Thursday 13 December 2012

Bronze Universal - Soleil Tan de Chanel

Soleil Tan de Chanel or Bronze Universal as it's well known has taken the beauty community by storm, we've all heard of it and I must admit as soon as I saw Zoe from Zoella blog about it I wanted to get my hands on the little luxury bronzer for myself! It's not just the expensive and classy packaging that managed to reel me in, but I was also in the market for a new bronzer as I had sadly misplaced my Benefit hoola bronzer :( so what better opportunity to pop into my nearest department store and add this wonderful little treasure to my collection?


If only it were that easy, sadly every single time I went into Debenhams to buy Bronze Universal, id be told it was out of stock, I was absolutely gutted, but what do you expect from a popular product? All was not lost though, I went on holiday to Dubai  and searched high and low for it there, I went to every chanel counter I could find, and finally after what seemed like a mission impossible I was finally the proud owner of this troublesome little beauty product! I'm babbling on though, so on to the review !



I'll be honest, I really didn't want to ruin the beautiful swirl in the tub, is that a bit sad? But I guess it's not going to remain perfectly untouched forever! I was worried about the colour at first, hoping it wasn't going to show up too dark or 'muddy' looking as some bronzers have the tendency to do that, I also didn't want to end up with a luminescent orange glow on my face! So, armed with my Chanel kabuki brush I sabotaged the swirly surface and buffed it into my cheek bones after applying my foundation, this wasn't the best idea as the chanel brush contains natural hair which shed into the bronzer, not good! So next I opted for my mac 188 brush as it has synthetic fibers which don't usually shed, this was perfect! The bronzer wasn't too harsh, and i had an airbrushed bronze glow. I instantly fell in love with the product as a little goes a long way, the texture is like a dense, creamy mousse, when i wipe my finger across it melts to the consistency of cream foundation.


Ergh, not as charming with brush hairs lurking in there is it?

It's perfect for my NC20 - 25 skin tone, and didn't break me out, despite the hefty price tag  for 30g of whipped goodness it won't break the bank as it lasts so long. Definitely worth the investment in my opinion, I also think it would suit really pale to deep olive complexions as you can apply it as sheer as you like, but it still looks natural.

Hope you enjoyed my review xo



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Friday 7 December 2012

The Body Shop Vitamin C Microdermabrasion review



This is something I had been meaning to purchase for such a long time, as I'm a huge fan of The Body Shop and had heard great things about this product. I eventually gave in and handed over my £10 note ( it was on offer that day, the usual RTP is £13 ) hoping I wasn't going to end up regretting it and leave this little treasure hiding in the back of a rejected beauty buys drawer somewhere.

The Body Shop says:
Fine exfoliating micro particles and crushed garnet stones remove dead skin cells to reveal a brighter, more radiant complexion
  • Micro beads gently buff away dull skin cells
  • Leaves skin feeling fresh and smooth
  • Enhances skin’s natural radiance

    Weekly home-spa exfoliation. With vitamin c rich Amazonian camu camu and community trade shea butter.

Let's just say, I couldn't agree more! It left my skin feeling instantly smooth and clean. The product itself is quite grainy as you'd expect an exfoliator to be, however unlike other exfoliators I've tried in the past, the beads are much smaller, and there's a lot more of them. It resembles the texture of sand, and holds its shape after being squeezed out of the tube. One of the first things I noticed when rubbing it into my face was the smell, it's very fruity and citrusy which I like, especially in the morning to wake me up!




You don't need much at all, I used a pea sized amount for my whole face, it definitely goes a long way! Comparing the performance to other exfoliators I've tried, it definitely lasts a lot longer in the cleansing process, ever noticed how sometimes in other exfoliators the beads just disappear after a while? This isn't an issue I have with the microdermabrasion and I noticed a difference in my skin straight a way, albeit a slight difference. But after six weeks of using this on my skin, twice a week my skin was looking more radiant, refreshed, even in tone and my pores were clear!





Over all, I rate this product a 5/5 I'm going to be purchasing it again as it has lasted me months!
I definitely recommend it, however Id look out for when The body shop do discounts to save a little money.

Pros:
  • You only need a small amount
  • Results are seen pretty much instantly
  • The beads do a great job of buffing away dead skin cells, and don't rub off quickly like most exfoliators do in the cleansing process
  • The scent is nice
  • It's great for most skin types, if you have sensitive skin I probably wouldn't use it twice a week, however my skin is very sensitive to a lot of products and this didn't sting or cause breakouts for me
  • I would definitely recommend it to friends
  • Already, both my sisters and mum really like it as they've pinched it a few times ;)
  • Perfect for the winter months to revive dull looking dry skin
  • I've noticed it helps other products work a lot better, such as moisturisers and cleanser

    • The packaging is hygienic and easy to control how much product you want

Cons:
  • A bit on the pricey side for an exfoliator, but it isn't really a con in my opinion as it lasts so long !


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