Monday 21 January 2019

Benenox Overnight Recharge – Can a supplement really banish the morning struggle?

Getting a good nights sleep is an absolute essential, experts claim that we all need around 8 hours a night, sleeping helps the body to repair and recover. But why is it, that most mornings we all wake up still tired, feeling as though we have not had enough sleep? I went to an event organised by Hayley over at HayleyHall just before Christmas at the very beautiful Somerset House in the most fabulous setting to learn more about a product called Benenox.  It was there that I learnt getting 8 hours a night might not be enough for everyone and that is about the quality of the sleep you get not the quantity.   I am sure many of us have a routine that we go through in order to drift off into the land of nod and over time we have all researched the best beds, the best mattresses and even the best duvets which help with sleeping - personally I do need a new mattress, but that is a whole new minefield I can't quite cope with yet.
Benenox Overnight Recharge – Can a supplement really banish the morning struggle?
I have a love/hate relationship with sleep. I can either go to bed and fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow, I can fall asleep only to wake a few hours later and be wide awake as though I have had my 8 hours of sleep or I simply toss and turn and drive myself mad usually drifting off just as my alarm is about to go off.  I have learnt over time that stress, hormonal changes and even the weather can often affect my sleeping pattern and as much of a fan as I am of disco naps during the daytime, when you have a full-time job, it isn't always easy to find those few minutes to nod off at your desk.  So perhaps Benenox could help!  

Described as being:
The extraordinary night time mindfuel for those who struggle with disrupted sleep, low energy and concentration levels the following day.
Your brain needs glycogen to carry out essential overnight repairs! From the time you finish dinner to the time you go to bed, your body consumes 10 grams of glycogen per hour. This doesn’t stop when you go to sleep. As the body searches for more glycogen, sleep is disrupted. You may not be aware but your body remains restless, impacting the quality of your sleep. You’ll wake up feeling groggy with no energy to take on the day. By the morning, your glycogen stores are running on empty!  So Benenox uses a combination of:
  • Honey is known for its health benefits particularly for the skin, but within Benenox thanks to its mix of natural sugars, it is believed to help boost glycogen stores in the liver to use during the night.
  • Sustamine which is a combination of two amino acids (L-Alanine and L-Glutamine) which help the Liver to store  glycogen by slowing the absorption of honey in the stomach.
  • Vitamin B6 which has been shown to reduce tiredness and fatigue whilst supporting psychological functions which therefore help you to feel more energised.
Putting all of these together, Benenox, when taken before bed, supplements your body's stored energy levels to support good quality sleep, leaving you feeling full recharged and ready to take on the day ahead.  
Benenox Overnight Recharge – Can a supplement really banish the morning struggle?
So, does it work?  I have made no secret of my issues with sleep, so I was intrigued to give Benenox a try. Taking 15ml before bedtime, the first few times I tried it, I actually didnt notice much of a difference if I am honest, but I stuck with it and once my sleeping pattern became disrupted again, I gave it another try and this is where it did make a difference, having struggled to get off to sleep, I now felt much more relaxed but the biggest change was waking up the following morning. Instead of yawning as soon as I woke up, I felt much more alert and like I could function, rather than wanting to hit the snooze button 4-5 times.


If the Benenox Overnight Recharge sounds like something you want to try then you can find the vegetarian-friendly food supplement in Tesco and on Amazon, priced at £12.49 for 135ml. For further information, visit www.benenox.com.




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

Sunday 20 January 2019

Oscar Charles Professional Makeup Artist 17-Piece Brush Set

Until this package arrived, I had never heard of or used any products by Oscar Charles and I was so blown away by how incredible this set of brushes is, I decided I would wait until after Christmas to share them on my blog.   
Oscar Charles Professional Makeup Artist Brush Set
Oscar Charles Professional Makeup Artist Brush Set
Oscar Charles Professional Makeup Artist Brush Set
I was kindly sent the Oscar Charles 17 piece Beauty and Makeup Brush Set (here) which is made up of 15 Pro brushes, a Makeup Blender and a Silica Brush Cleaner and they come presented in this beautiful stylish portable case which is perfect for keeping your brushes together and protected whether you are just using them at home or on your travels.  Right now, they have been washed, dried and stored in my suitcase ready for when I go to Paris in a few weeks time.

The Brush handles are made from wood and have a high gloss black finish, the ferrules are rose gold aluminium.  The Taklon synthetic brush fibres are super soft and feel amazing against the skin, vegan-friendly, hypoallergenic and cruelty-free, they are suitable for all skin types and work perfectly well with creams, liquids and powders. 
Oscar Charles C101 Face Brush
Oscar Charles Professional Makeup Artist Brush Set Spoolie
Oscar Charles Professional Makeup Artist Eye Makeup Brush Set
The Oscar Charles Makeup Brush Set contains:

  • C101 Super Soft Powder Brush - This is one of my favourite brushes within the collection and it works perfect for applying loose and pressed powders, especially finishing powders.
  • C102 Contour / Highlight Brush - With its tapered point, this brush is perfect for adding highlighter and it blends incredibly well whether you use a powder, liquid of cream.
  • C103 Angled Blush Brush - With its slanted shape, this brush works well with creams, liquid or powders for your blush or your bronzer.
  • C104 Flat Top Kabuki - This brush is packed with bristles and it does an incredible job blending and buffing foundation, highlighters, bronzers and even concealers. I have used it with BB and CC creams as well as primers too.
  • C105 Flat Foundation Brush - This brush has a slight angle to it and whilst ideally it should be used for applying foundation, I have been using it for my tinted moisturiser and bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Cream and I much prefer it for those products.
  • C106 Concealer Buff Brush - This brush works perfectly with the Urban Decay Naked concealer that I am currently using.  I use the doe foot applicator to apply my concealer and then use this brush to blend.
  • C107 Small Blending Brush - This small tapered brush is perfect for the eye crease and has become one of my favourites for blending.
  • C108 Large Blending Brush - This brush is large and fluffy and is perfect for the contour of the eye and again, as expected, it blends like a dream.
  • C109 Large Eye Shadow Brush - This brush is the one I have used to apply eyeshadow primer and it works really well.
  • C110 Small Eye Shadow Brush - Whilst this brush is designed for the application of eyeshadow, I've used it for applying concealer as well as smoking out shadows.
  • C111 Angled Eye Shadow Brush - This brush is perfect for contouring and smudging especially the corner and crease.
  • C112 Angled Wing Liner Brush - This is the one of the two brushes from the collection I haven't used but it is designed to create that perfect eye line wing.
  • C113 Detail Brush - This is the second brush that I have yet to use and it is designed for use with gel and liquid eyeliner. 
  • C115 Lip Brush - This is a fine tipped and tapered brush designed for lipstick application and it works with liquid lipsticks too.
  • C117 Angled Brow & Spoolie - No makeup brush collection is ever complete for me unless there is a spoolie included. This one is a double-ended brush and it is perfect for use with brow powders and liquid.  The Spoolie is made up of stiff bristles which tame those stray hairs and evenly distributes the product.

Alongside the brushes, we also have the OC Flawless Beauty Sponge which is latex free and has a teardrop shape with the added feature of a flat surface for applying around your nose and if you are familiar with beauty blenders, this one works in just the same way and can be used wet or dry.  The final product is the Silicone Brush Cleaner and this device is designed to fit over your fingers and has grooves which you swipe your brushes over, having wet them and applied a brush cleanser. As you swipe the brush backwards and forwards along the grooves, you can see all the makeup ‘stuff’ that has been lingering on there run off into the sink and within seconds your brush is clean and ready to be left to dry.


What I love is that each brush can be purchased as part of this set (£39.95) or there is also the option to purchase brushes individually too and with prices starting at £6.95, there are some bargains to be had.







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