Preparing for Valentines Day| Passion Peel Off Mask

 

Well I don’t know what your plans for Valentines Day tomorrow but mine are very low key. As I’m in a long distance relationship I won’t be seeing my boyfriend tomorrow. Instead I’m off to my friends for pizza, wine and trashy television. So as my valentines Day will be at the weekend I took the opportunity to pamper myself tonight. Thankfully Montagne Jeunesse recently sent me this lovely face mask to try as an early Valentine present.

I was gifted the Montagne Jeunesse Passion Peel Off face mask*, which is jam packed full of pomegranate, passion-fruit, raspberry, grape and cranberry, even better it is suitable for vegetarians and full of natural ingredients. It smells divine and I love the striking red colour; really gets me in the mood for Valentines Day.  Their facemasks are available from Asda, other leading retailers and their website- www.montagnejeunesse.com

Montagne Jeunesse say-

“ Gently peel away dead skin with our amazing Passion Peel Off deep cleansing masque. Our Pomegranate and Passion Flower formula cleans, purifies and protects leaving your skin feeling fresh and radiant, perfect to get up close and personal!”

I say-

“ The mix of the red ingredients and the amazing fruity smell really made  in the mood for Valentines Day. The texture is fairly gloopy and very thick, however it spreads onto your face quite easily. There was enough in the packet to cover my whole face and neck. The mask took about 10-15 minute to set so gave me enough time to soak in the bath and paint my nails. Once dry it peeled off my face very easily and left it smooth, clean, fresh and with minimised pores.”

I also took the chance to paint my nails a gorgeous deep red, scrub and moisturise my body with the help of Soap and Glory and repaired my hair with an Aussie 3 Minute Mask. So overall I have spent the evening beautifying myself and preparing myself for a perfect Valentines Weekend. I plan to look amazing for my boyfriend and find that spending some time pampering myself always helps to boost my confidence and make me feel sexier.

Have you tired this mask from Montagne Jeunesse? What have you done to prepare yourself for Valentines day? Have you been pampering yourself?

Soap & Glory Archery Review| My First YouTube Video

So this post both excites me and terrifies me! This contains my first YouTube video… you can actually see me and hear me and Oh My God do I actually sounds like that! So yeah! The video is a review if you hadn’t guessed by the title of this post. It is a review of another Soap and Glory product, the Archery Brow Tint and Precision pencil*.

Soap and Glory say;

“Distinctly “no-brow”? (Or could do with a fullness boost?) Brush-on-brows and fill in any gaps with the all-day, long-wearing precision-point stain, then use the crayon to give your brows the perfect shape.”

I say;

“ I love this product! I admit I don’t have many to compare it too as am fairly new to the whole looking after your eyebrows thing. However I wouldn’t purchase any other brow pencils now as this one works wonders. It really gives great definition and it lasts all day! What more could you possibly want.”

I decided to do a video on this product as I don’t think the photos you can see above do the product any justification at all. I do have quite thick eyebrows in the first place but I thought a video would be able to show you how to use the product and the results it actually gives. I will apologise for the quality of the video, I don’t think  my lighting was too great and at times it goes a little out of focus, but it is my first video so please be kind!

I hope you enjoyed my first YouTube Video. Please let me know what you think, and leave me any tips if you have any! Have you ever tried this eyebrow pencil before? Are there any others on the market that you think could rival this one?

P.S. Apparently I don’t actually sound like that, and I am in fact using my posh telephone voice… I will work on toning this down in my next video.

My First Ever MAC Lipstick| MAC Sweetie

 

If you read my blog regularly you will know that I have never before owned a MAC product… that is until now! I have tried MAC products, but never really had the desire or funds to spurge on MAC, but thought I might as well try a product to see what the hype it about. To be honest whenever I have ventured into MAC it has always been too busy and chaotic and I’ve found some of the staff to put a bit off putting and unhelpful, so I always walked away empty handed.

Despite all this when I did my sale shopping I thought why not buy a lipstick seems I am loving my lipsticks at the moment, plus they do some amazing shades! So I spent about an hour comparing lipstick swatches online to see which one I should buy, and decided that since I was splurging £14 on a lipstick that I would pick a shade that I would use quite regularly so I went for a more subtle shade than the bold ones I have been buying recently.

I was not disappointed with my MAC lipstick, it has such a creamy consistency and applies like a dream even when I have dry lips. It lasts for a good few hours… not as long as I had hoped but the pigmentation is great so for the hours that it does last it looks amazing. Because it is so pigmented you don't have to apply too many layers so I image it is going to last me quite a while which makes me feel better about the £14 I spent. This lipstick has a shimmer to it unlike all the others I have bought, I’m still unsure as to whether I like the shimmer as I normally stick to matte shades. I was not disappointed with my MAC lipstick but I do like other brands just as much. The main selling point for me is the wide range colours that MAC have… there are so many more that I want!

What do you think of MAC lipsticks, are they worth the money and hype? Which shade is your favourite and would recommend for my next purchase?

Soap & Glory Breakfast Scrub| Review| We have a winner

 

If you are a regular reader of my blog you will know that I am forever on the search for the perfect scrub, be it face or body, and until recently for my search had been unsuccessful… until now! I was recently given a selection of Soap and Glory goodies to try and the multi award winning Soap and Glory The Breakfast Scrub was one of the products I received. To say I am in love with this product is a bit of an understatement, so before I start rambling here’s my review for you.

One of the standout factors of this product is the smell, it is very sweet smelling, it basically smells like a bottle of maple syrup. So if like me you have a massive sweet tooth, you are in for a treat… I love it so much I actually find myself wanting to nibble on it as it smells delicious! If you don’t have a sweet tooth the smell may be a little overpowering for you. Hopefully the fact that the product works will let you oversee this.

You can see from the pictures it is a very thick and creamy scrub. It is a proper sugar scrub jam packed full of tiny little particles that you can really work into your skin. I mostly enjoyed this scrub because the little particles are very resistant and do not break up when rubbing them into your skin, therefor you can give yourself a good scrub to reveal gorgeous smooth skin. Even though the scrub is quite abrasive  the Shea butter in it means that it still provides moistures. however it is not a scrub to use everyday, I would say use it twice a week.

I have used this scrub quite a few times, as has my mum but you can see from the picture that it barely looks touched. I think it will last me a good couple for months which means the £9.50 price tag is very reasonable!

Have you tried this scrub before? What do you think of the maple syrup smell? Are there any other body scrub you would recommend; which one’s are your favourite?

Fruity Face Masks| A Montagne Jeunesse Review

 

A face mask always brightens up my day. I don’t know about you but as soon as I put a face mask on I am instantly relaxed, it may be because you can’t really move around too much while you are wearing one. Whether it is or it isn’t, those ten minute when my skin is being cleaned and nourished are special to me. So whenever Montagne Jeunesee contact me to ask whether I would like to trial their new face masks I always say yes. Plus a nice soothing or refreshing facemask is perfect for rejuvenating your skin after those late nights and too many glasses of champagne you’ve probably consumed over the past week!

Montagne Jeunesse kindly sent me three masks to try from their new Exotic Fruits Range, one mud mask and two peel off masks. I am sure you have heard of Montagne Jeunesse before, many of you, like me will have grown up using their face masks with your mum or with your friends during sleep overs. If you haven’t I will give you a little information. They are an animal friendly company based in the UK which makes a range of natural skin care products. Their products are all suitable for vegetables and  use natural ingredients. I think they are very reasonably priced at around £1, this range above are sold for £1.29 from Boots, Asda and their website- www.motagnejeunesse.com. I was really surprised to learn that they sell 30,000 face mask every day in the UK! Now that’s impressive!

Anyways onto the products and review. Their Exotic Fruit collection is is made from a range of unusual natural skin care ingredients, which makes them all very fruity! 

Paw Paw Peel Off Mask

They say- “Picked from the tropics of South America the PawPaw aka Papaya (known as “ Fruit of Angels”) and Noni Fruit naturally help protect. This duo work harmoniously, revealing clean sensational skin, sent from the Heavens.”

I say- “This mask was very very sticky when applying, so it went on quite thick. Despite how thick it went on it dried in a good amount of time (around 10 minutes) and when drying there was no discomfort like there is sometimes. The mask came off very easily, almost in one piece, and I was left with amazingly soft skin!! I tried to take a picture of how glowing it was, but the picture did no justice to how great my skin looked. It definitely took away my dead pores and left with with pretty good pores!”

Dragon Fruit Sauna Mask

They say-“For a flaming good clean, ablaze with freshly crushed Dragon Fruit from the depths of central America and pulped Kiwi Fruit, this warming wonder reaches into pores removing trapped oil and dirt… a fiery feast for smooth, clean skin.”

I say-“Again this mask was very very sticky, and very fruity smelling, but the smell was amazing! This mask definitely warmed up! It heated to a noticeable yet comfortable temperature and dried in good time. Again I was left with soft, clean and glowing skin. However I don’t think this is my favourite sauna mask, there are others in the Montagne Jeunesse range I prefer, such as the Red Hot Earth Sauna Masque.”

 Prickly Pear Peel Off Mask

They say-“Native to the Western Hemisphere, Prickly Pear helps protect skin from the Earth’s daily assaults whilst Mangosteen has powerful free scavengers (antioxidants)- How’s that for a boost?”

I say-“Again this mask is super sticky! But the results are amazing, very similar to the Paw Paw Peel Off mask, my skin was left very smooth, soft and clean. I used it after my night out in Manchester, and it definitely brightened up my dull, hungover skin, and I went to work on Monday looking fresh (just a little tired!)”

Overall, as always, I was very impressed with the results. My skin looked amazing after each mask and the product did as it said it would! The only downside and negative comment I can make is that the Exotic Fruits range as fruity as it is, isn’t very festive. It would of been great to see a new range released that reflexed my favourite season. Something rich, chocolaty and warming!

What do you think of Montagne Jeunesse products? Are you a fan? Have you seen or tried any great Christmassy face masks that are fitting for the season?

Soap and Glory| No Clogs Allowed Super Self Heating Deep Pore Detox Mask| Review

 

My regular readers and followers will know that I am a Soap and glory fiend! I love this brand, although I have not tried every single product in their range I have ambitions to do so. The newest products to my ever growing collection is the ‘No Clogs Allowed Detox Mask’, and the ‘Greatest Scrub of All’, both are products I have heard many good things about, and have been longing after for some time. I finally took the plunge last weekend and bought them both as Soap and Glory products were on offer for Buy One Get One Half Price, and never being one to pass on a bargain they soon appeared in my basket.

As the title suggest I am firstly going to review the ‘No Clogs Allowed Detox Mask’. I have used the mask three times now, and believe this is long enough to give you a summery of my thoughts on the product and its results.

Their opinion

Soap and Glory claim that the the mask is a an intensive-action pore-refining facial peel. Here is what they have to say about the product-

“A super self-heating 5 minute deep pore detox face mask with a free skin smoothing sponge. This is a deep cleansing treatment, ideal for greasy and blackhead prone skin.”

My opinion

The product has the consistency of a mud mask, but is not as thick as traditional ones. It comes out of the tube with ease, and when rubbed into my skin heats up with immediate effect. At first the mask feels a little grainy, but these grains soon rub out when you scrub the mask into your skin. It leaves a thin layer upon the surface of your skin and doesn’t take too long to dry. When drying the heating sensation soon levels off, and there is no tingly sensation that there is with some masks. When drying it doesn’t dry solid and crack like other mud masks.

For removal you are provided with a ‘skin smoothing sponge’. Although it is handy for removal I can’t say it leaves my skin anymore smooth than when I don’t use it. The mask cleans off easily, due to the fact only a thing layer is needed for application.

The end result is very good. My skin glows, looks very healthy and feels a lot smoother, and my blemishes and blackheads appearance are reduced. I feel like my skin is left completely clean with no dryness or sensitivity that I often suffer with after using mud masks. 

The only downsides to this product for myself are that firstly, I do not experience the blue Smurf face effect that is meant to happen when apply the mask. My face stayed white, as you can see from the pictures. Secondly, although I believe my pores appearance has reduced by using this mask, my blackheads have not reduced dramatically. This is one of the main reasons I bought this product, as I am always looking for a miracle product for reducing blackheads. I will continue to use this mask as I do love it regardless of this. I hope that in time my blackheads do disappear as it suggests on the tube, so watch this space as I will keep you updated with my progress.

Which Soap and Glory products are your favourite? Any you recommend for my collection? Or do you have any miracle cure for blackheads that you can recommend?

Lush Bubble Bar Review| Where are my bubbles?

It is very rare that I indulge myself and have a bath, I am a very busy girl and I do not have time to run a bath then soak in it for an hours. However sometimes, like that large glass of wine when finishing an awful day at work, a nice long bath is needed. This was a day when a bath was needed, I was achy from a workout the day before, I had spent many hours sat in a library staring at a computer screen, and I had the house to myself… perfect time to indulge in a bath.

For this bath I decided I wanted loads of bubbles, to me there is something fun and comforting about bubbles… they very much remind of being a child and playing in them for hours! So out came my Lush gift box, that I received for Christmas, and low and behold I had a Bubble Bar, the SuperStars Bubble Bar. I have never tried such a product before, and as I am always impressed with the bath bombs form Lush, I thought I would also love this product. However this was not the case. I will give it a little review for you, and my feelings.

The Good

• The smell- fruity, but luxury, and relaxing.
• Animal friendly- ALWAYS a plus.
• The way it made my skin feel. I emerged form the bath with wonderful silky skin.

The Bad

• The bubbles did not last at all. I didn’t even add any other product to the bath that would have caused them to disappear.
• Actually making the bath- I had to hold the bubble bar underneath running water, which when the bar began to disintegrate was a little difficult. (I have seen recently, that Lush have bubble bars on sticks, which may the answer to this complaint).

I don’t think I will repurchase a Bubble Bar, I think the product is not my style. I am quite a lazy girl when I want to be, so when I draw a bath, I enjoy bath bombs, as I can throw them in and not stand around waiting. HOWEVER I do have to mention that this product is now nearly 5 months old, and I know Lush product have use by dates, so this may have been past its best, and thus not performed as well as it should. Therefore, I will probably give this product one last try and see if I gain get the masses of bubbles that my inner child longs for.

What do you think of Bubble Bars? Are you a Bath Bomb girl like me?

A New Month, A New Hair Colour

I think I’m a girl obsessed; I seem to change my hair colour before I even use up the 6 weeks of conditioner that comes in the packet. I realised the other day that my hair was looking a bit bland, a bit lacklustre in colour, it may just be the lighting in the library, where I am currently living, but I decided I needed to dye it immediately. So off to Asda I went, and picked the colour that took my fancy, which this time was a reddy/ plum colour… a bit more brave that my usual choice, but seems it was reduced to £4 I decided it was a must.

I have never tried Schwarzkopf  before, I was very surprised and anxious when I was applying the colour, because as you can see from the pictures, the colour in the bottle was carrot orange, and it went onto my hair in an orange colour.

Thankfully the result is not a carrot orange colour, but quite a reddy brown. It is more red than I normally go, but I still like it. I have found that it has taken about 4 or 5 washes to rinse the colour out in it entirety, so I would warn any of you who  have white towels or pillows to ensure you wash out all the dye, so as to not ruin your upholstery

I am wondering if there are others out there who impulse buy their hair colour? What influences your choice of hair colour? For me it is a combination of my mood, and what is on offer. I am not loyal to brands in anyway.

Dove Nourishing Oil Care Express Treatment Conditioner Review

If I’m honest I’m not the best with my hair; I regularly go long periods of time without cutting it, I often fall asleep with wet hair, I even brush my wet hair with a brush… I know I’m awful. I am though, kind of lucky, my hair is of normal type, so isn’t dry and fizzy and nor is it greasy. However I am always on the look our for new products to make my hair nice and shiny and smooth, like all us girls.

I recently received this sample from Dove. I applied for the sample through their Facebook page I think (it was a long time ago now). I was pleasantly surprised with the size of the sample, as it was a miniature bottle, and not an awful sachet.

Anyways this is a newish product from their Dove Nourishing Oil Care product range. It is an Express Treatment Conditioner which claims to have three times the power of a standard conditioner, and it is designed to revive dry and frizzy hair in just one minute. It also claims the treatment will seal the cuticles to lock in nutrients and smoothes frizz.

The Good

• It did leave my hair soft and smooth, as promised.
• Smells lovely, the usual Dove soapy smell.
• Product was a lovely thick consistency.
• Easy to apply, it spread through my hair easily.
• A little goes a long way, I used a about a quarter of the bottle given, which was sufficient.

The Bad

• In my opinion it did not leave my hair anymore soft and smooth, than when I use my normal conditioner.

Overall- 3/5

I like this product as a conditioner as it did leave my hair soft and smooth, as it should. However it left my hair no more soft and smooth than when I use a normal conditioner, which is what disappointed me. When using an intensive conditioner I like to see a significant difference in the quality of my hair, I like to feel that it has restored lost nutrients etc, this did not happen with this product. I would not buy this product again.

I have to mention, that due to my hair being a normal type, i.e not frizzy and dry, I am perhaps not the ideal customer to be reviewing this product, it may give completely different results for  someone who does have dry hair.

Have any of your tried this product, I would love to hear if it gave different results for others?

Montagne Jeunesse Peel-Off Masque Review

Today is suppose to be another productive dissertation writing day, however I'm not really feeling inspired or motivated, so for the few hours I have before work I have decided to catch up on my blogs, watch a few movies and beautify myself. So if you had read one of my previous posts, I had picked up a bumper pack of Montagne Jeunesse face masks and had previously reviewed a fruit smoothie deep cleaning mask. Today I am reviewing a peel-off mask.

The product is a anti-stress cucumber peel-off masque. The product claims to gently peel away dead skin. "You will find a fresher face when you peel away our purifying mask: the ideal gentle peel specially formulated for problem and t-zone skin. It removes impurities and dead cells whilst cleaning and reviving the skin." 

The Good

• Dries quite quickly
• Peels off easily
• Did leave my skin soft and smooth afterwards

The Bad

• Very sticky to apply
• In my opinion it smells like washing up liquid
• The smell did not have the anti-stress qualities advertised.
• As it is very thick, there does not seem to be as much product as the other clay masks, so there is only one application per sachet. 

Overall- 3/5

My personal opinion is that these peel off masks are not as effective as clay or mud masks. I do not feel or see that they clean and purify as effectively. I'm, not saying this is a bad product, it is just not my favourite and I will not be purchasing peel-off masks in the future.

What is you opinion on peel-off masks? Do you find them effective?