Indeed Labs Retinol Reface and Mineral Booster Review

*This post contains affiliate links. 

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!*

I've been loving the other Indeed Labs products I tried (review here), so I was so pleased when they offered to send me a couple more products to try out. I was even more excited when I found out what the products were - Retinol Reface cream, which has been on my wish list for far too long and the Mineral Booster serum, which recently sold out across the UK after a glowing review from Caroline Hirons.

So onto the products...

Retinol Reface - this creamy serum contains 3 types of Retinol which all work together to give you smooth skin, without any peeling or irritation. The types of retinol are:

• Retinol RA (1%) - the RA stands for rapid action as this type of Retinol converts to Retinoic Acid super quick. This ensures you get the most out of it as it has less time to destabilise or cause irritation to your skin.
• Retinol Micro-Spheres (1%) - This is a slow release retinol that works slowly and throughout the day. Again this means higher efficiency and lower irritation. 
• Retinol-like Peptide (3%) - This Peptide has all the benefits of retinol, without the side effects.

The cream is designed to be used at night, after cleansing. When used consistently it will help to reduce fine lines and wrinkles and will give skin a smoother appearance.

Now this cream arrived as the perfect time for me as I was in the middle of the worst hormonal cystic acne flare up that I've had in ages. Retinol is brilliant to help acne as it speeds up the turnover over your cells. So I started using the cream as part of my PM routine. I've been using it as a moisturiser step with it being a cream but it would work just as well as a serum step. For me, it's definitely hydrating enough to be used this way.

From the first use, I saw a marked improvement in my skin, especially my acne. The first night I'd used it, I had bumps all along my jaw line, which were acne cysts deep under my skin. The following day these were visible, whereas normally they would take a few days to surface. This process is often referred to as "purging". Your skin has a natural cycle, which retinol speeds up. This helps bring spots to the surface quicker. The rest of my skin however looked great! It was clear and smooth and had a glow to it. The next use brought more of the same and started to help clear up the spots that had surfaced. With continued use, this cream has helped keep my skin fairly acne free or has quickly cleared up any spots that have appeared. Aside from the improvement of my acne, using this cream has also given me smooth, healthy looking skin.

I have to say that this has been one of the most effective Retinol product that I have used to date, the results are quick and obvious. Not only is it highly effective but I've had no side effects from daily use either. No peeling, no sensitivity, nothing! Obviously everyone's skin is different so I'm not saying this would be the case for everyone but I'm over the moon with the results from this product! Did I mention the price? It's a bargain at £19.99!

Mineral Booster - Now this little bottle of goodness shot to fame recently after the skincare Queen, Caroline Hirons posted about how amazing it was. So you imagine how much I was looking forward to trying it! No pressure. This serum is part of Indeed Labs Booster range. There's 6 serums in total, that can be used as and when you need them. They're the pick n mix of skincare! They each target a specific skincare issue and can be mixed and matched to your skins specific requirements. I've already been using the Resistance Booster which has been great to help heal my acne prone skin. The boosters can be used alone or mixed with other serums or creams. Very versatile! 

The Mineral Booster is designed to restore stressed, tired skin and give it a boost or energy. It protects skin from free radicals and pollution. It delivers oxygen to you skin cells and protects the dermis against glycation, which is caused by sugar being processed in a way that damages collagen and elastin which keeps skin firm. So think of this as the antidote to all the sweets and chocolate you eat! It also helps drain skin of impurities. The main superstar ingredient in this serum is Sepitonic M3 which is a combination of zinc, copper and magnesium that work together to stop free radicals forming and to energise skin. Sounds amazing, right? It sounds like it has the same effects as Serum A-Glyca from Biologique Recherché but for a fraction of the price! 

Texture wise, this serum is a much thicker consistency than the Resistance Booster but it absorbs just as easily. It's a thick, creamy texture and one large drop is enough to cover your face and neck. I've found that it's so thick that it doesn't easily drop out of the applicator so I have been wiping the serum from the pipette tube onto my hand and going from there. It's a soothing serum to apply, it hydrates and leaves no trace one rubbed in. It's worked well with every other product I've used with it.

I've been using this serum regularly for a few weeks now and can definitely see an improvement in my skin. It feels firmer and looks plump and healthy. I've had comments from people saying how good my skin looks, which is always a good thing! I think this is a great serum to use alongside others to give skin a boost when needed. That's the brilliant thing about the Booster range, they're designed to be mixed and matched as required. Like all the other products from Indeed Labs, this serum is great value, costing £16.99. Although you might have trouble getting hold of this one as it keeps selling out as fast as it's restocked!

As you can tell, I've loved both as these Indeed Labs products just as much (if not more) that the other two I have tried from the brand. These are definitely staples in my skincare stash now! I've added a couple more Indeed Labs products to my skincare wish list, keep your eyes out for a review in the future! For those in the UK, Boots are Indeed Labs stockists.

*This post contains affiliate links. This does not effect my opinion in any way. 

Evy Technology Daily UV Face Mousse SPF 30

*This post contains affiliate links*

I'm always on the look out for a great SPF. I find a lot of SPF's can feel greasy or heavy and just aren't pleasant to use. So I was really intrigued when Evy Technology sent me this one to try as it was unlike any SPF I'd seen or tried before. So what's different about it? It's a mousse!

Evy Technology are a Swedish skincare brand that specifically produce sun care products. They use patented medical skincare technology to create a high tech range of SPF's that not only protect skin from the suns harmful rays but also helps keep skin in great condition.

So onto the product. This mousse promises to protect skin against the sun and pollution. To apply you squirt a gold ball sized blob into your hands, then rub them together to flatten the mousse. You can then apply it as normal. The texture is super light and is so easily absorbed, it just melts into your skin. It doesn't feel like a tradition SPF, there's no heaviness, greasiness or odd scent. For me this is a huge plus - I can't stand a heavy feeling SPF! The mousse creates a protective barrier on your skin to protect against pigmentation and ageing. It also has the added benefits of containing Hyaluronic Acid, Collagen and Vitamins C and E. So not only are you getting sun protection but your skin is getting a treat too! It's designed to be super light so as not to clog pores or pill under makeup. I've found it's worked brilliantly under makeup and it's not caused an pore clogging issues at all!

All in all, I've found this to be a brilliant SPF and will definitely purchase it myself in the future. It ticks all the boxes for me and then some! I'd definitely give it "holy grail" status. It's reasonably priced too, at £25. You get 50-60 uses from a bottle. 

Evy Technology products can be bought from their website HERE where you can use my code TORIA15 to get 15% off (affiliate code) or from Space NK HERE.

*Product was kindly gifted by the brand, all opinions are my own.

Green Keratin Review

Green Keratin are a British company that produce natural skincare. They promise to produce high quality, ethical, organic and lovingly handmade products - which personally I love! They ensure to keep their skincare free from:

• Parabens,
• Methylisothiazolinone,
• SLS & SLES,
• E.A, D.E.A, Silicones and Formaldehyde
• Artificial fragrances and artificial colouring.

Their products are all cruelty free and have been ethically sourced from local suppliers. Everything is done in house to ensure the integrity of the products, from research, testing, to bottling up and shipping out! All the products are created in small batches to control the quality. Green Keratin products are also very reasonably priced too, which I'm sure you'll agree is always a bonus!

So, onto the products. I was generously given 6 products to try out - Bionud Makeup Primer, Cactus + B5 Neck Elasticity Fluid, Precious Cacay Timeless Oil Elixir, Q10 Plus E Oil Complex Night Elixir, Prickly Pear Oil and Green Tea Oil.

I'm splitting my review into two posts, each covering 3 products, mainly because I like to give everything a good test before writing a review and can only test a couple of oils at a time! Believe me, it's killed me to not opening them all straight away!

Bionud Makeup Primer - this primer is one of Green Keratin's latest products and costs £15.95 for 30ml. This primer promises to help keep makeup in place all day, whilst reducing the appearance of fine lines. It contains a Honeysuckle Complex which keeps skin hydrated and looking young. The primer itself it quite unusual as it's a serum consistency rather than your traditional gel or cream. I liked this as it felt part of my skincare routine. I found I only needed one big drop of primer to cover my entire face. If leaves skin looking hydrated and plumped - a perfect canvas for makeup.

Now my skin type is combination / very oily / acne prone so I'm always wary of trying new products. This primer is designed to not clog pores which is a huge bonus for me! I use a number of different foundations, depending on how a feel on the day or what state my skin is in! I've found that not all primers work with all foundations as it depends on their ingredients (some are water based, some silicone based etc). I tried this primer with a number of different foundations (approx. 5/6) and it worked brilliantly with all but one! Which I think is pretty good going. I've got other primers that only work with one particular foundation.

I've found that Bionud has made a great base as my foundation applies smoothly and evenly over the top of it. It's definitely helped keep my skin hydrated throughout the day.  Having properly hydrated skin helps ensure my makeup stays looking good. It didn't have any effect on my oiliness, it was no better or worse than usual, but it hadn't claimed to help that.

The one foundation that it didn't work with was my Clinique Anti-Blemish foundation - it caused pilling. For me, this isn't a big issue. I swap between different foundations and primers each day, depending on my mood! I keep track of which primers and foundations work well together and which don't. It's very rare to have a primer work well with every single one!

All in all I think this is a great all round primer, especially if you are looking for continued hydration throughout the day.

Cactus + B5 Neck Elasticity Fluid - This serum is designed to be used day and night and claims to visibly improve crepe paper texture and creases around the neck and also to firm the neck area. It contains Cactus Oil, Pro-Vitamin B5, Frankincense and Myrrh oils which work together to strengthen collagen fibres in your skin. You get a 30ml bottle for £15.95.

Now I suffer pretty badly with "tech neck" - deep lines across my neck from looking down at my phone all the time. Yep it's a thing! Now I wish I had taken a before picture as this serum has really made a difference! The lines on my neck are definitely less pronounced and not as deep.

The serum itself is a fabulous light consistency, which for me is preferable to other neck creams as they can usually be heavy and greasy. It absorbs quickly when rubbed in. leaving no tackiness so it's easy to slot it into your morning routine as well evening. The fantastic visible results are certainly enough for me to keep using this serum daily. I'm very impressed!

Precious Cacay Timeless Facial Oil Elixir - This oil is designed to boost skins condition and target fine lines and ageing. The main ingredient - Precious Cacay oil is a bit of a super star ingredient. It contains large amounts of Vitamin E and three times more Retinol that Rosehip Oil. Impressive! It also contains Camellia Oil which is an antioxidant, Tomato Seed Oil which gives us essential fatty acids, Brorage oil and Damask Rose Otto oil. This oil is available in two sizes - 30ml for £21.95 and 50ml for £29.95. Great value when you think of the amazing ingredients!

I've been using this oil either on it's own or mixed into my moisturiser. First of all, it smells beautiful! It's a lovely, delicate rose scent. For me, if an oil smells nice, it makes it even more of a pleasure to use!  Texture wise it's a middle weight oil, not too heavy but not particularly light either. It absorbs well and doesn't leave skin greasy or heavy feeling. When mixed into a cream, this works really well just to add a bit of richness. 

I've found this to be the perfect oil to keep my skin looking plumped and healthy!

And that's it for part 1 of my Green Keratin reviews, stay tuned for Part 2, coming soon! In the mean time, if you're looking for a new natural skincare brand that gives results - check Green Keratin out!

 

*Post contains affiliate adverts.

Latest In Beauty Subscription Box - August

I have to admit I'm becoming a little fed up with my subscription to Latest In Beauty. I've had some absolutely amazing products from them and if anything have probably been a little spoilt by them in the past (full sized Paula's Choice Retinol serum, I'm looking at you!), especially for the price of £9 a month.

It's just the last few months there's been a lot of makeup as the new items and it's not really caught my attention. Or if there has been a skincare product that's caught my eye, like the recent Dr Jart mini set, it's been sold out by the time I've been able to select my products. I've debated cancelling but I think it's bound to pick up again if I do! I'll have to think on it.

Anyway on to this months choices...

Ermana Revive Face Oil - This oil looks really lovely! I've just got a large amount of oils open at the moment so should really use some of them up before I open this one. This has some amazing ingredients like Jojoba oil and Vitamin E. It's designed to boost collagen in skin. Sounds fab!

Nuxe Prodigieux Shower Oil - I've been wanting to try more from Nuxe. This is a shower oil that is infused with the scent of Huile Prodigieuse. It also has a golden shimmer to it so it might be nice to save for use before going out.

Monu Skin Hydrating Mask - I've not heard of this brand before but this mask has some lovely ingredients like Royal Jelly and Evening Primrose Oil.

Also included in the box were a taster packet of Hippeas which I've tried before and enjoyed and a little bottle of Merci Handy hand cleansing gel.

And that's it for this months box. We'll see if I have one next month or not!

Wow You Beauty Review

Wow You Beauty are a new British skincare brand that have literally exploded onto Instagram recently! Their cute and funky packaged products have become a common place feature on my feed. So who are Wow You Beauty? As I've mentioned they're based in the UK. They produce high quality cruelty free, natural skincare. The name Wow You Beauty came about because their products make you go Wow! at how amazing your skin is looking! The brand are all about self care and want their products to make you feel good about yourself. A lovely ethos, I'm sure you'll agree.

I'd been following Wow You Beauty's Instagram account and keeping track of when their products were going to be on sale. Each post made me more and more excited to see what this brand was going to release! They starting posting about their products and going into great detail about what was in them and what this would do for your skin. I love this level of detail. The brand quickly built up a rapport with their followers, answering any questions people might have about the upcoming products. Once all the details about the products had been released, I enquired about which products would be best for my acne prone / oily / combo skin. I received a detailed reply back straight away, not only telling me which products would be best but why they were right for my skin type!

So the day of the launch came and I rushed to order some of the recommended products. I was so quick, I later learnt I was Wow You Beauty's first customer! Such an honour!

Now onto the products. Some of the products have been purchased by myself, some were kindly given by Wow You Beauty or have been part of an offer they had on.

Tropic Like It's Hot Scrub - This scrub has it all! It contains AHA and BHA acids as well as super fine natural physical exfoliant, ground pumice. These three work super hard to get rid of any dead skin cells, to reveal soft, glowing skin! The scrub also contains Vitamin C and pineapple to brighten skin. The scrub itself is a lovely rich cream texture, with fine grit. It's designed to be used either as a cleanser or after cleansing and can be left on for a few minutes as a mini mask, so its versatile! It got a sweet, fruity scent. I'd class myself as being a fairly seasoned acid user and this gives a reassuring tingle when massaged into dry skin, so you know it's doing it's job! After rinsing, it leaves my skin super soft and smooth! This has quickly become one of my favourite acid products and I have to stop myself from using it too often in case I compromise my skin barrier!

Super Serum - Wow You Beauty only make one serum and they only need to because this serum truly lives up to it's name! This amazing serum has it all - rosehip oil to even skin tone and help acne scarring, anti-inflammatory blueberry that's also antibacterial, famed antioxidant Centella, hyaluronic acid to hydrate and argon oil to balance sebum production. All that in one serum! Super Serum is a fabulous consistency too, it's a light gel that melts into skin and absorbs so well, it's like it was never there! Well except that your skin looks plumper! And the scent - you all know how I obsess over skincare scents - well Super Serum smells like heaven! It's a light floral fragrance. I've used this serum with a number of other serums and creams and it's worked brilliantly with all of them! No pilling whatsoever! This will definitely always be a staple in my skincare collection from now on.

Ready To Glow moisturiser - This moisturiser is great for acne prone skin like mine as it contains grapeseed oil to rebalance oily skin and hibiscus to refine pores. It also contains Centella Asiatica which is a brilliant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, hyaluronic acid to hydrate, Vitamin C to brighten and rice bran which is hidden gem nourishing ingredient. This cream is an absolutely gorgeous texture - it's rich and extremely hydrating but still manages to be super light! And it smells amazing, a beautiful light floral scent. It's particularly great to use in a morning as it gives skin such a good finish, ready for putting makeup on. I've found it keeps my skin hydrated all day and definitely helps control  my oil production. After this performing so well, I'm looking forward to trying out Wow You Beauty's night cream, Woke Up Like This.

Mask and Chill mask - This mask is designed for sensitive and acne prone skin, so again is great for my skin type. The mask is a detoxifying mud mask that contains charcoal and liquorice root to calm skin and draw out any impurities and oil, without drying skin out. This mask has been a such a saviour for me! My acne is a bit of a nightmare at times and this really helps to calm it down. I've found is a perfect morning mask as it helps reduce the oil from my skin without stripping it like some masks can. My skin looks so refined after using this, it's amazing!

Babe Butter in Coconut - I'm a sucker for anything coconut so quickly fell head over heels for this body cream! This body butter is packed full of amazing ingredients like coffee which firms skin and helps reduce the look of cellulite, antioxidant Vitamin C which stimulates collagen production and little known superstar ingredient pumpkin seed oil which is full of fatty acids to improve skin tone. The cream itself is just an absolutely stunning texture. It's light but rich as so easily absorbed leaving skin feeling amazingly soft and smooth and not greasy at all. The fragrance is just gorgeous too, a perfect blend of coffee and coconut, which go so well together! Such a stunning cream.

Sugar Lips in Coconut - Sticking with the coconut theme! I've always loved a good lip scrub and used to use the ones from Lush but always found them a bit too coarse. This scrub from Wow You Beauty contains the perfect amount of fine sugar, encapsulated in sweet almond and jojoba oil. This heavenly mix leaves my lips feeling super soft and smooth. It tastes pretty good too!

Lip Butter macaroon in yep you guessed it...Coconut!! This lip butter is bursting with nourishing ingredients like peach kernel oil, cocoa butter, jojoba oil and avocado butter which all work together to moisturise lips and leave them kissable and soft! This is the perfect partner to use after Sugar Lips. The coconut scent it just lovely.

And that's my Wow You Beauty collection so far! As you can tell I'm hugely impressed by all the products, especially for the price. Did I mention the prices?! They're such good value and definitely won't break the bank. It just means I can buy more or the range!!

*Post contains affiliate adverts

Look Fantastic Beauty Box - September

*This post contains affiliate links. 

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!*

Because I started my Look Fantastic* beauty box subscription later in the month, I've had two boxes in quick succession! Not that I'm complaining! Septembers box is a bit of a special one as it's in celebration of Look Fantastics' 4th birthday! So they've picked some of their favourite products to go in it.

Now to begin with, how gorgeous is the box?! I'm honestly keeping this, it's so pretty!

 

So what's in the box? Are you ready to find out?

 So starting off we have some Palma Violets!! These are definitely the Marmite of the sweet world but luckily I love them!

Omorovicza Ultramoor Mud mask (5ml)* - I'm a huge fan of this brand and I can't wait to try out this mask! It smells amazing. This mask is designed to hydrate and plump your skin. It uses a patented Hydro Mineral Transference delivery system to get all the fab ingredients like Hungarian Moor Mud and Hectorite Clay, into your skin.

Eve Lom Cleanser and muslin cloth (mini)* - The iconic cleansing balm along with a luxurious muslin cloth. Sadly I'm not a fan of this cleanser, I've used a mini pot before and definitely don't buy into the hype. It does a great job at removing makeup but I can't get over the scent! I find it pretty unpleasant to be honest. Plus the first ingredient on the INCI list is Mineral Oil?! Yep this very expensive cleanser uses the cheapest, nastiest oil available, which isn't great for your skin. But I know plenty of people that adore this cleanser so I'll be passing this one on. I'll be keeping the muslin cloth though as it's lovely!

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer* - Another iconic product and one that's been on my wish list for quite some time! Funnily enough I just got a tube of it as part of my Feel Unique Pick n Mix Samples selection. So now I've got two tubes to go at! This hair saviour is a pre wash treatment that promises to give your hair back its bounce and shine! I've tried this once now and have to say, I'm really impressed! My hair looks shiny, feels incredibly soft, smooth and more importantly strong.

Aromatherapy Assosciates Revive Morning Bath and Shower Oil (mini)* - This oil is designed to invigorate and wake up your body and mind, which I love the idea of! This can either be used poured into a bath or rubbed onto skin whilst in the shower. I love body oils so I'm looking forward to trying this! 

Mane n Tail Original Hand and Nail Therapy cream (57g travel sized)* - I have to admit I did a double take when I saw this! Had it been mixed up with a horse beauty box?! I'd not heard of this cream before but it was actually originally made for horses hooves, hence the name. This cream is meant to be a savoir for cracked and dry hands and feet. It's packed with protein so can't be bad!

And last but not least - Lord and Berry Strobing Pencil - We all know about strobing but I've not seen an illuminator / highlighter as thin as this before! I think this will be perfect for my bottom waterline on my eyes to widen them and make me look more awake! Or for highlighting my top lip. I'll have a play!

I think this box has got a great range of products this month, especially as it only cost £14.50! Bargain. 

August Empties

*This post contains affiliate links. 

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!*

Charlotte Tilbury Wonder Glow Primer - I usually love anything from Charlotte Tilbury but this falls a bit flat for me. It not bad but I don’t love it. It’s hydrating and gives skin a nice shimmer.

Rodial Rose Gold serum - nice enough but nothing special. Was barely enough in the sample to cover my face! The last Rodial serum sample I used was the same, I thought it was a one off. 

Veneffect Anti-Aging Intense Moisturiser - second sample. Loved it as much as the first!

Omorovicza Cleansing Foam* - very gentle, didn’t strip my skin or dry it like other foams. I liked it! 

Skinfood Gummy Bear jelly hand gel - I won this in a competition last year and am gutted it’s ran out! It smells of Pineapple. It’s an amazing texture, a rich gel that leaves your hands incredibly soft but not greasy. Loved it!

Aurelia Miracle cleanser* - really liked this. Beautiful rich cream cleanser. Removes makeup really well. Leaves skin soft, smells gorgeous. Would buy full sized.

Benefit Hello Happy Foundation mini* - absolutely loved this! Full review a few posts back.

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair eye mask - these were part of my giveaway prize from @sidraimtiaz. These were the best eye mask I’ve ever used! My under eyes looked really hydrated, so much that my tear trough was almost gone! Very impressed. 

Commleaf AHA Green Tea Peeling mask - I really like this! It was pretty unusual having to soak it myself but my skin was soft and refreshed after. 

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask - a cult product for a reason! This stuff is amazing! So thick and rich it stays on your lips all night. Love it and will definitely buy again. 

Kate Somerville Wrinkle Warrior serum - sample. I’ve tried this before and love it! Really nice serum, would definitely buy. 

Kate Somerville Eradikate Treatment - I’ve already got another bottle of this, it’s fabulous. My holy grail spot treatment. For a full review, see a good few posts back on the blog.

Rossano Ferretti Volumising Shampoo and Conditioner - sample. I didn't like these at all! The shampoo didn't foam up at all and felt like it stripped my hair. So much so that I had to wash it again with another shampoo. The conditioner wasn't particularly great either.

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour All Over Miracle Oil* - I absolutely love this! It's incredibly hydrating, I usually apply to still damp skin straight from the shower to lock moisture in. It's a dry oil, not greasy at all. It's pleasantly fragranced too. I'd definitely buy it again.

Aurelia Aromatic Repair and Brighten Hand Cream* - I'd picked this as part of last months Latest In Beauty subscription box. This is an absolutely gorgeous cream! It's rich but not greasy.  It absorbs well and keeps hands feeling soft, even after washing again. But the main thing I loved about this is the scent! It's quite strong but so nice. It's thanks to it containing Vetiver, Ylang Ylang, Lavender and Patchouli. I'd taken this to work to use during the day. Literally ever time I used it, one of my colleagues would go "Ooh what's that lovely smell?" - it smells that good! I'd definitely buy it again.

And that’s it for this month! Did you spot any favourites?