Halloween Look | Barbie

I never usually do "pretty" Halloween looks, I usually favour blood and gore over cute hair do's and little dresses but when I had the Louisa* wig in my hands, I decided to do a Barbie look for Halloween too just for a change. If you want to see this wig being used in a grisly look, you can as it was featured in my Annabelle Doll look from The Conjuring. I wasn't too sure if I would be any good at this look but it did turn out okay and it was fairly easy to do as well. Last thing, I apologise for having a hoody on in the pictures, originally I was just practising but once I had finished I knew I wouldn't be able to do it like this again so I just took the pictures and if I had taken my hoody off I would've smudged the make-up, sorry peeps.

To create my flawless base, I started off using a full coverage foundation, which was Max Factor's Ageless Elixir and buffed it all over my skin with a buffing brush, I also put extra on my red areas which are mainly my cheeks and chin. I then used my Collection Lasting Perfection concealer on my under eyes and buffed this in with the same brush, I then did this again and also on any redness. I then set it all using a light coloured powder which was a MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural powder. To contour my cheeks slightly, I used Casino by NARS and focused this just under my cheek bones and on my jawline, I also put a little on the sides of my nose to make it appear thinner. I then used another NARS blusher called Desire which is a bright pink and a No.7 highlighter on the tops of my cheekbones, down the centre of my nose and also on my cupids bow. On to the eyes, I started off placing MAC's Painterly paint pot all over my lids and then using the Desire blusher shade on the crease of my eyes and kept building it up and blending. Using my Urban Decay Naked Basics palette, I put the shade Naked 2 on the rest of my lids and blended it all together. I then used a thin liner brush and used Faint in the very crease of my eye to define them, I then mixed Desire and Faint together and put it on my lower lash line too. I put Venus on my inner eye corners and also blended it under my brow bone. Using Bobbi Brown's Black Gel Liner I winged my eyes out and placed a NYX white eyeliner on my waterline to make my eyes appear bigger. For big fluttery lashes I used  Benefit's They're Real! mascara and pulled my lashes out towards my temples for the fluttery effect. I used the Naked 2 shade to fill in my eyebrows and elongated them a bit to look a little more drawn on like Barbie's. Finally for lips I used Pink Nouveau by MAC first as it's a pretty bright satin pink and then placed Vibrant Pink by Max Factor over the top which is slightly darker but has a gloss and they look really pretty together.

I hope you enjoyed this look, I had fun creating it and have decided to do my eyes like this a little bit more but with a little less pink. If you want to see my other Halloween looks just click on the links; How To: Create Cuts Using Ben Nye's Nose & Scar Wax, Annabelle Doll from The Conjuring and Dead Girl. Wonderland Wigs are offering readers 10% off their orders, just enter the unique code of CHIC at the checkout! (offer excludes human hair extensions)

What are you dressing up as this year?

Halloween Look | Dead Girl

As you must all know by now, I love Halloween, it's my second favourite holiday, after Christmas obviously and I love experimenting with different looks. This look is one one of my favourites as it's simple and anyone can do it in about 5-10 minutes. It's good for those who don't want to create warts or ripped flesh or don't want to be covered in fake blood, it's simple and quick.

I just stated off by using a really light foundation, mine was Covergirls Natureluxe in the shade 305 Alabaster and then concealed any blemishes with my Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in the lightest shade which is 1 Fair. I then set it all by dusting over a MAC Mineralise Skinfinish Natural Powder in the shade Light. On my eyelids I used MAC'S Painterly Paintpot as a base for my shadow as I wanted it to appear really dark. I then applied Carbon eyeshadow by MAC all over my lid and under and just generally went very messy with it. No gentle hands here ladies! I also mixed in a bit of Folie eyeshadow also by MAC which is a chocolate brown shade. To make my eyes look a little blood shot, I used another MAC shadow called Coppering and placed this just under my water line. I then contoured my face like crazy, I used Carbon eyeshadow to do this and just used a small fluffy brush and kept blending it out, I contoured my forehead, nose and cheekbones, I also placed the black on my lips and around my nose too. I then took a Max Factor lipstick in the shade Midnight Plum and placed this on my lips and on my under eye circles and then blended Carbon again in those areas. This just gives the "death warmed up look" by having the purple shinning through and that was everything.

I really hope you enjoyed this quick look. My other Halloween looks are How To: Create Scars Using Ben Nye's Nose & Scar Wax and also Annabelle Doll from The Conjuring, I will also be uploading a pretty Barbie look soon too!

What will you be dressing up as this year?

Empties Post - #4

Bath & Body

Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter

I used to love S&G however over the years and after constantly buying it when I used to work in Boots, I've become slightly bored of this one. I know there's new ones out now so I'd rather try them. It does make you skin really soft and it does smell really lovely. 

Repurchase: No.

Radox Nourish Shower Cream

A bit of a boring one but this one smelt so good! I used it up so quickly because I just used so much each time as it smelt incredible! Anything that has shea butter in I buy, it always makes my skin really smooth and soft and this wasn't any different.

Repurchase: Yes.

Original Source Shower Cream - Strawberry & Vanilla

Another amazing smelling product, Original Source never fail to impress me. Smells utterly yummy and made my skin really soft and smooth. I love the scent's that come out in A/W time and can't wait to try new ones.

Repurchase: Yes.

So...? Eternal Body Spray

I was given this in a set as a Christmas present and it smelt lovely. I used to always buy these when I was in school and carry them around in my school bag, however these days I don't usually wear body spray much any more but this made a nice change.

Repurchase: No.

Soap & Glory Flake Away

I love this product, so much. It's amazing at getting dead skin off your entire body and leaving it silky smooth, it's great to use on your legs just before shaving them as it gives a closer shave. It does leave a strange residue on the skin after but it feels moisturising at the same time.

Repurchase: Yes.

Balance Me Super Toning Body Wash

I only had this because it came free with a magazine but I really hated it. The scent was awful, it didn't seem to leave my skin feeling smooth or soft, and I think the bottle is really boring. I'm not a huge fan of this brand, everything smells like lavender and that gives me a headache. 

Repurchase: No.

Lush Snow Fairy Body Wash

This was a Christmas present and I only recently got around to using it. I will always love this product, lovely candy-floss sent, pretty bottle with glitter in, very festive and very lovely product.

Repurchase: Yes.

Haircare

Herbal Essences Bee Strong shampoo & conditioner

These were only sample sachets but my goodness they smelt incredible. Just after one use my hair was really silky and so smooth. Loved this a lot, will definitely be buying the full sizes to try.

Repurchase: Yes.

Yuko Anti-Frizz Shampoo* I really enjoyed this product a lot, I was sent it to review and thoroughly enjoyed it. Made my hair really soft and smooth, not a frizzy hair in site and I also noticed that I had to straighten it less as well. Repurchase: Yes. Charles Worthington Takeaways Frizz Free I bought this travel size for my holiday to the Dominican Republic because I knew my hair would react to the humidity and this really helped. I just applied it from the mid-lengths to the ends of my hair and it kept all frizziness at bay. Repurchase: Yes. Schwartzkopf Got2b Heat Protection Spray I bought this about 2 years ago and have only just finished it. I sprayed it on wet hair and dry and it made my hair smooth and soft however I don't really know if it protected my hair from heat tools. I think there's better one's on the market though. Repurchase: No.

Skincare

Skinetica

This is only a little sample size however I had no joy with this. It didn't seem to do anything to my blemishes, just made my skin more dry but didn't dry out the spots. A bit useless for my skin.

Repurchase: No.

Origins Modern Friction

I've wanted to try this for so long and when I bought some bits, I chose this as my sample. There's so much in this tiny tube it's insane! Anyway, first try I didn't like, I didn't find it abrasive enough, however when I used it after my Origins Clear Improvement mask, I found they were a great duo and started to really like it, then I ran out, boo!

Repurchase: Yes.

Clinique Moisture Surge

I bought this by accident instead of the Intense version and this one is utter rubbish. It's strange because you'd think it was a similar formula however this one just made my skin feel more dry than before I used it.

Repurchase: No.

B.Pure Micellar Water

This was the first micellar water that I tried and I really enjoyed it. I've written a full review on my thoughts here and I already have a back up that my sister got me. Great at removing make-up and leaves your skin feeling very clean and fresh.

Repurchase: Yes.

Garnier Anti-Blackhead Deep Pore Wash

I just grabbed this really quickly one day to use with my Clarisonic however it's awful if you have dry skin, it just dries it out 10 times more. Still have about a third left but I'm just going to throw it away.

Repurchase: No.

MAC Gently Off Eye and Lip Make-up Remover

I will always love this product, I love the one from MAC in the purple container too and they are both great at removing make-up, only problem with them both is the hefty price tags as I'm sure there's a cheaper version out there.

Repurchase: Yes, when I can afford it.

Make-Up
All About Face Brown Mascara This has to be the cheapest mascara I've ever used and it was really good. Made my lashes look really full and long without clumping or flaking. Repurchase: Yes. Topshop Spotted Pig Nail Polish This is the first product I posted about here on my blog, I did a nail of the day and I love this colour. So different to any colour I've seen before. I'm very sad that this has finally become too gloopy to be saved. Topshop nail polishes are one of the best formulas out there. Repurchase: Yes. OPI Nail Envy This product has really helped my nails become stronger and break less and I will continue to keep repurchasing it for as long as it's available to buy. Repurchase: Yes. Essie Mademoiselle Another colour that I adore, a pretty light pinky/white it's perfect for those days that you just want your nails to look fresh and clean. I highly recommend this colour if nude nails are your thing. I can't wait to be able to afford this again. Repurchase: Yes. I've already started saving my empties for my next post, I am really going through my stash recently. I can't wait to get a job so I can buy some new fancy beauty bits! 
What products have you used up recently?

Dorothy Perkins | Black Fur Collar Biker Boots

Last Winter I had about three different pairs of boots, two ankle boots and a pair of knee highs, both the ankle boots flaked out on me and I ended up wearing my mums boots whenever I could, luckily we have the same size feet. This year my sister bought these boots and my mum wanted to get me the same ones too, apparently shoes with holes in the sole's aren't acceptable and I ended up with these beautiful boots from Dorothy Perkins. 
They are a black textured material that reminds me of suede but it's not, so I guess faux suede, with cream faux fur lining the insides all the way alone the top of your foot too so your tootsies will be kept nice and warm. They have a strap and buckle detail on the sides of each boot and a decent heel. It's important to get a boot with a good heel for snow and that will last in rain to keep your feet warm and these feel perfect.  I love that you can fold the fur over to have it showing or keep it up to keep your ankles arm. These boots are perfect for people who love to wear these with skinnies and leggings, exactly how I'll be wearing them this year! They are so comfortable and warm. I got a size 6 although the right one is slightly too big - My left foot is slightly bigger than my right, I always wear thick socks so they will fit fine and I know a 5 would have been far too small so I'm very happy with the fit of these.
They come in at £32.00 which I think is so reasonable and my mum managed to snag them at 15% off. We had them delivered to store as it was cheaper and when I looked in the delivery bag, I found a mini Cadbury's Crispello choclotte inside! Thanks D.P! If you fancy nabbing yourself a pair of these you can find them at DorothyPerkins.co.uk. 
Which A/W boots have you got your eye on this year?

Halloween Look | Annabelle Doll | The Conjuring

As you may be aware, I love Halloween and I love trying out different Halloween looks. My favourite looks to do are by far scary, freaky ones. The scarier the better I say. I was asked by Wonderland Wigs if I would like to create a Halloween look using one of their wigs and straight away thought of the creepy doll, Annabelle from the new film The Conjuring. The wig is called Louisa* and I just made a parting and plaited each side to get the same look as the doll. I'm going to create two other looks with this wig too as I just enjoy experimenting with them so much, was thinking Barbie and maybe zombie Barbie? I've never put a wig on before and was rather shocked to see myself with blonde hair, think I'll definitely be sticking to brunette, haha.

The wig is a curly long blonde synthetic one and looks so pretty. It parted really well and was easy to plait with minimal tangling or knotting. Although the fringe was a little longer than expected that could just be down to my weird shaped head. It's a bright blonde shade which is why it will be perfect for a Barbie look too. It also comes with a label attached on how to keep your wig clean and in good condition.

To create this look I started off by applying my scars and I did this using the Ben Nye Nose & Scar Wax and I show how to use it in my How to: Halloween cuts post. I create one on my chin, cheek and nose and then applied liquid latex over the top to set them. Then using Snazaroo paint in the shade's Grass Green and White mixed together, I painted this all over my face and neck. The doll is a greyish green shade so I would recommend mixing some black to darken the colours and maybe less green too. Then using another Snazaroo paint in the shade Burgundy, I applied this to my cuts to make them look deeper. Using MAC's Carbon eyeshadow, I created the smile lines around my mouth and also around the edges of my lips and in the centre as well to make them look a bit rotten. I also used this shade and MAC'S Folie shadow around my eyes and just kept blending it in to create the big black eyes. I applied a NYX eyeliner in White to make my eyes appear a bit bigger and a red lipstick by Lancome to my lips. I also applied the red lipstick in my cuts as well. For blusher I applied MAC'S Breezy to the very apples of my cheeks. And finally at the very end I used MAC'S Carbon again to gently contour my cheeks and also on the sides of my nose.

I had so much fun creating this look, my Mum kept telling me to stop looking at her, haha. What do you think of this look? Would you wear this for Halloween? If you want to go as Annabelle this Halloween or want any type of wig or accessory for your look, Wonderland Wigs are offering readers 10% off their orders, just enter the unique code of CHIC at the checkout! (offer excludes human hair extensions)

What are you dressing up as for this Halloween?

*PR sample

Things will get better | Lifestyle Post

Me at the Grand Canyon in 2011.

I'm not sure I'm the best person to write an "Inspirational" post at the moment, I've been told I'm always pessimistic about things and they are right, I just can't help it. I'm also not really sure what I'm going to be writing as I just decided I would get everything I've been thinking and fearing down onto paper, or typed technically, in the hope I will feel a bit better. As you all may know, i've been unemployed since March of this year. I know some people are longer than this but I've never been this long without a job. I had a year of job hunting once but I was a Saturday girl at Boots and did extra work there wherever I could so it was okay because some money was coming in. 

The picture above is me at the Grand Canyon in 2011 with an ex boyfriend, we went on a Trek America tour (worst experience ever, was awful, next time I'm road tripping without a tour guide) I had a full time job that I was good at, but had so much pressure on me and generally bad for my health that I ended up giving it up a year later, something I now regret. Everyone says it was for the best but I just don't see it that way. Fast forward 2 years and I'm with someone who treats me right, doesn't control me and I feel so comfortable with. The quote above definitely is fitting in that aspect.

Being unemployed is a horrible thing, as my mum says, it's soul destroying and she's right. Although I did have a job for 6 months when I left my previous one, I was dismissed for not smiling enough. Yes you read that correctly, I didn't smile enough and was sent packing. To be honest, I'm happy they did as I was getting fed up with moping up dog wee with not even a thank you from the owners and being bored to tears, it was the worst job I've had. At job interviews, I've been asked about my unfair dismissal on my application and they laugh when I tell them, so at least that hasn't held me back.

Moving on to job hunting, I've had about 4 interviews since March and did actually land a job in June, however the horror stories I was hearing from the other staff and the way I was being treated by the girl who was training me after 3 days was shocking and I left. I was having to work 2 weeks unpaid for training, how unfair is that?! I don't regret that at all. I've then had a couple of other interviews but most things I just don't hear back from, and everything is part-time when I need full-time. I did have an interview yesterday so I'm waiting to hear back from that but even so, that's just temporary. The worst thing that's happened to me recently? I applied for a job at Superdrug as a Beauty Expert which was a 6 hour a week job, I applied and got the email that I wasn't successful. They asked for someone with beauty knowledge,  I've been trained as a make-up artist, I've dabbled in freelance work and write a beauty blog and I wasn't successful, what are these companies after?

The trick is to try and not let these mishaps or bumps in the road get you down, but it's hard. I haven't signed on, I've worked since I was 15 and have paid taxes since about 18 so I'm more than entitled to have help from the government, but signing- on is so frowned upon now, you're seen as lazy and unwilling, so my pride takes over and I won't do it. Luckily I have my YouTube that brings in a little as I work for Grass Roots Media but that covers my credit card bill.

It's been one shocking year, finding out about my mums illness and getting her better is the main priority at the moment, to me, but I hate not being able to pay her rent. I'm also sad that I can't spoil my loved ones this Christmas. Also I have so many plans that I can't fulfil at the moment, nothing worse than seeing your friends getting married, pregnant, or moving out, I'm happy for them all and I know my time will come, Brent and I are saving for a house, and by that I mean, he is, until I have a job where we both can make a contribution every month.

On a happy note, Brent is moving into my house with me and my mum because he's here all the time anyway. So after all that waffly boring snooze-fest of a post, I want to say that things will get better, I'm sure of it. I know something will happen in the future and everything will just click into place. The key is to not let the disappointments and let down's get the better of you, you have to learn from everything, take bits from every job interview and it will help you out for the next. I guess all that's happened this year has made me a stronger person, and I found myself less nervous at the interview yesterday. There's days when I don't want to even look on a job site, but I know I have to. Something will come along for me, and you, in the end, just remember that this is just a minor blip in the road, and things will get better. That's why I love the quote in the picture, I believe it, that for everything that has happened, it's all been for the amazing reason that's coming in the future.

All the best if you are job hunting or evening just feeling down, and Good Luck.

Top Autumn/Winter Nail Polish Picks 2013

I recently posted my Top Autumn/Winter Lip Products 2013 and someone asked to see my nail polish picks too so here you are! I tried my best to keep the selection to at least 6 but I just couldn't so there are 9 here. A couple of these polishes are from last year but I love the colours and will definitely be wearing them. I tend to stick to the same A/W shades and only usually buy new S/S shades, don't know why, must just be drawn to bright pastel colours.

Topshop - Big Smoke - This is perfect for those who like their nude shades, it reminds me of a soft stone colour and has been a firm favourite of mine since I bought it. It's a great colour to wear under a glitter polish, it goes from natural to sassy with a bit of sparkle.

Topshop - Airplane - A gorgeous blue colour, it reminds me of a light night sky, if that makes any sense at all. This is another colour that looks great under a glitter polish. Topshop shades have a great formulation so they hardly ever streak.

Barry M - Jewel Britannia - This polish is one of my favourite glitters ever. Just look at it! It has both small and large glitter pieces in red, blue and silver. Christmas is not complete without a glitter. It looks amazing on top of lots of different shades, I especially love it with the shade above.

Essie - Bahama Mama -  I love this deep berry shade however it takes a lot of patience and layers to get a nice fully opaque finish. The colour is gorgeous for A/W though and does look stunning under a silver or gold glitter.

Topshop - Future - A stunning shimmery navy shade, in a certain light it has purple tones to it and also pale blue flecks, it's so pretty and really stands out on the nails. Being Topshop again, it applies beautifully however application has to perfect for it to look neat and tidy.

Essie - Smokin' Hot - This is your typical dark slate grey shade that looks great for A/W. Again, looks great topped with a glitter and unlike Bahama Mama, this shade applied really well and gives  a lovely shiny finish.

China Glaze - Smoke and Ashes - This was from The Hunger Games collection last year and I love that it's an almost black with really fine blue/green glitter flecks in it. Only in a certain light can you see the difference and I tried my best to catch it on camera. It applies beautifully and dries really shiny too.

China Glaze - Stone Cold - This polish is a bit different, it's a matte finish and was also from The Hunger Games collection. At first I disliked this, I was so used to a glossy finish that it took some getting used to, however now I really like it. It's a slate grey/black shade with fine silver flecks, it reminds me of a Galaxy, it also looks great with a gloss on top too.

No.7 - Star Shower - I chose this for the peeps that like their polish pretty but not to full one. As you can see from the swatch, it's quite a sheer finish and in the picture there were 4 layers of the polish. It indeed looks like a star shower, all gold and sparkly, it would look great layered over Topshop's Big Smoke.

Which nail polish colours are your favourites this year? 

Avene | Try Before You Buy | First Impressions

Whilst perusing on beauty blogs a little while back, I came across a "Try before you buy" post written by Katrina of Carousel Diary. She had written about how you can try 5 different Avene products for free, all you have to do is pay the postage. I went straight onto the site where this amazing offer was available, Mistry's Pharmacy and started to select my goodies. I chose Soothing Hydrating Serum, Gentle Purifying Scrub, Gentle Toner, Soothing Moisture Mask and the Light Hydrating Cream. I then signed up to Avene.co.uk and was sent two more mini's which I did not expect and they were the Extremely Gentle Cleanser and Skin Recovery Cream. I managed to get about 5 uses out of all the tube products which are all 5ml in size and about 10 uses from the bottle which is 25ml in size. I'm just going to write about my first thoughts on these, which ones I would purchase for longer use and which ones I would miss. All products are for dry sensitive skin which as you must know by now, is right up my ally.

Soothing Hydrating Serum | full size £17.00 - I used this under any moisturiser and did really like it, it left my skin feeling smooth and soft without feeling tight. I would purchase this again to use properly as I did really like it and I think it worked well under a moisturiser.

Gentle Purifying Scrub | full size £9.50 - At first I didn't really like this product, I like my face scrubs to be abrasive and this is the complete opposite. It has tiny micro-beads for a gentle scrub which I realised really worked well for my skin. After the second use I did start to like it, it left my skin really really soft. I would now definitely buy this to use on a regular basis.

Gentle Toner | full size £11.50 - This product is amazing. It's alcohol free which means it's great for any skin type, especially dry skin and this is aimed at very dry to dry skin types. I liked using it just after removing all my make-up and a face scrub and it left my skin feeling hydrated and fresh. I would definitely buy this, this is now on my skincare wishlist.

Soothing Moisture Mask | full price £11.50 - It's so nourishing and moisturising, it's great to use as a pamper mask when you skin is feeling a little bit blergh. Although I have the Origins Drink Up Intensive mask I would still want to have the full size of this as well just for a change in routine every now and again.

Hydrance Optimale Light Hydrating Cream | full prize £13.50 - This is meant to provide a light form of hydration for dehydrated skin however I found this to be a bit useless. It didn't really do a lot to help my skin, it felt like I needed to apply another moisturiser for my skin to feel hydrated, it felt a bit tight on it's own, therefore I probably wouldn't buy this.

Extremely Gentle Cleanser | full size £8.00 - This cleanser can be used as a make-up remover for the face and eyes and doesn't need to rinsed off after with water. I found that it leaves my skin so so soft. Although I don't use it to remove make-up I use other products for that, I still liked using this to get off any last bits of make-up residue. Full size is 200ml so it's really reasonably priced and I would definitely give it a try.

Skin Recovery Cream | full size £12.50 - This product is supposed to quickly calm any irritation your skin might have. Although my skin is super dry, it's not actually sensitive so this product didn't do anything for me at all. I find it unnecessary however if you do suffer with sensitive skin, maybe give this a whirl to see if it works for you.

I've always wanted to try this brand and I'm so glad that I finally got the chance to. I've found some brilliant products to add to my skincare wishlist and when I can, I will buy them. I also really want to try the Thermal Water Spray as it's supposed to help your skin in so many different ways, helps sunburn, razor burn and also can be used to set make-up and after your cleansing routine, sounds brilliant!

Have you tried any products from Avene? Which products do you like the sound of?

Yon-Ka Hydra No.1 Skincare | Review

As you all know, I'm always on a mission to find new skincare products that will help battle my dry skin and with Winter getting close, that means everything gets drier. Yon-Ka is a French skincare brand founded in 1954 and one I have never heard of before. Their new Hydra No.1* range is clinically proven to give women 144% more hydration instantly. It's meant to help your skin retain water in various layers of the skin, replenish the skins hydration levels and all battling against ageing. It's never too early to start preventing the signs of ageing. There's three different products to use, however two vary depending on your skin type and one is optional. I bet you're thinking, "Huh?" well I'll try and explain.

For dry, sensitive or dehydrated skin | 

Hydra No.1 Serum

Hydra No.1 Creme

Hydra No.1 Masque - Optional

For normal to oil dehydrated skin |

Hydra No.1 Serum

Hydra No.1 Fluid

Hydra No.1 Masque - Optional

All the packaging is beautiful and looks amazing on my dresser. All the products smell of rose and jasmine and although I've never really liked flowery scents in my skincare products, these aren't too overpowering and add to the whole experience.

Hydra No.1 Serum* | full size £57.00 - This product contains 95% of natural ingredients and is supposed to be used under the creme or fluid to boost their properties. I had four mini capsule sizes to try and had about 2 uses from each. I found that it did make my skin feel so smooth and hydrated, there wasn't any tight feeling at all. I have used it under my normal moisturiser too and it still feels great. There is a slight tackiness to the skin but it's not too bad. 

Hydra No.1 Creme* | full size £49.00 - Aimed at dry and sensitive skin, this one contains shea butter and grape seed oil which both have repairing and soothing properties. They are supposed to protect damaged skin barriers. I had two mini capsules to try for this product and it did make my skin feel really fresh, soft and hydrated. It was lovely over the serum and they did really work well together. 

Hydra No.1 Fluid* | full size £49.00 - Being aimed at normal to oily skin, I knew I probably wouldn't get on great with this product. It's supposed to be quickly absorbed and leave a mattifying effect. This is also to be used over the Serum however both times I used this, I found that the product bundled up and rolled on my skin an insane amount. I have to take it straight off and apply a different product. I didn't like this one at all. I know I don't have oily skin but I thought I would try it anyway. I can't say how this would work for someone with oily skin.

Hydra No.1 Masque* | £42.00 - I say this product is optional as it's up to you whether you want to use a face mask or not, I personally love them and was thrilled to get sent the full size of this one. This product is aimed at all skin types and includes ingredients such as aloe vera, jojoba and Vitamins A, E and C. You use the masque about 1-3 times a week and leave it on for 20-60 minutes. You can also apply a thin layer and leave it to absorb overnight. Once applied, my face looks extremely shiny and feels very tacky but over the hour the product sinks in nicely to which you then just dab the rest off with a tissue. You then follow up with your normal products. I found this product to be great and really helped hydrate my skin a lot. I love this mask and get excited every time I use it.

Overall, I've been very impressed with most of these products, although the prices are expensive, investing in good skincare can really help your skin and make you feel a lot better within yourself. They sell a huge variety of products so if you fancy checking the brand out, you can at yonka.co.uk.

Have you tried this brand before? What are your thoughts on it?