Gatineau Activ Eclat Radience Enhansing Gommage

This Product from Gatineau has a long and fancy name but essentially is an exfoliater . A very nice one none the less . It uses AHA and enzymes to gently exfoliate,  vitamins A, E,C & F to energise the skin and a moisturising comlex to moisturise and sooth . 

If you don't like the grains in a typical exfoliator and something a little more gentle then this might be worth a try . Its a little strange to begin with as it comes out as this thick , sticky sparkly gel consistency which you massage into you skin . After a minute or 2 it transforms and liquifies into an oil. This is when you know it has done its job and you are ready to rinse it off.

My skin does feel amazing and soft after use , and dare I say it a little more radiant . I have been using this off and on for the last year , and the tube seems to last for ages . 

I bought this from QVC for £29 , its a bit of a guilty pleasure sitting watching the beauty channel , but I do think you can get some amazing deals from it too . Sky channel 648.

Murad Acne Complex 30 day trial - Results

So before you go any further it feel there should be a warning , what you are about to see is very close up pictures of me with no makeup , and it is NOT pretty ......

I purchased the Murad 30 day acne complex kit ( £39) at the beginning of December and have been using it every day since . 

It came with-

Clarifying Cleanser  60ml

Exfoliating Acne Treatment Gel 30 ml 

Skin Perfecting Lotion 30ml 

Acne Spot Treatment 7.5 ml

And a pack of wipes .

The proces goes cleanse , treatment gel then lotion . The spot treatment can be added to any active areas up to 3 times a day , and the wipes as a quick fix now and again.

I felt there was more than enough products in each of the bottles except the Skin Perfecting Lotion which I had to use sparingly , and still ran out a few days before the 30 days . The others I still have a little left to carry on with.

I really liked the cleanser it foamed up with water and was really comfortable and almost padded like - a bit like a shaving gel that foams up and feels thicker . The treatment gel did sting a little every time I used it, as did the spot on treatment . However I kinda feel a bit strange saying that I liked it as I feel like it's doing something .  The lotion was fine , after the initial week of my skin becoming really dry it did balance off and the lotion worked at moisturising the skin.

I can't say in the 30 days my acne has improved by much, whether it's just my skin purging and bringing everything to the surface before it clears or not , I can't see much difference. 

Where it has really helped is in my skin texture, there has been a marked improvement on how smooth and better feeling it is .

I plan to carry on with this for another month to see if it will eventually clear my skin as the improvement  in the texture alone is worth it .

I do think I just need to be a little more patient to see the full extent , so here is hoping .

It is worth noting to avoid if you have sensitive skin .  

Favourite Products 2013

I know I am a bit late in the game with the best of posts , but been trying to set up my new camera (unsuccessfully I might add) and its so hard selecting just a few products. 2013 has been a busy year with trying so many different products and finding so many that I love to use. Some are ones I love personally for me , and a few are from my makeup kit that I love to use on my brides and models.

 

 

 

My favourite product to use on my hair is the Schwarrzkopf got2b beach Matt texturizing salt spray(£3.99)  that's a bit of a mouthful . But seeing as I have short hair I need something in it to give it a bIt of texture and volume . I'm not one for wax s to put on after , but I feel this before I blow dry just gives it that little bit if grit , texture and hold that I like.

 

The Diva session instant heat hod pod I got from Salon Services (40.99) , it's for heated rollers that you pop in one at a time and takes just 8 seconds to heat up. I use this for a vast majority of hair when I'm working in the studio making women up for their Boudoir photoshoots . It gives voluminous , big , sexy hair ideal for that situation . I also use it a lot on bridal hair for a soft curl . I like the quickness and size of it , making it really portable  for within my kit. You buy the pod separate to the rollers so you can customise how you want to use it . I'm sure there are 4 or 5 different sizes of rollers starting from pretty small to giant ones if your looking just for that bit of body and wave.

Nars Laguna bronzer (£26.00) is another of my go to products throughout the year , as you can see by hitting pan . That is something I very rarely do, I have usually gone on to the next product to try before even getting to that stage , so just shows how much I love it .  It's just a great all rounder for contour  and adding colour on most skin tones. Not completely Matt nor shimmery , goes on easily and blends well and not on the orange scale either . What's not to love?

 

 

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer is my hairs savior , I am constantly changing my hair colour and years of bleaching really takes its toll , and this is the only thing that really helps . You use it before shampooing , apply to damp hair and leave it for 10 minutes before washing. Now and again I will put it in and leave it in overnight with a bit of cling film / shower cap over, not attractive in the slightest.  However it keeps it in great condition . 

These are a recent purchase of mine but already in love the YSL Vernis Levres(£23.50) -  lipstick, stain and gloss in one. Really lovely to wear and the gloss stays on for hours . There is a big range of colours to choose from , ideal for my bridal clients that need something long lasting .

Avon supershock gel liner (varies in price every time I buy it ) is my favourite eyeliner pencil particularly when I am lining the waterline , it has a great creamy consistency and goes on like a dream , the colour stays put better than most too. 

 

 

I always knew this was an amazing product as I used it when I trained , I just never got round to purchasing it for some reason. I did this year and like the dinky little bottles I can get which is great for  travelling in my kit . Never really get my head round how something that looks like water can remove even the most stubborn makeup but it works. My only gripe is that there is nowhere I can just nip in and buy it , I have to order online . 

 

Mac eyeshadow s are my absoloute favourite, I have 3 of these palettes and have been a long time in the making . Such a huge variety of colours , with great pigment payoff, virtually no fallout which is my biggest bugbear . I also love that I an build my own custom palettes , I have a light , dark and brights .I use these on 99% of all clients 

 

What products have you been loving in 2013   Let me know ??

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boujois Paris Color Boost Lip Crayon

I picked these up in Boots the other week when I was looking for a lipstick for a party I was going to , I wanted something a little darker than my usual red and fancied a plum or maroon shade. 

I picked shades Red Island and Plum Russian and it was plum shade I wore out. 

I'm usually go bold or go home when I do decide to wear lipstick but these are a much softer option, you can draw on a light layer to keep the colour subtle or built it up with a few swipes , which is what I did. 

They are really nice to wear , not sticky or tacky , just really soft and comfortable. It does boast 10 hr wear which I would nt agree with however. I did get a good few hours of it looking great and then it wears off and leaves a stain on the lips , which I'm sure is nice with the paler colours but did nt look great on the darker ones.

All in all I like the product , I don't think it's anything particularly special compared any other drugstore brand that has lip crayons out . I have tried a few Revlon ones in a coral and pink shade and they are pretty comparable. I do like lip crayon s in general , they are just so portable and easy to apply , especially when your on the go. 

These are £7.99 each , however I got mine when boots had 3 for 2 on all cosmetics , which they do run pretty often . 

Happy New Year

Happy New Year all. Hope you had a fab time celebrating , I stayed in as hubby was working so me and the kids had a few nibbles and sat up and watched some films all cuddled in . It was a perfect night with my favorite little people . 

As always aspirations are big for 2014 , not making resolutions as such , but getting my things organised is always a good way to start the new year , so a clear out and a big sort out are in the card in the next few weeks .

I have had an amazing year in terms of business in 2013 and can finally see my little makeup world taking off . I managed to see lots of my work published online and in print , and a particular highlight was working for OK magazine . I have also had the pleasure of meeting and making up lots of brides for their wedding day , it is my favourite prt of my job to do , and pinch myself everyday that I get to do this as a job . 

I'm really hoping since changing blogging platform last month to really develop and grow my blog and in particularly photography which is never a strong point of mine, but I have recently bought a decent camera and lessons on how to use it , so fingers crossed the quality will improve . 

Bring it on 2014 ... I'm ready for you .