Botanics

A Few Empties

- Vicki 6 Comments

Empties

Avon Advance Techniques 360 Nourishment Moroccan Argan Oil Mask – This mask left my hair very soft & glossy. It was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. Its 150ml and lasted me for 7 months using it once a week, I left it in for a good 30mins and found that worked well. I have the Hair Oil from this range too and love that. I would re purchase this.

L’Oreal Gentle Eye Makeup Remover – I liked this but I used it up very quickly. I bought it when it was on offer for £2 so that was quite a bargain. It is good removing mascara, I’m not sure about waterproof mascara as I don’t wear it. I think I prefer my Garnier one & will stick to that.

VO5 Miracle Concentrate Elixir With Argan Oil – This was the first hair oil I used and I have re purchased it a few times now. You only need a little and the pipet dispenser makes it very easy to get just the right amount of product. This is good at taming fly away hairs and keeping your hair in tip top condition. I have dark brown hair & it looked glossy and healthy after using this.

Giorgio Armani Si* – I have a post about this perfume here. It is safe to say it was beautiful and was the first Armani perfume I tried. It won’t be the last and I loved using this.

Empties

Avon Solutions Truly Radiant Vibes Brightening Eye Roller – This felt nice and cooling in the mornings. I used it before i applied my eye cream. I don’t think it was very effective at brightening but it did feel quite hydrating. I wouldn’t repurchase this.

Botanics Skin Relief Ultra Calm Serum – This was a nice serum, I only used it in the morning. I think my skin may be a little old for this. It was calming but I need something which has more hydration and anti ageing properties. This would be more suited to people in their early 20’s.

Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate – I also have the full size of this and really like it. I use it at night & when I wake up my skin looks well rested and plump. If you have dry patches this will see them off within a week. It feels quite oily and a little greasy when you first apply it but don’t worry it will absorb very quickly. 2 – 3 drops is plenty for your face and neck. I always have a bottle of this and I will be saving this mini bottle to decant some in to when I travel.

Wet n Wild Mega Protein Mascara – Wasn’t a fan of this at all. I thought it was watery and it ended up on my eyelids as the day went on. It also smells a little odd too, not pleasant.

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer – I think I am the only blogger that isn’t in love with this concealer. It ends up looking cakey and heavy on me. I can never get it to work. I think the Rimmel Wake Me Up & Seventeen Phwoarrr Paint works better. I won’t be repurchasing this.

Bath & Body Works Island Nectar Hand Sanitiser – This smelt like cocktails and holidays. I have more in my stash & this makes me happy.

I know it’s not quite the end of the month, but I’m moving house in a couple of weeks & my husband keeps threatening to bin my empties so I thought I’d do the post a little early. Let me know if you have tried any of the products I’ve used up.

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.

Five Skincare Favourites Jan 2014

- Vicki 16 Comments

Skincare

Soap & Glory Pulp Friction – One of my favourite Scrubs, I love how smooth this leaves my skin, I use this mostly on my legs and they always feel silky smooth. I like the packaging of this as it’s easy to squeeze out in the shower, I like it more than a tub. I find it cleaner and more hygienic.

Botanics Radiant Youth Microdermabrasion Polish – This is a thick almost paste like product with very small exfoliating scrubby beads in. I use this once a week so remove dead skin and keep my skin feeling and looking bright and healthy. I bought this on a whim and have been pleasantly surprised. This 125ml tube is lasting forever.

Nuxe Gentle Exfoliating Gel* – This is one of the most gentle (as the name suggests) exfoliators I have used. I like to use this in the morning once or twice a week as it leaves my skin feeling unbelievably soft and healthy looking. After use it feels like I’ve used a moisturiser its that soft & smooth. The exfoliants are 100% botanical & are made up of Extracts of Lychee Seed, Nutshell Powder, they are quite fine but do a good job at removing dead skin. This is perfect at keeping the skin looking healthy and fresh. You have to try it.

balance Me Super Toning Body Wash – This is a real grown up shower gel and I love it. I have spoke about it before, but it leaves my skin so soft and hydrated. I normally go through shower gel so fast but this lasts me a good amount of time, I don’t feel the need to use loads of product, as a small about does the job. I do like to use this when I shave my legs as it’s hydrating.

Pixi Glow Tonic – almost all gone (cries). I have loved having this as part of my skincare routine and think it has helped keep my skin brighter and blemish free this winter. This is a great chemical exfoliator with Glycolic Acid. This product breaks down and removes the dead skin to keep your skin looking bright and radiant. It is alcohol free which means it doesn’t dry your skin out. This bottle has lasted me since May & I use almost daily. I saw they have changed the packaging, not a fan of the new bottle, I love the pump on mine as I get just enough product with 2 pumps and nothing it wasted. I’m going to clean out this bottle and reuse it.

I’m very happy that you’re able to buy the Pixi Glow Tonic online now – although it’s not in stock very often. I suggest that when its available you stock up. I know I will be.

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.

Put on Your Mask

- Vicki 6 Comments

Face Mask

I don’t have a huge collection of Face masks and looking at this photo I seem to have a few similar ones. These are what I am using at them moment and the only one that is a repurchase is the Origins Drink Up Intensive.

Face Mask

First up is the Boots Botanics Ionic Clay Mask £6.99 – This was in my stocking at Christmas and I’ve only used it a couple of times. Not because I don’t like it but because I seem to have a few Clay Masks at the moment. I tend to use this if I need my makeup to last all day. So I use this the night before as it helps keep my skin less greasy and as it says in the tube keeps the shine away. This is a really thick mask that you allow to dry and I then wash it off with a flannel. It seems to do the job and I am a huge fan of these Clay Masks. If you have combination or oily skin then I would recommend this.

I have two Avon Mask’s in my collection, first up is the Pore Penetrating Clay Mask £6.95 this is the second Clay Mask in my collection. This isn’t as thick as the Botanics one but it really helps keep my skin breakout free. I leave it on for 10 – 15 mins and it dries quite tight on the face. I find this to be a really gentle mask and it leaves my skin feeling soft and clean. Next up is the Blackhead Clearing Deep Treatment Mask £4.95 I picked this up for my husband as I tend not to suffer too greatly from Blackheads. Once in a while I will use this just on my nose and chin to keep them at bay and help clean our my pores. It’s a fab mask and as I only use it on those two areas this tube is going to last me ages.

Origins Face Mask

The dynamic duo – I picked these up from The Cosmetics Company Outlet Store it was £17.75 for them both and I have been using them every week for about 3 months and they’re both still going strong. The Origins Clear Improvement Mask is my third Clay Mask. Are you noticing a trend?! This works wonders to keep my complexion clear and also combat excess oil. I only use this once a week and can say it really does keep my pores clear. I also cut out dairy last november so that could also have something to do with it. I leave this mask on for about 20 minutes and wash it off with a warm flannel. I highly recommend this if you suffer from breakouts.

The Origins Drink Me Up Intensive Overnight Mask is my second favourite Mask. I adore this. I look forward to using it and have to stop myself using it too often. I tend to use this if I have had a late night or feel run down. I take my makeup off and put a generous amount of this on. I massage a small amount on first leave that for 10 minutes and pop some more on. You leave it on your face all night smelling nothing less than AMAZING. I wake up to plump, hydrated skin that looks really healthy. I tell everyone how much I love it. I will forever repurchase this. It gives your skin a real intensive boost of hydration and I need that at least once a week

Face MasksUp next is my all time favourite mask. I picked this up whilst in the most beautiful skincare store in Amsterdam. The lovely gentleman in there recommended it too me. I have really sensitive skin on my cheeks and can often be really red esp in the winter and this Aesop Mask is so gentle and hydrating. I LOVE it, it’s my little bit of luxury. This is the Aesop Primrose Facial Cleansing Masque £33 I’ve wrote an in-depth post on it here. I will say that this doesn’t dry out my skin and a little bit goes a long way. I am trying to use it sparingly as it costs £33 – but it smells botanical and calming and leaves my skin feeling smooth, hydrated and like I have pampered it.

Last but not least is a lovely sample that I was sent last year its the Dead Sea Spa Magik Delicate Boosting Mask £7.70. I took this with me to my friend’s wedding a few weekends ago as I wanted something gentle and great for sensitive skin I didn’t want any nasty breakouts as I was a Bridesmaid. This was perfect. It left my skin feeling clean and soft and didn’t irritate my skin at all. It’s a really good price and would recommend it if you have really sensitive skin

Let me know if you use any of the same masks as me. Or if you have any recommendations for oily/ combination skin that is also a little sensitive.

Wipe the day away

- Vicki 2 Comments

Botanics All Bright Cleansing Face Wipes

I’m not one to use wipes on a regular basis – being in my mid 30’s my skin needs all the TLC it can get. So I tend to cleanse properly every night. I quite like the ritual of it. I do use wipes to freshen up during the day esp if I am traveling and unable to wash my face. So I do have a pack of wipes on the go. I’ve tried a fair few brands over the years and like most beauty bloggers I like trying new products.

I picked up some of the newly re branded Botanics Cleansing Face Wipes when they were a 3rd off in Boots. They are fairly cheap and I think when things are pretty cheap you tend not to have too high expectations for them. But I’ve used a few things from this Botanics range both before the re branding and after and there’s some things I really like (their eye makeup remover not being one of them). So I thought these wipes would be quite good.

But I was so wrong. I found them to be really drying and quite scratchy on my skin. If you want them to remove makeup then you will be disappointed as they’re pretty poor at doing that. They claim to remove even waterproof makeup but I find that hard to believe. They might just remove a layer of dirt from your face but that’s about it. They’re not very moist and now I’m only using them to wipe my hands, to freshen them up when I’m on the go. I won’t use them on my face anymore

I will not be repurchasing these. I have a few packets of the No7 ones I purchased using my trusty N07 Vouchers. They always seem to work well for me. What wipes do you use & would recommend?