Inika Cosmetics - Gift with Purchase During September

Inika Cosmetics is an organic make-up brand which has won over 35 cosmetic awards and is a certified organic, vegan, halal, and cruelty-free brand.
This September, Inika is offering a complimentary Puff Pot Mineral Blusher with any Mineral Powder Foundation purchase.

It will come as no surprise that Inika use only the highest quality, natural and safe ingredients which are free of petrochemicals, synthetic substances, mineral oils, parabens, ingredients of animal origin and talc to name just a few from an impressive list which you can find here. INIKA uses the finest Australian botanicals and pure minerals to produce makeup that cares for your skin as well as performing brilliantly. INIKA ingredients feed the skin in a soothing manner, whilst being beneficial.

The Mineral Foundation Powder with SPF15 is available in 8 different shades and it works as a foundation, concealer and powder, all in one. INIKA foundations can be built up to offer amazing coverage which is especially great for those of us wanting to hide skin conditions such as acne, scarring, rosacea or pigmentation. As it contains no cheap fillers or harsh chemicals INIKA foundations won’t clog your pores or irritate your skin, making it perfect for anyone with sensitive skin.

I like this foundation powder quite a lot.  It is light on the skin but covers my imperfections, it is multi-use so I can if desired just carry this one powder around with me and it is buildable, so if you prefer a much heavier coverage than I do, then it will work really well.  The pot is also lightweight and you can, if desired, use your own make-up puff pad and store it within the lid.

The Mineral Blusher Puff Pot is available in two shades, Rosy Glow and Pink Punch and is designed to give you a warm, luscious healthy glow. As with the Mineral Foundation there are no nasty fillers, no parabens and no talc. 

This blusher pot comes with its very own puff pad to make the application easy and perfect for on the go, to use all you need to do is turn the pot upside down, tap on the bottom and the blusher appears in the puff pad, how clever!. Not only that, but the lid also houses a super handy mirror and it is really easy to apply and the colour is much more pigmented than I ever thought it would be, so you only need a small amount at any one time.

Inika products are widely available in stores such as Wholefoods, Lloyds Pharmacies, Planet Organic and online.  Together these products have a value of £46.50 so if you are wanting to try something new, cruelty free and get yourself a bargain, look out for this offer throughout the whole of September.

Have you tried Inika Cosmetics before?

Chin Up Mask - The Non Surgical Face Lift!

If there was one thing I could change about my skin it would be the chin.  Mine is horrible, small, fat with the beginning of a double chin.  So eager to get rid of it, I jumped when the opportunity arose to check out a brand new Indiegogo campaign called Chin-Up, a product which launches later this month over on their website chinupmask.com.

Chin-Up claims to be the equivalent of a non-surgical facelift and utilises the latest scientific developments in pressure technology whilst the specially formulated fruit-extract filled face masks are absorbed; lifting up and firming the shape of your face, promoting facial blood circulation, burning up extra fat on the face to remodel a more refined face with effects which last for a few days. The mask uses 4 main ingredients to achieve its results:

• Vitamin E - Protects skin cells from free radicals and protects product formulation or carrier oil from lipid peroxidation. Acts as an antioxidant. Possesses moisturising and protective properties. Offers improved elasticity and smoothness.
• Corum 9235 - Gives a warming sensation when applied to the skin. Stimulates the absorption of serum and promotes the losing of chin-fat
• Q10 Coenzyme - Stimulates cell strengthening and promotes the regeneration of skin. Q10 has strong anti-oxidant effects, giving immediate relief to dry and dehydrated skin. It also has anti-ageing and anti-wrinkle properties.
• Skintronics - Facilitates the fat release and aids in the contouring process. The Skintronics serum converts fat into stabilized fibrous tissue and eases the edema under the cheeks, jaw and chin. It helps boost the density of collagen and cell tension, instantly lifting and firming up to 20%.

The Kit has everything in that you will need to use.  Two Chin Masks, a Slimming Band and a Tape Measure to record your results.  

To use it is quite simply.  Apply the Chin Up mask to your face and neck, it is like a sheet mask but just for your chin and under-chin area and then apply the slimming band and leave for around 30-40 minutes, after which time you should see effects of up to 2cm of fat loss.  Now the slimming band isn't going to be the next fashion accessory and it does nothing for your vanity at all, but it is easy to wear with velcro fastening so you can adjust it for comfort.  Once the sheet mask is applied and the slimming band is on, you feel as though your chin is up by your nose and it is quite hard to talk, eat or drink.  So you really need to use it when you have nothing much else to do and especially not when you have friends coming round.  During those 30 minutes, I felt a slight warmness to my chin, nothing that was too uncomfortable, but it did get warm, so there is something to think about should you use one of these, the feeling was similar to that of a Clay Mask when you use those.

Once those alloted 30 minutes are up, I removed the band and this is my result.

So, yes, it did work. Thankfully! I lost just under 2cm off of my double chin in just half an hour.  The loss for me was right under my chin and at the side, not so much so it is massively noticeable and I wasn't expecting to remove the mask and find a brand new chin, but I am pleased with what I have seen as a difference.

Was it worth it? For a one off, yes and I would do it again, it would be great to use before a night out as an extra treatment, especially as it gave me a little more confidence and something less to worry about and I am definitely going to use the other mask in a few weeks times.  There has been no price set for when it is released, so it is a case of watching this space.

You can find more about Chin Up by visiting their website, mentioned at the beginning of this review, or via their social media channels such as facebook, twitter, instagram

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Do you think this is something you would want to try?

A dress fit for a Queen

This month has been quite a busy social one for me with weddings and birthdays to be celebrated.  I am one of those people who can't wear the same dress twice, more so when it is an event to be celebrated with a similar group of friends.  Thankfully House of Fraser were on hand to help me out with my little predicament and with these two fabulous dresses from the plus size dresses range.

The Dorothy Perkins Leaf Print Sateen Fit And Flare Dress is shown on the left is currently on sale here for just £20 and it is an absolute bargain.  When wearing it, there is a zip which runs the length of the back, it has a rounded collar, short sleeves and is Fit and Flare designed meaning that it pulls the waist with a ribbon is and is really flattering.  I really love the leaf design which also uses the colours blue and yellow and can, therefore, be accessorised really easily.

The Black and white floral Samya Pleated Botanical Print Dress is again a dress I absolutely adore.  As with the first dress, it is again a fit-and-flare style dress featuring a belted waist and box pleated skirt making it really flattering. It uses a back zip fastener, has a rounded collar and is also sleeveless.  

As a black and white dress, it can be as dressed up as casually worn as you find comfortable.

With both dresses what I found is the sizing was almost spot on.  Having the belted waist meant I could pull them in at the sides where they were both slightly too big and it then lifted the dresses so they didn't just hang.  When I am buying a dress, for me it is all about fitting around the chest area because if it doesn't fit there, then it can really make an outfit look horrendous.

I am not usually a fan of zips on the back of dresses because of the coldness against the skin, but with these two, I didn't notice them throughout either day of wearing them, nor did I feel overly hot and bothered.

My favourite of the two dresses is the first one.  It fits much more snugly, it is fairly bright and cheerful and I loved the detail on the hem, which I feel complimented the dress.

Have you seen any dresses you have really liked of late?

The Amazing New L'Occitane Aromachologie Re-Balancing Range

Surprise packages are always amazing, especially when they smell as good as the new L'Occitane Aromachologie Re-Balancing Range**. As soon as I opened the black jiffy envelope I was blown away by this amazing scent and I dived straight in.

A 100% natural re-balancing scent in a new line of products to awaken the senses, help restore balance and bring well-being to body and mind. The range itself has a total of five products and today I have four of them to share with you.

Rebalancing Exfoliating Shower Gel (£14) contains five purifying essential oils (Cypress, Juniper, Lemon, Thyme, Eucalyptus which as you can imagine is just amazing first thing in a morning when you need a dig in the ribs to wake up, or to invigorate & rebalance as L'Occitane describe it so eloquently. Using olive and lemon particles within the shower gel to delicately eliminates impurities not only leaves the skin soft and smooth but smelling absolutely delightful.

Most people know how much I enjoy a long hot soak in the bath, so when Rebalancing Infusions For Bath (£15), the water was running before I had finished reading the packaging.  Inside the box are five infused sachets which you place in your bath water, or as I do over the tap so the running water soaks the sachet through and then 5 minutes before I get into the water, I leave the sachet to float about in the bath.  Made with citrus fruit peel and revitalizing salts, each sachet provides a rebalancing effect, beneficial for the senses and body and again, the scent is just amazing, it really helps you to relax, de-stress and leaves you feeling so much better.

One item which did intrigue me was the Rebalancing Black Soap (£16) which comes packaged inside this tub and was not at all what I was expecting to find.  It is designed to be used once or twice a week as treatment all over the body and it is described as being an 'olive oil based soappaste' which is enriched with eucalyptus essential oil to clean the skin and removes impurities. The formula refines skin texture and leaves it soft, nourished and silky. Again it smells absolutely incredible and on the skin it literally melts away and is not at all sticky or goey as you might expect it to be.

When I used this for the first time, I had quite a heavy cold and my nose was a nightmare, being packed with Eucalyptus Oil this soap is perfect for helping your breathing and relieving those cold symptoms. 

The final item in this quartet is the Face Mask (£20) and again it is enriched with absorbing vegetal and mineral powders to remove impurities and tighten pores. With the inclusion of Shea Butter, Sunflower Oil, Thyme Oil, Lemon Peel Oil, Eucalyptus Oil and Juniper Fruit Oil, not only does this mask leave your skin feeling as though you have just spent the whole day cleansing your face, it has such a light fragrance that you forget it is on your face, until it is time to wash off after just five minutes. So this mask is perfect for one of those quick, on the go, masks which is easy to apply, it washes off with no effort and it leaves your skin feeling clean, soft and smooth.

This is another fantastic range from L'Occitane and if the smell isn't enough to tempt you in, the black soap and curiosity should do!

Are you a L'Occitane fan?