The cheat's way to get rid of tired looking eyes in the morning..

Many a morning I wake up, look at myself in the mirror and wonder why I didn't go to bed earlier the night before.  Then I get distracted by what to wear and what the weather looks like outside and of course, the typical English dilemma of whether I should or shouldn't take a coat with me.

When I'm truly tired, I get puffy eyes that don't really look too sexy.  Until recently, I didn't really know how to get rid of them and to make myself look half awake.  I'd pile my makeup on and just get to work but you could see the underlying tiredness from a mile off.

I recently lost a lipstick and whilst searching for that, I came across a product that I haven't used since I got it as a freebie in Glamour magazine. And if you think it's a Benefit product, you'd be right.  Now I have never been Benefit's biggest fan and even now, I'm still not a fangirl.  I like some of their stuff but wouldn't go as far to call them must haves.  This might the closest I ever get to calling a Benefit product a must have.  Click here to see what else of Benefit's I have reviewed.

Anyway, the product I found was Benefit's eyebright.  I have used this a few times in the past as an inner corner highlighter but the colour was just far too stark against my skintone.  If you're white or Chinese, you can easily get away with using this as an inner corner highlighter but for us Indian, black and olive skinned gals, it's a no go.

I decided to try it on my waterline to see what it did and to my surprise, it managed to look quite natural.  I think Benefit are missing a trick not marketing it that way, I've read on their website and they say that you should apply it to the inner and outer corner of your eyes and blend.  Well, I say do that if you're not of a darker skin colour.  If you are of a darker skin colour then whack it on your waterline.

I team this product up with my trusty eyelash curlers (reviewed here and going strong on their second pad replacement), any mascara that is close to hand (I've been using the Prestige one as my other bottle finished and this is the last one I have left..and seeing as Boots have discontinued it, I won't be able to buy more, despite it being a fantastic thing and one of the first products I ever reviewed on this blog).  I also use this Natralift Firming Eye Roll On from The Body Shop which I feel makes a difference..and the ball is very cooling on the skin.

If you've got more time then you could always put a decent inner corner highlighter on too, but as I am yet to find this, I have a bare inner corner.  The other thing that I tend to do once at work is line my upper lashline with some black eyeliner.  No flick though, I'm at work, not out knocking back the finest cocktails known to man.

And here's how it looks in its most basic way..

I'm not apologising for my eyebrows, I'm growing them out after someone f**ked them right up...

Now you might remember me hyping up Stila's Kajal pencil which is still all well and good but in the Summer months, it tends to be a bit too soft.  Fantastic for Winter though!

Talking of cocktails, I must warn you that if you like a decent citrus-y mojito, don't go to the Smollensky's in Canary Wharf as the people working there can never ever get this right.  Every time I go and ask for more citurs than mint, I end up drinking liquid toothpaste.  It's horrible and I have now given up asking for mojitos and I just stick to a bog standard glass of Chardonnay.

Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Makeup Remover v Boots Botanics Organic Face Nourishing Eye Makeup Remover

I bought both Boots Botanics eye makeup removers recently as a weak justification for spending £30 on a night cream.  A night cream which is now currently retailing for £20.

I wore a full eye of makeup a few Sundays ago when I first tried both of these out.  A full eye of makeup for me is primer, shadow one, shadow two, shadow three, mascara (two coats), clear mascara, liquid/gel liner and pencil liner.  I fully utilise the lower lashline when it comes to application so there was makeup wherever my eye could take it.

My eyes are notoriously sensitive to any liquid that isn't water.  I get along with cream cleansers just fine but I'm yet to find a liquid remover that doesn't sting me.  I wear contact lens to work most of the time so I don't want something that will aggravate my eyes moreso when I get home.

I've tested both Boots Botanics removers solidly for three weeks, varying my eye makeup from full on to bare minimum (mascara) and this is my verdict.

Review: The Body Shop's Aloe Vera Protective Serum

Earlier this year, my skin went really dodgy.  I don't know what happened to it but it went from being combination to really really dry.  Nothing I did was good enough until I bought Garnier's toner (reviewed here) and The Body Shop's Aloe Vera Protective Serum.

I tried tonnes of moisturisers that promised to inject some moisture back in but none of them did anything so I went on the hunt for something new.  I saw this in The Body Shop and was sold as soon as it said it reinforced your natural shield.

I bought it..used it and saw a difference after the first couple of days.  I don't believe that it gives your skin extra moisture, I think it just locks in the moisture you already have..that's what I'm lead to believe from the blurb on it.

You don't need to use a lot of it either, just a thin layer under your face cream.  Don't put too much on as otherwise I found it did nothing and you greased up really quickly.

When I thought it'd done its job, I put it away..

Now the weather has turned again and I've taken it out.   I don't have much left and I really wanted to finish it before throwing it away.

This is where my complaint comes in.  I have had this since about February/March time.  The little "use by" box says that once this is opened, it will last for 12 months.  It has already gone off.  How do I know this?  It doesn't smell like it used to.  It had a gentle scent to it before that you could barely sniff out but now it smells like freshly paint wood and that smell is really potent.

Me being a div, decided to carry on using it as it was nearly finished.  Big mistake.  I've got some annoying spots on my forehead and on my cheeks and I know it is because of this as nothing else has changed.  Well, one thing changed but that was weeks before I started using this again.

In conclusion, it does work but be sure to use it up continuously after you've opened it because it goes off fast.  I'm not sure why it went off though, I don't recall it having something special seal that I broke?  Maybe it's because I'd used the pump action.  I can't even type the words pump action without laughing.

Anyway, if your skin is really dry and nothing seems to work, this definitely helps.  It costs £10 and is available from The Body Shop. 

Review: DHC Deep Cleansing Oil

Cleansing oils are something of a novelty in Rhamnousia world.  I've only ever seen Japanese brands championing these and I wish we had more readily available in the UK.  The one that I've heard the most about is DHC's Deep Cleansing Oil.

The basic premise behind these is that they cleanse your skin, hence the name "cleansing oil".  Now my skin is combination and putting oil on it is not something that I thought I'd ever do.  I researched it and read many a review where combination skinned people had found oil to be a beneficial cleanser.

To me, it smells a bit like olive oil, but it feels a lot more liquid than oil.  I don't know how a light oil is formulated..you obviously can't mix it with water.

 There is something very comforting about massaging this oil into your skin.  I think it's because I spend those ten or so minutes all by myself, locked in the bathroom, alone with my thoughts.  I don't know why but I always stare at myself in the mirror and think about things.

I don't use it on my eyes as the instructions state to keep it away from eyes.  I have no problems using something else for my eyes and then this for my face.

I use this both when I'm wearing a full face of makeup and also when I'm not.  On both occassions it works fantastically.

I apply it to dry skin, massage it in and watch it blur my makeup off.  I then add water which emulsifies the oil.  I rinse it all off and then I'm done.

It manages to make my skin feel nice and soft once it has removed my makeup and I can often go without a night cream afterwards.  However, I have been using Olay's Renewing Night Elixir and that is doing only good things.

I can get carried away and if I use too much, it does make my skin feel tight.  My skin is combination so if you have normal skin, I'd suggest using just one pump for your whole face..and if your skin is dry, using a little less.  DHC suggest that this product is suitable for all skin types.

I have been using the product for two steady months now and I'm just about half way through it.

The best thing about this product is that you can buy it in different sizes.  The 30 ml bottle costs £3.50, the 70ml costs £9.50 and the 200 ml costs £18.50.  They can all be bought directly from DHC.  I signed up to their newsletter ages ago and whenever they send you a catalogue through the post, they send little packet samples which are a great way to introduce yourself to the brand. 

Olay Regenerist Night Renewal Elixir: The stuff dreams are made of!

Before I get on with the post, someone out there better appreciate the pun in the title or else..I'll cry.

I think this might well be my product of 2011.  Although I get excited about many products, I retain a special level of near hysterical excitement for the best of the best.  You have to pass stringent testing to get me this excited.

Why do I love it so much?  Because it actually does what it says...and well!

Olay state the Regenerist Night Renewal Elixir "accelerates skin's natural surface renewal during sleep..improves hydration to leave skin feeling softer, smoother and firmer looking".

I've used products that promise the same in the past and all they've done is made my skin feel sticky and not much more.

I put the Olay Regenerist Night Renewal Elixir on and went to bed..woke up and did the checks and my skin did feel a lot softer and smoother.  It looked firmer and more plumped up than it normally does.  But this was only day 1 so I told myself not to get too excited.

Consistency wise, it's a clear gel which feels slightly tacky.  I did need to shake it when using it as sometimes it bubbled before the actual product came out.

I thought my success might be a fluke and now, some two weeks later, my skin is still looking fantastic.

I had some hard bumps on my skin that just wouldn't shift but since I've started using this, they've either vanished or formed into proper spots and then buggered off.  I know that this is down to the Elixir because nothing else shifted them.

I'm using less moisturiser as my skin seems hydrated enough as it is.  I also find myself not needing to powder my nose as the hydration levels are at a good enough level so that my skin doesn't produce too much sebum.

As this is a sample, the product on shelves will actually look like the bottle pictured here on the left. 

I put the tiniest blobs on my forehead, cheeks, nose and chin.  I stroke it around my face (avoiding the eyes) and it sinks in quickly and doesn't leave me feeling sticky.  Talking of nose, I didn't realise this until about day 10 but it has really made a difference to my pores.  My nose pores are my lifelong bugbear and this has really helped either shrink or disguise them.

The only thing I'm a bit confused about is what this product actually is.  It's called an elixir which is fair enough but is it a night cream? A serum? A peel?  I'm more inclined to think it's a peel because it has the trademark peel qualities (see through, a bit sticky, suggestion that you whack up the SPF in the morning).  However, I've always been told that peels are meant to tingle and this doesn't tingle at all which is good because facial tingles make me feel uncomfortable.

Now for the warning part..this product contains AHAs which are alpha hydroxy acids.  Don't freak out at the fact that they are acids.  These are used in a lot of cosmetics items.  I had a feeling it contained AHAs as I've used AHA based products before and my skin has felt the same, although I've never had the same results.

When you use products containing AHA, your skin becomes slightly more sensitive to light so it is highly recommended that you wear a moisturiser with SPF in it, both in the morning and for a week after you finish using this.

I got my sample from Supersavvyme, you can click to see if they're still available.

I am definitely picking up the full sized version when I eek the dregs out of this sample.  You might wonder how I got 15 days wear out of this, well, my original sample lasted me 8 days and then I nicked the one my mum had ordered herself too!

I have made a conscious effort every day this week to wake up earlier so I have time to trawl the aisles of Boots in the hope that I will find this product but I haven't seen it on the shelves.  I've ordered it online from Boots so it should be with me shortly.  They're on 3 for 2 at the moment so I've added one for my mum by way of compensation for stealing her sample and I've finally taken the plunge and ordered that Botanics eye makeup remover.

Review: Fade Out Protecting Day Cream SPF15

There has always been something "good" about being light skinned in the Asian/black community.  All the Indian and black people know what I mean.  I remember being in my first year of uni and looking at a black hair magazine that had a feature about women who had bleached their skin and burnt themselves.  It was horrible.  I also remember being younger (about seven or eight) and being told that my skin was too dark.  

I was made to use that disgusting Vicco Turmeric cream which is something that not many non-desi people know about.

Vicco Turmeric is hell encased in an orange and yellow tube.  It's a yellow cream that contains a high level of turmeric (hence the name) and you're meant to use it on your face so as to lighten your skin colour.  Of course, it's not sold like that, it's sold as an ointment you can put on burns and the like.

It bloody stank so there was no way I was going to wear it to school so I'd have to wear a Vicco mask for about 40 minutes every Friday night...which is a very rock n roll way to spend your Friday nights, I've heard that Mick Jagger did the same throughout the 70's.

It never made my skin any lighter.  Many years later, I woke up and my skin was just lighter.

Anyway..

Review: DHC Olive-Corn Body Scrub and Polish (My Holy Grail body scrub)

I love my body scrubs.  That is nothing new to people who read this blog.

I've always been a bit dubious about scrubs that come in squeezy tubes as they never seem to be strong enough to give me the abrasiveness that I want from a scrub.

DHC's Olive-Corn Scrub and Polish was one of the products that languished on my shelf for a few weeks.

Once I started using it, I fell in love with it.  A month down the line and the story is still the same.

The consistency of this is thin enough to squeeze through the hole you usually get with tubed products but the exfoliant is milled enough so as to make a difference to your skin. 

It leaves my skin feeling really nice and smooth.  I don't even have to moistuirise after using it which is always a win in my book.

The only negative about this is the smell.  Now, I tend to coat my hair with olive oil before I wash it and I leave it on for about an hour.  The olive oil smell is out in full force by then and that is exactly what this scrub smells like.  However, once you've got it on your skin and washed it off, the smell vanishes which is good.

This scrub is my favourite body scrub as it does everything I want from a scrub.  It leaves me skin feeling noticeably smoother and it lasts ages.  The smooth skin feeling lasts ages so my search to find a holy grail scrub has come to an end.  The smell fades very quickly so it's not something you have to get used to.

The packaging is really good too, it's easier to squeeze this tube than it is to remove the lid of a jar, find a place for the jar and the lid and then dab your finger into the tub.  Talking of that, does anyone else find it hard to find a place for their exfoliator jars? I can't balance it on the bit that the shower head is connected too and the window shelf we have is too high.

Purchase?
Yes, I am definitely buying this as it is the best exfoliator I have ever used and it's a bloody bargain at only £12.50.  You can buy this from DHC online.

Review: Urban Decay Meltdown Makeup Remover

I've found my Holy Grail facial makeup remover/cleanser (The Sanctuary's Polishing Hot Cloth Cleanser) but I'm always on the lookout for a product that I can use solely on my eyes as there are times when my eyes are the only part of my face (bar lips) that I make up.

I was sent the Meltdown Makeup Remover by Urban Decay and here's what I think of it..

One thing I find quite odd is that it doesn't state anywhere on the bottle (in English atleast) that this is a makeup remover just for the eyes but my GCSE French (A* I'll have you know) taught me enough to know that "démaquillant yeux" means makeup remover eyes.  Seems odd that it's not in English.

What do Urban Decay have to say? (There's those rhyming skills again)
"You love our longest-lasting products, but how do you take them off?!  This nourishing formula will ensure that makeup removal doesn't throw you into fits.

Sometimes you need a makeup remover that's as might as the most powerful products in your beauty arsenal, which is why we've created Meltdown!  This stuff can take down our longest-lasting products, and it's also good for your skin, too.  Sea Fan Extract combats inflammation, while Beta Carotene (a source of Vitamin A) and Gatuline In-Tense (harvest from the South African Rain Forest Peekabo Plant) revitalise collagen production.  Cranberry and Raspberry Seed Oils, along with Kukui Nut and Oat Oil, moisturise and replenish.  The 2.5oz squeeze tube is easy to use, as well as small enough to take on an aeroplane)."

What do I have to say?
This smells like nappy rash cream and that's all I can think of when applying it and this is not a good thing!  Consistency wise, it is lot thinner than both Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish and The Sanctuary's Polishing Hot Cloth Cleanser.  Those two feel more creamy whereas this feels more watery.

The packaging causes me no ill at all, I prefer this type as you can squeeze every last bit out.  I managed to get every last drop of my Sanctuary cleanser and that comes in similar packaging and it's a fair bit thicker.

It spreads really easily on the eyes but doesn't slide off your face (brilliant!)  You can see your makeup "melting" so I see where the inspiration of the name comes from.  It doesn't sting your eyes and you don't have to work it in to see your makeup coming off so there's no worry that you're giving yourself premature wrinkles. 

It feels quite softening on the eye area and I quite like that.  If there's one criticism I can make of my other two makeup removers, it's that they could be a bit more softening around the eyes.

I also like the fact that they've taken into account the fact that you can take it on the plane with you in your hand luggage without depotting it.  If you buy it for that purpose alone (quickly removing most of your makeup whilst on board during a long flight then it works well enough for that purpose).   

However, there are no instructions for removal and if I didn't have my hot cloth cleansers, I would have just washed it off but I find using a muslin cloth soaked in hot water is the easiest way to remove makeup when you use this.

I've split the actual "how does it work" bit into two sections for reasons that will soon become obvious.

Eye makeup on the eyelids
This has absolutely no problem removing all makeup from the eyelids and the upper lashes.  Be it long lasting makeup (such as Urban Decay's pencils or Bobbi Brown's gel liner), the Meltdown Makeup Remover makes easy work of removing it.  Wow, that sounded like I was on a cheesy info-mercial.

It's biggest plus point for me in this respect is that it literally makes your mascara glide off.  Sometimes when I use my other removers, it comes off in clumps but no such issue here, it just swipes off all in one go.

It manages to remove the glitteriest of my eyeshadows (Urban Decay's Chopper and ELF's Caffinated Mineral Eyeshadow) with ease.

Eye makeup on the waterline/lower lashline
I had high hopes for this as I thought removing Urban Decay's 24-7 liners from the waterline/lower lashline would be a doddle.  Sadly, this wasn't the case.  I tried it on many occassions and it always left some pigment behind. 

You can see that I've removed makeup but it doesn't remove it ALL.  You can still bits of the makeup between my lashes.  I had the same results when I used products that made no claims to be long lasting.

Seeing as it claims to be a remover of heavy duty products and it doesn't manage to live up to this claim (whereas others don't boast being able to do the same but can do with ease), you can see why I'm disappointed.

The one negative I can't get over is that it gives me blurred vision for about 10 minutes after using it.  I'm blind enough as it is, thank you.  When I put my glasses back on after using this, I always feel that my glasses are dirty but they're not, it's the remover that clouds my vision.  


It's a shame this didn't work for me because I can't fault the makeup that Urban Decay make.


Would I purchase this? 
No.  It doesn't remove everything as thoroughly as it claims and the fuzzy vision is a serious.  Even still, I've never had fuzzy vision from a makeup remover before and I don't like it.  If you want to try it for yourself, it'll set you back £18.00 and can be bought from House of Fraser.  Personally, I'd suggest going for either The Sanctuary's Polishing Hot Cloth Cleanser or Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish because they're cheaper, they don't give you blurry vision and they remove all your makeup.  I've reviewed both here before (for The Sanctuary's click here and for Liz Earle's, click here).

Garnier Body Intensive 7 Days Ultra Softening Lotion; Dry to Extra-Dry Skin Shea Butter: My Holy Grail Body Moisturiser

I saw Garnier's Body Intensive Lotion a good few months ago when looking for something else on the Superdrug site.  When I was next instore, I picked it up..amongst other things I didn't really need.  It was on an introductory offer for £1.99 so it wouldn't have been a massive loss has I not liked it (usual price for this size is £2.99).

It's availabe in the following variations: 

• Aloe Vera: Normal Skin
• Mango Oil: Dry Skin
• Honey: Sensitive Skin
• Cocoa Butter: Dry and Rough Skin
  
• Shea Butter: Dry to Extra-Dry Skin

I have the latter.

The main draw with this was the claim that "skin feels intensely hydrated for up to seven days".  I thought that this meant you could whack it on one day and seven days later, you're skin would still be soft.  That isn't what they mean.

What it actually means is that if you use it twice daily for four weeks and then have a week off, your skin will remain intensely hydrated for that week off.

The cynic in me was thinking "wouldn't that happen with every moisturiser you use?  And what's with the twice daily bit?"

So, I decided to test it out.

Twice daily for four weeks I used my previous body moisturiser (this Aveeno one).  I then left it a week.  Then for another four weeks I managed to slap this on twice a day.  I also left that for a week.

What did I discover?
Firstly, moisturising twice a day is time consuming if you don't have the right moisturiser.  And skirts are your friends during these times.

My previous moisturiser really takes a while to sink in when I compare it to the Garnier one and using it twice a day makes me feel icky.  It also doesn't moisturise as well as I first thought as my skin was very dry for that last week.

The Garnier one applied like a dream, sunk in nicely and didn't give the feeling of ick.  I applied it twice a day and it didn't make me feel greasy and my skin stayed nicely moisturised for the week off.

I shower every single day and that is usually the cause of my dry skin.  Whilst carrying on this experiment, I didn't cease with the showering.

I was more than impressed to see that the Garnier moisturiser held up to its claims whereas the Aveeno one literally hung me out to dry.  Usually when I don't moisturise, my skin looks flaky but during my week off from Garnier, it was soft, smooth and moisturised.

Another plus side to the Garnier one is that it doesn't sting after I've shaved my legs whereas one of the Aveeno variants did this..I believe it was the Lavender one.  One of the main issues I have with body moisturiser is that my feet dry out really quickly as I don't wear tights.  When I use this, my feet stay hydrated all week long.

I stopped using the Garnier moisturiser for a few weeks and then went back to using it once a day and even with that, it keeps your skin moisturised for the week off.

My skin has never felt as soft as it does at the moment and it is all down to this moisturiser.

And Garnier get extra points for:

• The smell: it's nice but not overpowering.
• The consistency: PERFECT.  Not too heavy and it sinks in with ease.  
• The packaging: Notice how the bottle dents in a bit at the sides?   I thought that was just a quirk of design but they've actually thought about that and it's dented so that it's easy to hold and doesn't go flying out of your hand.  Good thinking Garnier!
• The price: Full price for the size I have is only £2.99 and for the larger one is £4.99
• The range: I'm impressed that they haven't just brought out a one size fits all soloution and that they have different moisturisers for different skin issues.
• The size range: It comes in two sizes.
• How long it lasts: I can get about eight weeks constant usage from one bottle.  For £2.99, that ain't bad!  It's even better when it was £1.99 but skincare is always on offer so keep your eye out.

At the moment, you can pick the smaller sized one for £2.99 and the larger one for £4.99 but in Boots, they're in the 3 for 2.  I'm on a no buy but as I've "gifted" my other moisturisers to my mum, I'm allowing myself to stock up.

Spots be gone! Witch Blemish Stick..

A while ago now, my skin went into spot overdrive.  Even stranger, they only popped up on the right hand side of my face.  I had a particularly bad one on my cheek..it's still there now but it's nothing as bad as it was and it is fading.

The Witch Blemish Stick is an odd product.  When I first opened it, I wasn't sure how to use it.  The stick fell out of the packaging and fell to the floor.  Once I'd washed it and it had dried, I got to using. 

You just stick your finger underneath (ooh er) and stroke the product over the spot.  No need to remove the actual product!

This smells potent. POTENT!! The smell is a very strong astringent smell (it is Witch Hazel) and it immediately hits you when you take the lid off.  Consistency wise, the actual stick of product is easy to mould.  If you squeeze it, it will succumb to the shape you squeeze it into. 

I put it all over the spotty parts; it stung my eyes and the smell whooshed right up my nostrils.  I had to wash it off as my skin got really hot.  I used it again but a bit more sparingly and although the smell was still strong, there were no watery eyes or skin warming.  So, don't be heavy handed!

The next morning, the angered spot had simmered down.  The redness had really gone down and I wasn't compelled to touch it either.  I think touching is one of the main problems with spots, the more you touch, the worse they get so the fact that this lets you forget you have a spot is a very good thing.

Once you've figured out how to use it, the packaging is really useful.  I chuck mine in my bag and it's not difficult to find it due to the size and the cap sticks on properly so it doesn't open when you don't want it to.  I used to have another one which was shaped like a pen and I was forever pulling that out of my bag when I wanted a pen...or a pen when I needed the stick.

You can pick this up from Boots for £2.75.  As soon as mine finishes, I'm going to buy another as despite it being fiddly at first, it's probably the best on the spot (see what I did there?) spot treatment I've ever used. 

Spending Sterling v Preserving Pounds: ELF Studio Makeup Mist and Set v Sheer Cover Refreshing Face Mist

The first items to feature are items any Tube traveller needs for the three minutes that we get a decent amount of heat in London.

In the red corner we have ELF's Studio Makeup Mist and Set.  In the blue corner we have Sheer Cover's Refreshing Face Mist.

One (ELF) is described as being a mist which sets your makeup whereas the other (Sheer Cover) is a simple refreshing face mist.  However, upon reading the description of both, it's clear you can use both of them for both purposes.

Spending Sterling: Sheer Cover Refreshing Face Mist (£12.95)

The packaging doesn't cause me any real problems, I've carried it around in my bag and the lid has never gotten lost.  I quite like the fact that you can see the product and thus tell how much I have left.

Where I do have a problem is with the nozzle.  You can't really tell in the photo because I couldn't get it to rest on the side but the head tilts downwards.  When I hold it in the middle of my face, it sprays my forehead, misses my nose and chin and gets the chest.  This is due to the nozzle head being tilted.  This is also annoying if, like me, you wear a shirt/blouse to work as you will look sloppy.

The smell is pleasant but vanishes quickly.  However, you do notice it so it's not wasted.

My main issue with this is that it isn't really refreshing enough.  I spray it on and ten minutes later, I find myself needing to use it again which means it will run out very quickly.  Having said that, if you use it solely to set your makeup, it's right up your street as it sinks in super quick so you're not left hanging about with a wet face.

Preserving Pounds: ELF Studio Makeup Mist and Set (£3.50)

My only concern with the packaging here is that I can't readily see how much product I have left which is something I'd like.  However, the whole Studio range from ELF is housed in black so it makes sense to keep in with the theme.

The nozzle is brilliant, one spray coats your whole face and it really does refresh you.  You don't get any in your hair or all over your clothes.  Having said that, you get a fair bit from each spray and it can take a while to sink in.  ELF do say that if you've put too much on, you can remove it with a tissue but you don't want to do that if you use it to set your makeup..which is what the product is marketed as.  I find myself having to wipe my face a bit after using it as it can leave me looking greasy.

The plus side of this product is something I didn't expect.  When I spray it on and remove it with a cotton wool pad, it really takes all the muck off my skin.  Moreso than a lot of toners do so it's a multi talented product.

The problem with this is the smell you get when you spray it.  It smells like a mixture of cheese and farts.  The smell fades within a few seconds (as soon as you've sprayed it practically) but you can smell it.  If they added a bit of fragrance to this, I'd love it.

Spend or Preserve?
In this battle, preservation of poundage won.

It's quite odd really as the Sheer Cover works better as a makeup setter and the ELF mist works better at refreshing the skin.  The offputting smell of cheese farts from the ELF mist thankfully lasts only one second.  The nozzle lets product out equally so that one spray gets your whole face without missing spots out so that the product lasts longer.  The only way it could be improved would be to change the colour of the bottle and add some fragrance.  The pointed nozzle which Sheer Cover have going on is really more suited to an oilier/creamier product as with a watery liquid, it forces the product down. 

The story of Slick Rick and her oil blotting sheets

Remember last week when for a fleeting few days we had sun and warmth? I do.  Mainly because I got to bust out my oil blotting sheets.  These are a godsend if you grease up worse than Victoria Beckham back in the day.

I found them totally by chance in the clearance section in Boots when I blinded myself..

They are brilliant.

They have no "coloured" powder in them and are impregnated with Tea Tree Oil (their words, not mine!) and they really take the oil away.  They remove the oil without telling the world that I've been blotting  They leave my makeup in check and are cheap to boot!  I have tried a fair few blotting sheets in the past and they either didn't pick up all the oil or left behind traces of powder.  The traces of powder is fine if you're not Indian/black but it's a right pain if you are because it looks live you've dipped your face in talcum powder.

I like the fact that they contain Tea Tree as they not only take the grease away but they also lend an antiseptic hand in helping you get rid of spots.

I tend to use them after going to the gym..of course I shower but I don't have enough time to be messing with all my face creams so I just wash my face and use these to pick up the excess oil on the way back to the office (before I get a chance to leg it to the loos to moisturise my face).  I have also reviewed the moisturiser from this range and I loved that too.

They cost me £1.50 but full price they will set you back £3.56 (but they're currently on 2 for £4). 

The Sanctuary's Polishing Hot Cloth Cleanser: My Holy Grail cleanser.

After my success with the my other Sanctuary products (see here and here), this seemed the most natural choice for my new cleanser after my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish gave up the ghost.

The Polishing Hot Cloth Cleanser (PHCC for those fond of abbreviations..talking of which, how are OMG and LOL going to fake ID their way into the OED?) comes in squeezy tube giving me piece of mind that I am getting every last drop out.

Consistency wise, it's a thick smooth cream.  It's more fluid than my Cleanse and Polish (C&P) so I don't need to work it in as much.  This also makes it easier to remove.

The accompanying muslin cloth is more robust than the Liz Earle one and I find that it works better as it removes the product and my makeup in one swipe.  It feels rougher when dry but a lot softer than the Liz Earle one when it's ready to use.

The Sanctuary describe scent as being one of essential oils.  I say teabags.  Either way, a bloodhound would have a field day picking out the scent.

Instructions mandate wetting the muslin cloth in warm water, wringing it out and laying it over your face to open the pores.  I probably do it for longer than I should as it's quite relaxing.

It works brilliantly as a makeup remover as it leaves my skin feeling clean and moisturised.  It doesn't sting my eyes which is just what I want and it removes really stubborn products like the GOSH liquid liners with ease.  I just wipe the cloth around my eyes and my eye makeup just slips off.

My skin feels very soft after I've used this and it looks plumped out.  I use it at night and am always surprised at how plump and smooth my skin feels in the morning.  I didn't have the same plumpness and smoothness from C&P.

My face also feels warm after using this which is something C&P didn't do.  I asked my facial lady about this and she said it was good as it shows the blood is pumping around your face.  Thus, claims of being an at home salon treatment are correct.  I would have thought that the more you had to work a product in, the more the blood would start pumping around your face so going by that logic, the C&P would have gotten the blood pumping as it's thicker and needs more working in.  

Why do I like it more than Cleanse and Polish? 

• The smell isn't as strong as the herby scent of C&P.  With this, you have to sniff it out whereas C&P seeks out your olfactory senses.
• The packaging.  C&P has a push down spring activated dealy and it finishes abruptly.  However, if you keep it in your cupboard for a while after it's finished, more comes out.  I kept it back five times after it had "finished" and still I got little bits of product.
• The muslin cloth.  Compared to the one you get from Liz Earle, this has a bit more life about and it feels nicer. Size-wise, it's the same so no worries there.
• The consistency.  C&P is a thick, hard cleanser which needs working in.  This is softer and glides over the skin but you can still work it in.  It is easier to remove from the delicate eye area.
• The salon-y method of usage.  Putting the warm muslin cloth over my face before applying the product really makes it work better as it gives my skin that salon facial warmth.
• The end result.  My skin is soft, smooth and plumped out.  I can skip moisturising if I'm feeling lazy.
• The price.  When bought with a voucher it works out at roughly a fiver which is good value for actual spa results at home.  When bought without a voucher, it is £10.20

This is my new holy grail cleanser.  I won't be looking for anything else as my drawers are already full of things that didn't work. 

I wouldn't go as far to call it a good budget buy generally as it is only £3 or so less than the Liz Earle one and that's not really much of a budgetary difference.  However, with the Boots £5 off vouchers, it comes in a much more purse friendly £5.20 in which case, it is a budget version.  You can pick it up here and if you hurry, you get a free Sanctuary gift..

When is a serum not a serum?

When it's touted as being both an anti ageing serum and mask.  I'm talking about Purity Organic Skincare's Anti Aging Serum and Mask.  On the subject of anti ageing, how do you spell that word? At school we were taught that if adding an 'ing', take off the 'e'.  Anti ageing seems to be the one lamb that escaped that slaughter.  So what's proper? Ageing or Aging?
 
I have issues with that fact that this product is descibed as being a two in one.  Serums and masks are two totally different things, they're not the first choice of partner I'd think of if I was marrying up facial skincare.  I'd do a moisturiser and eye cream in one.  Serums are meant to be used with a light hand whereas you can really pile a mask on so there's my second problem.  How much of this are you meant to apply it?

The consistency also irks me.  It feels like a watered down face cream.  All the serums and moisturising masks that I've stuck my fingers into have a bit more substance.  This seems wimpy in comparison.

Each time I've used it, I've varied how much I put on.  It doesn't sink in at all.  It forms into a peel off mask and I have to use water to remove the mask and it doesn't add anything to my skin at all.  Adding the water just seems to wash the mask off so I'm not sure how it's meant to make you look younger in 10 minutes?  The instructions suggest leaving it on overnight but with how it makes my face tight, I'm itching it take it off after 15 minutes.  It also fails as as serum, deciding to just linger on the skin and not sinking in as a serum should.

The disrespect it shows for my skin is unparalleled.  Nothing I have ever used has been as bad for my skin as this.  It gives me annoying spots..not the kind that fade within a few days, they're horrible hard things that last ages.  It also gave me a horrible dry patch on my face which was nigh on impossible to get rid of.

It's a shame this was so bad as my previous experiences with the range have been very good, I loved the moisturiser, face wash, exfoliator and cleanser..

I'm on the lookout for a decent moisturising and anti-ageing/aging mask on a budget so if you know of any, let it all out in the comments, thanks!

My current night cream: The Body Shop Carrot Moisture Cream

My previous night cream (mentioned here) finished long ago and after buying two full sized products I decided to buy something else. 

During one of my many conversations with my grandmother, I mentioned that I needed a new cream and she told me that the only cream she has ever used on her skin is a gajar cream.  Gajar being the Punjabi word for carrot.  This was all I needed to hear..her skin is fantastic so I take up all her skincare tips.  She told me this one week and the next week The Body Shop had their 30% off dealy going on so I decided to test out their Carrot Cream.

I've never ever found a nightcream which works properly for me.  Thus, I've started finding day creams sans SPF to use at night.  The Clarins one was like that and this is exactly the same.  It's a day cream for people with dry skin.

This cream smells gorgeous..it reminds me of gajar halwa.  It's a light orange/apricot colour and it applies and sinks in very well.  You know sometimes you get a cream for dry skin and it feels very oily and cloying on the hands? This doesn't..it feels thick..but not overly so and you don't get any sticky residue left on your hands once you've applied it.  

Being combination skinned, I find it hard to find a night cream that hydrates the cheeks but keeps the T Zone from greasing up.  This cream managed to do not only this but to also make my skin feel softer and more plumped out.  I can even go a bit mad with it and apply lots to my T Zone without it greasing up and giving me whiteheads overnight.

It comes in at £4.00 and you can buy it from The Body Shop website and in store.

Oily T Zone? Mix your mud masks and get perfect skin!

It's no secret that I love a good mask.  Being "blessed" with combination skin means I can use one more often than those with normal skin.  In this vein of mask love, I picked up The Sanctuary's 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask with another of my £5 off vouchers.  On my first use, I wasn't really impressed with it.

One thick coat and an hour later, it hadn't dried at all.  A thinner coat gave the same result.  The "thermal" heat is activated by water so you have to apply it to wet skin and even then, the heat is gone by the time you've finished applying it to your nose.  It feels like someone has blasted your skin for a second with a hair dryer on the cool setting.  However, it doesn't have the usual "raw mud" smell, it smells like teabags.

Ater using it, I checked the pores on the side of my nose and was super chuffed to see that they were clear.  Pardon the TMI here but my pores have expanded recently and I can see them full of a white substance that just won't budge.  Nothing else I have used has cleared these pores out.  However, it wasn't as good on my forehead as my Origins Clear Improvement mask.

I would never have thought to use two mud masks at the same time until I read the tips on the back of the 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask box.  The tips stated that if you have combination skin, you should use a mask for oily skin on the T Zone and a mask for normal skin on the cheeks and chin so that all your skin concerns are addressed at once.  So I got thinking..why not use the Origins mask on my forehead and the Sanctuary one on my nose?

Since I've started doing that, my skin has not looked better.  My nose pores are behaving themselves after their once a week clearout and my forehead doesn't grease as it used to.

The main difference between both masks is that the Origins one dries very well on the skin whereas the Sanctuary one doesn't dry at all.  Both are easy to remove, the Origins one flakes off with ease whereas the Sanctuary one can be removed with a wet hand.  There's another difference..if you want a mask to just clear the oil but leave you moisturised, choose the Origins mask..if you want your pores to be sucked clean, choose the mask by The Sanctuary.  The Sanctuary one clears my pores and keeps my nose from greasing up.  If you need help with both issues, buy both!

If you have clogged pores that you struggle to clear then I'd seriously suggest buying this as my pores were terrible but it's worked a right charm.

Moral of this story? 
Mud/charcoal masks, like human beings, were not created equal.  One may be good at one thing, another good at something else.  And don't be scared to experiment with your facial skincare!

The Sanctuary's mask comes in at £10.20 and the Origins mask is £17.36.  You can pick them both up from Boots.

Review: The Sanctuary Brightening Facial Radiance Exfoliator

It's no secret that I love the body exfolatiors from The Sanctuary.  For some reason, their facial skincare never really jumped out at me.  The only reason I bought this was because I had a £5 off voucher and I'd be damned if I wasted it. 

The Sanctuary say "ultra-fine apricot granules and grape seed exfoliate and refine, while a trio of pumpkin, pineapple and papaya extracts work naturally to help increase cell renewal. Skin is left feeling smooth and glowing with radiance."

What do I think?
The granules are anything but fine.  The suggested usage for this is every 2-3 days.  My skin is combination and I can only use this once a week.  Even then, I have to be careful with it because I will end up with a red face...and you know how hard it is for Indians to go red.

The smoothness and radiance I get from this is immediate.  My skin feels like a peach.  No other exfoliator has given me instant radiance like this does.  As soon as I've washed my face, I can see it looking a lot smoother and brighter. You know sometimes you use a scrub and it gives you fantatic skin and then a few hours later you've greased up because it's removed too much of your natural oils? This doesn't do that.  It may feel harsh but it manages to make my skin radiate and not strip the oils away.

Consistency wise, it's sticky to the touch.  The directions say to use it on a damp face which does aid in the spreading process.  

The citrus-y smell of the scrub is due to the fact that it contains citrus oil.  I thought that as they big up pineapples and pumpkin in the blurb, it'd smell more of those.

You can't see it from this photograph but it seems to contain little clear bubbles..they look like oxygen bubbles but I'm not sure what they are? I don't know if they burst as you smooth the scrub on..

I do quite like this.  You also don't need to use much to get the results.  The instructions suggest a pea sized amount but I find a grape sized amount is better.  For the record, it felt just as harsh when I used a pea sized amount so it's not like I'm tripping myself up by using more than I need.

Repurchase?
I would buy this again but only if I had the £5 off voucher.  I feel a bit of a twat saying that but then who would shell out the full price when Boots always have their vouchers flying around?  Taking into account that it gives me brilliant radiance and doesn't make me grease up, I will definitely be picking up a replacement.  If you fancy it, you can pick it up from here for £10.20..or £5.20 with the £5 off voucher!

DO NOT BUY: The Body Shop Facial Brush

Considering the fact that I was the first blogger to sing the praises of this brush, writing this post was something I didn't think I'd be doing..

My previous post was about the old facial brush made by The Body Shop.  This post is about the new one. 

Why would I suggest not buying the new one?
It is super scratchy and very rough.  I don't have sensitve skin in the slightest but it feels very abrasive on me when I use it with a light hand.  It literally scratches my skin and leaves it feeling painful and very red.. and you know how hard it is for a brown person to go red!

The bristles on the new one splayed a lot quicker than the older one.  As you can see, the older one still has the bristles in pretty much the same direction.  The newer one didn't hold up as well.  I'm also convinced that each "hole" on the new brush has less hairs in compared to the older one.

The Body Shop have decreased the price of this brush (the old one was £5 and this one is £3).  I initially thought the decrease was because they were using less plastic but it's clear now that they must have used a harsher hair for the brush part.  I don't like the fact that it doesn't have a long handle but the short handle isn't as hard to use as I thought it would be.  If they had just made the handle shorter and kept the bristles the same as before, I'd be recommending this brush until the cows came home.

Luckily for me, I still have the older one.  I use it for removing my face masks so it has seen better days (hence the reason for buying the new one).  I'm going to try and give it some mouth to brush action to see if I can get it working properly again.

In the mean time, if you're tempted to buy the new one from The Body Shop..DON'T.  I say new one..you can't buy the long handled one from them anymore so if you're intending on buying the facial brush from The Body Shop..DON'T!!

A right peachy pear: Fruit Works Peach and Pear Shower Gel and Body Butter

It's no secret that I appreciate a fine smelling bathing condiment...Can you call them condiments? Would water be the meal? The consistent? I'd say so..

I've run the gamut with fruity smelling shower gels..from lemon meringue to capsicum and dragon fruit.  In all this time, I've never found a decent smelling peach-y one.

Enter the Fruit Works Peach and Pear shower gel.  I spent ages smelling it and trying to figure out whether it was more peach-y or pear-y and I came to the conclusion that it's an exact mixture of peach and pear but with an extra kick of pear at the end.

I've showered with it non stop since I got it and can only say this about the scent..when you apply it to your body, you smell peaches but when you wash it off, the pear scent comes out.  If you pour it on your hand and have a smell, it smells like beer.  Rest assured though, you don't smell like a lush once you step out of the shower.

It behaves well as a shower gel, I find that some dry my skin out really badly but this doesn't.  It doesn't really foam up so maybe that's why? It doesn't have a lot of harsh detergent in it?

I was using it in conjunction with the body butter of the same scent which helps smell reinforcement.  This is something that I need as my body seems to reject the smells so you can't even tell I've had a shower.

The body butter takes longer than I'd like for it to sink in but on the plus side, it makes your skin feel really nice and smooth.  I don't think I've had a body butter or moisturiser ever leave my skin feeling this smooth instantaneously.

If you use it on your legs after you've waxed or shaved, your legs will feel like satin.  My legs get dry really quickly when I don't wear tights and they get that horrible white scaley thing going on.  You know what I mean..that white cast.  This has gone a fair way in keeping my legs well moisturised.

The smell fades quickly and isn't overpowering once the butter has sunk in.  When I was using this religiously, I'd go without perfume as it acts well as a smell maker. 

Both items are extremely budget friendly with the shower gel coming in at £2.50 and the body butter is £3.00.  There is also a scrub for the range which is also £2.50.  You can see the rest of the scents available here.

Rhamnousia Reviews: Biotherm SKIN.ERGETIC Anti-Fatigue Concentrate Serum

After my last disaster with serum, I was really looking forward to giving this a go.  My bottle has no print on it but I saw a few in Boots and they all had a nice Biotherm printing on it.  This is also the reason why you're getting a stock photo in this post.

First, how to use it..

The box comes with a silver packet inside, inside this is an alternative top for the serum bottle.  You take the standard top off, put the alternative top on and push down, releasing a brown powder into the serum.  You take alternative top off and put the standard lid back on.  The instructions say one tap is enough to immerse the powder properly into the serum but I gave it a good shake to mix it in well.

It smells very fruity..to those of you who have been to India and have ice cream there, that is exactly what this smells like.  The brown powder smells like fish food but when mixed into the serum, it takes on the fruity smell.

The bottle is made of glass and it reminds me of when I used to play with the glass bottles on my mum's dressing table.

I use one stingy drop a day.  This was found out via trial and error.  I use only the tiniest amount on my forehead, nose and chin and a little more on my cheeks as I have combination skin.  If I use more, it makes my skin greasy.  The day cream I put on top of this is Garnier's Soft Essentials Day Cream.  It sinks in quickly if you use the right amount, if you find it taking ages then you're using too much. 

It claims to turn tired looking skin around and make it look radiant and fresh.  Claims which, if actually true, would sum up exactly what my skin needed when I got it.  So..does it work?

After the very first use, my skin looked a lot smoother when I was putting my eye makeup.  The morning after, I didn't have my usual dry flakes around the nose that I'd suffered with from the onset of winter.  My skin also felt quite plumped out and it looked a great deal more radiant than it did before I used this.  The sweet smell doesn't linger at all after the first two or three days.  I've used this for three/four weeks now and there is still a lot left.  I'm still using one drop on my face and it has really made my skin look very good, a lot of the ladies at work are convinced that I've been going for facials on the sly..  It's brilliant for those who don't have time to be masking themselves up all the time, it makes you look like you've used a brightening mask which is brilliant.  I find myself using less foundation and concealer as it really evened my complexion out.

This will set you back £35.  Do I think it's worth £35? I do.  Simply because I find it hard to get a serum which is aimed at my age (26 years old) that doesn't make my skin overly oily because it is too rich.  I've used a fair few in the past and this is the only one that has does what I'd want a serum to do.  Plus, the fact that it lasts so long is also a good thing.  You can pick it up from the Biotherm site or from Boots.