Microcurrent Device - Bear Foreo Mini

It's been 2 years since I posted something on here! I can't believe it. 

Absolutely LOADS of things have happened since 2018 so I'm not going to go through everything.

I actually wanted to revive this blog a little by writing a first impressions post on the Bear Foreo Mini microcurrent device that was released earlier this year as a new device from the Foreo range. There are so many great reviews out there for this product that I wanted to give my own first impressions of it.

Research and Choice

I won't go into detail what a microcurrent device does as you can Google it yourself and you might already know what it is if you've found your way to this post. I have also done a heck load of research on these devices prior to expressing my interest in one. Long story short, it was a real toss up for me between the Nuface Mini and the Foreo Bear Mini - I took about 2 weeks to decide which one fits me better and watched just about all the videos on YouTube on both devices. I personally don't think the 2 are actually comparable in a fair way as Nuface Mini has microcurrent balls that are the same as its full size version whereas the Bear Mini is actually a miniature version, with much smaller microcurrent balls compared to its full size version advertised to target specific areas of the face i.e. upper lip, around the eyes, nose etc. I ended up choosing Foreo in the end over Nuface even though both are great products that are fit for purpose. I couldn't really find any reviews out there that gave justifications of why people chose one over the other but my main reasons would be:

• Battery life - the Foreo is known to have insane battery life on all of its products, some only needing to be charged once every 3 months or so. I'm a sucker for things that have long battery lives as I often forget to charge things that need to be charged every week or so. The Nuface needs to be charged about once a week if you're using it daily, therefore this was a strong point of consideration for why I chose Foreo over Nuface.
• Size - with both devices being called 'Mini', the Bear Mini is tiny compared to the Nuface Mini. I love products that can be slipped into a make up bag and used on-the-go therefore this was also a strong point for me. In conjunction with the above point, this was definitely the Foreo for me. 
• Technology - Bear Mini just has newer tech, end of. The anti-shock and sonic pulsations had raving reviews online. Such features are absent from the Nuface Mini, the Foreo Bear is a device that not only provides microcurrent treatment, it also helps massage your face and promote blood circulation due to the sonic pulsations. To be honest, anti-shock wasn't that much of a deal breaker to me as I've also read reviews that when Nuface is used correctly i.e. with enough microccurent gel, it shouldn't shock you at all. 

First Impressions

So onto my first impressions, please note that this is just a first impression as in I've just used it for 1 day, hence I'm not calling this a review as I haven't used it long enough to be reviewing it comprehensively. I will probably post another post on this once I have used it for about 3 months for longer term results and maybe an actual final verdict on the product.

So after unboxing my Foreo Bear Mini yesterday afternoon, I charged it up to full battery and then got started. The app was really easy to download and register the device. Only slightly annoying thing was it was asking the date I bought it and a picture of the purchase confirmation to register the device. Took me about 5 minutes to dig around for it in my inbox etc. After registering, I actually didn't even use the app LOL, here's why - I've watched SO many videos online with people following the app and the app targets areas like the mouth, upper lip area etc but I actually want to use this for my entire face. Although this product is marketed for those specific areas as in the demonstration video on the app, I wanted to go rogue and do my whole face, why not? Another reason I chose the mini (aside from price point - full size bear is a whopping £100 more than the mini) is because my face is actually quite small... therefore mini products of everything generally work really well for me. I have the Foreo Luna Mini as well as it works a charm. 

I decided not to use the Foreo Serum Serum Serum, the actual thing is SO ridiculously expensive that I didn't even bother with the tiny sample that is provided with the device. Instead I opted for good old pure Aloe Gel. In case anyone is interested, I purchased this one on Amazon, I made sure to get one that is pure and has hyaluronic acid properties for moisturising.

So I slathered it onto the left side of my face first and powered up the device to full power level 3 (because why not?) and went over my left side cheek about 3 times in thirds (upper cheek, middle cheek, lower cheek / jawline). I must tell you guys because I'm being honest in this that I got shocked. I was surprised because I thought it was anti-shock but once I got to my jawline I felt a sharp prick. Maybe it's because I didn't slather enough aloe gel in that area but boy, I was slightly electrocuted! So I slathered some more on and it was fine. Did my right cheek and then my forehead, then the chin area. Just basically worked the device around my whole face. 

I really like the product after using it once despite being shocked a little, it really is like a massage on the face and no lie, it left my skin baby smooth after for the rest of the day. I'm sitting here writing this after having had a hot shower and my skin is still baby smooth. So imagine doing this everyday, you'd have baby smooth skin for a long long time. I can't really tell any noticeable differences to my face in terms of a sharper jaw, lifted cheeks etc but I definitely felt like my face was a lot less swollen from water retention afterwards which is such a quick win if you use it in the mornings. 

I will definitely use this everyday this week to see what my face looks like after a full week of use, however, I might consider changing the power down to a level 2 rather than use it on full level 3. I'm only 29 so I actually have no wrinkles / crows feet etc but am just using it as a preventative measure. One thing I also ended up doing was wiping off the aloe vera with a wet face cloth after, I just don’t know how people can carry on with the rest of their day with this stuff on their face. I tried to leave it for about 30 mins and then couldn’t handle it anymore and decided to get a wet cloth and wipe the rest of the aloe vera off my face. Yes, seems like a waste and I hate wasting stuff but I can’t be walking around with a sticky face all day even if it’s just around the house. 

Anyway, excited to see what using this device will be like for the next 3 months!

Review: Silisponge

Before I begin, no matter what happens, no matter what crazy inventions come out this year, the silisponge is definitely my product of the year. It's literally changed my life. No really. 

The sili-what?

The silisponge is a silicone make up sponge basically. I wouldn't actually call it a sponge as it doesn't soak up any product. It's cheaply made and is just wonderful at applying and blending make up. I bought this bad boy towards the beginning of the year and haven't gone back to applying my make using brushes or my fingers. 

What? Where? How?

I bought my silisponge off eBay. It's not the official silisponge but I thought to myself, how fake or different can a silicone sponge be? The one I received was amazing quality. I have heard there are some really bad dupes out there though that break really easily or irriates skin, but mine has been great so far! They seem to come in a variety of shapes and sizes - I've opted for the tear shaped one rather than the long rectagular-ish one just because I find the shape suits how I apply make up more. 

Pros

• It's extremely easy to clean in comparison to a beauty sponge or brush, literally takes less than 2 minutes with some gentle hand soap or baby shampoo and it's good as new again
• Doesn't soak up product meaning your foundation bottle will last longer, a little really goes a long way using this
• Great rounded shapes, helps blend make up into creases and corners
• As it's not a sponge, it won't retain bacteria or pick up a lot of dust / dead skin cells etc
• Comes in a variety of shapes and colours / designs
• Super cheap to replace if it rips 
• Pretty durable (just keep it away from tweezers etc) 

Cons

• Has a tendency to smear make up rather than blend evenly - I find this depends on what make up you're applying with it, whilst it's great for applying BB cream (this is what I use it for on a daily basis) or creamier foundations, it's not so great at applying foundations that are more matte / dry in texture 
• Not as multipurpose as a beauty blender - you can't really use this product for compact powders for example 
• Can be easily ripped / perforated by tweezers - I keep mine in a little pouch inside my make up bag as I also have tweezers floating around in there
• Takes a bit of practice or getting used to once you first use it, it's not the easiest of make up tools to use in comparison to the beauty blender or standard foundation brushes

Overall, despite the cons, I'm super happy with my silisponge. As I use BB cream on a daily basis, it's great for serving the purpose of applying it. I'm getting less spots as my silisponge is cleaned everyday (as it's so easy to clean) and it's great at blending my BB cream to give me that dewy look. However, as the foundation I used is more of a dry texture (I've been using Kill Cover Foundation), I still find using my beauty blender better than the silisponge for now. 

Review: CLIO Kill Cover Highest Wear Foundation

I've been hunting for a new foundation for a loooong time and came across this foundation from CLIO called Kill Cover. CLIO is a Korean cosmetics brand and have a wide range of make up for sale, you can find their full range here. 

This foundation comes in 6 supposed shades but I've only ever seen 3 of these shades being sold - Lingerie (2-BP), Linen (3-BY) and Ginger (4-BO), so yeah, not much choice. They're all really light shades so in terms of having a variety to suit skin shades is a bit disappointing. Lingerie is described as a rose beige, Linen is a yellow-toned natural beige and Ginger is a yellow-toned beige again but slightly darker than Linen with a bit of red in it. 

I decided to go for Linen as my skin tone is pretty neutral and on the yellow side and here's what I think:

Consistency

The consistency of this foundation is slightly more watery than other foundations, it applies well on the skin and doesn't leave a cakey finish.

Coverage

If you're looking for a foundation with high coverage, this isn't the foundation for you. I find this foundation to be a light-medium coverage. I had a couple of pimple scars and fresh pimples that didn't really cover up after applying this foundation. It makes pimple-less skin look amazingly healthy though with a slight dewy finish (not as dewy as BB cream of course).

Colour

The colour of this foundation is definitely NOT true to the colour chart out there. If possible, you should definitely try a tester before buying (you should be doing that anyway). For me, these shades in general fell a little pale for me but it does oxidise and should be used without primer for best results. Linen was closest to my skin colour as Ginger tended to be very similar to Linen but with a warmer tone to it. 

I first applied this using a foundation brush and I looked super pale even when topped with a powder to set the foundation (I was like, ghostly). Second time round, I applied this foundation using my fingers and with generally less product and it oxidised to fit my skin tone perfectly. I think as this foundation is generally on the more watery side and isn't as thick as other foundations out there, applying using your fingers is better than using a brush.

Feel

This foundation felt super light on my face, I didn't feel like I was wearing foundation at all. However, if you have dry skin, be wary - this foundation does everything it can to emphasise the dry flaky areas of your face. As this foundation is watery rather than creamy and thick, it sits dry on the face and therefore any dry patches will be exposed. I would recommend using a good day cream before applying this foundation to prevent flakyness. Otherwise, this foundation feels great on the face. 

Wear

When this foundation says highest wear, it really does mean highest wear. The foundation stays on all day and doesn't really need topping up. I find that because it is quite a dry foundation, it doesn't need much oil control throughout the day. It also stays matte for a long time, I only found myself looking ever so slightly oily right towards the end of the day. 

Cost

In terms of cost, this foundation isn't cheap. It costs around £20 which is not as expensive as brands like MAC or Nars but not as cheap as drugstore foundation. I think it's pretty good value for money considering I only wear foundation on weekends and BB cream during the working week. Though that being said, I hope there'll be more variety in shades in the future as the current line up is very limited with all shades being uber pale. Overall, I don't think I'd buy this foundation again as I'd probably rather splash an extra £12 and buy Nars instead. This foundation for me is quite situational as if I had dry skin - I wouldn't be able to use it, if I tanned on holiday - I wouldn't be able to use it. 

Review: Tonymoly Tomatox Mask

For those of you unfamiliar with Korean cosmetic brands, Tonymoly is one of the many and focuses on using natural and organic ingredients in their products like aloe, tomato, tea tree, lemon etc. Most of their products also come in uber cute packaging like the above. I find their products are relatively inexpensive compared to some other Korean brands. 

I actually got this mask by accident from one of my best friends who went to Korea and asked me if there was anything I wanted. I actually asked her to get me my usual Baviphat Strawberry Toxifying clay mask and she came back with this instead as the packaging looks kinda similar! Since she had already bought it for me I thought why not try it out, it has a different function to my clay mask so I was curious to see how good it was.

Unlike my clay mask, this mask is like cream, it even smells like face cream. It spreads quite thinly and ends up looking like a mask except it doesn't dry like my clay one does. You massage it on and leave it for 5-10 mins (I always go for the maximum) then rinse your face. I like the convenience of this mask as you don't need to leave it on for ~20 mins so it serves as a quick mid-week skin pick-up for me. Of course, it's not as convenient as sheet masks where you can just rip off without having to rinse your face. 

Like with most Korean pot masks, the product comes with a small spoon to prevent contamination if you scoop with your fingers so make sure you use it instead of digging in with your fingers! 

It spreads very smoothly and evenly on my face but I did notice (and I have read that others had the same experience) that it kinda burns on your face for about 2 minutes and then stops. Not sure how worrying this is but I've also found that when using it more often, the burning decreases - I'm giving the product the benefit of the doubt by thinking it's just my skin adjusting to a new product. At least my face hasn't come out all blotchy or swollen so I know it can't be an allergic reaction!

As this mask is quite thin and the recommending masking time is quite short I think this type of mask is more suited for those who like masking often and are looking for a mask that serves it main purpose as brightening up the skin. I probably wouldn't recommend it for anyone with particularly sensitive skin or looking for something that penetrates deep into the skin to clear up acne as this product may be a bit too weak for that. 

I primarily use this in conjunction with my clay one, I feel it works really well - I use this one mid-week to brighten up my skin and then my clay one during the weekends as a detox to get rid of all those toxins built up on an deep into my skin during the week. The main function of this mask is brightening / whitening as it contains pearl powder and Lycopene from the tomato extract so it's perfect for what I want it to do - give my skin a brighten up mid-way through the week! I would highly recommend this mask. 

Review: Liz Earle - Hot Cloth Cleanse and Polish, Toner and Moisturiser

Hiiii! Sorry I've been a bit MIA in the last couple of months, I didn't really have much going on in life to review or blog about but I'm excited to be trying out a lot of new products now so I will have stuff to blog about! 

I've had quite a change in my skincare routine, having used Cetaphil for a number of years, I switched over to Liz Earle after having being gifted a cleanse and polish set as a pressie from a dear friend. Even using it for the first time, miracles started happening to my skin, for one, my colleagues at work noticed it the next day after I started the Cleanse and Polish process so I thought I'd do a little review of my experience using the products that are part of the Cleanse and Polish routine. 

The Cleanser

The cleanser is definitely my favourite product, it's different to your conventional cleansers, it's not a foaming or milky cleanser - it's a cream-like cleanser that you apply onto dry skin, yes dry skin. You squeeze out some of the product from the pump, apply it onto your face and massage in circle motions. I massage it in until it pretty much dries on my face. Then you get the muslin cloth that comes with the product, rinse it and wipe off the product. That's pretty much how you use it. 

The smell of this product is amazing, it's a fresh, rosemary like smell - it did take a while for me to get used to it but every morning I find myself loving the smell whilst I wash my face. After using the product, I feel that I've had less spots / redness, my face feels cleaner, softer and smoother in general. I find that the product gives a nice dewy glow to your skin which I find great when paired with my BB cream for that extra dewy complexion. 

The Toner

The toner comes after the cleanser, it helps tighten up those pores and helps control oil production in the face. 

I really love this toner, I can't compare it to anything else because being the lazy person I am, I've never actually used toner as part of my skincare routine before. I really feel like using this toner has controlled the oil production in my skin throughout the day well - I usually get quite greasy around the t-zone towards the end of the day but this seemed to go away ever since I started using this toner. 

The Moisturiser

Depending on what your skin type is you might get a different moisturiser. I have the oily / combination set so I was given the light moisturiser which comes in a pump tube (not in the picture). I think in terms of fragrance, this one is one I enjoy the least out of the 3 products, it's supposed to be of borage and avocado oil but it just smells... funky and sort of lingers on your skin. I only use this moisturiser as a primer base for foundation or not at all if I plan to use BB cream as the BB cream serves as a cream itself without the Liz Earle moisturiser. 

It is a nice light moisturiser however and feels silky and smooth on the skin. I really like everything about it except the fragrance probably. 

Would definitely buy all 3 again, it's changed my skincare routine for the better! I bought the set for £45 but each one comes individually as well on their website as well as in most large Boots stores. 

November Loves: Schwarzkopf Color Freeze Purple Shampoo

With my new hair colour comes a plethora of different products to help care for my unnatural blonde hair. Bottle blondes will know what I mean - yes, purple shampoo is one of them. It's also called 'silver shampoo' by some brand names but I'm going to call it what it actually is - purple shampoo! 

Recommended by my hairdresser friend, purple shampoo is almost an essential for anyone with freshly dyed blonde locks to combat the brassy-ness that comes over time through using regular shampoo. 

The one I've gone for is Schwarzkopf BC Freeze Shampoo in 1000ml, it's a purple shampoo (even though it's labelled silver shampoo) with a thick consistency slightly different to what you'd have in your regular shampoo. The smell of this product is great and it doesn't dry your hair out as I've read with other purple shampoos. It leaves your hair feeling soft, smelling great and removing all tones of brassy-ness. 

I use this product every other time I wash my hair. You don't need a lot of it either, I see some videos using tonnes of this product to cover the entire head, I just use it like normal shampoo, lather it up and leave it on my head for about 3-5 minutes then rinse. I haven't used any other brand before so in terms of it not lathering up like regular shampoo, this particular one really does lather up nicely which I really like. My colleague at work warned me before it doesn't lather properly so my worry there was that it wouldn't clean my hair thoroughly but this one really does! 

One bottle will last you a loooong time, especially if your hair is around the same length as mine. You're using it every other wash plus it's a massive 1000ml bottle, I think after using it for a month, it's barely made a dent in the weight of the bottle. It costs around £14.99 (more expensive than any other shampoo you might own) off Amazon but like I said, it'll probably last you a good number of months before you need another bottle so it's pretty good value for money. 

Update: NEW HAIR!

Guess who got a new hairdo! 

I finally decided to take a plunge and get my hair sorted once and for all. Bearing in mind, I've never been to a salon before to get my hair professionally dyed, I've always heavily relied on box dyes and general trial and error using salon professional dye to try and get a colour that I'm happy with. 

This is going to a reaaaaally long and detailed post on how I decided what colour and style I wanted pre-salon visit and the whole process of getting it done in the salon so if you're interested please read on! 

October Loves: The Face Shop Green Tea Water

MY SKIN HAS BEEN SAVED!!!

When it comes to this time of the year, my skin takes a terrible turn for the worse because of the sudden change in weather. Those of you living in the UK will be pretty familiar with what I mean, temperatures take a dive and things get a lot colder and drier as well as the pollution from the city.

I bought this Green Tea Water from The Face Shop during my trip in NYC, shopping around Korea Town and hadn't really used it religiously until now, normally, I would give my face a rest from daily moisturiser over the weekend if I'm not going out. I tend to use a very light moisturiser to prime my face before applying make up.

The horrible weather change has given me bad (I mean bad) acne, I've got this patch on my face that won't go away, this BIG spot on the side of my nose that just keeps getting bigger... you get the idea. Not sure when the last time I had such bad acne was, I'm 24 now so I would've thought I was past those days. So I've decided to ditch my night creams (which were probably making it worse due to the oily nature of these creams) and my day cream and just use this face mist to moisturise my face day and night and my spots have actually gotten a lot better. I've been doing my detox masks a bit more frequently (I use the Baviphat Strawberry Deep Detox Mask) to help and I'm finally seeing some progress. 

I absolutely love this Green Tea Water, it makes my skin feel refreshed but moisturised at the same time especially after a shower. I wouldn't say it's a long term substitute for moisturiser but it's a very light alternative especially if you're like me and have very sensitive skin and pores that clog pretty easily in this type of weather.

I bought it in 120ml size but it also comes in smaller 60ml sizes which would be perfect for your handbag if you need a small top up throughout the day. The great thing about face mists are that you can use them on top of make up as well without ruining it so I would say it's definitely a handbag essential!

Rook Piercing Diary: Days 1-5

Hello!

So last Friday, my colleague and I decided to head down to the local tattoo studio near our workplace and get our ears pierced during our lunch break. I've had my eye on the rook piercing for a good couple of years now - I think it was after I got my conch pierced that I was itching for my next piercing and thought one day I'm going to get the rook done.

I didn't actually feel nervous until it was my turn (my colleague went first - she got her helix and second lobes done), I've done extensive research about the rook piercing as many people have said it's the most painful one you can get on your ears so obviously I was preparing myself for some intensive pain to be inflicted upon me. I thought to myself, how much worse can it be compared to when I got my conch done? Don't get me wrong, my conch was painful and a super bitch to heal but that was a good 4-5 years ago since it happened so I couldn't accurately remember how painful it was.

The lady that did my piercing was lovely, she explained to me how she was going to do it, showed me what barbell she was going to put it in and marked the position, showing me where the piercing was going to fit. It was over very quickly, it was the way she counted down that made me soooo nervous but it was absolutely fine, it was a very sharp pinch, a burning sensation and then the jewellery was in. I've heard so many people bleed during the piercing process but I was blood-free!

1 hour after piercing - a little red, but barely any pain, not very swollen either.

Days 2 - 4 were fine, it was good to have a weekend to care for the piercing. It's been so difficult to take care of my piercing during a normal work day. I still haven't managed to find a routine where I can fit in 2 x SSS which is slightly annoying. I've been doing a SSS as soon as I get home from work - I walk quite a lot during the day as I live quite far from the train station so imagining how much dirt, grease and dead skin get in and around my piercing makes me cringe a little inside. Anyhoo, as long as I'm keeping it clean I guess I'll be OK?

Today was day 5 - my ear was fine until towards the end of the day, note that I so far haven't knocked it even once or caught it or slept on it so I'm actually doing really well! When I got home from work, my ear was a little sore, it was that dull bruised kind of pain that I hadn't felt ever since I got it pierced. As soon as I got home, I cleaned my ear with some antibacterial soap to try and get all the accumulated dirt out of it. Then had a shower a couple of hours later and oh my gosh, my rook was SWOLLEN (it still is). Did another SSS and clean with some soap and left it. Here is what it looks like now in all its swollen glory:

Day 5 after piercing - quite swollen, painful to touch

Not to disgust you with the gross bits but so far my piercing hasn't secreted any lymph or formed any crusties yet so I think it's still in the very early stages of healing. Hopefully this swelling will go down soon, I usually heal pretty well so I'm optimistic about this one...

SHOPAHOLIC.

I am so excited. I just bought so much today. 

Soooo today, instead of having a chilled park day with le boyfriend, I decided to drag him shopping. What started as an innocent “I need to go and pick up my click-and-collect order” turned into a massive shopping haul. Here’s what I bought:

• A pair of black high waisted shorts from H&M (YUSSSS finally, I have bought another pair of these babies that I’m happy with) 
• A perfume atomiser from a really cute shop down Carnaby Street called Pylones - yes, I have no idea why on earth I need this, I just wanted one because I lost my old one ages ago on a night out ;__;
• Make up stuff that I don't really need but want from E.L.F.
• Concealer brush (my current one is a bit old and streaky...)
• Foundation brush (I have one but I will probably like this one more... because it's shaped differently)
• Highlighter brush (I've never had one okay?)
• Lip exfoliator (!?!?!)
• Face palette 

Ok so maybe in retrospect it's not that much stuff I bought but just know that I just went through my wardrobe and found so many pieces of unworn clothing still with their tags on. 

Review: Barry M - Speedy Quick Dry Nail Paints

I'm a self-confessed nail polish hoarder, I used to be obsessed with Nails Inc. polishes but quite recently I've come across these lovely colours by Barry M and decided to grab a few (as they were buy one get another half price at Boots!) to try out. I've never owned any nail polishes by Barry M before so this was a bit of risk buying so many at a time but these colours were just too good to pass - I'm a BIG sucker for pastel nail colours in general so why not!? 

First impressions of the colours available - woooow! Such pretty colours. They have various shades of pastels in this range of polishes and I struggled to choose which to buy. I ended up opting for 'Eat My Dust' - a lovely pastel grey-blue, 'Road Rage' - a beautiful soft mint green, 'Kiss Me Quick' - a pretty baby pink colour and 'In A Flash' - a nude-ish pink with hints of coral. As you can tell, the names of the shades are related to... speed! I love the design of the bottles too. 

After trying out the blue polish, I've instantly fallen in love with this range - the flat brush design is amazing, I feel like all polishes should have a flat brush - easy application, minimal mess and smudge - perfect. The usual complaint I have with pastel coloured polishes is that it takes about 3 coats to get a full coverage without streaks. I'm so glad that these were 2 coat polishes, I think I've finally found the perfect pastel polishes! The only exception is with the nude pink 'In A Flash', this one took 3 coats, I think I could've gotten away with 2 but 3 for a full coverage was needed which is a little on the downside but the other 3 were fine with just 2 coats. Generally, I use a base coat, 2 coats and a top coat for extra long lasting nails.

Finally, do they last? Yes! Absolutely. I wore the blue for a week and it didn't even chip by the end of the week, I like to change up my nail colour every week so I'm currently wearing the nude pink which has lasted for 3 days so far and so good! Overall, this polish is amazing, from the brush design to how long it lasts, it's a definite must buy again for me.

Short review but I just wanted to emphasise how amazing Barry M nail paints are! Can't wait to try their other nail paint lines. 

Review: Got2Be Oil-Licious Tame & Shine Styling Oil

Picked up this little bottle of hair oil as part of an offer at Boots. I must say, I was skeptical because I usually use overpriced hair oil products to tame my dry ends but I thought I may as well give this a try as it was free! It contains Argan oil which is enriched with Vitamin E and used to nourish dry and damaged hair - this isn't pure Argan oil but it contains some which is better than nothing I guess!

The instructions say you can use this product pre-washing, pre-styling or just when your hair is dry. My personal preference for using hair oil is always after blow drying, my hair tends to get a bit dry at the ends after using a hairdryer as my hair is subject to much heat abuse through straighteners and the dryer.

For the price this product is normally sold at, I'd say it's a pretty decent hair oil! The fragrance is one of the best things about the product, it smells sweet and fresh and just adds that much more to your hair after washing. It's quite greasy but not greasy enough that you need to wash your hands everytime after applying. Does it do what it claims to do? Yes, it's a great product that moisturises your hair when you need it and the small sized bottle makes it perfect to bring around in your handbag especially if you're on holiday and your hair gets a bit dry from heat/sea water. The pump bottle with a cap is also a great design, you can control how much you need when you need it.

One of the downsides to me is that it doesn't really stay on your hair that long, it keeps my hair moisturised after drying before bed but when I wake up, my ends feel quite dry again. I guess that's why it says on the bottle 'for daily use'. But for something that's used daily, I think the bottle needs to be a bit larger in size!

I'd definitely buy this product again, it's a much cheaper alternative to pure Argan oil/other professional hair oils, except you'll need to use it daily to keep your hair tame. It's the perfect summer holiday product for hair that gets frizzy and out of control very easily.

Pre-Release Review: Clinique Pop Lip Colour & Primer

Hola!~

So the Clinque Pop Lip Colour & Primer "officially" launches later today nationwide! What better time to do a review than in the early hours of the morning of release day?

I'm not a huge lipstick fan, I'm more of a lip balm girl because lip balms are just more subtle and does the job of moisturising my lips when I need to. I've always seen lipsticks just highlight the dryness of my lips in really unflattering ways even after that dry toothbrush trick. So sadly, lipsticks haven't been at the very top of my necessities when it comes to make up.

But having seen these new "balmy" Clinique Pop Lip Colour & Primer lipsticks, I couldn't resist buying one, or two... or three to try out. After deliberating for just about forever, the ones I bought were Cola Pop, Poppy Pop and Melon Pop (L-R).

These lipsticks are split into 4 groups - you can google the whole range but the Cola Pop one I have is from the Nudes category and the other 2 are from the Tawnies category. I decided to choose a light neutral coral shade (Melon Pop) for everyday, a slightly brighter pink-orange shade (Poppy Pop) for summery days where I feel a bit more... daring with make up and a dark red/maroon shade (Cola Pop) for evening wear - each suitable for different occasions. Completely skipping Pinks and Violets because pink and purple lipstick is not my thing and the other Nudes seemed too plain.

The packaging is absolutely beautiful, I've even kept the original box it comes in because I'm a huge hoarder and they're just too lovely to throw away! 

Having changed my mind multiple times about them, I've come to the conclusion that I love each one in a different way. Bear in mind, these lipsticks are super pigmented, I was surprised at how pigmented the Melon Pop one was despite seeing other bloggers review them. They're also very balmy hence the 'Primer' part and is excellent for long lasting wear. These lipsticks seem to keep my lips hydrated for a long time, it feels like I'm wearing a super pigmented lip balm rather than a lipstick. 

Here are the swatches: 

I'd say the colours look slightly different to the colour on the packaging - not massively but it definitely varies from skin tone to skin tone. The Cola Pop one looked a lot darker than I anticipated, it's by far the darkest lipstick I've ever tried on but it's a blue-based red lipstick that compliments my skin tone really well! With my choice in the corals, corals can never go wrong with Asian skin but I was surprised at how bright the Poppy Pop one was, it definitely looks more orange on my lips - it's a great colour for the summer as I have a natural coral tint to my lips this one definitely accentuates it more. Finally, the Melon Pop is wonderful, I'm a plain Jane most days so this one tops my list out of the 3, it's pigmented but not too much that screams attention, it's subtly pink with a tint of coral which is perfect for dress down days or days where I tend to go simple with my make up. 

Out of the 3, Melon Pop tops my list, it's versatile and can be dressed up or down. Cola Pop would be my second because despite it being uber dark, it's actually super sexy when worn! Poppy Pop would be third as it's pretty damn bright for my liking and I'd probably have to blot it down a bit along with some translucent power to make it less harsh. 

Sadly, these lipsticks fall short when compared to my MAC Cremesheen lipstick. I have a beautiful coral shade that is somewhere between Melon Pop and Poppy Pop, not to mention the MAC Cremesheen range smells like vanilla which makes me love it even more. That being said, these Clinique lipsticks are definitely worth the money, they launch today with a price tag of £16 each (MAC Cremesheen range is £15 each) and the quality of these lipsticks is luxurious with the metal cap, square design, primer formula. I reckon these Clinique lipsticks are better value for money compared to MAC.

Go grab yours today at your nearest Clinique counter! 

Review: Simple Illuminating Radiance Cream

I haven't done a review in a while because I've been so snowed under with work and catching up on sleep! Legit excuse, I swear. 

I bought this product a while back when it came out, I was slightly conscious of the whole 'illuminating' and 'radiance' marketing because that usually means it might contain sparkly stuff in it like a similar 'radiant' BB cream that I bought once. Usually, I stay away from these products because I don't want to look like a vampire from Twilight with sparkly skin in the daylight but actually, this product isn't as sparkly as I thought it would be. 

Texture-wise, it's really light and smooth, exactly like cream except it's of a beige colour rather than white. In comparison to the Simple Light Moisturiser I use daily, this one is slightly thicker but still manages to absorb well into my skin. A little goes a long way so I only needed to pump about 3 times to cover my whole face - a pump is pretty small, about a pea sized amount. It's not sticky at all as is exactly as it's advertised - a light, odourless moisturiser

Appearance-wise, it's not noticeably sparkly but when exposed to white light, you can subtly see some sparkly bits. It doesn't make me look greasy either and stayed on my face the whole day, keeping dry patches well hydrated throughout.  

I probably wouldn't use this product under make up as it may look excessive when you pile BB cream/foundation over it but it'll definitely be a part of my skincare on days where I'm not wearing make up! I feel it's a great substitute for make up on dress down days as you don't have to take it off and it does make your skin look brighter and healthier. 

I'd definitely buy this cream again once mine runs out, the packing is beautiful and the pump bottle gives it a much more luxurious feel compared to other Simple creams. The pricing is slightly high for a 50ml cream (£7.99) but it does do wonders to my skin and a little goes a very long way, I'm expecting mine to last a while before I need to replenish my stock! 

Review: Nivea Fruity Shine Cherry Lip Balm

For some reason Vaseline isn't doing it for me this winter, maybe it's the wind or the heating in the office but my lips just won't hold moisture and are constantly flaking. So on my lunch break at work today, I went to hunt for something stronger and meant to pick up the Blistex Relief Cream but instead Nivea's Fruity Shine range caught my eye. 

The range comes in 6 yummy scents/colours at the moment: Peach, Watermelon, Cherry, Strawberry, Pink Guava and Pomegranate. I don't own a tinted lip balm yet so I thought I'd try out the cherry one for starters, the Cherry, Strawberry and Pomegranate ones look quite similar in colour so I assume they give the same sort of tint to your lips. I've always been a fan of all things cherry-ish so this one was the obvious choice for me. 

I was quite surprised when I opened the lip balm to use, the stick is really red, looks almost like a standard red lipstick. Surprisingly, the colour - not so much, it gives just about the right amount of tint without making your lips look like you're wearing lipstick. Also gives that shimmery look without feeling overly greasy like Vaseline. What I particularly like about this balm is that it doesn't feel too waxy like most stick balms I've used before (I'm looking at chapstick on this one...), the stick glides smoothly onto your lips without making the dry areas look obvious. 

The scent is gorgeous, doesn't have that waxy smell that some scented lip balms give off. It also does well to lock in moisture and help re-hydrate dry areas, my flaking was gone by the end of the day! I've only applied this 3 times today and already my lips feel smoother. 

Would definitely recommend this lip balm to anyone looking for something stronger than Vaseline. Of course, the Blistex Relief Cream would be my best bet for really dry and sore lips but since my lips weren't really at that point yet, this was a good choice of purchase! Only £1.66 at Superdrugs for now!  

Review: Baviphat Lemon Whitening Sleeping Pack

Gaaaah. First of all, can I just say sorry for being such a bad blogger. I've just been inactive as I've been settling into my new job, relaxing when I can and general project duties. I'll make another blog post about these soon-ish but I just wanted to do a review on this uh-may-zing product I've been using recently. 

So if you've been reading my blog, I reviewed the Strawberry Toxifying mask from this range back in November and I'm back again to review this Lemon Sleeping Pack as I bought a set of these Baviphat skincare products. This sleeping pack claims to be rich in Vitamin C and lemon extract to suppress melanin production and hyper-pigmentation of the skin. Also contains Arbutin (one of my favourite mask ingredients), which helps whiten the skin and even out skin tone. So in a nut-shell this mask is perfect for anyone with acne scars or uneven/dull skin tones. 

Texture/Appearance

I was a tiny bit surprised by the texture of this mask, it's pretty runny (for a "mask") and is of a creamy colour. The texture feels a bit sticky on application and doesn't feel very thick so it might seem like it's not really adding anything to your face. But for me, that's a good thing as my face gets quite greasy overnight so anything thick would probably clog my pores and make me break out. Overall, the texture is pretty smooth and applies on colourless, just a bit sticky though. 

Fragrance

As the product is named, this sleeping pack has a lemon fragrance. It's pretty strong but in a pleasant way and not in an overpowering way. The scent seems really fresh to me and I quite like it! Smells very natural and has no bad chemical smells to it. It eventually fades off after a while when the pack gets absorbed by the skin which is nice when you're falling asleep. 

Ease of use

Again, this product comes with a tiny spoon for hygiene purposes but unlike the strawberry mask, I feel that this mask is a lot harder to 'scoop' from the pot using the spoon due to its consistency. I've ended up shaking the pot and just scooping the mask off the plastic lid with my finger to be more efficient rather than use the spoon. 

But other than that, the mask is easily absorbed into the skin without much massaging to be done. Also a unique property of this mask is that it doesn't require a rinse when you wake up so it's quite convenient if you're travelling (though, I don't know anyone that doesn't wash their face when they wake up... Just saying.). Just a note for anyone wanting to sleep straight away after applying - you might want to wait 10 minutes before plonking your head down on your pillow as it tends to leave your face feeling sticky for a while until the mask is absorbed into the skin. 

Results

The most important part - does it work? I've only used this product a few times and I must say, it works wonders for spot scars, even more so than the cheap aloe vera gel I reviewed previously. I've actually been applying the mask frequently (despite directions saying once or twice a week) and it definitely fades dark scars the best. Not too sure about the whitening effects though, I feel like my complexion is still the same after use so no comment there. But I feel like the lemon extract and Vitamin C combinations in this mask work very well together, it makes me think of the bleaching effects of lemon juice but maybe not as strong. 

Overall, this mask is great for anyone looking for a convenient, easy to use, natural smelling sleeping pack. I've suddenly become a huge fan of sleeping packs because they aid restoration of your skin whilst you sleep which is brilliant, you wake up to nice skin without having to do much apart from sleep! So I'd definitely recommend this one. It's definitely a lot less work than the Strawberry Toxifying mask (sometimes clay masks are stubborn and take a long time to wash off completely = inconvenience) and can be used anytime during the week as it doesn't really dry your face out if overused either. 

100% recommend, even better if used alongside the Strawberry Toxifying mask during the week. Wouldn't recommend it to be plastered over existing spots though, better to use the toxifying mask or other deep cleansing masks to solve the spot problems before you applying this one. I'd say this mask is more of a acne scar eraser more than a skin maintainer. 

Review: Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner

Having heard so many great things about this eyeliner on top of it winning an award from teen Vogue, I thought that this would be the ultimate eyeliner I have been searching for. With a hefty (hefty to me anyway) price tag of £12, you'd think this eyeliner must be something worth buying. I've never heard of the brand Eyeko before so having missed the opportunity to nab one for free from Glamour one month, I decided to buy the Skinny Liquid Eyeliner to try it out.

I must say, to me, this eyeliner was rubbish. After you apply your bb cream/foundation/powder, it does not glide on nicely like it should. Instead you're there trying to apply it and re-apply it over and over to get a solid black line over your top lid. I mean, eventually you do get there but what I was expecting was something that would be pigmented enough to glide over base make-up without having to go over the same line again and again to achieve this. Also, if you're a liquid liner newbie, you might end up thickening the line instead - panda eyes anyone? 

However, despite the problem with application, I do like the nib on this eyeliner, I like how it's designed so you can easily control the thickness of the line. I would actually love this eyeliner if it was a bit more pigmented so it actually goes over base make-up. If you're considering trying liquid liner from Eyeko I'd also recommend the waterproof Eye Do Liquid Liner just because this skinny one rubs off way too easily for my liking. It could rain and you'd be missing a chunk of your eyeliner - not pretty.

In any case, I don't think I'll be re-purchasing another Eyeko liquid liner in the near future. I actually bought the Rimmel ScandalEyes Precision Micro Liner today instead to try out, guess I'm still hunting for my ideal liquid liner! 

Aloe Vera Rescue!

Aloe vera gel was definitely my November PTM (product of the month).

Due to stress, hormones and whatnot, I've been experiencing episodes of bad skin particularly on my forehead. You know that frustrating feeling when you've tried almost everything to get rid of your spots and when you've just about cleared your skin, some more spots appear.

Aloe vera gel is usually used for sunburns as many holiday goers should be familiar with, I definitely used it on holiday as aftersun and it really does soothe your skin and helps protect it from harm. What I didn't know was that you can use aloe vera gel as a daily moisturiser, to fade acne scars and actually use it to help treat acne!

So I've been using for a couple of weeks now to see if it really does help my spot troubles and I was really surprised to see how much improvement there was even after 2 days. What I particularly love about aloe vera gel is that it soothes my face after washing, reduces redness and the size of spots and also really helps grease control.

If you're not a big fan of creams because you have naturally greasy skin and struggle to find night cream that isn't too greasy (which night creams usually are), then I would definitely recommend aloe vera gel as a substitute. It's not as moisturising as cream based products but it definitely feels nicer and lighter on the face due to it's gel like properties.

I'm currently using the Aloe Vera Gel from Aloe Pura which is only £3.05 from Superdrugs for 100ml!

Review: Baviphat Strawberry Toxifying Mask

For those who know me personally, I'm a huge fan of Korean skincare products (hence the Laneige review previously). I went on quite a haul 2 years ago when I visited Seoul and have been stocking up since - paying them extra fees to get them over here from Korea (T__T). I've been using this mask on and off for quite a while now so it's time to give a review on it!  

This is actually my first ever clay mask (minus those ones I played around with when I was little - obviously had no idea what a clay mask even was, probably thought it was play clay lol). Personally, I'm not a huge fan of masks that you have to wash off after a certain period of time - apart from sleeping masks, because I'm a time-saving freak who thinks the quicker and more convenient the better... always. But anyway, enough about me and my opinions on life and onto the review. 

Texture/Appearance

The texture of this mask is well... clay... duh. It's actually a really nice smooth clay that applies very easily onto the skin. It even comes with a tiny spoon for hygiene purposes - I wouldn't advise digging your fingers into the clay because you'll leave stuff behind like dust and skin flakes that you can't see. As usual with the products I've reviewed previously, a little goes a very long way, I always use one heap spoon for my whole face. As far as clay masks go, this one isn't actually very messy to use, just make sure to wash your hands before you pop the lid back on. 

Fragrance

The closest thing I would say the smell of this mask resembles is probably strawberry yoghurt. It's a really nice smell, made me want to eat it the first time I opened and used this mask. It's not overpowering or sickly either. I personally feel that the fragrance of this mask makes the masking experience more enjoyable if anything.

Ease of use

Like I said up there, it's easy to apply and the coverage is generally really smooth (make sure you apply to DRY skin with DRY hands), however, you may have trouble washing this mask off. The first couple of times I used this mask, I could never wash it off 100% first time, it was one of those masks where you really have to scrub at every corner of your face to get it off completely. Make sure you check in the mirror when you're washing because you don't want to walk out with unwashed, dried up clay on some parts of your face! Particular areas of extra attention would be the eye socket area, nostril area and eyebrows. Also, remember not to leave the mask on for longer than the directed time (15-20min I believe) - clay masks can actually do more harm than good for your skin if you leave them on for too long unlike sheet masks.

Results

This mask does a really good job of giving your skin a deep clean where normal facial cleansers probably can't reach. I find it particularly useful when I have signs of a breakout patch on my face, I apply this mask to the affected area and the next day, the spots seem to go away. It's also been helping a lot with my recent outbreak of bad skin (damn hormones...), for acne prone skin, I would recommend this mask be used 2x a week and for normal skin maintenance once a week. I also found that this mask (like a lot of Korean skincare products) provide a whitening effect - it's especially more noticeable for this mask compared to other ones I've used i.e. sheet masks. 

Overall, I really love this mask, it does take a bit of discipline to remember to use it during the week - I always forget when my skin is nice and healthy and only go back to it when my skin is giving me hell. It's great for all skin types, however, I would recommend minimal usage for people with dry skin as it is a deep cleaning mask like most clay ones are - use moisturiser after if you have dry skin. I choose not apply night cream after this mask and let my natural oils seep through to moisturise my face but you can apply a light day cream after using this mask if you feel a little tightness after use. 

Definitely a top mask of choice for me, plus the pot itself is super cute - check out the Baviphat range if you're interested in this mask, they do sleeping masks and moisturisers in fruit shaped pots according to their smell like this one!

Review: & Other Stories "Petit Point Pink" Nail Polish

I usually buy nail polish from Nails Inc but I thought I'd try one from & Other Stories since I was passing by and absolutely loved this shade of pink (and because I get discount!). For those that don't know, & Other Stories is a fashion brand and retailer under the H&M group. You can find their shop down Regent Street in London. 

Consistency

The consistency of this nail polish feels a lot thinner than others, noticeably upon first time usage. I've had this nail polish for a couple of months now and it does not seem to have thickened at all with storage. I quite like this as a lot of my polishes tend to congeal and thicken over time but this one has stayed thin ever since I bought it. Though, I feel that this also has it's downsides (see coverage).  

Coverage

Despite this being a gorgeous shade of baby pink, I must say the coverage is pretty poor. Even with three coats, the polish fails to completely cover the nail and provide a solid colour. I feel that this is due to the consistency of the polish - hopefully over time perhaps the polish will thicken a bit and be able to provide a solid block colour. 

Brush quality

The brush is rather short and thick compared to most polishes, rather than fan out nicely upon application, the brush appears to drag the colour along. Upon first application I had no issues with the brush but over time, the brush left noticeable streaks along the wet polish which wouldn't go away unless I brushed a top coat when the polish was almost completely dry. Would've preferred if the brush was thinner and longer. 

Drying time

The polish dries very quickly compared to other polishes I own (note that the polish is not advertised as a 'quick drying' polish), again, I feel that this is down to the consistency of the polish itself. But I guess this is good as you will need multiple coats of this polish to make the colour look more solid and outstanding. 

Duration of wear

Upon first time usage, the duration of wear was around 1 week (with top coat) before I needed to remove the polish. This is actually really good for my standards of wear as with me working on weekends, tough handling products, my nails tend to be scuffed to the max by the end of the week. I guess it also depends on how many coats are applied as with more coats you run a higher risk of the polish chipping, and also if you apply top coat or not. 

Pricing

Each polish from this range is £5 per bottle. I'd say this was decent for the quality of the polish (considering polish from Nails Inc is £10-11 per bottle) - a mid range pricing. 

Verdict/Purchase again?

Not likely. I was only really tempted by the shade of this polish and the fact that it came from a brand under H&M. I would definitely recommend spending a few more £ on a better quality nail polish that actually provides a solid coverage than a thin one where you need to apply more than 2 coats (because time is money right!?) Though, the packaging and design of these polishes are really cute and compact - good for if you're travelling.