Beauty, Bargains and Beyond

I recently received Instant Whites 7 Day Whitening System Kit * to try out.  It's a peroxide free home teeth whitening kit.  The packaging states that you will see immediate results after the first 5 minutes, and up to 9 shades whiter in just 7 days.  Instant Whites 7 Day Whitening System also works on all tooth surfaces including natural teeth, caps, crowns, veneers, dentures and bonding. It's really easy to use, you take one of the swaps and gently push the swab down into the liquid filled base, until a small amount of the product comes through the tip of the swab.  You then apply a small amount of the liquid onto the surface of all the teeth to be whitened and gently rub each tooth in a circular motion for 10-20 seconds with the swab.  Once you have done this on all the teeth you want to whiten you rinse out your mouth with warm water.  I found this product really easy to use and I did not get any sensitivity with my teeth....

I went into Leeds city centre on Black Friday to check out if there were any beauty bargains to be had and I was very happy with my purchases.  Hopefully they will still be available this weekend if you want to pick them up for yourselves.  They would make great Christmas presents, but I have to admit that I bought them all for me.  Here's what I bought: Victoria's Secret Scandalous Dare Eau de Parfum - 50ml.  This was £48 down to £25.  All the 50ml perfumes where reduced to £25 instore on Black Friday, so it's definitely a great time to pick one up if there are any on your wish list. Pixi Gift of Glow - was £72 now £30 at Marks & Spencer.  I had this on my wish list , so I was thrilled that there was such a great discount on this box set (I bought one for my sister as well).  There are 4 full size products included - Glow Tonic (250ml), Makeup Melting Cleansing Cloths (40 cloths), Glow Mud Cleanser (135ml) & Rose Oil Blend...

I came across Barefoot SOS Repair + Renew Nourishing Cleansing Cream in one of the beauty boxes that I subscribe to.  The Barefoot SOS range has been developed by natural healthcare experts using the science of skincare and the natural power of botanical extracts.  Barefoot SOS Nourishing Cleansing Cream is a gentle cleanser which contains Rosa Mosqueta Oil, Calendula Extract, Cocoa Butter and Rosewater and is suitable for all skin types.  This product is not tested on animals and is 98% natural origin.  Simply apply morning and evening with a cotton pad or muslin cloth dampened in warm water. This is a nice light cream that has a natural fragrance and I found that it removes most makeup (although it does not remove all traces of mascara) and leaves my face feeling clean, without leaving it feeling tight and dry. Barefoot SOS products are free from paraffin, parabens, SLS, artificial colours and fragrances.  They are also suita...

I thought I would just do a little Christmas Wish List of all the goodies I wouldn't mind seeing under my tree on Christmas day. Elemis The Gift of Great Skin - This is a wonderful Elemis Christmas gift set from QVC.  This is a great gift as it comes in a lovely box and contains 6 great products. There are 2 variations to choose  - Frangipani Monoi or White Lotus & Lime. This set is £72 plus P&P.   UPDATE - As at 28/11/2016 the Frangipani Manoi is £49.92 plus postage and packing here. Elizabeth and James Rollerball Set - This is available at Sephora for $28 and contains 4 different mini rollerballs.  I already have the black and white rollerballs, but I would love to try the bourbon and rose scents so this little set would be perfect.  Sadly Sephora won't deliver this set to the UK and I can't find any other place that sells it, so I will have to wait until I visit America again and hope that it is still available. The Charlotte Tilbury ...

The Jojoba Company 100% Natural Makeup Remover* gently dissolves hard to remove makeup and is alcohol free.  I don't know about you, but usually when I use a makeup remover I always find that there is some mascara left behind, that I can't seem to remove without scrubbing at my eyes.  The Jojoba Company 100% Natural Makeup Remover removes every scrap of mascara without any scrubbing required.  It's a 100% natural jojoba based product, which also includes a blend of natural fruit oils including kiwi, passionfruit, blood orange, musk melon, cranberry and pink grapefruit which create a gentle product that removes all makeup including waterproof mascara. Simply apply 2 pumps to a cotton pad and gently wipe downwards over the face and eye area.  This product can also be used on it's own as a cleansing oil, which I have tried and again it is a lovely product to use in this way.  My skin is left feeling clean and wonderfully hydrated after using t...

I have just received my 2nd Love Lula Beauty Box and I love it (you can read about the first box I received here ).  Most other beauty boxes seem to contain the same brands, but the Love Lula boxes include brands that I have not come across before which is great.  Here's what was in the November 2016 box. Madara Hydra Mask - 12.5ml (worth £15) - Instant Moisture+ Radiance Hydra Mask. Humble Natural Beauty Sweet Pea & Verbena Hand Cream - 75ml (worth £8) - This is a beauty range from TV presenter Kate Humble. Ooh! - Oils Of Heaven Argan Oil - 15ml (worth £9.50) - Admittedly, I have received this exact same product already from You Beauty Box, but it's a new brand so I don't mind about that. PHB Skin Repair Gel Aloe & Lavender - 120ml (worth £13.75) - This helps to soothe and relieve irritated skin. MOA Fortifying Green Bath Potion - 10ml (worth £2.75) - This is an invigorating herbal blend which helps to de-stress the mind and soothe aches...

The Hero Project is a relatively new British company whose mission is to find out what skincare lovers really want from products and to produce products that fit that need.  They want to give us consumers products that really work and do what we need them to do, enabling us to reduce our mega stashes of beauty products that we have built up whilst we search for our Holy Grail products.  So far they have only released 5 products and I have been lucky enough to try out 3 of them (you can read my review of Hyasoft Instant Moisture Boost here ).  One of the most recent releases is the Vit C-30 Ultra Brightening Serum * which I have been testing out for well over a month now.  This product contains a powerful 30% Ethylated Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C) which helps to restore clarity to skin and provide evenness and brightness.  It helps to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and also protects the skin from further damage. Is it any g...

I have never been happy with my hair, it's naturally curly and frizzy and as curly haired girls will know it takes a lot of effort to get shiny frizz free curls. So I am always on the look out for the perfect hair treatments to try and make my hair look and feel good. These are 3 treatments I have tried out recently. John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Visibly Brighter In-Shower Hair Treatment -  £9.99 for 34ml This is a treatment that you apply to your hair (this product is just for 1 use) and then rinse out after 5 minutes.  It is a lightening treatment so you should see a lighter shade of brunette after use.  I tried this for the first time and found it easy to use although it did have a strong fragrance much like a hair colourant as it does contain hydrogen peroxide.  Once my hair was dry I definitely noticed it was a lighter shade and I had some  golden highlights.   This product can be used on natural, highlighted or coloured hair, but don't u...

I'm having a bit of a declutter at the moment so check out my updated Blog Sale here.  There are some Colourpop, MAC & Charlotte Tilbury items as well as loads of other stuff.  Keep checking back as I've loads more to list. Leighlee

There are some great freebies in this months Magazines (November 2016): Harper's Bazaar – The Organic Pharmacy Lip & Eye Cream (10ml) worth £26.95.  Harper's Bazaar  costs £4.50. Tatler– Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream (15ml) worth £28.  Tatler costs £4.50.   Glamour – Nails Inc Nail Polish available in 4 different shades (worth £11 each). Glamour costs £2. There is also Marie Claire –  This Works Deep Sleep Spray  (5ml) worth £1.06.  Marie Claire costs £3.99. Let me know if I have missed any other magazine freebies this month. Leighlee I bought the magazines with my own money

I am a big fan of Balance Me products, even more so since I met one of the founders of the brand at an event.  I received some travel size goodies from that event and also bought some full size products which I have been using ever since. One of my favourite products is the  Balance Me Radiance Face Mask * .  This  product is suitable for all skin types and is 98% natural.  It polishes, hydrates and smooths your skin, which is just what I want from a mask and I do love multi-tasking products. It contains kaolin clay, gently polishing ground walnut spheres and fruit acid complex, designed to cleanse, exfoliate and brighten skin.  Simply massage all over your face and leave for up to 5 minutes before rinsing off with a cloth. There are no parabens, sulphates, petroleum, mineral oils, silicones, dea, pegs, propylene glycol, artificial fragrances & colours.   I really like this product and have already purchased a full size replacemen...