Laughing Bird Body Scrub & Hand Cream

Hi,

Hope you have had a great weekend.

I do love to try and buy British skincare products when I find them. I’m lucky that Infinity Foods in Brighton sell very interesting natural products. One of those I discovered was Laughing Bird who are based in rural Wales. Founded in 2004, they now make, with home-grown and local ingredients, a range of body care products.

The packaging is nicely done with a funky design with what looks like a stork as the emblem. Cool and different. The products are not animal tested.

The body scrub is Lemon & Walnut with apple seed oil.  The consistency of the scrub reminds me of sugar when it gets slightly wet. Other scrubs feels runny but this is a thick, heavy sugary feel to it because of the oils.   If you have rough skin, this product would be perfect for you. My skin feels super soft and moisturized because of the apple seed oil. I use a walnut sized amount and is just the right amount to get a good scrub. The fresh scent is so uplifting, it brightens your mood. I could almost get a spoon and eat it! 250 ml for £9.85 is fantastic value for money.

The Shea & Cocoa Butter with Geranium & Lemon Hand Cream has the same style of packaging as the body scrub with the simple glass jar and the funky packaging. The consistency is like double cream that has been whipped thick. It really does absorb into the skin very easily and doesn’t leave any greasiness to your hands at all. It really does work on my hands and smell is wonderful, you can’t go wrong with geranium and lemon! £7.25 is also great value.

I would love to try more of their products and these are the companies we shout about more often.  They offer naturally made products that are wonderful value and look after our bodies.

Home

R xx

Yohji Yamamoto Yohji Senses EDT.

Hi Everybody,

Today is National Fragrance day here in the UK, so it was right to do a review of one of my latest purchasers!  I will say straight away this isn’t my type of perfume but it is something different from my usual taste of perfumes. It is a clean fresh, light scent with a lovely beginning of citrus and bergamot. When it evaporates onto your skin it mellows into a beautiful woody note while still having the floral and freshness.

It lasts all very well and it isn’t overbearing at all.  I had to talk about the bottle which is a lovely shape and reminds me of  a chemistry tube as I loved doing chemistry at school! The finish of the wonderful signature of his name looks classy and is a lovely touch.

R xx

Kiko Eyeshadow & Primer Review.

Hi Everybody,

I have always liked the professional eye shadow palettes that MAC Pro and Bobbi Brown produce. The ability to customize your own palettes and colour ranges has always interested me. One company that I have bought products from also produce a system which you can also customize is the Italian company, Kiko Cosmetics.

My kind husband picked up the Eye Clics 024 from Kiko’s Palette Clics System at their shop on Regent Street. If you find that is to many you can buy either a 4, 3 or even a single empty pallete. He also purchased 6 single eye shadows to start me off and was interesting to see what kind of colours he bought! he choose a nice assortment of colours, a Pearly Hazelnut (212),a light chocolate to me! A matt taupe colour(239) which looks beautiful on the crease to give illusion to the eye. A Pearly Dark Wisteria (246), a medium purple. Golden Coral(205) which is a very nice peachy orange. A Pearly Light Gold (202,) a  beige colour, which looks great if you have brown eyes and Metallic Gold Rose(220), which is a lovely pink rose colour.  The single eye shadows are big compared to other companies offerings and offer plenty of product.  They are of very good quality, nice pigmentation and apply easily to the eyes. You can blend with them very well and all colours were perfectly chosen by my husband are what I would have picked myself. He knows me very well!

One product I have always liked is Urban Decay’s eye shadow primer. It is simply one of the best make up products out there. Kiko produce 2 different eye primers. One is the Matifying primer and the second one is a pearly eye base.  I have the pearly version and it does brighten and hold the eye shadows throughout the day and my eye shadows remain all day. It is a excellent primer for only £6.90 compared to the £16.00 for Urban Decays primer and is much more affordable and will do an excellent job for you.

Rxx

February Favourites

Hi Everybody,

Happy International Woman’s Day!

Here are some of things I tried in February. Like all of my review on the products, I have purchased everything myself.

Skincare

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleaner – I have never tried this before, Boots were selling the 50ml size for the Christmas period so I had to buy it. The pump action works great and one pump is enough to cleanse the face as it is a very thick consistency. It has really made a difference to my skin and I will purchase the larger size in due course.

Eucerin Dermo Purifyer Toner –  I do love toners, my skin feels fresher when I use them.  I used this toner when I had a few breakouts and my skin feels fantastic so this is one of the best I have tried.

Vichy Aqualia Thermal Serum –  I have never used serums before but as I suffer from dehydrated skin. So on the recommendation of Sali Hughes I tried this one. This one absorbs into the skin and is so light you can barely feel it on it and it does hydrate the skin. It is for all skin types so perfect for everybody.  A definite re-purchase.

Origins Make a Difference Plus + Rejuvenating Moisturizer – It is a light moisturizer, not heavy on the skin. Absorbs very well, smells divine and the skin feels does feel rejuvenated,plump and radiant. I would love to try more from this range.

Makeup

No7 Stay Perfect Foundation – This is the second foundation from No7 I have tried. ( I do love the Instant Radiance foundation) This is a different consistency from Instant Radiance foundation as that one gives a real glow to the skin while this one gives a more flawless look to the skin. I do prefer the pump action on the Instant Radiance as it sucks up every last bit while this one still uses the glass and plenty of foundation still remains. It is a few pounds more but  No7 foundations are still great value.

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage SC-2 –  I have never been into using concealer much but seeing so many reviews and constantly going into SpaceNK in Brighton, I eventually bought it. I use the light shade as it does conceal spots and redness but I am a bit confused by the second colour and the purpose of it. If anyone can help me please let me know! I did buy a high-end concealer for my first one but I probably bought one of the best on the market!

Revlon Brow Fantasy – One end is the brow pencil, the other is a brow gel. It is a handy two in one product in a compact size. Excellent value and works great on the brows.

Lancome Le Crayon Khol Noir – This is a beautiful soft pencil for the eyeliner and has been a great for me to practice my technique. It stays well all day and doesn’t smudge. Perfect in my view! 

No7 Exceptional Defination Mascara – I did have a sample of this and purchased the full size. It gives great volume and opens the eyes. A great looking mascara.

Fresh Sugar Tulip Tinted Lip Treatment –  Smells divine, a beautiful pink tint, just like tulips! It hydrates, protects and smooths the lips with the added SPF 15. I love the packaging with the screw lid. A really top product from Fresh and I cannot wait to go back to the Marylebone high street shop to purchase a few more of their products.

Clinque Chubby Stick ‘Pudgy Peony’ – This come in a Christmas gift set my husband bought me. A darkish pink, so wearable and stains the lips so you don’t need to apply so much. Everything with pink I do love!

Nails

Mavala Mava Dry –  A nail polish dryer which you apply after putting on the nail colour to dry them quicker. It really does work in drying the nails. It is a fine mist with no smell and greasiness. if you are a nail lover this is a must-have product.

R xx

 

 

 

Why You Should Clean Your Make-up Brushes!

Hi,

I presume everybody owns 1 brush, 10 or even 100 brushes! If you apply make-up everyday, the brushes will get dirty and we get lazy in not cleaning them. ‘I will clean them but tomorrow’ but tomorrow comes and you have forgotten to clean them! It is important to clean brushes regularly for so many different reasons.

One, they can be expensive to buy and although you can buy cheaper brushes, the best ones are expensive and should be treated as a good investment that will last you for years and years.

Secondly, brushes not cleaned can collect bacteria, oil and dead skin cells. These can cause blackheads, blemishes and breakouts.

Thirdly, old make-up on brushes will also dull your complexion and make application more difficult, so you’ll use more make-up with poor result. Not a good look and a waste of money!

The more you clean the brushes, the softer they became over time.  For example you should clean your eyeliner brush every time you use it. Foundation brush should be cleaned once a week, same with the powder and bronzer brushes.  Your eye shadow brush should be cleaned every 2/3 days.

I use MAC’s brush cleaner which is formulated to clean, disinfect and condition natural and synthetic brushes. You can use a mild shampoo or anti bacteria soaps!

Love yourself and love your brushes!

Rxx

DIY Lip Scrub.

 

Hi Everybody,

As the cold is still with us, our lips are vulnerable to the  elements. They don’t have any protection so they need our help because our lips get dry and chapped and lipsticks do not look good on chapped lips! It is easy to buy lip scrubs and lip balms to look after them but you can do the same by making your own scrub with a few products you have in the kitchen.

So, I decided to make my own scrub and I was amazed by how easy and how it worked! You do need a small plastic container which you can buy from any good drugstore/pharmacy ( I bought mine from Boots) I used the following  ingredients:

2 teaspoons of dark brown soft sugar

1 teaspoon of honey

A splash of olive oil to bind the ingredients to make a smooth paste.

You can add a drop of vanilla essence if you want to for smell. Use the container to store it. I use twice a week,rubbing gently into the lips and then wash off with warm water or a cloth if you prefer. I then apply lip balm and believe me my lips feel so smooth. A smooth surface make lip products last longer and far more effective and of course the lips are more kissable!

Kisses to you all!

Rxx