Nip and Fab Glycolic Fix Exfoliating Facial Pads

Happy hump day!

Glycolic acid is famed for being great on skin, serious chemical peels done by professional doctors can take off YEARS by resurfacing the top layer and removing wrinkles and uneven skin tone. I love that companies are catching up with this and a lot are creating affordable ranges for the high street containing low levels of glycolic acid for exfoliating purposes.

Nip and Fab have one of those ranges and I've been testing them out.

After the success of the Dragon's Blood Cleansing Pads (review here) I couldn't resist but pick up the exfoliating facial pads.

They claim to unveil younger looking, smoother skin by using glycolic acid, witch hazel, blue daisy  and hyaluronic acid.
Glycolic acid helps to retexture and resurface, witch hazel helps to tone the skin. Hyaluronic acid hydrates and refreshes and Blue daisy soothes and calms.

The tub contains 60 pads that you swipe over your cleansed face once or twice a day.
It's a really easy thing to add into your skincare routine and barely requires any additional time.

I've been using these morning and night for the last few weeks to help a few scars I have on my face. Glycolic acid is known to help with resurfacing and aiding scars to fade. After the acne I had a few years ago I still have a few red marks on my jawline and my recent allergic reaction has also left some bumpy marks that I'd like to reduce or hopefully get rid of completely.

Over the last few weeks my skin texture has definitely improved. I can say that my skin has become smoother and clearer as a result of using these and possibly my scars have faded too. It's hard to say that they will completely go without a much stronger glycolic acid product but I'm hoping it will help in the long run!
These are so easy to use that I'm willing to keep them in my daily routine and see if they have a longer term effect. I've also picked up the Glycolic Fix Serum to try out too, it has 4% glycolic acid so hopefully between the two and using the cleanser my scars will fade and disappear!

What do you think of glycolic acid and its resurfacing properties? Do you think it should be more easily available on the high street?

Don't forget that when using glycolic acid you need to keep your skin out of sun light or at least protect it using a high SPF as your skin becomes much more sensitive.

L xxx

Nip and Fab Bee Sting Fix Cream Deluxe

Sometimes I look back at my shopping trips and wonder what on earth I was thinking; recently I seem to have purchased the entire Nip and Fab range without batting an eyelid.

It's hard not to when I've loved everything I've tried and there have been so many offers on recently.

N&F claim that the Bee Sting Fix Cream Deluxe is a 'second skin' anti ageing shield that helps to reduce the look of lines and wrinkle by hydrating the skin.

The ingredients list is pretty interesting and have some really good properties:

Bee Venom: controls the facial muscles, increases blood circulation gently plumping out and firming the skin. Also fills and smoothes fine lines and wrinkles 
Propolis Extract: this is a resinous substance harvested by bees on flower buds and it is a great skin healer, anti-oxidant and antiseptic
Hyaluronic Acid: increases moisture retention while being hydrating and moisturising
Shea Butter: helps strengthen skin + repair damage
Vitamin E: powerful antioxidant and protects cells against free radicals damage

With so many ingredients and promises I was concerned this would be one of those things that would fall short of all of the claims.

When opening the pot I was relieved that it was actually a full pot, and not a disappointment like the matching Eye Cream (review here) as that was definitely a concern. 

However the pot was EXTREMELY full and inside was a lovely thick cream that almost felt hard to the touch. This is probably the thickest cream I've ever used but on the skin it seems to melt a bit and spreads a lot easier. 

I've been using this morning and night for a few weeks and my skin has felt a lot more hydrated. I feel an improvement in my skin since the colder winter months have arrived and the increased moisturisation has definitely helped. I would agree with the claim it acts as a second skin as it seamlessly absorbs into the skin and fingers crossed it is helping my skin prevent any signs of ageing!

What do you think of Nip and Fab ranges? Do you think ingredients such as Bee Venom can help your skin? Would you be willing to try it out?

L xxx

Things I've Learnt This Week

Hi all!

It's been a crazy busy few weeks and I haven't done a life update or anything recently so here it is; everything I've learnt in the last few weeks all rolled into one.

1) Staying in a windmill for a work course has been interesting! It's a Premier Inn but randomly has this on the top. It also means that I've been eating tonnes and tonnes of food that I wouldn't normally eat and consequently feel like a whale. I'm not used to not eating clean any more and that combined with no exercise has been disastrous!

2) Science is so cool SO FREAKING COOL. Sometimes I find it hard to get my head around it all, and other times I find it hard to get my head around writing a blog about make up but I like the split personality side of things.
This week my course has been taking place in the same lab that the equipment analysing samples from the Comet landing was created. You heard about Rosetta and Philae landing on the comet a few weeks ago? Here's a model in the building of the work they did that's about a third the size of the real thing:



HOW COOL IS THAT!!
I was like a fan girl walking around the labs with the scientists working around me; they're like the new kind of celebrity for me.

3) Street Food Cardiff is the best thing I've ever come across; not only is it held in a disused warehouse which is cool and creepy all over it's full of the most amazing food that I just couldn't get enough of!

You're met with a smoky smell and hazy view as you walk in and the most interesting looking tree made of pieces of wood stapled together forming the centre of the seating area. It's surrounded by massive tyres filled with wooden bobbins to act as tables and chairs and you just go to any food counter you like and chomp away!

What I like best is there's a huge variety of food there anyway but it changes weekly. We went to the thanksgiving weekend which had a lot of different types of American food. I ate a peanut butter bacon burger and it sounds weird but it was amazing!

4) I've been loving using some of my new products recently, the Black Magic eye pencil set from UD has the most wearable shades of black teamed up with a grey, brown, sparkly turquoise and purple. It's great for when you need to go from work to play and so easy to carry in your handbag.

I had a free sachet of this with a Space NK order and wasn't sure if another oil would be any good. But I really liked this and after using the products I have I would consider buying this in future.

Another kit I got my hands on had the beloved Grindhouse sharpener that everyone raves about; it's great and means I can finally use the 24/7 concealer pencil I purchased so many months ago that I haven't been able to use. Drawing on my face in the mornings is fun and very easy!

5) After my week of a work course with other outings with friends I've been feeling pretty damn huge after all the food that has been provided. As soon as I got back I was straight on the chia seeds, peppermint teas, chicken salads and as much veg as I can. It's hard to keep on track sometimes but with just over 2 weeks to the festivities begin I need to reel it in and get back to the gym!

(Still can't resist a dollop of peanut butter though!)

Eating at Wagamamas was fun and I tried to stick to my chicken/veg options but not knowing many of the meals on the menu I still ended up choosing a dish worth 930 calories! Oops.

What have you all been up to recently? Are you trying to eat healthy before the Christmas food begins or are you just embracing December for what it is??

L xxx

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Dim Infusion

Hi there!

Finally we have passed the middle of the week and can look forward to the weekend!

A few short weeks ago I picked up my first ever Hourglass product. Unless you have an endless amount of cash rolling in it is ridiculously hard to keep up with your own wishlists and i am definitely struggling! I've heard a lot about Hourglass over the last year or so and have been interested in their blushes, bronzers and highlighters as they seem to be most coveted but I don't have a lot of money at the moment so I've been choosing wisely.

As soon as I saw Dim Infusion, one of their Ambient Lighting Blushes I couldn't leave it behind.

The box is quite chic, it's a welcome break from monochrome even though I'm a die hard fan of the old black and white.
It's also great to know the 'free from' list, interesting that they include gluten on it don't you think? Seems to be such a fad nowadays.

Dim Infusion is a coral blush with gold shimmer through it. It looks like a perfectly marbled masterpiece and on first glance I knew it was mine. Initially I didn't even know what it was, a blush? A highlighter? A complexion enhancer type thing? Who knew, it was mine as soon as i saw it, those colours are me all over!

With flash you can see the shimmer particles a lot more easily, though even then they show up as more of a glow:

It was at this point that i admittedly became a little disappointed. When I started to use the product itself it fell short of what I thought it would do to my face and my complexion. I had visions of it creating a super blendable glow effect that would undoubtedly look the most natural I had ever looked courtesy of make up.

Sadly this wasn't the case. The shimmery particles don't seem to play any part at all and so in fact, the blush is just a blush. Don't get me wrong it is a beautiful colour and I have been getting a lot of wear out of it as it suits my skin tone and is perfect for everyday use, but it does seem to have lost its magic for me.

You can see for yourself:

It's a really gorgeous colour and for £28 for 4.2g it is slightly more expensive than a Nars blush but near enough on par. It is something that I have been wearing most days and will continue to I just thought it was going to be a bit more special that it was and that is what disappoints me the most.

Part of me wonders if i had bought the Ambient Blush Palette for £56 I may have been more satisfied with three colours and they come in at 3.3g each. I've heard so much about the Ambient Lighting products and the primer from Hourglass that I just imagined it to be better and it has put me off buying products from them in future without being able to try them beforehand which can be difficult in Wales as we don't have a Space NK anywhere near.

Have you tried the Ambient Lighting Blushes before? What did you think? Have you tried anything else from Hourglass?

I haven't given up on them yet but it may be a while before I buy from them again.

L xxx

Nip and Fab Dragon's Blood Plumping Serum

I cannot BELIEVE there is only two weeks until Christmas Eve!
TWO WEEKS!!!

It's definitely getting to be a lot more Christmassy and festive now; I cannot wait for Christmas Day to come along with all of the food and festivities.

That aside I'm sure everyone has noticed that Nip and Fab have a fabulous new range out, this one dedicated to Dragon's Blood. This comes from a plant and has been used over many years for a variety of medicinal uses. I've really been enjoying using the Cleansing Pads from the same range and the serum was next on my list.

I picked this up during an introductory offer and then went back and picked up another. No wonder I'm in so much debt....!

The plumping serum is lightweight and sinks into my skin so quickly. My skin feels hydrated but not overloaded and I'm left with a lovely plump feeling like my skin has just had a facial.

I've mentioned many times before how I like Nip and Fab products and how the ranges are colour coded. This colour might be my favourite so far and the range is yet to disappoint me. I haven't picked up the mask yet but once I've used up other hydrating masks I will have to check it out as I've been impressed with the hydration of these products so far.

The pump is really sturdy and dispenses enough for half of my face and neck so 2 pumps is normally ideal. Another thing I like about this is that it is a 50ml bottle and this can mean it can be super expensive, most bottles can be 30ml meaning you don't get much for your money. This one however is £19.95 for the 50ml bottle and is a pretty good price considering what it contains. It has been on offer recently in a range of stores so keep your eye out as I got it for £13 which is even better!

I've never met a product from Nip and Fab that I haven't liked but the Dragon's Blood range seems to be pretty good to me and I'd recommend all that I've tried so far.

Have you tried any of the Dragon's Blood range? Are you a fan of Hyaluronic acid?

L xxx

Benefit Swansea - Bling Brow, Puff Off and Catch Ups

Hey All

Hope you've had a great weekend. On Saturday L and I popped down to Swansea to have a catch up with Alyson and have a good old gossip about our favourite products! 

How amazing is the statue!!

Swansea Benefit have an amazing boutique which you can read about all the treatments they offer here. I've had waxing done by the ladies and they do an amazing job!

We went through to the masterclass room to catch up and also got to meet Niki. It's always great having a gossip about our favourite products! Alyson was able to tell us about an amazing release of a new product Puff Off. It's a great product that cools the eyes, helps slightly tighten and conceals lightly as well as brighten. As with all benefit products it's quirky! 

The packaging is amazing and is a little iron tip and you use that to apply the product to the eye area! The metal tip feels so cooling on the under eye area and the tip makes it easy to get into the inner corners of the eye!

The results of puff off!

The squeezy bottle allows a small amount of the creamy product to be released. It instantly made our eyes feel cool and brighten and I imagine would be so beneficial in the long run. It releases the end of Jan and L and I will be running to the counter to get our hands on this one,

A few months back there was an event in Cardiff for Bling Brow but due to it being in the day L and I couldn't attend. We were shown the sets and both instantly wowed! At any benefit counters with a brow bar you can get these applied or there are kits for sale to do them yourself! We loved the look and instantly wanted to go out. These will be amazing for nights out. I especially love the over the brow look!

How beautiful is the packaging! 

Each of the brow looks can be done in different colours! I went for multicolour pink and L went for green.

They are real swarovski crystals and can be reused, once the stickiness goes eyelash glue can be used! As I type this I'm sat with them on for day two! My face is going to look so boring without them tomorrow. Alyson was telling us about a look where she applied them to the lash line!! How amazing will that be for Christmas parties!

L was loving all the quotes and wallpaper of the boutique!

Thanks for the catch up Alyson and Niki!

We can't wait to get out hands on puff off!!

Love M

xxx