You Little Beauties – The Body Shop – Part Two

1.       Drops of Youth - £14 for 160ml

I was drawn to this product by the packaging to be honest.  Eye-catchingly simple; a vibrant green bottle with the words ‘Drops of Youth’.  Not that I want to be a 19 year old again but I wouldn’t mind my skin to be!  Discovering that it contained a powerful punch of unique ingredients, I couldn’t wait to try this little beauty.

Its boast is that it contains stem cells from three resilient plants known for their regenerating properties: Edelweiss, Criste Marine and Sea Holly.  Used daily, it’s said to activate healthy, plumped, hydrated, luminous skin and not to mention refining those pores (which is a big thing for me as mine are HUGE and I hate them).

So when would you use this essence?  If you’ve already read my blog on the ‘second step’ of skincare (‘Cleanse, WHAT and moisturise?  The Elusive 2nd Skincare Step!’ posted on 24/04/15), you will be aware that essences, softeners and lotions seem to have replaced the humble toner.  Most cleansers are now so gentle and effective, that that is no need to use a toner to get the pH of the skin back to normal.  However, these newbies are used after cleansing to prepare your skin for the next stage, whether it be serum and/or moisturiser and they tend to have specific ingredients for your particular concerns. 

So in my quest for my skin’s formative years, after cleansing, I shake four or five drops in the palm of my hands and then press the product into my skin.  You can massage it in of course but it’s a Clarins habit of pressing serums into the face that I haven’t grown out of.  It sinks in very quickly and I apply my eye product before popping on my serum and moisturiser. 

I really love this product; I’ve been using it for eleven days now and I think it’s given a luminosity to my skin as well as making my pores look more presentable.  It’s a huge bottle for the select few drops that you use - it will last me ages – therefore making it very good value for money indeed. 

 

2.        Honey Bronze Highlighting Dome - £8

I didn’t want to like this product!  Due to having shiny cheeks due to my HUGE pores, I tend to steer away from shimmer.  However, when I popped this pinky, coral shade on my cheeks, they really did pop (I have cool tones under a sallow skin).  Yes, it does have a gold shimmer to it but it’s so subtle, it really does look good.  I bought it to take on holiday with me – will look fab with a tan on the cheeks AND lips but because of that all-important ‘poppage’ I was talking about, I’ve been wearing it in the cloudy UK.   I’ve looked healthy (and alive).  You can glide it from the dome onto the apple of your cheeks and blend or apply with fingers from the dome.  Another plus is that it has a lovely honey fragrance to it as well.  It comes in three shades: golden, pink and bronze. 

You Little Beauties – The Body Shop – Part One

I am totally having a Body Shop Love Fest at the moment.  I was lucky enough to attend a Body Shop at Home event recently with a representative, to see how what goes into creating a fab, girlie evening in the comfort of their own home with lots of skincare, bodycare and make-up products to chat about.  Afterwards, I was given 48 hours of alone-time with her make-up kit.  Heaven.

So that weekend, I tested every item in her kit and fell in love with a few products which I then bought and am now enjoying.

All-in-One Insta Blur - £14 for 25ml

This is a fabulous silicone-based primer with five benefits.  It helps to control shine (sebum levels), refines the appearance of pores, covers blemishes, improves skin texture and extends the wear of your make-up (silicone is super adhesive – make-up clings to it so it will last the day).  Insta Blur really does what it says on the tin.  Also, what I love about this product is that it provides such a solid base to my make-up, that I don’t have to use face powder to set it.  To use:  I pop a small pea-size amount on my hand and apply with fingers to my areas of concern: the pores on my cheeks and t-zone.

Fresh Nude Foundation - £15 for 30ml

This little beauty creates a second skin and appears so natural that you will look so good that people will think that you’re not wearing foundation and that you look this fabulous naturally…all day.  Yes, you won’t want to remove this at the end of the day as you still look amazing (and with no touch-ups!).  Thanks to its rose water and aloe vera, this foundation is super-hydrating, gives a glow to the skin and provides all day comfort.  It comes in 16 shades and has an all important SPF 15.  

Lightening Touch Highlighter - £14 for 3ml

It wasn’t until I worked alongside Irish celebrity make-up artist Leonard Daly that I understood where I was going wrong with the shade of my concealer.  I have freckles, lots of them when the sun comes out and some concealers leave my skin tone grey and ashy due to this pigmentation.  Leonard advised that I use a peachy shade rather than the usual yellow.  When I tried Lightening Touch in 01, it transformed my dark shadows instantly and didn’t deaden the shade of my freckles.  A concealer and highlighter in one, it hides the shadows with its light-diffusing particles and plumps up fine lines.  It contains Marula Oil (found in a tree in Africa) which is packed with Vitamin C and E, omega fatty acids and flavonoids (that enhance the action of Vit C) – all great ingredients to fight against environmental aggressors too.

So there you have it.  It’s rare to find a product where the blurb lives up to reality but with Insta Blur, Fresh Nude and Lightening Touch, these little beauties really do deliver.

Next Week – Youth Drops and Honey Bronze

You Little Beauty - MAC Velvetese Lip Pencils

As with everything I do, I always come late to the party as I did with 'Friends', '24' and Beauty Blenders (although I wish I'd never parted with the cash on the latter: they are a right faff and unhygienic to boot - just use your fingers, for crying out loud) but these lip crayons are the business. 

I originally bought one from ELF online last year but I thought the red colour too warm/pink (I don't do pink) so it went straight in my pro-kit.  Then I got given two NARS ones and I tried both and sadly wasn't impressed.  I adored the shades as they were perfect for my skin tone but what wasn't perfect was the result; faded, patchy colour that didn't last plus they didn't twist up so once you'd used the bit you could see, that was that.

Then I got given a MAC Velvetese Lip Pencil in Ready to Go (deep brick red) and embarrassingly, it went straight into my kit and I didn't bother to use it on myself due to the NARS situation.  It wasn't until a recent trip to Cork, for my mum's 70th birthday last month, that my sister gave me another Velvetese in Anything Goes (rosey fuschia). Seeing as I'd only brought one nude lippie with me, I thought I would wear the MAC one evening and I have to say, I was impressed that it lasted the night and that I was humbly eating my words.  Now the red colour was a bit too pink for me (similar to the ELF one) but nevertheless, silly me to discard these crayons in the first place.

When I got back to Blighty, I excitedly retrieved the MAC Ready to Go from my pro-kit and I have to say that I've been wearing it weekly.  Am loving it.  The rich colour lasts and they give a great lip line so no need for a lipliner obviously.  The best thing about these are that they are so quick to apply  with no need for concealer, cotton buds or make-up remover - you can't make a mess with these - Edina and Patsy take note.  Lovely, full luscious lips with a much sought after effortless, clean finish.  Now, I've noticed that as I've gotten older, my bottom lip isn't as full as it once was. (When I was eight years old, one gal at school, who's name I will never forget, bullied me to high heaven about my big lips which was odd as I didn't think I had big lips at all. Anyway, I do now, Emma T!)

These chunky crayons are so handy to have in your make-up bag.  Lasting colour which endures the day.  I only have had to touch up once and that's after I've eaten my sandwiches at lunchtime and honestly, not much has come off at all and I can go the morning and afternoon drinking from my water bottle without the fade.  They feel so comfortable as well, as there is nothing worse than having a long-lasting lipstick that makes you want to reach for your lip balm every five minutes. 

Five new shades of lip crayons out on the market this week are from Sleek (£5.49, Superdrug) which of course, I want to try too.

MAC Velvetese Lip Pencils NEW PRICE £12.25

MAC Stores

You Little Beauty – Faith in Nature Rejuvenating Facial Wash

If you've read my previous blogs then you'll know that I've been a fan of Faith in Nature's shower gels for over a year now so it was about time I tried some of their skincare.  I had used up all of my Lancôme Absolue Precious Pure Sublime Cleansing Creamy Foam so I nipped into my local health shop and came away with Faith's Rejuvenating Facial Wash.

In the mornings, after I've brushed my teeth, I wet my hands, dollop some Faith into them and massage onto my sleepy, tired skin (with sleep-creases to boot).  The consistency is that of a cream/gel.  To be honest, I'm not a fan of the smell but it feels like a dream on your skin as you're removing the pollution, dirt and grease from the last 7.5 hours in bed.  Washed off in the shower and I'm left with silky, smooth, clean skin (and my HUGE pores look a lot better too).

This Rejuvenating Facial Wash is enriched with organic aloe vera which is moisturising and contains anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, as does the rosemary leaf extract also so its perfect for sensitive skins.  It restores the skin's natural balance so one isn't left with a tight, dehydrated feeling either, which is a bug-bear of mine as I suffer from dehydrated skin (tee hee, red wine chops anyone?).  

Faith in Nature is 40 years old, manufactured in the UK and is vegan, organic and cruelty-free.  The product range is extensive; hair, body, skin, for women, babies, men and pets and also for your home.  Despite its old-fashioned scent, I will definitely be repurchasing this product.  As you can see from the photo above, I am nearly half way through the bottle (I like to give myself time to test out a product) so it won't be long before I buy another one!

www.faithinnature.co.uk

Faith in Nature Rejuvenating Facial Wash

150ml for £6.25

Not So Little Beauties – Mascaras

I’m going to have to have a grumble about mascaras.  I’ve bought four in the last few weeks and I’m disappointed in all of them.

 

A few years ago, I was happily using Max Factor’s Xperience mascara but they discontinued it.

 

Seeing as there is a new mascara being launched every five minutes, it’s very tempting to ditch your trusted favourite for the next best thing but as it turns out, this can prove expensive and frustrating.

 

So here goes my grumbles...I am a big fan of all things Rimmel so I bought their Super Curler 24 (£7).  I have such short, straight lashes – too short for eyelash curlers would you believe – that I thought this mascara would open up my eyes and give me that curl that I crave.  The brush was far too fat for my lashes, I got mascara all over my lids and left me with no curl whatsoever.

Then I bought Revlon’s Ultimate All-in-One (£10) – the red-topped mascara.  I was seduced by the tiny brush – perfect for getting down to the roots without making a mess.  However, I was in a rush at the time I popped into Boots and I picked up a brown one and not a black (I’m sure this is done on purpose so you have to come back and buy the one that you really want.  The exact same thing happened to me when I bought Seventeen’s Falsifeye HD Mascara – the browns were all at the front of the tray and I picked up a brown in error).  Getting back to Revlon though, I was impressed by the brush so I did go back and buy the black one.  It’s said to give volume, length, definition, lift and intense colour.  It does all of these things actually.  I like that it removes really well and that I don’t have black-smudge-under eye in the mornings.  The only downside to this mascara though, is that it’s very, very wet which feels horrible on the lashes and it takes an age to dry.  Wouldn’t recommend wearing it if you’re at a wedding or funeral.  Due to soggy lashes, it’s put me off buying another one.

Seeing as I was disappointed with the red top, I then bought Rimmel’s Volume Colourist (£8).  I bought this due to its brush – it’s long and thin and I really like the packaging (love the dusky pink).  A huge bonus to this mascara is that this little beauty is said to tint the lashes over time.  I’ve only used it twice but even if it did tint my lashes successfully, I wouldn’t make a repeat purchase.  There’s a black and there’s an extreme black to choose from.  I bought the extreme black but you’d think I’d bought neither as there’s not much colour off this at all.  Very disappointing.  I had to keep layering it until it looked like I had mascara on.

Therefore, note to self – ignore ALL new mascara advertising and go back to what you loved if they're still available, that is.  I do have three favourites and I probably should just stick with them (until they discontinue them - tut).  My top three do have pros and cons though but not as frustrating as the ones I have mentioned above.  The one that I still haven’t bought yet recently and I loved it back in the 1990’s is Lancome’s Définicils Mascara (£24) – I used to buy it religiously so my next purchase will definitely have to be this and I hope I won’t be disappointed.  My next two are Makeup Revolution’s Viper (£3) and Seventeen’s Falsifeye HD (£7).  Actually, I love to hate this one as it's hard to remove and it leaves your lashes hard and spiky but it does give me fab big lashes!   

If you enjoyed reading this mascara blog then do check out previous posts written last year entitled ‘Mascaras – You can’t live without them!’ dated 21/08/15 and ‘Once Bitten’ dated 20/05/15.

Enjoy your bank holiday x

You Little Beauties – Nip+FAB Body Care

Crikey O’Riley, I think I’ve finally found what I’ve been looking for all these years.  Well, I don’t ‘think’, I know I have: An exfoliating body lotion that doesn’t have a horrible smell, leaves the skin smooth and silky and is reasonably priced.

In my quest to get away from the pumice and the plastic beads, I started trying lotions with AHA’s in them.  First up was Palmers Anti-Ageing Smoothing Lotion (£5 for 250ml) which has a blend of AHA’s and BHA’s in it to slough off dead skin.  I love the results of this lotion and I’ve repurchased it on many occasions but I really, really dislike the smell when I was applying it.  It’s quite a masculine scent but not in a good way – it’s so unique that together with the Cocoa Butter Formula, it’s quite overpowering.  Anyway, I would only use it on my legs so it wouldn’t interfere with my perfumes.

So my mission was to find a nice smelling one.  I rather like the Dove scent so I was excited to see that they did Pro-Age Body Nourishing Lotion with AHA (£6 for 250ml).  I did smell it instore but when I got home and slathered it everywhere after a shower, I recoiled.  It smelt like a self-tan so I binned it and thankfully had a tube left of my trusted Superdrug Vitamin E Body Scrub. 

Anyhoo, the quest was still on.  I found all the products that I Googled and I still was having a problem with the smell of all of them (maybe there’s something in an acid formula that smells funky so they have to mask it which results in an even funkier smell?).   Months later and I’m now in the UK, I came across Nip+FAB’s Glycolic Fix Body Cream (£10 for 200m) containing glycolic, salicylic and lactic acids and I couldn’t wait to try it out!   I know it says it’s a cream but to me it’s more of a gel and goes on very nicely.  I didn’t check the smell of it actually before buying it as I did ‘click and collect’ at Boots and once again, I don’t like the smell of it BUT its only on application and its not overpowering like the previous ones.  I really like the results though; no tightness or dry, snakeskin-effect lower limbs and I have a lovely smooth bum and thighs so this is definitely going to be a repeat purchase.  Also I would like to try some of their skincare too.

Seeing as Nip+FAB are on promotion, it was half price at Boots so I thought I would buy their Viper Venom Body Serum too (as I love a good serum but have never tried a serum for the body).   Love the packaging on this one – black and lime green. 

Viper is said to do a lot: nourish, tighten and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.  I love the texture of this product.  It sinks quickly into the skin, leaves your skin feeling so soft and fresh and most importantly to me, as we have ascertained, it smells fantastic.  Almost powdery, which I love.  So, I’ve been using this on my upper body when I’m not at work or gadding about – ie, when I’m not wearing my Ambre & Santal perfume.  However, it would complement one of my other favourite perfumes, which has a powdery scent so happy days.

Nip+Fab Body Products 200ml 

200ml for £9.99 – NOW £4.99 at Boots

You Little Beauty – Ziaja Goat’s Milk Hand Cream

I was introduced to Ziaja when I flew across the Irish Sea to celebrate my birthday in Dublin and my sis happened to have a tube of Ziaja hand cream on the coffee table.

We were having cheeky glasses of wine (ahem) while I was waiting to catch my train for my hair appointment (yes, I’ve been flying back to Dublin to have my hair cut) when I caught sight of this little white tube with a goat on it.  It looked like a baby product to be honest but I squirted a dollop in the palm of my hands and haven’t looked back. 

My favourite hand cream of all time is Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream (£21 for 100ml) so this little beauty would have to be the mother of all hand creams ten times over to beat that one.  And surprisingly it does.  Oh and the scent of it - not to mention the price - is divine too. 

As soon as I got home, I find the product online and nearly fell of the sofa – it was only £2.50!  I bought two of them.  Now, as you guys know, I am intolerant to dairy so after my purchase, I thought would dairy in skincare affect me too?  It’s not being absorbed into my digestive tract and I’ve not felt ill using it so happy days.

First up, let’s talk about the brand.  It was established in 1989 in Poland by pharmacist brothers and their first product was a natural olive cream which is still sold today.  Their products are environmentally friendly and not tested on animals.  They produce skincare, haircare, body care and sun care products as well as having a range for baby and men.

So, onto that dollop.  Initially I thought the product was more balm than cream (balms tend to be denser than creams and more protective) and once its sunk in, your skin just becomes like satin – exceptionally smooth and its like you’re lost a few millimetres on the fingers – my wedding rings are so much looser after application.  Lines on my hands are reduced too as well as feeling protected – hence the balm-like sensation. 

For me though, the most important aspect of a hand cream is hydration – I loathe that tightness after washing my hands – hence the desire to use a hand cream and its horrible if you've already popped a cream on after you’ve washed your hands and you still feel the need to apply more.

The hand cream contains goat’s milk complex and vitamins A, E and B5.  Goat’s milk has been beautifying women and men centuries.  It contains lactic acid which is an AHA that helps to slough off dead skin cells too.  It’s also packed with vitamins and nutrients that can repair and reduce wrinkles and with fatty acids and a pH level that is similar to our own, all of the above promotes healthy skin. 

Ziaja do many hand creams, containing argan oil, coconut, olive oil, cocoa butter and cashmere to name but a few.  Next, am gonna get me some Ziaja Coconut Hand Cream and one of their body butters.
 

Ziaja Goat’s Milk Hand Cream

80ml for £2.50 from www.ziajaonline.co.uk