Another Space NK GWP

If there are three words that whip me in to an unconsidered spending frenzy it's gift with purchase. There's something about the notion of rewarding you for spending more than you should have that I'm strangely down with, even if it does make my credit card weep. Space NK are the queens of such GWPs and I'm sure by now you know the drill, spend £150 on an event day and you walk away with a huge bag of goodies, I mean who wouldn't want a mini By Terry Baume de Rose? 

With my moisturiser almost on its last pump and my Nars creamy concealer having seen better days it didn't take long for me to have two items sitting in my virtual basket, may as well repurchase when there's an offer on right? My next addition was one I've eyed up forever, say hello to the And God Created The Woman palette, another team Nars purchase. Perfect for travel this just larger-than-a-debit-card sized palette has everything you need to create that smouldering brown smokey eye including the much hyped smudge proof eyeshadow base (cannot wait to give this a bash) and the wide contour shadow brush. To complete the Nars trio I just had to get my mitts on Mandore, a limited edition shade from their Satin Lip Pencil range - I blame Suzie the enabler for this purchase, if she didn't look so babin' in this berry hue this pencil would never have entered my beauty brain.

If you're a regular around these parts you'll know my skin has been a real beyatch a lately getting seriously above its station thinking it's ok to bring me a spot or five with zero notice #cheeky. The beautiful and nearly almost blemish free Anna forever raves about Oskias skincare offerings so with this in mind I had to try the much loved Renaissance Cleansing Gel. Formulated with zero nasties this baby has got my name written all over it, expect a review coming your way soon.

Do you crumble at the sight of a gift with purchase? Have you ever tried any of my buys?

So I Went Into Space NK...

For the last few months my skin has taken the role of embarrassing uncle, you know the one who causes a scene at parties and is generally one to avoid? Well that has been my face, I think it all started when I used a Chanel foundation but we'll not dwell on that. I don't want to tempt fate but since introducing a few noobs and an oldie into my routine things have been getting a whole lot better so without further ado I present to you my Space NK purchases...

Talking oldies but goodies say hello to a long lost friend, the Rodial Dragon's Blood Hyaluronic Moisturiser. I stopped using this in a quest to find something more bank balance friendly and that's where I went wrong. From this day forward if my skin likes something, I'm sticking with it. I love how this leaves both my combination skin suitably moisturised and how make-up glides on smoothly afterwards. 

A more than welcome noob entering my bathroom stash is the Elemental Herbology Cool & Clear Facial Cleanser. Now this cleanser is dreamy stuff, not only does it smell amazing but it works brilliantly with my skin morning and night to remove make-up and general grime all while keeping pesky blemishes and crazy congestion at bay. Elemental Herbology you've knocked it out of the park again.

Purchased but not pictured (I may have got a little snap happy before realising) is a babe of a face exfoliator from Caudalie which in the realm of Space NK was a bargain at £18. As the name would suggest the Gentle Buffing Cream really is a sympathetic prod that packs a serious skin munching punch leaving your visage feeling soft but nourished, perfect for those with sensitive skin a la moi.

Now for the piece de resistance a Laura Mercier Luxe Travel Brush Collection which I snapped up in the on-line sale for an amazing £22.50 (I had £10 on my N-dulge card FYI). I've had my eye on this since Christmas so I'm thrilled to finally own this beautiful collection. Inside are four double ended travel sized make-up brushes and a full size cheek colour brush which retails on it's own for £39! Feeling spendy? The Space NK sale is still happening now and it's pretty damn awesome for Laura Mercier goodies.

Do you ever allow yourself to splurge in Space NK? What skincare buys keep your face in check?

Empties #4

When an assorted array of brightly coloured bottles and tubs start to set up camp in the corner of your bathroom you know it's time to bring it over to Cagney and Lace and talk empties, am I right?

Pureology Essential Repair Shampoo - As the owner of some crazy thick and unruly locks I'm forever on the hunt for the perfect shampoo. I'm a tricky customer as my scalp is easily irritated and whilst my hair craves moisture there's a seriously fine line between just hydrating enough and making my follicles greasy. The Pureology range contains no sulphates, is designed with coloured hair in mind and although pricey at £12 it's highly concentrated so you only need the tiniest amount. Compared to all the shampoos I've ever tried (and there's a lot) this is my favourite by far. I've just bought the Super Smooth shampoo by Pureology in hope of comparing the two so I'll report back soon. 

Rodial Dragon's Blood Hyaluronic Moisturiser - Another empties post, another bottle of Dragon's Blood Moisturiser I just can't get enough of this plumping wonder, it's genuinely is a joy to use every morning. I recently discovered this has a very similar ingredient to the Tom Ford primer which will explain why my make-up stays put when I use this moisturiser. How many bottles before I give it HG status? You'll just have to wait and see.

Body Shop Cocoa Body Butter - It wouldn't be an empties gathering without a Body Shop Butter rocking up. The cocoa scent has long been one of my faves and the rich texture is exactly what you'd expect from a body butter. I could frankly open a body care shop with the number of body butters I have waiting in the wings so I won't be repurchasing this one just yet although fingers crossed there's one in my advent calendar.

REN ClearCalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser - Everyone has that skincare item they can rely on to tame their skin when the going gets tough and for me that's got to be the REN ClearCalm Clay Cleanser which I first got my mitts on last Summer. Whenever my skin decides to welcome a hormonal break on board this bad boy gets to work and soothes everything with just a couple of uses. At £18 I think ClearCalm Cleanser is fantastic value and I adore how you can see when it's running out, that said I should really have bought a back up...

Algenist Gentle Rejuvenating Cleanser - Hmmm is the only way I can describe this Gentle Cleanser from Algenist. Bought on a whim when my skin was having a really angry time in Space NK Manchester I was assured this would calm my skincare woes. Consistency wise it's quite thick and creamy with a pearlescent shimmer running through it - once removed with a flannel my skin feels soft and a little plumped but sadly I didn't notice a decrease in my breakouts. I think this would be ideal for someone with dull, lack lustre skin but I feel there's better options out there for me personally.

Have you tried any of these products before? What's your cleanser of choice?

There's still time to enter my Origins thank you giveaway here, have you entered?

Empties #3

My pulse keeps racing as I make eye contact with the almost over flowing Space NK bag in my bedroom, only for me to realise it's not full of box fresh beauty booty but instead packed to the brim with my empties, well a girl can dream can't she? Space NK bag, it's time for you to go. Here are my thoughts on everything I've used up in the past three months...

Soap & Glory Smoothie Star Body Buttercream - If body cream could be a person then this SSBB would be Beyonce (who in my eyes is the modern day Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every way). The pistachio and vanilla scent is sweet without being overpowering, the lightly whipped texture is perfection - who wants super thick body cream in this weather? Not forgetting the fact that you don't have to stand around waiting for this baby to absorb into your skin, it just vanishes all on it's own. As soon as I saw a glimpse of the tubs bottom I dashed to Boots and repurchased, it's that good. My only criticism is that I get through this at an alarming rate, note to self - must slather on less body cream.

Jo Malone Blackberry and Bay 1.5ml (sample size) - Jo Malone are the bees knees when it comes to fragrances and I was lucky enough to try a sample of the Blackberry and Bay scent when I placed an order with Jo Malone back in March. Now it's a rare day when I finish a scent (even one as small as this) so it's a real testament to just how much I love this scent, which FYI is incredibly fresh and fruity. If I didn't already have my Diptyque Roses fragrance I would have already repurchased this, it really is special.

Hourglass Illusion Tinted Moisturiser in Ivory - Tinted moisturisers have never really been my bag until I tried this one in Space NK, Harrogate. Now the first thing to get your head round is the consistency, it's pretty thick and to be honest a little tough to work into the skin. I dot the tiniest amount onto my cheeks, forehead and nose before blending first with my hands before moving onto my Real Techniques Buffing Brush. Although it's certainly not the one when you're short of time I honesty don't think my skin has looked so flawless nor have I had so many compliments as when I wear this. I find this lasts all day on my skin, giving my complexion a real dewy, almost air brushed finish although I do find my nose getting a bit shiny come 4 o'clock. My advise? Get yourself a sample next time you find yourself in Space NK.

Elemental Herbology Cell Food - If your skin is lack lustre or feeling a bit under the weather then this baby is for you. As the brand name suggests Cell Food has a subtle herbal scent (but don't let this put you off, I actually kinda liked it) and a light, cream-to-water consistency which means it quickly absorbs into your skin. This is the first serum I've ever used where I've seen such a noticeable difference after just one application, my skin looked visibly brighter and even glowed! This is one for my Autumn Winter must-have list although I must admit I have one minor criticism, the pipette is a nightmare to use. You either dispense not enough or too much product, please sort this out Elemental Herbology.  

Rodial Dragon's Blood Hyaluronic Moisturiser with SPF15 - After falling out of love with my Perfect Balance moisturiser I found myself on the hunt for a new day time moisturiser, enter Rodials Dragon Blood Moisturiser which could be the one. Not only does it keeps my skin plumped and hydrated all day long (that'll be the hyaluronic acid) without feeling heavy or uncomfortable on my sensitive/combination skin - apparently that's all down to the Dragon Blood but it also protects me from the sun with SPF15. At £45 it's not the most purse friendly but I can't imagine this not being on my bathroom shelf plus how amazing is the hot pink packaging? I'm tempted to try the Dragon's Blood Night Cream, well I do have some N-Dulge points.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in No.2 Light - Going through my Space NK bag to write this lovely post I counted not one, not two but four empty tubes of this brilliant budget concealer. I bet I'm preaching to the choir but if you've never tried one then why not? The Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer is neither too creamy nor watery and is great for concealing blemishes or covering up under eye bags. My only complaint is a tube doesn't seem to last me longer than a month but at £4.19, does it really matter?

Diptyque Roses Duet Candle - Well it was a sad day when this candle took it's last breathe, not only was this my first ever Diptyque candle but hands down my favourite candle scent EVER so serious sobs may have ensued when I realised that this pink darling has sold out everywhere. Oh Diptyque, why did you have to make this limited edition? The Roses Duet scent is super girly and to my nose, a mix of Baies and Roses. Will I be buying Baies and Roses and burning them at the same time? For the sake of my bank balance, I hope not.

Have you ever tried any of these products or have I now tempted you into giving them a go? 

Space NK Haul

So first and foremost let's get the obvious out of the way, today's post has the least original blog title you may have ever seen - one thing it does well though is state the obvious so hello Space NK haul. On Easter Saturday my mum and I finally ventured to Harrogate for our belated Mothers Day celebration, as predicted I spent more money than sense in Space NK. My mum and I both had pre-bookable make-overs which I would highly recommend - not only do you get to try a few new products and get your make-up done by a beauty boff you can also ask as many questions as possible - my lady Gemma was an absolute star and full of beauty info, perfect for a sponge like me to absorb. Like a right moose I managed to leave my camera at home (I blame the early train journey) but if you follow me on Instagram you may just see a few cheeky shots of my make-up. So let the readers see the beauty booty....

Cane & Austin Retexturizing Treatment Pads - This is my second dabble into the Cane & Austin treatment pads after using the Acne ones before. I've only used these on two occasions so far but my skin already feels softer, smoother and most importantly clearer. The smell is by no means a bed of roses but I actually find these pads nowhere near as astringent as the Acne pads, I promise to keep you updated on these newbies.

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray - Now I'll be honest, this wasn't a necessary, can't-live-without-purchase but after hearing my favourites Anna and Amelia rave about this dry texturising spray I was more than a little intrigued. While the lovely Gemma applied my make-up I quizzed here on Oribe - as soon as I heard this very spray was a favourite with the Space NK Harrogate girls I knew I had to have it. I can't wait to get spraying this into my newly trimmed locks for bad-ass volume, Space NK you're bad to my bank balance!

Rodial Dragon's Blood Hyaluronic Moisturiser with SPF15 - As much as I adore my Perfect Balance moisturiser  from Elemental Herbology a girl has got to have options. Gemma used this on my skin pre primer and tinted moisturiser and the consistency was just beautiful - yes I get excited over moisturisers, plus how amazing is the name? Anything with Hyaluronic Acid always gets my vote so I can't wait to start trying this one out.

Hourglass Illusion Tinted Moisturizer in Ivory - If there's one stand out product (so far I might add) then it's got to be this little beauty. Being a bit of a beauty blog reader-holic I'd heard all about the Hourglass Mineral Veil primer and luckily got my hands on a sample in a Space NK event goodie bag (it's utter perfection by the way) yet I never realised Hourglass had an entire make-up range. I've been wearing this tinted moisturiser for the last three days and I don't think I've ever seen my skin look so good, that's a bold statement right there. Consistency wise it's thicker than your typical tinted moisturiser so you only need the tiniest bit to get a lovely, slightly dewy yet natural looking coverage. It could be love!

Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Bronzing Veil in Tropical Days - Now everyone and their dog raves about Nars Laguna Bronzer but I personally find it too muddy on my fair skin tone so when Gemma mentioned using bronzer I pulled a right ol' face. Cue an oh-my-gosh face when she applied this bad boy in all the right places - I needed it in my life but wanted all the other skincare purchases just a little bit more, what a conundrum. Bless my mum for deciding a bronzer was an appropriate Easter gift - fingers crossed I will never grace a blog post looking pale and ghostly ever again.

Even though five products may seem excessive there's even more Space NK bits on my mental birthday wishlist - I'm thinking of you By Terry Hyaluronic Sheer Rouge in Baby Bloom, Revive Moisture Renewal and the Eve Lom Travel Essentials Set. As happy as I am with my new goodies I'm now on a spending ban until my birthday, just twenty four days to wait and with Space NK N-Dulge points burning a beauty shaped hole in my pocket... bad things could happen.

Do you love Space NK as much as me? Which beauty buys are you longing to try?