Clinique 3 Step Skincare Review - End of Clinique Ambassador Trial

Hiya girlie's

I finally came to the end of my 2 week trial of the Clinique 3 Step Skincare and all I can say is phew!

It really isn't the routine for me and when I was writing my reviews on their products I tried hard to find out what the ingredients in the clarifying lotion and the moisturiser are, and after a bit of research I found out.  I am unimpressed and a bit shocked, especially about how much they charge for their skincare  the moisturiser in particular considering one of the main ingredients is mineral oil! You can read the reviews on the site if this is something of interest.

I put up my video diary for the second and final week of the trial and I wrote my reviews on the website too for each of the three products.

I would really appreciate it if you have the time to go and vote for my videos and product reviews, if you sign up and use my ambassador code you will get a free trial set yourself, if you don't want to use it you can always give it away as a present, it does come in a nice presentation box lol!

My Clinique Ambassador code
FR29823398

Website - http://www.3thingsbefore30.com/
 
So that's the last you will hear from me about the Clinique 3 Step Skincare!
 
I have made the decision after seeing the effects of all the chemicals on my skin in just two weeks to try and use natural, paraben free and organic skincare whenever possible.  I will update you with any new things I test.  I have also bought myself a book which tells you what ingredients in beauty products are bad for you and their chemical names and what to avoid so I will share any gems that I learn from the book as well.
 
I have already gone back to using my skincare in my previously mentioned skincare video with the addition of strivectin eye cream as my dark circles are getting completely ridiculous, I have been working long hours this week and just generally not had enough sleep and I am hoping this sorts me out!
 
How do you feel about skincare?  Is natural best?

Whole Foods Haul, Dr Bronner, 9 Bars, Nakd and Chocolate Peanut Butter

I finally managed to make a trip to one of my favourite shops yesterday, which is whole foods

The better one in London is at Kensington High Street but I had to make do with the one near Piccadilly station as I rushed there on my lunch hour.

I wanted to stock up on a few favourites that are hard to get in Holland and Barrett as they never seem to sell the Nakd bars in banana bread or ginger bread? No idea why they are the best ones!  I picked up another 9 bar but I have ordered their sample pack after seeing it on Keepingslimandgettingstylish as I love trying different things. 

I wanted to get a new Omega 3 supplement so I have got the Higher Nature Lemon Fish Oil, it is still a bit gross but it tastes much better than the eye-q chews so that's something.  I have to have an Omega 3 supplement as I tell the difference in my moods as soon as I stop so I am happy I have a new one now.

I have basically stopped eating chocolate bars but I couldn't resist the Dark Chocolate Dreams as it is a natural peanut butter with no trans fat or cholesterol's but blended with dark chocolate, even 1 teaspoon stirred into your porridge just makes it taste orgasmic...well if you like peanut butter obviously! I also wanted to see what the fuss about Cocoa Nibs was, I do like them but I don't think I will buy another packet as I don't love them.

Trying my new cocoa nibs! Mmm I love porridge

I tried out the chocolate dreams with some soy milk, melted it in the microwave and used it as a topping for my mini protein cakes which was a bloody good idea if I do say so myself.

Protein cake recipe

(makes 5 mini cakes using a silicone muffin tray enough for 1 man 1 woman)

3 egg whites (I buy twochicks) its so hard to find though! I wish it was sold everywhere

1 small banana

2 scoops of chocolate protein powder (or any brand or flavour)

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Sometimes a tiny splash of milk is needed, I use Soy Light

Whizz in a blender, pour into moulds and blast in microwave for 1-2 minutes, check it after 1 minute and see how the texture is, I like mine a bit squidgy and topped with a few cocoa nibs.

Of course I had to get a couple of beauty products. 

First up is Dr Bronner liquid magic soap.  I was intrigued as the packaging is covered in writing and I grabbed the unscented version as my skin is sensitive and I didn't know how strong the other versions would be.

You can use this in 18 ways apparently.  So far I have used it on my face and body, as a shampoo and hand wash but I am sure there are plenty of other uses. I love multi use products and it was really inexpensive at £3.99 for a small size bottle.

This hemp soap only has a few ingredients and they are made with organic oils and are certified fair trade.  You can find out more on the official           Dr Bronner website.  I was really surprised to find this lathers up really well, natural products don't usually do that so it was great and made it a lovely shampoo and body wash to use.  It leaves your skin and hair so totally squeaky clean, remember to only use a tiny bit on your hair otherwise it will go a bit knotty.

I have had NO allergic reactions so far so that's brilliant for me, I am much more into using natural products these days I do worry more about chemicals as I get older.  The Dr Bronner soap comes in lots of scents and the ones that caught my eye are  Almond, Tea Tree and obviously the unscented one. Personally I would rather have something unscented as I know it won't irritate me, but the almond one was lovely and I might pick that up too next time.

The packaging is simple, the tube easy to use the writing on the side did turn out to be a bit odd as I thought it was the 18 ways to use the product but its actually more religious stuff...doesn't bother me (I am not religious) but I suppose it might bother some?

Considering the quality, the ingredients and the fact that these have so many uses the price is amazing. I will definitely repurchase.  I like the mini sizes the best but they even come in huge 1 litre sizes if you want to get a huge one.

I also picked up the Balance Me wake up wash with lime and ginger.  They have won a lot of natural beauty awards but to be honest I sniffed a lot of their products and wasn't that struck on most of them, but I do like the scent of the lime and ginger and I thought it would be very refreshing in the shower and I wasn't wrong.  I just got a mini as a full size is £10 for 250ml which is pretty expensive if you don't know much about a product to shell out. I like to buy a mini to see if I want to buy a full size.

It contains lots of lovely ingredients and is certified organic.  I will have to use it a few more times to see whether a full size would be worth £10.  Its a shame really that you can get a regular shower gel for £1 and an organic one with nice natural oils costs £10 - its obviously going to put a lot of people off purchasing natural products.

Do you like healthy foods and finding cool multi use items?  Has anyone read the Green Beauty Guide or the Green Beauty Bible? Would you recommend them?

Beauty Blog Link Love

Have you ever tried epilating? Well, now Rae has -- and she just loves her new Emjoi Emagine!
 
Vote NOW on what Makeup Series you'd like to see next on Betty Girl Makeup. Poll closes Friday, August 6th @ 11:59pm.
 
Jellyminx shows a summery golden pink look and features a surprise guest!
 
Kim Porter swatches products from the MAC In The Groove Collection to show you what it looks like on NC50 skin.
 
Krasey Beauty has exclusive swatches of the new Make Up For Ever Lab Shine Collection.
 
Rachel's been trying out new mineral makeup from Lily Lolo over at Queen of Turquoise.
 
Hot Beauty Health shares a list of the top 10 virtual hairstyle and makeover sites to try out a new look!
 
Musicalhouses makes Illamasqua's Beg blush wearable in her latest FOTD.
 
Find out everything about Summer 2010 makeup trends in the Makeup4All on-line beauty magazine.
 
Joeybunny over at the PinkSith blog tells us what worked and what didn't during her testing of Raw Minerals Makeup and Brushes.
 
Did you know she's a Team Jacob and not a Team Cullen? Jolie Laide Girl gets all hot and bothered playing with the Urban Decay Naked Palette.
 
Check out what makes Guerlain's Meteorites Perles primer so special on Beauty Addict.
 
Fed up of struggling to access your new makeup? Yeah... Lipglossiping is, too!
 
Christelle from Beauty Crazed learns that multiple X's are not always inappropriate... sometimes they mean mascara!
 
I Heart Cosmetics has become totally obsessed with the Clarisonic.
***Retrodiva is giving away the brand new Sampar's Good Weekend Kit, a new travel-friendly kit for urban skin survival.

Win an Infiniti by Conair You Curl curling iron from Audrey Dao.

There's still time to enter the Summer Smooth Skin Giveaway at The Gloss Menagerie!

Got troublesome skin? Enter Hellcandy's skincare giveaway for the chance to win some B-Liv products!

Do you want a new traincase? CSN stores is giving one Spiced Beauty reader a $40 gift card!

Blogger Spotlight - Anniedollface

This gorgeous doll and I recently did a swap, it was fantastic! 

My video will go up over the weekend so you can see the lovely goodies she got me, although I have to be honest - I wasn't as good at saving the packaging I ripped the box to shreds and devoured everything about 5 minutes after it was delivered ha ha! 

I would definitely recommend following Annie as she is brilliant at apply making,

is a lovely friendly and bubbly person and is overall fantastic. 

And she has the Urban Decay Naked palette....not that I am jealous or anything...

Follow here:

http://twitter.com/anniedollface

Blog - anniedollface

Why is buying men presents so difficult?

It doesn't matter if it's your dad, grandad, boyfriend or husband - most men are impossible to buy gifts for.  You either end up buying socks and pants, alcohol, books or sporting equipment which does get a bit boring.

Buying skincare products for Matt is impossible, he is only interested in them if he is 'borrowing' mine.  The one thing that I know he will like is a nice aftershave so that is usually my fail safe gift.

His aftershave favourites are Davidoff Coolwater and Joop, the hideous one in the red bottle that smells like redcurrant jam, I usually censor this one (i.e. find the bottle and hide it as it stinks to high heaven). 

But now Matt has Davidoff’s new fragrance called Champion which was launched this week and he loves it already.

I think the dumbbell bottle design is a bit silly on one hand, but on the other hands its really fun.  It makes a nice change and it's unique, everyone who sees it gives it a few biceps curls!

This is what Coty say about the fragrance "Davidoff Champion is about the daily ritual of taking the time to build physical and mental strength. To become a champion.". 

Verdict

The aftershave is fresh and masculine and I actually like it as much as my favourite men's aftershave which is Davidoff Coolwater (Matt's usual aftershave).

The top notes are bergamot and lemon, the heart notes galbanum and aromatic clary sage and the base note is the classic Davidoff cedarwood tying it in with the other fragrances in the range so it's still obviously Davidoff-y scent, which is great if you are a fan of Davidoff which we are.

Overall the scent starts of fresh and zingy and dries down to a more sensual masculine scent when the cedarwood comes through more.  It's a great casual fragrance and would be great to take to the gym due to the dumbbell bottle.
                                                                                
Eau de Toilette – 50ml; 90ml (£35.50 / £43.50) can be bought at all the usual perfumery places like The Perfume Shop 

If you look at the perfume shop's home page I recommend looking at the new Hugo Boss advert...all I can say is PHWOOAR! Whoever picked Ryan Reynolds as a model deserves a bonus!

How long should you brush your teeth for?

I wonder if you can guess?

Amazingly studies reveal that people only spend on average 42 seconds brushing their teeth and one in three people only brush once a day, or less! That is so disgusting!

Info care of dentalhealth

The recommended time frame is 2 minutes morning and night. But just as with sunscreen, people stick their head in the sand about looking after their teeth and then wonder, when they are 50, why they have bad teeth, fillings, crowns and bad gums.

I cannot stand the thought of having false teeth and I love mine clean, shiny, white and healthy so I make sure I look after them now so they will look good when I am older.

I always make sure to brush with my favourite Beverly Hills toothpaste (as recommended by Watchdog), floss and use a mouthwash but the most important part is using an electric toothbrush as manual brushes just cannot clean your teeth as well.

I used to use a generic model of the oral-b electric toothbrush which I was happy with as it seemed to do the job and was miles better than the manual brush I had used before. The Oral-b Triumph 5000 was sent to me after I mentioned how cool I thought it looked and how much I love teeth and I have been using it twice a day, every day for just over a month now.  In fact the lady who sent this to me (hi Rebecca) is one of the only people who seems to understand my obsession  interest in tooth perfection.

I love it! I wanted to write this and post it now as it is currently a lot cheaper on Amazon [link here] so you can get it a lot cheaper than RRP.

The features of the Braun Oral-B Triumph 5000

Comes with a wireless digital SmartGuide to provide dentist inspired feedback during brushing, including monitoring the time and pressure - i.e. a red light shows if you are brushing too hard etc.

The only toothbrush to be approved by the British Dental Health Foundation

5 different brushing modes including daily clean, sensitive-perfect for those with sensitivities or bleeding gums, polish to remove stains, massage and deep clean

3D technology pulsates at 40,000, rotates at 8,800 per minute and oscillates to remove 2x as much plaque as a normal toothbrush

Easy to use

Only needs charging once or twice a week
Tells you when it needs the brush head replacing - I never know when to do this so it's a fantastic idea

This is what you receive, inside the box there are 3 brush heads, normal, floss action and sensitive and a smartplug, the blue travel case is not pictures as it looks rather...phallic!

I think the wireless smartguide is wicked, obviously you could get a stopwatch and use that instead, but who can be bothered? This would also be a good way to encourage kids to brush their teeth as the smartguide has four segments of a circle pictured, each 30 seconds represents one 1/4 of your mouth and you have 30 seconds to clean each second thoroughly while the timer does its countdown. Once your time is up the segmented circle turns into a smiley face and if you brush for another 30 seconds or so the smiley face gives you a wink!

You might think this is a gimmick but who cares when it means you are brushing your teeth properly? It's no more gimmicky than giving kids flavoured glittery toothpaste as an incentive.

This brush can be used for all of the family as you just change the brush head, and this would be a great incentive for anyone to ensure they brush their teeth for long enough.

I have seen a difference in my teeth for definite.  I had my teeth whitened in 2008 so the effects wear off after a while especially if you drink black coffee which I do every day (1 or 2).  Here is a picture of the final day of my teeth whitening session in 2008 at the dentist, and below a picture taken yesterday after 35 days using the toothbrush.

Pic from 2008 the day my whitening sessions finished at the dentist.

My gums are bright red as they had just been cleaned to ensure there was no bleach on them

Pic taken yesterday i.e. July 2010.

Sorry bout the lippie, I didn't realise!

I feel that this toothbrush has further enhanced the whiteness of my teeth so I won't have to have them whitened again for a long while and I had started to think that they had been getting dingy again before using this. Of course, whitening doesn't last forever, new stains happen every day but I think this will really prolong the effects.
Overall I would recommend this toothbrush 100% as it is amazing, but more importantly if you are still using a manual toothbrush I really do urge you to get an electric one if you can afford it, you can pick up a cheap Oral-b vitality in Superdrug some months for half price or this one from Argos is £18.99.

It will get off so much more plaque than you can manually do yourself so it is one of the best things you can do for your health.

Do you strive for white teeth? Have you found any amazing toothbrushes or toothpastes? Let me know!

An amazing parcel, NOTD and random ramble

I received the nicest package in the mail today.  One of my blog readers Irina sent me a parcel full of goodies, all the way from Romania, just out of kindness.

I just wanted to say an absolutely massive thank you to you Irina, I am so touched by the trouble you went to to pick out things that you know I will love, you are just such a thoughtful and sweet person and thank you so much for the card, it's lovely.

I am really looking forward to trying the Supliform on my cellulite, fingers crossed it works!  Irina also very kindly translated the instructions for me, as quite clearly me let loose with a product in a foreign language wasn't the best idea haha, she knows me so well!

Nail News

I have found two new gorgeous nail varnishes this week, first up is Essie's Haute as Hello from the Summer collection

And the second is from a swap I did with Anniedollface, it's the Sephora by OPI nail varnish in Leaf Him At The Altar.  It is the most amazing leafy gold tinged olive green, its totally gorgeous.

Sadly my Jessica Geleration nails, which were said to last 3-4 weeks, peeled off yesterday evening (after 2 weeks 1 day)  so I was left with this.

The stained bits are down to Xen Tan..oops!

My nails are a little dry but apart from that they seem ok.  I am glad in a way that they peeled off as I can imagine they would be even more dry and brittle after 3 to 4 weeks.

I was impressed with the Geleration as it looked great for the 2 weeks and there was no chipping.  It was also easy to paint over and handy that all of the nail varnishes lasted longer on top of the gel. 

The downside is obviously the price, I got mine done at the 'special offer' price of £30, but this would regularly cost £45.  Do I think it is worth that? Not on your Nelly, that's over £20 a week!  If this cost £20-25 then I would consider getting it done or if it had actually lasted for 3-4 weeks. 

But as it stands I wouldn't get it done again any time soon.

Have you been up to anything nice this week?

Need a wrinkle filler? Check out Matt's forehead! TSV is on the 31st July

The pictures above are my 5 minute test I did with Lulu's Killer Filler Wrinkle Compound. Both Matt and I were seriously impressed (that's Matt's forehead) I used him as he has that freckle and inimitable sun bleached eyebrows! I thought that way you would know it was the same person, there was no tampering with the pictures apart from cropping them.

How cute is this packaging? Love it!

Lulu first burst onto the scene in the sixties with mega-hit Shout, these days she is busy with her beauty and hair care range.  Her anti-ageing skin and body care lines "Time Bomb" and "Bombshell Body" are currently on sale at lulus place and QVC

The Killer Filler Wrinkle Compound is flaming brilliant, I hope Matt doesn't read this...but his wrinkle on his forehead is really deep normally and it looked so much better after using this.  Hmm worst girlfriend of the year award probably goes to me.  I will also be testing out the eye cream to see if it can rival the Korres Materia Herba.

The reason for me posting about Lulu's Time Bomb skincare today in particular is I was sent these to give you a heads up that Lulu Time Bomb range will be the focus of the QVC TSV (today's special value) on Saturday 31st July.  I am not sure exactly which products will be in the TSV so you will have to go and check it out and see.

If you click here QVC it will take you to the main QVC page where they will show the TSV starting from midnight 30th July and going on until 31th July 2010 at midnight.

I love QVC but hate their exorbitant postal rates, seriously what are they on?  But if you buy a TSV the savings are usually so great it makes up for the postage charge and best of all, after 30 days if you didn't think the products worked or you hated them, you can just send them back for a full refund!

I had assumed the Time Bomb products would just be for mature ladies, but girls I have to tell you something. I read the other day that your collagen production starts diminishing from age 21! How depressing.

QVC - What are your thoughts?  Brilliant way to see the products up close or annoying channel?

Have you ever wanted a beauty product so much you become obsessed?

I have.

The Clarisonic

I always aspire to have perfect skin and a gorgeous glow. Sometimes it happens, other times not.

One thing that I have heard so much about and wanted for ages and ages and ages is the Clarisonic. I have heard such good reviews of people who have gotten amazing skin from using this that I really want one.  How did I find out about it? If you own Katie Price's book called Standing Out go and look at the page where it shows a picture of her in a bath at her house, look to the side of the bath, there is the Clarisonic! At the time I searched online to find out what the hell it was as I was intrigued!

It might have something to do with my obsession with toothbrushes and the fact this is based on the sonicare toothbrush technology but one day, when I have the spare cash, one of these babies will be mine!

Since I won't be able to afford one for a while I thought I would share with you all of the information that I have come across so if you can afford it you can make an informed decision.

Studies prove:

6 times more make up removal
Twice as effective at removing grease and dirt
61% better absorption of Vitamin C after cleansing compared with manual cleansing
After 8 weeks there was a greater improvement in the reduction of the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on the side of the face where the Clarisonic was used
81% of participants reported better than previous shaving methods with softer skin and reduced irritation
83% of participants reported healthier skin
70% of participants reported fewer blemishes
69% of participants reported fewer dry patches
68% reported decreased appearance of pore size
Gentle enough for use on skin of subjects with rosacea
*data directly from clinical studies done by Clarisonic

Benefits

Cleanses so well that products used afterwards such as SPF absorb better
Gentle enough for twice daily use
Helps reduce oily areas, dry skin patches and blemishes
Helps reduce the appearance of visible pores
Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
Skin types and concerns
For all skin types
Gentle for use on rosacea, seborrhea and acne
Used and recommended by leading dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons for pre-treatment cleansing and daily use at home

Directions for use

Remove all eye make-up first before applying the brush to your skin.
Clarisonic can be used with any non-abrasive cleanser.
Wet the brush head with warm water. Apply cleanser to brush head or face.
Gently apply the brush head to your skin. Turn on the power, and gently move the brush in small circular motions.
Spend the first 20 seconds of brush time on your forehead, 20 seconds on the nose-chin area, and 10 seconds on each cheek.
In only 1 minute your face gets a complete and gentle cleansing.


The clarisonic has many uses

To cleanse your face and body
To exfoliate your face and body
To prep your skin before fake tan
To remove old fake tan that has gone patchy

It was originally developed as a pre-treatment product for dermatologists and spas, before being recommended by them for home-use. This is because it is gentle yet effective for the treatment of all skin types, including sensitive skin and skin affected by conditions such as rosacea, acne or seborrhoea. That's what I have, seborrhoea! I was excited to see they cared about us poor people with a condition that nobody ever seems to have heard of!

Clarisonic is popular amongst celebrities although I am hardly surprised £175 is a drop in the ocean to them although it did make me laugh when I read that even Justin Timberlake has one!

The Clarisonic Skin Care System is available at Harrods, Selfridges, Fenwicks, Bentalls and SpaceNK as well as some independent spas and salons.

The Classic skincare brush for the face costs £150 whilst the Plus model for face and body costs £175. As far as I know the smaller version called the Mia is not yet available in the U.K.

Do you have a something that you really really really want?



More information including a list of stockists: www.clarisonic.com/uk

Clinique Ambassador Programme

Recently I received an email about becoming a Clinique Ambassador.  I replied saying I would love to but I had tried the 3 step skincare before (it was when I was a teenager) and I had had an allergic reaction.

The response was that was fine, but I still received the 3 step skincare programme in the post! 

I was surprised by the set that I received, I was 'diagnosed' as step 1 Dry to Very Dry and this was different to what I had been diagnosed as before when I had an allergic reaction so I thought,  I will give it a go, at least they will get an honest review either way.

I  filmed a video after 1 week of using the system.  I think there are pros and cons and I discuss them and how the week has gone here week 1 video diary.  I will do another video next weekend after the 2 weeks.

There is also a prize to win a weekend in London for the video that gets the most votes, I am not sure if they mean on YouTube or on the website but either way I will be honest I would LOVE to win, Matt and I would love a weekend away as we can't have a holiday this year.

How you can help

I need to get at least 10 friends to register at 3thingsbefore30 to get a free sample of the system using  My Ambassador code FR29823398

So if you would please be kind and help me with this I would be really grateful.  You can also sign up to receive your own 3 step set on the website or apply to be an ambassador.


Do you find the 3 step too harsh? Let me know! x

Mac / Rodarte Update

I had an email from the lovely Liloo about a petition Olivia and other bloggers involved in the Rodarte-MAC affair have put together.


The feeling is that $100,000 is not enough of a contribution from such a huge global company and that changing the names will only sweep the issue under the carpet for MAC and does nothing to raise awareness of the femicides and exploitation in Juarez.

Here is the petition which explains this fully – ipetitions.com/petition/macrodarte

I have signed the petition, I hope you all will too x

Sunday Supplement

Eating a healthy balanced and varied diet to ensure you obtain all of the vitamins and minerals you need through food can be very difficult these days.  Organic, locally produced vegetables and fruit are always 10x the price of junk food in my local supermarkets so I presume a lot of you are the same. .

So while I would always recommend trying to get your vitamins through food before taking supplements sometimes you just HAVE to take them. 

I have tried lots of different ones over the years and I have found that the ones that make a difference to me are taking an Iron Supplement for immune system and energy and an Omega 3 Oil for brain function, increased concentration and better hair and skin.

Today I want to talk about iron

I take the supplement called Spatone which comes in the form of sachets full of iron rich water which you pour into your morning glass of orange juice or squash.  You can take it with plain water but you do get a slight metallic taste in the mouth so I bought some orange and watermelon juice to have with it in the mornings which it turns out is a great way to take the supplement as iron is better absorbed when taken with Vitamin C .  Vitamin C is found in orange juice but make sure to get one from the chiller cabinet that doesn't say 'made from concentrate' as it will be fresher.  I would only suggest in having a small 50-100ml glass of juice per day as it is quite sugary and can be harmful to your teeth enamel. 

Always make sure you wait at least half an hour before drinking juice and brushing your teeth so you give the acid in the juice enough time to neutralise, otherwise you will be exfoliating your teeth when you brush!

According to the World Health Organisation iron deficiency is the most common in the world.
You might be iron deficient if you are a runner or do a lot of exercise, are pregnant, have very heavy periods, are always lethargic and exhausted, do not eat much red meat or poultry or are a veggie or vegan.  You will need to have a blood test at your doctor's surgery to confirm this.  They often give you iron tablets but they often make people constipated.  I like that Spatone is a natural product instead and is a water so doesn't mean swallowing horrible tablets.

Iron is very important as it supplies oxygen to your red blood cells and is needed for a healthy immune system and to have normal energy levels.  You can find out more about it here

Spatone is free from:


Sugar
Sweetener
Preservatives
Artificial colours
Artificial flavours
Artificial fragrances
Gluten
Lactose

Spatone is pretty inexpensive for an iron supplement and costs around £7.14 from Boots for a month's supply.  Before using this I used to take Floravital which is a great supplement but it tastes so disgusting I would always put off taking it, which was a bit pointless! 

I feel so much better in myself since starting to take this new supplement so wanted to share it with you girls.  I will talk about my Omega 3 supplement if it every arrives in the post, it's taking ages!

Do you take supplements? 

2 HG Elf products and a lovely lip combo

After nearly a year of blogging I have finally got near the end of my face powders.  I still have a lot left of the Cargo HD powder but I much prefer that in the colder weather.

I decided to make another ELF order (e.l.f stands for eyes, lips & face) as I have not found a better sheer setting powder that doesn't leave cakey skin - the mineral booster in Sheer is amazing.  I am always amazed by the price of the products and am glad that for once 2 HG products are cheap!

Sometimes people criticise how the products are packaged but I purchased from the mineral and studio ranges and they are perfect to me. The mineral powders are in cases just like the Bare Escentuals ones and the sifter is the perfect size so you don't end up with too much powder flying out.

I also realised that the powder I had been using on and off for a year was the SMALL size! What good value at £3.50. I ordered the large size at £5.00 this time as I won't be repurchasing any other powders so this will my every day powder and I will obviously get through more of it if I am using it more frequently.

All pictures can be clicked to enlarge

As everything is so cheap I also added to my cart a mini size of the shimmer mineral booster to see if it's a nice highlight and another flat top powder brush from the studio range as it is my favourite face brush ever - I prefer it over my Mac brushes for apply the mineral booster, loose powder and blending in highlight as it leaves you looking flawless.

The goods arrived the day after I ordered them and well packaged as usual. I had also forgotten that the mineral booster is chemical, dye and paraben free, dodge those parabens ladies!

How amazing it feels to know that the search for my HG setting powder is over, no need to look for another one. Now I just need to find my HG of something else, I have many 'really likes' but not one overall winner for a lot of categories. The search never ends when you're a beauty junkie!

In other news I have found a gorgeous lip combination for a wearable coral lip.

Revlon Colourburst Lipstick in Coral and Dolce and Gabbana lip gloss in Delicious

Have you found any Holy Grail items? I would LOVE to know what they are x

Pink to make the boys wink

I don't normally go for pink nails or makeup but I have been doing both this week, it's good to change it up sometimes.

This is my NOTD and it's Essie.  The colour is Knockout Pout and is one of the better Essie polishes in terms of quality.  The formulation is pigmented and creamy enough to cover false nails and to cover up the darker pink of my Jessica Geleration acrylics which I am still loving.

I do have all 6 colours from the Essie Summer Collection so I will work my way through them as NOTD.  I am loving Haute as Hello which is a gorgeous peach.

On the other side I absolutely HATE the Nailene transfers used above, I used a thick topcoat and let it dry correctly but they all peeled off within hours of applying them, seriously unimpressive.  I won't be using their nail art items again.

I filmed a tutorial using the Sleek MakeUp limited edition Circus palette, it's slightly out of my comfort zone as you will see but a pink look was requested so that's what I did.

Do you have any requests for YouTube videos?  Do you like the new Summer collection by Essie? 

Sleek MakeUp Foundation - Now Comes In 30 Shades!

I got sent an email with this attached earlier on, I have one of the Sleek MakeUp foundations and I really like it, if you want to read more about their new shades or their upcoming events then

JUST CLICK ON THE PIC TO ENLARGE

For some baffling reason it doesn't say above WHERE the actual event is so I did some digging around online and found the facebook link to the event here SleekMakeUP event and the details are:

Monday · 8:00am - 8:00pm


Location Central London - The Space Centre

94 Judd Street, London WC1H 9PS

London, United Kingdom

You make a video about having clear skin and obviously....

You get a big fat spot! Talk about karma biting me on the ass.

If you are a regular reader you will know my favourite exfoliator by far is the Sanctuary warming microbrasion scrub. I find the sanctuary products great quality and usually buy these items myself from Boots but I was sent three of the new items from the range to test out.

The facial products have been revamped as of the 5th July and now come in pretty new packaging and are still available from Boots nationwide or on-line at thesanctuary

I left these products aside as I hadn't had any need for deep cleansing but lo and behold, the day after I put up a video about my skincare onto youtube, I awoke to 2 hard lumpy spots on my face so I grabbed these to test out how they work. Talk about sod's law though, I never ever get spots!

The Deep Cleanse Facial Kit includes a facewash, toner and 5 minute detox mask and is designed for you to be able to replicate one of the salon facials offered at The Sanctuary's London Spa.


Fresh faced purifying wash £6.99 for 150ml

Used in the morning to replace my usual Paraben free foaming wash I found that this product kept my face nice and clean without stripping it and making it feel dry and tight. It didn't foam as easily as my usual facewash as it was a lot thicker which was a bit annoying. I liked the packaging and find it helpful when squeeze tubes are made slightly wider like this one otherwise they tend to topple over when balanced on the side of the sink (my regular one is forever falling into the sink). This is a nice facewash and good for the price, I wouldn't say it was anything outstanding but it certainly didn't cause me any allergies, reactions or problems and left my skin soft and clean.

Pore refining toner £6.99 for 150ml

After using the facewash I have been spritzing this toner over my face before I apply my SPF or night cream. I like that the cool spray revitalises and refreshes and it has a slight scent of witch hazel which is contains, it also contains sea water which is always said to have lots of benefits for the skin. This is an astringent but isn't drying and I like to use it before my moisturiser to lock it in and keep my face hydrated. I do like a nice facial spritz and at 49p more than my La Roche Posay it's a great bargain as it includes many other skin beneficial properties rather than being just pure water.

5 minute thermal detox mask £9.99 for 150ml

This is my favourite from the range, I expected a clay mask to be like others I had tried which were thick and fairly squidgy and then dry hard and make your face 'set'. This isn't like that as it contains oil of myrrh so it moisturises and isn't extremely drying which is great for those, like me, with sensitive skin or just those who don't want to feel like their face is covered in setting concrete!

I like that the mask is self warming which means that it softens the gunk inside your pores, this lets the gunk be drawn out easier by the charcoal and kaolin clay in the mask. The mask is supposed to purify and re balance the oil in the skin so it doesn't leave you parched or over-oily.

After you apply it you leave it on for 5 minutes I rinsed then rinse off, in my case with the aid of a flannel. My is soft and smooth and while the lumps that I had were not magically gone I noted that whereas before they had been fairly deep under the skin they had moved quite a bit closer to the surface so I will be able to zap them with spot cream better. This might not sound good to some people but it means that the gunk had been drawn up and that the spot will erupt and therefore heal a lot quicker. I do not squeeze or poke at my spots as I personally don't want to infect the pore and make the spot even worse by digging and poking and irritating it.

This mask is definitely my must have item from the range and the one I would recommend as a purchase.

The New Skincare Spa range is Paraben free, suitable for pregnant women, dermalogically tested and naturally fragranced with essential oils and plant extracts.


Do you like using face masks or can you never find the time?

If you like a free drink and live near Bluewater....

When Jo (http://www.beautyliciouslove.com/) and I were at the Trafford Centre on the 9th July we chanced upon a sort of fenced-off area of the shopping centre where we were given a tasty Sourz cocktail, a free magazine and given the chance to chat about clothes or get a mini manicure, and enter a competition.

Now I have been contacted about one being held at Bluewater, now considering it's free and open to anyone - male or female over the age of 18 I would definitely say go along if you are there anyway as you get a free drinky and a free magazine!

Here are the details

If you want to make this Summer one to remember, make your way to the Bluewater shopping centre on Friday 30th and Saturday 31st July, where Sourz will be bringing summer to life on their national ‘Give it Some…Style’ tour. Guys and girls of Kent can grab the chance to sample a taste of summer and rock the hottest fashion and beauty looks for free.

If you’re over 18, visit Bluewater to take advantage of free fashion and beauty consultations from top stylists and professional make up artists who will be on hand to give the low-down on the freshest colours and beauty looks of the season. And visitors can also look forward to sipping a taste of Summer, with the chance to sample bespoke Sourz cocktails in the sleek and stylish summer lounge.

The Sourz ’Give it some…’ tour is funky, fresh and links the latest fashions with each individual Sourz flavour; Apple green, Cherry red, Tropical blue, Blackcurrant purple and Pineapple yellow, showing how create the perfect ‘summer brights’ look.

The ‘Give it some…’ stand will be running competitions throughout Friday and Saturday offering trendsetters a variety of beauty goodies to help create their own looks, as well as the chance to win a VIP trip to London and an all inclusive holiday to Ibiza.

ps. This isn't a sponsored post although it probably sounds it, I just had a laugh when I was there, and it's free so figured I would let you know x

Prestige Cosmetics Colour Treat Lipstick

Drugstore lipstick is usually more shit than hit in my opinion, from the extremely drying lipsticks of Barry M to the unflattering shades of Rimmel's lipstick I have rarely chanced upon any that I like.  Boots 17 have had the mirror shine lipsticks and now Prestige have launched a new lipstick called colour treat.

I was sent a couple of shades but I only really like shade LCL-04 called Beautifully Buff.  I have been pleasantly surprised by the colour, the wear time and the smooth consistency. 

The lipstick claims to be anti ageing and contains ceramides and peptides and also hyaluronic acid which are normally ingredients reserved for anti ageing face creams, they assist the prevention of wrinkles through collagen stimulation and drawing water in the skin and locking it in to retain maximum moisture levels.

The lipstick costs £6.49 which is expensive compared to some drugstore lippies but considering the quality of ingredients and the finish of the lipstick on the lips which you can see above, in my opinion it is well worth it.  I have spent over £22 on lipsticks that haven't contained such moisturising and anti ageing ingredients.

I also like that the lipstick has a clear lid, so you can see at a glance which shade you are picking out of your makeup box/bag, handy in a rush!  I have been using this every day this week and have had so many compliments.

Colour Treat Lipstick costs £6.49 and will be available soon from Boots or Gordon's

There are 7 shades in the range from pale pink and coral to bright red.

What is your opinion of Prestige? Good brand or not?

Woah who knew Jordan was 49?

Well in the Me Me Me Ultra Gloss Nail Polish that is!

I am really impressed with these polishes and plan to get a few more.  The consistency looks a tiny bit streaky on the first coat but the second coat evens it up perfectly.  They don't take forever to dry and while I don't think any polish lasts 5 days the formula does seem very impressive.  I think these cost £4.25, I was trying to look at the sign this morning in Superdrug but kept getting knocked out of the flipping way!

Will you be picking one of these polishes up? I was surprised I like them to be honest as I am not known to be a drugstore ho am I?!

Hair Care Update - Some New Products I Love

I am always on the search for products to make my hair grow faster, look thicker and reduce the appearance of split ends.

Everyones hair grows at different rates, but mine always seems to me to grow at a snail's pace . My hairdresser always tell me that I should have a short hairstyle because my hair is fine but I do not feel feminine with short hair, I have tried it more than once and I hate it!

I have been on the search for products to try and speed up my hair growth the first of which is the Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment (£6.99 Boots) which claims to help soothe and moisturise the scalp and strengthen hair. It says that it contains Pro-Growth™ complex designed to give strength from within by fertilising the follicles in the scalp, creating a healthy environment to help hair grow faster and reach its maximum potential length. It comes in a pink tub and is a pale pink marshmallow coloured product. The consistency is of a whipped cream and I like that it covers the hair easily and smells nice, and you only have to leave it on for 5 minutes.

I use about 3tbs worth at a time and comb it through my hair before leaving it on for 5 minutes to do it's thing. You use it between shampooing and conditioning and I have been using it every time I wash my hair. I am so happy with this treatment and will definitely repurchase. I love Redken's deep conditioners but this is so much cheaper at around 1/4 of the price.


The second product I have recently come across is a supplement recommended by Laura called HairSublim which is £14.99 for 1 months supply. I am a big fan of vitamins and supplements as I know that your body has to be in good shape on the inside for it to look good on the outside so I hot-footed it to Boots after I heard of this and am pretty pleased so far. My hair does seem a little shinier and thicker and I have still got quite a lot of the tablets so I will update once the packet is finished. Boots website state this "scientific research conducted by Laboratoires Physcience showed that after one month of taking HairSublim 73% of women felt that their hair grew faster" so I am very excited to see if this works for me and I will update you after the month's treatment is done.

One products I have always been wary of is oil. My hair is so thin and I thought it would leave my locks super greasy and disgusting. However after hearing hundreds of reviews of Argan oils I decided I should give it a go and see if it could do anything.

There are so many ways to use the argan oil - on wet or dry hair. The way I have been using is to smooth a 10p sized blob between both hands and then rubbing it into the ends of my hair before bed, then washing it off in the morning.

I have also used a tiny drop (literally 1 drop) smoothed between my palms and then used in place of a hair serum once I have finished styling my hair. Remember not to use oils on the hair before heat styling as it will be like frying your head! My split ends feel a lot softer and in a way, sealed up. This obviously doesn't cure the split ends as nothing will apart from cutting them off but it certainly improves the look and feel of your hair overall and makes your locks look less 'bitty' and jagged at the ends.

The argan oil I am using is by Melvita and I would recommend them for a fantastic range of organic oils. All of their products are in no nonsense containers and the product do exactly what they say they will, there are no gimmicks or false promises. I also like that you can blend a few drops of the argan oil with your moisturiser, body lotion or hair shampoo and conditioner to automatically make them that much more moisturising.

The argan oil from Melvita is also fair trade which means it supports fairness for the producers of the raw materials (in this case the Ounarha Women's Co-operative in Essaouira) which I am happy about, as you know the person who harvested the argan kernels is getting a decent price for them. People in this area of the world are sadly quite poor so I would certainly prefer to buy from Melvita who make sure they are paid a decent wage for their efforts.


A lot has been said of argan oil an a lot of it is very confusing. Basically the Argan tree is only found on the Moroccan coast so all 'authentic' Argan oil is from Morocco.

The Melvita oil is cold pressed which is the best method of pressing, heating the oil such as they do for food grade argan oil will degrade the oil and make it lose some of it's benefits, that is why there is no point using food grade argan on your hair and skin, it has been heated to increase the flavour for use in food and it won't be as potent.

Argan oil has been used for years by the Berber women to moisturise their hair, skin and nails and this has recently been quite a hot product and getting a lot of mentions on blogs and YouTube.


The benefits of argan oil over other oils (such as olive oil)

Higher percentage of vitamin E
Higher percentage of essential fatty acids (EFA's)
More resistant to oxidation
Apparently can be used to fight acne, eczema, psoriasis and many other conditions

You can also find out more information here which I found by a simple google search but seems very informative arganoilsociety

Anyone else trying to grow their hair?

Overall I am really looking forward to seeing how these products help me in the coming months and I will update you with my progress.

If you want my two cents on the Mac/Rodarte issue

I don't feel the need to write another post as you can just read this which will explain it all.  I always find Jen's blog well thought out and well written, this is no exception.

http://www.mizzworthy.com/

Jen also links to the many other posts people have written at the bottom of her post.

A’kin Jojoba & Lavender Conditioner

In my July My Pure parcel was the A’kin Jojoba & Lavender Conditioner that is suitable for both normal and greasy hair.

Sadly this month I had to give the conditioner to my mum to review, I am allergic to lavender!

My mum loves all the freebies I give her and so I popped this along to her as well, leaving her very chuffed and commenting 'oooh you can buy A'kin in Waitrose' so she was suitably impressed.

The A’kin hair care range consists of 4 different conditioners and as with the skincare range the A’kin hair care range is certifed Organic and Vegan (by Australian standards because it is an Australian product for those who always go on about the FDA – the FDA relates to the USA only).

Packaging

This is nicer than the facial mist packaging and much better than the usual beige organic product fare. It looks like something one would find in an apothecary from times gone by and a bit like a L’occitane or a Crabtree and Evelyn product.

Mum had no problems with the lid and the conditioner was easily dispensed.

The product itself

The conditioner contains Lavender flower extract and cold pressed Australian Jojoba oil.

Mum says – it smells of Lavender (she’s good at this isn’t she) she did say it was pretty strong.

The bottle recommends that if your prone to oily or greasy hair to only apply the conditioner to the ends of the hair. My mum has normal hair so she applied it all over as usual. She used it every day for a week and she mentioned that she only ever uses Ojon or L’Occitane hair stuff normally (I detect some QVC purchases).

Her verdict was that it detangles well and her hair was frizz free and manageable afterwards. Her hair had a decent amount of shine and since she has had chemotherapy her hair doesn't grow back as thick or as strong (or as shiny) so we were both suitably impressed.

Would she recommend it?

This was a bit confusing, as despite explaining to her a million times why it is beneficial to use paraben free natural products I don't think she quite gets it. She is not the sort of person who is particularly bothered if her products contain parabens whereas I and a lot of other people are very interested in that.  She certainly liked the conditoner a lot so in conclusion if you are looking for a conditioner that is both Vegan and Organic certified this is a very good option.

Cost - The price is £7.49 for a 225ml Bottle. You can buy through the Mypure website