A detox for tired and dull skin

As well as looking after my hands, feet and body with numerous Lush products filling the bathroom shelves, I tend more often than not to use a Lush face mask every few weeks or so. Why? Well I do have really sensitive skin and find it difficult to find a product which doesn't leave my skin feeling dry or raw after using - except with Lush products which do not irritate my skin.

The one good thing about Lush is that you can always 'try before you buy' which is exactly what I do with new products and this is what I did with 'Brazened Honey'. The one thing I like about Lush is their ability to give all of their products intriguing names which draw me to them.

'Brazened Honey' is a detoxifying face mask which you apparently use when you are utterly ashamed by the look of your skin. With all the changes in the weather recently I have to say my face has come to resemble that of Freddy Kruger on a bad day with dry skin flaking off everywhere, however, all it seems was not lost because I have this new face mask to try out. 

Lush's ‘Brazened Honey’ comes in a large pot for the bargain price of £5.95 (and for that £5.95 you get 4 uses of the product), with the usual simple Lush packaging found on and around many of their products. All of Lush’s face masks are made with fresh ingredients which means they contain absolutely no synthetic preservatives and because the ingredients are so fresh, Lush will only deliver them to the United Kingdom. 

There are seven ayurvedic herbs main ingredients. Ayurvedic after some research means “The best known form of traditional Indian medicine is Ayurveda (from ayus, meaning 'life' and veda, meaning 'knowledge').” All of which can be found on any website if you type in 'Ayurveda'. So, for this product some of those seven herbs are Fresh Coriander, Sage, Rosemary and Parsley mixed in with fresh Lime juice, fresh free range eggs, ground almond shells, honey and Ginger oil, but still the list of ingredients goes on and can be found on the Lush Website. 

By putting all of these ingredients together Lush claim that they all work together to cleanse your skin deeply. The honey is used to soothe, smooth and calm troubled skin whilst at the same time allowing the herbs to detoxify your skin and the ingredients to do that are Sage, Juniper and Rosemary alongside the lime juice and then the use of Parsley, Ginger and Coriander are used to boost the skins circulation. If you look into any of these ingredients on health websites, they do quantify the statements made by Lush as to what these ingredients actually do.

Texture wise this honey coloured slop as I refer it as is slightly thick but easily spreadable and the first thing to noticed apart from the strong honey smell was a slight tingling sensation as the mask was applied and started working. 

So after a long hard stressful day at the office, one of the best ways to relax and chill out is for me in the bathroom and with a bath full of bubbles from yet another Lush Product, usually a glass of wine in my hand and a good book. Then I grab my pot of ‘Brazened honey’.

To use this mask you must ensure that you have washed your face prior to using it because this will remove any dirt and grime on the surface of your skin. You then should apply to your skin avoiding the eyes (and it does sting if you get some in your eyes) and leave on your skin for five to ten minutes, depending on how bad you think your skin actually is and this face mask does harden on your skin, so it is worth laying totally still (possibly in the bath) once it has hardened because it does loosen and crumble when removing. 

Once those five to ten minutes are up and the aroma’s of the lime juice and ginger, which for me was the most predominant two smells, have got your senses throbbing, you simply rinse of using warm water and then use a clean towel to pat your skin dry. 

Now, most Lush face masks have a shelf life of about 3 months from the date of manufacturing and the best way to preserve your mask is to keep it in the fridge to keep the ingredients fresh. You will know when the face mask is beyond use because the colouring and smell fade quite dramatically and also because there will be a sticker on your pot with the date of expire on it. 

The end results? Yes my face did feel amazing immediately afterwards and unlike ‘Mask of Magnaminty’, I didn’t feel the need to moisturise afterwards because my skin was so smooth and blemish free but I did moisturize and my skin stayed lovely and soft for the next few days as well as the smells of Lime and Ginger lingeringly slightly.

Do I recommend it? Without a doubt I certainly do. This is one Lush product that I will be buying more often than not.

Korres Guava Lip Butter

I finally have my hands on a Korres lip Butter.  I have seen a lot of bloggers blog about them and I really wanted to try them.  So today whilst in Waitrose getting some Strawberries (random I know but they were on offer), I remembered we needed some hand wash at work, so off I went down to the toiletries section when I came across as the Korres Lip Butters and they were on offer at £4.66 each instead of £7 – BARGAIN!!  So I stood there for about 20 minutes debating whether to buy Guava, Quince or Wild Rose and ended up with Guava.

I really like the packaging of this lip butter, it is like a maze of boxes that you have to work your way through until you come to your little pot.  The pot itself is a 6g tub and has a cream coloured lid which is similar to the lip butter you find inside the tub.  Korres say the following about this product:

“This buttery Korres Guava Lip Butter melts into your dry chapped lips & leaves a natural colour and scent, perfect to wear alone or underneath your favourite lip gloss for extra moisture.

The shea butter and rice wax in Korres Guava Lip Butter provides your lips with deep, long-lasting moisture and protects from the elements, leaving you with perfectly soft and conditioned lips that are good enough to kiss!

Guava is a natural vanilla shade that leaves your lips shiny and delicious.”

Well as soon as you put it onto your lips it absorbs itself with no problem and instead of clinging to your lips like Vaseline does, instead it does leave behind a shiny glint to your lips, totally naturally and it looks really nice, the texture is slightly thicker than your usual lip balm might be, but for me this just adds to how much it moisturises.  My lips feel lovely and soft when I put this on and hopefully in a week or two, with the help of Lush Bubblegum, my lips will be back to their usual kissable selves, the joys of having a cough and cold and the havoc and it plays on your skin.

The thing I like most about this lip butter is the fruity smell, really lovely and if you have tried the shower gel in the same flavour, it is just as wonderful.

Korres Lip Butters are widely available at places like Waitrose and online through Feel Unique, Look Fantastic and independent pharmacies.

Have you Tried a Korres Lip Butter? Do you have a favourite flavour?

Inhibitif: The end of being a Shave slave?

The six words that I have been waiting for most of my adult life – ‘The end to shaving and waxing’. One task I simply hate doing is shaving my legs. It is a necessary evil as far as I am concerned and I do it because the alternative is wrong on so many levels. I hate waxing, I cannot and will not wait for the hair on my legs to be long enough to justify the need for it, it is painful, not always 100% effective and costly… shaving is in my opinion just as bad and it can be so expensive by the time you have worked out how much everything costs. 

So anything that I can do to make the whole process cheaper, manageable and stress free, count me in!

Imagine my joy when an email arrives in my inbox to tell me that a product called Inhibitif has been launched nationwide and would I like a sample. What is Inhibitif? Well in short Inhibitif is a breakthrough hair inhibitor that minimizes the need for shaving, waxing and other forms of hair removal in under 8 weeks, thus reducing the look of unwanted hair, unsightly stubbles and ingrown hair. According to Tom Heinar who is the Cosmetic Science Advisor at DECIEM, the brand umbrella behind INHIBITIF,

“INHIBITIF targets the hair follicle directly to slow down the apparent growth rate and density of unwanted hair; as a result, many hairs seem to never grow while using INHIBITIF, and many hairs seem to grow to a lesser degree. This action on hair cycle reduces the apparent amount of hairs and impairs overall hair quality, thus drastically minimising the need for hair removal in weeks”. 

 How good does this product sound? Well as I have a bottle in my hands right now, I am going to put it to the test. You are told to Apply evenly on shaved or waxed body areas twice per day for 2 months or until body hair appears nearly invisible. Then reduce application to 3 times per week to maintain results. Then you should see initial results within 2 weeks and then within 2 months hair should appear finer and finer until the hair removal routine becomes easier and less in frequency. However, I must point out that it is not a depilatory and it is totally pain free.

Just to re-cap, Inhibitif

• Targets unwanted hair in 3 distinct proven ways
• Minimizes the need for hair removal in under 8 weeks
• Reduces the long-term cost of hair removal dramatically
• Is pain-free, risk-free, fast, easy and cost-effective
• Is effective on all skin types, skin colours and hair colours

The serum in the bottle is the colour of apple juice and the bottle itself, is made of glass and has a spritzing applicator to help dispense the serum and I was surprised to find that it actually smells quite menthol and minty, not of the chemical aromas you get with hair removing cream, which is what I was expecting, so that in itself is a relief.

For more information on this product please look at this link HERE and it can also be purchased from Boots by clicking HERE. For a 250ml bottle it will only cost £29.99.

I applied the serum to my legs this morning and will do the same tonight and so on. As you apply to your legs, there is a cooling sensation which is really quite nice and now a few hours after applying, my skin is soft and smooth to the touch. After a few weeks of using this product I will report back with a new post, I hope this works, I am tired of being a shave slave (love that slogan).

Do you think you would use this product? 

Do you think it will work?

Not just any band... Popband!

My hair comes just past my shoulders and I either wear it up or down, that is as exciting as life gets with me.  If it is down then it is poker straight and if it is up, it is just up because it is doing my head in or for whatever I decide at the time.  All that aside I always have a bobble or scrunchie around my wrist, then if I want to tie my hair up I can, it is like a security blanket, I am never without either and I carry a spare in my bag for those ‘just incase’ moments.

I was sent three Popbands by Molly Mabel to play with and when I opened the rather fantastically coloured jiffy envelope, inside this is what I found:

Just how pretty are these pop bands?  They are so cute a little bit more attractive than the scrunchie which currently holds my hair up and the colours are really lovely, add to that each one of them has a pretty jewel bead which is attached to them, as you can see each jewel is different and they move around the band really easily and naturally if you have more than one Popband, you can mix and match the jewels as much as you want and even have more than one at a time on the band.  These bands are such a simple, yet fabulous idea I wish I had thought of it myself.

The idea actually came from two self-diagnosed shop-aholics, one loves all things shiny and the other wants perfection and gym candy for her hair, something a bit different and sparkly and between them the Popband was born. 

So what are Popbands? Well Popbands they are referred to as being Hair and Wrist Candy and marketed as being soft, stretchy 'no dent' hair bands which are designed to hold hair up tight and still leave it fresh and kink-free when you take it down!  If like me you have worn hair bands for years, you always find you have a natural kink in your hair and one that takes forever to straighten with your GHD’s, however, since wearing these Popbands, I was delighted that I can have my hair up for hours either in a ponytail or just shoved up off my face and there are no kinks in my hair when I take it down - brilliant.

Once in your hair you can’t even feel that they are there and you can sleep with them in and not feel anything digging into your head, once in they are there to stay.  The band itself is a very stretchy piece of elastic with a knot in the end and it can be undone and re-tied to your liking.  As I said, my hair is shoulder length and whilst quite fine, I have a lot of hair, not a problem for these Popbands, they held my hair perfectly.

So just to re-cap:

Popbands won’t:

• dent/kink your hair

• rip your hair

• flirt with your man

Popbands will:

• look and feel great in your hair and on your wrist

• be gentle with your hair and give it a little cuddle

• stay in place and make you wear your hair up more

When it comes to purchasing these Popbands you can buy them individually, as a twin pack or in a multi-pack version and each option has a different price.  The Molly Mabel website has its very own shop which you can find HERE and postage, which is Royal Mail Standard Postage, is free.  So whether you want something plain and subtle, something glittery or something with an animal print, you will find it all in the shop.

Balmy about Moa...

Have you ever come across a product that you have loved as soon as you have set eyes on it?  It isn’t something that happens very often to me but just recently it has and today I am going to share with you my love for one product.

Arriving in a cardboard tube, which is stunning to look at and something that immediately grabs your attention, I introduce you to Móa The Green Balm 50ml and Luxurious Bamboo Face Cloth.  I simply adore this packaging, not only does it tell you everything you need to know about what is inside, it is just so different to everything else on my shelf and is so unique I cant help but smile when I see it.

Moa is described like this, “It might not have been made by witches or wizards, but hidden inside each tube of Móa’s new ‘Daily Cleansing Ritual’ is a balm that magically helps to remove even the most stubborn of makeup, clears up acne, nourishes dry skin and removes impurities to leave the skin balanced and glowing…”.  Perfect right?  Well I thought so and as soon as you open the tube, inside you are greeted with the softest cloth I have ever come across, I simply wanted to curl up and just stroke it, it is that soft.  Made of Bamboo Fibre, this cloth is naturally anti-bacterial and is one of the planets more eco materials and because it is so soft, on your face it feel like heaven.

The balm itself which is inside a plastic tub, is slightly green in colour, is 100% natural and is a cleansing facial balm which is jam packed full of ingredients such as:

• Yarrow to target black heads, tone and prevent wrinkles.  This ingredient is also anti-ageing and has astringent properties
• Tea Tree Oil which hosts anti-bacterial properties to help fight skin blemishes,
• Coconut and Almond oils which both work to soothe and nourish,
• Soy bean oil which is an anti-oxidant that helps to restore and balance, Beeswax which helps to protect the skin without clogging pores.

Naturally there are many more ingredients that you might want to look at and you can find them all listed HERE on the Móa website.

As I have said in previous reviews, I have combination skin which leads more to the oily side and I was a little unsure about using a balm as a cleanser because I didn’t want to clog my pores or dry my skin out.  Boy was I surprised!  This balm simply glides onto your skin, grabs everything that needs to be removed and walks right off with it leaving your face not only feeling clean, but feeling clean.  On the side of the beautiful tube there are some directions on how to use this balm and I followed them:

The step by step cleansing ritual:

• Take some green balm and melt it between your fingertips to create an oil.
• your face Smear the oil over your eye makeup, smudging it away from the eyes.
• Massage your face with a little more balm to encourage better lymph circulation and tone the facial muscles.
• Dip cloth in hot water (not too hot), wring it out, and press it to your face; steaming away the oil and impurities, whilst sealing in the essential oil goodness.
• Finish by dipping your cloth in cold water, and press the super-soft side to your face; to tone and close the pores…magic!

As you can see from the photos, the balm inside the tub is fairly solid, as soon as your fingers touch it, it begins to melt and it has a Vaseline type feel to it as it does begin to melt.  This helps to make it much easier to apply to your face.  As you apply to you face you can really smell the tea tree oil and as it absorbs itself into your skin, I was surprised to find my skin didn’t look oily at all, left behind was everything on my face make-up wise that had been lifted up from my skin and smudged across my face (not attractive) and impressively my mascara ‘They’re Real’ was also removed and for those who wear it, you will appreciate how tough it can be to do that!  Infact it removes all traces of make-up and also manages to find some dirt and grime to remove from your face too, giving your skin a very good cleansing treatment.

As I applied this to my face, in my bathroom sink, I had already run the hot tap to ensure there was hot water ready for the cloth to be dipped in.  I shoved the whole cloth into the water and then wrung it out so it wasn’t dripping wet, and then held it to my face so the steam could work with the balm to draw out the all the impurities from my skin.  Then, as you more the cloth from your face, you need to this time wring the cloth out again and repeat the actions above, but this time using cold water.  I used really cold water and then using the softest side of the cloth, pressed it to my face which is absolute heaven, I would pay someone to do this too me it is so relaxing and the reason you do this is because it helps to tone and then close the pores on your face, locking in all the goodness of the oil.

After using this balm, my face was so soft to the touch it was wonderful and if you are a fan of products which are hot cloth cleansers like me, then I have no doubt that you will not only like this product, you will, like me, love it.   Having used it for the last weeks in a row continuously, I have noticed that my oily t-zone is hardly noticeable, not something I have been able to say for quite a while now and I love the feeling of not having to constantly worry my face might look a bit greasy, especially now we have a change in temperature, something which always affects my skin.

I wouldn’t hesitate to keep on purchasing this product it is so lovely and the cloth, which I also adore is really easy to wash, just bung it in your washing machine and then let it dry naturally and it is as good as new, hopefully one day we will be able to purchase extra cloths which I feel is needed for something you use on a daily basis.  You can purchase this product for £14.99 and again you can find more information about it HERE.  

April Glossybox - Spring Fever

So I have just taken delivery of the much anticipated April Glossybox, which we all know has been designed by Pearl Lowe and her love of all things floral.  Before getting to the contents of my box, I have to say that I really do love the design on the box, it is so pretty and this is one box that I am definitely going to be using for other things:

So here you have the very pretty box, one of the prettiest ones I have seen from Glossy box.  Now for the content:

Opening the box, I kind of hoped that the ribbon would have matched the peach colour of the outer box, but never mind, it is still nicely wrapped and once inside, my Postie has clearly been bouncing the box around because the contents were all over the place.  However, once I sorted them out, this is what I found:

Nip+Fab dry skin fix body butter in mango

I've have never used any product from Nip+Fab so I am chuffed that I have one in my Glossy Box to try.  It is described as being an indulgent, whipped body butter to repair dry and dehydrated skin with aquaxyl – a 24 hour moisture boosting ingredient.

A full sized sample of this product is £9.95 for 200ml so this size is worth around £2.50

Essie Nail Polish in Canyon Coral

I have fallen a little bit in love with Essie Nail Polishes at the minute and from previous posts you might have seen my haul HERE and HERE.

This polish is a full sized sample retailing at £7.99 and it is a really lovely bright almost reddish colour, so cannot wait to try that.

Sleek Blusher – Suede

This is another full sized product retailing at £4.49 and I got Suede for my shade, I have seen other boxes with Flushed and Pixie Pink and in mine is this lovely natural looking colour.  I am yet to catch onto the Sleek loving, so maybe this will hook me in.

As an added bonus to Glossybox subscribers there is a 20% off offer on purchases – expires on 13^th May

Yves Rocher So Elixir Purple

Again, perfumes have been on my radar quite a bit recently as you can see HERE and HERE. I am a huge fan of perfumes and I quite like getting decent sized samples.  This one is a 5ml sample which I guess is worth around £5 and It is described as being an ‘intoxicating and magnetic fragrance’.

I havent been able to resist smelling it and I really quite like it, quite fruity though when you first put it onto your skin it is a really strong scent and it takes a while to settle.

A full size bottle of 50ml will cost you  £44 and once again this product comes with an offering of £5 any order over £35 plus free postage, on any product from Yves Rocher.

Sunsense Daily Face SPF

This cream, which is described as being a light, soft cream tinted with a sheer matte finish and has an SPF of 50 which is quite impressive and it is an oil-free formula making it ideal for most skin types, even my own combination/oily. 

This is a full sized sample and is worth £18.50 for the 75ml and also has an offer of 25% off your next purchase, ending 31^st June (I am sure they mean 30^th June however).

I must also remember that included as normal is the Glossy Magazine:

And inside the magazine is an intrview with Pearl Lowe herself by Kate Cornell and an introductory message from Pearl herself on the love of all things vintage and floral.  Inside the magazine is more information on each of the products included within the box, which opens up to be almost A3 in size.

So there you have it, my Glossybox, one that I am really chuffed with this month.  What are your thoughts?

If you love fragrance, then you'll love our Discovery Club

A few weeks ago a received an email inviting me to join The Fragrance Shop Discovery Club, have you heard of it?  If not, this is the description:

"If you love fragrance, then you'll love our Discovery Club.
Our exciting new club allows you to explore the very latest fragrance launches from the comfort of your own home. For just £5 per quarter, each edition comes with fragrance samples for you to try, details on each of the fragrances included, as well as discount vouchers so you can make some big savings on all the scents featured."

Then in a bit more detail you are told:

• Exciting fragrance samples delivered straight to your home
• £25 of exclusive member discount vouchers inside
• A selection of the top fragrance brands
• Only £5 per quarter
• No commitment - cancel at any time!

So for £5 per quarter, which is not a lot of money, especially when my first box was free, it was too tempting not to take part, so I duly signed up.  Today my box arrived, which is really quick and I was quite surprised at how lovely the box was and how well made it is, all too often people are complaining that their beauty boxes are all flimsy and break... this one is very well made as you can see below.

Then once you have opened the outer packaging and have found the box inside, it is loving wrapped with this dark blue tissue paper with a silver seal featuring the initials DC on it, clearly standing for 'Discovery Club'.  Then once inside the paper, this is what you find:

Inside the box there two booklets.  The first one features details and information on all of the samples you will find in your box and those details include what sized bottles, how much they cost and a short paragraph on each.  The second booklet is your voucher booklet and in this you have 5 x £5 off vouchers for each of the five fragrance samples you have in the box.

As this is my first box, I was quite excited to find out which fragrances I would find in my box.  I love perfume and I love testing perfume, so for me this is really a great idea to have signed up too and to be honest inexpensive.  My fragrances this quarter are:

• Vera Wang Lovestruck Floral Rush - It is a prequel to the Loverstruck Story
• Roberto Carvalli - Just Carvalli - Described as sexy and provocative
• Juicy Couture - La La - Described as being funky, punk and a rock fragrance with heaps of spirit
• Lacoste - eau de Lacoste Pour Femme - Described as being modern, iconic and breathtakingly simple
• Nina Ricci - Nina L'Eau - Described as being a fresh new offering for Spring

So this is what is in my box and should you wish to read more about them, you can do so by clicking HERE. 

As these fragrances are just samples you get a smallish bottle containing around 4fl oz which you can see more clearly here:

I am really pleased with this box and I love the fact I have new samples to test and try out without having to go into a shop and cover myself in perfumes to see if they smell okay on my skin.

If you think this is something you would like to sign up to, you can find the link HERE along with further information.

So what do you think to my box? Are you a subscriber? 

Will you subscribe?

Nail Varnish Haul...

I randomly found myself in Superdrug, as you do, looking for a pale pink nail varnish, the one I had was quite old and crusty and in need of replacing.  Anyway, as soon as I walked into Superdrug my eyes lit up:

Essie Shelves in Superdrug

A brand new Essie section that hadnt been there a week before!  So naturally I had to look and before I realised I had been stood there for a whole hour trying the different pinks out to decide which ones I liked best.

Then I moved along to the Rimmel section and NYC and put a few more varnishes into my basket and 7 varnishes later....

this is my Nail Varnish Haul...

My Nail Varnish Haul

So quite a few different types of varnishes in my collection now and the only one I have worn is Essie Delicacy which you can see below:

Essie Delicacy

Excuse the state of my nails... but hopefully you can see that it isn't too pink and instead adds a pearl-esque colour to my nails, which I really quite like.  I wasn't too sure to start with, but it has grown on me over the last few days and it hasnt chipped either which I am really impressed with.

What do you think to my haul?

Unclog and invigorate with Bioré Nose Strips

It has been a long long time since I have used Bioré^® Deep Cleansing Pore nose strips and it happened that I came across them on offer in Superdrug whilst distracted by the Essie stand that I decided to buy them.

I have oily-combination skin, though thankfully I am not prone to enlarged pores, flare ups of spots or blemishes.  Also, despite living in London where no doubt we have a lot of pollution, I don't have too much of a problem with blackheads and try as best I can to keep them away using scrubs and masks.  However, as it has been a while and these Bioré^® strips were on offer, I decided to spend £5.32 instead of the usual £7.99 and see how effective they are and as I type this review, I have one on my nose and you can find them HERE

Inside the box, as you can see, there are 6 individually wrapped nose-strips (I am sure you used to get 12) and the foil packaging itself contains all the information on it you need to know about using them and it has a handy arrow pointing to a top section where you can open the packet.  Once out of the packet, the nose strip is neatly stuck to a piece of plastic and as you can see it is designed to fit over the bridge of your nose and to the sides of your nostrils, the places where perhaps you have the most problem.

How to Use

I used this strip exactly as I was instructed to do. I cleansed and cleaned my face to remove my day’s make-up along with other dirt and grime which might have been clinging to my face, patted my skin dry and then wet my nose to apply the strip.  One thing to make note is that please do ensure that the strip is completely in contact with skin and not hanging off anywhere or is loose, as you apply the strip, I found it clung to my skin with minimal effort.  Once on the skin you can tell there is tea tree and witch hazel used as ingredients because you can smell them, thankfully they are no too over-powering as you have to sit and wait for about 10-15 minutes for the strip to dry, I myself am not the biggest fan of either fragrance, but it was bearable.  

After your allotted time, when it comes to peeling off the strip, it is pretty straightforward though it does feel a little odd because you can feel it pulling off your skin, I assume it is pulling out blackheads and other bits of gunk as you rip.  Once off the nose, as you can see there is the evidence for all to see, little pockets of blackheads and other bits of dirt, quite gross really!  I have to admit, there is also something satisfying about ripping these off your face (yes I am a ghoul).

Once I have removed the strip and binned it, I always wash my face again and then ensure that my face is properly moisturised because in the past I have found similar strips to be quite drying on the skin.  Overall though, these strips clearly do work and they do leave my skin looking much clearer.

For more information on Bioré^® Nose Strips, you can find it HERE along with further information on other products from the Bioré^® range. 

**Did you know...

• Over 28.8 billion pores have been unclogged by pore strips sold to-date!
• The average pore is about as large as the point of a ballpoint pen. (With Bioré^® Pore Strips you can make yours appear even smaller!)
• Pores are about as deep as the ridges on our fingerprints — about a hundredth of an inch.
• Blackheads are full of bacteria. So fingernails and squeezing can actually tear your skin and spread bacteria, but using Bioré^® Pore Strips helps get rid of dirt and oil that can cause blackheads without tearing your skin OR spreading bacteria.

**Info taken from Bioré^®

Shoe's that make you slim?

So summer time is almost here and feet will be out! Back in 2009 I discovered my first ever pair of FitFlops and ever since then I haven't looked back.  This is how I discovered them.

My Dilema...

Despite the fact I hate feet, I do love shoes. If my husband knew how many pairs of shoes I actually had, he probably wouldn't be a happy bunny. But what is a girl to do when her favourite pair of Flip Flops which she has had for almost 10 years decides that they have had enough and retire themselves off to Flip Flop heaven? Yes you guessed it right, buy a new pair and that is just what I did. When it comes to Flip Flops I have never ever quite found a comfortable pair that I could literally live in and that is part of the reason why I stuck with my last pair for so long. Then I saw an advert online for some FitFlops which sounded far too good to be true, so I Googled the website and went off to read more about them. 

What is it that they do?

Now, if I told you that it was possible to buy a pair of FitFlops that "will make your bum look smaller" or if I told you that they would be responsible for:

• Toning and trimming your legs
• Improving your muscle tone
• Improving posture and balance
• Burning calories
• Absorb shock on your feet, knees and back

would you believe me? "No" I thought not and I didn't believe it either, but that was just the feedback from Tina who writes for the Saturday Times Magazine. Not only Tina but Helen from Wales reckons she had less dimples on her thighs through wearing the FitFlops everyday and Tricia stated she lost 4 inches on her thighs and then if you read through further testimonials on the website you can kind further good news stories on these miracle Fit Flops and they are self styled as being "the FitFlop, with the GYM built in" and then it went on to say "The FitFlop WalkStar (the type of FitFlop I bought) gives you a work out while you walk". The FitFlops have been designed by two Biomechanics making the FitFlops biomechanically engineered so that they absorb shock, lesson joint strain and recreate the gait of barefoot walking.

I suffer from back pain, it is hereditary condition within through my dads side of the family and it something you learn to live with. I've been a regular patient at the chiropractors which solves the problem for a few months at a time, but eventually the pain comes back, so I did mention to him on my last visit that I would be purchasing a pair of these FitFlops after reading about them on the internet and even he thought it would be a good idea to try something other than rolling around on a tennis ball to ease the pain (yes it does help...really). So with all of those positive statements and an approval from my chiropractor, I quickly purchased some lovely new shiney black FitFlops and sat back and waited, with a lot of excitement, for them to arrive.

So what a FitFlops and do they do what they claim to? Well to look at they resemble nothing more then a pair of FitFlops and if you didn't know any better, you would be hard pushed to think they were anything different, the only thing which does stand out is that on the front of them are the words FitFlops. When you receive the FitFlops they come with a little care booklet which tells you in a lot more detail about what FitFlops are, how it works and what it has been designed to do. Most strikingly is the bright yellow warning card which warns you to use your FitFlops progressively to avoid excessive muscle soreness because potentially they can increase the muscle activity. 

The FitFlops have been designed quite cleverly and each part of the FitFlop be it the toe end, mid section or heel end, they all have a role to play in the toning of your legs by making your muscles work harder whilst encouraging blood circulation. The cushioned sole of the FitFlop is shaped for your foot to fit snuggly into it and it is said that this sole and the way it fits your foot is designed to slightly destabilse the way you walk which in turn makes you use more muscles in your legs when walking because the muscles in your legs work harder to ensure that the instability is conquered therefore giving you a work out as you walk. 

However, it doesn't end there. FitFlops have been around for some time now and as with most products they are often re-released and marketed along of the guise of being new and improved, well the FitFlop is no different. They are now available in all kinds of styles ranging from WalkStar , WalkStar II, Electra, The Gill and Dass to name but a few and FitFlops are now linked with the improving of your posture, minimizing back stress and make it easier to stay in shape to name but a few. All of this is achieved with how the FitFlop makes you balance when walking, how hard your muscles have to work and acting as a work out as you walk. 

I ordered my pair online from Boots for the price of £40 and they arrived the following morning in the black colour that I had ordered. FitFlops come in a variety of colours such as yellow, white red, blue and black and in some cases even Pink. They are also available for men and women and come in a range of sizes from a 3 to 9. However before you do buy them, I would recommend visiting a recommended retailer selling FitFlops to download and use the size guide prior to purchasing and the reason being that I am usually a size 6.5 in shoe but in the case of FitFlops I needed to purchase a size 6 which fitted both my feet perfectly. 

When they arrived, not in a shoe like box, which I was slightly annoyed about, I opened the plastic bag within which they were sealed and the first thing you notice is the plastic smell which soon wears off. You will also receive a booklet which as mentioned gives you more information about the FitFlop and how to care for it, keep it clean and most importantly washing them! With all that aside I couldn't wait to try them out and immediately put them on to walk around the house in and I was surprised at how comfortable they are and how easy they are to walk in, they is a slight bounce to your walk which I was immediately aware of although it doesn't look unnatural in any way, it just feels a little odd until you get used to it. Over the top of the FitFlop is a strap, which is quite thick to hold your foot in place as well as the piece of plastic which sits between your big and second toe. I found both parts to be really comfortable when wearing. After reading the blurb about making your walking style unstable to ensure you use more muscles, I was expecting to walk like I was slightly intoxicated until I got the hang of walking in the FitFlops, but bizarrely they seem no different to any other Fit Flop that I have owned or walked in. 

I now wear these FitFlops constantly, I now carry my work shoes in a bag and wear my FitFlops to walk to and from work in. and although I am not supposed to wear them in the office due to health and safety, if I have a quiet day I do tend to wear them. Having owned a pair now for over 4 months I have to say they are the best FitFlops that I have ever owned, they are just so comfortable and easy to wear. I have never suffered so much as a blister, sore skin or any other ailment due to wearing these FitFlops other than after wearing them constantly for the first few days I did feel slight tightness in my calf muscles. I think the money they cost me is definitely justified, its just a shame I cannot wear them all wear round. 

Would I recommend them? Yes I would for being so comfortable more than anything else and because I do a lot of walking anyway so my legs are not in that bad a condition, for me the FitFlops act as an extra work out when I am not at the gym taking a spinning or step aerobic class. So not only are they comfortable but they help to keep your feet feeling cool, whereas when they are covered up all day in socks and shoes the feet naturally sweat and this leads to further problems, with FitFlops they are uncovered and the skin can breathe naturally. 

The main improvement for me however has been my posture, whereas before I would slouch into my work chair to try and ease the pain in my lower back, I now seem to suffer less with the ache in the first place and it has been commented upon that I now seem to sit with a straight back and rounded shoulders, which again helps with my lower back muscles and since I have been wearing my FitFlops I haven't been back to the Chiropractor which is not only saving me £35 per visit, but it also means I am suffering a lot less than I used to and for that reason alone, for me the cost of £40 for some FitFlops was justified. Sadly, you cannot just pop into your High street supermarket or chain shop to buy FitFlops, although I have already seen replicas in some local shoe shops, they are available through online stores likes Boots, Amazon and their own homepage has a link to other websites which also sell them. FitFlops range in price from £36 to £60 depending on make and colour, so it is worth having a browse before punching in your credit card details to make the purchase. 

They are also easy to look after and take care of. Like most shoes after wearing them for an excessive amount of time they can begin to pong slightly so it is essential that they are cleaned. To do this task you simply need to use an old toothbrush or a cloth and with a small amount of washing powder scrub them lightly and then leave them to dry. 

Finally, If you intend to wear them a lot of the time and are not just buying them because you read good reviews about them then they are definitely worth an investment and at the end of the day they are probably the most comfortable pair of shoes I have ever owned, I can walk around in them for hours and don't end up with aching feet or sore toes.

And as if all that isn't enough... I actually have a Fit Flop wishlist and here it is...

Top row we have Hibiscus Ballerina Pumps Coral £75 / Middle Row Purple Frou Fitflop £75 / Bottom Row Hibiscus Ballerina Pumps in Black and Tan £75