Revlon Eye Line and Define Collection

A few weeks ago I received the Revlon Eye Line and Define Collection as a surprise parcel from Revlon UK and inside was some of their newest eye makeup products. It has been some time since I have used something from Revlon, but growing up, it was a brand that I used a lot and one that I really loved, especially the mascaras and lipsticks.

The Revlon Mega Multiplier Mascara was the first item to catch my attention within in the box and at £9.99 (here) it isn't too expensive for a highstreet brand and definitely rivals the price of its competitors. 

“Meet the Mega Multiplier with breakthrough lash technology! Unique fibers are sealed in 360° tubes that plump and extend lashes for mega volume and extreme length. Flake-free smudge-proof wear. Removes easily with warm water. Mega Lash Brush deposits formula from lash line to tip for a mega multiplied look.”

States the description and I quite like tubing mascaras, I find that they work really well with my lashes and do give that effect of fuller lashes and that is inpart due to those unique fibres. 

The wand, which features natural bristles are tapered towards the tip, so getting to those small lashes in the corner of your eye is a much easier task and one that makes it less likely you will poke yourself in the eye during the process of application - or at least it does for me.  I also really like the formula, it isn't overly wet, so when you blink, it doesn't smudge or transfer onto your freshly applied makeup and nor does it run in the rain, but oddly you only need to use water to remove it and it comes off without having to rub your eyes.  So it gets a big tick from me.

Next out of the box is for the brow lovers with the Revlon Colorstay Brow Pencil which retails for around £6.99 (here) and it is described as follows:

“Gel pencil that defines and accentuates your brows. Ideal for shapeless or sparse brows. Formula lasts up to 24 hours. Longwear, waterproof formula which lasts up to 24 hours. Unique precision tip mimics brow hairs to fill sparse brows. Blending brush softens colour and grooms hairs in place.”

I hold my hands up and state loudly that I am a Benebabe when it comes to my brows and have up until now solely used Benefit products for my brows as nothing else has worked as well and in all honesty, I don't really have Revlon tagged as a brand for brows, but maybe that will change. With four shades in the collection - Blonde, Soft Brown, Dark Brown and Soft Black there are the main shades for most people, though again missing and something most brands are guilty of doing, is assuming red heads don't have brows (hint). 

I was given shade Dark Brown which is too dark for my brows, I need soft brown, however, I like the concept Revlon have come up with. The pencil which is duel ended has one end which features a spoolie brush which I think is a brilliant idea and on the other end there is a retractable pencil with a rounded nib.  With the nib being rounded, I would find it strange to use for mimicking hairs to fill in sparse brows, but as an all rounder for filling in large areas, I can see it would work really well.

The third item out of my box is the Revlon Colorstay 2 in 1 Angled Kajal which retails for £7.99 (here). Described as being:

"Smooth dual ended liner that last all day for an easy graphic or smokey eye look. Use the Angled tip to define a straight line like a pro and the angled smudger brush to create a sultry, smokey look"

It is available in four shades - Graphite, Evergreen, Fig and the shade that I have which is Onyx. The Kajal is as it claims, a 2-in-1 product with an angled brush at one end and a retractable pencil on the other.

Eyeliner is not my favourite product in the world and it is very rare that I wear it, but if I find a product I like, then I tend to stick with it.  What I like about this Kajal is the creamy formula which glides onto the waterline really easy, it is so soft on application that you don't get that dragging feeling across the skin and the using of the brush to blend is also easy to use, though I didn't quite expect the brush to be as big as it was, not that it makes a difference to how you use it.  Once applied it doesn't budge or smudge too easily and again it didn't run during a heavy rain spell.  When it comes to removing, I used my eye makeup remover and it simply came away.

The final item in my box are two of Revlon's ColorStay Creme Eyeshadows which retail for £6.99 (here).  This was a first time of using them for me and I wasn't too sure what to expect as I love creme eyeshadows but have never tried Revlon's version. Revlon state that these eyeshadows are:

"Luxurious, longwear crème eye shadow with a pro-inspired built-in-brush designed for easy, mess free application. Wears up to 24 hours".

Within my box I had two shades - Licorice and Caramel and they come packaged inside these little glass pots which cleverly holds a brush in the bottom of the pot and all things considered it is actually quite a handy little brush to have on the move, though I do prefer my Nanshy eyeshadow brush. 

The first shade which I was intrigued by is called Licorice and at a first glance it looks as though it has hint of lilac to it but when swatching and using it, I would actually say that it is a deep steel-grey shade and one which is perfect for smoking out the eye.  The second shade, Caramel, immediately appealed to my love of a neutral eye. I would describe Caramel as being a bronze shade which can be worn on its own or used as a base shade for using alongside a gold shade, it is such a lovely shade and one that I have worn quite a lot since it came into my possession.

I really like the texture of these shadows, they are not only soft and creamy, but once applied they are really lightweight to the point of forgetting they are there.  They blend really well and I am impressed with the colour pay off, they allow for being built up as much as you feel comfortable with but they do set quite quickly.

So when swatched, as you can see, they are all pigmented and every bit as bold as you might expect from the descriptions and I really like every single product, especially the eye-shadows which I have worn a lot.

I have loved what has really been a re-introduction to Revlon and there are some amazing products within this box.  I would love to know if anything has caught your eye and whether or not you are a Revlon fan?

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

Tony Moly at BeautyMart

I have said on a few occasions that I am a huge fan of Tony Moly.  Tony Moly is the leading Korean beauty brand with stores which span across Korea, Asia, Southeast Asia, America, Russia, Austrailia, Spain, Saudi Arabia and now the UK, in fact the very first Tony Moly counter has just debuted in House of Fraser at Rusden Lake Northampton and of course you can buy everything from BeautyMart that you need!

K-beauty is literally taking off here in the UK and I absolutely adore everything it has to offer, especially from Tony Moly, from whom I recently did a giveaway featuring some of my favourite products!  Since BeautyMart launched in 2012, one of its co-founders Anna-Marie Solowij has championed K-beauty, of which they now stock 10 South Korean brands.  For me, my love started with a BB Cream, then CC Creams and before I knew it Bamboo products really grabbed my attention. South Korea is considered by many to be 7 years ahead of western product development and its influence is gaining a lot of attention for everything unusual such as Snail Slime and Donkey Milk to its famed 10-step skin care regime, sheet masks and some of the products I am sharing with you in today's post.

Tony Moly Magic Food Banana Sleeping Pack - I am sure we can all accept just how cute, slightly kooky but playfully packaged mask is. Disguised inside the banana packaging this is actually an overnight mask. 

The rich, nourishing and incredibly luxurious formula works its magic as you sleep using the ingredients of softening banana extract and soothing chamomile which give your skin some much need love and attention as you sleep so that you can wake up to skin that is moisturised, nourished and hydrated. To apply, you only need a really light layer on your face and neck and it is just really lovely. Priced at £15.50.

Tony Moly Panda's Dream Hand Cream - Who doesn't want a Panda shaped hand cream when it is this cute? This is a rich and again luxurious hand cream which is really moisturising and hydrating for the hands.

It is infused with a blend of precious manuka honey, Shea Butter and bamboo sprout extract. On the skin, the cream softens, soothes and moisturises the skin to leave palms and fingers feeling moisturised and supple. At £10.50 it makes a lovely gift or a treat!

Tony Moly Sheet Masks are some of the best I have tried. The I'm Real range features some amazing masks and whether you want something to add vitality, radiance or clean the skin, there will be something right here.

Each face mask is designed to be left on the skin for 20-30 minutes and the serum like texture absorbs quickly into the skin. The one I was kindly sent is one I haven't yet tried and it is the Tea Tree mask which is enriched with Tea Tree Oil, a natural anti-bacterial agent that helps to clear and soothe acne prone skin and Banana Extract which is great for dry and dehydrated skin owing to its moisturising properties.  These masks retail for around £5 each.

The final product is the Tony Moly Eco Bamboo Toner. Shaped like a piece of Bamboo, which is so brilliant, this toner is formulated with 96% Damyang bamboo water which has 18 different kinds of skin-loving minerals and amino acids. 

Described as being a multitasking toner, it works to relieve sensitive skin, provides intense hydration and gently exfoliates residue and dead skin cells to leave your complexion looking healthy and radiant. The bamboo-based formula helps to give skin a silky-smooth texture.  I love that this toner isn't tacky and that it is easy to use and as you might have guessed, does exactly what it states it will do.  There is no overriding smell to this toner and I love how soft my skin is after using. Priced at £14.50 if you need a new toner, this is the one!

I am really excited to find Tony Moly on the highstreet and am looking forward to trying more products from the range! Have you tried anything from Tony Moly?

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

Glossybox September 2017

So it is September already and whilst it has been a busy month already blog wise (Beauty Advent Calendars anyone?) and beauty boxes have started to appear in my letterbox. The September edition of Glossybox is a really good edition this month and it comes with a little gift of a bar of Kinder Bueno chocolate.  

First out of my box is a 30ml sample of MONU Firming Fiji Facial Oil and it is worth around £6.50.

This facial oil designed for dry/sensitive skin and is described as being a nourishing and soothing facial oil which is paraben free and uses a mixture of Plant oils to firm and tone the skin, whilst keeping it hydrated alongside rosewood oil and patchouli which provide essential protection to soothe dry skin and stimulate your complexion.  I am a huge fan of facial oils and this particular one has that calming spa like scent to it.

The next product is from Pixi and it is their Brow Tamer and this is a full sized product worth £12. I adore Pixi as a brand for both skincare and makeup and have featured them on my blog on quite a few occasions, with a few more posts to come. 

Described as being a clear brow gel that works to prolong the wear of your brow colour, it is infused with both Aloe Vera and Panthenol. I find the formula to be really quick drying and whilst it doesn't harden on your brows (some people have claimed it does) I did find it does give enough hold to keep your brows in place and the spoolie brush is really easy to use.

Next up is quite an odd inclusion, but one which fascinates me all the same and it is the Taylors 32 Natural Whitening Toothpaste worth £5. Taylor's 32 is a shiny and new dental healthcare company whose mission is to create high quality and effective products, made from natural ingredients, and that are free from harsh and unnecessary laboratory made chemicals.

I am quite particular when it comes to teeth care products and I am quite looking forward to giving this a try, I like the idea of using a toothpaste with nothing harsh in it.

At the beginning of 2017 I was introduced to a brand called Skinfix and shared my thoughts on some of their products HERE. In this months GlossyBox we have the SkinFix Eczema Hand Repair Cream in a 30ml sample size worth around £4.

It has no added fragrance and is described as being an ultra rich hand cream which uses shea butter, vitamin e and sweet almond oil. When used it is said to be effective at treating and managing eczema, dermatitis and other dry, cracked skin conditions on the hands. It works fast to create a barrier on the skin to help lock in moisture and keep irritants out.

The final item in my box is the StyLondon Siligel Blender which is full sized and valued at £5.99.  If you have used a silicone blender before then you won't have too much trouble with this one.

They are designed to be used with liquid of cream products and to that end, they help to minimise product wastage meaning your beloved foundation lasts much longer.  I like using mine with face masks as I find I get a much more even coverage than with a brush, but this is just a personal preference.

So there you have the September Edition of Glossybox. Do any of the products stand out to you?  I think for the price, this is a great box and if you’re a new subscriber or you choose to subscribe to this month’s fabulous box, you’ll receive a makeup gift worth £30 from Spectrum Collections and Bellapierre Cosmetics by subscribing HERE.

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

Rejuvence Clinic - My Experience

For years now I have had a skin tag on my eyelid which has really really irritated me and at times made me feel really self-concussions. It wasn't a huge skin tag and very little people even mentioned it, but I knew it was there and every so often I would catch it when washing my face and it really began to annoy me. 

Skin tags are small, soft, skin-coloured growths that hang off the skin and look a bit like warts at a glance. They are really common and can differ in size and are usually found on the neck, armpits, around the groin, or under the breasts. They can also grow on the eyelids or under the folds of the buttock. These tags are made of loose collagen fibres and blood vessels surrounded by skin. Collagen is a type of protein found throughout the body.

The removal of skin-tags is regarded as a cosmetic procedure and isn't something that is usually available on the NHS, mine wasn't when I asked about it recently. As always with ay procedure, there are things you really should consider.   When the opportunity arose to have it removed, I was nervous as to what the procedure might end up being, but I was delighted to get the chance to visit the Rejuvence Clinic which is local to me, to find out everything I needed to know.

I met with both Dr Sam Ghani and Dr Ruhul Amin to discuss the removal of my tag. As mine sat in quite a precarious position, both doctors wanted to ensure I understood the procedure that would be undertaken and we sat down and went into a lot of detail, the pros and cons and obviously why I wanted the tag removing. Throughout the whole consultation at no point did I feel under any pressure to have the procedure, it was an incredibly relaxing atmosphere to sit and discuss my options, have my questions answered and both Doctors are just so incredibly welcoming and care deeply about what they do. After spending almost an hour with them, it was agreed that I would have a think about my options and if I was happy to go ahead, then I would go back in a weeks time.

Having decided that I would go ahead with the removal, I went back to the clinic and before any procedure took place, we again sat down and discussed how the tag would be removed, answered further questions that I had and then once I was happy the procedure took place. The first part was to apply an anaesthetic cream to my eyelid rather than use an injection, so once it was applied, the cream needed to be left for 20 minutes to work its magic. As the cream was setting in, I was able to chat to both Dr Ghani and Dr Amin about further treatment if it would be needed. So the cream had done its thing and I was ready to have my tag removed using what is called a Dermablade, something I had never come across before, but it is essentially a bendy blade which has been specifically designed to remove skin lesions such as mine. The whole process took less than 5 minutes, didn't hurt a bit, in fact I hadn't realised the tag had been removed until I was jokingly asked if I wasn't to keep my little friend. I did have to have 2 stitches, again thanks to the anaesthetic cream I didn't feel a single thing and on top of those stitches are some Steristips to ensure they remain in place.

Despite the slight bruising, which you could only see if I had my head down or eyes closed, there was no pain at all, which even surprised me. The only issue I had was remembering not to get my entire face wet or the Steristrips would come off and as a Beauty Blogger, this was the hardest thing about the entire process - that and no mascara!

A week after having the tag removed I was back to have the stitches removed, something I have ever had done before, so I didn't quite know what to expect. Once in the chair, eyes closed I was told I would feel a little tugging, possibly one of the weirdest sensations I have ever experienced and given that the stitches were right on my eyelid, I was expecting there to be a lot of pain, but it was over in minutes and this photo was taken within an hour of the stitches being removed.

Again at this point there was no pain at all.  What felt really good was being able to double cleanse again and get my eye area wet without fear of losing a Steristrip or tugging on the stitches.  

There was still some slight bruising, but only noticeable if I closed my eyes and thankfully no one actually noticed it all.  The final picture below was taken a whole week after the stitches had been removed and it has healed so well, I am chuffed to bits with the whole process.

As you can see, there is very little in the way of scarring, the area where the skin-tag was is flat and the bruising has all but disappeared.

So the entire process is now over and if a similar tag appeared anywhere else, I would not hesitate to visit Dr Sam Ghani and Dr Ruhul Amin again. I had no idea what to expect with the tag removal and it was such a straightforward procedure with no scarring, no pain or irritation and the entire time I was at the clinic, I felt calm, relaxed and knew that I was in good hands.

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