Neutrogena's Hydro Boost Range* | A Review by My Mum & Me.

     

So three weeks ago now, I attended a blogging event in Soho, London with the lovely ladies who represent Johnson&Johnson. Before I had attended the event I never realised how many brands that I already use everyday are owned by them such as Neutrogena, Clean & Clear, Aveeno and many others. The ladies were all so lovely and let us take home some of the products so that we could test them out for ourselves.

One range of products that I have been lucky to try is the Hydro Boost range by Neutrogena which has recently been released. It is specifically targeted at an older generation (which I didn't even know Neutrogena did!) who have dry and thirsty skin. I wouldn't class myself as part of the older generation so I knew that I had to rope my mum into trying out some of the products while also testing some myself. Here is what we both had to say about the products....

My Review

I have been using the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gelée Milk cleanser, which you take on a cotton wool pad and wipe over your face, eyes and lips to remove all the makeup and dirt that may be on there. I was rather sceptical about the idea of a milk formula that you then don't have to wash off because you would think it would leave behind a residue of being greasy... but it doesn't at all! Like the rest of the Hydro Boost range that I have tried it leaves your skin unbelievably soft before even applying a moisturiser.  The smell of the Milk cleanser is also absolutely divine, its so fresh!

I am an awful blogger and lost my image of the wipes and now the packet is empty where I have been loving them so much,  I'm afraid there is no close up picture :(((

I have also been using the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Facial wipes. The wipes claim to remove waterproof mascara as well as boosting the hydration in your skin and trust me they do remove all my makeup! I am normally quite partial towards makeup wipes because they react with my skin and so make me break out a lot more than I would like, however because the Neutrogena wipes are suitable for sensitive skin they haven't been irritating me at all. Every time I use a wipe my skin is unbelievably soft and isn't dry to the touch either, even after removing all my makeup... even the stubborn mascara. If you are heading to a festival this year I would recommend you had some of these facial wipes to hand because after spending the day covered in glitter and whatever else, the hydration really helps!

Now onto my mums part of the review.....

Recently I have been loving a rather expensive high end moisturiser but at £80 a tube it was going to be costing me a lot of money. When Abigail returned home from the event she told me all about the Neutrogena Hydro boost range and I couldn't believe how affordable it all was. After using the Hydro Boost Water Gel for nearly 3 weeks now I can definitely notice a difference in how my skin not only feels but also looks. Every morning when I apply the water gel it wakes me up because of how refreshing it is but then soaks right up into my skin ready for my makeup. I am definitely sticking to this moisturiser instead of heading back up the expensive lane!

So because Abigail tried out the milk cleanser I have been using the Micellar water which removes waterproof mascara as well as moisturising your skin. You're probably thinking, how on earth can a makeup remover hydrate your skin? Well I have no idea either but Neutrogena have done it perfectly. You only need a little bit of the Micellar water on a cotton wool pad because a small bit goes a long way! There is no greasy residue either which is a bonus because I hate feeling like there is something still sitting on my skin even when the makeup is gone.

I hope you enjoyed this review that was done by my mother and I, let me know what your favourite skincare products are below!

- Abigail x

Tiger Days And The Secret Cat, Book Review*

 

When I was sent this book to review I got extremely excited by the fact it was a book that features cats.. my all time favourite thing if you follow me on twitter or snapchat.

The book itself is all about a young girl named Tiger Days that travels down to her grans house during the May half-term and stays there. The book follows the adventures she embarks on as she learns how to care for animals and help them when they may have become in danger. During her time at her grans Tiger Days becomes friends with Tom, a young boy that lives near by and also has a love for animals. Between the two of them they use their passion for animals to help those that need it.

At the beginning of the book Tiger Days dedicates her time to tigers and nothing other than tigers, meaning when her grandmother showed her a warthog she hated it. However through out the book Tigers Days bravery allows herself to overcome the hatred and she learns that she loves the animal.

It's not just in this part of the book that we see this attitude from Tiger Days because in other chapters we see how kind and caring she is towards all of the animals which I believe is a valuable life lesson to any younger child.

The book is aimed at young children (5-7) however if you are more in the double digits range don't hang back in reading the book because it was really enjoyable, especially because of the happy ending! Also the pages are all really pretty with little doodles and I thought that really added to the book.

I would give this book a 4/5!

- Abigail x

I feel a lot more comfortable in my skin... and here is how*

Hello Lovelies,

So I have always had quite bad skin and it has affected how I feel about myself. Until recently when I switched up my morning and evening face routine. Before I was just splashing water on my face and taking my makeup off thinking yeah this will do, but then as soon as I started to use the right products I was becoming a lot happier with my skin. Just because this worked for me doesn't mean that it will work for you because everyone has different skin!

I obviously start in the evenings by taking off my make-up... this is the most important part. I just use a make-up remover and cotton wool.  But apart from that everything else I do twice a day!

1. Liz Earle Hot Cleanse and Polish.

Liz Earle products are one of my favourites when it comes to keeping my skin clean because they are so natural. The Hot Cleanse and Polish leaves your skin feeling really refreshed and as soft as a baby’s bottom. It also removes any excess make-up your remover may have missed while taking away any dirt that may have accumulated. You rub it into slightly damp skin and then use the muslin cloth to wash it off; however I do that slightly differently...

2. Magnitone BareFaced!*

I rub in my Liz Earle Hot Cleanse and Polish using my Magnitone because it works it into my skin, cleaning all my pores out. It also means I make sure I cover my whole face because it feels so nice I make sure I’ve covered everywhere. On top of that it also adds to your face feeling like a baby’s bottom which... I might add helps makeup go on a lot better in the mornings because it is such a smooth base.

3. Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic.

If in the final two steps I hadn't removed all the dirt then after this it is all defiantly gone! I apply a few drops onto my cotton wool pad and wipe across my whole face. It helps adding to the feeling of freshness. I love adding this to my whole routine because it makes sure I'm super clean.

4. Skin Clear Spot Treatment By Insta Natural*

In the evenings only I take a cotton wool swab and dip it to the bottom of the bottle. It picks up a brownish liquid which you then hold onto one spot. Obviously you have to keep changing cotton wool swabs as to not spread the germs of each spot but it helps. It dries on the spot white a bit like toothpaste does but then dries out the spot reducing the redness also. It basically gets rid of it in two days!

I hope you have enjoyed a little insight into my morning/evening face routine, leave a comment or tweet me if you'd like to see a morning routine or something!

-Abigail x

Little Stars by Jaqueline Wilson Review*

 

Hellooo lovelies! 

As many of you know I love to read, it is a commonly occurring theme in my blog posts to see a book review pop up! Today I am reviewing the book Little Stars by Jaqueline Wilson. The other night I had a power cut for a good couple of hours, so with no Wi-Fi as a distraction I lighted up my Christmas candles and started to read!

The book Little Stars fits into the Hetty Feather collection. In the series at the beginning you learn about Hetty Feather who she is and the struggles she has had to go with. You follow her on an adventure through tears and laughter until she ends up at the circus. Hetty then meets Diamond, a beautiful young girl with blonde curly hair. They become not only the best of friends but also like sisters.

Anyway in the book Little Stars Hetty and Diamond have had enough of Tanglefields travelling circus, but both have nowhere to go. So they embark on an adventure, escaping the circus. They travelled by a penny farthing, diamond standing on Hetty’s shoulders. On their journey they stop in a little town to stay overnight. Camped out in the doorway of a shop Hetty and Diamond sleep, but with one eye open in case anybody came near them. Woken up by the early bustle of the market, they begin to panic as a man starts to approach them. Hetty is quickly up, scared that he will take Diamond, however he is like a long lost uncle to them and takes them for breakfast. After a hearty breakfast they set off once again on their journey.

Arriving at the Cavalcade hall (Their final destination) Hetty finds a poster outside… with Bertie’s name on it. If you don’t know who Bertie is he is from a previous book and was Hetty’s sweetheart. Hetty and Diamond quickly become the Little Stars of Mrs Ruby's show, alongside many creative and different acts – including, of course Bertie… Hetty’s Bertie.

However the Cavalcade proves a dangerous place and Hetty must fight to protect Diamond, who longs for a normal childhood which she has never had. Of course Hetty has some trouble in the department of love and can’t decide whether she has feelings for Bertie or Jem. (Jem is from a previous book and was Hetty’s first ever love.)The one thing Hetty is trying to concentrate on is making Diamond and herself, be the best Little Stars.

Will Hetty and Diamond become the next big stars of the Cavalcade... or maybe the stars of somewhere extravagant? To find out I guess you’ll have to read the book! You can purchase the book here!

Jaqueline Wilson is an outstanding author. As a young girl I used to constantly have one of her books glued to my side. One Christmas I remember receiving a writing kit made by Jaqueline filled with tips on how to be an author myself. Let’s just say it got to about ten chapters in and the most exciting thing was the main character had broken her pencil. I guess I’m not destined to write amazing books!

Who is your current favourite author? What books have you loved recently?

-Abigail x

Today I'm Me Wish List!*

 

Hellooo lovelies!

Today I thought I would create a blog post on something that is a bit different?! Everyone loves to shop; it’s as simple as that! The only problem I have at the minute is I’m trying to save spending money for my holiday at the end of the month.... I keep seeing things I want and then it ends up in me buying it, loving it yet still regretting it!

 

Basically I decided to write a wish list. If you don't know what this is it’s basically a list of things that I would like! The shop I’ve chosen to do this on is called 'Today I'm Me.' Before I even talk about how much I love the bags, the name of the shop is so simple yet extremely creative and I love it so much! It’s talking out how you can express yourself through a bag by being yourself!

 

The first bag I would really like is the Monochrome Me Tote. This bag is made up of black and white which to you may seem boring in a bag but I love the two together! I think that if you had on an outfit of say black jeans but a bright yellow top for example this would go perfectly!  You can wear this bag many ways like on your shoulder or the crease of your elbow joint... (Is that a thing?!) You can shop the bag here! 

 

The second bag I really like is the Colour Me Neon Pink Shoulder Bag, from the colour me collection. I love the pops of pink against the white and black! I think this would add quite a lot of colour to any outfit. This is my favourite style of bag because you can wear it in many ways. It can be worn on your shoulder or you can remove the straps and use it as a clutch bag! You can shop the bag here!

 

The third and final bag I would really like is from the new collection that is released later this year. It is currently available to pre-order but I love the quirky design! The black and the white is illusion just like he collection is named. My favourite from the new collection is the Illusion Clutch. I love how if it was paired with such a simple outfit it would add a complex look into it or even a sense of character, due to the colours combining together. You can shop the bag here!

 

 

 What is your favourite style of bag? Do you have a shop you always go to, to buy bags?

Leave a comment below and let me know!!

 

 

- Abigail x