Lotil Cream & lip balm *

Lotil is a skincare brand that has been around for over a century and best known for its protective, moisturising and healing properties. The range of products include a multipurpose cream, foot cream and lip balm. I was luckily provided to review  both the lip balm and original cream.

Lotil Original is an all purpose cream which aims to relieve and soothe dry, chapped or sore skin including those who suffer from ezcema or  psoriasis.

I applied the cream on my legs and it lasted me all through my working day into the night. The cream is rich yet has a non greasy formula that absorbs quickly into the skin. I was amazed at how it made my skin feel rehydrated and steadily softer. I must admit sometimes I am lazy and don't regularly moisturise areas of my body,  if they are not on show *slaps wrist.

The scent of the cream somewhat reminds me of germolene but I assume that is due to the antiseptic ingredients that help to reduce skin infections but it wears off after application on the skin. 

I found this cream great for the body and hands due to the moisturing benefits to the skin.Although I have not tried it as a face cream, I think using a small pea size amount  as a makeup primer would be beneficial due the antibacterial properties. You dont need to be heavy handed with the cream as a little goes a long way and if used regularly you would notice an improvement to your skin. 

The lotil original cream is sold in four handy sizes such as 30 ml tube ,  handbag size 50ml, 114ml tub and 500ml  pump dispenser and price ranges between £3- £10 (dependent on size). 

I am an avid lipbalm user, I have so many open at once whether its in my handbag , work drawer or car. It is a beauty staple,  I just cannot live without as I really hate dry or chapped lips.

Lotil lip balm is a moisturing lip care product that contains similar ingredients to the original cream but with the added benefit of SPF 30, to protect your lips in all conditions whether it is cold climates or just everyday environment. I love the lipstick shape of the lip salve for easier and precise application .  I will definitely be saving this lip balm , so I can use it for my next Ski trip.

Lotil products are available to purchase from Boots , Lloyds Pharmacy or Amazon online .

Have you tried any Lotil products?

Peace , Love & Besos

* DISCLAIMER: This product was provided to me free of charge from Brand Nation in order to review it. However the opinions expressed in this post are independent and my own.

Vaseline Intensive Care Aloe Soothe Spray Moisturizer *

Last week, I received the Vaseline Intensive Care Aloe Soothe Spray Moisturiser in the mail. I have been wanting to try this moisturiser since it's release as the idea of lotion in a can , really appealed to me.  I must admit I tend to be a bit lazy with moisturing my body; if I know certain parts will be concealed by my outfit (Yes, I know, Bad beauty blogger).

The continuous spray top system applicator, is so easy and quick to use. The actual moisturiser formula is very lightweight as they have included micro-droplets of Vaseline Jelly,  which allows the lotion to instantly absorb into the skin in seconds to ensure it is hydrated and soft to touch. This is great for the summer months as it  which cuts out the effort of a thick cream which can take a while to rub into the skin. As it is non greasy, it is the perfect option for those who have normal/oily skin because it will not leave you feeling sticky after application.

Importantly,  the use of Aloe Vera and it's healing properties allows it to be a slight after-sun spray to cool skin areas which may be tight or dry. The fragrance is really light and not overpowering, although does remind me a bit of a refreshing cucumber scent.  The Vaseline Spray Moisturiser retails for £4.99/190ml and is available in major retailers such as Superdrug & Boots Stores.

It is definitely a must-have skincare essential to pop in a bag whether you are out & on the go or if your just in need of a quick moisture boost!
 

Peace, Love & Besos

Fall Back, Sleep Longer!

Clocks go back Sunday 26th October at 2am... You get an extra hour in bed!!!!
 

Today officially marks the end of British Summer time which means it will get darker quicker because of the switch to daylight saving time. We will have longers days . Temperatures will begin to drop as Winter approaches, which calls for more cosy nights & lazy weekends (or in my case Hibernation)

The best start to any day is to have an invigorating or energising shower to get rid of that sleepy feeling & awaken the senses.  Radox have newly released  Invigorate shower gel to the bright citrus range collection which features Revive - Mandarin & Lemongrass, Uplifting - Pink Grapefruit & Basil and Energise - Key Lime & Peppermint. I was kindly sent 2 samples to try both Invigorate & Energise.

The Invigorate shower gel contains a combination of Zesty Lemon & Rosemary, it is the perfect fruity and refreshing fragrance to get me set up each day  , especially on Monday mornings with 9am lectures. Energise shower gel will leave you feeling rejunvenated each day with its blend of Key Lime & Peppermint , the scent reminds me of a mojito and will be great for the days I need a detox.

Both shower gels lather up well and leave a light scent on the skin which is not too overpowering. The packaging is bright and I love the easy grip handle which is great as I always prefer to hang my showergels.

The entire Citrus range is available nationwide at RRP £2.15 , currently Asda has it on offer for 90p. 

What are you most looking forward to, now we are approaching Winter?

* DISCLAIMER: This product was provided to me free of charge from Radox in order to review it. However the opinions expressed in this post are independent and my own.

Unmask mum's innner beauty *

Hi Belles,

With Mothers day due next weekend (Sunday 30th March). It means one thing 'gifts' and pampering mum for the whole day!

In the run up to Mothering Sunday,  Aldi recently launched some new products this month , one being the Lacura Facecare facial masks which became available in stores on Sunday 16th March. I was lucky enough to be a sent samples of both facial masks to review.

Anti-Fatigue Face Mask

• Radiant complexion
• Refresh the skin and reduce signs of tiredness
• Suitable for all skin types

The Anti-Fatigue mask is created to reduce the effect of tired and pale skin due to many reasons such as stress, overheated rooms, lack of sleep or poor air quality. It contains an array of skin loving rich ingredients to help brightening your skin complexion naturally so it looks more radiant. I love the scent of the product as it sweet and refreshing from the infused combination of  vitamin C fruits such as Camu-camu ,  orange and Acerola but also elements sea buckthorn oil and  vitamin E to help protect the skin.

Nutri Build-Up Face Mask

• Rebuild skin protective barrier
• Maintain moisture level of skin
• Rapidly build up suppleness of skin
• Suitable for all skin types

The Nutri Build mask is an intensive treatment mask to help rebuild the skins protective barrier to improve suppleness and vitality due to skin ageing process. Unlike the Anti-Fatigue mask, this mask benefits from a combination of high quality oils such as Pomegranate Seed, Argan, Moringa and Avocado Oil, which are best known for maintaining moisture to deeply nourish and care for skin but also improve suppleness. As this mask relaxes the skin, the scent is not overpowering or as sweet but mild in comparison to the Anti-Fatigue mask.

Application & tips

Application of the masks were really quick and easy , due to the 2 in 1 facial brush attachment which is soft yet still dense enough to massage the face. Each product is clear on application and dries clear (No Casper moments) .The formula is not heavy but light and non-sticky , despite me putting on a thick layer on application. I love how my skin felt refreshed, clean and moisturised, after washing off the mask. Another bonus is that the brush attachment comes with an on/off dispensing option which is always useful when travelling with beauty products that can become messy if the packaging is accidently split or broken.

Some tips from Lacura skincare on applying the product are:

1. Firstly massage the cheeks up to the temples avoiding the eye area
2. Massage the facial contours up to your ears
3. Lastly, massage the neck area to the chin
4. Then leave on for 5-10 minutes and wash off product

Both facial masks each retail in Aldi stores at £3.99//40ml.  These would be perfect to give to mum's in a DIY mothers day beauty box due to there affordability. Usually I don't use face masks but I think I will definitely be purchasing a couple of the Anti-Fatigue masks to add to my skincare routine.

Have you tried the Lacura Skincare range, what are some of you favourites?

Peace, Love & Besos

*Product was sent to be reviewed

Decleor Aroma Cleanse Hydra-Radiance Smoothing & Cleansing Mousse

Hello.....

Some time ago, I ordered a free sample from Declor Paris Facebook. Now I had never heard of the company before so I was intrigued to test there products. Lucky for me they were offering a cleanser sample.

Decleor Aroma Cleanse Hydra-Radiance Smoothing & Cleansing Mousse

This 3 in 1 cleanser is perfect for maintaining a beautiful and glowing complexion even with busy lifestyles due to the following :

• Deep cleanses as it lathers when wet to a mousse like texture to soften the skin allowing it to become clean and velvety soft.

•  Removes makeup with stripping your skin of its moisture due to the essential oil of Neroli and plumps it up as it contains Hyaluronic acid.

• Elimates dead cells by scrubbing with Papaya extract and use of the cleansing cloth to leave the skin with clarity and luminosity.

• Provides your skin with radiance due to the featured white-bright complex ingredients of Mulberry tree & grape extracts.
  
  
  Also it contains no parabens or mineral oils

According to Declor by using this product as a result, your skin will be "perfectly clean and fresh, its hydration is preserved. Skin texture is smoother and radiant"


This HYDRA-RADIANCE CLEANSER comes in 100ml bottle with a white bag and 2 high quality weave cloths -  It retails for £26.00.

Personally , if it was last year , I would not think twice about spending that sort of money on my face due to working full-time during my gap year but unfortunately due to living on a tight student budget; I cannot justify spending £26 on a product that will be washed off in 5 minutes.

But by all means , if you can afford it definitely invest as it is amazing. For now i will have to cherish and try to savor my sample as possible lol :)

Peace, Love & Besos

Simple Skincare Academy

Hi Belles

As you know my sister seems to be the competition Queen and wins just about everything that she enters, and this time she won two tickets to the Simple Skincare Academy. Unfortunately, due to work commitments she couldn't attend and instead offered the prize to my mum and myself

It was a lovely day and thankfully the weather was good as well. The event was from 10:30am till 4pm, so we got to spend the whole day there.  I'll start by showing you my OOTD to the event.

*I have noticed that I cheese alot in my pics lol*

Bag: H&M| Shirt: SuperLooks| Skirt, Belt and Shoes: Primark| Earrings: Tiffany & Co| Watch: DKNY| Necklace: Gift| Bracelets: stolen from my mum's wardrobe lol

This event was all about the mind, body and soul. When we arrived we were all given lovely and healthy refreshments of fresh fruit and tasty pastries. What I liked about the event was that it was small and intimate, so it was easy to get to know everybody.

We were then moved into another room, with notebooks and pens *to jot down those all important skincare tips :)*,where we were briefly taken  through the history of the Simple brand which was fascinating.

 I didn't know Simple taught about well-being, as well as having such a popular range of skincare products *they are so popular that their cleansing wipes are sold every 3 SECONDS* and introduced to the Simple Advisory Board. 

• Dr Chris Bundy the Simple Psychologist
•  Caroline Frazer the Simple Skincare Expert and Celebrity make-up artist to some of the greats
•  Fiona Hunter the Simple Nutritionist
• Anna Reich the Simple Fitness Expert.

The Masterclasses

The first masterclass was with Dr Chris Bundy who taught us about the effects that stress has on our skin. We had to do a little game of bingo and try to find out 9 facts from everyone, and whoever filled out all 9 won, but unfortunately we didn't win :(. The next test was on our first responses to 4 stressful situations which I thought summed me and my mum up pretty well.

The second masterclass was with the famous Caroline Frazer, who gave us a skincare routine. I really liked how it was interactive, and everything she taught us we were actually doing ourselves, rather than just listening *she also complimented my mum and I on our skin, my only claim to fame lol*. We were also given our Simple goody bags, which were tailored to the form we had to fill out prior to the event, and it came with a handy little miror. My mum even managed to pick one up for my sister who deserved it as she actually won the competition.

My goody bag

My mother's goody bag

Shanaz's goody bag

After this session we broke for a delicious lunch and got chatting with everyone on our table.

The third masterclass was with the nutritionist Fiona Hunter, who equipped us with our Simple aprons *which we got to keep* and put us to work. We were divided up into groups of 5 and were given 10 ingredients each for either a starter, main course or dessert. My team had to create a main. However, the twist was that out of the 10 ingredients we could only use 6 of the ingredients and create our dish in 20 mins. We got to work and created 'Simply Salmon' *we also had to name our dish*. The group with the most creative name would win a prize, it wasn't my group but my mum's group who won the bottle of red wine with their dish named 'Simple World'. After we all presented our meals we could dig in and try out our creations.

The Winning dish - A Simple World

Simply Salmon

Would you believe that in my mum's group was the beautiful Lola from LolaStar Hearts, and we found that we both follow each others blogs. she was so nice and we were chatting away before we left. Make sure you follow her blog it is an amazing beauty and lifestyle blog :) 

***Also if you want more pictures Lola took lots at the event and is a better photographer than me lol, I unfortunately had too much fun and forgot to take pics***

 Last but not least was a masterclass with the fitness expert Anna Reich, who gave us excellent exercise tips and exercises that you could do in the comforts of your own home or if you have little time to spare. I loved her little saying of "leave no limbs spare" for example if you are working your legs find something to do with your arms, don't just leave them hanging hold them up. There was even a hula hoop competition, which Lola won again. We even did this weird but useful face yoga, although you look crazy doing it lol, it really does help the muscles in our face and neck *did you know there are 52 muscles in the face?*

At the end of the day they equipped us with our Simple bible, which had all the information we had been learning throughout the day, and magazines to take home with us. All in all I would rate the event an outstanding 5/5 because it was not only informative,but also fun and interactive.

However, my mum and I decided to take a stroll through Oxford street and popped into H&M. They had a really good sale in there so we treated ourselves and my sister to a really cute tropical print, strapless dress. Before heading to the station we had a drink and quick bite at Garfunkels Restaurant.

Hugs and Kisses