Organic Wednesday - Voya

Q: Why is the beach wet?

A: Because the sea weed!

Look, it's the first Organic Wednesday since Christmas, that's my only excuse for the terrible joke, I think I accidentally memorised my nephew's 101 Terrible Jokes book over the break! Luckily, this week's products aren't terrible, and I just hope Voya - a family run Irish company who specialise in luxurious seaweed based products - will forgive me ...

Have three products to talk to you about, conditioner, shower gel and a body lotion, and I have a guest blogger again, but first, a little bit about the company:

About Voya

Based in Strandhill, Ireland, the company runs one of the few remaining seaweed spas in Ireland, and they have a great love of organics, they've spend a lot of time over the last ten years or so developing their product range, for example, it took them six years to figure out the process of drying seaweed in a manner that merely puts it into "stasis" rather than killing it off entirely, as they say:

"Seaweed (an algae) dries when the tide goes out, and to prevent it from dying and keep its cell structures intact, it has developed a natural defence against this: slowly reducing its water content and entering a period of stasis or dormancy. Because of our ability to replicate this, we don’t have to treat our seaweed with harmful preservatives, and so the full recuperative power of wild seaweed is brought to you in each product."

Their products are entirely organic, and the company's philosophy is this:

"Inspired by the breathtaking natural beauty around us and the long-standing traditions of the area, VOYA has adopted organic and sustainable ways of creating our products. We use only sustainable harvesting practices to ensure that we don’t damage the delicate coastal environment that provides us with our certified organic seaweed. We then combine this with the best organic ingredients from around the world to bring you a unique seaweed bath experience and a range of products that not only heal the body but leave the skin silky smooth."


The Products

Forget Me Knot hair conditioner 

Because of my recent keratin treatment, hair products aren't something I'm experimenting too much with at the moment, so I invited another blogger (and my lovely housemate)  McTofu to try this one out for me.

Voya say:

"Forget Me Knot uses an express delivery formula that includes our organic seaweed and both vitamin B5 and vitamin E to add moisture, shine and protect hair from environmental damage. An effective conditioner with essential oils and natural active ingredients to help repair, protect, de-tangle and replenish the hair. As our organic formulations don't use harsh chemicals, you can use this product daily."

McTofu says:

"One advantage of living with a beauty blogger is that quite often some lovely products come my way. One such product is Voya ‘Forget Me Knot’ organic conditioner. Made from hand harvested seaweed, I was expecting it to smell of the sea, but no, it had a pleasant spicy, woody smell. Now, I’m a gal that is used to sweet smelling hair products, so I was not overly impressed with the scent when I squeezed a 50p sized blob onto my hand.

It spread through my hair evenly enough and I left it on for my usual time of about 3mins. It rinsed through easily and when dry, my hair seemed to comb through well without too much trouble from tangles. Once dry, I didn't notice that my hair was any glossier or smoother as it promised on the pack, however the scent really grew on me throughout the day. Voya Forget Me Knot is a nice product but it is slightly out of my price range for an every day conditioner, I liked it but don’t think it is a product that I would buy for myself."

 Get Lippie says:

The instructions for this product say to leave the conditioner in place for 15 minutes, another housemate has tried this product too, and really liked it, and she also commented on the unusual and pleasant smell.  Both testers have coloured and porous hair, the conditioner (which I'd actually consider more of a mask than a daily use product, owing to the long time it's recommended to leave it in place) is very thick, rich and seems to be really suitable for dry, coloured and/or processed hair.

Now onto (reviewed together underneath images):

Squeaky Clean body wash

 Voya says: 

"...Infused with the natural purifying properties of wild organic seaweed, sourced from Ireland’s untamed Atlantic coastline. Squeaky Clean captures the energy of this coastal environment in an invigorating body wash that will stimulate both your skin and senses. Our mild but effective organic foaming body wash contains essential oils and naturally-derived cleansing and conditioning agents to help soften the skin and leave it feeling clean, fresh and revived. The active seaweed extracts help to relieve muscle stress and fatigue. Use while showering for a real organic indulgence that will leave your skin refreshed and gently cleansed..."

And:

Softly Does It body lotion

Voya says:

"When it comes to taking care of your skin, our silky blend of wild seaweed extracts and organic essential oils provides a completely natural, deep moisturising experience that can help prevent signs of ageing and cellulite as well as improve skin tone and elasticity. Blended with basil and lime, patchouli, clove, mandarin and lemon organic essential oils, Softly Does It is best when massaged into your skin after showering or bathing, and offers a real organic indulgence that will keep your skin moisturised and feeling luxuriously smooth."

Get Lippie says:

I tried these, and I really liked them.  The shower gel is a clear gel-product, it doesn't lather overmuch (due no doubt to the lack of SLS and other nasties) but leaves you feeling fresh and clean and delicately scented with the unusual, but very lovely, mixture of sweet basil and clove that the entire range has.  It doesn't appear to leave my skin dry, and I'm not flaky after using it.

The body lotion is a medium-weight cream that I found took a fair bit of rubbing to absorb, but it's not a chore to use.  The scent does last, but not in an overpowering kind of way, so I don't think you'd have too much trouble with clashing smells if you use this. The softening effect is lovely, and appears to last for a while.  They're definitely products I'll continue to use!

Voya products are available from http://www.voya.ie/default.aspx and start at around nine euro.  The range includes skincare, bodycare and haircare products as well as candles and teas ... Seaweed teas sound kind of interesting, don't you think?

The small print: The products were provided free for review purposes.  All reviews remain impartial regardless of the source.

Nail of the Day - Chanel Kaleidescope

This shimmering metallic taupe/pewter was a limited edition from Chanel in 2008, the above pic shows two coats over a Seche base and with a Seche Vite top coat. Application is smooth with no streaking, but as it's a metallic you do tend to get visible brush marks.






As for the colour - I'm not sure I like it, there were lots of raves about it at the time, but I think it's actually a really difficult colour to wear as it highlights any pink you might have whatsoever in your fingers, and
makes it look like you have a nasty case of dishpan hands. At least, that's how I feel about it. This is only the second time I've tried it, and it's doubtful there will be a third.

What do you think?

More Sale Bargains - Paul & Joe Eyeshadows

I think I may have gone a little sale-crazy over Christmas, but there were some amazing bargains around!  I was in Fenwicks last week, and picked up four Paul and Joe eyeshadows for about five pounds each!  I love the packaging, they remind me of chocolate coins!  

Here's the colours I picked (with flash and without):

 

From left to right, there are shades 94 (gorgeous velvety purple), 003 (peachy gold), 95 (rose gold/taupe shade) and 93 (mossy golden green).  The shadows feel buttery soft on the skin, but I've not worn them on my eyes yet, as I've been ill, and wearing make up has been the last thing on my mind recently!

Here's how they swatched on my skin:

Please excuse the broken fingernail on my ring finger there, I had a little altercation with a tin can over Christmas, and it's only just growing back!  All these colours have a very metallic finish, and this is how they looked after one swipe on the pan.  Am really liking the look of 95 there, I'm really looking forward to using these babies!

Wonder Product - Mavala Nail Systems

 

I don't give things wonder product status very often - I'm fickle, and I get bored of products very, very easily.  Certainly, if I can't see results from a product within a short time, then I stop using them, and, expecially when it comes to my nails, I'm lazy, so if I have to use a product, say, more than a couple of times a week, then I'm prone to forgetting about it altogether ....

However, the trio of products you see above, well, I love them! And they've made such a difference to my nails in a very short time, it's almost unbelievable.

Here's how my nails looked about two months ago:

And here's how my nails look after six weeks of treatment with the Mavala nail system:

Can you see the difference? (and yes, I know this is a picture of my other hand, looooong story!) best of all, my nails are STRONG now, and don't peel, flake or just plain snap at the drop of a hat.  I'm totally in love with having nails, and I've been asked a couple of times if I've had acrylics done!

Here's how the system works:

It's a three part system - but you can mix and match how many of them you need, or want to use, this is just the products I've found that work for me in combination, you don't have to use all three if you think you don't need them.

Firstly on a daily basis you use the Nailactan Nutritive Nail cream, just massage a tiny amount into your cuticles, and this keeps the nails moisturised, and prevents dryness and brittleness.  I'll be honest here and admit I don't always use this every day, but I do use it two, maybe three times a week, and it's very good at getting rid of dry, raggedy cuticles.

Secondly, you use this stuff (and if you only get one product, this is the one I can't recommend highly enough) Mavala Scientifique Nail Hardener:

It's a very thin liquid that you paint just on the very tip of your nails - twice a week to start with, falling to once a week, or once a fortnight once your nails are up to strength - and it penetrates to bond the nail plates together and make them stronger.  This tiny bottle - and it is tiny -  is an entire year's supply, but I've been using it for six weeks now, and as you can see, I've barely made a dent in the contents!

This formula does contain formaldehyde, and as such, you have to be careful with how you use it - it hardens everything, including skin, so I'd recommend that you read the instructions very carefully before you use it.  I've had no problems with it, but it is a bit whiffy, (it reminds me of sage and onion for some reason) so make sure you don't use it in too enclosed a space.

Then, before painting my nails I use the base-coat system:

Bottle number one contains nylon strands in a strengthening base, to further support the strength of your natural nails.  Once this coat is dry, you add a coat (or two) of bottle number two, which will fill in all the ridges left by the strands and leave you with a glossy base to apply polish over.  I've found that using these as a base both strengthens my nails and hugely improves the wear of my polishes.

Mavala introduced Scientifique to the UK in 1959, and they say that it's never been bettered. I think I have to agree with them.  What do you use on your nails?

Mavala products are available at independent pharmacists nationwide, but I've found all these products in my local Debenhams.  Products cost from around £3.75 for the varnishes, to around £10 for the treatment products.

The small print - these products were provided for review purposes, but all reviews are honest regardless of the source.

Ellis Faas - the haul!

Courtesy of the lovely, lovely LondonMakeUpGirl these arrived today, and I'm delighted!  I'd ordered two eyeshadows and a blush a couple of weeks ago, and after a slight snafu with the order courtesy of the Ellis Faas online shop (which was very quickly and most courteously sorted, bless their cotton socks!) it's taken a while for them to get here.

I love the entire ethos behind Ellis Faas, innovative products innovatively designed and packaged, made to suit everyone. All the colours are based on natural colours you'd find in the human body, but that doesn't mean it's all beiges and browns, there are reds, purples, oranges, blues and greens.  And beige, and brown ...

But onto the products, that's why you're all here, innit?  I love the packaging, even if people occasionally think I'm carrying around "intimate objects" for midgets ... basically, all the products are cream-based, and depending on which part of the face they're for, they either stay glossy and creamy (the lip products) or dry to a flattering powder (eye and skin).  The packaging is based on bullets:

Onto the swatches, I ordered Milky Eyes (the sheerer eye formulation) in E208 - a pinkish-orange coral shade, Creamy Eyes (the more matte eye formulation) in E105 - a purplish brown, and the blush in S302, which is a beautiful slightly shimmery coral colour:

Without flash:

With Flash:

I have to say that the picture with the flash is more true to the actual colour of the products.  I do have one issue with Ellis Faas and that is that the online swatches are dreadful, these colours (beautiful though they are) aren't quite what I was expecting from the online shop.  Online they look pinker, but I suggest you hang on till you can see them in the flesh before buying - they're launching at Liberty in February, and both Grace and I will be in line for more!

I'll bring you a FotD with these products soon, I can't wait to use them properly!  I already have two of the lipsticks, and I know they'll both work with these colours!  

Review - Compton Hair: Onix Brazilian Blowdry

Now, I don't know about you, but I find the thought of trying out a new hair salon pretty terrifying, I've been known to hang around outside salons for ages trying to pluck up the courage to actually walk in and make an appointment!   As a result, it's entirely possible I don't visit the hairdresser as often as I might.

Now, when you consider that I have crazy hair:

(hair after applying straightening shampoo, conditioner, serum, balm, and home blowdry!)

that might seem a bit short-sighted, but ... I've learned my coping strategies over the years, I don't wash it every day, I use my straighteners once or twice a week, and when all else fails, I tie it back. Wash and go hair just isn't something that is possible for a curly-girl like me.

Or so I thought.

When the opportunity came up to visit Zoltan Vargyai at Compton's Covent Garden salon and try out the next generation of Brazilian keratin treatment I nearly bit someone's hand off in my eagerness to say yes! Keratin treatments, also known as a three month blowdry, have been around for a while now. They semi-permanently straighten and condition your hair, so making it easier and quicker to style.  Unlike a Yuko treatment however, the straightening effect fades over a number of months, so they're cheaper, but also unlike Yuko, Onix can be used on colour-treated and/or damaged hair.

Previously, keratin treatments have had the major disadvantage that you have to leave your hair unwashed, untouched and unstyled (literally, you can't even tuck it behind your ears!) for at least three days after having the product applied, but the new Onix treatment renders that obsolete, meaning that you can wash your hair the same day, if you want, and you can style your hair however you want without worrying that your hair will "set" into a new, and unwanted shape. Plus, the treatment can be done in about an hour, if you're lucky!  I have a LOT of hair though, so I was in the salon a fair bit longer than that ...

I spent yesterday afternoon having the process done.  The Compton Hair salon itself is very relaxed, all the staff went well out of their way to make me feel at home, and Tom - who actually carried out my treatment - was, I have to say, utterly adorable.  We spent a long time chatting about my hair, and what I wanted from the treatment, before we got started and the chat continued throughout, so much so, I barely had to pick up my book! There was also a bit of an iPhone application face-off at one point, but I shall gloss over that, I have the least cool selection of Apps, ever.  I also had a chance to speak to Zoltan himself, but I'll bring you more about that in a later post.

The treatment itself isn't that complicated, your hair is washed twice with a special clarifying shampoo to open the hair cuticles, then the keratin treatment is applied and left to absorb into your hair. Your hair is then dried and straighteners are used to set it into it's finished style.  Here's how my hair looked at this stage:

Apologies for the poor quality of the iPhone picture there!  Now, if you wish, you can leave the salon at this point, and leave the keratin on your hair for a couple of days before washing it out, or you can leave it on for another 45 minutes and have it neutralised and removed at the salon.  I opted for this version of the treatment - I'm an instant gratification kind of gal, always have been! Once the keratin was removed, my hair was very roughly blowdried with fingers, NO styling products, brushes or straighteners were used at this point, and here's how it looked when I got home after a slightly rainy walk through Covent Garden:

Lookit that shine!  (Don't lookit the stupid expression on my face ...) Ordinarily after a few minutes in a damp atmosphere I resemble a dandelion clock after a particularly vicious static storm, or Marc Bolan after a nasty electric shock, so just to get away with a little light fuzzing at the ends is amazing. Especially after only five minutes under the hairdryer! Normally getting my hair this straight is about an hour-long job, and it's back-breaking, to boot.

I can't wait to try styling this myself, I specifically requested that Tom leave me with a little root lift, so when it dries naturally it'll be a bit more "bouncy" than it appears here.  I was delighted with my experience in the salon today, seriously, they're lovely people! And I absolutely love the results I've been left with so far.  I'll bring you a further post a little later in the week about how I've found dealing with it at home, I think the key part of any salon treatment is how your hair behaves once you try to replicate the results yourself!

It's important that you use an SLS-free shampoo and conditioner after the treatment, as sulfates strip away the keratin treatment, so I purchased the Onix products to ensure I get the best results, and I'll let you know my thoughts on those too.

You can find out more about Compton Hair here and more about the Brazilian blowdry itself here. Prices start from £145, and the treatment can take from 1 to 4 hours depending on the length and thickness of your hair.  If you do go, ask for Tom, and tell him I said hello!

The Small Print: This treatment was provided free for review purposes.  All reviews are honest, regardless of the source of the product.

Organic Wednesday - Badger Balms

So, a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned lip balms and asked for some suggestions for new ones. I really shouldn't be asking for recommendations, as a bit later on that day I went to my lip balm drawer (what, you mean you don't have a drawer devoted purely to lip balm?)  and found these babies.  Actually, the pic above shows only some of the Badger Balms I have, there are a few more hanging around.  I'm a big fan of them, in case you can't tell!

About Badger:

The original Badger "Healing Balm" is based on a concoction of  extra virgin olive oil, beeswax, castor oil, aloe vera and essential oil of sweet birch (it smells very like root beer, in fact!), and was invented in 1995 by Bill Whyte of New Hampshire.  The brand has since diversified from this one balm into aromatherapy products, hand care, lip care, body butters, soaps and sunscreens.  Badger don't test on animals, only use organic (food grade) ingredients and contain no petrochemicals.

Lippie Says:

I really like these formulations, unlike balms containing petrochemical ingredients, these don't just soothe your lips whilst they're actually sitting on your lips, but keep on protecting and soothing even after there's no balm visibly left on your lips.  Some more mineral-oil based balms can actually leave your lips feeling worse after they've worn off, but not these.  I discovered them via their "Healing Hands" balm, which I've used as a hand cream, and I also swear by their cuticle cream, which is a lovely lemon-scented butter, which works wonders for your nails, I discovered. My favourite of the lip balm sticks is the Chai Rose flavour, which I think has been discontinued, much to my distress.  I also really like their relaxation balms, I don't, in all honesty know how effective they are as aromatherapy products, but they smell nice, and they're lovely to use.

But, don't just take my word for it:

Mr Lippie says:

"Not being someone who regularly uses skincare products of any kind, I was a touch dubious when Get Lippie thrust a small tin of Badger ‘Healing Balm’ upon me, with many exhortations to ‘USE this, dammit!’. Opening it didn’t really help my qualms, as I was faced with a malignant yellow substance that was sticky/slimey to touch, and a waft of overpowering Menthol odour drifted out. I really didn’t think that extract of Badger was supposed to smell like this (nor was I sure what healing powers it had for dry skin), but I gamely resolved to try it anyway. I’ve got dry skin on my elbows (the word ‘scaly’) has been used), so I applied this to them once a day for about a week. The smell disappears in small quantities, the stickiness washes away quite easily, and, luckily, my elbows have not turned yellow. And, more to the point, it actually seems to work – which is nice. My elbows are actually becoming significantly smoother. So, overall, a thumbs up."

High praise indeed, if you ask me.

Editors Note:  No Badgers are harmed in the making of Badger Balm - there are no animal ingredients in any of the products from the range, except beeswax. 

Eye Makeup Remover Challenge - Pt 3 The Final

It's the final week of my eye makeup remover challenge!  The contenders are: Talika (100ml £12.72) - winner of last week's high-end challenge, and Amie (125ml £4.75), the winner of the cheap and cheerful contest the week before. Both removers fared extremely well with my every day makeup, so this week, I've made it a bit more difficult.

The Challenge:

This is a version of my night-time smokey eye makeup, but I've altered it slightly to really put the removers to the test.  Again, three shades of shadow applied over Urban Decay Primer Potion, but I've used MAC Blacktrack fluidliner which is next to impossible to remove once it's really set in, and waterproof mascara.  Max Factor Lash Extension Effect mascara to be exact, which will have it's own review soon.

Round One - the melt:

As usual, I begin by holding cotton wool pads soaked in make up remover on my eyes for 30 seconds:

Both have done a pretty good job of soaking off the first layer of mascara, and there's a fair bit of smudging around the eyes:

There's very little to choose between the contenders at this point, so I'm calling this round a draw.

Round Two - after:

After full make up removal, here's how the pads look:

Just look at that Amie pad (on the right), this stuff eats makeup!  This is how my eyes look at this point:

Again, very little to choose between them, however, I am noticing that the skin around the eye I'm using Talika on feels very tacky, and slightly taut, a side effect that I'm not having with the Amie on the other eye.  I mentioned in my last review that the Amie stings my skin, but, I've had this bottle tested by three other people, and they've had no problems with stinging whatsoever, so I'm ignoring that effect for scoring purposes, as that's my skin at fault, and it's highly unlikely to affect many other people, unlike the tacky skin-feel of the Talika.

Round two to Amie.

Round Three - The Shower Test:

Other cleansers have failed miserably at this point, so let's see how our two finalists fare after a hot shower:

Nothing.  No smudges, no runs, no flakes.

A draw.

Round Four - Cleansing oil:

Once again, I break out the big guns (actually, a bottle of Nude Facial Cleansing oil, which is the straw that broke Chanel's back last week), and here's the result:

Again, nothing, nada, zip, zilch, zero.  These are both amazing cleansers, and they've left not a streak or a smudge of leftover mascara between them, which is just fantastic.  However, it means I'm left to judge them on things outside of just their cleansing ability, which is going to make my final judgement slightly unobjective, so bear with me.

Final Analysis

This is exceptionally difficult to call.  Both products have performed extremely well, and rather better than I expected any oil free makeup removers to perform when I started this trial, but my gut instinct is that if I were to purchase either of these products again, it'd be the Amie (even with the stinging), over and above the Talika.  It's cheaper, for one thing - especially when you compare it on a ml for ml basis - and I prefer how it leaves my skin feeling afterwards, not sticky, not taut, not soapy.  It's an excellent value product, and I think the values behind the company are ones I admire. 

I realise I am very far from the target market for this range (it's primarily aimed at teenagers and women in their early 20's) but I think good skincare is a lesson best learned early.  Certainly, it's one I wish I'd learned earlier. Personally, I think my skin is so sensitive now because there simply weren't affordable products like this around when I discovered makeup, and I spent a long time applying cheap slap - a lot of cheap slap! - and removing it with the cosmetic equivalent of paintstripper as a result. I think it's that which has left my skin needing to be treated a lot more gently now.

There are a lot of other products in the Amie range, if they're all made up to this standard - and I suspect they are - it's a very good skincare range, whatever your age.

Organic Wednesday - Elemental Herbology

A couple of months ago, I was lucky enough to meet with, and have a facial from, the lovely Madhvi at Elemental Herbology, and I was delighted by the results at the time.  I was so delighted that I've been trying to replicate the results ever since with this little kit here.

About the company:

"Elemental Herbology was founded by Kristy Goodger, a spa consultant with over 10 years of practical, ‘hands-on’ experience in treating clients, developing spa treatments and operating and designing spas. Combining her outstanding knowledge of herbal medicine with Oriental physiology and pathology, Kristy worked with a leading cosmetic laboratory to develop Elemental Herbology."

In a nutshell, Elemental Herbology believe that as the seasons change, so should your skincare, and, to that end, they provide both a "cooling, calming" summer range of facial and body products, and a "repairing, hydrating" of winter products.  I do, very often find myself having to switch moisturisers once or twice throughout the year, and sometimes, I find the switching of brands irritates my stupidly sensitive skin, and it's nice to know there's a brand out there that's thought of this too.

About the kit:

The Facial Ritual kit contains three of the brands best selling skin masks:

Facial Glow: which is a radiance peel to remove dead skin, brighten the complexion, and improve skin texture,
Facial Detox: which is a purifying facial mask, based on Amazonian Clay to resolve congestion and blackheads.
Biodynamic Facial Soufflé: an intensive hydration and repair mask designed to provides instant hydration and repair the skin whilst nourishing it.

Alongside these three masks, you also get a muslin cloth and a full set of instructions.


How it works:

Once a week, you cleanse your face with your cleanser of choice, and then use the masks in the order as above,  Facial Glow for four minutes, Facial Detox for up to ten minutes, and you leave the Biodynamic Facial Soufflé on overnight.  In between each of these, you give yourself a little steam treatment with the muslin cloth.

The Verdict

This, whilst fairly time consuming, is a real pleasure to use.  Many times, I've given myself a home facial (and, to be honest, I've had some professional facials that have done this too) and been left a reddened, inflamed, and somewhat greasy-faced monster.  What I like about these products is that they actually do what they say they will, and yet aren't overly chemical-laden or irritating to the skin.

To take the products in order, the Facial Glow is a beautifully citrus-scented mask with some exfoliation beads in it, whilst it was on my skin it made it feel a little cooler, which was an odd sensation.  Once it was rinsed off though, my skin very definitely felt smoother, and it felt a lot more velvety than usual.

The Facial Detox is far more familiar to use, as it's a clay-based mask that Elemental Herbology recommend you use only on your "congested" areas.  I smeared a thick layer on my forehead, chin, and around my nose (classic T-zone application, really) and I found it definitely tingled a bit.  In fact it tingled so much that I rinsed mine off after only six minutes, but it didn't seem to harm the overall facial at all.

The Biodynamic Facial Soufflé applies like a light moisturiser, but it's very matte, and doesn't absorb very quickly, which is why I think you're supposed to leave it on overnight.  It was very refreshing not to have something greasy to apply after the other masks, and it smelt a little more flowery than the other two products.

Immediately afterwards my skin wasn't at all reddened, itchy or inflamed, it felt cool and velvety, and I liked the feeling very much.  When I woke up next day, it was even better, the soufflé had totally been absorbed into my skin, and my skin was SO soft, and SO much smoother than it's been in a long time, it was amazing!  The effects have lasted several days now too, and I'm very impressed.  Best thing: no breakouts!  I estimate with the tube size, you'd get at least four - possibly more - full treatments out of this kit.  It says it's to be used weekly, but I think I'll be saving it as a monthly treat for my face.

I'm definitely going to try other products from this brand, the cell food moisturiser and the cleanser are most likely the things I'll purchase next.  I got my kit from Space NK and it cost £40.

Eye Makeup Remover Challenge - Pt 2

So, here is part two of my eye makeup remover challenge!  Last week, in the cheap and cheerful round, I tried Boots Botanics and Amie makeup removers, and Amie won. This week, I'll be testing Talika and Chanel (my own personal favourite!) make up removers against one another.  Whichever one wins this round will challenge Amie cleanser next week, and be declared the champion of champions ...

(as an addendum to last week's challenge, I've had two independent adjudicators also test Amie, and there was NO stinging in either case, it really is just my horrendously sensitive eyes that it appears to affect.)


The Contenders:

Here we have Talika lash conditioning cleaner (which I got free in a SpaceNK goody bag), and my personal bottle of Chanel BiPhase eye make up remover.  Once again, we have an oil-free formulation (the Talika) and an oil based one - the Chanel.  At this point I'm wondering why all eye makeup removers have to be blue?  A lot of them use cornflower extract, I'm almost certain that won't make things blue, but I digress somewhat.

Talika claims theirs is the first oil-free formulation to work on waterproof mascara, and says it strengthens and lengthens lashes, I'm only testing the first of those claims, but I'm intrigued by the second!  

Chanel claim: that it "Removes makeup perfectly from the lashes and the eye contour, leaving the skin soft and supple. Combines effective makeup removal with respect for the delicate eye area." I'm on about my fourth bottle of this stuff, and I love it.

The Challenge:

 

 

Again, three shades of shadow - over a primer - and mascara.

Round one:

First thoughts: Neither product has a particular scent, once on the cotton wool, but the Talika is actually gel that you have to pump (quite hard!) to get out of the airtight tube.  Here's the cotton wool after 30 seconds on the eye:

No idea what happened to the focus here, sorry!

As you can see, the Talika has got to work straight away on the mascara, but the Chanel has removed more of the eyeshadow.  Here's how my eyes looked at this stage:

  

 

 

Yes, definitely the Talika is ahead here. Round one to Talika.

Round Two:

I then continued and removed the rest of my eye makeup with the pads, here's the guck shot:

 

Results-wise, the products are neck and neck here, it looks like they've both cleaned the eye-area well, but I've noticed that the Talika has left the eye area feeling a little tack-y to the touch, and slightly more taut than the Chanel.  There is no stinging from either.

Round 2 to Chanel.

Round Three: (yes, I've added an extra round this week, as the results were too close to call!)

After what happened last week when I had the shower, I decided to try and replicate that situation. First, I steamed my face a little, then - as that seemed to have no effect - I splashed my face with a little warm water:

 

 

Again, not a lot has happened here, there's a tiny bit of smudging on my right eye, but nothing like as dramatic as last time!  Then, I decided to bring  out the big guns. Cleansing oil.  And this is what happened:

The Chanel has a very definite smudge of mascara!  I'm devastated. Seriously!  I've been recommending it as the best eye makeup remover for as long as I've been using it!  Coco, how could you?

Talika wins!

Next week, Amie Vs Talika  an all oil-free remover final.  I'm deeply surprised!

Organic Wednesday - Dr Organic

 

Or ... "Tell 'em about the hunny, mummy ..."

No, I haven't (yet) lost my marbles, but there are two products to review this week, and the above  quote will make sense when I get to the second one.  I hope!

The Background:

The company says:

"Dr Organic utilise only the finest natural and organic raw materials wherever possible. Sourced from around the world, every single active ingredient is rigorously tested to ensure it conforms to our strict quality guidelines. Combined with the latest scientific methods of extraction, Dr Organic products ensure that active compounds are retained to create products that are truly functional."  

They also go on to promise no parabens, sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), perfumes or artificial fragrances, no animal ingredients (except honey) and no animal testing.

Dr Organic have a complete range of body products including everything from toothpaste to deodorant to body butters, in a range that utilises everything from lavender to manuka honey to tea-tree oil, so there's really something for everybody here.

The Products: 

 From their Pomegranate range, I tried the toothpaste:

The Blurb Says:

"This triple action toothpaste is formulated with Organic Pomegranate, Arnica, Silica, Aloe Vera, Icelandic Moss, Horse Chestnut and Tea Tree. Regular brushing with this fresh flavoured toothpaste helps protect against bacteria, one of the main causes of plaque and tartar, whilst leaving the mouth feeling fresh and clean."  

Lippie Says: 

It's toothpaste.  Toothpaste that's packed with the same Icelandic moss that Boots put in their eye makeup remover - that moss sure does get around, I have to say. There's not a huge amount else I can really say about this though, aside from noting my MASSIVE disappointment that it's actually a minty gel, rather than a fruity paste (obviously, I'd totally missed the BIG mention of mint on the packaging, as I'm a dingbat) but it gets my teeth clean enough in the mornings and I've not had any issues with bleeding gums or anything since I started using it, so as toothpastes go, it's not a bad one.

Having mentioned that I was disappointed that it doesn't taste of pomegranate, there is a slightly odd sour-sweet taste under the intense mintiness that I'm not entirely sure I like, certainly it's there and it's been noticeable every time I've used it.  I'm not sure it's something I'd buy a again to be honest. Mine cost £3.99 from Holland & Barret.

And, from their Manuka Honey range, I tried their Body Butter:

The Blurb Says: 

"A luxurious, deeply hydrating natural butter containing a delicate blend of Organic Manuka Honey, Aloe Vera, Shea butter, Jojoba oil, Sunflower oil and Vitamin E. This light textured butter, which is easily absorbed, restores and nourishes dry skin areas; it brings silky softness to the skin by attracting and retaining moisture and gives it a supple softer, firmer, younger looking feel. It helps improve elasticity and promotes a healthier skin tone and smooth natural glow."

Lippie Says:

Now, a big confession for me, I don't actually believe in body lotion  - I'm not alone, India Knight doesn't either.  My skin, in all honesty, doesn't appear to need it, and I only use it for it's intended moisturising purpose when I'm having one of my increasingly rare scaly days after shaving my legs.  So, I tend to use body lotion as an extension of my perfume, and to that end, I do actually own quite a few, but they're all chosen for their scents rather than their moisturising properties, to be honest.

With that in mind, I was asked to review this product and I was in two minds about it, to be honest. I'm not a big fan of honey at all, and the one and only other time I tried a manuka honey-based moisturiser, the smell of it made me vomit!  It smelled like a fungal infection, and using it in the first place was like trying to rub cheese into my face, so it's not my happiest of beauty memories, I have to admit. The product will remain nameless to protect the guilty ...

Anyhoo, this turned up, and it smells just like a jar of honey, I mean, really, really, really like a jar of honey.  And it's a strong smell.  I trialled a bit on my arm, and it smelled just the same on my skin as it did in the jar, so I guess how much you like this cream will depend a great deal on how you find the smell of honey.  When I used it properly for the first time, MrLippie came into the room, immediately commented on the very sweet smell, and he didn't much like it, I'm afraid.

I found the cream very rich, but very easily absorbed, which I think is down to it having an aloe vera rather than an emulsified water base.  It's actually a pleasure to use, even if it does come in a pot (my own particular peculiar bugbear when it comes to beauty products, I hate tubs!  I want tubes!), and if it is slightly like slathering yourself in a Greek hotel breakfast at times, then at least it's a luxurious one ...

The odd thing about this body butter is the effect it has on other people when you're wearing it.  People will get closer to you than normal, and they'll - at least if you know them well enough - keep sniffing you., trying to figure out what the "lovely smell" is. MrLippie, for all his complaining that it was too sweet when it was first applied couldn't stop smelling any random body parts that came his way for an entire day.  This smell lasts! Everyone seems to adore the scent of this stuff, even I like it, and I don't like honey!  Or body lotion.  You may find people subconsciously doing impressions of the Honey Monster when you wander past though, I certainly did ...

So, if you want to get closer to people, buy it. You'll have nice skin, and you won't be short of company!   Several people keep trying to take this tub off me - one of my housemates threatened to mug me for it the other day - but they can bugger off  go away. This one's mine, and I'm keeping it. It may be the product to eventually change my mind about body lotion.  Maybe ...

If you do want a tub of your own it costs £8.99, and it's available from Holland and Barrett. You can read more about the range here

Eye Makeup Remover Challenge - Pt 1

Even though I use cleansing oils to remove my makeup, it seems I'm still collecting eyemakeup removers at a rate of knots for some reason!  This isn't entirely a bad thing, as I do love me my full on lashes and liner, even with a "natural" look, and sometimes, you just want those bad-boys OFF!

If you've ever read my Products I Simply Can't Live Without post, you'll know that I swear by Chanel's Bi-Phase remover, but I wanted to put it to the test, is it really the best, or is it something I'm just so used to using that I only think it's good?  So, I'm setting up an eyemake up remover challenge over the next couple of weeks - cheap and cheerfuls first, then high-end removers, then I'll pit the winner of each of those categories against each other in a final showdown.  I'll wear the same makeup in each week so that it's fair ...

The Contenders:

On the left there, we have Amie Bright Eyes Very Gentle Eye Makeup Remover, and on the right we have Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Makeup Remover.

Amies Say: "Bright Eyes removes make-up effortlessly and gently without stinging or irritating the delicate eye area.Harmonising natural actives – meadow cornflower and chamomile soothe and decongest while grape water cleanses. Cooling cucumber hydrates and refreshes."

Boots Botanics say: "Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover effortlessly removes eye make up even waterproof mascara while also comforting and soothing the eye area, containing soothing Iceland Moss with high sugar content which helps to hydrate and calm skin as well as cleanse"

The Challenge:

Doesn't look too difficult, eh?  But I've used Urban decay primer potion, three powder shadows and two coats of mascara to look that "natural" ... oh well.

Round one:

First thoughts are that the Amie has a cute little push button top to control how much you get out of the bottle, and the Botanics bottle has a stupid little screw-top and no flow control, so I ended up spilling the stuff all over the counter.  Botanics is a bi-phase remover meaning you have to give it a damn good shake before using (which makes it look rather unpleasantly globular), whereas the Amie is just a clear blue liquid that doesn't need shaking.  There's no scent whatsoever in the Botanics, but the Amie smells quite "perfume-y".

I always apply makeup remover to a cotton wool pad, then hold it over my eye for about thirty seconds, to allow the remover to dissolve the products a little.  Here's how the pads looked after:

You can see, the Amie has definitely got to work on that mascara a lot quicker than the Botanics. (the order of the products is reversed on my face, so I've added labels to make it easier to see which is which)

Round two:

Once the remover has had a chance to melt the makeup off my eyes, I then use the pad to - very gently - remove the rest of my makeup. here's how everything looked at the end:

 

Thoughts at this point are that the Botanicals remover is very oily and has left my eye with a greasy, soapy feeling that will have to be rinsed off.  The Amie has removed my make up nicely, and not left me with a greasy afterfeel (it's actually oil-free), so it's at this point, that I would ordinarily declare Amie the winner.

However

Amie stings.  It really stings! It's not meant to sting.  They mention how gentle it is on the packaging about three or four times! Now, I have stupendously sensitive eyes and practically every eye product on the market stings my eyes at some point (cosmetics don't for some reason), but the Botanics doesn't sting me at all.  I have someone else using the Amie at the moment, most likely it won't be sting-y at all, it's just an odd quirk of my skin, but I'll mention their findings. Now, I'm torn, Amie's the better product, but Botanicals isn't painful.  What to do?  Can't fail both products in the first round!

So, which wins?  

This picture actually decided it for me:

I had a shower after removing my eyemakeup, and this is what looked at me in the mirror when I got out.  The Amie had completely removed my makeup, whereas the Botanicals had left a residue of mascara, and that's not good.  In fact, it's completely the opposite of good.  Don't care that you don't hurt at this point, removing make up is what a makeup remover is meant to do, and frankly, this isn't good enough.

Amie wins, (by a default).

Boots Botanics currently costs £1.93 on Boots.com, and you can buy Amie from Superdrug at £4,95. The Botanics is my own purchase, but the Amie was provided for review purposes.

Next week, Chanel vs Talika.