Was it worth the wait?

Hi everyone,

I know that the blogging world has been bombarded with reviews about Liz Earle's Skin tint over the past month or so. Personally I don't mind reading loads of reviews because they help me decide whether a product will suit me and is worth the money, the reviews of course need to be honest!
I was lucky enough to be sent the Skin tint in Bare 01. The other shades are Beige 02 and beach 03.
As a lot of other bloggers have found the Skin Tint seems to of created a whole new category for it's self. It's not a foundation or a tinted moisturiser it is just as it says a Sheer Skin Tint.

You get shade samples when you buy from Liz Earle web site

For quite a long time I have stuck to mineral foundations and still use them now. I had trouble finding a liquid foundation that I couldn't feel on the skin and to be honest I can feel Skin tint, I do not know if this is because I chose to test it out when we were having the Indian summer at the end of September ( What was that about?). However that is the only downside and one that I am happy to over look. The match is perfect, no tide marks eurgh! It leaves a amazing healthy glow on the skin that does not make you look sweaty like some can do. And most of all the coverage can be tailored to what you are looking for. I have stuck to one application because I want it to be what it is, Sheer.
It is a perfect base for that no make up look.

A description from Liz Earle

The perfect way to enhance your skin. Our rich and creamy, yet lightweight formula leaves all skin types looking naturally dewy, even and radiant. With mineral UV SPF15, it’s enriched with our own blend of natural source vitamin E, borage and avocado, specially selected to work in harmony with our skincare range.

Apply a little Sheer Skin Tint onto forehead, nose, cheeks and chin, then blend with fingertips over your face.

Overall It will stay in my make up bag and when it runs out I would purchase it for myself because lets face it you can't go wrong with Liz Earle. I am hoping that there is going to be more additions to the make up side now.

£ 21 for 40 ml

Link to Liz

Teenage dreams

In just under 2 months I will be 28, a grown up...to some degree. Yet I still suffer from spots on my face, ones that no concealer invented can cover some times. Yes I did think that I would be past this stage by now but I am sure that the amount of pain killers ect I am on don't help and my skin is getting a little bit cheesed off at time.

When I was younger I was under the impression that to get rid of spots you needed to first strip your skin of any natural oils or moisture that showed themselves. Then I would rub on toner that stung so bad I thought I had used paint stripper and then the final step was spot gel but no moisturiser. Every thing I did was wrong and I now wonder why my spots were not worse, they deserved to be lol

                                                     
When I feel the first throb and bump under my skin these days I go gentle with my skin care.
I cleanse with a cream cleanser, my favourite is a icon any way and needs no explaining I am sure.
Liz Earle Cleanse and polish cleans my skin properly whilst feeding my skin and keep the moisture levels up. Using the Muslin cloth gently gets rid of each dry layer as the spot breaks through and dry's up.
A gentle skin refresher follows just to get rid of any remaining cleanser.

I then use a tea tree Gel on the spot. Not only is it anti bacterial so stops the spot getting worse it also clears up the spot as it goes. I like Superdrug Tea tree range, it's purse friendly and it works but seems more gentle than some out there.
Once that dries I use Liz Earle's Skin repair moisturiser. I am normally the oily version but when I have bad skin I opt for Dry/ sensitive to be gentle.

The final step in my routine and the one that scares who ever sees me is my Sudecreme face mask. I just apply a layer of Sudecreme over the spotty area to protect the skin and it does clear spots up super fast! You do look like a horror film extra though so be warned lol

Hope you all find this helpful. Leave me a comment below if you have any recommendations

Sam x

sorry there is no photo of Cleanse and Polish but I have ran out !

A time to relax....with Liz Earle

I have been on a little bit of a mission lately, to try and recreate the spa feeling at home.

I don't know about any one else but I have not really had any spare pennies to indulge in treatments when ever I have been feeling a bit stressed, which has been quite often of late.

I did a review on a facial I had and loved at my local beauty shop but not only is it nice to keep these things for a really special treat it is hard to afford the upkeep of one or two a month.

This is where a little box of tricks comes in to it.

The normal check list of recreating a spa like feel at home starts with nice smelling candles,

Then followed by bubble bath, may be a face mask and some relaxing music.

This is all great but after I have done all this I start to feel a bit bored and start with the ordinary mundane thing of getting washed, I am really odd in the fact that I can't just get out of a bubble bath without a good scrub first.

The thing is this can be relaxing too!

Starting at the top with a face massage, grab a cream cleanser. My favourite is Liz Earle cleanse and polish.

Massage in slow motion around your face paying attention to your forehead where all the stress builds up. Not only is this relaxing and almost sends me to sleep but because of the steam and taking the cleanser off with the muslin cloth it is a really good deep facial.

If you have not tried Liz Earle before why not get the Essentials Try me kit?

 For £22.25 which is less than what you would pay for a facial you get

30 ml of the Cleanse and polish, I would say this will do at least 6  facials

50 ml of the instant boost skin tonic, This can be used two ways, While enjoying a soak put two cotton wool pads with this tonic on over your eyes to soothe and de-puff and it smells great too. You also use it as a toner at the end of your spa time just to freshen and soothe the skin.

In this little green bag you get a choice of moisturiser too, either normal/comb or dry/sensitive

The moisturiser will last ages and it makes doing a home facial very economical.

If you are any thing like me you will also have a stock of the full sizes too, who said you can't have a spa day every day?

I will be buying one of these kits to tuck into my over night bag when I get married as after a long day I think I will need all the help I can get to look normal the day after lol 

Next time I will be trying a good old body scub and body wash, can some thing so normal have a spa feeling?

Sam x

Spa pic at top credited to ambientmusicgarden.com

The Liz Earle photo was taken with my own fair hands

Get Liz Earle @ uk.lizearle.com

I dare to bare!

No not in that way ladies!!  How rude lol
I have read a lot of blogs on here, like mine on which they review make up and skin care, but I have not seen a lot of photo's showing the writers natural- make up free face, so we know exactly the canvas that they are working with. For all we know they could have model perfect skin with out a shadow or spot in sight... I am not saying this is true for all bloggers but you never know do you?
Well today I am being brave and I have taken a photo of my face totally bare and totally unflattering so you can all see my flaws so when I write about how a product has worked for me you can see the evidence.
So here it goes...gulp....

 As you can see I have shiny skin, not too many spots at the moment , the only wrinkles that I have are on my forehead, I must frown too much lol As you can see my biggest thing to contend with complexion wise are the big black circles that I have, not just under my eyes but my entire eye lid! Panda eyes take on a new meaning for me.
Now I have gotten that out of the way I can move forward. Do I feel better for it hmmm maybe I hope I can get a reputation on being honest.

Now hoping that you are thinking...hey her skin ain't all bad I experimented with my camera(I'm still learning) and took a photo of my skin care of choice at the moment. I have bought all of them apart from a small eye cream sample.

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish
Elemis Tri-enzyme facial wash
Liz Earle gentle Exfoliator
Elemis Gentle toner
Bliss Deep clean mask
and Elemis Pro collagen Marine cream and Creme de la mer eye cream


What products are you loving at the moment? Would you publish a photo of yourself make up free?

What ever your thoughts let me know!

Get Liz Earle at http://uk.lizearle.com/
Elemis @www.timetospa.co.uk
Bliss www.blissworld.co.uk


Sam x

A Crowning glory

Have you ever walked in to a store for some shampoo and been bombarded with 20 different types?
Some people, like me have hair that can fit in to a few categories. I have greasy yet fine hair that can get dry at the ends. Do I go for a moisturising shampoo or one to add volume?
This problem has been solved by the clever Liz Earle!
A shampoo that suits all!
I would think, like me your first reaction would be...nope won't work for me! Well I was kindly sent some to review. For a all natural shampoo the foam was amazing, a little bit of shampoo with plenty of water produced a mass of fragrant bubbles. It rinsed clean and I was hesitant to follow with conditioner, but I did out of routine. After drying my hair my brush just slid through with no knots to contend with. My hair was in no way lank, at this a sigh of relief let slip. My hair was shiny and clean all day and my Fiancé commented on the lovely herby, organic smell.
As a one for all shampoo this is amazing, I will buying a bottle to give to my sister in law who has opposite hair to me just to see the results.
One little tip I would like to share is if you feel like you need more shampoo try adding a little water instead as this will activate the foam and you will use less shampoo!

I also tried the conditioner. Same gorgeous smell and it conditioned without weighing down my hair.
Unlike the shampoo the conditioner comes in 3 choices ,dry and damaged, oily and one for normal hair and with a hair care set just to make one choice is fab.
There are so many beautiful ingredients in theses shampoos and conditioners it would take ages to write them all down, lets just say each one works a little bit of magic.


Both shampoo and conditioner come in at   £7.65 each, great value
Get yours at http://uk.lizearle.com/haircare.html

Images thanks to Liz Earle web site

Would I buy them.... Yes!!!

A new Liz Earle kid on the block

As I am getting a bit older I am finding that the skin on my body drinks moisturiser up like any thing and I have to be careful with the more indulgent creams as I tend to use 6-10 pumps per use and as you can imagine they don't last very long using them like that.
I often wonder if anyone else has the same issues as I do? Incredibly oily skin on the face and oily hair and then a very thirsty body. I was always told that I never make anything easy lol

Normally Liz Earle's body moisturisers fall into the indulgent cream lists that I use on special occasions but Liz has added a new one to her box of tricks.

This Energising body lotion is Liz's January release and boasts a blend of 19 naturally active ingredients to leave skin soft, smooth and toned.
It is also said that the potion helps to improve skin elasticity.

I have been using this cream for about two weeks, every day. I have found that I only need to use a small about of this instead of the normal tub load.
After squeezing a small amount into my palm I warm the gel like lotion before rubbing it in. A little goes a long way I have found so I am pleased that I have been able to use it every day guilt free.
The look of the tube is undeniably Liz Earle, pale, calming cornflower blue and looks great on my cosmetic table.It has a convenient flip top and is in a slim tube so easy to use when hands are slightly slippy.

When I have used firming creams in the past they always have a strong chemical scent even if they are advertised as natural. This one however has a really lovely smell, yes you can smell all the natural ingredients but with Liz's products you know that they are just that, natural.
It is a mark of a product for me if my Fiancée comments on the smell as we all know men are not that bothered about the smell of our lotions and potions. I rubbed this on in the morning and when I got in to bed that night and every night since Paul has commented on how nice I smelled, and I had no perfume on. So this lotion is a winner for me all round!

£16.50 150mls

uk.lizearle.com/ 

My wish list for Santa

Dear Santa,

This year I have been a very good girl, I am in need of a bit of pampering so pretty please I would be really happy to find something off my wish list under the tree on Christmas morning.

Sam x

Ps, I will leave extra whiskey for you lol

1, Elemis have some really gorgeous gift sets this year that I would love to open. So if you can find Elemis Exotic Spa secrets I would be really happy.
It is a fabulous set with the iconic Milk bath, Frangipani Monoi moisture melt and the matching shower gel... and all for under £50!

2. Liz Earle Face and body essentials. A great set with three full size core range products and two generous sized body products.
Cleanse and polish with the muslin cloths speak for themselves as a staple of a cleansing routine. Skin boost skin tonic to add some sparkle to post Christmas skin and then a moisturiser in your skin type.
Orange flower Botanical body wash for every day use and the body cream to keep me smelling sweet...£40.25




3, Soap and Glory (I kneel down before you) Spa rush! shower!
      You get a gorgeous bag with scrub mitts and 3 fab products
      Sweets, fruity I foam shower gel, Butter up body butter in a
       tube and Sugar crush body scrub.All my favourites...£25







Buy yours at

uk.lizearle.com

www.Elemis.com

and www.boots.com  and Soap and Glory is on 3 for 2



                                            

Liz Earle Botanical Essence

A little surprise dropped through my letter box this afternoon.

Ok so it wasn't the full size but a lovely little tester. As a customer of Liz Earle I signed up to the quarterly news letter and my Christmas copy included this little gem.
I do not normally go for botanical smells as I prefer more fruity notes, however I am sold on this.
For the price of £39.50 you get a perfume that smells like it could cost more like £139!
This scent could last right the way through the year. It has notes that will warm your senses in the winter yet it is light enough for spring/ summer. I have never smelt a scent quite like it before.

As you would expect from Liz Earle all the oils in this fragrance are natural and include the following:
Lavender for relaxation, damask rose for that feminine touch and spicy Patchouli.

It is my birthday coming up in a month and this is now at the top of my wish list, fingers crossed.
Try something different, you might be surprised like I was

Find yours at www.lizearle.com

Celebration time for Liz Earle and her team!!

The iconic Cleanse and Polish from The Liz Earle range is today celebrating yet another award to add to the 49 they already had, Yes that’s 50!!!!!!

50 awards and accolades over 15 years is some thing to shout about.

Proof if you ever needed it that the Liz Earle philosophy of Gentle, botanical packed cleansing is reaching cult status.

Maybe if you were thinking of trying Cleanse and polish it’s the push you need to get buying. You won’t be alone you will be joining millions who have already added it to their beauty routine.

To date a total of 6million bottles and tubes have been sold in over 80- countries, which means 1 every 30 seconds! All these women can’t be wrong!

Cleanse and Polish is also making it’s way in to the celebrity world too with the likes of Lily Allen, Justin Timberlake’s Mrs, Jessic Biel and Miley Cyrus, to name a few

Using it to keep their well papped faces clean enough for star status.

Liz has only ever made one cleanser and now we know why!!

Congratulations to the Liz Earle team xx

Get yours from http://uk.lizearle.com/

Recently I have started to become addicted to finding the perfect eye cream. I ran out of my old one and my eyes started to really feel it. For some reason I have always been religious about eye creams and I remember trying my first one at 12! I think it has served me well as approaching 30, at what seems to be lightening speed I don't seem to have a sign of any wrinkles coming through.....yet and I hope it stays that way. One thing that I do have to battle though is dark circles. Not just a bit of discolouration but full on circles that on a bad day make me look either really ill or like I have been in a fight and my eyes lost! My search for a concealer to mask this is in its 15th year. I have tried however to help my eyes along with a good eye cream and now I am adding anti aging in to the mix.

There are adverts every where shouting out claims of light reflecting particles and caffeine to wake up and freshen the look of eyes and even the introduction of roller ball applicators.

Over the past few months I have tested quite a few eye creams so I thought that I would share with you my BEST list.

Philosophy Eye believe.

This is a product that works on the eyes and around the lip area. Not only does the tube look cute, which Philosophy products always do, but it delivers anti aging power into even deep wrinkles.

This gel is a hard working peptide gel (Peptides are handy things that help to increase collagen in the skin therefore plumping it up and smoothing out those life lines) that will instantly smooth fine lines and wrinkles whilst still working through out the day. The formula that they have created means that you can also use it around the lip area where lines might have started to appear especially if you are a smoker.

Philosophy also say that this balm like lotion can lighten up under eye circles.

I will admit that I don’t always follow the rules with eye creams in that I don’t just pat it around the eye area I also like to tap a small amount over the eye lids as well as mine can get dry. With this product I had no problem and was able to do so with no stinging and it didn’t make my eyes water. The feeling of this balm is like velvet when applied to the skin and this helped two fold, it allowed more massaging time I'm not saying that it takes ages to sink in it just allows a few more seconds to pamper your eyes, and it creates a great base for eye make up.

Although I was not using this product so much for the anti aging aspects I could still feel a difference to my skin once applied, it felt smoother so I feel that if your are trying to stop those lines this would do the job very well. As for the lightening … I saw a small improvement on the under eye area but for me this is great as some times there can be no difference. I think if you only had mild dark circles this could work a treat!

One last bonus is the tube is a decent size so it will last you a while.

RRP £22.50

LIZ Earle

Another eye cream that I have tried and to be honest has become a permanent feature in my make up draw is Liz Earle daily eye repair.

This lives up to all its claims and promises and at the end of the day is not that expensive for a botanical multi feature eye cream. As usual Liz has packed loads of botanical ingredients in to this little tube, with the main botanical ingredients being Borage oil and Echinacea. The texture of this is a cream but you can actually see the little light reflecting particles in it at it is coming out of the tube. It does not have any smell to it so for people who don’t like strong smelling lotions this one will be fine for you.

The cream goes on smoothly and does not sting. I can see my dark circles get lighter once I have put it on due to the light reflecting particles, as to whether it has made a overall difference I am not that sure to be honest. It certainly moisturises my eyes and I have not suffered from the painful cracked eyelids that can sometimes plague me. The cream does not rub off like some I have tried, some tend to sit on the skin rather than sink in. I find that even with daily usage the cream lasts for quite a while so I don’t mind paying the £13 tag. It also comes with SPF10 so even if you have no wrinkles yet it is a good product to use to protect your eye area from wrinkles actually developing because of the sun.

Now staying with Liz Earle they have brought out a super charged Eye cream for those who are already seeing the wrinkles and lines.

Super Skin eye and lip treatment actually tackles the lines and wrinkles rather than just trying to prevent them. It comes from their permanent Super Skin line that is well known for extra moisture benefits. It is specially formed for the older skins, troubled dry skins or even for you out there who have been beach bunnies and your skin is now not looking as plump as it was. Super skin is a powerful serum that is packed with a potent yet gentle blend of powerful botanics. It is rich in Omega 3 GLA and antioxidants so they will work their magic deep down.

Even though I don’t fit into this category I could not resist giving this a try as I thought if the eye dryness ever came back this sounded like a perfect and tbh more attractive plan than slathering petroleum jelly all over my eyes. It leaves skin so so smooth and it looks more even. I found that I needed less cover up over the top of my lids after using this. With it being a serum it is fab to pat in. You can also use it round the lip area so during winter or summer when skin gets punished or if you are suffering from self consciousness in that area, this is great to pop in your bag and carry round with you. We all know that if you put lip balm round your mouth you would look a bit daft, with this no problem as it sinks in….job done, lipstick on good to go.

RRP £25

Soap and Glory Super eyes

Soap and glory have tackled face care with the same retro cuteness of the bath and body line but don’t go thinking this means any less thought or science has gone in to the end result of their products.

Super eyes comes in the same, instantly recognizable packaging the brand is known for but I tell ya this little pot is some thing else!

Wowza this gel gives immediate results. It is a moisturising gel that packs a punch.

It has Swift lift technology that you will find no where else to tighten the eye area and create a smoother contour, so under your make up the skin looks youthful and smooth. Don’t worry though, you won’t have to give up on moisturised lids for this result as this gel has de-puffing caffeine in it to work at making you look awake along with Aloe Vera to input that all important moisture, there is no point having results if your skin is going to suffer for it.

I gave this to a friend to test for me as she is always complaining about her eye area and was even obsessing over getting Botox!!!!! I was horrified at the thought and have managed to keep her away…..with the help of Super eyes.

The reports she has come back with are glowing…..and I have seen her and she can blink lol and still looks human but a fresher one!

She said that her skin is feeling less slack around her eyes and her make up goes on better and does not drift towards creases. She uses it morning and night and you can see a difference. Her skin is evening out and looks less dry as it is not as moisture thirsty.

She said she will be buying it again and has asked for it for Christmas and the best news is she has forgotten about the B word.

RRP £8

L’Occitane

Shea Butter Ultra Rich Eye Balm is the must have for people who have dryness issues round the eye area. It contains 5% Shea butter so is one of the most moisture packed eye creams out there. This eye cream treats dehydration but because of its whipped texture it sinks into the skin, feels cool and is not hard work to use. You feel relief from any tight feeling whether it be from washing your face if you prefer to use soap or even dryness that can be caused by illness or medication. You only need to use a teeny tiny amount so this pot is going to last ages.

I prefer to use this as my night time eye crème as I know that when I wake up my lids will be soft but for those who need that bit extra use it day and night and it will give you the best nourishment for the eyes. We are told to use night crème well make sure your eyes get taken care of too.

Being a girly girl the pot looks gorgeous on the nightstand as it is glass and has a very French look to it…..but then again it is from a French brand!

RRP £22.50

One little extra one for some one looking for wrinkle filling

Vichy LiftActiv Retinol HA Eyes

This cream is packed with science and has helping hands including Pro-retinol A and Hyaluronic acid.

It has a pressure point applicator to help dispense the correct amount. It is serious stuff and works on 3 types of wrinkles round the eyes, the permanent deeper noticeable grooves that you need to bring out the big guns for. You get all this action within this pot but it is still light weight and helps reflect the light awayd from under eye circles or pigmentation problems.

RRP £20

You can find these products by pointing your mouse at the following links

http://uk.lizearle.com

http://uk.loccitane.com

http://www.boots.com/

and www.QVC.co.uk

It would be great to hear if you try any of these products and what you think or if you think you have another eye product fitting for the halls of fame!

See ya (no pun intended)