REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask

Hello there friends! I am back from Paris and currently awaiting a delivery van to come and pick up the mountains of boxes which have been moved to the hallway of my parents house. So what better way to fill the time than a little blogging! This review has been a long time coming and I wanted to give the product a full test before I could report back to you guys and I have to say that even now I am still on the fence about this product! 

Some time ago I bought the REN Glycolactic radiance renewal mask after hearing some other bloggers singing its praises. After buying the full sized bottle which is a hefty £38 for 50ml I was actually sent the sample sized via Whats in my Handbag. In hindsight I wish I had waited for this as I am not sure whether I would of purchased the full sized after trialling it. The idea of the mask is that rather than exfoliating the top layer of skin it actually penetrates through the layers to enable new skin cells to grow thus leaving you with a more radiant complexion. I used this after cleansing my skin. I usually use an old foundation brush to apply masks but this worked better using my finger tips to massage it into the skin, although it was rather messy and stick and what I can only describe as rubbing honey or jam all over my face, a very strange formulation to say the least. The aroma however is something I like, almost citrusy like bitter oranges. I know that this is going to be a love it or hate it scent. After about 10 minutes, I use a muslin cloth to remove. This is the nasty bit, even after several rinses I can't help but feel that there is a sticky residue left? Maybe this is just me? My skin definitely feels softer after using and a tad more plump, but for almost 40 quid I want the WOW factor with immediate results and unfortunately it did not give me that. Yes its a nice mask but the price tag alone puts me off purchasing again which is a shame as I am a fan of REN skincare. 

Have you tried this and what were your thoughts? Yay or nay?

Mini Haul | Space NK and Boots

Yesterday afternoon as the heavens opened in the UK my boyfriend and I took a trip to our local shopping centre Bluewater. Along with several thousand other people it seems as the place was heaving, talk about the weather doing good for the local economy. Whilst I had a list the length of my arm and envisaged returning with bags of goodies I only got a few beauty bits. 

First stop was Space NK. I could seriously live in this shop. My only issue is that the shop is small and the sales assistants tend to be on you as soon as you walk through the door. Now I don't have an issue with this but 9 times out of 10 I will be happily browsing and have several assistants check I am OK cue when I need help and there is no one in sight? Is this just me? So I ended up getting the Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser. I said I wouldn't. I eyed it up every single time I went in the shop and I managed to resist temptation and then this weekend after yet another swatch in the shop and temptation got the better of me. Hopefully I won't be too disappointed when I try this. I also picked up the REN Invisible pore detox mask. I have a slight obsession with face masks at the moment and love trying different ones usually on a Sunday night. I already own the REN glycolactic renewal mask and after being suitably impressed I decided to pick up this one from the range which was surprisingly a lot cheaper at only £18. The kind lady then threw in a little sample. Although I did have to ask which is usually quite rare in Space NK when you are buying a significant amount of goodies! 

I then popped to Boots, advantage vouchers in hand and spotted the Revlon Kissable Lip Balms. I literally jumped at them. I had seen them on the website but was unaware they were in store yet. Yes, there was a limited amount of colours but I managed to get Honey Douce and Rendezvous which is one I have had my eye on since Louise posted about it. Boots are doing a £2 discount on Revlon so these worked out a fiver each. Not bad going when you look at the price of the Clinique version. I swatched these yesterday and the stain is still visible this morning, albeit faded but it goes to show that when they say a 'stain' they mean a stain, expect a review very shortly. Finally and last but by no means least I picked up a new L'Oreal Telescopic mascara in waterproof. I have finally finished my last one and don't think I could stray to another mascara now as this one ticks all the boxes for me. 

So that's it, not a big haul but the weekend is not over just yet. My boyfriend usually works Sundays but for once he has this weekend off so I am sure we shall be out and  about at some point today. What have you been up to this weekend? Any cheeky purchases?