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: 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. 

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!