I am a well-known mask junkie so hearing that there are more for me to try, call me shallow, but it makes me very happy. Soap and Glory has come out with a range of masks for different concerns like clogged pores, dull, dehydrated skin which means more fun to have on mask days! I have to say, I've never really been a Soap and Glory customer, but I was intrigued by these masks and I am glad I tried them because they are not just fun but they are actually pretty good! I picked three out of the five: one for the eyes and two for the face, these are all about hydration and brightening.
Puffy Eye Attack - Under-Eye Brightening HydroGel Patches
I've never really been a great user of eye masks but anything hydrating sounds appealing to me right now. These two eye patches promise to refresh, de-puff, hydrate, brighten, improve the appearance of dark circles with tetrapeptides, Liquorice Root extract and Cucumber fruit juice extract. This is how it performed:
Packaging: the usual fun Soap and Glory packaging, the eyepatches themselves are securely wrapped, they are easy to handle.
Who it is for: All skin types.
Required time: 20-30 minutes
How it worked: the patches are made of a gel-like material soaked with active ingredients (but it's not too moist) the application is easy, the patches are sitting nicely and securely under the eyes without moving, I could even wear my glasses over it and get on with my chores wearing them. The patches are slightly on the large side but it is really not hard to be considering how small my head is. They have an instant cooling effect and are very pleasant to wear, so much so, I forgot about them and left them on for 45 minutes. By the time you take them off they dry which means all the goodness has sunk into your skin. If you have residue left, just massage it into the skin.
These eye patches left my skin felt bouncy, the eye area refreshed and well-hydrated. It was definitely worth trying them and I will definitely re-purchase and keep them for the days I feel really tired. I can't really say whether or not they are de-puffing or improving the appearance of dark circles because I don't have puffy eyes and my dark circles are mostly inherited, so not much to do there I'm afraid, but this is an overall good buy and a definite re-purchase for me.
Value for money: great! £3.50 a pair at Boots.
Speed Plump - Miracle Moisture Mask
This is a full face sheet mask or gel mask more like that consists of two pieces (one for the upper and one for the lower part of the face) and has a similar material to the eye patches. It promises to hydrate and moisturise with Hyaluronic Acid, Pink FlowerPower skin serum containing Safflower, Rosa Rugosa Flower And Peony Flower Extracts, Panthenol and Allantoin.
Packaging: fun looking, easy to handle, the mask is well-protected.
Who it is for: dry, dehydrated skin types.
Required time: 20-30 minutes
How it worked: the mask is easy to put on, the size and shape weren't exactly right, but honestly, I've never found a sheet mask that really does fit my face. It was sitting securely on the skin and wasn't too moist so again, I could easily get on with my chores having this on. Similar to the eye mask, this had a cooling, soothing effect too which was very welcome after I used my AHA, BHA mask from The Ordinary. It left my skin fresh and hydrated, it didn't leave too much residue and the uplifting scent of Sweet Orange is a huge bonus so top marks from me all around for this one too!
Value for money: great! £3.50 each at Boots.
Bright and Beautiful - Radiance Boosting Mask
This is more like a traditional sheet mask for the whole face promising to boost and brighten dull, tired, stressed looking skin with Vitamin-C, White Flower Brightening Complex, Roobios Tea Extract, Gotu Kola Extract and Flatterspheres radiance boosters.
Packaging: fun looking, easy to handle, the mask is well-protected in the pack.
Who it is for: dull, tired, stressed skin
Required time: 15-20 minutes
How it worked: there's only one problem with this mask and it is that it's over-soaked with the product. It is not dripping off the fabric, but only just. I was applying this while taking a bath, so it was fine like that, but I don't think I could have easily moved around in this one. Other than that, this is a perfectly pleasant little mask too, it left quite a bit of residue but it was easy to massage it in. It really refreshed my skin and my makeup looked good after using it, it smelled lovely too (pink grapefruit and mint). This can definitely go on the 'hangover remedies' list. As if the size is on the smaller side, but again, is there are sheet mask that fits anyone perfectly?
Value for money: great! £3.50 each at Boots.
There are always a few brands that don't fall short on quality yet they are not talked about enough. Super Facialist by Una Brennan is definitely one of those. Una Brennan is a well-known, popular facialist from Ireland working in London. The brand Super Facialist using Brennan's facialist experience (now coming up to 17 years) came up with a nice tight range of products free of gimmicks that focuses on plump, bright, glowing healthy skin using plants, essential oils and different active ingredients suitable for different skin needs.
The range is broken down into 5 categories: Rose for hydration, Neroli for plumping and firming, Salycilic Acid for oiliness and clearing, Vitamin C for brightening and Retinol for smoothing and renewal. You can mix and match products from each category tailoring a regime depending on your present needs.
My favorites are the Vitamin C and the Rose Hydrate range, especially the cleansers.
Una Brennan Super Facialist Vitamin C+ Skin Renew Cleansing Oil
I have never really been into cleansing oils (though I used to love the Shu Uemura ones) but this is a really good one and very pleasant to use. The fresh, zingy scent and pretty packaging (more on this later) is a bonus.
Who it is for: All skin types (yes even oily ones.
What it is: It is a lightweight oil formula that contains Olive, Grapeseed, Rosemary, Cucumer and Rosehip oils boosted with Vitamin C and E. It dissolves makeup, dirt, SPF while brightening and clearing the skin with Vitamin C.
How to use it: Gently massage it onto dry skin, add warm water that turns it into a milky lotion then take it off with a face cloth. Follow up with a cream cleanser to make sure the skin is totally clean.
Packaging: Apart from being pretty it is not really practical. It is hard to dispense the right amount of oil without getting it everywhere. A pump bottle would work so much better but this has never put me off of re-purchasing it.
Value for money: Great! For £10.99 you get 200ml that would be enough for at least two months.
How it works for me: I really like using this cleanser and highly recommend it. It gets off every kind of makeup (waterproof included) easily, all dirt, SPF. It smells lovely, doesn't irritate my skin and doesn't leave a residue (that is if I use a face cloth to remove it). This is an evening cleanse, you can use something lighter in the morning.
Rose Hydrate Calming Creamy Cleanser
Cleansing creams are more my area and this is a lovely budget buy.
What it is: A cream cleanser with Shea and Cocoa Butter, Marshmallow, Allantoin boosted with Pro-Vitamin B5. It removes makeup, dirt, SPF and leaves the skin clean and hydrated.
Who it is for: All skin types needing hydration.
How to use it: You can use it as a first and/or a second cleanse in the evening or as your morning cleanse. Gently massage onto dry skin, remove with warm water and a face cloth.
Packaging: Plastic tube. I prefer pump dispensers, but this is not too bad. It looks pretty on bathroom shelves too.
Value for money: Great! £7.99 for a 150ml tube, it lasts a good while.
How it works for me: This is an excellent choice if you can't afford more expensive cream cleansers and it does the job perfectly well. It is a great cleanser, dissolves makeup, dirt, SPF, leaving the skin hydrated. It is very pleasant to use however if you are sensitive to fragrant products, this smells quite strongly of rose which I personally don't mind but it might not be for everyone.
Super Facialist by Una Brennan is an excellent quality brand on the high street for the beauty lovers on a budget, check it out if you can. It is available at Boots and Super Facialist online.
It's hard to stick to using only one mascara these days when there are millions of others to pick from. There's always a better, prettier, new, improved design and formulation. I will keep buying and reviewing them, because I am really curious by nature. Charlotte Tilbury's Full Fat Lashes is my absolute favourite right now but it would be great to find a favourite that is kinder to my purse.
When I saw the new Baby Roll Mascara from L'oreal I was instantly lured in by the pretty packaging and here we are a few weeks later, I am ready for a review. It comes in Black, Bright Teal, Sweet Lilac, Indigo Gum and Black Waterproof, my choice was the Black one.
The packaging: unlike all the other L'oreal mascaras this has a different, vintage feel to it evoking the 1950s America with the pastel colours and the font type. It's hard not to think 'Grease' when you're looking at it. It all-around eye-catching, pretty and fun.
The wand: this is the unique bit - the bristles go round the wand in a spiral so they can grab and pull each individual lash upwards. It is great for lengthening, volumizing, curling and lifting and gives you quite a dramatic effect fast. It is a little bit on the large side for my tiny eyes, but I could still work with it.
The colour: this is the only thing that I liked less than the other features, it is not as intense a black as I was expecting after using my Full Fat Lashes from Charlotte Tilbury. I had to build it up quite a bit to get the intensity up.
How it worked: this mascara gives you a lot, it works really well in terms of length, volume and as I mentioned before, you can get a dramatic effect quite fast. It really lifted my lashes and didn't go clumpy at all. While wearing it my lashes dropped their length during the day a little but the colour seemed to stay the same and I didn't have problems with topping it up either because it didn't dry my lashes. All in all I think this is a great mascara if dramatic lashes are your cup of tea, the only feature where it sightly failed for me is the colour intensity. At the end of the day it can be easily removed with a balm or cream cleanser without much effort.
Here are the before and after pictures:
Value for money: excellent, it is only £7.99, available in Boots.
Okay, so here's the second part of my Alpha-H review. I'm not going to bore you with saying how I much love Alpha-H as a brand, I have said it a few times before and still stand by it so I quickly get to the important bit which is the review. The Liquid Gold range is a high-performance anti-ageing, regenerating range that has enjoyed a cult status within the industry for years, deservedly so because it truly delivers the goods and you can see results with it in a short amount of time. This moisturiser and serum was a later addition to the range and they work perfectly well with the original Liquid Gold.
LIQUID GOLD 24 HOUR MOISTURE REPAIR CREAM
Target skin type: normal, dehydrated, sun-damaged, ageing.
What it is: this rich moisturiser contains 5% Glycolic Acid to gently get rid of dead skin cells, smooth the skin and fade hyperpigmentation. It also has Argan Stem Cells and Matryxl 6 in it too to boost cell renewal and reduce the appearance of lines. The Lactic Acid, Fision Hydrate and Hyaluronic Acid are there to hydrate and strengthen the skin, the Chia, Vitamin E and Green tea are acting as anti-oxidants, to lock moisture in and take down inflammation. This is seriously good for brightening, smoothing and hydrating the skin, basically, it forces it to act to its optimum, which is what we want. It has a neutral smell which I love and I'm sure it is good news for many people.
How to use it: evenings, after cleansing, alternate nights to Liquid Gold. You could use it in the mornings too if you wanted to just make sure you slap on that SPF afterwards.
Texture: It is quite rich and a little bit on the heavy side, but I don't mind because I know all the good stuff I need is in there and waking up with baby smooth skin is a nice feeling.
Packaging: loving the pump dispenser it makes it so much more hygienic than traditional pots, not to speak about the longevity of the ingredients in it will stay safe and intact.
Price: £51.00 at Cult Beauty ( here ), £46.00 at QVC (here) for 50ml...steep, I know, but well worth the investment and you can get good deals on QVC on it (like this one here the whole set is £65.00)
30+? Need a boost? Go for it!
LIQUID GOLD INTENSIVE NIGHT REPAIR SERUM
Target skin type: normal, ageing, sun damaged (tolerant to Liquid Gold).
What it is: this is an intense anti-ageing powerhouse with 14% cosmetic grade Glycolic Extract, so make sure your skin is used to acids before you start using this. It contains Vitamin A, Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Palmitoyl Tripeptide 5, Sodium Hyaluronate and Vitamin E. It resurfaces, clears, brightens tired, dull complexions, reduces the appearance of lines, pores and pigmentation. It encourages cell renewal, firms and evens out the skin tone while keeping is moist and supple.
How to use it: 2-3 pumps after cleansing, evenings, before moisturiser (I even skip moisturiser after this most of the time), a little goes a long way. Avoid if pregnant or breastfeeding.
Texture: gel-like, slightly sticky but, again, I don't mind because I know what loveliness I'm getting out of it, it's all worth it!
Packaging: pump bottle, great, fuss and mess-free.
Price: £51.00 at Cult Beauty (here), £47.00 (here) at QVC ...that's a lot, I get it, but great investment on so many levels and same as the moisturiser, you can get some amazing deals on QVC (like this one).
30+? Need a boost? Go for it!
