Alex Steinherr X Primark Skincare

I make no secret of the fact I absolutely love browsing round Primark, admittedly I am usually looking for the latest Disney releases for one of my nieces or nephews to add to their collections, but just sometimes I am found in the makeup and skincare section because there is a whole host of hidden gems waiting to be found.

The Alex Steinherr range is one of those ranges which really caused a storm upon its release.  My nearest Primark store is one of the places that I can usually find anything I am looking for, but even this range bewitched me having always been sold out.  Thankfully I managed to track some of the products down when I went to Westfield and I couldn't wait to give it a try.  Alex Steinherr is someone who should know her skincare, as former Beauty Director of Glamour Magazine she has worked with the likes of Elizabeth Arden and La Mer. Alex is passionate about using effective, proven and innovative skincare actives that actually reaps results and wanted to bring the benefits of formulations and technology more often found in the luxury or clinical market to the high street whilst making them affordable. Ingredients such as Hyaluronic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Niacinamide, Peptides and even Squalene all make the cut and what I really like is the no-nonsense packaging and the price point. There are roughly around 20 products, divided between five targeted lines: Pollution Solution, Pore Balance, Pump & Glow, Sleep Spa and Maximum Moisture to choose from.

We all know how much I love a good facemask and if you follow me on Instagram then you will have noticed a slight theme that runs through my photos when it comes to a Sunday and that is Self Care Sunday where I photograph the products I am going to be using to pamper myself.  Sunday is the one day of the week where I try to take an hour or two out of everyday life and concentrate on myself.  That means closing the door to the bathroom, getting into a bath of bubbles and applying masks to wherever I have a mask for.  The Plump & Glow Power Mask is described as being an intensely hydrating sheet mask and it was that alone that caught my attention.

As I mentioned above, Alex is passionate about bringing ingredients to the high street which have proven benefits for the skin and within this mask, you will find ingredients such as Amino Acid which supports natural skin function and stimulates cells to produce more collagen and elastin, Hyaluronic Acid and Japanese Camellia, both of which host both hydration and moisturising properties and together this is said to:

• be an intense re-plumping dose of hydration
• a two-step concentrated skin refresher

The first part of using this mask is obviously Step 1 and here we have an Essence which is clear in colour and similar to a serum in texture and the idea is you pat it onto a clean face before moving on to Step 2.  Step 2 involves applying the sheet mask and I love a good sheet mask.  Given I applied an Essence, I hadn't quite expected this mask to be as wet as it was, but it applies like a dream and after 20 minutes, I removed the mask and massaged in the rest of the leftover liquid into my skin.  This makes a great mask if you have really dehydrated skin as there is no doubt it hydrates and refreshes the skin.

The second product which caught my attention is the Facial in a Stick (£5). Like most people, I love a good multi-tasking product and this one happens to be just that, but in a stick balm.

Within this balm stick, the ingredients include Hyaluronic Acid, Dragon Fruit and Cactus Flower Extract and it is designed to remove makeup, plump and hydrate the skin. Looks wise, it reminds me of a lip balm, but on the chunkier side of things and it is quite firm and to use it, you need to ensure it hasn't been stored somewhere too cool because it doesn't do very much, but at a warmer temperature or with something slightly wet, it applies to the skin like a dream and works incredibly well as that first cleanse as the stick turns into a balm which makes it great for makeup removal and it works really well for removing eye makeup owing to its design.  I have found it to be moisturising when I have used it and I just love how easy it is to use.

Living in a big city like London, the word pollution is something to give anyone the shivers when you see what it can do to your skin on a daily basis. Included within the Alex Steinherr collection is the Pollution Solution oil-free Gel Hydrator (£5) and there wasn't any doubt in my mind that I wanted to give it a try.

I love the feeling of this on my skin because of its texture, it is light, airy and doesn't feel at all heavy. Working as a primer it features both Peach Flower Extract and Acai Berry alongside its own anti-pollution complex and draws on anti HEV light technology (blue light) to protect and shield the skin from external aggressors that we (or at least I) have learnt so much about.  I would like to think that by using products such as this as I am doing the absolute best I can to ensure I am protecting my skin.

Next we have the Blemish Rescue Plasters (£3) and they are described as being Hydrocolloid plasters for treating spots. They come in a packet of 20 and are infused with Salicylic Acid which works to exfoliate and unblock pores, Tea Tree Oil which kills bacteria and thankfully isn't too overpowering and Purslane which is an antioxidant and it also has regenerative properties.

If you are prone to spots or have the odd breakout, then these blemish patches, which remind me a little bit of coldsore patches, are ideal to have. I am one of those people who hardly ever gets a spot, but if one does arrive, then it feels as big as my head, is usually hormone related and hurts a lot. Patches such as these are really common in Asian Skincare and I first came across them when I was first sent some Korean Beauty products, so naturally I am intrigued to see which works best, but having not had a spot since I bought them, I think they might just be a good luck charm. The patches are about 1cm in diameter and I have it on good authority that they do stop any spot in its track.

The final product in my Alex Steinherr arsenal is the Sleeping Face Mask (£5) and if you read my blog regularly, then you will be aware how much I love a sleeping mask, it is the perfect lazy skincare to look after your skin as you sleep. 

My skin really doesn't like the constant change in weather as we move from having a beautifully spring warm day to a really cold day and I end up having to slap on as much moisturiser as I can, so something like this is the perfect solution.  Enriched with Hyaluronic Acid, Willowherb and Chamomile extract which come together to moisturise and revive tired and stressed skin, all whilst you sleep.  Despite being as a mask, it does instead feel like a cream and once applied, it absorbs slowly and leaves my skin feeling as soft as silk.

What I have really loved about trying a few products from this entire range is not only how affordable everything is, or how it is split into different sections but that it is easy to understand and read as to what it is each product does. There is nothing over complicated about anything that I have tried and there is no fancy jargon to try and tell you what something should do.  Since purchasing these products, I have been back to Primark and purchased something from the latest collection which I will be sharing in a few weeks time.

Have you tried anything from this Alex Steinherr x Primark range?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Revolution Foil Frenzy Creation Eyeshadow Palette

I cannot keep up with all of the launches from Revolution (formerly Makeup Revolution) and if I am honest, I haven't paid them that much attention, simply waiting for something to grab my attention, which it did with this Foil Frenzy Creation Eyeshadow Palette.  I am pretty obsessed with foil eyeshadows thanks to touch in SOL.  So as soon as I saw the Foil Frenzy palette on sale in Superdrug for just £8, I grabbed it and couldn't wait to try it out.

Packaged in a hard plastic case, there are 15 shades which range from the neutral end of the spectrum right to the more colourful and daring.  So they have tried to cater for all tastes and styles.  Having watched a few videos of people swatching it and creating makeup looks, I was ready to get stuck in, sadly, that is where the excitement ended.  I understand a foil eyeshadow to be a product which is used to create a shiny, metallic and sometimes dramatic look.  Revolution describes this palette as follows:

We're going crazy for Foil Frenzy! Unbelievable colour payoff in just one swipe! The intensity of these eyeshadows lies in its extraordinary formula, in which the pigment is poured, not pressed.

Each pan offers an gorgeous creamy texture that transforms into a silky powder for an incredible high-shine finish. From bronze to burgundy, plum to khaki, this kit is brimming with 15 rich shades that truly pack a punch.

Uncover the pigment power for your most insane eye look to date.

I think saying 'unbelievable colour payoff in just one swipe' is incredibly far-fetched because unless you really wet the shade and then apply, the difference in that colour payoff is quite something and the suggestion is you only 'apply wet to amp up the drama' insinuates that you don't need to apply it wet unless you want some colour intensity.

The top row of shades is the absolute worst whether you apply with your finger, a brush, a sponge and even when they are wet.  I spent an absolute age attempting to get any kind of colour pay off from the top row to the point where I thought I was going to hit pan when swatching because I was pressing so hard.  From left to right you have a white shade and I really expected this one to pop and be perfect for that inner corner, nope, you can barely see it at all.  I followed on with the gold, rose gold, lilac and then copper shade and managed to just, get a shot of colour.

The swatch above is completely unedited.  It has been transferred from my memory card to my blog post and as you can see, it isn't great. In fact, the swatch on the left looks like the aftermath of trying to remove the swatch on the right, when colour payoff is so good it leaves a stain.  Sadly, the swatch on the left is using my finger and the swatch on the right is a wet swatch using my Real Techniques eyeshadow brush.  So not a good start.

Then I moved onto the second row and again this row moves from left to right with a champagne gold, mustard yellow, a purple, bright pink and then a dark copper red shade.  Again, making it swatch to get a colour pay off was difficult, but not as hard as the top row.

Again, an unedited swatch above does at least show colour pay off for three of the five shades, but it was hard work rubbing my finger back and forth across the pan to get any traction.  Then using the wet technique to see if there was a foil effect.  The Champagne Gold is a really pretty shade, but to me, it is not a foil or at least, not one that I am used to seeing, it has a beautiful shimmer as does the mustard yellow, but they are not foils.  The Purple shade in the middle creates some fall-out but it does blend really lovely, but again, it is not a foil, it shimmers with a few bits.  The last two shades on this row are real let downs and as you can see, what I expected to be a hot pink shade, is not at all, it is just a pink with little shimmer, no foil and disappointing.  The final shade is just the oddest of them all.  A red/pink shade which when swatched looked like a reddish-brown.

The final row happens to be the best in terms of swatchability, blending, application and colour pay-off and this is my favourite row of the palette but I would again question the 'foil' part.

Unedited again we have a light bronze coloured shade, a jade green, a deep bronze, a mid brown and finally a black shade.  Everything you need to create an incredible eye look but just no oompf if I am honest.  Again on the left, by this point I am using my fingers which are slightly wet so the colour pay off is quite good and then again, removed and re-swatched wet, you can at this point see a slight difference between the two ways I have applied it.  I had hoped the Green shade would be much brighter and the most disappointing shade on this row is the black shade which just didn't really change whether it was dry, damp or wet, it isn't intense, it isn't a foil and it works for a bit of a smoke out of the eyes, but nothing too dramatic.

So on a palette which contains 15 shades, the reality is that about 5 of them are easy to use and work with but none of them gives me the foil effect I had been expecting.  This is the first let down for me from Revolution and given it promised so much and yet delivered so little, it isn't a product I can recommend anyone purchasing even at just £8.

Just recently Revolution has launched two further palettes within this range Foil Frenzy and Foil Frenzy Hybrid Palettes and I will be honest, given just how awful the Creation palette was, I wouldn't be rushing out to waste my money on them.

Have you tried this palette?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Erborian Magic Transformask

K-Beauty excites and intrigues me and I absolutely love Erborian, one of my favourite products is still the black cleansing oil (review here). As a brand and every time there is a new release, it excites me because having met Katalin, one of the brand co-founders, she is an absolute wealth of knowledge and to see so many new launches is amazing.  

The latest addition to the Erborian family is the Magic Transformask and if the rose gold box and packaging doesn't draw you in, then the texture and the hybrid formula definitely should because it is wonderful.  Everything within an Erborian product has a reason and a purpose and the fact this mask takes on the role of both a cleanser and a mask isn't an accident.

Described as being a nourishing skincare mask that helps to calm and revive the skin, it is enriched with seven botanical and herb extracts which include:

• Tiger Grass Extract
• Japanese Knotweed root extract
• Baikal Skullcap
• Green Tea leaf extract
• Licorice root extract
• Wild Chamomile flower extract
• Rosemary leaf extract

These ingredients come together and work alongside African yellow wood bark extract which helps to regulate excess sebum and silica powder to soothe, detoxify and balance for clearer skin and a more radiant complexion.  In Korean skincare you get used to seeing medicinal herbs in the form of roots, stems, bark, leaves and even flowers and it is from this ideology that Erborian has built its reputation and time and time again, you will see the mentioning of 7 Herbs and the 7 Herb Complex and that is because they are used to cleanse the skin and help fight off free radicals but to also soothe, protect and defend the skin too.

With its dual-transformation texture, which feels a little bit like putty. What I love is just how easy this mask is to use, it applies like a dream and once it is on the skin, it needs just ten minutes to work its magic. Transformask transforms from a pink-tinted gel into a powder and then from a powder to a milky film when it comes into contact with water all to remove impurities, refine the pores and detoxify the complexion.  Once it has been washed away, it leaves behind a rose gold shimmer that lingers on the skin, giving it a subtly pearly glow. 

Said to be designed for oily or combination skin, I think most people could use this in all honesty. I wanted to ensure I had used this mask more than a few times before writing my post and sharing my views because I like to get to know a product and its fair to say that I absolutely have loved using this mask. I love how the mask makes my skin feel, I love how it leaves my skin looking and it does give you that refined pore, mattified skin look whilst at the same time some luminosity due to that shimmer I've already mentioned, but it doesn't leave you looking like a disco ball.

Priced at £34 for 50ml you can find it stocked via Erborian, SpaceNK, Indulge and other stores online.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

MAVALA’S 60th Birthday Limited Edition Polka Dot Cosmetics Bag

Mavala is celebrating its 60th birthday and in some style too. The iconic nail care brand launches John Lewis Roadshow for April 2019 and 60s Inspired Limited Edition Polka Dot Purse.  Created in 1958 by Madelaine Van Landeghem, with the introduction of Scientifique K+ Nail Hardener, which remains one its best-selling products to date, Mavala is available globally in over 100 countries, with stockists ranging from small independent salons to large department stores.

I got to know Mavala via their Mavala STOP, a product which helps to encourage you to not bite your nails. Growing up, I was one of those horrible nail biters, any second I got, my fingers were in my mouth and I was chewing away. Mavala STOP tastes absolutely horrendous, so much so, I stopped biting my nails and it is something I now never do. 

Moving on from that product, I have over the years slowly used quite a few of the nail care products within the range, but that isn't all Mavala are known for. They now have products reaching across the hand, feet, face and make-up categories and they all created from rigorous research and manufactured in the company’s Geneva factories to impeccable quality demands.

To honour the 60th birthday, Mavalawill be heading back to the 60s by launching a new and limited edition Polka Dot Cosmetics Bag packed full of the brands iconic and most popular products including 

• Oil Seal Dryer - Dry your manicure in an instant with Mavala Oil Seal Dryer. The unique formula leaves nails touch-dry within seconds, whilst nourishing and softening dry cuticles.
• Protecting Hand Cream - specially formulated for dry, damaged hands and sensitive skin. Its composition blends marine collagen, very moisturising, and allantoin well-known for its healing properties, to soften dry skin and prevent redness and roughness.
• Base Coat - This Base Coat prevents the yellowing sometimes caused by nail polish by protecting the nail plate and the outer area of your nails.
• Colour Fix - This is a clear top coat which is reinforced with acryl which forms a glossy, hard but flexible film and “fixes“ nail polish, protects it against chipping and extends the life of manicure.
• Mild Nail Polish Remover - An effective and mild nail polish remover.

In addition, and so that everyone can enjoy this special occasion, Mavala will also be launching a John Lewis roadshow in April 2019, offering complimentary Mavala mini treatments and promotions at stores across the UK. The Mavala nail specialists will be travelling to 12 of the biggest John Lewis stores, offering mini Mavala treatments and expert nail advice. 

There will also be a competition running for the duration of the roadshow to find the ‘Hands of Mavala’, with selfie stations set up so that customers can capture their fresh manis and share on social media with the hashtag #Diamondnails. One lucky winner will receive a collection of 60 fabulous Mavala shades! At the roadshow, the Mavala nail technicians will be on hand to offer expert nail care advice, arming customers with the know-how to ensure they have the healthiest, most beautiful nails possible. Mavala produces simple, effective solutions for all nail related woes, such as improving dry, weak or flaking nails and they can even help customers help kick the nail biting habit.

Have you tried any products from Mavala?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.