REVIEWS: Heaven by Deborah Mitchell Bee Venom Mask

 

Heaven's Bee Venom Mask 

Ok, so to answer your first question: Yes. It does contain Bee Venom. To answer your second question: the Bee Venom tricks the skin into 'thinking' it has been stung, thus kickstarting the production of collagen and elastin. And to answer your third question: No, it doesn't hurt like a bee sting! Intrigued? You should be!

For those who are interested in these kind of things, Kate Middleton and Camilla Parker Bowles are said to be fans of this, I'm not 100% certain whether that's a good selling point or not, but hey.

As well as the headline ingredient, this cream also contains slighlty less eye-catching ingredients such as Manuka Honey, Shea Butter and Rose Lavender essential oils. Having said that, if you Google Manuka Honey, check out how expensive it can be! But back to Heaven, they claim their Bee Venom Mask is:

'Nature's Alternative to Botox.' 

Now you're definitely intrigued...

I'm in my mid twenties so botox is certainly off the agenda at the moment, but this stuff well and truly saved my skin during Ramadhan. Whilst fasting the skin becomes incredibly dehydrated, dull and all around lacklustre. My usual Hydralauron just wasn't doing anything for me, but the Bee Venom stepped up.

The product itself is a cream, a very creamy cream that is neither light nor heavy, slap-bang in the middle. There are two ways of using this product. You can either use it as a mask, applying to the face and leaving it on for 20 minutes before wiping off, or you can just apply it over your moisturiser day and night. I opted for the latter.

I applied a tiny amount all over my face, including under the eyes. Upon application, you'll feel your skin tingle and perhaps even see a little redness around the nose and cheeks. There's no real pain here, just a mild tingly sensation that actually subsides after a few applications. My skin quite literally drank this up, leaving behind a gorgeous glow as if my skin was actually happy :)

Within a week, my skin had completely transformed. The dryness had departed, and my skin didn't feel anywhere near as thirsty as it has done before. I felt it had injected some much needed moisture into my skin, really plumping it up. I'd wake up with an immense glow, and with tinted moisturiser or foundation on top the glow remained almost as if I had highlighter on, minus the shimmer. On top of that, my skin looked and felt so much softer.

A lot of us ladies find the under eye area to be quite troublesome. You know how it can look quite dull, dark and tired? Well this stuff has perked my under-eyes right up, the lines I've recently noticed beneath the eyes have smoothed out, not disappeared, just much less noticeable. I had a friend ask me what I was using as my skin reminded her of Mariah Carey's soft, glowing skin, ha!

Now for the final question: How much does it cost? Well, bear in mind that I have the 15ml jar and I used it night and day, every day; I was amazed that it lasted just over a month! It cost £23.50 for the 15ml jar, which works out at about £1.50 per ml. I realise how expensive that sounds (and it is), but given the effect it has had on my skin, I will be purchasing the full 50ml jar. I don't think I can explain just how much I am anticipating payday!

*PR Sample

 

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REVIEWS: My Current Skin Care Regimen!

 

  

I was going through my daily skincare routine the other day and it hit me just how much effort us girls put into protecting our precious, youthful skin! I have to say that I think the condition of my skin hasn't been this good in a long time, so I've put together this mammoth post to show you what I'm using right now.

To begin with, my skin type is Oily/Combination - Oily T-zone and normal cheeks. At the minute it's feeling really soft and smooth with a healthy glow to it. Also the hyperpigmentation that so plagued my teens and early twenties seems to be fading. As well as all the wonderful products below, I'm drinking loads more water and green tea than at any time in the past. I would say it's cheap and cheerful but my water bill is touching £500 a year and green tea tastes like ashtray. No pain no gain!

Whilst these two basic steps are playing an important part, I think my current skin care regime is reaping some big dividends. I did have a few requests on Twitter so here goes. FYI - this is a long post!

THE CLEANSING RITUAL 

  

  

Review Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser RRP £14.75

First up then is the Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser from Liz Earle. I've seen all the hype around this (which can be taken with a pinch of salt) but in this instance the product is certainly worthy of it.

So it's quite a thick cream, dispensed nicely from the pump provided. I massage it into my face and around the eye area, then rinse the muslin cloth (also provided) in hot water, wring it out and gently polish it all over my skin paying close attention to my eye make up.

I find that this dissolves every last grain of dirt, grime and make up. I've tried so many different hot cloth cleansers but I always come back to this one, purely because it works so well around the tricky eye area. I found that with other cleansers I'd go to sleep looking human but wake up as a panda, sneaky traces of mascara rubbing all over the place. With Liz Earle, no such trouble.

I tend to use this at night, but occasionally I will use it in the morning. On these occasions I tend to use less product as I don't often fall asleep with my make up still on. Using this with the muslin cloth really does slough away those pesky dead skin cells on the surface, and combining it with a good gycolic acid based product (see below) means I no longer need to use a facial scrub.

Another thing which makes this stand out a little is it's Eucalyptus fragrance, it's delightful and whisks me away to a luxurious spa every time. Probably the reason I look forward to cleansing so much!

Another thing, I find that this can used as part of a DIY Facial. I'll apply all over the face as usual, soak the muslin cloth in hot water, wring it out, mask my face with the cloth then leave it there for 30 seconds and repeat the process. The heat gets those pores opened and allows for a deep clean.

  

Review Dabur Gulabari Premium Rose Water Toner RRP £0.36

I had a friend pick this up for me whilst on her trip to India a few months back (along with other products mentioned later) and I was not disappointed. I know that quite a lot of people tend to skip skin toning, as well I used to, but I think this is one of the very few toners out there that actually adds something.

I've used other Rose Water toners in the past, but I'd heard good things about this one and let's be honest: I heart Indian skin care products! Plus it's alcohol free so you don't get any of the harshness that accompanies it.

To use this I soak a small cotton pad in it and swipe all over the skin. It quickly refreshes my skin and preps it ready for some moisturising. I find that the rose-scented Gulabari actually helps my moisturiser sink into the skin, making them work far, far better. 

THE EYE RITUAL

  

  

Review Perricone MD Cosmeceuticals Vitamin C Ester Eye Serum RRP £46.50

Now, I know that eye creams & serums are a controversial and often touchy subject amongst bloggers, many believing that they simply do nothing. Well I have to say that I'd agree with that. I've tried so many in the past, buying into the claims of Keihls and Philosophy, to name just a couple, only to be left severely disappointed and out of pocket.

However, Perricone MD Cosmeceuticals Vitamin C Ester Eye Serum actually works. 

I've suffered a lot of trauma around the eye area in my early 20s, at times during the summer I'd wake up to find my under-eyes and lids severely swollen. At one point the swelling got so bad I couldn't actually open my eyes! It was terrifying, what's worse is Doctors and allergy specialists identified it as an allergy, but couldn't pinpoint what I was allergic to! Thankfully it's not happened for a while, but it has left my under-eyes with fine lines.

I have attempted to rectify the damage it caused, but as I mentioned most of the products I've used have done little or nothing for me. That is until a friend gave me this serum as a birthday present in March. Bless her, she really did do her research. 

As the name suggests, it contains Vitamin C. I'm not sure what concentration it is but whatever it is, it's really smoothened the appearance of the fine lines under my eyes. It's plumped up and brightened the eye area dramatically!

The consistency is like water and at first it can be a little tricky to apply, even with the supplied pipette. I apply a drop to my finger tip and gently pat under the eye until it's absorbed, usually pretty quickly. 

Something else that has really impressed me is how far this tiny little bottle goes. I've used it every day now for two months, and I've got just over three quarters of the bottle left.

Perricone advise that once the product has absorbed, another eye cream should be applied. So I currently pair this with: 

Review Aveeno Positively Radiant Eye Brightening Cream RRP £9.99

Immediately after the Perricone absorbs, I pat a tiny amount of this cream under and around the eyes. Aveeno claim their product improves dark circles and puffiness however I couldn't possibly comment as I don't have dark circles, lucky me! But what it definitely does do is nicely moisturise around the eyes without leaving greasy residue. 

Since combining this with the Perricone the skin beneath my eyes has improved beyond all expectations, and as a little bonus I've found that make up doesn't crease under my eye when I've applied this.

 Perricone is fairly expensive but when this does run out, I'll be purchasing it again. So pleased to finally have found something that works :) 

THE MORNING RITUAL

  

  

Indeed Labs Hydraluron RRP £24.99
Review
This is one of those products that you don't realise how good it is until you stop using it. 

I purchased this in Winter (it was a long winter so I can't remember exactly when!) and used it religiously in the mornings before applying moisturiser. I have to say that I didn't think a great deal of it. Indeed Labs don't make any outlandish claims, aside from keeping the skin hydrated. Once I'd applied the clear serum, I just could not tell what it was actually doing. My skin looked and felt exactly the same, and in complete honesty I thought one morning: 'Why bother?'

Well, after a week without using it I started to notice my skin looking a bit duller and feeling a bit weather-beaten. The harshness of this long winter was really taking it's toll on my poor skin. I spotted this lying on the dressing table and thought: 'No, surely not?'

So I started using it again and my skin is back to its former glory. I have no idea what this product is doing to my skin, and I'm certain that this is not the sole reason for my skin being in such great condition, but whatever it does do seems to make a big difference

I can see this becoming a staple in my skin care routine. As I get older, my skin will need all the help it can get in order for it to retain moisture and plumpness. And I'm sure this baby will play a part, I just need to do a little research and find out how!

  

Review Super by Dr Nicholas Perricone Daylight Savings SPF 25 RRP £28.50

I managed to grab this on the cheap in TK Maxx, they seemed to have quite a little stash of Dr Perricone's 'Super' line at the time, particularly this one. I found out later that the whole line has been discontinued, and that puts you in a weird place with a new product. On one hand you obviously want it to work, whilst on the other hand you know that when it runs out you won't be able to re-purchase. It's like a recurring nightmare!

'Daylight Savings' is a light fluid, just one pump is sufficient enough to cover the entire face and it moisturises my skin perfectly without it being greasy which is a rarity for a high SPF'd moisturiser! I can't imagine this working for dry skin types though. For me though it's just right. Once applied, my skin looks a little dewy, I realised this may be down to the Mica that is in it, but once rubbed in I no longer resemble one of the Cullens in the sunlight.

I like that it doubles up as a sunscreen, I've been using SPF moisturisers ever since I can remember. It's filled with natural mineral sunscreens such as Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide. Normally these can leave you with a white, ashy tint but I've yet to encounter that problem with this. It absorbs easily into the skin leaving me with radiant, healthy looking skin and provides a good base for make up.

THE NIGHTLY RITUAL 

  

Sanctuary Therapists Secret Facial Oil RRP £17.50
Review
First of all, I have to comment on the bottle. It's a simplistic, luxurious classic glass bottle that looks fabulous on the dressing table. Similar to the Vitamin C Ester Eye Cream above, this is dispensed by a pipette.

The product itself is packed with oils like Jojoba, Wheatgerm, Rose Hip Seed, Sunflower and even frankincense. The scent is very botanical and of the oils, Jojoba is the one that shines through. Its thick consistency and yellowy-gold colour resembles luxrious golden honey.

I usually dispense three or four drops on to my palms, warming it between my hands before rubbing it into my face. I'd always wanted to attempt a DIY facial massage, and my dear friend YouTube introduced me to the Tanaka Massage which helps to contour and sculpt the face. So once the product is warmed up, I do the Tanaka massage. As the massage involves a lot of firm strokes your skin needs to be slippery, otherwise you could stretch your skin. I find that once the oil has fully absorbed after the massage it doesn't leave a greasy layer behind. The next morning my skin feels soft; looks radiant, dewy and plumper.

I would normally alternate nightly between this and Alpha-H Liquid Gold but on occasion I will combine the two to give my face a little treat.

  

Review Alpha H Liquid Gold Radiance with Ferulic Acid RRP £22.50

This isn't the original Liquid Gold, this one contains Ferulic Acid and is actually more of a serum. It comes in a cute little white ceramic bottle with a glass dropper and has quite a strong chemical aroma. The product contains Glycolic Acid which helps to loosen up dead skin cells to allow fresh new skin cells to shine through. You have to take care when using glycolic acid as the fresh skin is much more sensitive to UV Rays.

The instructions are that come with this are a little vague, it simply says 'Apply to cleansed skin'. For me though, I put a few drops onto my fingertips and dab it on to my face, for just a few seconds after application the skin feels all tingly. Over time I've found that my skin looks much smoother and slicker, as if all the ridges have faded away. I've used Liquid Gold & White Gold on and off since 2008 but I think that I actually prefer this one. I'm certain that this is another product that has helped to dramatically reduced the hyperpigmentation I had around my face.

THE FACIAL RITUAL

  

Sanctuary Skin Renewal Gycolic Peel Mask RRP £22.50
Review
Yep, another Sanctuary product! I'm really liking them at the moment! This one is a thick, pink gel mask containing glycolic acid. I typically use this once a week at night, but if I don't have time to do my weekly home facial I may use it twice. It comes with a brush and an Anti Wrinkle Activation Serum which I seem to have misplaced. Whoops!

I apply a thin layer of this gloop onto my mug taking care to avoid the eye area and let it dry for 15-20 minutes. Once dry my face looks a little plasticy I peel it all off. Oddly enough it's quite fun doing this!

My skin doesn't tingle when I put this on which does leave me wondering how much Glycolic Acid there really is in here? But what I do notice is that once I've peeled it off my skin looks smoother, brighter and feels revitalised.

  

  

Review Shahnaz Husain Oxygen Skin Beautifying Mask RRP £4.30

Uh huh, another gel based mask! I've ditched the clay-based masks as they don't give my skin the same kind of glow as their gel-based conunterparts. Also I absolutely love Shahnaz Husain's products. It's such a shame that they're not readily available in the UK, at least not in my area anyway! 

I use this when I'm doing my weekly facial, usually in the evening. I'll cleanse with Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish and lace the hot cloth over my face for 30 seconds and repeat, next I use the Dabur Gulbari toner, before finally applying this gel. 

The product iself is a super thick gel with lots of tiny blue beads which you need to press onto to break. However.. 

  

They are a pain, in some cases even impossible, to break. Combine that with the thickness of the gel, this can be quite tricky to apply all over the face. I found that the best way to apply this is to squeeze a blob onto the finger tips, rub together then slather all over the face. Unfortunately due to my fail at breaking the beads, I have blue spots all over my face. Attractive!

I leave this on for 10 minutes to dry then rinse it off with luke warm water. The label suggests that it needs to be removed with moist cotten wool which is totally impossible to do as it starts going all gooey and icky.

The application and removal aside, the results are amazing. My skin feels tighter, more resillient and silky smooth to touch.

Review Shahnaz Husain Shalife Plus Nourishing Programme RRP £4.00 

After masking, I apply this to my skin and give it a good massage using the Tanaka method. 

This is a thick cream, so a few drops of water is needed in order to make it into a fluid that can easily be massaged into the skin. The packaging tells me to massage the skin for 3 to 5 minutes, conveniently enough the Tanaka massage method generally takes me 5 minutes. Midway through the massage the cream  fully absorbed into the skin, so I squeeze a cheeky little blob out and continue massaging for a few more minutes.

I've totally fallen in love with this cream, it smells very rich and herbaly. I can just feel it nourishing my skin and it leaves my face feeling soft, supple and looks luminous. Most importantly, the morning after my skin retains that softness and gives off the healthy glow we all aspire to.

The packaging recommends this product for normal to dry skin, but I feel it suits my oily/combination skin pretty well. I've used the original Shalife in the past and found it far too heavy for me, it actualy broke me out on a few occasions. Shalife Plus, on the other hand, is perfect for my skin.

Review The Hisako Tanaka Massage RRP Free

I've mentioned this massage technique a few times in this post, so I think I should probably make at least some kind of attempt to explain what it's all about. I've been using this technique for three months now, as I felt it was time to include some facial massaging into my skin care routine.

The technique was invented by a Japanese Make up artist name Hisako Tanaka, designed to contour and sculpt the face. It focuses on applying pressure from your hand to the face using all of your fingers and your palms and claims to reduce wrinkles, pouches and bags; improve puffy eyes and reduce skin sagging. Big claims!

The technique insists that you follow a set routine (there are 11 steps) and it can be pretty difficult to get used to. It's vital that you follow the instructions to the letter, and it takes a lot of practice to get it right. Once you do get it right though, and you start incorporating it into your regime you do notice that your skin looks a bit fresher and feels firmer. Also after completing the massage, I find that I'm completely relaxed and ready to hit the sack! Visually, it's not really making a great difference to my skin but I think that's because I'm still quite young. The way I see it, if I start early it could slow down the signs of ageing.

I love that there's a technique included focusing around the eyes too as I do feel this area does get neglected, I mean, how often can we stick a face mask around it? Unless you purchase a special eye mask which apparently aren't so easy to come by.
For the most benefit you're supposed to do the massage once or twice a day, but I do it on alternate nights when using Sanctuary's therapist oil or doing my DIY facial. Be warned, for the first week or so your hands will hurt after completing the massage, but over time they'll adjust to it and you won't feel a thing.

The absolute best thing about this massage? It's free! Also the instruction videos are available on YouTube kindly translated into English for us. What is there to lose, other than time? 

For those of you who made it all the way to the bottom, I know it was a long, hard slog so thank you for reading! The obsessive beauty junkie in me is continually looking to improve my regime, so I'd love to hear of any products you guys think I should try!

 

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You have read this article Alpha-H / Asian Skin Care / Aveeno / Dabur / Facial Massage / Indeed Labs / Liz Earle / Perricone MD / Sanctuary / Shahnaz Husain / Skin Care / Super Line with the title Skin Care. You can bookmark this page URL https://clothingfashion2012.blogspot.com/2013/05/reviews-my-current-skin-care-regimen.html. Thanks!

The Lazy Girl's Guide to Moisturing your Body!

Hey lovers!

I thought I'd write up a quick blog post on moisturing the body.

Ok, so I'll admit it. I am über lazy when it comes to moisturising the skin all over my body. It's such an easy trap to fall into, but there can be no excuses. We all desire well nourished skin with that healthy glow, and moisturising is key.

Anyway, I was speaking to my girl Adesola about it and she recommended that I check out these two fabulous products:

No7's Luxurious Foaming Shower Oil and No7's Pampering Dry Oil Body Spray

These two products really are a godsend! 

The Luxurious Foaming Shower Oil lives up to it's name: it foams, it's oily and wow is it luxurious! I squeezed a big blob onto a shower puff and lathered, this is the only downside though as it doesn't foam up quite as much as a typical shower gel would. That being said, after rubbing it all over and rinsing off my skin felt soft, smooth, silky and distinctly un-oily! The aroma is quite light, with a touch of florals breaking through.

The Pampering Dry Oil Body Spray didn't disappoint either and I love the fact that this is a spray. I'd been thinking about getting a standard body moisturiser for a while, but dispensing the product puts me off. With a spray though it's so much easier, it's really just a case of spritzing and rubbing into the skin! The product absorbs very quickly after application and doesn't leave any oily residues behind either. I tend to apply this daily after showering, as I find it absorbs beautifully into the skin whilst damp. At the point of application the aroma is again a light floral, but a touch heavier than the shower oil.
 

Once fully absorbed, the florals fade away leaving a lingering scent of vanilla but my skin feels positively gorgeous! It glows, it feels silky-smooth and most importantly of all it feels nourished. A word of warning though, I wouldn't recommend applying this in the shower as it can cause a slippery surface. If you simply must apply in the shower, make sure you buy some adhesive ducks! (one for Big Bang Theory fans!)

Combining these two products makes my skin feel great; it's quick, it's easy and I no longer feel guilty for neglecting my body.

The No7 Luxurious Foaming Oil costs £9.95 for 200ml and the Pampering Dry Body Oil costs £9.50 for 200ml. Which for me is a touch on the pricey side. However, as we all know, Boots give out regular £5 off vouchers on No7, and they seem to be going a bit crazy on their 3 for 2s at the minute, so snap 'em up quick! 

Are you lazy when it comes to moisturing your body? What are your faviourite bath time products?  

 

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REVIEW: Shahnaz Husain Shatex Protein Treatment Mask

One of my absolute favourite places to go beauty shopping is New Delhi. The problem is, it's not the sort of place you can get to easily every weekend, so I grab every chance I can to go there with both hands.

In December I did just that! We were travelling to Kathmandu, Nepal for a friend's wedding and made sure we got some time in Delhi afterwards. I picked up a few (by which I mean bucketloads of) beauty products whilst there.

One of the more popular brands over in India is Shahnaz Husain, her products are considered one of the 'Premium' brands alongside those such as Lakme. Anyway, she's been creating herbal beauty products including Kohls and even the odd foundation (which I'd love to try) since the 70s and has been going strong ever since.

Sadly though, her products don't seem to make it to our shores quite so often. You can buy them from websites that ship to the UK, but the shipping charges leave you thinking they've commissioned an Oil Tanker specially for your order. For that reason, whenever I do go to India, I go Cosmetic Crazy.

Back to Shahnaz, and I remember the first product of hers I used was 'Shatex' back when I was 18. I was told at the time it would help clear my teenage acne and tighten my pores. Did it work? Put it this way, I always go back to it.

Shahtex claims: "An effective combination of Herbal ingredients which helps to improve the tone and texture of the skin. It makes the skin look clear, smooth and firm."

Usage

"Apply on face and neck, avoiding the lips and area around eyes. Wash off when dry, preferably with milk and then water." I skip the milk part...

Usability

It comes in a tub, which isn't the most hygenic, however there really isn't any other option. It would never go through a pump, and squeezing it out of a tube would be an absolute nightmare. It's not the easiest mask to apply, it's really thick and clotty and can't be slapped on like any ordinary facial mask.

 

It can be stirred up to reduce the clotting but it's such a hassle! Instead, I scoop out a lump the size of a 50p piece and mix in a little water to smoothen it out and make it just that little bit easier to apply, then I slather it on to ye ol' face.  Using this method, a little really does go a long way. 

By this time, the herbal-ish scent with just a hint of something citrussy begins to fill the air as you wait for it to start drying out. That'll take around 5-10 minutes, and infact it gets so dry, you'd better not be watching any comedy or sitting next to a clown, unless you want to crack a smile, yes, literally crack. 

Instead I hide away in my room and stay away from my phone incase Aysha decides to Whatsapp me, this woman has me in stitches. My face definitely wouldn't appreciate it.

Results

Does it live up to its claims? Quite simply, yes. 

By using this once or twice a week I find that my Skin feels firmer and super smooth, to the point where you will want to keep stroking your face, haha!

I can also see a significent improvement on the appearance of the skin. It looks much more refined and clearer. It definitely perks up the skin, making it appear brighter and glowy! 

I wouldn't recommend this for dry skin as it can be quite drying as the mask is Multani Mitti (Clay) based which soaks up the sebum.

Back in my teens when I had ridiculous acne, it helped control the oilyness of my skin and cleared my acne to a certain extent. It's not a miracle worker however it did reduce some of the acne and begin to bring it under control. And as my pores were the size of craters on the moon, it helped reduce the size of them. YES! 

Would I re-purchase? 

I already have. I find myself coming back to this mask time and time again. Just wish the availability was better in the UK. A 50g tub would set you back approximately £4.00.

Have you tried any products by Shahnaz Husain?

Hope you're all having a great Bank Holiday weekend, I was supposed to go to Creamfields until I saw the weather forecast. Me + Mud = No. Glad I didn't after yesterdays abandonment, ha! 

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SKINCARE: Out with the old. In with the new!

Hello hello!

It's been a long old winter here in sunny Manchester, and my face has taken some punishment during it. Despite that, I feel that my skin has been behaving extremely well! Usually my skin is an absolute pain throughout the autumn/winter months, I always seem to get mini-breakouts and whiteheads! ARGH!

But as I said, this winter it has been very well behaved! Why? Well, I think it may have been down to my skincare regime. But you know me (and all other bloggers for that matter), I'm always on the lookout for something better. Even though my regime was working well, it just seemed to have something missing. So, I embarked on a mission. A mission to find a better routine...

First off, what I want my skincare to achieve is clear, bright, even skin. Who wouldn't want that? Now I have oily/combo: oily around the t-zone and pretty much normal around the cheek area. And I suffer from uneven skin tone. Mainly around the mouth and temples. Booo!

At the beginning of autumn, I had upgraded my skin care routine and picked 3 items for my quest for CLEAR, EVEN, BRIGHT skin. And here's my run-down on them:

(From left to right: Lumicen, Olay UV Fluid & Duac)

DUAC: As I had problems with whiteheads and literally NOTHING WORKED (Other than Alpha-H Liquid Gold & White Gold, which strangely enough, does not seem to work for me anymore :/), I visited my doctor as a last resort and alas, he prescribed me Duac which is a gel based cream. I actually blogged about my first initial thoughts on this back in September. I've still got just under half the tube left. I've been using this sparingly.

Mr Doctor instructed me to use this at night after cleansing, apply to areas where it's needed and to use a decent moisturiser as this would dry up my skin. So I applied this every night for first few weeks. At first, I peeled like a snake, my skin looked and felt dry and taut. My skin looked horrible! But I moisturied like mad with Olay UV Fluid which really helped soothe and calm down my skin. Over those few weeks, I noticed that most of my whiteheads seemed to have disappeared.

I then cut down usage of this to once or twice a week which explains why I have still have just under half of the tube left. This was definitely the corner-stone in my routine. I still use it now and again when I feel I'm about to get a spot coming on or see a bunch of those pesky whiteheads creeping up. Hallelujah for Duac!

Olay UV Fluid (Normal/Oily Skin): As I mentioned above, this was a lifesaver when I was shedding skin like a bloomin' lizard. It's a lotion and the consistency of this was light and easily absorbed into my skin without that yucky, greasy feel. This did not interfere with my make up, it did not make it slide around my face, it helped keep it put as you would expect from something that claims to be a great make up base.

Lumicen: I bought this after reading countless number of glowing reviews on this. it's supposed to be an overnight brightening treatment that helps reduce the size of your pores, help fade the appearence of discolourations and improve skin's texture and tone. Sounds perfect, doesn't it?

My main reason for buying this was to help me even out my skin tone and just to help it look much brighter.

I applied this every night religiously in hope of waking up to see some form of improvement. I'm sad to report this did absolutely NOTHING for my skin. No sign of brightness. No sign of even-ish looking skin. I couldn't possibly comment on the reduction of pore size as mine are quite small looking anyway, lucky me! Priced at £30.99, this was a big fat fail for me. :(

As a fickle blogger, I'm always on the hunt for something new, something way better than what i've already got. A couple of months ago, Spake NK held a 20% discount throughout the store. I hurtled towards the store and just went crazy and bought a load of products *guilty*. I've only just got round to using them a couple of weeks ago as winter is nearly over, it's time to upgrade my skin care regime!

Skin Doctors Accelerating Cleanser: So for cleansing, in the morning I'll use this baby. It is the only product I didn't buy from Space NK. I bought this from Boots for around £10. I was sold on this product when I came across Jo's review on this where she said it helped perk up her skin in the morning. It contains a form of Alpha hydroxy acid (lactic acid to be precise) which is supposed to help in getting rid of dead skin cells. So far I can't really tell much of a difference other than smoothness of my skin, it's not a massive difference but it looks like it could be working. Eeee!

Nude Cleansing Oil: I've been using this at night. I'd apply 2 pumps of this onto dry skin and massage and damp muslin cloth all over to remove the make up. After that, I'd rinse it off with water. This really does help melt off all the make up and grime. But occasionally, I feel like it's not enough and my skin feels like it has some form of residue on, it might just be me being paranoid so I end up using a bit of the Skin doctor's Accelerating Cleanser to double cleanse.

A bottle of this stuff will set you back around £24. But I managed to grab a few of these at the Space NK boxing day sale for £10! Although, it looked it like it could have been the old packaging but hey ho. Don't think I'll repurchase after I've gone through all the bottles, I don't see the difference between this and extra virgin olive oil. Can anyone tell the difference?

(From left to right: Sarah Chapman Skinesis Skin Tone Perfecting Booster, Sarah Chapman Skinesis Dynamic Defence SPF15, Sarah Chapman SkinesisOvernight Facial)

Oooh, don't the bottles look so posh?

At the 20% off Space NK sale, I knew I wanted Sarah Chapman's Overnight Facial after seeing Laura's skin care video. The promises of waking up to seeing glowing skin sold me. But seeing as everything was 20% off, I also purchased Sarah Chapman's Skin Tone Perfecting Booster & Dynamic Defence SPF15.

My initial thoughts on:

Sarah Chapman Skinesis Dynamic Defence SPF15: This is a day time moisturiser that comes with a built-in pump, suitable for all skin types. It's supposed to help protect skin from pollution and the sun. I've got mixed feelings on this though. It is moisturising enough for my skin, but I feel for someone with dry skin, this will not be enough. also, it's only SPF15. For something that costs a lot more than skin care off the high street, surely SPF15 is not enough to protect the skin through out a whole day? I don't know. Will see how this goes. If I find I start getting hyperpigmentated areas, this is deffo going to get a big thumbs down from me.

Sarah Chapman Skinesis Skin Tone Perfecting Boooster: After my crap experience with Lumicen, I thought I'd give this a go in my quest for perfectly even skin. Okay, I'm not expecting miracles. Just something that shows sign of improvment. This doesn't really smell of anything. And it comes with a pipette. And one drop is sufficient enough to cover my facial hyperpigmentated areas. So far, I've not seen any improvement but it's early days yet.

Sarah Chapman Skinesis Overnight Facial: This is probably the only thing I've used so far that has shown a difference. I usually use this when I'm having a late night or if I feel my skin is looking generally blah. It's basically an oil based serum, comes out with a pump and smells divine, mainly consisting of jasmine and rose. Mmmm! One pump is enough to cover the entire face and neck. In the morning, I find my skin has this natural looking radiance about it. Yay!

Obviously, this isn't a review on the Sarah Chapman products, more like my first thoughts on them. although I will be doing a follow up review on them in a month or two.

And finally:

Kiehl's Cryste Marine Firming Eye Treatment: I've tried the Creamy Avocado Treatment from Kiehl's which massively impressed me but it was far too rich for day time. So I purchased this one as it's more of a mousse texture. You need to really warm this up in between your fingers for it to turn to liquid-ish and then dab onto the eye area. Again, can't possibly comment on whether this works or not as I've only just got round to using it.

So yeah, there you have it! I will hopefully be putting up a more through review on these some time in the future to give you the full low down on them.

Have any of you used any of the products mentioned above? Do let me know how you got with them!

P.S - To the lovely girl that stopped me outside of Selfridges on Monday, HELLO! I'm sorry If I seemed quiet, I was just in shock that someone actually recognised me from my blog. Haha. I think you should definitely set up your own blog. Your make up was flawless, girl! :)

If any of you do spot me outside, please do come up and say hi, I think this time I will be more ready to talk, haha! :)

P.P.S - Thank you for all the birthday messages I recieved on Twitter. Yes, I turned 25 in the weekend. Shock horror! How did I get this old? Waaa!

 

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Whiteheads, be gone!

Hello my little pineapple chunks!

I am officially back! Firstly, I've got my photos back (Gave in to photobucket and paid the buggers for a pro account, meh) and I've got my laptop fixed. Wo0t!

Moving on!

Any of you suffer from whiteheads? I do. I had a serious outbreak of them on both my cheeks.

I cleansed, I exfoliated, I steamed, I swear, nothing worked. It didn't look so bad when I didn't have foundation on. But once I applied my usual foundation, you could see the bumps. Which really started to get on my t*ts.

So last week I paid my lovely doctor a visit. And believe me, he is lovely. ;) Haha.

I spoke of my woes. He nodded his head & prescribed Duac for me.

It's basically a gel which contains 5% benzoyl peroxide. I wasn't too keen on it, until the doctor told me it is different to regular over the counter Benzoyl Peroxide as it contained an anti biotic in it as well. Niiice.

He instructed me to apply a thin layer on my skin at night after cleansing. And to wear a good moisturiser during the day as the treatment will leave my skin looking and feeling dry.

I've used this for about a week now. By thursday my skin started to peel, badly. I hated the way my skin looked. Especially with foundation on. So I purchased Olay's UV Fluid for normal/Oily skin which helped an awful lot.

So after a week, what did I think of it?

This gel looks promising. I'm halfway there, my skin looks noticeably less bumpy. Yes, I still do have quite a few bumps left, but I should wait a couple of weeks till I can say whether it gets rid of most of the whiteheads. And the Olay UV Fluid has definately stopped me peeling like a snake!

I will be reporting back within the next few weeks to let you know how I get on.

Do you suffer from whiteheads? What do you use to treat them? Have you used this gel? 

 

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Eeeeee, skin care haul!

C'mon, who loves skin care? ~hands up. I am without a doubt a skin care product junkie, I actually have a box dedicated to skin care products and it's seriously in danger of bursting. In it there's hundreds of face masks, all nicely wrapped up. Mental note: Use them up Halima, running out of space here!

First up in this haul, I bought a cleanser as I'd recently finished my previous one (Biotique's Bio Berberry cleanser). Biotique is a popular skin & hair care brand in India. The cleanser was "alright" and that's about it. 

 

I'd heard some amaazing reviews about Neutrogena's 'Visibly Clear 2-in-1 Wash/Mask' and in particular how it's meant to be be excellent at combatting spots, woo! I'd be using this in conjunction with my DHC cleansing oil which is due to finish soon too, thinking of getting Nude's cleansing oil after reading InnerBelle's glowing review on it.

I'm currently using Extra virgin olive oil to moisturise my body. It's amaazing, so why would I even think about buying something else? Well, the bottle just wasn't fancy enough to be in my bathroom, hehe!


So another item added to my basket was Boots Botanics 'Nourishing Body Oil'. I'm a massive fan of body oils, I feel they're so much better than regular body moisturisers. Oils in my opinion keep the skin moisturised longer than body moisturisers. They also feel so 'right'. Like after I've showered, my skin feels super dry. When I rub a good amount of oil in, it feels like it's replacing the lost natural oils.

Anyhoos,

I am generally quite good when it comes to facial exfoliators, eye creams, cleansers & stuff like that. I do limit myself to just one (or two..) of each and make sure I use them up before I rush down to Boots and shove a load of products in the basket.

I've been through a hell of a lot of products in my time :P I've found a few HG products such as extra virgin olive oil, Keihls 'Avocado Eye Cream' & Shahnaz Husain's 'Diamond Scrub'. But when it comes to moisturisers, I am usually left wanting more. Does that make sense?

My skin type is Combination and I suffer from pigmentation around my jawline and mouth area due to some anti biotics I took for acne last year :(

Now at the moment I'm using Shahnaz Husain's 'Diamond Rehydrant Lotion', which is an anti ageing cream that's more suitable for during the day and doesn't really help with the pigmentation. Don't get me wrong, I do LOVE this cream, it helps control shine yet still delivers moisture where I need it, and skin does feel slightly plumper.

So whilst I was in Boots, I came across these 2 babies..




Anyone heard of Lumicen? Priced at £30.99, it's not cheap. But it claims to help with pigmentation and helps brighten the skin. The instructions say to use this every night for 3 weeks, and then you you use it on and off after that. So on the alternate nights, I'll be using Bio Oil which is also known for evening out the skin tone.

Sorry about the ramble-y post, Sweetpeas. And thanks for bearing with me. Here's hoping to waking up one day and seeing glowing, even skin. If only! I'll let you all know how I get on with these products, especially the Lumicen!

 

 

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Mini Lush Haul.

For me, coming out of a Lush store with products is a big deal. This is due to a bad experience I had with one of their products last year that just put me off buying things from them again.

So what happened last year?

I walked into Lush for the very first time in search of of something that would help the acne breakout on my cheeks I had back then. One of the 'Lushettes' recommended Ocean Salt scrub. I thought okay, you're the boss. So I purchased it.

As I reached home, I applied the Ocean Salt Scrub, and BAM! OUCHOUCHOUCH! My skin was stinging like a bitch, I quickly rinsed it off with cold water. My skin looked red and irritated. The next day I woke up to a scab on on my cheek. Ahhh. An experience I would like to forget.

Moving on...

So today I popped into Lush with my bad experience behind me to find some products that would help me pipe the f**k down. I have been a bit of stress head lately. :S

I picked up Flying Fox shower gel & The Comforter bubble bar mainly because of the smell.

Flying fox contains honey & jasmine. You can faintly smell the honey in this but the jasmine is predominant. And I luuurve jasmine, reminds me of my visit to India.

Doesn't it look like swiss roll? Yummy. Minus the calories. I'm not sure what this smells of, maybe berries? Whatever it is, it smells gorgeous! Can't wait to try it tonight after my run. :)

Have you bought anything from Lush lately? If so, throw a couple of recommendations at me!

 

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