DHC REVITALIZING MOISTURE STRIPS: MOUTH

Hi my loves. I hope you have been enjoying the weekend and are having a relaxing Sunday so far. Today I have a review for you of an unusual product that was sent to me for free to test out for you.

DHC REVITALIZING MOISTURE STRIPS: MOUTH

These gel strip moisture masks are designed to target the lines that appear with age around your mouth. 

Within the pack are 6 individual packets with 2 strips each for the areas above and below your lip.

Application:

After cleansing and toning peel the strips from the backing and place the sticky side to your dry skin. The thinner strip at the top and the thicker strip at the bottom as shown in the photo above. Mine met at each side as you can see in my Instagram photo from yesterday @vickyayles

Leave them on for 20-30 mins or up to 2 hours for more conditioning. Gently peel off. Use 1-2 times per week.

When first applied they felt very refreshing and cooling which did lessen throughout the 30 mins I wore them. As I appeared from the bathroom my boyfriend cracked up and so did I. You do look strange with them on. I had to sit alone for 30 mins trying not to laugh as they did manoeuvre around a bit when I did. I don't think I could wear them for 2 hours as you can't talk, drink or eat which is no good for pamper nights with the girls either. They did not feel sticky or leave any residue on the skin. They do not have any liquid excess to them.

They did feel very hydrating and yes the skin around my mouth felt smooth, a little plumped and firm, but not tight. It was like new younger skin so I guess the anti-ageing purpose of this product does work. Compared to the rest of my face this area did look slightly more brightened, but not like I was wearing a white moustache and a beard so don't worry.

I don't have lots of lines around my mouth at the moment. I do have some if I screw my mouth up obviously, but that's not a pose I like to do that often, ha ha. If you smoke, already have lines around your mouth or think that this product is something that you would like to try anyway to hopefully prevent, lessen or delay their appearance then I would say give these a try.

As these seemed a little large for my mouth preventing me from talking, drinking and eating perhaps cutting them towards the outer parts before application to give me more freedom of movement would work better. Really those restrictions are the only bad thing I have to say about this product as they do work for me as in they smoothed and evened out my skin while brightening and making it more youthful in appearance and feeling.

This product launched on the 1st of July available at DHCUK.CO.UK, BeautyMART, Selfridges, Fenwick of Bond Street, Bentalls and John Bell & Croyden.

Is this the type of product that interests you? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Love to you all

Vicky xx

Rana Argan Oil Review

Hiya my loves. Sorry I haven't blogged until now this week, but I hope you are all doing well. I have done a little shopping so expect a Primark haul to come. I also saw my Mum on Friday which was great and spent time with my fella today. What have you all been up to this weekend?

Now on to today's review post :)

RANA Argan Oil ~ £9.00 for 30ml or £23.00 for 100ml

I was gifted with this product at the Bloggers Love London Fashion Week event. I was excited to try this product out so I will start with some information about it:

RANA Argan Oil is 100% pure, natural and organic. Free from additives or any other chemicals other than argan oil straight from the argan fruit making it suitable for sensitive skin. Nicknamed the 'miracle oil' due to it's mass benefits. Here are some examples of the benefits of using RANA Argan Oil:

 

Makes skin feel smooth, plump and healthy looking.

Gives hair a healthy looking shine, whilst at the same time repairing damaged, dry hair back to its full goodness.

Helps nails become stronger and shinier.

Relieves the appearance of acne.

Helps to reduce the signs of stretch marks and scars.

Reduces the signs of ageing.

Can be used on men for pre and post shaving.

Can also be used on baby's and children to soften skin and help prevent or alleviate the signs of rashes.

Great to use on all different types of skin conditions and issues.

Be advised that this product is made from argan nuts so if you are allergic to nuts then it is advised to not use this product!

My thoughts:

Face & Neck:

I absolutely love to use this product on my face and neck at night and when I am at home during the day not wearing make-up. Because it is an oil I would not use this product before applying make-up. This feels so nourishing on my face and neck. After cleansing my skin I use about four pumps to cover my face and neck. I massage it in in circular motions, really working it into my skin. I have very dry skin and I think it really works well at keeping it moisturised, plumped, smoothed and pampered. It does feel like a treatment when I apply this at night. I don't really have lines or wrinkles that are that noticeable yet and I don't suffer too much with spots, but overall the skin on my face looks more even and youthful. 

When my Mum saw me on Friday she asked me what I had been doing to my skin because I looked so young. I wasn't wearing any make-up at the time so this was a lovely compliment. I also got asked for ID in Morrisons the other day which made me so happy. Now I am not saying that it is all down to this product, but I do think my skin is looking and feeling better and more even because of it. 

Hands & Nails: 

I have tried this as a quick spritz on my hands and it does soak in really well. My nails are usually painted and pretty strong already so I haven't really noticed a difference in them as yet. 

Hair:

I sprayed some on the ends of my hair to treat it one night. Because it's an oil it did make the ends look like there was product there so I would say it may work during the day for those with curls or afro hair, but to me it's more of a night time treatment to wash off the next day. 

Body: 

On my body it felt nourishing too, but there was a layer on my skin that didn't soak in as well as some creams I have used. It didn't feel greasy like other body oils I have tried, but as I could feel it on my skin I wouldn't use this during the day on my body if I were to wear fitted trousers for example. I did this with another product before and spent the day at work with oil patches on my knees. I would say for those who like fake tan this is most likely a no no. As the skin on my face looks more even though I think it could work well for stretch marks.

I would totally recommend this product for reducing the signs of ageing, nourishing the skin and making it look more even. A great multitasker, but even if it only works for one skin issue I still think it's worth it.

There are are range of other products also available at RANA which you can check out in this link!

What benefits have you found for your skin using RANA Argan Oil? Have you tried any other products from the RANA range? Let me know with your thoughts in the comments below.

Love to you all

Crystal Clear Skincare Follow Up Review

Hi Everyone. I hope you have all been having a great weekend. Today I have a follow up review for you of products from Crystal Clear Skincare. Here is my initial post where I attended the #liftawaytheyears event, link.

I am going to talk about each product that I received at the event for free and have been thoroughly testing out.

Far Left: Wipe Away The Years Anti-Ageing Cleansing Milk, £27.00 for 200ml

Rather than massaging into skin and wiping any excess off with a cotton pad I squeezed two pumps onto a cotton pad and wiped it around the contours of my face and neck to cleanse. As it says to avoid contact with the eyes I used a face wipe to cleanse around that area. I do love the scent of this product and it was nice to use, but I do think it's a bit pricey as other cleansing lotions like this have worked just as well for me at a cheaper price. I did not clean the bottles before taking this photo as I wanted you to see that for some unknown reason it gets a bit gunky at the top. This may be from the moisture in my bathroom so it may not happen if you keep it in your bedroom? I think this is a good size, but I think different size options would be better as travellers may find this too large to pack.

2nd From Left: Stay Young Intense Anti-Ageing Serum Moisturiser, 30ml Comes With The Wand

This was a lotion formula that was meant to be squeezed into the wand (far right) and massaged into the face and neck. This felt really nice on my skin even without the wand. I would say this 30ml tube lasted about 1 month when used twice a day.

2nd From Right: Intense Anti-Ageing Serum, £60.00 for 50ml

Again I did not clean the top to show you that it gets a little gunky too. I used this both with the wand and without. This has a serum gel consistency. I really like how this feels on my skin. It feels like a treat :) The bottle is a bit dense and a little hefty which I think is not necessary. I prefer this to the moisturiser version that comes with the wand, but they are both really nice to use.

Far Right: Lift Away The Years Wand, £59.99 Comes With 30ml Anti-Ageing Serum Moisturiser

I do really like this device. I did try both the serum and serum moisturiser with this by squeezing product into the top of the wand, screwing it back on and manoeuvring it around my face and neck to work the product into my skin. I did not find that the product came out evenly from the roller ball though even when I added more product than was recommended so I decided to use it in my own way and I much prefer it. After cleansing I apply the serum to my face and neck with my hands not rubbing in, but spreading over. I then start from the bottom of my neck and work the wand upwards over my chin. I then work around the contours of my face applying pressure to make my muscles work and add definition where I want. I sculpt my cheekbones and slim my face by working from under the cheekbones out towards my ear. I then work towards my nose on the other side of my cheekbones. I gently, but firmly work from under the inner of the eyes pulling up and out towards my temples. I then work from the centre of my forehead out towards my temples and repeat all of this on the other side of my face. I repeat these movements on each area a few times and hold when pulling upwards for a couple of seconds as muscle has memory and this helps the definition to be more prominent. I repeat the whole process twice. I finish off with a massage to each temple for a few seconds as I find it relaxing. I do this by slowly circling the area. I follow this process morning and night. 

I would definitely say that the lift away the years wand is a valuable tool to have as a part of your skin care routine for any age to aid in maintaining youthful skin, uplifting the face and neck. I notice the difference mostly in my cheekbone area. My skin feels more plumped and defined. I do really enjoy using the serum, but I will try using this wand with other serums and moisturisers too. 

Overall I am very impressed that by using this simple tool twice a day for as little as 2 minutes at a time my skin looks more uplifted and I enjoy using it as it's a pampering massage that I can give to myself whenever I want. I really like the serum too, but I think the price tag is a bit high so I will look for alternatives once mine is all used up.

Have you tried any Crystal Clear products or treatments? Which ones do you like/dislike and why? Let me know in the comments below.

Love to you all

Crystal Clear Skincare Lift Away The Years Event

All Beauty Addicts out there you need to read this post. On Friday Evening I attended the Crystal Clear Skincare #liftawaytheyears event at the Soho Hotel in London. When I arrived I was greeted by the lovely Nafisa who took a quick snap of me and then introduced me to the MD of Crystal Clear International Sharon Hilditch MBE. She is stunning and a truly lovely person. Sharon was already talking to the gorgeous Gulnit MUA and blogger who I have met at an event once before. She creates amazing looks. You should definitely check out her website here. The three of us chatted for a bit while I sipped on a fantastic fruity beverage. 

 

 

The fruity drinks were gone and new drinks were being poured by the time I took this photo. There were also waitresses floating around with canapes.

Sharon has such amazing skin and she looks so youthful so it looks like this lady knows something I need to know about skincare.

Sharon sharing her knowledge and experience

 Then the demonstration video began followed by Sharon talking about Crystal Clear Skincare and introducing the Lift Away The Years Magic Wand. 

The video showed a small amount of the Intense Anti-Ageing Serum ~ £60 for 50ml being pumped into the head of the oscillating applicator. The rollerball pen (wand) was turned on to make it vibrate and rotate. It was then pressed against the skin and massaged in. It was worked over various areas of the whole face including eyes, brows, jaw line and cheeks in short strokes to follow the contours. It can also be used in circular motions from the bottom of the neck upwards. If you have problem areas like hooded eyes, not defined enough cheekbones or sagging jowls for example you can concentrate more on those areas it's really just up to you. I have to say the girl in the video had this applied to one side of her face and you could see the difference, but she was young and not exactly sagging so I wanted to see more.

Sharon and some of the PR girls then came around with the wands and tested them on various people at the event. I could not try it on my face at the time as mine was too sensitive and dry from a skincare product I had used a couple of days before and I knew I should wait a few days before trying it on my face, but I did feel it on my hand and the serum felt very smooth. Sharon told me that the wand and serum are also great for puffy eye bags as it works to drain away the excess fluid and reduce puffiness.

Sharon applying the product to Gulnit who already has amazing cheekbones, but I could definitely see more definition when it was applied to just one side of Gulnit's face to compare. Gulnit said that she could feel it working the muscles in her face. Not in an uncomfortable way just that the areas worked on felt more taut. The pressure is meant to feel relaxing as it's essentially a facial massage that you can give yourself twice a day in very little time.

 Sharon has been working on developing this anti-ageing appliance for the past two years and here are it's claims:

'revolutionary new skincare'

'clinically proven to increase skin firmness and reduce wrinkles from first use'

'innovative way of applying moisturiser'

'visible firming and lifting effect'

'plumps fine lines & wrinkles from within'

This device works in two ways. The vibration helps the facial muscles to contract, stimulating blood flow within the skin. This tones the face, restoring the contours and firming up any loose or flabby bits. The intense serum inside the wand plumps fine lines and wrinkles from within and leaves your skin feeling super hydrated. The applicator also improves the absorption of the product so that your skin will fully benefit from your moisturiser.

Priced at £79.99, this includes Crystal Clear Intense Anti-Ageing Serum (30ml) the wand is available from February 2013. Enter your email address in this link to find out when exactly it goes on sale.

Crystal Clear Skincare are most well known for there microdermabrasion salon treatments, but they also provide products for all of these skin concerns:

ACNE  

CELLULITE

WRINKLES

UNEVEN SKIN TONE  

DARK CIRCLES AND PUFFY EYES  

SUN PROTECTION  

AGEING SKIN  

AGE SPOTS  

DULL TIRED SKIN  

SAGGING SKIN  

PIGMENTATION

 

 On leaving the event I received one of these goodie bags. Here is what was inside.

Wipe Away The Years Anti-Ageing Cleansing Milk, £27.00 for 200ml

 Can be used on all skin types. Use morning and evening prior to using the wand. Massage a small amount into skin in circular motions, then wipe away with a cotton pad. This has a pump design. I squeezed some onto my hand and rubbed it in. It absorbed within seconds leaving no excess product so I wouldn't use a cotton pad to remove anything if I had massaged it onto my face/neck. If I were to use a cotton pad I think I would apply it directly to the pad and manoeuvre it around my skin that way to cleanse. I love the scent of the essential oils in this product.

Intense Anti-Ageing Serum, £60 for 50ml

 This product is for skin that needs more than just a normal moisturiser. Apply two pumps to the palm of your hand. Massage into the face and neck in an upward and outward direction after using the above cleanser. This product also has a pump bottle design. The product is of a gel like consistency that is not sticky, just smooth.

Top: Lift Away The Years Wand, £79.99 (includes 30ml of the Intense Anti-Ageing Serum)

For better results than just massaging the Intense Anti-Ageing Serum into your skin with your fingers use the wand for just 1-2 minutes morning and night as part of your skincare routine after cleansing.

Bottom: 3 x 30ml Intense Anti-Ageing Serum Moisturiser

I don't think I'm going to run out any time soon :)

I promise to give this skincare routine a thorough test and let you know how I get on with it. I am very impressed so far and couldn't be happier that I attended this event.

Thank you so much Claire for inviting me along. This is the most impressive skincare product I have seen in a long time if not ever.

I wouldn't normally spend this much on skincare for myself, but once you buy the wand it doesn't need replacing and such a small amount of serum is needed that I think that will go a long way.

Crystal Clear Skincare is skincare that I have never used before so if you have can you tell me your recommended or even disliked products with reasons in the comments below. If you attended the event were you impressed?



Love to you all