Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic

I never used to think I needed a toner. That was until I tried a toner, and the one I tried was this.

I first ordered this a while back along with the Cleanse and polish as part of a starter pack. I'd never really used toner before and just thought it was an unnecessary part of a skin care routine. Boy was I wrong.

The instant boost skin tonic boasts a lather impressive list of ingredients including aloe vera, calendula, chamomile, cucumber and vitamin which promise to soothe, revitalise, soften and refresh. It also contains floral essential oils which provides a beautiful, sweet scent.

I use this morning and night, after cleansing, on a cotton pad and sweep it all over my face. The thing I like about it is that it makes my skin feel really clean. I feel like it helps to remove any last bits of makeup and oil on my face and also gets rid of any residue left from my cleanser. It makes my face feel wonderfully refreshed and revitalized and my skin is left immensely soft. I just can't praise this product enough, I am positive it will remain a life long staple in my skin care routine.

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic is available from the Liz Earle website priced £12.25 for 200ml.

What's your favourite toner? And do you deem in necessary?

x.x.x

I've Got A Lovely Tub Of Coconuts...

I picked up a tub of the Superdrug Coconut Oil a while ago, having never heard of it before. It claimed to help skin, scalp and damaged hair, and it cost about £2 I believe (just went to double check on website but couldn't find it - I bought this instore about 2 months ago) so I decided to give it a go.

It comes in a round tub like this and contains 125ml of product. The packaging is nothing special I have to say, pretty plain.

It was really hard to photograph the product, but basically it comes in solid form, but melts into it's oil form with the heat of your hands. It's quite easy to grab some on your fingertips. The scent is beautiful. Obviously, if you're not a fan of coconut then give it a miss, but I love it.

The way I use this product most is as a moisturiser. I take a small bit on my fingers and massage it into any dry areas. It's great for elbows and knees. As it's an oil it can be slighty greasy if you use too much, this is why I tend to stick to any problem areas.

I have also used this as a scalp treatment. I occasionally suffer from a dry scalp and I found this does really help. I took quite a large amount, let it melt in my hands and worked it in all over my scalp. Now this leaves you looking pretty gross. I left this on for about an hour, but the directions state you can leave this on all night if desired. I had to rinse my hair a few times to get this out, bearing in mind when it cools down a bit it does sort of return to a solid consistency (trust me it's not attractive - one for when you're on your own). I found my scalp to be no where near as dry and obviously it left my hair smelling gorgeous.

The third way this can be used is as a leave in conditioner. I have not used it this way as my hair gets oily quickly anyways and I don't require any additional greasyness.

Overall, for the price I really recommend this product as an intensive moisturiser for body and scalp. It is amazing for the price and it's long lasting scent is a winner for me.

Have you guys tried this?

x.x.x

Witch Gentle Exfoliating Face Wash

Until recently, I had been new to any Witch skincare products, with exception of the Witch anti blemish stick which I'd used as a spotty teen. I just always related the products to acne prone skin, which I do not have, so never really bothered with it, although I have tried a few make up products....That is until now.

I picked up this face wash a few weeks ago and I am pretty impressed.

As it is exfoliating, it contains small micro-granules to make sure it cleans deep into pores and scrubs away and dead skin cells. It does not feel over abrasive or rough on the skin at all. It also contains Witch Hazel to thoroughly cleanse and Vitamin E to make sure skin remains soft and moisturised.

I use this product with my Botanics Face Brush (reviewed here) and I am super happy with it's results. My skin feels clean, soft and smooth, and not tight at all. I would definitely be happy to repurchase this and am keen to try out some other Witch products.

What do you guys think about Witch products?

x.x.x



Good Things

Since Boot's are currently offering 3 for 2 on all skincare products, I thought it would be extremely rude of me not to take a wander in and see what I could get my little mitts on. I thought it would be a great excuse to pick up some new (to me) products to try and shift some of the dryer patches on my face. So, I opted for Good Things.

Good Things are a skin care company who's products are free from Parabens, Sodium Laureth Sulphates, animal ingredients and mineral oils. Each product contains superfruit extracts which makes each product smell gorgeous. Their products are also specially designed for young skin.

Here's what I got...

Dream Cream Night Cream with Fig & Avocado

Face the Day Moisturiser with Goji Berry and Papaya

Stop That Spot Clearing Gel with Papaya and Acai.

I only picked up these products on Sunday so cannot give an in depth review of these products yet, but once I've had a good go of them I shall definitely let you know my thoughts.

Have you guys tried any of the Good Things products? What do think and/or recommend?

x.x.x

Botanics Face Brush

I am the type of person who can get really over excited about a product. As soon as I hear a good review on something, I want to try it straight away. So when I read Fee's blogpost about the Botanics Face Brush, I had to have it.

I'd never have thought of using a brush to wash my face. I would have assumed it would be harsh against my skin and perhaps even painful. So I was very surprised to feel how soft the bristles on the Botanics face brush were. Also, the brush has a really deep pile, which also adds to the softness of the brush.

I've been using this along with my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Cleanser and within a week, I have really noticed a difference.

I dampen the brush with warm water and add one pump of the cleanser and brush this all over my face. The cleanser doesn't lather well but it spreads out nicely. I swirl this about on my face for a few minutes then rinse it off. I can feel straight away that my skin feels nice and soft, not tight at all. I'd imagine that this would also be great for the circulation on your face as well.

I've still found some dry patches on my face, but I've always had this and maybe this just isn't abrasive enough, but then again, I wouldn't want to use a really abrasives brush on my face twice a day. This is a really lovely soft brush and it's really kind on your face. Already I have noticed the reduction of blackheads on my nose and chin and I definitely reckon it's down to the brush.

I have never used the Clarisonic face cleanser; and for £180, I'm very happy to be part of the Manual Face Brush Club.

Have you guys tried the Botanics Face Brush?

x.x.x 

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish

If you remember just after Christmas I did a little post to tell you all how much of a sheep I'd been and purchased a bottle of the much acclaimed Cleanse & Polish.

Well after giving it a go for over a month, I thought I'd let you know how I found it.

To let you know, my skincare routine had always been simple, and perhaps would be frowned upon by some of you skincare junkies. I used a face wipe to remove my make up, and then moisturised...and that was it. So at first, it was difficult to adjust to having a few more steps in my routine. I soon got used to it and I was loving my new regime.

Firstly, I love the thick consistency of the cleanser. I like how it really sticks to your skin and doesn't just disappear when you apply it to your face, and it has a gorgeous fresh, but mild scent. Secondly, I completely adore the muslin cloth and removing the cleanser. I just love the thought of really 'polishing' my face with the warm cloth. It it really delicate, it gently exfoliates my skin whilst leaving it smooth and feeling deeply cleansed. There really is no nicer feeling to have on your face.

I can certainly see why this cleanser is so celebrated and I shall definitely be repurchasing once it's finished.

x.x.x  

January Favourites

Good Morning Girlies...

So glad it's finally the weekend!

Just wanted to share with you all my favourite products from the month of January...

1. Maybelline The Falises Volum Express Mascara.

I recently reviewed this mascara (click here) and if you've already read it you'll know I absolutely love it. It gives me full and thick lashes as well as added lengh, without the icky clumping.

2. No7 Stay Perfect Eye Mousse in Pewter.

I really love this eyeshadow. I actually got it as a freebie in a No7 giftset and hadn't tried it until recently but the colour payoff is excellent and it's really longlasting and doesn't crease. It makes a great base for other shadows, and is just as lovely on it's own.

3. Clinique Super Moisture Make Up in 04 Ivory.

I've been using this foundation religiously for a couple of months now (reviewed here) and i am still in love with it as ever. It's really moistuising so is great for my dry patches and it makes my cheeks look really dewy and youthful.

4. E45 Moisturising Lotion

This is definately one of my holy grail products and I always find myself repurchasing. It's great on my face for an everyday moistuiser, great to use all over my body and I also use this if I want to mix some in with my foundation to give a sheerer coverage. AND it's cheap, so what's not to love.

5. MAC Venomous Villians Blush in Bite of an Apple.

When I first bought this I thought it was really bright and wasn't too keen on it, but around Christmas time I started using it and I found, if used sparingly, I could create a gorgeous 'Just been out in the snow' rosy glow. Even though the snow has now gone, I'm still enjoying faking this look.

6. ELF Lipstick in Runway Pink

I've had this lipstick for months now and I think I've worn it almost every day in January. It's just one of those lovely nude pinks that doesn't make you look dead. I think it's very flattering with my skin tone and I always use it with a lipbalm underneath to stop it drying my lips.

There we have it. January summed up in 6 bullet points. Do any of these products appear in your favourites?

x.x.x

LUSH Bubblegum Lip Scrub

What's not to love about Winter? Cold fingers & toes, snow, puddles, bad hair, dry skin and chapped lips...hmm let me think.

I was suffering badly with chapped lips this winter so I was very happy to get Lush Lip Scrub in one of my Christmas gift sets.

Just the idea of this makes me lick my lips in anticipation. Bubblegum flavoured sugar for your lips..& you can eat it! Yum.

I wet my lips a little, put a small amount on my finger and rub it gently across them to scrub away any dry bits. Then once your done you can lick off the extra. I find this really does help with dry, flaky lips, but then again you can get the same effect with any kind of lip scrub, or just my using any old sugar you have lying around the house.

I definitely think the selling point of this point product is the yummy flavour. I really want to try the mint one too.

What do you guys think of Lush Lip Scrub?

x.x.x



Couldn't Resist Any Longer...

Hey Girlies.

I finally gave in. I had to find out what the hype was about...

...And now I know.

I've seen so many bloggers and you tubers rave over the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish hot cloth cleanser that I just had to try it out for myself. I also purchased the Instant Boost Skin Tonic. I've only been using them for about 4 days but already I am hooked. I really love how smooth and bright it's made my skin in such a short time. I also love how cute and pretty the packaging is!

I'll definitely let you know how I get on...

x.x.x

Raspberry Kiss Me

I believe I have died and gone to body scrub heaven...

A few weeks ago I picked up Treacle Moon's The Raspberry Kiss body scrub and it has fast become one of my new favourites.

First of all, it's bright pink. What girlie girl does not love pink bath products (HELLO SNOW FAIRY) and this is what first caught my eye when browsing the aisles of my local Tesco. I then proceeded to pop the cap and have a little whiff....oh my days it's amazing. The scent is soo delightful, bursting with raspberry goodness and I could not resist. In the trolley it went.

But we all know the proof of the pudding is in the tasting. Well, in this case the washing. I massage this into my skin in the shower two or three times a week and it really does get rid of all the dead skin and leaves my skin feeling totally soft. It contain tiny black scrubbers which are powerful and gentle at the same time. Now what more could you want?

Treacle Moon make various other scented scrubs, shower gels and body butters and they are all deliciously tempting. They are owned by the same company who have created such brands as The Sanctuary, Nicky Clarke, Umberto Giannini, Elle Macpherson and Normandi. The range is available at Treaclemoon.net or exclusively in Tesco.

Have you guys tried this or any other products from this range?

x.x.x

Fishy Toes

Hey Darlings

Last week, during a busy day of Christmas shopping I decided to treat myself to a lovely fish pedicure. I'd read a lot about it, mixed reviews, and I wanted to try it out for myself. So I headed along to Appy Feet, in the St James Centre in Edinburgh.

[image from appyfeet.com]

If you've been living under a rock and not heard of this procedure, here's a little info taken from http://www.appyfeet.com/

The fish we use are original Garra Rufa also known as doctor fish, nibble fish or little dermatologist.

Although these little Minnow size fish have no teeth, they certainly have a big impact! When you immerse your feet into the warm water these curious little dermatologist will get to work by gently nibbling off any dead hard skin, leaving you pampered, healthy and glowing.

All over the world nibble fish centres are springing up and people are taking advantage of a totally organic pedicure. The fish will only work on unhealthy or dead skin, the healthy skin is left untouched.

Sounds good to me!

The ladies who greeted me were lovely, and I had to fill in a little form with my details and asked about any medical/skin conditions I may have. Then it was off to be prepared. I had to put on some crocs (sterilised between uses) and head over to the feet washing station. I then rinsed my feet under a little shower and then headed back to the foot spa area to dip my feet.

This was the scary bit. As you prepare to dip your feet into the water, the fish swarm below like they've not been fed in weeks, aaahhh. I gently lowered my feet in and they pounced. But it wasn't bad. It was a little ticklish to start with, then it settled into a strange but nice feeling. I have read the many descriptions of how it felt, and the one I relate to the most is pins and needles. Not uncomfortable or unpleasant, but odd. Something I believe you need to experience for yourself to understand.

I opted for a 15 minute session which cost me £10. I think this is really reasonable.

The fish really seemed to like my nail beds and the top of my feet, but I wish they'd concentrated more on the areas that needed it, like my heels. Once the session was over I was given a towel and some lotion to apply to my feet, and I was done.

Afterwards, my feet felt really nice and the areas the fish concentrated on felt super smooth. I'm definately going to return for another session, perhaps longer next time. It's a totally unique experience and I'd definately recommend it to those who are curious.

Have any of you guys tried the fish pedicure? Or does the idea totally gross you out? Let me know.

x.x.x

The Sanctuary Warming Charcoal Detox Mask

Hey my lovelies

Hope you are all getting nice and excited for Christmas! With only a few days to go I am finding it hard to contain my excitement. Now that all my shopping and wrapping is done, I only need to finish up work and I can enjoy the full extent of the festivities :)

With all my pennies having been spent on pressies and Christmas nights out, my weekend was spent quietly in the house. A little pampering session included a lovely Lush bath and I decided to use my Sanctuary 5 minute warming charcoal detox mask.

This sample was given to me by Fei at Peonies and Lilies in one of her giveaways a while back, but this was me only just getting round to using it.

This is a self heating mask which is supposed to balance oily and blemish prone skin.

As soon as I squeezed the product into my hands I could feel it heating up immediately so quickly spread it out over my face, avoiding my eyes.

The mask contains Kaolin Clay which absorbs excess oil and draws impurities out of the skin, and essential oils of Myrrh (Christmassy!) which soothes and calms the skin.

I left it on for 5 minutes as the instructions told me to do then rinsed my face with warm water. Afterwards my skin felt really soft, but looked a little red. I guess this was just to do with the heat as my skin did not feel sore or irritated in any way. Anyways, after I'd cooled down I could feel how smooth my face was, and not oily. The next morning my face still felt the same and I'd had no nasty reactions or breakouts. I'd definately consider repurchasing either a sample or full sized tube of the product, which retails at £9.99 for 100ml.

Have any of you guys tried this face mask?

x.x.x

The Quest For The Perfect Foundation Continues...

Hey Girls!

Hope you're all doing great!! Half way through the week! Phew!

With the temperatures dropping and Mr Jack Frost making an appearance, the old face has been taking a kicking! I'd happy been using my No7 intelligent balance foundation on a daily basis when my skin started to get really dry. Mainly around my nose and forehead, and the look of the mousse foundation sticking to the dry ares was NOT a good look. So I needed to find a good alternative quick!

I popped down to Debenhams a fortnight ago and perused the make up department for ageees (my boyfriend will vouch for this!) and eventually I decided on Clinique supermoisture.



Designed to combat very dry to dry combination skin, I was very hopeful this would do the trick. And it did. The formulation is very moisturisting and takes to my skin very well. It also leaves your skin really dewy looking as it contains an extremely subtle hint of glitter. I find that I can wear it all day and does not give me that "caked" appearance on the drier areas of my face.

The only downside I can find to this foundation is the coverage it provides. It has a sheer to moderate coverage, edging closer to sheer. This is fine for a daily basis as I often like a light coverage for work and for through the day, but I find when I am heading out at night time I am mixing it with a higher coverage foundation so I can achieve a more flawless appearance. Not a huge problem for me, although I would not recommend this to you girlies who like your full coverage fix.

What are your thoughts on Clinique foundations, and have any of you guys tried this?

Love Debs xxx

Keratosis Pilaris

Hey Girls

Since I read Bottled Beauty's blog post on "Chicken Skin" or Keratosis Pilaris, as it's known, I have been on a quest to try to find out what kind of things can help.

Before reading about it on the above post, I did not know KP existed. I just thought I had bad skin. I suffer from horrible red bumps on my upper arms. All the time...

Sourced from http://www.keratosispilaris.org/ ....

Keratosis Pilaris is a very common genetic follicular disorder manifested by the appearance of rough bumps on the skin. Primarily, it appears on the back and outer sides of the upper arms, but can also occur on thighs and buttocks or any body part except palms or soles.

An excess of the protein known as Keratin, accumulates within the hair follicles forming numerous tiny rough bumps on the skin. Sometimes, these bumps can become irritated causing the follicles to redden excessively.

KP is often misdiagnosed and treated as acne. Most types are more evident during teen years.

It can also appear after pregnancy or at any stage of life.

image sourced from google

So, as I mentioned I began looking at ways to improve KP. The most common solution is exfoliation. I have always exfoliated the affected area but the results are short lived. It makes the area smooth for a few hours but I then notice the bumps have began to reappear.

Other forms of relief are said to come from laser treatment and sun tanning. Sun tanning for me has never resolved KP.

LUSH-IOUS

Hey ladies! Hope everyone is well. Ahhh I have 35 followers - how exciting! Thank you to each and every one of you. I can't believe you wanna follow little old me :)

As I said in my last post I recently took a trip to Lush, so I thought I'd show you the goodies that I got. I adore Lush and have tried a few of their products before. Unfortunately there is not one very close to where I live so I don't get to go very often. I have ordered online before too, but it's just not the same. I like to go into the store and SMELL the products before I buy them. Some things sound nice on paper, but in reality, they may just not be for you.

Anyways...

Yay!!

So the first thing I got was Dream Cream.

I'd been after this baby for a while. I'd heard all about it on many a YT video and blogs so I had to get it. I really love the consistency of the cream. Nice and thick so it really does pack in the moisture. Although it;s thick, it's not too hard to rub in, which is a bonus! I hate when I have to rub for ages and you still end up with a white leg cos the darn product just won't rub in. I've been using it on my feet, my legs and my elbows. It's great for night time as it has a lovely lavendar scent. Some have said it's too overpowering, but personally I love it. It's priced at £9.85 for 240g.

LUSH Say:

Calming and dreamy.

Incredibly soothing body lotion for troubled skin. Dream Cream is Lush's best-selling product because it makes sore skin feel good again. Chamomile and lavender calm irritations, reduce redness and banish blotches. 

Review: ELF mineral infused face primer

Hey lovelies hope you are all having a lovely Wednesday!!

I purchased the ELF face primer about a month ago and thought I'd share some thoughts with you.  To be honest I'd never really used a face prmer before so I don't have anything to compare it to. I ordered it from http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/ and it cost £6 for 14g.

Firstly the packaging. I think the packaging is very nice. It's in a white tube with a clear plastic outer package and it comes with a pump. I like this simple packaging. I think it looks very clean.

The product itself is a clear gel. It has a smell to it that I don't know how to describe. It's kind of plastic-y. I don't think the smell is completely unbearable but not something I enjoy rubbing on my face. Once it's dried in however, I can't smell anything.

Beauty TAG: 40 Questions

Hi Guys. Saw this on a few blogs recently and thought I'd do my own. Feel free to share your own.



SKINCARE



How many times do you wash your face daily?

Twice



What skin type do you have?

Combination. Very tempremental



What is your current facial wash?

L'Oreal Paris Perfect Clean exfoliating wash



Do you exfoliate?

Yes



What brand do you use?

See facewash question.



What moisutiser do you use?

I use E45 cream on my face each morning as it's completely fragrance free and does not irritate me at all. At night I use Boots No7 protect and perfect night cream.



Do you have freckles?

Only a few. I have one on the sole of my foot. RANDOM FACT!



Do you use eye cream?
Occasionally. I know I should though