Go Pink for Breast Cancer

29/09/2012 By Leave a Comment

Having spent the last year with 2 family members going through cancer treatment with varying degrees of success, this years Breast Cancer Awareness month is off even more significance to me and in the month of October I will be shouting (even more) from the roof tops that all women AND men believe it or not need to be breast aware.

According to the statistics in October, 4000 people will discover they have breast cancer and by the time the year is over 12,000 people in the UK would have passed away from breast cancer, directly or indirectly.. This breaks my heart! BUT with increased awareness, increased funding, more medical research and better detection rates, surviving breast cancer is not impossible.

I am always pleased to see the beauty industry take up a good cause and every year lots of brands release a pink version of at least one of their products in support of breast cancer awareness and donate a percentage of sales to the charity to help in important research and treatment.

There’ll be lots of pink products out this month so please indulge yourself. It all in aid of a good cause. One of the best I’ve seen and one that is right up my street is the limited edition pink Glam Glow Mud Mask called CURE SEXY. It is a complete SUPER mask and I’ve often heard described as a facial in jar. If you don’t believe me read this from one of my favourite bloggers A Model Recommends. Plus its suitable for all skin types, but as I always say if in doubt, patch test first.

The key ingredients in the mask are volcanic minerals which provide surface exfoliation to rid the skin of dead skin cells, French clay which draws out impurities and tightens pores to reduce oil and Teaoxi which brightens, hydrates and balances. I can see why it the facial in a jar – it does the whole whack in a fraction of the time and leaves skin glowing for up to 3 days!

What I even like more is the fact that 25% of the profits made from the sale of this special Glam Glow will be donated to the Pink Ribbon Foundation to help in the fight against breast cancer.

Available from Selfridges and Glam Glow for £49.99.

For information on how to be more breast aware >>>> click here

statistics from Breast Cancer Care

Filed Under: Beauty, Exfoliators, Face Mask, Facial, Women Tagged With: , , , , ,

Skincare Round -up

23/08/2012 By 2 Comments

Its a been a great few weeks for skin care and I am really excited about lots of new releases! This is just a mini round up. I’ve got some of these products already at home, so once I get a chance to use them I’ll do full reviews.

 Bodhi Desert Rose Rejuvenating Face Oil

A star of a product. Great for a massive does of penetrative essential oils and plant-based botanical oils. Not only great for leaving face smooth and soft, but for massage and hands and cuticles. Contains Bulgarian Damask Rose Otto, Organic Moroccan Argan oil, Rosehip Seed oil and lots more.  It smells amazing, like sweet and citrus and I for one can’t wait to try it! Point to note, its ideally suited to dry, dehydrated, mature skin, so with my oily skin, I’ll only be using tiny amounts. Available from September at £56.

 Eve Lom Moisture Mask

Although ideally suited to dry and dehydrated skin types, I always say moisture is good for all, so this is a great new addition to the range. It works to infuse moisture and rehydrate the skin leaving it looking plumper and more radiant with an active Moisture & Aqua Complex. Contains sodium hyaluronate which boosts the skins ability to retain water and also vitamin E. It’s great for any in flight kit to keep skin hydrated. Neatly priced at £65.

 Sai Sei Luxury Bathing Collection

We all know I’m a Sanex girl in general, seeing as I prefer to throw money at my face instead of my body. However I do have some firm favourite posh body products that I pull out of the cupboard when I need a lift.  This particular collection is inspired by Japanese culture, which I am fascinated by and it honours the principles of ritual bathing, as opposed to our usual jump in – jump out showers.  The collection is free from usual nasties including PEG, DEA and TEA amongst others. I’ve got the Mineral Relax Bath Milk which contain soy milk protein to soften the skin. Even though I’ve not had a chance to use this one yet, I’ve smelt it and it’s already in my cupboard! I know it will be THAT good! The entire range will be at SpaceNK ranging from £15 to £35, so it’s definitely one to check out.

 Sleek MakeUP Blemish Balm

This is due out next Wednesday (29th August) and I know there’ll be a cheer from black women everywhere just to celebrate the fact a brand has stepped up and batted for our team. I’ve already given it a test run and was impressed with how well it held up in heat and humidity. A full review is coming soon, but I’ve got high hopes for this. I’m not sure how much it’s being sold for at moment, but I will by the time I do a full review.

Weleda Natural Body Lotions

This pioneering brand of organic and wholesome skincare has launched a new range of body lotions which use one main plant as the core ingredient to meet a particular need of your skin. There’s four lotions in the range designed to refresh, replenish, indulge and regenerate the skin, body and mind. Priced between £13 and £22 from independent health stores and pharmacies.

 

Filed Under: Beauty, Body, Body Lotions, Face Mask, Masks, Skincare Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Product Review: Sisley Express Flower Gel Mask

06/08/2012 By Leave a Comment

I received this face mask as a tester when I bought my current favourite lippie Rouge Passions.  My love for this lipstick is of epic proportions so it’s definitely a story I’ll have to tell you about later.

Errm, back to the mask….

The sachet is more than enough for one application. Plenty actually. But there’s no way you can save the rest as I think exposing it to air will compromise the integrity of it. So although it feels like a waste, you just have to bin it! It’s a gel type consistency, opaque white in colour. The main function is to tone, hydrate and firm the skin.

The key point about it is that it’s a no wash mask. You have to let in sink in and then tissue off any excess. I’m not a big fan of such things. I like to wash my face, so I know that there’s no way I was going to follow THAT instruction. After most of the product had been absorbed my skin felt a little sticky and ‘filmy’. I waited  a further 10 minutes and still no better, so I used my P50 toner to wipe my face and that worked fine for me.  I don’t feel the performance was degraded in any way.

The texture is very light and it feels very smooth. Scent wise, there’s a pleasant light floral smell to it. At actual instructions say to you’re supposed to leave it on for 3 minutes for it to wake up your skin. I left it in for much longer, while I pottered about in the bathroom and the end result was that my skin had a light glow to it. I can see why they say its perfect before and evening out and I’d definitely use it if I needed a perk up to my skin.

The main thing I feel I got from the mask is moisture. I can’t speak of tone and firmness, as I don’t feel my skin lacks in that area. I know it wasn’t the best mask for me in general but, there’s nothing wrong with a refreshing moisture boost in my book, no matter the skin type. There are others in the Sisley range that would be better for me, but as quick masks go this is adequate and I can imagine for dry/dehydrated skin types or stressed and tired skin it would just be magical.

A word on the ingredients – Lots of chemicals. This clearly is not one for anyone who is overly concerned by ingredients.

 

Filed Under: Beauty, Face Mask, Skincare Tagged With: ,

Hero Product: Garnier Pure 3 in 1 Wash+Scrub+Mask

27/06/2012 By 2 Comments

 

I mentioned this product in a previous post here and I wanted to go into it a bit more as it’s really a wonderful little product to have in the bathroom cabinet. It’s from the Pure range which is specifically for oily/combination skin types that suffer from clogged pores, shine and blemishes.

I’m not a big fan of supercharged products that claim to do a multitude of things and I feel the same about this one. It’s a wash and a scrub and a mask! As a wash I think it’s too thick and too much hard work and I think as a scrub the pumice in it is a bit aggravating on me. May work for others, but for me? too gritty. As a mask however, is when it really comes into its own.

It’s a wonderful general use mask for what I call affordable day-to-day maintenance. Those weeks were you haven’t got a lot on and don’t need to bring the big boys out of the cupboard, but you still want to keep skin under control. From the mask perspective it contains zinc which is one of natures skin purifier and works to keep skin free from impurities and blemishes. It also contains mineral enriched white clay which is a fantastic oil absorber and helps to mattify shine. Of the 57 testers, 91% agreed that this was the greatest benefit. I agree!

The one thing I must warn about is the tingle. I was taken aback the first time I used it as I wasn’t expecting such a zing! It contains some salicylic acid  which I think is the contributory factor. The tingle does dissipate after a few minutes and I personally don’t mind it, but be aware just in case it’s not something you’re into.

Sold in all the usual high street outlets and supermarkets around the £5 price point, it gives good results and won’t break the bank.

Filed Under: Beauty, Face Mask, Skincare Tagged With: ,