Liz Earle Skin Boost Tonic

You have all heard me wax lyrical in the past over my love for Liz Earles skin care range, I am a huge fan of what Cleanse and Polish did for my skin years ago, as are a LOT of other bloggers! I have been branching out in the last few months with a couple of their other products, that are now firm staples in my routine and I thought it was high time I shared them!

I was sent the Skin Boost tonic and to try out at the start of winter, I didn't want to rush in and review as It is all too easy to love a product in the beginning, rave about it and then discover that your skin actually doesn't love it as much as you thought! But after using this steadily for a few months I can confirm, my skin loves it and these products have helped keep my skin much clearer and incredibly soft ( if I do say so myself!) this winter.

Firs up is the Instant Boost Skin Tonic I find there is always two sides to the Toner- do you need  it or not debate. But for me my oily skin benefits fantastically for having it, I find I need this step to help absorb any excess oil and keep my skin feel fresh and clean. What is important to keep in mind if you do decide to use one is that you use a gentle one, any strong toners with lots of chemicals and alcohol will just strip the skin of natural essential oils which will do damage not help it! 

I use it at night after cleansing, but also in the morning, I use it to wake my skin up, remove any dirt from the night and prep it for moisturiser and make up.  Before I was just using a mixture of generic cheapo toner I had lying round and a small amount of witch hazel combined in a spray bottle, since using Skin Boost though I have seen a marked difference in what a toner can do for the skin.

This is the kind of toner that has an ingredients list I like, alcohol free so non drying, organic aloe vera to soothe, and with calendula, vitamin E, cucumber and chamomile to keep skin soft and refreshed. For me this totally delivers, it costs £12.25 for the twist top bottle like I have here, or if you prefer a spritzer bottle the 200ml version is £12.50 which although does seem pricey in comparison to an average 'drug store' brand,you do get what you pay for here. I also really like that there are smaller options which is perfect for travelling or if you just want to try out a product before committing to the larger size, you can pick up a 50ml bottle for £5.

Superdrug Vitamin E Radiance Cream

I love to come across a good product from the high street that is a proper bargain and this stuff certainly fits the bill! I first  saw this on a blog a few months ago- apologies as I cannot for the life of me remember whose blog it was! and seeing as it was only £2.99 I had to try it out. I have heard loads of good things of a variety of the Vitamin E products in the Superdrugs own range, but what sold this to me is the idea of it being a pretty good dupe for Mac's Strobe cream. Now I dont have a bottle of strobe in use at the moment so apologies for the lack of comparison swatches but as you can see from Superdrugs version it is pretty stunning! 

First off I am a big fan of the fact this comes in an easy to carry (and travel with) 50ml tube, hygienic, practical and fresh looking makes it a winner on the packaging front. I love that with the tube you can be in control of how much you are getting out, and the click close lid is properly sturdy so there should be no mishaps in your make up bags.

When blended in it gives a gorgeous golden shimmer glow- without gathering in my crater pores, as you can see from the snap it does have a really golden shine which you can mix down with some moisturiser like I do for day time, or wear on its own under your base for a night time look. I have been using it for a while now and am really happy with the finish, It absorbs into the skin quickly and doesn't feel overly greasy whilst still giving that golden glow I like. I think this is going to be great for summer time as you could easily wear this alone on tanned skin to get that healthy look, and it would also look fab on the collar bones, or up the front of bare legs to make them look longer. Right now for winter is definitely doing to job of perking up my dull looking skin, those light reflecting particles are amazing.

I am in love with it because it also has SPF 15 in it, which is something I like to look for. I haven't experienced any flash back while wearing it for photos which is a must know for beauty bloggers :) Overall I am thrilled with this little find, a totally inexpensive but versatile product that performs well.

I really want to try the Vitamin E face oil next, I have heard some excellent things about it! I noticed on Superdrugs Website today that it is 2 for £3.99 on the Vitamin E range so now might be the time to try it out.

 

Bubble Betty- my Hair Hero!

I am ULTRA excited to share this new product with you,as for me this is an absolutely saviour in rainy Scotland. Ladies, I give you Bubble Betty the fahhhhbulous reworking of the Granny classic rain hat, keeping your hair neat and tidy and most importantly dry. Why spend all that time creating a gorgeous 'do just to have it blown away with the winter weather!?

Some people might be too embarrassed by wearing a rain hat- but I am someone who has no problem wrapping a scarf all over their head to keep their barnet dry so this is no problem  for me, the fact they come in some uber cool design just makes it even more wearable! The Scottish based company has come up with 4 quirky designs for their launch but will be changing the styles regularly to ensure Bubble Bettys always look good, whatever the weather!

I love that this little beauty comes in its own little stylish tin, which I keep in my handbag without it getting damaged, meaning you can use it over and over again.  You can get a fabulous Bubble Betty from the site http://www.bubblebetty.com/ and they cost £6 each.

Getting to know...Cover Fx

I was really excited to be invited by Cover Fx to go along to their counter in Harvey Nichols in Edinburgh to meet with one of their make up artists and find out a little about the brand. I have wanted to give Cover Fx a whirl for a long time after hearing about their foundations and concealers and how good they are for covering hyper pigmentation, acne scarring and other imperfections- all things that bother me about my skin! That was a couple of years ago, and since then I have noticed the company mentioned me and more  in various magazine articles and blogs so I was keen to try some of the products out.

Lee Graff, the woman at the helm of the company has worked as a corrective make up specialist since 1985 and since then has been developing the brand along side a chemical engineer and a leading dermatologist.

"As a camouflage specialist for over 25 years, I’ve taught patients to use makeup to effectively cover rosacea, acne, scars, and many other imperfections. I encourage you to take control of your appearance to enhance your self esteem and confidence to face the world. My dream was to help men & women with skin conditions face the world with confidence by offering them makeup products with therapeutic benefits that would perfectly match their skin tone, be affordable, well tolerated by even the most sensitive skins and achieve a perfectly natural, flawless effect." - Lee Graff

preparing to make me over!

This desire to really help people with conditions they suffer from and the psychological problems that can go along with that, is something that really came across to me when meeting counter manager and make up artist, the very fabulous Eduardo. I was impressed and touched to hear his passion for not only for the brand but providing a complete service to anyone who comes by to enquire. He was very dedicated to making sure that anyone looking for help with concealing or covering a skin complaint leaves the counter with exactly what they wanted along with the knowledge of why it will help and how best to apply it. Seeing someone genuinely care that you feel good about yourself is not something I feel you actually get at a lot of at make up counters. In my experience most are all about the hard sell and what colours/finish they are choosing for you, not what you actually want. Cover Fx's counter couldn't be more different, watching them at work you could see they weren't hurrying to get people off the chair, or putting pressure on to buy a whole host of products they might not need or really want.

look at all those shades!

concealer and foundation in abundance

 On to the products, I was AMAZED by the colour range- I had no idea they did their foundations in 30, yes 30 shades. It was incredible to be see decent dark shades for black skin, and wonderfully light colours for the fair. With so many shades there is definitely something to suit everyone and I love that, seeing as some companies even at the higher price end still only run with a limited selection of very yellow shades this is a refreshing sight. With the vast array of other products they stock, there was so much to see and play around with. One thing I had heard loads about was their primers, and I can see why, they have 3 types of primer, a lip primer and an eye primer that all felt amazing. My favourite one 'Briteprep' has an SPF 50 which is perfect for me! A primer with good high SPF is exactly what I had been looking for last summer.

Primers, foundation and lipgloss oh my!

Eduardo did an amazing job, it is the best I have ever felt coming away from a counter before. I looked like myself but a LOT better,my skin looked healthy, natural and properly glowing, but with all my imperfections that bother me well concealed. It didn't look thick or masky, and it felt really comfortable to wear. Better than that I wore it to the gym later that day and then took snaps afterwards and it still looked in great condition! Longevity like that is such a wonderful thing in my eyes, I don't need it to last days and days like some seem companies seem  to claim nowadays, just one that lasts the whole day and last well without getting patchy or shiny. Not only did Eduardo apply some gorgeous looking make up but he shared some excellent application tips that I had never heard of before, that I have been trying out since and have really helped my make up looks its best. You must go in and meet him if you are ever in Edinburgh!

The very lovely Eduardo

I cannot recommend enough going in to a counter if there is one near you to have a have a chat with one of the staff if there is something about your skin you would like help with, or if you just want to discover some seriously good products you might not have even known existed.  I have been so impressed with my cover FX experience and am looking forward to trying out a few of their products and letting you know if they live up to their first impressions! Now on to how it actually looked....

not the best light in the world but hopefully you can see all the pigmentation is all gone!

And there it is after a whole day AND a session in the gym- pretty darnn good still!

Thanks to Cover FX and Eduardo for such a lovely meeting!

Have you ever dabbled with Cover Fx products?

FOTD- Estee Lauder Maximum Coverage

Just wanted to share a FOTD with you after my first foray into the world of Estee Lauders Maximum Coverage make up. Now I cheated a little here, as I am too scared of how thick it is to wear it alone, so this is me wearing it for a night out with a small amount mixed with Garnier BB cream to water it down. I have  heard a few things about this Camouflage make up recently and I was really keen to try out a little sample pot I got at the counter. I am not totally decided on it yet, when I was applying it felt very thick and mask like at first, but when I saw the couple of quick snaps I took before I went out that night I think it photographs quite well and I actually don't mind the finish- it's obvious I am wearing foundation- but I am ok with that.

I am not quite ready to head out and spend £26.50 on a full bottle yet, I think I need to play around with it a little more. I am aware that my skin is no where near as bad as it could be and I probably don't need a heavy heavy coverage- but with my current pigmentation issues and scarring I do like to see that getting covered up for a night out- and this certainly does that! I also like that its SPF 15 and you really only need a tiny amount so it would last a long time. The shade range however is crap- be warned!

FOTD:

Mixture of Estee Lauder Double Wear Maximum Coverage Make up in Vanilla light mixed with Garnier BB Cream in light.

Accessorize Bronzer

Benefit Bella Bamba Blusher

Nars Albatross highlighter

Mac CCB in Pearl

Benefit Hoola for contour

Blistex Lipbalm!

Boots no 7 eyeshadow quad in purples ( free with mascara!)

Max Factor False Lash effect Mascara

Only a short review for now as I want to brave the full face with just this first to give a good opinion but on first try I did like how it looked on and was impressed with how little you need and obviously the coverage it provides.

Has anyone else tried Maximum Coverage?

Review Time- Lanolips 101 ointment

When my dad was asking what I was after for my Christmas I as per usual found myself drawing a blank. I really should keep a note as I go of things that I have heard of that I really want to try- maybe that can be a New Years resolution for me! After scouring the Internet and blogs I managed to come up with a few things that I had been keen to give a whirl, one of which was Lanolips. I think it was gorgeous Charlotte that first brought the company to my attention earlier in the year, and since then I have seen it coming up all over the place!

Dry, flaky, painful lips are what I dread every winter, and I have tried a multitude of products to try and help me out, so I was hoping for a miracle from this little tube. Of the product Lanolips say:

"This ultimate luxuriously creamy ointment contains 100% Ultra Pure Grade Lanolin which literally melts between your fingers. This magical multi-purpose product has multiple uses such as extremely chapped lips, dry cuticles, dry, itchy skin, dry nasal passages and more. Suitable for even the most sensitive skin."

After using it for a few weeks I have to say I am a total convert-  I had refrained for buying it for myself as I had felt £11 was a lot of money to spend on a lip balm- but now I can totally see why you would.

The product itself is really thick, so you do have to squeeze really hard to get some out of the small opening at the top, but that actually makes it hard to get out too much, so there is little chance of waste. You also only need a really small amount of product to cover the lips so a small amount at a time is perfect. Even though the consistency is thick it then melts onto the lips and boy what a feeling! I was thrilled from first application, when I was first squeezing away to get it out the tube I thought this was going to be useless but I was so wrong, once on the lips it is incredible how smooth they feel, and not just in a slick lying on top of the skin way, but in a deep intense moisturising way.

It is not like any other balm I have ever tried out, my lips feel utterly incredibly after applying this and do so for hours after, it has done wonders for my messy lips, and you use so little I can see this lasting for a long while. My top tip is if you use it on your lips and have it left on your finger just rub that on your cuticles afterwards, it has done wonders for them too! It is really fab for dry skin generally so it is a really handy tube to carry with you.

I am now mad keen to try the Lemon Aid version, and there are also coloured versions available that contain SPF so they are good for you in lots of ways! You can buy Lanolips from Boots and other places on line, the 101 ointment is £11.22.

Is anyone else loving these products right now?

 

This product was paid for by Santa's money, all opinions are 100% honest and my own.