So, I have serious commitment issues when it comes to my skincare routine. My skin is so temperamental at the moment and for once it doesn't seem as sensitive and dry as it has done recently so I took the opportunity to have a look around Superdrug last weekend for something new and over the last week I've been putting everything I bought to the test!

My little haul consisted of three products (excluding my favourite Simple Cleansing Face Wipes which needed restocking); Neutrogena's Visibly Clear Pore & Shine Daily Scrub, £4.49, Neutrogena's Visibly Clear Pore & Shine Daily Wash, £4.49 and Nip + Fab's Soften Kale Fix Clay Mask, £7.45.

Let's start with the Neutrogena Daily Wash. I've been using this product twice a day, six days a week and because of a certain dreaded time of the month last week, I had a really nasty zit under my nose. It was one of those fiends that lurks under the skin and feels the size of a small comet but doesn't look too bad but you know it's there. Know what i mean? One of those.

When applying make-up I've always noticed how large my pores are, especially around my T-Zone which I think is why I tend to break out every now and again as they get clogged so easily with oils and make-up etc. Since using the Daily Wash my skin definitely feels healthier and brighter and it also smells like tangerine and lime which in itself just smells clean and fresh! Just a small amount of the gel lathers up to a nice foam when you use it so it's not one of those products you'll have to purchase again a week later because you've used it all already.

Next up is the Neutrogena Daily Scrub also from the same Pore and Shine range as the daily wash. The products are very similar but the main difference is that this product is a scrub so it contains little beads which have a gentle, exfoliating quality. I used this last night (Friday) because even though I've been using the wash every day it still felt good to scrub away the 'grime' after a week at work wearing makeup daily.

Lastly, I picked up the Nip + Fab Soften Kale Fix Clay Mask. Kale seems to be everywhere and the other day i honestly tweeted about how much more I prefer kale on my face to eating it and this clay mask is the reason why. I love a face mask, I think it just instantly feels luxurious and pampering which is what we all need at least once a week. This is a thick clay mask which you just apply onto clean dry skin, you let it sit for 5-10 minutes (or 20 if like me you apply it in the bath while you get distracted by Once Upon A Time). My skin felt really smooth and clean after using this and due to the fact it contains witch hazel it was also really gently on my skin.

Have you tried any new skincare products recently? Let me know what you're loving right now!

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE UNDER £15

It's that time of year once again. For me, it's the time of year when I vow to be more organised and plan my presents for friends and family and buy some of them at the end of November. Partly because I'm terrible at budgeting and partly because I despise leaving the house at the weekend in December because everywhere's so freaking busy. Cry face.

SO, in an attempt to be a better person this festive period I've put together loads of amazing gift ideas which are amazing not only because they're actually things people would want but also because they're all under £15!

New Look Pink Faux Fur iPad Mini Case, £12.99

New Look Detox Pamper Set, £6.99

New Look Magnetic Polaroid Frames, £5.99

Keep Calm and Colour On Colouring Book, £4.99

ASOS Christmas Star Hot Water Bottle and Cosy Socks Set, £12

Sass & Belle Copper Flower Jewellery Stand, £9.00

ASOS Cat Makeup Bag with Glitter Ears, £10.00

Marshmallow Toasting Kit, £14.75

'What Would Beyonce Do' Pencils, £5.00

Sass & Belle Retro Arrow Print Sign, £8.99

Ban.Do 'But First Coffee' Thermal Mug, £14.00

PARIS

Before I left for the City of Lights with my best friend on the 12th November I had a clear image in my mind of how this blog post was going to be; lots of photos including the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and Disneyland Paris with plenty of content proclaiming my love for the city of Paris.

Sadly, on Friday 13th November the city we were staying in fell victim to a vicious terror attack where over a hundred people lost their lives. Luckily, we'd spent the day at Disneyland Paris and as we left the park at around 8'o'clock we changed our minds about finding somewhere for dinner back in Paris and stayed in the park to eat instead. As soon as we were off the train and back in our hotel our phones went mad with text messages from friends and family back at home and at first we shrugged it off. We'd heard nothing and the trains were running as normal back from Disney. It wasn't until we were in our hotel room that we discovered the extent of what was happening, just ten minutes down the road from our little hotel.

In the run up to the tragic event that left us glued to the news in our hotel room for the rest of the night I'd fallen head over heels for a city I'd spent only 36 hours in and can't wait to return to as soon as possible. I documented our little explorations in a series of photos that I'd love to share with you all.

I hope you enjoyed these few snapshots of the city of Paris. My post about our day in Disneyland will be up soon! 

MAKE UP FOR EVER ULTRA HD FOUNDATION REVIEW

The Background

When you don't have a Sephora in your entire country it sort of means that when you do finally get a chance to hit one up it's comparable to how I felt when I was seven and unleashed into the many aisles of Toys R' Us.

So, during a recent trip to France I paid a visit to Paris' Sephora store and picked up something that I've wanted for about a year now; Make Up For Ever's Ultra HD Foundation. I have heard endless good things about this product and have been super excited to try it for myself.

My Experience

This foundation is an oil-free, long-lasting liquid foundation and there's a whopping 40 shades in the range which really helps to create that natural-finish as you're not forced to opt for a shade which can be one or two tones from your natural skin colour. 

As I suffer from quite dry skin I've found the consistency of this foundation perfect along with a setting powder and spray it stays put all day. I use a beauty blender to buff the liquid into my skin and it instantly settled in to create a satin-like finish. The coverage is probably a light to medium and I often use two layers to cover a few blemishes or the more red areas around my nose. 

I haven't suffered any breakouts since using this foundation and my skin is quite sensitive and spot prone so a foundation that doesn't feel like it's clogging up my pores is essential. 

My Recommendations

If you've given this foundtion a go and had a few problems then the one thing I'd suggest is trying it with a different primer as this foundation is primarily water-based. Silicone based primers will cause Ultra HD to break-up and appear patchy so when shopping for a primer check to make sure that's silicone minimal or free to make the most of your Ultra HD.

Comment below if you've tried this foundation and what your thoughts are, I'd love to know! Also, if you have any recommendations for great alternative foundations that you're loving then let me know as I'm always on the look out!

BOOKSHELF: THE CREEPIEST THRILLERS TO COSY UP WITH THIS WINTER

This time last time I would usually be curled up on the sofa or in bed reading a festive chick-lit novel and don't get me wrong, every now and again I do love a Christmas-themed read. However, for me, this year has been the year of the thriller novel and I've worked my way through some amazing, gripping stories throughout 2015, including You by Caroline Kepnes, The Never List by Koethi Zan and The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins.

So don your onesie or winter pjs, make a nice hot cup of tea and curl up on the sofa with one of these books that I guarantee you won't want to put down.

Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton *
What's the worst thing your best friend could do to you? Admittedly, it wasn't murder. A moment's carelessness, a tragic accident - and two children are dead. Yours. This is the first line of the blurb and I know, it sounds intense but bear with, bear with. This book wasn't exactly what I expected, of course there is murder and death involved but it's not all entirely as sinister and evil as it first seems which I rather quite liked as it's a little different to your standard murder mystery.

Crazy Love You by Lisa Unger
Sometimes your best friend can be your worst enemy. Ian and Priss have been friends since they were children playing in the woods outside their small town. But Ian knows there's a darkness to Priss. Bad stuff seems to occur when she's around. Fires start. People die. Still, Priss is his best friend, and best friends are forever.
This is a weird one. Like Little Black Lies, Crazy Love You isn't everything it seems and I similar to You by Caroline Kepnes, this book is written from a male point of view which can be refreshing to read every now and again. This is pretty much a creepy-ass story of a girl who can't let go of her male best-friend Ian and that can make things a little itty bit difficult when said male friend meets a girl who makes him want to change for the better. Unfortunately for Ian, Priss doesn't like change. At all...

The Lie by C.L. Taylor
Jane Hughes has a loving partner, a job in an animal sanctuary and a tiny cottage in rural Wales. She's happier than she's ever been but her life is a lie. Jane Hughes does not really exist. Five years earlier Jane and her then best friends went on holiday but what should've been the trip of a lifetime rapidly descended into a nightmare that claimed the lives of two women. 

This book is gripping from the get-go which is amazing because we all know how much it sucks to hear great things about a book from other people but not be able to get past the first chapter yourself. You're instantly thrown into the story when 'Jane' receives a letter at work from someone who knows her name isn't Jane and it's in fact Emma. There's so much going on in this novel that I can't elaborate on the blurb any more without giving SO much away.

The theme and nature of this story is something that genuinely creeps me out a little which made for such a good read!

Disclaimer by Renee Knight *
Imagine coming across yourself in a novel, a novel that exposes your darkest secret. A secret you thought nobody knew. When an intriguing novel appears on Catherine's bedside table she curls up and begins to read. But as she turns the pages she is sickened to realise the story will reveal her darkest secret.

I'm only half-way through this one at the moment but really wanted to include it in this post because so far I love it. It's a little bit slow-moving but the general premise of the novel interested me so much that I'm going to persist because now we're getting to the juicy stuff and slowly beginning to discover who wrote the book about Catherine although we haven't uncovered the details of the dark secret she is trying so hard to conceal.

What are you reading this winter? Let me know in the comments below or tweet me over at @laurenfell

*These books were gifted to me by Transworld Publications.

MID-WEEK RETREAT IN CENTER PARCS ELVEDEN FOREST

Back in October I was lucky to spend five days at the beautiful Center Parcs Elveden Forest location with my family. We've visited Elveden a few times before now and each time I fall in love a little more with the outdoors and a little less with my phone and the internet while I'm there which can be incredibly refreshing and thought-provoking. Look at me getting all deep!

If you've never been to Center Parcs before then let me give you a little insight. There are now five locations set in the most gorgeous of forest around England and each are like their own little village with a town centre, huge indoor leisure pool and a small collection of shops and restaurants. The best thing about Center Parcs for me is the no-car rule. Everyone hires bikes to ride around on and you won't see a car on the road except for check in and check out days and there are plenty of paths and trails to ride on. The atmosphere is so relaxed that I rarely wear make-up or change out of sweatpants and a hoodie during the whole stay, I also indulged in some activities that I'd never normally get stuck into this year like archery and a lot of badminton each day.

We stayed in a stunning four-bedroom villa in the Ash area of the village which was set back in the forest with a private hot tub, sauna and steam room which we definitely made the most of. There's an abundance of wildlife to witness when you're staying in the forest and while we played pool in the games room each morning we had the odd visitor or two!

Have you visited Center Parcs in the UK or Europe? Let me know in the comments below what you love most about the villages.

WHAT'S IN MY TRAVEL BAG?

At 4am on Thursday morning I'll be waking up, drinking lots of tea and getting ready to head off to St Pancras Station where I'll jump on the Eurostar with one of my best friends to spend four days in the city of Paris! I am hugely excited about going back to the City of Lights, I haven't visited since I was a child so I'm really looking forward to experiencing all the city has to offer including food, shopping, Disneyland, sight-seeing, more food and more shopping.

Along with the standard things I'll be packing for this trip like everyday make-up and toiletries etc there were also a few extra special things I'm throwing into my travel bag for this trip and I wanted to share them with you.

First is my beloved Lush Tea Tree Water spray. I can't go a morning or evening without using this product now as it just makes me skin feel so clean and fresh. I wrote a whole post dedicated to this awesome product which was basically just me going on about all the incredible things this product can do so if you want to know more then click here.

My trusty Bourjois Paris 123 Perfect CC Cream will also be joining me for the trip. Choosing one foundation is tricky when you're only away for a few days but this product is one of my absolute favourites because it's lightweight enough for the daytime and I can also add a little more for a fuller coverage in the evenings when we go for dinner and drinks. This CC cream also targets tired looking skin, redness and dark spots so after a 4am start on Thursday I'm gonna be needing as much anti-fatique as I can get!

I'm a sucker for a book to read when I'm away even though I don't think I'm going to have much time to relax and read, I will need something to distract me during the 2 hour Eurostar train journey from London to Paris. At the moment I'm hooked on Joe Sugg's graphic novel Username: Evie. Not only is it apt because the best friend I'm going to Paris with is called Evie but it also happens to be a bloomin' good read which I really recommend even if you've never bought a graphic novel before!

If you can't wear fancy, brightly coloured lipsticks in Paris then when can you? This was my thinking behind packing these gorgeous two shades from MAC; Candy Yum Yum and Vegas Volt. Both are bright, daring shades that I'm very excited to wear as I usually stick to much more muted, nude shades such as Pure Zen or Honey Love.

Finally, I'll be packing Zoella's light and lovely Let's Spritz body mist. Although recently I've discovered a real love for perfumes thanks to Vera Wang's Lovestruck, I've only ever really been a body-mist kinda gal after falling in love with the Victoria Secret and Hollister sprays. I like how light and fresh they are without smelling too musky and this one of Zoella's does the trick perfectly.

AUTUMN/WINTER BEAUTY FAVOURITES

Halloween is over. Bonfire Night is over. It's practically Christmas, right? That was my attempt to justify splashing out on a few new beauty products this month anyway because if you can't treat yourself during the festive period then when can you?

I'm a huge fan of all things smokey, bronzed and burnt when it comes to palettes during these chillier, darker months and I'm particularly loving the MUA Elysium Palette. It includes four matte and six shimmer shades ranging from a nude base shadow to a gorgeous dark shimmer purple shade.

This palette also includes a matte black which I use to smudge out my eyeliner for a super smokey look sometimes and there's also a duo eyeliner thrown in for good measure with a dark eyeliner one end and a nude highlighter the other, I've only given the highlighter a go so far and it's perfect for highlighting the inner corner of my eye.

When I was in Boots the other day I was enticed over to the Benefit counter and was instantly sold on buying the new limited edition Swarovski embellished They're Real mascara which is totally worth the extra £2 on account of how pretty this looks amongst my make-up collection. This mascara is a constant in my everyday make-up routine. I like to apply They're Real first for definition and separation of my lashes and then I whack Rimmel London's Wonder'full mascara with argan oil on top for thicker, fuller lashes.

The Hoola bronzer also ended up in my basket, after trialling the smaller sample last Christmas I really wanted a darker, more matte bronzer for contouring this party season and Hoola fitted the bill perfectly.

If you haven't discovered Makeup Revolution from Superdrug yet then you need to check this range out next time you're in store. As Makeup Revolution is a budget brand it can be a little hit & miss with certain products but I love it when I want to test drive new shades or products without spending a fortune. The Ultra Base Corrector palette caught my eye when I was in store last and with the harsh winter weather coming soon I knew I'd need some colour correction.

The palette contains eight colour correction creams to balance and correct on all complexions. If you're not familiar with colour correction then here's what each cream will do for your skin:

Pink: Brightens dull skin perfect for those months when you might not see much of the sun, read: every day in England.
Lavender: Neutralises yellow tones which can usually crop up in the under-eye area for example.
Green: Neutralises red tones in the skin, for example the green cream is perfect if you suffer from rosacea.
Orange: Neutralises blue and cooler tones in the skin.
Peach - Helps to balance out slight discolouration
White - Adds natural highlight and brightens
Cream - Neautralises purple and covers dark areas, perfect for under eye and darker patches.
Brown - Balances ashiness in medium to dark skin tones.

I suffer from dry, sensitive skin so I'm always using the green cream to neutralise the redness in my skin around my T-Zone. I always really like the lavender and pink cream to brighten up my skin when it's feeling particularly dull after not seeing the sun for hours on end!

Sticking with Makeup Revolution, they also have a new range of brushes in the 'Ultra Metals Collection'. If I'm totally honest I picked up these brushes because I'm obsessed with anything rose gold/copper at the moment and they were too good to resist! I bought the Ultra Flawless Powder Brush, the Ultra Sculpt Blush Brush and the Ultra Contour Foundation Brush although I'm not even sure if i'll get round to using them because the white brush hairs are far too clean and pretty as they are!

That's it for my current autumn/winter favourites, let me know what you're loving this season in the comments below!