Beauty

Deciem Hylamide Low-Molecular HA Booster

October 14, 2015 Leave a Comment

I’ve heard nothing but great things about the Deciem skincare brand, yet this is actually my first product experience, but it’s safe to say that I’m a convert. Deciem create these extremely scientifically formulated products that they could charge a small fortune for, yet they don’t, instead choosing to make their products available to many thanks to their very reasonable price tags. They also have a sense of humour with their social marketing and they package their products beautifully, so I dig them.

The Hylamide Low-Molecular HA Booster is a skincare add-on designed to help hydrate dehydrated skin. It’s a booster, so it boosts your existing skincare range, and it’s much like a serum in regards to where it sits in a skincare routine. It’s a serum that is all about the hyaluronic acid with five forms of this wonder ingredient contained in this oil-free formula, making it a true star product for anyone prone to dryness or dehydration. It doesn’t smell very nice, which might sound like a bad thing, but for me this just tells me that nothing is in the formulation to make it smell pretty, and instead it’s all about the skincare.

Regular readers will know my skin is tricky, and this is a total gem for whenever my skin starts drying out. I don’t use it daily, and instead use it as both a corrective and preventative product depending on what my skin is doing; for example, when I’m stressed, my skin breakouts and drys out, so on days of stress I introduce this into my routine to counteract any developing problems. Of course you can use it daily, but I don’t find my skin needs it at the moment, just a day or two of this when my skin is feeling dehydrated is all it needs to feel hydrated and back to feeling firm and bouncy. I cannot wait to try other products from this very exciting range, and having had a quick nose on the site, there are some awesome-sounding products coming our way very soon! The Deciem Hylamide Low-Molecular HA Booster is £18 either here – link – or in Boots.

*PR Sample

Colour Contouring and Restyle at Charles Worthington

October 14, 2015 3 Comments

There are few better ways to perk yourself up than a good restyle and recolour, although of course going to someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing can have the opposite effect, but thankfully my most recent visit to the salon was to see the amazing Johanne at the Charles Worthington salon in Percy Street, London, for a total hair revamp.

A few days previously to my appointment, I had visited Jonanne for a Dry Bar Style (more on that later!) and we got talking about what she’d do with my hair. I’m so used to people recommending certain types of cuts and colours that I’m not a huge fan of, so when Johanne started talking about styles and shades that I really love, I wanted to make an appointment with her ASAP, so a few days later, in I came for my hair makeover.

Johanne is a lovely, chatty and very knowledgeable hair pro who knows all the best techniques, so I was excited to get my hair done with her. Colour-wise we agreed to go for a mix of Balayage – a free-hand technique that gives a very natural finish that grows out without looking too stark, something we agreed would be of benefit to me since I’m not in a position to maintain regular colour – and the Colour Contouring, which is a new technique that involves using light and dark colour to both enhance and disguise features, much in the same way makeup contouring works.

Johanne and I agreed that we’d keep the colour lighter around the front of the face, with the bulk of the Balayage throughout the sides and back, whilst deepening the overall colour so the root growth wouldn’t be so obvious. We also threw-in a pink toner, believe it or not, and I am total convert as even though my hair is in no way pink by any stretch of the imagination, it has the slightest pink hue, and as pink is a colour that really suits me (and consequently appears in both my makeup and clothing wardrobe regularly) that tiniest hint completely lifts my face and is very flattering.

The salon itself is fabulous and a real joy to visit. It’s luxury without the pretentiousness, and I’m especially impressed by their approach to refreshments; there’s a great menu of drinks, and depending on what you order, you get nibbles alongside your drink – on the day I had a coke with salmon blinis and a latte with a brownie. You pay £2 on top of your bill for all of this, which I think is such a fab idea, plus the offerings change seasonally to keep things interesting. Everyone at the salon is professional yet friendly and the ambience is light and energetic, whilst still being relatively relaxed.

The cut is also perfect for me, being just the right length for my face shape; long enough so I can get it into a ponytail, but short enough so that it doesn’t go below my shoulders – I have found that this mid-length is the most flattering for me and I plan to keep it around this point from now on, if not maybe even slightly shorter, as long as I can still get it into a pony on lazy days! I had such a great experience with Johanne and I’m hoping to bring my mum in for a consultation soon; she’s up front, no-nonsense and very knowledgeable, so all these elements combined make her extremely good at what she does. The treatments I had included the Colour Contouring, which starts at £90 at Charles Worthington Salons. Find out more from the Charles Worthington site here – link.

*PR Appointment

QVC Beauty Pick of the Month October 2015: Time Bomb Collagen Bomb Essential Skin Fuel

October 13, 2015 Leave a Comment

Another QVC beauty bargain for you today, this time it’s from unlikely skincare stars, Time Bomb. Honestly, I really need to stop writing off Time Bomb – for some reason I struggle to take the range seriously and I have absolutely no idea why – as this is the third thing I’ve tried from the range and it is so incredibly good! The Time Bomb Collagen Bomb Essential Skin Fuel is a lovely, softening product that makes skin feel amazing; there’s no greasy residue, instead skin just feels instantly plump and hydrated. It’s a very impressive product, but as I’ve only been using it for a short time I can’t confirm any long-term benefits yet. What I can say is that the immediate effects are impressive and extremely beneficial to my skin.

If you’re an existing fan or want to try this without paying full price, October is your month, as it’s currently QVC’s pick of the month, meaning that not only do you get 50ml for £55.56 (rather than £67) but you can spread that over two easy payments of just under £28 per month. Remember you’ve only got until the end of October to take advantage of the deal here – link. I noticed the reviews on the page were mostly negative, and investigating further I realised the negativity focuses on the packaging of the bottle. I got in touch with the PR and was informed that the pump issue has since been sorted out and all those with a dodgy pump have been sent a new one, which is fab.

*PR Sample

Quick Pick Tuesday: Diamond Whites Black Edition Tooth Polish

October 13, 2015 2 Comments

Finally a whitening toothpaste that really does whiten! Well, I say whiten, obviously it isn’t bleaching your teeth, but it definitely is removing stains effectively, quickly and easily. The Diamond Whites Black Edition Tooth Polish is a rather interesting product, as it’s literally just activated charcoal from coconut shells, and it’s every bit as black as it looks – that colour doesn’t lighten as you use it! You dip your brush into the powder, then brush your teeth in the same way as you would with any other toothpaste, the only difference being that your teeth, gums and tongue are completely black whilst you’re using it.

Thankfully, the blackening is temporary as it all rinses off easily – I tend to use this as a pre-brush treatment to remove all stains, I then use my regular toothpaste to brush my teeth and finally finish with mouthwash. You could use this as a standalone tooth polish, but I prefer the mintiness of using a more standard toothpaste. This does feel a little abrasive if overused, so I would tread carefully if you have sensitive teeth. I really like this as a product as you can see a difference immediately and stains are dramatically reduced. Obviously this is only going to get your teeth as white as were naturally (it isn’t a tooth whitening treatment) but if you’re like me and favour food and drink that causes staining, you’ll definitely find benefit in this, even if you just use it a couple of times a week. Taste-wise it isn’t half as bad as you’d expect as it doesn’t really taste of anything, nor is it overly powdery or chalky, but it is very messy and when you spit out it does get everywhere, but that isn’t anything a quick rinse down won’t sort out. It’s a big thumbs up from me, plus the tin will last you quite a while, making it decent value at £14.99 here – link.

*PR Sample

Liz Earle QVC TSV – Best of Botanical Beauty

October 12, 2015 2 Comments

More joyful QVC TSV fabulousness to get your week started, courtesy of the amazing Liz Earle. Honestly, when was the last time you saw a beauty TSV that you didn’t want? They’re always such fantastic value and packed full of beauty goodies that you actually want, rather than a few choice picks alongside a load of filler items, which you might expect when the price is so low. The Liz Earle Best of Botanical Beauty is, what can only be described as, impressively good value.

The Liz Earle October 2015 QVC TSV contains six full-sized items, plus two muslin cloths and a perfume sample. You’re getting four skincare items and two body care items. I really love Liz Earle and I find their products are always brilliant to use, kind to skin and very effective, and I think the edit included in this TSV is spot-on. First of all, you’re getting your skincare basics for cleansing, toning and moisturising, starting with a mega 200ml of the cult Cleanse & Polish, the Instant Boost Skin Tonic and the Skin Repair Moisturiser; it appears all sets will include the Normal/Combination variant of the moisturiser which is a bit of a shame for the majority of us who don’t have that skin type, so hopefully future Liz Earle TSVs will be a bit more adaptable!

Next are the body products; the Orange Flower Botanical Body Wash, of which you get a massive 500ml, and 200ml of the Nourishing Botanical Body Cream. I love the fact that such decent sizes have been included as this really prove that you’re getting so much for your money.

Finally the extras include one of my all-time favourite Liz Earle products, which is the Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion – this is one of those lovely, indulgent products that I don’t think you necessarily need, but it’s just a wonderful product to use on tired, overused eyes as a compress, or just as a kind of eye toner when you’ve removed your makeup. The other extras are two muslin cloths that form the “polish” element of the aforementioned Cleanse and Polish and the little sample of the new and very pretty Botanical Essence No.20. All this lot is worth £119, but the TSV price will be less than £50, so mark out 25th October 2015 in your dairies as this is going to be quite the bargain! You know the drill with QVC TSVs, they launch at midnight and they don’t hang about, so if this is the one for you then you might have to stay up and get ordering. Good luck!

UPDATE: It’s now live on the site here – link – for £49.96 plus £5.95 P&P, or 4 Easy Pay Installments of £12.49 each. PLUS, you can pick which moisturiser you go for, either Normal and Combination, Light, or Dry and Sensitive. Very exciting stuff!

*PR Samples

Mask Monday: Clinique Moisture Surge Melting Mask Balm

October 12, 2015 Leave a Comment

Moisture Surge is by far my most favourite skincare range from Clinique, as it’s so perfect for tricky skin like mine. It’s an ever-expanding range of products that help with all the issues associated with dehydration, yet there are few ingredients that are likely to upset spot-prone skin types, so they’re perfect for extremely combination skin like mine. The newest member of the Moisture Surge family is the Moisture Surge Melting Mask Balm, which is a bit of a multi-use product for various issues associated with dehydrated skin.

First up, it’s a teeny tiny little jar of product that surprised me at first, but after use it makes sense as the product itself is a dense and oily balm where a little goes a long way. I’ve not come across a mask product like this before, as it feels exactly like a cleansing balm which, as you can imagine, feels strange leaving on the skin since it’s so rich, but I’ve used it a couple of times and it hasn’t given me any kind of breakouts, so I just need to build up the courage to leave it on overnight and see if I can say the same thing! It can be used for all sorts, both AM and PM, but the main uses are reducing dry areas, either by spot applying in the morning, or applying all over in the evening, then you can either leave it on or wash it off depending on your preferences. I’ve left it on for around an hour before gently removing with a sponge – I wouldn’t say skin felt overly nourished afterwards (which makes me think it needs to be left on overnight to fulfill it’s full potential) but skin definitely felt softer and lightly hydrated, so I think this would be a particularly good product for anyone with acne who’s using harsh products to treat it, as this is a great on-the-spot dry skin reducer. It’s £26 here – link.

*PR Sample

Birchbox October 2015 – Stylist Guest Editor Box

October 8, 2015 5 Comments

As promised, here’s a look at the second of the Birchbox October 2015 boxes. Unlike the Back to Basics box, this box curated by the Stylist Associate Editor (Joanna McGarry) and includes less traditional products, so it’s quite a nice introduction to a few things that are a bit different.

This is another good mix of make-up, skincare, hair care and body care – almost every element of beauty has been covered! There’s a full-sized item – my favourite of the box – alongside some decently sized samples.

The 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Lip Glaze is such gorgeous in every sense, and is a very good example of the sort of products that beauty boxes introduce you to, as I don’t think I would’ve come across this otherwise. It’s a tinted lip balm in beautiful packaging, with the colour coming from fruit pigments – how lovely is that? I rarely say no to the opportunity to try a mask, so I’m happt to give the When Travelmate Sheet Mask a go, which, as the name suggests, is designed to treat travel-beaten skin with a burst of moisture. This box contains the original Bioderma H20 Sensibio, which I’m sure by now we’ve all tried and loved at one point, so I have no issues with the inclusion of this lovely little bottle.

Rituals are to blame for starting my obsession with bed sprays (I really need to stock up on their Happy spray!) so I’m always keen to try anything from their range. This box contains a good sized sample of the Yogi Flow Foaming Shower Gel, which I think might have featured in a previous box, but that doesn’t make it any less welcome. The Parlor by Jeff Chastain Smoothing Blowout Spray probably won’t get used since I rarely seek out a smooth style, preferring a texture look instead. Finally, there’s a sample of English Laundry No7 Signature For Her, which is a lovely scent, but it’s one of those teeny tiny sample sprays that you can pick up for free from perfumeries. A great selection of products in this Stylist box, but I definitely still favour the Back to Basics box. If you’re planning to subscribe then you can pick either box for £12.95 all-in here – link.

*Here’s the other box*

*PR Sample

Birchbox October 2015

October 8, 2015 1 Comment

This month is a great month for Birchbox subscribers, both old and new, as there’s a choice of two boxes, and both of them are rather fab. The choices are either the Back to Basics Birchbox, the one I’m focusing on in this post, or the Stylist Guest Editor Birchbox, which I’ll post about shortly.

Out of the two Birchbox October 2015 boxes, this one is my favourite, as I really love everything included in the contents – the other box is great, but this box features products that will all get used. Each box contains a full-size makeup item and this one contains two full-sized goodies.

Predictably, my favourite product in the Back to Basics Birchbox is the full-sized Seche Vite; literally an hour before the boxes were delivered, I made a start on a fresh bottle of this, so I made a note to pick up another bottle (I always keep a reserve!) ASAP, so I’m thrilled this was included! The next full-sized item Eyeko Fat Liquid Eyeliner in Black, which looks like the sort of product that will be quite easy to use, so I’ll give it a go soon. Finally, both boxes contains a mini bottle of cult Micellar Bioderma H2O, with this box containing my personal favourite, the Hydrabio version.

I’ve heard nothing but great things about Regenerate Advanced Toothpaste – a product that helps repair tooth enamel – and I confess that I have a pack to try at home that I haven’t started on yet, but this little mini has encouraged me to make a start, so I will do tonight. The final products are both from Beaver Professional, the first of which is the Hydro Nutritive Moisturizing Shampoo, plus there’s also a bonus sachet of the matching conditioner. I absolutely hate it when either a shampoo or conditioner arrives in a box without it’s corresponding partner, as I think it’s really hard to review one without the other, so I’m glad these have arrived together. Existing Birchbox subscribers will have already chosen their box, but if you’re new to Birchbox, you can pick which you’d prefer when you order here for £12.95 all-in – link.

*Check out the other box here*

*PR Sample

L’Oreal True Match Genius 4in1 Compact Foundation

October 7, 2015 3 Comments

When I first received the new L’Oreal True Match Genius 4in1 Compact Foundation, I was completely expecting it to be one of those quite dense powder formulas that had a slight creaminess, do you know the ones I mean? But actually this is a lovely cream formula that has a velvet finish, so it isn’t the dry-fest I was expecting!

The L’Oreal True Match Genius 4in1 Compact Foundation is available in six shades, most of which are suited to the pale-to-medium end of the spectrum. There’s a good mix of cool, warm and neutral, and the palest shade – Linen (1.5N) is almost a perfect match for me; if it were just the tiniest bit paler it would be absolutely spot-on!

The L’Oreal True Match Genius 4in1 Compact Foundation joins the existing true match family, and whilst I don’t want to detract attention from the newest member, I was also sent the powder blusher in the Rosewood shade which is absolutely gorgeous! There are so many products in the True Match line (whatever happened to that compact with the roller applicator? That was awesome!) and above you can see a couple of the True Match Foundations, the True Match Powder, and the aforementioned True Match Blusher.

As the name implies, the L’Oreal True Match Genius 4in1 Compact Foundation is a bit of a multi-tasker, as it’s a primer, foundation, concealer and powder in one. I can kind of see that, as it’s certainly a very good foundation that can be built up for concealer-like coverage, the velvet finish performs the task of a powder (no blotting was needed on the days I trialled this) and I’d say this is one of the longest lasting foundations I’ve tried in a while, as usually the redness on my chin and cheeks starts breaking through after a few hours, but this didn’t happen with this, so clearly the primer element is keeping everything stuck in place!

The current line-up of the six shades are, from left to right, Linen (1.5N), Rose Vanilla (lost the label so not sure of the tone-leaning, sorry!), Beige Rose (3C), Golden Beige (3W), Beige (4N) and Sand (5N). As I mentioned earlier, these are shades mostly suited to medium skin tones, with the exception of Linen which probably sits around the Mac N20 mark. As someone who’s around a Mac N17, the colour is almost there! I hope they add some more shades soon, ideally plenty of darker shades and one or two paler ones too.

The formula is lovely and I think would suit most skin types other than the very dry. For me, after a few hours it did start feeling a little on the dry side, but nothing that a facial spray can’t take care of. I really like the fact that it’s so buildable, and as you can see from the before and after pictures, the coverage is very good. A light layer evens skin tone, a little more tackles tricky redness and blemishes and a heavier hand deals with major marks and spots. The packaging is good too; very transportable (although possibly a little weak, so it might break) with an included mirror and sponge. All-in-all, a great product from L’Oreal that does as it promises. It’s £12.99 here – link.

*PR Samples

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