Xmas Aftershave? Instinct.....

Ladies, I’ve got to be honest, my hubby is a snob. I’m sure he won’t mind my admitting it, but he’s a public schoolboy, and not one for shopping in Primark. (Me on the other hand, I love a good bargain now and then).

Our 1 year wedding anniversary arrived last month and I knew I wanted to buy him some aftershave but I also had my eye on a beautiful leather bracelet that wouldn’t allow aftershave in the anniversary present budget. Shopping in Semichem one day, I decided it was worth checking out some of the inexpensive aftershaves, but I had low expectations I must confess.

My eyes lingered on the David Beckham Instinct aftershave because of its sleek design but would hubby be offended? Would he even consider wearing a celeb aftershave? I decided it was at least worth a sniff!

I was amazed at the gorgeous fresh scent that hit me, and decided to take the risk and buy it considering it’s more than reasonable £9.99 price tag, and if hubby didn’t like it, oh well.

The smell is not overpowering, but is one of those real clean scents, like a “just stepped out of the shower but better” smell. With base notes of exotic Haitian Vetiver, Patchouli and White Amber, Middle notes of Cardamon & Red Pimento, and top notes of Bergamot, Orange & Mandarin, it’s a really unique number.

The million dollar question of course, is did hubby like it? Yes he did, he loves it! He did look a little uncertain when he opened the package, but he has worn it happily ever since and calls this one his “day and Kaz” aftershave. He considers it a nice daytime/work fragrance, but knowing how much I want to snuggle when he wears it, he splashes it on of an evening too. Yum. :0)

Buy It Here

Great Skincare Under £5

Great Skincare Under £5

You lovely peeps out there seem to be enjoying my “Great Products Under £5” series that I’m doing on You Tube, so I thought I’d jot down some fabby skincare for your perusal :0)

Garnier Skin Naturals Pure Active Oil Control Exfo-Brusher Wash (150ml) - £3.99

I love this face wash partly for the pure gadgetry, but also because it’s one of those formulas that gives you that squeaky clean feeling. The brush is soft yet firm, and the formula is pleasant to use. Ingredients include Salicylic Acid so this is best for those who like me have pesky blemishes to worry about, and it also has the exotic sounding Himalayan Crystals, known for their exfoliating properties. Oooh, ark at you!  

Simple Purifying Cleansing Lotion (200ml) £2.99

If a lotion is more your cleansing style than a face wash, this one is a great choice. It won’t leave you with a tight feeling, it’s a lovely creamy lotion, yet it still manages to make you feel liked you’ve removed every bit of grime & grease. A possibly little known fact about this one is that it’s safe to use around the eye area.

Simple Conditioning Eye Make-up Remover £2.99

For something that is near my eyes, eyes that can sometimes be a tad sensitive, I want to use something as pure and gentle as possible. Simple products have exactly that ethos, and I’ve been using this eye makeup remover for years and years, which is testament to it’s quality. It’s one of those liquids that always seems to remain cool so feels so soothing on the eyes and I especially like using this in the morning to wake me up aswell as getting the remnants of the night before’s makeup off!

L'Oréal Paris Dermo-Expertise Triple Active Day Multi-Protection Moisturiser Normal/Combination Skin (50ml) £4.99

My favourite thing about this moisturizer is the texture – really light and fresh, yet deeply moisturising and a great base for makeup. Oh, and it smells pretty yummy too. Winner.

Nivea Visage Rich Moisturising Day Cream (50ml) £4.59

I don’t have dry skin very often, but when I do, this is on my list of must buys. The best thing about this little tube of goodness, is how beautifully baby bum soft it makes your skin feel. The SPF15 means I’m covered for wrinkle prevention too.

Nivea Crème - £2.99

In the absence of a favourite inexpensive night cream, I’m currently using good old Nivea cream and I’m pleasantly surprised. I’m loving it and I think my search for a night cream may be over. Historically, I’ve used this as a hand cream only, but I love the smell and decided to give it a bash on my face since it does after all advertise that it can be used as a face cream. It smells so amazing, but that may be the memory of my beloved Nan slipping in. It feels really thick and rich – something that usually puts me off but this is so creamy I don’t mind. The best part is that I wake up to super soft skin.

Simple Kind To Eyes Soothing Eye Balm (15ml) £3.99

I confess, I’ve never really been an eye cream believer, but with my last birthday giving me 41 years, I felt like I should really makeup an effort. Note my comments on eye makeup remover- anything near my eyes, I like to be as natural as possible so it was my trusted Simple I turned to. I’ve been using this for about a month or so, and in between I tried a couple of other formulas – one cream and one gel. The cream felt way too thick and perfumed, and the gel was nice but sometimes left my eyes feeling dryer than before I used it! This is the perfume texture – not too thick but not watery at all – balm like, as the name suggests. This is a sure fire repurchase for me.

Click below to buy products online….

·       Garnier Exfo Brusher Face Wash

·       Simple Purifying Cleansing Lotion

·       Simple Conditioning Eye Makeup Remover

·       L'Oreal Day Moisturizer Normal Combination Skin

·       Nivea Rich Moisturising Day Cream

·       Nivea Creme

·       Simple Kind to Eyes Eye Balm

Tropical Eyeshadow Look....

A pretty easy tropical eye..... as hot as the weather today :0) 

Step 1 - apply gold eyeshadow to the inner lid - I used Inglot gold AMC shine 

Step 2 - apply a bright violet purple Shade to the outer lid - I used Inglot 441

Step 3 - Apply a dark purple shade under the eye about 2 thirds of the way towards your nose - I used Inglot 

Step 4 - Apply a peach shade under the eye on the remaining part under the eye towards the nose and near the tear duct - I used MAC Paradisco

Step 5 - Apply some liquid eyeliner on the top line, and some gel or pencil eyeliner in your waterline - I used Rimmel glameyes for the top and Inglot gel for the waterline. 

Step 6 - Finally, pop on some Mascara, and you're done - I used Laura Mercier long lash...

Not my favourite look ever, but certainly colourful :0) 

x

“The Great Gatsby” Makeup Tutorial

Do you sometimes feel like there just isn’t enough glamour in our current times? Me too! My investigations into the makeup of that time taught me that the base was flawless, pale, and matt, the cheekbones, eyebrows, and lips were well defined, and the resulting look was stunning and just a little bit fierce!

Well here we go, make up a la 1920’s. :0) (Specific products used are listed at the bottom.)

Step 1 – Base - Look out your palest shade of foundation but the thicker the better. A flawless base is what we are looking for so layer it on thick then blend with either a brush or sponge, and finish it with good coating of face powder for that perfect matt look.

Step 2 – The Brows, oh the brows. SO defined and kind of stern looking! A pencil is best for this – sharpen it to a point, start at the nose end of your brow and pencil in the lower arch shape, followed by the upper arch. Then simply colour in the rest and again there is no need for a light hand since we are not going for “natural” look brows he he.

Step 3 – Eye shadow – quite simple but with the drama this look requires. You’ll need 3 shades of powder eye shadow- light cream, mid brown, dark brown. Start with the cream shade all over the lids right up to the brow bone, then with the mid brown draw an arched stripe (use the shape of your eyebrow as a guide) about halfway between your brow and eye – right on the bone. Blend the mid brown out with some more cream eye shadow, and finally put some dark brown under the lid.

Step 4 – Eyeliner – the photos I found of the 1920’s didn’t show a cat flick, but The Great Gatsby movie photos did, so it’s entirely up to you if you extend out to a flick or not (I find it really hard so only do it if confident with eyeliner otherwise you might spoil all your handiwork up to that point!). I would say use liquid eyeliner for ease on this one, start with a thin line and build up to a thicker line, and only do the upper lid.

Step 5 - Eyelashes – after you’ve applied a thin coat of mascara, it’s time for the falsies and they finish the eyes off perfectly. I find the easiest way to apply them is using tweezers to place them correctly, and then push them down with the other end of the tweezers.

Step 6 – Chiselled cheeks.  Wow, these chicks had some cheekbones going on! To achieve this, use bronzer and make the fish face (suck your cheeks in), and brush on quite a strong sort of stripe just ever so slightly under the cheekbones. Then add some pink blush to the apples of your cheeks – there was no moderation with cheek colour in the 1920’s so no need for too light a hand!

Step 7 – Lips –a lip pencil is essential for this look, followed by the reddest of red lipstick you can find. Line the lips; fill them in with the pencil so you have a nice matt base, then add the lippy on top.

Voila, Daisy Buchanan, ready for dancing :0)

I have also done a video tutorial of the look but mixing in some higher end products that you can see here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbczYe22rDg&feature=youtu.be

I used mostly Rimmel makeup for this look because that’s what I had in my collection. (I’m NOT being paid or sponsored by Rimmel; all products were bought by me and opinions are my own, etc etc!). Here are the exact products used:

• Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation – Buy Here: Buy Here
• L’Oreal True Match powder in Rose Ivory –Buy Here
• Superdrug B Groomed Eyebrow Pencil - Buy Here
• Rimmel Glam Eyes Eye shadow Quad in Sun Safari –Buy Here
• Rimmel glam eyes liquid eyeliner - Buy Here
• Barry M Bold Waterproof mascara -  Buy Here
• Eyelure Lashes - Buy Here
• Rimmel Mono Bronze - Buy Here
• Rimmel lasting finish Blush in Live Pink - Buy Here
• Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner in Red Diva - Buy Here
• Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick in Diva Red - Buy Here

Semichem currently have a 3 for 2 offer on Rimmel cosmetics. #Bargain!

Have you seen the film? Did you enjoy it? What’s your favourite part of the 1920’s makeup?

Face Of The Day....

My visit to the MAC counter this week had the purpose of buying 2 lipsticks. Is it wrong that I feel strangely proud of the fact that the only “extra” item I bought was an eye shadow?! Anyhow, I adore all 3 products already and I haven’t even worn one of the lippies ha-ha.

Today I’m wearing the eye shadow I bought, “Paradisco”, on the lid, then “Texture” (also MAC) in the crease, and all blended out with “Orb” (you guessed it, MAC). I’ve had the same feeling today as I do when I put on my other peachy combo - Samoa Silk & Brule, in that in some lights I love it, other light it just looks slightly odd. I do think that this colour combo would look phenomenal on a darker skin though….

On my lips I have one of the little gems I bought from MAC yesterday too, in “Plastique” which to my mind bears no resemblance whatsoever to the colour. It’s a golden dark peachy mid bronze (Oooh Kaz, too many words to describe one colour!). Plastique, as far as I’m aware, is the French word for plastic. Relativity? Nope, I’ve no idea either.

Colour name aside, I do love it which is a relief because not long after buying it, I looked at it and thought, “Monsieur Lipstick, I think you might have been a mistake”. It’s much more natural than I imagined, and the bonus is that it stays on really well.

Purchase number 3 was an oh so stunning red lipstick that you may well have heard of – Ruby Woo. Bright bright red and I’m told it is one that has a slightly blue undertone (I NEVER see blue in red lipsticks, don’t really understand that) but that it is a colour that will suit every skin tone. We’ll see! 

Garnier 5 Second Blur Primer Review

If you haven’t watched my video raving about the Garnier 5 Second blur primer, there is a link below, but I’m going to rave a little more about it here since I’m finding I love it even more as time goes on!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9AXUv9-FDc

First I’m going to ask you to take off your hat of scepticism, because I’m sure that like me, you didn’t believe the claims. “Visibly blurs the appearance of wrinkles and pores”. Really?! Well, as it turns out, Yes, really!

The 5 seconds refers to how long it takes to apply, and it really is a quick process. The consistency is thicker and dryer than I expected, and it is strangely “separated” which at first made me think it had gone off! You have to be careful squeezing it out as there are air bubbles in the tube which means bits of the product can fly off round the room ha ha.

Once on the skin though, the magic begins. The most wonderful thing for me is that this can go on either before or after foundation. I often remember the primer step when it’s far too late! The other fantastic thing is that it can be applied just where you need it. It feels amazingly silky on the skin, which doesn’t quite match up to the texture you see coming out of the tube, but it glides on and instantly fills in pores and lines to give that airbrushed finish that most of us dream of.

My area of “concern” is the pores at the side of my nose/cheek area, and the lines around my eyes. What Botox hasn’t fixed, this primer has. Yay :0)

This post was a bit “gushy” so I feel I need to tell you that Garnier are not paying me for this review, and I bought and paid for the product myself so all views are my own. Oh, and a PS. You can pick this up in Semichem for less than in Boots.

Have you tried it yet?

Beauty Giveaway 2013! 
Closing 28th July 2013, Open Internationally

Hey Everyone, 
As a thanks for reaching 300 subscribers on my You Tube channel, I'm giving away the stuff in the pic below:

Here's whats included:

L'Oreal Lipgloss stain in 400 (Lilac pink)
Bourjois Je t'aime limited edition blush in golden Rose
Wet n wild color icon eyeshadow in Kitten
Rimmel soft kohl pencil (Black)
Just Lashes by Ja Mal Buster in Whisper
Avon BB cream sachet
L'Oreal ever riche shampoo sachet
L'Oreal extraordinary oil sachet

All you have to do to enter is subscribe to my You Tube channel & leave a comment telling me your current favorite beauty item, follow me on twitter, and like my Facebook page (Links below). Simple! 

Further Details:

1. If you are under 18 please get your parents permission to enter the comp
2. Closing date is Sunday 28th July 2013 at midnight
3. Winner will be announced in the comments of the You Tube video, and the winner will be emailed, on Monday 29th July. 


Links:

http://www.youtube.com/user/MrsGinger2013 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mrsginger2013/137941569721231?ref=hl

https://twitter.com/mrsginger2013

Best of luck Everyone! 

Karen x

Conks Masks – Alternative to Biore Pore Cleansing Strips

For those of you that missed it, I posted a video on my You Tube channel entitled “Biore Pore Cleansing Strips Dupe” which was for the Revitale pore cleansing strips that were so much cheaper than Biore but just as good in my opinion. I’ll put the link below in case you want to check out the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rR7lU15xI0

Anyhoo, in my video I said that one of the things I loved about the Revitale deep cleansing strips is that it wasn’t quite as painful to remove as the Biore one. In response to this, one of my lovely viewers left a comment saying, “You should try conk masks, they are really painful”. At first I was amused by the comment thinking, “I’ve just said that I preferred the Revitale strips because they are LESS painful, why would I want to try something that is more painful?!”

Well, I can’t deny that my interest was peaked and I decided to check them, so I jumped onto Ebay. I was delighted to see that I could buy 5 of these so called conk masks for about £2.50, so I did.

When they arrived I was bemused to find that all the instructions were in Korean, but I figured how hard could it be. Put the face mask on, wait until it dries, and wash it off. Simples.

The mask itself is blackest black, which I found quite novel. It goes on fairly smooth although I did notice tiny little holes in the surface, no idea why. I put it across my chin, and a little on my nose, but there was plenty enough to cover my whole face.

I was delighted to quickly see that the mask was drying into a peel off type of mask, as opposed to one that needed washing off – I had feared for the life of my flannels if I had to remove them that way. It only took about 10 mins and it was ready for peeling, and the great thing was that it all came off in one go. Some peel off masks leave lots of residue and you need to sort of roll the remainder off, but not so with this. I found that the removal was no more painful than pore strips.

A few days later I got brave and put the mask all over my face and waited for the satisfying peeling moment. Well, this is when the pain began and I realised what my viewer had been talking about. Oh the pain! My chin and nose were fine, but the tender cheek and face area was so sore. I think these conk masks are great at deep cleansing, and quite interesting and easy to use, especially for the price, but my lesson has been learnt. I will only now use them in the less sensitive T-Zone!

Have you tried them? 

Best Non Sticky Lip Gloss Ever! – NYX Butter Gloss

Yippee, there are finally some NYX Butter glosses on Ebay, and I’ve ordered one in Tiramisu. I own one in the shade “Vanilla Cream Pie” which is a sort of pink peach colour, but is described as Mauve for some strange reason. The Tiramisu is described as Pink Brown and from online swatches I think that’s pretty accurate.

Today I’m addressing all those ladies who like me didn’t think they were lip gloss people because of the stickiness, but occasionally tried to be part of the gang, only to regret it the moment their hair got stuck to their lips. Not that you hardened lip gloss peeps won’t appreciate the loveliness of these little gems of course.

My “Lip Gloss” of choice has been the top coat on the end of my Maybelline 24 hour lip colour, and I love it. If they came with a tint, I’d be first in the queue to buy them. I can’t deny though, that I love the look of lip gloss so now and again I hear a recommendation on You Tube and give it a go. NYX Butter gloss was such a recommendation and it is incredible. The only way I think I can give you a good idea of what it feels like, is to ask you to imagine a liquid lip balm with a tint, and more shine than a balm has.

A small disclaimer here – whilst I have titled this post the best non sticky lip-gloss ever, I can’t honestly say I have that many to compare it with, so that’s just my opinion to date. The lip glosses I own and/or have tried I can count on one hand – MAC Lipglass & Crème sheen gloss (Sticky), Bobbi Brown (Sticky), Revlon (Sticky), and Barry M (You guessed it, sticky).

NYX butter glosses have given me faith back that I can achieve a shiny lip without having to try and hold my head at a funny angle to avoid the hair sticking to lip situation.

Glosses are no longer just for the short hair or hair in a bun types. I’ve been desperate to tell the world about these glosses but didn’t want to do so when they were almost unattainable. For some reason, they aren’t available on the NYX UK site, but Amazon and Ebay seem to have a few offerings now.

Check them out, I promise you won’t be disappointed!

I’m not sure how the NYX Round glosses compare – anyone tried them?

Organic Argan Oil Liquid Gold Conditioner

I have a bottle of Moroccan Oil, but not Argan Oil, despite the fact that I’m hearing about Argan oil constantly. I spent a fortune on my Moroccan oil, so I didn’t want to be spending money on the next big thing for the sake of it, and I knew that if I did shell out, chances are my expensive Moroccan Oil would be ignored.

I did however, decide to do some research as I’d heard rumblings that the two oils were related in some way. Turns out that Moroccan Oil is a hair treatment that has an Argan Oil base, but Argan Oil is the pure oil from Morocco. Interesting.

While shopping in my local Semichem, I noticed some “Organic Argan Oil Liquid Gold Conditioner” for a very reasonable £3.99, so I thought I’d give it a go.

I’ve used this 3 times now and I’m super happy. It smells delish, very musky/amber like. It’s not as thin as I usually like my conditioners so I worried that I’d struggle to get it through my thick hair, but it was easy to distribute and the pump dispenser won major brownie points with me. My hair blow dried into the silky smooth locks that I normally only get with my 2 Holy Grail conditioners (Wella SP Repair and Pantene Leave in Mousse).

I also had the result that I thought was only possible with my Wella SP in that on day 2, which is when my hair usually starts to feel oily and I’m desperate to wash it (I wash it every other day), my hair felt like Day 1 condition! I can only put this down to the Argan Oil Conditioner being a lightweight product that somehow doesn’t attract as much dirt or oil. Oh, and the smell lasts – I could smell it when I used my straighteners on day 2!

Its £3.99, it works, it’s an easy to use bottle and you should buy it. Why? Because you’re worth it :0)

St Moritz Self Tanner

To my shame, I’ve realised I can be a beauty snob. I had heard of St Moritz Self Tanner from the girls at work singing its praises, but to me it appeared to be a cheap St Tropez knock off, and I didn’t believe it could be as good.

Fast forward a few months, I’m watching a beauty You Tuber that I highly respect, and her monthly favourites include St Moritz. I realize I need to check this stuff out, and at £2.99 a bottle, what’s the worst that can happen. Aaargh, streaky, patchy, way too dark tan could happen, but I’ll make sure I use it on a Friday night so I have the weekend to scrub myself back to normal! I head off to Semichem where they have a stock of St Moritz, and I get myself the Mousse in Medium, along with an applicator mitt………

I’m not brave enough for my first attempt to be on my face, so I decide that my arms will be a good testing ground. Exfoliation, check. Moisturization, check. I squeeze one pump onto the mitt and immediately start the distribution, and this is where the amazement begins. This is what I noticed:

• The smell is a little bit like St Tropez, but much nicer and less “Tanny”
• It’s extremely easy to apply and spread evenly
• It dries quickly and needs barely any blending
• One pump covers one arm and unlike with St Tropez, I could actually leave the house with it at this stage (St Tropez can be too dark & patchy at this initial application on me).

So far so wonderful. I carried on with my life and when I woke up the next day my immediate thought was “Uh oh, do I want to see what my arms look like now it’s developed?”. YES is the answer! The tan was a beautiful colour with not a streak in sight.

One small buyer beware note: I got overconfident on my 2^nd arm application, didn't exfoliate etc, and put twice the amount of product on as I wanted to go darker. My arms were fine but my hands were a patchy disaster. This was my fault of course but it shows that this is not a lazy girls product!

Semichem sell all of the St Moritz formulations – lotion, mousse, both in either Medium or Dark, the applicator mitt and even a shimmering body soufflé, and none a penny over £3!

This product has my solid seal of approval, albeit a late to the party opinion. It faded nicely and the only other very small negative I could find is that the colour only lasted 2 days, but I may try the dark next time and at this price, that’s fine with me.

Newly Bronzed Goddess, over and out :0) 

Giveaway! Closing Tuesday 21^st May 2013…….

Hey lovely ladies! Thought I’d just let you all know about the giveaway happening on my You Tube Channel in case you want to enter…

All you need to do to enter, is subscribe to my channel, and leave a comment on the “Thanks & Giveaway” video with a question for me. The link for the video is here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLwkiBTpSps

The giveaway is for one person to win a beautiful Elizabeth Arden lipstick in bright red, the Collection Smokey Eye palette, and a couple of beauty sachets. 

The winner will be announced on my You Tube channel and of course I’ll email the winner, on Wednesday 22^nd May.

Good luck chicas :0)

x

New & Exciting Beauty Products

Hello fellow beauty lovers! An article caught my eye in my magazine last night, and it was the “New cutting edge beauty products” one. Here are a few of the exciting delights that I've added to my wish list……

Ojon Rare Blend Deep Conditioner £29

I’ve heard so many great things about Ojon, yet never managed to find the money to splurge on a product that I know won’t last very long. This one sounds really fab, but at £29 it won’t be coming to my home anytime soon! Still, a girl can dream….

It’s available at House of Fraser, and the description is as follows:

A dual-phase, multitasking, conditioning hair treatment that deeply nourishes to help detangle, hydrate, smooth, and restore high-gloss shine. Ideal for anyone with very dry hair. It’s fortified with the highest concentration of Ojon oil, a rare, powerful ingredient. This dual-phase, multitasking conditioner is also formulated with butters and oils from around the world known for their nourishing and shine-enhancing properties.

Charles Worthington Instant Volume Treatment £14.99

Available in Boots, this one is a new style of Volumizing treatment in that you use it instead of conditioner and it’s a kind of gel formula. I have yet to find a product that gives volume without feeling like you have a sort of glue in your hair, so I’m intrigued. It claims:

“Works to lift the hair from all angles, leaving it fully conditioned, super flexible and allowing for the creation of bouncy, voluminous glamorous styles without frizz”

Anyone tried it?

L’Oreal Paris Elnett Satin So Sleek Hairspray

2013 has for some spooky reason, given me a hair static problem that I've never experience before. I had static of course when I brushed my hair too much, or wore particular materials, but since Feb this year, I've had daily static in my hair and constant electric shocks. When I saw that this hairspray prevents static, I immediately added it to my shopping list. I’ll let you know how I get on!

L’oreal say – “The legendary hold of L'Oreal Elnett Satin Hairspray So Sleek Extra Strength protects your hair from humidity, frizz and flyaways with antistatic protection technology, for flawlessly sleek styles”

Biore Deep Cleansing Strips VS Revitale Deeply Absorbent Strips

Until yesterday, I had never stepped foot into Semi-chem but the girl at work was raving about how much cheaper they were for several things and being as I was passing a store I thought I'd check it out.

I was pleasantly surprised at not only the prices, but the range of products – I just assumed it was a store that had a few of the products you might find in boots, but they actually had products I had never seen before (which is very exciting to me as a beauty junkie!).

One of those products was the Revitale Deeply Absorbent nose strips, and the cost? £1 for 6! Bargain time, oh yeah. Being a lover of the Biore Deep Cleansing strips, I knew I liked the concept which is basically to wet your face, smooth one of these bad boys on your nose/chin/forehead, wait 10 mins or so for it to dry, and then with a lot of satisfaction at how clean your skin now is, peel it off revealing the removal of all things nasty.

The downside of the Biore strips are the price, £7.99 for 6, so I tend to keep them for occasional use. They can be difficult to smooth onto the skin without air bubbles, and they can be painful to remove, ouch! I know pain and beauty do sometimes collide, but surely not for deep cleansing. 

I quickly got started on testing the Revitale strips out after my purchase, and although there only seems to be nose strips in the range, I did use one on my nose, and one on my chin with no problem. 

I'm a convert! They go on the skin very smoothly and easy, they are slightly less stiff when the 10 minutes is up but this means they are not painful to remove, and they have the added benefit of charcoal as a “Magnetic cleansing experience” which as far as I can tell, Biore do not.

For the price of 1 strip from Biore you get 6 from Revitale in Semi-Chem. Deep cleansing at it's budget best. I also bought some Olay facial wipes, again for £1. Semichem, I shall see you again soon :0) 

MAC Cranberry Eye Shadow Dupe

So I ordered a new eye shadow from the NYX website for £4 thinking it was a colour that I didn’t currently own but that would compliment my neutral palette just nicely. The colour I chose in the single eye shadow was “Rust”.

When it arrived I knew I loved it, but there was something familiar about it. As it was called Rust, it didn’t immediately make me think of Cranberry, and I actually thought it was a dupe for Antiqued. However, after half an hour of making a complete mess of my hand with swatches, I found the one. I’d say it is about 99% a dupe for Cranberry.

Here you can one heavy swipe on my fingers, and then 2 layers on my hand – can you guess which is which from the swatches?

Cranberry is on the right here, and on top below. 

The Rust one is ever so slightly more orange, which I guess you’d expect since its called Rust. It’s barely noticeable though, and it’s all in the application anyway isn’t it :0)

The pigmentation of both seems to be the same to me, and having tried out the NYX rust, I would say it’s just as easy to use and blend as MAC Cranberry, there really isn’t anything to tell them apart.

The only thing I’d say is that to make it cheaper than buying a MAC cranberry pro palette eye shadow for £10, you’d have to want to order more than one thing from the NYX Website otherwise the postage will mean there is barely a saving. I can certainly recommend the NYX cosmetics however, and my next post will be on that very thing, having recently discovered their goodies!

Best Moisturizers for Dry Skin

It may seem strange that I've just posted several pages on oily blemished skin, and now I’m talking about my experience with dry skin. I have a condition called Poly-cystic Ovary Syndrome, which I sometimes take medication for. I say sometimes, because it’s not the most pleasant of medication, and takes me from one extreme to the other. When I’m not on it, my skin is oily and blemished, when I am on it, my skin is crazy dry and itchy. Who knew being 40 would be this much fun he he.

So, the dry skin problem was new to me a few years ago and I went in search of a new moisturizer to suit… I experienced many bad ones, and lots of good, and I've listed here what I think are the best 5 moisturizers (in no particular order), and the different reasons you may wish to purchase them depending on what you are looking for i.e. budget, effective makeup base, pleasant smell, etc.

Dr Jart+ Most Moist Water Max Sleeping Mask

This costs £17 for 50ml, so isn't the cheapest around, but this is the one to buy if you are looking for pretty packaging that can be displayed proudly, along with efficacy of course. It feels luxurious going on, and I love the easy to use and hygienic pump bottle. You know one of those products that you instantly know you love? This was one of those for me. My skin felt instantly calmed and I woke up with less of that tight feeling you get with dry skin. To add to my confidence in the product, I went for a facial and the beautician told me my skin was in very good condition and highly moisturized, which I put down to this little cutie.

It has some lovely exotic sounding ingredients too with wonderful properties:

• Oat Extract - hydrates dry skin without irritation. Helps to reduce moisture loss and maximize moisturisation
• Cactus Flower Extract - Excellent moisture retention ability, anti-inflammatory
• Okra Extract - Skin softening and anti-ageing properties

MAC Mineralize Charged Water Moisture Gel

This costs £26 for 50ml, so pretty expensive for a moisturizer, but this is the one for you if you want something to give you masses of moisture, but still provide an amazing matt makeup base. I must admit, I wasn’t sure at all when I first used it, as I couldn’t figure out how my skin could feel both matt and moisturised at the same time! I knew that I loved it underneath my makeup, and I’d almost call it a primer in that respect because my makeup lasted longer and the foundation just seemed to sit better, but it took a few days for my suspicion of the lack of moisture to disappear. I noticed dry flaky patches disappearing, and I knew it did what it said on the tin.

I’m not overly keen on the jar as I believe jars like this are a little unhygienic and exposed to the air more won’t last as long. It can’t have put me off it that much though, as having restarted my medication recently, this is the one I chose to buy in preparation for the dryness. I won’t use it twice a day, or even every day, but probably twice or three times a week to top my levels up and before makeup for special occasions. Why didn’t I buy the cheaper Dr Jart one? Simply because I wanted a good makeup base, and I would feel a bit weird using an overnight mask in the daytime!

Clarins Hydra Quench Cream

This costs £34 for 50ml, and is the most expensive of the five, but oh my goodness the smell is indescribable and amazing and totally worth a treat if and when you can afford it. I bought it with some birthday vouchers, and would definitely now put this on my gift wish list.

It has Hyaluronic acid in, Katafray bark which restructures the skins protective outermost layer, and Sorbier tree bud which stimulates radiance-boosting microcirculation. Sounds good and it feels good!

It comes in jar, so a few points lost, but it’s a glass jar and I assume that’s how it manages to be ice cold and feel so cooling on your skin. My worry would be for sensitive skin though, as it’s so highly perfumed that it may irritate. This is definitely one to buy if you are looking for a luxurious smelling decadent treat, and it’s gel like texture does a fabulous job of increasing moisture levels.

Dr Organic Vitamin E Pure Oil

One from Nature, this is the choice for you if anti-ageing is your main concern, since Vitamin E is known for doing wonders for both dry skin, and wrinkles, woohoo. I find it ironic though that Dr Organic calls this “Vitamin E Pure Oil” but then you find that the ingredients also include:

“Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) seed oil, Rosa canina fruit oil, Tocopherol, Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba) seed oil, Calendula officinalis flower extract, Rosa damascena flower oil, Citronellol, Geraniol”.

Is it just me that would expect the only ingredient to be Vitamin E if it says “Pure”?! Ok, so maybe I’m a fusspot. This is great value at £8.49 for 50ml, and I guess the number one thing to say about this is that it works. It’s not my favourite product to use, just because it does leave you with a bit of a greasy film, but to avoid that I normally try and put it under a moisturizer, but I suppose that may well dilute the effect slightly.

Garner Skin Naturals Soft Essentials 24hr Nourishing Day Cream

This is the budget option at £5.99 for 50ml, but I had high hopes for it as I enjoy many Garnier products. As it was enriched with rose water, I imagined a lovely rose scent and this is the only area it let me down – it does say “fruity fragrance” on the pot but I think either my sense of smell is disappearing with age, or I’ve got a random pot that is missing an ingredient he he. It has no smell at all.

Along with rose water, the cream has Shea butter, and Vitamin E also, so a nice combination of ingredients and this would be great for someone with sensitive skin.

Although it’s a day cream, and did live up to it’s “non greasy” claim, I preferred to use it as a night cream. It just feels like a night cream if you know what I mean – in a jar and lovely thick cream, with no spf although it does say it has a UV filter.

So, that’s my top 5, I hope you found it useful. Any others you gals have tried and love? Here are a few honorable mentions:

• Superdrug Coconut Oil 125ml - £1.50
• No7 Beautiful Skin Night Cream for Normal / Dry Skin 50ml - £13.50
• Eucerin Dry Skin Replenishing Face Cream Night 5% Urea with Lactate 50ml - £12.50
• Johnson's Daily Essentials Nourishing 24hour Day Cream with SPF 15, for Dry Skin (50ml) £4.50
• La Roche-Posay Nutritic 5% Biolipids Ultra-Fine Emulsion Transforming Care For Very Dry Skin 40ml - £13.60

Mario Badescu Acne Treatment Products

Your Personalised Treatment Schedule

My overall experience with these products has been outstanding. I don’t say that lightly, having used practically every spot cream on the market over the past 20 years. I’ve had one of my usual horrible lumps in my chin during the time I've been testing the full range of products, which enabled me to really test its efficacy too, and together, they made an amazing difference. 

As I’ve said before, it’s not a miracle cure, but it’s a lifesaver to me as it made the difference between not wanting to be seen in public because my skin was so bad, to being able to easily cover up the offending blemish, not to mention a reduced amount of pain because of the reduced size of the cyst.

So, depending on your skin issue below, here is what I think would be the most logical programme for you, with some cheaper alternatives given where possible.

You Have:

Oily Skin

Use the drying Mask a few times a week with the Special healing powder underneath. Total cost £30.

Alternatives

- Use the Drying Mask a few times a week for £18.50 a jar.

Blackheads/Acne Prevention

Use the Silver Powder once or twice a week, and the anti acne serum nightly after cleansing. Total cost £34.

Alternatives

• Use the Anti Acne Serum for £21
• Use the silver powder a few times a week for £13
• Use the Boots Botanics Ionic Clay mask a few times a week for £5.49

General mild blemished skin

As for Blackheads.

Severe Acne

After cleansing, use a mask - Drying Mask with Buffering Lotion Under on night 1, then Healing & Soothing mask the next night & so on.

Then after washing mask off, put buffering Lotion all over troubled area, then Healing Cream, then Drying Cream, and finish with a dusting of special healing powder.

Then put the drying Lotion on any single troublesome spots. Total cost £92

Alternatives:

• Use the drying cream after cleansing, and the drying Lotion on specific troublesome spots overnight. Use the Silver powder weekly as a mask. These 3 products can be bought as a set for £25 from Harvey Nichols.
• Follow the regime for Severe Acne but replace the Special healing powder with ELF blemish powder, the buffering lotion with Freederm Gel, and the healing cream with Clearasil Adult Tinted Treatment Cream. Reduces total cost to £65

I really hope the above was useful to you guys. I’d love to hear that someone else had success with this system. Please feel free to ask any questions at all and I’ll do my best to answer them.

You can buy most of the Mario Badescu products in Harvey Nichols, or online from Beauty Bay.com, who I have found very good.

Good Luck!