Alpha-H Liquid Gold Midnight Reboot Serum Collection

Alpha-H are celebrating 16 years at QVC this April, a partnership which has given us all the chance see this family brand evolve, change and become what it is today. It is rare that I come across someone who has not heard of Liquid Gold in relation to Alpha-H which I think is quite remarkable.

Alpha-H is a brand I feature on my blog a lot, I adore everything about it from its humble beginnings in the garage of Michelle Doherty 26 years ago, to the story behind Liquid Gold, the newer product launches I have been lucky enough to test and try, essentially, you could say I am an Alpha-Holic, an affectionate term describing fans of the brand. 

To celebrate the 16th Anniversary, QVC will be offering a limited edition Liquid Gold Midnight Reboot Serum collection.  This collection is made up of three products.  The first product is an industry first and one I shared right here on my blog.  The formula of the Liquid Gold Midnight Reboot Serum combines two of skincare's most efficacious ingredients with 14% Glycolic Acid and 1% Granactive Retinoid (Vitamin A) and they are quite the combination because these two ingredients shouldn't be friends, but they absolutely are in this serum. Together, alongside the likes of Australian Tazman Pepper which helps to reduce the overall appearance of redness and Ferulic Acid with its potent antioxidant properties acting as a safeguard against free-radical damage, work to target pigmentation, dullness, uneven texture, congestion, diminished elasticity and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles – all without irritating the skin!

Then we have the absolute classic that is Liquid Gold, a product which needs little introduction. which is described as being a powerful night-time resurfacing treatment, works to tighten and revitalise tired, ageing skin as well as helping to radically improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, open pores and acne-prone skin conditions. It is packed full of amazing ingredients such as Liquorice which helps combat acne and hyperpigmentation and Glycolic Acid (derived from sugar cane) to jump-start the skin's metabolism - refining its texture by dissolving the bonds that hold dead skin cells together, so they're sloughed away.

The third and final product is a 15ml tube of the Liquid Gold Ultimate Perfecting Mask. Marketed as being an advanced home peel, it uses Combination Hydroxy Acids with a nourishing base of Squalane, Shea Butter and Fision Hydrate (a moisturiser containing wheat acids and Hyaluronic Acid), together these ingredients work to create deliver immediate and intense long-term hydration to repair the skin's barrier function.  This mask contains 20% Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA's) and is the highest percentage home peel that Alpha-H has ever developed. There is also the inclusion of Tazman Pepper which is extracted from the Tazmanian pepper berry and it helps reduce inflammation, tingling and redness in the skin. Designed to be used as a once a week, it is perfect for a treat once a week because essentially it is an at-home peel which doesn't have any downtime so after using, my skin doesn't look or feel sore, it isn't peeling and nor does it look flaky and in worse condition than when I started.

This trio of Liquid Gold products is launching today on QVC (Item number 244434) and it is available until midnight on April 25th as part of an exclusive offer, which as always will be too good to miss.

If you are yet to become a member of the Alpha-holic fan club, then this collection is showing off the best the brand has to offer from its humble beginnings right through to the brand new Midnight Reboot Serum.

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

Roccabox Collaboration with Q&A Skin

Roccabox, the monthly beauty box subscription, has collaborated with skincare brand Q + A to create 4 bespoke beauty boxes, each tailored to a different skin type. I really like this idea and I love that there is a skincare quiz that you can take to decide which box works best for you before purchasing.

This Limited Edition Box has been curated to treat four different skin types – oily, combination, dry and mature and within each box will be 6 products from across the Q+A brand which are designed to target the skin concerns associated with those skin types. 

As a brand, Q + A has earned cult status for its no-nonsense approach to skincare. Its range of highly effective, ingredient-led skincare products targets a range of skin concerns and the brand is frequently praised by beauty editors for demystifying skincare and helping consumers understand their own skin’s needs. Cruelty free, vegan friendly and almost entirely natural, each product in the skincare brand’s line has been designed to form part of a bespoke approach to skincare.

 

Helpfully, if you are not sure which box you will need?  There is a skincare quiz, which you can find linked here - https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/606c682c8484580017a148a1 to help decide which box you will need for your skin type and it takes just 2 minutes to complete.  I took the quiz and as expected, the Combination Skin Box is the one I need.

Perfect for Roccababes with combination skin, the Reinvigorate Box is all about restoring your skin to it's best self! This box is packed full of Q+A products designed to combat dry patches and tackle oily T-Zones.  

The Box Contents

 

The Q + A Roccabox for Oily skin :

• Zinc PCA Facial Serum RRP £9
• Niacinamide Daily Toner RRP £8
• Peppermint Daily Cleanser RRP £7.50
• Activated Charcoal Face Mask RRP £6.50
• Apple AHA Exfoliating Gel RRP £8.50
• Liquorice Lip Oil RRP £6.50

This box is priced at £20 and its contents are worth £46.

The Q + A Roccabox for Dry skin

• Collagen Face Cream RRP £12
• Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum RRP £6.50
• Rosehip Cleansing Oil RRP £10
• Vitamin ACE Warming Gel Mask RRP £8.50
• Super Food Facial Oil RRP £8
• Liquorice Lip Oil RRP £6.50

This box is priced at £20 and its contents are worth £51.50.

The Q + A Roccabox for Combination skin

• Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum RRP £6.50
• Chamomile Night Cream RRP £12
• Green Tea Daily Toner RRP £8
• Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Cleanser RRP £7.50
• Seaweed Peptide Eye Gel RRP £6.50
• Liquorice Lip Oil RRP £6.50

This box is priced at £20 and its contents are worth £47.

The Q + A Roccabox for Mature skin 

• 5HTP Face & Neck Cream RRP £12
• Peptide Facial Serum RRP £9
• Caffeine Eye Serum RRP £6.50
• Hyaluronic Acid Facial Cleanser RRP £7.50
• Squalane Facial Oil RRP £10
• Liquorice Lip Oil RRP £6.50

This box is priced at £20 and its contents are worth £51.50.

So those are for the four boxes and their contents and I think you will agree that you more than get your monies worth with each box being priced at just £20 and, if you have never come across the brand before, it is a really good way of introducing them to you and obviously to your skin!

The four limited edition Q + A Roccaboxes will go on sale Monday 26th April at 1pm and will be available only while stocks last. If this sounds like a box you want to get your hands on, you can sign up to the waiting list to be alerted to the sale!

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

Suqqu GANKIN Facial Massage Technique

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll see that I signed up, via Get The Gloss to take part in the Suqqu event which was centred around the Gankin Facial massage, something I’ve been fascinated by ever since I had heard about it. 

For the masterclass, as well as learning the Gankin technique, we also had two products from Suqqu to learn the method with.

What is the Gankin Facial Massage?

Developed by a makeup artist, the Gankin Massage is said to be a fundamental facial for the Suqqu brand. It’s purpose is to firm the muscles on your face, stimulate blood circulation and drain the lymphatic system for refined glowing skin.

The Gankin Massage and how it works

Before applying massage cream, press fingertips against the hollow above the collarbone, while leaning head side to side. Then taking a grape-sized amount of massage cream, using the accompany spatula and apply evenly to the entire face.l, avoiding the eye and mouth areas. The designing massage cream was specially designed for this facial and it is just divine.

Once the cream has been applied to your face the Gankin Massage works the head, round the eyes, round the nose, the cheeks and the jawline before finishing with a cooling down exercise. All of which you can watch in the video above and the best part is that once you get used to completing each of the stages, it takes just under 6-minutes and it is just so enjoyable.

The Suqqu products

As mentioned, the Designing Massage Cream (£43) was specially designed for GANKIN MASSAGE. Described as being a multi-textured cream which firmly adheres itself to the skin. Using the spatula to apply the cream, it has a slight indentation, which I’ve found of used gives you just enough of the product to complete the required steps of the massage.

The massage cream formula, which feels divine on the skin, is infused with a whole host of amazing moisturising ingredients - yeast extract and geranium thunbergii extract to marshmallow root extract, equisetum arvense extract, rose multiflora fruit extract, and green tea extract. All of these ingredients come together to leave the skin not only feeling deeply hydrated and comfortable but it also imparts the most refreshing floral-citrus scent, which I find quite comforting.

The second product is a Clarifying Toner (£43) and it is used for wiping away excess sebum, dead skin and other impurities after the GANKIN MASSAGE™. 

The lightweight formula, which lightly drenched the skin rather than French you wet through, is powered by a whole boat of nourishing, natural extracts such as zostera marina and prunus yedoensis leaf to green tea and yeast and they all come together to work to refine and clarify your skin. This must is also infused with hyaluronic acid to give that lasting hydration and it imparts a dewy finish. 

This clarifying formula has also been designed to be used in harmony with SUQQU's Gankin massage and it is a great way to finish up the technique. To use, the advice is to dispense onto a cotton wool pad and spread across your face to ensure you have removed everything that is sitting on the skin's surface.

I thoroughly enjoyed my masterclass with Suqqu and Get the Gloss and the Gankin Massage is something I still practice a few times a week and it is a lovely technique for taking some time out from life to concentrate on what you need.  You can find the products from Suqqu and from Cult Beauty*.

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

Aldi Lacura Max Volume Mascara

If I had to choose a favourite makeup product, it is always going to be a mascara and it is always the first product I want to try when something new is released.  Having already tried the Aldi Lacura Too Legit Waterproof Mascara, today I am sharing the Max Volume Mascara.

I say this alot, but I am picky with a mascara because I want to use something without an overly wet formula. Having fairly long lashes also wearing glasses, I am looking for a product that I can wear without weighing down my lashes and without smudging onto my glasses. So, there is actually a limited number of mascaras that I will use.

With this mascara, for me isn't a dupe of any other brand, something Aldi are quite good at doing, so I wasn't too sure what to expect. Packaged in a shiney black hard plastic tube with the product name plus 'For Fullness and Density'.

Create the lashes of your dreams with this Lacura Max Volume Mascara. Designed to create fullness and density from root to tip, this fabulous mascara will easily take you from day to night, whatever your lash preference is.

Inside the tube, the formula sits perfectly between the not too wet and not too dry, to the point that as you extract the mascara wand, there is no need to wipe off any excess product, because there is none.

The brush itself is thick and manages to wiggle between your lashes without over-coating them to give that awful spider-leg clumped look.  I'm not a fan of overly coated eyelashes, it just not a look for me, for this 1-2 coats is enough before they even get to that clumping stage. Once on the lashes, i've found this isn't one which flakes or smudges.  With removal, I use an eye makeup remover and a reusable cotton pad and it comes off as easy as it was applied, with no need to rub excessively.

I have absolutely no complaints with this mascara, it coats my lashes better than some high-end mascara brands, it adds a bit of volume and density too, though depending on your lashes and their own look and volume, will always depend on how a mascara works for you. This one, priced at just under £3 is worth scouring the middle aisle for, as with all Aldi beauty products, they come and go quickly!

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