Press Sample / AD - My Thoughts On Toners And The Trilogy Hydrating Mist Toner - A Review For My Pure*

Lately I've been doing a lot of work on my Beauty Product Directory and that's lead to me re-reading a lot of my older posts argh! not good in some cases, but what I have learnt from it is that I tend to repeat myself quite a lot, not with specific posts but more so with the phrases and the language that I use in my posts. I'm useless at starting blog posts, so quite often I start off by talking about my obsession with a certain product or group of products., and today's post in no different.

My name is Louise and I am obsessed with facial sprays and facial toners! I know that toners have had a bit of a bad press over the years but their really is nothing better for refreshing your skin and leaving your face smooth, cool and hydrated. Years ago the only toners and face sprays you could get were either pressurised water - nice but it doesn't do too much, or filled with alcohol which more often than not left the skin dry and stripped. You can still get the water sprays, which I swear by on the beach, and you can still get some toners with alcohol in with are more geared towards people with an oilier skin, but thankfully for most of us toners have moved on, or should I say backwards.

Even in the most high end skincare these days, you'll still find some element of natural ingredients. Yes even in this technological day and  age we can still see the skin benefits  of plant and natural extracts. Whilst I am partial to a real in your face brightening and exfoliating toner that makes my pores dance, for everyday use I tend to lean towards  gentler,  more natural skin tonics. Having just squeezed out the last drops of my favourite Liz Earle Skin Tonic, I took the opportunity to try out something new as part of my August My Pure Reviews.

Trilogy Hydrating Mist Toner is only the second product that I've tried from New Zealand based company Trilogy, although I've heard an awful lot of good things about their Rosehip Oil. They pride themselves on producing an ethical, natural and organic skin care line, full of natural plant and  flower extracts.

This product is designed for all skin types and is designed to hydrate, tone and revitalise the skin. It's alcohol free and contains Aloe Vera, and flower waters including Geranium, Lavender, and Rose, to calm, and balance the skin.

It comes beautifully packaged in a brown, frosted, pump action glass bottle, which is especially designed  to protect the precious floral waters. I love spray toners because they are so versatile, they're quick and easy to use, and they're great for setting make up and for cooling the skin down, with out using any faffy cotton wool.

Another Lou cliche here,  but the first thing you honestly do notice is the smell. The rose and geranium aromas dominate leaving a fresh, refreshing floral scent on the skin. The smell is quite strong but it's pleasant and it doesn't last very long on the skin, so it doesn't interfere with your perfume or any other skin care aromas.

The mist immediately feels fresh and cooling on the skin, probably down to the Aloe Vera content. The mist is quite fine so your skin never feels too wet and it's fine enough to use it over make up. As well as using it to set make up, I've also used it over bare skin on the rare warm days we've had over the last month and as a general toner after cleansing.

I definitely think that the Aloe Vera adds to the moisture content, and this toner leaves my skin feeling not only cool and fresh but also feeling as though it's as had a drink of water. This toner is about as far away from those stripping drying skin tonics of the past as you'll get. Not a hint of drying, stinging or redness occurred, even when I accidentally used it after a bit of hair removal, and a brow shape.

This toner is definitely something that I would consider repurchasing, it felt nice and gentle on  my skin, smelled lovely and it's so easy and economical to use. It is pricey, but I've been using it for about 3 weeks now and I've used such a tiny amount that it really would last for a long time. The Trilogy Hydrating Mist Toner usually retails at £18.50 on My Pure, for 100ml Have you used any Trilogy products before? Please let me know, I'd love to hear your recommendations x Thanks for reading x

*Press Sample

Disaster In December - Haulage From Last Weeks Metro Centre Trip, Parcels From This Week and More

 and Parcels OK Guys I'm going to be very, very honest with you, we're less than a week into December and already my spending has gone way over my limit - as per usual the culprit was my annual festive shopping trip with my godmother last Thursday. I did manage to buy an awful lot of Christmas pressies but at the same time I bought a few little bits for me, starting in a most unexpected place, Poundland

I used to be a total snob when I was younger and used to mortified when my mum went into Poundland or any other discount type store but age has it's benefits, and one them is loving a bargain. So what can you see in the picture, well first up nails wraps, as I said in my last haul post I'm planning a post on nail wraps, and given that most UK dwellers can access Poundland I thought these would be a good cheap brand to try, mine have little flutterbys on them. Also in the pic Poundlands own ouchless hair bobbles and a bit of a silly one, Hello Kitty plasters!

Aren't they sweet, I almost, yes almost want to cut my finger in order to give them a go lol

I've always loved stationary, just the feeling of new paper or opening a new notebook makes me happy, so when I saw this in The Works I added it to my pile of pressies and concentrated on the words and stroked the pages during a 20 minute wait in the queue !!!

Strangely I didn't buy shoes, but I did buy some Lush, I love Lush especially at Christmas, I really think it's one of the best shops to shop in the sales assistants are always so helpful, - there Christmas bags are so sweet this year aren't they, there's even space to write to and from on, instant gift wrapping :), so shall we see what's in the bags :)

First up something I first heard about on twitter,  Magic Wand, a super cute bubble bar which smells of Snow Fairy, the assistant showed my exactly how to use it in order to get more than one use out of it - yummy!

Sticking to the Snow Fairy theme I also got the Snow Fairy Lip Tint. This smells amazing and tastes amazing too. It looks quite scary in the pot but it's actually a lovely pale pink on the lips

Then I got one of my favourite ever Lush products, Christmas Eve Bubble Bar, I love this it's quite floral but at the same time really calming, I always use it on Christmas Eve

Finally from Lush I got one of the new types of bubble bars Bubbleroons , that are supposedly extra moisturising, the one I got was Rose Jam, again it smells lovely but what does this look like to you?

Yup my mum thinks it looks like either a bottom or a ladies cleavage - naughty Lush lol - I have to say the smell from this little lot, and the things I got as gifts is amazing my room smells gorgeous!

If your a Body Shop Love Your Body card holder you'll know that from Thursday - Saturday they had a whole load of special offers, well guess what happened, I took the mailing I'd been sent with me but I forgot my Love Your Body card! I have to say the girl behind the counter was amazing from the details on the mailing she phoned the head office and got my details so she could give me the 30% discount! Obviously I didn't get my stamps but she really went above and beyond to save me some money, so thanks that lady in the larger Body Shop in the Metro Centre :) Anyways I'd actually spent quite a bit of money on other people but I did manage to grab a few bits for me

Tea Tree Toner - a real essential for me at the minute I really think it makes a difference when I use it on my t-zone

I also got something else I'd heard about via twitter - The Sparkler - I love the vintage look perfume bottle dispenser. I got the gold version but they also do a pink one. Basically it's lovely shimmery powder, gorgeous for the decolletage and the shoulders :) and great for the party season x

Because I'd spent more than £15 I could buy one of the new, full sized Candied Ginger Body Butter which normally retails at £12.50 for just £1.00, well I wasn't going to say no was I ;)

I don't know of your going to be following my disastrous monthly spends total in the sidebar but I have to be honest and admit that the Body Shop total is a bit of an estimate, on the receipt they only show the total saving instead of what you've saved on each item, if anything I've been a bit generous, I probably spent less than that - that's my story and I'm sticking to it ;)

I had to go into Boots, I can't go past one without going in, but I have to say, I was a bit overawed - despite continuing to purchase make up I can really say myself hitting the wall before long, I just wasn't that desperate to buy anything so I bought a few gifts, and just one thing - the 17 Magnetized Polish in Blue

I love the green one I have (click here to see the post ) and I love blue so I needed this one in my life, I also bought something else from 17 for someone else so I qualified for a free gift - wahoo

The gift is actually pretty decent, you get a cute little cosmetics bag, containing a mini nail file, and 3 nail colours Risky Red, Nightshade and the Glitter Topcoat - really nice shades for the festive and party season x

I looked in a few clothes shops but nothing appealed, so I picked up a few jewellery bits including this huge ring from Primark

another huge ring from H&M

and this ickle bracelet also for H&M, you can't see it too well here but it has all sorts of cute gold tone charms and crystals on it

So that was it apart from an essential for me, Superdrug nail polish remover. Superdrug on the whole like Boots was a disappointment, loads of things but nothing I wanted to buy, no that's not strictly true the MUA stand was nigh on empty so I may have took advantage of their new website when I got home, more on that to come :), and they even heard of Look Beauty hmmm. Anyways that was my ickle, well not so ickle Metro Centre haul, but as you've already guessed that wasn't all I've placed a few orders on ze internet over the last week too  - slaps wrists!
From a Boots parcel of Christmas gifts I sneaked in 3 bottles of the Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover, I justified this purchase because all the Botanics skincare was on 3 for 2, not the most exciting purchase but I use so much of this stuff it's always worth picking some up when it's on offer. That purchase may not be that exciting, but this one is ;)

Yes a rare site for me in 2011, a MAC order! I only ordered two things one things I wanted and the other one on a bit of whim. First up the object of my desire from the MAC Gareth Pugh collaboration, Ascension nail polish.

Ok lets cut to the chase, the couture collections are always beautifully packaged but stupidly expensive and this one is no different. £19 for a nail polish is pretty steep in my eyes, but the beautiful packaging and the even more beautiful colour certainly made up for the scary price

I don't think I've managed to capture the colour that well, but Ascension is the must beautiful oil on water, iridescent duo chome polish of amazingness I've seen I really can't wait to pop it on my nails :)

To be honest that was all I was planning on buying, but I had a little peak at the Goodbyes section and the MAC site and I purchased something on a bit of a whim

Nubile Paintpot looks like a proper neutal beige in the pot, not dissimilar to Layin Low, but when you swatch it has a lovely nude pink tone, which I think will make a great eyeshadow base

I don't know when MAC started putting samples in their parcels, but I was lucky enough to get one in this order, I got a mini, and I mean mini Zoom Lash Mascara -it's tiny !

The final parcel I recieved this week was a little sneaky QVC purchase, I've loved this ladies jewellery since I first saw it, so when I spied this gorgeous little ring in clearance I had to have it

It's the petite posey ring by a jewellery designer named Kimberly Selwood, I love it, it's really small and so cute x
So yeah that was my haulage over the last seven days, scary eh! and would you believe that may not by the end of the months spending, I'm still waiting for a few parcels for buyapowa, and from MUA and I'm going to the Metro Centre in the next day or so!- Heads to the naughty step in disgrace lol. As per usual any questions on anything please leave me a comment x

A Little Haul

I popped to my nearest small town with my mum today so she could get her passport photos taken - £5 it costs now eek. I had a few parcels to post today so I went with her and managed to pick up a few goodies whilst I was there. I've done a video for You Tube but I thought I'd show you here as well :) As well as a few bits for gift and swaps I got some bits from Boots, and Superdrug. First of all I got some Veet In Shower Hair Remover Cream - I really like this for when I can't be bothered to wax, it's so simple and takes less than 5 minutes. I also picked some more Botanics eye make up remover, and some of the orginal formula Damask Rose Skin Tonic, some Flight Ear Plugs, and some Gold Shimmer Batiste :)

I also got a Hello Kitty Superstar pack from my local newsagents - yes I know a bit juvenile but so cute you get a little trinket box keyring / phone charm, a little paperclip, some mini stickers, and some large stickers :)
I also went to the Factory Bargain Shop - I love this shop it has bits of everything it - they actually had some nice summery clothes :) I got this skirt from a brand called Kushi - it a lovely pale blue crinkled cotton, with pale blue sequins on the pleats. I think it would be good for day or evening so it definitely going in my suitcase


I also picked up another pair of jersey harems this time in Navy, I already have a couple of black pairs and some charcoal ones coming from New Look I love these for this times of year they are soooo comfy

So that's more spends down the drain, whoops a diddle never mind it's nearly August I can start again lol

Customer Service Rave - Liz Earle

My lovely mummy was kind enough to order me a bottle of Liz Earle cleanse and polish the other day whilst it was at the special 15th anniversary price. Well it came yesterday and they were kind enough to throw in a full size Eyebright, and a travel size Skin Tonic as well as two muslin cloths (not pictured) I have always been 100% impressed with their customer service - they really reward loyalty and really seem to look after their customers , it was so nice of them to send me some freebies and I really appreciate it - huge thumbs up to Liz Earle x