What's In My Kit (Part 2)

Selection of Powder and Cream Highlighters

Today's post is part 2 of my Whats In My Kit series which I've realised is also a guide on how to build your own kit on a budget. This post is going to focus on blushers, bronzers, contours and highlights, I will show you what I have in my own kit, what I think you need and what I think you should spend/save money on.
When buying these types of products you want to pick a selection of colours that will suit all different skin tones and styles of make-up, I think it's important to not only pick shades you like personally but look for a variety of colours that everyone might like (having said that I would never buy something I thought looked bad just to have variety)
Palettes are a great way to get a selection of different shades and can often be more value for money than individuals, you can find palettes to suit every budget and they are great because they take up less space in your kit!
You should also consider what formulas you want to use....powder, liquid, cream?
These all have different pros and cons and over time you will develop your own preferences but I do think it's a good idea to have a small selection of everything to ensure your client gets what they want and you can achieve a look that suits them. I personally tend to use powders and am not a big fan of the heavy striped on contour (it looks fabulous in photographs but very harsh for real life) but I do have options available if a client requests it - you will read more about this in my breakdown of products.

Selection of Cream and Powder Blushers

Blush
I feel that blush is one of those products you can save money on, the high street brands have really come a long way recently and are putting out some really high-quality products. I would rather buy an inexpensive blush palette and keep my money for products like foundation or skincare where I think you see a bigger difference in quality when you spend more (that does not mean you can't get good quality foundations on a budget this is just my personal opinion and where I choose to spend more of my money) In my kit I do have some single blush pans from MAC that I've put into my own palette and although they are good and have lasted me a really long time I would probably pick something different in future like the Make-up Geek blush pans or a Morphe palette that's also really nice quality but less money. I like to use powder blush but I do have a cream blush palette from Sleek that is really nice. If you don't like creams/liquids and don't want to invest in these items you can use a lot of lip products on the cheeks, just be careful and test it out on the back of your hand first.
Blushes in my kit 
MAC - Tenderling, Mocha and Gingerly
Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit

Bronze, Contour and Highlight
I've decided to group these together because the main product I want to talk about from my kit combines bronzer, contour and highlighter. The product I use regularly and would really recommend is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Kit Contour, this has everything you need....matte contour shades, matte highlight shades, a bronzer and a shimmer highlight! I actually really need to replace this as it's much loved and I've hit pan on every shade. Now you can also find cheaper alternatives that are very similar to this product but I love this so much I would spend the extra money on it....the alternative I would like to try is the Kat Von D Shade and Light palette. Okay so that is my number one pick for a palette that does it all but I do also have a selection of individual highlighters including The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer and MAC Soft and Gentle Mineralize Skinfinish, these are both quite iconic and I won't say much more other than I love them because over time I will probably give them a proper review (maybe a highlighter favourites post?). For contouring I also have the Illamasqua Gel Sculpt which is what I would use if a client wanted the full cream contour because this has a nice natural finish that is sheer so creates the illusion of a true shadow which I think looks better in real life than a heavy dark stripe painted on the face, if this is done really well i.e. the perfect colour and really really blended it can still be really beautiful but for me it's a lot of extra work for something that doesn't look very natural.
Bronze, Contour and Highlight in my kit
Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit
Nars - Laguna
Illamasqua Gel Sculpt - Silhouette
Chanel Soleil Tan Bronze
Make-up Revolution Highlighter Palette
The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer
MAC Mineralise Skinfinish - Soft and Gentle
Illamasqua Gleam - Aurora

So there you have it part 2 done and dusted if you want to read more about what I'm keeping in my makeup kit click here to read part 1.

Selection of Blushers

Liz Earle Product Review

Liz Earle Products

Today I'm giving you a bit of a brand review, I'm going to talk to you about all the products I have tried from Liz Earle and tell you my thoughts on each one and the brand as a whole. I first discovered Liz Earle a good few years ago when I heard a lot of hype from YouTube and magazines about the Hot Cloth Cleanser, after seeing how many beauty awards these products had won I decided I had to give it a try and since then I have included other products each year on my Christmas wishlist and I have now tried a range of the products and can give a fair and honest review.

1) Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser - £16 (100ml pump starter kit)
Ingredients and Claims
Rosemary, Chamomile, Cocoa Butter and Eucalyptus Essential Oil. (In each description I have included some ingredients for full list see the website)
Instantly removes daily grime and make-up to leave skin beautifully smooth and exceptionally clean.
Review
This is a really lovely cleanser that removes all make-up effectively and gently exfoliates to reveal radiant fresh skin daily. I tried this product a few years ago and have repurchased it many times since. I have tried other make-up removers and cleansers during this time but I always go back to this one........I actually think this has earned holy grail status in my skincare regime. All of the Liz Earle products I have used have a distinct scent, many of the products have a different fragrance to them but you can still identify that they are from the Liz Earle brand, which I really enjoy.....they all have a floral, herbal, fresh scent to them (I am terrible at giving scent descriptions). Anyway back to the cleanser, I apply a generous amount of the cream which feels very thick and luxurious on top of my make-up and massage in, you quickly see the make-up dissolving. Then I take a muslin cloth that I have run under hot water and work it over my skin in small circular motions to exfoliate and remove make-up, afterwards I rinse my face with cool water. I'm left with soft clean skin free of make-up...ready for my next skincare steps.
Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish

2) Instant Boost Skin Tonic £15 (200ml bottle)
Ingredients and Claims
Aloe Vera, Calendula, Cucumber, Rose-Scented Geranium and Natural Source Vitamin E.
Revitalises, soothes and tones for radiant-looking skin.
Review
This is one of those products that isn't really a necessity, it's more of a luxury but I love it nonetheless. This really does soothe the skin and give a pick-me-up, it also removes any traces of make-up that have been missed during cleansing. I'm currently mid-way through my second bottle of the Skin Tonic, I use this on days where I take the time to really look after my skin (as opposed to those days I quickly remove my make-up and throw on some moisturiser) and I would repurchase this product again.

3) Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion £15 (150ml bottle)
Ingredients and Claims
Naturally active ingredients include the herb Eyebright, Witch Hazel, Aloe Vera and Cornflower to cool soothe and revitalise tired eyes.
Review
This is a lot like the skin tonic but targeted specifically for the eyes. It feels very cooling and refreshing on the eyes which can be increased by keeping the bottle in the fridge. I have bad dark circles under my eyes so I like having something on hand to help and this really gives my skin a boost whilst still being delicate on my eye area.

4) Rosemary and Rock Rose Handcare Duo (no longer available click here for alternative)
Ingredients and Claims
Rosemary and Rock Rose pure essential oils
Rich, yet non-greasy, this hand treatment is an exquisite botanical blend of soothing echinacea and toning hops, plus natural source antioxidant vitamin E.
Review
I have only recently started using the hand cream in this duo but it's great, it has the perfect balance of being moisturising and softening without being greasy or taking forever to absorb into the skin. It also has a really lovely scent which encourages me to use it because otherwise, I tend to ignore hand cream (because I'm lazy and the fear of being greasy and unable to do things or touch anything). Now the hand wash is a similar story, it smells really good and it keeps your hands nice and soft but I don't know if these are products I would rush out to go buy again, I am more likely to pick up something inexpensive or on offer when I spot it in a shop. I do think this would make a nice gift and would add a bit of luxury to a guest bathroom if you're ever lucky enough to have one but for every day it's not a necessity for myself.

Liz Earle Hand Wash and Hand Cream

So my overall opinion is that I've never had a 'bad' product from Liz Earle, the prices I think are fair for the quality you receive and I'll definitely continue to repurchase the cleanse and polish and skin tonic. I will also continue to try out different products from the brand and hopefully find some new loves! 

Can Cutting Out Dairy Cure Your Acne?

Alpro Hazelnut Milk and Coffee

My Acne Story
I've suffered with what I would consider moderate acne my full adult life. In my younger teenage years I had pretty good skin but when I did get a spot it was always a bad one and it would take a lifetime to clear up. As the years passed my skin got worse and although I know lots of people are affected much more severely than myself it still knocks my confidence and I've tried an abundance of 'solutions' that have never worked. Over the years I've used multiple products targeted at clearing spots and acne (Proactive was one that I used for a while) sometimes they helped but they never fully cleared my acne and they always dried out my skin terribly making it more difficult to cover my spots. More recently I was given antibiotics from my doctor, now these really did help, I took one tablet a day and within 8 weeks I started to see results, my skin looked better than it had in years. The problem is this isn't a permanent solution, you can't take antibiotics forever (doctors wouldn't allow this, your body would build up a resistance and who wants to be taking drugs they don't need to) so the time came and my doctor recommended a break from the tablets and sure enough my spots returned. I had experienced the dream of clear skin and returning to the nightmare of acne motivated me to search for an alternative solution. After doing some research online I came across some information that suggested acne could be caused by the consumption of dairy, below I've included some of this information and links to articles if you want to have a read.

Information

  • There is an abundance of a hormone called IGF-1 in milk, which is really good for baby cows, but not for you. IGF-1 is a growth hormone. It makes baby cows grow up big and strong, but in humans, it tends to make your acne grow big instead. IGF-1 is one of the several factors that cause inflammation in humans, and which eventually lead to acne (and the ugly redness and swelling that makes acne so annoying).
  • Milk and dairy products cause an insulin spike in humans that cause the liver to produce even more IGF-1, leading to even more acne. 
  • Dairy causes your skin to produce excess sebum (oil), leading to – you guessed it! – more clogged pores, more acne. 
  • Dairy glues together dead skin cells inside your pores, so they can’t exit naturally, leading to clogged pores (and thus more acne).
Click here for more information, you can also do a google search and find loads of info.

After this revelation, I decided hey why not give it a try, now the thought of giving up cheese (is life even worth it without pizza) is daunting but I had to give it a try! So I decided to cut out as much dairy as possible which is extremely difficult as you just don't notice how much is in foods you wouldn't expect so I've done the best I can for two weeks, read on to see my results.
(I have included before and after pictures of my chin and mouth area as this where my acne is worst)

Day 1
Acne Before Image

During the first week I did have a few slip ups but nothing major, by day four I could start to see some results even though they were very minimal.

Day 15
Acne After Image

Okay so these are my results, during week two I had an occasional cheat but overall I avoided most dairy products and I can really see results. Currently, I have no major spots, I do still have lots of redness as my skin does scar but it's the best I've seen it in quite some time. Now my skin isn't all of a sudden perfect but it looks much better and I think if I had managed to be super strict I would have seen even bigger changes, I will continue to keep my dairy consumption to a minimum and give updates on how my skin looks and if this method continues to work.

If you have enjoyed this post and would like to see more like this in the future let me know!

(This method has improved the look of my skin but I can't guarantee this would work for anyone else, everyone is different and the causes of your acne could be very different to my own, so always be cautious, do your research and if in doubt consult your doctor before making any major changes to your diet and lifestyle)

My Favourite Make-up Brushes

Zoeva make up brushes and eye shadow palettes


As a make-up artist, I know the importance of good tools so today I'm talking about some of my favourite make-up brushes. Whether it's for a professional kit or personal use good brushes can have a big impact on your make-up application. I will say that brushes aren't a necessity, you can do most of your make-up with just your hands if you prefer.....but personally I like to use brushes! 
I am going to talk about some of my individual favourite brushes in this post but first I am going to discuss my recommendation for a full set. If you're on the hunt for a set of good quality brushes then I suggest the Zoeva Complete Brush Set for £95. This set comes with 15 high-quality brushes and a cute black clutch bag, these brushes are super soft and really good quality, I've had mines for over a year and they still look great, they wash well and don't lose bristles.

Make up brushes

Individual Brushes

Zoeva 
228 - Luxe Crease
Really fluffy and great for blending put shadows

227 - Luxe Soft Definer
Great crease brush for applying and blending colour

231 - Luxe Petit Crease
Nice small brush that's great for more detailed work on the crease or blending colour on the lower lashline

142 - Concealer Buffer 
I love this brush, it's so handy for concealer, blending foundation in smaller/harder to reach areas of the face and applying a base/primer to the eye area

317 - Wing Liner
I use this brush for filling in my eyebrows, it allows you to be really precise, I prefer a fine pointed brush for my liner 

MAC - 217
Very similar to the Zoeva 227

MAC - 242
Flat brush that's perfect for packing colour on to the lid 

Real Techniques Contour Brush
Really lovely brush that could be used for multiple purposes such as setting the undereyes or applying blush and obviously contouring as the name suggests

This applies foundation smoothly and could be used for applying other cream products

Okay so this isn't a brush but I love it! This is my favourite way to apply foundation and other cream products at the moment

Make up brushes

What are your favourite brushes?

What's In My Kit (Part - 1)

Clear make up bag with skincare inside

This is going to be my first post in a series of blogs about professional make-up kits, I'm going to show you what I have in my kit and give advice on how to build your own.

When building your pro make-up kit I would suggest getting organised, make a list of what you have already and the essentials you still need then you can create a list of extra items and luxuries you want to add further down the line.

Building a kit takes a lot of time and money so don't worry about what other people have or if you have less expensive items because something is cheap doesn't mean it can't be good quality. Having a professional kit doesn't mean everything needs to be luxury.

I'm going to start with base products, in future posts I will work my way through

  • powders - blush, bronzers, highlight
  • eyes - shadows, liner, mascara
  • lips
  • miscellaneous
MAC, Illamasqua and Nars Foundations


Essential Items

Make-up Remover
I like to use a micellar water as it's inexpensive and effective. You don't need to rinse micellar water off and I find it less harsh than face wipes. (I like to pack baby wipes in my kit so I can quickly remove make-up from the back of my hand when I'm finished)

Moisturiser
You should pick something that will be good for all skin types, I really like the Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré Nourishing Moisturiser but I've run out of this at the moment so until I pick up something new I'm using the Nivea Soft Refreshingly Soft Moisturising Cream, this actually works well as it comes in a small pot and is a really classic simple moisturiser.

Various skincare and make up primers

Primer 
If you are just starting out this is something you could skip buying, a good quality moisturiser will be good enough to prep the skin. If you decide to pick one up I would start out with an 'all-rounder' like The Ordinary High-Adherence Silicone Primer this is a super inexpensive primer that will prep the skin and blur imperfections. Over time you can pick up primers for specific skin concerns (moisturising, illuminating, oil absorbing). Right now in my kit I carry MAC Strobe Cream to moisturise and give an illumination to the skin, I also carry a pore filling product like Clinique Pore Refining Solutions Instant Perfector, a cheaper alternative would be something like the Maybelline Baby Skin Pore Eraser which is a silicone based product that smooths the skin (although this one is probably better for dry skin). You may also want to go a step further and buy an eyeshadow primer, I have one from NYX which is nice but this is an extra and you can just apply foundation or concealer and set with powder to give the same effect as a primer.

Foundation
Okay, so this is where things can get expensive. There are almost too many options between brands, formulas and shades and it can get very overwhelming. In my kit, I currently have a few liquid foundations from Nars, MAC and Illamasqua. A good option if you like cream formulas are foundation palettes (Graftobian and RCMA make some that I've heard are good). These offer a full range of shades and are compact making them good for saving space and weight in your kit. If you decide to pick liquids like I did you will need to think carefully about which shades you need. It would be far too expensive and wasteful to buy every shade in a range. You should aim to buy a light, medium and dark foundation to start and I would also suggest buying a white and black foundation so you can custom create a shade for each client. (Also think about SPF, if your client is going to be photographed SPF may give a white cast in flash photography)

Nars and Illamasqua Foundations

Concealer
This is similar to picking foundations, you can pick up palettes that will give you a full range of shades, I believe Kryolan do a nice one for a reasonable price. If you want to pick individual concealers and are on a budget the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer is great!

Picking products is going to be a matter of trial and error, over time you will learn what works for you and your clients and what doesn't. It's important to remember that this will take time....don't stress you will get there and a good make-up artist will be able to create a beautiful look for clients no matter how big your kit is or how much you've spent.....if that's all it took to be a make-up artist anyone could do it. Believe in yourself and work hard that's what will help you achieve your goals!

Outfit of the Day #1

Clothing flat lay, jeans, handbag, shoes
Today I have my first outfit post for you all, I
love to see what people are wearing and keeping in their wardrobes and today you are getting a little sneak peak at what I'm loving right now. 
Here in Scotland the weather is unpredictable, today it's been feeling quite humid but still breezy and of course we've had some light rain on and off throughout the day. This makes
picking an outfit a little tricky I wanted something that would keep me warm (I hate feeling cold) but still have a summery vibe, I was just planning on chilling out and grabbing some food from asda so I wanted to keep it casual and comfortable.
After a quick root around my wardrobe I settled on a colour scheme of white/grey.......my favourite colour scheme for most things, I'm not one for bright colours and jazzy prints. I picked out a cute pair of ripped jeans in a pale denim (roughly £14), white t-shirt (£5 or less) and white lace up pumps (£3) - all from Primark. I finished off the look with my dark grey coatigan from Marks and Spencer (£40, which I love) and I was good to go!


Cardigan, jeans, shoes





Manuka Doctor Replenishing Facial Oil Review

Manuka Doctor Replenishing Facial Oil

Today we are going to take a look at an oil I've been trying from Manuka Doctor. Being 25 I am starting to think more about what skincare products I'm using and it's becoming more important that I pick products that will help with the ageing process........or rather slowing it down.  Manuka Doctor has a range of oils and the replenishing one seemed to be promoted as one to help with ageing (well from the three I could find in Holland and Barrett anyway)
So I've broken my review down into categories starting with the claims, packaging and my thoughts.



Claims

  • Skin looks more luminous, complexion younger-looking and fine lines refined
  • Clinically proven to reduce wrinkle depth and increase skin firmness in just four weeks

So when I checked out the ingredients/description on the Manuka Doctor website they claim it contains their 'hero' ingredient Manuka oil so I decided to research why it's so beneficial....here's what I found

  • Leptospermum Scoparium is the scientific name for Manuka oil
  • Its essential oil is derived from the leaves of Manuka through steam distillation
  • Anti-dandruff, antidote for insect bites, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory substance
  • Thirty times stronger than tea tree

Packaging
The bottle comes in a cardboard box, it's pretty and feels high quality. The bottle is glass and has a nice weight to it again feeling high quality, it comes with a dropper that perfectly distributes the right amount of oil with no leaking of oil (which is a problem I have had with another oil dropper bottle) the only thing I will say is usually oils come in a dark coloured glass bottle to protect what's inside although I think this would ruin the look you may want to consider keeping it in its box or away from sunlight.

Manuka Doctor Replenishing Facial Oil, Neal's Yard Bee Lovely Hand Cream, Burt's Bees Lip balm


My thoughts
Okay, firstly I think the smell might be something people either love or hate when I first started using this oil I wasn't keen on it at all but over time I've grown to quite like the scent. The oil itself is lovely, it's not greasy or heavy feeling, it sinks in and makes my skin feel smooth and luminous. I have suffered from adult acne for years and this oil did not break me out, I actually think it probably helped with the healing of scars etc. When I use this product my skin looks nourished and bright, it's not overly expensive but it's also not cheap (£20.99) so I would definitely repurchase but I would look out for a deal which you can often find on the Manuka Doctor or Holland and Barrett websites. The bottle is only 25ml but it lasted me a long time as you only need a few drops (I probably use more than needed) I chose to alternate this with a regular moisturiser to make the bottle last even longer. The only thing I couldn't comment on is if this helps with the ageing process as I am 'only' 25 so don't have many wrinkles....yet, but prevention is better than cure so I love that it has those properties that are going to smooth out lines and keep you youthful. So my final thoughts are that this is a really good oil that will leave your skin looking good and feeling moisturised without making you oily, I give my approval and would recommend it to a friend.

Review of a Classic - MAC Studio Fix Fluid

MAC Studio Fix Fluid

Hey guys, today I'm taking a look back at a classic.......the MAC Studio Fix Fluid! This is one of those products you instantly think of when you hear MAC and today I decided to review it (or re-review it) it's kind of been forgotten and sitting in my kit unused for a while, replaced by newer releases and more loved foundations. So today I wanted to find out if it's been forgotten for good reason or if I'm missing out. This foundation has SPF15 and comes in 46 shades, I'm using the shade NC15. The first day I decide to try this foundation I'm surprised by how good it looks, the application is nicer than I remember and it goes on smoothly and doesn't emphasis my pores or dryness, once settled on the skin it has a fairly matte finish. The coverage is good I would say medium with the ability to build to full coverage, what I will note now is that this foundation stinks! It smells quite strongly and is a bit like paint although this does eventually go once it's settled on the skin. After 5-6 hours wear my skin still looked good, it was gathering a bit around my nose and chin, pores also looked more obvious but overall still good. The next day I tried it again since I had such a positive experience the day before. From a distance the foundation still looked good but after taking a closer look I could see some of the reasons it hadn't been my favourite. On the areas my skin isn't so good (I'm currently having a breakout on my chin) the foundation clung a little and made my skin  look dry. The texture on my skin was more obvious and I know I have other other foundations that give better results. My final thoughts are that this isn't a bad foundation, it will look great if you have perfect skin but I have tried other foundations I like better so I wouldn't necessarily recommend this to others.
MAC Studio Fix Fluid

YSL Black Opium Review

YSL Black Opium Perfume

Today I am reviewing the YSL Black Opium and Black Opium Floral Shock perfumes. I was given black opium as a gift a few months back and instantly fell in love, it's a sweet, sexy and mysterious scent that I always wear on nights out - it would also be great for date night! This perfume has quickly become my new favourite perfume (replacing my much loved Paco Rabanne Black XS) and although it is fairly expensive (around £50 for 30ml) I think it's totally worth it.

I'm not very good at explaining scents so I've included the notes below 

Top Notes Black coffee accord Mandarine Bergamot 
Heart Notes Orange blossom Tuberose Jasmin sambac 
Base Notes White musk Vanilla beans Cashmeran

YSL Black Opium Perfume and Make up

I also recently had the chance to smell the new variation of black opium, floral shock (chance to smell = regularly steal from my mother) this scent is lighter and more floral making it a better choice for during the day and although I prefer the original this is still good and has a very similar vibe. 

Again I have included the notes below 

Top notes Bergamot Essence, Pear Accord, Freesia Accord 
Heart notes Orange Blossom Absolute, Golden Gardenia Accord, Solar-floral accord 
Base notes Coffee Accord, Sandalwood Accord, Vanilla


What's in my Handbag?

Assortment of beauty products spilling out of a handbag

Okay the first thing I pull out of my handbag is my 2017 diary, I always like to carry a diary because I want to be one of those super organised people - in reality I'm not - but I do like to know my plans and have the option of adding to my diary wherever I go. My current diary is from BusyB, this was my first product from the company and I love it! Each week is given 2 pages meaning you can keep personal and work information in separate columns, there is also a large reminder page given every 3 months with space to keep receipts/important papers. The design is pretty and simple and the size of the diary means I can easily keep it in most handbags (roughly half the size of an A4 piece of paper)

Next I have a little tin of mints in cute star shapes which I purchased from Tiger in Glasgow, these are super cute and taste good but in reality, it doesn't matter what they look like I just like to carry something minty for after meals and snacks.

Diary and beauty products

Impulse
I always like to keep these handy, I have them in various handbags and scattered around my house. They smell good, are inexpensive, slim and lightweight....perfect for on the go! The scent I'm currently carrying is Romantic Spark which smells of violet and white wood.

 The next item I received in my Marks and Spencer beauty advent calendar and it's the perfect size for your handbag, I love the smell as it's not like any other perfumes I've tried. The website claims - Atropa Belladonna is an award-winning modern fragrance that is now a cult classic. It is daring, chic and mesmerising. The richly decadent scent of dark cassis berries is blended with heady white flower blooms of narcissus and jasmine on a base of sandalwood and patchouli.

This is a powder I have enjoyed and repurchased for a few years now it's a smooth, fine-milled pressed powder. I would say this powder is not totally transparent it does add a little colour and coverage but doesn't make my skin look cakey and is perfect to pop in my handbag.



Bubble Mask Review


Today I'm reviewing the Milky Piggy Carbonated Bubble Clay Mask which I have had for a little while now and was a big craze with YouTubers and bloggers.....so here's my opinion.....

Milky Piggy Carbonated Bubble Clay Mask

Packaging
The packaging is very cute although not exactly sophisticated or luxurious, it does come with a little spatula which I do appreciate as it makes application easier and less messy. The downside is most of the information is written in Korean (or so I'm lead to believe) so you need to venture online for ingredients or directions.

Product
The product itself is an ugly greenish grey colour with a slimy goop texture which is not all that appealing. The scent I did not originally mind but as time goes on I've grown to dislike it. This product claims to be 'a powerful pore treatment - the bubbles help exfoliate dead skin cells and unclog pesky pores while delivering the nutrients deep into the skin' 

Application and Results 
I use the spatula to scoop out a small amount of product and begin spreading over the face avoiding the eye, nose and mouth areas, within minutes you feel the mask tingling as the tiny bubbles begin to form......this mask does not look particularly attractive when it's fully.....bubbled? (or immediately after application for that matter) but it is fun to use. Trying to rinse this product off is a little difficult and I recommend using a sponge or muslin cloth to make things easier, once removed my skin was left feeling very clean and smooth....perhaps a little tight but this made my pores feel more refined.

Final Thoughts
I would recommend this product to anyone who loves face masks and is looking to try something fun and different, I don't think it provides miracle results but I will continue using and would probably repurchase for the right price.




Top Tanning Products

Utan and Tone Turbo Tan

Today I'm going to be sharing some of the tanning products I'm currently using and loving. Now I'm no tanning expert by any means but as we are entering summer and I'm generally milk bottle white with zero motivation to lay out in the sun all day (not that we get much sun in Scotland) I have decided to jump on the fake tan bandwagon. 

Before we jump into the heavy duty fake tans I do have a few favourites that are a little more subtle and easy to use for those of you who don't like to use a fake tan/are new to the process/ want a more subtle 'glow'.

Dove DermaSpa Summer Revived Gradual Self Tan

This is a product I have used for years and enjoyed, it's easy to use, inexpensive, moisturises the skin and builds to a nice even colour. My number one tip if you want to build the colour a little faster is to buy the darker shade, I have very fair skin and I buy the medium-deep shade this means you can use it maybe 2 or 3 times during the week and you will build colour much quicker and have a light golden tan.
The first downside to this product (which doesn't matter to us ghosties) is if you have a deeper skin tone you may not notice any results as the developed colour does not go beyond a medium tone. Secondly, the product itself doesn't smell too offensive but I don't like how it leaves my skin smelling.

Olay Complete Everyday Sunshine Moisturiser

So this is another gradual build tan specifically designed for use on your face, I love the glow this product gives, it looks natural and sunkissed and it has SPF 15 so you do get some light sun protection if you want to wear this with nothing else on the skin.


3. Utan and Tone 40 Minute Turbo Lotion Okay so this is the product for all those who want that 'just back from holiday' look. I recently purchased this product and I'm in love, the colour is deep (but not too dark even for me) and it applies evenly. Although this product is the most high maintenance i would recommend it to anyone looking for a true deep tan that can be achieved quickly. You need to make sure your skin is well exfoliated before applying and use a good quality mitt but the thing I love is you can control the colour, if you're looking for a light bronze you can leave the colour on for 40 mins (upping the time the darker you want to go) and it continues to develop for a further 24 hours after washing off.

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