Category Archives: Skincare

Microdermabrasion at home: the PMD Personal Microderm

Posted in Beauty, Skincare by

pmd_microdermabrasion_review - 3I was a bit nervous about using this product at first. It is a professional grade microdermabrasion device for use at home.

What if skinned my face out? Fear not, the PMD Personal Microderm Microdermabrasion Device device is a joy to use.

For peace of mind, it comes with all the instructions you need. There’s a DVD and plenty of online resources on how it works, how to use properly and make the most of your device, as well as all safety information.

For me, that’s very reassuring and made me want to start using it immediately.

pmd_microdermabrasion_review - 2This device has the vacuum suction and exfoliation action, similar to the ones in the facialists’ equipment.

The exclusive patented spinning disc with aluminum oxide crystals to exfoliate away the dead, dull cells on the surface of the skin. There are four roughness of discs, from training to coarse.

After assembling it with the test head, I turned it on and with sweeping movement, ran though my whole face.

I started with the training disc (white) and after a few days, with my skin taking to the test well, I used the blue disc head and did the same.

pmd_microdermabrasion_review - 1After first use with the new disc, skin felt a tiny bit red, which faded by the morning.

Immediately after application, skin felt very soft and absorbed my skincare products extremely well.

I’ve been using it weekly (with a recent break due to the weather changes and my skin condition) and I love it. I feel overall improvement in texture, tone and pigmentation.

Skin feels smoother, radiant, and my normal product routine seems optimised: less product, quicker absorption, as the dead cells barrier between your skin surface and deeper layers (where you want your skincare to go) is lifted away.

It’s compact, quick and effective, giving you a professional treatment at home. My skin has just normalised after dealing with weather changes and I am straight back on it!

It comes with a few exfoliating discs (they last about 3 uses each) and two different size headers, for larger areas, such as elbows and feet.

The PMD Personal Microderm Microdermabrasion Device costs £139 from Amazon, with free P&P.

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This post contains PR samples. This review, however, is based on my experience with the product and reflects my honest opinion on them.

A BB for blemish-prone skin: New La Roche-Posay Effaclar BB Blur

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larocheposay_effaclar_bbblur_review - 1Many a times I said I’m not a fan of BB creams and other multi-function products.

It’s time I stopped, given that so many proved me wrong last year! The La Roche-Posay BB Blur, although carries another thing I don’t quite like (blur) has once again proved me wrong.

This mousse consistency product, however, is tinted, offering a really great coverage and is light as air.

It applies very well, but doesn’t set too quickly and it has all the Effaclar goodness to care for blemish-prone and sensitive skins. Plus, it has SPF20.

Look is flawless and I can see that blur working hard.

larocheposay_effaclar_bbblur_review - 2Durability wise, it’s not amazing in the long haul (10 hours on a work day), so I wouldn’t say it will replace my foundation, but it’s perfect for less makeup days and speedy makeup. Because it is from the Effaclar range, not only does it make my skin look good, but it’s also looking after my blemish prone skin.

I love wearing it for the gym or hoop classes (where might be photography involved); it hangs in there pretty well and combats shine.

The technology behind it is airlicium, a mattifying ingredient which combats shine and imperfections; perlite, which protects against humidity and has absorbing powers and BB pigments which offer a great colour adapting coverage.

For that, it absorbs oil, blur fine lines and wrinkles, smoothes texture, softens, scatters light for better tone, covers blemishes, blur marks, masks redness, minimises pores and evens out skin.

somanylovelythings - la roche posay effaclar bb blur I must admit that I notice all benefits above, but mainly even tone, a slight radiance and better texture, which is quite amazing, bearing in mind it is one product.

It does come in two colours, Light/Fair and Light/Medium, but sadly not suitable to darker skin tones. The medium is already on the light side for my skin, which is not a very fair shade, but not dark.

A fabulous surprise from a brand that entered So Many Lovely Things recently and is certainly here to stay. La Roche-Posay has opened 2016 with a bang.

The  is now available exclusively at Escentual (at a promotional price of £11), will be sold Boots and pharmacies nationwide from April 2016 and costs £16.50.

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This post contains PR samples. This review, however, is based on my experience with the product and reflects my honest opinion on them.

Fighting adult acne and ageing signs with SkinCeuticals Blemish + Age Defense solution

Posted in Beauty, Skincare by
skinceauticals_belmish_antiage_defense_review - 1Wow, 2016 sees really to be about skincare! Acne, as most of you know, has been the bane of my life for a very longtime. So long that at this point my main concern should be ageing signs and not spots.
Caught between preventing ageing signs and fighting blemishes, there is very little on the market that will cover both aspects of my skincare needs, furthermore, one usually aggravates the other, as anti-acne products are extremely drying and aggressive, and anti-ageing products are usually quite rich.
Imagine my happiness when I came across the SkinCeuticals Blemish + Age Defense Potent Treatment solution at Dermacare Direct. Sounded perfect!
This product is a clear solution, very slightly viscous, which is oil-free and contains salicylic (1.5%) and salicylic capryloyl (0.3%), dioic (2%), glycolic (3.5%) and citric (0.5%) acids. It’s the first to market to have dioic plus alpha and beta hydroxy acids in its formulation, to fight blemishes and fine lines and uneven skin tone and texture.
It applies and absorbs very well. The feeling is slightly tingly when you apply, but only for a few seconds.
There was no redness, no irritation and better still, no dryness, of any sort. Prolonged use did cause my lips to chap more than usual this winter, as I apply on the chin, where my blemishes are, twice a day, but that is expected with any acid products.
I’ve been using at night on the whole face and day on the problem areas only (mainly chin) and noticed an improvement, not only in blemishes but skin in general, mainly tone and radiance.
Using now over a few weeks, I can now notice an overall improvement. I feel it does target all the promised areas.
skinceauticals_belmish_antiage_defense_review - 2I’ve been using this product in conjunction with the SkinCeauticals B5 solution for extra moisturisation, as my skin suffers at this time of the year, plus other serums and moisturisers in my skincare routine.
Overall impressed. I had never tried SkinCeauticals before, but heard great things. This certainly lived up to the reputation of the brand and more.
I am already panicking when it gets to the end, but I have to say it is worth the price tag.
Dermacare Direct is an online cosmeceuticals company that stocks the best brands on the market. They also have the lovely Andrea, a cosmetic nurse, who is qualified to give the best, honest advice when picking your skincare to best suit your needs. Plus, she is super lovely!
You can get the SkinCeauticals Blemish + Age Defense for £64 for 30ml from Dermacare Direct.
They so stock other SkinCeauticals lines and various other cosmeceautical brands at great prices!
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This post contains PR samples. This review, however, is based on my experience with the product and reflects my honest opinion on them.

Well oiled: the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour All-Over Miracle Oil

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elizabeth_arden_eight_hour_all_over_miracle_oil_review - 1A couple years ago I developed a serious love of facial oils. The effect oils made for my skin is quite amazing.

The Eight Hour Cream is a must have classic and lives in my makeup bag – it’s great for everything.

When I found out about the Eight Hour Miracle Oil, I had a little silent squee and just needed to try. I was intrigued by the multi functionality of this product, as I can be used on face, body and hair.

When it arrived, I was going away for the weekend, had packed and boyfriend was picking me up from the office and bringing my bag. He mention a parcel had arrived, and there it was! I immediately told him to throw it in the suitcase.

It was a god send as I forgot my body moisturiser and hair conditioner!

Used it after washing my hair with shampoo only and my hair immediately felt soft and manageable. Plus it dried shiny and it didn’t weigh hair down.

elizabeth_arden_eight_hour_all_over_miracle_oil_review - 2Feels great on the body too. It is super light in consistency, spreads and absorbs very well.

Where it shines, however, for me, is on the face. It’s supple but light enough to use during the day under makeup, just beware it does compromise durability a bit, just like any oil.

I’ve been massaging it deeply on face a neck. It delivers superior hydration throughout the day, something very welcome as my skin is suffering a lot with the weather at the moment.

At night, can be combined with a thin layer of the traditional Eight Hour Cream; I woke up to replenished, hydrated, soothed, soft and radiant skin.

It contains tsubaki oil (extracted from camellia flowers), omega 6 and 9, grapeseed, avocado, sunflower seed oils, ginger root extract, boswellia resin and vitamin E.

Overall, a superb product. And the price is quite something too: £29 for 100ml.

It’s available at Elizabeth Arden online, concessions and retailers nationwide.

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This post contains PR samples. This review, however, is based on my experience with the product and reflects my honest opinion on them.

Discovering beauty at Waitrose

Posted in Beauty, Body, hair, Skincare by

IMG_5609Waitrose is one of my favourite supermarkets. What I didn’t know was how extensive their beauty range is – from the sheer amount and quality of the brands. Some I knew well, others I discovered on the night.

As well as the likes of Balance Me, Bee Good, Richard Ward, Neal’s Yard and Crabtree & Evelyn, Waitrose has its own range, with the quality you’d expect from the brand.

IMG_5603-0The fantastic Waitrose Heritage Collection has just launched with new fragrances and has hand washes, hand and body lotions, hand creams, body washes, bath washes and body butters.

My favourite blend is the Orchid & Honeysuckle version, which has the warm smell I look for in perfumes, body, bath and shower products.

Not only they feel great on the skin, have great fragrances and all the properties we expect from them, the packaging is also rather lovely.

They also have great gift packages, perfect for small gifts and stocking fillers.

IMG_5593-0Among the brands I discovered, Gisela Graham – my Christmas tree is laden with her decorations, but I had no idea she did beauty. Pretty as expected.

IMG_5612-0BRYT skincare has cleanser, serums and moisturisers. Plus, their lovely colourful packaging so caught my eye straight away.

IMG_5615-1Humble also impressed me with their honey based range with strong frankincense notes.

 

The event was held at the beautiful Waitrose Cookery School in London King’s Cross, which I had no idea existed, let alone that it was that fabulous.

Apart from sampling some of the amazing food devised by their chefs, I found out their classes are very affordable and cover a range of cuisines. And they do gift vouchers (hello, Christmas!).

So next time you are doing your food shopping, you might want to add one or two quality beauty products in there!

And that is just a small samples of what’s available. Waitrose beauty products are available in stores and online.

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My pick of Beauty Christmas crackers

Posted in Beauty, Body, hair, Make Up, nails, Skincare by

Christmas crackers enchanted me since my first Christmas in the UK. In Brasil, where I come from, there wasn’t anything like that, and I thought it was great.

When I discovered beauty Christmas crackers, my little heart skipped a beat. How fabulous: a little treat to pick you up before your meal, after you already been to the excitement of opening your gifts.

Here is my pick of Christmas crackers to make you day more beautiful!

dermalogica_xmas_crackerDermalogica, £30 for 3, from Selfridges

One of my go-to beauty brands has a cracker with some of its best-sellers: the precleanse, the gel cleanser and the daily microfoliant. Poses the perfect opportunity to try and fall in love!

ted_baker_xmas_crackerTed Baker, £24 for 3, from Debenhams

Ted Baker beauty surprises you with a mini fragrance or nail colour.

clarins_xmas_crackerClarins, £49 for 6, for Selfridges

A bit pricier, but well worth it, as it is packed with Clarins Classics: Nail Treatment Cream, Miniature Rouge Eclat Lipstick, Miniature Wonder Perfect Mascara, Gentle Refiner Exfoliating Cream, Beauty Flash Balm and Eau des Jardins Treatment Fragrance.

debenhams_xmas_crackerDebenhams, £4.50 for 3

Super cute in its nutcracker soldier packaging, this won’t break the bank and will bring a treat of lipstick, nail polish or lipgloss.

thisworks_xmas_crackerThis works sleep plus, £12

Ah, how I love this little spray. Give the gift of good sleep, in a cracker. So good it’s sold out on the this works site, but Boots has it still!

jomalone_xmas_crackerJo Malone, £32

Delightful and fragrant, you crack yours to a lime basil & mandarin cologne, a blackberry & bay body & hand wash or nectarine blossom & honey body crème.

nailsinc_xmas_crackerNails Inc, £38

A brilliant selection of six full size new and best seller nail shades, this is perfect for the girls’ Christmas dinner!

steamcream_xmas_crackerSteamcream, £8.95

Classic all-round skincare Steamcream mini-tin inside this silver cracker. Great for vegans!

boots_no7_xmas_crackerBoots No7 Cracker Collection, £16 for 6

With 3 nail colours and 3 BB lips glosses, at this price you can treat all ladies of the house at cracker time!

cowshed_xmas_crackerBullocks by Cowshed, £9, from John Lewis

One for the boys: a male body wash and 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner. Cowshed has a female version too.

moltonbrown_xmas_crackerMolton Brown, £32

With a feminine and a masculine version, these crackers come with a pink pepper hand cream, body lotion and body wash for her and a black peppercorn body wash, body lotion and a Bai Ji Hydrator cream.

margarethdabbs_xmas_crackerMargaret Dabbs, £12

Containing the best seller Nail & Cuticle Serum.

Phew! Hard to pick, but still a couple weeks to go! What’s your favourite? Have you seen any amazing ones I missed?

Happy Christmas!

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Tackling pigmentation with the Dermalogica C-12 pure bright serum

Posted in Beauty, Skincare by
dermalogica_c12_pure_bright_serum_review - 1Every summer is the same: I develop unsightly hormonal hyper pigmentation on my face, just below the eye area.
Although it fades when winter is full on, it does take it time, so I got a helping hand from Dermalogica C-12 pure bright serum.
With its fluid consistency, it sits and absorbs well on the skin, and behaves ok under makeup.
dermalogica_c12_pure_bright_serum_review - 2I did notice that, using this in conjunction to the pure night moisturiser, the hormonal spots seem to fade quicker and evenly.
Apart from tackling hyper pigmentation, this also works to help brighten up the complexion and balance uneven skin tone in general.
It contains a trademarked technology, PowerBright TRx plus oligopeptides, phytic acid (from rice), zinc glycinate and algae.
The Dermalogica C-12 pure bright serum costs £79.80 for 50ml and can be purchased from Dermalogica online as well as in their shops and concessions.
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This post contains PR samples. This review, however, is based on my experience with the product and reflects my honest opinion on them.

More oil: The Body Shop Oils of Life Intensely Revitalising Facial Oil

Posted in Beauty, Skincare by

bodyshop_oils_of_life_review - 10When I heard The Body Shop was bringing out a whole range based on oil blends, I was very excited.

The first product from the Oils of Life range I wrote about was one that intrigued me. After all, the Intensely Revitalising Essence Lotion is a different product that added new step into the routine.

The second one I am going to talk about is more traditional. A facial oil, which is a type of product I love (I tried hard not to say I love oils, again! Failed!).

bodyshop_oils_of_life_review - 12The Body Shop Oils of Life Intensely Revitalising Facial Oil, however, is slightly different, it feels lighter in its consistency.

It is absorbed well by the skin, and it feels very soft after application, although I need a good 4-5 drops just for the face, whereas usually for richer oils, 3 is enough.

What it does, however, is to enable me to wear an oil during the day. It’s great to wear alone, with moisturiser or serum on top or mix to your face day cream to give it a little bit of winter skincare richness, without weighing it.

bodyshop_oils_of_life_review - 13Either way, it behaves very well under makeup and adds that extra moisture and protection so needed in this weather.

Currently, my skin is super mega dry, so I am pulling at all stops to replenish it. This product has proven to be very handy.

Oils have really changed the appearance of my skin. Since the introduction of them to my routine I feel the texture and radiance have improved dramatically. This product has contributed to that too.

bodyshop_oils_of_life_review - 11Packaging is a lovely ombré glass bottle with pipette. The oil itself is light yellow.

It’s made from 99% natural origin and contains three precious seed oils: black cumin, camellia and rosehip, ingredients are known for their repairing and revitalising properties.

The Body Shop Oils of Life Intensely Revitalising Facial Oil costs £28 and it is available online and in the shops nationwide.

You can also read about the product I count on for when the weather is not treating my skin very well!

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This post contains PR samples. This review, however, is based on my experience with the product and reflects my honest opinion on them.

Pillow face no more: meet this works light time skin plumper

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thisworks_lightime_skin_plumper_review - 1This works is a brand I like more every time I use a product or discover a new one. They don’t seem to do much wrong in my eyes.

The light time skin plumper is one of those things we all need in the morning. I am definitely not a morning person,so welcome anything to make me feel or look alive.
It’s a face moisturiser with a very fluid consistency and a lovely “wake-me-up” smell.
The secret? Hyaluronic Filling Spheres that help smoothen up the skin appearance. Although the effect is quite subtle, I do feel some plumpness in my skin after application.
It’s absorbed quickly, skin feels good and the cream behaves very well under makeup.
thisworks_light_time_skin_plumper_review - 2
Antioxidant vitamin C and Persian silk tree extract help the hyaluronic acid work in moisturising, plumping and smoothing the skin.
Overall, a good morning product. It is recommended for day and night use, but I think this is more a day cream than night, to be honest, especially in the winter.
The this works light time skin plumper cost £29 for 30ml and is available online and from selected retailers.
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This post contains PR samples. This review, however, is based on my experience with the product and reflects my honest opinion on them.

Discovering Dr Jackson’s natural products

Posted in Beauty, Skincare by

dr_jacksons_face_oil_review - 1How many times have I started an article with “I love oils”? Probably more than you’d be comfortable with, but the truth is, oils really changed my skin.

Being the lucky girl I am, I was invited to iconic London store Liberty to hear from Dr Jackson, or Simon, as he prefers to be called, for a showcase of his fabulous products.

And yes, I brought home the Dr Jackson’s 03 Face Oil.

This wonder oil is luscious and thick, but spreads divinely and is extremely well absorbed by the skin. The smell is rather herbal but not too overpowering.

dr_jacksons_face_oil_review - 3Skin immediately feels soft and nourished, and when I wake up in the morning it looks supple and radiant, with a fabulous texture.

As part of my skincare routine it helped minimise breakouts at that time of the month, which are a certain for me. Well, much less this time.

The oil is 100 % natural and contains the goodness of a unique blend of oleic and linoleic acids, baobab (see the little seed on my pics?) and marula oils, calendula and arnica.

The blend of ingredients has anti-inflamatory properties and works on improving skin tone and elasticity, minimising scarring, deeply moisturising, reducing redness and healing – read damaged tissue repair. The result is a visibly smoother, re-texurised complexion.

I left the event inspired. By beauty, of course, by nature, by science and human nature. Simon is fascinating, and his work, not only the science bit (which is mesmerising, by the way), is just wonderful.

dr_jacksons_face_oil_review - 1 (1)Dr Jackson is a pharmacognosist, so he is and expert on the active chemical components of medicinal plants. 

He fell in love with regional indigenous plants’ medicinal properties and traditional medicine early in life and went on to study them.

His travels got him exposed to different cultures and uses of plants as healing agents, and introduced new plants to his life. Amongst his studies, he came across beautifying properties in certain plants, and ran with it, creating a fantastic natural skincare range which was four years in the making.

He will only use carefully selected ingredients of the best quality that can be found int he world, extracted the closest way they would at source, pure and at the right concentration to be efficient, while also supporting the communities which grow them.

Now, wouldn’t you trust your skin to this man? Well, you should.

They now have a whole concession at Liberty London and there are also treatments available.

The fantastic Dr Jackson’s 03 Face Oil costs £55 for 50ml and £30 for 25ml and is available at Liberty London, and online.

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