#promptchall - kels with review; BODY/other

Hi everyone and here is kels last #promptchall post that she is entering into my blogger challenge. If you've been around for a while you will have seen that I have been running a blogger challenge where the 6 participants will submit 2 guest posts each on my blog and at the end of the competition, you guys will vote for a winner (i.e the best post)! I really wanted this challenge to end at the end of january butit looks like it may have to be extended - I will keep you informed! Please do continue to read, support and PLEASE leave comments to their posts; they're competing and would like to know if you enjoyed it so any kind words, I'm sure we would all appreciate it!

To find out more about the challenge if you are new to my blog, or to just refresh yourself about what it is about, please read my post here. That also has an updated list of all the posts which the lovely girls have submitted throughout this month.

Hi again! This is Kels and I blog over at Kelloves. My last #promptchall guest post entry was a skin care review on LUSH so please check it out here.

For my second #promptchall post I said I'd do a review of a body product. Though I am supposed to be using up the products I'm already part way through, I thought this would be a great excuse to open something I've had kicking round for a while: the Burts Bees Cranberry and Pomegranate Sugar Scrub and Body Butter. 

Obviously, I went for the scrub first. It came with a foil seal under the lid, and removing this was as satisfying as when you break the seal on a new jar of coffee to release the aroma. Except instead of coffee, this smells like jam. It looks like jam. Sweet and fruity and delicious.

As a scrub, it's great. I like my scrubs to be really 'scrubby', and this is full of is full of big gritty sugar crystals perfect for polishing away and rough or dry skin. This is an absolute joy to use, not only does it make my skin feel amazing after I've used it but it feels great while I'm using it. It's also chock-full of various oils which give your scrubbed skin a slightly oily finish - I like this though it may not be for everyone. The oils can also affect the bottom of your shower/bath too so do be careful! 

The body butter is lovely too - not as thick as the Body Shop body butters, but very creamy and moisturising. The smell wasn't as instantly appealing as either the scrub, or other butters and lotions I have used, but after a couple of goes I was in love with it! It leaves my skin feeling very soft without staying greasy or sticky, and this lasts for the full day. 

As well as being an awesome skincare double-whammy, (and don't they look like they'd go nicely together on a scone?) Burts Bees products are never tested on animals, don't contain sulfates, parabens, phthalates or petrochemicals, and are kept as natural as possible (the scrub is 100% natural, the butter 99%), so your conscious can feel as good as your skin!

REVIEW: Origins Clear Improvement active charcoal mask

Hi everyone <3

Today I am loving a brand new favourite product, I was going to wait much longer to review this but because I have experienced such positive results so far I thought why not! You may have seen this mask as it was featured in my last haul post, where I showed pictures of my origins package!

 Origins Clear Improvement active charcoal mask £20

I got this mask from Origins 2 weeks ago after purchasing it online along with the Super Spot Remover. I've had problems with pores and blackheads for the longest time and if you've read my blog before you might have heard me talk about it! I've tried a lot of different skin care routines and products to try and minimize my pores but it just seems like they're too stubborn!

After researching online and reading lots of reviews on a range of different products that promise to help pores, I gave in and chose this Clear Improvement Active Charcoal mask from Origins.

Origins say that this thick white china clay face mask contains active charcoal which extracts the dirt from pores. The first time I tried this, I actually felt the charcoal getting out the crap in my skin. I could feel something being lifted out, it's such a weird feeling, and afterwards when I washed it off, I felt like some of my blackheads had just been extracted!

You can feel this mask getting deep inside the pores. I highly recommend you follow the directions though and open your pores before using this mask with a hot cloth or steam; I've found the mask works wonders when doing this.

The mask is a cold, clay texture, very thick but it doesn't feel like you're being smothered with product. I've tried numerous amounts of masks before and I don't know if I'm just strange but a lot of time they make me feel claustrophobic! This on the other hand doesn't feel like that and although it's very thick it feels very natural and nice to have on the skin, so much that if it didn't dry I'd be happy to just rub this around on my face! Lol.

 I use this three times a week so far, two times out of those I only apply a thin layer over my problem areas (cheeks, nose and chin) and tend to leave the rest of my face. Then, once a week I apply a thick layer all over my face.

Instagram picture! :P

After leaving it until it dries, usually 2-3 minutes, it feels tight but not uncomfortable and certainly doesn't tug on the skin if you move your cheeks/mouth. You know that feeling sometimes with face masks where it feels like you might rip your skin if you move? This doesn't feel like that at all, and even before washing it off, my skin feels clean.

When it has dried, it leaves some parts of my skin looking really hairy! There's some crazy textures and lines; don't worry, it doesn't make you grow hair!!

After washing it off, I can really tell the difference due to how my skin feels. I feel like a layer of my dirty skin has been literally, lifted off, and I've got new skin. It feels clean (but not stripped clean), extremely soft, and very glowing! I didn't expect it to leave my skin looking glowing and younger; a bonus!

After only using this for two weeks, I have seen difference as well as felt the difference. This is a god send to me because finally, something is working and hopefully if I keep using this product then I will have my pores under control. My pores have not disappeared and I still have them and lots of them, but they have minimized; they're much tighter, smaller in appearance especially the next day after using this mask, and I believe that some of the pores on my cheeks are gone. I will continue to use this as I am really impressed already.

Another thing to mention quickly is that I would recommend anyone with dry/sensitive skin to use this mask. My skin seems to get irritated by just about everything, but this mask feels very natural and my skin seems happy after using instead of angry!

Let me know if you have ever used this mask, or if you recommend me anything to try from Origins! See what else I got from Origins here, and check out my last post where I reviewed Burt's Bees products. :)


Love,

(not sponsored!)

#promptchall emily - skin care routine

Hi everyone! I'm Emily and I blog over at One Way Beauty. This is my first post for Naomi's prompt challenge and it is my skincare routine. For reference, I have oily, acne-prone skin with occasional dry patches. 

Morning

My morning skincare routine is pretty basic as I have to leave early for school and am usually in a mad rush! I start off with the Amie Morning Clear Purifying Facial Wash which leaves my skin soft and smooth. I then tone my skin with the Garnier Pore purifying toner, followed by the YON-KA Pamplemousse Moisturiser, which is a great base for make up and smells great!

 Night

My night time skincare routine starts off with make up removal. My favourite eye make up remover is The Body Shop Camomile Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover because it removes make up so easily and I've been using it for years. I then use the Purity Conditioning Cleansing Lotion on a cotton pad to remove face make up before cleansing. My night time cleanser of choice is the Super Facialist by Una Brennan Tea Flower Deep Clean Purifying Cleansing Wash.

After cleansing I use the same toner as I do in the morning - the Garnier Pore purifying toner. I've only been using this for a couple of weeks but I find that it is great for minimising pores and reducing oil. I then use the Purity Regenerating Overnight moisturiser which is gentle and great for sensitive skin. I use The Body Shop Seaweed Clarifying Night Treatment quite often too because it controls oil brilliantly.

Other

These are the 3 products which I use regularly but not on a daily basis. I use the Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips once a week or when the blackheads on my nose get bad. I love these as they're so effective - the proof is on the strip when you remove it (disgusting I know!). Every few days I use my favourite exfoliator, the Purity Facial Exfoliator, because it's gentle but effective at exfoliating the skin. Whenever my skin's feeling bad, I use the Crabtree & Evelyn Rose Essence Clay Deep Cleansing Mask.

So that was my first #promptchall post! I hope you enjoyed it. Remember that you can vote for your favourite posts after the 29th of January! Thank you Naomi for letting me post on your blog!

Emily x

 Please check out the prompt challenge post for all the links to posts from the bloggers taking part in this challenge here. Catch up by reading the other posts that were submitted for the challenge as you can vote for your favourites when this contest ends!

Lauren at Peachycurves: Lip makeup product review & Make up tutorial 

Becca at Becca's fashion and life: OOTD & December favourites 

Louise at Swirlicious Beauty:Product comparison review & Collective haul

Kelly at KelLoves Body/other review & Skin care review 

Emily at One way beauty Fashion favourites & Skin care routine 

Grace at Belle Mode: OOTD & Staple pieces

Burt's Bees review & wishlist

Hi everyone <3
So one of my "new years resolutions" I guess you could say, was to try products that either I'd been wanting to try for a while, or from brands I'd never heard of before.

Burt's Bees has always been my favourite lip balm since when I can remember. I have had bad lips since I was younger, I had an awful bad habit of biting them and they always seem chapped. I have loads of lip balms laying around but Burt's Bees soothes my lips and I always carry one with me wherever I go. I was naive though and never thought to branch out into the brand and try other products, which is silly because I love natural products. I have sensitive, irritated skin so perfumed products and a lot of skin care in general irritate my skin. On the flip side, a lot of organic/natural products can be on the pricey side, so it can be tough to find something that works for me. Burt's Bees products are all natural and created with the idea that it is for the "Greater Good". They claim that Burt's Bees is an "Earth Friendly, Natural Personal Care Company." Which is just lovely, isn't it?

When I got the Burt's Bees Head To Toe kit (here) for Christmas which has 5 samples I was so happy to try them out because everyone loves trying before buying, right?! After having some Burt's Bees products for nearly a month now, I decided to give my thoughts!

Peppermint and Rosemary body wash

Coconut foot cream

Soap bark and Chamomile deep cleansing cream

Milk and honey body lotion

Hand Salve

Acai berry lip balm (not included in the kit)

Lip shimmer in Rhubarb (not included in the kit)

 

The Peppermint and Rosemary body wash smells gorgeous, there is more of a peppermint scent than rosemary which makes it really refreshing. It is quite thick and feels very moisturizing, it leaves me feeling clean but also feels like a treatment, too. I love using this in the shower; soo lovely and feels really natural.

I love to use the Milk and Honey body lotion after a shower and this is so gentle that I can even use it on my face. I have been using this instead of my usual E45 cream. It smells like comfort, babies, an organic milkshake... there are just so many scents and flavours I get from this. It's not oily, which is great because there is nothing worse in my opinion than an oily body lotion, and it absorbs quickly and feels really soft and moisturizing so it doesn't feel sticky when you put on your PJs! My boyfriend always picks up on the smell when I've used this <3. I'm not a body lotion person but I will be purchasing this full size.

Due to the fact that my hands are around sanitizers a lot because I work in catering/hospitality and that combined with washing my hands all the time whilst I'm working and the harsh cold outdoors; my hands, more importantly my knuckles, are red and cracked and sore. Using a hand cream doesn't always work for me because they tend to be thick, very wet and sticky. I can't apply these whilst I'm at work because then everything slips out of my hands, or dust/dirt attach to the cream all over my hands. This Burt's Bees hand salve is a balm, very similar in texture to vaseline, but not oily and smells medicinal. This is great for my knuckles because I can just rub it in whenever they're feeling dry and sore, and because it is a balm and not a cream or lotion, it doesn't affect with how I use my hands and it doesn't wash off easily. It moisturizes and sooths the dry and hardness on my hands and it lasts a while. I would highly recommend this if you have dry hands, especially if you work somewhere where you use your hands a lot, or would just like an alternative to a hand cream.

Lipbalm with acai berry

Lip shimmer in Rhubarb

Hand salve as featured above

The kit included a Burt's Bees beeswax lipbalm, it's a classic if you like Burt's Bees - but the one featured above is a lip balm with acai berry. I picked this up in December and I have been loving it more than the regular beeswax lipbalm which came with the kit. The smell is much sweeter and it's so nice to apply (and taste! Hehe). I do like to carry the normal beeswax lipbalm with me though, it feels really nice when I've been out in the cold because of the menthol which feels really cooling (yet warm after being outside).

Another product not featured in the kit is the Burt's Bees lip shimmer in Rhubarb. You may have seen this if you read my blog because it was featured in my December favourites (there are swatches here). I'm a sucker for tinted lip balms and own many Revlon just bitten kissable balm stains, NYC glossy balms etc etc. These are my favourite and beat all the rest, though. The lip shimmer looks fantastic on the lips - really shimmery and glossy but not like a sticky lip gloss. It feels very moisturizing, smells and tastes lovely. Unlike most tinted lip balms/stains this feels like it is treating your lips at the same time as looking great. My problem with some tinted lip balms on the market I just feel like they dry out my lips, or if they are glossy then they tend to bleed, and stain around the mouth. This does neither. It is also really cooling which I love, it really refreshes my lips. I really love using this and always carry it around with me. I'm going to be purchasing more in other colours!!

 Coconut Foot Cream

Soap Bark and Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream (featured in my skin care favourites here)

After a full day at work on my feet, I fortunately have a great boyfriend who is fantastic are giving foot massages. This Coconut foot cream feels so moisturizing and smooth, and whilst massaging into the skin it feels rich and really smoothes out any rough or dry skin. What I liked about this is how thick it is compared to other foot creams or moisturizers/lotions I have used on the feet; this isn't oily, doesn't slip and really feels like it absorbs into the feet. It smells delicious, too, which is a plus for my boyfriend! After using this, my feet are smooth, moisturized and smell great, with the extra bonus being that due to the natural remedy of the cream, my feet feel brand new!

The Soap Bark and Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream was featured in my skin care routine favourites post. I have been using this cream in a variety of different ways and I love how versatile it has been for me. Firstly, perfect for sensitive/irritated skin; never stings, burns or hurts my skin no matter how I use it. I like to use it as a deep cleansing treatment before exfoliating or using a mask in the shower; I apply, leave it for 2-3 minutes, then lather and rinse off. I've found this is the best way to use it as a cleanser. It is also great to use as a hot cloth cleanser. It feels so deep after opening pores with a hot cloth, and the smell of the chamomile is really lovely and combined with the soap bark smells like natural sweets! It cleans out the skin so well, removes all make up and is soft enough to massage into the eyes. Another way I have been using this (and probably shouldn't...) I've been mixing a tiny bit of this with my every day moisturizer every now and again.

Do you have any Burt's Bees products? What do you think of this brand? I would love to try these products below, I think I might purchase some when I repurchase some favourites from above!

burts bees by naomi-jade-cooper featuring shimmer makeup

I hope you enjoyed this review and it might have helped you in some way! Please let me know your thoughts :) Love,

(not sponsored post, btw)

#promptchall BECCA - OOTD

Hello to all of Naomi's lovely readers!

My name is Becca and I blog over at Becca's Fashion and Life. (http://beccammartin.blogspot.com/). I'm a fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogger and I've really been enjoying getting involved within the blogging community. So when Naomi blogged about #promptchall I had to get involved! 

Essentially for this challenge 6 bloggers are each going to be posting 2 blog posts here on Naomi's blog. At the end you'll be able to vote for your favourite. Check out all the information here!

My first post is going to be an Outfit Of The Day. I bought this dress from New Look in the boxing day sales for only £6, and the shoes are the ones I wore to the end of year prom a couple of years ago. 

Dress - New Look

Shoes - New Look

Necklace - Accessorize

Nails - Nails Inc Graffiti in Camden Lock.I posted about this here.

Make Up - Same as this FOTD. 

I hope you've liked this post, and I'd love to hear what you think...

I also have Twitter, so feel free to tweet me - @beccasfandl

HAUL with OOTD's, birchbox january & more!

Hi everyone!! <3
I hope you're all staying warm in this cold weather! Is it snowing where you live?
I was really busy last week with work and I got really behind with all my online things and with the #promptchall I've also been a little behind... Last weekend I went shopping and can you believe that I'm only just posting this now??

A week ago I also ordered some origins products online, and yesterday while I was taking pictures for my haul post the post man came with the box and also birchbox! So I thought I would also include them in here :)

Let me know if you would like to see a review of the origins products I got. I think I have found a dupe for the spot blemish remover gel. Anyway! Here are some pictures of some clothes I got last weekend, I thought I'd try some of them on to see what they look like!

On wednesday, this is what I wore for casual drinks & food out with my boyfriend. I sort of went pattern crazy, but I really like it.

shorts - primark a longgg time ago!

cross print tights - primark

jumper - h&m

shirt - pull & bear

 Studded boots £10 sale from primark.

 This is really strange, I'm thinking of wearing it with black and white striped jeans.

Primark £6?

 Forever 21, £10 in the sale :)

 

Cross print high waisted jeans, found on sale in primark £8

Tights on sale £2 from forever21, a bow I got with the plaid shirt from pull & bear, and my boyfriends hat from pull & bear £7.

 Red shirt with tiny mini gold skulls! So cute! Primark £12?

Forever 21 sale £10. Love the colour <3

 Yay!! Deliveries!!

 I bought the charcoal mask and the super spot remover - the other 2 products were free! This made me so happy!

Inside my birchbox. To say this is the first birchbox since they took over joliebox, I'm a little on the fence about this. Would you like to see a review?

That's it! :) Please do check out all about my blogger challenge: #promptchall, and check up on the guest posts that have been posted recently as an entry into the challenge! The post directory with all the links is on the info page here.

Love,

#promptchall Kel - lush review!

Hi everyone <3 

I hope you've had a good week! 

I've been back at work this week and it has also been my first time working since my promotion so I have been really busy! I've hardly been online at all so I haven't been able to blog :( I know my last post was a guest post for my blogger challenge and this is also one of those too, but I promise I will be posting on saturday with a haul. In the mean time please check out some past posts of mine which would love more reads & comments! 10 great things from 2012, my favourite magazines, & my current skin care favourites!

Just hang on with me, because I want to make sure everyone's #promptchall posts are posted (& entered) into the competition so you also have time to read them and choose your favourites!

Please be sure to catch up with the rest of the contenders blog posts HERE, and at the end of the month when the competition closes you will be able to vote for your favourite blog post & they will win a prize! :) Enjoy this post from Kel!

Hi, I'm Kel, and and you can usually find me at www.kelloves.com where I ramble about bath products and cake amongst other things. I was delighted to have the chance to take part in Naomi's prompt challenge - I'm not usually the most organised of bloggers and though I always have ideas of things to write about I never know when or how to tackle them so the idea of having a 'prompt' to give me an area I should be working in  is brilliant for me! 

                                         

I opted to do a skincare review and this 'prompted' me to finally write about one of my favourite cleansers, Lush's 'Let The Good Times Roll'. I initially bought this a while before Christmas as part of their limited edition seasonal range, but as I didn't get a review up in a timely fashion I didn't think I was going to bother as I didn't want to rave about this for anyone interested in trying it to not be able to get hold of it 'til next winter. But good news! This was apparently so popular Lush have decided to make it a permanent addition! 

For once in Lush, I got more or less what I went in for - I usually get distracted by the pretty bath bombs but on this particular day I needed a cleanser and had been meaning to to try one of Lush's offering for a while. Two steps into the shop I was accosted by a friendly staff member, as happens in Lush, and she pointed me to this beauty. One sniff of it and I was sold! 

This is made with polenta, maize flour, cinnamon and popcorn - not all ingredients I'd expect to find in a cleanser - but all add up to one seriously delicious smelling pot of goo. Caramelly and buttery and cakey - yum! True to form, the very helpful shop assistant offered to give me a demonstration of how it worked and to my wonder after scrubbing this magic potion into the back of one of my hands it was obviously clearer and brighter than the other one. Which worked out well for me as I'd already fallen in love and would have bought it if it was useless....

If you've not tried one of these Lush cleansers before, it comes in a semi solid lump, something of a play-dough consistency. You pinch off a little lump and mix it with water to get the right texture to use as a cleanser. I find that just rubbing between wet hands is enough, rather than adding loads of extra water. 

'Let The Good Times Roll' is described as a 'cleanser' but to me that indicates something softer, creamier. This is quite a gritty little exfoliator! Still gentle enough to use every day, while being tough enough to make my skin feel like it'd had a good polishing. Though it might be a bit rough for those with very sensitive skin so do bear this in mind! 

As with a lot of Lush products, this is made fresh and has a best-before date, but mine was three or four months after purchase so plenty of time to get it all used up. It sells for £5.95 which I think is a great price considering just how lovely this is. 

 I love this product. I love how it makes my skin feel, look and smell, and I'm so glad I don't have to wait until next Christmas to re-stock!