The Acne Fighting Bubble Mask You Need To Try Out

Last week I was sent the 7th Heaven Charcoal Detox Bubble Mask to review and to say I was intrigued was definitely an understatement. I LOVE face masks (if you watch my insta stories you’ll definitely know that already) but I’ve actually never tried a bubble mask before. This one is a little bit different though because it doesn’t come out of a pot it’s a sheet mask. Weird right? Which made me even more excited to try it.

As you can see from the pics this isn’t the most flattering face mask ever but what it lacks in good looks it makes up for in good ingredients. As soon as it arrived I had to put it to the test and have popped my thoughts below incase you wanted to try it out.

What it promises

The main ingredient in the 7th Heaven Charcoal Detox Bubble Mask is charcoal, which is the best ingredient for cleansing your pores and removing any excess oil that can lead to spots. It’s used in lots of acne fighting products and paired with the bubble effect of this mask it can really dig deep into your skin for a much clearer and fresher complexion. The mask also includes Star Anise which is a natural antioxidant that will help to soothe any breakouts and fight spot causing bacteria. It’s also good for making your skin look really glowy and fresh, which is always a good thing!

Easy to use?

There’s way more product on this mask compared to any other sheet mask I’ve tried and it’s quite hard to open without it getting everywhere. Once you’ve unfolded it though it’s super simple to line up and press onto your skin and it doesn’t slide around at all. In fact because there was so much product it held on really well, especially under my chin so my whole face could benefit from the mask. Once it’s on you just leave it for 5-10 minutes before pealing it off so it’s a really easy process altogether.

How does it feel?

I wasn’t sure what to expect but in terms of how it felt there wasn’t any tingling or stinging at all. The mask was really light and it felt gentle on my skin so I could barely feel it working. I also couldn’t feel it bubbling but I could hear it and it’s quite relaxing which is perfect if you’re having a pamper eve.

How did my skin look?

When I took the mask off my skin looked really dewy and fresh and it really helped to brighten my complexion. I also noticed that the skin in my t-zone looked a lot clearer and it helped to take down some redness I had from breakouts. I actually think this would be a good pick me up before a night out or a special occasion as my skin was so clear it gave me a good base for applying makeup.

The day after

For the sake of being really honest I wanted to mention that I did get a little spot on my nose the day after using this mask. I’m guessing that this is because the charcoal helped to draw out some of the junk that was deep in my pores so it’s definitely not a bad thing. I think that’s something to be careful of though whenever you use skin clearing products, especially if you have something planned the next day!

Tried this out? Let me know your thoughts and mask recommendations below, I’m always up for testing new skin care…

7th Heaven Charcoal Detox Bubble Mask

Advertisement

Too Faced Hangover Primer Review

A few weeks ago I went to a little blogger event at Too Faced in Cardiff and picked up their famous Hangover Face Primer. Despite the fact that I’m supposed to be on a makeup spending ban, I don’t feel too guilty about this one as it’s something you can use everyday. Anyway, to justify my purchase I thought it would be cool to do a quick review and share my thoughts.

As far as primers go I haven’t tried that many but it’s something that I want to start to explore. I’ve noticed that during the day my makeup comes off in patches and I think incorporating a primer into my routine could stop this from happening. I’m also up for anything that promises to revive my face after getting no sleep. I mean… who wouldn’t be?

First Impressions: I swatched this on the back of my hand at the counter and I liked that it felt quite balmy and thick. It also seemed to sit really well on my skin and it wasn’t oily either which is perfect as I’m combination. It’s also really light and cooling and I noticed a difference between my hands immediately, always a good sign!

The Smell: It took me a while to figure out what this smells like but I realised that it’s supposed to be Coconut Oil. As Too Faced products are quite heavily scented I wasn’t that surprised but I don’t love it. It’s not a totally natural scent and is a bit manufactured, kind of like a flavoured gel pen you had when you were 12. Harsh but true.

On my skin: It’s so dewy which I’m guessing is why it’s called Hangover because it really does pump a lot of moisture back into your face. It also plumps up my skin, especially my cheeks and under eye area to make me look way fresher overall. It doesn’t slide around either and feels a little bit tacky which I like because I think that’s how it holds onto my makeup. I feel like my skin looks really bright and glowy after using this but as I have an oily T-zone I need to tame it down with powder before I leave the house. The one thing I will say is that I feel like it very much sits on top of your skin rather than sinking in, but I’m not sure if that’s just how it works as a primer?

Longevity: It does help my foundation to last longer during the day and I noticed that my skin looked a lot fresher than it normally does. My foundation also wears off more evenly on top of this, so I don’t get any patches or dry spots.

Packaging: I love anything in a pump or spray bottle because it’s just so much easier to use. I find that it’s perfect for using the right amount of product too, so you don’t waste anything. I would say you need around 1-2 pumps to cover your face but it depends on how thickly you want to apply it.

I’ve definitely found this product really useful for making my foundation last longer. It’s also amazing for brighting up my complexion and despite the smell, I think it’s a really great primer.

Dior Addict Lacquer Plump Review

For me to recommend a lip product is a very big deal. Firstly because I don’t have much in the lip department and secondly because lipsticks aren’t my coveted beauty product of choice. It’s very impressive then that my favourite beauty purchase of this year so far is the Dior Addict Lacquer Plump in the shade Lovely-D. It’s THE most useful, flattering and wearable lip product I’ve ever owned and from the balmy consistency to the long lasting moisture I don’t think I’ll be giving it up anytime soon.

Unlike traditional lip plumping glosses this doesn’t sting or dry out your lips at all but plumps them with hydration instead. Dior actually promises a 78% increase in the moisture levels of your lips and I would totally agree that it delivers. I know that this all sounds too good to be true but trust me. This is in no way sponsored, it’s just genuinely changed my life face.

Peter Philips, Creative and Image Director for Dior Makeup described it as “an oil-in-water emulsion infused with pigments and enriched with a natural-origin hibiscus extract for a plumping effect and hyaluronic acid for moisturization.” And it’s exactly that. I honestly can’t explain how nourishing it feels and if I apply it in the morning it keeps my lips moisturised for the rest of the day.

The colour pay off is incredible for something so moisturising too. At the blogger launch I tried the shade Midnight Star which is a deep blue and it was so pigmented. Even though they’re balmy you get exactly the same richness of colour than you would from your regular lipstick. The applicator is also really great at delivering the right amount of product so you never have to worry about going overboard. As I’ve picked up a really natural shade I don’t even use a mirror when putting it on now!

Another thing I love about the Lacquer Plump is that it stains so the colour pays off for hours even after the glossy effect has worn off. It’s perfect for work as it means I still have some colour on my lips at the end of the day and don’t have to worry about carrying products around with me either.

The only downside is the price, as obviously being from Dior it’s pretty expensive at £28.50. I would recommend picking up a shade you can wear everyday like I did to really make the most of it. However for a product that works this well and makes such a difference I don’t feel like it’s completely unjustified. I’ve actually been coveting the shade D-Fancy too which is a gorgeously rich, dark red and would be perfect the evening. One more can’t hurt right?

I also reviewed the Lacquer Plump over on my youtube channel so I thought I would pop the video here if you fancy a watch…

Paul Mitchell Modern Marble Express Ion Smooth+ Review

I received these Paul Mitchell Modern Marble Express Ion Smooth+ straighteners a few weeks ago and I’ve meaning to get this review up ever since! As someone who’s had the same pink (don’t judge me) GHDs since I was in high school it’s really exciting to have something new to play with. Especially when they’re this photogenic! Here are my thoughts…

Usability

When I first saw that they were a little bit wider I was wondering if I would be able to get right to my roots but you definitely can. The size is perfect for mid to long length hair and you can easily create super soft waves with the plates too. They’re also designed for professional use so the cord is 9foot long which is so useful!

The Heat

I love that these come with an adjustable heat dial as it means you can set the temperature to whatever you like and watch it count up so you know when they’re hot. I keep it at 180° as that’s the perfect temp for styling. I mean I’m no scientist but I’m pretty sure that’s the temperature at which the structure of your hair changes but it won’t cause any damage. The ceramic plates have even heat distribution too so there won’t be any hotter sections that could cause damage.

The look

With the white and gold colour scheme, marble effect and minimal look these were sooo made for Instagram. I’ve never seen a pair of hair straighteners like this before and it think it’s really cool to have a pair that are different. You can also pick up a black version which has slimmer plates in the same effect, definitely worth checking out!

The Brush

I have a few of the Paul Mitchell 413 sculpting brushes and I honestly couldn’t recommend them more, they’re super gentle, really lightweight and come in a big range of colours. This one came with the straighteners and has the same marble pattern which is the fanciest thing ever, so matchy-matchy. I like that the bristles are really far apart too so that my hair doesn’t get caught or snap.

Damage control 

I actually find these leave my hair looking way healthier than any other straighteners I’ve tried. Sometimes it can feel super crispy afterwards and a little bit thin but with these my hair is smoothed over without loosing any volume. The temperature control is amazing too as if you have finer hair you can set it as low as you need to.

Want to see how these work in real time? I’ve popped my youtube review below…

SaveSave

Lulu & Boo Organics Aloe & Eyebright Eye Gel

I love to support local, home grown companies and when I first heard about Lulu & Boo I was really excited to try their skincare. Created by makeup artist Claire Edmunds, the brand is organic, cruelty free and caters to people with sensitive skin. The idea came after Claire began reacting to the everyday products she was using and decided to start experimenting with aromatherapy and herbal remedies.

As a skincare junkie I was very excited to receive the Aloe and Eyebright Eye Gel to test, which I’ve been using for about a month now. The eye gel claims to moisturise the under eye area while reducing dark circles, fine lines and puffiness. This is perfect for me as I don’t get much sleep! It’s main ingredients are Aloe Vera, Apricot Oil, Organic Witch Hazel and Arnica and it’s 98% organic.

I’ve got on so well with this product and it’s fitted in really well with my skincare routine. The gel instantly refreshes my eye area and helps to cool and soothe any puffiness, which is one of my main skin concerns. It doesn’t feel heavy at all and when I apply it before bed I definitely notice a difference around my eyes in the morning. It does feel a bit tacky as it dries, so if you want to use this before applying makeup I would suggest leaving it to dry for about 10 minutes but that’s really my only hang up. I absolutely love the smell, it’s fresh and you can tell it’s organic as it doesn’t have that artificial, perfumed scent that a lot of other skincare products have. Something else which is worth mentioning is how gentle the formula is, my eyes sting after applying certain creams but this is so delicate and calming.

If you have sensitive or troublesome skin or are looking to switch to organic or cruelty free products I would definitely recommend looking at the rest of the Lulu & Boo range. The Aloe and EyeBright Eye Gel is £22 and available here.

SaveSave

SaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSave

Make Up for Men with @RossiLewis25

I’m very lucky to have some super talented friends, one of them being the insta famous Ross, who’s outfit posts and selfies have attracted an army of followers. He asked me to help him film a video he was working on for a PR company about Cardiff and we decided to shoot some stuff for my blog while we were there too.

We talk about makeup and beauty a lot when we catch up and most recently about male beauty bloggers. While I follow most of these guys and love their tutorials, they always seem to be aimed more at a female audience. I still don’t see why there aren’t ‘Everyday’ or ‘Evening’ makeup tutorials for guys? Because plenty of guys are investing in make up and plenty of guys on daytime TV are wearing it too. So we decided to set up and film Ross doing his two key looks, one natural day look and a contoured one for evening. These are both looks that Ross would wear, he uses amazing products and the results are really natural, wearable and perfected.

Look 1

A natural, everyday look for a flawless and dewy finish.

Look 2

A more advanced look, using different concealer shades to add definition to the cheeks and jaw line.

Find Ross on instagram @RossiLewis25

SaveSave

Korean Skincare – BRTC Sheet Masks

As soon as my friend told me TK Maxx had Korean skincare I ran there to pick some up.  BRTC is a derma technology cosmetic brand that specialises in skin care. The masks may be the most well known of their products but they also offer serums, creams and cleansers with the same benefits. However, these were what I was most excited to try and I’m so glad I found them. After watching Lisa Eldridge’s Korean hauls it’s my dream to go on a shopping trip there… one day!

   The first mask I used was the nourishing sheep mask, which looks completely terrifying. I swear on everyone else it looked so cute but I put it on my face and I was like holy cow that is horrifying. However it smells incredible, very much like grapefruit and is lovely and cooling on the skin. When you first take it out of the packet it feels like theres a lot of product on the mask but once it’s on your face it starts to soak in really quickly. It felt instantly soothing and I had no irritation or sensitivity at all, which is rare for my skin when using masks.

The next one I tried was the anti-ageing Empress Mask, this didn’t smell as natural/scented as the first one but felt more like a serum. It really plumped and lifted my skin and gave me a nice glowy finish. I feel like this would be the perfect pre-night out/special day mask as it gave me a good starting point to put on my makeup.

The last mask I tried was the Temptation mask which was my favourite design. This one was really nourishing and had a similar smell/texture to the sheep mask. It gave me dewy, moisturised finish and really helped to get rid of any dry, red patches on my skin. All the masks feel really light and even though they give great results they’re not harsh or heavy either. I would also say, for me anyway, they seemed to give much better results than traditional face masks.

If you’ve tried these masks or any other BRTC products I would love to hear your thoughts below. I will definitely be picking up some more of these soon and might even try out some of their other products if I can get my hands on them!

SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSave