Tag Archives: skincare

Product review: Garnier Miracle Skin Cream

Posted in Beauty, Make Up, Skincare by

Garnier Miracle Skin Cream

So, a little helping hand for tired, dull skin, that works throughout the day and is also anti-ageing? Is that right? Garnier is promising us just that, in the shape of the Miracle Skin Cream.

This new product, launching in February 2014, claims to deliver instant transformation to the skin. It actually acts like a tinted moisturiser, but the magic is that it is white, with microcapsules that burst in contact with the skin, delivering not only colour, but one that adjusts to the skin tone, smoothing and illuminating the skin.

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Product review: Repair Me balm by Skin Repair

Posted in Beauty, Skincare by

skin repair repair me balm

The Repair Me balm from Skin Repair is an “all purpose protective balm suitable for all skins”.

Basically, it is an all rounder for you to soothe all dry bits around the body. I find it is quite rich, so it doesn’t really work for my face. I also didn’t like as a lip balm. However, it works very well for the rougher parts: heels, elbows, it is also quite nice on the cuticles. Now my favourite use for it: blisters and calluses on my hands from doing the aerial hoop.

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Garnier launches: Ultimate Blends and Miracle Skin and Eye Cream

Posted in Beauty, hair, Make Up, Skincare by

Don’t you just love beauty launches – the idea of a brand new product you never tried before is sooooo exciting!

Garnier has loads of news on that front and we were invited into their British garden – inclusive of wind, thunder and all – to get a sneaky peek at their new products hitting the shelves in the next couple of months.

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Product review: Guinot Lait Hydra Fraîcheur (cleanser) and Lotion Hydra Fraîcheur (toner)

guinot cleanser and toner

Cleanse. Tone. Moisturise. We all know the drill. I’ve been doing it for a very long time in my life and am always very happy to try new products for the life-long routine. This time, we are talking steps one and two with Guinot’s Refreshing Cleansing Milk and Refreshing Toning Lotion.

The Hydra Fraîcheur products aim to keep skin fresh by helping to balance hydration.

First, the cleanser – the Lait Hydra Fraîcheur has a fluid milky texture and it is not too thick. Spreads well on the skin when applied with circular movements. Removed make-up well, including eye makeup. Skin felt soft after, not greasy or heavy, but I am not a huge fan of any milk cleansers – I prefer to wash – so I did it after application. The pump delivers the right amount of product and a small amount goes a loguinot cleanser and tonerng way.

The Lotion Hydra Fraicheur  toner has rose extract and is suitable for all skin types, just like the cleanser. It is liquid, alcohol and foaming agent free and indeed very fresh, with a subtle sweet-ish fragrance. Skin felt comfortable during and after application there was no stinging or dryness.

When I first used the duo in the evening, my skin woke up bright and plump.

You can get more details on the Lotion Hydra Fraîcheur toner and the Lait Hydra Fraîcheur cleanser from the Guinot website, and buy it from selected salons and some online retailers.

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

 

Product review: Guinot Damsel in De-stress gift set

Guinot damsel in de-stress gift box

Oh, Christmas time… Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way…. my bells are jingling so vigorously they are about to jingle all the way out of the window in seasonal rage.

Well, maybe it is not that bad. It is however, quite stressful to walk around frantic shoppers. Everywhere you go is so busy. This takes its toll on me. And I thank Guinot for this helping hand – the Damsel in De-stress gift set, that will help you ease away a little bit of the parties anxiety.

The kit contains a full size Mousse Nettoyante Bioxygene (150ml), a foam cleanser that removes impurities and makeup and has oxygenating properties. The liquid inside turns into a very light, airy foam – one full pump is enough for the whole face. It melts makeup well (heavier eye makeup still needs proper removal) and leaves the face feeling clean and soft. It doesn’t dry the skin and smells deliciously floral.

Guinot damsel in de-stress gift box

It also comes with a full size 50ml Masque Dynamisant Anti-Fatigue, a masque that helps reduce the signs of fatigue. It has AHA’s and refreshing mint and eucalyptus cold oils and “eliminates dead skin cells, boosts cell vitality, refines the skin’s texture and leaves the skin perfectly moisturised and luminous”.  The mask is a thick-ish white cream and indeed very refreshing on application. It doesn’t dry on the skin after applied. My skin was feeling moisturised and slightly stimulated by the freshness of this mask. It removes easily and there is no residue or greasy feeling.

Finally, the third item in the kit is a scented candle, which I find great for when you out on your Masque Dynamisant. It has a similar scent to the Mousse Nettoyante Bioxygene and it not lives permanently in my bathroom.

Guinot damsel in de-stress gift box

It makes a brilliant Christmas present that will help the owner get a little post-party lift! And it also great for day to day. The cleanser has become my official morning cleanser.

It reatils at £50, but you can find the Guinot Damsel in De-stress gift set for £40 at Salon Skincare. It can also be found at Guinot salons. All info on Guinot products and treatments can be found on their website and products can also be bought here.

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

Product review: L’Oréal Paris Skin Perfection Advanced Correcting Serum

L'Oréal Paris Skin Perfection Advanced Correcting Serum

Boy, do I love a good serum. Because of my problematic skin history, I avoid very rich nice moisturisers. To make sure I give my skin the hydration it needs, I top it up with a lovely serum. And the serum du jour here at So Many Lovely Things is the L’Oréal Paris Skin Perfection Advanced Correcting Serum.

First, I am gonna give you the facts: this beauty is aimed at people in their 20’s and 30’s and contains LR 2412 which is derived from Jasmonic Acid and already being used in high-end products from the L’Oréal family for more mature skin, in higher concentrations.

This ingredient is combined with Perline-P, which is composed by a plant derived sugar (which is said to reduced the appearance of pores), a potent but gentle on the skin exfoliant (HEPES) and a bark extract, which helps to soothe the skin and reduce redness. This combination of LR 2412 and Perline-P should tackle pores size, uneven skin tone and texture, showing visible improvements.

L'Oréal Paris Skin Perfection Advanced Correcting Serum

The shot didn’t capture how pretty the pink in this serum is!

Now, I tried Lancôme Visionnaire for 2 weeks and really loved it. The Skin Perfection serum has a very similar effect on my skin – I also felt it on the first application. Applied at night, I wake up with suppler, plumped skin, looking rested, brighter.

Two weeks on, I noticed the general aspect of my skin is better, make-up sits much better, even my scars seem less visible. It is worth noting that Visionnaire contains the L’Oréal patented exclusive ingredient LR 2412 at a 4% concentration, so double the Skin Perfection concentration.

The products colour is the very same – a pearly milky white with a gorgeous translucent shimmery pink when you smooth it over. It smells lush too. The skin feel very satiny after application.

My skin is loving it. I am also using others product from the range, the day moisturiser (which I will review soon) and the toner.

To make all this even better, Superdrug has an amazing promotion on the range at the moment, the serum was only £11.32, but even at full price, this is a bargain (RRP £19.99, full price listed at Superdrug is £16.99). You can also find it in Boots and other retailers nationwide.

Obviously, I will keep using this, and will certainly re-purchase. With such a problematic skin, you really need to hang on to what it likes!

For more information on the Advanced Correcting Serum, visit the L’Oréal Paris website.

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

Product review: Simple Kind to Skin+ Perfecting Beauty Balm (BB cream)

simple bb cream - somanylovelythings

Love the Kind to Skin+ package designs!

I must say, before anything, I am not a fan of BB creams. For someone like me, who looks for a full coverage, BB creams just don’t quite cut it.

I was, however, pleasantly surprised with Simple’s very first BBC cream, part of their Kind to Skin+ range.

What I really like about it is that, even though they only have one colour, it did blend extremely well on my face. And over at the event, there were a few bloggers, with different skin tones and they all seem to share this opinion. Also, the coverage is very good. One day, I even wore it on its on (with a bit of powder to set) and it was fine!

It blends very well, absorbs quickly and the finish is very sheer and natural; in terms of colour and coverage is great!

I also tried it as a primer. This worked alright, it didn’t actually make the make-up last longer (which is not really this product’s job, but hey, gotta try!), but made it look good.

simple bb cream - somanylovelythings

Well pigmented, very good coverage

The thing I don’t like about this is that it has light reflecting particles. Although I am a massive fan of the glow they give, because of my skin condition, any shimmer will only make scars more evident, so I have been using matte products only for a very long time now.

For this reason alone,  I don’t think this product is particularly suitable for me. Had the particles not been there, I think Simple could probably have made me change my mind about BB creams. Now, that is something!

As other Simple products, it is suitable for sensitive skin; it has no fragrance (love that – again!), SPF 15, ginger root extract, bisabolol, sweet almond and sunflower seed oils.

If you have much better skin than me (which most people do anyway), I think this is a little gem – and for an RRP of £8.99, you should definitely try (currently at Superdrug for £5.99!!!). It is an item of make-up that also cares for your skin and will give you that nice glow!

simple bb cream - somanylovelythings

This is the kind of lovely glow this product gives your skin!

You can find more information on the Simple website.

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

Product review: Simple Kind to Skin+ Protecting moisture cream with SPF30

simple protecting moisturiser spf30After attending the Simple Skincare bloggers event, it was no secret the new Kind to Skin+ range product that I was most excited about was the Protecting moisture cream with SPF30 – obviously, because I love Simple face moisturisers, but mainly because it has a very decent sun protection, very handy for for a sun-from-face-blocking person like myself.

And this moisturiser didn’t disappoint me; it has become one of my daily staples. The cream is very light; it is quickly absorbed by the skin and sits really well under make up. It has no fragrance which I love – I always mention that on Simple products, but this is quite important to me!

It contains vitamins E and B3, glycerin and almond oil to nourish and protect the skin.

And best of all, it has a super SPF 30. Oh, wait – if you think it cannot get any better, its RRP is of only £6.99. Yes, you heard it right. A protecting day moisturiser  with a respectable SPF for less than £7. I am impressed. Very.

The Simple Kind to Skin+range is already available at Superdrug and is on offer for an amazing £4.99. Seriously, 1/3 off. Cannot be missed!

You can find more information on the Simple website.

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