HealGel Body - Review

After 2 weeks of using HeelGel Face, I was hooked. I have since used my entire bottle and have also found a similar love for HeelGel Eye. I have nothing but good things to say about the products and was obviously delighted when I heard about the launch of HeelGel Body!

If you are new to HeelGel then I will provide a little background:

HealGel is an aqueous gel, bringing together in one formula the best active ingredients to soothe, repair and protect your skin.

The advanced skin rescue formula was designed by a team of the world's leading plastic surgeons and a renowned dermatological biochemist. They pooled their cutting edge research to provide peerless base-layer treatment for all skin types.

It is cleverly designed; the nano-technological elements (liposomes containing the key ingredients) deliver predictably to the depth of the skin where they are needed most.

It is easy to use, being light, non-greasy and delicately fragranced. It provides a perfect primer for any make-up applied, and you only need to use it sparingly.

The best bit is, it isn't all talk. HeelGel really works.

Please excuse the dodgy background of these photos; there is a reason for it! I was so excited to try HeelGel that I picked it up from the postman on my way to my holiday! I was was in a campervan and decided to start using this instantly, hence the campervan couch background!

Firstly the packaging. This is sticking to the layout of the previous products but with a yellow label. The design is made to look like a pharmacy label and I like this quirky idea. This product is in a squeezy tube which allows for mess-free application.

HeelGel body smells lovely ...... I mean absolutely delicious! I cannot really place the scent but I think it is lightly rose scented and smells of Turkish delight. It's a very fresh scent and definitely one for summer.

HeelGel body is designed for damaged skin. It's perfect for sun damaged skin or irritation. At £39.50 for 100ml this is an expensive product. If I were to use this as a body lotion, it wouldn't last long! Given the price tag, I chose to use this on a damaged area; a dry patch on my knees that doesn't seem to be clearing up. The product is a gel, as the name would suggest, and absorbs very quickly into the skin. I applied a small amount to my knee twice a day and within 3 days it was beginning to clear up. I can imagine this would be fantastic for sun damaged skin as it's lovely and soothing on application.

I'm not going to lie, this is pricey, but as a present or something to save up for this is really worth a try! If you haven't tried any HeelGel products then make sure you do! You really won't forget it!

www.heelgel.co.uk

*PR Sample

 

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Lavera Repair & Care Shampoo and Conditioner Review

There are so many different products on the market to help us look after our skin and hair. One of the problems is, we never really know what is in any of them. All sorts of chemicals and, basically rubbish, are being put onto our skin with the origin of the ingredients being often unknown! Recently people have been taking more of an interest and the market for more natural products has expanded. Lavera have been making natural, vegan and organic products for 25 years and have all the expertise you could need. Their product information makes explicit what their cosmetics do and don't contain and they offer something for everyone including vegan beauty lovers and those with specific allergies.
Often natural products can come with a higher price tag but Lavera offers affordable products. At £5.95 each, the Repair & Care Shampoo and Conditioner* are extremely reasonably priced meaning that natural beauty is accessible to everyone.
Firstly the packaging. Nothing special here but it does the job. I like the pink and green colours because they give a fresh and natural feel. I also like that the shampoo is in a bottle but the conditioner in a squeezy tube; this allows a sleepy me on work mornings to easily know which one is which!
The first thing I noticed upon applying this shampoo was the scent. I'm not keen on an overwhelming scent and I tend not to like artificial smelling perfumes so the subtle scent of this is perfect for me. The product definitely has a rose scent as you woild expect and reminds me of Turkish Delight - a light and summery scent. The shampoo lathers up more than I expected and so only a little is needed to cover all of my hair. The product washes out well and my hair is left squeaky clean. One thing I will say though is that I am prone to dry scalp and some build up of flakes on my scalp and this shampoo really doesn't help that. I got round this the way I usually do however, using this shampoo for a week and then using an anti-dandruff one for a few days before going back to this.
Even when not using the shampoo, I have been using the conditioner daily now for 2-3 weeks and getting on really well with it. The product is very thick and creamy, with the consistency of a body butter. This causes a slight problem as I find it can be quite stiff to work through all of my hair and I feel the need to use extra. I leave the product in my hair for 5 minutes or as long as I can spare in the morning and then rinse out. One thing I love about this is that I really feel like I have washed it all out and my hair is nice and light, not at all weighed down. My hair feels really strong after using this for a few weeks and I noticed a lot less breakage of the hair.
Overall I am really enjoying these products and would consider purchasing these or others from the range. My only slight complaint is the quantities of the products. The shampoo comes in 200ml while the conditioner is only 150ml. This doesn't work well for me as I tend to use a lot more conditioner than shampoo and always finish it first and end up with several half bottles of shampoo! Not a big deal, but I would need to buy 2 conditioners for every bottle of shampoo that I bought!
www.lavera.co.uk
www.pravera.co.uk
*PR Sample

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Current Favourites - Featuring Pure Sponges

The Body Shop Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion

I picked this up in a recent The Body Shop haul because I wanted to try something from the tea tree range. Recently I have been suffering from breakouts across my chin, rare for me and very unwelcome! I have been applying this product to just my chin area before bed and then using my regular moisturiser on the rest of my face. The lotion definitely has the tea tree scent but it is not as overwhelming as some products can be. There is also no sting on application. What I do find however is that the cream really soothes my spots and draws the redness out of them.

Nivea Pearl & Beauty Deodrant

I wouldn't usually include a deodrant but this requires special mention. Over the past few months I have been trying several spray products and finding that they fail me. They either need topped up during the day or leave stains on my clothes. I decided to give up and try a roll on and I'm so glad I did. This does wonders for me. It lasts all day and, if left to dry properly, doesn't leave a mark on my clothing. I also love that I can see how much is left and I'd say this is lasting much longer than a spray.

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk

I gave in and finally ordered this online after all the rave reviews. It's a perfect eyemakeup base. It's provides a blank canvas to apply colours on top of, really makes the colours pop and helps shadows last longer. Great product!

PureSponges*

Pictured above, from left to right - fair trade facial, fine silk unbleached, fine silk bleached.

Puresponges.co.uk offer a large range of natural sea sponges. The website is really unique in that the sponge you choose is the actual one you will recieve. Each is a different shape and size and they are listed individually with prices starting at around £2.99.

Of the 3 I have been trying, my absolute favourite is the fine silk bleached. When I recieved this sponge it was small and very hard. Obviously I was expecting it to soften up when it absorbed water but I wasn't expecting how amazing the result was! The sponge doubles in size and becomes extremely light, soft and fluffy feeling! My favourite way to use the sponge is when cleansing my face. Firstly I rub my cleanser into my skin with my finger tips then use the sponge to work up a lather. I rinse the sponge and rub it over my face in circular motions to remove the product. I have no way of describing this other than to say that it feels as though I am removing my makeup with a piece of cloud! It is literally that soft and light!

The sponge is really easy to wash as the large holes mean it doesn't retain much product. These sponges can be used in many ways including to apply makeup. I have used mine to apply foundation but found it was a bit tricky and the sponge drank the product so I prefer to use this for cleansing. A real winner and a product I would definitely repurchase when this one has to made it's way to my compost heap!

 

*PR Sample

 

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Male Grooming - Lush Ocean Salt Scrub - Review

This is my first post reviewing a men's beauty product with the help of my boyfriend Lewis. The product in question is Lush Ocean Salt Face and Body Scrub* which retails at £7.25 for the pictured 120g pot.

As I said in my introductory post, Lewis isn't really in to his beauty products! He fully believes that it is 'all for girls' and that his skin looks after itself. His shower routine consists of shampoo and showergel and, although in the past I have suggested a scrub, he says he can't be bothered and doesn't have time.

Lewis has somewhat a phobia of Lush! He refuses to go in the shop saying that it 'gives him a headache' and has never been interested in anything I have bought in the past. When I gave him this scrub he instantly turned his nose up at it. You see, although this product is in a black tub, is blue in colour and doesn't have a floral or perfumed scent; it doesn't actually have the words 'For Men' displayed on it anywhere! I tried to explain to Lewis that it was likely a unisex product, suitable for anyone who wanted to exfoliate and finally, with a bit of persuasion, he agreed to try it if I left it 'in an obvious place' in the shower.

After a few days, and no word on the scrub, I had a sneaky check of the tub for signs of usage. Sure enough, a fair amount had been used and manly fingerprints had been left in the product. I casually asked Lewis what he thought and I got a grunt of a response. I dropped in that perhaps I would try it too for the purpose of review. He immediately protested saying that it was his scrub, for men and that he needed to use the whole tub to give an honest review! He then went on to add that he had weighed it and would know if I had used any! Not sounding much like a man who thought it was 'all for girls'!

A few weeks and half of the scrub have now gone by and I have been able to get more of a response from my guinea pig. Firstly the scrub smells nice; not overly scented just pleasant and fresh smelling. One thing I found confusing is that the packaging says this is for face and body but on the website it is described as a facial cleanser. Lewis uses this on his face and his arms, which can be quite dry and are prone to little pimples.

He uses the scrub every other day, which is most likely too much and I would suggest that twice a week would suffice. On the first few uses he found this too abrasive for his face but he persisted and got used to it. I would agree with him, having sneaked a tiny swatch on the back of my hand, as the salt pieces are really chunky. I certainly wouldn't want to rub this too hard into my skin however soothing ingredients like avocado also soften and sooth the skin. For his arms though, this is perfect and really evens out his skin, leaving it smooth. He had been using this regularly for 2 to 3 weeks and hasn't felt much change in his skin other than that he feels super clean after using it and enjoys using the product.

Beauty products do not feature highly in Lewis budget and, at £7.25, he would never buy this himself however he has already hinted that it would make a good gift for him. Sometimes when I'm shopping I will pick up a wee something for him too and this would be something I would purchase in the future. I like the idea that we could both use this, if he would ever let me, as it's a great product for both men and women.

As with other Lush products, this pot can be recycled along with 4 others in exchange for a face mask. Lewis is a keen recycler and likes this idea but did point out that 'face masks are not for men' so perhaps this scheme isn't very inclusive. Something to think about Lush?

As a closing thought I asked him for a mark out of ten. He said 9.5 out of 13 ..... so you can see what I'm working with! However this product was definitely a hit and this won't be the last I will hear of it!

*PR Sample

 

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Love Me Beauty April 2014

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I shall start off by saying that I had a few problems ordering my Love Me Beauty box this month. My first box was last month and I joined fairly late, around the 25th I think. This month I was emailed to say the Boutique was open however when I selected my option I couldn't order it! The system works in that you can't have another box until a month after subscribing, meaning I would have to wait til the end of the month! Since the boxes are on a first come first served basis, I didn't want to wait! I ended up cancelling my subscription and then rejoining just to get my box. A lot of hassle and I'm not particularly impressed at the admin.

When I finally did get to order my box, I have to say none of the choices blew me away this month. In the end I opted for edition 3. The first thing you will notice about this box is that it only contains 4 products. There is a voucher, which I suppose is the 5th item but this is completely useless to me. Love Me Beauty have my address so they should have been able to work out that the Hello Fresh service is not available to me, making this voucher useless.

Redken Colour Extend Conditioner - 25ml sample

I don't colour my hair so this isn't really something that I need. All of the boxes featured one of these though so there was no choice for natural hair. I will most likely use this anyway as it is a handy size for my swimming bag. Full size of this is 250ml for £9.99 making this sample worth around £1 .... not very impressive.

Models a Own Nail Polish in Fuzzy Peace - full size worth £5

I wear gel nails and therefore I don't usually buy nail varnishes. This is a lovely colour so I might use it on my toe nails over the summer. It's also a full sized item which is good to see.

Betty Hula Secret Wonder Oil Roller Ball - full size worth £6.25

This product is one I am very happy to see and a saving grace for this box! This skin oil is suitable for all skin types and can be used on face or body. The oil is said to be good for stretch marks, scarring, dry skin or sunburn. The product is in a handy roller balls making it mess free to apply. It also smells amazing - with a fresh citrus scent. Really happy to have this one in the box.

Neal & Wolf Daily Cleasning Shampoo - full size worth £11.50

One of the great things about Love Me Beauty is that they allow you to opt out of a box if you don't like the look of any of the options. I was tempted to do that this month until I saw this item. I have never tried anything from Neal & Wolf and would never spend £11.50 on a shampoo so it's great to have one in the box. The price of this product covers what I paid for the box and really makes it worth it. This smells absolutely amazing, a luxurious spa scent. I am really looking forward to trying it.

 

What did you think of this months box? Don't forget I am now in instgram - thepowderednose

 

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5 Things From Superdrug

As I have mentioned before, I cannot do collective hauls! I end up forgetting what I bought and then don't get round to posting! For that reason I am going to post things as I buy them, unless it's only one of two things alone. Today I popped into Superdrug and picked up 5 items.

Superberry Exfoliating Mud Mask and Dead Sea Mud Detoxifying Mask £2.50 each or 2 for £3.50
I have heard good things about the Superdrug own brand masks and have been meaning to pick them up for a while. There are three available, I believe the one I didn't get is Aloe Vera. At £3.50 for 2 these are super cheap and I look forward to trying them!

MUA Eyeshadow Trio in Smoke Screen £2.50
I have this trio in two other shade selections and I just love them. They are handy for travel and lovely shimmery shades. So good for the price.

MUA Lip Liner in Brooding Plum and Red Drama £1 each
These 2 liners complete my MUA lip liner collection. I don't use a lot of lip liner but I like to have them for trying new looks so these are perfect at only £1 each.

What have you been buying recently?

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Male Grooming on The Powdered Nose

With Mother's Day not long passed, I have already started thinking about Father's Day. I always find present buying difficult for my dad and boyfriend, himself a father, and decided a little gift guide feature might be a plan. As this gift guide idea developed, I noticed a gap in beauty blogs for men's products. How many men buy beauty products and how many have them bought for them? With that in mind, I have started a regular feature on products for men, aimed at women buying but tried and tested on my boyfriend Lewis - www.lewiswilsonphotography.blogspot.com

First a little background on Lewis' current beauty routine - barely anything! I would guess that Lewis in not dissimilar to many men in that he thinks it's all for girls! He rocks designer stubble, bordering on a beard and therefore doesn't even use shaving products. In the shower he uses showergel, always men's and usually something on offer like lynx or dove for men. He washes his hair with Alberto Balsam shampoo but doesn't use conditioner. Deodorant is also something influenced by offers for Lewis and he will buy a body spray like Lynx or a cheaper eviquelent. Usually he only wears aftershave at weekends or when we are heading out and that was usually bought as a gift by me. The only product he does like to buy is hair styling waxes. I wouldn't say he has a favourite though and usually just picks up whatever Home Bargains has to offer! Lewis' motto for beauty products has always been - if it's more than 99p, it's too expensive!

I'm not sure why I try to encourage Lewis to become a little more groomed! Partly I think I want to make myself feel better about the ridiculous amount of products I buy and use by getting him into buying skincare too! Secondly I think that, at 29, it's time to look after himself a little more. I'm slightly obsessed with my skincare routine and joke to Lewis that at 60, I will be looking 25 and he will be looking 85!

Occasionally I have bought Lewis a hand cream or a moisturiser and it has usually gone unused. That's when I realised that buying the products wasn't going to be enough, I was going to have to be more clever than that! The series of posts I will be uploading will be tips for your boyfriend, product reviews by Lewis and any problems or interesting points I discover on the way!

First post coming soon!

 

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Lush Rose Bubble Bar - Review

 

Rose Bubble Bar £2.95

I absolutely adore Lush products and often find myself in there, browsing and smelling all of the lovely products available. I am a huge fan of taking luxurious baths and the best bath treats are those from Lush.

Usually I like a bath bomb but on occasion I have chosen a bubble bar instead, like the one above. I believe this particular bar is from the Mother's Day range so I am not sure if it is part of the permanent collection or not.

At £2.95 this is definitely one of the cheaper bubble bars but is also one of the smallest. One of the good things about the bars over the bombs is that you don't need to use all of it as they are easily broken up. However, this bar woild be hard pushed to give you more than one bath due to it's size. Personally I used the whole bar for my bath.

I crumbled the bar under the flow of water into my bath and then used my hand to mix it up a little more. The smell of this is absolutely amazing! It is Rose scented and makes your whole bathroom smell of Turkish delight - my favourite! I wouldn't say this makes a great amount of bubbles though, a bottle of bubble bath definitely does a better job.

The bar is lovely to look at, super cute and a bit sparkly! Your bath water is left a lovely pink but the bath isn't stained at all.

I think I would maybe buy this again just for the smell alone but overall I do prefer the bath bombs.

 

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My Travel Bag - Toiletries

This is the second post on my travel items for my wee trip up north in the motorhome.

 

Firstly, skincare. At home I have a very strict skincare routine which I stick to religiously. There just isn't room to carry the 10 products I use daily, let alone a fresh face cloth for every wash, and so I have had to compromise with a few travel items! At home I rarely use wipes but when away they are a handy thing to have! These Everyday Value Facial Wipes were only 50p so I will happily use as many as I need whilst away. Next I brought a little sample bottle of Skinetica to remove any makeup from my face before I cleanse with this sample of Purity Cleanser. Lastly I will have to have a few nights off serum and eye cream and will instead just moisturise with this tiny little pot of Oh! Melissa Moisturiser* by Oh! Organics.

 

I don't have any travel bottles of hair products and hate sachets so have just taken my regular products with me. I posted a review on this lovely The Body Shop Ginger Shampoo and, as always, my Aussie Luscious Long conditioner works well with it. Lastly, I didn't want to pack my huge shower gel and so took this little Mango Body Wash that I recieved in a gift set.

 

I have been meaning to include the Nivea Pearl & Beauty deodorant in a post for a while because I'm just so impressed with it. Recently I have struggled to find a deodorant that lasts the whole day and tried several sprays before finally trying this rollerball which lasts all day and then some! My toenails are painted in this Seventeen nail polish and I will be going swimming so took it incase I need a touch up. Rather than take my full perfume, I packed this 5ml bottle of Elizabeth Arden Untold which I absolutely love.

Lastly I threw in this little pot of Organic Hemp Seed Oil Moistursing Cream*. I absolutely love this cream. It's so thick and hydrating that a little goes a long way. I use this for hands, feet and little dry patches.

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My Travel Bag - Makeup

As I write this, I am in the north east of Scotland in a motorhome with my boyfriend and his little girl! We love our little glamping holidays and have been doing them for a good few years now! The campervan is fully kitted out and has it's own shower so there is no slumming it but I still like to take a reduced amount of products with me! This post is the makeup I have taken for a mini break of 2 nights away.

 

Firstly I will point out, there are no lips products in this post. That is because my handbag is so full of lipbalms, lipgloss, lipstick and revlon matte balms that I don't need to take any more with me!

Brushes are always a tricky one with me for travelling. I don't like sticking my brushes in a bag and prefer to leave them at home, safely in their brush holder! But I do need some for application so I take the minimum I can get away with! Firstly for eyeshadow I have packed the Boots Eyeshadow Brush. This is a cheap brush but actually a favourite of mine and great for adding a wash of colour. For my base makeup I pack the Real Techniques Buffing Brush and use this to buff in my foundation after application and apply my setting powder. Finally I have taken the Real Techniques Blush Brush which I use to apply my bronzer.

 

Next up, my base makeup. The foundation I am using just now is the Bourjois Healthy Mix which I am really enjoying. At home I use a sponge to apply but on holiday I will just use my fingers. My setting powder is Matify Me by Love Beaty. This is my usual setting powder and is in great packaging for travelling, with it's own mirror. For under eyes and highlighting I have packed mu regular Urban Decay Concealer and for a bit of colour I have taken the Urban Decay Baked Bronzer.

 

Finally, eye products. I use the Collection Work the Colour Pencil as a base for the MUA Eyeshadow Trio in Pink Sorbet. The colours go so well together and the pencil shadow really grips the powder and makes it last all day. When I'm away I can't be bothered with brow powders or wax so I just take the Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil. Lastly I have packed Thick & Fast Mascara by Soap & Glory and a black eyeliner by BeautyUK.

 

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The Body Shop Ginger Anti-dandruff Shampoo - review

 

 

Recently I did a little online order from The Body Shop. I have had the odd little thing from there in the past but haven't explored their products recently and so I decided it was time for a little order! Within the order, I saw this shampoo and decided to add it to my basket.

My hair is in generally good condition and I have never really been one for hair products. For that reason, I usually buy very cheap shampoos and have for say that this product, at £4.50, is on the expensive side for me. Luckily my order was during the 40% off sale so I got this product for nearly half price.

I'm not overly keen on the packaging of this shampoo as I can tell it will be a nightmare to get the last few uses out! This is a fairly small bottle at 250ml but I actually like that because I tend to get bored of my shampoo if it lasts for too long!

Sometimes if I use a shampoo for too long it causes my scalp to become a little dry and flaky. I bought this product in the hope that it would improve the condition of my scalp.

 

Firstly the shampoo smells absolutely gorgeous. I love the smell of ginger and this product is very scented. The shampoo lathers up really well making it easy to cover your hair root to tip and massage it into your scalp.

After 2 days of use I noticed my scalp was a lot less flaky. My hair was left very clean looking and not weighed down by product. I'm really impressed with this product and have been really enjoying using it. I would definitely repurchase but would be looking out for sales and offers.

 

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