Sanctuary’s best facial scrub for a radiant complexion

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Let dry, rough and dull skin a thing of the past without breaking your bank with Sanctuary Spa Covent Garden Radiance Exfoliator for a brighter and fresher complexion. Enriched with papain, pumpkin and grape seed extracts, this facial exfoliator rids your skin of dead skin cells leaving a polish skin for your make up to glide on.

One of the many skin problems that people face as we age is the decreasing ability of our skin to produce natural skin lipids on the outer layer of the skin essential for maintaining moisture levels. The skin will then start to have dry patches due to clogged pores and dead skin cells accumulating on the top layer of the skin. This can often cause spots, blackheads and other types of skin problems caused by trapped impurities under the skin.

However, all is not lost and Sanctuary’s Radiance exfoliator has saved me from the annoying and problematic Monday blues for my make up routine. It’s Monday and so I need to put make-up again and what I don’t want is caking the moment I apply my foundation. After just 1 week of using Sanctuary Radiance Exfoliator my skin never had a dull moment and dry patches around my nose had completely disappeared. Never again did I have a single sign of caking since using the product and my skin felt smoother than before.

Packed with natural ingredients such as papaya extract known for its brightening and superior exfoliating properties, I noticed that my skin is not just smooth but also brighter. The granules are very fine without losing its function of being a scrub and the grape like scent is invigorating; making you want to repeat the process. I was an avid user of St Ives, but I am now fully converted and will surely re-purchase. I would strongly recommend this product if you are looking for a mid range scrub that is effective and enjoyable to use.

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Best of Elemis samples and OMG I almost went blind!

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My mum has always been a big fan of Elemis and just like many other infamous cosmetic brands whenever you spend more than £100, you will get a few free samples. That was when I first met Elemis’s Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm, Quartz Mask, Illuminating Flash Balm and Pro- Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream. Amongst all of the products the one I adore is the Cleansing balm as it feels divine on the face and removes all traces of make-up without drying the skin. It also saves you time from washing your face at night as you will just need to wipe off the product and rinse any remaining residue (unlikely).

The Pro-Collagen Quartz Mask is perfect for dehydrated skin and one use of this product will surely drench your skin with moisture. If you have dry skin or at that age where your skin is beginning to lack lustre and vitality, I would highly recommend this ultra moisturising mask.

Next is the Illuminating Flash Balm which is a perfect primer for your make-up particularly for oily skin. It helps the make-up glide osmoothly without making it slide off unlike other make-up primers, but just like what I said it is more suitable for oily skin types than drier skin.

Last but not the least is Elemis Pro-Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream which is for older more mature skin, but fear not it still works wonders and is not harmful for 25 year-old skin. Besides once you reach mid 20’s that when you start to use creams that will prevent wrinkles.

Overall, a good range of samples I got as a handover from my Elemis loving mum which makes me feel glad that I have a mum who loves to look after her skin just like me! And oh, I thought I was going to go blind when I woke up a few days ago because eyesight was still very bad with lenses on. Turns out my eyes were dry and overworked from wearing lenses more often than recommended but I’m fine now. Thankfully!! 🙂

Images: www.salonskincare.co.uk, www.timetospa.co.uk, www.londonbeautyreview.com, londonprettyboy.wordpress.com

Loreal Infallible 24h foundation review

I have always been a big fan of the Loreal infallible foundation since it’s currently the only foundation that has the right shade for me. However, Loreal decided to launch a new version of the same foundation promising 24h staying power at a cheaper price. First impression was it sounds too good to be true and although, I was tempted to buy the foundation right away I decided otherwise. I waited to use up all of my older Loreal infallible foundation before I decided to give the new version a try.

My first opinion about the product was that it is slightly unusual for Loreal to sell the same product for a lower price? I began to wonder if the quality would be different. Without knowing enough although, I do know some information about chemicals use in cosmetics, I decided to test the product on my wrist. The product seems more watery and lighter whilst retaining the same shade, but with a slightly different scent; I thought it was fine since I didn’t notice much difference. On the other hand, what I didn’t like about the new product is the packaging; the lid often comes off inside my bag and also the product looks cheap; the new packaging made it look more like a typical drugstore cheap foundation. This made me think that this possibly is the reason why it is cheaper but why? is Loreal financially suffering from some kind of recession? I don’t know, I’m not sure, and the product does not last 24h sadly. Overall, I didn’t notice much difference between the older and new version of the same product and in fact, I thought the new version disintegrates faster than the former when applied with a moisturiser.

Image: http://www.ebay.co.uk

Eye shadow dupe for Mac’s paint pot and benefit BBE kit

My search for a cheaper, pigmented and long lasting eyeshadow is finally over after finding these gems called Colour Tattoo from Maybelline.  This eyeshadow with its gel creme texture blends effortlessly and gives your eyes a vibrant look. No wonder beauty gurus and bloggers crave for these sweet candies: they are sold for £4.99 and will spoil you with choice. It surely is like a mini candy store for eyeshadow lovers. I chose the shade 65-gold pink which I will use as an alternative to Benefit’s BBE kit base shadow. Overall, I avoided spending £25 for an eyeshadow base alone because of this gem.

Image: tendenciasinfoco.blogspot.com

A creme de la mer alternative without the price tag

Hey guys, just wanted to give you some quick update on what I have been loving this spring/summer season. Recently, I have been using Aveene’s Rich Compensating Creme and I’m liking its luxurious texture, which I think is equal or close to the infamous La Mer. It has a very mild to almost fragrance free scent and has a creamy but light texture to it. I know that the product says rich, but it is nothing heavy or oily.

Other than the good quality it has it is also very effective and from the first day of use you will notice a dramatic improvement. My skin was still plumped and moisturised the next day even after washing my face: It was very soft, smooth and no sign of dryness. I could feel it working since my skin has never felt like it was producing its own collagen to the surface. It comes in a small jar but you do not need a lot of the product for it to work. Overall, I would say that this product produces results rather than just promises, also it is more affordable. Thanks for reading! 🙂

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Stila’s kajal and convertible black eyeliner

Recently, I bought Stila’s kajal eyeliner, as I wanted to see if it is any better than the Maybelline kajal liner that I am currently using. First impression was it looks cute like most  Stila products, but I find the eyeliner a bit too light. The shade is bright brown and gives a natural look; I expected it to be more black/brown as it is a kajal eyeliner. I think if you want a natural looking eyeliner you can use it on its own but if you want it to be slightly darker you can always use another on top of it.

Next is the convertible eyeliner, which I originally wanted to order in teak but for some reason it is not sold in the UK anymore. The shade is onyx (black) and it is very dark. This eyeliner is good if you are looking for quite a dark eyeliner, however I wouldn’t recommend it for daytime use.The texture for both liners are great and they are both very soft and creamy: won’t drag, but it can be slightly hard to take off with an ordinary make up remover. It does last all day except if your eyes get watery as they are not waterproof. Overall they are both great and I would recommend trying them.

Image: http://www.stila.co.uk

3 sweet and sinful perfumes why? read on!

Out of whim this Christmas I decided to buy Gucci Guilty not solely for its scent  or because I need it but because of the connotations from the advertisement. It mentions ‘scent of rebellion’ and then its name Guilty. For this reason alone I bought  it. So well done Gucci you made me buy this lovely stuff!!

Next is the fragrance mist from Victoria Secret. It may not be available in the UK, but this stuff works! I never thought that its mild sweet scent can lasts nor be noticed. So there you go a perfume that won’t cost a lot of money, but surely sweet and naughty enough for him to notice.

Lastly is Flowerbomb which again has a floral scent sweet enough to be noticed but not overpowering. I like this perfume as it does last and a little goes a long way. Sadly it hasn’t caught much attention yet but so far so good.

Images: http://www.debenhams.com

Revlon Lip Butter, Mac Studio Tech and Dior Addict

  Recently I have been bored of my lipsticks and foundation so I decided to give these three products a trial. The lip butter from Revlon was deeply pigmented and very moisturising. On the other hand, I did not notice anything special from the Dior Addict Lipstick: it seemed like any other lipstick that I have used and the color online looks different. The lipstick was still good, but I thought it was overpriced.

I haven’t really used any foundation from Mac before therefore, my expectations were high, but I was slightly disappointed. The foundation was a bit cakey and so thick it was difficult to blend: applying the foundation on top of a moisturiser did not help much either. I figured that blending with my fingers were better than using the sponge. The coverage was good and it isn’t drying like other compact foundations. It does not oxidize either and covers blemishes pretty well. Overall, if you want an affordable highly pigmented lipstick I would suggest Revlon’s Colorburst and if you fancy thicker slighty cakey foundation Studiotech is the foundation for you.

Images: http://www.boots.com http://www.maccosmetics.com

Benefit silky finish lipstick for the softest and sexiest lips!!

Benefit silky lipsticks are truely for people who want the softest, sexiest and hydrated looking lips. I have this lipstick in mytreat and nice knickers which both give me the colour I want without the chaky drying look and feel on my lips. It is best to apply this lipstick on top of Vaseline for a much more natural look and better moisturisation. The packaging is cute and the names very catchy, but the best thing of all is it is not overpriced. It sells for £14 each and if I could I would buy all of these lipsticks yummy shades!!

  

 

 

Imges: http://www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk

Bourjois foundations

Many positives reviews have been said and written about Bourjois foundations in youtube, twitter and other social networking sites. I gave one of their foundation Healthy Mix a go, but unlike what other say I was not completely satisfied with the product. It provides medium coverage and glides on smoothly without caking or highlighting dry areas in the skin. It lasts a couple of hours, but the product can go a bit patchy and dull. I perhaps bought a shade that is not light enough for my skin.

Next is the Flower Perfection which is almost the same price range as Healthy Mix: it has a thicker texture than Healthy Mix, however what I dislike about this product is it dries quickly. The packaging and the name are catchy and it is what caught my attention. Like other Bourjois products it has natural extracts which is said to help keep skin healthy. Both foundations are good but wouldn’t say that it’s anything special.

Images: http://www.boots.com