NIOD Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex vs. The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5

Skincare

NIOD…we have all heard about it…but it’s price tags leave us drawn towards the brand’s sister company, the notably less pricey, The Ordinary. I have finally pinpointed the problem with my current skin: It is severely dehydrated and that is having dire implications for the look of my foundation. Air conditioners, I am looking at you…Hyaluronic acid (HA) is one ingredient renowned for being able to quench thirsty skin. I also watched this video by Liah Yoo which discussed the efficacy of various forms of HA on offer and bolstered my understanding of this much sought after ingredient.

Although I had been using the Ordinary Hyularonic Acid 2% + B5 for several months (which was helping somewhat), I thought it was time to raid the bank and splash out on this pricier alternative, NIOD’s Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex (MMHC2). MMHC2 is priced at an eye-watering £38 for 30ml, while the same size bottle of the Ordinary’s HA offering seems like spare change comparatively, at £5.90.

Description

The NIOD serum is much lighter and quicker to absorb than its counterpart, and is almost water-like in its consistency. They both work fine under make up; but I imagine the NIOD version would work well with absolutely anything layered above as it seems to fully sink into the skin. One of the major differences between these two products is that while the cheaper offering has almost no scent, the NIOD serum has quite a discernible, unpleasant smell…In the product’s defence, however, this aroma does diffuse quite rapidly and I much prefer this to a firm’s attempt to mask funky smells with loads of skin-irritating perfumes.

They are both housed in glass bottles and have pipettes to dispense the product. The NIOD serum does look more lux in its tinted glass bottle and rather elegant pipette. Moreover, the box that the MMHC2 bottle comes packaged in is sleek…I, for one, was extremely excited to be trying this product.

The difference in the quality of the packaging mirrors the extortionate variation in price.

Comparisons

Price: NIOD £38 for 30ml (£25 for 15ml); The Ordinary £5.90 for 30ml

Consistency: NIOD is very thin almost water-like; The Ordinary is thicker and more tacky

Hyaluronic Acid: NIOD has an unparalleled 15 different forms of HA, including precursors; the Ordinary has 3

Eyes: Both can be applied around eyes

The NIOD serum is very runny, almost the consistency of water.

The Ordinary serum is a little more viscous in comparison.

Ingredients:

NIOD – Aqua (Water), Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract, Glycerin, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Butyroyl Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium Acetyl Glucosamine Phosphate, Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate, Pseudoalteromonas Exopolysaccharides, Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Ceratonia Siliqua Gum, Myristoyl Nonapeptide-3, Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract, Salvia Sclarea Extract, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, PCA, Sodium PCA, Betaine, Sodium Lactate, Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside, Gallyl Glucoside, Algae Extract, Sodium Salicylate, Lecithin, Polyglucuronic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sclerotium Gum, Pullulan, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Citric Acid, Magnesium Chloride, Silica, Polysorbate 20, Ethoxydiglycol, Propyl Gallate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol.

The Ordinary – Aqua (Water), Sodium Hyaluronate, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Panthenol, Ahnfeltia Concinna Extract, Glycerin, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Citric Acid, Isoceteth-20, Ethoxydiglycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol.

How I Use It

Like all serums, these are intended to be used before moisturiser; but after cleansing and toning.

My Verdict

My hopes that NIOD would be my answer to plump, hydrated skin were dashed almost immediately after the first application. My skin just does not agree with it. It seems I am allergic to something in the formulation, which comes as little surprise given its extensive ingredient list. It makes tiny bumps appear under my eyes and on my cheeks; it makes affected areas look uneven and puffy. These bumps seem to calm down as the day progresses, but are set off each time I reapply this serum in the morning. Needless to say, I have now accepted my fate and discontinued use. It does seem to quench the skin quite well as my skin seems plumper during the day, but the spotty rash it also imparts leaves me with no option but to discard it. My skin is extremely sensitive at the moment; but an allergic reaction to this serum is quite rare judging by internet reviews of this product, which are overwhelmingly positive. I purchased my NIOD MMHC2 serum from Look Fantastic; and luckily they do offer full refunds in the instance of an allergic reaction to a product.

The Ordinary serum had less visible plumping and hydrating results, but gave me no adverse reactions. So, although it may be less effective, I am left with this HA serum until I can find (if it indeed exists) a more effective but affordable HA alternative for my sensitive skin. Or perhaps, I should just drink more water…

Review: CeraVe Moisturising Lotion

Skincare

CereVe is a skin-care brand that only recently reached our shores. I recall the thrill of realizing that we Brits could now too get our hands on this inexpensive but dermatologically-solid range. As of late, my skin has become extremely sensitive—I am now reacting to certain skincare. This was unheard of for me and it just makes this search for HG skincare and make-up that bit harder. Inevitably, it also means more money down the drain…

I used this product when my skin was suffering an allergic reaction and was in an angry state. I still needed to moisturise and was looking for a simple, yet effective, hydrator. I am impressed by the amount of dermatologist backing this brand seems to command; countless skin professionals recommend this brand. Not to mention the many vloggers and bloggers that swear by this range.

An effective moisturiser for sensitive skins

Description

Price: It retails for a steal at £9 for 236ml on Look Fantastic; £13.50 for a mammoth 473ml.
Texture: It is quite a thin lotion which absorbs into skin fairly quickly.
Application: It leaves no tacky residue and works well under every single foundation I have paired it with. My skin instantly feels hydrated once I have applied it.
Technology: It utilises patented MVE^® Delivery Technology which provides controlled hydration release for 24 hours.
Notable Ingredients: It contains hyaluronic acid as well as essential ceramides.

The moisturiser has the consistency of a lotion and absorbs into skin remarkably well.

Full Ingredient List

Purified Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Behentrimonium Methosulfate and Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20 and Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceramide 3, Ceramide 6-II, Ceramide 1, Hyaluronic Acid, Cholesterol, Dimethicone, Polysorbate 20, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Potassium Phosphate, Dipotassium Phosphate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Cetyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Phytosphingosine, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum

How I Use It

I find myself reaching for this both morning and night to moisturise my face. Although this is not marketed as a facial product and more a generic body moisturiser, it does an excellent job at hydrating the face. It is non-comodogenic, fragrance-free and it makes my face soft and supple.

The hand with the ring has moisturiser applied whereas the other hand does not. I think the effects are visible from this photo…the lotion makes the skin marginally brighter and smoother.

Verdict

This product is marketed for dry skin and as a generic moisturiser; I have oily skin and I use it as a facial moisturiser. Go figure. It quenches my dehydrated skin well and in a non-greasy way. The hydration provided is even better than some heavier alternatives I have tried. It works out a lot more cost effective to use this on your face as opposed to buying the face-specific versions*—with the latter you are getting less than a quarter of product at a higher price. I am all about saving money where I can.

As someone who regularly uses more targeted face serums, I believe I can get away with a basic moisturiser. The fact that it contains some prized ingredients at such a reasonable price makes it a bargain. For now, I will be sticking with this moisturiser; it suits my budget and my needs well.

The verdict is quite simple: This product is cheap and fuss-free but does the job and does it well.

*The ingredients of the CeraVe Facial Moisturising Lotion (version without SPF) are: Purified Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceramide 3, Ceramide 6-II, Ceramide 1, Phytosphingosine, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Dimethicone, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Ceteareth-20, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Cholesterol, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Dipotassium Phosphate, Potassium Phosphate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

These look comparable to the ingredients for the general purpose moisturiser. The one notable ingredient absent in the generic moisturiser is anti-inflammatory hero, niacinamide. However, I use a separate serum for this ingredient regardless, so this is not an issue for me—Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 2% by the Ordinary.

Facetheory Deeply Nourishing Jojoba Cleansing Oil Review

Make-Up, Skincare

Cleansing oils have really shaken up the skincare industry…we are moving away from harsh cleansers which irritate and strip the skin and instead are being drawn to the array of alternatives on offer. I am sure we are all guilty of turning to those pesky make-up wipes, which although quite convenient, prove to be an abrasive choice for our delicate skin. I am ashamed to admit that this was my staple make-up remover for a good while…

I have been using cleansing oils for several months now and I can say I am a fan. They are nourishing and feel a much more pampering option. It is the Facetheory Deeply Nourishing Jojoba Cleansing Oil that has introduced me to this form of make-up remover; an affordable oil with some formidable powerhouse ingredients including the anti-aging hero rosehip oil and the vitamin E-rich cranberry seed oil.

Description

It retails at £24.99 for a 100ml bottle; but is currently on offer at just £13.99.
It combines some of the most effective face oils, to create a luxury cleanser for the skin.
It is suitable for all skin types.
It contains a small amount of a natural emulsifier which means it is an oil that can actually be washed off effectively.

This products boasts such an impressive array of organic oils, it really is a steal.

The consistency is like that of a regular oil or serum.

Ingredients

Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil (organic), argania spinsosa (argan) oil (organic), rosa canina (rosehip) fruit oil (organic), vaccinium macrocarpon (cranberry) seed oil, polyglyceryl-4 oleate, tocopherol (1% naturally derived).

The 100ml bottle should last a while as it is only a few drops that are required each time.

How I Use It

I use this as my second cleanse after I have removed my make-up. It helps to remove any last trace of residue while leaving my skin nourished and clean, without that tight feeling. I massage a few drops onto my skin and use my warm wet facial cloth to wash it off. I have oily skin and this product does not exacerbate it. I can also attest to it being extremely gentle; I used this on my angry, inflamed skin when I was suffering from an allergic reaction and found it soothing and nourishing.

Verdict

I must say I have become a real fan of this upcoming British brand. I wholeheartedly recommend this cleanser; and it will definitely be something that I will continue to purchase, that is not something I say about a lot of products. It is regularly on offer on the Facetheory website, and I honestly cannot think of another product boasting such superb ingredients at such a reasonable price.

Fit Pit – 100% Organic, Natural Deodorant

Skincare

‘Made with love and a conscience,’ by The Green Woman.

Last week I attended the Beauty UK show in Birmingham, with every intention of just looking and not buying – reciting the mantra ‘I definitely do not need anything’ all morning beforehand. Let’s just say, that lasted all of 5 minutes and I off I went contactlessly tapping away.

One thing that I had never questioned before was my deodorant. Something I have never been particularly fussy with, but suddenly became very intrigued when it was presented to me in a small glass tub with the word Organic on it. Seems a tad strange to apply deodorant with your fingers as opposed to a spray right? Although not the most conventional or even convenient process of application, rest assured that this product certainly redeems itself

I picked up three; Man, Woman and Tea Tree & Orange. All three are 100% organic, homemade and suitable for vegans. The ‘Man’ flavor is made with cypress, the ‘Woman’ one has rosemary and bergamot. All three of them smell gorgeous and the 25ml container is estimated to last for 3 months.

Although it looks like a creamy consistency, it actually rubs in to form a powdery, dry texture which feels a lot more acceptable than a greasy feeling on the underarms. It leaves a great smell and does work to effectively reduce perspiration.

This chemical free alternative is definitely something to consider if you find yourself worrying about the potentially harmful long-term damage using chemicals can do.

Kiehl’s Turmeric & Cranberry Seed Energizing Radiance Masque Review

Skincare, Uncategorized

Although it has recently become something of a super food, Turmeric is no new revelation. The ingredient has been used for centuries in Asia, and is a common ingredient in herbal remedies. Even turmeric as a mask, is a well established tradition in Southern Asian wedding ceremonies, used for purification and in wedding preparation to give the bride and groom a healthy glow. Spanning from curing acne, treating eczema to even delaying ageing, the supposed skin benefits are certainly impressive.

Given all these health benefits, it is no wonder why Kiehl’s have leveraged this unique ingredient to sell their ‘Turmeric & Cranberry Seed Energizing Radiance Masque’ retailing at £34. Along with the Turmeric, the added cranberry seeds are high in antioxidants, protecting the skin against environmental free-radical damage. Winner!

As soon as I applied this product to my face it caused an instant cool, tingling sensation. For me, this is a good thing as it gives the illusion that something must be working. I washed it off in a circular motion with warm water providing that added exfoliation from the cranberry seeds to reveal a noticeably brighter complexion. There is no doubt that this product does brighten the skin. Sounds great?…yes, but the truth is you don’t need to fork out £34 because the undisputed benefits of turmeric, can be achieved by using any homemade turmeric mask for a fraction of the price.

Get your hands on some turmeric powder, gram flour, and mix with yoghurt, lemon juice and honey. This is a tried and tested recipe for skin brighting and fighting blemishes at a fraction of the price.

Balance Me – Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm

Skincare

I am over half-way through this…which explains the mangled tube…

Oh. My. God. Where do I start? Cleansers for me should: Take off my make-up effectively, be affordable, contain natural ingredients, do not need to include any skincare heroes (they are wiped off nearly immediately, so what is the point!), should not strip my skin and should also make me feel like I have been treated to the most luxurious spa treatment…don’t ask for a lot do I!

Product Description:

And I think I have found my HG product which ticks all the above boxes for me…it is the Balance Me Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm. It is ‘an anti oxidant rich, oil based hot cloth cleanser blended with a trio of butters to deeply purify and hydrate; and Oat Powder to gently polish and brighten even the most sensitive skin.’ It is £20 for 125ml.

Take a look at the 100% natural ingredient list:

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Nut Butter***, Polyglyceryl-3 Dicitrate/Strearate, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Hydroxystearic/Linolenic/Oleic Polyglycerides, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Fruit Oil, Camellia Oleifera (Camellia) Seed Oil, Aleurites Moluccana (Kukui) Nut Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Virgin Coconut) Oil***, Rubus Chamaemorus (Cloudberry) Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Citrus Reticulata (Mandarin Red) Peel Oil*, Anthemis Nobilis (Roman Chamomile) Flower Oil*, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Petitgrain) Leaf Oil*, Litsea Cubeba (May Chang) Fruit Oil*, Coriandrum Sativum (Coriander) Seed Oil*, Cananga Odorata (Ylang Ylang) Flower Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Limonene**, Linalool**, Citral**, *Natural Pure Essential Oil, ** Naturally Occurring in Essential Oils, ***Certified Organic Ingredient.

My Thoughts

I love supporting British companies that produce natural and affordable options in skincare/beauty. Especially with a cleanser: Why would you want to use more chemicals when trying to remove the chemical cocktail of gunk that is make-up?…it honestly does not make sense to me. This product also uses fine oat powder for very mild exfoliation—one step ahead of other companies who may need to re-formulate their microbead-laden products which have recently been banned in the UK.

I have oily skin and honestly this is not too rich for it; in fact it leaves my skin nourished and glowing. I personally love the smell, it reminds me of that facial spa aroma and catapults the cleansing process from a chore to a pampering, relaxing ritual. I use this product as my second cleanse; and instead of a muslin cloth, I use bamboo face cloths which I purchased from Facetheory. I like to press the hot cloth over my eyes and just breath in the aroma – which I believe momentarily provides me with a hint of calm. (Note: I don’t directly rub this cleanser into my eyes.)

The consistency does tend to separate…but I feel that this is inevitable due to the natural ingredients.

Price-wise – I think its probably at the upper end of what I would pay for a cleanser but I think it is a reasonable price for the amount (125ml instead of the standard 100ml of most cleansers) and quality.

I love this cleanser so much I will continue to repurchase it…and that is not something I say about a lot of products.

Jas x

Glamglow Glowstarter Illuminating Moisturizer in Sun Glow

Make-Up, Skincare

I was so excited to use this product…

I usually research a product extensively before parting with my cash…there is only that odd moment that warrants an impulse buy. One such moment is a 50% off sale. A time when logic and sensible planning go out of the window as you attempt to get your hands on the last remaining bargains.

In the last Christmas sales, I managed to bag the Glamglow Glowstarter Mega Illuminating Moisturizer in Sun Glow for only £18 (half price). Bargain. Or, so I thought. In fact, it turned out to be an utter waste of money.

Description

It is available in 3 shades: Pearl Glow, Nude Glow and Sun Glow. It promises to both illuminate and moisturise the skin & includes hyaluronic acid, vitamins and botanicals; blurring the line between skincare and make-up.

The consistency of this is not too runny and also does not seem too rich for oily skins…almost a gel-like texture.

This is the darkest shade…although sheer, I found it imparted a tad too much colour on my NC30 skin. Perhaps, Nude Glow would have been a better match.

My Thoughts

I was excited to use this product. I was planning on using it in lots of different ways – eager to try it mixed in with my liquid foundation and also as a moisturiser under liquid/powder foundations. Frustratingly, it did not work in any of the above methods for me. It just seems to horribly accentuate my large pores/texture and make my foundation patchy. I tried it with MAC Studio Fix Fluid and also under Bare Minerals powder foundation with zero success.

I even tried to offload this onto my sister. She was also excited by the description; however massively disappointed by the performance. Neither of us felt like our make-up looked glowy with this product. Despite my skin being oily and my sister’s being dry it did not work on either of us.

I am now going to try my best to persuade my other sister to take this product off my hands…

Jas x

Skin reference: NC30, Oily, Textured, Large Pores

Algenist Pore Corrector Anti-Aging Primer

Make-Up, Skincare

Over the last few months I was hell-bent on finding the perfect primer…I sat researching online for hours upon end. Even when I should probably have been doing other things…in fact at times, this obsession probably left my small children crying and hungry—that is the extent of it. Okay, I am slightly exaggerating here, before anyone feels the need to call social services…

With make-up products, the key is finding something that suits your particular skin type: Just because a make-up product looks amazing on someone else, do not expect the same results on your own skin. My sisters have dry/combination skin and use the Laura Mercier Radiance primer and it looks absolutely beautiful on them. At one point, when I was a lot more ignorant about this make-up malarkey, I was adamant that I wanted the same primer. However, I have since come to terms with my skin type. The reality is that I do have oily skin with quite large pores and I need to concentrate on remedying that before prioritising shimmery, glowing skin.

There were a few different primers that seemed to be highly regarded: Hourglass Mineral Veil, Smashbox Photo Finish Primer and Benefit Porefessional. I have previously tried the Smashbox and Porefessional primers; they are extremely silicone-y and quite thick, they almost act like polyfiller for the pores. They are definitely effective in creating that smooth canvas, there is no denying that. But, I was questioning how they would affect my skin and whether continuous use would make my skin even worse. The Hourglass Mineral Veil also seemed very silicone-heavy in terms of ingredients, with no skin-nourishing ingredients at all. I wanted a primer that could potentially benefit my skin as well as blurring pores and increasing longevity of my make-up. Yes, I do expect miracles with my make-up. My research directed me to the Algenist Pore Corrector Anti-Aging Primer.

It has resoundingly positive reviews online, and now I understand why…

This primer includes the following ingredients:

Alguronic Acid – this promotes skin’s cell regeneration
Salicylic acid – gently exfoliates skin and unclogs pores
Lentil seed extract – visibly tightens pores
Soybean extract – helps to smooth skin

The primer does also contain silicones (which will help its effectiveness in each application), but I figured that the above skin-enhancing ingredients could actually do something to improve my skin long-term. There seemed to be more to it than just the silicone.

My Experience So Far…

I purchased this primer online from the Feel Unique website for £34; I do not think this is particularly expensive for something that delivers both short- and long-term benefits. I find this primer definitely helps to blur out my pores and make my skin appear a lot smoother. I use 1-1.5 pumps per application and allow it to dry completely before applying my foundation. It does not fill out pores as well as Smashbox Photo Finish or Benefit Porefessional…but I actually do not mind that. The formula is like a light moisturiser…it is not as thick as the aforementioned. Based on that consistency, it is sort of expected that it’s pore-filling properties probably will not be as effective. It does help to make my make-up last longer and it helps to mattify my face. I like that there may also be some long-term benefits with this primer too…and after a few weeks of using it, my pores do look visibly smaller, even without make-up on (I have recently added the moisturiser from this range into my routine…so I do not know which product, or if the combination of both, should be attributed with this feat.)

A swatch of the primer on Pav’s hand…as you can tell she was being a bit stingy with the blob

I have tried this primer with Estée Lauder Double Wear, Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk, Giorgio Armani Power Fabric and Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Foundations and it seems to work well. I have also tried it with Bare Minerals Original foundation and again it increased the smoothness and longevity of my make-up. However, I tried it with my Bobbi Brown BB Cream SPF 35 and it made it split and separate on my face…they just were not compatible together. This BB cream does look amazing with the Smashbox primer though…so I have no idea what is in this primer to react so badly to it.

In a nutshell, I am extremely happy with this primer. It fulfills it’s purpose as a primer exceptionally well, whilst also providing added skincare benefits…what more can I ask for?

Impulse Beauty Kitchen Buy @ Holland & Barrett

Natural Beauty Products, Skincare

I was in Holland & Barrett the other day and something caught my eye…The Beauty Kitchen has increased it’s range of products. They used to have a small offering of scrubs and lip balms…they are the things that I remember anyway – but I never knew they did BB creams and facial masks?! I don’t know when this growth for the brand happened, but I am pretty sure all the company’s products used to fit on one shelf as opposed to being sprawled out over 3! Some of the items from their Abyssinian oil range were in the penny sale. To clarify, for those that don’t know, Holland & Barrett regularly do a penny sale where you can mix any two items qualifying in the sale and get the lower price one for a penny. Effectively, think of it as buy one get one free. I knew it was the perfect opportunity to stock up on some essentials to take advantage of the offer. I looked at the ingredients of the products and I was instantly sold.

An impressive list of natural ingredients…

Normally I trawl through the reviews to try to make informed purchasing decisions – that is how rare an impulse buy is for me..! But I love the brand so much, I trust their products. And at half price (pretty much) – I am not going to let a fantastic offer slip me by.

My Purchases

I bought the Facial Moisture Cream and Aroma Facial Concentrate in the Abyssinian Oil range.

You will always need a replacement moisturiser for when your current one runs out right…

And this anti-ageing skin oil looked impressive too

This is what the bottle looks like

About the Brand

The company strives in producing ‘100% effective, natural, everyday luxury beauty products’ at affordable prices. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the fact that this is what the company aims to achieve in the market place. On their website, they have openly stated that they saw a gap in the market because other companies claiming to be natural…actually weren’t all that natural when one inspects the ingredients in their offerings. I have seen that sometimes, when a product boasts a wonder ingredient…it will form like 0.1% of the product but percentage-wise that ingredient will be completely overshadowed by a range of horrible-sounding chemicals and additives.

Furthermore, on their website, I saw the word ‘affordable’ dotted around quite a lot – this is something that I highly respect. Other producers in this industry, it seems, are hell-bent on bleeding us obliging and unsuspecting victims dry. It is quite widely known that the mark-up on a lot of beauty items is astounding – so much so, that a whole new company, Beauty Pie, was created to highlight and create a solution to the issue. Beauty Pie is a subscription-based company where you can purchase its supposedly luxury quality items, at factory prices. When I last looked – reviews for it’s product offerings were not amazing – but if that ever changed – I would gladly become a paid-up Beauty Pie member. But who knows if people reviewing these items are just being psychologically sucked into the hype of big brand names and therefore underrating these products…I have no idea!

I am getting off topic here – back to Beauty Kitchen. If you visit their Glasgow-based HQ you can take part in a ‘Create your Own’ workshop – where you can learn to make your own 100% natural beauty products. That is definitely on my bucket list! The other thing that I have to say is that the customer service I have received from this relatively new player has been astounding. A while back, I saw their hand scrub featured on a UK TV programme (This Morning on ITV) – and off the back of that – I really wanted to get my hands on one of their products. I managed to order 2 (one for Pav) on the H&B website, I was excited…I waited a while for the product…nothing came…I waited some more…still nothing. I then contacted H&B, a little confused as to where my product was! H&B said that as they had run out of that item, they had refunded my money back into my account. This was a huge let-down for me. Firstly, at least give me some warning that I will not be receiving this item. Secondly, they offered a measly 10% discount that I could use on my next purchase. So I went to the Beauty Kitchen website directly, where for some reason my payment was just not going through this one day. By this point I was frustrated – how was I ever going to get this item!! I sent Beauty Kitchen an email telling them how difficult it had been for me to get hold of this scrub (bearing in mind most of my annoyance had been caused by H&B and not them.) They were so lovely, they offered to send me 2 (yes 2!) of the scrubs for free. When I received the package – two complimentary lip balms had been sent as well. That level of customer service is unheard of these days and can only be applauded.

Final Verdict

All in all, this is an outstanding company with award-winning products. They have a new Seahorse Plankton range – which boasts some amazing anti-ageing properties. I really want to try the BB cream in the range too; specifically for days where I want my skin to breath and heal, and strip it from all the pore-clogging make-up that I subject it to on a regular basis.

Jas xx

W7 Cosmetics – It’s Magic! Make up Remover Cloth Review

Make-Up, Skincare

A friend of mine recommended this to me – (thanks Leyla!!) I normally use cheap wipes to take off my make-up; spending loads of money on expensive ones doesn’t even enter my mind. It is bad though, we are happy to spend loads of money on the make-up itself, because we want to look our best, but scrimping on wipes could potentially ruin skin long-term. According to this article from Marie Claire, we should actually be washing our face after using the make-up wipes because of the harsh chemical residue they leave on our face… (I haven’t been doing this…oops.) So surely, just using water should be much kinder and far better for our delicate skin.

The cloth comes in an elongated shape…there is quite a lot of surface area here to clean your entire face.

So this ‘magic’ cloth just needs warm water and it can be used to wipe off the day’s make-up – including waterproof mascara!! It is reusable and can be picked up on the internet for around £3-£4. I have purchased 3 of these (I will buy 1 or 2 more if I find I need them)…with the intention of chucking them in the wash after every use. I do laundry every 2-3 days (with 2 small children it is unfortunately an endless cycle of laundry…) & at last there is a benefit of this incessant washing for me! I guess compared to someone who only does laundry once a week or so, I am better placed to continually have a fresh cloth to hand. So my plan is to wash them quickly by hand and then chuck straight into the machine. I also use Dettol Laundry Cleanser in each wash…which kills off all the bacteria in my wash – I guess this will help the cleanliness of these cloths for me too.

Another benefit is that in theory, you should never need to buy make-up removing wipes or lotion ever again…so that should save a lot of money in the long run 🙂

When I searched the internet, this product did seem to have amazing reviews overall…that is always a major pull factor for me…I just had to try them. But how did this potential wonder product fare…?

Day 1

Make-up applied on day: Primer, BB cream, Setting Powder, Waterproof Mascara, Cream Eyeshadow Stick (as eyeliner), Liquid Lipstick, Highlighter, Blusher

How easy was it to take off? I am quite lazy when it comes to taking off make-up, I just quickly wipe off what I can before I get bored lol. It took off pretty much all my make-up. My waterproof mascara came off better with this than any other remover or wipe…I normally always have a bit of black residue around my eyes (which is more obvious the following morning :0 …) I still had a tiny bit of shimmer from the cream shadow stick – but it was only very slight. And maybe that was due to me not being as thorough as I could have been. Overall, I am very impressed with results 🙂

Day 2

Make-up applied on day: Primer, Estée Lauder Double Wear (this stuff is extremely full coverage..!), Setting Powder, Waterproof Mascara, Cream Eyeshadow Stick (as eyeliner), Liquid Lipstick, Highlighter, Blusher

How easy was it to take off? So I thought I would try this cloth once more before giving my verdict and I upped my make-up a bit – to make it more full coverage I used Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation. I would say the previous day when I used the cloth to take my make-up off – everything had slid off quite a lot by the time I actually used it. But this time, I had a full face of make-up still on (this EL foundation seriously doesn’t budge!!) Again though, I was so impressed. Waterproof mascara – gone so easily 🙂 This time there were no shimmery specks near my eyes. Also, I find my skin feeling a little bit irritated and sensitive after using make-up wipes (or make-up remover-soaked cotton pads), but with this my skin just feels clean and for some reason tighter?!

Verdict

I think the fact that it can take off waterproof mascara with ease says it all really. That is the big pain when I remove my make-up – and, for me, if it can tackle that so well, it is an fantastic product 🙂 As I mentioned before, whenever I look in the mirror in the morning – I can, without fail, detect some of the previous day’s eyeliner/mascara – after using this cloth I no longer have that problem – that is how good it is…

I also think, if you can be bothered, using the cloth with filtered or boiled but warm water could be even better, as it would be an even cleaner substance that you would be rubbing into your skin (as opposed to tap water.) It is an amazing product & if you, like me, do regular laundry anyway – it would be so easy to incorporate these little babies into your life/make-up routine.

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