Black Head EX Pore Strip: Review

I will always remember the 1st time I watched the film 'Mean Girls' and I had no idea what Regina George was talking about when she said her pores were huge (I was like 8?) 

However, I have definitely felt her pain in the past few years and searched endlessly for the resolution to the problem so many people face and I'm happy to say I think I've found it - Regina you are welcome! After trying countless masks, scrubs, creams and even oils I came across a review on YouTube of these 'Black Head EX Pore Strips' and decided after seeing the results that I had to give them a go. After seeing the incredibly low price I doubted their reliability and the results they promised but bought a bunch anyway for something like £5 for 10?!

These strips come in sachets containing roughly 2 uses in each. The product is basically a black, tar-like mask that you apply in layers until thick and solid on your face. When the product is dry you pull it off slowly from the bottom upwards and literally watch your black heads and pores disappear. Admittedly the whole removal process is a bit gross and slightly eye watering but the final results are beyond worth it.

I use a strip once a week across my nose, chin, forehead and cheeks and have noticed a remarkable improvement in my skin. After a week I hardly need to use a strip but continue the weekly routine to keep my skin a good, clean condition and keep the black heads at bay.

The price, product and result are absolutely unbelievable and I could not recommend this enough. Even if you try one out for less than £1 and don't like it, at least you haven't spent hours searching around only to spend a fortune on a useless product you will probably never use again.

If only Regina could have found these answers to all her pore problems!

Until next time, Toni. xo

Garnier Make Up Removal

Garnier has always been one of my favourite lines for skin care with creams and facial scrubs etc. so when I found out they were releasing a new make up remover and cleansing water I had to get my hands on it and give it a go!

 

It's fair to say I now love it and couldn't be without it.

 

The 2-in-1 Eye Make-up Remover product is made up of two parts, one slightly oily and the other a less dense, clear liquid. I've seen some people saying it leaves a greasy residue however I find that comes only if you don't shake the bottle which is the whole idea of the product. By shaking the bottle the two liquids mix and form a non-greasy, efficient and soft make up remover- DREAM!

 

The thing I love most about it is how gentle it is on my eyes. A lot of make up removers sting or irritate the skin around my eyes but as this is specifically designed to remove make up easily and quickly its not exactly 'heavy duty'. Although it removes all make up I wouldn't rely on this on it's own and still use other products to cleanse and tone my skin afterwards.

The Micellar Cleansing Water works wonders for quick and easy make-up removal which means it literally takes me a minute to soak a cotton pad in the formula and wipe the day's face away. Depending on how much make-up you're wearing it may take you a couple of cotton pads worth of the cleanser to remove all make-up and freshen up your face. Again, I don't rely on this as my cleanser and use it more as a make up-remover only, using my trusty No.7 products that you can see [HERE] after these products have done all I need them to.
 

 I have quite sensitive skin and find these products don't irritate or affect it in any way. I also have a 'combination' skin consistency which is neither solely greasy or dry

 but a mixture of both and I think these products work well across my entire face- yay!

These products have not only made my night skin routine 10 times quicker and easier, but also helped to maintain my skin condition keeping acne at bay and helping to increase the hydration level which I find to be a big chore: how bad of me! I would recommend these skin care items to anyone like me who loves make up but hates taking it off at the end of the day and just wants the process to be as quick and easy as possible; however, if you're looking for a 30 minute rejuvenation process these are not for you.

Until next time, Toni. xo

 



Beautiful Skin: Winter Routine

 

Usually winter time for my skin is bliss, the cold dries out any impurities and the crisp air keeps me feeling fresh and awake. However, this year my skin hasn't reacted so well to the change in weather conditions. The cold seems to have dried out my skin a little too well leaving me feeling tired and washed out, yet the odd spot still appears! This called for emergency intervention: No.7 came to hand.

 

I have always loved the cleanser but needed something stronger that would really clean off any dead skin cells and make me feel fresh and awake like normal. After looking through the endless product choices at the No.7 stand, I opted for the 'Radiance Exfoliator' from the same 'Beautiful Skin' collection as my usual cleanser.

 

My daily routine (morning and night) consists of 3 steps, wash/rinse face with warm water, cleanse with the No.7 Cleansing Gel and finally gently scrub with the No.7 Radiance Exfoliator. This not only leaves my skin feeling clear, fresh and awake but I have noticed a drastic improvement with the dryness and blemishes.

 

No.7 have yet again provided me with a holy grail skin care product I'm sure to repeat buy and from now on, swear by. If you are looking for a cleanser and exfoliator this winter I would highly recommend both products for anyone with normal/dry skin consistency. If you are in the market for something for oily skin go down to your local No.7 stand as their extensive product range is bound to hold something to solve all your skin related problems this winter! Happy hunting.



 

 

Until next time, Toni. xo

My Top 3 Drugstore Foundations

 

I've always stuck to No7 foundation throughout my make up loving years however a few weeks ago I decided to give a selection of drugstore foundations a go to see if going for slightly cheaper alternatives made much of a difference. Turns out a few of these foundations actually work wonders on my skin so I've picked my top 3 from those I purchased to talk about.

 



 

L'OREAL True Match Foundation (1.N Ivory)

This is the lightest foundation of all 3 but provides a great, even coverage. The pigmentation isn't amazing but the texture and easy application makes it perfect for those confident days when you're skin is looking fresh and clear. I've been using this a lot throughout the summer because it allows your skin to breathe without moving or streaking on your face. The colour I have this foundation in is 'Ivory' which I've found is a great colour match for me. The foundation also has an SPF of 17 which is perfect for me! This foundation ticks all the boxes for a light, even and breathable foundation: providing what feels like a new top layer of skin that stays throughout the day without caking or slipping. It is also only £9.99 which is a great price for just how great this product looks and feels on the skin.

 

 

 Max Factor Face Finity Foundation (Beige 55)

This foundation is the smoothest foundation I've ever used! It is titled to be 'Primer, Concealer and Foundation in one' which I can absolutely believe, when putting it on it glides onto my skin as if I have a base of primer and covers the darker areas or blemishes on my skin perfectly. I purchased this foundation in the colour 'Beige 55'. This foundation would be perfect as a first foundation for people just getting into make up; the consistency is smooth yet buildable but not cakey or drying. This foundation offers a high SPF of 20 which is unusual with a lot of drug store foundations. This foundation is a great quality product for a fantastic price of £12.99.

 

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation (010 Light Porcelain)

 My favourite out of three has got to be this one: everything about it ticks all my personal boxes! The colour, coverage, staying power, breathability, SPF and even the smell! My colour is 010 Porcelain and I honestly cannot get enough of it! This foundation brightens my skin, covers all my dark circles and imperfections but isn't heavy or cakey. I feel like this is the only foundation of the three I can feel going onto my face but after a light powdering you can't feel it on your skin. I would recommend this foundation to anyone and at only £8.99 its a bargain!

 

Until next time, Toni. xo

Glossybox: 3 Month Subscription Review

Glossybox is an online beauty subscription box that has been going for many years - I discovered the subscription service through instagram when a sponsored avertisement popped up on my feed - I was instantly intruiged as I had never thought to sign up to a service like this one. I realised this was a great way for me to try new and different products I may otherwise never have the opportunity to.

After looking on the Glossybox website [here] I opted for the 3 month plan where you pay a set amount and get boxes for 3 months - if you like the service after 3 months the service continues in the same way with payments being taken quarterly (you can opt out at any time). There are other payment plans including monthly, half yearly and annually.
The less often you pay the cheaper it becomes!

Monthly = £10
3 Month = £9.50
6 Month = £9
12 Month = £8.50
 

 

My first subscription box was for June and arrived very quickly! I will be totally honest in saying I was slightly disspointed with this box as none of the products were make up and I'm not a lover of nail varnish. However, the actual contents of the box were good quality and worth a lot more than what I paid for my month's subscription.

 

Each month Glossybox selects a number of products from different companies across the world, ranging in price and what you get in your particular box is the luck of the draw. I know in June there was also an Essence Lipgloss I would have liked to try but my box just so happened to contain the nail varnish.

 

Out of this box I have only so far used the wipes and the body mist. I've found the wipes very gentle on the skin and the fact they're non fragranced means that sensitive skin isn't irritated! The pack is also a very handy size making it perfect for festivals along with the gold and black body tattoos. The body mist's handy bottle size is great for the bottom of your bag when you're skin is having a bad day and needs a pick me up. I've found the oil based product is a great, deeply moisturing spray that leaves your skin non-sticky and feeling refreshed. As the product is very oil based I would reccomend it only for people with dry/normal skin textures as oily skin would see no benefit.

 

 

July saw a collector's edition, French inspired Glossybox that focused on skin care! This box was very exciting to open as the packaging was completely different and I didn't know what to expect. I love the care that goes into the boxes as the products are layered with shreded tissue paper and wrapped with a sheet of tissue paper. This paper is usually black and baby pink topped off with a black ribbon bow and Glossybox logo sticker.

The July box cleverly used French flag colours throughout the box including the tissue paper, ribbon and Glossybox sticker. It is small touches like this that made me love the Glossybox packaging as I imagined each box personally put together by hand and sent off to each subscriber - giving the worldwide service a very personal touch.

 

 

When it comes to the products I was very happy with the contents as each product was amazing quality and great size. The difference with this box was that one of the products was actually a make up bag/travel pouch which I've been loving for transporting my brushes away from home! My favourite product from the box was: The Lollipop's Lip Balm. This box also had several products that you may or may not get due to luck of the draw but after looking over the other possible products on the site I was over the moon with the product selection I was sent.

 

The Lipbalm glides onto the lips effortlessly and leaves a perfect shine on the surface with long staying power and a perfect hydration impact. This is actually a product I've nearly finished and will be looking to find and repurchase as soon as I have emptied the tube. I would reccomend this product to literally anyone, I've luckily never suffered badly with dry lips but find this product locks in the natural hydration my lips have. If you have dry lips this will provide the perfect sollution to stop your lips feeling chapped or sore. Even over the top of your favourite lipstick, on a no make up day or just to give your lips a little added extra with soft makeup, this works perfectly.

 

 

August's box was back to normal packaging but the product content blew every other box I had recieved out the water! This box had set products with every subscriber recieving the same contents, I can honestly say I love every single product and they are all being used regularly within my make up and skin care collections. I struggle to pick a favoruite product from the August box as each of them have become go-to products in the recent month! However the product I have been using religiously every day is the Naobay Toner, not only have I used this to remove any make up that may be left after cleansing but also on non make up days to give my face a refreshing and hydrating boost. The bottle size is very generous and will last a while, however I know I will buying more before I run down this bottle to ensure I don't go a day without it. This product is good for all skin types and is very delicate on the skin not to irritate any sensitive areas.

 

 

I will now change my subscription to annual payments to save money and revieve boxes until my heart desires! I would reccomend this service or any similar ones to anyone wanting to try new products regularly and for an extreamly reasonable price as this service brings high end and sometimes holy grail products straight to your door offering a personal, fast and top quality service!

 

 

Until next time, Toni. xo