A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I’m delighted to introduce my latest guest reviewer Rachel from the delightful QueenofTurquoise.  As a more suitable candidate age-wise than me, she’s been trialling the Liz Earle Young Skin Try-Me Kit, and this is what she thought of it….

.

I received this kit from Charlotte at the end of May and I’m far more impressed by it than I expected to be!  I was kind of thinking it would just show me that I wasn’t missing out on anything with my cheapy products.. Wrong 😉

I’ve been using it for three weeks now and I’ve noticed considerable changes…

Before I started using this I had quite a few little spots/bumps on my forehead, noticeable pores around my nose and the little creases around my nose were quite dry and red.  Primer was a necessity as my skin suffered from random flaky patches of skin that weren’t visible until foundation was applied.  I also had some stubborn blackheads on and around my nose and chin… Although I wouldn’t describe my skin as particularly oily it has it’s moments and breakouts are relatively common!

The difference in three weeks is quite dramatic, the pores around my nose appear smaller, noticeably more radiant skin (if I do say so myself!) less blackheads, spots disappear faster, and my odd flaky bits of skin have vanished making primer optional rather than essential!

The hot cloth cleanser is amazing, and boasts ingredients of Rosemary, Chamomile, Cocoa butter and Eucalyptus essentiol oil.

At first I was a little unsure of the consistency as I’d never really used anything like it before, but it soon grew on me as I watched my skin become smoother and softer.  The muslin cloth part of this really makes all the difference, particularly to the radiance factor! The cloth provided in the kit is lovely, really good quality and a great size.  The only down point for me is that I’m not keen on the scent of the cleanser, which is a shame as using it feels lovely and luxurious, and not liking the scent is a little frustrating!  I’d love this so much more if it had the same scent as the toner… Something I’d definitely consider buying full size for myself (which is saying a lot, I’m normally a £5 cleanser girl!)

Next in my new routine was the Skin Tonic Spritzer.  It smells absolutely gorgeous, I’d really like a perfume of it!  The scent really makes this product for me.  The naturally active ingredients are listed as Organic Aloe Vera, Calendula, Cucumber and Vitamin E.  There’s really nothing that this little wonder can’t do, used after cleansing my face felt smoother and softer, used during the day to refresh and cool through this weird British summer it did it’s job perfectly, and it sets make up amazingly!  Wonderful wonderful stuff, incredibly reasonably priced, I can see myself buying this forever more!

The third step is moisturiser, and for this the kit provided me with Skin Repair Light for Combination/Oily skin.  It’s described as “light, gentle and balancing” which I can only agree with.

I tend to have huge issues with moisturiser, I’m really fussy and I want it to do everything, be rich enough to moisturise well, yet still be light enough for it to be absorbed quickly enough to use before applying make up in the morning and more!  This ticks all the boxes, despite not claiming any mattifying qualities it doesn’t leave me shiny, it’s beautifully light yet creamy and it moisturises perfectly, plus I can put primer and make up over the top after just a couple of minutes without it “rolling” off in little bits everywhere!  Again, another top product and an essential one if you struggle with combination/oily skin, or even if you just like a lighter moisturiser in the morning.

The last product in the kit is the “Spot on” which is described as a “rescue treatment for blemishes, bites and cuts”.  I really didn’t like this on my face for spots, sticky and just yuck, for me it doesn’t fit with the luxurious experience the other products provide and that was disappointing.  It smells like any other spot treatment with tea tree and made very little noticeable difference to spots for me.  As you can tell, I was totally unimpressed with this until I got totally attacked with bites that kept me awake most of the night and nothing that I put on made any difference until I tried this, instantly cooling and soothing and it did a really great job considering the nasty allergic reaction I had to the bites!

Overall, an amazing kit to try, would really recommend it to anyone looking for a new routine with gorgeous products!

.

Thanks Rachel, a great indepth review!

The Liz Earle Young Skin Try-Me kit is priced at £23 and available online from Liz Earle.

When I was contacted and asked if I wanted to review a couple of products from the Elemis range, I tried to choose carefully.  The last thing I wanted to do was choose something that left me feeling uncertain of it’s value.  I wanted products that I could have an opinion about…. something tangible that I could describe to you.  I don’t care if it’s rubbish, fanastic or unfathomably dull… I just want to be able to have confidence in my feelings on the product.  And sometimes skincare leaves me feeling a little confused.

It’s to this end that I chose two masks that claim concrete results.  You may have already seen my Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Gel Mask review.   That mask blew me away with outcomes that I could almost instantly appreciate…. smoothing, refreshing, complexion lifting… most of it’s promises came true on my face.  A blogger’s dream and an absolute delight to describe to you.

But then it all went a bit wrong.

Elemis Absolute Eye Mask will leave your purse £27 lighter for a generous (considering how far a little goes) 30ml tube.

It describes itself thus:

Elemis Absolute Eye Mask is an eye-brightening treatment that combines vital extracts of Rose, Mimosa, Cornflower and Comfrey to help decongest, firm and minimise dark circles and leave the delicate eye area soothed and revitalized.

So… I’m looking for decongesting, firming, dark circle reduction and a soothing/revitalizing effect.

So far, I haven’t experienced any of this.

In a complete contrast to the tri-enzyme mask, this eye mask leaves me with no instant impressions.  It doesn’t tingle, soothe, feel cooling, refreshing or even hydrating upon application.  Infact, if anything… there’s a small amount of tightening.  And not in a good way.

The blurb on the back tells me to apply sparingly around the eye bone area avoiding direct contact with the lid and inner eye areas.  “Sparingly”… I like it when expensive products say that.  As previously mentioned, a very small amount will spread nicely over the eye area… this tube will last me months!

But the problem is this…

Ultimately, Elemis Absolute Eye Mask is marketed as an anti-ageing product.  Maybe I’ll see some beneficial anti-ageing effects in a years time but unlike their anti-ageing Pro Collagen Marine Cream (be still my beating heart) this doesn’t even feel that nice before, during or after application.

And there you have it.

I’ll keep using it a couple of times a week as suggested on the box, and if in 6 months time I start noticing some longer term benefits, you can be sure I’ll be back to update

But those instant mask-type results that I was looking for?  Move along… there’s nothing to be seen here.

When I was in London last Friday… I was travelling up the escalator at Oxford Circus tube station *tsking* at the impatient healthy types that were overtaking me on the left when I noticed the woman in front of me.  Or more accurately, I noticed her non-existent skirt.

For a moment I wasn’t quite sure where to look… I mean, seriously… you could see the (baggy) gusset of her tights.  I was half tempted to make her aware of this fact but decided to keep schtum for two reasons…

1).  She might have been a total exhibitionist and telling her would only have made her day.

2).  I didn’t fancy a smack in the gob.

So instead of looking ahead, I kept my eyes down and concentrated on her ankles.  I had to give a wry smile when I saw a pair of beige plasters covering the backs of her heels where her shoes had obviously been rubbing.

Priorities ladies… if you’re gonna cover the backs of your ankles you can go one step further and cover up your minges too.  I don’t care if it’s sunny… have some class.

Now… what I should have done, was tapped her on the shoulder and told her about these:

Elastoplast Invisible Protection is a new plaster on the market.  An innovation in plaster technology if you will… I’m so excited, I might just pee myself.

Ok, let’s face it.  It’s not exactly the height of glamour is it?  But I go through plasters like nobody’s business (clumsy oaf that I am) and have been known to remove and discard a plaster after half an hour if it’s in a conspicuous position and I’m feeling self-conscious about it’s placement.  Don’t try and tell me you haven’t done that too…

Elastoplast Invisible Protection simply promises to be the most invisible a plaster can be.  It’s always the simple ideas that work the best no?

Not only that… but Elastoplast are offering you a free sample so you can put their claims to the test yourself.

Click here to register for your free sample.

Elastoplast Invisible Protection plasters are priced at £2.99 and available from all major erm… plaster retailers.  What are you waiting for?  Go stick I mean stock up!

From the 25th June – 22nd July 2010, Clinique are offering custom fit skincare consultations.

Pop along to your nearest counter and they will help you determine your skin care needs.  Whilst stock lasts, you will receive one of five concern kits, free with any two skin care purchases.

For images and specific kit info, read more after the cut…

Read the rest of this entry »

Enzyme: A protein (or protein-based molecule) that speeds up a chemical reaction in a living organism. An enzyme acts as catalyst for specific chemical reactions, converting a specific set of reactants (called substrates) into specific products. Without enzymes, life as we know it would not exist.

Impressive, but why would you wanna put ’em on your face?

Enzymes are a great exfoliator… it’s a bit more scientific than grabbing at some oatmeal and giving your face a scrub.  Enzymes work by chemically loosening the glue-like substance that binds the upper cells on your face.  These upper cells are dead, and their only reason for existing on your face is to provide protection from the elements.  Obviously, that’s an important function in itself… but they pile up unevenly on your skin’s surface over time, giving an overall dull and uneven texture.

As you get older, your skin’s ability to rejuvenate it’s cells begins to slow down… rejuvenation is the key to a smooth, even complexion.  Without rejuvenation, that layer of dead cells gets thicker and thicker, making the skin appear duller.

So, now we know what enzymes are, it makes sense to slather your face in something that is proven to “speed up chemical reaction in a living organism”. no?

Let’s bust some dead skin cells!

Enter Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Gel Mask…

Elemis say that their Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Gel Mask contains:

Amazonian Acerola Cherry, White Truffle Poria Cocos, Great Burdock, Erysimum and amino acids.

Yum!  I can’t decide whether I’d benefit more from eating it!

I jest… although it does smell ah-mazing.

There’s also mention of patented tri-enzyme technology… I’m not sciencey enough to give you the full low-down on this, but it basically means (google is my friend) that Elemis’ Tri-Enzyme products contain three enzymes (Subtilisine, Protease and Papain).  These are the work-horses in the formula, and Papain is an enzyme found in papaya.  How good am I at googling, seriously?

So anyway, now that I’ve finished with the theory behind the product… does it do anything?

I accepted this for review consideration because I’ve generally loved everything I’ve ever bought from the brand, and had heard great things about this product in particular.  Though I must admit, I was also a bit nervous about using it.  You’ve heard me go on about my redness and sensitive skin before, and I was worried that I would experience additional irritation from using this product.

There was no need.  I find Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Gel Mask really pleasant to use, despite warnings of a powerful tingling sensation.  I feel a tingle… but less than most lip plumpers I’ve used.  If anything, it’s quite a refreshing, cooling sensation.

I wash my face and ensure that my skin is patted dry.  Dispensing about three pumps of the Tri-Enzyme mask, I spread it evenly over my face, avoiding the eye and mouth areas.  Then I go and put my feet up, or um… ok, in reality I go on Twitter.  10 minutes later, off I trot to the bathroom where a sink of warm water awaits me to wash the gel off.  It doesn’t harden or crack and is easy to rinse away.

It took 4 sessions (I’m using it twice a week) before I started to notice any real difference.  It claims to improve skin smoothness, decrease the appearance of fine lines, blemishes and uneven skin tone.  I dunno about all that but I’m definitely noticing a difference in the texture of my skin.  I had some rough patches on my forehead and nose that foundation would cling to… these have disappeared.

I hesitate to include the following observation (simply because it’s a real big deal for me) but I’m also sure that my redness has faded a little.  Now, in all honesty… I don’t understand this, it was the last thing I expected to see an improvement with.  The treatment room manager at Liz Earle mentioned inflammation as a possible cause for my redness, so I’m wondering if there’s something in the Tri-Enzyme mask that’s reducing inflammation.  I should stop, because I’m totally hypothesising on this.  All I know is that I’m not concealing my cheeks with pan-stick at the moment.  They’re looking rosy rather than red.

One last thing that I’ve noticed an improvement with is my pore size.  I know that nothing can physically reduce pore-size, but I think that sloughing off the top dead layers of skin has had the effect of revealing my true pore size, which is definitely smaller than they previously appeared.  Sadly, it’s done nothing for my nose pores or congestion in that area.  I also haven’t noticed any decrease in fine lines.

I don’t think it’s some miracle anti-aging product.  But I think that it’s wonderful at sloughing away god knows how much dull crap from the surface of your face.

So why not grab your St. Ives Apricot scrub and be done with it?  Honestly, I don’t know… what I do know is that I’ve been using a facial scrub twice a week in the shower for over 7 months and haven’t come even close to the results that this has taken 3 weeks to achieve.

Yeah, I like it.  A lot.

You can purchase Elemis’ Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Gel Mask (£45) from the TimeToSpa website, alternatively (and more of a bargain) opt for the Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing System (£45) which not only includes a full-size mask, but also mini-sizes of the facial wash, night cream and a cleansing mitt.

Oh, oh!  One last thing, I nearly forgot… remember I said about those top dead layers protecting the skin from the elements?  Well…. yeah, if you do use this – be sure to be super vigilant with sun protection (and I’m not talking factor 5), wear a hat… slip-slop-slap and all that.  Your face will thank you for it.

…Eye Revival Roll On (£5.40).

Bearing more than just a passing similarity to Garnier’s Eye Roll On, Tesco’s Derma Intensive Eye Revival is enriched with many of the same ingredients as it’s pricier alternative.

• Caffeine Extract – Helps to improve the skins elasticity under the eye.
• Horse Chestnut Extract – Encourages the skin to stimulate the blood microcirculation under and around the eye.
• Hyaluronic acid – Is a wonderful moisturiser that helps the skin to rehydrate, essential for mature skin.

Great for keeping in the fridge during the Summer!  Yeah… I have a bit of a ‘thing’ about keeping my products in the fridge *blush*.  And even more amazing… I’ve just checked on the Tesco website… and it’s only flippin’ half price at the moment!

£2.76? – Bargain!

…Bargain hunters may not want to miss this quick public service announcement!

In celebration of the 15th anniversary of Liz Earle’s cult Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser and for one day only you can purchase Cleanse & Polish for the original launch price of £9.50, saving over 25% off today’s retail price of £13!

“Quick, tell me how!” I hear you ask…

You can purchase it at this special price online through the Liz Earle website on Tuesday 15th June.  Set your alarms!

We know how revered Eve Lom’s original cleanser has been over the years, but when I tried it…. honestly? I found it a bit of a faff.

I loved the product, the herbal scent and the way it left my skin feeling baby-soft and perhaps with more practice, I would have gotten quicker, but the last thing I wanna do (when all I wanna do is fall into bed) is stand at the sink for 15 minutes washing my face.

Enter Eve Lom’s new product for Summer…

Morning Time Cleanser, developed on the same principles as the original but with the benefits of a quicker cleanse.  A 2 minute massage and splash off with warm water makes for a highly tempting alternative.

If you’re already an Eve Lom fan, then you may find this a perfect accompaniment to your evening cleanse.  As for me?  It’s sucking me back and tempting me in again.

£35 for 125ml and available from Space NK online and instore from this month.

… Rachel! (QueenofTurquoise)

Thanks for offering your self up in the name of beauty Rachel!

I’m sorry I don’t have more things available for you lovely guys to review, it’s wonderful to get some alternative opinions on Lipglossiping!  Stick around, I’ll hopefully have something else for you guys soon.

Rachel, please email me your address details and I’ll pop the kit in the post.  Can’t wait to hear your experiences with it!

Put down the broccoli and head for the Beauty Aisle ‘cos there’s a new brand in town!

Dirty Works is exclusive to Sainsbury’s and incorporates a range of body scrubs, body butters and bath products to leave you feeling pampered but not penniless!

The comparison to Soap & Glory has to be made though right?  Is this an even more budget-friendly option?

I was sent a little trio of goodies called “Get Set Go” Mini Luxuries which includes:

Bare Necessity Body Lotion
Buff Your Stuff Body Scrub
All of a Lather Body Wash

I’m a little over the whole kitsch packaging thing now that it’s been done to death… but I can see it still appealing to many and this set in particular would make a great little gift set for a bathing belle.

Each product in the set is 100ml, so considering it’s mini… is pretty darn generous!  The products are all quite highly-scented… I smell cocoa butters, fruity scents and vanilla.

They’re not the most luxurious products I’ve used, but they do what they say on the tin and they do it well.

Most products seem to be priced around the £5 mark, check them out next time you’re doing the weekly shop!

Long, long overdue is a review of my Deep Skincare – Rewarding Facial Mask.  You may remember I reviewed their Splendid Smooth Legs balm a couple of months ago when they sent me a couple of products for review consideration and I meanly laughed at their product names.

Well, I’m gonna do it again… Rewarding Facial Mask? *snort*  Someone’s gone through the dictionary looking for adjecives ending in -ing and added them to each product name.

If you were to order from Deep Skincare, you could choose from…

Balancing Toner, Uplifting Serum, Sanitizing Face Mask, Smoothing Scrub, Embracing Day and Night Cream, Empowering Rinse, Revitalizing Peel, Penetrating Balsam, Tenderizing Srcub… and so on…  don’t believe me? Go see for yourself.

Anyway, enough scorn for one day… what’s the stuff like?

It’s rather lovely.  You can usually tell the quality of a product just by using your senses and this one is no exception.  It smells heavenly, feels luxurious and looks creamy and substantial.  I stopped short of tasting it, but if the rest of the senses are anything to go by… I’d be expecting white truffles.

It applies and spreads easily onto my skin without glooping up like some face masks tend to do.  It feels more like a heavy, heavy cream than some of the usual more sticky masks that I’ve used in the past.   Once applied, it feels cooling on the skin with the slightest of tingles.  Not painful or irritated tingle… just cooling.  The scent is gorgeous.  It’s a kaolin clay based mask with the added benefits of aloe vera, sesame and almonds.

I leave the mask on for around 15 minutes and watch as it transforms from a white cream into a transparent veil.   Washing it off with lukewarm water leaves my skin feeling softer and somewhat firmer.  I haven’t noticed any other long-term benefits from using this product but as a quick pick-me-up, it’s fabulous.

Rewarding Facial Mask is available from the Deep Skincare website and is priced at £13

Take a stroll through Soho and you’d be hard-pressed not to end up in Japanese store MUJI…  There’s something about that small store on Carnaby Street that draws passing foot traffic like bees to honey.

Inside, shelves are packed from floor to ceiling with countless arrays of practical and simply-designed products that are guaranteed to make your life a little easier.

One of the latest installments in the “making life easier” category is a new range of skincare that I first talked about a couple of weeks ago.

As a bonafide cleansing oil addict (I currently have 6 bottles on the go) I was keen to see how the new MUJI Cleansing Oil stacked up against some of the more established market leaders.

MUJI were good enough to send me out a couple of pieces from the new range, and I’ve been using them for nearly a month now.  I know there’s been a lot of interest in this product particularly so I wanted to get my thoughts ‘out there’ without too much delay.

MUJI’s offering is cheap.  Not the kindest way to open a review, but I am talking money!  In a world where you can easily pay £35 for a simillar sized bottle of  cleansing oil, this is a bargain.  Hand over a tenner and expect change.

MUJI’s Cleansing Oil comes in a standard, no frills bottle… the emphasis is on functionality rather than aesthetics, although many would argue that the minimalistic design is more aesthetically appealing than many alternatives.

The biggest draw for many will be the fact that this cleanser contains no mineral oils.  A plus point indeed!  Mineral oil is one of the world’s cheapest substances and is a cause of skin irritation and dryness for many.  I’ve moaned previously how one of the most expensive cleansing oils in my bathroom cabinet is full of mineral oils, to see that MUJI (with such a low price point) has taken the care to avoid such fillers, impresses me.

So what does it contain?

Well, the most active ingredient is Hydrogenated Polyisobutene which from my (very limited) research (thank heavens for Google) appears to be a far more sensible alternative to mineral oil. It’s colourless, odourless and tasteless. Non comedogenic, non-irritant, non-toxic, emulsifies in water and is also used in many emolliating products for it’s hydrating qualities. This is all sounds good to me. The other less active (but more recognisable) ingredients include olive oil, jojoba oil, peach leaf extract and orange flower water. Unfortunately, it’s one of the (few) products in the range that does contain parabens, so if that’s something you’re trying to avoid, the MUJI Cleansing Oil won’t be for you.

It’s a light feeling oil, practically colourless and certainly odourless.  Two pumps is plenty to cleanse a heavily made up face.  The oil spreads smoothly over my skin thanks to a fairly thin texture, dissolving my foundation as it goes.  It’s easily as good at removing all powders and lipsticks as any I’ve tried… mascara takes a touch more work, massaging it gently into my lashline does the job after a little while.

The first couple of times I used the MUJI Cleansing Oil, I did feel a little bit of eye-irritation which was very disappointing.  I experienced a slight sting and eye cloudiness as I was cleansing, which although didn’t last longer than a couple of minutes, left me feeling thoroughly disappointed.  However, it’s important that I state that I haven’t experienced any irritations since those first few days of using.  I can’t explain what caused them, perhaps my eyes were suffering from some irritation already without my knowledge.  It’s something I want to make you aware of incase you have particularly sensitive eyes.

The product emulsifies nicely in warm water, though not completely… I need to follow this up with a cleanser (which I always do anyway) and there’s only ever been one cleansing oil that I would happily use without double cleansing (and I must review it soon!).

This is also one of the least drying cleansing oils I own aswell.  For the price and availability in this country, I’d put this in my top five cleansing oils quite happily.

MUJI Cleansing Oil is available in store and online from MUJI.  It’s priced at £9.95 and quite frankly, is a jolly good buy.