Challenge One: Body Scrub: Week 3

Challenge One: Body Scrub: Week 3 

Soap & Glory Scrub 'em and Leave 'em

My final Soap & Glory Body scrub was the Scrub 'em and Leave 'em. First off let's just recap on why I am doing this challenge to find the best body scrub. I am terribly dry legs which I need to tackle before the summer time. I was content last summer with just hiding them away under long skirts and trousers but this summer will be different as this year I am doing all the things that I have been putting off ( as you can see from my posts on driving and jogging ). 

Soap & Glory, Flake Away, Scrub em and Leave em and Sugar crush

The three scrubs I chose were Sugar Crush, Flake Away and Scrub 'em and Leave 'em.

Scrub em and Leave em

My poor legs are improving but they are still not summer ready! I really didn't realise how difficult it would be to get my legs in shape. Is anyone else having a tough time with their legs? Do you fear the bare leg season like I do?

Anyway we are coming to the end of this challenge with our final body scrub. This scrub had a light and gentle scent. If I had to describe the fragrance I would say it was shea butter with a little extra sweetness. 

The granules in this scrub seemed larger and more sugar like than any of the other products, It did a good jog at invigorating my skin however my legs are still a bit dry and so I think these scrubs are best used in conjunction with a moisturiser! 

As I have said with all the other scrubs do not use them with the shower running as all the lovely product will end up down the drain before you can get a good scrub ! 

I am having a hard time deciding which of the three products was my favourite! What do you think? Which was your favourite?   

My final post on this challenge will be a comparing post highlighting all the best qualities of each product and which one is my favourite and why!

Thanks so much for reading!

Love Bobby x

Challenge One: Body Scrub: Week Two

Challenge One: Body Scrub: Week Two 

Soap & Glory Flake Away 

Soap and Glory Scrub

If you have been following my blog lately you will know that I a have been trying to tackle my dry legs and so I am going to set a number of challenges for myself to see if I can get my legs in tip top condition for the summer! My first challenge is explained here! So last week I tried out Soap and Glory Sugar Crush  and this week I have used the lovely Soap and Glory Flake Away!

Soap & Glory Flake Away

Soap & Glory Flake Away

Firstly I have to mention the witty comment on the lid of the scrub "It might be fine if her friends are flaky but a lady's legs should never be. Transform your scaly legs from reptilian to radiant!" I love reading the labels on Soap & Glory because they always give me a giggle.

So this scrub is described as Shea Butter, Sugar and Peach seed powder Spa Body Polish with skin sea salt, grapeseed and Almond oil. It smells divine! It has to be the best smelling scrub I have ever owned. The little beads in this scrub seemed to work just as well as the Soap and Glory Sugar Crush  if not slightly better.

Soap & Glory Flake Away

As I warned with Soap and Glory Sugar Crush  do not be tempted to use this scrub while the water is running in the shower as you will just wash all the lovely goodness of the scrub straight down the drain. It is much better to turn off the water completely, give your legs a good scrub and then rinse off.

This scrub will be very hard to beat! Next week I will be telling you my thoughts on Soap & Glory Scrub em' and leave em'.

What is your favourite scrub?

Thanks for reading!

Love Bobby  x

Challenge One : Week One : Body Scrub

Challenge One : Week One :  Body Scrub 

Week One- Soap and Glory Sugar Crush

Soap and Glory

So I have completed my first week of Challenge One. This is a challenge I set myself to try and get my legs looking and feeling smoother and boost my confidence in time for summer! Read more about it here!

I picked up these three different exfoliating scrubs in Boots as they had a 3 for 2 offer on. I had always wanted to try Soap and Glory exfoliating scrubs and so I decided to pick out three different types and compare them. 

Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub 

Soap and Glory Sugar Crush

So first up was Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub. I used this scrub all week every time I had a shower. 

Its description on the pot reads "with smashed brown sugar& sweet lime, almond &macadamia grains" - which for some reason or another reminds me of Mojitos ..yummmm. 

Soap and Glory Sugar Crush

I took a little in my hand at a time and rubbed it in circular motions on my legs. The micro-beads were quick large and this helped to remove dry skin on my legs. 

I advise stepping out of the stream of water from the shower or even turning the shower off completely when using this exfoliator as otherwise it will all wash away down the drain too quickly. 

The first time I used it I noticed the very citrusy lime smell. I didn't mind it at first but after using it for a week I found that the smell wasn't my favourite but this is just a personal opinion.

Overall, after using this product for the past week I have started to notice a change in my legs, They are much smoother and not as dry. I am looking forward to trying out the next scrub now! 

This week I will be using Flake Away! 

Have you tried any of these products? What did you think?

Thanks for reading.

Bobby x 

January Empties

January Empties

I cannot believe it is the 1st of February already! Where has time gone? I thought it would be a good idea to look back on January and see what I products I finished off and what I thought of them! 

 

Beverly Hills Formula Perfect White Sensitive

I really liked this toothpaste. I am quite picky with toothpastes. I like whitening toothpastes that aren't too harsh on the enamel on your teeth so I was happy to see a sensitive whitening toothpaste. It is also made in Ireland so I feel good supporting Irish made products. I will definitely be repurchasing.

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation - Ivory

This is my favourite foundation and would be one that I would wear day in day out. I have previously written a review of it here. Now that I  have finished the bottle I think I will try use up some of my other foundations before buying a another Match Perfection. To see what I am using at the moment check out my make up bag post. This is a staple in my make up collection so I know it will be only a matter of time before I repurchase again. 

Tresemmé Platinum Strength Leave in Conditioner 

My hair went through an awful period little over a year ago. I had been getting highlights for a year or two and my dark brown hair was at this stage very blonde! I loved it -I have always had a soft spot for blonde hair- but my hair did not love me for all I put it through. It was dry and brittle. I would spend an hour after every wash try to comb through the most horrendous knots. My heart was broken trying to revive my dead hair so I had to cut my hair shorter than I would have liked and return to my natural colour. Part of my regime to get my hair healthy again was this Tresemmé Platinum Strength Leave in Conditioner and it was a life saver. I no longer need to use it after every wash but every now and again when I remember just how bad my hair once was I pop a bit in the ends of my hair just to make sure it never gets to that stage again!  

Estée Lauder Perfectly Clean

Wow, wow, wow. I love this product. I keep it in the shower and use with my clarisonic and my skin literally feels squeaky clean after it. I also use it on my décolletage and my skin feels divine after it. Also a tiny amount goes a very long way. I would love to buy this product again but it is pricey so I will have to go on my wishlist for the moment.

Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Night Treatment Gel  

I love this product particularly because I love the smell of Tea Tree and Witch Hazel and this product smells amazing. My boyfriend doesn't like very fragrant creams and I keep this in mind especially if its a night cream and he would be stuck sleeping next to me but he loved the smell of this cream! I'm pretty sure he even robbed a bit for himself on a few occasions! I used to use this every night when my skin was going through a rough patch but now that it has settled down I would only use it once or twice a week. 

And that ends my January empties! Hope you enjoyed reading this post :)

Lots of love,

Bobby x. 

Cleaning Make Up Brushes

Cleaning Make Up Brushes 

Deep Cleansing Technique

Why do we need to clean our make up brushes?

• So the most obvious reason is that when you use your brushes, especially eye make up brushes, all the different products colour and stain your brush meaning that any residue from previous styles will come through in the look you are recreating today.
• Secondly germs and bacteria gather in your brushes and cause skin problems such as spots and blackheads
• Also if your make up brushes are dirty you are putting that grime and bacteria back into your make up palettes causing them to go bad before their time! 
• Finally clean brushes will last longer.

Dirty brushes getting ready for a bath!

How to clean your make up brushes

There are two different types of cleaning techniques 

1. Spot cleaning which basically means popping a bit of brush cleaner on a make up cotton pad or tissue and rubbing your brushes gently - this should be done at least once a week
2. Deep cleansing (which I am going to explain today) which should be done once a month

Deep Cleansing Technique

Before we start there are a few golden rules which need to be followed..

• Never wash past the bristles of the brush! This will wear down the glue which is holding your brush together.
• Do no try standing up as the brush cleaner and water will drain into the glue in the brush which again will wear away your brush
• Let your brushes dry naturally lying down.
• After a deep cleaning it may take your brushes a few days to dry completely so keep that in mind and only clean the brushes you know you won't need for a few days- I tend to wash my brushes in a rotation so I am never left caught out with no brushes!

1. Firstly fill a clean small basin with luke warm water, or alternatively use a clean sink.  
2. Dip the tip of your brush into the water to wet it
3. Place some washing up liquid or baby shampoo on your palm
4. Swirl the brush in the shampoo against your palm 
5. Gently rub out the soapy make up from your brushes and repeat a few times until the water remains clear.
6. Leave brushes to dry naturally lying down.

Lovely clean brushes relax as they take a few days off to dry!

Tips

One tip I would add is that when you feel that all the old make up is removed from the brush do one more shampoo and rinse just to be sure - you would be surprised at just how much make up can be hiding in all those bristles, especially in flat foundation brushes. Many times I think I have a brush all clean and decide to repeat steps 4 and 5 one more time just in case to find that there was more stubborn make up gunk still buried in the brush.

Do you have any tips to add?

Thanks for reading!

Feel free to follow me on Google +, bloglovin' or Twitter (@Pressed_Powder)

Love Bobby x. 

Guerlain Super Aqua Lotion, Replumping Toner Hydration, Radiance

Guerlain Super Aqua Lotion, Replumping Toner Hydration, Radiance  

Guerlain Super Aqua Lotion, Replumping Toner Hydration, Radiance  

This has to be my favourite toner I have tried so far. As you can see from the picture my Guerlain Super Aqua Lotion is down to the half way mark. I use this product almost everyday.

It is super hydrating and has a beautiful refreshing rose scent. I noticed a change in my skin after using this toner for a couple of days. My skin became much more hydrated and very smooth. It even improved the bags under my eyes. It is also really gently on my skin which is important to me. 

Guerlain Super Aqua Lotion, Replumping Toner, Hydration, Radiance

This is my go to toner and I will be a very tough act to beat !

Have you tried this product?

Do you have a favourite toner?

Thanks for reading!

Feel free to follow me on Google +, bloglovin' or Twitter (@Pressed_Powder)

Bobby x. 

Clarins Paris Shaping Facial Lift Lipo-drain serum

Clarins Paris 

Shaping Facial Lift

Lipo-drain serum

Clarins Paris Shaping Facial Lift Lipo-drain serum

The Clarins Shaping Facial Lift Lipo-drain serum is a serum aimed at creating more defined features to create the much sought after V shape contours. It does this with a combination of different plant extracts such as Baccharin which helps with contouring, Horse chestnut which helps with reducing puffiness and Blue Button Flower which helps reducing fat deposits. It also contains ingredients such as caffeine and alchemilla. Along with creating more defined features it also aims to give an even skin tone and more youthful appearance.

How to use Clarins Paris Shaping Facial Lift Lipo-drain serum

Clarins recommend that you use four pumps of the Shaping Facial Lift Lipo-drain serum and spread evenly all over your face and neck. 

They also provide facial message instructions to carry out to help speed up the process. This massage consists of short exercises which only take a few minutes to carry out. This can be found on the Clarins website.

I have just started using Clarins Paris Shaping Facial Lift Lipo-drain serum last night and I have to say I woke up pleasantly surprised as my skin pigmentation was much more even and radiant looking even after one night! There has been no change yet to the contours of my face but the product indicates that it would take a month before results would be noticeable so I will review again in a month time and see if I notice any significant difference! 

Have you tried this product? What did you think?

Thanks for reading!

Feel free to follow me on Google +, bloglovin' or Twitter (@Pressed_Powder)

Love

Bobby x. 

Clarisonic Mia 2 Hollywood Lights

Clarisonic Mia 2 Hollywood Lights

Clarisonic Mia 2 Hollywood Lights

My sister bought me a Clarisonic Mia 2 Hollywood Lights for Christmas this year and I was very excited to start using it. A month later and I have not been disappointed! I already have friends and family complementing how good my skin looks ( which makes me wonder how bad did it look beforehand! ).

The first time I used it I couldn't get over how amazing my skin felt. I really felt like my skin was glowing and I never remember feeling my skin so soft before- even my boyfriend commented on how soft it felt.

The first two weeks of using the Clarisonic Mia 2 Hollywood Lights I found that my skin broke out a bit with little spots. I feel like this may have been all the impurities in my skin coming to the surface because of the Clarisonic and they have all since disappeared. 

How to use the Clarisonic Mia 2 Hollywood Lights

I tend to give my skin a quick wash beforehand to get rid of all the layers of make up and eye make up and then use the Clarisonic afterwards. I am amazed at the amount of make up which still ends up on the Clarisonic head! 

Clarisonic Mia 2 Hollywood Lights

Next I wet my face and put a few blobs of cleanser on my forehead, cheeks, nose and chin and off we go! 

I love the timer feature on the  Clarisonic. It beeps at different intervals to let you know when you should move to another part of the face. It recommends:  

• 20 seconds on the forehead
• 20 seconds on the nose and chin
• 10 seconds on one cheek
• 10 seconds on the other cheek

Overall I am so happy with this product and my skin has never been so healthy looking.

Do you have a Clarisonic? What is your skin care routine?

Thanks for reading!

Feel free to follow me on Google +, bloglovin' or Twitter (@Pressed_Powder)

Bobby x. 

Formula Daily Care Night Lotion

Formula Daily Care Night Lotion 

by M&S

I am always looking for a good night cream which will leave my face feeling fresh in the morning! So I decided to give this one a go and I am glad I did. It  is a light enough moisturizer so that you don't feel like your skin is smothering but it leaves your skin feeling hydrated all night. It also has an amazing floral smell which I love. I have used it for a few days now and feel like it has found a place in my skin regime for the future! 

What is your favourite night cream or moisturizer? 

As always, thanks so much for reading! Feel free to follow me or add me on twitter (Pressed_Powder).  

Love Bobby x.