Avon Anew Renewal Power Serum

I have to say that this is one of the best facial products I have used in a long time.  

I'm an Avon Rep and last September Avon launched the Anew Renewal Power Serum with bells and whistles, it contains a new product called Pro-Retinol which claims to do lovely things to your skin such as leave it soft and supple, help wrinkles and lines, brighten skin and reduce the appearance of enlarged pores.  They got Kimberley Walsh from Girls Aloud to promote it too, so they were super serious about this product!

I bought some because I wanted to recommend it to my customers through my Facebook page (I sell online only from my official Avon online store) but I felt I should try it first.  I always feel funny about asking people to buy something I haven't tried or at the very least liked, myself.

So I first used it in October which just happened to coincide with the week I had Covid (the first time!) and I really didn't feel at all well and my skin just went to pot, it was pale and very dry and a bit blotchy in patches.  I put it on twice a day, morning and night and it immediately made a huge difference to how my skin felt.  At first it feels a bit sticky but then sinks in and feels lovely.

In particular, I noticed immediately how soft it made my skin and the dry patches cleared up within a day or so which would have been two or three applications.  After a couple of weeks I noticed that my pores around my chin and nose (which I had been obsessed with daily via my 3x magnified mirror) were definitely smaller and less noticeable and any lines were also reduced.  I think what I love about this product though is that it just makes my skin so soft and supple and is a beautiful base for moisturiser and then any make up I want to put on top.  I sort of feel like it's giving it another layer of protection against the elements!

My only gripe is that I use it up very quickly but then I do use quite a lot of product, the instructions say use a couple of pumps, I use more than that because I smooth it under my chin and down my neck as well.  It's £22 but quite often the price is reduced to about £16 so I tend to stock up when that happens!

No7 Airbrush Away Colour Balancing Primer

This No7 green primer is something I've had in my collection for a long time.  I think this is my second or even third tube of this primer.  It's essentially for reducing redness prior to putting on foundation or powder, it was part of the No7 Colour Correcting series, there was also a peach colour for brightening skin and maybe a lavender one for dark circles (though that might be my imagination, definitely peach though as I did buy that one).

It's not a product I use every day, or even all over my face but just sometimes to even out red bits.  It's particularly good for spots, the stubborn ones that need to be de-reddened before concealer, and also I've used it for areas where I've maybe had a cold sore and it's left a little red scar for a few weeks.  It's hypoallergenic so it doesn't irritate which is good.

The key to this primer, or any green tinted primer actually, is that less is more.  Otherwise you look like the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz!  I start with a little dab and either use my ring finger or a tiny brush.  You can see it take the redness out straight away.  It's best to wait for it to dry a bit before you use concealer or foundation, just to let it take hold.  You will know if you've used too much because you will be able to see green on your skin and it doesn't sink in!  This has happened to me so I know!

I remember choosing this because I really like No7 products and their Lift & Luminate foundation is one I've used on and off for at least 10 years so I knew it would be good.  I particularly like the consistency, it's not thick but also not too light either so you don't need to overload your brush (or finger).   I can't remember how much it cost, probably about £12, and I don't know if they still sell it in store because I haven't bought any for ages but usually you can get these things on Amazon so I'd probably try there if I needed more and couldn't get it in Boots.

I'd say it's a good primer to have in any collection as you never know when you are going to need it and it does a good job of covering up without looking 'cakey'.  Other brands that I know that do a green primer are Elf, Smashbox, Clinique, NYX, Clarins, Max Factor and Barry M so they are readily available in most high street shops. 

My Make Up Collection - and how I've decided to blog about it

So, I've been isolating half the week with Covid, luckily mild symptoms so not complaining (although could have done without it over half-term because I had LOADS planned, none of it exciting just jobs).  Anyway, while I've been in my room kicking my heels and blowing my nose I have also been sorting out my make up and it occurred to me that I have a lot of it.

A lot.

Not just a lot but actually masses.  So much make up.  More make up than I will ever get through in my lifetime I think.

And I thought to myself, why am I not recording what I've got and why I bought it and if I like it?  I know that's the point of my blog really but I got so taken up with how to write posts, like "Top 5 blah blah" and "How To etc etc" that actually I forgot that the entire point of writing the blog, for me, (when I started it in 2013) was literally just to say "look I've got this and this is why I like it (or don't like it)".  It's really that simple a blog, truly.

So that's what I'm going to do.  Blog about what I own.  Some of it I've had for a while, years in fact.  It wasn't until I had the sort out that I realised that there was so much and such a lot of it I'd forgotten about, for example I have a Natasha Denona blusher that I used a few years back all the time but it got shoved to the back of a drawer and I haven't touched it since then.  Got to get that out again for sure!

I also have a lot of skin care and hair products, again - a lot.  So I will probably pop some of those on as well.

Please join me in my make up re-discovery journey because who knows what I'll find 😊

A Hello and Quick Product Update

Hello.  I'm not even going to bother saying where did the last year go because I think we all know it went the same way as 2020, navigating our way through Covid and all the stuff that goes with it.  Unfortunately I was unable to continue blogging, my brain just went to mush and I couldn't think properly about anything other than the stuff that really needed to be done, the first few months of the year were completely taken up with homeschooling and then everything just snowballed from there.  But that's enough about that.  So ... where are we beauty-wise?  As a bit of a catch up I'll list the products I've really liked over the last year, I'm going to review them all at some point, I just need to get organised. 

 I've only listed the make up products, I have also tried some new face creams and serums and used a lot of different shampoo!  I'll list those another time. All of the above were things I bought myself and tried over the course of the year.  To be honest they aren't the only ones just my favourites, lockdown brought on a 'spree' of online shopping and we were lucky enough to get away in the summer all masked and vaccinated and I had a nice old time in Sephora, which of course, we don't have here in the UK.

2021 PRODUCT FAVOURITES 💜

Benefit Dandelion Twinkle Highlighting Powder
NARS Blush - Orgasm
Urban Decay Hydromaniac Tinted Glow Hydrator, 30 Light
Estee Lauder Summer Look Palette Bronze Goddess Azur
Avon Mark Magix Shadow Attract Eye Shadow Primer
Lancome Lipstick, 236, Shiny Romance
Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Blush 01, Rebellious Rose
Sephora Flushed Blush Cream 01, Cloudy Pink
Beauty Pie Triple Beauty Luminizing Wand
Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Hydrating Primer 

Back soon with more! xx