Testing More Argan Oil Hair Products💕

I used to be so good at treating my hair when it was long. Then, after I got the chop, I got lazy. However, I've decided I want luscious, shiny and healthy hair again, so started buying new items. If you cast your mind back a few months, you might remember me reviewing a hair mask and raving about it (read here), and as I was so impressed by the mask, I figured I'd branch out and try a few more of the Argan Oil products - at their inexpensive price tag, it'd be rude not to.

Argan Oil Hair Treatment || £1 - Years ago, I used a Lee Stafford hair treatment RELIGIOUSLY. I loved it, and unfortunately, after it ran out, I never replaced it nor bought a new one. But, when this hair treatment at £1 caught my eye, I instantly knew I had to add it into my basket. The hair mask leaves my hair feeling super nourished, so I had high expectations for this little treatment. I decided I'd use it on my hair after washing (before blow drying to really let the treatment sink into my hair) on the days I don't use the mask. As it's an oil, I only use a small amount because I don't want to apply too much and make my hair greasy. I ensure to only apply it in the length of my hair, completely avoiding the roots - so, from the nape of the neck down pretty much. My hair is thick, so can get tangled whilst damp, so when I brush it, this oil makes this process a bit more bearable as it almost acts as a detangler. After I dry my hair, the ends where I applied the oil are left feeling smooth and silky, and looks healthy too! I love it!

Argan Oil Heat Defence Leave In Spray || £1 - I bought this from Savers, however, the website is currently closed so I can't link you up. I've tried various heat protectors over the years, but always like to change it up a bit. This one smells nice; just the same as the rest of the range. I don't tend to use much heat on my hair apart from blow drying it, and occasionally straightening it. I think my favourite thing about it is that after using heat on my hair, it doesn't go static, which is a common problem I have, especially after straightening. It does leave my hair protected so feels a bit healthier and looks shiner, and in general, it's a not bad product for the price!

I know there are even more Argan Oil products out there, so I need to get my hands on them too to fulfil the whole range! So far, at £1 a go per product, I'm hooked!

xx

A Tanning Routine💕

Fake tan is something I never ventured to trying until last year. By no means am I an expert - if anything, I'm still an amateur with the whole world of tan and I'm still learning. I've only used St Moriz (it was in deal on Superdrug then discovered it's cheap in Savers, and I refuse to spend a lot on tan) but I've recently tried a different one from them and figured I'd share it with you all.

St Moriz Tanning Mousse Dark || £2.79 - Being a pale, Scottish burd, buying a dark tanning mousse is perhaps a risky game when all I'm using to is a light-medium mousse. But hey ho, let's WING IT.

It claims there's instant colour - definitely true. It claims it's fast drying - I'd say so. It claims streak free - well, if you're me, then to an extent, yes (I'm getting better at avoiding streaks!) The fact that it's instant colour rather than gradual makes life much easier as you can quickly identify the spots that require more attention and extra tan. Initially, I'd bought this one as I was looking for a new, darker tan for New Years, but didn't want to pay a hefty price nor have to apply numerous layers either. So, here we are...

When it dries, it dries pretty dark, and at first I did panic as it was NOT expected. However, after you wash the first layer off, it calms down a bit to a beautiful, golden tan, and doesn't look orange nor overly fake in the slightest. The scent also disappears too, but as I said, this didn't bother me much in the first place. It doesn't transfer much - I've read reviews where people say their bedsheets end up covered in tan, but this isn't something I've experienced (yet!) I find that I don't need to do too many layers with it - typically, I do two layers (over two days) just to ensure it's even. Of course, you could apply a few if you're after a darker tan! I don't tan my face, therefore I can't comment on how well my skin takes it. I ensure to shave and exfoliate at least the day before I tan so that the pores aren't open/fresh skin is exposed to the tan, and this helps it to apply evenly. Additionally, after shaving and exfoliating, I apply moisturiser in the areas I struggle to apply tan on/where the tan sticks badly, ie elbows, knees etc.

Velvotan Self Tan Applicator Original Body Mitt || £3 || I did buy this originally from Savers, but with their site down, I'm unable to link you up to this exact one I'm afraid. But, one of my favourite things about Velvotan mitts is how cute the designs are, as well as how inexpensive they are - so they don't break the bank when you replace them! They're the only tanning mitts I use, and I personally love them. I'm always guaranteed to be left with a seamless, gorgeous, mainly even tan once it's dried. They don't rip easily and aren't harsh on the skin either. I'll continue to use Velvotan mitts till the day I no longer tan!!

And, that's pretty much it! My tanning routine isn't complex, nor does it occur all that often (only for special occasions/nights out). I find that the tan tends to last at least a good 4 days before going patchy, and it's at this point that I'll exfoliate it off with a pair of exfoliating gloves and body scrub.

xx

Glitter Face Masks💕*

Hands up who loves glitter?! It's impossible not to. It's sparkly and pretty, and available in so many colours. I couldn't believe it though when these face masks from T-Zone came through the door. A GLITTER face mask? Surely not! But, oh yes. And how smart of them indeed.

Zone Glitter Peel Off Mask Silver* || £2.99 || I wasn't quite sure what texture to expect. A peel off but with glitter? But, it's just your typical peel off face mask consistency (fairly thin), but the glitter, in my eyes, resembles microbeads. I find that there's a lot of face mask in the one packet; even after I apply, I find myself having leftover mask in the pack. I left it on for 10-15 minutes roughly (until I felt it was totally dry) before removing. And, boy it was dry. The pain I felt trying to remove this mask was on another level. My eyes were streaming like mad! After I finally got it off, it was totally worth the pain. My skin felt incredible; pores felt unclogged and excess oils stripped. It didn't leave it irritated, despite being a nightmare to remove, but instead, looked healthy and fresh. The mask claims that it draws out impurities, which I felt it does. It's enriched with strawflower and firming centella asiatica extract which helps keep the skin looking vibrant and glowing. It's for all skin types, but I feel is probably best suited, in my opinion, to oily to normal skin, as I feel that it'd perhaps be too harsh on dry skin when it comes to removing. 

T-Zone Glitter Peel Off Mask Black* || £2.99 || When I first seen this packet, I originally thought "charcoal face mask" - I've had some messy experiences with these in the past so panicked! Unlike the last mask, I purposely didn't leave it on as long. This time, I left it on for 5-10 minutes, so that the majority of the mask was dry. I only applied a thin layer, and was left with mask in the packet again. Rather than peeling off, I decided to try an easier method - using my Beautybay cleanser (read more here) and my PMD electronic facial cleansing brush (read more here). This made it a bit easier to wash off, and I didn't have to experience the same pain as before. It didn't impact the mask in a negative way because it still was clearly effective on my skin: I can't begin to explain how smooth my skin felt! Not only this, but my pores looked more refined and my overall skin looked glowing and radiant. Again, it's suitable for all skin types but same as the previous mask, I'd say oily-normal skin purely for the reason that it's tough to remove.

T-Zone, once again, have produced some fantastic products. Slightly disappointed with the glitter (I expected a lot of glitter but it was more like sparse microbeads), but the face masks themselves worked wonders with my skin. 

xx

*PR Samples

A Face Mask For Under £1?💕

There's not many face masks I haven't tried. I have my favourites, of course, but I also like branching out and trying new, different ones too. One of my favourite body scrubs is by the brand Bio Glow, and I'm also a fan of their body lotion, so when I seen that they did a face mask, I just had to get it to try!

Bio Glow Clean Skin Orange Peel Off Mask || 99p || Yes, you read that right: it's less than £1! Sure, sometimes I can be a bit skeptical about bargain beauty products - can they actually prove to be effective if they're as cheap as they are? But, fear not. I had high expectations for this mask due to trying products by the brand in the past. I don't tend to use peel off masks that often, but nonetheless, went ahead with it anyways. As it's in a tub, I felt I had plenty of control over the application process. It's quite a thin consistency, so I felt I didn't need too much - I only use a thin layer of face masks anyways. It's an orange mask, but in terms of scent, I don't feel that it's overly strong anyways - I was expecting to be hit by the overwhelming scent of orange, but no. This didn't bother me but I know for some people scent is a big thing, especially when it comes to sensitive skin. As I only had a thin layer on, it didn't take too long for it to dry either.

The peeling process was actually really simple and pain-free. With some peel off masks, I find it comes off in lots of tiny sections and feels as though it's ripping my skin off with it, resulting in some watery eyes! But, this one came off with ease and didn't feel sore when peeling off. To ensure it was removed fully and no excess residue was left on my face, I rinsed my face with warm water. The mask claims to unclog pores, removes dirt and impurities from the skin, leaving your skin silky, supple and fresh. This, I feel, is a pretty accurate description of the mask. My skin did feel super clean after use, and I could tell the mask had been effective. My skin was soft to touch, and to look at, appeared radiant and glowing. Sometimes some masks leave your skin feeling too tight, making it itchy, but this one thankfully doesn't have that impact on the skin.

I follow up by lathering my skin in a rich moisturiser to help keep it in tip-top condition. I really like this mask, it's one that you could probably use within your skin care routine without it being too harsh on the skin (not a daily routine, I'm talking more 2-3 times a week!) It's also cruelty free and vegan friendly, so what more could I say to try convince you?

xx

Testing Beautybay's Skincare Range💕

In the last few months, I have discovered the wonders of BeautyBay. I quickly became obsessed with their eyeshadow range (read more here) then one day, got an email to inform me that they had introduced their own skincare range. You bet I was all over that - and ended up buying a fair few items from them. After all, they were affordable too!

Super Jelly Cleansing Gel || £6.50 - The formula of this is slightly different to other cleansers I've used in the past: normally they are milk based/creamy, however this one is more of a gel and on the thicker side. Used with or without my PMD beauty brush, I love how fresh and radiant it leaves my skin. If I have foundation on, I use this to melt and remove the makeup from my face and it removes the last, final traces really well. I have found that 2-3 pumps is the perfect amount, so the bottle will last me a while. It doesn't foam up as such, but it does leave my skin feeling clean and hydrated too! 

Acid Trip Exfoliating Toner || £6.75 - As it's an exfoliating toner, I thought it might work really well for my oily skin, keeping excess oils at bay! The name "acid trip" did kind of nerve me a bit too, but after researching deeper, discovered: there are a few forms of acid-based exfoliants. These all work on different layers of the skin. A combination of AHA (glycol and lactic acid) help to refine, brighten and even the skin tone, and PHA (gluconolacctone) helps with leaving the skin softer and smoother. It does have a scent, one I can't quite describe other than being clean. I like this toner because unlike many, it actually feels beneficial: as if your pores have been closed and skin tightened yet refreshed. It doesn't make my skin feel too tight and itchy either.

Skinhit Soothing Serum || £5 - Very rarely do I use a serum, normally I just use a moisturiser and I'm good to go. However, I thought I'd treat my skin a bit more this year. Typically, I apply it after moisturiser, and truth to be told, I'm not entirely sure if that's the right or wrong thing? The idea of this serum is to help reduce the levels of sebum produced as well as the appearance of pores to provide you with a clearer complexion. It is made with niacinamide which is a skincare ingredient which prevents the build up of sebum, and copper which helps aid oil control. As a result of this, I felt it was ideal for my oily skin! So it comes with a droplet style applicator, and usually drop 2 drops worth onto my fingers. It looks as though it'll be quite oily and greasy, however, when applied to my skin, it's the complete opposite: super light-weight, almost water based too. It takes next to no time for my skin to absorb it too. I only use it at night, and when I wake up in the morning, my skin looks glowing and feels incredible too! 

Thirst Trap Rich Moisturiser || £7 - No offence to beauty bay, but the first time I smelt this, I thought of Walkers Ready Salted Crisps... sorry!! But now, all I smell is wholeness and goodness: almost like wheat or oatmeal or something?! Looking at it in the tub, it looks as though it'll be a really thick formula, but it isn't, and I kind of prefer that. I only need a tiny amount and it covers my entire face. Much like the serum, it doesn't take long for my skin to absorb the moisturiser, and when it does, doesn't leave me looks like a shiny, greasy mess. Instead, I look hydrated and moisturised. When I apply it, it doesn't even feel as though there's anything on my skin, therefore know it doesn't clog up my pores either. It would be suitable for any skin type, but especially dry skin. 

Skin Fixer Clay Mask || £7.50 - I love face masks. I always find the clay masks effective cause when they dry, they feel tight on the skin, so you know that the effects will be noticeable. This one has a thick consistency, but doesn't take long to dry - I apply a thin layer. It does have a scent, but nothing overly strong; it's rather natural, a bit like the moisturiser. Although it's a clay mask, when it washes off, it feels really creamy, like a cleanser. After, it leaves my skin looking healthy and glowing, and super soft too. I have oily skin, and it helps to keep the excess oils at bay. It's designed for oily, dry and combined skin, so no matter your skin type, it's ideal. It's not harsh on the skin, as sometimes I find if I accidentally leave my mask on too long, it almost burns my skin, but not with this one. After using, I follow up with using the cleanser, toner, moisturiser and serum to complete my skincare routine. 

I haven't been let down by the Beauty Bay skincare. Their makeup range continues to impress me, so I knew that their skincare would be top of the range too. I've only got a selection of products, there are more available too. Go on, treat yourself and your skin!

xx