Tag Archives: beauté

Plant-powered skincare

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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.

My lips aren’t sealed…

Posted in Beauty, Skincare by

Lately, my lips have been terribly dry, flaky and cracked? Am I kissing too much, you ask?

Well, I don’t kiss and tell, but what I can tell is that I freaked out when I saw a crevasse, which for me was Grand Canyon sized, and that got me thinking about around the lips ageing and how I haven’t come across a specific product for that.

Obviously, as it was around my birthday, I started thinking my lips look like those of a 100-year old with (no, I’m not dramatic, no, there is absolutely no exaggeration on this statement) and I started thinking about what I was going to do about that…

Enter the super compact (and rather effective) Eucerin Hyaluron-Filler Concentrate. I mentioned the Hyaluron-Filler range before on the blog and absolutely love their CC Cream and the eye cream and realised their Concentrate would be the perfect boost to care for that so often neglected area.

This intensive anti-wrinkle in a serum form, it is great for the area as it is very light and absorbs so quickly.

The combination of high and low molecular hyaluronic acid and bio-active glycine saponin helps target prematurely ageing skin where the wrinkles originate and support skin’s natural production of hyaluronic acid. Nifty, eh?

I’ve been using it morning and night, and have already felt a small improvement on the area. And while I am there, I also dab a bit around the lines coming from the edge of the nose to the corner of the mouth (known as “Chinese” moustache).

So, with six of those vials coming in each pack, I am sure I can be laughing through to 2018 without worrying about those lines (too much)!

The Eucerin Hyaluron-Filler Concentrate costs £30 for 6x5ml., which I think is very good price indeed for a serum this potent. You can get it from major retailers and the Eucerin website.

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.

 

When dermatologists do skincare

Posted in Beauty, Skincare by

My skin has always been a constant issue for me. Being far from perfect, more often than not it has caused me more pain than joy.

Acne that plagued my younger years never ceased to returned, and the that meant my skin was always dry, flaky and dull from the many aggressive treatments I subjected it to. I spoke openly about how acne made me feel and only from a few years ago I started to love my skin and give it some chance to thrive.

ZENii London skincare has a great ethos – and mind – behind it. Dr. Johanna Ward, award winning skin doctor, has developed ZENii for her clients, and the brand looks as skin health holistically, inside and out.

I’ve been using the regime for about a month now, almost exclusively and have to say my skin has never looked better – move radiant, more even in texture and tone, less blemishes and no breakouts, not even around my period. That’s huge.

My favourite has to be the fantastic Antioxidant Power Serum (£85, 30ml) with L ascorbic acid, niacinamide, vitamin e, ferulic acid and panthotenic acid. Full of antioxidants, it’s like a vitamin shot for the skin, it supports collagen production and has anti-ageing and pigmentation repair properties.

It’s a delight to apply and I know you’re gonna call bullsh*t, but I can, in a way, feel it working in my skin.

The Micronutrient Night Repair Cream (£75, 50ml) is another delight. For a night Cream, is rich but very light thus being perfect for my skin, which just drinks it. I must point out that the dispenser is great, a push downso your product in the pot never gets in touch with air thus not oxidising!

It contains pro-vitamin B5, vitamins E and C, jojoba oil, coral seaweed, retinyl palmitate and sodium hyalunorate so it helps restore, repair and rehydrate skin overnight by working on the fight against free radicals and supporting the skin natural night healing and repair process.

With an SPF 50, the mighty Moisturising Sun Protection (£50, 100ml) has quickly became a favourite of mine. Vitamins B5 and aloe vera add hydration to the broad spectrum sun protection.

It’s super light, behaves well under makeup, and is suitable for all skin types, including sensitive.

A good cleanser is also essential in any skincare regime and the Papaya and Chamomile Cleanser (£35, 100ml) does not disappoint. Enriched with vitamin E and orange oils, it is super gentle removing debris and makeup efficiently and not drying the skin!

Finally, tying the regime together is the Antioxidant Q10 Toner (£35, 120ml). Very mild but potent, it has coenzyme Q10, hyaluronic acid, aloe Vera and botânica extracts, this toner adds to the moisturisation and skin support as well as refreshing and improving radiance.

Because my skin is looking better, makeup looks great. Having said all that, I feel a pang of sadness given the, in my view fair price for such superior products, but still above my budget.

Although after using it a month continuously, it does feel like they go a long way so once I’m finished, I’ll workout the cost per month and am sure it will end up being worth investing in my next lot!

I feel a lot of confidence on the company and the wonderful Dr. Ward, whom I met at the range launch over a fabulous breakfast at Sky Garden. She exudes the confidence, expertise – not to mention glorious skin- and care I would trust my problematic skin to.

And ZENii does not do only skincare as Dr Ward, a cosmetic dermatologist, believes in inside and ou, holistic beauty and wellbeing, so there’s a fantastic line of supplements for various skin concerns and relaxing home fragrances.

Visit the ZENii website to soak in all the greatness and purchase all the products I’ve been using.

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.

Get your nails Dressed to the Nineties

Posted in Beauty, nails by

There no secret I am a 90s person (late 90s, I’m not that old). I’m secretly unashamed of the terrible fashion sense and even worse – makeup habits I had at the time.

Also no secret I love nail polish, especially when they come from essie.

So obviously I am head over chunky heels with the essie Dressed to the Nineties Limited Edition Fall 2017 collection, hitting the shelves at the end of August 2017.

The six gorgeous shades fleet between pinks and purples with the right amount of shimmer and shifting.

My favourite, surprisingly, is silvery metallic with a light purple shine Girlie Grunge; just gorgeous and rather neutral for its shade. As they say, come as you are. Oh, and shine.

As I am a sucker for colour shifting, I could not stop myself loving Dressed to the Nineties, a very dark purple with a subtle green-blue shimmer. Gorgeous.

At the moment, I have the mega pretty As If. This powdery periwinkle is warmed up with a hint of red, and it’s the most gorgeous thing.

On my toes for weeks now is the “staple with a difference” Knee Highlife, a deep wine red with some purple undertones.

For the more discreet out there, Saved by the Belle is a lovely baby pink, creamy and a slight blue undertone and Mixtaupe is a fabulous warm ivory with a tiny dash of pink.

As you can see, pinks, reds and purples tie up the collection together, warming or cooling the tones for those exclusive shades full of cool, relaxed vibes, fit for office and party.

Of course, I cannot rave enough about the essie brush, which delivers a perfect at home mani so effortlessly. Lately, that is all you see on my nails.

Also worth remembering that the colours are curated by essie’s Global Colour Designer Rebecca Minkoff, so you know you’re gonna be up-to-date.

The collection has barely launched but being the lucky bitch I am, I was one of the first to get my talons all over it and I’ve already wore four of the six shades to near exhaustion. Nah, not really, I can’t get enough.

The too cool for school Fall 2017 collection is available from the 23rd August to the 17th October in Superdrug and 30th August to the 26 September in Boots. After that, it’s hasta la vista, baby, to all of these fabulous shades. As if! you gonna let this lot go 😀

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.

Overnight hand care

Posted in Beauty, nails, Skincare by

If like me you’re obsessed with hand creams, keep reading. Crabtree & Evelyn, which has the best hand cream in town, has an overnight hand therapy cream and I am sold.

I do have the habit of moisturing my hands before going to bed anyway and lately I have been doing with a product made exactly for that.

But Dani, how is it different from a normal hand cream, you ask? Well.. of course, the trick in on the concentration. This rich cream contains a concentrated complex of vitamins and amino acids, including arginine.

It is formulated especially to protect, by enhancing the skin’s natural barrier, maintain the natural moisture level, help skin recovery and soothe any dryness.

As any Crabtree & Evelyn hand therapy creams, it is easily and totally absorbed by the skin leaving no trace, but a long-lasting moisturisation. Applied at night, this cream works its wonder so I have been waking up with soft and nourished hands.

The classic La Source – a crisp, clean scent of refreshing aquatic notes, musk, and gentle shoreline breeze – is the version I’ve been using, but the overnight hand therapy is also available in three other amazing scents.

I’ve talked a lot about the hand therapy creams (which is always in my bag) and the amazing 60 second fix for hands (which I use about twice a week) and now the overnight hand cream is yet another Crabtree & Evelyn product that has a firm place in my life.

The overnight hand therapy costs £19 for 75ml and you can get online from the Crabtree & Evelyn website or in their ever so tempting shops!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.

Oh. My. GOSH AW17

Posted in Beauty, Make Up by

It’s my go-to phrase when it comes to GOSH launches but it remains the truth: every season there’s at least one item that will stay with me until the next launch – but often longer.

As I mentioned before, GOSH is a gorgeous family company from Denmark with most of its products being vegan – in fact, only their lipsticks are not as they contain beeswax.

And of course, they have an amazing, extensive range of makeup products that keeps growing and becoming more and more fabulous!

For Autumn/Winter 17, there’s plenty to love. The collection has hit the shops late last month and I cannot get enough of it.

The Chameleon Primer Plus+ Skin Adaptor Anti-Pollution (£14.99) is amazing. If you know GOSH, you know their primers are amazing and this is not different, but with a difference: apart from organic oak extract, it has micro capsules of colour that burst upon application and adapt to most skin tones.

And, as the huge trend in beauty dictates, it has all important anti-pollution agents, in the form of CityGuard, a complex of two components of marine ingredients, to help protect our city folks’ skin against pollution. A delight to use, alone or as I prefer, a makeup base that evens out skin tone.

Now, the LumiDrops (£7.99) have been a little fave of mine for quite some time and the latest shades are lush. Rose Gold and just Gold (which I purchased as soon as it launched) are gorgeous.

The liquid gold is perfect for highlighting without being too powdery and glittery, catches the light beautifully and gives that golden hour beam to the face. For me, it’s an amazing base for double highlighting, something I do often.

The Strobe’n Glow Kit (001 Highlight, £12.99) wheel is great: 4 gorgeous shades including a holographic white/purple to satisfy out unicorn dreams.

Admittedly, I’ve been using the medium gold as a highlighter (doubles up amazingly with the gold Lumidrops) and the other two gold shades as eye shadows – they are amazing; the lighter for brow bone and inner corner and the more coppery one for the lid.

Then, I add a metallic brown from the fabulous “To party in London” eyeshadow palette (£11.99).

Amazing neutrals and a couple distinct colours among the 9, in this compact and affordable palette with great pigmentation, blendability and colour pay off.

I love “To be cool in Copenhagen” and still use it almost every day so having a metallic one is a dream.

And of course, nothing better to make your eyeshadow pop and stay then a good eyelid primer. This Eyeshadow Primer (£8.99) with polymer technology is a handy chunky pencil and smoker is great and really takes the eye shadows to another level to increase colour pay-off and durability.

The last mascaras GOSH brought out, I’ll admit, didn’t quite work for me but My Favourite Mascara (£8.99) is in fact on its way to be, ahem, my favourite mascara as it’s rather excellent.

With organic oak extract, its smooth formula and irregular shaped bristles catch every single lash and definition is amazing. The volume is not crazy, but length is fabulous so I am sold. And it melts in warm water!

The Brow Shape & Fill (£8.99) is a fab slanted pencil for precise brow filling. Grey Brown is the perfect shade for me and the pencil is soft, filling brows delicately.

It also has a filling powder, which is very nice, but I’d rather see a little brow brush on the other end!

A great pairing with the Lift & Highlight pencils (£9.99): double ended pencil to lift, define and highlight – and has many uses. To be applied on brow bone, inner eye corner and my favourite, the cupid bow.

So many people swear by the banana powder and GOSH now has their own. A Banana version of their fabulous Prime’n Set Primer & Mattifying Setting Powder, which I love because it is a fantastic setting/finishing powder, this one also eliminates redness and pinkness.

The Colour Corrector Kit (£11.99) is a pretty compact to cover all you concealer needs with an amazing 5 shades – neutral, yellow (for purple of blue imperfections), green (to neutralise redness), purple (to eliminate yellow undertones) and peach (for brightening the eye area and olive-skin radiance boost).

I am not massive on colour correcting but the creams are smooth and blendable!

Brow serum is a thing I struggle a lot, mainly because I forget to apply twice a day and then I remember when I am doing makeup, it doesn’t dry and I think I might go hair all over my face (yeah, crazy, I know).

Having said that, I’ve been giving the GOSH Growth Serum (£16.99), which contains SymPeptide XLASH, a (rather irregular) go. Too early to say if it really works but I’m enjoying it.

GOSH also does brushes and they are rather fab. This Mix & Fix Blender brush (£9.99) is, I found, perfect for highlighter placement. Precise, quite firm and it blends the life out of them, without killing the rest of the makeup underneath.

From this review, you can see I will have a few items accompanying me for the new season…  Which one would be rushing to get your hands on?

You can get all the GOSH goodness from Superdrug.

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.

Handy and affordable sunscreens to take anywhere

Posted in Beauty, Skincare by

SPF is very important in our lives. Regardless of being gloomy in London or scorching in the Caribbean, winter or summer, we know sun protection should always be in our minds – and most importantly, in our skins!

It is great to find sunscreens that take little space and you can take away with you on a daily basis, for all those important and often neglected top ups.

As the sun is gracing my balcony today, I felt inspired to put together a small selection of sun creams I have been wearing that offer a great protection and can be carried around for all day long wear. And they are pretty affordable too!

I fell in love with the Bioderma Photoderm Max Aquafluide SPF 50+ during my last holiday. What a delight to apply; its fluid water-like texture is great. It dries quickly and matte, is water resistant and behaves very well under makeup.

Plus, apart from high UVA/UVB protection, it has the patented Cellular Bioprotection which activates the skin’s natural defences at cellular levels, protecting our cells and combating premature skin ageing.

And probably the best thing? Extremely well priced at around £13 for 40ml.

Moving on to one from my favourite sunscreen brands, very affordable and easy to find, the Nivea Sun Caring Roll-on SPF 30 is super easy to apply, it is water resistant, protects agains UVA and UVB rays and offers long lasting moisturisation too.

The formula is great, dries quickly and is non-sticky, the smell so familiar and lovely, and the price is also extremely friendly at around £7 for 50ml.

I raved soooo much about the Garnier Ambre Solaire Sensitive Advanced Protecting and Hydrating Face Mist SPF 50 when it launched and after almost using it all since, I will maintain my review: it is the most practical SPF around and perfect for us city folks as it can be applied on top of makeup.

For me, that is priceless but you can get it for an affordable £10. And I just found for £6 at Boots. Going to stock up.

Finally, a  little gem from Eucerin, the Tinted Sun Creme SPF 50+. Ideal for those who wear little or no makeup but want a natural flash of colour, it is oil-free, non-comedogenic with UVA and UVB protection. It costs £16 for 50ml.

These are the little heroes keeping me safe all year round!

What are you favourite “portable and affordable” SPF?

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.

Work that eyeliner flick!

Posted in Beauty, Make Up by

Those who know me can confirm the fact that if I have make up on, I have eyeliner. The flick has been with me for ages now and I (almost) cannot leave the house without it.

When a new eyeliner comes along, I’m filled with excitement, especially when it is a pen, my favourite medium. So of course the Lord & Berry Shodō eyeliner ticked all the boxes.

Perfecting the eyeliner application is really down to exhaustive practice, and even after many years of daily doings, there are some days my eyeliner hates me. A lot.

Shodō is a form of artistic writing of the Japanese language and this eyeliner doesn’t let us down. The tapered brush is made of soft bristles that retain their form, thus being firm enough for precise thick and thin lines.

The formula is super black, rather glossy, extra pigmented and smooth. Upon drying, which happens quickly, it sits film-like on the skin.

It is water and sweat proof and does not budge, but can be removed with warm water and flakes off with little effort.

My only recommendation is that an eyelid primer or powder shadow is used prior to application, as the film didn’t particularly love my oily bare eyelids!

Shodō has been upgraded to my everyday eye make drawer to stay.

The Shodō Stylograpic Eyeliner costs a reasonable £16 and you can get it from the Lord & Berry website and other online retailers, such as Look Fantastic.

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.</h6

Are your nails in need of some TLC?

Posted in Beauty, nails by

Nails nail nails. I went from a through and through red nail polish gal who could never picture a nude on her nails to a lover of all colours, shades, finishes and art.

Thrilled is not enough to describe me when I opened the box with these gorgeous essie TLC nail polishes.

Treat, Love and Color is a lovely range that requires nothing but itself for a great natural manicure. Its advanced formula with collagen and camellia helps cares for the nail, brightening and working on strength, brittleness and dryness in the long term.

And you apply directly on to the nail, no need for base coat. I tried three beautiful sheer pearlised shades: tonal taupe, is a gorgeous taupe with gold shimmer; see the light, is a classic pearlised light beige and good as nude, is a pretty warm toasted beige with gold shimmer.

The formula is great, which is expected we from essie, and application easy because of their fab brush. For sheer shades, I noticed a good colour and pigmentation pay off with 2-3 coats.

tonal taupe
see the light
good as nude

I didn’t miss a base coat but I always think a topcoat is a good idea and even though I didn’t use one to try this, I probably will normally. I’m sits well on the bare nail and mine were rather happy with the product!

Durability with no base coat is decent; a few days of mani totally in place then it stares to nick in places.

You can get the essie TLC range at Boots and Superdrug and they cost £8.99 each.

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.