Quicky skin tips!

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Good morning dear readers!

Every now and then, I like to make a post about skin care, so here's a quicky with some tips that I have stumbled upon for you guys!

This week, I was very lazy and in the evening, I  didn't cleanse my skin as usual, but only used facial wipes..!! Needless to say, I can see some negative changes in my skin (dulness, pimples) and vowed to only use facial wipes only when really necessary...

Now, when I say skin care, I don't only refer to the lotions and potions, but also to the food that we eat (or the lack of it)

What can help your skin apart from a good cleansing routine and a good diet? Increasing oxygen in the blood and better circulation! Why not try jogging, walking or any other exercise, yoga and dancing? By doing that, you will increase the amount of blood and therefore nutrients to the epidermis.
You should also try rubbing your body with a rough glove while showering.

Girls, to really glow, stock up on brightly coloured vegetables and fruits ! Please please please avoid alcohol, coffee and smoking! Why not try slowly cutting meat? A vegetarian diet is generally best for good skin (and everyone else). Do your research and look up for good veggie recipes. You will be amazed by how good non-meat dishes are! You will notice a difference in your skin, health and everything else!

Cleanse, tone and moisturise daily!!  Not with just any products!! Don't trust the big brands!! Read this :http://www.storyofstuff.org/sos_downloads/PDFs/more-info/more-info-SoCos.pdf and watch this video:  http://www.storyofstuff.org/movies-all/story-of-stuff/ You will be SHOCKED!
I like buying my skin care from health shops and I also suggest www.crueltyfreemalta.com

Hope this helps a little!

Denise o.b.o The Fabulous Team

 

Tried and Tested: Essence my skin tinted moisturiser Review

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Hello everyone :):)

Today I'm going to review something that I'm basically using everyday now!! We were given this among others at the Catrice launch.

So this comes in 2 varieties; 1 for light skin and 1 for medium to dark skin and has 50 ml of product and comes in a box.. It's oil fee.

I have a soft spot for essence packaging, as it's always so nice and colourful!

Here are the swatches:

 I know they look to light and too dark like that but believe me,  when you blend it on your skin, it will look very natural. In fact I also blended them for you guys so you can have an idea:

 Left side: medium to dark, right side: light

  Left side: medium to dark, right side: light

What it says:

Skin care that you can see, feel& smell ! 

The intensively caring moisturizer with a touch of make-up matches the skin tone perfectly -for a natural, flawless complexion. The formulation-enriched with peach seed oil & acai berry extract - cares, protects and supplies skin with moisture up to 24 hours. Light reflecting pigments give the skin a healthy and fresh glow. With protective uva/uvb filters and a fruity fragrance.

It also says on the product that peach seed oil insures soft and smooth skin and acai berry extract, which is rich in antioxidants, protects the skin from environmental damages.

What do I think ?

The smell is amazing! I applied it on my hand and I noticed I could still faintly smell it after an hour.

I love how my skin feels so moisturised and protected when I use it! I can also feel like my skin is breathing !

 Since I don't have problematic skin, I just wear it alone, but some might want to wear foundation over it. 

I will definitely buy this when mine finishes! Not sure when they will be available for sale, so will keep you updated!

Denise  o.b.o  The Fabulous Team XOX

Are you keeping your beauty resolutions?

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Good morning everyone!! 

Today’s post will be about something that (almost) everyone does at the end of the year . . . RESOLUTIONS!! 

Yes, I know we are already in March, but I know from personal experience that not everyone starts doing theirs from January 1^st . . . or even February . . .   Does that sound like you?  Don’t worry, nothing is lost! Start today!! 

I will be talking about beauty resolutions of course!! But first, I will tell you what my beauty resolutions were:

-         Apply a hair mask or almond oil every week

-         Get a trim every  4 months

-         Try using more natural beauty remedies (examples no shampoos etc)

-         Cleanse, tone and moisturise daily

-         Avoid using cleansing wipes

-         Moisture face and body daily

-         Scrub whole body twice a week

-         Scrub and apply face mask once or twice a week

-         Remove and apply a fresh coat of nail polish when the current polish is chipping

That sounds like a lot right? Some I’m already doing and some I’m working on :)  

Now I am going to write other resolutions that I could think of from other people’s experience.

Skin

I will take off my make-up every night

       -         Leaving on make-up overnight is a big beauty no-no, as it will clog pores and cause blemishes.            If you don’t like to fiddle with cleansers, at least keep a facial wash or keep cleansing wipes by your bed for those very late nights, though I would keep using cleansing wipes to a minimum.

I will exfoliate once a week

-         As we get older, skin gets more sluggish and dead skin cells can build up because the skin stops shedding as frequent as it did when we were younger. When you exfoliate, you are giving your skin a boost,  revealing a fresher surface below. Remember to use a scrub that is suitable for the delicate skin on your face.DON’T use a body scrub on your face.

I will moisture my skin daily

-         In the morning, you might be in a hurry and just slap on your make-up. Guys, how many seconds does applying a thin layer of moisturiser on your face before applying make-up take?? Besides keeping your skin smooth, and probably also protecting against harmful rays if it contains SPF, it makes blending foundation and concealer easier.

Make-up

I will spring-clean my make-up bag

-         Do you actually use that awesome shocking pink lipstick that you bought just because it’s pretty? Are you really using that mascara from a year ago? Ladies, every now and then, we do need to spring-clean our make-up case. Besides saving you time, it also clears up place for your new and fabulous make-up. I think it also makes sense to keep a separate bag where you keep you daily make-up essentials.

I will make use of my make-up brushes.

-         Some eye-shadows and blushers come with a small applicator. You know what I’m talking about? Good. Just don’t use them!! No, Seriously.

If you have as stash of make-up brushes but don’t use them, please start using them because they are designed to simplify things! Your make-up will look smoother and more precise. And don’t forget to clean them to avoid germs and infections!!

I will not cake it on

-         You may think that topping up your powder, blusher or powder during the day does not do any harm but unfortunately, by doing that, you risk clogging up your skin, lashes and lips. Combat shine with blotting papers, use a tinted lip balm rather than re-applying lipstick and apply mascara just to the tips of the lashes.

Hair

I will apply a hair mask every week

-         Frequent washing and styling mean our hair may loose its lustre. An intensive mask on a weekly basis will deeply moisture our hair making it more shiny and healthy.

I will protect my hair from styling

-         Using heat stylers on a regular basis will take its toll on your hair. The shaft of the hair becomes damaged as moisture evaporates and bursts through the surface, causing roughness and frizz – not nice. So it’s worth investing in a heat protecting lotion or spray!

I will get a trim more often

-         Split ends makes your hair look dull and if you don’t get them trimmed, it will go in deeper and you would have to cut more of your hair! So get those split ends trimmed.

Nails

I will stop biting my nails

-         Bitten nails are ugly so try very hard to give up this bad habit! Buy an anti-biting nail polish if you need. Also, keep an emery board in your hand bag so you can file any snags and resist the temptation to tidy the edges with your teeth!

I will take care of my cuticles

-         The skin around the nails tends to get a little abused, with all the hard work, harsh water and cold weather they are subject to. Rub cuticle oil on the skin and nails to hydrate them. And don’t cut your cuticle, just push it back!

I will allow time for polish to dry

-         Waiting for nail polish to dry is difficult, no matter how hard you try, but there is no excuse for messy nails. If you don’t like waiting, either use nail polishes that dry fast or use a quick-drying spray.

Please let me know about you beauty resolutions!!

Denise xx

Philips Lumea IPL hair removal system review

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Hi my lovelies :):)

We're having a nice day today but maybe we won't be showing any skin right now and some don't worry about body hair but I personally am NOT one of those persons!! I hate body hair (on women)!! Yes, even if it's winter.

Today I will be reviewing the Philips Lumea IPL hair removal which I have won in a Glamour magazine competition on August 2011. Why am I reviewing it now? I was a bit sceptical about this, so I made sure that I use it a lot so that I can really see if it works or not.

I think this must cost around 300 Euro, so that makes it the most expensive thing I have ever won (not that I've won much in the past haha . . .)

It comes complete with books and a CD with all the directions on how to use it. I made sure I read about it really well and also watched the CD and looked it up on the internet as well before using it, .after all it's a machine!!

 It's good even for sensitive areas, so you can use it on your legs, bikini line, underarms, stomach area and the arms. My version of the machine also has an attachment for the face area. I always use wax, so when I've read that in order for this machine to work, you need to shave, I was ready to put it back in the box and never look at it again!! But I decided to give it a try on my legs and underarms. For the rest, I'd rather stick to wax (or threading)

I really like the storage box!!

The machine is also really cute! It's cordless, so it's really comfortable. You also have a charger for it, which looks like a mobile charger.

It has 5 levels of power, the lowest being suitable for lighter skin and the highest being suitable for darker skin. This machine only works on dark blonde, brown and black hair. It won't work on red, light-blonde or white/grey hair. Philips Lumea is also not suitable for very dark skin.

So how does this work exactly?  

Philips Lumea applies gentle pulses of light to the hair root. This results in the hair shedding naturally and hair regrowth is inhibited. Repeating this treatment regularly will keep your skin smooth everyday.

You have to position it on your skin and when the back light saying  READY flashes green, it means you can press the button. It kind of stung a bit at the beginning, but you will get used to it fast.

For it to work, you need to use it every 2 weeks  for about at least 4 or 5 times to see result.

Did it work for me?

I used it every 2 weeks and sometimes 3 and 4 for some time and I can say I definitely saw some improvement. My hair took a bit longer to grow. But it still wouldn't stop growing. I'm not a hairy person, mind you. After using it, most of my underarm hair didn't grow back.

Now I haven't used it in a long time, but about a month ago, I decided to try it again and . . the hair on my legs ALMOST didn't grow back. Why almost? Because I actually thought it stopped growing cos I couldn't see any but I could see some when I looked at my foot from the side. YAYYY so finally it's really really working! The hair under my arms is still growin in patches but I won't give up :):)

IPL treatments cost a lot at clinics. But this machine is not cheap as well . . This is my review so you guys can decide if you want to purchase it or not. If it didn't come for free, I know I wouldn't have bought it for its price. But i'm not disappointed.

If you're afraid of using IPL yourself at home, I suggest you have it professionally done. I like to experiment so I was up for it hehe. .

That's all for the review then.

Denise xx