Review: Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser

Murad have been a brand that we both have heard lots about.

We regularly tweet with them and love reading their quotes from Dr Murad about 'treating yourself like royalty' and in particular their snippets of info about different foods and plants that are great for your skin.

We were recently contacted by them about trying their AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser*.

The website says:

What does it do for you?

Polish away surface oil and locked-in impurities to improve brightness and clarity. Reveal a youthful you!

The Science behind the Results

Salicylic, Lactic and Glycolic Acids – This trio of acids provides clarity, brightness and improves cell-turnover by dissolving dead skin cell build up and revealing a radiant complexion.

Jojoba Beads – Gently polishes, exfoliates and smoothes skin while boosting hydration.

You are supposed to use this cleanser 2/3 times a week as well as your normal cleanser for the acids and exfoliating beads to work and the reviews on their website give it a 4.9/5.

I've been using this constantly for the past 4/5 weeks. I cleanse my skin with my usual cleanser and then use this afterwards 2/3 times a week.
It's so easy to use and the jelly like feel of the cleanser glides onto your skin really easily without irritating it. The beads in the cleanser can only be described as feeling like powder more than an exfoliator, they're so gentle on your skin that you can barely feel any kind of exfoliation or scrubbing like you would have imagined.

I usually apply this to a wet face and then gently massage it in circles. I've found that this is the best way to get the optimum results from the beads and also the acids, which really do seem to dissolve the skin cells without any negative effects to the skin.

I've seen a difference in my skin from using this, and I absolutely love it! This is so gentle but gives me glowing fresh looking skin without any side effects whatsoever.
It has evened out my skin tone, helped to combat some of the scarring on my face from some acne I had before Christmas and helped to keep more blemishes at bay.
When I noticed this and had a fresh load of spots appear, I did use the cleanser on my face for 3/4 days in a row to help and it greatly helped to clear my skin though I wouldn't recommend doing this for long term.

The 200ml tube comes in at a costly £34 which initially I was wary of, but having used it consistently for over a month and knowing there is no difference compared to the picture above, I think this is worth every penny.
I'm massively impressed with the results from this product and would 100% recommend it to anyone looking to improve their skin tone and get a glow.

L xxx

I've tried Murad a few times as I had a few samples of it. I've loved the cleansers I'd previously tried so was excited to try this. I'm a big fan of exfoliators, having naturally oily skin I find exfoliators really help to improve my skin.

This really didn't disappoint. It's not like a facial exfoliator I've tried before. It's almost got a slight jelly texture to it. It buffs into the skin really softly and isn't a rough. The beads in it are small but still feel like your skin is getting a good deep clean. I also love that a little of it goes a long way. It is quite pricey but I've been using it 3 times a week for a month now and there isn't much more gone than the photo shows so you are really going to get your money's worth from this as it'll last a long time.

After use my skin feels smoother and so soft. My spots have improved (except for the odd hormone one) and they seem to heal quicker if I use this when I sense a breakout coming. Having acid based ingredients in it, it really helps improve skin tone. I've noticed an improvement in the skin condition. My cheeks certainly look a lot better. I can't wait to use it more and get even better results.

Once I've worked my way through my stash of cleansers I'll definitely be ordering some more Murad skin care!

Love M

xxx

Review: Beautifeye Lenses

I'm a huge fan of coloured lenses. You'll have seen them on the blog before when we posted about our Halloween night out here. I'd spent a while deciding where to get these from and ended up ordering from Amazon. Unfortunately for me I ended up with a eye infection after using them. I'm not sure if it was something I did but I have worn contacts previously and had no trouble.

I've had contacts before when I was at uni and loved them. I've got naturally blue eyes so usually pick green lenses for if I fancy a change. 

Old photo of me. I love these but they weren't too natural looking. Great for a statement.

On twitter recently we were followed by Beautifeye as I love lenses I instantly checked out there website for what shades of green they offered. I was lucky and they offered to send me a pair to try if I fancied. I picked these green ones as they looked natural and I thought they'd be better for everyday wear. They retail for £14.99 and last 90 days. I love that. As I don't wear them everyday I find if I get ones that last 30 days I don't get to wear them enough to make it worth while. I'm currently eyeing up the Dazzle Fusion Green Lenses (found here) for nights out to really make my eyes stand out.

When you order the lenses also come with a lens case and lens solution meaning you have everything you need to keep your lenses clean and in good condition.

The lenses arrive sealed in sterile solution and full instructions. I removed mine from the packet and placed them in the lens carries in solution for a few minutes before putting them in. Here you can see the colour. I like ones that contain multiple shades as they look really natural.

I used to really struggle putting lenses in and I'm still not great all the time and it really is something you get better with so if you struggle at first. Persevere they are worth it.

I pop them on the tip of my finger then use my other hand to hold my eye open. I make sure I've properly washed my hands and I'm sat comfy to apply then.

My natural eye colour.

With the lenses in. I love how they make my eyes look a bit bigger and they are subtle.

With both lenses in. These are really comfy to wear and I've worn them for work and for nights out.

I love that they aren't obvious so I can wear them for everyday for a subtle look.

I've recently dyed my hair darker and they look even better. I'd forgotten how much I like coloured lenses. Thanks to Beautifeye for sending me these out. I love them and will be ordering more. I'm tempted to order some violet ones for a change!

Have you wore coloured lenses before? What colour would you change your eyes to if you could?

Love M

Review: Avon Perfect Kiss Lipstick Racy Red

I was lucky enough last time I went home my mum had purhcased me a few products and this lipstick was one of them (you can see the rest here). Avon were bringing out a new range of lipsticks and I'd been eyeing up the colours. You can see them all here. They are currently on offer for only £4 so I'd snap them up quick. The colour I'm showing you today is Racy Red.

I love the packaging. It's silver so stands out against my other lipsticks so I can pick it out easily. The lid is secure and it just has Avon simply embossed onto it. I love how they'd carried this through and also embossed the bullet of the lipstick with Avon. I love this touch and think it makes the product seem more expensive than it is.

Racy Red is quite a pink toned red. I find this makes it really easy to wear and very flattering on my paler skin tone. It's super pigmented and one swipe leaves the lips well coated.

It has a slight shine to it when on the lips which I love but it's not over powering like a gloss lipstick. It doesn't drag on the lips either. I would say though that it does seem to end up on my teeth when ever I wear it so make sure to check your teeth after application.

It also lasts really well on the lips and leaves and even staining (no lip liner effect) on the lips. It's not drying on the lips and provides great colour.

I absolutely love everything about these lipsticks. They provide great colour, great lasting power, stand out packaging and easy application. It's also a red I find easy to wear. As it's got the pink tone to it I find it looks better than a true red for everyday. As they are from Avon you can usually get them on offer. Don't miss out on these while they are only £4. Such a bargain.

Have you tried the Perfect Kiss Lipstick? Are you a red lip fan?

Love M

xxx

Spending Ban Update 10

It's April already. How quickly is this year speeding by. My spending ban will soon be over officially but let's start by saying this week has been a really bad week for me!! I've been naughty with spending. The ban is almost over and I really need to add on a few extra weeks.

This week was L's birthday. I already had a dress so thought I'd get away without spending money! After searching through my shoes I really wanted a new pair that was actually going to be comfy. On Thursday it was ladies night in our local shopping centre. Loads of the shops offer discounts and there were cute stalls all around offering things like Pimms and Snow Cones. New Look had 25% off and knowing there shoes are usually comfy I headed there.

I picked up these wedges for around £15. They were so comfy. I was in them for around 8 hours in the end and did plenty of dancing and had no blister. I want them in all colours now!

I had planned on neon accesories and was borrowing a bag off L and her nail varnish so wanted a bracelet to tie it all together. I love the bright colour on this one and with discount it was only £3

While in there I couldn't resist one more bracelet. This leaf one was under £4 with discount.

Also on ladies night I popped into River Island. I had a voucher left over from Christmas so didn't actually break the ban for these. I had literally just been talking to L about this necklace before we walked into the shop. I had this necklace around 5 years ago and wore it till it fell to pieces. I took it as a sign and bought it in Silver and Gold, They were £6 each and are a great easy to wear statement necklace! I've still got a bit on my gift card and I'm currently eyeing up a jumper I've seen.

Lastly we had our Mac makeovers ready for L's night out. ~I stated in a previous spending ban I'd spent £30 on this. So on the day I only spent an extra £2.60 so it wasn't too bad (luckily it was a 10% off time). There was so much more I wanted to get but I tried to be good and get sensible purchases.

Eyeshadow in Naked Lunch for £12. This was to replace Bootycall in my Naked 2 palette as I've hit pan on it.

I also picked up a Shine Supreme Lipstick in Fashion City. These remind me of the Revlon lip butters. They give a glossy finish with a moisturising colour. It was £14.50. Which is more than a normal lipstick but you do get 3.6g of product instead of 3g.

I love the finish of these and will definitely be looking at what other colours they do.

So that's my very naughty week. Though I only spent around £28 so not quite as bad as it seems. Need to get back on my spending ban and back onto saving. I definitely think I'll stick to it for a bit longer.

How are yours going?

Love M

xxx