

this is a really nice bath bomb and it smells like apples. it also changes colour as it fizzes, and has popping candy in which is so cool! I would probaly repurchase

rate - 4

cost - £3.50

skydancer - bath bomb

i really like this bath bomb, my sister also got it so the picture is off her instagram. anyway this is a really amazing bath bomb because it is floral scented and is really refreshing. this bath bomb also raises money for charity

rate - 4

cost - £3.95

brightside - bubble bar

i love this product as it is really good for my skin. the bright colours will make the water an orange colour and it smells like oranges; this scent is probably my favourite

rate - 5

cost - £4.95

the comforter - bubble bar

the smell of this bubble bar is amazing. it's really fruity and smells a bit like summer fruits. the product turns your bath a bright pink which is really relaxing.

rate - 4

cost - £4.95

unicorn horn - bubble bar

just look at how amazing this bubble bar looks. it's rainbow coloured and in the shape of a unicorn horn! wow! this product is lavender scented and i used it after I had had a bad day and it really brightened my mood, i think because it got me excited about unicorns *inserts the laughing emoji that you can't get on computers/laptops* anyway it turns your bath an amazing pink/purple

rate - 5

cost - £4.25

i hoped you liked this post and maybe you can tell us your favourite lush products, when i next visit lush i may do a haul so look out do that!

~ Ella x

 

my favourite makeup products

hi everyone today I am going to be sharing my favourite makeup products. this was very requested and I was also going to do an everyday makeup routine aswell but I pretty much use all these products on an everyday basis so it wasn't necessary. I tried to narrow this down to 1 product per category, but it didn't happen!

primer -
primer is quite a new thing to my routine, i didn't really think that it was important until i tried some. my favourite one is definitely the maybeline baby skin warm apricot anti fatigue primer. this is a silicone based primer which i really like, i have heard a few people who say that they don't like this range. However the first time i used this i didn't notice a difference until the second time i used it when i used a bit more and it worked wonders! so maybe they just didn't use enough, so if this is you and you still have it in your makeup collection, try it again but use more ;)) this makes my skin look so nice and i have had many complements saying that i look so much better, so definitely a must have for a chronic illness fighter!xx

concealer - 

my favourite concealer is the rimmel wake me up concealer. this is such a lovely creamy concealer and even better it's a drugstore one! this is only £5.49 and personally I think it's worth more. this doesn't crease on me which is so great and it does a really good job at covering blemishes aswell as covering dark circles. I have really bad dark circles because of my chronic illness/fatigue and this is pretty good at covering them! I definitely recommend this concealer, go get it!xx

powder -

I have talked about this in every makeup post pretty much, the reason for that is because it's amazing!! it's the rimmel stay matte powder which completely mattifies your face and its so inexpensive. will never get another matifying powder really, definite recommend.

blush -
i have two blushes which i just couldn't narrow down they are the makeup revolution blushing hearts and a max factor blush. sadly i cannot tell you the shades of these as on the max factor blush it rubbed off and the blushing hearts the shade isn't written on it for some reason. 

first up is the max factor blush which i love it is a pinky baked blush with sort of a peachy undertone and with bronzer through it, it's just absolutley beautiful and perfect for the summer, this pretty much goes with every makeup look and is so nice and it's a very natural blush colour which is perfect for everyday wear.

the last blush i'm going to be reviewing is the makeup revolution blushing hearts which is such a good dupe for the too faced sweetheart blush. this is a triple baked blush which has a built in highlight which is really nice. blush is a makeup essential for me and these two blushes are just so beautiful.

bronzer - 

i only have one bronzer as to be honest im not the best at applying it so i only really use it to enhance my jaw line and very subtly contouring my cheekbones and just sweep it all over my face! the one that i use is the honolulu bronzer by w7 which is a dupe for the benefit hoola bronzer. i haven't tried any other bronzer so i can't compare this to any other one but this is really nice, its quite a dark bronzer so thats the only bad thing really.

highlight -
highlight is something that i recently have started wearing and it honestly makes such a difference. it just gives your face such a lovely healthy glow. i have been using the highlighter from the makeup revolution sugar and spice ultra blush palette which just has the most beautiful highlighter. it's pure white with shimmer through it which i quite like on the cheek bones. not going to go into any more detail as i might do a seperate review on the whole palette.

mascara -
the mascaras that i am going to be writing about are fairly new ones which i just love! they are both benefit mascaras which are just both amazing, i have them in minis as i didn't want to spend a lot of money on mascaras that i might not like and so i can switch between them and finish them before they dry out. the deluxe minis you can buy from boots for £5 and you can also find them in gift sets which are mostly available at christmas time. 

roller lash i use for school days as it gives a lovely lonng lasting curl and length as well but a bit more natural than they're real. 

they're real is probably the best mascara i have tried it makes them look as big as false lashes it's just amazing. the wand on this mascara is very unique it has spikes on the end and it just looks so cool i think this is the key to the false lash effect rather than the formula.

eye shadow -
i wear eye shadow everytime i wear makeup and i love experimenting with it. on an school days i put some of the makeup revolution single eye shadow which is in a shimmery white colour in my tear duct and just a matte skin colour shadow all over my eye lid to get rid of vains.

on the weekends i usually use the makeup revolution naked chocolate palette which is so pretty. it does smell a little bit of chocolate but it's quite artificial. all of the colours in this palette suit me so much and has a lovely range of mattes and shimmers which i really like as you can create mutiple different looks.

lipstick -
i'm not really into really bright lipstick as to be honest im not confident enough to wear it. so my favourite is a nude lipstick which just makes my lips a better colour but very natural, this is so moisturising and not drying at all, such a lovely formula and you get a lot of product. the packaging of this is sooo pretty and just my go to nude!

tinted lip balm -
i love tinted lip balms so much they are just amazing! aside from the baby lips that everyone talks about my other favourite is the mua sweet sheen lip balm, aparently this is a dupe for benefit balms which i didn't know at the time but i think these are just as good, this just smells amazing! the formula is so buttery and moisturising and gives a good amount of colour. you can get quite a few shades from this line, i have peach dream which is a lovely spring/summery colour. they are only £1.99 which is such a bargain, definitley reccomend this!

lip gloss -
i have never been a massive fan of lip glosses until i tried this tanya burr gloss. this is the first lip gloss i have tried that isn't sticky it feels lovely on the lips. this is the shade lunch date which is a gorgeous nude colour. this is actually very pigmented for a lip gloss and is very moisturising and just a great gloss!

lip balm -
i kind of have an obssesion with lip balms for some reason so it was very hard for me to narrow this down to one. i was going to say vaseline but i think everyone uses it so i thought i would mention baby lips! i have got both of the hydrate ones which i love, the yellow one i have actually finished so i got the blue one recently to replace it because they are just so good!! so moisturising, cute packaging and just a great lip balm!

hope you liked this post, i loved writing it! if you have any requests just comment and i will be sure to do them. have a lovely weekend everyone <3xx