My Skin and Me

For as long as I can remember I have had red blemishes on my cheeks, some refer to it as Roseacea and others mild flushing, whatever it is, it sometimes really annoys me and I do as much as I can to cover it up with make-up.

As you can see from the two photos below, taken inside and outside, the redness is clearly visible for all to see.

So I was asked if I would like to try some products that might help combat the blemishes by Salcura Antiac Skincare line** which I have seen on Channel 4's embarrassing bodies.   Naturally I agreed to try some to see if there was anything, other than lots of BB cream and foundation that could hide, cover and get rid of the redness.

So I was sent these lovely products to try.  All Salcura products contain an ingredient called Sea Buckthorn oil which is referred to as a 'Super Ingredient' and it helps to reduce inflammation, it calms and soothes the skin and helps to nourish and cleanse the skin.

Derma Spray -  This product is said to have a proven track record and is our most effective and practical solution for eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, rosacea and other related skin conditions.  You can and it is suggested that you spray this onto your face 3-4 times a day, so I tend to use this only at weekends and when it is on the skin, it instantly absorbs itself and leaves your skin feeling soft and moisturised.  Designed for people with dry skin, another condition I tend to suffer from on my cheeks more than anywhere and since using this, I have noticed a big difference.  It does contain Tea Tree Oil and Eucalyptus Oil which give it a definite scent. It retails for £14.99 for 100ml but there are other sizes available.

Face Hydrator - This product contains Omega 3,6,7 and ( and is designed to give your skin maximum deep hydration and it is designed for itchy, dry and sensitive facial skin.  I do have a slight itchyness on my cheeks where my redness is this gives an almost instant end to that itchy feeling, I was actually really surprised the first time I used it that I didn't want to scratch my face as much.  It retails for £11.99

Daily Face Wash - It is pH neutral and again contains no nasties and it doesn't leave your skin feeling dry after using.  You are told to use it morning and evening which I have been doing and as a wash it is light, unscented and lathers up really well once it has come into contact with water.  This face wash retails for £8.49

Daily Face Wipes - Yes, before some of you start typing in capital letters in the comment box below about the evils of face wipes, these ones contain no nasties and nor will they leave your skiin feeling really dry after using.  They are really moisturising and offer effective deep cleansing, ideal for on the go and they help remove hardened sebum (yuck) as well as excess oils, dirt and grime.  They retail for £6.99 and you get around 25 wipes.

Activ Liquid Spray - Designed to be used after cleansing the skin, you apply the spray onto your hands or a clean cotton wool pad and massage into the areas which are most affected.  As soon as it touches the skin it instantly absorbs itself. I found this spray to be quite cooling and refreshing when applied to the skin and from all of the products within this range, so far this has been my favourite.  It retails for £9.99

So having used them for the last month I am sure you want to know whether or not there is any difference, so here are my after photos and I would love to know what you think:

So what do you think?

All Salcura products are free from chemicals that are known to cause additional sensitisation of the skin.  Totally free from parabens, SLS, perfumes, steroids, antibiotics, hormones, lanolin, cortisones, soaps, phthalates and peroxides.

My Lipstick Collection

So I asked on Twitter if anyone wanted to see a post on my lipstick collection and I got a resounding YES to do it, so this is that post.  Before I entered into the world of blogging, I owned no lipsticks, it wasn’t anything I was bothered about because I had a lip balm addition instead.  Overtime I have read lord knows how many posts on lipsticks and have found myself hankering after one or two, okay lots of them and have purchased one or two myself, so here is my collection.

So far you can see from my photo, there are 8 lipsticks of which two are the same, it does happen to be my favourite lipstick and it was a bargain, but anyway, this is what they are

Miners Cosmetics - Dreamer. I got this as part of my February Glossbox 2013 and it is quite a dusky pink colour, not a shade I like that much, but with a bit of gloss it looks okay.  

Cargo Cosmetics - Bermuda.  I got this lipstick from the Debenhams Beauty Event I went too and it is described as being a nude pink, but I think it is more of a warm pink and it is really pigmented, not that you can see from the photo above.  

Oriflame 3D Lipstick - I got this from a blogger meetup last year and it is reviewed HERE on my blog.  Again, it is described as being a nude peach but with the way it is designed it is said to create an optical illusion effect giving you fuller lips. In one single swatch you can create the effect due to the contour, volume and colour.

Vivo Pink Sweetie - I never ever wear this shade because I find it too pink.  It does however glide onto your lips effortlessly and is quite moisturising, just a shame about the colour.

Rimmel Kate Moss No.8 - I picked this up a few weeks ago quite by accident and I love it.  Said to last for up to 8 hours and formulated with black diamonds.  Now it doesn't last for 8 hours, it lasts for 2-3 if you are lucky but I really like the shade and I would describe it as being a dusky pink.

Rimmel Moisture Renew - Latino 200. Now this little beauty has an SPF20 and vitamin A, C and E as well anti-oxidants to protect the lips. It also contains three Super Moisturisers - Collagen, Polypeptides and Hyaluronic Acid which help to keep your lips soft and smooth. Colourwise it is descirbed as being Mid Rose Pink and it looks fantastic on my lips.  I am a huge fan.

Oriflame Hollywood Red - Part of the Demi Moore range for Oriflame, I reviewed this product HERE and whilst it would not be my colour of choice, it is a super lipstick and is really pigmented.

Dior - Rouge Dior 649 - My favourite of all the lipsticks I have and it has been reviewed HERE. I first came across this lipstick at the Debenhams beauty event when I had a mini make-over at the Dior stand and this was the colour chosen for my lips and I loved it.  Then I happened to be in my local pharcmacy and found this lipstick on offer and decided I needed to have it, it was fate and bought two.  The colour is Mythical Pink and it is so lovely, lasts for hours, much longer than any of the others mentioned in this post and is one I would repurchase time and time again.

The one lipstick missing from the photo is my Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter in 005 which is called sugar Frosting which you can see reviewed HERE and this is one product that stays in my desk drawer at work as an emergency.  This lipstick gives a very subtle nudey pink colour to your lips and is described as being a 'sheen lipstick', which it most certainly is.

In the next week or so there will be a review on my lip crayon collection which is growing quite rapidly.

So there you have my collection.  Do you think I am missing a brand, should try a certain lipstick or have any recommendations for me?

Five Among Friends

Welcome to a new feature, Five Among Friends, where myself & some of my closest blogging friends will be linking up for a a series of Q & A's once every month.

We'd love to see your answers to the questions too - Just post your Q & A on your blog and then put your link in the Linky below and we'll be sure to check them out! Don't forget to check out other peoples answers too!

This week's theme is Getting To Know You.....

This week's questions were written by Hayley at 
Sparkles & Stretchmarks....

The Questions

1) Describe yourself in 5 words

Sarcastic, friendly, Honest, Loving, girly

2) Why did you decide to start blogging?

Like many, I love to write and have always loved giving my opinions though started a blog was never something I thought I would do.  A chat with Hayley from Sparkles and Stretchmarks and some gentle encouragement gave me what I needed to start blogging.

3) How did you choose the name of your blog and why?

I have always been obsessed with beauty products whether it is something from Lush, a face cream, body cream, scrub or make-up I have always wanted to try everything and have always had wishlists of products to try. Now I am not much of a Princess but the word Queen came to me randomly and when I searched to see if it was in use, it wasn't and Beautyqueenuk was born.

4) Tell us something about yourself that you think might surprise us!

Like Hayley, I don't have a lot self confidence and really hate seeing photos of myself and hate being in front of the camera, so you will very rarely see photos of me because I am really self-critical.

5) What is your favourite and least favourite thing about blogging?

I have two favourite things.  The first is the comments that I get on my blog.  There is nothing better than knowing someone out there is reading your blog and thinks enough of you to leave a comment, it really makes my day when I go and have a look at the comments people have left.  as I love them so much, I do always leave comments on the blogs I read.  Comments have also led me to interact with other bloggers and some of them I have been lucky enough to meet and spend time with.

I also love the opportunity blogging gives to working with brands and being lucky enough to try new products that I otherwise might not have discovered.

My least favourite thing is the bitching.  A room full of girls is always going to cause havoc with all those hormones flying around, but some of the things I have seen and read truly saddens me.  In an ideal world, I would love for everyone to get along and support one another.

Don't forget to check out the other girls answers too....

Alex - Bump To Baby

Emily - London Mummy Of Two

Hayley - Sparkles & Stretchmarks

Jessica - Our Baby Blog

Kerry - Lived With Love

Lauren - Mrs Hippo & Me

Louise - Confessions Of A Secret Shopper

Rachel - BeautyQueen UK

Links of London Wish List

Would you like to win £1000?  Well Links of London are holding a competition which you can enter to win £1000 worth of their gorgeous jewellery and I mean gorgeous.  All you have to do is simply create a wishlist of your favourite pieces and write a blog post, like this, which also happens to be my entry.

As you can see I managed to choose just 6 pieces, it was really hard because there are just so many things that I like, but for me, these ones caught my attention the most.

1. Aurora Link Bracelet
Inject the wow factor into you party wardrobe. This Aurora link bracelet combines silver with rose and yellow gold vermeil. Strung on a sterling silver chain, this versatile piece has been designed to be lightweight to wear and features a textured finish which adds a touch of subtle sparkle. Costs £95.00

2. Celeste Rose Gold Wrap Ring
The mystic and celestial qualities of the traditional Native American Indian protective charm are bound up in this delightfully modern Celeste Wrap Ring in 18ct rose gold vermeil. The thinnest threads of diamond-cut glitter wire wrap around the Silver band to echo the web-like construction of the original pieces that were said to capture only the good dreams, while letting the bad ones go.  Costs £180.00

3. Dream Catcher Heart Rose Gold Earrings
With a base of sterling silver, these enchanting stiletto earrings each feature a heart that has been delicately wrapped within a subtle rose gold vermeil web. Featuring a unique glitter finish, these rose gold vermeil earrings will add a sparkle to any outfit. The inspiration behind this collection lies in the Native American dream catcher which protects against nightmares. Wear with other Dream Catcher pieces for double protection. Costs £150.00

4. Hope Rose Gold Plate Ivory Strap Watch
Fine detailing marks out this Hope Rose Gold Coloured Ivory Strap Watch as a modern classic. The traditional shape and form has been remodelled with overlapping asymmetric rings of rose gold coloured plate and a white mother-of-pearl dial. The chic satin effect ivory leather strap holds a watch face of subtle detailing, featuring rose gold coloured plate watch hands and a stylish crystal index at 12 o'clock. Water resistant to 3ATM, this is a must-have everyday accessory.  Costs £295.00

5. Dream Catcher Heart Rose Gold Pendant
This sterling silver heart pendant gets a modern interpretation with a fine web of rose gold vermeil glitter wire. A unique and interesting necklace, the Dream Catcher collection has been inspired by the Native American symbol to protect against nightmares. With a glittery finish, pair this piece with a bracelet and earrings from the same collection for maximum sparkle in your life. Costs £150.00

6. Effervescence Star XS Ring - Rose Gold & White Topaz
Everything is rosy with the Effervescence Star XS Ring in 18ct rose gold and pave white topaz. Each ring features small roundels of resplendent rose gold and white topaz stars. Giving you something different for your jewellery collection, team your new ring with different colours from across our collections to complete your look. This ring is also designed to be layered with others in the collection. Find your favourites and create your own look! Costs £130.00

I think all of these items are simply stunning and would be over the moon to receive any of them on Valentines day!

If you would like to enter this competition is open to the general public, but for more information follow this link http://blog.linksoflondon.com/2014/01/win-valentines-day-list/

Give it a go and remember to hashtag your entry #myvalentinewishlist you might just win yourself an amazing £1000.

What do you think to my choices? Do any of them stand out to you?