Erborian Milk & Peel Mask

I am a huge fan of the brand Erborian and have featured them here on my blog many times, especially with the Ginseng range which I adore. Today it is the turn of the Milk & Peel Mask (priced at £34*) and from the description, I knew it was going to be something I really liked.

The Milk & Peel Mask is described as being a "new skin" effect and a brighter complexion in just 5 minutes! The 'just 5 minutes' definitely capturing my attention. There are times when I don't have that spare hour to have a proper pampering session and there are times when I just want a quick fix, so I was intrigued to see just how well this worked.

Developed with nurturing plant-based ingredients, it is formulated using sesame milk which is known to visibly smooth skin's surface texture. There is also the inclusion of exfoliating enzymes which help to lift impurities away from the skin and rich hydrating fatty acids which leave the skin feeling soft and supple.

The mask is quite highly concentrated, so when using, you only need to apply a thin layer to the skin, avoiding both the lips and the eye area. Once on the skin, leave it for 5 minutes, which is ample time to make a cup of coffee and check your emails, once that time is up, the directions are to massage the face using wet hands and then in circular movements, then rinse off with water. One of the ingredients is Kaolin, so as the mask settles on the skin, it does have that clay-like feel to it, only not as hard owing to the sesame oil.  My skin reacts to most clay masks, so I wasn't too sure it would like this at all, but surprisingly, I had no flare-up, no itching and no redness at all.  

With all Erborian products, you have a whole list of ingredients which are amazing and the Milk & Peel Mask is no different. Alongside the 7 Herbs Complex, a regular feature in Erborian products which are known for their soothing properties and include the likes of Tiger Grass Extract, Green Tea Leaf Extract and Japanese Knotweed Extract, you will also find:

• Sesame milk - Visibly smooth the skin and improve the quality of the skin texture, Improve the hydrated aspect of the skin
• Sesame oil - Helps to nourish and soften the skin
• Exfoliating enzyme - Resurfacing effect, Smooth the microrelief of the skin and Improve the skin’s texture

After using this mask there is a huge difference in the skin's texture. I was pleasantly surprised as to how smooth my skin was to the touch, especially on my cheeks which is where I suffer from some dryness and flaking skin.

At £34 it is on the expensive, but absolutely worth every penny and it is a lovely treat for just 5 minutes of your time and you only need to use it once, possibly twice a week!

Available to purchase via SpaceNK, Erborian and FeelUnique

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

Omorovicza Scalp Reviver

Omorovicza is one of those brands I just absolutely love. I am never without The Queen of Hungary Mist on my bedside table and there is usually a bottle on my desk too. As much as I love the brand for their skincare, I also adore their haircare and not too recently I reviewed the Revitalising Scalp Mask, which works to detoxify and revitalise the scalp whilst at the same time helping to promote healthier hair.  Newly added into the haircare section is the Scalp Reviver (£65 via Cult Beauty) and I have been using it for the past few months.

Described as being a 'treatment meets dry shampoo' this is a product like nothing I have ever seen before. I have combination hair, like my skin it has both oily and dry parts - greasy roots and dry ends being the best way to describe my hair. What we have from Omorovicza is an innovative new scalp treatment which has been designed to revive and refresh your scalp in-between washes.

I love a good dry shampoo, there are days when I just cannot be bothered to wash my hair, I openly admit to that, but what I find is that if I overuse dry shampoo my scalp has a complete meltdown about it and sulks, leaving me with an irritation I can do without. So, Scalp Reviver works as an innovative leave-in treatment and its job is to equalise imbalance and restore some ‘oomph’ to those oily roots.

Using a complex blend of amino acids, natural emollients and humectants which work alongside salicylic acid which works to remove dead cells as well as to purify your pores. There is then the inclusion of invigorating camphor and scalp-stimulating oils of lavender and lemon peel.

The Scalp Reviver comes packaged in a silver bottle and uses a pipette for distribution, which I really like and to use, you simply apply it to the areas of your scalp which are flaky and dry or even itchy and then once on the scalp, use your fingertips to disperse the product.

What I have found is that it acts as an almost instant calming tonic, the itchiness stops pretty quickly after application and it doesn't lead to any build-up like some dry shampoos do. It is non-sticky and it really does help to absorb that excess oil, so for me, having those extra 48 hours between washing is a godsend and the best part is you don't have to rinse it out!

You can grab the Scalp Reviver for Cult Beauty and also via Omorovicza directly.

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

Essence What The Fake Mascara

One of my favourite high street brand of cosmetics has to Essence, my local Wilko isn't the best advertisement for the brand as the stand always looks as though it has been ransacked and it never has any products that haven't been opened and swatched, for you to purchase.  However, there are plenty of places online, such as Feelunique, to get your hands on the brand - thankfully.

Lash Princess is possibly one of the most talked-about products from Essence, but today I am talking about What The Fake! Volumizing and Lengthening Mascara which retails for just £3.49 and it is an absolute steal. I am so picky when it comes to using mascara, I do have fairly long eyelashes and I wear glasses, so I find that any mascara which has an overly wet formula is simply not going to work for me as I always feel as though my lashes are being dragged down. So, formula aside, I am also picky when it comes to the mascara wand because I don't want a wand that is too thick, I just cannot work with them and find they aid clumping. 

What The Fake! is described as being a mascara that 'reaches all eyelashes in just two strokes thanks to its almond-shaped, ergonomic brush' Well the wand I actually really do like, the shape just works really well with my lashes, it doesn't overload the product and it is easy enough to wiggle through your lashes, even those tiny ones in the corners. The formula uses special nylon fibres which provide the lashes with that look of being lengthened and given volume, for me, what makes this mascara different to others which use fibres, is that again, the formula isn't weighted down with them, which then transfers to the lashes making you blink excessively, which is really annoying.

I have just come to the end of this mascara, even though I am working from home, I do still wear mascara, it is almost like a habit to just apply it when I get dressed and do my skincare, the tube lasts really well, doesn't dry out before you need to dispose of it and because it actually coats all the lashes, rather than most of them, for £3.49 from Feelunique it is one I would purchase again!

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

IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Oil-Free Matte with SPF 40

A brand I see on my social feed all the time is IT Cosmetics, people raving about the CC Cream and the Bye Bye Under Eye Cream. Until now, it isn't a brand that I knew a lot about, but the opportunity to be colour matched was too good a chance to miss and a chat with one of the girls from the brand who could recommend some products just for me.

I have combination oily skin, so it was suggested that I opt for the Your Skin But Better CC+ Oil-Free Matte which also has an SPF 40 and I wasn't surprised to find that I was one of the lightest shades available - fair light.

This multitasking, complexion-perfecting foundation instantly reduces the appearance of skin imperfections including redness, and reduces the appearance of pores without creasing or cracking, helping to reduce shine and control oil.

I really don't like the feel of thick heavy foundation coverage, it makes me feel a little suffocated if truth be told and also, my skin doesn't need it, I am lucky enough that my only issue, apart from the slight reddening of one cheek (why!) when I am stressed, is combination-oily skin which leaves me with dry patches and an afternoon shine most days. So for me, this CC cream is ticking a lot of boxes from the description alone.

On the skin, whilst I apply using a foundation brush and I really like how it feels on my skin, it isn't as thick I was expecting it to be having read quite a few reviews and nor is it gloopy so it doesn't feel as though it has been applied using a trowel. I found it easy to apply and blend, just as I had been shown in-store and for me, it gives medium coverage which is buildable. So to cover the redness on my cheek, if I feel the need to apply more CC Cream, then I can

This CC Creme is Infused with charcoal to detoxify, colloidal clay and Moroccan lava clay which are known for their oil-absorbing effects, tea tree extract, known to combat blemishes plus hydrolyzed collagen, peptides, niacin, hyaluronic acid, antioxidants and vitamins. All ingredients that my skin absolutely loves and reacts really well with. What drew me to this CC cream was the list of key benefits which include:

Key Benefits

• Your full-coverage matte foundation, it's hydrating, anti-ageing, and with SPF 40 - in one step!
• Delivers flawless looking coverage with a matte-looking finish - won't crease or crack
• Helps to reduce shine and control oil
• Works to improve the look of skin concerns include redness and dark circles

There is no doubt that I have become quite a big fan of this CC+ more so because it is oil-free and does have a really good SPF coverage, something you sometimes find amiss with brands and their face products. 

Priced at £32 via ItCosmetics, CultBeauty and Boots.

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