Instyler Glossie Ceramic Styling Brush

Since having my hair cut, styling my hair has been an absolute joy, beforehand it would be knotty and despite washing and conditioning, it would never sit right or feel right. Now, with my new 'do, I have been able to try a whole host of new hair products and the latest product to arrive, the Instyler Glossie Ceramic Styling Brush (£79.99).

As someone who absolutely adores my hair straighteners and who has tried quite a few different styling brushes, never did I expect to find someone I use as much as I use this. It comes with the tagline - "Bringing Salon worthy hair to the comfort of your home with Instyler" and this ceramic styling brush is described as delivering instant shiny, straight and smooth styles that last.  For me, I like that this brush isn't too heavy to hold, it glides through knots and tangles or did when I had longer hair and it doesn't create static - a huge bonus.

The brush features 65 powerful ceramic heated plates which are fixed to the base of the brush and because of their size, they get as close to the hair root as possible without burning your scalp and this is due to the ionic cool tip bristles, which as well as evenly distributing heat, don't burn the skin or fry your hair. There is the option to use four different heat settings with 150°C being the lowest and 230°C being the highest and ultimately, depending on your hair type, it is for you to decide which is best, I tend to sit around the middle temperature for my hair. Once the brush is plugged in and switched on, it takes around 5 seconds to heat up and then it is ready to use, you will notice that your heat setting buttons will flash until the brush is ready to use and then once it hits that required temperature, the flashes stop and the lights become static. 

Now the difference between this ceramic styling brush and any other that I have used is what Instyler call the Precision Press TM which has been designed to create tension which enhances your styling technique, in a nutshell, essentially the styling arm gives you more control when it comes to running the brush through your hair, so much so, that you can actually use the brush with one hand rather than two and it helps create that much straighter and glossier look.  I have shoulder length hair which is quite thick, so with straighteners, I have to section my hair into around 8 smaller sections to get the straightness I want, but with this brush, I can run it through much bigger sections of hair, so it saves me time and effort, especially in a morning when I am usually late to leave for work.

As a reminder of those key features:

• 65 Ceramic Heated Plates to separate and smooth and style hair
• Precision Press TM to create tension and enhance styling technique
• Instant Heat
• Cool Tip Bristles
• Up to 215 Degrees
• Suitable for use on human hair extensions
• 3m swivel cord

To date it is the best straightening brush I have tried, I love that I can get close enough to my hairs roots to give them a bit of a lift rather than have them flat against my head, I like that I can touch the bristles without burning my fingers (or head) and because it doesn't fill my hair with static and frizz it also ticks those boxes too.

You can find the Instyler Glossie Ceramic Styling Brush via Boots and from Instyler as well where it is currently on offer with free shipping and 1/3 off the price.

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

Too Faced Hangover Good To Go Skin Protecting Moisturizer SPF25

I am a big fan of Too Faced makeup*, especially the mascara's, of which I recently shared a review of Damn Girl.  More recently the brand has just released a series of skincare products which include a hydrating serum and the product I am sharing with you today - the Too Faced Hangover Good To Go Skin Protecting Moisturizer SPF25.

Even though we are on lockdown, I have still been taking advantage of going for a walk every single day and this moisturiser has been my go too.

Hydrate and protect your complexion with the Too Faced Hangover Good to Go Skin Loving SPF 25 Moisturizer. 

This formula is really quick yo absorb on the skin and thankfully it is also non-sticky and doesn't leave any white marks on the skin.  

It does have SPF25 which does provide some daily protection to help shield your skin against the damaging effects of UVA and UVB rays. Lightweight feeling, it like the rest of the Hangover range is infused with Coconut Water which helps provide hydration. Other ingredients include Cinnamon Bark Extract, Vitamins C and E as well as Aloe extract.

As this comes in a pump-action bottle, I find that one pump, as shown above, is more than enough to cover my entire my face and as well as acting as your moisturiser and SPF this product can also be worn alone or used as a primer base for makeup.  

Priced at £29 for this 40ml tube, you can find it via Too Faced*, Cult Beauty*, ASOS*, Boots* and Lookfantastic to name a few places.

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

Beauty Expert Serenity Edit + Discount Code

The team over at Beauty Expert got in touch to see if I would be interested in trying out the Beauty Expert Serenity Edit* which comes housed in a beautiful, keepsake box - brand new for 2020. Inside the box, you will find 6 luxury beauty products which have been curated by the experts to create a collection that you definitely will not want to miss out on and it will also make a great gift for someone you love, or just as a treat for yourself.

The contents of the box are worth over £220 and this Beauty Expert Serenity Edit costs just £65 which is an absolute bargain and all 6 products are from well-known brands and are full size.

What’s inside?

Rodial Pink Diamond Magic Night Gel (50ml) – worth £75.  This Night Gel is described as being a replenishing night cream which works its magic as you sleep by driving moisture deep in your skin, which in turn is said to help lessen the appearance of wrinkles and lines.  The formula contains the brand's signature Diamond Powder - the light reflecting particles from which are said to brighten your complexion with a soft glow. You will also find Retinol, Vitamin C and redensifying particles which come together to brighten, tighten and stimulates collagen production, all whilst you sleep and when your skin is the most receptive to treatments.

This gel is really lightweight in texture and on the skin, you can barely feel it is there. It absorbs super quickly and leaves no trace on the skin other than being really hydrating.

ECooking Face Scrub (100ml) - worth £23.  Ecooking is a brand I absolutely adore and have featured on my blog many times and this face scrub is described as being a mild scrub whose job it is to exfoliate the skin's surface to remove dead and dry skin cells and because t is so mild, it is suitable for all skin types.

This scrub uses a mixture of oils which include almond and sunflower oil as well as organic shea butter. The finely ground sweet almond seeds gently exfoliate the skin’s surface, sloughing off dead skin cells and impurities and they do so without clogging your pores. I ensure I exfoliate at least once if not twice a week and what I love about this scrub is how soft and smooth it leaves my skin feeling.

Korres Meno-Reverse™ White Pine Volumising Serum-in-Moisturiser (40ml) – worth £57. This product is a bit of a multitasker being a serum-in-moisturiser, it is powered by what Korres refer too as the Meno-Reverse™technology which has been clinically proven to help combat sagging skin. The use of White Pine extract works to improve and promote skin elasticity as well as to improve the look of wrinkles and age spots.  

To that end, this product has been specially designed to help older women, especially those who are post-menopause.

Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm (15g) - worth £10.50. This is the protect the bees edition and anyone who is a fan of this Lip Balm will need to have this one within their collection. The balm has been formulated to celebrate NUXE's responsible commitments to nature, the protection of bees.

This balm contains 90 % natural origin ingredients which include Honey, Propolis Oleoactive®, precious botanical Oils (sweet Almond and Musk Rose), Shea Butter and Beeswax. On the lips, this ultra-nourishing and repairing balm is perfect for adding moisture to parched lips.

Thisworks Sleep Together Calming Spray (75ml) – worth £22. If ever there was a time to need this product in your home, it is now. As we all enter week 4 of lockdown and have all but eased in to a new way of life, for me there are still times of stress and anxiety moments, you see I am not good at handling the unknown. 

Suitable for use on those aged 6 months plus, this spray is described as being a day-to-night calming spray, this product uses a 99% natural aromatherapeutic super blend of lavender, vetivert and chamomile which all work to create a calming and relaxing atmosphere and help you wind down in time for sleep.  

Gatineau Transforming Cream Cleanser (200ml) – worth £36. The final product in this amazing box and it is a product I have used a few times now. Described as being an innovative cream cleanser, this product transforms to oil once emulsified with water and on the skin, it is every bit the luxury as it sounds.

Using sweet Almond Oil, Coconut Oil, Soybean Oil and Vitamin E, this cleanser does a pretty good job at dissolving makeup, SPF, dirt and grime and afterwards, my skin is left feeling so soft and smooth.

So as you can see, this box contains a whole host amazing products that are just the treat we all need right now and definitely there to have a really good pampering session with.  The box itself costs just £65 as I mentioned at the beginning of this post, but.... if you use the code RACHEL_15 ​ this will give you 15% off the total cost of the box!

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

Yes To Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Mud Masks

The Yes to Skincare* range is one I first got to know many years ago with the Yes To Carrots range, within which was a scrub I absolutely loved.  Fast forward a few years and anyone who personally knows me will know how much I adore tomatoes but to use them in skincare is something which intrigues me.

I was sent two products from the Yesto Tomatoes range and both masks - the Detoxifying Charcoal Mud Mask and Detoxifying Charcoal Paper Mask sit within the Yes To Tomatoes collection, of which, the products are designed for those with combination and blemish-prone skin, aside from these two masks there is also a fair number of other products to choose from and are all guaranteed to contain at least 95% natural ingredients.

I love a good sheet mask, they are often less time consuming than applying a liquid version and depending on the material they are made from, they feel quite soothing and relaxing on the skin.  This Detoxifying Charocal Paper Mask (£3.49) is a single use mask

Designed to be used on freshly cleansed skin, this mask is formulated with charcoal to detoxify and clean pores and tomatoes which are a natural source of antioxidants.  To use, you simply need to unfold it from the sachet and then apply it to your skin, fitting it around you nose and eyes to give a comfortable placing and then let it work its magic for around 10 minutes.  During those 10 minutes, you might feel a slight tingling on the skin, this is absolutely normal and nothing to worry about, I felt only the slightest of tingles, similar to that of Pixi Glow Tonic the first few times I used it.

The second mask is the Yesto Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Mud Mask which is packaged within a squeezy plastic tube and what I like about how this mask is designed is the applicator which sits at the end, it doubles up as a spatula to give an even coverage of the mask.

Again, this mask is formulated with charcoal and tomato extract which helps to eliminate dead skin and excess oil, helping to leave skin naturally clear. To use, simply smooth a thick, even layer of the mask over the forehead, cheeks, nose and chin, avoiding the eye area, eyebrows and hairline using the spatula.  Allow the mask to fully dry, which usually takes around 15 minutes and then, again using the same spatula, lift the edges of the mask and peel from the skin, something which I always find quite a satisfying task.

I liked using both of these products and even though I suffered no reactions from either, for the price they would make a nice gift or treat for someone, especially as currently, everything is on offer via Feelunique*.

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