Elemis Face Masks

If you are a regular reader of my blog you will know that I love facemasks and like nothing better than using them a few times a week to keep my dry, red prone almost wrinkle free skin in the best condition that I can manage.  It seems to be the 'in' thing right now to try multimasking, something I am bringing to this blog soon, but in my quest to multimask, I have been going through my stash using masks I haven't used in a while and try out some new ones. Two of those new ones come from Elemis**, a brand I feel I should have used more than I have and one whose products I do have and have used, I have loved.

The two masks in question are the Herbal Lavender Repair Mask and Exotic Cream moisturising mask, both totally different but both absolutely amazing.

I can't pick a favourite between these masks and both have their own good points.  The Herbal Lavender Repair Mask is said to purify, sooth and rebalance the skin.  Ideal for those who have sensitive, dull, congested or blemish prone skin, this mask uses soothing Kaolin Clay along with Rosemary, Thyme and Lavender essential oils which are great for purifying the skin, acting as an antiseptic and also for deep cleansing.

The mask comes inside this pure which tube with a silver twist on and off lid and looks very luxurious. The idea is that you apply the mask to clean skin on the face and neck and leave it for 10-15 minutes trying your best not to talk or make any movement which might cause the clay to crack.  

As the mask is drying, I did feel a slight tingling on my skin which always worries me as I have had issues in the past with clay masks.  Thankfully not with this one and instead what it is does is give your skin that really clean fresh feel, the one where it feels as though your skin can actually breathe, isn't clogged up and doesn't need a good wash.  What I also love about this mask is its scent, yes it contains Lavender which is one of my favourite scents, but it isn't the main scent for me, it is in fact Rosemary which is so fresh smelling it is wonderful.

The Elemis Herbal Lavender Mask has an RRP £30 for a 75ml tube and you can find it right HERE.

The Second Mask in my Elemis collection is the Exotic Cream Moisture mask which I also adore.  Found inside this really luxurious silver tube packaging with a pump action nozzle, This mask contains mimosa and amino-acid rich honey, plus extracts of samphire, orange and bergamot and it has one of those scents that you instantly love and would like to see in candle form (Hint Elemis). 

Now if you want a face mask which leaves your skin not only feeling refreshed, but super moisturised and hydrated then this is one worthy of looking at and it is perfect for those of you who have spent a good few weeks somewhere and hot and need some TLC for your skin because one tip I was given with this mask is to leave it on overnight and wash off in the morning and it is just superb.  

To use this mask you simply warm three or four pumps between the palms of your hands and apply onto a clean face and neck.  Once applied, you leave it for up to 10 minutes to allow the mask and all its goodness to deeply penetrate into the skin to push all the rubbish out, not only giving you a deep cleanse but also ensuring your skin receives optimum hydration.  After those 10 minutes, rinse off using warm water, then pat the skin dry before applying your usual moisturiser.  Your skin, should by now feel absolutely amazing.

Now not only is this mask amazing but you can also use it on other dry patches on your body, so whether that is your knees, elbows, hands or feet and the effects are brilliant, well worthy of 10-15 minutes of your time to treat these parts of your body which often get forgotten.  This mask is sold in a 50ml tube and has an RRP £35 and you can see it right HERE

Have you tried either of these masks?

December Look Fantastic Box

It's no lie that I have been so impressed with the Lookfantastic Beauty Boxes that I have literally crooned across a few posts, namely with the boxes for September October, November and now I bring you the December offering which is slightly earlier than I was expecting, but here it is.

The box is always so well presented and everthing is neatly packaged so that there is no wriggle room and nothing falls out of place. Inside my box, whilst I had seen a few spoilers are the following items:

• Macademia Healing Oil Infused Comb. Full size, £6.00
• Ole Henriksen’s Pure Truth Youth Activating Oil 15ml - £23.50 
• Pure Gold Collagen Drink  £3.50
• Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel 15ml £8.85 
• Murad Essential-C Cleanser 45ml £7.65. 
• Bourjois Intense Smoky Eyeshadow Palette. Full size, £7.99
• Lord & Berry H2ohhh designer Lip Gloss. Full size, £12.00
• 
  

So it would seem that the total value of this box is in the region of £69 which I think is pretty impressive given one item in the box alone is worth £23.50 and there are three full sized items. I am really pleased to see a mixture of skincare, haircare and make-up within a box and especially with amazing brands like these.  

You can never have too many wide toothed comb and this Macadamia Healing infused one has caught my attention because the well known Macadamia Oil has somehow been formulated within the resin on the comb, so that when you brush your hair, not only should it be easier to detangle but also treat your hair without leaving any residue behind - the mind boggles with that one!

The Ole Henriksens Pure Truth Oil is described as being an anti ageing treatment which uses 100% concentrated Rosehip Oil which activates the skins natural reparative ability with potent antioxidents and essential fatty acids to reveal your skins youthful state. 

You can spritz this to your face and neck and it works to quickly penetrate into the deeper layers of your skin to help heal, nourish and hydrate your skin. It claims that this should help reduce visible lines and that skin immediately appears brighter and more radiant and it smells absolutely amazing!

Murad Essential-C Cleanser contains Vitamins A,C and E as well as various other vital ingredients which should add moisture back into the skin. 

It also rejuvenates your skin whilst promoting a healthy and beautiful complexion by using Allantoin and Sodium PCA. The product smells so fruity too!

Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel uses the natural exfoliating fruit enzyme of Papaya and Pineapple which contain nourishing milk protein, anti-oxidant rich vitamin E and Marine algae to moisturise, repair and protect the skin. 

This peel smells amazing, I have used it once before, some time ago and it feels amazing on the skin, so cannot wait to try that again.

Pure Gold Collagen I have had in another beauty box and it remains untouched. But for those wanting to know what it is, essentially it is a liquid food supplement that improves the skins appearance from the inside out. The special blends of hydrolysed collagen,vitamins and minerals is said to reactivate the formation of collagen to give you brighter,plumper and more youthful skin.

Bourjois Intense Smoky I am a huge fan of Bourjois products, and they are definitely one of my favourite high-street brands so when I saw this little trio in my box I was quite chuffed. It contains 2 eye shadows and a liner and also includes a mini brush to apply it with. On the back of the palette are instructions for use, so one shade is a light shade for going above the crease on your eyelid, the darker shade going below that and then to define the liner is found with shade 3. The shades on this palette are not ones I would use, having blue eyes, purple most definitely is not a shade I can get away with, though to look at, it is stunning. I am just more of a nude eye kind of girl.

The final product is a Lord and Berry clear lipgloss which is a full sized product. There isn;t much to really say about a lipgloss other than it thankfully isn't a sticky one once applied and it can be used on its own or over lipstick, lip balm and so on.

I thought this was a brilliant box and I am really happy with the included content and cannot wait for January's Box!

I’d love to hear if you bought this box and what you thought of it?

You Beauty Discovery Box - May Edition

For the past few months I have been getting the You Beauty Discovery Box which you can see February,  March and April with previous box contents.  This month my fourth box has arrived and I have said I am just as impressed.

This months box is themed "CEW(UK) Beauty Awards" and when I got my email to let me know my options for selection was now ready, I logged straight in with excitement to make my choices and I am so chuffed I got the products I really really wanted to try and surprisingly some of my choices were already sold out.

As I have said before, I love is how the box fits through my letterbox, it is packed really delicately and the box really study

Within the magazine which comes with the box we are told that for May's box they have joined forces with CEW(UK) in celebration of the holy anticipated CEW(UK) 2014 Beauty Awards. So as a dedicated subscriber, I have been given the opportunity to try both the finalists and winning brands which included:

Philip Kingsley - Elasticizer, Percy & Reed – Eau My Goodness Shine & Fragrance Spray, Oriflame – Tender Care Protecting Balm, Margaret Dabbs – Foot Hygiene Cream, Manuka Doctor – Mini Hero Kit, LOLA Make Up – Finishing Brush, L’Occitane en Provence – NEW Almond Milk Concentrate, GLAMGLOW – YOUTHMUD Tinglexfoliate Treatment & SUPERMUD Clearing Treatment, Fake Bake - 60 Minutes Self-Tan Liquid & Professional Mitt, Elemis – Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, Dr.Organic – Organic Moroccan Argan Oil Hair Treatment Serum, CHEEKY – Nail Paint in Tongue ‘n’ Cheek, Carmex – Moisturising Lip Balm, Burt’s Bees – Facial Cleansing Towelettes with White Tea Extract, Batiste – XXL Plumping Powder - Just how much choice is there - WOW

Again as with previous boxes, with this subscription you get some extra treats and mine came in the form of Charles Worthington - Moisture Seal Hair Healer Leave-In Conditioner, a sachet of Caudalie – Divine Legs and a sachet of Lizi’s – Naturally Toasted Granola in Treacle and Pecan flavour.

Then comes my actual selections.  

As soon as I saw one of them there was no doubt it was going to go in my box and it starts with Lola Make-up Finishing Brush which has the following description:

"This multi-purpose brush is designed to create a natural and airbrushed look.
It can be used to perfect and blend powder or liquid formulations.
Ideal for buffing face primers or foundations to a flawless finish".

This is obviously a full sized product which has an RRP of £17. This brush won the Best New Beauty Tool or Accessory Award.

The second choice of mine was Dr Organic Moroccan Argan Oil Hair Treatment Serum which comes with the follow description:

Produced with the finest Moroccan Argan Oil, this sumptuous but light hair treatment is instantly absorbed into the hair, resulting in a silky smooth finish with brilliant shine.

With the heavenly scent of Patchouli, Cinnamon and Rosewood and the combination of African organic extracts including Kukui, Moringa and Sacha Inchi Seed Oils, this bioactive formulation leaves hair beautifully conditioned.

This is a 100ml tube which you can purchase from places like Holland and Barratt and it has an RRP of £14.99

So for a £6.95 subscription, my box has a value of around £32 which is amazing value for money!

What do you think to do this? Do you subscribe to these boxes?  What would you have chosen? If you subscribe, link your post below so I can see what you got.

Next month the attention will be dedicated to Beauty Hero’s - quite excited already!

Sample Sunday

This week I thought I would bring back Sample Sunday as I have been making a conscious effort to use up some of the samples of products that I have and use up the sample sized tubs, tubes and bottles of other products that have come on various trips away with me.

This is my progress:

Givenchy Noir Couture Mascara which is from a Glossybox and I had two samples of it - I actually really like this mascara, though I didn't love it. The sample itself is just 1.5g and lasted for about a week, so not really enough to gage a formed opinion, but I did like the brush and you can see more detail about it HERE when the first sample appeared.

Soap & Glory Scrub Of Your Life  - One of my favourite products from Soap and Glory, I love the fact I can have travel sizes of this and take it with me when I go away. It is apparently the Ultimate soapy, super-smoothing body buffer.  I love the scent and how effective yet gentle this is on my skin.  It retails for around £3 for this travel size and it does last a long time.

Next up there are two Montagne Jeunesse Facemasks.  I am a huge lover of facemasks and love trying them out and these particular masks are just complete bargains.

The first is Chocolate Mud Pie which is an indulgent skin softening mask and it combines Cocoa and shea butter.  This mask smells good enough to eat, it is like someone pushing your face into a lovely chocolate cake and you leave it on for 15-20 minutes, it dries, you rinse it off using warm water and it leaves you with lovely soft to the touch skin, for 99p this is a total bargain and I got it from Asda.

The second is Manuka Honey Peel Off.  Now I love love love facemasks which you peel off, I know I have probably mentioned it before, but there is something so satisfying about waiting for a mask to dry on your skin and then getting to peel it off, yummy.  Anyway, this mask is described as being a famous natural cleanser and it contains Manuka Honey and Jasmin and as with the other mask, cleanse your face, apply, leave for 15-20 minutes and then peel it off.  Another fab mask for 99p

Next comes three Jenoris sachets which I got back in July from the London Blogger Meet and there are two hair masks and a shampoo within this collection.

The Keratin Shampoo, which is sodium chloride free, contains Omega 3,6 and for a healthy scalp and shiny hair.  It includes Keratin for long-term protection, moisturises the hair whilst restoring its natural gloss and vitality.  I actually quite liked this sample, it smells quite nice in that it has the clean smell and it didn't irritate my scalp and my hair was lovely and soft after using.

The Pistachio Hair Mask is described as being ideal for treating split ends, dry, coloured or lightened hair and as with the Keratin Shampoo it contains Omega 3,6 and 9.  With this mask you apply to your hair after washing and leave on for just 3-5 minutes before rinishing it off but if your hair is in a bit of a state, you can leave it for up to 12 minutes for a more intensive treatment.  I am not too sure this mask did anything for my hair in all honesty, it smells lovely and is easy to use but my hair didn't feel any different after using.

The Keratin Hair Mask is again sodium chloride free and is enriched with Omega 3,6 and 9 as well as Pistachio and borage oils as well as keratin to moisturise and give long term protection to your hair.  After using it claims to leave your hair with perfect softness, shine and glamour.  I preferred this hair mask to the pistachio one but again, I didn't really feel too many benefits of using the mask, it would make a much better conditioner in my opinion.

Apivita express beauty with Apricot - this is a gentle exfoliating gel with apricot and I got the sachet from the London Blogger Meet.  This was my first introduction to Aprivita and I loved this gel.  It smells divine, as though someone has just squeezed the life out of some apricots and put them into this sachet.  It is a gentle but effective exfoliator and it leaves your skin feeling super soft after using.  This is a brand I want to explore further.

Elemis Fresh Skin Skin Glow - Put simply, I am a big big fan of this product and I did a whole review of it which you can find HERE and it is a product I would buy again.

Dr Lipp Original Nipple Balm - This product has quite a few mentions on my blog and has its own review which you can read HERE.  Before I got it in a Glossybox I had heard so many people compare it to Elizabeth Arden's 8 hour cream which I dislike, I fully expected to dislike this product as well... WRONG... I love it and am sad it has run out, though I fully intend to purchase a full size version.  it has been an absolute lifesaver in this cold weather, I smother my lips in it before bed and it also makes a great base before applying lipstick.

So those are my empty samples for this month and I think I have done quite well in using them up and remembering to keep them for this post.  Have you ever tried any of these products, are you a fan of any of them?

My favourite products of 2013 - Part Two!

So, you have already seen my favourite Lip Products which I posted yesterday and you can find for yourself HERE and today I am going to bring to you my favourite Hair and Body products and there are quite a few to go through within the category as it includes shampoo, conditioners, shower gels and so on.

Hair and Body

Inhibitif - I couldn't really do a favourites product and not feature this one could I?  I have absolutely loved discovering this product and even now 8 months on, I am still using it and the results are just as brilliant i.e less leg shaving.  Inhibitif and the people behind the product at Deciem have also been wonderful and they gave me the opportunity to appear on the product packaging, which in itself is simply amazing and I also appeared in The Sun Newspaper too and you can see both below:

When you are next in Boots buying a new Razor or some hair removing cream, look for Inhibitif and there you will find me and my blog on the packaging.

Bubb & Dimples have managed to combine two of my loves into one - Candles and skincare.  I was first introduced to them back in July and reviewed some of their products HERE.  What I love about these candles is not only do they smell absolutely amazing they are all handmade here in the UK and they literally are a spa in a jar.  As you melt the candles they produce a nourishing body oil which is so moisturising they are wonderful.

label.m - Another company that I love.  I have used a lot of products from label.m and am yet to be disappointed in anything I use.  Shown in the photo above there is Protein Spray, Dry Shampoo and the Honey and Oat Shampoo and Conditioner all of which I have reviewed.  What I love about label.m products is that I have thin, fine hair but a lot of it and my job is quite stressful and I suffer with a dry, flaky scalp not to mention greasy roots and generally my hair can be an utter nightmare.  All of the products I have used to date from this brand have left my hair and scalp feeling wonderful and has given my hair a lovely healthy shine.

Amie - Another brand that I have only come across thanks to being a blogger and another brand I love.  Spring Clean Cooling Mask which I reviewed HERE and Morning Dew Moisturiser which you can find a review about HERE are two products I have found myself going back to time and time again.

Snow Fairy - Well no review of 2013 would be complete without a mention of my all time favourite shower gel and a review of which you can find HERE.  I absolutely love the scent and the fact it is pink gets the big thumbs up from me and as soon as Lush announce it is on sale I am in one of the stores to stock up.

Mint Thé Refreshing Bath & Shower Therapy - I was lucky enough to win this bath and shower gel from Bodhi in a giveaway and I absolutely love it.  A review of it you can find HERE. I love the fact it smells simply wonderful, so fresh and relaxing and as soon as I have got into my bath, I instantly feel more at ease and have no trouble sleeping afterwards.

Macademia Hair Masque - It was a toss up between this and label.m intensive mask, but as I have run out of label.m and threw the pot away into my recycling, I have been unable to feature it in the photo but it is fabulous.  This mask from Macademia smells wonderful and it leaves me hair feeling really nourished and shiney.

Moroccanoil Frizz Control - I got this back in September in a Limebox which you can read about HERE and it is a fabulous product.  Perfect for when I have straightened my hair with my GHDs and am in need of a little serum to tame those few unruly hairs which refuse to stay put, one little spritz and my hair looks perfect, or as near to perfect as I can get it to look.

Soap & Glory Sugarcrush Body Scrub - Not a product I have yet reviewed on my blog which I am surprised by because I absolutely love this scrub,  It smells really zesty and is perfect for waking you up in a morning and as it scrub it leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth.

Elemis Fresh Skin - I got this from the July London Meet up in my goody bag and it was my first real introduction to Elemis and one that I have really enjoyed.  I reviewed this product HERE and what I like about it is how kind it is to the skin but effective at removing dead and dry skin cells to leave my skin looking and feeling soft, smooth and moisturised.

Tangle Teezer - I reviewed this product HERE and was lucky enough to be sent it from WIMH back in August and I probably use it everyday without fail.  It is curved to make it easy to hold when you are brushing your hair and it also goes through my hair without pulling any hair out or causing any damage.

So there you have my hair and body favourites of 2013 and you might be wondering about body moisturisers and why one isn't included, well I am yet to find one that I could call a favourite, there are however a few that I like. 

Would any of these products feature in your favourites of 2013?

My Trapezius is throbbing!

For the last few weeks I have had the worlds stiffest shoulders and a bit of backache in my lower back, they've ached whenever I have had to lift and move a box at work and even standing to sort the washing out and do some ironing at home has been fairly painful. So after having a nice hot bath, which didn't help with the pain, I decided to look online, then having typed in the problem in the hope of finding a solution, I found the muscles that ached are known as the Trapezius muscles and there are lots of demonstrations as to how to can massage your own shoulders, or I can just enlist the help of the hubby and his hands to massage my shoulder muscles. 

This diagram is used to show where the Trapezius Muscle is

Shockingly I had no Lush massage bars to hand, so I had to go looking through my wardrobe where I store a lot of my products and I came across Elemis Spa de-stress massage oil which states the following: 

"The pure touch of this deeply relaxing synergy soothes the mind, melts tension and harmonises the body" 

Well I know work is pretty stressful right now and we have a lot of projects on the go and I am useless at delegating to someone else to oversee something because I panic if I am not on top of things and know what is going on right down to the smallest piece detail and the long hours are clearly going to be taking their toll. We have also had a mass clear out in the office which has meant spending a few hours moving boxes around, carrying boxes up flights of stairs and back down again, so it is little wonder my shoulders and back hurt. 

I am a fan of Elemis Spa products, their quiet time room mist worked a treat when I needed to use that and I am hoping that this will do just the job. How I acquired it I have no idea but it is a 100ml bottle which online would cost you between £25 and £35. The bottle is a lovely deep blue colour; almost a two tone blue in the light and on the front there is silver lettering to let you know what the product is, who makes it and what it is going to do for you. The lid is silver in colour and really stands out due to its pointed shape. 

Once it comes to using the product, ensure the person going to massage you has warm hands, there is nothing worse than someone with cold hands attempting to massage you and also ensure they rub the massage oil between their palms, as though using soap, to release any essential oils that are included, allowing them to work as soon as they hit the skin. So as soon as the lid has been removed, pour a few drops into the palm of your hand (or the person massaging you) it looks similar to Extra Virgin Olive Oil and has a similar texture to it. As the process of massaging begins, which according to Elemis you should "massage using long sweeping movements" you can feel the oil on your skin and as it is worked into your shoulders, the aroma comes alive. This massage oil is packed full of essential oils and smells wonderful, as the oil is massaged into your skin you do feel relaxed and it's a really lovely feeling too. The oil absorbs itself into your skin with relative ease and once your massage comes to an end, there is no greasy feel to the skin, no need to panic that sheets or clothing will become stained, though it is always advisable to have a towel close by just incase there is any excess left on hands. 

One of the most important features of this massage oil is the ability to relax and de-stress you, hence the name it was given. However to do that it also needs to include some key ingredients. So starting with one of my favourites:

• Lavender Oil, which is really soothing for and on the skin and it is also soothing and calming on the nerves, helps to relieve stress and tension, helps with depression and irritability and in general it is effective for headaches, migraines and for those people who suffer from insomnia. 
• Chamomile which in this product helps to relieve back pain and muscle pain in general. 
• Sweet Almond Oil which is another of my favourite ingredients and on the skin it is nourishing, calming and soothing but similarly to the first two ingredients it helps to relieve muscular aches.
• Rosewood Oil helps to de-stress your mind and alleviate nervous tension. Melissa comes next and not something I am familiar with, but I have found it is commonly known as Lemon Balm Oil and it is used because it helps bring about a sense of calmness to the mind, some people have said it has an almost sedatory effect on them when used in a massage oil because it is that soothing and calming. 
• The final ingredient I am going to mention is Marjoram, which again not an ingredient I have come across a lot but it is particularly useful in a product like this because it is known to be a good muscle relaxant but also has what is referred to as pain killing properties making it useful for problems such as rheumatic pains, muscle spasms, swollen joints and painful muscles. 

There are quite a few other ingredients listed and mentioned for this product on the back of the bottle and on the packaging. 

I usually rely on a hot bath to try and cure aches and pains like this, but when even that doesn't work; I know I need to try something else. After the massage and even during the massage process I was surprised at how relaxed I became and how noticeable the difference was in my shoulders where the pain had originally started. Not only could I move my shoulders without wincing with a slight discomfort, I could also shrug them without it hurting and they were no longer sore to the touch, unlike with the first few massage movements, it was very painful, but that soon eased and I was almost ready to fall asleep. A few hours after the massage my shoulders were still pain free and I could still move without wincing. 

So I am pretty impressed with this massage de-stressing oil because it does what it tells you it will do, it smells really lovely, it relaxes you, it de-stresses, it relieves muscle aches and pains and it leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth after using along with a nice lingering floral scent.

You can find out more on Elemis and all their products HERE