Author: Reviewed by Hanna

The Perfect Gradual Tan

Reviewed by HannaLeave a comment

The moisturising gradual tan cream without the usual tacky afterfeel, providing the perfect tan colour on first application!

Why did I decide to buy this gradual self-tanner?

TAN • MOISTURISE • NO RUB-OFF

My legs are lily white, so I’ve always loved the idea of a tan in a bottle but all the self tans I’ve tried have felt tacky after application, they’ve had an odd smell about them and they end up rubbing off on my clothes or bedding! So I just avoid them and instead, wear trousers or maxi dresses / skirts so I don’t show my legs.

What does the Skinny Tan Gradual Tanner claim to do?

Here’s a short extract from the Skinny Tan website about their gradual tan product:

“Our original colour-free lotion is the best gradual tan around (in our humble opinion) as unlike other gradual tanners, it’s formulated with 99% naturally derived ingredients and a subtle gradual tanning agent to build up an everyday natural bronze glow!“

So, what’s the word online about the Skinny Tan Gradual Tanner?

Looking on the Boots.com website, there are a few reviews and most are positive – with people claiming that the product: gave them a nice colour; was easy to apply; was streak free; didn’t have any nasty smells. Then there were a small number of negative reviews claiming that the product: did smell horrible; was streaky; was hard and time-consuming to spread into the skin and; wore off in patches!

What was my thoughts of the Skinny Tan Gradual Tanner?

LOVED IT! Loved that this is a cream base rather than lotion, as it was much easier to apply to the skin and also made my skin feel moisturised.

Application of Skinny Tan Gradual Tanner

There was a smell of coconut which was very subtle upon application but none of the usual nasty self-tan smells. And, I loved the colour of the tan the next day (8 hours later) which lasted a few days without having to reapply.

Before & After Applying Gradual Tanner

I have noticed that the gradual tanner does fade / wear-off in patches after a few days, but this is without any re-application and to be honest, I expect most self tans do this!

Did the Skinny Tan Gradual Tanner meet my expectations?

No, because I was expecting the usual tanning lotion which, by the way, this is NOT a negative comment! So, to add to this, would I buy it again? 100% YES, and I have already recommended it to my friends, family and colleagues!

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OSKIA London Restoration Oil

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A facial oil to help hydrate, sooth and replenish skin for a much more healthy and radiant looking complexion!

I got a small sachet sample of the OSKIA London Restoration Oil with my last skicare purchase from ‘Face the Future’ and figured I would try it out and include it within my current skincare regime!

The smell of the facial oil reminded me of pamper sessions, where they’d use aromatherapy oils – so the smell was really nice. The oil itself, you really didn’t need to use very much, a little really did go a long way.

How did it make my skin feel? Super soft and glowing. It also worked really well with my current Jan Marini skincare routine – I needed even less of my current moisturiser.

Of course, I only had a very small sample of this oil, so I can’t really give this a proper review! But it did smell lovely, made my face feel hydrated and I didn’t need to use much.

So, for me, this seems to be a good facial oil and does appear to live up to its claim:

“A beautiful, delicate blend of nutrients, floral oils & extracts to help restore the skin’s youthful vitality. High tech natural actives and oils, from African Acmella, Lupin, Sea Fennel, Heart Seed Vine, Turmeric, Starflower, Rose Hip Seed & Evening Primrose, help soothe, hydrate and replenish, improving elasticity and reducing the appearance of fine lines for a healthy, radiant complexion.“

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The Cream Moisturiser Full of Natural Oils

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A natural, creamy moisturiser with a subtle sweet fragrance to help hydrate and moisturise dry skin.

Why did I decide to try out this type of product?

DEHYDRATED • ITCHY • DRY SKIN

Occasionally, my skin gets very dry and itchy, especially on my sides and chest. I’m not great at remembering to moisturise daily, so my skin was probably a tad bit dehydrated. After receiving this moisturiser from MooGoo, as a free gift with my last order, I thought I’d give it a go!

What are the claims of the MooGoo Full Cream Moisturiser?

Here’s a short extract from the MooGoo website:

“We made this delicious moisturiser full of natural oils that are high in the types of fatty acids that healthy skin needs. These help to hydrate, moisturise and pamper dry skin. We also chucked in some Milk Protein to help increase skin elasticity which keeps skin looking young, supple and s-MOO-th, and everyone loves that.“

So, what’s the word online?

After looking on the Holland & Barrett website, I found a fair few reviews with people saying that it worked great for their eczema, the moisturiser soaked into their skin really well and it helped with their dry, sensitive skin. Then there was a small handful who thought the moisturiser was really greasy and that they didn’t like the smell!

What was my initial thoughts?

The packaging is clean and clear, which reflects the company’s image of having a very natural and gentle product range.

I absolutely love the smell of this moisturiser. It has a very natural, creamy, coconut smell to it and felt really nice on my skin.

Did the MooGoo Full Cream Moisturiser meet my expectations?

Yes. This moisturiser smells lovely. It was easy to apply to my skin due to being a nice creamy cream rather than a lotion, and it soaked in really well – making my skin feel silky and hydrated.

The Creamy Cream Moisturiser

I did try applying this moisturiser to “damp skin after washing“, as suggested by the directions, but that really didn’t work for me. Maybe I should have towelled off a bit more, who knows, but I would rather stick to applying it to dried skin than damp!

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Enhancing Eyebrows using Tattoo Goo

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Once I’ve applied my foundation, I then use a lotion called Tattoo Goo to clean the foundation off of my tattooed eyebrows, making them stand out.

I got my eyebrows tattooed by a local beautician nearly 1 year ago and it was one of the best decisions I made but a few months after having them done I started to notice that they were looking a bit pale!

Now, most other people probably know that if you apply foundation to your eyebrows, then you need to clear it off, but me being me, I completely forgot this part!

I came across a video on YouTube that showed a lady cleaning foundation off of her eyebrows using a cotton bud and water, which then gave me the idea of using Tattoo Goo rather than water to do this.

Not only did the Tattoo Goo clean the foundation off my brows nicely and help to enchance them, but it is also recommended to use regularly on all tattoos to maintain and enhance the colour. So I guess it’s a win win!

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Jan Marini Skin Care Management System

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I have used the Jan Marini Bioglycolic® Face Cleanser on and off for the last few years, after a skin clinic recommended it to me for clearing up my stubborn acne. The cleanser has always done such an amazing job of clearing my acne, but then I’d stop using it, and slowly, my acne would return!

About 2 months ago, I started using the cleanser again after other premium skincare products failed to work, making me feel like a complete mess on school runs, and I just wanted to hide away at work.

As expected, my acne has massively reduced but the redness was/is still apparent! This being why I decided to try out the Jan Marini Skin Care Management System for normal / combination skin.

The Jan Marini Skin Care Management System comprises of the Bioglycolic® Face Cleanser, a C-ESTA Serum, a Bioclear Lotion, Bioclear Cream and an Antioxidant Daily Face Protectant with SPF 30.

With the exception of the Antioxidant Daily Face Protectant and the Bioclear Lotion (for the 1st week of using the system), I use the Jan Marini products in the morning and the evening and so far, have been using the system for less than 1 week. Already, I have noticed that any spots that do appear are small and go just as quickly as they appear and that the redness on my face is slowly fading. Another positive is that you don’t need to use much of the products as coverage is brilliant with just a small amount!

I know it’s early days, but I expect to see improvements accelerate when I start using the Bioclear lotion day and night and I look forward to feeling more confident and not have to wear so much foundation.

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Reduce Fine Lines & Minimise Pores by Changing Just One Product in your Skin Care Regime

Reviewed by Hanna1 Comment

I am a 30 odd year old female and have decided that it would probably be a good idea to start including anti-aging products in to my skin care regime before it becomes a bit too late!

My morning skin care regime is pretty simple – wipe over my face with a face wipe, splash my face with warm water, moisturise my face and neck with a day cream and then apply my primer and foundation.

As part of a SuperSavvyCircle project, I have been sent the Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Age-Defying day moisturiser to try out for myself in return for feedback. My initial thoughts were that the moisturiser smelt really nice, was a nice consistency and absorbed into my skin perfectly – no need to wait too long before applying my primer. It was also easy to control how much cream was pumped out of the bottle, I only needed about half a pump.

After 7 days, I noticed that the fine lines around my eyes were reduced and the pores on my cheeks were greatly minimised (as you can see from the photos below). I did have to check that my phone didn’t have some sort of filter on, which it didn’t, as I was shocked by the results!

Based on my results, I will be purchasing the Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 day moisturiser as well as the night cream and I would defiantly recommend the Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 day moisturiser to anyone looking for a cream to help reduce fine lines and minimise pores.

About Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Age-Defying Moisturiser

The Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Age-Defying Moisturiser now contains 40% more of Vitamin B3, Pro-Vitamin B5 and Vitamin E, providing your skin care routine with a healthy boost and targets 7 key areas:

  • Minimising lines by visibly reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
  • Nourishing moisturisation to give a radiant glow
  • Tone enhancement to balance skin tone colour and visibly reduce the appearance of age spots
  • Gentle exfoliation which smoothes and evens skin texture
  • Pore refinement to minimise the appearance of pores
  • Antioxidants that helps to prevent free radical damage to the skin’s surface layers
  • Subtle firming action which hydrates the skin giving a firmer feel.
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Pantene Pro-V Micellar Purify & Nourish

Reviewed by Hanna1 Comment

You know that feeling you get when you change shampoo and conditioner and the first wash makes your hair feel amazing but subsequent washes just don’t have that same affect? Well… Pantene’s new Pro-V Micellar shampoo and conditioner has made my hair feel like the first wash every time!

I am one of the lucky 5,000 savvy circlers to be chosen to try out the new Pantene Pro-V Micellar Purify & Nourish shampoo, conditioner and foam conditioner which is meant to “purify and nourish hair without stripping its natural nutrients” and “provides all the strength our hair needs without the weight”.

I LOVE the Pantene Micellar shampoo, it lathers up really well and once washed out my hair felt squeaky clean. The Pantene Micellar conditioner was great too, once washed off my hair felt so soft and silky. Both products had, what I call, the distinctive Pantene scent.

Before and After Photos of using the Pantene Pro-V Micellar Shampoo and Conditioner

Also, I found that when it came to straighten my hair it was a lot easier and quicker to straighten and my hair felt smooth afterwards.

Although the shampoo and conditioner were great, the new Pantene foam conditioner wasn’t so good. Applying it to my hair was easy, it washed out fine and my hair felt silky and smelt lovely but within less than 24 hours my hair felt greasy!

I suffer with spots in my scalp but since using the Pantene Micellar shampoo and conditioner the amount of spots I have has dramatically reduced.

When talking to other people about Pantene I was surprised at how many of them didn’t rate it, with one person saying that their hair dresser told them not to use Pantene because it’s not good for their hair!

Personally, I like Pantene and have never experienced any problems with the brand and will continue to use their products, in between trying out new hair care products.

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The Batiste Hair Product Range

Reviewed by HannaLeave a comment

As a BzzAgent I am sent new products to sample and review, one of which was the Batiste Strength & Shine Dry Shampoo, Batiste Smoothing Conditioning Mist and Batiste XXL Volumising Plumping Powder.

I have used dry shampoo in the past but never been too sure about the stuff and with regards to the conditioning mist and plumping power, I can’t ever recall seeing these before but I am very keen on trying out the plumping powder.

Batiste Strength & Shine Dry Shampoo

My initial thought of the Batiste Strength & Shine Dry Shampoo was that it smelt very nice but with that being said I am not keen on dry shampoo in general, reasons being:

  • It makes my hair look grey and dull, I know that for some people this is all the rage but it’s not for me!
  • I feel as though I’m being suffocated in a cloud of chemical powder – my lungs and everything in the room ends up being coated in the stuff.
  • It would be easier for me to wash my hair with shampoo and conditioner then it would be to dry my hair after a showering just so that I can apply the dry shampoo. I don’t think appying dry shampoo to wet hair would work out very well!

Batiste Smoothing Conditioning Mist

My hair has been looking very dry and fly-away. Usually I would tie my hair back into a ponytail or if I wasn’t being lazy, I would use a leave in conditioner or hot oils but to be honest most of the time I forget or just haven’t got the time!

Prior to Batiste Smoothing Conditioning Mist, if I wanted to get rid of fly-aways I would use a hair serum but I get a bit trigger happy with the pump and end up using way too much serum which then makes my hair look very greasy.

My first thought of the Batiste Smoothing Conditioning Mist was ‘can a conditioning mist really put condition back into my hair and get rid of my fly-aways?’. Well… as you can see from the before and after photos below I personally would say yes, you can get a good conditioner using this spray – my hair felt soft, silky and smooth.

conditioning-spray

Batiste XXL Volumising Plumping Powder

Before using Batiste XXL Volumising Plumping Powder, if I wanted volume in my hair I would back-comb it and spray a fair amount of hair spray in my hair. This would cause so much discomfort when it came to brushing it all out, and not even washing it prior to combing would help ease the pain! So using the Batiste XXL Volumising Plumping Powder made it so much easier and less time consuming.

On receiving my Batiste XXL Volumising Plumping Powder and reading how it works, I was very sceptical. So after washing, blow drying and straightening my hair I applied the plumping powder using four simple steps:

  • Separate the sections of hair where I wanted to add the volume
  • Sprinkle in a very small amount of the powder
  • Lightly rub in the powder
  • Then style!

Once the powder was in my hair the texture felt a bit odd to touch, as though it would dry out my hair, but it did the job of giving volume which lasted all day.

volumising-powder

When it came to combing the product out, it wasn’t anywhere as bad as combing out back-combed hair but you could still feel the residue of the product in your hair. If you were to wash your hair first, then the product would just wash away instead of having that pulling feeling when you combed it out.

Conclusion

Dry Shampoo: Whether its Batiste or any other brand, I would not buy this again. I would prefer to wash my hair with actual shampoo.

Dry Conditioning Mist: I would recommend this product, it does what it says and doesn’t give you that greasy feeling or look that some other products do, such as hair serum.

Volumising Plumping Powder: I would highly recommend this product and will definitely be buying it again.

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Nioxin Diaboost: The Hair Thickening Treatment

Reviewed by Hanna2 Comments

A new hair thickening treatment from Nioxin that is supposed to target and increase the diameter of each hair strand making the hair look thicker, more manageable and stronger against breakages from the very first use.  The link below is a great demonstration from Nioxin on how to apply the Diaboost to wet hair and demonstrate what you should be able to achieve by applying the product to one side of the head so you can see the results for yourself.

My Thoughts on the Product

On receiving my Nioxin Diaboost trial kit from SuperSavvyMe SavvyCircle, I thought the product was packaged nicely. SuperSavvyMe supplied their usual insiders information booklet which had some great tips and info on the product.

The treatment itself looks as though it’s a serum, which it isn’t, and using a pump spray it was easy to apply to the hair – wet or dry. The product didn’t leave my hair feeling or looking greasy but did require massaging into the scalp until the hair felt dry (if applying to dry hair).

On applying the product to the hair you get this really nice smell, a smell that I have always associated with a top hair salons – and I’m not talking about the horrible smell of perms and peroxide! After massaging the product into the hair, I couldn’t quite see the volume but could feel that it felt thicker when combing the hair. My hair felt and looked so much smoother and I found that I could use it every day without it making my hair greasy.

What Other People Thought

The feedback I have had from friends and family, who sampled the Nioxin Diaboost treatment, was that it made their hair feel and look a lot softer and that the treatment smells really nice. As you can see from all the before and after photos below, their hair looks so much smoother and less fly-away.

nioxon-hair

With photo #2, this lady was very concerned about her hair being thin and you can see in the after photo the crown is less visible, and photo #6 looks so much more thicker.

But the feedback about the £39.99 price tag did make people think again about purchasing the product despite some of the obvious advantages!

Conclusion

Would I purchase this product? Well… yes and no! It did make my hair feel thicker and made it look and feel smoother but I don’t know if I would personally spend £40 on a hair product. That being said, if my hair was thin or in bad condition then yes I probably would buy it.

*Prices were correct as of 16/04/2016