Top 5 Skin Care Buys

It's not easy to achieve healthy glowy skin all year round especially when hormones (for the ladies) hit hard. I'm really not a fan of lengthy skincare routines but there are certain products that I use frequently to keep my skin looking as healthy as possible.

But remember guys, it's not all about the routine, you have to eat healthily to get the right vitamins, drink plenty of water and get some sunshine to achieve and maintain healthy skin!

5. Simple Kind to Skin Cleansing Wipes - £3.49 per 25 wipes

Simple is definitely my favourite brand of skincare, it's affordable, feels great on the skin and non-scented. Perfect for my skin because my skin is a bit on the sensitive side so scented products tend to cause me to break out more often than not. I love using this product to remove make up, works great at removing waterproof mascara too. 

Positives: Gentle, non-scented, the wipes are large enough to remove a full face of make up. Affordable, widely available. 

Negatives: I find that the wipes nearer to the top of the pack tend to be drier than the wipes nearer to the bottom.

4. Nivea Daily Essentials Regenerating Night Cream - £4.35 per 50ml

I first came across this product in a magazine that provided a free sample. At first I wasn't too impressed by it since the sample only provided enough for 2 applications, so I went out to buy a tub to test its long term effects instead. 

I've never been a huge fan of Nivea products because they're heavily scented and quite greasy, but this is probably the only Nivea product I approve of and actually works well on my skin. Night creams are known to be quite greasy anyway but the special thing about this product is that you go to sleep with a greasy face of cream but wake up with beautiful, supple, baby-smooth skin. It's an amazing product. I really do feel the regenerating effects of this cream - definitely worth tolerating the overpowering Nivea smell and greasy face for. 

Positives: Does what it claims to do - regenerate, a little goes a very long way so a 50ml tub should last a while, relatively affordable, comes in a nice glass tub so it doesn't feel like a cheap night cream at all. 

Negatives: Overpowering Nivea smell that might not be likeable to all, greasy - people with naturally oily skin may find problems with this product.

3. Simple Kind to Skin Moisturising Facial Wash - £3.49 per 150ml 

Finding the perfect facial cleanser for me has been one of my biggest challenges throughout teenage years. When your hormones are just all over the place, it's hard to find a cleanser that you can stick with and actually works the way you want it to. I've tried gel cleansers, milk cleansers, foam cleansers but it all boils down to this one cleanser here.

I absolutely luuuuurve this Simple cleanser, again, like the wipes, it's not scented, gentle on the skin and is a foaming cleanser. I don't know about you guys but foaming cleansers are a personal fav for me, the foaming makes me feel like the stuff is actually cleaning my face. Unlike other foam cleansers I've tried, this one does not dry out my face. I wouldn't say it moisturises it that much (still need to apply cream after a wash), but it definitely makes my skin feel soft and clean after. I've been using this product faithfully for about 3-4 years now and have noticed a huge decrease in breakouts and blackheads around the nose. 

Would definitely recommend to anyone of any skin type looking for an affordable, gentle and effective cleanser.

Positives: Gentle, non-scented, foaming cleanser that doesn't dry out the skin, a little goes a very long way again - a bottle of this lasts for ages, widely available, leaves skin feeling soft after a wash. 

Negatives: I find the cap is a bit fragile as mine has snapped right off a few times, works most effectively with a rinse-and-repeat as it doesn't feel like a very strong cleanser. 

2. My Beauty Diary Bulgarian White Rose Mask - £8.70 per 10 sheets

Throwing in one of my Asian products for my number 2. MBD is a brand originating from Taiwan, their sheet masks are very popular with Chinese people in particular being widely sold in China and Hong Kong. 

I'm sure you're all familiar with what sheet masks are. I love the MBD range because they have such a variety of different scents with different purposes which caters to all skin types of different ages. For example they have ones like ginseng, caviar and Q10 for the older generation which have benefits like skin firming and wrinkle prevention and ones like white rose, yogurt and cherry blossom for the younger generation with benefits like whitening, moisturising and soothing. That's just the tip of the iceberg. 

I've chosen Bulgarian White Rose as my favourite because the scent is just gorgeous and it provides just what I need to maintain rather than improve my skin. I use sheet masks as a supplement rather than a necessity so it doesn't really matter which particular type I use - just depends on my mood or how my skin is feeling. I love this mask because for one, it's thin - meaning better absorption, the residue that is left on the skin is easy to rub in and it's very convenient as most sheet masks are. I love the fact that you don't need to wash your face after unlike clay masks. 

Positives: Convenient in function and packaging (you can even take one on a flight and use it right there without needing the pop to the toilet), lovely scent, multiple benefits in just one mask, easily absorbed and leaves skin feel really soft and healthy looking for 2 days after use.

Negatives: Not widely available in the UK - you may be able to find it in Chinatown but they usually charge extortionate prices (£10+), when I bought mine for equivalent to half the price in HK. When removing from the packaging, they usually drip a bit so best to apply it over a sink. Unless you're experienced, it can be quite hard to place it correctly on your face as everyone's face is different, a mirror is strongly advised!

1. Sasatinnie Facial Cleansing Brush - £5 each

Number 1 spot goes to my daily tool - my fish shaped facial cleansing brush! 

I must admit, ever since I bought this at Sasa in HK, it has really helped my skin a lot. This facial brush has soft silicone bristles that help gently scrub dead skin off the face. I use it along with my Simple moisturising cleanser, I find this brush works best with a foaming cleanser. It leaves my skin feeling super soft after and can even be used on your lips before you apply lipstick! I can't go anywhere without this brush anymore. 

Positives: Soft, the bristles do not damage your skin, small and compact, easy to clean and dry - convenient for travelling, has a little suction tip convenient to hang on a bathroom wall to dry after use, has finger holes for easy grip. Very durable - I bought 2 but have been using one for 8 months now and it doesn't show any signs of wear and tear.

Negatives: Again, not widely available, only available in HK or purchase online at Sasa.com, the suction tip doesn't hold well on my bathroom wall but holds very well on the inside of shower cubicles. 

Hope you guys enjoyed my 2nd set of mini reviews. 

Until next time!

Top 5 Hair Care Buys

A good haircare routine is just as important as a good skincare routine.

As a self-confessed hair dye lover who is overly attached to her straighteners and often forgets to drag a brush through her hair at the beginning of the day, it's really important for me to take care of the quality of my hair using the right products and equipment. Frizzy, dry, hay-feeling hair is a huge annoyance to me so I'm going to share the top 5 hair care products that I use on a routine basis to keep my hair protected and looking the best it can be.

5. Schwarzkopf Bonacure Repair Rescue Sealed Ends - £6-7 per 75ml

This stuff is great if you have split ends often from heat damage. It's a cream based serum that you apply to the ends of your hair before or after blow drying and it claims to seal split ends and prevent splitting. 

It's pretty good upon application but I find the effects wear off quickly before my next hair wash so it's not my number 1 choice of hair product. For the part about it "sealing split ends" I don't really notice a vast improvement apart from a temporary shine to my ends. I'm generally really skeptical about hair products that claim to "repair split ends" anyway so for me, this product was mediocre. 

Positives: Adds a lovely shine to your hair when you apply it, non-greasy on the hands, doesn't cause your hair to become greasy over time, a little goes a really long way so for the price tag it sells for it's pretty worth.

Negatives: Not widely available in drugstores, frequent application is necessary for it to do anything permanent to the hair. 

Would buy again? Not likely, there are better products out there that can protect the hair before heat styling so in theory you wouldn't even need a product like this. 

4. L'Oréal Paris Studio Line Hot & Smooth Hot Straight Spray - £3.69 per 200ml

With the amount of heat protection sprays out there, it can be hard to label one as the best. This product claims to keep hair straight for 3 days (who doesn't wash their hair for 3 straight days though...?) and gives a frizz free, polished finish. Some of you may be familiar with the cream based heat protection product L'Oréal had a few years ago. I'm pretty happy they've launched a spray version now.

I used to be a huge fan of the TRESemmé heat protection spray until I tried this one. It takes my number 4 because it's cheap, the spray mechanism is really broad and diffuse and it can be used for blowdrying and straightening. I really feel a remarkable difference to my hair after using this every time I blowdry and straighten.

Positives: Affordable compared to the TRESemmé version, really gives a polished finish after use, no more frazzled ends from straightening, the spray is really diffuse.

Negatives: If you use this spray for blowdrying and straightening, 200ml may finish quite quickly.

Would buy again? Definitely. My hair feels a lot healthier and protected from heat styling ever since switching out TRESemmé for this product. 

3. Batiste Dry Shampoo Cherry - £2.99 per 200ml

As you may or may not know, dry shampoo has become one of the next big things. An instant hair refresh for those of you waking up with greasy second-day hair. This product basically works by removing excess oils in the scalp leaving your hair feeling fresh.

For me, this product isn't really an essential, it's more of a usage only when my hair is feeling gross. But even then, after a few hours I feel like the grease has come back so I assume the instant refresh only lasts for as long as it says it does - "instant". So if you're going for this, you may as well buy the mini travel sized ones too to keep in your handbag for mini refresh sessions when you go to the bathroom. It barely overtakes the heat defence spray because of its convenience and uniqueness.

Positives: Lovely scent (the cherry one really tops it for me), huge range for different types of hair, rather inexpensive, quick and easy to use.

Negatives: A 200ml bottle really does not last long if you use it every other day and if you don't brush properly after applying it can leave white residue behind.

Would buy again? Maybe, it's not an essential for me to have this on my dressing table but it is handy to have when my hair doesn't feel fresh. 

2. Parlux 3200 Compact (Flowers Edition) - £64.95 

What the hell, right? A hairdryer? Yes, a hairdryer. Won't go into analysing the specifications because I know nothing about hairdryers. My typical hairdryer usually dies after 1-2 years of use so I finally invested in one that should last me more than 2 years. This hairdryer was recommended to me by a hairdresser friend and he claims it will outlast my children so... 

I really like this hairdryer, it's not as noisy as other hairdryers, is lightweight and feels sturdy. The vent at the back seems easy to clean too which is a plus. My hair dries super quick using this hairdryer and the heat settings are really convenient (even though I use the highest heat setting anyway). 

Positives: Super pretty design, compact, comes in other colours too. Dries hair really quickly, powerful but not noisy, convenient heat settings, easy to clean. 

Negatives: Expensive and doesn't feel expensive when you see the packaging (really), Parlux isn't a well known brand that is widely available like Babyliss, TRESemmé, Toni & Guy, Nicky Clarke etc.

1. TRESemmé Thermal Recovery Intensive Repair & Rehydration Treatment - £3 per 500ml

This hair masque claims to target areas of hair damaged by heat styling, the intense rehydration restores shine to hair exposed to heat styling equipment and protects hair from damage up to 450 degrees C (!!!).

I've finally said my goodbyes to dry, hay-like hair because of this hair masque. I use it along with the TRESemmé thermal recovery shampoo and conditioner weekly and I have to say, it has permanently improved the quality of my hair which I didn't even think was possible. The fact that it repairs hair AND protects it from heat styling equipment is just amazing to me. The price is another reason why this product is my number 1 - for £3 you get 500ml of this stuff which you only have to use once a week! I bought mine about 3-4 months ago and it still looks barely touched.  

Positives: Does what it says on the tin 100%, dirt cheap, a tub lasts a very long time, repairs damaged hair - very useful straight after hair dyeing, protects hair from heat exposure even after washing. 

Negatives: None.

Would buy again? 110% yes, this product has basically resurrected my hair after years of exposure to straighteners and hair dye. Would definitely recommend it to anyone who has damaged hair whether from styling equipment or excessive hair dyeing. 

Hope you guys enjoyed my mini reviews of my top 5 hair care products. Will be doing a similar one for skincare as soon as I think about what products will make it to my top 5! 

Peace and love.