Philip Kingsley* Elasticizer

I've started to get myself into a really good hair routine and have been really encouraging healthy shiny hair with the help of masks and treatments. I do dye my hair and use styling tools on my hair so it's important I look after it and keep it healthy and hydrated.
Philip Kingsley has a great product for dry/damaged hair, I've never used a product like this before and seriously noticed a difference from the first treatment. I can't believe I've not read about this more on blogs because this geninuely deserves a RAVE review so I'm going to give it one. I was lucky to receive this as a gift and am so glad I did.

 

So what's so special then I hear you say?? WELL this was originally created for the very glamorous Audrey Hepburn, so no wonder this is an award wining product. This is a pre shampoo intensive treatment which is extremely moisturizing and delivers elasticity, bounce and shine to hair.
Included with the product is a very fetching hair cap which you can pop on when you are letting the treatment process. I've find this really helpful and has saved me on rolls of clingfilm ha ha!
Elasticizer is a little pricey costing £25.50 for 150ml I did find it on QVC for £22.50 so thats a few pennies saved. I think if you shop around you could probably find a good deal.

For best results you should use this regulary and part of your normal hair routine however you must NOT use Elasticizer for THREE days before and THREE days after chemical processing. This is because of the hair follicles. You need to dampen your hair and apply the elasticizer in sections and work the product into the hair whilst applying then pop on your hair cap and wait for 20-30 minutes. Rinse well and then proceed with your normal shampoo and conditioner routine. The consistency is thick but very lightweight, now I know that probably sounds funny but it's true.

Philip Kingsley recommends the following:
When to Use on Unprocessed hair
- For Fine & Medium Textured hair, use once or twice a month
- For Coarse, Wavy, Curly or Frizzy hair, use once a week When to Use on Processed hair
- For Fine & Medium Textured hair, use once a week
- For Coarse, Wavy, Curly or Frizzy hair, use twice a week
 

 I found this quick video showing you how quick and easy it is to use...

Have you heard of this product before or tried it? 

If not then you HAVE to it's amazing.

Elizabeth Arden Intervene Skincare

Today I have a great review of the lovely Intervene skincare range by Elizabeth Arden. Whenever I read or hear about Elizabeth Arden I automatically think of their miracle cream Eight Hour Cream which I've tried before but not for many years. They have such an amazing range now of their famous eight hour cream, have you tried this amazing product? I have super dry feet and think this would really work wonders on them.

The Intervene skincare range is perfect for me because it's aimed at women ages 25-39 which addresses the first signs of ageing whilst helping to maintain that youthful glow we all strive to achieve. The magical ingredient which is found in the Intervene range is their innovative natural Biodormin technology that boost's the skin natural defenses. I've been trying most of the range and wanted to share my thoughts with you on the day & night cream and the daily lotion.

Intervene Radiance Boosting Moisture Cream SPF15 £44

I love the scent of the range and the day cream smells lush, because my skin is often normal-dry I enjoy a good rich cream which feels like it's really penetrating and hydrating my skin. Lately with the change of seasons my skin has been a little unruly and with my lack of water intake my skin has been looking rather dull. However thanks to using the Intervene skincare I have managed to keep my skin hydrated whilst protected from the harsh environmental factors such as sun, wind and pollution.

 

Elizabeth Arden say-

• Skins appearance is immediately restored for radiant, clear, natural looking glow.
• Helps even skin tone and texture.
• Helps minimise the look of fine lines and combat the appearance of new ones.  
• Provides deep hydration to replenish and revitalise so skin stays younger looking longer.

Intervene Daily Moisture Lotion SPF15 Oil Free £31

I don't normally use lotions because I find I always need something extra but recently if I've been using a skin makeup base then I find I don't need such a rich facial moisturiser so this has come in handy! I normally have normal - dry skin but recently my skin has been a little out of sorts and sometimes the Day Cream has been a little rich so I've been using this in conjunction with the day cream and my skin has settled back down now. This is SUPER light so this would be great for you ladies who have Oily skin, plus another added bonus is the SPF15 which is always very much welcomed in my eyes. Especially the fact this line of skincare is for preventing fine lines and helping with the first signs of ageing.

Elizabeth Arden say-

• Helps keep skin soft, smooth and healthy looking all day long with an advanced hydrating system.
• Refines, clarifies and retexturises skin with alpha and beta hydroxy compounds.
• Protects skin with SPF 15 UVA/UVB sunscreen.
• Contains vitamins C and E.
• Calms and soothes even the most sensitive skin with our exclusive botanical complex.

Intervene Stress Recovery Night Cream £44
I love the name of the night cream Stress Recovery! Yes that's exactly what I need, our skin is repairing and working lots to recover from the daily aggressors which we've encountered throughout the day. I like the packaging clean and crisp, both creams come with a plastic protective cover inside which is good. You only need a small amount and the scent of the cream is pleasing and feels good on the skin. My skin use to feel and sometimes look dry and dehydrated but since using this range my skin doesn't have those dehydration lines anymore or look dull.

Elizabeth Arden say-

• Works continuously throughout the night to help skin recover from daytime assaults and defend against the visible effects of stress on the skin.

• Wake up to skin that looks younger, relaxed, revitalised and radiant.

Overall I've found the Intervene range to be a really great addition to my skincare regime, my skin has really benefited from using the products and now is no longer dry or dehydrated but glowing and supple. Whilst I still have tiny blemishes and my forehead feels a little bumpy but my skin over all is looking good and healthy. I really believe in good skincare and think your makeup will look great on good skin, but if your skin is bad then it doesn't matter how much makeup you plaster on your skin will always come through.

If you are thinking about anti-ageing and starting a new skincare regime I would really recommend you try this range. I'm hitting the big 30 next year and so I'm really taking my skincare routine seriously and am enjoying my skincare regime and the results I am seeing. How much do you pay for good skincare?

I have a review coming soon of more of the Intervene range so keep an eye out!

Thanks for reading, does this range appeal to you? 
  

*Press samples*

Everyday Eye Look Using BM Beauty

I've been using a new mineral eyeshadow for the past few days and love it! I haven't used mineral makeup for months and have now fallen back in love with mineral shadows. I love how you can build the depth and create the look you want whether it soft and subtle or deep and intense.
I had the chance to try a product from the New BM Beauty range which is in fact created by former pussy Cat Doll Kimberley Watt and Laura McComiskie. They wanted to create a brand which was cruelty free and has the stamped approval by the BUAV and PETA. The range is also free from parabens, fragrances, synthetic dyes and lots of other nasties. You could say this brand is very pure and natural and suitable for everyone which is great.

I had a look through the range and found it hard to pick but thought I would pick an eyeshadow which was on trend but also could be used in various ways. I decided to try Mississippi Mud which is a matte brown shadow, I find the best way of applying mineral shadow is by patting the shadow onto the lid. You can really build the shadow and even use this with a little water to create an eyeliner. I decided to use this all over the lid building the colour till I was happy and then gently smoked it out into the crease and under the lashes.

Here is the finished look I created...

I wanted to show you how different your eyes can look with a little highlight under the brow! 

What do you think? I personally love this shadow and think this is a great all rounder which everyone should have in their collection. It's a stunning shade which can be used on it's own like I've done or you could use this as a base for your other brown/dark shadows. The prices are also reasonable and affordable, the eye shadow costs £7 which is god value considering how long this will last, you can view the range here.

What would you try from the BM Beauty range? 

Thanks for reading :)

Help: Clear Skin Guest Review

Hello peeps! I had a little bit of a worry about my blog and not being able to blog which was a little daunting for me ha ha! The thing is my blog is my baby and a lot of tender loving care goes into it so when I thought I couldn't blog it was scary. However everything is restored and all is OK.

I have a great guest review for you lovely lot from the gorgeous Nicoletta, if you don't already follow her amazing blog then I suggest you take a peak and follow.

Anyone who suffers with regular spots and blemishes knows how difficult it can be to find products that suit their skin type. I have always known that diet affects my skin condition probably more so than any other factor so when the lovely Sherrie asked me if I'd like to review the Clear Skin system I jumped at the chance.

Clear Skin is made by Works With Water and comes in the form of a white powder that you mix with either food or liquid and consume twice a day. Made with 100% natural ingredients including Praventin which is a clinically proven bio active protein and rich in lactoferrin, which has been shown to reduce the development of the bacteria responsible for many skin impurities, helping to prevent the formation of blemishes due to its antimicrobial effects.

I found them very easy to take as you can add them to virtually anything, most of the time I just sprinkled them into a glass of orange squash as I just found it easiest. The powder mixes in well and I found it had a slightly sweet taste to it but nothing too noticeable. I also tried them mixed into cereal and yoghurt's.

I took them twice a day for 5 weeks and it took about 3 weeks before I started to notice a difference but my skin definitely improved. I noticed that I was having clearer skin and although I still had the odd pimple I didn't get any big spots.

My skin is usually very temperamental and I often get lumps under the skin around my chin area which gets quite sore and I'm pleased to say that since taking this product I have not had any at all.

After the first 5 weeks I have to say that I didn't keep up with the sachets twice a day, I was a bit hit and miss. (Nothing to do with not wanting to take them I just kept forgetting) But I'm pleased to say that even without taking the full maximum dose my skin is looking really good. I've been averaging about 7 sachets a week so that's half the recommended dose.

Photo makeup free

The sachets are available from the website and cost £9.99 for a week's supply but at the moment they are on special offer for buy one get one free, so if you are considering trying this then it's a really good deal.

I'm really pleased with the results and if you suffer with breakouts then I'd highly recommend giving this a go. Combined with a good skincare routine you can fight the blemishes both internally and externally so it's a double whammy.

Thank you so much Sherrie & Works with Water for giving me the opportunity to try this brilliant treatment xx.

Thank you Nicoletta for a great review and I'm sure you'll all agree with me when I say Nicoletta's skin looks so clear and glowing! I wish my skin looked this good.

Thanks for reading have you tried these?

Would you like Clear Skin?

Montagne Jeunesse For Men

Montagne Jeunesse have recently launched a new range of natural grooming products for men. All Montagne Jeunesse products are suitable for vegetarians and use natural ingredients so they are super friendly and care not only about us but about the environment and animals which is really great!

The new launch was supported by the Cardiff Blues Rugby team to show that men do actually care about their appearance! You can see behind the scenes footage of the photo shoot below, it's a real good laugh watching it!

The new range consists of 9 new grooming products, I was very kindly sent some of them to show case to you lovely lot. These will make fab stocking fillers so get buying ladies also because they are super cheap at only £1.09 per sachet you can pick up the whole range and give your man a nice treat! I really like the different shaped sachets and the design of the packaging. Also the Montagne Jeunesse website has had a revamp so head over for a nosey.

Morning After Scrub for fresh smooth skin fast with natural charcoal

Dirt & Grime Clean a self warming sauna mask with cinnamon & ginger

Zap Them Peel-Off to clear out blemish prone skin with ginger

Eye Rescue great for puffy eyes & dark circles with sea kelp

Blackhead Mask unclogs pores & clears oil with Liquorice

 

They are currently holding a competition to win The Ultimate Rugby World Cup House Party, to find out more you can pop across to their site here.

You can follow Montagne Jeunesse and keep up to date with their latest products on twitter here and Facebook here, they also have a Montagne Jeunesse For Men Facebook page here 

Which one would you pick up as treat for your man?

Products Pre*Loved Wk 2

It's now week 2 of my Products Pre*Loved series, I had a good look through my stash and found a few products which I'm loving and wanted to share them with you.

e.l.f Mineral Eye shadow (Natural)

Mac Chromagraphic Pencil NW25

Mac MSF Semi- Precious collection (Rose Quartz)

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker (Pink Apricot)

Jemma Kidd Foundation brush

This is actually from Jemma Kidd's old brush range,  I bought this half price over a year ago and loved it when I first bought it then once my e.l.f brushes came along this got made redundant but have found a new use for this brush. I've been using this brush to apply the e.l.f mineral eyeshadow as a highlighter on my cheekbones. I find the small brush is great for this job!

Excuse my messy brows, they need sorting out!

Rose Quartz is beautiful and gives such a rosy glow to the cheeks, I need to use this more because it's truly stunning! The problem is like most Mac addicts a new collection comes out and I get sucked in and never really get to properly use the products which is a shame. That's why I'm so glad I'm doing these series of posts so I get to use all the makeup I once loved again!

This is my second S&G Sexy Mother Pucker lip gloss and love them! I got this with the Christmas set last year and can't believe I haven't tried this until now! The scent reminds me of Palmers cocoa butter which I love! Have you tried these glosses??

Mac Chromagraphic Pencil in NW25 is a great flesh pencil for waterline and brightens the eye are, this is great if you're looking tired and want brightening up. I loved this pencil when I first bought it and now have fallen back in love with it again!

I love it when a product can be used in a number of ways, I really recommend you try the e.l.f Mineral eyeshadow in Natural. They also have a few other shades which would also work as a highlighter!

I hope you enjoyed this weeks Pre*Loved products.

Why don't you go shopping in your own stash and the best bit about it... you don't need to spend a penny!!!

* All the prodcucts above were bought with my every own pennies!*

COWSHED Wild Cow Body Lotion

The evenings are drawing in and so the mornings are getting darker and more miserable with the typical British weather! I'm already starting to struggle waking up and getting up in the morning. I was sorting through my body lotions and found this and totally forgot I had it, I did get this free with a magazine but can't for the life of me remember which magazine it was. 

 The striking packaging caught my eye and interest, I really like the black bold fern image on the bottle. I had a look at Cowshed online because this is the first product I've ever tried from them before and was interested to learn more about their products. The body lotion is from their Wild Cow range which invigorates and revitalises your body & mood. They have another 5 signature scents for all different moods. I really like there Which Mood? feature where you answer 3 questions to determine your mood. I just did mine and I'm Knackered Cow! How funny is that? I love it!

I've been really impressed with the body lotion and can only imagine the other products in the range to also be great. They have body washes, bath oil, room candles, room diffusers and relaxing soap.

Have you tried any products from COWSHED? What would you try?

The body lotion is packed with great ingredients such as lemongrass, ginger and rosemary. If you are looking for a new body lotion and need that wake up call in the morning then I really recommend you give this one a go. I really like the COWSHED packaging and think they would be great for Christmas presents.

Thanks for reading! 

What body lotions are you currently using?

Rituals Eye Products

I've been using 2 new products by the brand Rituals, their Awareness refreshing eye lotion and their lighten up under eye concealer which targets dark circles. I've been using both of these products for a few weeks now and feel I can give you an honest review of them both. 

Refreshing Eye Lotion-Awareness I've been using the eye lotion day and night for 4 weeks now and feel my area hasn't changed dramatically but it feels and looks brighter and hydrated. Which of course is still great news. The texture of the lotion is very light and absorbs really easily into the eye area. Also another good thing about the formula and texture is the cooling sensation it gives, this is great for puffiness or bags under the eyes. If I'm totally honest I don't think there is ANY eye cream which will rid my dark circles far away! I believe my dark circles are down to my nutrition and lifestyle, if anyone knows anything about what foods/vitamins are good for dark circles please let me know!! The eye lotion retails at £22.90 which is a reasonable price to pay for an eye cream I think, especially one which targets dark circles.

 

Lighten- Up eye concealer has been very impressive, from the first application I saw a difference and it wasn't till I saw these before and after photos did I really see how good this product is. There are 3 shades available and I have shade 2 which is perfect for my skin tone. I always have that bluey/purple tinge to my under eye area and unless I have a good coverage foundation on I always need to use a concealer. Lighten-Up contains Amethyst and an SPF 10 which is great because we want to protect our eye area from UV rays.

The packaging is nice and easy to use, you simply twist the base to release the product. I did find that I was twisting for what seemed ages before any product came through but it was worth the wait once I saw the results. The texture is not as heavy as I would normally go for but this does the job fine and as you can see, my dark circles are covered well. I like the brush tip applicator and find this is great to carry around with you if you need a touch up during the day if you're looking tired.

Can you see the difference? This is a great under eye concealer and for the price £14.90 I think this is great value.

Have you tried Rituals before?

What do you think of my before and after photos, impressed?

Products Pre*Loved Wk1

I recently felt a little overwhelmed at the amount of products I actually own especially makeup and body products! I love finding products which I once loved then stored them away and forgot about them, I found 2 products which I used together and loved the effect. I've decided that I need to use my makeup which I already own and so have decided to do a series of posts which show you products which I'm pre*loving.
Each week I'm going to nosey through my stash and find at least 3 products which I haven't used for yonks and try to use them again. This isn't going to be a like project 10-pan, this is for me to re-familiarise myself with my makeup and you never know chances are I will find products which work well with other products which I have now.
It would be great if any of you would like to join in and also do something similar and do a weekly post showing what pre*loved products you have found.

So without further a do I would like you to meet this weeks Pre*Loved products...

Mac Highland Honey Blusher
Mac Semi-Precious Pearl MSF
Mac 168 Brush
Blistex Relief Cream
Rimmel Airy Fairy
*Prestige Lipliner current love which works so well with Airy Fairy*

Macs My Highland Honey came out with the Tartan Tale collection last winter and I was very lucky to get a few bits from the collection for my birthday. My Highland Honey is a stunning satin blush which gives such a warmth feel to the skin. I would best describe this as a peachy-orange toned blush with s slight satin finish, because I'm so pale at the moment I have to be gentle with this blush without looking like I've been Tango-ed ha ha!!
As for Mac Semi-Precious Pearl this is absolutely stunning and I love it so much I can't believe I don't use this more often! I've been using My Highland Honey on the cheeks softly and then using Pearl over the top, these both compliment one another so well. Plus I've fallen back in love with my Mac 168 brush, this brush believe it or not is like 10 yrs old it was my first ever makeup brush and it's still going strong now! It's my only Mac brush.

 My lips have started to get chapped and sore already so I hunted down my trusty Blistex and have used this loads lately. This is also great to use as a base for your lipsticks and liner, my lips feel so soft and supple and my lippie lasts much longer.

I remember reading about this lipstick and all the hype last year and knew I had to have it, unfortunatley this is not available to buy in the UK which is so annoying when companies do that. You would think a big brand like Rimmel would make really popular shades available everywhere. I managed to find someone in the US who kindly sent this over to me, I loved it the shade and scent right away. I took swatches of Airy Fairy and Silk lipliner so you can see how well they match.

Heres a quick pic of the products, please excuse my messy hair and messy eyebrows!

I REALLY hope you enjoyed this post and I really want to do this once a week and would love for you to join in. So I TAG everyone to join in and do a series of these blog posts each week for aslong as you like. Check back next week to see Products Pre*Loved Wk 2.

Have a great day!

All these products mentioned above where purchased with my own pennies!