I haven’t always worn foundation; back when I was about 13-years-old I had one compact of beige pressed powder I sometimes wore, and for special occasions I’d add some lipgloss.
Now times have changed, not only in terms of how much make up I wear, but also in the technology that goes into creating cosmetics. Let’s see if the new techy kid on the block, MAC matchmaster foundation, actually works.
Dragon’s blood? Actual Dragon’s blood?!
Don’t worry you haven’t accidentally stepped into one of Severus Snape’s potions classes, it’s just little old me, and a bottle of one of Nip and Fab‘s kookiest products.
Smell
This product smells like freshly washed hair. You know the smell when you flip your hair around after it’s been washed well with shampoo? It’s a soapy smell with an almost nutmeggy base note, which is delightful.
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Having a facial can be a somewhat daunting experience.
No matter how many scented candles are lit and eye wateringly expensive products are used, surrendering your bare face and any imperfections into the hands of a stranger will always be slightly nerve-wracking.
So how about getting that same quality facial at home?
My general hatred for the way anti-ageing products are marketed is well documented (OK, I wrote about it once, here) but the products themselves are usually pretty harmless.
Environ’s Revival Masque is a home treatment which professes to create “visibly luminous, radiant, smoother, younger and revitalised skin through the combination of revolutionary ingredients Asiatic, Mandelic and Lactic Acid.”
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The ‘how much does my face cost’ tag has been floating around the vloggersphere for a long time now. I don’t know why, but everyone is obsessed with knowing how much other people spend on their faces.
After watching a few of the videos and reading blogger’s versions of the tag, some of whose totals came to over £500 (!) I was immediately curious about how much I was spending on my face too.
I pride myself on being pretty frugal when it comes to skincare and make up, but I was in for a shock when I totted up my total.
I’ve always been an enthusiastic exfoliator, and while I’m very much opposed to real life scrubs, I do think a good body polish is an essential skincare product.
I tested out this Yes to Coconuts scrub over two weeks, below is my completely impartial review.
Smell
Guess what this product smells like? Go on! Yep it’s coconuts, but not like coconuts in the wild, it’s very much a ‘imitation’ coconut smell.
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Let me start off this review with a confession; I kind of hate anti-ageing products on principle. I’m really against the assumption that all women want to look younger and are constantly on a never-ending search for the fountain of youth so that they can bottle a few precious droplets, add them to their face cream, and ‘keep’ a man who is probably old and wrinkly anyway.
The way they are advertised is just so tiresome and cliched, and it makes all men think they have to constantly pretend we don’t have bags under our eyes, which, of course we do because we work hard and, if they’re anything like me, stay up late watching Empire all night, *takes deep breath*.
Rant over, this is where the actual, usually harmless, anti-ageing product comes in. In this case it’s Lavera‘s anti-ageing eye cream, which is certified organic and proven to reduce wrinkle depth.
If you’re anything like me, getting a tan is one of your main summer goals, but did you know that overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the main preventable cause of skin cancers, according to Cancer Research UK?
Since reading those sobering stats, I’ve been looking for some more skin-friendly solutions, including Bondi Sands self-tanning mist.
Ever wanted to know the secret behind a Queen Bee’s longevity? (I mean a real bee, by the way, not Beyoncé), well Melvita have plucked it, transported it and whipped it into a gorgeous little cream.
Melvita’s Nectar Supreme is a tiny pink pot of organic goodness which smoothes, illuminates and hydrates the skin.
Dermalogica have launched a potent trio of brightening products and I was lucky enough to get my hands on the range and try it out.
At the One New Change shopping centre in St. Paul’s (which is a stunning location by the way…) I had a skin consultation with one of the trained therapists at the store which included sticking my head into a UV box to see beneath the surface of my skin.
Phoebe Parke 