September Favourites ♥

Is it just me, or did September go by really fast? No? Just me? Okay then >.< I'll just shut up and get on with my September favourites then shall I? Yes? Okay cool stuff..

♦     Garnier Dark Spot Corrector - Haven't been using this long enough for me to notice that any of my marks fading, but it's a brilliant moisturiser and smells very citrusy, which is always a winner for me because I'm obsessed with fruity smells. :P It leaves my skin feeling very hydrated and it really is 'illuminating' just like it says on the bottle!

♦     EcoTools Mineral Powder Brush - Aaaahh I love anything travel sized and brushes are no exception. I bought this off ebay in a diddy little set that cost a fraction of the price compared to if I bought it from Boots! It distribute the powder evenly and isn't scratchy in the least. I've washed it a few times now and it hasn't shed even a single hair!

♦     Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey - I know I know, I broke my makeup ban. Again. For the third time I believe? I don't buy makeup much anyway, and most of the stuff on my Project Pan list is either body care, skincare, or face powders! And besides, this was on offer for £5.99, and I got to use a £2 off any Revlon product Boots voucher that I had on top of it so it cost me £3.99! I couldn't resist it okay. I was WEAK. Not my fault it was such a bargain and looks and feels so good on my lips. Hmph.

♦     Avon Super Extend Extreme Mascara in Black - Looooooooving this. got this with the July Edition of Marie Claire and have finally started using it after my other two (which shall be in my next empties post In Shaa Allah) finished/dried up. The wand is plastic and it separates and lengthens my lashes so beautifully that it's almost rivalling my favourite L'oreal Telescopic mascara! The formula is just right too, and it holds the curl for aaaages. I don't usually wear mascara much, but this has been making me reach for it every day!

♦     Natural Collection Loose Powder in Warm Translucent - I went through a phase of loving powders (one of which I'm selling in my blog sale if anyone's interested) and in it I bought this. I forgot all about it once I found Rimmel's Clear Complexion Clarifying Powder, and it sat at the back of my draw for ages. I thought I'd pull it out and give it a go with the mineral powder brush I got in the EcoTools set that I  mentioned before, and it works really well with it and it reminded me of how much I love this powder! It reduces shine and sets makeup really well, all for just £1.99!

♦     Purity Organic Skincare Conditioning Cleansing Lotion Makeup Remover* - special mention for this guy. I ran out of my Simple wipes and had finished my usual makeup remover (again, shall be in my next empties post, In Shaa Allah) and I started using this a lot more, and it really has helped condition my skin. Sometimes when I use my Simple wipes to take off my mascara (which I've been wearing more often lately) on days when I'm far too tired to do anything for longer than five minutes, it really makes my eyelids sore. This is where this makeup remover comes in. I mean, I have a full review on it here but seriously, this even takes off my mascara without irritating my eyelids, and I don't even have to wash my face after wiping it off. Something we all need at the end of a long day I reckon!

Woo! That was a bit of a rambly post. I apologise. I am typing this up in the dead of the night sooo. :P What products have you been loving this month? ☺

*PR sample, sent to me for consideration. All views are my own, I promise. :o)

Face Mask Fridays: Superdrug Hydrating Self Heating Mask

Hello there me dears! Hope you're all keeping well In Shaa Allah :o) I'm back with another Face Mask Friday review for you all :]

Today I shall be reviewing Superdrug's Hydrating Self Heating Mask - I have reviewed two others similar to this before, which are the Garnier Skin Naturals Pure Self Heating Sauna Mask and Sanctuary's 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask. Click the names to check them out if you're feeling curious :D

My skin has been feeling a bit dry lately, so I thought I'd try this mask instead of something I'd use for my usual oily combo skin. And it would go with my little theme of self heating masks that I've been reviewing so far. Score! 

Haha anyhoo. This mask - just like the Sanctuary mask - contains kaolin clay, which has be known to help get rid of excess oiliness by absorbing the oil on your face.

'Quench that thirst! Enriched with Jasmine and Evening Primrose Flower extracts Superdrug's Hydrating Self-Heating Mask helps to nourish and moisturise skin.'

[source]

When I read this, I was amazed that someone had made something that would get rid of excess oil and moisturise the skin. Usually it's quite hard to find something that does both.

And both things it actually does! Quite well too I might add. After using this, I didn't feel the need to moisturise at all. In fact if I did, I'd wake up with my t zone feeling oilier than usual.

Now that we've talked about the hydrating part of the mask, let's move onto the self heating part..

'The gentle warming sensation draws out impurities for ultra soft smooth skin.'

[source]

Now that I think about it, they actually put an accurate description of the self heating part of the mask. Because I had tried the Sanctuary mask, I was expecting a blazing fire from the depths of Hell the moment it touched my face (I'm only joking.. well, half joking. :P) and so was quite underwhelmed by how, well, gentle it was. It was enough to notice though, definitely more so than the Garnier mask's!

In terms of consistency, it was quite runny compared to the Garnier and the Sanctuary ones. As you can see in the picture, it started running down my fingers before I could even steady my phone to take a picture of it. 

When I put it on my face it would slowly slide down my face so that after a few minutes I'd look like I have a big pink bum-chin and then drop off when I wasn't looking. O.o

Also.. I know this is going to sound silly, but even though there's a woman on the packaging with a pink face mask on, for some reason I was expecting it to be grey just like the other two. I know, I know, it seems obvious now that I look at it, but I genuinely was like huh?! This is bright.. *looks at packet again* Oh.. heh.  xD I know. My brain works in unfathomable ways. I can't help it haha.

Another thing I notice about this was that it didn't dry up, but around the edges of where the mask was applied it would turn white and harden a little after a while. It would also.. curdle.. on my face, especially my cheeks, which aren't even oil at all, a little dry in fact. I don't know. Curdle? Is that the right word? I hope you guys know what I'm talking about, I can't think of a better way to describe it >.<

One thing that I liked when I read the back of the sachet was finding out that it was suitable for vegetarians and vegans, that they do not test on animals so are cruelty free, and is also paraben free too! Awesome stuff. Now they just have to change the packaging to something recyclable and voila, it helps the world a tad more on it's way out hehe.

The only thing I didn't like about this mask apart from the odd curdling bit, was the smell. I mean it was nice and fruity/floral, and some people might like that, but the smell kind of got to my head a bit and made me a bit.. woozy. But other than that it lived up to what it said and it's always lovely to find something that does what it says on the tin, isn't it? (^__^)

For something that has 15ml in (just like the Sanctuary one - which I got four uses out of) I only got two uses out of this, but that may be because it was quite runny and you needed a lot of it to cover your face with.

But I must say that at just under half the price of the Sanctuary one (99p!) and with the same amount of product, and the fact that it lives up to what it says it does, I can safely say that this is one that you should definitely check out if you're ever in Superdrug in the skincare aisle. 

They're even doing a 4 for the price of 3 offer at the moment - they even do men's masks too, so there's something for everyone. Have you tried any of their masks? Tried anything similar? Let me know in the comments below! ☺

Disclaimer: All products were bought with my own money unless stated otherwise. All opinions are my own.

Related Posts: Sanctuary 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask, Garnier Skin Naturals Pure Self Heating Sauna Mask, DIY Fruity Face Mask: Oily/Combination Skin

Modestly Stylish: Keeping It Casual ☺

Modestly Stylish: Keeping It Casual by themaryfairy

ASOS skater dress with lace top - £11 / ASOS Metal Keeper Across Body Bag - £15 / H&M Chinos - £14.99 / Navy dip hem crew neck trimarl top from Dorothy Perkins - £8 / Old Navy Womens Ballet Wedges - £19.51 / A|Wear Ecru Pashmina - £8 / Posietint by Benefit Cosmetics - £24.50 / OPI nail polish in Samoan Sand - £15.95

As the days get shorter and the evenings colder, and with uni starting next week, my friends and I decided to get out of the house while we could and went to Starbucks to have a nice little catch up.

I was in a lazy mood that day, so I decided to go with my fail safe colours - blue and beige. As always. I'm so edgy, I know. :P

I had purchased the dress from the ASOS sale a couple of weeks ago and I love it! The fabric is pure cotton jersey, and when worn with a long sleeved top underneath, it keeps me warm, toasty, and quite modest indeed (^__^)

When I realised I had gotten ready early, I decided to play with some makeup. I put Posietint on my lips and some winged eyeliner. I quite liked the look on me..

..until I realised that my room was a bit darker than usual (it was quite overcast outside) and I had put too much Posietint on! I ended up looking like a wannabe Adele, and not in a good way either :o/

My friends assured me I looked fine though, but I still thought I looked ridiculous - I was more shy than usual that day. Maybe it's because I'm not used to wearing a lot of makeup..

Or maybe I'm just being paranoid. Gosh Mary, calm down *slaps self*

Anyhoo. What's your fail safe colour or item(s) of clothing? I get the feeling I'll be wearing this dress a lot this year haha >.<

Simple Kind to Eyes Soothing Eye Balm Review

Eye creams. Something almost everyone in the beauty blogging world owns.

I never did see the point of them, so I never bothered to get one. But when Tesco were doing an offer for three Simple skincare items for £5 and I couldn't pick a third item that I wanted, I picked up their Kind to Eyes Soothing Eye Balm.

'Our Kind To Eyes Soothing Eye Balm is a perfect blend of ingredients to help reduce puffiness and relax tired eyes. Perfect for even sensitive skin.'

[source]

According to Simple, it contains Pro Vitamin B5, Vitamin E, jojoba oil, shea butter, and bisabolol, which are all good for the skin and all do similar jobs - soothing, moisturising, and protecting.

When I read this, I thought wow - this sounds so moisturising! I couldn't wait to try it.

And when I did, I was sort of disappointed. I mean don't get me wrong, it was as moisturising and as soothing as it claimed to be - but I couldn't tell the difference between this and their Hydrating Light moisturiser which I use as my daily moisturiser.

They look the same, and even feel the same - not much difference at all! I actually had to check the ingredients to make sure they were different (they are different, if anyone is wondering..)! The eye cream is just a tad thinner in consistency though.

The instructions say to apply a thin layer onto the delicate eye area morning and night, and to pat it gently till it absorbs and not to massage it in. I found that patting it in took forever and left my eyelid sticky no matter how long I waited. A little annoying when you just want to put your eye liner on or get to bed already!

Because I didn't see much difference in puffiness or anything like that after using it for a couple of weeks, in the end I decided to only use it if I was taking off my eye makeup with makeup wipes, because my eyes get sore when I used them to remove my makeup and well, it was soothing and I had to use it since I bought it! 

At £3.99 for 15ml I think it's a bit dear for something that does the same thing as a normal moisturiser. I suppose it would make a difference if you had quite dry eyes/eyelids, but for me, it didn't. It's on offer in Superdrug for £3 but the Tesco 3 for £5 offer is still on if you want to check it out ☺

Disclaimer: All products were bought with my own money unless stated otherwise. All opinions are my own.

Purity Organic Skincare Facial Wash Review

Hello there my lovelies! Hope you've all had a fabulous start to the week :o) Today I have a facial wash review for you - but you probably already know that by the title.. *adjusts her Captain Obvious cape a little* heh. >.<

I've reviewed a Purity skincare product on my blog before, and I have loved it since the moment it touched my skin (if you would like to read my review on that little gem, go ahead and clickety clack over here). Along with that, I was sent a facial wash to review too - and having tried it out for a couple of weeks now, I thought it was high time I put up a review on it and share my thoughts on the products.

Purity Organic Skincare is a British brand that is EcoCert certified, whose ingredients are 8% of natural origin and an average of 82% of their ingredients are processed from organic farming. Their skincare range is priced between £4.99 and £8.99, which is very affordable in my opinion. And to top it all off the brand is cruelty free! So hard to find skincare brands on the high street sometimes that are cruelty free that don't cost an arm and a leg!

'Purity Organic Skincare is efficacious, using hard-working, sustainably-grown ingredients, few in number and cleverly combined to encourage skin to work as it should. Where possible the same core ingredients run throughout the range to give your skin the simplicity of regime it needs and to ensure affordability.'

[source]

This I can confirm - a lot of the same ingredients run in all of the products, and there really aren't a lot in the first place. Most of the ingredients are simple but effective ingredients, too, which work together to clean your skin without irritating it, or being too harsh. Their skincare is designed for sensitive skin, and the ingredients involved are perfect for its use. And to be honest sometimes a few simple ingredients are all that sensitive skin needs. After all, the more simple things are, the better it is for our skin - usually!

The Purity Facial Wash* contains sweet almond oil and beeswax, and you can sort of feel it a little on application. So as you can imagine, I was pleasantly surprised when it actually foamed up a little on my face! Usually cleansers that are organic or are designed for sensitive skin don't do that, so it was a nice surprise when it lathered up a bit - not a lot but enough for me to notice the difference.

As for the cleansing part, it didn't blow me out of the water, but it did it's job well, I'd say. My t zone didn't feel as cleansed as I wanted it to be, but at least it didn't make my whole face feel tight or make my skin feel dry or flaky afterwards - something I absolutely hate the feeling of! 

The cap opened up just like the Conditioning Cleansing Lotion Makeup Remover* - as illustrated below :o) You squeeze the bottle after pushing the oval part down to make the crescent shaped part go up. I think a pump would have been a better choice - at least that way we'd be able to control how much product we want to take out! I always find I take out too much when I use this.

One thing I have to mention about this though is the smell. It smells a bit odd. I can't explain it. It doesn't linger on the skin after you wash it though, so that's fine.

The cleanser itself is amber in colour and it's texture is in between a gel and a lotion. Sort of like a jelly like consistency I'd say - I'm assuming it's because it contains aloe vera. 

 I feel it would be better suited to dry and sensitive skin because it contains moisturising ingredients such as sweet almond oil, coconut oil, soothing & protecting ingredients such as aloe vera, and rose, oats, beeswax & avocado which soothe and condition the skin.

Hmm. The amber colour isn't showing up much on my finger is it? I apologise. The British weather doesn't like to be normal and consistent - the moody git! Am I the only one who's been having lighting problems lately because the clouds can't make up their mind if they want to be here or there? >.>

*sighs* Anyhoo. If you have dry, sensitive skin (or combination skin even!) and need a nice, good quality, organic, vegetarian cleanser, I say check this out. If anyone asked me to sum it up in a few words, I'd say that this was a very gentle but quite effective cleanser overall. 

If anyone is interested, you can purchase the 150ml bottle for £4.99 on their website or buy 2 For £7.93 mix & match across the range over at Holland & Barretts!

*PR samples, sent to me for consideration. All views are my own, I promise. :o)

Blog Sale ft Sleek, Revlon, No7, ELF, The Body Shop, Witch, Urban Decay, OPI nail polishes, Barry M Nail Paint, and more!

Hey girls! I was going through my makeup and realised I have a lot of good but unloved stuff lying about, so I thought I'd make some space and give them a new home while I'm at it - all before uni starts so everything gets to you on time :o)

This is my first blog sale, so please be patient with me! :-)

I've put up a separate page for it so it's easily accessible - click here to go to it! (^__^)

Hope you all find something you like - if not, have a lovely day! :D

♥ ♥ ♥

Sample Sundays: Botanicals Orange Blossom Body Balm

Raise your hand if you have a poop load of samples in a drawer/box somewhere that you never use. *raises her hand guiltily*

I've decided to put them ALL to use and review them all before going out and buying anything new. That is what samples are for after all, right? Trying something out before buying it? 

I thought I'd start with something that's relatively easy to use up. I got sent this a while ago with a couple of other things from Botanicals, but they weren't for my skin type so I've not really tried them yet.

The Botanicals Orange Blossom Body Balm* is made from organic, natural ingredients, full of active botanicals and vitamins, used to deeply nourish and revitalise the skin. 

It contains glycerine and shea butter, both good to have in a moisturiser, for they have long been used for this purpose. When I apply this to any rough patches, it melts into my skin and leaves it feeling soft and nourished through out the day. Doesn't feel sticky and doesn't leave any residue at all.

' Enhanced with the exotic fragrance of pure organic neroli, patchouli, sweet orange and ylang ylang - pure decadence!'

[source]

Once you've rubbed it in (which you don't need to do much of, frankly) the beautiful smell lingers for a while, but not in an in-your-face kind of way. It's quite a soothing smell in my opinion. I can't explain why it soothes me but it just does haha!

I like it's texture. It reminds me of coconut oil in a way, because it is solid in the tub but when it comes into contact with your skin it becomes slightly runny. This results in it absorbing into the skin really easily, which means less time faffing about trying to rub it in and more time getting on with getting ready!

This costs £16.95 for 50g, which may seem like a lot but you really do get what you paid for, IMHO. What with it being 100% natural and 87% of its ingredients being organic, it's bound to cost a bit more than your usual skincare stuff. But if you have commitment issues (:P) then you can always try their 'Try Me Sets' which include 4 skincare items for £9.50.

Have you tried anything from this brand? And please, someone tell me I'm not the only one who has a bunch of samples left unloved in a drawer somewhere, haha! I can't be the only one, right? xD

*PR Sample sent to me for consideration. All views are my own, I promise. :o)

Face Mask Fridays: Sanctuary 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask

Hey there lovely ladies! And gentlemen, if there are any :D

 As you can tell by the title, I'll be doing another review in a series I started a while ago called Face Mask Fridays - the previous one is here if you want to check it out!

Today's mask is the Sanctuary 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask (^__^)

Let me start off with this. I didn't have a very high expectation of this product. Sanctuary's packaging, though consistent and professional looking, doesn't really appeal to me much. It's kind of.. boring. I only picked this up because I was on a mask kick and was just buying them left right and centre..

It's ingredients include charcoal, which draws out impurities from the pores and is known for its absorptive properties, and kaolin clay, which is known for it's ability to dry the skin by absorbing the excess oil and contributing to an increased blood flow to the area which it's applied to (consequently helping redness and inflammation). Both of which are extremely helpful ingredients to have in a mask for oily skinned people.

'The warmth of this self-heating mask helps to open up the pores so the charcoal and kaolin clay can help draw out impurities from deep within the skin. As well as purifying, the mask also helps to rebalance the skin's oil levels to clarify, cleanse and leave skin with a silky touch. Essential oil of myrrh helps smoothe and calm'

[source]

As for the self heating part.. the first time I put it on my face I honestly thought my face had caught fire. LOL I'm joking. No but really. :|

For some reason, I decided to start at my right temple. I got a little splodge of it and put it on my fingertips, put it to my temple and thought OMG MY EYEBROWS ON FIRE!! OMG MAMA NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO- oh. *looks awkwardly in the mirror at herself, feeling like an idiot* heh.

What! Don't look at me like that! It was really hot >.< I was expecting it to be like the Garnier Self Heating Mask that I reviewed before this, but it was a million times hotter! It was like I had put hot dough on my face or something. xD 

Anyway.. I spread the thick grey paste across my face, kind of unwillingly (you have to get used to it at first, the second time you use it, you look forward to it!) and let it sit there while I hummed (and danced) along to that Gangnam Style song (don't lie.. you've all been doing that too :P). Most of the heat goes after a few seconds, but you still get some for a couple of minutes or so. 

After about five minutes, I washed it off, and I have to say that my skin felt really nice and smooth! My face did feel smoother, and my face didn't feel tight nor oily and stayed the same till morning, something that has never happened before.. ever! :D

Every time I used this, I checked my t-zone afterwards for any signs of diminishing oiliness, and dya know what, it actually did feel less oily after each use. Hurray for not waking up with an oil slick for a face! *fist pump* I realised that the best time to use this was after I had had a nice hot bath/shower and my pores were already kind of open. It worked even better once I realised that!

I put the rest of it in a glass jar from an old moisturiser that I had washed out, and I got three more applications out of it - so four in all - which made me quite happy because it costs £2.03 for 15ml at Boots! Kinda pricey when you can get others for a quid that have more product in it, but worth the money when you get a lot of uses out of it. You can also get a 100ml version which comes in a tube for £10.50 - something I'm definitely thinking about picking up next time I'm in Boots!

Have you tried this mask? If not, what's your favourite self heating mask? 

Let me know in the comments below! ☺

Disclaimer: All products were bought with my own money unless stated otherwise. All opinions are my own.

Related Posts: Superdrug Hydrating Self Heating Mask, Garnier Skin Naturals Pure Self Heating Sauna Mask, DIY Fruity Face Mask: Oily/Combination Skin

Sunshine Award

Hello there everyone! I'm back with another blog award for you today. A big thankyou to the lovely Kirsty over at prettylitlefashionista for nominating me for the Sunshine award!

Rules:

1. Include award logo in a post or on your blog page.

2. Answer (10) questions about yourself. These are below.

3. Nominate 10-12 other fabulous bloggers.

4. Link your nominees to the post and comment on their blog, letting them know about the award.

5. Share the love and link the person who nominated you. 

10 Questions

1. What would you most like to change about yourself?

The fact that I doubt my abilities when I really shouldn't! I need more self confidence lol.

2. What is your theme song?

Says it all really.

3. One part of your life, a memory, action, etc. that you wish you could surgically remove from your brain?

I mysteriously forgot to put this question in.. is this a sign? :P haha. But anyway. This is too personal for me to answer. And besides, our good and bad experiences shape who we are, so I don't think I would want to get any memory removed anway. :o)

4. What generation do you wish you had been a part of? 

The one in which our beloved Prophet Muhammad PBUH was born in. Ahh if only. :-)

5. What was your favourite childhood toy?

Twas a raggedy toy dog with one eye. I wonder where it is.. *goes to ask her mum and finds out she threw it away yonks ago* MAMA NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

6. What is your favourite housecleaning chore? 

Depends on my mood. i like washing the dishes when I'm in a good mood, but when I'm in a bad mood I like ironing. LOL

7. Do you Twitter?  

I do believe the correct way of asking this is 'Do you TWEET?'. But yes, yes I do. Follow me! My username is @themaryfairy (^__^)

8. Any goals? 

Plenty. But I like to keep them to myself so when I accomplish them and tell my parents/those dear to me they can be surprised and proud. >.<

9. Do you really drink margaritas all the time?

I'm muslim, I don't drink alcohol. So no :P

10. What is the ugliest car you've ever driven and were embarrassed to be seen in?

I cannae drive yet (;__;) I've never been in an embarrassing car though. (Alhamdulillah :P)

I nominate:

Sarita from A Hotpotch Hijabi in Italy

Hareem from Iheartmexo

Hannah from hannahjustyne

Asmaa from Chocoholic Hijabi

Laura from Laura-Jayn

Amelia from Stylin In The 618

Mez from All Made Up 

Ellie from Ellie's Ramblings

Melanie from Mirror on the Wall

Vanessa from Parisian Orchid

Can't wait to read your answers! Hope everyone is having a lovely week - stay beautiful ☺ xoxo

Modestly Stylish: Back to Uni Outfit ft Dorothy Perkins

Modestly Stylish: Back to Uni  by themaryfairy

Petite Bow Pleats Front Dress from Dorothy Perkins - £20 /  Khaki Flat Front Chinos from Dorothy Perkins - £5 / Fat Face Trinity Fall Cardigan - £20 / H&M imitation Suede wedge shoes in Beige - £24.99 /  Benefit High Beam - £18.50 / OPI nail polish in Did You Ear About Van Gogh - £11

How is it September already?! This year has flown by!

With school and uni just around the corner - unless you've already started - I thought I'd show you what I'm planning on wearing on my first day back at uni In Shaa Allah (^__^)

I got the chinos and dress in the Dorothy Perkins sale the other day, and I love them to bits! I love the cute bow print so much.. I've always had a thing for bows ♥

The chinos may look short on the model but for me they're long enough to cover half of my wedge heel. I love the fabric on this, it feels really high quality and I got it for £4 with my student discount - it was originally £25!

The wedges I have are from New Look but I couldn't find them on Polyvore - they are similar to these H&M ones, but mine aren't suede and the wedge has a bit of a cork-y kind of pattern.

I haven't worn them much since I got them last year but I love them and want to start wearing them more, so I thought I'd start straight away. :P

Also, you should all know by now that I'm not one to wear nail polish but I absolutely love the name for this: 'Did You Ear About Van Gogh?' haha, makes me grin everytime!

I've also been loving High Beam lately. It's been neglected for a while, much like my wedges, but I really have been into it lately - I mix it in with my under eye concealer when I look like I haven't slept for a week - really helps get rid of the zombie look that I've been sporting a lot these days.. xD

Have you decided what you're going to be wearing on the first day of school/uni yet? Or is this just a strange thing that I only do? >.<

Purity Conditioning Cleansing Lotion Make-up Remover Review

Have you ever looked at something, thought nah that isn't going to work for me.. I'll probably hate it.. then you give it a try and are just blown away? 

Well this happened to me a few days ago with this beauty - she doesn't look like much but she's amazing and I love her like my own child ♥ (.. okay maybe not that much.. but you get me right? :P).

Purity Skincare is certified Organic by the worlds largest certifier of natural and organic cosmetics, Ecocert. Free from GM or petroleum-derived  ingredients, parabens, sls, silicones, and synthetic fragrances, their skincare range contains no harsh chemical ingredients and is fragrance free, making them suitable even for the most sensitive of skins.

'The Purity Conditioning Cleansing Lotion Make-up Remover* is an effective skin conditioning cleanser with a blend of coconut based ingredients and avocado oil to break down and remove the days makeup and grime. Oats, amino acids, and aloe help to retain moisture combined with euphrasia and rose flower water to leave the skin soft, toned and conditioned.'

[source]

At first, I did not know how to open this. But then I figured it out - purely by accident! You push down the oval part so the moon shaped part gets pushed up. Then you tip it onto its side and squeeze the bottle! When I first pushed down the oval part I thought I had broken it and panicked because it made that scary snapping noise when the seal breaks when you first open it >.<

I find that because of this you can't really control how much product comes out, and usually too much comes out! You have to be careful otherwise you'll have enough to clean your face three or four times.. xD

Anyhoo, onto the actual product. I squeeze some out and gently massage it onto my face with my fingers for about a minute or so and then gently wipe it off with a cotton pad or two, depending on how much makeup I'm wearing.

Consistency-wise, it feels creamy and lotion-y but..also sort of watery..? It's hard to explain, it just feels so odd! Either way, when I wipe it off it leaves my skin feeling soft, clean, and hydrated. I don't even feel the need to wash it off like I have with other products similar to this. It leaves no residue of any sort at all. I can just use this, wipe it off, put on my lip balm, and crawl into bed. Lavly. (^__^)

At £4.99 for 150ml, this is definitely on the more affordable side of skincare. I've used it quite a few times already and I've barely made a dent in mine.

You can purchase this straight from their website, or alternatively from Holland & Barretts where they're currently doing an offer for 2 for £7.93 or buy one get one half price mix and match across the entire site!

*PR samples, sent to me for consideration. All views are my own, I promise. :o)

Liebster Blog Award

I was nominated by the adorable Hannah from hannahjustyne for the Liebster Blog Award! Thank you very much my sweet (^__^)

So. This is how it works: you get nominated, you reply with your post, then tag other bloggers who have under 200 followers to do the same. Easy peasy!

Rules:

1. You must link back to the person who gave the award to you!

2. Post eleven things about yourself

3. Answer the questions the person giving you the award has set for you.

4. Create 11 questions for the people to answer that you have given the award to.

5. Choose people to give the award to and link them in your post.

6. Go to their blog and tell them.

7. You can't give the award back to the blogger who gave it to you!

Let's get this started!

11 Things About Me

1.   I love tea. In fact, I love it so much hat have to stop myself from making a cuppa every time I enter the kitchen. xD

2.   I used to be a secret Twihard. I still am a bit, but I'm much less into Twilight now than I was back then lol. The thing about Twilight is that yes it was poorly written, and yes Bella is an utter pain in the neck (I'm so witty :P), but honestly.. I think Stephenie Meyer had a good idea. It was just poorly executed. I sometimes wonder how it would have turned out if J. K. Rowling had come up with the idea.. you can bet your bottom dollar it would have been amazing!

3.   I am of Pakistani descent, but I tend to get confused with people of other ethnicities/races. I've had people come up to me and ask me things in arabic or turkish, usually asking for directions at uni and I just look at them.. flummoxed. Makes me feel bad that I can't help them xD

4.   I like to think I used to be quite good at basketball, despite being quite short. I really should start playing again..

5.   I love Star Trek! I started watching TV again when I was flicking through the channels and saw that the first ever episode of the original series was on  - they've been digitally remastered and everything!

6.   Although my first language is English, I am fluent in Urdu, and can understand Hindi, Potwari, and Punjabi.

7.   One of my favourite games to play when I was younger was Spyro!

8.   I love cake rusks. NOM.

9.   I love giving gifts. It makes me happy knowing I've made someone else happy!

10.   I am very shy in person. I get over it eventually, and I'm good at hiding it - I do this thing where I act like I'm confident, even though on the inside I'm dying of shyness.. I'm odd I know. :P

11. This took me a really long time to write up. I find it hard to talk about myself lol >.<

11 Questions For Me To Answer

Onto the answers to Hannahs questions..

1. What is your favourite post on my blog?!

Your 'OOTD: Double Denim.. ish' post. You look so cute in it! Haha (^__^)

2. Do you class yourself as a bblogger or a fblogger?

I'd lump myself in with the bbloggers more than the fbloggers. Although now that I think about it i don't think I belong in either.. hmm.

3. Why did you start your blog?

I wanted to share with other people my knowledge on skincare and to help my fellow muslimahs on how to dress more modestly because I can't go clothes shopping with them all can I? :P

4. Where do you get your inspiration from?

Uhh. I don't have a specific place to be honest.. 

5. Have you been watching the olympics?

Yeyuh! I'm actually really sad it's over. It brought the whole of the UK together, and made us less miserable than usual. I was seriously having Olympics withdrawal symptoms. Thank God for the Paralympics! Those athletes are amazing. I was watching them playing blindfolded football earlier.. they still play better than I do..

6. What's your favourite thing to blog about?

Something that has CHANGED MY LIFE FOREVER. I mean uh stuff that works.. *cough*THISOMGTHIS!*cough*

7. What's your favourite film?

Oh I don't have one! There's the Harry Potter ones, some indian ones (Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum, Kal Ho Na Ho, etc). I loved The Avengers, and Thor! I LOVED THOR OMG YOU GUYS. #TEAMTHOR LOL

8. What's your holy grail product/cosmetic?

Sadly, I haven't found it yet. But I'll let you know when I do! :D

9. What's your favourite magazine?

I don't read magazines on a regular basis. :/ Never have time!

10. Have you travelled? If not, where would you like to go?

I have indeedy. I've been to Greece and Pakistan (several times!).

11. Dream house/life? 

(..why did I read that as 'dream housewife?' LOL)

Anything as long as I'm happy to be honest. Alhamdulillah for everything that I have.

11 Questions For You To Answer!

1.   Let's start with something easy. What's your favourite colour? :P

2.   What's your favourite blog post of mine?

3.   If you lost all your makeup, what would be the first thing you repurchase?

4.   What's the last thing you do before bed?

5.   Do you prefer perfumes or body spray/mists?

6.   What was the first makeup item you ever bought?

7.   What's at the top of your wishlist right now?

8.   What's your favourite print at the moment? E.g. cheetah, floral, checked, etc?

9.   Are you a candle person? If you are, show us your favourite candle!

10.   Are you a chocolate or a sweet person? (I can't choose.!)

11.   What book are you reading at the moment?

I nominate:
Mez from All Made Up,
Hareem from Iheartmexo,
and Sarita from A Hotchpotch Hijabi in Italy

♥

My first ever Ebay purchase ft. Ecotools Brushes ☼

A couple of months ago I made my first ever order from Ebay. Being a big fan of the EcoTools brushes, I decided to order their Bamboo Five Piece Brush Set. 

What I love about EcoTools is, apart from the fact that their brushes are amazing, is that they are 100% cruelty free. They use natural & recycled materials; their handles are made of bamboo, their ferrules of recycled aluminium, their makeup/brush pouches of a blend of cotton & hemp, sometimes with recycled PET lining. And their brushes have the most incredibly soft synthetic bristles that have not once irritated my skin in the slightest.

I've had my first set of EcoTools brushes for about 4/5 years now (the 6 Piece Brush Set in case anyone is wondering) and they have not shed one hair, nor has anything broken or become loose.

They really are amazing value, even at full price!

This set contains a mineral powder brush, a concealer brush, an eye shading brush, an adorable baby kabuki, and a cosmetics bag - so really a 4 piece brush set plus a little bag. I get the feeling that this is a fake though, because the bag is different to the one that is shown on the EcoTools website and the Boots website. Although I got a brush roll with my first brush set and it shows a zip bag on the website, even though I bought mine from Tesco.. Maybe the packaging has changed? It was five or so years ago.

Hmm.. anyhoo, moving on!

Now I don't really use mineral makeup, but the mineral powder brush always picks up the right amount when I swirl this in my Rimmel Clear Complexion Powder, and it always deposits it evenly on my face. I've washed this a couple of times, and it is just as soft as when I first got it, and it hasn't shed a hair. I'd say that this is quite dense, but not too much so that it doesn't move.

The concealer brush is also excellent! It helps blend in concealer very well, isn't scratchy at all, and as with the powder brush, it hasn't shed a hair since the day it arrived. The bristles are a perfect length and density for applying and blending concealer; not too floppy but not too stiff either.

I can't really comment on the eye shading brush to be honest. I never wear eye shadow, unless it's a special occasion (and even then I hesitate), but I can say that it is just as soft as the others! It does look a lot like a slightly thinner, Sigma Tapered Blending brush.

The baby kabuki is the cutest thing ever. It's small, soft, travel friendly, and dense enough to pick up enough product to powder my shiny t zone if I'm out and about. Love it ♥

The bag is the perfect size for me, because all I ever really need is the baby kabuki, my Rimmel powder, and a lipbalm. It all fits in snugly and the clickety button thingy (technical term yo~) keeps it safe and secure in my bag. This makes me very happy. Finally found a makeup bag that isn't a waste of space! :D

Like I said earlier, although I was a tad suspicious about the bag being different from that on the Boots website, for £3.78 on Ebay instead of £19.99 at Boots, and what with there not being any difference in quality, you can see why I chose the ebay seller this time around ;D

Disclaimer: All products were bought with my own money unless stated otherwise. All opinions are my own.