Vitamasques' Manuka Honey Sheet Mask

If there's one thing I need to invest in when it comes to skincare, it has to be face masks. Whilst I always have a stock of make-up remover, cleanser & moisturiser, face masks simply aren't something I ever think to purchase. So when I received the Vitamasques' Manuka Honey Sheet Mask in January's Glossybox, I wanted to be sure it was put to good use.

Whilst Vitamasques' is a British company, the Manuka Honey sheet mask is actually inspired by Korean beauty (something I've heard great things about across the blogging community). The mask - containing "triple layer sheet technology" - aims to nourish skin, leaving it feeling moisturised and hydrated. 

I decided to test this mask after a night of wearing full make-up (where a few cocktails may have resulted in me falling asleep before cleansing, oops) to help ensure my skin was left feeling healthy & clean. To use, I simply cleansed my skin before applying the mask to my face. I then let it sit for 20 minutes (as recommended by Vitamasques') before removing & letting the remaining product absorb into my skin. 

The first thing I noticed about this mask was how cool it was to the touch - something I found very refreshing after a night of heavy make-up. I also quickly realised just how much product had been absorbed by the sheet. This then transfers to your skin when removed, leaving a slight wet feeling (something I personally didn't mind as it gave the impression my skin would continue to absorb the treatment, however you can gently pat with a cotton pad if this isn't something you enjoy).

Once the product had been fully absorbed my skin was left feeling soft, hydrated & not at all irritated from a night of pore-clogging make-up. 

Retailing at £12.99 for four (or £3.99 per mask from Glossybox) the Vitamasques' Sheet Mask is a budget friendly beauty treatment. Perfect for those who like to give their skin an extra treat from time-to-time (something I'll definitely be trying to do in the future).

Have you tried this - or any other - products from Vitamasques'?
If not I'd love to know your favourite face mask treatment in the comments. 

xxx

Hittime Blackhead Removal Strips

I'm sure anyone who reads this will remember the phase of "blackhead removal" that hit the beauty world a few months back. It seemed beauty guru's everywhere were suddenly applying a tar-like product to their skin before peeling them away to remove a mass of - what can only be described as - "dirt" that had been lurking within their pores.

Whilst this craze was in it's prime, I received a sample of the Hiitime Blackhead Removal Strips from a friend.. however it remained tucked away in my bathroom & only came to light again recently. Whilst blackheads aren't necessarily something I tend to suffer with, as soon as I rediscovered this product I was keen to put it to the test & see if it would remove any impurities hiding within my skin.

As you can see.. I managed to rope my boyfriend into joining me. He was obviously thrilled. 

As the instructions for this product aren't in English, I researched & found that it is usually recommended to cleanse the area of skin (i.e nose or chin) before applying the product. Unfortunately it was also recommended to use a specific cleanser.. however -  as this isn't something I own - I decided to opt for good old Micellar Water instead.

After allowing the Micellar water to dry, I squeezed out some of the dark & sticky liquid (which is runnier than expected - so be careful!) onto my hand & gently massaged into the skin on & around my nose. As it dries you feel the product become tighter across your skin until it becomes completely dry & shiny in colour. A process that takes around ten-fifteen minuets in total.

Once dry I *excitedly* popped to the bathroom mirror & gentle began to peel it off. Whilst researching I also found that when removing, it is best to peel the strip from the underneath in an upwards motion. Apparently this is the best way to ensure any impurities are removed from the pores. Although excited I was also a little nervous that this was going to hurt (images of waxing suddenly sprung to mind) but I was pleasantly surprised to find that when peeled off slowly, it didn't hurt at all.

Next came the part I was most excited for.. seeing what - if anything - this product had managed to cleanse from my skin. After a quick look, I'll admit that at first I was left feeling pretty disappointed. It didn't seem anything had been removed at all. However after looking a little closer, I found that - without going into detail - the product had actually removed some form of dirt from the very corners of my nose (an area of my skin that can get a little oily).

Obviously the results weren't as ground-breaking as half of the videos I'd watched prior to using this (admittedly this was probably due to the fact that I don't actually have many blackheads) I was still left feeling pretty impressed. Not only did the Pore Strip remove a form of dirt from my skin, it also left my skin feeling gorgeously soft.

Whilst I was left feeling pretty impressed with the product - the fact that I'm still not 100% if I was using it right means I probably wouldn't use it again. However if a version of the Hittime Pore Strips were sold here in the UK, I would definitely give it another go.

If you're interested in testing the Pore Strips for yourself - they can be picked up on Amazon for around £3.00 per pack of ten.

Have you tried a blackhead removal kit?

Which did you find worked best?

xxx

Garnier Oil-infused micellar water

As a firm favourite amongst the blogging-world, it wont come as a surprise when I say how much I love Garnier's Micellar Water. With it's simple yet effective way of removing make-up, it's every beauty-lovers dream product. So when I spotted Garnier's new Oil-infused Micellar Water sitting on the shelf at my local Boots, I knew instantly that this was a product I needed to try for myself.

With a simple twist on the classic formula - yep you guessed it, oil! - the new Micellar Water claims to remove both waterproof and long-wear make-up whilst remaining gentle enough for use on dry/sensitive skin. Garnier claims this is possible thanks to the combination of oils that work to dissolve tough make-up whilst leaving skin feeling well cleansed & nourished.

As someone that has always suffered with dry & sensitive skin, I was both excited & sceptical about this product. I was longing for something to leave my skin feeling soothed & soft, but was also a little concerned that the adding oils into my skincare routine would result in an unwanted breakout. However I decided to bite the bullet & test the new Micellar Water to see if it really would make a difference to my skin.

After testing for a few weeks I'm extremely happy to announce I have fallen in love with this product. Not only does it quickly & effectively remove make-up - it also leaves my skin feeling well moisturised & soft (no break-outs in sight.. yay!). I also love to use this product as part of my morning routine as I find it instantly awakens my skin whilst creating a perfect, soft base for foundation.

I personally either love to use this product by itself on days when not wearing much make-up (on full make-up days I tend to use my classic Micellar Water followed by a cream cleanser) or as a morning cleanser to ensure my skin is squeaky clean first thing.

If you love Garnier's Micellar Water & have dry and/or sensitive skin, I honestly couldn't recommend this product enough. Currently retailing for £5.99 from either Boots or Superdrug this is a budget friendly cleanser has quickly become my go-to Micellar Water.

Have you tried the Oil Infused Micellar Water?

If so what are your thoughts?

xxx

Winter Skincare Routine

Any beauty-lover knows the importance of a good skincare routine. So for today's post, I thought I'd share the combination of products that I find perfect for leaving my skin feeling clean & healthy - especially in the winter months.

Step 1: Remove Make-up 

As much as I love wearing make-up there's something so satisfying about taking it all off at the end of the day. So to ensure the bulk of make-up is removed I use Simple's Micellar Water. I love that Simple is designed for sensitive skin & I personally find this product is perfect for gentle, yet effective make-up removal. Simple's Micellar water retails for around the £4.50 mark for 200ml. 

Step 2: Cleanse

After removing my make-up I like to ensure my skin is fully clean with any remaining traces of dirt/make-up washed away. To do this I gently massage the Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanse and Polish into damp skin before wiping off with a cotton round. Although slightly on the pricier side (a 100ml pump costs around £14.00), I honestly think this is a product that is worth every penny. In fact it removes even the most stubborn of mascaras *I'm looking at you Benefit's Their Real*. 

Step 3: Moisturise 

The final step in my routine is one that is especially important in the winter - moisturising. As someone who suffers with dry skin, I find Superdrug's coconut oil perfect for use as a daily moisturiser. To use, I melt a small amount of  between my hands & then gently massage it into my skin. Superdrug's Coconut oil retails at £2.49 for 125ml. To read a full review on this product click here.  

I love having a little nose at posts like this & find it a great way to discover new products. I hope you enjoyed a little insight into my current winter skin-care routine. Let me know you're current favourite skincare products in the comments. 

xxx

Evening Skincare Routine

One of the things I love about reading blog posts is picking up on hints and tips from others. Whether it's a review on a product that I've had my eye on for a while or reading about a way of doing things that I simply hadn't thought about before.

So whilst taking off my make-up a few days back -  I thought why not put together a little "evening skincare routine"? It would be the perfect way to put together a few product reviews along with an in-sight into my little routine.

My evening skin care routine is nothing particularly fancy, doesn't take that long & only contains 3 steps... however I find it's the perfect way to remove my make-up (including stubborn mascara) & leaves my skin feeling perfectly clean.

Step One: 

To help start to take off my make-up I massage Nivea's Daily Essentials Sensitve Cleansing Milk into dry skin & after a few minuets rise off with warm water. I find this helps remove the bulk of my make-up & prepare my skin for using my favourite cleanser.

Now this isn't a product that I would use on it's own - but I find it works perfectly to start breaking down & removing make-up. 

Step Two: 

I then use my Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser by gently massaging it into my damp skin. I always make sure to take extra time to massage this over my eye-lashes as I hate waking up to find random smudges of mascara under my eyes.
I then take the Liz Earle Muslin Cloth, run it under warm water & use it remove any excess make-up. I instantly fell in love with this cleanser from the first use. I honestly find it's the only product that really removes my make-up & leaves my skin feeling properly clean. 

Step Three: 

Finally I gently pour a generous amount of the Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic onto cotton wool pad, and sweep across skin. This removes any bits of make-up or dirt that may be straggling behind as well as adding moisturiser to leave skin feeling beautifully soft. Bonus.. This product also smells gorgeous!

& there we have it - clean & make-up free skin!

Although the Liz Earle products are a little more on the pricey side (with the cleanser retailing at around £14.00 for a 100ml pump & the toner retailing at £14.50 for a 200ml bottle) they really are 100% worth the extra pennies. I'd much rather pay a little more & know my skin is being properly cleaned, then purchase a cheaper product & have make-up/day-day dirt left behind. 

If you're interested in trying out any of the Liz Earle products - but aren't sure about spending the higher prices only to find it's not a product for you, miniature products can be purchased online. These are the products featured in the above photos. 

The "Hot Cloth Cleanser Starter Pack" can be bought for £6.00. This includes a 30ml tube of cleanser and a Muslin cloth.  In addition to this, a 50ml bottle of the Instant Boost Skin Tonic can be purchased for £6.00. The website states that this is enough product to last one week - however I think this is a massive understatement. With daily use I found this lasted me around 3 weeks, as you really do only need a large pea sized amount. 

Follow the links below to view each of the above products online:
Nivea Cleansing Milk x

Hot Cloth Cleanser x
Instant Boost Skin Tonic x 

After going through many different products, I think I've finally found the perfect evening skin care routine for me. I truly believe this is the best combination of products to leave my skin clean & moisturised. I also can't wait to try other products in the Liz Earle range. 

What's your favourite "evening routine" product?

xxx