Review: Murad's Pore and Line Minimising Hydrator

Good morning! I've got another review for you today on a skincare product that's a little different and definitely a lot exciting!

Murad have recently launched their new Pore and Line Minimising Hydrator along with their Replenicell Hydration technique.

Hopefully I can relay this to you in a non-confusing manner that you will understand, the technique is obviously very scientific and I don't want to confuse you all! Here goes:

The brains at Murad (Dr Howard Murad and his son Jeff Murad) have devised a concoction of osmolytes, amino acids and trehalose to pre treat water used when creating all of their products. Replenicell is basically a new kind of water that is added to everything during production.

By doing this, water molecules are attached to compounds that can access the skin and pass through its barrier, taking water in through the barrier with them and therefore hydrating your skin. Because of the way skin is designed, water molecules cannot simply pass through of their own accord, if that did happen every time it rained or we had a shower we'd just swell up!

There are three ways that Replenicell helps your skin:

1) It attracts water molecules
2) It binds the water already within the skin's surface
3) It strengthens the skin's barrier to help it retain more water.

This is a really clever and simple way of getting more hydration into your skin without using complicated chemicals that could be more harmful to your skin.....why on earth has nobody though of this before?!

This technology is currently debuting in their new products the Pore and Line Minimising Hydrator (£49.50 from October 2013) and their new Rapid Collagen Infusion (£78.00 in February 2014).

So...how does the Replenicell technology affect the skin?

I was lucky enough to be given a tube of the Pore and Line Minimising Hydrator to test it for myself which I have been using religiously for the past couple of weeks.

This Hydrator claims to clear and tighten pores for a refined complexion, boost collagen and plump skin for younger and smoother looking skin.
Having done their research Murad have found that pores are just as highly rated as wrinkles in women's number one skin concern and so they have created this product to help combat both in one go.

Its key ingredients are:

Kombucha Collagen Defense - which stimulates collagen production and inhibits its breakdown

Lentil Seed Extract and Witch Hazel - controls excess oil and tightens pores

Cinnamon Extract - this restores the skin's surface by reducing inflammation and oil production

The Hydrator is a white lotion with a very thin consistency, I'd say it's a lot more like a serum than a moisturiser, it's almost like a gel and unlike any other product that I currently own.

I've been applying this morning and evening after cleansing, toning and applying my serum. This sinks in super fast and my skin hasn't had any negative reactions to it whatsoever. It feel quite cooling on the skin which has been nice, not so sure it will be so appreciated now that were reaching colder temperatures in the UK but nevertheless this feeling doesn't last long.

I was worried that this wouldn't hydrate my skin as much as it currently needs. My skin is temperamental at best and is oily in the centre and dehydrated everywhere else, therefore I thought the serum like quality wouldn't be enough for those areas.

I was very wrong and have been enjoying using this twice a day, it has certainly hydrated my skin without overloading the t-zone area and I've found that I haven't needed any extra hydration like I thought.

I'm lucky in that I don't have too many wrinkles as of yet...but I'm 25 so that time is coming very soon! Hopefully this product has helped to keep my lines at bay for a while longer and I'd definitely be interested in knowing about the other products that Murad will be including in their Replenicell range, which I believe will be all products eventually.

Fingers crossed!

Murad are such a great brand, not only do their products really work, their research is outstanding and they just have such a family vibe about them. God knows I couldn't work with my dad all the time, he'd drive me crazy!

What Murad product is your favourite? Do you like the the sound of the Replenicell technology?

L xxx

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation

Happy Friday!!!

This is a rather late post that I didn't actually think i'd be writing as it has taken so long.



I picked up Revlon's Nearly Naked foundation as soon as it came out (no idea when that was now!). The promise of coverage that looked 'nearly naked' was very promising and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I chose colour 130 - Shell.

However after using it for a few days I was back to my usual foundations because the coverage wasn't enough and my face looked awful, so it was consigned back to the foundation box and forgotten about.



Having decided that i need to stop buying more and start using up it has recently come back into my life as I was determined not to waste it and my money. I started off by mixing it with other foundations so it was thicker and provided more coverage, but after applying it one day alone I suddenly realised the effects that everyone else had been raving over!



The bottle itself is glass which is lovely and luxurious but doesn't have a pump which is a little irritating. It means I end up pouring it out onto the back of my hand which can be a bit of a nightmare as I'm clumsy first thing in the morning.

That aside, I apply it with my Real Techniques buffing brush and after a few minutes of blending I really love the effect it has. My skin must have improved enough that it only needs lower coverage to look uniform, which is lovely and shows my hard work is paying off!

Emma Stone's skin in the adverts looks amazing and I'd love to look as naturally beautiful as she does.

My skin is nowhere near that good and god knows I get some lovely outbursts at the moment which don't seem to have any reason but in between those moments, I use this foundation and here are the results:

I have no other make up on in these pictures apart from the Nearly Naked foundation, so excuse my non existent eyes, brows and lips, ghost anyone?!

That said, the foundation has blended seamlessly into my skin and there's not a tango tideline nor a cakey catastrophe in sight. I'm actually amazed how well this blends now.




I do think that having slightly drier skin helps with this product, for oily skins the product would just slide off which is what was happening to me before, and then not cover enough of my blemishes.

I apply this everyday without primer as it seems to stick to my skin and stay well enough without, which is a money saver in itself!

Are you a fan of Nearly Naked? Which other products in the range do you like?

What's your favourite Revlon product? I'm such a fan, if only they wouldn't test on animals!


L xxx

NOTD: Slytherin

Happy weekend everyone!

I've had a few quieter weekends recently which has been great for catching up with myself. There's always so many things to do, not only the usual cleaning and tidying but getting to the gym, meeting friends I haven't seen in ages and the all important Christmas shopping!

I've surprisingly managed to get mine done in record time this year as ideas came to me so easily, that combined with the fact I only have my parents and brother to buy for plus a little secret santa gift for a friend.

With that said, I've been going through my nail varnish collection and taking advantage of the darker and more wintery colours that I have. Here's a design I came up with one Saturday night:

For this I applied 2 coats of China Glaze Smoke and Ashes from the Hunger Games collection and then painted the tips only with 2 coats of Sinful Color's Nail Junkie





Both of these colours are ones that I adore but never wear very often. My immediate thought once finishing them is that they're a very Slytherin' kind of nail polish look! do you agree? I couldn't help but call this post Slytherin after realising this!

The dark green/black base along with shimmering green and turquoise glitter go really well together and look a bit magical; maybe that's what made me think of it!

What do you think of my nail idea? Do you like combining glitter polishes and effects like this for a new look?

I think I need to shop my stash more often, I'm forever buying new polishes and i need to control myself and get some will power. I have a whole suitcase full of them but no doubt I'll be buying shed loads in the sales still....and that's with them not even on sale price!

Which of the Sinful Colors polishes are your favourite? Do you buy from limited edition ranges such as the Hunger Games ones from China Glaze?

L xxx

Dr Organic Facial and Eye Serum

Goooooooooooood morning!

Hope the weather is treating you well today....i love the cold but I'm not a fan of the rain. Fingers crossed it will behave itself today!

Skincare is one of those things that I seem to have tonnes of, the amount of moisturiser and eye cream I have is quite ridiculous, but serums are something I'm always running out of. It's the same with cleansers, I obviously haven't overloaded my stash with these and sometimes find it hard to keep up with purchasing them.

Serums can be expensive so I'm always on the look out for an offer or products that are at a lower price without a compromise on effects.

Dr Organic are a company we have bought from many times before and having seen their products on offer in Holland and Barrett I thought I'd pick up some products and see how they fared.

First up is the Rose Otto Restoring Oil Facial Serum. It contains oil of rose damascena and is rich in polypeptides, phospholipids, antioxidants and omegas 3,6,and 9.

You can read the blurb on the back of the box below but essentially this serum contains a lot of different oils to create a super serum. I like that Dr Organic list their ingredients in their products and this is also on the back of the box:

Not sure I need to mention this but just in case, all Dr organic products are free from parabens, SLS, fragrances, harsh preservatives and artifical colours, this brand is definitely one to watch!

The Rose Otto serum has a list of regenerating and anti aging properties including optimising skin hydration, protecting with anti oxidants, reduces appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and improves elasticity and firmness.

The bottle itself is very simple and just like a lot of their other products, in a frosted glass and with sturdy white plastic tops.
This serum is dispensed through the lid, there's a dropper in the lid and you press the button on top to collect and dispense the serum as you please. This took me a little while to figure out as I'd never seen anything like it before....maybe it was a blonde moment? But hopefully this will stop anyone else being confused...!

A lot of Dr Organic products (if not all) are BioActiv and formulated using organically certified and natural extracts. This is great as you know you're getting what you're paying for.

This serum is definitely more of an oil than other products that you'd typically call a serum. for this reason it's harder to 'layer up' products which is what I normally do. My normal routine is to apply a serum and then moisturiser, which I find is more difficult as this is more an oil.

However this serum applies really nicely to the skin. I find i need a few drops for my entire face and neck and this sinks in pretty easily. I prefer to use this in the evenings because using an oil in the morning normally spells trouble for my make up!

This serum is really hydrating and it has helped a lot with my dehydration issues.

This costs £12.29 for the 30ml bottle and is currently still on offer on the H&B website. It's also listed as a customer favourite and has been given 5 stars, obviously everyone agrees that its a great serum!

The Moroccan Argan Oil Instant Tightening Eye Serum was something I'd wanted to buy for a while and the offer gave me the perfect excuse.
I use a lot of eye creams and a serum was something I'd been considering because a serum adds more moisture before a moisturiser and shouldn't cause any problems with overloading my skin. 

My eyes are somewhere that I'd like to keep an eye on so to speak....I have a feeling that my genes will cause my eyes to wrinkle and go 'baggy' before anywhere else so I'm constantly trying to find products to freeze/prevent this.

Again the list of ingredients on the side of the box is reassuring as they're all chemicals that are natural.

The eye serum is a white lotion that dispenses out of a pump, one pump is enough for a generous application for one eye, if you're eye area is small then one pump is enough for both eyes, depends how much you want to slap on really!

I love that it has the anti aging printed in gold, such a sucker for a bit of sparkle ;)

I really love applying this, my eyes are so sensitive especially on weekends which is when I wear my contacts more often and for longer periods and this helps to keep my eyes more hydrated. Especially after lots of eye make up and false lashes!

The skin around my eye area is a lot more hydrated now and at £11.99 from H&B for 30ml I think this is great value and will last a really long time. I've been using mine for 2 months now and only 1/2cm has gone from the top of the bottle.

Another great couple of products from Dr Organic, I cannot wait to try more of theirs especially odd ones like the Snail Gel, can it really be as amazing?! I'm dying to find out!

What do you think of Dr Organic? Have you tried any of their products and have a few favourites?

Let me know!

L xxx

Everyday Favourites: Hair Products

Last week I shared my everyday make up favourite (you can read them here). Today I thought I'd share my hair products I always use.
Label.m Protein Spray* (review)
This is something I've loved since I first tried it. It's a lightweight spray that has helped improve my hair and it seems to grow a quicker while using this in combination with other products listed. This is something I'll be repurchasing. I've had it since July and use it every time I wash my hair and as a heat protection spray. I love that it's multifunctional.
Sebastian Penetraitt Shampoo and Conditioner (review)
This is my go to shampoo and conditioner. I can't be without it. As someone who majorly abuses their hair with lots of heat and dye (I'm such an indecisive person and my hair takes the brunt of it). This is the only shampoo and conditioner that helps to control my hair falling out. It can be too heavy so I tend to alternate between this and others. It's a must for damaged hair though.
Macadamia Deep Repair Masque (review)
After trying this in my hairdressers a few years ago I've always gone back to it when I can afford it. It makes my hair super soft and smooth. I tend to use it once a week. Definitely worth the money. I've not found one that compares.
Avon Advance Techniques Moroccan Argan Oil Leave in Treatment
This is my go to hair oil though since discovery protein spray and the strengthen and protect leave in treatment below I've not been using it as much. It's a really reasonable price and does a good job. It's lighter than most I've tried so doesn't weigh my hair down. A great hair oil. I sometimes like to use this as an overnight treatment if I'm going to wash my hair in the morning.
Avon Advance Techniques Strenghten and Protect Leave in Treatment
This and the protein spray are what I apply to wet hair. I love the combination of these too. My hair feels soft and smooth. It helps my dry ends and has improved the condition of my hair. It's a lotion/gel texture and has taken over from hair oils for me. I didn't expect to find a product like this I liked more than hair oil. This is now a must for me.
Are any of my hair must have products on your list?
Love M
xxx

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation 100 Ivory

When I was picking up this new lipstick as it was on 3 for 2 I decided to try the new stay matte foundation. I'm struggling lately to found foundation pale enough. I think any colour I had from the summer has definitely disappeared.

It is in a simple squeezy tube which is practical for this type of foundation as a bottle wouldn't work well with getting the product out. You get 30ml which is average for foundation and it does come in at a budget friendly £5.99

Rimmel Claims 'A Feather-light, liquid mousse that blends flawlessly for natural-looking and an all day shine control

Silky smooth formula for a perfectly matte, baby-soft finish.

Lightweight texture won’t feel heavy or greasy.

Minimises the appearance of pores'

I was suprised by the texture. I don't know what I expected from a l.liquid mousse. I find it was quite thick. As the picture below shows when squeezed out it stays where it is on the hand. I does blend into the skin softly. For me at the moment I prefer to use it without primer as I find it is working better.

When blended in it really evens the skin tone out and I was surprised how light it felt on my skin. I thought the thick texture would mean it felt heavy. It did a good job at covering my red cheeks and freckles and gave a good match finish so I barely powdered my face.

Here it is on the skin with only foundation on. Ivory is a good colour match for my pale skin. There is also one shade lighter. Disappointingly there are only 6 shades released so it's not going to be a foundation for everyone.

Here is the finish with full make up. I really liked the finish. My skin looked healthy without being too covered. I'd say it was a medium to full coverage but didn't look cakey. It felt light on the skin lasted well throughout the day. Towards the end I find it had caked a bit between my brows but lately all my foundations are doing this.

Overall I'm impressed and definitely think it's a good winter foundation. I personally prefer fuller coverage foundation for winter.

Have you tried the Stay Matte Liquid Mousse?

Love M

xxx

Lush Santa's Lip Scrub

I'm a huge lush fan and have been for a while now. There is nothing I love more than a good bath with a bubble bar and bath bomb. I also love the face masks. They are some of my favourites. When Lush has a blogger event a few weeks ago I couldn't wait to go down and have the chance to just wonder round the store.

On the way out we were given some goodies and the Santa's lip scrub was one of them. I'm never one to try the limited edition products. I tend to stick to what I know, but was excited to try this as my current lip scrub is a now discontinued one. As an everyday lipstick wearer I find I always use a lip scrub morning and night. They are especially good for these winter nights.

I love that the lush lip scrubs are natural products so can just be licked off. The santa's lip scrub is a bright red. I was slightly worried it would stain my lips but it didn't. I love that is has little edible hearts at the top. The cola flavour is really tasty and not too fake. Personally for me the bubblegum one is too much.

Santa's lip scrub is a wetter lip scrub than the others I've tried. On my hand you can see sweet lips is drier and more sugary. It does have cherries and dates in which make it wetter than the normal ones but it still works as good.

I'm definitely a lip scrub lover! If you fancy a cola lip scrub you should snap it up quick as it's limited edition. 

Have you tried lip scrubs or do you think it's an unnecessary step?

Love M

xxx

Inspiration: Hunger Games Catching Fire

Hello all!

I'm sure like everyone else on the planet you are all excited for the latest installment in the Hunger Games trilogy. When I first heard about it from a friend a while ago i thought....what the hell?!

But she persuaded me to read the books and I was HOOKED. I loved them and couldn't wait for the films!

In light of the latest film coming out this week I have decided to do an extra post with inspiration from the film and the districts, I hope you enjoy the ideas!

Unfortunately I've been struck down with some kind of flu; I've been suffering with the usual aches, swollen glands and ear ache so I've been confined to bed and watching a lot of tv.

Because I'm not looking quite as attractive as normal (ha!) I decided to stick to simple ideas and have a lip and nail idea for you. They're quite simple which is what i like best and i took inspiration from the name Catching Fire. 

First up is the nails, here's what I used:

China Glaze Smoke and Ashes (from the Official Hunger Games Capitol Colors Collection)
OPI Bond Die Another Day
OPI Bond Girls Liquid Sand Jinx
OPI Goldeneye
Revlon Sequins

Excuse the messy mid-way photo, I used to sponge to apply a gradient polish effect. I started with the black and green glitter from China Glaze and progressed from left to right using the polishes in the above photo.
I used a sponge to do this in multiple layers layering to the gold colour which i used on the tip.

The gold glitter is then applied all over for a 'spark' effect; you can't catch fire without one you know!

I hope you like my nail design, i had lots of fun doing it whilst sat in bed. It's always the best place to be when you're ill. I've even got myself some tea and homemade cake, lush!

My other inspiration idea was an ombre lip, similar to the nail design. I used the following products:



Rimmel Kate Moss 107, Rimmel Kate Moss 12, Maybelline Color Sensational 912 Electric Orange.





I also used Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner, Rimmel Scandaleyes Kajal and L'oreal Color Appeal Eyeshadow in Pure Gold.



I applied 107 to the outer corners of my lip, 12 to the middle and then Electric Orange to the centre of my lips blending together as I went.
In order to make the lip line neater I used the red lip liner to give my lips more definition and shape, and then used the black kajal pencil to make it darker at the outer corners.



To make the middle of my lips look even lighter I then used the gold shadow to highlight the centre and just dabbed it on the centre.



This was a lot of fun and a completely different look than I'd normally choose. I love playing with eye make up and this was a fun change from that; I'm not the biggest fan of taking photos of my mouth as i see some that look ridiculous and my lips aren't the biggest so have the worst pout!

What do you think of my Catching Fire inspired looks? Will you be trying either of them out?
Have you see or will you be seeing the latest film?

We're going Tuesday, i cannot wait!

L xxx