The UK Beauty Wishlist

I need more makeup/skincare like I need a hole in the head, but when in a different country who can resist? There are a few high ticket items I'm looking to get while the exchange rate is in my favour, but I'm honestly most excited to peruse the aisles of Boots for new releases and the 2for3 signs. Drugstores in the US are a bit rubbish (especially where I live). With a bit of help from Grace (she basically wrote out enough products for me to spend my entire life savings on) and some other UK blogger stalking I've got a rather long list going eek.

M A K E U P

I think the number one makeup product on my list at the moment is the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder. Mostly because I want to swatch shades 1 and 2 to see which matches better, but also because it ends up being $5 cheaper (win). My friend ordered this recently and its unbelievably smooth and weightless. I may also be tempted to get the Light Wonder Foundation but we shall see. Grace suggested I try out the Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation which sounds right up my ally. It's meant to be super lightweight and dewy, but also has a decent amount of coverage. I'm interested to compare it to my beloved Burberry Fresh Glow. I'm also psyched to pick up some more Sleek Blushes because I loooove the formula and they're so so inexpensive. I've been in the market for a new liquid liner and the Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner is supposed to be the creme de la creme so I'm sure I'll be picking that up. I'm also very excited for the Topshop beauty section, Grace reccomended a bunch of products to me but I'm all ears for more. I only have a small TS section in Nordstrom here, and they definitely don't carry the beauty. We can get Burberry here obviously, but I'll probably be picking up a few bits and pieces. I specifically have my eye on the Cashmere Concealer and possibly a Lip Velvet. There's a couple of Soap and Glory bits on my radar, but I think I'll just go to Boots and grab whatever I feel like (lol). I think those are the only things on my neeeeeed list, but please add to it for me!

S K I N C A R E

Right. This list I'm thinking could get a lil long. Sorry in advance to my bank account. Eve Lom is a littttttle pricy but I think I might pick up the Rescue Mask. Grace has said that this greatly helped her hormonal acne which is what I'm struggling with at the moment. I really really really want the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream. I highly doubt that I'll take the plunge even though it is a bit cheaper, but it's so beautiful. We can get Embriolysse here obviously, but Grace gave a glowing review so I think I'll pick it up while I'm being spendy. Can you tell I'm basically modeling this list on her recommendations? Not quite sure what yet but I'm definitely going to pick up some La Roche Posay goodies, probably something from the Toleraine Ultra line because it's quite hard to find and Kate recommends it. There's nowhere near me to get Aesop so I think I may get a bit crazy if I find it in my travels. I have my eye on the Parsley Seed Masque, Hand Sanitizer (lol), and Fabulous Face Oil. I've been missing the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream a lot lately so I'll probably pick up a fresh jar, and I'm thinking of getting the new SPF version! This is so so great under makeup, especially during the colder months. I was thinking about picking up some Pixi bits from a counter, but it's weirdly expensive from what I can see. The last thing on my need list is the This Works In Transit Camera Close Up which Grace said she thinks I'll love. Literally got three words into the description and added it to the list, sounds like a proper miracle.

My list is actually a bit shorter than I expected it to be, but I also have some pretty pricy items on there so it's for the best. I'm mostly excited to just browse around, but if you have any suggestions for additions to my list let me know!
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BioClarity: An Honest Review

There has been a lot of noise going around about BioClarity in the beauty community lately. I'll be honest, when I first saw the posts I thought oh here's another proactive/younique/rodan+fields type campaign. I was very very skeptical. A lot of influencers were reviewing the products, and there a lot of rave reviews (which isn't a bad thing, but sometimes seems questionable to me). I didn't see that much out there though talking about the specific ingredients and why/how they work. And you know that's how I roll. A lot of you guys asked me what I thought of the line, so when BioClarity reached out to me I decided I'd go ahead and test them out to tell you my opinions.

BioClarity is a three-step acne fighting system using salicylic acid and Floralux (their naturally derived powerhouse). It consists of a cleanser, treatment gel, and restore gel. The three products are meant to be used on their own twice a day (more on this later, but lets go through the products first). The Cleanser is a foaming cleanser with plant-derived extracts that are meant to throughly cleanse the skin but also soothe it. It uses cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, sodium C14-16 olefin sulfonate, and cocamidopropyl betaine as foaming agents which are derived from coconuts. This means that it doesn't use the horridly drying sodium laureth sulfate to foam. It uses green tea leaf to detox and cucumber to cool. I wouldn't say its overly soothing or detoxifying, it's just a nice basic cleanser. 

Step two is an Acne Treatment Gel that uses salicylic acid. I've found salicylic acid to be the best ingredient to rid my acne, and I have a whole post here about its benefits. The acid basically works by breaking down dead skin cells, freeing clogged pores, and can also reduce sebum production. I like this gel, I just put on a nice thin layer and I actually really noticed a difference in how quickly my breakouts went away. This also contains lactic acid, a chemical exfoliant, which is really going to help with texture and scarring. I was a bit worried this would suck the life out of my skin, but it contains hyaluronic acid and squalene to help hydrate. I only use this step at night instead of twice a day since salicylic acid can sometimes be a bit harsh. The gel uses the maximum strength prescription SA (2%) so I wouldn't recommend using it more than once a day. 

The third step is the Restore Gel with Floralux, which might be my favourite product of the three. Floralux is derived from chlorophyll, which is actually sort of incredible for you. Drinking/eating things containing it strengthens your immune system, increases your antioxidant intake, and promotes digestive health. But it also is amazing for skin. Chlorophyll increases red blood cell production, and because its rich in antioxidants helps fight free radical damage and is anti-inflammatory. The gel also contains Niacinamide which is anti-inflammatory as well. Squalene hydrates, and Licorice Root helps with uneven skin tone. Honestly, I have noticed a huge difference with this product, my skin looks much more even and brighter and I noticed a huge reduction in the redness of my skin. The dark green colour is a bit scary, but it blends away into the skin!

Okay down to a bit of nitty gritty. I genuinely like these products, and I have gotten good results from them. BUT I'm not a huge fan of the fact that it's sold as a system. If I run out of one of the products I want to be able to purchase it. It's meant to be a monthly to bi-monthly subscription thing, but I rarely get through products that quickly even if it is the only thing I use. I'd also really only purchase the restore gel and possibly the acne treatment gel. It's not that I don't like the cleanser, it's just that I have other cleansers that I prefer. 

I will also say that if you're a skincare junkie like me, using these products alone is not gonna cut it. They're not really fun (I hope that doesn't sound mean, lol), they're just simple products. And we all know I like my luxury products/packaging. I used these alone for 1.5 weeks (I've been testing for a month now, so I could get through a full 28-day skin cycle) and I missed my other products! So I started using these in conjunction with my other things and I personally find they worked just as well. I also couldn't use them alone, especially not in the winter, because the system just isn't hydrating enough for me.

Overall, I think they're nice products and they did work well for me. I wish you could buy them separately, and I wish the packaging were a bit prettier but they do get the job done! BioClarity is vegan, cruelty-free, gluten-free, paraben-free and has a 100% satisfaction guarantee (aka if you don't like it after 30 days you can get your money back!). The system is $29.95 monthly, you start off with a 30-day supply and then you're sent a 60-day supply every other month (still charged once per month). So breaking it down to $10 per product it's a pretty great deal! If the products were sold individually as well for $12-$15 I would love it. If you guys are interested in trying the line out, you can use the code 'AMELIA' for 50% off! 

Have any of you guys tried the line? Let me know your thoughts!

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*This post has been sponsored by BioClarity. As always, this in no way affects my thoughts or opinions towards the products and I am always one billion percent honest with you. Sponsored posts help me to put more resources back into our little space!

Some Shit I Really Like

I was reading Sally's post earlier about going back to the blogging basics and I 100000% percent agree with her. She talks about feeling uninspired, and feeling like she has to talk about products in "collections." I absolutely love doing edit posts but I feel like it's kind of all I do anymore. I used to just review products I loved because I felt like it. But recently, I feel like I've been trying to connect products together into some magazine-esque edit. I'm not saying I'll stop doing those because I do like it. But more that I'm going to start blogging how I used to. By posting about whatever I damn well please.

So anyways, here's some shit I like! I kind of forgot about the Onomie Powerful Priming Serum and started using it again a few days ago. It gives your skin so much hydration and makes it look super radiant. It also contains actives like willowbank (natural source of salicylic acid) and blackjack (natural form of retinol) to help brighten and help with the texture of you skin over time. I'm definitely going to continue using this to see if those claims are true, but from using it the past few days it makes your skin look pretty radiant! Switching to something pretty random, I have been loving the Ritual multivitamins the past few months. The idea behind these is that they're the perfect daily vitamin for women and you only have to take two pills a day to get the benefits of nine ingredients. I'll let you go to the website to read up on them, but they tell you the source of the ingredients and literally everything they do for you, plus the studies they used to decide on them.

I have kind of fallen in love with the Chanel Les Beiges Foundation, I've basically only been wearing this and my Burberry Fresh Glow Foundation. It has a bit of a love or hate reputation online, but I sit firmly in the love category. It's a lightweight creamy texture with a medium coverage and looks glowy without being greasy on the skin. I personally wouldn't say it looks dewy, more like beautifully hydrated skin and we know I love me a skin-like foundation. That sounds so gross if you think too much about it. On me, this lasts really well all day. I just set my t-zone with powder and I'm good to go. Because it's quite hydrating (it has hyaluronic acid in it) if you have oilier skin you'll want to set it properly. The pump on this is also fucking brilliant. I don't know about you guys but some pumps on foundations really miss me off, they dispense weird amounts and just feel difficult to use. This is going to sound so nerdy but this depresses so so easily and I'm kind of obsessed with it and the packaging in general. You get what ya pay for people!!

I've been wearing very very little eyeshadow lately. But I'll make time for this beautiful Chanel Ombre Première Cream Shadow in Undertone. It's such a beautiful warm gold that leans a little icy in certain lights. The formula is super smooth, sets down, and lasts all day. I'm definitely going to be picking up some more colours once I'm off my spending ban! PS, going to the UK next month and will be spending allllll my money there so scold me if you see me buying new things. If I have a little extra time I've also been using a bit of the MAC Pink Opal pigment on my inner corner for an extra kick. I think they stopped making this (boo) but Vanilla is pretty similar, just has less of a duo chrome. I forgot how much I love the MAC pigments and was thinking about picking up some more (you just get so much bang for your buck) but the new packaging really annoys me so I'll be sticking to my oldie-but-goodies for now. I'm also still obsessed with the packaging of this Bobbi Brown x Richard Haines palette so I just threw it in there. I think they're properly sold out everywhere, but we have them at my CCS so check your local one!

I hope you guys are on board with me going 'back to basics' on the blog, if there's anything you'd like to see from me let me know!
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Repurposing Packaging

After the excitement of getting a package in the mail, I get a bit sick thinking about all of the waste. I 10000000% recycle all of the cardboard, etc., but it got me thinking about the empty packaging of products that I threw away. It's obviously not a new thing now, but I thought I'd do a little post about the ways I reuse packaging as well as fun ideas I've seen on the interwebs!

Obviously Diptyque candle reusing is poppin on Instagram. And I still love it. I use these to store brushes, q tips, paperclips. Basically anything. They're so so pretty. And because they come in different sizes they can store a ton of different things. But Amelia, you say, they're so expensive! Why yes, grasshopper, they are. So I'll let you in on a secret, that big Jasmin jar? I made it (smiley devil emoji). With an old glass and some sticker paper and the logos I found from searching, easy peasy! I also love storing my cotton pads in a pretty jar, because lets be real the plastic packaging they come in is both ugly and a pain in the ass. I've got them in an empty French Girl Organics pot here, tres chic!

I cannot bear to throw away my Supers bottles, they are too pretty. So I have them scattered around the house with wee little flower stems in them, and they look so cute! I'm planning on doing this with some other pretty skincare things as well once I'm out so I'll have a veritable garden! I also think it's really cute to house succulents in diptyque/other branded jars! I'll include a few images of other lil' projects I love here as well.

worshipblues.com / the beauty lookbook / grittypretty.com
the beauty lookbook / tamira jarrell / unknown (help!)

Do you guys repurpose old packaging? Let me know your tips!
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