Saturday 7 September 2013

veinwave not so brainwave review

VEINWAVE
bought through groupon as a treat for myself often advertised £49 3 sessions

So what is veinwave -
VeinWave works by a process called microthermocoagulation, which involves directing very high-frequency microwaves via a very fine probe into each vein. The probe penetrates the skin just a few thousandths of a millimetre. It heats the vein and destroys it and the blood within the vein (which gives it its dark colour) is gradually absorbed into the surrounding tissue and so the vein is no longer visible. The treatment is permanent, very quick and, according to patient testimonials, almost painless, similar to a flicking of the skin or having a hair pulled out. Sometimes there may be some reddening of the skin immediately after the treatment but this fades within a couple of  days.

I purchased a block of three from groupon for £49, i got my first treatment a week later at a well known salon i dont want to name it as this is about the treatment and not slagging off a salon.

My first impression was no skin test but i insisted on one and went back a few days later.  Ok the treatment feels like little pin pricks as they insert the needle/probe just under the skin it isnt majorly painfull just uncomfortable for about 15 mins.

The woman who did this treatment was nice and did keep checking my face under a magnifying glass so she was througher. 

My face was very red and hot on my chin and around my nose where the treatment was done as i will always be unlucky with thread veins around my face.

My husband commented on how i looked like i had tiny holes  on my face but this was expected and i wasnt too concerned. A day after treatment my face was no longer red but my pores where in a bit of a state and little pin head scabs were starting to develop. I was disapointed that it took 3wks to heal and i had to buy quite a thick foundation to cover the little marks.

The result was rubbish and two of my little veins were worse I wasnt impressed.

Second session pretty much the same but i did comment and say i didnt see any improvements the beauticion said it doesnt always work fully on first treatment why?? Didnt really get a explanation. She did turn the machine to a stronger setting.

I came out very red faced with more pin pricks and needle like scratchs not very nice.

The redness took 3 days and the rest nearly 4 weeks bit of a nightmare had dry scabby skin, had to wear the thick foundation again, i was also asked a few times at work if i had a skin condition.

4wks later my veins as small as they were exactly the same. Pores took another 4 wks to fully return to normal so two months of awful skin.  

I never went back for final treatment as after two i saw absolutely no change and the two veins i mentioned earlier were worse. 

seven months later the veins faded to what they were before treatment no worse or better.

PLEASE DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY THIS TREATMENT IT DOES NOT WORK.





















Review vo5 Miracle Concentrate Elixir with Argan Oil 50ml

Vo5 Miracle Concentrate Elixir with Argan Oil 50ml

You can purchase this cute little bottle for just over a fiver.

What it claims to do-


Vo5 Miracle Concentrate Elixir with Argan Oil - been searching for that wonder product that will sort all of your hair woes?
Vo5 unserstands the damage we do to our hair through everyday washing, brushing, colouring and styling. This is why Vo5 has made this wonder product with Argan Oil, known to be:
  • High in vitamin E
  • Rich in anti-oxidants to help fight againest free-radicals
  • Hydrating and deeply conditioning

Ok so what did i think about this
First thing is its oil and you have to use a little as it goes a long way, the lid is a dropper so you control the amount you put on your hair.  It smells lovely too.

I towel dried my hair then added about 4 drops and gently rubbed it through my hair.  I dried as normal.

First impressions great, hair was fresh, soft and bouncy and smelled devine.  But half way through
the day the dry parts of my hair mainly underneath felt dry again.  The next day my hair felt a tad greasy.

I used this 3 wks changing the amount i used unfortunately more oil was better but the next day my hair was very lank.

I stopped using it and went onto loreals extrodinary oil. Check out that review on my blog.

My hair is straight, average not thick or thin but quite dry on the ends and underneath due to straightening.

Wouldnt buy again







Sunday 7 July 2013

Toni & Guy classic shine gloss serum 30ml

Toni & Guy shine gloss serum 30ml £7.19

Another ridiculously over priced product by Toni & Guy I mean really £7.19 what's going on I would think anything more than £4 is pushing it.

This product smells nice, clear gel like texture that you rub in where and when needed, it didn't leave my hair greasy so that was a bonus but it wasn't anything special. 

Product information was-
Lightweight formula helps control frizz and flyways with ultra-smooth shine and alignment.
Rub 2-3 pumps of serum between palms and work through lengths and ends of dry hair avoiding the roots.
Use after blow-drying to seal cuticles.


It doesn't contain anything to protect against heat usage which im a big fan of Im sticking to the v05 smoothly does it as it does a better job and it contains heat defence oh and its cheaper at about £4.







Garnier 5 second perfect blur30ml review

Garnier 5 second perfect blur 30ml

Retailing from £10 to £12 depending where purchased.

This product is not the dearest but you don't get much I mean 30ml isn't going to go far if you use it on your face everyday!!  I wouldn't use this everyday as I'm not a huge fan of the ingredients used which are.

DIMETHICONE, DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, SILICA [NANO] / SILICA, ISODODECANE, ALUMINIUM HYDROXIDE, CI77491 / IIRON OXYDES, CI77891/TITANIUM DIOXIDE, DISODIUM STEAROYL GLUTAMATE

It promised to do this.

Introducing Garnier 5 Second Perfect Blur, a smoothing and perfecting primer with optical effect. 5sec Perfect Blur takes 5 seconds to apply and improves the look of your skin immediately.
This innovative formula diffuses light in all directions to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, open pores and uneven skin tone.
In addition, its velvety texture leaves skin feeling incredibly smooth, soft, matte and feels comfortable to wear all day long
  • Visibly blurs the appearance of shine.
  • Visibly blurs the appearance of fine lines
  • Visibly blurs the appearance of wrinkles
  • Visibly blurs the appearance of pores
Ok so I have used this 4 times, its like a milky cream that actually feels weirdly dry, it goes on ok and dry's pretty much instantly it does feel quite velvety, as for the science bit it blurs your skin slightly if you have bad skin or spots then I just don't know how this is going to help.  Its ok its not going to solve the worlds problem for flawless skin.  My advice if you have pretty much flawless skin then buy it, if you haven't then stick to a decent foundation as you would probably pay the same price anyway and get more coverage.





Toni & Guy heat protection Mist 150ml

Toni & Guy heat protection Mist 150ml

This product is yet another over priced item 150ml for £6.39 I honestly think these type of products should be selling for no more than £3.99. You can get this at large chemists.

I have read many reviews on this item and they rave on and on about how amazing this product is.  I bought it after all those people cant be wrong can they???

After finishing my bottle of Elnett protection spray I decided to move on as my hair underneath was snapping  slightly and as I don't go over the top on my straighteners like I used too I knew maybe this protection spray wasn't doing the job.   So onwards and upwards led me to buying the Toni & guy item.

Its a straight forward spray bottle black and white no frills really (so why the high price!!!)
clear liquid which smells nice a bit like a salon product, its not sticky but I felt I had to use quite a bit for it to feel like I had some on my hair so maybe it shouldn't be a mist so much but a spray.

Once I had dried my hair it was fine I wasn't blown away by it and I still had to use my after serum to finish styling my hair so its not the answer to my prayers but its ok for now I will keep using it till its finished but I cant promise I would repurchase it.

Don't believe the hype so much I will however admit my hair doesn't feel as dry but I did change my serum so could be that. 

No7 protect & perfect intense eyecream

No7 protect & perfect intense eye cream

This is a boots make, to be honest I think these products are too expensive and I bought this with a boots voucher otherwise I may not have bothered.  I have heard lots of raves from people saying they love No7 products.

This cream retails at about £16 and you only get 15ml. Its a little tube and I've been using it a month now and its virtually empty.  Its a medium thick cream that is a light skin coloured but don't worry it doesn't colour your skin, the smells fine as its not too perfumed, it blends in well but dry's too quick as I was trying to put my concealer on seconds after application but it didn't work and the area around my eyes didn't feel fully hydrated still had a bit of a crepe look which as the day wore on grew slightly worse due to air con and maybe dehydration. 
After using this by week three I would end up putting on a few dots of Olay eye cream to hydrate my eyes.

Its not the best eye cream I've ever used or the worst. I just think there are cheaper and better ones out their to try.

Palmers cocoa butter gradual tan 250ml

Palmers cocoa butter gradual tan 250ml
This can be purchased at any large chemist in the UK its usually Boots or Superdrug prices seem to vary from £4.99 to £3.50 as I saw it on special offer a little while back.
I use fake tan reluctantly I hate the smell I hate the mess and the hoping I have scrubbed it off my hands so that the next day im not going to end up with Satsuma hands. I hate waiting for it to dry etc etc etc... I could go on and on.
So not being a fan of the Casper look I use this as now over half my family have had bits of skin removed because of various skin cancer problems so Im not a sun worshipper any longer.

As I am pale I thought I would use it 2 days before I had a special occasion coming up.
The bottle says use once a day or when needed I don't see how putting it on anymore than that would be advisable seems pointless.  It boasts of containing vitamin E and that its a good moisturizer.

I had a shower put a little bit of baby lotion on waited ten mins then applied the cream its almost got a chocolate type smell and is a nice texture the colour is basically the colour that the bottle is.  It rubbed in it pretty well and dried ok (still felt like I couldn't get ready till after half an hour as didn't feel dry enough).

I went to bed got up and noticed the smell was a bit awful gone was the nice chocolate smell and hello was a typical fake tan smell.  My arms were ok they had a bit of colour but my elbows and a round my wrists were a bit stained I had to tidy this up with a wipe.  My legs were a mess the streaks were awful Im not sure what went wrong but they weren't a pretty sight, the following night I used this on my arms again giving my legs a miss this time.  The following morning a  nice enough golden tan but again just to many streaks.  I used this for a few weeks then went back to my avon one as much better minus the streaks.

This Gradual tanner has rave reviews and maybe I am doing something wrong Im 41 pale with not to dry or greasy skin so don't know where this has gone wrong.

You get a decent size bottle and a little goes a long way, In all I was a bit disappointed that it didn't work for me as I really wanted to like this as I like palmers products.


If you want just a natural golden tan if your pale then use it maybe 3 days before you want to look your best and the colour will just fade within 5 days.

Tuesday 12 February 2013

Simple kind to skin hydrating light moisturiser 125ml

Simple kind to skin hydrating light moisturiser 125ml

I purchased this for £3.79 a good price for a well known brand and a whopping 125ml.
Here's the info I found-

Detailed product information

Smile, it’s Simple. When your skin’s happy and fresh faced, you feel healthier and happier too!Simple Kind To Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser is a perfect blend of active ingredients and vitamin goodness to keep your skin hydrated and nourished all day long. Perfect for even sensitive skin.
Simple Goodness:2 Vital Vitamins• Pro- Vitamin B5 actively restores, softens and smoothes• Vitamin E moisturises to improve skin condition2 Skin Loving Nutrients• Glycerin hydrates and nourishes Moisturises for 12 hours• Borage Seed Oil renews and regeneratesNo Perfume, No Colour• No Unnecessary or Harsh Chemicals so it won’t upset your skinDermatologically Tested and ApprovedSimple - We believe in goodness.

How to Use

For best results: Smooth gently into your face and neck using upward and outward movements. Use with our Kind To Skin Refreshing Facial Wash Gel.

 
 Ingredients
Aqua, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Cetyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Carbomer, Potassium Hydroxide, Bisabolol, Methylparaben, Pentylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, Propylparaben, Lactic Acid, Sodium Lactate, Mica, 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1, 3-Diol, Serine, Sorbitol, Urea, Titanium Dioxide, Pantolactone, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Allantoin. Simple Skincare contains no animal derived ingredients.
 
Ok so we get the message that its Simple! so does it live up to its name.
 
The lotion is like most its a white colour and not to thick or runny so perfect consistency, it rubbed in to my face very quickly without residue or feeling at all greasy.
 
It promises 12 hour moisture well to be honest I don't really believe this as to be that hydrated all day would involve more than natural simple products and you may not be indoors all day hence if your out the weather may dry your face out so I never believe lotions or lipsticks that say "lasts for up to 8 or 12 hrs it always depends on your circumstances.
 
Overall I was impressed with this lotion very light and smells Divine so one I would keep for when my skin is extra dry.  So far no breakouts on my face and because of that alone its a winner for me.
8 out of 10

Boots simply sensitive night moisturiser 50ml

Boots simply sensitive night moisturiser 50ml

This is a rich moisturiser 50ml Jar for under £4 I paid about £3.79.
Its got a nice smell which isn't too strong its unperfumed and for sensitive skin.

Here's the info from Boots themselves-

Detailed product information

Boots Simply Sensitive skincare range has been specially formulated to be kind to your skin. A simple collection of products which are fragrance and colour free. Containing soothing aloe vera, your skin is left feeling soft, smooth and cared for.
Suitable for all skin types.

How to Use
Using gentle upward strokes, smooth over face and neck. Apply every evening after cleansing and toning.
 
 Ingredients
Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Cetearyl alcohol, Glyceryl stearate, Paraffin,Petrolatum, Ethylhexyl stearate, Dimethicone, PEG-100 stearate, Paraffinum liquidum (Mineral oil), Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Carbomer, Xanthan gum, Propylene glycol, Ethylparaben, Potassium hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Aloe barbadensis leaf extract

Sounded like a good all round perfume free night moisturiser, I used it for a few nights making sure I rubbed the thickish white cream well into my face and neck, my face was feeling especially dry as I had been using Retin A and needed extra moisture.
For a few days it seemed fine no problems and skin felt nice.  But about a week into using this I had a bad break out on my nose and a few on my chin.  It looked awful and to be honest I thought maybe something else was causing it, but two days after stoping the  usage of this cream the spots faded away, shame as this is a good price, felt nice on my skin and wasn't fragranced to high heaven with god knows what!.

I like to think people can use this but maybe if your like me and have the whole oily T zone face thing going on then go for something lighter like a serum or lotion to wear over your anti-wrinkle cream or under foundation etc.

I still think I would try other products from this range.


 

L'Oreal Elnett heat protect spray- straight hair review

L'Oreal Elnett heat protect spray- straight 3day 170ml

Heat protection spray purchased for £4.99 RRP is £5.99 so no big saving really
Decent size and nicely packaged.  Heres what the information I found giving this product a lot of hype at the minute what with Sheryl Cole once again promoting Loreal. (im a geordie so got to love her.)


L'Oreal Elnett Heat Protect Spray Volume is specially adapted to your volumizing blow-dry routine with heated appliances. The advanced triple action formula:
- Is enriched with Heat-Protect Technology, an active ingredient know for its heat protecting properties. The formula leaves your hair shiny and soft like satin.
- Helps create a voluptuous bouncy blow-dry and lock out flyaways and humidity.
- Locks in a voluminous style for up to 3 days.

How to Use

Press button to unlock the trigger.
Spray on damp hair from 15cm away. Its lightweight formula evenly covers your hair from root to tip for optimal results.
Comb through and blow-dry with a round brush.
For added volume, focus on roots and blow-dry head upside down.
In case of contact with eyes, rinse immediately.



So the proof of the pudding is of course is in the eating! (not that I ate any of it lol!)
I purchased this with a slight uncertainty as somethings these things are so built up that when you use them you just end up disapointed with the hype,  I have quite long hair so wasnt sure how much to use you know what its like you use to much and it turns into a greasey mess and like most women I always use to much of something rather than to little.

So I washed my hair, towel dried it, sprayed the heat protection spray on on as evenly as I could and gently combed it through.  It wasnt sticky and smelt nice enough pretty much like normal hair products and was milky in colour.  I dried my hair ready to straighten it.  I was a bit disapointed to be honest as when straightend my hair it seemed a bit drier than normal.  But not one to give up (hey I paid £4.99 for this waste not want not!!) I used it again 2 days later and put a lot more on and combed it through slower, dried it again and I have to admit it was fab my hair was soft and shiney I deffinately had a Loreal moment "COS IM WORTH IT" lol.

Verdict is basically buy it buy it buy it!!  Every woman who uses heat on her hair needs this product.  Be aware of how much your putting on dont saturate hair to much but dont skimp on what you think you need, play around with this for a few washes.

I think the price is ok the bottles pretty big and its not like you use half the bottle in one go.

Ok you will be wondering about the straight 3 days that it promises, forget it!! what rubbish my hair is straight anyway after washing and blowdrying it etc after a night in bed the next day its bed head as normal all the way if your buying it for that forget it!

Becareful you pick the right one for you as there are 3 different kinds of this product you can purchase that im aware of-
Straight
volume
curls
 I did try to confirm this on Loreal website but some problem with their website!

Enjoy it cos your worth it lol!


 UPDATE
Its a few months on now and I still love and still use it!!

Monday 28 January 2013

Loreal Excellence creme golden brown 5.3 review

Loreal Excellence creme golden brown 5.3

This is permanent hair colour which promises to cover grey hair. Prices range from Boots at £6.99 to Superdrug same price or special offers usually about £5 if your lucky.

Best hair dye for us ladies of a certain age 30+ any younger and you can get away with most dyes if your greys not to bad.

Now I wrote a review on Preference and it wasn't very good they had changed the formula and it just didn't work for me anymore, the colour was poor and my grey wasn't covered very well, I used to fluctuate between the two, preference and excellence as to be honest I couldn't really see the difference they were both good, alas now only the excellence says what it does on the box, for me anyway.

I'm a brunette as you can see from my picture  I haven't got really dark hair or really light hair so this golden brown 5.3 is perfect for me.

Heres What Boots say.

L'Oreal Excellence Crème process:
Before: The new Protective Serum cares for the damaged parts of the hair,especially the ends. Your hair is protected, ready and prepared to be coloured.
During: The extra protective colourant gives your hair a rich and even colour that covers even resistant greys perfectly.
After: The Ceramide Protein conditioner prolongs the protection of your hair until the next time you colour.
The L'Oreal Excellence Crème Colourant kit contains:
  • Protective Serum 12ml
  • Applicator bottle containing 72ml of creme developer
  • Tube of protective creme colourant 48ml
  • Bottle revitalising conditioner 40ml
  • Pair of professional quality gloves
  • Instruction leaflet
Simple enough really when you prepare this you basically put one tube in another and shake it apply leave on for however long your need to (depending on if you've had it previously coloured or long, short etc) wash it off and your done.  NOT forgetting your gloves!!

It mixed well and was easy to apply after 20 mins of leaving it on my roots I then rubbed it through to the ends for 10, it washed off easy.  Even though I hate the whole process of doing this the end result always makes me smile to see the grey gone is a relief and an instant confidence boost (no one likes the skunk look girls don't be lazy get it done!)

Once its conditioned and dried your done the greys gone and you can now pretend your off one of those adverts where you shake your head and say your worth it (Just kidding!)

Great hair dye and Ive tried them all it really does the job and leaves your hair soft and shiny colour stays nice for weeks too.




These Pictures show you how good this stuff covers the grey hair I had quite a lot at the roots both at the sides and top (sorry for the picture that looks like something out the film the Grudge but best shot to show you that it does what it says on the box. And my hair is shiny the pics are before I put any serum or straighteners on it it etc.


Balance Hyaluronic 554 youth serum review

Balance Hyaluronic 554 youth serum review

This serum I purchased from UK B&M but I know TK Maxx had this in store at some point Home bargains and Argos also sell it or used to.
Price varies Its budget end range and I paid £3.99 but I have seen it for £6+ so watch out for that as it always amazes me how products can nearly double depending on where you buy it!

Its a clear serum it doesn't really have a strong smell just a light chemical smell, its a small bottle of 30ml with a inbuilt dropper for the lid.

I used this the first time on its own it sank straight into my skin wasnt sticky (I think it would be if you put to much on) and my skin went a bit tight I found this wasn't enough for me on its own, it does state that -

Let your skin drink at the Fountain of Youth. Hydrate it with this Balance Hyaluronic 554 Youth Serum .
It is non-greasy serum that is light-weight and contains Syn-Ake and active levels of Hylasome EG10. With its clinically proven active formula, Hylasome EG10 provides five times water binding action, five times more moisturisation after 24 hours and four times more antioxidant activity than hyaluronic acid. It is dermatologically tested, suitable for all skin types and particularly effective on dry skin prone to wrinkles.

I didn't find this particularly moisturising to be honest after an hour I put on my normal face cream as it just wasn't hydrating enough it certainly talks the talk but personally doesn't walk the walk,  I even mixed it in with various creams but after a month just still wasn't impressed and knew if I stopped using it I wouldn't miss it and this proved correct a few weeks later when I had stopped using it.

To me I would just say MEH! but I'm sure its useful to others maybe who are like 18 to 25 for younger skin I would say.

Great price if it works.

Wilko thermal defence protection review

Wilko thermal defence protection review

This is a little gem that doesn't get enough credit.
Any country that is lucky enough to have a Wilkinsons then please buy this I think I got this on offer for £1 I mean £1 you can barely get a chocolate bar for that!!! And I'm sure the full price wouldn't be anymore than £2.

I bought this on a whim, I usually use VO5 defence spray which I like but fancied a change (I'm a tart to beauty and rarely faithful lol!)
So anyway I had this a few weeks before I remembered I had purchased it, I'm quite prone to my hair falling out when I wash it, my hair isnt really weak it just comes out during a good shampoo honest Ive had it checked by my Doctor!

The first time I used it I was fairly impressed it has a nice smell its a dark bottle with a purple liquid inside, I sprayed it around my hair being careful about over kill as I think some people use to much rather than too little.  I combed it through towel dried hair (remember to use large comb ladies and always start at the bottom don't drag hair down from the top.)
I dried my hair as usual then straightened as usual, My hair was clean and soft I didn't know what to expect for a £1 but very impressed, I'm still using this at the minute and even noticed theres less hair clogging up my plug hole could be coincidence but you never know.  I would say its as good as a brand name, give it a go I will be certainly be trying their other haircare products.

Nivea firming Q10 good bye cellulite serum review

Nivea firming Q10 good bye cellulite serum review 75ml

You can buy this from about £10+ personally this is way to expensive for what it is.
I purchased this for £5 special offer so keep an eye out for offers.

This product isn't the best smelling gel its not awful but it ain't amazing like some gels and creams. which smell Divine but then smelling Divine to me usually means spots (too perfumed.)
Its a thick orange/yellow Gel and at first you think that is not going to last you five minutes as its only a 75ml pot.

I pumped it once for the outer and inner thighs and massaged the gel into my legs, it rubbed in easy and absorbed well, I repeated for my bottom and back of my legs.  Easily done not messy or sticky was impressed with the application process.

One bottle lasted me using it once a day about 3 weeks give a day or two.
Legs are smooth and soft but I'm not going to give up my big pants for g-strings just yet haha! Its nice but its not a miracle cream. 

Recommended if its half price but at over ten pound a pot its a bit pricey for what you get. I wouldn't stay faithful to this product.



Nearly forgot heres the science bit lol!
NIVEA VISAGE® Q10 plus anti-wrinkles Skin-Refining Serum now has a new active formula containing skin's own Q10 and Creatine that works effectively to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
The light-textured serum enhanced with Hyaluronic Acid:
  • Instantly refines the skin texture, giving a silky feeling and plumper looking skin.
  • Supports your natural Q10 and Creatine, helping to fight the appearance of wrinkles.
Result:
Smoother, younger looking skin
Care in Harmony with Your Skin:
Q10 and Creatine are powerful active ingredients found naturally in the skin and with age their levels decrease. As a result skin is more prone to damage by external influences, one of the main causes of premature skin - ageing.
The NIVEA VISAGE Q10 plus range contains skin's own Q10 and Creatine in a powerful formula that works effectively to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

How to Use

Use daily after cleansing. Apply by gently massaging into your skin, using small upward circular strokes, avoiding your eye area. Follow with the Q10 PLUS ANTI-WRINKLE Day Cream ANTI-WRINKLE Day Cream for greater protection against wrinkles

Cutex strengthening nail polish remover review

Cutex strengthening nail polish remover review now called protein enriched regular

Purchased from various chemists, supermarkets etc varies from 200ml large £1.95 to smaller bottle for not much less in price.

I absolutely adore this product I cannot praise this enough, doesnt matter what other brand you buy they will never live up to this nail varnish remover.

I buy the pink one and it stinks to high heaven you couldnt stand the smell for long I think you would pass out lol! You can buy various ones  see a below -

Protein Enriched Non-acetone Formula Do you wear acrylics or other types of artificial nails? Try Cutex's Protein Enriched non-acetone formula. Not only is it the best nail polish remover, but it safely and gently removes polish from artificial nails, promoting healthy-looking nails and cuticles with each use.

Nourishing with Vitamin E Formula Do your nails break easily? Try Cutex's Nourishing with vitamin E formula. With each use, the vitamin E-enriched formula will help to replace moisture in dry, brittle or damaged nails. Your nails will look healthier and feel stronger and more flexible


Strengthening with Gelatin Formula Got thin, weak nails? Try Cutex's Strengthening with gelatin formula. The enriched formula is packed with essential vitamins and protein that help promote strong and healthy-looking nails and cuticles and help to fortify soft, weak or thin nails.

Want to keep your nails looking their best? Try Cutex's Protein-Enriched Regular formula. This acetone nail polish remover will quickly remove even the darkest polish, and the enriched formula will help you keep your nails and cuticles strong and beautiful with each use.

Want nourished, clean, and strong nails? Cutex’s Advanced Revival Nail Polish Remover is a patent-pending formula that combines the power of acetone with the strengthening and nourishing of natural drying oils. The natural drying oils begin as a liquid and turn into a solid when exposed to air. This drying process is what strengthens the nails, leaving them feeling nourished and clean after only one use.



Above is a good example of hard to get off colours and your not left with stained nails either with Cutex.

The one I use isnt the user friendly one  (non-acetone formula) I dont wear false nails so I use the strong one with vitamins, it really lives up to the hype, at Christmas I had black glitter nail polish on and I knew I would need something hardcore to remove it and it worked a treat. It has definitely strenghened my nails and they look whiter when i have no varnish on.

Its also fab for removing scuff marks on shoes and bags and removing sticky stuff off just about anything I even use it to take off hair dye thats stained my skin in areas but be careful doing that it stings and could burn.

Wednesday 2 January 2013

Retin-A 0.25 and 0.5 chooser or looser review

Retin-A
Prices vary from where you get it from normally this is a prescription treatment ( but most of us get it other ways!!)
Advice is buy it on line but from a seller who has good feedback only - otherwise don't buy it!!!
Also don't spend silly money on it anything over £15 is prob to expensive I paid £13 for two tubes of 0.25.

Ok where to start, I bought Retin-A online by a power seller with excellent feedback.
I bought one tube of 0.5 thinking this would be a good starter
WRONG!!
please I cannot state this enough do not get over confident and buy the higher strengh you have one face do not ruin it!!!

Yes I used the 0.5 first so I know what Im talking about.

I ordered the cream, it arrived quickly, the cream is in a tube, always make sure that the cream is a pearlised thick cream.  As advised by the instructions I put a thin layer over my whole face avoiding the really delicate eye area and eyelids, it advises to do this at night before you go to bed this gives a chance for the body to rebuild collagen or so it says.
I did this a few days before Christmas as I thought with being off work for a week it would give my skin a chance to adjust.

The following day my skin looked a bit red almost like either wind burn or a bit of sunburn It was a bit sore to the touch to, but reading on other peoples experiences I thought this is normal for the first week or so.

The second morning of applying this cream my face was really red very sore I applied some E45 cream but it seemed to flare up even more I went out on a Christmas night out with a tomato face (not attractive at all!)

The third morning I was panicking a bit my face was really red again and this time the dryness was terrible so I applied argan oil but by the end of the day my face was dry again and looking awful I looked 10 years older eeeeeeekkkk.

I decided to miss a few days to give my skin a rest, it does advise use every other day if you notice a flare up but this was way to much, you have to know when to stop.

By now the 0.25 had arrived and I decided to change to the lesser strengh as I had never used this product before it really makes sense to start on the lower strengh wish I had done this to start with so please please please use the lower one if your a newbie, try not to be in such a rush for instant results.

On Christmas Day I had a vile red peeling dry face and my family asked me what was wrong as I couldn't wear make up as my face flared up even more with the irritation of it sighhhh!!!

I used the 0.25 for a week and thank god my face has settled the hell down I swear I looked like hell boys sister and older ewwww!


So the results

If you use the higher one straight away then expect a red tomato face for weeks and weeks, if your patient like me (yeah right) then start as you mean to go on "less is best!!"

I use the 0.25 every night I put a thin layer on my face I dont put a buffer underneath or on top you shouldn't need this with 0.25 although I did the first time I used it on my neck.
If you do however need a buffer as you think the 0.25 is making your skin to dry or too red then you can either mix it in with a good moisturiser or apply moisturiser an hour after using your Retin A.

Its early days as its not quite two weeks my wrinkles don't particularly look any better but maybe I need to work my way up to the 0.5, it did do what it was designed to do any spots little white heads etc disappeared completely I have  spot free face so result!!

It does say it could take a month to see real results so I will stick at it.

Downsides

Redness if using a high strengh straight away.
dryness, terrible terrible dryness I tried E45 which is a fab cream but just didn't last all day, I used argan oil something more greasy and that helped a bit more but not enough.
The lack of moisture making your face look old, when your face looks dry all your wrinkles look worse especially round the eyes so don't go slapping to much around them.
Rub this cream in really well, its thick so spend a bit of time blending it in one night i must have not rubbed it all in and had redness and itchiness around the corner of my mouth.

Tips and hints

Again use the lowest strengh ok so its going to be a slower but work your way up
moisturise moisturise moisturise!!!!!
I did a bit of research and this is by far the best cream I could find for the flaky skin
Face- Eucerin replenishing face cream 5% urea this promises to put the moisture back in your skin and it certainly does although if I wasn't using retin a I think it might have been to greasy you can buy it for £11 not cheap but hardly expensive either.

Eye- eucerin Q10 anti wrinkle cream, this promises a lot but if you look it up on makeup alley it has better reviews than most, it certainly hydrates not sure about dark circles and wrinkles but early days its quite expensive nearly £15



Its only been two weeks but I will keep this blog updated as when I was looking for information I couldn't find enough so I will keep this updated as I think this treatment shouldnt be taken likely.

4wks into this now and kind of loosing the will!! my face is a bit red and dry I never had dry skin like this and my eye wrinkles are awful because they look dehydrated im not liking this look at all. The internet says 4 to 8 wks to see major differences but im just not seeing them as its winter I will give it another 4 wks then hand on heart I will beable to say I give it a good try.  Personally seems ideal for girls with greasy skin and who have acne or breakouts and lets face it that after all is what it was designed for in the first place!
I will get back to this.

7 weeks now and not counting lol! Im not sure if its just me but cant see the difference to be honest my skins the same its not better or worse! my wrinkles according to my husband are the same no change so why am I bothering  If I continue does this mean when im 51 I will look 41 soooo confused by this product, every blog or advice page says don't give up keep trying but I'm a bit bored now with the whole regime and I had a huge break out last week and I mean a biggie, I had about 10 nasty spots which is not like me at all. When I first started using Retin-A my skin must have went extra dry so of course 6 weeks into the product my skin must be getting used to it and with my skin not normally being dry when I was using eucerin 5% urea cream along side the Retin-A my face went super sonic greasy with blocked pores this happened so fast it was scary, Ive stopped using the eucerin 5% urea face cream ( still use the eye cream as that's not like the face cream) I purchased Boots own make, simply sensitive night moisturiser (Im sure any simple non perfume face cream will work) This has done the job and a week on my face is back to its normal self phewwwwwwwwwww.  So be careful with Eucerin especially if you have medium skin and a greasy T zone.

So conclusion to this is I have no idea! I know this is a slow process and I prob will continue as I have over half a tube of the retin -A left, but maybe in ten years I will have a better idea!!!!

UNDECIDED!!

After thought !warning! I used this on my neck once and it looked like I had been burnt and this took 2 weeks to clear up this doesnt happen to everyone but do a patch test first.