Review: Oilatum Natural Repair Face Cream

A few weeks ago my skin type changed dramatically (definitely blaming the weather...) and I went from Oily/Combination to Dry/Very Dry. Well I've never had dry skin in my life, that I can remember, so I was a bit stuck on what to do. My skin felt tight and looked ashy and flaky (gross!) so I felt I need to change up something ASAP. Knowing that both of the Pixiwoo sisters have dry skin I straight away thought of what they use, Embryolisse and Oilatum. Embryolisse is both out of my price range and hard to get hold of so I went for the Oilatum. I was extremely sceptical at first, as I usually use a mattifying moisturiser for shine control and I was worried about getting blackheads. The cream costs £7.65 from Boots, which is slightly over my ideal price of a drugstore face cream, but not too expensive.

The face cream comes in a 50ml tube, which is more hygienic than a tub and more travel-friendly. The cream is perfume, preservative and emulsifier free and is suitable for dry and sensitive skin. The cream has no scent at all which is great for people with sensitivity to fragrances.

Top: just out of the tube
Bottom: slightly rubbed in

The cream is relatively thick when dispensed, which I was worried about, but after waiting about 5 minutes after applying it it soaks in well and leaves the skin looking moisturised and glowing. It does leave a slight film over the skin, but this isn't really a problem, my make-up goes on really well over it. I've been using this for a week and I've noticed great improvement in my skin. On the packaging it claims that the cream 'penetrates deeply to intensively nourish irritating, dry & sensitive skin' and 'help repair your skin's natural barrier'. To be honest I usually take no notice of the claims on packaging as none of them are really noticeable. However, my skin surface has improved so much and any spots or blemishes I've had have cleared up much quicker than normal. Also, the tightness in my skin has gone and it looks much more moisturised and plump.
I think this is a fantastic cream, I can totally understand the hype around it.

If you have any questions about Oilatum Natural Repair Face Cream or you use it, let me know in the comments below.
Thanks,
  Cameron :)

My Favourite High Street Make-Up

I much prefer to save money when I can, going for the cheaper option if it works as well, So heres my top picks of high street make-up...

Foundation: Toss up between Bourjois and Revlon. Bourjois Healthy Mix (£9.99) is great for normal/dry skin who want a dewy finish, it goes on lovely and lasts well on the skin. Revlon Colorstay (£12.49) is fabulous for oily/combination skin, it prevents shine and lasts on the skin for ages, and it gives a medium-buildable coverage.

Concealer: I love the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer (£5.99). It is great for both under eye circles and blemishes, naturally concealing the areas without highlighting or looking cakey.

Contour: Sleek Contour Kit (£6.49), without a doubt. The kit comes in 3 different variations for different skin tones and includes a contour and an highlight to make sclupting your face easy.

Bronzer: Bourjois Delice De Poudre (£6.99) gives a lovely natural glow without being too orange or harsh.

Blush: Bourjois Cream Blushes (£7.99) are amazing, coming in a variety of shades to give a really nice subtle flush of colour.

Powder: Rimmel Stay Matte Powder (£3.99) is a great powder to keep you shine-free all day.

Mascara: Max Factor 2000 Calorie (£7.99) is my all time favourite, it gives great volume and length, without being clumpy or flaky.

Eyeliner: Maybelline Gel Liner (£7.99) is great for fine or thick lining and lasts all day. The Avon Supershock Gel Eyeliner Pencils (£6) are also great, for the waterline and creating smokey liner looks.

Eyeshadow: The Sleek I-Divine (£7.99) palettes are without a doubt my favourite eyeshadows. They are super-pigmented with great staying power and the wide range of palettes means you can find one to suit any tastes.

Lipstick: Rimmel do fantastic lipsticks, especially their Moisture Renew (£6.49) range, giving great colour, finish and moisture.

Lip Liner: Rimmel 1000 Kisses (£2.99) are my favourite lip liners. They have a easy-to-apply creamy consistency and come in a wide range of colours.

If you have any questions or want to let me know your favourite high street make-up, write in the comments below
Thanks,
  Cameron :)

Winter Hand Care

My hands are definitely one of the first things that suffer as soon as winter hits. They get dry, cold and cracked which makes them look a bit lifeless and aged. I try to moisturise them as much as I can, to prevent white, flaky hands.

Firstly, I apply a light hand moisturiser as often as I remember. I try to get into a habit of putting it on, like every hour or after every time I wash my hands. I use either The Body Shop Almond Hand & Nail Cream (From £5) as it smells so nice and also helps strengthen your nails, or Neutrogena Fast Absorbing Hand Cream (£4.09 From Superdrug).

Also, once or twice a week I exfoliate my hands with The Body Shop Peppermint Smoothing Pumice Foot Scrub (£7) and then slather on a heavy-duty moisturiser (I use The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector (From £5)). I then put on some cotton moisturising gloves and sleep with them overnight. This gives your hand a more intensive treatment, removing all of the dead cells and heavily re-moisturising.

If your hands are really bad you could try filing off the hard skin with an emery board and heavily applying a thick cream such as sudocrem overnight to soften the skin. It may also be worth switching hand-wash to one which states is skin friendly or moisturising.

If you have any more hand care tips let me know in the comments below!
Thanks,
  Cameron :)

Men's Beauty: Review: BaByliss For Men I-Stubble+ 7895U

I've wanted one of these for ages, so when I saw they were 1/3 off in Argos I decided to treat myself. The I-Stubble is a stubble trimmer, with an LCD display and cutting length choice ranging from 0.4mm to 5mm.

In the box you get the stubble trimmer, power cable, lubricating oil, cleaning brush and a 2-pin socket adapter. I know it's being picky but I'm glad they included the adapter, because there has been times before when I've not been able to charge stuff because I knew nothing about needing an adapter (I'm looking at you, Oral B Electric toothbrush.)

The shape and size of the trimmer is great. It fits nicely in the hand, is a good weight and it's designed in a way that you don't press the buttons when you're using it. The device has an on/off button and and up and down button, which changes the length it cuts at. the trimmer goes from 0.4mm to 2.0mm in 0.2mm increments and from 2.0mm to 5.0mm in 0.5mm increments.

Top: Cutting guard normal
Bottom: Cutting guard clipped back

As you change the cutting length the floating head of the device extends or withdraws. You can also clip the cutting guard back and just use the blade to cut hair precisely or give definitive lines.

So, after getting the I-Stubble out of the packaging and charging it for 16 hours (as told in instructions) I gave it a go. I think it's really great, it glides very smoothly over the skin and is very comfortable. The floating contouring head makes it really easy to trim the hairs evenly over the face, and all in all it took me about a minute to use, much quicker than wet-shaving. Overall I think this is a great product for anyone who wants that 'designer stubble', 5-o-clock shadow or rugged look. For only £40 in Argos I think it's well worth it!

If you have any questions about the I-Stubble or you have got one too, comment below!

Thanks,

Cameron :)

My Everyday Makeup

I go through alot of phases with everyday makeup and at the moment I'm aiming for a more natural look. I've opted for more sheerer bases and less harsh contouring and eyes, and here's the products I'm using at the moment.

Face:
Foundation: Mac Face and Body (C2) - Stippled on with a Crown Brush C439
Under Eye Concealer: Garnier Roll on - Buffed in with a Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush
Blemish Concealer: Bourjois Happy Light Concealer (21 Ivoire) - Stippled on with a Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush
Contour: Illamasqua Cream Pigment (Hollow) - Stippled/Buffed with Real Techniques Exprert Face Brush (Nose contour applied with Crown Brush SS021)
Powder: Clinique Blended Face Powder (08 Transparency Neutral) - Pushed on with Real Techniques Powder Brush (Kryolan Anti-Shine Powder applied on T-Zone)
Bronzer: Clinique Superbalanced Powder Bronzer (Bronzed 1) [discontinued] - Brushed over high points of face with Real Techniques Blush Brush

Eyes:
Eyeliner: Maybelline Master Drama Khol Liner in (Brown & Black (Mainly Use Brown)) - Applied with cheap angled brush from eBay
Eyelash Curlers: QVS Ergonomic Eyelash Curler
Mascara: Max Factor 2000 Calorie (Brown/Black) - Combed through with Real Techniques Lash/Brow Groomer
Eyebrows: Maybelline Brow Drama (Dark Brown)

Lips: Maybelline Baby Lips Peach Kiss

And I end up looking something like this...

If you have any questions about any of the products I use comment below!

Thanks,

Cameron :)

My 5 Favourite: Lip Care Products

With winter here and the weather getting colder and windier it's much more important to protect your lips. Personally I wear lip balm all year round as I hate the feeling of dry or flaking lips. After trying a lot of lip products these are the best of the bunch, in my opinion.

Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm (£3.69 from Boots)

No top 5 lip care post would be complete without this! This is a hardcore lip balm which works wonders during the winter months. The thick, waxy consistency protects the lips well and soothes any cracks you have. You can tell by the state of mine in the picture that it is definitely a well loved product, and is always in my bag through the cold weather.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Moisturizing Lip Balm (£1.89 from Boots)

This lip balm is slightly more creamy than the Burt's Bees and has an AMAZING scent. It feels relatively light on the lips and contains SPF15, so it's perfect for the summer.

The Body Shop Coconut Lip Butter (£4.00 from The Body Shop)

This is far less waxy than the lip balms and It'd do little in terms of protection. However, this is a fantastic moisturiser. I slather it on my lips at night before bed, to put some hydration back into them. It goes on a little white, but soon melts into the lips and feels great.

The Body Shop Honeymania Lip Balm (£4.00 from The Body Shop)

This lip balm has a really nice scent and the consistency is similar to the Burt's bees one. However, I only really use this at home, as I find the pot is a bit annoying to carry around. I've got into a good habit though of applying it every time I go into my bedroom. It leaves my lips nice and smooth with a subtle sheen.

Maybelline Baby Lips Peach Kiss (£2.99 from Boots)

This lip balm is slightly tinted with a tiny amount of shimmer. It feels light on the lips and makes them look great without any drastic colour change. The formulation isn't amazingly protecting against cold weather, but it does contain SPF20 so it's great for summer.

Tip: Lightly brush your lips with a toothbrush to remove any flaking skin before moisturising, lips will feel much smoother!

If you have any questions about any of these products, or you have any suggestions of good lip care products I should try, let me know in the comments below!

Thanks,

  Cameron :)

Review: Crest 3D Professional Effects Whitestrips

For ages I've wanted my teeth to be whiter, so a while ago I switched to an electric toothbrush and a whitening toothpaste but not much changed. I am quite good at looking after my teeth, flossing every day and brushing 2+ times per day. However, as a smoker (I know, very bad habit...) I'm always going to end up with stains and discolouration. In the past I've tried out whitening kits with the gel in plastic gum shields, I found them very uncomfortable, produced little change and they left me with very sensitive teeth! I've seen a lot of positive reviews of Crest Whitestrips on the internet and thought I'd try them out. I decided to get the 'Professional Effects' variation as they are the strongest, and I want the stains gone as much as possible. I got 20 pouches (recommended) for around £40 on eBay. The price is a little bit steep, but if they work, it's much cheaper than paying £200+ to get them whitened by a dentist.

Each pouch contains 2 strips, one longer for the top teeth, and a shorter one for the bottom teeth. The strips are clear in colour, and when peeled of the backing plastic one side is coated in a sticky gel. You press the strips on your teeth, and then fold the excess over your teeth and press that to the back. The strips stick really well and aren't that noticeable in your mouth, you can still talk very easily, I think you can eat and drink with them in, but I wouldn't recommend it. You leave the strips on for 30 minutes and then peel them off, they leave little to no residue, and any that is left behind can easily be brushed off with a toothbrush.

With strips on

After using these for 3 days (I did them for 60 minutes a day, because I'm too impatient...) I noticed big changes, the stains on my teeth had reduced a lot and they were less grey and they looked more opaque. About 3 hours after using the strips I did experience a little sensitivity, but nothing major and brushing my teeth with a sensitive toothpaste sorted it out immediately. After 20 days my teeth were noticeably whiter and about 90% of stains were gone, as you can see in the pictures below...

OMG I can't believe my teeth were ever that bad! looking at the comparison picture I think I can safely say the product is amazing! I will definitely be using them when my teeth start looking gross again. For only £40 I think the difference they have made is great, I'm so glad I took the plunge and bought them.

If you have any questions, or you have tried out these whitestrips, leave me a comment below!

Thanks,

  Cameron :)