Trinny London BFF Eye

*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 reviews are being put to good use!*

 I'm sure you all know by now how much I love Trinny London makeup. If you don't, you can read my previous review HERE. Trinny has recently released her latest wonder product BFF Eye, so of course I had to have it!

So what is it? BFF Eye is a under eye concealer / serum hybrid. It promises to cover dark circles and de-puff bags whilst giving hydration and anti-aging benefits. It contains skincare favourites hyaluronic acid, Vitamin C and a Duo Peptide Complex. Sounds amazing right? BFF Eye is designed to go hand in hand with the BFF cream, which is part of Trinny's existing range. BFF Cream is all the best bits from a CC Cream, BB Cream with SPF for added protection! It's as good as it sounds. 

BFF Eye comes in 8 shades. You can find out which shade you need by using Match2Me - Trinny London's own mini quiz designed to help you pick which products are right for you. It takes into account skin tones as well as eye and hair colour. I've always been pleasantly surprised at how accurate it is! I was however still a little worried when I placed my order in case it was going to be too dark for me. I'm very pale skinned as wear the lightest shades in the BFF Cream and Just A Touch Concealer / Foundation, with the latter being only just pale enough for me. BFF Eye doesn't have as many shades as Just A Touch. Each BFF Eye shade matches to 2 or even 3 Just A Touch Shades. But I placed my order for the palest shade (Izzy) and hoped for the best! I also ordered another Lip2Cheek in shade Cha Cha which is a gorgeous bright coral.

I needn't have worried! It's a perfect match. I've been using BFF Eye all week and am very impressed with it. It's a light, silky cream. You only need the smallest amount to easily cover the under eye area. I've been applying it using my ring finger and gently patting until it's blended. It just melts into skin. I was shocked by how good the coverage is, it's very pigmented and easily covers dark circles. My under eye area is luckily still fairly smooth but BFF Eye doesn't settle into what fine lines I do have. It wears incredibly well throughout the day too. As it's very hydrating, it doesn't cake or crack, even when set with powder. It gives such a natural, fresh finish that really brightens the eye area up. 

Left - Right: BFF Eye shade Izzy unblended, then blended. Lip2Cheek in shade Cha Cha.

Since getting BFF Eye, I've not used Just A Touch on my under eye area at all, keeping it just for covering blemishes instead. I've definitely found a new  under eye favourite! 

BFF eye can be bought from Trinny London HERE for £26. 

Beauty Pie Review

*This post contains affiliate links. 

I was a bit late to the party when it came to joining Beauty Pie. Now I've been a member for 3 months I thought it was time to share my thoughts. So what is Beauty Pie? It's essentially a members only club that gives you access to high quality skincare, makeup, perfume and candles at low prices. Most brands source their products from a select number of labs around the world. You'll often find similar formulas appearing across different brands - it's usually because they're buying from the same source! Beauty Pie gives us as the consumer, direct access to all these products. As we're essentially cutting out the middle man, they're able to offer us them at bargain prices.

So how does it work and what does it cost? You sign up for a minimum of 3 months contract. There's 3 different levels of membership which gives you an allowance to spend. £5 gives you an allowance of £50 a month, £10 gives you £100 and £20 gives you £200 a month to spend. What this means is that you can spend up to your allowance in products each month. Each product has two prices shown, for example a lipstick which is shown as having a "typical price" £20 (as in what it would cost you if you bought it elsewhere) but has a membership price of £5. So you add up the "typical prices" of the products and can spend up to your allowances worth. So If you've got a £100 monthly allowance, you could buy 5 lipsticks with a "typical price" of £20 each but you'd only pay £25 for them. This is obviously on top of your monthly membership fee. It took me a bit of time to get my head round it! One thing that I love is that if you don't spend all of your allowance one month, the balance rolls over to the next month. This way you can not spend for a month or two (aside from your membership fee) and then have a big splurge one month!

I originally signed up for £10 a month and after month one, realised that that wasn't enough for me. You can upgrade at any time, so I did, boosting my membership to £20 a month. I've found this suits my spending habits better!

Now onto the products - I'll give a quick review of what I've tried so far.

Japanfusion Pure Transforming Cleanser (Typical Price £25 / member price £6.52) and Hydra Prep Lotion (Typical Price £25 / member price £7.16) - I luckily managed to grab this cleanser before it became a hot commodity thanks to a glowing review from Caroline Hirons. It's a thick gel / cream that's super gentle and intensely hydrating. You rub it into dry skin and it melts beautifully into a milky lotion / oil. It's such a wonderful consistency! It works well as both a first and second cleanse too. I'll definitely repurchase as soon as it's back in stock (rumoured to be March!!). The Prep Lotion is a perfect follow up to the cleanser. It's a watery liquid that hydrates and plumps skin really well. 

Super Retinol Ceramide-Boost Anti-Aging Face Serum (Typical Price £80 / member price £10.67) - This serum boasts 0.3 % Retinol which in my experience is a great maintenance strength. It's strong enough to see a difference but gentle enough to be used daily. With other ingredients like Ceramides, Hyaloronic and Lactic Acid - this serum has it all! I've not opened this one yet, but I can't wait to try it!

Futurelipstick Luxe Shine - shade You Sexy Thing (Typical Price £20 / member price £4.79 ) and shade Pinkyum (TP £20 / MP £4.33) - These lipsticks are really gorgeous! I'm usually a matte lipstick girl but these are such great quality I've been reaching for them often. I bought You Sexy Thing first and ordered Pinkyum the month after. They're intensely hydrating, super pigmented and surprising long lasting. They've got a lovely, glossy finish. I'd say they're a dupe for Dior Addict Lacquer Sticks which cost £30 but I actually prefer the Beauty Pie ones more! One thing that I find odd is that the prices differ depending on the shade! It's like it with all the makeup - I'm not sure why!

Futurelipstick Satin - shade Nude Honey (TP £20 / MP £4.90) - I'm really loving this formula. It's pigmented, smooth and comfortable to wear. It's long lasting too. This shade is a flattering nude for my pale skin tone. I'll definitely be ordering more of these!

Top to Bottom: Satin lipstick in Nude Honey, Wondergel lipliner in Rummy Pink (it's more pink than nude in real life), Luxe Shine lipsticks in Pinkyum and You Sexy Thing. 

Moisture-Lock Wondergel Lip Liner - shade Rummy Pink (TP £20 / MP £2.90) - I bought one of these after seeing it recommended by Ruth Crilly aka Model Recommends. It's a brilliant gel formula that glides on to lips., no tugging or dragging. It helps keep lipstick lines sharp and neat. Great product. 

Futurelipstick Matte - shade Semisweet (TP £20 / MP £3.71) - This has been the only disappointing product I've had so far. I've passed it onto a friend. It was light almost moussey, creamy and pigmented but didn't apply well and went patchy. It was almost as if it couldn't stick to my lips. A shame but for what I'd paid for it, I didn't mind! 

Wondergel All-Day Stay Eyeliner - shade Dark Chocolate (TP £18 / MP £5.32 ) - I absolutely love this eyeliner! It's incredibly pigmented, in fact it looks more black that brown. It's a smooth, silky formula that applies really well with a brush. No lumps, no flaking. It lasts fantastically too - I've got hooded eyes and I'm oily skinned so for an eyeliner to stay put all day and not smudge at all is impressive! I previously wore Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner which costs £19.50 for 3g (Beauty Pie's is 4g). I've found the Beauty Pie formula performs better!

Left Longwear Cream Shadow Stick in Beige Bombshell, right Wondergel Eyeliner in Dark Chocolate. 

Wondercolour Longwear Cream Shadow Stick - shade Beige Bombshell (TP £20 / MP £3.67) - A light, creamy eyeshadow that applies easily, blends well and is long lasting. This shade is a lovely, shimmery champagne that brightens eyes up brilliantly. Another great product. I've heard these be compared to those by Laura Mercia and Bobbi Brown. I've not tried those brand myself so can't compare. I'm not likely to buy from them now, as like this formula!

Luxury Scented Candles in scents White Peach, Jasmine and Musk (TP £40 / MP £13.18) and Clean House (TP £40 / MP £14.18) - I've not burned Clean House yet but I ordered it straight away after burning the other scent as it was so good! White Peach, Jasmine and Musk smells like Chanel No 5 perfume - it smells expensive and it has a brilliant scent throw (I can smell it upstairs when it's burning downstairs!) All the candles come in classy white pots too, which look great in photos. Which is obviously important!! Another winner. 

Double-Phase Daily Deep Rinse-Off Facial Cleanser (TP £25 / MP £6.24) - I've not opened this one yet but its a cream cleanser that promises to keep pores clear whilst keeping skin hydrated. It's got fantastic ingredients like Vitamin E, Aloe Vera and Baobab. 

One Powder Wonder - shade Uberlucent Universal (TP £26 / MP £5.33) - I chose this after seeing Nadine Baggott recommending it. It's a super light, incredibly finely milled pressed setting powder. It's translucent so should work for all skin tones. It's light enough to be topped up during the day without it caking makeup. Brilliant! As much as I love this, it doesn't quite take the place of my beloved Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders - however if they are out of your budget at £42, this comes at a very close second for a lot less money. 

Pro Perfect Setting Powder Brush (TP £28 / MP £5.26) - I bought this to apply the One Powder Wonder with. It's the perfect accompaniment! This cruelty free synthetic brush is soft, densely packed and fluffy. It's washed well so far too. I'll be buying more from the brush range!

Everyday Great Skin Foundation - shade 100 cool undertones (TP £30 / MP £6.95) - Beauty Pie currently have 15 shades in this foundation. As with all the other products, prices differ between shades. They also seem to fluctuate slightly by a few pence here and there, as I paid £6.92 for this foundation but it's now 3p dearer. I'm guessing it's all down to the costs of the ingredients when they buy them. If you don't already know, I'm super pale skinned and often struggle finding a foundation pale enough, especially if they don't have a huge shade range. There is a tool on the website that you can input your current foundation shade in other brands and they'll give you your closest match. Mine came out as this shade when I put in that I was Mac NW10 and Bobbi Brown Alabaster. However I'd looked as some reviews which said that some of the shades were coming up dark. So I wondered if I'd be better with shade 50 with neutral undertones instead (there is a shade 75 but it's warm undertones). They do sell tester packs of a few different shades but they cost about £5 so with the foundation only being a couple of pounds more, I decided to just go with it! I'm glad I did. Shade 100 is a perfect match for me. It's a light consistency, with medium buildable coverage. I'm very oily skinned and found that this wore well on me. I found it performed very similarly to Giorgio Armarni Luminous Silk, which is one of my favourite foundations and costs £41!

Everyday Great Skin Foundation in shade 100 - blended on the right, unblended on the left.

QI Energy Breathable Moisture Ginseng Beauty Sleep Mask (TP £45 / MP £7.25) - Now I'm a bit behind when it comes to sleeping masks, they seem to be everywhere at the moment! So I had to try this one. It promises to boost and energise your skin whilst you sleep. Sounds great, right?! It's a surprisingly light almost gel like cream that melts beautifully into your skin. It's very delicately fragranced. You use this as your last step in your routine. I usually finish with an oil but haven't bothered when I've used this. It leaves my skin looking really plump and hydrated. Like most traditional masks, this is meant to be used twice weekly. It's a lovely treat for your skin! 

And that's it! All the Beauty Pie products that I've ordered so far. What do you think to Beauty Pie? Are you a member already or looking to join? Use my referral link HERE to get your first month's membership free!

*This post contains affiliate links. These do not effect my opinion in any way or change the prices of your purchases. 

Ole Henriksen 3 Little Wonders 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!*

OLEHENRIKSEN has finally become available in the UK thanks to Boots! Now I don't know about you but I was super excited when I found out! Their products were originally sold only in spa's but became more popular and grew into the brand we know today - with products containing a winning combination of potent active ingredients and natural botanicals.

I've been wanting to try some of their products for ages so I couldn't resist buying one of the mini sets, purely for reviewing purposes obviously! I was tempted by the Balance It All Set (for oily skin types) but ending up choosing the 3 Little Wonders Mini set as I'm a sucker for Vitamin C serums. This usually costs £23 but there was 15% off when I bought it so I only paid £19.55, which I think is good value. So what does the set contain?

It contains:

• A mini 7ml pot of the Sheer Transformation Perfecting Moisturiser
• A 15ml bottle of their best selling Truth Serum 
• A mini 7ml Invigorating Night Transformation gel 

The Sheer Transformation Moisturiser is a light, silky cream that contains antioxidants and fruit acids. This is designed to be used AM & PM. I've found it to be a lovely texture, it absorbs quickly into skin leaving it plumped and hydrated. It makes a perfect base for makeup. I have preferred using this in a morning rather that at night because of it's lightness. I usually prefer something a bit heavier on a night. 

The Truth Serum is an anti-aging powerhouse containing Vitamin C and Collagen. This is to be used in the AM, before the moisturiser. I've been really impressed with this! It's a gel consistency, not too thick but not particularly runny either. It's got a gorgeous orange scent which I find really uplifting in a morning. I've had a look at the ingredients list and it does contain fragrance but it does also contain orange extract! I'm not clued up enough with ingredients to know if the fragrance is artificial or not. It smells lovely though! The serum is light and hydrating, it contains aloe which is always great for hydration. It absorbs quickly and doesn't leave any tackiness. For the first couple of uses a felt the tell tale Vitamin C tingle when I used this, which surprised me as I use Vitamin C daily. The type of Vitamin C is Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate which is a stable form of Vit C, so you don't have to worry about it oxidising straight away. 

The Invigorating Night Transformation Gel is a light, hydrating treatment that contains AHA glycolic acid to smooth skin overnight and help brighten skin. Upon first use, I thought this was a night moisturiser so applied  it after my serums. I then realised it was a treatment. That'll teach me to read the instructions! This is actually meant to be applied after cleansing and toning, as a treatment step. The gel itself is incredibly light, it sinks into skin and gives a slight acid tingle. I didn't think it felt particularly strong but when I applied the moisturiser on top, my skin was super soft and smooth! It layers perfectly with the cream, which is always a good sign. 

All in all, I'm impressed so far with Ole Henriksen and want to try more from the brand, especially the famous Banana Bright Eye Cream!  They feel like high quality products and they're reasonably priced. Have you tried anything from this brand yet?

The 3 Little Wonders set is available from Boots HERE or from Ole Henriksen HERE.

Retinol - Skincare Wonder Ingredient!

*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!*

What is Retinol? Retinol aka Vitamin A is probably the most talked about ingredient in skincare and for good reason! It's the gold standard when it comes to anti-aging. But did you know that Retinol was originally designed to be an acne treatment? It's anti-aging properties are a bonus side effect! So what makes it so special? Retinol helps skin cells turn over quicker, meaning you get newer, younger cells coming through. This is what makes it a brilliant ingredient for both anti-aging and acne! More cell turn over means less blocked pores, which should mean less spots!

Vitamin A comes in many forms - some more effective than others. Retinol is a very effective form as it is instantly absorbed by your skin and converted into Retinoid Acid. Other forms, eg. Retinyl Palmitate have to be converted first to Retinol, then to Retinoid Acid. The more steps, the longer it takes to work. High strength doesn't always equate to it being the best though, as Caroline Hirons always says - formula is king (or queen). For some people, the lower strength formula's or Retinol derivatives work better - slow and steady wins the race! Not all skins react well to the higher strengths either. It's always important to introduce Retinol into your routine slowly. Start with a lower % product and try it once / twice a week. Then build up the frequency and strength only if you don't have any sensitivity. Due to the possibility of sensitivity when using Retinol, it's essential to wear SPF 30 or above every day to protect the skin. You should really be wearing it daily, regardless of Retinol use. If you don't you not only risk undoing all the results from the Retinol but more serious things like skin cancer too. Remember the sun is the biggest cause of aging! Traditionally Retinol is used at night as it is photosensitive and can break down in daylight, however this is now not always the case. There are now certain types of Retinol (eg. microencapsulated Retinol) that are ok to use in the day.

Peeling is common when using Retinol whilst your skin is adjusting, this can be a sign the product is too strong or you're using it too frequently. Purging is also another common side effect. Your skin has a cycle - it takes a certain amount of time for cells to come to the surface. Spots can start under the skin and work their way up with the skin cycle. So when you first start using Retinol, you may break out - this is purging. It's actually spots that were already there, just coming to the surface quicker! After a few weeks, this should stop - if it doesn't it could be that you don't agree with the product. It's important to listen to your skin, as with any new skincare product.

Now we know a bit about what Retinol does, lets go over some of my favourite products that contain it!

I'll start with my newest Vitamin AA produc which is Pixi Retinol Tonic*  (£18 for 250ml or £10 for 100ml as pictured - product bought myself but I've had other PR from the brand). This is essentially a toner and is designed to be applied to skin after cleansing. It contains time-release Retinol and Peptides for anti-aging and Jasmine Flower to soothe skin. It also contains antioxidants. I've found this to be lovely and hydrating. I've been using this both AM and PM - it's worked well both ways. Is it strong? I'd say no but remember strong doesn't always mean best! I've been using this almost as a Retinol top up - for example I've used Retinol Tonic in the AM then another lower Retinol strength product in the PM. It's a great way to get a bit of extra Retinol in without overdoing it! This would also be a perfect starter Retinol and it's great value too. I'll certainly be re-purchasing it.

Wow You Beauty Woke Up Like This Night Cream (£18 for 50ml - product bought myself but I've had other PR from the brand). Now you all know how much I love British brand Wow You Beauty (if you don't read my blog post HERE). This cream is no exception. This contains Retinyl Palmitate which is a Retinoid. This is a more gentle form of Retinol so is great for sensitive skins. Other ingredients include Rosehip, Avocado and Argan oil, shea butter and green tea. All these work together to gently exfoliate skin whilst keeping it hydrated. As it's name suggests, you wake up with wonderful glowing skin! Wow You are also cruelty free, Paraben and SLS free and use natural ingredients. Again this is a perfect starter Retinol or one to use alongside another lower strength one.

Indeed Labs Retinol Reface* (£19.99 for 30ml - PR / gifted product). I've previously reviewed this product - blog post linked HERE but I'll give a quick re-cap. This serum contains Retinol and is outstanding value for money for how it performs. I'd say this is a mid-strength retinol - I certainly saw a difference in my skin very quickly with using it but with no irritation.

A.Florence Skincare Intense Night Repair Oil (£36 for 20ml - product bought myself but have previously had this and other PR products from the brand). A.Florence are one of my favourite brands - they are such a hidden gem! (Blog post of A.Florence Reviews found HERE). This oil serum contains 0.3% Encapsulated Retinol, Pineapple Enzymes, Co-Q10+  which are all fabulous for anti-aging. I love that the brand inform us of the % of the Retinol - 0.3% doesn't sound like much but it's actually a very effective strength. For me, this is a perfect maintenance Retinol, it's one that you can use every day and will see great results without it being that strong that you'll worry that your face might fall off. With it being encapsulated Retinol, this ensures that the Retinol is at it's freshest when applied and is very stable. It also contains a blend of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant oils that help keep skin nourished. This is a gorgeous all round oil that I'll definitely be buying again and again!

Medik8 Crystal Retinal 6 (£59 for 30ml - PR / gifted). There's a full review of this product HERE but here's a quick overview. Medik8 are at the forefront when it comes to Vitamin A research and it shows in their products. This serum contains 0.06% stabilised Retinal which is a super charged version of Retinol. Don't let the low percentage fool you, this stuff packs a punch! Retinal works faster than traditional Retinol and is less irritating too - win win! I'll be trying Crystal Retinal 10 - the stronger version - when this tube runs out!

Verso Super Eye Serum* (£65-80 for 30ml - I've hyperlinked the cheapest! Product bought by myself). Verso are a Swedish brand and the majority of their products contain their unique Vitamin A complex - Retinol 8 - named as it is 8 times as potent as traditional Retinol and half as irritating to skin. I've tried the Night Cream from this range and a couple of samples of the serum too and can confirm that just like this serum, they are strong! You can feel as soon as you apply this serum, that it's powerful stuff! I personally didn't have any irritation with this but I would imagine that some people would so I'd recommend you to build up your usage. This keeps my under eye area smooth and wrinkle free. It's also one of the only products that helps with my dark circles - it's fab!

Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment* (£53 for 30ml - product bought myself). Now I've saved my favourite until last. This powerful serum contains 1% Retinol along with Vitamin C and Peptides to give a brilliant all round anti-aging effect. It also contains soothing ingredients like Liquorice root and oat extract to counteract any redness or irritation. I built my usage up with this one as I could tell it was strong straight away. It's a gorgeous lotion consistency that hydrates skin really well and works perfectly with all other products that I've used with it. It honestly made a big difference to my frown lines within a couple of uses! Amazing stuff!

And that's my take on Retinol, hopefully I've got all the science bits right. That's how I've interpreted it anyway! (Please feel free to correct me on anything).

So in summary; Pixi and Wow You are great if you're new to Retinol, Indeed Labs is for you if you're looking for a bargain, A.Florence and Medik8 are perfect for long term maintenance and Verso and Paula's Choice are if you want a bit of oomph! I hope that'll help some of you decide which to buy! I'm going to be trying Drunk Elephant A-Passioni* soon - watch this space for a review.

Look Fantastic have 15% off Paula's Choice now plus an extra 22% off if you use code PLUSH22 - meaning you can get the Retinol super cheap! Click HERE to go straight to the website!