Monthly Archives: October 2017

That peeling face mask…

Posted in Beauty, Body, Skincare by

Oh face masks… is there anything that screams being pampered more than a lush face mask accompanied by a fluffy dressing gown?

BLAQ mask (£14) is a peel-off facial mask with activated charcoal to target toxins and draw out impurities.

I must admit I’ve been a bit scared of peel-off black face masks as so many people seem to have had some asphalt mix that set on their faces, was damn hard to peel and took a layer of their epidermis off when finally pulled out, leaving them with that newborn panda look.

But when I got my hands on this, I could not resist and I am glad I didn’t.

After cleansing and using a warm cloth to open pores, I applied an even layer of the mask avoiding hairline, eyebrows, lips and eye area.

I waited around 15 minutes and I went off to peel the shiny layer of face mask that was set like plastic on my face.

Laugh away:

I found a little spot to grab on to and started. It did come off quite easily, and although I could feel the pull, it wasn’t aggressive on the skin, but there was a little bit of redness.

After a few minutes, my skin felt super soft, clearer, calmer; blackheads were pulled out.

Together with the face mask, I also got the BLAQ Hydrogel Eye Masks (£22), which I have to say, I’ve been very excited about.

The slug like patches come in a solution and are extremely soothing and cooling upon application.

After 15 minutes they easily come off and the area felt de-puffed and had a glow, brighter and tighter. Sounds a load of rubbish, but I did noticed a visible change.

It contains glycerin, witch hazel extract, bamboo charcoal, Irish moss powder (0.1%), konjac fibre, algin and citric acid.

Finally, the BLAQ Meteor Shower scrub (£19.95). I mean, just to start with: pretty. It fells lovely on the skin, and really exfoliates, leaving it soft, shimmery and glowy. It is perfect to prep for tanning!

I find it quite sweet that you can “track” the origin of the meteorites used on your scrub. Each pack has a number, here’s mine:

It contains sea salt flakes, meteorite powder, mica, activated charcoal, soybean oil, sugar and olive fruit oil. The meteorite powder as found in the scrub is 100% biodegradable; the scrub has no preservatives or additives, and BLAQ does not test on animals!

You can get them all at blaq.co.

written by Dani

You know the drill, but I’ll say anyway: this post contains PR samples. This review, however, is based on my experience with the product and reflects my honest opinion on them.

British natural skincare

Posted in Beauty, Skincare by

Often I go on about the joys of discovering new beauty brands and when Evolve Organic Beauty popped in I was delighted to give a go.

And not just because I didn’t know them before; the fact they are natural and hand made in the UK with organic ingredients is a massive bonus. They also got me by sending all time favourite skincare: facial mist and eye serum.

The Daily Defence Moisture Mist contains prickly pear, known for its calming, firming and protecting properties, African moringa, which has skin protectant peptides, skincare sweetheart and water holding hyaluronic acid for extra hydration. all laced with gorgeous orange flower and rose water for a delightful fragrance.

I love applying in clean skin, under it over makeup for a quick burst of hydration and freshness. Kept in the fridge it’s an even better treat! Mine was made by Leanne and is 99.4% natural and 20.5% organic.

The dinky roll on Hyaluronic Eye Complex is still a little secret waiting to be told. It’s ever so light and perfect to keep the round the eyes area well moisturised during the day!

It contains active botanical cells, hyaluronic acid and is 99% natural and 34% organic. It was made by Freya and should be available early 2018.

As a(nother) bonus, I got a very special edition Tranquility Essence, which is great as a little tool to aid mindful breathing, with lavender, cedarwood, bergamot, mandarin and grapefruit oils, blended by Laura and made by Grace.

If anything, the should have a little less alcohol in the formulation (it’s not an issue for me but I see many having one).

Evolve has a great range of natural products, with some organic ingredients, all lovingly made in Hertfordshire, UK. I love the fact the gave the name of the person who made it on the label and their prices are really good – well worth checking out (Miracle facial oil at £30, I’m looking at you).

The Daily Defence Moisture Mist costs £20 for 100ml and can be bought at evolvebeauty.co.uk.

written by Dani

You know the drill, but I’ll say anyway: this post contains some PR samples. This review, however, is based on my experience with the product and reflects my honest opinion on them.

Leathery nails

Posted in Beauty, nails by

There was a time in my life I was all about the nail art. Not elaborate drawings, but details and ombrés were my favourites.

Fast forward and I am now all about the plain colours and when they come with a differential, I’m all for it.

Meet the essie leathers collection, created by their colour designer Rebecca Minkoff, and inspired by her best selling leather handbag colours.

There are six amazing shades and they come in two sets of minis: one with very autumnal, deep colours and one with winter bright pastels, all reworked.

The finish is not glossy, but not totally matte, with a discreet metallic sheen. Some shades even have a slight texture that can barely be seen.

My favourite has to be the super pale grey lilac Push The Envelope. It’s super versatile, so close to white with a silver glimmer but not harsh. And easy to apply. Love.

The greens are divine – be it minty turquoise Bucket List or viridian Back in the Saddle.

Then there is the lavender shining mauve Cross-Body Heat, blood red Tote-ally In Love and indigo blue In Hot Purse-uit.

I used them without a topcoat (not to spoil the finish) and durability was way better than I expected – a week, no chips.

You will all know how much I love essie nail polishes: the formula, the fabulous brush, the great colours, limited edition collections and even the quirky names, so no surprise I have used each polish for a whole week!

They are available only until the 24th October at Boots for £12.99 a set (3x5ml), so hurry if you fancy a bit of leathery love on your talons!

written by Dani

You know the drill, but I’ll say anyway: this post contains some PR samples. This review, however, is based on my experience with the product and reflects my honest opinion on them.

Plant-powered skincare

Posted in Beauty by

I always say there’s nothing more exciting than discovering new brands and products. And when those come in the form of an extensive range powered by plants, I’m sold.

Botanics is a brand I often spotted at Boots but never actually looked into. Lucky I was invited to one of their events to find out more about the range.

Botanics has five ranges catering for specific skin concerns and you can build a routine according to your needs, mixing and matching.

The Organic range has rosehip as its main ingredient, All Bright has hibiscus, Hydration Burst has clary sage, Radiant Youth has gingko and Triple Age Renewal, purple orchid.

All main ingredients are sustainably sourced and their efficiency checked by Kew Gardens in London, so you know they are the finest grade available and can work their wonder.

For me, the absolute hero product is the All Bright Radiance Balm (£7.99, 50ml). I have been using it pretty much every day under my makeup.

It has the most subtle of pearlescence and is a fantastic addition to the make up routine making a beautiful base that delivers a glow that seems to radiate from inside the skin.

Used with the SPF 15 Hydration Burst Day Lotion (£8.99, 50ml, with clary sage from Spain) and the All Bright Hydrating Night Cream (£6.99 for 50ml), it really works as a boost to skin overall appearance.

The hibiscus flower extract, present in all All Bright range, is a natural exfoliator thus being radiance and glow inducing. The flowers are sustainably hand-picked in Burkina Faso, West Africa.

I mentioned I love a good facial scrub and the Radiant Youth Microdermabrasion polish (£9.99, 120ml) has fine, volcanic rock (pumice) offering great microdermabrasion without being too aggressive and drying.

A delight to get deep into pores, it scrubs away dead skin and contributes to overall skin texture. Skin is smooth and polished after used. A great one to keep and use in the shower.

Now, I’m a sucker for facial mists and the Organic Rosewater Toning Spritz (£7.99, 150m) is just lovely. It refreshes, soothes and calms skin. I love keeping my mists on the fridge; in the summer it’s an extra treat but as the season changes it is still going strong!

I also have a thing for eye creams and I tried two from Botanics: the All Bright Refreshing Eye Roll-on (£8.99, 15ml), which is applied with a metal sphere and is super light, almost water like, and refreshing; perfect for day.

The Radiant Youth Hydrating eye cream (£11.99, 15ml) is great for the night. It is slightly thicker than my preferred consistency, but quickly absorbed and does not upset my sensitive eyes. It contains gingko sourced from the Mu Shan reserve in China.

Of course, no routine is complete without a facial oil (well, at least for me) and the Botanics Facial Oil 100% Organic (£11.49, 25ml), encapsulates the brand name as it’s packed with botanical extracts, a rich blend including of rosehip from the Andes, sweet almond, bergamot and lemon peel oils.

In the summer, I use oils on their own at nigh, sometimes a couple of times a week. In the winter I usually use it in addition to my light moisturisers or serum. This one feels a little bit heavier, so it’s either alone or with a serum for me.

As you can see, they are great products I loved using at a fantastic price point – I mean, organic facial oil for £11.49?

You can read all about the ingredients and explore all the ranges at the Boots website.

written by Dani

You know the drill, but I’ll say anyway: this post contains some PR samples. This review, however, is based on my experience with the product and reflects my honest opinion on them.

#MyFaceMyRules

Posted in Beauty, Make Up by

Oh, Sleek. I’ve been a fan for a while but now you just stole a piece of my heart for good with the launch of the #MyFaceMyRules campaign, together with the charity Ditch the Label, which fights bullying worldwide.

With a huge 75% of people thinking women look better with no makeup*, there is no wonder makeup shaming is a real thing. Having suffered from acne for way too long an relying on makeup to make my face look closer to how I felt inside (read pretty, confident, glowy and pain free), I have heard all sorts.

And if I hadn’t said it clearly enough: No, I am not hiding behind a “mask”. No, I am not doing it for men. No, I don’t need attention. No, I don’t dislike the way I look. No, not a whore. Or a clown. And no, I don’t have too much time in my hands. Thanks.

Sleek is supporting my statements. MyFace. My Rules does what it says on the tin: it’s MY face, I will make it up as I want. And for whatever reason I want, for that matter.

Here’s the strong campaign video which stars real Sleep Makeup customers and sums up how I feel:

At the campaign launch, the Lifeproof foundation also came into play. Now, I am quite particular when it comes to foundation so I am always nervous when a brand I like a lot comes up with a new one. What if I don’t like it?

I can assure this is not the case here. This is a generous medium coverage foundation which is highly buildable into full.

It is sweat proof, oil free and has soft focus elements for a great finish which is not dewy or matte – it feels super natural, a little goes a long way and it certainly lives up to its “life proof” name.

It comes in 24 shades and you can find out yours online. It costs an amazing £ 8.99 (30ml) but at the moment there a promotion on the Sleek site, for only £7. Bargain!

I’ve also been using the Hydrating Primer, which is super lightweight with a moisture-rich formula. The foundation glides well and fells great! It costs £7.99 (20ml) and is the perfect base for the Lifeproof foundation!

written by Dani

*Survey conducted by Ditch the Label and Sleek Makeup. You can see the full Makeup Shaming: the data behind the trend report here.

There is also a Sleek Makeup customer survey on YouTube that I can totally relate to.

You know the drill, but I’ll say anyway: this post contains PR samples. This review, however, is based on my experience with the product and reflects my honest opinion on them.

So I did *some* cooking…

Posted in food, Lifestyle by

By the headline you’d think I cannot cook to save my life. That is not entirely true. I might not be the most enthusiastic cook but when I am feeling it I can really deliver. Fact.

I had never tried Flora Freedom before, and when I received my hamper and found out about the new flavours – avocado & lime, coconut & almond and walnut –  and the recipes created by Benjamina Ebuehi using the spreads, I was ready to give a go.

Flora Freedom is a dairy free range of spreads, also free from artificial preservatives, colours and flavours and certified by the Vegan Society. The spreads can be used for cooking, baking and of course, spreading. They have 45-60% less fat than butter and 100% of the oils used come from plants.

Obviously, I was immediately drawn to the Avocado oil and Lime flavour and it quickly became my go to bread spread for my usual breakfast of avocados and boiled egg.

Also great for cooking omelettes or adding garlic, chopped herbs or black pepper for a special spread. I like with coriander.

I also used it to make one of the recipes, the avocado and lime buckwheat pancakes, which I really liked as they have two options – one vegetarian and one for the meat eaters.

I went for the veggie one and if you want, you can try them using the recipe below – it’s pretty easy!

Avocado & Lime Buckwheat Pancakes

  • Servings: 4 (2 pancakes each)
  • Preparation time: 15 minutes
  • Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

300ml semi skimmed milk, 55g wholemeal flour, 55g buckwheat flour, 1 egg, 25 g Flora Freedom Avocado & Lime, melted

Filling

Cooked beetroot (diced), 50g goats cheese (sliced), 1 avocado (sliced).

Or

2 avocados (sliced), 4 rashers bacon, 175g cherry tomatoes (halved), handful coriander (chopped).

Preparation

  1. For the batter: place flours in a mixing bowl, add egg and gradually whisk in milk, beating well. Stir in a teaspoon of the melted Flora.
  2. Heat a little of the remaining Flora in a frying pan and pour in a little batter, tip pan to spread. Cook until underside is golden brown and then cook other side.  Repeat until all batter is used.
  3. Divide your chosen filling between the pancakes and fold or roll.

I was, actually, very surprised at the coconut & almond one, it’s delicious on toast! It is the perfect spread for sweeter breads, and Benjamina suggests it on shortbread, in the topping of fruit crumble or – my favourite option – melted to make homemade granola.

The walnut flavour is nutty and great for shortcrust pastry, cheese biscuits and cake icing!

I have to say that overall, I was quite impressed with the flavours in the range, even alone as spreads. I don’t have any dietary requirements, but feel they are not a “tasteless” options to satisfy a special diet, but tasty for every day use.

You might find the coconut one very pale, but it is some proof that no artificial colours have been used!

Each 225g Flora Freeedom Dairy Free tub retails for £1.50 (RRP). There are tons of free recipes on flora.com

written by Dani

You know the drill, but I’ll say anyway: this post contains PR samples. This review, however, is based on my experience with the product and reflects my honest opinion on them.