Amy Rowley Beauty - An Introduction to Glossier

If you haven't heard of Glossier over the last 6 months, let's face it, you must've been living under a rock. The new beauty brand to recently land in the UK has rocked the blogging community into complete panic and everyone has been dipping their hand in the pot. It's safe to say after watching countless videos and seeing all of the Instagram posts, I was already hooked and couldn't wait to get my hands on some of the products. Christmas seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so and so I eagerly waited for the Glossier items that were on my xmas list.

Low and behold on Christmas Day I was lucky enough to open two of the pretty pink pouches including lots of Glossier goodies. Here are my first impressions on some of the items and my honest opinion on the brand as a whole.

Milky Gel Cleanser - 

I was completely intriugued to see how well this worked in comparison to my normal Clinique balm cleanser and so far I haven't been disappointed. The smell is soft and subtle but leaves my skin feeling fresh. I would recommend two cleanses to ensure you get all your eye makeup off but you will be left with squeaky clean skin if you follow this method. I also think its important to note that I feel as though the Glossier brand has got it's pricing spot on. Not to spendy and worth the price tag.

Priming Moisturiser -

If you have read any of my previous beauty blog posts you may know that I struggle quite often with dry skin and Eczema on a daily basis. For this reason I feel as though I need something with a bit more of a packed punch when it comes to moisture. It's gentle and light though, so this could be perfect for the summer months instead.

Boy Brow - 

One of my favourites and I know it's popular amongst many. This simply gives my eyebrows a little bit of texture and leaves them feeling secure and in place for the rest of the day. It looks great on its own for a no makeup look or on top of my normal brow pomade.

Lipstick in 'Cake' - 

I LOVE this! In my eyes, it's a completely subtle balmy version of Velvet Teddy from Mac. A peachy nude with a hint of brown that leaves my lips with a hint of colour, without the matte and sometimes quite drying effect. The perfect every day lippy and it fades like a dream.

I also just wanted to leave a quick mention to the Glossier perfume. My little parcels came with a small tester and I have to say, I'm obsessed. It's a clean, fresh scent and for the days that I wore it, I was showered with compliments. Sadly, I have run out of the tester now, but this Is the first thing on my Glossier wish list and when I have finished my spending ban (I'm trying to be good *laughs*) I can't wait to get my hands on the full size.

Other Glossier products that I am eager to try are; the bounce serums, the skin tint and of course the 'Solution exfoliating skin perfector' has caught my eye.

Have you tried Glossier? If so, what are your thoughts?

Thanks for reading lovelies x

Under £20 Christmas Gift Guide

Happy Sunday my lovelies, this is my third and final Gift guide of the series, and its a £20 and under gift guide. Perfect for stocking fillers, presents for friends, or that awkward secret Santa situation when you the get the one person you know the least about. So anyway sit back and relax with a cuppa while i talk you through the selection of gifts. What's even better is more then half of these will be discounted this weekend, with the crazy black Friday deals so what better time to make a little purchase. 

1. Lightbox - This is a great present for the blogger or blog loving friend of yours. Perfect for the Instagram life *laughs* and just a fun bit of decor for your room too. You can get exactly the same one from Asos, but Robert Dyas has it on sale for just £14.99. Bargain!

2. Penguin Socks £4.50- I dont know one girl that doesn't like cute Christmassy socks, hence why this is the perfect stocking filler, or even just to bump up a present when you haven't spent the right amount on someone. They keep your feet cosy and warm and look super cute at the same time. 

3. Colouring book £6.99 - I got one of these last Christmas and i loved it. Its the perfect way for someone to wind down after the Christmas hustle and bustle. Its also just a bit of fun and you can get some beautiful pictures as well, there are some lovely books around so you can tailor it to the individual your buying for. 

4. Starbucks Coffee cup £16.95 - what better present for someone you dont know that well, but you know absolutely loves there coffee and hot drinks. I mean come on who dosent love a coffee or a cuppa!? This one in particular is a gorgeous rose gold colour, but if that isn't to your taste there are plenty to choose from.

5. Topshop lipstick £8.00- Topshop lipsticks are lovely, they are really affordable but great textures, and gorgeous colours. This lovely red/orange colour would be perfect for the Christmas period and if you know someone that loves bright colours this is the one. 

6. Pixi skincare set £20 - Pixi skincare is really really nice, i have tried a couple of there bits and haven't been dissapointed. This little set contains their famous Pixi glow tonic, so if your know someone who love's there skincare or has been dying to try some Pixi products this is a great little starter kit. 

7. Fox slippers £14 - These little fox slippers from next are just adorable and already on my Christmas wishlist. I just think they are cute, fluffy and so autumnal. Even better they remind me of the John Lewis Christmas advert, which is just so lovely and funny this year!

8. Rose Gold Earphones £14 - For anyone who loves Rose Gold, this is a great little present this year. Perfect if you know they are on the go, using trains or buses a lot. If you have to use public transport at least look the part while doing so hey! Everyone needs a pair of earphones so this really is one of those presents where you can't go wrong. 

9. Zoella Beauty Spa in a jar £10 - This little gift is really nice for anyone that needs that little bit of TLC. It has some beautifully scented body treats in there, and it's also perfect if they go away a lot as they are travel friendly sizes. Not to mention if they are a fan of Zoella you really will be on to a winner!

10. Oliver Bonas Gold letters £10 - These little Gold letters are a perfect personal touch to any living room, bedroom, or office. If you know the person your buying for takes pride in her home interior then this is a lovely little gift from you to them. 

11. Unicorn Shower Cap £6.00 - Last but not least this little gift is just a little bit of fun and the perfect stocking filler. At £6 make someone really giggle this Christmas, with a unicorn shower cap on there head. A perfect way to start Christmas morning.

So there you have it, the last Christmas gift guide in my little series. I really hope you enjoyed them as much as i did putting them together. As i said previously there are a lot of offers on this weekend so i would recommend picking up any of these beautys sooner rather then later. I hope you all had a great weekend. 

Thanks for reading my lovelies x 

* No pictures are my own, No copyright intended *

Why i always go back to clinique and living with eczema

I feel like last week i was a bit off the radar when it came to blogging, social media and just generally life, i spent most of my week at work or in bed and had a bit of a motivation block in all ways. One of the reasons for this, was my skin. And yes it sounds silly and yes it may sound like silly old me being over dramatic, but come on feeling uncomfortable in your own skin is the worst. I have always suffered from eczema from a very young age, and my friends and family will know that as i have got older in some ways it has got worse. So many people say 'oh you will grow out of it one day' but for me i just dont think that is the case. I decided to write a little more about it, not because i want sympathy, but i want anyone else to know that suffers with it, yes your are not the only one and yes it can be so rubbish but hey its just one of those things. No my eczema is not as bad as some peoples and yes i am thankful for that. But these days, the one place i tend to get a break out of it tends to be my face. So when i continued to get flare ups the last couple of weeks i thought it was about time i took the plunge and made a little splurge to get it back on track. A Couple of years ago i started to flare up really badly and it got to the point where i could barely even move my face or smile it just covered all of my cheeks, after seeing doctor after doctor and finally a specialist to see if she could help, she came clean and basically said, look you can't get rid of it, its simply something you have to keep at bay and live with. I was prescribed very strong steroid creams which bought it down a lot and i relied on those for a while, but really in the long term they aren't that great for you, will thin the skin and eventually make it worse. What you really need is simple products, a simple routine and a non fragrance routine to get you back on track and keep those pesky flare ups away. 

* Take the day off balm - Extra gentle Foam Cleanser - Clarifying lotion 1.0 - Dramatically different moisturising lotion - Moisture Surge *

So for me that means one brand that i know works for me and that is Clinique. I used it once before when my skin got really bad and although it means a little spend up for a while, i cant think of anything more important to spend my money on myself then on my skin. So like i said for me and for my skin, its all about the routine and not constantly mixing and messing with different moisturisers and cleansers. This can be hard, especially when you like to try new things and see if you can get your beauty regime that little bit cheaper, but its something sometimes i need to do. 

When i went to see the lovely lady on the clinique counter she pointed me in the right direction when i explained my issues and concerns. I told her i wanted moisture, and the three step routine that i know works so well for so many. 

So here are the products that i use. I use pretty much the same both day and night, except i skip the makeup remover in the morning and go straight into the cleanser for my skin. So at night, i first remove my makeup with the 'take the day off balm' this is super soft and non drying on the skin and honestly removes all my makeup so quickly and easily like no other. I then go in with the cleanser to clean my skin thoroughly, i use the extra gentle cleansing foam, with is very gentle on the skin and just removes any last bits of makeup or nasties you may have lurking. Once my face feels clean and squeaky i move on to the toner. For this i use the 'Clarifying lotion 1.0'. This is alcohol free and tones and exfoliates skin, which is great for eczema prone skin as it isn't too harsh or rough like some normal exfoliation. 

Now for moisturiser and for me this point is key. I first apply one or two pumps of the 'Dramatically different moisturising lotion' this is just super soft and gentle on the skin, fragrance free like most clinique products and very moisturising. For an extra boost of moisture which i always need i then put a light layer of the 'Moisture surge moisturiser' on top, just to lock in the mixture and repair any sore patches of eczema. And yes i am finally ready for bed.

It seems a lot and a little bit excessive but having used this routine for just over a week now the improvements in my skin have been great, and as far as my confidence goes its got a lot better in just a couple of days. I am sure i will only continue to see further results and it makes me happy and even a little bit excited to take my makeup off each day and do my little routine. 

So there you have it my lovelies, a little skin update and a bit of a background too, filters can hide a lot of sin's so i think its always a good thing to open up and be honest about things, you never know someone else out there may just need this blogpost as much as i wish i had found one to point me in the right direction. I will continue to update you guys and let you know of any other products that help, especially over the colder months that are heading right at us. I will back on Sunday with something a little more fun.

Thanks for reading my lovelies. x