Archive for April 2013

Beauty Blogger Products I've Used Up Empties

I've been working hard for you guys lately, using up products to bring you reviews! It's a hard life :) Here is the latest bundle of products that I've managed to empty.

A lot of my recent empties have a bit of a hair theme. First off, the Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance is one of those products that gets repurchased time and time again by me. I don't know how I manage it but I manage to tie my hair in knots in the shower, this product os the best for detangling. It smells great and leaves my hair in great condition. The Avon Advance Techniques Dry Ends Serum is another product that I've been using regularly for years, around 15 years +! It's mum that got me onto this little beauty, she swears by it. This serum makes dry ends appear smoother, softer, conditioned and shinier.

The more disappointing hair products in the bunch were the Lush Retread and Phil Smith Dry Clean. I didn't actually use up the Lush Retread, more like find it in the back of the cupboard when I was having a clear out! I washed out the remainder of the tub as I really didn't get on with it. You can read my full review here though. Unfortunately I didn't get to try The Phil Smith Dry Shampoo all that much, I received this in a Joliebox (I think) and I must have received a faulty one. I used it once or twice, and then came to use it one morning to find nozzle full of powder! It must have malfunctioned, but anyway the can was empty so that was the end of that! It was ok, not that memorable. I'll stick to my Batiste I think.

I absolutely loved the Elemis Fresh Skin Exfoliating Face Wash, I've not yet repurchased a full size after finishing this sample - I've just had so many other face washes to finish up first. You can ready my original review here. The Dead Sea Spa Magik Cleansing Facial Wash is one of those cleansers I've been using. It really leaves you feeling squeaky clean - though it did sting my eyes a bit if I got a bit in there by accident.

I was handed the Rituals T'ai Chi Foaming Shower Gel sample as I was walking by the store. The White Lotus and Green Tea smell is so fresh and stunning, it was a real luxurious experiencing using this shower gel. The gel itself is rich, thick and creamy - a joy! Another joy to use was the This Works: Perfect Hands. I got this purely for the smell - rose is the main scent and it's my favourite. The cream is non-greasy and only leaves my hands super soft, it also evens out out coloration - red patches faded quicker, I imagine it being great for older skin as it's aimed at reducing the appearance of dark spots.

Have you tried any of these products? Let me know your thoughts!

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Inhibitif Advanced Hair Free Serum - £29.99 (Boots.co.uk)

Walk into any Boots at the moment and you'll be confronted with the latest wonder product claiming to be a solution to that most hated chore, hair removal. I was instantly drawn in. Hair removal is a big issue for me, I've touched upon the subject before, in one of my most popular posts on this blog - My Guide to Epilating. Shaving is more than a pain for most people, but I get regrowth pretty straight away - no exaggeration. My legs are so sensitive, coming out in painful and unattractive rashes from the use of hair removal creams, waxing and even shaving. Epilating seemed to the best budget option for me ( though I'd love to be able to afford laser treatment), and it still is, but it's a lot of work trying to avoid the ingrown hairs, and once you get out of the routine it takes a lot of courage to get back into it - it can be bloody painful the first couple of goes!

At £29.99 Inhibitif is quite an investment, but it's more than worth it if does all it claims. The serum works to target the hair follicle, to slow down growth as well as minimising the density and thickness of the hair itself. Sounds great, but it's quite a commitment. You need to use the serum twice a day for 8 weeks, applying it to shaved or waxed body areas. I'm guessing that I'll have to shave or epilate every day or two, which I'm kind of dreading, fearing a shaving rash. However it seems that Inhibitif is also meant to be great for minimising ingrown hairs and skin irritation, so hopefully that solves a problem in itself!

I don't have any results to report yet, I've only be using Inhibitif for two days, but I'm very excited about this product. My only observations so far are that it's smells ok - a strange mix of some kind of clean, fresh minty smell and... TCP! Very strange, but ok. It also leaves the skin super soft, maybe a little tingly at first, but nothing uncomfortable. I've got very high hopes of Inhibitif saving my summer!!

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Prior to setting out on my travels to India I did a bit of research to discover what would be best to pack in my travel make up bag. Lisa Eldridge's Long Haul Flight Beauty Regime video was an absolute god-send for pointing me in the right direction, even though I didn't use the same products as Lisa, my basic routine was pretty much lifted straight from hers.

I was lucky enough to spend the 10+ hours from Manchester airport to Mumbai, and back again, in business class - hello lots of space and fully reclinable chair (I was one of those annoying people who spends the first 10 mins on board pressing every single button around me to discover what it does)! On the way out to India I was the only the female in the whole of business class, to say I got a couple of looks when going through my whole routine was an understatement, not that I cared. It's not worth getting dehydrated and spotty just to avoid a few stares now is it? And as Lisa Eldridge says, you might as well use the time for a little pampering!

First a note on the bag, I've been using this clear travel make up bag from Boots for over a year now for flying. It's the perfect size for passing through airport security, whilst also being more convenient than the disposable clear baggies and big enough to fit all the bits and bobs that I insist on travelling with! I don't like to wear a lot of make-up while travelling, there is something about long journeys that makes me feel horrid, so before setting off to the airport I just put the basics of concealer, blusher and eyebrow pencil on - to make me look alive! This means that once settled in my seat it was easy to use the Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic on a few cotton pads to remove the small amount of make-up.

The main thing I want to avoid from a long haul flight is dehydration from the recirculated air. The Hydraluron Moisture Booster is the first layer I apply to help absorb the goodness from the products I follow up with. Lisa Eldridge stresses using a good hydrating mask for the duration of the flight, I went for my favourite Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask, slathering a thick layer on all over my face. I then sit back and relax with two soaked cotton wool pads covered in the Liz Earle Eye Bright Soothing Lotion over my eyes, with an eye mask over the top to keep them place. This cools and hydrates, and after a bit of relaxation can be used to clean off any product from the area.

Throughout the long flight I will periodically brush my teeth, apply the lovely Crabtree & Evelyn hand cream and invigorating Jason lip balm. If I'm a bit spotty I'll apply Clinique Acne Solution, and on any particularly patches of dry skin or cracked cuticles I'll apply Yu-Be balm (a bit like the Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream). I always pack the Naturaleve Nourishing Therapy Oil, not only is it great for hydrating skin, but if I'm struggling to sleep the rosehip, lavender and chamomile make it great for relaxation.

When getting ready to land I'll give my face a quick wipe over with the Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic, to remove the layers and layers of products applied. I then start prepping to make myself look a little more presentable for the outside world. The Avène Skin Recovery Cream is a great moisturiser to continue on with the intense hydration needed after a flight, and the Origins Ginzing Eye Cream is perfect for brightening up the under eye area. A quick slick of make-up is all I need for the transfer to my hotel, so I just apply concealer to wherever I need it as well as some blusher and a bit of an eyebrow pencil fill in my non existent brows and give some colour back to my face. Of course perfume always comes in handy for a quick freshen up too!

I'm so happy with this routine and leave the plane feeling clean and refreshed each time, I'll definitely be continuing this for years to come.

How does this compare to your routine? Let me know if you have any travel tips, especially for flying.

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Hello! Remember me? I've been a little absent from blogging recently due to the fact I've been working in India the last few weeks! Yep, work decided to send me all the way to Pune, and although I actually did have to do a lot of work (unfortunately!) I did manage to get out and about to see a bit of Pune and the surrounding area. In true blogger style I wanted to share a few of pics and experiences with you guys!

I have to say, this post is very photo heavy, and if you're interested I've shared even more pictures on my instagram (@CharlCollection), but it was such a great experience it was difficult narrowing down the few pics I took - I'm sure (hope) you won't be bored by this post!

India is such an amazing country, I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to travel there, while meeting some great colleagues in the country for the time. I only briefly got to see a tiny part of the country, but the culture and diversity was astounding. One minute we were in the hustle n bustle, just simply plain madness of Mumbai, the next we were travelling through sparse but stunning countryside heading to final destination of Pune, taking snaps of the unbelievably tame, yet completely wild monkeys!

In India you really do get to see the best the world has to have offer; incredibly friendly and smiley people, amazingly vibrant food and colours. I was lucky enough to stay in a wonderful hotel, but stepping out of the hotel it was really quite unbelievable the amount of poverty you could encounter on the other side of the street. It was a real eye opener. I hope to be able to go back and explore some more!

If you've ever travelled to India, or any country nearby, let me know what you thought. Have you any recommendations of things to do and see?