The Five Minute At Home Facial by Superdrug

I love having facials and I love face masks, the nearest I get to having a regular facial. There is something quite relaxing about covering your face in lotions, potions, gels and fabrics to cleanse and clean your face.

Superdrug have just launched 'The Five Minute At Home Facial' in the form of fabric masks and I have very kindly been sent the set to try out.  Designed to give your skin an indulgent boost, these masks have been inspired by Asian beauty trends.  The fabric sheet which forms the mask has been soaked with effective b;ends to give the skin an almost instantaneous boost.  The five minute home facial title caught my eye because as someone who always feels like they are on the go Monday to Friday, I find it hard to find long enough to stick on a face mask to give it time to work, with this, 5 minutes is all you need, perfect.

I have been more than impressed with Superdrug products lately and not too long ago reviewed the Overnight Glycolic Peel which to me rivals Origins Overnight mask, you can read all about it here.

The collection contains four masks which have been created to address the most common skin problems Dull and Blemished skin, Parched and Rough Skin, Stressed and overworked Skin and Clogged and Tired Skin and the masks are packaged like this:

Working from left to right:

Hydrating Facial Mask is designed for parched and rough skin.  Using a rich complex of Plant Collagen and Glycerin along with Pelvetiane seaweed, this mask infuses the skin with goodness to leave it ultra-smooth and supple.

Calming Facial Mask is for those people who have stressed and overworked skin.  Using a herbal blend of Green Tea, Cucumber Fruit and Aloe Vera Juice, this mask is said to provide a soothing sensation whilst reviving the skins radiance, leaving it beautifully supple.

Deep Cleansing Face Mask is for people with clogged and tired skin and is designed to cleanse away impurities and detoxify the skin.  Using Dead Sea Salt, Menthol and Seaweed this mask cleanses and renews the complexions radiance to leave your skin silky smooth and reinvigorated.

Purifying Facial Mask is for those with dull and blemished skin.  Using a blend of Green Tea and Spearmint Oils, this mask cleanses the skin of any blemishes and refreshes it with cooling spearmint to leave the skin soft and supple.

I am looking forward to putting all of these masks to the test, so look out for reviews on each of them.  They retail for just £1.29 which is an absolute bargain and you can find them in your local Superdrug.

Do you like using facemasks? Do you like the sound of these?

Amie Morning Light Hydrating Daily Moisturiser

I am a big fan of the brand Amie and their skincare products, infact many of them have appeared on Beautyqueenuk over the last year.  I like them because they are purse friendly, easy to find on the highstreet and the entire range is suitable for vegetarians and vegans because there contain:

• No parabens 
• No mineral-oils 
• No petrochemicals 
• No sodium laureth sulphate or sodium lauryl sulphate 
• No ingredients of Genetically Modified Origin 
• No animal testing 
• No animal ingredients 
• 
  

Fiona Parkhouse, the lady behind the brand used to work for Estee Lauder and she had an idea about making skincare products for her daughter and says the reason she decided to do this was because she wanted something that would "respect her still child-perfect skin but deal with the changes that puberty was starting to bring, such as increased oiliness and breakouts. But I didn't want her using harsh, aggressive chemicals or medicated products. I wanted a natural range that would be gentle yet effective, appealing and affordable". Meaning 'Friend' in French, Amie was born.

The product I have been using for the last month is the Morning Light Hydrating Daily Moisturiser which is said to contain a perfect blend of high-quality plant extracts and skin-friendly natural ingredients all designed to keep your skin soft and moisturised, all day long.  Designed for skin which is prone to dryness and in need of gentle, yet effective nourishment, this cream which is really lightweight, absorbs itself into your skin with no problems.

If, like me, you are a fan of rose scented products, you will love this cream. By rose scented I mean a proper rose fragrance and not a chemical smelling one.  As it is dermatologically tested and pH balanced, my skin reacts really well to this cream.  A slight dryness on both cheeks is something I suffer from around certain times of the month, so I need something that is going to add moisture all day long.

The cream itself, which is inside this really pretty pastel pink coloured tube contains:

• Rosa Canina Fruit Oil – the pressed seed oil extracted from the hips of the rose bush which grows wild in the Southern Andes. Rosehip oil contains a list of active ingredients which are beneficial to skin, as well as a high level of essential fatty acids which help the skin hold moisture and reduce dryness.
• Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract – an extract from the flowers of the Cabbage Rose, Rosa Centifolia has skin-conditioning and toning effects on the skin.
• Malva Sylvestris Extract – the flowers of the mallow plant are well-known for their soothing and softening effect on the skin.

I have been absolutely loving this cream and whilst my tube is nowhere near empty, it lasts a really long time, I would defintiely purchase it especially when it costs just £4.95 for a 100ml tube

You can fine Amie products in places like Waitrose or from their own website which you can find HERE

Have you tried these products? have you tried any Amie products?

GOSH Cosmetics AW14 range

I am a huge fan of GOSH Cosmetics and a few weeks ago I went along to the launch of the AW14 range. Held in the fantastic location of The Sanderson Hotel, we were treated to the most delightful little canapes, Lychee lemonade and a few glasses of bubbles not to mention make-overs and manicures.

The AW14 range is a really exciting one for me, particularly with the nail polish. I am one of those people who prefers the darker shades to the lighter ones and my manicure was done with Night Sky which at £3.99 is an absolute steal. As you can see from the photo's below, this colour is a black but within it are little speckles which shimmer in the light. Also within the range are 4 other shades called Stardust, Milky Way, Moonlight and Million stars.

Then there is the Defining brow gel, brows seem to be the 'in thing' right now and GOSH have brought out their defining gel which is Vegan friendly and available in three shades; Brown, Brown/Grey and Black. They are priced at £4.99 each.

More mascara, well you can never have too much. There are two new ones coming from GOSH and they are - the Crazy Volume Mascara (£6.99) which has a large brush, it is designed to give you that big lash look. The second one is the Double Precision Mascara (£7.99), this one has not one, but two wands and they work together to help define both your upper and lower lashes. Both mascaras are paraben and fragrance free.

Lipsticks - GOSH have added eight new shades to their range of velvet touch lipsticks; Adorable, Temptation, Divine, Scarlet, Diva, NightKiss, Twilight and Angel. These are full of pigment and last well, but also soften the lips thanks to the Vitamin E. Each lipstick is £6.49. Unfortunately there’s no swatch of NightKiss.

Cheek blushers - These I absolutely love and couldn't wait to try them. They come in three stunning shades which are called Shy, Passion and Pink Parfait. At a first glance, they do look similar to the chubby sticks from clinique. What I love about them is how easy they are to hold and how little you need to apply to your cheeks to get this fabulous colour not to mention the fact you can also use them on your lips, so it is like having two products in one!

The Palettes - The first item I spotted as I walked through the door was the amazing palettes. I have a bit of a thing for palettes at the minute and as soon as I had said hello to a few people I was swatching away. Available in three different options 001 To Enjoy with in New York, 002 To have fun with in LA and 003 To Play With In Vegas each palette has a multitude of options for everyone, whether you like your nudes, bright colours and I mean really bright or something which is halfway between the two, these palettes are simply stunning and a first from GOSH.

The final two items are the Mineral Powder and the brush to accompany it. Priced at £9.99 this powder is said to give really good coverage to leave a flawless complexion. The shades available are 02 Ivory, 04 Natural, 06 Honey and 08 Tan and I am between the 02 and 04 shade from the swatches I did on the back of my hand. Once on the skin they blend in really well and definitely something I will be looking to purchasing.

As ever the lovely PR girls and GOSH were exceptionally generous with the goody bag and mind included this:

What do you think to the GOSH AW14 range? 

Are there any products which take your fancy?

OSCO Clear Acrylic Organiser

I was recently sent the OSCO Desktop Organiser** which is a set of clear acrylic three drawer organiser from Viking Direct. Described as:

"This transparent range from Osco gives a clean and clear appearance to any desk, and allows you to see exactly where everything is. Made of clear acrylic so it'll last a good while too"

I decided to use them as a make-up organiser on my bedside cabinet as I had been looking for something that would fit without taking up the whole space I had free.

As you can see it is very clear see through which means it is perfect for seeing what it is you have inside them and the drawers are much roomier than I thought they would and filling them because an afternoon of fun trying out new and exciting things to put on show.

As you can see, within each drawer there is plenty of space and since taking these photos there has been a few more products added.  

The first drawer contains my favourite lipsticks and within there is everything from MAC, Dior, Moxie and Cargo not forgetting my brand new YSL lipstick and the fact I have them in their original boxes goes some way to show how big and deep these drawers are. The second drawer is lip balms I am currently really liking, my go to Dr Jart BB Cream, Maybelline Baby Skin Primer, my Dr Lipp nipple balm, my tweezers and my beloved Balance Me Radiance Facial Oil.  The final drawer contains some mascaras I am yet to try, a few lip crayons, a few Benefit trial sized products a friend sent to me, a Sleek Blush in Rose Gold and a Collection eyeshadow pencil - in total almost 30 items in these three drawers which saves a lot of space.

As you can see, I have saved lots of space and my bedside table doesn't look over cluttered and there is still room for lots more products!

Do you have any make-up storage?  Do you have any drawers like this set?

.  

Introducing ChattyFeet!

Today I am going to share with you a product which even now is making me cackle and its name is Chattyfeet!

ChattyFeet are socks which have the sole intention of making you smile and cheer you up with funny character on your toes. Who and what are ChattyFeet?

"When we were kids we thought being a grown up would be non-stop computer games, seeing our friends, going into space, eating waffles and getting to pick all the songs on long car journeys. Then when we actually arrived in grownupland we found out it actually involves paying rent and having a job and fixing the dishwasher and making PowerPoint presentations. Boo to that!

So we decided to stage a secret rebellion against boringness, starting from the ground up (literally) with our funny ChattyFeet socks.

Produced in Portugal, each sock puts one of our quirky characters at your toes. That means you can express yourself through ChattyFeet socks the second you kick off your shoes as well as enjoying all the other bonuses of socks like warmth and being able to slide across the floor like Tom Cruise in Risky Business..."

So when asked if I would like to try some, I immediately went over to the website to choose a pair and was met with this:

There are three different options to choose from - Men, Woman or Children and within each section are the choices of socks from which you can choose and this is what made me cackle, the socks have names. Allow me to introduce you to Brad Feet, Don Cottone the Sockfather.




I chose Yoko Mono which you can see below. These socks are made using 75% cotton, 23% Polyamide, 2% Lycra and they are not only comfortable on the feet but they are also washing machine friendly.







Costing £7 per pair they are quite expensive but do make a good gift for people because they are quite quirky and usual. They come in a variety of sizes, all of which you can find on the website under each sock option.

What do you think to my socks? Do you like the character names?

Bee Good Honey & Wild Water Mint 3-in-1 Cleansing Water 100ml

I have become a bit of a fan of the Bee Good range, the first product I tried came in the form of a hand-cream which I am yet to feature on BeautyqueenUK, though a review is coming. The second featured a lip-balm which you can read about HERE. Today's product from the Bee Good range is the Bee Good Honey and Wild Mint 3-in-1 Cleansing water.

For those of you who have't heard of them, Bee Good is an independent British skincare company based in rural Hampshire, who have harnessed the centuries-old healing powers of British honey, propolis and beeswax in an innovative skincare range, designed to make a real difference without the use of parabens, synthetic colour, mineral oil, silicone or SLS/SLES. Each and every one of their products are described as being packed with hard-working intensively soothing ingredients, there is nothing better to care for your lips than this nourishing and protective treatment delivered from the flower, to the bee, to you.

The Cleanser is described as follows:

This 3-in-1 cleansing water dissolves make-up, cleanses and tones the skin - no water needed!
Gentle enough to use on the delicate eye area, it leaves skin bee-autifully clean, toned and refreshed.

Some people describe this product as a better alternative to Micellar Water, whilst I don't have that kind of experience and kind of sit on the fence where Micellar Water is concerned (as in, ive tried a few and yeah they are alright) I do really love this cleanser and have already bought a second bottle.

The first time I used this cleanser I loved it, as soon as you apply it to your face using a cotton wool pad, it is instantly refreshing and cooling on the skin. It also works to easily remove your make-up, along with stubborn waterproof mascaras like They're Real from Benefit, with no problems at all. 

To use, you simply apply to a cotton wool pad and sweep over your entire face and neck area with no need to rinse off.  I was surprised at how much 'gunk' it did remove from my face, especially when I am having a make-up free day, usually on a Sunday when I do most of my cleaning.  What it does do is leave my face feeling clean and soft with no tightness or dryness, a problem I have found with one particular Micellar water.

As someone who likes to double-cleanse, I tend to use this Bee Good Cleanser as the first cleanse and for me it is perfect, at £10 for 100ml it is on the more expensive side, but with active ingredients such as British wild flower honey and propolis extract, wild water mint and red algae and being free from lots of things that are considered to be 'bad' - such as parabens, SLS, and mineral oil, it is worth every penny.

Another thing that I love about the Bee Good range is the outer packaging, not something I would usually get excited about, but when something like this pops through your door, it is bound to prick your interest. Like the Lip Balm, the cleanser came packaged inside a plain corrugated cardboard pillow pack, which is then secured with a bee patterned cotton ribbon, there is a label which is called a 'seeded paper label' and you can plant it into your compost and wait for the flowers to grow - How amazing is that?

You can find out more about Bee Good and all of the great work they do by visiting their website

Follow my blog
  

Collection Cosmetics Lip Butters

I am a huge fan of lip crayons, I daren't even count how many I have, but I love them, they make a nice change to lipstick and are often easier to carry around in your bag. I was recently sent some of the Collection Cosmetics Lip Butter Pencils to try.

These Lip Butter Pencils come in four different shades which are:

01 Popping Pink,
02 Cappuccino,
03 Vintage Rose
04 Perfect Plum.

I have three of the shades which you can see below in Popping Pink, Vintage Rose and Perfect Plum.  The pencils themselves are quite thick in design, making them easy to hold. They are slightly fatter than the Clinique Chubby sticks and do feature a wind up bottom, so that as soon as your lip butter begins to disppear, one quick twist and more colour appears.

For me, all of these shades are stunning to look at.  They have a really creamy and very pigmented texture not to mention incredibly soft on application.  They have a wear time of between 2-4 hours at most, which for the bargain price of £2.99 each is pretty fantastic, I have some high end lip crayons which cost almost 5 times that price and they last nowhere near as long.  

L-R Vintage Rose, Popping Pink and Perfect Plum

My favourite shade of the three, or the one I wear the most is Vintage Rose which I would describe as being a coral pink and it looks great in the evening and in the daytime.

These Lip Butters were released on July 2nd and can be found at both Boots and Superdrug

Have you tried any of these Lip Butters? 

 Do you have a favourite brand of Lip Butter?

Follow my blog
  

Kitchin N1 - Restaurant Review

Last week I accompanied BeautykingUK my better half to Kitchin N1, a restaurant in Kings Cross to review it.  Describing itself as "Deliciously fresh - buffet at its best" I had only ever walked passed it on my way to other blogger events, never venturing in.

Taking recipes from India, China, Italy and Thailand the restaurant centres itself around a theatre style cooking island, giving you the diner an opportunity to watch the chefs in action whilst they cook and prepare food.

Entering the restaurant, we were shown to a table and handed a drinks menu which had something for everyone, whether you like your wine, champagne, cocktails, beer or soft drinks, every need is catered for.  The joy of doing a restaurant review allows you to have the attention of the manager for some of the time to throw questions at him, nothing was too much for any of the staff and as we got to grips with how everything worked, I couldn't help but notice the number of people who came in, had their meals and left.

When you go to Kitchin N1, you have your table for around 1.5 hours, 2 hours at the most and as it is buffet style, essentially you can eat as much as you like, but be warned, if you waste excess food, you will be charged for it, something I think is a good idea because I hate people wasting food.  

Their is a choice of cold or hot starters and your choices include Greek Salads, houmous, opinion rings, Sushi, onion Bhaji, prawn toast, soups and many many more, you simply go up, take a plate and choose whatever you fancy eating.

These are just some of the starters and main dishes that we made our way through.  Each dish tasted freshly cooked, if it was meant to be hot it was and likewise if it should have been cold it was.  There was nothing I disliked or wouldn't have eaten again.

When it came to trying the mains which were on offer, again there is something for everyone, whether you want it cooked in front of you from the Wok station to make your own stir fry or from the grill station where an option of meats will be presented to you and cooked for you to your liking.  Choices of mains again include dishes such as Pizza of the day, curries such as Rogan Josh, Kormas, Thai Green Curry, italian pastas, chow miens, prawn dishes and rice or noddles.

The final test if all of that hadn't been enough to try is the dessert menu!  By this point, both Steve and I had been feeling pretty full, but felt it rude not to try a few of the options on offer, well as soon as I saw rice pudding and a chocolate foundation, I was never not going to have pudding.

Again there are many different options to choose from including very delicate little cakes such as coffee cake, chocolate cake, apple crumble, creme brulee, chocolate fountain with marshmallows and possibly the most exciting thing is the ice-cream machine to pour your own Mr Whippy looking ice cream which I had made some room for, would have had.

There is also a bit of theme for Kitchin N1 at the weekend.  On Friday, Saturdays & Sundays there is a selection of fresh seafood, including Prawns and Mussels as well as certain fish dishes. On Saturday evenings they serve crispy Duck, spring onion, sarded cucumber, hoisin sauce & pancakes and on Sundays there is a full roast!

Price wise, well lunch will cost just £7.99 and dinner in the evening £14.99 with a slight variation at the weekend, all of which can be found on the Kitchin website and to make life easier, you can book your table online too, a straightforward easy to follow form and it is all done for you.

For a restaurant which is hidden away from the bustling streets of Kings Cross on Caledonia Road, it is one which is worth going to find.  The food is exceptionally lovely, there is something for everyone and the experience is something i had never experienced before. From salads which are fresh and crunchy, to meat that is cooked to your liking and hot, curries which are as tasty as they are from your local Indian and desserts which melt in your mouth, it is not somewhere that will break the bank to enjoy good quality cooked food.  If you are out and about in Kings Cross and are looking for something a little bit different, I urge you to give Kitchin N1 a chance, it is worth every mouthful.