Product Review | Skinclay White Clay Mask

Ciao ♥ Up until a year or two ago I never used to be particularly interested in facial skincare. I never quite understood the fascination or excitement surrounding the different types of products available (i.e. cleansers, exfoliators and serums), and so my collection of the sort was fairly minimal. Besides from moisturising my face daily with Simple's Kind to Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser, I didn't have a facial skincare routine in place that I carried out on a regular basis. This was partly due to not realising the importance of it all as I've always had pretty good skin. Thus, I never felt there was a need for me to be extra attentive to it as it was never something I struggled with; my skin is almost always clear as I rarely get spots (let's hope I haven't jinxed myself). However, about a year ago the area around my eyes became quite dry and sensitive. It took several weeks, and the trailing of a gazillion products to get rid of the dry skin, and all of the itchiness and flakiness that came along with it.

In a way it was a blessing in disguise as it's what kick-started off my skincare journey. Evidently, my collection of skincare products has definitely doubled, if not tripled, in size from what it was a year ago. I'm often on the lookout for new products so was rather intrigued when one of the lovely ladies at work mentioned the brand Skinclay. Skinclay is a newly founded brand who create natural face masks. It was established by the British model Alice Cornish who has impressively strutted her stuff on the catwalk for the likes of Jonathan Saunders, Tommy Hilfiger, Topshop and Rag & Bone.

There are three face masks to choose from depending on your skin type including: RED; great for normal, dull or tired skin, WHITE; great for dry, ageing or sensitive skin, and GREEN; great for oily, clogged or acne prone skin. I opted for the white clay mask as my skin can be quite sensitive and dry at the worst of times. If you're unsure about what skin type you have then head over to Skinclay's skin guide where you can identify which description best describes your skin.

        

A great thing about this product is that it's natural, chemical and preservative free. Each mask retails for the affordable price of £5 and are currently stocked via Skinclay’s website. These will also soon be available to purchase from Liberty so make sure you keep your eyes peeled. Furthermore, they're super easy and fun to use; simply add water to the powder form. Detailed instructions can be found below:

1) Remove spatula and pour the sachet content into a small mixing bowl.

2) Add three tablespoons of water into the mixing bowl.

3) Stir the mixture until you have a smooth consistency (add more water if your mask is too thick).

4) Apply your mask to a cleansed face and neck, avoiding the eye and mouth area. 

5) Leave the mask on for approx. 10 minutes.

6) Rinse thoroughly with warm water and pat dry.

After following these instructions and using this product, my skin felt extremely soft and nourished. I also noticed it really helped to enhance my natural complexion and did not irritate my skin in the slightest. This is definitely a product I would use again, but also one that I would recommend to y'all.

I''m also massively impressed with the packaging as it's fresh and pleasing to the eye. I particularly like the font of the brand's name and the selection of colours used. As bizarre as this may sound, this is of great importance to me as I'm a complete and utter sucker for packaging. Always have been, always will be. So much so that I feel I'm more likely to enjoy using a product if it appears that time and effort has gone into the packaging of it. Who else agrees?

Finally, make sure you head over to the Skinclay website for further information on this exciting new brand. Oh, and be be sure to remember that looking after your skin during your youth will contribute to younger looking skin in your older years ;)

If you enjoyed reading this review then make sure you check out my previous ones in which I spoke about the following skincare products: Elemis' Anti-Ageing Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm and Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream. 

Ciao ♥ Xx 

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Product Review | Elemis Anti-Ageing Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm

Ciao ♥ Over the past few months I've acquired quite an array of newly discovered beauty products.
After trying these out for a reasonable amount of time I found there was the odd one or two not worth the hype, a bunch I thought were great and a few golden ones I now can't live without. In today's post I will be discussing one of the latter which is Elemis’ Anti-Ageing Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm.

The worst thing about wearing make-up is having to remove it at the end of the day. It's such a chore and often something I prolong doing until I'm just about ready to hop into bed. Up until two years ago I used to remove my make-up with facial wipes as it was an easy, quick and inexpensive method. I also wasn't really aware of the different types of make-up remover products available on the market (i.e. cleansing balms, facial lotions and micellar water). Thankfully, the blogging world rescued me at just the right time by introducing me to Elemis' Anti-Ageing Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm which has been raved about left, right and centre.

This product is available to purchase from some of the UK’s leading retailers such as Debenhams, House of Fraser and John Lewis for £39.50. Yes! It is a lot pricier than your usual make-up remover but I can assure you it's worth every penny. Hmm! Still not keen on the price? Well I'm hoping you'll be pleased to know my bargain hunting skills have proven worthy. Head over to allbeauty.com where you can purchase this product for the discounted price of £31.55 which equates to 20% off. They also provide free delivery on all orders over £15. Double kerching!

I've had this product for approx. one year now. Although I do not use it everyday, more so every few days, I've only used a little over a quarter of it so far. I use this product by applying half a teaspoon size amount to my face; a little goes a long way. Using my fingertips I then massage the product into my skin, in circular motions, for about 40 seconds. I then remove the breakdown of my make-up with my cleansing cloth ensuring it's warm and damp before doing so. Finally, I apply a liberal amount of Garnier Micellar Water to one or two cotton pads and wipe away any remaining traces of make-up. The last step is optional as this product dissolves almost all traces of your make-up in one go but I like to ensure my face is thoroughly cleansed.

A great thing about this product is that it's multi-functional; it can be used as a daily facial cleanser, an intensive and indulgent facial mask or by simply melting a scoop of this into your bath for a spot of relaxation. It’s also available in a travel size tub (20g) which is perfect to bring along with you when staying over at a friend’s, weekends away or jetting off on holiday. Furthermore, it feels extremely luxurious on the skin and smells divine.

Have any of you tried this product? If so, what are your thoughts? If not, what do you use to remove your make-up? I'd also love to know if you guys enjoy reading these type of posts. If so, let me know in the comment box below so that I can produce similar content on a more regular basis.

Ciao ♥ Xx 

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Product Review | Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream

Ciao ♥ How are you? I hope you all had a lovely weekend doing whatever it was you were doing. Hmm! Is it still acceptable to ask about your weekend now that it's Wednesday? (*scratches head hesitantly*) Oh well! I'm sure a lot of you had fun spooking it up on Saturday evening with it being Halloween and all. For those interested (not many I'm sure), I did the very opposite and spent my evening at home in my pjs. Oh, the fun.

Now that the greeting is out of the way, let's get down to some serious skincare business. I'm back today with a review on one of my go-to skincare products, Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream.

 

Elizabeth Arden is a brand I've practically grown up with as my mum used to have quite a few of their fragrances; my favourite being Sunflowers which smells lovely. However, it was only a year or two ago that I became a lot more familiar with their extensive line of skincare products. Thank fudge as my lips are prone to drying out and cracking especially come autumn and winter. I've tried to prevent this from happening by using an array of products, from several different brands, including Blistex, Carmex, Chapstick, Nivea and Vaseline. You name it, I've tried it. Unfortunately, none of these led to any long-lasting effects meaning I was always on the lookout for something new, and something better. That was until I discovered this little gem.

This product comes in a 50ml tube, available in a fragrance-free version and can be used to do the following: "shape brows, revitalize shine, soothe dry hands and smooth cuticles and nails. Also for symptoms of chapping, peeling or flaking due to minor burns, sunburn, windburn, scrapes, abrasions or cracked lips". It also has an expiration date of 36 months which is almost unheard of in the life of a cosmetic or skincare product.

It's available from several different retailers both in-store and online. The price of it does vary depending on where you purchase it from. For instance, it usually retails for £26, as seen on the Elizabeth Arden, Boots, John Lewis and Debenhams website, but I've found it for less than half of that price (£11.65 to be exact) on allbeauty.com. This just happens to be one of my favourite websites ever as their prices are literally unbeatable. Kerching! Y'all can thank me later :)

For those who are still not keen on the price, keep in mind that I've had mine for six months now and there's still plenty of product left despite me applying a liberal amount, a few times a day. Overall, I feel it does a great job at ensuring my lips are kept moisturised and hydrated. Not surprising as this product was first created in 1930 and has been a success ever since. Need I say more?

What do you guys think? Does this sound like a product you'd be interested in? Let me know what your thoughts are in the comment box below.

Ciao ♥ Xx 

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Product Review | It Really Works Vitamins

Ciao ♥ A few weeks ago I was contacted by the founder of It Really Works who introduced me to her brand and kindly sent me a month's supply of vitamins. These vitamins are targeted at both genders and are designed to give you stronger nails, longer and healthier hair and brighter skin. This is achieved by an extra-strength formulation of micronutrients including Biotin (also known as Vitamin H), Copper, Folic Acid, Inositol, Iodine, Manganese, Rosehip, Selenium, Vitamin B Complex (B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B9 and B12), Vitamin A, C, D and E and Zinc.

Prior to being sent these vitamins, I was rather intrigued by Perfectil, having spotted them in Holland and Barrett. Despite this curiosity I never got round to making a purchase as there was too much choice to choose from, in the very little browsing time I had, during those times. Thereby, I was delighted when I was introduced to It Really Works as it benefits the three things I just love to look after... my hair, skin and nails.

It's recommended you take two tablets per day with your main meal and a full glass of water. It's important you adhere to these instructions as food supplements are intended to supplement the diet and shouldn't be regarded as a substitute for a varied diet. Lesson learnt as I once made the mistake of taking these on an empty stomach. Ha! Let's just say I didn't make the same mistake twice.

These vitamins are currently sold online as a 28 day supply (£33.79), a 3 month supply (£86.17) and a 6 month supply (£120.84). Understandably, some individuals might be slightly apprehensive about purchasing a product from a brand they're not familiar with. Worry your cotton socks not as It Really Works are so confident their customer's will notice a clear improvement in the health of their hair, skin and nails, that they offer a 90 day money back guarantee. Not only does this guarantee illustrate the likelihood of these improvements occurring but it also highlights how important customer satisfaction is to the company. This is quite unusual, yet rather refreshing, as the majority of companies are more interested in how much revenue they make opposed to how satisfied their customers are.

Upon being introduced to this brand I was particularly drawn to the fact that this product is produced and bottled in Oxford. Now some of you might consider that to be quite a bizarre thing to be drawn to, but having worked for several British companies, I've come to appreciate the importance as to where products are made in regard to authenticity and quality. Trust me, your girl knows what she's talking about ;)

I was also impressed that despite only recently being introduced to the market, It Really Works has already been featured in Men's Health and Men's Fitness due to its successful results amongst customers. Not at all surprising as my hair looked a lot healthier and nourished after I finished my course of vitamins. I also noticed that my nails were a lot stronger and there was less breakage. This is something I tend to struggle with at this time of year due to the seasonal transition period so I was particularly happy with this.

What do you guys think? Does this sound like a product you'd be interested in? Let me know what your thoughts are in the comment box below.

Ciao ♥ Xx 

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