No7 Eye Make-up Remover- a great dupe of Lancome's Bi-Facil

When it comes to make-up removers I have to be very careful.  My eyes are very sensitive and most products cause irritation, redness, tears and swelling.  I used Avon, Olay, L'Oreal, Simple, Garnier and all of them caused an allergic reaction! After using all the cheap brands, I decided to try something different. My sister recommended the Lancome Bi-Facil to me, so I paid £21 for a 125ml bottle! It is a lot of money to pay for a make-up remover, but I didn't mind spending it on something that actually works.
I have used Bi-Facil for over 3 years and I love it but... I wanted to find a cheaper alternative.
When I was looking for a no7 product to buy with my £5 off voucher in Boots, I found this amazing dupe! 

 

No7 beautiful skin eye make-up remover 100ml £8.50

 I read many bad reviews of this product, but the only reason why people didn't like it, was the oily formula. If you don't like "oily" make-up removers, you won't like this one. I wouldn't say that it's greasy and I like the feeling of it. It is slightly more oily than Bi-Facil, but it works in the exact some way.

It is a bi-phase formula that activates when you shake the bottle. It is very gentle, fragrance free and removes all traces of make-up, leaving my skin really soft. With this kind of product, there is no need to scrub your eyes to get waterproof mascara off. All you need to do is gently wipe the make-up off with a cotton wool pad, lightly soaked in this double-action formula.  

I absolutely love it and every time I get no7 vouchers I stock up on this product. It quickly became my favourite eye makeup remover and it is really cheap compared to my previous saviour from Lancome. 

Available from Boots.com

Mama Nature Pure Argan Hair Oil and Young At Heart Night Cream review

Hello my lovelies!

Tonight I would like to introduce you to a brand I discovered recently: MAMA NATURE. It is a natural skincare brand and all products are hand prepared to order. The founders believe that natural is best and they care passionately about our environment. They want to continue making a real difference and their philosophy is simple - to improve the quality of life of their customers through their natural products. I've been using Mama nature products for over a month and I am very pleased with the results.

 

MAMA NATURE PURE ARGAN HAIR 120ml* £20.95 link

INFO: PureArgan Hair is 100% pure certified organic cold pressed unrefined Argan Oil of Morocco and contains no additives, preservatives or synthetic ingredients of any kind. Pure, natural and organic Argan Oil has been used in Morocco for centuries to nourish and protect hair. It is great for applying as a hair mask or for using as a conditioner and adds a beautiful and healthy sheen to hair, leaving it feeling silky, soft and smooth. It is great for split ends, dry hair, frizzy hair, brittle hair and for detangling hair. It can also be used to style hair (curls, waves etc.).

It is a great natural alternative to conditioners and other hair products filled with chemicals and synthetic ingredients. Argan oil is produced from the kernels of the Argan tree, endemic to Morocco, that is valued for its nutritive, cosmetic and numerous medicinal properties. Our Argan Oil is a cold, first pressed oil, produced using a mixture of traditional and modern techniques to ensure a high quality product.  No chemicals are used in the process.

IMPORTANT: All Argan Oil sold today is produced by a women's cooperative that shares the profits among the local women of the Berber tribe. The cooperative has established an ecosystem reforestation project so that the supply of Argan Oil will not run out and the income that is currently supporting the women will not disappear. The money is providing health care and education to the local women, and supporting the entire community as a whole.

MY OPINION: My hair is very damaged so I always look for products that are meant to hydrate, repair and protect. I've heard about Argan Oil and its amazing properties before, so I was very excited to try this treatment. My hair is oily close to the roots and extremely dry at the ends so I only applied small amount of the oil to the bottom half of my hair. After the first use I noticed that my damaged hair was looking much better. I haven't tried using this oil as an intensive treatment allover my hair, but I left it on my dry ends overnight and it made a big difference. I am always scared to put oils on my hair in case it ends up greasy, but with this oil there was no greasy residue. I really liked the effects and I will keep using this treatment. 

 

 

MAMA NATURE  YOUNG AT HEART ANTI WRINKLE NIGHT CREAM 100ml* £30.95 link 

 

INFO: Young at Heart Natural Anti-Wrinkle Night Cream is a very effective natural skin cream that contains coconut oil, aloe vera, shea butter, almond oil, avocado oil, rosehip oil and a unique blend of essential oils to  rejuvinate your skin to give it a more youthful appearance. Almond Oil, Coconut Oil, Shea Butter and Aloe Vera are all renowned for the beneficial and wonderful effects they have on the skin. Lavender, calendula and chamomile aid in skin cell regeneration and reduce inflammation. Frankincense, Geranium and Ylang Ylang balance dry/oily skin and firm skin tone.

MY OPINION: First of all, you get a lot of product for your money. Most face creams come in 30-50ml jars, with this one you get 100ml! I usually apply face creams lightly because I don't want to use them up to fast, but when I seen this big jar I decided to apply generous amounts on my face and neck :) It smells really nice, mostly of rosehip oil and calendula. Like I mentioned before, all Mama Nature products are made to order, so when I opened the jar, the fragrance was amazing! I could tell that it was freshly made. 

I use it at night after applying an anti wrinkle serum or my new favourite- Antipodes Joyous serum.

It absorbs quickly and leaves my skin soft, firm and hydrated. My skin is normal/combination, but sometimes it goes extremely oily and I need to stop using some of my rich night creams. When my face went through it's oily stage last month I was still using  the Young At Heart night cream and my skin responded very well to this formulation. I also noticed that my neck is looking much better. I didn't pay too much attention to my neck before and neglected it, but now I will definitely keep using generous amounts of cream on my neck and chest to keep the area firm and soft :) The closer I get to my 25th birthday the more obsessed I am getting with anti wrinkle creams. I really hope that my skin will stay young longer if I keep using natural anti wrinkle products like this one. 

*PR samples

Customized necklace

Want to match your jewellery to your nail polish? You can! I customized my bargain ebay necklace with Essie Mint Candy Apple nail polish and I love the way it turned out! It matches my nails too, which is always a bonus, haha :) I added a slightly darker turquoise blue as well. I am in love! Simply paint your piece of jewellery, wait for it to dry, add a top coat and it's ready!

Here is a link to the post with the necklace before the makeover.

Xen-Tan Perfect Blend Custom self-tan review with before and after pictures

 

XEN TAN PERFECT BLEND* Custom Self Tan 220ml £27.95 link

This product is totally different than other self tanners available on the market and I was very excited to try it. The bottle reminds me of the Sheridan's coffee liqueur with two separate chambers, but his one contains self-tan instead of alcohol :) The is an instant bronzer on one side and a self tanner on the other. It is a great idea and because of this unique design, Perfect Blend is suitable for all skin tones. All you need to do is twist the dial to get the shade you desire. Dual chambers allow you to create your tan as light or as dark as you like. It dries quickly and gives my skin an instant tan and a lovely glow. I always use it on the 50/50 setting to get a natural looking olive tan, but if your skin is very fair, you can customise the colour easily to get a lighter tan and contour your body with the bronzer. 

I always apply it with a tanning mitt and my favourite one is by He-Shi. The final effect doesn't look patchy or streaky and the formula is creamy and highly moisturising, so you don't need to worry about your skin feeling dry after the application. There is one special ingredient called Scent Secure and it neutralises any chemical odours and leaves a fresh fragrance.

I love that you can either get an instant tan with the bronzer, use the self-tanner if you want the colour to develop overnight or mix them together if you want the best of both worlds.

The pictures below  show the effects on the 50/50 setting. You can see the difference on my fingers. The tan looks very natural and has an olive undertone. I am impressed!

The result on the 50/50 setting

*PR sample

Natural beauty: relief for tired eyes-cucumber.

I realise that everybody knows about this beauty tip, but have you gave it a go yet? If you suffer from dark circles and puffiness around the eye area, there is one easy thing you can do to improve the appearance of your dark circles. Cut two slices of cucumber, put them on closed eyes and relax for 5 minutes. If you do it every day you will see great results. It is not a myth!