Homeopathic Skincare Review

Homeopathic Skincare are a Latvian brand that take a holistic approach to skincare. Their products are designed to treat the body inside and out. In fact they’ve coined the term “INEX” short for INternal / EXternal to refer to this process. The Homeopathic Skincare team have developed their products to a high standard using high quality ingredients. I love the concept of looking after your insides to keep your skin in tip top condition!

Deep Defence Cream - This cream is designed protect the skin from pollution, cigarette smoke and free radicals. I love anything that protects my skin in this way! The cream contains a variety of super ingredients including Dioscorea extract which firms and plumps skin, Echinacea which reduces fine lines and is antibacterial, Mentha extract to exfoliate and heal and Elderberry extract to fight free radicals and calm inflammation. It also contains some firm favourites Vitamin C and E and Jojoba Seed oil.

Firstly I absolutely love the packaging of this cream! It’s classy and luxe looking and it’s a solid pump dispenser, which is always a plus for me. We all know how annoying bad packaging can be. The cream itself is a lovely thick consistency. It absorbs quickly and left my skin looking plumped and hydrated. I found it fairly mattifying too, which made a great base for makeup. It smells faintly minty which is thanks to the peppermint leaf, this also gives it a lovely cooling sensation upon application. This cream works well for both morning and night use and kept my skin sufficiently hydrated. Now as you all know I suffer from acne and because of this my skin can sometimes be a bit temperamental when trying new products. After using this cream on and off for a few weeks I’ve found that it sadly blocks my pores and causes closed comedones. Looking at the ingredients list, it’s likely because of the inclusion of Shea butter. It’s such a shame, as aside from that, it’s been a pleasure to use! Now I want to stress that everyone’s skin reacts differently to products so just because this hadn’t worked for me, doesn’t mean it won’t work for you! In fact I’ll be passing this onto a friend (who doesn’t have acne) for her to try.

Deep Moisturise Pearls - These pearls are a dietary supplement designed to improve skins health. They contain peppermint and echinacea to boost your bodies immunity and black elderberry which is an antioxidant. The pearls are to be taken daily and used in conjunction with the Deep Defence Cream to boost the effects. I’m a big believer in supplements and already take Omega 3/6/9 and Probiotics to help with my acne. These little pearls are a pleasure to take, they’re mint flavoured and slowly dissolve under your tongue. They’re designed to be taken for a month, then have a 3 month break, then take for a month again. I can’t pass judgement on their effectiveness yet as I’ve not taken them for a full month yet.

So in summary sadly the cream isn’t for me but I love the ethos behind the brand and would recommend them if you don’t have awkward skin like mine! Do you take any supplements for your skin?

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Indeed Labs Review - Hydraluron Intense Moisture Lotion & Resistance Booster

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I’ve had some Indeed Labs products on my wish list for a while now but never got round to buying any! Bit silly really as they’re a high quality brand, at low prices. You know they’re good when they’re championed by the likes of Caroline Hirons and Nadine Baggott. 

Indeed Labs are an innovative brand that are often at the forefront of new skincare technology. They ensure their product range caters for all skin types. They were actually the first brand to formulate a cream with pore blurring effects (Nanoblur). They aim to educate us on what our skin needs and provide the products to deliver the results.

So when Jess from Indeed Labs kindly offered to send me a couple of their products to try, I was really pleased! The products I received were Hydraluron Intense Moisture Lotion and Resistance Booster serum.

Hydraluron Intense Moisture Lotion is the lasted addition to the much loved Hydraluron line. Hydraluron Moisture Jelly is probably the most well know product from the brand - the new Moisture Lotion is basically a step up from this. 

This lotion includes a unique blend of Hyaluronic Acid which has 3 different molecular weights, which are all different sizes, meaning that they can penetrate the different levels of your skin and keep it hydrated for longer. Clever, right?! It also contains Zinc, Magnesium and Copper to protect skin from free radicals and squalane to moisturise. All these fabulous ingredients work together to keep your skin plumped, hydrated and smooth. 

The cream itself comes in a brilliant pump bottle, which I love. It’s keeps it air tight and protected and dispenses just the right amount. One pump is enough for my face and neck. The texture of the cream is thick but light, which again I love! It leaves skin feeling really moisturised without it being greasy or heavy. It gives skin a great finish, perfect for applying makeup on top or an oil. There’s not really a fragrance to it either. 

I’ve found myself reaching for this cream a lot - it delivers exactly what it promises to do. For £24.99 for 30ml, this is a great product that I’d definitely replace when this one runs out!

The Resistance Booster serum was recommended for me because of my acne prone skin. Indeed Labs has six serums in their Booster range - they’re designed to be mixed and matched, depending on what your skin needs at the time. A great idea as our skins needs can change so easily!

The Resistance Booster is designed to improve your skins defences against stress and damage. It protects your skin barrier which helps retain moisture. It also helps reduce breakouts as skin is more nourished! Ideal for me! 

The serum can be applied in a number of ways - on its own after cleansing, mixed in to another serum or cream or even your foundation! The serum itself is a lovely milky texture that absorbs easily, leaving no residue. I’ve used it on its own and mixed into cream and it’s worked beautifully either way. 

I’ve recently had an acne flare up so I’ve given this product a good test! It’s definitely kept my skin nourished and helped clear up my spots quicker. It’s easy to only concentrate on shrinking spots when having an acne flare up, but keeping your skin hydrated and your skin barrier protected at the same time, is just as important! For £16.99 again this is amazing value. 

I absolutely loved that a comprehensive fact leaflet was included for each product. I love knowing exactly what’s in a product and what it’s meant to do! 

I’ve been really impressed with both of these products from Indeed Labs and definitely want to try more from the brand! Have you tried any of their products? Indeed Labs are stocked at Boots.

Function of Beauty Shampoo and Conditioner Review

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I’m sure you’ve all seen Function of Beauty’s Insta-worthy shampoo and conditioner bottles all over social media and beauty blogs. I fell in love as soon as I saw their pretty pastel coloured products. What can I say, I’m a sucker for anything that’s going to look good in my bathroom. What swayed it for me, was seeing that Caroline Hirons had bought some. If it’s recommended by Lady H, it can’t be bad!

So who are Function of Beauty* and what makes their shampoo and conditioner so special? Well they’re an American company that believe that shampoo and conditioner should be as unique as you are. So the products they offer are made especially for you, bespoke to you requirements. They’re also sulphate free, cruelty free, paraben free and toxin free. 

So how to they do it? Well it’s pretty easy, you take a hair quiz! This asks you all about your hair type - is it wavy, thick, straight etc. Then you choose 5 goals - with options from oil control, hydration to soothing scalp. I chose Thermal Protection, Anti-Frizz, Colour Protection, Shine and Deep Condition. Then comes the fun part - picking the colours and scent! There’s a gorgeous array of colours and fragrances to choose from, you even choose the strength of the scent! You can also have dye and fragrance free. I chose pink for my shampoo, which is shimmery and lilac for the conditioner which it a flat colour. I chose the scent called Feeling (f)ineapple - which is a gorgeous combination of coconut and pineapple! I chose strong scent as I can’t thing of anything better than smelling of pina colada!! You then give your concoction a name and choose what size bottles you want, then you’re all set! There’s a number of size options and you can also have each bottle different sized, if you so wish. So no more running out of conditioner with half a bottle of shampoo left! I chose to have them both the same size, 500ml. This cost £45 (£50 including shipping). This seemed to be the best value option. You can order as a one off, or save money by setting up a subscription (there’s different time limits to choose from). Then you sit back and wait for your delivery! Mine were despatched within 4 days. It took just under 2 weeks from ordering to arrive which I thought was pretty quick! There were no customs fees to pay either, which was a relief! 

Visually they did not disappoint! The packaging was cute, you get cards with all the details of what you’d chosen and they even threw in some stickers and travel bottles to decant into! (You could buy these as an extra too.) The most important thing that they included were pumps for each bottle. They make sure to leave enough room in the bottle so that it doesn’t overflow when you attach them. It’s the small details that I love!

The scent lived up to my expectations too. It’s like holiday in a bottle! I couldn’t wait to try them out and washed my hair the day they arrived. The shampoo lathers nicely, I used about 3-4 pumps. I’ve got medium length but very thick hair. It doesn’t leave hair feeling stripped. I was able to run my fingers through my hair easily whilst rinsing, which is always a good sign! It didn’t tangle or matt my hair at all.

The conditioner is a nice consistency, not runny but not too thick that it’s difficult to get out the bottle. Again I used 4 pumps, which I applied and left on for about 5 minutes. It rinsed out easily, my hair felt light, incredibly smooth and nourished. My hair looked great - winner!

The question is, will I buy them again? The answer is definitely yes! I've set up a subscription already.

Elemis Pro Collagen Collection Review

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Elemis and QVC UK have outdone themselves with their last Elemis TSV (Today’s Special Value) offer! 

I’ve been an Elemis fan for a quite a while now. They were one of the first skincare brands that I got into and they produce consistently great products! So I always try and stock up when QVC UK have an offer on.

This latest set is the Pro-Collagen Collection and includes the Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm, Pro-Collagen Marine cream (original or ultra rich), Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment and Pro-Collagen Marine Facial oil. Oh and a cute toiletries bag for them to go in! If you were to buy these separately, it would cost you £217.88. QVC UK had them on TSV offer for £64.96! Amazing value, I’m sure you’d agree. After the TSV offer has ended the set will cost £95 which is still a bargain! 

So a bit about the products. The Pro-Collagen cleansing balm is one of my favourite cleansers ever! Everything about it so luxurious - the packaging, the scent, the texture! I love it and haven’t been without a pot for a long time now. In fact this one is a back up. Yep it’s that good. It removes makeup brilliantly and is super gentle. It can also be left on a bit longer as a mask, as an extra treat! It really is a pleasure to use!

Now on to the Pro-Collagen Marine cream. There’s two versions of this - original and ultra rich. I first had the ultra rich version which I absolutely adore. It’s thick, creamy and well, rich, as it’s name suggests. It’s not heavy or greasy in the slightest. It works brilliantly for my oily, acne prone skin. It’s got the signature Pro-Collagen scent - honestly I can’t tell you enough how much I love this smell! It’s like being in a spa. I wish they did a perfume version, it’s that nice. It was this cream that really sent me on my skincare path! When I later tried the original version, I was initially disappointed! It felt runny and watery in comparison to its richer sister. The scent seemed lighter too. But the more I used it, the more I loved it. It gives all the same effects to my skin. It’s actually been perfect for the warmer weather as it’s light and easily absorbed. I’ve still got about a 1/3 of a pot of the original version left so it’ll be getting cooler by the time I open the ultra rich one, so perfect timing weather wise! 

The Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment was a product I’d not tried until I bought this set. It’s an anti wrinkle eye serum that’s designed to target fine lines and wrinkles. It’s a gel textured serum, that’s easily absorbed but surprisingly hydrating. It’s star ingredients are amino acids to help lock moisture in. I’ve found this to be a brilliant AM serum as it’s very hydrating.

I’ve been wanting to try the Pro-Collagen Marine oil since it came out so I was super excited to see it was included in this offer! The oil is meant to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, support skins moisture barrier and keep skin looking youthful! It contains a trio of seaweeds - Padina Pavonica, Golden Seaweed and Roaring Water Kelp and white poppy seed oil. All these work together to plump and hydrate skin. It’s a beautiful oil that I’ve been enjoying using. I’ve tried Elemis’s Pro-Definition oil previously which was lovely but way too heavy for my skin. Thankfully this one is lighter, so is just right!

So in conclusion this is an amazing set at a bargain price. If you’re looking for a new skincare routine, look no further!

Have you tried any Elemis products before? Are there any you recommend?

Benefit Hello Happy foundation review

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Use of the affiliate links is hugely appreciated and is a great way to support my blog. I love knowing my review's are being put to good use!*

When Benefit started showing sneak peeks of their new foundation, Hello Happy*, my interest was instantly piqued. The squeezable bottle with a heart eyes emoji design drew me in straight away. What can I say, I’m a sucker for cute packaging! As more information came out about it, my interest wavered. It’s described as soft blur meaning it’s blur imperfections - great! It’s light to medium coverage - not so great, I’m normally a full coverage girl because I like my acne and subsequent scars covered. However I’m always hopeful that there’s a lighter foundation out there that could do this! Could this be it?! When I heard that there were only 12 shades my heart sank a bit, I knew this would mean a lot of people wouldn’t find a shade to suit them, probably me included as I’ve very pale! But I like to give brands the Benefit of the doubt (see what I did there 😜) so when they assured us all that the shades are flexible and there would be a shade to suit everyone, I trusted that. I do find that with lighter coverage foundation, you have a bit of leeway with shade matches.

I’d originally intended to get shade matched at my local Benefit counter in House of Fraser, it’s one of the few decent brands that are sold in Grimsby (and HOF is now closing down! 😭) However after seeing a brilliant deal shared by @fyibeauty on Instagram I could help but place an order from Escentual. I ordered a mini Hello Happy foundation* in shade 1 (the palest) and got a mini Benefit concealer and mini Porefessional Matte Rescue primer for free! An absolute bargain, especially as I’ve been wanting to try the primer for ages! I knew the concealer was a tad to dark and warm for my skin tone as I’d previously used it so I sold that. 

So on to the foundation - what does it promise to do and what do I think of it?! Spoiler alert - I’ve ordered a full sized bottle! 

Benefit describes the foundation as being able to perfect your complexion with soft focus optical blurring spheres, which minimise imperfections. It’s meant to be weightless, natural looking, light to medium coverage with a matte finish that lasts. It also provides broad spectrum SPF 15, which is a bonus to increase your usual SPF. 

The foundation is a great texture, not too thick, not too runny. It applied really well using a damp blending sponge. It’s nicely pigmented, I didn’t need loads of foundation to get a level of coverage that I was happy with. I was pleasantly surprised by the coverage, it’s light enough that it shows my freckles but it did a pretty good job of covering blemishes and marks. Once I’d applied concealer and set with powder, I was pleased with how it looked. Very natural, perfect for the warmer weather! 

No makeup

Just foundation 

Fully made up including concealer

The first day I used this, it was a really warm day and we were having a bbq. I’d used the Benefit Matte primer under the foundation and I’d set with my usual powder and setting spray. I took another photo after 6 hours of wear with no touch ups. Bare in mind that I’d been out in the sun, cooking at the bbq and had topped up my SPF by spraying it over the top of the makeup a couple of times. Plus I’m oily skinned anyway. I was so impressed by how well it lasted! After wearing it numerous times since, it’s quickly become my go to summer foundation. As I’ve said, I’ve already ordered a full sized bottle. 

After 6 hours wear in hot weather

I’ve been impressed with the Benefit Porefessional Matte Rescue primer* too. It promises to mattify skin, control oil and blur pores whilst keeping skin moisturised. It has a light fresh scent, nothing overpowering. It’s a gel texture, nice and cooling when applied. It doesn’t visibly make skin look super matte, I think it’s very natural looking, which I like. It certainly helps control oil throughout the day, which for me is very important. I’ll definitely be buying a full size version when this one runs out! 

So another two winners from Benefit for me! What’s your favourite Benefit products? Are you going to try the new foundation?