My Under £20 Bad Skin Routine | Reviewsday

If any of you guys follow me on twitter, you will know that recently my skin has hit an all time low. I have put it down to the excess oils in my skin from holiday, but still, it was getting beyond a joke. So on a recent trip to Boots/ Sainsbury's (you can see my haul here) I decided to take action in the form of Good Things Skincare. Yes, I love them.

I have mentioned the Good Things 'Miracle Mattifier' Moisturiser (£7.99) before, but this time I also was enticed by the 'Stay Clear Purifying Cleanser' (£4.99) - which claims to "purify and decongest skin, keeping oiliness and breakouts at bay" - and the 'Deep Clean Blackhead Exfoliator' (£4.99) - which promises to "help to reduce bacteria levels" and "boost skin radiance". All these products are from their Anti Blemish range, so were exactly what I was looking for! These, combined with the moisturiser, have become my three weapons against my oily, spotty skin. And they work a treat!

In the mornings I wash my face with the cleanser, exfoliate, and then apply moisturiser. I found my face feels so fresh and clean after being washed, and the mosituriser fits perfectly into my routine as it doesn't feel heavy on my skin. The cleanser and exfoliator live up to their claims, and do a lot to make my skin look brighter and less tired in the mornings, making me feel ready to face the day and not be conscious of my skin. At night I skip the exfoliating, just because my skin is very sensitive. Two weeks later my skin is feeling and looking a lot more healthy and happy, and I couldn't be more pleased with these products!

At £17.97, this skin routine really is a steal and worth trying out. Good Things are a brand I really trust to provide me with good quality products for low prices, and I seriously am IN LOVE with them!

Good Things 'Miracle Mattifier' Moisturiser | Reviewsday

Ahhhh this moisturiser! I felt like I'd died and gone to heaven when Ella whipped this out of her bag in Budapest (great place, for more info click here and here)!

This product is perfect for people with oily or combination skin, or for anyone going somewhere hot for a couple of weeks. It does exactly what it says on the tin, moisturising well yet without being excessively oily, therefore combatting problematic oily areas. The formula is light, so doesn't sit on your skin taking an age to absorb, and is nourishing enough so as not to dehydrate any dry parts. It also contains blackcurrant and goja berries, which Good Things claim to be "superfruit beauty boosters".

I genuinely did fall in love with the this product, and ended up stealing it for the entire time I was with Ella, completely forgetting about my usual moisturiser. It really did help with the whole sweat and excess oil problem that comes with being in a hotter, more urban environment, especially seeing as I wore zero make up in the day so had no mattifying powder! Good Things describes the moisturiser as 'Anti Blemish' and I do agree: I noticed a reduction in the number of spots I got/had at the time. They credit this to the black currant extract, which absorbs excess oil on your skin. If you're worried about sensitivity, I can say that I have sensitive skin and did not experience one problem.

I cannot sing this moisturiser's praises enough, and at only £7.99* you really can't go wrong! If you'd like to read more about it, click here.

Have any of you guys tried any products you've absolutely loved/hated recently?

*There was a 1/3 off all Good Things products in store in the Boots in Chester (and just on this moisturiser online), so I got mine for £5.33. I'd check if I were you, it's worth it!

The Body Shop 'Love Your Body' Reward Card | Review & Haul

In today's foray into Chester, I made a beeline into The Body Shop to lust after their Honey Bronze powder (please excuse the pun) and their new Wild Argan Oil products - I need the Radiant Oil and the Body Lotion in my life. As I wandered round I noticed a sign offering a free shower gel for everyone who signed up for a 'Love Your Body' reward card on that day.

Now, I really like The Body Shop but hardly ever shop there, and already knew that this card meant a wonderful 10% off all purchases, so needless to say I grabbed it and ran to the counter. What I didn't know were all the HIDDEN EXTRA LOVELY BITS included on this, the most perfect of cards. You get:

• Up to £15 worth of free gifts a year (i.e. per card)
• A birthday gift worth up to £5
• Member-only discounts and events
• Inside info - be the first to know about new products

Also, on the card I picked up they were offering 20% off the first online purchase you make, but I don't know if this is the same for everyone! Either way, for £5 for a year you really can't go wrong. I am not affiliated with The Body Shop in any way, I just wanted to let people know about what I consider an amazing offer! For more information please click here.

And now the haul! I managed to stay away from the make up section (go me!), and instead was well behaved and stuck to body and room things. For my free shower gel I chose 'Atlas Mountain Rose' which has an impressive 250 ml of product (I couldn't find a link for this unfortunately). It is just floral enough to be both subtle and aromatic, claims to soften and refresh your skin, and contains natural ingredients. I must admit I usually opt for fruity scents, but the lack of choice remaining at the checkout has forced me to experiment, which I'm glad about!

The other item I got was a repurchase from a couple of years ago. We've just found out that we aren't allowed to burn candles in our uni house next year, so when I spotted this 'Pomegranate & Raspberry Body, Room and Linen Spritz' for £7 near the till, I nabbed it straight away! I'm also worryingly low on perfume so this should be a lovely multi-purpose buy. As I left, I noticed out of the corner of my eye some Reed Diffusers in the same scents as the Body, Room and Linen Spritzes for £15, so I have a small idea what to spend my next 10% discount on - no one likes a smelly room, right?

Raiding Sainsbury's Beauty Aisle | Haul

On Friday afternoon my lovely mother and I went for a quick trip into Chester. It wasn't the most successful trip, what with having to battle through the bank holiday weekend traffic and the cabinet my mum had wanted having already been sold. So it was in not the most joyous of moods that we arrived at Sainsbury's, but little did we (I) know, salvation was near! A quick trip down the beauty and hair aisles were all we (I) needed to put smiles on our (my) faces - she was still pretty miffed about the cabinet.

However, she still found it in her heart to look the other way as I popped these beauties into the trolley <3

Herbal Essences 'Bee Strong Shampoo and Conditioner'

£1.99 each from Boots

I already own the 'Bee Strong Strengthening Cream' and love it as an alternative to my Aussie leave-in conditioners as it leaves my hair feeling silky smooth and smelling amazing. Surprisingly though, the shampoo and conditioner set had escaped my eye, that is until a friend credited them for the massive reduction of split ends in her hair. Needless to say I was sold immediately! Hopefully they'll live up to the hype, and may be the answer to my hair complaints from my Hair Lust List? A girl can dream! Also, I find it really satisfying that the two bottles slot together so perfectly - is that weird?

Gillette Venus Spa Breeze pack of 4 cartridges

£9.99 from Amazon and Boots

These don't really require an explanation as to why I bought them, you all know how much I adore the Spa Breeze range from my Beauty Must-Have post! Please excuse the marks on the front of the box, it had a security mark sticker on it - they're THAT valuable, haha!

Simple 'Spotless Skin Anti-Blemish Moisturiser'

£4.59 from Boots

I saw this and instantly picked it up. My skin has been acting up recently, so it's claims of being "anti-blemish", with "spot fighting ingredients" Zinc PCA, Chamomile, Tapioca Starch and Aloe Vera, and "long lasting shine control" had me weak at the knees. I have used other Simple products for years, and I know my skin reacts well to them, so in an attempt to balance its pH level I'm sticking with the "experts in sensitive skin" who I know and love. Fingers crossed!

Nivea 'Happy Time Shower Cream'

£1.00 from Boots

If this shower cream was a person, I would marry them, THAT is how much I love it. It leaves your skin feeling super soft, lathers really well and lives up to its name - I genuinely feel happy when I use this product, even at 9:30 8:30 before an early lecture. Plus, the orange blossom scent is too die for. They've changed the formula and packaging since I last purchased, so I'm eager to see if/how it's changed.

Good Things 'Stay Clear Purifying Cleanser' and 'Deep Clean Blackhead Exfoliator'

£4.99 each from the Good Things website

I have been massively in love with Good Things since Budapest, when Ella whipped out the 'Miracle Mattifier Moisturiser' (which I am still desperately trying to get my hands on). It worked so well for my skin, controlling oil and shine yet still moisturising, so when I spotted these hidden below Simple I had to get them! I have previously tried the exfoliator, but can't remember being too fussed about it either way so decided I should give it another go. The 'Stay Clear' promise of the cleanser was enough for me, I will fight you spots! As the name suggests, they're full of 'good things' and are suitable for vegans and vegetarians, so hopefully they won't aggravate my skin further.

So that's it, my Sainsbury's haul! I hope you enjoyed it, and if you've tried any of these products or anything else you'd recommend please feel free to leave a comment below!

Rimmel London 'Wonder'full Mascara with Argan Oil' in 001 Black | Reviewsday

I'd seen a lot of adverts in magazines and online about the new Rimmel London Wonder'full Mascara, so when I saw that it was on offer in Boots for £5.99, I snapped it up immediately.

The mascara promises lashes that are defined, conditioned and full of volume but without clumps, and I was excited to see if it lived up to it's claims.

Firstly, the pros:

The mascara boasts an impressive 11ml of product, which from a quick browse of my (ridiculous) mascara stash, I could see is significantly higher than many other drugstore brands. 

Additionally, I found that the mascara transferred to my lashes very well, covering them from lash to tip with only one coat, and lasts all day.

The colour of the mascara (001 Black) is a very deep, dark shade, and was not at all flaky.

It also delivered on its 'defined lash with no clumps' promise, which for me in a massive pro!

The cons:

I found that my lashes were not massively volumised, especially in comparison to my favoured mascaras, and I was never truly satisfied with the shape of my lashes whilst I was wearing it. 

I also found that the mascara was pretty hard to get off, yet sometimes smudges and runs during the day. For some, the difficulty removing will not be that big of an issue, but for me it is a tad annoying when you spend time taking it off at night and wake up with panda eyes! As for the smudging during the day, this may be down to the wet weather recently, but I value weather resistance in a mascara, and would guess that the high oil level in the formula may lend itself to smudging. 

Finally, I'm not a massive fan of the wand. It has an extension at the end of it about 4mm long, without bristles, which I found stores excess mascara that can transfer to your lashes during application, making it difficult to get even coverage.

Overall, I don't think I will repurchase this product, just for the simple reasons that I didn't find it measured up to my preferred mascaras, and it just wasn't for me. This is purely down to personal preference, and I know that many people will really like this mascara, and for £5.99 it is worth a test! If you would like to purchase it, Rimmel London are currently running a competition for you to win a years supply of Wonder'full Mascara, for more details see here.

I hope you guys found my review helpful! In any reviews I post on Challot I will always be honest and fair, I am not a professional make up artist or biased in any way, I will just give my personal opinion on the products, which most likely will be rave reviews haha!

How To Fake A Tan On Holiday | Top Tips

I'll hold my hands up now! I know I promised this post is LONG overdue, I have just been enjoying lying around doing nothing too much the past couple of days! Won't happen again (will probably happen again)!

Anyways, down to business.

Year round, if you want to, it is all too easy to achieve the desired 'sun-kissed glow' by using fake tan or tanning moisturisers. But when you're on holiday, how are you supposed to fake tan AND swim in the sea? It's such a clash of interests. If you're lucky and have naturally tanned or dark skin, or are one of those people who can be in the sun for five minutes and look bronzed, then you will have no trouble with this change. However, if you're like me and take a good while for your skin to get accustomed to the sun enough to tan, and even then only go a 'honey brown' at best - then these tips are for you.

Here's the tips that I abide by to fool people that I'm a lot more tanned than I actually am:

1. Work the neon
Now I am just the latest in a looooong stream of people saying that neons and bright colours help you look more tanned, but we wouldn't all be saying it if it wasn't true, right? Whether it's your nails, bikini, flip flops, sunglasses - all neon is good neon when it comes to the illusion of the bronzed goddess.

Neon orange nails - I don't know how it works, but it does!

 2. Steer clear of white
...at least for the first couple of days, then go crazy with it! When you've got even a little tan, white will make it look a thousand times darker and deeper, however I find if I wear it before I've done a few days in the sunit only makes the fact that I'm quite pale more apparent! Instead go for brights or light pastels in the first few days.

3. Buy a tan assisting sun cream
This tip will actually help you tan for real. My go to is the 'Nivea Protect & Bronze suncream', which I have used since 2012. It contains no fake tan, just all the right ingredients to enable your skin to tan better than it ever has before. It really works for me!

I know I'm wearing white, it was a few days in haha!

4. Try not to wear too many dark colours
This is almost the same tip as with wearing white, but in reverse. Dark colours, I find, drain my skin of any tan it may have got, so I try and steer clear of them for the first couple of days.

5. Slap some sunnies on and take a picture
If worst comes to the worst and you really do not tan - First: put some sunnies on - everyone looks more tanned when you look at them in sunglasses, including you. Second: take a picture, up the contrast, slightly lower the shadow and a tanned goddess you will be (as far as anyone at home knows at least)! Work your skin in all its natural glory and celebrate the fact that you won't get wrinkles when you're older.

Well there you have it, my top tips for pretending your tan's better than it actually is, hope you enjoyed!

The Hair Products I Wish I Had | Lust List

Who thinks they've got the most annoying hair in the world? *Waves both hands frantically in the hair, whilst jumping up and down screaming* My hair could give yours a run for its money. It's no secret to those who know me (I yarp on about it enough), my locks and I have some deep, deeeep issues!

I am forever trying to find the perfect hair product to combat the frizziness/moulting/breakage/ downright fluffiness that occurs on a daily basis. Sadly, as of yet, my searches have yielded little results. I absolutely love the products I've tried - I am an Aussie Miracle fanatic, having tried almost all of what they've brought out and loved them all (apart from the Miracle Shine shampoo, that did not do wonders for me) and Herbal Essences and the John Frieda 'Frizz Ease' Collection also get the thumbs up - but none of them seem to go any further than the others in improving the quality of my hair.

Naturally, I have come up with quite the list of products that given some time (and money!) I would love to try out! Here are a few of them:

Bumble and bumble 'The Surf Set'

(Picture from Sephora)

I have been lusting after this ever since I read 'The Craft' by Lou Teasdale - a brilliant book for anyone interested in experimenting with hair and beauty! I'm hoping this would combat the fluffiness of my hair by adding some much needed texture, and I also L O V E beachy-style hair, win win! Words cannot explain how much I want this set in my life.

Aussie Miracle 'Aussome Texturising Conditioning Gel Spray'

(Picture from Aussie website)

I actually discovered this whilst I was looking at the Aussie website for this post, and am already lusting after it!  I love post-washing sprays as I find that with a good one, the shampoo/conditioner you use can be immaterial as you get the same effect! You can probably tell I have a slight obsession with texture creating products at the moment!

OGX 'Thick and Full Biotin and Collagen' Collection

(Picture from Reese Atomic)

I fell in love with this product when reading The Sunday Girl's recent post on Biotin. I have tried other OGX products, and really liked them (I'm currently trialing their 'Argan Oil of Morocco' shampoo and conditioner - review up soon!) My hair is quite fine and extremely prone to breakage and from what she's written this collection could be my dream come true! Fingers crossed! (I've just looked at their entire list of products and I think I may have to buy it all!!)

Well there you have it! Just a few of the products on my hair Lust List! Although now I've explored each of their websites a little bit more the list is on the verge of becoming a full blown novel! My poor bank account!!

Have any of you guys tried any hair products you've loved, or got any you wish you could try?

Gillette Venus Spa Breeze Razor | Beauty Must-Have

I’m going to just put it out there now: I cannot use disposable razors. Whenever I try I end up looking like I’ve been attacked by an angry porcupine. Cuts everywhere, not pretty. It may be because my mum has always used Venus razors, so you could say I have quite high standards (joking!). Her fancy has most definitely led to my adoration of my first ‘Beauty Must-Have’ product, the Venus Spa Breeze Razor. It was love at first sight… use?

My extra special holiday purchase!

My love affair with this razor goes back quite a while now - since they were released more than a year ago in fact - so you can rest assured knowing that when it comes to talking about how amazing they are, I am not lying!

The razor head is surrounded by two strips of lubricating solid soap like substance, which lathers when it comes into contact with water, meaning you don’t have to use any shaving soap or shower gel, hurrah! This helps it glide over your skin, giving you the smoothest shave of your entire life. If you’re worried about the quality of the shave, don’t! I am yet to find a razor that gives such a close shave, or leaves my skin feeling as silky smooth as this one does, and all without cuts! Another brilliant power of this, the queen of razors, is that it almost negates the use of moisturiser! I VERY rarely bother to moisturise my legs post-shave (a beauty cardinal sin, I know), and have found other razors leave my skin feeling all scaly, but I have never experienced this problem with the Venus Spa Breeze one. And finally, the ‘white tea’ smell. Argh, it just smells so good!

I think this is probably the only beauty product that I have used consistently since first discovering it, and I am a person with major FOMO when it comes to trying new things! You really cannot improve on the perfection that is this razor! I quite honestly miss it if I have to use something different for a couple of weeks. 

Its one flaw is that it is a little on the pricey side, with a pack of eight razor heads costing between £18 and £20, and the original razor with two heads around £10. However, I think it’s a small price to pay for something that is so reliable!

Basically, my review of this product is: almost perfect! If only they did a student friendly one… I hope you enjoyed this slightly different style of post, if you did please feel free to comment below! Have any of you tried this product, or do you think you’ve found one that could rival my personal fave?

Holiday Beauty (not so) Essentials | Panic Packing

I am getting on a plane to Turkey at quarter past four today, and I am still yet to pack, obviously. Seeing as I still have loads of time (haha) before I have to leave, I thought I'd quickly share with you what make up/beauty items I am taking with me - even though I normally give up wearing make up about twenty minutes after arriving (I overpack, it's a disease).

Sleek 'Blush By 3' in LACE 367

Barry M Summer Love Shadow & Glow Palette

Urban Decay Naked 3 Eyeshadow Palette

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

Carmex Cherry Lip Balm (SPF 15)

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub

Benefit 'Hoola' Bronzer

L'Oréal Paris 'Color Appeal Holographic' Eyeshadow (it's a shiny purple/pink)

Max Factor 'Eye Brightening Tonal Black Volumising Mascara' for blue eyes

Barry M silk nail polish in Blossom

Bourjois 'Healthy Mix Serum' Gel Foundation in 52 Vanilla

Real Techniques Buffing brush, Blush brush, Deluxe Crease brush and Base Shadow brush

Rimmel London 'Wake Me Up' Concealer in Soft Beige

Rimmel London 'Exaggerate' Eye Liner in 001 100% Black

Bourjois 'Color Boost' Glossy Finish Lipstick in 01 Red Sunrise

Revlon 'Colourburst' Lip Butter in 027 Juicy Papaya

Maybelline New York 'Colorsensational' Lipstick in 422 Coral Tonic

Bourjois 'Rouge Edition Velvet' Liquid Lipstick in 05 Olé flamingo!

Rimmel London 'Moisture Renew' Lipstick in 200 Latino

Maybelline New York 'the Mega Plush Volum' Express' Mascara in Very Black

Make up sponge

It may not all be necessary, but you never know! My suitcase is probably going to be double the luggage limit haha! Bye for now, expect many more posts whilst I'm in Turkey!