The Glueless Scr4pbook.

1. L'occitane Amande Shower Gel (250ml/ £18)

I have been loving this so much, the scent is out of this world, very sweet but thats just how I like it, it;s on my repurchase list already.

2. L'occitane Amande Milk Veil (250ml/ £28)

Also been loving this to help keep the scent on my skin a little longer, it is also hydrating instantly.

3. L'occitane Amande Exfoliating Soap (£4)

This was suggested to me by the sales assistant and I've been loving, it has the broken shells inside which exfoliate and leave the skin feeling super smooth, its nearly all gone now.

4. Sleek Contour Kit (£6.49)

I have been using this all month, I love the champagne highlighter and since I have been obsessing over the strobing trend I have used it every day.

5. Zara White Perfume (50ml/ £7.99)

Another scent I picked up from Zara on a whim and fell in love with, very floral with notes of freesia, jasmine and lychee.

6. Topshop Glow 

I found this randomly and got it for a bargain, its a bronzing highlighter which is great underneath foundation to give a healthy colour and glow.

7. Burberry Eye Colour Cream in Mink (£25)

A perfect every day shade which can be built up, it also has just the right amount of sheen to make the skin look healthy and not too flat.

What were your favourites this month?

Burberry Eye Colour Cream in Mink No.102 (£25).

This is a very soft cream, almost mousse texture which is super easy to apply with both fingers or a brush, it blends perfectly and is buildable for a deeper, more intense colour. This shade is a soft metallic taupe/ medium brown, very natural and easy to wear in the day, I have been using it non stop, but it's also great for a heavy evening look as it layers up well even with powders. This lasts really well too, considering it is a creamy product I thought it would wear off quickly but it lasts all day even without a primer. I wish they did a few more natural shades because I would definitely order some more, I think I might try the grey one next.

Burberry Eye Definer in Midnight Ash No.3 (£15.50).

This is a lovely soft pencil which doesn't tug or scratch at all, applies perfectly with one swipe and blends out really nicely for a smokey sultry look. I feel like you do get a lot of product for your money with the Burberry liners because they are huge and you can feel the quality too. This shade is so pretty and so unique, it's a cool toned dark brown, almost black with teeny tiny gold glitters which give a gorgeous metallic look. I have not inserted swatches because they did not do it justic but there are some great ones on Google if you are interested.

Have you tried either of these? I am so impressed with almost everything I try from Burberry Beauty and I can't wait to try more now.

& Other Stories Cleanse and Tone Treat (125ml/ £5)

"3 Minerals cleansing, a double duty cleanser and toner that sweeps away make up and dirt leaving skin feeling fresh, toned and looking radiant. Apply to a cotton pad, sweep over face and neck, avoiding the eye area. May be rinsed off with water."

This has an obvious floral scent which is worth noting if your have sensitive skin (or a sensitive nose), the packaging is great it's a kind of twist up action which then creates a tiny whole to squeeze the product through which I think is a really great idea making it more handy than a screw top and more convenient to store than a pump bottle.

It is a soft milky texture which really reminds me of baby lotion, it glides across the skin really nicely and does seem to get all the left over make up and dirt off (I use this as a second cleanse, after micellar water). This does not however work on eye make up at all (it states to avoid the eye area so I am assuming it is not designed for eye make up) which would be pretty annoying but as I use it after taking the bulk of my make up off, it wasn't such a problem. It leaves the skin looking fresh and feeling tight, a little too tight but its fine if you continue the routine with serums and moisturisers straight away.

I probably wouldn't buy this again because it doesn't work for eyes, but other than than its a great little cleanser, another thumbs up for & Other Stories.

Have you tried their skincare yet?

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation (30ml/ £9.99)

"For up to 16 hours, Healthy glow and flawless complexion, hydrated and luminous skin."

I was always put off buying this foundation despite its constantly amazing reviews, I think mainly because the reviews were always from people with very different skin types than me which made me think that it could never really work for me, the words 'glow' and 'luminous' generally aren't very appealing to an oily girl like me. Recently though, Boots had another 3 for 2 event and I decided to pick it up as it would be free anyway, I love testing foundations and concealers the most, I'm always on the hunt for THE BEST one ever so one more to test? why not?

It has a soft floral scent much like the Chanel products' scent, it also has a similar finish to the Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet foundation and reminds me slightly of the Dior Skin Star Foundation too, the finish is demi matte and lets the natural skin shine through, it is dry to the touch, very easy to apply and blend and has a very even finish too. The coverage is medium but buildable to full year it still feels pretty lightweight on the skin which makes it a really nice base for Spring and Summer.

I'm really glad I picked this up and if you are oily like me, don't be afraid of the 'luminous' label, luminous definitely does not means shiny here. Have you tried this already?

I have been double cleansing now for well over a year (ever since I realised how badly I had been treating my skin) and I have kind of got a set routine now, one for 'wet' (in the bath or shower) and one for 'dry' (at my desk when I don't want to get soaked by splashing water everywhere), I do switch up the products but these are highly unlikely to change any time soon so I wanted to share my current double cleanse routine.

Wet

Firstly I smother my face in the Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil which removes every last scrap of make up (yes, even eye makeup) I love it because it is so gentle and yet still works so well, the smell is really relaxing too. Next I splash all the oil off my face, I used to use a muslin cloth but since using the Aesop Tea Tree exfoliator and my Konjac sponge I don't really feel the need for extra exfoliation, I then use one pump of the Aesop Amazing Face Cleanser which gets rid of any remaining oil and anything else my skin seems to be hoarding.

Every other time I either use the Aesop cleanser on my Konjac sponge to exfoliate or I will use half a pump of cleanser and my Aesop Tea Tree Leaf exfoliant after cleansing.

Dry

This is mainly what I do first thing in the morning or if I come in late at night. I remove all my make up with the Simple Micellar Water on a couple of large cotton pads, usually one for the face and one for the eyes, I then go in with a cream cleanser (my favourite being the Ren Rosa Centifolia one) again on a few cotton pads, which removes any left over make up and just generally cleanses my natural skin.

Often I will use some kind of toner after my 'dry' cleanse just to remove any cleanser left and to help close my pores, I love the Lush Tea Tree Water for this.

Do you have any double cleanse recommendations?

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade (£15) Shade Dark Brown

So I have actually had this little pot in my possession for about 5 months now but I have only just gathered my thoughts about it recently because I actually found it really hard to get the hang of.

It took me months to master the technique because I was constantly using too much product or ending up with and uneven fade or just two totally different brows. The trick is definitely 'less is more' for this one, I end up using more product on the back of my hand than what goes on my face. You need a very precise angled brush for this to ensure a nice clean line (unless you go in with the concealer every time- I'm far too lazy for that). I found the best technique is to get most of the product off on the back of your hand, then create a nice clean bottom line, fill in the end whilst you have the bulk of the product left on the brush and create the fade last when there is little or no product left, this definitely creates the most natural effect. 

The shade range for these is great, much like the Brow Wiz, so there is a match for pretty much everyone. The formula is kind or a mix between a gel and a cream so it does give you some time to play about if you end up making mistakes but it also sets pretty well although because I have oily skin I still tend to powder and set my brows. I think this is actually supposed to be waterproof but (I haven't tested it fully) I wouldn't say it is, there is some definite movement by the end of the day.

Time-wise, this isn't the quickest brow option, I wouldn't use this on a daily basis purely because I find my Hourglass Arch to be quicker, but the finish of the Dip Brow is worth the time for sure. I haven't been using it daily but I know that if I had I would probably have it down to an art by now and maybe it would be my go-to as it is for many.

Did you get along with this?

I love the strobing trend and wanted to share how I achieve the look even with my oily skin, below I have listed the different products that I would recommend and then how I have been using them myself, layering the products carefully to keep my natural oils at bay and the highlight exactly where I want it.

Benefit High Beam (£19.50), Topshop All Over Glow (£8), Chanel Le Blanc De Chanel (£33).

The bases, these are all highlights that I use as a base underneath my make up, but all three can also be used alone or over make up too.

Vichy Normaderm (£16), Rimmel BB Cream Matte (£6.99), Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet (£33), L'oreal Infallible 24hr Matte (£7.99), Jouer Matte Moisture Tint (£30).

The foundations I use over the glowy base, all of which are matte finish but they all let a little skin shine through so still look healthy and not cakey, they also keep my natural oils under control.

Kevyn Aucoin Creamy Duo #4 (£21), Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Powder in Candlelight (£33), Revlon Highlighting Palette in Rose Glow (£9.99), Sleek Contour Kit (£6.49), Bobbi Brown (£33).

The highlighters, all with a champagne finish, very natural looking and all buildable. The Revlon brick is slightly more on the glittery side but still works, the Bobbi Brown is great with a bit of fake tan and the Kevyn  Aucoin creamy duo is great for using with cream products when I'm not using a lot of powder.

My typical face lately starts off with the Topshop All Over Glow all over my face, then followed by my matte base Vichy Normaderm BB Cream with a damp sponge, then for concealer I have been using one the same skin tone for my blemishes Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla and then one a few shades lighter for my under eye area and between my brows, the Urban Decay Naked Concealer in Light Neautral. I add a light powder contour with the Sleek Contour Kit, bronze all around the outskirts of my face with Nars Laguna and add a natural peachy blush Nars Final Cut. For my highlight I mainly go for the Kevyn Aucoin Candlelight or the Sleek one, I prefer powder because it controls my natural oil at the same time, I apply it above my brow bone, on my brow bone, along the bridge of my nose but not at the tip, on my cheek bones but don't bring it any further in than my pupils and lastly on my cuspids bow. I then set everywhere else with a matte powder, usually the Ben Nye Cameo powder to make sure all the shine I don't want showing stays matte. For eyes I have been reaching for the more metallic shades instead of my typical mattes, I have been loving the Burberry Eye Colour Cream in Mink and add a bit of my highlight in the inner corner to make the eyes pop and lastly for lips I try to keep them natural looking too, a bit of nude liner typically my Mac Subculture with a lip balm over the top for a bit of gloss. Then just a spritz of one of my facial sprays to help all the powders mesh with the skin and look natural.

I hope this was helpful for any oily girls who think they can't get on board with this trend.

Vichy Dermablend Corrective Stick 14hr (4.5g/ £15)

I have been using the Vichy Dermablend liquid foundation for a couple of years now and I cannot fault it at all, I can always rely on it if I am having a really bad skin day and I also use it as concealer when I am wearing a lighter coverage foundation, I get so much use out of it and I love it so I wanted to try the stick version hoping for the same love…

Sadly, although it's good, it's not love. Firstly it's not as good value as the foundation because its a stick so inevitably you end up using quite a lot of product each time, the colour choices aren't great either I think there is around 4 shades, they are all pretty pink based but luckily I can get away with the lightest shade 15 Opal which is good because it means I don't have to blend it out as much (the coverage seems to seriously decrease once blended) I find this works better on larger areas as there is less need for precise blending and therefore less chance of removing the product, I found the best way to blend without losing coverage is to use a damp sponge. It is a full coverage concealer on application but it's just a shame that it rubs off so easily, I would definitely set this with a powder too. 

One last note I don't think that the 14hr wear is accurate either but in all fairness nothing ever lasts on my skin that long so maybe it works better on someone with a less oily skin type.

Have you used this before? What did you think?

There have been a few great magazine freebies lately, but this was definitely my favourite of them all. I have heard a lot about the L'occitane Almond Shower Oil which has been on my wanted list for a while now so when I saw this offer in InStyle last month I had to go and pick it up.

I am obsessed with the scent, I imagined it to be really heavy and over powering but it's nothing like that at all, I can't describe it but it's very subtle, sweet and fresh all at the same time.

Amande Supple Skin Oil (full price 100ml/ £34)

This is a very lightweight, almost dry oil which melts into the skin instantly and leaves it soft and scented all day, I need to get hold of the full size one soon.

The Velvet Balm (full price 200ml/ £42)

This is exactly what it says on the tin, a creamy balm texture at first which turns to velvet once it has dried in, again leaves the skin scented and moisturised all day.

My wanted list from the Almond range has now become even longer…

1. Burberry 'Almond' Eyeshadow

This is my favourite eyeshadow so far, I love it, it's so easy for daytime and can be built up for the night. It is also a great multi tasker as I can actually use this as a contour and a brow powder too.

2. MAC Subculture Lip Liner

This is pretty new to my collection but I have used quite a lot of it up already, its a great 'my lips but better' shade, helps the lips to look a little fuller and works really nicely for ombre looks too.

3. Maxfactor 2000 Calorie Mascara

I spotted this a few months ago and recognised the name from my mums make up bag years ago so thought I'd pick it up for a try and have since fell in love with it, it gives great volume, its the blackest black, holds a curl and separates lashes well too, the clumping I can deal with since it ticks all the other boxes.

4. Hourglass Arch

This is my absolute favourite brow product, its just the quickest and easiest way to get my brows done, also the colour is great, I don't mind the price because the quality is worth it.

5. Body Shop Honey & Oat Mask

I would say this is my overall favourite mask, it is a 3-in-1, cleanse, exfoliate and moisturise which is handy, but most of all it just smells amazing.

6. Bumble & Bumble Pret-a-Powder

Again another new one for me, but I have already repurchased a back up of the mini size and I will be buying the full size version soon. This smells really fresh, its really lightweight, doesn't leave a white powdery look on the hair, soaks up oil and creates easy volume.

Do you love any of these?

Vichy Idealia BB Cream (40ml/ £22) Shade Light

This is the first BB cream I tried and it totally converted me, I thought I had actually already posted a review on this so when I realised I hadn't I thought I had better get it done, here we go…

Packaging wise I am very happy, ultra thin tube which is perfect to stick in your handbag and easy to store, also the product is not too runny, sometimes companies don't think about the consistency of the product when deciding on the packaging (Rimmel BB matte for example). I used around a pea sized amount and found that was probably just perfect, I found this very hard to blend to an even finish in the beginning, it seemed to be very time consuming but in the end I discovered applying with a flat top kabuki brush and then blending with a damp sponge to be the trick, although this does seem a bit tedious for a product that I associate with quick application. The finish however does make it all worth it in the end, dewy, fresh and youthful without looking too sleek and shiny. The coverage is about medium, most redness is covered but I did need a bit of concealer under the eyes and for extra coverage on blemishes. It lasts on the skin all day but definitely tends to get a bit too dewy (I have oily skin, remember) around the middle of the day so I would have a powder at hand. Overall it looks and feels lovely on the skin and I'm really pleased with it.

Have you tried this BB cream yet?

The Konjac Sponge (£8.99) with bamboo charcoal for teen, oily or spot prone skin.

Made using an asian potato root which is known to be full of vitamins and also contains folic acid, iron and zinc. "Deeply cleanses the pores helping eliminate dirt, excess oil, bacteria, blackheads and blocked pores."

They are designed to gently exfoliate, refine pores, remove water based make up, condition skin and give a natural deep cleanse. They start off rock hard but one emerged in water they are silky soft and they come with a string to hang them to ensure really thorough drying which is really handy.

You are supposed to change your sponge every 1-3 months depending on use, I have had mine for two months now but I only use it around 2 times a week so it is still going strong. It also says that there is no need for other cleansers unless desired, I would definitely say that you need to use a liquid cleanser along side this. I have tried cleansing my face first and using this after as an exfoliant, and putting my cleanser onto the sponge and just doing everything in one step, both have the same results but I think I prefer to do the steps separately. I haven't noticed any long term differences to my skin but the instant results are great, skin feels really soft and smooth, its totally non abrasive but still manages to get rid of any flaky bits and dead skin cells. I'm not sure if I will repurchase this just yet but I am pretty impressed so far.

Have you tried a Konjac sponge?

1. L'occitane Almond Supple Skin Oil

I have been obsessed with this this month, I have only been using in on my arms and décolletage because I only had a sample size and didn't want to waste it, the smell is not what you would typically expect, very subtle but almost edible. I want to try the shower oil now.

2. Square Cotton Pads (from Sainsbury and Tesco baby range)

These are great, instead of using 300 small circular pads I can just use 1 of these, they are huge and really thick so you can use both sides of the pad. Love.

3. & Other Stories Fig Fiction Body Spray

My favourite scent is the Punk Bouquet one but I had heard one too many people raving about Fig Fiction so I picked up the mini version and I have to say it is rave worthy, I'm not exactly sure what a fig should smell like, but this just reminds me of coconuts and being on holiday. mmm.

4. Rimmel BB Cream Matte

I tried my first ever BB cream in June and loved it so when I saw this one was aimed at giving a matte finish I grabbed it straight away, I've been wearing this so much this month, the coverage has been great and the finish isn't too matte, it's pretty natural and so good for the price.

5. & Other Stories Silver Rings

I'm usually a gold girl but I recently ordered some silver rings from the & Other Stories sale and I've really been loving them, I kind of feel like silver really compliments a (fake) tan.

6. The Organic Pharmacy Antioxidant Lipbalm and & Other Stories Plisse Lipbalm

I've kept both of these on my desk almost all month, they are both really hydrating and seem to stay on the lips for a good few hours which is great for this time of year plus The Organic Pharmacy one smells so good.

7. My New Desk, the IKEA Laptop Table

Finally, the last favourite is my new desk which I have only had for 1 week but I am obsessed with it, it fits everything perfectly, I have moved it by the window so I can use natural light again and I finally got the IKEA sheepskin rug to put over my chair too.