Braun Silk Epilator

Having such sensitive skin means I've never been able to wax or use hair removal products. So, after many years of Shaving a few friends of mine advised me to try and epilator.

 

Braun Silk-Epil 7

 

 

Pros: Simple to use (ideal for beginners or experienced users), two epilation speeds, a light underneath to show up all unseen hairs, massaging rollers, long battery use, wet or dry use, 3 different heads, washable, great on short hairs and aesthetically it looks good.

Cons: noise control and the first use is painful!

 

 

First of all this product is not for the faint hearted. If your really serious about looking for an alternative solution to smooth, hairless skin then this is probably the one for you.

With summer on the horizon, i had that dreaded feeling of knowing i was going to have to shave everyday again. When a couple of my friends suggested to try using an epilator instead i jumped at the chance. After scouring the Internet for the best reviewed product i came across this. I have to admit although the reviews were great i was completely swayed by the look of it. Many of the other epilators looked old fashioned and ugly but in comparision this one looked feminine and modern.

When the epilator arrived i followed the instructions and put it straight on to charge. Within an hour it was fully charged and ready to go. I was surprised at how many little accessories you get with the epilator. Inside the box were 3 different heads, a bag, some wipes, a brush and a charger.

The instructions advise you to use the lower setting for the first few uses so after hearing about how painful the first use can be i chose to follow this. For my first use i tried using it in the bath. I switched the button to the first setting and the light came on. It struck me straight away at how noisy this was going to be. 10 seconds later i forgot about the noise as the pain took over! Ok, so on my legs the pain was bearable and i did get used to the sensation. The light proved useful, showing all unseen hairs. The feeling is similar to plucking your eyebrows, just about 100 tweezers more. It took me about twenty minutes to do both legs and by the end the pain had completely subsided, it's amazing how quickly you get used to it.

Next i decided I'd be brave and tackle my under-arms. This is the part the majority of people would give up on. I changed the head and started to glide the epilator upwards. The pain was almost unbearable. So different to the sensation on your legs, as your underarms are so much more sensitive. I pushed through and finished both arms within about 10 minutes and i was so pleased with the results! Was it worth the pain you ask? COMPLETELY!

My legs and under Arms were smooth, flawless, not a hair in sight. After use i applied moisturiser to both parts of my body, My skin had no redness, inflammation or reactions which is a miracle for me!

After about a week the hairs started to grow back and i went in with the second use. The hairs had grown back thinner then before and this time the pain had halved. Ultimately it was bearable.

For anyone with a very low pain threshold i wouldn't recommend this to you. Once you've got passed the first use your on to a winner but if you can't, its a lot of money wasted!

I brought the Braun Silk-Epil 7 from Debenhams For £71.00 but usually it retails in at £119.00. This is now sold out on their website but there are plenty of other retailers that still have it in stock.

Please let me know if you have any other questions about this product.

 

Thanks for reading,

Alys

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Skinetica Product Review

Last week i was kindly gifted a few products from the lovely people at Skinetica. I've heard lots of amazing comments from other beauty bloggers and was excited to try something new. Because i am currently seeing a dermatologist and have strict instructions of what i can and cant use, i tend to shy away from anything other then what I'm prescribed. So i ran this past my consultant and she gave me the go ahead! I trialled this product for just under a week and here are the results.

Skinetica is a clear, toner like lotion that claims to soothe, calm and clear blemished skin. It's kind to skin (perfect for my sensitive skin) and has known no side effects which is very uncommon for acne clearing products! Skinetica advise you to apply to clean dry skin. generously pour the product onto a cotton wool pad and sweep over the worst affected areas. Let your skin air dry for at least one minute and you can then either apply moisturiser or foundation. Skinetica can be used as a base to makeup but claims to work better when nothing is applied over the top.

First Impressions:

Pros and Cons :

• It didn't irritate my sensitive skin, i actually found that it calmed the redness alot!
• Skinetica Has a unique smell alot like some of the lotions I've been prescribed before but on first application i found that its not harsh like those products at all.
• i wasn't that keen on the packaging, its eye catching but does look quite cheap and fairly old fashioned.

 

Day One

This week was possibly the best week to try a acne clearing product as days before I'd suffered with  a  huge breakout. The night before my skin felt tight, raised, angry and very painful.

So after my first day using skinetica i wasn't expecting any results yet but my skin did feel slightly different. The redness was less noticeable and my skin didn't feel so taught. No new spots today.



Day Two

 Woke up this morning with my skin feeling calmer, slightly less red and raised. Red marks are starting to fade, spots seem dry and less prominent.

 

 Day Three

 Today i had a turn for the worse! Second phase of my big breakout has erupted. Three new spots have appeared in my jaw and neck area. Very prominent and sore. As you can see in the picture the spots in my jawline have made it look quite swollen and bumpy, which has changed the shape of it. Applied Skinetica and i'll wait till the morning to see if it helps to calm them.

 

 Day Four

 Just woken up, The spots are still there but a lot less inflamed and swollen. Jawline looks slightly flatter and more normal looking. No new spots over night which is great news!

 

Day Five

Having a good skin day today, skin feels smoother, flatter and hydrated. No new spots and the redness that's there seems to be either scaring or spots that are on their way out.

Day Six

Skin feels great today, the last of the redness is scaring and even that looks like its starting to fade. No new spots today so i think I'm over the worst, skin feels soft smooth and supple.

 

 

Final Verdict

After Six days of trialling this product and suffering from two fairly big breakouts, in my opinion this product did an excellent job. Throughout the week i found it helped at calming and soothing my skin and stopping the breakouts from getting out of hand. As you can see from the evidence above, each day the blemishes looked flatter, less angry and in general felt a loss less painful. Even some of my scaring had started to fade.

Overall i think this is a great product for any type of acne sufferer. Over the past nine years i have tried a ridiculous amount of products that have had either a small impact or very extreme results. Skinetica seems to fit right in the middle of these. Although it has helped in the process of caring for a breakout it isn't something that i feel would completely clear my skin forever.

For me this isn't my final solution, but for many other people this may be all they need. I do believe that everyone skin is so different its about finding that one product that balances it out correctly. I do however think it will be helpful to control my skin as new spots start to appear and i will be adding this to my skin saviour list for emergencies. I would definitely recommend this to anyone suffering with any kind of breakout or just to add to your skincare collection. Thank you so much Skinetica for sending me these products, i couldn't of asked for a better company to work with.

 

Skinetica Retails in at only £9.99 and you can buy on their website here.

I'd love to here any feedback of any other people that have tried and tested Skinetica and the results they have found. Email me at alysholder@yahoo.co.uk for any questions or queries relating to this post.

 

Thanks for reading,

Alys

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Liz Earle Product Review

Liz Earle

 

Recently whilst taking part in a live bloggers chat i was recommended by quite a few Beauty Bloggers to try Liz Earle skincare Range. The products i decided to choose were :

 

Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

and

Deep Cleansing Mask

 

A few days later they arrived  on my doorstep and i  have to admit i was so impressed with the customer care Liz Earle Provided. They arrived in lovely packaging and each product came in their own individual bags. They also sent me another small sample size tube of the cleanse and polish with a muslin cloth, which i sent to a friend of mine that also suffers with acne. The full size bottle comes with two white muslin's which i wasn't expecting, and the mask also has two small sponges in the pack. Lastly they also sent me a sample of a body cream to try. I was so surprised by the extras included, such a generous company!

 

 

I know its sad but i get so excited over skincare, straight away i ran a bath ready to try them. Its Recommended to use the cleanser first then the mask, so after taking my makeup off i pumped out a small amount onto my hand and smoothed all  over my face, neck and shoulders. As soon as i started to apply this i could smell the gorgeous aroma of the cleanser, so calming. and made me feel instantly relaxed! Cleanse and Polish is made with rosemary, chamomile, cocoa butter and eucalyptus oil, so combines to make a beautiful natural scent. I left this to soak into my skin for a few minutes the rinsed the muslin's under some clean hot water. I then placed the Muslin over my face and exhaled, inhaling  in the warmth that was radiating off of the cloth. I used the second muslin to wipe away the remaining product left on my skin. Already, my skin felt smoother, soft and calm.
 

Before washing my hair i decided to apply the mask, as you need to leave it on for at least 5 minutes. The mask i found is applied better to dry skin, so you might want to use a dry flannel or clean towel to softly dab over your face and neck beforehand. You don't need to use a huge amount of this as it spreads quite far and evenly. I found the consistency completely different to any other mask I've used in the  past. The texture is smooth and creamy but not thick like most clay masks. Once applied  i washed my hair and lay back for a few minutes. This Product also has a unique scent with naturally active ingredients including Manuka honey, Propolis and Rose scented Geranium. Geranium's are my favourite flowers so this was already a winner for me. It wasn't too overpowering either, which i think comes with the fact its all natural ingredients.

The mask then dries to a  lighter grey shade and doesn't flake or crumble like many I've used before. Following the instructions i soaked the two sponges in warm water and placed over both eyes, then removed the mask from the middle  of my face outwards leaving my neck until last. The sponges made this very easy to remove and again my skin instantly felt beautifully smooth and calm, which is really hard to achieve with having such sensitive skin!

Overall I'm delighted with this recommendation. The hot Polish Cleanser has now replaced my current cleanser but I'm only using this at night as it takes a little longer then my normal routine. The mask i use one to two times a week as its not too harsh on my skin. I usually use this on a Sunday as a treat.

If your looking for something luxurious and not wanting to spend a fortune this is the product for you. Definitely worth buying through the Liz Earle website as well, (I'll write the link to this below) as you receive so much more with your order. They know how to treat a customer that's for sure! I'd loved to know if any of you skincare addicts have tried anything from her range and what you thought of them!

The Cleanse and Polish Retails in at £14.75 for a 100ml bottle and comes with two muslin cloths.

The Clay Mask retails in at £14.50 for a 75ml tuble and comes with two sponges.

 

The Liz Earle team are excellent if you need help with finding the perfect products to suit your skin to don't be scared to send them an email. They reply extremley quick and are very proffesional is helping you to understand each product.

http://uk.lizearle.com/

Thanks for reading,

Alys

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Lets Talk Skincare

Before I begin, I thought I should point out that our skin not only differs from person to person, but also goes through plenty of phases throughout our lives. Just like how our mood changes during different times of the day, our skin and its needs also differ. After talking to many skin specialists, this was the one bit of advice i always keep in mind. Over time, I have learnt how to deal with my skin better because I realised I needed to approach skincare in a more a holistic manner. It’s really all about a balance of treatments, the right products, and general well being. Throughout the years of having acne, as I've changed, my skin has altered too which is why i change my skin routines and the products that i use so frequently.

Recently on a girls weekend away, a friend of mine was astounded at my skincare collection and array of foundations. i explained that my skin had changed so much in the past year that I've had to alternate what i use on a daily basis. for example; one day it might be very dry equally the next it could be so sensitive that i cant apply anything! This is a rather difficult topic for me to approach because I mix my products around so often. Each year, I go from having horrendous skin (in my opinion) to pretty clear skin, this can alternate every other week and i continue using different products at different stages throughout. Keeping this in mind...I've put together a list of my top products that i cant live without on a weekly basis and at the same time go through a basic routine.

Firstly:

FACE WASH OR MAKEUP REMOVER

I tend to use a gentle face wash instead of makeup remover as i find wipes too harsh on my skin and usually too painful to use. So instead i opt for 'Dermol' antimicrobial emollient (a cream usually used for eczema or dermatitis), which i was prescribed by my doctor a very long time ago and is still to date the only wash that doesn't cause my skin any extra problems.

 

CLEANSING WASHES

usually after washing my skin i then wash it again with a gentle cleanser. The three products that i would recommend and alternate regularly depending on my skin condition would be;

1) Clinique soothing cleanser

Over the years I've made my way through pretty much every one of clinique anti-blemish solution products and this has to be one of my favourites. when i have a breakout my skin gets very red and itchy and this is my savour! Its not excessively expensive to buy and really cools down my skin, making me look a little more human!

2) Clinique cleansing foam

 

This is very similar to the first product but i tend to use this if my skin is having a 'normal' day, in my case, isn't too dry, too oily or too sensitive. It makes your skin feel lovely after and i always feel radiant. You can also buy this in soap form, which lasts so much longer but over the years I've realised i prefer to buy the bottle version as when dealing with acne-prone skin, you want to be as hygienic as possible so using a pump saves you contaminating the product for your next use.

Lastly

3) Dior Gentle Foaming Cleanser

Its not very often i can use products or would even recommend them with fragrances in but this is one beauty must have! Dior have excelled in making something very unique for sensitive skin. it may be a lot pricier then the other two but if your looking for something a bit more luxurious then definitley give this a go! I use this if my skin is having a sensitive day and i cant apply makeup. it smells incredible and leaves your skin feeling soft, clean and wakes me up for the day!

CLEANSERS

My top three cleansers;

1)  Lancome Cleansing Fluid

This is a very lightweight cleanser, which is great if your skin is very dry or sensitive, I've used this for a long time now and am still able to use and reuse even when my skin changes.

2) Clarins Extra Comfort Anti-pollution Cleansing Cream

My mum actually introduced me to this one! she came across this after receiving a Clarins gift pack and made me try it, it contains Shea butter which is very moisturising and calming to red and angry skin. They also make mini's which are perfect when your travelling (especially when you already have so many products).

3) Dior Gentle cleansing Milk

This can be used along side the foaming cleanser above.

TONING

Top Three toners;

1) Lancome Softening Hydrating Toner

This toner smells lovely and feels very fresh once applied onto your skin. It does an amazing job of hydrating your complexion.

2) Dior Purifying Toning Lotion

This is a great toner for combination or oily acne prone skin, although I'd like to see this in a spray bottle most cotton pads tends to absorbs the product. It is incredibly gentle and soothing to angry skin. its quite pricey but worth it, if your going to go down the Dior route and buy the whole collection together.

3)Dr. Hauschka Clarifying Toner

I came across this product whilst scanning the Internet for a new toner one day. I'd heard about Dr. Hauschka before, from a friend and decided to give the small tester sets a go. I found it really relieved my skin without being too heavy, and so when i need that extra moisture this is what i use. its often very hard to find the right balance when using oils and this is one I'd definitely recommend!

Its known best to be a specially formulated toner for very oily and acne conditioned skin. with anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, it helps soothe, calm and harmonise the skin. It also helps regulate oil production in the skin so great for acne prone skin.

MOISTURISE

For me this is the focus of all my routines. People often think moisturising is a no-no for acne but for me its the most important thing. you need to keep your skin hydrated at all times, especially if you've been prescribed medication as usually it can be extremely drying! Ive tried and tested so many different moisturisers and use a different one from day to day. For my morning routine i usually end with;

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel

I've loved this for a long time as its not too heavy for the day, to wear under makeup, its not greasy and keeps your skin hydrated all day.

And at night i usually rely on;

Lancome Hydra Zen Neurocalm

Some people find this far too heavy but for me its what i need over night. Lancome also do this in a lotion for which is great for the day, but for me this is my savour!

One last thing I'd like to add to my products i couldn't live with out would be;

Clarins Gentle Peeling Smooth Away Cream

This is one of my all time favourite products...maybe its because i searched high and low for something on this level! last year i'd been longing for a gentle exfoliator, but having such sensitive skin its so hard to find one that's gentle enough but does a good job at peeling away all the dead skin cells and giving you new fresh skin. Its a must have if you in desperate need of exfoliating but don't want anything too heavy.

I realise this is a really long blog but i have so many favourite products that i swap and change and hopefully this might encourage you to try something new or find something you've been looking for!

Thank you for reading and i hope this helps.

Alys

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