RMK Cleansing Balm | £29 (lookfantastic.com)

It's been so long since I've posted a beauty review I've almost forgotten how to do it!  However, I've been thinking a lot recently about purchasing the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm, but I'm struggling to part with that much cash!  To placate myself I decided to shop my stash... I am try to save money to do up my new house after all!  A cleansing balm that I found hidden away and, on (re)discovery, loved so much that I used it all up in a few short weeks is the RMK Cleansing Balm.  One of my all time favourite scents is rose, so this product was an absolute joy for me to use - with one of the main ingredients boasted in the product being damascus rose oil, perfect for repairing dry skin from irritation, inflammation and breakouts.  

My skin feels seriously hydrated and incredibly clean after every use.  The solid texture of this balm at first is a little unusual but it melts into what feels like a completely different product, almost oil like, which is so silky and light it clears all make-up without leaving any residue... just that gorgeous rose scent!  The product is effective enough to clear all make-up (to really clear heavy mascara a double cleanse is most effective) though gently enough to use around the eyes.  When I had the product on the go I would use the balm morning and night, directly onto dry skin, after massaging a good amount all over my face and neck I would use a damp hot cloth to gentle remove the product - often resting the hot cloth on my face before removing the product so I could enjoy the beautiful rose scent!

I was so happy with my skin when using the RMK Cleansing Balm, it felt glowy and relatively spot free.  The biggest bonus was that the balm didn't dry my skin out at all - the all time turn off with a cleanser!  I'd happily repurchase, but what do you guys think?  Have any of you tried both this and the Emma Hardie Cleansing balm, if so let me know which you'd recommend... I'm still tempted that most popular product right now!

1. Made.com Gold Florence Pendant Light  2. BHS Lennon 2 Seater Sofa  3. Zara Patchwork Leather Rug  4. Made.com Carraway square Scatter Cushions  5. Made.com Hendrix Woven Skull Cushion  6. Zara Multicoloured Circular Vase  7. Habitat Large Joyce Acacia Coffee Table  8. H&M Moss-Knit Yellow Throw

Just before Christmas we moved into our new home.  It was a long time in the search - 38 house viewings and 6 months to be precise!  We really didn't want a temporary house, which is what our last place felt like (though we loved it!) so I'm really glad we waited for right place.  The location and outlook of the property is what really swayed it for us, and although every room needs something doing to it we were both excited about the potential!

In between family visits and Christmas shopping we (Chris more like) started chipping away at the living room.  We had a hard decision to make, but we decided to take the first step by remove the gorgeous carpet, yeah right!... What would you know, the room looked better straight away!  The photos below show our progress so far - sorry there are a few iPhone pictures in the mix!

As you can see we have painted the walls a light grey (Dulux Egyptian Cotton) and painted the ceiling, coving, skirting and fire surround white.  I love it!  The white fire surround makes all the difference in giving the room a facelift.  Our plans are to lay a dark real wood floor.  We wanted to strip the floorboards as they're in great condition, but we're going to put a new floor in the dining room, kitchen and hall so didn't want to be stepping down a few centimetres into the living room!  We also want to fit some white blinds and then for the fun bit, furniture and accessories!  Chris and I have both agreed we want a stylish grey sofa but I also can't help browsing for decor accessories! 

Because the room is going to be very grey and light I want there to be a lot of bright accents to set it off.  I've put together a few of the pieces that I've been coveting in this post.  Made.com has been my mecca recently, I love the brightly coloured cushions as well a nice statement light fitting!  I can't wait to hit the shops and show you guys the finished room!

Follow us on this blog as we renovate and decorate our new home!  Exciting!

I'm trying to be a bit more conscious of using up the contents of my beauty collection at the moment - living in my parent's spare bedroom means I don't have that much space to store any beauty newbies, and I suppose the more I use up now the less stuff I have to transport to the new house in two weeks!

Another staple product of mine, that I've used for years, is the Neutrogena Oil-Free Make-Up Remover.  I love this for taking off eye make-up quickly and easily.  A couple of swipes using a couple of cotton wool pads removes the majority of my make-up, prepping the skin for a final cleanse.  The Neutrogena Oil-Free Make-Up Remover also leaves my skin nicely moisturised if used as a final step.

St Tropez Self Tan is pretty standard.  I've not used any kind of fake tan in a while, but as the tan from my September trip to Malta has well and truly faded I thought I'd use up the last little bit up in this small bottle.  I love the colour that you get from using St Tropez but I do feel it dries out my skin more than I'd like.  The Soap & Glory Moisturising Mist nicely countered that though, and smells amazing!!

The YSL Forever Youth Liberator Serum was an absolute pleasure to use,  I got this tiny sample in a Glossybox and totally forgot to use at the time.  Unfortunately it's just a tiny bit outside of my budget to purchase anytime soon!  Uniq One All in One Hair Treatment was another Glossybox sample, from a long time ago.  I absolutely loved this product, it was an a savour on days when my hair was seriously knotty after a shower!  I'd definitely repurchase this one.

The Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream is one of my favourite budget BB creams.  Although I've found it doesn't blend too well with a brush, if you're happy to use your fingers this 8-in1 BB cream gives a lovely natural finish that covers imperfections and lasts a fairly decent amount of time - even on oily skin like mine!  I go through this stuff quite quickly but for the price (roughly £6 - £7 depending on where you get it from) it's not that big a deal.

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All my winter clothes are in storage (oh the troubles of selling your house in summer before having found another!) so with minimal clothes to hand at my parent's house I've found myself browsing many a shop looking for some new winter lovelies.  This selection is my idea of the perfect casual outfit for winter.  Fluffy jumpers are my fave, and this New Look aztec jumper is the perfect combination of style and comfort.  I think that metal trim boots, leather look trousers and tartan scarves will be firm winter staples for years to come, and I'm still umming and ahhing over the Zara City Bag.  It's so practical and pretty - but it seems everyone has it.  Should I resist?