Miss Patisserie Goji Youth Preserve Face Cream

Morning!

We are long term fans of Miss Patisserie and regularly post new products that we've been trying out. I think between us we have tried almost everything (and no doubt will continue to!)

I've been using the Goji Youth Preserve Face Cream for a little while now, and thought it was about time I wrote my review.

Rimmel Wonderfull Mascara

Morning lovelies!

I've got a mascara review for you today. This was an impromptu purchase as I had no idea that Rimmel had a new mascara out a few weeks ago which deserves a slap on the hand don't you agree??

This beautiful bronze coloured mascara caught my eye though and I knew it was destined to be mine.

Rimmel are one of my favourite mascara producers mainly because they work perfectly at separating and coating my long lashes and do so for a very reasonable price, even more so when they're a new launch and have money off or come in a deal and I just can't resist.

I have loved other high end mascaras such as Lancome and Benefit's They're Real but because I have a bit of a phobia of eye germs I am OCD about throwing out my mascaras after 3 months MAX, sometimes its 6 weeks if I feel it's getting a bit horrible. Weird I know, but spending £20-30 on a mascara just isn't feasible for me however much I'd love to do it!

I love that Rimmel always get their crown in on a product, it's so typically them and you don't need to see any part to know that it's Rimmel.

This Wonderfull mascara contains Argan Oil. I assume this is to help the condition of your lashes and also keep the mascara formula free from drying and clumping for longer, which would be a good idea. The ultra-Flex brush hugs lashes from root to tip to ensure even coverage of the product.

To me the brush is very similar to They're Real, its a plastic comb like brush and is quite common nowadays as it seems to be the best for separating lashes and giving an even coverage without clumping. 

I really like this type and although it's not a fluffy volumising brush I think it does a really good job:

My lashes are pretty well separated and lengthened and don't seem to be clumpy or stuck together at all. Even my lower lashes being a lot shorter have an even coverage and my upper lashes have been lengthened quite a bit!

As always, another great mascara from Rimmel. I don't think I've ever had a bad one from there and although the formula does seem to be less clumpy I'm yet to see if the argan oil has an effect on how quick it dries out or if it has conditioned my lashes. I will have to report back on that one when it's empty! I'm never sure if adding any type of oil is worth it or just a gimmick though seeing as they have moisturising properties you can't really go wrong can you.

Have you tried Rimmel's Wonderfull Mascara? What do you think of the addition of Argan oil?

L xxx

A5 Argan+ Deep Repair Shampoo

Morning lovelies!

I've been slacking off on the Fitness Fridays posts so i apologise for that. My creations haven't been worthy of a recipe post and my routine is pretty much the same as the last update, but i will have a post for next week for sure!

My mum has been into shopping at as many supermarkets as possible recently, trying to get the best deals etc. As a little treat she's been picking up all manner of products from the beauty aisles of everywhere from Asda, Aldi and Waitrose. This has of course been great news for me, fun products to play with that are extremely affordable and I haven't had to spend a penny...winning.

I've recently started using one of the shampoos that she has picked up and this one is from Waitrose, it's the Argan Plus Deep Repair Shampoo.

First off let's talk packaging....bright blue is a total surprise from normal packaging and it was quite refreshing to see it. i do love simple packaging like NSpa or girly like Soap and Glory and monochrome like Label M. I'd always choose one of those but actually the colours go well and I've quite liked having the blue bottle on display.

This shampoo will set you back £5.99 for the 300ml. I think this is a perfectly acceptable price for a shampoo from a higher end supermarket. Waitrose do generally stock good quality products at reasonable prices so you know you can trust them.

This claims to cleanse, enhance and revitalise hair that is dry and damaged leaving it softer and shinier. This obviously contains Argan Oil and helps to restore strength, but it also contains an amino acid blend to help cleanse without stripping the hair.

Keratin and Baobab oil help with moisturisation to make hair more manageable, smooth and shiny (who on earth doesn't want that?!)

Argan Plus is particularly good as it contains 4 extra oils; Baobab, Kukui, Moringa and Sacha Inci none of which I have ever heard of before but they allegedly were added for their restorative and nourishing properties.

I've been using this for the last 2/3 weeks and have even used it to double cleanse. It's a lovely shampoo which you don't need much of and I've been impressed with how it has cleansed and also nourished my hair.

I'd definitely consider repurchasing this and also other products from their range and will definitely check it out next time I go to Waitrose. 

The only downside to this that I can see is that in contains Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, one of the sulfates that many don't like but is also even more drying than the Sodium Lauryl Sulfates (SLS) that everyone definitely knows about.

This is disappointing and I think maybe with long term use there would be some negative effects but I haven't seen any yet.

Have you tried any products from Argan Plus?

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

Dr Organic Day and Night Creams

Good evening!

This post has been a long time coming as we were given these at the Bristol Blogger meet a fair few months ago....but working through our stashes it has taken a while to get to them.

Dr Organic is a great brand, they have an amazing versatile range and cover every possible scent you could ever wish for from a brand. They include pomegranate, lavender, tea tree, coconut and manuka honey, they even have a product containing snail gel!

Today we're reviewing their Virgin Coconut Oil Night Cream and Moroccan Argan Oil Day Cream.

The Coconut Oil Night cream has a list of claims detailed on the side of the box which sounds very promising! These invlude overnight hydration even down to the trans dermal level, improving firmness and tone of skin and protecting against free radicals.

I love that Dr Organic list all of the bioactive, natural and organic ingredients in their products, some of which I've never heard of but I love the honesty.
As we've mentioned in previous posts on products from Dr Organic, all of them are free from parabens, SLS, artificial colours, fragrances and any harsh preservatives.

The packaging is really simple and the pots are made of glass which is a really nice touch. The screw top lids are really good too, it might be a random thing to notice but they're really easy to unscrew but there's no chance of them coming off and spilling product everywhere.

And as always, i love simplistic styles and this ticks all my boxes.



For me, the Coconut Oil night cream was really thick in consistency and is initially hard to absorb into the skin. I found applying it as a face mask before bed was a better way for the product to provide it's maximum hydration.
I loved the feeling of my skin the next day, but as it's so thick I did use a lot more product than i would normally but I think it was still worth it!
Plus it smells gorgeous!





The Argan Oil Day cream is lighter and has the same claims as the night cream, with an added one of increasing Vitamin C production.

The Argan Oil Day cream absorbed more easily into my skin than the night cream, which is obviously better as I'm always in a rush in the morning and haven't got time to sit and wait for it to absorb before applying my make up.

This day cream smells pretty good too, and I love that the pots have the three main features of the product on the sides: Firming, toning and cell protecting. all three of these sound pretty good to me!

I have really enjoyed using both of these moisturisers and look forward to purchasing more from their range. I am a big fan of the lip balms and their coconut hand cream is amazing!
There are plenty more products I'd love to try including their Virgin Coconut Oil Moisture Melt Body Oil, Rose Otto Facial Serum and Snail Gel.

Which are your favourite products from Dr Organic? I really do want to try EVERYTHING!

L xxx

I was initially concerned about using these products as I have oily combination skin and worried that a product for nourishment and hydration would be too much for my skin but I was pleasantly surprised.

I love the glass packaging. Glass always makes something feel more luxurious. Both the day and night creams are really thick creams that sink into the skin. The day cream feels light on the skin and doesn't leave me oily. It leaves my skin with a great base for my foundation. 

The night cream is really thick and I did think because of this it would leave my skin feeling super soft but as L mentioned you do need to apply a lot of it to get those results. I do feel like I need to use more of this than most creams and therefore have found it's not been lasting too long.

I have liked both of these creams and they have made me want to try more of there products and some specifically for my skincare. Any recommendations?

Love M

xxx

Review: Tresemme Liquid Gold

It's ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooonly blooming Friday!!!

Thank the lord! Even though I've had a day off this week and consequently have to work on Saturday I am so glad it's Friday. It means that my day in work on the weekend will be quiet and I can just chill out and do nothing as I have made no plans for Sunday apart from gym and EAT. Woop!

As you'll know hair oils are pretty big news, and I was excited when Tresemme brought out their addition to the mix, Liquid Gold.

It contains Argan Oil and comes in a really easy to use pump as shown above, and comes with a lid. This is VERY important so it doesn't spill everywhere as I can imagine this would be an absolute NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHTMARE to clean up.

That being said, I managed to 'lose' mine in my overnight bag for such a long time I thought I'd lost it.

After much rummaging and confusion however I found it had fallen through the lining and was actually in said bag the entire time, hurrah!

So I quickly started using this again over the past few weeks whilst I was still on the spending ban.

If you've read any of my posts on that ban you'll see that I have spectacularly broken my ban after a trip to the Cosmetics Company Outlet (CCO) and now I'm just trying to be really good....

So, back to the oil.

Having used the Macadamia Oil hair mask and fallen in love with it, promising myself that I would buy a tub of it as soon as the ban was over I used this oil without much hope.

So I am quite happy to admit that I have been proved wrong and my expectations of this were exceeded.

Not only is it really easy to use and control how much comes out, it sinks into your hair really well and so far I haven't experienced any oily residues after using it on wet hair before I dry it nor on dry hair to tame those pesky frizzy bits.

Now I must admit I am lucky in the hair department due to having relatively straight hair with a bit of a wave in (think Kate Middleton...probably on a bad hair day) so I don't really need much in the way of taming the frizz but as for helping my coloured hair stay in good condition it has helped quite a bit.

So not only does this get a thumbs up from me it has so far stopped me from purchasing the considerably more expensive Macadamia oil......this actually only costs £4.99 at Boots right now!

This is an absolute bargain, and after checking the most recent prices I have spotted some other things from Tresemme I'd love to get my hands on.

Has anyone tried the Keratin Smooth Deep Treatment Masque? It sounds pretty good to me!

What do you think of Tresemme? Have you found cheaper high street products to be as good as more expensive boutique and designer ones?

L xxx

Product Buzzword of 2012

I know a lot of people will be writing posts about their best products of 2012 and I most likely will do the same once I've had the chance to think about what mine are!

However when I was thinking of what products have featured heavily in my 2012 and also in general in the cosmetic/blogging world there was only one type of product that stood out in my mind: oil.

Image from Thrive Farm Wordpress

How many types of oil are there available??

Hair oil, face oil, body oil, shower oil.......

In particular Moroccan/Macadamia/Argan oil have taken the cosmetics world by storm and although I haven't used much of it, I have used the Macadamia hair mask and the Ojon oil and am very much a fan of both!

I have used some body oils but I'm always in a rush and am yet to find one that sinks in fast enough and does a good job.

As skincare is one of my favourite topics and aisles to browse in store, I have tried and tested a few face oils this year that has been my biggest surprise.

Starting off my year with oily skin, the last thing I would have put on my face is oil!

Once my skin changed due to stress and became drier and covered in cysts, I was forced to apply more moisturiser to combat the lack of hydration that I'd never experience before.

This included oils and now I would never be without them!

They helped clear some scars on my face, hydrated dry patches and did not in any way affect my oily t-zone! (Particularly Antipodes Divine Oil)

This for me was a revelation and I have been happy to swallow my words on adding oil to oily skin.

Do you agree that oils have been the biggest buzzword of 2012?

It makes me wonder what will be the product type of 2013...does anyone have any ideas?

I think nail art comes a close second as the biggest hype in 2012, maybe it hasn't had its day yet....or maybe products with a distinct lack of chemicals will become even more popular and product choice will increase with demand?

Who knows!

You know however, that we will all be watching! I for one cannot wait for 2013!

L xxx

London Haul

On Saturday I went up to London for a day of shopping (even though I'm skint, bad me) and to catch up with a very old friend. I've not seen this friend for 5 years now. Circumstances like university separeted us and although we are in regular contact I haven't seen her in person for some time.

I actually got nervous waiting for her. Stupid considering I've know her for 23 years (all my life) I did worry things would change. I shouldn't have panicked we spent the whole day nattering away and gossiping as well as being a bad influence on each other. Cocktails of course were consumed too!! Yum

Here's all the bits I picked up. I did get some gorgeous neon lilac skinny jeans from Next which I loved but returned today as I was worried I wouldn't wear them.

Firstly we visited Topshop where I really needed to pick up some new sunglasses. I recently found a lot of pairs of aviators are wonky that I try on. The lenses don't seem evenly bent it's really odd. I've found some like this in Topshop and H and M.

In the end I went with some lovely bug eye ones that had cute bow detail on the sides of them. They can be purchased for £16.

The cute bow detail on these sucked me straight in as well as the tortoiseshell print. They are a little more than I normally spend on sunglasses (cheap and cheerful for me as I break or lose them within a year) but it was a hot day and I needed some. I just need a sunglasses case now if you know of cute ones let me now!!

Next up was River Island. My friend had given me a £20 voucher for River Island which I hadn't spent yet as I was planning on picking up a new handbag! Bags appeared in my August Wishlist. I loved the dogtooth one I posted on my wishlist but decided to go for a classic black bag in the end. This one was £35 found.

The bag looks a nicer leather in person. I love the shape on this bag and the fact it has a short handle so it can be held in the crock of the elbow and a long strap which can be put over the shoulder. I love the detail on the front pocket and the fact the clasp can be looked in. I choose this one over others in the end as it has silver detail and I wear silver more.

Boots was next on the list. How could I not go in there and I wanted L'Oreal Mythic Oil (which I've now learnt isn't available in Boots or Superdrug) I've run out of my Lee Stafford oil and my hair is feeling so dry. It needs something drastic. I picked up the VO5 Miracle Concentrate Elixir with Argan Oil. It was only £5.19 so I thought it was worth a try. 

It seems very liquidy so I'm not sure how I'll get on. I also spied an amazing looking Bourjois Mascara but none of the ones in boots were sealed so I decided to wait and see if Superdrug has better ones.

I couldn't resist picking up some accessories in Dorothy Perkins. I love their jewellery ranges and I love getting new rings to wear. I'm lacking gold costume jewellery so couldn't resist some rings when I saw they were buy one get one half price on all non sale jewellery.

I loved the big multi ring and it looks so nice on. This one was £6.50  and the bow was so simple and cute I couldn't not have it. It was £4.00 full price but I go it for £2 

I also picked up a belt. I'd previously spotted this earlier on in the day in New Look but the ones in there were already missing studs on them so when I saw it again in Dorothy Perkins I couldn't resist it. It was £7. I can't find it online but there were lots in store. It's also my first studded item. I know shocking right. I need some dolly shoes next.

Superdrug them tempted me to more make up. I just have no will power.

At the till these were on offer on 2 for £5 I couldn't resist as I love the other two I have. I didn't have much time to pick so quickly grabbed too. I love navy nails and this shade looks pretty not sure the name cloudy blue is really appropriate though. More of a midnight blue in my opinion. Sunny pink is a gorgeous monochrome shade with hints of gold through the pink.

They are £2.99 each (currently a £1 off) or 2 for £5. Found here and here. I love the Max Effect polishes. 

Then I saw the mascaras shrink wrapped, so much more hygenic. So quickly grabbed one up. The Bourjois Mascaras are currently £2 in Boots and Superdrug making then a pretty bargain at £7.99. 

I haven't used it yet so can't comment. The brush is a big bristle brush which I love so it seems promising already. Though I have now noticed I accidentally picked up the waterproof version, luckily I'm off on holiday soon so it won't go to waste. I will pick up the normal one to try soon.

Lastly in Superdrug I picked up a Me Me Me liquid highlighter. A copy of the Benefit ones. I've wanted to try the liquid highlighters for a while as I love my MAC MSF in soft and gentle but with some foundations it seems to cling. I'm hoping the liquid one will be better. Plus it was £2 off so I couldn't resist. Bargain for £3.25 (here)

I went with the shade Sunbeam. It's the golden version. I couldn't decide between the two so might go back for Moonbeam while it's still cheap. I'm hoping it's good. I really want the cheek tints they do as well as a blushed I've been recommended. A lot of there products are similar to Benefit with a more affordable price tag so I can't wait to explore this brand more.

Lastly I went into H and M to return my wonky sunglasses. They were new and when I tried them on noticed the lenses were different shapes. I picked up a second pair of shorts I bought a few months back in a size smaller as I've lost a bit of weight and they are the comfiest shorts I didn't want to not have them.

These are boyfriend cut and loose and comfy but a really nice shape on. They are £19.99 and worth it. They don't have them online but they did have plenty in my local store still too.

I love them and I'm hoping they'll last a while. They seem a thick good denim. I loving H and M this summer for clothes and I've bought a lot from there. I just found these cute lace shorts I know really want.

So that's the end of my rather large shopping spree. What do you think of these items? Do you have any of them?

Love M 

xxx